Tropical Storm Rafael, which began forming in the Caribbean on Sunday, has gained speed and is expected to become a hurricane this week. Rafael is the 17th named storm of the hurricane season. To discuss, we FEATURE Jessica Blunden. Blunden is a climate scientist working in the Center for Weather and Climate at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information in Asheville, North Carolina. She holds masters and doctorate degrees in Atmospheric Science from North Carolina State University and has co-authored more than a dozen peer-reviewed publications. Jessica serves as a lead editor for the State of the Climate report, an annual peer-reviewed report published by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society that examines climate and climate change across the globe, with more than 400 authors from about 50 countries across the globe, and has served as the lead scientific consultant for the Statement on the Status of the Global Climate in 2013 report published by the United Nation’s World Meteorological Organization. Media includes: The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, Associated Press.

Yesterday, North Korea launched ballistic missiles into the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. To discuss, we FEATURE Soo Kim. Kim is a former CIA North Korea analyst and currently a policy analyst at the RAND Corporation. Her East Asia subspecialties include leadership and decision-making, authoritarian regimes, regional security, nonproliferation, and North and South Korea. Kim also has experience in the intelligence community and US homeland security issues, including immigration, border security, and illicit networks. Media includes: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC, CNN, BBC.

A woman has been detained in Iran after stripping down to her underwear at her university in order to protest strict Islamic dress codes. To discuss, we FEATURE Nina Ansary. Ansary is an award-winning Iranian American author, historian and women’s rights activist. She is the author of Anonymous Is a Woman: A Global Chronicle of Gender Inequality and Jewels of Allah: The Untold Story of Women in Iran. She is the director of the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA) Global Women’s Lecture Series and the director of the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum Women’s Leadership Initiative at the University of Cambridge. Media includes: Time, Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times, CNN.

Last week, Valencia, a region in eastern Spain, saw historic amounts of rain that caused some parts of the region to be submerged in floodwater. More than 200 people have been reported dead, and the Spanish government has been met with protests over their handling of the disaster. To discuss, we FEATURE Tonya Cross Hansel. Hansel is a social worker with expertise in research, statistics, disaster mental health, trauma, and maximizing outcomes for social service agencies. Her research efforts center on evaluating general trauma services, disaster response work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and a better understanding of technological disasters following the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill. Together, these experiences have allowed her to focus on measuring traumatic experiences and implementing systematic recovery initiatives that are effective at reducing negative symptoms but also at emphasizing the importance of individual and community strengths that contribute to recovery. Extensive media experience.

Tuesday, Israeli forces issued evacuation orders in the Gaza Strip before launching military strikes on the region. So far, 35 Palestinians have been reported killed. To discuss, we FEATURE Pia Wanek. Wanek is a leader in international development and humanitarian assistance, specializing in building and leading effective teams to deliver quantifiable results in the most challenging situations. She has 20 years of experience in policy and strategy development, project management, and program design in the international non-profit sector. Wanek is currently a senior humanitarian adviser at World Vision. Previously, she was at Global Communities’ directing humanitarian responses and development activities in 24 countries. Under her leadership, the humanitarian portfolio grew to become a $60+ million operation, supporting communities affected by natural and man-made crises in Syria, Ukraine, Liberia, Gaza, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kosovo, Honduras, Sri Lanka and Yemen. Media includes: Vice, DevEx, The Cipher Brief.

Monday is Veteran's Day. To commemorate, we FEATURE Asha Castleberry. Castleberry is a distinguished national security and foreign policy expert, a public speaker, television media commentator, a United States Army Veteran, and a former U.S. Congressional Candidate. Castleberry served the Biden-Harris Administration as a Senior Official at the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the Department of State from 2021 - 2023. In December 2012, she deployed to the Middle East Region to work with U.S. Army Central and completed this tour in 30-months. Also, from December 2012 to June 2014, Castleberry served as the Kuwait Desk Officer for International Military Affairs, U.S. Army Central. Media includes: The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Forbes, Elle Magazine, The Hill, The Independent, CNN, Fox.