Journalist Miles O'Brien sits down with legendary climate activist and author Bill McKibben to talk about his new book Here Comes the Sun. They discuss the rapid rise of renewables, China's stunning lead in solar, America's political roadblocks, and why McKibben — yes, the man who once wrote The End of Nature — now dares to feel hopeful.

The two also explore how the surge in AI and data-center demand could reshape the energy landscape — and why sun and wind may be the only scalable way to keep the lights on.

In this episode of Miles to Go, Miles O'Brien speaks with climate scientist Michael Mann and vaccine researcher Peter Hotez — two scientists who have endured personal attacks, threats, and political smears for standing up for evidence-based truth. Their new book, Science Under Siege, exposes the powerful alliance of plutocrats, petrostates, propagandists, and politicians working to dismantle trust in science — and, increasingly, the institutions that sustain it.

Mann, creator of the famed "hockey stick" graph, recounts how fossil fuel interests and their media allies targeted him for revealing the reality of human-driven climate change. Hotez, co-developer of low-cost vaccines and a leading public-health voice during the pandemic, shares his experiences of online harassment and political intimidation.

Together, they draw a chilling parallel between the denial of climate science and the anti-vaccine movement, revealing how both are fueled by ideology, greed, and misinformation — and now emboldened by government efforts to defund and demoralize the nation's scientific agencies, from the NIH to NASA.

Miles explores the broader stakes of this "war on truth": what happens to democracy when science itself becomes a partisan target — and how, despite it all, urgency still comes with agency.

NASA wants to land a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030. Is this the real deal—or another paper plan? Miles O'Brien talks with Bhavya Lal (RAND, former NASA) and Keith Cowing (NASA Watch) about why space needs nukes and how we get there.

🎧 Plus: meltdown myths, mission politics, and Bhavya's 3-tier roadmap from her report for Idaho National Lab. Read it here: https://inl.gov/content/uploads/2023/07/strategic-options-space-nuclear-leadership.pdf

In this episode of Miles to Go, I'm joined by veteran airline captain and aviation analyst Les Abend to examine the deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport in January 2025 that claimed 67 lives. We dissect the findings from the recent NTSB hearing, detailing how a Black Hawk helicopter flying with night vision goggles, a regional jet on a challenging approach, and an overwhelmed air traffic controller all played a role in the tragedy. We dig into why ADS‑B Out wasn't active, despite being installed on the military helicopter, and how longstanding FAA warnings about that airspace were ignored. We also briefly discuss the ongoing investigation into Air India Flight 171—notably, the emerging consensus that both engines were intentionally shut down in flight, triggering a loss of control shortly after takeoff. This incident, while still under review, underscores how cockpit access and crew coordination remain critical vulnerabilities in modern aviation. https://milesobrien.substack.com/

When Air India Flight 171 fell from the sky just seconds after takeoff, killing all aboard and many on the ground, investigators were baffled. The Boeing 787 was mechanically sound. The weather posed no threat. The pilots were sober and experienced. So what went wrong?

In this episode of Miles to Go, veteran aviation journalist Miles O'Brien is joined by retired American Airlines captain Les Abend to dissect the deeply troubling conclusion: one of the flight crew members appears to have intentionally moved both engine fuel cutoff switches—a deliberate act of sabotage from the cockpit. Together, they explore how such tragedies violate aviation's sacred trust, why they are so difficult to foresee or prevent, and what this means for pilot mental health and airline safety culture going forward.

In this wide-ranging conversation, astronaut Leroy Chiao joins Miles to talk candidly about what it's really like to live and work in space — and inside NASA. From Cold War suspicion to Russian cooperation, and from toilet paper certification to Starliner delays, it's a journey full of humor, frustration, and hard-earned insight. Chiao also shares why he almost flew a year-long mission (spoiler: a very large space tourist), what happens when blood flows the wrong way in microgravity, and whether Jared Isaacman can actually fix what's broken at NASA.

In this special edition of Miles to Go, I sit down with longtime friend and aviation expert Lars Perkins to analyze the NTSB's latest findings on the midair collision over the Potomac River. We discuss the altimeter discrepancy, the challenges of visual flight rules (VFR), and whether night vision goggles (NVGs) may have hindered rather than helped the helicopter crew. We also explore systemic issues in aviation safety, including the normalization of deviance—where repeated near misses create a false sense of security. Finally, we examine the political interference in the NTSB investigation and what the agency's next steps might reveal.

A tragic mid-air collision near Washington Reagan Airport has put a spotlight on the dangers of D.C.'s complex airspace. In this episode, veteran pilot Harold Coghlan joins Miles O'Brien to break down what happened, the risks of military and civilian aviation operating so closely, and what needs to change to prevent future disasters.

🔍 Key Topics Discussed: ✅ The unique dangers of flying in Washington D.C. airspace ✅ How military helicopters and airliners operate in the same congested airspace ✅ The 'see and avoid' problem—why night flying increases the risk ✅ What went wrong in this accident and how future crashes can be avoided ✅ The troubling rise in military aviation accidents

⏳ Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction & Overview of the Accident 04:20 - Meet Harold Coghlan: A Veteran Pilot's Perspective 08:15 - The Complex Architecture of D.C. Airspace 14:50 - The Role of Military 'White Tops' in VIP Transport 20:30 - See and Avoid: Why It's Risky at Night 26:40 - The Black Hawk's Maneuver—Was It a Mistake? 34:15 - Military Aviation's Safety Crisis 41:00 - How Airspace Rules and Safety Procedures Must Change 45:30 - Final Thoughts: Will This Accident Be a Wake-Up Call?

📢 Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review! #AviationSafety #MilesToGo #MidAirCollision #WashingtonDC #PilotTalk #BlackHawk #FAA #MilitaryAviation

This episode of Miles To Go features Jared Isaacman, serial entrepreneur, space explorer, and nominee for NASA Administrator. From founding Shift4 Payments to commanding groundbreaking space missions like Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn, Isaacman shares his extraordinary journey. We discuss his aviation roots, his leadership style, and the challenges and opportunities ahead as he prepares to lead NASA. A must-listen for anyone curious about the future of space exploration.

In this conversation, Miles O'Brien and J. Alex Halderman discuss the critical issues surrounding election security, focusing on the importance of trust, the vulnerabilities of local voting systems, and the impact of cybersecurity threats. They explore the implications of razor-thin margins in elections, the challenges of public discourse on election integrity, and the political dynamics that influence election security legislation. The discussion also touches on the effects of bomb threats on voter turnout, the need for better auditing processes, and the future of election technology, including the potential vulnerabilities introduced by systems like Starlink.