The Conversation

NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was formed in 1949 to “guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.” Seventy-three years later, many are wondering whether it’s time to look at the organization’s effectiveness. Does NATO still have a purpose in today's world? If so, in what situations?

We've funneled ourselves into "Red" or "Blue". When in reality there’s an enormous range of colors on the political spectrum. You can even find different “shades” within a single party.The Pew Research Center recently released a report that identified nine distinct political sub-groups. From "Establishment Liberals", to "Stressed Sideliners", to the "Ambivalent Right", and more. What group do you think you belong to? What group do you actually belong to? And how might this change the way you talk or think about American politics? Political Typology Quizhttps://www.pewresearch.org/politics/quiz/political-typology/Pew Research Report: Political Typologyhttps://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/11/09/beyond-red-vs-blue-the-political-typology-2/Pew Typology Summaryhttps://crossingpartylines.com/PewTypologySummary.pdf

America has been fighting in Afghanistan for 20 years. That makes it the longest war in American history.  But now, the few thousand troops remaining are leaving. Is it time to leave? What has the war cost everyone? What, if anything, has been achieved? And what is America leaving behind?

The debate around raising the federal minimum wage has flared up again. What are the arguments for and against increasing it? Should we have a minimum wage at all? Or should we trade it in for a living wage?

As the dust settles on the 2020 US Presidential Election, we ask three Americans how they feel about how it went, what they wish the other party knew about them, what they expect from a Biden Administration and where they think former President Donald Trump and his supporters go from here.

On Wednesday, January 6th, a crowd stormed the Capitol building. Some walked around. Some took photos. Some vandalized property. Some engaged in violence. Why? And how do Americans feel about what happened?

In this new 'Talking to...' series we’ll get to learn about individual Americans, how they came to think the way they do, what they think are the most important problems facing the country and why.In this episode we’re talking to Erik, an Independent, from New York.

Americans are coming out in historic numbers during a dangerous pandemic in what is shaping out to be the highest Presidential voter turnout in US history. What are the values that American's believe they are fighting for? What are they afraid they will lose if this doesn't turn out in their favor?  Listen in to hear a Libertarian, a Conservative and a Liberal discuss their beliefs on the election that is expected to significantly redefine what it means to be American.

In less than a week a man was shot in the back seven times and two others were killed during a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Why did a police response to a local residence turn violent? Why did local protests that followed turn deadly? Could they have been avoided? Listen in to hear how a Wisconsin native and a police officer feel about the recent events.

In Portland, Oregon, protests against police brutality and systemic racism have been going on for more than 70 days. What started off as peaceful, evolved to attract riots and violence. Federal resources were sent in to address the situation and were met with resistance from the local government. Tune in to hear unique perspectives of three Portland locals with varying political views.

The nationwide protests and demonstrations stemming from the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25th, have prompted officials at all levels of government to consider drawing the curtain on some confederate symbols. What do these symbols mean to Americans? Is removing the symbols the right decision? What is their impact on future generations?

America has not seen protests like this since the civil rights movement. What is happening? How is it impacting the country? We welcome back the same four Americans with different politics, from our previous George Floyd conversation, including a former police officer and an African American woman, who reflect on the George Floyd protests and what might come next.

Is “The Talk” something that African Americans need to still have with their children? Does it help? Four Americans with different politics, including a former police officer and an African American woman, reflect on the death of George Floyd and American police civilian interactions. Listen in and decide for yourself. What is “The Talk”? The conversation African American parents have with their children about how to minimize the often-unjust treatment they may face from law enforcement.

The U.S. is one of the only developed countries that relies heavily on employer-provided health insurance. But in the wake of the Coronavirus we are asking ourselves whether employer-provided healthcare works for us. And what changes might we make? But let’s start with how we got here in the first place...

When is the right time to reopen the economy? Perhaps a better question is, how will we know when to reopen the country? The White House recently released a three-phase proposal of guidelines on how and when to reopen America and the economy. Here's what thoughtful Americans with dissimilar ideologies think.

Two hopeful people, on opposite ends of the country, independently took a risk in believing that division is a choice, and not a way of life. This episode tells the story about how in the face of Americans irreparable loss of faith in each other, one conversation could create a spark that changes everything.