

Future Hindsight
Future Hindsight
A weekly show that takes big ideas about civic life and democracy and turns them into action items for you.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 15, 2025 • 52min
Body, Law, and Liberty: Karen Thompson
We discuss the growing phenomenon of pregnancy criminalization, examine the path forward in a post-Dobbs world, and consider what a just jurisprudence of pregnancy might look like. Karen’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: 1) Educate yourself at the Pregnancy Justice website: https://www.pregnancyjusticeus.org/our-issues/ 2) Make your voice heard, put pressure on district attorneys who bring cases to criminalize pregnant people. Karen Thompson is the Legal Director of Pregnancy Justice and leads a team defending the rights of people who face criminalization because of their pregnancies or pregnancy outcomes. Let’s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/ Discover new ways to #BetheSpark: https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark Follow Mila on X: https://x.com/milaatmos Follow Pregnancy Justice on IG: https://www.instagram.com/pregnancyjust Sponsor: Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful. Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight Credits: Host: Mila Atmos Guests: Karen Thompson Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

May 8, 2025 • 49min
Classrooms of Democracy: Elaine Weiss
We discuss the history of citizenship schools, their profound importance in the Civil Rights Movement, and the critical lessons they offer for our present moment. Elaine’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: Share the power of voting with your neighbors. Start your own community citizenship schools! Elaine Weiss is a journalist, speaker, and author of Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools that Built the Civil Rights Movement. She’s also the author of The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote, which was a source for the Broadway musical SUFFS. Let’s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/ Discover new ways to #BetheSpark: https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark Follow Mila on X: https://x.com/milaatmos Follow Elaine on X: https://x.com/efweiss5 Read Our Guests’ Books!: https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight Sponsor: Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful. Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight Credits: Host: Mila Atmos Guests: Elaine Weiss Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

May 1, 2025 • 46min
100 Days of Chaos: Skye Perryman
We assess the first 100 days of the Trump administration and what we can expect going forward. Skye’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: Join a dinner for democracy or a coffee for change Resist isolation and say yes to building a future for ourselves. Skye Perryman is the President and CEO of Democracy Forward, which uses the law to build collective power and advance a bold, vibrant democracy for all people. Let’s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/ Discover new ways to #BetheSpark: https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark Follow Mila on X: https://x.com/milaatmos Follow Skye on IG: https://www.instagram.com/skyeperryman Sponsor: Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful. Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight Credits: Host: Mila Atmos Guests: Skye Perryman Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

17 snips
Apr 24, 2025 • 54min
AI's Civic Potential: Natalie Monbiot
Natalie Monbiot, a strategist and pioneer in AI and virtual human technologies, shares her insights on how AI can empower democracy and enhance human life. She discusses the emergence of avatar technology and the ethical implications surrounding digital identities. Natalie highlights the concept of 'Civic Spark' for collective action, the role of AI in education, and the importance of human agency in an AI-driven world. The conversation also touches on AI's potential to alleviate stress and foster community engagement, encouraging listeners to actively embrace these technologies.

Apr 17, 2025 • 1h 6min
The Democracy We Never Had: Aziz Rana
We discuss rethinking the Constitution as a way to reimagine democracy. In addition, we examine the role of constitutionalism in exporting the principles of democracy as the underpinning of American imperialism. Aziz’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: Join a union or a party formation or a tenants’ association in your community Get involved in shaping the terms institutions that serve as meaningful checks Aziz Rana is professor of law at Boston College and the author of The Constitutional Bind: How Americans Came to Idolize a Document That Fails Them and The Two Faces of American Freedom. Let’s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/ Discover new ways to #BetheSpark: https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark Follow Mila on X: https://x.com/milaatmos Read The Constitutional Bind: https://bookshop.org/shop/futurehindsight Sponsor: Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful. Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight Credits: Host: Mila Atmos Guests: Aziz Rana Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Apr 10, 2025 • 46min
Youth Power vs. The Climate Crisis: Aru Shiney-Ajay
We discuss the Green New Deal and how youth movements like the Sunrise Movement are the secret sauce in getting the federal government to drive the effort to stop the climate crisis. Aru’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: Hold on to a disciplined form of hope Join Sunrise Movement! Sunrisemovement.org/become-a-member Aru Shiney-Ajay is the executive director of Sunrise Movement, a movement of young people to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. Let’s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/ Discover new ways to #BetheSpark: https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark Follow Mila on X: https://x.com/milaatmos Follow Aru on X: https://x.com/aru_shineyajay Follow Sunrise Movement on X: https://x.com/sunrisemvmt Sponsor: Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful. Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight Credits: Host: Mila Atmos Guests: Aru Shiney-Ajay Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Apr 3, 2025 • 46min
Land, Power, and Democracy: Michael Albertus
We discuss the great reshuffle of land in the last few centuries and the intersection of land, power, and democracy. Michael’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: Support conservation easements Learn about the indigenous communities that have been displaced from the land where you live and finds ways to support reallocation Michael Albertus is professor of political science at the University of Chicago and the author of five books. His most recent is Land Power: Who Has It, Who Doesn’t, and How That Determines the Fate of Societies. Let’s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/ Discover new ways to #BetheSpark: https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark Follow Mila on X: https://x.com/milaatmos Follow Michael on X: https://x.com/mikealbertus Sponsor: Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful. Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight Credits: Host: Mila Atmos Guests: Michael Albertus Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Mar 27, 2025 • 52min
The Architects of Division: Katherine Stewart
We discuss the anti-democratic and reactionary nihilistic nature of the Christian nationalist movement. Christian nationalism is an ideology that functions as a tool for a leadership driven organization machine that turns mythology into political power. Katherine’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: Mobilize the pro-democracy majority Stop purity testing Katherine Stewart is the author of Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. Katherine is an expert on religious nationalism and the assault on American democracy. Her previous book, The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism was awarded first place for Excellence in Nonfiction Books by the Religion News Association and was the basis of the Rob Reiner documentary feature film, God & Country. Let’s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/ Discover new ways to #BetheSpark: https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark Follow Mila on X: https://x.com/milaatmos Follow Katherine on X: https://x.com/kathsstewart Sponsor: Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful. Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight Credits: Host: Mila Atmos Guests: Katherine Stewart Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Mar 20, 2025 • 43min
Voting Booth in Your Pocket: Bradley Tusk
We discuss mobile voting as the definitive way to make elections more accessible for everyone — especially for Americans with disabilities and overseas citizens — and therefore finally increase turnout in significant numbers. Bradley’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: Sign up and get involved at mobilevoting.org Rally your friends and family to demand change. Bradley Tusk is the co-founder of the Mobile Voting Movement, the founder and CEO of Tusk Holdings, and previously served many years in public service. He's the author of Vote with Your Phone: Why Mobile Voting Is Our Final Shot at Saving Democracy. Let’s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/ Discover new ways to #BetheSpark: https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark Follow Mila on X: https://x.com/milaatmos Follow Mobile Voting Movement on X: https://x.com/mobilevoting Sponsor: Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful. Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight Credits: Host: Mila Atmos Guests: Bradley Tusk Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis

Mar 13, 2025 • 57min
But Is It Constitutional?: Julie Suk
We discuss whether executive orders can change the Constitution, the ongoing transformation of executive power, and the true intersection of the Constitution and democracy. Julie’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: Get a pocket Constitution and read it over with a red pen! Think about the kind of democracy you want to live in and decide how the Constitution will get us there. Julie Suk is the Hon. Deborah A. Batts Distinguished Research Scholar, Professor of Law. She’s a legal scholar of constitutional amendment, equality, and feminism in the United States and globally, and the author of two books, We the Women: The Unstoppable Mothers of the Equal Rights Amendment and After Misogyny: How the Law Fails Women and What to Do about It. Let’s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/ Discover new ways to #BetheSpark: https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark Follow Mila on X: https://x.com/milaatmos Follow Julie on X: https://x.com/JulieCSuk Sponsor: Thank you to Lumen! Take the next step to improving your health: go to lumen.me/HOPEFUL to get 20% off your Lumen. Thank you to Shopify! Sign up for a $1/month trial at shopify.com/hopeful. Early episodes for Patreon supporters: https://patreon.com/futurehindsight Credits: Host: Mila Atmos Guests: Julie Suk Executive Producer: Mila Atmos Producer: Zack Travis