Research Library

A new brief from the Center for Health Policy examines how states are using the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program to address health-related social needs. Charles W. Mathias, Kathryn Jantz, Elena M. Marks, and Carlos A. Cruz explore how this emerging strategy could shape rural healthcare outcomes.

In a new piece for The Conversation, Kelsey Norman and Nicholas R. Micinski examine how declining refugee numbers in 2025 coincide with a broader shift in global humanitarian financing, arguing that aid cuts and policies linking assistance to migration control are leaving refugees with fewer resources and more limited pathways to protection.

In this episode, Heidi Russell speaks with Katharine Harris about the rise of the hemp-derived THC market in Texas.

In this episode, Edward M. Emmett, former Harris County judge, and policy analyst Bill King join Heidi Russell to discuss the long-term policy implications for Houston’s educational infrastructure.

Ambassador David M. Satterfield is joined by Baker Institute Fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen to examine how the World Cup has become intertwined with geopolitics, soft power, and the evolving relationship between sports and diplomacy.

Despite expanded drilling efforts, Russia’s oil production continues to decline, deepening the economic strain of the war with Ukraine and sanctions. In this brief, Gabriel Collins explores how reduced oil output could weaken Russia’s global influence and reshape the economic and geopolitical foundations of its foreign policy.

Executive Summary

Efforts to reduce plastic production through bans, production caps, or limitations to advanced recycling…

As global attention turns toward the next World Cup, questions about the relationship between sports, politics, and national image are receiving renewed attention. In this report, Vedant Khadiya and Kristian Coates Ulrichsen explore the concept of sportswashing — the practice of using sports to divert attention from alleged ethical concerns. The report examines how sportswashing has been defined and assessed across academic and media discourses, calling for further research into its real-world impacts and effectiveness as a tool of soft power.

In this episode, Heidi Russell speaks with Charles W. Mathias about the connection between pediatric nutrition and healthcare financing and the alignment of Medicaid, SNAP, and WIC in supporting children’s health in Texas.

In this episode of “Baker Briefing,” Heidi Russell discusses a new Baker Institute report on major healthcare policy changes during the Trump administration’s first year and what those shifts could mean for patients, providers, states, and the future of public health in the United States.