Story in the Public Square

Historian Nicholas Reynolds and award-winning journalist Katie S. Sanders tell the story of a combat-veteran of the French Foreign Legion who ultimately distinguished himself for valor as a U.S. Marine fighting in Europe during the Second World War. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Vatican has long concerned itself with the practical interaction of theology with the world in which its followers live. Scholar Sean O’Callaghan says that the recent message from Pope Leo XIV on Artificial Intelligence follows in that tradition and offers profound insights for believers and non-believers alike. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been said that the only things certain in life are death and taxes. But Amy Hanauer of the Institute on Tax Policy and Economic Policy says that for some, taxes might not be on that list anymore—with societal implications for us all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The data says that more than half of the country’s population is made up of women. But women’s healthcare has grown increasingly politicized. Dr. Mary Fariba Afsari is on the front lines of care, offering healthcare from a mobile clinic that meets patients where they are.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States and Israel began bombing Iran in February 2026. In the months that followed, we have seen spasms of violence and claims of diplomatic progress. New York Times reporter Farnaz Fassihi covers the conflict, its impact on the Iranian people, and the diplomatic efforts to end it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton stand astride the core debates in American history from neutrality to civil rights and beyond. New York Times bestselling author and constitutional scholar Jeffrey Rosen traces that history, the rise and falls of each man’s reputation, and the enduring questions they asked about power, the citizen, and the American state. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scholars of religion and philosophy, and even some spiritual leaders, have long identified key similarities in the world’s different moral codes. Author and futurist Jamie Metzl asks whether artificial intelligence can distill a compelling moral code that synthesizes the greatest thinking from across humanity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To Americans, it’s soccer. To most of the rest of the world, it’s football. Author and journalist Nick Greene traces the evolution of the game played with our feet from a 19th century British past-time to today’s glittering World Cup. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-hundred and fifty years ago, patriots gathered in Philadelphia declared America’s independence from England. Former U.S. ambassador David McKean and historian M. Todd Bennett explore the celebrations that have followed every 50 years since, revealing the enduring challenges and promise of the American republic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The prognosticators of doom for traditional newspapers are everywhere and it’s hard to argue with them. But for more than a decade, Matthew Watkins has been part of a new model of non-profit journalism at The Texas Tribune as editor in chief.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For all the pages and documents in libraries and archives around the world, there are some stories that remain veiled in mystery. Through her historical fiction, award-winning author Dolen Perkins-Valdez helps us understand events and people largely lost to the passage of time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The history of American-Iranian relations is complex, sometimes contradictory, and repeatedly violent. Author Scott Anderson explains that history with a special focus on the Islamic revolution in Iran, the fracture that followed, and its continued relevance today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

American audiences know the history of slavery in the United States—from 1619 to the emancipation proclamation. Historian Carrie Gibson reminds us that slavery in the Western hemisphere predates the British colonies of North America, lasted decades after the end of the American Civil War, and was punctuated by perpetual resistance, especially from enslaved persons themselves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The human mind has difficulty comprehending just how much money one billion dollars actually is. The New York Times’ Steven Rich is part of a reporting team that has unpacked the power of billionaires in American communities and American politics—where their influence is substantial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journalist Stuart Jeffries explores the concept of stupidity from the ideas of ancient philosophers to today’s age of AI, examining how it has been defined throughout history and how it is monetized and exploited in contemporary culture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the Cold War, some hoped that the end of superpower competition would usher in a world of lasting peace and cooperation. Former CIA operations officer Sean M. Wiswesser saw where that hope faded only to be replaced by a new era of espionage and covert affairs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a curious debate about the health of American elections. Some allege they are sick. Others say they are thriving. Fair-elections advocate Rebekah Caruthers peels away competing claims to help us understand the real challenges to American voting rights today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s easy, in this 250th Anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence, to find things that divide Americans. But best-selling author Colin Woodard says we’re still bound together as a people by the ideals of our founding.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Writing and creative expression are a frequent topic on this show, but scholar Naomi S. Baron challenges all of us to consider the joy, the practice, and even the challenge of reading, especially in a world where artificial intelligence can do the reading for us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senator Wendell Ford of Kentucky once said, “we can disagree without being disagreeable.” Harvard Kennedy School professor and author Julia Minson has made a career out of how to disagree better—and she has the science to back her claims.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journalists play a vital role in the health of a free society. But The New York Times’ David E. McCraw isn’t a journalist, he’s a lawyer, reporting from the frontlines of the battle for freedom of the press.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year’s Academy Awards nominations have almost everything: fast cars, conspiracies, classic tales, monsters, intrigue, and nature. It’s a remarkable collection of films and pre-eminent film critic and awards columnist Pete Hammond has reviewed them all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Go to the movies or visit the bookstore and you’ll see that war stories are everywhere—whether the protagonists are gods, super-heroes, or human beings. But author and West Point professor Elizabeth D. Samet warns that the appeal of the good war story obscures the complexity of conflict and shapes the way we view current international tensions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The war in Vietnam was the first war in U.S. history fought by a fully-integrated military. But award-winning author and journalist Wil Haygood says that the challenge beyond the battlefield was that American society was not as fully integrated as the fighting force that served it—and that difference had impacts in Vietnam and at homeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Democratic societies can choose to either let the arts remain the domain of elite society—or a shared expression of community accessible to all. Pam Breaux and Todd Trebour are champions of the arts, on a mission to make them accessible to the largest number of Americans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Literature’s power comes from its ability to see not just from the eyes of the hero, but the villain, too. Author Megha Majumdar brings us into that literary world with a tale of scarcity and desperation set in the not-too-distant future of her native Kolkata, India.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anyone who pays even passing attention to world news has heard the term “sanctions” every time a foreign crisis threatens a larger conflict. But few understand the power of these weapons to wage economic warfare with devastating effect. Global energy policy researcher Edward Fishman explains that power with skill and insight.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From World War II through the Cold War, and into this century, the Voice of America and its journalists demonstrated the strength and power of a free society and the weakness of America’s enemies. Now, Patsy Widakuswara—a seasoned veteran of VOA—finds herself at the heart of a legal battle over the future existence of the Voice of America. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some are concerned that the advantages autocracies like Russia and China have over democracies like the United States are insurmountable. But Ambassador Michael McFaul argues that it’s just the opposite—that it’s the very messiness of American democracy that is the source of our greatest strength. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a candidate in 2016 and 2024, Donald Trump promised to crack down on undocumented immigrants—and after one year in office, the president has moved fast. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Caitlin Dickerson says that the policies and their implementation come with a very high price—for the immigrants and even for U.S. officials. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s easy to be skeptical of idealistic notions of American power, the indispensable nation that some have talked about, when the history of the last 25 years is of misguided conflicts in the Middle East and a democratic backsliding at home. But through it all, Washington Post columnist Shadi Hamid takes readers through a compelling case for American power. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nearly one in four doctors in the U.S. is foreign-born—many from South Asia—and they often serve in rural and underserved urban communities where American physicians are scarce. Harvard medical historian Eram Alam describes the public health challenges posed when immigrants are frequently met with suspicion in the communities they serve.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As 2025 draws to a close, we look back on the major stories that shaped public life in the last year with Evelyn Farkas of the McCain Institute at Arizona State University.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the Renaissance, ruling families like the Medicis funded the creation of great works of art that dazzle us to this day. In the modern era, the ability of democracies to fund the arts is often contentious and even controversial. Arts advocate Erin Harkey discusses the value of art in public life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An alarming number of Americans are receptive to the lure of conspiracy thinking. Pollster Stephen Clermont unpacks the most popular conspiracy theories and what they tell us about current American politics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the contours of public debate coarsen, it's easy to brand political rivals with epithets from the worst chapters in history. Tom Nichols, a writer for The Atlantic, warns about doing just that.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, a long, simmering effort to rename U.S. military installations previously named for Confederate officers gained momentum. Historian and retired Army Brigadier General Ty Seidule recounts the effort to rid the military of old names, as well as the actions by the Trump administration to resuscitate old ghosts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On October 19, 1979, a massive tropical cyclone struck Japan and the Marines stationed at Camp Fuji. Retired Marine and journalist Chas Henry recounts the ensuing firestorm that swept the island, killing 13 Marines and wounding more than 70 others.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brown University public policy, political science and urban studies professor Marion Orr takes a fresh look at the life and legacy of Congressman Charles C. Diggs Jr., one of the most consequential Black federal legislators in American history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The challenges facing American healthcare are substantial, but Dr. Troy Brennan, who teaches at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, says they all stem from long-simmering issues in primary care.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of America's storied military leaders General Stanley McChrystal offers insights on the power of character and integrity in leaders—whether in the military or civilian life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Researcher at the Council on Criminal Justice Ernesto Lopez looks at the story being told about crime in American cities doesn't match the data.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beginning in the late 19th century, a Canadian network of residential schools for indigenous children became sites for rampant child abuse. Documentary filmmaker Julian Brave NoiseCat recounts the horrors that took place in those schools.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Private equity firms wield enormous control over the American economy, public utilities, and even the health of local newspapers. Author Megan Greenwell explores the extent of their unchecked power and the ways in which these firms—and their private owners—are reshaping America.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent years, commentators and gadflies have looked at American presidents and, based on age and, sometimes, politics, called for the invocation of the 25th amendment to remove the president from office. Constitutional scholar John Feerick helped write the 25th amendment and shines a light on its provisions and the intentions of its framers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the summer of 2020, the country was racked by disease, violence, and social disruption as generations of racial injustice seemed to fall in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Thomas Chatterton Williams warns, however, that extreme views on the left—ascendent in that summer heat—are just as dangerous to western liberalism as extreme views on the right.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artificial Intelligence is changing all of our lives and the biggest changes are yet to come. Yet despite the revolution on our doorstep, few have looked carefully at the impact of AI on children. Dr. Mhairi Aitken has done just that and has evidence-based advice for policy makers and developers. Aitken is a Senior Ethics Fellow in the Public Policy Programme at The Alan Turing Institute, where she focusses on social and ethical dimensions of digital innovation. Aitken leads research on AI and children’s rights there, in addition to a data justice, ethics of Generative AI and emerging AI policy and regulation topics. She is particularly interested in the role of public engagement in informing ethical data practices and is a frequent contributor to media discussions on AI and data. She is a visiting senior lecturer at the Digital Environment Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London and an Honorary Senior Fellow at the Australian Centre for Health Engagement, Evidence and Values at the University of Wollongong, Australia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more than a decade, now, the world has been experiencing a process of “democratic backsliding,” while alternatives to governing by popular consent have gained popularity—even in the West. James Fishkin offers a path to improving not just the health of democracy, but the effectiveness of liberal democratic governments. Fishkin holds the Janet M. Peck Chair in International Communication at Stanford University where he is Professor of Communication, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Deliberative Democracy Lab. He is best known for developing Deliberative Polling®, a practice of public consultation that employs random samples of the citizenry to explore how opinions would change if they were more informed. His work on deliberative democracy has stimulated more than 100 Deliberative Polls in 28 countries around the world. It has been used to help governments and policy makers make important decisions in Texas, China, Mongolia, Japan, Macau, South Korea, Bulgaria, Brazil, Uganda and other countries around the world. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Guggenheim Fellow, a Fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford, and a Visiting Fellow Commoner at Trinity College, Cambridge.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scholars, journalists and even some politicians often warn about the lack of critical thinking in contemporary public and private life. Alex Edmans picks up that alarm and warns that we’re regularly exploited by those who would use our own sloppy thinking and unconscious biases to mislead us. Edmans is a professor of finance at London Business School. His research interests are in corporate finance, responsible business and behavioral finance. He serves in leadership roles for the American Finance Association, Western Finance Association, Financial Management Association, British Academy and the Academy of the Social Sciences. He has spoken at economic forums, testified in the United Kingdom Parliament and been interviewed by many major news networks. He has won 28 teaching awards, was featured in “Thinkers50 Radar” and was named professor of the year by Poets & Quants in 2021. His latest book, “May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit our Biases- And What We Can Do About It,” was published in 2024. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s comforting to think about American political institutions as “transparent” and open to scrutiny. However, this week on “Story in the Public Square,” Anna Massoglia describes a campaign finance system built, increasingly, on so-called “dark money.” Massoglia is a political influence expert and investigative journalist with more than a decade of experience exposing the hidden forces of money, power and politics. As the founder and author of “Influence Brief,” Massoglia helps readers to navigate the complex financial systems and influence networks shaping politics and public policy in the United States and across the globe. She also works as an independent consultant and advisor for various organizations, offering expertise in research, strategy and public policy. She is a director of investigations at the Sunlight Reseach Center, a nonpartisan journalism support organization that equips newsrooms to provide their communities fact-based, transparent investigative journalism holding power to account.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eighty years ago, World War II ended in the Pacific with the first, and thus far, only use of nuclear weapons in warfare. The widely popular decision to use the bomb at the time has become fodder for historians to debate in subsequent decades. Fred Borch helps us view the decision to drop the bomb from the perspective of American leaders in that summer of 1945. Fred L. Borch is a historian, lawyer and soldier by profession. He has three history degrees, three law degrees and an M.A. in national security strategy from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He served on active duty as an Army lawyer from 1980 to 2005 in a variety of roles, at one point having chief responsibility for overall prosecution efforts against alleged terrorists detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After retiring as a colonel, Fred returned to the Army for a civilian position as the professor of legal history and leadership at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia. He has authored 10 books and more than 200 articles on legal and non-legal topics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.