Zócalo Public Square

The Mueller Report promises to clarify what happened in the 2016 election and its aftermath. But that document may only add to the confusion over a broader question: What does it take to fire an American president? In recent months, critics of Donald Trump have discussed removing the president by impeachment, indictment, and the 25th Amendment. But no president has ever been impeached and convicted by the Senate, and the Department of Justice may preclude a president from being indicted. If impeachment is impossible, what methods exist, legally, for removing a president? Why do we have special prosecutors if they can’t prosecute? Is the American president, for all practical purposes, above the law? UCLA constitutional law scholar Jon D. Michaels, Wake Forest political scientist and author of The Special Prosecutor in American Politics, Katy Harriger, and Joel D. Aberbach, political scientist and former director of the UCLA Center for American Politics and Public Policy, visited Zócalo to examine the historical, customary and legal precedents that protect our presidents. The event, moderated by Madeleine Brand, host of KCRW’s “Press Play,” took place at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy.

Before the digital age, museums were places where people went to acquire knowledge. But now most of the information and images contained in museums are available on your smartphone. So how can museums stave off obsolescence? Can populist shows and attention-getting architecture keep museums relevant and pull today’s audiences away from their devices? Are some museums succeeding in redefining their purpose as providing “experiences” and at least the semblance of authenticity, like touching mastodon bones or reading directly from the pages of Lincoln’s diary or Gutenberg’s Bible? And what happens when museums try to use social media and other technology to connect visitors to exhibits—and to each other? Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County president and director Lori Bettison-Varga, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center director Lisa Sasaki, and Nicole Ivy, George Washington University public historian and former director of inclusion for the American Alliance of Museums, visited Zócalo to discuss the threats and opportunities that new technologies create for some of our most durable institutions. The event, moderated by Gregory Rodriguez, publisher and editor-in-chief of Zócalo Public Square, took place at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy.

Before the digital age, museums were places where people went to acquire knowledge. But now most of the information and images contained in museums are available on your smartphone. So how can museums stave off obsolescence? Can populist shows and attention-getting architecture keep museums relevant and pull today’s audiences away from their devices? Are some museums succeeding in redefining their purpose as providing “experiences” and at least the semblance of authenticity, like touching mastodon bones or reading directly from the pages of Lincoln’s diary or Gutenberg’s Bible? And what happens when museums try to use social media and other technology to connect visitors to exhibits—and to each other? Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County president and director Lori Bettison-Varga, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center director Lisa Sasaki, and Nicole Ivy, George Washington University public historian and former director of inclusion for the American Alliance of Museums, visited Zócalo to discuss the threats and opportunities that new technologies create for some of our most durable institutions. The event, moderated by Gregory Rodriguez, publisher and editor-in-chief of Zócalo Public Square, took place at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy.

2018 was the seventh straight year of record tourist arrivals to Hawai‘i. Visitor spending has grown rapidly too, generating historically high tax receipts and new jobs. But as more tourists crowd the islands and slow traffic, it’s time to ask: How much tourism can Hawai‘i really handle? Should more priority be placed on diversifying the local economy? What effect has catering to tourists had on Hawai‘i’s culture and environment? And what can Hawai‘i learn from other popular destinations about how to preserve infrastructure, culture, and identity in the face of mass tourism? Executive director of the Center for Responsible Travel Martha Honey, public policy researcher and former president of the Hawai‘i Economic Association John Knox, cultural tourism specialist and former Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee Peter Apo, and Frank Haas, marketing consultant and former vice president of tourism marketing at the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, visited Zócalo to consider the perils of overtourism for the Aloha State and the world. The Zocalo/Daniel K. Inouye Institute “Pau Hana” event, moderated by Hawaii Public Radio’s Catherine Cruz, took place at Artistry Honolulu.

2018 was the seventh straight year of record tourist arrivals to Hawai‘i. Visitor spending has grown rapidly too, generating historically high tax receipts and new jobs. But as more tourists crowd the islands and slow traffic, it’s time to ask: How much tourism can Hawai‘i really handle? Should more priority be placed on diversifying the local economy? What effect has catering to tourists had on Hawai‘i’s culture and environment? And what can Hawai‘i learn from other popular destinations about how to preserve infrastructure, culture, and identity in the face of mass tourism? Executive director of the Center for Responsible Travel Martha Honey, public policy researcher and former president of the Hawai‘i Economic Association John Knox, cultural tourism specialist and former Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee Peter Apo, and Frank Haas, marketing consultant and former vice president of tourism marketing at the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, visited Zócalo to consider the perils of overtourism for the Aloha State and the world. The Zocalo/Daniel K. Inouye Institute “Pau Hana” event, moderated by Hawaii Public Radio’s Catherine Cruz, took place at Artistry Honolulu.

Health involves both measures, like taking our blood pressure, and perceptions—the ideas we hold in our heads about what it means to be healthy. As California attracted a more diverse cross section of people from around the world, those ideas began to change, and once-risky enterprises—from acupuncture to eating very spicy foods or drinking a glass of wine every day—are now recognized as paths to wellness. How have immigrants and their families influenced the way we understand health? What lessons are we learning—about everything from birthing to diet to meditation—from global Californians? And what is the connection between immigration and today’s greater emphasis on a holistic sense of health, which includes the quality of our relationships with neighbors and family? Director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at UCLA School of Medicine David Hayes-Bautista, journalist and author of The Immigrant Advantage Claudia Kolker, and UCLA medical anthropologist Marjorie Kagawa-Singer visited Zócalo to examine how Californians now understand wellness. The event, moderated by CALmatters health and welfare reporter Elizabeth Aguilera, took place at the Mechanics’ Institute in San Francisco .

Health involves both measures, like taking our blood pressure, and perceptions—the ideas we hold in our heads about what it means to be healthy. As California attracted a more diverse cross section of people from around the world, those ideas began to change, and once-risky enterprises—from acupuncture to eating very spicy foods or drinking a glass of wine every day—are now recognized as paths to wellness. How have immigrants and their families influenced the way we understand health? What lessons are we learning—about everything from birthing to diet to meditation—from global Californians? And what is the connection between immigration and today’s greater emphasis on a holistic sense of health, which includes the quality of our relationships with neighbors and family? Director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at UCLA School of Medicine David Hayes-Bautista, journalist and author of The Immigrant Advantage Claudia Kolker, and UCLA medical anthropologist Marjorie Kagawa-Singer visited Zócalo to examine how Californians now understand wellness. The event, moderated by CALmatters health and welfare reporter Elizabeth Aguilera, took place at the Mechanics’ Institute in San Francisco .

A Saudi journalist living in the United States is murdered by agents of a government to which America provides arms. President Trump openly favors autocratic rulers from Russia to Hungary to the Philippines, and even expresses “love” for North Korea’s dictator. What does it mean when the president of the United States, a country long cast as a defender of freedom, sides with repressive regimes and even withdraws from democratic alliances? Is American financial and rhetorical support for autocrats really responsible for the decline of liberal democracy, or are other factors driving the rise of authoritarianism globally? And what specific U.S. actions strengthen authoritarians around the world—and which policies and institutions might frustrate or weaken them? Director of the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations Kal Raustiala, Washington Post Global Opinions editor Karen Attiah, and UCLA political scientist Richard D. Anderson visited Zócalo to examine how America’s turn away from promoting democracy abroad influences governments around the world. The event, moderated by Carol Giacomo, editorial board member of The New York Times, took place at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles.

A Saudi journalist living in the United States is murdered by agents of a government to which America provides arms. President Trump openly favors autocratic rulers from Russia to Hungary to the Philippines, and even expresses “love” for North Korea’s dictator. What does it mean when the president of the United States, a country long cast as a defender of freedom, sides with repressive regimes and even withdraws from democratic alliances? Is American financial and rhetorical support for autocrats really responsible for the decline of liberal democracy, or are other factors driving the rise of authoritarianism globally? And what specific U.S. actions strengthen authoritarians around the world—and which policies and institutions might frustrate or weaken them? Director of the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations Kal Raustiala, Washington Post Global Opinions editor Karen Attiah, and UCLA political scientist Richard D. Anderson visited Zócalo to examine how America’s turn away from promoting democracy abroad influences governments around the world. The event, moderated by Carol Giacomo, editorial board member of The New York Times, took place at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles.

The United States is envied around the world for its unparalleled wealth. But its riches would not have been possible without what Alan Greenspan has called America’s “unique tolerance” for the messy effects of capitalism’s creative destruction. What is so special about our brand of capitalism that generations of Americans have been willing to endure so much wrenching change in its service? What moments in history have shaped America’s complicated relationship with capitalism? And how have Americans tried to balance our tolerance of economic inequality with our nation’s long-stated principles of fairness and justice? On January 24, 2019, The Economist’s political editor Adrian Wooldridge, co-author of “Capitalism in America: A History,” visited Zócalo to examine America’s enduring affection for an economic system that produces so much pain alongside its gains. The event, a conversation with Warren Olney, host of KCRW’s “To the Point,” took place at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles.