What Could Go Right?

This week on The Progress Report, Zachary and Emma bring your antidote to the daily doom and gloom, from surprising political wins and innovative scientific breakthroughs to heartwarming stories that often go overlooked. The FDA's latest help for dog lovers, Australia’s bold climate visa for Tuvaluans, and an unexpected bipartisan win for families are all covered here. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.orgWatch the podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetwork⁠⁠⁠And follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What can Americans look forward to despite today's lack of trust in the government? Zachary and Emma welcome Garrett Graff, journalist, historian, and author of several books, including Pulitzer finalist Watergate: A New History. He also hosts the Long Shadow podcast, which covers topics from 9/11 to American far right extremists. Garrett discusses the power of telling history through the emotion of first-person experiences, the challenges of social media misinformation and government conspiracies, and hope for younger generations of Americans in addressing gun violence and other national issues. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org Watch the podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetwork⁠⁠⁠ And follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Progress Report, Zachary and Emma dig up the good news buried beneath the usual headlines, celebrating Costa Rica’s leap into high-income status and the upward mobility of Cape Verde and Samoa, marveling at Paris’s historic $1.4 billion effort to make the Seine swimmable again for local residents, highlighting a Supreme Court decision that keeps crucial phone and internet subsidies alive for rural and low-income Americans, and exploring how drones are helping clear decades of trash from Mount Everest. Plus! They share a listener’s inspiring idea to end every conversation with a piece of good news. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.orgWatch the podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetwork⁠⁠⁠And follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What made history’s golden ages thrive? Zachary and Emma speak with Johan Norberg, historian, documentary filmmaker, and author of Peak Human: What We Can Learn from the Rise and Fall of Golden Ages. Johan discusses what special societal qualities produced golden ages across history, as well as why these civilizations declined, what we can learn from their setbacks, and why the cyclical nature of history should bring optimism in today’s world. Johan also explores recent political developments in his native Sweden.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.orgWatch the podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetwork⁠⁠⁠And follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Progress Report, Zachary and Emma bring more uplifting headlines you won’t find in your usual news feed. America’s prison population is dropping fast, thanks to a dramatic decrease in youth incarceration. The first fully robotic heart transplant in the U.S. marks a giant leap for medical innovation, eliminating the need for open-chest surgery and speeding up recovery for patients. Nepal is quietly staging an electric vehicle revolution, with 70% of new cars now electric and nearly universal access to the power grid. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org Watch the podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetwork⁠⁠⁠ And follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can we feed the world without destroying it? Zachary and Emma speak with Michael Grunwald, award-winning journalist and author known for his work on the environment and national politics. He is currently a senior writer for Politico Magazine and author of We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate. Michael discusses ways to farm using fewer acres of land, the improvements in plant-based products, and technology innovations including gene-edited crops and lab-grown meat. He points to recent growth in energy with solar panels and electric cars, hoping that farming could have a similar revolution. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org Watch the podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetwork⁠⁠⁠ And follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's Progress Report, Zachary and Emma spotlight the stories that prove the world is moving forward, from Ireland’s bold move to end coal power to major U.S. brands ditching synthetic food dyes to breakthrough HIV prevention. They also cover how aviation safety is getting a high-tech upgrade as airlines roll out new cockpit alert systems that warn pilots about potential runway mix-ups and risky landings. Last, tune in to see if they stick the landing after a diversion into a joke from a problematic comedian. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org Watch the podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetwork⁠⁠⁠ And follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can sibling rivalries shape success? Zachary and Emma speak with Susan Dominus, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. She is the author of The Family Dynamic: A Journey Into the Mystery of Sibling Success. Susan shares case studies about high-achieving families and how siblings can be powerful motivators. She also touches on the role of parents, the balance between encouragement and counterproductive pressure, and the importance of defining success beyond material wealth. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org Watch the podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetwork⁠⁠⁠ And follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s Progress Report, Emma is going solo with the news. Discover how global child labor has nearly halved since 2000, why alarming disaster statistics might be more about better data than a world in crisis, and how Britain’s zoos are rolling out major reforms to improve animal welfare. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.orgWatch the podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetwork⁠⁠⁠And follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does capitalism deserve its bad rap? Zachary and Emma speak with John Cassidy, longtime staff writer at The New Yorker and author of several acclaimed books on economics, including his recent work, Capitalism and Its Critics: A History from the Industrial Revolution to AI. He discusses the current sentiment on capitalism along with historical context and a look to the future. John also elaborates on the “arms race” within the AI industry, the impact of climate change on today’s economics, and the financial shock of recent globalization. What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org Watch the podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/theprogressnetwork⁠⁠⁠ And follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices