This teacher has turned to Instagram to combat misinformation. Sharon McMahon — who describes herself as “America’s (not boring) government teacher” — and her highly engaged Instagram community (self-described as Governerds) — just joined forces and raised enough money to forgive $50 million in medical debt — breaking records in just a matter of days. Sharon is a former high school government and law teacher on a mission to confront political misinformation and conspiracies. She uses her popular Instagram account to spread non-partisan information about government and democracy. Through her account and her workshops, called Government for Grownups, she teaches how to spot bias and decipher facts from conspiracies. In this episode, Sharon talks about paying attention to facts, how she carved out the best and most positive corner of the internet, and how we can actually make our country and world as thoughtful and generous as her community. Guest: Sharon McMahon, host of Government for Grownups Follow Sharon on Instagram to learn more about government and democracy Sponsor: Get 50% off your first Datebox from Happily with the code GOODGOODGOOD Sponsor: With Libro.fm, get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 with the code GOOD → Get more Good Good Good at goodgoodgood.co → Join 30,000 weekly Goodnewsletter readers at goodgoodgood.co/goodnewsletter → Become a Member and get the Goodnewspaper at goodgoodgood.co/membership

Activist Leah Thomas created a platform to address the ways environmentalism impacts not only the planet, but the people on it, too. She calls the platform Intersectional Environmentalist, a movement that addresses and incorporates lawyer and scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw’s feminist framework of intersectionality.The platform Leah co-founded is now home to resources, information, and action steps to dismantle systems of oppression in the environmental movement. In the first half of this episode, Leah lays out how environmental issues affect different communities uniquely and how intersectional environmentalism addresses these differences. In the second half, Leah explains how we all can embrace intersectional environmentalism through simple, everyday actions. Guest: Leah Thomas, co-founder of Intersectional Environmentalist Follow Intersectional Environmentalist and Leah on Instagram Visit IE’s website to learn more and explore resources Background reading: Interview with Kimberlé Crenshaw and explanation of intersectionality Intersectional Environmentalist resources by community Intersectional Environmentalist resources by topic Minority and low-income communities are more likely to live in areas exposed to toxic waste, landfills, highways, and other environmental hazards (American Journal of Public Health, 2011). People of color have less access to clean air than their white counterparts (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2019). Sponsor: Get 50% off your first Datebox from Happily with the code GOODGOODGOOD Sponsor: With Libro.fm, get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 with the code GOOD → Get more Good Good Good at goodgoodgood.co → Join 30,000 weekly Goodnewsletter readers at goodgoodgood.co/goodnewsletter → Become a Member and get the Goodnewspaper at goodgoodgood.co/membership

Amanda Litman, co-founder and executive director of Run for Something, shares her passion for empowering young people to enter politics. She discusses the organization’s mission to break down barriers for diverse candidates and the surge of youth eager to make a difference. Amanda highlights that running for office is accessible for anyone, regardless of background. The conversation emphasizes the need for inclusive representation in governance and offers practical steps for aspiring politicians looking to create impactful change in their communities.

Is the world becoming more peaceful? Or less? How would we know if it was? In an effort to measure peace, entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Killelea founded the Institute for Economics and Peace, a nonprofit global research institute that measures peace levels around the world. The Institute created the conceptual framework for “positive peace,” which describes the attitudes, structures and institutions that underpin and sustain peaceful societies. Hint: Peace includes more than just an absence of violence. The Institute’s work now informs influential institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank. In the first half of this episode, Steve describes the difference between “positive peace” and “negative peace,” plus how the Institute developed the framework for positive peace. In the second half, Steve and Branden share good news from data the Institute has collected. Guest: Steve Killelea, founder and executive chairman of the Institute for Economics and Peace Read the Positive Peace Report and dive into stories about peace Read Steve’s book, Peace in the Age of Chaos Sponsor: Get 50% off your first Datebox from Happily with the code GOODGOODGOOD Sponsor: With Libro.fm, get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 with the code GOOD → Get more Good Good Good at goodgoodgood.co → Join 30,000 weekly Goodnewsletter readers at goodgoodgood.co/goodnewsletter → Become a Member and get the Goodnewspaper at goodgoodgood.co/membership

This is the full-length, unedited version of our conversation with Jedidiah Jenkins. Jedidiah was one of our first-ever guests on the show when we launched Sounds Good five years ago. His episode remains one of our most popular episodes, so we thought it would be fun to release the full unedited conversation of our latest conversation together. Enjoy! Check out the previous episode in your feed for the shorter, edited version of this episode. Jedidiah Jenkins is a travel writer who lives with life with intention and purpose. He worked a dream job as a lawyer for the nonprofit Invisible Children before quitting to bike 10,000 miles from Oregon to Patagonia. He wrote a New York Times-bestselling book about his experience and has inspired thousands of people to engage their own lives with similar curiosity and passion. He is also the executive editor of Wilderness magazine. In this episode, Branden and Jedidiah talk about the nuance of purpose, how it’s different from what we imagine, and how we can find it — or at least get started in the right direction. Guest: Jedidiah Jenkins, author of “To Shake the Sleeping Self” and “Like Streams to the Ocean” Pre-order Jedidiah’s new book (out tomorrow!) and follow him on Instagram Sponsor: Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/GOOD Sponsor: With Libro.fm, get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 with the code GOOD → Get more Good Good Good at goodgoodgood.co → Join 30,000 weekly Goodnewsletter readers at goodgoodgood.co/goodnewsletter → Become a Member and get the Goodnewspaper at goodgoodgood.co/membership

Jedidiah Jenkins, a travel writer and author of bestselling books, shares his journey of purpose from cycling 10,000 miles to exploring meaningful living. He discusses the evolving concept of purpose across generations and contrasts it with modern challenges like mental health issues and social media pressures. Jenkins emphasizes the importance of creation over consumption, advocating for intentional activities to find fulfillment. He inspires listeners to embrace lifelong learning and curiosity as vital paths to discovering their true purpose.

Blythe Hill, founder and CEO of Dressember, launched a stylish movement to combat human trafficking by encouraging people to wear a dress every day in December. She shares how this simple challenge evolved into a impactful nonprofit, engaging communities worldwide in fundraising and awareness efforts. Blythe also tackles harmful misconceptions about trafficking, particularly those linked to conspiracy theories like QAnon, and emphasizes the vital role of educated advocacy. Discover how you can join the fight and make a meaningful difference!

Harleen Kaur, co-founder and CEO of Ground News, dives into the challenges posed by media echo chambers. She explains confirmation bias, the rise of sensationalized news, and the importance of diverse news consumption. Harleen outlines practical steps for critical media literacy and emphasizes personal accountability in the news we consume. With tools like Ground News, she encourages listeners to confront their blind spots and engage with varying perspectives, ultimately fostering a more informed society.

Shane Claiborne is an outspoken critic of the death penalty. He’s a well-respected justice system reform activist and Christian faith leader, and he believes capital punishment needs to go for good in the United States — a country that’s in company with China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt for countries with the highest execution rates. In the first half of today’s episode, Shane shares how he came to believe so passionately against the death penalty, lay out the most important facts, and celebrate progress that’s already been made, such as the abolition of the death penalty in some places and the growing conversation on the topic. He also casts a vision for what a future without the death penalty could look like. In the second half, Shane lays out how each of us can get involved. Guest: Shane Claiborne, activist and author Get involved in protesting against the death penalty at deathpenaltyaction.org, and learn more about Shane and his work at shaneclaiborne.com. Background reading: The Guardian wrote this article about Lisa Montgomery, whose execution is scheduled for tomorrow, January 12 Visit The Marshall Project’s ‘The Next to Die’ page for great journalism about death row and the death penalty Shane’s book, Executing Grace, talks about the death penalty from a faith perspective And Bryan Stevenson’s book, Just Mercy, is also a great and important read on the subject. He’s the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. Learn why and how to abolish the death penalty Sponsor: Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/GOOD Sponsor: With Libro.fm, get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 with the code GOOD → Get more good news at goodgoodgood.co → Join 30,000 weekly Goodnewsletter readers at goodgoodgood.co/goodnewsletter → Become a Member and get the Goodnewspaper at goodgoodgood.co/membership

Kristen Williams, founder and executive director of Kids Boost, shares her inspiring mission to empower kids as philanthropists. She recounts the story of 12-year-old Jared, who raised funds for kids in need, sparking her passion for this nonprofit. The conversation explores how children can transform a mere $100 into substantial charity funds while developing life skills. Kristen emphasizes the power of personal passions in creating meaningful social change and encourages everyone to engage in philanthropy joyfully.