375. Nate Silver with Clayton Aldern: On the Edge

Town Hall Seattle Civics Series

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TechSurge: Deep Tech VC Podcast

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Understanding the Elegant Math Behind Modern Machine Learning 1:14:43

منذ 13 يومًا1:14:43

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1:14:43

Artificial intelligence is evolving at an unprecedented pace—what does that mean for the future of technology, venture capital, business, and even our understanding of ourselves? Award-winning journalist and writer Anil Ananthaswamy joins us for our latest episode to discuss his latest book Why Machines Learn: The Elegant Math Behind Modern AI . Anil helps us explore the journey and many breakthroughs that have propelled machine learning from simple perceptrons to the sophisticated algorithms shaping today’s AI revolution, powering GPT and other models. The discussion aims to demystify some of the underlying mathematical concepts that power modern machine learning, to help everyone grasp this technology impacting our lives–even if your last math class was in high school. Anil walks us through the power of scaling laws, the shift from training to inference optimization, and the debate among AI’s pioneers about the road to AGI—should we be concerned, or are we still missing key pieces of the puzzle? The conversation also delves into AI’s philosophical implications—could understanding how machines learn help us better understand ourselves? And what challenges remain before AI systems can truly operate with agency? If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Sign up for our newsletter at techsurgepodcast.com for exclusive insights and updates on upcoming TechSurge Live Summits. Links: Read Why Machines Learn, Anil’s latest book on the math behind AI https://www.amazon.com/Why-Machines-Learn-Elegant-Behind/dp/0593185749 Learn more about Anil Ananthaswamy’s work and writing https://anilananthaswamy.com/ Watch Anil Ananthaswamy’s TED Talk on AI and intelligence https://www.ted.com/speakers/anil_ananthaswamy Discover the MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellowship that shaped Anil’s AI research https://ksj.mit.edu/ Understand the Perceptron, the foundation of neural networks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptron Read about the Perceptron Convergence Theorem and its significance https://www.nature.com/articles/323533a0…

منذ عام واحد 1:07:18

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In the bestselling The Signal and the Noise, statistician Nate Silver showed how forecasting would define the age of Big Data. Now, in his timely and riveting new book, On the Edge, Silver investigates “The River,” or those whose mastery of risk allows them to shape — and dominate — so much of modern life. People in “The River” have increasing amounts of wealth and power in our society, and understanding their mindset — including the flaws in their thinking — is key to understanding what drives technology and the global economy today. There are certain commonalities in this otherwise diverse group: high tolerance for risk, appreciation of uncertainty, affinity for numbers, skill at decoupling, self-reliance, and a distrust of conventional wisdom. For those in The River, complexity is baked in, and the work is how to navigate it, without going beyond the pale.

Taking us behind the scenes from casinos to venture capital firms, and from the FTX inner sanctum to meetings of the effective altruism movement, On the Edge is a deeply reported, all-access journey into a hidden world of power brokers and risk-takers.

Nate Silver is the founder of FiveThirtyEight and the New York Times bestselling author of The Signal and the Noise. He writes the Substack Silver Bulletin.

Clayton Page Aldern is a senior data reporter at Grist. A neuroscientist turned environmental journalist, he holds a master’s in neuroscience and a master’s in public policy from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He is also a research affiliate at the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology at the University of Washington. With Gregg Colburn, he is the author of Homelessness Is a Housing Problem. His book The Weight of Nature, on the effects of climate change on brain health, is out now from Dutton.

Buy the Book On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything

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#Society #Civics #Growth #Ideas #National #People #Politics #Townhallseattle #World #Town Hall Seattle #Government #History #Policy #Communities #Podcasting Education #Movement #TownHall

375. Nate Silver with Clayton Aldern: On the Edge

Town Hall Seattle Civics Series

16 subscribers

published منذ عام واحد

MP3•منزل الحلقة

Nate Silver is the founder of FiveThirtyEight and the New York Times bestselling author of The Signal and the Noise. He writes the Substack Silver Bulletin.

Buy the Book On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything

Third Place Books

142 حلقات

#Society #Civics #Growth #Ideas #National #People #Politics #Townhallseattle #World #Town Hall Seattle #Government #History #Policy #Communities #Podcasting Education #Movement #TownHall

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382. Chris Hayes with Luke Burbank: How Attention Became the World's Most Endangered Resource 1:12:24

منذ 12 يومًا1:12:24

1:12:24

You’ve probably been there: doomscrolling or otherwise distracted by devices. Many of us have lost focus before as our addictive phones consume our time or interfere with social situations. People bump into one another on the street, look down at their phones at restaurants, or check their mobile devices while spending time with the kids as continuous pings sound off in their pockets and purses. New York Times bestselling author, political commentator, and MSNBC news anchor Chris Hayes posits that these phenomena are part of a larger issue of attention capitalism, and show how attention itself has been taken from us and turned into a commodity. His latest release, The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource, charts how the deliberate harvesting of human attention by wealthy companies has fundamentally changed news, politics, and leisure time. As society grows increasingly unable to concentrate, the consequences can be serious, and hold implications for what lies ahead. The Sirens’ Call aims to provide a holistic framework as well as steps people can take to regain control of their own lives and futures, overcoming what Hayes refers to as “the little attention box” that continues to dominate much of our existence. Chris Hayes is the Emmy Award–winning host of All In With Chris Hayes on MSNBC and the New York Times bestselling author of A Colony in a Nation and Twilight of the Elites . He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and children. Luke Burbank hosts the public radio variety show “Live Wire” as well as the daily podcast “TBTL” and is a Correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning. He grew up near Greenlake in Seattle and jumps at any opportunity to come visit his hometown. Buy the Book The Sirens' Call: How Attention Became the World's Most Endangered Resource Third Place Books…

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381. Queering Talks: In Between 1:29:26

منذ 28 يومًا1:29:26

1:29:26

Step into the in-between. This segment dives into the rich, transformative power of liminal spaces—those borders and boundaries where identities and experiences defy tidy categories. Our speakers will share deeply personal stories of hybridity, multiplicity, and fluidity, offering insights from lives lived beyond the binary. These talks challenge conventional thinking and celebrate the voices of those who have always thrived in the margins. Don’t miss this bold exploration of the spaces where possibility begins. About Queering Talks From the beginning, Town Hall has been a space for meeting the needs of our city—hosting concerts, book talks, and new ways to connect. This January, we’re thrilled to launch Queering Talks: In Between, Out in Front, Always Been, curated by Dr. Jen Self (they/them), founder of the UW Q Center. This bold new series reimagines the traditional lecture format through a queer lens, challenging ideas about who speaks, who listens, and who is centered. Built around three themes—In Between (exploring fluid identities and spaces), Out in Front (centering changemakers leading justice and equality movements), and Always Been (highlighting the historic contributions of queer visionaries)—this series promises to inspire, expand perspectives, and celebrate inclusivity. Join us in sparking meaningful conversations and building a community that values growth and connection. Read more on our blog: https://townhallseattle.org/queering-talks/ Dr. Jen Self (they/them) is a therapist, educator, performer, and writer whose work lives in the third space—the liminal zone where identities, systems, and possibilities collide and transform. As the founding director of the University of Washington’s Q Center, Jen reimagined what it means to create community healing spaces by centering a queer intersectional praxis. Jen knows that macro changes take place in our everyday decisions and actions. Their career spans decades of racial and gender justice work as a therapist, educator, strategist, program innovator, and truth sayer, navigating—and disrupting—institutions to make them more humane and transformative. Jen’s current projects include writing everything from maps on napkins to a memoir, co-leading The Racial Healing Project, and co-creating the Queer Leadership Lab. Darrow Brown lives at the crowded intersection of Black, gay, male, spouse, parent, and friend. Public service employee, therapist, DJ and recent East Coast transplant are some of the busy and sometimes pothole-filled intersecting streets. Darrow gnaws, perhaps chronically, on what it means to embrace and sit with perfect imperfection. He uses storytelling – his self-proclaimed superpower – to build connections and help develop fertile relationships and thriving human beings. Thai Nguyen was born and raised in the 206 in West Seattle, occupying the straight mess of being a queer-cis male. Thai works as a peer counselor and an aspiring social worker. He focuses on lived experience as a means to break down barriers and reimagine social norms. Thai seeks to spotlight authentic community experiences and needs to diversify our dreams for the world we could build for each other.…

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380. Jesse Hagopian with Dr. Ayva Thomas and Wayne Au: Teach Truth — Unbanning Books in Public Schools 1:34:41

منذ عام واحد1:34:41

1:34:41

Did you know that the Seattle Public Library offers any U.S. resident, ages 13-26, a free “Books Unbanned Card,” which allows you to check out any e-books or e-audiobooks from the Library’s digital collection, no matter where you live? This is just one example of how people are resisting new restrictions on information and education across the country. In his new book, Teach Truth, Seattle educator and author Jesse Hagopian discusses these restrictions and offers advice on how to defend antiracist education. Hagopian outlines how numerous states and school districts in recent years have enacted policies or laws mandating how to teach about systemic racism and oppression—policies that impact nearly half of all students in the U.S. Thousands of books have been banned from schools. Teachers face termination, attacks, and disciplinary action. You can be punished, including jail time, for providing access to a banned book. These new changes have old roots in McCarthyism’s Red Scare and Lavender Scare. They have strongholds in U.S. history. But there is also strong pushback. Hagopian shows how the fight against them also has a rich legacy, from the resistance to anti-literacy laws for enslaved people to the Black Lives Matter at School movement today. Hagopian calls to defend antiracist education, showing how to reclaim suppressed history by creating beloved classroom communities and healthy social movements. Jesse Hagopian has taught in public schools for over 20 years, serves on the Black Lives Matter at School steering committee, organizes for the Zinn Education Project, and founded the Ethnic Studies course at Seattle’s Garfield High School. He is an editor for Rethinking Schools magazine, the co-editor of Black Lives Matter at School and Teaching for Black Lives , and the editor of More Than a Score: The New Uprising Against High Stakes Testing. Dr. Ayva Thomas is a P-12 education and systems leader in and beyond her local community. She has been a speaker, panelist, and thought partner for events like the Zinn Education Project’s Teaching for Black Lives campaign, the City of Bothell’s DEI work, and the City of Kenmore’s Juneteenth Celebration. Wayne Au is Dean and Professor in the University of Washington Bothell School of Educational Studies, and he is an editor for the social justice teaching magazine, Rethinking Schools . A former public high school teacher, he writes and speaks about racial justice in education. Au’s most recent book is Asian American Racialization and the Politics of U.S. Education. Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Seattle Public Library. Buy the Book Teach Truth: The Struggle for Antiracist Education Elliott Bay Book Company…

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379. Juan Williams with Enrique Cerna: The Rise of America’s Second Civil Rights Movement 1:30:33

منذ عام واحد1:30:33

1:30:33

After the U.S. elected Barack Obama its first Black president in 2008, some assumed that this signaled a post-racial America. However, subsequent and serious incidents suggested this was not the case, inciting what some came to know as a second civil rights movement. Political correspondent, journalist, and historian Juan Williams explores this phenomenon in his latest release New Prize for These Eyes: The Rise of America’s Second Civil Rights Movement. Who are the heroes of this movement? Where is it headed? What distinguishes it from its predecessor? Williams aims to answer these questions, exploring demographic changes, the rise and role of social media, and other critical shifts in the economic and cultural landscape. The author traces the arc of this new civil rights era, touching on subjects like the Obama presidency, Charlottesville, January 6th, and a Confederate flag in the Capitol. Exploring both past and present, New Prize for These Eyes will be of interest to historians or anyone concerned about America’s future. It encourages citizens to learn about the progress the nation has made, as well as obstacles that have yet to be overcome. Juan Williams is is a prizewinning journalist and historian. He is the author of the bestselling civil rights history Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years 1954–1965 , which accompanied the PBS series of the same name. He also wrote the landmark biography of the first African American on the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary, as well as the New York Times bestsellers Enough and Muzzled: The Assault on Honest Debate . Williams worked for The Washington Post as a celebrated national political correspondent, White House correspondent, and editorial writer. His NPR talk show took ratings to a new high. He has written for The New York Times , The Wall Street Journal , The New Yorker , The Atlantic , and Ebony . He is currently senior political analyst for Fox News Channel and a columnist for The Hill. Enrique Cerna calls himself a recovering broadcast journalist. He worked in Seattle media for more than four decades. Cerna was a reporter, producer and host for KOMO Radio and Television, KING Television and KCTS Public Television. In February 2018, he retired from his role as senior correspondent with KCTS. Still, he remains active as the co-host of the Chino Y Chicano and UNFILTERED podcasts. Cerna has earned ten Northwest Regional Emmy awards. In May 2022, Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication inducted him into its Hall of Achievement. Since March 2020, he has been a member of the WSU Board of Regents. He also serves as vice president for the Seattle Chapter of the National Hispanic Journalist’s Association. Buy the Book New Prize for These Eyes: The Rise of America's Second Civil Rights Movement Third Place Books…

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378. Mariana Chilton with Agueda Pacheco Flores: Rethinking What We Know About Hunger in America 1:23:57

منذ عام واحد1:23:57

1:23:57

In America today, reports show that food insecurity is a pressing issue for over 35 million people. With rising grocery prices, inflation, and the lasting impacts of the pandemic—understanding the complexities of hunger has never been more imperative. Mariana Chilton explores this issue in the book, The Painful Truth about Hunger in America: Why We Must Unlearn Everything We Think We Know—and Start Again with some new insights and perspectives. Mariana Chilton is an author, professor, and founder of the Drexel University — Center for Hunger-Free Communities. In The Painful Truth About Hunger in America , Chilton takes a radical and urgent new approach to addressing hunger and poverty in the US. Where traditionally researchers, policymakers, and advocates have approached providing food through donations or non-profit organizations, Chilton focuses on the fundamental structures which she asserts have a keen interest in maintaining food stratification. Chilton suggests that the solution to food insecurity lies beyond providing food itself and will have to take both a political and spiritual approach in fixing this crisis. Drawing on 25 years of research, programming, and advocacy efforts, Chilton argues that food insecurity is created and maintained by those in power. To demonstrate her point, Chilton calls back to the original wounds suffered in this country — through a history of colonization, genocide, and enslavement. Drawing on intimate interviews she has conducted with many Black and Brown women, Chilton sheds light on the experience of hunger as linked with trauma and gender-based violence, violence with the natural world, and with ourselves. The Painful Truth about Hunger in America not only reinvigorates our commitment to uprooting the causes of poverty and discrimination but also points to a more generative and humane world where everyone can be nourished. Mariana Chilton, PhD, MPH, is a Professor at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health and Director of the Center for Hunger-Free Communities, a research and advocacy center focused on addressing hunger and economic insecurity. She founded Witnesses to Hunger, a movement amplifying women’s voices in the fight against poverty, and leads the Building Wealth and Health Network, which promotes entrepreneurship in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Her work on food insecurity, trauma, and human rights has influenced national policies, and she has advised Congress, Sesame Street, and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Chilton’s research has been featured in major media outlets, including The Washington Post and CBS News. Agueda Pacheco Flores is a Seattle-based freelancer with a focus on culture, arts, Southend communities, and the Latinx diaspora. Her work has been featured in The Seattle Times, The South Seattle Emerald, Remezcla, and more. You can find her on X @AguedaPachecOH. Buy the Book The Painful Truth about Hunger in America: Why We Must Unlearn Everything We Think We Know--and Start Again Elliott Bay Book Company…

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377. Casey Michel with Katy Pearce: A Danger to Democracy 1:09:13

منذ عام واحد1:09:13

1:09:13

If there is one thing on our collective minds these days, it is the issue of politics. But for all the interest it piques, much of it remains a mystery to the American public. Bestselling author and journalist Casey Michel, who tackled the problem of financial corruption in his first book American Kleptocracy , sheds light on an issue that may be unknown to those outside the Capitol. In Michel’s new book Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World , he details how one group has worked as foot soldiers for authoritarian, repressive regimes. In the process, they’ve not only established dictatorships and spread kleptocratic networks, but they’ve successfully guided U.S. policy without the rest of America being aware. And now, Michel asserts, some of them have begun turning their sights on American democracy itself. These Americans are known as foreign lobbyists, and many of them spent years laundering reputations and getting cozy in Washington with dictatorships. Michel writes of foreign lobbyists throughout history–including those who built alliances with Mussolini and the Nazis, but also contemporary Americans: in law firms and consultancies, among PR specialists and former lawmakers, and even within think tanks and universities. Foreign Agents illuminates these figures past and present and determines that they pose a threat to the future of American democracy. Casey Michel is an author, journalist, and director of the Combating Kleptocracy Program with the Human Rights Foundation. He is the author of American Kleptocracy , named by The Economist as one of the “best books to read to understand financial crime.” His writing on offshoring, foreign lobbying, authoritarianism, and illicit wealth has appeared in Financial Times , The Wall Street Journal , The Atlantic , Foreign Affairs , and The Washington Post , among other outlets, and he has appeared on NPR, BBC , CNN , and MSNBC , among other stations. He has also testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the links between illicit financial networks and national security. He received his Master’s degree in Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies from Columbia University’s Harriman Institute, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in northern Kazakhstan. Foreign Agents is his second book. Dr. Katy E. Pearce is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington and holds affiliations with the University of Washington’s Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies and the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public. She is the chair of the Communication and Technology Division of the International Communication Association and is an associate editor at the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Her research focuses on social and political uses of technologies and digital content in the transitioning democracies and semi-authoritarian states of the South Caucasus and Central Asia, but primarily Armenia and Azerbaijan. B uy the Book Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World The Elliott Bay Book Company…

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376. Paul Pierson with Megan Ming Francis: Partisan Nation 1:00:45

منذ عام واحد1:00:45

1:00:45

Professor of Political Science Paul Pierson, discusses his new book Partisan Nation . Co-authored with Eric Schickler, this book explores the roots of America’s democratic crisis, highlighting how the mismatch between the Constitution and today’s nationalized, partisan politics has destabilized American democracy. Pierson offers a fresh perspective on contemporary polarization, explaining how it has evolved from past eras and become self-perpetuating. Pierson and Schickler’s work dives into the changing dynamics of state parties, interest groups, and media since the 1960s, showing how these shifts have intensified political conflict. They also caution about the vulnerability of the American political system to authoritarian movements, particularly within the contemporary Republican Party. This talk is for anyone seeking to understand the current challenges facing American governance and democracy. Paul Pierson is the John Gross Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley, and director of the Berkeley Economy and Society Initiative. He is the author or coauthor of six books, including Winner-Take-All Politics , Let Them Eat Tweets and Politics in Time. Megan Ming Francis is the G. Alan and Barbara Delsman Associate Professor of Political Science and an Associate Professor of Law, Societies, and Justice at the University of Washington. Francis specializes in the study of American politics, with broad interests in criminal punishment, Black political activism, philanthropy, and the post-Civil War South. Buy the Book Partisan Nation: The Dangerous New Logic of American Politics in a Nationalized Era Third Place Books…

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375. Nate Silver with Clayton Aldern: On the Edge 1:07:18

منذ عام واحد1:07:18

1:07:18

What can professional risk-takers — poker players and hedge fund managers, crypto true believers and blue-chip art collectors— teach us much about navigating the uncertainty of the twenty-first century? In the bestselling The Signal and the Noise , statistician Nate Silver showed how forecasting would define the age of Big Data. Now, in his timely and riveting new book, On the Edge , Silver investigates “The River,” or those whose mastery of risk allows them to shape — and dominate — so much of modern life. People in “The River” have increasing amounts of wealth and power in our society, and understanding their mindset — including the flaws in their thinking — is key to understanding what drives technology and the global economy today. There are certain commonalities in this otherwise diverse group: high tolerance for risk, appreciation of uncertainty, affinity for numbers, skill at decoupling, self-reliance, and a distrust of conventional wisdom. For those in The River, complexity is baked in, and the work is how to navigate it, without going beyond the pale. Taking us behind the scenes from casinos to venture capital firms, and from the FTX inner sanctum to meetings of the effective altruism movement, On the Edge is a deeply reported, all-access journey into a hidden world of power brokers and risk-takers. Nate Silver is the founder of FiveThirtyEight and the New York Times bestselling author of The Signal and the Noise . He writes the Substack Silver Bulletin . Clayton Page Aldern is a senior data reporter at Grist. A neuroscientist turned environmental journalist, he holds a master’s in neuroscience and a master’s in public policy from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He is also a research affiliate at the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology at the University of Washington. With Gregg Colburn, he is the author of Homelessness Is a Housing Problem . His book The Weight of Nature , on the effects of climate change on brain health, is out now from Dutton. Buy the Book On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything Third Place Books…

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374. David Orr: Reforming Democracy for a Warming World — Pathways to Thriving in a Post-Fossil Fuel Era 1:08:59

منذ عام واحد1:08:59

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Democracy in a Hotter Time calls for reforming democratic institutions as a prerequisite for avoiding climate chaos and adapting governance to how Earth works as a physical system. To survive in the “long emergency” ahead, the book suggests ways to reform and strengthen democratic institutions, making them assets rather than liabilities. Edited by David W. Orr, this collection of essays proposes a new political order that would enable humanity to thrive in the transition to a post-fossil fuel world. Orr gathers leading scholars, public intellectuals, and political leaders to address the many problems confronting our current political systems. Few other books have taken a systems view of the effects of a rapidly destabilizing climate on our laws and governance or offered such a diversity of solutions. These thoughtful and incisive essays cover subjects from Constitutional reform to participatory urban design to education; together, they aim to invigorate the conversation about the human future in practical ways that will improve the effectiveness of democratic institutions and lay the foundation for a more durable and just democracy. David W. Orr is Professor of Practice at Arizona State University and Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics Emeritus at Oberlin College. He is the author of eight books, including Dangerous Years: Climate Change, the Long Emergency, and the Way Forward and Down to the Wire: Confronting Climate Collapse . He is a founder of the Atlanta Environmental Symposium, the Meadowcreek Project, the Oberlin Project, the journal Solutions , and of the State of American Democracy Project. He headed the effort to design, fund, and build the Adam Joseph Lewis Center which was named by an AIA panel in 2010 as “the most important green building of the past thirty years.” His current work at Arizona State University is on the repair and strengthening American democracy. Buy the Book Democracy in a Hotter Time: Climate Change and Democratic Transformation Third Place Books…

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373. Robert Merry: How Massachusetts and South Carolina Led the Way to Civil War 57:59

منذ عام واحد57:59

57:59

In his new book, Decade of Disunion , Robert W. Merry explores the critical lessons from the 1850s when the United States faced a growing crisis over slavery. The Mexican War’s vast new territories sparked debates on expanding slavery, clashing with the 1820 Missouri Compromise. Key events such as the Compromise of 1850, the 1854 repeal of the Missouri Compromise, the 1857 Dred Scott decision, and John Brown’s 1859 raid heightened tensions, leading to violent conflicts and further division between North and South. Merry focuses on the contrasting roles of South Carolina and Massachusetts. South Carolina, reliant on slave labor, debated secession, while Massachusetts became an antislavery stronghold, questioning the Constitution’s role in abolishing slavery. These states’ actions widened the national divide, making disunion inevitable. In December 1860, South Carolina’s secession following Abraham Lincoln’s election triggered the South’s departure from the Union. Through the lens of key figures, Merry underscores the fragile nature of democracy and the continuous effort required to sustain it. Robert W. Merry spent 45 years in Washington, D.C., as a Wall Street Journal reporter and executive at Congressional Quarterly , including 12 years as CQ ’s president and editor-in-chief. After CQ was sold to the Economist, he also served as editor of the polemical magazines The National Interest and The American Conservative . He is the author of six books on American history and foreign policy, including the forthcoming Decade of Disunion: How Massachusetts and South Carolina Led the Way to Civil War, 1849-1861. Buy the Companion Book Decade of Disunion: How Massachusetts and South Carolina Led the Way to Civil War, 1849-1861 Third Place Books…

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372. Sasha Abramsky: The Far-Right Takeover of Small-Town America 1:10:32

منذ عام واحد1:10:32

1:10:32

Sequim––a quiet, coastal community just a couple hours away from Seattle––may seem like an unlikely microcosm for the rise of far-right politics. And yet, political journalist Sasha Abramsky has closely followed small-town communities, including Sequim, and argues that places like these have directly influenced current national politics. How could small-town USA be so instrumental in today’s political climate, including Donald Trump’s 2024 Republican presidential nomination? Abramsky argues that the far-right have worked to take control, using suspicion, conspiracy, and bigotry, and forming alliances of QAnoners, anti-vaxxers, Christian nationalists, and militia supporters within small towns across the country. Stemming from his latest book, Chaos Comes Calling , he investigates the rise of the far-right, telling the parallel stories of recent years in two communities: Shasta County, California and Sequim, Washington. The ultimate fates of these two towns were different though. Abramsky shows how Sequim has returned to less extreme political views, while Shasta County has descended further into intolerance and divisiveness. He highlights the differences between the communities, including the efforts to organize against the far-right movement. Places like Sequim may be small, but they may have huge ramifications in the national political scene. Abramsky believes there’s a path forward from polarization that threatens to break apart communities, and towns as close as Sequim can show us how. Sasha Abramsky is a long-time political journalist and book author who has spent the last thirty years exploring the American political and social justice landscape. He has written extensively on poverty, criminal justice, immigration, and the rise of hard-right and alt-right political movements. Buy the Book Chaos Comes Calling: The Battle Against the Far-Right Takeover of Small-Town America The Elliott Bay Book Company…

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371. Aziz Rana with Michael Hardt and Jaleh Mansoor: The Constitutional Bind 1:30:47

منذ عام واحد1:30:47

1:30:47

Some Americans fear the Federal Constitution falls short in addressing democratic threats, yet it’s long been revered for its ideals of liberty and equality. Join us at Town Hall Seattle for a discussion with Aziz Rana, Michael Hardt, and Jaleh Mansoor about Rana’s book, The Constitutional Bind , exploring how this flawed document gained mythic status and its impact on society. Rana contends this reverence emerged in the 20th century alongside US global dominance, shaping both domestic and foreign policy. Discover how this cultural phenomenon has hindered meaningful change while silencing an array of movement activists — in Black, Indigenous, feminist, labor, and immigrant politics — who struggled to imagine different constitutional horizons. Gain insights into alternative constitutional futures at this thought-provoking event in collaboration with Red May. Aziz Rana is an American legal scholar and author who currently serves as Richard and Lois Cole Professor of Law at Cornell University specializing in American constitutional law . Michael Hardt teaches political theory in the Literature Program at Duke University. He is co-author, with Antonio Negri, of the Empire trilogy and, most recently, Assembly . He is co-director with Sandro Mezzadra of The Social Movements Lab. Jaleh Mansoor is an associate professor of art history at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, where she teaches modern and contemporary art history with an emphasis on Post WWII European art. Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Red May. Buy the Book The Constitutional Bind: How Americans Came to Idolize a Document That Fails Them Third Place Books…

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370. Nora Kenworthy with Marcus Harrison Green: The True Costs of Crowdfunding 59:30

منذ عام واحد59:30

59:30

Over the past decade, charitable crowdfunding has exploded in popularity across the globe. Sites such as GoFundMe, which now boasts a “global community of over 100 million” users, have transformed the ways we seek and offer help. When faced with crises—especially medical ones—Americans are turning to online platforms that promise to connect them to the charity of the crowd. What does this new phenomenon reveal about the changing ways we seek and provide healthcare? In Crowded Out, Nora Kenworthy examines how charitable crowdfunding so quickly overtook public life, where it is taking us, and who gets left behind by this new platformed economy. Although crowdfunding has become ubiquitous in our lives, it is often misunderstood: rather than a friendly free market “powered by the kindness” of strangers, crowdfunding is powerfully reinforcing inequalities and changing the way Americans think about and access healthcare. Drawing on extensive research and rich storytelling, Crowded Out demonstrates how crowdfunding for health is fueled by—and further reinforces—financial and moral “toxicities” in market-based healthcare systems. It offers a unique and distressing look beneath the surface of some of the most popular charitable platforms and helps to foster thoughtful discussions of how we can better respond to healthcare crises both small and large. Nora Kenworthy is Associate Professor at the University of Washington Bothell. She is the author and editor of several books, and her writing has appeared in the American Journal of Public Health , Social Science and Medicine , PLOS One , Scientific American , the Washington Post , and the Los Angeles Times . Marcus Harrison Green is a columnist for The Seattle Times . A long-time Seattle native, he is the founder of the South Seattle Emerald , which focuses on telling the stories of South Seattle and its residents. Buy the Book Crowded Out: The True Costs of Crowdfunding Healthcare The Elliott Bay Book Company…

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369. Natalie Foster with Angela Garbes: Freedom Within the Free Market 55:09

منذ عام واحد55:09

55:09

Government-backed guarantees, from bailouts to bankruptcy protection, help keep the private sector in business in our nation’s economic system. What if the same were true not only for businesses but for individuals as well? In her new book The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy , Natalie Foster, co-founder and president of the Economic Security Project, invites readers to envision a future where things like housing, health care, higher education, family care, inheritance, and an income floor are not only attainable for everyone but guaranteed by our government. The book blends economics, business, public policy, and social justice and calls for a shift from unchecked capitalism to a country that serves all of its people. The Guarantee examines the changes in government guarantees over the past decade, from student debt relief to the child tax credit expansion. Foster’s vision for a new American Guarantee draws from real-life experiences as well as collaborations with activists and visionaries. The Guarantee argues not only that new policies are possible, but that they are ready to implement in twenty-first-century America. Natalie Foster is a leading architect of the movement to build an inclusive and resilient economy. She is the president and co-founder of Economic Security Project and an Aspen Institute Fellow, and her work and writing have appeared in the New York Times , USA Today , Time , Business Insider , CNN, and The Guardian . Natalie speaks regularly on economic security, the future of work, and the new political economy. Natalie previously founded the sharing economy community Peers and co-founded Rebuild the Dream with Van Jones, and served as Digital Director for President Obama’s Organizing for America — a leading partner in winning transformative healthcare reform. A daughter of a preacher from Kansas, Natalie draws on the values of community, dignity, and optimism to build a better America. The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy is her first book. Angela Garbes is the author of Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change, called “a landmark and a lightning storm” by the New Yorker. Essential Labor was named a Best Book of 2022 by both the New Yorker and NPR. Her first book, Like a Mother , was also an NPR Best Book of the Year. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, New York Magazine, and featured on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Fresh Air with Terry Gross. A first-generation Filipina American, Garbes lives with her family on Beacon Hill. Buy the Book The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America's Next Economy Third Place Books…

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368. Anna Zivarts with Barb Chamberlain and Tanisha Sepúlveda: Driving Change — Navigating Mobility for All 59:39

منذ عام واحد59:39

59:39

Traffic, parking, gas prices, miles per gallon- many casual concerns might enter your mind when you get into your car and go out into the world. But what happens when your concerns are not casual but constant, and they start with figuring out whether you can even access where you’re trying to go in the first place? One-third of people living in the United States don’t have a driver’s license, yet live in a system that doesn’t prioritize people who don’t or can’t drive. In her book When Driving is Not an Option: Steering Away From Car Dependency , Anna Letitia Zivarts sets out to explain why factoring nondrivers into planning decisions and improvements across our transportation system will create a better quality of life for everyone. Drawing from interviews with involuntary nondrivers from around the United States and from her own lived experience, Zivarts explores the realities nondrivers face in a car-centric society. The majority of involuntary nondrivers nationwide are disabled, lower income, unhoused, undocumented, formerly incarcerated, very young, or elderly. These populations face significant financial and accessibility barriers attempting to navigate a transportation system that suffers from a major blind spot towards them- it’s a system designed and run by people who can drive. When Driving is Not an Option evaluates the human health, environmental, and quality-of-life costs of our current systems and what changing them to be more equitable and accessible could look like for everyone- car user or not. In conversation with cycling policy leader Barb Chamberlain and fellow disability advocate Tanisha Sepúlveda, Zivarts touches on levels of change that could create expansive impacts- from accessible and affordable transit and housing to promoting diverse leadership, from sidewalk connectivity to creating more opportunities for biking, scooting, and wheeling. By acting on the needs of nondrivers who are frequently excluded from the conversation, Zivarts posits that more supportive structures and healthier, climate-conscious communities could be right around the corner. Anna Zivarts is an author, organizer, disability advocate, and low-vision nondriver. She launched and currently serves as the Program Director of the Disability Mobility Initiative at Disability Rights Washington. She represents disabled nondrivers on the Washington State Active Transportation Council and previously served as the equity and accessibility expert on NHTSA’s Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Program Assessment teams for Kentucky and Maryland. Barb Chamberlain is the Director of the Active Transportation Division of the Washington State Department of Transportation. She is a long-time proponent of active transportation safety, equity, and accessibility, previously serving as the executive director of the nonprofit Washington Bikes. Her work has been recognized with regional, state, and national awards. Tanisha Sepúlveda is a program coordinator for Empower Movement WA, a coalition of BIPOC and disabled mobility advocates supported by Disability Rights Washington and Front and Centered. Buy the Book When Driving Is Not an Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency The Elliott Bay Book Company…

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