Southern California has been utterly decimated by wildfires, with the neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Altadena being virtually leveled to the ground. In this special episode, released outside of our usual schedule, Adam sits down with UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain to unpack what really happenedboth in terms of the environmental factors and the disaster response, and to dispel the misinformation swirling around these devastating fires. SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.pa...
Jan 19, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast As the effects of climate change ravage our world, we have no choice but to fight back. While it may feel like a hopeless endeavor, the truth is that we have the power to make a difference through collective action. This week, Adam sits down with Aru Shiney-Ajay, executive director of the Sunrise Movement, to discuss how we can drive meaningful change toward a greener future, particularly in light of the upcoming U.S. political administration. SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com...
Jan 15, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast So much of todays political policy is shaped by the public perception of crimebut what if that perception isnt accurate to begin with? Donald Trump essentially won the election by spinning tall tales of record-level violent crime, and instead of pushing back, the Democrats mostly went along with it. But are things really as bad as they seem? And would we even know if they were? This week, Adam sits down with Jeff Asher, a leading expert on crime data and co-founder of the analytics firm AH Datal...
Jan 08, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Global fertility rates are dropping, and while this might initially seem like a solution to overpopulation concerns, it also signals major challenges ahead. A generational imbalance could spell disaster for social security, elder care, and the workforce needed to combat climate change. This week, Adam sits down with Dr. Alice Evans to explore the causes behind declining birthrates, the consequences they could bring, and how society's failure to break harmful gender role expectations for men impa...
Jan 01, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Transcript available on Metacast ( In addition to your weekly Factually! episode, this week we're bringing you a monologue from Adam. This short, researched monologue originally aired on the Factually! YouTube page, but we are sharing audio versions of these monologues with our podcast audience as well. Please enjoy, and stay tuned for your regularly scheduled episode of Factually!) Being part of a political party used to actually mean something other than being hounded for money over text and being disappointed by your choice ...
Dec 30, 2024•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Amazon workers are on strike! Its no shock that employees are pushing back against the invasive, abusive, and grueling practices of one of the worlds largest corporations. What is surprising, though, is that they managed to form a union at all. Stephen Maing and Brett Storys astonishing new documentary Union tells the inspiring story of how workers fought against all odds to claim victory over the corporate giant. This week, Adam talks with Stephen and Brett about the uphill battles these worker...
Dec 25, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast California has the fifth-largest economy in the world, the biggest population of any U.S. state, and it's just gosh darn beautiful. So why do Trump and his allies insist on portraying it as a dystopian nightmare? While its tempting to dismiss their rhetoric as partisan fearmongering, the truth is California faces serious, long-standing challenges. This week, Adam sits down with California State Senator Scott Wienerone of the states most influential and effective lawmakersto dive into its ongoing...
Dec 18, 2024•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast ( In addition to your weekly Factually! episode, this week we're bringing you a monologue from Adam. This short, researched monologue originally aired on the Factually! YouTube page, but we are sharing audio versions of these monologues with our podcast audience as well. Please enjoy, and stay tuned for your regularly scheduled episode of Factually!) Typically folks tend to be, uh, anti-murder... so what the hell is going on? Visit https://groundnews.com/factually to stay fully informed, see thr...
Dec 13, 2024•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast What the hell is going on with the Democratic Party? For the past eight years, it seemed like the partys entire identity revolved around defeating Donald Trump. Now, Trump is returning to office with more power than ever, following a catastrophic 2024 election for the Democrats. This defeat has raised serious questions about the partys strategy, messaging, and even its core identity. This week, Adam sits down with Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA 17th District) to unpack what went wrong in this elect...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The war in Gaza has been going on for over a year, killing 44,000 Gazans and leaving countless others injured or displaced. With no ceasefire on the horizon, the question remains: where do things go from here? This week, Adam is joined by Palestinian-American historian Rashid Khalidi, author of The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 19172017, to examine the ongoing devastation in Gaza and what possibilities, if any, exist for a path forward. Find Ra...
Dec 04, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Transcript available on Metacast The left lost hard this election, and it warrants a deep examination of what the ideals of the Democratic party even stands for. Are voters on the left represented by their party anymore, or is it time to consider alternative means to enacting progressive change? This week, Adam speaks with Maurice Mitchell, National Director of the Working Families Party, about how activists on the left can build power and effect change. SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/adamconover SEE ADAM ...
Nov 27, 2024•2 hr 49 min•Transcript available on Metacast When it comes to police reform, one of the most glaring and urgent issues is the unchecked power of sheriff departments. Once elected, sheriffs face almost no oversight and are nearly impossible to remove from office. This lack of accountability has led to widespread corruption, with some departments acting as though theyre above the law. Even more disturbing is the existence of actual police gangs, like those found within the LA County Sheriffs Department, operating with impunity under this bro...
Nov 20, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Elon Musks purchase of Twitter was an unmitigated catastrophe on multiple fronts, but its hard to ignore how it ultimately became a powerful tool in helping Donald Trump get elected. Was this Musk's plan all along back in 2022, or just another example of his infantile, buffoonish behavior with no real consequences? In this episode, recorded before the election, Adam sits down with New York Times technology reporters Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, authors of Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Tw...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Transcript available on Metacast ( In addition to your weekly Factually! episode, this week we're bringing you a monologue from Adam. This short, researched monologue originally aired on the Factually! YouTube page, but we are sharing audio versions of these monologues with our podcast audience as well. Please enjoy, and stay tuned for your regularly scheduled episode of Factually!) Congratulations to Elon Musk on his historic White House win, this definitely won't be bad for all of us! Visit https://groundnews.com/factually to...
Nov 12, 2024•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast This weeks election was a decisive win for Donald Trump. While it was once reasonable to view this racist, sexist, plutocratic, transphobic, criminal as an outlier in American politics, its time to face the reality that he is American politics. In this special episode, Adam sits down with journalist Jamelle Bouie to discuss the sweeping changes a second Trump presidency will likely bring to the American political systemand how those changes will shape the rest of our lives. SUPPORT THE SHOW ON P...
Nov 08, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Transcript available on Metacast We all know the ultra-wealthy look for ways to dodge paying taxes, but when you have enough money, this game goes global. From Swiss bank accounts to international business consultants, theres an entire network dedicated to helping the rich hide their money and avoid paying their fair share. This week, Adam sits down with journalist and author Atossa Araxia Abrahamian to discuss her book, The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World, and uncover the shady tricks the wealthy are using on a global...
Nov 06, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast ( In addition to your weekly Factually! episode, this week we're bringing you a monologue from Adam. This short, researched monologue originally aired on the Factually! YouTube page, but we are sharing audio versions of these monologues with our podcast audience as well. Please enjoy, and stay tuned for your regularly scheduled episode of Factually!) It's time to ask what you're hoping to accomplish by worrying about the election. Visit https://groundnews.com/factually to stay fully ...
Nov 04, 2024•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast On paper, the economy is doing greatthe stock market is strong, unemployment is low, and inflation has dropped significantly. So why does it still feel like everything is awful? Economic commentator Kyla Scanlon coined the term "vibecession" to describe this very disconnect. This week, Adam sits down with Kyla to talk about the vibecession, why the basics of economics can be so hard for most people to understand, and her new book, In This Economy?: How Money & Markets Really Work. Find Kyla'...
Oct 30, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Why are so many of our politicians so old? While age can bring wisdom and experience, it can also result in leaders who are out of touch with their constituents or simply no longer effective at their job. This problem has a name: the gerontocracy. This week, Adam sits down with UC Berkeley associate professor Jake Grumbach to discuss why American politicians seem to really start their careers when they reach retirement age, and explore the other issues with our democracy that stem from the same ...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Transcript available on Metacast ( In addition to your weekly Factually! episode, this week we're bringing you a monologue from Adam. This short, researched monologue originally aired on the Factually! YouTube page, but we are sharing audio versions of these monologues with our podcast audience as well. Please enjoy, and stay tuned for your regularly scheduled episode of Factually!) Elon Musk is not a champion of free speech, and never has been. Here's why. Visit https://groundnews.com/factually to stay fully informed, see thro...
Oct 22, 2024•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast The video game industry is raking in more money than ever, but it's also in complete crisis. In the past couple of years, we've seen countless development studios shuttered and tens of thousands of workers laid off, all while the cost of making and buying games keeps skyrocketing. How did one of the world's most successful industries end up in such a state of instability? This week, Adam sits down with Jason Schreier, a Bloomberg reporter covering the video game industry and author of Play Nice:...
Oct 16, 2024•2 hr 34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Fashion is one of the most overlooked ways we express ourselves. What we wear tells stories about our time, place, class, gender, and so much more. So, its a real shame that fashionespecially mens fashionoften gets brushed off as frivolous or dismissed (wrongfully) as too feminine. This week, Adam chats with menswear writer and Twitter icon Derek Guy about the fascinating history of mens fashion and where we stand in todays style landscape. SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/ad...
Oct 09, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Transcript available on Metacast ( In addition to your weekly Factually! episode, this week we're bringing you a monologue from Adam. This short, researched monologue originally aired on the Factually! YouTube page, but we are sharing audio versions of these monologues with our podcast audience as well. Please enjoy, and stay tuned for your regularly scheduled episode of Factually!) Its no surprise that JD Vance was lying during his recent debate with Tim Walzbut lets be real, Walz wasnt being totally truthful either. The fact ...
Oct 08, 2024•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast The AI hype train has officially left the station, and it's speeding so fast it might just derail. This isn't because of what AI can actually do, it's all because of how it's marketed. This week, Adam sits with Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor, computer scientists at Princeton and co-authors of "AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Cant, and How to Tell the Difference." Together, they break down everything from tech that's labeled as "AI" but really isnt, to surprising ca...
Oct 02, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last year alone, 880,000 people fell victim to cybercrime, losing a staggering $12.5 billion. While cybercrime might seem like an unstoppable epidemic, much of it is actually preventable. The problem isn't that computers or software are too weakit's that people are too easily fooled. This week, Adam talks with Rachel Tobac, an ethical hacker and CEO of SocialProof Security, to debunk common myths about hacking and share simple steps people can take to minimize their risk of becoming targets. SUP...
Sep 25, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast ( In addition to your weekly Factually! episode, this week we're bringing you a monologue from Adam. This short, researched monologue originally aired on the Factually! YouTube page, but we are sharing audio versions of these monologues with our podcast audience as well. Please enjoy, and stay tuned for your regularly scheduled episode of Factually!) Lets be absolutely clear: Haitian migrants are not eating peoples pets in Ohio. This absurd lie, pushed by J.D. Vance and Donald Trump, isnt just b...
Sep 24, 2024•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast America is in the middle of a massive housing crisis, with a shortage of 4 to 7 million homes compared to the demand. The solution seems simplejust build more homesbut getting there is a lot trickier than it sounds. This week, Adam sits down with journalist Jerusalem Demsas, author of On the Housing Crisis: Land, Development, Democracy , to break down the real reasons behind the housing shortage and explore what we can actually do to get more people into homes. Find Jerusalem's book at factually...
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Transcript available on Metacast The DNC highlighted just how much the Democratic Party is in a state of transition. With Harris picking Walz as her running mate and their shared focus on the middle class, combined with the convention putting AOC front and center as a rising star, it seems like the party could finally be shifting further to the left. But at the same time, key progressive issues like a ceasefire in Gaza or addressing climate change were noticeably absent. This week, Adam sits down with Osita Nwanevu, columnist f...
Sep 11, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Politicians are meant to serve the people, but lets be realsometimes they just end up serving whoevers got the deepest pockets, even if those pockets are overseas. Believe it or not, foreign powers have been messing with our political system for years through entirely legal means: good old-fashioned lobbying. This week, Adam sits with Casey Michel, author of Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World , to dive into how our politicians are getting sol...
Sep 04, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast ( In addition to your weekly Factually! episode, this week we're bringing you a monologue from Adam. This short, researched monologue originally aired on the Factually! YouTube page, but we are sharing audio versions of these monologues with our podcast audience as well. Please enjoy, and stay tuned for your regularly scheduled episode of Factually!) Why does it feel like America hates college students? We saddle them with crushing debt, label them as "snowflakes," and even deploy SWAT teams whe...
Aug 30, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast