Best Nicholas Rhodes Podcasts (2025)

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Right-Wing Radicalization in a Fractured America with Beth Macy 49:45

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3d ago49:45

49:45

We’ve seen a growing political and ideological divide between urban and rural populations in America. What has happened in Urbana, Ohio is a case study in how politics can shake a town to its core. Beth Macy is the author of “Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America.” She joins WITHpod to discuss how Urbana has changed from th…

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‘Life After Cars’ with Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon 1:05:21

10d ago1:05:21

1:05:21

Cars play such a big part in contemporary life. But why? And to what effect? Our guests this week point out that it's an incredible moment to rethink our relationship to cars. Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon are the co-hosts of the “War on Cars” podcast and the authors, along with Aaron Naparstek, of “Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyra…

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Preview of “The Blueprint” Season 2 6:51

15d ago6:51

6:51

Jen Psaki is on a mission to show us how the Democratic party can use this political moment to fight and win again. On Season 2 of her podcast, “The Blueprint,” she interviews the people reshaping the party, starting with Texas Congressman Greg Casar, Chair of the Progressive Caucus. The first two episodes of “The Blueprint with Jen Psaki” are avai…

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The Militarization of American Cities Under Trump with Mary McCord 58:45

17d ago58:45

58:45

On October 8, 2025, President Trump deployed the Texas National Guard to the Chicago area – marking yet another instance of military force being used domestically under his leadership. This follows earlier deployments of federal troops to states like California and Oregon. These actions point to a deeply troubling pattern: the use of U.S. military …

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How Autism Became Political with Richard Grinker 55:17

24d ago55:17

55:17

In the Trump-era, and within the public health narrative shaped by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a debunked but persistent myth has taken hold: that infant vaccinations cause autism. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence disproving this claim, the narrative remains central to anti-vaccine rhetoric. Professor Richard Grinker, a cultural anthropologist a…

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E91 - Sean Michael Smith, composer 2:07:20

28d ago2:07:20

2:07:20

This month on episode 91 of the QCMP I'm speaking with self-trained composer Sean Michael Smith. Sean has an interesting background as a metal musician, with a foot in the classical realm. His first symphony "The Wolf" is to be performed on October 24th by the Charlotte Civic Orchestra at the Dale F. Halton Theater. A symphony is quite an ambitious…

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The True Cost of Violence on Black Life in America with Trymaine Lee 57:19

1M ago57:19

57:19

A few years ago, MSNBC contributor and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Trymaine Lee, though healthy and only 38, nearly died of a heart attack. That experience forced him to confront the multitude of factors that almost killed him. In his new book, “A Thousand Ways to Die: The True Cost of Violence on Black Life in America,” he discusses the weig…

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The Electricity Crisis with Costa Samaras 56:13

1M ago56:13

56:13

The rise of AI and the development of more data centers continues to increase the need for more electricity. The electrical grid in the United States is subject to more demands than ever before. At the same time, electricity costs are not decreasing. Climate, energy and emerging tech expert Costa Samaras points out that all of this is rapidly leadi…

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"Tomorrow Is Yesterday" with Robert Malley and Hussein Agha 57:42

1M ago57:42

57:42

On September 9, 2025, Israel Defense Forces struck inside Doha targeting members of the Hamas negotiating team. With the Israeli government appearing to reject any ceasefire despite the remaining hostages in Gaza, urgent questions emerge about the future of millions of Palestinians. Amid the crisis, a new book offers some clarity and context: "Tomo…

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From Oyster Farming to Running for Senate with Graham Platner 50:55

2M ago50:55

50:55

Campaigns for the 2026 midterm elections are officially kicking off and candidates are starting to roll out their intro bios and platforms. One ad in particular, went viral online. It featured Graham Platner, a marine and army veteran and oyster farmer. He’s running for U.S. Senate in Maine to unseat five-term Republican Senator Susan Collins. He j…

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Protests, Political Violence and Its Alternatives with Erica Chenoweth 57:59

2M ago57:59

57:59

We are resharing this episode, which originally published on May 6th, 2025. You’ve probably seen footage or photos of people protesting the Trump regime. Some data suggests that the volume of protestors is higher than in Trump’s first term. But at the same time, you might be wondering if we’re seeing enough civil resistance to preserve American dem…

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E90 - Local Music Business Roundtable, w/ Pam Taylor, Ephraim Sommers and Nicholas Rhodes 2:28:24

2M ago2:28:24

2:28:24

This month on episode 90 the QCMP has its first rountable! We're talking the business of music as a local musician. Host Matthew Ablan is joined by Ephraim Scott Sommers, Pam Taylor and Nicholas Rhodes. It's an interesting discussion between four musicians who are navigating the Charlotte scene. Featuring the songs "Man Enough" by Ephraim Sommers, …

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'Here Comes The Sun' with Bill McKibben 54:17

2M ago54:17

54:17

Amid all of the political turmoil and global crises, one source of hope stands out: our ability to power modern life with zero emissions. Scientists warn that to limit global warming, emissions need to be cut significantly in the coming years to reach net-zero by mid-century. Bill McKibben, founder of climate justice organization 350.org and Third …

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Unpacking the US-China Trade War with Bill Bishop 57:29

2M ago57:29

57:29

When President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on all Chinese imports, China retaliated back with tariffs of its own. Since February 2025, the US and China have engaged in a renewed trade war – and to this day, no agreement is in sight. Bill Bishop, a China expert and former media executive with more than a decade experience living and working in …

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Baltimore's Violent Crime Perception vs. Reality with Mayor Scott 51:10

3M ago51:10

51:10

This week, President Trump called Baltimore “so far gone” amid the deployment of the National Guard in DC. In reality, Baltimore has seen record low rates of violent crime the past few years. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott joins WITHpod to talk about the perception versus reality for crime stats in in Baltimore, the city’s Comprehensive Violence Pre…

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'Not My Type' with E. Jean Carroll 50:51

3M ago50:51

50:51

Author and journalist E. Jean Carroll successfully sued Donald Trump in two civil suits, one for sexual abuse and another for defamation. The two suits resulted in a total of $88.3 million in damages awarded to Carroll, both of which are under appeal. She has written five books including her latest, “Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President." She joi…

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E89 - Philip Funderburk, cover artist 2:05:28

3M ago2:05:28

2:05:28

This month on episode 89 cover artist Philip Funderburk who can be found tickling the ivories as a soloist and dualing pianist. Philip digs into his background as a pianist, what brought him to Charlotte and a whole lot more! __________________________________________ Donate to the QCMP _________________________________________________ Philip Funde…

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The United States' Standing in the Global Economy with Aya Ibrahim 56:07

3M ago56:07

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The state of the U.S. economy will come into full view this week as a wave of crucial economic data is set for release, including the jobs report, inflation, consumer confidence and corporate earnings. Where is the U.S. in terms of the global economic order? And how did we get to this point? Aya Ibrahim served as senior advisor on the Secretary of …

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Ep. 21 - Savannah Harmon - Musician's Series 1:23:45

3M ago1:23:45

1:23:45

Savannah Harmon is an incredible Singer & Songwriter based out of Charlotte. Performing from an exceptionally early age, we walk through her introduction to performing, her love of studio work, and where she is currently at as a performing musician. Savannah Harmon Links: ⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ The Raven & The Road Links: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ …

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The Resistance vs. Trump 2.0 with Omar Wasow 52:57

3M ago52:57

52:57

We’ve seen a good number of protests during Trump 2.0. What role does our ability to organize and protest play in this moment as we see the erosion of democracy right in front of us? Omar Wasow, associate professor of political science at UC Berkley, joins to discuss how he’s making sense of American politics at this moment, protests in this era an…

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The Supreme Court’s Power Grab Under Trump 59:35

4M ago59:35

59:35

Well, it was another consequential Supreme Court term. So, we had to have Chris's wife Kate Shaw, along with the other co-hosts of the Strict Scrutiny podcast, Melissa Murray and Leah Litman back to break down some of the biggest SCOTUS decisions including Medina v. Planned Parenthood, U.S. v. Skrmetti, and Trump v. CASA. There's a lot to discuss a…

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Crypto in Trump 2.0 with Zeke Faux 49:15

4M ago49:15

49:15

Note: this episode originally published on 02/11/25. A lot of things are changing. And there’s a lot of things that the new White House administration wants to do differently. One of the areas where we’ve seen a lot of attention is cryptocurrency. Some of the latest developments are pretty confounding, to say the least. Lucky for us, our guest this…

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E88 - Big Greg, rap artist 1:44:03

4M ago1:44:03

1:44:03

This month on episode 88 rap artist Big Greg also known as PLK "The Punch Line Kid"stops by to talk. Big Greg can best be described as "genre less" and has been cited as one of the most diverse artists in the south. Not to mention he's received accolades from: Charlotte Music Awards, Carolina Music Video Awards (CMVA) and Indie Grind Music Awards (…

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Discussing the Context of the US Bombing Iran with Robert Malley 53:00

4M ago53:00

53:00

When news alerts went out that the US sent missiles to bomb Iranian nuclear sites, debates began about how deeply the US would continue to wade into the conflict between Israel and Iran. After days of panic, President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between the two countries. But it was Trump himself who, in his first term, stopped US efforts to…

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“My Brain Finally Broke” with Jia Tolentino 57:00

4M ago57:00

57:00

You’ve probably come across content online that seems real but is actually fake. And that experience is becoming more common with the proliferation of AI generated content. Our guest this week points out that the mental gymnastics of this starts to take a toll. Jia Tolentino, a staff writer at The New Yorker, wrote a piece all about this aptly titl…

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Strategies for the Resistance 2.0 with Leah Greenberg 52:34

5M ago52:34

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Note: this episode originally published on 01/07/25. Our guest this week co-founded one of the biggest groups that initially came about in response to Trump 1.0. Leah Greenberg is co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, an organization with a mission to organize thousands of local groups to resist the GOPs agenda, elect local champions…

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The Narrative vs. Real Effects of This Economy with Joe Weisenthal 56:17

5M ago56:17

56:17

It can be hard to follow and make sense of all of the volatility we’ve been seeing in the markets and economy recently. Lucky for us, Joe Weisenthal, co-host of Bloomberg’s “Odd Lots” podcast is joining this week to help break down what’s been going on. He joins WITHpod to discuss recent economic volatility and what it means for financial markets v…

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“Empire of AI” with Karen Hao 50:27

5M ago50:27

50:27

There’s a good chance that before November of 2022, you hadn’t heard of tech nonprofit OpenAI or cofounder Sam Altman. But over the last few years, they’ve become household names with the explosive growth of the generative AI tool called ChatGPT. What’s been going on behind the scenes at one of the most influential companies in history and what eff…

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E87 - Desmond McDonald, bassist 1:29:23

5M ago1:29:23

1:29:23

This month on episode 87 of the QCMP I'm speaking with bassist Desmond McDonald who recently finished a tour with blues/rock guitarist Eric Gales. Dez fills us in on his music background, what attracted him to the bass, plugging into the Charlotte music scene, the pressure of jumping into a tour and a whole lot more. _______________________________…

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Ep. 20 - Chad Andrew Harris - Musician's Series 1:36:20

5M ago1:36:20

1:36:20

Chad Andrew Harris is a lead guitarist and fiddle player in the Charlotte area. Performing in Charlotte Bluegrass Allstars, Enrage Against The Machine, and more. In this episode we go through his story as a teacher and performer and nerd out over some theory. Chad Andrew Harris Links: Facebook⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | ⁠ The Raven & The Road Links: ⁠⁠⁠We…

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Where Do We Go From Here? with Anna Galland (2024) 59:14

5M ago59:14

59:14

Note: this episode originally published on 11/12/24. From original description: Whew, the past few days have been a lot. Like you probably, Chris hasn’t slept much this past week. There’s a lot to process given that Donald Trump is now president-elect… again. Our guest this week, who has worked as an organizer throughout numerous political ups and …

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What’s Behind the Tax Revolt? with Arjun Singh 57:27

5M ago57:27

57:27

Tax policy has been a core part of the Republican party. A central feature within the GOP, particularly since Reagan, has been cutting taxes for corporations and some of the wealthiest Americans. President Trump, breaking away from traditional party orthodoxy, recently raised the idea of increasing taxes on some of the country’s richest. Our guest …

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How Project 2025 is Reshaping America with David Graham 53:55

6M ago53:55

53:55

We got a pretty clear heads up about what Trump 2.0 could portend for so many facets of American life. The Mandate for Leadership, also known as Project 2025, is perhaps the clearest compilation of goals for Trump’s second term. Now that 100 days have passed of the second Trump administration, we thought it would be a good time to see where things …

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E86 - Tara Taylor, vocalist 1:57:26

6M ago1:57:26

1:57:26

This month on episode 86 of the QCMP vocalist and good friend Tara Taylor stops by to discuss her musical history, plugging into the Charlotte music scene and the various groups she performs with. _________________________________________________ Donate to the QCMP _________________________________________________ Tara Taylor Instagram Facebook Buf…

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“Trump Is Not a King” with NY Attorney General Letitia James 54:39

6M ago54:39

54:39

A good amount of institutions have capitulated and complied in recent months with many of the Trump administration’s actions that far overstep executive authority. At the same time, we’ve seen a few places where there has been opposition and resistance to tactics employed by the Trump 2.0 regime. Some of the most pushback has come from democratical…

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‘America, América' with Greg Grandin 57:57

6M ago57:57

57:57

The United States is pretty intertwined with Latin America. So why has it historically been seen as more of a European outpost as opposed to a nation in the Western hemisphere that is part of the broader Americas? Our guest this week points out that there are other ways to understand the history and identity of the U.S., aside from the narrative th…

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‘Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza’ with Peter Beinart 55:05

7M ago55:05

55:05

We’re now a year and a half into the war in Gaza. Our guest this week has spent a lot of time thinking and writing about all that has unfolded. Peter Beinart is the author of numerous books including his latest, “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning” and writes “The Beinart Notebook” on Substack. He’s also an MSNBC analyst and th…

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How Process is Killing Progress with Ezra Klein 1:11:08

7M ago1:11:08

1:11:08

Why has America's 20th century vision of innovation and opportunity transformed into a stagnant and stunted dystopian reality? Our guest this week claims that “the crisis that’s clicking into focus now has been building for decades” and it’s all because we haven’t been following building enough. Ezra Klein is host of The Ezra Klein Show podcast, a …

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E85 - Matt Stratford, cover artist 2:38:57

7M ago2:38:57

2:38:57

This month on episode 85 of the QCMP local cover artist Matt Stratford stops by to discuss his musical background, the local Charlotte scene, live sound and lots more! _________________________________________________ Donate to the QCMP _________________________________________________ Matt Stratford Instagram Facebook Chunky Daddy ________________…

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Why ‘Everything is Tuberculosis’ with John Green 55:06

7M ago55:06

55:06

Tuberculosis is the deadliest infectious disease in the world. Why does something that’s curable still kill millions every year? And what does this illustrate about global health disparities? John Green is the author of “Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection.” Green is also the co-creator of Vlog brother…

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Weaponization of the FBI from Hoover to Trump 2.0 with Beverly Gage 50:50

7M ago50:50

50:50

J. Edgar Hoover is one of the most polarizing figures in U.S. history. And the seeds he planted as the decades long founding director of the FBI continue to shape much of today’s conservative political landscape. Kash Patel, who now leads the FBI, has openly vowed to find ways to punish Trump’s political enemies. While that’s appalling, it’s not th…

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What’s the Deal with Congestion Pricing? with Janno Lieber 55:33

8M ago55:33

55:33

Public streets play a big role in our day-to-day lives. And if you’ve visited any large metropolitan city, you’ve seen just how much traffic can fill up roadways. New York City became the first city in America to implement congestion pricing, a program aimed at generating revenue and making streets less crowded. But the initiative hasn’t been immu…

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Resisting Threats to Democracy with Rep. Robert Garcia 57:52

8M ago57:52

57:52

The Democratic Party has its work cut out. Meanwhile, there’s a fundamental issue: the party doesn’t currently have formal power. It doesn't have a majority in either House of Congress, it doesn't control the executive branch, and the Supreme Court has a 6-3 Trump majority. And all of this is creating a kind of impotent rage, frustration and feelin…

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The Darkest Corners of the Internet with Elle Reeve 54:21

8M ago54:21

54:21

Trolls have basically taken possession of the U.S. government. How have trolls been able to go from being mostly cordoned off in dark parts of the internet to gaining so much influence in American culture and politics? Our guest this week has spent years researching and reporting on-the-ground to learn more about how the battle online between the r…

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E84 - Nathan Harris, touring/session guitarist 2:22:10

8M ago2:22:10

2:22:10

This month on episode 84 of the QCMP I'm speaking with Nathan Harris. Nathan is multi-talented and is a touring and session guitarist as well as a singer/songwriter. His recent release is the EP Moving On. _________________________________________________ Donate to the QCMP _________________________________________________ Nathan Harris Instagram F…

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The Stalled Engine of American Opportunity with Yoni Appelbaum 58:50

8M ago58:50

58:50

A defining feature of America from its inception has been physical mobility. And that physical mobility has been the engine of social mobility. But we’ve seen a great deal of economic and social sclerosis over the past few decades. Our guest this week has how, for many people, America has ceased to be the land of opportunity. Yoni Appelbaum is a de…

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The Uncertain Future of USAID with Jeremy Konyndyk 50:53

8M ago50:53

50:53

So much has happened in the past few weeks. And we’ve seen a speed game of sorts being played by the Trump administration to try to act as rapidly as possible to rework the administrative state of the government. One example of that is the attempts to end the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The letters have even been taken off of…

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Ep. 19 - Matthew Ablan - Musician's Series 1:51:47

9M ago1:51:47

1:51:47

Matthew Ablan is an incredible musician, host of the Queen City Podcast, and local music educator. In this episode we explore his musical ventures and break into the stories that have shaped his leadership as an entrepreneur in the music industry. Matthew Ablan Links: ⁠Website⁠ | ⁠Facebook⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Podcast The Raven & The Road …