Shows
Last DayLast Day Presents: “Making Peace with The End” (Squeezed Ep 7)On this Christmas Day, we’re sharing the last episode of Squeezed, fittingly about the end of life. Alua is a renowned death doula, author, and educator who believes that living fully requires all of us to face mortality head-on. Whether it’s providing support at the bedside or making end-of-life-plans well in advance, Alua works with clients at every stage of life to embrace the inevitable with heart and humor. Death can be scary, but doulas like Alua are revolutionizing end-of-life-care by teaching us how to live more presently… so we can die peacefully. Squeezed is a Lemonada...
2024-12-2527 min
Podnews Weekly ReviewLemonada Media, secureRSS, Podthon and a new Podcasting 2.0 podcastThis week, we've an interview with Jessica Cordova Cramer from Lemonada Media, who shares insights about working with Meghan Markle and David Duchovny. She reveals how their shows have exceeded expectations, with Duchovny's podcast expanding from 20 planned episodes to 31 due to its success, and discusses the company's strategy for selecting talent who have a clear purpose for their podcasts.A new approach to podcast comments is proposed, using existing RSS technology. James and Sam explain how this could simplify the process for both developers and users, while allowing podcasters to maintain control over their comment sections and...
2024-12-201h 36
Podnews ExtraJessica Cordova-Kramer, from Lemonada MediaGot feedback? Send us a text message. Jessica Cordova-Kramer, CEO of Lemonada Media, shares the origin story of her company, which began after she and co-founder Stephanie Wittels Wachs both lost their brothers to heroin overdoses. After hearing Stephanie make jokes about overdose on a podcast, Jessica realized podcasts could save lives, leading them to create a company focused on making life "suck less" through audio content. The conversation reveals Lemonada's strategic approach to content ...
2024-12-2034 min
Podnews ExtraJessica Cordova-Kramer, from Lemonada MediaGot feedback? Send us a text message.Jessica Cordova-Kramer, CEO of Lemonada Media, shares the origin story of her company, which began after she and co-founder Stephanie Wittels Wachs both lost their brothers to heroin overdoses. After hearing Stephanie make jokes about overdose on a podcast, Jessica realized podcasts could save lives, leading them to create a company focused on making life "suck less" through audio content.The conversation reveals Lemonada's strategic approach to content creation, including partnerships with high-profile talent like Meghan Markle, David Duchovny, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Cordova-Kramer discusses how the company maintains...
2024-12-2034 minLast DayLast Day Presents: “Alzheimer’s Changes Everything” (Squeezed Ep 6)Jessica Guthrie is squeezed. A decade ago, at 26 years old, Jessica unexpectedly became a caregiver for her mom, Constance, who is now living with late-stage Alzheimer’s. Over the years, Jessica has left behind a life in Texas, moved back home to Virginia, and quit her job to focus on caregiving full-time. While so much of her life is on hold, Jessica has gained a lot and found a powerful community of caregivers online. Squeezed is a Lemonada Media original. Yvette Nicole Brown is the host of this show. Chrystal Genesis is our senior producer. Giulia Hjort, Tes...
2024-12-1128 minLast DayLast Day Presents: “Caring For Her Kid, Her Parents and Herself” (Squeezed Ep 5)Sadé is squeezed. Five years ago, she became a first-time parent. She expected her parents to help her out with the day-to-day work. But a series of unforeseen diagnoses left Sadé in an all-hands-on-deck caregiver situation – taking care of a new baby and her aging parents. Sadé is the family’s “Goddess of Efficiency,” and while she’s busy caring for everyone else, her own debilitating health needs often end up in last place. Squeezed is a Lemonada Media original. Yvette Nicole Brown is the host of this show. Chrystal Genesis is our senior producer. Giulia Hjort, Tess Novotny...
2024-11-2727 min
Podcast PerspectivesPredictions and Retrospectives with 19 Podcast Industry LeadersAs we look towards the New Year, we’ve gathered some of the brightest minds in podcasting to reflect on a transformative year. From indie creators to network executives, our guests share their most humbling lessons, unexpected wins, and the moments that made them rethink everything. Plus, they reveal what’s keeping them up at night – and what’s getting them excited – as we head into 2025.Guests include:
Chris Peterson of DWNLOAD Media
Fatima Zaidi of Quill Inc and CoHost
Sharon Taylor of Triton Digital
Bradley Davis of Podchaser
Amber Smith of iHeartMedia
Eric Barne...
2024-11-2037 minLast DayLast Day Presents: “Helping the Most Vulnerable Teens” (Squeezed Ep 4)It’s hard enough being Squeezed. But helping others who are, too? That’s a superpower. And Shilpa is our hero. She’s a mom to one son and also runs CARES, a world-class therapeutic school and rehabilitation program for vulnerable teens at Mount Sinai Morningside, a hospital located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. She supports young people on the rocky road from childhood to adulthood. But caregiving at home and at work while also caring for herself is a constant balancing act. Squeezed is a Lemonada Media original. Yvette Nicole Brown is the host of this...
2024-11-1327 minLast DayLast Day Presents: "Co-Parenting Tween Triplets in NYC” (Squeezed Ep 3)We’re back to share Episode 3, featuring another person who is feeling Squeezed from all sides. Matt is a native Londoner. He is also single dad co-parenting 11-year-old triplets with his ex-husband in one of the most expensive cities in the world: New York. To be able to afford childcare for all three, Matt had to make a tough choice – job security or spending enough time with his kids? Squeezed is a Lemonada Media original. Yvette Nicole Brown is the host of this show. Chrystal Genesis is our senior producer. Giulia Hjort, Tess Novotny, and Hannah Boomershine are...
2024-10-3027 minLast DayLast Day Presents: “A Stay-At-Home Mom Breaks the Cycle” (Squeezed Ep 2)Hey listeners, we’re back with Episode 2 of Squeezed. This episode features another person who is feeling very Squeezed. Jessica is a stay-at-home mom with three kids under six. She is a former daycare worker who didn’t plan to be a full-time mom, but since money is tight and childcare is expensive, she has no other choice. Jessica fell through the cracks of our system that does not support care workers — but she’s discovered profound meaning in her life as a stay-at-home mom and is using this time to break generational cycles. Squeezed is a Lemonada...
2024-10-1626 minLast DayLast Day Presents: Squeezed with Yvette Nicole BrownStephanie is off in the exciting (and terrifying) world of book writing. In the interim, we want to share another show that’s near and dear to our hearts. So near, in fact, that it features Stephanie’s entire family! Squeezed, hosted by the incomparable Yvette Nicole Brown (yes, from “Community”), explores the lives of caregivers across America. It’s hard, hard work – but also full of joy and connection. This episode focuses on Stephanie and her dad, who has Parkinson’s disease. If you love Last Day, you’re going to love Squeezed, which brings the same tenderness and compassion t...
2024-10-0236 min
The Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectThe TetherIn the season finale of The Letter, Michael Moore learns if he will get a parole date. But the families who forgave him and advocated for his release never expected what he did next. They are left to ask themselves if they misjudged him.For more on the Letter Season 2: Ripple Effect, including pictures, find us on social @theletterpodcast or visit our website, theletterpodcast.com. If you want to hear more and would like to support us, please consider subscribing on Apple podcasts for access to our bonus episodes. We drop a bonus episode every week...
2024-06-111h 03The Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectInheritanceWhen Michael Moore murdered Jordan Rasmussen and Buddy Booth, he left five children without fathers. When they were young, the adults in their lives made decisions about whether they would oppose or support Michael’s release from prison. But as Michael approaches his fourth parole hearing those children will be old enough to speak for themselves. Is forgiveness something they inherit, or will they come to their own conclusions? For more on the Letter Season 2: Ripple Effect, including pictures, find us on social @theletterpodcast or visit our website, theletterpodcast.com. If you want to hear more and would like to...
2024-06-0453 minThe Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectWhisperingsFeelings of rage and retribution were melting away as Leslie Rasmussen drafted a letter to the man who murdered her brother, Jordan. She wrote the letter without talking to any of the family members, who nearly simultaneously came to their own conclusion. Michael Moore writes back.For more on the Letter Season 2: Ripple Effect, including pictures, find us on social @theletterpodcast or visit our website, theletterpodcast.com. If you want to hear more and would like to support us, please consider subscribing on Apple podcasts for access to our bonus episodes. We drop a bonus episode every...
2024-05-2152 minThe Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectOur BrotherA decade passes since the brutal murders of Buddy Booth and Jordan Rasmussen. As their families wrestle with loss and rage, the man who killed them, Michael Patrick Moore, readies another plea for his parole. But as the Rasmussens prepare for war, they are caught off guard by what Moore does next. For more on the Letter Season 2: Ripple Effect, including pictures, find us on social @theletterpodcast or visit our website, theletterpodcast.com. If you want to hear more and would like to support us, please consider subscribing on Apple podcasts for access to our bonus episodes...
2024-05-1437 minThe Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectLife SentencesThe families of Jordan Rasmussen and Buddy Booth realize the end of a trial doesn’t mean the end of their struggles. And only a year after Michael Moore is handed two life sentences, he makes a case for early release. But is the killer ready to take responsibility for the damage he caused?For more on the Letter Season 2: Ripple Effect, including pictures, find us on social @theletterpodcast or visit our website, theletterpodcast.com. If you want to hear more and would like to support us, please consider subscribing on Apple podcasts for access to our bo...
2024-05-0741 minThe Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectChameleonAs lawyers prepare for trial, no one can make sense of Michael Moore’s motives. In the courtroom, the double murder suspect tells a paranoid story of assassins and organized crime. The widows of his victims testify at the trial, which will determine if Moore will face a firing squad.For more on the Letter Season 2: Ripple Effect, including pictures, find us on social @theletterpodcast or visit our website, theletterpodcast.com. If you want to hear more and would like to support us, please consider subscribing on Apple podcasts for access to our bonus episodes. We drop a...
2024-04-3053 minThe Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectDead Men Speak No LiesA delivery man making his rounds finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Buddy Booth discovers the body of Jordan Rasmussen at a stop on his delivery route and is shot in the back, forcing a second young widow to raise children without their father. For more on the Letter Season 2: Ripple Effect, including pictures, find us on social @theletterpodcast or visit our website, theletterpodcast.com. If you want to hear more and would like to support us, please consider subscribing on Apple podcasts for access to our bonus episodes. We drop a bonus...
2024-04-2342 minThe Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectHe Didn't Deserve to LiveAn early morning snowstorm means Jordan Rasmussen, a father of three, has to share a ride with his coworker to a meeting he expects will be tense. Jordan gets in the Jeep riddled with bullet holes. He never comes home. For more on the Letter Season 2: Ripple Effect, including pictures, find us on social @theletterpodcast or visit our website, theletterpodcast.com. If you want to hear more and would like to support us, please consider subscribing on Apple podcasts for access to our bonus episodes. We drop a bonus episode every week. Written by Amy...
2024-04-1641 min
The DefendersAnyone Can Be A DefenderIn the final episode of our series, we’re hitting the streets of Manhattan to join up with Nix Rao, a young activist dedicated to expanding reproductive health access in New York. Fueled by their motto, “legality does not equal access,” we’ll follow Nix as they lead the charge to bring abortion pills to college campuses. To learn more about all the organizations featured in The Defenders, visit: https://lemonadamedia.com/the-defenders-resource-page/ Share your thoughts on The Defenders! To help us keep creating great content, please take our short listener survey at bit.ly/thedefen...
2024-01-1031 minThe DefendersEveryone Loves Someone Who's Had an AbortionWhile the majority of the country supports abortion, much of the mainstream media has a long way to go to represent abortion accurately and ethically. This week, Sam talks to journalist Jessica Valenti and abortion activist Renee Bracey Sherman about how we can “arm the choir” with in-depth and more impactful storytelling. Plus, tips on how you can talk about abortion with your own family over the holidays. Subscribe to Abortion, Every Day: https://jessica.substack.com/ Learn more about We Testify: https://www.abortion.shop/ To learn more about all the organizations featur...
2023-12-2042 min
Uncared ForBonus: Why Millions Are Getting Kicked Off MedicaidWhy are millions of us – kids included – losing Medicaid coverage, oftentimes by accident? And how can we get it back? We’ll answer these questions with Medicaid expert Joan Alker, and hear Litha’s story – an Arkansas resident who lost coverage for five months, all while coping with life-threatening kidney failure. Resources: For research and articles from Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, visit: https://ccf.georgetown.edu/. Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation making grants to promote an equitable, high-performing health care system. Learn more at...
2023-12-1218 min
Sound JudgmentIntroducing Podcast Perspectives: Audience Growth Lessons from LemonadaIf you liked this bonus episode introducing Podcast Perspectives with host Jeff Umbro and guest Jessica Cordova Kramer of Lemonada Media, you'll love: SJ S1/E1: Emotional Bravery on Last Day with Stephanie Wittels Wachs. Not only is she an amazing, evocative storyteller who knows how to get the best out of her team and guests, but she's cofounder and chief creative officer of Lemonada Media. We love hearing from you and getting your support! Please give Sound Judgment a five-star rating and a review. Visit our website to easily give us a 5-star rating an...
2023-12-0729 min
Uncared ForBonus: Care DeniedInsurance plays a big role in deciding the kind of health care we receive in this country – and how much it’ll cost us. Today, we’re speaking with ProPublica reporter Maya Miller about wrongful insurance denials and knowing your rights as a patient. Resources: Read Maya and other ProPublica reporters’ coverage of insurance denials here: UnitedHealthcare tried to deny coverage to a chronically ill patient. He fought back, exposing the insurer’s inner workings: https://www.propublica.org/article/unitedhealth-healthcare-insurance-denial-ulcerative-colitis How Cigna saves millions by having its doctors reject claims without reading them...
2023-11-2825 min
In the Bubble with Andy SlavittIn The Bubble Says Goodbye Part 2Andy says thank you to the most important people behind In The Bubble, and they look back at their favorite moments from the last three years. Andy’s son Zach and his wife Lana return, his other son Cal makes his first-ever appearance on the show, and we meet Andy’s mom Beth. Later Andy is joined by the people who made the show, along with Executive Producers Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Jessica Cordova Kramer. Dr. Tony Fauci makes a special appearance to thank Andy for his service during the pandemic. Finally, Andy and Senior Producer Kyle Shiely close out...
2023-11-151h 40
I Need To Ask You SomethingBonus: How do we work with anger?In this bonus episode, Dr. Monica Band joins supervising producer Chrystal Genesis to discuss anger. Monica and Chrystal unpack where it comes from, how to respond to someone's anger, and what you can do to manage your own relationship with anger. Looking for resources? Visit ineedtoaskyousomething.org for info on how to strengthen relationships, deal with traumatic events, and get help. Dr. Monica Band is the host of this show and consultant with the Jed Foundation. Chrystal Genesis is our supervising producer. Giulia Hjort and Rachel Lightner are our producers. Andi Kristindottir is our engineer. Te...
2023-11-1518 minI Need To Ask You SomethingBonus: How Can I Change The System?In this bonus episode, supervising producer and mom Chrystal Genesis sits down with another mom, Linda Henderson-Smith, to discuss mental healthcare systems for young people, and why they need to change. Linda is a licensed professional counselor, educational psychologist and senior product director at Carelon Behavioral Health over children in crisis programs. This episode was created in partnership with Carelon Behavioral Health. I Need To Ask You Something is a Lemonada Media original. This episode was produced by Tess Novotny, engineered by Bobby Woody and hosted by supervising producer Chrystal Genesis. J...
2023-11-1018 minI Need To Ask You SomethingBonus: Do my mental health struggles change how you see me?In this bonus episode, we meet 17-year-old Caroline. She was hospitalized multiple times for self harm and attempting suicide. Now, she is doing a lot better, in therapy, and taking medication. Caroline wants to ask her mom Kellie: after everything we have been through, has your view of me changed? Looking for resources? Visit ineedtoaskyousomething.org for info on how to strengthen relationships, deal with traumatic events, and get help. Dr. Monica Band is the host of this show and consultant with the Jed Foundation. Chrystal Genesis is our supervising producer. Giulia Hjort an...
2023-11-0825 minI Need To Ask You SomethingHow do we heal together?Alyx and Brandon have been together for five years and are deeply in love - but they’ve also had to grow a lot. Both have struggled with anxiety and feeling like they’re not good enough. This week, Alyx asks Brandon how they can take care of themselves while caring for each other. Looking for resources? Visit ineedtoaskyousomething.org for info on how to strengthen relationships, deal with traumatic events, and get help. Dr. Monica Band is the host of this show and consultant with the Jed Foundation. Chrystal Genesis is our supervising producer. Giulia...
2023-11-0138 min
Podcast PerspectivesLemonada Media CEO Jessica Cordova Kramer on the State of the NetworkLemonada Media launched as a brand new podcast network with just one show in 2019. Just four years later, they've grown into a network of nearly 50 podcasts known for pumping out audio hits – Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Last Day, Believe Her, and more. Keen observers will also notice their innovative partnerships, like the Lemonada Book Club made in collaboration with Apple Books.Today I’m checking in with Lemonada’s co-founder and CEO Jessica Cordova Kramer about the state of the network, their strategies for making audio hits, and her thoughts on the indust...
2023-11-0134 minI Need To Ask You SomethingShould we stay or should we go?Robert and Kiri are an interracial couple living in Alabama, where some members of their community are openly hostile to people of color. Robert is Black and Kiri is white, and the constant threat of racism and violence has put strain on their relationship and Robert’s mental health. Today, Kiri is asking Robert: if we can’t find safety here, can we find it somewhere new? Looking for resources? Visit ineedtoaskyousomething.org for info on how to strengthen relationships, deal with traumatic events, and get help. Dr. Monica Band is the host of this show...
2023-10-2545 minI Need To Ask You SomethingWhy did you wait so long to get me help?Since kindergarten, Athena and her parents have known about her learning differences, and those were treated early on. But her severe anxiety wasn’t. Today, she’s asking her mom Cassie: why was it so hard for you to get me the help I needed, and what took you so long? Looking for resources? Visit ineedtoaskyousomething.org for info on how to strengthen relationships, deal with traumatic events, and get help. Dr. Monica Band is the host of this show and consultant with the Jed Foundation. Chrystal Genesis is our supervising producer. Giulia Hjort is our p...
2023-10-1840 minI Need To Ask You SomethingWhere is home after a climate disaster?19-year-old Chanté has been forced to leave her home twice because of climate disasters: first when her family fled New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina, then again when Hurricane Harvey hit her new home in Texas. This left her processing a lot of trauma and questioning where she really belongs, while her mom, Stasia, struggled to take care of her family and start over. Today, Chanté wants to ask Stasia: what does home mean after being displaced twice by environmental disasters? Looking for resources? Visit ineedtoaskyousomething.org for info on how to strengthen relationships, deal with traumatic ev...
2023-10-1139 minI Need To Ask You SomethingHow do I let go of the pressure to succeed?Days before her 10th birthday, Temera left her home in Guyana for a brand new start in the United States. Now, she and her best friend Rose are first-generation college students, feeling the pressure to honor their families’ sacrifices and excel in everything they do. Today, they’re asking: what does it mean to build a life of my own, without feeling like I owe it to my family to succeed? Looking for resources? Visit ineedtoaskyousomething.org for info on how to strengthen relationships, deal with traumatic events, and get help. Dr. Monica Band is the ho...
2023-10-0443 minI Need To Ask You SomethingHow can I be a kid if I’m stuck with adult responsibilities?16-year-old Alex lost his dad, Ted, to suicide when he was 11. While grieving and dealing with his own mental health struggles, Alex felt like he had to step up and help his mom, Tricia. Today, he’s asking her: how am I supposed to be a kid when you put the weight of adult responsibilities on me? Looking for resources? Visit ineedtoaskyousomething.org for info on how to strengthen relationships, deal with traumatic events, and get help. Dr. Monica Band is the host of this show and consultant with the Jed Foundation. Chrystal Genesis is our...
2023-09-2743 minI Need To Ask You SomethingWas the heartbreak worth it?Greta and Corrine have been best friends for over a decade. They’ve been through a lot together, from leaving their small town, finding their queer identities, to now healing from their recent painful breakups. Today, they’re asking themselves: is it really better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all? Looking for resources? Visit ineedtoaskyousomething.org for info on how to strengthen relationships, deal with traumatic events, and get help. Dr. Monica Band is the host of this show and consultant with the Jed Foundation. Chrystal Genesis is our supervi...
2023-09-2046 minI Need To Ask You SomethingHow did my accident change us?When Harley-Anne was 16, she lost her left leg after being hit by a car while crossing a major highway. In the immediate aftermath, Harley-Anne and her mother disagreed about basically everything, and today they’re barely talking. Now, she’s asking her mom: how did my accident affect our relationship, and how can we each heal our mental health? Looking for resources? Visit ineedtoaskyousomething.org for info on how to strengthen relationships, deal with traumatic events, and get help. Dr. Monica Band is the host of this show and consultant with the Jed Foundation...
2023-09-1342 minI Need To Ask You SomethingHow can you still love me?Seth didn’t get a lot of unconditional love as a child. He spent many difficult years in the foster care system before he was finally adopted by his moms Jeannie and Denise. Now, he sits down with Jeannie to ask: How can you still love me after all the hard times we’ve gone through? Looking for resources? Visit ineedtoaskyousomething.org for info on how to strengthen relationships, deal with traumatic events, and get help. Dr. Monica Band is the host of this show and consultant with the Jed Foundation. Chrystal Genesis is our...
2023-09-0654 minI Need To Ask You SomethingWhat took you so long to get a divorce?Series Premiere: Jessica’s parents divorced when she was 18, but the years leading up to it were filled with “contagious unhappiness.” Now she sits down with her father to ask: why did you wait so long, and how do we heal from here? Looking for resources? Visit ineedtoaskyousomething.org for info on how to strengthen relationships, deal with traumatic events, and get help. Dr. Monica Band is the host of this show and consultant with the Jed Foundation. Chrystal Genesis is our supervising producer. Giulia Hjort is our producer and Rachel Lightner is our prod...
2023-09-0645 min
Good Company with Michael KassanJessica Cordova Kramer & Stephanie Wittels Wachs: “We call it the saddest meet-cute that ever existed.”Finding each other through similar experiences with grief from the deaths of their brothers to overdose, Jessica Cordova Kramer and Stephanie Wittels Wachs shared an immediate bond, a sense of hope, and a deep motivation to help “make life suck less” for others. From there, the idea of Lemonada Media was born. We sat down with the podcasting network’s CEO and Chief Creative Officer on their personal journeys and what goes into developing multiple top-performing shows.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2023-07-2733 min
Uncared ForBonus: A Year After DobbsOne year after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, we sit down with two women working in the reproductive rights space to talk about what has changed, and what’s still to come. Resources: Learn more about the Roots Community Birth Center: https://www.rootsbirthcenter.com/ Read research from RHITES: https://www.rhites.org/ Looking for reproductive legal help? Check out If When How: https://www.ifwhenhow.org/ Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation making gran...
2023-06-2340 min
DiscardedBonus: What’s Next For Sharon?Rise St. James members Sharon and Shamell Lavigne talk with host Gloria Riviera about the work that comes after Discarded. This series is presented in partnership with Only One, the action platform for the planet. Only One is on a mission to restore ocean health and tackle the climate crisis in this generation — with your help. Visit only.one to learn more and get involved. CREDITS Discarded is a Lemonada original, presented by Only One. Gloria Riviera is our host. Our producers are Alie Kilts, Alexa Lim, and Gloria Riviera. Tess Novotny is our...
2023-03-2420 minDiscardedFighting BackHundreds of thousands of tiny plastic pellets fill the docks and bays of the Mississippi River. There are people who paddle out every morning to collect them, removing what they can as pellets continue to flood the water. But the problem starts much closer to home. Look around your house. See all the plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic everything? We are all at fault – and, like Sharon Lavigne, we all have the power to make a change. In this episode, we’ll talk to politicians, scientists, and journalists who teach us how. This series is presented in partn...
2023-02-2839 minDiscardedAddicted to ConvenienceThe invention of plastic changed the way we live — and now we’re hooked. We travel from Louisiana, where plastic is born, to New Jersey, where plastic goes to die… or live again. We explore greenwashing, wish-cycling, and our collective culpability as we try to understand how we became so reliant on plastic — despite knowing its harm to the earth and the communities closely impacted. This series is presented in partnership with Only One, the action platform for the planet. Only One is on a mission to restore ocean health and tackle the climate crisis in this generatio...
2023-02-2142 minDiscardedThe Rise of St. JamesSt. James Parish is a place with tangled roots. The community shoulders the burdens of many who have come before them — and bears a deep responsibility to their ancestors to protect their hard-fought land. What started out as just a meeting of concerned citizens around a pot of gumbo turned into a quest to reclaim land, graves, and preserve a thriving community. This series is presented in partnership with Only One, the action platform for the planet. Only One is on a mission to restore ocean health and tackle the climate crisis in this generation — with your help...
2023-02-1444 minDiscardedDavid vs. GoliathThe shadow of Goliath is looming over St. James Parish, Louisiana, and it’s called The Sunshine Project. This $9.4 billion proposed petrochemical plant would sprawl across 2,400 acres, pushing up against the community that has lived and died there for generations. Our David is lifelong resident Sharon Lavigne. After teaching special education at the local school for over 30 years, Sharon becomes an accidental activist trying to save her community and its history. This series is presented in partnership with Only One, the action platform for the planet. Only One is on a mission to restore ocean health and ta...
2023-02-0747 min
Uncared ForReimagining BirthIn our last episode, we return stateside to see how the Minneapolis-based Roots Community Birth Center is reimagining maternal care by prioritizing strong relationships and culturally centered care. We also learn about how midwives were once the go-to providers in American maternal care, but eventually became obsolete when doctors entered the picture. So what can we do to bring them back? And what would it take to open up a Roots in every state? Learn more about the Roots Community Birth Center here: https://www.rootsbirthcenter.com/ Read about the Commonwealth Fund’s research on comm...
2022-12-1342 min
Uncared ForCosta Rica: By Boat, By Horse, By BicycleThis week, we head to Costa Rica, the final destination on our maternal health “world tour,” where we explore the country’s unique community-based model of care. We’ll travel into the mountains with a community health worker to check up on a pregnant woman, and then head to the western coast, where we meet a doctor providing care to a small fishing village. Along the way, we’ll learn how the country’s healthcare reforms helped to expand access to rural areas and overcome high rates of child and maternal mortality. Learn more about Costa Rica’s healt...
2022-12-0643 min
Uncared ForThe Netherlands: Fairy Godmothers of Postpartum CareThis week, we travel east to the Netherlands. Here, midwives and “kraamzorgs,” or postnatal maternity aides, help parents during every step of the pregnancy journey. We’ll meet expecting parents trying out a new type of group-based care, hear from an American journalist about the the hands-on postpartum support she received in her own home, and meet a midwife prioritizing maternal care for undocumented immigrants. Learn more about the Amstermam midwifery practice: https://amstermam.nl/over-ons/ Learn more about the Bijlmermeer Birth Center: https://verloskundigenpraktijkbijlmermeer.nl/en/ Interested in the history of the Bijlmerm...
2022-11-2946 min
Add to Cart with Kulap Vilaysack & SuChin PakAdd It Again: The ABCs - Aunties, Books and ContouringThis week Ku shares her newest picks for a fresh face of makeup – just what we need for springtime – and no part of the routine is left out. Then Ku and Su share a sleuth of books and movies that remind us why representation, of any kind, matters in media. Whether it's seeing people that look like you or reliving a universal experience (like puberty, agh), stories that diversify narrative while unifying the human experience are important to support, and this episode is jam-packed with them! Please note, Add To Cart contains mature themes and may not be a...
2022-11-2541 min
Uncared ForGermany: Where Parents Feel SupportedOn our first stop in the “healthcare world tour,” we travel to Germany, where midwives are a legal right, childcare is subsidized, and parents are reimbursed for childcare costs. We’ll shadow a midwife on a home visit to newborn twins and their parents, and meet an American mom who left the U.S. to reap the German benefits. But is it too good to be true? We’ll learn what challenges midwives are up against, like a labor shortage that could upend the care they’re able to provide. Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a non...
2022-11-2245 min
Uncared ForAmerica the OutlierThe maternal mortality rate in the United States is more than double that of our peers – and it’s especially high among Black birthing people. In the first episode of Uncared For, we’ll hear from health equity researchers, birth providers – like the postpartum doula who was there for SuChin – and Black mothers who have been dismissed and misdiagnosed in our broken system of care. How did our system end up like this? And what does this crisis tell us about how our healthcare system stacks up globally? Learn more about Brandi Jordan’s doula work on The Cradle C...
2022-11-1547 min
Uncared ForWho Gets A Choice?Is abortion care healthcare? In the United States, the answer to that question depends entirely on your ZIP code. In this episode, we’ll hear from two women, one in Texas and the other in New York, both working against the clock to access an abortion. How do abortion restrictions impact pregnant people’s healthcare? What does it mean to be treated with dignity and compassion? And what is at stake for pregnant people and medical providers in this country? Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation making grants to promote an equ...
2022-11-1545 min
Let's Go ShowBreaking News, Panelist for "The Role of Podcast In Decriminalization of Mental IllnessDoug Reed is proud to announce, he will be a featured speaker at the 3rd Annual Sozosei Foundation Summit to Decriminalize Mental Illness, December 7, 2022, at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PaPanelist include: Zak Williams, son of the late Robin WilliamsJessica Cordova Kramer, Co Founder of the awarding winning " Lemonada Media", producer of the Sozosei Foundation funded podcast " Call for Help" and moderated by Kimberly Adams, Public Radio's MarketplaceThe discussion centers around the "Role of Podcast in Decriminalization of Mental illness"The Let's Go Show
2022-11-0201 min
Still My BabyThe Untold Story: Travon Unravels the Racist Roots of Excited DeliriumIn this episode, host Travon Free uncovers the racist roots of the debunked medical term “excited delirium.” A study from Maryland in 2017 found that excited delirium was referenced in 11 percent of cases where someone died in police custody. And when these cases go to court, the concept of excited delirium can be used to argue that the police did nothing wrong. How did TASER, a couple of doctors and a handful of so-called experts take a meaningless psychiatric term and get it picked up by police departments, medical professionals and courtrooms all over the country? The Untold Stor...
2022-10-2550 min
Still My BabyThe Untold Story: Travon Asks If Microphones Really Stop BulletsCan you hear the difference between a firework and a gunshot? ShotSpotter says it can. It's a private sector company that uses microphones to detect gunfire and alert police to the scene. The company says it’s a powerful tool to stop gun violence, but critics say it’s an excuse to overpolice some of our most vulnerable communities. How did this technology with questionable accuracy lead to million-dollar contracts with police departments across the country? Travon walks us through the case of Silvon Simmons, a man falsely accused of shooting a cop, all because of an eight-second audio file...
2022-10-2544 min
Still My BabyThe Untold Story: Travon Explores the Humanitarian Crisis on Rikers IslandRikers is a pretrial detention center and while people await their day in court, the conditions at the island are simply inhumane due to violence, overcrowding and inadequate medical care. Rikers is scheduled to close in 2027 but at the rate we're going, eighty more people might die on the island before the jail is shut down. How do we untangle this culture of perpetual violence at Rikers? And could an intervention called a federal receivership make conditions more humane for the people who live there? Host Travon Free uncovers why a receivership might be the only solution that could...
2022-10-2541 min
The Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectMeeting the MonsterWhen Jorge Benvenuto sat down to write a letter to the family of the boy he’d shot to death as a teenager, he had no idea the chain of events that would follow. When he penned his apology alone in a prison cell, he never imagined that it would lead to him hugging the mother of that young man. Nor did he have any inkling about the many ways the letter would reverberate through his own life - and the lives of his family members. The Letter opened a pathway for the parents of Zachary Snarr to push fo...
2022-10-181h 04
The Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectDeliveredThis episode is a reminder that we’re all more connected than we realize. A woman named Lianne Bell agrees to do a favor for her mother and it ends up tying her to the Snarrs and Yvette in ways she never expected. Lianne delivers letters. Sy comes to Liane’s house. And in a room where the mother of the shooter once prayed for peace, Sy Snarr will find the miracle she’s been searching for since she lost her son. Get more information and photos on our website, theletterpodcast.com. Researched and reported by Amy Do...
2022-10-1144 min
The Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectMaking Peace with the ShadowsSurviving a barrage of bullets is just the start of what Yvette Rodier will have to do to reclaim her life. The emotional damage will take far longer to heal than the physical bullet wounds. She gets married, has a child and chooses a career that allows her to use her past to help others. Despite the looming shadow of the shooting, her life is one of beauty and generosity; of resilience and hope. Get more information and photos on our website, theletterpodcast.com. Researched and reported by Amy DonaldsonWritten by...
2022-10-0446 min
The Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectPutting Down the RocksLife after Zach’s murder is painful and complicated, but the Snarrs find a way forward through their grief. Sy and Ron try to be the parents their other children need while his siblings build lives in which he only exists as a memory. Another tragedy strikes. Get more information and photos on our website, theletterpodcast.com. Researched and reported by Amy DonaldsonWritten by Amy Donaldson and Andrea SmardonProduction and sound design by Andrea SmardonMixing by Trent Sell Special thanks to Nina Earnest, Becky Bruce, KellieAnn Halvorsen, Ryan Me...
2022-09-2733 min
The Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectA Death Sentence Waiting to HappenAt age 19 and just a few months older than the teens he shot, Jorge Benvenuto faces the possibility of a death sentence. As his court-appointed attorneys fight to save his life, the families of the victims struggle with what justice might look like. Get more information and photos on our website, theletterpodcast.com. Researched and reported by Amy DonaldsonWritten by Amy Donaldson and Andrea SmardonProduction and sound design by Andrea SmardonMixing by Trent Sell Special thanks to Nina Earnest, Becky Bruce, KellieAnn Halvorsen, Ryan Meeks, Ben Kuebrich, Josh...
2022-09-2044 min
The Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectA Gun and a Death WishPolice begin to put the pieces together and capture the 19 year old man who shot Zach and Yvette. Detectives make discoveries about what happened in the life of Jorge Benvenuto in the weeks before he bought a gun. Friends and family tell of a depressed, angry young man who’d been a victim of crime himself. Police track him down, in part because he calls and confesses what happened to a friend. Get more information and photos on our website, theletterpodcast.com. Researched and reported by Amy DonaldsonWritten by Amy Donaldson and Andrea Sm...
2022-09-0938 min
Call DeclinedCall For Help: In 988 We Trust?Stigma is one of 988’s biggest hurdles. The other is widespread fear of first responders that has increased with every report of another police killing. The latter has led to pervasive misinformation online about how 988 works. But even if we set the record straight, how can we get to a place of public buy-in? It’s one thing to implement a new system for crisis response; it’s another to completely shift culture. How does 988 earn the trust of the people it’s trying to help? In this episode, you’ll hear from actress Glenn Close, Zak Williams, and others wor...
2022-09-0639 min
The Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectThe SurvivorYvette Rodier was shot several times by a stranger as she and her good friend Zach set up a camera to take pictures of the moon. She describes how she survived, including dragging herself several hundred feet over rough terrain to get to a road and flag down help. That night was devastating. But even after such a terrifying experience, Yvette holds out hope for how she can reclaim her life. Get more information and photos on our website, theletterpodcast.com. Researched and reported by Amy Donaldson Written by Amy Donaldson and Andrea Smardon Production...
2022-09-0638 min
The Letter Season 2: Ripple EffectEvery Parent's NightmareOn Zach Snarr’s last day alive, he got up early to help his father at work, he cleaned the kitchen for his mother and he made his sister laugh. But on August 28, 1996, the 18-year-old never came home from his date with Yvette Rodier at a reservoir outside of Salt Lake City. Instead, two police officers and a chaplain came to ring the bell. It was every parent’s nightmare, a devastating loss that rocked a community and shattered lives. But Zach’s mother, Sy Snarr, finds hope from a most unlikely place and it comes in the form of a w...
2022-09-0635 min
Call DeclinedCall For Help: Someone to Call, Someone to Come, Somewhere to GoLast week, we saw what happens when a mental health emergency falls into the wrong hands. So what happens when a comprehensive system, run by well-trained mental health staff, is in place? Today, Stephanie visits a state that exemplifies the gold standard of crisis response: Arizona. Yes, really. While Arizona is typically known for messy politics and scandalous policing, they have been quietly building a best-in-class mental-health response plan since the 1980s. With the roll out of 988, what can other states learn from Arizona? We go inside a dispatch center and ride along with mobile crisis teams to find...
2022-08-3041 min
Call DeclinedCall for Help: Mental Illness Is Not A CrimeIn 2019, Taun Hall’s 18 year-old son, Miles, was in the midst of a mental health crisis in their affluent, suburban community of Walnut Creek, California. The police responded, and within 30 seconds, Miles was shot and killed. What would have happened if Taun called 988 instead of 911? Would Miles still be alive? With insight from Taun Hall, Tom Insel, Dr. Altha Stewart, and Asantewaa Boykin, Stephanie explores how we got stuck with such a fractured system in the first place, the human toll, particularly in communities of color, and how communities are fighting to build better solutions for all. Zak Williams, ou...
2022-08-2337 min
Call DeclinedCall for Help: The United States of CrisisFor far too long, the United States has put mental healthcare on the back burner. Through enormous advocacy and the initiation and rollout of the 988 hotline, a theoretical lifeline is now at the fingertips of every American. But in a country with a deep history of criminalizing mental health, will 988 live up to its potential? Today, Stephanie explores how 988 came to be, along with all the promise and peril it carries. Weekly special correspondent Zak Williams shares his personal mental health journey, how stigma impacted his father, Robin Williams, and how the actor’s death inspired him to become a...
2022-08-1643 minLast DayGuns 11: Two Newbies Go HuntingWhen you think of a hunter, what image comes to mind? Probably not a Patagonia-clad gun safety proponent like Tim Stevens. In this bonus episode, Tim leads the way on an elk hunt and shares what it means to take a nuanced stance on gun rights. Plus, we face the very real (and kind of icky) possibility of hauling fresh meat out of the Montana wilderness. Resources: To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode and access critical information about suicide and violence prevention visit: https://lastdayresources.sim...
2022-06-2225 minLast DayGuns 10: Survivors“Gun violence survivor”– It’s an identity no one would ever want, but it describes more and more Americans these days. In the season three finale, we turn the spotlight on those who made it to the other side –– and are fighting back. Their goal? To make sure no one else has to endure what they did. Resources: To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode and access critical information about suicide and violence prevention visit: https://lastdayresources.simvoly.com/. Stephanie Wittels Wachs is the host. Jac...
2022-06-0840 minLast DayGuns 9: What Can We Do to Stop the Shootings?Inaction in the face of gun violence is deadly. So what can we do? This week, we meet the gun violence prevention activists who believe real change is within reach and that we can sell it to the majority of Americans – even if it means playing hardball with the politicians and corporations in power. Resources: To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode and access critical information about suicide and violence prevention visit: https://lastdayresources.simvoly.com/. Stephanie Wittels Wachs is the ho...
2022-06-0150 min
Podnews Weekly ReviewFrom the Podcast Show 2022 - Jason Carter on the show; Alberto Betella on dodgy podcasters; Jessica Cordova-Kramer on audio realityShow notes are coming soon for this episode.Send James & Sam a messageSupport the showConnect With Us: Email: weekly@podnews.net Fediverse: @james@bne.social and @samsethi@podcastindex.social Support us: www.buzzsprout.com/1538779/support Get Podnews: podnews.net
2022-05-2657 minLast DayGuns 8: Who is the Second Amendment For?Who does the Second Amendment protect? In this episode, we trace its racist roots and learn why a former firearms executive blames the gun industry for sowing fear, division, and maybe even anarchy in our country. Resources: To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode and access critical information about suicide and violence prevention visit: https://lastdayresources.simvoly.com/. Stephanie Wittels Wachs is the host. Jackie Danziger is our supervising producer. Our producers are Kegan Zema and Giulia Hjort. Hannah Boomershine and Erianna Jiles are our associate producers. Andi Kr...
2022-05-2547 minLast DayGuns 7: Yelling At Each Other Isn’t WorkingSuicide contagion, secure storage, and breakfast meats. This week, we figure out how to get cowboys to talk about their feelings with help from experts on the ground and suicide prevention advocates. Resources: Take the Man Therapy Head Inspection Check out the Gun Shop Project To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode and access critical information about suicide and violence prevention visit: https://lastdayresources.simvoly.com/. Stephanie Wittels Wachs is the host. Jackie Danziger is our supervising producer. Our producers are Ke...
2022-05-1848 minLast DayGuns 6: The Kid Who Fell Through The CracksWho’s to blame in the aftermath of a tragedy? This week, we meet a family asking that question after their beloved son died when his college failed to intervene. Resources: To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode and access critical information about suicide and violence prevention visit: https://lastdayresources.simvoly.com/. Stephanie Wittels Wachs is the host. Jackie Danziger is our supervising producer. Our producers are Kegan Zema and Giulia Hjort. Hannah Boomershine and Erianna Jiles are our associate producers. Andi Kristin...
2022-05-1143 minLast DayGuns 5: Outside the Yellow TapeViolent crime is up in American cities. Does that mean it’s time to return to the aggressive policing of the 90s? Not exactly. How can we make our cities safer and empower communities with the tools they need to save more lives? This week, we travel from Atlanta to Los Angeles to Chicago to meet seasoned leaders who are taking an innovative approach to harm reduction, violence interruption, and violence prevention. Plus, we explore where police fit into all of this. Resources: To learn more about the people and organizations featu...
2022-05-0451 minLast DayGuns 4: Bullets Have No NameGrowing up in an Atlanta neighborhood that’s been “thrown away” and “forgotten,” Derriontae’s survival hinged on joining a gang and packing heat, so you might be surprised to also find him practicing yoga and tending to a vegetable garden. In this episode, we get our hands dirty at an urban farm dedicated to tackling the root causes of gun violence and poverty. It has all the signs of a feel-good story, but things aren’t as simple as they seem. Resources: Support Gangstas to Growers Pick up a bottle of Sweet Sol Hot Sau...
2022-04-2755 minLast DayGuns 3: BystanderThis week, we’re pulling apart the idea of a “bad neighborhood” and learning about community trauma. We travel to Southwest Atlanta, where Sharmaine Brown’s son, Jared, was killed after being struck by a stray bullet. We dig into deescalation, changing identities, and old school parenting. Resources: To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode and access critical information about suicide and violence prevention visit: https://lastdayresources.simvoly.com/. Stephanie Wittels Wachs is the host. Jackie Danziger is our supervising producer. Our producers ar...
2022-04-2042 minLast DayGuns 2: A Love StoryWhat do you do when the thing that makes your kid the happiest is also putting him in danger? Larry and Shannon Martell took the guns away after their son Austen suffered a traumatic brain injury - but you have to go back to normal eventually, right? In this episode, we travel to a Montana town of 272 people, sit down with a dad who wouldn’t have talked to us a year ago, and cry harder than we ever have before. Resources: To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode and acc...
2022-04-131h 00
After 1954Bonus: Now is the time to invest in Black educationTraditionally, Black-led nonprofits have only received 2 to 4 percent of total philanthropic funding nationally. That’s in part why Liz Thompson co-founded The 1954 Project, which seeks to radically redesign how philanthropy connects with Black leaders in education. Every year, her organization awards a cohort of Luminaries with one million dollars each to continue their innovative work in education. In this episode, host Aimée Eubanks Davis is in conversation with Liz Thompson about her organization’s impact on the community. Resources: Register for the Luminary Awards https://hopin.com/events/1954-project-luminary-awards/registration Why Black representation is especially import...
2022-04-1322 minLast DayGuns 1: Everyone Out Here is ArmedIn episode 1, our team travels to Montana, where cowboy culture reigns supreme, everyone is armed, and 86% of firearm deaths are suicides. There, we meet a couple that represents all the contradictions at the root of America’s gun debate: One is a suicide prevention advocate, and the other is the most adamant Second Amendment supporter we’ve ever met. Plus, our team tries out shooting some big-ass guns. Resources: To learn more about the people and organizations featured in this episode and access critical information about suicide and violence prevention visit: https...
2022-04-0651 minAfter 1954The teacher shortage is a global crisisThe United Nations has declared the teacher shortage a global crisis. Who will teach the next generation of students? How will we recruit and retain Black educators, especially when they are leaving the profession at even higher rates? This week’s guest, Kimberly Eckert, is on a mission to address these problems in the state of Louisiana. With initiatives like hers, there is a glimmer of hope for saving our schools and in a larger sense, saving society. Resources: Kimberly Eckert is passionate about empowering diverse students https://www.iste.org/explore/empowered-learner/kimberly-eckert-passionate-about-empowering-diverse-educators Kimberly Eckert on...
2022-04-0621 minAfter 1954No Black teachers in the buildingThe culture of our schools needs to change. In this episode, we hear from Morgan Jackson and her son and daughter, Kaleb and Aaliyah, about their education in predominantly white schools. Morgan is a Las Vegas educator, and a Ph.D student. She explains how she instills self-confidence and social awareness in her students and her own kids. Resources: Jacqueline Woodson, Brown Girl Dreaming https://jacquelinewoodson.com/product/brown-girl-dreaming/ Website, The Brown Bookshelf https://thebrownbookshelf.com/ Article, Why Incidental Diversity Matters in Your Classroom https://www.booksourcebanter.com/2022/02/07/why-incidental-diversity-is-important-in-your-classroom-library/#prettyPhoto Blog, How Librarians and Teachers Can Cu...
2022-03-3032 minAdd to Cart with Kulap Vilaysack & SuChin PakThe ABCs: Aunties, Books, and ContouringThis week, Ku shares her newest picks for a fresh face of makeup – just what we need for springtime – and no part of the routine is left out. Then Ku and Su share a slew of books and movies that remind us why representation, of any kind, matters in media. Whether its seeing people that look like you or reliving a universal experience (like puberty, agh), stories that diversify narratives while unifying the human experience are important to support, and this episode is jam-packed with them! Please note, Add To Cart contains mature themes and may n...
2022-03-2941 minAfter 1954From the hood to HogwartsAs a teen, Jason Brooks left his hometown of Watts in South L.A. to attend an all-boys boarding school. While he was there, he encountered many racist incidents with no adult to guide him through those experiences. That ignited his passion for teaching because he wanted to be there for kids like himself. In this episode, Jason recalls his teen years and speaks with his mentor Troy Kemp about how they reach and teach Black boys. Resources: Harkness AI https://www.harkness.ai/ Troy Kemp Speaks https://troykempspeaks.com/ The 1954 Project https://www.1954project.org/ T...
2022-03-2342 minAfter 1954Student parent work is racial justice workForty percent of Black female undergraduates attending college are parents. This week’s guest is author of “Pregnant Girl,” Nicole Lynn Lewis, who had a newborn when she first enrolled at the College of William & Mary in the ‘90s. There, Nicole found a friend in her financial aid counselor, Tammy Currie. We reunited them after 20 years to discuss how that financial aid support helped Nicole feed her family and what colleges can do to support this invisible population of students. Resources: Nicole Lynn Lewis, Pregnant Girl https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/670591/pregnant-girl-by-nicole-lynn-lewis/ Generation Hope https://www.generatio...
2022-03-1636 min
Believe HerBONUS: Criminalized Survivor Sandra Brown on the Criminal Legal SystemIn this bonus interview, Justine sits down with Sandra Brown, the criminalized survivor who you heard from in Chapter 6. Sandra was recently released from prison, where she worked on rebuilding herself over the course of 21 years, and is now working toward her Ph.D. This conversation has been edited for time and clarity. Resources: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, use a safe computer and contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org or call 1-800-799-7233. You can also search for a local domestic violence shelter a...
2021-12-0222 minBelieve HerChapter 5: The Missing EvidenceA 12-person jury convicted Nikki of murder, but they didn’t see the whole picture. Many key pieces of this puzzle didn’t make their way into the courtroom. In this episode, Justine follows up on disturbing gaps in the evidence. Through conversations with Nikki’s lawyers, digital forensic experts, Nikki’s therapists and Nikki’s children’s therapist, Justine explores what was not shown at trial. Resources: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, use a safe computer and contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org or call 1-800-799...
2021-11-1149 minBelieve HerChapter 4: Victim or Master Manipulator?Is Nikki a victim or is she a master manipulator who planned and plotted Chris’ murder? This question was at the heart of Nikki’s trial. There, the defense team put forth a cache of evidence of abuse. But the prosecution suggested that Nikki wanted attention, tried to destroy her credibility and asked: if the abuse was so bad, why didn’t Nikki leave? Justine unpacks the trial, and what the verdict says about how our criminal legal system views self-defense laws when it comes to people in abusive relationships. Resources: If you or someone...
2021-11-0455 min
We Should Talk About ThatBelieve Her. A Discussion on Criminalized Survivors, True Crime Podcasts and Nikki Addimando with Investigative Journalist, Justine van der Leun.Send me a Text Message about the show!In follow up of their first conversation with representatives from the Nicole Addimando Community Defense Committee, The Two Jess(es) talk with Justine van der Leun, investigative journalist and host of the true crime podcast, Believe Her, produced by Lemonada Media.Through this six part series, Justine explores true crime as it comes to us, upside down — she presents a story about survival, punishment, and a push for change through rare access to police audio, official documents, and rare conversations with criminalized survivor, Nikki Adamando, from prison. Ju...
2021-11-0137 minBelieve HerChapter 3: The SilencingNikki was abused, doubted and silenced from a young age — and yet, there were still too many so-called “bad facts” that helped the prosecution build their case against her. This week, Justine talks to one of Nikki’s childhood friends about witnessing the early abuse and the cycle of trauma that followed. Resources: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, use a safe computer and contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org or call 1-800-799-7233. You can also search for a local domestic violence shelter at www.domest...
2021-10-2853 minBelieve HerChapter 2: Deep Dark SecretsLet’s go back to when Nikki and Chris first met at Mr. Todd’s Gymnastics Studio. Justine takes us to Poughkeepsie, New York to talk to the people who were closest to both Nikki and Chris to try to find out how their seemingly loving relationship spiraled into years of abuse and, ultimately, Chris’ death. Resources: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, use a safe computer and contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org or call 1-800-799-7233. You can also search for a local domesti...
2021-10-2150 min