Ayaan speaks with Sylvia Bennett-Stone about violence in America, the importance of community, the Black Lives Matter movement, and our flawed criminal justice system. Finally, they discuss how to find purpose after losing a child? Sylvia Bennett-Stone serves as the Executive Director of the Voices of Black Mothers United (VBMU) initiative. After losing her daughter to senseless violence in 2004... Source...
Sep 30, 2022•50 min•Ep. 43
Ayaan speaks with Rafael about his childhood, violent crime, the breakdown of family, antisocial behavior, and rehabilitation. They also discuss Rafael’s new book Criminal (In)justice, a critique of our increasingly radical criminal justice reform movement. Finally, how do we remind Americans of the inherent good of America? Rafael Mangual is a senior fellow and head of research for the Policing... Source...
Jul 26, 2022•57 min•Ep. 42
Ayaan speaks with Kmele Foster about family, discrimination, and individualism. They also try to answer the question of what happened to the American man? Our societal evolution to empower women has been an overwhelming good. But have we forgotten what a positive male role model looks like? Kmele Foster is a media entrepreneur, commentator, and civil liberties advocate. He’s co-founder of... Source...
Jun 28, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 41
Ayaan speaks with Ian Rowe about the power of personal agency and how to build it. Ian introduces a new framework to help develop agency in individuals: the FREE framework (family, religion, education, and entrepreneurship). His new book, Agency, is out today. Ian Rowe is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on education and upward mobility, family formation... Source...
May 16, 2022•55 min•Ep. 40
Ayaan speaks with Jason Hill about free speech, immigration, and the power of individual agency. While they question the woke’s focus on equity and victimhood, above all, they are optimistic about the resilience of young people and the American determination to solve problems. Jason D. Hill is a professor of Philosophy at DePaul University and an Honors Distinguished Faculty member. Source...
Apr 29, 2022•59 min•Ep. 39
Ayaan speaks with Speaker Newt Gingrich about growing up in the 1950s and ’60s, and how life differs today. They also discuss divisions among both the Democratic and Republican parties, what Biden should do about the situation in Ukraine, and the biggest long-term threat to America. Speaker Newt Gingrich is Chairman of Gingrich 360, a multimedia production and consulting company based in Arlington... Source...
Jan 28, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 38
Ayaan speaks with Megan Phelps-Roper about leaving the Westboro Baptist Church. They discuss how we can bridge the divide and have empathetic conversations across ideological lines. Megan Phelps-Roper was raised in the Westboro Baptist Church, the Topeka, Kansas church known internationally for its daily public protests against members of the LGBTQ community, Jews, other Christians, the military... Source...
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 37
Ayaan speaks with Paulina Neuding about rising crime rates in Sweden, humiliation robberies against children, and what Swedish identity looks like today. They consider the social cost of speaking up, and how not saying anything is far more harmful. Paulina Neuding is a journalist based in Stockholm, Sweden. Ms. Neuding’s work, which focuses mainly on immigration and integration... Source...
Nov 18, 2021•49 min•Ep. 36
Ayaan speaks with Michael Shellenberger about the drug addiction crisis taking over major U.S. cities. They also discuss the results of the Virginia elections, the potential of a political realignment and the COP26 conference. Michael Shellenberger is the founder and president of Environmental Progress and is the author of Apocalypse Never and San Fransicko. He has been working as a climate... Source...
Nov 04, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 35
Ayaan speaks with Lawrence Krauss about the new religion of wokeism and how it spread throughout academia. They discuss the impacts that political correctness and cancel culture have on science, and what it means for the future. Lawrence Krauss is an internationally known theoretical physicist. He is President of The Origins Project Foundation and host of The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss. Source...
Oct 14, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 34
Ayaan speaks with Katharine Birbalsingh about the importance of schools providing both a classical education and a place of belonging for children. Katharine explains how and why she established Michaela Community School. They also discuss the American obsession with race and how that is affecting education. Katharine Birbalsingh is Headmistress and co-founder of Michaela Community School in... Source...
Sep 30, 2021•48 min•Ep. 33
Ayaan speaks with LTG H.R. McMaster about foreign policy challenges and threats, the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the recent purging of members from military boards. LTG H. R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s... Source...
Sep 19, 2021•29 min•Ep. 32
Ayaan speaks with William McGurn about President Biden’s disastrous policy in Afghanistan. They discuss Biden’s speech declaring the end of the war, who really made the decision to leave Afghanistan, and the consequences that the U.S. faces from a botched withdrawal. William McGurn is a writes the weekly “Main Street” column each Tuesday for The Wall Street Journal, is a member of the paper’s... Source...
Sep 01, 2021•52 min•Ep. 31
Ayaan asks Joe Lonsdale if we should rebuild or reform failing institutions. They also discuss Joe growing up in Silicon Valley, tech and the media, and whether or not the word “nerd” is still a derogatory term. Joe Lonsdale is the managing partner at 8VC, a US-based venture capital firm which manages several billion dollars in committed capital. He was an early institutional investor in many... Source...
Aug 28, 2021•39 min•Ep. 30
Ayaan speaks with Valerie Hudson about patriarchy and its expressions throughout history. They also discuss dangerous practices that hold women back, such as child marriage, polygamy, and exclusion from inheritance. Valerie M. Hudson is a University Distinguished Professor and holds the George H.W. Bush Chair in the Department of International Affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public... Source...
Aug 12, 2021•57 min•Ep. 29
Ayaan invites Yasmine Mohammed back on to discuss why the Canadian authorities would not help her escape her forced marriage to an Al-Qaeda terrorist. They discuss other examples of governments failing young, vulnerable girls. Yasmine Mohammed is a Canadian human rights activist who fights for the rights of women living within Muslim-majority countries, as well as those who struggle under... Source...
Aug 05, 2021•46 min•Ep. 28
Ayaan speaks with Yasmine Mohammed about her marriage and escape from a man in Al-Qaeda. Yasmine Mohammed is a Canadian human rights activist who fights for the rights of women living within Muslim-majority countries, as well as those who struggle under religious fundamentalism, in general. She founded the nonprofit, Free Hearts Free Minds, which provides mental health support for members of the... Source...
Jul 29, 2021•51 min•Ep. 27
Ayaan speaks with Nicholas Kristof about human rights abuses against women and girls around the world. They discuss his recent article, “ A 14-Year-Old Bride, Wed to Her Rapist, Playing on a Jungle Gym,” and dive into the subjects of child marriage, forced marriage, and female genital mutilation. Nicholas Kristof has been a columnist for the New York Times since 2001. He graduated from Harvard... Source...
Jul 22, 2021•51 min•Ep. 26
Ayaan speaks with Helen Joyce about her new book, Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality. They discuss the rapid rise of gender-identity ideology, the differences between the US and UK, and much more. Helen Joyce is The Economist’s Britain editor. She joined the paper in 2005 as an education correspondent, and between 2010 and 2013 was the Brazil correspondent, based in São Paulo. Since then she has... Source...
Jul 16, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 25
Ayaan speaks with Winston Marshall soon after he left the band, Mumford & Sons. They discuss his work helping Hong Kongers integrate into the UK, his interest in speaking up for the Uighurs in China, and much more. This episode was recorded on June 28th, 2021. Winston Marshall was the banjo player in the popular rock band, Mumford & Sons, from 2007-2021. In March, Winston tweeted “Congratulations... Source...
Jul 09, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 24
Ayaan talks with Flemming Rose about publishing the cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in the Danish publication, Jyllands-Posten, in 2005. Flemming and Ayaan cover the series of events, including a debate over self-censorship and freedom of speech in Denmark that later exploded into international protests, demonstrations, and hysteria abroad. Flemming Rose is a Danish journalist... Source...
Jul 01, 2021•58 min•Ep. 23
Ayaan speaks with Christopher Rufo about his first encounter with critical race theory (CRT), why it is so dangerous, and what is really going on in American schools. They also discuss Christopher’s experience as a documentary film maker, homelessness in San Francisco, and the decline of cities in America. Christopher Rufo is a senior fellow and director of the initiative on critical race theory... Source...
Jun 26, 2021•58 min•Ep. 22
Ayaan talks with Amy Chua about how America has always demonstrated a poor understanding of tribal relations in other cultures, a weakness that makes the country ill-prepared to navigate the increasing tribalism of its own domestic politics. Amy shares her work on ‘market dominant minorities’ and ‘super-groups,’ as both women express concern about the growing political “us vs them” mentality in... Source...
Jun 17, 2021•48 min•Ep. 21
Ayaan talks with Andrew Doyle about the need for comedy in today’s world, how the culture wars affect politics, and the dangers of the social justice movement. Andrew Doyle is a writer, broadcaster and comedian. He is the author of the new book Free Speech and Why It Matters published this year by Constable. He has also written two books under his satirical persona Titania McGrath – Woke: A Guide... Source...
Jun 10, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 20
Ayaan talks with Megyn Kelly about sexual harassment in the workplace, critical race theory being taught in schools, and media biases. Megyn Kelly is the founder of Devil May Care Media and currently hosts the podcast The Megyn Kelly Show. As a world-renowned journalist, Kelly rose to prominence reporting on some of the most consequential U.S. and international news events of the past decade. Source...
Jun 03, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 19
Ayaan talks with Michael Shermer about the hijacking of the scientific method, science being used as a political tool, vaccine hesitancy, and more. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of The Michael Shermer Show, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. For 18 years, he was a columnist for Scientific American. Source...
May 28, 2021•31 min•Ep. 18
Ayaan talks with Michael Shermer about his journey in and out of religion, the ten commandments of freedom of speech, and the concept of moral politics. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of The Michael Shermer Show, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. For 18 years, he was a columnist for Scientific American. Source...
May 20, 2021•55 min•Ep. 17
Ayaan talks with Dana Perino about career advice for young women and how she always remains positive. Dana shares stories about growing up in Wyoming, her career choices throughout her life, and her latest book, Everything Will Be Okay: Life Lessons from Young Women (from a Former Young Woman). Dana Perino is co-host of one of the most popular shows on cable television, Fox News’ The Five... Source...
May 10, 2021•47 min•Ep. 16
Ayaan talks with Dambisa Moyo about growing up in Zambia, the ideas and reception behind her first book, Dead Aid, and her new book, How Boards Work. Dambisa Moyo is a co-principal of Versaca Investments – a family office, focused on growth investing globally. She serves on a number of global corporate boards including: 3M Corporation, Chevron, and Conde Nast, as well as... Source...
May 06, 2021•51 min•Ep. 15
Ayaan talks with Christina Hoff Sommers about an alternative to radical feminism: freedom feminism. Christina shares her experiences with radical feminists and how she pushes back against the hysteria. Christina Hoff Sommers is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where she studies the politics of gender and feminism, as well as free expression, due process... Source...
Apr 29, 2021•58 min•Ep. 14
