Between Headlines

Journalist & podcast host Alison Hall got caught up in a travel adventure while trying to get home for the holidays by driving 500 miles with three strangers. After the story went viral, Alison and her road trip companions met up for a zoom reunion to discuss the heartwarming story.

Forouzan Farahani is an Iranian national, an activist, and a PHD candidate living in New York City. Forouzan grew up in Iran and shares what it was really like to be a young female pursuing her education within the confines of restrictive laws and cultural ideals. Forouzan shares her thoughts as an Iranian woman on the ongoing protests in her home country, and her reaction to first hearing the news of the arrest and subsequent death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She tells Between Headlines what she's hearing from people within Iran and why she believes this is a history-making movement. Forouzan has been organizing protests in New York City for weeks and tells us why people in North America and around the world should care about the destiny of women and people in Iran and how they can help. 

Kate Dineen is a mother, lobbyist and advocate for a woman's right to choose. While Kate has made a career of advocating for others, the political became personal for Kate when she was expecting her second child with her husband. Kate received a devastating diagnosis for her unborn child and what followed was a harrowing journey of navigating both the medical and legal systems, while processing a heartbreaking loss. Kate shares her story with the hope of connecting with other women and families who have faced similar circumstances and ultimately hopes to help change laws, not just in her home state but across the country. 

Marisa Renee Lee joins the podcast for the second time to discuss her debut book, 'Grief is Love'. Marisa shares her intimate journey through grief after losing her mother at the age of 25 and struggling with infertility for years. She shares not only her personal experience but uses evidence backed research to provide a guidebook for anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one. Unfortunately, in the last few years, millions of people have joined the grieving club. Marisa shares her wisdom for not "getting over" loss but working through it with compassion, humor and grace. 'Grief is Love' is available wherever books are sold and you can find Marisa at @marisareneelee 

Mariia Shuvalova is a Ukrainian PHD candidate, professor, translator, wife and daughter. She fled her home in Kyiv during the initial stages of the Russian invasion and has been sheltering with relatives in an undisclosed location within Ukraine. Mariia shares what it's really like to leave home, the fear of the unknown and how Ukrainians are feeling about continually defending their right to exist. 

If Mariia's story resonates with you, please consider donating to the Ukrainian Defense Fund or Come Back Alive Ukraine:

https://war.ukraine.ua/donate/

https://www.comebackalive.in.ua/

Mariia is also collecting funds to purchase bulletproof vests. You can donate to her directly through wire transfer through Western Union. Find out more at her instagram @_maria_shuvalova 

All episodes edited for clarity and length. 

Elizabeth Holmes is an accomplished journalist, author, influencer and royal commentator. After her instagram stories series "So Many Thoughts" took the internet by storm, her book, "HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style" was released in 2020 with much fanfare. She continues to share her insights and context on the who, what and why of royal fashion and has recently launched an informative and delightful newsletter. On Between Headlines, Elizabeth shares her *many* thoughts on covering the most famous family in the world, the expectations and pressures set for royal women, her impressions of both Meghan and Kate and why we should all care about the dynamics of royal fashion, influence and power. 

Devon Clunis is the newly appointed Inspector General of Policing for Ontario, Canada. After climbing the ranks as a 25 year veteran of the Winnipeg police, Devon was named Chief of Police in 2012, making him the first Black police chief in all of Canada. While he retired in 2016, Devon has split his time between enjoying retirement and consulting with police organizations across North America. In the summer of 2020, after the death of George Floyd and the subsequent calls for change and conversations surrounding the relationship between race and police, Devon felt a call to action.  He accepted the position as Ontario's first Inspector General of Policing for the province. In this episode of Between Headlines, Devon shares his early childhood experiences of immigrating from Jamaica to Winnipeg, the teacher that influenced his life and how he went from a teenager avoiding police to becoming the highest-ranking officer in the city. He also shares his reaction to police violence against the Black community, his thoughts on Black Lives Matter and his approach to policing. 

Ken Irving is a well-known Canadian business leader, successful entrepreneur and above all, a father and husband. After stepping back as the CEO of Irving Oil in 2010, Ken also stepped away from the limelight. But in 2017, Ken opened up for the first time in an emotional short documentary with Between Headlines host, Alison, who subsequently shared the video with Canada's The Globe and Mail which released its own additional reporting. In the revealing interviews, Ken laid bare his journey with his mental health and the difficult dynamics of his family business.

In this episode of Between Headlines, Alison and Ken discuss the aftermath of the published stories, while following up and reflecting on the significance of what it meant for moving forward for him and his family. Ken shares how he hopes his story helps others come forward about their own battles and tells the inspiring story of starting a business out of a deeply difficult and personal experience. Most importantly, Ken is the father of four incredible daughters who are forging their own unique paths. He shares how they rallied together through 2020 while his youngest daughter battled leukemia and what it meant for his close-knit family. 

Amanda Nguyen is an activist, survivor, Nobel peace prize nominee and founder of social justice incubator, Rise and a future astronaut. After surviving a rape on her college campus, Amanda experienced the broken justice system for sexual violence survivors first-hand and set out to change the law. She and her team passed the Sexual Assault Survivors Rights Act in Congress unanimously and she has since gone on to help pass 33 bills. Amanda recently spoke out and demanded a spotlight on the rise in anti-Asian violence that has occurred since the pandemic began, igniting a much-needed national conversation. Amanda shares with Between Headlines the importance of including Asian American Pacific Islanders in anti-racist work and what we can all do to stop the hate.

Shannon Watts is the founder of Moms Demand Action and author of the book "Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World." Shannon shares her experience as a leader and organizer for one of the most divisive issues of our time. She tells Alison about the trajectory of her organization from a small facebook group to the largest grass-roots gun violence prevention group in the United States, and the success they've had enacting both cultural and legal change. 

Follow Shannon and Moms Demand Action on Twitter @shannonrwatts and @MomsDemand

Follow Alison on Twitter @alisonhallreporting 

Dr. Steven Phillips and Dana Parish are the co-authors of the new book, "Chronic: The Hidden Cause of the Autoimmune Pandemic and How to Get Healthy Again". Dr. Phillips was a renowned physician specializing in chronic conditions when he became a patient himself, suffering through a devastating bacterial infection that left him nearly paralyzed. Through his own research and self-diagnosis, he was able to find a cure for his illness and used his expertise to help others. Dana Parish is a singer-songwriter whose life took a turn for the worse after being bitten by a tick infected with lyme disease. She suffered long after initial treatment for lyme and finally found support when she became a patient of Dr. Phillips. Dana and Dr. Phillips talk about the sometimes murky diagnosis and treatment process of chronic illnesses borne out of infections and how to advocate for yourself as patient. 

Tashandra Poullard and Naveed Shah are United States Military veterans. Tasha served in the marines while Naveed served in the army. They are now both advocates for military reform and progressive politics. Naveed and Tasha share their reactions to the violent insurrection that took place at the Capitol on January 6th and the fact that some of the individuals involved have ties to the United States military. Naveed and Tasha also share their experiences with racism while deployed and their hope for the future for other BIPOC service people. 

Darron Cardosa, also known as "The Bitchy Waiter" is a New York City restaurant server, comedian, author and blogger. Darron has been working as a server for over 30 years. In that time, he started the well-known tell all blog, "The Bitchy Waiter" where he opines on the adventures of being a waiter and the various customers he meets. His blog became such a hit that it was turned into a book and one-man variety show. Darron shares what it was like to lose work during the pandemic, both his restaurant position and his theatre work, and then return to his restaurant position following strict safety guidelines.  Darron is an advocate for servers everywhere and shares his thoughts on sick pay, dining out and tipping during the pandemic. 

Follow Darron on Twitter and Instagram: @bitchywaiter 

Follow Alison on Twitter @alisonreporting and Instagram: @alisonhallreporting 

This episodes transcript is available at wwww.betweenheadlines.com 

Adam Jenkins and Kristen Vermetten are partners and activists in Atlanta, Georgia. Adam is the founder of The Inmate Project which works to represent the overwhelming population of incarcerated black men and women in the United States. Adam wears a orange prison jumpsuit in everyday life, sparking conversation and dialogue about the justice system, racism and our implicit biases. Kristen works for the New Georgia Project which is working to register Georgian voters. Together, they make up an extraordinary couple who are using their unique voices to make change. They share their personal journeys to activism and what it is really like to be apart of the monumental Black Lives Matter movement of 2020 and why they say their work is only just beginning. 

Rebecca Alexander is an author, psychotherapist, extreme athlete, advocate and she has a rare genetic disorder called Ushers syndrome. Ushers syndrome for Rebecca means she has been losing both her sight and hearing since she was a teenager. Despite these extreme challenges, Rebecca has gone on to live a very full and active life, becoming a successful New York City therapist, group fitness instructor, motivational speaker and disability rights advocate. She shares what it has been like to navigate life while facing deteriorating sight and hearing. Rebecca shares what the pandemic means for her community and what she's learned about asking for, and offering help. 

Alex Goldstein started the well-known twitter account, Faces of Covid. Faces of Covid features the stories of individuals who have passed away from the coronavirus. With thousands of people dying per day in the United States, Alex decided to put a face to the tragic statistics by sharing personal stories of real people taken by the disease.  The result - a beautiful space online where real people are celebrated for the lives they lived rather than the disease that took them. Alex shares his mission with Between Headlines, why it's so important to look at the human toll of the pandemic, how he has connected with families affected by covid across the country and what he's learned from his work about both grief and life. 

Follow Faces of Covid @FacesofCovid

Follow Alex @alexjgoldstein 

Follow Alison @alisonhallreporting 

#BetweenHeadlines 

Flore is a mother, college student and survivor advocate for victims of gender-based violence. After leaving her abusive marriage, Flore connected with the incredible organization, Sanctuary for Families which helped her navigate the legal and and personal matters associated with ending a marriage when violence is involved. She now works as a survivor leader and advocate, counselling and supporting domestic violence survivors. Flore shares with Between Headlines what it was like to stick up for herself and her family, and her experience shedding victimhood in order to thrive in her new life, while pursuing her education and raising children. With domestic violence cases on the rise through the pandemic, she talks about what to look for and how to be supportive if someone you know may be in danger. 

Dr. Calvin Sun is a New York City based emergency room doctor and owner of a travel company and blog, Monsoon Diaries. After a major international trip in early March, Dr. Sun arrived back to NYC for a shift in one of the several emergency rooms he works in and started treating the first wave of early covid19 patients. For the next few months, Dr. Sun and his colleagues worked tirelessly to contain the pandemic while the emergency rooms and hospitals in the city were bursting at the seams, all while having little access to new masks, gloves and face shields. Dr. Sun talks about what it was really like inside the hospitals while New York was under siege by the virus and how he managed his own mental health. He shares his experience returning to travel safely and what he wants us all to know about the healthcare heroes throughout the world fighting coronavirus. 

Jeanette Senerchia is the wife of the late Anthony Senerchia, the man who inspired the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge raised over $250 million dollars for medical research into ALS. Sadly, Anthony passed away in 2017 leaving Jeanette and their wonderful daughter behind. Jeanette opens up about life with Anthony, her role as a wife and caregiver, and how she and her family have handled grief.  Jeanette tells Between Headlines about the intimate, vulnerable and raw moments of life as a family coping with a debilitating illness and what helped them along the way. She emphasizes the importance as a caregiver of taking care of everyone, including yourself. 

Gianna Nino is a Stanford Medical student and seasonal farmworker. Gianna has harvested food since she was 14 alongside her mother who has been a farmworker for two decades. Between her masters degree and starting medical school at Stanford, Gianna returned to the fields to pick blueberries alongside her mother, in the middle of the Covid19 pandemic. Gianna tweeted about her experience in the fields, garnering a huge reaction online. Gianna shares what it's like to be an essential worker, helping put fresh food on tables nationwide despite extreme conditions for low wages.  She tells Between Headlines why she decided to become a doctor and asks us to acknowledge and appreciate the diverse human beings contributing to our food system. 

Marisa Renee Lee is a writer, founder and social impact consultant. Marisa's writing has been featured on Vogue, Glamour and CNN. Her work details her intimate relationship with grief and her experience as a black woman in America. Marisa says the black community is grieving through the violence and racial reckoning of 2020, and weighs in on how to be an effective ally. Marisa opens up to Between Headlines about grief in it's many forms, what it was like to lose her mother at 25, a recent pregnancy loss and her years long battle with fertility, all leading her to start Supportal, an organization that shares how to show up for people we love, facing life altering challenges. 

Diana Berrent is a photographer, lawyer, and as of recently, a Coronavirus survivor advocate. Diana was diagnosed with Covid19 in early March after attending a business meeting in New York City. She suffered through weeks of the disease in total isolation and 6 months later, still experiences side effects from her battle. While isolated, Diana dreamed up a coalition of Coronavirus survivors who would share their life saving plasma, participate in medical studies and connect on their experiences. That idea turned into, "Survivor Corps", a Facebook group that now has over 107,000 members. Diana tells Between Headlines what it's really like to battle Covid19, what she's hearing from survivors and Covid "long-haulers", and what we can all do to support each other through the pandemic. 

Show Notes: 

Transition music: Sneaky Adventure by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4383-sneaky-adventure
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Between Headlines follows journalist Alison Hall as she interviews the people behind top news stories. The podcast features regular human beings (who turn out to be far from it) whose stories will inspire, educate and challenge your views. Go beyond the 24-hour news cycle and listen in to hear guests’ unfiltered version of their story, how their lives were impacted and what they learned. New episodes will be released bi-weekly.