🎙️ From the Fall of the Soviet Union to “Superpower California,” Markos Kounalakis has seen it all

🎙️ Chase Cain Bet on Himself. Now He’s Betting on YouTube to Change Climate Coverage 🌎🎥

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2501738/fan_mail/new] What happens when a veteran TV journalist walks away from a major network job to build something of his own? In this episode of Life After News, Jason talks with meteorologist and climate reporter Chase Cain about leaving NBC News, starting over in San Francisco, and launching a new climate-focused platform on YouTube. Chase explains why he believes mainstream media still isn’t giving climate change the attention it deserves and why he’s taking the risk to do it differently. They get into the real reasons climate stories struggle to break through in traditional news, how extreme weather connects to climate change, and why so many journalists are quietly wondering whether it’s time to build something beyond the corporate newsroom. Chase also shares practical advice for journalists and creators thinking about making the leap, including how he’s approaching YouTube as both a mission and a business. This is a conversation about reinvention, risk, purpose, and what it means to chase what matters. 🌱 In this episode: ✨ Why Chase left NBC News 🌡️ Why climate change coverage gets buried in mainstream media 🔥 What record-breaking March heat says about our changing planet 🧠 How Chase makes climate science easier to understand 📺 Why YouTube may be the future for journalists 💸 The fear and financial reality of leaving a steady media job 🎯 What creators and reporters need to know before going out on their own 🌿 Why hope matters in climate storytelling Connect with Chase Cain: Search Chase Cain on YouTube and follow his work as he builds his new platform around climate, connection, and storytelling. 🎧 Loved this episode? Please rate and review Life After News, share it with a friend, and help more people discover these conversations. Your support really makes a difference. #LifeAfterNews #JasonBall #ChaseCain #ClimateChange #Meteorologist #ClimateReporter #Journalism #YouTubeCreator #MediaFuture #DigitalJournalism #NewsIndustry #ClimateCoverage #CreatorEconomy #Podcast #PalmSprings  Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

🎙️ From the Fall of the Soviet Union to “Superpower California,” Markos Kounalakis has seen it all

Send a text [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2501738/open_sms] What does the collapse of the Soviet Union teach us about the world today? And why might California be one of the most powerful places on Earth even without an army? In this episode of Life After News, Jason sits down with Markos Kounalakis, journalist, scholar, Hoover Institution fellow, and author of several books including Freedom Isn’t Free: The Price of World Order. Kounalakis reported on Soviet forces in Afghanistan and was in Moscow during the final days of the Soviet Union. Today he studies geopolitics, media power, and the surprising global influence of California. Their conversation spans decades of global history and the urgent challenges facing journalism today. 🌍 In This Episode 🧱 Reporting history as it happened Markos recalls covering the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union from Moscow moments that seemed to unfold almost overnight. ✈️ Inside Soviet-era Afghanistan What it was like flying into Kabul with the Soviet military while planes corkscrewed to avoid missiles. ⚡ Energy and geopolitics Why energy insecurity continues to drive global conflicts from World War II to today. 🌎 Russia, Ukraine, and shifting global power How the war in Ukraine has weakened Russia’s ability to influence countries like Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, and Iran. 📉 The dangerous decline of foreign correspondents Why fewer reporters overseas could weaken national security and limit the information available to policymakers. 📡 Media as a geopolitical weapon How Russia and China are expanding global media operations while Western newsrooms shrink. 🏛️ “Superpower California” Why the state’s economy, culture, technology, agriculture, and venture capital make it comparable to a nation even without traditional tools of power like an army. 🗳️ Why freedom depends on an informed public Markos explains why democracy requires active citizenship and a strong press. 🎧 Why This Conversation Matters Freedom isn’t automatic. It requires engaged citizens, strong institutions, and a press that can explain the world clearly. From Moscow to Silicon Valley, this episode explores how journalism, geopolitics, and democracy intersect and why understanding the world has never mattered more. 🔗 Learn More Explore Markos Kounalakis’s work: 🌐 markoskounalakis.com ⭐ Enjoy the show? If you liked this episode of Life After News: ✅ Follow the podcast ⭐ Leave us a 5-star rating and review 📲 Share this episode with a friend Your support helps more people discover the show and keeps these conversations going. #LifeAfterNews #Journalism #ForeignCorrespondent #Geopolitics #Media #Democracy #California #Podcast #PressFreedom 🎙️   Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

🎙️ Paul Magers on Sobriety, Newsroom Successes, and a Night with Paul McCartney

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2501738/fan_mail/new] What happens after the anchor desk? For longtime Los Angeles and Minneapolis news anchor Paul Magers, life after news has been meaningful, reflective, and surprisingly joyful. Paul joins Jason for a candid conversation about leaving television news in 2017, getting sober, and finding purpose in helping others. Along the way, the two share stories from their newsroom days, what really makes great TV news, and what it’s like to trade big-city broadcasts for the small-town charm of Palm Springs. They also revisit a surreal moment at the Beverly Hills Hotel… when Paul McCartney walked up and started singing “Dear Prudence.” Yes, really. In this episode:  📺 What Paul really misses about the newsroom  🧠 The moment he realized he needed help with alcoholism  🙏 How a 12-step program changed his life  🎥 The tornado coverage that transformed a TV station  👔 The legendary purple suit  🎸 Singing with a Beatle at the Beverly Hills Hotel  🌴 Why Palm Springs feels like a modern-day small town Paul also shares a powerful story about kindness, connection, and a simple wallet that became one of the most meaningful gifts he’s ever received. It’s an honest, funny, and thoughtful look at life after the newsroom lights go out. 🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. ⭐ If you enjoy Life After News, please leave us a rating and review — it really helps others discover the show. 📣 Share this episode with a friend who loves news, journalism, or a great behind-the-scenes story. #LifeAfterNews #PaulMagers #BroadcastJournalism #TVNews #Journalism #PalmSprings #SobrietyJourney #Podcast #MediaLife #NewsroomStories  Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

🎙️ From Anchor to Attorney: Hema Mullur’s Reinvention Story

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2501738/fan_mail/new] Jason joins this week from Arkansas, where he’s helping his parents through health challenges and he opens the episode with a blunt reality check about the state of the news business. Layoffs are accelerating. Nexstar. The Washington Post. CBS. If you think it won’t happen to you, think again. The canary in the coal mine is gone. Jason challenges everyone still in the industry: Make a plan. Whether it’s building a niche, transitioning into communications, becoming an entrepreneur, retiring early, or pivoting entirely, you need to prepare for your life after news. He points to past guests who did just that: * Bart Feder, who prepared for years * Aundrea Cline-Thomas, who built a three-year transition plan * Fernando Hurtado, who found his niche covering U.S. Latinos * Josh Rubinstein and Sumi Das, who moved into communications * Laura McLaughlin, Lisa Breckenridge, and Liberty Chan, who built brands as influencers Your skills are transferable. But you have to use them. Then, Jason sits down with former Austin anchor Hema Mullur, whose path took an unexpected turn after she was laid off. Hema Mullur: From Breaking News to Employment Law Hema traces her journalism calling back to the 2000 presidential election, the chaos of hanging chads and late-night coverage that showed her the power of real-time storytelling. She built a 17-year career: * Started in Midland, Texas, earning $21,000 and covering Friday Night Lights * Worked in Denver * Returned home to Austin, where she anchored for nine years Then life shifted. After returning from maternity leave, her second day back coinciding with the Uvalde massacre, her perspective changed. The demands of the newsroom, the emotional toll, and growing misalignment with station leadership led to her departure. But here’s the twist:  she had already started law school. What began as intellectual curiosity during the pandemic, a desire to “exercise her brain,” became her second career. Today, Hema is an employment attorney advocating for workers, including journalists navigating contracts, layoffs, and toxic workplace environments. Key Takeaways from Hema’s Story Journalists Are Built for Law Hema argues that lawyers are storytellers, or they should be.  Journalists already know how to: * Translate complex information into plain language * Build narrative structure * Lead with a compelling hook * Advocate through facts Those skills translate directly into legal writing and courtroom advocacy. You Don’t Have to Practice Law to Work in Legal Spaces Law firms need: * Storytellers * PR professionals * Media strategists * Communications experts A law degree isn’t the only path into the legal world. The Bigger Message Many journalists don’t leave because they’re bad at the job.  They leave because the industry pushes them out. But the skills don’t disappear. Hema’s journey is proof that reinvention is possible even after 17 years in one career, even with a newborn, even when the decision to leave isn’t yours. What’s Next Jason returns to California next week with a conversation featuring former KCBS and KARE anchor Paul Magers. Until then: Start your plan.  Figure out your niche.  Know your worth.  Build your life after news.        Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

🎙️ He Ran WABC at Its Peak and Became My Mentor. Bart Feder’s Life After News

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2501738/fan_mail/new] “Sometimes good guys do finish first.” ✅ In this episode, I sit down with Bart Feder, former News Director at WABC, former SVP at CNN, and one of the most influential mentors I’ve ever had (and the mentor to dozens of news directors across Tribune). Bart is now living his true Life After News as a certified executive coach, helping leaders grow without burning out and without turning into the kind of boss nobody wants to work for. 🙌 This is a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, reinvention, stress, purpose, Cambodia, presidential history, and what actually matters when the adrenaline fades. ⭐ What we talk about 📰 The peak era of local news (including the time WABC pulled a million viewers a night at 6pm) 🚪 Why Bart had an exit strategy and why so many of us don’t 🎥 The FeedRoom: “We were this close to being YouTube” (and the lessons that still sting) 📺 CNN in 2008 and why Bart says CNN is at its best as a history network 🏙️ Local news vs national politics: “Local, local, local” 🤝 Tribune’s “loose confederation” culture:  trust, collaboration, and relationships that lasted 🎤 The legendary New Orleans karaoke night (and why those moments build real teams) 🧠 Emotional intelligence, executive presence, and the coaching tools Bart uses (360s + EQ assessments) 🔥 Stress tolerance, self-awareness, and why reacting too fast can change your career 🧘 Yoga, meditation, and the decision to build life on well-being first 🇰🇭 Bart and Karen’s 16-year commitment to education in Cambodia — and what hope looks like up close 🇺🇸 Presidential biographies, Teddy Roosevelt, and what Bart believes the presidency should be 💥 Quote-worthy moments ✅ “To give somebody an hour of your undivided attention is a gift.”  ✅ “I decided to build my life on my well-being, not on my career.”  ✅ “You can be a successful news director… and not be an asshole.”  ✅ “We were this close to being YouTube.” 📣 Quick favor (this helps more than you think) If you liked this episode, please: ⭐ Rate & review Life After News (especially on Apple Podcasts) 📲 Share this episode with one friend who needs a nudge, a plan, or a way out 🔁 Post it to your socials and tag me so I can thank you Your reviews and shares are how this show grows.  🔥 Next week A TV news anchor turned lawyer — she got her JD after leaving the business, and she’s bringing real insight about what’s possible after the newsroom. ⚖️📺 #LifeAfterNews #ExecutiveCoaching #NewsDirectors #TVNews #Leadership #EmotionalIntelligence #CareerTransition #BurnoutRecovery #LocalNews #MediaIndustry #Mentorship #SecondAct #WellBeing #Cambodia #PodcastRecommendations          Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.