Outside Issues

Patrick Newman and Audrey Comber

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. Hold the Land, Protect the Village

    2일 전

    Hold the Land, Protect the Village

    Audrey and Patrick welcome Minneapolis native and clinician Brian Dyke to talk about community responses to state violence. The joy in working with recovering people in these tough times can be found through helping them discover their inherent sense of individuality. Looking towards the future and continued ICE occupation in Minneapolis and other American cities, we must remember: these things will only continue to happen as long as they’re allowed to happen. Opening clip and quote by Ilhan Omar, U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District U.S. Citizens Testify About DHS/ICE’s Use of Violent Force: https://www.youtube.com/live/UagENT1CAP0?si=D2_DhzlAA7Mgvn5Y The Paramilitary ICE and CBP Units at the Center of Minnesota's Killings: https://www.wired.com/story/ice-cbp-srt-bortac-units-immigration-operations/?utm_brand=wired&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=aud-dev&fbclid=IwY2xjawP048NleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeR8OQvx5qLqSWcxMLq9EARy9T9RjzUAlf3hE3z65GFLQVJuMvmX6ySK-Nrn8_aem_jFvtTipjPFexdNQl4BdOJA The Execution of Alex Pretti Broke Me: https://youtu.be/nDEAWxG7Bq8?si=uKTHrze3yEn-vRMP 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) - ICE's violent occupation of American cities(00:00:44) - Protesters Throw Dildos at Law Enforcement(00:06:00) - Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges on ICE infiltration(00:09:03) - Social Workers on the City's Emotional Weight(00:13:03) - Minnesota doctor on the treatment business(00:14:58) - Medicaid cuts in Washington state(00:19:24) - Tom Brokaw on 12 Step Practice(00:23:09) - Clinical psychologists talk about the politics of their patients(00:31:23) - Minnesota resident on ICE's response to North Minneapolis shooting(00:34:42) - The Need for Self-Care

    36분
  2. Unmitigated Caucacity

    1월 20일

    Unmitigated Caucacity

    Every member of the Trump administration is an abuser. Audrey and Patrick discuss Trump’s execution of Stephen Miller’s vision in American cities but most recently in Minneapolis with the murder of Renee Good. Today we mull our new reality of a President not just waging war abroad but on his domestic population, with misogyny and white supremacy at the tip of the spear. Opening clip and quote by Chase Iron Eyes of Ogala Sioux https://www.fox9.com/news/oglala-sioux-leaders-seek-missing-members-detained-ice-minneapolis?utm_source=chatgpt.com This Isn’t 2020: https://www.ettingermentum.news/p/this-isnt-2020 The Anti-'Abolish ICE' Crowd is Living in the Past: https://open.substack.com/pub/discourseblog/p/the-anti-abolish-ice-crowd-is-living?r=ffyqp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web 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) Closing quote by Hasan Piker Chapters (00:00:00) - American Indian members held by ICE in Minnesota(00:00:45) - The Renee Goode Shooting(00:07:40) - Anticipating a Civil War with ICE in the Cities(00:17:35) - "What Am I Going to Do To Protect My Family?"(00:19:59) - Escalation and Deescalation in Healthcare(00:21:25) - What a Deescalation Would Look Like for ICE?(00:26:22) - Don't Let ICE Agents Go to Your Neighborhood

    31분
  3. New Year's Eve

    2025. 12. 31.

    New Year's Eve

    We share our gratitudes and resentments for the 2025 that was, preparing for the devastation of HR-1/Trump’s F*****y F**k F**k (see episode 2) that is sure to come. Audrey and Patrick welcome social worker Seth Boun to talk about some of his political advocacy, shedding light on the space where social justice and clinical work meet. In the fight for progress, in the fight for each other’s lives, sometimes we lose. Hope is a verb, as is recovery. Opening quote by Rob Reiner. Main show theme is “Strangers” by Midnight Prisms Opening quote by Greta Thunberg 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) - Why People Do Things They Shouldn't(00:00:53) - Seth Boone on Outside Issues(00:02:03) - Social justice in mental health care(00:07:30) - I'm Not Political but Mental Health Care Is Political(00:15:22) - Talking With My Therapist About Mental Health(00:16:01) - Beyond the Need for Housing: Social Issues(00:19:03) - 2017: Trump's Homeless Executive Order(00:26:09) - Losing a Friend To Addiction(00:29:07) - On Gratitude for the Year(00:32:54) - Thanksgiving Letter: A Year in Recovery(00:36:17) - What Pissed You Off This Year?(00:39:35) - Thanksgiving 2018: What I'm Grateful For(00:45:44) - Seth on His Recovery

    48분
  4. God, Give Them What They Need

    2025. 12. 17.

    God, Give Them What They Need

    Dr. Jamie Marich - clinical trauma specialist, LGBTQIA+ advocate and author of Trauma and the 12 Steps - joins us as we return again to the intersection between recovery and social justice. Audrey and Jamie talk about spirituality, trauma, and the Steps. Is there such a thing as unconditional love? Is there any daylight between helplessness and powerlessness? We submit that there may be spiritual value in praying for those we resent, even Donald Trump. More about Jamie Marich: https://jamiemarich.com/meet-jamie/ Jamie’s recent Substack: “A Good Clinician is a Good Clinician: A Response to the Department of Education: https://open.substack.com/pub/jamiemarich/p/a-good-clinician-is-a-good-clinician?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer Main show theme is “Strangers” by Midnight Prisms Opening quote by Greta Thunberg 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) - Jamie Merrick on Trauma in the 12 Steps(00:09:47) - How to Heal an Addict: Healing the Brain(00:13:35) - The 12 Steps: Healing From Religious Trauma(00:20:50) - Patrick, What's Your Take On Unconditional Love(00:23:33) - Forgive and Regret: The Resentment Prayer(00:32:33) - Has anything changed about your personal recovery practice or your work?(00:36:58) - Have You Redone the 12 Steps?

    43분
  5. 36 Cents and a Pair of Sunglasses

    2025. 10. 27.

    36 Cents and a Pair of Sunglasses

    For domestic violence awareness month, Audrey shares her experience strength and hope, both from a clinical perspective and from once living in the 90th percentile of homicide risk from her abuser. To show up for survivors, the most important thing we can do is listen to them, believe them, validate their experience. The role of anger can be valid and constructive, not just self-immolating.   We also touch on ongoing ICE kidnappings, the radicalization of the liberal Democratic base, controversy surrounding progressive Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, continued rizz of the Mamdani campaign, and the tsunami of the national No Kings protest.   U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233   Domestic Violence online resources (Instagram) for those who may need help: @ndvhofficial @rainn @childhelp @nrcdv @deafhotline @niwrc @strongheartsDV @futureswithoutviolence @womenforwomen @blackandmissingfdn   Opening quote by Evan Rachel Wood   Title references Tina Turner’s escape from her abuser with little more than the clothes on her back.   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) - White Privilege in Domestic Violence(00:07:17) - Graham Platner on Sen. Susan Collins(00:13:43) - October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month(00:22:01) - Domestic Violence Awareness Month(00:25:02) - Domestic Violence Survivor Talking About Healing(00:29:29) - In the Elevator With JD Vance(00:32:00) - One of many places where men can contribute positively to this problem(00:34:23) - No Kings Protest: How Was the Protest?

    37분
  6. Bedford Forrest Medals of Honor

    2025. 10. 06.

    Bedford Forrest Medals of Honor

    Audrey and Patrick discuss Trump and Secretary of Defense Hegseth’s address to top military brass. The continued deployment of U.S. troops to cities (bolstering ICE brutalities) plays a key role in the continued degradation of American institutions and the rapid drop into authoritarianism we’re all experiencing. Met during treatment in early recovery, Audrey’s friend and former service member Richard Orosco joins us. Richard is a third-generation Mexican American from Redondo Beach, California, and a proud U.S. Army veteran. A graduate of Mira Costa High School’s class of 1996, Richard enlisted shortly after graduation and served nearly six years as a truck driver, with assignments in Korea and across the United States. After a service-related injury led to a medical discharge, he has spent the years since focusing on recovery and personal growth, overcoming PTSD and anxiety through dedicated therapy and support from the VA in Long Beach. Today, Richard is happily married, a proud father to his daughter attending Cal State Long Beach, and continues to embrace life’s next chapters with optimism, gratitude, and a passion for travel and self-improvement.   Donate to the ACLU to support trans rights and fight the Trump agenda: https://action.aclu.org/give/pm-donate-fight-trump-agenda The Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF): https://www.pcrf.net Further relief options to the victims of genocide and famine through The Sameer Project:  https://linktr.ee/thesameerproject Every bit helps.   Opening conversation between Elissa Slotkin and Pete Hegseth was taken from his confirmation hearing. Title references the fictional (for now) “Bedford Forrest Medal of Honor” bestowed upon Col. Steven J. Lockjaw in One Battle After Another, in theaters now.   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) - Secretary of Defense: No President Has the Right to Use the Uniform(00:01:29) - Richard's Mother Meets His Sister(00:08:19) - One HIV patient's journey to recovery(00:13:35) - One father's journey back to sobriety(00:17:48) - Richard Orozco on His Journey To Sobriety(00:19:58) - Bipolar 2 and Borderline Personality Disorder(00:27:40) - Richard on the President's Military Speech(00:35:22) - Veterans Talk About Their Fear(00:41:30) - Let Trump Be Trump: Martin Sheen

    45분

소개

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)