Can Xi Jinping Stop a Trade War with Europe?
On Shifting Ground
While in China, Ray Suarez had a front-row seat to draconian lockdowns, the White Paper Protests, and Xi Jinping’s triumphant acceptance of a third term. But a year later, President Xi made his first visit to Europe since before the pandemic, to stave off a trade war with the EU. What happened to China’s economic dominance, and why is Xi turning to the West? Sue-Lin Wong, a reporter from The Economist, joined Ray for a live-streamed discussion of Xi’s consolidation of power, and the future of the Chinese Communist Party. Then, Ray is joined by Christina Yu, staff writer at Foreign...
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Special Live Event: Ray Suarez on Being American in the 21st Century
On Shifting Ground
Next Monday (5/13) at noon PT, we're hosting a where Ray will peel back the curtain on his latest book, . He'll be joined in conversation by the amazing Director of the U.S. Democracy Program at The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. You can get your tickets . Ray will take questions from the audience at the end of the program! We Are Home: Becoming American in the 21st Century Immigrants to America have always faced resistance, and have always – over time – assimilated and become vital parts of America. This is a process as old as the nation itself, and it...
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On Borrowed Time: A Tech Reporter’s Precarious Race to Stay in the US
On Shifting Ground
Silicon Valley relies on a huge foreign born workforce, mostly from India and China, to provide specialized skills in fields like engineering, biotech, AI and computer science. But after layoff, these visa holders have 60 days to find a new job, or lose their residency in the United States. In 2023, tech reporter Pranav Dixit dug into the mass layoffs in Silicon Valley, and why these drastic reductions were forcing some foreign-born workers to reevaluate the decision to live in the US. At the time he was working for Buzzfeed News. But when the news unit shut down, Dixit was put in the...
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Should We Be Afraid of Gene-Editing?
On Shifting Ground
In 2018, Chinese scientist He Jianku sent shockwaves through the world’s medical and scientific world when he claimed to have made two children immune to HIV using a powerful gene-editing technology called “CRISPR”. After a three-year prison sentence, Jianku is back in the lab, but should he be experimenting with human genes? Ray Suarez talks with Dr. Alta Charo, the Warren P. Knowles Professor Emerita of Law and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, about the ethics of CRISPR, and the opportunities and risks of the technology. Guest: , the Warren P....
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Water Security, and Why Israelis and Gazans Must Work Together
On Shifting Ground
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, access to water in Gaza has dropped by 95 percent since October 7th, and as many as seven-in-ten Gazans are drinking salty and contaminated water to survive. Water is at the center of environmental challenges facing the whole Middle East, and it is perhaps the most pressing concern for desperate Gazans. So what are regional NGOs doing to provide clean water to millions of displaced people? Climate One’s Greg Dalton speaks with Nada Majdalani, Palestinian Director of EcoPeace Middle East, about Ecopeace’s three-decade...
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The Silver Wave: Challenges and Opportunities of Global Aging
On Shifting Ground
By 2030, it’s estimated one out of every six people on planet earth will be over 60. Thanks to leaps in technology and public health, people are living longer and better than ever before. We’re taking a look at what economists and demographers are calling “the Silver Wave.” Ray speaks with MIT’s Joseph F. Coughlin,and New York Times Tokyo Bureau Chief Motoko Rich, on the challenges – and opportunities – that global aging presents. Guests: , PhD, Founder and Director of MIT’s AgeLab , Tokyo Bureau Chief for the New York Times Host:...
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Boozing Boomers
On Shifting Ground
For the most part, the world has gone back to normal. We’re getting on planes… going to concerts… but many Americans haven’t changed their pandemic drinking habits. And this increased consumption trend is especially high for older Americans. In 2020, alcohol accounted for more than 11,000 deaths among those 65 and up – that’s an 18 percent increase from the previous year – and many of those cases went untreated. Ray speaks with Keith Humphreys, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, to understand why. Guest: ,...
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Hong Kong, A History of Defiance and the Fight for Free Speech
On Shifting Ground
Ray Suarez talks with former NPR Beijing correspondent Louisa Lim about China’s brazen efforts to stamp out free speech in Hong Kong, the city she grew up in. Lim shares the experiences she chronicled in her book , an emotional eyewitness account of the pro-democracy protests and a reflection on Hong Kong’s identity. Guest: , journalist and author of “” Host: If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to . We cannot do this work without your help. Thank...
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Jimmy Lai’s Fate and the Future of Democracy in Hong Kong
On Shifting Ground
Ray Suarez speaks with Sebastien Lai, the son of the imprisoned media mogul Jimmy Lai, and Jonathan Price, a member of Lai’s legal team. He’s on trial for his pro-democracy campaign, and they explore the fate of Hong Kong after China’s passage of the restrictive Article 23. Guests: Sebastien Lai, democracy advocate and son of jailed Hong Kong businessman and publisher Jonathan Price, a member of Jimmy Lai’s legal team Host: If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to . We...
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Dobbs’ Domino Effect: The Future of Choice in America – A 2024 Election Special
On Shifting Ground
Abortion advocates have long warned the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade would reverberate across all areas of reproductive health. Two years later, state personhood laws have challenged IVF and birth control… further threatening women’s bodily autonomy. In our third special election episode, we explore how the issue of abortion rights is likely to shape the 2024 election. First, we hear from two women whose lives were changed by rapidly shifting legislation surrounding IVF and abortion access. Then, Ray Suarez sits down with Dr. Jamila Perritt, President and CEO...
info_outlineIn 2018, Chinese scientist He Jianku sent shockwaves through the world’s medical and scientific world when he claimed to have made two children immune to HIV using a powerful gene-editing technology called “CRISPR”. After a three-year prison sentence, Jianku is back in the lab, but should he be experimenting with human genes?
Ray Suarez talks with Dr. Alta Charo, the Warren P. Knowles Professor Emerita of Law and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, about the ethics of CRISPR, and the opportunities and risks of the technology.
Guest:
Dr. Alta Charo, the Warren P. Knowles Professor Emerita of Law and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison
Host:
Ray Suarez, host of World Affairs
If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.