The Aboriginal people of Australia have cemented a historic agreement with the state of Victoria that could provide a blueprint for recognizing Indigenous peoples and incorporating their voices and cultures into the political process going forward. The treaty is a first for Australia and comes after years of research, negotiation, and a failed political referendum in 2023. Among other things, those crafting the treaty look to avoid the pitfalls of federal treaties with Native Americans and First Nations peoples of Canada. In this encore show, we’ll hear from those who worked to make the treaty happen and what about their hopes and concerns following this historic action.
GUESTS
Dr. Julian Rawiri Kusabs (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maru [Hauraki], and Tainui), research fellow at the University of Melbourne
Dr. Nikki Moodie (Gomeroi, Kamilaroi, and Gamilaraay), professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Melbourne
Travis Lovett (Kerrupmara Gunditjmara, Boandik), inaugural executive director of the Centre for Truth Telling and Dialogue at the University of Melbourne
Lidia Thorpe (Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung), Independent Senator for Victoria and represents the Blak Sovereign Movement
A lot has happened since then, and author, scholar and genocide expert Dr. Dirk Moses was kind enough to return for a 2025 episode. We cover how public and legal sentiment has changed since our first episode, and discuss his recent paper, “Introduction: Gaza and the Problems of Genocide Studies,” which includes a roundtable discussion with dozens of experts. Also: some behind-the-scenes influences regarding the war in Gaza, humanitarian law precedents, munitions and the Geneva Conventions, myths, the problems surrounding the language of transgression, new research, up-to-date statistics, and how protests have been criminalized.
Like that first Genocide episode, this one would not be possible without the input, research, producing, and additional writing of Mercedes Maitland, who joined me on this interview once again with her questions for our expert. So, huge thanks to her for that passion, hard work, and tireless advocacy for human rights.
Oof -- debt. People have it, companies have it, and a lot of countries do, too. In the US, the national debt becomes a hot-button issue every time elections roll around. But how does debt work when the country that owes the debt literally makes the rules around finance? In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the dizzying (and sometimes terrifying) story of national debt.
Baratunde returns to the How To Citizen feed with a conversation that sits right at the intersection of character, democracy, and what it means to citizen in this moment.
This episode features Baratunde in a live discussion with retired U.S. General Stanley McChrystal at the 2025 Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco. The two dig into the responsibility of leaders in a time of democratic crisis, the historic norms around deploying the U.S. military inside American cities, and why character is not something we simply “have” but something we practice.
They talk about the pressures facing the country, the role of national service, and how AI is changing the speed and stakes of decision-making in military and civic life. Stan shares candid reflections from his own experiences, including moments when he fell short of the character he expected from himself, and what it takes to recover and stay aligned with one’s convictions.
This conversation originally aired on the Rapid Response podcast from the Masters of Scale network. Special thanks to their team for allowing it to run here.
Baratunde closes with reflections on the polycrisis we’re living through, the people who continue to speak up for what’s right, and the power we still have to shape the next chapter of this country.
Mel Tonasket (Colville Tribes) is one of the key reasons the Colville Tribes remain thriving today. As a newly elected tribal council member in 1971, he cast the deciding vote against a deal with the federal government that traded cash payouts to individual tribal members for the tribe’s permanent termination. Tonasket credits the mentorship of tribal activist Lucy Covington for guiding his insights and energy to protect the sovereignty of the 12-tribe coalition under the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. He since went on to an ongoing vigilance for hunting, fishing, and other treaty rights. He still serves on the tribal business council after decades of service in many capacities. We’ll speak with Tonasket about the history of his tribe, his own call to leadership, and what’s next for his people.
Break 1 Music: Country Man (song) Blue Moon Marquee (artist) Scream, Holler, and Howl (album)
Dr. Jenessa Seymour is on to teach us more about the brain! What do hallucinations, ear-worms, and phantom limbs have in common? And is "hallucinating" really a good term for what AI does when it makes something up?
In this episode, Rivers and Sam are hangin' out at Disgraceland Studios with Warren Tidwell and Adam Keller! Warren and Adam are labor organizers from Alabama who came to L.A. to do a little direct action at the L.A. Auto Show. We talk about their very serious and important work before going into some good ol' shenanigans. We sample a Country Time Pink Lemonade energy drink and talk about the surprisingly weird history of pink lemonade. Then we talk about some A.I.-powered toys with dark implications and some Thanksgiving horror stories. Hank Williams Jr.'s "Family Tradition" is our JAM OF THE WEEK. Happy Turkey Day, folks! Give us a listen. Find the Alabama Center for Rural Organization and Systemic Solutions here: https://www.acrossalabama.org Listen to Adam on The Valley Labor Report here: https://tvlr.fm Follow the show on social media @TheGoodsPod. Rivers is @RiversLangley Sam is @SlamHarter Carter is @Carter_Glascock Subscribe on Patreon for UNCUT video versions of the podcast as well as TONS of bonus content! http://patreon.com/TheGoodsPod Pick up a Goods from the Woods t-shirt here: http://prowrestlingtees.com/TheGoodsPod
What happens when Santa trades his sleigh for a rocket ship?”? Christmas correspondent Sarah Archer tells Sarah about how the Cold War era affected the image of old Kris Kringle through the rampant consumerism and shiny new technology of a post-war economy. Digressions include Reagan’s girlypop diet, the Freudian aspects of the Nutcracker, and the thrilling history of aluminum.
On the cusp of what could be a new era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), some researchers are urging caution and the need for deliberate controls to keep the developing technology from robbing Indigenous people of their cultures and sovereignty. A project with three universities provides a framework of standards to prevent AI from stripping Native Americans and all other Indigenous peoples of their right to control images, language, cultural knowledge, and other components of their identities they’ve worked so hard to retain. We’ll hear about the potential benefits and threats of AI to Native people.
GUESTS
Danielle Boyer (Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians), robotics inventor
Randy Kekoa Akee (Native Hawaiian), Julie Johnson Kidd Professor of Indigenous Governance and Development at Harvard University
