Senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; author of Shooting Up: Counterinsurgency and the War on Drugs and Aspiration and Ambivalence: Strategies and Realities of Counterinsurgency and State-building in Afghanistan; former Adjunct Professor in Security Studies at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service
Vanda Felbab-Brown on KCRW
More from KCRW
As Inglewood school closes, parents mourn loss of community
EducationInglewood residents are upset about a plan to close a local elementary school. But with enrollment down statewide, communities will likely see more permanent campus shutdowns.
On the menu: Special K and botox
Mental HealthKetamine clinics are popping up all over Los Angeles offering to treat depression, anxiety, and other ailments. But are their claims legitimate?
Gun rights v. med marijuana rights: You can have both, argues lawsuit
CannabisA Florida politician is suing the federal government over what she says is unconstitutional regulation on gun ownership for marijuana users.
American dissent on Ukraine is dying in darkness
InternationalWhen it came to the Ukraine conflict, Professor Michael J. Brenner did what he’s done his whole life: question American foreign policy. This time the backlash was vitriolic.
UN won’t end Russia-Ukraine war, diversity can threaten democracy
NationalThe United Nations can’t stop Russia’s war on Ukraine. And author Yascha Mounk says more diversity is a threat to democracy, but he’s still hopeful.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s mental decline triggers painful talks
Health & WellnessSenator Dianne Feinstein’s mental condition has caused a sense of pain among her colleagues, says Tal Kopan, a San Francisco Chronicle correspondent.
Will the Ukraine war end without destroying all life on the planet?
InternationalVeteran award-winning journalists Patrick Cockburn and Robert Scheer, who met in Moscow in 1987 when Mikhail Gorbachev optimistically promised peace, now fear a descent into nuclear…
L.A.'s big debate — Homelessness: Top candidates for LA Mayor join us live
PoliticsJoin us as candidates running for the Los Angeles Mayoral race debate the issue of homelessness, live on KCRW. Come back on May 20th at 6 p.m. to watch the livestream.
US needs anthem for fighting climate change: Dr. Lucy Jones
EnvironmentDr. Lucy Jones left behind a gig with the U.S. Geological Survey to devote her energy to fighting climate change. And she’d like to see music play a bigger role in the effort.