Filippo Grandi brings enormous field experience in emergency operations to his role as UN High Commissioner for Refugees - and compassion and kindness, too. Today, there are 70.8 million forcibly removed people, whose challenges and those of their host communities are compounded by COVID-19, the biggest threat to humanity in almost a century. What future awaits these individuals, many of whom have no home or access to clean water - but are being told to stay indoors and wash their hands? And what hope do they have in this era of lockdowns and closed borders, when movement and escape are sometimes their only means of survival? In this special conversation, our host James Chau speaks with Mr. Grandi about the human condition that impacts us all.

Millions of us rely on satellite technology every day, whether it be ordering food for delivery, checking the weather, or routing our way home on our smartphones. With China’s launch of its Beidou satellite system, global navigation technology is about to get an upgrade. Beidou, named after the Big Dipper constellation in Chinese, is a group of satellites positioned on different orbits that will allow clearer communication and better coverage around the world. Watch our story to learn more about its impacts on our daily lives.

Lateefah Simon is a prolific civil rights and racial justice advocate, community leader, and elected public official in the San Francisco Bay Area. As the pandemic deepens in the United States, groups like the Black Lives Matter warn that people of color will be harder hit, because of a inequities in a healthcare system that often means higher rates of chronic disease, and lower access to basic services. Our host James Chau worked with Lateefah in AIDS, and in this interview they discuss the stakes for people of all colors, the future they face, and what chance they have in this emergency. She says when they unify, they unleash the collective power of the American promise.