What Could Go Right?

Latest Episodes:

Ukraine's Counteroffensive with Tim Mak May 17, 2023

Show notes

What is the human side of war? Investigative journalist Tim Mak joins us from Kyiv to share an update on Ukraine's spring counteroffensive, what life is like in a war-torn country, and what he has learned about resilience and mental health covering his first war. Plus, electric vehicles' growth is explosive, and a battery breakthrough that could make electric passenger aircraft possible.

What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.

Demon Drugs and Moral Panics with Maia Szalavitz May 10, 2023

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Is drug use always harmful? How does empathy play a role in addiction? Could it be more beneficial to approach drug use as a public health issue rather than a criminal one? In this episode, we speak with Maia Szalavitz, an award-winning journalist and author, about the potential benefits of harm reduction for addiction treatment and addressing larger societal issues. Plus, we take a look at smart guns and serial killers.

What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.

Artificial Unintelligence with Baratunde Thurston May 03, 2023

Show notes

Is technology moving us forward or backward? What is the human cost of progress? And is artificial intelligence making people more divided, or can it help us find common ground? Comedian, commentator, and author Baratunde Thurston joins us to talk about how technology and humanity are sometimes at odds and sometimes companions.

What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.

Challenging the Consensus on China with Jessica Chen Weiss Apr 26, 2023

Show notes

Is China the US's perennial enemy? How do the complexities of China's political landscape affect global affairs? And is conflict over Taiwan inevitable? In today's episode, we explore these questions with Jessica Chen Weiss, a Cornell professor and author specializing in Chinese foreign policy and nationalism. Plus, we learn about Uzbekistan's change in domestic violence criminality and have an update on malaria vaccinations.

What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.

Demanding More: Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa with Ebenezer Obadare Apr 19, 2023

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Are the tides shifting in Africa? What direction is the continent's progress toward good governance headed? And how should we understand competing international interests and investment there? Ebenezer Obadare, a Douglas Dillon senior fellow for Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins us to examine Nigeria's contentious election as well as China's, Russia's, and the US's involvement in Africa. Plus, we look at changes in airport security, US unemployment, and inflation.

What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.

The Boys Are Not All Right with Richard Reeves Apr 12, 2023

Show notes

Is the struggle of boys and men a partisan issue? And how have recent economic and social changes influenced the classroom, the workplace, and the family? Brookings Institution scholar Richard V. Reeves joins us to tackle the complex crisis of boyhood and manhood. Plus, we look at the US's renewable power industry and discuss Malaysia's death penalty change.

What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.

The Globalization Myth with Shannon O'Neil Apr 05, 2023

Show notes

How have regional dynamics shifted in an increasingly globalizing world? And what is going on in Latin America and Mexico, and how will it affect the United States? Today we talk with Shannon O'Neil, vice president, deputy director of studies, and senior fellow for Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, as well as the author of the book "The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter." Plus, we take a look at medicine, drug, and vaccine breakthroughs from around the world.

What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.

How to Create Positive Change with Danielle Moodie and Wajahat Ali Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

How does change actually occur? And what are the best tactics for bringing large coalitions together? Hosts of Democracy-ish, Danielle Moodie and Wajahat Ali, discuss the balance between angry revolution and individual hope, and what ultimately gets people on board with a movement. Plus, we take a look at the World Happiness Report and the college enrollment drop.

What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.

Entangled with Isaac Saul Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

Are we as divided as we think we are? Is it possible to move out of our political and news silos? And is there a way to re-establish trust in the media? Isaac Saul, the founder of Tangle News, shares his effort to offer truly bipartisan journalism. Plus, what's going on with Silicon Valley Bank, fentanyl test strips, and declassified Covid information?

What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.

Bootstrapping the American Dream with Alissa Quart Mar 15, 2023

Show notes

Has the American Dream changed? Is a side hustle the answer to income inequality? And is self-reliance the all-important north star we have been led to believe it is? Today, author, journalist, and Executive Director of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, Alissa Quart, asserts that at the heart of our distress is a misplaced belief in our independence and the conviction that we must rely on ourselves alone. Plus, a look at women's rights worldwide and a rise in guaranteed paid paternity leave.

What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.