3 Takeaways

Four index funds are now so large they have unprecedented, concentrated power in public companies, enabling them to exert enormous influence over our politics and economy. While the cause for concern is clear, the solution is not. Join us, as Harvard law professor John Coates shines a bright light on this serious and growing problem.“Two companies control 10 to 15 to maybe 20% of all of the stock of all the companies on all the U.S. stock exchanges.”

Credible journalism is crucial for democracy, and trust in our news media is alarmingly low. The CEO of U.S. News & World Report, Eric Gertler, explains why and talks bluntly about the dramatic rise of opinionated and fake news, the impact of a generation getting its news from social media, transitioning from analog dollars to digital dimes, and more.

Many people have important personal goals they want to achieve, but come up short. Here, behavioral change expert and Wharton professor Katy Milkman shares scientifically proven strategies for affecting deep personal change. Two key insights: Willpower alone usually isn’t enough. It helps to make difficult tasks enjoyable.Katy Milkman is the author of the bestselling book How To Change.

Ashley Merryman is an expert on the science of winning and has helped Olympic and professional athletes, Fortune 100 execs, and military leaders compete more successfully. Here, she reveals strategies that have transformed the world of elite performance — including how to thrive under pressure, benefit from a loss, and more.She is the co-author of Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing.

It’s no secret the U.S. criminal justice system is failing people of color. But the issue is bigger and more horrific than people think. Here, Christina Swarns, a top criminal legal reform expert, discusses wrongful convictions, false confessions, plea deals, the critical role of DNA — and most important, what can be done to improve the system.Christina Swarns has argued and won before the U.S. Supreme Court. She is the Executive Director of the Innocence Project, which gets wrongfully convicted people out of prison.

The birth rate in many countries is plummeting below what’s needed to maintain the population. In China, it’s estimated the population will shrink by 50%. In the U.S., by about 20%. Should we hit the panic button? According to American Enterprise Institute scholar, Nick Eberstadt, the answer is a thoughtful “no.” Listen and find out why.

Operation Warp Speed achieved in 7 months what normally takes 8–12 years. Former Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, reveals in fascinating detail how it was done — the key people involved, how it was influenced by the Manhattan Project, the government’s critical, groundbreaking partnership with the drug industry, and more.

News flash: By every measure that matters, the U.S. economy is dramatically outperforming the industrialized world. The Provost of King's College at Cambridge University, Gillian Tett, explains why. She also shares brilliant insights on the enormous volatility in the world, the future of globalization, why Brexit is a disaster, and more.

There’s great debate these days about the merits of a college education. Here, an expert on the topic, Harvard’s David Deming, weighs in with facts and insights on how colleges fail and succeed, the essential skills universities need to teach, how a college education fights inequality, the true usefulness of college, and more.

As war rages between Israel and Hamas, former Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami shares some remarkable insights about the encirclement of Israel by well-armed Iranian proxies; the possibility the war will spread; the rise of antisemitism in America and Europe; and a possible path to peace. Don’t miss this important conversation.