Here & Now Anytime

Dwandolin Reese, Smithsonian humanities leader, recalls The Wiz’s iconic costume design and its ties to Afrofuturism and diasporic style. Kathleen Franz, Smithsonian transportation curator, traces how the Ford Model T transformed manufacturing, mobility and everyday life. They discuss costume craft, cultural visibility, mass production, and the ripple effects of a car that reshaped America.

Christine Vittel, a TSA officer at Chicago O'Hare and AFGE local leader, describes airport workers coping without pay. Cristiana Mesquita, AP editor in Havana, reports on Cuba’s severe energy shortages and daily blackouts. Ali Velshi, TV anchor and data reporter, breaks down how strikes on Middle East energy infrastructure ripple through markets and global supply chains.

Barry McCaffrey, retired U.S. Army general and national security analyst, and David Lampton, China scholar and former director of China Studies at SAIS, discuss China’s stakes in the U.S.-Iran conflict. They cover Beijing’s preference for de-escalation, the impact of postponing a Trump-Xi summit, questions about intelligence and U.S. strategy, and risks from Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz.

Tina Monk, a researcher of online memetic warfare; Paul Scharre, a military tech and AI in warfare expert; Jon Finer, a former top national security advisor. They discuss Iran strikes and diplomatic fallout. They examine AI’s role in intelligence and targeting. They explore how memes are used as state information operations that can sanitize and gamify real violence.

Ifeoma Ajunwa, a law professor who studies AI and workplace surveillance, and Negar Mortazavi, an analyst of Iran and regional security, unpack high-stakes topics. They explore why allies resist reopening the Strait of Hormuz and the risks of U.S. military moves. They also probe AI headsets in fast food, from coaching claims to pervasive worker monitoring and automation threats.

Coverage of three Oscar contenders: a genre-bending horror mixing blues, history and vampires; a Norwegian family drama exploring memory, grief and cinematic close‑ups; and a literary adaptation reimagining Shakespeare’s world through a wife’s perspective. Conversations cover casting craft, searching for the right faces, filmmaking choices, and how art grapples with trauma and loss.

David Archuleta, singer-songwriter and former American Idol finalist turned memoirist, reflects on coming out and leaving the Mormon church. Radin Yad, Iranian expatriate and English teacher, shares firsthand views from family in Tehran about war damage, shortages and fears. They discuss the human cost, worries about escalation, and how distant conflicts shape personal and political concerns.

Allison Lang, CBC Sports digital host and Paralympian, gives brisk Paralympics medal updates. Fawaz Gerges, LSE professor of Middle East politics, discusses Lebanon’s instability and Hezbollah’s regional role. David Albright, physicist and weapons expert, explains the dangers and logistics of securing Iran’s enriched uranium. Short, urgent conversations about conflict, containment and competition for nuclear material.

Marcus King, Georgetown professor on water security, explains why desalination matters after attacks on Gulf plants. Colin Dueck, conservative foreign policy analyst, explores why MAGA voters support limited action in Iran. Phil Mudd, former senior intelligence official, outlines rapid online radicalization and rising domestic security risks. They discuss water infrastructure vulnerability, political support for the conflict, and homeland threats.

Mark Cancian, defense spending expert estimating near-billion-dollar daily costs and munition impacts. Negar Mortazavi, Iran analyst explaining Mujtaba Khamenei’s rise and public reactions. David Petraeus, retired general offering military and strategic perspective. They discuss Iran’s new leader, tactical and budgetary fallout, munitions use, risks of escalation, and indicators that could shape next moves.