Alyssa Milano: Sorry Not Sorry

It’s no secret that there are huge cultural and structural barriers which prevent many people in the United States from accessing education.  These barriers are even higher when it comes to those who are incarcerated. And yet, there is good evidence that shows that obtaining an education makes huge differences in the lives of the incarcerated.  To discuss, we’ve invited Mneesha Gellman on the show. Mneesha is the founder and Director of the Emerson Prison Initiative, which makes college available to incarcerated students in Massachusetts. She is the editor of Education Behind the Wall: Why and How We Teach in Prison and co-editor of the forthcoming book Unlocking Potential: Education in Prison Around the World.

One of the interesting side effects of the post-Covid economy has been a surge in the power and influence employees hold. Wages in service industry jobs have risen dramatically as employers struggle to find workers. However, there have also been increasing stories of worker exploitation, leading to a surge in new unionization efforts. To discuss all of it, we’ve invited Michelle Eisen onto the show. Michelle is a Starbucks Barista and organizing member of Starbucks Workers United.

Many of us know about the Tulsa Massacre. But fewer of us know about the long history of innovation and the struggle for equity that continues in Greenwood to this day. Author Victor Luckerson aims to change that. Viktor is a journalist and author based in Tulsa who works to bring neglected black history to light. He is a former staff writer at The Ringer and business reporter for Time magazine. His new book Built from the Fire: The Epic Story of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, America’ Black Wall Street, is now available.

Over the past decade, bad policing has been a constant presence in the headlines, particularly in coverage of police violence against people of color. It makes us wonder if policing can be improved and changes in culture can be achieved. In his new book Walk the Walk, today’s guest Neil Gross examines three cities where he argues police chiefs were able to make significant improvements and culture changes in policing. In addition to being an author and former police officer, Neil is a professor of Sociology at Colby College.

Since the right-wing activist judges on the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, pregnant people across the country have been put in great jeopardy. Our guests today are fighting back. Amanda Zurawski nearly lost her life when a Texas law prevented her from receiving an abortion after a medical emergency made her pregnancy nonviable. Molly Duane is an attorney helping Amanda and four other women sue the state of Texas in collaboration with the Center for Reproductive Rights.

46,000 deaths in America, every single year. We have more guns than people in the United States. And yet somehow, many states across the country are working to make it easier to get guns, easier to carry guns, and easier to kill people without consequence. This is partly because of the lies of the gun industry. To help us sort through the myths and find the truth, we’ve invited one of my favorite humans back on the show. Fred Guttenberg’s daughter Jaime was murdered in the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas school shooting in 2018. Since then, Fred has been one of the world’s leading voices in gun violence prevention. He is the co-author of the new book American Carnage, which is now available.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“American Carnage by authors Thomas Gabor and Fred Guttenberg is a must read. Fred, like far too many Americans, understands gun violence because of the murder of his daughter Jaime. His work with Thomas Gabor to take on the myths around guns and gun violence in America and to present an evidence-based approach has resulted in a book that should be read by everyone who cares about this issue.”

―Congressman Eric Swalwell, US Representative to California's 15th congressional district

“This book, one I will go back to many times, gives you every essential tool to become a well-informed member of a club I want you to join: committed citizens lifting their voices for the lifesaving changes to gun laws the vast majority of Americans want.”

―Steve Kerr, son, husband, father, grandfather, and head coach of the Golden State Warriors

“Let me say at the outset that Fred Guttenberg and I agree on very little when it comes to gun policy. But we listen to each other and we constantly search for common ground. This book written by Thomas Gabor and Fred Guttenberg is an important one. And even though I disagree with some of what's written here, I recommend this book to anyone interested in saving lives. Fred and Tom make a passionate & evidenced-based case for facts to consider when pursuing certain reforms, which I'm sure will spur further passionate debate on this issue between us. I highly recommend American Carnage.”

―Former Congressman Joe Walsh of Illinois's 8th district

“There’s no single voice more important in the conversation in America about gun safety and avoiding the unthinkable tragedy of losing a child to gun violence than Fred Guttenberg. Fred’s voice rings like a clarion in American Carnage where he, along with Thomas Gabor, explores the crucially important issue of misinformation when it comes to gun violence. The assault on truth spreads through every aspect of American politics, and there is no issue more uniquely American or deadly than gun violence. American Carnage is an essential read on one of the most important issues of our time.”

―Nicolle Wallace, host of Deadline: White House on MSNBC and former White House communications director

“There are few issues in American life where the stakes are as high as gun violence, nor where the steps to prevent it are more straightforward. Virtually every American wants to see changes put in place to strengthen our laws and enforcement mechanisms to make gun violence more rare. Yet, those changes have been much harder to enact than popular sentiment would dictate. Why is that? Tom Gabor and Fred Guttenberg lay out why in this exceptional book, which explains the lies, half-truths, and myths propagated by the gun industry to fight common sense gun laws and to sell as many guns as possible, no matter the lives lost or cost to our society. For those of us in the gun violence prevention movement―which is all Americans wanting a safer country where gun violence is rare―this book provides all you need to break through those lies and mistruths, and help lead and participate in conversations that can result in real change, where public safety laws are advanced that protect all Americans from gun violence.”

―Kris Brown, president of Brady, United Against Gun Violence

Ben the Producer here! Every so often, we like to switch things up here, and we're doing it again this week. Alyssa Milano switches roles and joins us as the guest to discuss the GOP's immoral and dangerous attacks against women and women's autonomy.

As Putin's war in Ukraine continues to rage on more than a year after his initial invasion, the toll it is taking is astonishing. A private Russian army seems to be running rampant without Kremlin oversight, civilians and civilian infrastructure are routinely and illegally attacked, and the people of Ukraine continue to suffer. To help make sense of it all, we've invited Owen Matthews on to the show. Owen is a longtime Moscow-based award-winning journalist who served as Newsweek's Moscow Bureau Chief. He is the author of the new book Overreach: An Astonishing Investigation into the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Donald Trump fulfilled one of the decades-long goals of the American far right when he transformed the Supreme Court into a far-right majority body that will have huge impacts long after he is gone. To look at that shift, what it means for the court, and what it means for the country, we've invited Joan Biskupic into the show.  Joan is CNN's Senior Supreme Court Analyst and author of the new book Nine Black Robes: Inside the Supreme Court's Drive to the Right and Its Historic Consequences.

Our guest this week is Jane Roper. Jane is the author of two previous books: a memoir, Double Time, and a novel, Eden Lake. Her short fiction, essays, and humor have appeared in publications including McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, The Millions, The Rumpus, Salon, and Poets & Writers and on NPR. Her new novel, The Society of Shame, is now available.

ABOUT THE SOCIETY OF SHAME

“If you liked Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, read The Society of Shame by Jane Roper.” —The Washington Post
In this timely and witty combination of So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed and Where’d You Go, Bernadette? a viral photo of a politician’s wife’s “feminine hygiene malfunction” catapults her to unwanted fame in a story that’s both a satire of social media stardom and internet activism, and a tender mother-daughter tale.
Kathleen Held’s life is turned upside down when she arrives home to find her house on fire and her husband on the front lawn in his underwear. But the scandal that emerges is not that Bill, who’s running for Senate, is having a painfully cliched affair with one of his young staffers: it’s that the eyewitness photographing the scene accidentally captures a period stain on the back of Kathleen’s pants.
Overnight, Kathleen finds herself the unwitting figurehead for a social media-centered women’s right movement, #YesWeBleed. Humiliated, Kathleen desperately seeks a way to hide from the spotlight. But when she stumbles upon the Society of Shame—led by the infamous author Danica Bellevue—Kathleen finds herself part of a group who are all working to change their lives after their own scandals. Using the teachings of the society, Kathleen channels her newfound fame as a means to reap the benefits of her humiliation and reclaim herself. But as she ascends to celebrity status, Kathleen’s growing obsession with maintaining her popularity online threatens her most important relationship IRL: that with her budding activist daughter, Aggie.
Hilarious and heartfelt, The Society of Shame is a pitch-perfect romp through politics and the perils of being “extremely online”—without losing your sanity or your true self.

As we wrap up Women's History Month, the Equal Rights Amendment is on the cusp of being adopted into the Constitution, if Congress gets its stuff together. It’s the product of more than a century of work of women and allies, and I’ve invited my friend Julie Suk, author of the new book “We the Women: The Unstoppable Mothers of the Equal Rights Amendment” on the podcast to talk about the history of this movement. - Alyssa

Praise For We The Women: The Unstoppable Mothers Of The Equal Rights Amendment…

“We talk as if only men make constitutions. Julie Suk changes this. She introduces us to the diverse cast of women constitution makers who supported, and opposed, the Equal Rights Amendment over the last century. Their quest showcases concerns missing in standard accounts of the Founding, and shows us how these concerns differed among women and over time. Essential reading for those interested in the future of gender justice.”

—REVA SIEGEL, Nicholas deB. Katzenbach Professor, Yale Law School

“Julie Suk’s We the Women is a fascinating and nuanced recounting of the history of the ERA. It brings to light the many women who made constitutional equality for women across generations, highlighting complexities not widely known; documents the unending opposition; and showcases the potential of the ERA’s meaning for the twenty-first century. It will soon be recognized as the go-to resource for the ERA’s long legislative history.”

—LOUISE MELLING, Deputy Legal Director, American Civil Liberties Union

“Meticulously researched and compulsively readable, We the Women draws important connections between the past and present, making clear how, despite long odds and many obstacles, generations of women have come together to debate and demand the conditions necessary for a more perfect union.”

—MELISSA MURRAY, Frederick I. & Grace Stokes Professor of Law, NYU School of Law

“In We the Women, Julie Suk shows us that the Equal Rights Amendment at its core was—and still is—about freedom and power. The mothers of the ERA laid the groundwork of the battle waging in this country today, and though this campaign can feel long and arduous, We the Women has left me more hopeful.”

—FATIMA GOSS GRAVES, President and CEO, National Women’s Law Center

The past decades have seen a steady erosion of Democratic support from what used to be core voters: blue collar workers in factory towns.  There are many reasons for this, and to explain what's happened and how to fix it, I've invited Mike Lux, founder of American Family Voices on to discuss.  Mike is a writer and thought leader, and as the co-founder of Democracy Partners, one of the most influential voices in progressive politics in the United States.

If it seems like the richest people in the world are getting richer—at the expense of everyone else—it’s because they are. A recent report from Oxfam illustrates just how much richer the wealthiest people in the world are getting, and to discuss what it means for the rest of us, I’ve invited Nabil Ahmed onto the podcast. Nabil is the Director of Economic Justice for Oxfam America.

International Women’s Day is March 8th. To talk about the state of women in the workplace in 2023, I’ve invited Laura Casselman on the show. Laura is a former Radio City Rockette who beat the boys club to become CEO of JVZoo.com. Her book "Trust Your Increments" is now available to order.

This year, Alyssa is celebrating her twentieth year as a UNICEF ambassador. That work has taken her around the world, including a trip she made to Egypt in 2022. To talk about the state of affairs in Egypt, and the UNICEF Ambassador program in general, we’ve invited Dina Heikal, UNICEF’s Social and Behavioral Change officer, who Alyssa met while in Egypt.

Two things we know about our political leadership in America is that it is too old, and too white. Our guests this week are working to change that. I’m happy to be joined by Zak Malamed and Sydney Minetta Brown of The Next 50, a political action committee working to elect the next generation of Democratic Leaders.

It shouldn’t be a secret that white supremacy was baked into the founding of this nation, but it’s still not a story we like to tell as part of our history. Our guest this week is working to change that. David Mura is an essayist, memoirist, poet and fiction writer who brings a unique perspective to our multi-racial and multi-cultural society. A third-generation Japanese-American, he has written intimately about his life as a man of color and the connections between race, culture and history. His new book, The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself, is now available to order.

Our guest this week is Cisco Aguilar. Cisco was elected as Nevada Secretary of State in 2022 and assumed office on January 2, 2023. As an attorney and small business owner, and with years of experience in the private and public sectors, Cisco brings a unique perspective and expertise into the Secretary of State’s Office.

We continue our week-long observation of MLK Day with Heather McGhee. On this episode we welcomed Heather McGhee back to the show. Heather is a bestselling author, a speaker, and the Board Chair for Color of Change, the country’s largest online racial justice organization. She’s also the host of the podcast The Sum of Us, which launched in July, 2022.

We're continuing our observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day by highlighting episodes in our archive with just some of the people we've interviewed doing the hard work of Racial Justice. People like Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who has been representing California’s 13th district since 1999. She was the only person in Congress to vote against the expanded use of force authorization immediately after the 9/11 attacks and has been a constant force for peace in Congress since. She is working now to advance a Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Commission through Congress.

We're continuing our week-long honoring of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by highlighting some of the episodes in our archives featuring people doing the hard work of racial justice, like Mondale Robinson. Mondale is the founder and Principal of Black Male Voter Project, an organization dedicated to overcoming systemic disenfranchisement of Black voters, and Black men in particular, in the electoral process.

In honor of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, we will be highlighting an episode from our archives each day this week with someone fighting for racial justice. To start, we're joined by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman. Anna is a is a researcher, writer, science communicator and activist. She is the co-founder of The Sadie Collective, the only nonprofit organization addressing the lack of Black women in economics and related fields, and the editor of The Black Agenda: Bold Solutions for a Broken System, a new book of essays on policy solutions to social problems written by black activists.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An expansive set of essays highlighting the range and force of Black leadership....An inclusive, edifying, often fiery assembly of voices articulating the way forward for Black America―and America in general." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Invigorating...policymakers will want to take note." ―Publishers Weekly

"The Black Agenda mobilizes top Black experts from across the country to share transformative perspectives on how to deploy anti-racist ideas and policies into everything from climate policy to criminal justice to healthcare. This book will challenge what you think is possible by igniting long overdue conversations around how to enact lasting and meaningful change rooted in racial justice." ―Ibram X. Kendi, #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist and Stamped From the Beginning

"This book is the first step towards defining Black expertise, assigning value to the work that we do, and taking up space in the public on our own terms. I, for one, am looking forward to being able to knock people on the head with the collection. I’m looking forward to the spaces in need of critical self-reflection that make this book a normal part of routine business and the discourse. And most of all, I am looking forward to everybody with any resource, no matter how small, reading this book too." ―Tressie McMillan Cottom, author of Thick: And other Essays

"The Black Agenda is urgent. It's urgent that white people recognize that centering, listening to, and being led by the voices in this book are the start to investing in societal solutions. I wish that moral arguments of equity were enough but know they're not. These chapters are a strong mix of diagnosis and prescription, with an appropriate layer of moral calling to help us learn, reflect, and be motivated toward specific action." ―Chelsea Clinton, New York Times bestselling author of She Persisted

"This book is overdue and imperative. We can't get clear national momentum without a core focus on the Black agenda. I am thrilled for the conversation and action this will inspire." ―Wes Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Wes Moore

"The Black Agenda brings together a group of brilliant thinkers offering bold solutions to combat many of the social problems facing Black people in the United States. This powerful collection is a must-read for anyone interested in turning anti-racist ideas into action." ―Keisha N. Blain, Co-Editor of #1 New York Times bestseller Four Hundred Souls

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We live in a culture which stresses self-sacrifice and perceived security and stability over the potential happiness and self-discovery which can come with quitting work and moving on to something new.  Our guest this week is living proof of how fruitful quitting can be. Keith Boykin  is a TV and film producer, a national political commentator, a New York Times bestselling author, and a former White House aide to President Bill Clinton. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, Boykin has taught at the Institute for Research in African-American Studies at Columbia University, City College of New York, and American University in Washington, DC. He is a cofounder and the first board president of the National Black Justice Coalition and a Lambda Literary Award–winning author of five books.  His new Scribd original “Quitting: Why I Left My Job to Live a Life of Freedom” is now available.

If you've followed Alyssa or her career since the 1980s, you know that the only reason she cares that she has a platform is that it allows her to work to make the world a better place. And that's why I'm so excited about this episode. We've invited four of your (and our) favorite influencers from TikTok, who are using THEIR platforms, in exciting new ways. In this episode, you'll hear familiar voices talking about how and why they use those voices for change in 2023 and beyond, including Ashlelnok, Aunt Karen, Ms. Frazzled, and Jeffrey Marsh!

Our annual end-of-year tradition: recapping some of the moments that defined 2022 for Sorry Not Sorry.  Did we miss some of yours?  Let us know by leaving us a voicemail!

Our guest this week is Jessica Grose, an opinion writer at The New York Times who writes a popular newsletter on parenting. Jess was the founding editor of Lenny, the email newsletter and website. She also writes about women’s health, culture, politics and grizzly bears. Her new book "Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood" is now available.

One of the issues that is so close to our heart is how art influences culture. We often say that nothing can change the world the way art can—it brings us together across so many of our divides to discuss important issues. And boy, does our guest this week have a story about a group of artists who lived authentically and pushed against social boundaries. Nino Strachey. Nino is a writer, historian and public speaker who worked as Head of Research for the National Trust. Since starting her career with the Landmark Trust, she has worked for English Heritage and the National Trust, curating the homes of scientists, politicians and writers. Her new book "Young Bloomsbury: Young Bloomsbury: The Generation That Redefined Love, Freedom, and Self-Expression in 1920s England," is now available to order.

The Supreme Court recently began a new term, the first with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. There are a number of important cases on the docket. We’ve invited Meagan Hatcher-Mayes, Director of Democracy at Indivisible, and part of the Unrig the Courts Coalition onto the podcast to discuss what to expect and efforts to reform the court.

We’ve heard it before: the consequences of our elections have never been more important. We’ve just seen that in the midterms, and it’s already time to saddle up for the 2024 general. The Big Lie is an existential threat to our democracy, and as these elections have shown, that threat continues. This week, we’ve invited election experts Major Garrett, is CBS Chief Washington Correspondent, and David Becker, founder of The Center for Election Innovation and Research, on the show to discuss their new book The Big Truth: Upholding Democracy in the Age of The Big Lie, which is now available.

It’s Thanksgiving week, and we have an episode for you that will change the way you see the holiday. Our guest today is Denise Kiernan. Denise is an author, journalist and producer. Her books, The Last Castle, and The Girls of Atomic City were national bestsellers. She joins us to discuss her book We Gather Together: A Nation Divided, A President in Turmoil, and a Historic Campaign to Embrace Gratitude and Grace.

David Corn is a veteran Washington journalist and political commentator. He is the Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones magazine and an analyst for MSNBC. He is also the author or coauthor of four New York Times bestsellers, including the #1 bestseller Russian Roulette, Showdown, and Hubris; and the author of the novel Deep Background. His new book, American Psychosis: A Historical Investigation of How the Republican Party Went Crazy, argues that since the 1950s the GOP has encouraged and exploited extremism to gain power.

If you’ve listened to this podcast, or really anything Alyssa's done or said in her adult life, you know that fighting against the oppression of women is her life’s work. Recently, in Iran, we’ve seen this oppression boil over into huge anti-government protests in that country and around the world after Mahsa Amini died in the custody of that country’s incredibly immoral “morality police.” To help us understand the importance and current state of those protests, We’ve invited actor and comedian Nazanin Nour on the show. Nazanin has appeared in television shows like Madam Secretary and Criminal Minds and as a judge on Persia’s got talent.

The 2022 Midterms are on November 8th. In this episode, Alyssa and Ben Jackson discuss what to expect, how to get involved, and how to make sure your vote is counted.  There's so much at stake--make sure you're prepared!

While the Trump regime has ended, the hate-fueled machinery of lies and disinformation around immigrants in America has not. To look at the sources and impacts of this machine, we’ve invited Shauna Siggelkow, Director of Digital Storytelling at Define American to the show.

On this episode we’re welcoming Heather McGhee back to the show. Heather is a bestselling author, a speaker, and the Board Chair for Color of Change, the country’s largest online racial justice organization. She’s also the host of the podcast The Sum of Us, which launched in July.

Secretaries of State are the chief election administrators around the country. As the midterm elections unfold, we’re seeing just how important that role is. Our guest for this episode is Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold. She’s joining us to discuss the critical role Secretaries of State play, the state of election integrity around the nation, and her re-election campaign.

Our guest this week is Dr. Nicholas Kardaras. Nick is an Ivy League educated psychologist, one of the country’s foremost addiction and mental health experts and the bestselling author of Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction is Hijacking Our Kids – and How to Break the Trance. His new book, “DIGITAL MADNESS: How Social Media Is Driving Our Mental Health Crisis” is now available. 

When the Supreme Court took away the right to abortion it said loudly and clearly that in America, women are not entitled to equal protection under the law. But the Equal Rights Amendment has been ratified by the states and is sitting in limbo. To help us make sense of it all, We’ve invited Kate Kelly on the show. Kate is a feminist, activist, and human rights lawyer. She’s a nationally known advocate for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and host and creator of the podcast Ordinary Equality and author of a new book of the same name.

Donna Jackson Nakazawa is an award-winning journalist and internationally-recognized speaker whose work explores the intersection of neuroscience, immunology, and human emotion. Her mission is to translate emerging science in ways that help those with chronic conditions find healing. Her new book Girls on the Brink: Helping Our Daughters Thrive in an Era of Increased Anxiety, Depression, and Social Media is now available.

Our guest this week is Andy Borowitz. Andy is an award-winning comedian and New York Times bestselling author. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from Harvard College, where he became President of the Harvard Lampoon. In 1998, he began contributing humor to The New Yorker’s “Shouts & Murmurs” and “Talk of the Town” departments, and in 2001, he created “The Borowitz Report,” a satirical news column, which has millions of readers around the world. In 2012, The New Yorker began publishing “The Borowitz Report.” As a storyteller, he hosted “Stories at the Moth” from 1999 to 2009. As a comedian, he has played to sold-out venues around the world, including during his national tour, “Make America Not Embarrassing Again,” from 2018 to 2020. His new book Profiles in Ignorance: How America's Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber is now available.

Review

“How did we slide into the abyss of liking our politicians to be—or to act—dumb rather than smart? In this funny but serious book, Andy Borowitz chronicles our embrace of anti-intellectualism.” —Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Code Breaker

“This is one of these brilliant books that makes you laugh until you cry. Borowitz masterfully throws light (and shade) on the confederacy of dunces who have fumbled their way into power. His writing has never been smarter, sharper, or more necessary.” —Susan Orlean, New York Times bestselling author of The Library Book

“A devastatingly funny takedown of a veritable Mount Rushmore of incompetents . . . In the hallowed tradition of Will Rogers, Mark Twain, H.L. Mencken, Ambrose Bierce, and other clear-eyed satirists, Borowitz skewers all manner of chronically befuddled, willfully ignorant dolts. . . . Ravaging this seemingly endless rogues’ gallery of buffoonery and corruption, Borowitz marshals mind-boggling, breathtaking evidence. . . . While there are countless laughs in the book, they have a rueful edge given that we are all affected by such widespread ignorance.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Readers may laugh, cry, or swear under their breath (sometimes all at once) with this scathing survey of the seemingly increasing ignorance of American politicians. Borowitz, a writer of page and screen and satirist for The New Yorker, humorously examines the ever-increasing, lowering-of-the-bar expectations of presidential candidates’ knowledge and beyond in this book that is perfect for fans of The Daily Show or John Lithgow’s “Dumpty” series. . . . For readers who have ever looked at the political landscape and asked how or why, this is a book that will inform and infuriate.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“Andy makes me laugh out loud, that’s a given.  In this book he has also made me think out loud.  Profiles in Ignorance is hilarious, original, scary, prescient and a wake-up call for us all. A must read.” —Susie Essman, HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm

“[Borowitz] sheds light on the cultural and economic trends that gave intellectualism a bad name and identifies the political operatives . . . who facilitated the rise of ignorance. Fans of The Borowitz Report will gobble this up.” —Publishers Weekly

The cruel, bizarre, and frankly evil supreme court decision taking away a woman’s right to choose is wreaking havoc in the medical community. To help us make sense of the legal lay of the land and the ethical status of abortion, we’ve invited Katie L. Watson onto the show. Katie is an Associate Professor of Medical Education, Medical Social Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is also a lawyer who clerked in the federal courts, a bioethicist and the author of The Scarlet A: The Ethics, Law, and Politics of Ordinary Abortion.

Our guest today is Michael Pollan. Since the 2018 publication of his New York Times bestseller How to Change Your Mind, Michael’s work on psychedelics has steered the national conversation on the medical potential and stigmas surrounding some of the most powerful, naturally-derived drugs. He furthers the discussion in his new book This is Your Mind on Plants and his Netflix Series “How to Change Your Mind.”

Our guest this week is Anya Kamenetz. Anya has covered education for many years including for NPR, where she co-created the podcast Life Kit: Parenting. She speaks, writes, and thinks about learning and the future. Her new book The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Children’s Lives, And Where We Go Now is now available.

Our guest this week is Congresswoman Veronica Escobar. Congresswoman Escobar represents the 16th Congressional District in Texas, a position she’s held since 2019. When elected, she became one of the first two Latinas from Texas to serve in Congress. On July 19th, she and other members of Congress were arrested protesting at the Supreme Court against their evil decision removing the right to abortion from millions of Americans.

Critical Race Theory is widely maligned by those on the right, but poorly understood. Our guest for this episode, Dr. Victor Ray, can help us sort out the truth from the lies. Victor is nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. As an active public scholar, his social and critical commentary has appeared in outlets such as The Washington Post, Newsweek, Harvard Business Review, and Boston Review. His new book, On Critical Race Theory: Why it Matters and Why You Should Care is now available.

Over the years, this podcast has focused on highlighting those people who are not only experts in identifying the significant problems facing the United States and its institutions, but those who propose bold solutions to those problems. In the past weeks, those problems have expanded significantly. Once again, Joe Manchin—a single senator representing a single state—has blocked critical environmental legislation. Despite being a democrat, he’s tanked the Democratic majority in the senate, and he can do this because of the filibuster. At the same time, a rogue, extremist supreme court has undermined very basic freedoms in our nation, from the right to access abortion, go to school free from religious influence, and even receive full Miranda protections if arrested. Today, we’ll look back at two of our episodes where our guests propose ways to get past these critical problems.

First, we’ll hear from Adam Jentleson. Adam is a writer and former Deputy Chief of Staff for then Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He joined us to discuss his book Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy.

Next, we hear from Tamara Brummer, Executive Eirector for Outreach with Demand Justice, who joined us to discuss efforts to reform and expand the supreme court.

Guest Hosted by Ben Jackson

When you share your life with someone, you take on the idea of being a caretaker if something goes wrong, but only in the abstract. But when that idea becomes a reality, life changes in so many ways you may never expect. My guest this week is Abi Morgan. Abi is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter ("The Iron Lady") whose new book “This is Not a Pity Memoir” is now available.

Editorial Reviews

"With her trademark deadpan, trenchant wit, and a deeply soulful mindfulness, Abi Morgan takes a breathtaking hike on the cliff edge of a life upended by illness. By turns harrowing, cracking sharp and heartbreaking, it is...comforting to accompany someone with her sense of humor and the absurd on this trip- (this) book is a gift to anyone who has been similarly unmoored by fate and the furies.” -- Meryl Streep

“The kind of book you will find yourself saying urgently, over and over, to friends. “Have you read it? Have you read it?" -- Caitlin Moran

“Gripping, funny and always honest.”  -- David Nicholls

"There are no words. I was stunned, in every sense, by this heart-breaking, profound and deeply human memoir. Like CS Lewis on grief, Morgan finds truth and beauty in the darkest places. I feel changed by this book. I will never forget it." -- Meg Mason, author of Sorrow & Bliss

"From the very first line I couldn’t stop reading. Abi invites you in to what feels almost like a thriller, then quickly a heart bursting romantic comedy and a devastating drama. Even if this was fiction it would be impossible to stop thinking about this book long after reading. The fact that this is Abi’s real life experience brought forth as this astonishing piece of writing is truly breathtaking. It’s arrestingly honest, funny, profound and exquisitely written. I could not have loved it more."  -- Carey Mulligan

“A mash-up of all the things I love in a book – honesty, comedy, pathos and what- happens-next. It’s brutal – in a good way – but above all else it’s a testament to kindness, stickability and enduring love.”  -- Kit de Waal

"An extraordinary tale told extraordinarily well." -- Marina Hyde

"I wept. I dared to hope. I felt my heart crack. Exceptional." -- Sam Baker

“A profound look at the complexities of love, even at its most mundane. Equal parts savage and sublime, this obliterates notions of memory and intimacy with grace and precision….[A] raw and incandescent debut.”  -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A candid, intimate memoir of a harrowing time.” -- Kirkus Reviews

We have a mass incarceration problem in America, with entire industries created to lock people up, keep them locked up, and make it difficult or impossible for many of the people they catch in their cycle to break free. Our guest this week learned this firsthand. Keri Blakinger is a Texas-based journalist and the author of the new book Corrections in Ink, a memoir tracing her path from figure skating to heroin addiction to prison and, finally, to life as an investigative reporter covering mass incarceration for The Marshall Project.

The Supreme Court has gone rogue. It's radically reduced the right to privacy, the right to bodily autonomy, the right to hold rogue police accountable, the ability of the government to protect the environment, and significantly weakened the wall between church and state--all very much against the wishes of the American people. 

Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia has a plan to make the court more representative of the people.  He joined us to discuss.

The extremist extreme court just stripped away the right to bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom from millions of Americans when it overturned Roe v. Wade. One in four women in the U.S. will have an abortion by the age of 45. But since the beginning of 2019, more than 250 bills restricting access to abortion care have been introduced in forty one states. Throughout this episode, you will hear from women who share why they decided to have an abortion - women who sent in their own stories, women who have shared publicly in the media or in front of Congress, and Alyssa tells her own abortion story, joined by Amanda Palmer, Gloria Allred and others.

This week, in light of the dangerous attacks on freedom from the American government, we'll be revisiting episodes that highlight the problems and offer solutions. 

It’s been nearly thirty years since the Congress passed meaningful gun violence prevention legislation despite overwhelming support for these measures from the American people. In those decades, more than a million people in America have died from gunshot wounds, and more than two million have been injured. After the latest high profile mass shootings in Buffalo New York and Uvalde, Texas, Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a leading figure in efforts to reduce gun violence, led a bipartisan group of senators to a framework agreement on gun safety measures. He joins us today to discuss.

This week, we’re welcoming Bill McKibben back to the show. Bill is the author of more than a dozen books, including the best sellers Falter, Deep Economy, and The End of Nature, which was the first book to warn the general public about the climate crisis. His new book “The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened” is now available.  Guest hosted by Ben Jackson.

“If we survive the interlocking plagues of climate change, right-wing authoritarianism, and savage inequality, future generations will utter the name of the New England moral visionary and activist McKibben with the reverence we speak of Emerson, Thoreau, and Garrison. This sparkling little diamond of a book illuminates the all-American boyhood and education of a radical Christian environmentalist in love with a broken world that, frankly speaking, may or may not exist at all a century from now. May McKibben's golden pen continue to flow swiftly and conquer―with both love and reason―the dangerous enemies of human civilization.“
―Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-8)

“Plainspoken, direct, conversational, and inspiring, Bill McKibben offers us generous insight into who he is and how he has been shaped by his middle-class upbringing in the suburbs. We see through inner and outer choices, struggles, and influences, why one of the world's most effective and humble leaders in the climate justice movement committed himself to an activist's life on behalf of a warming planet. The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon is more than a memoir, it is a bow to the power of social justice movements and a smart and savvy historical reflection on what has brought us to this crucible moment of climate collapse. Bill McKibben is an every-day hero who continues to show us not only what is possible, but necessary to our survival, the survival of our democracy, and all life in the places we call home.“
―Terry Tempest Williams, author of Erosion: Essays of Undoing

“What went wrong with America in the 1970s? In this searching book, Bill McKibben wrestles with a generation that lost its way, and why, and how to find the way back.”
―Jill Lepore, author of These Truths: A History of the United States

“Bill McKibben has written a great American memoir, using the prism of his own life to reflect on the most important dynamics in our society. Bill McKibben’s writing is poignant, engrossing and revealing. His message is a clarion call for a generation to understand what happened to their American Dream, and to fight for our common future.”
―Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us: How Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together

“Bill McKibben is such a heroic and consequential leader in the fight for the climate on behalf of all humankind, it's easy to lose sight of his humanity. As usual, this book is a thoughtful critique of wrong turns America has taken, but this time refreshingly and revealingly intertwined with his personal story. As a fellow former suburban boy who has also tried hard to figure out ‘what the hell happened,’ The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon was like listening to a wise old pal preach.”
―Kurt Andersen, author of Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America

“The prolific writer and activist finds some of the causes of our societal meltdown in the idyllic suburbs of his youth. . . . McKibben capably picks apart long-ago history to find present themes.”
―Kirkus Reviews

There aren’t a lot of people who have a life which resembles Alyssa Milano's. As an actor from childhood who is still working on the cusp of fifty, our guest Wil Wheaton is one of the few. He joins us today to discuss his reappearance in Star Trek, his time on The Big Bang Theory, his time as a young actor and as a less-young actor, and his bestselling new book Still Just a Geek, which is now available.

Over the past several years, corporations and entire industries have quickly made statements and some policy changes in response to social and racial justice movements. Those statement and initiatives, however, often exist as feel-good marketing initiatives or sincere efforts with unintended consequences. In her new book “Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service,” Tajja Isen explores these efforts and the realities they mask and reveal.

“[A] stellar debut collection...Some of My Best Friends shows a bracing willingness to tackle sensitive issues that others often sweep under a rug.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Isen scrutinizes society’s attempts to bandage over such issues as race and gender inequality in her powerful debut. Isen’s voice is both wry and sensitive as she fearlessly lays out the limits of talk in solving inequality; fans of sharp cultural criticism, take note."
—Publishers Weekly

“Beautifully written, wildly funny, and whip smart, the essays in Some of My Best Friends are among the best I've ever read. Tajja Isen is unafraid to ask deep questions and embrace their messy answers. She's one hell of a writer.”
—Kristen Arnett, New York Times bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things and With Teeth

“Isen understands that our shared future demands we expose and call out wasted time, hollow gestures, and empty words. Some of My Best Friends is an inspiring, determined work of personal narrative and cultural criticism.”
—Saeed Jones, author of How We Fight for Our Lives

“The essays in this book dazzle stylistically, thrill intellectually and flip the finger to the many ways North America pretends to talk about racial experiences. Isen is a provocateur of the first order. Her wit and wisdom capture the current moment and soar above it.”
—Kamal Al-Solaylee, author of Return and Brown

“Sure-footed and illuminating, Some of My Best Friends brilliantly lays bare the lies that accompany some of the most insidious aspects of racism— lip service, pandering, and plausible deniability—and offers a bracing inoculation.”
—Jess Zimmerman, author of Women and Other Monsters

“Every essay in this collection reminded me of what makes Tajja Isen a must-read writer: her thoughtfulness, her incisive humor, and her deadeye aim. Some of My Best Friends is a genuine pleasure to read and the best kind of intellectual conversation.”
—Nicole Chung, author of All You Can Ever Know

“Some of My Best Friends is the rare essay collection that feels both modern and timeless. Hilarious and fresh, it's the type of analysis that feels vital and made me go, "Finally!" What a joy to read.”
—Sarah Hagi, writer at Gawker

"Often hilarious, always thought provoking."
— ELLE, Canada

We’re already into the midterm election season. California will host its primary elections on June 7th, and my guest this week is hoping to advance into the general. Kermit Jones is running for Congress in California’s 3rd Congressional District. He’s a doctor, a former White House Fellow, a former Navy Flight Surgeon, and a public policy expert.

Mothering is work. It’s creative, it’s exhausting, it can be financially crushing, and it is immeasurably rewarding. But always, it is work. Our guest this week is Angela Garbes, bestselling author of Like a Mother. Her new book, Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change is now available.

About Essential Labor

From the acclaimed author of Like a Mother comes a reflection on the state of caregiving in America, and an exploration of mothering as a means of social change.

The Covid-19 pandemic shed fresh light on a long-overlooked truth: mothering is among the only essential work humans do. In response to the increasing weight placed on mothers and caregivers—and the lack of a social safety net to support them—writer Angela Garbes found herself pondering a vital question: How, under our current circumstances that leave us lonely, exhausted, and financially strained, might we demand more from American family life?

In Essential Labor, Garbes explores assumptions about care, work, and deservedness, offering a deeply personal and rigorously reported look at what mothering is, and can be. A first-generation Filipino-American, Garbes shares the perspective of her family's complicated relationship to care work, placing mothering in a global context—the invisible economic engine that has been historically demanded of women of color.

Garbes contends that while the labor of raising children is devalued in America, the act of mothering offers the radical potential to create a more equitable society. In Essential Labor, Garbes reframes the physically and mentally draining work of meeting a child's bodily and emotional needs as opportunities to find meaning, to nurture a deeper sense of self, pleasure, and belonging. This is highly skilled labor, work that impacts society at its most foundational level.

Part galvanizing manifesto, part poignant narrative, Essential Labor is a beautifully rendered reflection on care that reminds us of the irrefutable power and beauty of mothering.

It’s almost impossible to quantify the problems with the way we approach healthcare in this country. For something which should be a human right, high-quality healthcare is often provided in unlimited amounts to the rich at the expense of the poor—especially people of color. In his new book “The Emergency: A Year of Healing and Heartbreak in a Chicago ER,” our guest Dr. Thomas Fisher examines the injustices of our system through the eyes of a physician trying to do his best for his patients in a system that seems designed to prevent him from doing so.

PRAISE for “The Emergency: A Year of Healing and Heartbreak in a Chicago ER”

“This book reminds us how permanently interesting our bodies are, especially when they go wrong. Fisher’s account of his days is gripping. . . . His frustration, his outraged intelligence, is palpable on every page. . . . the best account I’ve read about working in a busy hospital during Covid.” —The New York Times

“A briskly paced, heartfelt, often harrowing year in the life of an ER doctor on Chicago’s historically Black South Side.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“The Emergency is graphic and gut-wrenching, as it should be. It is an undeniable call for a just health-care system, as it will be.”—Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist

“With scalpel-like precision and searing patient stories, Thomas Fisher exposes the battlefield of medicine and the scarring—and often fatal—wounds of inequality. The Emergency is a bat call. Health care doesn’t care, inequality kills, and we must do better.”—Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, author of What the Eyes Don’t See

“The Emergency is a doctor’s-eye view of the layered crises afflicting a single Chicago community and the entire nation that surrounds it. By turns brutal and beautiful, this is a tale of life, death, and the people whose efforts often determine which of those two will prevail.”—Jelani Cobb, co-editor of The Matter of Black Lives

“Tired of reading about COVID-19? Don’t make the mistake of missing the best book about it to date. The Emergency is Thomas Fisher’s memoir of the first year of the pandemic’s grip on Chicago’s South Side, where he grew up and where he battled the disease, along with every other ailment and injury that reached his emergency room. This is no past-tense memoir but a gripping account of events as they happen. It’s beautifully rendered in the present tense and leavened by a series of letters he composed to, and in honor of, his patients. But this is also a book about our country, a wrenching and tender reflection on an aphorism Fisher invokes: When America catches a cold, black America catches pneumonia. It won’t take you long to read this fast-paced account, but you won’t forget it anytime soon.”—Paul Farmer, M.D., author of Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor

“Riveting . . . [Fisher] eloquently captures the intensity of the situation . . . and shares heartrending stories of victims. . . . The result is a powerful reckoning with racial injustice and a moving portrait of everyday heroism.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Dramatic . . . well written and compassionate . . . a persuasive, sympathetic . . . insider’s report on a broken system.”—Kirkus Reviews

SEE LESS

The Supreme Court appears poised to rip bodily autonomy from millions of American women. The draft opinion written by Justice Alito relies heavily on historical rights. In this short film, Alyssa takes you through a primer of the history of abortion and the fight of pregnant people to control their own bodies and access essential reproductive healthcare despite a constant onslaught from an extreme religious right which does not represent the majority of Americans.

Our guest this week is Celeste Headlee. Celeste is award-winning journalist, professional speaker and best-selling author. In her 20-year career in public radio, Celeste has anchored programs including Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. She is the author of a new piece available on Scribd called “You’re Cute When You’re Mad.”

The midterm elections are quickly approaching, and the stakes are so high. Our guest this week is Charles Booker, candidate for the United States Senate in Kentucky. His new book From the Hood to the Holler: A story of Separate World, Shared Dreams and the Fight for America's Future  is now available.

The internet is a cesspool of horrible people saying and doing horrible things. So much of the worst behavior is directed at women, in an effort to shame and silence us - and if you don't believe us, look at the the comments on every post our host Alyssa Milano makes or the trolling fake reviews of this podcast. So many men are abusive, hateful, and terrified of women who have the temerity to exist online. Our friend Nina Jankowicz’ new book “How to Be A Woman Online” is an essential toolkit for women to navigate the worst of it, to fight back, and to build a safer internet. She joined us this week to discuss.

It’s been more than a century since the Equal Rights Amendment was first drafted. And it’s been fifty years since the Equal Rights Amendment was passed by Congress and sent to the states. In 2020, Virginia became the last state needed to ratify the ERA, and yet it is still not in the Constitution. It’s infuriating, and it’s bad for our country and dangerous for women. We’ve devoted extensive time over the years to covering the Equal Rights Amendment, and this week we’re revisiting some of those moments in observance of the ERA’s 50thanniversary.

Shame is everywhere. From advertising to the dinner table, and on every last inch of social media. To examine the origin and effect of this reality, we’ve invited Cathy O’Neil to join us this week. Cathy is the author of the bestselling Weapons of Math Destruction, which won the Euler Book Prize and was longlisted for the National Book Award. She received her PhD in mathematics from Harvard and has worked in finance, tech, and academia. Her new book The Shame Machine: Who Profits in the New Age of Humiliation is now available.

The pandemic has been devastating for everyone in America, but especially for women. We’ve seen our economic power set back years—maybe decades—by the changes to the labor market since the start of COVID. To discuss, we've invited Reshma Saujani on the show. Reshma is an attorney and activist who founded Girls who Code and the Marshall Plan for Moms. She’s also the author of the soon to be released book “Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work and Why It’s Different Than You Think.”

The Supreme Court is supposed to be above partisan politics, but that has not been the case in the past several years. Recent in-depth reporting by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico and The New Yorker confirmed our worst fears about Justice Thomas and his ideologue activist wife Ginni Thomas – that in the wake of the Big Lie the bright red lines that are supposed to protect the impartiality and integrity of the court by placing boundaries between extreme advocacy and cases before the High Court – have all been flouted and perhaps irrevocably blurred.

At the same time, dozens of states have enacted or are trying to enact laws which restrict the right to vote or access to the voting booth for millions, particularly voters of color and others who are traditionally disenfranchised.

Congressman Hank Johnson of Georgia has been at the center of efforts to correct these problems. He joined us for a live episode in front of a virtual studio audience on Monday, March 7, 2022.  This is a recording of that conversation.  Please note that we are using live audio from Zoom, so it might sound a little different than you're used to hearing from us. 

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been devastating for the people of that country. It's also had ripple effects throughout the global economic and security systems, created an unfolding humanitarian and refugee crisis on a scale not seen in Europe since World War II, and united most of the world against Vladimir Putin.

On March 3rd, we were joined by Ukraine expert Andrea Chalupa, cohost of the Gaslit Nation podcast for a special live episode to discuss the latest, including any new information President Biden includes in his State of the Union Address.

In January of 2020, we witnessed an attack on our capitol by American citizens. At the time, many of us said that we didn’t think it could happen here. But it did happen, and it was just one event on a timeline of events that has our guest—and should have each of us--concerned about the future of our country. This week, I’m joined by Barbara F. Walter. Barbara is a professor of International Relations at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego, a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and author of How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them, which is now available.

This week, we're joined by Anna Gifty Opoku-Ayeman. Anna is a is a researcher, writer, science communicator and activist. She is the co-founder of The Sadie Collective, the only nonprofit organization addressing the lack of Black women in economics and related fields, and the editor of The Black Agenda: Bold Solutions for a Broken System, a new book of essays on policy solutions to social problems written by black activists.

Editorial Reviews

"An expansive set of essays highlighting the range and force of Black leadership....An inclusive, edifying, often fiery assembly of voices articulating the way forward for Black America―and America in general." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Invigorating...policymakers will want to take note." ―Publishers Weekly

"The Black Agenda mobilizes top Black experts from across the country to share transformative perspectives on how to deploy anti-racist ideas and policies into everything from climate policy to criminal justice to healthcare. This book will challenge what you think is possible by igniting long overdue conversations around how to enact lasting and meaningful change rooted in racial justice." ―Ibram X. Kendi, #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist and Stamped From the Beginning

"This book is the first step towards defining Black expertise, assigning value to the work that we do, and taking up space in the public on our own terms. I, for one, am looking forward to being able to knock people on the head with the collection. I’m looking forward to the spaces in need of critical self-reflection that make this book a normal part of routine business and the discourse. And most of all, I am looking forward to everybody with any resource, no matter how small, reading this book too." ―Tressie McMillan Cottom, author of Thick: And other Essays

"The Black Agenda is urgent. It's urgent that white people recognize that centering, listening to, and being led by the voices in this book are the start to investing in societal solutions. I wish that moral arguments of equity were enough but know they're not. These chapters are a strong mix of diagnosis and prescription, with an appropriate layer of moral calling to help us learn, reflect, and be motivated toward specific action." ―Chelsea Clinton, New York Times bestselling author of She Persisted

"This book is overdue and imperative. We can't get clear national momentum without a core focus on the Black agenda. I am thrilled for the conversation and action this will inspire." ―Wes Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Wes Moore

"The Black Agenda brings together a group of brilliant thinkers offering bold solutions to combat many of the social problems facing Black people in the United States. This powerful collection is a must-read for anyone interested in turning anti-racist ideas into action." ―Keisha N. Blain, Co-Editor of #1 New York Times bestseller Four Hundred Souls

"The Black Agenda elevates the much-needed insight of Black scholars on the front lines of the most pressing discourses of today. It serves as a jump-start for how we should all be thinking about the future of our world while healing the problems of our past." ―Raquel Willis, writer and activist

"The Black Agenda is a deeply smart and important book. It offers excellent ideas of how to fix our deeply broken system. This is a must read." ―Molly Jong-Fast

"The Black Agenda is bold and unflinching, tackling urgent issues coupled with policy-oriented solutions. I look forward to the work that this volume will catalyze in the world.” ―Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, Harvard Associate Professor and Founder, The Vision and Justice Project

We’re at a last-gasp inflection point for the climate. Humans have so polluted the world that our entire climate is changing. We talk a lot about the human cost of this change, but what about the changes for other species? In his new book The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth, Ben Rawlence explores the northward migration of trees, and what it means for all of us. He joins us this week to discuss.

About The Treeline:

In the tradition of Elizabeth Kolbert and Barry Lopez, a powerful, poetic and deeply absorbing account of the “lung” at the top of the world.

For the last fifty years, the trees of the boreal forest have been moving north. Ben Rawlence's The Treeline takes us along this critical frontier of our warming planet from Norway to Siberia, Alaska to Greenland, Canada to Sweden to meet the scientists, residents and trees confronting huge geological changes. Only the hardest species survive at these latitudes including the ice-loving Dahurian larch of Siberia, the antiseptic Spruce that purifies our atmosphere, the Downy birch conquering Scandinavia, the healing Balsam poplar that Native Americans use as a cure-all and the noble Scots Pine that lives longer when surrounded by its family.

It is a journey of wonder and awe at the incredible creativity and resilience of these species and the mysterious workings of the forest upon which we rely for the air we breathe. Blending reportage with the latest science, The Treeline is a story of what might soon be the last forest left and what that means for the future of all life on earth.

This week, we're joined by Bryan Osorio. Bryan is a Berkeley graduate, the 26 year old mayor of Delano, California, and a candidate for the Democratic nomination for congress in California’s 21stCongressional District.

We’ve got an election coming up this year, and there are truly impressive younger candidates like Bryan Osorio running. We challenge each of you to find emerging young candidates in your states, and help them change the world.

Rhode Island is a small state, but one which is so reflective of so much of the country. It has a governor’s race this year, and Dr. Luis Daniel Munoz is running for the office. He's a medical doctor with a progressive vision for the future. He joins us today to discuss his campaign.

If the Democrats want to increase their razor-thin majority in the Senate, allowing them the possibility of changing senate rules and passing voting rights legislation and other critical goals of the Biden Administration, the State of North Carolina is an essential pickup. Incumbent Republican Richard Burr is retiring, and the state has been trending more and more blue. Late last year, our producer Ben Jackson sat down with Erica Smith, a progressive rural Democrat and former state senator who was running for the seat at the time. While Erica has since ended her Senate campaign and declared for the House, we wanted to bring you this episode as is because the things she says about the senate and her candidacy are so important.

The past several years shocked both our national and global economies. As the government undertakes massive spending programs to counteract the damage, the national debt, the deficit, and inflation have become issues of national debate. We’ve invited Stephanie Kelton, author of The Deficit Myth: Modern Monetary Theory and the Birth of the People's Economy to take us behind the rhetoric and make the case for a different way of looking at the way we raise and spend money at the federal level.

This year started in an attempted coup and an attack on our capitol. It’s ending with criminal indictments for some of those who took part in the planning and execution of that attack—but so much more happened this year. We’ve now lost more than 800,000 to COVID, but the arrival of safe and effective vaccines offers hope. A new president and new government has made progress on important issues, but obstructionists are getting in the way of desperately needed reforms. And all along the way, so many impressive activists are fighting tirelessly to make the world better and more just for all of us. This week, we revisit some of our favorite moments from the show this year.

Our guest this week is Michael Tubbs. Michael served as the mayor of Stockton, CA. He was the city’s first Black mayor and the youngest ever mayor of a major American city. He is the founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and Ending Poverty in California, a Special Advisor to California Governor Newsom on Economic Mobility, and a commentator for MSNBC. His new book “The Deeper the Roots” is now available.

If the Democrats want to retain control of the Senate in 2022, the path goes through Pennsylvania. With a retiring republican incumbent and a state that voted for President Biden, it’s seen as one of the most likely pickups. Our guest this week is Congressman Conor Lamb. He’s a Marine Corps veteran, currently the Representative from Pennsylvania’s 17th District, and a candidate for the United States Senate.

The wealth gap in America creates any number of problems—but perhaps the most pressing is its expansion of poverty. When this poverty intersects with a broken criminal justice system, it becomes criminalized. The cycles of poverty and incarceration can span generations, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tony Messenger of the St. Louis Post Dispatch has spent years covering the stories of the people affected. In his new book Profit and Punishment: How America Criminalizes the Poor in the Name of Justice, he exposes the tragedy of modern-day debtors’ prisons, and how they destroy the lives of poor Americans swept up in a system designed to penalize the most impoverished.

Review

"Messenger is one of the few columnists―maybe the only one―in America whose beat is the poor who are preyed upon by public officials"
―St. Louise Magazine

“With the keen eye and compassionate heart of an award-winning journalist, Messenger shows us that Ferguson is everywhere, putting a human face on the millions of Americans being crushed every year by cash register injustice.”
―Jeffrey Selbin, Chancellor’s Clinical Professor of Law

"Timely and important... should enrage anyone who comes to understand it―and Profit and Punishment is the perfect place to start that understanding."
―Shelf Awareness

"An eye-opening, relevant, and heartbreaking account on the epidemic of criminalized poverty.”
―Kirkus

“Explores the byzantine paths of so-called justice… Profit and Punishment is persuasive and enraging, a book that will stir readers from both sides of the aisle to support reform.”
―Booklist

“A heartbreaking study of how the American justice system is weighted against the poor. … Interweaving hard evidence with harrowing firsthand stories, this is a powerful call for change.”
―Publishers Weekly

"A shocking account... In plainspoken and powerful language, Messenger exposes the unconscionable, unethical and utterly heartbreaking. Read these riveting accounts and be stirred to action!"
―Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Pulitzer Prize Finalist, author of Race for Profit

"Tony Messenger's Pulitzer Prize-winning series on debtors' prisons in Missouri made a serious difference in real people's lives and his book will be a must read for a nation seeking a bipartisan path forward on criminal justice reform."
―Claire McCaskill, former US Senator and analyst for MSNBC

“An intimate, raw, and utterly scathing look at the ordinary and everyday ways in which America's criminal justice system has directly increased the poverty of the many, and dramatically increased the profits of the few, in recent years. All will have zero doubt after reading this devastating account of the full scale human rights crisis that has been wrought by these policies that they must act, immediately, to overhaul them."
―Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Blood in the Water

It seems like we live in a world where every issue divides us on the extremes, and Climate Change is no exception. It’s killing people and economies, and yet it seems like all we can do is yell at each other about it. Our guest this week is trying to change that, one conversation at a time. Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is lead scientist at The Nature Conservancy and author of the new book Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

“An optimistic view on why collective action is still possible—and how it can be realized.” —The New York Times

“As far as heroic characters go, I’m not sure you could do better than Katharine Hayhoe.” —Scientific American

“A must-read if we’re serious about enacting positive change from the ground up, in communities, and through human connections and human emotions.” —Margaret Atwood, Twitter

United Nations Champion of the Earth, climate scientist, and evangelical Christian Katharine Hayhoe changes the debate on how we can save our future.

Called “one of the nation's most effective communicators on climate change” by The New York Times, Katharine Hayhoe knows how to navigate all sides of the conversation on our changing planet. A Canadian climate scientist living in Texas, she negotiates distrust of data, indifference to imminent threats, and resistance to proposed solutions with ease. Over the past fifteen years Hayhoe has found that the most important thing we can do to address climate change is talk about it—and she wants to teach you how.

In Saving Us, Hayhoe argues that when it comes to changing hearts and minds, facts are only one part of the equation. We need to find shared values in order to connect our unique identities to collective action. This is not another doomsday narrative about a planet on fire. It is a multilayered look at science, faith, and human psychology, from an icon in her field—recently named chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy.

Drawing on interdisciplinary research and personal stories, Hayhoe shows that small conversations can have astonishing results. Saving Us leaves us with the tools to open a dialogue with your loved ones about how we all can play a role in pushing forward for change.

Thanksgiving is an American holiday with, at best, a complicated history. Rooted in colonization and stolen land, it is also a time when families often come together and many of us reflect on the things for which we are grateful. It is this gratitude that we’ll focus on today—not Thanksgiving the holiday, but gratitude the emotion. We asked you, our listeners to submit stories of gratitude, and you came through. In this episode, we’ll hear from a variety writers and poets and every day people with the things for which they are grateful.

Featuring original work by Cathy Hannes, Anna Grady, Deanna Costa, Tony Scruggs, Kayla Randolph, Annaliese Baker, Kelsey Day, and Ben Jackson

There is no doubt that our democracy remains threatened. Donald Trump and those who supported his election lies and other corruption continue to exert influence over our political system, and the rise of authoritarianism in America risks everything we hold dear. In his new book Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could, Adam Schiff examines this threat and shares his behind-the-scenes story of confronting it.

Audio excerpted courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio from Midnight in Washington by Adam Schiff, read by the author.

In October of 2021, Alyssa Milano joined other advocates and activists in the first hearing about the Equal Rights Amendment in Congress in decades. This episode is the unedited (safe to remove some dead air during a technical difficulty at the hearing) and uninterrupted.  It will sound a little different than our usual episodes as a result.

We've included the opening statements of all witnesses and Committee leadership, even those which disagree with Alyssa's to provide a comprehensive view of this issue.

For a special episode of Sorry Not Sorry, Alyssa Milano leaves the host's microphone and takes the guest chair to discuss her new book "Sorry Not Sorry," which releases October 26th.  She discusses the process of writing, her life as an activist, her family, and her recent trip to Washington DC to advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment.

Praise for Sorry Not Sorry
“Actor Milano puts her political activism center stage in these resonant and hopeful essays that grapple with systemic racism, abortion rights, #MeToo, and living through the pandemic… Milano’s writing is compassionate, direct, and sincere. Her fans are in for a treat.”—Publishers Weekly

“[Alyssa Milano] is earnest and edgy… as she shares sharp observations, impassioned pleas, and tough assessments on the current state of American society. Readers interested in discussing contemporary issues will find much to agree (or disagree) with in this engaging and provocative volume.”—Booklist

“In this book, Alyssa Milano demonstrates the importance of using your platform—no matter how big or small—to shape social change unapologetically, without fear of backlash.”
—Gabrielle Union, New York Times bestselling author of We’re Going to Need More Wine

“You may know Alyssa Milano for her public acts of bravery and compassion, but in these essays, her personal example helps each of us to become braver and more effective, too. Read Sorry, Not Sorry and find a friend.”
—Gloria Steinem

“These essays capture the American spirit at its best—bold, patriotic, progressive, and honest. In difficult times, they were a pleasure to read.”
—Speaker Nancy Pelosi

“Alyssa Milano is a real fighter, a caring person and passionate advocate who has helped move the needle on so many progressive issues that matter to our democracy and America.”
—Chuck Schumer

“Honest, incisive, funny, real and all too human, Sorry Not Sorry gives you insight into what it means to be both an artist and activist in today’s America.”
—Andrew Yang

“Honest, unsparing, and at times humorous self reflection that gets at where we are and what we’ve been through together.”
—Beto O’Rourke

“This book is an unflinching and self-aware look into the life of one of the most visible progressives in America. Everyone who cares about this country should read it.”
—Ro Khanna, member of Congress

“Alyssa Milano is smart, thoughtful, leader who leads with courage, sincerity, and love. Her essays offer critical insights and important solutions to many of the formidable issues of our time, providing a pathway for us to come together and navigate through our country’s greatest challenges.”
—Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Secretary of State

“Alyssa Milano is an actress, activist, and great patriot, whose love of country shines through her book, Sorry Not Sorry. Part memoir, part call to action, Milano delivers critical insights and lessons on life, politics, family and country, and always with humor and passion. In vivid prose, she invites the reader into her heart and home, and gives us a keen sense of what drives her advocacy. Alyssa has been a fearless champion for people, and it’s no surprise that her book is an unsparing look at the fights of the last decade, and the present struggle to save our democracy.”
—Adam Schiff

On October 2nd, 2021, women and allies across the country marched in opposition to the attacks on women's reproductive freedom. Alyssa Milano spoke at the Los Angeles march. This is a recording of her speech.

Our guest this week is John Pavlovitz. John is a pastor, writer, and activist from Wake Forest, North Carolina. He’s spent nearly three decades teaching, studying, dissecting, deconstructing, and reconstructing the Christian faith. His new book If God Is Love, Don’t Be a Jerk invites us to re-examine the modern faith community and ask if it is as loving as it should be.

ABOUT IF GOD IS LOVE DON'T BE A JERK:

Thou Shalt Not Be Horrible.

Imagine for a moment what the world might look like if we as people of faith, morality, and conscience actually aspired to this mantra.

What if we were fully burdened to create a world that was more loving and equitable than when we arrived?

What if we invited one another to share in wide-open, fearless, spiritual communities truly marked by compassion and interdependence?

What if we daily challenged ourselves to live a faith that simply made us better humans?

John Pavlovitz explores how we can embody this kinder kind of spirituality where we humbly examine our belief system to understand how it might compel us to act in less-than-loving ways toward others.

This simple phrase, "Thou Shalt Not Be Horrible," could help us practice what we preach by creating a world where:

In If God Is Love, Don't Be a Jerk, John Pavlovitz examines the bedrock ideas of our religion: the existence of hell, the utility of prayer, the way we treat LGBTQ people, the value of anger, and other doctrines to help all of us take a good, honest look at how the beliefs we hold can shape our relationships with God and our fellow humans—and to make sure that love has the last, loudest word.

There is a masculinity crisis in America. Men are taught to suppress emotions, creating a world where not only are women harmed, but men as well. Justin Baldoni is working to change that, and joins us to discuss. Justin is an actor who many will know from his starring role as Raphael on Jane the Virgin. He is also a director, producer, entrepreneur and changemaker whose efforts are focused on creating impactful media and entertainment. Baldoni is the co-founder of Wayfarer Studios, an independent financial and production engine pioneering purpose-driven, multi-platform film and television productions that elevate and speak to the human spirit.

Justin's book "Man Enough: Undefining Masculinity" is now available. 

Schools are getting back in session for the third academic year impacted by COVID-19. To discuss this, along with the weaponization of education and educators by right-wing political forces, critical race theory, and more, we’ve invited Sari Beth Rosenberg on the show. Sari is a public high school teacher in Manhattan, whose career was originally due to start on September 11th, 2001. She is a frequent host of online programming for PBS Newshour, the advisor of Feminist Eagles, a feminist student organization and a sought out expert on all things education.

Around the world, the Covid pandemic is as deadly as ever. Vaccines are widely available in some countries, and completely out of reach to others. Here at home, tens of millions are refusing to take the vaccine, violent protests are erupting at school board meetings and even children’s hospitals against mask mandates, and more than 630,000 Americans have died from the disease.

To discuss all of this, we’ve invited Dr. Peter Hotez back on the show. Dr. Hotez is an infectious disease specialist and Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. He and Alyssa Milano have worked together around the world for years, and he is one of the leading experts in preventing infectious diseases.

Please note that because this was a live episode, the sound quality may be a little different than our usual program.

This year brought so many changes to America, most notably the arrival of the Joe Biden administration. We often look at the first 100 days of a new presidency as a measuring stick for how effective the president will be, and Joe Biden’s were impressive. To take a deep dive into what the early part of this presidency revealed, we’ve invited Kelly Hyman on the show. Kelly is a former actress turned lawyer, a frequent legal and news analyst, and the author of the new book Build Back Better: The First 100 Days of the Biden Administration, and Beyond.

Our guest this week is Erin Vilardi. Erin is the Founder and CEO of Vote Run Lead, an organization dedicated to training and empowering women to run for office. Vote Run Lead recently launched Run 51, an initiative to help women run for state legislatures.

Our guest this week is Malcolm Kenyatta. Malcolm is a member of the Pennsylvania State Assembly and a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate election in 2022. He’s got an incredible personal story and an unparalleled commitment to justice.

In 2016 and in 2020, he was elected as Delegate to the Democratic Convention, both times garnering the second-highest vote total of any delegate in the Commonwealth. He has also appeared on local and national media outlets to discuss systemic poverty, affordable education and childcare, and making government more accountable to citizens. He was the subject of an award-winning short documentary about his election run, ‘Going Forward’ produced by Seven Knot Productions, which premiered on ‘The Atlantic Magazine Selects’ in 2018. In 2020, he was chosen by President Joe Biden to give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention along with a group of other ‘Rising Stars.’ He was one of twenty Electoral College votes cast for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, in Harrisburg on December 14, 2020.

As a direct result of the racist and hateful lies and rhetoric Donald Trump and his followers spread about COVID, violence and hate directed at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in this country is on a terrifying rise. We've invited Varun Nikore, Executive Director of the AAPI Victory Alliance on the show to discuss this rise and how we can fight back against this hate.

I first met my friend Misha Collins more than twenty years ago. Since then, we've become dear friends and have worked together on projects on and off screen. Now that Supernatural is over, he joined us to talk about his acting, his activism, and what's next on his plate. I hope you love it! xo, Alyssa.

The Trump administration, with a complicit Senate, completely overhauled the United States judiciary-filling it unqualified and far-right extremist activist judges all the way to the Supreme Court. To discuss the impact of these appointments and what can be done about them, we’ve invited Tamara Brummer to the show. Tamara is the Senior Advisor for Engagement and Outreach for Demand Justice, an organization founded in 2018 with the goal of reforming and protecting the American judiciary.

Recently, the United States Senate failed spectacularly in its duty to protect democracy when every member of the GOP joined a filibuster against the For the People Act, a sweeping and incredibly important bill designed to protect our democracy. To talk about the bill, and what happens next, we’ve invited Senator Jeff Merkley to join us for a special live episode. Senator Merkley was the lead sponsor of the For the People Act in the Senate.

He is a stalwart defender of democracy and a champion of putting people ahead of corporate interests. As a US Senator from Oregon, he’s taken on Wall Street, Special Interests, and even his own party leadership to make sure that the American people always come first.

The Equal Rights Amendment is on the cusp of being adopted into the Constitution, if the Senate gets its stuff together. It’s the product of more than a century of work of women and allies, and I’ve invited my friend Julie Suk, author of the new book “We the Women: The Unstoppable Mothers of the Equal Rights Amendment” on the podcast to talk about the history of this movement. - Alyssa

Praise For We The Women: The Unstoppable Mothers Of The Equal Rights Amendment…

“We talk as if only men make constitutions. Julie Suk changes this. She introduces us to the diverse cast of women constitution makers who supported, and opposed, the Equal Rights Amendment over the last century. Their quest showcases concerns missing in standard accounts of the Founding, and shows us how these concerns differed among women and over time. Essential reading for those interested in the future of gender justice.”
—REVA SIEGEL, Nicholas deB. Katzenbach Professor, Yale La