The Coronavirus pandemic is the 21st century's biggest crisis to date: Worse than either 9/11 or the great recession. Jim and Richard discuss seven surprising things that we didn't know when the lockdowns began in March: 1. Early assessments about coronavirus turned out to be wrong. We now have a much better idea of how COVID-19 is spread and who's at greatest risk. 2. Re-opening the economy is going to be much more difficult than expected. 3. Cars and suburbs are here to stay: how the pandemic ...
May 15, 2020•24 min
How will the COVID-19 pandemic change our democracy? Will we become more less divided? We discuss the challenges and opportunities of the current crisis with four podcasters who are all our colleagues in The Democracy Group podcast network. Juleyka Lantigua-Williams , Cara Ong Whaley , Mila Atmos and Lee Drutman join Richard to talk about barriers to voting, civic engagement and equal access to the democratic system. They look at what the current crisis means for advocates of democracy reform. J...
May 08, 2020•30 min•Ep. 253
Tens of millions of Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since the coronavirus outbreak began. Well over one-in-four people have suffered a moderate or severe financial setback in recent weeks. Consumer confidence is plunging. In this episode we look at the best ways to cope with a sudden drop in income. Beverly Harzog , the personal finance and credit card expert at US News and World Report, is our guest. She's the author of five bestselling personal finance books. From keeping your c...
Apr 30, 2020•22 min•Ep. 252
Much of what we took for granted, including daily routines, have been upended during the coronavirus pandemic. At a time when many have new questions about our personal values, traditions and lifestyles, this could be a teachable moment. Social media may have been helpful in convincing people about the need for social distancing, wearing masks and other recent changes. "It really did allow norms to be transmitted very very quickly," says our guest, Amherst College psychology professor Catherine ...
Apr 24, 2020•25 min•Ep. 251
Everybody is asking, how did the U.S. and most other nations get the coronavirus pandemic so wrong? Taiwan was a rare exception . Health officials and the democratic government of this island state sprang into action in the final days of 2019, and tried to warn the world of COVID danger. Despite being just 80 miles from the coast of China and with a huge amount of travel back and forth to the mainland, Taiwan was remarkably well prepared. The outbreak was kept to a minimum . "Taiwan knows that i...
Apr 16, 2020•26 min•Ep. 250
The great Alaskan earthquake on Good Friday, March 27th, 1964, was surprising, and the lessons from the response are helpful in understanding how we respond to the COVID pandemic today. "The earthquake overwhelmed people the way the strongest emotions do," wrote our guest, Jon Mooallem recently in The New York Times. "It was pure sensation, coming on faster than the intellect's ability to register it." A big theme of Jon's new book, " This Is Chance! " is how the citizens of Anchorage almost ins...
Apr 10, 2020•30 min•Ep. 249
The coronavirus pandemic has lead many to fear, panic, anger, profound loneliness and isolation. Realizing that we are all in this crisis together, how can we cope in a more hopeful and creative way? "We need to make a fundamental choice that the only way we get through this is if we act and engage as a community together," says Rich Harwood , President and Founder of The Harwood Institute . His group teaches and coaches people in local communities to move forward by bridging divides and creatin...
Apr 02, 2020•27 min•Ep. 248
Why did the U.S. and most other nations around the world do such a poor job of preparing for and reacting to the global COVID-19 pandemic? After all, we had earlier outbreaks, from HIV-AIDS to SARS, MERS, H1N1 and the Ebola virus. In his widely viewed 2015 Ted Talk , Bill Gates warned that "if anything kills more than ten million people in the next few decades, it's most likely to be a highly infectious virus." We knew about the danger, but failed to act. This episode looks at why humans are so ...
Mar 27, 2020•25 min•Ep. 247
Coronavirus has changed all of our lives. We are in the middle of a massive social experiment. This show is first in a series of episodes that will attempt to make sense of the massive psychological, social, economic and political upheaval the pandemic will have on us all. We start this week with loving relationships. Social distancing will physically separate us from friends and family members who don't live in our homes, but it will bring us closer to our spouse, partner and children. How will...
Mar 20, 2020•28 min•Ep. 246
Bans on plastic bags and straws and expensive campaigns to recycle plastic waste are popular with voters . They give us a sense that the government is acting to protect the environment. Our guest, John Tierney , been a columnist for the New York Times and is a contributor to City Journal. He has been studying wastes and recycling for decades. His conclusion ? “Recycling has turned out to be ruinously expensive, while achieving little or no environmental benefit." John also tells us that “if you ...
Mar 12, 2020•28 min•Ep. 245
The rapid spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 is a reminder of the vital need for truthful information, co-operation and kindness. Rumors, hype and fear can make a growing crisis much worse than it already is. We decided to re-release an episode from 2019 on the case for trust: Why designing systems that are based on trust can improve public safety, and lead to better economic, social, psychological and educational outcomes. "We’ve internalized the assumption that humans can’t be trusted, and the...
Mar 05, 2020•25 min•Ep. 244
Bernie Sanders is the early frontrunner for the Democratic Presidential nomination. In this episode with economist Emily Chamlee-Wright, we look at why support for socialism is on the rise, and where this ideology comes from. According to recent polls of young Americans, ages 18 to 29, they are more likely to have a positive view of socialism than capitalism. Despite socialist economic failures in Venezuela, Africa and Eastern Europe, today's promises of free health care, college loan debt forgi...
Feb 27, 2020•25 min•Ep. 243
It's rare to meet someone who has re-thought some of his deepest convictions. In this episode, we go on a journey with one of America's leading public intellectuals, Jerry Taylor, President and Founder of the Niskanen Center , who describes himself today as a "radical moderate" who has moved away from the libertarianism of his earlier years. We focus on climate change. Jerry says he used to be a "lukewarmist", but now sees it as an urgent crisis. "The evidence for climate change as a significant...
Feb 20, 2020•27 min•Ep. 242
Voter turnout is much lower in the U.S. than in many other democracies around the world. In this episode, we look at an innovative initiative to use the internet to boost the number of voters in every election. "Our mission" says the non-profit group Democracy Works "is to make voting a simple, seamless experience for all Americans, so that no one misses an election." A lot of people want to vote but they forget to do it, or they don't get registered to vote. Democracy Works is a team of softwar...
Feb 14, 2020•26 min•Ep. 241
With tens of thousands of cases, hundreds of deaths, and no known cure, the new coronavirus that emerged in China has been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization. In this episode of “How Do We Fix It?” we look at the world’s response to the rapid spread of the 2019-nCoV virus, consider the best ways to deal with the outbreak, and hear the latest about scientific research into a new vaccine. Infectious diseases epidemiologist Kylie Carville with The Peter Doherty Inst...
Feb 06, 2020•21 min•Ep. 240
The Iowa caucuses and forthcoming Presidential primary season are another reminder that the two big parties have a stranglehold on American politics. But it doesn’t have to be this way. More voters identify as independents than as Republicans or Democrats. Our guest, Lee Drutman , senior fellow at New America and author of “ Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop ”, makes the case for a multiparty system, which, he says, would boost compromise, problem-solving, voter turnout and confidence in the poli...
Jan 30, 2020•23 min•Ep. 239
When Detroit went bust in 2013 it was the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in American history. During the Motor City's fifty years of decline, population fell from nearly 2 million people to just under 700,000. Today, Motown is on the rebound. Media reports called the restructuring of massive debt by a partnership between city and state government, business leaders and the philanthropic community a " stunning success ." In this episode we look at what still needs to be done to improve the li...
Jan 23, 2020•28 min•Ep. 238
All too often news headlines and social media are dominated by disasters, wrongdoing and fear mongering: All the stuff that’s going wrong. How can we nurture the positive side of human nature? Renewing democracy will be impossible unless we start to rebuild trust in each other. The Convergence Center for Policy Resolution uses deep knowledge and proven methodology to connect people, policymakers and political organizations from different backgrounds and beliefs, helping them work together and co...
Jan 16, 2020•24 min•Ep. 237
The U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Suleimani sparked immediate fears of war. The risks of a disastrous miscalculation are obvious, from goading Iran into speeding up its nuclear weapons program, to a forced withdrawal of American forces from Iraq and the re-emergence of ISIS. But the audacious attack against Iran's most experienced military strategist may weaken the regime and force Iranian leaders to curb their aggression. Both may viewed as significant achievements. "Iran...
Jan 09, 2020•19 min•Ep. 236
If independent podcasts are to prosper and survive in this era of growing commercialization, big media, and multi-million dollar podcast investments, we need to grow our community: Share, collaborate and promote groups, individuals and podcasters who share many of our goals. In this first "How Do We Fix It?" episode of 2020, we include recent interviews with leaders and supporters of Bridge Alliance , Civic Hall , Heterodox Academy , Solutions Journalism Network and Listen First Project . We sup...
Dec 26, 2019•25 min•Ep. 235
Liberal democracy, free speech and freedom of the press are under attack in many parts of the world. Two of the most insidious threats are from conspiracy theories and the growing global reach of China's dictatorship. In this episode we discuss two interviews from " Democracy Works ", a podcast series from The McCourtney Institute at Penn State University about what it means to live in a democracy. Larry Diamond, author of the 2019 book, " Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Chinese A...
Dec 19, 2019•24 min•Ep. 234
Anti-semitism is on the rise in the U.S. and other parts of the world. Jews are the targets. Democracy and free speech are also among the casualties. 6 people died this week in Jersey City, New Jersey, in a shootout at a kosher supermarket. The two gunmen appear to have been motivated by anti-semitism and anger against the police. Britain's Labour Party has been rocked by widespread reports of anti-semitism. Labor's second most powerful leader has apologized to the Jewish community and admits th...
Dec 11, 2019•30 min•Ep. 233
Many environmentalists believe that the world needs to use less energy, end the focus on economic growth, and return to a simpler lifestyle. The Breakthrough Institute argues the opposite. In this episode, we look at the ecomodernist movement that promotes technological solutions to environmental and human development challenges. Ted Nordhaus is a leading global thinker on energy, environment, climate, human development, and politics. He is the founder and executive director of the Breakthrough ...
Dec 06, 2019•23 min•Ep. 232
Many of us are spending much of the Thanksgiving holiday with the children we love. In this episode we consider vital role of play, and what it does to expand a child's creativity and resilience. Urban sociologist Tamara Mose is an Associate Professor at Brooklyn College, and author of " The Playdate : Parents, Children and the New Expectations of Play." She tells us about the strengths and perils of playdates, and the need for children to have unstructured play. Educational consultant and teach...
Nov 28, 2019•27 min•Ep. 231
Published: November 21st, 2019 “Tech For The Public Good” is supported by a grant from Solutions Journalism Network . Technology is a double-edged sword. Despite well-publicized threats from bots, hackers, government spooks and huge online firms with their invasive algorithms, tech is often a force for public good. In this special episode, we report on an innovative local effort to promote better healthcare for those who need it most: the residents of America's poorest Congressional District : N...
Nov 22, 2019•27 min•Ep. 230
30 years ago this month the Berlin Wall came down, and Richard was there, reporting the story for ABC News. In those heady days of November, 1989, there was tremendous hope for the future of liberal democracy. In the next few years, most of Eastern Europe would emerge from the shackles of totalitarian communism. But today, populism and nativism are on the rise in much of the world. Democratic institutions, civic norms, and a free press are all facing new challenges. We speak with public affairs ...
Nov 15, 2019•25 min•Ep. 229
With today's furious political and cultural divisions, it's easy to shake our heads in exasperation at those who disagree with us. In this episode with Australian writer and philosopher, Eleanor Gordon-Smith , we take a journey to the limits of human reason. Her compelling new book, " Stop Being Reasonable. How We Really Change Our Minds," features six high-stakes personal stories of successful persuasion that illustrate what most of us get wrong about rationality. "Hearing the story of how some...
Nov 07, 2019•31 min•Ep. 228
Confused by Brexit? This episode looks back over the last 40 months since the shocking result of the Brexit referendum , when UK voters decided to leave the EU. We sort through the mess and misconceptions. The political drama contains several acts: A December election has been called, and a new Brexit deal was reached in late October by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Union member states. But well over three years after the referendum, the UK Parliament has yet to agree to the terms of...
Oct 31, 2019•26 min•Ep. 227
American democracy is in a moment of crisis. A new Gallup poll , released in late October, says a near-record-high 34% of Americans cite the government, poor leadership or politicians as the most important problem currently facing the U.S. In this episode, we look at the work of a new online news site, The Fulcrum , which is focused exclusively on efforts to reverse the dysfunctions plaguing American democracy. "Our goal is to raise the level of awareness so people can understand what's wrong wi...
Oct 25, 2019•26 min•Ep. 226
Modern thought has been damaged by dogma and tribalistic click-bait. Social media and the fractured state of politics reward slick slogans and partisan anger while penalizing those who speak with intellectual honesty. Our guest, feminist writer and author, Meghan Daum , says instead of following the crowd we need to think for ourselves. While very supportive of the goals of the women's movement, she is also critical of the excesses of modern feminism. In this episode she makes the case for nuanc...
Oct 18, 2019•28 min•Ep. 225
