Trending Globally: Politics and Policy

What’s it like working for an American news outlet in China? The short answer: more complicated than you or I can imagine. On this episode Watson’s director Ed Steinfeld talks with CNBC’s Beijing Bureau Chief Eunice Yoon '95. Eunice has reported on some of the biggest stories in China’s recent past, from the Beijing Olympics in 2008 to the coronavirus today. They discuss what it’s like practicing journalism in a country not known for its openness to the press, covering coronavirus from the place where it all began, and why reporting on life in China is more important now than ever.You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.

This is the first part in a special series from Trending Globally exploring the housing crisis in the United States, and in Rhode Island in particular. This crisis has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but as we’ll show, it’s a problem that has been with us for much, much longer. In this series Sarah talks with tenants, landlords, housing advocates, academics, and government officials to illuminate the complexity of housing in this moment — and its dire consequences for those suffering from illness, unemployment, and the threat of eviction. It's a story about economics, race, history and public health, and about a system that's been broken for about as long as it's existed. It's also a story about how, thanks to an unprecedented crisis and the tireless work of activists, things might just be starting to change.Listen to Parts 2, 3, 4, and the series epilogue. Contributors to this podcast include students from Brown University and the media collective Signs of Providence. You can learn more about their organization here. (Photo credit: Steve Ahlquist)

In the last 5 months we have learned a lot about coronavirus and Covid-19. But sometimes it feels like we’re just as confused as we were back in February. What’s safe to do? What activities should we be avoiding? When will things go back to 'normal'? On this episode Sarah talks Watson economist Emily Oster about her newest project, which seeks to provide some much needed clarity to these questions and more. They discuss her new website 'Covid Explained,' and look at some of the most popular questions people are asking. They also explore why health recommendations can be so hard to navigate, and how average people can learn to start thinking a little more like economists.You can visit 'Covid-Explained' here. You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.

The supply chain that brings medical equipment to your local hospital, health clinic, or pharmacy is one of the world’s most important -- and most complex. On this episode Watson’s Director Ed Steinfeld talks with George Barrett '77, former chairman and CEO of Cardinal Health, Inc., which is one of the world’s largest distributors and manufacturers of medical products. They discuss how supply chains for these products normally function, and what’s changed during this pandemic-induced spike in demand. They also look at what private industry and government can learn from this unprecedented moment, and how industries can better prepare for multifaceted emergencies going forward.You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.You can read a transcript of this episode here.

On this episode Sarah talks with Dr. Ashish Jha, professor of global health at Harvard University and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute (and soon to be dean of the Brown School of Public Health). As the United States reels from the ongoing collision of systemic racism, coronavirus, and economic catastrophe, Sarah and Dr. Jha explore how these issues intersect. They also discuss the effects of absentee national leadership during this crisis, and how to bring science and data back into the center of our nation’s healthcare debate.You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.

It's not every day that a fiction writer joins the Watson Institute as a Senior Fellow. But ZZ Packer isn’t your typical novelist. In addition to her 2003 debut short story collection 'Drinking Coffee Elsewhere,' she also contributed to The 1619 Project, a groundbreaking set of writings and podcast series from The New York Times, which reframed slavery as the central institution on which the United States was made. It’s been met with praise (including a Pulitzer), as well as criticism among some thinkers and historians. On this episode, Sarah talked with ZZ about The 1619 Project, her work as a writer, and her experience helping students to understand the role narrative plays in politics, policy, and history. *Excerpt at the beginning of the episode from '1619,' the podcast companion to The 1619 Project. You can learn more about The 1619 Project here. You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.

Sumbul Siddiqui is the mayor of Cambridge, MA. Her family moved to Cambridge from Karachi, Pakistan when she was two years old. She studied public policy at Brown and law at Northwestern, before moving back to Massachusetts. She joined the Cambridge City Council, and was elected Mayor this past January -- just as the biggest crisis to ever hit American cities was making its way to the East Coast of the US. On this episode, Watson Visiting Professor and Faculty Fellow Geri Augusto talks with Mayor Siddiqui about health, housing, social justice, and the future of cities in the time of coronavirus.You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.

Coronavirus has been called an ‘equal opportunity' virus. But of course... it's not. Communities of color are being disproportionately affected; instead of equalizing anything, this pandemic has thrown into relief the stark inequalities along lines of race and class that are built into American society. And unfortunately, one of the clearest examples of this can be found quite close to Watson's campus. On this episode, the third in a series we're co-producing this semester with Watson’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Sarah talks with three medical experts who are on the front lines of this pandemic in some of Rhode Island’s hardest hit communities. It’s a conversation about community health, local politics, and social justice, and while it’s focused on Rhode Island, it speaks to struggles playing out around the world.You can learn more about the Blackstone Valley Community Health Care here. You can read a Spanish translation here. You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.

The spread of the coronavirus has highlighted how international development affects the well-being of us all. On this episode Sarah talks with someone who has been a leader for decades in rethinking how we do international development: Watson Senior Fellow Brian Atwood. Brian’s worked with multiple US Presidents, including as the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) during the Clinton Administration. They discuss how international development has transformed in the last few decades, the reason that some humanitarian goals were surprisingly easy to meet in the beginning of this century, and why free-flowing information is essential to global health and security.You can read a transcript of this episode here.

What does it actually mean for a state’s revenue to ‘dry up’? Who’s paying for coronavirus testing sites? How are states working together -- and how are they competing? There’s never been a more important time to understand state and local government, as states have become the political, logistical, and moral center of the US's pandemic response. On this episode Sarah talks with Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner. In addition to being a key player in his state's response to this crisis, he’s also an incredible translator of complex legal and financial issues, and of how they affect the lives of everyday Americans. It's a crash course in state politics and finance, and it couldn't come at a better time. You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f18mNYo02GpdJUQOS6DdWqj0NkBaqg4M/view?usp=sharing]