The Journalism of Everything Podcast

Immigration debates often feel like a uniquely modern problem. But the truth is, the United States has been wrestling with the same contradictions for decades. During World War II, the United States faced a massive labor shortage in agriculture. The solution was the Bracero Program , a government agreement with Mexico that brought millions of Mexican laborers into the United States to work in Amer...

Before Iran became one of America’s greatest geopolitical rivals, it was one of its closest allies. From 1941 to 1979, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , the last Shah of Iran, attempted to transform the country into a powerful, modern state. His ambitious reforms brought massive infrastructure projects, rapid industrialization, expanded education, and new rights for women. Fueled by booming oil revenues, Ir...

What does the deadliest civil war in human history have to do with immigration in America today? In this episode, we trace a direct line from the Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864) in China — a conflict that killed more than 20 million people — to the wave of Chinese migration during the California Gold Rush and the political backlash that followed. Led by Hong Xiuquan, a failed civil service candidate...

Immigration debates feel uniquely modern — but they aren’t. In the 1850s, millions of Irish and German immigrants arrived in the United States seeking opportunity, democracy, and freedom from famine, political persecution, and economic collapse. What they found was not universal welcome — but suspicion, fear, and organized political backlash. In this mini-episode, I explore the rise of the Know No...

What does protest look like in 2026? In this episode, independent journalist Darisse Smith speaks with Peter , the founder of Coqui —a crowdsourced, live-map community alert app designed to help people stay informed about ICE and police presence in their neighborhoods in real time. Peter explains how Coqui works similarly to Waze, but instead of traffic or potholes, users can report nearby ICE act...

What is driving Donald Trump’s foreign policy in his second term—and is it rooted in strategy, history, or impulse? In this episode of The Journalism of Everything , independent journalist Darisse Smith speaks with Dr. Charles Kupchan , Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. Kupchan previously served on the National Se...

In this episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast , I sit down with retired U.S. Army Colonel Ron Gallimore — Cold War officer, parachutist, engineer commander, Iraq veteran, and the senior leader who oversaw my own deployment — for a candid, boots-on-the-ground conversation about duty, morality, leadership, war, and the Constitution. We talk about: • What the military oath actually requires...

Today I’m talking with Andy Haynes — stand-up comedian, writer, podcaster, and sharp cultural commentator whose work blends humor, honesty, self-deprecation and social critique. Andy has appeared on Jimmy Fallon, Conan, Comedy Central, Roast Battle, and more. His comedy often explores politics, culture, identity, and the uncomfortable truths we don’t always want to say out loud. In this conversati...

What happens when entertainment loses its purpose? In this episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast , host Darisse Smith and comedian Andy Haynes take on a surprising question: Should comedy just entertain, or should it mean something? Inspired by a raw and unforgettable quote from Sean Penn — “If I just need entertainment, I’ll go buy an eight ball and two hookers” — Darisse and Andy explo...

In this episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast , host Darisse Smith interviews Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Barry Siegel , chair of UC Irvine’s Literary Journalism Program and director of its Center for Storytelling. Together, they explore the evolving role of journalists in America, the meaning of FAKE NEWS , and what it really takes to uphold truth in an age of partisanship and pol...

“Our media is not free. It’s the enemy of the people.” — Donald Trump, January 6, 2021 What happens when a U.S. president calls the press “the enemy”? In this powerful episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast , host Darisse Smith investigates how Donald Trump’s sustained attacks on journalists have reshaped American democracy — and how history warns us of the dangers ahead. From Trump’s ear...

The U.S. healthcare system is strained, expensive, and increasingly frustrating—for both patients and doctors. In this episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast , journalist and host Darisse Smith explores why doctors are turning to concierge medicine and direct primary care (DPC) as alternatives to traditional health insurance. Pediatrician Dr. Cameo Carter , founder of Garden Pediatrics in...

A man is gunned down in broad daylight—and instead of outrage, the crowd cheers. The crowd cheered for Unitedhealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder, and some cheered when Charlie Kirk was shot. Is this justice, or the slow unraveling of democracy? In this episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast , host Darisse Smith sits down with UCLA law professor Jon Michaels , co-author of Vigilante Nat...

Most people think ADHD is just “little boys bouncing off the walls.” But what if ADHD looks completely different in women and girls—and we’ve been missing it all along? In this episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast , host Darisse Smith speaks with Dr. Kathleen Nadeau , clinical psychologist, author of 15+ books on ADHD, and director of the Chesapeake ADHD Center. Dr. Nadeau has been at t...

In March 2020, every school in America shut down—something that had never happened before, not even during world wars or the Spanish flu. Parents suddenly became teachers, tech support, and full-time caregivers, all while juggling work and survival during a global pandemic. In this episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast , we dive into how COVID-19 school closures permanently changed the r...

Every time violence erupts in Israel, prophecy headlines follow: This is it. The end is here! (Repent Now!)  But what if prophecy was never about fear — and instead about what we do now ? In this episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast , journalist Darisse Smith continues her conversation with Bishop William Gregg, diving into the end-times beliefs of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism — and...

Join me with Bishop William Gregg to discuss what it means for Israel to be God's chosen people, and what does that mean for the rest of us, who are not Jewish, and do not live in Israel? Why do people pay attention to Israel as an indicator for the end times?  #israel #gazawar #endtimes #chosenpeople #whatabouttherestofus

Welcome to "The Journalism of Everything Podcast," where curiosity knows no bounds. In today's thought-provoking episode, your host, journalist Darisse Smith, delves into one of the most complex and contentious regions on the planet: Israel. Brought up in both progressive Southern Baptist and Episcopal traditions, Darisse shares her personal journey of the contrasting biblical teachings she encoun...

As I was doomscrolling TikTok one day, I came across an intriguing, fast-paced storyteller who described the experience of Tom and Michelle with a ouija board they found in their backyard. Essentially, Michelle became obsessed with using the ouija board, and eventually fell into a psychotic state. I had been warned off of ouija boards before, but my experience with them was largely as a game to pl...

With each new term, Presidents must establish their stance on illegal immigration. Will they work with neighboring countries to process prospective immigrants? Will they work with Congress to reform convoluted immigration laws? Will they treat every immigrant as a criminal who must be prosecuted? President Donald Trump took office on January 20th and immediately shut down legal ways for immigrants...

Episode Summary – The A1 Education: Inside the War on the Department of Education In this pertinent and topical episode, journalist and host Darisse Smith delves into the political storm surrounding the U.S. Department of Education. With sharp historical context and a personal lens, Darisse traces the department’s controversial origin story—from post-Reconstruction roots to Cold War-fueled investm...

  Is birth order the key to understanding personality, or is it just a convenient myth? In this episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast , we look at the psychology of birth order through the lens history’s most famous set of siblings—Wilbur, Orville and Katharine Wright.  Though Wilbur and Orville Wright were considered middle children, it is hard to know if their personalities had anythin...

When accused executioner Luigi Mangione shot Unitedhealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the back in NYC in December, many people were not horrified, but celebratory. Thompson represented corporate greed in the healthcare industry, and people have been simmering with rage about denied claims for decades. While this rage is understandable, is it good for a democracy for people to be the judge, jury and...

The Journalism of Everything Podcast is a podcast for anyone who wonders about everything. You drive in your car and think of a thousand things you want to know about. The Journalism of Everything Podcast covers topics from serious to whimsical--Have gambling addiction rates gone up with the availability of sports gambling? What are the roots of Libertarianism? What is the history of Ouija Boards?...