HEALTH

VIDEO (15 MIN)

National Service: A Key to Recovery

Led by the Aspen Strategy Group, a robust roster of Democrats and Republicans recently signed a statement on the need for a national service mission. “National service would offer binding and life-shaping shared experiences to help young Americans of all economic, ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds understand and respect each other,” the statement reads.“It’s harder to lampoon someone you know,” says Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, a co-signer of the statement. He joins ASG’s Nicholas Burns and Anja Manuel to reflect on the importance of creating a national service program and the key elements needed to make it successful. Among the many benefits, a service corps would help tackle domestic risks and economic weaknesses that have been brought into sharp relief by the pandemic.Watch.

ASPEN IDEAS TO GO

VIDEO (8 MIN)

Getting Along: It’s a Matter of Rolling Up Your Sleeves

Bill Bishop says there’s plenty of evidence that talking about our differences doesn’t help us understand each other, but collective action does. Simply put, “You get along with people by doing things rather than talking about them,” says Bishop. In 2004, he wrote The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded Americans Is Tearing Us Apart, a sweeping examination of demographic data and the resulting cultural trends. Bishop and James Fallows, staff writer at The Atlantic and co-author of Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America, discuss the geography of personal and political belief in the pandemic era. Has the shared burden of the COVID-19 brought us closer together as a country? Will we sort ourselves differently after months of working from home? Where, or how, will we ultimately find the greatest sense of community? Watch.

Aspen Ideas: Show Up

October 20–21

Democracy takes work — but it’s empowering and joyful work that you can do as a part of your everyday life. Speakers at this new virtual event, including NFL Jaguar Christian Conley, WBNA star Candace Parker, Parkland student and activist Aalayah Eastmond, two-time Olympic gold medalist Hope Solo, Drag Out the Vote National Co-Chair Brita Filter and climate activist Benji Backer, will shine a light on civic engagement. We’ll show you how to participate in critical topics that will help ensure a future you want to live in. Join the free, two-night digital event with live interactive sessions. New voices. Fresh ideas. Democracy for the next generation. October 20–21, 7 p.m. ET. Register.

In Focus: Gears of Democracy

For all of the work that goes into a functioning democracy, none is more important than free and fair elections — ultimately with the peaceful transfer of power. But beyond voting, this system depends on individuals and institutions that value the integrity of the process as much as the actual result. The latest installment of In Focus explores the gears of democracy during an American election year unlike any other. This multimedia series brings clear, diverse perspectives to the challenges shaping our society, showcasing new ideas and untold stories, and bringing the issues behind the headlines in focus. Learn more.

An Inside Look at the COVID-19 Vaccine Development Process

October 22

The urgency to have COVID-19 vaccines available is paramount to public health, and the US Food and Drug Administration has a critical role to play in ensuring their safety and efficacy. Former FDA commissioner Dr. Peggy Hamburg and current FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn will discuss the process of vaccine development, authorization or approval, and deployment, with veteran health journalist Clifton Leaf. Register.

A Crack in Creation: The Power and Ethics of Gene Editing

Podcast, October 13

Featuring Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna, the Li Ka Shing Chancellor's Chair in Biomedical and Health Sciences at UC Berkeley, and Walter Isaacson, biographer and former president of the Aspen Institute.Listen.