On Shifting Ground World Affairs

The Democratic Republic of Congo sits just south of the so-called  “coup belt” in Africa – an area stretching across the entire continent, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. With more than half a dozen attempts in the region since 2021, social scientists are beginning to call the coups a “contagion”.

As Congo faces the challenges of post-colonial governance, what can be done to protect the future of its democracy? Vox reporter, Ellen Ioanes, joins Ray Suarez to talk about the US, China, Russia’s role in fomenting violence in the DRC.

Guest:
  
Ellen Ioanes, World & Weekend Reporter, Vox

Host:  

Ray Suarez

If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

In May, Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, presented a sprawling “road map” for regulating artificial intelligence. The report called for $32 billion in spending to put guardrails on the rapidly evolving technology. But tech experts have called the plan “pathetic”, and many critics believe Washington is out of touch.

This week, in our latest special election series, why AI may be the big bad “X Factor” of the upcoming presidential election.

We’ll hear from Josh Lawson, Director of AI and Democracy at the Aspen Institute. Then, US Congressman Ted Lieu and Dr. Gary Marcus, Founder of Robust AI and Geometric AI, join Ray Suarez to talk about the future of AI, and whether it can be regulated in time.

Guests:  

Josh Lawson, Director of AI and Democracy at the Aspen Institute

US Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA 36th District)

Dr. Gary Marcus, Founder of Robust AI and Geometric AI

Host:

Ray Suarez

If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Hate crimes, gun violence, political polarization…. to New York Times’ columnist David Brooks, these are signs that America is undergoing a new epidemic: social isolation. He joins Ray Suarez to discuss his new book, “How To Know A Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen,” and to unpack how we can rebuild trust and empathy “for the opposition”... by getting to know our neighbors.

Guest:
  
David Brooks, Op-Ed Columnist at The New York Times and author of “How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen”

Host:
  
Ray Suarez

If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

Thousands have been killed in the ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas, and a ground invasion into Gaza appears imminent. Former US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates predicts how war could ripple through the Middle East.

Guest:

Robert Gates, former US Secretary of Defense

Host:  

Ray Suarez

If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

On May 19th, Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter accident, and his death brings an uncertain future to his country. This comes weeks after Iran traded missiles with Israel.

Ray Suarez speaks with Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, about what Raisi’s death will mean to Iran… and the rest of the Middle East.

Guest:

Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft

Host:  

Ray Suarez

If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.

We all get a vote...but do we really get a choice?

In the second part of our special election episode, political scientist Lee Drutman joins Ray to talk about the future of ranked choice voting and third party politics in the US.

Then, Ray sits down with Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt to talk about whether Robert Kennedy Jr. will play spoiler in the 2024 Presidential Election... and for which party.