President Joe Biden promised to restore the soul of America. He took office during a time of crisis. Can his administration pull the country together? Since Franklin Delano Roosevelt, it’s become a tradition to take stock after a president’s first 100 days in office. While Washington DC has felt quieter, the president and his administration have been quick to work: from signing executive orders, to passing multi-trillion dollar legislation through Congress, and sailing past vaccination...

This week’s guest wears many hats. Dr Atul Gawande is a medical doctor, a surgeon and a best-selling author, and has also been an advisor to presidents, including on the Covid pandemic. Katty Kay of the BBC World Service and Carlos Watson of Ozy Media discuss a wide range of issues with Dr Gawande, including how we should face up to death and dying, and how we should speak to our loved ones about it. A BBC World Service and OZY Media co-production.

Katty Kay and Carlos Watson discuss police brutality and shooting cases in the US. What needs to change? Last year 1127 people were killed by the American police; most of them were shot. People of colour were disproportionately the victims. Katty and Carlos speak to the civil rights attorney John Burris, who has taken on hundreds of police brutality cases, including most famously the case of Rodney King after he was beaten by LAPD officers in 1991. The second guest is Mecole Jordan-McBride, a...

America’s Covid-19 vaccination programme is progressing at a staggering pace and states are beginning to reopen. But the country also tops world rankings when it comes to deaths from the virus. As worrying new variants emerge, could they now undermine America’s progress? Across the US, communities of colour have been impacted disproportionately by the pandemic. Despite that, vaccinations of Black and Hispanic Americans have lagged. One person who’s trying to change that is retired clinical...

With China on the rise, how will America react? Chinese influence across the world is growing, in economic and political terms. This raises serious questions for the new Biden administration. The US and China are economically interdependent, and need to have shared interests, particularly in trade and climate change. But the rhetoric in recent weeks has been anything but friendly. The two superpowers are going head-to-head in trade wars, retaliatory sanctions, and accusations of human...

It was in 2017, with numerous allegations against Harvey Weinstein, that #MeToo went viral around the world. One of the most outspoken people was the actress Rose McGowan, who accused Weinstein of raping her. A number of other women also accused the disgraced movie producer. He was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 23 years in prison in February 2020. Katty Kay and Carlos Watson speak to Rose McGowan about her personal story, and what drove her to speak out and “fight the system.” They...

How can we feel good again? It goes without saying that it’s been a tough year, but as things start to open up again, can Americans regain some sense of positivity, or has the traditional idea of American optimism been changed forever? Dr Cicely Horsham Brathwaite is a therapist and career coach. Many of her clients are African American, and she says the constant discussions around racism add an extra layer of stress and anxiety to an already impossible year. She says getting involved in...

Once again, the cryptocurrency Bitcoin is making headlines for rocketing in value. As more companies back it, could it be here to stay? And if so, how is it changing our world? Katty Kay and Carlos Watson look at Bitcoin’s latest price surge and discuss how it and other digital currencies are being adopted around the globe - from the U.S., to Venezuela, to China. Nathaniel Popper is a New York Times technology reporter and author of Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits...

In the last 15 years, America has lost around 25% of its local and regional newspapers. Many others have shrunk dramatically in size. This has led to an increasing number of so-called “news deserts” across the US. There is growing evidence that this has a detrimental impact on local democracy, as well as the local economy. Emily Brindley is a 25-year-old reporter on the country’s longest continuously published newspaper, the Hartford Courant, in Connecticut. The paper has recently lost...

At the height of the pandemic, Native Americans were dying of Covid at twice the rate of white Americans. Huge inequalities have been highlighted, not just in terms of health, but also housing, education and wealth. Twenty-three percent of Native Americans live below the poverty line, compared to 10 percent of white Americans, and Native Americans are 19 times more likely to live without running water in their home. But there’s some good news too. If confirmed, Deb Haaland will make history...

America has been involved in plenty of wars in recent decades and is proud of its military and veterans. But are veterans getting the support they need?

How are Generation Z shaping your world? They are the generation born from 1996 to the present day. As the oldest members are turning 24, they’re already shaking things up in the workplace and at the ballot box. Social justice is the most important issue for them and their demands that companies take a stand on political issues is causing a debate in the workplace. Deja Foxx was the youngest staffer working on Vice President Kamala Harris’ election campaign, working on social media...

America was built on immigration, but is it still a good place for immigrants? Katty Kay and Carlos Watson discuss immigration, acceptance and assimilation with a top chef and a hip hop music manager. Marcus Samuelsson was born in Ethiopia but brought up in Sweden by his Swedish adoptive parents, before moving to America in the 1990s. He now has a chain of restaurants across the US, including the famous Red Rooster in Harlem. Sophia Chang was born in Canada to Korean immigrant parents. She...

Even before Covid, four out of every 10 American adults admitted to feeling anxiety and depression, and up to 70% of young Americans said they were lonely. Now amid growing concerns of an emerging mental health crisis because of the coronavirus pandemic, Carlos Watson and Ritula Shah (standing in for Katty Kay) tackle the subject with the help of two leading health experts - Dr Altha Stewart, former head of the American Psychiatric Association and Dr Deepak Chopra, a prominent alternative...

It’s all change at the White House, with the new president promising a fresh start on a host of key issues: from vaccines and the economy, to race and climate change. But is President Biden offering too much, too soon, and can he live up to his pledge to unite a divided America? At the end of inauguration week, Katty Kay and Carlos Watson are joined by Valerie Jarrett, long-term adviser to Barack Obama, and by John McLaughlin, a former deputy director of the CIA. Together they discuss some of...

Katty Kay and Carlos Watson ask how Americans of differing views can restart their conversations. Partisan politics has broken up friendships, love affairs and even families. But is it up to the politicians to take the lead on restoring trust and respect, or should everyone play a part in reaching out across the aisle? Katty and Carlos are joined in the discussion by community organiser Maureen Hetherington, who led a unique project to heal the wounds left by decades of sectarian violence in...

Katty Kay and Carlos Watson look back on a tumultuous week in US politics, and ask: where now for American democracy and America’s democratic institutions? Republicans are divided over support for Donald Trump, so what does that mean for the GOP? What should President-elect Biden do to heal the divisions of the past four years in the political establishment and the country? Katty and Carlos are joined by veteran political strategists Ron Christie and Doug Sosnik, a Republican and Democrat...

Over the past year the Black Lives Matter movement went global, with protests against racial injustice taking place in over 60 countries. Katty and Carlos speak to co-founder of the movement, Opal Tometi, about the roots of the organisation, its goals, and what its priorities are for 2021. We hear some of the criticisms levelled at the movement, asking what has been achieved by the high-profile protests which have taken place across America, and reflect on its influence on civil rights...

In the week that the Electoral College confirmed Joe Biden as the next US President, Katty Kay and Carlos Watson take a look at the future of the Republican party. The Trump presidency might be over, but there is no sign that Republican leaders are ready to jettison Trumpism, especially after securing more than 72 million votes in November’s elections. Katty and Carlos are joined by Brian Lanza, who was part of President Trump’s 2016 transitional team, and by Michael Steele, the first...

Multiple conspiracy theories are circulating about Covid-19 - but how widely are they believed and what influence do they have? From QAnon to the death of Jeffrey Epstein, conspiratorial thinking seems to be everywhere right now - is this the era when fringe ideas have gone mainstream? Katty Kay and Carlos Watson speak to political scientist and conspiracy theory expert Prof Joseph Uscinski to explore why people believe in them, and what the potential consequences for wider society might...

One of the major stories of the past year was the death of George Floyd in May, following his arrest outside a store in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The whole world saw the video of police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck, pinning him to the ground for more than 8 minutes. Chauvin has now been charged with murder - one of only a few American police officers to be charged with murdering a civilian. George Floyd’s death was the result of a standard encounter between police officers...

Covid-19 has dramatically changed the way we live our lives, exposing fractures in our communities - but what's America's exit plan from the pandemic? Carlos Watson and Philippa Thomas (standing in for Katty Kay) speak to journalist and author Fareed Zakaria about the dramatic and sudden shift in society this year. What are the lessons we need to learn to cope better in the future? Carlos and Philippa also explore how President-elect Biden may tackle the pandemic, speaking to Dr Nicole...

Joe Biden says he will immediately re-join the Paris agreement on climate change, which Donald Trump withdrew from. Donald Trump has also repealed many of President Obama’s environmental laws. In the meantime, cities and States across the US have been taking their own action on the environment and climate change, irrespective of what’s been happening in Washington. President-elect Biden has said that climate change is the number one issue for humanity and for him. But will he be able to...

America’s turbulent 2020 election has highlighted how divided the United States is. President-elect Joe Biden has promised to bring the country together, and this may become one of the biggest challenges of his presidency. Katty Kay and Carlos Watson discuss what politicians, leaders and communities can do to bridge divides in this polarised nation. They’re joined by veteran civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton and former Governor of Ohio John Kasich. Editor: Penny Murphy Produced by...