You've probably seen Jo-Anne McArthur's photography, whether you knew it or not. And if you haven't seen any of her thousands of iconic images, you've probably seen some from her many collaborators at the non-profit We Animals that she founded. Jo-Anne is simply one of the most talented and driven photojournalists working today.Shortly before our interview, I asked Jo-Anne to send me some images that stood out to her that we could analyze on the program. Not surprisingly, I had already been well-acquainted with several of them. One, in fact, was the leading image of one of the proudest recent stories facilitated by the Direct Action Everywhere press team, a feature piece about open rescue in National Geographic.To meet Jo-Anne is a treat. To be able to comb through some of the extraordinary images with her and hear the stories behind the images is something else entirely. I'm incredibly grateful to Jo-Anne for the generosity of her time and her amazing work that is changing the world for animals.This conversation is also available on YouTube and may be a more rewarding experience to be able to see her photographs.Links:We AnimalsDonate to We Animals"The Ghosts in Our Machine"Jo-Anne's websiteHer booksHer IGHer FBWe Animals IGFBBlueskyNational Geographic open rescue pieceWatch DominionWatch Earthlings

Dr. Faraz Harsini is making waves in the animal rights movement with his no-nonsense, yet approachable outreach style. His background in biomedical science lends gravitas just as his upbringing in Tehran and immigration to America is moving and inspiring. I've known about Faraz for awhile and wanted to have him on my program. But since we connected, I've learned more about him, and I now find him even more compelling. I could speak a lot about his background and professional resume, but what I admire most about Faraz is his commitment to bringing a vegan message to college campuses through his nonprofit Allied Scholars for Animal Protection. As I mentioned multiple times in this interview, it's something I wish I had come across when I was in college decades ago. This was the first time I've really spoken with Faraz. He shared that he is an introvert and I think that comes across in this interview. I think it's a kind of superpower for him, because it gives him a manner that is very disarming and gentle. I believe this is part of what makes him so effective at communicating. He also has a genuine empathy and curiosity towards others. But you'd be very mistaken if you think that he compromises on the message. He doesn't. He keeps the focus on the animals and speaking for them in the way they would want and deserve. As I said, I have admired Faraz for a while, but after speaking more with him, I'm convinced that he's among our greatest advocates. We are lucky to have him in this movement.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Allied ScholarsDonate to ASAPFaraz's YouTubeFaraz's IGFaraz's FBFaraz's BlueSky

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Well, this was unfortunate. I invited Molly Elwood, CEO of Elwood's Organic Dog Meat, for what I hoped would be a cordial debate. It started out well. But things all started to go off the rails after Molly, in true Cruella de Vil style, started to cackle after describing some tragic details of what happens to her dogs. After that moment, and as the questions started to get too intense for her, she started mashing buttons on her keyboard to cause the feed to crash out over and over. I wasn't about to let her sabotage the debate, though. So I've done my best to edit it back into a seamless, watchable debate. Despite Molly's childish behavior, I am considering inviting her back for a part 2. I hesitate whether to give someone as despicable as Molly a platform. But in fairness to her, I will include her links below. However, I would warn people with regards to her website. Under no circumstances should you scroll to the bottom of the page. There's some really horrific stuff down there. If you can bear to see her, this podcast is also available on YouTube.Links:Elwood's websiteElwood's on YouTube

Elwood's IGMolly's IGElwood's FBMolly's FBElwood's TikTokElwood's BlueSkyWatch DominionWatch Earthlings