Effectively Closing the Digital Divide, Charting a New Course in US-Africa Relations, and More

How digital currencies are transforming the future of money, U.S. trade policy with Africa, and high-speed broadband services.

View in browser June 22, 2021 Don't replace the digital divide with the 'not good enough divide'   "At a time when the nation is finally moving beyond talking about the digital divide to actually doing something about the problem, it is illogical to spend the taxpayers' dollars for something that will only open the possibility of a 'not good enough divide' as demand continues to rise," argues Tom Wheeler.   Read more Charting a new course in US-Africa relations: The importance of learning from others' mistakes   In aligning both its trade and investment policies toward Africa, the United States has a unique opportunity to support African unity and economic prosperity. As the new U.S. trade team fleshes out an updated approach toward Africa, Liz May and Andrew Mold write that, in light of the AfCFTA, bilateral free trade agreements with African countries should be reconsidered in favor of a continental approach.   Read more Listen: Digital currencies are transforming the future of money   The rising popularity of cryptocurrencies poses serious questions for financial institutions and monetary policy. On the latest episode of Dollar & Sense, David Dollar and Eswar Prasad discuss the digitalization of money and what digital currencies could mean for the future of cash, international payments, and the strength of the U.S. dollar.   Listen to the podcast Help support Brookings with a donation   Brookings is committed to making its high-quality, independent policy research free to the public. Please consider making a contribution today to our Annual Fund to support our experts' work. The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brookings Institution campus in Washington, D.C. is currently closed and all events are virtual only. For more information on the Institution's response, read our full guidance here. The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Unsubscribe Manage your newsletter preferences | Receive the Brookings Brief less often