Podcasts about American Life

Political scientist and Democratic political theorist, Rachel Bitecofer, PhD, explains why Democrats fail to win voters to their side, and what they can do to develop new winning political strategies. Trump hands Putin the crown jewel of NATO. What's next? Plus Geeky Science: What's the real sleep sweet spot for living longer, and why has the fun disappeared from American life?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Have Our Recent Wars Been Worth Even a Single American Life?Billionaires hit record highsConsumer sentiment craters to a 70-year lowHawaii outlaws corporate electionsPutin's elite turnsMassie names Epstein names.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The human mind has difficulty comprehending just how much money one billion dollars actually is. The New York Times’ Steven Rich is part of a reporting team that has unpacked the power of billionaires in American communities and American politics—where their influence is substantial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Straight White American Jesus Sunday Interview, host Leah Payne speaks with Jonathan Calvillo, sociologist of religion at Candler School of Theology at Emory University and author of The Saints of Santa Ana, about growing tensions within Latino evangelical and Pentecostal communities over immigration, political representation, and the public platforming of prominent evangelical leader Samuel Rodriguez. The conversation centers on the recent “We Are Not a Monolith” statement issued by Latino pastors, scholars, and ministry leaders calling for greater nuance and accountability in how Latino Christians are represented in national media. Calvillo explains why many faith leaders believe Rodriguez has come to function less as an advocate for vulnerable immigrant communities and more as a defender of Trump-era immigration policies and conservative political networks. Together, Payne and Calvillo explore how ICE raids and immigration enforcement are reshaping Latino churches across the United States, including the emergence of new theological language around persecution, sanctuary, solidarity, and resistance. They discuss the complex political diversity within Latino evangelicalism, the influence of white evangelical megachurch networks on Latino Pentecostal leaders, and the growing tensions between immigrant-majority congregations and prominent conservative evangelical institutions. The episode also examines how Latino evangelical and Pentecostal churches are responding to fear, surveillance, and political polarization in this moment, including new collaborations between immigrant churches, ecumenical groups, and unexpected community allies. Throughout the conversation, Calvillo situates current debates within a longer history of migration, marginalization, religious activism, and public theology in the United States. The “We Are Not a Monolith” statement and the debate over Latino evangelical representation Samuel Rodriguez, the NHCLC, and conservative evangelical political influence ICE raids, sanctuary politics, and immigrant church communities Why some Latino pastors are increasingly using the language of persecution Latino Pentecostalism, MAGA politics, and white evangelical influence The role of megachurch culture, class mobility, and political power Christian nationalism and competing visions of American Christianity New ecumenical and interfaith collaborations emerging in immigrant communities Theologies of protest, resistance, and accompaniment among Latino evangelicals “We Are Not a Monolith” statement: WeAreNotAMonolith.com Samuel Rodriguez, “ICE Is Devastating Some Latino Churches” (Christianity Today): Christianity Today article Christianity Today response to the “We Are Not a Monolith” statement: CT response article Religion News Service coverage: “Latino Christians release letter saying Trump advisor overexaggerated influence” Robert Chao Romero, “We Refuse to Be Comforted: When Prophets Side with Pharaoh”: Theology and Migration article Jonathan Calvillo faculty page: Candler School of Theology Faculty Profile Jonathan Calvillo on Instagram/X: @yocalvillo Jonathan Calvillo's book, The Saints of Santa Ana: Faith and Ethnicity in a Mexican-Majority City:  Oxford University Press In This EpisodeLinks:Find Dr. Leah Payne at DrLeahPayne.com, subscribe on Substack, follow her on most social media platforms at @drleahpayne, listen along at Spirit & Power: Charismatics & Politics in American Life and Rock That Doesn't Roll, and read along with God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music. Subscribe for $3.65: ⁠https://axismundi.supercast.com/⁠ Subscribe to our free newsletter: ⁠https://swaj.substack.com/⁠ Order American Caesar by Brad Onishi: ⁠https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/⁠ Donate to SWAJ: https://axismundi.supercast.com/donations/new Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A famous, but somewhat strange, book from 1979.  Of the decline of American society from the perspective of fifty years ago. The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2026/05/16/the-culture-of-narcissism-american-life-in-an-age-of-diminishing-expectations-christopher-lasch/). We strongly encourage all listeners to bookmark our main site (https://www.theworthyhouse.com). You can also subscribe for email notifications, or subscribe at Substack. The Worthy House does not solicit donations or other support, or have ads. Other than at the main site, you can follow Charles here: https://x.com/TheWorthyHouse https://charleshaywood.substack.com/

What if loneliness isn't just an emotion… but one of the most dangerous biological threats to your health? In this deeply personal and scientifically explosive solo episode, Darin opens up about something he recently realized in his own life: despite being surrounded by people, he was lonely. But what began as an emotional realization quickly became a deep dive into some of the most shocking research he's ever uncovered, showing that chronic loneliness may increase the risk of heart disease, dementia, cancer, autoimmune dysfunction, accelerated aging, and early death. From inflammatory gene expression and cortisol dysregulation to oxytocin, vulnerability, and the collapse of real human connection in the digital age, this episode reveals why loneliness may be the most overlooked "fatal convenience" of modern life, and how vulnerability may be the medicine. What You'll Learn Why loneliness is a biological crisis, not just an emotional feeling The shocking link between loneliness and heart disease, dementia, and early death Why the quality of your relationships is the #1 predictor of long-term health How loneliness activates inflammatory genes inside your body The role of cortisol, sleep disruption, and chronic stress in social isolation Why social media and "surface-level connection" are replacing real intimacy The connection between loneliness and Alzheimer's disease How oxytocin and genuine connection reduce inflammation Why vulnerability is the gateway to meaningful relationships Practical ways to create deeper connection starting today Chapters 00:00:33 – Sponsor: the truth about the exploding NAD supplement market 00:01:04 – Why supplement verification and transparency matter 00:02:17 – Opening: Darin admits something deeply personal 00:02:30 – "I realized recently… I'm lonely" 00:02:37 – The difference between being surrounded by people vs being truly known 00:03:06 – Loneliness as a biological experience, not just an emotional one 00:03:27 – The hidden risks: heart disease, dementia, cancer, early death 00:03:45 – Why this is not fringe science 00:04:13 – The most important predictor of long-term health 00:04:34 – Why relationship QUALITY matters more than quantity 00:05:06 – The global loneliness epidemic 00:05:11 – U.S. Surgeon General advisory on loneliness 00:05:39 – Loneliness declared a public health crisis 00:06:02 – 50% of Americans report measurable loneliness 00:06:22 – "A generational collapse of connection" 00:06:30 – 29% of adults have no close friends 00:06:40 – Face-to-face interactions dramatically declining 00:07:01 – The UK, Japan, and Australia loneliness crisis initiatives 00:07:32 – The paradox: hyperconnected but deeply isolated 00:08:04 – Loneliness as a biological alarm signal 00:08:31 – What loneliness actually looks like in modern life 00:08:42 – The lonely CEO, the unseen mother, the isolated social media addict 00:09:31 – "Perceived social isolation" and why the brain can't tell the difference 00:10:21 – Meta-analysis of 3.4 million people 00:10:55 – Loneliness vs obesity and smoking risk comparisons 00:11:18 – The biology of loneliness begins 00:11:50 – NF-kB: inflammatory gene activation explained 00:12:33 – How loneliness changes gene expression 00:13:02 – Chronic inflammation and disease pathways 00:13:21 – Cortisol, sleep disruption, and immune dysfunction 00:14:00 – How loneliness affects brain repair and amyloid plaque clearing 00:14:21 – Sponsor: Fatty15 and cellular health 00:18:02 – The Alzheimer's and dementia connection 00:18:25 – Loneliness as a major modifiable dementia risk factor 00:18:57 – Cortisol, neuroinflammation, and brain degeneration 00:19:16 – The hippocampus physically shrinking in lonely people 00:19:27 – Social media as a "fatal convenience" 00:19:57 – The oxytocin economy: connection as medicine 00:20:15 – Oxytocin as one of the body's strongest anti-inflammatory molecules 00:20:30 – HeartMath research: emotional synchronization between people 00:20:48 – "You regulate each other's biology" 00:21:07 – The real barrier: vulnerability 00:21:32 – Darin's recent experiences with radical vulnerability 00:21:54 – Conversations with family, ex-partners, and loved ones 00:22:35 – Brené Brown's research on connection and worthiness 00:23:14 – The "depth audit" exercise 00:23:42 – Reaching out, expressing appreciation, and owning your emotions 00:24:01 – Sacred hours: spending time without phones 00:24:13 – Questions that create real intimacy 00:24:30 – Darin's emotional conversation with his brother 00:25:03 – Protecting yourself from social media disconnection 00:25:20 – Becoming a source of joy and connection in everyday life 00:25:25 – Darin reflects on seven years of subtle loneliness 00:25:48 – The shift from surface conversations to meaningful connection 00:26:01 – "If you want love, give love" 00:26:19 – Final message: generate the connection you want to receive 00:26:22 – Closing thoughts and outro Thank You to Our Sponsors Truniagen: Go to www.truniagen.com and use code DARIN20 at checkout for 20% off Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/DARIN and using code DARIN at checkout. Join the SuperLife Community Get Darin's deeper wellness breakdowns — beyond social media restrictions: Weekly voice notes Ingredient deep dives Wellness challenges Energy + consciousness tools Community accountability Extended episodes Join for $7.49/month → https://patreon.com/darinolien Connect with Darin Olien: Website: darinolien.com Instagram: @darinolien Book: Fatal Conveniences Platform & Products: superlife.com New Show: Roadmap to Happiness Key Takeaway "Loneliness isn't weakness. It isn't failure. It's a biological signal telling you that something essential is missing. And in a world addicted to surface-level connection, the real medicine may simply be this: vulnerability, presence, eye contact, honesty, and the courage to let yourself truly be seen." Bibliography/Sources The Loneliness Epidemic & Public Health Data Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). American time use survey. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/tus/ Cigna. (2023). Cigna U.S. loneliness index. Evernorth Health Services. https://newsroom.cigna.com/loneliness-epidemic-continues-to-rise-cigna-study Murthy, V. H. (2023). Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General's advisory on the healing effects of social connection and community. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf Survey Center on American Life. (2021). The state of American friendship: Change, challenges, and loss. American Enterprise Institute. https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/the-state-of-american-friendship-change-challenges-and-loss/ Mortality & Systemic Health Risk Cohen, S., Doyle, W. J., Skoner, D. P., Rabin, B. S., & Gwaltney, J. M. (1997). Social ties and susceptibility to the common cold. JAMA, 277(24), 1940–1944. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9200634/ Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2010). Loneliness matters: A theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 40(2), 218–227. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20396846/ Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., Baker, M., Harris, T., & Stephenson, D. (2015). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: A meta-analytic review. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(2), 227–237. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614568352 Valtorta, N. K., Kanaan, M., Gilbody, S., Ronzi, S., & Hanratty, B. (2016). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke. Heart, 102(13), 1009–1016. https://heart.bmj.com/content/102/13/1009 Genetics, Inflammation & The Immune System Cole, S. W. (2013). Social regulation of human gene expression: Mechanisms and implications for public health. American Journal of Public Health, 103(S1), S84–S92. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3786756/ Cole, S. W., Hawkley, L. C., Arevalo, J. M. G., Sung, C. Y., Rose, R. M., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2007). Social regulation of gene expression in human leukocytes. Genome Biology, 8(9), Article R189. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2375027/ Sleep & Cognitive Decline Cacioppo, J. T., Hawkley, L. C., Berntson, G. G., Ernst, J. M., Gibbs, A. C., Stickgold, R., & Hobson, J. A. (2002). Do lonely days invade the nights? Potential social modulation of sleep efficiency. Psychological Science, 13(4), 384–387. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12137144/ Holwerda, T. J., Deeg, D. J. H., Beekman, A. T. F., et al. (2014). Feelings of loneliness, but not social isolation, predict dementia onset. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 85(2), 135–142. https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/85/2/135 Oxytocin & The Biology of Connection Szeto, A., Sun-Suslow, N., Mendez, A. J., Hernandez, R. I., Wagner, K. V., & McCabe, P. M. (2017). Regulation of the macrophage oxytocin receptor in response to inflammation. American Journal of Physiology—Endocrinology and Metabolism, 312(2), E183–E189. https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpendo.00424.2016 Uvnas-Moberg, K. (2003). The oxytocin factor: Tapping the hormone of calm, love, and healing. Da Capo Press. https://books.google.com/books?id=b-aKjQoB_nQC Psychology, Vulnerability & Relationship Science Aron, A., Melinat, E., Aron, E. N., Vallone, R. D., & Bator, R. J. (1997). The experimental generation of interpersonal closeness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23(4), 363–377. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167297234003 Brown, B. (2010). The gifts of imperfection: Let go of who you think you're supposed to be and embrace who you are. Hazelden Publishing. https://brenebrown.com/book/the-gifts-of-imperfection/ Cacioppo, J. T., & Patrick, W. (2008). Loneliness: Human nature and the need for social connection. W. W. Norton & Company. https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393335286 Dunbar, R. I. M. (2012). Bridging evolutionary approaches to the social brain and social bonding. In F. B. M. de Waal & P. F. Ferrari (Eds.), The primate mind. Harvard University Press. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674063104 Dunbar, R. I. M. (2021). Friends: Understanding the power of our most important relationships. Little, Brown and Company. https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/robin-dunbar/friends/9781408711736/ Waldinger, R., & Schulz, M. (2023). The good life: Lessons from the world's longest scientific study on happiness. Simon & Schuster. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Good-Life/Robert-Waldinger/9781982166694

Support Green and Red Podcast and get analysis on U.S. politics, leftist strategy, and anti-establishment resistance at https://www.patreon.com/greenredpodcast.It's the 56th anniversary of the killings at Kent State University. In a special encore episode, we're reposting our episode from 2020.In this episode, we commemorate the anniversary of the tragic events of May 4th, 1970 at Kent State University, where agents of the state murdered 4 students and shot 9 others. Students, who'd been told the war was winding down in Vietnam, erupted in protest at campuses all over America when Richard Nixon announced the U.S. invasion of Cambodia on April 30th. At Kent State, a working-class public school in Northeast Ohio, protesting students and other burned down an ROTC building, a common target in the Vietnam protest era, and Ohio Governor James Rhodes, vowing a violent response, mobilized the National Guard and sent them to Kent. For two days the students and Guard skirmished, with the paramilitaries hurling tear gas and intimidating students. On May 4th, the Guard, unprovoked, started shooting into the crowd of students and shot 13, killing 4, from distances beyond 300 feet. These were extrajudicial killings and a sure sign the state would murder anyone who challenged its interests. The war had come home! Scott and Bob, who's also a historian of the Vietnam War and the 1960s and has published extensively on those subjects, talk about the background to the protests, the official, violent response, the aftermath at places like Jackson State, where 2 more students were killed, and the larger context of anti-state protests and their meaning, and lessons.----------Outro// "Green and Red Blues" by Moody

Are you feeling more digitally tethered but less connected than ever? Welcome to another moment of connection on the Love and Life Elevated podcast. Today, we dive into an urgent modern challenge: the "Relationship Recession." While we are constantly "online," data from the 2024 Survey Center on American Life shows a staggering decline in close friendships over the last 30 years. This isn't just a social trend; it's a biological crisis. Social isolation physically impacts our longevity, brain health, and nervous systems. In this episode, we explore the science of connection and share 5 practical, evidence-based actions to reinvest in your social capital: Micro-Moments: Why a 30-second exchange with a barista lowers stress. The Power of "Weak Ties": Why casual acquaintances are vital for mental health. Collective Effervescence: How group movement and yoga synchronize our biology. Analog Boundaries: Why your smartphone is the "third wheel" in your intimacy. Proactive Vulnerability: Embracing the "Beautiful Mess Effect" to build trust. We are not meant to navigate life in isolation. Join us as we discuss how to heal our culture by healing our connections.

Are men ashamed of their porn habits?The majority of men consume porn, and most use it for masturbation, but two thirds of men under 25 think porn should be harder to access, according to research from the Survey Center on American Life. There's a broader discussion now among some men about the role of porn and masturbation in their lives – and manosphere figures like Andrew Tate and Hamza Ahmed are urging their listeners to stop watching it. Some men are cutting it out entirely: they congregate on Reddit pages like r/pornfree or use porn addiction alleviation apps like Quittr and Fortify. But what do men think watching porn says about them? And is this just “purity culture for boys”? Brittany is joined by Rebecca Jennings, features writer at New York Magazine who wrote a piece about anti-porn men, and Scott Burnett, assistant professor of African Studies and Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies at Penn State University, who has published research about men's anti-masturbation trends. For more episodes about gender, sexuality, and internet culture, check out:The price women pay for being onlineThe joy of breaking up with dating appsGen Z is afraid of sex — and for good reasonSupport Public Media. Join NPR Plus.Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR's Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Host: Dr. David DeRose, MD, MPH. Co-Host: Joni Bokovoy, DrPH, MPH. (Cherokee Nation). Guests: Jacob Bor, SD, Associate Professor, Departments of Global Health and Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health; Michael E. Bird, MSW, MPH (Kewa Pueblo), Past President of the American Public Health Association. Description Dr. Jacob Bor and Michael Bird paint a chilling picture of how Native Americans are dying as early as residents of a third-world country like Bangladesh, rather than having the longevity benefits enjoyed by most of those living in the United States. You will learn how these startling death rates have not been recognized until recently, due to the misclassification of many Native Americans. The full scientific study featured in the program is: Bor J, Bird M, et al. Life expectancy of American Indian and Alaska Native persons and underreporting of mortality in vital statistics. JAMA. 2025; 334(3):243-252. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.8126. For Further Information, visit: www.AIANL.org.

In this episode of the Straight White American Jesus Sunday Interview, host Leah Payne speaks with journalist Sam Kestenbaum about his reporting on celebrity pastor culture and the rise of the “hype priest.” The conversation centers on Kestenbaum's widely discussed profile of Judah Smith, a “pastor-to-the-stars” connected to figures like Justin Bieber, and expands into a broader analysis of how millennial pastors have fused evangelical preaching with aesthetics, branding, and media performance. Sam Kestenbaum is a journalist who covers religion in America, known for his deeply reported and stylistically distinctive profiles of contemporary spiritual figures. Based in Los Angeles, his work has appeared in The New York Times, Harper's Magazine, Rolling Stone, and beyond, where he examines the intersections of faith, politics, and culture. Together, Payne and Kestenbaum explore the Churchome experience in Los Angeles, pop-up worship in rented theaters, a creative-class audience, and a ministry shaped as much by production value and performance as by theology. They discuss how presentation - from clothing to sermon delivery - functions as a form of religious communication, as well as how figures like Judah Smith navigate political polarization by shifting toward a more therapeutic, individualized message. The conversation also maps a wider ecosystem of charismatic influencers, including those who lean more explicitly into conservative politics, and situates today's media-savvy pastors within a longer lineage of charismatic power brokers shaping American public life. In This Episode Sam Kestenbaum's profile of Judah Smith and the rise of the “hype priest” The Churchome model: pop-up churches, celebrity culture, and Los Angeles creatives Aesthetics, authenticity, and performance in contemporary evangelical preaching The influence of Black Pentecostal styles on white charismatic leaders Why some celebrity pastors avoid overt political alignment The next generation: influencers, revival tours, and conservative media ecosystems Figures like Greg Laurie and Bryce Crawford in the broader charismatic landscape The enduring influence of leaders like Che Ahn and the question of political power Links: Sam Kestenbaum's website: https://samkestenbaum.com/ “The Hype Priest Who Rode the Bieber Wave: Judah Smith's message of grace earned him many famous followers. Is he out of step with other Evangelicals?” (Vulture / New York Magazine): https://www.vulture.com/article/judah-smith-church-pastor-justin-bieber.html  “The Demon Slayers: the New Age of American Exorcisms” (on Greg Locke, Harper's Magazine): https://harpers.org/archive/2024/08/the-demon-slayers-sam-kestenbaum-exorcisms/  “‘I Think All the Christians Get Slaughtered': Inside the MAGA Road Show Barnstorming America” (on Clay Clark, Rolling Stone): https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/clay-clark-reawaken-america-maga-tour-trump-1234594574/  Find Sam Kestenbaum at https://samkestenbaum.com/ Find Dr. Leah Payne at drleahpayne.com , subscribe on Substack, follow her on most social media platforms at @drleahpayne, listen along at Spirit & Power: Charismatics & Politics in American Life and Rock that Doesn't Roll: The Story of Christian Rock, and read along: God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music. Subscribe for $3.65: ⁠https://axismundi.supercast.com/⁠ Subscribe to our free newsletter: ⁠https://swaj.substack.com/⁠ Order American Caesar by Brad Onishi: ⁠https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/⁠ Donate to SWAJ: https://axismundi.supercast.com/donations/new Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew Buckley Smith first appeared in episode 226. He won the 2025 Rattle Chapbook Prize for The Soft Black Stars. He's the author of Midlife (Measure, 2024) and Dirge for an Imaginary World (Able Muse, 2012). His poems have been featured in American Life in Poetry, Best American Poetry, and Poetry Daily. He hosts the poetry podcast SLEERICKETS. Find more here: https://www.matthewbuckleysmith.com/ As always, we'll also include the live Prompt Lines for responses to our weekly prompt. Submit your poems through Submittable by midnight Sunday for a chance to be invited: https://rattle.submittable.com/submit/269309/rattlecast-prompt-poems-online For links to all the past episodes, visit: https://www.rattle.com/page/rattlecast/ This Week's Prompt: Write a villanelle that features something you see every day–and you're the only person in the world that does. Next Week's Prompt: Pick a decision that shaped the trajectory of your life and imagine if you'd calculated a different choice. Include at least one scent. The Rattlecast livestreams on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, then becomes an audio podcast. Find it on iTunes, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts.

The Declaration of Independence is our nation's founding creed, reminding us time and again that “we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights.” But for too long now, science has been misused to overturn the ideas found in our nation's founding principles. Is there hope for recovering these truths anew? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid is joined again by Dr. John West to conclude a discussion about West's latest book Endowed By Our Creator: The Bible, Science, and the Battle for America's Soul. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Source

In this episode, Michael discusses the strategic implications of the US military's actions in Iran, specifically a recent rescue mission that saved a downed airman. He contrasts this with the US leaving behind billions of dollars' worth of equipment in Afghanistan. Michael also delves into the concept of reversible disruption, a strategy that could be used to target Iran's electrical grid without causing permanent damage. He explains the grid's structure and how targeting specific nodes could achieve a blackout without catastrophic consequences. This conversation explores the complexities of modern warfare and the importance of understanding the strategic value of reversible disruption.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the new book “Something Between Us: The Everyday Walls of American Life, and How to Take Them Down” a cultural anthropologist examines the social and political divides in the U.S., examining how physical and social barriers like gated communities, massive trucks, and targeted media create separation — and isolation—and looks for how to restore communal caretaking and a more inclusive society.

In this episode of the Straight White American Jesus Sunday Interview, host Leah Payne speaks with award-winning journalist and historian Caleb Gayle about his acclaimed book Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State. Caleb Gayle is an award-winning journalist and professor at Northeastern University. He is the author of We Refuse to Forget: A True Story of Black Creeks, American Identity, and Power and a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine. His work has also appeared in The Atlantic, TIME, The Guardian, Guernica, The New Republic, and The Boston Globe. Longlisted for the National Book Award for Nonfiction, named one of The Washington Post's Best Nonfiction Books of the Year, and selected as a New York Times Editors' Choice, Black Moses tells the remarkable story of Edward McCabe, a Black political leader who nearly succeeded in founding a Black-governed state in the Oklahoma Territory at the turn of the twentieth century. Together, Payne and Gayle explore McCabe's ambitious political vision, the racial politics of the American West, and the broader historical context of Reconstruction, westward expansion, and Indigenous displacement. The conversation also reflects on how forgotten stories like McCabe's challenge familiar narratives about American democracy, race, and political imagination. In this episode: The cinematic structure of Black Moses and how Gayle and his editor shaped the narrative Who Edward McCabe was and why his story has largely disappeared from mainstream American history McCabe's audacious plan to create a Black state in the Oklahoma Territory The Reconstruction-era search for Black self-determination and how McCabe's vision differed from projects in Liberia or Haiti The American West as a site of competing dreams—and conflicts—among Black settlers, white settlers, and Indigenous nations McCabe's political strategy: organizing, coalition building, and attracting Black migration to Oklahoma Why Oklahoma ultimately aligned itself with Jim Crow politics during statehood The unfinished project of American democracy and the importance of political imagination Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State by Caleb Gayle Can the Rodeo Save a Historic Black Town? One woman's quest to rescue Boley, Oklahoma, The Atlantic, by Caleb Gayle In This EpisodeLinks: We Refuse to Forget: A True Story of Black Creeks, American Identity, and Power by Caleb GayleFind Professor Gayle at www.calebgayle.com, Instagram: @calebgayle, Twitter: @gaylecalebFind Dr. Leah Payne at drleahpayne.com, subscribe on Substack, follow her on most social media platforms at @drleahpayne, listen along at Spirit & Power: Charismatics & Politics in American Life & Rock that Doesn't Roll: the Story of Christian Rock, and read along: God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music. Subscribe for $3.65: ⁠https://axismundi.supercast.com/⁠ Subscribe to our free newsletter: ⁠https://swaj.substack.com/⁠ Order American Caesar by Brad Onishi: ⁠https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/⁠ Donate to SWAJ: https://axismundi.supercast.com/donations/new Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Madonna's tenth studio album “Confessions on a Dance Floor” was released on November 9, 2005 - a full creative reset after the polarizing “American Life”. Produced almost entirely with Stuart Price, the album blended 1970s disco, 1980s electropop, and 2000s club music into a seamlessly mixed, non-stop listening experience. It debuted at #1 in 40 countries, won the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album, and spawned four singles: "Hung Up," "Sorry," "Get Together," and "Jump."In this episode, Chris and Chantel Nicole go track by track through “Confessions on a Dance Floor” with special guest Jeff Benjamin - award-winning music journalist and Billboard's renowned K-pop columnist - bringing his global pop expertise to one of Madonna's most celebrated comebacks.Was this Madonna's greatest reinvention? Or her most calculated one? The dance floor doesn't lie.Join us on Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/CCTVPOPSFollow us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cctvpopsFollow Jeff Benjamin on X: https://x.com/jeff__benjaminFollow Jeff Benjamin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeff__benjaminGo check out Vizzcast in NYC for your podcasting, broadcast and content creation needs! Book at ⁠https://vizzcast.com⁠ 0:00 - Intro1:40 - “Confessions on a Dance Floor” Album Info2:49 - Album Cover5:12 - “Hung Up”18:14 - “Get Together”27:18 - “Sorry”38:05 - “Future Lovers”43:37 - “I Love New York”51:15 - “Let It Will Be”59:53 - “Forbidden Love”1:09:07 - “Jump”1:16:19 - “How High”1:23:15 - “Isaac”1:33:12 - “Push”1:37:57 - “Like It Or Not”1:43:34 - Does the album stand the test of time?1:47:53 - Cut or Keep1:49:40 - Overall Thoughts & Final RatingReferences:“Hung Up” MV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDwb9jOVRtU&pp=ygUPbWFkb25uYSBodW5nIHVw“Hung Up” Live at the 2005 MTV EMAs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjBw6QaiwoM&pp=ygUPbWFkb25uYSBodW5nIHVw “Get Together” US MV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObjtMmTRyrM&pp=ygUUbWFkb25uYSBnZXQgdG9nZXRoZXI%3D “Get Together” European MV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zqZnarJQ-E&pp=ygUUbWFkb25uYSBnZXQgdG9nZXRoZXI%3D “Get Together” Live at Confessions Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMnwF-ffARc&pp=ygUZbWFkb25uYSBnZXQgdG9nZXRoZXIgbGl2ZQ%3D%3D “Sorry” MV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdccTOcX7o4&pp=ygUObWFkb25uYSAgc29ycnnSBwkJxQoBhyohjO8%3D “Sorry” Live at Confessions Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQd2sbpQhFY&pp=ygUObWFkb25uYSAgc29ycnk%3“Future Lovers” / “I Feel Love” Live at Confessions Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n80QXNRIV6c&pp=ygUVbWFkb25uYSBmdXR1cmUgbG92ZXJz “I Love New York” Live at Confessions Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp_b3PnsPPs&pp=ygUXbWFkb25uYSBpIGxvdmUgbmV3IHlvcmvSBwkJxQoBhyohjO8%3D “Let It Will Be” Live at Confessions Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhxTko9IylA&t=11s&pp=ygUWbWFkb25uYSBsZXQgaXQgd2lsbCBiZQ%3D%3D “Forbidden Love” Live at Confessions Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogCbtabiU_c&pp=ygUWbWFkb25uYSBmb3JiaWRkZW4gbG92ZQ%3D%3D “Jump” MV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx0mYN32Kps&pp=ygUMbWFkb25uYSBqdW1w“Jump” Live at Confessions Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2QYZor1b1Y&pp=ygUMbWFkb25uYSBqdW1w “Isaac” Live at Confessions Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9mys-bj4Jk&pp=ygUMbWFkb25uYWlzYWFj “Like It Or Not” Live at Confessions Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqHqON4oOJI&pp=ygUWbWFkb25uYSBsaWtlIGl0IG9yIG5vdA%3D%3D

From Amy: From the beginning, my podcast has done whatever it wanted. It is, at best, loosely scripted. As in: There's no application process. You cannot pitch yourself. I will say no thank you. This is the ONLY way it works: Someone says something that sparks my attention and I reach out to invite them. Most of the time they say yes, and if a conversation never comes to pass, then it isn't meant to happen. Each season, the podcast puts itself on hiatus so that I can write a book or record other content. Whatever I have recorded will keep. Sometimes conversations have sat for a year before I come back around to them, returning just at the right time.  In other words, I really don't think about this podcast. I feel it. Recently, my production partner, the Brilliant Brooke Roy asked me how long I thought the current Season 6 would run. I didn't know because things have been kind of crazy around here in Minnesota. But as the ICE occupation took hold, three episodes wanted to happen as a dismount. This is the third one. Good thing too, because with all that's been going on, I'm finding myself drawn in new directions. The podcast wants go on hiatus: I have new ideas to unpack, books to write, and book writers to support. This final Season 6 episode does everything I describe above, dialed up to an 11. In 2026, I've only wanted to talk with people intimately acquainted with Minnesota. I want you to see this (still ongoing) ICE situation as we do, living through it. We are not quaint heroes, though it's tempting to paint us this way. We are people who have found good ways to play in the face of some pretty atrocious attacks on our neighbors in the Twin Cities and across our state. I'm proud to land on this conversation with my friend Tom Bell from my class at Carleton College. Tom loves Minnesota. He isn't from here, and he doesn't live here now, but he once made Minnesota his home, and he's got a way with words, consistently centered around his Habits of Heart. I'm not quoting him here, but I liberally quote Tom back to himself in our conversation. After you listen, do yourself a favor and go read what he's written in the links below. Tom's is the strong, gentle kind of voice and vision we all need. Anyway. This episode... We had set a time to talk and Tom had to reschedule. Then we recorded a whole conversation  for which the files didn't turn out—not surprising because Tom's Internet kept cutting out. Third time's a charm, though. We both happened to have an extra free hour, that same day, and this episode was the result. Not scripted, not perfect. (Seriously not perfect. I refer to Joseph Lee Haywood as "Hayward" and I can't fix it and I'm not bothering to try. I love what resulted from our improvisational podcasting dance. It's almost like this episode wanted to catch us off guard so that it could do what it really wanted. It's exactly the message that both of us wanted to share at this time: That stories aren't frivolous. Play isn't wasting time. Perfection isn't a useful construct when it gets in the way of expressing our hearts. And perhaps most importantly, love can (and does) guide our actions even in the very worst human moments, and more than that, echo out to the people who need examples of what that might look like where they live.   Thomas Bell is an advocate of heart-led critical thinking, loving leadership, and transformative storytelling. As a writer, actor, dancer, aerialist, speaker, facilitator, and adventure athlete, he lives and leads toward truth, love, and beauty in many modes, with more yet to come as the future unfolds. Yet through them all runs an unwavering commitment to kindness, creativity, critical thinking, joy, abundance, and love. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-r-bell/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomasrbell/  Website: https://thethomasbell.com/  Substack “Habits of Heart”: https://substack.com/@habitsofheart  There's a full description of the newsletter here: https://habitsofheart.substack.com/about Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats. Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks

We're going deep today, Slushies. Kathy and Tobi school us on the origin of the word “podcast” with its roots in both early Apple technology and agricultural lingo (think broadcast of seeds). In this episode we're broadcasting our appreciation for poems by Erin Evans. We admire Evans' sound work and her ability to craft powerful lines with plain language. In the first poem, the poet's confrontation of medical jargon reminds Marion of Whitman's poem When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer. An encounter between patient and doctor in Evans' poem underscores the difference between learning and knowing that recalls Leslie Jamison's book of essays, The Empathy Exams.    The second poem's Japanese title evokes the film Rashomon for Jason, who takes issue with the notion that our writerly imaginations are limited only to the words available in our own language. Schadenfreude, anyone? We're digging the close focus on language in these poems. Marion appreciates that the poem elevates a term she initially passed off as one from pop culture wellness. Meanwhile we conflate our Wabi-sabi with our kintsugi and poet Ross Gay with the poet Ross White (who is the actual originator of the gas station sushi theory). But don't let our mistakes keep you from experiencing Evans' powerful endings.   Slushies, if you're attending AWP in March, please stop by and see us at the book fair. We'll be at table 1272. We'd love to see you in person. Thanks, as always, for listening!   At the table: Tobi Kassim, Jason Schneiderman, Kathleen Volk Miller, Marion Wrenn, Lisa Zerkle, and Lillie Volpe (sound engineer)  Author Photo:    Author Bio: Erin Evans was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when she was one year old. Her work is greatly influenced by her experience living with chronic illness. She has had poems published in Defunct, Revel, A Mouthful of Salt, and Nimrod-International Journal, which awarded her its Francine Ringold Award for New Writers. Her work was chosen by Kwame Dawes for his American Life in Poetry column. She lives in Vermont with her beautiful and brilliant kids. Exacerbation She says the word quickly looking down at my file   then back at the x-ray clipped against the glowing box.   My scarred and patchy lungs, and all their flaws  on display, almost make me blush.   Embarrassed that I couldn't do any better, have been better. I focus instead    on the soft ribbons of my ribcage that fan like ghost hands   lit up for Halloween. Again, she says it,   looking at me now  as she sits on the round rolling chair   and reaches for her stethoscope. Exacerbation, which I finally looked up   after years and years of hearing it, simply means a worsening.   But she was taught not to state  the obvious, to disguise the truth   in the language of textbooks, and lectures, years of learning   how best to look right through someone. And I was taught to breathe in when I was told,   to push past that pain in my chest  that has no name, nor chapter in any book.   Komorebi Scott nudges my kayak away from the shore.   The yellow plastic scrapes the sand and seashell bottom  until it glides to the open water, over deep-green seaweed that waves its version of goodbye.    A soft pushing away  a departing of one world, only to enter another,  so vast there are no names for things:   When I die  let it be like this.   Some languages have words for words we never even thought to speak.   In Japanese, for instance, there is a word  for the sunlight filtering through the leaves of a tree.   Tell me, why isn't there a name for this: The ocean's soft  pull, the gentle begging it does,      like a child tugging  at the tail of your shirt,    reminding you it's time to go.   Riches  As I cradle my morning tea I watch her from the window.   Crouched down in the yard, with her hand outstretched. Even   from here I see the arthritis knot and bend her fingers   from years of knitting intricate sweaters and working late-night shifts at the hospital.   The chickens come to her  hesitantly, to peck the scratch from her warm hand.   She told me once that even when  she has nothing to give them   they still peck softly at her wedding band.   They surround her now, their bobbing and dipping beaks   and as they take the seeds she offers,  she smooths the long yellow feathers   that in the right light turn golden.   If I could inherit a single thing from her it would be this patience,   this trust that life will come to you even when your body    is leaving this world slowly, one cell at a time.

Underground History host Chelsea Rose talks with Beth Lew-Williams about her book and the research behind it.

In this  conversation, David Bryan speaks with Steve & Rick Simone-Friedland about their recent play, 'Kind Stranger,' which is adapted from Tennessee Williams' memoir. They discuss their creative process, the challenges of performing a one-person show, and the importance of queer narratives in theater. The duo reflects on their personal and professional relationship, the audience's reception of their work, and their plans for future productions.Kind Stranger depicts the poignant journey of Tennessee Williams as the legendary playwright recounts his life, art, and love affairs. Witness his wit and unflinching honesty as he writes his last chapter, revealing how his plays were his life and his life was his plays. Adapted directly from his memoir and using only his words, Kind Stranger could be the last original Tennessee Williams play.Steve and Rick Simone-Friedland, a married couple, went into the project wanting to use the words and humor of one of the greatest American Playwrights as the foundation of this play.Fresh from a successful but all too brief opening in New York, Rick (actor) and Steve (director/writer) are currently actively  working toward bringiing 'Kind Stranger' to audiences in other cities.Steven Simone-Friedland (Adaptation & Direction) is an independent, freelance filmmaker residing in Los Angeles, California. He has directed, written, produced and edited a number of short film and television projects including [sic], Togetherness, and Sunday Cup of Coffee which was awarded the CineEast's. Golden Eagle Award, the Herman Kass Fellowship in Filmmaking, the Rita Morrison Best Director's Award, and the AMPAS Award in Motion Picture Production. As an editor, Steven edited the feature documentary, The Yes Men Are Revolting and Donner Pass, and the television pilots, Group & Techno 3. When not pursuing film & tv projects, Steven serves as series editor on such Bravo shows as Real Housewives of Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Orange County and Dubai, Vanderpump Rules, Below Deck, Family Karma, MTV's Siesta Key and HBO's Queen of Versailles Reigns Again. Steven's Los Angeles theater directing credits include critically acclaimed productions of Ourselves Alone, Oleanna, Betrayal, Scenes of an American Life, and Imagining Rachel, which received its World Premiere at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Steven is a graduate from Northwestern University's theater department and received his MFA in filmmaking at UCLA.Rick Simone_Friedland - Concept & PerformanceEmmy Award© winner, Rick Simone-Friedland, is known to television audiences for his work on, Married People, Just the Ten of Us, A Year in the Life, Life Goes On, KC Undercover, and as Joe Pistone in the Discovery Series Mob Scene. Theatre audiences may know Rick from roles in George C. Wolfe's production of The Me Nobody Knows, Ken Page's production of Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens, or as Bruno in The Theatre West production of Moose On The Loose. Rick recently completed filming roles in the films How Do You Fall Out of Love With Country Music, Boystown, and Some Sorta' Queerarhttps://www.kindstrangerplay.com/

Dr. Melissa Deckman, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and political scientist specializing in gender, religion, and public opinion, joins host Leah Payne, author of God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music (Oxford University Press, 2024) and host of Spirit & Power: Charismatics & Politics in American Life. In this Sunday interview, Leah Payne talks with Dr. Melissa Deckman about PRRI's February 2026 release of findings from the 2025 American Values Atlas—a massive nationwide survey (22,000+ adults across all 50 states) that maps the reach of Christian nationalism and its intersections with race, religious practice, party, geography, age, education, media trust, and attitudes toward political violence. Deckman explains what PRRI means by “Christian nationalism,” why PRRI measures it with a five-item scale (instead of asking people whether they identify with the label), and what the data can—and cannot—tell us about religion and politics in the U.S. today. Mapping Christian Nationalism Across the 50 States (Insights from PRRI's 2025 American Values Atlas) Charismatic Revival Fury: The New Apostolic Reformation (Matthew D. Taylor / Axis Mundi Media) Right Wing Watch on Sean Feucht and federal partnerships tied to America's 250th anniversary programming Dara Delgado, “Black Pentecostal and charismatic Christians are boosting their visibility in politics — a shift from the past” Melissa Deckman, The Politics of Gen Z: How the Youngest Voters Will Shape Our Democracy,(Columbia University Press) Melissa Deckman, School Board Battles: The Christian Right in Local Politics, (Georgetown University Press) Ansley Quiros, Ph.D., PRRI Spotlight: Why Black Americans Identify as Christian Nationalists: Religiosity, Theology, and History Matter Michael R. Fischer Jr., PRRI Spotlight, Understanding Differences Between Black and White Christian Nationalism Adherents and Sympathizers Links and resources mentionedFind Dr. Melissa Deckman at PRRI, LinkedIn, Substack and BlueSkyFind Dr. Leah Payne at drleahpayne.com, subscribe on Substack, follow her on most social media platforms at @drleahpayne, and listen along at Spirit & Power: Charismatics & Politics in American Life, and Rock that Doesn't Roll: the Story of Christian Rock Subscribe for $3.65: ⁠https://axismundi.supercast.com/⁠ Subscribe to our free newsletter: ⁠https://swaj.substack.com/⁠ Order American Caesar by Brad Onishi: ⁠https://static.macmillan.com/static/essentials/american-caesar-9781250427922/⁠ Donate to SWAJ: https://axismundi.supercast.com/donations/new Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Amy:My friend Jillian Rae has done this thing twice while we've posed for a photo, once at her album launch, once at my book launch: Jillian points to me and makes a face as if she can't believe her luck to have encountered me personally. And yet, Jillian is a bonafide rockstar.I use that term rockstar broadly, because Jillian refuses to fit into a clear genre. She plays at venues all over town, in many roles, with a wide range of musicians, and she's kinda famous in China.So then who am I in this picture? I am Jillian's former student who dabbled with violin lessons when my kids were young. Here I thought I was learning an instrument I admired, as a mom who needed creative escape from my real life. Jillian wasn't a rockstar YET when I met her. I remember clearly when she texted that she was appearing onstage at Prince's beloved First Avenue in Minneapolis, and we should get our butts over there. That first performance, Jillian played backup fiddle for a headliner whose name I no longer remember. I have no idea how often she's played at First Avenue since. I don't even know how many of Jillians shows I've attended or how often I've heard her on The Current, our local MPR music station.To me, Jillian Rae is the person who first convinced me to drive in to Minneapolis regularly on weekdays. When my kids and I were taking violin lessons from her in one of those suburbs, Jillian co-founded the Music Lab in a walk-up near Lake Nokomis. Suffice it to say, I wouldn't have chosen that neighborhood for my kids' music lessons, forty-five minutes from home in rush hour. But Jillian has vision like nobody's business.During our lessons, we talked about Jillian's work and her career... and my aspirations to be a real writer and whatever the dream was that I'm living now. I've honestly translated so much of what Jillian taught me into my business, because every time I showed up in her private studio (never having practiced, because that was part of my deal with her, though I did learn some fiddle tunes decently well, and even Pachelbel's canon) I got to be the feral Gen X child I once was, learning from my friend Jillian to see my creative gifts through the eyes of a Millennial. I have long understood that were it not for Jillian, I would never have understood what being a real-life creative looks like for me. When I think about this podcast (this episode and more broadly), I understand that not everyone can meet my friend Jillian personally, or other real-life creatives like her that I encounter ongoing. And that did start for me in Minneapolis. Since then, I've made a practice of talking and writing about Minneapolis, so much so that many people think I live there. I do not. Or shall I say, that's not where my house is. And yet.All my lineage travels directly through Minneapolis, on all sides. So you weren't entirely wrong if you thought I was from there.Indeed I was born in a Minneapolis hospital building that is currently occupied by the federal government, so I hear from reliable sources. Throughout my childhood, I visited the city with family for special occasions.But I know the city best as a grown-up.If you don't know a city that well, and have no reason to go there, it's easy to believe horror stories that the media serves you and forget the everyday people who live there. In the years since Ronald Reagan eliminated the fairness doctrine (that said you can't publish lies) media corporations have made it their business to further exacerbate bias, divide us with scary demographics, and consolidate profits. That's the false narrative that Minneapolis is actively refusing, and many of us in the Twin Cities Metro and Greater Minnesota recognize, though some white Minnesotans believe they aren't safe in the city. Which didn't happen by accident. Deliberate semantics games misrepresent one big idea: THESE PEOPLE ARE OUR NEIGHBORS.And as I see it nowadays, my neighbors. That's a pretty good thing.I love to drive the long way home from Minneapolis, one neighborhood into the next, one suburb into the next, awash in memories, never using a freeway until the bridge across the river. That's how well I know the city these days. I know all the places you've heard about in the news.But when I want to talk about what life's been like in Minneapolis I defer to people who inhabit these neighborhoods.That's why I invited Jillian Rae to speak to her own, lived experiences.It's going to take a long time to heal from the willful damage inflicted by ICE and this administration. You need to know that it's still going on. Furthermore, I don't see how a "kinder, gentler" (more stealthy for optics) invasion is going to stop all the harm being done. Intentionally.Jillian's graciously allowing me to share her new single, "Fuck ICE," at the end of this episode. You can purchase the salty or the sanitized version to support Twin Cities people. Pretty sure that song title clarifies where she stands. Jillian's one of my heroes AND a dear friend.At the beginning of the episode, we reference Jillian's single "Silence," a precursor to "Fuck Ice" in many ways. Watch the video here.Which makes me realize one more connection: If I didn't know so many beloved people and places in Minneapolis personally, I don't know what I'd be thinking right now. Maybe I'd think these people were heroes, but their struggles aren't mine. That they are somehow separate from me. Instead, I am finding plenty of ways to fight the good fight where I am. I'm asking you to think about how you can address evil, in solidarity, where you are too. Because make no mistake, this does affect you. Even if the connections are being obscured. You need to see them.Please listen. And then take one simple step you can take to speak up. And the next. And the next. Travel safely, dear friends.Love, Amy About Jillian Rae:Lauded as a “triple threat on vocals, fiddle, and composition” (Star Tribune), Jillian Rae is a fiercely unique spirit who cares more about making authentic music than about conforming to expectations. The Minneapolis-based, classically trained violinist has made a name for herself as a top-notch fiddler and a singer with a powerful stage presence. Heading up her own critically acclaimed band, she performs an original mix of Americana, rock, and pop. She also performs regularly with her traditional folk band Corpse Reviver and has toured extensively, backing up Grammy-winning acts like The Okee Dokee Brothers. Jillian is an in-demand producer and session player, known for her soaring string orchestrations, arrangements, and fiddle parts. Along with her partner/co-producer Eric Martin, she operates The Clubhouse Recording Studio, where they produce Jillian's music as well. As a music educator, she has kept a studio of private students for more than two decades.Jillian is available for live performance, virtual streams, recording, and production work. All inquiries can be made at booking@jillianraemusic.com.Get Jillian's single and support Twin Cities mutual aid organizations at https://jillianraemusic.bandcamp.com/album/fuck-ice. Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats. Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks

DO WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR NAME??? alex & kev spend way too fucking long gagging over American Life & The Moment collapses + dilf fuckenings + halftime show reviewings + IM DRINKING A FXKXING SOY LATTE... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes poets Al Ortolani, Robert Stewart, & William Trowbridge. Four prize-winning Kansas City area poets—Al Ortolani, Robert Stewart & William Trowbridge—will read poems and discuss the art of poetry on Artspeak Radio, KKFI-Fm 90.1, at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026.   Al Ortolani, a winner of the Rattle Chapbook Prize, has been featured in Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac, Ted Kooser's American Life in Poetry, and George Bilgere's Poetry Town. He was a recent recipient of the Bill Hickok Humor Award from I-70 Review. His first young adult novel was published by Meadowlark Books in 2023. Currently, Ortolani is a contributing editor to the Chiron Review. Robert Stewart's 4th book of essays, A Way of Happening, is due in spring 2026.  His latest of four books of poems, Higher, won the 2022 Prize Americana.  Outside Language: Essays (Helicon Nine Editions) was a finalist for the PEN Center USA Literary Awards, and winner of the Thorpe Menn Award.  He won a National Magazine Award while editor of New Letters magazine.  See Substack https://robertstewart42.substack.com/ William Trowbridge's 11th poetry collection, Maintenance, came out from Spartan Press in mid-November, 2025. Over 550 of his poems have appeared in numerous literary magazines and in more than 50 anthologies and textbooks. He was Poet Laureate of Missouri from 2012 to 2016. For more information, see his website, wtrowbridge.net.

01:00 Hated by All the Right People, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167109 05:00 David Pinsof: The Alliance Theory of Political Belief Systems, Meaning of Life, and Morality, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kMPxH0yxts 11:00 Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167104 18:00 Jewish Conservatives Are Terrified Of Tucker Carlson, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167099 26:00 What Will Life Be Like For Jews Under A President Tucker Carlson?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167131 34:00 The Rise Of Mike Benz, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167085 45:00 The New York Times Sells Elite Alliance Coordination, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167083 57:00 Why Do Elites Want To Restrict Speech?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167068 59:00 NYT: Genetic Data From Over 20,000 U.S. Children Misused for ‘Race Science', https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/us/children-genetics-race-science.html 1:15:00 The Pro-Israel Strategy, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167107 1:20:00 Matt Drudge – Alliance Accelerator, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167081 1:28:00 That Noble Dream: The ‘Objectivity Question' and the American Historical Profession, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167115 1:36:00 The Holocaust in American Life, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167113 1:41:00 The Return Of The R-Word, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167121 1:47:00 The Return Of The N-Word, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167123 1:52:00 Why is the C-Word Widely Accepted in Australia But Rarely in America?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167125 1:56:00 Aussie Racism, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167127 2:01:30 The Nathan Cofnas Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167049 2:07:00 Explaining the Ben Shapiro Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167047 2:09:00 The Charlie Kirk Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167045 2:12:00 How do you build a career fighting anti-semitism?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167042 2:15:00 How do you build a career as a Chabad rabbi if you are sent to a community with few Jews and no shuls?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167040 2:18:00 How do you build a career as a Modern Orthodox congregational rabbi?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167038 2:23:00 How Do You Build A Career In Talk Radio?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167038 2:30:00 How Do You Build A Career As A Right-Wing Pundit?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167033 2:33:00 How To Get Ahead In Academia, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167019 2:40:00 The Replication Crisis, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167017 2:45:00 Niall Ferguson once seemed like a serious scholar, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167015 2:50:00 National Review Struggles To Stay Relevant In The Age Of Trump, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167013 2:59:00 The Fox News Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167011 3:04:00 What Drives Yoram Hazony & National Conservatism?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167008 3:10:00 The Fascism Charge In American Politics, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167005 3:13:00 Never Trump & The Principled Conservatives, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=166963

It was several years into her talk therapy sessions that Stephanie Foo was offered a diagnosis: complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or C-PTSD. Regular PTSD stems from a single traumatic event like a car crash or a mugging. C-PTSD comes from a long series of traumas from which there seems like no escape. Like child abuse. The problems Stephanie was having with her relationships and rage and all sorts of other issues stemmed, said the therapist, from the severe abuse she encountered during her childhood in San Jose. Stephanie tells us about the beatings, the neglect, and the threats she encountered, mostly at the hands of her mother and some from her dad. She also shares the long journey to understand that abuse and to recovery. It's not something you get over, mind you. As Stephanie Foo says, your childhood is with you forever, but she's found a better place and a better future.Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun.Check out our I'm Glad You're Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com!Hey, remember, you're part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org.Depresh Mode is on BlueSky, Instagram, Substack, and you can join our Preshies Facebook group. Help is available right away.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALKCrisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines

From Amy:You likely know that Renee Nicole Good was killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota two Wednesdays ago. ICE is occupying our state because the Supreme Court said that they could. Specifically, Brett Kavanaugh—who gave me flashbacks to a Third Reich judge* in his confirmation hearings—wrote in September that speaking Spanish was probable cause for detention.*Google the White Rose to see for yourself.And now, here we are.ICE was always going to come to Minnesota. Once again, our home state, specifically Minneapolis extending outward, is the focus of Trump's White House. But he doesn't own us. He's never won here. Our Governor Tim Walz ran against his ticket and called him weird. That's why Trump is so fixated on us, and what makes him want to control us so badly.When I say we, I mean Minnesota. I mean all of the kinds of people who love our home state and our neighbors. It's incredibly cold and beautiful here in the winter.We're here because we've chosen to be here.Hours after a friend texted me the shocking news of Renee's death, I recorded a podcast episode with my friend and colleague Terry Newby. Terry's a Twin Cities novelist, playwright, and lawyer who writes about Black history, which is American history. He'd prepared good questions on a related topic, so we carried on and acknowledged the death without sharing details we didn't yet know.We wanted to bear witness with the information we did have.Here's another thing I already knew: Being a white woman (like Renee Nicole Good) in America is not always safe, but it's not immigrants and people of color and queer folks and native people who endanger our freedoms. For many years, I've driven into Minneapolis several times a week and felt incredibly safe there.Paul Wellstone, our beloved late senator, famously said that we all do better when we all do better. Renee Good's final words wouldn't be widely heard until the following day, from the shooter's own phone: "That's fine, dude, I'm not mad at you." In return, after he filmed himself shooting her, the coward in a mask called her a f'ing bitch. Then he ran away, went into hiding, and feigned an injury; meanwhile his ICE buddies prevented medical treatment as Renee died. He's still out there.All of this is fact. You can witness it for yourself.As you can tell, I am still angry, and I am not sorry for being angry. The occupation of Minnesota continues in real time. Meanwhile, I've let myself be a witness, making relevant notes to self. Because I know that my books have revealed themselves in good time. Tiny Altars, published in 2023, provides relevant prologue to what's happening right now.Ten years ago, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I walked away from my teaching career, and I'm grateful I walked away when I did. I've been present to pay attention to what's happening in Minnesota and forge connections far beyond her borders.This moment will add up to so much more.My own experience tells me so. Both of my memoirs document everyday intersections with historical moments. In 1987, as an exchange student to West Germany with minimal German fluency, I lived on a street named after two heroes of the German resistance, siblings Sophie and Hans Scholl from the White Rose. They grew up in the Black Forest where my host family lived. I stood on both sides of the notorious Berlin Wall, built in the aftermath of World War II, and I first learned their history further in a West Berlin museum. My comprehensive journal of daily rambling notes to self from those three months helped me to write and publish German Awakening three decades after I returned home from West Germany, a country that no longer exists.Once the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and reunified a divided people, my German literature major no longer made logical sense. Yet my path through language education was the most relevant training I can imagine to meet this moment in American history, as ICE comes down on us all.I haven't been outside much in this cold snap, unlike many brave neighbors in Minneapolis. But I know what it is to live and learn and connect using a non-native-to-me language. That's worth a lot in this moment. I'll find the work I'm called to do. I call myself a Courageous Wordsmith, along with my collaborators. We're in this together.What's the work you're called to do? How are you courageous?I am asking you to not look away from Minneapolis or Greater Minnesota. I wonder, what can you offer to center humanity in this moment? How can you raise awareness so that all of US, everywhere, can do better? You don't have to know the end at the outset.You don't have to be a martyr for the cause. But we all need you. Nothing is wasted.We start wherever we are.All the path of a real-life witness requires is that we're aware: We're willing to ask questions, listen, keep taking notes, and do something Good. Terrance C. Newby is an attorney, novelist, and playwright based in Roseville, Minnesota. His plays The Cage, The Body Politic, Reunion Forever, The Piano Teacher, Little Rock 1942 and Our Dearest Friends have been professionally staged in Twin Cities theaters. Terry's novel Dangerfield's Promise was published in April 2022, and has received five-star reviews from the Seattle Book Review, Manhattan Book Review, Chicago Book Review, and the Midwest Book Review, among others. The book and customer reviews are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Terry is currently working on a sequel to Dangerfield's Promise. More information about Terry's work can be found on his website. https://www.terrancenewby.com/ Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats. Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks

Dr. Li-Meng Yan w/ The Voice of Dr. Yan – Hidden messages and small courtesies show how the Chinese Communist Party builds networks inside American life. The newly exposed exchanges between a local operative and Chinese officials read like a manual for a soft takeover. They show coaching of elected officials, orchestration of public greetings, arrangement of special treatment at...

Taped on 12/15/25 Political scientist Charles Murray, author of "Taking Religion Seriously," discusses his decades-long evolution from "happy agnostic" to believing Christian. Mr. Murray, co-author of the controversial 1994 bestseller "The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life," also talks about the foundations of human morality, the Big Bang, the authorship of the Gospels, and the writings of C.S. Lewis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

本期摘要 友友们冬天好！不知不觉已经十二月了，我们从今天起想跟大家分享一系列年度书影音总结类型的节目，第一期先来聊聊2025年看过最喜欢的书。希望你们听得开心，我们很快再见！ 本期提及 Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice by Virginia Roberts Giuffre Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell Odyssey by Homer The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Safekeep by Yael van der wouden Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro 《埃莱娜知道》 Intermezzo by Sally Rooney Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck Raising Hare: A Memoir by Chloe Dalton 《金山的成色》 张辰极 冠绝文学史的恋爱脑：读安妮·埃尔诺的情欲告白 Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy by Julia Ioffe The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides 《婚变》 The Virgin Suicide & Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides 《在北海道盖面包屋：建筑家与面包师的书信集》中村好文，神幸纪 Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green 《星运里的错》& 《寻找阿拉斯加》by John Green Careless People：A Story of Where I Used to Work by Sarah Wynn-Williams This Is How You Lose the Time War Amal by El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone 《输掉时间战争的方法》 Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir by Tessa Hulls 《鼠族》 阿特·斯皮格曼 Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li Art Work: On the Creative Life by Sally Mann 《火车梦》《耶稣之子》 丹尼斯约翰逊 Flagrant, Self-Destructive Gestures: A Biography of Denis Johnson Ansel Adams's Photographs of Japanese-American Internment at Manzanar The Afterlife is Letting Go & The Grave On the Wall by Brandon Shimoda Homeland: The War on Terror in American Life by Richard Beck The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai 节目备注 好小气的电报频道 好小气的长毛象 支持我们 订阅听友通讯请点击这里。 欢迎通过微博关注我们的节目@不丧Podcast和女主播@constancy好小气。

Pianist and conductor Ignat Solzhenitsyn reflects on growing up in exile as the son of Nobel laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, moving from Soviet persecution to a quiet childhood in rural Vermont. Ignat recounts how music, faith, and Russian culture sustained his family far from home, how cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich helped set him on a musical path, and what it meant to carry a historic name while forging his own life between Russia and America. The conversation ranges from the moral legacy of his father's The Gulag Archipelago to the emotional power of Russian music, the meaning of freedom, and the enduring truth that the line between good and evil runs through every human heart. It's a deeply personal conversation on memory, exile, and the choices that shape a life. The episode concludes with Ignat at the piano performing a section from Bach's Cantata No. 208, Sheep May Safely Graze. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

In this episode, Michael Smerconish confronts a deeply troubling question: Are mass shootings a permanent part of American life? Following a devastating weekend—from the Brown University shooting to tragedies abroad—Michael unpacks today's poll question at Smerconish.com and shares why he's grown pessimistic about meaningful change. In a prepared statement he reads from each time there is a mass shooting, he revisits the Second Amendment, the Heller decision, and the political realities that keep America stuck. A candid, sobering reflection on a crisis that shows no signs of slowing. Listen here, then vote at smerconish.com, and please rate, review, and share this podcast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From Amy:I have so much to say about the richness and challenge of my journey through the life coach world, and someday soon I'll be ready to write about that. But if there's anything I would tell my former self, as she moved through that process, it's this: You aren't doing this wrong, and you don't have to justify this training (at an advanced level, no less) by becoming a FULL-BLOWN LIFE COACH. You can educate yourself (and invest in yourself) just because it's helping you learn who you are, in deeper ways than you have before. So you can trust in the process, and trust in your gifts unfolding, even if you don't know how to apply them yet, especially when—up until now—experts told you how to meet and exceed their expectations. Beloved, I'm proud of how you're taking this time to redefine your own expectations, even if the clarity is taking a while.After all, your life's work is unprecedented. Life coaching tools are expanding your vocabulary. That's more than enough.Most of all, you get to enjoy being exactly where and who you are. No apologies needed for wanting to play with new kinds of knowledge.Here's some added context in retrospect: After I quit my increasingly scripted teaching career, I turned to life coach training to heal and to build my (unnamed, undefined) new career at midlife, because I didn't believe I was finished with my work in the world. But it was never as simple as calling myself a life coach; that's never felt entirely right, even though the training felt necessary. That title missed so many of my core gifts, the ones that had brought in the money before, which is why I stayed too long and got so wounded in the first place. But listen.Just because I no longer wanted to be a teacher in that setting, didn't mean my teaching skills were no longer valid. Those remained part of my curriculum vitae—my life's body of work. Even if I wasn't seeing it anymore.I have gifts like nobody else in this world. So do you. Finding new context for our life's body of work? That's courageous.So maybe also, I'd like to say, Thank you. Thank you for taking this risk even though you were scared. Especially because you were so scared. While you might be tempted to feel ashamed of your very big feelings, you can be proud that you let yourself feel what your body was saying.Your body has been steering you to what matters, and what you don't truly require. Such as that title of "Master Life Coach."Nowadays, I call myself an author, podcaster, book writing mentor, and editor—who has life coach training.Which is another way of saying: I'm a language teacher. I teach embodied narrative craft.All of which brings me to this: There are people on the path with information, all kinds of people you'll engage with, but you get to decide which parts are most useful for you to grow, how you interpret that information, and which parts hold the meaning that you'll carry forward.Since I can't offer this advice to Amy in 2017, I offer guidance along these lines to the writers I work with today. Where it also applies.Finally, I would say this to 2017 Amy: Notice your glimmer of hope when Bev Barnes takes one look at your work, never having met you before, and calls you a teacher. She's truly a Master Life Coach. You're going to want to invite her as a guest on your podcast to talk about this exact topic, after you've proven her right. (Yes, there will be a podcast. Enjoy!) PS—And if you want to play pickleball, play pickleball. Because it's fun. Bev Barnes guides midlife coaches and creatives to stop circling their calling and finally create the work their soul came here to do. A Certified Master Life Coach, Soul Work Midwife, and Life Coach Mentor, Bev has been guiding women at midlife to claim their brilliance and shine their light for decades. Today, she specializes in working with women who are at midlife or beyond, who trained as coaches but never quite got going—or never followed their true calling—helping them finally put the pieces together and bring their soul's work to life.Bev's Links:You can access Soul's Niche Guide - an AI tool created to help you find your purpose as a coach or soulpreneur Free Master Class coming up - From Wound to Wisdom - Unlocking the Work that Only You Can Do. Sign Up hereFind out more about Bev's services hereInstagramFacebook Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats. Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks

What if America's “anti-intellectualism” isn't a decline in smarts but a culture built to distrust theory? We trace that paradox from Puritan moral rigor and pragmatist “cash value” truths to the postwar professional class that speaks in a neutral tone while hiding its class origins. With Hofstadter, Lasch, and Gouldner as our guides, we unpack how speech codes, funding models, and media ecosystems shape who gets to be an “intellectual” and whose knowledge counts.We dig into Lasch's portraits of turn‑of‑the‑century radicals—Jane Addams, Randolph Bourne, Lincoln Steffens—showing how bohemia, policy reform, and romantic revolt often masked a middle‑class distance from worker life. Hofstadter helps explain why theory gets cast as elitist, how evangelical charisma and “common sense” produce a populism that can slip into conspiracy, and why so many bright people end up suspicious of abstraction. Then Gouldner reframes the post‑WWII landscape: a technical‑professional new class whose legitimacy depends on universality, even as its language quietly excludes working‑class speech and experience.From there, we get practical. We compare elite “neutrality” to the hard realities of endowments and medical revenue, and we explore what counter‑publics look like now: labor clubs that teach Robert's Rules and strike strategy alongside Marx, Bourdieu, and Joe Burns. We talk code‑switching without erasing origins, and we sketch ways to build worker‑centered study that doesn't pander—spaces where rigor and relevance live together. Gramsci's “organic intellectual” still matters here: every worker thinks and theorizes, with or without credentials.If this resonates, help us grow the counter‑public: subscribe, share the episode with a friend who loves big ideas, and leave a review with one question you want us to tackle next. These are the primary readings we discuss:-The American Intellectual Elite by Charles Kadushin- Anti-Intellectualism in American Life by Richard Hofstadter - The New Radicalism in America: The Intellectual as Social Type by Christopher Lasch - The Future of Intellectuals and the Rise of the New Class  by Alvin Gouldner-  The Missing Generation: Academics and the Communist Party from theDepression to the Cold War by Ellen SchreckerSend us a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic

In this episode, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Eric Foner joins to discuss his book, Our Fragile Freedoms, a new collection of essays exploring a range of topics, including debates over slavery and antislavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction, Jim Crow and the battle to dismantle it, and modern debates over the Constitution and how to teach American history. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. This conversation was originally streamed live on September 24, 2025, as part of the NCC's America's Town Hall program series.  Resources  Eric Foner, Our Fragile Freedoms (2025)  Eric Foner, The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution (2019)  Eric Foner, The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery (2010)  Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 (1988)  Richard Hofstadter, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life (1963)  Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org  Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr   Explore the America at 250 Civic Toolkit  Explore Pursuit: The Founders' Guide to Happiness  Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate  Follow, rate, and review wherever you listen  Join us for an upcoming live program or watch recordings on YouTube  Support our important work: Donate

12 - Why is Scott Bessent on a train? He needs to be here! He appeared on several shows yesterday to counter those who claim the economy is weak. 1215 - Side - uniquely American scene that could be a Norman Rockwell painting? 1220 - Just how big a problem is porch pirating in Philadelphia? The results shock Henry. 1235 - Trump has been named in the latest batch of Epstein files, as emails have leaked that implicate him being left for hours with at least one Epstein victim. Why should this not be overblown? 1245 - Dr. Raffi Terzian, Chester County RNC Chair, and Dolores Troiani, solicitor and attorney for the organization, join us today to discuss the Election Day fiasco that led to 70,000+ county residents being disenfranchised when they went to vote. How are we eight days after the fact, and no investigation has been launched yet? What is the RNC doing in Chester County to help get movement on this issue? What is Dolores' role in this? 1 - Can we move on from the Groypers? They're not the big fish to fry; it's Tucker Carlson? 110 - Will Henry make it to Charleston tomorrow? He should take the train with Bessent! 120 - What is with your guys' side question answers? Trump has to stick to the message on Veterans' Day. 145 - State Rep. Martina White joins us today after a key vote in the state House. What is Martina's evaluation of the election day blowout? Why was getting rid of RGGI so key for energy in Pennsylvania? Where do we stand with schooling, and how can we get more scholarships for kids? What is the new addition to our curriculum? 2 - Should we be allowing so many foreign students in the US, especially from China? Is it America First? Is it MAGA? 215 - Dom's Money Melody! 220 - Your calls. How is affordability being blamed on Trump, at least according to New Jerseyans? 235 - The number one country artist right now is… Artificial intelligence? Your calls. 240 - The US Bishops have elected a new leader, and he is… conservative? Will he be changing their immigration stance? 250 - The Lightning Round!

Music for this show is by Brian Clark, who is awesome. 

Angel Studios https://Angel.com/HermanJoin the Angel Guild today and know you are not just watching, you're helping make bold, faith driven stories like Disciples in the Moonlight possible. That's Angel.com/HermanRenue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comRegister now for the free Review/Preview Webinar November 20th 3:30pm Pacific, schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio Review, and subscribe to Zach's Daily Market Recap at (SLOW) Know Your Risk Podcast dot com. Alan's Soaps https://www.AlansArtisanSoaps.comUse coupon code TODD to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/toddThe new GOLDEN AGE is here!  Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.IIlhan Omar's non-English Clan Rant // Women You Didn't Know You Harmed: Should You Apologize? // Americans Value God and Marriage More Than You Might ThinkEpisode Links:Ilhan Omar went into a full rage, lashing out after other Somalian clans refused to back her clansman, Fateh and instead voted for Jacob Frey, calling for rival clans to be expelled and pushed out, especially since they were translating her Somalian speaking videos to the American audience. Minnesota politics are turning into a Somalian primitive clan warPorn actresses discuss the less glamorous mental ramifications of being porn actressesNEW: Thousands rededicate/dedicate their lives to Christ, hundreds baptized at the University of Cincinnati during a UniteUS college event. 2,000 students were connected to local churches and ministries, according to CBN.Growing Share of U.S. Adults Say Religion Is Gaining Influence in American Life; More Americans also express a positive view of religion's role in society

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Big Blue Ox are classic stories in Minnesota culture. Where did these stories originate from? How are they connected to Ojibwe culture and history? How have these stories shaped our views of history? Dr. Deondre Smiles discusses his research on the origin of Paul Bunyon stories and the impacts it has had on Ojibwe life. 

Dr. Kasey Keeler wanders with us to discuss her personal experience and her professional research on life in the suburbs as a Native American in Hennepin County. We discuss what it is like growing up as a Native person in the suburbs, how access to nature can be improved, and why suburbs are often overlooked as Native places. 

Before Basset Creek was named Basset Creek it was named by the Dakota and called Ȟaȟá Wakpádaŋ. Tawnya Stewart, an Ojibwe woman who grew up within a few miles of the creek talks about what it was like growing up in Hennepin County suburbs as a Native person. She explores why the original names of the landscapes are important, why she likes dual naming, and the importance of education when it comes to bringing back something's original name.   

Listen To Bent Not Broken: Starting Over After Divorce with Deborah Griffiths- Bent Not Broken: Starting Over After Divorce - Podcast - Apple Podcasts ABOUT BENT NOT BROKEN: Bent Not Broken is the podcast for anyone rebuilding their life after heartbreak. Hosted by inspiring voices who've been through the storm and come out stronger, this show dives deep into healing, resilience, and rediscovering joy after divorce. Each episode offers powerful conversations, expert insights, and real stories of transformation—proving that life doesn't end after divorce, it begins again. Whether you're navigating the early days of separation, rediscovering who you are, or ready to rewrite your next chapter, this podcast reminds you: you may be bent, but you are never broken. ABOUT THIS EPISODE OF OBSESSED PODCAST: Television has long been called a mirror of society — but has it really reflected our families, or reshaped them entirely? In this fascinating episode of The Get Obsessed Podcast, host Julie Lokun, JD, sits down with Deborah Griffiths, creator of the powerful new show Bent Not Broken: Starting Over After Divorce, to explore how TV has shaped — and sometimes shattered — the image of the American family. From Leave It to Beaver and Father Knows Best to The Brady Bunch, The Cosby Show, Roseanne, Modern Family, and even The Kardashians, Julie and Deborah journey through the decades — unpacking what each era's most popular shows reveal about gender roles, family values, race, divorce, and cultural change. This episode is a nostalgic, eye-opening trip through television history that will make you laugh, question, and maybe even rethink what “family” really means in the media age. What You'll Hear in This Episode How post-war prosperity shaped the “perfect” families of the 1950s The rise of single moms and blended families in the 1970s and beyond When TV first dared to say the word divorce — and why it mattered How shows like The Cosby Show and Family Ties brought strong family ideals into the 1980s The impact of reality TV — from The Real Housewives to The Kardashians — on our sense of self and family identity Why the media continues to influence how we love, parent, and live todayDo you want to learn more about THE GET OBSESSED PODCAST and Julie and Mika?MEET US LIVE IN FEBRUARY in CHICAGO: LEARN MORE HEREFollow us on Instagram: (2) InstagramVisit Mika's Bakery in Winter Haven Florida: Home | Victor & Mika's Bakery Vegan Food. Real Good. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For nearly three decades, he's crafted cinematic narratives on public radio that are unapologetically performative and decidedly high-brow. But Ira Glass, in real life, is not some vegetarian sandwich. Pablo seeks kindred wisdom on activating a third ear, basking in the flow of Lin-Manuel Miranda, covering Donald Trump, growing jealous of The Daily, fact-checking Joe Rogan and opting out of being in touch... with The Rizzler.• Become a Life Partner of "This American Life" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Eric Foner discusses Our Fragile Freedoms, a new collection of essays exploring a range of topics, including debates over slavery and antislavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction, Jim Crow and the battle to dismantle it, and modern debates over the Constitution and how to teach American history. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Resources Eric Foner, Our Fragile Freedoms(2025) Eric Foner, The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution (2019) Eric Foner, The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery (2010) Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 (1988) Richard Hofstadter, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life (1963) Stay Connected and Learn More Questions or comments about the show? Email us at programs@constitutioncenter.org Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr Explore theAmerica at 250 Civic Toolkit Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen Join us for an upcoming live program or watch recordings on YouTube Support our important work ⁠⁠Donate

Trump is trying to block speech that criticizes him. Last week began with JD Vance complaining about an article in The Nation that criticized the ideas of Charlie Kirk. Two days after that, ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel. And a few days after that, a protest movement forced ABC to put him back on the air. Bhaskar Sunkara comments on the fight over freedom of speech - he's president of The Nation Magazine.Also: Attacking Harvard is not unique to Trump -- for decades, indeed for centuries, American politicians have made hay by going after Harvard. Historian Beverely Gage talks about what's familiar, and what's new, in Trump's efforts – based on a reconsideration of Richard Hofstadter's classic 1963 book “Anti-Intellectualism in American Life.”Our Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/THENATIONAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ben Shapiro joins David Cone to unpack 61* and Field of Dreams, reflecting on what baseball meant to past generations and why it still matters. From legacy and fatherhood to the soul of the sport, it's a conversation about the deeper impact the game has had on American culture.  - - - Today's Sponsor: ExpressVPN - Go to https://expressvpn.com/benYT and find out how you can get 4 months of ExpressVPN free! - - - Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Dobson (Rest In Piss Bozo), trumpet or sax?, phones in schools, AI data centers, and the data center mine in eastern Kentucky Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/trillbillyworkersparty

Subscribe for $5.99 a month to get bonus content most Mondays, bonus episodes every month, ad-free listening, access to the entire 800-episode archive, Discord access, and more: https://axismundi.supercast.com/ Brad Onishi sits down with Dr. Anand Pandian, author of Something Between Us, to explore the everyday “walls” that divide Americans—from SUVs and suburbs to video doorbells and noise-canceling headphones. Drawing on James Baldwin's influence, Pandian reveals how our built environments and habits foster suspicion, loneliness, and disconnection. They exacertabe the ruthlessness of our political age. Onishi and Pandian discuss how activism, like the “Aunt Flow” movement, and simple neighborly acts can help rebuild empathy and community. This episode is a powerful reminder that polarization isn't just political—it's personal, physical, and fixable. Anand Pandian's book: https://anand.studio Linktree: https://linktr.ee/StraightWhiteJC Order Brad's book: https://bookshop.org/a/95982/9781506482163 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices