Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch joins Margaret Hoover to discuss the next phase of Russia’s invasion, the successes and failures of the Biden administration’s response, and the potential global ramifications of the conflict. Yovanovitch, author of the new book “Lessons from the Edge,” offers insight from her decades in the foreign service, including several years stationed in Kyiv. She explains why she believes the U.S. must help Ukraine prevail over Vladimir Putin’s forces to preserve the post-Cold War international order. The former ambassador also assesses Ukraine’s development as a democracy, the leadership of President Volodymyr Zelensky, and how the current situation might be different if former U.S. President Donald Trump was still in the White House. Yovanovitch – who was recalled from Kyiv in 2019 after Trump allies waged a smear campaign against her and later became a key witness in his first impeachment – voices concerns about the future of American democracy, as well as about the prospect of a presidential run by Trump’s former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Stephens Inc., Robert Granieri, Charles R. Schwab, The Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation, The David Tepper Charitable Foundation Inc., The Fairweather Foundation, The Asness Family Foundation, Pfizer Inc., Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button and Simmons Family Foundation.

Actor Matt Damon and engineer Gary White join Margaret Hoover to talk about the work of the organization they co-founded to confront the global water crisis, Water.org, and their new book, “The Worth of Water: Our Story of Chasing Solutions to the World's Greatest Challenge.” With 771 million people around the world living without safe water and sanitation, Water.org facilitates small loans for families in developing countries to fund their own access to water. Damon and White explain why they adopted a microfinancing model and why they believe it works. They recount how their “bromance” began, why skepticism of celebrity activism didn’t stop them, and what led them to launch WaterEquity, an investment fund that harnesses the forces of capitalism to help fuel further philanthropy. Damon addresses how their progress is threatened by climate change, defends his advertising partnership with Crypto.com, and reflects on his role in the 2011 film “Contagion” in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. He and White also underscore their commitment to ending the water crisis in their lifetimes. Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Stephens Inc., Robert Granieri, Charles R. Schwab, The Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation, The David Tepper Charitable Foundation Inc., The Fairweather Foundation, The Asness Family Foundation, Pfizer Inc., Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button and Simmons Family Foundation.

As the Senate votes to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, Judiciary Committee member Sen. Chris Coons, D-DE, joins Margaret Hoover in Washington to discuss the increasingly politicized confirmation process, the outside groups pressuring lawmakers to oppose qualified nominees, and the decline of public trust in the nation’s highest court. Coons acknowledges his own votes against former President Trump’s Supreme Court nominees have been “part of the problem,” but he defends his opposition, citing their judicial philosophies. He also says he “may” join fellow Democrats in calling for Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from cases related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot over his wife’s communications with the Trump White House. The close Biden ally offers insight into the administration’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as the challenges of maintaining unified Western resolve amid rising energy prices. He underscores the significance of the conflict in the broader context of a 21st century struggle between democracy and autocracy. Coons also addresses his efforts to secure more funding for global COVID-19 relief, the threat of a potential food scarcity crisis, and the mounting political obstacles facing Democrats as they race to advance President Biden’s agenda and prevent a midterm disaster. Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Stephens Inc., Robert Granieri, Charles R. Schwab, The Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation, The David Tepper Charitable Foundation Inc., The Fairweather Foundation, The Asness Family Foundation, Pfizer Inc., Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button and Simmons Family Foundation.

Grammy Award-winning banjo player Rhiannon Giddens joins Margaret Hoover to discuss her pursuit of the true history of her instrument and why she has set out to change perceptions of the banjo as an icon of white mountain culture. Giddens traces her path from a childhood in a mixed-race family in North Carolina to studying opera at Oberlin to learning the Black string band tradition at the feet of one of its last great practitioners. She has gone on to an acclaimed career, first as a member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and later as a solo artist. She recounts how the banjo went from an invention of African Americans to a white cultural stereotype, reflects on the evolving sound of the instrument over time, and explains why her “American music” defies conventional genre classifications. Giddens performs three songs, including a piece from her upcoming opera, “Omar.” She also reflects on cultural appropriation, political division, and the challenges of teaching the true African American experience in classrooms. Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Stephens Inc., Robert Granieri, Charles R. Schwab, The Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation, The David Tepper Charitable Foundation Inc., The Fairweather Foundation, The Asness Family Foundation, Pfizer Inc., Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button and Simmons Family Foundation.

Photojournalist Lynsey Addario joins Margaret Hoover from Kyiv to discuss her coverage of the war in Ukraine, including a photo of victims of Russian artillery fire featured on the front page of The New York Times that has become a defining image of the conflict. Addario, who has been documenting combat and crisis zones around the world for over 20 years, recounts the moments of horror and humanity she has witnessed since Vladimir Putin’s invasion began last month, as well as her observations of the shifting reality on the ground in Ukraine. She also delves into the risks that war photographers take to capture vital stories, the trauma she has experienced on the job including being kidnapped twice, and the challenges and advantages of being a woman in a male-dominated field. As Addario prepares to rotate out of Ukraine and return to her family in London, she reflects on the state of the war, Russia’s increasingly inhumane tactics, and the “unrelenting” resolve of the Ukrainian people to fight back against Putin. Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Stephens Inc., Robert Granieri, Charles R. Schwab, The Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation, The Fairweather Foundation, The Asness Family Foundation, Pfizer Inc., Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button and Simmons Family Foundation.

Acclaimed author Margaret Atwood joins Margaret Hoover to discuss the legacy of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the success of Hulu’s adaptation of the 1985 novel, and the “Burning Questions” about democracy, climate change, and human rights at the heart of her new non-fiction collection. As Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine rages on, Atwood suggests the horror of the conflict may change attitudes toward defending democracy in the United States after the nation took “a bit of a breather” from standing up for democratic ideals. Atwood responds to abortion rights activists who adopt costumes from her novel to represent oppression of women and reacts to the reproductive rights case before the Supreme Court that could roll back Roe v. Wade. The writer details her upcoming “Practical Utopias” project that aims to devise solutions to some of the global challenges outlined in her books. She also reflects on her own cameo appearance in Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” series and her interactions with the show’s writers and star. Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Stephens Inc., Robert Granieri, Charles R. Schwab, The Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation, The Fairweather Foundation, The Asness Family Foundation, Pfizer Inc., Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button and Simmons Family Foundation.

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third week, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor joins Margaret Hoover to discuss the fierce Ukrainian resistance, Vladimir Putin’s endgame, and the potential global fallout from the conflict. Taylor – who served as ambassador from 2006 to 2009 and returned to Kyiv as acting ambassador in 2019 before becoming a key witness in former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment – assesses the Biden administration’s response to Putin’s aggression so far and lays out additional steps the U.S. could take to increase the cost of waging war for the Kremlin. Taylor provides personal insight on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s transformation into a “grimly determined” wartime leader who has united his country and the world against Russia. More than two million people have already fled Ukraine amid intense Russian shelling, civilian casualties are mounting, and efforts to find a diplomatic resolution have proven fruitless. Still, Taylor predicts the Ukrainians will ultimately prevail. Taylor also defends NATO’s expansion, warns Putin has turned Russia into a “pariah nation,” and suggests Beijing could play a critical role in ending the conflict. Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Stephens Inc., Robert Granieri, Charles R. Schwab, The Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation, The Fairweather Foundation, The Asness Family Foundation, Pfizer Inc., Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Damon Button and Simmons Family Foundation.

As the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine looms, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul joins Margaret Hoover to discuss Vladimir Putin’s latest provocations, the Biden administration’s response, and the possibility that the world is on the brink of “the biggest conventional war in Europe since 1939.” McFaul, who served as President Barack Obama’s ambassador to Moscow from 2012 to the eve of Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, recounts his experiences negotiating with Putin and the Russian leader’s personal disdain for him. He reads between the lines on the public demands the Kremlin has made of the U.S. and NATO and Putin’s true motivation. As a Stanford University professor and a former White House adviser who has studied Russia for decades, McFaul outlines the likely global ramifications of a war in Ukraine, explains why it is so hard to predict what Putin might do, and speculates about Russia’s potential to someday become a “boring, normal European democracy.” McFaul also discusses the successes and failures of the Obama administration’s “Russia Reset” and what President Biden could learn from his predecessors’ dealings with Putin. Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Stephens Inc., Robert Granieri, Charles R. Schwab, The Fairweather Foundation, Asness Family Foundation, Pfizer Inc., Craig Newmark Philanthropies,  The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, and Damon Button.

Just 24 hours before being traded from the Boston Celtics to the Houston Rockets and released from the roster, NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom tells Margaret Hoover he suspects the league is trying to silence him for speaking out against human rights abuses in China. A newly naturalized American citizen, Kanter Freedom has been increasingly vocal about the oppression of his fellow Muslims in the Xinjiang province of China and the failure of the NBA and its corporate sponsors to use their influence to combat what the U.S. government has declared a genocide. Kanter Freedom, who grew up in Turkey, details his initial activism against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and how it impacted his family who remain there and left him fearful of arrest if he ever returns. He recalls how he learned of the plight of the Uyghurs, explains why he felt it was important for him to speak out on their behalf, and defends his call for athletes to boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. He also reflects on his public tensions with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, his clash with Nike, and the possibility that this season could be his “farewell tour” in the NBA. Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Stephens Inc., Robert Granieri, Charles R. Schwab, The Fairweather Foundation, Asness Family Foundation, Pfizer Inc., Craig Newmark Philanthropies,  The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, and Damon Button.

Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie Bunch joins Margaret Hoover at the start of Black History Month for a discussion on the importance of studying a complete history and his continued work to preserve the American story for the next generation. Bunch is the Smithsonian’s 14th secretary and is the first Black leader and the first historian to oversee the world’s largest museum, education and research institution. As founding director, he was the driving force behind the creation of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. He describes in vivid detail the power of receiving some of the artifacts, including objects from the life of abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Bunch discusses his personal story, the role museums should play in society and the challenge of contextualizing complex and, often, dark history. He also reacts to President Biden’s commitment to nominating a Black woman for the Supreme Court and tells Hoover what gives him hope for the future. Support for “Firing Line for Margaret Hoover” is provided by Stephens Inc., Robert Granieri, Charles R. Schwab, The Fairweather Foundation, Asness Family Foundation, Pfizer Inc., Craig Newmark Philanthropies,  The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, and Damon Button.