Between Headlines

Journalist & podcast host Alison Hall got caught up in a travel adventure while trying to get home for the holidays by driving 500 miles with three strangers. After the story went viral, Alison and her road trip companions met up for a zoom reunion to discuss the heartwarming story.

Forouzan Farahani is an Iranian national, an activist, and a PHD candidate living in New York City. Forouzan grew up in Iran and shares what it was really like to be a young female pursuing her education within the confines of restrictive laws and cultural ideals. Forouzan shares her thoughts as an Iranian woman on the ongoing protests in her home country, and her reaction to first hearing the news of the arrest and subsequent death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She tells Between Headlines what she's hearing from people within Iran and why she believes this is a history-making movement. Forouzan has been organizing protests in New York City for weeks and tells us why people in North America and around the world should care about the destiny of women and people in Iran and how they can help. 

Kate Dineen is a mother, lobbyist and advocate for a woman's right to choose. While Kate has made a career of advocating for others, the political became personal for Kate when she was expecting her second child with her husband. Kate received a devastating diagnosis for her unborn child and what followed was a harrowing journey of navigating both the medical and legal systems, while processing a heartbreaking loss. Kate shares her story with the hope of connecting with other women and families who have faced similar circumstances and ultimately hopes to help change laws, not just in her home state but across the country. 

Marisa Renee Lee joins the podcast for the second time to discuss her debut book, 'Grief is Love'. Marisa shares her intimate journey through grief after losing her mother at the age of 25 and struggling with infertility for years. She shares not only her personal experience but uses evidence backed research to provide a guidebook for anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one. Unfortunately, in the last few years, millions of people have joined the grieving club. Marisa shares her wisdom for not "getting over" loss but working through it with compassion, humor and grace. 'Grief is Love' is available wherever books are sold and you can find Marisa at @marisareneelee 

Mariia Shuvalova is a Ukrainian PHD candidate, professor, translator, wife and daughter. She fled her home in Kyiv during the initial stages of the Russian invasion and has been sheltering with relatives in an undisclosed location within Ukraine. Mariia shares what it's really like to leave home, the fear of the unknown and how Ukrainians are feeling about continually defending their right to exist. 

If Mariia's story resonates with you, please consider donating to the Ukrainian Defense Fund or Come Back Alive Ukraine:

https://war.ukraine.ua/donate/

https://www.comebackalive.in.ua/

Mariia is also collecting funds to purchase bulletproof vests. You can donate to her directly through wire transfer through Western Union. Find out more at her instagram @_maria_shuvalova 

All episodes edited for clarity and length. 

Elizabeth Holmes is an accomplished journalist, author, influencer and royal commentator. After her instagram stories series "So Many Thoughts" took the internet by storm, her book, "HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style" was released in 2020 with much fanfare. She continues to share her insights and context on the who, what and why of royal fashion and has recently launched an informative and delightful newsletter. On Between Headlines, Elizabeth shares her *many* thoughts on covering the most famous family in the world, the expectations and pressures set for royal women, her impressions of both Meghan and Kate and why we should all care about the dynamics of royal fashion, influence and power. 

Devon Clunis is the newly appointed Inspector General of Policing for Ontario, Canada. After climbing the ranks as a 25 year veteran of the Winnipeg police, Devon was named Chief of Police in 2012, making him the first Black police chief in all of Canada. While he retired in 2016, Devon has split his time between enjoying retirement and consulting with police organizations across North America. In the summer of 2020, after the death of George Floyd and the subsequent calls for change and conversations surrounding the relationship between race and police, Devon felt a call to action.  He accepted the position as Ontario's first Inspector General of Policing for the province. In this episode of Between Headlines, Devon shares his early childhood experiences of immigrating from Jamaica to Winnipeg, the teacher that influenced his life and how he went from a teenager avoiding police to becoming the highest-ranking officer in the city. He also shares his reaction to police violence against the Black community, his thoughts on Black Lives Matter and his approach to policing. 

Ken Irving is a well-known Canadian business leader, successful entrepreneur and above all, a father and husband. After stepping back as the CEO of Irving Oil in 2010, Ken also stepped away from the limelight. But in 2017, Ken opened up for the first time in an emotional short documentary with Between Headlines host, Alison, who subsequently shared the video with Canada's The Globe and Mail which released its own additional reporting. In the revealing interviews, Ken laid bare his journey with his mental health and the difficult dynamics of his family business.

In this episode of Between Headlines, Alison and Ken discuss the aftermath of the published stories, while following up and reflecting on the significance of what it meant for moving forward for him and his family. Ken shares how he hopes his story helps others come forward about their own battles and tells the inspiring story of starting a business out of a deeply difficult and personal experience. Most importantly, Ken is the father of four incredible daughters who are forging their own unique paths. He shares how they rallied together through 2020 while his youngest daughter battled leukemia and what it meant for his close-knit family. 

Amanda Nguyen is an activist, survivor, Nobel peace prize nominee and founder of social justice incubator, Rise and a future astronaut. After surviving a rape on her college campus, Amanda experienced the broken justice system for sexual violence survivors first-hand and set out to change the law. She and her team passed the Sexual Assault Survivors Rights Act in Congress unanimously and she has since gone on to help pass 33 bills. Amanda recently spoke out and demanded a spotlight on the rise in anti-Asian violence that has occurred since the pandemic began, igniting a much-needed national conversation. Amanda shares with Between Headlines the importance of including Asian American Pacific Islanders in anti-racist work and what we can all do to stop the hate.

Shannon Watts is the founder of Moms Demand Action and author of the book "Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World." Shannon shares her experience as a leader and organizer for one of the most divisive issues of our time. She tells Alison about the trajectory of her organization from a small facebook group to the largest grass-roots gun violence prevention group in the United States, and the success they've had enacting both cultural and legal change. 

Follow Shannon and Moms Demand Action on Twitter @shannonrwatts and @MomsDemand

Follow Alison on Twitter @alisonhallreporting