The Independent with Scott Atlas

Abbas Milani | What Comes Next in Iran? | Ep. 66

Independent Institute — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:07:01 +0000

Scott welcomes Iranian-American historian, educator, and author Abbas Milani, who was imprisoned by the Shah of Iran in 1975. He is now a research fellow and co-director of the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institution and the Hamid and Christina Madam Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University. He was born in Iran, came to California when he was 16 years old, and was educated at UC Berkeley and got a PhD from University of Hawaii. He's published many books including The Myth of the Great Satan: A New Look at America's Relations with Iran and The Shah. They have a fascinating discussion on the state of affairs in Iran and the Middle East.

Don Boudreaux | Socialism and its History of Failure | Ep. 65

Independent Institute — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 22:44:00 +0000

Scott welcomes Donald Boudreaux, Senior Fellow with the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. They have a conversation about free market economics, especially relating Hayek's fundamental points from almost a hundred years ago to what we see in America today and its relevance to the most important point of economic freedom - that it's the basis for all freedoms in America today.

Chad Wolf | Reversing Illegal Immigration: From Election Mandate to Implementation | Ep. 64

Independent Institute — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:09:12 +0000

Scott welcomes Chad Wolf, Executive Vice-President and Chair of Homeland Security and Immigration at the America First Policy Institute. He previously served as acting Secretary of Homeland Security during President Trump's first term. He has received numerous awards and accolades for his service to the nation, including the US Secretary of Transportation 911 Medal, the US Secretary of Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal. They have a conversation about immigration, national security issues, and the work being done in the Trump administration to ensure safety and freedom in America today.

Shelby Steele | Why Blacks Must Reject the Victimhood Narrative | Ep. 63

Independent Institute — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 19:34:01 +0000

Scott welcomes renowned author and scholar Shelby Steele. Steele is an expert on race relations and race-based civil rights policies in America He's formerly the Robert and Marianne Oster Senior Fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution. He's received numerous honors and awards for his work, including the Bradley Prize, the National Humanities Medal, an Emmy Award, and the National Book Critic Circle Award in 1990. Perhaps he's best known for his 2006 book, White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era. They have a provocative conversation about the polarizing issue of race relations.

Truth, Bias, and Power: How the Transformation of America’s Media is Reshaping Society | Ep. 62

Independent Institute — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 17:19:02 +0000

Scott Atlas joins Ben Domenech, Mollie Hemmingway, and Chanel Rion for an in-depth discussion of the state of the American news media. America’s media is rapidly being transformed, and that transformation is accelerating. Beyond technology, the shift to social media was driven by a plummeting of trust in national news outlets, whose reporting was often overtly biased and false. Ironically, after social media platforms emerged as the new town square, they rapidly became tools for censorship, at times in collusion with government, most vividly on display during COVID. This forum will explore the future of social and legacy media in the search for objective information, especially as we enter the era of artificial intelligence.

Harmeet Dhillon | Trump DOJ: Ensuring Election Integrity and Fixing Immigration | Ep. 61

Independent Institute — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 23:50:31 +0000

Scott welcomes back Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division in the Department of Justice. Prior to that she founded the Dhillon Law Group as well as the Center for American Liberty, a nonprofit dedicated to pursuing civil liberties legal claims. Her private law practice career is focused on free speech, civil rights, and campaign and election law issues. They discuss the important work being done in the Trump administration regarding civil rights and freedom in America today.

Harmeet Dhillon | How the Trump DOJ Is Dismantling Campus DEI and Censorship | Ep. 60

Independent Institute — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 17:49:18 +0000

Victor Davis Hanson: The Entitlement Mentality Driving Socialism in New York | Ep. 59

Independent Institute — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 15:37:19 +0000

In this second part of his two-part interview, Scott Atlas and Victor Davis Hanson explore misguided progressive policies that disproportionately harm the poor, encouraging crime as lenient judges and prosecutors push alternative sentencing. They discuss New York's socialist electoral trends, fueled mainly by an attitude of entitlement among America's younger generation. They conclude with a discussion of how Trump's authentic, resilient persona drives leftist vitriol, and how the political landscape might change in a post-Trump America.

Victor Davis Hanson | The Left’s Love of Political Violence Is the Threat to Democracy | Ep. 58

Independent Institute — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 19:42:22 +0000

Scott welcomes back acclaimed author and historian Victor Davis Hanson. They discuss the legacy of Charlie Kirk, and how lenient policies on crime and extreme media hyperbole against conservatives normalizes and even encourages political violence.

Free Speech Today in Free Societies | Panel Discussion | Ep. 57 | Pt. 4/4

Independent Institute — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 04:00:07 +0000

Part 4/4 of the Event "Free Speech Today in Free Societies," held September 5–6, 2025 at the Widder Hotel in Zurich, Switzerland. Sponsored by the Global Liberty Institute.

Andrew Tettenborn is a Professor and Chair in Law, Swansea University, and writer, United Kingdom.
John Yoo is an Emmanuel Heller Prof. of Law, Univ of California-Berkeley; Distinguished Visiting Prof, School of Civic Leadership, University of Texas-Austin, USA. Joachim Steinhoefel is an Attorney, civil rights and media law, and active litigator; Hamburg, Germany.

Europe and the Trump Economic Policies | Panel Discussion | Ep. 56 | Pt. 3/4

Independent Institute — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 22:04:20 +0000

Part 3/4 of the Event "Europe and the Trump Economic Policies," held September 5–6, 2025 at the Widder Hotel in Zurich, Switzerland. Sponsored by the Global Liberty Institute.

Barbara Kolm is the President, Hayek Institute, Vienna; Founding Director, Austrian Economics Center, and former Vice-President of the Österreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank). Reiner Eichenberger is the Professor for Economic and Financial Policy, University of Fribourg, Switzerland Thomas Mayer Founding Director, Flossbach von Storch Research Institute Germany; Former Chief Economist of Deutsche Bank Group and Head of Deutsche Bank Research Germany.

Dr. Scott Atlas is a world-renowned expert in health care policy and frequent policy advisor to policymakers and government officials. He investigates the role of government and the private sector in health care quality and access, global trends in health care innovation, and the key economic and civil liberty issues related to health policy. The Independent features Dr. Atlas in conversation with high profile, news-making guests around public health policy, science, civil liberties, censorship and free speech, higher education, the media, and more.

Scott Atlas & Joshua Rauh | Trumponomics: The America First Economic Plan | Ep. 55 | Pt. 2/4

Independent Institute — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 16:35:05 +0000

Part 2/4 of the Event "Alliances and Freedom in the Trump Era," held September 5–6, 2025 at the Widder Hotel in Zurich, Switzerland. Sponsored by the Global Liberty Institute.

Joshua Rauh is a renowned economist, He is the Ormond Family Professor of Finance at Stanford’s
Graduate School of Business and a senior fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution. He leads the Hoover Institution State and Local Government Initiative. He formerly served at the White House as principal chief economist on the President’s Council of Economic Advisers (2019-20). He has testified before House, Joint, and Joint Select Committees of the United States Congress, and he is a member of the Panel of Economic Advisers of the Congressional Budget Office. He has received several awards recognizing his scholarship including the Brattle Prize and the Smith Breeden Prize of the American Finance Association. Prior to his academic career, he was an associate economist at Goldman Sachs. He received a BA from Yale University and a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, both in economics.

Scott Atlas & Chad Wolf | Security, Immigration, and Peace | Ep. 54 | Pt. 1/4

Independent Institute — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 23:47:54 +0000

Part 1/4 of the Event "Alliances and Freedom in the Trump Era," held September 5–6, 2025 at the Widder Hotel in Zurich, Switzerland. Sponsored by the Global Liberty Institute.

Chad F. Wolf is America First Policy Institute’s Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer & Chair of the Center for Homeland Security & Immigration. Previously, Wolf served as Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). At DHS, he successfully navigated numerous global and domestic challenges to the nation’s security. He also serves as President and Founder of Wolf Global Advisors. Prior to his service at DHS, he spent over 10 years in the private sector helping clients manage risks and earlier in his career worked on Capitol Hill. He has received the U.S. Secretary of Transportation 9/11 Medal, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal.

Heather Mac Donald | Crime Stats Don’t Lie. Why Are We Ignoring Them? | Ep. 53

Independent Institute — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 23:02:04 +0000

Scott welcomes Heather Mac Donald, one of the country's most important voices who exposes the truth and the data behind it. Heather is the Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and a contributing editor of City Journal. Her latest book is When Race Trumps Merit. In it she explains what she calls the foolish pursuit of undermining meritocracy in favor of equal outcome. They discuss critical social issues including crime, media bias, and cultural shifts, including the feminization of American society and an anti-male narrative that MacDonald sees as harmful to families and societal success.

Larry Arnn | Saving American Education: Lessons from Hillsdale College | Ep. 52

Independent Institute — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 20:45:25 +0000

Scott welcomes Larry Arnn, the 12th president of Hillsdale College, where he's also a professor of politics and history. He received his undergraduate education at Arkansas State University and then graduated with an MA and a PhD in government from the Claremont Graduate School. He also studied at Oxford University in the UK where he served as director of research for Sir Martin Gilbert, the official biographer of Winston Churchill. He was then president of the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy. He's the author of several books, including Liberty and Learning: The Evolution of American Education. They have a conversation about several of today's most controversial issues involving college campuses, including free speech and its limits, the impact of government funding, and admissions of foreign students into US universities.

Robert Robbins | Censorship, Threats, and Chaos on America's Campuses | Ep. 51

Independent Institute — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 21:21:17 +0000

Scott welcomes Robert (Bobby) Robbins, President Emeritus of the University of Arizona where he served as president from 2017 to 2024. Prior to University of Arizona, he served as the president and CEO of the Texas Medical Center after being chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University. They discuss many of the issues facing college campuses today, including free speech and its limits, the impact of government and taxpayer funding, merit-based admissions, and the friction between young students from other countries and the United States.

Michael McConnell | Government Overreach Exposed: From Student Loans to Obamacare | Ep. 50 | Part 2/2

Independent Institute — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 21:38:48 +0000

In the second part of this two part episode, Scott welcomes Professor Michael McConnell, Director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. From 2002 to 2009 he served as circuit judge on the US Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. He teaches courses on constitutional law the first amendment and interpretive theory. He has published widely in constitutional law, especially church and state, equal protection, and separation of powers. He's written several books including “The President Who Would Not Be King: Executive Power Under the Constitution.” He has argued 16 cases in front of the US Supreme Court he earned his JD from University of Chicago and served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice William J Brennan. They discuss some of today's most controversial issues involving the Constitution and law in the context of presidential power and the separation of powers including immigration, censorship and free speech on campus protests.

Michael McConnell | The Courts vs. the Presidency: America's Separation of Powers Crisis | Ep. 49 | Part 1/2

Independent Institute — Wed, 28 May 2025 17:27:51 +0000

In this episode, Scott welcomes Professor Michael McConnell, Director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. From 2002 to 2009 he served as circuit judge on the US Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. He teaches courses on constitutional law the first amendment and interpretive theory. He has published widely in constitutional law, especially church and state, equal protection, and separation of powers. He's written several books including “The President Who Would Not Be King: Executive Power Under the Constitution.” He has argued 16 cases in front of the US Supreme Court he earned his JD from University of Chicago and served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice William J Brennan. They discuss some of today's most controversial issues involving the Constitution and law in the context of presidential power and the separation of powers including immigration, censorship and free speech on campus protests.

Gad Saad: How Irrational Empathy Fuels Cultural Chaos | Ep. 48

Independent Institute — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 21:15:59 +0000

In this episode Scott welcomes Gad Saad, professor of marketing at Concordia University in Montreal and visiting professor at Northwood University. Professor Saad has pioneered the use of evolutionary psychology in marketing and consumer behavior. His works include several books and published papers, many at the intersection of psychology, advertising, medicine, and economics. He's also working on a new book “Suicidal Empathy” which follows the 2020 release of his previous bestseller “The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense.” They discuss the psychology behind irrational behavior of the public, especially young adults, and what might come next in the interplay between the media, universities, politics, and public behavior.

John Cochrane: Economic Pitfalls and Opportunities in Trump's Second Term | Ep. 47

Independent Institute — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 20:04:12 +0000

In this episode Scott welcomes economist John Cochrane who specializes in financial economics and macroeconomics. He's the Rosemary and Jack Anderson senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution. Previously he was a professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and before that at the University of Chicago Department of Economics. He also writes the very popular Grumpy Economist blog. His most recent book is The Fiscal Theory of the Price Level, arguing that inflation is due to government debt and higher interest rates. They discuss several of today's key and most controversial issues in economic policy which are front and center in the Trump era.

Chanel Rion: Breaking the Media Monopoly at the White House and Beyond | Ep. 46

Independent Institute — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 23:50:08 +0000

In this episode, Scott welcomes Chanel Rion, former White House Chief Correspondent for One America News Network (OAN). She now hosts her own show on OAN called "Fine Point with Chanel Rion." Chanel earned her degree in international relations from Harvard, and since then she has been at the center of exposing some of the most impactful stories in recent politics and has special insight into the transformation of America's media and the news that’s emanating from the White House. They have a great conversation about where we are with America's news and journalism, censorship, and her views on how to restore the media' most crucial role: holding the powerful accountable.

Kim Strassel: When Free Speech Meets Government Pressure | Ep. 45 | Part 2/2

Independent Institute — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 17:31:12 +0000

In the second part of this two part episode, Scott welcomes Kim Strassel, an award-winning journalist, editorial writer and author. Kim is a member of the editorial board for the Wall Street Journal and is a regular contributor to TV news and political shows including CBS's Face the Nation, Fox News Sunday, NBC's Meet the Press and the Journal Editorial Report. She is the author of “The Intimidation Game: How the Left is Silencing Free Speech,” which chronicles recent attacks on conservative nonprofits, businesses and donors. They have an insightful conversation about the role of America’s legacy and social media and its transformation over the past several years, especially relating to the Trump election. They also discuss censorship and what lies ahead politically and as American media evolves.

Kim Strassel: The Role of Social Media in Modern Politics | Ep. 44 | PART 1/2

Independent Institute — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 18:18:15 +0000

In this episode Scott welcomes Kim Strassel, an award-winning journalist, editorial writer and author. Kim is a member of the editorial board for the Wall Street Journal and is a regular contributor to TV news and political shows including CBS's Face the Nation, Fox News Sunday, NBC's Meet the Press and the Journal Editorial Report. She is the author of “The Intimidation Game: How the Left is Silencing Free Speech,” which chronicles recent attacks on conservative nonprofits, businesses and donors. They have an insightful conversation about the role of America’s legacy and social media and its transformation over the past several years, especially relating to the Trump election. They also discuss censorship and what lies ahead politically and as American media evolves.

Suella Braverman: Embracing Western Values and Heritage | Ep. 43 | PART 2/2

Independent Institute — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 19:07:01 +0000

Suella Braverman: Immigration and the Conservative Collapse in the UK | Ep. 42

Independent Institute — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 05:34:14 +0000

In this episode Scott welcomes Britain’s Right Honorable Suella Braverman, a conservative member of the UK Parliament elected first in 2015. She served in several high posts in the UK government, including on the education select committee, as a Brexit minister, as attorney general under Boris Johnson until 2022, and as Home Secretary. Her priorities include stopping small boat immigration across the English Channel, common sense policing and safety for the British people. Suella says “you can make your life and that of others better by taking a responsibility self-empowerment and service.”

Sweden’s Anders Tegnell: Lessons from the Pandemic | Ep. 41

Independent Institute — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 03:24:48 +0000

In this episode Scott welcomes Sweden's Dr Anders Tegnell, physician and epidemiologist who was the state epidemiologist at the Public Health Agency of Sweden for a special conversation in front of a live audience in Zurich for the Global Liberty Institute's International Rising Leader Summit. They discuss Sweden's response during the COVID pandemic basing Sweden's strategy around maintaining an open society with voluntary guidelines instead of lockdowns, mandates, and school closures. Since then, the world's data proves that Sweden's response was correct with the smallest rise in excess mortality of all developed nations and avoiding severe harms particularly to children found especially in the United States.

Steve Hilton: Election Issues and Implications for California | Ep. 40 | PART 2/2

Independent Institute — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 21:51:34 +0000

In the second part of this two part episode, Scott welcomes back Steve Hilton, author, news commentator, entrepreneur, and policy expert. He was born in London to Hungarian parents who escaped communism, graduated from Oxford University and served as the director of strategy and senior advisor to then-UK Prime Minister David Cameron. After coming to the US and writing for Fox News, he hosted his own popular show The Next Revolution until 2023 as a proponent of what he called "positive populism." Since then he's increased his focus on California, forming an organization called Golden Together and rumored to be seeking the governorship of California. They have a wide-ranging conversation about the role of the media in the wake of the election, censorship, and what happens next both politically and as American media evolves.

Steve Hilton: 2024 Election in Review | Ep. 39 | PART 1/2

Independent Institute — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 23:35:43 +0000

In this episode Scott welcomes Steve Hilton, author, news commentator, entrepreneur, and policy expert. He was born in London to Hungarian parents who escaped communism, graduated from Oxford University and served as the director of strategy and senior advisor to then-UK Prime Minister David Cameron. After coming to rhe US and writing for Fox News, he hosted his own popular show The Next Revolution until 2023 as a proponent of what he called "positive populism." Since then he's increased his focus on California, forming an organization called Golden Together and rumored to be seeking the governorship of California. They have a wide-ranging conversation about the role of the media in the wake of the election, censorship, and what happens next both politically and as American media evolves.

Michael Shellenberger: Exposing the Deep State | Ep. 38 | PART 2/2

Independent Institute — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 17:02:16 +0000

In the second part of this two part episode, Scott welcomes back Michael Shellenberger, bestselling author of "San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities" and "Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All". As an award-winning investigative journalist, he has broken major stories in crime and drug policy, homelessness, climate change, and most recently exposing the role of government and intelligence agencies in collusion with Big Tech censorship or Americans.

Michael Shellenberger: Big Tech and Government Censorship | Ep. 37 | PART 1/2

Independent Institute — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 21:39:43 +0000

In this episode, Scott welcomes Michael Shellenberger, bestselling author of "San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities" and "Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All". As an award-winning investigative journalist, he has broken major stories in crime and drug policy, homelessness, climate change, and most recently exposing the role of government and intelligence agencies in collusion with Big Tech censorship or Americans. They have a conversation about those issues and particularly how America's media is functioning in their essential role in a free society.

H. R. McMaster: Diplomacy and Force in Global Conflicts | Ep. 36 | PART 2/2

Independent Institute — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 17:25:21 +0000

In the second part of this two part episode, Scott welcomes H. R. McMaster, former Trump administration National Security Advisor to the show. They have a conversation about several of today's hotspots in the world including ongoing military battles arising under the Biden Administration and how our elected leaders are functioning to keep us safe.

H. R. McMaster: Presidential Leadership and International Conflict | Ep. 35 | PART 1/2

Independent Institute — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 18:02:43 +0000

In this episode Scott welcomes former Trump administration National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster. H.R. is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover institution and also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud fellow at Freeman Spogli Institute, and he also lectures at Stanford's business school. They have a conversation about several of today's hotspots in the world including ongoing military battles arising under the Biden Administration and how our elected leaders are functioning to keep us safe.

Victor Davis Hanson: Politicians Ignore History and Misjudge War Realities | Ep. 34 | PART 2/2

Independent Institute — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 02:53:12 +0000

In the second part of this two part episode, Scott welcomes back to the show Victor Davis Hanson, world renowned scholar of classics and military history.They discuss the current state of foreign affairs and our politicians' refusal to learn from history. His latest two books are The Dying Citizen and The End of Everything.

Victor Davis Hanson: Mass Immigration and the Clash of Cultures | Ep. 33 | PART 1/2

Independent Institute — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 21:42:56 +0000

In this episode, Scott welcomes back to the show Victor Davis Hanson, world renowned scholar of classics and military history. Victor is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at Hoover Institution of Stanford University. His latest two books are The Dying Citizen and The End of Everything. They discuss immigration, patriotism, nationalism, and the clash of cultures and values in America today.

Ilya Shapiro: Free Speech, Law School Ideology, Judicial Activism, and More | Ep. 32 | PART 2/2

Independent Institute — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 17:17:27 +0000

In this second part of his two part interview, Dr. Atlas interviews Ilya Shapiro, senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute. Formerly, he was executive director and senior lecturer at Georgetown's Center for the Constitution. He's written several books, including the forthcoming Lawless: The Miseducation of America's Elites. They have a conversation about several of the most controversial issues in law and society, including the ideological invasion at our law schools, judicial activism, free speech, and more.

Ilya Shapiro: The Legal Landscape of COVID, Presidential Immunity and More | Ep. 31 | PART 1/2

Independent Institute — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 00:25:59 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews Ilya Shapiro, senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute. Formerly, he was executive director and senior lecturer at Georgetown's Center for the Constitution. He's written several books, including the forthcoming Lawless: The Miseducation of America's Elites. And in 2020, he wrote Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America's Highest Court. They have a conversation about several of the most controversial issues in law and society, many of which are playing out every day in the United States.

May Mailman: Preserving Women's Rights in the Era of Gender Ideology | Ep. 30

Independent Institute — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 18:34:44 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews May Mailman, director of Independent Women's Law Center. May spent four years as a White House legal adviser to President Donald Trump where she advised on a wide range of policies and recently served as the Deputy Solicitor General for the state of Ohio. She is also one of the star Rising Leaders of the Global Liberty Institute. They discuss May's critical work on the fight to protect women's rights, including privacy, and ultimately the legal relevance of biological sex in the United States.

Aaron Sibarium: Redefining Investigative Reporting | Ep. 29

Independent Institute — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 19:31:45 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews Aaron Sibarium, one of the star journalists representing a new group of young reporters committed to restoring the critical role of true investigative reporting. At the Washington Free Beacon, he's broken several critical stories, including exposing academic fraud and malfeasance at our elite universities. He graduated from Yale University where he was the opinion editor of the Yale Daily News. They discuss the state of America's journalism today, and Aaron’s journey and motivation in reporting truth.

Harmeet Dhillon: Free Speech and Justice in America Today | Ep. 28

Independent Institute — Fri, 31 May 2024 03:27:53 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews Harmeet Dhillon, a nationally recognized attorney whose focus is employment law, First Amendment rights, election law and commercial litigation. She is a trial lawyer and the managing partner at Dhillon Law Group in San Francisco. She's also CEO and founder of the Center for American Liberty and the co-chair of the Republican National Lawyers Association. They have a wide-ranging conversation about key issues like free speech, the current state of our system of justice and its politicization, and separation of powers essential to our government's function.

Stanley Goldfarb: The Cost of Identity Politics in Medicine | Ep. 27

Independent Institute — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 20:38:05 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews physician Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, former associate dean at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and founder of "Do No Harm". Dr. Goldfarb argues that American healthcare is being destroyed as political ideology increasingly supplants excellence in admission and training of medical students, as well as in medical care itself. They have an important conversation about how DEI, racial preferences, and woke politics in medical schools and medical care threaten the health and future of America.

Dinesh D'Souza: Reflecting on Freedom and America | Ep. 26

Independent Institute — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 23:07:48 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews Dinesh D'Souza, bestselling author, award winning filmmaker, and investigative political commentator. D'souza served in the Reagan White House, was President of King's College, and is the author of many books including Illiberal Education, Letters to a Young Conservative, and United States of Socialism. His films include 2000 Mules, and America: Imagine a World Without Her. They discuss freedom in America, ongoing attacks on the ideals upon which the nation was founded, and the resulting division and lack of trust in institutions that threaten the very essence of the nation.

Alex Epstein: The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels | Ep. 25

Independent Institute — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 21:39:33 +0000

In this episode Dr. Atlas interviews Alex Epstein, bestselling author and philosopher. He is the author of "The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels", arguing that human flourishing and freedom itself require that humanity use more fossil fuels, not less. His most recent book is "Fossil Future: Why Global Human Flourishing Requires More Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas—Not Less". They have a conversation about energy policy, its tradeoffs, and its moral basis, including required energy conversion, mandated electric vehicles, and other policies that have become dogmas to progressive policymakers and many citizens, to a point where even questioning these ideas provokes cancellation and attack.

Scott Atlas Podcast: Year One Highlights

Independent Institute — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:04:00 +0000

Dr. Scott Atlas is a world-renowned expert in health care policy and frequent policy advisor to policymakers and government officials. He investigates the role of government and the private sector in health care quality and access, global trends in health care innovation, and the key economic and civil liberty issues related to health policy. Independent Truths features Dr. Atlas in conversation with high profile, news-making guests around public health policy, science, civil liberties, censorship and free speech, higher education, the media, and more.

Naomi Wolf: The Media’s Vanishing Journalistic Standards | Ep. 24

Independent Institute — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 19:28:23 +0000

In this episode Dr. Atlas interviews Dr. Naomi Wolf, bestselling author, columnist, professor, and graduate of Yale University. She is co-founder and CEO of the company Daily Clout whose mission is to empower people with information and facts from all viewpoints, and is the author of seven bestsellers including The Beauty Myth. They have a wide-ranging discussion about the corporate media's abandonment of journalistic ethics, the public's loss of faith in the media, the danger of ideological echo chambers, and experiences they've had with social media deplatforming.

Chip Roy: Demanding Accountability on Government Overreach, Censorship and COVID | Ep. 23

Independent Institute — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 21:42:39 +0000

In this episode Dr. Atlas interviews Congressman Chip Roy of Texas. Rep. Roy previously served as Chief of Staff to Senator Ted Cruz and as First Assistant Attorney General of Texas. They discuss the lack of accountability for government malfeasance, censorship, and COVID mismanagement, as well as perspectives on healthcare reform and the proper scope of government and executive authority.

Steven Koonin: Separating Climate Science from Propaganda | Ep. 22

Independent Institute — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 18:48:16 +0000

In this episode Dr. Atlas interviews Professor Steven Koonin of NYU. Koonin served as Undersecretary for Science in the Department of Energy from 2009 to 2011 and was a professor at Cal Tech for nearly 30 years where he served as Vice President and Provost. They have a fascinating conversation about the science on climate change and the general state of science, as climate and energy have become so prominent in the media and public policy debates.

Richard Corcoran: The Crisis of Free Speech on Campus | Ep. 21

Independent Institute — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 17:30:00 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews Richard Corcoran, President of New College of Florida. They have an important and timely conversation about university education in the United States, including merit, free speech, and today's campus environment to develop the next generation of leaders for our country.

Peter Berkowitz: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Understanding the Political Landscape | Ep. 20

Independent Institute — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 21:07:19 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews Dr. Peter Berkowitz, the Tad and Dianne Taube Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and former Director of Policy Planning at the State Department. They discuss what's going on in Israel and the rest of the Middle East in the wake of the October 7 attack by Hamas, the importance of the Trump-era Abraham Accords, and what to make of the Biden policies in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

Rand Paul: Unraveling Government Lies and Cover-ups During the COVID Pandemic | Ep. 19

Independent Institute — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 17:39:42 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews Senator Rand Paul on exposing the egregious malfeasance and cover-up by government, public health bureaucrats, and university scientists in the COVID pandemic. They discuss COVID's origins, NIH funding gain-of-function research in Wuhan, conflicts-of-interest involving government officials receiving royalties from pharmaceutical companies, and more.

Victor Davis Hanson: The Real and Imaginary “Threats to Our Democracy” | Ep. 18

Independent Institute — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 21:42:24 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews Victor Davis Hanson, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and world-renowned historian and scholar of classics and military history. They discuss the phrase "Threat to our Democracy" - who uses it, what it means, and what the real threats to democracy actually are.

John Yoo: Is America's DOJ a Political Weapon? | Ep. 17

Independent Institute — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 19:00:00 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews John Yoo, the Emanuel Heller Professor of Law at the University of California at Berkeley, and Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. They discuss the investigations of Presidents Biden and Trump, the appropriateness of criminal trials vs. political processes to adjudicate alleged misconduct by sitting presidents and ex-presidents, as well as broader concepts including separation of powers, and "threats to democracy."

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone: COVID Lockdowns and Religious Freedom | Ep. 16

Independent Institute — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 16:50:14 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of the San Francisco Archdiocese. He is outspoken on traditional issues relevant to Catholicism including abortion, the definition of marriage, and religious freedom particularly during the pandemic. They discuss how COVID restrictions and lockdowns impacted the church, the importance to society of religion today, and where we go from here in a time of relative crisis where there has been a loss of anchor in the culture.

Riley Gaines: Preserving the Integrity of Women's Sports | Ep. 15

Independent Institute — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 21:16:01 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews competitive swimmer Riley Gaines, one of the leading voices for women’s rights, most notably in preserving women’s sports for biological females. She graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2022 as one of the most decorated swimmers in history. They discuss the challenges she has faced, pushing back against the singular focus of many in power to push the unlimited rights of trans athletes in women’s sports without regard for the impacts on the rights of women athletes themselves and on the damage to today's hard-earned status of women's competitive sports.

Wilfred Reilly: Where Mainstream Narratives on Race and Racism Go Wrong | Ep. 14

Independent Institute — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 19:31:08 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews Kentucky State University Political Science Professor Wilfred Reilly, a leading voice in challenging popular mainstream narratives with an empirical analysis of the data that exposes the truth about some of America's most controversial topics. They discuss what we're witnessing in the United States including divisive narratives about race in this country that have led to a lack of civility among our fellow Americans, and where we go from here to unify our nation.

Dr. Scott Atlas is a world-renowned expert in health care policy and frequent policy advisor to policymakers and government officials. He investigates the role of government and the private sector in health care quality and access, global trends in health care innovation, and the key economic and civil liberty issues related to health policy. Independent Truths features Dr. Atlas in conversation with high profile, news-making guests around public health policy, science, civil liberties, censorship and free speech, higher education, the media, and more.

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Todd Zywicki: "Wokism" Defined and Deconstructed | Ep. 13

Independent Institute — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 21:59:16 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews George Mason University Professor of Law Todd J. Zywicki. They discuss the philosophical basis for the modern concept of “wokism”, why it's a fundamentally flawed worldview, how it came to infiltrate and harm American culture, and where we can go from here to restore our nation's values.

Dr. Scott Atlas is a world-renowned expert in health care policy and frequent policy advisor to policymakers and government officials. He investigates the role of government and the private sector in health care quality and access, global trends in health care innovation, and the key economic and civil liberty issues related to health policy. Independent Truths features Dr. Atlas in conversation with high profile, news-making guests around public health policy, science, civil liberties, censorship and free speech, higher education, the media, and more.

Independent Truths with Dr. Scott Atlas online:
https://www.independent.org/scottatlas/

Youtube playlist of episodes:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8FSqhf6cNyki41A0F0sbM-D5JNrXXONU

Rumble
https://rumble.com/user/IndependentInstitute

Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/independent-truths-with-dr-scott-atlas/id1663559087

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/33UrHovNFYW9ZqoNEftHL8?si=8cc8f456e0524171

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John Etchemendy: Free Speech and Critical Thinking in America’s Universities | Ep. 12

Independent Institute — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 21:25:00 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews John Etchemendy, former Provost at Stanford University and the Patrick Suppes Professor at Stanford's School of Humanities & Science and co-director of Stanford's Human Centered Artificial Intelligence Center. They have an insightful conversation about the environment for the free exchange of ideas and critical thinking in academia today.

Heather Mac Donald: How the Pursuit of Equity Sacrifices Excellence | Ep. 11

Independent Institute — Tue, 23 May 2023 17:16:46 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews Heather Mac Donald. Heather is the Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a contributing editor at City Journal, and a New York Times bestselling author. Her new book "When Race Trumps Merit: How the Pursuit of Equity Sacrifices Excellence, Destroys Beauty, and Threatens Lives" argues that lowering standards in an attempt to achieve racially equal outcomes is harmful to society.

Todd Zywicki: Abuse of Power and the Law by the Public Health Establishment | Ep. 10

Independent Institute — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 21:09:38 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews George Mason University Professor of Law Todd J. Zywicki. They discuss how pandemic policies relate to the law and Constitution, how the public health establishment pushed anti-science policies such as denial of natural immunity, and more.

Glenn Loury: Race Relations in America Today | Ep. 9

Independent Institute — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 22:56:27 +0000

Dr. Atlas talks with economist and social scientist Dr. Glenn Loury of Brown University. Dr. Loury has worked for years on the impact of affirmative action, the black family, and is an outspoken advocate for black patriotism in the United States. He speaks with unique experience and nuance on these very complex issues. They have an enlightening conversation about race, cancel culture, and where the country goes from here.

Jennifer Sey: The Rise of New Corporate Wokism | Ep. 8

Independent Institute — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 21:48:25 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews author and businesswoman Jennifer Sey, former chief marketing officer and brand president of Levi Strauss and Company. They discuss her courageous stand in facing the new corporate wokism, an unprecedented movement in private sector companies that makes it very difficult for young people to enter the job market and navigate their careers, and is a movement that threatens some of the most foundational values of a free-thinking ethical society.

Victor Davis Hanson: How Covid Enabled Draconian Restrictions on Civil Liberties | Ep. 7

Independent Institute — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 15:04:47 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews Victor Davis Hanson, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and world-renowned historian and scholar of classics and military history. They have a fascinating conversation about many critical issues that were exposed by the pandemic, including the historical context of when government has interposed draconian restrictions on civil liberties as well as the ideological takeover of America's universities and campuses.

Martin Kulldorff: The Dangers of Scientific Groupthink and Herd Mentality | Ep. 6

Independent Institute — Sat, 04 Mar 2023 00:09:19 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews Martin Kulldorff, biostatistician, epidemiologist, and professor in the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School on leave. He is a founding fellow at Hillsdale College's Academy for Science and Freedom. They have an illuminating conversation on many aspects of the pandemic including bigger issues like groupthink and herd mentality and the solutions to preventing such thinking for future crises.

A Pandemic of Failed Leadership: Will Trust Return? | Ep. 5 Special Presentation

Independent Institute — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 23:53:08 +0000

In this special presentation, Dr. Atlas covers in great detail the pandemic data on mortality rates, natural immunity, lockdowns, and much more, and how to restore trust and repair some of the damage that was done.

John Yoo: Constitutional Law, Civil Liberties, and Censorship under the Pandemic | Ep. 4

Independent Institute — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 20:49:00 +0000

Dr. Atlas interviews John Yoo, the Emanuel Heller Professor of Law at the University of California at Berkeley, and Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. They have an illuminating conversation about the many legal issues such as civil liberties, censorship, and freedom that have been exposed by the pandemic and management of the pandemic.

John Ioannidis: How Experts Got the Pandemic Science Wrong from the Beginning | Ep. 3

Independent Institute — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 20:55:00 +0000

Scott Atlas and Dr. John Ioannidis have an illuminating conversation about the pandemic, what happened in the early days, how our experts failed the American people, what was revealed and how to fix science itself. Dr. Ioannidis is a professor of medicine in the Stanford Prevention Research Center, Professor of Epidemiology at Stanford, and co-director of the Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford.

Jay Bhattacharya: How Science Was Politicized at Stanford During the Pandemic | Ep. 2

Independent Institute — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 18:26:00 +0000

Dr. Atlas welcomes Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Professor of Health Policy and Economics at Stanford University's School of Medicine. Jay and Scott have an illuminating conversation about Dr. Bhattacharya's experience as a voice of reason during the COVID pandemic, and how we move forward as a society to restore trust and ethics in science and public health.

Origins of My New Podcast: Interview with Mary Theroux | Ep. 1

Independent Institute — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 17:26:00 +0000

Dr. Atlas welcomes his first ever guest to the program, Mary Theroux, Chairman and CEO of the Independent Institute. Together, they discuss why they wanted to start this podcast, what they hope to accomplish, and why they felt it was important to do at this moment.