What Could Go Right?

Is the US economy okay or even positive? Are we making any progress on climate change? What's going on with global inequality? As we close out this season of "What Could Go Right?" hosts Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas look back at the predictions that started the year and check in with the current news of the day.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is change possible? Can democracy be renovated to serve the constituency better? And what does this mean for the 2024 election? Political theorist at Harvard University and founder and president of Partners in Democracy, Danielle Allen, joins us to talk about how democracy is (or isn't) addressing our most urgent concerns. Plus, LGBTQ support skyrockets worldwide and a Supreme Court ruling on gerrymandering.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did anyone "win" the debt ceiling debate? Where is the economy headed, long-term? And what breakthroughs can be used to build a better world? James Pethokoukis, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he specializes in US economic policy, joins us to share his perspective on a brighter future. Plus, bacteria-fighting AI and tracking social progress.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's the nature of the universe? What is life? And what do we talk about when we talk about science? We're joined by Professor Sara Walker, an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist with research interests in the origins of life, artificial life, and detection of life on other worlds, to see how the way we think about the world informs the rest of our being. Plus, Indonesia's growing economy, US job satisfaction, and an update on mapping the human genome.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What road is hyperpartisanship taking us down? Can we learn from our history? And is the current state of American politics worse than ever before? Today, we talk with CNN's senior political analyst and author of "Lincoln and the Fight for Peace," John Avlon, to discuss how the past can inform our understanding of and response to current political conditions.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the human side of war? Investigative journalist Tim Mak joins us from Kyiv to share an update on Ukraine's spring counteroffensive, what life is like in a war-torn country, and what he has learned about resilience and mental health covering his first war. Plus, electric vehicles' growth is explosive, and a battery breakthrough that could make electric passenger aircraft possible.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is drug use always harmful? How does empathy play a role in addiction? Could it be more beneficial to approach drug use as a public health issue rather than a criminal one? In this episode, we speak with Maia Szalavitz, an award-winning journalist and author, about the potential benefits of harm reduction for addiction treatment and addressing larger societal issues. Plus, we take a look at smart guns and serial killers.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is technology moving us forward or backward? What is the human cost of progress? And is artificial intelligence making people more divided, or can it help us find common ground? Comedian, commentator, and author Baratunde Thurston joins us to talk about how technology and humanity are sometimes at odds and sometimes companions.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is China the US's perennial enemy? How do the complexities of China's political landscape affect global affairs? And is conflict over Taiwan inevitable? In today's episode, we explore these questions with Jessica Chen Weiss, a Cornell professor and author specializing in Chinese foreign policy and nationalism. Plus, we learn about Uzbekistan's change in domestic violence criminality and have an update on malaria vaccinations.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are the tides shifting in Africa? What direction is the continent's progress toward good governance headed? And how should we understand competing international interests and investment there? Ebenezer Obadare, a Douglas Dillon senior fellow for Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins us to examine Nigeria's contentious election as well as China's, Russia's, and the US's involvement in Africa. Plus, we look at changes in airport security, US unemployment, and inflation.What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices