When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited China this year, his visit to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding got some of the most media attention.

How did pandas become China’s national treasure and how are they used in diplomacy? Could trade wars or heightened competition with China lead to the removal of pandas from the United States or other countries? What role will this “national treasure” play in future international relations?

Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy at USSC David Smith and Senior Lecturer in Government and International Relations at the University if Sydney Minglu Chen joined the podcast to discuss their recent paper in The Pacific Review titled “Panda diplomacy revisited: state interests and public emotions.”

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Produced by: Elliott Brennan

Music by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

Legislation is hard to pass in the United States, but tends to have a longer-lasting impact than executive orders, which can be easily overturned. President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act put climate change at the forefront of his legislative agenda. Now, with President Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, we see the first major legislative action of Trump 2.0, particularly related to climate change and energy.

How “Trump proof” was Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act? How does the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act change the dial on energy and climate policy? What will be the lasting energy legacy of Trump 2.0?

Director of Research Jared Mondschein sat down with USSC Non-Resident Fellow Lachlan Carey to discuss these issues. Lachlan is a manger at RMI, where he leads work on US regional economic development through clean energy investment. He is also the author of the Trump 2.0 chapter “Climate and energy policies: Executing the Inflation Reduction Act.”

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Produced by: Elliott Brennan

Music by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

Six years after his death in prison, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continues to make headlines due to his longtime friendship with President Trump. While most news cycles in the Trump-era have a flashbang approach, this one has remarkable staying power and the legal logistics are key to understanding the story.

What was the legal case against Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell? How have the FBI and DOJ handled questions around this case under Trump? Why is there a strong possibility Maxwell could win her Supreme Court appeal?

USSC Honorary Associate Dr Harry Melkonian joined the podcast to discuss these issues. Dr Melkonian is a legal educator and has extensive experience in practicing law in both the United States and Australia.

Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Produced by: Elliott Brennan

Music by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat