Will democracy survive another Trump presidency? How do we navigate the post-truth era?

In this episode, Liz Wahl speaks with Vlad Vexler, a Political Philosopher whose YouTube commentaries on Russian politics and Western democracy have garnered over 30 million views. Born in Soviet Moscow and emigrating to the West at age 9, Vlad brings a unique perspective shaped by his upbringing and a debilitating neurological condition he has lived with since his time as a research student at Oxford.

They explore America's drift toward authoritarianism, the radicalization of young men by the populist right, Russian media's response to Trump, and the rise of oligarchy in the United States.

A former member of Ukrainian Parliament and expert in energy security discusses how Russia is using food as a weapon. Ukraine grows enough food to feed 400 million people worldwide. Because of the war, crops won’t be planted and Russia has disrupted supply chains, possibly setting the conditions for a global food crisis.

Liz and Jessikka speak to former member of Ukrainian Parliament, Ukrainian energy expert and environmental activist Nataliya Katser-Buchkovska about the war’s significance in the global battle between democracies and autocracies.

Liz and Jessikka speak to Ukrainian journalist Olga Tokariuk about the Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalists of Ukraine that continue to risk their lives despite being targeted for reporting the truth. As Ukraine officials say that Russia is forcibly deporting people from Mariupol and other areas in the country’s eastern region, they discuss how Russia is increasingly resembling Nazi-like behavior as it weaponizes the word Nazi to justify its war of aggression - from filtration camps to its rhetoric and accounts of a range of war crimes targeting civilians, women, and children. Also, Tokariuk uncovers how Russian disinformation infiltrates Western media sources and attempts underway to influence future elections in democracies.