How Do We Fix It?

Do a Google search of drones, and scary headlines pop up instantly. " Dangerous Drones  Invade Protected Airspace Daily," says one. While others talk about "spooky, scary" drones that  invade privacy ; get in the way of  firefighters , or lead to new types of  warfare. These concerns are real, but there are also many constructive use for drones that  save lives ,  mak...

A trade war with China has dangerous implications for the global economy. What began more than a year ago with President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs has become an unpleasant  economic reality  for many businesses.  Recently, the U.S. labeled China a “ currency manipulator. ” But an even larger long-term threat comes from China’s aggressive espionage  offensive  that...

Despite bitter partisanship and political paralysis in Washington, local democracy is alive in well in many towns and cities across the country. That's the surprising finding in "Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America," by journalist  James Fallows  of The Atlantic magazine and his wife, writer and linguist  Deborah Fallows.   In this episode, part two...

Congress sank to a dismal 10% approval rating in a  new poll . Most Americans believe the nation is heading in the  wrong direction . But ask people about their own lives and local communities, and you are likely to get a very different answer. According to a  Gallup poll , well over 80% of Americans are satisfied in general with the way their personal lives are going. Despite...

"The debt will be as large as our entire economy by the end of the decade", says  Maya MacGuineas , President of the bipartisan  Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget . "Every indicator that you could look for in terms of the numbers is on flashing red alert." The U.S. federal government debt is nearly $20 trillion and rising each year. Interest payments are the single fastest growi...

Far too often, politics and policy are portrayed as a battle between liberals and conservatives, or socialists vs. capitalists.  But one of the most profound divides of modern times is between optimists and pessimists-- especially over how they view the environment. This episode looks at the debate between environmental optimists (wizards), who believe we can invent our way to a better, healt...

From the streets of Chicago and Los Angeles, to indictments this month targeting criminal networks in  Savannah, Georgia  and  white supremacists  in Grand Prairie, Texas, tens of thousands of gangs are responsible for drug crimes, brutal killings and other forms of violence.  According to one  recent estimate , nearly one-and-a-half million people are members of gang...

President Trump's rejection of the Iran nuclear agreement and Israeli  military attacks  on Iranian sites in Syria are among the latest signs of rising tensions in the Middle East. The threat of war is ever-present. Twenty five years after the signing of the  Oslo Accords , relations between the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority are at a low point. There has been no signi...

The growing #MeToo movement has exposed many cases of sexual harassment and retaliation in the workplace. Among the latest examples is an upheaval at Nike. Female employees, fed up with years of gender discrimination, insensitive behavior and crude comments by male colleagues, took action . Covertly, they surveyed female peers, asking about their experiences. The findings led to changes, with...

When we focus on the future, we usually look at the big things: Will the current crisis with North Korea be resolved peacefully? Is President Trump likely to face a big setback in the midterm elections? When will the next recession hit? Our guest, political consultant  Mark Penn , argues that the future is not shaped by broad forces, but by quiet changes-- Microtrends-- within narrow slices o...

The  National Week of Conversation  is a bold attempt to reduce the yawning gap between Republicans and Democrats. More than 100 groups across the country are involved in online and in-person events from April 20th to April 28th. We look at how the project works and why it can make a difference. With American politics increasingly dominated by personal insults, name callin...

From internet giants Facebook, Amazon and Google to telecom titans AT&T, Verizon and Comcast, American capitalism is increasingly dominated by huge and politically well-connected business behemoths. We look at the case for reform, including stronger anti-trust regulations, innovative use of the Interstate Commerce Clause, better pay for government regulators, and reform of the tax code. Our gu...

The facts are hard to deny. We live longer, infant mortality continues to fall, we are richer, less subject to violence-- and despite uneven progress, the world is more democratic than it was 50 years ago. And yet so many people are gripped by pessimism and fear. Donald Trump was elected President after repeatedly claiming "our country is going to hell." A recent poll found that just three-in-ten...

With turmoil and never-ending drama in the White House, and  record numbers of departures  from top levels of the Trump Administration, it is safe to say that America is facing a leadership crisis. According to recent polls, a  solid majority  of US voters disapproves of Trump's leadership. In corporate America, the once-celebrated Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is facing ...

Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, or Google; internet platforms are a huge force in our daily lives. The recent scandal over the Steven Bannon-affiliated Cambridge Analytica is the most recent example of the downside of data. This episode of "How Do We Fix It?" is about search, and how it can condemn former inmates to a life sentence without work. In their case, the internet is a "help not w...

What do Mark Zuckerberg, hockey great Wayne Gretzky, and best-selling novelist Lee Child all have in common? They all worked to make luck happen for them. In this episode with award-winning author, editor and journalist, J anice Kaplan , we learn about the exciting ways you can grab opportunities and improve your life.   There is a clear difference between random chance and luck. The cas...

The debate over gun violence is deeply polarized, but almost everyone agrees it's an urgent problem and that far too many people are being killed and injured by firearms in the United States. The toll is more than 100 deaths per day-- a much higher rate than in other wealthy nations. Unlike the appalling killings in Parkland, Florida, Newtown, Connecticut, and at other schools, most gun murders in...

Within four days of the mass shooting at Margaret Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida that left 17 people dead, Never Again was born. In this episode, we ask whether young millennials, who grew up after 9/11 during a time of school lockdowns, will become effective advocates for lasting social and political change. Digitally savvy students-- survivors of the massacre-- turned to social media...

The impressive launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket by SpaceX from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and the touchdown of two boosters back at Cape Canaveral minutes later, are the latest milestones in a thrilling comeback story. Space is becoming sexy again and the pace of innovation is remarkably fast. Not since the days of John Glenn,the Apollo moon launch, and the Space Shuttle program has spa...

Wouldn't it be great if consumers could access all their personal medical records quickly and share them with doctors, family members and others they trust? This could lead to revolutionary changes in patient outcomes with less bureaucracy and fewer medical mistakes and unnecessary tests.  In recent weeks, major announcements by Apple and Google, plus a new healthcare alliance by Amazon, Berk...

It's time to put the brakes on the hype about self-driving cars. Despite industry and media forecasts, it may be more than a decade before many fully autonomous vehicles are on the road.  Lawsuits and patent disputes are among the many hurdles that face auto manufacturers and tech firms. But this doesn't mean that technology is being thrown into reverse gear. Semi-autonomous cars with vehicle...

The U.S. stock market has soared about 40% since the Trump election. But is it over-valued and ready for a meltdown? Shortly before the worst one-day crash in history in November 1987, the market had been charging ahead, with a 40% rise that year. The economy was on a roll, just like today.  What would happen if giant investment funds bailed out of stocks at the same time? Would there be anot...

From the recent government shutdown to strict partisan votes on taxes and healthcare, official Washington lurches from one fight to the next, with no end in sight. But the American public is not as polarized as the pundits say. While elected Republicans and Democrats appeal to their base, and are more divided than ever, the electorate has not changed dramatically in recent years. According to Pew...

By overwhelming majorities, human beings have faith in the afterlife. While fewer Americans believe in God, as many as 80% still believe in life after death. Surprisingly, this includes one-in-three agnostics and atheists. According to the Roper Center for Public Opinion the numbers have stayed stable in recent decades. Does this human refusal to accept that all we have is the here-and-now lead to...

The fight against sexual harassment was the hot topic in Hollywood at the Golden Globes Awards, with outspoken and inspiring remarks by Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and others. But allegations of bullying or inappropriate behavior by powerful men are still being made almost every day. Despite widespread outrage, little focus has been given to effective measures that can be taken by employers t...