May 19, 2021

School closures continue to impact millions of families, and the president of the American Federation of teachers is adamant that schools must fully reopen this fall. Randi Weingarten heads up the nation’s second largest teacher’s union, and speaks with Michel Martin about how she plans on making it happen.

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry is in Europe this week ahead of the COP26 summit later this year, and he met with EU climate chief Frans Timmermans, who warns, "If we don’t fix this, our children will be waging wars over water and food.” Timmermans joins the show from Brussels.

Africa’s vaccine supply is in doubt after India’s Serum Institute – the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer – paused shipments until possibly October. What’s more, some African countries are discarding the vaccines they do have because the expiration date has passed. Dr. Ayoade Alakija is co-chair of the Africa Vaccine Delivery Alliance and joins the show to discuss what can be done.

Robert Ballard is the world’s most famous oceanographer, known for tracking down the wrecks of the German battleship Bismarck, JFK’s PT-109 and most famously, the Titanic in 1985. Not content to be known only for discovering “that rusty old boat,” as his mother called it, Ballard is ready to launch new expeditions. He joins the show to discuss what's next.