Feb 06 2024
News
Dozens have been arrested on bribery charges involving NYC Housing Authority
The Justice Department has announced charges against 70 current and former employees of New York City's massive public housing authority — the most federal bribery charges ever brought in one day. NPR (Online News)
Nov 03 2023
Analysis
The cranky American: A tale told with polls
If you’re feeling cranky about politics, please know this: You’re not alone. Public polling shows a remarkably wide swath of Americans with historically poor views of politics and politicians. Granted, polls are snapshots, not oil paintings, so to speak. But the body politic does seem to be in a pretty rough patch. Here to discuss the political climate and what it might mean as we gear up for... Roll Call
Oct 13 2023
Analysis
Why is life expectancy falling faster for adults without a BA?
In previous work, Anne Case and Angus Deaton of Princeton described a disturbing trend, the now-widely recognized rise in “deaths of despair” – suicides, drug overdoses, and alcohol-related liver disease – since the mid-1990s. For a time, this phenomenon was hidden in overall mortality figures because of improvements in treating heart disease, but that progress stalled around 2010 for those... Brookings Institution
Jun 26 2023
Analysis
How to fight bullying? Teach the value of kindness.
What if confronting a societal scourge means focusing on its opposite? That’s the approach taken by Shadi Pourkashef, a Southern California composer, conductor, and piano teacher who also combats school bullying – which affects 2 in 10 children ages 12 to 18, by one account – with kindness. “As I learned more about Ms. Pourkashef and her Ability Awareness Project, it became... Christian Science Monitor
Jan 20 2023
Opinion
How Right-Wing Media Ate the Republican Party
In recent weeks, America got a preview of how the new Republican House majority would wield its power. In attempting to perform a basic function of government — electing a speaker — a coalition of 20 House members caused Kevin McCarthy to lose 14 rounds of votes, decreasing his power with each compromise and successive vote. This is not normal. Party unity ebbs and flows, but the G.O.P... Ezra Klein
Aug 25 2022
News
What can America expect from the Supreme Court’s next term?
THE SUPREME COURT is changing America. In its last term, it eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, loosened gun laws and eroded the separation of church and state. Host Jon Fasman asks Eric Segall, professor of law at Georgia State University, what will happen in the upcoming term and whether the court could be reformed. They also discuss the role of “originalism”, the judicial... The Economist
Feb 02 2022
Opinion
The Future of Depolarization | Esther Cash with Ciaran O'Connor
Esther Cash is a liberal college student at Biola, a conservative Christian university in California. As a program associate for Braver Angels, she helps coordinate our debates program in communities and colleges across the country. Braver Angels
Feb 02 2022
Opinion
Reducing Polarization All By Yourself: Kamy Akhavan
Across the board— from voter access to questions of race and gender, and views of the economy— the gap between Republicans and Democrats has grown wider in recent years. According to recent polling, a rising share of Americans say that having political conversations with those they disagree with is “stressful and frustrating”. Political polarization and the recent actions of party... How Do We Fix It?
Feb 02 2022
Opinion
Farewell, Justice Breyer. What now?
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring after 27 years on the nation’s highest court, giving President Biden his first chance to nominate a justice to the bench. He’s expected to announce his pick by the end of February, and has vowed to nominate a Black woman. So, who’s the right person for the job? Will the fight to hold down the liberal wing of the court fall along... Left, Right & Center
Feb 02 2022
Opinion
Should COVID Vaccines be Mandatory?
Jason Eberl, board member for Association of Bioethics Program Directors and professor at St. Louis University, joins Roger Severino, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center to debate government mandated vaccines. The Debate
Jan 21 2022
Opinion
How The Budget Mess in Congress Hurts All of Us: Alison Acosta Winters & Emily Holubowich
This year the federal government is expected to collect more than $3.5 trillion in taxes— a vast amount of money by any measure. One of the key functions of Congress is to pass a budget. But often that seems close to impossible. Lack of agreement over federal spending regularly threatens to bring about government shutdowns that have a negative impact on millions of Americans. Yet few of... Let's Find Common Ground
Jan 21 2022
Opinion
Biden presidency turns 1 year old
President Biden took questions from reporters on Wednesday for nearly two hours — ranging widely from voting rights to Ukraine and more — as senators from his own party threatened his top legislative goals. The president says he’s outperformed expectations. His approval rating — a meager 40% or so — doesn’t seem to square with that. But can Biden be blamed for taking power during a... Left, Right & Center
Jan 21 2022
Opinion
I Changed My Mind About Nuclear Power: Zion Lights
Earth's global average temperature in 2021 was the sixth warmest on record, according to two new reports issued this week by U.S. Government agencies. Scientists at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies report that collectively the past eight years were the warmest since modern record keeping began in 1880. The research adds to overwhelming evidence of climate change. This episode... How Do We Fix It?
Jan 21 2022
Opinion
Liberal Education is Under Assault. Roosevelt Montás
What is the point of an education? Is it to learn skills that will help you get ahead in the workplace, or is it to acquire knowledge and to think more deeply about your place in the world? In this episode we hear from an educator who thinks that the great books— Plato, Aquinas, Shakespeare for example— aren’t just for a few well-off students at elite colleges, but for everybody. And he... How Do We Fix It?
Jan 21 2022
Opinion
Are CEOs Paid Too Much?
Alice Stewart, Resident Fellow at Harvard University, Kennedy Institute of Politics joins us to debate Ellis Henican, New York Times bestselling author, and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, over the idea of regulating CEO pay in America. The Debate
Jan 06 2022
Opinion
National Day of Dialogue. Christy Vines
Our first episode of 2022 is all about a constructive response to the calamitous events of one year ago: The January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol. On January 5th, a coalition of organizations, led by Ideos Institute, will host the first annual National Day of Dialogue. We discuss this invitation to all Americans to push back against deep divides. We also explore the need for hard talk... How Do We Fix It?
Jan 04 2022
Opinion
Change Makers: People Making a Difference. Dave Scott
In a world of crises and catastrophes, we look at a handful of extraordinary problem solvers: People who use their passion and personal experience of life to make a difference. Dave Scott, Engagement Editor at The Christian Monitor, tells us about remarkable individuals who use generosity, hope, and innovation to inspire others to uplift their fellow human beings. Let's Find Common Ground
Jan 04 2022
Opinion
Josh Barro says farewell to Left, Right & Center
Welcome to Josh Barro’s final episode as host of Left, Right & Center. It’s a special episode with some of our most frequent panelists to close out 2021 and Josh’s seven-year run as host. A lot has changed in the last seven years, and weirdly, a lot hasn’t. In this episode, you’ll hear clips from Josh’s first episode as host of Left, Right & Center in which he moderates a... Left, Right & Center
Jan 04 2022
Opinion
New Year, Old News
Topics Discussed: Louisville, Colorado Fire Mayfield, Kentucky Update Covid-19 Omicron Update Outside of Politics: Holiday Activities Pantsuit Politics
Dec 24 2021
Opinion
Is the U.S. Constitution fit for the 21st Century?
Christina Bambrick, assistant professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame joins us to debate Jeffrey Sikkenga, executive director of the Ashbrook Center and professor of political science at Ashland University, over whether the U.S. Constitution needs to be updated. The Debate
Pages
https://npr.org/2024/02/06/1229602757/dozens-have-been-arrested-on-bribery-charges-involving-nyc-housing-authority
https://rollcall.com/podcasts/political-theater/the-cranky-american-a-tale-told-with-polls/
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/why-is-life-expectancy-falling-faster-for-adults-without-a-ba/
https://www.csmonitor.com/Podcasts/Why-We-Wrote-This/wwwt_2323
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-nicole-hemmer.html
https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2022/08/18/what-can-america-expect-from-the-supreme-courts-next-term
https://braverangels.org/podcast/
https://www.howdowefixit.me/new-blog-3/kamy-akhavan
https://www.kcrw.com/news/shows/left-right-center/stephen-breyer-biden-supreme-court-russia-stockton
https://www.newsweek.com/the-debate