Best The Overton Window Podcast Podcasts (2025)

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EP 197: ENCORE: Larissa Phillips on Bridging Our Divides 30:55

2d ago30:55

30:55

As Tara puts the finishing touches on her next book, on declining trust in the media, we wanted to bring you a few encore interviews that have helped shaped her thinking on the media — including today’s episode. Since the election win for Donald Trump, we are seeing a renewed sense of scorn for Republican voters in parts of the mainstream media. Th…

1
Ep30: Postcolonialism with Somdeep Sen 1:01:34

2d ago1:01:34

1:01:34

“Imperialism leaves behind germs of rot which we must clinically detect and remove from our land but from our minds as well.” — Frantz Fanon What does liberation mean when the very language of freedom is shaped by empire? In this episode, we speak with Somdeep Sen, political scientist and author of Decolonizing Palestine: Hamas Between the Anticolo…

1
EP 196: ENCORE: Musa al-Gharbi on the Cultural Contradictions of the Elites 52:13

9d ago52:13

52:13

As Tara puts the finishing touches on her next book, on declining trust in the media, we wanted to bring you a few encore interviews that have helped shaped her thinking on the media — including today’s episode. The period often referred to as The Great Awokening is winding down now, and we’re starting to get a better understanding of what happened…

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EP 195: Meghan Daum on Life's Catastrophe Hours 36:29

16d ago36:29

36:29

In this turbulent era, for many of us there is a moment in every day when anxiety steals over us. We pause, and in that rare period of stillness, the fears surface — but sometimes, if we’re lucky, so too do the reflections and the insights. Our guest on today’s program has called this interlude “the catastrophe hour,” and she’s just published a boo…

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TM Polycrisis Prep: One Drink to Rule Them All? 8:16

16d ago8:16

8:16

“As things fall apart, what’s the one drink you’d carry into the collapse?” In this episode, we pose the critical question of our time: if we all end up in one ecological safe zone during the polycrisis and are only allowed one alcoholic beverage for the rest of our lives... what drink are we bringing with us? We’re joined by Mia, Maggie, and Malem…

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TM Smoke Signals: On Pro-Palestine protestors "disrupting exam studies" at Colombia University 7:27

21d ago7:27

7:27

Phil, who was a Pro-Palestine campus activist in his university days, reflects on the recent police repression of student protesters at Columbia University and how it's part of a broader assault on pro-Palestinian solidarity movements across global campuses. But beyond the headlines, this episode dives into a deeper question: what counts as learnin…

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EP 194: Darrell Bricker on Our Divided Nation 25:05

23d ago25:05

25:05

Now that the dust has settled on the Canadian federal election, we can pause for a moment and assess where we are at as a country. What lessons can we take from the election results? Our guest on today’s program has been polling Canadians for decades — and he says that we are now a divided nation. Darrell Bricker is the CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs.…

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Ep29: Follow the Lead of the Most Impacted with Lusekelo Chinyama 30:22

25d ago30:22

30:22

What does it mean to be a good ally—and not a harmful one—in movements for justice? In this episode, we explore the difficult but essential work of following the lead of the most impacted. Our guest reflects on the dangers of “do-gooder arrogance” and the importance of showing up with humility, not solutions. We talk about how movements led by marg…

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EP 193: David Zweig on Pandemic School Closures 34:55

1M ago34:55

34:55

One of the most polarizing policies of the pandemic era was the extended school closures. Critics have now been validated, with The New York Times reporting that “a growing body of research shows that pandemic school closures came at a steep cost to students” — while doing little to stop the spread of the virus. Our guest on the program today is a …

1
TM Polycrisis Prep: Pineapple on Pizza? 9:44

1M ago9:44

9:44

Welcome to the first-ever segment of Troublemaker’s Polycrisis Prep School, a special segment of the Troublemaker’s Podcast where we debate the most “pressing” dilemmas of our turbulent times. First on the chopping board: 🍕🍍 Is it acceptable to put pineapple on pizza? Joining the food fight are the Three Ms—Malemi, Maggie, and Mia. Malemi is firmly…

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Ep28: Jail Solidarity with Céline Lebrun-Shaath 46:21

1M ago46:21

46:21

"I have the people behind me and the people are my strength."— Huey Newton. What does solidarity look like when comrades are behind bars? In this episode, we explore jail solidarity through the eyes of Céline Lebrun-Shaath, a committed organizer and internationalist. She speaks about the moral and political imperative to stand with those who remain…

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EP 192: Election 2025 - Victor Febres on Political Polarization 31:01

1M ago31:01

31:01

Last week, at the English-language election debate, the leaders’ press scrums were cancelled after tensions between media outlets erupted into shouting in the press room, and other confrontations. This incident is a distressing example of how polarized our press has become. But of course, we are not the first country to grapple with this dynamic. M…

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EP 191: Election 2025 - Ramona Coelho on Assisted Dying 35:42

1M ago35:42

35:42

As election day nears, Lean Out continues to highlight the issues that we feel have not received enough attention in this news cycle. My guest on the program today is a physician who serves on death review committee with Ontario’s Office of the Chief Coroner. In today’s emotional interview, we take a close look at medical assistance in dying, or MA…

1
EP 190: Election 2025 - Mike Moffatt Answers Every Question You've Ever Had About the Housing Crisis 42:49

1M ago42:49

42:49

We are in the final week of the Canadian federal election. And while Trump’s trade policy has received much coverage this election season, our housing crisis has been less of a priority for the legacy press. We at Lean Out happen to think this is the most important issue in the country — and so, on today’s program, our guest is here to answer every…

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EP 189: Election 2025 - Tristin Hopper on the State of the Nation 33:41

1M ago33:41

33:41

For some time now, writers and thinkers outside this country have been asking me: What happened to Canada? Our guest on the program today has asked this question himself, in a new book that takes a deep dive into our decline — and arrives just in time for the federal election. Tristin Hopper is a columnist and reporter for The National Post, based …

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Ep27: Use your radical fringe to shift the Overton window with Julia and Stella 18:25

1M ago18:25

18:25

It takes more than organising to shift a society's sense of what's possible. In this episode, we travel to Moldova to explore how feminist and LGBTQ+ activists are reimagining the boundaries of public discourse and reshaping the culture of protest in a quiet, conservative society. Our guests, Julia and Stella, are part of a growing movement challen…

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EP 188: Vicky Nguyen on Her Journey From Boat Baby to the Today Show 40:17

1M ago40:17

40:17

As we all navigate a period rife with political tensions on both sides of the Canada/U.S. border, we wanted to bring you an incredible story that celebrates the human spirit and affirms our common humanity. Our guest on the program today was an eight-month-old baby when her parents smuggled her out of communist Vietnam, crossing the South China Sea…

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Ep26: Consumer Boycott with BDS Jordan 25:47

2M ago25:47

25:47

How do you take on a corporate giant—and win? In this episode of Troublemakers, we dive into a story from BDS Palestine organizers in Jordan. They built one of the most impactful consumer boycotts in recent memory, targeting Carrefour supermarkets. Fatima and Enas walk us through the strategy, creativity, and community power that made it possible. …

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EP 187: Phoebe Maltz Bovy on Heteropessimism 29:20

2M ago29:20

29:20

Throughout the Canadian federal election, we’re taking weekly breaks to think and talk about other things. On today’s program, in light of ongoing debates in American pop culture, we’ll be discussing the phenomenon of heteropessimism with a Toronto culture critic who is quite literally writing the book on it. Phoebe Maltz Bovy is a Toronto-based jo…

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EP 186: Election 2025 - Melanie Paradis on Women's Fertility 25:07

2M ago25:07

25:07

Women’s fertility is a third rail in Canadian politics. We all learned this again last week, when Pierre Poilievre made a comment about biological clocks that sparked outrage. If you followed the controversy in the mainstream media only, you might not know that a number of women were glad to see Poilievre raise the issue of fertility — including my…

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TM Smoke Signals: Snow White & Disney Capitalism 13:06

2M ago13:06

13:06

In this episode of Trouble Makers, we dive into the spectacle surrounding Disney’s Snow White remake to explore a deeper story: how corporate media co-opts identity politics, commodifies culture, and shapes our collective imagination for profit. We unpack how companies like Disney use outrage as marketing and brand loyalty as a form of identity, le…

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EP 185: Adam Gussow on Interracial Family Life in America's South 47:41

2M ago47:41

47:41

During the 2025 Canadian election season, we’ll be pausing from time to time to take a breather and to think about other issues — often interesting new books. My guest on today’s program is a blues musician, a scholar, and a heterodox thinker. He joins us for a conversation about his deeply personal new book on interracial family life in the south.…

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Ep25: Participatory Action Research with Abel Sibanda 43:31

2M ago43:31

43:31

In this episode of Troublemakers, we dive into Participatory Action Research (PAR) with Abel Sibanda, exploring how research needn't be divorced from reality but can actually foster social transformation and systems change, especially when it's not separated from our complex realities and the actions of our movements. We discuss the nuances of soli…

1
EP 184: Election 2025 - Brian Dijkema on the Collapse of Support for the NDP 32:15

2M ago32:15

32:15

One of the big stories in the Canadian federal election so far has been the collapse of support for the NDP. New polling from Ipsos shows support for the party continuing to decline. Our guest on today’s program is a former labour representative — and he has some thoughts on where the traditional party of working people has gone wrong. Brian Dijkem…

1
EP 183: Election 2025 - Laurent Carbonneau on Canada's 'Corporate Welfare Bums' 17:48

2M ago17:48

17:48

As election season builds steam, here at Lean Out we are focused on the question of why daily life in Canada has become so expensive and so dysfunctional. My guest on today’s program has some insights to share. He recently wrote a well-researched book on the federal government’s corporate subsidies — which, he says, “exploded in magnitude” under Ju…

1
TM Smoke Signals: Crisis in Congo 15:37

2M ago15:37

15:37

In this first episode of TM Smoke Signal, we sit down with Stewart Muhindo to discuss the ongoing crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo. From the root causes fueling the conflict to the devastating impacts on communities, we break down the complexities of the situation. How can the world step in? What role do international powers and regional …

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EP 182: Ann Bauer on Booksellers' Moral Contract 29:15

2M ago29:15

29:15

With the Canadian federal election now underway, we’re going to have a lot of political content for you in coming weeks. But today, we wanted to change things up a bit and bring you a lighter story about books — and how hard it is these days to find bookstores that stock a range of different perspectives. Our guest on today’s program argues that bo…

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EP 181: Election 2025 - Tom Korski 23:12

2M ago23:12

23:12

After much speculation, Prime Minister Mark Carney has called a snap spring election, and Canadians will be heading to the polls on April 28. To kick off Lean Out’s special election coverage, we bring you a conversation with a veteran Canadian journalist about the unusual moment the country is in — and why, in his view, the current disconnect betwe…

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Ep24: Cultural Disobedience with Phionah Kyokusiima 38:05

2M ago38:05

38:05

If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.— Maya Angelou Phil sits with a longtime comradely fellow organizer Phionah Kyokusiima from Solidarity Uganda. Together they delve into the tactic of cultural disobedience, which has just as much subversive power—sometimes more—as civil disobedience. Kyokusiima is a s…

1
EP 180: Dave Snow on DEI in Federal Granting Agencies 28:17

2M ago28:17

28:17

In the wake of President Trump’s executive order on DEI, debates in America have renewed a conversation around DEI in this country. And while the baseline value of greater inclusion is one that many of us share, some DEI programs have proven controversial. Our guest on this bonus episode is the author of a recent report that dives into DEI practice…

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EP 179: Andrew Potter on the End of the Trudeau Era 25:02

2M ago25:02

25:02

With Mark Carney in his first week in office as Canada’s new Prime Minister, the Justin Trudeau era is quickly fading in the rearview mirror. But before we move on, it’s important to take stock of what went on in this country during Trudeau’s tenure. Our guest on today’s program says it is time for a national conversation about Trudeau’s legacy. An…

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Ep23: Practice Digital Self-Defence 26:25

2M ago26:25

26:25

And when they spy on us, let them discover us loving. — Alice Walker Our guest helps us answer many of the questions activists have about privacy and digital security. He has chosen to remain anonymous to share his insights on protecting oneself online, avoiding surveillance, and practicing safe digital habits. From understanding encryption to safe…

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EP 178: On the Media with Aaron Pete 1:02:47

3M ago1:02:47

1:02:47

Regular listeners of the show will recognize the name Aaron Pete. He’s a talented young broadcaster from B.C. who has guest hosted Lean Out from time to time. Last month Aaron invited Tara on his show, the Bigger Than Me podcast, to discuss some of the hot-button issues from the past few years, and how the Canadian media has handled them. Tara enjo…

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Ep22: Use the law, don’t be afraid of it (pt 2)with Victoria Whalen 59:28

3M ago59:28

59:28

In this second part of our series on "Use the law, don't be afraid of it," we speak with climate justice lawyer Victoria Whalen, who offers a refreshingly positive perspective on what the law is and what it can do. She puts law in the hands of the people as a tool to mould new realities, and frames the history of legal rights as a living archive of…

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EP 177: Joanna Williams on Trump and Women's Rights 38:34

3M ago38:34

38:34

On Monday night, American legislation to ban transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ sports in schools was blocked in the Senate. The topic was a sleeper issue in the American election — with polling showing public support for sports participation based on biological sex. Today on the program, in an episode recorded ahead of the Senate vote, w…

1
What should school cost? 25:33

3M ago25:33

25:33

Plus, stop stealing dreams. Akimbo is a weekly podcast created by Seth Godin. He's the bestselling author of 20 books and a long-time entrepreneur, freelancer and teacher. You can find out more about Seth by reading his daily blog at seths.blog and about the podcast at akimbo.link. To submit a question and to see the show notes, please visit akimbo…

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EP21: Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army with Angus Joseph 41:12

3M ago41:12

41:12

How does storytelling reshape movements? What role does humor play in activism? How can we clown a hostile moment, a climate protest, a global convening sold out to the billionaires? Do children understand political expediency better — should we all be clowns and ninjas and unashamed painters instead of activists and campaigners? In this episode of…

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EP 176: Andrea Mrozek on Why Marriage Still Matters 33:57

3M ago33:57

33:57

One of the themes of the Lean Out podcast is the breakdown of trust between men and women. For a marker of this rupture, we need only look to declining marriage rates. Our guest on today’s program has penned a new book about the institution of marriage, making the case that we should reconsider its benefits — not just for individual health and happ…

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Steve Hsu - AI Arms Race: China & US 1:07:12

3M ago1:07:12

1:07:12

If you like my work and would like access to bonus episodes, early access to episodes, all my writing, and the Subversive Community, please consider signing up on my Substack or Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.alexkaschuta.com/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/aksubversive⁠ The story about AI in the West is escalating —breakthrough after breakthrough, each more …

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Ep20: Burn brightly, but don’t burn out with movement psychologist Cristel Montenegro 52:43

3M ago52:43

52:43

Pain is often treated as something to suppress, avoid, or silence. But what if true healing comes from embracing it fully—together? We sit down with Nicaraguan movement psychologist Cristel Montenegro to explore the power of collective trauma processing. We examine how communities facing deep wounds caused by violence and systemic oppression can em…

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EP 175: Full Press 39:59

3M ago39:59

39:59

This week, we're changing things up, here at Lean Out. We are pleased to be able to bring you an episode of Tara's new media criticism podcast with The Hub. Her co-hosts are Harrison Lowman, managing editor of The Hub, and Peter Menzies, a former newspaper executive. On this show, they discuss an interview with the new president of the CBC, the use…

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Prester John Andrews - Between Bugmen and Theorycels 1:13:20

3M ago1:13:20

1:13:20

If you like my work and would like access to bonus episodes, early access to episodes, all my writing and the Subversive Community, please consider signing up on my Substack or Patreon: ⁠https://www.alexkaschuta.com/⁠ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/aksubversive⁠ In today's conversation, I sit down with Prester John Andrews, whose journey from professiona…

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Ep19: Al faza’a (a surge of solidarity) with Manzur Al Matin 37:20

3M ago37:20

37:20

"Beware the level-headed person if they’re angry." — Arabic proverb What happens when a nation reaches its breaking point? In this episode of Trouble Makers, we sit down with Manzur Al Matin, an Advocate in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Senior Presenter at Channel 24. During the Monsoon Revolution, Manzur took a bold stand—filing lawsuits aga…

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EP 174: Scott Oake on Addiction, Loss, and Hope 25:42

4M ago25:42

25:42

Negotiations over border security and the Trump administration’s tariffs have once again highlighted the opioid crisis that’s taking so many lives on both sides of the border. Today on the program, we’re going to leave behind the political and instead focus on the personal. My guest is a beloved Canadian sportscaster who lost his son to an overdose…

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Jonathan Anomaly - Enlightened Tribalism 1:03:17

4M ago1:03:17

1:03:17

The complete archive of Subversive episodes, including exclusive episodes and my writing, is available on Substack.For a bit less, you can also subscribe to the podcast sans writing on Patreon. This is how the show is financed and grows, so I appreciate every contribution!Please subscribe at:⁠⁠https://www.alexkaschuta.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.co…

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E18: Story of Self, Us, and Now with Yomna Ahmed 43:03

4M ago43:03

43:03

"If I am not for myself, who will be? And if I am for myself alone, what am I? And if not now, when?" — Rabbi Hillel the Elder. Yomna Ahmed, a Harvard-trained community organizer, empowers activists through Public Narrative and Community Organizing. She co-founded Athar Network, uniting activists across seven Arab countries. In this episode, Yomna …

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EP 173: Jeff Rubin on Economic Warfare 27:15

4M ago27:15

27:15

It’s been a whirlwind news cycle here in Canada, in the wake of President Donald Trump imposing 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has now announced that these tariffs are on hold for 30 days, as Canada implements its 1.3-billion-dollar border strategy, aimed at stopping the flow of fentanyl. The American tariffs ha…

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E17: Build People Power, then Negotiate with Gino Govender 56:05

4M ago56:05

56:05

What does it take to challenge powerful systems and win? In this episode, we explore the power of grassroots organizing, worker solidarity, and strategic negotiations in the fight for justice. Veteran trade unionist and activist Gino Govender reveals how people power can bring even the most oppressive systems to their knees. From building worker po…

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EP 172: Catherine Tsalikis on the Life and Times of Chrystia Freeland 42:24

4M ago42:24

42:24

The Liberal leadership race is heating up, and former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland has now thrown her hat in the ring. Freeland is a powerful figure in Canadian politics, a former journalist who went on to become one of the Prime Minister’s most loyal cabinet members — until her surprise resignation in December. Toda…

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E16: Use the Law, Don’t Be Afraid of It with Meralney Bomba 18:30

4M ago18:30

18:30

"Winning this case isn’t just about us—it’s about showing people that you can demand justice and fight for your rights." —Meralney Bomba Description: What does it take for a small island community to stand up to a colonial power? How can the law become a weapon of change in the fight for climate justice? In this episode, we meet Meralney Bomba, a c…

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