Press Conference Usa - Voice Of America

On this year-end edition of Press Conference USA, VOA’s Rick Pantaleo brings you excerpts from conversations with some of our most distinguished guests, including former director of the CIA, and Retired U.S. Army General, David Petraeus; Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu of California; Republican Congressman John Curtis of Utah; Amy Hawthorne, Deputy Director for Research at the Project on Middle East Democracy on Tunisia and more.

Host Carol Castiel speaks with the director of the “Governance Lab” and Northeastern University professor, Beth Simone Noveck, about her new book “Solving Public Problems: A Practical Guide to Fix Our Government and Change Our World.” On this encore edition, Noveck tells VOA that citizens and governments can leverage digital technology, data, and the collective wisdom of communities to create solutions to contemporary problems from the Covid-19 pandemic to climate change to social inequality.

The James Webb Space Telescope will soon be placed atop an Ariane 5 rocket for its launch no earlier than December 22nd. NASA says it is 100 times more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope. On the Science Edition of Press Conference USA, Eric Smith, Program Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope Program at NASA joins Rick Pantaleo for a preview of this powerful new astronomical tool.

Host Carol Castiel speaks with Rose Luqiu, professor of Communications at Hong Kong Baptist University and author of the new book, “Covering the 2019 Hong Kong Protests.” Luqui tells VOA that the unprecedented protests against the 2019 extradition bill augured an erosion of civil liberties in Hong Kong, including freedom of the press. She adds that the June 2020 Hong Kong National Security Law also adversely affected journalists and weakened the autonomy Hong Kong enjoyed from Beijing under the One country, two systems policy.

Host Carol Castiel and reporter Nabeel Biajo of VOA’s “South Sudan in Focus,” speak with former US Ambassador to South Sudan, Tom Hushek, as the world’s youngest nation commemorates its 10th anniversary. While hopeful that South Sudan can overcome its political, economic, and social challenges after a devastating civil war, Ambassador Hushek warns that it will require enormous political will as well as the help and steadfast commitment of the United States and the African Union

After unprecedented nationwide pro-democracy protests rocked Cuba in July, Havana preempted a large demonstration slated for November 15. But the Cuban protest anthem, “Patria y Vida” won song of the year at the 22nd annual Latin Grammy Award ceremony even as one of the musicians behind the song — Maykel Osorbo — remains imprisoned in Cuba. Host Carol Castiel talks with Lillian Guerra, Professor of Cuban and Caribbean history at the University of Florida, about the significance of the protests and policy recommendations for the US government that would both challenge the authoritarian regime and support the Cuban people.

The World Health Organization says diabetes a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, and lower limb amputation. Join VOA’s Rick Pantaleo and Dr. William Cefalu, MD from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases when they talk about Diabetes on the Science Edition of Press Conference USA.

“Libya is a microcosm of global disorder” says Jason Pack, author of the upcoming book: “Libya and the Global Enduring Disorder.” Host Carol Castiel and VOA senior analyst Mohamed Elshinnawi talk with Jason Pack, who is also a scholar at the Middle East Institute, about the upcoming elections in Libya and the domestic and external impediments to long-term stability in this oil-rich North African nation.

Host Carol Castiel speaks with several Afghan analysts from the innovative think thank Newlines Institute, who discuss the ideas in their article “Challenges of a Talibanized Afghanistan.” They discuss the looming humanitarian crisis as millions of Afghans face potential starvation, the probable resurgence of transnational jihadist groups, the geopolitical ramifications of a “Talibanized” Afghanistan for neighboring South and Central Asian countries, and the difficulty of ordinary Afghans, especially women and girls, to keep their hard-won freedoms under the Taliban.

Host Carol Castiel speaks with Middle East historian and scholar, Edmund Ghareeb. about the many contributions of Arab Americans who immigrated to the United States from Syria, Lebanon Palestine and elsewhere in the 19th and early 20th centuries. His current research focuses on the heyday of the Arab language press in America, which not only spawned prominent literary and journalistic figures but also reflected an appreciation of the values of a free and independent media.

Host Carol Castiel speaks with founding partner of FutureMap and author Parag Khanna, about his most recent book “MOVE: The Forces Upending Us,” which posits that global events from pandemics, climate change, economic dislocation and political instability, induce mobility – people in search of security and a better life.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scheduled for launch this December, is 100 times more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope. On the Science Edition of Press Conference USA, Eric Smith, Program Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope Program at NASA joins host Rick Pantaleo for a preview of this powerful new astronomical tool.

Host Carol Castiel and senior broadcaster in VOA’s Persian Service, Siamak Deghanpour, talk with author and Iran specialist, Hussein Banai, about the internal and external challenges facing the Iran’s new hardline administration led by President Ebrahim Raisi. Banai also discusses the need for the Biden Administration, which wants to revive the nuclear deal (JCPOA) from which the Trump administration withdrew, to design a wholistic policy toward the Islamic Republic which addresses not just the nuclear file, ballistic missiles, and malign regional activities, but also Tehran’s dismal record on democracy and human rights.

Host Carol Castiel and VOA senior diplomatic correspondent, Cindy Saine, talk with Mona Yacoubian, a senior official at the US Institute of Peace who tells VOA that the end of the US military intervention in Afghanistan underscores the need to prioritize diplomacy, peacebuilding, and development if the United States and other industrialized nations wish to successfully address the national security threats of the 21st century.

From devastating hurricanes and flooding to severe heat and wildfires, localities around the world have been hit hard by a series of extreme weather events. On the Science Edition of Press Conference USA, Host Rick Pantaleo, and his guest, Jenni Evans of Penn State University, discuss extreme weather and its possible connections to climate change and global warming.

It was 20 years ago on September 11, 2001, that Al Qaeda operatives carried out the deadliest terrorist attack on America's soil in the country's history, killing nearly 3,000 people and injuring thousands more. PCUSA guest host Kim Lewis is joined by colleagues VOA senior national correspondent Chris Simkins and VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb as they reflect on the tragic day of September 11, 2001, the U.S. decision to invade Afghanistan in October 2001, the aftermath of the evacuation of U.S. forces in August 2021 and what lies ahead for the country with the Taliban back in power. Don't miss this riveting show. Press Conference USA on the Voice of America.

Host Carol Castiel speaks with Northeastern University professor, Beth Noveck, about her new book “Solving Public Problems: A Practical Guide to Fix Our Government and Change Our World,” in which she recounts how citizens and governments can leverage digital technology, data, and the collective wisdom of communities to design and deliver solutions to contemporary problems from the Covid pandemic to climate change to social inequities.

Ever since our ancient ancestors gazed into the night skies to look at stars, and other celestial objects, humans have wondered if we are alone in the cosmos. Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute joins host Rick Pantaleo on the Science Edition of Press Conference USA to talk about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

Following nationwide protests over economic stagnation, corruption and mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic, Tunisian President Kais Saied suspended parliament and assumed extraordinary executive powers. Host Carol Castiel and VOA senior analyst for North Africa and the Middle East, Mohamed Elshinnawi, talk with Amy Hawthorne, Deputy Director for Research, Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED, about why Tunisia, which overthrew its autocratic leader in the context of the Arab Spring protests, has reached this precarious moment. How does Saied plan to reshape Tunisia’s political landscape and to what extent does it imperil Tunis’ fledgling democratic system?

Host Carol Castiel speaks with veteran AIDS activist, journalist, and historian Emily Bass about her new book, To End a Plague: America’s Fight to Defeat AIDS in Africa. Bass discusses the genesis and impact of PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDs Relief created by former President George W. Bush, its positive impact on Africa and challenges that remain in light of the coronavirus pandemic.