MATERNAL DISPATCHES with Hollie McKay

Епизоди

• Why We Rage Against Predators But Shrug at Airstrikes 17.06.2026 7мин

  Why do we recoil in horror when a child is abused by an individual, yet so often accept the deaths of children in war as an unfortunate reality? In this thought-provoking episode, Hollie confronts a difficult question that challenges some of our deepest moral assumptions. Drawing on years of reporting from conflict zones and humanitarian crises, she explores the psychological and cultural forces that shape how we perceive suffering—and why our outrage is often selective. Why are some acts of ...
• The World Cup Is Here. So Are the Traffickers. 10.06.2026 8мин

  As millions of fans descend on North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, another group is already getting ready: human traffickers. In this episode, investigative journalist Hollie McKay examines the hidden risks lurking behind the world's biggest sporting event. With an estimated 6.5 million visitors expected across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, experts warn that the tournament could create unprecedented opportunities for trafficking networks, child exploitation, and other forms of...
• The Loophole Nobody Wants to Close: Child Marriage in America 03.06.2026 11мин

  Sherry Johnson was 11 years old when she was forced to marry the man who raped her, and it was completely legal. Half a century later, child marriage remains lawful in 34 U.S. states, some with no minimum age whatsoever. In this episode, Hollie breaks down the legal loopholes, the political resistance, and the staggering numbers behind a practice America condemns abroad but quietly permits at home and asks the question reformers have been demanding answered for decades: why won't Congress act...
• Hundreds of Children Went to a Government Hospital for Care. They Left With HIV. 28.05.2026 10мин

  A local doctor in Taunsa, a mid-sized city in Pakistan’s Punjab province, first noticed something was wrong in late 2024. Children were showing up at his private clinic HIV-positive, and most had no obvious reason to be. Their parents were testing clean. They were too young for drug use or any of the standard risk factors health officials tend to reach for when a case is inconvenient. What they had in common was simpler and more damning: they had all been treated at the same government hospit...
• How the Law Allows Convicted Child Sex Offenders To Father a Surrogate Babies 20.05.2026 9мин

  Does this Industry Need More Oversight? A convicted child sex offender is now a legal father. He is not in prison. He is not hiding. He raised money on GoFundMe, found a surrogate through a family friend, and in 2024 walked out of the system holding a baby boy — and the law, in Pennsylvania and in most of the country, lets him. That is not a bug. It is the architecture. Plus some life updates, second pregnancy and seeking suggestions. Support the show Visit holliesmckay.substack.com
• Ask Me Anything Answered: From Minneapolis to the Middle East, Power, War, and the Stories Left in the Dark 04.01.2026 31мин

  Listener questions drive this candid episode of Dispatches with Hollie McKay, spanning immigration raids in Minneapolis, the roots of Minnesota’s Somali community, NATO’s fractures, and the geopolitical stakes of Greenland and Iran. Hollie explains why closing the Strait of Hormuz could shock the global economy, whether Iran’s unrest could reshape the Middle East, and who benefits when conflicts like Congo stay out of the headlines. A conversation about power, accountability, and the hu...
• Dispatches: The Jinn of Marrakech and Lessons in Letting Go 19.09.2025 22мин

  In this episode, journalist and author Hollie McKay reflects on a rare personal journey to Morocco—a trip meant for celebration, but one that also sparked a deeper reckoning with the relentless pull of news, social media, and digital noise. From wandering the mystical streets of Marrakech to confronting the addictive vortex of online life, Hollie shares candid insights on learning to disconnect, redefining her identity beyond breaking news, and rediscovering the creative writer within. Along ...
• Dispatches: Journalism in an Age of Risk and Renewal 28.08.2025 28мин

  Hollie reflects on the perils and purpose of modern journalism. From documenting imprisoned reporters abandoned by U.S.-funded outlets, to navigating the blurred lines between truth-telling and propaganda in a digital storm of influencers, Hollie and Dennis examine the shrinking space for press freedom worldwide. Hollie also shares how motherhood has reshaped her professional compass, balancing the risks of frontline reporting with the responsibilities of raising a child, the psyc...
• Dispatches: On Pregnancy Loss, Grief, and the Lives We Didn’t Choose 24.07.2025 34мин

  In this deeply personal conversation, Hollie steps away from conflict zones to speak candidly about a private grief—her recent miscarriage. In a conversation with longtime friend and interviewer Dennis, Hollie reflects on the physical and emotional toll of early pregnancy loss, the unique form of grief it brings, and the silent weight many women carry. They explore the stigmas surrounding miscarriage, the biology of trauma, and how society rushes women to move on before they’ve had time to h...
• Dispatches: Empathy in the Wake of Natural Disasters 10.07.2025 19мин

  We reflect on the human side of natural disasters—from the heartbreak in Texas to the slow fire recovery in Los Angeles. Hollie discusses the challenge of keeping empathy alive amid media noise, bureaucracy, and tragedy. A candid conversation about how empathy drives action and why it’s so vital in today’s world. Support the show Visit holliesmckay.substack.com
• Dispatches: The Human Cost of America’s Overseas Cuts and a Global Girls' Struggle 12.06.2025 21мин

  We explore the unseen fallout of U.S. government cuts abroad. Hollie recounts her recent trip to Taiwan, where she met “Joy,” a local fixer and single mother left unpaid after Voice of America was abruptly shuttered. What began as a reporting trip turned into a window into the lives of those abandoned by American bureaucracy. Hollie and her co-host discuss the deeper consequences of disorganized exits, from failed aid transitions to the systemic neglect of women in developing countries. From ...
• Dispatches: American Weapons and Global Accountability 29.05.2025 27мин

  We dig into the global consequences of U.S. arms exports. Hollie and Dennis explore a hard-hitting question: When American-made weapons kill civilians abroad, who is responsible? Drawing from Hollie’s recent investigative article, the conversation unpacks the vast scale of U.S. arms sales, the legal and ethical frameworks meant to regulate them, and the gaping holes in enforcement and accountability. From Saudi Arabia to Ukraine, from Yemen to Gaza, this episode challenges listeners to ...
• Dispatches: How to Go From Ballet to Battlefields 22.05.2025 22мин

  In this deeply personal dispatch, Hollie reflects on the unlikely path from a ballet studio in rural Australia to frontlines across the globe. Drawing from her recent article, Hollie opens up about how the discipline, grace, and storytelling of dance shaped her into the journalist she is today. Through stories of her working-class upbringing, early exposure to global narratives through choreography, and a fateful ankle injury that redirected her future, she shares how ballet wasn’t just...
• Dispatches: What's the Deal With America's Infertility Crisis? 14.05.2025 24мин

  Hollie unpacks her latest investigation into the alarming rise of infertility across the United States. From declining fertility rates in women under 20 to plummeting testosterone levels in men, we explore the complex web of environmental toxins, shifting lifestyle patterns, and medical challenges contributing to a nationwide reproductive decline. With candid insights and expert perspectives, this dispatch dives deep into what’s happening to human fertility—and why it matters for our fu...
• Dispatches: Motherhood in the Crossfire. Stories from El Salvador to Darfur 08.05.2025 34мин

  In this special Mother’s Day episode of Dispatches, Hollie shares powerful, unfiltered stories of motherhood in conflict zones—from El Salvador’s post-civil war trauma to the ongoing horrors in Darfur. Through intimate accounts like that of Maria, a Salvadoran mother caught between guerrilla fighters and a U.S.-backed regime, and a Darfuri woman surviving unspeakable loss and injury, Hollie reveals the moral complexity, resilience, and heartbreak that define motherhood under siege. She ...
• Dispatches: Media Censorship and America’s Motherhood Crisis 01.05.2025 31мин

  Hollie and Dennis peel back the curtain on corporate media, exposing the tangled web of ego, pressure, and politics that shape the stories we see—and the ones that quietly disappear. From firsthand experiences of censorship while reporting on ISIS to reflections on the vanishing independence of modern journalism, Hollie offers an unfiltered take on what it really means to tell the truth in today’s media landscape. The conversation then shifts to motherhood in America: from soaring...
• Dispatches: Mexico’s Disappeared and the Mothers Who Won’t Stop Searching 24.04.2025 22мин

  We journey to the heart of Mexico’s devastating crisis of the disappeared. With over 120,000 people officially missing — and experts estimating the number could be closer to 200,000 — the scale of human loss is staggering. Hollie recounts her recent reporting trip, where she met mothers who have dedicated their lives to finding their children, often at great personal risk and without any government support. From cartel kidnappings to government complicity, this episode dives into the painful ...
• Dispatches: The Stolen Children of Ukraine and Sacred Parenting Practices 17.04.2025 25мин

  In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a horrifying campaign is unfolding—one that targets not soldiers, but children. In this episode, we delve into the heartbreaking reality of Ukrainian children who have been forcibly deported, indoctrinated, and erased from their roots under the guise of "rescue missions." From mass abductions to forced adoptions and identity erasure, we explore how these acts violate international law—and the deep emotional and cultural scars they leave behind. We ...
• Dispatches: Unmasking the Uyghur Crisis & Global Apathy 10.04.2025 24мин

  This episode of "Dispatches with Hollie McKay" delves into the forgotten crisis of the Uyghur Muslim minority in China, detailing their mass disappearances into re-education and labor camps and the global silence, largely due to economic interests. Dennis and Hollie then discuss a concerning trend of declining empathy worldwide, exacerbated by social media, where indifference is becoming normalized. Finally, they address the disturbing online hostility towards expressions of compassion ...
• Icelandic Roots: Single Motherhood and Family Life in the Land of Fire and Ice 24.12.2024 46мин

  Growing up in rural Iceland, raising a daughter as a young, single mom brings unique challenges and rewards. In this episode, I sit down with Asa Porsteinsdottir to explore the balance between isolation and community, the impact of Iceland’s progressive maternity and paternity leave policies, and the benefits of fresh, albeit expensive, local foods. We also delve into the pros and cons of parenting in this stunning but cold part of the world, sharing insights on what makes Iceland an un...