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Gen Z students at UT Austin conceded the argument, then said we were wrong anyway.In this episode, Pastor Daniel Hayworth and Pastor Nathan Brown break down six hours at an open debate table on the University of Texas at Austin campus, fielding Gen Z questions on Islam, Israel, just war, manhood, and whether God exists at all. An unfiltered field report on what Gen Z actually believes once those beliefs get tested out loud. Made for the commute, the gym, or the drive home.You'll Learn:✅ Why UT Austin's top five percent could handle advanced math but not basic logic✅ The question that collapsed almost every argument at the microphone✅ Why strong opinions and genuine belief are not the same thing✅ What actually reached the Gen Z students who never stepped up to the mic
Today's podcast is titled “The Presidential Office: Its Influence and Power Today.” Recorded in early 2025, Jim Falk welcomes back presidential historian Jeremi Suri, Ph.D., Mack Brown Distinguished Professor at UT Austin and author of The Impossible Presidency, along with John Lawrence, Ph.D., former chief of staff to Nancy Pelosi and author of Arc of Power, for a look at how modern media and institutional dynamics have reshaped the presidency. Their conversation traces the shift from traditional news to podcasts and influencers, the ongoing tug-of-war between executive power and congressional checks, and why the office’s contradictory demands make it, as …
How can higher education institutions foster a deeper sense of belonging for first-generation students through connected programs, services, and physical spaces? What national trends and campus-level strategies best empower first gen success? We talk through these with Carrie West, Director of Campus Planning, Design, and Construction at UT Austin, and Jeff Doyle, former leader at UT Austin and current Vice President at Marymount University. Together, we explore how holistic approaches, cross-departmental collaboration, peer coaching networks, and strategic facility design can break down administrative silos and improve first generation student recruitment and retention. [Recorded live at the NASPA Student Success in Higher Education Conference in June 2026] Episode Highlights include: [03:15] National Belonging Data - Elliot Felix outlines national survey trends connecting student belonging to increased graduation rates. [07:46] Peer Success Coaching - Jeff Doyle shares how peer coaching and parent webinars build critical social capital for first-gen students. [11:58] Living-Learning Communities - UT Austin demonstrates how targeted residential communities and laptop checkout programs foster immediate connection. [18:07] Co-Locating Support Services - Carrie West explains how embedding academic centers like Sanger directly within residential halls increases service utilization. [22:13] Activating Outdoor Spaces - UT Austin leverages exterior campus corridors with seating and food trucks to spark organic community interactions. Download presentation: https://www.elliotfelix.com/podcast-collection/ep123-carrie-west-jeff-doyle-and-elliot-felix-on-building-first-gen-belonging-connected-college
Struggling with how to support a student who stutters without falling into the “fix it” trap? In this episode, Hallie sits down with Wendy Dietz, an SLP and clinic owner in Colorado who specializes in stuttering therapy, to chat all about what an acceptance-based approach really looks like. Wendy shares how a moving college essay first sparked her interest in stuttering, how the CARE model she learned at UT Austin completely shifted her perspective, and how she helps parents let go of all-or-nothing thinking about their child's speech.Bullet Points to Discuss: Why fluency-focused early intervention isn't backed by research and can cause harmHelping parents move past “fixed” vs. “held back” thinking about their child's stutteringA student's journey from a fluency-focused approach to self-advocacy and confidenceWhy observable severity often doesn't match a student's internal experience of stutteringWhat stuttering assessment looks like beyond disfluency countsResources for SLPs building skills and confidence in this niche Here's what we learned: The goal is confident communication, not reducing or curing stutteringA third path exists for parents beyond “fixed” or “struggling forever”A student's own attitude toward stuttering matters as much as how it soundsEarly education protects students from internalizing negative experiences laterConfidence in this niche comes from community involvement, not just courseworkResources Mentioned:Stop Guessing with Stuttering Therapy – Victoria Dertouzoc: https://speechtimefun.com/334-stop-guessing-with-stuttering-therapy/ A Human Approach to Stuttering and Neurodiversity – Ana Hernandez Episode: https://speechtimefun.com/336-a-human-approach-to-stuttering-and-neurodiversity/ Learn more about Wendy Dietz: Website: https://www.lifetimespeech.com/about Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifetimestuttering/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-dietz-m-s-ccc-slp-5236561a9 Email: info@lifetimespeech.com Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:
Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In this episode of The Wright Report, Bryan breaks down Wisconsin's Democratic primary for governor, where the media hailed a "moderate" win over a Communist candidate, even though the winner himself admits their policies are identical. Bryan covers new data showing America's big cities are rapidly losing children as young adults there increasingly skip marriage and family, and fresh Pew Research showing a huge majority of Americans, though not Democrats, want transgender athletes banned from women's sports. He also covers actor Hugh Laurie's blunt public rejection of men competing in women's sports. Plus, Bryan covers the arrest of a former Southern Poverty Law Center executive accused of secretly funding hate groups to keep donations flowing, an AI assistant that hacked a gym's booking system to bump another customer, a new federal ban on foreign-made robot vacuums over spying concerns, and a promising new sleep-boosting ultrasound patch developed at UT Austin. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32 Keywords: Wright Report, Bryan Dean Wright, Wisconsin governor primary, Francesca Hong, David Crowley, Democratic Socialists, big cities birth rates, Pew Research, transgender sports, Hugh Laurie, Southern Poverty Law Center, Heidi Beirich, AI, OpenClaw, robot vacuums, sleep patch
Today's podcast is titled “Presidential Leadership: The Defining Traits.” Recorded in early 2025, host Jim Falk sits down with presidential historians Talmage Boston, author of How the Best Did It: Leadership Lessons from Our Top Presidents, and Jeremi Suri, Ph.D., Mack Brown Distinguished Professor at UT Austin and author of The Impossible Presidency, along with John Lawrence, Ph.D., former chief of staff to Nancy Pelosi and author of Arc of Power, to discuss what separates history’s most effective presidents from the rest. The conversation points to common threads among the best: building a strong team, staying open to opposing views, …
In this episode of Trending in Education, host Mike Palmer sits down with Mike Peng, Founder and Managing Partner of Weatherstone Capital Partners, to explore the evolving intersection of education, technology, and capital markets. After missing a meeting at ASU+GSV in San Diego, Mike and Mike reconnect to unpack what it takes to scale educational ventures past the startup phase and navigate the broader macroeconomic shift from venture capital to private equity in EdTech. Drawing from his unique career journey—from engineering at UT Austin and strategy consulting at McKinsey to leading rapid growth at Block Renovation and earning an MBA at Stanford—Peng shares why Weatherstone focuses on partnering with operators in the 1-to-10 scale stage ($1M to $10M EBITDA range). Together, they examine the real "moats" in the age of AI (data ownership and customer relationships over UI), why corporate L&D and continuing certification are outperforming traditional K-12/Higher Ed models for private equity, and how simulation tools and micro-learning are reshaping workforce upskilling. Peng also offers vital advice for founders assessing whether they are the "limiting factor" in their company's growth and how to navigate tight capital markets. KEY INSIGHTS: 0-to-1 vs. 1-to-10 Leadership: Building a product from scratch requires a scrappy, zero-to-one mindset, whereas scaling from 1 to 10 demands processes, enterprise workflows, and founders willing to look in the mirror to ensure they aren't becoming their company's limiting factor. The Capital Shift from VC to PE: With EdTech valuations down ~60% from 2021 peaks and market maturity kicking in, 2024 marked a pivot where private equity outpaced venture capital in EdTech funding—shifting the focus from hyper-growth to unit economics, profitability, and sustainable scale. Redefining AI Moats: User interface (UI) and simple API connections to large language models are no longer defensible differentiators. True AI moats reside in owning proprietary data, maintaining deep customer trust, and controlling end-to-end customer relationships. Corporate L&D and Reskilling Demand: While K-12 and Higher Ed present longer sales cycles and risk aversion, Corporate L&D—particularly recurring certification, micro-training in daily workflows, and AI simulation (e.g., bedside manner nursing)—presents massive opportunity as 85% of employers seek to reskill their workforce by 2030. Founder Discipline in Tight Markets: Bootstrapping and pivoting quickly are more viable than ever thanks to AI MVP acceleration. Founders must plan capital runway at least a year in advance and regularly "come up for air" so market evolution doesn't leave their business behind. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Introduction & Connecting Post-ASU+GSV 01:00 – Mike Peng's Journey: UT Austin, McKinsey, Block Renovation, & Stanford MBA 02:30 – Inside Weatherstone Capital Partners: Long-Term Platform Investing 03:30 – 0-to-1 vs. 1-to-10: Passing the Founder "Mirror Test" 05:30 – Takeaways from ASU+GSV: AI Undercurrents & Modern Moats 07:30 – Career Readiness, CTE, & The 1,400-Tool EdTech Stack 09:30 – Data is the New Oil, AI is the New Electricity 11:30 – Managing Hallucination Risk & Trust in Classroom Tech 13:30 – Segmenting EdTech: Why Capital is Moving from VC to PE 18:00 – The Future of Work: LXP, Micro-Learning, & AI Simulations 23:30 – Personal AI Tutors, Spatial Hardware, & Final Advice for Founders 26:00 – Wrap Up & How to Connect with Weatherstone Subscribe to Trending in Ed wherever you get your podcasts to stay ahead of the curve in learning, media, and the future of work.
A flat white earned Dr. Rhonda Evans an immediate nod of approval from Nicola before becoming the perfect springboard for a conversation about Australia, curiosity, and the unexpected opportunities that can shape an entire career.Rhonda didn't get her first passport until she was 28 years old. She had no idea that one long flight to Australia would change the course of her life. In this episode of Counsel Brew, she reflects on how growing up as a first-generation college student in rural Ohio eventually led her halfway around the world, proving that some of life's biggest opportunities begin with simply saying yes.Rhonda also reflects on starting her career as a lawyer before realizing her true calling was in higher education. She shares stories about teaching at The University of Texas, creating a study abroad program centered on the Great Barrier Reef, and helping students build confidence by stepping outside their comfort zones. Woven throughout the conversation are thoughtful reflections on curiosity, lifelong learning, and why the best career advice doesn't always involve having a plan. Sometimes it's simply being willing to follow where your interests lead.From Australian coffee culture and long-haul flights to an unforgettable "stupid shit" story about her time as a prosecutor handling paternity investigations, the conversation moves effortlessly between the lighthearted and the unexpected. What begins as a humorous look back at one of the more unusual chapters of Rhonda's early legal career ultimately reveals a pivotal turning point, helping her realize that while she appreciated the law, her true passion is political science, higher education, and helping students discover where their own curiosity might lead.In This EpisodeGrowing up as a first-generation college student in rural OhioHow one opportunity to study in Australia changed the course of her careerWhy she left the practice of law to pursue teaching and researchCreating a study abroad program focused on the Great Barrier ReefHelping students build confidence through international experiencesWhat makes Australia so fascinating, from its politics and conservation efforts to its unique cultureHow curiosity became the compass for an unexpected careerFlat whites!!About Dr. Rhonda EvansDr. Rhonda Evans is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government at The University of Texas at Austin and Director of the Australia, New Zealand & Pacific Studies Initiative. A former attorney, her teaching and research focus on Australian politics, comparative political institutions, and environmental policy. She is also the creator of UT's Maymester program in Australia, where students explore public policy and conservation while studying the Great Barrier Reef. Her work has been recognized for excellence in teaching and for helping students engage with the world through experiential learning.Listen now: Find Rhonda at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonda-evans-305aa4105/Message us at hello@counselbrew.com Visit us at http://www.counselbrew.com And Follow us @counselbrewhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/counsel-brew/Send us Fan Mail Explicit Rating is for the occasional use of colorful language.
Na série de conversas descontraídas com cientistas, chegou a vez da Professora, Pesquisadora, graduada em Arquitetura e Urbanismo, com Mestrado em Engenharia e Doutorado em Engenharia Civil e Ambiental, e atual Vice Presidente de Pesquisa da Universidade do Texas em Austin, Fernanda Leite. Só vem! >> OUÇA (79min 32s) * Naruhodo! é o podcast pra quem tem fome de aprender. Ciência, senso comum, curiosidades, desafios e muito mais. Com o leigo curioso, Ken Fujioka, e o cientista PhD, Altay de Souza. Edição: Reginaldo Cursino. http://naruhodo.b9.com.br * Fernanda Leite é Professora, Pesquisadora, graduada em Arquitetura e Urbanismo, com Mestrado em Engenharia e Doutorado em Engenharia Civil e Ambiental, e atual Vice Presidente de Pesquisa da Universidade do Texas em Austin, Estados Unidos. Especialista em modelagem de informação da construção (BIM), engenharia de construção e engenharia de sistemas resilientes, sua pesquisa explora a integração de modelagem 3D e inteligência artificial (IA) para criar infraestruturas sustentáveis e adaptáveis. Como decana associada de pesquisa da Cockrell School of Engineering, Leite ajudou a lançar grandes iniciativas interdisciplinares em semicondutores, ciência quântica, robótica e IA. Também liderou esforços em todo o campus, incluindo o grande desafio Planet Texas 2050. Leite possui doutorado pela Carnegie Mellon University e é engenheira profissional licenciada. Fernanda traz uma abordagem colaborativa e voltada para o futuro à liderança em pesquisa – avançando a missão da UT Austin de se tornar a universidade pública de pesquisa de maior impacto do mundo. Qualificações Acadêmicas Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, 2009 M.S., Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, 2005 B.S., Federal University of Ceara, 2002 Prêmios e Honrarias Selecionados Daniel W. Halpin Award – American Society of Civil Engineers (2019) IAspire Leadership Academy fellow (2019) Ervin S. Perry Student Appreciation Award – Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering (2018) Dean's Award for Outstanding Engineering Teaching by an Assistant Professor – The University of Texas at Austin (2013-14) Outstanding Early Career Researcher Award – FIATECH (2013) Áreas de Pesquisa Construction Engineering and Project Management Sustainable Systems Interesses de Pesquisa Building information modeling (BIM); Scan-to-BIM; Circular economy in the built environment; Sustainable systems engineering; Visualization and collaboration technologies Publicações Selecionadas https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MGRRt2YAAAAJ * APOIE O NARUHODO! O Altay e eu temos duas mensagens pra você. A primeira é: muito, muito obrigado pela sua audiência. Sem ela, o Naruhodo sequer teria sentido de existir. Você nos ajuda demais não só quando ouve, mas também quando espalha episódios para familiares, amigos - e, por que não?, inimigos. A segunda mensagem é: existe uma outra forma de apoiar o Naruhodo, a ciência e o pensamento científico - apoiando financeiramente o nosso projeto de podcast semanal independente, que só descansa no recesso do fim de ano. Manter o Naruhodo tem custos e despesas: servidores, domínio, pesquisa, produção, edição, atendimento, tempo... Enfim, muitas coisas para cobrir - e, algumas delas, em dólar. A gente sabe que nem todo mundo pode apoiar financeiramente. E tá tudo bem. Tente mandar um episódio para alguém que você conhece e acha que vai gostar. A gente sabe que alguns podem, mas não mensalmente. E tá tudo bem também. Você pode apoiar quando puder e cancelar quando quiser. O apoio mínimo é de 15 reais e pode ser feito pela plataforma ORELO ou pela plataforma APOIA-SE. Para quem está fora do Brasil, temos até a plataforma PATREON. É isso, gente. Estamos enfrentando um momento importante e você pode ajudar a combater o negacionismo e manter a chama da ciência acesa. Então, fica aqui o nosso convite: apóie o Naruhodo como puder. bit.ly/naruhodo-no-orelo
Award-winning director, cinematographer and producer Taylor Washington joins Heather Kofka and John Williams to discuss the winding, collaborative and often unpredictable road toward building a sustainable life in filmmaking.Taylor takes us behind the scenes of Grind, the SXSW horror satire anthology that transforms the anxieties of modern work culture into four increasingly unhinged stories. He breaks down how multiple cinematographers created distinct visual languages while keeping the film inside one cohesive world, how the production built ambitious practical effects with limited resources, and what it takes to shoot what feels like four miniature features on an independent schedule.The conversation traces Taylor's journey from growing up outside Houston and making videos out of boredom, to studying film at UT Austin, directing more than 50 music videos, launching Pan Up Productions and working with brands including Canon, Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV and Southwest Airlines. He also discusses his creative partnership with Haley Alea Erickson, the evolution of their SXSW short Call Me Mommy into a feature, and why repeatedly making small projects helped them discover their voice before attempting something larger.Taylor also opens up about wearing multiple hats, surviving the uncertainty of freelance work, building a production company, finding collaborators through film festivals and learning when to protect his time. The episode moves beyond career strategy into a deeper conversation about physical filmmaking, artificial intelligence and whether something essential is lost when the creative process becomes frictionless.For filmmakers waiting for the perfect budget, team or opportunity, Taylor's story offers a quieter challenge: start making things, learn who you are through the work and build the tracks while the train is already moving.
Episode: 140 RAISING PPA assessment and treatment from the Ground Up: In Conversation with Jeanne Gallée In this episode you will discover: · Assessment and Intervention Aren't Separate — Conversation itself can double as both. By listening closely and responding to what a client offers, in a "more art than science" way, clinicians gather meaningful data and provide support at the same time, rather than treating these as two distinct phases of care. · Rigid Testing Can Erase the Person Behind the Diagnosis — Traditional standardized assessments often serve the goals of an institution or research protocol more than the person being assessed. Frameworks like RAISE and the PACT scale shift the focus toward strengths, natural conversation, and what someone can still do, rather than repeatedly measuring decline. · PPA Needs Its Own Identity and Training Path — Because primary progressive aphasia sits uneasily between post-stroke aphasia care and traditional dementia care, clinicians often receive little formal training in it. A global survey found major gaps in education and confidence, underscoring the need for dedicated resources, like Dr. Gallée's PPA roadmap, built specifically for this population. Do you ever wish you could step back in time and undo the missteps and errors of the past? What if you had the opportunity to build something from the ground up? Certainly, knowing what you know now, you could begin in a better place. But of course, there's always pitfalls with new beginnings, even with the knowledge of lessons from the past. You could, however, make a positive impact on that new beginning. Welcome to the Aphasia Access Conversations podcast. I'm Jerry Hoepner, a professor from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, and co-facilitator of the Chippewa Valley Aphasia Camp, Blue Gold Brain Injury Group, Mayo Brain Injury Group, Young Persons Brain Injury Group, Brain In-Cog, and Thursday Night Poets. I'm also a member of the Aphasia Access Podcast Working Group. Aphasia Access strives to provide members with information, inspiration, and ideas about their aphasia care through a variety of educational resources. I'm privileged to introduce today's guest, Dr. Jeanne Gallée, who is a clinical scientist in the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington. Dr. Gallée is a licensed speech language pathologist practicing in the greater Washington state area. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences at Wellesley College in 2016 and Doctor of Philosophy at Harvard University in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology in 2021. She has been recognized as a Distinguished Early Career Professional by ASHA and a Distinguished Scholar by the Tavistock Trust for Aphasia. Her work is dedicated to improving assessment practices and functional outcomes for individuals living with aphasia and neurodegenerative conditions. Jerry Hoepner: Jeanne, it's really nice to see you again today, and to have this opportunity to have a conversation with you as a recent recipient of the Tavistock Scholar Program, and to talk about your work with individuals with primary progressive aphasia. So, thanks for being "on" today for the conversation. Jeanne Gallée: Thank you so much for having me, Jerry. I'm really honored to be here. Jerry Hoepner: Likewise, I'm really excited for this conversation, and as I just alluded to, I wanted to congratulate you on being awarded the first Tavistock Scholar with an emphasis doing work in primary progressive aphasia, and I thought maybe I could get your thoughts on being selected as a Tavistock Scholar. Jeanne Gallée: Thank you. It feels honestly incredibly remarkable in the sense that I think it represents a shift in how we're thinking about the separate diagnoses of progressive aphasia versus an aphasia that's due to an acute injury. And I'm really honored to be a part of that. I think there have been many discussions growing over the years, and I think we're seeing that shift in how we do think about addressing assessment and intervention and general care for people across the aphasia continuum. Jerry Hoepner: Agreed, I think there's been so much growth in the last five years in that area. I can remember at the outset of the pandemic, having discussions about "What do we do with people with primary progressive aphasia who were a part of our aphasia group? Should they be a part of our aphasia group? How do we pivot to that in an online context?" and it feels like we've come so far in our conversation about where primary progressive aphasia fits in in all of those different contexts. Jeanne Gallée: Right, I entirely agree, and I think the journey of my own work has already evolved in so many ways that I couldn't have imagined, like you say, five years ago I completed my doctoral work March 2021 and just seeing the phenomenal amounts of change that have really taken place since then has been incredible, and I feel very lucky to be part of that momentum right now. Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely, it's exciting to see these things move forward. And one of the differences that I see is primary progressive aphasia started out within the Life Participation Approach, just soundly from day one, as opposed to a lot of aphasia care, which has kind of evolved from this medical model, and how refreshing it is to see something built from the ground up. Done right, so to speak. I don't know if you have thoughts on that piece… Jeanne Gallée: No, I do. I think that's a really interesting point. I think I might be part of the camp that at times feels like progressive conditions get a little bit lost in the rehabilitation space, but I think you're absolutely right. I think the absence of pharmacological treatment, or a cure that has long standing effects for these progressive conditions has made rehabilitation specialists much more attuned to focusing on quality of life, life participation, maintaining autonomy, and so forth. So, I think I forget that perspective sometimes. Perhaps from the space that I work in, I tend to be in a more interdisciplinary environment where I feel on the opposite end. I'm often asked for justification for providing these types of services, and that fits in nicely with our previous discussion on how we do see that differentiation and how people with aphasia due to a progressive condition may be siloed from people who have the more quote unquote traditional aphasia symptoms. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, that's a really good point. And you know, referring to those previous conversations we discussed that need for primary progressive aphasia to have a space of its own. It's tricky because it doesn't fit into post-stroke aphasia quite right, and it doesn't fit into the Alzheimer's and dementia world quite right. So, yeah, it's nice to see this developing in the Life Participation kind of context, really excited about Anna Volkmer's conference dedicated to primary progressive aphasia. Yeah, what an excellent point, that even though we feel like it's great to build it from the ground up, there's still people in that interdisciplinary context, who are very much looking at this, like,"Justify this. How is having conversations and doing activities with someone justifiable, as a, you know, as a skilled intervention?" Jeanne Gallée: Right. I think a lot of it comes back to misunderstandings about the scope of our profession. So, coming from the speech language pathology standpoint, we may have a perspective that other providers may not. And it's interesting, particularly when that confusion or disconnect happens in conditions that are communication led, where we see the symptoms primarily touching upon our ability to interact verbally or non-verbally to communicate. And it's fascinating, and I think speaking to that silo, we see PPA having been a relatively new and still considered very rare condition, but there's so much overlap with other conditions, right, in the kinds of symptoms that we see and there's so much where, as any speech pathologist with experience in acquired neurogenic communication disorders, we can see that we can apply our skill set, but again, likely due to the terminal nature of the condition, we end up seeing providers taking it a different route, or saying either there's only the pharmacological route, or we just let it lie or let it be as is, which we wouldn't do with any other condition. We wouldn't say that for someone with ALS. We would want to provide them the supports, even if they're temporary, to improve quality of life. So, it is an interesting, almost cultural phenomenon as well. I think. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, that I think it's really fascinating, and I'm so glad you brought that up. It reminds me of kind of the phrase, the company we keep, right? It's easy to be amongst, you know, people who are in the [Life Participation Approach to Aphasia] LPPA world, who think the way that we think, and who do the way that we do. And I do a lot of work in the area of cognitive communication disorders with acquired brain injuries, and so forth, and there's been a remarkable shift in the last five years there as well towards a more Life Participation bio psychosocial approach, and some of the work that I've been passionate about for years has been more and more accepted. So you feel like when you're in that company of all of your people that everything's all good, but it also reminds me of something that my friend Natalie Douglas always says, which is that "We need to be out there amongst others who need to understand the importance of this kind of a perspective, and sharing that." And when you talked about those other professionals, I really didn't think about that until you said that. Right, really important to get them on the same page, and to help them understand why this is so important. Jeanne Gallée: Right? And I think that's where the conference that you mentioned, the first PPA only conference that's taking place this summer in London, is so special because one of the reasons why we were so motivated to have this type of a conference is that there wasn't really the space at the typical aphasiology conferences, and then the larger neurology-based conferences, or more broadly dementia-based conferences, also didn't quite feel like a home. I think, especially their studies of quality of life, in particular, we're really not seen as rigorous in those contexts. So, this conference, what's nice is that we have that uniting force of everyone being focused on PPA, but it's super interdisciplinary, and that I think will really promote some fantastic conversations. Jerry Hoepner: Wow, that's really encouraging and exciting to see that move forward. I'm not in the primary progressive aphasia world, although when we're at aphasia camp and things like that, certainly that's a part of my role. But as soon as I saw the call for papers come out, I'm, you know, texting and messaging all of my PPA folks to say, "Did you see this? This is great. Are you doing something?" It's very exciting. So, I'm excited to see where that moves in the future and to hear how things go this time around. That's great. Jeanne Gallée: Likewise, I'm really excited, and I do really believe it will lead to a whole future cascade of collaboration. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, amazing. Well, before we delve into your amazing work, I've been reading your articles, and it's been just a pleasure to read it. I'm always impressed with how certain themes of importance can come across in different areas of our field, and it's been fun to see that. I wonder, because I'm looking at the list of collaborators, just some incredible collaborators on that list, in those papers, I'd love to hear a little bit about your mentorship, both in primary progressive aphasia and kind of thinking about the Life Participation quality of life kind of context as well. Jeanne Gallée: Yeah, I think in hindsight my mentorship experience seems more linear than it did in the moment. And I think it goes back to my original journey in my doctoral program. The program I was in, the Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology program at Harvard was a little bit different from others, where we didn't apply to work with a specific mentor, but truly just to get into the program. And they encouraged a pretty extensive shopping period to work with a variety of mentors to get a feel for topic area, mentorship style, and so traditionally first year students didn't even have any experiences, they just focused on the very time-intensive and rigorous coursework. I came in and started my first experience with Evelina Fedorenko at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who had worked with an undergrad. And that I think from the get-go gave me a very holistic view. I think, of the ways in which we could think about language, and in particular, the language network. So, there I was working on MRI studies of what activations do we see in the language network. In response to linguistic stimuli. And we were working with undergrads at MIT who were all healthy between the ages of 18 through 30, and I just felt at a certain point that I had this growing interest towards thinking about what happens when something goes wrong. So when it's atypical processing of language. I first thought I might be interested in pediatric population, so I was all over the place, but through the partnership that my program had with the MGH Institute of Health Professionals, I ended up having this amazing opportunity to be mentored by Evelina Federenko, as well as Sophia Vallila Rohter at the Institute of Health Professions, as well as the Frontotemporal Disorders Unit at Mass General Hospital, through my actual clinical training. So I had this quite hefty consortium of mentors, and I think that has its own set of challenges, right? It's a little bit less mentor-directed and more on the student to say, "This is exactly what I want to work on." But I think that allowed me to build a network of experiences and mentors, and that just has bled into every experience I've had since then. I also think the pandemic, you brought that up before, had a huge role in this, and all of a sudden people were very, very open to virtual meetings and connections and wanted connection. I think everyone felt very stuck at home and wanted to find more people and to find meaning and Anna Volkmer and I had the opportunity to meet at the Academy of Aphasia in Macau in 2019. And honestly meeting her in our connection has been also one of those launching pads for me to really jump out into the world of international collaboration. So all that to say, I think a lot of chance encounters and just a lot of plunging into possible conversations head first has led to this phenomenal mentorship team. And a lot of people who I collaborate with now I see as my inadvertent mentors, and that includes Anna, that includes Maya Henry at UT Austin, Amy Mooney in Oregon, just people who have consistently volunteered their time to mentor me in ways in which I can only say I would have never expected. Jade Cartwright and I have had such a phenomenal collaboration over the past few years as well, where we just had the same interests, and Zoom allowing, we were able to build on those. Jerry Hoepner: That's really an amazing answer to that question. I love the term inadvertent mentors, because I just think that those are the best mentors, where you're as much a mentor to them as they are to you. And it's just this really reciprocal relationship, but it's also built on this organic, like passion and interest for the same kinds of topics. Where it's not forced and that's a really nice kind of look back on your entire process. I was also struck by the term "mentor shopping", or "mentor shopping period", whatever. And I think that's really great that you had an opportunity for that not to be so mentor-led, and I mean it clearly shows through when you talk about your clinical experience and how that was connected to your research experience, and kind of all used to create this amalgamation of who you are. I mean, it's clear in talking with you, it's clear in reading your work that you have that strong, multi prong kind of basis. It's not just research, it's not just this specific area of research, it's really broad and the clinical connection is there, so that makes a lot of sense when I hear you talk about that, for sure. Jeanne Gallée: Oh, thank you. Yeah, I think in hindsight, again, it seems more linear, and in the moment it sometimes felt a little wild, I will say, in terms of just wrangling what do I actually want to pursue, and how. And I'm still figuring that out. But I think this community of collaborators and mentors is truly what has kept me in the field and as well. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, I think when you can connect with other people who are passionate about the work that you're doing. I can't imagine sitting at alone in my office doing a project, and I mean it's just so much more fun when you're doing it with other people. And other people who can expand the way that you think, which I'm sure everyone that you've mentioned on that list really does, when you can say, "Well, I think we should do it this way" and someone says, "Have you thought about…" and it just completely wrecks your world in a good way, "Like, oh my gosh, I didn't think about that, that's so exciting!" and then you just get into this back and forth. Yeah, very fun to hear about that. And again, it clearly shows through in the work that you do. In our previous conversations, you also mentioned this idea, and this again built on those clinical foundations that your initial mission was really to help develop interventions for people with primary progressive aphasia, and then you kind of got not off track, but inadvertently focused on working on assessments. You mentioned that there's just such a need, and this is so common in a lot of areas, but there's a need for more person-centered, ecologically valid strength-based assessment, and that the traditional measures just don't tell us enough. So, I'm really excited to talk about the work that you're doing on assessment, and how that brings us closer to what we need from an intervention standpoint, too. Jeanne Gallée: Yeah, so that really is at the heart of what has been my experience. Also, right from the get-go, we started talking about the differences, or the possible differentiation that the field has historically taken in thinking about post-stroke aphasia versus primary progressive aphasia. One of my first real PPA projects in my doctoral work was meant to be a naming treatment study for people living with PPA, and one of the roadblocks I kept hitting was also my mentors and reviewers telling me that I was trying to add too many things. And in that process I realized I don't think just using something that exists for post-stroke aphasia is going to be the best way to address the patients I'm seeing right now. And it's not because there's something wrong with that treatment. That treatment was not designed for these individuals. And that led to many more rabbit holes, and you know me really just feeling this existential crisis of "Well, why are we working on the stimuli that we are, and why are we asking questions about these ones?" And I have so much respect for the assessments that exist, and the individuals behind them, and the time they invested in making them. I am also of the belief that we can move forward and improve our processes. There are certain assessments that may be widely used and have so much again power behind them. You know, we have best associated certain assessments with characterizing a diagnosis, but what I ended up seeing in my placements and throughout my clinical work is that many assessments serve more of a mission of an institution or a research protocol than the person being assessed. And in the face of a person with a terminal condition who is using their precious time to serve you in that space, I just think it's so much more important, or that much more important, to really consider what is most functional for them. What will serve them? And how we, how can we give back to that person? And again, part of that emotion, I think, comes from having worked in many research-centered spaces, where someone might not get intervention afterwards, or they might not understand why they are participating in up to five hours of assessment, and I think that's where that passion for focusing on reprioritizing the patient or the client really came from. Jerry Hoepner: I think that attention to "what's in it for them", is really important and clearly based in kind of where your heart is at and where your clinical mindset is at. Because it's easy to go in and say, "Well, we need this data. We need all the data that we get." but to what end, right? Like, how is it going to help? And how is that going to give us any more information about how to help this person, then what they can't do, right? So, I appreciate that mindset a lot, you know. It makes me think, and this is a little off track, and we didn't talk about this question earlier, but what a shift it will be clinicians working with people with primary progressive aphasia, and how they'll be able to shift from using kind of the existing tools that were out there for other purposes to moving towards tools that are designed specifically for people with PPA, and maybe just a snapshot of your thoughts about that piece. Jeanne Gallée: So I think it's really important to know where the field comes from, the work in which it was grounded in. So, I think it, it makes sense to talk about standardized assessment scores. It makes sense to talk about, you know, the specific assessments that can help us quickly differentiate presentations or needs, right? So, using the symptom-led approach, can we identify specific behaviors really quickly in a standardized way? I think the issue comes in when we stop being dynamic in how we use them. It's very easy to use an assessment in a way that feels rote. It feels just like a test, and it's like you said, "just collecting data for the purpose of collecting data." And lose that aspect of humanity. And maybe I'm putting words in other clinicians' mouths, but especially when a certain condition is rare, like PPA is. You may not have very much experience with seeing someone with PPA, or any type of progressive condition, and feel really stuck and needing to be in the motivation of being really professional, sticking to a certain set of tests. "This feels right." Right, this is what someone told me to do. I can fill this out, and there's something very potentially vulnerable or scary about just going with your gut in those moments. And what Anna Volkmer and I have spoken about so often is just the power of having a conversation with someone, and seeing what you can learn from that conversation, not only about the person themselves, but their communication behaviors. And how you can get so much from that conversation, including the trust and comfort of the client in front of you. Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely, yeah. One of the things that I think about when you're talking about that is, in working with people with acquired brain injuries and traumatic brain injuries one of the things I've learned is they will tell you, or they will ask, right? They'll say, "What is this? "What kind of information is this giving you?" "Why do we have to do this stupid test?" And I think that's good. I think that's a mindset that we should have when we're thinking about all of the assessments that we do. Why are we doing this? Is this really necessary? And they're very willing to say, "If it's necessary, that's fine, I'll do it, but are you getting something from this that I'm not seeing?" Right, I love that question, and I think it speaks to what you just said, right? Like, there's so much information that we can gather from conversations, from our interactions with people, we should be thinking about getting that, and if we're doing something else, we should have a why directly following, yeah. Jeanne Gallée: Yes, the why is so important, and you're right. Sometimes we do just need to get certain information. I think for me, one of the most striking moments early on in my training was having small talk. You know, just conversation with a person with semantic variant primary progressive aphasia, and thinking, "Wow, this all feels quite typical. I'm curious about why they're here? What their testing will look like…" and then moving on to the Boston Naming Test and immediately seeing the challenges that came. That dichotomy is really helpful to have in those moments, but again, there's the argument of why are we asking about the name abacus, right? Why are we using that right now, and how does that represent how someone is performing functionally in their everyday life? Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely, yeah, totally. I agree. Can you share a little bit about the RAISE framework, which I really love, because it relates to the way that I think about assessment from the standpoint of counseling, like you build on relationships and connections. William Miller is famous for saying, "The last thing you should ever do at the beginning of a session is assessment." You're beginning of a relationship with someone, don't assess first thing. So, I love that piece, and then thinking about the pact, and I'll let you kind of expand those, but I'll let you unpack them – ha ha- but how that starts to move us towards intervention. Jeanne Gallée: Right. So the RAISE assessment framework was really built out of those conversations, and I guess realizations on my own part about that discomfort with the really rigid end that assessment can…I'll restate that. The rigidity that assessment can have, so again speaking to really, really standardized sets and rigid protocols of specific measures that someone uses, and like you said, having the experience of multiple research participants, as well as patients, asking "Why are we doing this? I know I'm not good at this. Why are we doing it again and again?" And in those moments, not feeling like I had the power to really justify exactly why we were doing everything, apart from, "Oh, this is important for the research study." Which it was, but just feeling like there was that aspect of humanity that was missing, and coming up with my own toolkit in those moments to fill in those blanks. So right after the completion of my PhD, Anna Volkmar and I started speaking a lot more about the power of conversational assessment. And then that led into conversations where we worked with Anne Whitworth, Deborah Hersh, and Jade Cartwright, where again, through the power of Zoom across all times. I was pregnant with my first, and meeting everyone usually at midnight my time. I already was nocturnal at that point! Where we would just be discussing all of these issues, and what was amazing about this is that, particularly Anne and Deb come from more of the post-stroke aphasia world, and had these amazing principles grounded in those populations where Deborah Hersh had also really come forward with the concept of therapeutic assessment. So as you had said assessment and intervention shouldn't be separate, they belong together and coexist at all times if we're smart about it. And what we ended up doing, first informally and then formally through the more official Delphi process is coming up with a set of principles as a framework for assessment. So, to take a step away from, "Oh, it's just Lucy Goosey, we're having a conversation and chit chat." What we're actually promoting is a pretty structured set of principles to guide the ways in which we can cultivate assessment for individuals with PPA and their loved ones. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, absolutely. I was kind of scanning on my computer, I was trying to think of the name. I love this name of the article, where it says, 'Please don't assess me to death, or something like that. Jeanne Gallée: Yes, yeah. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, and, and thinking about that whole entire process from beginning to end as a relationship, as you know, not discreetly assessment, not discreetly intervention, I think it's just really important. Can you talk a little bit about the PACT and kind of where that has moved things in terms of the assessment piece, but also kind of set a set up for intervention and what that looks like? Jeanne Gallée: Great, so the PACT the Progressive Aphasia Communication Toolkit kit builds off of what we put forth with the RAISE assessment framework. So with RAISE we promote that the relationship might be temporary, it might be a single interaction, or it might be long term, and we cultivate that through conversation and then the PACT is a set of scales that leverages that conversation, we take that natural or as natural as can be interaction and use it to come up with a concrete framework of communication strengths. So that might all sound very esoteric. To make that more concrete, there are four scales to the PACT. They're all clinician ratings, where the clinician is asked to look at a pre-recorded conversation that would occur naturally in a clinical or research context, and then on a scale from four to zero, rate the person speaking's strengths. So within the domains of speech and voice, as well as language and social pragmatics, as well as discourse, and the point or the purpose of that was to really anchor a person's communicative ability in one of these more natural environments with a provider. We collect so much phenomenal qualitative data, but at times it can feel challenging to quantify it and the hope with the PACT is that we can quantify our very real, possibly subjective evaluation of a person's communication at a certain moment in time. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, and what I love about that, and you might have a slightly different thought about this, because you're deeper into it, but from an assessment standpoint, you can then do that all the way through. You can say, "Here's where they are this year, here's where they are next year, here's where they are the year after that, or you know, two years ago, or whatever your lens is at that point." You can do that without kind of this constant repeating of, "Okay, let's see how bad you are today compared to a year ago, or compared to two years ago." Just a very different mindset. And I love the focus on "What can you still do? What what's working? And how can we leverage what's working to really help you to actually communicate today?" As opposed to saying, "Oh boy, the ship is sinking." which is kind of the typical approach. Jeanne Gallée: Yes, that exactly what you're saying. The tendency tends to focus on what's no longer there. And while that might be helpful in clinical trials to characterize a person's performance diagnostically and the trajectory of a diagnosis over time. It really does not serve the person who goes home after the assessment, nor their loved ones to help them maintain that autonomy and quality of life, and also caregiver burden. And that is actually one of the points I really love about the PACT, is it builds on that RAISE aspect, that final tenant of evolution or adaptation over time. There's no repeat measure conflict here, where you know something might seem familiar. One of the unique parts of the PACT is that the clinician doesn't fill out the scale while they're talking to the person, they're really just recording them talking, so it is on the clinician side where, as often as they'd like to, they could implement the structured prompts of the PACT and then fill out the scale and see how performance might vary over time. They might see effects of context of the conversation, or the environment, or maybe the time of day, you know, phase of life, but it remains a way to use that really important information you gather through these conversations without recreating a testing environment frequently. Jerry Hoepner: I really love that framework. I think there's a lot of room for that to be used in other contexts as well. I just think it's really a wise way of thinking about it. I also, you just mentioned caregivers and caregiver burden in this context, and how does that fit into this entire RAISE framework, the PACT, and so forth. Jeanne Gallée: I think for both the RAISE assessment framework as well as the PACT the carers play an essential role in the sense that if they are available and present in the patient's life, then they are involved in the process. And so within the RAISE framework, the care partner is involved to provide feedback or to be given feedback, and in the PACT the same occurs, where if they are present at the time of the conversation, they are involved in the conversation. What I tend to do in the people I have piloted the PACT, I say come in as you would naturally, but then also take a step back. Let the person that with PPA that we're talking to take the lead, but I want you to interact as you would naturally. And then they're separately also asked to comment on the strengths that the person with PPA has. Their feedback is so integral because if they are present in a person's life, they play an essential role in promoting anything that we do work on in speech therapy. Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely, yeah, really well said. And I wanted to dig in, partly because I have envy of this figure, the roadmap figure for PPA, and I think it really sets up well for as we think about professionals out there too, like what's the roadmap, not just for the person and their partner, but what's the roadmap for clinicians, future clinicians, all of that. Maybe you can talk a little bit about that figure. Jeanne Gallée: I'd be delighted to. So, this was one of those, I would say classic for me moments where I had an idea and went to PowerPoint and started playing around with a visual of what I was thinking. The roadmap paper in no way is meant to be the only guide for how we can work with a person with PPA, but was really born out of discussions with Amy Mooney, as well as Zoe Ezzes, and Kristin Schafferr Mendez through the National Aphasia Association about the possible gaps in education or preparation a person might experience when first working with people living with PPA. There are so many ways in which we could say, "Oh, just work on this exact task. Work on these.." and that can feel so lost and unanchored, unmoored moreover. And I wanted to provide the clinical toolkit that I've been using to help me think about my broader approach. So to not get lost in the weeds, but just generally think about what's my purpose here, what's my journey, and so at the center of this road that I created is the tenant of providing that person-centered care, like we aim to with the RAISE assessment framework, so really bringing it back to establishing that honest and holistic and person-centered relationship with your client and their care partners. And focusing on creating a journey that's unique to the client that I think can feel hard when there are so many unknowns with a condition like PPA, where you're always working with an interdisciplinary team. Which you may or may not have contact with. So the first part of this roadmap is really defining your role. Who are you as a professional, and what kinds of support can you provide, and part of defining your own role includes defining your role relative to the rest of the interdisciplinary team. How can you provide a different approach from the neurologist or the neuropsychologist who play vital but very different roles in a person's care journey? Part of that definition also includes advocating across professions, so a classic conundrum that people with communication-led disorders face is that they may not have certain challenges in other domains, but their communication results in a domino effect of difficulties. And so, as the speech language pathologist, coming up with ways in which you can provide supports to other providers or your client to improve their communication can be essential for that comprehensive care. That might include coming up with a communication notebook that has a single page related to specific questions or common topics when talking to the neurologist or the physical therapist or other providers. And then part of this roadmap includes referring out. So having the humility and confidence to say I can't help with this in the ways that you may need. I will either refer you to a specialist within our field or outside of our field to help with these specific aspects, and I think that's just responsible care. Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely. Really well described, and such a perfect. A segway to my next question. I always tell my students, assessment isn't just the first and last session that you're working with someone, and the same goes for intervention, right? It's not excluded from the beginning and the end, right? Like, you can't do intervention on day one, you can't do it on the last day, right? I think we kind of silo those things as well, you know, we assess and we intervene every day side by side. Can you share a little bit of your perspectives on this? And, and how that relates to kind of what we just talked about in terms of that roadmap? Jeanne Gallée: Yeah, I think part of the challenge with some of these concepts is that it's very helpful to have experience in working with individuals, whether it is through formal speech therapy or elsewhere, to feel comfort with the unknown. Because a lot of it relies on your ability to listen and to respond to what you notice. You may inadvertently put in assessment by asking follow-up questions to a point a person made when you were talking about their commute. Ad you may offer different technological supports or just visual supports to your client in that conversation in a way to build up supports to see, "Oh, do we see a difference in how they're responding to what I'm saying? And how I provide support? Or when I dial it back, do we see a completely different direction?" So, it is this beautiful, possibly more art than science approach of responding to what a person is giving you. And there are so many individual differences in all of us. I always joke about how when I used to collect data on the picture description using both age match controls and people with PPA, I would almost burst out laughing when some of the controls provided responses, because I would get one to two sentences sometimes because see the difference in motivation. A person who does not have a communication concern, does not see the need to show exactly what they can do. And would benefit from some encouragement to show exactly how much they can say, whereas a person with PPA, who might have an Aphasia Quotient that recognizes their aphasia, might speak for five to 10 minutes to show exactly everything that they can accomplish. And so I think having that in your back pocket is really important when it comes to thinking about coming up with your recipe of all the ingredients of your assessment and intervention approach and counseling approach. So, I think that's where most of my work comes from, is that there is no one size fits all, but there are certain ingredients or components that we need to apply, and the exact ratios depend on the person you're working with. Jerry Hoepner: That is such a good description of dynamic assessment and intervention and how that I agree, probably more art than science. And that's hard for people who want a black and white answer, like "Step one…" but it's so true, and, and being effective in working in this context, that really moves us nicely into a recent paper that you did, those global perspectives on the management of PPA, and I was struck by the numbers here. Only 40% of respondents said that they had received training in primary progressive aphasia at their university, and they identified all of these needs, right, like online instruction, sample tools, and activity dealing with end of life care and trainings for end of life care. When you mentioned counseling, that totally relates to what we're up against in terms of counseling, right? No one feels confident or has very good self efficacy. Tey don't know if what you know the lines are, what part is theirs and what part is someone else. And I think just really important to like I said, lay out a roadmap and help people to understand what we were just talking about in terms of that art and science of how do you navigate this space when it has to be individualized for every person, and that can feel uncomfortable for a lot of people. So, I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on that, and kind of what you learned from that context. Jeanne Gallée: Yeah, so this research study. Was really an amazing endeavor on part of everyone who was involved. It felt like a grassroots effort to find the speech language pathologists around the world who aren't associated with a particular institution who do work with primary progressive aphasia. So of course it will never be a fully representative sample of every clinician who does so, but I do think we worked very hard to cast a wide net. So we used a snowball method. I contacted almost 40 institutions and governing bodies to find speech language pathologists who do have experience with PPA, because while more and more non-specialist providers will be seeing this patient population, we wanted to hear from the people who currently are in the field and creating their own expertise and toolkits to work with these individuals. So, what we found is that a lot of people are out on their own creating their own wheels, so to speak. And it just really led to that beautiful conclusion of now with the power of our globalization of education and sharing of resources, we can come up with a resource that's shared worldwide. Of course, there will be adaptations to fit different contexts, cultures, languages, but one of the issues has been that the systems of care for PPA have often relied upon very specific individuals. And that's reflected in the educational level. Even I was in the master's program between 2017 and 2019, I didn't hear about PPA formally in my coursework, and if it was mentioned we did not go into any of these aspects of specialized care. Part of that might have been because I didn't take very specific courses that then you know were optional or precluded, so I might have missed it, but I really didn't receive that education in the classroom. I received it through my clinical training, which I would argue is possibly even more valuable, right? You have that experiential training. But I think for clinicians who might want to transition in their careers, or you know, inadvertently in their place of work, are transitioning based on who shows up, that is a huge disservice. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, agreed. And it's a complex issue, right, because I can remember actually teaching about this back before Tom [Sather] was in my department. I taught the aphasia class and the acquired cog class, and I was thinking, like, where do I talk about primary progressive aphasia? Do I talk about that in acquired com? Do I talk about that in aphasia? Do I do it in both? Where do I talk about end of life care, and like, how does that fit in, because that's, you know, at that point I was teaching dysphasia, too. Believe it or not, and I'm like, it's kind of there, it's kind of here, it's kind of, it's kind of in counseling, it's all right. So that makes it tricky to have kind of a uniform message when it's all over the place. And love to just get your thoughts on that too. Like, where do you put that stuff? Like, it's it's PPA, it's end of life care, it's aphasia, it's right, it's counseling, it's so many things at once. Jeanne Gallée: It is so many things at once, and I do think that speaks to the fact that it may well need its own class as part of progressive conditions. Jerry Hoepner: Yeah. Jeanne Gallée: But I do think a large part of what we share there is that understanding of we may also need to shift the identity of who we think about when we think about life care. And when we think about a progressive condition. Since a huge flavor, so to speak, of PPA is the fact that it is early onset, and especially with our cultural shifts, and you know, people starting families later in life. The face of a person with PPA looks very different from, at least in my childhood, of what looked like typical Alzheimer's disease dementia. And it's a younger, possibly more dynamic working person, possibly with little kids at home. And I think that's where that symptom-led approach has been most beneficial for my practice. Where we think about "What are you experiencing and how is it impacting your life?", rather than saying "This is the diagnosis, let's put you over here in this box." Jerry Hoepner: Yeah, the idea of putting it in a box and siloing things really resonates in this context, and I love what you said about identity, right? The identity - what we all have in our mind's eye when we think about end of life care is not the typical person with primary progressive aphasia. Like I can remember as an elementary school student visiting the nursing homes and singing to the residents and things like that, and this was not, this was not the group of people that we were thinking about in that context. Very, very different, and I just think that's a really good mindset shift to recognize how actually broad that is. I'm sure there's people listening to this who work in, you know, end of life pediatric care who want to slap me in the face right now, but right, we have such a different mindset when we're thinking about end of life care, and that reset that you just made super important. Jeanne Gallée: Yeah, yeah, and easier said than done, I think, As well as just seeing who shows up to the University of Washington support groups, and just the own perspectives that individuals bring there. But I think we can do it. I think, as a field, that will be the way in which we can become the best generalist provider, so to speak, where we take general principles of addressing symptoms or situations, and then apply those to diagnoses across the spectrum. Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely, really well said, and a great place to kind of wrap up our questions, but I want to give you the opportunity, are there points that you want to share before we kind of close our conversation? Things that we missed. Jeanne Gallée: I think the general thread throughout our conversation has just spoken to the power we do have as providers or researchers working with patients with primary progressive aphasia or related conditions, I think when we feel that our expertise in the newest theories or approaches might be lacking, we can always rely upon our empathy and full body listening, just to bring in elements that go across the lifespan, and that in of itself can lead to so many honest and transparent choices in our clinical care that can best serve our communities. I think we are much more empowered than we think we are. Jerry Hoepner: Absolutely, that's a really important thread through many places where clinicians feel uncomfortable. They've got it there and they just have to gain that confidence, and being empowered to step into those moments. Well said. Well, Jeanne it's been just a really fun conversation. I'm sure we could talk all afternoon, but I look forward to catching up to you at future conferences and things like that. It's been my pleasure to have this conversation. So, thank you for being a part of it. Jeanne Gallée: Right back at you, Jerry. Thank you so much. This has been a really fun conversation, and like you said, I hope to meet in person in the near future. Jerry Hoepner: Agreed. On behalf of Aphasia Access, thank you for listening to this episode of the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast. For more information on Aphasia Access, and to access our growing library of materials, please go to www.aphasiaaccess.org. If you have an idea for a future podcast series or topic, email us at info at aphasia access.org Thanks again for your ongoing support of Aphasia Access. Resources and Readings 1) The RAISE Assessment Framework: Gallée, J., Cartwright, J., Volkmer, A., Whitworth, A., & Hersh, D. (2023). "Please Don't Assess Him to Destruction": The R.A.I.S.E. Assessment Framework for Primary Progressive Aphasia. American journal of speech-language pathology, 32(2), 391–410. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_AJSLP-22-00122 Gallée, J., Volkmer, A., Whitworth, A., Hersh, D., & Cartwright, J. (2024). Applications of the R.A.I.S.E. Assessment Framework to Support the Process of Assessment in Primary Progressive Aphasia. American journal of speech-language pathology, 33(5), 2280–2290. https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_AJSLP-24-00085 2) A roadmap for clinicians just starting to work with PPA: Gallée, J. (2023). A Roadmap to enhance care for people living with primary progressive Aphasia: What Can Be Done Now?. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 8(5), 847-862. https://doi.org/10.1044/2023_PERSP-23-0002 3) Aspects of language functioning in early and late-onset Alzheimer's disease dementia: Gallée, J., Gibbons, L. E., Choi, S. E., Lee, M., Scollard, P., Trittschuh, E. H., Mez, J., Saykin, A. J., Foldi, N. S., Mukherjee, S., & Crane, P. K. (2025). Facets of language performance in early-onset and late-onset Alzheimer's disease dementia. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 21(9), e70705. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70705 4) The Progressive Aphasia Communication Toolkit (in production at Alzheimer's & Dementia, but here is the preprint): Gallée, J., Cartwright, J., Henry, M. L., Mooney, A. R., Stark, B. C., Volkmer, A., Dietz, A., Nakano, C., Battista, P., Beales, A., Beber, B. C., Cadório, I., Caldwell, M., Davies, K., Ezzes, Z., Gauch, M., Graney, T., Grobler, S., Haley, K. L., Hausmann, A., … Crane, P. K. (2025). The Progressive Aphasia Communication Toolkit (PACT): A Strengths-Based Approach to Multidomain Evaluation for Intervention. medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences, 2025.11.25.25340904. https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.11.25.25340904 5) A global survey on SLP perspectives on the management of PPA: Gallée, J., Cartwright, J., Grasso, S., Jokel, R., Lavoie, M., McGowan, E., Pozzebon, M., Beber, B. C., Duboisdindien, G., Montagut, N., Norvik, M., Sugimoto, T., Townsend, R., Unger, N., Winsnes, I. E., & Volkmer, A. (2024). Global perspectives on the management of primary progressive aphasia. Scientific reports, 14(1), 19712. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-70156-5 6) Aspects of language functioning in early and late-onset Alzheimer's disease dementia: Gallée, J., Gibbons, L. E., Choi, S. E., Lee, M., Scollard, P., Trittschuh, E. H., Mez, J., Saykin, A. J., Foldi, N. S., Mukherjee, S., & Crane, P. K. (2025). Facets of language performance in early-onset and late-onset Alzheimer's disease dementia. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 21(9), e70705. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70705
"I Don't Even Like Calling It Claude" ft. Dr. Carol Fletcher | My EdTech Life 368A college student let an AI chatbot complete his entire research project. When his professor asked him to explain it, he couldn't. That's the story that opens this episode with Dr. Carol Fletcher, Director of EPIC (Expanding Pathways in Computing) at UT Austin's Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), where she leads research and professional development in STEM+CS education across the state.Carol doesn't hold back. She calls the "AI will do it all, kids don't need to learn to code" messaging coming out of corporate America "fascinatingly irresponsible." She breaks down research showing AI chatbots agree with users roughly 15 times more than a human would, and explains why she refuses to call any chatbot by a human name in front of students. We also get into why "just ban it" isn't working. 100% of kids in her conference's student panel said they're using AI, even in schools where it's prohibited. That's created a real adversarial relationship between students and teachers over AI accusations.Carol brings a rare mix of perspectives to this conversation. She's a former middle school teacher, an elected School Board Trustee for 18 years, and the founder of WeTeach_CS, one of the largest computer science teacher professional development programs in the country. That program is where a lot of this episode's optimism lives: real, statewide, teacher-facing work that's been building AI and CS literacy in Texas classrooms long before this became a headline issue.Then we go deep on policy. Carol chaired the Texas AI in Education Task Force behind a new white paper, and the numbers are sobering. Texas is one of only five states with no formal AI guidance for K-12, even though 86% of districts report teachers are already using it. She walks through the task force's recommendations and a red-light/yellow-light/green-light framework any district can start using now.Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Learning Stalls and AI's Role 09:56 The Importance of Computer Science Education 19:57 The WeTeachCS Summit: Building Community and Empowering Educators 29:58 AI in Education: The Risks of Over-Reliance 35:48 The Need for AI Guidance in K-12 Education 39:53 Navigating AI Messaging in Education 42:46 Recommendations for AI Integration in Texas Education 46:06 Practical Steps for Districts to Implement AI Policies 52:02 WeTeachCS: Supporting Educators in AI LiteracyConnect with Dr. Carol Fletcher & WeTeach_CS:
Did you know the first carbon capture and injection project happened in West Texas back in 1972? On this episode of TXOGA Talks, we're sitting down with Dr. Alex Bump of UT Austin's Gulf Coast Carbon Center, a geologist who has worked over 50 basins across 5 continents, to explore the technology poised to anchor a trillion-dollar global industry: Carbon Capture and Storage. From the mile-deep rock formations that lock CO2 away for millions of years to why Texas is positioned to lead, tune in for a fascinating look at how the same expertise that powers our energy economy is building what comes next.
Something is very wrong in the opening scenes of the Odyssey. The master of the house is gone. His wife is besieged. His son is powerless. And the men eating him out of house and home are waiting for the right moment to strike. Welcome to Part 1 (of 6!) of our new series, where we cover Homer's great epic. Part 1 covers Books 1 to 4, the monsters haven't arrived yet — but the groundwork for everything is laid here. What does it take to reestablish order once it has fallen? What kind of man can do it? Follow Telemachus as he learns to speak, to threaten, and to travel among serious men, and meet the figures who shape his fate: Athena, Penelope, Nestor, Menelaus, Helen, and the doomed suitors led by Antinous. As Christopher Nolan's film approaches, it's a perfect time to dust off a copy of Homer's Odyssey, and follow along this epic story in our 6-part retelling.Timestamps:0:00 Why the Odyssey begins with Odysseus's absence1:08 Introducing the show1:25 Book One: Athena visits Ithaca4:05 Telemachus welcomes the stranger7:33 The poem's opening lines and Odysseus's epithets10:06 Odysseus and the wrath of Poseidon11:43 The Council of the Gods13:58 Athena's plan to help Telemachus17:20 Athena's instructions: call an assembly19:08 The story of Orestes and Telemachus's zeal22:08 Penelope's first appearance27:00 Telemachus finds his courage29:25 Book Two: The Assembly begins31:56 Antinous defends the suitors35:59 The omen of the eagles37:55 Telemachus's plan revealed40:16 Athena returns as Mentor45:15 Telemachus sets sail for Pylos46:48 Book Three: Arrival at Pylos52:41 The story of Agamemnon and Aegisthus1:02:17 Book Four: Arrival in Sparta1:05:28 Helen's grand entrance1:11:41 Helen's magic drug1:19:50 Menelaus and Proteus, the shapeshifting sea god1:27:08 Menelaus's fate: the Elysian Fields1:32:09 The suitors plot to kill Telemachus1:33:23 Closing thoughtsCallouts:Special thanks to Dr. Richard Johnson for his longtime support of the show. You are Caesar and Odysseus's Top Guy!In tribute to the life and aspirations of Savitha Shanmugasundaram, a University of Texas at Austin honors student who died tragically in the March 1 mass shooting, her parents have established the Savitha Shan Endowed Scholarship at UT Austin. The fund is intended to extend Savitha's legacy by supporting the educational journeys of future UT Austin students. Please consider donating if you can.
Nancy G. West writes mystery/suspense/thrillers about ordinary people who face dangerous situations and struggle to save themselves or the people they love. A former UT-Austin business major, she switched to English literature and found that writing fiction is a lot more fun than accounting.Her recent Young Adult mystery/thriller, RISKY PURSUIT, features 18-year-old Decker Savage. Convinced that the man he sees with his mother is key to the disintegration of his family, Decker follows the stranger through dark streets, to the wrong side of the law, into unexpected relationships, and into danger that tests his resourcefulness and courage. How far will he go to save the people he loves?With themes of loss, grief, love, courage, and forgiveness, this YA mystery/thriller, has characters you won't soon forget. A 2026 Agatha Award Nominee, RISKY PURSUIT is a book Nancy West absolutely had to write. Website: www.nancygwest.comFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorNancyG.West/*****************About SinCSisters in Crime (SinC) was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers. Through advocacy, programming and leadership, SinC empowers and supports all crime writers regardless of genre or place on their career trajectory.www.SistersinCrime.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/sincworldwideInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sincworldwide/Threads: https://www.threads.com/@sincworldwideBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sincworldwide.bsky.socialTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sincworldwideeTikTok:: https://www.tiktok.com/@sincnationalLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sisters-in-crime/The SinC Writers' Podcast is produced by Julian Crocamo https://www.juliancrocamo.com/
On this episode of Rattling the Bars, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party in 1966, host and former political prisoner Mansa Musa speaks with Dr. Joy James and Dr. K. Kim Holder about the history of the Panthers and their unique approach to, and practice of, communal socialism.This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Watch Part 1 here.Guests:Dr. Joy James is Ebenezer Fitch Professor of Humanities at Williams College. She is the author of numerous books, including: In Pursuit of Revolutionary Love; Resisting State Violence; and Shadowboxing: Representations of Black Feminist Politics. Creator of the digital Harriet Tubman Literary Circle at UT Austin, James is also editor of The New Abolitionists: (Neo)Slave Narratives and Contemporary Prison Writings; Imprisoned Intellectuals; Warfare in the American Homeland; The Angela Y. Davis Reader; and co-editor of the Black Feminist Reader.Dr. K. Kim Holder is an assistant professor of educational foundations and Africana studies at Rowan University. Dr. Holder earned his doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Multicultural Education and African American Studies, his masters in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College of Education, and B.A. in History from Hampshire College.Credits:Producer / Videographer / Editor: Cameron GranadinoBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!
On this episode of Rattling the Bars, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party in 1966, host and former political prisoner Mansa Musa speaks with Dr. Joy James and Dr. K. Kim Holder about the history of the Panthers and their unique approach to, and practice of, communal socialism.This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Watch Part 1 here.Guests:Dr. Joy James is Ebenezer Fitch Professor of Humanities at Williams College. She is the author of numerous books, including: In Pursuit of Revolutionary Love; Resisting State Violence; and Shadowboxing: Representations of Black Feminist Politics. Creator of the digital Harriet Tubman Literary Circle at UT Austin, James is also editor of The New Abolitionists: (Neo)Slave Narratives and Contemporary Prison Writings; Imprisoned Intellectuals; Warfare in the American Homeland; The Angela Y. Davis Reader; and co-editor of the Black Feminist Reader.Dr. K. Kim Holder is an assistant professor of educational foundations and Africana studies at Rowan University. Dr. Holder earned his doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Multicultural Education and African American Studies, his masters in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College of Education, and B.A. in History from Hampshire College.Credits:Producer / Videographer / Editor: Cameron GranadinoBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/rattling-the-bars--4799829/support.Follow Rattling the Bars on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkHelp us continue producing Rattling the Bars by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer
Original link to the event: https://salemcenter.org/event/book-launch-of-suicidal-empathy-with-gad-saad/ _______________________________________ To order Suicidal Empathy: https://lnk.to/SuicidalEmpathy To order a signed copy of Suicidal Empathy: https://premierecollectibles.com/suicidalempathy _______________________________________ If you appreciate my work and would like to support it: https://subscribestar.com/the-saad-truth https://patreon.com/GadSaad https://paypal.me/GadSaad To subscribe to my exclusive content on X, please visit my bio at https://x.com/GadSaad _______________________________________ This clip was posted on July 2, 2026 on my YouTube channel as THE SAAD TRUTH_2047: https://youtu.be/k6F35jJK3CU _______________________________________ Please visit my website gadsaad.com, and sign up for alerts. If you appreciate my content, click on the "Support My Work" button. I count on my fans to support my efforts. You can donate via Patreon, PayPal, and/or SubscribeStar. _______________________________________ Dr. Gad Saad is a professor, evolutionary behavioral scientist, and author who pioneered the use of evolutionary psychology in marketing and consumer behavior. In addition to his scientific work, Dr. Saad is a leading public intellectual who often writes and speaks about idea pathogens that are destroying logic, science, reason, and common sense. _______________________________________
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Black Panther Party, founded in Oakland, California, in 1966. On this episode of Rattling the Bars, host Mansa Musa speaks with Dr. Joy James and Dr. K. Kim Holder about the legacy of the Panthers today, and about the important differences and intersections between democratic socialism and the Black Panther model of communalism.This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Subscribe to TRNN and stay tuned for Part 2 next week…Guests:Dr. Joy James is Ebenezer Fitch Professor of Humanities at Williams College. She is the author of numerous books, including: In Pursuit of Revolutionary Love; Resisting State Violence; and Shadowboxing: Representations of Black Feminist Politics. Creator of the digital Harriet Tubman Literary Circle at UT Austin, James is also editor of The New Abolitionists: (Neo)Slave Narratives and Contemporary Prison Writings; Imprisoned Intellectuals; Warfare in the American Homeland; The Angela Y. Davis Reader; and co-editor of the Black Feminist Reader.Dr. K. Kim Holder is an assistant professor of educational foundations and Africana studies at Rowan University. Dr. Holder earned his doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Multicultural Education and African American Studies, his masters in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College of Education, and B.A. in History from Hampshire College.Credits:Producer / Videographer / Editor: Cameron GranadinoBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Black Panther Party, founded in Oakland, California, in 1966. On this episode of Rattling the Bars, host Mansa Musa speaks with Dr. Joy James and Dr. K. Kim Holder about the legacy of the Panthers today, and about the important differences and intersections between democratic socialism and the Black Panther model of communalism.This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. Subscribe to TRNN and stay tuned for Part 2 next week…Guests:Dr. Joy James is Ebenezer Fitch Professor of Humanities at Williams College. She is the author of numerous books, including: In Pursuit of Revolutionary Love; Resisting State Violence; and Shadowboxing: Representations of Black Feminist Politics. Creator of the digital Harriet Tubman Literary Circle at UT Austin, James is also editor of The New Abolitionists: (Neo)Slave Narratives and Contemporary Prison Writings; Imprisoned Intellectuals; Warfare in the American Homeland; The Angela Y. Davis Reader; and co-editor of the Black Feminist Reader.Dr. K. Kim Holder is an assistant professor of educational foundations and Africana studies at Rowan University. Dr. Holder earned his doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Multicultural Education and African American Studies, his masters in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College of Education, and B.A. in History from Hampshire College.Credits:Producer / Videographer / Editor: Cameron GranadinoBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/rattling-the-bars--4799829/support.Follow Rattling the Bars on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkHelp us continue producing Rattling the Bars by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer
This episode recorded live at the Becker's 23rd Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC + The Future of Spine Conference features Dr. Kevin Bozic, Professor and Chair, Surgery and Perioperative Care Department, Dell Medical School at UT Austin. He discusses leading through rapid growth, preserving organizational culture, and why purpose, adaptability, and mission alignment are essential for long-term success in healthcare.
This episode recorded live at the Becker's 23rd Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC + The Future of Spine Conference features Dr. Kevin Bozic, Professor and Chair, Surgery and Perioperative Care Department, Dell Medical School at UT Austin. He discusses leading through rapid growth, preserving organizational culture, and why purpose, adaptability, and mission alignment are essential for long-term success in healthcare.
This episode recorded live at the Becker's 23rd Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC + The Future of Spine Conference features Dr. Kevin Bozic, Professor and Chair, Surgery and Perioperative Care Department, Dell Medical School at UT Austin. He discusses leading through rapid growth, preserving organizational culture, and why purpose, adaptability, and mission alignment are essential for long-term success in healthcare.
In this episode, I sit down with my friend and fellow school dad Domingo Guerra to trace his entrepreneurial journey: from growing up in Mexico, to studying engineering at UT Austin, to co-founding the mobile cybersecurity company Appthority with my poker and softball buddy Kevin, to selling it to Symantec in 2018. Today, Domingo runs his own seed-stage venture fund focused on cybersecurity, called Chispa VC. It always fascinates me how people become entrepreneurs, given that most of us just go to college and get a job. I wanted to start a company myself for the longest time, but I chickened out after Goldman Sachs offered me a job out of William & Mary. It took me until 2009 to finally stop waiting for permission and build something of my own. Domingo's story is the version where you take the leap much sooner, and it's a great one. If you'd like to connect with Domingo, the easiest way is to reach out to him on LinkedIn. Related posts: Y Combinator Demo Day: The Quest To Invest In The Best Startups The Startup Grind Will Make You An AI Maximalist Subscribe To Financial Samurai Enjoy the show? Please subscribe to the Financial Samurai podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, and leave a quick rating and review. Reviews genuinely help more people discover the show, and they only take a minute. It's the easiest way to support the podcast for free. And if you want my best insights on money, investing, and building wealth delivered straight to your inbox, join 60,000+ readers and sign up for my free weekly newsletter. I've been writing it every week since 2009, and it's still the best way to never miss a thing.
Mailing checks to pay off a credit card in 2026 sounds like a joke, but it is still a real debt consolidation workflow at scale. Greg Myers sits down with Jose Bethancourt, Co-Founder and CEO of Method, to unpack why liability payments are uniquely messy and what it takes to make them feel as seamless as modern fintech promises.Jose shares his path from growing up in South Texas near the Mexico border to building products at UT Austin, then turning a personal problem into a company. GradJoy started as a way to help new graduates understand student loan debt, interest rates, and payoff strategies, but it quickly revealed a deeper issue: people often cannot even locate their liabilities, and credential-based financial data access is brittle. Method tackles that with an identity-based financial connectivity API that, with consent, can find student loans, credit cards, mortgages, auto loans, and personal loans, then enable two-way flows that support both reading data and sending payments to creditors.We also get into what this unlocks for underwriting, personalization, and better customer outcomes, plus how it can reduce errors and fraud compared to manual PAN entry and back-office check operations. Jose lays out a forward-looking view of AI in payments, agentic payments, and a world where an AI agent can securely analyze your debt, shop for a better APR, and execute payoffs. Finally, we step back to discuss consumer demand for speed, why ACH still shapes reality, and how RTP and FedNow may push expectations even further.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Here's hoping you have a chance to recharge for the resistance tomorrow, on Juneteenth - it's important for all of us to understand the history behind the holiday: https://www.history.com/articles/juneteenth-emancipation-proclamation-texasLocal officials in Presidio have sued the Trump adminstration over border construction plans they say will compromise essential flood control infrastructure in their community: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/17/texas-border-wall-presidio-county-lawsuit-big-bend/Senator Ted Cruz is on the guest list of a secret society co-founded by Peter Thiel focusing on "Navigating WWIII", "Battlefield Technologies", and "How's Your Sex Life" - while also providing an elite matchmaking service: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-news/new-report-outs-ted-cruz-as-member-of-peter-thiel-led-secret-society/Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke at UT Austin recently on his book calling for Republicans to resist Trumpian populism - but couldn't bring himself to recommending against voting for Ken Paxton: https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/pence-says-gop-needs-to-rediscover-its-conscience/Progress Texas is the official media partner of the 2026 Texas Democraic Convention in Corpus Christi: https://www.texasdemocraticconvention.com...And, we're co-hosting a warmup happy hour on Thursday June 25 at The Goldfish with the Texas Progressive Caucus: https://www.texasprogressivecaucus.org/2026_convention_happy_hourWe're hosting a live podcast taping on the environmental issues facing Texas this election year with the Northeast Travis County Democrats on Saturday June 20 at 12 noon at La Palapa in northeast Austin: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1RgQFygbpY/Progress Texas is expanding into both broadcast radio - including a new partnership with KPFT-FM in Houston! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE, and to our Spanish expansion HERE. Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:During last weekend's Texas Republican Convention, party leaders made it clear: Muslims are not welcome in their caucus, and as far as they're concerned, Muslims aren't welcome in Texas: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/15/texas-republican-party-convention-muslims-sharia-law/...We talked to the Reverend Mara Richards Bim of Dallas about the aggressive nature of Christian elements within Republican politics these days: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happy-hour-290-understanding-christian-nationalism/id1552998795?i=1000772854312The continued MAGAfication of UT Austin continues with the firing of Debbit Hiott, general manager of KUT radio, who had recently tangled with UT brass over their interference with a radio station festival: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/15/debbie-hiott-kut-fired-ut-austin-festival/Right wing erosion of our K-12 schools continues too: the Texas State Board of Education is about to vote on a new statewide reading index for third graders that includes Bible stories like Jonah And The Whale: https://www.houstonpress.com/news/state-board-to-consider-more-christianity-in-classrooms/...We need more local school board reform like Cy-Fair ISD has enjoyed lately: https://progresstexas.org/podcast/special-live-pod-new-cy-fair-isd-board-members-life-after-magaWe're excited to see you in Dallas TONIGHT for our 16th anniversary celebration ! Make your reservation now: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026Progress Texas is expanding into both broadcast radio - including a new partnership with KPFT-FM in Houston! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE, and to our Spanish expansion HERE. Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Your kids are already making videos on their phones — but what if that creativity became something much bigger? Youth filmmaking is one of the most powerful ways to build storytelling, teamwork, and real-world skills all at the same time.David Alford, of Cross Purposes Products, pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to make a film from scratch, sharing 5 practical insights every aspiring young filmmaker needs to know before they ever pick up a camera:✅Why the story always comes before the equipment in youth filmmaking✅The biggest mistake young filmmakers make that loses the audience every time✅How to find free locations, borrow gear, and a willing crew in your community✅What 4 months of pre-production looks like and why it makes everything work✅How a $6,000 short film made it to film festivals and international distribution✅Why telling stories from a Christian worldview matters more now than everVisit Crosspurposes Productions to watch the films mentioned in this episode and reach out if you want guidance on getting started.Resources for You Cross Purposes short film and all filmsContact email for filmmaking questionsCross Purposes available on Pureflix, Tubi, Apple TV, TBN, Amazon, and international platformsLife Skills Leadership Summit Show Notes:Making Movies With Your Kids — A Conversation With Filmmaker David AlfordToday I have filmmaker David Alford here, and we're talking about a topic I personally think you'll find exciting — making movies. When I think about my grandkids, they're always making movies with my phone. Kids today are walking around with little movie studios in their hands. So let's talk about what's actually possible.How David Got Started — And How Homeschool Kids Changed EverythingDavid is a graduate of UT Austin with a degree in radio, television, and film. He worked in Christian radio for about 12 years as a drive-time radio host, then did some television work at a local ABC affiliate. But he'd never done the film part of his degree. So in his 50s, he decided to round off the trifecta — and he started making movies.He also became a homeschool dad. His kids grew up in a community of homeschool families, and over time that community became his surrogate family. He was a drama teacher at a local theater and had this pool of artistic, creative kids around him who were interested in storytelling.When it came time to make his first film, he pulled those homeschool kids in — some as actors, some as crew. All you have to do is put a task in front of homeschool kids and they'll figure it out. Tell them to learn about makeup or lighting, and they'd go study on YouTube and come to set ready to go.With a makeshift crew of college film graduates and homeschool kids, they made a short film called Cross Purposes over four days. It had heart. A lot of heart. And that little film — made on a shoestring budget with mostly volunteers — got picked up by a distribution company and is now being distributed worldwide in several languages.Where to Start: Tell the Story Only You Can TellIf you want to make a movie, start with what's around you. Start with your environment. You're not going to wow anyone with special effects on a $3,000 film. What you can do is tell a story that only you can tell. A story that comes from your heart, that God has put on your heart to tell, told to the best of your ability with what's around you.Take people somewhere they don't normally get to go. If you work at a grocery store, you see a side of it that most people never see. Take people on that journey. Your world doesn't have to be giant or spectacular. It just needs to be different — because people who watch movies want to go somewhere they've never been before with people who are interesting to spend time with.Writing Characters That ConnectWhen writing a screenplay, look for a character who is conflicted. Nobody likes to see stories about perfect people — there's only one perfect person who ever walked this planet. The rest of us fall pretty short. We don't relate to perfect characters and we're not interested in them.Find a character who fascinates you. Someone you want to spend time with. Someone when they walk in the room, you perk up a little. Warts and all. They need to have problems, because we all do. If you look at Bible characters, so many of them had serious issues — and we learned from those issues. Christian films are the same way.The biggest mistake new filmmakers make is that they telegraph everything too quickly. Two minutes into a scene, the audience already knows exactly what's happening and they're just waiting for it to end. You have to constantly feed your audience new information — about the character, about the conflict, about the scene. Every scene needs to be triggered by the scene before it. If you can remove a scene and not feel any difference, that scene doesn't belong in the script.And your main character must change from beginning to end. They need to have gone through a metamorphosis. Something real has to happen to them.From Script to Screen — The Production ProcessOnce your screenplay is locked — meaning you and your team are genuinely happy with it and it's been through feedback — that script becomes the foundation for everything else. Then you find your team. A director of photography, lighting people, sound, set design, costume. David's oldest daughter is their production designer. His youngest daughter is the assistant director. His son worked on sound.You storyboard the entire film — drawing what the camera will see in each shot, almost like a comic book. By the time you get on set, the movie is already made in your heads. It's just a matter of making it happen.Pre-production takes about four to five months. And when you do get on set, you have a short amount of time. Even with volunteers, treat them like paid professionals — start on time, end on time, don't waste their time. People will work hard for you even if they're learning their jobs for the first time, as long as you respect them.One more thing — please do not cheat on your actors. If you have two actors doing a beautiful job and then you cut to someone who can't act, the whole story falls apart. Find actors who can genuinely convince you.Funding a Film on a Small BudgetCross Purposes was made for about $6,000. David went to local locations and asked if they could shoot there for free. Most people said yes. The hospital where much of it was shot had an entire wing closed due to staffing shortages and let them use it for free. All you have to do is ask.Equipment can be rented from production houses for a couple hundred dollars. Some local universities will let students check out cameras. Free editing software is available online. Work lights aren't fancy, but they work — just make sure the shadows are off the faces.Cross Purposes has now been making money for about five years. The money it earns funds the next film. The budget has gotten bigger every time and the quality has improved. It's a snowball effect.Where Films Can Go After You Make ThemAfter post-production and editing, short films can go to film festivals — Christian and secular ones all over the country. Cross Purposes was accepted at 13 out of 15 festivals it was submitted to. Those acceptances led to a distribution company reaching out, which now distributes the film worldwide — on Tubi, Apple TV, TBN, and platforms in Russia, Australia, Europe, and South America.David's First Step AdviceHave a story that when you tell it to people, they react. It makes them smile, it makes them cry, it makes them something. Don't start until you have a story you feel like you have to get in front of other people.And don't make it about you being in front of a camera. It's a service. You're there to serve the people who work with you and the audience watching. If it becomes an ego trip, it shows up on screen. Start with the story, and the pieces will start falling into place.People need to hear your voice. As many voices as there are out there, people need to hear yours. Do it because it's something God wants you to do. Make it joyful. And make it joyful with the people you do it with — because this is a team sport.You can find all of David's films and links to where you can watch them at crosspurposes.productions. If you want to get in touch with David directly or ask questions about getting started, you can reach him at crosspurposes@yahoo.com. Links to both are below this video.to both are below this video.
This podcast is made possible by our listeners and viewers. If this show has brought you value, you can support it by becoming a member of The Way Forward, our platform designed to help you find the health and freedom community (people, practitioners, schools, farms, and more) near you. Your membership directly supports the podcast and the work we do.A neuroscience student at UT Austin is challenging the foundation of his own field.Brandon Cowling is a 20-year-old pre-med junior with over 70K followers, exploring where neuroscience meets consciousness. His perspective matters because he's inside the curriculum asking the questions most students are trained not to ask.You'll learn why the Epstein file release functions as mass trauma neuroscience, hijacking the amygdala and shutting down the prefrontal cortex across millions.This episode is jam-packed. Together, we examine Kundalini as a measurable nervous system phenomenon, how the spiritual community and scientists jump to causes they can't prove, why the placebo effect might be the most ignored truth in modern medicine, the Ancel Keys fraud, manifestation as both biology and something more, and what it means to increase love into a system designed to make you feel helpless.You'll Learn:[0:00] Introduction[13:51] The Ancel Keys fraud that built decades of saturated fat dogma[24:49] How 4 adult rabbits became the safety proof for infant vaccine adjuvants[32:05] Is consciousness created by the brain or expressed through it?[49:17] What neuroscience says about kundalini and why it's not just woo[58:47] A Law of One dream, a vibrating awakening, and a message about Ra[1:04:57] Why spiritual people jump to esoteric causes too fast, and scientists miss the metaphysical[1:26:30] The Tanganyika laughter epidemic and what 204 contagion studies found[1:31:37] Why going pre-med while knowing the system's corruption is the harder path[1:38:34] German New Medicine, cancer, and how belief itself becomes the cure[1:48:36] Service to self versus service to others and the 51% threshold for polarization[1:54:35] Why fighting darkness with darkness fails, and love is the only real weapon[2:10:07] Skepticism about government UFO disclosureRelated The Way Forward Episodes:The Hidden Meaning of The Law of One: Densities, Love & Humanity's Evolution | Edmund Knighton | YouTubeResources Mentioned:Neuroscience of the Epstein Files by Brandon's Brainwave | InstagramSecret of Light by Walter Russel | Free PDFThe Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer | BookCan You Catch A Cold?: Untold History & Human Experiments by Daniel Roytas | BookThe Ra Material: Law of One by Elkins, McCarty and Rueckert | BookA Course in Miracles | WebsiteFind more from Brandon:Brandon Cowling | InstagramSoltopiah | WebsiteFind more from Alec:Alec Zeck | Instagram | XThe Way Forward | InstagramDonate to The Way Forward here.The Way Forward is Sponsored By:Want more crypto insights and a community to back you up?Join the Crypto Freedom Academy today. It's 100% free and designed to help you master the markets.
Bryan Daigle is a men's coach and trusted advisor who helps executives, entrepreneurs, and young leaders transform themselves, their lives, and their businesses. He helps men execute their vision by living with more courage, purpose, and connection, and sometimes that means heading into the wilderness.Before coaching, Bryan was a serial entrepreneur. He founded and co-founded several businesses, including a social networking platform for the inventor community, an experiential art gallery on Martha's Vineyard, and a consumer product business. He holds a BS in Engineering Summa Cum Laude from UT Austin and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Acton School of Business, where he served as class president.Bryan lives in Austin with his wife and two sons. When he's not coaching, you'll find him on a trail.Visit Bryan Daigle's Website: www.bryandaigle.com
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Dallas' annual Pride parade moves from Fair Park to Downtown Dallas tomorrow - marking a needed elevation of visibility for the LGBTQ+ community at a moment of intense targeting by right-wing elements: https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts-culture/dallas-pride-parade-marches-on-for-lgbtq-rights-40681705/As entertaining as it would have been for progressives, it turns out that CBS News is not planning to replace Anderson Cooper with Joe Rogan: https://www.thewrap.com/media-platforms/journalism/cbs-news-denies-joe-rogan-60-minutes-bari-weiss/A new indoctrination center focused on the "Objectivism" philosophy of Ayn Rand, planned for the West Campus neighborhood near UT Austin, is the direct antithesis to the creative collaboration that Austin's culture is built from: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/austin-will-soon-have-a-30-million-ayn-rand-indoctrination-center-near-ut-campus/Unsatisfied with the "Death Star" law that undermines the local governing authority of Texas' large and mostly Democratically-led cities, Republican lawmakers want to give the Texas AG's office the right to fine cities for failing to rewrite their local codes around it: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/04/texas-death-star-bill-update/Dallas and Houston are both looking to suffer an economic flop with the FIFA World Cup - expensive tickets and hotel rooms and a chilling atmosphere for foreign travelers have led to a severe underperformance of bookings: https://www.newsweek.com/world-cup-host-cities-hotels-tickets-struggling-unsold-12003833We're excited to see you in Dallas for our 16th anniversary celebration on Tuesday June 16! Make your reservation now: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026Progress Texas is expanding into both broadcast radio - including a new partnership with KPFT-FM in Houston! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE, and to our Spanish expansion HERE. Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Chris Hall — the Ecom Cowboy, former All-American offensive lineman at UT Austin, and the guy who scaled Bruce Bolt to one of Shopify's fastest-growing stores as a team of one — is as entertaining as he is tactical. But underneath the hat and the accent is a marketer who has been thinking hard about what separates the people who survive this AI moment from the ones who don't. His take: the button-pushers are already gone. The marketers who build and manage agents — and who also make bold analog bets — are the ones who get more valuable every quarter.Inside the episode:Why the "team of one" marketer is actually more viable than ever — and the Claude-powered workflow Chris used to handle ads, email, SMS, reporting, and organic social simultaneously at Bruce BoltHow BattleBox turned Whatnot into their #2 revenue channel (surpassing Amazon) — with net-new customers, not cannibalized .com sales — and why most DTC brands are still completely asleep on itThe AI stack Chris is actually using: Claude for strategy and execution, Wideframe for agentic video editing, Kive for AI product imagery so clean that seven-figure brands are running it as their entire Instagram feedWhy "get sweaty on camera" is one of the highest-leverage moves a marketer can make right now — and the skill it builds that AI literally cannot replicateThe two anti-AI bets Chris thinks every brand and operator needs to make in 2026 — and why they work because of AI, not in spite of it—Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact and request your FREE strategy session today!—Chapters:[0:00] Welcome & Introducing the Ecom Cowboy[1:53] Origin of the Ecom Cowboy Brand & Name[2:17] Chris Hall's Football Career at UT & Blocking Von Miller[4:43] From the NFL to Nonprofits to E-Commerce[6:45] Inside Bruce Bolt: One of Shopify's Fastest Growing Stores[9:07] The Future of Marketing Jobs in an AI World[14:26] What Marketers Must Do to Stay Relevant in 2026[17:32] Getting Claude-Pilled: Building Your Agentic Workforce[21:44] Running an Entire Marketing Team with AI Agents[27:34] Chris Hall's Full AI Stack (Wideframe, Higgsfield & More)[31:36] AI Productivity Hacks: Daily Reports, WhisperFlow & Skills[36:40] The Anti-AI Bet: Live Streaming & IRL Activations[39:11] Why Every Brand Should Be on Whatnot Right Now[47:29] Wrapping Up & How to Find Chris Hall Daily—Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQmbMwBW8LYDfFAqNqlgTGw Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contactRelevant Links: Chris' LinkedIn: /chrislukehallPast guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D'Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more
How can institutions define and measure belonging? What are inspirational examples of programs, spaces, and support services that foster it? How is student belonging changing, and how can folks adapt? In a LinkedIn Live Webinar, Elliot Felix talked through these questions with Suzanne Rivera the President at Macalester College, Jeff Doyle the Executive Director of Student Support at UT Austin, and James Vasquez the Associate Dean of Operations and Strategy at the USC Annenberg School. They share different perspectives along with the programs and places they've used to foster belonging and drive student success – from environments to athletics to communications and more. Episode Highlights include: [5:47] The Book's Big Ideas - Host Elliot Felix defines student belonging using research proving that connected first-year students are 41% more likely to be retained into year two. [8:18] The Power of One Question - Jeff Doyle shares how asking students if they feel like they belong is five times more predictive of retention than 100 other variables. [15:06] Spaces Built for Synergy - James Vasquez explains how USC Annenberg used cross-collaborative stakeholder workshops to design a highly utilized, multi-departmental campus facility. [19:11] Mapping the Student Journey - President Suzanne Rivera details how Macalester College used student heat maps to transform their main administrative building into a student-facing hub. [44:31] Human Connections Over Bots - The panel analyzes why automated AI chatbots are short-term fixes, advocating instead for peer-to-peer leadership and scaling high-touch human relationships.
Most AI systems follow a gradient, a mathematical slope that tells them exactly how to improve, step by step, toward a known goal. Neuroevolution doesn't follow any gradient. Instead, it runs hundreds or thousands of competing solutions simultaneously, spreads them across the space of possibilities as broadly as possible, and lets the best ones recombine, the same logic that drives biological evolution. The result, as Risto Miikkulainen explains to Craig Smith, is creativity: solutions that no human designer would have anticipated, that emerge routinely from the evolutionary process. Miikkulainen is a professor at UT Austin and VP of AI Research at Cognizant AI Labs, and he has been working on this field since the 1980s, which makes him both a historian of it and one of its most active frontiersmen. The conversation covers a remarkable range: a mystery model that outperformed every competitor in a recent stock trading competition with forensic footprints pointing to neuroevolutionary AI; Sakana AI's system that autonomously designed experiments, wrote a paper, and had it accepted at a major machine learning conference; and a pandemic decision system that trained overnight and made country-specific recommendations by morning, with Iceland actually following some of them, all the way to the prime minister. Subscribe to Eye on A.I. for weekly conversations with the people building and deploying the future of AI.
Candace Sharyn and Cuitlahuac are joined by Daniel Dawer, a PhD student at UT-Austin who is researching the Texas Education Agency takeover of Houston ISD. They discuss the news that the 1882 partnership proposed by Austin ISD was rejected by TEA setting up the possibility of a state takeover. What does the TEA takeover look like in Houston ISD and other districts in Texas, and how might a takeover in Austin ISD play out?
What if one person noticing something in you changed the entire trajectory of your life? In this episode, Samyr Laine, Haitian-American Olympian, attorney, and managing partner of Freedom Trail Capital, shares how a high school track coach who noticed a kid with leaping ability in gym class set off a chain of events that led to the Olympic Games, a call from the president of Haiti, boardrooms with Jay-Z and the NFL, and a venture fund investing at the intersection of culture, lifestyle, and influence. Samyr was user number 14 on Facebook, roommates with Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard, and has built one of the most unusual and compelling careers in venture capital. But none of it traces back to a famous name or a prestigious institution. It traces back to Coach Burks, who saw something and said something. [00:06:00] What He Does and Who He Serves Managing partner of Freedom Trail Capital, a consumer-focused venture fund Invests at the intersection of culture, lifestyle, and influence Raising a $50 million first fund with investments across baby care, hair care, pet care, and beverages [00:07:40] What Inspires Him Driven by the pursuit of excellence in whatever role he is in Meets with founders even when he can't invest; every conversation teaches him something Reads nonfiction constantly to learn how others persevere Measures progress in bite-sized steps just like he did as an Olympic athlete [00:13:00] How He Got Here After Harvard, got a master's at UT Austin then attended Georgetown Law Competed professionally in track and field for 10 years including the 2012 London Olympics Represented Haiti at seven world championships and three Pan American Games Started his real career as legal counsel in DC before moving into sports business [00:14:00] From Sports Law to Roc Nation Started his real career as legal counsel for the Washington Wizards, Capitals, and Mystics Was happy in sports law when a recruiter called with an offer he couldn't refuse Jay-Z was looking for someone to handle operations at Roc Nation Left the sports world for a completely new chapter as an operator [00:15:40] From Roc Nation to Westbrook Left Roc Nation after a couple of years and joined Westbrook Inc as SVP of Operations Helped oversee Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's entire media and production enterprise Moved to lead their consumer product division covering brands, licensing, and IP monetization Worked with talent ranging from Pelé and Patrick Mahomes to DJ Jazzy Jeff [00:19:40] The Vision for Freedom Trail Capital Goal is to move from fund one to fund two to fund three Wants to be the tip of the spear for culturally relevant consumer brands Mission is to prove talent-backed businesses work when paired with discipline and rigor Model: find scalable, defensible businesses then add the right person of influence [00:23:40] The First Relationship That Changed Everything: Coach Burks Got cut from his track team in eighth grade; came back junior year to find a new coach Coach Burks noticed his leaping ability in gym class and introduced him to the triple jump Had no idea what the triple jump was; just wanted to be a sprinter That one introduction led him to the 2012 London Olympics and seven world championships [00:25:40] The Second Relationship: Desiree Perez of Roc Nation Working under Desiree shaped the pace, discipline, and operating style he carries today She put him in boardrooms with Facundo Bacardi and Roger Goodell of the NFL Was in the early rooms when Roc Nation partnered with the NFL on Super Bowl halftime entertainment The people he met in her orbit opened doors he could never have reached on his own [00:27:40] What Coach Burks's Introduction Made Possible Chose to represent Haiti at the Olympics; the Haitian team had six athletes, the US had nearly 600 After qualifying for the finals, received a personal call from the president of Haiti Town squares across Haiti filled with thousands watching the Olympic triple jump final He now sits on the board of a school and orphanage in Haiti; it all started with one introduction [00:33:00] The Value of One Right Relationship One right relationship can pay dividends for decades in ways you never expected His introduction to the triple jump led to the Olympics, which still opens doors today Every stop was about gaining skills and being more useful at the next one One introduction can be worth as much as a check KEY QUOTES "Your network and your relationships, man, it cannot be overstated how valuable it is." - Samyr Laine "The value of one right relationship. Sometimes it's gotta be at the right time. But the value of one right relationship is tremendous." - Samyr Laine CONNECT WITH SAMYR LAINE Website: https://www.freedomtrail.capital LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samyrlaine Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samyrlaine Thanks for tuning in! If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe! Find me on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher
Is this U.S. Sen. John Cornyn's last hurrah? Host Jeremy Wallace and Brad Johnson of the Texas Bullpen break down President Donald Trump's endorsement of Ken Paxton, including why he made it now, just days before the May 26 primary runoff, and how much trouble Cornyn is in. Plus, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz joins Wallace for an exclusive interview on his continued concerns over China, drawing a contrast with what Trump told Chinese Leader Xi Jinping. Finally, John Moritz of the Austin American-Statesman stops in to talk about why President Obama ordering tacos near UT Austin with James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa was such a big deal. And don't worry, Jeremy and John defend the honor of potato, egg and cheese tacos, no matter what the national media says. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A college pre-law advisor asks Ben and Nathan how to best prepare undergraduate students for law school. Ben and Nathan encourage them to keep doing what they're doing and stress the importance of the cost of law school. Also in this episode- A viewer asks what score they should aim for- Whether to enroll at UT Austin or reapply next cycle - A rapid-fire of Pearls v. TurdsStudy with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 559 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What's the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our Word of the Week library0:00 Advice for a Pre-Law Advisor12:23 Exit Survey Feedback25:06 Enroll Now or Reapply48:56 What Should My Target Score Be?56:17 Pearls v. Turds Rapid Fire1:06:50 Personal Statement Gong Show 1:25:55 Word of the week — armamentarium
Carrie Fabris is the founder of CareerFrame, a Dallas-based leadership development and executive coaching firm dedicated to transforming leaders, teams, and organizational culture. She partners with high-performance organizations, including Axios Media, Mouser Electronics, Appfolio, Boingo Wireless, and Expedia, to elevate senior leaders, strengthen leadership teams, and cultivate accountable, thriving workplace cultures.With over 20 years of corporate experience and 15+ years in leadership roles at Google, Travelocity, Sabre, and Travel Leaders Corporate, Carrie combines real-world business insight with her expertise in CliftonStrengths®, EQ-i 2.0, and Situational Leadership®. Through her signature FRAMEit Method, she delivers high-energy, actionable coaching and workshops that help leaders bridge the gap between achievement and legacy, while maintaining balance, purpose, and impact in their professional and personal lives.Carrie is also the author of ALL IN: The Working Mom's Unapologetic Quest for a Juicy Life, sharing her personal journey of navigating corporate ambition, entrepreneurship, and motherhood without compromise. She holds a degree from UT Austin and resides in Dallas with her husband and two children.Visit Carrie Fabris' LinksInstagram: @cdfabris Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cfabris-reframe-coaching-training/ Website: www.carriefabris.comFreebie: carriefabris.myflodesk.com/theframeitmethodquiz Buy Carrie's Book, ALL IN: https://a.co/d/coENdEP
"Check Out This Podcast," hosted by UT Austin student Gabby Dunn, returns this May. Now in video podcast form, each episode dives into someone's favorite podcast: the stories they love, the moments that stuck with them, and why they can't stop recommending it. From hidden gems to comfort listens, "Check Out This Podcast" is all about discovering what makes podcasts so meaningful to different people.
Podcast guest 1836 is Dr. Paul H. Smith, remote viewing instructor who served in the government's remote viewing program. He has a PhD from UT Austin in philosophy specializing in consciousness, the philosophy of science and the philosophy of mind.Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.Paul's Book: The Essential Guide to Remote Viewing: The Secret Military Remote Perception Skill Anyone Can Learn - https://amzn.to/4d4gq6e #ad Paul's YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@DrPaulHSmithPaul's Websitehttps://rviewer.com/paul-h-smith/Contact in the desert 2026https://contactinthedesert.com/CONTACT:Email: jeff@jeffmarapodcast.comAmazon Wish Listhttps://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1ATD4VIQTWYAN?ref_=wl_shareTo donate crypto:Bitcoin - bc1qk30j4n8xuusfcchyut5nef4wj3c263j4nw5wydDigibyte - DMsrBPRJqMaVG8CdKWZtSnqRzCU7t92khEShiba - 0x0ffE1bdA5B6E3e6e5DA6490eaafB7a6E97DF7dEeDoge - D8ZgwmXgCBs9MX9DAxshzNDXPzkUmxEfAVEth. - 0x0ffE1bdA5B6E3e6e5DA6490eaafB7a6E97DF7dEeXRP - rM6dp31r9HuCBDtjR4xB79U5KgnavCuwenWEBSITEwww.jeffmarapodcast.comNewsletterhttps://jeffmara2002.substack.com/?r=19wpqa&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklistSOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffmarapodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffmarapodcast/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jeffmaraP/The opinions of the guests may or may not reflect the opinions of the host.
A bipartisan bill aims to fix the country's broken immigration system. Does it stand a chance in Congress?We'll look at how adult education can help increase income for families coping with rising costs.Plus, free burgers for college students at UT Austin — how “churgers” are providing relief amid rising grocery prices.And the NBA playoffs now […] The post How ‘churgers’ are providing relief to college students in Austin appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
The Southern Poverty Law Center is indicted on charges of fraud in their attacks on conservative groups. A Gallup poll finds a resurgence of religious interest among young men. Clarence Thomas gives a rousing speech on our Constitution. And Tennessee sets aside June as a month to honor the nuclear family. Recommendations Clarence Thomas Speech at UT-Austin Segment 1 – SPLC Indicted; Young Men's Religious Revival SPLC Free Press article Gallup Poll on Young Men and Religion Clarence Thomas Speech at UT-Austin Segment 2 – Religious Foster Parents Win in Court; TN Declares Nuclear Family Month ADF Case TN Declares Nuclear Family Month as an alternative to Pride Month. Fidelity Month website Where's mama video Segment 3 – Easing Restrictions on Medical Marijuana NY Times article on medical marijuana Hill article on psychedelics
People are having less sex than ever, both inside and outside of marriage. What does this tell us about the state of dating, marriage, and relationships? How can we understand the marriage market after decades of ubiquitous birth control? Today we answer these and more with Mark Regnerus, professor at UT-Austin and President of the Austin Institute. Mark's website: https://www.markregnerus.com/Austin Institute: https://www.austin-institute.org YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theaustininstituteSacred Spark: https://www.sacredspark.app/NEW: Check out our Merch store! https://shop.lilaroseshow.com/Join our new Patreon community! https://patreon.com/lilaroseshow - We'll have BTS footage, ad-free episodes, and early access to our upcoming guests.A big thanks to our partner, EWTN, the world's leading Catholic network! Discover news, entertainment and more at https://www.ewtn.com/ Check out our Sponsors:-EveryLife Women: https://www.everylife.com/lila Buy diapers and women's health products from an amazing company and use code LILA10 to get 10% off!-Hallow: https://www.hallow.com/lila Enter into prayer more deeply this season with the Hallow App, get 3 months free by using this link to sign up! -Patriot Mobile: Get 1 month of free service at https://patriotmobile.com/lila or call 972-PATRIOT w/ code LILA-We Heart Nutrition: https://www.weheartnutrition.com/ Get high quality vitamin supplements for 20% off using the code LILA.
In this episode of Law Talk Live—recorded at the University of Texas at Austin and hosted by the Civitas Institute—Charles C. W. Cooke, John Yoo, and Richard Epstein debate some of the most contentious constitutional questions of the moment. The panel examines the future of birthright citizenship in light of recent Supreme Court arguments, the tension between free speech and professional regulation in a major First Amendment case, and the legal and moral framework governing modern warfare, including what counts as a war crime. Blending sharp disagreement, historical insight, and a dose of humor, the conversation explores how precedent, originalism, and real-world pressures collide when the Constitution is pushed to its limits.
In this episode of Law Talk Live—recorded at the University of Texas at Austin and hosted by the Civitas Institute—Charles C. W. Cooke, John Yoo, and Richard Epstein debate some of the most contentious constitutional questions of the moment. The panel examines the future of birthright citizenship in light of recent Supreme Court arguments, the […]
Your College Bound Kid | Scholarships, Admission, & Financial Aid Strategies
In this episode you will hear: o Mark shares on additional important point about who gets in the most competitive colleges Heath Einstein, the chief enrollment officer at TCU-Tips for Submitting a Quality Resume for College o Heath tells us how a college resume is different from a work-based resume o Heath tells us what makes an effective resume o I share with Heath the things I tell students to emphasize in their resumes, and I ask Heath for feedback on whether some of the things I tell students are more important than others o Heath chimes in on the debate between angular student's vs well-rounded students and he doesn't hold back his thoughts on this hot debate o Heath gives his view of students adding a passport size photo on their resume o Heath gives his thoughts on how long is too long for a resume o Heath answers a question from a listener about TCU feels about someone submitting a UT-Austin expanded resume to them o Heath gives a tip for the UT-Austin expanded resume o Heath makes a surprising statement about trends he is seeing with class rank San Diego State interview with two students-Part 1 of 3 o Friends, from time to time in this Spotlight, the students say something that is very profound, so I stop and share with you, our listeners, a teachable moment that I hope you don't miss o You will hear from one recent SDSU grad, who came across the country to go to SDSU, and one current junior at SDSU who came from Northern California, they introduce themselves and they share their college journey and what led them to select San Diego State o Lauren and Sophie share what they feel are the best things about San Diego State university o Sophie and Lauren share what they got involved in while at SDSU o Lauren and Sophie share what they would change if they were in power. Recommended Resources JG Talks: Helping prospective and current college students achieve success Colleges that allow self reporting of test scores Colleges that Allow Self-Reporting of SAT and ACT Scores Great source for questions about finances and college Edvisors: Financial Aid, Student Loans, Scholarships and Money Management FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends Complete FAFSA 2026‑2027 Walkthrough | From Start to Submit 2023-2024 FAFSA Walkthrough Video English CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs CSS Profile Walkthrough MEFA Institute: A Deep Dive into the CSS Profile Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/blog/ 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple's search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-books/ Check out the college websites Mark recommends: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-websites/ If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCauBgityVXVHRQUjvlIRfYrMWWdHarB9DMQGYL0472bNxrw/viewform If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email at mark@schoolmatch4u.com. All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/
"The science is undeniable...every single chronic disease results from a lack of nitric oxide production." -Dr. Nathan Brya Dr. Nathan S. Bryan is a leading biochemist specializing in nitric oxide research with over 25 years of groundbreaking contributions to molecular medicine. He received education and training at esteemed institutions such as UT Austin, LSU School of Medicine, and Boston University, and later joined UT Health's faculty through the recruitment of Nobel laureate Ferid Murad. As the founder and CEO of Bryan Therapeutics, Dr. Bryan has been pivotal in developing nitric oxide-based therapies for conditions such as heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and chronic wounds. His consumer products have gained international recognition, making him a pioneer in nitric oxide therapy and molecular medicine innovation. Episode Summary: Welcome to another insightful episode of "All My Health, There Is Hope," where host Jana Short welcomes Dr. Nathan S. Bryan, a world-renowned biochemist and nitric oxide expert. In this episode, Dr. Bryan shares his professional journey and how his unwavering hope and faith have propelled his research and innovations forward in the field of nitric oxide therapies. As a pioneer in this area, Dr. Bryan elaborates on the critical role nitric oxide plays in cardiovascular health, energy production, and overall well-being. Delving deeper, Dr. Bryan discusses his mission to disseminate the science of nitric oxide and its implications on health and longevity. As he differentiates nitric oxide products backed by solid research from the questionable ones populating the market, he stresses the importance of informed choices when it comes to health supplements. Through his work, Dr. Bryan aims to change our understanding of chronic disease prevention and management, advocating for a proactive approach to health focused on nitric oxide therapy. Key Takeaways: Nitric Oxide: Discover the importance of nitric oxide as a critical molecule for cardiovascular health, energy production, and inflammation reduction. Foundational Health: Understand how nitric oxide supports overall health, aging, and longevity, and the perils of its deficiency in chronic disease onset. Product Quality: Learn about the need for scientific backing in health products and Dr. Bryan's drive to provide nitric oxide therapies based on sound research. Proactive Health: The benefits of incorporating nitric oxide into daily routines, aiming to prevent health issues before they arise. Future Prospects: Hear about Dr. Bryan's vision for nitric oxide in medicine, including promising developments in therapies for heart disease and Alzheimer's. Resources: www.n1o1.com www.drnathansbryan.com IG: drnathansbryan FB: nathan.bryan.16 LI: drnathansbryan X: drnitric YouTube: @DrNathanSBryanNitricOxide ✨ Enjoying the show? Stay inspired long after the episode ends! Jana is gifting you free subscriptions to Ageless Living Magazine and Best Holistic Life Magazine—two of the fastest-growing publications dedicated to holistic health, personal growth, and living your most vibrant life. Inside, you'll find powerful stories, expert insights, and practical tools to help you thrive—mind, body, and soul.
The Dad Edge Podcast (formerly The Good Dad Project Podcast)
In this episode, I sit down with Doug Smith — award-winning author of The Path of Rocks and Thorns, policy expert, trauma-informed leadership coach, adjunct professor, and a man who spent six years in a Texas prison cell for four counts of robbery committed in the grip of crack cocaine addiction. This is not a redemption story wrapped in a tidy bow. It's a raw, honest, and deeply human conversation about what happens when a man loses everything — and what he discovers about leadership, recovery, and fatherhood in the process. Doug walks us through what crack addiction actually feels like — the all-encompassing high and the equal and opposite fall — and what it took to rebuild a life after prison, including a bipolar disorder diagnosis, years of therapy, and a spiritual practice pieced together inside a Texas prison cell. He also shares the extraordinary leadership work he did while incarcerated, helping build a sexual assault prevention program that led to a dramatic increase in reporting and prosecution inside Texas prisons — work that continues to have an impact to this day. But the heart of this conversation is fatherhood. Doug's daughter was five when he went in. She was almost eleven when he came home. He shares the terrifying day he was released, the first reunion with his daughter, and how they reconnected through play and letters rather than words. And then he shares the hardest part — what happened when his book came out and his daughter's buried anger finally surfaced, and the hike where he sat in that anger with her without defending himself. Larry meets him there with his own story of a father who left twice — and the dinner conversation twenty years ago where forgiveness finally had room to breathe. Timeline Summary [0:00] Introduction to the Dad Edge mission and the movement to raise leaders of families and communities [1:02] Introducing Doug Smith — author, policy expert, trauma-informed coach, and formerly incarcerated for four counts of robbery [1:23] What prison was actually like — more boring than people imagine, and unexpectedly clarifying [2:31] The decline into crack addiction — what the high feels like and what the low does to your soul [5:14] The black spot on the soul — how crack takes you lower with every use and never lets you climb back up [6:50] What withdrawal from crack cocaine actually does to your brain and body [9:04] How Doug recalibrated inside prison — exercise, meditation, spiritual practice, and learning to feel good without drugs for the first time in his adult life [11:18] His mental health diagnosis — bipolar disorder, personality disorder, and how he eventually moved past treating a label [13:21] Who Doug is today — policy expert, adjunct professor at UT Austin, trauma-informed leadership coach, and author [15:28] What leadership actually means — it's not a business term, it's the relationship between the results you're creating and your contribution to them [16:18] The sexual assault prevention program Doug built inside a Texas prison — and the dramatic results it produced [22:47] How sexual assault in prison is always about power — and why staff are often the perpetrators [23:16] How old his daughter was when he went in — and his daily prayer to get home while she was still a child [24:51] The terrifying day he was released — why his brain wouldn't accept it as real [26:05] Flying down the stairs to hold his daughter — and sitting with her while she wept [26:49] How they reconnected on day one — spreading out her letters and going through them together [27:13] Larry's midroll reflection: you're home, but are you really there? [29:14] How his daughter responded after the initial reunion — the games, the capybara play, and Riley the racing rat [32:07] The years of building trust — and how his daughter's anger didn't surface until the book came out [33:10] His daughter's reaction to the book: everyone's celebrating his story, but nobody asked what she went through [34:48] The hike where everything came out — and how Doug received her anger without defending himself [37:14] How his daughter had organized her life around his incarceration — volunteering with kids of incarcerated parents, camp counseling, and a college essay that got her into UT Austin in three weeks [39:51] The unresolved trauma that was still there beneath the resilience — and what it took for her to finally be angry [40:17] Larry shares his own story — a father who left twice and the dinner conversation that changed everything [43:44] Larry's dad's ownership, humility, and apology — and how seeing a human being allowed forgiveness to begin [45:33] What Doug's relationship with his daughter looks like now — rebuilding on new terms as adults [47:41] His daughter's powerful message: I needed the encouragement before. Don't tie my worth to my grades. [48:13] The richer conversations that come when the old context for a relationship is gone [51:16] Larry's reflection: without the mess there is no message — and what Doug's story means to the men listening [52:18] The Dante's Inferno metaphor from Doug's prison book club — you have to go all the way through to climb back up Five Key Takeaways Losing everything can be unexpectedly clarifying. When the things that were making your life miserable are stripped away, you get to learn who you are without them — and that can be the beginning of something real. Leadership is not a business concept. It's the relationship between the results you're creating in the world and your contribution to those results. Everyone is always leading something. You can be home and still not be present. A lot of men are physically in the house but emotionally absent — and their kids feel it. No prison cell required. Resilience and unresolved trauma can coexist. Doug's daughter organized her whole life around his incarceration before she ever allowed herself to be angry about it. Healing isn't linear and it isn't always visible. You have to go all the way through it. You can't go around pain, grief, or hard emotions. Like Dante — you have to travel through the deepest part before you can climb again. Links & Resources Dad Edge Alliance & Business Boardroom: https://thedadedge.com/mastermind The Men's Forge: https://themensforge.com The Path of Rocks and Thorns by Doug Smith: Available on Amazon Doug Smith's website: https://the-degree.com Email Doug directly: doug@the-degree.com Episode Link & Resources (Episode 1464): https://thedadedge.com/1464 Closing If there's one message from this episode that stands out, it's this: you have to go all the way through it. Doug Smith didn't get to skip the hard parts. He had to travel all the way through addiction, incarceration, and the anger of a daughter he had failed — before he could climb back up. And what he built on the other side of that is extraordinary: a career dedicated to the exact people he used to be, and a relationship with his daughter being rebuilt on honest, adult terms. The mess became the message. It always does. If this episode hit you where it needed to, share it with a man who is in the middle of his own darkest season and needs to know there's a way through. Go out and live legendary.
What are the main candidates for dark matter? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice sit down with theoretical physicist Katherine Freese to tackle fan questions about dark matter, dark energy, and the dark universe at large. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: https://startalkmedia.com/show/dark-universe-decoded-with-katherine-freese/ Thanks to our Patrons Yasin Hasbay, Joe Hudson, Marcelo Morales, Jeffrey C, Quentin Kelly, Mark Hobden, Shawnie Brisbois, Nathan Williams, Christian Etel, Adam, Andrew Foss, Christopher Lauer, Mike Smith, Gloria Goungo, Dennis Poggenburg, Wild Cat93, Tilly, Alon Gutman, Philip Sun, Dave Mulder, Neil Cameron, CuriousHairlessApe, Not Pensive, Thanh Ho, Aaron, Amy, Brandon Rhodes, Jeffrey Otterman, Space Hendrix, Mango, Yoni, Christopher, Cody Motycka, James Astley, Ryan Dimery-Seek, Alec Scott, Joshua Dobelstein, JP, D.K. Mola, Matt Sumner, Jordan Smith, Case Torres, Tiffany Jones, Josh Middleton, Christopher Crain, Abdul Sudi, Quyen Nguyen, Rahul Varma Sikinam, Nathaniel Gonzalez, Jonathan Negron, Adam Bauman, Sean McAll, Taylor, Lora White, CrunchySciFry, Robby Satterfield, James Simpson, Samantha Kasper, Isahn Mejia, Cameron Smith, Ray Nobleza, Mike Gibbs, Paul Stumbo, Ruben Wilberg, Anish Dube, Manolis Sensi, Arnab Deka, Rich, 4d916, Oon Thian Seng, Temo Chavchanidze, Vikas Rawat, Korin, Gene Hannon, Edward Marwood, Catherine Fiala, Matt F, Elijah Flippin, Bharath Kumar, Tuyaa, Furry Combat Wombat, Lexi Chivers, Vincent Franchino, R Tillery, Matthew Pitts, GAME MASTER, Lawrey, Chris Fro, Adam, Diesel Haphazard, Anthony Calomeni, Mike G., Victor Acevedo, David Wall, Jaime Rivera, Reginald Hill, Devin Jansen, Tushar Vashisht, Lisa Mc Guire, and Ian for supporting us this week. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of StarTalk Radio ad-free and a whole week early.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.