November 20 is International Children's Day. In Gaza, as many as one in 200 children have been reportedly killed, and the United Nations has said that "Gaza has become a graveyard of children." We FEATURE Dr. Bree Akesson, an expert on international child protection issues, ranging from micro-level understandings of the experiences of war-affected children and families to macro-level initiatives to strengthen the global social systems. Her research with Palestinian children and families living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem received several awards including the 2015 Distinguished Dissertation Award from Proquest and the Canadian Association of Graduate Studies and the Prix d’Excellence (Award of Excellence) from L’Association des Doyens des Études Supérieures au Québec (Association of Deans of Graduate Studies in Quebec). She is the Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Global Adversity and Wellbeing and an Associate Professor of Social Work at the Faculty of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada. She is also a faculty affiliate with the CPC Learning Network, the Centre for Research on Children and Families at McGill University. Her program of research focuses broadly on international child protection issues, ranging from micro-level understandings of the experiences of war-affected children and families to macro-level initiatives to strengthen the global social systems. Extensive media experience.

Microsoft has hired Sam Altman, OpenAI co-founder, to lead its artificial intelligence operations after OpenAI's board replaced him with Emmett Shear, Twitch's ex-CEO. To discuss, we FEATURE Amy Webb. Webb is a quantitative futurist. She is a professor of strategic foresight at the NYU Stern School of Business and the Founder of the Future Today Institute, a leading future forecasting firm now in its second decade. Amy Webb was named by Forbes as one of the five women changing the world, listed as the BBC’s 100 Women of 2020, and in 2021 was ranked on the Thinkers50 list of the 50 most influential management thinkers globally. Her book, The Signals Are Talking: Why Today’s Fringe Is Tomorrow’s Mainstream (PublicAffairs/ Hachette, December 2016), details what technological changes are ahead, what impact they'll have on business and society, and how you can forecast the future yourself. Her latest book, The Genesis Machine, explores the futures of synthetic biology. Media experience includes: Good Morning America, CNN, NPR, The View, 20/20.

Javier Milei has been elected president in Argentina in what is being framed as a victory for the far-right. To discuss, we FEATURE Laura, Carlsen, Senior Analyst with MIRA: Feminisms and Democracies' Americas Program in Mexico City, at americas.org. She is a frequent radio, print and television commentator for global, U.S., and Latin American media, in English and Spanish. Carlsen coordinates the area of knowledge and global solidarity for the international women's organization, Just Associates (JASS). Carlsen has appeared on NBC, CBC, BBC, DW, CGTN, Telemundo, Univisión, "Democracy Now," "Canal Once" (Mexico) and others, and is a frequent radio guest in the U.S. and Mexico. She has been quoted and published in a variety of print and electronic news sources including The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, InterPress Service, Guardian, Christian Science Monitor, etc. She is frequently a speaker at national and international conferences and Congressional briefings. She has won two Project Censored awards for reporting on important but ignored issues in the region.

Over 60 senior service women in the UK have complied a report of sexual assault and harassment in both the civilian and military branches of the Ministry of Defence. To discuss we FEATURE Antonieta Rico, a Women, Peace, and Security Advisor at Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI). Previously, she was the Director of Communications and Policy at the Service Women's Action Network (SWAN), where she led their public affairs efforts. She served in the U.S. Army from October 2001 to September 2008, working as a military journalist and public affairs NCO. She has served in Iraq and embedded with various Army and infantry units during day-to-day missions and combat operations. In addition to her work at SWAN, she was a Program Associate at Women in International Security where she works for the Combat Integration Initiative supporting the successful integration of women into combat arms units. In this capacity, she has co-taught Latin American and Caribbean military leaders a workshop on how to develop Women, Peace and Security National Action Plans for their militaries. Media includes: Time, USA Today, National Geographic.

The 8th Circuit federal court has issued a ruling that could gut the Voting Rights Act. The 8th Circuit covers Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, and Arkansas. The court ruled that only the federal government can sue under a key section of the law. To discuss, we feature Dr. Khalilah L. Brown-Dean, Ph.D. a Professor of Political Science and Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs at Quinnipiac University. With a keen eye toward the practical implications of democratic conflict, Dr. Brown-Dean's research interests center on voting rights, criminal justice, election administration, and public policy. She is the author of Identity Politics in the United States (Polity Press). She has published numerous academic and popular pieces including a co-authored report on the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that was presented during the 50th anniversary celebration of the historic Bloody Sunday March in Selma, Alabama. Dr. Brown-Dean’s analysis has appeared in over 400 media outlets including The New York Times, Fox News Radio, NPR, Democracy Now, Al-Jazeera, and The Hill.

November 30 is Equal Pay Day for Native American women. To discuss, we FEATURE Lael Echo-Hawk. Echo-Hawk (Pawnee) represents tribes and tribal organizations across the United States. She leads the tribal advocacy group MThirtySix and is General Counsel for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). After serving as in-house counsel for a tribe and its economic enterprises, Lael moved to Washington, D.C. to take a position as Legislative Director for the Native American Contractors Association and Counselor to the Chairwoman of the National Indian Gaming Commission. Lael provided advice on tribal internal governance issues and economic development activities and strategic policy analysis on national tribal legislative and regulatory proposals. Lael is a past-president of both the National Native American Bar Association and the Northwest Indian Bar Association. She is 2013 recipient of National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development “40 Under 40” and is currently based in Washington, D.C.

This is Thanksgiving week. We feature Lauren Shockey. Shockey is a cookbook author and trained cook. She is the author of the cookbook Hangover Helper: Delicious Cures from Around the World (Hardie Grant, 2019) and the culinary memoir with recipes, Four Kitchens: My Life Behind the Burner in New York, Hanoi, Tel Aviv, and Paris. (Grand Central, 2011). She can speak on all topics surrounding gastronomy, food culture, international culinary trends, hangovers, hangover foods, restaurant culture and international travel. Previously the restaurant critic at The Village Voice, Lauren has freelanced for numerous publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure, Slate, Bon Appetit, Saveur and Food52.