In this final installment of the podcast, Van thanks the Uncommon Ground community for joining him on this journey. Some doubted that anyone could do a successful podcast based solely on finding positive solutions, deepening understanding and bringing people together across lines of difference. But we're happy to report: measured by downloads, Uncommon Ground wound up in the top 2 percent of all podcasts! Our success with this podcast over fifty episodes has shown that people do respond to intel...
Oct 26, 2022•4 min•Ep. 49
“Yes, the system is broken. But the solution lies not in dismantling it or burning it down, but in finding solutions that have been shown to work. We should focus on the bread-and-butter issues. Most rank-and-file Democrats are practical and not ideological. Most of them have no Twitter accounts. They worry about the cost of housing, healthcare, and higher education.” Congressman Ritchie Torres is a pragmatic progressive who stands out among a new generation of leaders. He is often compared to a...
Oct 19, 2022•47 min•Ep. 48
In this season’s final bonus episode, we wanted to make sure you got a chance to hear from some incredible young people who are trying to save the Earth. Last year, Van went to COP26 (the UN Climate Change Conference) held in Glasgow, Scotland. There he met with Jerome Foster, Kevin Patel, Chante Harris, Alexandria Villaseñor, Kevin Mtai, and others. These young people are doing extraordinary work advocating for progress on climate solutions — to ensure they inherit a livable planet. Since that ...
Oct 17, 2022•37 min
It is exceedingly rare these days for two national voices on opposite sides of the political spectrum to come together and have an honest, respectful exchange of views. Many on the right believe that progressives want to abuse government power to punish them for their views. Many on the left feel under constant assault from the right. It is increasingly easy for each side to dismiss the concerns of the other. But in a democracy, we need to try to understand those who think differently than we do...
Oct 12, 2022•52 min•Ep. 47
In this special bonus episode, Van moves into the guest seat for an interview with comedian and author Chelsea Handler. The conversation took place in 2018 while Chelsea was filming her Netflix documentary: Hello, Privilege. It's Me, Chelsea . Chelsea’s goal was to explore the impacts of ‘white privilege’ on American culture. In the intervening years, the U.S. has gone through a racial justice awakening. But with so much progress still needed, this never-before-heard conversation is as relevant ...
Oct 10, 2022•37 min
“So many people in politics, they've all got opinions. My job is not to be about my opinions. My job is to go out and listen to other people's opinions.” What shot does Donald Trump have at re-election? What do Republicans really think about Ron DeSantis? How are people feeling about the Biden Presidency? What issues are really keeping Americans up at night? With her keen and unique insight, Kristen Soltis Anderson can help us answer these questions. As a top Republican pollster, Kristen’s job i...
Oct 05, 2022•37 min•Ep. 46
"There's that quote: ‘First I was smart, and I tried to change the world. Then I got wise, and I tried to change myself.’ What I've leaned into now is: let me stop soap-boxing and telling everyone else what to do. And let me start looking at myself. I was a fraud in many ways because I felt that I had to represent the thing, but I didn't have to be the thing.” Adrian Grenier was an A-list actor who had it all, including fame, money, and influence. But even in the midst of great success, Adrien r...
Sep 28, 2022•42 min•Ep. 45
“I've seen situations, which are far worse than our situation, where the impossible became possible. I saw the Berlin wall come down. I was in South Africa in 1989 when Mandela was still in prison. And within six years there was an astonishing political transformation in South Africa. Even in the Middle East, Israel and Egypt forged a peace that endures to this day, 40 years later.” Tensions and polarization within the US are increasing. Many people are wondering: could we be heading toward a ci...
Sep 21, 2022•43 min•Ep. 44
“Failure is not the opposite of success. It's a stepping stone to success. If we're lucky, we get 30,000 days to play the game of life. How we spend those 30,000 days depends on what we value. And if we are disconnected from our spiritual essence, it is so much easier to value things that will never really fulfill us.” This week, Van is joined by Arianna Huffington – renowned author, entrepreneur, media personality and one of Van’s most influential mentors. Arianna is no stranger to transformati...
Sep 14, 2022•39 min•Ep. 43
“What am I going to do to create lasting positive transformation? Everyone has that opportunity. And I think everyone should recognize that you should not ever quit or doubt your ability to make something positive happen.” You might know Aloe Blacc as a famous musician. But did you know that he’s also an activist, a non-profit founder, and a biotech entrepreneur? Aloe proves that no matter what skill your known for, you just might surprise yourself with how much more you're capable of doing. In ...
Sep 07, 2022•41 min•Ep. 42
“What's being sold today is that one side is good, and the other side is bad. That one side is racist, and the other side is not. There's just nothing further from the truth.” Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina is up for reelection this fall. Many speculate that he will run for president one day soon. Scott is one of only three Black United States senators, and the only Black senator in the Republican Party. His unique tone, set of experiences and views on immigration differentiate him from his...
Aug 31, 2022•39 min•Ep. 41
“Because there were so few people who looked like me in my business throughout my career, I've been so cautious about drawing attention to my ethnicity, to my gender. To bring these issues to the fore has been very uncomfortable, but necessary. I hope that I've inspired people in my own community to no longer be content to sit on the sidelines. It's been an incredible experience to see this community come together.” Lisa Ling is a beloved and gifted journalist and TV star. Since the age of 18, s...
Aug 24, 2022•42 min•Ep. 40
“You have a bold generation now that you can tap into. Younger people. They are ready to go toe-to-toe with whomever on an idea that they feel passionate about. And a lot of the ideas could help us be the America that we claim to be.” TikTok is becoming the social media home of a new generation of activists, while older folks debate politics on Facebook and Twitter. The rules and expectations are totally different on this newer platform. Nobody has found their political voice or footing more pow...
Aug 17, 2022•36 min•Ep. 39
“It is very clear that we are on the precipice – two years, three years, ten years max – that some of these disruptive technologies will fundamentally threaten the way we presently exist on the planet, in the way that nuclear weapons did when you and I were growing up. That transformation is scary, but it's also ripe with opportunity.” This week Van is joined by the brilliant Ian Bremmer. Ian is a political scientist who has spent his career analyzing global political risk and advising leaders. ...
Aug 10, 2022•42 min•Ep. 38
“To be queer and come out in 1985 when I'm 16 years-old, and be thrust into the AIDS crisis and fighting for our lives on the front lines…Silence does equal death...I don't know anything else, but to fight. I do understand that as a queer Black man in this space who has been unapologetic from the beginning, there is a responsibility for me to continue to speak my truth.” The incomparable Billy Porter does it all! He’s an Emmy, Tony, and Grammy award-winning actor, singer, producer, director, com...
Aug 03, 2022•32 min•Ep. 37
“While people are occasionally motivated to do wonderful things on the basis of their faith, faith generally speaking provides bad reasons to do good things when good reasons are actually available.” Can a Christian and an Atheist have a civil and constructive dialogue about the future? For the past 20 years, neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris has been one of the leading thinkers of the New Atheism Movement. Van Jones, on the other hand, is a man of deep Christian faith. Despite this seem...
Jul 27, 2022•35 min•Ep. 36
“You have this phenomenal wealth-generation going on. Yet you still have so much of the country totally left out – half the country, if not more, thinking the American dream isn't gonna be available for their kids.” U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna is an uncommon Congressperson. He represents California’s 17th district – a district with one of the highest concentrations of billionaires in the country. But he is adamant that we should tax billionaires fairly. He represents Silicon Valley, yet he works across ...
Jul 20, 2022•40 min•Ep. 35
“I do not have the privilege to be partisan.” Get ready for a strong dose of inspiration from Van’s guest this week - Brittany K. Barnett. When Brittany was 17 years old, her mother went to prison for drugs. Although Brittany may not have known it at the time, this awful breakdown would lead her to a powerful breakthrough. Hear about Brittany’s journey from accountant to attorney and finally, tireless criminal justice reform advocate. Brittany has won clemency for nearly a dozen clients under bo...
Jul 13, 2022•44 min•Ep. 34
“I am pro-life. But Roe is a 40-year-old legal precedent. Respecting the rule of law, means I accept the decision. I don't want to celebrate abortion, but I don't want to demonize it, either. I'm the majority. It has never felt so lonely to be in a majority.” S.E. Cupp is back – this time to discuss abortion. Van is a pro-choice progressive. S.E. is a pro-life conservative. One might expect fireworks! But in this episode, S.E. lays out a nuanced, sophisticated and emotionally intelligent perspec...
Jun 29, 2022•36 min•Ep. 33
“Cash can’t solve everything. But it can solve everything that has to do with cash.” Michael Tubbs became the youngest mayor of any major city in US history – at the age of 26. He immediately made poverty his number one issue. In 2017, as the newly elected mayor of Stockton, California, he recognized that lack of money was the root cause of most of the problems in his community. But what can the government do to alleviate poverty? Michael’s answer – give cash directly to people experiencing pove...
Jun 22, 2022•40 min•Ep. 32
“If we want to address the climate crisis, we have to heal our relationship with the land. And part of that looks like returning lands to indigenous people.” Within the movement to solve the climate crisis, there is a generational divide. Established leaders are doggedly working within the system. But younger activists want FASTER progress — and deeper changes. After all, young people will have to face the greatest effects of climate change. They feel the URGENCY — and thus often have some of th...
Jun 15, 2022•38 min•Ep. 31
“People asked me hard questions. They asked, if Trump wants to do a press conference with you about Rodney Reed’s case, would you appear with him – if it meant stopping the execution of Rodney Reed?” If you know Shaun King, you know him as one of America’s staunchest advocates for racial justice in the digital age. One of the most controversial as well. After all, his viral videos have transformed the global conversation about police misconduct and racial violence. But you may not know that Shau...
Jun 08, 2022•35 min•Ep. 30
"[Homelessness] has become a humanitarian crisis. It has become an emergency that I believe needs to be addressed with the same mentality that you would address a natural disaster. I mean, this is Los Angeles. We have the skills, the knowledge and the resources." Karen Bass is going back to where it all began: Los Angeles, California. After an extensive and impressive tenure in Congress, Karen Bass is running for Mayor of LA. She has big goals and tangible plans to make them happen. At the top o...
Jun 01, 2022•46 min•Ep. 29
“How can you hate me if you don’t even know me?” This is the question that Daryl Davis has spent much of his life trying to answer. Daryl is a Black musician who spends a surprising amount of time with members of the Ku Klux Klan. How and why does he do this?! Over the last 30 years, Daryl has interviewed senior Klan members, attended Klan rallies and even made friends with Klansmen. In the process, he’s convinced many of them to renounce their affiliation to the KKK and give up their robes. In ...
May 25, 2022•36 min•Ep. 28
Violent crime is on the rise across the country; relationships between community members and police remain strained and fractured. While we can all agree that something needs to be done about this, the question is - WHAT? Should we defund the police – or give them more money? Should we abolish the police – or increase police presence? Are there other solutions that too few people are talking about? This week, Van Jones tackles these questions and more with Bill Bratton, the former police commiss...
May 18, 2022•39 min•Ep. 27
This episode might deserve a warning label: “SHOCKING TRUTHS—SERVED EXCEEDINGLY HOT.” Van is joined this week by Charlamagne Tha God and Tezlyn Figaro, two influential voices in media and in the Black community. His guests expose a white-hot level of frustration in the Black community—one that could upend the next two elections. Democrats hold the White House and Congress, but the party’s slow legislative progress has left many of its base voters— especially Black voters— exceedingly frustrated....
May 11, 2022•43 min•Ep. 26
Maxine Waters has been serving in Congress for more than 30 years. In that time, she’s built a reputation as someone who calls it like she sees it. But she doesn’t shy away from reaching across the aisle and working with Republicans, when it means she can pass bills that will improve the lives of all Americans. In this episode, Rep. Waters gives an insider’s perspective on Washington and leadership, and the problems she’s using her position to solve. She shares the importance of standing for som...
May 04, 2022•31 min•Ep. 25
It’s an unlikely friendship: Van, a climate advocate, and Cecil Roberts, the president of the United Mine Workers of America. Many assume that coal miners and climate activists must be at odds. But in this episode, Van and Cecil challenge that assumption. As climate activists push for more reforms and a move to cleaner energy, can coal be part of a greener future? Van and Cecil will get to the heart of the matter — finding some solutions that just might work for everyone. New episodes of Uncommo...
Apr 27, 2022•46 min•Ep. 24
Will Be Wild is a new 8-part series about the forces that led to the January 6th insurrection and what comes next. Through in-depth stories from a wide range of characters – from people who tried to stop the attack to those who took part – hosts Andrea Bernstein and Ilya Marritz explore the ongoing effort to bring autocracy to America, the lasting damage that effort is doing to our democracy, and the fate of our attempts to combat those anti-democratic forces. Because January 6th wasn't the end ...
Apr 25, 2022•6 min
“I started to realize the political discourse nationally is not representative of the American people at all. It's what's best for TV or social media. It's good for a headline, but it's not good for actual people.” Two unlikely allies in the environmental movement – Michelle Romero, a liberal leader at Green For All , and Benji Backer, a conservative leader at the American Conservation Coalition – prove that certain problems, like the climate crisis, are bigger than political parties. Join Van, ...
Apr 20, 2022•24 min•Ep. 23
