Top of Mind with Julie Rose
Episodes
How Can We Reduce Gun Violence in America?
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
About 45,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2022. A similar number died the year before. About half of those deaths are gun suicides. The other h...
What Does Justice in Healthcare Look Like?
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who deserves good health? It’s what we all want and shapes many of our decisions, but it’s not entirely within our control. The water we drink, ai...
What is the Purpose of Prison?
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When someone commits a crime in this country, we lock them up—and we do it a lot. If you look at just the people who are incarcerated globally, a di...
News from Top of Mind
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're hard at work on a new season of Top of Mind and won't have a new episode on the podcast feed for a few weeks. So, it's a great time to listen ba...
Common Ground in the Debate Over Teaching Kids About Race in School
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The debate over how race – and America’s history with racism – should be taught in schools has come to feel black and white: you’re either for...
Stick With It Stories: Talking Faith on Social Media
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our “Stick With It” series on the Top of Mind podcast continues with an all too familiar story of a social media post provoking an unexpected, ang...
Stick With It Stories: A Children’s Librarian Confronts Book Banning
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our “Stick With It” series on the Top of Mind podcast continues with a story about a children’s librarian feeling upset and attacked by the nati...
Is Sports Fandom Good for America?
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most Americans identify as sports fans – more than identify as church-goers, in fact. Is it good for sports fandom to play such a prominent role in ...
How to Talk About Abortion
02 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Abortion is such a controversial issue, most of us avoid discussing it for fear of ending up in an angry debate. Plus, few of us are open to changing ...
BONUS: Holiday Thanks and Some Episode Recommendations
26 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Top of Mind launched its weekly format early in 2022 and we’re so gratified by your response. One listener wrote “I feel like I am becoming a bett...
Community Traditions that Connect Us to Home
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the season for nostalgia, so we’re looking at how community traditions help us feel connected to the place we live. Is there a certain holida...
Righting Society’s Past Wrongs: How Late is Too Late to Repair?
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can righting society's past wrongs help us heal from historical harm? Many people argue that America’s past mistakes, particularly its treatment of ...
Why We Take Water for Granted – But Really Shouldn’t.
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s easy to take clean water for granted in America. But there are millions of people in this country who can’t count on water to flow when they ...
Stick With It Stories: Inside a Neighborhood Conflict
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our new “Stick With It” series on the Top of Mind podcast continues with a story about neighborhood conflict and the solution one woman found by s...
Stick With It Stories: A Storyteller Tackles His Own Uncomfortable Story About Race
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our new “Stick With It” series on the Top of Mind podcast kicks off with storyteller Sam Payne sharing how he tackled his own uncomfortable story ...
Can the News be Trusted? Americans Aren’t Too Sure.
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can the news be trusted? Americans aren’t too sure. What happens when we start to see journalists as enemies, rather than allies, of democracy and t...
Why Do Wars Happen?
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When war breaks out, we tend to focus on whether the war is justified. Is it right to fight? Under international law, it's not that hard to justify go...
HALLOWEEN BONUS: Family-Friendly Audio Drama feat. Top of Mind's Julie Rose
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week only on the Top of Mind podcast, a special Halloween treat. It’s an old-fashioned, family-friendly audio drama from storytelling podcast T...
When is War Justified?
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Most Americans have never fought in a war, or even had our lives disrupted by one. Does being so far removed from the loss and trauma make us more wil...
Lost in Politics: Engaging in Politics When Neither Party Fits
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If the whole point of a democracy is to represent the voice of the people, then why do so many Americans have a hard time engaging in politics? More t...
Introducing "Stick With It": What happens when you lean in to a challenging perspective?
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When you encounter a perspective that contradicts your own, the natural instinct is to either shut down or push back. But staying with that discomfort...
Does America Still Value Religious Expression?
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The freedom to believe—and express those religious beliefs—is embedded in America’s founding documents. But being outwardly religious—like wea...
Does Activism Work? Being a Social Activist in Today’s World
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The word “activist” tends to scare off a lot of people. And you may be wondering, does activism work? We often associate activism with social prot...
Bonus: How to Support Someone Who's Grieving
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A major side effect of being such a grief-averse culture is the sheer panic many of us feel when confronted with someone who’s suffered a devastatin...
Facing Our Fear of Grief
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Grief from death or loss is a normal part of life. Yet, simply thinking about grief can raise feelings of fear, anxiety, and hopelessness. Why is our ...
Benefits of Social Relationships: Mending Fractures and Widening Our Circles
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What if you sent a hand-written, two-page letter to every single one of your Facebook friends? What if you struck up conversations with strangers more...
Why Do Family History?
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Learning about our ancestors may not seem all that interesting – or important. So why do family history? It turns out that there is a compelling cas...
ARCHIVE BONUS: What Synesthesia Can Teach Us About Disagreeing
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
People with synesthesia perceive the world very differently from the rest of us. Their senses merge so that sounds might also have tastes. The days of...
ARCHIVE BONUS: How to Navigate the Journey from Loved One to Caregiver
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Caregiving for a loved one can be difficult and confusing. Julie and her siblings are among the more than 20 million Americans who currently care for ...
ARCHIVE BONUS: She Believed She Was White. At Age 27, She Learned the Truth About Her Race.
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Valentine grew up believing she was the white daughter of her white parents. As an adult she learned her parents had been lying to her. She’s ...
ARCHIVE BONUS: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: The Essentials of Cooking with Samin Nosrat
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Netflix star Samin Nosrat shares the one amazing meal that inspired her to become a professional chef. Her cookbook “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” is a g...
ARCHIVE BONUS: The Secret Power of Breathing and Yawning
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Julie shares a conversation from Top of Mind’s live radio show archive that changed her life. In 2017 she spoke with Dan Brule, who is on...
What is the True Impact of Humanitarian Aid?
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The humanitarian needs across the world right now are enormous. War, political corruption, natural disasters, debilitating poverty, and economic failu...
Does a College Degree Matter? Evaluating the Value of a College Education
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
College education is traditionally seen in America as a worthwhile investment that can help people get ahead, find better jobs, and earn higher salari...
Hope or Dread? Let’s Rethink Our Obsession with Aging
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our culture that celebrates youthfulness, countless Americans dread getting older. Aging brings inevitable changes to our bodies, abilities and lif...
ARCHIVE BONUS: The Other Talk - Why White Families Need to Talk About Race
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode from the Top of Mind archive: "The Other Talk." Most kids of color in America grow up talking about racism at home, but most whi...
What is the Goal of Foster Care?
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once a child is placed in foster care, reunification with a parent or guardian happens less than half of the time. But many child welfare agencies say...
What is the Impact of Affirmative Action? Rethinking College Admissions
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As colleges across the country are seeking to increase student diversity, is affirmative action the solution? What is the impact of affirmative action...
Learning from the Stories of Refugees in America
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One out of every 95 people on Earth has fled their home because of conflict or persecution. With thousands of people fleeing their countries and seeki...
A Deeper Look at Wrongful Convictions in America
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
18 years. That’s how long Anthony Graves spent in prison for a crime he never committed. Unfortunately, his story is not uncommon in this country. W...
ARCHIVE BONUS: The Organ Thieves - A History of Transplants in the Segregated South
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Before we were a weekly podcast, Top of Mind was a daily radio show. We were on the air – live - for two hours every weekday. And we did that for se...
Ending Toxic Polarization in American Politics
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Division is nothing new in America, but the current political divide feels different. Why are we so angry and fearful and ever more deeply entrenched ...
Changing Our Perspective on Mental Illness
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The social stigma surrounding mental illness is very real. What would happen if we changed our perspective on mental illness and how we treat it? We t...
Do Great Cities Just Happen?
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Millions of Americans move each year in search of a better house, neighborhood, job or quality of life. Is leaving the only way to live some place bet...
America's Obsession with Work
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Americans are obsessed with work. Americans spend more time working than people in other wealthy nations, and despite complaining about being overwork...
Improving Life for People with Autism
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Living with autism comes with many challenges. In the past, the prevailing attitude was to fix or cure autism. But how could life improve for autistic...
A New Approach to Ending Poverty in America
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
People who experience poverty in America are constantly riding a rollercoaster of highs and lows as they struggle to better their situation. In desper...
Can Non-Citizens Vote? The Complicated History of Voting Rights
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Citizenship is required for voting in most countries and states. Is there value to this voting rights restriction? Where can non-citizens vote? Some m...
Is Harm Reduction Enabling Drug Use or Saving Lives?
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Harm reduction is intended to prevent death, drug overdose, and substance abuse. But is harm reduction enabling drug use? Or does harm reduction truly...
Is Weight an Indicator of Health?
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is weight an indicator of health? We often think that skinny people are healthier than people with obesity, but research suggests we may be wrong abou...
Understanding the Difference Between Race and Racism
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Race and racism are crucial topics in our national dialogue. And when we think of race, we might naturally think of one's skin color. But someone who...
Chronic Pain Stories: A New Perspective on Life with Constant Hurt
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jasmine Reed has lived with chronic illness since she was 15. After years of seeing doctors and trying different treatments, she doesn’t feel much b...
Why Do We Take Risks?
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We rarely know if our decisions will lead to failure or success. So why do we take risks? What causes us to readily embrace risky situations, while ot...
Starting Over After Life in Prison
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly half of people who leave prison will end up back behind bars. Why is it starting over after life in prison so difficult? Would their lives be d...
TRAILER: Top of Mind Podcast with Julie Rose
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A podcast for people who are turned-off by the depressing, divisive nature of the news, but still want to engage with important issues in our communit...