In this episode, Don MacPherson is joined by the President of the National Police Foundation, Jim Burch. They discuss the research the National Police Foundation has collected on policing technology, training, and community building as well as the importance of procedural justice. They also discuss the impact of the death of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement and the subsequent protests and unrest across the United States.
Read MoreOn the morning of September 11th, 2001, the United States experienced a terrorist attack that changed everything. While travel, immigration, and international relations were all significantly altered, one change that many of us don’t know about is the way law enforcement monitors, apprehends, and prosecutes terrorist activity.
In this interview, Don MacPherson is joined by Harry Samit. Harry is a former FBI agent who served on the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Minneapolis. He was an integral member of the team of agents who tried to stop the 9/11 attacks. They discuss the events leading up to 9/11, including the arrest and investigation of al-Qaeda operative Zacarias Moussaoui. They also explore how terrorism is still expressed around the world today and the threats the U.S. faces from foreign and domestic terrorists. Harry shares his perspective on how counterterrorism will evolve and the ways in which agencies will change in order to monitor suspicious behavior in the United States.
Harry Samit is a former United States Navy Naval Intelligence Officer. After his Naval career, Harry spent 21 years in the FBI and was a founding member of the Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force. In the months and years following the attacks on 9/11, Harry was also a key figure in analyzing ways to prevent future terrorist attacks.
Read MoreIn this interview, Don MacPherson is joined by Dr. Matthew Johnson, an expert in psychoactive drug effects, addiction, and risk behavior. They discuss clinical research on psychedelics including psilocybin, ayahuasca, DMT, MDMA, LSD, and more. They also dive into the potential therapeutic applications for psychedelics including treating depression, PTSD, and addiction, and improving individual happiness, creativity, and selflessness.
Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., Professor at Johns Hopkins, is an expert in psychoactive drug effects, addiction, and risk behavior. He has worked with psychedelics since 2004. He developed and published the first psychedelic treatment of tobacco addiction in 2014. With colleagues, he conducted and published the largest study of psilocybin in cancer distress in 2016. He is Principal Investigator on upcoming psilocybin studies treating opioid addiction and PTSD, and LSD research treating chronic pain.
Read MoreShakeel Nelson and the Inner City Ducks are using sports in very innovative ways to reach young people and ensure they are on the right path in life. They provide mentoring, a safe space to play and learn, discipline, and exposure to new experiences for the young people in his community. The players have participated in tournaments in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Chicago, Wisconsin, and South Dakota. Eating in restaurants, staying in hotels, and seeing new places expands their sense of what is possible in their lives and teaches them life skills they will apply in adulthood.
In this interview, Shakeel shares his personal experience growing up without a father and candidly shares the challenges he faced. Shakeel explains his inspiration for creating the Inner City Ducks and how he sees the organization and its players growing in the years to come. Shakeel also tells us about the creative ways he is introducing his kids to new experiences and teaching them life skills while developing athletes hungry for success.
At the young age of 25, Shakeel volunteers four days a week to support the youth of his community as a coach, role model, and mentor through the Inner City Ducks. Shakeel’s vision for the organization is to serve 150+ boys and girls and to provide a community center where the kids can go after school to play, study, work out, and receive mentoring.
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