The Carlos Whittaker Podcast

Kirsten has spent her career as a political commentator on Fox News, CNN, and USA Today. She watched firsthand from in front of the camera as America spiraled towards chaos during the 2016 and 2020 elections. And today she helps us ALL realize how to get it BACK TOGETHER… Kirsten offers a template for a different kind of America, one where we can engage with people who hold opposing views without sacrificing our values or our passionate beliefs in the causes we care about. It’s a culture that embraces repentance and repair, a process through which those who have caused harm can take responsibility and work toward righting the wrongs in which they have participated. It’s a place where we’re empowered to see the possibility in other people, even people who are driving us nuts. Follow Kirsten online @KirstenPowers on Instagram and Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we flew to Korea to pick up our 7 month old son in 2007, I took my camera and vlogged the entire thing. From the moment we picked up Losiah till today, at 15 years old, there has barely been a week he hasn’t been on camera. Today Losiah jumps on the mic and all 15 years of his wisdom comes pouring out. We cry. We laugh. We apologize. We learn. From adoption to social media, to friendships, to racism… Today Losiah takes us on a journey that I believe will change the way we see each other. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the news really the enemy of the people? How can we trust a news source? How do you keep your bias out of your reporting? In today’s episode, I asked journalist Travis Lyles of the Washington Post all the hard questions. And I also take a peek into a journalist’s heart in 2021 when so many people bash them daily. What’s that do to your soul when you are one of the good guys? Travis was an incredible interview and I believe he will restore your faith in journalism again. Travis Lyles is The Washington Post’s Instagram Editor. Under Travis’s leadership, the account has grown faster than that of any other major news organization, expanding from 675,000 followers to more than 5.1 million. Follow Travis on Instagram www.instagram.com/travislylesnews Thanks to our sponsors. Now you deserve to have financial peace of mind. Join the millions of Americans already loving Chime. Signup takes only two minutes, and doesn’t affect your credit score!  Get started today at www.chime.com/humanhope Get 10% off your first month of therapy when you join Better Help at www.betterhelp.com/humanhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on instagram I asked people if they needed prayer to leave a comment. I was fully expecting like 300 comments. I got over 5000 requests. While many people told me that it felt heavy, I reminded them that this is normal. People are suffering and in need of our prayers all around us. So today we dive deep with the prayer warrior herself, my wife, Heather Whittaker. Heather has studied inner healing prayer for years and is basically my go-to when it comes to questions on prayer. Do I need to pray a certain way? What if God doesn’t answer our prayers? How can I know if God heard me? Am I wasting my time praying for something God won’t answer? Yes, we go there. So if you have ever had a question on prayer or how to pray or if your prayer was even worth it… Today’s the episode for you… Thanks to our sponsors. Get 10% off your first month of therapy when you join Better Help at www.betterhelp.com/humanhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all have a bias towards what it means to be an “undocumented worker” in America. We think it’s cut and dry. We think it’s black and white. Well if that is what we think… Then I promise you we are not Walking With People… we are Standing On Issues. In today's show, we have the honor of hearing from Bambadjan Bamba. An award-winning actor, filmmaker, and immigrant rights advocate. He has worked in prominent roles on numerous hit television shows like NBC’s The Good Place, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, Amazon’s Bosch and in blockbuster films like Marvel’s Black Panther, DC comic’s Suicide Squad and Oscar-nominated film Beginners. In 2017 Bambadjan publicly disclosed that he was a recipient of the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) that is in danger of being terminated. Ever since Bambadjan has used his inspirational story to change the conversation around immigration. Thanks for listening fam. This is the good stuff… Join the millions of Americans already loving Chime. Signup takes only two minutes, and doesn’t affect your credit score! Get started today at chime.com/HUMANHOPE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You guys know that I am a huge advocate for abolishing the death penalty. Many of you walked hand in hand with me as we watched Brandon Bernards failed last-second appeal last December and were all holding our breaths as he took his last. Stacy Rector joins us today to talk about what we can do to see this broken system abolished. And yes it’s broken. People for and against the death penalty would ALL AGREE that the system is broken. Stacy is the Executive Director of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (TADP), an organization whose mission is to honor life by abolishing the death penalty. She also served as spiritual advisor to Steve Henley, an inmate on Tennessee’s death row who was executed on February 4, 2009. Today’s topic is a tough one but I know you are up for it. Thanks for tackling hard issues with me fam… Start getting rewards for brushing your teeth today, go to www.GETQUIP.comHUMANHOPE , RIGHT NOW, to save $10 on a quip Smart Electric Toothbrush. Thanks to our sponsors. Get 10% off your first month of therapy when you join Better Help at www.betterhelp.com/humanhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ashley Lemieux is a literal miracle. I’ve known people who have said they have “lost everything”, and listening to their stories you would know why they would say that… But after listening to Ashley you realize that she in fact has lost absolutely everything… And is still standing. Not only standing but running. In today’s episode Ashley shares her story of losing not one, not two, but all three of her children in different ways and how she is finding the strength and purpose to not only survive but thrive. This is human hope wrapped up in one episode. Thanks to our sponsors. Get 10% off your first month of therapy when you join Better Help at www.betterhelp.com/humanhope Join The Village over at www.aimfree.org/carlos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3 months ago someone DMd me an account of a beautiful family who was going through hell. Shanell of @TwoLightsAcademy had the first seizure of her life in March of 2021 and her condition had rapidly deteriorated to where she was having up to 100 seizures a day… She was trying to raise $25k for a seizure alert dog and after a month of fundraising was stuck at $9k. Enter… InstaFamilia… I asked and in a little under an hour we had raised the remaining $15k for her dog and it kept going to $50k. 😭🖤 My Instagram community fell in love with Shanell and keeping up with her military husband and beautiful little “sprout” (her son) on her Instagram. Through raw and emotional posts she updated us on her journey until on August 7th, she stopped posting completely. I’ll be honest that I was really worried. She had recently updated us on a seizure that had almost killed her… After a week of BLOWING UP HER PHONE she finally texted me back 😂 and I’ve been keeping tabs on her the last month but today, she wants to update everyone. It’s not a medically wonderful update… But you would never know it listening to Shanell. If you have ever been in the pit of hell and you have been looking for how to find Hope… Let today’s convo with Shanell give you exactly what you need… We will continue to pray everyday for her healing but in the meantime be in awe of her strength… Thanks to our sponsors. Get 10% off your first month of therapy when you join Better Help at www.betterhelp.com/humanhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You guys did it again. I asked “What’s the best thing that has happened to you this year?” AND YOU DELIVERED. So if you are in need of some hope, the Human Hope Fam has you covered… From overcoming covid to beating self harm… From road trips with dogs to sight being restored… You guys seriously are the best. I love you so. If you feel led please give some hope to AIM as they fight to end child sex trafficking by heading to www.aimfree.org/carlos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Jan 6th, 2021 I got a text from a friend of mine… “I see now.” Three words from a super close friend who lives on the opposite side of the aisle as I do. Three words that finally broke me and I wept. A white, conservative, middle-aged, Trump-voting man whom I love dearly. We have had many deep talks the last 4 years. Me explaining the depths of my concern. Him listening and explaining his. The goal wasn’t to turn him from his conservative roots. The goal wasn’t to make him lean left. It was simply to be seen. And he saw me. That doesn’t mean he turned his back on his values... It simply meant he faced me and protected mine. In today’s episode, I talk to one of my best friends Rob Sentell. And we talk about how to have rich and deep relationships with people whom you may massively disagree with on politics and policy. Spoiler alert… It’s not only possible… It’s necessary… Thanks to our sponsors. Get 10% off your first month of therapy when you join Better Help at www.betterhelp.com/humanhope Join the CHIME family at www.chime.com/humanhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices