Forum Plus: How USAID Was Fed Into the Wood Chipper and Why It Matters

Under Threat: Women, Power, and Democracy

Why are fewer women seeking political leadership today? In this episode of The Forum Plus, journalist and author Linda Robinson examines the growing threats, harassment, and intimidation that are driving many women away from public service both in the United States and around the world.  As threats, harassment, and intimidation increasingly target women leaders, and often their families, many are deciding that the personal cost of public service is simply too high. Robinson explores how attacks on democracy and gender equality frequently go hand in hand, particularly under authoritarian movements. Drawing on her extensive interviews with women who have led their countries' defense against authoritarianism, she describes similarities among these inspiring leaders. Host:            Jim Falk Guests:        Linda Robinson [https://www.cfr.org/experts/linda-robinson], Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy, and author of Women in Power: Fighting for Democracy in an Age of Authoritarianism [https://cup.columbia.edu/book/women-in-power/9780231563888/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]

After the Primary: New Mexico's Race for Governor

The primary campaign is over. The general election campaign has begun. With just over 150 days until Election Day, New Mexico’s two gubernatorial nominees, Deb Haaland and Gregg Hull, join Jim Falk and Patrick Davis in separate recorded interviews to discuss the road ahead. They reflect on lessons learned during the primary, explain how they hope to win the support of independents and voters beyond their party base, and make their case for why they should become New Mexico’s next governor. Host:            Jim Falk Co-host:       Patrick Davis, KSFR News Reporter Guests:        Deb Haaland [https://debhaaland.com/], Democrat Party Candidate for governor of New Mexico                    Gregg Hull [https://gregghull.com/], Republican Party candidate for governor of New Mexico

Forum Plus: How USAID Was Fed Into the Wood Chipper and Why It Matters

In this episode of The Forum Plus, Nicholas Enrich and Rebecca Black discuss the far-reaching consequences of the dismantling of USAID, arguing that the loss of the agency will have lasting effects on global public health, including within the United States, and significantly damage America’s international standing. Enrich’s book, Into the Wood Chipper, has drawn praise for its detailed account of how DOGE systematically dismantled what had long been regarded as an effective and respected agency founded in 1961 to provide humanitarian and development assistance around the world. Drawing on both firsthand experience and broader analysis, Black and Enrich explain why many experts believe the loss of USAID funding and infrastructure has already contributed (and will continue to contribute) to preventable deaths and humanitarian suffering worldwide. Host:               Jim Falk Guests:            Nicholas Enrich, Author, Into the Wood Chipper: A Whistleblower’s Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Into-the-Wood-Chipper/Nicholas-Enrich/9781668226957]                         Rebecca Black [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-black-792ab410/], USAID Senior Foreign Service Officer (ret.)

New Mexico's Wealth Paradox

New Mexico is not poor because it lacks resources. As the nation’s second-largest oil and gas producer after Texas, it has benefited from revenues that many states would envy. Yet New Mexico continues to struggle with persistent poverty, lagging educational outcomes, and slow population growth. A recent report, Economic Freedom in the Land of Enchantment, argues that a lack of economic freedom is preventing the state from reaching its full potential. Co-authors Paul Gessing and Matthew Mitchell contend that reducing regulations, lowering taxes, expanding school choice, and limiting government spending would create the conditions for stronger economic growth and greater prosperity. Their report draws heavily on research from the Fraser Institute, a Canadian public policy organization that publishes the annual Economic Freedom of the World and Economic Freedom of North America indexes. An especially interesting part of the conversation centered on environmental regulation which while it can discourage investment, New Mexico is a state where residents are keenly aware of the environmental costs that often accompany resource extraction.  We apologize for the technical problems that occurred during the broadcast of this program. Host:               Jim Falk Co-host:          Peter Smith Guests:            Paul J. Gessing, President, Rio Grande Foundation [https://riograndefoundation.org/]                         Matthew D. Mitchell [v], Mercatus Center [https://www.mercatus.org/], George Mason University  Show Notes: Economic Freedom in the Land of Enchantment [https://riograndefoundation.org/app/uploads/2025/03/Land-of-Enchantment-fpp2-1.pdf] by Matthew D. Mitchell & Paul Gessing

Honoring Service: From Ike and Winston to America’s Overseas Cemeteries

To commemorate Memorial Day, this program begins with a conversation with historian and author Jonathan Jordan, where we discuss the extraordinarily consequential relationship between two pivotal leaders of World War II and the Cold War: Dwight D. Eisenhower and Winston Churchill. The similarities between the 1956 Suez Crisis and today’s tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz are a reminder that history may not repeat itself, but it often rhymes. This conversation is followed by one with Tina Young, who, after a distinguished career with the U.S. Navy and NATO, joined the American Battle Monuments Commission, where as director of cemetery operations, she was responsible for managing 26 overseas U.S. military cemeteries and 31 federal memorials and monuments. In addition to discussing the history and mission of the ABMC, Tina shares moving stories about meeting family members visiting the burial sites of their loved ones. On this Memorial Day, the program serves as a powerful reminder of the courage, sacrifice, and service of the men and women of the U.S. military on behalf of our nation. Host:               Jim Falk Co-host:          Peter Smith Guests:            Jonathan Jordan, author, Ike and Winston: World War, Cold War, and an Extraordinary Friendship [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/721045/ike-and-winston-by-jonathan-w-jordan/]. Tina Young [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-young-763545254/], Director of Cemetery Operation, American Battle Monuments Commission [https://www.abmc.gov/] (2010-2021)