Outside Issues

Patrick Newman and Audrey Comber
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  • Politics
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A Seattle-based social worker and an LA-based creative navigate their personal recoveries from drugs and alcohol, domestic violence and mental disorders amidst encroaching political turmoil and social decay. Hosts Audrey Comber and Patrick Newman attempt to bridge the divide between recovery and world events, recognizing that we live in a society and these dynamics feed each other. Guests from the world of politics and organizing, psychology and 12-step recovery, disability activism and more will supplement an ongoing conversation between two friends seeking to heal the world as they heal themselves. In a time when the environment, democracy and vulnerable populations are under siege, Outside Issues offers education and solidarity across class and identity lines, advocating for the dignity and value of every person. Main show theme is “Strangers” by Midnight Prisms Music and lyrics by Alicia Beck Music and production by Max Foreman Mastering by Little Castle Sound Please follow and listen to Midnight Prisms on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/artist/3o5jiLSZMoSXNWL98UBxYI?si=sK-K7IoUSp-QfFKgUwVY7A Logo art by Graffiti F***s (@graffitifucks on Instagram)

  1. 4h ago

    House of the Peace Makers

    Musician, poet, and water protector Sunni (Sunni’i) Leilani joins us to talk about flowing her way into “love activism” which found its roots in early recovery from trauma, inspiration from the music of Prince, and milestones like Standing Rock, where over 500 indigenous tribes gathered in 2016-2017 to protest construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Creating art and fostering meaningful connections can knit together what’s broken in the world, or as Sunni might say: “beauty is encapsulated in purple ice, and the only thing that can free it is sunshine.” Audrey and Patrick round out the episode by touching on recent news like the Cornell University and Jane Doe sexual assault lawsuit, the bigoted political targeting of Ilhan Omar by the Trump administration, and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s remarkable new film “Digger,” an essential cultural touchstone for our moment exploring oligarchy and climate catastrophe. Above all looms the upcoming November midterm elections, where progressive challengers will battle entrenched institutional power and Americans can seize their best opportunity yet to tell Donald Trump to go f**k himself. Everything related to Sunni and her craft can be found on her website: www.sunnii.net  Opening quote by Cornel West, from Robinson’s Podcast Find the full episode @robinsonerhardt Rest in Peace R.J. Mitte 3 Episode title music is “Wisteria Dreams” by SUNNI’i From the album “Wisteria Dreams In Purple Ice” Music and lyrics by Sunni Leilani ℗ Night Owl Earth Angel Studio Producer: Tyrel Collins Recording Engineer: Tyrel Collins Mastering Engineer: Tyrel Collins Mixing Engineer: Tyrel Collins Co- Producer: SUNNI'i Guitar ( Acoustic): Sunni Leilani Guitar ( Electric): Kyle Saxe Keyboard: Leah Elizabeth Bass: Tyrel Collins Drums: Yoji Sera Vocal: Sunni Leilani Links for Sunni’s music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0woF4J4E6rtB https://sunnileilani.bandcamp.com/ https://music.youtube.com/@sunnileilani3709 https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCfXWy https://music.amazon.com/artists/BOGRJM6P Main logo art by Patrick Mitchell and Angelina Harvey (@graffitifucks on Instagram) Main show theme is “Strangers” by Midnight Prisms Music and lyrics by Alicia Beck Music and production by Max Foreman Mastering by Little Castle Sound Please follow and listen to Midnight Prisms on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/artist/3o5jiLSZMoSXNWL98UBxYI?si=sK-K7IoUSp-QfFKgUwVY7A

    House of the Peace Makers

  2. Sep 11

    Blood and Soil, Bread and Roses

    This month we talk about Israel and the language surrounding Zionism, holding fast to our belief in equal dignity and rights for all people. Audrey visits a Seattle town hall featuring Pramila Jayapal about January 6th and the creeping threat of white nationalism. Hasan Piker’s bid to elect Socialists and progressives to Senate and Congressional seats, challenging the Democratic establishment, kicks the big donor hornet’s nest. In Audrey’s clinical work, clients lose medicaid, housing, food and transportation, which sometimes leads to suicides.  DSA’s recent electoral advances kindle our hope that democracy might one day deliver the material support and challenge to imperial violence people around the world are desperately seeking. Opening quote by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI) Main show theme is “Strangers” by Midnight Prisms Music and lyrics by Alicia Beck Music and production by Max Foreman Mastering by Little Castle Sound Please follow and listen to Midnight Prisms on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/artist/3o5jiLSZMoSXNWL98UBxYI?si=sK-K7IoUSp-QfFKgUwVY7A Main logo art by Patrick Mitchell and Angelina Harvey (@graffitifucks on Instagram) Chapters (00:00:00) - DSA Resolution and Corporate Greed Speech(00:01:18) - Intro to Outside Issues Podcast(00:01:23) - Confronting a Zionist Rabbi's Microaggression(00:05:02) - Debating Genocide, Murder, and Legal Definitions(00:05:54) - Zionism, Trauma-Informed Language, and DSA Divisions(00:08:16) - Navigating Confrontation and Solidarity with Jewish Allies(00:09:42) - Finkelstein on Jewish Supremacy vs Zionism(00:11:03) - Personal Reflections on Being Called Colonizer/Bigot(00:14:46) - Nothing to Feel Guilty About(00:15:42) - Hasan Piker's Political Campaigning and Backlash(00:17:45) - Democratic Establishment's Fear and Media Silence on Hasan(00:21:21) - Dope of Hope and Town Hall Seattle Talk on Christian Nationalism(00:23:51) - Staying Informed Without Burnout(00:26:45) - Emotional Labor, Hope, and Systemic Frustration(00:29:38) - Voting as Material Relief and Political Opportunity(00:32:51) - Generational Shift Away from Boomer Politics(00:36:27) - Age of Abundance and Entrenched Capital(00:38:50) - Obama Hope Nostalgia and Lessons Learned

    Blood and Soil, Bread and Roses

  3. Aug 21

    ¡Viva la Raza!

    This month we sit down with mother, wife, addiction counselor, and former dockworker Lorie E. Garcia, who decades in recovery still speaks at meetings, sponsors women and fosters animals to square herself with a God of her understanding. We talk about the Steps, immigrant advocacy, and healing from racism and misogynous traumas through not only the rooms of AA but therapy and “outside help.” Opening quote by U.S. Senate nominee Angie Nixon Main show theme is “Strangers” by Midnight Prisms Music and lyrics by Alicia Beck Music and production by Max Foreman Mastering by Little Castle Sound Please follow and listen to Midnight Prisms on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/artist/3o5jiLSZMoSXNWL98UBxYI?si=sK-K7IoUSp-QfFKgUwVY7A Main logo art by Patrick Mitchell and Angelina Harvey (@graffitifucks on Instagram) Chapters (00:00:00) - Are radical issues worth fighting for?(00:01:07) - One woman's story of Alcoholics Anonymous(00:09:08) - One Mother's Battle With Alcohol(00:13:35) - How the Steps Polishes Your Rough Skin(00:17:50) - Post-Trauma Therapy for Substance Use Disorder(00:23:34) - How Did You Heal the Trauma Around Racism?(00:25:38) - Trump supporters speak out about racism(00:31:36) - The Need for Treatment for Substance Use(00:35:10) - Longshore Women speak out about the challenges(00:36:22) - Pro-Unions: I Love My Union(00:43:23) - 72-Year-Old Woman Rescues Three Cats and Three

    ¡Viva la Raza!

  4. Jul 31

    Feel to Heal

    Audrey welcomes friend and colleague Katherine “Wren” Hamilton, a Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT)-focused social worker. Wren began her journey towards helping others first from her own struggles with anxiety and suicidal ideations. Recovery from a host of addictions and traumas can often be traced to some form of “radical acceptance.” What Wren shares with clients and accesses herself through DBT can also help Audrey to manage her mental health struggles and Patrick to manage his breakup. If we press our emotions down, they’re bound to re-emerge at inopportune times. Feel to heal, and don’t judge your judging! Opening quote by Maria Bamford Rest in peace Kavinsky and Glen Hansard. Rest in piss Lindsay Graham. Mitch McConnell, thoughts and prayers. Main show theme is “Strangers” by Midnight Prisms Music and lyrics by Alicia Beck Music and production by Max Foreman Mastering by Little Castle Sound Please follow and listen to Midnight Prisms on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/artist/3o5jiLSZMoSXNWL98UBxYI?si=sK-K7IoUSp-QfFKgUwVY7A Main logo art by Patrick Mitchell and Angelina Harvey (@graffitifucks on Instagram) Chapters (00:00:00) - How to Get a Dog to Stand Up For You(00:01:01) - How to Love All Your Emotions(00:04:24) - How social work helped me get out of debt(00:07:35) - How to Cope With Suicidality(00:12:48) - Dbt Therapy: The Acceptance Skills and Change Skills(00:19:19) - Developing a mini vacation for mental health needs(00:24:50) - Dbt on Radical Acceptance(00:28:16) - Audrey on Judgeing Others(00:32:39) - Audrey on Working Full-Time(00:36:58) - Don't Judge Your Thinking

    Feel to Heal

  5. Jun 19

    Prisoners of Hope

    After touching on Pride Month and trans dignity, Audrey talks about her joy, pressures, and long term goals in helping others heal, while Patrick discusses taking a chip for 8 years of continuous sobriety. Expressions of hope and joy are vital countermessaging in the era of Trump. Opening quote by Zohran Mamdani Main show theme is “Strangers” by Midnight Prisms Music and lyrics by Alicia Beck Music and production by Max Foreman Mastering by Little Castle Sound Please follow and listen to Midnight Prisms on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/artist/3o5jiLSZMoSXNWL98UBxYI?si=sK-K7IoUSp-QfFKgUwVY7A Main logo art by Patrick Mitchell and Angelina Harvey (@graffitifucks on Instagram) Patrick Newman, Audrey Comber, 12 Steps, Recovery, Addiction, LGBT, Pride Month Chapters (00:00:00) - Mental illness in the DSM-5(00:05:56) - Vanessa Bee on Trans Issues(00:12:49) - How to Stop Being a Shoddy Clinician(00:14:59) - Is Social Work More Head or Heart Oriented?(00:20:20) - How to Rest Your Body With Burnout(00:21:22) - How has your sponsor affected your recovery?(00:26:37) - I Have a Hard Time Sitting With My Feelings(00:33:10) - Bob Ferguson on the millionaires tax(00:39:12) - He Supports Ron DeSantis

    Prisoners of Hope

  6. May 9

    Marxist-Verhoevenists

    Audrey and Patrick welcome Melanie C. to talk about second chances, disillusionment with electoral politics, and Michael Clayton. Covid lockdown, parental support and medication-assisted treatment helped Melanie find recovery from a fifteen year opiate addiction. Reading Edward Said in college began her education on Palestine and her advocacy for humanity and liberation. We shouldn’t demand that revolution and resistance come in the ideological manner we prefer. We aren’t okay with our comfort coming at the expense of human lives. As a practice, Melanie suggests that when it comes to social and political critique, we also put mirror on ourselves: how are we contributing to our communities, to our civics, beyond posting? Follow Melanie on Twitter: @benzostraydogs Her Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/benzostraydogs/ Opening quote by filmmaker Paul Verhoeven, about Starship Troopers Anna Scanlon’s Substack: https://substack.com/@rockfoils Main show theme is “Strangers” by Midnight Prisms Music and lyrics by Alicia Beck Music and production by Max Foreman Mastering by Little Castle Sound Please follow and listen to Midnight Prisms on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/artist/3o5jiLSZMoSXNWL98UBxYI?si=sK-K7IoUSp-QfFKgUwVY7A Main logo art by Patrick Mitchell and Angelina Harvey (@graffitifucks on Instagram) Chapters (00:00:00) - "War makes fascist of us all"(00:00:51) - Mad Max and Fury Road: Cinephile Talk(00:03:57) - The Pit Fanatic On ER(00:07:49) - I Run Into Former Employee From My Heroin Addiction(00:14:09) - Bipolar patient's struggle to quit smoking after 30 years(00:16:22) - Melanie on Her Own Sobriety(00:23:19) - Anti-Israel People on the Democrats(00:30:45) - Members of the DSA Get Involved in the Resistance(00:38:02) - Gen Xers on the 2020 election(00:39:00) - George Clooney in '(00:44:03) - In The Elevator With Michael Clayton

    Marxist-Verhoevenists

  7. May 1

    High Vibrational Individuals

    Nick Casaccio joins us to talk about Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine and its twin dynamics of alcoholism and codependency, relating Mark Kerr’s struggles to our own recoveries. Addiction has a habit of migrating, and we discuss how gambling, shopping, and relationships have taken our stories down new rabbit holes. Nick finished school while he was in treatment more than thirteen years ago, and through Covid, bodybuilding, relationship struggles and physical ailments has continually offered himself in fellowship. The ultimate purpose of celebrating recovery milestones is to inspire newcomers and share our experience strength and hope to those who still suffer. Opening clip by Mark Kerr, from a 2009 interview Episode cover art by Perry Kneisel Main show theme is “Strangers” by Midnight Prisms Music and lyrics by Alicia Beck Music and production by Max Foreman Mastering by Little Castle Sound Please follow and listen to Midnight Prisms on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/artist/3o5jiLSZMoSXNWL98UBxYI?si=sK-K7IoUSp-QfFKgUwVY7A Main logo art by Patrick Mitchell and Angelina Harvey (@graffitifucks on Instagram) Chapters (00:00:00) - A Men's Stag Birthday Bash(00:05:42) - How I Learned To Stop Drinking Alcohol During My Dark Times(00:11:08) - Gambling Helped Me Finish High School(00:17:18) - Casinos are a Bad Place for Gambling Stars(00:22:36) - Bipolar Patient Nick On His Spending Sprees(00:26:19) - The Smashing Machine: Ending Explained(00:27:13) - The Importance of 'The Codependent'(00:34:16) - Bipolar patient celebrates her 10th birthday

    High Vibrational Individuals

  8. Mar 30

    Highest & Best Good

    Audrey welcomes another wounded healer to Outside Issues: spiritual advisor Matthew Blankinship, who helps professionals and peers get stronger in their 11th Step. To become an expert in any field, Matthew believes ten years and ten thousand hours are required, to graduate from “digging the ditches to building the high rise.” After a traumatic brain injury, paralyzed muscles and Vegas nerve severance (among other injuries), Matthew dedicated his life to healing at age 33, beginning his life anew. Divine wisdom - which aided Matthew in his own recovery as it helps Audrey recover from trauma and grief - is something with only light in it. It works for everyone. Our highest and best goods project outward to people and the planet. Politics at their best, can be an extension of this. Mental health care and a spiritual practice give us the tools to keep ourselves in check so we can then help others. Follow Matthew on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattblankinship Opening clip by Brad Dourif and David Milch Main show theme is “Strangers” by Midnight Prisms Music and lyrics by Alicia Beck Music and production by Max Foreman Mastering by Little Castle Sound Please follow and listen to Midnight Prisms on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/artist/3o5jiLSZMoSXNWL98UBxYI?si=sK-K7IoUSp-QfFKgUwVY7A Main logo art by Patrick Mitchell and Angelina Harvey (@graffitifucks on Instagram) Chapters (00:00:01) - Outside Issues: The Future of Protest(00:00:56) - The No Kings Protest(00:03:30) - What Happened to My Brain at 33(00:10:18) - "You Just Look Good!"(00:10:43) - In the Heart of a Healer(00:12:10) - Audrey on Her Highest and Best Good(00:16:11) - I gave up hope for my life(00:23:28) - In the Elevator With Divine Wisdom(00:28:08) - Matthew on Working With Audrey's Recovery

    Highest & Best Good
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About

A Seattle-based social worker and an LA-based creative navigate their personal recoveries from drugs and alcohol, domestic violence and mental disorders amidst encroaching political turmoil and social decay. Hosts Audrey Comber and Patrick Newman attempt to bridge the divide between recovery and world events, recognizing that we live in a society and these dynamics feed each other. Guests from the world of politics and organizing, psychology and 12-step recovery, disability activism and more will supplement an ongoing conversation between two friends seeking to heal the world as they heal themselves. In a time when the environment, democracy and vulnerable populations are under siege, Outside Issues offers education and solidarity across class and identity lines, advocating for the dignity and value of every person. Main show theme is “Strangers” by Midnight Prisms Music and lyrics by Alicia Beck Music and production by Max Foreman Mastering by Little Castle Sound Please follow and listen to Midnight Prisms on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/artist/3o5jiLSZMoSXNWL98UBxYI?si=sK-K7IoUSp-QfFKgUwVY7A Logo art by Graffiti F***s (@graffitifucks on Instagram)

Information

  • Creator
    Patrick Newman and Audrey Comber
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Outside Issues