On Shifting Ground

In May 2018, President Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal, and re-imposed crippling economic sanctions against Tehran. Iran responded by restarting elements of its nuclear program and sponsoring militant attacks against US interests and allies in the Middle East. Trump claims he will keep the pressure on until Iran agrees to a better nuclear deal, while Iranian leaders insist they will not negotiate under duress. Colin Kahl, Steven C. Házy senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies' Center for International Security and Cooperation and former national security advisor to the vice president of the United States, speaks with WorldAffairs CEO Jane Wales about Trump's Iran strategy and how it risks igniting war with the country.

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Direct download: 07_29_19_Colin_Kahl_Iran.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 7:00am PDT

The most violent places today are not at war. Eighty-three percent of all violent deaths occur outside of conflict zones, and in 2015, more people died violently in Brazil than in Syria’s civil war. Yet multiple places which were once engulfed in violence and instability have recovered and have since formed stable democracies. Rachel Kleinfeld, senior fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and author of  "A Savage Order: How the World’s Deadliest Countries Can Forge a Path to Security", joins Markos Kounalakis, WorldAffairs co-host and visiting fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, in conversation about how violent and weak states transform into stable ones.

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Direct download: 07_22_19_Violent_Countries.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 7:00am PDT

Facebook’s recent announcement that it would be launching Libra, its own blockchain cryptocurrency, in 2020 has provoked a message of caution from regulators and central bankers around the world. Many worry that the social media giant's 2-billion-strong user base could allow it to upend the current global banking system, a system that depends on trust and transparency. Not exactly characteristics that come to mind with Facebook’s recent history. Is the world ready for a widespread digital currency with no government to back it? On this week’s episode, New York Times reporter Nathaniel Popper and Angela Walch, professor of law at St. Mary’s School of Law, discuss the future of money with WorldAffairs Co-Host Ray Suarez.

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Direct download: 07_15_19_Facebook_Libra.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 7:00am PDT

Global warming is causing the Arctic Circle to heat up twice as fast as the rest of the planet. A melting Arctic opens up both new opportunities but also new risks. A power play between rival nations — China, Russia and the US — has emerged, putting security at the forefront of strategic goals. On this week’s episode, Sherri Goodman, a senior fellow at the Wilson Center’s Polar Initiative, and Malte Humpert, founder and senior fellow at the Arctic Institute, consider the geopolitical consequences of a rapidly melting Arctic with WorldAffairs Co-Host Ray Suarez.

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Direct download: 07_08_19_Arctic_Race.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 7:00am PDT

What role has leadership played in history's greatest achievements? General Stanley McChrystal served in the US Army for 34 years, and rose in rank to become four-star general in command of all American and coalition forces in Afghanistan. He joins World Affairs CEO Jane Wales in conversation about effective leadership in a world of waning American influence abroad.

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Direct download: 07_01_19_Stanley_McChrystal.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 7:00am PDT

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