Dirty Moderate with Adam Epstein

Shabbos Kestenbaum

Shabbos Kestenbaum is a graduate student at Harvard University, researching the intersections between between public policy and contemporary Jewish life in the United States. Shabbos is the lead plaintiff against Harvard University alleging pervasive and systemic antisemitism. Shabbos has appeared on CNN, Fox News, and in The New York Times, and has testified in front of the United States Congress, among other forums, to advocate for the American Jewish community. Currently, Shabbos is working with Congress to pass major pieces of legislation to combat antisemitism. Adam and Shabbos sit down to discuss the raging antisemitism on college campuses, what the campus protests are really about and the palpable dread felt by Jewish people everywhere since the pogrom of Oct 7 and what can be done about it. As the world’s oldest hatred flares up yet again, Adam and Shabbos’s discourse is a painful, if potentially healing one that’s indispensable.  Thanks for helping us save democracy one episode at a time! * Join the Dirty Moderate Nation on Substack [https://dirtymoderate.substack.com/]! * Tell us what you think on Twitter [https://twitter.com/dirty_moderate]! * Check out our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@dirty_moderate]! * Are you registered to VOTE [https://www.vote.org/]?

Michael Steele

When he was elected Lt. Governor of Maryland in 2003, Michael Steele made history as the first African American elected to statewide office; and again with his subsequent chairmanship of the Republican National Committee in 2009. A longtime political analyst and contributor  to MSNBC, Michael is currently the co-host of MSNBC’s “The Weekend,” which airs Saturdays and Sundays at 8AM EST. Having recently appeared on Michael’s podcast “The Michael Steele Podcast,” Adam turns the tables and is able to ask Michael all about his life , his time as the first black party chairman for the RNC, the racial cross currents of the GOP before it became Trumpified, and why he remains a Republican, *though of the Never Trumper sort.  This discussion between Adam and Michael is a conversation that might as well have never ended, and we are overjoyed to see these 2 lock arms in the fight to save democracy.  Listen, Like, and Subscribe to Michael’s fantastic podcast here: https://michaelsteelenetwork.com/podcasts/ [https://michaelsteelenetwork.com/podcasts/] Watch The Weekend on MSNBC:  https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend [https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend] Find Michael on Twitter/X:  @michaelsteele [https://x.com/MichaelSteele]  Thanks for helping us save democracy one episode at a time! * Join the Dirty Moderate Nation on Substack [https://dirtymoderate.substack.com/]! * Tell us what you think on Twitter [https://twitter.com/dirty_moderate]! * Check out our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@dirty_moderate]! * Are you registered to VOTE [https://www.vote.org/]?

Ron Reagan

Ron Reagan, the son of former President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan, grew up in Los Angeles and Sacramento while his father served as Governor of California from 1967-1975.   After a brief career as a classical ballet dancer, Ron Reagan has spent the past 40 years as a correspondent, host and political commentator in television and radio, chiefly for MSNBC and Air America. He has written for many publications — Esquire, Newsweek, The New Yorker and Playboy among them — and is the author of the New York Times bestseller, My Father at 100. He is a board member of the Freedom from Religion Foundation and has spoken frequently in support of the separation of church and state. Ron and his Italian wife, Federica, divide their time between Seattle and Tuscany. Adam sits down with Ron for a deeply personal interview with the son of the 40th president to everything from growing up as a Reagan, differing with his father on politics, being an atheist, and writing a poignant memoir about his father’s formative years called “My Father at 100 [https://www.amazon.com/My-Father-at-100-Memoir/dp/0452297559],” which was published in 2011.  Of course, Adam and Ron also discuss how the party of sunny optimistic Ronald Regan could devolve into a den of lies, autocracy and a disdain for the rule of law in the thrall to Donald Trump. Thanks for helping us save democracy one episode at a time! * Join the Dirty Moderate Nation on Substack [https://dirtymoderate.substack.com/]! * Tell us what you think on Twitter [https://twitter.com/dirty_moderate]! * Check out our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@dirty_moderate]! * Are you registered to VOTE [https://www.vote.org/]?

John Pavlovitz

John Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor, and activist from Wake Forest, North Carolina.  John was one of our very first guests on Dirty Moderate over 2 years ago, and we were thrilled to spend time with this deep thinking, generous, loving, and spirited human again.  A 25-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, John is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—both inside and outside faith communities. His work is a testament to finding meaning not only in our politics but in our lives.  John’s latest book, “Worth Fighting For” is a primer for all things human, humane and compassionate. John knows it’s hard to always stay good but that’s no excuse for not trying. His latest book is aptly subtitled “Finding Courage and Compassion When Cruelty is Trending.” Adam and John have a searching, moving discourse about all of these essential ideas and more.  Thanks for helping us save democracy one episode at a time! * Join the Dirty Moderate Nation on Substack [https://dirtymoderate.substack.com/]! * Tell us what you think on Twitter [https://twitter.com/dirty_moderate]! * Check out our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@dirty_moderate]! * Are you registered to VOTE [https://www.vote.org/]?

Stella O'Malley

Stella is an Irish psychotherapist who had her own intense experience with gender as a child, and the resolution of her gender distress has made her curious about the wisdom of early intervention. As a result, in addition to facilitating a parent coaching site that provides practical help to parents who are navigating their child’s gender-related distress, and acting as the presenter for the documentary, “Trans Kids: It’s Time to Talk (2018), Stella is the director of Genspect [https://genspect.org/], an international organization that offers a healthy approach to sex and gender. Stella is the co-author of a 2023 book called “When Kids Say They’re Trans [https://www.amazon.com/When-Kids-Say-Theyre-Trans/dp/1634312481/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.U4DTbmeFjsJWiR0d9u4InC8o0Toz_beSrX9wuHN9btH_p6E8H5fY_oNPG0ws7bZL.bifVF7HNsOzZC5tI1chZF2rFvrRgMCftmj3QafmfKmQ&dib_tag=se&hvadid=667350684673&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9004503&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=8893178601547370377&hvtargid=kwd-2176086694003&hydadcr=3393_13571877&keywords=when+kids+say+they%27re+trans&qid=1716243955&sr=8-1],” a work which explicitly encourages parents not to immediately consider gender affirming surgery or other medical procedures that might prove irreversible. Stella and her colleagues argue that only parents know best and their book hopes to help parents everywhere support their child’s identity without necessarily altering their biology.  Stella joins Adam to discuss the current conversation over gender and children and argues that the though the science is far from settled, parents can, and should, love their children for who they are.  Thanks for helping us save democracy one episode at a time! * Join the Dirty Moderate Nation on Substack [https://dirtymoderate.substack.com/]! * Tell us what you think on Twitter [https://twitter.com/dirty_moderate]! * Check out our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@dirty_moderate]! * Are you registered to VOTE [https://www.vote.org/]?