Podcasts

With record unemployment, increasing income inequality and soaring poverty, it’s hard to escape the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, but there is one group of people that have fared well. The world’s billionaires are 27% richer than they were last year. As of July, their wealth has soared to a record high of $10.2 trillion. In the absence of a strong social safety net --  these are the people our society turns to for help. But is this philanthropy model working?  For his 2018 book, Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World, Anand Giridharadas spent three years embedded with the donor class. He found that many of the same people who are trying to save the planet, are actually responsible for making it worse, but he’s hopeful that our society is poised to turn a corner after 2020. “And so I think about this year as being obviously just one of unendurable pain for so many people, of a tremendous amount of loss. You know, we're getting to the level of one in a thousand Americans no longer being with us at the end of this year because of COVID alone. And yet also I think there is a way in which we're going to look back on this moment as generating not 2020 hindsight, but 2020 foresight where we might look back on this year as the year that freed us of certain illusions and, and compelled us to, to choose a different way. And what I hope is we're going to come out of this time exuberant, joyful, ready to celebrate, ready to enjoy physical space together again, but also politically galvanized to build the next chapter of the American story, because this one, this story is done.This chapter is bankrupted itself. We have learned very clearly from this year. And from these years that we have not been living, right. We just have not been living right. Our society was designed wrong and the immense pain and the immense loss of this year only confirms that. And so my hope is that we come out of this with an appetite, well, to enjoy, to celebrate, to live again fully but also to transform this country.”

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When the World Food Program was awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, executive director David Beasley warned that “famine is at humanity’s doorstep.” Hunger is not new, but the coronavirus pandemic and global recession have thrown millions of people into poverty and food insecurity. The good news is that we have the power to prevent famine because there is enough food to feed everyone on Earth. This week we’re looking at how to solve food insecurity around the world. We’ll hear from nonprofit leaders working on the frontlines and a doctor in Yemen who treats malnourished children.

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General John R. Allen (USMC, Ret.), President of The Brookings Institution, joins Megan Clark Torrey, CEO, World Affairs Council of Connecticut for an expert conversation on disrupting the world order, what's on the horizon, and how our world may be reshaped as we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis. How will we put the post-COVID world back together? And what if we’re still missing that last puzzle piece at the end?

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Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, Director of the Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution and Co-Editor-In-Chief of TechTank sits down with Megan Clark Torrey, WAC Connecticut CEO, to discuss the new era of technology in health and inherent biases in these technologies. How can we balance personal privacy with public safety?

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Rebecca Lissner and Mira Rapp-Hooper believe that a “grand strategy of openness” is the best way to meet geopolitical challenges including growing political polarization and rapid technological transformation. The U.S.’ ability to “work with mixed regimes whose interests align with America’s on distinct issues, like freedom of navigation or high-standards free trade, and occasionally cooperate with illiberal rivals like Russia and China in discrete areas” is their vision for this “open-system” approach to moving our future foreign policy. Lissner joins us for a Global Forum conversation about their new book entitled “An Open World.”

Rebecca Lissner is an assistant professor in the Strategic and Operational Research Department at the U.S. Naval War College. Previously, she was a research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's Perry World House; a Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; and a Brady-Johnson Fellow at Yale University’s International Security Studies. She has served as a special advisor to the Deputy Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. Lissner’s research has appeared in such publications as Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy magazines.

Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers.

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Now that the process is beginning for distribution of a vaccine for COVID-19  -- and another is close behind -- it seems as though ending the pandemic is finally in sight. But with the world’s wealthy countries hoarding billions of vaccine doses, the majority of people living in developing countries likely won’t get vaccinated in more than a year.

Dr. Larry Brilliant, best known for eradicating Smallpox, says that’s a problem because the virus “will continue to ping pong back and forth among nations.” “We cannot solve the COVID problem nationally. This is really a time for global cooperation.” He and Dr. Peter Hotez, who is part of a team developing a low-cost COVID vaccine for global distribution, join Ray Suarez to discuss how we will be able to vaccinate our way out of the pandemic.

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WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Wednesday, December 9, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featured Glenn Robinson, Associate Professor at Naval Postgraduate School and President of WAC Monterey Bay.

Global Jihad: A Brief History

Most violent jihadi movements in the twentieth century focused on removing corrupt, repressive secular regimes throughout the Muslim world. But following the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, a new form of jihadism emerged - global jihad - turning to the international arena as the primary locus of ideology and action. With this book, Glenn Robinson develops a compelling and provocative argument about this violent political movement's evolution.

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At 60 million people and counting, Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States. But if the 2020 election taught us anything, it’s that our political establishment does not understand this community, which is undergoing a transformation. Young Latinos across the country are redefining their identities, pushing boundaries, and awakening politically in powerful and surprising ways. Many of them are coming together in solidarity under the term "Latinx." Join co-host Ray Suarez and VICE's Paola Ramos for a conversation on how communities from New York to Texas and California are defining the controversial term "Latinx," and what it means to be Latino and American.

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When Joe Biden ran for president, he pledged to make climate change a major priority. How will he make good on that promise and what are the consequences if he fails to act? On this week’s episode, we discuss climate policy with former California Governor Jerry Brown, oceanographer Sylvia Earle and former Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos, 2016 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Then, we visit Paradise, California, the site of the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the state’s history.

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A recent Politico poll found that 70% of Republican voters don’t believe the presidential election was free and fair, even though there is no evidence to support this claim. Historian Claire Bond Potter talks with Rachael Myrow about the rise of alternative media and pseudo-news sites that continue to spread misinformation and are helping Donald Trump convince his base that the election was fraudulent. It was not.

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Joe Biden will be President in two months. In the meantime, Donald Trump is doing everything he can to make that transition as difficult as possible. He has prevented the president-elect from receiving top secret intelligence briefings and made a flurry of decisions that could jeopardize our national security. Career diplomat Nicholas Burns and Ray Suarez discuss the implications - and how to rebuild America’s foreign service.

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When Joe Biden takes office, he’ll face challenges like no other president before him. From the pandemic, to our fragile democracy, a world in transition, and challenges exacerbated by climate change, the Biden Administration will have to approach  foreign policy very carefully. On this episode, co-host Ray Suarez talks with Washington Post columnist Ishaan Tharoor about these challenges and how the Biden Administration might tackle them.

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Ambassador Sugiyama presented his credentials as Ambassador to the United States in March 2018.  His diplomatic career with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spans more than 40 years.  He most recently served as Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs.  Previous positions include Deputy Director-General of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau as well as the International Cooperation Bureau; Director-General for Global Issues, including Ambassador for Climate Change; and Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau.

Ambassador Sugiyama has also held leadership positions within the Foreign Policy Bureau and Treaties Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His overseas assignments have included multiple positions at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C.; Political Minister at the Embassy of Japan in Korea, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in Egypt. He entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1977.

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How do foreign correspondents navigate the complexities of reporting on governments that may not necessarily want them around? The New York Times’ former Pakistan bureau chief Declan Walsh may have the answer, having been expelled from the country in 2013 when Pakistani authorities gave him, without explanation, 72 hours to leave Islamabad.

In “The Nine Lives of Pakistan,” Walsh reflects on his nine years of experience in one of the modern era’s most tumultuous countries positioned in the nexus of global power struggles and conflict. Walsh paints an “electrifying portrait” of Pakistan through stories of the lives of nine individuals in this “intimate and complex” weaving together of a national patchwork.

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Pulitzer Prize- winning historian Anne Applebaum is worried about authoritarianism in the US. Since the election, world leaders have congratulated President-Elect Biden on his decisive victory, and yet, President Trump has not conceded. He’s gone on a rampage to discredit the results and put his loyalists in charge. Applebaum joins producer Teresa Cotsirilos on the podcast to talk about the nature of authoritarianism and how fascist leaders come to power. Democracy is fragile and sometimes, she says, the best way to push back against populist authoritarianism is to not answer it directly.

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In an attempt to understand where the United States currently stands in relation to the intentions of the founding fathers, Thomas Ricks examines the ancient philosophies that inspired and influenced their vision for the nation. Understanding the differences between the classical educations of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, as well as how each man’s life experiences influenced their interpretations of the ancients, offers insights into the foundation of our American government. Described by General James Mattis as a way to “restore your faith in our country,” Ricks’ latest work offers a critical examination of the ideals on which our country stands.

Thomas Ricks is a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. As a military reporter for both the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, Ricks has covered U. S. military conflicts from Somalia to Yugoslavia to Afghanistan and Iraq. He has written several books and is a contributing editor for Foreign Policy magazine as well as the author of the magazine’s blog “The Best Defense.” Ricks is an advisor on national security at the New American Foundation.

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WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on November 9, at 7:00 PM ET, featured Peter Baker and Susan Glasser, co-authors of The Man Who Ran Washington, and moderated by WACA President and CEO Bill Clifford.

The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III

“The Man Who Ran Washington” is the story of the amazing journey of a young, apolitical oil and gas lawyer from Houston who rose to become one of the most consequential secretaries of state in U.S. history. He served four U.S. presidents and helped a fifth one navigate a path from Florida to the Supreme Court and into the Oval Office. His Washington career was a triumph of what his biographers call “pragmatism over purity and deal-making over division, a lost art in today’s fractured nation.”

This Cover to Cover event was hosted by Global Minnesota.

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Does The Perfect Healthcare System Exist?

The US spends more than any other nation (nearly $4 trillion annually) on health care. Yet the US is not ranked number one -- why? Is there an ideal model of a health care system out there? Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel and WorldAffairs co-host Ray Suarez talk about the perfect healthcare system on this week’s podcast. Then, Teresa Cotsirilos reports on how New Zealand managed to eradicate COVID-19.

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How Chileans Mobilized To Rewrite Their Constitution

On October 25, an overwhelming majority of Chileans voted to throw out their constitution, written during Augusto Pinochet’s brutal dictatorship. It started as a student protest at a high school and grew into a national movement. Now, the streets of Santiago are filled with jubilant celebration, music and fireworks. But soon, the hard work of writing the new charter will begin. Daniel Alarcón discusses his reporting from Chile with Ray Suarez. 

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A Democratic Uprising in Belarus

Fraudulent elections can lead to long term voter apathy and erode democratic institutions. Sometimes, they can fuel widespread protests, and in some countries, revolution. In this episode of the podcast, we examine how a rigged election in Belarus is fueling a democratic uprising. Election observer and University of Missouri political scientist Mary Stegmaier is our guide.

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Election Eve Special: Brother Christopher Savage and Marc Goldberg – The Art of Training Your Dog

During the long homebound months of 2020 in America and around the world, many of us have spent more time with our dogs and pet adoptions have risen. At New Skete, the upstate New York Eastern Orthodox Christian monastery, the monks believe “love for creation deepens through the relationships we form with our pets.” Soon after the monastery was founded in 1966, the monks were given a German Shepherd, Kir. A unique ministry ensued. “In an entirely natural way [these German Shepherds] have taught us many important lessons about life and about ourselves,” the monks say. In addition to breeding these dogs, the monks of New Skete are renowned for their methods of training and socialization to enhance and deepen our relationship with these family members.

On the eve of Election Day, don’t miss participating in Jim Falk’s conversation with Brother Christopher Savage and Marc Goldberg, co-authors of “The Art of Training Your Dog.” At the World Affairs Council we have a diverse staff, but the one thing that brings us together on any election day is that we all love dogs.

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Cold International Conflicts

In this month's episode, WACNH looks at two cold international conflicts that seem to be headed in different directions. First, we talk with Dr. Ezzedine Fishere, senior lecturer at Dartmouth College, about the history of the Arab Israeli conflict and what the warming ties between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors really means. We then talk with the Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston about the rising tensions between Taiwan and China, as well as the importance of the US Taiwan relationship.

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How Elections are Stolen: The View from an International Election Observer

Voter suppression. Allegations of fraud. Political violence. The whole world is watching the United States’ presidential election, and it feels like democracy itself is on the line. Political scientist and election observer Susan Hyde explains how politicians steal elections, what international observers can do to help, and what happens when voters demand a fair process.

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Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World

Amid our struggle with the existential crisis of a pandemic, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria turns his attention to the post-COVID 19 world. He predicts that the political, social, technological and economic consequences “will take years to unfold.” Zakaria is joined by Andrew Ross Sorkin for a conversation about the economic after effects and what Zakaria calls “an emerging bipolar world order.”

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By Building Roads, China Paves Way for World Domination

As tensions intensify between President Trump and Xi Jinping, China is pursuing its global ambitions through the “Belt and Road Initiative,” a massive global infrastructure project. In her new podcast, former NPR Beijing correspondent Mary Kay Magistad partners with local journalists on five continents to investigate the initiative’s impact. She joins journalist Shuang Li to explain how China tightens its hold on communities by building roads and pipelines around the world.

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How the US-China Trade Wars Turned Into a Superpower Showdown

The US economy is floundering. Unemployment remains high and Congress is squabbling over a badly needed stimulus package. Meanwhile, China’s gotten its pandemic under control—and its economy is surging. In this episode, we look at China’s economic rise to power. Wall Street Journal correspondent Lingling Wei and her editor, Bob Davis, explain how US-China trade disputes are fueling a new Cold War.

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The Last President of Europe

When Emmanuel Macron became president of France in 2017, his party had existed less than a year. Macron has faced unique challenges as president in an era of disillusionment with the French state and the E.U. He has struggled to contain insurrection within his own country while simultaneously attempting to balance the growing frustration of Europeans with what Macron considers a need for a more united and self-sufficient Europe. Standing at the international crossroads of a growing rivalry between the U.S. and China, increasing aggression from Russia, and the aftermath of Brexit, Macron has been called “the last true champion of the European ideal.” In this exclusive program for Global Forum members, William Drozdiak shares his personal conversations with the French president about his vision for Europe and the world at large.

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A Career at the CIA

Former CIA Director John O. Brennan worked at the agency under six different presidents, but he says he never served one quite like Donald Trump. In this episode, he talks with co-host Ray Suarez about Russian interference in US elections, America’s role in the global community, and what it’s really like to work at the CIA.

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Novelist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Laila Lalami utilizes her compelling narrative style to describe her own path to US citizenship alongside the larger history of American law and society in her new nonfiction work Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America. Drawing on her personal identity as “an immigrant, a woman, an Arab, and a Muslim,” Lalami describes how becoming a US citizen does not necessarily mean becoming “an equal member of the American family.”
Join us for a wide-ranging conversation with Lalami and Jim Falk, President, and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, about Lalami’s fiction and nonfiction works.

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Going Undercover with Neo-Nazis

Since the attacks on September 11th, 2001, many Americans associate terrorism with the Middle East. But since 2001, more Americans have actually been killed by domestic terrorists than by any international groups. According to the Department of Homeland Security, white supremacists pose the deadliest terror threat to the United States, and a growing number of homegrown militia groups are mobilizing across the US. In this episode, we talk with former FBI agent Michael German, who argues that structural racism blinded the agency to the threat of white supremacy.

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As we spend time on social media, liking, clicking and scrolling, our behaviors are being monitored and sold.Corporations, governments, and advertisers are spending unprecedented sums of money to collect data about us. Social media algorithms are pushing us toward partisan and extremist views to keep us online as much as possible, and many major events happening around us, like protests and even acts of violence, are started in Facebook groups. How does this process affect democracy? Media Editor at BuzzFeed News Craig Silverman joins co-host Ray Suarez to talk about Facebook, fake news, and where we go from here.

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Central Asia and Disinformation

During this mid-month episode, WACNH Executive Director, Tim Horgan, and UNH Associate Professor, Melinda Negron-Gonzales, talk about the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, as well as disinformation campaigns by Russia and China. You will hear about the historical origins of the conflict, how it has evolved, and what is fueling the violence today.  You will also understand better how foreign governments are working to influence Americans in different ways and for different objectives.  

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a warning to President Donald Trump prior to his inauguration in 2017: “You take on the intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you.” Since 1947, the Central Intelligence Agency has been the “eyes and ears” of presidents. The stakes of the relationship between the elite spy agency and the U.S.’ elected leaders are high, says “The Spymasters” author Chris Whipple: “The stakes range from starting wars to averting Armageddon.” In her conversation with Whipple, Lone Star Analysis’ director of competitive intelligence Laurie Young will explore this in-depth history of the CIA told through the Agency’s directors and how their interactions with our U.S. presidents have shaped history.

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Governments around the world are struggling to take power back from the world’s biggest tech companies. In the US, House Democrats want to overhaul antitrust laws and force Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google to break into smaller companies. These brands wield a remarkable amount of wealth and power, and Alexis Wichowski has coined a new term for them: “net-states,” or companies that operate as sovereign entities. She joins us for a conversation with Financial Times reporter Patrick McGee about this phenomenon and her new book Information Trade: How Big Tech Conquers Countries, Challenges Our Rights and Transforms Our World.

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The pandemic has seriously damaged the United States’ credibility abroad. Meanwhile, China is rising, climate change is getting worse, and an ongoing tech revolution is changing the world as we know it. How can the United States rebuild its global leadership in a world that’s changing this fast?  In this episode, Markos Kounalakis talks with academics Rebecca Lissner and Mira Rapp-Hooper, authors of An Open World: How America Can Win the Contest For 21st Century Order, about a new global strategy that could reposition the US in a post-COVID—and possibly post-Trump—world.

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Join Jim Falk as he converses with Former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana & 2020 Democratic Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg. 

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CNN’s chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward weighs in on her experience navigating devastation and destruction in the world’s most dangerous places while finding a way to remain empathetic and in touch with the better side of humanity. With postings in Russia, China, Afghanistan, and across the Middle East, Ward has spent her career telling the world’s most difficult and heartbreaking stories. In her book, “On All Fronts,” Ward will share insights with Elizabeth Souder of the Dallas Morning News from her unique perspective as a conflict reporter in the “age of extremism” – a time that has pushed humanity to redefine warfare as increasingly complicated geopolitics adapt to the modern world.

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With just a few weeks to go before the election, the whole world is holding its collective breath to see what will happen next. Global dynamics have shifted, and American leadership is not what it used to be. Since taking office, President Trump has dramatically changed the country’s priorities, and the US's pandemic response has lowered its global standing considerably. In this episode, we examine two very different ideas for what US Global leadership should look like. Ben Rhodes, a former Obama advisor and the co-host of Pod Save the World, and Colin Dueck, a professor at George Mason University and author of Age of Iron: On Conservative Nationalism talk with Ray Suarez about the foreign policy issues at stake this election.

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When Israel signed deals with two Gulf States earlier this month, Saudi Arabia was notably absent. The regional powerhouse recently opened its airspace to Israel for the very first time, but it still does not have any official diplomatic relations with them. In this episode, avid Rundell, former Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Riyadh and author of Vision Or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads talks with NPR international correspondent Deborah Amos about the Kingdom, its political intrigues, and the crises it’s managing at home and abroad.

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"You can't escape it and if you are not able to escape it, you ought to understand it; you ought to participate in it; you ought to try and shape it." This quote comes from Craig Snyder, outgoing President of the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, when asked about why people should learn about international issues. This episode looks at the importance of global understanding to the larger society and how it works to make the world a better place. We also talk with Adjunct Professor of African (Security) Studies for the Naval War College, Richard Lobban, about the national security threats that disease poses in Africa.

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In 2018, American fracking overtook Russia and Saudi Arabia to make the U.S. the world’s largest oil producer. But in the April throes of COVID-19, U.S. crude fell to a negative value for the first time in history. The foundations of energy, international politics, and economics have shifted, but master storyteller and global energy expert Dr. Daniel Yergin has drawn a new map of what he calls a world “being shaken by the collision of energy, climate change, and the clashing power of nations in a time of global crisis.” Reg Manhas will talk with the man Fortune called “one of the planet’s foremost thinkers about energy and its implications.”

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David Rubenstein joined WACA during our week-long, virtual Conversations With the C-Suite: Powering Global Recovery and Change on September 28, 2020.

Mr. Rubenstein has long been fascinated with leadership. What makes a great leader? Are leaders born or are they made? Does extraordinary leadership arise from personality, mental or physical skills, or the simple good fortune of being in the right place at the right time? For the past five years, Rubenstein has conducted behind-the-scenes conversations with some of the highest performing leaders from the worlds of finance, tech, entertainment, sports, and government. Now these conversations are distilled into an essential new playbook for our times: How to Lead: Wisdom from the World's Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers. 

View the full speaker lineup on the Conversations With The C-Suite site, and catch any session recordings you may have missed on WACA's YouTube Channel.

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This month, Israel signed deals with two Gulf States on the White House South Lawn. They’re the first Arab-Israel agreements in 25 years, known as the “Abraham Accords,” and President Trump hailed them as a major foreign policy achievement. So why were the Palestinians missing from the agreements? In this episode, we take a closer look at these deals and how they will affect the peace process in the region. 

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As climate change gets worse, it’s hard to imagine a world in which we achieve a fair and sustainable future, But there’s hope. Political leaders around the world are taking action. In this episode, we'll hear from activists and political leaders who discussed climate resiliency at World Affairs’ recent Global Philanthropy Forum. Environmentalist Wanjira Mathai talks to former Irish President and UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson about climate resiliency in Africa, and their histories fighting for climate justice. Then we’ll hear from some of the next generation of activists, Vanessa Nakate from Kampala, Uganda, and Isha Clarke from Oakland, California, who discuss what motivates them to continue the fight for justice with Jacqueline Patterson of the NAACP.

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Time Magazine called H.R. McMaster, the 26th U.S. National Security Advisor, "the Army's pre-eminent warrior-thinker." Now McMaster brings his long record of battleground engagement and foreign policy scholarship to an examination of America's place in the world and asks us if we are ready to reject party politics and educate ourselves about "the most significant challenges to national and international security."

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This week, we’re launching an ongoing series about our climate future. Climate change is making global inequality worse, hitting low income communities and communities of color harder than everyone else. Just look at California, where wildfires have burned to the edges of farm country and agricultural workers are still going to work, risking heat and smoke to pick our food. This is an essential workforce, mostly Latinx, that has spent decades fighting for better labor protections. In this episode, we hear from activists who are now raising concerns that 2020's wildfires, in the midst of a pandemic, are triggering unsafe working conditions. Fires and other natural disasters have also triggered a wave of climate refugees that will continue to grow. Environmental Justice Foundation’s Steve Trent and The Institute for Climate and Peace’s Maxine Burkett will also join us to talk about protecting human rights for climate refugees.

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Ray Suarez talks with Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs about the most recent study of UBI in his city and Nobel prize-winning economist Abhijit Banerjee about the viability of a Universal Basic Income. Then, Teresa Cotsirilos takes us to Alaska, where every resident gets an annual dividend from the government. Does it work?

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Join World Affairs Council of New Hampshire Executive Director, Tim Horgan, and Dr. Melinda Negron-Gonzales, Associate Professor at UNH Manchester, as they discuss top international stories including the poisoning of Alexsy Navalny, the Afghan- Taliban Peace Process, and the challenges of the Eastern Mediterranean gas exploration.

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Staying home can be a choice between hunger and exposure to the coronavirus for some people, and the consequences of their decisions affect us all. What if we paid people to shelter in place when they are at risk of spreading the coronavirus? This week on the podcast, we explore how basic Income projects, from Kenya’s Lake Victoria region to California’s Central Valley, have helped people survive during the pandemic.

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Sarah Huckabee Sanders served as the White House press secretary from 2017-2019; she was the third woman and first mother to ever hold the position. The daughter of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Sanders has worked in leadership roles for U.S senators, governors, and presidential campaigns. Sarah has been recognized in TIME Magazine’s “40 under 40” as one of the best political operatives of her generation. She is a Fox News contributor, advises major companies, and serves on the Fulbright board as an appointee of President Trump. Sarah lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with her husband Bryan, their children Scarlett, Huck, and George, and their golden retriever Traveler.

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The United States is in the midst of a national conversation about the role systemic racism plays in law enforcement, but police brutality is not just an American problem. This week, we revisit an episode about how South Africa has grappled with its legacy of white supremacy and police violence. Then, Jinho “The Piper” Ferreira discusses his childhood in Oakland, his time working in law enforcement and what it means to be an artist in times of radical change. 

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In the 70 years following the introduction of the Marshall Plan, the world saw unparalleled prosperity – but Blair Sheppard argues this steady prosperity has now “unraveled.” Rising economic inequality, disruption caused by technology, polarization overcoming consensus, and a loss of trust in institutions are driving significant global challenges. Blair believes the current trajectories of prosperity, technology, institutional legitimacy and leadership have created an existential crisis, “But if we tackle them now, thoughtfully, imaginatively, creatively, and energetically, in ten years we could be looking at a dawn instead of darkness.”

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It takes several acts of Congress to set the federal budget. Presidential appointments are subject to congressional approval. The Supreme Court can overrule executive orders. Yet the President, acting alone, can push the nuclear button.

Operating within a system designed around checks and balances, the President of the United States possesses unchecked authority to order a nuclear strike – without any oversight. President Clinton’s Secretary of Defense William Perry and nuclear expert Tom Collina argue that “Presidents, like all of us, make mistakes. They are only human. So, why do we give so much power to one fallible human?” In “The Button,” the authors recommend what is needed to update U.S. nuclear policy.

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Have you found yourself asking a lot of questions about TikTok, since it has broken into the mainstream with the Administration working to ban the video sharing service over national security concerns? We speak with Xiaomeng Lu, Senior Analyst of Geo-Technology at the Eurasia Foundation, about the geo-political nature of this issue and whether or not TikTok is a national security threat.  We also take the time to speak with the Fulbright Association about why this program is so valuable and how it builds global understanding, as well as knowledge.

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Protesters from Paris to Santiago are speaking out against what they see as unfair economic policies that are leaving too many people behind. Are societies losing faith in free market democracy? As a new world order is taking shape, which form of government and governance will thrive? Stanford University’s Larry Diamond and Francis Fukuyama join WorldAffairs co-host Ray Suarez to discuss what’s at stake for democracy worldwide.

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Jorge Castañeda was foreign minister of Mexico from 2000 to 2003. He has held teaching positions at Mexico's National Autonomous University, the University of California, Berkeley, and New York University. He is a New York Times contributing opinion writer and a columnist for the Mexican daily El Financiero and the Spanish daily El País. Dr. Castañeda has authored more than seven books, including his newly published book, “America Through Foreign Eyes.”

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This week on the podcast, we’re looking at what white supremacy means and the role it plays in policing in the Western Hemisphere. Anthropologist Christen Smith talks about how the Black Lives Matter movement has inspired protests in Brazil, a country that also faces an epidemic of police violence. And historian Nell Irvin Painter breaks down what white supremacy actually means and how powerful this protest movement really is.

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Alliances with other countries have been an integral part of U.S. foreign policy since the beginning of our country. Mira Rapp-Hooper says, “When alliances are working, we don’t see them at all,” which may have caused the alliance system to become “a victim of its own quiet success.” Today the system faces challenges not only from disrupter countries such as China and Russia, but also from Americans who question their value and cost. Join Jim Falk in conversation with Rapp-Cooper about her new book, “Shields of the Republic: The Triumph and Peril of America’s Alliances.”

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In the US, the pandemic is getting worse than we ever could have imagined while some developing nations with fewer resources managed to avoid the worst. On this week’s podcast, we’re looking at Uganda and Rwanda, two countries who have fought pandemics before and were ready for this one.

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After the genocide in Rwanda, the women of Rwanda propelled the country’s reconciliation process and fostered its economic development. Karen Sherman, president of the Akilah Institute, a college in Rwanda that provides affordable higher education for women, has interviewed thousands of women in war-torn and transitional countries. She joins Linda Calhoun, executive producer of Career Girls, on the podcast to talk about Sherman’s memoir Brick by Brick: Building Hope and Opportunity for Women Survivors Everywhere.

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CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin takes readers behind the scenes in what he calls a “highly entertaining definitive account” of the two-year investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and President Donald Trump. Toobin uses his superb storytelling skills to weave interviews with key players in the Office of Special Counsel, Trump legal team, Congressional investigators and White House staff into a legal thriller called “True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Investigation of Donald Trump.”

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Believers: Love and Death in Tehran

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With 5 million recorded COVID-19 infections and 160,000 deaths, the coronavirus has paralyzed the United States…the richest, most powerful country in the world. We know it was preventable because at the same time, some countries with far fewer resources have kept infection and death rates remarkably low. Even with its close proximity to China, where the pandemic started, parts of Southeast Asia have managed to control the coronavirus far better than the US and Europe. What are Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar doing that the rest of the world finds itself unable to do? In this episode, we hear from New York Times Southeast Asia Bureau Chief Hannah Beech, Country Director for the Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam Dr. Todd Pollock and Director of the Oxford University clinical research unit in Vietnam Guy Thwaites about the quick decision making that went into these countries’ successes. What can we learn from them?

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Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Thursday, August 6, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Lesley Blume, award-winning journalist, historian, and New York Times bestselling author.

Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-Up and the Reporter Who Revealed It to the World

Just days after the U.S. decimated Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear bombs, the Japanese surrendered unconditionally. But even before the surrender, the U.S. government and military had begun a secret propaganda and information suppression campaign to hide the devastating nature of these experimental weapons. The cover-up intensified as Occupation forces closed the atomic cities to Allied reporters, preventing leaks about the horrific long-term effects of radiation which would kill thousands during the months after the blast. For nearly a year the cover-up worked - until New Yorker journalist John Hersey got into Hiroshima and managed to report the truth to the world. Released on the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, Fallout is an engrossing detective story, as well as an important piece of hidden history that shows how one heroic scoop saved - and can still save - the world.

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Ezekiel Emanuel, M.D., an Obama Administration healthcare advisor and one of the architects of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, gives the United States’ health system failing grades as he compares it to the healthcare systems of Germany, France, Switzerland, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Taiwan and China. Join Jim Falk's conversation with Dr. Emmanuel.

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How did El Salvador become one of the most violent countries on earth? And what role did the United States play in creating the notorious MS-13 gang? In this episode, we revisit and update a program we recorded in January about the origins of El Salvador’s bloody gang war with journalist William Wheeler and Joanne Elgart Jennings. Wheeler spoke with gang members, frustrated reformers, crime investigators and government officials to better understand the violence in the country and what is driving Salvadorans northward. His book is: “State of War: MS-13 and El Salvador’s World of Violence.” 

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During this episode we cover a wide range of topics on issues facing the African continent. Through our discussions with Susan Stigant, Director of Africa Programs at the US Institute of Peace, you will learn about the current state of Sudan, one year after they overthrew the dictator, Omar al-Bashir. Also, in conversations with Rain for the Sahel and Sahara, we cover the COVID-19 pandemic in the region, and the work of this organization to build resiliency through education and training.

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This year, the United States is, once again, attempting to extricate itself from Afghanistan. But for the time being, the peace process remains tenuous, and Afghanistan is still being used by Russia and the US as proxy war. In this episode, Markos Kounalakis discusses Russia's delicate political moment with Steven Pifer, former ambassador to Ukraine and senior director for Russia and Eurasia at the National Security Council.

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Fans of Daniel Silva have been eagerly awaiting the release of his twentieth Gabriel Allon thriller. “The Order” is a spellbinding novel of friendship and faith in a perilous and uncertain world. And it is still more proof that Daniel Silva is his generation’s finest writer of suspense and international intrigue.

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United States forces have been fighting in Afghanistan for almost twenty years, making it the longest war in American history. But for many Americans, the conflict only became top of mind again after hearing reports that a Russian military intelligence unit offered bounty money to the Taliban for killing US soldiers. In this episode, we take a closer look at how the war in Afghanistan has served as a proxy conflict between the US and Russia and how it fits into Russia’s global agenda. Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry joins co-host Ray Suarez, followed by a conversation with Jennifer Glasse of Al Jazeera.

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The World With Richard Haass

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Protesters are back in the streets in Hong Kong to fight against a new security law that tightens the Chinese government’s  grip over the city. On this week’s episode, we look at how Hong Kong’s new security law will impact U.S.-China relations, and what it means for the millions of people who live there. First, we’ll hear from Human Rights Watch’s China Director, Sophie Richardson, who argues that U.S.-China relations are at their worst point since the Cold War. Will this new law make them worse? Next, an activist and artist from Hong Kong discusses the evolution of her city’s protest movement. Then, we revisit a conversation with journalist Mary Kay Magistad and professor Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a historian specializing in modern China.

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WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Thursday, July 16, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featured Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Fellow for the Middle East at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and an Associate Fellow of Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Program.

Qatar and the Gulf Crisis

In 2017, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Qatar, launching an economic blockade by land, air and sea. Well into its second year, the standoff in the Gulf has no realistic end in sight. With the Bahraini and Emirati criminalisation of expressing support for Qatar, and the Saudi labelling of detainees as ‘traitors’ for their alleged Qatari links, bitterness has been stoked between deeply interconnected peoples. The adviser to the Saudi crown prince advocating a moat to physically separate Qatar from the Arabian Peninsula illustrates the ongoing intensity - and irrationality - of the crisis. Ulrichsen offers an authoritative study of this international standoff, from both sides.

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The United States is in the midst of a national conversation about the role systemic racism plays in law enforcement, but police brutality is not just an American problem. This week, we look at how South Africa has grappled with its legacy of white supremacy and police violence. After Apartheid, the police were supposed to be reformed. Now, a quarter-century later, has anything changed?

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Dr. Cynthia A. Watson, Dean of Faculty & Academic Programs at the National War College, discusses the changing dynamics of geopolitical power as Hong Kong returns to Chinese sovereignty.

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Black Lives Matter might be the largest social movement in American history. Last month, an estimated 15-25 million people took to the streets to protest police violence, launching a national conversation about the role systemic racism plays in law enforcement. In this episode, producer Teresa Cotsirilos tells the story of a man whose past experiences with the police drove him to fight for justice from the inside. Jinho Ferriera, also known as “The Piper,” discusses his childhood in West Oakland, his experiences working in law enforcement and what it means to be an artist in a moment of radical change.

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Barton Gellman was one of three people who received the explosive archives of highly classified National Security Agency files revealing the extent of the agency’s global surveillance apparatus from Edward Snowden. This Washington Post veteran investigative reporter’s book “Dark Mirror” is not only the story of government overreach into private lives, but also a fascinating look into the life of Snowden and the byzantine world of investigative journalism. In spying and investigative journalism, no one can be fully trusted – including Snowden.

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Over the past few months, we’ve had to reimagine everything we do. From shopping, to eating and socializing, the ways we spend money have completely changed. And as each country manages the pandemic differently, the already fragile global economy has been disrupted by broken supply chains and shifts in demand. Now we’re questioning the role of the government, the future of capitalism and changing our values. The choices we make now could change the world for decades. On this week’s episode, we tackle these big issues and examine our new digital economy with James Manyika, Chairman and Director of the McKinsey Global Institute, Mohamed El-Erian, Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz, and Gillian Tett, Editor at Large at the Financial Times.

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Dr. Robert M. Gates brings his decades of observation and participation guarding the security of the nation to a fresh examination of the exercise and limitations of American power. Gates recently wrote in Foreign Affairs that “Most Americans want their country to stand for something beyond just military strength and economic success. They want it to be seen admiringly by others as the world’s strongest advocate for liberty.” He believes that a restructured and strengthened State Department would enable the U.S. to accept the burden of global leadership, in a manner that reduces risk for the nation. Kirkus Reviews said of Gates’ new book, “It’s refreshing to see a secretary of defense call for the use of the military as a choice of last resort.”

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Protests, both at home and abroad, have created a bi-polar news cycle for the past couple of weeks. In the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a Minnesota Police Officer, many countries held protests in support of racial justice. This was on top of many different protests around the world, striving for justice in our time. We speak with Bill Wanlund and Dawn Brancati about Global Protest movements, how effective they are, and what impact COVID-19 has had on stifling momentum towards change. We also speak with a local organization, Education for All Children, that works in Kenya to ensure a equitable opportunity for all children to be educated. We hear from the Executive and Country Directors about the power this small NH based non-profit has.

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Seventy-five years ago, delegates from 50 countries met in San Francisco to sign the UN Charter. Initially, the purpose of the United Nations was to maintain peace and security through international cooperation and to essentially prevent another world war. Today’s UN has 193 member countries and is facing a time of uncertainty and open disdain from US President Donald Trump, who has cut funding to the world body and declared, “The future does not belong to globalists. The future belongs to patriots.” On this week’s episode, we look at the UN’s achievements, its shortcomings and what the future holds for international cooperation with journalist James Traub. Then Ray Suarez talks with former Prime Minister of Canada The Rt. Hon Kim Campbell and former Foreign Minister of Mexico Jorge Castañeda about how the United States is viewed by its neighbors.

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Some countries are using smartphones and facial recognition to track COVID-19 outbreaks, but here, in the US, we’re starting with simple phone calls. On this week’s episode, we take a closer look at contact tracing in California and what it might look like into the future. We also hear from San Francisco Bay Area activists about the risks of protesting during a pandemic and how to protect yourself and others.

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Tom Peters has been a passionate advocate of “putting people first” for decades, and it’s never been more important than in this age of pandemic. Peters says, “Leaders understand the power of relationships,” but now we must struggle to effectively engage within the limits of social distancing and virtual conference rooms. Peters believes that the only way that leaders can navigate through crises is “to deal with people compassionately.” Our Global Forum will hear the ideas of one of the bestselling business authors of all time in a not-to-be-missed program.

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Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Tuesday, June 23 at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Mira Rapp-Hooper, Stephen A. Schwarzman Senior Fellow for Asia Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Senior Fellow at Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center.

Shields of the Republic: The Triumph and Peril of America’s Alliances

Mira Rapp-Hooper reveals the remarkable success of America’s unprecedented system of alliances developed during the Cold War. Today, China and Russia seek to break America’s alliances through conflict and non-military erosion. Meanwhile, U.S. politicians and voters are increasingly skeptical of alliances’ costs and benefits and believe we may be better off without them. But what if the alliance system is a victim of its own quiet success? Rapp-Hooper argues that America’s national security requires alliances that deter and defend against military and non-military conflict alike.

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Can we contain COVID-19 without a vaccine? Congress allocated $25 Billion for COVID-19 testing this year, but Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul M. Romer, says that’s a fraction of what we need. On this week’s podcast, he and epidemiologist Dr. Jonathan Quick join co-host Ray Suarez to talk about what it would take to use testing and tracing to contain the virus safely reopen the US.

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In New York Times bestselling author Scott Turow's latest novel, The Last Trial, two formidable men collide: a celebrated criminal defense lawyer at the end of his career and his lifelong friend, a renowned doctor accused of murder. Full of the deep insights into the spaces where the fragility of human nature and the justice system collide, The Last Trial is a masterful legal thriller that unfolds in page-turning suspense — and questions how we measure a life.

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The outrage of the last two weeks has made it clear that we are at a moment of national reckoning. The Black Lives Matter movement is calling to abolish the police and redirect police funding toward education and public services. Ideas that once seemed radical are now being discussed by politicians both on the local and federal level. On this week’s episode, historian Nell Irvin Painter and anthropologist Christen Smith join Ray Suarez to talk about the global Black Lives Matter movement, policing in the Western Hemisphere and why it’s important to understand the role white supremacy has played in building our institutions.

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Five U.S. presidents have depended on Ambassador Dennis Ross to shape U.S. policy and relationships in the Middle East, and for twelve years he played a leading role in the many attempts to bring a settlement to the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Ross is the author of several influential books about the region and his experiences, including “The Missing Peace” and “Doomed to Succeed.” In his latest book, he takes a look back at Israel’s founding founders Ben-Gurion, Begin, Rabin and Sharon, suggesting that today’s political leaders might draw on the lessons of the past to steer Israel safely forward. Among the questions and topics to be discussed will be stability of the emergency government forged between Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz and what it means for each leader’s political future; whether the two-state solution – to which Ross devoted much of his career – is a distant memory; and how are Israel’s growing economic and political ties with Gulf countries reshaping the politics of the region?

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Fiona Hill was President Trump’s top Russia advisor on the National Security Council and testified during his impeachment hearings that Russia systematically attacked America’s democratic institutions in 2016. On this episode of the podcast, Hill says Russia is poised to meddle in the 2020 election and she says that America’s divisive politics make us vulnerable to a “hacking of the minds.”

In an expansive interview with Mina Kim, Hill talks about Vladimir Putin’s plans to hold onto power and how he stokes America’s political divisions to advance his causes.

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The United States presidential election is only months away and intelligence officials warn that the risk of Russian interference in our political system is high. On this week’s episode, Fiona Hill, who was a top Russia advisor under three presidents, talks with KQED’s Mina Kim about how Vladimir Putin uses our internal divisions to his advantage. And co-host Ray Suarez discusses Putin’s rise to power and the nationwide vote on a constitutional amendment that would allow him to rule Russia for another 16 years with Reuters correspondent Catherine Belton. They also discuss her new book, Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West.

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Jonathan Karl was a cub reporter when he first met Donald Trump in 1994. “I knew that I could call him from that point on whenever I wanted to and he would be accessible and willing to play along and loved to be in the mix,” Karl says. He has reported from the White House under four presidents and logged more airtime than any other network reporter during President Trump’s first two years. “Front Row at the Trump Show” is Karl’s story about his often-contentious relationship with the 45th president and the view from one of history’s front row seats.

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In this episode we explore the importance of international understanding through the two main programs the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire runs. First, we speak with Bill Clifford, President and CEO of the World Affairs Councils of America, about the power of this network to effect change across the country. Second, we speak with Anne Grimes, Director of the Office of International Visitors at the US Department of State, about the amazing International Visitor Leadership Program and how it touches lives around the world. Join us to learn more about these wonderful programs.

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"Don’t be evil." It’s an iconic phrase that was written into Google’s code of conduct during the early days of the company. It conveyed a utopian vision for technology that would make the world better, safer and more prosperous. But twenty years later, has big tech lived up to its founding principles or has it lost its soul? Rana Foroohar, Global Business Columnist at The Financial Times and Global Economic Analyst at CNN, documents the bigger implications for how tech companies now operate. In her conversation with World Affairs CEO, Philip Yun, Foroohar looks at the extent to which the FAANGs (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google) threaten democracies, livelihoods and our thinking.

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The oil war between Russia and Saudi Arabia has plunged energy markets into a freefall, threatening U.S. energy independence as many domestic producers are faced with bankruptcy. Is this another calculated challenge against the U.S. by Vladimir Putin? The guile and aggression of the Russian president has “resurrected Russia’s status as a force to be reckoned with,” says foreign policy expert Angela Stent, author of “Putin’s World: Russia Against the West and With the Rest.” Stent examines how Russian history formed this mercurial leader in what Kirkus Reviews calls “a compelling historico-psychological work.”

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Harvard Business School professor Rebecca Henderson talks with Markos Kounalakis about how to reimagine capitalism in a way that aligns with our moral and ethical values. Henderson says it’s not only possible, but it’s profitable to move beyond an obsessive focus on shareholder value to solve global problems like income inequality, climate change, and the coronavirus pandemic. How can capitalism drive systemic change worldwide?

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What does it take to avoid the worst of the pandemic and allow a country to return to some sense of normalcy? Producer Teresa Cotsirilos and Radio New Zealand’s Indira Stewart explain how Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern managed to nearly eradicate the virus from New Zealand. And New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof has been sheltering in place in his home town of Yamhill, Oregon. Already devastated by the opioid epidemic, working class communities like Yamhill are reeling as the pandemic exacerbates America’s inequities. To learn more about Yamhill, check out Kristof and co-author Sheryl WuDunn’s book Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope.

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Register now for WACA's KNOW NOW conference call Thursday, May 21, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Ambassador Luis Moreno, former U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica, on U.S.-Latin America relations. Ambassador Moreno will be in conversation with Armen Babajanian, Executive Director of the World Affairs Council of San Antonio.

U.S. interest in Latin America has grown significantly over the years and political, socio-economic, and cultural factors have influenced the conduct of American diplomacy in the region. What does the future hold for U.S.-Latin America relations and what impact will these relationships have on their respective economies and political structures? Join Ambassador Moreno and Armen Babajanian for an in depth look into Latin America, a region comprised of more than 30 countries with varying economies, leadership styles, and roles in the international arena.  

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When he began writing “The End of October,” a medical thriller about a deadly virus that sweeps across the world after coming to life in a refugee camp in India, The New Yorker’s Lawrence Wright says, “I thought it might happen one day but I didn’t think it would happen today… As I read the papers and watch the news, I have that same unsettled sensation of revisiting scenes that I have already written.” The events depicted in “The End of October” were meant to serve as a cautionary tale. But real life doesn't always wait for warnings.

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When the novel coronavirus began to spread beyond China, we were told to stay home and flatten the curve. Many countries have been able to do that, to varying degrees, so what happens next? On this week’s episode, we’re taking a look at how governments around the world are struggling to re-open their economies. Timothy Martin, the Korea bureau chief at the Wall Street Journal, updates us on the latest outbreak in South Korea, a country being praised for how well it’s handled the pandemic. NPR reporters Joanna Kakissis and Rob Schmitz, explain how Germany and Greece may have avoided the worst of it, but are struggling to keep cases down during their reopenings.

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Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Thursday, May 14, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Michael Klare, Senior Visiting Fellow at the Arms Control Association and Professor Emeritus of Peace and World Security Studies at Hampshire College.

All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagon's Perspective on Climate Change

Of all major institutions in American society, none take climate change as seriously as the U.S. military and the Pentagon. Drawing on previously obscure reports and government documents, renowned security expert Michael Klare shows that the U.S. military sees the climate threat as imperiling the country on several fronts at once. The military now regards climate change as one of the top threats to American national security, and is busy developing strategies to cope with it.

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Gene Sperling, economic advisor to Presidents Clinton and Obama, discusses how COVID-19 shows that his theory of 'Economic Dignity' - judging an economy by its ability to maximize the happiness and fulfillment of all workers - is needed now.

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At the age of 22, Amaryllis Fox was recruited to work for the CIA, making her one of the youngest female operators in the CIA’s history. After training, Fox was deployed to the Middle East where she infiltrated networks to disrupt acts of terrorism and stop illegal sales of arms and explosives. In her memoir, Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA, she emphasizes that her biggest strength was her ability to connect with terrorists on a personal level rather than through tough negotiations. Out of government for over 10 years, she is now a peace activist and a mother. Fox sat down with KQED journalist Mina Kim to share her fascinating story of her time in the clandestine world of spycraft and how her perspective about her work at the CIA has evolved since she left.

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What will happen after the COVID-19 nightmare ends? What has it revealed about the risks and rewards of global dependency? If globalization is replaced by regionalism and nationalism, how will the U.S.’s relationship with Asia change? What will supply chains look like? Will automation accelerate as a corporate defense against the effects of pandemics on the labor force? Leading global strategy advisor Parag Khanna, bestselling author of “The Future is Asian,” has a conversation with Jim Falk about the “Asian century” in a post-pandemic world.

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Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Wednesday, May 6 at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Dr. Nina Ansary, UN Women Global Champion for Innovation and Visiting Fellow at The London School of Economics Centre for Women, Peace & Security. 

Anonymous Is a Woman: A Global Chronicle of Gender Inequality

Anonymous Is a Woman: A Global Chronicle of Gender Inequality takes readers on a 4,000-year historic journey to expose the roots and manifestations of institutionalized gender discrimination; dismantle centuries of historical bias through biographical profiles of fifty extraordinary, yet forgotten women innovators; and challenge ingrained stereotypical assumptions to advance an unconventional argument for equality and inclusivity.

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As we’ve learned from this pandemic, human beings can act quickly in the face of immediate danger. However, we’re not so good at taking action against slow-moving threats. The threat posed by nuclear weapons is now as high as it’s been since the Cold War. This week on WorldAffairs, we talk about North Korea with veteran aid worker Katharina Zellweger, Pulitzer-nominated journalist Jean Lee and North Korean defector Joseph Kim. We also discuss Russia and nuclear proliferation with Dr. Ernest Moniz, who served as Secretary of Energy in the Obama Administration.

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As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to ravage economies worldwide, we take the time to speak with Dr. Bruce Elmslie of UNH about the global economy during this time. Also, we speak with Dr. Sarwar Kashmeri about China's Belt and Road Initiative, as well as how China's relations with the world will be affected by the current crisis. Join us for these interesting discussions and hear more about how this crisis is shaping our world today and into the future.

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KERA’s “McCuistion” show co-hosts Dennis McCuistion and Jim Falk interview Ken Hersh, President and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center and former Chairman and CEO of NGP Energy Capital Management, to discuss the impact COVID-19 has had on energy and the economy.

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Register now for WACA's KNOW NOW conference call Tuesday, April 28, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Ambassador (ret.) Kathleen Stephens, President and CEO of the Korea Economic Institute.

Ambassador Stephens will join WACA President and CEO Bill Clifford to discuss the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on South Korea, U.S.-South Korea relations, and U.S. policy in Asia. 

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While many of us are able to shelter in place through the pandemic, immigrants are disproportionately on the front lines, working essential jobs such as nurses, EMTs, home health aides and doctors. About 27,000 of these healthcare workers are adult children of undocumented immigrants that are authorized to work under an Obama-era program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Their future hangs in the balance as they await a US Supreme Court ruling on whether the Trump administration can legally end the program. And, for the many foreign born health workers, who have legal documentation, their ability to send remittances to families in their home countries has been compromised by the pandemic. This week, we hear from immigrant healthcare workers, journalists and representatives from non-profits who are fighting for workers’ rights.

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Milan Vaishnav, Senior Fellow and Director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, discusses the effect of COVID-19 on the Indian economy and political system.

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How will we navigate a historic global recession? On this week’s episode, Financial Times U.S. editor-at-large Gillian Tett talks with Markos Kounalakis about how this economic breakdown might unfold in the next few months. Next, New Yorker executive editor David Rohde talks about his new book IN DEEP, which investigates whether there really is a “deep state” controlling parts of the US government. He examines whether President Trump’s belief in the “Deep State” impeded the administration’s Coronavirus response. And last, filmmaker Jun Stinson and founder of Futbolistas 4 Life, Dania Cabello, join us to share their story of uplifting a community of undocumented youth in Oakland through soccer.

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Dionne Searcey, author of “In Pursuit of Disobedient Women,” was the West Africa bureau chief for The New York Times from 2015 to 2019, winning the Michael Kelly Award for courage in international reporting, and the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Award for international reporting for her coverage of Boko Haram. She reported on the American economy for The Times and was an investigative reporter and national legal correspondent for The Wall Street Journal.

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Register now for WACA's KNOW NOW conference call Wednesday, April 15, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Mohammed Ali Abdallah, Political Advisor for U.S. Affairs to the Prime Minister of Libya (leader of the U.S.-UN-recognized Government of Libya).

The conflict and violence that has handcuffed Libya's progress post-revolution continues to plague Libyans’ efforts to revitalize and rebuild the war-torn country.  In cooperation with the international community, Libyans established the interim Government of National Accord to unite the country’s factions and build a stable civil society. In April 2019, Khalifa Haftar and his forces launched an attack on Tripoli to overthrow the GNA, instigating a war that over the past year has killed more than 2,200 people, displaced over 200,000, and made oil-rich Libya the center of an international proxy. One year after Haftar began his advance on Tripoli, join Mr. Abdallah and WACA President and CEO Bill Clifford to discuss the state of the war in Libya, the role of external powers, and prospects for resolution.

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Around the world, governments are limiting freedoms by requiring people to stay home and prohibiting large gatherings. Though many of these actions are necessary, authoritarian regimes are using the pandemic as an excuse to abuse their power. In Egypt, for example, many citizens are encouraged to shelter in place, yet the realities of the outbreak are being censored. Also of concern is an economy that’s largely dependent on the informal sector, making social distancing a luxury. Now that large gatherings are prohibited in most countries, causing huge economic losses, cultural practices are also being disrupted. Will sports games continue without audiences? This week on World Affairs, the Council talks about how journalism, sports, and religion persist through a global crisis.

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Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Thursday, April 9 at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Daniel Markey, Senior Research Professor and Director of the School of Advanced International Studies' Global Policy Program at Johns Hopkins University.

China's Western Horizon: Beijing and the New Geopolitics of Eurasia

Under the ambitious leadership of President Xi Jinping, China is zealously transforming its wealth and economic power into potent tools of global political influence. But China's foreign policy initiatives, even the vaunted "Belt and Road," will be shaped and redefined as they confront the ground realities of local and regional politics outside China. In China's Western Horizon, Daniel Markey anticipates that China's deepening involvement will play to the advantage of regional strongmen and exacerbate the political tensions within and among Eurasian states.

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George Friedman, bestselling author and founder of the respected Geopolitical Futures, a political risk advisory firm, has a unique ability to draw on historical trends to forecast the future. Friedman speaks about his new book, “The Storm Before the Calm: America’s Discord, the Coming Crisis of the 2020s, and the Triumph Beyond.”

Purchase the book from Interabang » www.interabangbooks.com/book/9780385540490

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Now that the global economy is mostly on hold, the demand for oil has dropped dramatically, destroying the market and threatening countries whose economies depend on selling it. Saudi Arabia and Russia have been engaged in an oil-price war to keep the markets in their favor. Saudi Arabia saw another economic loss when the kingdom decided to limit access to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Meanwhile, violence in some of the most at-risk countries rages on. In Yemen, preventable diseases like cholera already threaten people with limited access to healthcare and basic necessities. Would a global ceasefire help war-torn countries like Yemen manage their coronavirus outbreaks? On this week’s episode, the Council talks with experts from around the world about Yemen, oil, and Saudi Arabia.

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This month, the Global in the Granite State Podcast spoke with Ambassador Adrian Basora and Javier Corrales, Professor at Amherst College, about why democracy is important. The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire looks at this question through the lens of rising authoritarianism around the world and the challenges that this presents to the world, the US, and New Hampshire. Venezuela is taken as a case study on how democracy can fail and the impact that can have globally and regionally. Join us as the Council discusses this important point in history and better understand the global landscape. 

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Join Jim Falk for a virtual conversation with London-based journalist Sebastian Mallaby to hear how Great Britain is faring as the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps through that island nation. The Council asks for his assessment of the performance of the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks and what are their remaining options. Two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Sebastian Mallaby is the Paul A. Volcker senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations. Mallaby is a contributing columnist for the Washington Post and the author of “The Man Who Knew: The Life & Times of Alan Greenspan.” He covered foreign policy and international finance from London for The Economist and served as their Washington bureau chief for two years.

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On this week’s episode, World Affairs checks in with correspondents and artists from around the world. Dr. Erica Ollmann Saphire was instrumental in organizing a global effort to defeat Ebola. Can her team do it again for COVID-19? Co-host Ray Suarez also talks with journalists in Italy and South Africa, who are watching their countries’ responses to the pandemic closely. And though it feels like the rest of the world has come to a complete stop, artists have found creative ways to collaborate and keep us entertained.

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On this bonus episode, World Affairs gets behind the scenes of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s virtual performance of Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring. It was the brainchild of Principal Double Bass Jeffrey Beecher. 

Then the Council takes you to the remote and mountainous villages of Guizhou Province, China, where indigenous Miao communities are working to preserve centuries-old handicraft traditions that are at risk of disappearing. Our guide is Caroline Gutman, photojournalist, and co-founder of Nu Market.

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Register now for WACA's KNOW NOW conference call Thursday, March 26, at 2:00-2:30 pm ET, featuring Dr. Jonathan Quick, Senior Fellow at Management Sciences for Health, on COVID-19 and global epidemics. Dr. Quick will be in conversation with WorldBoston President and CEO Mary Yntema. 

In January 2018, Dr. Quick spoke at WorldBoston's Great Decisions series on the topic of "Global Health: Progress and Challenges," having recently published his book The End of Epidemics: The Looming Threat to Humanity and How to Stop It. As the book says, "Somewhere in nature, a killer virus is boiling up in the bloodstream of a bird, bat, monkey, or pig, preparing to jump to a human being. This not-yet-detected germ has the potential to wipe out millions of lives over a matter of weeks or months." Join Dr. Quick and Mary Yntema to discuss what has changed since his Great Decisions talk, how effective local and global efforts have been in combating COVID-19, and what we can expect in the coming weeks and months.

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Breaking news about novel coronavirus is dominating headlines, making the context we need to understand it more important than ever. This week, as the virus redefines every aspect of our lives, World Affairs is turning to the experts to help us understand where we were before the news of COVID-19 hit and how we ended up where we are today. What can we learn from past pandemics? How will this change our relationship with China, where this all began? First, World Affairs will have Dr. Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to discuss the Spanish flu, his experiences fighting the Ebola outbreak, including, what a resilient global health system looks like and what needs to happen to be prepared for a pandemic. Next, the Council will hear from David M. Lampton, of the Stanford Spogli Freeman Institute, to discuss the complicated history behind the US-China relationship.

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Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Thursday, March 19, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Susan Sloan, associate director of a global advocacy organization.

A Seat at the Table: Women, Diplomacy, and Lessons for the World

Many countries face challenges of migration, terrorism, climate change, and the spread of fast-paced technology. Those who are sitting around the table will change the course of history and redefine how we solve critical problems. Join WACA for a conversation with Susan Sloan as she shares stories from women ambassadors spanning the globe, the impact of gender-diversified leadership, and why varied voices lead to stronger resolutions and enhanced team dynamics. 

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Taiwan is just 81 miles from mainland China, but it has managed to prevent an outbreak of the rapidly spreading COVID-19 disease. Stanford University’s Dr. Jason Wang explains how Taiwan acted quickly, aggressively, and strategically to prevent the type of outbreaks and death rates we’re now seeing around the world. World Affairs also hears from William Yang, Taipei correspondent for Deutsche-Welle. Today’s unrelenting coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic can feel overwhelming. Though it may seem like the world around us has come to a stop, major global events march on. Stories about U.S. airstrikes against an Iran-backed militia in Iraq and Vladimir Putin’s new plan to become president for life may not be front page news today, but they will inevitably demand our attention soon. This week on the podcast, Deb Amos, international correspondent for NPR and Michele Kelemen, NPR’s diplomatic correspondent, talk with Ray Suarez about the world’s most important stories that you might have missed. 

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“Survival is a mindset, not a skill set,” says retired FBI agent Greg Shaffer who discusses tips for surviving a crisis situation, whether at home in the states or abroad.

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The World Health Organization is warning all countries to take the threat of a coronavirus global pandemic seriously as governments around the world are scrambling to effectively contain the spread of COVID-19. Local health officials worldwide are preparing for widespread outbreaks while encouraging citizens to remain calm. Financial markets are bracing for the worst as many schools and corporate offices are closing their doors. On this week’s episode, Ray Suarez talks with Larry Brilliant, a renowned epidemiologist, credited with playing a major role in eradicating smallpox, and Pulitzer Prize-winning global health journalist Laurie Garrett. World Affairs also get dispatches from Rafael Suarez in China, Christopher Livesay in Italy, and Peter Kenyon, who recently returned from Iran.

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How did El Salvador become one of the most violent countries on earth? And what role did the United States play in creating the notorious MS-13 gang? On this week’s episode, World Affairs explores the origins of El Salvador’s bloody gang war with journalist William Wheeler. Wheeler spoke with gang members, frustrated reformers, crime investigators and government officials to better understand the violence in the country, and what is driving El Salvadorans northward and for his new book: “State of War: MS-13 and El Salvador’s World of Violence.” He is in conversation with World Affairs executive producer Joanne Elgart Jennings.

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From sorority sister to tough-skinned terrorist hunter, our upcoming guest Tracy Walder recalls the hardship of being a woman in a male-dominated field in her memoir, The Unexpected Spy.

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In this episode, the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire speaks with Dr. Jonathan Quick of the Duke Global Health Institute about the coronavirus epidemic. The Council looks at what you need to know about the global and local responses, as well as how to keep yourself well. This episode takes a balanced approach to the topic and will help you to wade through the various theories, conspiracies, and half-truths that are circulating.

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Register now for WACA's KNOW NOW conference call Wednesday, February 26, at 2:00-2:30 pm ET, featuring Felipe Muñoz, Advisor to the President of Colombia for the Colombia-Venezuela Border. Mr. Muñoz will be in conversation with WACA Chief Operating Officer Liz Brailsford.

As a consequence of the economic and political collapse in Venezuela, more than 1.6 million Venezuelan migrants and refugees have crossed the border and fled to Colombia seeking safety and opportunities for their future. The government of Colombia is going to extraordinary lengths to provide humanitarian relief to this unprecedented influx of migrants and making tremendous efforts to integrate the migrants into society.

Join WACA for a conversation with Felipe Muñoz to learn more about the magnitude of the crisis, the efforts undertaken by the Government of Colombia, and the role that the U.S. and the international community play in matching the scale of the crisis.

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Anthony Kronman, Sterling Professor and former Dean at Yale Law School, speaks about his latest book, "The Assault on American Excellence." This thought-provoking conversation covers recent changes across American universities and their impact on students and our democracy as a whole. 

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The deadly civil war in Syria has raged for almost a decade. For besieged civilians, accessing basic services, like health care, comes with extraordinary risks. In his Academy Award® nominated documentary film, The Cave, director Feras Fayyad reveals a world of hope and safety inside a subterranean hospital. The hospital’s director is 29-year-old Dr. Amani Ballour. In a patriarchal society, she is a force and an inspiration as she keeps the hospital running through air bombardments, chronic food shortages, and the threat of chemical attacks. Ray Suarez talks with Fayyad and Ballour about the National Geographic film and the current situation in Syria.

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US - India relations are back in the spotlight as President Trump travels to the world’s largest democracy. The visit comes as India faces the slowest economic growth since 2009 and social unrest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which has been pushing a Hindu nationalist agenda. Ray Suarez gets a debrief from Tanvi Madan, director of the India Project at The Brookings Institution and author of Fateful Triangle: How China Shaped U.S.-India Relations During the Cold War.

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Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Wednesday, February 19 at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Professor Yael (Yuli) Tamir, President of Shenkar College and an adjunct professor at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University.

Why Nationalism

Around the world today, nationalism is back—and it’s often deeply troubling. Populist politicians exploit nationalism for authoritarian, chauvinistic, racist, and xenophobic purposes, reinforcing the view that it is fundamentally reactionary and antidemocratic. But Yael (Yuli) Tamir makes a passionate argument for a very different kind of nationalism—one that revives its participatory, creative, and egalitarian virtues, answers many of the problems caused by neoliberalism and hyperglobalism, and is essential to democracy at its best.

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Wall Street Journal investigative reporter John Carreyrou delves into the scandal surrounding Theranos and its founder Elizabeth Holmes. It’s a story of the fall from grace of a charismatic young woman who fooled the medical community, regulators, famous investors, and a star-studded board of directors.

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Are we witnessing the end of Hong Kong as we know it - or is this the biggest challenge yet to China’s authoritarian rule? This week on the podcast, World Affairs looks at what’s driving the protests in Hong Kong and why the demonstrations have persisted for so long. The Council walks through the history of Hong Kong, right up to today with: Jeffrey Wasserstrom, professor of history at UC Irvine and author of Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink, and former East Asia Correspondent for NPR and PRI’s The World, Mary Kay Magistad.

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Consul General Cai Wei, who serves the People’s Republic of China as its Consul General in Houston, discusses the coronavirus and his hope for an united, international force to help combat the viruses spread.

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American kids today are 55 percent more likely to die by the age of nineteen than children who grow up in other industrialized countries. Is the American dream an outdated one? Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn explore this question in their latest book, "Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope." It chronicles the lives of people Kristof grew up with in rural Oregon, where roughly a quarter of the children who rode the school bus with him, died in adulthood from drugs, alcohol, suicide or accidents. In conversation with KQED’s Mina Kim, Kristoff and WuDunn discuss why so many Americans are struggling with poverty, addiction, and depression despite living in the wealthiest country in the world.

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Douglas A. Silliman, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq (2016-2019), discusses what he believes is an international diplomatic opportunity in Iraq and Iran if the current cycle of escalation and retaliation can be stopped. Silliman provides expert examination of the risks, rewards, and consequences of current U.S. strategy in this newest episode of Global I.Q. with Jim Falk.

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One question at the heart of the impeachment case against Donald Trump is whether the president threatened to withhold US military assistance from Ukraine. In this episode, World Affairs explores why the US has been supporting Ukraine in Europe’s only active war and why Ukraine needs help defending itself against Russian aggression. John E. Herbst, Atlantic Council and former US Ambassador to Ukraine, Oxana Shevel, Tufts University, and Simon Ostrovsky, Filmmaker and Journalist at the PBS NewsHour, speak with Ray Suarez.

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In this month's episode, the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire takes a closer look at the US Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program and the importance of this exchange program. We interviewed four US leaders from around the country to talk about why this is such an amazing program and the benefits each community sees through hosting visitors. The Council also had the opportunity to speak with a recent visitor who came to NH through this program to learn about youth political engagement. This episode will help you to better understand why this program is celebrating 80 years of exchanges and why it receives such strong bi-partisan support in Congress.

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Season 5: Global I.Q. returns this week with another amazing season. Action author Brad Taylor discusses his best selling Pike Logan Series, and gives his insight on current events in South America, the Middle East, and more! . . Hunter Killer: amazon.com/Hunter-Killer-Pike-Logan-Novel/dp/0062886029 

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President Trump made building a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico a cornerstone of his 2016 presidential campaign. Since taking office, he has called for a travel ban on people from Muslim countries. He has limited the rights of asylum seekers and presided over a family separation crisis at the southern border. New York Times journalists Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Michael Shear discuss the decisions and the ideologies shaping US immigration policy with  World Affairs co-host Markos Kounalakis.

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Protests from Paris to Santiago share themes of resentment towards economic policies that are seen as inherently unfair. These very public demonstrations show how, in many countries, citizens are losing faith in free-market democracy, which emerged triumphant over communism and fascism in the 20th century. As the new world order is being reshaped, which form of government and governance will be ascendant? Stanford University’s Larry Diamond and Francis Fukuyama join World Affairs co-host Ray Suarez to discuss what’s at stake for liberal market democracy and the changing world order.

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Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Tuesday, January 14 at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Andrew Bacevich, President of the Quincy Institute and Professor Emeritus of International Relations and History at Boston University. 

The Age of Illusions: How America Squandered Its Cold War Victory

When the Cold War ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Washington establishment felt it had prevailed in a world-historical struggle. History, having brought the United States to the very summit of power and prestige, had validated American-style liberal democratic capitalism as universally applicable. Join WACA for a conversation with Andrew Bacevich as he explains how, within a quarter of a century, the United States ended up with gaping inequality, permanent war, moral confusion, and an increasingly angry and alienated population, as well, of course, as the strangest president in American history.

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The killing of Iran’s most important general by an American drone and a subsequent Iranian missile attack on US assets inside Iraq threatened to bring the United States and Iran closer to war than at any time since the hostage crisis in 1979. The U.S and Iran may have taken a step back from the brink, but underlying tensions between the two nations remain. In this episode, World Affairs looks at the circumstances that led to this escalation. And the Council gets an overview of how recent events impact the balance of power in the Persian Gulf. What are the strategic implications for Iran, the Middle East, and the World? Vali Nasr of Johns Hopkins University, Barbara Slavin of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council and NPR’s Jane Arraf join World Affairs co-host Ray Suarez to talk about what US actions mean for the Middle East and the rest of the world. 

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"Don’t be evil." It’s an iconic phrase that was written into Google’s code of conduct during the early days of the company. Rana Foroohar, Global Business Columnist at The Financial Times and Global Economic Analyst at CNN, documents the bigger implications for how tech companies now operate. In her conversation with World Affairs CEO, Philip Yun, Foroohar looks at the extent to which the FAANGs (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google) threaten democracies, livelihoods, and our thinking.

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After 21 years as CEO and host of World Affairs, Jane Wales has moved on to join the Aspen Institute. In this bonus episode, Jane says farewell and sits down with Philip Yun, WorldAffairs’ new CEO, for a brief conversation about his vision for the future of World Affairs. While working on North Korea policy under President Clinton, he learned that context matters. 

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In this episode, the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire recaps the amazing program the Council hosted in December of 2019 with Ambassador Nicholas Burns. He talks about the challenges facing the nation on the international level, as well as what gives him (and his students) hope for the future. The Council also talks with Ambassador Dick Swett about his experiences as an Ambassador and how he was able to rise to this position.

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