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S3 E4 (The Wrong Apocalypse) - This Is Not a Drill

Would China bring a new start to New START?

Are we in the middle of a new Cold War? Or have we rewritten the game? With old nuclear arms treaties expiring, and no new ones being signed, are we adapting to the times or playing with fire?

In this episode, we look at the past and present of civil defense and nuclear arms control and ask what we can do — as individuals and as a nation — to prevent the existential threat of nuclear war.

GUESTS: <a href="https://web.stevens.edu/facultyprofile/?id=2054" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alex Wellerstein</a>, professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology and historian of nuclear weapons; <a href="https://armscontrolcenter.org/about/meet-the-staff/alexandra-bell/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alexandra Bell</a>, Senior Policy Director at the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation.

ADDITIONAL READING:

<a href="https://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NUKEMAP</a>.

<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/us/politics/trump-open-skies-treaty-arms-control.html?campaign_id=2&amp;emc=edit_th_200522&amp;instance_id=18661&amp;nl=todaysheadlines&amp;regi_id=52387884&amp;segment_id=28781&amp;user_id=636528bdcfd242d3aec52d396e135ff5" title="Trump Will Withdraw From Open Skies Treaty" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trump Will Withdraw From Open Skies Treaty</a>, New York Times.

<a href="https://www.defensenews.com/smr/nuclear-arsenal/2020/05/24/time-running-out-on-the-last-us-russia-nuclear-arms-treaty/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Time Running Out on the Last US-Russia Nuclear Arms Treaty</a>, Defense News.

<a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/06/24/will-donald-trump-resume-nuclear-testing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Will Donald Trump Resume Nuclear Testing?</a>, The Economist.

Things That Go Boom

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Politics with Amy Walter: What it's like to Start a Career During the Pandemic


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When the COVID-19 swept the U.S. in March, it was hard to fully understand how society would fundamentally change. Since then, more than 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment. As states grapple with the uncertainty that comes with reopening their economies, Politics with Amy Walter returns to a conversation from April about what it's like to be entering the workforce at this time.
<a href="https://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/profile/?p=23444&amp;/HannesSchwandt/">Hannes Schwandt</a>, assistant professor at Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy, shares how cohorts unlucky enough to join the workforce during a recession see a loss in lifetime earnings.
<a href="https://twitter.com/amandamull?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Amanda Mull</a>, a staff writer at The Atlantic, describes how disasters like pandemics alter the worldview of those transitioning into adulthood and how the current economic downturn has the potential to do the same for Generation C. 
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/judah.lewis/timeline?lst=1077101425%3A1077101425%3A1587176757">Judah Lewis</a> was finishing the second semester of his senior year at Howard University when COVID-19 caused the school to close and classes to move online. The path to his last semester was not an easy one and now he feels like the rug has been pulled out from underneath him. Lewis talks to us about how the pandemic has jeopardized his post-graduation prospects and provides an update on his career plan.
In May, activist and playwright Larry Kramer died at age 84. He'd devoted his life to advocating for the gay community during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Kramer was an outspoken critic of the government's response to the crisis and famously criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci, who at the time was the face of the federal government's response, in the pages of the San Francisco Examiner.
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Dr. Fauci <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/dr-anthony-fauci-on-larry-kramers-legacy">reflects</a> on his friendship with Larry Kramer and how their bond influenced the rest of his career in public health. 
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The Takeaway

TTGB_S3_Ep05_DemocracyYawn_Seg1.mp3

S3 E5 (The Wrong Apocalypse) - Democracy! (Yawn)

As the US reckons with systemic racism and a less-than-democratic past, China is doubling down on its authoritarian ways. Meanwhile, research on the health of democracy from across the globe indicates the patient is not well.

We trace China’s rise from the 1990s, when American pop music held a place alongside patriotic education, to its more recent political assertiveness-- not to mention its chokehold on civil rights in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. As China moves to assert itself on the world stage, is democracy losing?

GUESTS: <a href="https://conniemeiblog.wordpress.com/about/" title="https://conniemeiblog.wordpress.com/about/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Connie Mei Pickart</a>, writer and educator; <a href="https://twitter.com/Yascha_Mounk?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" title="https://twitter.com/Yascha_Mounk?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yascha Mounk</a>, associate professor at Johns Hopkins University and senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund

ADDITIONAL READING:

<a href="https://egfound.org/stories/independent-america/modeling-democracy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How the World Views American-Style Democracy</a>, Eurasia Group Foundation.

<a href="https://supchina.com/2019/12/19/nationalism-ruined-my-chinese-friendships/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nationalism Ruined My Chinese Friendships,</a> Connie Mei Pickart.

<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/05/world/asia/hong-kong-security-law.html?searchResultPosition=12" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">In Hong Kong, Defiance Gone Quiet,</a> The New York Times.

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Politics with Amy Walter: An Unexpected Battle for the Senate


Conventional wisdom had most people thinking that any gains that Democrats made in the Senate would be nominal. But, unexpected events over the last six months have turned a long-shot into the very real possibility that Democrats take control of the Senate in November. Seats that were formerly considered safe for the GOP are now in play as a result of the Trump administration’s failure to handle the coronavirus crisis and provide a national plan for recovery while simultaneously stoking racial tensions at a moment of national reckoning.
In Iowa, a state that President Trump easily won in 2016, Democrat Theresa Greenfield is challenging Republican Senator Joni Ernst, where the latest polling has her up by a few points. Greenfield shared her motivation for getting in the race and what she thinks Iowans want to see in Washington. 
Senator Joni Ernst will join Politics with Amy Walter next week.
Also, this week President Trump announced new guidelines for school reopenings. He said that public schools in coronavirus hotspots could delay reopening for a few weeks but ultimately that decision will fall to governors. As many schools across the country are expected to begin the academic year in the next month or so, school districts have been grappling with how to manage the reality of COVID-19 with the expectations for curriculum.  
In Iowa, Republican Governor Kim Reynolds recently announced limitations on remote learning and mandated that at least 50% of the time students spend on learning core subjects must take place in person. Grant Gerlock, a reporter for Iowa Public Radio, shares how schools are dealing with balancing the governor's latest requirements against the well-being of their students and staff.
Guests:
<a href="https://twitter.com/GreenfieldIowa">Theresa Greenfield</a>, Democratic Candidate for Senate in Iowa
<a href="https://twitter.com/ggerlock">Grant Gerlock</a>, Reporter for Iowa Public Radio

TTGB_S3_Ep06_InnerDecay_Part1.mp3

S3 E6 (The Wrong Apocalypse) - Inner Decay

Disinformation and misinformation have been blurring the line between fantasy and reality since the start of communication itself. But over the last decade, they’ve posed an increasing threat to democracy in the United States, with the 2016 presidential election becoming a major flashpoint in Americans’ understanding of the consequences of fake news. The false information flooding the internet and spreading like wildfire on social media pose risks not just to national and election security, but even to our health and safety.

With its bots, troll farms, and vested interest in certain election outcomes, Russia has become America’s public disinformation enemy. But experts say that the power of foreign actors to sow discord rests, first and foremost, right here at home, and the solution may be different than you think.

GUESTS: <a href="https://www.rand.org/about/people/m/mazarr_michael_j.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mike Mazarr</a>, Senior Political Scientist at RAND Corporation; <a href="https://cindyotis.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cindy Otis</a>, Author, Former CIA Analyst, and disinformation investigations manager; <a href="https://www.camillestewart.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Camille Stewart</a>, Head of Security Policy for Google Play and Android; <a href="https://faculty.sfsu.edu/%7Erjeung/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Russell Jeung</a>, Professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University

ADDITIONAL READING:

<a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250239495" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">True or False: A CIA Analyst's Guide to Spotting Fake News</a>, Cindy Otis.

<a href="https://nieman.harvard.edu/articles/vote-and-die-covering-voter-suppression-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vote and Die: Covering Voter Suppression during the Coronavirus Pandemic</a>, Nieman Foundation.

<a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2019/07/31/combating-disinformation-and-foreign-interference-in-democracies-lessons-from-europe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Combating Disinformation and Foreign Interference in Democracies: Lessons From Europe</a>, Margaret L. Taylor.

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Politics with Amy Walter: The Path to November 


This week, President Trump renewed his commitment to questioning the integrity of our election system and the Senate left town on Thursday without reaching an agreement on a new stimulus bill, leaving millions of unemployed Americans in economic limbo. At the same time, the U.S. surpassed 150,000 deaths caused by the coronavirus as confirmed cases in many states continue to climb.
With less than 100 days until the general election, <a href="https://twitter.com/cjane87">Jane Coaston</a>, a senior politics reporter at Vox, and <a href="https://twitter.com/TimAlberta?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Tim Alberta</a>, Chief Political Correspondent for Politico, share how voters are processing this moment and their options for November.
<a href="https://twitter.com/joniernst">Joni Ernst</a> is a Republican Senator from Iowa whose seat was considered relatively safe until recently. Today, she’s fighting off a challenge from Democrat Theresa Greenfield, an Iowan who like Ernst has farm-girl roots. Ernst describes how campaigning has shifted as a result of COVID-19 and what she thinks of the president's response to the pandemic.
You can listen to Amy's interview with Theresa Greenfield <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/episodes/politics-amy-walter-unexpected-battle-senate">here</a>.
Check out our ongoing coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/projects/covid-19-ongoing-coverage-coronavirus-outbreak">here</a>.
Check out our local leader series <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/projects/how-local-leaders-are-responding-to-coronavirus">here</a>.

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Politics with Amy Walter: In Pursuit of a Coronavirus Vaccine


While many countries have curbed their <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/coronavirus-maps.html">total number</a> of coronavirus cases, the US has recorded more than four and a half million, and more than 160,000 deaths. Inadequate national leadership has caused one of the easiest and simplest solutions to curbing the spread of the disease, mask wearing, to become the latest front in the culture wars 
The White House has spread not only conflicting messages about the severity of the virus but also conspiracy theories about the science and the solutions to stopping the pandemic. 
With no certainty to the end of the pandemic, many are relying on a vaccine as the only way back to the way things were but even a vaccine comes with its own set of issues. Finding a way to distribute hundreds of millions of doses of a vaccine in addition to convincing Americans that it is safe and effective could be an uphill battle. Communicating transparently is especially important with communities of color who have been disproportionately hurt by the coronavirus.  
Guests:
<a href="https://twitter.com/umairfan">Umair Irfan</a>, Staff Writer at Vox
<a href="https://twitter.com/carolynyjohnson">Carolyn Johnson</a>, Science Reporter at The Washington Post
<a href="https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/00336000014TNITAA4/jesse-goodman">Dr. Jesse Goodman</a>, Professor at Georgetown University and the Former Chief Scientist at the Food and Drug Administration
<a href="https://www.nmqf.org/nmqf-team/gary-puckrein-president-ceo">Gary A. Puckrein</a>, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Minority Quality Forum

TTBG_Season4_ListenerCallout.mp3

Do you feel safe?

We know it’s been pretty much the craziest year, so for the first episode of Season 4, we want to hear from you about how you’re feeling. And since the show is all about the ins, outs, and what-have-yous of what keeps us safe, what we really want to know is: Do you feel safe? Why? Or why not?

Maybe, right now, you’re worried about coronavirus. Or climate change. Or maybe you’re wondering whatever happened to that North Korean nuclear weapon and… all the possible fire the fury. Tell us your story.

Record us a message using the voice app on your phone, and send it over to <a href="mailto:boom@inkstickmedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">boom@inkstickmedia.com</a> by this Saturday October 16. That’s <a href="mailto:boom@inkstickmedia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">boom@inkstickmedia.com</a>.

Let us listen for a change.

Nursery plants are seen placed in people's seats at Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu, June 22, 2020.

COVID-19

Barcelona opera reopens to full house — of plants

Returning travelers in quarantine hotels may have triggered Melbourne's latest lockdown

Could llama antibodies be the key to a coronavirus treatment?

 How much longer must society wait for a vaccine? 

Medicine

How and when will we know that a COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective?

Syringes of SARS CoV-2 Vaccine for COVID-19 produced by SinoVac are displayed during a media tour of its factory in Beijing on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. A Chinese health official said Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, that the country's annual production capacity f

Pandemic set to widen global inequality

A model of a coronavirus is displayed next to boxes for COVID-19 vaccines at an exhibit by Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinopharm at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020.

coronavirus

The quest for a universal coronavirus vaccine

China OKs first homegrown vaccine as COVID-19 surges globally

Pandemic set to widen global inequality

How and when will we know that a COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective?

Could llama antibodies be the key to a coronavirus treatment?

Returning travelers in quarantine hotels may have triggered Melbourne's latest lockdown

Barcelona opera reopens to full house — of plants

Latest Episode

Monday, October 12, 2020