2023 Sessions

Tech companies have placed big bets on the metaverse, believing it can profoundly impact the way people communicate and build relationships. But consumers have been slow to adopt. It's too early to say whether the metaverse will be a success, but if it is, it could upend the way we engage with the world.

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Will Hurd is a former United States Representative from Texas and a member of the Republican party. His new book, American Reboot, argues that we needs to move beyond the partisan gridlock that characterizes American politics. Can we overcome extreme policy and cultural divides to do this? Is there even a path within the Republican party to moderation?

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Industry-wide layoffs and tumultuous profits are making us wonder, what exactly is going on with the tech industry? The Washington Post's tech industry analyst joins us to consider whether the industry is going through a midlife crisis — and what could happen next.

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Congressman Smith has said the war in Ukraine is a "defining moment" for the world. The U.S.'s relationship with NATO has been reaffirmed. Meanwhile, tensions have risen over China's plans for Taiwan, which the U.S. has vowed to defend. We speak to Rep. Smith about managing our economic reliance on a competing nation while keeping global order intact.

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Jennifer Doudna, co-founder of the CRISPR gene-editing tool that offers incredible opportunities to treat or cure diseases, develop crops resistant to pests and diseases, and livestock more efficient at producing meat and milk. There are also risks, including the concern that it could lead to a new class of "designer babies," among many ethical concerns. Where do we go from here?

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The education-to-work pipeline is a system to help students transition from school to the workforce - involving mentorship, alternative programs to traditional education and coordination between schools and employers. Noble work, often an uphill battle. Meet some of the tireless people who make it happen.

Presented with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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Days after the conclusion of the Washington state legislative session, political reporter Joe Sullivan and other journalists covering state politics sit down with Crosscut Reports host Sara Bernard to discuss the new laws and political dynamics that have emerged, including the possibility of new gun regulations and major moves on housing and education funding.

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Last summer, 60 experts who co-authored a study published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment said that for the long-term habitation of the planet, biodiversity loss was equally as critical than the challenge of climate change. America’s wildlife is in crisis - one we can reverse, though, if we look to solutions within reach rather than those that are far off. 

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After the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, abortion access has become increasingly restricted in many states — harkening back to the pre-Roe era, when groups like "the Janes" created an underground network to provide access. We sit down with a former Jane and with a provider working today to consider the future of the fight for abortion access.

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In Chopra's new book, Living in the Light, he says that yoga is more than just physical exercise; it's a holistic approach to well-being that includes the body, mind, and spirit. He argues that we are all connected to the universe and that we have the power to create our own reality through our thoughts and beliefs. He joins us to explore how his approach fits in the modern world.

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A live taping of Your Last Meal, the James Beard Award finalist for Best Podcast and the #1 food podcast on Apple. Host Rachel Belle will ask Marc Summers, known as the host of game show Double Dare, what he would choose for his last meal, then digs into the dish's history, culture and science. Join us for a night of food and catered treats! Reception begins at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m.

Ken Jennings is the highest-earning American game-show contestant ever, having won money on five different game shows, including $4,522,700 on Jeopardy!, which he now co-hosts. He believes that learning is a lifelong process, and that there is always something new to learn: "The more you learn, the more you realize how much you don't know. Embrace that feeling and keep learning."

Psychedelics, like Ketamine, LSD and Psilocybin, have been shown to be effective in treating many mental health conditions. Ketamine was approved by the FDA, and it's likely that more psychedelics will be legalized in the coming years. While they may offer new hope for people who have not responded to traditional treatments, there are many concerns about safety and a lot of questions to ask.

Join host Dahlia Lithwick for a timely show about the law and the Supreme Court justices. She will be joined by Brennan Center president Michael Waldman to hear his perspective on the most consequential Supreme Court term in decades, their recent decisions and what to expect in June. He argues that the Court overreached, a move that will likely provoke sharp and lasting controversy and backlash.

Andrew Yang ran for presidency on a platform that included universal basic income, ranked-choice voting and automatic voter registration. After dropping out of the presidential race, Yang founded the Forward Party, which aims to bring together people from across the political spectrum. Yang argues the two-party system is broken and that we need a new way to do politics.

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Artificial intelligence has exploded into the public eye recently, with major tech companies rushing to launch their versions of the search tools, and industries of all types exploring its use. Many believe AI has the potential to revolutionize nearly all aspects of our lives — the way we work, learn and interact with the world around us. Will anything be left untouched?

There’s been a sharp increase in anti-LGBTQ+ bills across the country, a lightning rod for the bases of the politicians who introduce them. Meanwhile, trans people are four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violent crime, and 45% of LGBTQ+ youth considered suicide last year. Jonquilyn Hill talks with Danni Askini, co-executive director of the Gender Justice League.

The recently defeated Washington Recycling and Packaging Act sought to address the problem of plastic pollution; requiring companies to be responsible for the end-of-life management of packaging, set minimum recycled content requirements and ban some packaging. It failed to advance, so the question remains: what can we do to tackle the massive plastic problem here at home and all over the world?

Seattle is in the midst of a fentanyl crisis, a drug 50 times more potent than heroin. Used with other drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, it can be deadly even in small doses. In 2022 there were 310 overdose deaths in Seattle, more than half of those from fentanyl. We’re joined by experts on the front lines of this effort to hear what can be done to address this issue.

Michael Cohen, former President Trump's personal lawyer and fixer, served three years in prison for payments he made to silence two women about their alleged affairs with Trump to influence the election. Now Trump is the first president to be indicted on charges of campaign finance fraud related to the payments. Cohen sits squarely in the middle of today's biggest news story.

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As more focus is put on climate science, each of us needs to learn how we can change our habits in our home, communities and government to save our planet. In this uplifting and encouraging session, we'll explore doable solutions for all of us to take on the overwhelming challenges facing our planet.

 

As President Obama’s Attorney General, Eric Holder Jr. oversaw the Justice Department's civil rights enforcement efforts to combat racial profiling and to protect LGBTQ+ rights. His recent book, Our Unfinished March, is a history of the fight for voting rights in the U.S. Holder joins us to discuss the rule of law and the right to vote as essential to a functioning democracy.

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Ibram X. Kendi rose to fame when his books became a source for Americans trying to make sense of the murder of George Floyd. Then came a backlash: His books were banned by school libraries and he was accused of corrupting children and casting everyone as a racist. “The momentum was just crushed by a pretty well-organized force and movement of people who are seeking to conserve racism,” he says.