Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other

Latest Episodes:

Jahnavi Rao and Nivea Krishnan of New Voters are ”empowering the youth, shaping the future” Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

On this episode, we were joined by Jahnavi Rao and Nivea Krishnan of New Voters. Jahnavi is the President and Founder and Nivea is the Executive Director of the organization, a 501(c)3 whose mission is to involve students in all aspects of civic life, from registration to education and even emerging technologies. This is a nonpartisan group that, as of the date of our interview, registered 80,000 high school students to vote in 39 states along with 300,000 students that have been reached through their educational efforts.

We discussed what inspired Jahnavi to launch the organization and what prompted both of these "badass organizers" to get involved in politics and civic engagement in the first place; they shared what it's like to engage young voters by helping them get registered to vote as well as getting involved in legislative advocacy; we geeked out about politics and polling including how New Voters' Research Network does its research; and what it's like to interact in neighborly ways with folks who might assume they're on a different political team.

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management: https://www.mezawealth.com/

We're also pleased to give a shoutout to our friends at a great new podcast:

https://leftylooseyrightytighty.podbean.com

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

www.new-voters.org

www.instagram.com/newvoters

www.linkedin.com/company/newvoters

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Best of: Yuval Levin, Dir. Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at AEI, ”I strongly disagree with you. Now, pass the gravy.” Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

Thoroughly appreciated this "Best of" conversation with Dr. Yuval Levin which we originally had right after the terrible attacks of October 7th in Israel.
It was especially timely to have Dr. Yuval Levin on the program as he's not only one of this country's foremost scholars and policy experts, he's originally from Haifa, Israel. So we, of course, discussed what's happening there; however, our recording was only a couple days after the terrorist attacks that sparked the war. We did get to discuss a number of other pressing issues such as Dr. Levin's advocacy for ranked choice voting in primary elections; how to structure institutions to create the right kind of culture; whether our political positions come first or our philosophical and ethical moorings are primary; how Yuval is really just reiterating Aristotle for contemporary society - i.e. "What kind of person do I want to be? And what would that kind of person do in this situation?" With that in mind, a central theme of this program came up: How do we engage with friends, family and neighbors when so many are expressing extremist views? Dr. Levin's recommendation is that sometimes, at Thanksgiving, we just have to say, "I really think you're wrong. Now, pass the gravy..." and leave it at that. And I bet you never knew Alexis de Tocqueville could have been a Borscht Belt comedian!

Yuval Levin is the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. The founder and editor of National Affairs, he is also a senior editor at The New Atlantis, a contributing editor at National Review, and a contributing opinion writer at The New York Times. Dr. Levin served as a member of the White House domestic policy staff under President George W. Bush. And he has published essays and articles in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Commentary. He is the author of several books on political theory and public policy, most recently A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream.

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management: https://www.mezawealth.com/

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michal Rozen: Updates from our family in ISRAEL Nov 15, 2023

Show notes

This is a special episode of TP&R as we are joined by Michal Rozen from Israel. Michal is currently a communications and film teacher there. She served in the army when she was 19. But she's found other ways to serve as she is a leftist who believes in peace and non-violence. That said, Michal's partner, siblings and cousins are all active in the IDF. And as you'll hear, there's much unity with everyone helping as they can with the war effort.

In this chilling conversation, we get updates on what's happening with family in Israel and how our cousins who are eligible for service with the IDF are doing. We discuss what it's like growing up in Israel and the fact that Israel is a pluralistic country. Michal has always been among Arab neighbors, friends, coworkers and students. We cover the political differences people have, even among family - some who like what Netanyahu has done, some who don't. With Michal's area of study as a teacher, we talked about the way Hamas has been waging an information war in addition to all the other ways they continue to terrorize. Michal also shared thoughts on more accurate information sources and how to be better consumers of the news.

Here is one of the follows Michal suggested: www.instagram.com/yosephhaddad

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

Oseh Shalom by Nurit Hirsh Performed by HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir Conducted by Dr. Marsha Bryan Edelman, Arranged and Accompanied on Piano by Matthew Lazar, Founder & Director, Zamir Choral Foundation

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David Brooks - HOW TO KNOW A PERSON: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen Nov 08, 2023

Show notes

You might recognize David Brooks from his columns in The New York Times or his essays in The Atlantic. Perhaps you’ve seen him on PBS NewsHour or Meet the Press. He’s also a prolific author. In fact, his 2019 book The Second Mountain was a major inspiration for this program. We discuss that as well as David’s new book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen (Penguin Random House).

Our conversation with "Brooksie" went in a number of surprising directions:

Sociological observations (and confessions) of New York Mets fans;
The way lifelong friends enrich our lives;
Depression - fair warning that this section gets pretty gritty and candid;
How, as observant Jews, we both discovered Christianity later in life;
As Jews who are Christian, whether we have any ambivalence;
American Evangelicalism - talk about ambivalence!
David's writing process and the motivation of deadlines;
and much, much more!

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

David's new book HOW TO KNOW A PERSON: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/652822/how-to-know-a-person-by-david-brooks

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

LIFE WORTH LIVING with Ryan McAnnally-Linz, Associate Director of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

What standards seem to guide your conduct? What stories shape your sense of the world and your place in it? What stories shape your sense of what it is to be a human being? What kinds of responses to the world’s suffering do you have the most hope for? These are just a few of the big questions we explored with Dr. Ryan McAnnally-Linz in this conversation. They're the kinds of questions he explores with his colleagues Miroslav Volf and Matthew Croasmun at Yale together, in their book LIFE WORTH LIVING and in a number of other settings.

Ryan McAnnally-Linz is a systematic theologian and Associate Director of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture. He works at the intersection of theology, ethics, and cultural criticism. Ryan co-authored Public Faith in Action with Miroslav Volf. Dr. McAnnally-Linz also co-authored the book we discuss in this episode, Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most. He co-edited The Joy of Humility and Envisioning the Good Life. Ryan also contributes to the excellent podcast For the Life of the World. And his scholarly articles have appeared in a broad range of publications. If you read enough of Ryan's material, you might come across some of his other interests such as Omaha Hi-Lo Poker and The Big Lebowski.

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Here's the fundraiser for IDF Reserves: spot.fund/EquipmentForIDFReserves

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

faith.yale.edu/people/ryan-mcannally-linz

faith.yale.edu

faith.yale.edu/podcast

www.lifeworthlivingbook.com

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Lisa Camooso Miller, ”The Friday Reporter” - The Art of Communicating Oct 24, 2023

Show notes

"...nothing matters in this whole wide world, When you're in love with a Jersey girl..."

It was so cool to have Lisa Camooso Miller on the program partly because she grew up just a couple towns over from where Corey grew up in New Jersey! So of course we talked about "my hometown..." We also talked a lot about Lisa's specialty: #communications. And can't we all use a primer on better communication skills? There was so much else we covered such as how Lisa built her career in #politics and #journalism. It all comes down to, as we say in Jersey, "I got a guy" - meaning, relationships. We discussed what's happening in Congress with the Speaker of the House (or lack thereof); how it's being covered; life in a post-COVID world; and we get a peak behind the scenes at how big pieces of legislation actually get passed. Plus, since Lisa has an awesome podcast called THE FRIDAY REPORTER, we did geek out about #podcasting.

Lisa Camooso Miller has been a notable communications leader for over twenty years in local, state and federal government posts, political campaigns and committees, as well as advocacy organizations. She is the host and producer of The Friday Reporter podcast. Lisa is a partner at Reset Public Affairs and prior to that position she served as the head of media affairs for the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. She was previously deputy communications director for the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Speaker of the House. She also served as the head of communications for the Republican National Committee in 2007. Prior to her time in Washington, D.C., Miller served under two New Jersey governors, where she participated in the recovery and rebuilding efforts following the attacks of September 11th. And did we mention Lisa's a Jersey girl?!?!

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management: https://www.mezawealth.com/

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Here's the fundraiser for IDF Reserves: spot.fund/EquipmentForIDFReserves

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

www.fridayreporter.com/about-us

www.fridayreporter.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oseh Shalom: Praying for Peace - Supporting IDF Reserves with Dr. Naomi Yudanin and Dr. Erica Harris Oct 20, 2023

Show notes

“Oseh shalom bimromav. Hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu. V’al kol Yisrael V’imru” (They who make peace in their high places, may they bring peace upon us, and upon all Israel.)

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Naomi Yudanin and Dr. Erica Harris. We came together to discuss what's been happening in Israel since the attack by Hamas on October 7th; what's happening with our own families there; some background about our family histories including emigrating from Ukraine; how we're processing the reaction we're seeing around the world including here in the U.S.; and most importantly, how we can help.
That's where the fundraiser that Naomi is organizing, Equipment For IDF Reserves, comes in. We are raising money on behalf of Naomi's friends, Yonatan and Evelyn Seltzer, who have recently been mobilized as part of the 360,000+ reserve soldiers recruited by the IDF to fight Hamas. They are in need of basic and defensive equipment, which has been difficult to acquire and distribute quickly. Like many of their fellow reservists, they're scrambling to acquire these essentials and end up paying for it themselves. Please consider helping Yonatan, Evelyn, and other soldiers like them buy basic goods (including socks, underwear, hygiene products, warm clothing, etc.) in the next few weeks as they prepare to fight Hamas. Here is the link: spot.fund/EquipmentForIDFReserves

Additionally, Dr. Harris is in the process of providing low fee or pro-bono services to victims of the war in Israel as well as their families. Databases are currently being created that many therapists are joining to provide services to these individuals. If anyone would like further information, they may contact Dr. Harris through her website at www.ericaharrisphd.com.

Dr. Erica Harris is a licensed clinical psychologist whose areas of expertise include trauma and PTSD, anxiety, depression, relationship conflict, addiction, coping skills, and life transitions. Dr. Harris also provides crisis treatment for patients struggling with situations in the moment, in order to help them cope more adaptively.

Dr. Naomi Yudanin is a computational biologist by training who describes her vocational background as a "professional data nerd building a better healthcare experience for all." Naomi is currently the Director of Medical Data at Munich RE.

spot.fund/EquipmentForIDFReserves

ericaharrisphd.com

naomiyudanin.com

zamirchoralfoundation.org

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Yuval Levin, Dir. Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at AEI: ”I strongly disagree with you. Now, pass the gravy.” Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

Please consider participating in a charitable effort our family is supporting: http://spot.fund/EquipmentForIDFReserves

It was especially timely to have Dr. Yuval Levin on the program as he's not only one of this country's foremost scholars and policy experts, he's originally from Haifa, Israel. So we, of course, discussed what's happening there; however, our recording was only a couple days after the terrorist attacks that sparked the war. We did get to discuss a number of other pressing issues such as Dr. Levin's advocacy for ranked choice voting in primary elections; how to structure institutions to create the right kind of culture; whether our political positions come first or our philosophical and ethical moorings are primary; how Yuval is really just reiterating Aristotle for contemporary society - i.e. "What kind of person do I want to be? And what would that kind of person do in this situation?" With that in mind, a central theme of this program came up: How do we engage with friends, family and neighbors when so many are expressing extremist views? Dr. Levin's recommendation is that sometimes, at Thanksgiving, we just have to say, "I really think you're wrong. Now, pass the gravy..." and leave it at that. And I bet you never knew Alexis de Tocqueville could have been a Borscht Belt comedian!

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Please support our wonderful sponsor Meza Wealth Management: https://www.mezawealth.com/

Here's the fundraiser for IDF Reserves: spot.fund/EquipmentForIDFReserves

And you can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Special Simulcast: On Israel with Adam Epstein & special guest Dawn Sorokin of Dirty Moderate Oct 14, 2023

Show notes

This is a special, timely conversation about what's happening in Israel. We invited our friends who produce and host DIRTY MODERATE, Adam Epstein and Dawn Sorokin, to work through some of the real history of Israel and that region; some of our own family's history; numerous false and destructive narratives that need to be confronted; how we're muddling through everything that's unfolding; and much more.

Here is one charitable effort that our family is supporting:

http://spot.fund/EquipmentForIDFReserves

Be sure to visit Dirty Moderate's platforms here:

Twitter and instagram @dirtymoderate TikTok @dirtymoderatenation Substack www.dirtymoderate.com And as always, Corey can be found on all (or at least most) of the socials @coreysnathan including www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.
(...and we're hitting publish just before sundown. So this is still kosher for Shabbas.)

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Matt Lewis: Senior Columnist at The Daily Beast, Author of FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

Anytime Matt Lewis joins us, we have a grand ole' time! In this free flowing conversation, we make a pitch for how to solve the dumpster fire known as U.S. Congress: In light of the #Barbenheimer summer, Congress should consider the #FitzpatriHeimer fall. (cf. Co-heads of the Problem Solvers Caucus, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-PA, and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-NJ.) We also cover how to talk to some friends and family in one information bubble, and other friends and family in a whole other political news silo. We get into his latest book FILTHY RICH POLITICIANS and how it's a bipartisan problem. Matt shares how he prepares for interviews; how driving is a great time to write notes and even take a nap (...just kidding); we do some rank prognostication on the Speaker Sweepstakes; and we even talk some baseball!

Matt Lewis is a senior columnist at the Daily Beast and the author of Too Dumb to Fail: How the GOP Betrayed the Reagan Revolution to Win Elections (and How It Can Reclaim Its Conservative Roots) and his new book Filthy Rich Politicians: The Swamp Creatures, Latte Liberals and Ruling-Class Elites Cashing in on America. You might recognize Matt from his appearances on MSNBC's Morning Joe and prior to that as a CNN political contributor. Matt’s also provided political commentary on Real Time with Bill Maher, Face the Nation on CBS, the NewsHour on PBS, and ABC’s Nightline. Matt’s writing has appeared in outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, GQ, the Washington Post, and Politico among others. Matt previously served as senior contributor for the Daily Caller and, before that, as a columnist for AOL’s Politics Daily. Matt is also the host of Matt Lewis and the News and is the co-host of The DMZ along with Bill Scher.

Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

www.democracygroup.org/shows/talkin-politics-religion

www.threads.net/@coreysnathan

www.thedailybeast.com/author/matt-lewis

twitter.com/mattklewis

mattklewis.com/books-articles-media

mattklewis.com/matt-lewis-and-the-news

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