Today’s two-part episode focuses on different aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. First up, we hear about the crisis in Ecuador, where they are experiencing high rates of infection and devastating death tolls due to delayed action by the government and damaging cuts to the public health system. Our guest is Guillaume Long, senior policy analyst for the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Then, investigative journalist Steve Horn discusses his recent piece in DeSmog about the groups behind the right-wing “liberate” movement protesting stay-at-home orders around the country—and their connections to climate denial.

Guillaume Long is a senior policy analyst at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Prior to joining CEPR, he held several cabinet positions in the government of Ecuador, including Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Culture, and Minister of Knowledge and Human Talent. Most recently, he served as Ecuador’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva until his recent resignation.

Steve Horn is a San Diego–based climate reporter and producer for The Real News Network. From 2011–2018, he worked as an investigative reporter for the climate and environmental news website DeSmog, and as a reporter and researcher for the Center for Media and Democracy’s PR Watch prior to that.

Cover photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash