Saving lives with fewer dollars
The episode follows ALIMA's healthcare program in conflict-affected northern Cameroon after it abruptly loses $1.9 million in funding from USAID, forcing cuts to lifesaving services. It contrasts ALIMA's on-the-ground medical work with GiveWell's data-driven philanthropy, showing how GiveWell evaluates whether to fund the program despite limited and imperfect data. Ultimately, GiveWell decides to fully replace the lost USAID funding for one year, while the story highlights broader global cuts to aid and the resulting loss of both services and information about needs.
Tax the rich - and save the planet | Esther Duflo
Host Elise Hu introduces a TED Talk by economist Esther Duflo, who argues that the world's richest individuals and largest multinational corporations should fund climate damage costs through targeted taxes. Duflo quantifies the mortality and financial burden that greenhouse gas emissions from rich countries impose on low- and middle-income countries and proposes a global wealth and corporate tax to raise around $1.7 trillion annually. She advocates sending this money directly to people, especially in poorer nations, to build resilience and create a new grand bargain where rich countries pay climate damages and poorer countries commit to strong climate action.