We live in a loud world that’s getting louder.

We encounter noise all around us—from the chatter of polite conversations, to street noise in a big city, to the constant intrusion of the dings of notifications.

But what is all of this noise doing to us, and what does it mean to find quiet in the midst of it?

 In fact, what is silence, anyway?

How can it affect our minds, our bodies, and our relationships?

Harvard and Oxford trained policymaker Justin Zorn and NASA consultant Leigh Marz join host Ron Steslow to discuss their new book, Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise


(02:33) Leigh and Justin’s backgrounds 

(07:04) Why they began practicing silence in their own lives

(12:50) Why silence feels scary

(18:30) What is noise? 

(22:12) Internal silence is what people think it is

(30:19) The connection between noise and rigid thinking

(37:27) The historical significance of silence

You should read Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise : http://bit.ly/3UIGJU2

FollowJustin, Leigh, and Ron on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JustinZorn

https://twitter.com/LeighMarz

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow
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ENCORE: The Power of Silence — Part 1

Politics in America is transforming. We’re embarking on a new series to deepen our understanding of who we are, how we got here, and how we rebuild without repeating the mistakes of the past. Ron Steslow hosts academics, behavioral economists, social psychologists, politicos, philosophers, anthropologists, journalists, poets, and storytellers—and more—to discuss America’s political present and future and dive into the deeper problems we face as a nation. Email us questions or comments: podcast@politicology.com.

News

Politics

Government

Daily News

To join Politicology+, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.

This week, we look at the growing pessimism people are feeling about their money, their plans to spend less, and the monetary policy that’s driving that. Then we’ll discuss the dystopian preview of a second Trump term in the Time Magazine cover story, and Arizona’s move to repeal its 1864 Abortion ban. 

Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: 

Lucy Caldwell  (Board Advisor to the Renew Democracy Initiative and advisor to the Forward Party)

Olivier Knox (veteran politics and foreign policy reporter, most recently at The Washington Post )

James Lavish (co-managing partner of the Bitcoin Opportunity Fund)

Segments this week:

(04:50)  Money

(39:00) Trump’s Time Magazine Story 

(48:30) Arizona 

[Politicology+] RFK Jr’s surprising performance with younger and Latino voters, what’s driving that appeal, and what it could mean for this election cycle. 

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss the extra episodes on our private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.


Check out Olivier’s substack: https://olivierknox.substack.com/

Read James’s  substack: https://jameslavish.substack.com/

Send your questions and thoughts to podcast@politicology.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬


Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/jameslavish

https://twitter.com/lucymcaldwell

https://twitter.com/OKnox


Related reading:
Segment 1: 
CNN - Fears about stagflation are mounting in the US. It’s every central banker’s worst nightmare | CNN Business
Bloomberg - US Consumer Confidence Slumps to Lowest Level Since July 2022 - Bloomberg
Politico - Trump trade advisers plot dollar devaluation - POLITICO

Segment 2: 
Time Magazine - Donald Trump on What His Second Term Would Look Like | TIME
WSJ - Trump Allies Draw Up Plans to Blunt Fed’s Independence - WSJ
Politico - Mitch McConnell continues to break with Trump on immunity claims - POLITICO

Segment 3: 
NYT - Arizona Legislature Will Consider Repeal of 1864 Abortion Law - The New York Times
Politico-Arizona legislature repeals 1864 abortion law - POLITICO
NPR - Christian conservatives wrestle with shifting GOP stance on Arizona abortion ban : NPR
 
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The ‘Imperial Presidency’—The Weekly Roundup

Alua Arthur (Death Doula) joins host Ron Steslow to discuss the importance of embracing mortality, talking about death, and her new book, Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life and Getting Real About the End. 

Segments to look forward to:

(02:31) What is a death doula? 

(05:39) Alua’s journey and embracing mortality 

(07:28) The impact of avoiding conversations about death 

(10:33) Practical ways to approach contemplating death 

(26:00) Having conversations about death with your loved ones 

(28:10) Supporting loved ones facing end-of-life challenges 

(30:30) Reframing our language about death and disease 

(32:19) The desire for “more time” at the end of life 

(38:10) The importance of quality of life in end of life care

(40:00) Assisted Suiceide and personal autonomy 

(43:40) Meaningful rituals for death 

(47:14) Mourning people with troubled legacies 

(51:10) Being briefly, perfectly human


Read Briefly Perfectly Human: https://bit.ly/4a5UYJb

Check out Going With Grace: https://goingwithgrace.com/

Follow Ron on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

Email your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬ 


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Briefly, Perfectly Human

To join Politicology+, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.

This week, we look at the Ukraine and Israel aid package and whether Mike Johnson might actually be a capable speaker. Then we’ll discuss the anti-Israel encampments at college campuses across the country. Finally, we’ll talk about the “safe space” election and how Joe Biden and Donald Trump are only talking to friendly media

Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: 

Zack Czajkowski (Fmr. Lincoln Project Political Director)

Liam Donovan (Principal at Bracewell LLP; host of The Lobby Pod)

Segments this week:

(02:32)  Speaker Johnson puts country over crazy

(21:40) The anti-Israel encampments at college campuses

(40:21) Biden and Trump stick to friendly media

[Politicology+] Are you frustrated with non-stop fundraising text messages and emails? For this week’s Politocology+ episode, Zack and Ron dish on a few of the unsavory strategies and tactics campaigns and PACs use to raise money, share information, and skirt rules.

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss the extra episodes on our private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.


Send your questions and thoughts to podcast@politicology.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬


Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/ZackCz

https://twitter.com/LPDonovan

Related reading:
Segment 1: 
The Atlantic - The Accidental Speaker
NYT - How Mike Johnson Got to ‘Yes’ on Aid to Ukraine - The New York Times
Politico - How McConnell and Schumer beat hardline conservatives on Ukraine - POLITICO
Vanity Fair - The Motion to Vacate Mike Johnson Seems Pretty Darn Motionless | Vanity Fair

Segment 2: 
NYT - Universities Struggle as Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations Grow
The Atlantic - The Unreality of Columbia’s ‘Liberated Zone’ - The Atlantic
NYT - Some Jewish Students Are Targeted as Protests Continue at Columbia - The New York Times
WP - Biden aims to strike careful balance as college protests spread - The Washington Post
FP - Among the Activists Plotting to Disrupt the DNC | The Free Press

Segment 3: 
Axios - How Biden, Trump favor safe spaces
 

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“Safe Spaces” Campaign —The Weekly Roundup

In this two part series, Journalist and author Byron Tau joins host Ron Steslow to discuss his new book Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance Of Tech And Government Is creating a New American Surveillance State 

Part 2:

(02:17) The extensive government data collection Edward Snowden revealed 

(09:40) How data vendors bypass privacy reviews within government agencies 

(11:50) The role of encryption in safeguarding privacy and the historical context of encryption legalization 

(18:40) Government efforts to weaken encryption and what that means for your privacy 

(22:45) How foreign governments could misuse data

(24:24) The public awareness of this form of surveillance 

(26:38) What could legislative reform look like? 

(29:37) The influence of advertising and data brokers in shaping privacy 

Read Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance Of Tech And Government Is creating a New American Surveillance State — https://bit.ly/44199hw

Follow Ron and Byron  on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/ByronTau


Email your questions to podcast@politicology.com or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬ 
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Means of Control — Part 2

To join Politicology+, visit politicology.com/plus or subscribe in Apple Podcasts.

This week, we look at Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel, what it means for the Middle East, and the response at home. Then we discuss  how people living above the poverty line are feeling the financial crunch, Donald Trump’s plan to boost inflation, and the IMF’s warning that our deficit spending could upend the global economy. 

Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: 

Hagar Chemali (Fmr. spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN)

Susan Del Percio  (MSNBC political analyst and crisis communications expert) 

Segments this week:

(02:40) Iran’s attack

(40:18) Financial frustration

[Politicology+] Uri Berliner’s resignation from NPR, the lack of viewpoint diversity in media, media activism and biases and the erosion of trust as a result

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss the extra episodes on our private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.


Send your questions and thoughts to podcast@politicology.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬


Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/DelPercioS

https://twitter.com/HagarChemali


Related reading:
Segment 1: 
Axios - What to know about Iran's attack on Israel
CBS News - What Iran launched at Israel in its unprecedented attack, and what made it through the air defenses - CBS News
Politico - Has Biden Considered Having an Iran Strategy? - POLITICO
AP - Middle East conflicts revive clash between the president and Congress over war powers | AP News
ABC News Bay Area - 38 Pro-Palestinian protesters arrested after shutdown of Golden Gate Bridge, I-880 in Oakland, CHP says - ABC7 San Francisco
Politico - Democrats fear Netanyahu may have undermined Biden’s image among voters - POLITICO
WSJ - Mike Johnson Defies GOP Critics, Setting Up Ukraine-Israel Aid Showdown - WSJ

Segment 2: 
Politico - Trump trade advisers plot dollar devaluation - POLITICO
 WSJ - The Calls for Help Coming From Above the Poverty Line - WSJ
CNBC - Fed Chair Powell says there has been a 'lack of further progress' this year on inflation
The Financial Times - US deficit poses ‘significant risks’ to global economy, warns IMF
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ENCORE: The Power of Silence — Part 1

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