How much progress has actually been made on racial equity? Has the U.S. been too focused on symbolic progress? Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League and former mayor of New Orleans, joins the podcast to discuss what he views as the top priority to address racial disparities and what gives him hope for the future of equity.

What is at stake for European security as the Russian attacks on Ukraine continue? How has the invasion affected people across the continent? Geopolitical expert Jessica Berlin joins the podcast to discuss reliance on Russian oil and the actions she implores European leaders -- as well as U.S. President Joe Biden -- to take.

How do Black women experience discrimination? Do they feel safe in their communities? Why are these daily experiences important to measure? Leading up to International Women’s Day, the director and associate director of the Gallup Center on Black Voices, Camille Lloyd and Whitney DuPreé, join the podcast to discuss Black women’s experiences in the U.S.

Ian Kelly, former U.S. ambassador to Georgia and ambassador in residence at Northwestern University, joins the podcast to discuss how 75 years of European foreign policy “literally changed overnight.” What triggered the crisis in Ukraine -- and what does it mean for the global order? Ambassador Kelly describes Vladimir Putin’s response to dissent within Russia and offers how he thinks the White House should act.

The pandemic has created new challenges for the women of Europe. How have things changed for them in recent years? Is domestic violence on the rise? Galina Zapryanova, Gallup’s regional research director for Eastern Europe and former Soviet states, joins the podcast to discuss new and preexisting hardships for European women, as well as the hopeful signs she sees.

Renowned analyst Reva Goujon joins the podcast to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the geopolitical calculus that led to it. How are Europe’s institutions enduring the crisis? And will Russian President Vladimir Putin ever be able to restore his relationship with the world?

What is Vladimir Putin’s endgame in his escalation at the border of Ukraine -- what is his calculus as the situation unfolds? George Friedman, founder of Geopolitical Futures, joins the podcast to explain the situation and its geopolitical ramifications. How does Friedman assess the moves the White House has made so far -- and what should President Joe Biden do?

Sixty-five years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in U.S. schools was unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education. Cheryl Brown Henderson -- daughter of the plaintiff in the case and president of Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research -- joins the podcast to look back on the landmark decision and what education and life were like for Black Americans before and after Brown v. Board. How has the decision impacted schools today, and where is there still more work to be done?

Andrew Young -- former U.S. congressman, mayor of Atlanta, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and ally of Martin Luther King Jr. -- joins the podcast to discuss his life and career.

Smaller proportions of Americans say that religion is important to them, that they belong to a church or that they regularly attend religious services. How are Christian leaders responding to a decline in Christian identity? And how are religious services persevering through the pandemic? Jack Jenkins, national reporter for the Religion News Service, joins the podcast to discuss what he has found in his reporting.