The recent politicization of LGBTQ+ youth is a reckless abuse of power without regard to the child casualties. Harvard Professor Tim McCarthy and Sam Ames from The Trevor Project discuss the paradox of progress, the current culture war, the struggles and accomplishments of the LGBTQ+ community, and the continued need for resistance, resilience, and advocacy.

In 21st century America, the battle for gender equality persists. In nearly a century after it was first proposed in Congress, the Equal Rights Amendment’s (ERA) simple guarantee that “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex” still is not codified in the US Constitution. At a time when women’s rights are under assault, passing the ERA is more urgent than ever. Enshrining the ERA in the constitution may well depend on the composition of the next Congress and the urgency of support by the American people.

More and more, the provision of healthcare is crossing state lines. Allison Whelan argues that a fractured state-by-state approach to healthcare regulation exacerbates disparities among various populations. As a partial solution, she discusses whether Congress should amend the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to pre-empt state pharmaceutical bans and restrictions.

Over the last decade, local leaders have passed myriad ordinances — from increasing minimum wages to gun safety regulations — only to have conservative state legislators nullify them. David Toscano, provides ideas for controlling state preemption without letting states become a patchwork of local laws.

Anyone who is interested in a presidential appointment must navigate a complicated process in order to be confirmed by the Senate. Sarah Bloom Raskin explains what it entails and tells why she withdrew her name from consideration for a post on the Federal Reserve in 2022.

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Jennifer Carlson, a professor researching the significance of guns in American society, interviews gun sellers across the country and discovers a “democratic crisis” of political culture. She learns that their attitudes range beyond the National Rifle Association’s agenda.

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The House Select Committee’s hearings to investigate the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol uncovered an extensive plot to overturn the 2020 election, coordinated election interference at both federal and state levels, and potential dereliction of duty by some senior officials, all before a global audience. Vivian Lowery Derryck, a member of the inaugural 2009 Advanced Leadership Initiative cohort, worries that the never-ending saga of Donald Trump, his legal issues and potential 2024 presidential bid, will overshadow the successes of this investigative milestone in American history.

THE IMPACT OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE SERIES:

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Russia’s “information war” in Ukraine is the latest example of how networked disinformation can deepen divides, harm people, destroy trust in institutions, and threaten democracy. Lisa Macpherson, a 2019 ALI Fellow, argues that America should take a more active role in supporting the free press it guaranteed its citizens in the First Amendment.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION IN SOCIAL IMPACT SERIES:

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We are just beginning to understand the transformational potential of digital technology to help solve some of “the world’s most pressing problems.” Chris Lewis of the digital rights organization Public Knowledge calls on social impact leaders to join with academic, civil society, and advocacy groups to grow a movement to build a better internet for all.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION IN SOCIAL IMPACT SERIES:

Employed with care, artificial intelligence can benefit us. Professor Frederic Lederer proposes a framework to determine AI's usefulness in two areas: predicting future criminal misconduct and developing safer weapons systems for the military.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION IN SOCIAL IMPACT SERIES:

Cat Wade, a researcher who has been affiliated with the Harvard University Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics and Embedded EthiCS, discusses some reasons for and effects of racism in technology as well as select interventions to address these negative effects.

HUMAN RIGHTS CRISES AND MOVEMENTS AROUND THE WORLD SERIES:

Mathias Risse, Director of the Harvard Kennedy School Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, provides an introduction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the human rights movement that emerged from it, discusses some major insights about economic inequality under capitalism, argues that increasing inequality is a challenge to the human rights movement, explores the ways in which the digital revolution that unfolds all around us could be a threat to human rights, either directly or through the ways in which it enhances inequality, and warns of the human rights stakes in the 2024 presidential election.

HUMAN RIGHTS CRISES AND MOVEMENTS AROUND THE WORLD SERIES:

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Ambassador Jeff Bleich and Dr. Bradley Strawser, with great insight and experience in law, public policy, technology and ethics, use autonomous vehicles as a case study of the tension between technological innovation and human rights. They conclude that only by drawing upon the lessons from past technology revolutions can we ensure our technological aspirations align with our human ones.

HUMAN RIGHTS CRISES AND MOVEMENTS AROUND THE WORLD SERIES:

Juliette Kayyem, Professor in International Security at Harvard Kennedy School, where she is also faculty chair of the Homeland Security and Security and Global Health Projects, discusses her book, The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in the Age of Disasters. In this interview, Professor Kayyem discusses the importance of corporate structure in preparing for crises, the preparedness paradox, how human nature makes preparing for crises challenging, and finally how leadership skills are critical in all crises, particularly the current crisis in Ukraine.

HUMAN RIGHTS CRISES AND MOVEMENTS AROUND THE WORLD SERIES:

Matthew Smith, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fortify Rights, discusses how their team of human rights defenders investigates, engages people with power, and strengthens community-based responses in the fight for human rights, focusing particularly on the genocide of the Rohingya in Myanmar. Smith underscores the role of Russia in supporting the military junta in Myanmar and the plight of children in the largest refugee settlement in the world -- the Rohingya camps near Cox’s Bazar in southeast Bangladesh.

HUMAN RIGHTS CRISES AND MOVEMENTS AROUND THE WORLD SERIES:

The world is aghast at the atrocities Russia is committing on the territory of Ukraine, an independent Member State of the United Nations. How effective will the World Court be in holding Russia to account for its international law breaches? Pieter Bekker discusses the question of enforceability of rulings issued by the International Court of Justice and addresses various facets of the human impact when sovereign states defy international law.

HUMAN RIGHTS CRISES AND MOVEMENTS AROUND THE WORLD SERIES:

The rights of transgender and nonbinary persons are under siege in the United States, including the right to abortion. Allison Whelan advocates for why we need an inclusive approach to reproductive justice that acknowledges the unique burdens that antiabortion laws impose on transgender and nonbinary persons, as well as other historically marginalized communities.

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One driver of the wealth gap in America is that households of people of color are less likely to own stock. Anthony Mohr, a 2021 ALI Fellow, says we should give students real shares to cultivate their interest in investing and creating wealth.

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The COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst for a revived labor movement that looks drastically different from the stereotype of white men working in a factory. Americans who want all workers to live a life of dignity must get involved.

Former Congresswoman Jane Harman discusses what it takes to win a seat in the House and pass bipartisan legislation. The job requires hard work, authenticity, and collegiality.