Heal our Division
30 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 10 ratingsAn interview with the uninterviewed on today's most divisive current events. Trust in American media is at an all-time low. This can’t continue if we want to maintain the social fabric of our country. To combat this, each week I interview someone who traditional media won't. Guests share their story without interruptions, provide commentary, and answer the questions that often aren't asked. They’re also challenged to address opposing views and criticism, even when uncomfortable.
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Episodes
#09 - An Online Vigilante Group Hacking Russia
April 11, 2022 04:00 - 12 minutes - 8.83 MBWhat retaliation should Russia face for their Ukraine invasion? One online hacking collective is taking matters into their own hands. My guest today is Userware, a member of the Ghost Security (GhostSec) hacking collective fighting against Russia. In this interview with Userware we discuss GhostSec’s background, motivations, and more. Whether you agree or disagree with today’s guest, I invite you to join us with an open mind as we work to heal the division on Russian retaliation measures. G...
#08 - The Head of the Ukraine Center for Civil Liberties on the Russian Invasion
March 15, 2022 04:00 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MBHow should foreign nations respond to the Russian invasion of Ukraine? It’s March 2022 and Americans are divided. My guest today is Oleksandra Matviichuk, a human rights lawyer and civil society leader living in Kyiv, Ukraine. She serves as head of the Ukraine Center for Civil Liberties. Last year, Oleksandra was nominated by Ukraine for the United Nations Committee against Torture. In this episode we discuss current civilian life and military preparations in Kyiv, the ongoing debate over fo...
#07 - A Trucker Participating in the People's Convoy
March 08, 2022 04:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBIs the People’s Convoy justified? It’s March 2022 and Americans are divided. My guest today is Taylor Barker, an American trucker currently participating in the People’s Convoy. In this episode we discuss the convoy’s goals, public reception while traveling across the country, if it’s a partisan movement, media reactions, and more. Whether you agree or disagree with today’s guest, I invite you to join us with an open mind as we work to heal the division on the People’s Convoy. The People’s ...
#06 - The Former USA Olympian Speaking Out Against the International Olympic Committee
February 21, 2022 05:00 - 40 minutes - 27.7 MBHave the Olympic Games been corrupted? It’s February 2022, the Beijing Olympics just concluded, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Noah Hoffman, a former two-time Winter Olympian with Team USA who recently made headlines for speaking out against the Beijing Olympics and International Olympic Committee (IOC). Noah has recently helped launch Global Athlete, an Olympic athlete movement dedicated to addressing the balance of power between athletes and Olympic administrators. In this ep...
#05 - A Transgender Man on Transgender Rights Today
February 07, 2022 03:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBWhat are transgender rights in America today? It’s February 2022, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Alex Petrovnia, a binary transgender man. He’s the founder of the Trans Formations Project, a nonprofit dedicated to tracking and educating transgender legislation in the United States. In this episode we discuss if transgender athletes have an unfair advantage, if there’s only two genders, controversy from Dave Chappelle’s comedy special, age limits for transitioning, and more. Whe...
#04 - The Team Exposing Financial Conflicts of Interest in Congress
February 01, 2022 03:00 - 49 minutes - 33.8 MBShould Congressional stock trading be banned? It’s January 2022, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Dave Levinthal, the deputy Washington Bureau chief for Insider. His team published the "Conflicted Congress" reporting project, helping to reveal financial conflicts of interest and hypocrisy among the US House and Senate. More than 9000 financial-disclosure reports were reviewed to inform Americans of the many moments when lawmakers' personal finances clash with their public duties....
#03 - A Critical Race Theory (CRT) Professor on CRT Concerns in American Education
January 26, 2022 05:00 - 40 minutes - 28.1 MBIs critical race theory being taught in American schools? It’s January 2022, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Jennifer Ho. The daughter of a refugee father from China and an immigrant mother from Jamaica, whose parents themselves were immigrants from Hong Kong, Professor Ho is the director of the Center for Humanities & the Arts and Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. She teaches courses on Critical Race Theory and Asian American culture. In this ep...
#02 - An Afghan Refugee on the Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan
January 17, 2022 04:00 - 30 minutes - 20.6 MBDid the United States make the right decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan last August? It’s January 2022, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Hussain Rezai, a native Afghani who evacuated the country in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021. In July 2017, his fiancee, Najiba Bahar, was killed in a Taliban suicide bombing in the same city of Kabul. Najiba had returned to Afghanistan after acquiring a Masters Degree in Computer Science abroad. Her hope ...
#01 - An Unhoused Member on the American Unhoused Crisis
January 10, 2022 04:00 - 51 minutes - 35.1 MBHow should we treat the unhoused population in our country? It’s January 2022, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Theo Henderson, who lives in Los Angeles, California and is a member of the unhoused community. Born in Chicago, Theo earned a scholarship to a local private college and received his undergraduate degree in education. During the 2008 recession, he was working as a schoolteacher in South Los Angeles until his own financial crisis hit: He lost his job, and health issues f...
#00 - Heal our Division Trailer
January 10, 2022 03:00 - 3 minutes - 2.29 MBAmerica is deeply divided, largely driven by our declining distrust in government, institutions, and media outlets. This decline of American media isn’t hard to see. Turn on the tv, and you’ll often struggle to distinguish what qualifies as journalism vs entertainment. Provocative commentary has taken precedence over asking questions and collecting facts. News anchors posing as neutral moderators often make themselves the star of the show. They’re only willing to interview guests who reflect...
Beyond Your Political Bubble w/ Tania Israel
April 14, 2021 04:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MBHow can Americans go beyond their bubble and connect across the political divide? It’s April 2021, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Tania Israel, a Professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In August 2020, Tania released her book Beyond Your Bubble, a practical, politically neutral book that offers concrete skills for holding meaningful conversations that cut across today's intense political divide, ...
Dark Money Donations: Swaying our Elections?
March 10, 2021 06:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBHow does dark money influence US politics? It’s March 2021, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Karl Evers-Hillstrom, a money-in-politics reporter for OpenSecrets.org, an organization describing themselves as the most comprehensive, nonpartisan money-in-politics resource around. Karl has been part of the team since October 2018 with a specific focus in the area of dark money. In this episode we discuss how dark swayed our 2020 elections, why the amount of dark money donations is exp...
COVID Vaccines: Should Public Trust Them?
March 03, 2021 04:00 - 42 minutes - 28.9 MBShould the public trust COVID-19 vaccines? It’s March 2021, and Americans are divided. The voice you just heard is Dr. Nishant Joshi, an Accident and Emergency doctor. Both him and his wife, also a doctor, have made British national headlines stating that, for healthcare workers, “everyone is scared to speak up publicly” and highlighting the government’s “chaotic” guidelines for healthcare workers on the front line of the crisis. He’s since become an outspoken advocate for trusting and recei...
Gamestop Squeeze: Hedge Funds at Fault?
February 24, 2021 06:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MBWere hedge funds at fault for the Gamestop short squeeze? It’s February 2021, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Joel Block, a 25 year veteran of the venture capital, private equity, and hedge fund worlds who addresses audiences from Silicon Valley venture firms to Wall Street bankers on matters of capital formation. In 2012, Joel formed the Bullseye Capital Fund, a real estate hedge fund. In this episode we discuss the role of hedge funds, the sincerity of the Robinhood CEO’s resp...
Climate Change: Caused by Political Division?
February 10, 2021 06:00 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MBHow is political division directly contributing to the climate change crisis? It’s February 2021, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Bill Shireman, a social entrepreneur, environmental policy innovator, and rare San Francisco Republican. He brings together people from all sides of the political spectrum. His latest book is ‘In This Together: How Republicans, Democrats, Capitalists, and Activists are Uniting to Tackle Climate Change and More’. In this episode we discuss how Republic...
School Districts: Reopen for In-Person Learning?
February 03, 2021 06:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBShould school districts be opened across America for in-person learning? It’s February 2021, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Stephanie Edmonds. She’s a public school teacher in New York City and co-founder of the #Teachers4OpenSchools movement, which advocates for safe in-person learning for all students and teachers. Not everyone feels the same; teachers from school districts across the nation are protesting returns back to the classroom. In this episode we discuss whether thes...
Political Hatred: Treatment with Dr. René Levy (Pt. 2)
January 27, 2021 07:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBHow do we treat the symptoms of America’s political hatred today? It’s January 2021, and Americans are divided. My recurring guest today is Dr. René Levy, the primary influence for me launching this podcast. He’s received the highest award given by the American Epilepsy Society in recognition of contributions to the field. After the 2016 election, Dr. Levy applied his knowledge towards writing ‘Mending America’s Political Divide: What Science Tells Us About Solving The Political Hatred Betwe...
Masks: Help Prevent COVID-19?
January 20, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 45.5 MBAre masks effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19? It’s January 2021, and Americans are divided. My first guest today is Rod Eccles, the outspoken host of the conservative radio talkshow “The Rod Eccles Show”. It’s become a favorite for military members around the world. My second guest is Panagis Galatsatos, a critical care medicine physician for Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. He also serves as the Co-Chair of Health Equity and Co-Director of Medicine for the Greater ...
Political Hatred: Diagnosis with Dr. René Levy (Pt. 1)
January 13, 2021 07:00 - 33 minutes - 23.2 MBHow do we diagnose America’s political hatred today? It’s January 2021, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Dr. René Levy, the primary influence for me launching this podcast. Not a psychologist or political scientist, Dr. Levy serves as the Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington in Seattle where he served as chair of the Department of Pharmaceutics for 26 years. His interest in neuroscience results from his work in the field of epilepsy, where he’s received the highest ...
Political Hatred: Diagnosis with Dr. René Levy
January 13, 2021 07:00 - 33 minutes - 23.2 MBHow do we diagnose America’s political hatred today? It’s January 2021, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Dr. René Levy, the primary influence for me launching this podcast. Not a psychologist or political scientist, Dr. Levy serves as the Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington in Seattle where he served as chair of the Department of Pharmaceutics for 26 years. His interest in neuroscience results from his work in the field of epilepsy, where he’s received the highest ...
5G Networks: Dangerous to Human Health?
January 07, 2021 07:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBAre 5G networks dangerous to human health? It’s January 2021, and some Americans are divided. My first guest today is Patrick, a former science teacher and resident in Northern Sweden who argues that 5G is indeed dangerous. Of the opposing view is my second guest, David Robert Grimes. David is a physicist, cancer researcher, and science writer for outlets including the Guardian, the Irish Times, and the BBC. He was joint winner of the 2014 Nature & Sense About Science Maddox Prize for standi...
2020 Election: Voter Fraud?
December 16, 2020 08:00 - 45 minutes - 31.6 MBWas there voter fraud in the 2020 United States Presidential Election? It’s December 2020, and Americans are divided. After the 2020 United States presidential election in which Joe Biden won the Electoral College, the presidential campaign for Donald Trump pursued an aggressive effort to challenge the results of the election. With more than fifty lawsuits, the Trump legal team alleged conspiracy, rigged voting machines, and polling place fraud that altered the outcome of the election. My gu...
America 2020: State of Race Relations
December 09, 2020 05:00 - 1 hour - 45.5 MBWhat is the current state of race relations in America? It’s December 2020 and Americans are divided. According to Pew Social Trends in October 2020: The public is about evenly split on whether the increased focus on issues of race in the country will lead to major policy changes to address racial inequality (48% say it will and 51% say it will not). And while a majority say the heightened attention to racial issues represents a change in the way most Americans think about these issues, just...
US Cities: Defund the Police?
December 02, 2020 10:00 - 1 hour - 43.2 MBShould American cities defund their police departments? It’s December 2020 and Americans are divided. The "defund the police" slogan became common during the George Floyd protests starting in May 2020. Black Lives Matter and other activist movements have used the phrase to call for police budget reductions and to delegate certain police responsibilities to other organizations. Public opinion on how to address these requests have been mixed. My guests today are Chris, who has served as a poli...
Black Lives Matter: Helping African American Community?
November 25, 2020 04:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBHas the Black Lives Matter movement been helping the African American community? It’s November 2020 and Americans are divided. While the Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013, it returned to international headlines in May 2020 following the death of George Floyd. With an estimated 15 to 26 million people participating in demonstrations this year, scholars estimate that BLM may be the largest civil movement in US history. How does this impact the African American community moving forward ...
National Anthem: Stand or Kneel?
November 18, 2020 07:00 - 44 minutes - 30.9 MBIs it okay to kneel during the National Anthem? It’s November 2020 and Americans are divided. Since August 2016, some American athletes have protested against police brutality and racism by kneeling on one knee during the U.S. national anthem. Some observers have described the protests as patriotic and have praised the players' social awareness. Others have criticized the attention given to social issues during sporting events, and called the protests disrespectful and tone deaf. Four years...
Social Media: Government Regulation?
November 11, 2020 04:00 - 58 minutes - 40.2 MBShould social media companies be regulated by governments? It’s November 2020 and Americans are divided. This question has returned to the forefront of public debate in late 2020. Netflix released ‘The Social Dilemma’ in September, an eye-opening but troubling documentary about the dangerous human impact from using social media. The CEOs of Twitter, Facebook, and Google testified to the United States Congress in late October on hate speech, misinformation, and liability of user content. Twit...
Antifa: Idea or Organization?
November 11, 2020 04:00 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBIs Antifa an idea or an organization? It’s November 2020, and Americans are divided. This question was one of the most contested subjects during the 2020 Presidential race after Joe Biden described Antifa as an idea during the first debate. Was he right? Regardless of who is serving as President, the question will remain. My guests today are Kim, who argues Antifa is an organization and Ariana, who argues Antifa as an idea. As you’ll notice, both start by acknowledging that their political l...
Vote 2020: Trump or Biden?
November 11, 2020 04:00 - 1 hour - 46.3 MBTrump or Biden? It’s November 2020 and Americans are divided. Today’s episode was recorded before Election Day. You might already know who the next President is, but the questions still linger. What led people to vote the way they did? Why is there such a discrepancy in how different states of our country vote? How do we proceed regardless of who won? My guests today are Niki, a Trump supporter from South Carolina and Rachel, a Biden supporter from the greater Chicago area. Both are in very ...
Trailer: Heal our Division Podcast
November 11, 2020 03:00 - 2 minutes - 1.66 MBAmerica is deeply divided. When it comes to political division, 74 percent of Americans labeled the country as very divided. There is little difference among the political parties, with 96 percent of Republicans and 91 percent of Democrats agreeing. The same poll also found that 59 percent of Americans are pessimistic that people with different political views can come together to solve problems. Only 38 percent feel optimistic. Polls aside, this division isn’t hard to see. Just turn on t...