Location:
United States
Description:
A National Conversation with a Local Lens
Language:
English
Episodes
The Gilded Age Then & Now – Professor Douglas Sackman, University of Puget Sound – #258
2/23/2026
I had the chance to sit down with Douglas Sackman, a history professor at the University of Puget Sound, for a conversation that feels especially timely. Professor Sackman joined me to talk about the Gilded...
Duration:00:45:22
The Meaning of Ramadan — Amy Daraiseh — Best of Nerd Farmer
2/19/2026
Ramadan began this week. Somewhere around 2 billion Muslims around the world will be engaging in a day time fast for the next month. Living in the Gulf, Ramadan contorts my life in so many...
Duration:00:40:58
Black Deported Veterans – James L. Smith & Rob Young – #257
2/3/2026
In December, I came across a post on the r/Tacoma subreddit that stopped me in my tracks. It was titled “Black Deported Veterans film screening” and invited people to a screening of the documentary, Bring...
Duration:01:01:15
2026 Legislative Session – Sen Marko Liias, Chair Senate Transportation Committee – #256
1/26/2026
State Senator Marko Liias represents Washington’s 21st Legislative District in North Puget Sound, which includes parts of Edmonds, Everett, Lynnwood, and Mukilteo. He currently chairs the State Senate’s Transportation Committee and previously served on the...
Duration:00:47:47
Morally Motivated Online Mobs – Professor Nick Brody, University of Puget Sound – #255
1/15/2026
Professor Nick Brody teaches Communications at the University of Puget Sound. His research focuses on digital communication, cyber bullying, and the social implications of technology. He joined us to talk about the concept of Morally...
Duration:00:52:55
Attacks on Philanthropy and Not-for-Profits – Cole Leiter, Americans Against Government Censorship – #254
12/22/2025
Leiter joined us to discuss the growing pressure nonprofits are facing amid escalating threats and enforcement signals from the federal government. We talked about how bluster from the Department of Justice can shape philanthropic behavior...
Duration:00:40:26
Grokipedia and the Musk Disinformation System – Jason Wilson, The Guardian – #253
11/25/2025
Guardian correspondent Jason Wilson joined us to discuss his reporting on Elon Musk’s new Grokipedia. The service, an online encyclopedia and purported rival to Wikipedia, serves up white nationalist talking points, pseudoscientific racial theories, and...
Duration:00:49:27
Republicans Have Shut the Government Down – Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland – #252
10/22/2025
Republicans in Washington DC control the Whitehouse. They also control both houses of Congress, majorities on every Congressional committee, and they chair every Congressional committee. The federal government is shut down on their watch. Marilyn...
Duration:00:46:05
A Tacoma Audio Voters’ Guide – A Crossing Division Crossover – #251
10/21/2025
This episode is an audio voters’ guide featuring Evelyn and Joe Lopez from Crossing Division: Tacoma’s Talk Show. We covered the following races in this episode: Tacoma Mayor, Tacoma City Council, Tacoma Civil Service Board,...
Duration:00:43:23
Armenia and Azerbaijan: A Lasting Peace? – Sevinj Osmanqizi – #250
9/29/2025
This week we welcome back Azeri dissident journalist Sevinc Osmanqizi, joining us for her third appearance on the show. Sevinc is one of the most prominent independent voices covering Azerbaijan and has a massive Azeri...
Duration:00:38:11
Community Natural Hazard Preparedness – Dave Clark, Factal – 249
9/16/2025
In July, a flood ripped through Kerr County, Texas, killing at least 104 people and leaving the community devastated. Federal emergency assistance was nowhere to be seen and then feckless when it finally arrived, a...
Duration:00:39:50
Chris Langston, Proof – Tacoma Small Biz Series Vol. 6 – 248
9/1/2025
We’re closing out the summer with another edition of the Tacoma Small Business Series. This episode features Chris Langston of Proof, a new-ish cocktail lounge in Old Town. Chris was previously the mind behind en...
Duration:00:47:27
“How to Stand Up to a Dictator” Bookclub – Halley Knigge & Trayton Otto – 247
8/18/2025
Halley returned as our most frequent guest, joined by Trayton for his third book club appearance, to take on How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa. We started...
Duration:00:50:17
A Peek Inside the School Board – Lisa Keating, Tacoma School Board Director – 246
8/4/2025
Lisa Keating is an advocate for student well-being and making sure schools in Tacoma are welcoming to all students. This fall she is running for re-election. In this conversation, we looked back on her first...
Duration:00:55:50
A Crime Novel Kingpin — Jordan Harper, author of “She Rides Shotgun” — 245
7/22/2025
Jordan Harper is an award winning writer, born and raised in the Ozarks, now based in Los Angeles. Most widely known for award-winning novel She Rides Shotgun and his other crime fiction, he previously worked...
Duration:00:43:37
Addressing Washington’s Housing Shortage – Senator Jessica Bateman – 244
7/7/2025
Senator Jessica Bateman represents the 22nd District in the Washington State Legislature. She is the chamber’s most outspoken housing advocate. She joined us for a conversation about the wins, losses, and unfinished work on housing...
Duration:00:47:25
AI and Data Privacy – Bill Fitzgerald, Privacy Activist – 243
6/24/2025
Bill Fitzgerald is a privacy activist and vociferous critic of the data protection practices of Big Tech. In this week’s episode Bill came on to talk about the data privacy implications of putting AI in...
Duration:00:50:41
Past, Present, and Future of Ukraine – Diana Kuprych, London School of Economics – 242
6/9/2025
After seventeen emails, dating back to December, we finally have the conversation I’ve been chasing with Diana Kuprych. Diana is a Ukrainian student doing her graduate studies at the London School of Economics. Her thesis...
Duration:00:45:15
On the 2025 Washington State Legislative Session – Melissa Santos, Axios – 241
5/20/2025
Melissa Santos is a reporter for Axios covering Seattle and the State Legislature. We’ve been podding with Melissa since 2017. She is a regular on the show and one of our most requested and re-requested...
Duration:00:40:55
Radical Evangelicalism and the Second Trump Presidency – Tori Williams Douglass – 240
4/28/2025
Tori is an anti-racist educator and writer. She grew up in a deeply conservative evangelical family and is now an out-spoken critic of racism and misogyny that lurks within in some Christian communities. She joined...
Duration:00:54:19