We are back after a long hiatus, and we’re ready to go! As before, this is a video and an audio podcast. We’re on Substack at ShapingOpinion.com, YouTube, Rumble, and all of the audio channels, from Apple to Spotify. If you watch, you’ll notice we have new digs. We’ve moved into the heartland of America and now have a more permanent “studio.” As for format, you’ll notice we’re familiar but streamlined. In terms of content, that’s going to be much more focused, too. But no need to elaborate here....
Jun 23, 2025•57 min
One of the nation’s leading trial attorneys Brent Wisner talks about his role in current litigation against several big pharma companies who’ve all been manufacturers of the popular heartburn drug called Zantac, which has been taken off the market amidst concerns over possible cancer diagnoses. Brent is the managing partner and lead trial attorney at the law firm of Wisner Baum. He’s been recognized as one of America’s 50 Most Influential Trial Lawyers by Trial Lawyer Magazine. And he serves as ...
Jul 29, 2024•49 min
One of the co-authors of a groundbreaking academic paper, Michael Hicks, makes the case that “ChatGPT is bullshit.” That’s not only the title of his paper, but a compelling point of view that we dig deep into in this conversation. Michael is one of the three co-authors of the paper, along with James Humphries and Joe Slater. All three are educators at the University of Glasgow. Michael Hicks is a Lecturer in Philosophy of Science and Technology at the University. He’s mostly interested in the wa...
Jul 22, 2024•54 min
The head of the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), Mo Canady joins us to talk about a self-inflicted safety crisis at many American schools because school boards are terminating their in-school police presence. They are banning School Resource Officers, and more and more parents are outraged. Mo has been a member of NASRO’s board since 2005. And before that he held positions in law enforcement, and as an instructor for NASRO. One of the more notable recent events is where ...
Jul 15, 2024•29 min
If you suffer from anxiety, you may be given a lot of options. Drugs, illegal or legal. Alcohol. Therapy. But one thing most may not bring up to you is something that’s inside of you. Courage. In this episode, we talk with Janet Jackson Pellegrini, one of the authors of a new book called, “You Can Overcome Anything with Courage.” The book contains 17 different stories from 17 different people. Each shares his or her personal stories and life lessons that have one thing in common – they found the...
Jul 08, 2024•42 min
University professor and researcher April Bleske-Rechek makes her case for standardized testing in college admissions at a time when there’s an aggressive movement to get rid of the tests. She co-authored an article recently in Skeptic Magazine where they say the standardized tests are not biased, but are in fact more fair than other measures to gauge student potential. April is a Professor, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where she focuses on Individual Differences and Evolutionary Psycholog...
Jul 01, 2024•52 min
Author and university professor JP Messina talks about how private companies and others have emerged as the new censors in society. JP wrote the new book called, “Private Censorship.” In it, he describes a new kind of censorship where there are no government-sanctioned book burnings, no prosecutions, no laws or committees. In fact, the state doesn’t publicly appear to be involved at all. Instead, the censors are social groups, employers, media companies, social media platforms and search engines...
Jun 24, 2024•51 min
Patrick Wolf joins Tim to shed light on why school choice is exploding across the country. The list of states passing or pursuing legislation for more school choice is on the rise weekly. Patrick has long been at the forefront on the issue of school choice. He talks about the impact on the pandemic, which he says revealed a lot to parents about their kids’ public school education. https://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/shapingopinion/Why_is_School_Choice_Gaining_Traction_auphonic.mp3 He is a Disting...
Jun 17, 2024•38 min
Patrick Wolf joins Tim to shed light on why school choice is exploding across the country. The list of states passing or pursuing legislation for more school choice is on the rise weekly. Patrick has long been at the forefront on the issue of school choice. He talks about the impact on the pandemic, which he says revealed a lot to parents about their kids’ public school education. He is a Distinguished Professor of Education Policy. He is the 21st Century Endowed Chair, in School Choice in the D...
Jun 17, 2024•38 min
Marian Tupy joins Tim to burst the myth that the world is overpopulated. Through his work, he has demonstrated that as the world’s population has grown, humankind has actually become more abundant. Marian is the founder and editor of HumanProgress.org, and a senior fellow at the Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity at the Cato Institute. He is the coauthor of: The Simon Abundance Index, Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know: And Many Others You Will Find Interesting, and Superabun...
Jun 12, 2024•50 min
Author and university professor Sanjai Bhagat joins Tim to talk about his research findings on ESG investing and what he calls “an inconvenient truth” about it. According to Sanjai, ESG investing is simply not living up to the hype, and he knows why. If your retirement finds are invested in ESG funds, or if your financial advisor wants you to invest in ESG funds, you need to listen to Sanjai. Sanjai Bhagat is Provost Professor of Finance at the University of Colorado, and he’s the author of the ...
Jun 12, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Catholic artist Eric Armusik joins Tim to talk about the current trend at the Vatican to embrace ugly art at the expense of so much beauty it could showcase. Eric paints classical figurative art. His work is reminiscent of the old masters. His works are inspired by grand and vivid murals that he first saw in Gothic cathedrals as a child. But what caught my attention was a social media post from Eric that highlighted something we all may have noticed but may not have thought much about, which is ...
Jun 12, 2024•43 min
Author, writer and advocate Brooke Siem joins Tim to talk about her own experience with doctors prescribing anti-depressants to long-term negative effects. Brooke is an advocate for the practice of safe de-prescribing for psychiatric drugs. In 2022, she published a memoir on her own struggles with antidepressant withdrawal. The title of that book is called, “May Cause Side Effects.” Brooke is also a chef who co-founded New York City’s Prohibition Bakery in 2011, and in 2017 she was crowned a Foo...
Jun 12, 2024•51 min
Author and crisis manager Evan Nierman joins Tim O’Brien to talk about cancel culture and its attacks on comedians and comedy in general. Will it kill comedy as we know it? And how can you defend yourself if the “cancel vultures” attack? Evan is the author of "The Cancel Culture Curse: From Rage to Redemption in a World Gone Mad." #cancelculture #comedy #entertainment #crisiscommunications #crisismanagement This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get...
Jun 12, 2024•45 min
Attorney Mark Chutkow joins Tim O’Brien to talk about a rare case where the parents of a mass shooter are prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to prison. Is this a one-off or a sign of things to come? That’s just one of the questions we discuss. #massshooter #schoolshooter #thelaw #crime This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.shapingopinion.com...
Jun 12, 2024•35 min
Marian Tupy joins Tim to burst the myth that the world is overpopulated. Through his work, he has demonstrated that as the world’s population has grown, humankind has actually become more abundant. Marian is the founder and editor of HumanProgress.org , and a senior fellow at the Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity at the Cato Institute. He is the coauthor of: The Simon Abundance Index, Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know: And Many Others You Will Find Interesting, and Superabu...
Jun 10, 2024•50 min
Author and university professor Sanjai Bhagat joins Tim to talk about his research findings on ESG investing and what he calls “an inconvenient truth” about it. According to Sanjai, ESG investing is simply not living up to the hype, and he knows why. If your retirement funds are invested in ESG funds, or if your financial advisor wants you to invest in ESG funds, you need to listen to Sanjai. https://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/shapingopinion/ESG_Audio_Podcast_auphonic.mp3 Sanjai Bhagat is Provos...
Jun 03, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Catholic artist Eric Armusik joins Tim to talk about the current trend at the Vatican to embrace ugly art at the expense of so much beauty it could showcase. Eric paints classical figurative art. His work is reminiscent of the old masters. His works are inspired by grand and vivid murals that he first saw in Gothic cathedrals as a child. But what caught my attention was a social media post from Eric that highlighted something we all may have noticed but may not have thought much about, which is ...
May 27, 2024•43 min
Author, writer and advocate Brooke Siem joins Tim to talk about her own experience with doctors prescribing anti-depressants to long-term negative effects. Brooke is an advocate for the practice of safe de-prescribing for psychiatric drugs. In 2022, she published a memoir on her own struggles with antidepressant withdrawal. The title of that book is called, “May Cause Side Effects.” https://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/shapingopinion/Are_Doctors_Overmedicating_Kids_with_Brooke_Siem_auphonic.mp3 Br...
May 20, 2024•51 min
Author and crisis manager Evan Nierman joins Tim O’Brien to talk about cancel culture and its attacks on comedians and comedy in general. Will it kill comedy as we know it? And how can you defend yourself if the “cancel vultures” attack? https://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/shapingopinion/Cancel_Culture_Raw_Audio.mp3 Check out this FULL EPISODE at YouTube: Is Cancel Culture Killing Comedy?, with Evan Nierman ( youtube.com ) Check out this FULL EPISODE at Rumble: https://rumble.com/v4sxg5i-is-cance...
May 13, 2024•46 min
Attorney Mark Chutkow joins Tim O’Brien to talk about an unprecedented case where the parents of a mass shooter are prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to prison. Is this a one-off or a sign of things to come? That’s just one of the questions we discuss. https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/shapingopinion/Parents_of_School_Shooter_Convicted_auphonic.mp3 Check out this FULL EPISODE at YouTube: https://youtu.be/LIgv_NK9PL4 Check out this FULL EPISODE at Rumble: https://rumble.com/v4s33lo-unprecedente...
May 06, 2024•35 min
If you follow us on social media or have subscribed to our new Substack page you may already know we’ve been on hiatus in recent months. Most of the episodes you have heard since the start of the New Year have been encore episodes. Today, we have some good news. Starting next week, you will be seeing and hearing Shaping Opinion 2.0! https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/shapingopinion/Preview_-_Shaping_Opinion_2.0.mp3 We’ve used the last few months to revisit every aspect of the podcast and make imp...
Apr 29, 2024•6 min
Economist, professor and author Paul Rubin joins Tim to talk about the impact of socialism on the future, particularly among young people who tend to be the most supportive of it, but who stand to lose the most because of it. This is the focus of his new book called, “A Student’s Guide to Socialism: How it will trash your lives.” This episode was first released January 4, 2021. https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/shapingopinion/157_-_What_They_Wont_Tell_You_About_Socialism.mp3 If you want to see w...
Apr 22, 2024•33 min
This is a Special Edition of the Shaping Opinion Podcast called “1979: City of Champions.” In this extended episode (90 minutes), we take you to when Pittsburgh became the “City of Champions,” and how its impact went well beyond the field, or just baseball or football fans. In the end, it’s about what sports can do to bolster an entire people who are going through hard times. Guests include: Kent Tekulve, Joe Gordon, Lanny Frattare, Michael MacCambridge, John Steigerwald and Walter Iooss, Jr. Th...
Apr 15, 2024•1 hr 27 min
Julia Parsons joins Tim to talk about her role as a code-breaker during World War II. Julia was part of a a team of Navy women stationed in Washington, D.C. during World War II who worked to decipher German submarine messages that were sent in secret code using the Enigma machine. Her work relied on the now legendary Bombe machine invented by Alan Turing. This episode was originally released on July 22, 2019. https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/shapingopinion/339_-_WWII_-_Cracking_the_Enigma_Code....
Apr 08, 2024•27 min
Former CNN lead news anchor Aaron Brown joins Tim to tell his story from September 11, 2001, where he brought the event to 1.4 billion viewers around the world, live as it happened. It was Aaron Brown on that day, standing on a rooftop in New York City, bringing us one of the most historic and tragic moments of our generation in real time. This episode is part of our special series, “9/11: A Generation Removed.” This episode was originally released on September 7, 2021. https://traffic.libsyn.co...
Apr 01, 2024•50 min
Author and professor Eric Heinze joins Tim to talk about freedom of speech and expression at the most fundamental level. He recently wrote a book on free speech, but it’s not exactly what you might expect. He explores free speech in a larger more fundamental context than America’s First Amendment. He talks about it in the context of universal human rights. Eric tells us about the thinking behind his new book called, “The Most Human Right: Why Free Speech is Everything.” This episode was original...
Mar 25, 2024•51 min
Storyteller Margot Leitman joins Tim to talk about the art of storytelling, and how you can be a better storyteller. Margot is an award-winning storyteller, best-selling author, speaker and teacher and a Moth Storytelling “GrandSlam” winner. This episode was originally released January 17, 2022. https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/shapingopinion/222_-_Margot_Leitman_Storyteller_auphonic.mp3 If you’re a regular podcast listener, there is a good chance you heard about a group called The Moth. It’s a...
Mar 18, 2024•47 min
If you like baseball you’ll love this interview. If you like Pittsburgh sports, you’ll love this interview. Former Pittsburgh Pirate closer and World Series Champion Kent Tekulve joins Tim in this special extended episode. Kent talks baseball, Pittsburgh, how to teach kids about sports, and somewhat about life. https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/shapingopinion/Kent_Tekulve_-_The_Closer_auphonic.mp3 This is an extended conversation where I promise you that after you listen to this, you’ll feel lik...
Mar 11, 2024•1 hr 52 min
FBI-trained hostage negotiator Scott Tillema joins Tim to talk about how to negotiate when the stakes are high, even when lives are on the line. Scott teaches organizations how to use the power of life-saving negotiation principles to get results. This episode was first released March 14, 2022. https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/shapingopinion/334_-_Scott_Tillema_Secrets_of_a_Hostage_Negotiator.mp3 Scott Tillema was trained by the FBI in hostage negotiating. He spent over seven years as a negotia...
Mar 04, 2024•59 min
