Global Dispatches -- World News That Matter‪s‬ Mark Leon Goldberg

The conflict in Yemen is entering a new phase. The Houthi rebel group that controls much of the country is launching a new offensive in an oil rich region of the country. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has breathed new life into international diplomatic efforts to end the war by ending US support to the Saudi Arabia lead military campaign. 

Guest: Gregory D. Johnsen, Brookings Institute and former member of the UN Security Council's Panel of Experts on  Yemen.

We know that countries around the world sometimes favor coal because it is cheaper. But new research from my guest today Jan Steckel aims to pinpoint some of the political forces that drive investment in coal. 

Steckel along with his research collaborator Michael Jacob are coordinating a series of global case studies to understand the non-economic factors associated with investment in coal-fired power.

President Biden must soon make a key decision about American troop levels in Afghanistan. There are currently about 2,500 American troops in Afghanistan, but under a deal negotiated last year between the US and the Taliban all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by May 2021. 

Guest: Jessica Donati of the Wall Street Journal, author of Eagle Down: The Last Special Forces Fighting the Forever War.    

2021 will be a consequential year for multilateral diplomacy on climate change. The geo-politics of this moment in climate diplomacy are complex and the new administration must skillfully navigate a path forward in order to make good on its promise to treat climate change like the priority it is. 

Guest: Rachel Kyte, Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University. 

Over the last several weeks farmers in India have staged mass demonstrations to protest new government agricultural policies. The farmers say these new laws would be financially ruinous and allow large corporations to dictate the price of agricultural goods.  Now, the apparently ever growing size of these farmer protests, particularly around New Delhi, have brought worldwide attention to these mass protests. 

Guest: Michael Kugelman, the Senior Associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

The United States Agency for international development, USAID, is the premier global development agency of the United States government and one of the largest global development organizations in the world.

As USAID goes, so goes global development. As Samantha Power prepares to lead USAID, this episode examines the global development priorities the new administration may pursue. 

Guest: Sarah Rose, policy fellow at Center for Global Development.