Aspen Ideas to Go

Tensions are mounting across the United States and around the world. People from all walks of life often feel like their opinions aren’t respected or heard, leading to bitter disagreements that drive wedges between family members, neighbors, and communities. That’s where the Better Arguments Project comes in. Designed to foster a culture where we can learn to come together by arguing and directly addressing our differences, Better Arguments helps bridge divides by giving people the tools they need to listen. Eric Liu, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Citizenship & American Identity Program discusses a groundbreaking Better Arguments Project collaboration with Stacy Sharpe, senior vice president at Allstate, and Roger Brooks, president and CEO of Facing History and Ourselves. aspenideas.org

The late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second female justice confirmed to the US Supreme Court, told an Aspen Institute crowd in 2017 that her experiences as a woman gave her a unique perspective on the Court. She talked about her relationships with Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and the late Antonin Scalia. She also explained what it was like to work with newly-elected Justice Neil Gorsuch. Her discussion with Elliot Gerson, an executive vice president at the Aspen Institute, also touched on her book My Own Words. This podcast originally dropped in June of 2017.As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

Antibodies, convalescent plasma, gene-based vaccines — you may have heard these terms on the evening news, but what do they mean? How might they help in the battle against Covid-19? As the race to develop a vaccine continues, questions remain about effectiveness, testing, and whether people will actually get the vaccine once it’s on the market. Two medical experts involved in the fight explain the science behind developing effective protection. Judith Aberg is Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases for Mount Sinai Health System. She’s leading Mount Sinai’s Covid-19 treatment guidelines and the hospital’s clinical trials unit. Florian Krammer is a professor of vaccinology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Kenneth L. Davis, president and CEO of Mount Sinai Health System, leads the conversation. Davis is a trustee of the Aspen Institute.As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

When the US economy begins to recover, former US Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers says there will be winners and losers. The recovery will be more bearable for the rich than the poor. He believes the recovery includes three stages: collapse, bounce-back, and slog. We’ve experienced collapse and bounce-back already. “Now we’re headed for a slog,” he says, “where we’re going to play mediocre wack-a-mole [with the virus] in the US and other parts of the world.” He thinks a recovery will be tepid until a vaccine is developed that “returns us to normal.” When July 4th of next year rolls around, he says it won’t resemble 2019’s healthy economy but will be better than that of 2020. In a conversation with Gillian Tett, US editor-at-large of the Financial Times, he talks about the Federal Government’s decisions during the pandemic, including passage of the CARES Act, the behavior of the stock market, and how the economic situation is exacerbating social tensions.As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

Disinformation online is on the minds of voters, candidates, government officials, and technology platforms as the US election gets closer. Already experts have seen disinformation campaigns around the Covid-19 pandemic, which could spell trouble in November, says Laura Rosenberger, director of the Alliance for Securing Democracy. “When you’re sowing doubt about the information the government is providing about the pandemic, you’re sowing doubt in citizens’ faith in their democratic institutions. That primes us to have less faith in the integrity of the election.” She speaks with Renée DiResta, technical research manager at Stanford Internet Observatory, and Cecilia Kang, technology reporter for The New York Times, about how this perfect storm of disinformation is being tackled.As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

The pandemic and social unrest around racism make it a challenging time for students and educators, but it’s also a period of opportunity. Janice Jackson, CEO of Chicago Public Schools, says it’s time to address long-standing inequities in education. In her district, the third largest in the country, students have been learning about justice and restorative practices — even before the death of George Floyd. With today’s crises unearthing large disparities, how can educators avoid returning to the status quo? Jackson and Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the California State Board of Education, discuss being authentic with students and curriculum grounded in this moment. Their conversation is led by Ross Wiener, vice president at the Aspen Institute and executive director of the Education and Society Program.As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

Wes Moore, author of Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of an American City (written with Erica Green), says communities around the United States must confront systemic racism. His book, about the life of Freddie Gray delves into the uprising that followed Gray’s death just days after he was taken into police custody. With the recent death of George Floyd, Moore says we’re reliving history. In a conversation with Dina Powell McCormick, former US Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy, Moore talks about Freddie Gray, systemic racism, and how the Covid-19 crisis has exacerbated poverty in America. Moore serves as CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, New York City’s largest poverty fighting organization.As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

One-hundred years ago this month, women suffragists celebrated the passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution. The hard-fought battle to win the right to vote lasted decades. Since then, what strides have women made toward gender equality? What hurdles remain? Cecile Richards, former president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, says women are becoming the most powerful political force in America because they’re in the majority in many ways. Most voters are women, the majority of volunteers for political campaigns are women, and, increasingly, they’re candidates for public office. Richards joins Ai-Jen Poo, executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and Katherine Grainger, adjunct professor at New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, for a conversation about women’s progress. Peggy Clark, vice president of Policy Programs at the Aspen Institute, leads the conversation.As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

The time we’re living in is unusually tumultuous. The Covid-19 pandemic is causing loss, disruption, illness, grief, anxiety, and uncertainty. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others have fueled pain and anger around racial injustice. “We have all lost our fundamental way of life to some degree or another,” say psychologist Guy Winch, “We are all dealing with massive uncertainty and certain degrees of anxiety. Our emotional health is being impacted significantly.” He speaks with Pam Belluck, science and health writer for The New York Times, about how best to deal with these shocks to the system. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org

George Will, author of The Conservative Sensibility, says conservatism is “an orphan persuasion.” Will, who changed his voter affiliation from Republican to unaffiliated four years ago, thinks conservatism is under threat — both from progressives and elements inside the Republican Party. In a broad-reaching discussion with Susan Page, Washington bureau chief for USA Today, he talks about the transformation of the Republican Party, the 2020 election, and the link between Christian evangelicals and conservatism. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute. aspenideas.org