Episodes

Early on during the pandemic there was a popular refrain: "We're all in this together." Sadly, time has shown that to be a fiction. The recession ended for the haves months ago. Meanwhile, it's gotten harder and harder for many of us to kumbaya our way through it all. Join us as we talk with our go-to economists Shuaib Hassan and Chinesom Ejiasa about the wealth gap—what it looks like today, how we got here and what it means for us going forward. It may be economics, but we promise you it's not ...

What do All in the Family, the Brady Bunch and our all too apparent political divisions have in common? Join us as we cast (real) political commentary aside (we were no good at that anyway) and resurrect the sitcoms and TV dramas of the 70s in a musically fuelled episode for the current political climate. Grab your lifejacket and climb aboard!

Enough already! As if a pandemic, looming economic disaster, racial and civil unrest, and political division weren’t enough, there is talk in some circles about a second civil war. Clearly we're in uncharted territory. Is it possible that what we learned all those years ago in high school history and government classes might come in handy after all? This week's guest, Steve Steinbach, current high school history and government teacher and former trial attorney, looks back at our past, examines o...

It's a surreal time. Millions are unemployed and, for others, work has changed in ways they never imagined. This week we talk with career and leadership coach Karen Gulliford about managing change, what it takes to lead during a pandemic and why NOW could actually be the time to find a job or a career that fits you better than the one you’re leaving behind. Find out more about Karen's work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karencgulliford/ Connect with us on our Instagram feed: https://www.insta...

Mortgages, the economy and capitalism, oh my. In this wide ranging conversation, our guest, economist Shuaib Hassan, talks about (among other things) immigrating to the US from Afghanistan when he was 11, what makes capitalism great (and how we could do better) and how the chaos in the housing market that led to the Great Recession has become a lifesaver (for those with a mortgage) during the pandemic. Find out more about Shuaib's work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shuaib-hassan-mba-7119363/...

Is there one (bitter) pill that, consumed regularly, could save us from COVID-19? As cases surge across the country, our guest, hospital pharmacist Samira Duja, reflects on the challenges of keeping up with the demand for medicine in her New York hospital during the spike—and we take the opportunity to rummage through the medicine cabinet in search of the only remedy guaranteed to slow the spread of a pandemic: clear, accurate information. To see pictures related to this story, check out our Ins...

For many of the world's 1.2 billion children who are out of school due to the pandemic, continuing their education is not a matter of how or even when—but if. Kelley talks with Education Specialist Alberto Begue about the impact the crisis is having on students, families, schools and governments in developing countries and the opportunities it may provide to modernize education.

What's the future of tourism in a post-COVID-19 world? How do you do it sustainably, so that it benefits local communities without leaving a massive carbon footprint? Kelley talks with Mark Chapman, whose community tourism organization, Tesfa Tours, has been answering these questions—while providing guests with unforgettable experiences—for the last 20 years. Check out Testa Tours at www.tesfatours.com Tesfa Tours has been featured in National Geographic , The Guardian , The New York Times , The...

What's it like to collect news footage in a brothel while wearing full PPE in 93ºF (34ºC) heat and 90% humidity? During the pandemic, Bangladeshi video-journalist Salman Saeed has been taking on the near impossible to bring the news you need to the safety and comfort of your air conditioned living room. Links to Salman's work: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/densely-populated-bangladesh-faces-immense-infection-control-challenge https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/26/asia/daulatdia-bangladesh-broth...

America is battling two deadly pandemics. Is this a moment for hope or despair? Kelley asks her two co-hosts and close friends, Cindy and Tanvir—both from cultures with a history of white oppression, but on opposite sides of the planet—to weigh in on the current moment and that other virus that has infected America from the beginning: racism. Want to put faces to the voices you hear on the show? Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anewnormalpodcast/ And if you have a suggestion for...

How are companies using the pandemic as an opportunity to re-imagine the way we work? Marie Woods, Director of Operations for a global law firm based in Washington, DC, talks about how her firm has shifted operations and how this shift may become the new normal. Want to put faces to the voices you hear on the show? Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anewnormalpodcast/ Our website will be up soon: www.anewnormalpodcast.com And if you have a suggestion for the show, by all means get...

Why do African Americans make up just 47% of the population of Washington, DC but account for 80% of DC's deaths from COVID-19? We’ve been told that it boils down to factors like genetics and diet. But today’s guest, Maurice Cook, Founder and Executive Director of Serve Your City DC, a non-profit based in Washington, is fed up with explanations like that. Maurice talks with co-host Cindy Sealls about how his organization is continuing to support underserved youth and their families during the pa...

Who do you call when you suspect that life as we know it may have reached a point of no return? Kelley talks with Laurie Mazur, Resilience Editor at Island Press. Laurie has been writing and thinking about scary things since the 80s. She talks about what the pandemic has revealed about our world and how resilience thinking might come to the rescue. Check out some of Laurie’s most recent publications: https://islandpress.org/resilience-matters-download https://progressive.org/magazine/build-infra...

What do you do when a pandemic brings life as you know it to a screeching halt? In quarantine, with travel on hold, photographer and storyteller Kelley Lynch, finds a new normal at home and ropes her two best friends—one in Washington, DC and the other in Bangladesh—into starting a podcast. Join hosts Kelley Lynch, Cindy Sealls and Obaidul Fattah Tanvir as they talk with people from around the world about adapting to life during the pandemic and where we go from here. New episodes every week sta...