Ever since the killing of George Floyd, the city of Portland has witnessed consistent protests and civic action demanding police reforms. However, recently, camouflaged federal authorities without identification badges have begun arresting protesters in the city, while the Department of Homeland Security has deployed unmarked SUV’s to detain protesters. The White House has confirmed its order to send federal authorities to Portland and is threatening to send them to other American cities. Local elected officials, including the Mayor of Portland, have demanded that federal agents leave the city. Doug Becker speaks with Jennifer L. Selin, Nadine Strossen, and David S. Meyer about the legal and political implications of this, as well as the implications for democracy and civil liberties.
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Since the 2016 election, the US Supreme Court has become a lightning rod political issue on both sides of the political divide. The Trump Administration has named two new associate justices and many court watchers expect the court to shift to the right politically and judicially. What do the decisions made by the Supreme Court in 2020 mean for the future of American politics? What is the future of the Court? And how does this influence the relationship between the Supreme Court and the other branches of government? Doug Becker speaks with Sanford Levinson, Erwin Chemerinsky, and Alison Dundes Renteln.
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Universities are increasingly wanting to appeal to students who look to their study as a training period for future employment. However, this has put traditional liberal arts subjects like philosophy and sociology at risk. What does the future look like for liberal arts education in light of this trend? Doug Becker speaks with Robert E. Williams, Alexandra Monchick, and Michael Theune.
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In recent weeks, the news in the United States has been filled with stories of statues and public spaces being altered or removed. These stories are usually connected with America’s racist past, with a particular eye towards the issue of slavery. Is the United States haunted by its racist past? What can it do to overcome this history? Doug Becker speaks with Jessica Auchter.
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The world is facing multiple crises from climate change to institutional racism to COVOD-19. Maria Armoudian speaks to three preeminent scholars from the fields of anthropology, philosophy, and psychology about the crossroads we are facing as a global community and the ways we can navigate them for the betterment of humanity.
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One of the most fundamental features of the Trump Administration is a policy of limiting immigration and reversing previous US policy on work visas, asylum, and deportation. Will Trump continue to limit immigration in light of recent US Supreme Court decisions and the Covid-19 Pandemic? Doug Becker speaks with Peter J. Spiro and Hiroshi Motomura.
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Why is it so hard to track and prosecute money laundering? How does it finance terrorism? Maria Armoudian discusses the many faces to money laundering with Moyara Ruehsen and Richard Gordan.
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Earlier this month, India reported that twenty members of its armed forces were killed in fighting with Chinese forces along a disputed border in the Himalayas. Tension is, therefore, growing between the two most populous nations and emotions are running high. Doug Becker speaks with Ritu Mathur about the recent de-escalation of relations between China and India.
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In 1979, Vietnam invaded Cambodia and overthrew the Khmer Rouge government. This government had committed genocide since its seizure of power in 1975. Vietnam’s motivations have been asserted in a wide range of explanations from the advancement of communism to humanitarian interests to strategic interests. Doug Becker speaks with Kosal Path about his new book Vietnam’s Strategic Thinking during the Third Indochina War. Path’s book examines the decision by Vietnam to invade and its overall impact.
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In December 2015, the nations of the world agreed to the Paris Climate Accord. This is intended to slow the rate of climate change. Since then, the US has announced its intention to withdraw and the COVID pandemic has had a profound impact on the agreement. What impact will this have on the future of climate governance and the climate accord? Doug Becker speaks with Shannon Gibson.
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