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The Simple Heart w/ Wayne Hsiung

The Simple Heart w/ Wayne Hsiung

Written by: Wayne Hsiung
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About this listen

Who says you can't change the world? Meet the people who are. Wayne Hsiung, law professor-turned-grassroots animal rights activist and multi-state felony defendant, uncovers the people behind the political, the unexplored personal stories of social change. Intimate interviews with journalists, musicians, filmmakers, community leaders, and others. Change isn't easy. But it must start somewhere.

Blog: https://blog.simpleheart.org

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@waynehsiung_

Wayne Hsiung Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • That "Crazy" Animal Rights Lawsuit is About to Change the World (with PETA's Jeff Kerr) (Ep.84)

    That "Crazy" Animal Rights Lawsuit is About to Change the World (with PETA's Jeff Kerr) (Ep.84)
    Aug 1 2025

    Jeff Kerr at PETA has brought some of the wildest legal cases in animal rights history: monkey selfies, orca slavery, and more. I chatted with him about why these “crazy” cases actually have solid legal grounds–and why Jeff has immense hope for the future of animal law and animal rights.

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    “Right to listen” lawsuit:

    https://www.peta.org/news/peta-sues-nih-nimh-in-groundbreaking-lawsuit/

    American Kennel Club lawsuit:

    https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/peta-files-suit-against-american-kennel-club-for-designing-promoting-and-profiting-off-deformed-dogs/

    Maine Lobster Festival lawsuit:

    https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/maine-lobster-festival-sued-by-peta-for-steaming-lobsters-alive/

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    About Jeff Kerr: As chief legal officer to PETA and other PETA entities for nearly 30 years, Jeff Kerr is the longest-tenured legal head of any animal protection organization. He built and leads the world’s largest legal team working for animal liberation, which was named Corporate Counsel magazine’s Best Legal Department in 2017—the first animal protection group and only the second nonprofit to receive that honor. Kerr is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, which recognized his public service work with the prestigious Shaping Justice Award for Extraordinary Achievement, and George Mason University, where he was a Weber scholar. His high-profile cases have made headlines around the world and sparked a global conversation about the legal rights of animals.

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    The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at https://www.simpleheart.org!

    —

    Chapters:

    Intro) 00:00-07:35 Jeff Kerr on how to understand how the law works for animals, whistleblowers, & unnecessary testing on macaque monkeys

    Chapter 2) 07:36-15:36 PETA’s controversial lawsuits

    Chapter 3) 15:37-19:44 PETA as bipartisan, on the NIH, & the merits of PETA’s lawsuits

    Chapter 4) 19:45-24:32 PETA on consumerism, new laws for animals, & enforcing existing laws for animals

    Chapter 5) 24:33-35:24 The humanewashing problem, research on consumerism, & environmentalism

    Chapter 6) 35:25-41:44 PETA’s focus of protests & different activist groups working together

    Chapter 7) 41:45-49:35 An ambitious lawsuit: The Maine Lobster Festival

    Chapter 8) 49:36-52:22 A historical view of the animal rights movement & PETA getting attention

    Chapter 9) 52:23-59:10 Fast questions, advice on activist teams, and hope for the future

    Chapter 10) 59:11-59:27 Outro video - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Adam Durand, & Chloe Leffakis

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    Books Mentioned:

    Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace

    Diet for a New America by John Robbins

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    Loving v. Virginia:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loving_v._Virginia

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Hirschkop

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    59 mins
  • The Case for Optimizing Everything with Joey Savoie (Ep.83)

    The Case for Optimizing Everything with Joey Savoie (Ep.83)
    Jul 24 2025
    Joey Savoie, the co-founder of Ambitious Impact, lives his life by spreadsheets, and it’s allowed him to create tremendous impact. Should we follow in his footsteps?—The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at https://www.simpleheart.org!—Chapters:Intro) 00:00-13:41 Why Joey likes optimization for important things in life & his response to push-backsChapter 2) 13:42-18:13 Joey on meditation and how it helps optimizationChapter 3) 18:14-29:36 What is Ambitious Impact (AIM) and Charity Entrepreneurship & helping NGOs/Nonprofits to be more popular and efficientChapter 4) 29:37-45:12 Examples of leveraging status in a positive wayChapter 5) 45:13-55:33 AIM and Charity Entrepreneurship - how it started and goals, on Joey’s parents and upbringing, & current moral/ethical developmentChapter 6) 55:34-1:11:33 Joey on ethics & social effects of relationshipsChapter 7) 1:11:34-1:19:26 How AIM and Charity Entrepreneurship helps with social support and what Joey as an individual has learned from itChapter 8) 1:19:27-1:31:12 Joey on Effective Altruism (EA), AIM looking for skepticism in humility and moral ambition, & groups measuring and reacting to different resultsChapter 9) 1:31:13-1:41:14 Joey on EA not able to reach goals & Joey on introspection leading to action or inactionChapter 10) 1:41:15-1:49:41 What has Joey learned about learning, why you should read books, & also learn from outside your communityChapter 11) 1:49:42-1:50:58 Joey’s most important lesson from years of being an optimizerChapter 12) 1:50:59-1:52:39 Follow AIM (http://charityentrepreneurship.com) and Joey (https://measuredlife.substack.com/)! (other links below)Chapter 13) 1:52:40-1:52:56 Outro video - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Adam Durand & Chloe Leffakis—Follow AIM and Joey:https://charityentrepreneurship.com https://ambitiousimpact.com https://measuredlife.substack.com/ https://substack.com/@goodenoughjoey https://www.facebook.com/joey.savoie https://www.facebook.com/charityentrepreneurship https://www.instagram.com/ambitiousimpact/ https://x.com/goodenoughjoey https://x.com/charity_ep https://www.youtube.com/@charityentrepreneurship6301 https://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-savoie-b5937356/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/charityentrepreneurship/—Books Mentioned:Moral Ambition by Rutger BregmanThe Growth Mindset: A Guide to Professional and Personal Growth (The Art of Growth) by Joshua Moore & Helen Glasgow
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    1 hr and 53 mins
  • Visiting a Climate Leader in Prison (Ep. 82)

    Visiting a Climate Leader in Prison (Ep. 82)
    May 13 2025

    The UK climate movement achieved a historic win. Roger Hallam doesn’t give a f—.

    Visit the blog to learn how to ask for Roger to be freed: https://blog.simpleheart.org/p/does-virtue-matter-more-than-impact

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    The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at https://simpleheart.org!
    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
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