How Do We Fix It?

If the Covid pandemic has taught us anything, it is that the government's response to a global health emergency can mean the difference between living and dying.America's woeful performance in recent months has exposed how far we have fallen behind public health systems in much of Asia. While China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore combined have recorded fewer than 1,000 cases per day since September, the U.S. is reporting over 60,000 daily cases.Our guest is Adrian Wooldridge of The Economist, and co-author of "The Wake Up Call: Why the Pandemic Has Exposed the Weakness of the West and How to Fix It.""We need to have a much more efficient government that is collectively valued by society," says Adrian. He argues that it's time to make government great again. In this episode, we discuss steps to improve government's use of technology and delivery of services while protecting individual liberty.Recommendation: Jim is listening to the podcast "50 Years of Music With 50 Year-Old White Guys"note: Here's a link to new developments in music podcasts, mentioned during this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 Loka 202030min

More than half of American voters expect to see a rise in violence after election day, according to a recent poll. Only 49% said Americans will largely accept the results.These findings and others suggest that American democracy is facing intense stress. President Trump has repeatedly refused to say whether he would accept the official results. "Trump and Biden supporters have deep disagreements over several aspects of the election and voting process – including whether it will be clear which candidate won even after all the votes are counted," says Pew Research Center.This episode examines how our current problems compare to past outbreaks of political turmoil. Professor Suzanne Mettler, co-author of the new book, "Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy" is our guest.The four threats are: polarization, racism and nativism, economic inequality, and excessive presidential power. "Today, for the first time ever, all four of these threats to democracy have come together," Suzanne tells us.Richard and Jim, who calls himself "the pushback guy" in this episode, also have a lively discussion about the book's findings.Recommendation: Richard is reading “All the King’s Men” - first published in 1946 and written by Robert Penn Warren. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel portrays the dramatic rise of Governor Willie Stark, a cynical left-wing autocratic populist in the South. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Loka 202030min

How do you get supporters of Donald Trump and Joe Biden in the same room at the same time working together on something political? It sounds almost impossible, but even at a time of hyper-partisan division, progress and trust can be achieved on a local level. In this episode, we look at the groundbreaking work of CivicLex, a non-profit civic education and solutions journalism group based in Lexington, a Kentucky city of nearly 400,000 people. Civic Lex has three main goals: Improve access to information, Change the processes that govern how the city interacts with residents, and Democratize political power. Our CivicLex guests are: Executive Director, Richard Young, who has worked on civic engagement and community development projects for almost a decade, and Director of Programs, Megan Gulla, who has worked and volunteered in a variety of fields, including creative, local journalism. CivicLex has won funding from The National Endowment for the Arts, Knight Foundation, Facebook Journalism Project and other major donors. "There's something brilliant" in the mission of CivicLex, says Danielle Allen, Director of the Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University. "They're foregrounding the importance of relationships." This show and several other recent episodes on local initiatives are funded with a grant from Solutions Journalism Network. We thank them for their support and encouragement. Recommendation: Richard (our-co host!) is listening to the new podcast series, hosted by author and historian Jon Meacham, "Hope Through History." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Loka 202030min

How does your career stay on track at a time of very high unemployment, great technological change and enormous uncertainty? We explore these questions and much more with one of the advertising industry's most successful commercial directors. When he was 23, Bruce Van Dusen was desperate for a job. For the next 40 years, he thought that every commercial that he made would be his last. With a mix of audacity, determination, and hard work, plus a dash of deep personal insecurity, Bruce developed a remarkable knack for crafting stories that could be told in 30 seconds. His wise and highly entertaining new book is "60 Stories About 30 Seconds: How I Got Away With Being a Pretty Big Commercial Director Without Losing My Soul (Or Maybe Just Part of It)."We discuss some lessons Bruce learned along the way-- lessons that he wished he had known when he started out in his crazy, fast-changing industry. Such as: Go to a meeting any time anywhere; Treat all famous people like they're not; Nothing lasts forever unless you tinker with it all the time.Listen to Crazy Eddie "I Know He's Crazy, But Is He Alive?", one of the many hilarious stories from Bruce's book here.Recommendation: Jim is reading "Made Men. The Story of Goodfellas", by Glenn Kenny. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Loka 202027min

Anger, fear and loathing cut across our deeply divided, hyper-partisan political divide. From The White House and the streets of cities, to furious posts on social media, many of us objectify others. Those belong to the wrong tribe are often the objects of personal scorn.In a recent Twitter post, our guest, Chloé Valdary, says: "if you do not possess the power to love, and especially love your enemies, then you don't really have the power."In this episode, Chloé talks about her antiracism program, Theory of Enchantment, which uses pop culture as an educational tool, teaching social and emotional learning in schools, and diversity and inclusion in companies and government agencies. The three key principles involve:1. We are human beings, not political abstractions.2. Use criticism to uplift, not tear down.3. Lead with love and compassion.Recommendation: Jim is reading the new book, "Utopia Avenue" by British novelist, David Mitchell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 Syys 202025min

Massive wildfires in the west have burned through more than five million acres, forced tens of thousands of people from their homes, and spread smoke and air pollution across many states. This year's historic wildfire season prompted calls for reforms of the nation's fire management policies, and are a clear sign that the impacts of climate change are now being felt. Changes in the weather leading to temperature extremes and drought are no longer a theory.We discuss the causes of raging wildfires, including forestry management, climate, and the movement of people, as well as practical steps can be taken now to reduce the destruction to property and people's lives. Our guests are Guardian journalists Alastair Gee and Dani Anguiano, authors of the new book, “Fire In Paradise: An American Tragedy", a harrowing account of the most destructive wildfire in a century. Both Dani and Alastair reported extensively on the Camp Fire in 2018, and this year's megafires in California, Oregon and Washington. Jim writes about The West's fires in City Journal: "Wildfire Hype and Hope".Recommendation: Jim is feeding his recent passion for birdwatching, reading "A Season On The Wind: Inside the World of Spring Migration" by Ken Kaufman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

18 Syys 202030min

“Tech For The Public Good” is supported by a grant from Solutions Journalism Network. Technology is a double-edged sword, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite well-publicized threats from bots, hackers, government spooks and huge online firms, tech is often a force for public good. In this special episode on civic tech, we report on a local effort to promote better healthcare for those who need it most: the residents of America's poorest Congressional District: New York's 15th CD in The Bronx. Ivelyse Andino is our guest. She's the founder and CEO of Radical Health, a minority-owned, Bronx-based health-equity social enterprise that uses technology, an app powered by artificial intelligence; and community conversations to help (among others) pregnant women and new mothers understand their health care rights. According to U.S. government statistics, black women are up to six times more likely to die from complications of pregnancy than white women. "The U.S. is ranked as one of the most dangerous countries in the world to give birth if you are a black or brown woman," says Ivelyse. She compares the healthcare system to a McDonalds. "You're in. You're out." Ivelyse was born and raised in the Bronx. She began her career in health tech, and trained oncologists on new drugs. Her life took a dramatic turn when her mother was diagnosed with cancer, which forced her to personally confront systematic disparities and failings of the healthcare system. Our producer, Miranda Shafer, spoke with several local activists including Kaniya Samm who is a community organizer; and Alexis Del Rio, the co-founder of Bronx Móvil, a bilingual mobile harm reduction program. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 Syys 202025min

Fears about COVID-19 can take an emotional toll, leading to a growing sense of worry and panic. We ask: How can philosophy help us cope with adversity in a pandemic?We go in pursuit of wisdom and discovery with journalist and author Eric Weiner, author of the new book, "The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons From Dead Philosophers". This episode is a rollicking ride, as we follow in the footsteps of history’s greatest thinkers—from Epicurus to Nietzsche, Thoreau to Gandhi— who show us practical and spiritual lessons for today’s unsettled times.Philosophy helps us as we struggle with disturbing questions raised by coronavirus. How to find a level of calm and certainty in an uncertain age? How do we endure tough times? There are no easy answers, but as with religious texts, philosophy helps us ask better questions. "We often confuse knowledge and wisdom, and we think that what we need to get out of this mess is more information," Erik tells us. "More information, we think, is always better. And that's clearly not the case."The age-old lesson from philosophy, says Erik, is that you can "put down your iPhone and close your laptop and stop acquiring more bits of data"Recommendation: Richard enjoys "Tiny Vampires," a podcast series about about disease, science and blood sucking insects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 Syys 202026min