NPR Cross Currents with Scott Widmeyer

Filled with new segments, guest hosts, collaborations and more, this season of Cross Currents has quite a few new ventures in store. Tune in for Scott's insight on all that's new before season four begins this weekend!

Our fourth season of Cross Currents is premiering next Saturday, June 6. Tune in this week for a Q&A with host Scott Widmeyer as he dives into what's new for 2020-- guest hosts, new segments,

Six Sub-Saharan nations in Africa are benefiting from the work of one US-based NGO, Seed Global Health. This part of the world--dealing with the worst diseases-- faces severe shortages of health care professionals. This is where SEED is on the scene training doctors, nurses and midwives. Learn more from my conversation with Dr. Vanessa Kerry, SEED founder.

Some might look at this problem as Mission: Impossible. Not so, however, for the National Black Leadership Commission on Health when it comes to tackling the huge disparities that continue to exist around the health of black Americans. Whether its HIV-AIDS, mental health, breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, the black community in America suffers at far greater rates. My interview with C. Virginia Fields illustrates what her organization is doing to educate and mobilize among this population cohort of nearly 40 million.

"Health care as we know it won't exist" in the near future, says pharma exec Ian Marks. He points to new consumer-driven movement called self-care that will be transformative. Learn more in this #NPR @IHeartRadio interview about this market disruption where the health and digital worlds collide.

The U.S. is a nation of islands--from Puerto Rico to Guam to Nantucket and more. But, the fate of these islands and the millions who live on them is at risk because of climate change. Think rising sea levels, increased frequency/intensity of storms and warming waters. My show this week is a prelude to Climate Week NYC and UN climate talks. I sit down with CBS News Weather Expert Jeff Beradelli and Arturo Garcia-Costas from NY Community Trust to assess first-hand how big this crisis really is, and what citizens can do.

What's the answer to America's obsession with guns? Will Congress take action when it returns this month in response to multiple mass shootings over the summer in Texas, Ohio and California? Learn what one mainstream US church denomination is doing to bring opposing sides together to talk about the crisis and to take steps to limit the rampage of gun violence. I sit down with the Rev. Deanna Hollas, who recently was installed in the Presbyterian Church as Minister of Gun Violence Prevention, and she talks about her new mission.

The turn from summer to fall, in many ways is a call to get serious again. Time for thinking about the future? To consider how each one of us can make a difference. Cross Currents host Scott Widmeyer offers up 6 Questions for us to ponder, and hopefully take action on.

This NPR Nantucket Cross Currents segment is about teenager Charlotte Weinstein and her passion for music. Her musical journey began at age 5, and now at age 15, she has transformed into an accomplished pianist. Learn more about how this young woman looks at the world, her studies, and her hopes for the future.

The trade battle between President Trump and China looms large as the US heads into the Labor Day holiday. Plus, Congress will return soon. Will they take up gun legislation or will status quo continue? Peter Baker of the NY Times and Susan Glasser of the New Yorker puts it all in perspective.