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In the last 15 years, America has lost around 25% of its local and regional newspapers. Many others have shrunk dramatically in size. This has led to an increasing number of so-called “news deserts” across the US. There is growing evidence that this has a detrimental impact on local democracy, as well as the local economy. Emily Brindley is a 25-year-old reporter on the country’s longest continuously published newspaper, the Hartford Courant, in Connecticut. The paper has recently lost dozens of newsroom staff, as well as its physical newsroom, and is set to be taken over by a hedge fund that is notorious for making swingeing cuts. Penelope Abernathy started her career in local journalism, before moving to the business side of newspapers, including working for the New York Times and helping it expand nationally and internationally. She has written a number of reports on the state of local media in the US.

At the height of the pandemic, Native Americans were dying of Covid at twice the rate of white Americans. Huge inequalities have been highlighted, not just in terms of health, but also housing, education and wealth. Twenty-three percent of Native Americans live below the poverty line, compared to 10 percent of white Americans, and Native Americans are 19 times more likely to live without running water in their home. But there’s some good news too. If confirmed, Deb Haaland will make history as the first Native American in a cabinet secretary role. She’ll be the Secretary of the Interior, which oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Could this historic appointment change the fate of Native Americans today? There’s a lot of history to undo. Jonodev Chaudhuri, ambassador for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, explains how his mother was forced to go to a boarding school where she was forbidden from speaking her native language, and her arm was broken by her teachers. The poor education she received didn’t set her up well in life. He says the federal government has broken promises made in treaties to safeguard the health, education and safety of his people in return for their land. Amber Crotty, a tribal council delegate in the Navajo Nation in Arizona, tells how her tribe were left out of agreements over who had the right to the water that ran through their land, so today they can’t lawfully use it. One-third of her nation live without running water in their homes, and there are just 13 grocery stores on the 71,000 sq km reservation, meaning they have to drive for hours to buy food. She’s working hard to get her citizens vaccinated against Covid, and says the tide is now starting to turn. She hopes having a Native American head up the Department of the Interior, which oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs, will help address many inequalities they face.

America has been involved in plenty of wars in recent decades and is proud of its military and veterans. But are veterans getting the support they need?

How are Generation Z shaping your world? They are the generation born from 1996 to the present day. As the oldest members are turning 24, they’re already shaking things up in the workplace and at the ballot box. Social justice is the most important issue for them and their demands that companies take a stand on political issues is causing a debate in the workplace. Deja Foxx was the youngest staffer working on Vice President Kamala Harris’ election campaign, working on social media strategy. She is the founder of Gen Z Girl Gang, which promotes inclusivity and diversity. At 17, she founded a sex education organisation helping teens at risk of homelessness and those formerly in prison with access to birth control. Maya Penn started her own sustainable fashion brand Maya’s Ideas at only 8 years old. She is also the author of ‘You Got This’, a handbook for other would be teenage CEOs and is an award winning environmental activist and artist. As the most diverse generation America has seen, it’s no wonder that inclusivity is important to them. Deja and Maya discuss how they feel empowered to build a more just and vibrant world…with a little help from their smartphones. This is a co-production between BBC World Service and Ozy Media.

Katty Kay and Carlos Watson ask how Americans of differing views can restart their conversations. Partisan politics has broken up friendships, love affairs and even families. But is it up to the politicians to take the lead on restoring trust and respect, or should everyone play a part in reaching out across the aisle? Katty and Carlos are joined in the discussion by community organiser Maureen Hetherington, who led a unique project to heal the wounds left by decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, and by Francesca Polletta, professor of sociology at University of California, Irvine, who argues that making people like each other isn’t fundamental to bringing Americans together.

Katty Kay and Carlos Watson look back on a tumultuous week in US politics, and ask: where now for American democracy and America’s democratic institutions? Republicans are divided over support for Donald Trump, so what does that mean for the GOP? What should President-elect Biden do to heal the divisions of the past four years in the political establishment and the country? Katty and Carlos are joined by veteran political strategists Ron Christie and Doug Sosnik, a Republican and Democrat respectively, to seek answers from the week’s events, and to look at America beyond the Trump presidency.

Over the past year the Black Lives Matter movement went global, with protests against racial injustice taking place in over 60 countries. Katty and Carlos speak to co-founder of the movement, Opal Tometi, about the roots of the organisation, its goals, and what its priorities are for 2021. We hear some of the criticisms levelled at the movement, asking what has been achieved by the high-profile protests which have taken place across America, and reflect on its influence on civil rights activism around the world, exploring the movement's role in tackling issues beyond police brutality.

In the week that the Electoral College confirmed Joe Biden as the next US President, Katty Kay and Carlos Watson take a look at the future of the Republican party. The Trump presidency might be over, but there is no sign that Republican leaders are ready to jettison Trumpism, especially after securing more than 72 million votes in November’s elections. Katty and Carlos are joined by Brian Lanza, who was part of President Trump’s 2016 transitional team, and by Michael Steele, the first African-American to hold the post of chairperson of the Republican National Committee, to discuss what role Donald Trump will play in the party’s path ahead; and, if not a Trump, then who else will seek to steer the GOP into the 2024 presidential run-off?

Multiple conspiracy theories are circulating about Covid-19 - but how widely are they believed and what influence do they have? From QAnon to the death of Jeffrey Epstein, conspiratorial thinking seems to be everywhere right now - is this the era when fringe ideas have gone mainstream? Katty Kay and Carlos Watson speak to political scientist and conspiracy theory expert Prof Joseph Uscinski to explore why people believe in them, and what the potential consequences for wider society might be. They hear directly from those who believe in them, as well as people who have been subjected to personal attacks from conspiracy theory extremists.

One of the major stories of the past year was the death of George Floyd in May, following his arrest outside a store in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The whole world saw the video of police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck, pinning him to the ground for more than 8 minutes. Chauvin has now been charged with murder - one of only a few American police officers to be charged with murdering a civilian. George Floyd’s death was the result of a standard encounter between police officers and a member of the public, which unnecessarily spiralled out of control - a tragically familiar tale when it to comes to the police and minority communities. What can America do to better tackle the problem of police brutality, and why does it seem so hard to bring bad cops to account? Guests: Leon Ford, a social justice campaigner from Pittsburgh who was paralysed after being shot by police during a traffic stop in 2012 Chief Art Acevedo, City of Houston Police Department Redditt Hudson, former St Louis police officer, and co-founder of the National Coalition of Law Enforcement Officers for Justice Reform and Accountability Editor: Hugh Levinson Production team: Luke Radcliff, Maeve McGoran, Iyore Odighizuwa, Jonelle Awomoyi, Pamela Lorence

Covid-19 has dramatically changed the way we live our lives, exposing fractures in our communities - but what's America's exit plan from the pandemic? Carlos Watson and Philippa Thomas (standing in for Katty Kay) speak to journalist and author Fareed Zakaria about the dramatic and sudden shift in society this year. What are the lessons we need to learn to cope better in the future? Carlos and Philippa also explore how President-elect Biden may tackle the pandemic, speaking to Dr Nicole Lurie, a public health expert who was an advisor to Joe Biden during his election campaign. Working under President Obama as assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the United States Department of Health, Dr Lurie planned for public health emergencies like the one we are living through right now. What does she think needs to be done to bring the pandemic under control? Editor: Penny Murphy Production team: Luke Radcliff, Maeve McGoran, Iyore Odighizuwa, Jonelle Awomoyi, Pamela Lorence

Joe Biden says he will immediately re-join the Paris agreement on climate change, which Donald Trump withdrew from. Donald Trump has also repealed many of President Obama’s environmental laws. In the meantime, cities and States across the US have been taking their own action on the environment and climate change, irrespective of what’s been happening in Washington. President-elect Biden has said that climate change is the number one issue for humanity and for him. But will he be able to change much? Carlos Watson and Ritula Shah (standing in for Katty Kay this week) speak to Wisconsin’s Lieutenant Governor, Mandela Barnes, about what his state has been doing and what obstacles it faces. They’ll also be speaking to Jody Freeman, professor of environmental law at Harvard, who was an advisor to the Obama administration, about the difficulties Biden could have getting his climate agenda passed. Also taking part will be the mayor of Carmel, Indiana, Jim Brainard, who describes how being a Republican does not conflict with taking action on climate change. Production team: Editor, Penny Murphy. Producers: John Murphy, Luke Radcliff, Maeve McGoran, Iyore Odighizuwa, Jonelle Awomoyi

America’s turbulent 2020 election has highlighted how divided the United States is. President-elect Joe Biden has promised to bring the country together, and this may become one of the biggest challenges of his presidency. Katty Kay and Carlos Watson discuss what politicians, leaders and communities can do to bridge divides in this polarised nation. They’re joined by veteran civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton and former Governor of Ohio John Kasich. Editor: Penny Murphy Produced by Viv Jones, John Murphy, Maeve McGoran, Iyore Odighizuwa, Jonelle Awomoyi and Suzanne Kianpour Mixed by Andy Garratt

It took a while, and President Trump still hasn’t conceded defeat, but there’s a new President-elect on the scene, and Joe Biden is pressing ahead with his plans to take over the White House. So what happens next during this transition period? Katty and Carlos take the story on with author, journalist and member of the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, James Mann. Editor: Penny Murphy Produced by Viv Jones, Maeve McGoran, Iyore Odighizuwa, Jonelle Awomoyi, John Murphy and Suzanne Kianpour Mixed by Andy Garratt

Katty, Carlos and guests react to the astonishing 2020 US election. Bryan Lanza, Republican strategist and former member of Donald Trump’s 2016 transition team, weighs in on what the President will do next. We get a Democrat insider’s take from political consultant Minyon Moore, who was a senior adviser to Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Plus, we hear from Professor Allan Lichtman, the historian famous for accurately predicting election outcomes since 1984. Editor: Penny Murphy Produced by Sandie Kanthal, Iyore Odighizuwa, Maeve McGoran, Jonelle Awomoyi, Viv Jones and Suzanne Kianpour Mixed by Nigel Appleton

Women will play a critical role in who wins the U.S. presidential election. Pollsters are keeping a close eye on this important voting bloc, and there is data to suggest that no nominee for either party has ever garnered as much female support as the Democratic nominee, Joe Biden. So what do women voters want? Katty and Carlos are joined by Carrie Lukas, president of the conservative-leaning Independent Women’s Forum, and Christian Nunes, president of the National Organisation for Women, a feminist activist group founded in the 1960s. Editor: Penny Murphy Produced by Sandie Kanthal, Iyore Odighizuwa, Maeve McGoran, Jonelle Awomoyi, and Suzanne Kianpour Mixed by Nigel Appleton

This week, Katty Kay and Carlos Watson turn their attention to American foreign policy. The Trump administration made radical changes to the United States’ role on the world stage with its America First doctrine. Some say he spoke truth to power; others lament the upending of norms which guided international relations for decades. Katty and Carlos are joined by former UN Ambassador and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Samantha Power, and American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Danielle Pletka, to ask if historians will look on the Trump administration more favourably in the future than in the present, and what a possible Biden presidency might mean for America’s relationships around the world. Editor: Penny Murphy Produced by Viv Jones, Iyore Odighizuwa, Maeve McGoran and Jonelle Awomoyi, and Suzanne Kianpour Mixed by Nigel Appleton

Katty and Carlos discuss America’s economy and why one of the world’s wealthiest countries is home to such extremes of inequality and poverty. They are joined by Stephanie Kelton, a senior economic adviser to Bernie Sanders, and Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Stony Brook University in New York. Stephanie is a proponent of modern monetary theory (MMT), an economic school of thought that’s gaining popularity with some American thinkers and politicians. She argues that MMT could help America to build a bigger social safety net. Also joining the discussion is Teva Sienicki, CEO of Metro Caring, a non-profit organisation in Denver that serves 75,000 people per year. Teva shares the difficult stories of some of the people her charity helps, and reflects upon whether the ideal of the American Dream has contributed to the widespread belief that poverty is solely the fault of the poor. Editor: Penny Murphy Produced by Sandra Kanthal, Viv Jones, Iyore Odighizuwa, Maeve McGoran and Jonelle Awomoyi, with reporting from Suzanne Kianpour Mixed by Nigel Appleton

Every debate begins with introductions. In this unprecedented US election year, Katty and Carlos explore fresh perspectives on America’s future. In recent months, tens of thousands of Americans have lost their lives to the Covid-19 pandemic and thousands have taken to the streets demanding social justice. This race will determine the future of the country, and possibly the world, for much longer than four years.