COVID Boosters & Lockdowns; Whaling & Native Rights; Urbanization & Growth in Africa

Countries struggle with covid lockdowns and protests as booster programs roll out. Is there a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel?

Dr. Gene Olinger, Professor at Boston University, and principal science advisor for MRI Global Inc., joins us to talk about the ongoing debate over boosters and lockdowns. We discuss the efficacy of booster shots, whether we will have to take multiple shots over years as populations reach immunity, and how vaccine hesitancy could hinder these efforts. We also talk about a wave of lockdowns in Europe as COVID cases surge, the economic consequences of lockdowns, and whether they become redundant in highly vaccinated populations.

Jenna Kunze, journalist at Native News Online talks to us about the Makah community of coastal Washington and their efforts to exercise their right to whale hunting. We talk about how this struggle for autonomy and tradition becomes entangled in a debate over conservation and commercial fisheries, and how long-standing treaties allowing these practices sometimes get caught up in bureaucratic fights with federal and state regulatory bodies.

Dr. Garth Myers, Professor of Urban International Studies and Director of the Center for Urban and Global Studies at Trinity College, joins us to discuss the implications from a report concluding that by the end of this century, thirteen of the world’s 20 biggest urban areas will be in Africa. We talk about how these reports sometimes should be treated with caution, and how countries could manage this growth, create new global partnerships, and provide the necessary infrastructure for their populations.

Ray Baker, political analyst and host of the podcast Public Agenda talks to us about media and media manipulation, how major outlets continue to maintain their imperial and neocolonialist outlook towards the world that do not reflect reality, and how media literacy is crucial. We also talk about how the New York State Assembly found “overwhelming evidence” that former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo engaged in sexual harassment while in office and mishandled the pandemic.

Darren Thompson, reporter for Native News Online and Unicorn Riot tells us about the Pocahontas Reframed Storytellers Film Festival with both a live and virtual film festival highlighting Indigenous voices, stories, filmmakers, producers, and writers, and the importance of highlighting native voices in the arts.

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