Veteran journalist Judy Woodruff has been covering US politics for more than 50 years. She moved to Washington DC in 1977 and has been there ever since, reporting for NBC, CNN, and PBS, most recently spending 11 years as anchor of the PBS News Hour. During her career, she has gotten to know a lot of politicians socially as well as professionally. In this episode, we speak with Ms. Woodruff about her two-year reporting project to get to know America better, America at a Crossroads. This new series for the PBS News Hour will culminate with the 2024 presidential election. Woodruff explores our current divisions as she travels the country interviewing scholars, public figures, and ordinary people. She delves into how and why these divisions came about, and what we can do to find common ground. Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed we’ll plant 5 trees.  Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

Memorial Day honors the men and women who sacrificed their lives in service to our country. In our next podcast episode, we discuss different ways to look at patriotism. Our guest, retired US naval officer and Washington Post newspaper columnist Theodore Johnson ponders the question, “How can we take pride in a nation with a history of injustice and inequality?”   At a high school football game, Johnson, who is African-American, stood at attention when the national anthem was played. His teenage son, who was about to play in the game, took a knee in a protest against police brutality. Johnson argues that both acts were expressions of patriotism and is proud of his son's decision.   "For me, being a patriot is not about uncritical celebration and talking only about how exceptional we are and how great the country is," Johnson tells us. "Being a true patriot requires that you both love the nation and critique it." On this insightful episode of "Let's Find Common Ground", Theodore Johnson also discusses his thoughts for how America can have more productive and uplifting discussions about race. Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed, we’ll plant 5 trees.  Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

We speak with two women from opposing sides of the bitter and often toxic debate over abortion. Frances Hogan and The Rev. Anne Fowler were involved in a series of years-long intensive, secret talks. Their candid conversations began after a gunman opened fire at two Massachusetts abortion clinics nearly thirty years ago. The attack left two women dead and five people injured.   In this episode, we learn the extraordinary story of how Anne and Frances gained a much deeper understanding and respect for one another. They didn’t change their views about the abortion issue, but they did become friends.  We share moments of compassion, kindness, and humor. Both Frances and Anne were among those profiled in the new documentary, "Abortion Talks", about what happened after the deadly attacks. On "Let's Find Common Ground", both of them explain how incredibly difficult it was to be part of many hours of exhausting conversations. We hear how they learned to overcome fear, stereotyping, misunderstandings, and anger.  Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed, we’ll plant 5 trees.  Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, for a discussion on the politics of globalization. They discuss the war in Ukraine, challenges from China, the 2008 global financial crisis, and America’s role in globalization.  Featuring:  Gordon Brown: Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education; World Health Organization (WHO) Ambassador for Global Health Financing Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

It’s often said that America is as politically divided as it has ever been. In this week’s show we dive into the data from two different groups that study American attitudes. What they discovered challenges some of our assumptions about the current state of US politics, and offers us a sense of context missing from noisy ‘us versus them’ type arguments.  John Geer of Vanderbilt University discusses the latest findings from Vanderbilt’s Unity Index, which tracks Americans’ trust in institutions and democracy. Kate Carney, chief of staff at More in Common in Washington DC, talks about the group’s ‘Speaking to the Exhausted Majority’ report. Both reports are examples of deep research into the state of American public opinion and where common ground may lie. We discuss the extent to which US democracy is under threat, who really makes up the ‘exhausted majority’ of American voters, and what liberals and conservatives get wrong about the other side.  Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed we’ll plant 5 trees.  Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

Every day we are bombarded with negative news and polarizing opinions from politicians, pundits, and others who seek attention, power, and money by escalating division. Our guest, Amanda Ripley, calls them "conflict entrepreneurs." In this podcast, Amanda explains why she believes the problem we face in America isn't too much conflict. Instead, it’s the type of disagreement we are having. We hear about the crucial differences between constructive conflict, where different sides seek to find common ground, and destructive conflict where discord distills into a good-versus-evil kind of feud, with an "us" and a "them". Amanda Ripley is a journalist and columnist for The Washington Post. Her recent book is "High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out." Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed, we’ll plant 5 trees.  Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

USC Wrigley Director Joe Árvai joins former White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy and New York Times Opinion Columnist Bret Stephens for a conversation on finding common ground in climate conversations. They discuss how climate science leads to action, COVID-19's impact on climate change, the economic impact on climate action, and messaging around climate change. Featuring: Gina McCarthy: First Ever White House Climate Advisor; Former EPA Administrator Bret Stephens: Opinion Columnist for The New York Times; Editor-in-Chief of Sapir Joe Árvai: Director, USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies Bruce Bond: Co-Founder, CEO, & Board Chair of Common Ground Committee

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins former U.S. Representatives Val Demings and Adam Kinzinger for a conversation on the politics of climate with the goal of finding common ground. They discuss political barriers to enacting climate action, climate legislation passed by Congress, and how environmental legislation can help achieve climate justice.   Featuring: Val Demings: Former U.S. Representative (D-FL) Adam Kinzinger: Former U.S. Representative (R-IL) Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife Bruce Bond: Co-Founder, CEO, & Board Chair of Common Ground Committee

In honor of Women’s History Month, CPF hosts a discussion with former California State Senators Martha Escutia and Fran Pavley on the role of women in politics and the challenges they face as leaders. They discuss how they got involved in politics, Sen. Pavley's landmark work on environmental and climate change legislation, and how they overcame challenges they faced as women legislators in the California Assembly and State Senate. Featuring: Fran Pavley: Former California Senator (2008-2016); Environmental Policy Director, USC Schwarzenegger Institute Martha Escutia: Former California Senator (1992-2006); Vice President, USC State Government Relations and Special Counsel; Spring 2023 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future Kamy Akhavan: Executive Director, Center for the Political Future

Our last show focused on finding common ground when talking to strangers. In this show we explore friendship and empathy with two guests who are friends themselves, a Catholic priest and a Protestant pastor.  Father Tim Holeda leads Saint Thomas More Co-Cathedral, and Latricia Scriven is pastor of Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church, both in Tallahassee, Florida.  As religious leaders, our guests offer a perspective many people don’t have these days. They grapple with moral questions in their work that we often don’t consider, and draw on the wisdom of ancient texts to help them navigate our complicated modern world.  Tune in to hear more on this latest episode of Let’s Find Common Ground. Thank you to The Village Square and The Village Square's God Squad, a politically diverse group of faith leaders, for making this show possible. Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed, we’ll plant 5 trees.  Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)