Cascade PBS Ideas Festival

Pollution, habitat loss and climate change all threaten wildlife and their ecosystems. Conservationists discuss what we can do to help. Wildlife numbers are plunging worldwide. From toxic waste to invasive species, deforestation to rising temperatures, threats to the survival of our planet’s millions of plants and animals are causing scientists to warn of a sixth extinction . It’s estimated that r...

Following the failure of the Washington Recycling and Packaging Act, experts and a key lawmaker discuss next steps. Plastic is everywhere. It’s in our refrigerators, in our oceans and even in our bloodstreams. And wherever there are plastics, there are questions over what to do with them.  In Washington state, as in most other places, the answer has been to recycle them whenever possible. In 2011,...

The climate leaders share why individual responsibility and corporate accountability aren’t mutually exclusive — and how daily habits can aid the planet. The impacts of climate change are everywhere, often making headlines. Yet most Americans don’t know what climate change really is, or don’t think it will harm them ... until it does.  For this episode of the Crosscut Talks podcast, we are listeni...

Nobel Prize-winning scientist Jennifer Doudna discusses how the technology she helped advance is treating diseases and raising ethical dilemmas. Gene editing is a game-changer for humanity. From health on individuals to the fate of the planet, the possible impacts of the technology are something previously found only in science fiction. But as with all scientific advancements that supercharge huma...

Two experts in immersive technologies may disagree on what the metaverse will look like, but they do agree that it is going to change society.   The metaverse may very well be the future. Before we get there, though, it is probably necessary to establish what exactly the metaverse is. That, it turns out, isn’t so easy.  For this episode of the Crosscut Talks podcast, we listen in on a conversation...

The Washington Post tech industry analyst discusses how America’s major tech companies are grappling with government regulation and a public that has fallen out of love.  Tech companies aren’t the shiny new players in the world economy anymore; they are core pillars of that economy and primary drivers of our culture.  They are also feeling a little old, says Washington Post tech industry analyst W...

The Edmonds-born record-breaker muses on the game’s transformation and reveals behind-the-scenes secrets. Jeopardy! is an American institution, a television game show that for decades didn't really change all that much. But in recent years the syndicated staple has undergone some relatively seismic shifts.  For this episode of the Crosscut Talks podcast, we listen in on a conversation with Ken Jen...

The former presidential candidate believes he knows what is wrong with American politics and shares why his new party is a solution. When Andrew Yang ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, he did so with hopes of changing the conversation. He left the race despondent, he says. But now he is back with a new party and a renewed sense of purpose.  For this episode of the Crosscut Ta...

Former congressman Will Hurd says his party needs to stop election denial and start appealing to voters that have lost trust in the party. As the 2024 presidential election approaches, the Republican Party and its voters have a major decision to make about the future of the party. With former President Donald Trump running for another term, there is a likelihood that the party continues on the tra...

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, advocates are pushing back to assure that people still have access to reproductive care. Last June the Supreme Court transformed the landscape of reproductive rights overnight when it overturned Roe v. Wade, leaving the power to determine the legality of abortion to individual states. For many the decision also signaled a need for a new abortion...

Three advocates weigh in on the rising threat of the synthetic opioid — and what policymakers can do to fight it. Seattle is in the midst of a fentanyl crisis. Of the 310 overdose deaths recorded in the city in 2022, more than half were from the powerful synthetic opioid. And we are not alone. For this episode of the Crosscut Talks podcast we are talking about the crisis afflicting cities across t...

As the new technology proliferates, the founding CEO of the Allen Institute for A.I. discusses how — or even whether — it should be controlled. Artificial intelligence is everywhere. Companies are already exploring the many uses of AI and a number of tools are widely available for public use. We're seeing the benefits in the business world, from simple to revolutionary, but at the same time a host...

Danni Askini of the advocacy group The Gender Justice League breaks down the misconceptions and myths surrounding gender-affirming care. Legislation seeking to limit the rights of trans people has been on the rise in state houses throughout the U.S. But why?  For this episode of the Crosscut Talks podcast, we listen in on a conversation about the wave of proposals and laws that seek to curtail the...

Three education experts discuss how young people can find postgrad success (and it's not a 'one-size-fits-all' approach). With high school graduation approaching, many young people across Washington state will be taking a big step toward adulthood. Whether they have all the information and encouragement they need to make a decision that is right for them is less certain. For this episode of the Cr...

The Washington congressman said a Ukrainian offensive could beat Moscow’s forces back and have them at the bargaining table by the fall.   When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, the conventional wisdom in both Russia and throughout the West was that it would be a short war and that Ukraine would succumb to the overwhelming military force being directed by Moscow. More than one year later, the...

A year after his release from prison, the former president’s ex-fixer talks about the unprecedented case. Having completed a three-year sentence for his role in a hush-money scheme for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, Michael Cohen has a lot to say about his former boss.  One month after the Manhattan District Attorney indicted the former president for his role in that same scheme, Trump'...

The former Attorney General discusses how voting rights laws and Supreme Court term limits could preserve American democracy. Few people in the United States have more experience at the intersection of the rule of law and the world of politics than Eric Holder.  As the U.S. Attorney General during the presidency of Barack Obama, Holder was responsible for applying the rule of law to cases that wer...

Amicus host Dahlia Lithwick and Brennan Center president Michael Waldman discuss SCOTUS's history and coming decisions. Though its mythology says otherwise, the U.S. Supreme Court is not a static institution. As its justices have slowly turned over, the Court’s ideological makeup and the nature of its decisions have changed. So too has the public’s perception of the Court. For this episode of the...

The host of the New York Times podcast discusses the ways modern politics have transformed the media landscape. For many American news consumers, Michael Barbaro’s voice is a defining element of the modern era. As a host of the New York Times podcast The Daily, Barbaro speaks to an audience of more than 3 million listeners, delivering insights into the biggest national and international stories. T...

The author and doctor explains how treating the mind and the body as one can help stop humanity from sleepwalking to extinction. Deepak Chopra has a lot of thoughts on the state of our mental health, and they start with the idea that mental health is not a singular thing that resides in our heads. It is, rather, a problem of the mind and the body. Chopra is a prominent figure in the alternative-me...

Science can't fully explain what life is. Three experts try anyway in a conversation about life, death and our desire to push back the expiration date. Talking about life and death is tricky for anyone, even scientists. Despite considerable research over the course of generations, scientists still don’t fully understand what life is, what death is or even what separates the two.  But where science...

Happiness takes work. The host of The Happiness Lab podcast shares what social science says about making that work more manageable. Happiness can feel fleeting in even the best of times. In the midst of a pandemic shot through with personal and social upheaval, maintaining a sense of joy or contentment can be especially challenging.  As if that weren’t difficult enough, human intuition often fails...

A decade of advancement by private companies run by billionaires has transformed how humanity is approaching the final frontier.  Some of the biggest news in recent space exploration has revolved around billionaires. Last year, for instance, both Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson actually traveled into space. Those very high-profile – and very brief – journeys were a result of the relatively recent p...

The city’s arts industry is returning to some semblance of normalcy. During a live Civic Cocktail event, four leaders survey the damage done and chart a path forward. In the spring of 2020, many artists and arts organizations were already struggling to maintain a place for themselves in Seattle. The future of creative expression in the city was uncertain, but the challenges were well-defined. Then...

Author Pamela Paul recalls what the world was like before it was connected — and how privacy and personal memory have transformed since. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the internet was there to help much of humanity keep going while maintaining a social distance. The transition was not seamless, but the interconnected world that had been taking shape in the decades prior made it possible for many...