July 29, 2021

Today President Biden announced a vaccination requirement for federal workers, as vaccine hesitancy persists despite the rapid spread of the Delta variant. In Tennessee, only 39% are inoculated and even Republican senators are urging people to get protected. Two Tennessean doctors join the show to discuss.

After days of uncertainty, an important act of diplomacy has finally taken place, as announced to the world on President Biden’s Twitter feed. Biden posted a photograph of his meeting with Belarus’s opposition leader, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, saying he was honored to meet with her at the White House. Tikhanovskaya has been touring the U.S. to raise awareness of her people’s struggle for democracy.

In Russia, President Putin’s efforts to suppress journalism show no sign of abating. Just yesterday, Russian security officers raided the home of Roman Dobrohotov, editor of the independent news site The Insider. Alexey Kovalev knows what it’s like to report from under the heavy hand of the Russian state and joins the show to discuss.

American gymnast Suni Lee celebrated her gold medal in women’s gymnastics in Tokyo today. Lee’s teammate Simone Biles cheered her on from the sidelines after withdrawing from competition earlier this week to protect her mental health. Dr. Colleen Hacker is a mental skills coach for Olympic athletes and an authority on the psychology of peak performance.