Podcasts about Ideas Festival

In the second of our top five episodes of the year, Liling Tan and Jack Board speak with climate academics Prof Winston Chow and Assoc Prof Terry van Gevelt from Singapore Management University to find out why explaining climate change can get tricky when jargon gets in the way.  This podcast episode is in partnership with the inaugural Ideas Festival. You can find out more at www.ideasfestival.edu.sg.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

** This episode of Chinese Whispers was recorded in front of a live audience as a part of the Battle of Ideas Festival 2024. ** Is China in decline? I was born in China in the 90s, and growing up it felt like the future was always going to be brighter. My parents were wealthier, more educated, better travelled than their parents, and it seemed assured that my generation would only have even better life chances. But in the 2020s, China's economic growth has slowed down. Some of the once-bright spots in its economy, like real estate, are in slow motion meltdown. In the last couple of years foreign direct investment into the country has been falling at a record pace. The youth unemployment rate from this summer shows that just under a fifth of people under 24 are jobless. So how much of this is a considerable decline in the progress that China has made in the last miraculous half century, or is it just perhaps 'western bias' that's blinding us to what is still a very positive picture? On this live podcast, I discuss this question with a lively and experienced panel of China-watchers: Tom Miller, a senior analyst at Gavekal Research and author of two books on China; Isabel Hilton, a veteran international reporter and founder of the website China Dialogue; and Austin Williams, an architect by training who is also the author of numerous books on China, and teaches at the Xi'An Jiaotong-Liverpool University.

** This episode of Chinese Whispers with Cindy Yu was recorded in front of a live audience as a part of the Battle of Ideas Festival 2024. ** Is China in decline? I was born in China in the 90s, and growing up it felt like the future was always going to be brighter. My parents were wealthier, more educated, better travelled than their parents, and it seemed assured that my generation would only have even better life chances. But in the 2020s, China's economic growth has slowed down. Some of the once-bright spots in its economy, like real estate, are in slow motion meltdown. In the last couple of years foreign direct investment into the country has been falling at a record pace. The youth unemployment rate from this summer shows that just under a fifth of people under 24 are jobless. So how much of this is a considerable decline in the progress that China has made in the last miraculous half century, or is it just perhaps 'western bias' that's blinding us to what is still a very positive picture? On this live podcast, I discuss this question with a lively and experienced panel of China-watchers: Tom Miller, a senior analyst at Gavekal Research and author of two books on China; Isabel Hilton, a veteran international reporter and founder of the website China Dialogue; and Austin Williams, an architect by training who is also the author of numerous books on China, and teaches at the Xi'An Jiaotong-Liverpool University.

This episode was recorded live at the Battle of Ideas Festival in London on 20th October 2024In this very special episode of Planet Normal, the rocket beams in live from the Battle of Ideas Festival featuring not one, but two very special stowaways..Sociologist and social commentator, Professor Frank Furedi shares his thoughts on how we can tackle what he calls the ‘madness' of political correctness.Writer and comedian, Andrew Doyle also explains why we need to prioritise the value of free speech in our society.And your co-pilots weigh in on the government's recently unveiled plans for NHS and prison reform, and it's safe to say they're not sold.There's also a healthy dose of Velma stats and a Scooby accompaniment!Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The countdown to Labour's first Budget is on, but what do your co-pilots make of the new Chancellor's plans? Brace yourselves it's another news Tsunami…Liam isn't convinced Labour's plan for growth will strengthen up the public finances and believes a more prudent approach to spending is needed.Allison agrees and is concerned if they increase National Insurance on employers it will lead to less investment and fewer jobs.Joining your co-pilots for this week's voyage is former Downing Street advisor and journalist Andy Coulson. The former News of the World Editor shares his thoughts on the first 100 days of the Labour government and reflects on his time at Belmarsh prison where he first formed the idea for his podcast ‘Crisis, What Crisis?'.And your co-pilots weigh in on Health Secretary Wes Streeting's endorsement of weight loss drugs…Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ Read Allison: ‘I'm buying a generator. Who would want to invest in blackout Britain?': https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/10/16/buying-a-generator-in-blackout-britain-ed-miliband/ |Listen to Andy Coulson: www.podfollow.com/crisis |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |Planet Normal listeners can get 20% off tickets to the Battle of Ideas Festival by putting the code PLANETNORMAL24 into the Promo code section of the ticket page – accessible through https://www.battleofideas.org.uk/battle-of-ideas-festival-tickets-2024/ | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh from a shock elimination in the Tory leadership race, your co-pilots deliver their verdict on the latest results from the now two horse race. And did co-pilot Pearson really influence the result?One year on from the shocking 7th October attack in Israel, the rocket reflects on Allison's recent dispatch to Israel and welcomes Brendan O'Neill into the cockpit. Brendan's new book ‘After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel and the Crisis of Civilisation' describes how he believes the West failed in their actions following the events in Israel.Your co-pilots also share an exciting announcement about an upcoming event and Bob the Bard returns…Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ Read Allison: ‘Not one girl could be shown to her parents': The horrors of Oct 7 – as told by the survivors': https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/05/oct-7-israel-survivors-stories-state-of-the-nation/ |Read Allison: ‘Hamas murdered my sister and her husband – but we will give their babies a normal life': https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/10/06/oct-7-attack-orphan-twins-guy-roi-adoptive-parents/ |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal |Planet Normal listeners can get 20% off tickets to the Battle of Ideas Festival by putting the code PLANETNORMAL24 into the Promo code section of the ticket page – accessible through https://www.battleofideas.org.uk/battle-of-ideas-festival-tickets-2024/ | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the ninth and currently final episode of Current Literary Affairs, Lisanne Snelders speaks with Indonesian author Ayu Utami and Dutch poet and musician Robin Block. With Indonesia's election of former general Prabowo Subantio as its new president, they revisit Utami's debut novel, Saman, from 1998. The book was published just before the fall of Suharto's military regime, a period marked by human rights violations and limited freedom. Does the choice of Prabowo signify a potential return to this period, which is scarcely taught in schools? Which histories are remembered, which ones are forgotten? What role does literature play in this? And how do Block and Utami address these themes in their work? Ayu Utami (1968) is a writer, journalist, and organizer. In 1998, she made her debut with the highly acclaimed novel Saman, just before the fall of the Suharto regime. She studied Russian literature, worked as a journalist, and is one of the founders of The Alliance of Independent Journalists. She has published several novels, such as Larung (2002) and Bilangan Fu (2008), in which she addresses sensitive topics like religion and female sexuality. Utami is the director of the Literature & Ideas Festival at the Salihara Art Centre in Jakarta. Robin Block (1980) is a poet and musician. Much of his work deals with the colonial past of the Netherlands in Indonesia and contemporary Indonesian culture. His collection Handleiding voor ontheemden (2023), in which he explores his Indo roots, was awarded the Herman de Coninck Prize. Current Literary Affairs is a podcast about current events through the lens of literature, featuring conversations with writers from around the world. How does the political situation in their country influence their lives and work? What do we really need to discuss? Urgent conversations about fear and hope, anger and pride, the personal and the political. Current Literary Affairs is a production of SLAA and Read My World. This podcast was made by Cultuurfonds and Productiehuis Noord, the media channel of Verdedig Noord.

Best Of BPR 6/12: On Palestinian Nonviolent Resistance & Previewing Embrace Ideas Festival

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra joined the Biden administration as the COVID-19 vaccine was rolling out. Scott talks with him at the Ideas Festival produced by CalMatters about issues ranging from cannabis policy to abortion, health disparities and climate change as a health issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chronic Wasting Disease in deer has been detected in California for the first time. Also, how our relationships with our parents affect our sense of self. Finally, CalMatters will be hosting its inaugural Ideas Festival in Sacramento. Chronic Wasting Disease in CA Deer Chronic Wasting Disease is considered the most important disease affecting deer and elk populations in North America. And it has been detected in California for the first time. Brandon Munk is a Senior Wildlife Veterinarian for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and explains why scientists are concerned about the spread of this neurological condition, the risks to humans, as well as the efforts being made to curb its spread. Mother-Daughter Relationship in AAPI Families How do our relationships with our parents affect our sense of self? And why does the mother-daughter relationship, in particular, seem so complex? As we close AAPI Heritage Month, we are revisiting episodes of CapRadio's podcast Mid Pacific. In today's episode, host Sarah Mizes-Tan explores her own relationship with her mother and how it has affected her identity. CalMatters Ideas Festival The nonprofit news organization CalMatters will be hosting its inaugural Ideas Festival on June 5-6 in Sacramento. The event will feature a variety of speakers, panel discussions, and summits to talk about the most pressing issues in California, from broadband access to homelessness. CalMatters CEO Neil Chase provides a preview of the festival, and talks about how the organization is expanding its coverage with the recent acquisition of The Markup. CapRadio is a content-sharing partner with CalMatters, and a media sponsor of the Ideas Festival.

Catch up on every session, featuring speakers such as Malcolm Gladwell, Lindy West and Ta-Nehisi Coates, on our weekly festival podcast. This year's Cascade PBS Ideas Festival has officially wrapped. But the insightful conversations that took place on May 4, 2024, are coming soon to a podcast app near you.  To help launch this season of the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival podcast (formerly Crosscut Talks), host Paris Jackson sat down with events director Jake Newman to chat about this year's approach to the festival, some of the luminaries who attended and what we can expect to hear in the coming weeks.    In this short kickoff episode, Newman points to a few guests he'll be eager to hear from, including author and podcaster Malcolm Gladwell, historian Heather Cox Richardson, writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and CNN international correspondent Nada Bashir.  A new episode of the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival podcast will air every Monday, beginning May 13.  --- Credits Host: Paris Jackson Producer: Isaac Kaplan-Woolner Event producers: Jake Newman, Anne O'Dowd --- If you would like to support Cascade PBS, go to cascadepbs.org. In addition to supporting our events and our daily journalism, members receive complete access to the on-demand programming of Cascade PBS.

Explaining climate change can be an exercise in frustration and futility when jargon gets in the way. Climate academics Prof Winston Chow and Assoc Prof Terry van Gevelt from Singapore Management University defend themselves against Liling Tan and Jack Board, who dials in from scorching Bangkok where the "feels-like” temperature hit 52 degrees Celsius.  This podcast episode is in partnership with the inaugural Ideas Festival. You can find out more at www.ideasfestival.edu.sg.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With new guidelines for flexible work arrangement requests kicking in by the end of the year, how can living and working spaces change to make hybrid work more accessible for all? Associate Professor Lilian Chee from the National University of Singapore and Associate Professor Ada Wong from the Singapore University of Social Sciences share their research.  This podcast episode is in partnership with the inaugural Ideas Festival. You can find out more at www.ideasfestival.edu.sgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Studied history or philosophy in school? Your knowledge can help to solve the biggest problems of climate change. Professor David Taylor from NUS and NTU's Dr Janice Lee speak to Liling Tan and Jack Board checks in from the Pacific Islands on this week's Climate Conversations.  This podcast episode is in partnership with the inaugural Ideas Festival. You can find out more at www.ideasfestival.edu.sg. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With retirement and re-employment ages set to be raised, the truth is that there will be more mature workers in our workforce. What are some unique challenges senior workers face and how can companies help them feel more valued? Our guest this week is Professor Yow Wei Quin, head of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at the Singapore University of Technology and Design.  This podcast episode is in partnership with the inaugural Ideas Festival. You can find out more at www.ideasfestival.edu.sg    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we are live at the Community Ideas Festival from the Emera Innovation Exchange. Join host Adam Walsh as he speaks with social innovators, change-makers and visionaries who want to improve the well-being of people and communities.

I met with English comedian Francis Foster at the Battle of Ideas Festival in London, and we had a wonderful talk. We discussed the “cancel-culture” in comedy - and in general - and how being socially obligated to have an opinion affects the way we perceive ourselves and each other, in a bad way. Also a little bit on feminism and gender ideology comes up throughout our conversation. Francis' links: https://www.youtube.com/@triggerpod https://www.instagram.com/francisjfoster/ https://x.com/francisjfoster Andrew Gold links: http://YouTube.com/andrewgold1 http://instagram.com/andrewgold_ok  http://twitter.com/andrewgold_ok  https://andrewgold.locals.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dozens of residents and local and state officials gathered on the Boston Common today, to kick off the Juneteenth holiday weekend. WBZ's Kim Tunnicliffe was there.

In the days leading up to this year's Juneteenth holiday, Embrace Boston is returning with its "Embrace Ideas Festival". It's a celebration of Black culture, art, music, and thought-provoking ideas from the community about anti-racism work, equity, and Boston's future. This year's event is three days long, packed with events sure to inspire change and foster dialogue (and delight your taste buds, too!). Elizabeth Tiblanc, Vice President of Programs at Embrace Boston, talks with Nichole about this year's event and what Juneteenth means to the Black community.

On this week-in-review, Crystal is joined by the former Director of Progressive Majority who has now transitioned into public service but remains involved in numerous political efforts across Washington, EJ Juárez. They discuss today being the final day for this year's candidates to declare their candidacy for elected office, the legislature's decision to make personal possession of drugs a gross misdemeanor, Crosscut laying off women reporters in a pivot to podcast and video, Marc Dones' resignation as CEO of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, and Seattle reclaiming the title of America's fastest growing city.  As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, EJ Juárez at @EliseoJJuarez.   Resources Becka Johnson Poppe, Candidate for King County Council District 4 from Hacks & Wonks   King County Council races begin to take shape by David Gutman from The Seattle Times    Washington to Paper Over Drug War with Some Treatment Money by Ashley Nerbovig from The Stranger    OPINION | In Special Session, Lawmakers Are Hiding Behind a False Moral Imperative to Justify the War on Drugs by Jude Ahmed for South Seattle Emerald   Slog AM: Crosscut Lays Off Five Newsroom Staff, LA Pride Pulls Out of Dodgers Pride Event, Bouncy Castle King Accused of Arson by Nathalie Graham from The Stranger   Regional Homelessness Authority CEO resigns by Greg Kim from The Seattle Times    Why Did Marc Dones Resign? by Hannah Krieg from The Stranger   Seattle is once again the fastest-growing big city, census data shows by Gene Balk from The Seattle Times   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live show and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. If you missed our Tuesday midweek - our Tuesday topical show - I chat with Becka Johnson Poppe about her campaign for King County Council District 4 - why she decided to run, the skillset she brings from overseeing half of King County's $16 billion budget, and her thoughts on addressing human services sector wages, issues plaguing the King County Jail, housing and homelessness, drug possession and substance use disorder, climate change and air quality, and budget transparency and efficiency. However, today we're continuing our Friday almost-live shows where we review the news of the week with a co-host. Welcome back to the program, friend of the show and today's co-host: the former Director of Progressive Majority who's now transitioned into public service and remains involved in numerous political efforts across Washington, EJ Juárez. [00:01:34] EJ Juárez: Hi, Crystal - thanks for having me back. [00:01:36] Crystal Fincher: Hey - always excited to have you and your perspective on the show. Today is Friday, May 19th. For people who are involved in or adjacent to politics, this is known as the last day of filing week - the week where candidates officially declare their candidacy to run for a position on the ballot. We have hundreds and hundreds of positions up for election in Washington State. Here in King County, there are some interesting races shaping up. We will see - the deadline is 4 p.m. today - what the official candidate field looks like. We're nearing the end. There's usually a flurry of late additions just before the end of the last day of filing. I guess - what are your thoughts as we head into this final day? [00:02:24] EJ Juárez: My thoughts are - I love Friday of filing week. It is my favorite day of filing week because you get to go hang out at Elections and watch the folks at 3:50 p.m. that are standing around watching which races don't have anybody filed, so they can get a free pass or where they're gonna jump in. But I think some of the most exciting races out there right now - King County Council is starting to fill up with some late additions to the pack, especially in some races that looked fairly settled where we had clear challengers and clear insurgent candidates - and now we've got a different mix happening. And I would not be surprised if many organizations who were planning to do early endorsements are putting a pause on those plans because of new faces that are getting in - and just the pure number of folks that are running for some of these open seats, whether that is King County, City of Seattle, or some of the suburbs. [00:03:12] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. This week, we did see a new dimension in one King County Council race - I believe it's District 4 - to replace Councilmember Kohl-Welles. And already in the race were Sarah Reyneveld and Rebecca Johnson Poppe. This week, we had Jorge Barón join the race, formerly of Northwest Immigrant Rights Project - that's where I'm certainly familiar with him from. And this is gonna be a really interesting race and I don't know how it's gonna wind up. [00:03:40] EJ Juárez: Yeah, I think of all the King County Council races this year, this is the one that excites me the most - because there are three really great candidates who are bringing such different perspectives and have such different, I think, experiences that they would supplement the Council with. Certainly with Becka - newcomer, bringing a really deep set of experiences from her own personal and professional life. But then Sarah, who I don't think it is a surprise to anybody - who has been fairly widely known to be running for this for quite a while now, and now the opportunity is here. And then Jorge, which was a complete surprise and I think now within the last week has caught a lot of people off guard and really thrown a wrench into - certainly, Sarah and Becka's campaign plans, I'm sure. His decades of advocacy and his quite frankly historic leadership at Northwest Immigrant Rights Project would bring some really interesting perspectives to council as well as that race - representing a part of Seattle that has not always led on some of those issues. And Sarah being an Assistant Attorney General - I am so excited to see what issues bubble to the top and how this plays out. How about you? [00:04:46] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, I'm interested - I'm certainly interested - three people who have formidable resumes behind them in different ways, but certainly all who have, I think, valuable perspectives to be shared. I think a lot of people are going to be wondering - hey, they clearly know what they're doing, they're professional, but what does that mean in terms of votes and how they're going to represent me and fight for the issues that are important to me? To not just be a vote, but to be a leading advocate for the issues that are important to me. How can I trust that? And I think how well each of those candidates addresses that is going to make a difference in how people view them and see them. Because we do have a lot of people who make a lot of promises, get elected, and then the way they vote doesn't quite turn out how people assumed based on their value statements. So it's gonna be really interesting to examine and see - those are not necessarily critiques of anyone in this race at all - just one of those overall things that will be interesting to follow. [00:05:49] EJ Juárez: It'll also be expensive. I cannot even imagine right now how much money will be spent in this primary, especially given the deep networks of all three of these candidates - I would expect this to be a very expensive seat. [00:06:03] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, that is probably a lock on that one - maybe a historically expensive King County Council District race. We will see. I'm also just curious to see - certainly in the City of Seattle, a number of the larger cities - candidates usually start early. Late filing week doesn't usually - we don't usually get significant surprises today, or people who enter the race and you're like - Okay, they are in a prime position to win this thing. But for most of the suburbs and other cities that are not the handful of large cities, that's not the case. And the Friday of filing week brings just a flurry of activity. Names that pop up - some people are familiar with, some people aren't. But these city council races across the state, school district races - which are definitely extremely important to pay attention to. Don't know that we'll have any Municipal or Superior Court Judge races here in King County, but there certainly are elsewhere in the state. So some of those races that - once again - don't necessarily get top billing in the news, that people are clamoring over and paying attention to. But that are vitally important to just the daily lives of people - where we see sometimes in coverage of national politics and Congress, the debates that they're having in other states, the legislation that they're passing that are obliterating people's civil rights - particularly trans people at this point in time. But the eradication of teaching anything basically, but white-approved material, and not teaching any kind of LGBTQ queer history, any kind of ethnic history - to the people who are here and who've made contributions to our country and our communities. And this is happening here locally. We have people trying to ban books here locally, people talking about taking away funds from public education to go to vouchers and private education and dismantling parts of the system. These are really important races that don't get a lot of attention, but I hope wherever you are listening from - you pay attention to in your community, because they make a big difference and your vote just counts so much more in those elections because so many people don't vote. A few people can make a really big difference. So we will keep our eyes on who files today. Also this week, there was a one-day special session on the 16th to address legislation - known as Blake legislation - coming out of our State Supreme Court's Blake decision a couple of years back, which invalidated - basically struck down personal possession laws for substances, illegal substances - drugs, basically. This didn't have anything to do with dealing, distribution, paraphernalia - but for simple possession, it said that the existing law was invalid, which made the Legislature act. And at the time - this was either two or three years ago, pandemic time is weird for me - they intervened, made possession a regular misdemeanor. And at the time, the justification for that was - hey, we know that decriminalization is the right thing to do. We don't think we have adequate supports in place yet. So let's double down on providing resources to localities and counties to make sure that they have treatment services, diversion services established so that we aren't doing nothing, that we are doing something to address the problem. And we'll put a sunset in this bill for 2023 so that we can revisit this, hopefully things have progressed as we've intended, and we can then proceed with decriminalization. So they did that - I believe in 2021. And this year comes around - maybe - it was probably 2020. This year comes around - sunset's happening, they have to deal with this legislation. And during the regular session, they were not able to come to an agreement. There was certainly a significant faction of people who followed evidence and data and said - This should be treated like a public health problem. The War on Drugs has failed - we need to move in a different direction in order to finally address this and improve this problem. Others were in favor of a misdemeanor. Others wanted a gross misdemeanor - which, for people who don't know, gross misdemeanors can actually carry jail time and fines that exceed that of the lowest level felony penalty. As people talk about this, felonies certainly are a different class of crime, and stay on your record differently, and happens differently in background searches. But one of the things we do know is that jail is very destabilizing. And taking someone out of their community, away from their job, away from their family for that amount of time has - as any criminologist will tell you - proven to be more destabilizing than helpful, which is why locking people up for jail is frowned upon by most people who actually study this. It's viewed as counterproductive, making the problem worse and not better. And if we look at the War on Drugs over the past 40 years - I did the DARE program when I was in elementary school - we've only gone backwards in that time after spending billions, if not trillions, of dollars in that time on this War on Drugs. So when we had this decision, it was really viewed this time coming up - hey, they stated their intention when they first passed this legislation, now it's time to continue to work and do the job. Now - real talk - we did have a pandemic that slowed down some of this implementation, so it's not a shocking surprise that all of the infrastructure wasn't there. But it seemed like it was a time to double down on actually getting that done instead of just walking backwards and moving towards a gross misdemeanor. How did you feel about this? [00:11:44] EJ Juárez: I had a lot of thoughts. And first and foremost, I think the thought that comes to my mind the most is that - and you brought it up a couple of times - we are collectively still in a pandemic. And during that pandemic, many people's access and proximity to services to help them either in recovery or manage their life sober went away. And at the same time as many of those services and support systems - whether that was a person, or a formal group, or medical assistance - was taken away from people, they became isolated. And the expansion and explosion of addiction and dependency issues is here in our communities. And for as much as I love a good sunset in public policy - just like I love the ability to evaluate if our policies are going well - in this case, this is one of the ones that I think is well-timed to really say - Does this meet where we are as a community and a state right now? How are we gonna make this last and make good policy? And I think unfortunately, what we saw in this one-day special session from the Legislature was not necessarily the most bold solution and was not a solution that was - I think really, in my opinion - based on helping the most amount of people become the person that they wish to be, but instead was a failure of leadership to count votes within their own caucus. And I think - as much as I think the Speaker is an incredibly historic figure and I think having her leadership has definitely changed the nature of our House - we watched this fail to pass in the regular session, having to come back, and watch Democrats fight other Democrats on a bill that should not have been that contentious. [00:13:30] Crystal Fincher: And that's such an important point - and especially that this is really about Democrats. Democrats control both the House and the Senate - and the Governor's office - by healthy margins. And sometimes we hear that - Well, Republicans won't let us do that. That wasn't actually the case here. And I'm very curious to hear more information about the negotiation that took place - because there are a couple things that were odd to me. One, the motivation for acting - for why it was so important to step in for the state, for our Legislature to step in and make a law - was that there is a fear that patchwork legislation on-the-ground in cities would create a wild variance between laws in different cities and counties. So - hey, it could be a felony in one place and completely legal in another place, and that could be problematic in people not knowing what the deal is within a particular jurisdiction. In reality, what actually happened was that there seemed to be a coalescing of opinion on the Republican side - because we saw a number of Republican mayors, county council people step up in the last month or so of session, when it became clear that it was definitely a possibility that Blake legislation may not pass, certainly not during the session. And they said - You know what? If the Legislature doesn't act, we will step in. But what they said they would step in with did not exceed a gross misdemeanor anywhere. In fact, there were some Republicans, including Republican Reagan Dunn on the King County Council, who were proposing misdemeanor. And so I'm wondering who Democrats were actually negotiating with here. It doesn't seem like it was Republicans - because in that situation, Democrats seemingly would have been where the base was at. And the State Democratic Party passed a resolution saying that they favored decriminalization, and as an absolute last-ditch effort in a negotiation - a misdemeanor. Certainly nothing as far as a gross misdemeanor. So as they were negotiating, if that's the Republican starting position - is gross misdemeanor - where were Democrats at? And how did we only wind up at the exact place where Republicans - some MAGA Republicans - were at, right? We have not heard anyone talk about felonizing this. So what was this negotiation? It doesn't seem like we were negotiating with Republicans. And so if this was just where Democrats were at - this seems like this would be the result if this is just where Democrats were at. [00:16:03] EJ Juárez: Yeah, and I think it's just an important point to really explore - when Democrats are negotiating with Democrats, you have to look at two different places. One, who's recruiting the people that are at the negotiating table, right? And two, the folks that are at the negotiating table - what is their personal ambition? And I think we have a number of people this year that are watching openings coming up for Attorney General or other positions - where taking a vote that would have aligned with the Party that they support and identify as would have, anecdotally, hurt them in their own opinion. The polls do not support that opinion. The population does not support that opinion. And unfortunately we let, I think, individual elected officials' own personal ambition probably influence these negotiations, right? I wasn't in that room. But it is not unreasonable to assume that when you recruit more moderate candidates than the actual party that they identify with and the planks in that party's platform, that they are going to be pulling from the left towards the center - which allows the right much more room to hold on to that gross misdemeanor line that they have in the sand here. It was particularly telling with the quotes that came - I think that were published in The Seattle Times right after this kind of failure to get across the finish line before sine die happened - that this was a Democratic problem and this was an own goal on Democrats. I'm glad that they did get something done. But again, if it doesn't match the Party, I'm really curious what accountability looks like, especially for those legislators in King County where they do not have either their local LD or their county parties in alignment with perhaps the vote that they took. [00:17:47] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, that's going to be very interesting to see. We have heard some legislators try and justify this by saying - Well, we got some additional money in for some services. And wow, when you look at the actual money that was there and added - one, I would argue that that money was always going to be part of the package. Two, it's so minute in comparison to anything else. If you were negotiating with that, it seems like there would be something more substantial that happened than the money that actually ended up being tacked on at the end. And I don't know that that justifies a wholesale criminalization statewide with no sunset. This is now just the policy moving forward that is, as you say, not in alignment with local parties and is not in alignment with evidence. And we're saying we have limited resources. And this costs money - criminalizing something, arresting people, jailing people, prosecuting people costs so much money. And so the limited resources that we do have are once again being spent in a direction that we know can't fix this, while we're starving the resources and somehow trying to justify throwing some coins in the other direction, saying - Well, this is gonna be part of improving it. It's just really difficult to see how this is really going to improve things. [00:19:16] EJ Juárez: And I know we need to move on, but my last point on this is really - this is where the lack of a real robust advocacy organization in our state that does this work - that brings in the stories and brings in the experiences at a scale that can hold legislators accountable - their absence is profound in these moments, right? Our ecosystem of advocacy organizations that influence policy has some pretty deep holes when it comes to some of these issue areas, and this is one of them. And I don't mean to discount the groups that are doing great work in this space, but those that are doing hard, (c)(4)-dollar, political expenditures that can engage in political activities is fairly thin. And I can't help but believe that if we had a more robust set of advocacy organizations that were playing in the political side, we would have better policy and we would actually get to the problem of the systems. Because we can't buy our way out of these problems with just more funding for services - we need to change systems, and that starts with how robust our advocacy systems are and how good our candidates are once they get into office. [00:20:23] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. Also in the news this week is a local layoff - a local media layoff. Crosscut - Cascade Public Media, which is Crosscut's parent company, announced that it intends to lay off five newsroom employees - all women, by the way, two of them happen to be women of color, some with seniority over other people there. They're laying them off effective July 1st - in a pivot to video and podcast. This is just reminiscent of the mid-2010s and the really perilous, tragic pivot to video - that wound up being based on gerrymandered metrics - that led to a real decimation of many newsrooms across the country. And we're seeing this - some newsrooms have cited AI, there's recent - MTV News is closing, BuzzFeed News is shuttering. So many local media outlets are struggling and making do with so many fewer staff than they used to have. But this is really curious from Cascade Public Media. They're not saying they don't have the money to continue employment. They're just saying we're shifting directions - we're moving to podcast and video. We're gonna lay these people off and we're gonna replace them with additional video and podcast producers. Joseph O'Sullivan - to his credit - who is a white male reporter there called out online - Hey, curious to see why I'm safe from these layoffs here - I don't have seniority, but I definitely noticed that everyone laid off was a woman, two of whom were women of color - that just doesn't seem like it makes that much sense. Certainly not a good look. How did you see this? [00:22:09] EJ Juárez: I, and maybe this is the most inappropriate way to articulate this, but every time I have seen or heard a media company say they are pivoting to video and podcasting, I think that is really the death rattle, right? That didn't work for VICE, who just had a historic bankruptcy just this past week. It's not working for BuzzFeed, which is shuttering its newsroom. It didn't work for so many other companies. This is how I think big corporations - and in this case, public media - preserves its assets while it's winding down its obligations. The true cost is - we are in Washington state, I think, at a real critical juncture around how many local reporters we have left covering city halls, school board meetings, library trustee meetings. And all the sites that have suddenly become the most contentious sites of culture wars - we now lack the journalistic infrastructure to actually tell us why those places are becoming so politicized and why they are becoming the place where these fights are happening. It is incredibly disappointing that Crosscut - to me - has made this pivot because podcasting and video doesn't give you investigation. Podcasting and video doesn't give you the ability to do the long-term relationship building behind the scenes where you're developing sources and you are cultivating broad swaths of information from different people. What it does is it gives you the ability to be on somebody's TikTok as they're scrolling in their bed at night. But I would say the issues that we're facing are much more deep than 30 seconds can provide any one person. And the dearth of long-form reporting is what is going to kill this republic. The fact that we don't have the ability to go deep on why water treatment systems are so difficult to fund and renovate and keep operational - because they're unseen and unsexy, right? So it's incredibly sad to me. And I think it is even more telling that - as Crosscut probably increased their donor rolls on the backs of their highly promoted people of color coverage, are now laying off those very same reporters that brought in new donors. And I don't think that's lost on anybody. I think that this is what happens. You bring in folks to do the racial work, to do the work in communities that traditional media has not been able to do - and then they're first out the door after they've made their profit for the bosses. [00:24:36] Crystal Fincher: And we've seen this replay in so many different layoff scenarios exactly as you just laid out - whether it's mass media, whether it's news - it's just frustrating. Certainly a lot being talked about in - is AI part of this? We've heard in other layoffs cited that - well, AI can do so much more than it used to do, and we can rely on that for some of this. Or - hey, not lost on us, right? We're talking on a podcast - talking about how a pivot to podcast is not the thing to do, but it's not. That's - it's a different thing. And sure, supplement reporting and coverage with that, but to just replace it - like you said, this is what happens before they die. And it's also not lost on people that this is seeming - this is not the first action that people have felt in this direction. When they cut off their community editorial, guest editorial program - which did a really, really good job - was something that picked up a lot of support and steam, actually talking about on-the-ground solutions to many of the issues that plague us. One of the reasons I do this podcast is because I'm - I get so frustrated with the lack of conversation about actual solutions about what works - Should we address this or not? Not how do we address this? What are the options on the table? And there are usually a lot of options on the table that even people who consider themselves aligned politically can disagree on, different things need to be tested and tried out - there's so much to talk about in terms of how we solve things. And that series was really informative in that reason. And it was rumored - because of some board leadership or new leadership that came aboard, they felt like that was catering too much to progressive forces where it's - this is Seattle, that this is serving. It is reflective of the community that it is serving. But certainly if you are not living in Seattle, or if you do not interact with many people from Seattle, you may think that it is more appropriate to do that. Wasn't lost on people that - in the Crosscut Ideas Festival, people were platformed with severely anti-trans views, advocating for punitive criminal legal system policies and procedures, the othering of so many people, criminalization of homelessness and poverty. And Michael Cohen was there. Just things that made a lot of people scratch their heads and say - one, what in the world anywhere, but especially in Seattle, what is happening? What's even going on? So it just seems like the people who are making decisions just have a different alignment. And even though they said this decision was partly in place to pursue a younger audience - seemed like they were doing that - and they're getting rid of the people who were successful at doing that. [00:27:31] EJ Juárez: I think you hit the nail on the head of - this idea of pursuing a younger audience is not always pivot to video. It is reductive to assume that young people cannot consume anything more than 30 seconds. And it also does them a disservice when this is an incredibly politicized set of young people and set of generations that are hungry to understand their world in really complex and nuanced ways, and Crosscut has missed that boat. For me, what I think of a lot when I think of Crosscut now - and especially after the last Ideas Festival, which to me was less about ideas and more about provocative speakers to bolster their brand - was really this idea that you touched on around Crosscut had a moment in which it was super relevant. And that moment of relevancy was incredibly dense, but it was on the upswing and it was with those editorials. It was with the expansion of their reporting. What Crosscut did not do is capture its own growth and capture that moment, and instead pivoted towards a very traditional understanding of how that business needed to be run. They benefited greatly by the Seattle PI shutting down its very last legs of local content. And frankly, at the same time, as The Stranger really losing a lot of its best reporters and watching their own newsroom shrink and the quality is what it is now. But I think there's definitely a market change in both the Seattle and Puget Sound landscape, and Crosscut is such a cautionary tale of watching a group of people not capture their moment. [00:29:03] Crystal Fincher: Cautionary tale indeed. There was a point in time where - everyone I knew was tuning in to Crosscut, checking out Crosscut and what was there - the coverage was just so relevant locally. You really nailed it. And it's a shame that they moved in a different direction and it's certainly is not what it was, and moving further away - by the day, evidently. The union that represents those employees does say that they do plan on fighting this, that it doesn't seem like this transpired fairly. And so we'll definitely be paying attention to how this unfolds over the next weeks and months. Also this week, we got news that Marc Dones from the King County Regional Homeless Authority is stepping down and resigning from his position. How do you see his tenure and, I guess, the establishment - 'cause he basically built the thing from the ground up - of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority? [00:29:58] EJ Juárez: I think this one is so complex. I think there are many reasons why we're in this place and this surprise resignation - that maybe wasn't so much of a surprise. I feel like - for the past year, the only thing we've heard about the Regional Homelessness Authority in the news has been terrible. It has been punch after punch after punch where the nuts and bolts of that organization have left the folks on the ground doing the hardest work waiting to be paid, waiting to get the funds that they're promised. We've also seen, I think in some ways, a somewhat confrontational approach from that organization with the very regional structure that it's supposed to uphold. One of the things I think with this is I think Marc - I do not know Marc - and my interactions with that organization are as a spectator and somebody who depends on them to do the great work that they've set out to do. The vision that that organization set forth is incredible. And unfortunately, I think that in order for any organization to develop on an incredible vision, you have to build a great team. And unfortunately, that's an organization that did not build a regional team in order to execute on that vision. So you can be bold and visionary, but if you don't have the chops and you don't have the ability to bring a team with you - ideas are a dime a dozen, but true organizers and folks that can bring folks with them - I think that is what that organization desperately needs in its next leader. [00:31:25] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, for me, it feels like this was a challenging task from the outset. And I don't know that there was even the alignment between the regional parties involved that would have supported anything, but what had been happening in a status-quo-type of path moving forward. People who know me have probably had this conversation with me, but - even the formation of this regional homelessness authority felt like - we heard, certainly Ed Murray when he was the mayor, talk about the need for regional solutions. Several people talk about the need for a regional solution. To me, it always felt like that was an excuse and a way to escape accountability for local action, for action in their purview and in their jurisdiction. Certainly there was a lot more that a - Mayor Ed Murray, Mayor Jenny Durkan could have and should have done to address this - that they just didn't. They didn't agree with, they didn't execute on. And here we have now Mayor Harrell. And it just seemed like the vision that Marc Dones laid forth and the vision that you heard from local leaders like Mayor Harrell or some housing providers were never in alignment. And it seemed like there were silos there. It seems like there was some feeling that they needed to protect what they were doing, and maybe the Regional Homeless Authority was gonna take away some of their power or their resources. And a reaction to that was what it seemed like was happening in a few different places. Certainly Marc Dones talked about doing things in a different way. People didn't always agree with that way. Is that on him, or is that just on a lack of alignment? Certainly they hired him, so it seems they would have hired someone who was closer to what they - the direction that they wanted to go - but it's challenging. And it took - it's hard to build an organization. And what he got dumped on him was a ton of money and said - okay, build it and go. It took longer than anticipated to build it. It does seem like they were achieving some good results, especially recently. But as you said, there were other stories always peppered in there. And for every step forward, it felt like there was a story or something about a challenge that they were facing. And even the issue of - this latest major issue where somehow, because of someone's lack of oversight - and I'm still not sure exactly who that is - this organization wound up overspending its budget by quite a lot, which could leave people evicted, basically, without any place to live through no fault of their own in this situation - was really, was a challenge. And it seemed like that was a result of a lack of alignment, and people operating in silos and not wanting to share or collaborate on what they were doing. And so I certainly hope that this next person who is stepping in can manage those relationships better, or at least level set better. And hopefully these partners will give them the tools that they need and the collaboration that they need to succeed. But we will see how this continues to play out. Also, we got news - and I guess we will wrap up on this today - Seattle's, once again, the fastest growing city in the country. This is particularly amusing to many people in Seattle because of a long-term kind of insistence in trying to spin a narrative from some very conservative forces - in a documentary a while back that was pretty hyperbolic and exaggerated that "Seattle is Dying." And it's alternating between a city that's controlled by anarchists, that's being burnt down by Antifa, and being overrun by drugged-up zombies and homeless people who they characterize as all criminals and out there due to some moral failing or their own fault, right? And that just does not - it was just false. It is not the reality on the ground for most people. Most people are not fearing for their safety as they're walking throughout Seattle. They're just carrying on about their lives. And sure, there are challenges. And sure, there are people outside who shouldn't be - although the problem with that is the people outside, not people needing to see the people who are outside. And so it just is curious and interesting. And I'm wondering what you think, or why you think Seattle continues to be one of the fastest - or now the fastest - growing city in the country once again. [00:36:06] EJ Juárez: Seattle's awesome. I think that's - I love Seattle, and I think Seattle has a problem with people saying that they love Seattle. And there is a real culture in the Puget Sound of the other cities' political leaders scoring cheap political points by dunking on Seattle, right? And at some point, the chorus of those other politicians doing that work becomes something. And that has unfortunately permeated into the City, where I wish more people were open about how much they love this place - because that's why people are moving here. That's why people want to be here. And I think especially as we look at this return-to-the-office moment that we're in, Seattle is gonna come back. And I think that the work that the Downtown Seattle Association and the Mayor's office are doing to reimagine what's possible in our downtown, given that we have so many opportunities unlike other major cities - I'm super excited about it. I also think that we might be on the first wave of climate migration. I think that it would be foolish for us not to at least consider - those who have the means and opportunities now to relocate to a place where they are less exposed to natural disasters comparatively from where they might be from, where heat swings - barring last week - are less frequent. So I think that we're well poised for a comeback and I think that this is the first maybe harbinger of that, where we've got folks coming back and we're growing again. [00:37:44] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's a very valid point, especially talking about - now is the time with people - when people of means are making changes based on this. And I've had conversations with people about this, and people are absolutely looking at - What is the weather likely to be? Is there likely to be flooding? Is there likely to be extreme heat waves? On top of that - of the challenges brought by climate change - the challenge is brought by our failure to manage our infrastructure appropriately. Some folks in Texas - not only is it a problem with heat waves or extreme cold, but also their power being completely unreliable when that happens. Or elsewhere in the country - or water being completely unsafe to drink and unpredictable in that way. Different ways that also a failure to manage infrastructure is exacerbating our struggles with climate change and leaving people more vulnerable to that. I also think that we are - we're, comparatively, a very educated place, a very engaged place. It's a beautiful place to live. It's not - this is one of the easier places for businesses to attract employees to come. And really that's what was behind our incredible population growth in the first place. This is a place, this is a good place to do business. We heard so many times from - whether it's the Association of Washington Cities or the Chamber or Washington Roundtable - these raises in minimum wages or this tax that the city council wants to put on businesses, it's gonna make the sky fall. Everybody's gonna leave. Everyone's gonna move out. And now they're - as the "Seattle is Dying" crowd will be - bad things are taking over Seattle. No one wants to be here. And that is just laughably false and continues to be proven laughably false. Definitely don't wanna give the impression that there are not significant challenges - there are lots of significant challenges everywhere. And the set that we have is, unfortunately across the country, a better set than many people are dealing with in other places. We should do better. We should still be doing better. But comparatively a lot of places are doing worse. Not to mention just attacks on civil rights, and people being able to be people and live their own lives in different places. And we are a place that is welcoming to people - as you talked about before. So I definitely understand why Seattle is at the top of this list and continues to return to the top of the list. I hope we do things to make it even more welcoming and inviting and support the population that is moving here, like making appropriate decisions on housing and renter protections and rent controls and preventing displacement from the continued population growth. [00:40:40] EJ Juárez: I think a key difference, too, as we look at some of those places that are less hospitable to business - Washington was rated number one best place to open and run a business multiple times here in the last few years, including last year. But I look at places like Florida, where also massive migration to that state and also very large high profile exodus by companies out of that state - because it is so hostile given the conditions for its employees to live safe, prosperous lives within their communities. So to places like that and people that are talking about how great Florida and Texas and all these other places are, I say - Hey, Disney just canceled a billion dollar expansion in Orlando for their employees because they did not believe their employees were safe in how hostile that government was towards them. Hey, come on up to Washington. We like Mickey Mouse, let's do it. [00:41:39] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, we won't just exact a vendetta against a company because they didn't agree with what the governor said. So it'll be, it's certainly an interesting exercise to go over all the things that do make Seattle a pretty cool place to be - took me longer than many people to warm up to Seattle, but I have arrived, I'm here. [00:42:06] EJ Juárez: Just wait two years, it changes every two years. You'll like one of them. [00:42:09] Crystal Fincher: Oh goodness - with that, we thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks on this Friday, May 19th, 2023. The producer of Hacks & Wonks is Shannon Cheng. Our insightful co-host today is the former Director of Progressive Majority, who's now in public service and remains involved in numerous political efforts - and you all hear how insightful and intelligent he is when he's on - EJ Juárez. Thank you for joining us. [00:42:36] EJ Juárez: Thank you. [00:42:37] Crystal Fincher: You can find EJ on Twitter @EliseoJJuarez. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks. You can find me on Twitter @finchfrii, it's two I's at the end. You can catch Hacks & Wonks wherever you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get the full versions of our Friday almost-live shows and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get the full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

The desire to try and stop people from reading certain printed material has been around since material was first printed. In the modern era, book banning has waxed and waned in popularity, experiencing peaks during McCarthyism and again in the 1980s. We're now in the midst of another wave, mostly targeting books by people of color and LGBTQ identities. In 2022, the number of U.S. attempts to ban books hit the highest point since tracking began more than 20 years ago, according to the American Library Association. Not all of the 1,269 attempts last year were successful in actually removing books from shelves, but many were, and several were the result of efforts by coordinated groups with political ties. John Szabo, the head of the Los Angeles Public Library, has dealt with the challenges of library systems of all sizes all over the country, and now leads the nation's largest. He joins Nadine Strossen, the former president of the American Civil Liberties Union and an expert in constitutional law, at the 2022 Ideas Festival for a conversation about why book banning is so alluring for some, and antithetical to the purpose and mission of a library. The Aspen Institute's Elliot Gerson moderates the discussion.

Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about a new event he has put together: Innoventure Ideas Festival 2023.

The lads are back with another rage filled deep dive into the past weeks top stories, and the very worst with two special guests; Sociologist Author, and Writer Professor Frank Furedi, and Barrister from the Bad Law Project Sarah Philimore LIVE from The Battle of Ideas Festival! You can follow the boys on Twitter. Mike is: @IROMG, Kevin is @TVKev and you'll find the podcast too: @ThoughtPoliceTP. Meanwhile if you'd like to send them an email, the address is: thoughtpolicepod@gmail.com

This week, presenter Tom Bewick, was asked to question a panel at the Battle of Ideas Festival taking place in London.

The lads are back with another rage filled deep dive into the past weeks top stories, and the very worst with two special guests; Sociologist Author, and Writer Professor Frank Furedi, and Barrister from the Bad Law Project Sarah Philimore LIVE from The Battle of Ideas Festival!

Since the war began, the small town of Estes Park in northern Colorado has become a haven for immigrants from Ukraine. Then, Colorado Mesa University's new athletic director makes history. And, a three-day celebration of Latinx culture, power and history in Aspen. Also, Grammy-winning saxophonist Gerald Albright prepares to take the stage at home, in Colorado.

Since the war began, the small town of Estes Park in northern Colorado has become a haven for immigrants from Ukraine. Then, Colorado Mesa University's new athletic director makes history. And, a three-day celebration of Latinx culture, power and history in Aspen. Also, Grammy-winning saxophonist Gerald Albright prepares to take the stage at home, in Colorado.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson there who thinks Vladimir Putin would not have started the war in Ukraine if he was a woman Ella Whelan, Spiked Online Columnist and Co-Convener of the Battle of Ideas Festival gave us her view on this.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson there who thinks Vladimir Putin would not have started the war in Ukraine if he was a woman Ella Whelan, Spiked Online Columnist and Co-Convener of the Battle of Ideas Festival gave us her view on this.

The local, state, and national leaders gathered for the week to celebrate Juneteenth, amplify anti-racism and a vision for a transformed Boston. WBZ's James Rojas reports.

In the fall of 2021, I finally got to leave my house and speak to a live audience at the http://pbaif.com/ (Pebble Beach Authors and Ideas Festival) in Monterey, California. After over a year of the pandemic, everyone was a little rusty with in-person interactions, except for one presenter—https://www.doctorbugs.com/ (Dr. Mark Moffett. ) Mark's presentation, his animated style, and fun demeanor captured the crowd that weekend in a way that no one else could. His description of the Southern California ant wars captivated the crowd, and put everyone, including me, who had been trapped in their houses for more than a year completely at ease. Informally known as “Dr. Bugs” and “the Indiana Jones of entomology,” Mark Moffett is biologist, writer, and globetrotter who has examined species' life and death from the forest floor to canopies. His research has brought him all over the world from Sri Lanka to Costa Rica to Easter Island. “Dr. Bugs” joined Clint to discuss his global expeditions, winding career path, and how we aren't so different from ants after all.

In this episode, University of Sheffield Politics Professor Matthew Flinders chairs a conversation on the future of England. He is joined by Gavin Esler, award-winning writer and BBC journalist; Baroness Helena Morrissey, former CEO of Newton and now lead non-executive director at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Ella Whelan, author, journalist and co-convener of the 2021 Battle of Ideas Festival; and Justin Audibert, artistic director of the Unicorn Theatre - the UK's leading theatre for children. Together, they discuss the future of the United Kingdom after Brexit; debate federalism and the desire of some UK nations for greater self-determination; and explore the importance of nostalgia in driving change.

Welcome back to a brand new season of the Skills World Live Radio Show! Thank you for sticking with the number one podcast in FE. In this episode, presenter, Tom Bewick, explores why we have a skills crisis in the UK and what can be done about it. After all, you can't read a newspaper or switch on a news channel at the moment without one story or another about supply chain shortages, caused by not enough HGV drivers, abattoir workers and even bricklayers. The skills crisis comes at a time when various business lobby groups have been calling on government to relax immigration rules which will allow more overseas visas to be issued, now that the UK has ended unfettered immigration and free movement with the European Union. In our Head to Head segment this week Tom talks to the former Labour Treasury minister and chief economist at the Institute of Directors, Kitty Usher. He is joined by Viren Patel, the Open University's business development director, who has teamed up with the IoD to produce the Annual Business Barometer — a handy snapshot of employer sentiment on workforce skills. In The Final Take this week, Tom talks to Baroness Fox of Buckley (Claire Fox) about the recent Battle of Ideas Festival in Westminister, organised by the Academy of Ideas; and her thoughts on the Skills Bill, which came back to the House of Lords this week at Report Stage. We're now taking a short break for the half term and will return with episode 2 of the new season on the 5 November!

It's a Battle of Team James v Team Toby as we open up this week's episode with Toby's participation in the The Battle of Ideas Festival in London this past weekend. We cover Rotten Tomatoes disabling the ‘Audience Score' button for the new Disney+/National Geographic documentary Fauci, Toby's encounter with fellow journalist Lynn Barber, the introduction of vaccine passports in Wales following a... Source

It’s a Battle of Team James v Team Toby as we open up this week’s episode with Toby’s participation in the The Battle of Ideas Festival in London this past weekend. We cover Rotten Tomatoes disabling the ‘Audience Score’ button for the new Disney+/National Geographic documentary Fauci, Toby’s encounter with fellow journalist Lynn Barber, the introduction of vaccine passports in Wales following a botched vote in the Senedd, and the New York Times’ correction regarding the number of kids in the US who’ve been hospitalised with Covid. Oh, yeah, Toby’s been nominated for the 2021 Contrarian Prize. In Culture Corner we debate actually seeing the new Bond film, James finally finishes Crime and Punishment, plus The Guilty and the series The Squid Game (both on Netflix.) This week’s opening sound is of Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales on the new vaccine passports courtesy of ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

It’s a Battle of Team James v Team Toby as we open up this week’s episode with Toby’s participation in the The Battle of Ideas Festival in London this past weekend. We cover Rotten Tomatoes disabling the ‘Audience Score’ button for the new Disney+/National Geographic documentary Fauci, Toby’s encounter with fellow journalist Lynn Barber, the […]

In March, Connecticut became just the 9th state to pass the CROWN Act, a bill that outlaws discrimination on the basis of one’s hair. The passage of the bill is being heralded by advocates who say Black Americans have been forced to assimilate to white beauty standards in order to succeed.  This week on Disrupted, we speak with two Kent State professors on their upcoming exhibition and book on the history and art of black hair.  And we talk with the new programming director of the Arts and Ideas Festival about some new changes to this year's festival. And the introduction of a high fashion hair show.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Visible Ink is a Museum of Freedom and Tolerance endeavour that makes visible the invisible. Through sharing and amplifying stories, histories, art, conversations and projects that inspire people to see differently, it aims to make changes towards a more just world. The Black Lives Matter movement transformed global consciousness in 2020, bringing questions relating to the stories we make visible in our civic and popular culture to the fore as statues and monuments around the world tumbled. In solidarity with the protests, the names of some of the hundreds of Indigenous people who have died in custody were projected on a landmark sculpture in Walyalup (Fremantle) during 2020, bringing into focus place, visibility, history and the resonance of the BLM movement in Western Australia, the state with the largest number of Indigenous deaths in custody. To launch our 2021 In Visible Ink Symposium, we convened conversations around the themes of deconstruction and reconstruction of visual and civic culture. This dynamic panel discussion on the reconstruction and reclamation of sidelined cultural identities through subverting music, fashion, design and pop culture and features speakers (biographies below): Chaired by Sisonke Msimang Chris Luu Isaac Garang Luel de Kuek Rhys Paddick Join the Museum of Freedom and Tolerance and special guests on a multi-sensory journey as we provoke our audience to question the visibility of dominant civic and cultural landscapes and landmarks, learn how to see differently, and actively seek a fairer and more just approach to systemic racism, discrimination, incarceration and inequality. Speaker biographies: Sisonke Msimang (Chair) is the author of Always Another Country: A memoir of exile and home and The Resurrection of Winnie Mandela. She is a South African writer whose work is focussed on race, gender and democracy. She has written for a range of international publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Guardian, Newsweek, Bloomberg, and Al Jazeera. Sisonke has held fellowships at Yale University, the Aspen Institute and the Bellagio Centre. She is currently a fellow at the WISER Institute, at the University of the Witwatersrand.Chris Luu grew up in Perth, Australia where he landed his first post-University job as an Architect. He then went onto studying Creative Advertising and Graphic Design. He currently works as an Art Director at Johannes Leonardo (New York City) where he has been awarded numerous global accolades including the prestigious D&AD Pencil. Outside of work Chris skates for Vans Australia. He is also a skateboard historian, photographer, artist, tinkerer and won’t-stop maker. She is the Curator of the Literature and Ideas Festival. Isaac Garang is a designer of South Sudanese background currently based in Perth. His primary platform for self expression is the clothing brand, IXIII (pronounced I X Three). See the ixiii store here. Luel de Kuek is a freelance graphic and product designer. He strives to use his art to tell as many stories to as many people as possible, as art has an intrinsic and boundless nature to cross artificial boundaries of skin, colour or creed. Rhys Paddick is an Aboriginal educator, presenter and artist. As a content creator, Rhys has created a niche market of Australian Aboriginal wholesome memes on Instagram page @the_wholesome_yamatji. Rhys has consulted with various organisations to help spread their messages using effective and Aboriginal relevant captions, memes, graphics and humour.

In this podcast we are excited to hear from three members of our local democracy who all contribute to our civic life in different ways. We are lucky to have RaShelle Davis. Rashelle is a Senior Policy Advisor for Governor Jay Inslee. She is joined by Whitney Keyes, Executive Director Seattle City Club and Kayla Demonte, Managing Director of Citizen University. Our guests discuss why they decided to enter into civil service and how they got started in the work of democracy. They spend time discussing the impact of their families, the experiences learned from other sectors, the inspiration that came from leaders and mentors, traveling, rank-choice voting, and how to stay engaged. All three shared personal and professional projects towards the end. RaShelle wanted to let listeners know about Washington Senate Bill 5010 which prohibits the use of credit scores to determine rates for personal lines of insurance. Whitney spoke about how City Club was looking to start a Dialogue across Differences and are looking for organizations to partner with. Kayla pitched the great work of The Better Arguments Project and their approach and framework. She also talked about a new book out called The Sum of Us. RaShelle advocated for the Aspen Institute's Ideas Festival and agreed to introduce her to folks from there. Kayla asked listeners for two things. First, she pitched for people to be trained in the Civic Saturday programs so they can lead these civic events in their own communities. Second, she plugged the push by Fair Vote Washington to push forth the ability of Washington House Bill 1156 to allow for rank-choice voting in local cities and counties. Responses for any of these endeavors can be sent to us at f.nam@civic-commons.org. We will happily forward along any notes to our guests. We thank our guests for their service, the work they continue to do, and we'll see you at our next episode! Special thanks to Big Phony for providing music for the We Belong Here podcast. 

Un nuevo 808 Radio en el que aparte de conocer propuestas firmadas por Shinichi Atobe, Massive Attack, Kaytranada, Throwing Snow o Boston 168 entre muchos otros, prenderemos el Generador de Ideas visitando el Festival de Teatro Clásico de Almagro y nos pondremos al habla con la creadora argentina Tayhana entre muchas otras cosas. La Lista I: Transistorcake - Cocktail Op. 2 [Eskimo] Sam Ruffillo - Midnight Funk [Toy Tonics] Space Dimension Controller - Temperate Space Madrid79 - ACIDO [Fuego En Casa] Emmanuel - Presage [Arts] Generador de Ideas: “Festival de Teatro Clásico de Almagro”, Ignacio García. La Lista II: KAYTRANADA x Lucky Daye - Look Easy - (KAYTRA Extended Mix) [RCA] Celestino - Defective Automaton (K-Effect Remix) [Nein] Throwing snow - Lose Again [Houndstooth] Silicodisco - 4 Only (Theus Mago Remix) [Penrose] Consulate - Covenant [Good Company] Hieroglyphic Being - IMFORMATIONAL OVERLOAD [Boomkat Editions | Documenting Sound] Claptone x Mylo - Drop The Pressure (Sonny Fodera Remix - Extended Version) [Different] La Lista III: AKSK - Breaking (Album Version) [Running Back] Phil Weeks - Basement [Brique Rouge] Duke Dumont - Ocean Drive (Purple Disco Machine Extended Remix) [EMI] Andreiclv - Break [Slope Point] Boston 168 - Vax of Love [Bpitch Control] Bella Boo - Stars (Kornél Kovács Remix) [Studio Barnhus] Al Habla: TAYHANA La Lista IV: Quelza - Aragaran [RND Records] Michael Kiwanuka - Final Days (Bonobo Remix) [Polydor Limited] Rhode & Brown - Break 2 Break [Permanent Vacation] Shinichi Atobe - Lake 3 [Modern Love] Ray-D - Get Down [Late Night Jackin] Skudge - Ifach [Skudge] Massive Attack - GUY - YOUNG FATHERS

LoveBabz LoveTalk With Babz Rawls - Ivy Bobby Asher, International Arts Ideas Festival by WNHH Community Radio

Gini is the brains behind that fun, eco-friendly, feminist jewellery and embroidery business GINIBEANIFAIRY. Gini attended the Rural Youth Project's 2019 Ideas Festival and you can find her products through Instagram @ginibeanifairy.

Listen to the debate from the Battle of Ideas Festival 2019. From climate change to tax evasion, humanity’s biggest challenges are increasingly global. Many of those frustrated by our lack of progress on these issues argue for some form of world government. If the United Nations, or some similar body, had real power over national governments, global agreements could be made and enforced. But others argue that it would be difficult, if not impossible, for seven billion people to hold a world government to account. Indeed, many find the idea of a world government sinister. Nevertheless, can we really solve our global problems without global political institutions? Speakers include: ANDREAS BUMMEL executive director, Democracy without Borders; co-author, A World Parliament: governance and democracy in the 21ST century IAN CRAWFORD professor of planetary science and astrobiology, Birkbeck College, University of London MARY KALDOR emeritus professor of global governance, LSE; director, Conflict and Civil Society Research Unit, LSE; author, Global Security Cultures, Global Civil Society DR TARA MCCORMACK lecturer, international politics, University of Leicester CHAIR: ROB LYONSscience and technology director, Academy of Ideas; convenor, AoI Economy Forum Produced by Ian Crawford and Rob Lyons

The Rural Youth Project hosted the 2019 Ideas Festival at Wiston Lodge, Lanarkshire, bringing together 50 young people from across Scotland, the UK and beyond to share ideas, network, develop new skills and discuss how to make life better for themselves and their peers. Amy and Gini live on the Isle of Jura and discuss what life is like for young people living on the islands.

Listen to the debate from the Battle of Ideas Festival 2019. The result of the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 seemed to put paid for the foreseeable future to the most significant threat to the Union, but the result of the EU referendum in 2016 has put the cat amongst the pigeons once more. The future of Northern Ireland has also been a constant bone of contention since the Brexit vote. In September, a shock opinion poll suggested that a quarter of Welsh voters would vote for independence. Is the Union really in imminent danger? Is there a positive case for the UK today, whether economic, political or even emotional? **SPEAKERS**MEV BROWNspokesperson, SDP Scotland; former spokesperson, Business for Britain in Scotland; campaigner, Better Together DR RUTH DUDLEY EDWARDSjournalist, historian and broadcaster; award-winning author, The Seven and Patrick Pearse: the triumph of failure LINDA MURDOCHcampaigner for rights and democracy in Scotland; director of careers, University of Glasgow AKASH PAUNsenior fellow, Institute for Government; associate fellow, Centre on Constitutional Change, Edinburgh University DR GLYNNE WILLIAMSassociate professor, School of Business, University of Leicester CHAIR: JUSTINE BRIAN director, Civitas Schools Subscribe to the Academy of Ideas newsletter at battleofideas.org.uk/subscribe

Listen to the debate from the Battle of Ideas Festival 2019. The Court of Arbitration for Sport has ruled women with naturally higher levels of testosterone cannot compete in women’s sport events unless they reduce their testosterone with medication. CAS was hearing an appeal by a South African runner, Caster Semenya, against a ruling by the governing body of athletics, the IAAF, that she cannot compete in certain events having been born with a condition leading to unusually high testosterone levels. What does this mean for elite sport? And can we separate sports from other areas of society in which discrimination against people with different sexual developments is taboo? DR CARLTON BRICK lecturer in sociology, School of Media, Culture and Society, University of the West of Scotland DR SILVIA CAMPORESIdirector of bioethics and society postgraduate programme, King’s College London; co-author, Bioethics, Genetics and Sport GEORGINA NEWCOMBE student, Durham University; athlete and footballer; Living Freedom alumnus DR JOEL NATHAN ROSEN associate professor of sociology and anthropology, Moravian College; author, The Erosion of the American Sporting Ethos DR EMILY RYALL reader in applied philosophy, University of Gloucestershire; author, Philosophy of Sport: key questions CHAIR: GEOFF KIDDER
director, membership and events, Academy of Ideas; convenor, AoI Book Club Subscribe to the Academy of Ideas newsletter at battleofideas.org.uk/subscribe

Listen to the debate from the Battle of Ideas Festival 2019. Thanks to Living and Dying Well for their partnership on this debate. The question of whether assisted suicide (often known as assisted dying) is morally defensible, or should be legally permitted, is a familiar issue of medical ethics. Polls suggest that most people in Britain support a change in the law to allow it. By contrast, the British medical establishment has a longstanding record of opposition to legalisation – though there are suggestions that this may be changing. Should the law look leniently on relatives who help a patient to die? What if the patient would suffer more harm by staying alive? Indeed, should the idea of ‘harm’ be redefined and, if so, how? What would be the role of doctors, and ‘conscientious objection’, were the law to change? Dr Jacky Davisconsultant radiologist, Whittington Hospital; member, BMA Council, chair, Healthcare Professionals for Assisted Dying; board member, Dignity in Dying Dr Carol Davispalliative medicine consultant and clinical lead for end of life care, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust; board member, Living and Dying Well John Harrisprofessor emeritus, University of Manchester; author, How to be Good; former member, United Kingdom Human Genetics Commission Dr Kevin Yuillassociate professor of history, University of Sunderland; author, Assisted Suicide: the liberal, humanist case against legalization and The Second Amendment and Gun Control: freedom, fear, and the American constitution Chair: Dr Piers Bennvisiting lecturer and adjunct professor; author, Freedom of Speech and the Flight from Reason Subscribe to the Academy of Ideas newsletter at battleofideas.org.uk/subscribe

Listen to the debate from the Battle of Ideas Festival 2019. Earlier this year, Gillette produced an advert aimed at challenging ‘toxic masculinity’. Although somewhat frivolous, the example illustrates a growing trend among the world’s biggest companies to weigh in on social issues. In perhaps the most infamous example of all, in 2017, Pepsi released an advert with Kylie Jenner healing divisions at a protest march. The advert was widely condemned for appropriating the legacy of the civil-rights movement. But many companies seem to genuinely care about social causes. Unilever, one of the world’s biggest companies, has made ambitious environmental commitments that are priorities at all levels of the company. For some observers, this is evidence of a genuine shift in how businesses think about their role, often underpinned by new generations of employees demanding change. But critics have condemned what’s been called ‘woke capitalism’ or even ‘wokewashing’. Are 'woke' corporations a cynical attempt to curry favour with the lucrative millennial market, or should we celebrate demonstrations of corporate conscience? What does the rise of woke capitalism tell us about the prospects and possibilities for more radical change today? Asad Dhunnafounder, The Unmistakables; commentator; former director of communications, Pride in London Dr Eliane Glaserwriter; radio producer; reader, Bath Spa University; author, Anti-Politics: on the demonisation of ideology, authority, and the state Dr Norman Lewisdirector, Futures-Diagnosis Ltd; co-author, Big Potatoes: the London manifesto for innovation Dan Mobleyglobal corporate relations director, Diageo Toby Youngco-founder, West London Free School; author, How to Lose Friends & Alienate People; associate editor, Spectator and Quillette CHAIR: Patrick Hayesdirector, British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA); director, EdTech Exchange Subscribe to the Academy of Ideas newsletter at battleofideas.org.uk/subscribe

Listen to the debate from the Battle of Ideas Festival 2019. There is something of an obsession with ‘normality’ today. Sally Rooney’s novel, Normal People, was widely acclaimed for its sensitive portrayal of everyday contemporary relationships. The TV smash hit Fleabag was likewise praised for its unflinching portrayal of ‘normal’ British middle-class sexual mores. But attitudes towards ‘normality’ seem difficult to get a handle on today. On the one hand, campaigns to raise awareness for a variety of social or psychological ills seek to show it is not ‘abnormal’, for example, to experience depression and that such people ‘are not alone’. But on the other hand, the proliferation of identity characteristics encourage people to be celebrate difference, uniqueness and not being ‘normal’. What are we to make of this shifting understanding of what it is to be normal? Should we just accept that everything is unstable, that we can’t expect a single category of ‘normal’ to be helpful? Does society need a concept of normality, if only to define common sets of beliefs and values or does it enforce conformity? Should we celebrate being normal? DR FRANKIE ANDERSONpsychiatry trainee; co-founder, Sheffield Salon DR ASHLEY FRAWLEYsenior lecturer in sociology and social policy, Swansea University; author, Significant Emotions and Semiotics of Happiness DR BETH GUILDINGacademic, Goldsmiths, University of London; co-editor, Narrating the Passions: new perspectives from modern and contemporary literature; columnist, Times Higher Education VANITY VON GLOWinternationally ignored superstar; cabaret performer; host, The Vanity Project CHAIR: JANE SANDEMANchief operating officer, The Passage; convenor, AoI Parents Forum; contributor, Standing up to Supernanny Subscribe to the Academy of Ideas newsletter at battleofideas.org.uk/subscribe

Listen to the debate from the Battle of Ideas Festival 2019. Monty Python’s Life of Brian was released in the UK on 8 November 1979. The film had problems from the start, with its funding withdrawn by EMI films at the last minute, but it was rescued by former Beatle George Harrison putting up the money for it to be made. Forty years later, it would be nice to say that we’re more relaxed about religion and comedy. But in truth, while Christianity is considered fair game (notwithstanding the later controversy over Jerry Springer: The Opera), satirising Islam remains deeply controversial, as illustrated by the Charlie Hebdo massacre and the mealy-mouthed reaction to the killings by many supposedly liberal commentators and artists. Could Brian be made today? Why does it still work today? Have we lost the ability to ridicule the dominant ideas of our society? And have comedians, writers and producers lost their edge for fear of causing offence? SIMON EVANScomedian; regular panellist, BBC Radio 4's The News Quiz RIA LINAaward winning standup comedian; former forensic IT investigator, Serious Fraud Office; former research scientist, Herpesvirus bioinformatics ANN MCELHINNEYdirector and producer, FrackNation; co-author and co-producer, Gosnell; producer, FBI Lovebirds: UnderCovers; co-host, The Ann and Phelim Scoop DR JOEL NATHAN ROSENJassociate professor of sociology and anthropology, Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; author, The Erosion of the American Sporting Ethos: shifting attitudes toward competition ANDY SHAWco-founder, Comedy Unleashed CHAIR: ROB LYONSscience and technology director, Academy of Ideas; convenor, AoI Economy Forum Subscribe to the Academy of Ideas newsletter at battleofideas.org.uk/subscribe

Listen to the debate from the Battle of Ideas Festival 2019. ‘Humour is a weapon of the patriarchy.’ So says Titania McGrath, the Twitter superstar who describes herself as an activist, healer and radical intersectionalist poet. Titania has become famous for her ‘woke’ words of wisdom, such as ‘heterosexuality is a hoax’. Of course, those of us who have been following Titania’s rise to fame will know that she is, in fact, fictional – a satirical character dreamt up by the author and comedian Andrew Doyle. Boasting a Twitter following in the hundreds of thousands, Doyle’s parody of a ‘typical Guardian reader’ has managed to fool some so-called ‘social-justice warriors’ into believing Titania’s cries of oppression, as well as revealing uncomfortable truths about the degraded state of identity politics. But not everyone is a fan of Titania. Doyle has been accused of ‘punching down’ with his satire of contemporary ‘leftie’ politics. Is poking fun at social-justice campaigns merely a right-wing ploy – even though Doyle himself is a self-declared leftie? And what has it been like for Doyle, to be a comic writer in a world that sometimes seems unable to laugh at itself? Now that Titania’s real identity is out, where does she go from here? ANDREW DOYLE writer and comedian; author, Titania McGrath's Woke: A Guide to Social Justice   CHAIR: ELLA WHELAN co-convenor, Battle of Ideas festival; journalist and frequent commentator on TV and radio; author, What Women Want   Subscribe to the Academy of Ideas newsletter at battleofideas.org.uk/subscribe

Listen to the debate from the Battle of Ideas Festival 2019. A recent EU report found 89 per cent of Jews living in member countries feel anti-Semitism has increased over the past decade, while 85 per cent believe it to be a serious problem. Anti-Semitism has traditionally been associated with the political right and with national chauvinism, but today it is often radical Islamists or even leftists, rather than nationalists, who are accused of prejudice against Jews. But can alleged anti-Semitism in the British Labour party really be compared to the fascist Oswald Mosley? Is anti-Zionism a distinct and legitimate position? How best can we define anti-Semitism? As Israel descends into political and, some would say, moral crisis, is it possible to criticise Israel without being anti-Semitic? And most importantly, if anti-Semitism is on the rise, how can we best combat it? PROFESSOR FRANK FUREDIsociologist and social commentator; author, How Fear Works: culture of fear in the 21st century and Populism and the European Culture Wars DR DEBORAH E LIPSTADTprofessor of Holocaust Studies, Emory University, Atlanta; author, Antisemitism: Here and Now; defendant, Irving v Penguin UK and Lipstadt (2000)CHAIR CHAIR: CLAIRE FOXdirector, Academy of Ideas; Brexit Party MEP; author, I STILL Find That Offensive!    

The Patriarchy has it coming! We were delighted to discuss the new feminist ideas festival, Broadside with its Director, Tam Zimet. Over the weekend of 9 and 10 November at Melbourne Town Hall, Broadside will present two days of unabashedly feminist programming, spotlighting a remarkable line-up of international and local speakers, and delivering a powerfully feminist agenda. It’s about smart, funny people sharing their expertise and their stories.

Recording of a debate at the Battle of Ideas Festival 2018. Since the fall of communism, the dominant narrative around international politics and economics has been that of a stable order defined by liberal, free-market values and agreements. In recent years, faith in the liberal international vision seems to have been shattered. In response to the rise of China and resurgence of Russia, populists across the world, most famously President Trump, have denounced free-trade agreements and collective security arrangements. Are we really moving into a more protectionist world, or will free-trade ideology make a comeback? How will the rise of China and the ‘global south’, alongside the apparent slow decline of the US, change things? CAMERON ABADIdeputy editor, Foreign Policy REMI ADEKOYAPhD researcher on identity politics, Sheffield University; columnist; member, Editorial Working Group, Review of African Political Economy PROFESSOR BILL DURODIEchair of international relations, University of Bath DR TARA MCCORMACKlecturer, international politics, University of Leicester CHAIR: JACOB REYNOLDS partnerships manager, Academy of Ideas; co-convenor, Living Freedom; organiser, Debating Matters

The International Arts and Ideas Festival in New Haven brings performances, lectures and more to New Haven. Hosts Eric Lopkin and Chip Janiszewski talk with festival co-director Chad Herzog about how the festival started, what's on tap for this year and all the amazing things the festival is showcasing.

Recording of the debate at the Battle of Ideas Festival 2018. Visiting Europe in the summer, President Trump lambasted Germany’s relationship with Russia, took a dig at Theresa May’s Brexit strategy and seemingly sided with Vladimir Putin against America’s own intelligence agencies. The UK’s former foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, also famously made numerous diplomatic gaffes. Once diplomacy was regarded as a careful art, furthering national interests through back-channels and coded language, and pursued by highly educated diplomats. But in recent years, politicians have seemed keener to make loud public statements at the expense of cool negotiation. Why do politicians seem to respond to events on the hoof rather than pursuing a long-term strategy? Are they playing with fire? MARY DEJEVSKYformer foreign correspondent in Moscow, Paris and Washington; special correspondent in China; writer and broadcaster PROFESSOR BILL DURODIÉchair of international relations, University of Bath DR SEAN LANGsenior lecturer in History, Anglia Ruskin University; author, First World War for Dummies CARNE ROSSauthor, The Leaderless Revolution; executive director, Independent Diplomat

After three decades teaching at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, there have recently been calls from campus activists for Camille Paglia to be sacked from her post for having 'dangerous' views. Listen to this discussion at the Battle of Ideas Festival 2016, with Paglia in conversation with Claire Fox, and decide for yourself. Original session introduction Internationally renowned American social critic Camille Paglia has been called ‘the anti-feminist feminist’. A staunch defender of individual freedom, she has argued against laws prohibiting pornography, drugs and abortion. Describing contemporary feminism as a ‘reactionary reversion’ and ‘a gross betrayal of the radical principles of 1960s counterculture’, she stands firmly on the side of free speech and against political correctness. She has argued that though today’s feminists strike progressive poses, their ideas emanate from an entitled, upper-middle-class point of view. This has led Paglia to become one of the US’s foremost critics of contemporary feminist orthodoxies such as the idea of ‘rape culture’, which she believes stifles women’s autonomy. Instead, Paglia is keen to stimulate reasoned discussion about some of the most controversial and inflammatory issues dominating campus politics and debates about threats to young women. She is calling such fashionable concepts such as ‘rape culture…a ridiculous term…not helpful in the quest for women’s liberation’. She is associated with a brand of feminism which encourages women to embrace the dangers of being in the world and has argued that the current enthusiasm for things such as compulsory sexual consent classes in colleges illustrates how sex is being policed by ‘drearily puritanical and hopelessly totalitarian regulatory regimes and codes’.  

Listen to the debate from the Battle of Ideas Festival 2018. In Brexit Britain, much focus has fallen on the divides that cut across generational, educational and class lines. But increasingly there is a new geographical divide that is taking shape – one where voguish metropolitan regions, prosperous urban centres and university towns contrast starkly with vast swathes of territory now labelled ‘left-behind Britain’. Is it still possible to rejuvenate former ports, market towns, coastal resorts and county towns? Should the focus be economic investment or a social and cultural transformation? Do we need a new urban paradigm, or should we create incentives to save, rebuild and inject new life into these urban areas? DR RUTH DUDLEY EDWARDSjournalist and writer; award-winning author CAROLINE FLINT MPmember of parliament, Don Valley; co-chair, Northern Powerhouse All Party Parliamentary Group DAVID GOODHARThead of demography, Policy Exchange; author, The Road to Somewhere MO LOVATTwriter and researcher specialising in arts and culture policy; co-chair, The Great Debate CHAIR: ALASTAIR DONALDassociate director, Academy of Ideas; codirector, Future Cities Project

Recording of a debate at the Battle of Ideas Festival 2018 at The Barbican, London. Should funding for cultural projects be scaled back in a time of fiscal crisis? As we approach the National Lottery’s 25th anniversary, many are asking questions about where funding for culture should come from. Some anti-austerity campaigners say that new projects like the V&A museum in Dundee, at a cost of £80million, put unnecessary pressure on already stretched budgets. Others argue that a vibrant cultural scene is key to building confidence in communities and creating social cohesion, threatened by visible inequalities in wealth, housing, health and education. What about private funding? Could that compromise artistic freedom? And should we view culture as a luxury or a necessity in a modern-day society? ALEXANDER ADAMSartist, writer and art critic; author, Culture War: art, identity politics and cultural entryism (forthcoming) DR TIFFANY JENKINSwriter and broadcaster; author, Keeping Their Marbles: how treasures of the past ended up in museums and why they should stay there BARB JUNGRaward-winning singer, songwriter, composer and writer SEAN GREGORYdirector of learning & engagement, Barbican Centre and Guildhall School of Music & Drama CHAIR: CLAIRE FOXdirector, Academy of Ideas;

Recording of a debate at the Battle of Ideas Festival 2018. After the fall of the Soviet Union, a broad political consensus emerged that ‘there is no alternative’ to capitalism, which even the 2008 financial crash did little to disturb. But now things appear to be changing, with support for politicians like Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders who call for a new way of organising the economy. A slew of recent books, epitomised by Paul Mason’s Post-Capitalism, argue that technological innovations have opened up ways to transcend capitalism from within. Are we now seeing the arrival of capitalism’s ‘undertaker’ in the shape of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation? Could it be true - is capitalism’s time nearly up? AARON BASTANIco-founder, Novara Media; author, Fully Automated Luxury Communism: a manifesto ROBERT HARRIESmembership coordinator, education trade association WENDY LIU software developer; editor, economics section, New Socialist NIKOS SOTIRAKOPOULOS lecturer in sociology, York St John University; author, The Rise of Lifestyle Activism: from new left to Occupy PROFESSOR GUY STANDING professorial research associate, SOAS, University of London; author, Basic Income: and how we can make it happen CHAIR: ROB LYONS convenor, Academy of Ideas Economy Forum

Recording of a debate at the Battle of Ideas Festival 2018. ‘There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.’ Oscar Wilde’s view of art as essentially an aesthetic pursuit, one concerned with transcendent beauty and the human condition, has arguably now been superseded. But artists are routinely being ‘called out’ if their work represents minority groups in a light that is perceived as negative. The Globe’s new director, Michelle Terry, has been applauded for using blind casting to combat alleged inequality in the arts. Should art be judged on whether or not it is sending the right message? What are the implications for artists themselves? JON BRITTAINstaff writer, Netflix’s The Crown; playwright, Rotterdam; comedy writer; director, Sight Gags for Perverts, Shtick and Don’t Bother, They’re Here JAMES DREYFUSaward winning television, film and theatre actor MO LOVATTwriter and researcher specialising in arts and culture policy; co-chair, The Great Debate KIMBERLY MCINTOSHpolicy offcer, The Runnymede Trust and Race on the Agenda; writer, Guardian, gal-dem CHAIR: ANDREW DOYLEwriter and comedian; co-author, Jonathan Pie: Off The Record

Recording of a debate at the Battle of Ideas Festival 2018. According to the 2017 Ipsos MORI Veracity Index, nurses and doctors are the most-trusted people in the UK. But in certain contexts, this trust seems to evaporate. Take the ever-present anti-vaccination (or ‘anti-vax’) movement, the popular reaction when medical professionals decide it is no longer right to try to keep very sick children alive or instances of apparent malpractice have also raised serious public concerns. In these cases, doctors are regarded with suspicion rather than trust. What role does something like ‘fake news’ play in polarising these debates? Given the overwhelming scientific consensus about the merits of vaccines, is the ‘anti-vax’ movement simply anti-science, or even anti-intellectual? Or is it healthy to have more sceptical intellectual currents to hold the scientific establishment to account? And when it comes to controversial end-of-life decisions, are they simply about emotion versus reason, or are there important points of principle that need to be considered and debated between doctor, patient, and family? RICHARD CLARKEPhD candidate, health psychology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine DR MICHAEL FITZPATRICKGeneral practitioner; writer on medicine and politics; author, MMR and Autism: what parents need to know and The Tyranny of Health DR CLARE GERADAMedical director, NHS Practitioner Health Programme; former chair, Royal College of General Practitioners DR KEVIN YUILLSenior lecturer in American history, University of Sunderland; author, Assisted Suicide: the liberal, humanist case against legalization and The Second Amendment and Gun Control: freedom, fear, and the American constitution CHAIR: MAX SANDERSONAudio producer, Guardian

Recording of a debate from the Battle of Ideas Festival 2018. From racist attacks to ominous  propaganda, anti-Semitism appears to be  making a comeback in Europe. In the UK,  the Labour Party has been very publicly  split over how it deals with the issue.  In one respect, it looks like the simple  return of what has been called ‘the longest  hatred’. But while anti-Semitism has long  been seen as a right-wing phenomenon,  particularly since the Nazis, today’s anti-Semites are more likely to rail against Jews  in the name of the Palestinians, a favourite  cause of the left. Is hatred of Jews really on  the rise? Is it re-emerging in new forms?  RICHARD ANGELL  director, Progress; elected member,  TUC’s LGBT committee; formerly worked  for All Party Parliamentary Group on  Combatting Antisemitism  DR STEPHEN LAWphilosopher; author, The War For Children’s  Minds  BRENDAN O’NEILL  editor, spiked; columnist, Penthouse; writer  the Sun and the Spectator; author, A Duty  to Offend  JULIAN PETLEY  professor of journalism, Brunel University;  editorial board member, British Journalism  Review; principal editor, Journal of British  Cinema and Television  MELANIE PHILLIPS columnist, The Times; regular panellist,  BBC Radio 4’s Moral Maze; author, The  Legacy and best-selling book, Londonistan  CHAIR: JACOB FUREDI junior commissioning editor, Daily Mail 

A recording of a discussion at the Battle of Ideas Festival 2018. Published in 1997, Frank Furedi’s book Culture of Fear was widely acclaimed as perceptive and prophetic. In his new book, How Fear Works, Furedi seeks to explore two interrelated themes: why fear has acquired such a morally commanding status in society today and how the way we fear has changed from the way it was experienced in the past. How has fear become detached from its material and physical source, so that it is now experienced as a secular version of a transcendental force? What is the role of the media in promoting fear and does anyone benefit from this culture of fear? TIMANDRA HARKNESSjournalist, writer and broadcaster; presenter, FutureProofing; author,Big Data: does size matter? IN CONVERSATION WITH: PROFESSOR FRANK FUREDIsociologist and social commentator; author, How Fear Works: culture of fear in the 21st century and Populism and the European Culture Wars

A recording of the debate at the Battle of Ideas Festival 2018. Science fiction has long explored the use of robots for sex, but the application of new technologies has been pushing the boundaries of sexuality towards the mechanical in real life. Interaction with fully functioning robotic sexual partners could soon be a practical alternative to actual sex. Advocates claim many people could benefit, from men who struggle with intimacy to women trafficked into sex work. Critics claim sex robots are a ‘pornified’ ideal of female sexuality and they are concerned about how these robotic partners will represent women. So are sex robots an innovation to be embraced or a step towards sexual dystopia? Please note that, given the subject matter, this podcast contains adult themes and language. DR PIERS BENNadjunct professor at Fordham University London Centre DR KATE DEVLINsenior lecturer in social and cultural AI, King’s College London; author, Turned On: the science of the sex robot SIMON EVANScomedian; regular panellist, BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz TIMANDRA HARKNESSjournalist, writer and broadcaster; presenter, FutureProofing; author, Big Data: does size matter?

A recording of a debate at the Battle of Ideas Festival 2018 at The Barbican, London on Sunday 14 October.  In Blueprint: how DNA makes us who we are, the world’s leading behavioural geneticist, Robert Plomin, argues that our inherited DNA differences make us who we are as individuals. This conclusion is at odds with the importance ascribed to our education and the environment in which we grow up in shaping the person we become. But are there scientific or other good reasons to doubt Plomin’s conclusions? If we start making predictions about people’s lives and potential on the basis of their DNA, does this risk reducing their autonomy? How much can our DNA tell us about who we are? DR PHILIP BALLscience writer; broadcaster; author; presenter, BBC Radio 4, Science Stories ROBERT PLOMINprofessor of behavioural genetics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience; author, Blueprint: how DNA makes us who we are

Young people tend to say “LOL” and “like” a lot. Business jargon — such as “What’s the ask?”— is surfacing in boardrooms. Is the English language deteriorating before our ears? Linguist and author John McWhorter pushes back, saying these modern terms are examples of language evolving. Words’ meanings have always changed and those shifts will continue. “Language is like clouds,” says McWhorter. “If the clouds are in the same position they were in when we came in, something’s wrong.” In this conversation with Georgetown linguistics professor Deborah Tannen, he talks about his book Words on the Move and explains why we shouldn’t be frustrated when language changes. Show Notes Watch John McWhorter's talk, Adjusting to Modernity in American English, from the Aspen Ideas Festival. McWhorter is also featured in the Ideas Festival panel discussion, Just Words. Follow Aspen Ideas to Go on Twitter and Facebook. Email your comments to aspenideastogo@gmail.com. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.

Last weekend, Jazmin and Robert went to the New Kentucky Project Ideas Festival in Georgetown, and had the chance to do several short interviews with powerful voices from across the state, including: Russell Allen of Take Back Cheapside Lt. Col. (Ret.) Amy McGrath, Democratic Candidate for the 6th US Congressional Seat Tayna Fogle of the Poor People's Campaign Cara Stewart, Health Law Fellow at Kentucky Equal Justice Cabinet Josh Mers of the Fairness Campaign Rex Chapman, former University of Kentucky basketball player and Adam Edelen, former Kentucky Auditor and founder of the New Kentucky Project It was an amazing day!  We were so glad that Erik Jarboe invited us to interview these folks.  We hope you enjoy the episode.

Nevermind the smoke flowing from the volcanos and wildfires, the hurricane bearing down on the Atlantic coast, or the so-called president who truly needs a 25th Amendment intervention, we've got to hold a live celebrity discussion panel where the left and right pundits get paid? Manafort makes a deal! More at ProLeftPod.com.REVIEW US ON iTUNES | BUY OFFICIAL PROLEFT MERCH CONTACT US The Professional Left Podcast PO Box 9133 Springfield IL 62791-9133 Podcast Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.comSci-Fi Trivia Questions: mrs.driftglass@gmail.com SUPPORT US: Paypal | Patreon | GoFundMe READ OUR BLOGS: Driftglass | Blue Gal SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter: @ProLeftPodcast | @mr_electrico | @bluegal Facebook: ProLeftPodcast | BlueGal.Fran | IPOTW Flickr IPOTW Gallery Podcast Archive | RSS Feed Support the show (https://www.paypal.me/proleftpodcast)

Jeffrey Rosen, host of “We the People,” moderates a panel discussion at the Aspen Institute’s Ideas Festival about the Supreme Court’s momentous recent term. From same-sex wedding cakes to voting rights to gerrymandering to public unions, the latest term was full of news-making decisions, even when the Justices decided not to decide. Note: This event was held several hours before Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement from the Court. Next week on "We the People," former Kennedy clerks will be joining us to discuss Justice Kennedy's legacy and the ways in which he shaped the Court. Emily Bazelon is a Lecturer in Law and Senior Research Scholar in Law at Yale Law School. She is also a staff writer at the New York Times Magazine Judge Nancy Gertner is a senior lecturer at Harvard Law School. In September of 2011, Judge Gertner retired from the federal bench.   Mimi Marziani is President of the Texas Civil Rights Project and she teaches at the University of Texas School of Law.   Ramesh Ponnuru is senior editor at National Review, visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and contributor to CBS News. Questions or comments? We would love to hear from you. Contact the We the People team at podcast@constitutioncenter.org The National Constitution Center is offering CLE credits for select America’s Town Hall programs! Get more information at constitutioncenter.org/CLE. 

On this second episode of Deep State Radio recorded in the sylvan beauty of Aspen, Colorado during the Ideas Festival, our regulars including Kori Schake of Stanford, David Sanger of the New York Times and Ed Luce of the Financial Times, explore a few of the top overheard high up in the Rockies. Then they ponder the nature of elites at events like Aspen and why it might be that they seem a bit out of touch sometimes with the reality of the average person. And if you think it's hypocritical for them to do that given that they were at Aspen or frequent events like it, forget it. The Deep State Radio gang fly commercial. On this episode we prove yet again that we are the people's elite. Pass the peanut butter and jelly canapés, please.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/deepstateradio. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this second episode of Deep State Radio recorded in the sylvan beauty of Aspen, Colorado during the Ideas Festival, our regulars including Kori Schake of Stanford, David Sanger of the New York Times and Ed Luce of the Financial Times, explore a few of the top overheard high up in the Rockies. Then they ponder the nature of elites at events like Aspen and why it might be that they seem a bit out of touch sometimes with the reality of the average person. And if you think it's hypocritical for them to do that given that they were at Aspen or frequent events like it, forget it. The Deep State Radio gang fly commercial. On this episode we prove yet again that we are the people's elite. Pass the peanut butter and jelly canapés, please. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rana Mitter and guests will be broadcasting live from the Radio 3's pop up studio at Southbank Centre, London. Norman Ohler, author of Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany, will be revealing the role played by drugs such as methamphetamine in Hitler's downfall. Nikesh Shukla, a former writer in residence at the Royal Festival Hall, has edited a collection of essays called The Good Immigrant. He'll be joined by novelist Kamila Shamsie, who has been involved in a project re-imagining the Canterbury Tales by talking to refugees, to reflect on the impact of migration on individuals, families and beyond. Plus, Catherine Howell, curator of toys and games at the V&A Museum of Childhood and Marie Foulston, curator of video games at the V&A, consider the metamorphosis of gaming from tabletops to laptops. The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla is a collection of essays by 21 British BAME poets, writers, journalists and artists. http://www.nikesh-shukla.com/ He is appearing at the Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival on 22nd October Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany is by Norman Ohler translated by Shaun Whiteside. Kamila Shamsie is discussing Refugee Tales with Josh Cohen and Catherine Bergvall as part of the London Literature Festival at Southbank on Saturday October 8th at 5pm. She is also giving the 7th Castlefield Manchester Sermon at 7pm on October 14th as part of Manchester Literature Festival which runs from October 7th - 23rd. http://www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/ Game Plan: Board Games Rediscovered is at the V&A Museum of Childhood, London E2, from 8 October to 23 April. Producer: Craig Templeton Smith

2016, NEW YORK CITY -- Flanked by Virgil Texas and Sam Kriss, the Chapo boys storm Genius HQ in New York, NY for a sold-out, anti-papist extravaganza. A night of revelry: Celebrity readings of David Brooks and Boss Douthat, the premiere of "Over the Top," the first piece by Chapo Motion Pictures, a psychotherapy break between Sam and Carl Diggler, and a public struggle session after the boys are legally required to share angry messages of the Trap's answering machine. The link to the short film, password, "chapo": https://vimeo.com/183855921 NEXT: Come to Caroline's Monday, 9/26, for Chapo vs. The First Debate.

Free will is at the root of our notions of moral responsibility, choice and judgment. It is at the heart of our conception of the human individual as an autonomous end in himself. Nevertheless, free will is notoriously hard to pin down. Philosophers have denied its existence on the basis that we are determined by the laws of nature, society or history, insisting there is no evidence of free will in the iron chain of cause and effect. Theologians have argued everything happens according to the will of God, not man. And yet, when we decide we want something and act on that, it certainly seems as if we are choosing freely. Are we just kidding ourselves? Some of the most profound contemporary challenges to the idea of free will come from neuroscientists, evolutionary psychologists and biologists. They argue we are effectively programmed to act in certain ways, and only feel as if we make choices. Some argue, for example, that we can easily be nudged into certain types of behaviour if only the right stimuli are applied. It is widely believed that advertising can make us buy things we don’t need or even want. Stronger forms of this reasoning can be found in the idea that early intervention, usually before the age of three, can determine the sort of adult a child will grow up to be. Without such intervention, we are told, their future will be determined by genetics, by their environment, by the way their parents treat them. Nevertheless, common sense still gives strong support to the idea that we have free will. We understand there are relatively large areas of our lives in which it makes sense to say we could have acted differently, with correspondingly different results. The law recognises this too: it is no defence to say you stole because your parents were cruel to you. We feel remorse at opportunities we could have taken but did not. And we do sometimes choose to do the right thing even against our own interests: in extreme cases some even lay down their lives for others and for ideals. Jean-Paul Sartre argued, ‘the coward makes himself cowardly, the hero makes himself heroic; and that there is always a possibility for the coward to give up cowardice and for the hero to stop being a hero’. Is the idea that we might be born cowards, or heroes, an excuse for not facing up to our moral responsibilities? Or is free will really an illusion, the by-product of a vain belief that we are all special? Speakers:Joe Friggieri professor of philosophy and former head of department, University of Malta; poet; playwright; theatre director; three-times winner, National Literary PrizeDr Daniel Glaser head, special projects, public engagement, Wellcome Trust; honorary senior research fellow, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College LondonNeal Lawson chair, Compass; author, All Consuming; former adviser to Gordon Brown; co-editor, Progressive CenturyDr Ellie Lee reader in social policy, University of Kent, Canterbury; director, Centre for Parenting Culture Studies Chair: Angus Kennedy convenor, The Academy; author, Being Cultured: in defence of discriminationRecorded on Sunday 21 October 2012 at the Battle of Ideas Festival at the Barbican in London.

Conversations with Pop Star Keshia Chante, Speaker Alvin Law, Lisa and Nancy from Big Blend Radio, Bobbi DePorter of the 7 Keys to Excellence, Anne Berube of The Ideas Festival, a story by Actor John Dunsworth, and various other segments.

New models and visions for US leadership and its role in rethinking development-assistance for global health.

Seth Berkley, Christopher Elias, Jeff Sturchio, Moderator Lyndon Haviland

Doctors Without Borders and Humanitarian Crises

Societies fail women at key moments in their lives - by not offering them quality health care. The consequences- and costs- of inaction are great. After all, women and girls are major contributors to families, communities, and economies.

We are pouring money into global health humanitarian crises, but is it working?

The H1N1 flu generated tremendous media attention and public concern. How prepared are we for a pandemic? True preparedness means the government, private sector, and NGO community working together.