Understanding Humanity Through the Healing Power of Pets and Unconditional Love with Carol Mithers

When many of us think about animal rescue, we think about abandoned pets looking for a new home. But Carol Mithers chronicles the work of one woman in Los Angeles who challenges us all to understand that animal and human suffering are connected. Mithers is writer whose work has appeared in The New…

Luke Lorentzen Explores the Journey of a Hospital Chaplin in His Documentary “A Still Small Voice”

Shakespeare called death “the undiscovered country.”  Luke Lorentzen documents the work of spiritual guides, also known as hospital chaplains, as they help patients navigate this country and the next.   Lorentzen is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and a lecturer in Stanford University’…

Joanna Weiss on the Intersection of Celebrity Culture and Political Engagement

The most 2024 story would have to involve the Olympics, presidential politics, and Taylor Swift. Joanna Weiss unpacks the recent convergence of those cultural phenomena and what they portend for American politics.   Weiss a Boston-based writer and editor. She is executive director of the AI Litera…

Domestic Violence: Healing and Prevention with Ashley Bendiksen

The data tells us that every minute of every day, 20 people are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. Ashley Bendiksen has turned her personal experience with domestic abuse into a calling to prevent domestic violence and help victims.   Bendiksen is an author, domestic ab…

Steven Brill on Disinformation in the Modern Era and its Consequences

Lies and disinformation are as old as humanity itself.  But Steven Brill argues that the witches brew of 30-year-old legislative consequences; mixed with technological innovation; and bad actors threaten the lives of democratic institutions and truth itself.   Brill is an award-winning journalist,…

Examining the Implications of International Scarcity and Plenty with Francis Gavin

It may be a scarcity mindset that views plenty as better than a world where nations and people compete over limited, scarce resources.  But Francis Gavin explains that even in a world of plenty, there are vexing international challenges for which the United States is not prepared.   Gavin is the G…

Eric Deggans on The Stories We Tell and the Truths They Reflect About Our World Today

The shear amount of media generated and consumed in the United States every day is simply staggering.  Eric Deggans reminds us that the stories we tell, tell us something about ourselves—whether those stories are about music, or politics, or race. Deggans is NPR’s first full-time TV critic and med…

Climate Change as a National Security Issue with Sherri Goodman

The impact of climate change on the world around us is there for everyone to see—from stronger and more frequent storms to the loss of Arctic Sea ice.  But Sherri Goodman says the threat isn’t just to crops or the polar bears, but to American national security. Sherri Goodman, Senior Fellow at the…

Francesca Mari on the Power of Story to Explore Personal and Public Issues Alike

The stories journalists tell can stretch from the personal to the public. Francesca Mari is no different, giving us narratives and an understanding of personal health crises, the challenge of housing, and the kinds of shelter offered by both families and physical structures. Francesca Mari is a co…

Annalee Newitz on the Power of Story in Disinformation

Disinformation has a long history in the United States—often taking the form of storytelling. Best-selling author Annalee Newitz explains how stories have been weaponized—historically and today—and charts a path to a more peaceful future for all Americans. Newitz writes fiction and nonfiction abou…