Best Ana Luz Podcasts (2025)

1
From ‘Baker Briefing’: Reimagining US-Mexico Water Cooperation 47:52

1M ago47:52

47:52

From the “Baker Briefing” podcast: A water crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border is growing. The 1944 Water Treaty has long guided how both nations share the Rio Grande and Colorado rivers, but climate change, drought, and growing demand are testing its limits. Guest host Tony Payan speaks with Rosario Sanchez, a senior research scientist at the Texa…

1
89: Drawing Power: Political Cartooning in Mexico (Guest: Paco Calderón) 31:27

3M ago31:27

31:27

Political cartoons serve as a powerful visual commentary on major figures, events, and issues. Paco Calderón, a cartoonist who has documented much of Mexico's political and social landscape, joined "México Centered" to discuss his work and approach. More about Tony Payan, Ph.D.: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/tony-payan Follow Tony Payan on …

1
88: Chocolate Cars’: Illegal Vehicle Imports to Mexico From the US (Guests: Guillermo Rosales Zárate & Juan Vega Gómez) 39:45

4M ago39:45

39:45

Each year, hundreds of thousands of cars are imported illegally into Mexico from the United States. These unregistered “chocolate cars” — a play on the word “chueco,” which means “crooked” in Spanish — not only crowd out the national light vehicle market, but often fail to meet pollution and safety standards and can be used in serious crimes. The u…

1
87: Stopping the Flow of US Arms to Mexico (Guests: Isabella D’Alacio, John Lindsay-Poland & Gerardo Álvarez) 35:37

6M ago35:37

35:37

In this episode of “México Centered,” experts Isabella D’Alacio, John Lindsay-Poland, and Gerardo Álvarez join Tony to shed light on the dangerous flow of firearms from the U.S. into Mexico. They explore how criminal networks traffic powerful weapons across the border, the cultural and political obstacles to reform, and the ongoing efforts to curb …

1
From ‘Baker Briefing’: Claudia Sheinbaum’s Balancing Act 41:16

6M ago41:16

41:16

Tony Payan joined David Satterfield, director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and host of the “Baker Briefing” podcast, to discuss the challenges Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, is facing — both domestically and in its relationship with the United States. This conversation was recorded on May 14, 2025. You can subscrib…

1
86: Binational Dialogues: José Antonio Meade 36:10

7M ago36:10

36:10

On April 24, 2025, we hosted the inaugural webinar of our “Binational Dialogues” series, titled “Mexico’s Economy Today” and featuring José Antonio Meade Kuribreña. Meade offered an in-depth analysis of the current state of Mexico’s economy, followed by a thoughtful conversation with Tony Payan, director of the Center for the U.S. and Mexico. Meade…

1
85: Boosting Tech Entrepreneurship in Chihuahua (Guests: Kevin Koym and Ana Victoria Gutiérrez) 28:06

7M ago28:06

28:06

Tony Payan, director of the Center for the U.S. and Mexico, is joined by Kevin Koym, founder and CEO of Tech Ranch, and Ana Victoria Gutiérrez, ecosystem intelligence leader at Startup Chihuahua. Together, they explore how strategic investment and community collaboration are driving the growth of tech entrepreneurship in Chihuahua. Featured guests:…

1
From ‘Baker Briefing’: Trump’s Sprawling Deportation Campaign (Guests: David Donatti, Luz Garcini & Tony Payan) 42:07

8M ago42:07

42:07

Last month, Tony Payan joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast along with Rice University professor Luz Maria Garcini and ACLU of Texas attorney David Donatti to discuss the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign. They explored the legal and social implications of the administration’s unconventional targeting of legal permanent and temporary …

1
84: Trump’s Mass Deportation Policy and the US Labor Market (Guest: Chloe East) 30:16

9M ago30:16

30:16

President Donald Trump has promised to carry out a mass deportation effort that would remove millions of immigrants residing illegally in the United States. Will the massive scale of deportations improve the U.S. economy and deliver greater job prospects for U.S.-born workers, as Trump has claimed? In early March, “México Centered” host Tony Payan …

1
83: Mexico’s Artificial Intelligence Future Pt. 2 (Guests: Laura Ripani & Alejandro Dabdoub) 18:32

9M ago18:32

18:32

On “México Centered,” host Tony Payan continued his conversation on the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in Mexico with Laura Ripani, Mexico’s country representative at the Inter-American Development Bank, and friend of the podcast Alejandro Dabdoub. They explored major questions about the future of work as AI advances: What implications does…

1
From ‘Baker Briefing’: How Will Trump’s Tariffs Impact American Industry and Consumers? (Guests: John Diamond, Steven Lewis & Ken Medlock) 41:15

10M ago41:15

41:15

In February, “México Centered” host Tony Payan joined three other Baker Institute experts to explore President Donald Trump’s plans to impose tariffs on Mexican, Canadian, and Chinese goods and what they mean for U.S. industries and consumers — as well as our relationships with our largest trading partners. The conversation was moderated by John Di…

1
82: Mexico’s Artificial Intelligence Future Pt. 1 (Guests: Claudia del Pozo & Alejandro Dabdoub) 22:02

10M ago22:02

22:02

Mexico was once one of the biggest leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) globally, but progress has since stalled. Now, there’s renewed hope: President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office in October 2024, has created an Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications (ATDT), and the topic is also receiving attention from the Mexican Congr…

1
81: Mexico’s Budget Proposal for 2025 (Guest: Mariana Campos) 36:19

11M ago36:19

36:19

On Nov. 15, 2024, the Mexican government released its budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2025, which runs from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. The government pledged to narrow its fiscal deficit from around 6% in 2024 to around 3% in 2025, and according to the budget proposal, there will be no additional taxes, and the economy will grow between 2% and 3% next…

1
80: Deportations, Tariffs, Fentanyl: What’s Next for US-Mexico Relations? (Guest: The Honorable Christopher Landau) 24:14

1y ago24:14

24:14

On the campaign trail, Mexico was very much in Donald Trump’s cross-hairs. Now that he’s set to return to office, his pledges — including mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, a 25% tariff on Mexican goods and services, and a “war on drug cartels” — could indeed become reality. What could these policies look like in practice, and how will th…

1
79: AI and the Binantional Relation (Guests: Chris Bronk and Alejandro Dabdoub) 24:36

1y ago24:36

24:36

The Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute stays abreast of the many issues affecting the binational relationship–including some issues that are not as intuitive and are often not in the media. One of these is artificial intelligence. To explore what AI can do to the U.S.-Mexico relationship - in academia, secu…

1
78: Mexico’s Judicial Reform (Guests: Javier Martin Reyes and David Gantz) 37:07

1y ago37:07

37:07

Mexico’s sweeping overhaul of the country’s court system took effect last month, in the final weeks before President López Obrador handed the keys of the National Palace to his mentee and successor, President Claudia Sheinbaum. Mexico is now one of the few countries in the world that elects its judges, including at the Supreme Court level, by popul…

1
77: The USMCA Review and Other Trade Challenges (Guest: C.J. Mahoney) 23:16

1y ago23:16

23:16

International trade has flourished in recent decades. In the U.S., which is both the world’s largest importer and exporter of goods and services, trade has lowered the costs of everyday goods, raised the living standard, and fueled job growth. But it has also eliminated some jobs, mostly in manufacturing. As a result, support for free trade has dec…

1
From ‘Baker Briefing’: Claudia Sheinbaum and AMLO’s Looming Shadow (Guest: Tony Payan) 30:42

1+ y ago30:42

30:42

Late last month, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced a “pause” in relations with the U.S. embassy. These latest tensions between the two countries came after U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar criticized López Obrador’s proposed judicial reforms, which include electing judges by popular vote. Salazar called this measure “a ma…

1
Episode 76: Voter Attitudes in Mexico and the US (Guest: Carlos Moreno Jaimes) 19:56

1+ y ago19:56

19:56

In this month's episode of Mexico Centered, Tony Payan sits down with Carlos Moreno Jaimes, professor and researcher at ITESO Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara, about voter attitudes in the Mexican and U.S. electorates and a recent survey he conducted to look at this issue. For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States a…

1
Episode 75: Mexico’s Elections: The Results (Guest: Lorena Becerra) 20:16

1+ y ago20:16

20:16

Tony Payan sits down with Lorena Becerra, political analyst and CEO of Lorena Becerra Encuestas, to analyze the results of Mexico’s presidential election on June 2, 2024. For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico visit our website, and follow us on X/Twitter and LinkedIn. To join our mailing list, please su…

1
Episode 74: Mexico’s Post-Presidential Election Scenarios (Guest: Javier Martin Reyes) 25:22

1+ y ago25:22

25:22

In this episode we sit down with Javier Martin Reyes, researcher at the Institute for Legal Research at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) for a conversation on Mexico's post-presidential election scenarios and their possible legal consequences. For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico visit ou…

1
Episode 73: Mexico’s Presidential Elections, the Candidates, Continuity and the Binational Relation (Guest: Carlos Bravo Regidor) 22:18

1+ y ago22:18

22:18

As Mexico's current presidential administration approaches its final days, key questions about the country’s future arise. Some of the critical challenges facing Mexico range from political to democratic principles, such as the growing poverty rate, the state of public safety, and the U.S.–Mexico binational relationship. How will the next president…

1
Episode 72: The 2024 Presidential Elections in Mexico (Guests: Tony Payan, Ivan Rodriguez Sanchez; Edward M. Emmett) 23:24

2y ago23:24

23:24

We're back! After a hiatus of almost 2 years the Mexico Centered podcast returns...and just in time for Mexico's 2024 presidential elections. In this episode, a crossover with the Baker Institute's Baker Briefing podcast, host and Baker Institute fellow Edward M. Emmett sits down with Tony Payan, director, and Jose Ivan Rodriguez-Sanchez, scholar, …

1
Episode 71: Hosting Mexico Centered (Guests: Tony Payan and Enrique Quezada) 33:25

3+ y ago33:25

33:25

In his final episode as host, Enrique Quezada sits down with Tony Payan, director of the Baker Institute Center for the U.S. and Mexico, to look back at how the podcast started and the role it has played at the Center. Enrique talks about preparing for interviews and the behind-the-scenes work to produce Mexico Centered. For more information on the…

1
Episode 70: Trans-border Collaboration Across the Rio Grande (Guests: Bob Krumenaker, superintendent of Big Bend National Park, and Javier Ochoa, subd... 41:44

3+ y ago41:44

41:44

Bob Krumenaker, superintendent of Big Bend National Park, and Javier Ochoa, subdirector of the protected areas Maderas del Carmen and Ocampo, talk about the different models of conservation the U.S. and Mexico have, their day-to-day activities, and the numerous ways in which they collaborate across the border to the benefit of the ecosystem they sh…

1
Episode 69: The Significance of Mexico’s 2022 Local Elections (Guest: Alejandro Cruz, director of special studies at BGC Ulises Beltrán y Asociados) 33:35

3+ y ago33:35

33:35

Alejandro Cruz, director of special studies at BGC Ulises Beltrán y Asociados and an expert in local elections in Mexico, discusses the results of the June 2022 local elections in Mexico and their significance for the López Obrador administration and the president’s party. For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States and…

1
Episode 68: The Dream of a Binational Park (Guest: Francisco Cantú, writer, translator, and author) 32:48

3+ y ago32:48

32:48

Francisco Cantú, author of The Line Becomes a River, discusses his recent article for Audubon Magazine where he wrote about a grand dream for an international park encompassing Big Bend on the U.S side and Santa Elena and Maderas del Carmen on the Mexican side. Cantú talks about what he learned during his visit about the different approaches of the…

1
Episode 67: Mexico’s National Guard and Public Safety (Guest: Richard Kilroy) 21:52

4y ago21:52

21:52

Richard J. Kilroy, nonresident scholar at the Center for the United States and Mexico and associate professor of politics at Coastal Carolina University, discusses the role of Mexico’s National Guard in President López Obrador’s public safety strategy. For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico visit our web…

1
Episode 66: The Dangers of Being a Journalist in Mexico (Guest: Peniley Ramírez) 29:38

4y ago29:38

29:38

Peniley Ramírez, investigative journalist and columnist for the newspaper Reforma, talks about the dangers of being a journalist in Mexico, the mechanisms in place to protect journalists, and the relationship between Lopez Obrador and the media. For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico visit our website, a…

1
Episode 65: 2021 Annual Roundup (Guest: Tony Payan) 32:27

4y ago32:27

32:27

Tony Payan, director of the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico, discusses what happened in 2021 to Mexico’s economy, politics, public health, and to the binational relationship with the United States. He also sets out expectations for 2022. For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico visi…

1
Episode 64: Binational Healthcare: A conversation with Houston Methodist Hospital (Jose Nuñez, VP, Global Development at Houston Methodist’s Global He... 20:00

4y ago20:00

20:00

José Núñez, the vice president for Global Development at Houston Methodist’s Global Health Care Services, talks about how Mexican patients access healthcare services in the United States, what Houston Methodist’s partnerships with the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey and Mexico City’s ABC Medical Center entail, and how the coronavirus pandemic af…

1
Episode 63: A Conversation with Consul General Alicia Kerber Palma 30:11

4y ago30:11

30:11

Alicia Kerber Palma, consul general of Mexico in Houston since 2019, talks about her time in the Mexican Foreign Service, the programs and services provided by Mexico’s Consulate General in Houston, feminist foreign policy, and the binational relationship. For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico visit our…

1
Episode 62: El Problema del Crimen Organizado en México (Guest: Eduardo Guerrero) 27:15

4+ y ago27:15

27:15

This podcast is in Spanish. Eduardo Guerrero, socio fundador y director de Lantia Consultores y Lantia Intelligence, habla sobre la complicada situación de seguridad nacional y el incremento en la violencia relacionada al crimen organizado en México. Para mayor información sobre el Centro para Estados Unidos y México del Instituto Baker, visite nue…

1
Episode 61: The Aftermath of Mexico’s 2021 Midterm Elections (Guest: Tony Payan) 25:09

4+ y ago25:09

25:09

Tony Payan, the Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and director of the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University, discusses the implications of the 2021 midterm elections for Mexico’s president, the president's party, the opposition, and electoral institutions. For more information on the Baker…

1
Episode 60: Mexico’s 2021 Midterm Elections (Guest: Javier Martin Reyes) 37:03

4+ y ago37:03

37:03

On June 6, Mexico will hold its midterm elections. A total of 21,368 elected positions will be on the ballot, making this the largest single-day election in Mexico’s history. The results will define Mexico’s political landscape through at least 2024, and may also determine whether President López Obrador and his political party, MORENA, will contin…

1
Episode 59: Data for U.S.-Mexico Border Studies: Challenges in Data Collection and Distribution (Guests: James Gerber and Jorge Eduardo Mendoza Cota) 24:57

4+ y ago24:57

24:57

James Gerber, professor emeritus of economics at San Diego State University, and Eduardo Mendoza, professor in the Department of Economic Studies at El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, discuss the challenges in making comparisons between sub-national units across the U.S.-Mexico border with existing data. They offer recommendations for future data col…

1
Episode 58: The Path to Permanent Residency for DREAMers (Guest: Catherine Glazer) 22:28

4+ y ago22:28

22:28

Catherine Glazer, U.S. immigration attorney, discusses what the current path to permanent residency is, the obstacles for DACA recipients, and potential avenues the current administration could pursue to grant permanent legal status to Dreamers. Glazer is the author of the recently published research paper "The Materialization of a Dream: Creating …

1
Episode 57: The Growth of Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship in Mexico (Guest: Vincent Speranza) 24:59

5y ago24:59

24:59

Vincent Speranza, Managing Director of Endeavor Mexico, discusses the growth of venture capital and entrepreneurship in Mexico, the role of Endeavor in supporting entrepreneurs, and the challenges and opportunities during the pandemic. For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico visit our website at https://w…

1
Episode 56: Expectations for Mexico in 2021 (Guest: Tony Payan) 28:50

5y ago28:50

28:50

Tony Payan, director of the Baker Institute’s Center for the United States and Mexico, discusses the expectations for Mexico in 2021 in regard to the country's economy, politics, public health, and the binational relationship with the United States under the Biden administration. For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United Sta…

1
Episode 55: El Tercer País (Guest: Michael S. Malone) 24:29

5y ago24:29

24:29

Michael S. Malone, high-technology/business journalist, producer of the award-winning PBS miniseries The New Heroes, editor of Forbes ASAP magazine, and Dean’s Executive Professor at Santa Clara University, talks about his recent book, "El Tercer País", where he explores the connections between San Diego and Tijuana, the history of the border regio…

1
Episode 54: U.S.-Mexico Relations Under President-Elect Biden (Guest: Mark P. Jones) 19:30

5y ago19:30

19:30

Mark P. Jones, fellow in political science at the Baker Institute and the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies at Rice University, talks about the binational relationship between the United States and Mexico in the context of the 2020 presidential election and the new president-elect. For more information on the Baker Institute Center f…

1
Episode 53: Health Inequalities in the US-Mexico Border Region (Guests: Eva Moya and Silvia Chavez-Baray) 26:27

5y ago26:27

26:27

Eva Moya, Associate Professor, and Silvia Chavez-Baray, Post Doctoral Fellow, at the Department of Social Work, University of Texas at El Paso, talk about the unique characteristics of the US-Mexico border, the health of its residents, and the challenges and opportunities of managing health policy and outcomes during the Covid-19 pandemic. Their re…

1
Episode 52: Subnational Governments and Paradiplomacy (Guests; Lucas McMillan and Jorge Schiavon) 28:02

5+ y ago28:02

28:02

Lucas McMillan, Dean, College of Behavioral & Social Sciences, Lander University; and Jorge Schiavon, Professor of International Relations at the International Studies Department, CID, talk about the ways in which subnational actors in Mexico and the U.S. engage to further international cooperation in benefit of their state or locality; how the cur…

1
Episode 51: The Future of US-Mexico Security and Defense (Guests: Richard Kilroy and Abelardo Rodríguez Sumano) 25:19

5+ y ago25:19

25:19

Richard Kilroy, nonresident scholar in the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico and associate professor of politics at Coastal Carolina University; and Abelardo Rodriguez Sumano, professor and researcher at Universidad Iberoamericana, discuss the key drivers impacting national security and defense relations between the United Sta…

1
Episode 50: The Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic in Mexico (Guest: Tony Payan) 29:08

5+ y ago29:08

29:08

In this episode, Tony Payan, director of the Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University's Baker Institute, analyzes the current situation of the coronavirus pandemic in Mexico. The Center hosted a webinar conversation on Mexico's response to the pandemic on April 1, 2020. It is available to view here. For more information on the Bak…

1
Episode 49: Migration, Marriage and Family (Guest: Nora Haenn) 27:56

6y ago27:56

27:56

Nora Haenn, associate professor of anthropology and international studies at North Carolina State University, talks about how women experience and deal with the disruption to family dynamics that comes from migration and how they work to keep families together. Haenn’s new book Marriage after Migration: An Ethnography of Money, Romance, and Gender …

1
Episode 48: A Conversation with the Governor of Tamaulipas (Guest: Francisco Garcia Cabeza de Vaca) 18:52

6y ago18:52

18:52

Tamaulipas governor Francisco Javier García Cabeza de Vaca discusses his administration’s plans to tackle drug-related violence and improve public safety as well as increase the production of shale gas and oil in the state. The Center for the United States and Mexico hosted governor García Cabeza de Vaca on Febraury 7, 2020. For more information, p…

1
Episode 47: Expectations for 2020 (Guest: Tony Payan) 25:47

6y ago25:47

25:47

Tony Payan, director of the Center for the United States and Mexico, discusses the expectations for the López Obrador administration in 2020. For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico visit our website at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/USMEX , and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. To join our mailing list,…

1
Episode 46: Lopez Obrador’s First Year in Office (Guests: Tony Payan, Rodrigo Montes de Oca and Ivan Rodriguez-Sanchez) 32:19

6y ago32:19

32:19

Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico's director Tony Payan, and scholars Rodrigo Montes de Oca and Ivan Rodriguez-Sanchez, analyze López Obrador's first year in office, looking at the challenges faced, the successes, and what to keep an eye on in 2020. For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States and M…

1
Episode 45: Lopez Obrador’s Energy Policy (Guest: Isidro Morales) 20:56

6y ago20:56

20:56

Isidro Morales, nonresident scholar at the Center for the United States and Mexico and a senior professor and researcher at Tec de Monterrey, discusses the challenges Mexico faces in achieving self-sufficiency in the energy sector and suggests a path to resilience. This conversation focuses on his recent publication for the Center: The Future of Pe…

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