Biden’s Judicial Record, Nonstate Actors in Syria, and More

Closing racial gaps in school suspensions, Syria's dissolving line between state and nonstate actors, and Biden's judicial appointments. 

View in browser January 31, 2023 Based on Biden's 2 years of judicial appointments, Trump's 4-year record seems secure   "Biden was quick off the block in his first-year appointments and slowed somewhat in his second year. To achieve record numbers of confirmations in four years he will need some luck in the form of a vacancy influx and more, or at least more successful negotiations with home-state Republican senators over district nominees," assesses Russell Wheeler.   Read more Syria's dissolving line between state and nonstate actors   Over time, both state actors and nonstate armed groups in Syria have produced parallel, interconnected, and interdependent political economies in which the boundaries between formal and informal, licit and illicit, regulation and coercion have largely vanished. Steven Heydemann gives an overview of what's happening on the ground in Syria and what it bodes for the future.   Read more Disciplinary referrals, teachers, and the sources of racial disciplinary disproportionalities   Closing racial gaps in suspensions has been a priority in U.S. education, but despite much-needed progress, racial disproportionality in school discipline persists. Jing Liu explains why this stubborn gap has been so hard to close and discusses a trio of studies that may illuminate some potential solutions.   Read more 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. The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Unsubscribe Manage your newsletter subscriptions | Receive the Brookings Brief less often