Trending Globally: Politics and Policy

This episode of Trending Globally is the fourth and final part of our 2019 Commencement Student Spotlight series. As spring semester came to a close, host Sarah Baldwin spoke with a few of Watson’s graduating seniors about their research and work as undergrads. Sebastián Otero Oliveras concentrated in ethnomusicology and Latin American and Caribbean Studies. A musician and music lover, his passion and studies have taken him from Providence to Cuba to his home of Puerto Rico. Sarah and Sebastián talked about how he combined his musical and academic interests at Brown, and how he plans to continue this fusion of interests after graduating. To find Sebastián's music: On streaming services: search 'Sebastián .Oteros' Soundcloud: [https://soundcloud.com/sebadelmundo] Youtube: [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCycEQzz9nZrLXmedjuI8KpA] You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://watson.brown.edu/files/watson/imce/news/podcast/trending-globally/transcripts/E87_4Student%20Ep%201d_Sebastian_FINAL.pdf]

Is war with Iran in the works? With tensions escalating, and U.S. allies skeptical about what the Trump administration calls an ‘imminent threat,’ the potential for armed conflict feels all too real. On this special episode of Trending Globally, Sarah Baldwin talks with Professor Jo-Anne Hart [https://watson.brown.edu/people/visiting/hart], an expert on security, Iran, and the Middle East, about the fact, fiction, and nuances of the US's relationship with Iran. You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://watson.brown.edu/files/watson/imce/news/podcast/trending-globally/transcripts/E88_Jo-Anne_mixdown.pdf]

This episode of Trending Globally is the second in our 2019 Commencement-Student Spotlight series. As spring semester came to a close, host Sarah Baldwin spoke with a few of Watson’s graduating seniors about their research and work as undergrads. Be prepared to be inspired! Ethan Shire is a Political Science and Latin American & Caribbean Studies concentrator, and an active member of Brown’s political scene. But his Junior year he took Engineering 1010, a class on entrepreneurship taught by Professor Danny Warshay, and it started him on a path he did not expect. Sarah talked with Ethan about how he first got the entrepreneurial bug, and how his interests in policy, history, and business overlapped at Brown. You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://watson.brown.edu/files/watson/imce/news/podcast/trending-globally/transcripts/https://watson.brown.edu/files/watson/imce/news/podcast/trending-globally/transcripts/E87_2_Student%20Ep%201b_Ethan_FINAL.pdf]

This episode of Trending Globally is the first in our 2019 Commencement-Student Spotlight series. As spring semester came to a close, host Sarah Baldwin spoke with a few of Watson’s graduating seniors about their research and work as undergrads. Be prepared to be inspired! Part 1: Drashti Brambhatt is originally from Queens, New York, and is concentrating in international relations. In her time at Watson she has studied and worked on human rights issues around the world. Back in Providence, she wrote a thesis exploring how museums retell and reframe national traumas. She talked with Sarah about how these experiences at Brown complimented each other, and how she hopes to continue connecting these interests in the future. Download episode transcript

Mark Blyth, political economist at Brown's Watson Institute, and Carrie Nordlund, political scientist and associate director of Brown's Master of Public Affairs program, share their take on the week's news. In today's last show of the semester, topics include, Julian Assange, Brexit in a post-Torre world, the Democratic primary, China tarrifs, Alabama's abortion law, warmongering with Iran and record setting CO2 emissions. We'll update this description with a link to the new, dedicated Mark & Carrie Soundcloud account once its ready to launch in the upcoming weeks. See you in the fall! You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tq5ZgMgiykl-9vJCuc3uvyAmRUNyj6o2/view]

On this episode of Trending Globally, Sarah Baldwin talks with Darrell M . West, Vice President of Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution and author of ‘The Future of Work: Robots, AI, and Automation’ [https://www.brookings.edu/book/the-automated-society/]. They dive deep into the changing nature of work, and into the impact A.I. and robots will have on our economy, society, and politics. West argues that these changes don’t have to be as damaging as our worst sci-fi nightmares; in fact, they could help create an economy that works better for everyone. But to make the best of these change we need to start planning for it. Now. You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://watson.brown.edu/files/watson/imce/news/podcast/trending-globally/transcripts/E86_Darrell%20WestEdited_mixdown.pdf]

On this episode of Trending Globally, Watson Economics Professor Glenn Loury talks with writer Thomas Chatterton Williams. Williams’s 2010 memoir ‘Losing My Cool: Love, Literature, and a Black Man’s Escape from the Crowd,’ [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/304246/losing-my-cool-by-thomas-chatterton-williams/9780143119623/] combined cultural criticism with his own personal story, of falling in (and out) of love with hip hop culture growing up. His forthcoming book ‘Self Portrait in Black and White: Unlearning Race,’ continues his exploration of issues at the intersection of race, culture, family, and his own story. Thomas visited Watson this Spring, and Glenn sat down with him for a wide-ranging conversation about race, literature, family, and life in Paris. You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://watson.brown.edu/files/watson/imce/news/podcast/trending-globally/transcripts/E85_GlennThomasFinal.pdf]

Mark Blyth, political economist at Brown's Watson Institute, and Carrie Nordlund, political scientist and associate director of Brown's Master of Public Affairs program, share their take on the week's news. Today's topics include, the Notre Dame fire, Mueller Report, Bernie, Brexit (and the destruction of the Torre party), "Handsy" Joe, measles and vaccinations in a post-facts world, and Mark & Carrie's take on Coachella. You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/10tDrbszsVE4_rC8fp7NU5ftvOoiLTgYp/view]

On this episode of Trending Globally, Sarah Baldwin talks with James Green, a professor of Latin American History and Director of the Brazil Initiative at The Watson Institute [https://watson.brown.edu/brazil/]. His newest book, 'Exile within Exiles' [https://www.dukeupress.edu/exile-within-exiles], tells the story of Herbert Daniel, a gay Brazilian revolutionary and activist, who fought for wide-ranging social and political rights in Brazil from the 1960s until his death in 1992. **You can subscribe to James Green’s new Watson podcast ‘Brazil Unfiltered’ on any of your favorite podcast apps. You can find more information about the show https://soundcloud.com/brazilunfiltered ** You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://watson.brown.edu/files/watson/imce/news/podcast/trending-globally/transcripts/E84_Jim%20Green_mixdownREV.pdf]

On this week's episode of Trending Globally, Sarah Baldwin talks with Nick Ziegler, an expert in European politics at the Watson Institute [https://watson.brown.edu/people/faculty/ziegler]. They discuss how Brexit might affect Britain, Europe, and the world, what exactly is making it so difficult to follow through on, and why the idea of the UK leaving Europe gained such momentum in the first place. You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://watson.brown.edu/files/watson/imce/news/podcast/trending-globally/transcripts/E83_Nick%20Zeigler_mixdown.pdf]