Worldview - Chicago Public Radio: Recent Episodes
None
Hosted by Jerome McDonnell, "Worldview" is WBEZ's global affairs program, featuring in-depth conversations about international issues and their local impact. (C) 1998-2011 Chicago Public Media. All content of outside parties is copyrighted by its respective authors, artists, and publishers.
Worldview and Jerome McDonnell have been on the air for a quarter century. During that time, the world has witnessed some of the biggest history ever being made. Often, Jerome and his guests were prophetic in their understanding of the world. One of the big stories in the middle of Worldview's run was the Iraq war. Listen for the conversations Jerome had in 2002, 2003, and 2005 about the Iraq war. In this segment: John Mearsheimer, Katrina vanden Heuvel, Ron Paul, Les Roberts, and members of the audience who called in.
In a time of skyrocketing costs for healthcare, college and home ownership, traditional markers of success for Americans are getting further out of reach. Colin Beavan is the author of "How to be Alive," a book exploring how to mitigate desire, live a fulfilling life and do right by the planet while you're at it.
Lewis Ziska worked as a plant scientist at the United States Department of Agriculture for more than two decades, studying how climate change impacts plant biology. When he published a paper last year on how carbon dioxide emissions are making rice crops lose nutritional value, he was surprised to find that the USDA not only questioned his findings, but pulled media coverage of the paper and asked partner institution the University of Washington to do the same. He quit the USDA in protest, and told Politico that “You get the sense that things have changed, that this is not a place for you to be exploring things that don't agree with someone's political views.”
Worldview’s food, health and culture contributor Monica Eng chats with him for this week’s installment about Food Mondays. They’ll talk about Ziska’s research and the findings he says the USDA didn’t want the American public to hear about.
Following the indigenous-led protests at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation against the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline, oil and chemical companies including Koch Industries and Marathon Petroleum have successfully lobbied several state legislatures to making such protests a felony offense. Indiana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas passed laws last year criminalizing trespassing near pipelines and other “critical infrastructure.” These laws build upon legislation passed in Oklahoma and other states last year, and similar bills are under consideration in Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The laws aren’t all the same when it comes to how they treat the offenses, but include sentences of as much as five years and fines of as much as $10,000.
In audio recordings obtained by The Intercept from this year’s Energy & Mineral Law Foundation conference in Washington, D.C., members of the lobbying group American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers which represents clients including Koch Industries and ExxonMobil admitted their efforts to push through the legislation in various states and listed their successes in states with both Republican and Democrat-controlled legislatures.
Dallas Goldtooth, “Keep it in the Ground” organizer for the Indigenous Environmental Network, joins us today to talk about the effect that these measures could have on current and future movements to protest pipeline construction, especially on indigenous lands.
Live from the Chicago Botanic Garden, we explore the benefits of nature and how to make it more accessible for everyone. We'll hear about everything the garden has to offer, including spaces accessible to people with disabilities, yoga in the garden, and a partner project bringing affordable, healthy food to Lawndale.
The Trump Administration has announced several changes to environmental policies. On Monday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would consider a plan to ease restrictions on corporations petitioning to get animals delisted from the Endangered Species List. The government is planning to make lost profits a legitimate claim to remove protection from threatened animals and vulnerable land. The change to the Endangered Species Act comes just months after a United Nations report that said human activity is likely to cause the extinction of one million species. Meanwhile, the National Forest Service also announced a plan to create loopholes in the National Environmental Policy Act that would effectively eliminate public comment periods on extraction rights on public lands. To discuss these interconnected issues, we’re joined by Rebecca Riley, Legal Director for the Nature Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Adam Cramer, Executive Director of the Outdoor Alliance, a Washington DC-based nonprofit that unites natural recreation organizations for the conservation of public lands.
American oak trees are under threat. Several native species are directly affected by climate change and human activities. A new analysis by The Morton Arboretum, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, and the U.S. Forest Service, entitled “Conservation Gap Analysis of Native U.S. Oaks,” shows where researchers, land managers and conservationists can focus their efforts immediately to achieve the most urgently needed conservation actions. We hear about the report from Murphy Westwood, director of global tree conservation at The Morton Arboretum, and Lydia Scott, director of the Chicago Region Trees Initiative and manager of Community Trees Program at the arboretum.
This week, we’re broadcasting from the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, sharing the beauty and science of the world around us with our listeners.
Trees tell stories about our environment — and especially about climate change. Differences in timing from year to year of blooms and fall color, for example, provide insight into how future climate change will affect trees. Morton Arboretum forest ecologist Christy Rollinson and Matthew Lobdell, curator of living collections at the arboretum, share how trees are responding to climate change and what needs to happen to ensure not only how trees can survive, but also how we can help them thrive.
This week, we’re broadcasting from the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, sharing the beauty and science of the world around us with our listeners.
Since 1994, Worldview has revealed stories of human resilience at home and abroad. Many of the overlooked global phenomena that we’ve covered are also overlooked here in the Midwest, from indigenous rights to clean water access. To mark Worldview’s 25th anniversary, the crew will hit the road from July 5-12. Follow along with us on the map below.
Since Mexico launched its war on drug cartels in 2006, the number of "disappeared" people in the country has risen to above 40,000. Cartels are directly implicated in many of these disappearances, which sometimes turn out to have been killings, though the state is also implicated in unsolved cases like that of the missing 43 student activists in the state of Guerrero in 2014. Rosalva Aida Hernandez is a feminist activist, researcher and journalist aiming to address these and other human rights abuses in Mexico. As a journalist with the Central American Press Agency, where she worked for over 20 years, and as a professor and researcher at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies in Social Anthropology in Mexico City, she has worked with the families of disappeared persons and with indigenous communities in several Mexican states to shed light on unsolved crimes and to advocate for women’s and indigenous peoples’ issues. On Tuesday night, Rosalva spoke about gender violence, the occupation of indigenous territories, the impact of the war on drugs and disappeared persons in militarized regions at the Social Justice International Women’s Speakers’ Series, hosted by the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Social Justice Initiative. She joins the show today to discuss disappearances, political violence and her own forensic and advocacy work.
Every Friday, our global citizen, Nari Safavi, joins Worldview to show listeners how to travel the world over the weekend without ever leaving Chicago. Today, Nari offers up a number of ways to learn about Asian American communities, including at the 24th Annual Asian American Showcase at the Gene Siskel Film Center. We are joined by Kulap Vilaysack, a child of Lao refugees whose debut documentary Origin Story is playing in the showcase.The film chronicles a road trip into Vilaysack’s complicated past and the aftermath of a traumatic family fight. She explains how that trauma is her basis for comedy. Vilaysack has also acted in a number of TV shows, including The Office and Parks and Recreation, and she co-hosts the podcast Who Charted?
In 2003, VaxGen, a San Francisco-based biotechnology company, announced that its AIDSVAX vaccine trial had not reduced HIV infection rates among those who were vaccinated. On April 4 of that year, Worldview spoke to Bob Elliot, a college student who co-founded the Student Global AIDS Campaign. The Campaign still exists and last year launched a campaign called "PrEP for the Future," which aims to increase the accessibility of pre-exposure prophylaxis. They also advocate for the U.S. to increase its funding contribution to the AIDS programs PEPFAR and the Global Fund.
Special thanks to the WBEZ Archives Team for cataloging 25 years of Worldview and making this segment possible.
She is one of only 149 people, and one of very few women in the Americas, with the designation of master sommelier. The aptly named Emily Wines visits Worldview for the “Wines Report.” The segment lead us on global journeys, teaching us about the cultural anthropology of wine and other alcoholic beverages. In this segment, Emily takes us to Japan. These days, cocktail bars around the world are stocking Japanese alcohols and copying the Japanese bartending style. In addition to discussing the ever-popular Japanese sake, Emily shares her knowledge of Japanese beers and whiskeys, as well as wine culture. Emily is vice president of wine and beverage experience for the Chicago-area winery Cooper’s Hawk.
“Why is an exposed female nipple considered pornographic, while an exposed male nipple is not”? Free expression advocates have asked this, and similar questions since the social media platform, Tumblr, earlier this month, announced a sitewide purge of adult content. The decision came after the Apple App Store banned Tumblr for allegedly hosting child pornography. Verizon, which owns Tumblr, saw its stock value plummet after it announced that as of December 17th, the site will permanently delete blogs it deems inappropriate. Critics have concerns over Tumblr’s method for flagging unsuitable content. Rather than use humans to manage and filter such content, Tumblr will leave it to artificial intelligence to decide what is inappropriate. Critics also state that while banning “adult” content, Tumblr allows White supremacists, and other hate groups, to remain active and vocal. Joining us to discuss content management, tech cultures, and who gets to decide what’s inappropriate, is Indira Neill Hoch, a visiting assistant professor of communications at UIC. Her forthcoming co-edited volume is titled A Tumblr Book Platform and Cultures.
On Saturday, leftist leader and social activist Andrés Manuel López Obrador, known as AMLO, was sworn into office as Mexico’s 58th President. Following a cleansing ritual by indigenous elders symbolizing purity and liberation, AMLO dived into his speech attacking free-market policies that he feels have devastated Mexico’s economy and citizens. AMLO also vowed to keep his election promise to end corruption. He said, “I will not lie, I will not steal or betray the people of Mexico.” Joining us to discuss this new transition of Mexican politics is Milena Ang. She’s collegiate assistant professor of Social Sciences at the University of Chicago.
Ever wish you had a pal to guide you through stores like Rich’s Fresh Market or Andy’s Deli? Look no further.
Cruising the aisles of a Filipino grocery store offers a history lesson in the colonizers, traders, and neighbors who passed through different parts of the Philippines over the centuries.
But sorting through the influence of Americans, Chinese, and Spanish on more than 7,000 islands can easily confuse a newbie shopper. Luckily, Worldview had Filipino Kitchen co-founders Sarahlynn Pablo and Natalia Roxas as guides on a recent journey to Seafood City, Chicago’s biggest Filipino grocery.
The two writers and cooks said smaller mom-and-pop stores (sometimes called sari saris) had served Chicago’s 100,000 Filipinos well for decades, but the community’s grocery landscape changed forever with the arrival of this enormous store in 2016.
“The sari saris are so important in our community, but the bigness of (Seafood City) is so impactful,” Pablo said. “It almost acts like an ad hoc community center.”
This story is a part of the Worldview-Chicago Sun-Times “Hungry For Home” series, which helps newbies navigate the many international groceries in the Chicago area. Find out how to cook the Filipino dish pancit guisado and the seafood soup sinigang at the Chicago Sun-Times.
With four restaurants, two bakeries, weekend street food-style vendors, and an enormous grocery store, this complex can be overwhelming to even a well-versed foodie. Shoppers are greeted by mounds of tropical produce, shelves of fermented fish and shrimp products, aisles of vinegar, oodles of Filipino noodles, special brands of processed cheese, spice packets, purple yam baked goods, and more.
Really understanding this place could take months, but for a beginner’s shortcut, we asked Pablo and Roxas to suggest ingredients to buy (and some dishes to try from the bakeries and food courts in the building.) We also threw in a few favorites of our own.
Vegetable packages: Shrink wrapped packages of assorted vegetables for dishes like pinakbet, a vegetable dish seasoned with bagoong (fermented shrimp paste), or sinigang, a Filipino sour soup flavored with tamarind or guava.
“(With these packets) the shopper would only need some condiments in order to complete the dish. Contrary to popular belief, Filipino cuisine is very vegetable and fruit centric,” Pablo said. “If your market offers these, just choose the package that looks the freshest; if none look satisfactory, pick the items yourself.”
Malunggay: Known as moringa in English, these teardrop-shaped leaves were recently designated a "superfood" by nutritionists.
“It’s nice to see our grandmothers’ wisdom confirmed by modern science,” Pablo said. “It’s a common ingredient in soups and made into tea. I’ve even had it applied to skin abrasions and inflammations with a bandage. This can be found fresh or frozen.”
Noodles: The Philippines has tons of noodle dishes, called pancit, in varieties that include luglug, miswa, bihon, and canton.
“Pancitdishes are typically served for birthdays to signify long life, and are common party food,” Pablo said. “Pancit canton or bihon seem to be the most well-known outside of Filipino communities, but luglug (seafood based) and miswa (noodle soup) are also very good. Typically, the dishes will vary by the type of noodle required ... and the sauces, broth, and/or other ingredients required. Select one according to the dish you will make. Most Filipinos have an opinion as to the brand — we’re very brand loyal.”
Bangus (milkfish): A boney, silvery catch considered the Filipino national fish.
“Bangus, or milkfish, is a very commonly available fish, either fresh, fresh from frozen, smoked ... (Most Filipino grocery stores) will clean and cut the fish to order and even deep fry it for you. No clean up,” Pablo said.
Jackfruit: A huge, versatile, tropical fruit.
“The green, unripe fruits are a perfect meat substitute in dishes like adobo, bistek, kare-kare, and more. And the yellow, ripened fruit are very tasty on their own — a little like pineapple. You can use them in a host of Filipino desserts, like turon andhalo halo. You can find either version canned in Filipino grocery stores and sometimes fresh.”
Vinegar: From palm and cane vinegars to coconut and wine vinegars, this is a Filipino staple for dipping and cooking.
“It’s used in the national dish (adobo), and more importantly, most every Filipino dish can be modified slightly to one’s individual palate with a dunk into sawsawan, a general term for dipping sauce,” Pablo said. “There are tons of vinegars to choose from: sweeter ones (cane vinegar) to spicy ones (with Thai chilis).”
Packets: Spice packets that give you a head start on traditional Filipino dishes.
“These might be a little controversial, but many working Filipinos use packets to give their second-generation kids a taste of the homeland that is quick, convenient, and delicious,” Pablo said. “Others rail against packets for their low nutritional value, high sodium content, industrialized food, and inauthenticity -- whatever that means.”
Bagoong: A fermented seafood paste.
“Bagoong is the best! It’s a key ingredient and condiment made from various types of seafood. … This is an ingredient that definitely brings the funk.” (You can mix it into a hot bowl of rice or on slices of green mango. Here’s Sarahlynn’s recipe for Bagoong.
Patis: A liquid made from fermented fish.
“While Filipinos in the diaspora here in the U.S. have become accustomed to pork-based Filipino dishes, fish is really the main source of protein,” Pablo said. “This is another must-have condiment for anyone cooking Filipino food. It can be used as a substitute for salt or to give an extra bump of savory umami to a dish. It doesn’t taste ‘fishy’ or foul, but it’s strong so be careful not to drop or spill it.”
Tender Juicy hotdogs: Bright red hot dogs from the Philippines with a saltier punch.
“One popular way to eat these bright red hot dogs is with banana ketchup,” Roxas said. “Or, at kids’ parties, it’s popular to serve them on a skewer with Tutti Frutti marshmallows.”
Filipino ice creams: Sweet creamy treats in flavors including purple sweet potato, herbal pandan leaf, and sweet corn.
“You find a lot of unusual flavors. I love thebuko pandan with coconut and this herb with a very subtle vegetal flavor,” Pablo said. “But you can also get one called quezo primero (processed American cheese) flavor because we love our processed cheese.”
A snack before shopping Most Filipino grocery stores also have little stalls, bakeries, or prepared food sections where you’ll find delicacies by and for Filipino palates, including sweet spaghetti, fried pigs feet, noodles, grilled foods, and more.
Other top picks from the food court and bakeries
Red Ribbon mamon cake: Small chiffon cakes that come in flavors including mocha, cheesy, butter, and purple sweet potato.
Cheese balls from Valerio’s Bakery: This is a sweet bread filled with orange processed cheese and a little cream cheese that delivers that signature sweet and salty combo. (Roxas recommends popping it in the microwave for a few seconds before eating.)
Chickenjoy from the Jollibee restaurant in Seafood City: This pairing of fried chicken and spaghetti may seem like a Southern-U.S. and Italian mashup, but Roxas and Pablo insist it’s quintessentially Filipino. They both recommend dipping your chicken in the mushroom-based gravy that comes on the side.
Crispy pata from the Crispy Town stand at Seafood City: There aren’t a lot of grocery stores where you can chow down on a whole deep fried pig foot dipped in vinegar. But this is one of them. Choose a pata (foot) you like, and the staff will chop it up with a cleaver for you.
Fried chicken skin from the Crispy Town stand at Seafood City:This is a guilty pleasure dipped in white vinegar, and you can get a whole bag of the stuff here without anyone judging.
More Filipino grocery shopping in the Chicago area: Uni-Mart: This medium-sized grocery chain has been serving Chicago’s Filipino community for decades with prepared foods, catering, a bakery, and dry goods. You can still find four locations in the city and suburbs.
Ever wish you had a pal to guide you through stores like H Mart, Assi, or Joong Boo? Look no further.
Since the end of the Cold War the United States has sought to remake the world in its own image. To this end successive administrations have promoted the concept of liberal hegemony, based around the principles of democracy, human rights, free trade, and multilateralism. But preserving this global order has been costly, leading the US into war or to act in ways that run counter to its values. And as the election of President Trump has shown, sections of the American public have begun to grow weary of this approach. Is liberal hegemony doomed to fail and, if so, what objectives should drive US foreign policymaking? To answer these questions, Worldview will join John Mearsheimer before a live audience at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Mearsheimer is R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and author of the new book The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities.
The pangolin is the world’s most trafficked mammal, according to a statement from the Pangolin Consortium.
More than a million of the scaly anteater-like animals have been poached over the past 10 years — for food in the illegal bushmeat trade, for Asian medicines, and for jewelry — across Africa and Southeast Asia. In response, the Chicago Zoological Society at Brookfield Zoo, along with five other American zoological institutions, created a consortium dedicated to protecting the pangolin in 2014.
Senator John McCain, a perennial voice for interventionist foreign policy in the Senate and two-time presidential candidate, has died after a yearlong struggle with brain cancer. He was 81.
McCain was elected to the Senate in 1986, succeeding Barry Goldwater in representing Arizona. The Vietnam War Veteran and POW was known for his role on several Senate committees that set the tone for American foreign policy. McCain often led groups of lawmakers to other countries and was outspoken against the U.S. use of torture.
WBEZ film contributor and director at Facets Chicago, Milos Stehlik, interviews the world’s great filmmakers. Today, he chats with renowned Iranian-Kurdish filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi. His “films tackle a variety of themes such as justice, dispossession and movement. Some ... focus on the plight of the Kurdish people … [and] modern-day Iran.”
Northwestern University’s Middle East and North Africa Studies program (MENA) is hosting Ghobadi for screenings and discussions on several of his films, including No One Knows About Persian Cats, showing Friday, May 25, 2018 at 7 p.m. at the Block Museum. Joining Ghobadi is Hamid Naficy, professor in Communication at Northwestern University. A leading scholar in Middle Eastern cinemas and media, Naficy will share his thoughts on Ghobadi’s craftsmanship and the current state of Iranian filmmaking.
On today's show:
Political scientist Yascha Mounk believes liberal democracy is under threat — here and around the globe — and joins Worldview’s Jerome McDonnell for an in-depth conversation titled “The People vs. Democracy" at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Mounk is a senior lecturer in political theory at Harvard University and author of the book The People vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It. The event was joint produced by CCGA and WBEZ.
On today’s show:
- Iain Levin, deputy executive director at Human Rights Watch, discusses how growing xenophobia and populism in Western Europe and the world has damaged the cause for human rights.
- Blacks in Green founder and President Naomi Davis speaks about one of the organization’s latest projectsto install solar panels in black communities to ease electric bills.
In a New Year’s Day speech, North Korea’s Leader, Kim Jong Un, opened the door for détente with South Korea.
Kim made overtures for high-level talks between the countries. He said he would consider South Korea’s standing offer for some form of joint participation at the upcoming Winter Olympics, beginning next month in PyeongChang, South Korea.
“I appreciate and welcome the North’s positive response to our proposal that the PyeongChang Olympics should be used as a turning point in improving South-North relations and promoting peace,” said South Korea’s President, Moon Jae-in.
We’ll discuss the prospects for thawing tensions between North and South Korea with Bruce Cumings, professor of history at the University of Chicago. He’s author of numerous books on the Korean peninsula including, Parallax Visions: Making Sense of American-East Asian Relations at the End of the Century, The Korean War: A History and North Korea: Another Country.
If you were a climate scientist, thinking about climate change every day, how would it affect your behavior? It’s transformed the behavior of atmospheric scientist Peter Kalmus. His carbon footprint is one-tenth of the average American.
While it may seem like he’s giving up a lot, Kalmus says he leads a much happier, more fulfilling life, after moving to what he calls a “low energy lifestyle.” Kalmus bikes a lot, composts aggressively, and grows his own food. He recently challenged other climate scientists to give up carbon intensive airplane rides, as an example to others.
We’ll ask Kalmus to offer ideas on how to transition away from a fossil fuel lifestyle from his book Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution.
Humans could cut as much as 30 percent of the earth’s greenhouse gas emissions if they would abstain from livestock-derived products.
We’ll talk with Stephen Eisenman, a Northwestern University art historian by day and a climate activist by vocation. He’s co-founder of the Anthropocene Alliance, a Chicago-based nonprofit. The group recently started an initiative called “Vegan Power" to educate the public on the benefits of a vegan lifestyle.
One big benefit, Eisenman says, is to the health of our planet. Articles on his website connect the dots between the meat industry and government. Eisenman also works with restaurants to increase their vegan options and increase supply for Chicago’s growing vegan demand.
Call Me by Your Name is the new film by Italian director Luca Guadagnino. Set in northern Italy, the film peeks into a love triangle between a professor’s 17-year old son, one of his graduate students, and a teenage girl.
WBEZ film contributor Milos Stehlik of Facets reviews the film and discusses some of its controversies. He’ll also review Lady Bird, starring Irish actress Saoirse Ronan as a young girl from the “wrong side of the tracks” in Sacramento. Lady Bird longs to leave her roots behind for school and life on the East Coast. Former Roseanne television star and Steppenwolf mainstay Laurie Metcalf also stars.
Lady Bird is in wide-release. Call Me By Your Name is now showing at ArcLight Chicago and Landmark Century Centre Cinema.
Journalist David Patrikarakos has reported from war zones around the world. But a few years ago, he began to notice that soldiers on the front lines of global hotspots engage with social media, almost as much as in combat. In many ways, that was their new frontline.
While social media has demonstrated an ugly side before, Patrikarakos says that those words in cyberspace — real or fake — have the potential to cause massive real-life violence. Since many of the social media posts end up supporting state-run propaganda, it has enabled warring countries and factions to redefine truth and pose new realities to people invested in a conflict.
This phenomenon led Patrikarakos to write War in 140 Characters: How Social Media is Reshaping Conflict in the Twenty-First Century. Patrikarakos, a contributing writer for Politico Europe, The New York Times, Financial Times, Foreign Policy, and Newsweek, joins Worldview to discuss his book.
Both of Chicago’s major newspapers once had prolific international bureaus. Now, most international news comes from wire services or parent companies. Instead of local editors deciding the direction of reporting, these umbrella organizations direct reporters and freelancers to produce content that trickles down to local media outlets.
Hundreds of pieces of journalism are written or taped a day this way, so there’s no lack of content. But the U.S. has one of the lowest rates of consumption of international news. A 2012 report says that only 44 percent of Americans follow international news.
International reporters have worked to make international news relevant to local audiences. How American taxpayer money is being spent in Pakistan or how Brazil handles racism are things that need context.
To discuss the need for providing context in international journalism, we’re joined by Gregory Warner, the host of NPR’s Rough Translation podcast, and Stephen Franklin, a former foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.
So much of the popular music in Africa during the 1960s and ‘70s was greatly influenced by the funk and soul of James Brown, but there was one ‘70s South African band that looked to Earth, Wind & Fire for its inspiration.
On the next Global Notes with Morning Shift andRadio M host Tony Sarabia, we take a look at the story and music of Pacific Express.
On Saturday, white nationalist groups gathered in Charlottesville, Va. for a rally that turned deadly when a man drove a car into a group of counter-protesters. Worldview talks with social psychologist Alexandra Stein, who helps survivors of cults reintegrate into society. Stein’s expertise is personal. She spent a decade in a cult.
Chicagoan and global activist, Debra Gittler, wanted to “create conditions on-the-ground through literacy education, opportunity and advocacy” to help children and families in Central America thrive. So she moved to El Salvador and started ConTextos.
Gittler is now back in Chicago and has partnered with Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart to bring the ConTextos model to Cook County. For our Global Activism segment, Gittler and Dart join us to talk about their collaboration.
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power follows up former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore’s 2006 Academy award-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth.
WBEZ film contributor, Milos Stehlik joins us along with the new film’s directors, husband and wife team of Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk. The filmmakers will talk about the legacy of the original film and how it affected the modern climate change movement. Cohen and Shenk will also share their hopes for the film to be a new vehicle for dialogue on sustainability.
The University of Chicago’s Enhancing Life Project has brought together 35 scholars from around the world to theorize ways of making everybody’s lives better. Scholars come from disciplines like anthropology, theology, history and media studies; from places like Germany, Taiwan and Iraq. All of the project’s scholars will be presenting at the Enhancing Life Project’s 2017 capstone conference this weekend.
We hear more about the conference and the project from William Schweiker, a principal investigator with the Enhancing Life Project and a professor of Theological Ethics at the University of Chicago.
Alejandro Jodorowsky’s second autobiographical film, Endless Poetry was originally intended as a five-part series. The movie gives us a surreal peek into the life and family of the 88-year-old Chilean filmmaker as a young man. WBEZ Film Contributor and Facets Director, Milos Stehlik, tells us why he finds Jodorowsky’s film "striking," “Freudian”, “episodic” and “self-indulgent”. The Chicago premier of Endless Poetry is Friday, July 28, 2017 at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
On Tuesday, European Union regulators slammed Google with a $2.7 billion fine for squeezing out competition on its shopping platform and presenting information that would benefit Google first. It’s one of the biggest fines in history, and has set a new precedent in antitrust litigation. To discuss, we’re joined by Mark R. Patterson, Professor of Law at Fordham University and the author of Antitrust Law in the New Economy: Google, Yelp, LIBOR, and the Control of Information.
Catholicism and Marxism don’t traditionally intersect much, even though they both claim a moral standing against greed and inequality.
Chase Padusniak is a PhD candidate at Princeton University says a lot of that has to do with how the Soviet Union and other authoritarian Communist countries co-opted Marx to the exclusion of religious people. Padusniak joins Worldviewto discuss Catholicism and Marx.
This week on Global Notes with Morning Shift and Radio M host Tony Sarabia we listen to the latest release from Songhoy Blues.
The quartet fled their home in Timbuktu music making was forbidden by the Islamic insurgency and formed the band in southern Mali. The group is influenced as much by traditional Malian and Tuareg traditions as it is by western rock, R&B and hip hop.
The Supreme Court is allowing a limited version of President Trump’s refugee and travel ban to take effect, while deciding to hear arguments about the entire ban this fall. We discuss what’s behind the Supreme Court’s action and the controversy surrounding it with Michael Jarecki, the Chicago chapter chair for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Worldview teamed up with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs to examine if insider plotting poses real threats to elected governments, or if deep state accusations are just a political ploy.
Before he left India for the United States, in 1893 Swami Vivekananda wrote, "In America is the place, the people, the opportunity for everything new." He wanted to introduce Yoga philosophy to Americans. Vivekananda’s first speech was at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. He began by saying, "Sisters and brothers of America." The conventional wisdom is that this speech introduced Yoga to the U.S. We’ll talk about the history of Yoga in America with Jatinder Singh Bedi, a Chicago-based historian and chief editor of the Indo news service “Hello NRI”. Every June 21st is the U.N. International Day of Yoga. Bedi will tell us about celebrations happening in the Chicago area through this weekend.
The superpowers that were competing in the original space race during the Cold War are no longer the only players in the game. We dig into the politics of space travel with Brian Harvey author of several books on the Russian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese and European space programs and contributor to Spaceflight magazine, Orbit, Astronomy and Space and the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society.
Last month, the satirical news outlet The Onion published "The Trump Documents",an ambitious, multimedia undertaking adding up to almost 700 pages of fake leaks from President Trump’s White House.
The Onion's editor-in-chief Cole Bolton joins us to talk about "The Trump Documents" and satire in the age of Trump.
Moroccan playwright and journalist Driss Ksikes and Northwestern University’s Brian Edwards joined Worldviewhost Jerome McDonnell to discuss Ksikes’ play, The Match.
The White House intelligence sandal is growing more complicated by the day. After yesterday’s revelation that Trump asked ousted FBI director James Comey to stop investigating connections between his campaign and Russia, a growing number of politicians on Capitol Hill are calling for impeachment for obstruction of justice. Senator John McCain even compared the scandals to Watergate. Yoni Appelbaum, a senior editor at The Atlantic, joins us to discuss.
In southeast Africa, Malawi has seen a steep surge of violence against people with Albinism, “or, as our listeners may know, Albinos,” said Peter Ash. “We use the term ‘persons with Albinism’ to humanize the genetic condition.”
Ash, who also has Albinism, is the founder and CEO of Under the Same Sun, a non-governmental organization working to fight against the stigmatization of people living with Albinism. Ash spoke with Worldview’s Jerome McDonnell to discuss the flurry of violence. Below are highlights from their conversation.
This weekend, global citizen Nari Savafi recommends Hair, Cloth, and Thread, a performance that combines art and music for a deeper look at how African Americans have used historically used hair as a form of protest.
Corporations with questionable environmental track records have marketed themselves as good stewards of the environment — and activists are buying the line. One writer looks at what people are most affected.
What is President Trump signaling to Russia and North Korea, after dropping the largest non-nuclear bomb in America's arsenal? We get analysis from Joseph Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund.
Plus, an update on the constitutional referendum in Turkey that would give President Recep Erdogan increased powers. And on Weekend Passport, a narrative radio play called Fatelessness at Noble Square's Chopin Theatre.
On today's show:
- Yale Historian Timothy Snyder says beneath Sean Spicer’s factual error about the Holocaust "lurks a horrifying moral one.” Snyder joins us to share some lessons from the past.
- Selah Freedom, a Florida not-for-profit, has established a Chicago branch to confront sex trafficking in the U.S. We speak with the organization's president and CEO, Elizabeth Fisher.
On today's show:
- We take stock of President Trump's foreign policy as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin
- We get perspective on Sunday's bombing of Coptic churches in Egypt from Atef MacKar, a Chicago-area physician, and president of Chicago Copts.
- Muslim-American poet and activist Mona Haydar joins us for Global Notes.
We take a look at how the world's ever-growing class divide is reflected in the airline industry. Plus, a look at how India and China are trying to improve air quality.
On today's show:
- The meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping resulted in a hundred-day plan to address trade imbalances. Writer Ted Fishman explains how much room the two countries have in modifying their trade relationship.
- Since the Trump administration announced it would cut funding to the EPA, several large corporations announced they would take up environmental protection measures themselves. The New Republic’s Emily Atkin notes the possible pitfalls.
- Pedro Walpole explains the hardships that climate change is causing people in the Philippines and how the global community can help.
President Donald Trump released a budget proposal last month that would eliminate all government agencies that support arts and culture in the U.S.
These types of cuts have been on the table for decades, but Congress hasn’t passed them. In contrast, other governments around the world invest a much larger portion of public funding into arts and culture, both at home and abroad. We’ll take a look at how Germany funds the arts with Herbert Quelle, the consul general of Germany in Chicago.
On today's show:
- We get analysis on the U.S. missile attack in Syria from historian and security expert John Mearsheimer.
- A conversation about Petra Epperlein's documentary Karl Marx City, which chronicles her search for truth in her family history.
- Pioneering photographer French photographer Sabine Weiss joins us on Weekend Passport
On today's show:
- The Gary-Chicago International Airport is a hub for the deportation of many Mexican immigrants. A group of community leaders are protesting the practice.
- An analysis of the evolution of U.S. policy towards China as President Trump meets with his Chinese counterpart.
This hour: we discuss this week's bombing in St. Petersburg and the current state of U.S. Russian relations; we take a look at how the Trump administration could impact press freedom around the world; our resident historian takes us back to 1240.
In his budget plan released last month, President Donald Trump proposed eliminating all the government agencies tasked with supporting arts and culture in the United States. We take a deep dive into the history of public funding of arts and culture in the United States as well as in Europe.
On today's show:
- We talk about the political crisis in Venezuela, where the Supreme Court stripped the country's legislative body of authority before partially backing off, with David Smilde, senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA).
- Plus, a Syrian doctor who led 14 medical missions into Aleppo talks about his experience ahead of an award ceremony in his honor later this month.
Worldview’s in-depth look at Japan’s first lady and the political leanings of Japan’s elite with Linda Hasunuma, an assistant professor of government at Franklin and Marshall College.
On today's show:
- Has U.S. policy in Syria changed under President Donald Trump? We talk to Slate's Joshua Keating about whether higher civilian fatalities point to a different strategy
- Our resident historian recalls the exile of the Dalai Lama
- Fim contributor, Milos Stehlik, speaks to the director of The Islands and the Whales
- Global citizen Nari Safavi offers picks for the weekend
Jewish Voice for Peace has accused the Jewish United Fund of Chicago of supporting Islamaphobia. We hear from both sides.
On today's show:
- President Trump has signed what the administration calls the “Energy Independence Executive Order.” Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, calls the new policy “a senseless betrayal of our national interest.”
- On Global Notes, a play that recently toured Australia: The Manganiyar Classroom, which provides a commentary on how India’s public education system is threatening a musical tradition.
On today's show:
- We talk about rising tensions in Hong Kong a committee controlled by Chinese government supporters chose Carrie Lam to be Hong Kong’s new leader.
- We hear how Japan’s First Lady is shaking up the country’s politics
- A conversation with a priest says that discourse around the Ukranian war front focuses too heavily on geopolitical interests as opposed to basic human values
On today's show:
- Yascha Mounk says Russia's recent actions to de-legitimize Western democratic institutions amounts to a new Cold War.
- Bellingcat brings together amateur sleuths to investigate news stories a world away.
- Women's rights in South Korea are on the decline.
On today's show:
- We sit down with the foreign minister of the Republic of Lithuania, Linas Linkevičius, to talk about his country's concerns about the Trump Administration's skepticism on Russia and NATO.
- Israeli filmmaker Tali Shemesh tells us about her film "Death in the Terminal," which documents a mob-killing.
- Weekend Passport recommends a play about a patriarch struggling to find his place as a man of two cultures
On today's show: We speak with Howard French, author of Everything Under the Heavens: How the Past Helps Shape China's Push for Global Power, about how we can assess China’s hegemonic ambitions by examining its past. Plus, after the U.S. beat Puerto Rico to win the World Baseball Classic, we look at the diplomacy of baseball.
On today's show:
- A look at the differing personas and policies of U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as they convened for their first face-to-face meeting.
- A conversation about Unseen, a play that follows an American conflict photographer, who wakes up in the home of her ex-girlfriend and doesn’t remember why she was found at the scene of a massacre.
On today's show:
- Several thousand people took to the streets in Belarus to protest a tax on the unemployed.
- The threat of cyber attacks on nuclear weaponry is real. We look at the risks and what can be done.
- Years ago, Dr. Gary Slutkin came to the conclusion that violence is a public health issue. Now, his organization Cure Violence has gone global.
On today's show:
- A fear of election hacking has pushed the Netherlands to use paper election ballots in Wednesday's vote.
- How the Samsung bribery scandal could affect the South Korean economy.
- On Global Notes: The international music of the South by Southwest festival.
On today's show:
- The political spat between Turkey and the Netherlands
- A look at bike safety in Toronto
- A conversation about education for the developing world
On today's show:
- South Korean President Park Geun-hye was impeached on Friday and now the country is facing a political crisis. We get details.
- We speak with Kate Horner, executive director of International Rivers, about the state of our planet’s waterways that provide life for billions of people.
- A conversation with Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
On today's show:
- A look at the future of environmental policy with Scott Pruitt, who does not think carbon dioxide is a major cause of global warming, leading the EPA.
- Director Danny Boyle discusses the sequel to Trainspotting 20 years later.
- The Kizuna 6 photo exhibition showcases images taken over the past six years since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan—from devastation to rehabilitation.
On today's show:
- U.S. media have an uncomfortable relationship with Wikileaks, reporting on its releases, while at times castigating its founder's methods.
- Four Ugandans have created a pop-up hair salon and art installation to remind women how beautiful and artistic their black hair truly is.
- In the mountains of India's Manipur state, women artisans craft handmade black clay pottery, a traditional occupation passed down over generations. But today globalization and mass production threaten their artistry. We sit down with global activist Manvee Vaid, who is working with the women through the non-profit Terra Klay.
In the mountains of India's Manipur state, women artisans craft handmade black clay pottery, a traditional occupation passed down over generations.
But today globalization and mass production threaten their artistry. We sit down with global activist Manvee Vaid, who is working with the women through the non-profit Terra Klay.
On today's show:
- The 2017 Peace on Earth Film Festival kicks off on Friday at the Music Box Theatre.
- A live performance from Malian kora player Ballake Sissoko and cellist Vincent Segal combining traditional Baroque music with West African troubadour songs.
- World History Minute: March 8, 1917, the day the Russian Revolution began.
On today's show: Why the Netherlands’ Geert Wilders is known as the ‘Dutch Trump.' Plus: The state of Nigeria’s democracy, its relationship with the U.S., and the mystery of its missing president.
On today's show:
- Changes to President Trump's controversial executive order restricting travel from Muslim-majority countries.
- The U.N. World Food Program says the world’s worst humanitarian crisis is in Yemen and that the country is "on the brink of famine".
On today's show:
- We try to answer the question, "What's happening at the U.S. State Department?"
- A preview of the 20th annual European Union film festival with WBEZ film contributor Milos Stehlik.
- And on Weekend Passport: Another film festival. The One Earth film festival bills itself as “the Midwest’s premier environmental film festival," showing 33 films in 37 locations around the Chicago area.
How 'merit-based” immigration works, helping the disabled through bike technology, and is Libya’s U.N.-backed government on the verge of collapse?
After President Donald Trump's first address to a joint session of Congress, he received praise for a more measured tone, but skeptics point to inconsistencies between last night’s speech and previous pronouncements. For some analysis, we turn to Steve Clemons, Washington editor-at-large for The Atlantic. Plus, Catalina Maria Johnson, host of Vocalo's Beat Latino, tells us what she'll be watching for at South by Southwest this year.
On today's show:
- What happens if foreign aid gets cut?
- Some of Chicago's top chefs are supporting the immigrant community with 'Solidarity Soup'.
- Poland’s right wing, populist Law and Justice Party has taken on the press, the judicial system and questioned who should or should not be considered a Polish citizen. Sound familiar?
Trump indicates he would boost U.S. nuclear arsenal, a look at the Canadian version of Trump's 'red tape regulations' order, and we examine what led to the famine in South Sudan and discuss solutions.
On today's show:
- The last Dakota Access Pipeline protesters have been removed, but the legal battles continue as native tribes begin filing challenges.
- The Danish film Land of Mine is competing for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language film.
- On this week's Weekend Passport, a symposium on artwork from the Arab Spring, a play about an Indian mathematician and a Mardi Gras concert at The Promontory.
The Department of Homeland Security this week issued two memos clarifying the practical measures to be taken under the Trump Administration's executive orders on immigration. We’ll talk about the changes and how they impact undocumented immigrants. We also hear from a group of Chicago-based storytellers who are documenting the stories of the area’s immigrants and refugees. Plus, how one global activist is working to give sight to India’s blind.
Bruce Cumings, a professor of history at the University of Chicago, joins us to discuss the killing of former heir-apparent of North Korea Kim Jong Nam and the geopolitical implications of his death. We also discuss Syria with Swiss-Syrian scholar Joseph Daher.
Plus, Morning Shift and Radio M host Tony Sarabia dips into his new releases bag and pulls out sounds from Morocco, Nigeria by way of London, Tunisia, Cuba and more.
On today's show:
- We take a closer look at latest developments in Iraq as forces continue to push to retake control of Mosul, and we hear how President Donald Trump's new national security adviser may influence policy there.
- We hear why many proponents say the U.S. is closer than ever to holding Constitutional Convention.
- We speak with the founder of Represent.Us, an organization working to pass anti-corruption laws through all levels of government.
- Plus, on this day in history: Nixon's historic trip to China.
Reza Aslan, a powerful voice promoting interfaith dialogue, joins us to discuss the current debate around immigration policy. We revisit the landmark 1963 Supreme Court decision changing the rules bout Bible reading in school. Plus, the Salaam-Shalom Music Project joins us live from the Jim and Kay Mabie Performance Studio.
On today's show:
- A closer look at President Donald Trump's foreign policy vision.
- The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict's human toll is explored in a new production, 'Semitic Commonwealth'.
- Before the 75-year anniversary of FDR's Executive Order 9066, we speak with Skokie resident Jean Mishima, who was 6 years old when she was sent to an internment camp in Gila River, Arizona.
On today's show:
- National Security Adviser General Michael Flynn has resigned after admitting he misrepresented to the White House conversations he had with Russia’s government.
- Human Rights attorney Matt Eisenbrandt claims new evidence in the 1980 killing of El Salvador's Archbishop Oscar Romero.
- According to reports, a draft executive order from President Trump would suspend a rule requiring companies to disclose products containing "conflict minerals."
- The origins of St. Valentine's Day.
After a weekend of protests against the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump in Mexico, we take a closer look at the new movement and its potential impact. And as technology threatens to eliminate many modern jobs, the concept of a "guaranteed income" is being considered as one solution for potential future economic problems. We dig into the idea with Swiss painter and activist Enno Schmidt.
On today's show:
- Special coverage of President Trump's press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
- Review and analysis of the Oscar-nominated documentary, I Am Not Your Negro.
Earlier this week, Somalia held presidential elections, but only a small group of legislators voted, rather than the general public. We talk about the election and impact of the U.S. travel ban on the Somali-American community. And as two leading candidates in France’s upcoming elections are plagued by scandal rumors, we hear more about the possibility of Russian meddling in those elections. Plus, how President Trump's travel ban is affecting Chicago area residents from the seven banned countries.
Recent surveys find both Americans and Europeans are split down the middle when it comes to limiting immigration, particularly by Muslims. We discuss what's behind the growing opposition, particularly in Europe. We also hear from the founders of the Chicago in Arabic website about how their platform is helping thousands of newcomers become more acquainted with U.S. culture and get involved in their cities. Plus, on Global Notes, the legacy of the Festival of the Desert music fest.
We talk about the legal process of President Trump's executive order with Baher Azmy, legal director at the Center for Constitutional Rights; photojournalist Julia Rendleman's project documenting refugee families; Canadian media critic Jesse Brown on "the darker side of Canada"; Toronto residents tell us what they think of the U.S. political climate; our resident historian hips us to the original "Bonfire of the Vanities"
One group at the center of President Trump’s immigration and travel ban is Iraqis. Kirk Johnson started a program to help bring to the U.S. Iraqi translators who had worked for the U.S. military. He joins us to talk about how the ban impacts all Iraqis. Plus, Rick Darke, a landscape ethicist, designer, author and photographer, talks about nearby opportunities to support biodiversity.
Employees of the State Department are using a mechanism known as the "dissent channel" to object to President Donald's Trump's executive order on immigration. What is that channel and how does it work? We turn to Hannah Gurman, author of The Dissent Papers: The Voices of Diplomats in the Cold War and Beyond. We also look at how Trump's ban is affecting the world of film and hear the story of how one of the driest and warmest countries on earth got covered in snow in the early 70s.
Each week global citizen Nari Safavi helps Worldview listeners plan their international weekend. This week, he recommends the Chicago Shakespeare Theater production of The Book of Joseph.
The play is based on a true story about a man who, after his parents die in a car accident, learns some uncomfortable truths about their lives during the Holocaust.
The Book of Joseph runs at Chicago Shakespeare Theater through March 5.
We examine the role that pipelines play in shaping contemporary social movements, and how a transition to renewable energy might impact popular political engagement; ThinkGlobal Arts Foundation founder Revati Natesan tells us how her global search for postage stamps of Mahatma Gandhi lead her to build new generations of peace-builders; and a look at what’s happening in eastern Ukraine and the evolving U.S.- Russia relationship.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist's famed “Doomsday Clock” was created in 1947 to alert us about the potential catastrophe of nuclear weapons. We talk about the Bulletin's decision to move the clock to two-and-a-half minutes to midnight last week. And we hear from the indigenous rights group Survival International about the challenges facing the Central African pygmy communities amid conservation projects on their lands. Plus, we explore the musical contributions from artists who come from the countries listed in President Trump’s executive order on immigration.
President Trump has said the executive order banning the entry of citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries is not about religion but rather “is about terror and keeping our country safe.” We take a closer look at a study from the CATO Institute which found the chance of an American being murdered in a terrorist attack caused by a refugee is 1 in 3.64 billion per year. And as Colombia’s government and FARC rebels implement a historic peace deal, the country’s Afro-Colombian population still suffers. We discuss the continued violent repression.
President Trump says the executive order on extreme vetting, which bans the entry of citizens from seven Muslim countries, is not about religion but rather “is about terror and keeping our country safe.” But a study last year by the CATO Institute found that the chance of an American being murdered in a terrorist attack caused by a refugee is 1 in 3.64 billion per year. Research also suggests that immigrants commit crimes at rates much lower than the rest of the population. Alex Nowrasteh, an immigration policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, joins us to talk about the findings.
On today's show:
- President Donald Trump named his chief strategist Steve Bannon as a permanent member of the National Security Council's Principals Committee.
- Writer Stephen Kinzer explains the debates that raged over the U.S. becoming an imperial power during the Spanish-American War.
- Hundreds of protesters descended on O’Hare International Airport over the weekend to protest President Donald Trump’s executive order banning citizens of several Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.
British Prime Minister Theresa May and President Donald Trump held a joint press conference following their visit at the White House on Friday. Worldviewprovided commentary. Then, Omar Kholeif, the Museum of Contemporary Art's Senior Curator, joins us to talk about an upcoming solo performance with an Egyptian artist.
As President Trump signs executive orders on everything from immigration to international trade, we take a closer look at how executive orders have been used historically. Steve Clemons, Washington editor-at-large for The Atlantic, explains how much Trump's orders can accomplish, and what portions are largely symbolic. Plus, we continue our "Canadians on Americans" series with a conversation about rhetoric and polarization.
Environmentalist Isidro Baldenegro López, an anti-logging activist in Mexico, was shot dead this month at a relative’s home. We discuss how social, political and economic circumstances are changing environmental activism with Global Witness’ Ben Leather. In our series 'Canadians on Americans,' we examine what events and trends say about America and Americans. Today, we speak with ethicist and philosopher, David Goa. Plus, a campaigner for economic and consumer rights for women in Saudi Arabia.
On today's show:
- Many observers in foreign policy and international relations are concerned that Mr. Trump’s foreign policy outlook will upend nearly a century of American world prominence and hegemony. We talk with Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, about what it will take for the U.S. to overcome today's global crises.
- In our series Canadians on Americans, we examine what events and trends say about America and Americans. Today, ethicist and philosopher Joseph Heath.
On today's show:
- We look back at President Obama's legacy on human rights
- We look ahead at President-elect Donald Trump's foreign policy in Asia
- A conversation with the brother of Oscar Lopez Rivera, the Puerto Rican independence activist whose sentence was commuted by President Obama on Tuesday
On Tuesday, President Obama commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning, the whistleblower convicted for providing classified documents to Wikileaks, some detailing covert U.S. operations in the Middle East. We discuss how wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have evolved over the last eight years as we continue our look at Obama's legacy. Plus, Beat Latino's Catalina Maria Johnson shares some new musical discoveries.
On today's show:
- The Field Museum’s Emily Graslie and Robb Telfer tell us about their mission to redefine natural beauty.
- We look back at President Obama’s legacy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and look ahead to the future of U.S. policy on the issue.
On today's show:
- How the death of former Iranian President Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani affects Iran's political equilibrium.
- The documentary Theo Who Lived tells the story of a freelance journalist who was kidnapped in Syria, tortured and held captive for two years.
- On Weekend Passport, the Chicago Puppet Festival and a concert of Ukrainian winter songs.
We examine President Barack Obama’s foreign policy legacy with Geoff Thale, program director at the Washington Office on Latin America. Plus, Morning Shift and Radio M host Tony Sarabia treats us to the second batch of artists he considers the best of global music in 2016.
This week on Global Notes,MorningShift and Radio M host Tony Sarabia treats us to the second batch of artists he considers the best of global music in 2016. He says it was a big year for compilation albums and re-issues, and we’ll hear some from Pat Thomas, Americo Brito, and Pro-Movement.
We look at Mr. Obama’s Latin America policy with Geoff Thale, program director at the Washington Office on Latin America. He also directs WOLA’s Cuba program. Thale will share his thoughts on numerous issues during the Obama years, including Cuba relations, U.S.-Mexico drug policy and immigrant deportations.
On today's show:
- We examine President Obama’s so-called 'Pivot to Asia' strategy.
- The story of an African-American soldier fighting in the Korean War who, captured by the Chinese Red Army, settled in China after his release. The BBC spoke with his daughter.
- A new documentary, The State of Eugenics, examines the history of U.S. sterilization laws and how they impacted the people who were selected for sterilization.
On today's show:
- Worldview examines Barack Obama's foreign policy legacy. Today, Obama’s policies in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
- And as part of the BBC series “The Museum of Lost Objects,” the story of a tiny Sumerian cylinder seal depicting a harvest festival. Carved in 2600 B.C., it disappeared when Baghdad’s Iraq Museum was looted during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
On today's show:
- Reacting to alleged election tampering and heightened geopolitical tensions, the Obama Administration ejected 35 top Russian diplomats from the U.S. We discuss how Russia is regaining footing as a global power.
- WBEZ film contributor Milos Stehlik talks with award-winning filmmaker Angus Macqueen about his 1999 documentary “Gulag,” which documents the history of the forced labor camps during the Stalin era of the Soviet Union.
- This week, the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute has a lineup of events and exhibits through the end of March.
On today's show:
- We look at U.S.-Mexico policy in the Trump era.
- We hear about the legacy of the former Archbishop of Jerusalem, the Most Reverend Hilarion Capucci, who was laid to rest in Lebanon Thursday.
- Plus, the story of Don Larson, creator of the Sunshine Nut Company.
On today's show:
- In Pakistani law, blasphemy can carry the death penalty. We discuss the controversial law with Saroop Ijaz of Human Rights Watch.
- Indonesia has its own blasphemy laws. We speak with journalist Ted Fishman about a blasphemy law that is threatening the governor of Indonesia's capital, Jakarta.
- Chicago’s Bassel & The Supernaturals is a nine-member group whose music combines neo-soul and funk to address issues like the war in Syria.
We discuss recent news out of the Middle East after Syrian rebel groups walked away from preliminary peace talks planned for Kazakhstan later this month and we hear from an “American Culture Coach” about the quirks of translating American shorthand in speech and small talk.
On today's show:
- American actress Kim Schultz began a three year intercontinental romance just as civil war was breaking out in Syria.
- Our film critic reviews his favorite documentaries of 2016, including 13th and Fire At Sea.
- And how did The Nutcracker, a Russian ballet, make its way to the United States to become a holiday tradition? It started with three brothers from Utah.
On today's show:
- Russia, Iran and Turkey met to discuss creating a political agreement to end the war in Syria, without the U.S. or other European powers.
- Journalist and author Deborah Jian Lee left Christian Evangelicalism because she was demoralized by its conservative politics. But years later, she's discovered that Evangelical culture and politics are changing, and changing fast.
Earlier this week Russia, Iran and Turkey met (without the U.S. or other European powers) to discuss creating a political agreement to end the war in Syria. The meeting took place as evacuations continue from eastern Aleppo. We discuss the way forward to peace in Syria with Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He edits the blog Syria Comment.
After last November's terrorist attacks in Paris, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner said he would ban Syrian refugees from entering the state. We hear from some groups that are calling for Rauner to rescind his statement and a policy they believe creates an atmosphere of Islamophobia. And on Global Notes: Morning Shift and Radio M host Tony Sarabia treats us to the first batch of artists he considers this year's best in global music. And we hear about some of the year’s most important climate change studies.
During the last two centuries the world has seen an increase in democracies. In many of these democracies there’s been a consistent increase in income inequality. Jeffrey Winters from Northwestern University joins us to discuss whether or not “crony capitalism” is an unavoidable feature of democratic systems.
Plus, we discuss the Burmese government, which has faced allegations of state-sponsored persecution of its Rohingya Muslim minority.
A suicide bomber exploded himself on Sunday, December 11th during Mass at St. Peter and St. Paul Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo, Egypt. We talk about the reaction in the Coptic community with Atef MacKar, president of the group Chicago Copts. We also hear about the latest developments in South Sudan, as the U.N. reports ongoing ethnic cleansing and mass atrocities. And oOn EcoMyths: why restoring the Florida Everglades is essential for preventing catastrophic shifts in availability of fresh, clean drinking water
President-elect Donald Trump has selected David Friedman as U.S. ambassador to Israel. We talk about the nominee and how his positions could impact both U.S.-Israeli relations and the prospects for peace. Plus, film contributor Milos Stehlik looks back on some of the best films of 2016 and wWe speak with the British theater company behind Chicago Shakespeare Theater's production of The Winter's Tale.
President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for the U.S. Departments of State, Energy, Interior and the EPA will face heavy scrutiny from environmentalists for their collective positions on issues like climate change and energy policy. We take a closer look at what the future of U.S. energy policy could look like under the Trump Administration. Plus, a conversation with the founders of the Range of Motion Project about how prosthetics act as "instruments of personal empowerment.”
The President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the peace deal he forged to end 52 years of war. We speak with Colombia’s Ambassador to the United States, Juan Carlos Pinzon, about the implementation of the complicated deal and how Colombia’s relationship with the U.S. may change. Plus, we take a closer look at reports of rising incidents of hate crimes and what citizens can do about them.
On today's show:
- If confirmed by the Senate, Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon Mobil, will guide U.S. foreign policy amid crises in the Middle East and tensions with North Korea and Russia.
- The growing row between Trump and the U.S. intelligence community.
- Dr. Mohammed Omer on his research about the similarities between immigration and urban policies in the United States and Israel.
The U.N. estimates about 100,000 people are trapped in eastern Aleppo, Syria. It also says that hundreds of men have gone missing after leaving eastern Aleppo for the government-controlled western side of the city. Dr. Zaher Sahloul, a Syrian-American physician, tells us more about what’s happening now and what he says he fears will happen next. Plus, a perspective on this year's election from an aspiring immigration attorney.
On today's show:
- A Washington Post report said the Pentagon suppressed an internal study revealing the Defense Department could save up to $125 billion by improving efficiency.
- Milos Stehlik speaks with Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín about his two new biopic films, Jackie and Neruda.
- For Weekend Passport, Loyola University Museum of Art stops by to tell us about their annual Christmas season crèche exhibit.
Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín has garnered lots of Oscar buzz for his two latest films, Jackie and Neruda.
Jackie, starring Natalie Portman, dramatizes the immediate aftermath of the JFK assassination from the point-of-view of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.
Neruda, Chile’s Oscar submission for best foreign language film, is a biopic on Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.
WBEZ Film Contributor, Milos Stehlik of Facets Multimedia, spoke with Larraín about what drew him to these projects. Jackie opened Friday in theaters while Neruda opens in January 2017.
Blizzard conditions have hit the camp of mainly Lakota protesters at Standing Rock in North Dakota. We speak with environmental ethicist, Michael Schuck, who was there to support the protesters. Then, how Cuba has mourned their former leader Fidel Castro during the past nine days. We’ll talk with freelance journalist Jean Friedman-Rudovsky. She was in Cuba to report on Castro’s farewell.
We examine Donald Trump’s candidates for Secretary of State, a position that's taken on heightened importance in light of the diplomatic row resulting in Mr. Trump's phone call with Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen. We also discuss reactions to that call from China with Wen Huang, author of The Little Red Guard and Death in the Lucky Holiday Hotel.
In Italy this weekend, citizens voted against changes to their constitution. We discuss the outcome and possible ramifications of the vote. And in the Netherlands, parliament is considering a ban on clothes such as burqas and niqabs in some public places. Farid Hafez, professor of political science at the University of Salzburg joins us to talk about the issue. Plus, the rise of public opinion polls in China.
France's unpopular president, Francois Hollande has announced he will not run in next year's election. We look at how the unprecedented decision has shaken things up even further in a country that's also seeing the rise of a far-right party. Plus, we hear what's at stake in Italy's constitutional referendum this weekend.
When Canada’s Liberal Party won decidedly in national elections last October, newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised “real change for Canadians.” More recently, he's faced criticism over complimenting Fidel Castro after he died and over environmental policies. We take a closer look at Trudeau’s record. Plus, Chicago-based group Funkadesi joins us to talk about how music can bridge cultural divides.
We get the latest on the political crisis brewing in South Korea. President Park Geun-hye has offered to resign, but her opponents call the offer a political stunt. And Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel made clear he expects no change in the lives of Chicago’s immigrant population, even after President-elect Donald Trump's anit-immigrant campaign rhetoric. We talk about how future U.S. immigration policy may affect Chicago. Plus, on Global Notes: Chicago's Lira Ensemble, which has been performing Polish music and dance since 1965.
On today's show:
- Alberto Coll, professor of law at DePaul University, joins us to talk about what Fidel Castro’s death means for him, for Cuban Americans and the future of the country.
- We look back at Castro's legacy and dig into the past and future of US-Cuban relations with journalist Patrick Symmes.
On today's show we revisit two conversations:
- Writer Brian Mockenhaupt joins us to talk about his hike along the Abraham Trail- from Hebron in the south - to Jenin in the north.
- We contemplate what role trails, paths and byways play in our lives with writer Robert Moor.
No European democratic country has elected a far-right leader since World War II. This could change when Austrians vote in their presidential elections, early next month. They may elect Norbert Hofer of the far-right Freedom party. The party has an anti-immigrant platform. It’s also anti-establishment. Italy is also set to hold a constitutional referendum, next month. The vote could help push into power Italy’s populist, anti-establishment Five Star Movement. We’ll speculate on a potential domino effect with Maxime Larive, associate director of the European Union Center at the University of Illinois.
Worldview’s Film Contributor, Milos Stehlik of Facets Multimedia, highlights three new films from renowned directors.
And, Chicago Folklore Ensemble has collected stories told by Chicago’s immigrant communities for a new book project titled, The World in Chicago. A new album of songs, adapted for string ensemble from the same immigrant communities, accompanies the book. This week on Global Notes, we talk with Lucia Thomas, founder of Chicago Folklore Ensemble.
President Barack Obama was in Latin America this weekend to assure leaders they can expect continued stability in U.S. relations with the region. We look at what the future holds for relations with Latin America with David Smilde, senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America. Plus, why protecting biodiversity is everyone’s business and how to connect with a meal and new friends for the holidays.
In the first days of Barack Obama’s presidency, he signed an Executive Order to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp. But nearly eight years later, it remains open and President-elect Donald Trump has promised to keep it that way. We look back at the Obama administration's policies on torture and drones, and speculate what may be ahead under a Trump administration. Plus, with Thanksgiving is around the corner we take a closer look at early childhood nutrition around the world.
Sarbpreet Singh says Sikhs are targets, once again, of hate crimes since the election. He’ll tell us his future hopes and the role he believes interfaith communities must play in healing political and racial divides in the country. Richard and Mildred Loving were arrested in 1958 in Caroline County, Virginia for their interracial marriage. Their case went all the way to the Supreme Court. Their story is the subject of the new Jeff Nichols’s film Loving. Plus, ‘Painted Caves’ performs this weekend as part of the Hothouse Global Voices series in Chicago.
Russia this week pulled out of the International Criminal Court, on the heels of the United Nations' condemnation of the country's military actions in Crimea and Syria. We get the latest on Russia’s human rights record. Plus, our resident historian takes us back to the day the Suez Canal was opened for business. And on Global Activism: the Fabretto foundation.
On today's show:
- Authors Jeffrey Winters and Eddie Glaude join us to discuss race, identity and interlocked issues like income disparity.
- Plus, on Global Notes, Swedish artist Sarah Assbring aka El Perro Del Mar, about her latest release KoKoro.
Reports of hate crimes have spiked since Donald Trump’s election and social media websites also report a significant uptick in threatening racist and xenophobic language. How could these trends affect the U.S. economy? We get analysis from Juan Cole, professor of history at the University of Michigan. Plus, as Chicago Fair Trade gets ready to host its annual gala we talk with the organization's executive director about how it all started.
Police across the U.S. report large spikes in hate crimes since Donald Trump’s election. Social media websites also report a significant uptick in threatening racist and xenophobic language. These trends, along with with Trump’s campaign rhetoric on immigration, have given pause, not only to migrant workers, but to highly skilled and educated foreign students and job seekers, according to Juan Cole, professor of history at the University of Michigan. Cole publishes the blog Informed Comment. His most recent book is The New Arabs: How the Millennial Generation is Changing the Middle East. We spoke with Cole about how a Trump presidency could have a lasting impact on foreign employment and the American economy.
On today's show:
- Evangelical Christians voted for Trump in overwhelming numbers. We're joined by writer and filmmaker Frank Schaeffer, one of the country’s most prominent liberal Christian thinkers, to discuss why.
- President-elect Trump has made a number of campaign promises with regards to energy, the environment and climate change. Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center, joins us to talk about what those policies might look like.
On today's show:
- How our foreign aid programs have changed under the Obama administration and what they might look like under Trump.
- Our "World History Minute” reminds us about (or introduces us to) the Balfour Declaration.
- Film contributor Milos Stehlik reviews the film Loving, about an interracial couple fighting for their marriage.
- Weekend Passport contributor Nari Safavi previews a weekend of Nigerian film and photography.
Does the United States need a post-election reconciliation plan? Brian Klaas, a writer and fellow at the London School of Economics, joins us to discuss why something typically reserved for countries emerging from deeply divisive conflict could also help America. “ Plus, we take a closer look at the reaction of global markets to Trump's presidency.
On today's show:
- Dr. Vaile Wright of the APA’s Stress Team, joins us to talk about how we handle election anxiety.
- We test your American civics knowledge and see if you’d pass the U.S. naturalization test.
On today's show:
- Environmental advocate Bill McKibben on climate policy and its role in the 2016 presidential campaign.
- We discuss environmental racism towards Native Americans with the founder of an advocacy organization fighting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
- And international observations on global anxiety about the U.S. presidential election from a political expert who has recently spent time abroad.
On today's show:
- The battle for Mosul and the risk, once again, of genocide in Iraq.
- WBEZ Film Contributor Milos Stehlik breaks down the Polish Film Festival.
- And a new Chicago play takes on questions of Muslim identity in the U.K.
The Karam Foundation is working with Syrian refugees to improve education and development. We're joined by Karam co-founder Lina Sergie Attar, who says the organization is alleviating the suffering of thousands of Syrians impacted by the war. Next, Pope Francis tries to calm political turmoil in Venezuela.
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement challenges individuals and entities to boycott, divest, and sanction Israel for its presence in the Palestinian territories. We look at why states like Illinois have passed legislation condemning the movement. Plus, comedian Yakov Smirnoff joins us to talk about comedy in his native Russia and about his current career in psychology.
On today's show:
- A recent Pew study says majorities in Greece, Hungary, Italy and Poland express negative attitudes "toward both Muslims and refugees.” We discuss why.
- Human rights advocates report harassment and murder of religious and other minorities in India -- sometimes with the complicity of the government.
- The Archdiocese of Chicago’s Black Catholic Initiative will host its annual Climate Justice Conference Nov. 2nd in Englewood.
On today's show:
- We talk to Mary Roach about her newest book, Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War, and the oftentimes absurd, sometimes curious, experiments taking place on behalf of the U.S. military.
- Human rights activist Medea Benjamin joins us to discuss how U.S. policy with Saudi Arabia affects the Middle East.
As the Chicago Cubs head into the final games of the World Series, we hear from fans watching their team play across the from El Salvador to New Zealand. Then, we hear Milos Stehlik's take on the new film Moonlight and hear from the playwrights behind a new, modern take on the story of King Henry VIII’s last wife.
The brutal gang rape and murder of a young woman in Delhi in 2012 put a spotlight on the issue of rape and violence against women in India, in a way that had not been done before. We hear about a conference this weekend in Chicago that takes on issues of sexual violence and health among South Asian women and girls, both here in Illinois and beyond. Plus, we hear more about a film chronicling the beginnings of the Inuit environmental movement.
Iraqi troops, along with Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and other militia, have been met with strong resistance by the ISIS fighters in the battle to retake control of Mosul. We get the latest. We also hear how what foreign observers and leaders are saying about how their perception of the US could change after this election. On Global Notes, listening back to a worldwide collaboration among percussionists to make “new gumbo."
The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has caused a lot of geopolitical angst. He brags about killing suspected drug dealers and drug users, and regularly threatens to dissolve Congress if he doesn’t get his way. We talk about what Duterte’s rule means for the relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines. And we check in on the state of environmental activism in Honduras after the murder of indigenous activist Berta Cáceres and others.
Free trade had once been a central pillar of the Republican Party. So, what does the future of U.S. trade policy look like? We discuss the TPP and our trade policy with Penny Pritzker, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Greg Brown, the CEO of Motorola Solutions. Also, Sunil Gokavi is a surgeon who helps us sift through India's numerous health challenges. Plus, historian John Schmidt recalls the day that Poland was partitioned in 1795.
The online whistleblowing platform Wikileaks was launched 10 years ago this month. We look at the history of Wikileaks and Julian Assange’s exile. We also explore a documentary that traces of mental illness within a family with the film's director. Plus, for Weekend Passport, we talk to cinematographer Kirsten Johnson about her new film, Cameraperson.
Foreign policy has been a major issue in the presidential campaign, and what happens in this election is also being closely monitored by our Canadian neighbors. We ask Canadian philosopher David Goa to weigh in on Wednesday night's debate. Plus, what do the Germans think of U.S. election? And on Global Activism: a group that creates libraries for orphans in India and elsewhere.
On today's show:
- The warring parties in Yemen have agreed to a 72-hour cease-fire that's expected to go into effect Wednesday.
- An organic farmer who has done pioneering work reclaiming agricultural lands destroyed by natural disasters joins us to discuss how her work has impacted the lives of farmers in India and elsewhere.
- We talk to journalist Ivan Favelevic about the impact of Soda Stereo on Latin American culture.
On today's show:
- Over the weekend more than a 150 countries reached a deal to reduce emissions of a powerful chemical used in refrigeration and air conditioning. It’s part of an effort to combat climate change.
- On today's World History Minute: The Arab Oil Embargo began on October 17th, 1973, when five Arab countries announced they’d stop selling oil to countries that supported Israel.
- Dr. Alice Rothchild a retired OB-GYN, produced and directed the film, Voices Across the Divide. It’s an oral history project about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
On today's show:
- Pastor Fran Leeman has been working on sustainable development projects in the Grande Anse River Valley in Haiti -- the area just struck by Hurricane Matthew -- for more than a decade.
- Polish cinema auteur Andrzej Wajda passed away this week after making films for over 60 years. His last film will be featured at this year’s Chicago International Film Festival.
- A live performance of by Arcomusical, a non-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving the Afro-Brazilian berimbau instrument.
The White House says it plans to respond to the recent hacks on the emails of Democratic political groups and campaign officials. We take a look some of the ways the U.S. might hit back at Russia and consider how these could play out. And the world’s longest reigning monarch, Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, died today at the age of 88. We hear about his legacy.
As Haiti begins the work of recovering from Hurricane Matthew, we take a closer look at international disaster aid. In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, questions were raised about how those funds were spent in Haiti. Plus, a look at disability rights on the global scale and an introduction to Finnish "folk-hop."
Worldview recently aired the final episode of a four-part BBC series, Life and Loss on the East Asian Highway. It followed the dangerous, and sometimes fatal, migration of millions of birds from "Australasia” and Southeast Asia to Alaska and the Russian Arctic.
We talk with Amanda Rodewald, Garvin Professor and director of Conservation Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University, which partnered with the BBC for the series. She tells us how climate change, urban sprawl and other threats endanger these birds and birds in the Midwest region.
On today's show:
- During the second presidential debate Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump diverged on just about every major issue they discussed. We take a look at how the candidates stack up against American public opinion.
- We take a look at the state of fashion in Iran.
- We hear about a new film that takes on the line between fact and fiction by telling the story of a book about Holocaust deniers.
Historian Deborah Lipstadt wrote a book about Holocaust deniers. She was sued for libel by one of the deniers mentioned in her book, a man named David Irving. The suit went to trial and the story is depicted in the new film Denial. Film contributor Milos Stehlik sat down with Lipstadt to discuss the film and the line between fact and fiction.
On today's show:
- Less than a week after Colombian voters rejected a peace deal between the government and the FARC, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to President Juan Manuel Santos. Will the Nobel help salvage the peace accord?
- For today's World History Minute, old King George III's Royal Proclamation of 1763.
- Film contributor Milos Stehlik joins us to discuss two films opening this weekend, Birth of a Nation and American Honey.
- In 1980, a nuclear accident at a rural Arkansas missile silo was nearly-catastrophic. The event is the subject of a new documentary showing at the Siskel Film Center.
One of Italian architect Stefano Boeri's most famous projects is the “Bosco Verticale” in Milan, Italy. It's two residential towers covered with 900 trees and 20,000 plants. We speak with the architect. Plus, for the first time, the Third Coast International Audio Festival opened up its documentary category to foreign-language entries. And for our Global Activism segment, saving child slaves who were trafficked into Ghana’s fishing industry.
On today's show:
- Over the weekend, at least 50 people died in a stampede at an Oromo religious festival in Ethiopia. Charles Schaefer of Valparaiso University joins us to discuss the violence.
- Due to tensions over Ukraine and Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his country won’t give up their nuclear fuel. Nicolai Petro of the University of Rhode Island joins us to discuss the implications.
- Plus, weird favorites from the International Songwriting Competition.
The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) lets artists compete for top honors in categories ranging from Americana to World and Latin music. For this week’s 'Global Notes,' WBEZ’s Tony Sarabia and Jim Morgan, co-director of ISC, offer samples of the 2015 winners.
On today's show:
- Danish journalist Lars Toft Rasmussen says if you conducted an opinion poll in Denmark, he believes Hillary Clinton would get 90% of the vote. Rasmussen is bicycling from Los Angeles to Chicago to research the U.S. presidential elections. We talk to him about what he learned.
On today's show:
- Colombians voted to reject the historic peace deal between the government and FARC rebels by a razor-thin margin. We discuss what’s next.
- Global access to medicines is a growing crisis. We talk about possibly “groundbreaking litigation” in India -- and advocacy at the U.N. -- that may change things for the better.
- The Holocaust is a chapter of history that has been politicized and revised by Soviet historians and politicians. But a series of events in Kyiv last week aimed to re-examine some narratives of the Holocaust, genocide, and historical memory.
On today's show:
- In the upcoming presidential election the Indian American vote may prove key in some swing states. We take a look at how the Indian vote is taking shape in Illinois and beyond.
- Children’s Place International is a Chicago organization that works with partners around the world to help children who face health care and poverty issues.
On today's show:
- We remember Shimon Peres, one of the "founding fathers" of Israel.
- We take a look back at his work developing Isreal's nuclear program in particular.
- We hear about a new documentary that takes on America's role in global conflicts.
- On Global Notes, we celebrate the life and music of famed Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar.
On today's show:
- Before Donald Trump did The Apprentice, Hugo Chavez appeared on a weekly show called Aló Presidente, where he’d do everything from performing to discussing current issues. Political scientist Javier Corrales joins us to talk about how the two political leaders have used the media to deliver their political messages.
- Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a phenomenon where particular diseases grow resistant to traditional antibiotic medication, and previously curable diseases become untreatable. Elta Smith, a research leader at RAND Europe, joins us to talk about AMR and the conversation about global health at the UN.
- U.S. citizens expect the right to access to an attorney should they have to appear in court. For people going through the U.S. immigration system, even for children, such rights are not always guaranteed. Grace Meng, a senior researcher in Human Rights Watch’s U.S. program, investigates abuses in the U.S. immigration system.
On today's show:
- Oxfam says millions of people in Yemen are at risk of starvation due to an 18-month war that's forced over three million people from their homes. Scott Paul, senior humanitarian policy advisor for Oxfam, explains the conflict’s impact on the population.
- Film contributor Milos Stehlik discusses two films: The Dressmaker from Australia and A Man Called Ove from Sweden.
- The Hyde Park Jazz Festival celebrates its 10th year this weekend and features artists who work across cultures and traditions.
On today's show:
- Political theorist and historian Timothy Garton Ash believes civilization is impossible without careful exploration and appreciation of free expression.
- Francois Duvalier, or 'Papa Doc,' was Haiti's president from 1957 to 1971. It’s estimated that as many as 60,000 were killed under his rule.
This week, a U.N. aid convoy in Northern Syria was attacked. At least one UN aid worker was killed. The United States blames Russia. Moscow denies involvement. Also this week, Donald Trump renewed his call for a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the United States. A new play explores being Muslim in America. Plus, on this week’s Global Notes, we’re joined by Norwegian musician, Pal Moddi Knutsen.
On today's show:
- As Ukraine celebrates 25 years of independence from the former Soviet Union, the country is split by two years of civil war along its eastern border. We reflect on the situation.
- Albert Woodfox spent 43 years in solitary confinement, much of it in a six-by-nine-foot cell at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola. He was released earlier this year. We talk to Woodfox about his experience.
- This week, the U.N. General Assembly is hosting the first-ever summit on ‘Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants’. New York Times reporter Somini Sengupta joins us to discuss the summit.
On today's show:
- Ilya Ponomarev is a former member of the Russian parliament who cast the lone vote against Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. He now lives in exile, and discusses Russia's recent parliamentary elections, in which Vladimir Putin's ruling party won by larger-than-expected numbers.
- President Obama announced a lifting of U.S. sanctions on Burma, including a U.S. ban on Burmese precious gems. Human rights proponents criticize the move, citing Burma’s continuing human rights violations.
- Survival International recently announced nominees for its “Racist of the Year” award, given to “the person displaying the greatest prejudice against tribal peoples.” We look at this year's entries.
On today's show:
- American presidential candidates aren’t the only political leaders who face scrutiny about their health. We look at some memorable cases.
- Milos Stehlik of Facets Multimedia will discuss the new Oliver Stone film, Snowden, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The movie dramatizes the story of controversial former NSA contractor, turned whistleblower, Edward Snowden.
- Song of the Goat Theater, a group of drummers and artists from Poland, will perform its interpretation of King Lear at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
On today's show:
- A new report examines how the changing climate is linked to everything from mortality rates to instances of sexual assault.
- A Unitarian couple traveled from Massachusetts to Europe in 1939 to help save political dissidents and Jewish refugees who were fleeing the Nazis. Their grandson teamed up with filmmaker Ken Burns to tell their story in the new documentary Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War.
- For our Global Activism series, we hear about an individual who started helping Ugandan street kids and later created the Child Restoration Outreach Support Organization (CROSO).
On today's show:
- A U.S.-Russia brokered ceasefire in Syria is still holding. Critics say the truce has little chance of lasting. We get an update on the situation.
- The Cameroonian government must decide by November if it will continue a land lease from a U.S. firm. A new report accuses the U.S. government of pressuring Cameroon officials to continue leasing.
- On Global Notes, Tony Sarabia remembers legendary ska singer Prince Buster, who passed away last week.
On today's show:
- After North Korea detonated a nuclear weapon on Friday, the U.S. today sent two bombers to fly over ally South Korea in a show of force. We get the latest from Korean peninsula expert Bruce Cumings of the University of Chicago.
- In 122 A.D., the Roman Emperor Hadrian began work in Britannia on a wall to mark the boundaries of the Roman Empire and keep out “barbarians”. Historian John Schmidt has the story.
Since the end of WWII, thousands of children have been adopted into the U.S. from foreign countries. Now, a loophole in immigration law leaves them without U.S. citizenship. “The Adoptee Rights Campaign”, wants a Congressional amendment to grant them retroactive citizenship. Plus, Chicago has a strong and vibrant Polish community. But how just how Polish is this city, really? Jesse Dukes from WBEZ’s Curious City answers those and more questions in a special documentary on Polish Chicago.
A far-right party hopes to enter Germany's governing body for the first time in 72 years. Andreas Kluth of The Economistjoins us to talk about the rise of the AfD. And our film contributor is just back from the 43rd annual Telluride Film Festival. He’ll share some of the highlights. Plus, global citizen Nari Safavi tells us where we can keep an eye on contemporary India this weekend.
Last night presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton took part in forum on NBC news focused on national security, foreign policy and services for US veterans. The audience was largely made up of members of the US military. How did they do? And in this week's World History Minute, Brazil celebrates the 1822 anniversary of its independence. Plus, introducing Chicagoans to Colombian art.
On today's show:
- Members of 60 tribes have gathered in opposition to the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline that will pass through Iowa, Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota.
- While Boy Scouts flirted with imperialism and militarism, Girl Scouts emphasized international cooperation and empowerment. A look at the origins of the Girl Scouts.
- Juan Gabriel's music was the soundtrack to many Mexicans' entire lives. His untimely death at 66 leaves a vacuum in Mexico's musical landscape. We play some of his hits and discuss his legacy.
On today's show:
- Worldview presents a two-day special series on the origins of the Boys and Girls Scouts. Much of what we’ve learned surprised us and may surprise you. Today, Boy Scouts.
- For our EcoMyths segment, we continue a series called, “What the Plant?” Due to Climate Change, two of the most popular varieties of coffee plants are a few years from possible extinction.
On today's show:
- The Syrian Community Network has helped resettle 14 families in the Chicago area and 1500 in the US. As part of “A Nation Engaged,” we look at U.S. refugee policy.
- Historian John Schmidt tells us about a Middle East Peace treaty that worked, at least in the short term: the Treaty of Jaffa.
- We get a preview performance of this weekend’s concert by Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad Qawwal with Zeshan & the Transistors.
We examine Donald Trump's visit with Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto and take a look at U.S.-Mexican policy. We talk with filmmaker Nanfu Wang about her documentary, Hooligan Sparrow, which follows activists against sexual abuse into China's Hainan province. And on Global Activism, we get an update on one U.S. teen’s vision for a girls’ school in Pakistan
We speak with filmmaker Nanfu Wang about her new documentary, Hooligan Sparrow.
She followed activist, Ye Haiyan (a.k.a Hooligan Sparrow) and her colleagues to Southern China’s Hainan Province to draw attention to the case of six elementary school girls who were sexually abused by their principal. The activists face constant government surveillance, interrogation, harassment, and imprisonment.
Hooligan Sparrow shows at Chicago’s Facets Multimedia September 2-8, 2016.
Pakistani-American and Winnetka, Illinois teen, Sonia Shah, started the Kulsoom Foundation for Girls to build a school for girls in Pakistan. Sonia wanted girls to have a future like her mother, Iram, provided. But before the school was finished, she tragically died in a 2012 auto accident. Sonia was 18 years old. Since then, Iram carries on her daughter's legacy through the Sonia Shah Organization. For our Global Activism segment, Iram will update us on the school and her new missions to help underprivileged girls in Chicago afford an education and to encourage Corporate Social Good and Responsibility.
It’s been reported that Uzbekistan’s longtime authoritarian president, Islam Karimov, has suffered a massive stroke, and many speculate he has died .We talk about what's next for the country. We also hear about a National Parks Service initiative to attract more people of color and get a taste of Nigerian jùjú music on Global Notes.
What is America’s place in the world? Worldview takes a look at how America’s national security policies and values have shifted since 9/11 -- and changed the way the US engages with other nations. We also explore how counterterrorism policies in other countries have been influenced by measures and policies instituted in the United States and what all this means for the presidential race.
On today's show:
- Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff took the stand today in her ongoing impeachment trial. We get the latest on the trial from Peter Prengaman, Brazil news director for the Associated Press.
- When he was 11 years old, David Tapper received an award from the Illinois EPA to work on environmental justice. His project would eventually lead him to farm his own space with a green roof farming community on top of the parking garage of Chicago’s Weiss Memorial Hospital.
On today's show:
- This week the Colombian government signed a historic peace agreement with the FARC rebels, ending more than 50 years of conflict. We talk about what happens next.
- Film contributor Milos Stehlik also joins us to discuss Werner Herzog's new documentary Lo and Behold.
- Plus, on this week's Weekend Passport, the 50-year anniversary of a 1000-year commemoration and 'Taste of Greektown' 2016.
Each week, global citizen Nari Safavi helps listeners plan their global weekend.
This week, he tells us about celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of when Chicago’s Polish community commemorated 1000 years of Christianity in Poland. We also hear about ‘Taste of Greektown’ 2016.
On today's show:
- The death toll from this week’s earthquake in central Italy has surpassed 240 and is expected to rise. Government response to past earthquakes has been slow and plagued by scandals. We get an update from Italy.
- When Princess Kasune Zulu was diagnosed with HIV nearly 20 years ago, she was given six months to live. Since then, she’s advocated for education and healthcare for HIV/AIDS-affected communities, especially in her native Zambia.
- Our resident historian takes us back to the explosion of Krakatoa.
The fight against Boko Haram has displaced 1.8 million people within Nigeria. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was in Nigeria this week to discuss the government’s counterterrorism strategies. We talk about the terror group, Kerry’s visit and a growing humanitarian crisis with Richard Joseph of Northwestern University. Plus: Wapapura, a solar-powered recording studio.
Olympic marathon runner Feyisa Lilesa is Oromo, Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group. As he crossed the finish line to win a 2016 silver medal, he crossed his raised arms in an act of defiance against the Ethiopia's treatment of his people. We talk about his protest with Oromo activist Seenaa Jimjimo. Plus, we discuss the struggles of Muslims and people of color living in Western-styled democracies and unsafe water in Colombia.
On today's show:
- As a Saudi Arabia-led coalition launched military strikes on Yemen’s capital of Sanaa, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in support of Houthi rebels in control of the city. The conflict has killed over 6,500 people. We get the latest.
- Have events on the world's political stage this summer signaled the end of democracy as we know it?
On today's show:
- The Burkini is a swimsuit that opened up possibilities for Muslim women to enjoy the beach, while not violating their religious traditions for dress. After a series of terrorist attacks, French cities like Nice and Cannes have banned the clothing. We talk about the controversy with Dr. Farid Hafez of the University of Salzburg.
- We discuss the new film Kubo and the Two Strings with the film's director.
- Global citizen Nari Safavi gives us his picks for the weekend.
On today's show:
- Just after the one year anniversary of the Iran nuclear deal, we evaluate how well both sides are keeping their promises.
- While American companies continue to dominate the tech startup market, several other tech hubs are making a name for themselves in Central and Eastern Europe.
- Historian John Schmidt walks us through the coup against Gorbachev and the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union.
On today's show:
- Russia claimed it foiled a terrorist attack by Ukrainian government forces and Ukraine denies the plot.
- Uber was unable to win over the Chinese market. After $2 billion in losses, it sold its remaining shares to local rival Didi.
- The Olympics in Rio are winding down, but you can still enjoy some new Brazilian music.
On today's show:
- An Imam and his assistant were murdered over the weekend in Queens. We discuss Islamophobia and Trump's latest speech advocating ideological tests for immigrants with Ahmed Rehab of the Chicago Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
- We also get a human rights update on the Rio games from Dave Zirin of The Nation magazine.
On today's show:
- The Philippines' President, Rodrigo Duterte, has threatened to personally kill suspected drug dealers and drug users. We take a closer look at the presidency of the man nicknamed "the punisher."
- We discuss cyberhacking and cyberespionage in the war in Syria.
- Plus, a newbie's guide to Olympic handball.
On today's show:
- A military coup overthrew Thailand’s government two years ago. On Sunday, the country held a national referendum on a new, draft constitution. We discuss the political, diplomatic, and cultural implications of the referendum.
- Film Contributor Milos Stehlik discusses the new Sean Ellis film, Anthropoid.
- Our resident historian looks at the fall of Egypt.
- Global citizen Nari Safavi helps listeners plan their global weekend with an art exhibit featuring Armenian craftsmanship in Turkey.
We sit down with environmental artist Jenny Kendler. She shares how she's working to inspire environmental engagement through her art. On Global Activism, we meet a group working through microlending and storytelling. Also, an update on Ethiopia after security forces there killed dozens of protesters.
The Turkish government has accused a frequent Worldview guest of being behind the July 15, 2016 failed coup attempt to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. We ask Henri Barkey of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars to answer Turkey’s accusations against him. We also discuss what is being done to stop slavery in Mauritania. Plus: we talk about World Music Festival Chicago (this September 9th-25th) with Radio M's Tony Sarabia.
On today's show:
- Japanese Emperor Akihito has signaled his upcoming retirement in a move that many fear will weaken the monarchy, seen as a counterweight to Shinzo Abe's government. We talk about Akihito's legacy and what's ahead for Japan.
- We discuss the Japan's trafficking of over 200,000 so-called "comfort women" during WWII. A performance in Chicago hopes to keep attention on the issue.
- A look at how tech helps refugees navigate treacherous journeys and survive challenging living conditions.
There's a new and ambitious hiking path in the Middle East called the "Abraham Trail". When completed, it will stretch 3000 miles from Turkey to Saudi Arabia. We talk about the passageway with writer and backpacker Brian Mockenhaupt.
Then, how trails - whether literal, virtual or figurative - affect our lives.
On today's show:
- We take a look at the meaning of the flags, the anthems and nationalism at the Olympics with Alan Bairner, professor of sport and social theory at Loughborough University.
- For most of history, people could communicate only as fast as someone could physically carry a message, but that all changed on August 5th 1858. Historian John Schmidt fills us in.
- The Ice Storm writer James Schamus sits down with WBEZ film contributor Milos Stehlik to chat about his directorial debut.
- We hear about a documentary film that revisits a visit to Israel taken by students fro Wilberforce University, the nation's oldest private, historically black university.
On today's show:
- And for several years, there's been a steady flow of drug addicts sent by local authorities in Puerto Rico to unlicensed rehab programs in Chicago. Many people who’ve been through these programs have alleged they were mistreated, subjected to unsafe and unsanitary living conditions and possibly identity theft. We talk to WBEZ's Odette Yousef, who's been covering the story for over a year.
- We discuss the complicated political and humanitarian situation in Aleppo with Dr. Zaher Sahloul, a former president of the Syrian American Medical Society.
On today's show:
- The United States expanded its airstrikes against ISIS into Libya this week. We discuss what's happening in Libya and its role in the 2016 presidential campaign with Ali Ahmida, Professor of Political Science at the University of New England.
- Third party! Jill Stein is expected to win the Green Party nomination this week. We speak with a member of the Green Party's national platform committee, Jack Ailey, about Stein's foreign policy proposals and the history of the Greens.
- On this week's Global Notes, Morning Shift host Tony Sarabia samples some Latino CCR tributes.
On today's show:
- Josh McDermott's research in the Amazon came to conclusions that challenge the very notion of Western music. We talk to the MIT professor about why music isn't as universal as we think.
- A conversation about the web of finances and international transactions of the Clinton Foundation. We talk with investigative journalist Ken Silverstein, who says the Clintons have used the foundation for "influence peddling."
On today's show:
- The UN estimates about 300,000 are trapped in the Syrian city of Aleppo as food and medical supplies dwindle. We discuss the stakes in the ongoing war in Syria.
- We hear about a free festival touring the Midwest in hopes of helping people find “inner peace.”
- Greenlanders left the European Economic Community (EC) via referendum decades before 'Brexit'. So what happened to them?
On today's show:
- We recap and discuss the DNC, the DNC policy proposals and, of course, Clinton’s speech.
- Film contributor Milos Stehlik joins us to discuss a couple of new films hitting the theaters.
- And for our Weekend Passport segment, global citizen Nari Safavi tells us about a storytelling effort to revitalize Chicago’s South Parks.
On today's show:
- We take a look at how the Democratic Party plans to combat terrorist movements.
- We discuss the possibilities for peace in Afghanistan in the wake of recent ISIS attacks in Kabul that killed more than 80 people.
- And for our Global Activism segment, an update from a Mumbai-based research collective analyzing poverty, health, and social equality through the lens of urban youth.
On today's show:
- We break down the evidence that suggests Russia may be behind the DNC's email hack and take a closer look at the connections between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
- Our resident historian looks back at the Korean War armistice.
- On Global Notes, we hear from the 76-year-old Tobago-born "party animal" Calypso Rose.
On today's show:
- After Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused cleric Fetullah Gülen of orchestrating a recent coup attempt, we hear from some supporters of Gülen’s movement.
- How is Poland looking at the future of its coal industry?
- EcoMyths breaks down the many uses of hemp.
Worldview spends the hour with political scientist Robert Vitalis, the author of the new book, White World Order, Black Power Politics: The Birth of American International Relations. He explains why he believes “racism and imperialism...affected the way that diplomatic history and international relations were taught and understood in the American academy. “
On today's show:
- This week Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency following last weekend’s failed coup. We discuss how the government is proceeding in the aftermath of the coup.
- Three new films opening in theaters and the play Lolita de Lares focuses on a key moment in the history of the struggle for Puerto Rican independence. Liza Ann Acosta, the dramaturg, joins us to talk about the play.
On today's show:
- A look at what foreign leaders hope to achieve at the RNC
- We talk about how immigrants influenced race relations and the Chicago police force.
- And for our Global Activism segment, we learn how two million orphans are gaining access to a quality education.
On today's show:
- After last weekend’s failed coup attempt , Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has sacked or suspended as many as 50,000 people.
- Poland recently passed an antiterrorism law that lets security services conduct surveillance and wiretapping of foreign citizens without a court order.
- Plus, on this week’s Global Notes we get a lesson in traditional Roma music with a live performance by the group Bachto Delo Del
On today's show:
- Chicago competed to host this summer’s Games but didn’t win the bid. Nowadays, cities are pulling out of bids. So is the bid worth it anyway?
- We get the rundown on Turkey.
On today's show:
- About 8,000 police officers and 6000 members of the judiciary and military have been arrested or detained on suspicion of having links to the coup attempt in Turkey. We discuss the details.
- Christopher de Bellaigue’s latest report in the Guardian asks if French prisons are ‘finishing schools’ for terrorism.
- Film director Matt Ross chats with us about celebrating Noam Chomksy Day, and tells us about his latest movie, Captain Fantastic.
- And for our 'World History Minute', we explore what became known as the “Great Fire.”
On today's show:
- We remember the Iranian film great Abbas Kiarostami, who passed away on July 4th at the age of 76.
- After hearing Ghanaian Eric Peasah’s story about his work to rescue and rehabilitate child slaves who have been trafficked into Ghana’s fishing industry, Chicagoan Lori Dillon created a local branch of Peasah’s NGO, Right To Be Free. We speak to them about their work spreading awareness and educating schoolchildren about enslaved children in Ghana.
On today's show:
- Last night, a French citizen of Tunisian descent drove a truck through crowds in Nice, France. He killed at least 84 people, including two Americans. We discuss the aftermath.
- An upcoming referendum in Italy could change its constitution, giving power to an anti-establishment party known as the ‘Five Star Movement’. We talk about the referendum and also how ‘Brexit’ is playing out in Italy.
- And a performance to raise awareness for Ukrainian soldiers and their families who struggle with PTSD makes up this week's Weekend Passport.
On today's show:
- We remember the Iranian film great Abbas Kiarostami, who passed away on July 4th at the age of 76.
- Ghanaian Eric Peasah and Chicagoan Lori Dillon talk about their work in Ghana with NGO Right To Be Free
We profile the politics of UK's new prime minister and talk about a Labour Party leadership revolt. Also, a look at the first-ever refugee Olympic Team. We hear about the conflicts in their home country and their Olympic hopes. On Global Notes we hear some of the exciting Chicago-area music festivals to look out for
On today's show:
- A conversation with historian Bruce Cumings about the film Under the Sun. Does it really revealing what life may be really like in the mysterious country?
On today's show:
- Most of us are familiar with European explorers that set out to reach East Asia. But today we hear about the East Asian explorers that travelled in the other direction.
- A sociologist shares why he believes the bicycle is transforming lives across the globe
- A conversation about keeping Pope Francis' comments on LGBT inclusion "in context"
Earlier this week Iraq experienced one of its most deadly terrorist attacks, with at least 292 people killed. Another suicide attack yesterday killed at least 26. We talk about violence and the legacy of the Iraq war. Also, a preview of the Czech Republic’s Karlovy Vary Film Festival. Plus, what you can expect at the Tour de Fat, New Belgium Brewing’s “ traveling celebration of all things bicycle” heads to Chicago this weekend.
On today's show:
- Earlier this week Iraq experienced one of its most deadly terrorist attacks, with at least 292 people killed. Another suicide attack yesterday killed at least 26. We talk about violence and the legacy of the Iraq war.
- Our resident historian breaks down the "Roswell Incident."
- A look at at othe Czech Republic’s Karlovy Vary Film Festival with film contributor Milos Stehlik.
- What you can expect at the Tour de Fat, New Belgium Brewing’s “ traveling celebration of all things bicycle."
On today's show:
- Earlier this week President Obama announced that the U.S. will leave behind 3,000 more troops in Afghanistan than originally planned. We take a look at what the continued presence of troops means.
- A conversation about the case of Andargachew ‘Andy’ Tsege, a well-known opposition figure to the Ethiopian government, currently facing the death penalty.
- We talk to the people behind Heshima Kenya's nonprofit work in Chicago.
On today's show:
- We continue to untangle Brexit's effects across Europe with a look at France, where recent polls show that 60 percent of residents look unfavorably on the EU.
- How ready is Rio to host the summer Olympics?
- On Global Notes: a music doc that follows a group of Pakistani musicians that became a YouTube sensation with their interpretation of Dave Brubeck’s classic, Take Five. We talk about the music and the bigger themes of the film.
On today's show:
- We untangle the string of terrorist attacks in Turkey, Bangladesh, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
- We hear what Brexit means for Ireland and the historically conflicted border it shares with England.
- A look at the latest U.S. data on civilian deaths in drone strikes in Afghanistan, and why some experts say they're wrong.
On today's show:
- The first Russian athlete has been cleared to run at the Olympic Games in Rio. We talk doping and sports.
- Historian John Schmidt recalls the origins of Canada Day, which is celebrated on July 1st each year.
- Plus, the dramaturg of the Victory Gardens Theater which is producing the Midwest premiere of 'The House That Will Not Stand,' a historical drama about free women of color during the Louisiana Purchase, stops by with notes on the play.
On today's show:
- We take a closer look at Donald Trump’s policies on China after he promised to rip up existing trade deals in a speech earlier this week.
- We have a conversation with S.R. Hiremath on why he thinks the poor, working and middle-class Americans share a similar plight with those in India.
On today's show:
- As details emerge in the latest terrorist attack in Turkey, we hear reactions from Turkey and dig into what this means for the country's future.
- We hear from Chicago doctors who have made the trip to Syria to provide emergency medical care
- A look at whether the ceasefire between Colombia and the leftist guerilla group FARC can forge lasting peace
- We remember Pakistani Sufi qawwali singer Amjad Sabri, who was gunned down last week in Karachi.
At least 41 people are dead and more than 230 injured in the latest terrorist attack in Turkey after three attackers hit Istanbul’s busy Ataturk airport.
This is the latest in a string of attacks in Turkey this year. Soli Ozel, a professor of international relations at Istanbul Kadir Has University joins us to talk about the reaction in Turkey and explain why he believes we can expect to see similar attacks in the future.
The day after the UK voted to leave the EU, the markets panicked and the British pound dropped to a 30 -year low. We talk about what the uncertainty means for the global economy. And we speak with human rights lawyer Sherizaan Minwalla about her work on gender-based violence in Iraq's Kurdistan region. She says for women and girls there, the future is "uncertain."
We discuss what's unfurled since the UK voted to leave the EU. Also, we talk with two U.S. immigration attorneys who recently went to the Greek island of Lesbos. The two found some striking similarities between their decades-long work among people seeking asylum in the U.S., and those seeking refuge in Greece.
On today's show:
- Voters in the UK voted in favor of leaving the EU. We take a look at what happens next.
- We also talk to the artists behind The Way She Spoke, a play based on hundreds of hours of interviews in Juarez, Mexico.
On today's show:
- Voters in the UK will decide today whether they want to stay or leave the European Union. We take a look at the possible economic consequences of "Brexit".
- We take a look at the new man behind Donald Trump's campaign. He's made a career lobbying on behalf of foreign leaders such as Mobutu Sese Seko and Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych.
- On Global Activism we hear about an organization that helps get girls out of poverty in Ethiopia.
On today's show: Tomorrow, UK voters will decide whether to stay in or leave the European Union. We take a look at the idiosyncrasies of the ‘Brexit’ vote. * We look at what's spurred 20 Congress to advocate for Palestinian children. * On Gobal Notes:* the dramatic life of the 102 year-old pop star from Zanzibar, Bi Kidude.
Iran is threatening to overthrow Bahrain's rulers after Bahrain stripped its top Shiite cleric of citizenship. We get the latest on the political turmoil from Amnesty International. Plus, we talk Euro 2016 and fan hooliganism, and get an update on the Copa America Centenario tournament in the U.S.
On today's show:
- This week, the UK holds a referendum on whether to stay in or leave the European Union, but there are some myths about the EU floating around.
- Historian John Schmidt tells the ghost story of Tamerlane's Tomb.
- Scientists cannot find the Bramble Cay melomys. The rodent’s disappearance has been declared the first mammal extinction caused by human-induced Climate Change.
- And on this World Refugee day, we talk to the director of the documentary, The Crossing, which follows Syrian refugees as they try to reach Europe.
On today's show:
- Next week, UK voters will decide whether to stay in or leave the EU. Tensions are running high and new polls suggest the country is evenly split. We talk about how the vote might play out.
- Plus: The European Union wants to condense film distribution into a single entity called, the ‘Digital Single Market’ strategy. British film producer, Rebecca O’Brien tells us why that’s a bad idea.
- And, we explore a new exhibit called, “Contemporary Native Women Opening Doors to Change.”
On today's show:
- Mexico City is trying a 21st century approach to government--crowdsourcing changes to its state Constitution. We hear how the process is playing out.
- Our resident historian takes us back to the year 313.
- We hear from a school that doesn’t grant diplomas, but has changed the lives of young people in India.
On today's show:
- In his speech yesterday, President Obama shot back against Donald Trump's criticism of his refusal to use the term “radical Islam.” We take a look at the debate surrounding the phrase.
- We get a preview of Ensemble Español’s “Flamenco Passion” concert, as the series marks 40 years.
On today's show:
- Even before the mass shooting in Orlando, several countries were calling for a special investigator at the U.N. who would be devoted to human rights violations against LGBT people. We talk about the potential for more protection from violence.
- We talk about how environmental and social justice movements in Honduras are moving forward after the murder of Berta Cáceres in March.
On today's show:
- In the early hours of Sunday morning, 29-year-old Omar Mateen went into the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and opened fire. We explore some of the issues that have surfaced following the attack.
- We discuss how rape is used as a tool of war, as depicted in the film, The Uncondemned.
On today's show:
- Peru’s election agency says it has processed about 99.5 percent of the ballots from last weekend’s vote and the frontrunners are still locked in a neck and neck battle. We talk about the tight race, which will likely to be decided by absentee ballot counts.
- We meet a group of Chicagoans working to restore the ecosystem of the Chicago River.
- We talk to the president of the anti-sex trafficking organization Selah Freedom, about their new Chicago operations.
On today's show:
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address Congress this week. It follows his meeting with President Barack Obama. We unpack the issues they covered, and what impact it will have on the global fight against climate change.
- We talk with photojournalist Emmanuel Guillén Lozano about his exhibit opening in Chicago. It's called 43: The Portrait of a Disappearance and documents the lives of families of 43 disappeared students from the state of Guerrero, Mexico.
- When it comes to 1970’s rock music, Nigeria probably isn't a country that comes to mind. But Nigerian musicians were churning out the sounds of that decade, too. We take a look at the country's place in rock and roll history.
It's all about bikes today on Worldview. On today's show:
- We talk with journalist Nick Mead, who has spent the last two years reporting on what cities are doing to increase the number of bikes on the roadways.
- We link up with Working Bikes, an organization that “rescues discarded bikes and gives them new life as tools of empowerment” to talk about their recent projects abroad and their upcoming bike giveaway in Lawndale later this month.
- Chicago's “Bike Commuter Challenge” begins on Friday, June 10th. Are you ready?
National labor strikes and flooding have slowed Paris to a snail’s pace and as the waters of the Seine recede, more rain is expected.
The disruptions have many concerned about the city’s security. Last month, along Ukraine’s border with Poland, 25 year old Gregoire Moutaux was apprehended with a large cache of arms. Known to have ultra-nationalist views, it’s believed he had planned mass attacks on infrastructure, mosques and synagogues during the Euro 2016 soccer tournament, to be held in Paris.
France’s ultra-nationalist politicians are attacking Paris mayor, Anne Hidalgo, for her recent decision to open a migrant camp in the city.
We talk through these current problems with Raphael Satter, Paris correspondent for the Associated Press. We also chat with WBEZ political reporter, Lauren Chooljian, who has just returned from Paris and will tell us how the floods and labor strife hampered her vacation.
On today's show:
- We chat with Dr. Vitaliy Klitschko, the mayor of Kiev, Ukraine and a former world heavyweight boxing champion, about fighting political corruption and his desire for Ukraine to move towards the West.
- Film contributor, Milos Stehlik, and Abu-Assad talk about the film The Idol and the Palestinian film scene.
- And on Weekend Passport, we get ready for the Copa America Centenario. The South American soccer championship celebrates its 100th anniversary with its first-ever competition in the United States. Chicago’s Soldier Field will host three matches.
On todays show:
- At least 1,030 people died just last week, as they tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea. We discuss what’s behind the increase in the number of people making the deadly trip.
- Manu Vora, president and founding director of the Blind Foundation for India, updates us on the work he’s done to help restore sight to more than 160,000 people in India.
- Historian John Schmidt tells us the story of the American who ruled Nicaragua for a moment.
- Global Notes dives into a new album compiling versions of the song Gloomy Sunday. It was said the song drove people to suicide when it was first released.
Before Rodrigo Guerrero became Mayor of Cali, Colombia in 1992, no one had ever really thought of urban violence as a public health issue. The Harvard trained epidemiologist tells us how this lens helped the city reduce gun violence, and what other cities can learn from his work. We also catch up with lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan about his work combatting corruption in India. Plus, a conversation about sustainable housing on our EcoMyths segment.
As we follow President Obama’s historic visit to Hiroshima, Japan, we listen back to a conversation we had with Katsuji Yoshida, who survived the attack. Also, film contributor Milos Stehlik last week said that if Graduation didn't win the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, "film has no future." It didn't win, so we check back in to see what Milos has to say. Plus, a Weekend Passport to a play and a sweet contest.
The Taliban has appointed a new leader, after a US airstrike killed former leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour. We discuss the latest developments in Afghanistan.
As President Obama makes a historic visit to Hiroshima, we take a look at how the development of the atomic weapon influenced Stalin’s decisions
And for our Global Activism series, we hear from CEO and founder of Kathmandu Yogi. She works with female artisans in Nepal to create ethically made yoga and meditation accessories.
Local residents report that ISIS fighters have retreated from the outskirts of Fallujah, Iraq ahead of the Iraqi government’s planned offensive to retake the city. We take a closer look at the military campaign there. We also hear from a Vietnam War veteran about his thoughts on President Obama’s visit to the country. And on Global Notes, we hear some sounds from the first-ever electronic and Afro-Cuban fusion festival.
As the U.S. lifts its 50-year old arms embargo on Vietnam, many experts view the decision as a part of a strategy to contain China. We examine the larger implications of the move. We also talk with environmentalists Robert F. Kennedy Jr and Phillip Abrary, the president and CEO of Ostara, a nutrient management company. They’re in Chicago for the opening of a nutrient recovery facility in Cicero, IL. It’s intended to replenish and save waterways from the Chicago River to the Gulf of Mexico.
After the United States killed Taliban chief Akhtar Mohammad Mansour in a drone strike over the weekend, we discuss potential global impacts. We also take a look at the U.S. presidential candidates’ policies on climate change and get the latest on the peace negotiations in Colombia that would end 50 years of civil war.
Human remains and debris were found today about five miles from where an EgyptAir flight went missing over the Mediterranean on Thursday. We discuss the Egyptian government’s investigation.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador in April, killing hundreds. Thirty thousand people still live in temporary shelters. UNICEF estimates about 100 babies, a day are born in Esmeraldas and Manab, the worst hit areas. We get an update on the recovery efforts there.
We discuss the latest developments around the disappearance of EgyptAir flight 804.
Also, one recent study estimates that three-quarters of animal species could be extinct within several human lifetimes. We talk with Suzanne Malec-McKenna, executive director of Chicago Wilderness.
Plus: We look at a new Oxfam America report which claims that poultry workers are routinely denied bathroom breaks to the point that they’ve resorted to wearing diapers to work.
The Mayor of Rio de Janeiro has said there is “zero corruption” involved in the various city projects tied to the Olympics--despite the fact that federal prosecutors are investigating several of those projects directly. We take a closer look. WBEZ film contributor Milos Stehlik is at the Cannes International Film Festival. He’ll join us from France to talk about some of the filmmakers making news.Breizh Amerika Collective is one of the foremost purveyors of the music, and they join us this week on Global Notes for a live performance.
Western Sahara is a territory that’s been disputed between Morocco and Mauritania, since Spain unofficially decolonized the region in 1975. We get some background and an update on the turmoil there.
A new report from Human Rights Watch says LGBT students in Japan face relentless school bullying. We take a closer look at the report.
Also, we peer in to the illegal antiquities market and learn how the “Past for Sale” project operates to combat it.
Nepal’s Tilanga Institute of Ophthalmology in Kathmandu, works to provide affordable eye care and eradicate treatable blindness in Nepal’s rural communities. Dr. Suman Thapa of the Tilanga Institute joins us to talk about his research. Plus, a new movement in Sicily to revive various types of grain lost since the Roman Empire and a look at Korean-Chinese food in Chicago.
It has been nearly a year since Pakistani journalist Zeenat Shahzadi disappeared. We talk about the first female journalist to have been, what many believe was “forcibly disappeared.” Plus, film contributor Milos Stehlik checks in from the Cannes and Nari Safavi shares his picks for an international weekend.
Brazil’s Senate has voted to proceed with an impeachment trial of the country’s president, Dilma Rousseff. Marcelo Jarmendia, founder and director of Brazil in Chicago, joins us from Sao Paolo to talk about the political turmoil. North Korea (DPRK) held its first Workers’ Party congress since 1980. We get an update. Plus, on Global Activism, hear about the network of mothers dedicated to relieving the suffering of mothers and their children around the globe.
A profile of Ben Rhodes in this week’s New York Times Magazine has ignited the foreign policy “establishment,” in part because of things Rhodes says in the story. We pick apart the uproar over the Rhodes story.
We also talk about the ongoing refugee crisis and the growing trend of governments cracking down on civil society.
Plus, long before American Idol, there was ‘The Eurovision Song Contest’. Since 1956, the annual competition has been one of the world’s most watched television shows. Now, for the first time, Eurovision will be broadcast live on American TV.
Rodrigo Duterte just won the presidency in the Philippines. His political opponents have said the choice in this election was between democracy and dictatorship. Chicago's Mariano Santos left the Philippines to escape the Marcos dictatorship. He joins us to discuss the election results. Plus, a conversation with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone.
UK voters will soon answer in a referendum whether to stay in or leave the European Union. Latest polls show the vote going either way.
This week, the Pan African Association of Chicago dives into the fashion world. We learn about their mission and the influence of Yves Saint Laurent's first trip to Morocco.
On May 9, 1671, Anglo-Irish soldier, Thomas Blood, started his master plot to steal England’s crown jewels. Historian John Schmidt tells us about the great heist.
We sit down with the maker of a documentary on the Tatars of Crimea and their return from exile, and explore the history of the Euro Tunnel, which opened on this day in 1994.
Plus, for Weekend Passport, WBEZ reporter Yolanda Pardomo joins us to talk about a fashion show that focuses on the opulent costumes of "Downton Abbey."
Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was a central figure after the 2003 U.S. led war with Iraq. Now he’s at the center of a political stalemate in Iraq. We’ll talk about the impasse with Laith Saud of DePaul University.
The German comedian Jan Boehmermann is under investigation for mocking Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. We look Boehmermann's work and the history of the German comedy scene.
When the Indian government passed a law requiring school kids to have at least one hot meal, the Akshaya Patra Foundation's efforts to feed hot lunches to 1500 schoolchildren across 5 schools was born. We learn more about the project, which now feeds 1.5 million students.
We're at the 2016 Fair Trade Expo at Chicago’s Daley Plaza. This year’s event centers around a number of issues including: fair trade food, food justice, campus food movements, and the intersection of local food and fair food movements. We talk with the organizers, the vendors and even a cultural anthropologist who’ll tell us how it all works.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Geneva, trying to establish a ceasefire in Aleppo. We talk about the potential for an agreement. We also take a look at the coal industry in Illinois and the global coal market and hear what's coming at the World Fair Trade Day Expo happening in Chicago on Wednesday at Daley Plaza.
We talk to former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis about his new book examining the history of Europe’s debt crisis and the kinds of policy changes he’d like to see put in place. We also talk about the new Tom Hanks movie and the new exhibit at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, which recalls the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
The families of the 96 victims of the Hillsborough stadium disaster are finally getting justice in what became the longest legal inquest in England's history. We talk to one of the lawyers in the case. We also hear about rising Afrophobia in Europe and combing peacebuilding and conflict resolution in development work.
As South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar is sworn in as vice-president we talk about the prospects for peace in the world's newest country. And we remember the Chernobyl nuclear disaster by listening back to an interview with survivors. Plus, hear some live Khmer music on Global Notes.
This week the editor of Bangladesh’s first LGBT magazine was hacked to death. We talk to Human Rights Watch about what’s been happening in Bangladesh. We also look at efforts to end homelessness in Canada and some of the best ways to enjoy Chicago’s urban forestry.
It’s been a year since a deadly earthquake struck Nepal. Dr. Ravi Bashyal, an orthopedic surgeon and a Nepali American, was in the country after the earthquake to help treat some of the injured. He’s been back several times since. He joins us to talk about the rebuilding process. The death toll from Ecuador's April 16th earthquake has passed 650, according to official estimates. We’ll speak with Robert Leon, a firefighter currently working on the recovery effort. Plus, filmmaker Leslee Udwin joins us to talk about her documentary “India’s Daughter,” a film which recounts the story of the 2012 gang rape and murder of 23 year-old Jyoti Singh.
Worldview is taking its annual Earth Day Quiz to Adler Planetarium. We quiz our studio audience on everything from endangered species to the ins and outs of home energy audits. Host Jerome McDonnell is joined by Howard Lerner of the Environmental Law Policy Center and quiz takers are encouraged by the sounds of sustainability rapper Joey Feinstein.
Venezuela is going through one of its worst droughts in the last 30 years. David Smilde, senior fellow at the Washington Office in Latin America, joins us from Caracas to talk about how Venezuela is managing their environmental crisis. And we talk about how Shakespeare’s sentiments on war still resonate today. Plus, historian John Schmidt reminds us about the day the Red Baron was killed, April 21, 1918.
The Saudi Kingdom is also threatening to sell-off more than 750 billion dollars of its U.S. assets over a Congressional bill that would give survivors of 9/11 victims the right to sue countries they believe were behind the 2001 attacks. We take a look at US- Saudi relations.
And, we talk with a former marine about what it takes to get people out of extreme poverty.
Plus, a look at what's at stake in the upcoming elections in the Philippines.
Malik Jalal is a self-described community leader and anti-drone activist in Waziristan and recently wrote an Op-ed about his belief that he is being targeted for assassination by the U.S. We talk with human rights attorney Jennifer Gibson of Reprieve, the NGO representing Jalal. Also, a deeper dive into the global banana supply chain and a look at a controversial cheesemaking process.
On Sunday, Brazil’s Lower House voted to impeach President Dilma Rouseff. We look at the results of Sunday’s vote and what happens next.
In Saudi Arabia, many women have forged an independent path despite the extremely conservative culture. We talk with Faiza Ambah, a Saudi filmmaker and writer about being one of the first female journalists to become a working reporter in her co
Palestinians and Israelis don’t have many opportunities for dialog much less friendship. We talk to the director and producer of a new documentary about an unlikely quest to do just that. And film contributor Milos Stehlik joins us to talk about the relationship between Hollywood and China and Jia Zhangke’s latest film “Mountains May Depart.” Plus, on Weekend Passport, an event featuring first-person accounts and performances about Guantanamo Bay prison.
A new report from Amnesty International says there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people that are executed around the world.
Uganda’s LGBTQI community faces constant threat and violence. We chat with the folks behind Artworks Projects for Human Rights, currently presenting an exhibit called “NOT/STILL: The Fight For Human Rights By Uganda’s LGBTQI Community."
Plus, Nicole Kawell, the founder of Chicago Dance Institute, tells us about her work helping orphans in a mountain community of Haiti.
We talk about the political fallout of the Panama Papers in Britain after Prime Minister David Cameron was forced to release information about his tax returns of the last six years. And we hear about why a proposal to build a controversial immigrant detention center in Gary, Indiana has hit a snag. Plus, a preview of the Chicago International Movies and Music Festival.
We talk to two authors who are examining Syrian civil war via first hand testimonies with opposition fighters, refugees and human rights activists. And historian John Schmidt recalls what happened on April 12, 1961, when the Soviets sent Lieutenant Yuri Gagarin into space. Plus, the BBC’s Paul Moss takes a look at the history of government leaks.
We’re taking a look at the political fallout of the Panama Papers in Ukraine, where the president has been implicated in offshore dealings. And we hear how one woman turned personal tragedy into a movement to uplift women in Pakistan. Plus, a conversation with Ruth Messinger, president of American Jewish World Service as she retires after nearly 20 years of service.
The Tea Project, running in Chicago through mid-April, combines audience participation and performances to tell the stories of Guantanamo Bay prisoners. We’ll talk about the project with co-curator Amber Ginsburg, Larry Siems, editor of Guantanamo Diary and Aliya Hussain, advocacy director at Center for Constitutional Rights. Film contributor Milos Stehlik looks at racism and sexism in the entertainment industry with media critic Claudette Roper. Plus, artist Jackie Kazarian tells us about “Armenia Under the Picasso,” an exhibit and music festival which honors victims of the Armenian genocide.
With the release of the “Panama Papers," we take a look at the true size and impact of the elite’s hidden economy with Jeffrey Winters founder and director of the Equality Development and Globalization Studies program at Northwestern University. In Iceland, many were already critical of Prime Minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson, including an unlikely hip-hop group. We meet the Daughters of Reykjavik. Plus, historian John Schmidt tells about the day Admiral Robert Peary planted the American flag and claimed to be the first human to reach the North Pole.
Nigerian troops recently freed hundreds of hostages from the Boko Haram militant group, yet more than 200 kidnapped Chibok school girls remain missing. We discuss how the government is working to defeat Boko Haram. We’ll also hear about efforts to stem radicalization in French prisons and about a new Greenpeace study that claims coal power plants are endangering the world's global water supply.
A deal between the EU and Turkey will send some illegal migrants in Greece back to Turkey. An estimated 11,000 migrants and refugees are camped around the Greek-Macedonian border town of Idomeni. Dr. Zaher Sahloul, a Syrian-American and his wife, Suzanne Akhras Sahloul, are just back from Indomeni to tell us what they witnessed.
Also, Chile is one of several Latin American countries with a total ban on abortion, but recently, Chile’s lower chamber voted to legalize abortion in certain cases. Lessie Jo Frazier of Indiana University will tell us about the abortion debate in Chile.
And Ching Ming is an annual festival when the Chinese pay respects to their ancestors by sweeping their graves and leaving gifts for the deceased. WBEZ’s Monica Eng, the Chicago Tribune’s Luisa Chu and Bernie Wong, of the Chinese American Service League, will share their family traditions.
The Obama administration is hosting a nuclear security summit where global leaders will address the threat of nuclear terrorism. We’ll talk about the summit and its goals with Will Tobey, senior fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. The war in Yemen has killed thousands and forced more than two million people from their homes. Now, the international aid agency Oxfam says that the ongoing conflict, “compounded by a looming banking crisis” could mean that millions of people are at risk of famine. We’ll discuss the situation in Yemen with Scott Paul, senior humanitarian policy advisor at Oxfam America. Plus, on our Global Activism segment we’ll get an update from Molly MacCready Heineman. She’s the founder Child Restoration Outreach Support Organization (CROSO), an organization helps street children in Uganda get an education.
We hear from the artists behind "The Tea Project" which combines, lectures, audience participation and performances to tell the story of Guantanamo Bay prisoners through encounters with tea.
And GlobeMed is a non-profit that puts together undergraduate students and grassroots organizations to solve global healthcare problems. As the organization nears its 10th anniversary, we talk with GlobeMed’s executive director about the group’s work over the last decade.
Plus, a tribute to Brazilian percussionist, Nana Vasconcelos on GlobalNotes.
A terrorist attack in a park in Lahore, Pakistan, killed at least 72 people and injured more than 350 on Easter Sunday. Pakistani-American Navaid Abidi joins us to talk about the bombing, the group that carried it out and the government’s response.
And Kate Sackman of EcoMyths Alliance and Lauren Umek, project manager for the Chicago Park District’s Calumet region tell us why they believe that with time and effort, nature can be restored in Calumet, an area that was once home to steel mills and industrial production.
Also, we hear about a 15-point plan to deal with human rights violations in North Korea.
By many estimates, Tunisia has sent the largest number of foreign fighters to join ISIS. In a recent article in "The New Yorker," George Packer wrote about why so many young Tunisians are joining the Islamic State. He joins us to talk about why so many Tunisians are heading to Iraq and Syria.
A new report from The Lancet and Johns Hopkins University calls for major reform on drug policy around the world. Dr. Chris Beyrer , director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health and Human Rights, contributed to the report. He joins us to talk about the commission’s recommendations.
And LGBT activists in Indonesia have faced a series of attacks by high ranking members of the government. The Minister of Education said that LGBT people should be banned from university campuses. Kyle Knight, a researcher in the LGBT rights program at Human Rights Watch joins us to talk about what’s been happening.
This week Somalia’s prime minister publicly backed a campaign to end the practice of female genital mutilation in his country. We talk about the pending legislation in Somalia and its potential impact on the Somali diaspora.
And film contributor Milos Stehlik joins us to chat about two new French films opening in Chicago this weekend.
Plus, we talk about what Chicago’s Good Food festival holds for visitors this year.
President Obama’s visit to Argentina coincides with the anniversary of the country’s “Dirty War.” The president also brings to Argentina previously classified U.S documents that are likely to reveal more about the US role in support of that war. We about what's in the documents.And last weekend, as acts of terrorism linked to ISIS shatter through Turkey, we talk about what's been happening in that country.Plus, we talk to the playwright of “Mosque Alert,” which tells the story of three Illinois families whose lives are forever changed by an Islamic Center that's proposed to be built on the site of a beloved local landmark.
Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz recently released the names of their foreign policy teams. While many critics see their choices as too hawkish, others say regardless of political party, at their core, the foreign policies of the presidential candidates are similar. Vijay Prashad, chair in South Asian history and professor of international studies at Trinity College, joins us to talk about the foreign policy proposals of the 2016 race. There’s a debate in Congress over how to deal with Puerto Rico’s debt crisis. We’ll take a look at what’s at stake with Nelson Denis, author of "War Against All Puerto Ricans Revolution and Terror in America’s Colony." Plus, on Global Notes, Catalina Maria Johnson, host and producer of Beat Latino on Vocalo joins us to share some of her favorite musical moments from SXSW 2016.
A series of suicide terrorist attacks in Brussels have killed dozens and injured at least 100. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel told reporters today "We were fearing terrorist attacks, and that has now happened." We get an update from Brussels.
At the age of 6, Alberto Coll witnessed his father’s arrest for opposing the Cuban government. He joins us from Cuba to talk about what President Obama’s visit means for him personally and for the country he left behind.
Also, in Honduras, less than two weeks after the murder of human rights activist and environmentalist Berta Caceres, someone from the same indigenous group has been killed. We hear about efforts to pressure U.S. legislators and government agencies to investigate the murders.
President Obama is the first US president to visit Cuba since 1928. His trip has been hailed by many as the start of a new era of openness but others say it’s a mistake, given the country’s dismal record on human rights. We get analysis from Elena Diaz, social economics professor at the University of Havana and Christina Perez, associate professor of sociology at Dominican University. She’s author of the book "Caring for Them From Birth to Death: The Practice of Community-Based Cuban Medicine." Plus, Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, joins us to talk about the ongoing refugee crisis and what the future holds for the millions of people who have been displaced from their homelands.
Worldview heads to Loyola University’s Institute of Environmental Sustainability to talk about climate change.
The Paris Agreement aims to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees. We take a look at what kinds of economic and social adjustments need to be made to reach that goal. TThe former Minister of the Environment of Sweden clues us in on how Sweden aims to transform itself into the lowest emitter per capita among developed countries.
Plus, we take a tour of the Institute of Environmental Sustainability’s biodiesel lab, where they make the fuel for their shuttle buses and soap for their campus.
Loyola also has an urban agricultural greenhouse complete with aquaponics, herbs and even tilapia. We get a look inside and learn how it all works.
Protests have erupted throughout Brazil as the country’s top political leaders face a growing corruption scandal. Tens of thousands have called for President Dilma Rousseff to resign. We’ll dig into the unfolding political crisis with Marcelo Jarmendia, the founder and director of Brazil in Chicago. He’s currently in Sao Paolo.
Mardi Gras Indians, or Black Indians, are African Americans who dress in bright feathered costumes known as “suits.” They’re seen all over New Orleans at festivals, concerts and during Mardi Gras. But their big holiday is what’s known as “Super Sunday.” We’ll get the history behind the celebration from WBEZ’s Yolanda Perdomo.
On Global Activism, we’ll talk with Toni Anderson of Sacred Keepers Sustainability Lab, an organization dedicated to helping young people learn about the environment. Next month the group will take 12 CPS students on a service project to Kenya.
In debates dominated by discussion of domestic issues, foreign policy has been a point of contention between democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. We talk about their positions on intervention and national security with Steve Clemons, Washington editor-at-large for The Atlantic.
Eye in the Sky is a new film that puts the ethics of drone warfare in the Hollywood spotlight. WBEZ film contributor Milos Stehlik talks with director, Gavin Hood about his film.
Sitar sensation Anousha Shankar’s latest release focuses on the refugee crisis. For Global Notes, Tony Sarabia from The Morning Shift joins us to talk about the new album, Home.
On this episode of Worldview:
- The 2016 presidential race has focused on the loss of American jobs, particularly manufacturing jobs and the impact of trade deals of the U.S. economy. We look at why the jobs moved overseas and whether they’ll come back with Richard Longworth, senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Robert E. Scott, senior economist and director of trade and manufacturing policy research at the Economic Policy Institute.
- For World History Moment, Historian John Schmidt recalls the assassination of Julius Caesar.
- We talk about an exhibit at The Loyola University Museum of Art that tells the stories of survivors of sexual trafficking.
On this episode of Worldview:
- After a car bomb attack in Ankara, Turkey killed 37 people over the weekend, Henri Barkey, director of Middle East Programs at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, joined us to talk about terrorism in Turkey.
- We looked at the rise of the far-right in Slovakia with Lenka Bustikova, assistant professor of political science at Arizona State University.
- Film producer Ira Deutchman joins us to talk about diversity in Hollywood.
On today's Worldview:
- Just one month before a presidential election in Peru, an electoral tribunal has barred candidate Julio Guzman from running. We talk about the election intrigue.
- We speak with artists Mariana Xosa and Celeste Ixchel about an exhibit of Mexican print art opening at Chicago’s Uri Eichen Gallery.
- Film contributor, Milos Stehlik, speaks 'Embrace the Serpent' director, Ciro Guerra, about the process of filming in the Amazon.
Today on Worldview:
- Famed scholar Noam Chomsky is the subject of a new film called “Requiem for the American Dream.” He joined us to talk about the film and the 2016 presidential campaign.
- Turkish police forces recently raided the offices of Zaman, the country’s prominent daily opposition newspaper, placing the paper under the state control. We talk about the state of press freedom in Turkey with Ihan Tanir, a Turkish journalist based in Washington D.C.
- On World History Minute, historian John Schmidt tells us the story of the first telephone.
Today on Worldview:
- The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has made significant gains in local elections throughout Germany while running on a strong anti-immigrant platform. We discuss the country’s far-right politics with Kai Arzheimer, a professor of political science at the University of Mainz.
- A ‘Clean Jobs Bill’ is moving its way through the Illinois General Assembly. We talk with two advocates in favor of the bill. Steve Clemmer is director of energy research and analysis and Jessica Collingsworth is Midwest energy policy analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists.
- A new concept album entitled "The Long Road" pairs artists like Robert Plant and Tinariwen with refugees in the UK to tell their story. On Global Notes, we speak with Reuben Koroma, founder and bandleader of Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars, who helped organize the project alongside the British Red Cross.
Today on Worldview:
- Honduran indigenous environmental activist Berta Cáceres was shot to death in her home, last week. Her murder came less than a week after her life was threatened for her opposition to a hydroelectric dam project. We talk with Matt Ginsberg-Jaeckle, who worked with Cáceres on human rights and environmental issues for nearly two decades, about her impact in Honduras.
- A new study finds that climate change could eventually kill as many as a half-million people as a result of food shortages and reduced agricultural productivity. We talk with Dr. Marco Springmann, a fellow of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food at the University of Oxford, about his latest report.
- In Australia Chlamydia is running rampant among the Koala population. Some experts say the best way to save them is to cull their numbers. We speak with David Wilson, head of infectious diseases at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, Australia, about the fight to save Koalas.
Today on Worldview:
- A new investigative report from GlobalPost reveals that the U.S.-led bombing campaigns in Iraq and Syria resulted in more civilian casualty deaths than the United States has reported. Richard Hall, Middle East and Africa editor and senior correspondent in Beirut for GlobalPost, joined us to talk about their report.
- Environmentalist and human rights activist, Sheila Watt-Cloutier told us about the effects of climate change on her native Inuit community in Arctic Canada. Her latest book is The Right to Be Cold: One Woman's Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic and the Whole Planet. Watt-Cloutier will speak on Tuesday, March 4th, 2016 at The Union League Club of Chicago.
A recent report estimates that 90 percent of irregular migrants and refugees arrive to Europe via criminal networks. Demetrios Papademetriou, president of the Migration Policy Institute-Europe, joined us to talk about the report and efforts to hit back at smuggling rings.
The Chicago European Union Film Festival kicks off this weekend with movies from all 28 EU countries. WBEZ film contributor, Milos Stehlik of Facets Multimedia, joined us to highlight some of his must-see picks.
On Weekend Passport, we discuss “Bruises and Brindi,” a new dance and theatre performance that takes on the issue of sexual violence.
Today on Worldview:
- Former Mexico Security Chief Gustavo Mohar joined us to discuss immigration and organized crime in Mexico
- We preview the documentary film, “Good Business,” which tells the story of a businessman who defied the Apartheid system in South Africa. The film is featured at this year’s Peace on Earth Film Festival in Chicago.
- On Global Activism, we spoke with Dr. Shiban Ganju, whose organization “Save-A-Mother” aims to prevent maternal mortality in India.
The G.O.P. is traditionally known as the party that supports freer markets, both within and outside the U.S. - at least until the 2016 Presidential race. We talk about how Donald Trump has shifted the Republican debate on free trade and foreign policy with Wall Street Journal senior editor, Bob Davis, as well as Steve Clemons, Washington editor-at-large for The Atlantic. On “Global Notes,” Radio M host Tony Sarabia introduces us to an online streaming service out of Senegal that aims to promote African music.
We examine the results of the Iranian elections with Reza Marashi, director of research for the National Iranian American Council. Then, we take a look at the EU’s refugee crisis and other important issues facing the continent with Ambassador Henne Schuwer, the Ambassador of The Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United States. Plus, we take a look at what’s showing at the annual Peace on Earth Film Festival in Chicago.
Historian John Schmidt takes us back to Christopher Columbus’s fourth voyage to the Americas. Plus, President Obama’s plan to close Guantanamo has some questioning whether he intends to return it to Cuba. Many 2016 presidential candidates have weighed in on the issue. Alberto Coll of DePaul University joins us to discuss the debate around Guantanamo. Then we take a look at the new debt agreement and the Alberto Nisman case in Argentina with Peter Prengaman, the Southern Cone news editor of the Associate Press.
President Evo Morales of Bolivia lost a key referendum that would have granted him an opportunity to run for a fourth consecutive term. We talk about the loss with Miguel Centellas, a political sociologist at the Croft Institute at the University of Mississippi.
Film contributor Milos Stehlik gives us his take on the new Terrence Malick film, “Knight of Cups,” as well as his picks for the Oscars.
Plus, we’ll get an inside look at “9-Man,” a documentary that explores the history of a volleyball-style sport played in Chinatowns across the U.S. and Canada. Director Ursula Liang, as well as a 9-Man player from Chicago, joins us to discuss the film.
This week Bolivian president Evo Morales suffered one of his biggest political losses. Morales had hoped to get the opportunity to run for a fourth consecutive term. It was put to a referendum and the measure was voted down, by a slim majority. Morales is the country’s first indigenous president, he won large victories in previous elections but has been hit by a series of scandals in recent years. Miguel Centelles, a political sociologist at the Croft Institute at the University of Mississippi joins us to talk about the results of the referendum.
The new Terrence Malick film, “Knight of Cups” follows Rick (played by Christian Bale), as he searches for love in LA. Film contributor Milos Stehlik gives us his take on the latest Malick film. Plus, he share his picks for the winners and losers at this weekend’s Oscars.
A game known as 9-Man is a fiercely competitive variation of volleyball that is played in Chinatowns across the United States and Canada. The sport dates back as far as the 1930s. On this week’s weekend passport, global citizen Nari Safavi is joined by filmmaker Ursula Liang, and YiWei Zhou, who is a 9-Man player that lives in Chicago. Liang is the director of the documentary film “9-Man,” which screens this Saturday at the Chinese-American Museum of Chicago.
According to the Center for American Progress, 440,600 immigrants were held in detention facilities in 2013. The world’s leading provider of detention services, the GEO Group, has been searching for a new immigration processing facility in the Chicago area since 2011. We’ll hear why a coalition of groups, including the Northwest Indiana Federation of Interfaith Organizations and Concerned Citizens of Hobart, opposed the proposed facilities. On our Global Activism segment, we’ll hear from the founders of the NGO World Bicycle Relief. Plus, on World History Minute, John Schmidt takes us back to this day in 1956 when Nikita Khrushchev attacked the legacy of Joseph Stalin in an epic four-hour speech.
A proposal to build a new detention facility in Gary failed last year. The world’s leading provider of detention services, the GEO Group, has been searching for a new immigration processing facility in the Chicago area since 2011. They have looked at Crete, Illinois and at Hobart, Indiana. Now, one group says, they are back to considering Hobart again. We’ll hear why a coalition of groups, including the Northwest Indiana Federation of Interfaith Organizations and Concerned Citizens of Hobart, oppose the facility.
Guests: Ruth Needleman is professor emerita of Labor Studies at Indiana University
Fred Tsao is senior policy counsel at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)
Pastor Charles Strietelmeier is a, member of Concerned Citizens of Hobart.
We catch up with Global Activists, F.K. Day and his wife, Leah Missbach Day. They founded the NGO World Bicycle Relief after the 2005 tsunami. They believe that a bike is for more than just exercising, but it’s also “a tool for development," providing the globe’s extremely poor some access to healthcare, education, and jobs.
Guests: F.K Day and Leah Missbach are the founders of the NGO World Bicycle Relief.
We remember what happened on February 25th in 1956: Nikita Kruschev - then the leader of the Soviet Union - attacked the legacy of Joseph Stalin in a four-hour speech that sparked what historians call "de-Stalinization."
Guest: John Schmidt is a historian and the author of “On This Day in Chicago History.”
Iranians will go to the polls on Friday to vote for representatives in the country’s parliament and the cleric-controlled “Assembly of Experts.” Many international observers are skeptical the elections will be free and fair. We take a look at the candidates and the issues with Ahmad Sadri, professor of Islamic World Studies and Professor of Sociology at Lake Forest College. For Global Notes, we get a preview of The University of Chicago Middle East Music Ensemble’s performance of Persian music. Plus, Savita Duomai, a physician at Shalom Delhi hospital, joins us to talk about the holistic fight against HIV in India.
Iranians will go to the polls on Friday to vote in national elections. They’ll cast ballots to elect representatives in the country’s parliament and the cleric-controlled “Assembly of Experts.” Many international observers are skeptical the elections will be free and fair. Regardless of outcome, some experts believe the results will signify a great deal about the direction of the country.
We take a look at the candidates and the issues with Ahmad Sadri, professor of Islamic World Studies and Professor of Sociology at Lake Forest College. His most recent book is 'Apocalypse Tomorrow and other Essays: Investigations in Sociologies of Religion and Politics' and Mateo Farzaneh, assistant professor of History of the Islamic World and Modern Middle East at Northeastern Illinois University-Chicago. He’s author of the book, 'The Iranian Constitutional Revolution and the Clerical Leadership of Khurasani'.
The University of Chicago’s Middle East Music Ensemble is a 45 piece orchestra that is dedicated to the study and performance of Middle Eastern music. This weekend the orchestra is putting on their Persian concert, a performance of classical Persian music centered around the Persian New Year and the balance of nature. We get a preview with santur player Jalal Rais Dana. Nari Safavi, one of the founders of Pasfarda Arts and Cultural Exchange also joins us to talk about the music and its origins.
Savita Duomai is a physician at Shalom Delhi in India. It’s a hospital treatment unit that cares for people living with HIV in New Delhi. It’s part of the Shalom Project, which strives to “bring holistic transformation and hope to the lives of the urban poor in…India.”
Dr. Duomai joins us to talk about her belief that successful treatment of HIV and others “life limiting illnesses” must include more than just medicine. She is in Chicago to participate in Wheaton College’s annual HUNGR (Human Needs and Global Resources) Symposium.
Syria’s government announced today that it will accept a proposed ceasefire with the major opposition groups but that it will still continue military operations against ISIS and Al Qaeda. We examine the outlook for peace with Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.
The Escobal Mine in Guatemala is the third largest silver mine in the world and in the community of Santa Rosa de Lima, there has been broad local resistance to it since 2010. The community’s biggest concern is over the safety of their land, food and water. We talk with Llan Carlos Davila from the group Diocesan Committee for the Defense of Nature (CODIDENA) about their battle against the mining industry. Doug Cassel, a professor of law at the University of Notre Dame also joins us to talk about how the government regulates the mining industry.
Syria’s government announced today that it will accept a proposed ceasefire with the major opposition group but that it will still continue military operations against ISIS and Al Qaeda. The announcement came after the U.S. and Russia agreed on a ceasefire that is supposed to start on Saturday.
Even though these parties have agreed to a pause in fighting, ISIS controls close to a third of the country and they were not party to the negotiations. The truce also comes as the UN released a human rights report on the war in Syria, that alleges that both the Syrian army and ISIS have intentionally targeted hospitals and other supposed safe zones and committed crimes against humanity.
We examine the outlook for peace with Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He edits the blog 'Syria Comment'.
The Escobal Mine in Guatemala is the third largest silver mine in the world. In the community of Santa Rosa de Lima, there has been broad local resistance to the mine since 2010. The community’s biggest concern is over the safety of their land, food and water.
We talk with Llan Carlos Davila from the group Diocesan Committee for the Defense of Nature (CODIDENA). It was formed by parishioners’ of the Diocese of Santa Rosa Church based on Catholic social justice teachings. Davila says state security forces and private security firms, in support of mining companies, have used force and violence against community leaders and activists who’ve opposed the mine. Joining Davila is Ellen Moore, Guatemalan program coordinator for Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala.
Doug Cassel, a professor of law at the University of Notre Dame, has worked with communities in Guatemala that claim adverse health effects from gold mining. We get his take on Guatemala's legal safeguards for communities and the legal framework in which mining corporations work. We also find out about the power dynamics between the people, the government, and large mining corporations. Cassel also specializes in the human rights responsibilities of transnational corporations.
After another major terrorist attack in Damascus, Turkey has condemned the U.S. and the West for not acting more aggressively towards Kurdish fighters. We talk about the Kurdish actors in Syria and their connections to Turkey with Goran Zaneti, a Kurdish American and independent journalist who writes on Middle East affairs.
In Italy, a debate in Parliament has begun over recognizing civil unions for gay couples. We look at the country’s fight for marriage equality with Barbie Latza Nadeau, Italy bureau chief for The Daily Beast.
Finally, Ecuador signed a new deal that will allot a half million acres of land in the Amazon Rainforest to a Chinese-run oil company to explore for petroleum. We discuss the potential impacts of the deal with Kevin Koenig, program director of Amazon Watch in Quito, Ecuador.
In the immediate aftermath of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s announcement of a possible breakthrough on a ceasefire in Syria, yesterday, terrorist attacks ripped through Damascus killing more than 100 people. The carnage adds to an already volatile situation as a major player in the fighting, Turkey, has ramped up verbal attacks on the U.S. and the West for not being more aggressive towards Kurdish fighters it views as terrorists. The number of various Kurdish factions in and around Syria complicates matters further. We talk about the Kurdish actors in Syria and their connections to Turkey with Goran Zaneti, a Kurdish American and independent journalist who writes on Middle East affairs. He’s currently producing a documentary on Kurdish refugees stuck on the Turkish-Syria border called 'Resistance is Life'.
Guest: Goran Zaneti is a Kurdish American and an independent journalist who writes on Middle East affairs. He’s currently producing a documentary on Kurdish refugees stuck on the Turkish-Syria border called 'Resistance is Life'.
Unlike most EU countries, Italy does not recognize gay civil unions or same sex marriage. Italy’s Prime Minister has vowed to pass legislation recognizing gay civil unions and parliament is set to vote on the bill later this week. The debate around the legislation has been a contentious one, creating divisions even within political parties. One of the most divisive aspects of the bill is a provision which would allow gay couples to adopt. Barbie Latza Nadeau, Italy bureau chief for The Daily Beast, joins us to discuss the debate around marriage equality in Italy.
Guest: Barbie Latza Nadeau is Italy bureau chief for The Daily Beast.
Last month, the Ecuadorian government signed a deal that will give the Chinese-run oil company, Andes Petroleum, rights to explore for oil in the Amazon Rainforest. The deal comes after heavy protest by environmentalists and indigenous groups, who are concerned about potential damage done to the ecosystem and way of life. Kevin Koenig, program director of Amazon Watch in Quito, Ecuador, joins us to talk about what this new hunt for oil in South America means for the Amazon.
Guest: Kevin Koenig is the program director of Amazon Watch in Quito, Ecuador.
Earlier this week, Ukraine’s Prime Minister survived a no-confidence vote in parliament. The vote is just the latest sign that the country’s political turmoil is far from over. We talk about the possible consequences of the political instability.
And when Kim Barker was the Chicago Tribune's South Asia bureau chief from 2004 to 2009. Barker detailed her experiences abroad in a book that has now been turned into a major motion picture starring Tina Fey called “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot". We ask Barker what it’s been like to have part of her life put on the “big screen”.
Plus, tonight is opening night of the annual Chicago Winter Flamenco Festival 2016. We’ll get a preview performance by The Ensemble EsPanol Spanish Dance Theater.
Earlier this week, Ukraine’s Prime Minister survived a no-confidence vote in parliament. The vote is just the latest sign that the country’s political turmoil is far from over. The political gridlock could mean even more problems for Ukraine’s faltering economy. Julian Hayda, a member of the ‘Group for Tomorrow’s Ukraine’, an organization of Ukrainian American students reporting on Ukraine, joins us to talk about the possible consequences of the political instability.
Guest: Julian Hayda is a member of the “Group for Tomorrow’s Ukraine,” an organization of Ukrainian American students reporting on Ukraine.
When Kim Barker was the Chicago Tribune's South Asia bureau chief from 2004 to 2009, she saw the conflict in Afghanistan transition from George Bush’s “Forgotten War” to Barack Obama’s “Good War.” Barker detailed her experiences in the book 'The Taliban Shuffle: Strange days in Afghanistan and Pakistan'. Her book has now been turned into a major motion picture starring Tina Fey called “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot”.
Milos Stehlik of Facets Multimedia joins us to ask Barker what it’s been like to have part of her life put on the “big screen.” She’ll also share some of her favorite parts from her book that she wished had made the final cut. “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” opens nationwide on Friday, March 4, 2016.
Guests: Milos Stehlik is WBEZ’s resident film critic. Kim Barker is a journalist and author of the book 'The Taliban Shuffle: Strange days in Afghanistan and Pakistan'.
Each week, global citizen Nari Safavi helps listeners plan their international weekend. Tonight is opening night of the annual Chicago Winter Flamenco Festival 2016. We get a preview performance.
Guests: Nari Safavi is the founder of Pasfarda Art and Cultural Exchange. Raquel Heredia is a flamenco dancer. Patricia Nuñez is a flamenco singer. Ánegel Ruiz is a flamenco guitarist. Manolo de Cordoba is a flamenco palmero (hand-clapper).
We take a look back at the legacy of former U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who died this week at age 93.
President Obama will present to Congress his blueprint for closing the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Marc Falkoff, associate professor of law at Northern Illinois University joins us to talk about the future of the prison.
Meanwhile, in Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced that his country will build a prison designated for terror suspects. Ahmed Samatar, professor of international studies at Macalester College joins us to talk about Kenya’s counterterrorism strategy.
Former U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali died at age 93 in a Cairo, Egypt hospital earlier this week. His U.N. leadership was praised by many for his opposition to NATO bombing campaigns in Bosnia, but he also received heavy criticism for his decision-making during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
We reflect on Boutros-Ghali’s career and legacy with one of his former colleagues, Cherif Bassiouni. He’s a Middle East scholar and professor emeritus of law at DePaul University.
Guest: Cherif Bassiouni is a middle east scholar and professor emeritus of law at DePaul University.
Next week, President Barack Obama will present to Congress his blueprint for closing the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Congress mandated that the President present a plan by February 23, 2016. President Obama’s strategy is expected to outline how the prisoners would be detained in three U.S. States. The plans come as pretrial hearings are expected to commence at the Guantanamo prison for five detainees accused of helping plot the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
We take a look at what is likely to happen at GITMO with Marc Falkoff. He’s associate professor of law at Northern Illinois University. Falkoff has represented numerous Guantanamo prisoners. He’s also editor of the book, 'Poems from Guantanamo: The Detainees Speak'.
Guest: Marc Falkoff, associate professor of law at Northern Illinois University and editor of the book, 'Poems from Guantanamo: The Detainees Speak'.
Kenya’s President, Uhuru Kenyatta, has announced that his country will build a prison designated for terror suspects that he believes could “spread...poison” to ordinary prisoners. Some observers call the project “Africa’s GITMO”. Many detained suspected and convicted terrorists in Kenya are of Somali origin.
We talk about what this prison could mean for Somali-Kenyan relations with Ahmed Samatar, professor and dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship at Macalester College.
Guest: Ahmed Samatar is a professor and dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship at Macalester College.
The Pope visited Mexico this week to speak about poverty and corruption. We talk to Michael Murphy, director of Catholic Studies at Loyola University, about the impact the Pope has had in the country.
And, we're joined by Emilio Alvarez Icaza to talk about the nation’s fight to promote and protect human rights.
Finally, we take a look back at a conversation we had with Radio M host Tony Sarabia about The Zomba Prison Project - a group of Grammy-nominated musicians from a maximum-security prison in Malawi.
Pope Francis is in Mexico this week. His trip includes meetings with the country’s indigenous communities in Chiapas, the victims of drug cartels and immigrants and refugees in Ciudad Juarez, along the US-Mexico border. His speeches have been focuses on issues such as poverty and corruption.
We discuss some of the defining moments of the trip so far with Michael Murphy, director of Catholic Studies at Loyola University.
Pope Francis is focusing much of his trip in Mexico on the issues of corruption and human rights. These are issues that Emilio Alvarez Icaza, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, know well.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States, and its mission is to “promote and protect human rights” in the Americas. Icaza joins us to discuss the Commission’s work in Mexico.
Benin's Angelique Kidjo took home the award but the Zomba Prison Project says they were thrilled to be nominated because it’s the first time anything like this has ever happened. We revisit a conversation we had with Morning Shift and Radio M host Tony Sarabia about the music of the Zomba Prison Project.
Following Justice Antonin Scalia’s death, we take a look back at his views of international law and treaties with Duncan Hollis, professor of law at Temple University.
For World History Minute, historian John Schmidt recalls the story of the death of Socrates.
In Cuba, the government announced plans to broaden access to the internet. We talk with Larry Press, professor of computer information systems at California State University, Dominguez Hills, about their long struggle to get online.
Finally, we preview a new exhibit that looks at Iraqi refugees and their possessions they brought to Chicago.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had strong opinions about whether foreign or international law had any relevance for the Supreme Court. In a speech at George Mason University School of law he lamented the fact that some of his fellow judges were looking to foreign laws as they weighed their own decisions. In that particular speech he said foreign laws can “never, never be relevant to the meaning of the U.S. Constitution.” He sparred frequently with Justice Stephen G. Breyer on this issue.
We talk about Scalia’s views of international law and international treaties with Duncan Hollis, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of law at Temple University School of Law.
Guest: Duncan Hollis is an associate dean for academic affairs and professor of law at Temple University School of Law.
The famous Greek philosopher Socrates died on February 15, 399 BC. He died by drinking hemlock, after being found guilty by jury of 500 citizens. Historian John Schmidt recalls why the jury found him guilty of corrupting the youth of Athens.
Guest: John Schmidt is a historian and author of “On this day in Chicago history.”
Last month, Cuba announced a plan to bring broadband internet to some homes in the Old Havana neighborhood. This is a step toward increasing access to a nation that has one of the worst internet penetration rates in the world. Only about five percent of Cubans can get online and while dozens of Wi-Fi hotspots have sprouted up in the last year, the internet is still very slow, expensive, and tightly monitored.
We learn more about Cuba’s struggle to gain access with Larry Press, professor of computer information systems at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He has researched the internet in developing nations around the world and is the author of the blog “La Red Cubana.”
Guest: Larry Press is a professor of computer information systems at California State University, Dominguez Hills, and the author of the blog “La Red Cubana.”
If you had hours, or only minutes, to leave your home and country forever, what would you take with you? When refugees make the long and often difficult journey from their homeland, they don’t have room for a lot of personal objects.
An exhibit at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie dives into that question. It’s called, “What We Carried: Fragments from the Cradle of Civilization.” A portion of the exhibit is also on display at the Daley Center Concourse Gallery through April, 2016.
We revisit a conversation we had with photographer Jim Lommasson, who has documented the few items that Iraqi refugees have carried with them to Chicago. Lommasson and Othman Al Ani, who is featured in the exhibit, join us to talk about the kinds of stories these objects tell.
Guests: Jim Lommasson is a photographer.
Othman Al Ani is with the Iraqi Mutual Aid Society. He is featured in the exhibit.
Both Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have touched on U.S. policy in the Middle East during recent debates. But New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman says that the usual “platitudes” won’t work because the next president will “have to deal with a totally different Middle East.” Friedman joins us to explain.
We discuss Michael Moore's latest film, “Where To Invade Next,” which looks at how other countries have tackled a range of issues, everything from healthcare to school lunch.
And we take a look at a new bill which aims to make the visa process for international artists and performers more reliable and affordable.
Both Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have touched on U.S. policy in the Middle East during recent debates. But in his most recent column in the New York Times, columnist Thomas Friedman says that the usual “platitudes” being offered up won’t work, because the next president will “have to deal with a totally different Middle East.” Friedman says that different landscape includes the end of the peace process for Israel, and a “no-state solution” in Syria.
Thomas Friedman joins to talk about what he believes the next president will have to consider, when it comes to U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Guest: Thomas Friedman is a columnist for the New York Times.
Michael Moore's latest film, “Where To Invade Next,” looks at how other countries have tackled a range of issues, everything from healthcare to school lunch.
Film contributor Milos Stehlik joins us to talk about Moore’s latest documentary.
Each week global citizen Nari Safavi joins us to help listeners plan their international weekend. This week he’ll offer his picks and we’ll take a look at a bill that was introduced in the Senate this week which would make the visa process for international artists and performers more reliable and affordable. The process can often be a lengthy one, and on more than one occasion, concerts or exhibitions have been cancelled because the artist did not receive their visa on time.
We’ll talk about the legislation with Heather Noonan, vice president for advocacy for the League of American Orchestras. She represents a coalition of more than 80 national arts organizations advocating for the legislation.
The crisis in Syria continues to escalate after Turkey lashes out at the U.S. for “creating a sea of blood” in Syria. We’ll talk about this inter-ally tension with University of Michigan history professor, Juan Cole.
Author Ben Lawrence gives us an inside look at Dadaab, the world’s largest refugee camp in Kenya.
Plus, for World History Minute, historian John L. Schmidt tells the story of an important Vatican treaty signed on this day in 1929.
Pressure from the Syria crisis is causing at least one U.S. ally to lash out. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Washington has created a "sea of blood" in Syria, because it refuses to brand Kurdish fighters in Syria as terrorists. Erdogan went on to say, "Hey America! How many times have we had to tell you? Are you...with us or are you with the....terror groups?" He’s also reportedly threatened to “drown Europe in refugees” if his financial terms to take in refugees aren’t met.
We’ll get more on the potential row between Turkey and the West with Juan Cole, professor of history at the University of Michigan. He publishes the blog 'Informed Comment' and his most recent book is 'The New Arabs: How the Millennial Generation is Changing the Middle East'.
The Dadaab refugee camp was created in 1991, as what was supposed to be a temporary home people fleeing civil war in Somalia. The camp, located in Northern Kenya, has remained home to more than 300,000 people and at times, over the years, has housed as many as 500,000. It’s developed its own economy and daily life, even though the Kenyan government has maintained it is not permanent.
Ben Rawlence spent time at the camp and documents daily life there in his book “City of Thorns.” He joins us to talk about the people he met.
The Lateran Treaty dates back to February 11, 1929. Under the treaty, Pope Pius XI was given full sovereignty over the tiny Vatican City State.
Historian John Schmidt recalls what happened during the negotiations.
The Zika virus has spread throughout Latin America, especially in El Salvador where there were an estimated 6,000 cases last year. We talk to a variety of guests to learn about how the virus has affected life and public policy in the Central American country.
Plus, we talk with photojournalist Wil Sands whose latest exhibition “Waiting for Mother Russia” examines the political tensions in Eastern Ukraine.
The war in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 9,000 people. Protests by pro-Russian citizens started in March of 2014 after Maidan protests brought a new pro-Europe government to power.
Photographer Wil Sands documented the tensions between the two intertwined communities in Eastern Ukraine. His exhibit is called, “Waiting for Mother Russia.” It opens tomorrow at the ART WORKS Projects for Human Rights gallery in River North and runs through March 26th, 2016. He joins us to talk about what he witnessed in Ukraine.
El Salvador, to date, has had one of the most significant public policy reactions to the Zika virus. Its government told women to avoid getting pregnant until 2018. There were an estimated 6,000 cases of Zika in El Salvador last year. One hundred pregnant women have tested positive for Zika, but unlike countries such as Brazil, El Salvador has no declared cases of microcephaly, a birth defect linked to Zika.
We’ll talk about how Zika is affecting lives in Chicago as well in El Salvador, with Don Lassus, a Chicago physician with the group, Doctors for Global Health. He and his physician wife volunteer in El Salvador.
Debra Gittler is one of our Global Activists. Her literacy NGO, ConTextos, is based in El Salvador, but she recently left the country after she discovered she was pregnant.
We’ll also get a Salvadoran perspective from Dr. Silvia Lorena Martinez Guzman, an emergency room physician in San Salvador.
As the Brazilian government fights the Zika virus, its president, Dilma Rousseff and her Workers’ Party, are fighting for their political lives. Though Rousseff appears to have survived impeachment proceedings, her goals for economic reforms to combat deep unemployment and double-digit inflation are probably dead-on-arrival with a polarized and hostile legislature.
We talk about some of the cultural and societal intricacies of Brazilian electoral politics with Ruth Needleman, professor emerita of Labor Studies at Indiana University. She’s researched social justice issues, especially in the Americas and Global South, for decades.
Needleman’s latest op-ed is “Not one more Coup in Latin America!”
Guest: Ruth Needleman is a professor emerita of labor studies at Indiana University.
A recent Pew study found that nearly half of all Americans believe that a substantial segment of the U.S. Muslim population is anti-American. Last week, President Obama was criticized by several Republican presidential candidates after he made an official visit to a mosque. There has been a rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes. Filmmaker Usama Alshaibi, an Iraqi-American, found his own family was personally impacted by growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States. He took on the topic in his latest documentary “American Arab.” Alshaibi joins us to talk about the film and what it means to be Muslim in America. The film airs tonight on WTTW.
Guest: Usama Alshaibi is a filmmaker and director of the documentary “American Arab.”
Burma is set to put in a new president to run its government. Last November, former political prisoner and Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party, won in a landslide, ending decades of military rule in Burma.
Though Suu Kyi is the overwhelming favorite to become president, there are constitutional snags to her taking office, including being a woman and the ethnicity of her husband and children. Negotiations are underway to change that. We’ll talk about Burma’s new government and what is likely to happen next with Maureen Aung-Thwin, director of the Burma Project and Southeast Asia Initiative at the Open Society Foundation.
Guest: Maureen Aung-Thwin is the director of the Burma Project and Southeast Asia initiative at the Open Society Foundation.
Though Suu Kyi is the overwhelming favorite to become president of Burma, there are constitutional snags to her taking office, including being a woman and the ethnicity of her husband and children. We take a closer look.
And filmmaker Usama Alshaibi joins us to talk about his latest documentary, “American Arab," and what it means to be Muslim in America.
Plus, we talk about some of the cultural and societal intricacies of Brazilian electoral politics with Ruth Needleman, professor emerita of Labor Studies at Indiana University.
As global military forces move to push ISIS out of Syria and Iraq, analysts believe the militant group may be looking at Libya as a new base of operations.
St. Pio of Pietralcina, who is known as Padre Pio, is one of the most popular Roman Catholic saints. Millions make the pilgrimage every year to visit his remains. Last week, his body, which normally resides in a small town in southeastern Italy, was moved to the Vatican, where it will remain on display as part of Pope Francis’ jubilee, or holy year celebrations.
We speak with nature photographer Mike McDonald about some of Chicago's most secretly beautiful spots.
Mike MacDonald is passionate about Chicago’s nature. He wants to share that passion and introduce others to the more than 350 square miles of natural areas within an hour of downtown Chicago. He’s spent more than two decades as a photographer in this area’s prairies, savannahs, and woodlands. His immersive style of landscape photography give a hyper-realistic view that takes you into the real wonders of our natural world. McDonald’s new book of photos is, “My Journey Into the Wilds of Chicago. ” It took five years to complete. He shares some of the region’s most secretly beautiful spots.
Guest: Mike MacDonald is a nature photographer based in Chicago.
St. Pio of Pietralcina, who is known as Padre Pio, is one of the most popular Roman Catholic saints. Millions make the pilgrimage every year to visit his remains. The Capuchin monk is said to have performed numerous miracles and to have had “stigmata” – the bleeding wounds of Jesus on his hands and feet. Last week, his body, which normally resides in a small town in southeastern Italy, was moved to the Vatican, where it will remain on display as part of Pope Francis’ jubilee, or holy year celebrations. The move included the institution of a no-fly zone and several hundred additional police officers. We’ll take a look at who he was, the controversies surrounding his beatification and the reasons behind the Pope’s decision to bring Padre Pio to the Vatican with John Allen, associate editor of the Boston Globe and Crux. Allen is the author of numerous books on the Vatican and the Catholic Church.
Guest: John Allen is the associate editor of the Boston Globe and Crux.
Each week global citizen Nari Safavi helps listeners plan their international weekend. You may not know the name Theo Jansen but you might have seen his walking “beach creatures.” The Dutch artist’s kinetic sculptures, known as “strandbeests” are powered by the wind. A free exhibit of his work is on display at the Chicago Cultural Center. Jansens joins us to talk about his work.
“Hail Caesar!,” the latest film by the Coen brothers, centers around a fixer who works for a movie studio and tries to solve their problems. He’s called in when a studio star (played by George Clooney) is kidnapped. Film contributor Milos Stehlik shares his take on the film.
Guest: Milos Stehlik is the director of Facets Multimedia (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
A general strike this week in Greece shut schools, businesses and even had some hospitals running with only emergency staff. Greeks were protesting pension reforms that have been demanded by the country’s international creditors. Pensions have already been cut in recent years. We’ll take a look at what kinds of reforms are being considered and how they could impact Greeks with Nick Malkoutzis, deputy editor of the Greek daily Kathimerini English Edition and editor of the economic and political analysis website Macropolis.
GUEST: Nick Malkoutzis is the deputy editor of the Greek daily Kathimerini English Edition and editor of the economic and political analysis website Macropolis. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Each week global citizen Nari Safavi helps listeners plan their international weekend. You may not know the name Theo Jansen but you might have seen his walking “beach creatures.” The Dutch artist’s kinetic sculptures, known as “strandbeests” are powered by the wind. A free exhibit of his work is on display at the Chicago Cultural Center. Jansens joins us to talk about his work.
Guests: Nari Safavi is one of the founders of Pasfarda Arts and Culture Exchange Theo Jansen is an artist.
In London, world leaders discuss funding for aid to Syrian refugees. Andy Baker from Oxfam joins us to talk about how the U.S. needs to step up to the plate.
Meanwhile, violence continues to plague Syria as the planned peace talks between the government and opposition leaders came to halt. We talk about what needs to happen for diplomacy to re-ignite.
Prominent Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui joins us to discuss the obstacles she has faced in her career of exposing government corruption.
World leaders gathered today in London to discuss funding for humanitarian aid for Syria and Syrian refugees. Earlier this week Jordan’s King Abdullah said his country needed more funds to help pay for the toll the Syrian refugees were taking on Jordan, saying "sooner or later, I think, the dam is going to burst."
Andy Baker heads the Syria response team for Oxfam. Oxfam had called on nations, including the US, to pay its “fare share.” Baker is in London for the donor meeting. He joins us to talk about aid for Syria.
As countries pledged their fiscal support for Syrian refugees at a donor conference in London, efforts to end the the war in Syria came to a halt. The UN temporarily suspended the peace talks which began earlier this week. Steffan de Mistura, the UN mediator said “I’m not prepared to have talks for the sake of talks.”
We’ll talk with Yaser Tabbara, a Syrian American lawyer who has been active in the Syrian opposition, about what he thinks needs to happen to reboot the process.
Carmen Aristegui is one of the Western Hemisphere’s most popular journalists. She herself became news when, last March, when Mexican radio station MVS fired her and her investigative team from their hugely popular radio show after they exposed scandals tied to Mexico’s President, Enrique Peña Nieto.
One well-known scandal known as “Casa Blanca” or “White House,” was tied to a wealthy Mexican business magnate who built a seven-million dollar mansion for Peña Nieto‘s family. Aristegui’s firing created an international stir. MVS claims her firing was from unethical use of the company logo on her “MexicoLeaks” website.
Aristegui talks with us about “Casa Blanca,” her termination from MVS and what she views as Mexico’s corrupt political system that subverts justice for victims like murdered journalists and the 43 missing students of Ayotzinapa.
Ali Issa talks about his new book, Struggle Against All Odds: Voices of Popular Struggle in Iraq.
Then, the founder of the Belarus Free Theatre, Natalia Kaliada, joins us to talk about how the group uses artistic expression to press for political change.
And on Global Notes, we’ll hear a new album from Tuvan throat singer Sainko Namtchylak.
Belarus has been under the authoritarian rule of president Alexander Lukashenko for more than 20 years. Observers view his rule as a throwback to the Soviet Union.
Civil liberties and free artistic expression are commonly suppressed. The Belarus Free Theatre was founded in 2005 by co-creator Natalia Kaliada. The group was banned by the government and forced to go underground. BFT produces numerous works critical of authoritarianism, including its most recent work- an interpretation of Shakespeare’s King Lear.
The play opens this Friday in Chicago at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre as part of its yearlong “Shakespeare 400” celebration. We first spoke with Kaliada in 2011. She’s back to update us on her work and the situation in Belarus.
This week on Global Notes we bring you the sounds of Tuvan throat singer Sainko Namtchylak. She has just released her 45th album!
On this latest album, she teams up with a couple members from the Tuareg desert blues band Tinariwen - the Steppes meet the Sahara. It’s a new twist on the ancient tradition of throat singing, which was first developed by nomadic herdsmen in Central Asia.
Ali Issa is an organizer with War Resisters League, an NGO that “works to sow and grow seeds of peace and liberation in our time.” His new book Against All Odds: Voices of Popular Struggle in Iraq details numerous interviews and encounters he had with Iraqis and Iraqi activists working on progressive policies.
Issa talks with us about his mission to show the West that despite the sectarian strife and war with groups like ISIS, there is a vibrant pro-democracy, pro-modernity movement in Iraq.