LEADERSHIP

VIDEO (12 MIN)

Leading on the Frontlines: Libby Schaaf

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf says the urgency of the pandemic creates an opportunity to find permanent solutions to systemic problems, like closing the digital divide and housing the homeless. Continuing our leadership series hosted by CNN national correspondent Suzanne Malveux, Schaaf reflects on the values driving the hard-hitting decisions she’s facing — such as allowing a cruise ship filled with infected travelers to dock in her city or determining whether public schools will remain online in the fall. Schaaf is a Rodel Fellow.

HEALTH

VIDEO (31 MIN)

The Essential Work of Caregivers

From nursing home staff to family members at home, we’re witnessing the extraordinary contributions of caregivers as never before. What safeguards are needed for those caring for the sickest and most vulnerable people? How do we ensure that recognition and protections for caregivers and other essential workers carry on once the current crisis has abated? Ai-jen Poo, executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Lucy Kalanithi, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University share stories and insights. Presented by Aspen Ideas: Health.

ASPEN IDEAS TO GO

PODCAST (33 MINUTES)

How to Be Less Lonely in the Pandemic

Is physical distancing making us lonelier? Vivek Murthy, former Surgeon General and author of Together, says prior to the pandemic people dealt with loneliness, which affects our health and well-being. Now, feelings of disconnection may be more difficult to bear. “If we allow physical distancing to translate into social distancing, we will experience a deepening of our loneliness,” he says. But it doesn’t have to be this way — we can choose a path of social revival in the pandemic. Murthy speaks with Olga Khazan, staff writer for The Atlantic. Presented by Aspen Ideas: Health

Science of the Arts

Music and the arts are helping many of us deal with the pandemic’s difficulties. How do the arts affect the brain and improve overall health? Learn about the burgeoning field of NeuroArts with acclaimed opera singer Renee Fleming and NIH Director Francis Collins. Jon Hamilton, NPR science correspondent, moderates the conversation on June 4. Register.

A Caretaking Revolution

Taking care of your kids during the coronavirus pandemic isn't all it's cracked up to be. Could paid leave, livable wage, and affordable care policies help us avert the next crisis? Join us June 3 for a discussion hosted by the Financial Security Program at the Aspen Institute.