Advertise on podcast: Uncommon Ground with Van Jones

“I am pro-life. But Roe is a 40-year-old legal precedent. Respecting the rule of law, means I accept the decision. I don't want to celebrate abortion, but I don't want to demonize it, either. I'm the majority. It has never felt so lonely to be in a majority.” S.E. Cupp is back – this time to discuss abortion. Van is a pro-choice progressive. S.E. is a pro-life conservative. One might expect fireworks! But in this episode, S.E. lays out a nuanced, sophisticated and emotionally intelligent perspective on the topic. She challenges people on every side of the issue – while showing empathy for all sides. She may be the one pro-life conservative that every progressive needs to hear from. The discussion also reveals surprising areas of common ground. For example, Van and S.E. both are concerned about the SCOTUS draft decision, which would overturn Roe v Wade. Together, they examine what it means when the will of the majority is ignored by the government, and what could happen next. NOTE: Van and S.E. had this conversation after the Supreme Court draft decision was leaked, but before the official ruling came down. But their discussion could not be more relevant, timely or penetrating. New episodes of Uncommon Ground with Van Jones release weekly, every Wednesday. What does the Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade mean for you? What do your conversations around abortion sound like? Call 347-770-2785 and leave Van a voicemail. Your comment or question will be recorded, and may be played and answered on a future episode of Uncommon Ground! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“Cash can’t solve everything. But it can solve everything that has to do with cash.” Michael Tubbs became the youngest mayor of any major city in US history – at the age of 26. He immediately made poverty his number one issue. In 2017, as the newly elected mayor of Stockton, California, he recognized that lack of money was the root cause of most of the problems in his community. But what can the government do to alleviate poverty? Michael’s answer – give cash directly to people experiencing poverty. The idea of universal basic income (UBI) is not new: it was championed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In this week’s episode, Michael tells the story of the UBI program he implemented in Stockton. The results were so impressive that his own team had to double-check the results.

“If we want to address the climate crisis, we have to heal our relationship with the land. And part of that looks like returning lands to indigenous people.” Within the movement to solve the climate crisis, there is a generational divide. Established leaders are doggedly working within the system. But younger activists want FASTER progress — and deeper changes. After all, young people will have to face the greatest effects of climate change. They feel the URGENCY — and thus often have some of the boldest, most innovative solutions. For example: Van’s guest this week, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, believes that we need to return land back to indigenous stewardship. Xiuhtezcatl is 22 years-old, and he has been an environmentalist and climate activist since he was a child. Xiuhtezcatl shares how his indigenous roots have shaped his activism. A rising star (a term he hates), he is popularizing ideas that may help redefine how we think of the climate crisis. Get ready to go deep! This isn’t a surface debate about the Left versus Right. It’s a passionate discussion about the land itself — and what a new generation believes it will take for humanity to survive. New episodes of Uncommon Ground with Van Jones release weekly, every Wednesday. What assumptions are you challenging? What do you wish officials knew about your own community? Call 347-770-2785 and leave Van a voicemail. Your comment or question will be recorded, and may be played and answered on a future episode of Uncommon Ground! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“People asked me hard questions. They asked, if Trump wants to do a press conference with you about Rodney Reed’s case, would you appear with him – if it meant stopping the execution of Rodney Reed?” If you know Shaun King, you know him as one of America’s staunchest advocates for racial justice in the digital age. One of the most controversial as well. After all, his viral videos have transformed the global conversation about police misconduct and racial violence. But you may not know that Shaun has white family members who supported Donald Trump. You may not know that he is from rural Kentucky, not urban America. And you may not know that, to save a man’s life, he once joined forces with the ultimate Republican — Ted Cruz. In other words, Shaun is way more complex and nuanced than any 2-dimensional media image — and so are his strategies for making real change. In this episode, Shaun shares with Van how he balances and leverages ALL the aspects of his life to make a difference. And he reveals the brutal, tragic origin of his unending passion for justice. Join these two leaders for a conversation about what it really takes to win the fight for change.  New episodes of Uncommon Ground with Van Jones release weekly, every Wednesday. What assumptions are you challenging? What do you wish officials knew about your own community? Call 347-770-2785 and leave Van a voicemail. Your comment or question will be recorded, and may be played and answered on a future episode of Uncommon Ground! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"[Homelessness] has become a humanitarian crisis. It has become an emergency that I believe needs to be addressed with the same mentality that you would address a natural disaster. I mean, this is Los Angeles. We have the skills, the knowledge and the resources." Karen Bass is going back to where it all began: Los Angeles, California. After an extensive and impressive tenure in Congress, Karen Bass is running for Mayor of LA. She has big goals and tangible plans to make them happen. At the top of her list is solving the homelessness crisis in LA. This week, Karen joins Van to explain how understanding the “why” is at the root of resolving homelessness, how her grassroots background prepared her for this moment, and why there’s a reason for hope during these uncertain times.

“How can you hate me if you don’t even know me?” This is the question that Daryl Davis has spent much of his life trying to answer. Daryl is a Black musician who spends a surprising amount of time with members of the Ku Klux Klan. How and why does he do this?! Over the last 30 years, Daryl has interviewed senior Klan members, attended Klan rallies and even made friends with Klansmen. In the process, he’s convinced many of them to renounce their affiliation to the KKK and give up their robes. In this episode, Daryl breaks down WHY he thinks it's important to break bread with those who claim to hate him. And he shows HOW we can all find a way toward more healing and community — even when it seems impossible.

This week, Van Jones tackles these questions and more with Bill Bratton, the former police commissioner of New York City, Los Angeles, and Boston. Bratton was associated with the controversial “Broken Windows” and “Stop & Frisk” approaches. Later in his career, he experimented with more community-based approaches to policing. He talks about his decades of law enforcement experience with surprising candor and self-reflection. Van (a criminal justice advocate) and Bratton (a former Top Cop) discuss what it takes to build trust in police, while making our communities safer.

This episode might deserve a warning label: “SHOCKING TRUTHS—SERVED EXCEEDINGLY HOT.” Van is joined this week by Charlamagne Tha God and Tezlyn Figaro, two influential voices in media and in the Black community. His guests expose a white-hot level of frustration in the Black community—one that could upend the next two elections. Democrats hold the White House and Congress, but the party’s slow legislative progress has left many of its base voters— especially Black voters— exceedingly frustrated. These guests pull no punches as they lay out exactly where the Democrats are falling short and what they need to do to deliver for their constituents. Trying to bridge divides AMONG progressives, Van, Charlamagne, and Tezlyn have an honest, bold, thought-provoking conversation you won’t hear anywhere else. New episodes of Uncommon Ground with Van Jones release weekly, every Wednesday. What assumptions are you challenging? What do you wish officials knew about your own community? Call 347-770-2785 and leave Van a voicemail. Your comment or question will be recorded, and may be played and answered on a future episode of Uncommon Ground! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Maxine Waters has been serving in Congress for more than 30 years. In that time, she’s built a reputation as someone who calls it like she sees it. But she doesn’t shy away from reaching across the aisle and working with Republicans, when it means she can pass bills that will improve the lives of all Americans. In this episode, Rep. Waters gives an insider’s perspective on Washington and leadership, and the problems she’s using her position to solve. She shares the importance of standing for something and being consistent. She also reveals her secrets for finding Republicans who are willing to help her get things gone. Listen for these pearls of wisdom, as well as Waters’ take on the vital issues that rarely get covered on cable news.

It’s an unlikely friendship: Van, a climate advocate, and Cecil Roberts, the president of the United Mine Workers of America. Many assume that coal miners and climate activists must be at odds. But in this episode, Van and Cecil challenge that assumption. As climate activists push for more reforms and a move to cleaner energy, can coal be part of a greener future? Van and Cecil will get to the heart of the matter — finding some solutions that just might work for everyone.

Will Be Wild is a new 8-part series about the forces that led to the January 6th insurrection and what comes next. Through in-depth stories from a wide range of characters – from people who tried to stop the attack to those who took part – hosts Andrea Bernstein and Ilya Marritz explore the ongoing effort to bring autocracy to America, the lasting damage that effort is doing to our democracy, and the fate of our attempts to combat those anti-democratic forces. Because January 6th wasn't the end of the story, January 6th was just a practice run. Follow Will Be Wild wherever you get your podcasts, or you can listen early on Amazon Music or early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app. Listen to Will be Wild: wondery.fm/UG_WillBeWild See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“I started to realize the political discourse nationally is not representative of the American people at all. It's what's best for TV or social media. It's good for a headline, but it's not good for actual people.” Two unlikely allies in the environmental movement – Michelle Romero, a liberal leader at Green For All, and Benji Backer, a conservative leader at the American Conservation Coalition – prove that certain problems, like the climate crisis, are bigger than political parties. Join Van, Benji and Michelle on the ground at COP26, as they talk to each other–not about each other. It turns out there are a few smart ways to partner with the “other side” to address climate change. New episodes of Uncommon Ground with Van Jones release weekly, every Wednesday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.