Best Opening Arguments Media LLC Podcasts (2025)

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How To Stay Open and Curious Even When You're Exhausted or Annoyed | Sarah Ruhl 1:14:44

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23h ago1:14:44

1:14:44

An antidote to boredom and stuckness. Sarah Ruhl is an award-winning American playwright, author, essayist, and professor. Her latest book is Lessons from My Teachers: From Preschool to the Present. In this episode we talk about: How to orient towards the world with an eagerness to learn How to approach our lives not only as students, but also as t…

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Trump's All Out Assault on Immigrants Continues in Incompetent but Horrifying Fashion 1:01:37

3d ago1:01:37

1:01:37

OA1202 - We are pleased to welcome American Immigration Council Senior Fellow Aaron Reichlin-Melnick for this unique conversation between a practitioner and a policy expert. The AIC is one of the country's leading sources of information and advocacy on US immigration matters, and Aaron watches and comments on these issues like no one else out there…

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Trump’s All Out Assault on Immigrants Continues in Incompetent but Horrifying Fashion 1:01:37

3d ago1:01:37

1:01:37

OA1202 - We are pleased to welcome American Immigration Council Senior Fellow Aaron Reichlin-Melnick for this unique conversation between a practitioner and a policy expert. The AIC is one of the country's leading sources of information and advocacy on US immigration matters, and Aaron watches and comments on these issues like no one else out there…

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Feeling Stuck? Dull? Flat? Here's a Better Path to the "Good Life." | Shigehiro Oishi 1:10:35

3d ago1:10:35

1:10:35

An often overlooked secret, from a U. Chicago happiness expert. Shigehiro Oishi is the Marshall Field IV Professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago. He is one of the foremost authorities on happiness, meaning, and culture. His newest book is Life in Three Dimensions: How Curiosity, Exploration, and Experience Make a Fuller, Better Life. I…

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How To Communicate Effectively With Other Human Beings 25:43

4d ago25:43

25:43

Sharing an episode featuring Dan from a podcast we love, Think Fast, Talk Smart. Whether presenting to millions on live television or talking to just one person, Dan Harris knows that the quality of every interaction depends on the presence you bring to it. Harris is a former national news anchor for ABC News and is now the host of the 10% Happier …

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Trump Says DOJ Should Pay Him $230 Million Because Why the F*** Not at This Point 57:43

6d ago57:43

57:43

OA1201 - This Rapid Response Friday, Matt and Jenessa play a few rounds of “Can They REALLY Do That?”, with topics including: The legal mechanism and filings behind Trump’s $230 million demand for DOJ having the audacity for investigating him for crimes that he did Arizona’s lawsuit against House Speaker Mike Johnson asking a DC federal court to re…

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Do You Feel Like Everybody Sucks? Here's a 10-Minute Pain Reliever. 12:55

6d ago12:55

12:55

If the idea of "sending love to all beings" makes you roll your eyes, this episode is for you. Dan leads a guided meditation, suitable for all levels of experience. Originally recorded during one of our live sangha gatherings on Substack, which are open to paid subscribers at DanHarris.com. Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 1…

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We need a sensible compromise between "no kings" and "Trump is king" 1:03:55

8d ago1:03:55

1:03:55

VR11 - Today on Vapid Response Wednesday: Thomas, Lydia, and Matt review some of the worst takes to last weekend’s 2700+ “No Kings” events around the U.S. But first, we savor an instant classic of an amuse douche: a recent video of a real-life encounter between a drunk-driving ICE officer and actual law enforcement. We then learn why the National R…

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We need a sensible compromise between "no kings" and "Trump is king" 1:03:55

8d ago1:03:55

1:03:55

VR11 - Today on Vapid Response Wednesday: Thomas, Lydia, and Matt review some of the worst takes to last weekend's 2700+ "No Kings" events around the U.S. But first, we savor an instant classic of an amuse douche: a recent video of a real-life encounter between a drunk-driving ICE officer and actual law enforcement. We then learn why the National R…

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How To Perform Under Pressure—With Both Peace and Confidence | Jim Murphy 1:20:40

8d ago1:20:40

1:20:40

A performance coach and bestselling author shares practical tools for thriving in crisis, shaving down the ego, and designing the life you want. #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Murphy is a Performance Coach to some of the best athletes and leaders in the world. In addition to coaching professional athletes and executives, Murphy is the pre…

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Polygraphs and the Limits of Scientific Evidence in Court 48:25

10d ago48:25

48:25

OA1200 - We've got another great law and science episode for ya! Are polygraphs admissible? Do they work? Matt and Jenessa talk about the history, law, and science of polygraphs, and how criminal courts treat scientific testimony in general. Check out the OA Linktree for all the places to go and things to do!…

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The Science Of Getting Out Of Your Head | Annie Murphy Paul 59:32

10d ago59:32

59:32

An acclaimed science writer on how to upgrade your mind by using more than your head. Annie Murphy Paul is a science writer and TED speaker. Her latest book is The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain. In this episode we talk about: Why upgrading your mind involves more than just using your head. How our bodies, surroundings, and …

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How Can I Meditate (Or Do Anything Else) When I'm in Pain? | Sebene Selassie 23:10

11d ago23:10

23:10

A longtime cancer survivor — and our Teacher of the Month — has some suggestions for working with pain. Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teach…

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They’re Going to End the Voting Rights Act. But at Least We Got to Hear KBJ Murder a Guy in Court 1:03:41

13d ago1:03:41

1:03:41

OA1199 - Voting rights expert Jenessa Seymour takes us through this week’s oral arguments in one of the most important cases before the Supreme Court this term: Louisiana v. Callais, which has the potential to end some of the most important protections in the Voting Rights Act and allow states to openly racially gerrymander their electoral district…

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They're Going to End the Voting Rights Act. But at Least We Got to Hear KBJ Murder a Guy in Court 1:03:41

13d ago1:03:41

1:03:41

OA1199 - Voting rights expert Jenessa Seymour takes us through this week's oral arguments in one of the most important cases before the Supreme Court this term: Louisiana v. Callais, which has the potential to end some of the most important protections in the Voting Rights Act and allow states to openly racially gerrymander their electoral district…

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Telling Harsh Stories to Yourself About Yourself? How To Rewrite the Narrative. | Allison Sweet Grant 46:21

13d ago46:21

46:21

Nobody makes it out of childhood unscathed. Here's a guide to letting go of the past. Allison Sweet Grant, graduate with dual master's degrees from the University of Michigan, is a psychiatric nurse practitioner, turned author. She has been published in The New York Times and The Atlantic. She is the author of two children's picture books, The Gift…

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Atlantic publishes Caitlyn Flanagan's love letter to Bari Weiss for some reason 1:24:56

15d ago1:24:56

1:24:56

It's Vapid Response Wednesday, and Thomas, Lydia, and Matt are back to take apart more bad-faith nonsense from some of the worst people in public life. First up: The Atlantic's Caitlyn Flanagan on why it is totally fine that her good friend Bari Weiss is taking over one of the most prestigious news organizations in the United States after running a…

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Atlantic publishes Caitlyn Flanagan's love letter to Bari Weiss for some reason 1:24:56

15d ago1:24:56

1:24:56

It’s Vapid Response Wednesday, and Thomas, Lydia, and Matt are back to take apart more bad-faith nonsense from some of the worst people in public life. First up: The Atlantic's Caitlyn Flanagan on why it is totally fine that her good friend Bari Weiss is taking over one of the most prestigious news organizations in the United States after running a…

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Is There Such a Thing as Healthy Shame and Embarrassment? | JoAnna Hardy 1:17:58

15d ago1:17:58

1:17:58

A Buddhist recipe for speaking, working, and living in a way that will make you happy. JoAnna Hardy has practiced in multiple traditions since 1999. She is currently a meditation trainer at Apple Fitness+, a visiting teacher at Black Being LA, a visiting retreat teacher at Insight Meditation Society, and about to embark on a new mystery journey! In…

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The Supreme Court Case That Stopped School Integration 51:33

17d ago51:33

51:33

OA1198 - In this very special episode, Matt catches up with his Constitutional law professor for the first time in 23 years! We follow up with our closer look at the science behind Brown v Board (OA1186) with University of Michigan Law professor Michelle Adams, who takes us through the fascinating and ultimately tragic story of how the promise of B…

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How To Handle the Parts of Yourself That You Wish Didn't Exist | Satya Doyle Byock 1:06:14

17d ago1:06:14

1:06:14

How to do "shadow work," interpret your dreams, and find your "self." Satya Doyle Byock is a psychotherapist and educator focused on the relationship with the unconscious. She is the director of The Salome Institute of Jungian Studies and the author of the book Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood. She writes weekly and hosts regular…

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How To Figure Out What You Actually Need Right Now | Meditation with Sebene Selassie 13:31

18d ago13:31

13:31

Listening to your body… easier said than done? Sebene Selassie is here to help. All this month, we're sharing custom guided meditations from our teacher of the month, Sebene Selassie exclusively available at DanHarris.com. Like any good drug dealer, the first taste is free – so today, we're giving you a sample of what you can expect for the rest of…

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The National Emergency Continues to Nationally Emerge 59:45

20d ago59:45

59:45

OA1197 - The National Guard is being federalized and sent into cities that the President doesn't like against the explicit will of state governors and local populations. Matt covers as much as we know from the legal developments around this ongoing national emergency, and Jenessa shares some good news which is already coming out of NY's recent rece…

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Three Strategies for Getting Over Yourself | Joseph Goldstein 1:16:21

20d ago1:16:21

1:16:21

Every year, Joseph Goldstein does a three month silent meditation retreat by himself at his home in Massachusetts. In this conversation you're about to hear, Joseph had just emerged from one such retreat with a bunch of thoughts on what are called the three proliferating tendencies or three papañca to use the ancient Pali term. These are three ways…

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How To Find Calm in a World on Fire | Pico Iyer 1:09:14

22d ago1:09:14

1:09:14

The antidote to a noisy, chaotic world. Pico Iyer is the acclaimed and bestselling author of more than a dozen books translated into twenty-three languages, most recently the nationally bestselling Aflame: Learning from Silence. In this episode we talk about: Why and how Pico found himself spending a lot of time at a silent monastery What he's lear…

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Jake Tapper on his new book, and the controversy surrounding his last one 1:24:48

22d ago1:24:48

1:24:48

We welcome CNN anchor Jake Tapper to discuss his latest book Race Against Terror, a nonfiction legal thriller set in the long-ago world of 2011 in which the U.S. Department of Justice is dedicated to vigorously defending national security through strict adherence to due process and the rule of law. Also discussed: the current state of the media, wh…

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That Time the Supreme Court BANNED PRAYER in Schools... Except They Didn’t 57:21

24d ago57:21

57:21

OA1196 - This week in our continuing Still Good Law series, Matt and Jenessa take on the 1963 Supreme Court case which is still believed to hold the record for angering the most Americans at the same time: 1963’s Engel v. Vitale. Find out why a decision which even the Warren Court’s conservative justices did not see as particularly controversial to…

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That Time the Supreme Court BANNED PRAYER in Schools... Except They Didn't 57:21

24d ago57:21

57:21

OA1196 - This week in our continuing Still Good Law series, Matt and Jenessa take on the 1963 Supreme Court case which is still believed to hold the record for angering the most Americans at the same time: 1963's Engel v. Vitale. Find out why a decision which even the Warren Court's conservative justices did not see as particularly controversial to…

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Are You a Grudge Holder or a Revenge Seeker? Here's How It's Hurting You – And How To Get Over It | James Kimmel, Jr. 1:11:53

24d ago1:11:53

1:11:53

The psychology and neuroscience of revenge. James Kimmel, Jr. is a lecturer in psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, an expert on revenge, a lawyer, and the founder and co-director of the Yale Collaborative for Motive Control Studies. He is the creator of The Nonjustice System, the Miracle Court app, and SavingCain.org for recovering from grie…

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Sebene Selassie On: Resiliency, Rewriting Your Patterns and Finding a Teacher Who Speaks to You 23:22

25d ago23:22

23:22

We're in the midst of an exciting evolution of the overall 10% Happier project. In our quest to make this podcast more actionable – to help you operationalize all the game-changing ideas you encounter on this pod – we're now offering guided meditations to accompany each full episode of the show, available to paid subscribers at DanHarris.com. For t…

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We All Need To Make Money and Interact With Capitalism. Is There a Non-Icky Way To Do It? | David Gelles 50:09

27d ago50:09

50:09

A playbook for finding financial success without compromising your values. David Gelles is a bestselling author and a climate correspondent for The New York Times. His new book, "Dirtbag Billionaire," reveals how Yvon Chouinard turned Patagonia into one of the world's most remarkable companies. In this episode we talk about: What a 'dirtbag' means …

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Stephen Miller Is Just Having People Killed Now 51:12

27d ago51:12

51:12

OA1195 - How much of the federal government has actually shut down, and why? We explore the truth behind the spin, and Matt breaks the exclusive story of how at least one part of the executive branch appears to be illegally operating at full capacity. We then then connect some of the most fast-moving stories of the past few weeks to bring out the t…

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A Buddhist Secret for Calm, Energy, and Handling Obnoxious People | Trudy Goodman 1:07:29

29d ago1:07:29

1:07:29

How to stay calm and steady in uncertain times. Trudy Goodman, Ph.D., is the founding teacher of InsightLA and cofounder of The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. Trudy has trained in mindfulness and Zen since 1973, holds a graduate degree in developmental psychology from Harvard, and is widely known for her role as the voice of Trudy the …

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Take It From Two Defense Attorneys - DO NOT TALK TO THE COPS 50:10

1M ago50:10

50:10

OA1194 - NY defense attorney Liz Skeen joins to talk about the evolution (or devolution?) or our Miranda rights in the past several decades. How does an actual criminal defense attorney who deals with these issues every day think about them?

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How Lying To Yourself (A Little) Can Improve Your Relationships and Make the World Feel Less Insane | Shankar Vedantam 1:11:00

1M ago1:11:00

1:11:00

Anyone with a passing familiarity with Buddhism will know that "delusion" is rarely, if ever, mentioned in a positive way. In fact, the Buddha included delusion (aka: confusion about the way things really are) on his list of "the three poisons." The whole point of meditation, per the Buddha, is to uproot delusion -- along with greed and hatred. Onl…

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Zen Ways To Build Routines, Concentrate Your Mind, and Simplify Your Life 1:38:50

1M ago1:38:50

1:38:50

From The Way Out Is In, the official podcast of Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village tradition, co-hosted by frequent 10% guest Brother Chan Phap Huu and leadership coach Jo Confino. In this installment, Brother Phap Huu and Jo discuss the true meaning of Zen, finding beauty and meaning in simplicity, and how to practice so in everyday life. Also, what d…

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Could Tylenol Sue Trump and RFK Jr. for Libel? 55:41

1M ago55:41

55:41

OA1193 - Could Tylenol sue RFK Jr. for libel? Does the pressure the FCC put on Disney/ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel constitute a First Amendment violation? Is the Trump administration really going to charge rural hospitals $100,000 for the privilege of being able to hire foreign doctors? In today’s Rapid Response Friday we answer all of these recent pat…

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How To Keep Your Sh*t Together No Matter What | Kamala Masters 19:57

1M ago19:57

19:57

Because even doing the dishes can be an opportunity to wake up. We're bringing you some of our favorite gems from the archives, as chosen by our staff. This week, we're hearing from dharma teacher Kamala Masters as chosen by our executive producer DJ Cashmere. Kamala reflects on the practice of equanimity, and how to be mindful even in the "hell re…

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HBO released a new Adnan Syed doc episode and it is shockingly dishonest 1:49:05

1M ago1:49:05

1:49:05

We watched the newly-released final episode of HBO's The Case Against Adnan Syed, and we have questions. Are the producers really trying to pin the murder of Hae Min Lee on a Black man with obvious mental health issues who was already cleared as a suspect--and did they really need to show the world a fully-nude photo of him to make that case? What …

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Brené Brown On: How To Succeed Without Being a Bullying, Bullshitting, Power-Hungry Jerk Face 1:14:18

1M ago1:14:18

1:14:18

A toolkit for navigating your fears, finding your "core," and having sovereignty over your nervous system. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, where she holds the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work. She is the author of six #1 New York Times bestsellers and the host of two award-…

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KATZ RULES EVERYTHING AROUND ME 57:18

1M ago57:18

57:18

OA1192 - This week in Still Good Law: Katz v. U.S., the 1967 Warren Court case which on its face decided that the Fourth Amendment may apply to a public phone booth. But that’s hardly all: the federal prosecution of nationally-famous bookie Charles Katz also completely changed the entire framework for how U.S. courts understand and interpret the la…