Outrage Overload: Rethinking politics, division, and media

The U.S. House of Representatives used to pass roughly 900 bills per session in the 1950s. Today, that number has plummeted to just 50 or 60. Our legislative branch isn’t just slow—it is structurally paralyzed. In this episode, we look past the cultural shouting match to expose the structural design flaws fueling our polarization. From sweetheart gerrymandering that leaves 80% of congressional districts completely non-competitive, to the financial incentives driving both major parties to aban...

Veteran journalist Stephen Maher joins us to explore how the collapse of local news, the rise of algorithm-driven platforms, and shifting newsroom cultures are reshaping democracy. Drawing on decades covering Canadian politics, Maher explains why communities lose more than information when local papers disappear—and how this dynamic parallels what’s happening in the United States. We dig into polarization, media trust, the “algorithmic public square,” and what might help rebuild a shared civi...

While outrage and division dominate the headlines, quiet collaborators in Congress are actually getting things done — you just never hear about them. In this episode, David Beckemeyer talks with Brad Porteus, founder of Bridge Grades, a data-driven “report card for Congress” that measures who’s building bridges — and who’s tearing them down. Together, they explore how citizens can shift the incentives in Washington by rewarding collaboration over confrontation. Text me your feedback and lea...

Most Americans are tired of the outrage — and hungry for something better. So how do we unite America when everything feels so divided? In this episode, we talk with Adam Mizel, co-founder and CEO of US United, a movement focused on ending toxic polarization through everyday actions anyone can take. After traveling the country in a purple pickup truck, Adam found that people from all backgrounds want the same things: respect, listening, and real connection. We explore political depolarization...

Digital Overwhelm: Talking Across Generations In a world that never stops pinging, how do we stay human—and stay connected across generations? Host David Beckemeyer talks with communication scholar Craig Mattson, author of Digital Overwhelm, about what happens when Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z all try to navigate the same flood of digital noise. From “data vs story” to “sender vs listener,” this conversation explores why we’re all drowning in information, why younger workers seem mo...