The Heat

Brazil, the largest country in Latin America has been hit hard by COVID-19. Recently the country overtook the US in the highest number of daily cases and deaths. The pandemic has had a dire impact on the daily lives of Brazilians on both an economic and social front. 

What will Brazil have to do to recover after COVID-19 has passed? On this episode of The Heat Podcast, we spoke to Brazilian Ambassador to the United States Nestor Forster on current state of affairs in Brazil and potential ways forward. 

One of the biggest foreign policy challenges for U.S. President Joe Biden is how to repair relations with China. Ties between the world’s two largest economies deteriorated

Ties between China and the US took a hit under the Trump administration, as both sides clashed on a number of issues ranging from the handling of the coronavirus pandemic to trade and technology and Hong Kong’s national security law.

Now, China is hoping to turn a page and usher in a new era in China-US ties. So how will the Biden administration respond? What are the key areas of cooperation and conflict? On the latest episode of The Heat podcast, we spoke with former U.S. ambassador to China, Gary Locke.

The recent arrest of 13 men, some accused of plotting to kidnap the governor of Michigan and planning to start a civil war, has drawn new attention to the threat posed by right-wing militias in the United States. 

Heavily armed militia members showed up on the steps of the state capitol to protest the governor’s coronavirus restrictions. Some have also taken to the streets in cities across the U.S. this summer in response to the protests against police brutality.

On this week’s episode we are looking into the rise of Right-wing militias in the United States.

What do they want? And, what sort of threat do they actually pose? 

Our panel this week included the following individuals:

Global poverty levels are rising for the first time in 20 years as a result of COVID-19.  Over 4 billion people around the world still do not have access to social protections such as basic healthcare. As the UN celebrates its 75th anniversary, what role has it played in helping poorer countries cope with the pandemic and what should be the key take-aways when all this has passed.

On this week’s episode of the Heat Podcast, we spoke with Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Program, about the key challenges facing the world today, from COVID-19 to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change.