This episode takes you to the U.S.–Mexico border, to a place where faith, resilience, and humanity meet in the shadow of walls and wire. I attended the annual Border Mass, a powerful tradition uniting the communities of Ciudad Juárez, México; El Paso, Texas; and Las Cruces, New Mexico in shared prayer for migrants who have lost their lives seeking safety and opportunity across the border.

Once, the Mass brought people together physically in the middle of the Rio Grande. Today, under the Trump administration’s militarization of the border, the connection must stretch across fences and obstacles. But it endures, because the spirit of unity is stronger than any wall.

Grateful for Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso for leading with courage, compassion, and moral clarity in defense of migrants and their dignity.

I’ll be celebrating Día de los Muertos this weekend on the border — visiting my father’s grave and sharing pan de muerto with friends and family. Thank you all for your support, and for standing strong with one another.

-Olivia

Today’s video comes to you from Puerto Palomas, Chihuahua, Mexico—a town that sits directly across from Columbus, New Mexico, forever linked to one of the most dramatic moments in U.S.-Mexico history.

In 1916, revolutionary leader Pancho Villa launched his infamous raid across this very border, striking Columbus and forever changing U.S.-Mexican relations. A century later, the spirit of resilience and interconnection between these two towns endures.

I wanted to come here, not as a policy analyst or former national security advisor, but as a border town girl. This is the land that shaped me. It’s where my family’s story begins, where cultures meet over lunch and laughter, where crossing a bridge isn’t an act of defiance—it’s daily life.

As I watch the Trump administration posture toward Mexico again, talking about “bombing cartels” and breaking diplomatic norms in their approach to Venezuela, I think it’s crucial to remember the humanity on this side of the border. Life here isn’t chaos. It’s community. It’s music, color, and connection.

From The Pink Store, a vibrant landmark filled with local art and food, to conversations with locals and Americans who call the border home, this trip reminded me why storytelling from the ground matters. Borders aren’t just lines; they’re living, breathing histories.

🎥 Watch the video, and see the truth of the border for yourself.

Visit www.livingitwitholiviatroye.com for more.

In this episode, I sit down with writer and activist THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali and former DHS Chief of Staff Miles Taylor to break down the Trump administration’s escalating quest for totalitarian control, and how the playbook is unfolding in real time.

Miles and I saw it from the inside. Wajahat’s been tracking it from the outside. Together, we connect the dots:

* How Trump’s team is staging false flags to justify crackdowns and consolidate power.

* The threat of NSPM-7, the memo that allows Americans to be watchlisted as “domestic terrorists.”

* The rise of Palantir, ICE, and mass surveillance, merging private tech with state control.

* The coming push to invoke the Insurrection Act, and what that means for civilian oversight.

* And why the Epstein files could be the scandal that finally cracks their façade.

This isn’t hypothetical. It’s happening, quietly, bureaucratically, and in plain sight.

As Miles said, “Evil doesn’t show up with a jackboot. It’s bureaucratic, it’s slow, and that’s what makes it so insidious.”

Courage inspires courage. And right now, silence is complicity.

Listen, share, and stay engaged. Because this is how totalitarian control begins, and how we stop it.

What does it mean to say “two plus two equals four” when power demands you repeat the opposite?

In this episode, Olivia Troye sits down with Oscar-nominated director Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro, Exterminate All the Brutes) to discuss his powerful new film ORWELL: 2+2=5. Together, they unpack George Orwell’s enduring warnings about propaganda, surveillance, and authoritarian playbooks—and why they matter now more than ever.

Olivia reflects on her own experience inside government, working under an authoritarian-minded presidency, and how Peck’s film forced her to confront the fragility of truth and democracy.

This is a conversation about courage: why it matters, how easily it can disappear, and why citizens, not leaders, ultimately decide whether democracy survives.

🎧 Listen in for a timely discussion that connects Orwell’s words to the realities of 2025, and a call to action we can’t afford to ignore.

Olivia Troye discusses the alarming dismantling of civil rights protections, particularly focusing on Title IX and its implications for survivors of sexual assault and discrimination. She highlights the systemic failures within institutions that prioritize power and reputation over accountability, drawing parallels to the ongoing issues surrounding Jeffrey Epstein. Troye emphasizes the need for advocacy, documentation, and community support to combat these injustices and protect survivors. Visit OliviaofTroye.com for more.

On release day for his new novel Open Bar, I sat down with my friend Dan Schorr—former sex crimes prosecutor and domestic violence prosecutor turned novelist—to talk about the real cases, cover-ups, and power plays that inspired his story.

Reading Open Bar hit me hard. So many scenes felt uncomfortably familiar—parallels to things I’ve witnessed firsthand in politics, government, and the intelligence community. The intimidation. The silencing. The quiet deals to protect the powerful. I’ve seen those play out in real time on a number of issues.

In our conversation, we talked about how institutions—from universities to corporations to governments—silence victims, reward abusers, and weaponize the law for retaliation. From Uber’s sexual assault cover-ups to political retaliation (think Donald Trump, Epstein files…) to sports at schools and universities…(like the amazing Alex Cooper, host of the Call Her Daddy podcast, who bravely shared in her documentary how her soccer dreams were crushed by abuse from her coach at Boston University), Dan’s seen a lot of these types of situations, and woven them into a thriller that feels all too real..because it is!

This isn’t just a conversation about a book. It’s a look inside the machinery that decides who gets protected, who gets destroyed, and why “legal” doesn’t always mean right.

Open Bar is out now. Trust me, you’ll read it and think, I know these people.

📚 Buy the book: Open Bar.

👉 Follow Dan Schorr Guys Don't Read Novels on Substack.

Thank you to everyone who tuned in live. Shout out to: Wendy E, Farmers AGAINST Thumper, Judith Evans, Mama K, and Steve Sensenig!

As you know, I’m intentional about the guests I bring on and the topics we cover. Your support means more than you’ll ever know. Stay tuned—more interviews are coming.