Overcoming the Divide: Nonpartisan Politics

The following conversation discusses a number of topics, they include: the challenges of motherhood, ethical responsibilities, how a smile can change your day, and the feeling of a become a parent.

This episode features Colleen McShea. McShea is a Penn State University Alum who, just a few years ago, had plans of entering the workforce and putting her degree to use. After learning that she was expecting just a few months after graduation, her plans quickly changed. She is now a mother to her 1-year-old son, Liam, and is passionate about sharing the joys of motherhood that modern society often overlook and the sense of purpose and fulfillment raising a family can bring to one’s life.

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Time Stamps:
00:30 Intro 
2:15 How a smile can change your day
3:30 How certain social media influencer portray motherhood 
9:00 An uber-capitalist's best friend
15:00 Ethical responsibilities 
19:00 Rise of fertility issues and starting a family 
23:00 Cultivating an environment conducive to supporting family 
26:30 Challenges of motherhood 
31:45 The feeling of a become a parent
34:00 The moments with your family 
40:00 Advice from a young mother to young women 

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded: 6/5/23

The following conversation discusses: the rise of populism, fractures in both parties, the role the Ukrainian war will play in the 2024 elections, 3rd party candidates, and much more.

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This episode features Jai Chabria. Chabria is a Managing Director at MAD Global Strategy advising numerous companies and non-profits, of all sizes, on strategic decisions. He is also a premier political strategist, having worked in the most senior roles of presidential, gubernatorial, and senate campaigns. He recently served as Chief Strategist and General Consultant for Senator JD Vance’s nationally watched
campaign. Chabria is also well versed in how government actually works, serving as Senior Advisor to Ohio Governor John Kasich for five years, providing strategic, legislative and messaging guidance for most of his key initiatives.

Time Stamps:
02:30 Intro
4:00 Motivating and appealing to different audiences and voters
5:15 The current Republican candidates in the primaries
10:45 Trump's indictment and campaign concerns
13:30 Trump and 2016
15:30 A rejection of milque-toast candidates and rise of populism in the parties
22:15 The influence of abortion laws have in elections
32:30 2020, George Floyd & the possibility for change
37:30 The role of the war in Ukraine will play in the 2024 elections
45:20 Predictions for the 2024 elections and party nominees
48:00 3rd Party Candidates
52: 45Rising support among the American public for labor unions
56:00 The fractions of among the democratic party
1:02:30

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded: 6/16/23

The following conversation discusses: looking up from the well traveled in life, setting yourself for financial success, the strength in being kind, and much more! Check below for the time stamps

This episode features Ryan Jakeman. Jakeman is a former student athlete & captain of his college football team. He owns a Real Estate investment company with his cousin and is am currently working at a brokerage firm called PHP Agency as a life insurance agent. Jakeman specializes in helping families create and grow wealth for retirement. Jakeman loves connecting with like-minded individuals who are striving to get better every single day physically, mentally, and spiritually.
 
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Time Stamps:
01:25 Origins of self-improvement
3:45 Feeling lost in life
5:10 Re-inventing your values
7:00Looking up from the well traveled path
12:00 Momento Mori
15:345 Setting yourself up for financial success
20:30 Contemplating your retirement goals
22:30 Increasing wealth inequality
29:30 Radicalization of  society and how to deescalate the rising tensions
35:30 The strength in being kind
42:30  Doing more in life and  in daily responsibilities
45:45 Mechanisms for upgrading yourself
49:15 The aligning and clashing of individuality and social belonging
54:45 Making up for lost time
59:30 One lesson you want people to never forget

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded: 4/26/23

The following conversation looks at: the history of drugs in the United States, the dichotomy between the word 'medicine' and 'drug', the ongoing opioid crisis and much more.
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This episode features David Herzberg. Herzberg is a historian of drugs whose research focuses on the legal kind—psychoactive pharmaceuticals. He explores the nature and trajectory of drug commerce, drug use, and drug policy in American racial capitalism. His work has appeared in numerous scholarly and medical journals, in popular media, and in two books: White Market Drugs: Big Pharma and the Hidden History of Addiction in America (University of Chicago Press, 2020) and Happy Pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009). Herzberg is also co-editor of Social History of Alcohol and Drugs: An Interdisciplinary Journal, the official organ of the Alcohol and Drug History Society.

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded: 12/8/2022

The following conversation looks at: stemming the brain drain from rural communities, revitalizing a region, driving economic growth through government & politics, why employee satisfaction may be higher in rural communities, and much more.
This episode features Will Payne. Payne is managing partner of Coalfield Strategies, an economic development matchmaker for companies seeking expansion opportunities in rural Virginia. Projects include InvestSWVA, a public-private economic diversification campaign for Southwest Virginia, Appalachian Grains, a specialty grain broker for the craft beverage industry and Energy DELTA Lab, an energy testbed focused on leveraging previously-mined land as a proving ground for the commercialization and deployment of innovative energy technologies. Will serves in board leadership roles at William & Mary and UVA's Darden School of Business and also authored a book on leadership at the intersection of business and politics.

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Time Stamps:

03:30 Intro 
8:10 South Western Virginia and  stemming the brain drain
13:45 Attracting talent to rural communities and revitalizing a region
9:45 Driving economic growth through government & politics 
24:45 Partnering with both parties with increasing political polarization 
28:10  The disconnect and challenges between rural and metropolitan areas 
34:30 Attracting expanding companies to the region
40:00  Why employee satisfaction may be higher in rural communities 
46:30 Misconceptions regarding rural communities 
53:45 Innovating a new farmer model in South Western Virginia

Follow InvestSWVA, Energy DELTA Labs, Appalachian Grain & Coalfield Strategies on social media to keep up with Will’s work

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded: 4/26/23

This minisode focuses on the utility and potency of silence in your daily life. It's a skill that appears to be neglected in contemporary society. Ignoring the aimless political and nonsensical remarks of some and instead retaining control and pursuing what is meaningful and purposeful. This minisode provides anecdotal experiences, contemporary examples, and historical strategies like presidents such as FDR utilized.  I hope you enjoy and take something away from the minisode. 

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Recorded: 4/10/23

Book referenced: The 33 Strategies of War by Robert Green

The following conversation is with Ant Diandrea. Diandrea started his journey of learning health and fitness when he enrolled in college as a nursing student. He ended up leaving school to start earning certifications of his personal interests. Ant is currently a certified personal trainer, nutrition and lifestyle coach and a certified mental wellness and emotional eating specialist from the Institute of Transformational Nutrition. While he continues to overcome and battle his own trauma, Ant strives to be a living example of what it means to take control of your one life and own health. Guiding others on their journey of personal excellence, live the life they’ve always dreamed of, and become the happiest and healthiest version of themselves is what drives Ant to continue spreading his own experience and insight in all things mental, physical, and spiritual. Follow on Instagram at ant_diandrea and join The Grit & Gratitude Community for free on Facebook!

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Time Stamps:
01:45 Intro
3:30 The loss of friends in society
7:00 What is  workism? And how money won't be the solution for your health
12:00 The perception of men being open about their mental health
17: The intertwined relationship of mental and physical health
21:25 The rise of prescription drugs for teenagers and the historical malpractice of Big Pharma
30:45The contemporary popularization of staying sad through music and the lack of encouragement to be better
37:25 The attack on masculinity through the usage of "toxic masculinity" and shaping yourself in the world
48:15 The tendency to blame instead of deep diving the root cause of an issue and provide a solution
55:00 The social status and perception of a college degree
59:25 Role models in one's life and the lack of in pop culture
1:05:15 A positive direction to move in as a nation and society

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded: 4/6/23

The following conversation is with Ben Olszewski. Olszewski is the controller for Operating Engineers Local 542 (greater Philadelphia area). Olszewski studied Economics at Penn State, and is now finishing up a Masters of Accounting at the University of Scranton. He is currently running for the Upper Moreland (UM) Township Board of Commissioners. Olszewski aims to be a true representative of the people of UM. He believes our leaders are too focused on party agendas and can lose sight of the main reason why they hold office, which is to serve the people. His focus is to listen to the residents, gather their feedback on the issues, and make decisions accordingly, to the best of his ability.

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I was almost a school shooter | Aaron Stark | TEDxBoulder 

Time stamps:
1:45 Intro
3:45 Inspirations to run for public office
6:40 The office at play
7:150 Local issues that would be addressed
10:40 The importance of getting involved in local politics
12:150 Getting involved in your local community
14:30 The dichotomy between national and local politics
16:30 Approach to school safety
21:10 Moving away from the 'blame game'
24:15 Starting a campaign in your local community
27:45 Discourse in reality vs. virtually
29:30 One's Civic Duty
33:30 Voting for candidates
34:55 Supporting Ben's Campaign: Instagram- Benforum & Facebook-Ben Olszewski for Upper Moreland Board of Commissioners Ward 2
36:30 Ben's platform for public office

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded: 2/15/23

The following conversation is with Liana Fix. Dr. Fix is a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). She is a historian and political scientist, with expertise in German and European foreign and security policy, European security, transatlantic relations, Russia, and Eastern Europe. She is also the author of A New German Power? Germany’s Role in European Russia Policy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). Dr. Fix’s work focuses on German domestic and foreign policy, the European Union, transatlantic relations, and Europe’s relations with Russia and China.

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Time Stamps:
00:00 Intro
02:40  The Nord Stream Pipeline and it's destruction
5:10  The possible actors involved in destroying the pipeline
8:30 The hypothetical if the Ukrainian state did have ties to the Nordstream pipeline
11:45 NATO's and Ukraine's best interest
19:30 The long term strategy aim for Putin's war in Ukraine
25:30 The concern with if Putin were to be removed from power
29:30 Germany's role in the war vs what it should be
35:15 Understanding the depth of this war and its history
The Story of Russia (Orlando Figes)

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded: 3/3

The following conversation is with Charles Kupchan. Kupchan is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and professor of international affairs at Georgetown University in the Walsh School of Foreign Service and Department of Government.

From 2014 to 2017, Kupchan served as special assistant to the president and senior director for European affairs on the staff of the National Security Council (NSC) in the Barack Obama administration. He was also director for European affairs on the NSC during the first Bill Clinton administration.  Before joining the Clinton NSC, he worked in the U.S. Department of State on the policy planning staff.  Previously, he was an assistant professor of politics at Princeton University.

Kupchan is the author of Isolationism: A History of America's Efforts to Shield Itself From the World (2020), No One's World: The West, the Rising Rest, and the Coming Global Turn (2012), How Enemies Become Friends: The Sources of Stable Peace (2010) 

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Time stamps:
:30 Where is the war heading in its' second year
4:20 Should the US pursue for a diplomatic solution now
7:05 Shepparding battlefield efforts to peace negotiations
11:40 The possibility of escalation and the use of a tactical nuclear weapon
16:40 Escalation in the war with supplying Ukraine Tanks and the possibility of F16s
22:00 France's possible role in a diplomatic solution
25:25 Boris Johnson's trip to Ukraine in April of 2022
28:20 The Nord Stream Pipeline
32:45 Best possible case scenario in the next 6-12 months

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded: 3/3

The following conversation is with Tyler Burge. Burge is an American Philosopher who is the Flint Professor of Philosophy at UCLA.  He is the author of numerous articles in philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, epistemology, philosophy of language and logic, and history of philosophy.  His most recent books are Origins of Objectivity (2010) and Perception: First Form of Mind (2022).  He has published the first three of several projected volumes of essays: Truth, Thought, Reason: Essays on Frege; Foundations of Mind; Cognition Through Understanding.  Two books of essays on his work, with replies, are Reflections and Replies: Essays on the Philosophy of Tyler Burge, and Meaning, Basic Self-Knowledge, and Mind.
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Time Stamps:
:30 Intro
3:40 What is anti-individualism
6:45 Plato, Aristotle and anti-individualism
8:45 Environment and up-bringing
11:05 Morals and Justice
17:45 Morally wrong but accepting of the circumstances
22:39 Machiavellianism and Politics
30:00 One's interpretation of art

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded: 1/13

The following conversation is with Samuel Goldman. Goldman is an associate professor of political science at George Washington University, where he is also executive director of the John L. Loeb, Jr. Institute for Religious Freedom and director of the Politics & Values Program. His most recent book, After Nationalism: Being American in an Age of Division was published by University of Pennsylvania Press in spring 2021.  Goldman received his Ph.D. from Harvard, and taught at Harvard and Princeton before coming to GW. In addition to academic work, his writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications.  
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Time stamps
:30 Intro
1:30 America's national identity
4:30 An age of division
7:30 Values at odds
11:40 An unifying cause
18:15 Politicians and society's temperament
20:30 Principles vs self-interest
29:30 Failures of globalization and the rise of nationalism
37:20 Nationalism compared to patriotism

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded: 12/21/22

The following is a conversation with Mark Fusetti. Fusetti is a retired Sergeant of the former Philadelphia court warrant unit. He currently operates in the private sector for organizations and influentials. Fusetti is currently partnering with a small contingent of people to provide visibility into the present horrors occurring on the streets of Philadelphia. Fusetti is a Philly 4 sports guy and loves coaching high school softball.
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Time stamps:
:30 Intro
5:40 How crime differs than in previous years
9:30 The change in leadership in the DA's office with Larry Krasner
12:30 Voting and turnout in Philadelphia
16:40 A possible change in Philadelphia politics
18:15 The stop and frisk policy
21:45 How the statements/action of the DA/Mayor affect the morale of the PPD
25:00 How the political offices contend with each other
28:00 Anecdote from when six police officers were shot executing a warrant in North Philadelphia
31:30 Commissioner Outlaw entering office
33:00 Drug use in Philadelphia, specifically Kensington
46:45 Approaching the issues in Philadelphia

Mark's Twitter: @MarkFusetti
Podcast: Behind the Badge
Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded: 1/26/2022

This minisode takes a look at icons (Tom Brady, SBF, The Liver King, Jordan Peterson) and the influence they posses in our daily lives.

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Recorded 12/23/22

This highlight reel is a collection of short snippets from the conversations that occurred in season 3. Each voice is from a different conversation and are unrelated to one another. The following is the list of the guests and episodes that are featured in the reel (ordered as they are heard):

1. Michael Barone and The Upcoming Election
2.  Inviting One's Adversaries to Break Bread with Philippa Hughes
3. The Freedom Trucker's Convoy and The Emergencies Act with The Honorable Tony Clement
4. Going Undercover with Robert Eringer
5. The Hidden History of Big Brother in America with Thom Hartmann
6. Censorship and Misinformation in Society with Parnian Soheili
7. Gun Violence Solutions with Cassandra Crifasi, PhD
8. The Uvalde School Shooting with Robert Allen (Part 2)
9. The White House Press Coverage & President Biden's Comments with Carl Cannon
10. Ukrainian-Russian Tensions with David Andelman
11. The Russo-Ukrainian War with John O'Loughlin, PhD

Music: Price of Freedom

This segment of Overcoming the Divide discusses the reasons behind the abrupt interruption of episodes and content. Following the explanation, Season 4 is announced with several commitments to the audience.

Recorded: 11/1/22

Today's episode features Mary Bernstein, Phd, a Professor of Sociology at the University of Connecticut.  She is the winner of several national awards from the American Sociological Association. Her research on gun violence prevention advocacy has been supported by a grant from the Bennett Fund for Innovative Education in Health and Society. Mary is also an appointed member of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the Rockefeller Institute of Government.
The following are time stamps for different talking points covered throughout the episode. I hope you enjoy.
Community Gun Violence: 1:30
Mass Public Shootings: 10:30
Conditions Leading to Gun Violence: 15:20
Gun Legislation: 22:30
The Use of a Firearm: 30:30
The Senate's Recent Bill: 33:10
(Correction on my end: The Virginia Tech shooting was in 2007 and the Columbine shooting was in 1999)
Possible Government Abuse: 37:50
Supreme Court Ruling on NY Gun Law: 44:05

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded:  6/25/22

Today's episode begins by Cassandra providing an overview of what she and her colleagues research at the center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins University. Shortly after, I inquire about what measures may work to decrease gun violence. Soon after we discuss the importance of defining what exactly is being put on the table. I later ask for Cassandra's thoughts on what role politicians, prosecutors and pop culture icons play. Towards the end of the episode we give our thoughts on high risk intervention laws regarding gun owners. I hope you enjoy.

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Cassandra Crifasi, PhD is the Deputy Director of the center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins University. She has won numerous awards over the years, one being the American Journal of Public Health Editor’s Choice Award Best Papers of the Year.  She is also an Associate Professor in the department of Health Policy and Management.

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded:  6/16/22

DISCLAIMER: 1) This episode was recorded on Saturday, May 28th. There have been several updates to the story and timeline since that date. Please keep that in while listening, thank you. 2) The data base referenced in this episode that meet the proposed definition of a public mass shooting are only ones that have taken place at a school since 1966, which is 13. 

Today's episode, with Robert Allen, focuses on the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas regarding the school shooting at Robb Elementary. The episode commences by Robert giving his thoughts on the response by the police to the crisis as well as what standard police doctrine is when dealing with a school shooter. Shortly after we discuss possible measures and solutions to prevent these shootings as well as the shooter himself. As mentioned above, there have been several updates to the timeline/story since the episode was recorded. 

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Robert Allen is currently a Professor of Homeland Security at Tulane University. 
Robert has an extensive background in law enforcement, security and intelligence. His experiences include service in the UN Police Mission in the Balkans, and the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Mission in Israel and Afghanistan. Robert was also a part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. His law enforcement experience includes service with the Jefferson Parish District Attorney and their Sheriff's Office as well as the Port of New Orleans and Slidell Police Departments.

Music: Coma-Media (intro)
                 WinkingFoxMusic (outro)
Recorded:  5/28/22

Today's episode provides a timeline into the Robb Elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. This episode also serves as a catalyst into a more in-depth conversation with Professor Robert Allen of Tulane University who has an extensive background in Security, Intelligence and Law Enforcement. That episode (Part 2) will be released this Friday. As mentioned in the episode, there is new information coming out daily so the timeline/information provided is not the be-all and end-all of the tragedy.