Paratroopers from the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment, soldiers from the U.S.-led Task Force Paladin and an unidentified U.S citizen from Dallas, Texas, center, working as a civilian contractor to advise the U.S.-led Task Force Paladin, take part in an operation to search three compounds and look for weapons in Salavat, Panjawi Province, Afghanistan.
In World War II, contractors made up just 10 percent of the military workforce; by the Iraq war, that number had risen to 50 percent. And that number is climbing – not just in the U.S. but worldwide, as governments look to save money and keep casualty numbers down for their own militaries. But what does this trend toward private-run warfare mean for the future of international relations? One former contractor warns that armies-for-hire will soon be the norm, making it easier than ever to wage war. What an increased reliance on private armies could mean for modern warfare and global security.
As part of Diane's remote author interview series, she had the chance to speak with Ann Patchett in January over video Zoom as a live audience watched. Here's that conversation.
On the last podcast of April, On My Mind celebrates National Poetry Month by revisiting an interview with Billy Collins from November 2020. When the pandemic began, poet Billy Collins,…
President Biden has promised to slash the country's greenhouse gas emissions. Vox's Umair Irfan explains the details of the administration's plan -- and what it will take to hit these new targets.
Diane talks with Larry Krasner, Philadelphia's district attorney, and author of the new book, "For the People: A Story of Justice and Power." He is also the subject of the new PBS Independent Lens documentary "Philly D.A."
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