She Won by a Landslide. Then Her Own Neighbors Tried to Remove Her From Office. | 3
Julie Spilsbury was known around Mesa, Arizona, for two things: her city council seat and her cinnamon rolls. Then one public decision turned people she'd known for twenty years — church members, fellow moms, neighbors down the street — into the architects of an unprecedented recall campaign. And...
They Called Him a Monster for Helping the Wrong Family. | 2
The fundraiser exploded overnight — and so did the backlash. As Dave Butler's small act of compassion turns into a national story, a nagging doubt creeps in: what if he's making things worse for the people he's trying to help?
In Episode 2 of Dispatches from the Divide, Dave finally makes contac...
His Church Was Attacked. Then He Did the Unthinkable. | 1
A tweet on a quiet Sunday morning stops Dave Butler cold: a shooting at a Latter-day Saint church in Grand Blanc, Michigan. He doesn't know a single victim — but he’s a member of the same faith, so the attack feels personal. As the news spreads and fear turns to anger online, Dave makes a choice ...
Road Trip with Monica Guzman
We step outside the usual program for a different perspective. Jason’s partner, Monica, joins us from the car on our road trip to The Cruz Room in Santa Cruz to talk about what it’s like to live with someone designing an indie board game and making a podcast. We talk finances, scheduling, marketi...
She Got into Journalism to Help People. Was She Actually Making Things Worse? | 5
Veteran journalist Helene Biandudi Hofer is sitting at home scripting her weekly news show when she suddenly puts down her laptop and starts to cry. She became a reporter because she wanted to help people understand each other. But after decades in the new business, she can't shake a troubling qu...
He Tried to Get Her Kicked Out of Office. Then He Knocked on Her Door. | 4
Bob Hathcock helped launch a campaign to remove Julie Spilsbury from office. Now he's walking into her home—and neither of them knows how this conversation will end.
In Episode 4 of Dispatches from the Divide, a bitter Mesa, Arizona, recall election fueled by political polarization, the 2024 elec...
I Never Thought of It That Way with Monica Guzman and Lulu
If you\'re anything like me, navigating conflict comes pretty easily to you. You always know what to say to make your point in a tone that\'s firm but still inviting, right? You listen for the purpose of understanding the other person and don\'t just use the time while the other person is speakin...
She Came to America Expecting Freedom of Speech. Instead, She Went Silent. | 7
Laryssa Bishop left Brazil for college in America believing she'd finally found a place where she could speak her mind. Instead, she slowly became afraid to say what she really thought.
As an international student in Salt Lake City, Laryssa wants to talk openly about politics, immigration, the I...
She Wanted to Report the News Differently. Then a Story In Her Own Backyard Put That to the Test. | 6
Helene Biandudi Hofer walked away from the kind of journalism she feared was making people more divided. Now she has to find out whether her alternative actually works.
In Episode 6 of Dispatches from the Divide, Helene takes on a local election story in her own small town—and deliberately ignor...
She Was Afraid to Speak Her Mind. Then She Got in an RV With Seven Strangers. | 8
Two days earlier, Laryssa Bishop had no idea this trip existed. Now she's climbing into an RV with seven strangers to spend a day talking about one of the most divisive issues in America.
After becoming afraid to speak openly about politics, Laryssa sees the trip as a chance to try again. But th...
