Council of Councils
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Introduction
Over the last several decades, governments have collectively pledged to slow global warming. But despite intensified diplomacy, the world is already facing the consequences of climate…
Show Notes
The Group of Twenty (G20) holds a pivotal summit in Rome, Japanese citizens head to the polls for parliamentary elections, and the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties (COP26) begins in Glasgow.
Articles Mentioned in the Podcast
Alice Hill, “A World Overheating,” CFR.org, October 18, 2021
Steven Mufson et al. “Russia allows methane leaks at planet’s peril,” Washington Post, October 19, 2021
Sheila Smith, “Japan’s Hard Choices,” Foreign Affairs, October 28, 2021
Podcasts Mentioned
Sheila Smith and Robert McMahon, “Quad Leaders Gather, Germany Holds Elections, and More,” The World Next Week, September 23, 2021
Reports Mentioned
Emissions Gap Report 2021, UN Environment Programme, October 28, 2021
Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, August 9, 2021
Israel’s Rafah Plans, Greece and Turkey Boost Diplomacy, Cannes Festival Unveils New Films, and More
Israel’s newest military operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah stirs concerns of catastrophe for Palestinians in Gaza, and prompts the United States to condition its offensive military aid for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war broke out; Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet in Ankara, Turkey, to continue their diplomatic efforts; the seventy-seventh Cannes Film Festival showcases new films ranging from niche to blockbuster; and Russian President Vladimir Putin orders tactical nuclear weapon drills as a signal to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Censorship and Freedom of Expression
In this special episode to mark World Press Freedom Day, Jeffrey Gedmin, cofounder and editor-in-chief of American Purpose and former president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, joins Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins to discuss the global state of press freedom. They cover the challenges that a growing number of journalists face in exile or imprisonment, the U.S. role in upholding freedom of the press, and more.
Blinken Visits China, May Day Stirs Workers’ Rights Concerns, the U.S. Resumes Ukraine Aid, and More
Secretary of State Antony Blinken wraps his second visit to China as tensions mount over Beijing’s military support of Russia’s war in Ukraine and ongoing threats in the South China Sea; International Workers’ Day on May 1 comes at a time of revived labor activism over wages and inequality; and U.S. President Joe Biden approves a $61 billion foreign aid package providing critical military assistance to Ukraine, potentially improving the situation on the ground in the war with Russia.