Our National Conversation

Sam, host, discusses healthcare policy with Tania Ruedas Ortiz, ONC's Director of Community. Tania works in the public sector to research the effects of health policies on the state level (we cannot disclose further details).

The pair talk about RFK Jr., Trump's executive orders, and gender-affirming care. They try to work through conservative takes on the issue and present what they wish conservatives knew about their progressive position.

We recognize that the conversation was limited by the fact that it did not include (1) members of the genderqueer community or (2) conservatives with respect to gender-affirming care. Sam and Tania acknowledge the limitations in their experiences and perspectives.

Links to some of the research Sam mentions, from newest to oldest:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11045042/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10444622/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34982475/ https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789423 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19359705.2021.2016537 https://whatweknow.inequality.cornell.edu/topics/lgbt-equality/what-does-the-scholarly-research-say-about-the-well-being-of-transgender-people/

In this ONC podcast, Eric walks Sam (host) through the pros and cons of Trump's tariffs. The pair have a conversation about trade policy.

This week on "Our National Conversation", host Chris No is joined by guest host Connor Chung, director of policy at ONC. We dive into Connor's thought-provoking article, "Reject Modernity, Embrace Tradition," where he calls for a return to traditional religious values in response to what he sees as the moral decay of modern society.

We also break down Kamala Harris' first interview with CNN since becoming the Democratic nominee for President. The interview has drawn heavy criticism from the right for its brief duration, softball questions, and accusations of flip-flopping on key issues.

Continuing with our 2024 election coverage we'll compare Vice President Kamala Harris' traditional media approach with former President Donald Trump's recent string of podcast appearances, designed to resonate with disaffected young voters. Which strategy will prove more effective: sticking with mainstream outlets or embracing alternative media?

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"Reject Modernity, Embrace Tradition" by Connor Chung

In this episode of "Allow Us to Explain," Christopher No discusses Project 2025, a controversial political initiative by The Heritage Foundation, centered around their viral publication, Mandate For Leadership: The Conservative Promise. While Heritage claims it aims to dismantle the administrative state and restore self-governance, critics have labeled it a threat to civil liberties. Joining the conversation are Connor Chung, ONC's director of policy content and strategy, Maeve Fishel, a social issues policy writer, and Tania Ruedas-Ortiz, ONC's director of community events. The discussion covers the Heritage Foundation's long-term influence on today's political landscape, questioning the actual power of independent regulatory agencies and whether or not conservatives are overestimating their authority. The panel also scrutinizes the potential risks of replacing one "deep state" with another through this initiative, questions the validity of the label of a Christian Nationalist Manifesto, and investigates Trump's distancing from these policies. Additionally, the conversation seeks to identify any potential compromises within Project 2025 and considers whether this vision aligns with the future that Gen Z envisions.

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This week on "Our National Conversation", we're joined by special guest Ryan Dulaney, a policy writer for ONC, and Jeff Hall, the founder of ONC. We dive into Ryan's latest article, "Kamala's Koup," discussing the recent surge in support for Vice President Kamala Harris and the ongoing dysfunction within the Trump campaign and the Republican Party. We also explore the latest New York Times poll highlighting the stark gender divide within Gen Z, with men favoring Trump and women leaning towards Kamala.

In addition, we cover the significant update in the Trump 2020 election case, where Special Counsel Jack Smith's office has narrowed the indictment, making the case against Trump even more formidable, according to legal experts. We also examine a viral clip from Fox News where Jesse Watters made controversial remarks about Vice President Harris regarding the Afghanistan withdrawal.

Jeff Hall shares insights into the origins of ONC, the mission behind our non-partisan media organization, and our book, "Let's Fix America." We also discuss the top concerns facing Gen Z today and what the future might hold for this pivotal generation.

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Purchase the book "Let's Fix America!" for sale on AMAZON

"Kamala's Koup" by Ryan Dulaney

In this episode of "Allow Us to Explain," we look at the labor movement and its impact on Gen Z. Join host Makayla and ONC Policy Content Writers Alison and Mason as they discuss how labor organizing has evolved over time, the significance of social media, and the future of unions.

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Works Cited Glass, Aurelia. "The Closing Gender, Education, and Ideological Divides behind Gen Z's Union Movement." Center for American Progress, 5 Oct. 2022, www.americanprogress.org/article/the-closing-gender-education-and-ideological-divides-behind-gen-zs-union-movement/.

López Restrepo, Manuela. "Gen Z Is the Most pro Union Generation Alive. Will They Organize to Reflect That?" NPR, National Public Radio, 11 Apr. 2023, www.npr.org/2023/04/11/1169314853/union-rutgers-strike-gen-z-labor-work-workforce-starbucks-organizing.

Burns, Hilary . "Gen Z Is Driving a Wave of Unionization on College Campuses — and Employers Should Pay Attention." The Business Journals, 22 Oct. 2022, www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/news/2022/10/13/unionization-colleges-gen-z.html. Stack, Megan K. "Opinion - inside Starbucks' Dirty War against Organized Labor." The New York Times, 21 July 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/07/21/opinion/starbucks-union-strikes-labor-movement.html.

This episode of Allow Us to Explain focuses on artificial intelligence and Generation Z. Join host Chris and ONC policy content writer Greta (Justice and Public Safety) as we explore how AI is transforming Gen Z's experiences, viewpoints, and opportunities. We'll talk about how AI is affecting Gen Z, from its involvement in politics to its influence on the labor market, and see what the future holds.

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References Pinto, T. (2023, October 24). Types of ai. Artificial Intelligence Act. https://artificialintelligenceact.com/understanding-ai-types-of-ai/

Delcker, J. (2020, January 28). Politico AI: Decoded: How Cambridge Analytica used AI - no, Google didn't call for a ban on face recognition - restricting AI exports. POLITICO. https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/ai-decoded/politico-ai-decoded-how-cambridge-analytica-used-ai-no-google-didnt-call-for-a-ban-on-face-recognition-restricting-ai-exports/

Looney, A., Matthew Fiedler, L. A., & Korinek, A. (2021, January 4). How disinformation evolved in 2020. Brookings Institute. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-disinformation-evolved-in-2020/

DFRLab, A. C. (2024, January 17). #stopthesteal: Timeline of social media and extremist activities leading to 1/6 insurrection. Just Security. https://www.justsecurity.org/74622/stopthesteal-timeline-of-social-media-and-extremist-activities-leading-to-1-6-insurrection/

Risk in focus: Generative A.I. and the 2024 election cycle. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. (2024, January 18). https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/Consolidated_Risk_in_Focus_Gen_AI_ElectionsV2_508c.pdf

Panditharatne, M., & Giansiracusa, N. (2023, October 5). How AI puts elections at risk - and the needed safeguards. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/how-ai-puts-elections-risk-and-needed-safeguards

McLellan, J. (2024, June 25). Ai: Pope expresses concern over "technocratic" future. USCCB. https://www.usccb.org/news/2024/ai-pope-expresses-concern-over-technocratic-future

Henrik Skaug Sætra, (2020, June 8). A shallow defence of a technocracy of artificial intelligence: Examining the political harms of algorithmic governance in the domain of Government. Technology in Society. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X19305925

Cameron F. Kerry, J. P. M., Matt Perault, J. S. B. B., Norman Eisen, N. T. L., Yang You, M. M., & Valerie Wirtschafter, D. B. (2024, March 5). How public AI can strengthen democracy. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-public-ai-can-strengthen-democracy/

Larson, J., Angwin, J., Kirchner, L., & Mattu, S. (2016, May 23). How we analyzed the compas recidivism algorithm. ProPublica. https://www.propublica.org/article/how-we-analyzed-the-compas-recidivism-algorithm

Managing bias in AI - Clarkson University. (n.d.-a). https://lin-web.clarkson.edu/~jmatthew/publications/ManagingBiasInAI_CAMERAREADY.pdf

Patricia Gestoso (2022, June 10). How artificial intelligence is recolonising the Global South. The Mint Magazine. https://www.themintmagazine.com/how-artificial-intelligence-is-recolonising-the-global-south/

Leffer, L. (2024, February 20). Your personal information is probably being used to train generative AI models. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/your-personal-information-is-probably-being-used-to-train-generative-ai-models/

Duke University. (2023, November 29). How Companies Should Think About Compensating Users for Private Data. Fuqua School of Business. https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-fuqua-insights/how-companies-should-think-about-compensating-users-private-data

Sharma, G. (2024, July 30). Sam Altman-funded study suggests basic income could be key in AI-driven job market. TechGig. https://content.techgig.com/technology/sam-altman-funded-study-suggests-basic-income-could-be-key-in-ai-driven-job-market/articleshow/112125566.cms

Varanasi, L., & Niemeyer, K. (2024, May 13). OpenAI's Sam Altman has a new idea for a universal basic income. Yahoo! Tech. https://www.yahoo.com/tech/openais-sam-altman-idea-universal-213637146.html

LAPD officer, Tom Datro, and Morehouse College Activist, Deavan Rector discuss police reform, th Atlanta PD "Sick Out," and making Juneteenth a national holiday. In this week's episode, the focus is on solutions, not finger-pointing.

This is a reupload of a podcast from June 20th, 2020.

Our National Conversation's podcast team will be on a brief hiatus as we prepare for the summer semester. We'll be airing some episodes from our sister podcast – The Latest – from the vault in the meantime.

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In this segment, Tom Johnson discusses his years as publisher of the Los Angeles Times. These were years of unparalleled highs, followed by a paralyzing blow that left Tom deeply depressed.

Original Release Date: May 2nd, 2020

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Our National Conversation's podcast team will be on a brief hiatus as we prepare for the summer semester. We'll be airing some episodes from our sister podcast – The Latest – from the vault in the meantime.

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In this segment, Retired President of CNN Tom Johnson focuses on his experiences at CNN and his take on the media scene today. He discusses misinformation, media bias, the difficulties facing newspapers – and timeless principles he hopes the Internet giants will adopt as they increase their dominance in the news business.

Original Release Date: May 2nd, 2020

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