The Hangout with David Sciarretta

Send us a textIn this inspiring episode, Dr. Sciarretta has a conversation with Royal Ramey, CEO and co-founder of The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP). Mr. Ramey shares the story of his journey from prison to firefighting by way of "fire camp." Upon his release, Mr. Ramey joined the Mojave Greens in their firefighting mission, and has since worked to train, inspire, and uplift formerly incarcerated people who are interested in the firefighting profession. For those interested in supporting FFRP's mission, visit this link to make a tax-deductible donation of any amount. To keep up with Mr. Ramey's journey, follow him on Instagram @royal.ramey. FFRP can be found on Instagram @ffrp_ca. Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please give us a five-star rating and consider donating. Your generosity helps our shoe-string budget and allows us to continue producing high-quality content. Click here to donate.

Send us a textIn this episode, Dr. Sciarretta speaks with Dr. Muhammad Mohiuddin, a surgeon who specializes in cardiac xenotransplantation (replacing failing human hearts with pig hearts). Listen to hear more about Dr. Mohiuddin's journey, the ethical and structural issues his work presents, and the moments in which his decades of revolutionary work have come to fruition. Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please give us a five-star rating and consider donating. Your generosity helps our shoe-string budget and allows us to continue producing high-quality content. Click here to donate.

Send us a textI sat down with William H. Lamar IV, pastor of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington DC, for a profound conversation about history, faith, justice, and American democracy.Learn more about Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church: https://www.metropolitaname.org/Watch this video to learn more about the landmark legal victory we discussed in this episode.Please give us a five-star rating wherever you listen to podcasts and tell your friends and family about the show. If you'd like to support the Hangout Podcast with a donation, there's a link in the show notes. Thank you for your generosity.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please give us a five-star rating and consider donating. Your generosity helps our shoe-string budget and allows us to continue producing high-quality content. Click here to donate.

Send us a textAnita Fisher shares her powerful journey from successful banking executive to mental health advocate after her son's diagnosis with schizophrenia while he was serving in the military. Anita's 25-year crusade navigating America's complex mental health system reveals critical gaps in treatment, particularly for those with anosognosia (lack of illness awareness).Warning: this episode contains adult themes that may not be appropriate for all listeners.To learn more about Anita Fisher's work, visit fishermhconsulting.comSupport the showIf you enjoyed this episode please give us a five-star rating and consider donating. Your generosity helps our shoe-string budget and allows us to continue producing high-quality content. Click here to donate.

Send us a textRocky Herron, a retired DEA special agent with 31 years of experience, shares his journey delivering an impactful drug prevention program that has reached over 270,000 students across 16 countries. His mission emerged from discovering his own children weren't receiving drug prevention education in school.• Free educational videos and resources are available at RockyHerron.com for schools and families looking to start these important conversationsWarning: this episode includes adult topics and mentions suicide. Listener discretion is advised. Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please give us a five-star rating and consider donating. Your generosity helps our shoe-string budget and allows us to continue producing high-quality content. Click here to donate.

Send us a textImperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre shares her inspirational bi-national journey from surfing college student to passionate environmentalist to elected official.  Paloma is currently running for San Diego County Board of Supervisors District 1 (special election will take place July 1, 2025).On X: @paloma4D1Visit paloma-aguirre.comSupport the showIf you enjoyed this episode please give us a five-star rating and consider donating. Your generosity helps our shoe-string budget and allows us to continue producing high-quality content. Click here to donate.

Send us a textAna Miguel, Educational Programs Coordinator for Border Angels, shares her personal connection to immigration work as the daughter of migrants from Guanajuato, Mexico, revealing how her family history shapes her passion for humanitarian border assistance and activism.To support Border Angels and their humanitarian work, visit borderangels.org.Warning: this episode contains adult language and topics and may not be suitable for all listeners.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please give us a five-star rating and consider donating. Your generosity helps our shoe-string budget and allows us to continue producing high-quality content. Click here to donate.

Send us a textDr. Tricia Bertram Gallant redefines academic integrity as more than just avoiding cheating—it's cultivating the courage to uphold universal values like honesty, fairness, and respect, even when it's difficult. Her work as Director of the University of California, San Diego Academic Integrity Office and the Triton Testing Center puts her impressive academic scholarship to practical and impactful use.  Check out Dr. Bertram Gallant's latest book (co-authored with David Rettinger) The Opposite of Cheating: Teaching Integrity in the Age of AIIf you enjoyed this episode please give us a 5 star rating and share it with your friends.  While this episode is 100% free, please consider donating to the show so that we can continue bringing you interesting and insightful conversations.  Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please give us a five-star rating and consider donating. Your generosity helps our shoe-string budget and allows us to continue producing high-quality content. Click here to donate.

Send us a textFilex Sanchez, founder of Union Law Group, shares his journey from growing up in San Ysidro, CA on the Mexico-US border to becoming a specialized immigration attorney after witnessing how profoundly his work could change lives. Raised by immigrant parents who operated an immigration consultancy for decades, Filex developed a deep understanding of his bicultural identity and an abiding respect for hard work and dedication. Filex maintains an ethical legal practice by only taking cases he believes can succeed and offering refunds for clients whose cases do not prevail. Call Union Law Group: US: 619-662-2170Mexico: 664-622-5442Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please give us a five-star rating and consider donating. Your generosity helps our shoe-string budget and allows us to continue producing high-quality content. Click here to donate.

Send us a textIn this episode, we hear from Jim McCloskey about the journey that took him from the corporate world to his current work with those who have been wrongly convicted of crimes. McCloskey founded Centurion Ministries, an organization that has "completed 70 releases of men and women who were serving life or death sentences for crimes they did not commit." McCloskey is the author of When Truth is All You Have, and co-wrote Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions with John Grisham. Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode please give us a five-star rating and consider donating. Your generosity helps our shoe-string budget and allows us to continue producing high-quality content. Click here to donate.