What Could Go Right?
It's easy to be pessimistic, especially with headlines dominated by global challenges like a changing geopolitical landscape, the rise in authoritarianism, and a seemingly unstable global economy. But what if, despite all that, humanity is actually making progress? Join Progress Network Founder Zachary Karabell every Wednesday as he chats with leading experts like Ian Bremmer and Anne Marie Slaughter to challenge the negativity and find out whether we should be so pessimistic about everything from sustainability and polarization to the future of work. Plus, start your week right with Progress Network Executive Director Emma Varvaloucas, who delivers a weekly dose of essential good news every Monday. If environmental success stories and medical breakthroughs are your thing, you won’t want to miss it. Tune in to discover the evidence for progress and find your reason for cautious optimism.
Episodes
How a Radical Hippie Experiment Changed American Policing
What do anarchist hippies and police officers have in common? We dive into a fringe hippie experiment that turned into a template for police departments across the country. Additionally, we’re talking about a historic trip to the International Space Station and the forgotten reason we have modern ambulances in this country. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit:
Are We Becoming Too Afraid to Take Risks? | With Allison Schrager
As modern society grows wealthier and more technologically advanced, our increasing obsession with safety is quietly stalling human progress. Economist and author Allison Schrager joins host Zachary Karabell to break down the hidden costs of our increasingly risk averse culture and explain why embracing uncertainty is essential for both personal fulfillment and economic innovation.
This conversa
Why Scientists Are Suddenly So Optimistic About Alzheimer’s
Why are researchers and doctors who treat dementia so happy right now? Experts think we're in a new optimistic age for Alzheimer's research with new treatments and new diagnostic tools that are changing the landscape. That’s our main story on the What Could Go Right Progress Report. We're also talking about a new kind of battery that you can eat, and last but not least, in This Week in History,
The Race for the Arctic Has Already Begun. Is America Ready? | With Rana Foroohar
There was a time in American history when everything was about ships. For centuries, power on the seas was necessary for economic success, but U.S. maritime power isn’t what it used to be. That change has never been more important than in the growing territorial tension in the Arctic Circle. Author, columnist, and economic analyst Rana Foroohar joins host Zachary Karabell to talk about her new boo
AI Experts Are Warning About Human Extinction. Here’s What They’re Missing
After a former Anthropic researcher quit and gave a doomsday warning about artificial intelligence, a debate on a human extinction event is raging in the media. Could AI get too smart too fast? Are we really in danger of AI going rogue and killing off humanity, or is it all an overblown distraction?
That’s our main story, and we’re also talking about a brand new way to stop sand erosion that's b
The Science of Sports Betting: How Gambling Apps Are Changing Our Brains | with Dr. Brendan Dwyer and Isaac Rose-Berman
Legal betting has exploded in the US. With the phone in your pocket, you can bet on the specific outcome of a game or who will attend the next State of the Union address. But legal betting has plenty of controversy, including how it affects sports fandom and the way it’s marketed to young men. Are the concerns overblown or do we need a real plan to address real harm? Two guests join our host Zacha
The World Map You Grew Up With Is Wrong
Maps have distorted the true size of the African continent for 500 years, but a new UN resolution is changing that. Progress Network Executive Director Emma Varvaloucas examines this historic shift toward a more accurate projection to correct centuries of cartographic bias. Plus: a biological breakthrough that could prevent premature births, and the wild story of how Neptune was discovered 175 yea
Could Reparations Actually Happen in America? With Prof. Dorothy Brown
In the United States, we have constant debates about long-standing systemic issues like classism, racism, and economic inequality, and we speak about these issues as if they are complicated and impossible to address. But what if history tells us that we already have the solutions to some of our biggest and oldest problems? What if there is a bold path that looks to the past to redirect our economi
AI Was Supposed to Destroy Jobs. Here's What Actually Happened
There’s been a lot of doom and gloom around artificial intelligence taking our jobs. Even founders of AI companies like Sam Altman have said that many jobs will go poof and disappear. But is the AI job apocalypse all hype, or are we just in the calm before the storm? We dive in. We also discuss adorable dogs gene-edited to be hypoallergenic, and two women in New Zealand who paved the way for women
Why We Can't Picture a Good Future Anymore | With Ari Wallach
Are we trapped in a cultural doom loop that forces us to fear the future instead of dreaming of a better one? In this episode, futurist Ari Wallach joins host Zachary Karabell to examine why modern society defaults to short-termism and how we can fundamentally redesign our approach to tomorrow. They dive deep into Wallach's "Longpath" framework, exploring how Western death anxiety, a deficit of tr
AI Designed a Cancer Therapy, Cyborg Bugs Are Saving Lives, and the Farmworkers Who Fought Back
What if you never have to wear a pink ribbon again? For years, experts called the medical dream of a personalized cancer vaccine impossible. Now, a new therapy written by an algorithm is making it happen. We're also talking about how Australian cyborg cockroaches could come to the rescue at natural disasters, and we get into the alliance that brought a California farming empire to its knees and cr
Alien Civilizations, Mars Colonization & Humanity in the Age of AI | With Dr. Dakotah Tyler
Is interest in space dying, or are we on the brink of our greatest interstellar discoveries? In this episode of What Could Go Right, Zachary Karabell sits down with Dr. Dakotah Tyler, an astronomer and astrophysicist who pivoted from a promising college football career to unraveling the mysteries of the universe.They discuss the existential threats and promises of large language models, questionin
Introducing: The Ongoing Transformation
This week, we want to share a podcast from our friends at Issues in Science & Technology. It’s called The Ongoing Transformation and it looks at how science and society are continually transforming each other.
From countless ads to outright scams, spam is an annoying constant of online life. But does it have to be that way?
In this episode, Rebecca Coyne and Jason Lloyd examine the history of s
Social Media Is Making Politics Feel Worse Than It Really Is | With David Pakman
David Pakman is the founder and host of The David Pakman Show, one of the most watched independent progressive podcasts and online political shows. He's built an audience of over 6.7 million subscribers across social media platforms through calm, fact-based analysis and critical thinking. David joins host Zachary Karabell to discuss his new book, Pay Attention, coming out on September 22. They div
The Crime Wave Is Over. Why Does Nobody Believe It?
The media is constantly telling us that danger is everywhere. Between true crime binges and political rants, we're led to believe that our streets are a war zone. However, recent statistics released by the FBI tell a completely different story. Plus, we'll get into why video game fans have the resume the FAA is looking for. Then in our this week in history segment, we’re taking a look at a bad dea
The AI Future Isn’t Inevitable. So Why Are We Told It Is? | With Carissa Véliz
Being a human being is an anxious experience, and to calm the fear of uncertainty, we’re obsessed with predicting the future. Whether spiraling about changes to the economy, politics, or culture, we’re desperate to know what’s coming around the corner. In this episode, host Zachary Karabell is joined by Carissa Véliz, philosopher and author of "Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Fu
Why the Experts Were Wrong about India
Winston Churchill predicted this nation would collapse, but today India is experiencing a massive economic glow up as it rapidly lifts hundreds of millions out of extreme poverty. We also investigate why crucial historical signs are quietly vanishing from America's national parks, and how an eccentric doctor's argument with mother nature saved countless lives from malaria. Join Emma Varvaloucas on
How Haters Can Accidentally Make You Happier | with Ronda Rousey
The concept of the American Dream calls up images of enormous money and fame that most of us will never see. But what happens to someone who actually becomes mega famous? Is it truly something to strive for? Is the cost worth it? Ronda Rousey, the superstar MMA fighter turned graphic novelist, joins Zachary Karabell to explain her approach to creativity, life, and happiness that rejects our tradit
The Case for Rewriting Nature's Code | with Ben Lamm
Words like "de-extinction" and "cloning" are often associated with dystopian science fiction stories, but reality tells a more hopeful tale.Ben Lamm, CEO and co-founder of Colossal Biosciences, joins host Zachary Karabell to argue that de-extinction, genetic engineering, and biotechnology can fix the harms humans have caused to our environment and prevent us from passing down genetic diseases. Ben
Global Shark Conservation Sees Historic Regulatory Breakthroughs
After decades of facing severe overfishing and cultural stigma, global shark populations are finally rebounding thanks to strict new international trade bans and expanding marine sanctuaries. Emma Varvaloucas, Executive Director of The Progress Network, shares how much our views and treatment of sharks have shifted over the last century and why there’s reason for optimism.
Plus: a team of 23 stud
Why the Economic Numbers Don't Match How You Feel | With Mark Zandi
There is a massive chasm between what official data tells us about the financial landscape and how average Americans actually experience their daily lives. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's, joins Zachary Karabell to break down why this disconnect exists and how a skewing of income distribution means different classes are living in entirely separate realities. They explore whether modern tech
The Invisible Arms Race Against Wildfire Smoke
While the severity of North American wildfires and their deadly smoke has undeniably increased, humanity is quietly winning an invisible technological arms race against our changing atmosphere. Emma Varvaloucas, Executive Director of The Progress Network, explores how eight decades of innovations—from the invention of the HEPA filter to electrostatic N95 masks—are enabling individuals to mitigate
The Case for Embracing Limits | with David Epstein
We live in an era of limitless options, but infinite choice might actually be paralyzing our ability to make decisions and find satisfaction. David Epstein, bestselling author of Range and the new book Inside the Box, joins host Zachary Karabell to argue that we severely overvalue complete freedom. Instead, Epstein reveals how imposing limits and constraints on ourselves can act as a powerful tool
Opening a Nearly 2,000-Year-Old Treasure + Reviving Eyes for Science and Shark-Spotting Drones
Researchers just used machine learning to read a carbonized Roman scroll that hasn't been opened in 2,000 years. In this week’s progress report, Emma Varvaloucas dives into a technological breakthrough that is unlocking an ancient library buried by volcanic ash in 79 AD.
Plus: a groundbreaking medical device in Barcelona that extends the viability of human eyes for vital medical research, t
The Era of Mass Incarceration May Actually Be Ending | with Alex Duran
The American criminal justice system is often viewed as an unfixable and intractable problem. But shifting demographics and new approaches to community investment might actually bring a natural end to the era of mass incarceration.Alex Duran spent 12 years in New York maximum security prisons before earning a liberal arts degree through the Bard College Prison Initiative. Today, he leads the crimi
Average Joes Making Positive Change
Emma is on vacation! Which means this week, we’re doing something a little different. Before she left, she put together this roundup of stories about amateur do-gooders pitching in to make the world a better place: Wombat watchers in Australia helping to mitigate the spread of a deadly disease, stargazers contributing to NASA’s mission to find new planets outside our solar system, hikers carving n
The Case Against Cynicism | with Greg Jackson & Steven Johnson
Despite record highs in life expectancy and historic lows in violent crime, society remains convinced that everything is completely broken.
Steven Johnson (The Infernal Machine) and historian Greg Jackson (host of History That Doesn’t Suck) join Zachary Karabell at the Aspen Ideas Festival to decode our cultural doom loop. Rather than fueling the panic of our daily newsfeeds, the panel zeroes in
Can We Please Celebrate America's 250th Without Whitewashing the Past? | with Alexis Coe
Approaching the 250th anniversary of the United States brings up a familiar tension over whether we should celebrate our triumphs or relentlessly critique our failures. Most citizens tend to view the past with a thick lens of nostalgia, convincing themselves that earlier eras were inherently better than our current political moment. But this rigid binary between blind patriotism and total deconstr
The Race to Catalogue Biodiversity + Brain Implants and Sweating Robots
On this week’s progress report, we're in the golden age of species discovery. We’ll also get into the incredible story of a paralyzed man who can continue to work and communicate thanks to a groundbreaking brain implant, and researchers at Arizona State University hope a shivering, breathing, sweating robot can help us better equip ourselves for extreme weather conditions.
What Could Go Right?
How to Read Economic News Without Spiraling | with Alex Mayyasi
Every time we open a news app, we are hit with a fresh wave of economic dread. But why does the financial forecast always sound like a pending apocalypse, even when the data tells a remarkably stable story? Longtime Planet Money contributor Alex Mayyasi joins host Zachary Karabell to offer a badly needed dose of fresh air to clear out the oppressive nature of recent economic news.Mayyasi and Karab
The Odds Favor Democracy + Safer Prenatal Screening and Good News for Disenfranchised Voters
A study covering 22 countries over almost three decades has some surprising news about democracy. Plus, a new blood test for pregnant women could eliminate the need for invasive screening. Several states are making progress on voting rights by rolling back Jim Crow-era bans. And Sweden becomes the latest country to attempt to limit screentime in the classroom.
What Could Go Right? is produced by
Is Free Expression Actually Under Attack? | with Dinaw Mengestu
We hear often that freedom of speech is under threat. And it’s easy to feel like things have never been worse in that regard. But is that really true? Dinaw Mengestu, an acclaimed novelist, MacArthur Genius grant recipient, and president of PEN America, joins host Zachary Karabell to examine the true state of free speech in the United States and abroad.
Mengestu shares his personal journey of imm
The 30-Year Animation Problem Pixar Just Solved + Accessible Travel is Booming and AI-Designed Vaccines
This week’s progress report highlights a tiny detail in Toy Story 5 that is a game changer for representation and the future of animation. We’re also celebrating a major win for the LGBTQ community in Budapest that comes just in time for the end of Pride month. Plus, there is good news in the growing industry of accessible travel and an AI-created vaccine that could change how we protect ourselves
Surviving the 80-Year Cycle of American Crises | with Anthony Scaramucci
Anthony Scaramucci is famous for his turbulent eleven-day stint in the Trump White House. But his time in the political and financial wringer has given him a distinct perspective on resilience, failing humbly, and owning your mistakes.
He joins Zachary to ask the big questions: Are we just trapped in a predictable 80-year cycle of national crisis? And if so, how do we push through the chaos to re
What Really Happened After the Affirmative Action Ban + Deep Sea Discoveries and Moon Base Missions
The Supreme Court ruling banning race-based affirmative action is almost three years old, and almost nothing has played out as expected. Black and Hispanic enrollment dropped at the country's most elite universities, but rose at the vast majority of colleges across the US. And in a twist nobody planned for, the end of race-based admissions may have quietly accelerated the rise of class-based affir
Why AI and Drones Won’t Bring the Apocalypse | with Sarah Kreps
What does a future where autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence collide on the battlefield look like? Sarah Kreps, a Cornell University professor and former US Air Force officer, joins host Zachary Karabell to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of drones and military AI.
The conversation looks beyond the doomsday prognostications surrounding lethal tech. Kreps shares insights from he
What the Headlines Aren’t Telling You About Ebola, Plus India's Solar Revolution and a Chicago Medical Miracle
A rare strain of Ebola is making headlines — but before you spiral, there's more to the story than what meets the eye. The Democratic Republic of Congo has successfully contained 15 previous outbreaks, and scientists are working around the clock on experimental treatments. We know one thing for certain: this is not the 2014–2016 outbreak.
Plus: India is on its way to becoming the first major cou
The Surprising Ritual Renaissance | with Bruce Feiler
What happens when the traditional ways we gather and mourn start to disappear? Bestselling author Bruce Feiler joins host Zachary Karabell to discuss his latest book, A Time to Gather, and explore the modern celebration recession. Instead of yielding to isolation, Feiler reveals a surprising grassroots renaissance of human connection happening right now.Feiler shares deeply personal stories, from
American Dads Are Stepping Up, Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Patients, and Oklahoma Bans Child Marriage
The pandemic triggered something unexpected: American fathers started working less and spending significantly more time on childcare and housework — and new research suggests it wasn't remote work or job loss driving the shift, but a genuine realignment of gender norms.
Plus: some scientists are calling this the biggest advancement in cancer treatment in 15 years – a drug called daraxonrasib whi
Real Progress: Why We Ignore How Good We Have It | with Nick Gillespie
Why does historic abundance breed widespread cultural anger? Nick Gillespie, editor-at-large of Reason Magazine and host of the Reason podcast, joins host Zachary Karabell to unpack the great conundrum of the 21st century: why humans have more security and financial means than ever before, yet feel increasingly dissatisfied. In a world deeply divided along absolute binary lines, Gillespie explains
Looted Artifacts Returned, Rape Kit Backlogs Slashed, and a Fatal Disease That's Now Treatable
France just passed a landmark law allowing the return of cultural artifacts taken from nations during the colonial era — a long-overdue step nearly a decade in the making.
Plus: all 50 U.S. states have now enacted rape kit reform, cutting the national backlog in half; violent crime in major American cities is falling faster than you might expect; and a new drug is doing something doctors have ne
The Case for Not Knowing | with Simone Stolzoff
What happens when our biological need for certainty clashes with an increasingly unpredictable world? Simone Stolzoff, author of How to Not Know, joins host Zachary Karabell to discuss why our modern intolerance for uncertainty is fueling a global anxiety crisis. Rather than seeing the unknown as a threat, Stolzoff argues that uncertainty is the fundamental birthplace of scientific breakthroughs,
Gene Therapy Is Giving Blind People Their Sight Back + The UK Bans Smoking Forever and Solar Power From Space
Gene therapy has been quietly pulling off miracles, and this week, it got its Oscars moment. Emma Varvaloucas, Executive Director of The Progress Network, breaks down how a husband-and-wife scientific team's decades-long quest has restored sight to over 100 blind Americans, and how a brand-new drug called Otarmeni just became the first-ever FDA-approved gene therapy for genetic deafness. The scien
Why $6 Gas Isn't the End of the World | with Jason Bordoff
What happens when the global energy supply faces its greatest disruption since the 1970s? Jason Bordoff, a leading energy expert and former advisor in the Obama White House, joins host Zachary Karabell to navigate a world where the Strait of Hormuz is closed and gasoline prices are soaring.
The conversation moves past the immediate panic at the pump to look at the future of how we power our liv
Chernobyl’s Unintended Nature Reserve + The End of the Coal Era and a New Frontier in IVF
For the first time in over a century, renewables have knocked coal out of the top spot for global electricity generation — and solar is the reason why. Emma Varvaloucas, Executive Director of The Progress Network, breaks down what this energy milestone actually means, and why geopolitics is unexpectedly accelerating the clean energy transition.
Plus: forty years after the worst nuclear disaster i
Can We Achieve "Super Abundance" Without AI Doom? | with Sebastian Mallaby
What happens when the person building the world's most powerful technology is just as worried about it as we are? Sebastian Mallaby, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of The Infinity Machine, joins host Zachary Karabell to pull back the curtain on Demis Hassabis, the founder of DeepMind who is currently leading the global charge into artificial intelligence.
From the "Ender’s Game" mission that
Trump’s Surprising Move on Psychedelics + A Record Year for Humpback Whales
Trump just signed an executive order to fast-track psychedelic medical research. Emma Varvaloucas, the Executive Director of The Progress Network, breaks down how a 50-year political taboo went mainstream. Plus: San Diego achieves water independence and starts brewing beer from recycled sewage, a humpback whale stampede breaks a sighting record off South Africa, and gene-edited bananas that don't
Is the World Order Actually Disintegrating? | with Ian Bremmer
What happens when the rules of the global game are being rewritten in real-time? Ian Bremmer, the founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media, joins host Zachary Karabell to discuss how to navigate a world defined by a "long geopolitical recession" and the erosion of the post-1945 order.
From the escalating conflicts in the Middle East and the surprising vulnerabilities of the economic models in the
How Hungary Ousted an Authoritarian + Ocean Progress, Falling Rents, and Thailand’s New DM Laws
Hungary just voted out its authoritarian prime minister of 16 years, and did it with an 80% voter turnout powered by Gen Z. Emma Varvaloucas, the Executive Director of The Progress Network, breaks down how they pulled it off and what it means for democracies under pressure elsewhere.
Plus: over 10% of the world's oceans are now protected, US rents are finally dropping, and Thailand just criminal
Do we need a NEW America? | with Anne-Marie Slaughter
What do we do when our systems stop working? Anne-Marie Slaughter, the CEO of New America, former Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. State Department under Secretary Hillary Clinton, and one of the most influential voices in American foreign policy joins Zachary Karabell to reckon with a country in the middle of a massive realignment.
From democratic reform and the collapse of the two-party
Turning Down the Headline Noise
Let’s close out Season 7! Zachary and Emma look back on seven months of thought-provoking positive conversations, from global politics to the depths of sci-fi, exploring how to stay hopeful in a world hooked on negative news. They dive into protecting your mental health by controlling your news intake while also celebrating how social media platforms empower 8 billion voices to be heard!What Could
The Progress Report: China’s Climate Change Commitment
Get ready for a Progress Report season finale packed with good news as Emma shares some life-changing breakthroughs! The Gates Foundation is funding a game-changing GBS vaccine, while a cutting-edge AI stroke diagnosis system in England is significantly improving recovery rates. Plus, China steps up with a bold pledge to slash greenhouse gas emissions while NASA’s James Webb Telescope just uncover
Whatever Happened to Civics? with Nick Capodice
It’s time for a lesson in civics! Zachary and Emma are joined by Nick Capodice, co-host of the Civics 101 podcast where he gets into the basics of how the U.S. government works and also helps teachers design lesson plans to pair with the show. Nick highlights how our collective grasp on how things work in Washington is slipping, the decrease of civics education funding since the 1950s, and the rec
The Progress Report: This Bacteria Beats Dengue Fever
Emma brings you a solo edition of the Progress Report, highlighting several positive global advancements. Brazil goes bold with a two-part strategy against dengue fever, involving both a homegrown vaccine and specially bred mosquitoes that carry an anti-dengue bacteria. Africa is leading a major expansion of school meal programs for children. And around the world we have two stories of security, w
Turning Science Fiction Into Reality with Ed Finn
Can today’s science fiction become tomorrow’s guidebook for change? Zachary and Emma sit down with Ed Finn, the visionary behind the Center for Science and the Imagination at ASU and academic director of Future Tense. Ed explores the intersection between sci-fi and real world science, the complexities of new technologies like AI and gene editing, and why our imaginations can be the launchpad for t
The Progress Report: Techie to Trekkie: AirPods That Translate!
Get ready for another uplifting Progress Report! This week, Zachary and Emma bring you inspiring stories of innovation and hope from across the globe. Trekkies rejoice as Apple’s new AirPods push tech into sci-fi territory with real-time language translation, Europe is seeing fewer flood fatalities and less damage thanks to cutting-edge warning systems and disaster response improvements, and Franc
The Guardian of Public Lands with Josh Jackson
How do we protect America’s wild open spaces while meeting the demands of conservation, recreation, and development? Zachary welcomes Josh Jackson, author of The Enduring Wild: A Journey Into California's Public Lands. Founder of the Forgotten Lands Project, Josh aims to connect people with these landscapes through immersive storytelling and experiences. He explores the Bureau of Land Management’s
Democracy’s Next Chapter: Hope or Decline? with Brink Lindsey
What really went wrong with global politics? Emma welcomes Brink Lindsey, Senior VP at the Niskanen Center and author of The Captured Economy: How the Powerful Enrich Themselves, Slow Down Growth, and Increase Inequality. Lindsey traces how politics, culture, and economics became unstable, from the development of liberal capitalism since the 1990s to the resulting rise of right-wing populism. He e
Parent by Numbers with Emily Oster
How can parents use data without becoming overwhelmed by getting things right and wrong? Zachary and Emma welcome Emily Oster, a professor of economics and author of several data-driven parenting and pregnancy books, including Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong and What You Really Need to Know. Known for her data-driven approach to parenting and pregnancy, Oster share
The Progress Report: Clean Energy Is Crushing It
On this week’s Progress Report, Emma covers a whopping five reports of optimism from around the world. Poverty is declining in Iraq and Indonesia, and risk of child poverty is down across Europe. China reports a dip in its emissions that may continue, and Africa has invested heavily in solar energy over the past year. There are positive developments since the release of the U.S.’s first over-the-c
Godfather of the New Right with Sam Tanenhaus
What can we learn from the history of the American Right? Zachary and Emma welcome Sam Tanenhaus, historian and author, whose most recent work is his biography Buckley: The Life and Revolution That Changed America. Sam shares insights from his deep dive into the career of conservative icon William F. Buckley Jr., the country’s “first intellectual entertainer.” He discusses how Buckley’s blend of i
The Progress Report: We're Divorcing Like It's 1959
This week on The Progress Report, Zachary and Emma cut through the doom and gloom to deliver feel-good news. This episode covers stories from the USDA’s hilariously unconventional wolf-deterring tactics (hint: it involves Scarlett Johansson) to an inspiring drop in U.S. divorce rates, America’s hidden fitness boom, and a remarkable victory over poverty in Mexico. Join Zachary and Emma as they guar
Is the US Still a Rule of Law Country? with Joyce Vance
It’s time to right the ship of democracy! Zachary and Emma sit down with powerhouse legal expert Joyce Vance, former U.S. Attorney and author of the popular Civil Discourse Substack and upcoming book Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy. Pulling on her 25 years of experience at the DOJ, Joyce pulls back the curtain on how federal courts have confronted Donald Trump’s unprece
The Progress Report: Crime Is Down, Fear Is Up!
On this week’s episode, Zachary and Emma dig into three surprising pieces of underreported good news. Illinois becomes the first state to ban AI from acting as a therapist, which is sparking a debate about ethics, tech limits, and vulnerable users. Global deaths from extreme weather have hit record lows in 2025, and in the U.S., the FBI’s final 2024 crime stats show a dramatic drop in murder, viol
Shaking Up the Vatican with Austen Ivereigh
How can an American pope change the world? Zachary and Emma dive deep with renowned papal expert Austen Ivereigh, British journalist, acclaimed author, and historian, to discuss Pope Leo XIV, the first pope from the US. Austen shares insider insights into the pope’s whirlwind early months at the Vatican and unpacks the ideological tug-of-war between tradition and reform within the Catholic Church.
Are We Wasting Our Talent? with Rutger Bregman
Are we measuring success all wrong? Rutger Bregman seems to think so. Zachary and Emma welcome Rutger, a Dutch historian and journalist, and author of Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference. The founder of the School for Moral Ambition, Rutger challenges society’s flawed definition of success, stresses supportive and ambitious communities, and suggests how we can ma
The Progress Report: Japan’s Tsunami Tech Saves Lives
On this week's Progress Report, Zachary and Emma dive into some optimistic stories you may have missed during your doomscrolling. From tsunami-stopping tech in Japan to social media-powered rescue missions in Ghana and the groundbreaking frontiers of male birth control, this isn’t your usual ocean of depressing news.
What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.
Does the Deficit Even Matter? with Stephanie Kelton
Is everything you know about government spending upside down? Zachary and Emma welcome trailblazing economist and author Stephanie Kelton, champion of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT), to challenge the way we think about deficits, inflation, and what really matters for America’s financial future. Stephanie warns about the real dangers behind rising wealth inequality, explores the impact of Trump’s One
Education Where the Internet Can't Reach with Laura Hosman
Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas shine a light on a powerful form of providing education. This week, they’re joined by Laura Hosman of Arizona State University, creator of SolarSPELL, an offline, solar-powered digital library making education possible where internet access doesn't exist. Discover how SolarSPELL is transforming classrooms from remote Pacific islands to refugee camps in Syria,
The Progress Report: $16 Billion for Childcare and the World's First Climate Visa
This week on The Progress Report, Zachary and Emma bring your antidote to the daily doom and gloom, from surprising political wins and innovative scientific breakthroughs to heartwarming stories that often go overlooked. The FDA's latest help for dog lovers, Australia’s bold climate visa for Tuvaluans, and an unexpected bipartisan win for families are all covered here.
What Could Go Right? is pr
A Historian’s Look Into America’s Future with Garrett Graff
What can Americans look forward to despite today's lack of trust in the government? Zachary and Emma welcome Garrett Graff, journalist, historian, and author of several books, including Pulitzer finalist Watergate: A New History. He also hosts the Long Shadow podcast, which covers topics from 9/11 to American far right extremists. Garrett discusses the power of telling history through the emotion
The Progress Report: Clean Up on Aisle Everest
On this week’s episode of The Progress Report, Zachary and Emma dig up the good news buried beneath the usual headlines, celebrating Costa Rica’s leap into high-income status and the upward mobility of Cape Verde and Samoa, marveling at Paris’s historic $1.4 billion effort to make the Seine swimmable again for local residents, highlighting a Supreme Court decision that keeps crucial phone and inte
What Makes Societies Thrive? with Johan Norberg
What made history’s golden ages thrive? Zachary and Emma speak with Johan Norberg, historian, documentary filmmaker, and author of Peak Human: What We Can Learn from the Rise and Fall of Golden Ages. Johan discusses what special societal qualities produced golden ages across history, as well as why these civilizations declined, what we can learn from their setbacks, and why the cyclical nature of
The Progress Report: A Robot Saved My Heart
This week on The Progress Report, Zachary and Emma bring more uplifting headlines you won’t find in your usual news feed. America’s prison population is dropping fast, thanks to a dramatic decrease in youth incarceration. The first fully robotic heart transplant in the U.S. marks a giant leap for medical innovation, eliminating the need for open-chest surgery and speeding up recovery for patients.
Climate Change's Agriculture Problem with Michael Grunwald
Can we feed the world without destroying it? Zachary and Emma speak with Michael Grunwald, award-winning journalist and author known for his work on the environment and national politics. He is currently a senior writer for Politico Magazine and author of We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate. Michael discusses ways to farm using fewer acres of land, the imp
The Progress Report: FDA Approves HIV Prevention Gamechanger
On this week's Progress Report, Zachary and Emma spotlight the stories that prove the world is moving forward, from Ireland’s bold move to end coal power to major U.S. brands ditching synthetic food dyes to breakthrough HIV prevention. They also cover how aviation safety is getting a high-tech upgrade as airlines roll out new cockpit alert systems that warn pilots about potential runway mix-ups an
Are High-Achieving Families Born or Made? with Susan Dominus
Can sibling rivalries shape success? Zachary and Emma speak with Susan Dominus, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. She is the author of The Family Dynamic: A Journey Into the Mystery of Sibling Success. Susan shares case studies about high-achieving families and how siblings can be powerful motivators. She also touches on the role of parents, the bal
The Progress Report: Child Labor Drops by 100 Million
On this week’s Progress Report, Emma is going solo with the news. Discover how global child labor has nearly halved since 2000, why alarming disaster statistics might be more about better data than a world in crisis, and how Britain’s zoos are rolling out major reforms to improve animal welfare.
What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and The Podglomerate.For transcripts, to joi
The Capitalism Conundrum with John Cassidy
Does capitalism deserve its bad rap? Zachary and Emma speak with John Cassidy, longtime staff writer at The New Yorker and author of several acclaimed books on economics, including his recent work, Capitalism and Its Critics: A History from the Industrial Revolution to AI. He discusses the current sentiment on capitalism along with historical context and a look to the future. John also elaborates
The Progress Report: With or Without the U.S.
This week on The Progress Report, Zachary and Emma cut through the noise of a turbulent news week to spotlight stories of real progress. From the historic UN ocean treaty poised to protect international waters, to shifting global attitudes on gender and record-high American retirement savings, Zachary and Emma look at how the world is moving forward sometimes with, sometimes without, the United St
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