Best Radioactive Thoughts Podcasts (2024)

1
Sending Paid Canvassers to Swing States with Reid McCollum Progressive Turnout Project 28:10

3h ago28:10

28:10

Reid McCollum, Program Outreach Director for Progressive Turnout Project, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss tactics for getting out the vote in swing states by paying canvassers. This approach to door-knocking is particularly effective in small towns where people from the community use technology to create walk lists to find …

1
Voter Segmentation in the Shifting Political Landscape with Daniel Scantlebury Resonate 17:25

1h ago17:25

17:25

Daniel Scantlebury, Vice President of Data Science and AI at Resonate, is eager to dive into the data he is collecting about voters and where they find information. With the explosion of affinity groups mobilizing to support the Harris-Walz campaign, Daniel is using his insights to better understand and predict voting behavior and targeting opportu…

1
Getting Low Income Communities Engaged in Election 2024 with Andrea Miller Center for Common Ground 27:08

5d ago27:08

27:08

Andrea Miller, Center for Common Ground, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss tactics to encourage voters and volunteers in the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities, particularly in rural areas, to get involved in campaigns. With an emphasis on grassroots organizing, training for effective phone banking, and activi…

1
Reaching Asian American or Pacific Islander Voters with Varun Nikore AAPI Victory Alliance 23:38

14d ago23:38

23:38

Varun Nikore, Executive Director of the AAPI Victory Alliance, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss the voting habits of Asian American or Pacific Islander voters and how to increase turnout. With an eye on overcoming resistance in the AAPI population to voting, the Alliance offers various activities to encourage involvement in …

1
Applying Tech to Election Administration and Deciphering Project 2025 with Greg Miller OSET Institute 29:47

14d ago29:47

29:47

Greg Miller, Co-Founder, COO, and Chair of the OSET Institute, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss using innovative technology to support election administration, including using AI to support call centers to address voters' questions. OSET has also built an AI model to analyze the text of Project 2025 to connect the dots and c…

1
Why Digital Audio Ads are Effective for Reaching Voters with John Fitzgerald DAX US 22:00

22d ago22:00

22:00

John Fitzgerald is EVP, AD Sales, DAX US part of Global Media & Entertainment Lmt and associated companies, and an audio ad expert. Digital audio ads expand the universe of people who can hear a candidate's message thanks to the proliferation of devices that can be used for real-time and on-demand listening. Digital audio ads can also be produced q…

1
Bipartisan Support for the Transparency in Coverage Rule with Mark Galvin TALON 20:35

1M ago20:35

20:35

Mark Galvin, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of TALON, discusses the Transparency in Coverage rule in healthcare. This rule was added to the Affordable Care Act and requires commercial health plan sponsors to provide transparency in the costs of tests, procedures, and other medical services. Despite the sharp divide in Congress, this rule received b…

1
Using AI to Redefine Voter File Segmentation with Fadi Micaelian SPARKDIT 20:56

2M ago20:56

20:56

Fadi Micaelian, CEO of SPARKDIT, is an AI strategist who brings insights into using generative AI to support political consultants and voters. These voters are weighing choices and making tradeoffs as they decide who to financially support and vote for. Using additional data points to predict voting behavior is increasingly essential as voters beco…

1
Media Bubbles and Voter Behavior with Daniel Scantlebury Resonate 18:18

2M ago18:18

18:18

Daniel Scantlebury, Vice President of Data Science and AI at Resonate, is a seasoned observer of human behavior. He uses his insights to better understand and predict voting behavior. In this age of media bubbles, how voters consume news and form opinions creates even more challenges for campaigns to reach them. We talk about: Use of Predictive Res…

1
Tapping Into the Power of Influencers with Ryan Davis People First 19:54

2M ago19:54

19:54

Ryan Davis, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of People First, brings voices from diverse and specialized communities to campaigns to promote candidates and causes. The role of individuals with social media followers and the skills to create content is increasingly relevant to political campaigns trying to reach targeted voters. Influencer mar…

1
How Private Investigators Work with Wendy Pickering Sullivan 27:43

3M ago27:43

27:43

Wendy Pickering Sullivan, Pickering Sullivan Investigations, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to pull back the curtain on the job of a private investigator. While a great deal of information is available online, PIs have access to proprietary sources, hard-to-find public records, and the right people to access the right resources. Deep…

1
'We built this together.' The 20-year legacy of KUOW's RadioActive 24:58

3M ago24:58

24:58

Late last month, KUOW announced the station was ending its RadioActive Youth Media program. For 20 years, RadioActive brought listeners the stories and perspectives of young people in the Pacific Northwest. Soundside producer Noel Gasca reflects on what the program has meant to the over 6,000 youth who participated - and what will be lost.…

1
Driving Genetic ALS and FTD Activism with Daniel Barvin End the Legacy Foundation 18:45

3M ago18:45

18:45

Daniel Barvin, Founder of the End the Legacy Foundation, is also the VP of Operations and Patient Advocacy at Coya Therapeutics. Coming from a family with a genetic predisposition to develop ALS, Daniel has brought together a community of activists who are intent on educating doctors and patients about early diagnosis and testing. This organization…

1
Value of Issue-Based Digital Campaigns with Ray Kingman Semcasting 22:40

3M ago22:40

22:40

Ray Kingman, CEO and Founder of Semcasting, emphasizes the need to use an issue-based approach to reach and motivate voters instead of using traditional voter segmentation to categorize those likely to vote. Rapid response to current events is a key opportunity for candidates and advocates to express their views on issues and provide accurate infor…

1
Local Democracy Centers Drive Community Engagement with Janice Gay Center for Common Ground 26:20

3M ago26:20

26:20

Janice Gay, Phonebank Manager at Center for Common Ground, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to address efforts at the local level to reach out to the BIPOC communities where voting is inconsistent. By including familiar faces in the outreach efforts of local Democracy Centers, residents are encouraged to vote, speak up, find resources,…

1
Guidelines for Pro-Democracy Election Coverage with Brian Hansbury Media and Democracy Project 27:29

3M ago27:29

27:29

Brian Hansbury, Co-Leader of Media and Democracy Project, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss guidelines for pro-democracy election coverage. With an open letter to American media executives, publishers, and journalists, Brian and his team are intent on expecting more from media companies in their reporting of the 2024 election…

1
Fighting Unreason with Reason with Seth David Radwell American Schism 21:28

3M ago21:28

21:28

Seth David Radwell, author of American Schism: How the Two Enlightenments Hold the Secret to Healing Our Nation, which won the International Book Award for Best General Nonfiction in 2023, characterizes the forces driving the schisms in our society. With a view of the past and an analysis of what supports a healthy democracy, part of the solution, …

1
As a teen, they found belonging at this LGBTQ+ youth center. Now, they're paying it forward 12:59

4M ago12:59

12:59

Soundside revisits a story produced by RadioActive alum Avery Styer back in 2016. Eight years ago, Avery took us to a space in Capitol Hill that had a special spot in their life - Lambert House, a community center for LGBTQ+ youth. Since that original story, Avery has aged out of the youth programs Lambert House currently offers, but that doesn’t m…

1
Advertising Opportunities on CTV and OLV for Candidates and PACs with Jess Ellis VDX.tv 18:48

4M ago18:48

18:48

Jess Ellis, Senior Specialist, Client Partnerships, Politics at VDX.tv, illuminates the CTV and OLV landscape for political and advocacy advertising. With the increasing shift to streaming and the use of apps to download and watch videos, targeted advertising opportunities are diverse and effective for reaching specific segments of voters. The leng…

1
146 - Parapsychology & The Rhine Research Center 1:30:11

4M ago1:30:11

1:30:11

Ever wondered if your mind can do more than ruin your life? Did you know at one time you could get a degree in ESP and psychokinesis? This week we're taking a broad overview of the real world of academic parapsychology. From the married-botanists-turned-married-parapsychologists J.B. and Louisa Rhine and the founding of the Duke University Parapsyc…

1
The Comstock Act of 1843 and the Anti-Abortion War with Anne-Christine Stop the Coup 2025 31:55

4M ago31:55

31:55

Anne-Christine, investigative journalist and human rights activist Stop the Coup 2025, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to address the anti-abortion war and threat to women's health from Project 2025, a 900-page Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise from the Heritage Foundation. With references to the Comstock Act of 1843 an…

1
Why one young Marine refused to fight in Iraq 9:18

4M ago9:18

9:18

It’s been more than 20 years since the U.S. invaded Iraq. For Darren Fisher, it’s been more than 20 years since he said, "No" to that invasion. RadioActive’s Olivia Asmann has the story of one young Marine’s objection to fighting in the so-called war on terror. This story discusses the realities of the military and war. Episode webpage: https://www…

1
Targeting Voters in a Post-Cookie World with Bryan Miller Neptune Ops 19:28

4M ago19:28

19:28

Bryan Miller, President of Neptune Ops, discusses how browser companies are changing their policies regarding the use of cookies to locate specific individuals and the need for new campaign strategies to find and persuade voters online. In the post-cookie world, political consultants must consider new identifiers based on other data, surgical conte…

1
145 - Ambien 1:34:25

4M ago1:34:25

1:34:25

What do you get when you cross sleeping pills with the tail end of the LSD molecule? Ambien! The miracle cure for insomnia taken by millions of Americans every year that definitely doesn't make your entire frontal lobe completely vanish while the rest of you walks around doing weird stuff. Stuff like perhaps taking a drive down the wrong side of th…

1
Building community is 'an act of social justice’ at the Seattle Fandango Project 4:28

4M ago4:28

4:28

RadioActive’s Vivi Cardenas-Habell says the Seattle Fandango Project played a key role in her upbringing. But she didn’t fully appreciate it until Covid took it away. Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/building-community-is-an-act-of-social-justice-at-the-seattle-fandango-project [RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and au…

1
144 - Terrence McKenna's Timewave Zero 1:42:47

4M ago1:42:47

1:42:47

Who among us hasn't had apocalyptic visions with a head full of mushrooms? Terrence sure did. This week we're looking at one of the pillars of the legendary psychedelic evangelist's cosmology: Timewave Zero. After Terrence McKenna and his brother Dennis had their noggins rocked by psilocybe cubensis mushrooms in Colombia, Terrence returned from the…

1
Standing Up to Hate and Racism with Patrice O'Neil Not In Our Town 29:23

4M ago29:23

29:23

Patrice O'Neil, Founder of Not In Out Town, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss gathering communities together to support conversations that drive understanding about fighting hate and racism. Patrice reports that screening their film Repairing the World in local gatherings has become a catalyst for people to share their storie…

1
At 16, my grandma had an abortion. At 18, I’m telling her story 4:27

4M ago4:27

4:27

In the summer of 1972, the year before Roe v. Wade made abortion legal nationwide, Elaine Fichter was 16 years old and eight weeks pregnant. Fichter lived in Washington state where abortion was already legal, and she made the choice to terminate her pregnancy. Fifty years later, Fichter’s grandchild, RadioActive’s Natalie Lahr, explores how her gra…

1
143 - The Radioactive Boy Scout 1:13:45

4M ago1:13:45

1:13:45

Who among us didn't have at least a touch of the mad scientist fantasy as a kid, right? Most of us, probably. And who among us failed to ever have anything come of it? Most of us, probably. Not David Hahn. David Hahn had himself a notion to build a fast breeder nuclear reactor in his mother's potting shed. And by golly, he did. By cobbling together…

1
Benefit Screening Tool Cuts Through Eligibility Maze with Melanie Lavelle Benefit Kitchen 24:47

4M ago24:47

24:47

Melanie Lavelle, Founder of Benefit Kitchen, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss the impact of welfare reform and the creation of an app and database to empower people to understand what benefits are available. Benefit Kitchen is focused on working with people to overcome obstacles and gain insight into the eligibility rules fo…

1
My grandfather’s 'Little Story': A journey through war and prison in Vietnam 4:30

5M ago4:30

4:30

Aaron Ton's grandparents and their children lived comfortably in southern Vietnam. But everything changed on April 30, 1975. Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/my-grandfather-s-little-story-a-journey-through-war-and-prison-in-vietnam [RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This…

1
142 - Creature Feature: Water Monsters 1:20:43

5M ago1:20:43

1:20:43

Admit it, there aren't nearly enough creatures in your life. Weird creatures, cute creatures, mean creatures, there's a whole wide world of creatures out there. And today we're talking about three of them. And with a subtitle like "Water Monsters," you might be thinking we're talking mythical beasts, Nessie's or Champ's or the Kraken. Nope. We're t…

1
Activists Focused on Regulating Ammunition Sales with Sandy and Lonnie Phillips Survivors Empowered 20:26

5M ago20:26

20:26

Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, Founders of Survivors Empowered, join Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to discuss their reaction and activism as a result of the murder of their daughter Jessi, killed in the Aurora Colorado theatre 2012 mass shooting. Their organization is focused on regulating companies that sell ammunition and repealing the Prot…

1
Separated from his family in Eritrea at 7, this Seattle man now mentors East African kids 4:12

5M ago4:12

4:12

Seattle is home to 10% of the Eritrean population in the United States. Many Eritrean immigrants found political asylum in the U.S. in the 1980s and 90s due to the Eritrean War of Independence. For some young first-generation Eritrean Americans like RadioActive's Alex Mengisteab, this history feels both close and slightly out of reach. So to better…

1
141 - Competitive Eating 1:40:53

5M ago1:40:53

1:40:53

Sometime during the 20th century, hot dogs became forever linked with an American pastime—Competitive eating—and with the most American holiday, the Fourth of July. One could argue that the business of “major league eating” is everything wrong with consumer capitalism. Because it is. However, today we’ll be taking time to celebrate the absurdity of…

1
Changing Role of the Campaign Manager with Joe Fuld The Campaign Workshop 25:30

5M ago25:30

25:30

Joe Fuld, Founder of The Campaign Workshop, joins Deepak Puri, CEO of The Democracy Labs, to consider how the role of political and advocacy campaign managers has changed over the last 20 years. The constants are the ongoing challenges for a campaign to refine the message, have the candidate or advocate's voice heard by the target audience, and fin…

1
The First Night Project makes cancer ward stays a little easier for teens 5:07

5M ago5:07

5:07

A cancer diagnosis "sucks." And the hospital stays that follow don't make it any easier. 17-year-old Harry McGovern wanted to make a difference for other teenage cancer patients like him. So he started The First Night Project. RadioActive’s Sidh Shroff has this story about his friend. Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-first-night-pr…

1
140 - The Nag Hammadi Codices 1:30:24

5M ago1:30:24

1:30:24

These days you can't shake a stick without running into some version of Gnostic Christianity. Why is that? Gnosticism is absolutely wild and psychedelic, that plays a part. But did counterculture collectively decide one day that Gnosticism was pretty groovy? Well, apart from fragments of texts, writings about Gnosticism from the Catholic church's p…

1
Why Campaigns Need a Wikipedia Strategy with Rhiannon Ruff Lumino 17:22

5M ago17:22

17:22

Rhiannon Ruff, Co-Founder of the digital agency Lumino, is a Wikipedia expert and author of the book Wikipedia & Crisis Comms. Increasingly, for voters and the media, Wikipedia is the go-to source for campaign and candidate information, and the accuracy of the information is critical for the site's moderators. While there are ways to get content ed…

1
'I thought Columbia was going to save me': The reality of first-gen, low-income students in college 4:36

5M ago4:36

4:36

For some students coming from under-resourced high schools, going to college seems like a beacon of light that will solve all their problems. Students are told that at college they'll gain access to things they didn't have in high school — health care, stable housing, regular meals, a gym, tutoring, extra-curricular activities, and more. But when K…

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