Podcasts about rhodes scholar

Reading of excerpts from Dr Raghavan's essay 'The Eye of Self Existence'. The full text can be found here: https://theosophytrust.org/944-eye-of-self-existenceProfessor Raghavan N. Iyer (1930 -1995) was an internationally known philosopher, political theorist, and spiritual practitioner who devoted his life to the intellectual and spiritual uplift of human society. The only Rhodes Scholar from India in 1950 to Oxford, he secured First Class Honors in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and later earned a D. Phil. Degree in moral and political philosophy. For eight years, he was Fellow and Lecturer in Politics at St. Anthony's College, Oxford, then Visiting Professor at the Universities of Oslo, Ghana and Chicago, and lectured at the College of Europe in Belgium, the Erasmus Seminar in Holland, and at Harvard, Bowdoin, Berkeley, U.C.L.A., Rand Corporation and the California Institute of Technology. He was professor of political philosophy at the University of California, Santa Barbara for 21 years.His message is that a renewed humankind is now emerging, and his writings address the causes of the global situation, the nature of this evolution, and the manner in which individuals can participate fully in this collective transformation.Dr Iyer was a practitioner and member of the Theosophical Foundation and wrote that:"Initiation into Theosophical metaphysics is more than an intellectual or moral enterprise; it is a continuous spiritual exercise in the development of intuitive and cognitive capacities that are the highest available to humans, a process that includes from the first a blending of the head and the heart through the interaction of viveka and vairagya, discrimination and detachment. Even our initial apprehension of a statement of Theosophical metaphysics involves an ethical as well as mental effort, just as even the smallest application of a Theosophical injunction to our moral life requires some degree of mental control and the deeper awareness, universal and impersonal in nature, that comes from our higher cognitive capacities. Moral growth, for a Theosophist, presupposes “the silent worship of abstract or noumenal Nature, the only divine manifestation”, that is “the one ennobling religion of Humanity.”

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Zehra Naqvi. Zehra's book The Knot of my Tongue is a finalist for the 2025 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. On the episode Zehra how listening helps learn language. She talks about capturing silence in poetry. For more about The Knot of my Tongue: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/the-knot-of-my-tongue/ To view the 2025 BC and Yukon Book Prizes shortlists: bcyukonbookprizes.com/2025/04/10/bc-…sts-announced/ ABOUT ZEHRA NAQVI: Zehra Naqvi is a Karachi-born writer raised on unceded Coast Salish Territories (Vancouver, BC). She is a winner of the 2021 RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers awarded by the Writers' Trust of Canada. Her poem “forgetting urdu” was the winner of Room's 2016 Poetry Contest. Zehra has written and edited for various publications internationally. She holds two MSc degrees in migration studies and social anthropology from Oxford University where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar. The Knot of My Tongue is her debut poetry collection. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Interim Executive Director for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

Seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean recognize Taiwan in lieu of the People's Republic of China, the most of any other region in the world. However, the number of formal Taiwan allies has been in steady decline, particularly since 2017 when Panama changed its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing and joined the Belt and Road Initiative. Today, Taiwan's status among its remaining allies appears to be under increasing pressure. In this episode, Ryan C. Berg sits down with Henry Large, a Rhodes Scholar and Doctoral candidate in Latin American Studies at the University of Oxford. Together, they discuss the history behind Panama's 2017 switch, the state of Taiwan's relationships with the region today, and why diplomatic allies matter for Taipei. They also discuss how the United States, which itself does not formally recognize Taiwan, can be a better partner in promoting ties with the region.

David Butler's life is a classic reboot story, from the courts of NBA Basketball to Wall Street Titan and co-CEO of Dimensional Fund Advisors. A powerhouse in the boardroom and on the court, David's career has been anything but conventional. A Rhodes Scholar candidate and Pac-12 Basketball Hall of Honor inductee, he was an All-American at UC Berkeley and drafted to the Boston Celtics. When his NBA career was sidelined by a strike and injury—David was faced with a serendipitous moment in his life that many would have missed—and pivoted with purpose, launching a remarkable Reboot journey shaped by discipline and a vision.A powerful force on the court, David has Rebooted Dimensional into a $850B powerhouse to become a leading global financial services group. Long before the me-too AI train, instead of chasing hot stock tips, they redefined the financial advice model with a systematic, research-based investment approaches that have outperformed their competitors. Listen in as we unpack David's remarkable personal journey and how a former pro baller became a Wall Street Trailblazer.

My guest this week is Dr Hannah Tonkin - lawyer, international human rights advocate, and the inaugural NSW Women's Safety Commissioner. Dr Tonkin took up the role in February 2023 and now leads efforts across the NSW government to strengthen responses to domestic, family, and sexual violence. Her work focuses on fostering collaboration between government, non-government organisations, and the broader community, ensuring victim-survivors have a meaningful voice in shaping policy and programs. Prior to this appointment, she worked as an international human rights lawyer with the United Nations, served as Director of Disability Rights at the Australian Human Rights Commission, and practiced as a barrister in London and Adelaide. She also brings exceptional academic credentials, holding a PhD in International Law and a master's in civil law from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, along with law and science honours degrees from the University of Adelaide. In this episode, we explore whole-of-government leadership in reducing gendered and family violence, how human rights principles can inform safety policy, and Dr Tonkin's journey from international advocacy to becoming NSW's foremost advocate for women's safety.

We're diving deep into enterprise GenAI with Ben Luria, CEO & Co‑Founder of Hirundo (Machine Unlearning). A Rhodes Scholar and Visiting Fellow at Oxford, Ben previously founded fintech and edtech ventures and now focuses on how to make AI “forget” to reduce real‑world risks.

Sonita Alizada joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about surviving the Taliban in Afghanistan, speaking up against forced child marriage and racism, finding a voice through music, when we have nothing else to help us survive but art, protesting against an oppressive government, fighting for an education, the lack of meaningful action from NGOs, how much we can live through and endure, survivor's guilt, becoming the subject of a documentary, risking what you have for your dreams, and her new memoir SONITA: My Fight Against Tyranny and My Escape to Freedom. Speak up against for marriage against racism and around, not just about hardship but about survival resistance and hope it's about celebration what Art can do when we have nothing else to use and no other resources to use to really fight for ourselves to find our voices to chase our dreams Also in this episode; -not putting everything into the book -the fatigue of advocacy work -fighting for those who don't have a voice   Books mentioned in this episode: Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls On Writing by Stephen King   Sonita Alizada is an Afghan rapper and activist and the author of the new book: “SONITA: My Fight Against Tyranny and My Escape to Freedom." Through her music and advocacy work, Sonita has campaigned for women's rights and against child marriage, partnering with notable NGOS. She has performed at the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Awards and has been recognized with prestigious honors, including TIME Magazine's Next Generation Leader, Forbes 30 Under 30, the Cannes Lions Humanitarian Award, and was included in BBC's 100 Women in 2015. Sonita, who learned English upon coming to the U.S., graduated from Bard College in 2023. In October 2025, she will be pursuing a master's degree at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.    Connect with Sonita: Website: www.sonita.net Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonitalizadeh – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Keep Your Voice Down hosts Alek Haak-Frost and Doug Sears Jr. are joined by Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed.The former Rhodes Scholar and Michigan gubernatorial candidate fields questions about civil liberties, affordable housing, Medicare for All, and automation's impact on the economy. El-Sayed is running for Michigan's soon-to-be open U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by Sen. Gary Peters, who is not seeking reelection in 2026.The show's theme is “Howling at the Moon” by D Fine Us, and this week's outro music is “Premiere” by Adrián Berenguer. You can support Keep Your Voice Down and Watershed Voice with a donation here.Any views or opinions expressed on “Keep Your Voice Down” are those of its hosts and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the podcast's sponsors, Watershed Voice staff or its board of directors.

Original Air Date: May 21, 2018Enjoy this episode, specially selected for our Super Soul Summer—a series celebrating some of the greatest Super Soul moments and messages to inspire and uplift your spirit. Enjoy this episode, specially selected for our Super Soul Summer—a series celebrating some of the greatest Super Soul moments and messages to inspire and uplift your spirit. Does this sound like you? After years working at the same job, you realize you've just been going through the motions for as long as you can remember. Wes Moore, a war veteran, entrepreneur, Rhodes Scholar and New York Times best-selling author, believes we can all discover and pursue our life's purpose. “If your job no longer brings you joy, there's an important question you need to ask yourself: ‘What is your real work and who will you fight for?'” In his book “The Work,” Wes, a former combat officer in Afghanistan, a White House Fellow and a Wall Street banker, discusses his journey of self-discovery, which led him to walk away from financial success to create a more meaningful life.

Send us a textIn this powerful episode, Corie sits down with Maxine Williams, VP Head of Accessibility and Engagement at Meta (formerly Chief Diversity Officer), Rhodes Scholar, Oxford and Yale graduate,  for an honest, inspiring, and deeply Trinidadian conversation. From acting on stage in Earl Lovelace's the Dragon Can't Dance with Brother Resistance and playing the evil Isis in Westwood Park, to working alongside Mark Zuckerberg at one of the world's most influential tech companies, Maxine shares the personal and professional journey that led her from WoodBrook, POS to Silicon Valley boardrooms.They discuss the magic of Carnival, the legacy of Peter Minshall, the future of AI and assistive tech, and what it really takes to get a job at a company like Meta. Maxine also reflects on imposter syndrome, community, the power of representation, and why excellence gives you the freedom to choose your own path.This one is full of laughter, real talk, and lessons for anyone navigating creativity, identity, and career on a global scale — all while staying rooted in the Caribbean spirit.Click the link in my bio for the full episode#coriesheppardpodcast #MaxineWilliams #Meta #RhodesScholar #Oxford #Yale #Trinidad #Carnival #AI #TechAndCulture #RepresentationMatters

When we first met Majd Abdulghani, she was 19 years old, living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We gave her a recorder to keep an audio diary about her life. Majd chronicled her dreams of being a scientist, her resistance to having an arranged marriage, and what it was like to be a teenage girl living in one of the most restrictive countries in the world for women. Her story first aired in 2016.A lot has changed in Majd's life over the past nine years. Last year, she completed her doctorate at Oxford University, where she was Saudi Arabia's first Rhodes Scholar. She and her husband have a four-year-old daughter, and they recently moved home to Saudi Arabia after several years abroad.Saudi Arabia has changed a lot, too. Back in 2016, women weren't even allowed to drive. Now they can. And many more women have careers now—including Majd. She's now a successful scientist working for a company based in Riyadh.We recently met up with Majd while she was in Boston for a conference. Here's her diary from 2016, along with our conversation about how things have changed since then. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Last week, Abdul El-Sayed sat down with Donna to discuss his candidacy for the U.S. Senate!Abdul is running for the U.S. Senate because he believes life in Michigan shouldn't be this hard — or this expensive. After a successful career of making government work for Michiganders, he wants to take his vision to Washington and make the United States Senate work for you. He was born and raised in southeast Michigan and proudly attended public schools where he captained his high school football, wrestling, and lacrosse teams. Abdul was raised by his father, Mohamed, an Egyptian immigrant, and his stepmom, Jackie, whose family has lived in Gratiot County, Michigan, since the 1800s. he graduated from the university of michigan with the highest distinction and played on the wolverines men's lacrosse team. Abdul earned his medical degree from Columbia University on an NIH-funded fellowship and a second doctorate at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Abdul currently lives in Ann Arbor with his wife, Sarah, and their two brilliant young daughters, Emmalee and Serene.To learn more about Adbul El-Sayed and his vision for Michigan, click here.Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

After getting a job as a barista at the Elmwood Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, Jaz Brisack became a founding member of Starbucks Workers United and helped organize the first unionized Starbucks in the US in December of 2021. In their new book, Get on the Job and Organize, Brisack details the hardwon lessons they and their coworkers have learned from building one of the most significant and paradigm-shifting worker organizing campaigns in modern history. In this extended episode of Working People, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian speaks with Brisack about their book, the facts and fictions characterizing today's “new labor movement,” and why union organizing is essential for saving democracy and the world.Guests: Jaz Brisack is a union organizer and cofounder of the Inside Organizer School, which trains workers to unionize. After spending one year at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, Jaz got a job as a barista at the Elmwood Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, becoming a founding member of Starbucks Workers United and helping organize the first unionized Starbucks in the United States in December of 2021. As the organizing director for Workers United Upstate New York & Vermont, they also worked with organizing committees at companies ranging from Ben & Jerry's to Tesla. Additional links/info: Jaz Brisack, One Signal Publishers, Get on the Job and Organize: Standing Up for a Better Workplace and a Better World Jaz Brisack, Teen Vogue, “Starbucks Workers United grew out of Jaz Brisack's undercover organizing. Here's how” Starbucks Workers United website, Facebook page, X page, and Instagram Inside Organizer School website Featured Music: Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song Credits: Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor  

After getting a job as a barista at the Elmwood Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, Jaz Brisack became a founding member of Starbucks Workers United and helped organize the first unionized Starbucks in the US in December of 2021. In their new book, Get on the Job and Organize, Brisack details the hardwon lessons they and their coworkers have learned from building one of the most significant and paradigm-shifting worker organizing campaigns in modern history. In this extended episode of Working People, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian speaks with Brisack about their book, the facts and fictions characterizing today's “new labor movement,” and why union organizing is essential for saving democracy and the world.Guests:Jaz Brisack is a union organizer and cofounder of the Inside Organizer School, which trains workers to unionize. After spending one year at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, Jaz got a job as a barista at the Elmwood Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, becoming a founding member of Starbucks Workers United and helping organize the first unionized Starbucks in the United States in December of 2021. As the organizing director for Workers United Upstate New York & Vermont, they also worked with organizing committees at companies ranging from Ben & Jerry's to Tesla.Additional links/info:Jaz Brisack, One Signal Publishers, Get on the Job and Organize: Standing Up for a Better Workplace and a Better WorldJaz Brisack, Teen Vogue, “Starbucks Workers United grew out of Jaz Brisack's undercover organizing. Here's how”Starbucks Workers United website, Facebook page, X page, and InstagramInside Organizer School websiteFeatured Music:Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme SongCredits:Audio Post-Production: Jules TaylorHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast

Karen Stevenson, Chief Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, shares her path to the bench and to the law, including a stint at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. She also describes how her experience living abroad expanded her perspective as a person and enhanced her judicial skills later on. Judge Stevenson exemplifies her motto: "Do it. Do it right. Do it now."

In the second season of The Road Less Traveled series, SSPI's Tamara Bond-Williams speaks with people whose lives and work inspire us because they walk “the road less traveled,” the one leading us to a wider view of space, satellites and our quest for the dwelling of light we call “The Truth.” This episode features a roundtable conversation with Chris Impey, Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona; Dr. Claire Nelson, Chief Ideation Leader of The Futures Forum; and Frank White, Professor at Kepler Space University and author of The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution. Chris Impey is a University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona. He has over 450 publications on education, observational cosmology, galaxies, and quasars, and his research has been supported by $20 million in NASA and NSF grants. He has won eleven teaching awards and has taught four online classes with over 420,000 enrolled and 8 million minutes of video lectures watched. Chris Impey is a past Vice President of the American Astronomical Society, and he has won its career Education Prize. He's also been NSF Distinguished Teaching Scholar, Carnegie Council's Arizona Professor of the Year, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. He has written 120 popular articles on cosmology, astrobiology and education, two textbooks, a novel called Shadow World, and ten popular science trade books: The Living Cosmos, How It Ends, Talking About Life, How It Began, Dreams of Other Worlds, Humble Before the Void, Beyond: The Future of Space Travel, Einstein's Monsters: The Life and Times of Black Holes, Worlds Without End: Exoplanets, Habitability and the Future of Humanity, and most recently Recipe for a Universe: Cosmic Chemistry from the Big Bang to You. Dr. Claire Nelson, Chief Visionary Officer of The Futures Forum, is listed among Forbes Top 50 Female Futurists. The author of the game-changing book SMART Futures for a Flourishing World: A Paradigm Shift for Achieving Global Sustainability, is a Board Member of the World Futures Studies Federation and Editor of its flagship magazine Human Futures. The Convenor of Space Futures Forum is noteworthy for her advocacy for global and space sustainability and serves as Advisor to various groups including Engineering for One Planet and Space for Humanity. A social entrepreneur, Nelson is Founding Convenor of June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month. A dynamic keynote speaker and storyteller, her one-woman show ‘Moon Runnings: The Life & Times of the First Jamaican on the Moon' is aimed at advancing planetary consciousness. Honored as a White House Champion of Change, she holds a Doctorate in Engineering Management from George Washington University. Frank White is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and a Rhodes Scholar. He earned an M.Phil. in Politics from Oxford University. White's book, The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, is considered by many to be a seminal work in the field of space studies. He has authored or co-authored numerous additional books on a wide range of topics, including SETI, AI, and climate change. In addition to his writing career, White is co-executive editor of Sentient Media, LLC, President and Board Chair of the Human Space Program, a Professor at Kepler Space University, and a Curator of Space and AI information for Intro-act.

Michael Bungay Stanier: Change Signal Michael Bungay Stanier is best known for The Coaching Habit, the best-selling coaching book of the century and recognized as a classic. He was a Rhodes Scholar, and was recently awarded the coaching prize by Thinkers50. He's now the host of the new Change Signal podcast. If you're doing change right, it's going to be messy. In this conversation, Michael Bungay Stanier returns to show us where to start, the key mindsets to have, and the first steps for getting traction. Key Points If you're doing change right, it's going to be messy. Before you remove a fence, figure out why it's there. Take inspiration from Emily Dickinson: “Tell all the truth but tell it slant.” Beware giving lip service to the emotional realities of change and then moving forward without really addressing them. Strategy is a living conversation. Run experiments. Fire bullets before cannonballs. Motivation is a critical factor in change. Better to be less efficient and have people with you than to force compliance with a “perfect” plan. Emily Dickinson: Tell all the truth but tell it slant — Success in Circuit lies Too bright for our infirm Delight The Truth's superb surprise As Lightning to the Children eased With explanation kind The Truth must dazzle gradually Or every man be blind — Resources Mentioned Change Signal podcast hosted by Michael Bungay Stanier The Coaching Habit* by Michael Bungay Stanier Related Episodes Engaging People Through Change, with Cassandra Worthy (episode 571) How to Approach a Reorg, with Claire Hughes Johnson (episode 621) How to Prevent a Team From Repeating Mistakes, with Robert “Cujo” Teschner (episode 660) Expert Partner Are you a talent development or human resources leader seeking a coach for an internal client? Coaching for Leaders has partnered with some of the top coaches in the world, including a number of past podcast guests. Help us make an introduction by visiting our Expert Partners Page and telling us what you're seeking in a coach. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Rates of chronic illness, behavioral disorders, and neurodevelopmental challenges are rising rapidly among children, often tied to underlying gut dysfunction, nutrient deficiencies, and environmental triggers such as toxins and ultra-processed foods. Conventional treatments frequently overlook these root causes, relying instead on symptom management or medication. Functional approaches emphasize foundational lifestyle changes—clean nutrition, microbiome support, movement, sleep, and stress reduction—as powerful tools to restore health. Children are especially responsive to these changes, often experiencing rapid and dramatic improvements in behavior, mood, and physical symptoms. With education, testing, and family-centered strategies, parents can take simple, effective steps to help their children thrive. In this episode, I discuss, along with Dr. Elisa Song, Dr. Suzanne Goh, and Dr. Elizabeth Boham why a root-cause approach is just as important for children, as it is for adults. Dr. Elisa Song, MD is a Stanford-, NYU-, UCSF-trained integrative pediatrician, pediatric functional medicine expert, and mom to 2 thriving children - and she is on a mission to revolutionize the future of children's health. Dr. Song is the bestselling author of the Healthy Kids Happy Kids: An Integrative Pediatrician's Guide to Whole Child Resilience. Dr. Song created Healthy Kids Happy Kids as an online holistic pediatric resource to help practitioners and parents bridge the gap between conventional and integrative pediatrics with an evidence-based, pediatrician-backed, mom-approved approach. In her integrative pediatric practice, she's helped 1000s of kids get to the root causes of their health concerns and empowered parents to help their children thrive by integrating conventional pediatrics with functional medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and essential oils. Dr. Song is chair of A4M's pediatric education and has lectured around the world at leading integrative and functional medicine conferences and premier parenting events. She has also been featured in hundreds of top podcasts, print and online media outlets, including the Wellness Mama podcast, BloomTV, Forbes, Healthline, MindBodyGreen, National Geographic, PopSugar, Parents, Motherly, Parade, Verywell Health, and New York Post. Dr. Suzanne Goh, co-founder and chief medical officer at Cortica, is a Rhodes Scholar and graduate of Harvard University, University of Oxford, and Harvard Medical School who has spent decades working with autistic children. Her work as a board-certified pediatric behavioral neurologist, behavioral analyst, neuroscience researcher, and author led her to create the Cortica Care Model, an innovative, whole-child approach that combines optimal medical treatment with the most effective strategies for advancing cognition, communication, and behavior. Dr. Elizabeth Boham is Board Certified in Family Medicine from Albany Medical School, and she is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner and the Medical Director of The UltraWellness Center. Dr. Boham lectures on a variety of topics, including Women's Health and Breast Cancer Prevention, insulin resistance, heart health, weight control and allergies. She is on the faculty for the Institute for Functional Medicine. This episode is brought to you by BIOptimizers. Head to bioptimizers.com/hyman and use code HYMAN10 to save 10%. Full-length episodes can be found here: How to Raise Healthy Kids: A Functional Medicine Approach The Surprising Causes of Autism & Why It's On The Rise Addressing The Root Causes Of Childhood Obesity

On this episode of the Buffs Insider with Voice of the Buffs, Mark Johnson, we chat with CU's first 2x first-team football All-American, Rhodes Scholar, and College Football Hall-of-Famer, Joe Romig! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join our Patreon community to get access to bonus episodes, discounts on merch and more: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreonSocial links, shop, YouTube channel and more: https://linktr.ee/unholypod A terror attack strikes a peaceful protest in Colorado calling for the release of hostages, while efforts to finalise a deal between Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked. Meanwhile, humanitarian aid begins to trickle into Gaza and a series of violent, and disputed, events ends in deadly consequences for Palestinian civilians.Yonit and Jonathan discuss all that, and also step back from the frontlines to look at the economic toll of a war that has lasted more than 600 days. They are joined by Dr. Nadine Baudot-Trajtenberg, former deputy governor of the Bank of Israel, for a sobering conversation on the social and financial cost of protracted conflict—borne most heavily by those sent to fight, and those left waiting at home. Dr. Nadine Baudot-Trajtenberg is a leading Israeli economist and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Israel, where she also served briefly as Acting Governor. A Rhodes Scholar and Harvard Ph.D., she has held senior roles in both the public and private sectors, including at Bank Leumi, Bank Hapoalim, and Israel's largest pension fund. She currently teaches economics at Reichman University and serves on several corporate boards, including Cellebrite. Known for her expertise in monetary policy and financial regulation, she is also married to economist and former Knesset member Manuel Trajtenberg.

Sonita Alizadeh is an award-winning Afghan rapper, activist, and now published author who's using her voice—through rap and writing—to fight one of the world's most overlooked human rights issues: child marriage. In this unforgettable episode, Ami sits down with Sonita to talk about her extraordinary journey from nearly being sold into marriage twice to becoming a globally recognized artist and advocate whose music and message are transforming lives.With humility and quiet intensity, Sonita opens up about what it was like growing up as an undocumented refugee in Iran, where she wasn't allowed to attend school or even ask for basic rights. She shares how she discovered rap—thanks to Eminem—and how it gave her a way to tell the truth no one else was saying. Her breakout song, Daughters for Sale, was more than viral—it was revolutionary. It not only saved her from marriage but inspired other girls to fight for their freedom too.From the pain of being separated from loved ones, to the slow transformation of her mother—from someone trying to arrange her marriage to someone who now supports her music—Sonita's story is both heartbreaking and full of hope. They also talk about Sonita's new memoir Sonita, her Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, and her plans to work in immigration and refugee advocacy to create long-term change.From half-bruised faces in music videos to dreams of one day performing in Afghanistan, this episode is a powerful reminder of the resilience it takes to rewrite your destiny—and how one voice can ignite a movement. Reunited in Canada: Sonita shares what it's like living in Toronto with her family, including reflections on Afghan birth records, her sister's undocumented age, and how being together again brings healing. (2:09)Escaping the Taliban—And Losing Her Rights in Iran: Sonita recalls fleeing Afghanistan only to face discrimination and exclusion in Iran as an undocumented refugee, including being denied access to education. (5:17)Why Her Mother Tried to Sell Her: Sonita explains her mother's heartbreaking reasoning for arranging her marriage—how generational trauma, poverty, and cultural norms shaped that decision. (8:14)How Her Family Learned to Love Her Music: From secret recordings to hearing her rap on Afghan national TV, Sonita shares how her family slowly began supporting her artistry—culminating in her mother asking her to write a song for a murdered woman named Farkhunda. (11:00)Discovering Rap in a Gym—and Why She Chose It Over Pop: Inspired by Eminem's rage-filled lyrics, Sonita explains why rap gave her the emotional outlet she needed to tell stories of child labor, child marriage, and injustice. (15:29)Going Viral, Getting Out: Her song Daughters for Sale went viral—terrifying and liberating her. It caught the attention of a U.S. NGO, which helped her secure a scholarship to study in America. (18:31)Freedom, Isolation, and Cheeseburgers: Sonita recounts her first experiences in the U.S.—from language barriers and loneliness to bike rides, fast food, and studio time that finally gave her space to heal. (22:03)From Rap to Rhodes: Her Education Journey: Sonita talks about graduating from Bard College with a double major in music and human rights, and her next chapter: studying forced migration at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. (25:04)Why She Wrote Her Memoir—And What's Inside: She shares how her memoir Sonita was born out of a classroom assignment, why she includes music and photos, and how it tells not just her story, but the story of millions of Afghan girls. (26:50)Q&A With Kids—and a Dream to Return Home: In a heartwarming moment, Ami's daughters ask Sonita about her biggest inspiration, her future goals, and her biggest pet peeve (“Telling her story again and again—and seeing no change”). (32:21) Connect with Sonita Alizadeh:WebsiteInstagramFacebookYouTubeX Let's talk Connect:Instagram This podcast is produced by Ginni Media

Audio FileGround Truths can also be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.The UK is the world leader in human genomics, and laid the foundation for advancing medicine with the UK Biobank, Genomes England and now Our Future Health (w/ 5 million participants). Sir John Bell is a major force in driving and advising these and many other initiatives. After 22 years as the Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford he left in 2024 to be President of the Ellison Institute of Technology. Professor Bell has been duly recognized in the UK: knighted in 2015 and appointed Companion of Honor in 2023. In our conversation, you will get a sense for how EIT will be transformational for using A.I. and life science for promoting human health.Transcript with audio links Eric Topol (00:06):Hello, this is Eric Topol from Ground Truths. And I'm really delighted to welcome today, Sir John Bell who had an extraordinary career as a geneticist, immunologist, we'll talk about several initiatives he's been involved with during his long tenure at University of Oxford, recently became head of the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) in the UK. So welcome, John.Sir John Bell (00:30):Thanks, Eric. Thanks very much for having me.Eric Topol (00:34):Well, I think it's just extraordinary the contributions that you have made and continue to make to advance medicine, and I thought what we could do is get into that. I mean, what's interesting, you have had some notable migrations over your career, I think starting in Canada, at Stanford, then over as Rhodes Scholar in Oxford. And then you of course had a couple of decades in a very prestigious position, which as I understand was started in 1546 by King Henry VII, and served as the Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford. Do I have that right?Sir John Bell (01:11):It was actually Henry VIII, but you were close.Eric Topol (01:14):Henry VIII, that's great. Yeah. Okay, good. Well, that's a pretty notable professorship. And then of course in recent times you left to head up this pretty formidable new institute, which is something that's a big trend going on around the world, particularly in the US and we'll talk about. So maybe we can start with the new thing. Tell us more about the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), if you will.Sir John Bell (01:47):Yeah. So as you know, Larry Ellison has been one of the great tech entrepreneurs focused really on developing terrific databases over his career and through Oracle, which is the company that he founded. And Larry is really keen to try and give back something substantial to the world, which is based on science and technology. So he and I did quite a bit together over the Covid pandemic. He and I talked a lot about what we're doing and so on. He came to visit afterwards and he had, I think he decided that the right way to make his contributions would be to set up an institute that would be using the state-of-the-art science and technology with a lot of AI and machine learning, but also some of the other modern tools to address the major problems in healthcare, in food security, in green energy and climate change and in global governance.Sir John Bell (02:49):So anyway, he launched this about 18 months ago. He approached me to ask whether I would run it. He wanted to set it up outside Oxford, and he wanted to do something which is a bit different than others. And that is his view was that we needed to try and create solutions to these problems which are commercially viable and not all the solutions are going to be commercially viable, but where you can create those, you make them sustainable. So the idea is to make sure that we create solutions that people want to buy, and then if they buy them, you can create a sustainable solution to those issues. So we are actually a company, but we are addressing many of the same problems that the big foundations are addressing. And the big issues that you and I talk about in health, for example, are all on our list. So we're kind of optimistic as to where this will go and Larry's supporting the project and we're going to build out an institute here which will have about 5,000 people in it, and we'll be, I think a pretty exciting new addition to the science and technology ecosystem globally.Eric Topol (04:02):Well, I know the reverberations and the excitement is palpable and some of the colleagues I've spoken to, not just in England, but of course all over the world. So congratulations on that. It was a big move for you to leave the hardcore academics. And the other thing I wanted to ask you, John, is you had distinguished your career in immunology, in genetics, type 1 diabetes and other conditions, autoimmune conditions, and now you've really diversified, as you described with these different areas of emphasis at the new institute. Is that more fun to do it or do you have deputies that you can assign to things like climate change in other areas?Sir John Bell (04:50):Trust me, Eric, I'm not making any definitive decisions about areas I know nothing about, but part of this is about how do you set up leadership, run a team, get the right people in. And I have to say one of the really interesting things about the institute is we've been able to recruit some outstanding people across all those domains. And as you know, success is almost all dependent on people. So we're really pretty optimistic we're going to have a significant impact. And of course, we also want to take risks because not a lot of point in us doing stuff that everybody else is doing. So we're going to be doing some things that are pretty way out there and some of them will fail, so we are just going to get used to trying to make sure we get a few of them across the finish line. But the other thing is that, and you've experienced this too, you never get too old to learn. I mean, I'm sucking up stuff that I never thought I would ever learn about, which is fun actually, and really marvel.Eric Topol (05:55):It's fantastic. I mean, you've really broadened and it's great that you have the runway to get these people on board and I think you're having a big building that's under construction?Sir John Bell (06:07):Yeah, we've got the original building that Larry committed to is about 330,000 square feet of space. I mean, this is completely amazing, but we are of course to accommodate up to 5,000 people, we're going to need more than that. So we are looking at a much wider campus here that'll involve more than just that building. I think we'll end up with several million square feet of space by the time we're finished. So mean, it's a really big project, but we've already made progress in some domains to try and get projects and the beginnings of companies on the road to try and solve some of the big problems. So we're quite excited about it.Eric Topol (06:49):Now you, I assume it's pretty close to Oxford, and will you have some kind of inter interactions that are substantial?Sir John Bell (06:58):Yeah, so the university's been terrific about this actually, because of course most universities would say, well, why don't you do it inside the university and just give us the money and it'll all be fine. So of course Larry. Larry wasn't born yesterday, so I said, well, thank you very much, but I think we'll probably do this nearby. But the university also realized this is a really exciting opportunity for them and we've got a really good relationship with them. We've signed an agreement with them as to who will work where. We've agreed not to steal a lot of their staff. We're going to be bringing new people into the ecosystem. Some of the university people will spend some time with us and sometime in the university, so that will help. But we're also bringing quite a few new people into the setting. So the university has been really positive. And I think one of the things that's attractive to the university, and you'll be familiar with this problem in the UK, is that we're quite good. The discovery science here is pretty good.Sir John Bell (08:06):And we do startups now at scale. So Oxford does lots of little startup companies in the biotech space and all the rest of it, but we never scale any of these companies because there isn't the depth of capital for scaling capital to get these things scaled. And so, in a way what we're trying to do here at Ellison actually avoids that problem because Larry knows how to scale companies, and we've got the financial support now. If we have things that are really successful, we can build the full stack solution to some of these problems. So I think the university is really intrigued as to how we might do that. We're going to have to bring some people in that know how to do that and build billion dollar companies, but it's sufficiently attractive. We've already started to recruit some really outstanding people. So as a way to change the UK system broadly, it's actually quite a good disruptive influence on the way the thing works to try and fix some of the fundamental problems.Eric Topol (09:07):I love that model and the ability that you can go from small startups to really transformative companies have any impact. It fits in well with the overall objectives, I can see that. The thing that also is intriguing regarding this whole effort is that in parallel we've learned your influence. The UK is a genomics world leader without any question and no coincidence that that's been your area of emphasis in your career. So we've watched these three initiatives that I think you were involved in the UK Biobank, which has had more impact than any cohort ever assembled. Every day there's another paper using that data that's coming out. There's Genomes England, and then now Our Future Health, which a lot of people don't know about here, which is well into the 5 million people enrollment. Can you tell us about, this is now 15 years ago plus when these were started, and of course now with a new one that's the biggest ever. What was your thinking and involvement and how you built the UK to be a world leader in this space?Sir John Bell (10:26):So if you turn the clock back 20 years, or actually slightly more than 25 years ago, it was clear that genomics was going to have a play. And I think many of us believed that there was going to be a genetic element to most of the major common disease turn out to be true. But at the time, there were a few skeptics, but it seemed to us that there was going to be a genetic story that underpinned an awful lot of human disease and medicine. And we were fortunate because in Oxford as you know, one of my predecessors in the Regius job was Richard Doll, and he built up this fantastic epidemiology capability in Oxford around Richard Peto, Rory Collins, and those folks, and they really knew how to do large scale epidemiology. And one of the things that they'd observed, which is it turns out to be true with genetics as well, is a lot of the effects are relatively small, but they're still quite significant. So you do need large scale cohorts to understand what you're doing. And it was really Richard that pioneered the whole thinking behind that. So when we had another element in the formula, which was the ability to detect genetic variation and put that into the formula, it seemed to me that we could move into an era where you could set up, again, large cohorts, but build into the ability to have DNA, interrogate the DNA, and also ultimately interrogate things like proteomics and metabolomics, which were just in their infancy at that stage.Sir John Bell (12:04):Very early on I got together because I was at that stage at the Nuffield Chair of Medicine, and I got together, Rory and Richard and a couple of others, and we talked a little bit about what it would look like, and we agreed that a half a million people late to middle age, 45 and above would probably over time when you did the power calculations, give you a pretty good insight in most of the major diseases. And then it was really a question of collecting them and storing the samples. So in order to get it funded at the time I was on the council of the MRC and George Radda, who you may remember, was quite a distinguished NMR physiologist here. He was the chief executive of the MRC. So I approached him and I said, look, George, this would be a great thing for us to do in the UK because we have all the clinical records of these people going back for a decade, and will continue to do that.Sir John Bell (13:01):Of course, we immediately sent it out to a peer review committee in the MRC who completely trashed the idea and said, you got to be joking. So I thought, okay, that's how that lasted. And I did say to George, I said, that must mean this is a really good idea because if it had gone straight through peer review, you would've known you were toast. So anyway, I think we had one more swing at peer review and decided in the end that wasn't going to work. In the end, George to his credit, took it to MRC council and we pitched it and everybody thought, what a great idea, let's just get on and do it. And then the Wellcome came in. Mark Walport was at the Wellcome at the time, great guy, and did a really good job at bringing the Wellcome on board.Sir John Bell (13:45):And people forget the quantum of money we had to do this at the time was about 60 million pounds. I mean, it wasn't astonishly small. And then of course we had a couple of wise people who came in to give us advice, and the first thing they said, well, if you ever thought you were really going to be able to do genetics on 500,000 people, forget it. That'll never work. So I thought, okay, I'll just mark that one out. And then they said, and by the way, you shouldn't assume you can get any data from the health service because you'll never be able to collect clinical data on any of these people. So I said, yeah, yeah, okay, I get it. Just give us the money and let us get on. So anyway, it's quite an interesting story. It does show how conservative the community actually is for new ideas.Sir John Bell (14:39):Then I chaired the first science committee, and we decided about a year into it that we really needed the chief executive. So we got Rory Collins to lead it and done it. I sat on the board then for the next 10 years, but well look, it was a great success. And as you say, it is kind of the paradigm for now, large genetic epidemiology cohorts. So then, as you know, I advise government for many years, and David Cameron had just been elected as Prime Minister. This was in about 2010. And at the time I'd been tracking because we had quite a strong genomics program in the Wellcome Trust center, which I'd set up in the university, and we were really interested in the genetics of common disease. It became clear that the price of sequencing and Illumina was now the clear leader in the sequencing space.Sir John Bell (15:39):But it was also clear that Illumina was making significant advances in the price of sequencing because as you remember, the days when it cost $5,000 to do a genome. Anyway, it became clear that they actually had technology that gets you down to a much more sensible price, something like $500 a genome. So I approached David and I said, we are now pretty sure that for many of the rare diseases that you see in clinical practice, there is a genetic answer that can be detected if you sequenced a whole genome. So why don't we set something up in the NHS to provide what was essentially the beginnings of a clinical service to help the parents of kids with various disabilities work out what's going on, what's wrong with their children. And David had had a child with Ohtahara syndrome, which as you know is again, and so David was very, he said, oh God, I'll tell you the story about how awful it was for me and for my wife Samantha.Sir John Bell (16:41):And nobody could tell us anything about what was going on, and we weren't looking for a cure, but it would've really helped if somebody said, we know what it is, we know what the cause is, we'll chip away and maybe there will be something we can do, but at least you know the answer. So anyway, he gave us very strong support and said to the NHS, can you please get on and do it? Again massive resistance, Eric as you can imagine, all the clinical geneticists said, oh my God, what are they doing? It's complete disaster, dah, dah, dah. So anyway, we put on our tin hats and went out and got the thing going. And again, they did a really good job. They got to, their idea was to get a hundred thousand genomes done in a reasonable timeframe. I think five years we set ourselves and the technology advance, people often underestimate the parallel development of technology, which is always going on. And so, that really enabled us to get that done, and it still continues. They're doing a big neonatal program at the moment, which is really exciting. And then I was asked by Theresa May to build a life science strategy because the UK, we do this stuff not as big and broad as America, but for a small country we do life sciences pretty well.Eric Topol (18:02):That's an understatement, by the way. A big understatement.Sir John Bell (18:04):Anyway, so I wrote the strategies in 2017 for Theresa about what we would do as a nation to support life sciences. And it was interesting because I brought a group of pharma companies together to say, look, this is for you guys, so tell us what you want done. We had a series of meetings and what became clear is that they were really interested in where healthcare was going to end up in the next 20 years. And they said, you guys should try and get ahead of that wave. And so, we agreed that one of the domains that really hadn't been explored properly, it was the whole concept of prevention.Sir John Bell (18:45):Early diagnosis and prevention, which they were smart enough to realize that the kind of current paradigm of treating everybody in the last six months of life, you can make money doing that, there's no doubt, but it doesn't really fix the problem. And so, they said, look, we would love it if you created a cohort from the age of 18 that was big enough that we could actually track the trajectories of people with these diseases, identify them at a presymptomatic stage, intervene with preventative therapies, diagnose diseases earlier, and see if we could fundamentally change the whole approach to public health. So we anyway, went back and did the numbers because of course at much wider age group, a lot of people don't get at all sick, but we thought if we collected 5 million people, we would probably have enough. That's 10% of the UK adult population.Sir John Bell (19:37):So anyway, amazingly the government said, off you go. We then had Covid, which as you know, kept you and I busy for a few years before we could get back to it. But then we got at it, and we hired a great guy who had done a bit of this in the UAE, and he came across and we set up a population health recruitment structure, which was community-based. And we rapidly started to recruit people. So we've now got 2.9 million people registered, 2.3 million people consented, and we've got blood in the bank and all the necessary data including questionnaire data for 1.5 million people growing up. So we will get to 5 million and it's amazing.Eric Topol (20:29):It is. It really is, and I'm just blown away by the progress you've made. And what was interesting too, besides you all weren't complacent about, oh, we got this UK Biobank and you just kept forging ahead. And by the way, I really share this importance of finally what has been a fantasy of primary prevention, which never really achieved. It's always, oh, after a heart attack. But that's what I wrote about in the Super Agers book, and I'll get you a copy.Sir John Bell (21:02):No, I know you're a passionate believer in this and we need to do a lot of things. So we need to work out what's the trial protocol for primary prevention. We need to get the regulators on board. We've got to get them to understand that we need diagnostics that define risk, not disease, because that's going to be a key bit of what we're going to try and do. And we need to understand that for a lot of these diseases, you have to intervene quite early to flatten that morbidity curve.Eric Topol (21:32):Yeah, absolutely. What we've learned, for example, from the UK Biobank is not just, of course the genomics that you touched on, but the proteomics, the organ clocks and all these other layers of data. So that gets me to my next topic, which I know you're all over it, which is AI.Eric Topol (21:51):So when I did the NHS review back in 2018, 2019, the group of people which were amazing that I had to work with no doubt why the UK punches well beyond its weight. I had about 50 people, and they just said, you know what? Yeah, we are the world leaders in genomics. We want to be the world leader in AI. Now these days you only hear about US and China, which is ridiculous. And you have perhaps one of the, I would say most formidable groups there with Demis and Google DeepMind, it's just extraordinary. So all the things that the main foci of the Ellison Institute intersect with AI.Sir John Bell (22:36):They do. And we, we've got two underpinning platforms, well actually three underpinning platforms that go across all those domains. Larry was really keen that we became a real leader in AI. So he's funded that with a massive compute capacity. And remember, most universities these days have a hard time competing on compute because it's expensive.Eric Topol (22:57):Oh yeah.Sir John Bell (22:58):So that is a real advantage to us. He's also funded a great team. We've recruited some people from Demis's shop who are obviously outstanding, but also others from around Europe. So we really, we've recruited now about 15 really outstanding machine learning and AI people. And of course, we're now thinking about the other asset that the UK has got, and particularly in the healthcare space is data. So we do have some really unique data sets because those are the three bits of this that you need if you're going to make this work. So we're pretty excited about that as an underpinning bit of the whole Ellison Institute strategy is to fundamentally underpin it with very strong AI. Then the second platform is generative biology or synthetic biology, because this is a field which is sort of, I hesitate to say limped along, but it's lacked a real focus.Sir John Bell (23:59):But we've been able to recruit Jason Chin from the LMB in Cambridge, and he is one of the real dramatic innovators in that space. And we see there's a real opportunity now to synthesize large bits of DNA, introduce them into cells, microbes, use it for a whole variety of different purposes, try and transform plants at a level that people haven't done before. So with AI and synthetic biology, we think we can feed all the main domains above us, and that's another exciting concept to what we're trying to do. But your report on AI was a bit of a turning point for the UK because you did point out to us that we did have a massive opportunity if we got our skates, and we do have talent, but you can't just do it with talent these days, you need compute, and you need data. So we're trying to assemble those things. So we think we'll be a big addition to that globally, hopefully.Eric Topol (25:00):Yeah. Well that's another reason why I am so excited to talk to you and know more about this Ellison Institute just because it's unique. I mean, there are other institutes as like Chan Zuckerberg, the Arc Institute. This is kind of a worldwide trend that we're seeing where great philanthropy investments are being seen outside of government, but none have the computing resources that are being made available nor the ability to recruit the AI scientists that'll help drive this forward. Now, the last topic I want to get into with you today is one that is where you're really grounded in, and that's the immune response.Eric Topol (25:43):So it's pretty darn clear now that, well, in medicine we have nothing. We have the white cell neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, what a joke. And then on the other hand, we can do T and B cell sequencing repertoires, and we can do all this stuff, autoantibody screens, and the list goes on and on. How are we ever going to make a big dent in health where we know the immune system is such a vital part of this without the ability to check one's immune status at any point in time in a comprehensive way? What are your thoughts about that?Sir John Bell (26:21):Yeah, so you seem to be reading my mind there. We need to recruit you over here because I mean, this is exactly, this is one of our big projects that we've got that we're leaning into, and that is that, and we all experienced in Covid the ins and outs of vaccines, what works, what doesn't work. But what very clear is that we don't really know anything about vaccines. We basically, you put something together and you hope the trial works, you've got no intermediate steps. So we're building a really substantial immunophenotyping capability that will start to interrogate the different arms of the immune response at a molecular level so that we can use a combination of human challenge models. So we've got a big human challenge model facility here, use human challenge models with pathogens and with associated vaccines to try and interrogate which bits of the immune response are responsible for protection or therapy of particular immunologically mediated diseases or infectious diseases.Sir John Bell (27:30):And a crucial bit to that. And one of the reasons people have tried this before, but first of all, the depth at which you can interrogate the immune system has changed a lot recently, you can get a lot more data. But secondly, this is again, where the AI becomes important because it isn't going to be a simple, oh, it's the T-cell, it's going to be, well, it's a bit of the T cells, but it's also a bit of the innate immune response and don't forget mate cells and don't forget a bit of this and that. So we think that if we can assemble the right data set from these structured environments, we can start to predict and anticipate which type of immune response you need to stimulate both for therapy and for protection against disease. And hopefully that will actually create a whole scientific foundation for vaccine development, but also other kinds of immune therapy and things like cancer and potentially autoimmune disease as well. So that's a big push for us. We're just busy. The lab isn't set up. We've got somebody to run the lab now. We've got the human challenge model set up with Andy Pollard and colleagues. So we're building that out. And within six months, I think we'll be starting to collect data. So I'm just kind of hoping we can get the immune system in a bit more structured, because you're absolutely right. It's a bit pin the tail on the donkey at the moment. You have no idea what's actually causing what.Eric Topol (29:02):Yeah. Well, I didn't know about your efforts there, and I applaud that because it seems to me the big miss, the hole and the whole story about how we're going to advanced human health and with the recent breakthroughs in lupus and these various autoimmune diseases by just targeting CD19 B cells and resetting like a Ctrl-Alt-Delete of their immune system.Sir John Bell (29:27):No, it's amazing. And you wouldn't have predicted a lot of this stuff. I think that means that we haven't really got under the skin of the mechanistic events here, and we need to do more to try and get there, but there's steady advance in this field. So I'm pretty optimistic we'll make some headway in this space over the course of the next few years. So we're really excited about that. It's an important piece of the puzzle.Eric Topol (29:53):Yeah. Well, I am really impressed that you got all the bases covered here, and what a really exhilarating chance to kind of peek at what you're doing there. And we're going to be following it. I know I'm going to be following it very closely because I know all the other things that you've been involved with in your colleagues, big impact stuff. You don't take the little swings here. The last thing, maybe to get your comment, we're in a state of profound disruption here where science is getting gutted by a madman and his henchmen, whatever you want to call it, which is really obviously a very serious state. I'm hoping this is a short term hit, but worried that this will have a long, perhaps profound. Any words of encouragement that we're going to get through this from the other side of the pond?Sir John Bell (30:52):Well, I think regardless of the tariffs, the scientific community are a global community. And I think we need to remember that because our mission is a global mission, and we need to lean into that together. First of all, America is such a powerhouse of everything that's been done scientifically in the human health domain. But not only that, but across all the other domains that we work in, we can't really make the kind of progress that we need to without America being part of the agenda. So first of all, a lot of sympathy for you and your colleagues. I know it must be massively destabilizing for you, not be confident that the things that work are there to help you. But I'm pretty confident that this will settle down. Most of the science is for, well, all the science is really for public good, and I think the public recognizes it and they'll notice if it's not being prosecuted in the way that it has to be. And the global science community cannot survive without you. So we're all leaning in behind you, and I hope it will settle. One of my worries is that these things take years to set up and literally hours or minutes to destroy. So we can't afford to take years to set them back up again. So we do need to be a bit careful about that, but I still have huge confidence in what you guys can achieve and we're all behind you.Eric Topol (32:37):Well, that's really helpful getting some words of wisdom from you there, John. So this has been terrific. Thanks so much for joining, getting your perspective on what you're doing, what's important is so essential. And we'll stay tuned for sure.Sir John Bell (32:59):And come and visit us at the EIT, Eric. We'd be glad to see you.*******************************Some of the topics that John and I discussed—immunology, A.I., genomics, and prevention—are emphasized in my new book SUPER AGERS. A quick update: It will have a new cover after making the New York Times Bestseller list and is currently ranked #25 for all books on Amazon. Thanks to so many of you for supporting the book!Here are a few recent podcasts:Dax Shepard: Dr. Mike Sanjay Gupta ***********************Thanks for reading and subscribing to Ground Truths.If you found this interesting please share it!That makes the work involved in putting these together especially worthwhile.All content on Ground Truths— newsletters, analyses, and podcasts—is free, open-access.Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don't hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. Get full access to Ground Truths at erictopol.substack.com/subscribe

Listen or watch AD FREE! Support Us on Patreon. Become a Dougalo and get weekly bonus episodes and ad free public episodes by joining our Patreon. Join us at http://patreon.com/whosright •Tom's A Hypeless Romantic •The Highly Anticipated Rubik's Cube Bit •Where Is Your Ice Cream Cone Tattoo? •Mexican Boy Almost Became Another White Mass Shooter •Anthony Likes Trogdor •Bali, Period Blood Free Since April •God Created Woman To Bleed, As Well As Evil Demons To Invade Pussy Blood. •Do You Pee Your Poo Stains Off The Bowl? •Douglas Rhodes Scholar •”Once You Go Black, You're Not Allowed Back” …And Much More!   Click here to order cookies from Macy Bakes - https://forms.gle/uKE7iNsAiibvNJ8u7 For superchat sounds, send them over to Doug at doug.whosrightpodcast@gmail.com with "superchat" in the subject line. Got burning questions for Dear Flabby? Submit them for our next episode! Head to www.whosrightpodcast.com and click on the "Dear Flabby" link to share your queries. We're eager to hear from you! Love our intro song? Check out Masticate on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/52psn3dk (Original Who's Right Theme Song by Peter Noreika: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3wYqlhflN3lNA5N5BUgeeR)

This week's show is sponsored by: EPIC-MRA Public Opinion Research MIRS News Fulton Fish Market

Join us for a special online program as Jaz Brisack, the leader of the Starbucks and Tesla union movements, shares stories from the front lines to help us learn about the modern labor movement.  Brisack, author of Get on the Job and Organize, tells the broader story of the new, nationwide labor movement unfolding in our era of political and social unrest. As one of the new faces of the American labor movement, Brisack argues that while workers often organize when their place of work is toxic, it's equally important to organize when you love your job. Brisack puts everything into the context of America's long tradition of labor organizing and shows us others can organize their workplaces, backlash can be expected and how to fight it, and what victory looks like even if the union doesn't necessarily “win.”  Brisack is a union organizer and cofounder of the Inside Organizer School, which trains workers to unionize. After spending one year at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, they got a job as a barista at the Elmwood Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, becoming a founding member of Starbucks Workers United and helping organize the first unionized Starbucks in the United States. As the organizing director for Workers United Upstate New York & Vermont, they also worked with organizing committees at companies ranging from Ben & Jerry's to Tesla. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kim Flynn, President of XA Investments, discusses her 25-year career in asset management, focusing on alternative investments. She highlights the challenges faced during the 2008 financial crisis at Nuveen Investments, where she refinanced $15 billion in frozen auction rate securities. Flynn explains the structure and benefits of closed-end funds, particularly interval funds, which offer periodic liquidity. She details XA Investments' three SEC-registered closed-end funds with $900 million in assets, emphasizing private credit strategies with yields ranging from 9% to 15%. Flynn also explores the potential of alternative investments like farmland, infrastructure, and crypto, noting their role in portfolio diversification and income generation. Note: this episode contains general information only and is not financial or investment advice. Please let Gene know your thoughts on this episode by emailing him at contact@economicsexplored.com.About Kimberly Ann FlynnKimberly Ann Flynn is a President at XA Investments. She is a partner in the firm and responsible for all product and business development activities. Kim is responsible for the firm's proprietary fund platform and consulting practice. Kim has developed an expertise in closed-end fund product development and is a frequent contributor to media and industry events on topics including interval funds, alternative investments and London-listed investment companies. Kim has earned the CFA designation and is a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society Chicago. She is also Series 7, 63 and 24 licensed.Previously, Kim was Senior Vice President and Head of Product Development for Nuveen Investments' Global Structured Products Group. In her 11 years at Nuveen, she helped develop over 40 closed-end funds, raising approximately $13 billion in capital. In her leadership role at Nuveen, Kim was responsible for asset-raising activities through the development of new, traditional and alternative investment funds, including CEFs, ETFs, UITs and commodity pools.Kim received her MBA degree from Harvard University, where she was a William J. Carey scholar and President of the HBS Volunteers. Before attending Harvard Business School, Kim spent three years working in Morgan Stanley's Investment Banking Division (1999-2002) in their Chicago office. She earned her BBA in Finance and Business Economics, summa cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame in 1999 where she was a valedictorian candidate, Rhodes Scholar finalist and the first recipient of the Paul F. Conway Award, given to a senior in the Department of Finance who embodies Notre Dame's tradition of excellence and who enriches the ideals of the university.Kim was recently selected to serve on the Notre Dame Wall Street leadership committee. She also serves on the board of the Women in ETFs Chicago chapter as Head of the Mentorship Committee and on the advisory board of Youth Guidance's Becoming A Man program. She is an active member of the University Club of Chicago and the Harvard Club of New York City, where she conducts regular business. Kim and her family - husband, Leo; son, Teddy; and daughter, Rose - live in Lincoln Park.TimestampsIntroduction (0:00)Kim Flynn's Career Journey (3:09)Experience During the 2008 Financial Crisis (4:41)Development of New Financial Products Post-Crisis (7:17)Understanding Closed-End Funds and Interval Funds (8:48)Investment Strategies and Alternative Assets (21:01)Energy Investments and ESG Considerations (29:02)Gold, Crypto, and the Role of FinTech (31:36)Evaluating Asset Managers and Investment Strategies (35:03)Investment Outlook and Market Dynamics (47:07)TakeawaysAlternative Investments Offer Diversification: Kim Flynn explains that alternative investments, including real estate, private credit, and farmland, provide diversification benefits, reducing reliance on traditional stocks and bonds.Liquidity Management is Crucial: Interval funds allow limited liquidity for investors, making them suitable for illiquid asset classes like private equity and real estate.Lessons from the 2008 Crisis: Kim shares her experience during the financial crisis, where she managed funds impacted by frozen liquidity, highlighting the importance of flexibility and innovation.Private Credit and Farmland Are Popular: Kim notes that private credit and farmland investments have seen significant interest due to their yield potential and inflation protection.Understanding Liquidity Premiums: Kim emphasizes that investors should seek a 300-400 basis point premium for illiquid investments compared to equivalent public market assets.Links relevant to the conversationKim's bio on the XA Investments website:https://xainvestments.com/team/US Treasury webpage on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP):https://home.treasury.gov/data/troubled-asset-relief-programLumo Coffee promotion10% of Lumo Coffee's Seriously Healthy Organic Coffee.Website: https://www.lumocoffee.com/10EXPLOREDPromo code: 10EXPLORED Full transcripts are available a few days after the episode is first published at www.economicsexplored.com.

This Day in Legal History: House Judiciary Committee Impeachment Hearings on NixonOn May 9, 1974, the House Judiciary Committee officially opened its impeachment hearings against President Richard Nixon, marking a critical escalation in the fallout from the Watergate scandal. Chaired by Representative Peter Rodino of New Jersey, the committee convened to determine whether Nixon had committed impeachable offenses in connection with the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and the subsequent cover-up. The hearings were a culmination of mounting political and public pressure following revelations from investigative journalism, court proceedings, and the Senate Watergate Committee.The proceedings were televised, drawing intense national attention as Americans witnessed, in real time, a constitutional reckoning with executive misconduct. Over several weeks, the committee heard testimony and reviewed evidence, including the now-infamous White House tapes that revealed Nixon's attempts to obstruct justice. The hearings underscored the seriousness of Congress's oversight powers and the weight of constitutional accountability.On July 30, 1974, the committee approved three articles of impeachment against Nixon—obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress. These charges reflected a broad consensus that Nixon had violated his oath of office and undermined democratic institutions. Faced with certain impeachment in the House and likely conviction in the Senate, Nixon resigned on August 8, 1974, becoming the only U.S. president to do so.Chairman Rodino, a previously low-profile legislator, rose to national prominence for his steady leadership during the crisis. His role in navigating the deeply partisan and constitutionally fraught process earned bipartisan respect. Rodino continued to serve in Congress until 1989 and passed away in 2005 at the age of 95.David Souter, a former U.S. Supreme Court Justice appointed by President George H.W. Bush, died at age 85 at his home in New Hampshire. Though expected to be a reliable conservative, Souter surprised many by siding with the Court's liberal wing on major issues, including abortion rights, separation of church and state, and gay rights. He co-authored the pivotal 1992 opinion that upheld Roe v. Wade, warning that overturning it would damage the Court's legitimacy—a view later overruled by a more conservative bench. Souter also opposed the death penalty in cases involving intellectual disability and supported judicial limits on executive and legislative overreach.His 19-year tenure was marked by independence and restraint, and he became a symbol of the unpredictability of judicial behavior. Critics on the right, angered by his rulings, coined the phrase “no more Souters,” prompting future Republican administrations to more rigorously vet nominees. Souter dissented in the controversial Bush v. Gore case and opposed school vouchers and government endorsement of religion, including public prayer and Ten Commandments displays. He played a quiet but significant role in defending detainee rights during the post-9/11 legal battles.A New England native and Rhodes Scholar, Souter was known for his minimalist lifestyle, distaste for technology, and preference for solitude. He never married, avoided Washington society, and retired early to return to a quiet life in New Hampshire, where he pursued historical scholarship and occasional judicial service.David Souter, Bush Supreme Court Pick Who Joined Liberals, DiesFormer US Supreme Court Justice Souter dies, court says | ReutersIn his ongoing quest to staff the government with people he's seen on cable news, Donald Trump has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia—the nation's top prosecutor in its most politically sensitive jurisdiction. Pirro, a former New York district attorney better known recently for her TV courtroom theatrics and 2020 election denialism, replaces controversial pick Ed Martin, who was pulled after Senate Republicans raised eyebrows about, among other things, his unapologetic defense of Jan. 6 rioters.Announcing the switch on Truth Social, Trump hailed Pirro as “incredibly well qualified,” citing her time as a prosecutor—though most Americans probably know her from The Five, not from the courthouse. Pirro's name, notably, appeared in Dominion Voting Systems' defamation lawsuit over 2020 election falsehoods—a suit Fox settled for $787.5 million. But hey, if you're a regular on his favorite network and say nice things about him, that's apparently the gold standard.Martin, meanwhile, didn't exactly get benched. Trump reassigned him to be pardon attorney, associate deputy attorney general, and head of a new “Weaponization Working Group,” which seems tailor-made to investigate Trump's political enemies under the guise of justice reform.Pirro joins a growing list of Trump-era appointees whose primary qualifications include screen time on Fox News. With Pete Hegseth and Sean Duffy already in the administration, it's clear the only law school that matters to Trump is the University of Primetime Opinion.Fox Host Jeanine Pirro Tapped as Top Acting D.C. Prosecutor (2)A federal judge in Vermont will hold a bail hearing Friday for Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, who's been held in immigration detention for over six weeks. Rather than wait for the Trump administration to comply with an earlier court order to bring her back to Vermont from Louisiana, Judge William Sessions ruled she can appear remotely. Ozturk was arrested in Massachusetts in March, shortly after co-authoring a pro-Palestinian op-ed in the campus newspaper—a move her lawyers argue triggered her detention.The case has become a flashpoint in Trump's push to deport pro-Palestinian activists, particularly those affiliated with U.S. universities. After being shuffled between states, Ozturk's lawyers challenged her ongoing detention as unlawful, especially since she was in Vermont when her legal challenge began. The 2nd Circuit had just granted the administration an extension to transfer her by May 14, but Ozturk's legal team argued that waiting another week could worsen her health, citing a series of escalating asthma attacks in custody.The government protested that Friday's hearing might conflict with the appeals court's timeline, but the judge seemed more persuaded by the urgency of Ozturk's condition. Her lawyers, including those from the ACLU, say the delay is unnecessary and harmful.US judge to weigh releasing detained Tufts student on Friday | ReutersThis week's closing theme takes us back to the vibrant world of North German Baroque with a short, spirited gem from Dietrich Buxtehude—Canzonetta in C major, BuxWV 225. Buxtehude, who died on May 9, 1707, was one of the most influential organists and composers of his time, best known today for the impact he had on the young J.S. Bach, who famously walked over 250 miles to Lübeck just to hear him play. Though much of Buxtehude's output was liturgical or improvisatory in nature, the Canzonetta is a delightful exception—playful, nimble, and full of personality.Written for keyboard, this short piece showcases Buxtehude's knack for rhythm and counterpoint without the weightiness of a fugue or choral fantasy. The Canzonetta format itself—essentially a lighter cousin of the canzona—offers him room to experiment with melodic interplay and bright harmonic shifts, all in under four minutes. It feels less like a stern organ master at work and more like a clever musical mind having a bit of fun with form and phrasing.The piece is brisk but unhurried, ornate without being fussy. It's exactly the kind of music that hints at the roots of later Baroque developments, particularly in how themes are traded between voices and playfully developed. In its buoyancy and wit, Canzonetta, BuxWV 225 reminds us that even in the sacred-heavy world of 17th-century North German music, there was space for charm and cheer. As we wrap this week, it's a fine reminder of Buxtehude's range—and why his influence has echoed so far beyond the centuries he lived in.Without further ado, Dietrich Buxtehude—Canzonetta in C major. Enjoy! This is a public episode. 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The legendary international relations scholar Joseph Nye passed away on May 7th at the age of 88. He's best known, of course, for developing and advancing the idea of “soft power”—the ability to influence others and shape outcomes through attraction, persuasion, and cultural or ideological appeal rather than coercion or force. But over his singularly illustrious career, he authored hundreds of scholarly articles and dozens of books on international relations. To honor is legacy and memory, I wanted to share our conversation from way back in 2014. We began our conversation talking about Russia's (then recent) annexation of Crimea and occupation Ukraine, and what it suggests about long held ideas in international relations theory. We then pivot to his personal story, including his childhood in New Jersey and how his entry into the world of international relations was as an Africanist—he wrote an award-winning thesis as a Rhodes Scholar on decolonization in East Africa. Of course, we also discussed at length how he came up with the idea of “soft power,” which, as he explains, stemmed from an “a-ha!” moment while sitting in his kitchen.

In this episode, Shaun and Chris sit down with Alex Johnston, philanthropy advisor, author of Money with Meaning, and founder of Building Impact Partners. Alex helps ultra-wealthy individuals bring more joy, purpose, and impact to their giving, but as you'll hear, his deeper work is about human connection and personal transformation. The guys talk about what it means to live with intention, how to grow from childhood wounds, and why moving from fear to joy might be the most important shift a person can make. Alex opens up about his own journey — from valedictorian and Rhodes Scholar to a man who had to slow down, tune in, and redefine success. Along the way, they cover parenting boys in today's world, the challenges of wealth, and the power of small groups to create lasting change.Get Alex's book...Money with MeaningLearn more about Building Impact Partners hereGet Mental at 20% discount: http://getmental.com/IYCTF

Curious about the chemistry of cocoa? We've got just the expert. This week, we're joined by Dr. Zoe Diana Draelos as she talks cocoa like you've never heard before. Listen in as she walks through the latest research, cocoa's application in oral and topical treatments, and where it's headed. Each Thursday, join Dr. Raja and Dr. Hadar, board-certified dermatologists, as they share the latest evidence-based research in integrative dermatology. For access to CE/CME courses, become a member at LearnSkin.com. Catch Dr. Draelos live at IDS2025 for more on cocoa in dermatology! View Agenda: https://bit.ly/42joj2r Zoe Diana Draelos, MD, is a research and clinical board-certified dermatologist and a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. She is in solo private practice in High Point, North Carolina, and a Consulting Professor of Dermatology at Duke University. In 1988, she founded Dermatology Consulting Services, PLLC, to initiate and perform research in aging skin, acne, rosacea, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, actinic keratoses, eczema, and aesthetic procedures in the cosmetic, OTC drug, and pharmaceutical arenas. Prior to pursuing a medical career, Dr. Draelos completed an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and was elected a Rhodes Scholar. A member of Sigma Xi research honorary and Alpha Omega Alpha medical honorary, she is author of 14 books including Cosmetics in Dermatology (fourth edition) and Hair Cosmetics. She is the editor of Cosmetic Dermatology: Products and Procedures (third edition) and Cosmeceuticals (fourth edition) with translations into 7 languages. She has contributed chapters to 44 textbooks, written 197 posters, served as the principal investigator on 1054 studies, written 674 published papers, served on or contributed to 38 journal editorial boards, functioned as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology for 10 years, and was a past member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. She was elected Vice-President of the American Academy of Dermatology. She is recognized as a pioneer in cosmetic dermatology and received a lifetime achievement award from Health Beauty America for her research and the 2008 DermArts award for her contributions to dermatology. In 2010, she received the Albert Kligman Innovation Award and in 2016 she was awarded a Presidential Citation from the American Academy of Dermatology for her research contributions to advance the specialty. She received the prestigious Maison deNavarre award from the Society of Cosmetic Chemists for her contributions to the art and science of cosmetics in 2017. In 2019, she was the inaugural recipient of the Florence Wall Award from the Society of Cosmetics Chemists naming her as the most influential women in cosmetic science.

The Hangover After HarrisIf you're a center-left political junkie, you probably still feel the sting of November 2024. In our recent Nerds for Humanity livestream, I sat down again with my longtime political sparring partner Phil K to make sense of what went wrong—and, maybe more importantly, what comes next.Phil and I have been analyzing the 2024 cycle from start to bitter end: from our fierce debates over Biden's electability to the odd bedfellows MAGA made with Eric Adams. But this conversation felt different. We weren't just talking about polls and primary narratives. We were, in essence, performing a political autopsy on a movement that once inspired hope—and ended up roadblocked by its own legacy.Let's not bury the lead: Joe Biden's decision to run for re-election was a catastrophic misjudgment. And the cascade of events that followed—his late withdrawal, the elevation of Kamala Harris, and her inability to pivot away from the baggage of his administration—set the stage for what Phil aptly described as “just such an insane answer to give.”Harris's campaign felt stuck. “There should be no daylight,” Biden reportedly told her—meaning: no separation, no contrast, no acknowledgment that the economic and immigration struggles of his presidency were weighing her down like an anvil strapped to a lifeboat. Even when offered an opportunity to differentiate herself gently, she flubbed it. “I wouldn't change anything,” she said in an interview—a sound bite that Phil called a turning point. “It was at that point I started to say… I don't know.”Instead of drawing a line in the sand and saying, “Biden handled COVID, I'll handle affordability,” Harris appeared more loyal than strategic. Biden's ask was understandable—after all, no one wants their legacy attacked by their own VP—but it was a misstep. As I put it during the stream: “This is a full-contact sport. We gotta win this thing.”The Opposite of TrumpDespite the mess of 2024, Phil and I are genuinely optimistic about 2028—and that optimism starts with an old favorite: Pete Buttigieg.Yes, Pete. The former Secretary of Transportation, Afghanistan vet, Rhodes Scholar, policy nerd, and unflinchingly authentic presence. To paraphrase Phil, Pete doesn't pretend to be one of the bros—he leans into the nerdiness, and that's what makes him effective.We spent time analyzing a now-viral clip from a three-hour interview Pete did recently. In it, he reframes freedom—not as freedom from government, but freedom through government. The right to clean air, good schools, parental leave, and a safe neighborhood. “That's the life I want everybody to be able to live,” he said with conviction, without raising his voice, and with enough substance behind the sentiment that you know he could explain how each policy would actually work.“He hits on an emotional level without being hysterical. That's why it works,” I said during the stream.Pete has both the governing chops and rhetorical skill to reclaim values like freedom and patriotism for the left. As Phil put it, “Whoever the next president is needs a clear idea of how to make government effective. Pete has that.” And that's not just about management—it's about rebuilding public trust in federal institutions that Trump's administration, especially during his second term, is likely to shred further.The Case for Shapiro (and His Baggage?)Of course, Pete isn't the only contender. Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, also looms large. Phil praised his focus on efficiency, citing Shapiro's record on expediting small business licenses and rebuilding a major bridge in just 12 days.But Shapiro has vulnerabilities. First, his oratory style is a little too Obama-esque—his cadence, his tone. “If I close my eyes,” I joked, “is this the third Obama term?”More seriously, there's the Israel-Gaza situation. Shapiro is Jewish and has made clear statements critical of Netanyahu, calling him “one of the worst leaders of all time.” Yet some perceive him as overly aligned with pro-Israel hardliners. As I put it, “Politics isn't fair. That's why he needs to be clear about his position.” In a post-Gaza Democratic Party increasingly fractured over foreign policy, clarity will matter more than tribal allegiance.Phil made an important point: “Everyone has to do this. Kamala had to prove she wasn't just for Black people. Shapiro might have to do the same with Israel.” It's unfortunate, but real.The Wildcards: Moore, AOC, and Sister Souljah MomentsWest Moore of Maryland and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also came up. Moore brings executive experience, charisma, and battlefield service. AOC brings a movement—and the energy of the party's left flank. But in either case, a potential ticket with Pete would be… electric.Still, I cautioned about triggering MAGA. “A Buttigieg-AOC ticket might be too much—it would feel like their whole world is collapsing.” But then again, maybe that's the point?Both Pete and Shapiro have opportunities for “Sister Souljah moments.” For Pete, that could mean taking a nuanced stance on trans athletes in women's sports—something grounded in compassion but rooted in fairness. For Shapiro, it might mean confronting Israeli settlement expansion head-on.“Pete can say: Let sports leagues figure it out.” Phil proposed during the stream.The point isn't to alienate allies—it's to demonstrate independence, courage, and authenticity. Voters crave that more than ever, especially after a Trump presidency driven by loyalty tests and cult-of-personality rule.Republican Bench: The Vance VariablePhil and I aren't Republican strategists, but from a clinical lens, we dissected what 2028 might look like for the GOP.It's clear: JD Vance is the frontrunner.As Trump's VP, Vance will have the donor network, MAGA credibility, and perhaps Trump's own endorsement. “The whole ballgame is Trump's nod,” Phil said. Unless Vance catastrophically fails during the second Trump term, he's likely to coast to the nomination.There's one wildcard: the economy. If Trump's second term tanks—if unemployment spikes, inflation returns, or there's foreign policy disaster—Vance could be stuck defending a mess. He could become, as I put it, “the Kamala Harris of the Republican Party.”In that case, someone like DeSantis—who kept one MAGA boot on and one off—could reemerge. He's the ultimate hybrid: not fully Trumpist, but not anti-Trump either. Nikki Haley? Probably too “Romney Republican” for today's GOP.The Media Candidate TemptationWhat about non-traditional candidates like Stephen A. Smith?We entertained the idea for a moment—he's charismatic, direct, and commands an audience. But we both agreed: “Government is hard. It's not a cable news segment.” Voters may not want another president learning on the job, especially after the chaos of Trump 2.0.Still, Smith—or someone like him—could play the role of kingmaker. A nod from a beloved media figure could swing perception in a crowded Democratic primary, especially for someone like Pete who's trying to cut through noise with substance.Final PredictionsLooking ahead to the 2026 midterms, Phil and I share the view that Democrats are likely to retake the House, maybe even comfortably. But the Senate? That's trickier. The map is brutal. We might hold at 50 or 51 seats—if we're lucky.But none of that matters if our institutions continue to erode.The Supreme Court is being ignored. Congress is fragmented. Trump is experimenting with post-constitutional governance. “If you have a situation where the president says, ‘I don't care what the court says,' and Congress won't check him… we're in serious trouble,” Phil warned.And he's right.Reclaiming the NarrativeIf there's one recurring theme from our conversation, it's this: Democrats cannot run on technocracy and process. We must speak in values.Freedom. Family. Opportunity. Patriotism.Pete Buttigieg gets this. He doesn't yell. He doesn't dodge. He meets voters where they are and explains how clean water and strong parental leave are acts of patriotic governance.“We don't need to seed values like freedom to the right,” Phil emphasized. “We can redefine them in ways that resonate.”That's the real battle for 2028—not just blue vs. red, but which version of America we want to fight for.If you found this post thoughtful, please support Nerds for Humanity by becoming a YouTube channel member. Your membership helps cover the operating costs—like the streaming service (which ain't cheap)—and gives you a shout-out on every livestream.We're building something real here. Honest conversations. Hard questions. No fluff.Let's keep it going.Bye nerds. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdsforhumanity.substack.com

From bestselling authors and journalists Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, Abundance is a call to renew a politics of plenty, face the failures of liberal governance, and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life. To trace the history of the twenty-first century so far is to trace a history of unaffordability and shortage. After years of refusing to build sufficient housing, America has a national housing crisis. After years of limiting immigration, we don't have enough workers. Despite decades of being warned about the consequences of climate change, we haven't built anything close to the clean-energy infrastructure we need. Ambitious public projects are finished late and over budget — if they are ever finished at all. The crisis that's clicking into focus now has been building for decades — because we haven't been building enough. Abundance explains that our problems today are not the results of yesteryear's villains. Rather, one generation's solutions have become the next gener­ation's problems. Authors Klein and Thompson contend that progress requires facing up to the institutions in life that are not working as they need to. It means, for liberals, recognizing when the government is failing. It means, for conservatives, recognizing when the government is needed. In a book exploring how we can move from a liberalism that not only protects and pre­serves but also builds, Klein and Thompson trace the political, economic, and cultural barriers to progress and propose a path toward a politics of abundance. At a time when movements of scarcity are gaining power in country after country, this is an answer that meets the challenges of the moment while grappling honestly with the fury so many rightfully feel. Co-author Derek Thompson joins us at Town Hall for a talk about his book, our current challenges, and the path forward. Derek Thompson is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the host of the podcast Plain English. He is the author of the national bestseller Hit Makers and On Work, an anthology of his writing on labor and technology. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Clayton Page Aldern is a senior data reporter at Grist. A neuroscientist turned environmental journalist, he holds a master's in neuroscience and a master's in public policy from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He is also a research affiliate at the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology at the University of Washington. With Gregg Colburn, he is the author of Homelessness Is a Housing Problem. His book The Weight of Nature, on the effects of climate change on brain health, is out now from Dutton. Buy the Book Abundance (Hardcover) Third Place Books

Two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Nicholas Kristof (opinion columnist, the New York Times) reflects on his career of reporting from the front lines of injustice and human suffering, discussing hope, human resilience, and the urgency of responding to global injustice. An advocate for empathy-driven journalism that holds power accountable and communicates the stories of the most vulnerable, Kristof joins Mark Labberton in this episode to discuss his life's work of reporting from the world's most troubled regions—from Gaza to Congo, from rural Oregon to global centres of power. Known for his unsparing storytelling and deep empathy, Kristof shares the family roots and personal convictions that have shaped his lifelong pursuit of justice and hope. They also explore how despair and progress coexist, the role of faith and empathy in healing, and how local acts of courage can ripple globally. Grounded in gritty realism, but inspired by everyday heroes, Kristof invites us to resist numbness and embrace a hope that fights to make a difference. Stories from Gaza, Congo, Pakistan, and beyond Balancing heartbreak and hope in humanitarian reporting Why empathy must be cultivated and practiced The global impact of Christian activism and its complexities Episode Highlights “Side by side with the worst of humanity, you find the very best.” “We focus so much on all that is going wrong, that we leave people feeling numb and that it's hopeless … but people don't want to get engaged in things that are hopeless.” “Empathy is something that, like a muscle, can be nurtured.” “The worst kinds of evil and the greatest acts of courage are often just one decision apart.” “We are an amazing species—if we just get our act together.” “You can be sex positive and rape negative. I don't think there's an inconsistency there.” About Nicholas Kristof Nicholas Kristof is a two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, and is an opinion columnist for the New York Times, **where he was previously bureau chief in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo. Born, raised, and still working from his rural Oregon home, Yamhill, he is a graduate of Harvard and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford. He is the co-author, with his wife Sheryl WuDunn, of five previous books: Tightrope, A Path Appears, Half the Sky, Thunder from the East, and China Wakes. In 2024, he published a memoir, *Chasing Hope: A Reporter's Life.* Books by Nicholas Kristof Tightrope A Path Appears Half the Sky Thunder from the East China Wakes Chasing Hope: A Reporter's Life Helpful Resources International Justice Mission Dr. Denis Mukwege – Nobel Peace Prize PEPFAR: The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Tim Keller's Final Interview with Kristof (NYT) Show Notes A voice of conscience How a global orientation for journalism developed Kristof reflects on his humble roots in Yamhill, Oregon, as the son of two immigrants “My dad was a Armenian refugee from Eastern Europe. His family had spied on the Nazis during World War II. They got caught. Some were executed by the Nazis, others were executed by the Soviet communists, and my dad was very lucky to make it out alive and was sponsored by a family in the US in 1952.” “I think that one fundamental mistake that bleeding hearts make, whether they're bleeding hearts in journalism or in the non-profit community or in advocacy, is that we focus so much on all that is going wrong that we leave people feeling numb and feeling that it's hopeless, so there's no point in engaging. And there's pretty good evidence from social-psychology experiments that people don't want to get engaged in things that are hopeless. They want to make a difference. And so I think that we need to both acknowledge all the challenges we face but also remind people that there can be a better outcome if they put their shoulder to the wheel.” Extraordinary changes for justice and what's going right David Brooks: “A deeply flawed country that also managed to do good in the world.” ”It just breaks my heart that kids are dying unnecessarily.” On losing PEPFAR foreign aid: “I hope that this damage can be repaired and that bleeding hearts of the left and the right can work together to try to help restore some of these initiatives.” The tragedies that followed from dismantling USAID Kristof's book Chasing Hope “The fact is that I've seen some terrible things, and I think I may have a mild case of PTSD from, you know, seeing too much.” Nicholas Kristof on Gaza: “I don't see Israel and Hamas as morally equivalent, but I absolutely see an Israeli child, a Palestinian child, and an American child as moral equivalents.  And we don't treat them that way.” “What human beings share is that when terrible things happen, some people turn into psychopaths and sociopaths, and other people turn into heroes.” Cowardice and malevolent tendencies Empathy can be nurtured Children dying without anti-retroviral drugs in South Sudan Empathy Project in Canada Mass literature to inspire perspective taking Uncle Tom's Cabin Black Beauty and animal rights/well-being Kristof's run for Oregon governor Eastern Congo and UNICEF “A child is raped every thirty minutes in Eastern Congo.” Dr. Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize laureate treating women brutally injured by militia rape in Bukavu, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Small gestures of compassion as an empathy grower for local communities “One of the lessons I think of Congo is that violence can be and inhumanity can be terribly contagious.” Genocide in Rwanda in 1994 The global sex-trafficking crisis “We don't have the moral authority to tell other countries to do better unless we clean up our own act.” The American sex-trafficking crisis: systemic failures such as foster care pipelines into trafficking “There are no statistics, but I think it's plausible that a girl in foster care is more likely to emerge to be trafficked than she is to graduate from a four-year college.” American sex-trafficking practices by PornHub and X-Videos: “Their business model is monetizing kids.” “You can be sex positive and rape negative. I don't think there's an inconsistency there, and I, I think we've just blurred that too often.” Christianity's disappointing response to injustice Nicholas Kristof's engagement with the activism and theology of the Christian church William Wilberforce's anti-slavery movement in the 1780s President Bush's establishment of PEPFAR in 2003: “This incredible program to reduce the burden of AIDS that has saved 26 million lives so far. It's the most important program of any country in my adult lifetime in terms of saving lives.” “Evangelicals are very good in terms of tithing and donating money to good causes, but they've often opposed government programs  that would create opportunity and address these problems.” “Liberals are personally stingy, but much more supportive of government programs that that make a difference.” Criticizing the dismantling of global aid programs like USAID: “How can you read the Gospels and think this is good?” “I think being part of a religious community has led people to do good works together.” Christian advocacy for freedom of religion Kristof on scripture and belief: “We read the Bible and develop our religious views, and I think so often just reflects our priors rather than what the text says.” A closing example of hope: The Afghan war “We are an amazing species if we just get our act together.” Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment magazine and Fuller Seminary.

Anish Gawande, born in Mumbai and educated at Columbia and Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, is India’s first openly gay national spokesperson for a mainstream party (NCP SP). Founder of Pink List India and the Dara Shikoh Fellowship, he led major COVID-19 relief via Youth Feed India. He translated queer literary works by Ramchandra Siras and The World That Belongs To Us. A fierce critic of Israel’s pinkwashing and Maharashtra's Mahayuti govt, Gawande advocates for abolishing criminal defamation, inclusive welfare, LGBTQ+ rights, caste equity, and climate justice. He blends U.S./U.K. campaign tactics with a “politics of care” to reshape Indian politics.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robin Unger comes on to talk with Aaron about Carroll Quigley. Infamous in the world of conspiracy culture, some of his best work continues to go mostly unnoticed. His book, The Evolution of Civilizations, is looked at here.    Topics include: Canada, Carroll Quigley, Evolution of Civilizations, Historical Analysis, Tragedy and Hope, Cecil Rhodes, Council on Foreign Relations, foreign policy think tanks, Georgetown University, Bill Clinton, right wing conspiracy culture, John Birch Society, Alan Watt, Anglo-American Establishment, scientific method applied to history, social sciences, Anna's Archive, Weapon Systems and Political Stability, unfinished manuscript, Classical Civilization, Western Civilization, Middle Ages, 7 stages of civilization, mixing of civilizations, instruments of expansion, institutions become special interests, MacMillan publishing issues, book plates destroyed, Allen Dulles, no true secrets in intelligence work, open source intelligence, no secrets in nuclear research during the Cold War, GSG & Associates, Milner Group, DeBeers Diamonds, Rhodes Scholars, All Souls, British Empire, Lyndon LaRouche, current Age of Conflict, inner class wars, tech takeover, Technocracy Incorporated, Robin's art projects

The Age of Transitions and Uncle 4-11-2025AoT#456Robin Unger comes on to talk with Aaron about Carroll Quigley. Infamous in the world of conspiracy culture, some of his best work continues to go mostly unnoticed. His book, The Evolution of Civilizations, is looked at here. Topics include: Canada, Carroll Quigley, Evolution of Civilizations, Historical Analysis, Tragedy and Hope, Cecil Rhodes, Council on Foreign Relations, foreign policy think tanks, Georgetown University, Bill Clinton, right wing conspiracy culture, John Birch Society, Alan Watt, Anglo-American Establishment, scientific method applied to history, social sciences, Anna's Archive, Weapon Systems and Political Stability, unfinished manuscript, Classical Civilization, Western Civilization, Middle Ages, 7 stages of civilization, mixing of civilizations, instruments of expansion, institutions become special interests, MacMillan publishing issues, book plates destroyed, Allen Dulles, no true secrets in intelligence work, open source intelligence, no secrets in nuclear research during the Cold War, GSG & Associates, Milner Group, DeBeers Diamonds, Rhodes Scholars, All Souls, British Empire, Lyndon LaRouche, current Age of Conflict, inner class wars, tech takeover, Technocracy Incorporated, Robin's art projectsUtp#364Uncle has an exciting broadcast with a lot of callers and more Hard Mountain Dew. Topics include: cranberry juice, more Hard Mountain Dew, Michelob Ultra, sugar free, Livewire, Jack Daniels food, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hornitos, Junior, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Predator movies, Uncle cursing, DDP, not a tumor, crazy crack room, drink reviews, Philadelphia Eagles, Hulk Hogan at Republican National Convention, Thiel and Gawker, unclethepodcast TikTok account, high mountain, Ochelli RadioFRANZ MAIN HUB:https://theageoftransitions.com/PATREONhttps://www.patreon.com/aaronfranzUNCLEhttps://unclethepodcast.com/ORhttps://theageoftransitions.com/category/uncle-the-podcast/FRANZ and UNCLE Merchhttps://theageoftransitions.com/category/support-the-podcasts/Email Chuck or PayPalblindjfkresearcher@gmail.comBE THE EFFECTListen/Chat on the Sitehttps://ochelli.com/listen-live/TuneInhttp://tun.in/sfxkxAPPLEhttps://music.apple.com/us/station/ochelli-com/ra.1461174708Ochelli Link Treehttps://linktr.ee/chuckochelli

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.comWhy do so many Americans believe the U.S. is God's chosen nation? And how did Protestant ideas of martyrdom, land ownership, and war shape the founding of our democracy?In this episode, Will and Josh sit down with Dr. John Fanestil, a United Methodist pastor, historian, and author of American Heresy, to explore the deep roots of white Christian nationalism in early English Protestant colonization. Fanestil traces how ideas about land, race, and theology became embedded in the American story—and how those ideas still echo today, particularly in the rhetoric of political leaders like Donald Trump.From George Washington's land grabs to Jefferson's complex faith, Fanestil offers a compelling look at how Protestant theology shaped America's founding myths—and how nationalism, racism, and religious triumphalism became bitter fruits of that legacy.

A Rhodes Scholar from Nimmitabel with a Master of Philosophy in Economics from Cambridge. He cut his teeth at McKinsey before helping establish Fonterra, the Kiwi dairy co-op whose creation is now studied at Harvard Business School as one of the greatest feats of agribusiness strategy in the modern era. That should qualify him for the role of Federal Treasurer right? Now, he’s pitching nuclear power as the affordable answer to Australia’s energy future and facing the task of trying to win back government against significant headwinds. We ask is he the man from the high country who can win back Teal seats and bring the “colt from Old Regret” back into the fold? Or will the Canberra machine chew him up and spit him out? We talk policy, power bills, and political branding and why Treasurer Jim Chalmers reckons he’d be “shit”. You can judge that for yourself. Like any good country boy, he didn’t arrive at The Advocate’s newsroom empty handed. Angus came bearing hats, a branded mug with his famous self-congratulatory tweet on it, some notepads, shopping bags and stickers. We appreciate that. Good Job, Angus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Sherwood '81 is the publisher, CEO, and co-owner of the digital news platform The Daily Beast, a position Ben assumed in 2024 after a long and illustrious career as a media executive. For example, Ben has served as Executive Producer of Good Morning America, President of ABC News, and most recently led the entire Disney ABC Television Group globally. If that isn't enough, Ben is also an accomplished novelist, entrepreneur, and Rhodes Scholar. In this episode, Ben speaks about the principles behind covering the news with integrity and diligence during a time of rapid political change. Ben references journalist Tom Johnson, broadcasters Bill Moyers and Dan Rather, media executive Bob Iger, and various Harvard School teachers as profound influences on his life and career.

Rasul is a 2L at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. Rasul's journey is one of the best this podcast has ever had to offer. From tire technician to College Valedictorian and Rhodes Scholar finalist, and now a rising 2L and an upcoming 3L Class President at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.Rasul and I started before he arrived at college. Being an average High School Student, Rasul did not have many intentions of attending college. Inspired by a coworker at BJ's, he would begin his search. After finding out a scholarship could get him to Prince George's Community College for free, he would start his unforgettable journey. Following his time at Prince George's, Rasul finished his time at Towson University, being top 1% of his class, President of numerous organizations, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, and finally, Valedictorian Speaker. We then moved to his introduction into Law School, his 1L year, which he thoroughly enjoyed. It was a thought-provoking experience and a testament to the hard work he had accomplished in the 4 years before it. Even with the large workload, Rasul would become 1L Class President and follow his intellectual curiosity, speaking on the many internships he has held thus far. This episode with Rasul is one of my favorites of all time, full of amazing stories and a testament to pulling yourself up by the bootstraps and not limiting yourself, no matter what. Rasul is someone to look out for many, many years to come! Rasul's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rasulawright-772404221Be sure to check out the Official Sponsors for the Lawyers in the Making Podcast:Rhetoric - takes user briefs and motions and compares them against the text of opinions written by judges to identify ways to tailor their arguments to better persuade the judges handling their cases. Rhetoric's focus is on persuasion and helps users find new ways to improve their odds of success through more persuasive arguments. Find them here: userhetoric.comThe Law School Operating System™ Recorded Course - This course is for ambitious law students who want a proven, simple system to learn every topic in their classes to excel in class and on exams. Go to www.lisablasser.com, check out the student tab with course offerings, and use code LSOSNATE10 at checkout for 10% off Lisa's recorded course!Start LSAT - Founded by former guest and 21-year-old super-star, Alden Spratt, Start LSAT was built upon breaking down barriers, allowing anyone access to high-quality LSAT Prep. For $110 you get yourself the Start LSAT self-paced course, and using code LITM10 you get 10% off the self-paced course! Check out Alden and Start LSAT at startlsat.com and use code LITM10 for 10% off the self-paced course!Lawyers in the Making Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Lawyers in the Making Podcast at lawyersinthemaking.substack.com/subscribe

On this week's 8th Anniversary Pledge Drive edition of the program, we bring you an insightful community conversation held on March 25, 2025 about “American Foreign Policy: An Assessment” with veteran diplomat, Dr. Richard Haass, and moderator Ambassador Marcie Ries, two Oberlin College alumni from the early 1970s. Dr. Richard Haass is a veteran diplomat, respected scholar of international relations, and president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations. In this program, he offers his observations about the changing course of American foreign policy and the repercussions for the post-World War II world order. He comments on scenarios and implications of what might come next. Ambassador Marcie Ries served as moderator. Dr. Richard Haass ‘73 served as president of the Council on Foreign Relations for twenty years before retiring in 2023, and is now a senior counselor at Centerview Partners, LLC. From January 2001 to June 2003, Dr. Haass was director of policy planning for the Department of State and a principal advisor to Secretary of State Colin Powell. From 1989 to 1993, he was special assistant to President George H.W. Bush and senior director for Near East and South Asian affairs on the staff of the National Security Council. Previously, he served in the Departments of State (1981–1985) and Defense (1979–1980), and was a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate. A Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Haass holds a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College and master's and doctorate of philosophy degrees from Oxford University. He has also received numerous honorary degrees and was a member of the faculty of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and Hamilton College. Dr. Haass is the author or editor of fourteen books on American foreign policy, one book on management, and one on American democracy. He is as well the author of a weekly newsletter Home & Away published on Substack. Marcie B. Ries '72 is a retired Ambassador with more than thirty-five years of diplomatic experience in Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East. She is a three-time Chief of Mission, serving as Head of the U.S. Mission in Kosovo (2003-2004), United States Ambassador to Albania (2004-2007) and as United States Ambassador to Bulgaria (2012-2015). She was a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs from 2020-2021, where she co-authored the report “A U.S. Diplomatic Service for the 21st Century.” She was also co-author of Blueprints for a More Modern Diplomatic Service, published by Arizona State University in 2022. She graduated from Oberlin in 1972 and earned a master's degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 7pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://forwardradio.org

On episode 235, we welcome Jaz Brisack to discuss unionizing efforts for Starbucks workers and Project Germinal, how unions form and why workers may fear them, the popular ideas of unions and how they're misrepresented by corporate media, Jaz's experiences in the Starbucks union and “salting,” whether corporate managers act in good faith, anti-union tactics and why they should be considered psychological warfare, and how workers can sustain a sense of hope in the face of their significant and persistent professional struggles. Jaz Brisack is a union organizer and cofounder of the Inside Organizer School, which trains workers to unionize. After spending one year at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, they got a job as a barista at the Elmwood Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, becoming a founding member of Starbucks Workers United and helping organize the first unionized Starbucks in the United States. As the organizing director for Workers United Upstate New York & Vermont, they also worked with organizing committees at companies ranging from Ben & Jerry's to Tesla. Their new book, available on April 29, 2025, is called Get on the Job and Organize: Standing Up for a Better Workplace and a Better World. | Jaz Brisack | ► Website | https://www.insideorganizerschool.com ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/jazbrisack ► Twitter | https://x.com/jazbrisack ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/jaz.brisack ► Get on the Job and Organize Book | https://bit.ly/GetontheJobandOrganize Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast  ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment  

While procrastination from doing my taxes I figured why not wonder out loud why Rachel Maddow, a Rhodes Scholar and graduate of Oxford University can't google the definition of Genocide and how there is NOT one happening in gaza. And maybe if you put up pics of a person that supports a Terrorist organization & then gets deported for doing so maybe have some of those pesky FACTS. Anyhoooooo, no more Maddow & maybe i'll get my taxes done today. Those are facts. And not so much fun. Thanks for listening. Share it. Support living artists and do something good. Go adopt a dog or cat or volunteer at an animal shelter. k. thanks. yalla. bye.

I'm so excited to share this special short episode recap with a powerful message. I'm publishing this curation to help you make the most of your time. The episode features segments from the episode 096 featuring and interview with Michael Bungay Stanier. https://richie.libsyn.com/michael-bungay-stanier-how-to-begin ====== Michael Bungay Stanier teaches you HOW TO BEGIN. Discover the art of doing wwork that's thrilling, important, and daunting. Richie and Michael have an entertaining conversation that weaves you through powerful stories, laughs, tears and aha moments to help you gather your forces, be audacious, and make things better. As Michael says, "We unlock our greatness by working on hard things. I know the status quo would LOVE you to keep hiding your light, playing it safe, staying small. But that's a life half-lived. We all lose when that happens. And you can be a force for change in this world." Michael Bungay Stanier distills big, complex ideas into practical, accessible knowledge for everyday people that helps them be a force for good. His books have sold over a million copies, with The Coaching Habit topping the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. MBS has been featured on the blogs and social media platforms of thought leaders including Seth Godin, Tim Ferriss, and Brené Brown, and has appeared on ABC, BBC, CBC, Ted.com, and innumerable podcasts―as well as in notable publications including the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Inc., and Fast Company. MBS is the founder of Box of Crayons, a learning and development company, that helps organizations move from advice-driven action to curiosity-led transformation. They have trained more than half a million people for clients including Microsoft, Salesforce, TELUS and Gucci. A former Rhodes Scholar, MBS is an Australian who now lives in Toronto, Canada. You can join others committed to being a force for change at MBS.works Go to https://www.mbs.works/ to buy a copy of HOW TO LEARN. To create your own "on-mission" experience in life, leadership, coaching, entrepreneurship and small business, go to: www.richienorton.com/76daychallenge Want to continue the conversation? Join us! RICHIE NORTON SHOW COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/richiepodcast RICHIE NORTON SOCIAL: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/richie_norton LINKEDIN: http://www.linkedin.com/in/richardnorton FB: https://www.facebook.com/richienorton TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/richienorton

Jeremy Kuzmarov - Warmonger - How Clinton's Malign Foreign Policy Launched the US Trajectory from Bush II to BidenNov 17, 2023During  the 2016 presidential election, many younger voters repudiated Hillary  Clinton because of her husband's support for mass incarceration, banking  deregulation and free-trade agreements that led many U.S. jobs to be  shipped overseas. Warmonger: How Clinton's Malign Foreign Policy Launched the Trajectory from Bush II to Biden,  shows that Clinton's foreign policy was just as bad as his domestic  policy. Cultivating an image as a former anti-Vietnam War activist to  win over the aging hippie set in his early years, as president, Clinton  bombed six countries and, by the end of his first term, had committed  U.S. troops to 25 separate military operations, compared to 17 in Ronald  Reagan's two terms. Clinton further expanded America's covert empire of  overseas surveillance outposts and spying and increased the budget for  intelligence spending and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a  CIA offshoot which promoted regime change in foreign nations.   The  latter was not surprising because, according to CIA operative Cord  Meyer Jr., Clinton had been recruited into the CIA while a Rhodes  Scholar at Oxford, and as Governor of Arkansas in the 1980s he had  allowed clandestine arms and drug flights to Nicaraguan  counter-revolutionaries (Contras) backed by the CIA to be taken from  Mena Airport in the western part of the state. Rather than being a time  of tranquility when the U.S. failed to pay attention to the gathering  storm of terrorism, as New York Times columnist David Brooks frames it,  the Clinton presidency saw rising tensions among the U.S., China and  Russia because of Clinton's malign foreign policies, and U.S. complicity  in terrorist acts.   In so many ways, Clinton's presidency set  the groundwork for the disasters that were to follow under Bush II,  Obama, Trump, and Biden. It was Clinton--building off of Reagan--who  first waged a War on Terror ridden with double standards, one that  adopted terror tactics, including extraordinary rendition, bombing and  the use of drones. It was Clinton who cried wolf about human rights  abuses and the need to protect beleaguered peoples from genocide to  justify military intervention in a post-Cold War age. And it was  Clinton's administration that pressed for regime change in Iraq and  raised public alarm about the mythic WMDs--all while relying on fancy  new military technologies and private military contractors to distance  US shady military interventions from the public to limit dissent.Jeremy Kuzmarov talks to Ed Opperman about his surprising and highly researched new book.BookBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

On In The Market with Janet Parshall we kicked off the week with an important conversation with one the most respected apologists serving the church today as he addressed a belief that using the word “Savior” is stumbling block to some people visiting churches and the fundamental differences between Islam and Christianity and why understanding and respecting those differences is vital to being able to share the hope of Gospel with them. A former NFL player, a Rhodes Scholar and a neurosurgeon shared how his life journey taught him a practical strategy for achieving significant life change through incremental measures. Radical secular thinking has permeated all corners of life including Christian thinking. We turned to one of the nation’s most respected pastors and authors to provide a clear understanding of how these ideas are being used to create a new kind of inclusive “god” that is being substituted for the holy and eternal God of Scripture. A highly respected bible teacher opened God’s word to us to understand what His unwavering, unchanging, steadfast love of God really is and the role of the Holy Spirit bringing this very important part of the believer’s walk to life. Our need to be vigilant and aware never stops, so our favorite husband and wife team invite us once again to join them as they continue to teach us to use God’s word as the barometer of truth against the headlines of the week.Become a Parshall Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/inthemarket/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discover how small improvements can yield big results! Sharing his against-the-odds success story, Dr. Myron Rolle will reveal how a strong work ethic, deep faith, and solid family values built a transformative life philosophy that helped him conquer adversity, defy expectations, and find purpose as a Rhodes Scholar, NFL player, and neurosurgeon. Overcome obstacles and step toward the life you desire!Become a Parshall Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/inthemarket/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EPISODE #1147 THE PFIZER PAPERS: NAOMI WOLF ON THE VACCINE SCANDAL THAT SHOOK THE WORLD Richard welcomes Dr. Naomi Wolf, who reveals the shocking findings from The Pfizer Papers, her in-depth investigation into Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. Based on internal documents released under court order, the book exposes how Pfizer knew as early as November 2020 that their vaccine was neither safe nor effective. Wolf details how women bore the brunt of vaccine-related harms, including an alarming 3:1 adverse event ratio compared to men, and unveils the emergence of “CoVax Disease,” a new multi-organ condition linked to the mRNA vaccine. Even more damning, Pfizer erased its control group by vaccinating placebo participants, making meaningful safety comparisons impossible. With government agencies complicit, Wolf argues that public health has been subverted by corporate greed. GUEST: Dr. Naomi Wolf is a best-selling author, journalist, and thought leader renowned for her incisive analysis of global issues. A Rhodes Scholar and graduate of Yale University, Wolf rose to prominence with her book The Beauty Myth, a cultural critique that became a modern classic. Over her career, she has authored eight books and contributed to major outlets such as The New York Times and The Guardian. Recently, Wolf turned her focus to uncovering truths about the COVID-19 pandemic. Her latest work, The Pfizer Papers, dissects the pharmaceutical industry's response to the crisis, exposing the flaws, omissions, and risks of Pfizer's mRNA vaccine clinical trials. As the founder of DailyClout, a platform for citizen-led investigation, Wolf continues to champion accountability, transparency, and informed consent in public health. WEBSITE: https://dailyclout.io BOOK: The Pfizer Papers: Pfizer's Crimes Against Humanity SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! HIMS - Making Healthy and Happy Easy to Achieve START YOUR FREE ONLINE VISIT TODAY - HIMS dot com slash STRANGE for your personalized ED Treatment options. https://www.HIMS.com/strange Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm/

Hi Podsquad. Today, we're honored to sit down with Pete Buttigieg to discuss the four magic words that could change the election and the hearts of those you love. Discover: -The powerful antidote to the political tribalism dividing families and communities -How to make love your guiding force in the crucial days ahead -The surprising truth about why even Pete is exhausted by constant political talk—and how to finally move past it -Why politics are personal, and how they impact every part of our lives More on Pete: The first openly gay person confirmed to serve in a president's Cabinet, Buttigieg previously served two terms as mayor of his hometown, South Bend, Indiana, where he worked across the aisle to transform the city's future. Household income grew, poverty fell, and unemployment was cut in half.He also served for seven years as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, taking a leave of absence from the mayor's office for a deployment to Afghanistan in 2014.The son of Joseph Buttigieg, who immigrated to the United States from Malta, and Jennifer Anne Montgomery, a fifth-generation Hoosier, Buttigieg is a graduate of Harvard University and Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar and completed a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. He lives with his husband Chasten, their two children, Gus and Penelope, and their dog. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Beloved British actor of stage and screen Maggie Smith died last week at age 89. Though the Oscar-winner had a long and successful career, it wasn't until she was in her 70s that she got approached by scores of fans. "It only happened to me since Downton Abbey, so I blame the whole thing on television." We revisit Dave Davies' 2016 interview with Smith. Also, we remember singer, songwriter, and actor Kris Kristofferson. He was a Rhodes Scholar, and an Army Ranger before taking a chance at songwriting. "Me and Bobby McGee" is perhaps his most famous song, recorded by Janis Joplin. He told Terry Gross in 1999. Also, John Powers reviews the new film Wolfs, starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt on Apple TV+.To keep up with what's on Fresh Air and get a peek behind the scenes, subscribe to our free weekly newsletter. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy