Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy

In a new paper, Rachel A. Meidl argues that sustainability is best understood not as a standalone environmental goal, but as a systems-based framework for managing trade-offs, risks, and interdependencies across complex global supply chains. Focusing on the pharmaceutical sector, the paper examines how organizations are navigating competing priorities such as emissions reduction, supply chain resilience, regulatory compliance, patient safety, and affordability in an increasingly fragmented global economy.

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Sustainability in a Fragmented Global Economy: Managing Trade-Offs Across Interconnected Systems | Baker Institute In a new paper, Rachel A. Meidl reframes sustainability as a systems-based approach to managing trade-offs, resilience, and risk across increasingly interconnected global supply chains.

Global refugee numbers declined in 2025 for the first time in a decade, but the trend offers little cause for celebration. In a new piece for The Conversation, Kelsey Norman and Nicholas R. Micinski examine how humanitarian aid cuts, shifting migration policies, and growing pressure to link assistance with migration control are reshaping refugee support systems and leaving displaced populations increasingly vulnerable.

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Refugee Numbers Dropped in 2025 — But Aid Cuts and Other Trends Suggest Little to Celebrate | Baker Institute 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 resourc...

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.

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Health-Related Social Needs as a Rural Health Transformation Strategy | Baker Institute 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 healthcar...

Despite expanded drilling efforts, Russia’s oil production continues to decline, deepening the economic strain of the war with Ukraine and sanctions. In a new 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.

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How Declining Oil Production Could Weaken Russia’s Geopolitical Power | Baker Institute 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 fo...

📅 Save the Date: “Synthetic Biology at the Intersection of Science, Ethics, and Policy”

On Sept. 18, the Baker Institute’s Science and Technology Policy Program and the Rice Synthetic Biology Institute will host a symposium on the intersection of emerging biotechnologies, public policy, and ethical responsibility. Featuring internationally recognized leaders in synthetic biology, health communication, and public policy, the event will examine both the promise of scientific innovation and the challenges of misinformation, regulation, and public trust.

The event and associated research are supported by grants from Rice’s Creative Venture Fund, the George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation, and the National Science Foundation ( #2223678).

Registration is now open: https://bit.ly/4tFNZBf

Does eliminating plastics actually reduce oil production? In a new Center for Energy Studies brief, Rachel A. Meidl explores why reducing plastics does not automatically translate into lower crude oil production — and why sustainability outcomes are best evaluated by following the lifecycle of the molecule rather than the product.

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The Lifecycle of Hydrocarbon Molecules: Limitations of the Plastic-Oil Debate | Baker Institute Executive SummaryEfforts to reduce plastic production through bans, production caps, or limitations to advanced recycling that recognize only polymer-to-polymer recycling are often justified by a broader assumption: Lowering demand for petrochemical feedstocks will directly reduce crude oil producti...

As global attention turns toward the next World Cup, questions about the relationship between sports, politics, and national image are receiving renewed attention. In a new 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.

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Sportswashing: Defining, Reframing, and Measuring Its Soft Power Impact | Baker Institute 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 di...

Social Security is not disappearing, but the window for less costly reforms may be closing. In a new piece for The Conversation US, John W. Diamond examines the latest Social Security trustees report and explains how declining birth rates, lower immigration, rising debt, and fiscal constraints are increasing pressure on the program's long-term finances. As projected trust fund depletion moves closer, policymakers may face more difficult choices if action is delayed.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4vDY3LV.

The Social Security Trust Fund Will Run Dry in 2032 – What That Means for Retirees and Workers Who Hope To Retire | Baker Institute John W. Diamond examines the latest Social Security trustees report, arguing that demographic change, lower immigration, rising federal debt, and fiscal constraints are increasing pressure on the program's long-term finances and narrowing the range of available reform options.

🌐 Happening This Week: “The Middle East and US Foreign Policy: What Happens Next?”

U.S. policy in the Middle East faces mounting challenges as conflict, political instability and shifting alliances continue to reshape the region. From Gaza and Lebanon to Iran, policymakers are confronting difficult questions about diplomacy, security and America’s long-term role in the region.

Join us this Wednesday for a conversation with Aaron Miller and Daniel Kurtzer for a discussion on the future of U.S. leadership in the Middle East. This discussion will be moderated by Baker Institute Director David Satterfield.

Register here: https://bit.ly/3QWaPqa

🎙️ Why can health insurance costs vary so dramatically for people in similar jobs within the same state?

In this episode of “Baker Briefing,” Vivian Ho and Marah Short discuss the drivers behind these disparities, including market structure, insurer power, and bargaining scale, and what they reveal about broader challenges in the U.S. healthcare system.

The conversation also examines policy options that may help address rising and uneven costs.

🎧 Listen to the episode:

Why Health Insurance Costs Vary So Dramatically | Baker Institute In this episode of “Baker Briefing,” Vivian Ho and Marah Short examine differences in health insurance premiums across Texas universities and the factors driving variation in the cost of coverage.