The Heat

Between voter apathy, boycotts, and fears of Coronavirus - turnout for Iran's parliamentary elections was the lowest since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979. With us to talk about disillusionment among Iran's voters is Ghanbar Naderi. He's an Iranian journalist and political commentator in Tehran.

The coronavirus pandemic is battering India with nearly 20 million people infected and close to 220,000 dead. Anand Naidoo spoke with journalist Asad Ashraf who’s on the ground covering the pandemic in India.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the failed CIA-led Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba. It was a plot to oust Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Anand Naidoo spoke with acclaimed film-maker Oliver Stone about U.S. foreign policy over the past 60 years.

World leaders promised drastic action against climate change at a virtual summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden. In the U.S., California is leading that fight. Jared Blumenfeld, the state's Secretary for Environmental Protection, tells us more.

Will the latest tensions between Russia and Ukraine plunge the region into another crisis? Mike Walter spoke with Volodymyr Yelchenko, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. and American University professor Anton Fedyashin.

IMF’s managing director, Kristalina Georgieva spoke to Anand Naidoo about a range of issues including the IMF's projections for global economic recovery, its plans to help the world's poorest nations and China's role in mitigating debt.

U.S. and Chinese officials are meeting in Anchorage for the first time since Joe Biden became U.S. president. So how will they move forward on critical issues from trade to human rights? Former U.S. Ambassador to China, Gary Locke had some thoughts.

Brazil's future after COVID-19

One of the biggest challenges for U.S. President Joe Biden is how to repair ties with China. What are the key areas of cooperation and conflict? On the latest episode of The Heat podcast, we spoke with former U.S. ambassador to China, Gary Locke.

The recent arrest of 13 men, some accused of plotting to kidnap the governor of Michigan has drawn attention to the threat posed by right-wing militias in the United States.

Global poverty levels are rising for the first time in 20 years as a result of COVID-19.  Over 4 billion people around the world still do not have access to social protections such as basic healthcare. As the UN celebrates its 75th anniversary, what role has it played in helping poorer countries cope with the pandemic and what should be the key take-aways when all this has passed.

On this week's episode of the Heat Podcast, we spoke with Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Program, about the key challenges facing the world today, from COVID-19 to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change.

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Abdallah Al Mouallimi discusses the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, Saudi’s role in Yemen, its ties with Iran, the Israel-United Arab Emirates agreement and much more.

COVID-19 is disproportionately hurting the poorest people in India and sub-Saharan Africa. Millions are on the brink of extreme poverty. How can their governments handle this crisis?

Two time NBA champion David West talks about protests for racial justice, anti-China sentiments in the U.S., the western media's skewed coverage of Hong Kong and much more.

Coronavirus cases are surging in Latin America which has now passed Europe as the region with the most fatalities. How will governments help those affected and ensure their overburdened healthcare systems don't collapse?

The coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating global poverty, especially in middle and lower income nations. More than 100 million people are likely to join those living in extreme penury - that's surviving on $1.90 or less per day.

The COVID-19 pandemic is raging across the United States with more than 151,000 dead and around 4.5 million infected. But there may be some hope on the horizon with scientists reporting encouraging results in their search for a vaccine.

China has launched an ambitious mission to Mars. It'll attempt to deploy an orbiter, lander and rover after the Tianwen-1 spacecraft enters Mars’ orbit in February. If it succeeds, China will become the first nation to achieve such a complex feat.

How will Palestinians respond to Israel's threats to annex parts of the West Bank? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to absorb almost a third of occupied Palestinian territories.

As COVID-19 surges among young people in the U.S., experts are warning them to take better precautions.

With three million coronavirus cases and a stuttering economy, how will the U.S. handle the crisis?

The state of Saudi-Iranian relations and the how Saudi’s growing relationship with China might impact the country’s economic and political future.

New bills are being introduced to tackle the issue of police brutality but many are questioning whether new legislation can really get to the core of the issue?

The United States history of anti-communism - and intervention in foreign nations - has had a deadly impact from Asia to Latin America and beyond. For fresh insights, we're joined by Vincent Bevins - an American journalist and author of The Jakarta Method: Washington’s Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program that Shaped Our World.

U.S. President Trump is pressuring North Carolina's governor to let Republicans host up to 50,000 people at their August convention. But do any mass gatherings risk reigniting the deadly pandemic? And what about sports? We were joined by Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF.

As COVID-19 destabilizes the U.S., Donald Trump and allies continue to attack China. Where will these attacks lead? And what can parties do - in both countries - to avoid a permanent rift? We were joined by Max Baucus, a former U.S. ambassador to China under the Obama administration, and Senator from Montana.

As workers and their families struggle with loss of income and uncertainty - U.S. policy makers scramble to find a way out of a downward economic spiral. But will efforts to re-open the economy cost further loss to livelihood - and lives? We were joined by John Quelch - Dean of the Miami Herbert Business School at the University of Miami.

As the Trump administration faces criticism for lack of preparation and handling of the COVID-19 crisis - how far will it go in its attempts to blame China? What effect will these attacks have on global efforts to fight the pandemic? We're joined by Martin Jacques, global affairs commentator, academic, and author of the book When China Rules the World.

As the coronavirus outbreak continues in New York City, how are front line medical workers handling the emotional toll? And how can they ensure safety - and dignity - for themselves and the patients they serve. We were joined by Dr Qanta Ahmed, a pulmonologist at New York University’s Langone Medical Center.

Scientists have rejected the theory that the COVID-19 pandemic started in a Wuhan lab. Then why is this conspiracy theory still being spread by right-wing media and politicians? We speak to The Gray Zone founder Max Blumenthal on the motivations - and dangers - of spreading misinformation about coronavirus.

Migrant farmworkers are deemed 'essential' in the U.S. to keep the economy going - and food on the table. But conditions at farms create great risk for catching and spreading coronavirus. Meanwhile, the Trump administration wants to cut their pay. Leydy Rangel of United Farm Workers Foundation joins us to discuss the lack of safety - and justice - for America’s migrant farmers.

As COVID-19 lockdowns continue, there are some for whom “sheltering in place” presents an immediate danger all its own... Those are the victims of domestic violence. We speak to Gemma Sunyer. She's a coordinator at Ana Bella Foundation, an international support network run by survivors of domestic abuse based in Spain.

As COVID-19 spreads in the U.S., the death rate among African Americans is twice that of white citizens. What are the factors for this disparity? Are they biologic? Cultural? Economic? We speak to Joseph P. Williams, Senior Editor at U.S. News World Report, about the disturbing connection between race and health in America.

Andrew Smith is a journalism professor who contracted COVID-19 during a class trip to the UK. After returning home to Kansas, he soon found himself in the ICU fighting for his life. Andrew joins us to share his ordeal with the virus and his road to recovery.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues in the U.S., shortages of basic safety supplies, such as masks and gowns, endangers the lives of nurses and other health professionals - as they attempt to heal the sick. We speak to Zenei Cortez, a registered nurse and co-president of National Nurses United, about the life threatening burden placed on U.S. health workers.

As the COVID-19 pandemic escalates in the U.S., doctors are forced to make hard choices on who will receive life saving treatment - and who cannot be saved. To speak on the heavy burdens set upon U.S. health workers, we are joined by Dr. Calvin Sun, an Attending Physician at multiple emergency rooms in New York City.

Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, many U.S. states are under a strict “shelter in place” order. But what does “shelter in place” mean to those without a home? Sharing a perspective directly from the homeless community is Theo Henderson - an activist and host of the podcast, “We the Unhoused.” Theo, himself, is also Unhoused.

Mike is an elderly man living in a poor area of Washington, DC. Drug crime and gun violence are a regular problem for his neighborhood. At 63, he survives on government welfare, odd jobs, and panhandling. As the coronavirus outbreak intensifies, Mike shares his fears about his health, his future, and the community.

India, the world's second most populous nation, began a 21-day lockdown to try and stop the spread of COVID-19. But are the measures taken by India’s government too little - too late? To discuss the latest on India’s battle with COVID-19 - we were joined by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.

Over the weekend, Italy's death toll from COVID-19 passed 5,000. That’s the highest of any country - including China - since the global pandemic began. We spoke to Seema Gupta, an independent journalist based in Rome, about the life or death struggles faced by the government, healthcare workers, and the public during this escalating crisis.

Under the shadow of a growing pandemic, three U.S. states held presidential primaries on Tuesday. But are in-person primaries are safe during the outbreak? And how have the politics of the election been transformed? Joining us to discuss the effect COVID-19 is having on U.S. elections is Steve Chaggaris, an independent journalist and political analyst based in Washington, DC.

COVID-19 has affected our work, travel, social life, financial security, and ability to plan for the future. But how can we break past conflicting messages from science, media and political leaders? Joining us to talk about information, misinformation - and how to avoid panic - is risk and behavioral scientist Dr. Sweta Chakrabourty.

With COVID-19 now a global pandemic, people around the world have been told to self-quarantine to reduce the spread of the virus. But how do you decide if it’s necessary for you, or your family? To help us look at questions around when - and how - to self quarantine, we’re joined by Dr. Sweta Chakraborty, a risk and behavioral scientist based in Washington, D.C..

COVID-19 is now a global pandemic. Is it time to cancel your vacation and stay at home? To help navigate the risks of traveling and large crowds, is epidemiologist and public health expert Dr. Eric Feigel-Ding.

Are you having symptoms, but not sure what to do next? To help us understand when and how to be tested for COVID-19., we’re joined by epidemiologist and public health expert Dr. Eric Feigel-Ding.

After months of protests over a controversial citizenship law, India is now dealing with some of its worst religious violence in decades. Are the recent policies and rhetoric of President Narendra Modi's government - which many call “nationalistic” - fueling these attacks? With us to discuss the most recent violence in India is author and economic expert Salman Aneez Soz.

On Saturday, the U.S. and Afghanistan’s Taliban signed a peace deal. Less than 72 hours later, a bombing attack at a football game in Khost province has raised doubts it can last. Is there any hope? To discuss the reality of making peace with the Taliban, we were joined by Tabish Forugh, a former official with the Afghan government, and a political analyst.

The Philippines has officially ended the VFA, which allows U.S. troops in the country for joint exercises and training. How will this affect regional balance of power moving forward? With us to discuss the Philippines decision is Brian Becker, Executive Director for the ANSWER coalition based in Washington, D.C..

With the world’s economy more interdependent than ever - how are governments and business leaders handling the crisis? And will we be prepared if the virus - and its economic effects - continue to spread? We speak to Arthur Dong, professor at Georgetown University’s School of Business in Washington, D.C. and advisor to U.S. firms operating in China.