Ground Control: How Pepper Spiced Up World Trade – With Lydia Wilson
Once the most valuable spice in the world, pepper sparked global trade, conquest and empire-building. This episode of In Focus follows its journey from ancient India to European power struggles over “black gold.”
What Venezuelans Are Thinking Amid US Saber-Rattling
Some Venezuelans, exhausted after years of failed attempts to remove Nicolás Maduro through elections, protests and international sanctions, now see military action as the only option left. Others are more skeptical, fearing that a U.S. invasion will unleash violence and chaos — with no guarantee that democracy will follow.
The Pillars of China’s Global Rise
Author and Emmy-nominated journalist Melissa Chan joins Amie Ferris-Rotman on the podcast to discuss the foundations of China’s increasing global dominance.
How Zohran Mamdani Rekindled My Faith in Politics
Zohran Mamdani’s impending win or loss is irrelevant to what his candidacy means to me: Even in this country’s darkest moments, there is always a chance that this American experiment in multiculturalism and democracy for all may not be doomed after all.
The Magic of Egypt in Interwar Britain
Ancient Egypt was at the heart of the occultism that flourished in Britain early in the 20th century. The stories of two magicians who were shaped by this association — Aleister Crowley and Rollo Ahmed — reveal much about what the period’s magic meant to the men and women who practised it.