Host Nolan Higdon sits down with award-winning journalist, broadcaster, writer, and author Sonali Kolhatkar, founder and host of Rising Up With Sonali. They dive deep into the results and implications of last night’s elections across New York City, California, New Jersey, and Virginia.
Sonali and Nolan discuss the surprising defeat of establishment Democrats, the political influence of figures like Zohran Mamdani, Gavin Newsom, & Abigail Spanberger. Together, they explore what these election outcomes reveal about the shifting dynamics within the Democratic Party and American politics at large.
👉 What does the fall of establishment Democrats mean for the future of the party?
👉 How are progressive voices reshaping local and national politics?
👉 What do the election results in these key states tell us about voter sentiment?
👉 How do media narratives influence perceptions of political change?
If you want to understand the evolving political landscape and the forces at play behind last night’s election, this episode is a must-listen.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with Lisa Ekman, author of Deprogramming Democrats & unEducating the Elites: How I Escaped the Progressive Cult, for a candid conversation about political tribalism, hyperpartisanship, and the forces driving division in America.
Lisa shares her journey out of the progressive echo chamber and sheds light on why the media often amplifies partisan narratives — and how COVID-19 hurt Democrats’ relationships with voters. Together, they unpack the cultural and political dynamics that keep Americans polarized and explore what it takes to break free from ideological bubbles.
👉 Why does hyperpartisanship keep getting worse?
👉 How does media coverage fuel tribal politics?
👉 What lessons does COVID-19 offer for political trust?
👉 Can Americans escape the echo chambers of modern politics?
If you care about understanding the forces shaping U.S. politics, media influence, and the path to more thoughtful civic discourse, this episode is essential listening.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with Michael Anthony Gatto — former California State Assemblymember and one of Sacramento’s most independent lawmakers — for a raw and revealing conversation about corruption, campaign finance, and what’s broken inside the Democratic Party.
From backroom deals and money in politics to the systemic failures that keep reform impossible, Gatto offers an insider’s perspective on how the system really works — and what it will take to change it.
The discussion explores the rot beneath American democracy, the illusion of party loyalty, and the urgent need to rebuild public trust in government.
👉 Why is corruption so deeply embedded in both parties?
👉 How does campaign finance law fuel systemic inequality?
👉 Why are independent voices silenced in state and national politics?
👉 What must change to restore real democracy in America?
If you care about transparency, accountability, and the future of U.S. democracy, this is one episode you don’t want to miss.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with Alison Macrina — founder of the Library Freedom Project and the Library Freedom Institute — to uncover what Big Tech doesn’t want you to know about AI hype, privacy, and the future of libraries.
From Silicon Valley’s promises to the quiet power struggles happening in local libraries, Macrina breaks down how the AI gold rush threatens intellectual freedom — and why librarians are on the front lines of the fight for digital rights.
The conversation explores how surveillance, misinformation, and corporate influence are reshaping public knowledge — and what librarians are doing to push back.
👉 What do we really mean when we talk about “AI hype”?
👉 How is AI already impacting librarians, researchers, and the public?
👉 What is the Library Freedom Project, and how does it defend privacy in the digital age?
👉 How is the Library Freedom Institute training a new generation of librarians to resist corporate control of information?
If you care about truth, privacy, and the future of public knowledge, this is one episode you don’t want to miss.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with Adam Swart — founder of Crowds on Demand, the original paid protesting firm — to explore the hidden industry behind modern political theater.
From campaign rallies to corporate publicity stunts, Swart pulls back the curtain on how “manufactured” crowds have shaped American politics and media narratives for over a decade.
The conversation dives deep into questions of authenticity, influence, and democracy in an era where spectacle often replaces substance.
👉 How did Crowds on Demand get started — and why did it make headlines as the “original paid protesting firm”?
👉 Is paying protesters really that different from paying influencers or lobbyists?
👉 What boundaries (if any) define ethical “crowd creation”?
👉 And just how common is paid protesting across political and corporate America today?
If you’ve ever wondered whether the outrage you see on the streets — or on your screen — is truly grassroots, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with Wynn Tranfield — STEM Librarian at the University of California, Santa Cruz — to unpack the media frenzy surrounding Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement.
From the Trump–Pfizer deal to the politicization of public health, this episode dives into the complex intersections of science, policy, and propaganda. Tranfield brings a researcher’s perspective to viral claims about “Big Pharma,” life expectancy, animal testing, and even Tylenol’s alleged link to autism — separating scientific evidence from political spin.
👉 What does the MAHA movement reveal about America’s growing distrust of science?
👉 How do corporate and government alliances shape the research we see (and don’t see)?
👉 Are bipartisan “wellness” bills really about health — or ideology?
👉 And what’s at stake when public discourse turns scientific debates into culture wars?
If you care about how media, politics, and misinformation collide in the world of health science — this is an episode you can’t miss.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with Nicholas Baham III—professor of Ethnic Studies at California State University East Bay, author, and co-host of The People’s Detective podcast—to explore the power of art and popular culture as forms of political resistance. From jazz to hip-hop, film to literature, artists have long challenged systems of corruption, censorship, and inequality. Baham highlights why Oakland has been such a vital setting for cultural resistance and what these stories reveal about the failures of mainstream news.
👉 How art and popular culture serve as weapons of resistance
👉 The overlooked history of artists confronting political corruption
👉 Why Oakland matters as a cultural and political epicenter
👉 What censored or ignored stories reveal about the media landscape
If you care about the intersection of culture, politics, and resistance—and how art can tell truths the news won’t—this conversation is a must-watch.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with Matt Bailey, marketing strategist, educator, and founder of SiteLogic, to unpack the future of social media. With audiences shifting, ad dollars drying up, and creators struggling to adapt, Bailey explains why the social media industry may be reaching the end of an era—and what it means for advertisers, content creators, and the future of digital marketing.
👉 Why “the end of social media” may already be here
👉 How changes in algorithms, ad models, and user behavior are shaking the industry
👉 What creators and advertisers can do to survive—and even thrive—in the new landscape
If you’ve ever wondered whether social media is still worth the investment—or what might replace it—this is a must-watch conversation.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with Dr. Anastasia Berg, PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at UC Davis, to unpack the White House’s controversial claims about acetaminophen (Tylenol), pregnancy, and autism.
In a recent press conference, President Trump and top officials announced changes to FDA drug labeling, warning pregnant women about acetaminophen use and promoting leucovorin (a cancer drug) as a potential autism treatment. But are these claims backed by science—or by Big Pharma’s influence on scholarship and policy?
👉 The truth about acetaminophen, pregnancy, and autism
👉 Why Big Pharma’s influence skews scholarship and public health guidance
👉 What the science really says about Trump’s autism claims (and how RFK Jr. plays into it)
👉 Practical advice for expecting mothers navigating reproductive health misinformation
If you want to understand how politics, pharma, and pseudoscience collide to shape public health, this conversation is a must-watch.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with Scott Jamieson, co-founder of Inspire Citizens, to explore how global citizenship and empathy-driven education can heal toxic divisions and create a more democratic culture. In the wake of the post-Charlie Kirk assassination climate, where U.S. society revealed deep fractures, Jamieson argues that fostering empathy in schools is essential to building a more just, collaborative, and connected world.
👉 Why global citizenship belongs at the heart of education
👉 How empathy-based learning can counter toxic and divisive culture
👉 Practical steps educators can take to prepare students for a more democratic future
If you want to understand how rethinking education can transform not just classrooms, but entire societies, this conversation is a must-watch.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with John Corbally, Professor of History at Diablo Valley College, to explore the untold stories behind America’s immigrant experience. Corbally’s new book, Enriching America: A World History of 20th Century Immigrant Families, draws on the voices of 60 families—many collected from community college students in Northern California—to reveal the resilience, struggles, and triumphs of those who built new lives in the United States.
👉 John Corbally on how student family histories illuminate global patterns of migration
👉 The hidden costs and contributions of immigrant life in the 20th century
👉 What the past can teach us about today’s immigration debates
If you want to understand how immigration shaped modern America—not just in headlines, but in the lives of real families—this conversation is a must-watch.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon is joined by five powerhouse guests to unpack the chaos, censorship, and political fallout after the murder of Charlie Kirk. From late-night TV to college campuses, the ripple effects are everywhere—and the media spin machine is working overtime.
👉 Craig Aaron (Free Press) on Jimmy Kimmel’s removal from ABC after his Kirk comments
👉 Mickey Huff (Project Censored / Ithaca College) on the censorship wave gripping media and academia
👉 Steve Macek on how the Utah Valley University shooting is fueling fear and silencing speech on campus
👉 Robin Andersen (Fordham University) & Allison Butler on competing narratives—from right-wing fights over Israel, to Scott Galloway’s take on young men, to the debate over political violence itself
If you want to cut through the noise and understand how media, politics, and power collide in moments of crisis, this episode is a must-watch.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with John Kiriakou—whistleblower, author, journalist, and former CIA officer—for a raw and revealing conversation about the intelligence community, courage, and the costs of telling the truth.
Kiriakou made history as the first U.S. official to confirm the CIA’s use of waterboarding. For speaking out, he was sent to prison. In this powerful episode, he shares:
👉 What life inside the CIA taught him about power and secrecy
👉 The personal price of exposing torture and challenging the system
👉 His time in prison—and how it reshaped his view of justice in America
👉 Why whistleblowers matter, and what “profiles in courage” look like today
If you want to understand the dark underbelly of intelligence operations, the courage it takes to resist, and the lessons Kiriakou’s story holds for democracy, this is a must-listen episode.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with Andrew Tonkovich—host of Bibliocracy Radio—for a wide-ranging conversation about the books we should all be reading right now to better understand politics, power, and truth in the 21st century.
Andrew makes the case for three essential reads:
👉 The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord
👉 Neoliberalism’s War on Higher Education by Henry A. Giroux
👉 Alternative Facts by Emily Greenberg
Plus, a special shoutout to writer Lisa Alvarez and her stunning collection Some Final Beauty.
Together, Nolan and Andrew dig into why these works matter today, how they cut through propaganda, and what lessons they hold for resisting disinformation and reclaiming democracy.
If you want a fresh, thought-provoking reading list that doubles as a survival guide for navigating media and politics—this is the episode for you.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon is joined by Brian Dolber—Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies and volunteer organizer with Rideshare Drivers United—and Alvaro Bolainez, a rideshare driver and Vice President of Rideshare Drivers United. Together, they break down the battle over AB1340, the SEIU and Gavin Newsom’s backroom deal that cut out drivers, and the broader fight against exploitation in the gig economy.
In this eye-opening episode, Dolber and Bolainez share:
👉 How AB1340 reshaped labor rights for rideshare drivers—and who it really benefits
👉 The reality of what it means to make a living as a driver in today’s economy
👉 How SEIU and political elites undermined drivers by negotiating without them
👉 What both drivers and riders can do to fight exploitation and change the trajectory of ride-sharing in the U.S.
If you want to understand the hidden costs of the gig economy, the politics of labor betrayal, and the movement building to reclaim worker power, this is a must-listen episode.
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🔥 Special Crossover Episode: The Disinfo Detox x The Cultural Studies Podcast 🔥
This week, Toby Miller hosts a powerful panel featuring Nolan Higdon, Steve Mack, and Robin Andersen, diving into some of the most pressing issues facing society today:
The crisis in education and the collapse of democratic institutions
Foreign policy hot spots, including Venezuela, Israel, and Gaza
Domestic unrest, such as the Tesla protests and No Kings Day demonstrations
The broader question of hope in a world facing political, social, and media turmoil
This episode blends critical media analysis, political commentary, and cultural studies, offering a no-holds-barred conversation about the forces shaping our world.
Whether you’re interested in understanding global crises, U.S. political protests, or the state of democracy and education, this is a must-watch crossover event.
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Cultural Studies Podcast: culturalstudies.podbean.com
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with Mickey Huff—Director of Project Censored and Distinguished Director of the Park Center of Independent Media (PCIM) at Ithaca College—for a no-holds-barred conversation about the digital media environment as the new corporate media.
Together, they break down:
👉 Taylor Lorenz’s explosive reporting on dark money shaping Democratic Party narratives
👉 David Pakman’s curious response—and what it reveals about media loyalty
👉 Bari Weiss’s sordid history of media manipulation and her new CBS contract
👉 Gavin Newsom’s mean tweet strategy and what it says about political PR in 2025
If you want to understand how corporate capture, dark money, and media spin shape the stories we’re fed—and what that means for democracy—this is a must-listen episode.
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This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with Daniel Anderson, Director of the Carolina Digital Humanities and the Digital Innovation Lab at UNC, to explore the evolving role of writing in a world dominated by AI.
Together, they unpack:
👉 Why writing is more crucial than ever, even with AI tools at our fingertips
👉 How AI is changing research, creativity, and critical thinking
👉 The limits of relying on AI for truth, insight, and nuance
👉 Practical strategies for cultivating meaningful, human-driven communication
This episode is essential listening for anyone navigating the intersection of technology, creativity, and critical thought—and who wants to keep their writing sharp in the AI era.
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🎙️ This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with Yotam Ophir, author of Misinformation and Society, to dig into the root causes of misinformation—why we fall for it, how it spreads, and what we can actually do about it.
Together, they unpack:
👉 How human bias fuels the spread of false information
👉 Why misinformation thrives in our current media and political systems
👉 The limits of fact-checking and quick fixes
👉 What strategies really work to build a more informed and resilient public
This episode is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand not just the symptoms of misinformation, but the deeper causes—and how we can fight back.
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🎙️ This week on The Disinfo Detox, host Nolan Higdon sits down with Mark Blyth—The William R. Rhodes ’57 Professor of International Economics, Professor of International and Public Affairs, and Director of the Rhodes Center at Brown University—to tackle some of the biggest questions shaping our economic and political future.
Together, they unpack:
👉 Is the neoliberal era really coming to an end?
👉 What Trump’s new tariffs signal for the economy—and for ordinary Americans
👉 Whether AI will wipe out jobs (or create new ones)
👉 The rise and fall of crypto—bubble or future currency?
👉 What Democrats and Republicans should fear (and embrace) in the years ahead
This episode is essential listening for anyone trying to make sense of today’s chaotic economy, the shifting global order, and the political futures of both major U.S. parties.
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