September 30, 2021

Some of the world’s most vulnerable people are paying the price in a bust-up between the European Union and Belarus. Migrants are reportedly being “weaponized” by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko as retaliation against EU sanctions. It’s led to a sharp and deadly rise in migrant crossings into Poland, Latvia and Lithuania over the summer. MMargaritis Schinas joins the program to discuss.

For the first time since June, the number of projected COVID-19 deaths is dropping in the U.S. This as the CDC predicts hospitalizations will also decrease – but there’s no time to rest, according to Ed Yong, science and health writer for The Atlantic. He warns in his latest piece that “we’re already barreling toward the next pandemic,” and the time to prepare for it is now.

The hit Netflix comedy Sex Education finds laughs and drama in all manner of human intimacy and its third season just released. The show, set in a British high school, takes a deep and nuanced look at shame, empowerment, desire, and identity. Its creator is Laurie Nunn and she joins the show from Wales.

Venture capitalist Peter Thiel had a hand in the success of many of the most profitable tech companies around today, from Facebook to SpaceX. He’s also on a quest to live forever, investing millions in life extension research. Max Chafkin’s new biography lays bare all this and more, and he speaks with Hari Sreenivasan about the man behind the money.