Podcasts about International development

Neale Richmond, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, discusses Fine Gael's blueprint for a unified island.

David Hunsicker spent two decades at USAID building the institutional capacity for what came to be called Strategic Religious Engagement. That work culminated in the 2023 policy Building Bridges in Development, a framework for partnering with religious communities and faith-based organizations around shared goals. In this conversation, Hunsicker traces the path from a Pennsylvania Dutch upbringing, through conversion to Islam and graduate study in Central Asia, to an unexpected pull into US government work after September 11. We discuss the policy work that followed, what was lost when USAID was closed in 2025, and the new Strategic Religious Engagement Hub at Georgetown's Berkley Center. Show Notes:Building Bridges in Development: USAID's Strategic Religious Engagement Policy (https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/publications/building-bridges-in-development-usaid-s-strategic-religious-engagement-policy/)Send us Fan Mail

Dreaming  about taking a huge bike adventure? Then this episode is for you.Ellie Mitchell-Heggs shares her insights from her solo journey where she cycled 10,000 kilometres  across Africa from Rwanda to Cape Town. All up her trip was nine months long and took her across ten countries. It was also a ride that was layered with both a personal family connection to Africa and loaded up with a huge sense of purpose as well.Alongside the cycling, Ellie spent time in every capital city meeting with over 100 local NGOs, social enterprises and community organisations working in education, youth empowerment and gender equality. Ellie shares how those conversations, got her through the toughest stretches on the road.In this episode we cover:How Ellie got into bikepacking starting with the Vélodyssée down the west coast of FranceWhy she chose to start in Rwanda and ride south The communities and landscapes that shaped each country, from Uganda's warmth to the brutal isolation of Botswana's flat roads70 kilometres being swarmed by tsetse flies in a Tanzanian national parkCanoeing four days down the Zambezi river as a mid-trip resetGrieving her father on the road Cycling through Namibia with two fellow bikepackers.Food poisoning two days from Cape Town, and the unicycle escort into the cityWhat made those NGO conversations so energising Find Ellie on Instagram: @ProjectCycleAfrica Check out Old Man Mountain's new Manzanita Handlebar Cradle  Support the showBuy me a coffee!I'm an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:

Following the stabbing of a man in the city on Monday, riots occurred in Belfast on Monday and Tuestday night. Hadi Alodid, a Sudanese national, with an address at Duncairn Avenue in the city, was charged with attempted murder on Wednesday. There have been calls to examine the open border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, with DUP Leader Gavin Robinson going so far as to say it needs to be “closed.” Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy and Gregory Campbell - DUP MP for East Londonderry and their Westminster Spokesperson on International Development - joined Anton to discuss the situation.

Following the stabbing of a man in the city on Monday, riots occurred in Belfast on Monday and Tuestday night. Hadi Alodid, a Sudanese national, with an address at Duncairn Avenue in the city, was charged with attempted murder on Wednesday. There have been calls to examine the open border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, with DUP Leader Gavin Robinson going so far as to say it needs to be “closed.” Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy and Gregory Campbell - DUP MP for East Londonderry and their Westminster Spokesperson on International Development - joined Anton to discuss the situation.

In this episode, Dr. Baron sits down with Rabbi Megan and Paige GoldMarche, a dedicated couple working within the Jewish communal space, to discuss the deeply personal and complex realities of their family-building journey. Together, they share the emotional, physical, and financial hurdles of facing infertility as a queer couple while holding a profound desire to build their future family. Megan and Paige reflect on the early days of their relationship, tracing the path from their initial meeting at a Shabbat dinner to a shared realization that they wanted to build a life together. Driven by a poignant sense of urgency tied to family health history and a deep desire for their future children to know their grandparents, they set out with a clear timeline. However, their plans were quickly challenged by the clinical realities of donor selection, expensive medical protocols, and the physical toll of consecutive unsuccessful intrauterine inseminations (IUIs). The conversation also explores the complex logistics unique to family building in LGBTQ+, including navigating insurance gaps, utilizing the open healthcare marketplace for secondary coverage, and shifting from local sperm banks to larger cryobanks in search of matching backgrounds. As the journey progressed from IUIs into the world of IVF, the physical and emotional burdens mounted for both partners. This episode captures the heart-wrenching moment of finally receiving a positive pregnancy test, only to immediately face the agonizing anxiety of non-doubling beta numbers and the impending grief of early loss. If you are navigating the heavy intersecting roads of LGBTQ+ family building, medical fertility treatments, or the quiet grief of early pregnancy loss, this episode is for you. About Rabbi Megan GoldMarche: Rabbi Megan grew up in the Chicago suburbs where she found her voice as a Jewish leader at her Conservative youth group and Reform summer camp. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 with a B.A. in Psychology and Women's Studies. Megan then went to work for the Hillel at Yale University where she discovered her passion for working with young people, and realized that rather than pursuing a PhD in Clinical psychology she wanted to use the Jewish tradition as a source of meaning to empower young adults to create their own rich Jewish identities and communities. Megan was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2014 and also received an MA in Jewish Gender and Women's Studies and a certificate in Pastoral Care and Counseling. Megan is an alumna of the Wexner graduate fellowship. Megan served as Senior Base Rabbi at Metro Chicago Hillel where she spent six years leading and building the thriving Base network for Jews in their 20s and 30s. She also has a passion for travel and outdoor adventure- which has currently led her to forty-eight of the fifty states in the US. Megan and her wife Paige, and their daughters Bri and Rori, live in Mt. Airy and loves hosting folks in their home for Shabbat and Holidays! Connect with Rabbi Megan GoldMarche: Instagram‍ About Paige GoldMarche: Paige (she/her) is the mom of two kiddos, a Jewish professional and a challah baker. She is the Director of the Meyer-Gottesman Kol Koleinu Teen Feminist Fellowship at Moving Traditions, working with teens all over the US to building feminist community and learn about activism through a Jewish and feminist lens. Paige is also the Mt Airy Challah Fairy, baking and selling challah for local Philly non-profits. She has a BA in International Development and Social Change from Clark University, an MA in Jewish Communal Service from Baltimore Hebrew Institute at Towson University, and a certificate in Non-Profit Studies from Johns Hopkins University. Paige is an active member of Germantown Jewish Center. Connect with Paige GoldMarche: Instagram‍ Connect with us: Website‍ ‍Instagram - send us a message YouTube‍ ‍Facebook‍ ‍TikTok‍ ‍LinkedIn‍ ‍

Journalist Rosemary Armao  checked back in with Albany native and long-time foreign service officer Michelle Dworkin about that rare Ebola  virus rolling through central Africa. Dworkin lost her job with the US Agency for International Development  last year when the Trump administration shut it down. Armao in her  Beyond the Brink podcast this week explores just how much  the Trump administration is to blame for the latest global health crisis.  Did  layoffs  at USAID and the CDC and a pull-out from the World Health Organization contribute to the disease getting out of control? Are Americans better protected from disease when the country has turned global cooperation on health matters into purely transactional bilateral agreements. You give us your minerals and gems; we'll give you medicine.Should the US rejoin the World Health Organization?US public health policy under Trump/Kennedy has A. put people including Americans at greater risk for infectious diseases B. put some sense into public health planning overly dependent on big Pharma C. sensibly put focus on public health of U.S. citizens D. upended a system of global cooperation on public health matters that worked.Michelle Dworkin was until 2025 a career foreign service officer with the US Agency for International Development. Over, some 23 years, she worked in Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, and Washington, DC. She possesses In-depth knowledge of government processes, congressional affairs, and project development.  She lives now near Albany again with her parents and daughter. 

Journalist Rosemary Armao checked back in with Albany native and long-time foreign service officer Michelle Dworkin about that rare Ebola virus rolling through central Africa. Dworkin lost her job with the US Agency for International Development last year when the Trump administration shut it down. Armao, in her Beyond the Brink podcast this week, explores just how much the Trump administration is to blame for the latest global health crisis. Did layoffs at USAID and the CDC and a pull-out from the World Health Organization contribute to the disease getting out of control? Are Americans better protected from disease when the country has turned global cooperation on health matters into purely transactional bilateral agreements? You give us your minerals and gems; we'll give you medicine.

Concerns over knife crime and safety in Dublin following two separate attacks over the weekend. Is the city becoming less safe?And pressure mounts on the Government to investigate claims that a major Irish employer is exporting products to Russia despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.Guest Presenter Shane Coleman was joined by: Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State for International Development and DiasporaAodhán Ó Ríordáin MEP, LabourTrina O'Connor, CriminologistJohn O'Brennan, Professor of European Politics, Maynooth University Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United States has poured billions into the United Nations to fund relief works, but not all that money goes where you might think. Years of impunity have allowed murder, rape, kidnapping and fraud to flourish in the UN system, yet the UN Secretary General and his team have stonewalled investigations, invoked "privileges and immunities" to shield employees, and protected the worst of the worst. And then there's UNRWA, where investigations report as many as 1,500 employees are members of Hamas, some of whom participated directly in the October 7th attacks on Israel. The USAID Inspector General, operating independently from the State Department, is digging into the corruption and fraud buried inside the UN system and within its ranks. In a break from our usual call for Congress to do its job, we're giving credit where it's due: Members are shining a light on this issue but while Congress requires vetting when writing checks to these agencies, legal requirements are regularly ignored by both Republicans and Democrats in the Executive Branch. The UN's broad "privileges and immunities" have become a cover for taxpayer funded grift and a shield for inexcusable crimes. What can be done to support these investigations? And why continue funding UN agencies with a proven record of violating American law and American national security? Adam Kaplan is the acting Associate Deputy Inspector General at the U.S. Agency for International Development. He works with senior administration officials and Congress to ensure effective oversight of U.S.-funded foreign assistance, with a focus on preventing fraud, corruption, and diversion of humanitarian aid by terrorist organizations. Specializing in oversight of billions of dollars in foreign assistance to Gaza and Ukraine, Adam works with U.S., bilateral, and multilateral agencies to ensure that OIG's criminal investigators have access to information necessary to conduct their criminal, civil, and administrative investigative work. Prior to this role, Adam served as OIG's deputy general counsel, supporting criminal investigators and the Department of Justice on criminal investigations, False Claims Act cases, and suspension/debarment actions. Read the transcript here.Subscribe to our Substack here.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Nicholas Enrich for Part 3 of Food Tank's series exploring the far-reaching impacts of dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development. Enrich is a former civil servant who worked at the U.S. Agency for International Development under four administrations and the author of the new book Into the Wood Chipper: A Whistleblower's Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID. During their conversation, they talk about why he released a series of whistleblower memos to expose the administration's actions, the generational impacts of dismantling the agency, and advice for civil servants trying to speak out against unethical or illegal behavior in their own offices. Plus, U.S. states move to ban food dyes and additives, Thailand's THAIFEX expo highlights the global shift away from ultra-processed foods, U.S.-Mexico trade disputes continue to drive up tomato prices, a federal decision threatens to remove bison from public lands in Montana, and the Hajj brings people and culinary traditions together.  While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

Despite all the advancements we have achieved globally in recent decades, as many as 750 million people still lack access to electricity. Tackling energy poverty requires far more than linking communities to an electric grid. Closing the massive disparity in opportunity for people around the world will require building energy abundance, not just access. Energy is prosperity, and one way to measure it is by the Modern Energy Minimum. Developed by the Energy for Growth Hub, this benchmark posits that a truly modern life requires at least 1,000 kilowatt-hours per person, per year—10 to 20 times the amount typically used to define electricity access.  Here at the Center on Global Energy Policy we're partnering with the Rockefeller Foundation to launch a High-Level Panel on Universal Energy Abundance. The panel is dedicated to providing decision-makers with the insights needed to drive industrialization, job creation, and broad-based prosperity across emerging economies.  So how can we develop and invest in energy infrastructure globally in a way that supports prosperity? What role should governments play? Do the right tools to improve access exist? And how do we navigate the tension between energy growth and climate policy?  Today on the show, Jason speaks with Katie Auth about energy's role in driving lasting economic change and why the modern energy minimum model could produce a meaningfully better standard of living in developing economies. Katie is the deputy executive director at the Energy for Growth Hub, which works to end poverty through sustainable development and climate resilience. She's also a non-resident fellow on US-Africa relations at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a member of the Economic Advisory Council for the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation. Previously, she spent seven years at the U.S. Agency for International Development, including as senior development finance advisor and acting deputy coordinator of Power Africa. Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.  

In this episode of Real Money, Real Experts, hosts Dr. Brandy Baxter and Rachael DeLeon sit down with Lisa Whitley, accredited financial counselor, and founder of MoneyByLisa LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor domiciled in the District of Columbia. Lisa shares her unique journey as a Foreign Service Officer with the United States Agency for International Development into financial counseling and advocacy work. Together, they explore how financial professionals can use their firsthand client experiences to influence policy, support financial wellness initiatives, and create meaningful change at the local, state, and federal levels.From affordability challenges and utility assistance programs to consumer protection and community advocacy, this conversation breaks down how advocacy doesn't have to feel overwhelming — and why even one small step can make a lasting impact.Whether you're passionate about policy or simply looking for ways to better support your clients, this episode is a reminder that your voice matters.Show Notes:00:00 – Welcome back to Real Money, Real Experts00:38 – Introducing guest Lisa Kirchenbauer01:57 – Lisa's journey into government relations and advocacy03:15 – From Wall Street and United States Agency for International Development to financial counseling04:40 – Why Lisa started her own firm, Money by Lisa05:49 – What advocacy looks like in financial wellness06:53 – Why advocacy can feel overwhelming — and how to simplify it08:28 – Starting local: state and community-level advocacy08:48 – The Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education Advocacy Toolkit and practical resources10:46 – Learning from other states and sharing solutions11:35 – Why AFCs are subject matter experts in financial wellness13:44 – Key policy issues impacting clients right now16:08 – Practical first steps for getting involved in advocacy17:48 – A real-world example of community advocacy creating policy change19:49 – Lisa's 2 Cents20:59 – How the Government Relations Task Force supports the AFCPE communityShow Note Links:Check out our Government Relations Advocacy Toolkit!  Follow MoneyByLisa on Facebook!Connect with Lisa on Linkedin!Learn more about MoneyByLisa!Want to get involved with AFCPE®?Here are a few places to start: Become a Member, Sign up for an Essentials Course, or Get AFC Certified today!Want to support the podcast? We love partnering with organizations that share our mission and values. Download our media kit.

Cyber and Operational Risk in the Quantum Era: Financial Stability amid Escalating Geopolitical ConflictThis panel took place at the 2026 International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group Spring Meetings.Financial stability is under fire as geopolitics and cyber risk collide. As global tensions intensify and technological capabilities accelerate, financial institutions face a rapidly evolving threat landscape where cyber operations, financial crime, and state-sponsored actors are increasingly intertwined. From ransomware campaigns and sanctions evasion to sophisticated cyber intrusions targeting critical infrastructure, adversaries are exploiting digital systems and global financial networks in new and complex ways.As these threats continue to evolve, the quantum horizon introduces an additional layer of strategic risk. This executive panel will examine how advances in quantum computing could reshape cyber and operational risk across the financial sector, while also considering the growing convergence between cyber-enabled crime, ransomware payments, sanctions evasion, and global illicit finance networks. Leaders from policy, finance, and technology will explore the implications of quantum-enabled decryption, the expanding links between cyber threats and illicit finance, and the operational vulnerabilities that could undermine confidence in critical financial infrastructure.The discussion focused on how institutions and regulators can strengthen resilience, enhance cross-border coordination, and prepare for a future in which emerging technologies, cyber conflict, ransomware, and financial crime increasingly intersect. The panel explored what these developments mean for international efforts to combat cyber-enabled financial crime and how global standards bodies, national authorities, and financial institutions can strengthen cooperation to protect the integrity and resilience of the international financial system.Opening Remarks:Cindy Termorshuizen, Deputy Minister of International Development, Government of CanadaPanelists:Giles Thomson, Director, Economic Crime and Sanctions, His Majesty's Treasury; Incoming President, FATFStefan Ingves, Chair, Toronto Centre; Former Governor, Sveriges RiksbankMichele Mosca, Professor, Institute for Quantum Computing, University of WaterlooModerator:Jennifer Elliott, Assistant Director, Monetary and Capital Markets, IMF; Board Member, Toronto CentreWatch the executive panel session here.Read the transcript here. Read their biographies here.

Derek Mooney, Political Communications and Public Affairs Consultant, joins today's panel of Neale Richmond, Fine Gael TD for Dublin Rathdown and Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Eoin Ó Broin, Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Mid-West and Jennifer Whitmore, Social Democrats TD for Wicklow.

In this episode Divya speaks with Rachel Carmenta, Associate Professor of Climate Change and International Development at the University of East Anglia. They discuss Rachel's recent work on the poverty–biodiversity loss association (PBLA) and the idea of connected conservation. In this scholarship, Rachel and her colleagues critically examine how mainstream conservation narratives have often framed poor and rural communities as drivers of biodiversity decline, while overlooking the larger structural forces, such as extractive industries, unsustainable patterns of consumption, and unequal political and economic systems, that are central to environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. They also discuss how poverty is often reduced to income deprivation and how that framing has made conservation and development programs to focus heavily on cash-based incentives and payment schemes. Rachel argues that poverty is way more than income deprivation; instead, it must be understood as multidimensional, encompassing wellbeing, dignity, health, education, security, and access to social services. This broader understanding challenges narrow approaches to both poverty alleviation and conservation governance. Another important theme in their discussion is connected conservation, which emphasizes the interconnected relationships between people, ecosystems, livelihoods, cultural practices, and local knowledge systems, rather than viewing conservation and human wellbeing as separate or competing goals. In this context, Rachel reflects on biocultural conservation and the importance of recognizing the ways communities live with, care for, and understand their environments and what these relationships can teach us about more just and meaningful approaches to conservation in a rapidly changing world. References: Carmenta, R., Lima, M.G.B., Choiruzzad, S.A., Dawson, N., Estrada-Carmona, N., Hicks, C., Kallis, G., Nana, E., Killick, E., Lees, A. and Martin, A., 2025. Unveiling pervasive assumptions: moving beyond the poverty-biodiversity loss association in conservation. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 74, p.101537. Tebboth, M.G., Carmenta, R., Minas, A., Adelekan, A., Cao, X., Fullonton, A., Kinally, C., Cataldo, N.L., Mander, S. and Shelton, C., 2025. The ‘how'of transformation: Principles for a justice-centered response to the climate and biodiversity crises. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 67(3), pp.7-23. Carmenta, R., Barlow, J., Lima, M.G.B., Berenguer, E., Choiruzzad, S., Estrada-Carmona, N., França, F., Kallis, G., Killick, E., Lees, A. and Martin, A., 2023. Connected Conservation: Rethinking conservation for a telecoupled world. Biological Conservation, 282, p.110047. Lapola, D.M., Pinho, P., Barlow, J., Aragão, L.E., Berenguer, E., Carmenta, R., Liddy, H.M., Seixas, H., Silva, C.V., Silva-Junior, C.H. and Alencar, A.A., 2023. The drivers and impacts of Amazon forest degradation. Science, 379(6630), pp. 8622. Carmenta, R., Zaehringer, J.G., Balvanera, P., Betley, E., Dawson, N.M., Estrada‐Carmona, N., Forster, J., Hoelle, J., Lliso, B., Llopis, J.C. and Menon, A., 2023. Exploring the relationship between plural values of nature, human well‐being, and conservation and development intervention: Why it matters and how to do it?. People and nature, 5(6), pp.1720-1738.

More To The Story: When Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, went looking for government agencies to axe last year, one of its first targets was the US Agency for International Development. Established during the Cold War to counter Soviet influence, USAID spent billions of dollars on food aid, public health, and emergency relief for some of the world's most vulnerable populations. In return, the US hoped to gain allies and goodwill. Call it a decades-long exercise in soft power. But since President Donald Trump returned to office, soft power is out. And so is USAID, which has been slashed and reorganized. The Trump administration is trying to close the agency altogether by September. This has led to some horrific consequences for the people who relied on USAID to survive. On this week's More To The Story, ProPublica's Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Brett Murphy join host Al Letson to talk about their on-the-ground reporting from Africa and how the Trump administration's aid cuts are leading to devastating, even deadly, consequences.Producer: Josh Sanburn | Editor: Kara McGuirk-Allison | Theme music: Fernando Arruda and Jim Briggs | Copy editor: Nikki Frick | Digital producer: Artis Curiskis | Deputy executive producer: Taki Telonidis | Executive producer: Brett Myers | Executive editor: James West | Host: Al LetsonRead: Russell Vought Raided USAID Budgets He Helped Gut to Pay for His Own Security (Mother Jones)Listen: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping Our Country (More To The Story)Read: Trump Officials Celebrated With Cake After Slashing Aid. Then People Died of Cholera. (ProPublica)Listen: Paper Trail (ProPublica) Donate today at Revealnews.org/more Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at Revealnews.org/weekly Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

At this pivotal moment for British politics, Compass has been very proud to release ‘What is the Soft Left?‘.Our newest publication – which you can read here – dives into the history of the soft left within the Labour Party. It charts the grouping's course from the 1980s divide to the present day emergence of Mainstream and showcases how the soft left is now moving from kingmaker to royalty within the party.But, in a turbulent week, what is that soft left position and what part does it actually have to play now? What is the ‘Democratic Left' and how does it differ to the older ‘left Labourist' position?To discuss all of these, we're excited to be joined by:Clare Short, former Secretary of State for International Development (1997-2003) and Member of Parliament for Birmingham Ladywood (1983-2010).Jon Cruddas, former policy coordinator for the Labour Party (2012-2015) and Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham (2001-2024).Support the showEnjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist?Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member!You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice. 

US President Donald Trump is in China to meet with his counterpart Xi Jinping. They're expected to discuss their current tense trade relationship, the Middle East war, and negotiate an extension of their trade truce agreed in October that paused tariff escalation between the two nations.India has raised import tariffs on gold and silver purchased abroad to ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves after feeling the squeeze from rising energy prices. They're the world's second largest consumer for precious metals, and we hear how this is likely to affect global demand.Open AI CEO Sam Altman testified in court today in the ongoing case against Elon Musk, concluding the evidentiary portion of the trial. Closing arguments are due next. Our North America technology correspondent Lily Jamali gives us an update from California.And how has the aid sector affected Africa after Donald Trump closed the US Agency for International Development? Ed Butler reports from a maternity care project and speaks with experts across the continent.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down his fifth federal budget yesterday, unveiling a range of measures including significant changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax. In this podcast, we speak with Minister for International Development, Small Business and Multicultural Affairs Anne Aly about these key reforms, what is stored for multicultural communities and how the budget aims to support small businesses.

This week on Swimming with Allocators, Wes Panek joins Earnest and Alexa to share his unconventional journey from consulting and international development to venture capital, and ultimately to his current role as an LP at the Astera Institute, a multi-billion-dollar foundation focused on deep tech and frontier science. Wes explains how his family background shaped his desire to make markets work for everyone, what he learned evaluating hundreds of emerging managers at Screen Door, and why he believes there is no single playbook for success in venture. He breaks down how and why Astera is adding fund investing alongside grants and research, the structural advantages of foundations backing deep tech funds, and the gaps he sees in LP coverage of technical managers. Wes also offers practical lessons on building a new fund-of-funds program from scratch, including the importance of deploying capital sooner, being highly selective with time, and leveraging flexibility without losing discipline. For LPs and GPs interested in deep tech, he shares advice on underwriting technical strategies without a PhD, the rare “unicorn” profile of ideal managers, and concrete qualifiers for funds that might be a fit for Astera's capital. Additionally, Chuck Daly of Sidley explains how today's SEC and global regulators are refocusing on core anti-fraud, valuation, conflicts of interest, and disclosure principles for venture managers, with growing state and international scrutiny—especially around process, governance, and ESG — outside the US. Highlights from this week's conversation include: Wes's Journey From Consulting to International Development and Venture (0:35)   Learning GP–LP Dynamics and Two Customers in Venture (3:55)   Mission of Astera Institute and Focus on Frontier Tech (5:54)   Adding Fund Investing and Deep Tech Focus at Astera (7:19)   Designing Astera's Deep Tech Fund Strategy as an Experiment (11:05)   Regulatory Priorities for VC Managers: Communication and Anti Fraud (15:45)   SEC Expectations on Valuation Process and Consistency (20:21)   Global Regulatory Trends and ESG Focus for Venture (23:20)   Foundation vs Fund of Funds: Flexibility, Risk, and Time Horizon (28:36)   How Astera Underwrites Deep Tech Funds and Direct Investments (29:09)   Do LPs Need To Be Technical and How To Skill Up (34:43)   Ideal Traits of Deep Tech GPs and Wes's Bias Toward Technical Founders (39:52)   Fund Parameters Wes Backs: Size, Stage, and Themes (43:20)   Astera Institute is a philanthropic organization dedicated to advancing frontier science and technology for the benefit of humanity. The Institute supports in-house scientific research, grantmaking, direct investments, and fund investing to accelerate progress in areas such as artificial intelligence, neuroscience, energy, and other deep-tech domains. Learn more at asterainstitute.org.   Sidley Austin LLP is a premier global law firm with a dedicated Venture Funds practice, advising top venture capital firms, institutional investors, and private equity sponsors on fund formation, investment structuring, and regulatory compliance. With deep expertise across private markets, Sidley provides strategic legal counsel to help funds scale effectively. Learn more at sidley.com. Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies.  The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neale Richmond, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora

I know it’s been a while, but I’m back, ready to serve up advice, instruction, food for thought, and all else in between. This week, my friend Kevin D. Turner is my guest. He was actually on my LinkedIn live back in December, but I thought his advice was relevant for all job seekers. Here’s what you should know about Kevin: Fortune 50 Sales & Marketing Management to Venture Capital (VP), to Public & Private Turnarounds (CEO & VP), executively leading a Non-Profit 50 internationally into 140 countries (International Director). He’s helped thousands with LinkedIn profile optimizations.  Held Sales, Marketing, and Branding leadership roles with SONY, Stone VC, Thomas Nelson, TurneRRounD, American Teachers, American Heart Association, & TNT Brand Strategist. Director of International Development for the American Heart Association. Here are a few of Kevin’s main points:  Open to Work and the LinkedIn verification process. LinkedIn Recruiting tool and its safety concerns.  Impersonations of legitimate career services professionals.  Scammers’ use of emerging technology makes fake profiles look legit.  LinkedIn, like many sites with jobs, has had data breaches or exposure. The post Is LinkedIn Safe? What Every Job Seeker Needs to Know Now first appeared on The Voice of Job Seekers.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, President and CEO of PAI, for Part 2 of Food Tank's series exploring the far-reaching impacts of dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development. They discuss what USAID's closure means for clinics and the women they cared for, the link between gender equity and global food security, and the opportunity we have to realign on how global health is delivered. Plus, New York takes steps to close the GRAS loophole, cacao farmers in Bolivia protect their land from the mining industry, research reveals powerful climate solutions for cities, MAHA supporters grow disillusioned with the Trump-Vance Administration, and more.  While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

Kenneth Strange joins Locked In with Ian Bick to share his journey from being a Spanish and English teacher in New York to spending over two decades as a federal agent working some of the most complex cases in the system. After living in Saudi Arabia in the late 1970s, where he witnessed early signs of extremism that shaped his career, Kenneth went on to work with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Department of Justice. In this episode, he breaks down his 21 years in federal law enforcement, including terrorism investigations, white collar crime cases, and his time in internal affairs. He also shares what he saw from the inside, how these cases are actually handled, and the reality of working within the system. _____________________________________________ #FBI #FederalAgent #TrueCrime #LawEnforcement #CrimeStories #Undercover #Corruption #LockedInPodcast _____________________________________________ Connect with Kenneth Strange: https://kennethstrange.com/ _____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ _____________________________________________ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop _____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 Inside the FBI & Terrorism Cases (Full Story) 01:12 Growing Up in Brooklyn 02:00 Early Curiosity & Love of Storytelling 03:07 Relationship with My Father 05:32 Education, Language & Early Influences 07:27 Choosing a Career Path 07:41 Teaching in Saudi Arabia & Exposure to Terrorism 13:10 Understanding Terrorism in the Middle East 19:59 Deciding to Serve: FBI vs CIA 25:04 FBI Training & Early Challenges 32:05 First Assignment: Newark & Joint Terrorism Task Force 35:12 Early Terrorism Investigations (IRA Case) 38:09 International Cases & Real Threats 44:30 Inside U.S. Terror Cells & Missed Warnings 57:40 Leaving the FBI & Transition to Fraud Cases 01:04:20 Internal Affairs & Inspector General Work 01:08:42 Bureau of Prisons Investigations & Corruption Cases 01:19:12 Investigating Corruption in Law Enforcement 01:24:13 “Bad Apples” in Policing & Lessons Learned 01:27:03 Border Patrol Corruption Investigations 01:30:03 Retirement, Life Lessons & Final Thoughts _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week's episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney speak with RealClearPolitics reporter Susan Crabtree about her new book (co-authored with Jed McFatter) “Fool's Gold: The Radicals, Con Artists, and Traitors Who Killed the California Dream and Now Threaten Us All.”   In our round-up of the week's best investigative reporting, Zane and Varney discuss articles in the Washington Free Beacon and USA today on the federal indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center stemming from its payment of some $3 million from 2014 to 2023 to members of the KKK, Aryan Nations, National Alliance, and other "violent extremist" groups who allegedly served as informants and a New York Times article about people who lost their jobs when the Trump administration shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development. 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest 01:07 Indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center 06:08 Critique of USAID and Its Impact 11:11 Introduction to Susan Crabtree and Her Book 13:59 California's Failed Policies and Their Consequences 20:01 Media's Role in California's Issues 22:49 California's Infrastructure and Union Influence 24:30 Transforming Transportation in California 26:20 The Homelessness Crisis: A Deep Dive 29:10 The Role of NGOs and Nonprofits 32:33 Corruption and Accountability in California 36:26 Gavin Newsom's Ties to China 42:25 The Future of California Politics Articles Discussed in This Podcast: Susan Crabtree & Jed McFatter: “Fool's Gold: The Radicals, Con Artists, and Traitors Who Killed the California Dream and Now Threaten Us All.”  Washington Free Beacon: Southern Poverty Law Center's Off-Shore Riches  USA Today: FBI: SPLC Paid Informants Without Donors Knowing. Feds Pay Them Too Data Republican: How the Charlottesville Rally and SPLC Birthed Billion-Dollar-Plus ‘Democracy' Ecosystem New York Times: A Year After U.S.A.I.D.'s Death, Fired Workers Find Few Jobs and Much Loss   Sign up for the RealClearInvestigations Newsletter. Watch each episode on the RealClearPolitics YouTube ChannelContact us with your thoughts and feedback: jpederzane@realclearinvestigations.com

What makes Australia's Constitution so effective, and why do so few people understand it? In this interview, Ian Callinan and Mark Fowler unpack the origins of our legal system, the role of philosophy in shaping law, and the importance of keeping power accountable.They also tackle modern challenges: the push for a Human Rights Act, the rise of postmodern thinking, and the growing tension between individual “truths” and objective justice. The result is a powerful discussion on the future of law, freedom, and society.Mark Fowler is an Adjunct Associate Professor at his alma mater, the University of New England School of Law, and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame School of Law, Sydney. He is an Appeals Panel member for the Australian Council for International Development, the peak body for Australian non-government organisations (NGOs) involved in international development and humanitarian action. He is the author of Beauty and The Law.The Honourable Ian Callinan was appointed as a Justice of the High Court in February 1998. He remained a Justice of the High Court until 1 September 2007. He has mediated and arbitrated in an extensive range of commercial, energy, revenue, mining, construction, regulatory, IT and other disputes throughout Australia and overseas.

In 2025, the Trump administration dissolved the $40 billion U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. Days later, an exemption for "life-saving humanitarian assistance" was issued. But what that included was not specified and aid for health programs has been drastically reduced. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports from Uganda where there has been a spike in disease-related deaths since the cut. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

What happens when the systems designed to support global stability quietly fade into the background—or worse, get ignored altogether? In this episode of We Vote Too, host Leise Winny sits down with Clifford Brown, a retired Senior U.S. Foreign Service Officer and author of Inside USAID: An Odyssey of Foreign Assistance, to unpack the role the U.S. Agency for International Development actually plays in the world—and why most Americans don't think about it until it's too late.From his early days working on tugboats and traveling through Latin America during moments of political upheaval, to leading U.S. development missions in West Africa, Clifford brings decades of firsthand experience to a conversation that feels more urgent than ever. Together, we explore how foreign aid connects directly to U.S. national interests, what happens when that support is reduced or politicized, and why development work is often misunderstood at home.This episode challenges the idea that foreign aid is optional—and instead reframes it as a critical tool for global stability, diplomacy, and long-term peace. Because when we “forget” about institutions like USAID, the consequences don't stay overseas—they come back home.

In this episode, panelists examine how multilateral partnerships, innovative approaches, and strengthened financing can scale recovery and humanitarian efforts, enhance inclusion, and deliver durable outcomes for crisis-affected communities.   Host: Shannon K. O'Neil, Senior Vice President of Studies and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair, CFR   Guests: Reem Alabali Radovan, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany   Hanin Sayyed, Minister of Social Affairs of Lebanon   David Miliband, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Rescue Committee; Former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, United Kingdom   Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President, The Rockefeller Foundation; Former Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development; CFR Member    Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR's Daily News Brief newsletter.   To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: Delivering at the Frontline: Scaling Support for Fragile and Conflict-Affected States

Energy abundance means different things in today's global context than it did even a decade ago. It is about expanding electricity access while meeting rising energy demand. It is about navigating geopolitical fragmentation, limited government support, shifting development priorities, and leveraging new technologies to deliver reliable power at scale. But the challenge is not just technological. It is institutional and financial. Many low- and middle-income countries face high capital costs, limited access to financing, and policy frameworks that struggle to keep pace with growing demand.  Solving this challenge is a priority for both the Center on Global Energy Policy and the Rockefeller Foundation, which together have launched a new high-level panel to advance universal energy abundance. This initiative positions reliable, affordable energy as a cornerstone of economic growth, industrialization, and opportunity in emerging and developing economies.  So what does it take to move from energy scarcity and toward energy abundance? Can international institutions, governments, and investors come together to mobilize the scale of investment required? And how can emerging economies balance the urgency of expanding energy access with the need for affordability, reliability, and sustainability? Today on the show, Jason Bordoff speaks with Rajiv Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation, about the high-level panel on universal energy abundance and its goals. Rajiv leads The Rockefeller Foundation's mission to promote the well-being of humanity by ending energy poverty for more than a billion people, ensuring universal access to food, and strengthening health systems. During the Obama administration, he led the US Agency for International Development as its administrator. He also served on the National Security Council, where he elevated the role of development as part of a bipartisan foreign policy. Earlier in his career, Rajiv developed programs to address climate change and global food security at the US Department of Agriculture and held leadership roles at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Caroline Pitman, Alice Manos, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.  

For the second time in 12 years Glasgow is preparing to host the Commonwealth Games after Australia's Victoria state pulled out because of increased costs. Victoria's withdrawal raised questions about whether the 2026 games would go ahead before Glasgow agreed to step in. Staging a sporting mega-event is expensive and governments face increasing scrutiny over public spending. Victoria's decision raised wider questions about affordability for potential hosts. At the same time, critics question the Games' political relevance, given its origins in Britain's colonial past.The Commonwealth Games Federation says the event can be delivered in a more sustainable way and argues that it brings cultural and economic benefits to host cities, but recent editions have run into significant costs and budget pressures.This week on The Inquiry, Tanya Beckett asks ‘Is it time to scrap the Commonwealth Games?'ContributorsDr Stuart Whigham, Senior Lecturer in Sport, Coaching and Physical Education at Oxford Brookes University, UKDr Matthew McDowell, Lecturer in Sport Policy, Management, and International Development at the University of Edinburgh, UK Dr Verity Postlethwaite, Lecturer in Strategic Event Management at Loughborough University, UKProfessor Gayle McPherson, Associate Dean for Research at the University of the West of Scotland, and Director of Legacy and Community Engagement for Commonwealth Games Scotland, UKPresenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Matt Toulson Researcher: Evie Yabsley Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Editor: Tom Bigwood Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey(Photo: Commonwealth Games Gold Medal. Credit: Adrian Dennis/Getty Images)

In this CID Voices Road to GEM26 podcast episode, Harvard Kennedy School student Carissa Tridina speaks with Professor Chatib Basri, former Finance Minister of Indonesia and current visiting scholar at CID, about the structural shifts reshaping development and financing today. As global aid shrinks and countries' debt burdens rise, governments face tighter fiscal space and more complex political trade-offs as they try to build sustained growth. During the episode, we explore how building state capacity in domestic financing, institutional credibility, and leadership is critical. The conversation also looks at Professor Basri's experience with Indonesia's political economy reforms, and whether the lessons learned can be applied to the present and across different contexts in an increasingly fragmented global economy. Whether you're interested in international development, financing, or state capacity, this episode offers timely insight into how the shifting landscape affects all development actors.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Abby Maxman, the President and CEO of Oxfam America for Part 1 of Food Tank's new series exploring the far-reaching impacts of dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development. They discuss why the loss of humanitarian assistance is particularly damaging for women and girls, the eroded trust that could take years to rebuild with on-the-ground partners, and the consequences that will be felt for generations to come. Plus, hear about what the future holds for vertical farming, a recent court's action on animal welfare regulations, Côte D'Ivoire's new tech hubs to empower women farmers, and more. While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

Gender is becoming a central battleground in contemporary authoritarian politics, but how do autocrats manipulate these debates to their own advantage? Some regimes now pursue a double strategy of simultaneous “gender bashing” and “gender washing”: mobilising anti-gender rhetoric and “traditional values” to attack feminists and roll back equality, while at the same time promoting loyal women into prominent roles to project an image of modernity, reform, and inclusion at home and abroad. By combining repression with reputation laundering, they mask authoritarian practices and complicate the struggle for genuine gender equality. Join the People, Power, Politics podcast as we talk to Elin Bjarnegård and Pär Zetterberg about their latest Journal of Democracy article and explore how this mix of gender bashing and gender washing is reshaping the fight for equal rights and democratic politics. Guest: Elin Bjarnegård is a Professor of Political Science at Uppsala University specialising in gender and politics, political violence, and authoritarianism. Her research explores how gender norms shape political institutions and how formal and informal rules affect women's political representation. She has written extensively on gendered power structures, clientelism, and the strategic manipulation of equality reforms. A leading scholar in the field, Bjarnegård's work has been published in major academic journals and contributes to our understanding of how gender dynamics intersect with democratic decline and political reform. Pär Zetterberg is a Professor of Political Science at Uppsala University specialising in elections, political representation, and democratic institutions. His research examines gender quotas, electoral systems, and the conditions under which institutional reforms strengthen or undermine democratic accountability. He has published widely on women's political representation and the effects of electoral rules on inclusion and governance. Through his academic and policy engagement, Zetterberg has advanced debates on how representation can both support and be instrumentalised within contemporary political systems. Presenter: Dr Nic Cheeseman is the Professor of Democracy and International Development at the University of Birmingham and Founding Director of CEDAR. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Join us to better understand the factors that promote and undermine democratic government around the world and follow us on Twitter at @CEDAR_Bham! Transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Gender is becoming a central battleground in contemporary authoritarian politics, but how do autocrats manipulate these debates to their own advantage? Some regimes now pursue a double strategy of simultaneous “gender bashing” and “gender washing”: mobilising anti-gender rhetoric and “traditional values” to attack feminists and roll back equality, while at the same time promoting loyal women into prominent roles to project an image of modernity, reform, and inclusion at home and abroad. By combining repression with reputation laundering, they mask authoritarian practices and complicate the struggle for genuine gender equality. Join the People, Power, Politics podcast as we talk to Elin Bjarnegård and Pär Zetterberg about their latest Journal of Democracy article and explore how this mix of gender bashing and gender washing is reshaping the fight for equal rights and democratic politics. Guest: Elin Bjarnegård is a Professor of Political Science at Uppsala University specialising in gender and politics, political violence, and authoritarianism. Her research explores how gender norms shape political institutions and how formal and informal rules affect women's political representation. She has written extensively on gendered power structures, clientelism, and the strategic manipulation of equality reforms. A leading scholar in the field, Bjarnegård's work has been published in major academic journals and contributes to our understanding of how gender dynamics intersect with democratic decline and political reform. Pär Zetterberg is a Professor of Political Science at Uppsala University specialising in elections, political representation, and democratic institutions. His research examines gender quotas, electoral systems, and the conditions under which institutional reforms strengthen or undermine democratic accountability. He has published widely on women's political representation and the effects of electoral rules on inclusion and governance. Through his academic and policy engagement, Zetterberg has advanced debates on how representation can both support and be instrumentalised within contemporary political systems. Presenter: Dr Nic Cheeseman is the Professor of Democracy and International Development at the University of Birmingham and Founding Director of CEDAR. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Join us to better understand the factors that promote and undermine democratic government around the world and follow us on Twitter at @CEDAR_Bham! Transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies

Gender is becoming a central battleground in contemporary authoritarian politics, but how do autocrats manipulate these debates to their own advantage? Some regimes now pursue a double strategy of simultaneous “gender bashing” and “gender washing”: mobilising anti-gender rhetoric and “traditional values” to attack feminists and roll back equality, while at the same time promoting loyal women into prominent roles to project an image of modernity, reform, and inclusion at home and abroad. By combining repression with reputation laundering, they mask authoritarian practices and complicate the struggle for genuine gender equality. Join the People, Power, Politics podcast as we talk to Elin Bjarnegård and Pär Zetterberg about their latest Journal of Democracy article and explore how this mix of gender bashing and gender washing is reshaping the fight for equal rights and democratic politics. Guest: Elin Bjarnegård is a Professor of Political Science at Uppsala University specialising in gender and politics, political violence, and authoritarianism. Her research explores how gender norms shape political institutions and how formal and informal rules affect women's political representation. She has written extensively on gendered power structures, clientelism, and the strategic manipulation of equality reforms. A leading scholar in the field, Bjarnegård's work has been published in major academic journals and contributes to our understanding of how gender dynamics intersect with democratic decline and political reform. Pär Zetterberg is a Professor of Political Science at Uppsala University specialising in elections, political representation, and democratic institutions. His research examines gender quotas, electoral systems, and the conditions under which institutional reforms strengthen or undermine democratic accountability. He has published widely on women's political representation and the effects of electoral rules on inclusion and governance. Through his academic and policy engagement, Zetterberg has advanced debates on how representation can both support and be instrumentalised within contemporary political systems. Presenter: Dr Nic Cheeseman is the Professor of Democracy and International Development at the University of Birmingham and Founding Director of CEDAR. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Join us to better understand the factors that promote and undermine democratic government around the world and follow us on Twitter at @CEDAR_Bham! Transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

In this episode CID Voices Road to GEM26 podcast, Harvard Kennedy School student Stuti Goyal speaks with Vishnu Venugopalan, an Indian Administrative Service officer and Practitioner in Residence at the Harvard Center for International Development. Anchored in CID's research theme of Trade, Growth, and Regional Economics, the conversation explores how countries position themselves within shifting global supply chains. Drawing on his experience leading investment promotion in Tamil Nadu, Venugopalan reflects on the practical realities of industrial policy — from attracting private firms and investment to building the institutional capacity required to sustain manufacturing ecosystems. The discussion moves beyond strategy to implementation: how governments identify binding constraints, coordinate public goods, and translate global ambitions into local economic opportunity. Venugopalan also reflects on workforce development in an era of automation and on his experience deploying digital tools to reduce maternal mortality in Tamil Nadu's public health system. What does it take for countries to move up global value chains? And how can governments design policies that turn industrial growth into inclusive development?

Gender is becoming a central battleground in contemporary authoritarian politics, but how do autocrats manipulate these debates to their own advantage? Some regimes now pursue a double strategy of simultaneous “gender bashing” and “gender washing”: mobilising anti-gender rhetoric and “traditional values” to attack feminists and roll back equality, while at the same time promoting loyal women into prominent roles to project an image of modernity, reform, and inclusion at home and abroad. By combining repression with reputation laundering, they mask authoritarian practices and complicate the struggle for genuine gender equality. Join the People, Power, Politics podcast as we talk to Elin Bjarnegård and Pär Zetterberg about their latest Journal of Democracy article and explore how this mix of gender bashing and gender washing is reshaping the fight for equal rights and democratic politics. Guest: Elin Bjarnegård is a Professor of Political Science at Uppsala University specialising in gender and politics, political violence, and authoritarianism. Her research explores how gender norms shape political institutions and how formal and informal rules affect women's political representation. She has written extensively on gendered power structures, clientelism, and the strategic manipulation of equality reforms. A leading scholar in the field, Bjarnegård's work has been published in major academic journals and contributes to our understanding of how gender dynamics intersect with democratic decline and political reform. Pär Zetterberg is a Professor of Political Science at Uppsala University specialising in elections, political representation, and democratic institutions. His research examines gender quotas, electoral systems, and the conditions under which institutional reforms strengthen or undermine democratic accountability. He has published widely on women's political representation and the effects of electoral rules on inclusion and governance. Through his academic and policy engagement, Zetterberg has advanced debates on how representation can both support and be instrumentalised within contemporary political systems. Presenter: Dr Nic Cheeseman is the Professor of Democracy and International Development at the University of Birmingham and Founding Director of CEDAR. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Join us to better understand the factors that promote and undermine democratic government around the world and follow us on Twitter at @CEDAR_Bham! Transcript here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

When then-U.S. president John F . Kennedy created the United States Agency for International Development in 1961, it was meant primarily to administer health and food aid around the world. In the decades since, USAID expanded to become one of the world's largest financial contributors to conservation, providing nearly $400 million annually before the end of 2024. However, that money is now completely gone after the current president, Donald Trump, gutted and shut down the agency in one of his first acts upon returning to office in January 2025. Since then, an estimated 834,000 people have lost their lives as a result of the ending of health programs, two-thirds of them likely children, according to an analysis from Impact Counter. Much of the agency's health focus was on HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. "Support for HIV/AIDS treatment, malaria control and other initiatives have saved an estimated 91 million lives just over the past 20 years," says environmental reporter Michelle Nijhuis. Nijhuis, who joins Mongabay's podcast this week, says it's a similar story on the conservation front, with projects around the world suddenly losing their main — and in many cases their only — source of funding. She notes that "$400 million [was] going toward really creative … successful conservation projects in some of the most endangered habitats in the world [that] were also stopped abruptly." The impact is being felt in places and communities that relied on this funding, such as Ethiopia, the Congo Basin, the Amazon and Indonesia. Also affected are many of the world's largest conservation NGOs, some of which received tens of millions of dollars from USAID annually. The long-term damage from this, Nijhuis says, is very difficult to measure. "Some of the effects we're already seeing, but some of the effects are going to be much slower to appear, much harder to measure," she says, "and in many ways we will not know what we've lost." Michell Nijhuis is also the author of the recent book Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction. Initiatives mentioned by Nijhuis: One Earth Partners Reimagining Conservation Project Please take a minute to let us know what you think of our podcast, here. Mike DiGirolamo is the host & producer for the Mongabay Newscast based in Sydney. Find him on LinkedIn and Bluesky. Image Credit: The WeMUNIZE program in Nigeria, significantly disrupted by aid cuts, used digital record keeping and community engagement to increase early childhood immunizations. Image by KC Nwakalor for USAID/Digital Development Communications via Flickr (CC BY 2.0). —- Timecodes (00:00) How USAID funded conservation (05:10) Human health and conservation fallout after USAID shuts down (13:52) Large NGOs feel the impact (21:39) 'We will not know what we lost' (31:45) How conservation groups are surviving (37:34) The bright spots

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Emily Rees, the President and CEO of CropLife International. They discuss women's leadership in food systems, what the shuttering of the U.S. Agency for International Development means for agriculture research and development, intellectual property rights, and the role of integrated pest management for long- term sustainability. Plus, hear about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries who are suing the government, new research to curb transmission of avian flu, what the war in Iran means for fertilizer prices and acute hunger globally, and more.  While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

It's Wednesday, March 18th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Timothy Reed Swedish Christian family guilty of “religious extremism” for going to church The European Court of Human Rights refused to hear an appeal of a Swedish Christian family in a case involving parental rights and religious freedom. Back in 2022, officials in Sweden separated Daniel and Bianca Samson from their two eldest daughters. The state found no evidence of abuse but accused the family of “religious extremism” for simply attending church three times a week. Morales Sancho, Legal Counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom International, stated, “The element of religious discrimination is also unmistakable in this case. The state labeled the family as religious extremists solely because of their active practice of their Christian faith.” Psalm 14:4 asks, “Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up My people as they eat bread, and do not call on the LORD?” Swedish population embraces sexual perversion Sadly, people in Sweden are the most likely to view homosexuality as morally acceptable in a recent Pew Research survey. The study surveyed 30,000 people across 25 countries. People in European countries were also among the most likely to be morally accepting of homosexuality, abortion, and divorce.   Christianity's decline in England People in Britain are worried about the decline of Christianity in the nation. A study by Whitestone Insight found that 52% of Brits believe that drifting from their Christian roots is bad for future generations. Fifty-eight percent also said that Christianity plays a beneficial role in public life.  This comes as Christian identification has declined. Only 44% of adults in Britain identified as Christian last year, down from 54% in 2018. Carrie Prejean, who objected to Zionism, was fired by Trump's religious liberty commissionIn the United States, a member of the U.S. President's Religious Liberty Commission, Carrie Prejean Boller, was removed from her position after she registered opposition to Zionism last month.  A recent convert to Catholicism, Boller challenged the tenets of Zionism, claiming they were incompatible with her faith. She also sent a letter to President Donald Trump after her removal, explaining her misgivings. She appeared on the podcast of LifeSiteNews.com editor John-Henry Western. BOLLER: “I know there's three Catholics that are thinking about running for president in 2028 so I don't think now is the time to really dismiss Catholics, fire Catholics, remove Catholics, simply because I'm standing up for my Catholic faith. “So, I'm hopeful that he's going to make the right decision. Otherwise, this religious liberty commission should be completely shut down. If I don't have my religious freedom on a Religious Freedom Commission, it's not a religious freedom commission.” Christian workplaces thrive Employees in Christian-led workplaces report high levels of engagement in their work according to a new report.  The State of the Christian Workplace 2026 report released new data on 40,000 employees in over 400 Christian organizations in the U.S. Sixty-one percent of employees in Christian-led workplaces reported being engaged in their work. These engagement levels are nearly twice that of the U.S. workforce overall.  Jay Bransford, President & CEO of Best Christian Workplaces, noted, “Engaged employees bring energy, enthusiasm, commitment, and passion that directly fuel Kingdom impact.” Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” U.S. federal workforce shrunk by 10.3% Pew Research reports that the U.S. federal workforce shrank by 10.3 percent in 2025.  Nearly 350,000 people quit, retired, were laid off, or otherwise left the federal government last year. That's an 80 percent increase compared to 2024. Agencies with the most job cuts included the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, and the Education Department. 18-year-old rescues brother from axe-wielding man And finally, an 18-year-old is thanking God after protecting his brother from an ax-wielding man in Florida over the weekend.  Fox News reports Leodan Pino and his 16-year-old brother were closing up a car wash in Ocala. That's when the suspect approached while yelling and threatening.  Pino told the man he had to leave. The man refused and pulled out an ax.  Thankfully, Pino is a military recruit and trained in mixed martial arts. He proceeded to execute a take down and subdued the suspect until police arrived.  Listen to his comments afterward.  PINO: “I'm very thankful that God gave me the opportunity and gave me the strength to be able to control that situation. Very thankful that I was the one closing with my brother and no one else was. Because I'm not too sure if any of my co-workers would have done the same thing as I would have.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, March 18th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

“The destruction of USAID is not only one of the cruellest acts that I've seen in my career, but of course also one of the dumbest.”Caitriona Perry speaks to Samantha Power, the former American ambassador to the United Nations. She went on to lead the U.S. Agency for International Development until January 2025 when Donald Trump came to power. President Trump later closed USAID down.She is scathing about his decision, describing it as a “soft power suicide” which will lead to the avoidable deaths of millions of people around the world. Ambassador Power also warns of gridlock in the United Nations, thanks to the use of veto powers by permanent members of the Security Council.Thank you to Caitriona Perry and Chloe Ross for their help in making this programme. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Nigel Casey, the UK ambassador to Russia, and the Colombian President Gustavo Petro. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Caitriona Perry Producers: Chloe Ross and Lucy Sheppard Editors: Damon Rose and Justine LangGet in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Image: Samantha Power Credit: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Today we meet EWP adjunct faculty Suryamayi Aswini Clarence-Smith to explore her work in Utopian studies, shaped by her upbringing in Auroville and her roots in Integral Yoga. We discuss integral approaches to education and her CIIS course, Prefiguring Utopia, which asks what a utopian learning experience might look like. We discuss the limits of rational teleology in utopian praxis and the importance of integral frameworks, like the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, that emphasize the complementarity of multiple ways of knowing, harmonizing the planes and parts of the self, necessary to support collective transformation. The conversation also explores the scholar-practitioner as a site of transformation, and she shares a little about her course at CIIS, Awareness Through the Body, which guides students in exploring embodiment and contemplation, experimenting with their physical and psychic constitution, and we discuss this as a practice of cultivating conditions for transformative experiences grounded in revolutionary, evolutionary, and utopian ideals. Book - Prefiguring Utopia: The Auroville Experiment Book Talk - here Dr. Suryamayi Clarence-Smith is an award-winning scholar, educator and facilitator based in Auroville, India, the largest intentional community in the world. Suryamayi holds a PhD in International Development from the University of Sussex, and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley; she is currently affiliated with the Sri Aurobindo International Institute for Educational Research (SAIIER) in Auroville. Her research on utopian and prefigurative practice has been published by leading editors and publishers in the field, notably in the Ralahine Utopian Studies series (Peter Lang), the Alternatives to Capitalism in the 21st century series (Bristol University Press), and the Antipode Book Series (Wiley). Dedicated to sharing the outcomes of her research to various audiences, she lectures internationally in both academic and activist settings. The EWP Podcast credits Connect with EWP: Website • Youtube • Facebook Hosted by Stephen Julich (EWP Core Faculty) and Jonathan Kay (EWP Phd, Adjunct Faculty) Produced by: Stephen Julich and Jonathan Kay Edited and Mixed by: Jonathan Kay Music: Mosaic, by Monsoon on the album Mandala Introduction Voiceover: Roche Wadehra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

On this week's episode host Caryn Antonini is joined by Ethan Frisch, Co-Founder and CO-CEO of Burlap and Barrel, a direct-trade spice company and social enterprise known for its high quality spices that are ethically sourced from small farmers around the globe. Ethan is an entrepreneur and advocate for food systems and social justice, and has worked as a line cook and pastry chef in the fast-paced kitchens of New York and London, eventually becoming the CO-Founder and Executive Chef of Guerrilla Ice Cream. Ethan then stepped away from the culinary world to pursue humanitarian work, earning a Masters in International Development and serving with organizations such as Aga Khan Foundation, Marie Stopes and Doctors Without Borders. Today Ethan provides consumers and chefs with Burlap and Barrel's growing line of flavorful spices and condiments while supporting global farming communities.For more information on our guest:Single Origin Spices | As Seen on Shark Tankburlapandbarrel.com@burlapandbarrelGet great recipes from Caryn at https://carynantonini.com/recipes/

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, the President and CEO of the ONE Campaign. They discuss how the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development has impacted the African continent, the opportunities this shifting landscape creates for the emergence of African-led solutions, and the innovative women spearheading food and agriculture systems transformation. Plus, hear about the recent extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, severe storm damage in Portugal and Spain causing hundreds of millions of euros in agricultural losses, new recommendations from the World Resources Institute for retailers to help reduce household food waste, and a looming strike at the JBS meatpacking plant in Colorado over alleged inhumane working conditions. Dani also discusses GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, noting their complex and under-researched impact on people with eating disorders, including both potential benefits and serious risks. While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

As geothermal heating and cooling slowly spreads in the U.S., some communities and utilities are looking to grow small pilot projects into much larger networks of pipes and heat pumps that extract and store heat in the earth to warm and cool homes and businesses as needed. We hear about a large geothermal HVAC system that demonstrates the possibilities and benefits of scaling up. Also, classic science fiction tends to assume that if aliens visit Earth, they will have done so thanks to using math and science that's like our own. But physicist Daniel Whiteson and cartoonist Andy Warner aren't so sure. They're the authors of the book Do Aliens Speak Physics? And Other Questions About Science and the Nature of Reality. And the current Trump administration has in its first year cut off the World Health Organization, dismantled the United States Agency for International Development or USAID, and overhauled vaccination recommendations, just to name a few decisions impacting health and claiming lives across the globe.  ---  Save the date for the next Living on Earth Book Club event! On Thursday, Feb. 26th at 6:30 p.m. Eastern, Terry Tempest Williams will join us live on Zoom to discuss her new book The Glorians: Visitations from the Holy Ordinary. Go to loe.org/events to learn more and register for this free conversation about finding glimmers of hope in the natural world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has held many titles during Donald Trump's presidency. He may have just acquired his most challenging one yet: viceroy of Venezuela.The national security adviser, acting archivist and administrator of the now-defunct U.S. Agency for International Development was central to masterminding the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday. And with no immediate successor to govern the country of roughly 29 million, Trump is leaning on Rubio to help “run” Venezuela, divvy up its oil assets and usher in a new government, a fraught and daunting task for someone with so many other responsibilities.Today on “Post Reports,” State Department reporter John Hudson explains how Rubio has become so influential, and what that could mean for Venezuela's future. Today's show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair.

On the night of his inauguration, President Trump signed an executive order that froze almost all international assistance.What followed was the termination of billions of dollars in aid programs — and the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Now, the future of U.S. foreign assistance looks very different. Our friends at Consider This from NPR take a look.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On the night of his inauguration, President Trump signed an executive order that froze almost all international assistance.What followed was the termination of billions of dollars in aid programs — and the dismantling of the U-S Agency for International Development. Now, the future of U.S. foreign assistance looks very different.NPR global health correspondents Fatma Tanis and Gabrielle Emanuel have been following this all year and break down the impact of this move both on the ground and for the U.S.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Mallory Yu, with additional reporting by Jonathan Lambert. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Rebecca Davis. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy