Matthew Zirbel is one of the lead researchers on a newly released interactive website map of factory farms in California called Factory Farm Watch. Matthew is an organizer with the grassroots animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) and it's through them that I've gotten to know him. For a while, Matthew was just someone who I'd often see at demonstrations. After getting to know him some, I got to see how competend and pleasant he was to work with. As I mentioned in the podcast, I feel like a huge perk of being in the animal rights movement is getting to meet amazing people, and Matthew is definitely one of those people.I hope you'll enjoy this conversation and check out the website. Also, a day after we did our interview, Vox's Marine Bolotnikova published an excellent feature on a DxE investigation that Matthew was talking about at Grimmius Cattle Company. I've linked to both of those items below and highly recommend them. This conversation is also available on YouTube, and it may be more suitable for viewing the map.Links:FactoryFarmWatch.orgThe Vox storyDirect Action EverywhereWatch DominionWatch EarthlingsMatthew's Book RecsPeter Singer"Moral Ambition""Thinking Fast and Slow"

Roger Yates has had so many titles over the years that it's difficult to even know where to begin. So I just settled on introducing Roger as a longtime animal rights advocate. But to dig in a bit more, Roger was once a spokesperson for the Animal Liberation Front, a committee member of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, and founder of numerous groups. He's also a sociologist. Roger is probably most visible these days on his YouTube channel where he also does a podcast called "Still Alive" with ALF founder Ronnie Lee. Roger was there for so many notable moments in animal rights history, some which we talked about here. As he mentioned to me, he also feels very protective of the movement. He has some sharp observations about it that we also got into. He has loads of knowledge and wisdom to draw from. But the main takeaway for me is that Roger is a genuinely enjoyable guy to speak with. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:Roger's YouTubeRoger's IGRoger's FBRoger's TikTokTom Regan speech"Defending Animal Rights"Roger on Green Scare PodWatch DominionWatch Earthlings

For my last episode of the holiday season, I thought it would be appropriate to take stock of the incredible achievements of the animal rights movement in 2025. And the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) was a huge part of it. Orchestrating a dizzying number of wins that just keep rolling in, CAFT has shown what a relatively small group of committed activists can achieve with the right amount of focus and determination. CAFT executive director Suzie Stork is a big reason for it. Suzie is an impressive leader of an impressive group that's part of an impressive coalition, along with groups like Animal Activism Collective (AAC) and the International Council for Animal Welfare (ICAW) that have brought big results for animals this year. The latest CAFT win, getting influential designer Rick Owens to go fur free, was won in just five days. I can barely keep track of all the wins. And that's the best holiday gift I could ask for. Thank you for an amazing 2025, and here's to a 2026 that sees the fur industry finished for good.This conversation is also available on YouTube.Links:CAFT websiteCAFT newsletterCAFT IGAAC LinktreeICAWWatch EarthlingsWatch Dominion