In 1962, Mary Badham made her big-screen debut in the classic film To Kill a Mockingbird as the beloved Scout Finch, opposite Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch.  Today, she has returned to Harper Lee's iconic story in the touring Broadway production by playing Mrs. Dubose -- the racist neighbor who represents the antithesis of Scout’s innocence and acceptance. And she believes that To Kill a Mockingbird is as important today as it was in 1962. Related See Mary Badham at the Broadway Dallas production of To Kill a Mockingbird About the To Kill a Mockingbird national tour Watch Mary Badham and ..read more

Although Masih Alinejad was exiled from Iran in 2009, she continues to fight for the people of her country — and was named one of Time Magazine’s 2023 Women of the Year.  And even though she has to use her voice from afar, she has amassed 9 million social media followers that hear her message of equality and freedom for the women of Iran — and the world. Related Masih Alinejad on Instagram Women's Advancement at the George W. Bush Institute The Wind in My Hair: My Fight for Freedom in Modern Iran ..read more

As a legislator, Senator Portman believed in working across the aisle — and believes Americans want just that.  He offers advice to young people who are frustrated by politics today, talks about the new Portman Center for Policy Solutions in his home city, offers his thoughts on the war in Ukraine and on policy with China, and tells us about his historic — and supposedly haunted -- Ohio hotel, which, incidentally, serves fantastic fried chicken. Related 2023 Forum on Leadership ..read more

Ken Hersh, President and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, has never shied away from raising his hand and taking on new opportunities. From launching his career by picking up the phone and calling directory assistance so he could get in the door with a noted investor, to  becoming the CEO of the Bush Center, Ken has never been afraid to take a leap. Related 2023 Bush Center Forum on Leadership The Fastest Tortoise at the George W. Bush Presidential Museum Store ..read more

Fran Townsend was a pubic servant for decades, from the courtroom, to the Justice Department, and eventually to the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. In 2004, she was appointed Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor, where she briefed President Bush on a daily basis. She discusses those briefings — but also reflects on how her family has gotten to live the American dream.   She also shares her insights on national security issues past and present, from terrorism to TikTok — and shares some of her favorite stories from her time in the White House. Related Presi ..read more

When David McCormick ran for Senator of Pennsylvania last year, he brought with him the lessons he had learned as an Army Ranger, as a private sector CEO, and on the international policy stage in the Bush Administration -- and shares those lessons with us. David also reminds us that we have to have be able to have fervent debate and disagreement as a Nation, while remembering that whoever sits on the other side isn’t our enemy, but simply someone with different ideas from us. We bounce around policy areas and ideas that he discusses in his new book, Superpower in Peril. Related Superpower in ..read more

Stephen J. Hadley, assistant to the president for National Security Affairs, joins White House communications director Kevin Sullivan in taking us behind the scenes of the Bush/Obama presidential transition and inside presidential briefings. Hadley discusses the compiled the declassified foreign policy memos in Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama. Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama Engage at the Bush Center, presented by NexPoint: Stephen Hadley joins Insiders on How the Intelligence Community Protects Our Democracy ..read more

Executive Director of the Bush Institute David J. Kramer is one of the world’s foremost experts on the region. We catch up with him to get his take on the largest war in Europe since World War II, on Vladimir Putin, and why it’s so important for the United States to continue to support the Ukrainian people. Related Bush Institute Policy Recommendation -- Supporting Ukraine: Why It Is Vital to U.S. National Security Interest All Bush Institute 2023 Policy Briefs ..read more

While the children of the survivors of the Holocaust might not have experienced it in the same was as their parents, they’re uniquely able to see a world that is simultaneously capable of unspeakable evil yet also kindness and respect.  Hadassah Lieberman was born in Prague, the daughter of Holocaust survivors who immigrated to the U.S. when she was a young girl.  She shares the perspectives she’s learned through her life as a successful businessswoman, the wife of a U.S. Senator, and immigrant. Mrs. Lieberman also reflects  on the 2000 presidential campaign and disputed electio ..read more

Ruslana wrote the song used in the introduction for the people of Ukraine. It is titled “I’m Alive” and is available on YouTube. I'm Alive by Ruslana ..read more