Different Perspectives on Biden’s Diagnosis and Trump’s Government
OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION
📅 Published: May 29th, 2025 🎙️ Host: Sam Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Our National Conversation (ONC). 👤 Guest: Joseph Arellano, Social Media Intern, Our National Conversation (ONC). Last week, Biden was diagnosed with cancer. Some have raised questions about government transparency, alleging a "cover-up." Others argue that the diagnosis could have legitimately been made after Biden's term. Even so, concerns exist that many aspects of Biden's mental and physical health were hidden from the public in an effort to stop Trump's return to office. In this episode, I have a...
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Corruption or Good Government? Talking Qatari Planes, Meme Coins and Ethics
OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION
📅 Published: May 22nd, 2025 🎙️ Host: Sam Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Our National Conversation (ONC). 👤 Guest: Jeff Hall, CEO, Our National Conversation (ONC). Donald Trump has just accepted a major gift from Qatar: a luxury jet that will serve as a temporary replacement for the outdated Air Force One planes. Eventually, this jet will be donated to Trump's presidential library. Does this count as an illegal or ethically questionable personal gift or bribe? Meanwhile, Trump intends to hold a dinner and tour for top investors in his meme coin. All this occurs as charges of...
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Pontiffs and Politics: Current and Former Catholics on Leo XIV and Religion in Policy
OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION
📅 Published: May 15th, 2025 🎙️ Host: Sam Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Our National Conversation (ONC). 👤 Guest: Jeff Hall, CEO, Our National Conversation (ONC). Tania Ruedas Ortiz, Director of Community, Our National Conversation (ONC). Pope Francis definitely showed us that the Catholic Church is not afraid to talk politics --- and even call out specific politicians and policies. Last week, Pope Leo XIV became the first American pope in history. Progressives and conservatives are already making predictions. Is this a likely return to tradition? Will the Catholic Church get...
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Maple Leaf MAGA? Talking Elections and Conservatism in Canada
OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION
📅 Published: May 8th, 2025 🎙️ Host: Sam Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Our National Conversation (ONC). 👤 Guest: Connor Chung, Director of Policy Content and Strategy, Our National Conversation (ONC). Canada's elections took an unexpected turn as the Liberal Party managed to hold onto power. Many say this is Canada's reaction to Trump's tariffs and rhetoric. Connor, a self-described conservative who studied extensively in Alberta, walks us through his and his peers' opinions and worries. What are Canadian conservatives generally thinking? Do they have a consensus on Trump? What...
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Public Safety or Fearmongering? Talking Mass Deportation and Undocumented Immigration
OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION
📅 Published: April 24th, 2025 🎙️ Host: Samuel Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Our National Conversation (ONC). 👤 Guests: Jeff Hall, Chief Executive Officer, Our National Conversation (ONC). Eric McElveen, Policy and Opinion Writer, Our National Conversation (ONC). The Trump Administration is making major moves on immigration in America, and much of the rhetoric underlying these moves focuses on undocumented immigration. Is this rhetoric mostly fearmongering? Is the Trump Administration voicing important concerns on public safety and security? To explore multiple perspectives on...
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Is Civility Possible? Talking Trump and Commentary w/ @SecretServiceSam
OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION
📅 Published: April 17th, 2025 🎙️ Host: Samuel Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Our National Conversation (ONC). 👤 Guest: Samson Crouppen (SecretServiceSam), Comedian and Influencer. Americans don't feel like they can talk to "the other side" about politics. Many commentators, influencers, and politicians feed into and benefit from this division, stoking hatred and refusing to engage with alternative perspectives. Denouncing the other side is seen as the only possible move. But is that right? SecretServiceSam has gained a significant social media following by sharing his thoughts on...
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The Price of Progress? Talking Tariffs
OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION
📅 Published: April 9th, 2025 🎙️ Host: Samuel Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Our National Conversation (ONC). 👤 Guests: Connor Chung, Director of Policy Content and Strategy, Our National Conversation (ONC). Eric McElveen, Opinion Writer, Our National Conversation (ONC). Are conservatives united behind Trump's tariffs? Connor and Eric, both self-described conservatives, have different views on Trump's trade policies. While Connor believes tariffs will allow the United States to correct unfair trading practices and bring manufacturing back home, Eric thinks they'll likely do...
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Borders on Beliefs? Talking Speech and Deportation on Campuses
OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION
📅 Published: April 3rd, 2025 🎙️ Host: Samuel Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Our National Conversation (ONC). 👤 Guests: Connor Chung, Director of Policy Content and Strategy, Our National Conversation (ONC). Tania Ruedas Ortiz, Director of Community, Our National Conversation (ONC). Is the Trump Administration infringing on the rights of visa/green-card students? Students like Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk are being detained for participating in pro-Palestinian student movements and being suspected of "pro-Hamas" activity. The Trump administration is citing national...
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The Lobby and the Land: Talking the Pro-Israel Lobby and Trump’s Israel-Palestine Policy
OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION
Is the pro-Israel lobby too powerful? Are Trump's Israel-Palestine policies useful? Sam and Connor talk about American-Israeli relations and their influence in Washington. Connor, a self-described conservative and Trump supporter, finds himself more in agreement with the Left on this issue. Sam tries to understand the nuances of Connor's cross-cutting perspective. The pair discuss whether the Israel-Palestine issue seems to be a partisan issue, a generational one or both.
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Making Moves: Talking Changes in the Department of Education
OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION
Tania and I talk about the MASSIVE changes we're seeing in the DOE: ~50% slashes to the workforce, cuts to research, and layoffs in the Office of Civil Rights. Is this government efficiency in action or cause for great concern? Both? Tania presents her worries while I articulate some conservative views. We aren't established policy experts: we're just students committed to respectful dialogue, understanding the other side and looking for common ground. Go to the news to see the latest information and expert commentary; listen here to see ideas interact.
info_outlineThis episode of Allow Us to Explain focuses on artificial intelligence and Generation Z. Join host Chris and ONC policy content writer Greta (Justice and Public Safety) as we explore how AI is transforming Gen Z's experiences, viewpoints, and opportunities. We'll talk about how AI is affecting Gen Z, from its involvement in politics to its influence on the labor market, and see what the future holds.
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Delcker, J. (2020, January 28). Politico AI: Decoded: How Cambridge Analytica used AI - no, Google didn’t call for a ban on face recognition - restricting AI exports. POLITICO. https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/ai-decoded/politico-ai-decoded-how-cambridge-analytica-used-ai-no-google-didnt-call-for-a-ban-on-face-recognition-restricting-ai-exports/
Looney, A., Matthew Fiedler, L. A., & Korinek, A. (2021, January 4). How disinformation evolved in 2020. Brookings Institute. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-disinformation-evolved-in-2020/
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Cameron F. Kerry, J. P. M., Matt Perault, J. S. B. B., Norman Eisen, N. T. L., Yang You, M. M., & Valerie Wirtschafter, D. B. (2024, March 5). How public AI can strengthen democracy. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-public-ai-can-strengthen-democracy/
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Leffer, L. (2024, February 20). Your personal information is probably being used to train generative AI models. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/your-personal-information-is-probably-being-used-to-train-generative-ai-models/
Duke University. (2023, November 29). How Companies Should Think About Compensating Users for Private Data. Fuqua School of Business. https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-fuqua-insights/how-companies-should-think-about-compensating-users-private-data
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