Taiwanese scholars say the outcome of the United States midterm elections could be a double-edged sword for Beijing. The November 3 midterms saw Democrats win control of both chambers of Congress, flipping several Republican-held seats. The party’s gains are expected to constrain U.S. President Donald Trump’s China-friendly policies, while economic pressures may push his administration to ease trade restrictions, Taiwanese scholars say.

This week, Amanda and Hanna are tackling the two nail-biters that were the elections in Brazil and Israel, and what the results may mean going forward. Then we have an interview with Independence Resilience Observer Tom Wilson on the results of an Alpha Geo survey that put Taipei at the bottom of international climate resilience, and what the idea of “resilience” in climate, defense, or anything else, even means to the people and cities that try to put it into practice. Read along with us: Brazil's elections: 1. Flávio Bolsonaro calls himself the ‘leader of Brazil’ after fleeing to Miami (Tiago Rogero and Joseph Contreras, The Guardian), 2. Lula wins fourth term in dramatic Brazil election comeback (Ione Wells and Hafsa Khalil, The BBC) Israel's elections: 1. No clear winner in Israel election with nearly 90 percent of votes counted (Al Jazeera staff and Anadolu, Al Jazeera), 2. Coalition talks loom in Israel as Netanyahu and Eisenkot blocs set to fall short of majorit...

Amanda just made Michelle watch a bunch of horror movies, as she does every year for Fall Freakout on Tales of Our Time!  She's in the studio (with Jared who is generally dragged into whatever passion project is happening) to chat about their fantastic time!

What happens when a simple question “What brings you joy?” is not so simple to answer? In Part One, Mary Anne and Patty compared their striving styles assessment results, discovering where their perspectives overlap, where they differ, and what those results may reveal about the things that motivate them. Now, their conversation moves from understanding who they are to considering what makes life feel more meaningful and enjoyable. Following the Real Talk: Unmapped framework of Feel, Discuss, and Commit, they explore joy in their presonal relationships and whether it is something we naturally recognize or something we need to make room for more intentionally. Tune in for an honest and thoughtful conversation that may leave you looking at the sources of joy in your own life a little differently. If you missed Part One, listen to it first to hear the discussion that set this next conversation in motion...and to get to know Mary Anne and Patty a little better along the way.

Today we're talking to Kathryn Houg about Parini Shroff's The Bandit Queens. This book has so much to say! We tried to get as much as we could about this dark comedy that successfully tackles serious topics like domestic abuse, alcoholism, sisterhood, poverty, social class, and more.  If you want to hear more about Kathryn's takes (or follow her progress on her reading goals) you can find her on Instagram @kat.and.roo.read

Which of the following is true:  A) A shark is stuck in a canal in South Korea  B) New York City passes a law to end horse-drawn carriages  C) Taiwan search and rescue dogs place at the world championships  D) All of the above Keep listening to find out. Formosa Fauna is back this week to entertainingly educate you about animals both in Taiwan and abroad! Spend the next 20 minutes listening to this episode and feeding your noggin with fun facts about the animal kingdom so you can become smarter than all of your friends. Is Halloween dangerous for black cats? There may be myths behind why, but the shelters do have a good reason for hitting pause on black cat adoption for the month of October. Want to share your own story and have it read on air? Send your story (photos welcome) to tristan@rti.org.tw! See you every week for Formosa Fauna Fridays!