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The “all-digital” 2020 Aspen Ideas Festival conversations with Bill Gates about pandemics and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright about democracy and America’s role in the world.

Since its founding, the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation has committed billions of dollars to the search for and distribution of vaccines across the globe. Its knowledge, network and resources are now being tapped amid the accelerated search for treatments for COVID-19.

Gates joins Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company, and shares his expectations for a vaccine timeline, and elaborates on the mysteries of the virus we’re still exploring: How is the U.S. government’s response to the pandemic affecting the search for a cure? What about the private sector? What resources does Gates recommend for deeper understanding of diseases? And why does he believe that in five years we may be ready for the next pandemic?

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright joins longtime colleague and friend Ambassador Nicholas Burns for a conversation about her life, the dangers facing modern democracies and America’s role in what she calls “a brand-new world.”

Reflecting on her childhood in London during the Blitz, her journey to America as a refugee, and her long career as a diplomat, Albright is facing the current crises and ongoing work with outspoken determination. 

“It took me a long time to find my voice,” she says, ”I’m not going to shut up now.” A self-described worried optimist and grateful American, Albright offers an urgent message for the unprecedented times we are living in.

MPR News Staff

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2020 Aspen Ideas Festival conversations with Bill Gates about pandemics and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright about democracy and America’s role in the world.

2020 Aspen Ideas Festival: Bill Gates on pandemics and Madeleine Albright on democracy

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