Each episode breaks down an issue that is shaping our world’s future. Join host Gabrielle Sierra as she speaks with the leaders and thinkers who are facing these questions head on. Fueled by the minds at the Council on Foreign Relations, Why It Matters brings some of the world’s most compelling stories home to you.
Gabrielle Sierra is an arts and culture journalist with more than a decade of experience reporting in New York City. Her work has appeared in publications including Billboard, Curbed, Gothamist, Metro, and Paste. She first joined the Council as events editor for CFR.org, and has since become podcast producer and host of Why It Matters. Prior to her work at CFR, she held a curator and editor position at Facebook.
Most Recent
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Whether you think we are making history or repeating it, it’s safe to say we are living in a historic time. In this episode, Why It Matters asks three historians to weigh in on how to use the past to examine the present and make better choices for the future.
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The killing of George Floyd, the anti-racism protest movement that followed, and the Donald J. Trump administration’s response have shaken the United States and captivated the world. Why It Matters speaks with two foreign correspondents to understand how the protests are being understood abroad.
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In this special episode of The World Next Week, James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon are joined by Gabrielle Sierra, CFR podcast producer and host of Why It Matters, to discuss their favorite quarantine reads, beloved documentaries and television series, podcasts, and more entertainment they’re looking forward to enjoying this summer. Read more about Jim, Bob, and Gabrielle’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.
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It is estimated that twenty to forty million people around the world are victims of human trafficking. Of these, the majority are trafficked for labor, and many of them are exploited in the United States.
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China is undertaking massive infrastructure projects across the world and loaning billions of dollars to developing nations. On paper, the objective is to build a vast trade network, but is China also exporting authoritarianism?
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Roughly four hundred million people in India use the encrypted messaging platform WhatsApp. Now, the country’s ruling party is trying to force WhatsApp to let the government trace and censor messages. The outcome could change digital freedoms in the world’s largest democracy, and could have strong implications for the future of privacy everywhere.
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What’s the true cost of cheap clothes? Fast fashion has become a multibillion-dollar industry in recent decades, reshaping the world’s shopping habits. But the industry’s low prices disguise a staggering environmental cost.
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The coronavirus pandemic changed our lives in a heartbeat. It has made us fear for our health, our loved ones, and our livelihoods. As the death toll rises, the return to normalcy seems to recede further and further away. Businesses have been asked to close for the foreseeable future, and millions are out of work. In this episode, we ask two experts to explain how fighting the virus can intersect with trying to save the U.S. economy.
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Is China exporting its authoritarian model to other countries? Is the “fast fashion” industry accelerating climate change? In season two, Why It Matters explores a new series of issues that are flying under the radar now, but won’t be for long.
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The coronavirus has us asking a lot of questions. Who gets to make the decisions that matter about public health? How can we protect ourselves in an interconnected world? Why are there market crashes, and what’s happening with global supply chains? Presented in two parts, this episode takes a look at the organizations that tackle public health emergencies, and the effects the coronavirus is having on our globalized economy.
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NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
You’re making the rounds at a party when someone asks you about NATO. Is it still important? The alliance is credited with preventing a third world war, but a lot of us don’t know what it is or how it works. This episode takes a look at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization from the ground up, paired best with a cold drink. -
As climate change accelerates, some scientists are researching ways to alter our climate to slow down warming. But the method, called solar geoengineering, comes with some serious risks.
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The aftershocks of Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. election are still being felt today. Is the United States ready for 2020?
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Militaries around the world are designing artificial intelligence–powered weapons that could one day make their own decisions about who to target. The technology could change the scope of warfare, but at what cost?
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At the start of the new year, the Why It Matters team takes a look at some of the best interview segments that didn’t make it into the episodes.
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Public Health Threats and Pandemics
Antibiotics have saved untold millions of lives, but bacteria are learning to outsmart them at alarming rates. Projections show that by 2050, ten million people could die each year from antibiotic-resistant bacteria. -
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Women and girls are excluded from career paths in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This gender gap is causing the world to lose out on “the genius of half the population,” according to former U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith.
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The first episode of CFR's new podcast, Why it Matters, takes a look at nuclear launch authority in the United States.
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For years, China processed more than half of the world’s plastic recycling. Then, in 2018, it stopped. Things have gotten messy since then.
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A U.S. president can launch a first-strike nuclear attack at any time and, according to the law, does not need to seek advice first. Some experts think that’s too much power to put in one person’s hands.
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Each episode breaks down an issue that is shaping our world’s future. Join host Gabrielle Sierra as she speaks with the leaders and thinkers who are facing these questions head on. Fueled by the minds at the Council on Foreign Relations, Why It Matters brings some of the world’s most compelling stories home to you.
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In 2018, CFR once again hosted high-level discussions of global affairs, from U.S. election security to the Iran-Saudi Arabia rivalry to the artificial intelligence race.