America is full of paradoxes. The US has flown to the moon, mapped the human genome, and built the largest economy in the world. However, the US also grapples with lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, and greater poverty than most developed countries. Our esteemed guest, Patricia A. McCoy, Professor of Law at Boston College and author of the upcoming And Economic Wellbeing For All, sheds light on these issues and proposes specific policy steps forward to address a range of milestones including economic insecurity, healthcare costs, university affordability, retirement, and homeownership. Tune in for a compelling discussion on shaping a more inclusive and prosperous United States.

Episode song credits: "Waitin' in Your Welfare Line" by Buck Owens and The Buckaroos

⚡️ In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine Europe's energy sector is facing a crisis with the lack of Russian oil and natural gas. Nuclear energy may be Europe's next best solution. But is it the right option for everyone?

☢️ BPR's James Freeman with the Berkeley Science Review's Elizabeth Lineberry discuss the various facets of nuclear energy. How it works, who uses it, and how Russia's invasion has made it relevant again. Maybe it is time once more to revisit the atomic era.

Since Putin invaded Ukraine just over a year ago, he has held that Ukraine has no sovereign statehood of its own — that it politically, ethnically, and culturally belongs to Russia. But the musical front of this war tells an entirely different story.

In conversation with Ukrainian ethnomusicologist and former UC Berkeley Professor Maria Sonyvytsky, I delve into Ukraine’s history of wartime music and the modern musical motifs of today. From rap and EDM to traditional folk and indigenous music, musicians are going about their anti-war projects in a way that is inherently Ukrainian. 🎶

In doing so, they are conveying a powerful message to the world: Russia might invade their country, but they cannot erase their identity.

Episode song credits:

“Dostochka” by DakhaBrakha

In this Episode, Aanya Schoetz interviews Dr. Christi Smith, a former law enforcement officer turned PhD Professor and Marijuana Legalization advocate, and Ms. Shanita Penny, a successful legal cannabis business owner. They unpack personal stories about why someone would go from recommending incarceration for possession to advocating for the drug’s legalization. They dive into the nuances of legalization, answering how even someone who is opposed to the drug itself has much to gain from its legalization. They tackle various visions of a legalization policy that equitably takes into account the communities that have suffered the most from unfair and unequal law enforcement. By the end, hopefully, you will better understand the need to legalize weed.

 Along with the rise of “Trumpism” in the Republican Party, and its dwindling nativist white male primary voter base, comes many questions surrounding the party’s future, and what its current behavior is doing to the stability of American democracy at large. In this episode Aanya Schoetz interviews experienced Republican Political Consultant and Latino voting trends expert Mike Madrid. They  unpack questions like: Why are democrats failing to appeal to latino voters? What could the diversification of the Republican party mean for “Trumpism”? And Is the American experiment’s aspirational idealism its greatest strength or cause for its downfall?

Along with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement comes many questions about how movements of change today operate differently from movements of the past, and whether or not these are changes for the better. In this episode of Due Process Don'ts Aanya Schoetz interviews Professor Waldo E. MARTIN, an expert on Civil Rights and the Black Panther Party, to unpack todays movements of change, what they are doing well, and what they can learn.

Ground beef, fried potatoes, sautéed onion, drowned in cheese sauce, and wrapped in a tortilla. French tacos aren't Mexican or Californian or even Tex Mex. They come from a culture of North African fast-food-connoisseurs based in Southern France. The tacos, with the kebab and burger, represent a mode of cuisine known as street cooking, a culinary genre which occupies increasingly contested cultural ground: cities want to ban them, schools refuse to serve them, politicians have them in their sights. 

Can France decide — to tacos or not to tacos? 🇫🇷🌮

Putin, a hero or not? In today's episode, Ali Hasan, our writer in the World section, sits down to talk about his article on Russia. In light of today's Russia-Ukraine War, there is a lot to unpack. Why has Putin been successful? How does the war in Crimea set the stage for today's discussion? Why invade Ukraine? Is the US threatened as a global hegemon, has it ever been one? Listen to this episode to find out all the questions you have for the war that is escalating every second right now.

In the midst of the Russia-Ukraine conflict that is dominating the headlines these days, a natural resource, interestingly enough, is being discussed. Nord Stream 2 is a natural gas pipeline that runs from Russia to the coast of Germany, constructed mainly by Gazprom, a majority state-owned Russian company. As tensions build up between Russia and its neighbour, threats of the pipeline being halted are being made.

On February 20th, one of our hosts, Michelle Wang, sits down with one of our World section's editors, Stefanie Iojica, to discuss this issue extensively. 

Be on the lookout for Stefanie's article on this issue! 📰

Interviewed by Financial Review, Afghan student Haseen and Singaporean student Lola are two brave souls. Earlier this year, with the eruption of conflict in Afghanistan, Lola and her schoolmates rapidly formed a team to evacuate Haseen from the alarming environment she was in. Listen to this episode to find out what exactly they did, Haseen's thoughts on the inhumane and, frankly, terrifying situation in her home country, and how you can help.