Podcasts about Flyover country

I went on a road trip this week from my home in Charlotte, N.C., through Nashville to Branson, Mo., where I spoke at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Press Association. From there I drove home through Terre Haute and Indianapolis, Ind., and Beckley, W.Va. In 72 hours, I put in more than 1800 miles. It wasn't all windshield time. I stopped for meetings all along the way, and I learned that real, life-changing and culture-changing work is happening in places that are not New York or Washington, or Los Angeles. Here's what I learned…. The producer for today's program is Jeff McIntosh. Until next time, may God bless you.

B.J. Hollars is the author of several books, most recently Wisconsin for Kennedy: The Primary That Launched a President and Changed The Course of History, Year of Plenty: A Family's Season of Grief, Go West Young Man: A Father and Son Rediscover America on the Oregon Trail, Midwestern Strange: Hunting Monsters, Martians and the Weird in Flyover Country.Visit his website here: http://www.bjhollars.com/He and his film partner, Steve Dayton, have also completed a documentary: When Rubber Hit The Road,Hollars is the recipient of the Truman Capote Prize for Literary Nonfiction, the Anne B. and James B. McMillan Prize, the Council of Wisconsin Writers' Blei-Derleth Award, the Society of Midland Authors Award, and received a 2022 silver medal from the Midwest Book Awards. His work has been featured on C-SPAN, Lit Hub, Washington Post, Inside Edition, Star-Tribune, The Millions, and Wisconsin Life.B.J. vists with Talking Weird to chat about his research into the strangest tales of the American midwest, which he chronicles in his fantastic book MIDWESTERN STRANGE: HUNTING MONSTERS, MARTIANS, AND THE WEIRD IN FLYOVER COUNTRY: From Werewolves and Mothman, through the Hodag and giant turtles, to UFOs and strange Viking relics.The book is available at all good book stores, and at Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Midwestern-Strange-Hunting-Monsters-Martians/dp/1496215605This is a fun show, jam-packed with midwestern weirdness!

Few Americans have been as explicit in their warnings about Donald Trump than the St. Louis based writer Sarah Kendzior. Her latest book, The Last American Road Trip, is a memoir chronicling Kendzior's journey down Route 66 to show her children America before it is destroyed. Borrowing from her research of post Soviet Central Asia, Kendzior argues that Trump is establishing a kleptocratic “mafia state” designed to fleece the country of its valuables. This is the third time that Kendzior has been on the show and I have to admit I've always been slightly skeptical of her apocalyptic take on Trump. But given the damage that the new administration is inflicting on America, I have to admit that many of Kendzior's warnings now appear to be uncannily prescient. As she warns, it's Springtime in America. And things are about to get much much hotter. FIVE TAKEAWAYS* Kendzior views Trump's administration as a "mafia state" or kleptocracy focused on stripping America for parts rather than traditional fascism, comparing it to post-Soviet oligarchic systems she studied as an academic.* She believes American institutions have failed to prevent authoritarianism, criticizing both the Biden administration and other institutional leaders for not taking sufficient preventative action during Trump's first term.* Despite her bleak analysis, Kendzior finds hope in ordinary Americans and their capacity for mutual care and resistance, even as she sees formal leadership failing.* Kendzior's new book The Last American Road Trip follows her journey to show her children America before potential collapse, using Route 66 as a lens to examine American decay and resilience.* As an independent voice, she describes being targeted through both publishing obstacles and personal threats, yet remains committed to staying in her community and documenting what's happening. FULL TRANSCRIPTAndrew Keen: Hello everybody, it is April the 18th, 2025, a Friday. I'm thrilled today that we have one of my favorite guests back on the show. I call her the Cassandra of St. Louis, Sarah Kendzior. Many of you know her from her first book, which was a huge success. All her books have done very well. The View from Flyover Country. She was warning us about Trump and Trumpism and MAGA. She was first on our show in 2020. Talking about media in the age of Trump. She had another book out then, Hiding in Plain Sight, The Invention of Donald Trump and the Erosion of America. Then in 2022, she came back on the show to talk about how a culture of conspiracy is keeping America simultaneously complacent and paranoid that the book was called or is called, They Knew. Another big success. And now Sarah has a new book out. It's called The Last American Road Trip. It's a beautifully written book, a kind of memoir, but a political one, of course, which one would expect from Sarah Kendzior. And I'm thrilled, as I said, that the Cassandra of St. Louis is joining us from St. Louis. Sarah, congratulations on the new book.Sarah Kendzior: Oh, thank you. And thank you for having me back on.Andrew Keen: Well, it's an honor. So these four books, how does the last American road trip in terms of the narrative of your previous three hits, how does it fit in? Why did you write it?Sarah Kendzior: Well, this book kind of pivots off the epilog of hiding in plain sight. And that was a book about political corruption in the United States and the rise of Trump. But in the epilogue, I describe how I was trying as a mom to show my kids America in the case that it ended due to both political turmoil and corruption and also climate change. I wanted them to see things themselves. So I was driving them around the country to national parks, historic sites, et cetera. And so many people responded so passionately to that little section, especially parents really struggling on how to raise children in this America that I ended up writing a book that covers 2016 to 2024 and my attempts to show my children everything I could in the time that we had. And as this happens, my children went from relatively young kids to teenagers, my daughter's almost an adult. And so it kind of captures America during this time period. It's also just a travelog, a road trip book, a memoir. It's a lot of things at once.Andrew Keen: Yeah, got great review from Ms. magazine comparing you with the great road writers, Kerouac, of course, and Steinbeck, but Kerouak and Steinback, certainly Kerouack was very much of a solitary male. Is there a female quality to this book? As you say, it's a book as much about your kids and the promise of America as it is about yourself.Sarah Kendzior: Yeah, I think there is in that, you know, I have a section actually about the doomed female road trip where it's, you know, Thelma and Louise or Janet Bates and Psycho or even songs about, you know, being on the road and on the run that are written by women, you know, like Merle Haggard's I'm a Lonesome Fugitive, had to be sung by men to convey that quality. And there aren't a lot of, you know, mom on the Road with her husband and kids kind of books. That said, I think of it as a family book, a parenting book. I certainly think men would like it just as much as women would, and people without kids would like just as people with kids, although it does seem to strike a special resonance with families struggling with a lot of the same issues that I do.Andrew Keen: It's all about the allure of historic Route 66. I've been on that. Anyone who's driven across the country has you. You explain that it's a compilation of four long trips across Route 66 in 1998, 2007, 2017, and 2023. That's almost 40 years, Sarah. Sorry, 30. Getting away my age there, Andrew. My math isn't very good. I mean, how has Route 66 and of course, America changed in that period? I know that's a rather leading question.Sarah Kendzior: No, I mean, I devote quite a lot of the book to Route 66 in part because I live on it, you know, goes right through St. Louis. So, I see it just every day. I'll be casually grocery shopping and then be informed I'm on historic Route 66 all of a sudden. But you know it's a road that is, you once was the great kind of romanticized road of escape and travel. It was decommissioned notably by Ronald Reagan after the creation of the interstate. And now it's just a series of rural roads, frontage roads, roads that end abruptly, roads that have gone into ruin, roads that are in some really beautiful places in terms of the landscape. So it really is this conglomeration of all of America, you know of the decay and the destruction and the abandonment in particular, but also people's, their own memories, their own artistic works, you know roadside shrines and creations that are often, you know pretty off beat. That they've put to show this is what I think of our country. These are my values. This is what, I think, is important. So it's a very interesting journey to take. It's often one I'm kind of inadvertently on just because of where I live and the direction I go. We'll mirror it. So I kept passing these sites again and again. I didn't set out to write this book. Obviously, when I first drove it when I was 19, I didn't know that this was our future. But looking back, especially at technological change, at how we travel, at how trust each other, at all of these things that have happened to this country since this time, it's really something. And that road will bring back all of those memories of what was lost and what remains to be lost. And of course it's hitting its 100th anniversary next year, so I'm guessing there'll be a lot of reminiscing about Route 66.Andrew Keen: Book about memories, you write about that, eventually even your memory will just or this experience of this trip will just be a memory. What does that suggest about contextualizing the current moment in American history? It's too easy to overdramatize it or perhaps it's hard not to over dramatize it given what's happening. I want to talk about a little bit about that your take on America on April the 18th, 2025. But how does that make sense of a memorial when you know that even your memories will become memories?Sarah Kendzior: Yeah, I mean it's hard to talk frankly about what's happening in America now without it sounding over dramatic or hyperbolic, which I think is why so many people were reluctant to believe me over my last decade of warnings that the current crises and catastrophes that we're experiencing are coming, are possible, and need to be actively stopped. I don't think they were inevitable, but they needed to be stopped by people in charge who refused to do it. And so, my reaction to this as a writer, but just as a human being is to write everything down, is to keep an ongoing record, not only of what I witness now, but of what know of our history, of what my own values are, of what place in the world is. And back in 2016, I encouraged everyone to do this because I knew that over the next decade, people would be told to accept things that they would normally never accept, to believe things that they would normally, never believe. And if you write down where you stand, you always have that point of reference to look back towards. It doesn't have to be for publication. It doesn't have to for the outside world. It can just be for yourself. And so I think that that's important. But right now, I think everyone has a role to play in battling what is an authoritarian kleptocracy and preventing it from hurting people. And I think people should lean into what they do best. And what I do best is write and research and document. So that's what I meant. Continue to do, particularly as history itself is under assault by this government.Andrew Keen: One of the things that strikes me about you, Sarah, is that you have an unusual background. You got a PhD in Soviet studies, late Soviet studies.Sarah Kendzior: Anthropology, yeah, but that was nice.Andrew Keen: But your dissertation was on the Uzbek opposition in exile. I wonder whether that experience of studying the late Soviet Union and its disintegration equipped you in some ways better than a lot of domestic American political analysts and writers for what's happening in America today. We've done a number of shows with people like Pete Weiner, who I'm sure you know his work from the Atlantic of New York Times. About learning from East European resistance writers, brave people like Milan Kundra, of course, Vaclav Havel, Solzhenitsyn. Do you think your earlier history of studying the Soviet Union helped you prepare, at least mentally, intellectually, for what's happening in the United States?Sarah Kendzior: Oh, absolutely. I think it was essential, because there are all sorts of different types of authoritarianism. And the type that Trump and his backers have always pursued was that of a mafia state, you know, of a kleptocracy. And Uzbekistan is the country that I knew the most. And actually, you what I wrote my dissertation about, this is between 2006, and 2012, was the fact that after a massacre of civilians... A lot of Uzbekistan's journalists, activists, political figures, opposition figures, et cetera, went into exile and then they immediately started writing blogs. And so for the very first time, they had freedom of speech. They had never had it in Uzbekistan. And they start revealing the whole secret history of Uzbekistan and everything going on and trying to work with each other, try to sort of have some impact on the political process in Uzbekistan. And they lost. What happened was the dictator died, Islam Karimov died, in 2016, and was replaced by another dictator who's not quite as severe. But watching the losing side and also watching people persevere and hold on to themselves and continue working despite that loss, I think, was very influential. Because you could look at Václav Havel or Lech Walesa or, you know, other sort of. People who won, you know, from Eastern Europe, from the revolutions of 1989 and so forth. And it's inspiring that sometimes I think it's really important to look at the people who did not succeed, but kept going anyway. You know, they didn't surrender themselves. They didn't their morality and they didn't abandon their fellow man. And I think that that's important. And also just to sort of get at the heart of your question, yes, you the structure of it, oligarchs who shake down countries, strip them and sell them for parts. Mine them for resources. That model, especially of what happened to Russia, actually, in particular in the 1990s of these oligarch wars, is what I see as the future of the United States right now. That is what they're trying to emulate.Andrew Keen: That we did a show with Steve Hansen and Jeff Kopstein, both political scientists, on what they see. They co-wrote a book on patrimonialism. This is the model they see there. They're both Max Weber scholars, so they borrow from that historic sociological analysis. And Kopstein was on the show with John Rausch as well, talking about this patrimonials. And so you, do you share the Kopstein-Hansen-Rausch analysis. Roush wrote a piece in the Atlantic about this too, which did very well. But this isn't conventional fascism or communism. It's a kind of 21st century version of patrimonialism.Sarah Kendzior: It's definitely not traditional fascism and one of the main reasons for that is a fascist has loyalty to the state. They seek to embody the state, they seek to expand the state recently Trump has been doing this more traditional route somewhat things like wanting to buy Greenland. But I think a lot of what he's doing is in reaction to climate change and also by the way I don't think Trump is the mastermind or originator. Of any of these geopolitical designs. You know, he has a team, we know about some of them with the Heritage Foundation Project 2025. We know he has foreign advisors. And again, you know, Trump is a corporate raider. That is how he led his business life. He's a mafia associate who wants to strip things down and sell them for parts. And that's what they wanna do with the United States. And that, yes, there are fascist tactics. There are fascists rhetoric. You know there are a lot of things that this country will, unfortunately, and has. In common, you know, with, say, Nazi Germany, although it's also notable that of course Nazi Germany borrowed from a lot of the tactics of Jim Crow, slavery, genocide of Native Americans. You know, this has always been a back and forth and America always has had some form of selective autocracy. But yeah, I think the folks who try to make this direct line and make it seem like the 20th century is just simply being revived, I've always felt like they were off because. There's no interest for these plutocrats in the United States even existing as a sovereign body. Like it truly doesn't matter to them if all of our institutions, even something as benign as the Postal Service, collapse. That's actually beneficial for them because then they can privatize, they can mine resources, they can make money for themselves. And I really worry that their goal is partition, you know, is to take this country. And to split it into smaller pieces that are easier to control. And that's one of the reasons I wrote this book, that I wrote The Last American Road Trip because I don't want people to fall for traps about generalizations or stereotypes about different regions of this country. I want them to see it as a whole and that our struggles are interconnected and we have a better chance of winning if we stand by each other.Andrew Keen: Yeah, and your book, in particular, The View from Flyover Country was so important because it wasn't written from San Francisco or Los Angeles or D.C. Or New York. It was written from St. Louis. So in a way, Sarah, you're presenting Trump as the ultimate Hayekian b*****d. There's a new book out by Quinn Slobodian called Hayek's B******s, which connects. Trumpianism and mago with Neoliberalism you don't see a break. We've done a lot of shows on the rise and fall of neoliberalism. You don't say a break between Hayek and TrumpSarah Kendzior: I think that in terms of neoliberalism, I think it's a continuation of it. And people who think that our crises began with Trump becoming the president in 2017, entering office, are deluded because the pathway to Trump even being able to run for president given that he was first investigated by the Department of Justice in 1973 and then was linked to a number of criminal enterprises for decades after. You know, that he was able to get in that position, you know that already showed that we had collapsed in certain respects. And so I think that these are tied together. You know, this has a lot to do with greed, with a, you know a disregard for sovereignty, a disregard human rights. For all of this Trump has always served much better as a demagogue, a front man, a figurehead. I do think, you he's a lot smarter. Than many of his opponents give him credit for. He is very good at doing what he needs to do and knowing what he need to know and nothing more. The rest he gives to the bureaucrats, to the lawyers, et cetera. But he fills this persona, and I do wonder what will happen when he is gone because they've tried very hard to find a successor and it's always failed, like DeSantis or Nikki Haley or whoever. And I kind of wonder if one of the reasons things are moving so, so fast now is they're trying to get a lot of things in under the wire while he's still alive, because I don't think that there's any individual who people have the loyalty to. His cult is not that big. It's a relatively small segment of the country, but it is very intense and very loyal to him. I don't think that loyalty is transferable.Andrew Keen: Is there anything, you know, I presented you as the Cassandra from St. Louis, you've seen the future probably clearer than most other people. Certainly when I first came across your work, I wasn't particularly convinced. I'm much more convinced now. You were right. I was wrong. Is there, anything about Trump too, that surprised you? I mean, any of the, the cruelty? Open corruption, the anger, the hostility, the attempt to destroy anything of any value in America, the fact that they seem to take such great pleasure in destroying this country's most valuable thing.Sarah Kendzior: Yeah, it's extremely sad and no, he doesn't surprise me at all. He's been the same guy since I was a little kid. You know, he was a plot line on children's television shows in the 1980s where as a child, I was supposed to know that the name Trump was synonymous with corruption, with being a tax cheat, with being a liar, you know, these were just sort of cultural codes that I was expected to know. What surprised me more is that no one stopped him because this threat was incredibly obvious. And that so many people in power have joined in, and I'm assuming they're joining in because they would rather be on the side with all that power than be a target of that power, but that they feel apparently no sense of loss, no sense grief for things like the loss of national parks, public education, the postal service, things that most folks like, social security for your elderly parents. Most Americans... Want these things. And most Americans, regardless of political party, don't want to see our country torn apart in this fashion. And so I'm not surprised by Trump. I'm surprised at the extent of his enablers at the complicity of the press and of the FBI and other institutions. And, you know, it's also been very jarring to watch how open they are this time around, you know, things like Elon Musk and his operation taking out. Classified information. The thing is, is I'm pretty sure Trump did all that. I mean, we know Trump did this in his first term, you know, and they would emphasize things like this box of physical written documents in Mar-a-Lago illegally taken. But, you know my mind always just went to, well, what did they do digitally? Because that seems much easier and much more obvious. What did they with all of these state secrets that they had access to for four years? What kind of leverage would that give them? And I think now they're just kind of, they're not bothering to hide anything anymore. I think they set the stage and now, you know, we're in the midst of the most horrible play, the most terrible performance ever. And it's, you can be still crushing at times.Andrew Keen: And of course, the real question is whether we're in the last act. Your book, The Last American Road Trip, was written, mostly written, what, in 2024 from?Sarah Kendzior: 2023.Andrew Keen: 2023. So, I mean, here's, I don't know if you can answer this, Sarah, but you know as much about middle America and middle Americans as anyone. You're on the road, you talk to everyone, you have a huge following, both on the left and the right in some ways. Some of your books now, you told me before we went live, some of your previous books, like Hiding in Plain Sight, suddenly become a big hit amongst conservative Americans. What does Trump or the MAGA people around him, what do they have to do to lose the support of ordinary Americans? As you say, they're destroying the essential infrastructure, medical, educational, the roads, the railways, everything is being destroyed, carted off almost like Stalin carted of half of the Soviet Union back into Asia during the Second World War. What does he have to do to lose the support of Middle America?Sarah Kendzior: I mean, I don't think middle America, you know, by which like a giant swath of the country that's, that's just ideological, diverse, demographically diverse supports him. I mean some do certainly. He's got some hardcore acolytes. I think most people are disillusioned with the entire political system. They are deeply frustrated by Trump. They were deeply frustrated. By Biden, they're struggling to pay bills. They're struggling. To hold on to basic human rights. And they're mad that their leverage is gone. People voted in record numbers in 2020. They protested in record number throughout Trump's first term. They've made their concerns known for a very long time and there are just very few officials really listening or responding. And I think that initially when Trump reentered the picture, it caused folks to just check out mentally because it was too overwhelming. I think it's why voter turnout was lower because the Democrats, when they won, didn't make good on their promises. It's a very simple thing. If you follow through with your campaign platform that was popular, then you're going to retain those voters. If you don't, you may lose them, especially when you're up against a very effective demagogue who has a way with rhetoric. And so we're just in such a bad place, such a painful place. I don't think people will look to politicians to solve their problems and with very good reason. I'm hoping that there are more of a sense of community support, more of sense that we're all in this together, especially as financially things begin to fall apart. Trump said openly in 2014 that he intended to crash the American economy. He said this on a Fox News clip that I found in 2016. Because it was being reprinted all over Russian-language media. They loved this clip because it also praised Putin and so forth. And I was astounded by it. I was like, why in the world isn't this all over every TV station, every radio station? He's laying out the whole plan, and now he's following that plan. And so I'm very concerned about that. And I just hope people in times like this, traditionally, this opens the door to fascism. People become extremely afraid. And in their fear they want a scapegoat, they are full of rage, they take it out on each other. That is the worst possible move right now from both a moral or a strategic view. People need to protect each other, to respect each other as fully human, to recognize almost everyone here, except for a little tiny group of corrupt billionaires, is a victim in this scenario, and so I don't see a big difference between, you know, myself and... Wherever I go. I was in Tulsa yesterday, I was in San Francisco last week. We're all in this together and I see a lot of heartache wherever I go. And so if people can lend each other support, that is the best way to get through this.Andrew Keen: Are you suggesting then that he is the Manchurian candidate? Why did he say that in 2014?Sarah Kendzior: Well, it was interesting. He was on Fox during the Sochi Olympics, and he was talking about how he speaks with Putin every day, their pals, and that Putin is going to produce a really big win for us, and we're all going to be very happy about it. And then he went on to say that the crashing of the economy and riots throughout America is what will make America great again. And this is in February 2014. Fox has deleted the clip, You know, other people have copies. So it is, it's also in my book hiding in plain sight, the transcript of that. I'm not sure, like a Manchurian candidate almost feels, you know like the person would have to be blackmailed or coerced or brainwashed somehow to participate. I think Trump is a true volunteer and his loyalty isn't to Russia per se. You know, his loyalty is to his bank accounts, like his loyalty is to power. And one thing he's been after his whole life was immunity from prosecution because he has been involved or adjacent to such an enormous number of crimes. And then when the Supreme Court granted him that, he got what he wanted and he's not afraid of breaking the law in any way. He's doing what all autocrats do, which is rewrite the law so that he is no longer breaking it. And he has a team of lawyers who help him in that agenda. So I feel like on one sense, he's very. All-American. It's kind of a sad thing that as he destroys America, he's doing it in a very American way. He plays a lot of great American music at his rallies. He has a vernacular that I can relate to that and understand it while detesting everything he's doing and all of his horrific policies. But what they want to turn us into though, I think is something that all Americans just won't. Recognized. And we've had the slipping away of a kind of unified American culture for a while, I think because we've lost our pop culture, which is really where a lot of people would bond, you know, movies, music, all of it became split into streaming services, you know. All of it became bifurcated. People stopped seeing each other as much face to face, you know, during COVID and then that became kind of a permanent thing. We're very fragmented and that hurts us badly. And all we've kind of got left is I guess sports and then politics. So people take all the effort that they used to put into devouring American pop culture or American civic life and they put it into this kind of politics that the media presents as if it's a game, like initially a horse race during the election and now like, ooh, will the evil dictator win? It's like, this is our lives. Like we have a lot on the line. So I wish they would do, they would take their job more seriously too. Of course, they're up paywalled and on streaming sites, so who's watching anyway, but still it is a problem.Andrew Keen: Yeah, it's interesting you talk about this death wish, you mentioned Thelma and Louise earlier, one of the great movies, American road movies, maybe in an odd way, the final scene of the Trump movie will be similar to the, you seem to be suggesting to, I'm not gonna give away the end of Thelmer and Louise to anyone who's watching who hasn't seen it, you do need to see it, similar ending to that movie. What about, you've talked about resistance, Sarah, a one of. The most influential, I guess, resistors to Trump and Trumpism. You put up an X earlier this month about the duty of journalism to resist, the duty to thinkers to resist. Some people are leaving, guys like Tim Snyder, his wife, Marcy Shaw, Jason Stanley, another expert on fascism. You've made it clear that you're staying. What's your take on people like Snyder who are leaving this country?Sarah Kendzior: Well, from what I know, he made a statement saying he had decided to move to Canada before Trump was put in office. Jason Stanley, on the other hand, explicitly said he's moving there because Trump is in office, and my first thought when I heard about all of them was, well, what about their students? Like, what about all these students who are being targeted by ICE, who are being deported? What about their TAs? What about everyone who's in a more vulnerable position. You know, when you have a position of power and influence, you could potentially do a lot of good in helping people. You know I respect everyone's decision to live wherever they want. Like it's not my business. But I do think that if you have that kind of chance to do something powerful for the community around you, especially the most vulnerable people in it who at this time are green card holders, people here on visas, we're watching this horrific crackdown at all these universities. My natural inclination would be to stay and take a stand and not abandon them. And I guess, you know, people, they do things in different ways or they may have their own personal concerns and, you know that's fine. I just know, you know I'm not leaving, you know, like I've got elderly parents and in-laws. I've got relatives who need me. I have a lot of people who depend on me and they depend on me in St. Louis and in Missouri. Because there aren't that many journalists in St. Louis. I think there could be, there are a lot of great writers in St Louis, you know, who have given a chance, given a platform, you could really show you what it's actually like here instead of all these stereotypes. But we're always, always marginalized. Like even I'm marginalized and I think I'm, you know, probably the most well-known in terms of being a political commentator. And so I feel like it's important to stand my ground but also You know, I love this, this state in the city and I love my community and I can't fathom, you know, leaving people in the lurch at a time like this. When I'm doing better, I'm on more solid ground despite being a target of various, you know organizations and individuals. I'm at a more solid down than somebody who's a, you know a black American or an immigrant or impoverished. Like I feel like it is my job to stand up for you know, folks here and let everyone know, you know what's going on and be somebody who they can come to and feel like that's safe.Andrew Keen: You describe yourself, Sarah, as a target. Your books have done very well. Most of them have been bestsellers. I'm sure the last American road trip will do very well, you're just off.Sarah Kendzior: It is the bestseller as of yesterday. It is your bestseller, congratulations. Yeah, our USA Today bestsellers, so yeah.Andrew Keen: Excellent. So that's good news. You've been on the road, you've had hundreds of people show up. I know you wrote about signing 600 books at Left Bank Books, which is remarkable. Most writers would cut off both hands for that. How are you being targeted? You noted that some of your books are being taken off the shelves. Are they being banned or discouraged?Sarah Kendzior: I mean, basically, what's been happening is kind of akin to what you see with universities. I just think it's not as well publicized or publicized at all, where there's not some sort of, you know, like the places will give in to what they think this administration wants before they are outright told to do it. So yes, there is an attempt to remove hiding in plain sight from circulation in 2024 to, you know, make the paperback, which at the time was ranked on Amazon. At number 2,000. It was extremely popular because this is the week that the Supreme Court gave Trump immunity. I was on vacation when I found out it was being pulled out of circulation. And I was in rural New Mexico and I had to get to a place with Wi-Fi to try to fight back for my book, which was a bestseller, a recent publication. It was very strange to me and I won that fight. They put it back, but a lot of people had tried to order it at that time and didn't get it. And a lot of people try to get my other books and they just can't get them. You know, so the publisher always has a warehouse issue or a shipping problem and you know, this kind of comes up or you know people notice, they've noticed this since 2020, you know I don't get reviewed in the normal kind of place as a person that has best selling books one after another would get reviewed. You know, that kind of thing is more of a pain. I always was able to circumvent it before through social media. But since Musk took over Twitter and because of the way algorithms work, it's more and more difficult for me to manage all of the publicity and PR and whatnot on my own. And so, you know, I'm grateful that you're having me on your show. I'm also grateful that, you Know, Flatiron did give me a book tour. That's helped tremendously. But there's that. And then there's also just the constant. Death threats and threats of you know other things you know things happening to people I love and it's been scary and I get used to it and that I expect it but you know you never could really get used to people constantly telling you that they're gonna kill you you know.Andrew Keen: When you get death threats, do you go to the authorities, have they responded?Sarah Kendzior: No, there's no point. I mean, I have before and it was completely pointless. And, you know, I'll just mostly just go to people I know who I trust to see if they can check in on things. I have to be very vague here who are not in the government or in the police or anything like that. I don't think anyone would protect me. I really just don't think anyone could help. You know, one thing is, you know, yes, I'm a prominent critic of Trump and his administration, but I was also a prominent critic of. The DOJ and Merrick Garland for not doing anything about all of these threats and also a critic of Biden and the Democrats for not impeaching quickly, for not being more proactive, for not acting with greater urgency. So I'm targeted by kind of everyone except for people who don't have any power, which is a strange situation to be in because I love my readers and I think that they're wonderful and I'm incredibly grateful for them because my books largely spread through word of mouth. It is scary for me, just as like a mom in Missouri without a lot of resources to be targeted by all of these kind of high profile, wealthy, powerful people. But all I have is my voice and my writing. And so I just do what I can. And that's just the way the cards have been dealt for me and it is what it is, so.Andrew Keen: Later historians write about this period in 50 or 100 years time. How do you think you mentioned the Biden administration, you were critical of them. We haven't talked about Kamala Harris's failed presidential term, which I wasn't particularly impressed with. How much moral responsibility do you think that Biden and Harris should be accused of for Trump too?Sarah Kendzior: Yeah, I mean, well, first of all, I'd be delighted if we have historians in the future. Well, I will be, even if I don't.Andrew Keen: Well, there will be, even if, I don't know, in America, there'll be somewhere.Sarah Kendzior: I is where it'll be some sort of AI creation that just, you know, belches out, make America great again, like, you know, like in The Shining or something, just over and over and over again. But assuming we have real historians that actually assess the situation, I think they are going to be tremendously critical of the Biden administration. I think it may in fact go down as one of the worst of all time. And he will be seen as a Neville Chamberlain-like figure who had the opportunity to stop or slow A number of autocratic practices and either chose to look the other way or to enable them. Because the thing is, in 2016, people were very doubtful that America could become an autocratic state. They hadn't seen this before. A lot of this was new to them. From 2016 through 2021, we saw all that Trump was capable of, and he committed a large multitude of crimes,RetryClaude hit the max length for a message and has paused its response. You can write Continue to keep the chat going.AKplease continueEditHere's the continuation of the transcript:Sarah Kendzior: ...and those crimes, not just him, but his cohort were never held accountable. And what they did during the Biden years was plan all of their next moves. Like you don't suddenly have a gulag for Americans in El Salvador, like just off the top of your head. You know, all of this takes planning. We knew about a lot of the plans, you know, the Democrats campaigned about combating Project 2025. And my question to them was, well, what what if you lose? How are you going to combat it then? You know what, if he gets back, what are you gonna do? They would be so offended. They're like, how dare you, you question us. How dare you question, you know, our plans? They're, like, well, I don't, you don't have a plan. Like, that's my question is what is the plan? And they didn't. And they could have spent those four years creating a bulwark against a lot of the most horrific policies that we're seeing now. Instead, they're kind of reacting on the fly if they're even reacting at all. And meanwhile, people are being targeted, deported, detained. They're suffering tremendously. And they're very, very scared. I think it's very scary to have a total dearth of leadership from where the, not just the opposition, but just people with basic respect for the constitution, our civil rights, etc., are supposed to be.Andrew Keen: You mentioned Project 2025, we've got David Graham on the show next week, who's written a book about Project 2025. Is there anything positive to report, Sarah? I mean, some people are encouraged by the behavior, at least on Friday, the 18th of April, who knows what will happen over the weekend or next week. Behavior of Harvard, some law firms are aggressively defending their rights. Should we be encouraged by the universities, law firms, even some corporate leaders are beginning to mutter under their breath about Trump and Trumpism?Sarah Kendzior: And it depends whether they actually have that power in wielded or whether they're just sort of trying to tamper down public dissent. I'm skeptical of these universities and law firms because I think they should have had a plan long ago because I was very obvious that all of this was going to happen and I feel so terribly for all of the students there that were abandoned by these administrations, especially places like Columbia. That gave in right away. What does hearten me though, you know, and I, as you said, I'd been on this tour, like I was all over the West coast. I've been all over, the Midwest and the South is, Americans, Americans do understand what's happening. There's always this like this culture in media of like, how do we break it to Americans? Like, yeah, well, we know, we know out here in Missouri that this is very bad. And I think that people have genuine concern for each other. I think they still have compassion for each other. I think there's a culture of cruelty that's promoted online and it's incentivized. You know, you can make money that way. You could get clicks that that way, whatever, but in real life, I think people feel vulnerable. They feel afraid, but I've seen so much kindness. I've been so much concern and determination from people who don't have very much, and maybe that's, you know, why people don't know about it. These are just ordinary folks. And so I have great faith in American people to combat this. And what I don't have faith in is our institutions. And I hope that these sort of in between places, places like universities who do a lot of good on one hand, but also can kind of act as like hedge funds. On the other hand, I hope they move fully to the side of good and that they purge themselves of these corrupt elements that have been within them for a long time, the more greedy. Aspects of their existence. I hope they see themselves as places that uphold civic life and history and provide intellectual resistance and shelter for students in the storm. They could be a really powerful force if they choose to be. It's never too late to change. I guess that's the message I want to bring home. Even if I'm very critical of these places, it's never to late for them to change and to do the right thing.Andrew Keen: Well, finally, Sarah, a lot of people are going to be watching this on my Substack page. Your Substack Page, your newsletter, They Knew, I think has last count, 52,000 subscribers. Is this the new model for independent writers, journalist thinkers like yourself? I'm not sure of those 52,00, how many of them are paid. You noted that your book has disappeared co-isindecially sometimes. So maybe some publishers are being intimidated. Is the future for independent thinkers, platforms like Substack, where independent authors like yourself can establish direct intellectual and commercial relations with their readers and followers?Sarah Kendzior: It's certainly the present. I mean, this is the only place or other newsletter outlets, I suppose, that I could go. And I purposefully divorced myself from all institutions except for my publisher because I knew that this kind of corruption would inhibit me from being able to say the truth. This is why I dropped out of academia, I dropped out of regular journalism. I have isolated myself to some degree on purpose. And I also just like being in control of this and having direct access to my readers. However, what does concern me is, you know, Twitter used to also be a place where I had direct access to people I could get my message out. I could circumvent a lot of the traditional modes of communication. Now I'm essentially shadow banned on there, along with a lot of people. And you know Musk has basically banned substack links because of his feud with Matt Taibbi. You know, that led to, if you drop a substack link in there, it just gets kind of submerged and people don't see it. So, you know, I think about Twitter and how positive I was about that, maybe like 12, 13 years ago, and I wonder how I feel about Substack and what will happen to it going forward, because clearly, you Know, Trump's camp realizes the utility of these platforms, like they know that a lot of people who are prominent anti authoritarian voices are using them to get the word out when they are when they lose their own platform at, like, say, the Washington Post or MSNBC or... Whatever network is corrupted or bullied. And so eventually, I think they'll come for it. And, you know, so stack has problems on its own anyway. So I am worried. I make up backups of everything. I encourage people to consume analog content and to print things out if they like them in this time. So get my book on that note, brand new analog content for you. A nice digital.Andrew Keen: Yeah, don't buy it digitally. I assume it's available on Kindle, but you're probably not too keen or even on Amazon and Bezos. Finally, Sarah, this is Friday. Fridays are supposed to be cheerful days, the days before the weekend. Is there anything to be cheerful about on April The 18th 2025 in America?Sarah Kendzior: I mean, yeah, there's things to be cheerful about, you know, pre spring, nice weather. I'm worried about this weekend. I'll just get this out real quick. You know, this is basically militia Christmas. You know, This is the anniversary of Waco, the Oklahoma City bombings, Columbine. It's Hitler's birthday. This is a time when traditionally American militia groups become in other words,Andrew Keen: Springtime in America.Sarah Kendzior: Yeah, springtime for Hitler. You know, and so I'm worried about this weekend. I'm worry that if there are anti-Trump protests that they'll be infiltrated by people trying to stoke the very riots that Trump said he wanted in order to, quote, make America great again and have everything collapse. So everyone, please be very, very careful this weekend heading out and just be aware of the. Of these dates and the importance of these days far predates Trump to, you know, militia groups and other violent extremist groups.Andrew Keen: Well, on that cheerful note, I asked you for a positive note. You've ruined everyone's weekend, probably in a healthy way. You are the Cassandra from St. Louis. Appreciate your bravery and honesty in standing up to Trump and Trumpism, MAGA America. Congratulations on the new book. As you say, it's available in analog form. You can buy it. Take it home, protect it, dig a hole in your garden and protect it from the secret police. Congratulations on the new book. As I said to you before we went live, it's a beautifully written book. I mean, you're noted as a polemicist, but I thought this book is your best written book, the other books were well written, but this is particularly well written. Very personal. So congratulations on that. And Sarah will have to get you back on the show. I'm not sure how much worse things can get in America, but no doubt they will and no doubt you will write about it. So keep well, keep safe and keep doing your brave work. Thank you so much.Sarah Kendzior: Yeah, you too. Thank you so much for your kind words and for having me on again. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks for joining our exclusive live broadcast. Feel free to share your questions and interact with other participants in the chat. In this conversation, Carl Jackson discusses the recent Supreme Court ruling that allows the Trump administration to deport Venezuelan immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act. He emphasizes the significance of this decision for American sovereignty and the Trump administration's agenda. The discussion then shifts to the recent 'hands off' protests, where Jackson critiques the organization and effectiveness of these rallies. He also explores the psychological aspects of political opposition, likening the left's reaction to the five stages of grief. Finally, he addresses the ongoing narrative battle between the left and right, highlighting the importance of effective communication and policy implementation for the Trump administration. In this conversation, Carl Jackson discusses the current political landscape, emphasizing the importance of messaging within the GOP and the implications of tariffs on the economy. He reflects on Elon Musk's views regarding societal realities and the need for a strong national identity amidst immigration challenges. The discussion also touches on the significance of trade negotiations and the potential economic pain that may accompany necessary reforms. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carljacksonradio Twitter: https://twitter.com/carljacksonshow Parler: https://parler.com/carljacksonshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecarljacksonshow http://www.TheCarlJacksonShow.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanks for joining our exclusive live broadcast. Feel free to share your questions and interact with other participants in the chat. In this conversation, Carl Jackson discusses the recent Supreme Court ruling that allows the Trump administration to deport Venezuelan immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act. He emphasizes the significance of this decision for American sovereignty and the Trump administration's agenda. The discussion then shifts to the recent 'hands off' protests, where Jackson critiques the organization and effectiveness of these rallies. He also explores the psychological aspects of political opposition, likening the left's reaction to the five stages of grief. Finally, he addresses the ongoing narrative battle between the left and right, highlighting the importance of effective communication and policy implementation for the Trump administration. In this conversation, Carl Jackson discusses the current political landscape, emphasizing the importance of messaging within the GOP and the implications of tariffs on the economy. He reflects on Elon Musk's views regarding societal realities and the need for a strong national identity amidst immigration challenges. The discussion also touches on the significance of trade negotiations and the potential economic pain that may accompany necessary reforms. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carljacksonradio Twitter: https://twitter.com/carljacksonshow Parler: https://parler.com/carljacksonshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecarljacksonshow http://www.TheCarlJacksonShow.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedian John Branyan celebrates the sensibilities of those who live in the Midwest……what some people from the West and East coasts refer to as “Flyover Country.” The “coasters” think their big cities and beaches are special, but the Midwest contains all of America’s food! After riffing on a variety of subjects, John closes with a very encouraging word picture about the value of every human life. Get free access to over two hours of family-friendly comedy from John Branyan, Kenn Kington, Jeremy Nunes and Chonda Pierce. Get More Episode Resources If you've listened to any of our podcasts, please give us your feedback.

In addition to multiple lawmakers calling for the resignations of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz following a ridiculously irresponsible failure to manage our national military plans, comes a damaging op-ed in the National Review. The publication's executive editor called for President Trump to set an example and “hold someone accountable” for actions that if not criminal were in the very least “extraordinarily foolish” and “unbecoming of their offices.” We are excited to welcome author Sarah Kendzior to The Mark Thompson Show. Mark is a huge fan of her writing. Kendzior is the bestselling author of The View from Flyover Country, Hiding in Plain Sight, They Knew and her most recent, The Last American Roadtrip. She's a former podcaster and she has a doctorate in Anthropology. She has a long history of covering the Trump administration. This is an interview you won't want to miss! *Sign up for Sarah's newsletter at: sarahkendzior.com “It's the Planet, Stupid!” returns with Belinda Waymouth. Our eco-journalist is looking at the wild goings on at the EPA - with Trump's plans to get rid of EPA Office of Research and Development and the cancelations of Biden's designated National Monuments. Belinda also has the latest on a huge trillion ton iceberg that ran aground near South Goergia Island. *Programming note: John Rothmann joins us on Thursday this week.

The New York Times bestselling author of They Knew, Hiding in Plain Sight, and The View from Flyover Country navigates a changing America as she and her family embark on a series of road trips, in a book that is part memoir, part history, and wholly unique. It is one thing to study the fall of democracy, another to have it hit your homeland -- and yet another to raise children as it happens. The Last American Road Trip is one family's journey to the most beautiful, fascinating, and bizarre places in the US during one of its most tumultuous eras. As Kendzior works as a journalist chronicling political turmoil, she becomes determined that her young children see America before it's too late. So Kendzior, her husband, and the kids hit the road -- again and again.Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://brandyschillace.com/peculiar/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://eepurl.com/ixJJ2Y⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/PeculiarBookClub/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@PeculiarBookClub/streams⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky: ⁠@peculiarbookclub.bsky.social⁠Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@peculiarBC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/groups/peculiarbooksclub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepeculiarbookclub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sarah Kendzior, PhD, is the bestselling author of The View from Flyover Country, Hiding in Plain Sight, andThey Knew. Her next book, The Last American Road Trip, will come out later this year. Video: https://youtu.be/uqnvjzQNnsc Website: https://sarahkendzior.com Substack: sarahkendzior.substack.com Twitter @sarahkendzior For two extra episodes each month and exclusive content please visit: patreon.com/thenickbryantpodcast nickbryantnyc.com EpsteinJustice.com

It's been less than two full months since Donald Trump return to the oval office, but he and his team - led at times by Elon Musk, have been on a war path to cut government waste and bloat. DOGE, the new kid on the block, has uncovered millions in waste, fraud and abuse in just a few short weeks. But the cuts have not come without controversy. Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) was frequent among the media in his first term, but this time around its become Elon Derangement Syndrome. On this week's podcast, the crew talks through the DOGE cuts, Elon's influence and plenty more. Join us on Flyover Country with Scott Jennings! 

If you thought his first day was busy - Trump has really ramped things up now. From tariffs and trade wars, to Gaza and USAID and plenty more, the Trump team has been flying through its priorities in the first month of the new administration. On today's Flyover Country - we dive into the biggest news of the week, while trying to balance all of the big news Trump is making. He's had some good: cutting waste at USAID, and some bad: tariffs, but there is no slowing down Trump right now. Join us as we discuss it all! 

Donald Trump has only been President again for 5 days - but he has sure packed in a lot in his first week back. Once the formalities of the inauguration wrapped on Monday, the President got right to policy. Signing nearly 200 executive orders, it was clear a new era had begun in Washington. This week on Flyover Country, we talk about the good (and bad) of some of Trump's executive orders, the media reaction and what to expect Trump looks to implement his agenda. Listen now!

Happy New Year! After a short break, the Flyover Country team is back for the new year. With plenty already going on in Congress, we break down what the first few months of success could look like for Republicans - and how to get the Trump agenda moving. With some new characters in the mix (looking at you Elon) the policy making process looks a little different. As well, over the break Scott had plenty of viral moments for us to break down, and the team makes a few predictions for the new year. Join us on Flyover Country with Scott Jennings! 

You may have thought that the man who protected a subway car full of people from a career criminal having a psychotic break would be the good guy...and maybe the assassin who murdered a CEO in cold blood would be the bad guy? But not for the crazy leftists. This week on Flyover Country, we talk about the fallout from the Daniel Penny trial and Brian Thompson assassination, as some leftists pick the assassin as their new hero. In politics, Trump heads abroad for events and the House leadership takes shape with Kentucky's own Brett Guthrie securing a big seat. All that and much more this week on Flyover Country! 

Along life's road I discovered that the closer and more enticed I become with the Kingdoms of this world, the harder it becomes find the eternal treasures that Jesus said were most important. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 1. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wayfarer-tom-vander-well/support

Welcome back to Flyover Country with Scott Jennings! On this week's podcast the crew breaks down the Trump transition - which is full swing. Some great picks have been made and some, well, not so great ones. As candidates begin to get vetted, some are being talk about less for their policy positions and more for their sex lives. In the media, the left grovels their way back to Trump - the same man they called 'Hitler' just weeks ago. And new robot technology has us wondering, is a robot boyfriend better than a real boyfriend? Join us now on Flyover Country! 

I live in eastern Pennsl-tucky, that rural stretch between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It's the beginning of Flyover Country, that great expanse of the country that has more farms than shopping centers and more land than people. Yesterday, I made my two-mile trek to the local Community Church to cast my ballot. I've been following this routine since I moved here many years ago. After all these years, I know what to expect, and I like that.

I live in eastern Pennsl-tucky, that rural stretch between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It's the beginning of Flyover Country, that great expanse of the country that has more farms than shopping centers and more land than people. Yesterday, I made my two-mile trek to the local Community Church to cast my ballot. I've been following this routine since I moved here many years ago. After all these years, I know what to expect, and I like that.

I live in eastern Pennsl-tucky, that rural stretch between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It's the beginning of Flyover Country, that great expanse of the country that has more farms than shopping centers and more land than people. Yesterday, I made my two-mile trek to the local Community Church to cast my ballot. I've been following this routine since I moved here many years ago. After all these years, I know what to expect, and I like that.

I live in eastern Pennsl-tucky, that rural stretch between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It's the beginning of Flyover Country, that great expanse of the country that has more farms than shopping centers and more land than people. Yesterday, I made my two-mile trek to the local Community Church to cast my ballot. I've been following this routine since I moved here many years ago. After all these years, I know what to expect, and I like that.

With less than a week until election day - the goose is cooked...right? Surely neither campaign, or party, would find a way to stir things up in the last minute. Well, not so fast. In the last week, both parties have had to play clean up on some not-so-helpful remarks. At the same time, millions of Americans have already voted - and the race still seems deadlocked. On the last Flyover Country ahead of election day - we give our final thoughts, predictions and everything else before the polls close. So, who will win? Tune in to find out! 

On Tuesday night VP candidate  Senator JD Vance looked poised, prepared and articulate. His opponent, Governor Walz looked, well, the opposite. He looked flustered, a little over-prepared perhaps and stumbled through most of the night. But the two also engaged in plenty of substantive policy exchanges, shared commonalities and sympathies for each other, giving viewers a very cordial two hours. So, will it matter? On today's Flyover Country the full crew returns to recap the night and forecast what, if any, impact it may have. Listen now!

Dan Barreiro opens the show explaining that between the Vikings and Wolves Minnesota is flyover country no more before Vikings safety Cam Bynum makes his weekly appearance to review ANOTHER win.

Dan Barreiro opens the show explaining that between the Vikings and Wolves Minnesota is flyover country no more before Vikings safety Cam Bynum makes his weekly appearance to review ANOTHER win.

Dan Barreiro opens the show explaining that between the Vikings and Wolves Minnesota is flyover country no more before Vikings safety Cam Bynum makes his weekly appearance to review ANOTHER win.

Folks, we got us a race. With every new poll, it seems the race from President gets tighter and tighter. Every key swing state is just single digits away for each candidates. Ties are abundant in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, the Sun Belt and many blue wall states. Razor thin margins keep the two candidates apart. So, who is running the best campaign right now? This week, Harris sat down with MSNBC for another interview - while Biden joined the View. Trump continues to hold rallies, while Walz and Vance prep for next week's debate. We discuss it all on today's Flyover Country - join us! 

In this week's episode, I review the movies and streaming shows I saw in the second half of summer 2024. The episode concludes with a preview of the audiobook of HALF-ORC PALADIN, as excellently narrated by Leanne Woodward. TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 218 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is September the 13th, 2024 and today we are discussing my Summer Movie Review Roundup, Part 2. Just to note to say that you may hear some odd background noises in this episode. My neighbor across the street is getting his roof replaced. I can't begrudge them that because no one likes a leaky roof, but it is slightly inconvenient because this is the only time today I have to record the podcast. So if you hear the occasional pop in the background, that is the sound of a nail gun driving shingles into a roof. Before we get to our main topics, let's have an update on my current writing projects and then we will do Question of the Week. First up, Shield of Conquest is very nearly done. I am about 2/3 of the way through the final round of editing and if all goes well, it should come out shortly after this episode is available, so be sure to check your favorite ebook retailer and see if it is out. Once that is done, I will be going full speed ahead on Ghost in the Tombs and I'm currently 48,000 words into that, so about halfway through the rough draft, give or take, depends on how long the rest of the book takes and how certain scenes in the final half of the book out. In audiobook news, Half-Orc Paladin is done, and it's now available on all the major audio stores: Audible, Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Chirp, Kobo, Payhip, Spotify, and a couple others, and you can get it there. We will close out this episode with a preview of Half-Orc Paladin (as excellently narrated by Leanne Woodward). 00:01:30 Question of the Week Now let's have a Question of the Week. Question of the Week is designed to inspire interesting discussions of enjoyable topics. This week's question: what is your favorite superhero movie? No wrong answers, of course (including “I don't like superhero movies”, but it turns out no one said that, so I guess superhero movies are quite popular). The inspiration for this question was that I was thinking about how superhero movies are such a major part of pop culture. Nowadays when people think of superhero movies, they usually think of Marvel and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there were major superhero movies before the whole Marvel Cinematic approach really got going in the 2000s/2010s and they've been obviously part of pop culture for a very long time, and as you could expect, we had a wide range of responses from this. Our first response was from JD, who says: If I had to pick just one, it would probably be Guardians of the Galaxy. The first film had a near perfect mix of action, drama, and comedy. For me, the best Batman film was the 1966 one starring Adam West. Joaquim says: In the last millennium, when I was a child, we had DC Comics and Marvel Comics. I did like Batman in DC, Spider-man and The Avengers in Marvel. In the movies, I did not particularly like Batman, but I like the early Marvel movies, Avengers 1 and Captain America 2 the most. Mary says: X-Men. Todd says: 1978 Superman. Visually at 15, I believed a man could fly. Juana says: My superhero is actually a couple - The Vision and Scarlet Witch (before they turned Vision into an emotionless thing a while back). What's interesting is that the guy who was in charge of Picard Season 3, which I quite liked, is apparently going to be running a Vision show for Marvel sometime in 2026 (assuming Disney doesn't run out of money first), so it should be interesting to see how it turns out. Stephen says: I know this is random- Shang Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings. I know it was not completely an original storyline, but I liked it a lot. I agree with Stephen. I thought Shang Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings was one of the stronger Marvel movies and it's too bad it hasn't had a sequel. Becca says: The Dark Knight trilogy. Those are the real Batman films for me. Ledger was certainly the best Joker. I do love the happier Batmans, too. I grew up on West's version of Batman. For me, V for Vendetta is my favorite superhero movie and one of my favorite movies ever. I usually watch it at least once a year. Michael says: Captain America: The First Avenger. Juliana says: Second Captain America. The spy aspect really married well with the superhero genre in this one. I agree with Juliana. I think Captain America: Winter Soldier is one of the better Marvel movies. Roger says: only because we're entering the season, The Christmas Chronicles with Kurt Russell. Andrew says: Deadpool and Wolverine, followed by The Dark Knight trilogy. James says: I know Fox's X-Men get a bad rap generally, but Days of Future Past was amazing. I'd have to go with that, with The Dark Knight, Thor: Ragnarok, and Wonder Woman as runner-ups. Cheryl says: don't really have favorites, but for eye candy, Thor. Catriona says: The original Christopher Reeve Superman. Jenny says: Mystery Men. Jeanne says: Megamind. Randy says: Christian Bale and Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight movies are definitely in the top three but Iron Man has always been my favorite. Good story, good pacing, and Robert Downey Junior just nailed playing Tony Stark, in my opinion. Not to mention it kicked off the longest, largest, story movie arc to this day. BV says: Superman 1978. Terry says: Fifth Element. Gary says: Hancock. For myself, I think my favorite superhero movies would be the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale Dark Knight trilogy. Strong performances, great action, and they managed to do something very difficult, namely bring a satisfying end to a superhero story arc. It almost feels like The Dark Knight movies are the “real” events of Batman and all the other comics and cartoons and movies are legends and exaggerations after the fact, like how the whole glittering mythos of King Arthur and the Round Table developed around an obscure Roman British warlord in the 500s AD. Also, Heath Ledger's version of the Joker was amazing. That said, for Marvel movies, which have been kind of the dominant form of superhero movies for the last decade, I think the best one of those would be Captain America: Winter Soldier (in my opinion). 00:05:45 Main Topic: Summer 2024 Movie/TV Roundup, Part 2 And now on to our main topic of this episode, my Summer 2024 Movie Roundup, Part 2. And if this movie roundup has a theme, it's miscellaneous. The reason for that is I did not actually watch all that many movies in the second half of the summer. There was no nefarious reason for that. I was just busy with travel and busy with multiple instances of home repair and busy finishing Half-Orc Paladin and Shield of Conquest. So I mostly watched some older stuff that I found on streaming, especially on Tubi, which has the delightful attribute of being free with ads. As usual, the movies are listed from my least favorite to my most favorite and the grades are totally subjective and based upon my own thoughts and opinions and nothing more substantial than that. So with that in mind, let's start out. First up is The Burbs, which came out in 1989. It's a dark comedy/horror movie satire starring Tom Hanks as Ray, a suburban homeowner with a wife and a son. On vacation for the week, Ray becomes obsessed with the Klopeks, a new family that has moved on to his street. The Klopeks have no interest in maintaining their property and show signs of other odd activities: going out only at night, constant digging in the backyard, and strange noises and lights coming from their basement. Soon, Ray and his two neighbors become determined to find out just what the Klopeks are up to. It was darkly funny, though you could tell that the ending had been rewritten a few times. The movie couldn't decide if it wanted to be a satire of clannish homeowners or to totally validate their concerns, or both. I think it tried for both and couldn't quite get there. Though it does kind of show how much the United States has changed or possibly declined in the last 35 years. Ray and his friends are shown as kind of losers, but they live in enormous, well-maintained houses. It's like how Homer Simpson in the first couple seasons of The Simpsons was shown as a bumbling loser, but yet he could afford to live in a four bedroom house, his wife didn't work most of the time, they had two cars and three children, and all without Homer having a college degree. By the standards of 2024, Homer Simpson lived like a king. Amusing anecdote-one scene in The Burbs was clearly inspired by A Fistful of Dollars, which I talk about more below. Overall grade: C Next up is The Batman vs. Dracula, an animated movie which came out in 2005. In this movie, Batman goes up against Count Dracula. This was probably as dark and gory as something can be while still technically remaining targeted at children. When a robbery goes bad, the Penguin accidentally releases Count Dracula from his tomb and becomes the Vampire Lord's new chief servant. Dracula is fascinated by the modern world, but he's especially fascinated by Batman since for obvious reasons he admires Batman's bat-themed motif. Dracula offers Batman the chance to become his chief lieutenant, which Batman refuses and Dracula takes that personally. He'll get his revenge by turning Gotham City into a city of the undead and taking Bruce Wayne's girlfriend, Vicki Vale, as his new vampire bride. Unless, of course, Batman stops him. It was interesting how neatly Dracula slots into becoming a good enemy for Batman. After all, in the original Dracula novel, Dracula's nemesis Van Helsing was definitely a man of science who brought logic, reason, and scientific method to his fight against Dracula. Batman is also a man of science in the sense that he's a detective, so he does some detective work to unravel Dracula's weaknesses and to build weapons to use against him. Overall Grade: B Next up is Set It Up, which came out in 2018. This is a romantic comedy that reminded me a bit of the more cynical 1940s-era romcoms like The Shop Around the Corner. The female lead Harper works as a personal assistant for a workaholic female sports writer who terrorizes her employees. The male lead Charlie works for workaholic male venture capitalist who also terrorizes his employees. Both their bosses are miserable, demanding people who make everyone around them unhappy. One day, both Charlie and Harper are dispatched to get dinner for their bosses and end up fighting over the last available delivery man. However, in the wake of the encounter, Harper hatches a plan. Both she and Charlie know everything about their respective bosses, so why not manipulate their calendars and schedules so they fall in love? They might be more cheerful, or at the very least they'll be in the office less frequently. Charlie has his misgivings about this plan, but after one more unfortunate encounter with his boss, decides to embark upon Harper's plan. Of course, Charlie has a high maintenance girlfriend who wants him to make a lot more money, and Harper is trying to find a boyfriend, but as per the rules of romcoms, perhaps Charlie and Harper will have more in common than they might think. This had a bit more crude humor than I might prefer but was still enjoyable. It did remind me quite a bit of the more cynical ‘30s and ‘40s movies like My Man Godfrey or the Shop around the Corner. Overall Grade: B Next up is The Bank of Dave, which came out in 2023. This is basically the cynical British version of a Hallmark movie, but with better production values. It is very, very loosely based on the activities of Dave Fishwick, a successful van dealer in the north of England who decides to start a local bank for local people, feeling that the Big London banks have lost sight of that. To do that, he recruits a London lawyer named Hugh to help him navigate a labyrinth of regulation around financial institutions. Of course the big banks dislike this idea and come after Dave hard. Dave is definitely the local Big Man, and it's interesting that humanity's default mode of government seems to be Local Big Man. However, if one must have a Big Man, one could only hope he is as benevolent as Dave. The movie was pretty funny, though a lot of the humor comes from the UK's class and regional divides, which are rather more pronounced than in the United States. Here in the United States, you can drive for 300 miles and be in the same state the entire time, and the local culture won't change all that much. The cliche is that the US East Coast and the US West Coast look down upon flyover country, but you can drive something like 1,000 miles from New York before you even get to Flyover Country. If you drive 300 miles in the UK, you've probably gone through six or seven regional accents and local traditions. The Bank of Dave does kind of turn into a Hallmark movie since Hugh falls for David's doctor niece. So basically a romance with the backdrop of British class/regional struggle as comedy. Overall grade: B Next up is Cool Runnings, which came out in 1993. A sports comedy film very (and I mean very loosely) based on the debut of the Jamaican Olympic bobsled team in the 1988 Winter Olympics. When sprinter Derice Bannock is unable to qualify for the Jamaican Olympic team due to an accident, he decides to instead to start a bobsled team to represent Jamaica in the Games. To do this, he recruits washed up former bobsledder Blitzer (played by John Candy) to act as the team's coach. What follows is a pretty good example of a sports movie. The team must come together and perform while overcoming their own personal challenges and inner conflicts, especially Coach Blitzer, who has to dig deep and overcome his past to effectively coach the team. It's interesting that sports movies tend to follow one of two trajectories. Either the team rallies and wins the championship, or they don't win the championship and nonetheless achieve moral victory by overcoming their internal difficulties in learning to work together. I won't spoil which path Cool Runnings follows. Overall Grade: B Next up is Uncle Buck, which came out in 1989. This is a coming-of-age comedy film about a 40 year old man, oddly enough. I did think this was pretty funny. Bob and Cindy are a married couple with three children living in the suburbs of Chicago, and when Cindy's father has a heart attack, they need to rush to his side. Due to the unexpected nature of the news, they have to find someone to watch the kids while they're gone. In desperation, they turned to Bob's brother Buck, who alternates between working for his girlfriend at her tire company and making money on rigged horse races. While Buck is kind of a loser, he's basically a decent guy, just averse to responsibility and settling down. He quickly steps up to take care of the children, though he conflicts with the oldest daughter Tia, who is in the grips of a full-blown adolescent rebellion. Buck soon realizes that he's come to a crossroads in his life, which is reinforced when Tia runs away to a party for the weekend. Slightly dark in places, but definitely more family friendly than many ‘80s comedies. Overall Grade: B+ Next up is the Adjustment Bureau, which came out in 2011. It is a science fiction romantic thriller based on the Philip K. Dick story, which is a very odd sentence to say, but it's true. Matt Damon plays David Norris, a congressman from New York who just lost the Senate race. Preparing for his concession speech. He meets Elise (played by Emily Blunt) and is immediately smitten with her. A month later, he runs into her by accident on a bus and receives her phone number. However, soon mysterious suited men with unusual powers arrive and burn the paper with the phone number. The men explain to David that they are The Adjustment Bureau, charged with making sure history unfolds according to the mysterious Plan. The Plan says that David can never see Elise again. David of course is not the sort of guy to take that lying down, so he soon finds himself trying to outwit the Time Cops and find Elise. It was interesting that The Adjustment Bureau was very similar to the Time Variance Authority from the Marvel Loki show, so I wonder if they drew on some of the same sources of inspiration. An interesting movie and worth watching. It actually wrestled with the oldest philosophical question in Western civilization: are all things predestined or do we have free will? Or is it somehow both? I have to admit that the scene where Elise dunked David's BlackBerry in coffee was very satisfying to me personally, since I had a lot of support headaches with Blackberries back in the 2000s. Overall Grade: B+ Now, finally the favorite thing I saw in the second half of the summer 2024: A Fistful of Dollars, which came out in 1964. This was the first Spaghetti Western I've seen, which means it's Italian director Sergio Leone's sort of stylized version of what the Old West was like. Of course, the movie actually ripped off the Akira Kurosawa samurai movie Yojimbo. In fact, it was so heavily ripped off Yojimbo that Kurosawa sued, settled out of court, and received 15% of A Fistful of Dollars' revenue. Apparently Kurosawa made more from the settlement than he did from Yojimbo. Legal troubles aside, it was quite good and I could see how it heavily influenced many subsequent movies. For example, the Star Wars character of Boba Fett was inspired by A Fistful of Dollars and Boba Fett in turn inspired the Mandalorian. Stephen King's rather disappointing Dark Tower series was inspired by Dollars as well. And there are many other examples, such as the scene in The Burbs I had mentioned above earlier. Anyway, Clint Eastwood plays The Stranger, a mercenary gunslinger who seems to be drifting from town to town without a purpose. He arrives at San Miguel, a US-Mexican border town that is dominated by two crime families at each other's throats, the Rojos and the Baxters. Both clans seek to hire The Stranger for their organizations and the gunslinger begins playing them off each other for personal profit. As mercenary and as ruthless as he is, The Stranger seems to have a core of honor to him. A couple of times he goes out of his way to help people because he can, which sometimes gets him into trouble. Definitely worth watching as a classic film. Overall Grade: A So that's it for this week. Thanks for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com, often with transcripts (note: transcripts are available from Episodes 140 onward). If you enjoy the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.

For the first 15 minutes of last night's debate, Donald Trump seemed in control. He was strong on the economy and inflation, two of his best issues. But it all changed when Harris taunted Trump on his rally sizes - forcing the former President to take her bait and spiral. On today's Flyover Country, Scott Jennings joins us live from New York - fresh off the CNN set to breakdown last night's debate and discuss how much it might impact the race. Join us now! 

It was a rocking night 2 of the DNC as some premier speakers took the stage - headline by the Obamas and Doug Emhoff. While Bernie Sanders was decrying billionaires, only to be followed up by a literal billionaire - last night's speakers played plenty of hits for Democrats, with some strong calls to action and hope. But perhaps none of it was as memorable as Lil Jon performing 'Turn Down for What' to hype the crowd. We discuss it all on today's Flyover Country - join us!

It's official, for the third time in Minnesota's history, a vice presidential nominee comes from Minnesota as Governor Tim Walz joins current VP Kamala Harris' ticket as running mate. Henry Lake talks about what he expects from the ticket and what impact his response to George Floyd will have on the democratic bid to hold control over the White House. Callers chime in as well on an abbreviated but meaningful Lake Show!  

It's been just a week and a half since Joe Biden dropped out and passed the torch to Kamala Harris, and her campaign seems to be...rolling? New polling suggest Kamala has given Democrats the bump they need to make this race competitive again, putting plenty of swing states back in play. But will it be enough or will the poor ratings of Biden/Harris presidency drag her down? And can a VP pick make the difference? On this week's Flyover Country we dive into the new strategies from the Harris team, some new ads from Trump and Harris and do some recalibrating as the new matchup comes into view. Join us!

Day 3 of the RNC featured a primetime speech from VP nominee JD Vance - but the whole night seemed overshadowed by the words of the Gold Star Families who took the stage. Vance, Trump's granddaughter, his song Junior, all performed well - but no moment seemed more powerful or as political devastating as those families. On today's podcast, we talk through the big moments of the night - all while Joe Biden's candidacy continues to fall apart. Join us on Flyover Country!

Leaks from the White House, concern among Democrats, Governors freaking out, donors asking for answers - it is safe to say things are NOT going well for Joe Biden since last week's debate. Will concerns about the President's health at an all time high, Democrats are scrambling to find answers. Is Biden their only hope? Can they replace him? Who replaces him?! All of it has caused widespread panic - with more questions than answers for Democrats. This week on Flyover Country we dive into the story capturing the nation's attention. Join us! 

In last night's debate, the stakes could not have higher for Joe Biden, and in the end - his flop could not bigger. President Biden arrived in Atlanta with his poll numbers falling and major questions about his health - and did nothing to reassure voters that he could handle the job of President. 90 grueling minutes later, calls for Biden to step aside have gotten louder. Trump however, posting a fine performance, now rides some major momentum. So, is it over for Biden? We breakdown everything from last night's debate - NOW on Flyover Country. 

It's debate time! With just a week before Biden an Trump will faceoff in the first debate of 2024 - the Flyover Country brings you all the debate prep and analysis you need! Should Trump bully or taunt Biden? Is the bar too low for Biden? We discuss all that - plus some viral moment from Scott on CNN in the last week, including some attacks from James Carville! Join us on Flyover Country! 

In this week's episode, Jim O'Brien and Maggie Mick host Scott Jennings, an American conservative writer and commentator. A former political director to United State Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), we dive into McConnell's legacy as the longest serving Republican Leader in the U.S. Senate and leadership lessons passed on to mentees like Jennings.   About Scott Scott Jennings is an on-air CNN Contributor, writes columns for the Courier-Journal, the LA Times, USA Today, and CNN.com, and is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. He is a founding partner of RunSwitch Public Relations and a veteran of numerous political campaigns, including four presidential efforts. A former journalist and political operative, Scott uses his 20 plus years of experience to offer clients cutting-edge strategy and analysis, and helps craft winning messages in the most difficult communications environments. He also hosts the podcast Flyover Country with Scott Jennigs. 

Another big week of news for the Flyover Country crew to dive into this week on the podcast! Hunter Biden is found guilty - Trump heads to DC to meet with the GOP Congress - Biden gets to ready to debate as calls for him to dropout intensify - and of course, Caitlin Clark continues to take the WBNA by storm. A packed episode with all the big news from the last week - join us! 

Two years ago, when Drew Holden first joined us as a guest on Flyover Country, his twitter threads were taking the conservative world by storm. He had become an integral part in holding the media's left wing bias accountable. But not long after his popularity grew - Drew was diagnosed with a brain tumor and his world flipped. Now, a few years after his diagnosis and on the way back, Drew makes his return to Flyover Country and returns to his media watch dog role - with even more in store. Tune in now to hear Drew's story of his metoric rise, shocking health scare and all his new projects. Listen now!    Find Drew at: https://substack.com/@drewholden360 Twitter: https://x.com/drewholden360

A big week for the Flyover Country team! After a crazy Friday morning in Louisville with the PGA Championship, our own Sean Southard became the target of some media after a satirical tweet. In Presidential news, Biden and Trump finally get debates on the calendar. But who is that good for? And in international news - the President of Iran dies in a helicopter crash...and some folks are in mourning??? Crazy times! Join us! 

Dan is back giving the sermons and discusses the big win for the Wolves with Alan Horton!

The Heartland POD, Friday May 3, 2024: Flyover Friday On this episode of The Heartland POD for Friday, May 3, 2024 - a Flyover Friday includingMissouri abortion petition hits the mark on signatures - not the next challenges beginKansas Legislature allows Governor Kelly's veto to standhttps://kansasreflector.com/2024/04/29/kansas-house-fails-to-override-veto-on-bill-that-would-ban-gender-affirming-care-for-kids/ Missouri state senator accused of blocking appointments in favor of himselfMissouri governor says Democrat senator blocked appointments after seeking one for himselfCourt overrules ban on trans care in West Virginia and North CarolinaVictory! Fourth Circuit Rules North Carolina and West Virginia Can't Deny Transgender People Coverage for Medical Care - Lambda LegalColorado house passes migrant welcome billColorado bill to establish migrant welcome grant program passes HouseMissouri freedom caucus fails, againFreedom Caucus ends filibuster in Missouri Senate without action on its demandsMike Johnson may be getting ousted… or saved by Democrats? Huh?Marjorie Taylor Greene to force vote next week on ousting U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson • Missouri IndependentU.S. House Democrats vow to back Speaker Johnson if Republicans try to oust him • Iowa Capital Dispatch @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Threads)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Threads) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

The Heartland POD, Friday May 3, 2024: Flyover Friday On this episode of The Heartland POD for Friday, May 3, 2024 - a Flyover Friday includingMissouri abortion petition hits the mark on signatures - not the next challenges beginKansas Legislature allows Governor Kelly's veto to standhttps://kansasreflector.com/2024/04/29/kansas-house-fails-to-override-veto-on-bill-that-would-ban-gender-affirming-care-for-kids/ Missouri state senator accused of blocking appointments in favor of himselfMissouri governor says Democrat senator blocked appointments after seeking one for himselfCourt overrules ban on trans care in West Virginia and North CarolinaVictory! Fourth Circuit Rules North Carolina and West Virginia Can't Deny Transgender People Coverage for Medical Care - Lambda LegalColorado house passes migrant welcome billColorado bill to establish migrant welcome grant program passes HouseMissouri freedom caucus fails, againFreedom Caucus ends filibuster in Missouri Senate without action on its demandsMike Johnson may be getting ousted… or saved by Democrats? Huh?Marjorie Taylor Greene to force vote next week on ousting U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson • Missouri IndependentU.S. House Democrats vow to back Speaker Johnson if Republicans try to oust him • Iowa Capital Dispatch @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Threads)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Threads) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

Welcome to a PACKED episode on Flyover Country! The last week was full of big political news and moments, starting with Senator McConnell ushering through a huge foreign aid package in Congress. Meanwhile, college campuses across the country have become occupied by anti-Israel protestors who have destroyed property, attacked Jewish students and taken over buildings. Biden, fresh off the White House Correspondence dinner - took to the Howard Stern show for a incredible softball interview full of lies and cringe. All that and more on this week's Flyover Country! 

We take a bite out of Midwest queer history! Vince Tripi (he/him, co/cos) is a homegrown historian dedicated to compiling LGBTQ+ history into digestible exhibits for pride-goers and LGBTQ+ youth. We chat about his latest project called “Flyover Country,” an exhibit highlighting LGBTQ+ firsts of the Midwest, including some wild discoveries about the first few years of the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference. Additional Resources and References from this episode: Check out all of Vince's LGBTQ+ history exhibits: https://vince.lgbt/exhibits/Learn more about MBLGTACC at mblgtacc.orgRead the full news release about the Institute receiving an award an ACPA Learn more about the Coalition for Sexuality and Gender Identities For questions, comments, or feedback about this episode: lastbite@sgdinstitute.org.We're on TikTok! You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or at sgdinstitute.orgHost: R.B. Brooks, they/them, director of strategy and impact for the Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender DiversityCover art: Adrienne McCormick ★ Support this podcast ★

It's Trump v. Bragg, Massie v. Johnson and Pro-Hamas Protestors v....Starbucks??? A wild week in the world of politics and a stacked show from Flyover Country this week. House Republicans in Congress continue to be unsatisfied with their Speaker as Thomas Massie joins MTG in looking to now oust Speaker Johnson. In NY, Trump heads to trial in the hush money case. And across the country protestors chant "Death to America" and disrupt life in hopes of what - we aren't sure. All that along with a polling update, some talk on Senate races and shrinkflation. Join us on Flyover Country!

A BIG week for Flyover Country with lots of news and our very own Scott Jennings going viral. The war between Israel and Hamas continues to heat up, pushing the limits of Biden's commitments to one of key allies. One person who's commitment is not wavering however is Senator John Fetterman who continues to show strong support for Israel. In Presidential politics - polling show Trump up in nearly every key swing state, while RFK Jr continues to make waves. All that and more on this week's Flyover Country! 

A big week of headlines in the world of politics AND sports. In Presidential politics, RFK Jr announced his running mate this week. -but maybe more importantly, continues to eat away at Joe Biden in recent polling. Despite closing the gap in some key states, Biden is still far far underwater on most key issues and with many voting blocs. Meanwhile, the folks at MSNBC threw a tantrum this week when it was announced that former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel would join their staff. The revolt led to her contract being ended - but the damage hardly ends there. And this week, baseball's biggest superstar Shohei Ohtani is now embroiled in a gambling scandal. All that and more this week on Flyover Country with Scott Jennings! 

Welcome back to Flyover Country! On today's episode: a special guest, Harold Kim of the US Chamber, joins us in the second half to tell us about his incredibly important work to educate, defend and inspire others to embrace the US free enterprise system. A son of immigrants, Kim is a longtime advocate for the capitalist system that has led to unmatched prosperity. Hear Harold's story about fighting for the principles that make America strong. In other news, Joe and Scott give a quick political update, as Trump continues to make wild news and more primaries shed light on the state of the 2024 election. Join us!    Find more information about Harold Kim's work at USChamber.com

Sarah Kendzior, author of the bestselling books They Knew, Hiding in Plain Sight, The View from Flyover Country, and of course Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think!, takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Challenge.   And don't forget that Andrea will join comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast for a special live event at Caveat in New York City on Saturday August 5th at 4pm to celebrate the launch of the new Gaslit Nation book Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think! To get a ticket to that event in person or to watch the livestream, visit this website. Signed copies of the book can be ordered at the event!   To submit your own answers and give inspiration for ways to recharge as we run our marathon together to protect our democracy, leave your answers in the comments section or send an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We'll read some of the responses on the show! Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire What's a book you think everyone should read and why? What's a documentary everyone should watch and why? What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why? Who are some historical mentors who inspire you? What's the best concert you've ever been to? What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces? Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight? What's the best advice you've ever gotten? What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What's your favorite work of art and why?