News and Happenings

In his TED Talk, “Be Human(e),” Dr. Jeremy Richman said, “We felt the world was spinning out of control and that if we didn’t find something to hold on to, some reason to go on, that we’d get spun right off into this great darkness.” Jeremy delivered this message as both a neuroscientist and a grieving father. He lost his 6 yr old daughter, Avielle, in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. This was one of his last public appearances before he died by suicide on March 29th, 2019. Today, we look at “the great darkness” with fellow Newtown residents Ian Hockley and Lee Shull and explore advocacy as a trauma response plus the toll it can take. We’re also joined by the other half of our Jed advisory team, Janis Whitlock, who provides wisdom and insight on creating a life worth living.

The term “suicide contagion” gets thrown around a lot in academic papers and media headlines, but what does it actually mean? The term suggests that suicidal ideation is something you can catch, but the reality is much more complicated. This week, we navigate the complexities of suicide clusters from the heart of Silicon Valley, California to the soul of Cowboy Strong, Wyoming.

Description We open Season 2 of Last Day with a tale of two Kevins. One is Sergeant Kevin Briggs, also known as the guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge. The other is Kevin Berthia, an Oakland native who drove to...

It’s National Suicide Prevention Week, and that means you’re probably seeing a lot of triggering content. We can relate. The Last Day team is hard at work producing season 2, which is all about the rising rate of suicide episode in this country. Why are more people at risk? What can we do to help? And how can we take care of each other when things feel so hopeless? Season 2 arrives Wednesday, October 14th.

Stephanie chats with addiction medicine expert, Dr. Nzinga Harrison, about opioids and addiction in this new pandemic world. How are these unprecedented circumstances affecting those with opioid use and substance use disorders? As a result of social distancing, how have treatment and recovery models shifted? What’s happening with long-standing regulations around medication-assisted treatment? How can we best support ourselves and our loved ones with addiction during this time? Finally, we learn more about Nzinga’s new show, In Recovery, and how you can submit your questions.

We’ve got another bonus episode for Lemonada members!

Stephanie Wittels Wachs from Last Day is joined by Ruben Castaneda for a thought-provoking conversation. In 2018, the National  Press Foundation chose Mr. Castaneda as one of 15 journalists nationwide to participate in a deep dive seminar into reporting on the opioids crisis. During the height of the crack epidemic that decimated the streets of D.C., Ruben Castaneda covered the crime beat for the Washington Post.  

Hey, Last Day listeners! If you enjoyed hearing Jeremiah Fraites of the Lumineers on Last Day, good news! We have more of it for you. A lot more!

We aired about 25 edited minutes of this conversation with Jeremiah in our regular Last Day feed, but here we have a whole extra hour of the uncut version that you can hear only on Patreon. Lots more gems in this beautiful conversation.

The Lumineers’ Jeremiah Fraites reflects on losing his older brother Josh to a heroin overdose in 2001 and the many ways Josh’s death has impacted his life. His mom, Kathy, joins him to fill in the holes that memory has left. From channeling grief through music to finding the “right” support, this candid and beautiful conversation about grief and loss will resonate deeply with Last Day listeners and Lumineers fans alike.

Lemonada Members, we have our very first full-length Last Day: Season 1 Bonus Episode for you. There are more of these to come in the future!

In August of 2019, Stephanie talked to Dr. Shonali Saha about youth addiction.

Because of a variety of production factors, there wasn’t room for this full episode in the regular Last Day season, but the conversation was so phenomenal, that Stephanie couldn’t dream of leaving it on the cutting room floor.

Hi from my closet.

It has been a week away from Last Day. I feel the loss of the show like a little death. It feels like grief a little bit. Lots more from me to come (several never-been-heard Last Day bonus episodes!).

Stephanie