Turbulent U.S. Independence Day, Dramatic Arctic Heatwave, and More

Americans celebrate Independence Day amid a worrisome surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, a dramatic heatwave continues in the Arctic, and Hong Kong reacts to China’s sweeping national security legislation.

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Hosts
  • James M. Lindsay
    Senior Vice President, Director of Studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair
  • Alice C. Hill
    David M. Rubenstein Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment

Show Notes

Americans celebrate Independence Day amid a worrisome surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, a dramatic heatwave continues in the Arctic, and Hong Kong reacts to China’s sweeping national security legislation.

Democracy

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China to discuss Brazil-China economic ties; millions of people around the world switch off their lights for 60 minutes to celebrate Earth Hour; and the United States, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Zambia co-host the second Summit for Democracy.

Iraq War

The UN Security Council decides whether to renew the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan; on its twentieth anniversary, Americans and Iraqis take stock of the U.S. invasion of Iraq; and the future of the Ukraine-Russia Black Sea Grain Initiative, a vital food export agreement, is decided.

United Kingdom

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss migration, trade, security, and other issues; the world enters the fourth year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic; and Academy Award-nominated films spotlight international issues.

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Israel

The Israeli debate on judicial reform involves issues unique to that country's political system, but also raises questions that every democracy must address. What are the proper powers of courts and of elected institutions in democratic systems of government?

Russia

The meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Moscow helped both give the impression of a united front, but underlying tensions were also discernible.

Immigration and Migration

Edward Alden, the Bernard L. Schwartz senior fellow at CFR and Ross Dist Visiting Professor at Western Washington University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the crisis at the U.S. southern border and the domestic debates over U.S. immigration policy.