Aspen Ideas to Go

What role does faith play in bringing people together? Reverend Adam Hamilton pastors the largest United Methodist church in America. Within his Kansas congregation, he observes deep divisions that reflect the larger disunity in our nation. These divisions, he thinks, are tearing at our social fabric. His plan: to get people to think differently by focusing on influencing, not irritating, and seeing the humanity in others — even those we strongly disagree with. He speaks with David Brooks, New York Times op-ed columnist and commentator on the “PBS Newshour.” This week's recommended companion episode is "Faith and the Public Square." Find it here. Follow the show on Twitter @aspenideas and Facebook at facebook.com/aspenideas. Email your comments to aspenideastogo@gmail.com. aspenideas.org

Hate groups are growing and the number of hate-fueled incidents is spiking in America. The latest incident was in Charlottesville, Virginia, where white nationalists violently clashed with anti-fascist groups and other protesters. In the first month after Donald Trump won the presidency, the Southern Poverty Law Center catalogued 1,051 acts of intimidation and hate. Is hate on the rise? How do the events of today compare to other periods of extremism in America? Featured speakers are Heidi Beirich, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project, Jonathan Greenblatt, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Wajahat Ali, New York Times op-ed contributor, and Matt Thompson, deputy editor of The Atlantic. aspenideas.org

It’s been called the most perilous drug crisis ever and it was generated in the healthcare system. The epicenter of the opioid crisis is the United States, where overdose deaths have quadrupled since 1999. President Trump has pledged to step up law enforcement and prevention. In this episode, a panel of experts discuss what’s being done, what needs to be done, and what we know works and doesn’t. Featuring Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health, Vivek Murthy, former US Surgeon General, Perri Peltz, director of the HBO documentary Warning: This Drug May Kill You, Yasmin Hurd, director of the Addictive Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, and Jackie Judd, special correspondent for the “PBS NewsHour.” aspenideas.org

In this episode, you’ll hear from the nation’s new White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly. Kelly spoke in July at the Aspen Security Forum. At the time, his job was Homeland Security Secretary. In his conversation with Pete Williams, justice correspondent for NBC News, Kelly talks about Putin’s Russia, cybersecurity, and immigration. You’ll also get a glimpse of his leadership style. How will it apply to his new role as Chief of Staff? aspenideas.org

The confluence of globalization and the information revolution has primed the United States, and the world, for a resurgence of populism. Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” explains how the populist ideology helped President Trump win the White House. Trump’s message of cultural anxiety connected with voters. It’s not an unfamiliar ideology. In this episode, Zakaria opens the history book and explains how past trends are re-emerging today. He also reflects on the rise and root causes of populism from his own experience, as an immigrant. aspenideas.org

Millennials shoulder a lot of stereotypes. They’re called entitled and in need of instant gratification. They’re not committed to their work and expect a work-life balance at their very first job. Do these labels actually define them? Are they really any different than the generations before them? In this lighthearted and informative conversation, organizational psychologist Adam Grant and inspirational teacher Simon Sinek sit down with Katie Couric. Couric is an award-winning journalist. They explore what motivates Millennials at work and how the digital world is impacting their productivity. aspenideas.org

What are the most pressing external and internal threats to the United States? Two former US Intelligence officials discuss Syria, Russia, ISIS, and President Trump’s embattled relationship with the Intelligence community. John Brennan, former CIA Director, and James Clapper, former US Director of Intelligence, sit down with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. Their conversation was part of the Aspen Security Forum, held in July 2017. aspenideas.org

After many setbacks, a possible vote to overhaul of the Affordable Care Act is back on the table. President Trump is urging Senators to pass a bill that repeals and replaces the ACA. In today’s show, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price talks about the efforts in Washington, and what it’s like to work with President Trump. In his conversation with Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor in Chief of The Atlantic, Price discusses Trump’s leadership style, the opioid crisis, and proposed cuts to agencies like the National Institutes of Health. aspenideas.org

Democrats face an uphill battle: republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House. Democrats hold the lowest number of state legislative seats since the turn of the 20th century. And, the number of governors who are Democrats is at its lowest level since the 1920s. In this episode, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat, talks about the problems Democrats, and all Americans, need to confront to move the US forward. He says Republicans and Democrats need to unite to solve problems like poverty and inequality. aspenideas.org

Despite controlling both the White House and Congress, the Republican Party has had a bumpy ride in the first months of the Trump administration. Trump isn’t a traditional party standard-bearer. So, can the party and the White House get in alignment on priorities and core values? What impact will the divide over ideology have on the Republican Party? Featuring Bill Kristol, editor-at-large of The Weekly Standard, Ramesh Ponnuru, senior editor for National Review, McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic, and Alisyn Camerota, co-anchor of CNN’s morning show “New Day.” aspenideas.org