Aspen Ideas to Go

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Dan Coats Discusses Election Interference, the White House’s Invitation to Putin, and More Jul 24, 2018

Show notes

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats goes over President Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in this discussion held July 19th. These are his first public comments after standing by the intelligence community’s findings on Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump has questioned the intelligence assessment. Coats manages America’s 17 intelligence agencies and serves as the President’s principal intelligence advisor. He spoke with Andrea Mitchell, chief foreign affairs correspondent for NBC News.

Show Notes Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Email your comments to aspenideastogo@gmail.com. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Russian Interference, the Border Crisis, and More Jul 19, 2018

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Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has defended the Trump administration’s controversial "zero tolerance" immigration policy that has led to families being separated at America’s southwest border. In this discussion, she addresses illegal immigration, saying it reflects a broken system. Her conversation with Peter Alexander, national correspondent for NBC News, also touches on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign and terrorism. Alexander asks if homegrown, lone-wolf terrorism is the greatest threat today in the US. Their conversation on June 19 was part on the Aspen Security Forum held by the Aspen Institute’s Homeland Security Program.

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FBI Director Christopher Wray on Russian Meddling Jul 19, 2018

Show notes

FBI Director Christopher Wray is firm in his position that Russia was involved in the 2016 presidential campaign. “The intelligence community’s assessment has not changed,” he says, “and my view has not changed, which is that Russia attempted to interfere with the last election.” Wray spoke July 18 at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado. His interviewer, Lester Holt of NBC News, also asked Wray about the indictment of 12 Russian nationals, the Robert Mueller investigation, China, and North Korea. The Aspen Security Forum is a yearly gathering of top-level government officials, industry experts, and journalists. It’s held by the Institute’s Homeland Security Program.

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First-Hand Account: Family Separation at the US-Mexico Border Jul 18, 2018

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A lot has happened since US Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced in May a “zero tolerance” policy for illegal crossings at the southwest border. The family separation policy that contributed to dividing nearly 3,000 children from their guardians was halted and now the US government is working to reunite families. In this episode, Mimi Marziano, president of the Texas Civil Rights Project, talks about why she thinks the situation is a “horrendous human rights crisis” that’s far from over. Her organization is representing 381 of the families who have been affected by the separation policy. She speaks with Jonathan Capehart, opinion writer for the Washington Post and host of the “Cape Up” podcast.

Show Notes Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Email your comments to aspenideastogo@gmail.com. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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The Rising Belligerence of Putin's Russia Jul 13, 2018

Show notes

President Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday during a time when international relations are being tested. On the heels of a tension-filled NATO summit, Russia experts wonder whether Trump’s meeting with Putin will address the Russian government’s rising belligerence. Putin’s government is increasingly acting as an outlaw state across the international stage — undermining European democracies, launching devastating ransomware cyberattacks, harassing US diplomats, executing journalists and dissidents, harboring sophisticated cybercriminals, and testing Western alliances. How should the United States, Europe, and the West as a whole respond? The Atlantic’s Steve Clemons leads a discussion with Peter Wittig, former German ambassador to the United States; Kori Schake, deputy director general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies at the Hoover Institution; Andrew Weiss, former director of the RAND Corporation’s Center for Russia and Eurasia; and Evelyn Farkas, national security analyst for MSNBC.

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The Age of Euroscepticism Jul 10, 2018

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Hours before President Trump attends a NATO Summit in Brussels, we examine the role of the alliance and how it fits into Europe’s recent struggles. Brexit, terrorism, a new anti-establishment government in Italy, and rising nationalism fueled in part by a flood of immigrants from the Syrian war are testing the grand European experiment. How should the continent move forward? And how will the region handle Trump’s anti-European and anti-NATO rhetoric? The Aspen Institute’s Elliot Gerson leads a conversation with Kati Marton, journalist and human rights advocate; Douglas Lute, former US ambassador to NATO; and Mircea Dan Geoana, former president of the Romanian Senate and founder of Aspen Romania.

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James Comey on His Legacy Leading the FBI Jul 03, 2018

Show notes

Former FBI Director James Comey says transparency and a desire to maintain his agency’s credibility prompted him to reopen the Hillary Clinton email investigation in 2016. He sent a letter to Congress days before the presidential election saying he had new evidence in the case. To this day, some people blame him for Clinton’s defeat. In this episode, he speaks with journalist Katie Couric about the details surrounding the decision. He also talks about his book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, and what’s next for him in life and career. Their conversation was held June 30, 2018 at the Aspen Ideas Festival.

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A Conversation with the US Surgeon General Jun 27, 2018

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As the nation’s top doctor, US Surgeon General Jerome Adams has pledged to lead with science and collaborate with local entities to tackle national health crises. In this episode, he speaks with NPR’s Alison Kodjak about children being separated from their parents at the southern US border, the opioid crisis, gun violence, and mental health. Adams is the 20th person to serve as Surgeon General. In the position, he promotes wellness strategies, warns the public against emerging health hazards, and is a leader of the 6,500-person Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

Show Notes Follow us on Twitter at @aspenideas and Facebook. Email your comments to aspenideastogo@gmail.com. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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Love, Sex, and the Brain Jun 19, 2018

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What makes two people click? What does it really mean to say, “we have chemistry”? The Atlantic's Olga Khazan talks to biological anthropologist Helen Fisher about the four styles of thought and behavior that Fisher has identified through brain scans that help explain the biological underpinnings of romantic love, love addiction, adultery, and divorce. Based on data collected from 35,000 single Americans, Fisher explains modern courtship, why a trend she calls “slow love” makes her optimistic about relationships in the digital age, and how to use brain chemistry to keep love alive.

Show Notes Listen to the Aspen Ideas to Go episode, What Is Technology's Toll on Intimacy?. Follow us on Twitter at @aspenideas and Facebook. Email your comments to aspenideastogo@gmail.com. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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Race, Youth, and the American Vote Jun 13, 2018

Show notes

In a recent Alabama Senate election, 96 percent of African American voters supported one candidate, and according to a Pew Research Center survey, 66 percent of Latino voters chose just one candidate during the most recent Presidential election. Do Democrats take the "people of color" vote for granted? How can Republicans appeal more to people of color? What are the ways in which people are viewing voting through the lens of race? How is voting being encouraged, or suppressed? This panel discussion includes Juan Williams, Irene Bueno, David Brooks, and Kamilah Prince.

Show Notes Listen to the Aspen Ideas to Go episode, How to Survive Our Faster Future. Email your comments to aspenideastogo@gmail.com. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

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