In March 2020, every school in America shut down—something that had never happened before, not even during world wars or the Spanish flu. Parents suddenly became teachers, tech support, and full-time caregivers, all while juggling work and survival during a global pandemic.

In this episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast, we dive into how COVID-19 school closures permanently changed the relationship between parents, teachers, and public education. From burnout and homeschooling booms to shifting trust and the rise of culture wars in classrooms, we unpack the lasting impact of those years.

I sit down with veteran elementary school teacher Nicole Fox to discuss how parents’ attitudes toward educators have changed since COVID, what teachers are really facing in classrooms today, and why distrust of schools continues to grow.

If you’re a parent, teacher, or just curious about the future of education in America—this episode is for you.

Topics in this episode:

The nationwide shutdown of schools in 2020

How parents coped with burnout, job loss, and hybrid learning

Why parental trust in schools collapsed

The homeschooling surge and its surprising diversity

Teacher shortages, culture wars, and mental health crises

An honest teacher’s perspective on post-COVID classrooms

Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere podcasts are streamed.

#Education #Parenting #Schools #Teachers #Homeschooling #COVID19Education #PandemicParenting #PublicEducation #EducationReform #TeacherShortage #ParentalRights #TheJournalismOfEverything

Every time violence erupts in Israel, prophecy headlines follow: This is it. The end is here! (Repent Now!) But what if prophecy was never about fear — and instead about what we do now?

In this episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast, journalist Darisse Smith continues her conversation with Bishop William Gregg, diving into the end-times beliefs of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism — and the surprising similarities that unite them. From Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones to the modern-day war in Gaza, we explore how prophecy gets weaponized, why “God’s chosen people” isn’t a free pass, and what it really means to keep going in the face of destruction.

We also ask the unsettling question: What happens when the people once seen as victims become the aggressors? Israel was even the victim to start this most recent war, but now is such an unsettling aggressor that it is difficult to feel any sympathy for its plight. 

If you’re ready for a challenging, thought-provoking look at faith, politics, and the end of days, this episode will make you think long after the headlines fade.

#Israel #Gaza #WarInGaza #Palestinians #Genocide #Ezekiel #apocalypse #Christianity #Islam #Judaism, #MiddleEast, #The Journalism of Everything

Join me with Bishop William Gregg to discuss what it means for Israel to be God's chosen people, and what does that mean for the rest of us, who are not Jewish, and do not live in Israel? Why do people pay attention to Israel as an indicator for the end times? 

#israel #gazawar #endtimes #chosenpeople #whatabouttherestofus

Welcome to "The Journalism of Everything Podcast," where curiosity knows no bounds. In today's thought-provoking episode, your host, journalist Darisse Smith, delves into one of the most complex and contentious regions on the planet: Israel. Brought up in both progressive Southern Baptist and Episcopal traditions, Darisse shares her personal journey of the contrasting biblical teachings she encountered as a Southern Baptist and Episcopalian. She then tackles a rapid-fire, condensed history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, from the Balfour Declaration to the ongoing 2025 strife, offering a panoramic view of this century-long territorial and cultural battle.

The highlight of the episode is a profound interview featuring Bishop William Gregg, an Episcopal Bishop with a PhD in Theology from Notre Dame. Together, they explore why Israel holds such significance in the Bible and the intricate layers of modern geopolitical and religious contexts. Are the Israelites still God's chosen people? How do biblical prophecies shape today's world views and conflicts? And critically, can critiquing a nation be separated from condemning a faith? Join us as we peel back the layers on Israel, prophecy, and what being "God's chosen people" means in a modern world of cultural pluralism and political tumult. Don’t miss part one of this captivating discussion, and be sure to tune in next episode for the continuation with Bishop Gregg.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more exclusive content and follow us on your favorite podcast app for the latest episodes. 

#Israel #GazaConflict #Palestine #IsraelEndTimes #Theology #IsraelintheBible

As I was doomscrolling TikTok one day, I came across an intriguing, fast-paced storyteller who described the experience of Tom and Michelle with a ouija board they found in their backyard. Essentially, Michelle became obsessed with using the ouija board, and eventually fell into a psychotic state. I had been warned off of ouija boards before, but my experience with them was largely as a game to play at slumber parties. The only thing our ouija board summoned was uncontrollable giggling from sugar-infused girls. Ouija boards are quite mysterious, though, since there are many anecdotal tales of the board summoning demons or spirits. There are also scientific explanations as to how it works, and how the planchette seems to move by itself. 

In this podcast episode, I talk to Ashleeinc, who is a TikTok, Instagram and YouTube content creator with nearly 2 million followers. Ashlee tells Spooky Scary Stories that range from creepy roommates, Appalachia rules, time travelers, and of course, ouija boards. Ashlee and I talk about having skepticism about ouija boards, while also acknowledging perhaps we can't always have an explanation for spiritual things, or someone else's experience. I also talk about the history of ouija boards, which have roots in the spiritualism movement of the late 1800s and early 1900s. While today many people believe ouija boards summon demons, this notion is only from the past 50 years, and is mostly due to a popular horror movie. Which one? You'll have to listen to this episode!  

#OuijaBoard #SpookyStories #TikTok #AshleyInc #Spiritualism #TheExorcist #Paranormal #PodcastInterview #IdiomotorEffect #CulturalHistory

With each new term, Presidents must establish their stance on illegal immigration. Will they work with neighboring countries to process prospective immigrants? Will they work with Congress to reform convoluted immigration laws? Will they treat every immigrant as a criminal who must be prosecuted? President Donald Trump took office on January 20th and immediately shut down legal ways for immigrants to seek asylum at the U.S. southern border. He also ordered dozens of "raids" to track down illegal immigrants. His stance on immigration is clear, but will it stick?

In this episode, host Darisse Smith discusses the broken immigration system, the pseudo-courts that process undocumented individuals, and the language of immigration law with immigration attorney Rekha Sharma-Crawford of the Sharma-Crawford Law Firm, based in Kansas City, Missouri. Rekha has 25 years of experience, serves on the Executive Board of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Kansas School of Law as well as Washburn University School of Law.

Rekha and Darisse have a lively discussion about how words like “raid” and “invaders” are designed to evoke anger and panic toward immigrants, while the reality of the law is much less dramatic.

If you have ever wondered about the realities of immigration law in the U.S., this episode is for you.

The Journalism of Everything Podcast is a new show covering every topic you’ve ever been curious about. Host Darisse Smith is a seasoned journalist who brings obsessive research, expert interviews, and a unique spin to every topic.

#ImmigrationLaw #JournalismOfEverything #PodcastEpisode #USImmigration #ImmigrationReform #ICERaids #ImmigrationRights #ImmigrationAttorney #ImmigrationPolicy  

Episode Summary – The A1 Education: Inside the War on the Department of Education

In this pertinent and topical episode, journalist and host Darisse Smith delves into the political storm surrounding the U.S. Department of Education. With sharp historical context and a personal lens, Darisse traces the department’s controversial origin story—from post-Reconstruction roots to Cold War-fueled investment, all the way to the present-day push for its elimination by the Trump administration.

Featuring a compelling interview with Barbara Hoblitzell, who was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education within the Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs at the Department of Education, the episode explores what the Department of Education actually does, including its critical role in civil rights enforcement, student financial aid, and support for special education. Together, they unpack the consequences of the recent 50% staffing cuts, the ideological battles over Title VI and IX, and the growing threat to educational equity across states.

With candid personal reflections on navigating special education as a parent, Darisse also raises an urgent question: What is the plan if the Department of Education disappears? Who Will Be Left Behind? 

#DepartmentOfEducation#PublicEducation
#EducationMatters
#JournalismOfEverythingPodcast
#EducationalEquity #SpecialEducationRights #IEPAdvocacy #CivilRightsInSchools #AccessToEducation #TitleIX #FederalVsState #EducationCuts #EdFundingCrisis

Is birth order the key to understanding personality, or is it just a convenient myth? In this episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast, we look at the psychology of birth order through the lens history’s most famous set of siblings—Wilbur, Orville and Katharine Wright. 

Though Wilbur and Orville Wright were considered middle children, it is hard to know if their personalities had anything to do with their birth order. Wilbur was reserved, and more meticulous while Orville was more outgoing and impulsive, though also most comfortable working in one of their projects. Katharine was the strong-willed, opinionated and extroverted youngest sibling, and only daughter. In some ways, they each fit into the various birth order stereotypes, but the loss of their mother and having moved at least 12 times during their childhoods undoubtedly played a role in their personalities as adults.  

In this episode, we examine the theories of Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler, one of the first to suggest that birth order influences personality. We break down his ideas on family roles, inferiority complexes, and the fight for parental attention—contrasting them with modern psychological research that largely debunks the notion that birth order determines who we become. There have been multiple studies in the past several decades that have examined the relationship of birth order on personality and intelligence, with mixed results. 

So, does birth order really matter? Or are we just looking for patterns where none exist? This episode combines history, psychology, and myth-busting to help you rethink everything you thought you knew about siblings, personality, and the forces that shape us.

#thewrightbrothers #birthorderpersonality #birthorderIQ #OrvilleWright #WilburWright #KatharineWright #FirstInFlight #AlfredAdler

When accused executioner Luigi Mangione shot Unitedhealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the back in NYC in December, many people were not horrified, but celebratory. Thompson represented corporate greed in the healthcare industry, and people have been simmering with rage about denied claims for decades. While this rage is understandable, is it good for a democracy for people to be the judge, jury and executioner? Host and freelance journalist Darisse Smith interviews Professor Jon Michaels of the UCLA School of Law, a specialist in constitutional and national security law, as well as the co-author of "Vigilante Nation," with David Noll. 

They discuss several prominent cases of vigilante justice in addition to Luigi Mangione, such as the cases of Daniel Penny and Kyle Rittenhouse. While Penny and Rittenhouse are examples of the more conventional view of vigilante justice, Darisse and Professor Michaels discuss the implications of state-sponsored vigilante justice, such as when the government incentivizes private citizens to turn each other in, like with Texas' 6-week abortion ban, SB-8. Their discussion further addresses the rise of political violence, the moral and psychological motivations behind vigilante actions, and the potential societal and democratic repercussions. 

#VigilanteJustice #VigilanteNation #CriminalJustice #LawAndOrder #SocialIssues #JournalismPodcast #CurrentEvents #Democracy #LegalDiscussion #LawProfessorInterview #SocialJustice #LuigiMangione #DanielPenny #KyleRittenhouse #SB8

The Journalism of Everything Podcast is a podcast for anyone who wonders about everything. You drive in your car and think of a thousand things you want to know about. The Journalism of Everything Podcast covers topics from serious to whimsical--Have gambling addiction rates gone up with the availability of sports gambling? What are the roots of Libertarianism? What is the history of Ouija Boards? What happens during an ICE "raid?" Why is "raid" in quotation marks? 

Host and freelance journalist Darisse Smith has years of experience conducting interviews and exhaustive research, and brings her trademark doggedness and curiosity to the podcast. The Journalism of Everything Podcast is available on all of the podcast apps, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. 

#JournalismofEverything #NewPodcastJournalism #DarisseSmith #NewPodcastTrailer

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