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

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

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

There is a curious debate about the health of American elections. Some allege they are sick. Others say they are thriving. Fair-elections advocate Rebeka Caruthers peels away competing claims to help us understand the real challenges to American voting rights today.

Journalist Stuart Jeffries explores the concept of stupidity from the ideas of ancient philosophers to today's age of AI, examining how it has been defined throughout history and how it is monetized and exploited in contemporary culture.

The human mind has difficulty comprehending just how much money one billion dollars actually is. The New York Times' Steven Rich is part of a reporting team that has unpacked the power of billionaires in American communities and American politics - where their influence is substantial.

In his new book GHOSTS OF IRON MOUNTAIN, author and journalist Phil In his new book GHOSTS OF IRON MOUNTAIN, author and journalist Phil Tinline documents the lasting effects of a hoax concocted in the U.S. Tinline documents the lasting effects of a hoax concocted in the U.S. in the 1960s that set the stage for conspiracy theories still shaping in the 1960s that set the stage for conspiracy theories still shaping American politics today. American politics today.

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

The history of humanity is the history of individuals making The history of humanity is the history of individuals making decisions - sometimes collectively, sometimes individually. New decisions - sometimes collectively, sometimes individually. New artificial intelligence brings a new player into the mix: machines artificial intelligence brings a new player into the mix: machines capable of making decisions alongside or instead of their human capable of making decisions alongside or instead of their human counterparts. Salve Regina University professor Sean O'Callaghan and counterparts. Salve Regina University professor Sean O'Callaghan and Samford University professor Paul A. Hoffman grapple with the Samford University professor Paul A. Hoffman grapple with the theological implications of this new technology. theological implications of this new technology.

It's comforting to think about American political institutions as "transparent" and open to scrutiny. Investigative journalist Anna Massoglia, however, describes a campaign finance system built, increasingly, on so-called "Dark Money."

Scholars, journalists, and even some politicians often warn about the lack of critical thinking in contemporary public- and private-life. Finance scholar Alex Edmans picks up that alarm and warns that we're regularly exploited by those who would use our own sloppy thinking and unconscious biases to mislead us.

For more than a decade, now, the world has been experiencing a process of "democratic backsliding," while alternatives to governing by popular consent have gained popularity--even in the West. Stanford professor James Fishkin offers a path to improving not just the health of democracy, but the effectiveness of liberal democratic governments.

Artificial Intelligence is changing all of our lives and the biggest changes are yet to come. Yet despite the revolution on our doorstep, few have looked carefully at the impact of AI on children. Technology and ethics researcher Mhairi Aiken has done just that and has evidence-based advice for policy makers and developers.

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

It has been argued that rights denied of anyone diminish the freedom of us all. UCLA law scholar Brad Sears studies the discrimination that has targeted members of the LGBTQ community as well as those living with HIV, and warns us that our collective liberty is at risk.

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

Beginning in the late 19th century, a Canadian network of residential schools for Indigenous children became sites for rampant child abuse. Documentary filmmaker and author Julian Brave NoiseCat recounts the horrors that took place in those schools.

Researcher at the Council on Criminal Justice Ernesto Lopez looks at the story being told about crime in American cities that doesn't match the data.

One of America's storied military leaders General Stanley McChrystal offers insights on the power of character and integrity in leaders - whether in the military or civilian life.

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

On October 19, 1979, a massive tropical cyclone struck Japan and the Marines stationed at Camp Fuji. Retired Marine and journalist Chas Henry recounts the ensuing firestorm that swept the island, killing 13 Marines.

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

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

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

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

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