Podcasts about Congress

Jason Kander and Ravi Gupta break down the stunning upset in Iowa as Democrat Catelin Drey flips a ruby red state Senate seat with an 11-point margin, ending the GOP's supermajority and signaling a major warning for Trump's Republican Party. They analyze what Drey's victory means for the balance of power in Des Moines, how her message on child care and abortion rights resonated with voters, and why Republicans are scrambling to protect their maps. Kander and Gupta also dive into Trump's increasingly authoritarian behavior, from embracing the “dictator” label to attempting to fire a Federal Reserve governor, while lying about mortgage records and pointing to foreign autocrats as models for U.S. policy. Plus, they discuss Gavin Newsom's surge in early 2028 polling, the aging of Congress, and what the California governor's rise says about the Democratic bench. This and more on the podcast that helps you, the majority of Americans who believe in progress, convince your conservative friends and family to join us—this is Majority 54! Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://SHOPIFY.com/majority Subscribe to Ravi's Substack: https://realravigupta.substack.com/ Majority 54 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/majority54 Jason on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JasonKander Jason on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonkander/ Ravi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaviMGupta Ravi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ravimgupta Ravi on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LostDebate Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4pm: Video Guest – State Rep Travis Couture // With little to show from 10 years of work, WA suspends $292M IT rebuild // The REAL numbers related to Medicaid in Washington // Pentagon plans military deployment in Chicago as Trump eyes crackdown // Congress investigating D.C. police over crime data manipulation allegations // Donald Trump Jr calls for the military occupation of major U.S. cities; including Seattle // No… We Don't Need More Federal Intervention in U.S. Cities // Man Makes Dirtbike Sounds, Pretends To Ride Away At Township Meeting

6pm: Video Guest – State Rep Travis Couture // With little to show from 10 years of work, WA suspends $292M IT rebuild // The REAL numbers related to Medicaid in Washington // Pentagon plans military deployment in Chicago as Trump eyes crackdown // Congress investigating D.C. police over crime data manipulation allegations // Donald Trump Jr calls for the military occupation of major U.S. cities; including Seattle // No… We Don't Need More Federal Intervention in U.S. Cities // Man Makes Dirtbike Sounds, Pretends To Ride Away At Township Meeting

Sam Harris speaks with David French about Trump's assault on American democracy. They discuss Trump's persecution of political opponents, abuse of the pardon power, Congress's ineffectiveness, David's proposed change to Article II of the Constitution, whether democracy in the U.S. has passed the point of no return, the future of election integrity, Trump's threats against Elon Musk, the weaponization of ICE, the dangers of deploying the National Guard in American cities, white evangelical support for Trump, Republican infighting and why only Trump can hold the MAGA coalition together, Trump's unique political talents, the prospect of him remaining in power beyond two terms, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.

"Mitzy" is just wrapping up a life-changing project, and she wants to know what's in store next. Jessica has some tough Neptunian news to deliver, as creating spaciousness is on the ticket. Tune in for more on Mitzy's once-in-a-lifetime transit!

President Donald Trump's punishing 50% tariffs on imports from India are now in effect. Some FEMA staff are being put on immediate leave after signing a warning letter to Congress. Israel has given an explanation for its strikes on a Gaza hospital that sparked international condemnation. Kilmar Abrego Garcia has made a new bid to resist deportation. Plus, Space X's new Starship spacecraft has finally made a safe landing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ken Rosato fills in for Mark Simone. A new poll from the Associated Press states that a vast majority of Americans, about 80 percent, think crime is a significant issue in the USA. Ken interviews Billy Prempeh - US Air Force veteran, Lifelong Paterson Resident, and 2026 NJ-CD9 Republican candidate for Congress. Billy believes that the USA has one of the lowest birth rates in the world due to its economy. Billy doesn't think Democratic candidate for governor of NJ, Mikkie Sherill, is targeting the needs of the people, such as the economy and the energy crisis in NJ. Ken Rosato fills in for Mark Simone. Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies played the race card against President Trump for firing Fed Governor Lisa Cook, who is an African American female, regarding alleged mortgage fraud. Ken interviews Michael Tannousis, Staten Island Assemblymember. The MTA should be audited for its mismanagement over the years. Michael sees a high possibility for National Guard troops to be deployed for patrolling crime in NYC. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ken Rosato fills in for Mark Simone. A new poll from the Associated Press states that a vast majority of Americans, about 80 percent, think crime is a significant issue in the USA. Ken takes your calls! Ken interviews Billy Prempeh - US Air Force veteran, Lifelong Paterson Resident, and 2026 NJ-CD9 Republican candidate for Congress. Billy believes that the USA has one of the lowest birth rates in the world due to its economy. Billy doesn't think Democratic candidate for governor of NJ, Mikkie Sherill, is targeting the needs of the people, such as the economy and the energy crisis in NJ.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Billy believes that the USA has one of the lowest birth rates in the world due to its economy. Billy doesn't think Democratic candidate for governor of NJ, Mikkie Sherill, is targeting the needs of the people, such as the economy and the energy crisis in NJ.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk with a floatplane pilot who flies the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver commercially. In the news, we look at strategies for modernizing the air traffic control system, striking flight attendants and some who wish they could, and a wingsuit accident takes the life of an ICON Aircraft co-founder. Guest John Crawford flies the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver commercially on the Canadian West Coast. He began flying Beavers when he was the Chief Pilot and Operations Manager for a company specializing in floatplane training, where he overhauled the training program. In addition to his full-time flying job, John also has a coaching program that helps pilots get their first flying position without the unnecessary and expensive detour of instructing. He helps student pilots with resumes, job search beyond job ads, interview preparation, and more. John Crawford and the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver. John describes his path to becoming a floatplane pilot, learning to fly, and using taildragger and bush-flying experience. He notes the origin of the Beaver and the challenges of flying a floatplane compared to other aircraft, including obstructions in the water, winds, and docking. John's coaching project started as a proof of concept but has grown to include Canadian, U.S., and international students. We look at his teaching methods, the pattern of floatplane student pilots who do well learning to fly, and how John shows people how to get work. John also provides a valuable perspective on flight instructing in general and how teaching is not for everyone. See John's website, find him on YouTube, and on Instagram. Aviation News The ‘brand new' ATC system might not be as new as you think The National Airspace System today is built on three main software platforms that help transmit flight plan data, collect aircraft position information, and display all of that on the screens of air traffic controllers: the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) used by approach and departure facilities, En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) used by enroute facilities, and the Advanced Technologies & Oceanic Procedures (ATOPs) used by oceanic facilities in California and New York. The FAA said that combining these three protocols into a single common automation platform would be more efficient. That proposal is a pillar of the administration's ATC modernization plan, and it would cost an estimated $31.5 billion. Instead of replacing STARS, ERAM, and ATOPs, FAA chief Bryan Bedford said the agency is exploring a cheaper way to connect the systems that "will look and feel and act exactly the same" as a common platform without actually being one. "There's technology that we can stick in between ERAM and STARS and ATOPs and the user, you know, a new interface. These interfaces actually exist today. We can take that data, we can re-present it across the users of the NAS." US flight attendants are fed up like their Air Canada peers. Here's why they are unlikely to strike Hourly wages for flight attendants can be very low relative to the cost of living. Some can't afford housing in their home base location and must therefore commute from a lower-cost region. Discontent is amplified when FAs are not paid until the cabin door is open. Airline strikes are rare due to the Railway Labor Act of 1926, amended in 1936 to include airlines. For airline workers to strike, Federal mediators must declare an impasse. But even then, the president or Congress can intervene. Air Canada reaches deal with flight attendant union to end strike as operations will slowly restart Ten thousand Air Canada flight attendants went on strike, but that ended with a tentative deal that includes wage increases and pay for boarding passengers. ICON founder dies in wingsuit accident ICON Aircraft co-founder Kirk Hawkins died August 19, 2025, in a wingsuit accident in the Swiss Alps.

Department of Government Efficiency members stored a copy of a massive Social Security Administration database in a “vulnerable” custom cloud environment, putting more than 300 million people's personal information at risk, the agency's chief data officer said in a new whistleblower complaint. The complaint, filed with Congress on Tuesday, revealed new concerns from CDO Charles Borges about “serious data security lapses” allegedly involving DOGE officials working at the SSA. According to the complaint, those officials, under the direction of SSA Chief Information Officer Aram Moghaddassi, granted themselves permission to copy Americans' Social Security information onto a cloud server with no verified oversight, violating agency protocols. The Government Accountability Project wrote on behalf of Borges in the complaint that the “vulnerable cloud environment is effectively a live copy of the entire country's Social Security information from the Numerical Identification System (NUMIDENT) database, that apparently lacks any security oversight from SSA or tracking to determine who is accessing or has accessed the copy of this data.” The NUMIDENT data includes all the information applicants use for a Social Security card, including their name, phone number, address, place and date of birth, parents' names and Social Security numbers along with other personal information. The complaint warned: “Should bad actors gain access to this cloud environment, Americans may be susceptible to widespread identity theft, may lose vital healthcare and food benefits, and the government may be responsible for re-issuing every American a new Social Security Number at great cost.” Adele Merritt is out as the top IT official at the National Institutes of Health after roughly eight months in the role, again changing up the leadership in the position. Merritt was first announced as the new chief information officer in December after most recently serving as CIO of the intelligence community. At the time she took on the position, the role hadn't had a permanent official in roughly two years. Merritt's departure comes as the Trump administration has sought to reduce the federal workforce and reshape federal agencies, including HHS. In March, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy announced plans to cut 10,000 workers from the agency on top of 10,000 who had already left via incentivized resignation and retirement offers from the administration. A recent ProPublica analysis of HHS's public directory found that the health agency has lost roughly 18% of its workforce since January. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Evil Triumphs When Good Stay Silent | America's Crisis of Cowardice

The U.S. Congress passed the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)in 1977 with the key objective of ending redlining, the decades-old practice of neighborhood discrimination by banks against African Americans and others based on race and income.  The race-based rejection of loans to creditworthy residents of redlined neighborhoods delayed the American dream of homeownership for generations.  Our … Read More Read More

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar reacts with strong emotion to the mass shooting that occurred in her district this morning and discusses the role of Congress in finding solutions to ending mass shootings.

Congress is back in session next and has just until the end of September to pass a government funding bill. House Republicans want to pass a dozen individual spending bills for the next fiscal year. Also this week marks four years since the Kabul airport attack that killed 13 US servicemembers and over a hundred-fifty Afghans. FOX's Ryan Schmelz speaks with Republican Policy Committee Chairman Kevin Hern (OK-01), who says the continuing resolution will have a focus on bringing down the debt, and he shares his thoughts on making American cities more safe. Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To Follow 'The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump's tariffs will lower deficits by an estimated $4 trillion, per a Congressional Budget Office projection released last Friday. While consumer confidence has dipped, the President has assured that the nation's economic tide is turning, as companies both foreign and domestic expand inside the U.S. Former member of the National Security Council during Trump's first term and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council Alexander Gray joins to explain the benefits of the Trump administration's “Liberation Day” tariffs as well as weighing in on President Trump's push to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Juvenile crime has become a growing concern across the country, with communities struggling to strike a balance between accountability and rehabilitation. From curfews to new ordinances, officials are looking for methods to rein in disruptive and sometimes violent criminal behavior and get kids back on track. University of Miami sociology professor and former director at the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, Alex Piquero, joins the Rundown to break down the trends and if juvenile crime really is on the rise in America. Plus, commentary from Co-Chair of the Republican National Committee Youth Council, CJ Pearson. Photo Credit: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CBS Capitol Hill Reporter Taurean Small joins Megan Lynch. He says 'there's a sense of frustration' among Democrats, and that activists are 'dissatisfied' with members of Democrats in Congress in their efforts to step up and challenge President Donald Trump,

Check out our sponsors: ✅ Allied Oil - https://alliedoilfield.com/ ✅ Birch Gold - Text CHAD to 989898 Episode Description: President Trump fires back at Cracker Barrel's controversial logo overhaul, slamming the chain's "woke" rebrand that ditched its iconic old-timer and barrel for a bland, modern text-only look—urging them to "admit a mistake based on customer response" and revert to the classic design to "Make Cracker Barrel Great Again!" Is this the end of nostalgic comfort food as we know it? Then a Democrat mayor honors MAGA supporter DJ Daniel—the brave 13-year-old brain cancer survivor and aspiring cop who became a national sensation after Trump swore him in as an honorary Secret Service agent during his joint address to Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August 26th, 2025, 4pm: A ratcheting up pressure campaign on the Federal Reserve: Donald Trump says he's removing Fed Governor Lisa Cook. Nicolle Wallace discusses the implications for democracy as Trump's second term looks more and more like a descent into authoritarianism. Later, an update on Congress's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and more on the states wading into the redistricting fights. For more, follow us on Instagram @deadlinewhTo listen to this show and other MSNBC podcasts without ads, sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts.  

In a 2006 documentary, I assailed Texas Republican lawmakers for ramming a brutish gerrymandering scheme into law, doing my report from a street sign in central Austin.That sign was the exact location the GOP had used as the pin point for slicing up the city's one congressional district into four pieces like a pizza. Each slice radiated far out of town, merging into Republican suburbs in distant cities – thus suppressing Austin's progressive voice in Congress.Now here they come again, assaulting progressive voters throughout the state with a gerrymandering gang bang. At the command of Donald Trump, our so-called “representatives” are submissively shoving millions of Texans into jerry-rigged Trump enclaves, solely to serve his political desires.Far from being just another corrupt hyper-partisan political manipulation, this GOP ploy is stripping away America's fundamental principle of representative democracy. Instead of grassroots communities sorting out their differences and choosing their own governing representatives in local elections, political hacks in Washington and the state capital are cynically relocating people's political “locality” (with no participation at all by the people).Yes, instead of constituents choosing their members of Congress, gerrymandering lets members choose their constituents. So “your” representative doesn't need to know you, much less serve you. Thus, the issues that Congress considers don't percolate up from local communities, but are chosen by national and state political operatives and multimillion-dollar campaign donors. It's the nationalization of local elections, ignoring the real needs of hometown people.Why shouldn't you have a representative who's at least from your community, maybe even knows your name… and gives a damn about something more constructive than Trump's anti-democratic, plutocratic agenda.Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

Released 2023.09.28 Archbishop Timothy Broglio, President of the USCCB, wrote a letter asking Congress for bipartisan action to avert or bring an end to federal government shutdowns and the hardships that come when Congress and administrations fail to reach agreements on such actions. Read the letter: https://www.usccb.org/resources/letter-congress-fiscal-year-2024-continuing-resolution-and-government-shutdown-september?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=twitter&utm_term= Representatives from Catholic Indigenous organizations came together with Catholic bishops and staff from the episcopal conferences of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States for the International Conference on Catholic Indigenous Ministry (ICCI). The purpose of the week-long gathering was to share experiences, ideas, resources, and best practices encountered in the relationship between the Catholic Church and Indigenous communities. Read the press release: https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/international-conference-seeks-enrich-ministry-catholic-indigenous-populations Learn about the work of the USCCB Subcommittee of Native American Affairs: https://www.usccb.org/committees/native-american-affairs Praying for those who have died in the Mediterranean Sea and praising those who help rescue and welcome migrants attempting the treacherous crossing, Pope Francis insisted compassion, encounter and fraternity are the only possible responses to migration. Read the CNS Rome story: https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/people-have-duty-save-migrants-danger-drowning-pope-says Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNmlBLb5ydI

Congress is currently debating the Antisemitism Awareness Act. This proposed legislation aims to provide a clear definition of antisemitism for use in enforcing existing civil rights laws. Supporters argue that the bill is a crucial tool for combating rising antisemitism by filling a gap in current legal definitions. Opponents, however, contend that the bill could stifle free speech and limit criticism of Israel. Join the Federalist Society for a timely discussion on the legal and constitutional implications of this legislation, exploring the complexities of defining hate speech while upholding the principles of free expression.Featuring: William Creeley, Legal Director, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)Prof. Eugene Kontorovich, Professor of Law and Director, Center for the Middle East and International Law, George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law SchoolModerator: Aharon Friedman, Special Counsel, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

Barry Loudermilk is a Constitutional Conservative who represents northwest Georgia's 11th Congressional District.Prior to being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014, Congressman Loudermilk served in the Georgia General Assembly in both the State House and State Senate.During his time in Congress, Rep. Loudermilk has served on the Committees of Science, Space and Technology, Homeland Security, the Joint Committee on the Library, Committee on House Administration, and Financial Services Committee. In his first year in Congress, he was appointed Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee on Science, Space and Technology and served on the Homeland Security Committee's Special Task Force for Countering Terrorism and Terrorist Travel.In the 119th Congress, Congressman Loudermilk serves as a member of the Financial Services Committee, where he is the Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and is a member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. The Subcommittee on Financial Institutions oversees banks, bank regulators, and lending, and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations ensures that federal financial regulators are held accountable for their use of taxpayer funds. He also serves as a member of the Committee on House Administration and is a member of the Subcommittee on Elections.Congressman Loudermilk is also a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee and is the Republican Co-Chair of the Bipartisan FinTech and Payments Caucus.In the 118th Congress, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy tasked Congressman Loudermilk to lead the Committee on House Administration's Subcommittee on Oversight investigation into the events at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, the security failures of the U.S. Capitol Police, and the flawed investigation of House Select Committee on January 6.His father served as an Army medic in World War II and saw action during the D-Day invasion, Battle of the Bulge, and the Occupation of Germany. In 2019, Rep. Loudermilk was selected as one of the official delegates to represent the United States at the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Normandy.He is native of Georgia and veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Rep. Loudermilk is a student of the Constitution and the Christian heritage of America. Barry resides in northwest Georgia with his wife, Desiree. They have three grown children, and seven grandchildren. https://www.barryloudermilk.com/ https://www.andthentheyprayed.com/ 

Recently, President Trump announced he would crack down on crime in Washington, D.C. On Friday, he met with National Guard troops assisting with law enforcement, where he teased 'straightening out' other major cities like Chicago. Since the crackdown, D.C. has seen a decrease in crime; it has been eleven days since Monday without homicides. Former South Carolina Congressman and former federal prosecutor Trey Gowdy joins the Rundown to break down why police presence helps with crime prevention, the problem with cashless bail, and later Trey shares details about his new mystery thriller novel, "The Color of Death." Fewer couples are calling it quits, as U.S. Census Bureau data shows that divorce rates have been falling across the country, down 40 percent in the past four decades. At the same time that census data show marriage appears to be making a comeback, so what's behind the increase in "I do's"? University of Virginia sociologist and fellow at the Institute for Family Studies Brad Wilcox joins the podcast to explain what's behind the trend of couples staying together and the impact it will have on the future of families in America. Plus, commentary from the host of “Tomi Lahren is Fearless" on Outkick, Tomi Lahren. Photo Credit: TreyGowdy.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Independent voters have been gaining numbers for years now and have become the largest voting bloc in the United, with registrations surpassing both the Republicans and Democrats. This increase has been fueled by voters tired of the major parties constant bickering and the wish for more options in elections. Independent voters were very influential in the 2024, especially in swing states, electing a Republican for the presidency but also helping Democrats win some key Senate seats. FOX's Ryan Schmelz speaks with Adam Brandon, Senior Advisor at the Independent Center, an organization for info, research & engagement with independent voters, who says the number of registered Independents has grown quite a bit, along with their influence in our elections, and they are fed up with the two major parties. Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To Follow 'The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Keith discusses the impact of political rhetoric on mortgage rates, emphasizing the importance of central bank independence.   President of Ridge Lending Group and GRE Icon, Caeli Ridge, joins in to explain the benefits of 30-year mortgages over 15-year ones, advocating for extra principal payments to be reinvested rather than accelerating loan payoff.  They also cover the potential effects of Fannie and Freddie going public, predicting higher mortgage rates. Caeli Ridge elaborates on cross-collateralization strategies, highlighting the advantages of commercial blanket loans for real estate investors.  Resources: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Show Notes: GetRichEducation.com/568 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  You get paid first: Text FAMILY to 66866 Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search “how to leave an Apple Podcasts review”  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— text ‘GRE' to 66866 Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript:   Keith Weinhold  0:01   welcome to GRE I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, the President has called the Fed chair a dummy and worse. How does this all affect the future of mortgage rates? Also, I discuss 30 year versus 15 year loans. Can you bundle multiple properties into one loan? Then how Fannie and Freddie going public could permanently increase mortgage rates today on get rich education   Keith Weinhold  0:28   since 2014 the powerful get rich education podcast has created more passive income for people than nearly any other show in the world. This show teaches you how to earn strong returns from passive real estate investing in the best markets without losing your time being a flipper or landlord. Show Host Keith Weinhold writes for both Forbes and Rich Dad advisors and delivers a new show every week since 2014 there's been millions of listener downloads in 188 world nations. He has a list show guests and key top selling personal finance author Robert Kiyosaki, get rich education can be heard on every podcast platform, plus it has its own dedicated Apple and Android listener phone apps build wealth on the go with the get rich education podcast. Sign up now for the get rich education podcast, or visit get rich education.com   Speaker 1  1:14   You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is get rich education.   Keith Weinhold  1:24   Welcome to GRE from Pawtucket, Rhode Island to Poughkeepsie, New York and across 188 nations worldwide. I'm your host. Keith weinholdin, this is get rich education, not to inflate a sense of self importance, but each episode is an even bigger deal than a New York Jets preseason football game. You might have thought you knew real estate until you listened to this show, from street speak to geek speak. I use it all to break down how with investment property, you don't have to live below your means. You can grow your means as we're discussing the mortgage landscape this week. You know, I recently had a bundle of my own single family rental homes transfer mortgage servicers from Wells Fargo over to Mr. Cooper. And that was easy. I didn't have to do anything. The automatic payments just automatically transferred over. And yes, Mr. Cooper, it's sort of a funny sounding name that you don't exactly see them putting the naming rights on stadiums out there, but the new servicer prominently wanted to point out the effect of me making extra $100 monthly principal payments and how much in interest that would save me over time, sort of suggesting that it would be a good idea for me to do so. Oh, as you know, like I've discussed extensively, extra principal pay down is a really poor use of your capital. It's a lot like how in the past, now you've probably seen it like I have, your mortgage company promotes you making bi weekly payments all year, so you'd effectively make some extra principal pay down each year. That way. Don't fall for it. Banks promote biweekly payments because it sounds borrower friendly, it encourages an earlier loan payoff. Well, that actually reduces lender risk and increases your risk. And the whole program can come with extra fees too. It just ties up more of your money in something that's unsafe, illiquid, and with a rate of return that's always zero, since that's exactly what home equity is. As we're about to talk mortgages with an expert today, I will be sure to surface that topic. We'll also talk about the housing market effect of a president firing a Fed chair. When you're living under the rule of a president that desperately and passionately wants lower interest rates, you've got to wonder what would happen if a president just had the power to go lower them himself, which is actually what most any president would want to do, but you almost don't have to wonder what would happen. You can just look at what actually did happen in Turkey. Now, yes, Turkey already did have an inflation problem, worse than us, for sure, but Turkish President Erdogan went ahead and lowered Turkey's interest rates despite persistent inflation. I mean, that's a situation where most would raise rates in order to combat inflation. Well, lowering rates like that soon resulted in substantially higher inflation to the tune of almost 60. Yes, six 0% per year before cooler heads prevailed and the Turkish government was forced to drastically raise rates. But it was too late. The damage was already done to the reputation of Turkey's economy and its everyday citizens and consumers. I mean, that was a painful, real world example of how critical central bank independence is. You've also got to ask yourself a question here, do you really want to live in the type of economy where we would need a bunch of rate cuts? Because when rate cuts happen, it usually results from the fact that people are no longer employed, or we're in a recession, or financial markets are really unstable. So there are certainly worse maladies out there than where we are today, which is with moderate inflation, pretty strong employment and interest rates that are actually a little below historic levels. I mean, that is not so bad. Before we talk both long term mortgage lessons and more nascent mortgage trends today coming up on future episodes of the show here, a lot of info and resources to help you build wealth as usual. Also an A E TELEVISION star of a real estate reality show will make his debut here on GRE.    Keith Weinhold  6:24   Hey, do you like or even live by any of the enduring GRE mantras, like, Don't live below your means, grow your means, or financially free, beats debt free, or even, don't quit your Daydream. Check out our shop. You can own merch with sayings like that on them, or simply with our GRE logo on shirts and hats and mugs. And I don't really make any income from it. The merch is sold at near cost, and it actually took a fair bit of our team's time to put that together for you. So check out the GRE merch. You can find it at shop.getricheducation.com that's shop.getricheducation.com   Keith Weinhold  7:18   today we're talking to the longtime president of ridge lending group. They specialize in providing income property loans to real estate investors like you, and she's also a long time real estate investor herself. I've shared with you before that ridge is where I get my own loans. They've worked with 10s of 1000s of real estate investors, not just primary residence owners, but real estate investors as well as homeowners all over the country, and at this point, she's like a GRE icon, a fixture regularly with us since 2015 Hey, welcome back to get rich education the inimitable Chaley Ridge,    Caeli Ridge  7:54   ooh, Mr. Keith Weinhold, thank you, sir. So good to see you, my friend. Thanks for having me   Keith Weinhold  8:00   opening up that thesaurus tab right about now, I think maybe JAYLEE, why don't we have the chat everyone wants to have? Let's discuss interest rates, starting with the vitriol from Trump to Powell has reached new heights. This year, Trump has called Powell a numbskull, Mr. Too late, a real dummy, a complete moron, a fool and a major loser, among other names. And you know, at times, I've seen Realtors even blasting Jerome Powell for not cutting rates. Well, the Fed doesn't directly control mortgage rates, and it's also not the Fed's job to boost Realtors summer sales. It's to protect the long term stability of the US economy. Tell us your thoughts.    Caeli Ridge  8:48   So this is a rather complicated topic, okay, and there's a lot that under the hood that goes into how a long term mortgage bond interest rate is going to go up or going to go down. As you said, it's not necessarily just the Fed and the fed fund rate, which, by the way, for those that are not familiar with this, the fed fund rate is the intra daily trading rate between banks. So while there is a connection between that and that of the 30 year long term fixed rate mortgage, they are not the same thing. And in fact, statistically, I believe I read this last week, the last three fed fund rate reductions did the opposite to long term rates, right? So we went the other direction. So please be clear that the viral, as you say, of President Trump and what his opinions are about Mr. Powell and his decisions to keep that fed fund rate unchanged for the last several meetings that they've had, I think, is more of a distraction, but that's another conversation overall. I would say that, is he too late? Is he right on time? You know, there's so much data and so many data points that they're looking at, and there's this thing in the industry called a Lag that, in truth, they're not getting the actual data points that they need real time. It's lagging, so the data that's coming out to them today isn't going to be what's relevant and necessary to make changes tomorrow, next month and next week. Most recently, you probably saw in the news the BLS Bureau of Labor and Statistics and the jobs report came in far under what the expectation was. So that might have been the catalyst. I think that will drive Powell and group to reduce that is the overwhelming expectation that the fed fund rate is going to come down by how much. We don't know. Secondary markets are already baking that in, by the way. So when we talk about long term interest rates, I'm starting to see some changes on the day to day. I get access to that stuff, and I'm looking at it daily, the ticker tape of where the treasury bonds and things are. So I'm starting to see some slight improvement to interest rates in preparation of that market expectation, interest rate on the fed fund level will probably reduce. But I think overall, Keith that the Fed is in a really difficult position, because when you think about what really is going to drive the fed fund rate, and then potentially the long term rate, is counterintuitive to what most people or consumers expect, right? They think if the fed fund rate reduces by a quarter of a percentage point, then a long term 30 year fixed should probably reduce by the same amount. It does not go hand in hand like that. Now, while there are trends right, that doesn't happen that way, and more often than not, the worse our economy is doing, the better a 30 year interest rate will be. So in my industry, I'm kind of always playing on the fence, thinking I don't want anything bad for our country and the economy. However, the worse it does, the better interest rates are going to become. And if you've been paying attention, the economy is in decent shape. We're not doing that bad. Inflation is still up, so the metrics that they're using to kind of gage and predict that lag and where we're going to be are not in line to say that interest rates are going to drop a half or a point or a point and a half in the next year to 18 months. Those signs are not out there for me. All of that said, I know that interest rate is top of mind for I mean, I'm on the phone all day long. I like that part of my job where I'm still interfacing with investors on day to day. Big chunk of my day is spent talking to clients, and that is one of the top questions, probably one of the first questions that come out of their mouth, where interest rates? What are interest rates? And what I have sort of started to really form and say to that question is, if interest rates are the catalyst to your success in real estate, you probably need to do a little bit more research, because interest rates should not be the make or break for your success. Well, as a real estate investor   Keith Weinhold  12:45   the Fed has a dual mandate of maximum employment and stable prices. Inflation, though still somewhat elevated, has stayed about the same the past few months. History shows us that the Fed is more comfortable with inflation floating up than they are with suppressed employment levels. To your point about recent reports about us not adding many jobs, and the Fed being concerned about that, the translation for those that don't know is, if the job market is weak, lowering rates, which is what increasingly people think they tend to do later this year. Lowering rates helps encourage businesses. It's more likely that businesses will borrow and expand and hire more people. Therefore, if rates are low now, whether that translates into a lower mortgage rate or not, by lowering that fed funds rate? Yes, there is that positive correlation. Generally, the lower the Fed funds rate goes, the lower mortgage rates tend to go although that isn't always the case. To your point. Shailene, late last year, there were three Fed funds rate cuts, and mortgage rates actually went up, which is somewhat of an aberration that usually doesn't happen that way, but that's the environment we're in. Most people think Fed rate cuts are coming later this year.   Caeli Ridge  14:04   Yeah. And I would say, you know, the other thing too, when we talk about the pressure that the Fed is under right now, specifically, Powell, he's being attacked, fine, and whether I agree or disagree, really important for listeners to understand that the indifference that the Fed is supposed to have right bipartisan, it's not supposed to have a dog in that fight. If it did the calamity, I think what would happen economically in this country would be devastating if other economic powers were to see that our particular financial institutions are swayed one way or another. Politically, that would be devastating to us. So I think Powell has done a decent job at staying the course. He's continued to do what he says, says what he does. So so far, I'm okay. Is he late to reduce rates? I don't know that I'm qualified to say that, maybe. But at the same time, I think that his impartiality has been consistent, and that for that part of it, I'm. Grateful   Keith Weinhold  15:00   for those who don't understand if Trump just told Powell what to do and Powell followed Trump's orders, how does that devastate the economy?    Caeli Ridge  15:09   It shows partiality to or Fieldy to one particular party, right? It's not an independent institution where financial policy quantitative easing, quantitative tightening, all of those different things that are necessary to keep the pistons pumping. It isn't it's very specific to Fieldy and the leader of telling based on potentially ego or other elements that have not a lot to do with fiduciary responsibility.   Keith Weinhold  15:37   If Powell did everything Trump said, I feel like we would have negative interest rates right now   Caeli Ridge  15:43   that could be a problem, especially if the economy and inflation is on the rise, and then you get the tariffs. I mean, there's so much layering to this. I mean, we could go on and on about it, but overall, let me close with this. I think that interest rates are probably on the run, if I had to guess. Now, there's all kinds of variables that could make that statement untrue, but overall, in the next year to two years, I do think we'll see some relief in interest rates, barring any major catastrophe. But again, investors, if your success, if you're tying your real estate portfolio, your real estate investing, whatever modality you're interested in, if you're tying that to an interest rate, and there's a certain number that you have ethereal in your mind, you're going to lose your success in real estate. Interest rate is a component of it, but it should not be tied to your success or failure. You should be able to do the math and look at the differences in real estate opportunities, investment, whether it be long term, short term, midterm, single family, two to four appreciation, cash flow, all those things should be considered, and you will find adequate returns independent of an interest rate. If you're diversifying that way   Keith Weinhold  16:49   there is more evidence that Americans have warmed up and gotten somewhat used to normal mortgage rates. This normalization of mortgage rates, they are pretty close to their historic norms. In fact, a recent housing sentiment survey done by turbo home found that in q1 of this year, 41% of homeowners surveyed said that a 6% mortgage rate was the highest they would accept on their next purchase. Right that was back in q1 today, up from 41%, 52% of respondents now say a 6% mortgage rate is the highest that they would accept. Evidence that people are warming up and normalizing this.   Caeli Ridge  17:30   The other thing too is the pandemic rates. Right? That's been a very hard shell to crack. The people that got these two and 3% interest rates during 2020 2021, part of 22 they're really reticent to let those go, and I think that they're doing themselves a disservice as a result. If you can get a second lean HELOC, okay, fine, but overall, if you're just going to let that untapped equity sit, it's going to be to your disadvantage. If you have any desire to increase your portfolio and your long term financial stability and wealth   Keith Weinhold  17:59   you're listening to get rich education. Our guest is Ridge lending Group President Cheley, Ridge much more when we come back, including 30 year versus 15 year loans. Which one is better and more things that the administration is doing to shake up the mortgage market. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold.    Keith Weinhold  18:15   the same place where I get my own mortgage loans is where you can get yours. Ridge lending group and MLS, 42056, they provided our listeners with more loans than anyone because they specialize in income properties. They help you build a long term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your prequel and even chat with President Cheley Ridge personally while it's on your mind, start at Ridge lendinggroup.com. That's Ridge lendinggroup.com.    Keith Weinhold  18:46   You know what's crazy? Your bank is getting rich off of you. The average savings account pays less than 1% it's like laughable. Meanwhile, if your money isn't making at least 4% you're losing to inflation. That's why I started putting my own money into the FFI liquidity fund. It's super simple. Your cash can pull in up to 8% returns and it compounds. It's not some high risk gamble like digital or AI stock trading. It's pretty low risk because they've got a 10 plus year track record of paying investors on time in full every time. I mean, I wouldn't be talking about it if I wasn't invested myself. You can invest as little as 25k and you keep earning until you decide you want your money back. No weird lockups or anything like that. So if you're like me and tired of your liquid funds just sitting there doing nothing. Check it out. Text family 266, 866, to learn about freedom. Family investments, liquidity fund again. Text family to 66866,   Rick Sharga  19:58   this is Rick sharga housing market. Intelligence Analyst, listen to get rich education with Keith Weinhold, and don't quit your Daydream.   Keith Weinhold  20:05   Welcome back to get rich Education. I'm your host, Keith Weinhold. We're talking with a familiar guest this week. That's Ridge lending Group President, Caeli. Ridge wealth is built through compound leverage faster than compound interest. And leverage means using loans. I think most everyone the first time in their life they look at loan amortization tables and learn things like, oh, with a 15 year loan, you pay substantially less interest, perhaps hundreds of 1000s of dollars less interest with a 15 year loan and its lower mortgage rate than you do with a 30 year loan and its higher mortgage rate. But a lot of people don't take that next step and look that Oh, rather than paying down my home loan with extra principal payments, if I just invested the difference, I would be substantially better off down the road. So in a lot of cases, the more sophisticated investor chooses that longer loan duration, the 30 year. That's the way I see it. What do you see? Most of your prefer there.   Caeli Ridge  21:12   It's one of my favorite topics to cover, because there's quite a few layers that I think can all connect. If an individual wants to pay less in interest very easily, I'm going to strenuously advise them to take a 30 year over a 15 year and just simply apply the difference. So let's just start with the applicable version of 15 versus 30 and how it can benefit or harm. Because this is what a lot of times people that go for the 15 year and wanting to pay less in interest. Don't understand, and it's never been delivered to them in a reasonable way, I guess. So just looking at those two, and then we'll get to the strategy of potentially reinvesting those dollars elsewhere. But just look at a 30 year and a 15 year. I am a massive deterrent against a shorter term amortization. I hate a shorter term amortization, because all that's going to do to the individual is limit their ability to qualify later on down the road. And the reason for that is, is that the shorter term, as you had described, is going to yield a higher monthly payment. So when we pull credit for an individual, that's a higher monthly payment that the debt to income ratio has to support, when in fact, if we simply just look at the two side by side, 15 year and a 30 year equal, equal loan sizes. The 15 year is going to have a lower interest rate. It's true, but the amortization is obviously half the amount. We've gone from 360 months, 30 years to 180 months, 15 years. So the payment obviously is going to be much, much higher if you take the payment difference between those two mortgage products and apply it with a 30 year fixed payment. Let's just call it 500 bucks a month, whatever the number is, and you are disciplined to send that extra 500 bucks every single month with your 30 year fixed mortgage payment. You will cross the finish line in 15.4 years, I think, is the average when you run the amortization, so you'll pay a few extra months worth of interest, but whatever, you'll never pay the higher interest that the 30 year has locked at because you've accelerated the payoff of the debt so quickly, and you've maximized your debt to income ratio and future qualifications never take the shorter term amortization. It is to your greatest disadvantage. I hate them. That's part one. Did you have a comment? I can see that your wheels are spinning.   Keith Weinhold  23:24   That is a great answer. If you get the 30 year loan instead of the 15 if you apply an extra principal payment, whatever it would be, call it 500 plus dollars, that you will kill off that loan, that 30 year loan in something like 15.4 years. Yes, and you'll have the lower payment amount for your qualification, going forward, you'll have more flexibility in your life. That's great. I didn't realize the difference 15.4 versus 15 was that small? That's a great takeaway.   Caeli Ridge  23:50   Yeah, absolutely. And the other piece, you kind of just hit on it, the individual's feet are not held to the fire at that higher payment. So let's say it's a rental, okay, whatever. It goes vacant for a month, or a couple months, God forbid, or whatever may be happening. You now get to choose. You are not obligated at that higher monthly payment. You can say, Okay, this month, I'm not going to pay the extra. I don't da, da, da. It's all within your control. So you're killing like four birds with one stone. I really prefer the 30 year amortization for all those reasons. So now let's take it and move into how I believe, and I agree with your philosophy, taking those dollars and applying them, because when we talk about mortgage interest, especially on investment property, okay, it's probably a slightly different conversation when we're talking about somebody's primary residence, home, but for an investment property to take that difference and apply it toward another investment, because the interest remember, you guys, we're investors. We want that Schedule E deduction, that interest deduction, as money goes a 30 year fixed mortgage, even today, as interest rates are elevated beyond the two and three percents that people somehow fixated on, that that's where interest rates should just be forever. You've got Mass. Amounts of interest deduction, so you're paying less in taxes. For that reason, there's so many reasons to stretch out that mortgage on an investment property versus extinguishing that debt, not to mention, you want to constantly be harvesting equity, ideally, pulling cash out. Borrowed funds are non taxable, deploying them, but then taking that extra cash flow and stockpiling it for another investment, whether that just be the down payment or for other things. I just think there's so many better places that those funds can go to produce more wealth than accelerating the payoff of that debt that's benefiting you, from a tax perspective, and several other ways. There's lots of other ways to apply that money. I   Keith Weinhold  25:43   I often ask, why accelerate the payoff on a, say, 7% mortgage interest rate loan, when instead you can take those savings, reinvest them into other real estate, where it sounds preposterous on its face to think of the rate of return that you can get from an income property, but when you add up all the five ways you're paid, appreciation, cash flow, loan pay down, made by the tenant, tax benefits and the inflation profiting benefit on the long term fixed interest rate debt, a return of 20% plus is not out of the question at all. So if it's 20, why would you pay off extra on a seven? That's 13 points of arbitrage that you could gain there by not aggressively paying down a property and instead making a down payment on another income property. Chaeli, when it comes to these type of questions and accelerating a payoff, why do banks seem to encourage that you make bi weekly payments rather than monthly payments, therefore accelerating your principal pay down.   Caeli Ridge  26:42   I'm not sure the reason behind that. I don't know that I've even seen a lot of that from my lens and my perspective. It's definitely not something I ever comment or preach on. But the overall, what's happening there when you do it the bi weekly, so instead of making $1,000 at the first of the month, you make 500 and then 500 right, middle of them on first of the month. What's happening there is, because of the way the annual calendar goes, it ends up being an extra payment per year, right? I think that's the math. Is, when you do it that way, you end up making an extra payment per year, so you can accelerate. And there's you're not doing anything different, necessarily, to in your cash flow, etc. So I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I don't know what the benefit is to the institution that would in communicate that to its consumer. Yeah,   Keith Weinhold  27:27   Yeah, it ends up being 26 bi weekly payments, which has the effect of making 13 monthly payments in a 12 month year, accelerating your pay down. In my experience, it seems that banks encourage this. They contact borrowers. They've contacted me in the past, laying out a welcome mat. Hey, would you like this plan here? And in my mind, accelerating the payoff. We already talked about how that's typically not a good investment. The more you know about the trade off between loans and equity, really, I'm transferring more of the risk onto myself and less they're onto the bank when I accelerate my payoff. So I agree. I'm not interested in doing that at all.    Caeli Ridge  28:06   You know, maybe Keith, it could be, because I people talk about this a lot, those people, and let's say that there are a group of individuals that might benefit. Let's say they're in phase three, right? They're well into retirement. They just want to start paying off. They're not maybe investing anymore. They just want to leave that legacy, perhaps, or whatever their circumstances are, and they don't want to take additional capital and apply it to the principal and lock up those funds and make them illiquid. So maybe, just as an easy sidebar, they just make two payments month versus one. I get a lot of people asking that question. I mean, over the years, I know that like at the closing table, we'll have clients say, Hey, is the servicer going to be set up to accept bi weekly payments? And a lot of times they don't like SLS. I mean, there's a lot of servicers out there that will not accept or don't have the infrastructure to collect those bi weekly so maybe just as a consumer desire out there, the servicers have gotten wise to it, and they just offer it. I can't think of the reason behind why they would promote that to their database. I don't know.   Keith Weinhold  29:09   Another question that I hear quite often, and probably do as well there is about bundling multiple properties into one loan. Can you tell us about that?   Caeli Ridge  29:20   Yeah, that's called cross collateralization. So we're taking residential property, okay, and putting them into a commercial blanket loan. So any combination of single family, up to four unit, five Plex and above is now considered commercial. So it's got to be single family, condo, duplex, triplex, fourplex, right? It's residential property, and they're taking any combination of that and putting it into one blanket loan, cross collateralizing it. Now, I believe the most incentivized way or desire to want to do this is probably for two reasons. One, to free up golden tickets, right? Golden tickets are those Fannie Freddie loans that we talk about a lot. There are 10 of these per qualified individual, if. If someone has maxed out their golden tickets, let's say they've got 12, 1314, properties, they could take five or 10 or 13, whatever the number, and put them into a commercial blanket cross collateralized loan, as long as it's non recourse. That means no personal guarantee is attached to it. The rule per golden ticket will free up all those spaces. So usually this applies to an individual that has a portfolio that has stabilized. This will usually work when the portfolio has had a couple of years to make sure that you've got your consistent tenants and anything that may come up, repairs, maintenance, et cetera, stabilized portfolios and then putting them into that cross collateralization, because the terms are not going to be the same as just a 30 year fixed Okay, especially if you're going to be looking to take cash out and harvest equity that way, that may be a real opportune time to borrow funds. Borrowed funds are non taxable once again, pull the cash out, put it into a non recourse loan. You've got half a million dollars of capital now that you can then go and get a whole new set of golden tickets for expanding your portfolio. So that's something that we focus on for individuals that have maybe maxed out of that that conventional landscape and or are looking to scale and acquire more properties, but they don't want to necessarily look at some of the DSCR loans. They want to get back into the Fannie Freddie box.    Keith Weinhold  31:22   Yeah, so someone could bundle and get cash out simultaneously, potentially, is there anything else that qualifies or disqualifies one for bundling many loans into one like this?   Caeli Ridge  31:35   It's a commercial underwrite. So they should be aware of that. Now, certainly, we're looking at the individual typically in those loans, the underwriting of those loans, the individual's liquidity and credit are most what we're focusing on, but it's about the property in the portfolio, DSCR, that debt service coverage ratio is a big factor. So we're looking at the income against the monthly expense. Generally. That's going to be the principal, interest, tax and insurance on a commercial basis, they throw in the maintenance, vacancy, et cetera, averages. So you want to see, generally speaking, about 1.2 on those when you divide the incomes and the expenses and then otherwise, yeah, LTV might be a little bit restricted on something like that, 70% usually, maybe you can get as much as 75 if you've got a really strong portfolio. But otherwise, for you, individually, liquidity, some liquidity there, and good credit is what is important. As long as the portfolio is operating at a gain, then you're good to go.    Keith Weinhold  32:32   Yeah, that cross collateralization could be really attractive. Well, Chile, we've been in this presidential administration that has shaken things up like few, if any, prior administrations have. One of those things is that they have pushed for cryptocurrency holdings to be recognized as assets in mortgage loan qualification. Now that's something that would probably pend approval by the FHFA and critics cite volatility. I mean, there's been a pattern where every few years, Bitcoin drops 80% before rebounding, and I'm not exaggerating, and that has happened a number of times. And another administration desire is this potential Fannie Mae Freddie Mac merger, or an IPO an initial public offering. Can you tell us what that's about   Caeli Ridge  33:21   let's start with the crypto first, whether or not this, this gets through the Congress and or FHFA, however, that that develops and becomes actualized, that may be different than what the lending institutions decide to take a risk on, right the allowance of that crypto so it even if it's approved and they say that, Yes, that we can use this for asset depletion or reserve requirements, or whatever it may be. I don't know necessarily that you're going to see a lot of the lending institutions jump on board. I think they'll probably have overlays. It's just kind of the layering of risk on the crypto side to ensure that the asset and the underwrite is less likely to default. I don't see a lot of lending institutions that are probably going to jump on that bandwagon immediately. That's probably going to need more time and consistency with that particular asset class. That's the crypto thing. So that's a TBD on the other side, we're talking about conservatorship. So post, oh 809, right? The housing crash and Dodd Frank, if you've not heard of those names before, they're just the last names of individuals that that rewrote that sweeping legislation across all sectors of finance. Once we saw housing and lending implode upon each other, Fannie Freddie, as a result, went into conservatorship. Now what they're saying, what the administration is saying is, is that they are going to say that the implicit guarantee actually, let me back up really, really quickly. I will not take too much time on this so Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac The reason that those products are the golden tickets, as we call them, and we're just focused on investor products right now is because highest leverage, lowest interest rate. And why is it like that? That's because it has a United States government guarantee. Against default. So this mortgage backed security is bundled up with other mortgage backed securities and sold, bought and sold on the secondary market to investors, foreign and domestic. Right? Investors that are buying mortgage backed securities, they know that that paper is secure. If it defaults. We've got the United States government that's giving us a guarantee against default. So that's why it's such a secure investment. If we come out of conservatorship, technically, that would normally mean that you may not have that implicit guarantee. However, the Trump administration and those that are in that space, FHFA, Pulte and all those guys, they're saying that that guarantee should still apply if that happens, if that's how they release this, I don't see anything wrong if they do it without all of the volatility. You know, let's use the tariffs as an example. It was all over the place. It was there, and then it was gone. It was up, and then it was down. It was 30% then it was two right? It was it was just so much, and the markets really had a hard time with it. And as a result, I think a lot of people lost massive amounts of wealth in the stock market because of that. So I think that there is some real benefits to getting the Fannie, Freddie, the GSCs, government sponsored enterprises, out of conservatorship. I think it just opens up for more fair trade in the market. But they have to do it the right way, and as long as they keep that guarantee, that government guarantee, and then they take their time and apply the steps appropriately, I think it could be a good thing, ultimately, for the consumer. Now, if they don't, it could really have devastating impacts, and I think it could even raise interest interest rates higher. I know Trump and folks don't want that, so I think they're mindful of it. That's just kind of the take I get. But we'll see,   Keith Weinhold  36:42   yeah, because that's my preeminent thought with this. Shaylee, if Fannie and Freddie come out of conservatorship, and there's no government backstop on those loans, it seems like the banks are exposed to more risk, and consequently would have to compensate for that, potentially with a higher interest   Caeli Ridge  36:57   rate. You said it better than I did. Yes, I get too technical when I go down those rabbit holes. That's exactly right. I do not think that they will go down that that path without that implicit guarantee. I expect, if this thing comes to fruition, I expect that that guarantee will be there.   Keith Weinhold  37:13   Yeah, it does seem likely, with as much administration concern as there is about the housing market and the level of mortgage rates and all kinds of interest rates out there. Well, JAYLEE, this has been a great, wide ranging conversation all the way from strategy to what the administration is doing in interfacing with the mortgage market. If someone wants to learn more about you and your products, tell us what you offer, including your very popular all in one loan there at ridge.    Caeli Ridge  37:41   Ooh, thank you for teeing that up. Yeah, especially right now, when people have a lot of concern about interest rates right or wrong, the all in one is a very unique product that removes that fear. It's a way that investors, especially can take control of their equity, pay less in interest, and sometimes hundreds of 1000s of dollars less in interest, while maintaining equity and flexibility and liquidity. Cannot say enough about this product. The all in one. First lien HELOC is my very favorite. For the right individuals, we've talked about it many, many times. They can find us talking about it all over YouTube. You and I have quite a few conversations about that. So that and so much more, guys. So the all in one, you've got the Fannie Freddie's, our debt service ratio products, our bank statement loans, our asset depletion loans, ground up construction bridge loans for fix and flip or fix and hold. We really run the gamut there in terms of loan product diversity. There's very little we can't do for real estate investors. So we're uniquely qualified in that space   Keith Weinhold  38:36   and you offer loans in nearly all 50 states. Now tell us more and how one can get a hold of your company. Yes, we are   Caeli Ridge  38:44   licensed in 49 states. The only state we're not licensed in residentially is New York. We can still do commercial there. But to reach us, you can find us on the web, Ridge lendinggroup.com you can email us info@ridgelendinggroup.com and feel free to call us at 855, 74 Ridge 855-747-4343,   Keith Weinhold  39:04   I'm so familiar with all those avenues because, again, that's where I get my own loans myself. Chaley Ridge has been valuable as always. Thanks so much for coming back onto the show.    Caeli Ridge  39:13   Thanks, Keith.   Keith Weinhold  39:21   A lot of experts believe that stripping Fannie and Freddie's public backing and taking them public, yeah, that that will increase mortgage rates. See, besides there being more risk, like we touched on there during the interview, Fannie and Freddie would face strong incentives to increase profitability, to make an IPO appealing to potential investors, that's just another reason that would probably increase mortgage rates. But if you're the type that truly champions free marketeerism, then the government would get out of Fannie and Freddie and let them IPO, and you would want. To see that happen now you as an investor, you probably resonate with the fact that rather than having to methodically and even painfully save money for your next property, instead you can just borrow funds, tax free, out of your existing property, and that way, you're using more of other people's money, the bank's money, in this case, and less of your own. Similarly, if you avoid aggressive principal pay down well, you would just retain those funds in the first place. As you can see, Chely is really good at taking a deep look at what you've got to work with and helping you lay out a strategy that might make sense, keeping in mind and evaluating your cash, cash flow, equity DTI and loan to value ratios, they offer free 30 minute strategy sessions. You can book one right there on their homepage at Ridge lendinggroup.com Until next week, I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, don't quit. Sure. Daydream.   Speaker 2  41:07   Nothing on this show should be considered specific, personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of get rich Education LLC exclusively.   Keith Weinhold  41:31   You know, whenever you want the best written real estate and finance info, oh, geez, today's experience limits your free articles access, and it's got pay walls and pop ups and push notifications and cookies disclaimers, it's not so great. So then it's vital to place nice, clean, free content into your hands that adds no hype value to your life. That's why this is the golden age of quality newsletters, and I write every word of ours myself. It's got a dash of humor, and it's to the point because even the word abbreviation is too long, my letter usually takes less than three minutes to read. And when you start the letter, you also get my one hour fast real estate video. Course, it's all completely free. It's called the Don't quit your Daydream. Letter, it wires your mind for wealth, and it couldn't be easier for you to get it right now. Just text gre 266, 866, while it's on your mind, take a moment to do it right now. Text, gre 266, 866   Keith Weinhold  42:47   The preceding program was brought to you by your home for wealth, building, get richeducation.com.

Kilmar Abrego Gargia is in ICE custody...but a court order is preventing immigration authorities from deporting him. Illinois' governor is responding to reports that President Trump is planning to deploy military troops to Chicago. FEMA employees sent Congress a letter warning that the agency's leadership can't manage it effectively...and the result could be catastrophic. CBS News Correspondent Jennifer Keiper with tonight's World News Roundup. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Les journalistes et experts de RFI répondent également à vos questions sur l'arrestation d'un ressortissant ukrainien soupçonné de sabotage des gazoducs Nord Stream, la démolition du siège du parti de George Weah et les sanctions américaines contre des magistrats de la CPI. Ouganda : que dit l'accord sur les migrants conclu avec les États-Unis ? Après le Rwanda, l'Eswatini et le Soudan du Sud, le gouvernement ougandais a annoncé la conclusion d'un accord avec l'administration Trump pour accueillir des migrants expulsés du territoire américain. Quels sont les contours de cet accord ? Quelle logistique est-il prévu alors que l'Ouganda accueille déjà près de 2 millions de réfugiés ? Avec Lucie Mouillaud, envoyée spéciale de RFI à Kampala. Sabotage Nord Stream : l'Allemagne tient-elle enfin son suspect-clé ? Trois ans après le sabotage des gazoducs Nord Stream en mer Baltique, un ressortissant ukrainien soupçonné d'avoir coordonné l'opération a été arrêté en Italie, à la demande de la justice allemande. De quelles preuves disposent Berlin ? Cette affaire pourrait-elle compromettre l'aide allemande à l'Ukraine ? Avec Pascal Thibaut, correspondant de RFI à Berlin. Libéria : démolition du siège historique du parti de George Weah Au Liberia, alors que la Cour suprême a ordonné l'expulsion du parti de l'ex-président George Weah, le Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), de son siège historique à Monrovia, la police est intervenue, samedi, pour démolir le bâtiment. Cette décision est-elle motivée par des raisons politiques ? Avec Christina Okello, journaliste au service Afrique de RFI. CPI : nouvelles sanctions américaines contre des magistrats En représailles aux enquêtes ouvertes sur des actions militaires américaines et israéliennes, Washington a adopté de nouvelles sanctions contre deux juges et deux procureurs de la Cour pénale internationale (CPI). À quel point ces sanctions peuvent pénaliser l'avancement des enquêtes en cours ? Les États membres ont-ils les moyens de s'opposer à cette décision ? Avec Emmanuel Daoud, avocat au barreau de Paris, spécialiste en droit pénal international.

08/25/25: Joel Heitkamp is joined in the KFGO studio by North Dakota's lone Congresswoman, Julie Fedorchak. She was elected to Congress in 2024 and previously was a member of the North Dakota Public Service Commission. Joel pushes her on farming and trade issues, and gets her take on the "big, beautiful budget bill." (Joel Heitkamp is a talk show host on the Mighty 790 KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. His award-winning program, “News & Views,” can be heard weekdays from 8 – 11 a.m. Follow Joel on X/Twitter @JoelKFGO.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Friday, President Trump announced a deal that would see the U.S. government take 10 percent equity in the chipmaker, Intel. Under the terms of the deal, the government will use nearly 9 billion dollars in federal grant money from the 2022 CHIPS Act to purchase this stake in the company. FOX Business correspondent Lydia Hu speaks with SlateStone Wealth partner and chief market strategist Kenny Polcari about this Intel deal and the market reaction to Fed Chair Powell last week. Photo Credit: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 'Cracker Barrel Old Country Store' is a beloved chain of Southern-style restaurants that line highways all across America has made a change to their logo, and people are not happy with it. The company chose to drop its iconic 'Uncle Hershel' sitting in a rocking chair logo and make changes to the interior design of their restaurants. Cracker Barrel has lost nearly $100M in market value. with its stock down roughly 7% from earlier highs, and now the company says they made a mistake rolling out the changes. FOX's Eben Brown speaks with Daniel Cameron, former Attorney General for Kentucky and CEO of the '1792 Exchange', who says Americans are getting tired of woke business practices that ruin our nostalgia. Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠ To Follow 'The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The effort to deport is expanding, as Nebraska agrees to help with immigration enforcement, creating a new detention facility dubbed "the Cornhusker Clink." Restoring law and order at the border was a big campaign promise of President Trump, and now CBP data show border apprehensions have hit new lows. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen joins the Rundown to discuss the Trump administration's efforts in reeling in illegal immigration. There's a presidential push to lower drug prices, which are not only higher than in other countries but can vary from one pharmacy to the next. President Trump sent letters to 17 different pharma companies asking them to commit to cutting drug prices by September 29th. CEO of the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs, Dr. William Soliman, joins the podcast to talk about this price-cutting deadline and why Americans pay so much more for prescription drugs. Plus, commentary from FOX News Contributor Joe Concha. Photo Credit: AP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#podcast #politics #progressives #Democrats #Republicans #MAGA #Trump #Authoritarianism #GretchenWhitmer #Rural #HealthCare #CorporateGreed #CorporateCorruption #GovernmentCorruption #Immigration #Labor #Inflation #WorkingClass #LeftOfLansing Here's the Left of Lansing "Monday Musing" for August 25, 2025. Dear Leader Trump forgot Governor Gretchen Whitmer's name today. And while it serves as a reminder of Trump's obvious mental decline, let it serve as a reminder to Governor Whitmer that for all of her graveling to Dear Leader this year, he's hurting Michigan's working class in both urban and rural areas... let alone forgetting who she is. Whether it's health care, worker rights, environmental and economic security, the taking over of the free marketplace, and also immigration, The Trump Regime's policies--aided and abetted by MAGA Republicans in Congress, are leading to dire consequences to every working class Michigander.  My only question is does Gov. Whitmer understand that reality yet? Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can! leftoflansing@gmail.com Left of Lansing is now on YouTube as well! leftoflansing.com NOTES: "Health insurance will cost more for millions of Americans — especially rural residents." By Shalina Chatlani of Michigan Advance "Whitmer appeals FEMA denials for disaster aid for Northern Michigan ice storms." By Ben Solis of Michigan Advance "'Kristi' Whitmer? Trump misidentifies Michigan governor during Oval Office ceremony." By Jalen Williams of The Detroit Free Press

The week starts with a disruptive Sun square to Uranus that is meant to create disruptions, and then Venus transits Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Expect relationships, values, and self-worth issues to be activated! Jessica touches on Pluto going out-of-bounds and other important collective shifts—and how to navigate them.

On Thursday, President Trump met with law enforcement agents in Washington, D.C., following the deployment of federal authorities within the city. The federal takeover of D.C. police has been met with resistance from Democrats, who call it an overreach. However, many Republicans have embraced the President's actions, blaming the crime crisis on the policies of the left. Congressman Brad Knott (R-NC) shared that he feels safer since the takeover and explained how the administration is restoring law and order in D.C. Later, FOX News Pollster and Political Science Professor Daron Shaw discusses President Trump's effort to end mail-in voting and the obstacles the administration may face in trying to eliminate it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

U.S. Transportation Secretary and Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy recently announced plans to build a nuclear reactor on the moon. He says it will be crucial to compete with the growing lunar ambitions of China and Russia. Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine recently joined FOX News Rundown host Chris Foster to explore Secretary Duffy's call for American nuclear reactors in space and how they could be used as an energy source to fuel future space missions and the development of the moon. Bridenstine explained how important it is for the U.S. to win the modern space race against China and Russia. He also broke down the evolving legal debate over colonizing the moon and why he predicts that mining rare metals there will become both very lucrative and vital to America's national and economic security. The former congressman and Navy pilot also weighed in on the legacy of Jim Lovell, the astronaut best known as the commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13, who passed away earlier this month. We often must cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full interview. Today on Fox News Rundown Extra, we will share our entire interview with former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send us a textChapters:[00:00] Introduction: The Two Competing NarrativesThe video opens by posing the central question: Is rescheduling cannabis to Schedule 3 a victory for the industry or a deceptive political trap? The host introduces the two extreme viewpoints—one of political grandstanding and the other of a "Big Pharma" takeover.[01:07] Understanding Schedule 1: "Maximum Security Prison for Substances"This section explains the current, restrictive classification of cannabis.What is Schedule 1? It's the most restrictive category for drugs with "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse," placing cannabis in the same category as heroin.The Absurdity: The host points out that this classification is scientifically dishonest, as the federal government considers cannabis more dangerous than cocaine or ketamine (Schedule 2).[01:52] The Push for Rescheduling: A "Monumental Step"The discussion shifts to the Biden administration's move to re-evaluate cannabis scheduling.[02:48] The "Win" Scenario: Potential Positive ImpactsThis chapter explores the benefits that advocates for rescheduling are highlighting.Reducing Stigma: A federal acknowledgment of medical value would help destigmatize cannabis use.Boosting Research: Universities would be less fearful of losing federal funding, potentially leading to a new "golden age" of medical cannabis research.Major Tax Relief: The most significant impact would be the elimination of the 280E tax code, which currently prevents cannabis businesses from taking normal deductions. This could be a massive financial lifeline for the industry.[03:30] The "Scam" Scenario: A Trojan Horse for Big Pharma?Here, the video presents the counter-argument from skeptics.Prescription-Only Panic: The core fear is that Schedule 3 makes cannabis a prescription drug, potentially rendering thousands of state-legal dispensaries illegal overnight.FDA Takeover: This narrative suggests the move is a ploy to hand control of the entire industry to the FDA and large pharmaceutical companies.[05:28] The Truth Is in the Middle: It's Just PoliticsThe host argues that both extreme narratives are overblown.Not a Win, Not a Scam: The reality is a complex bureaucratic shuffle, not a final victory or a hostile takeover.Kicking the Can to Congress: Rescheduling is a way for politicians to appear proactive while leaving the fundamental legal conflicts for Congress to resolve.[06:22] The Real-World Changes (and What Stays the Same)This section breaks down the three most tangible impacts of rescheduling.Symbolic Victory: A landmark shift in federal perspective.Tax Relief (280E): The most powerful, immediate change for businesses.The Legal Conflict Continues: The state vs. federal law conflict remains, and dispensaries are still not compliant with the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) without FDA approval.[08:06] The Bottom Line: The Fight Isn't OverThe video concludes by emphasizing that this move is political theater. True, lasting change for cannabis freedom requires legislative action from Congress to create a clear, legal framework for the industry to operate within.[09:25] Call to Action & Final ThoughtsThe host encourages viewers to stay informed, like and share the video, and check out another video detailiSupport the showGet our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3VEn9vu

Ralph welcomes Ben Cohen (anti-war activist and ice cream entrepreneur) to discuss his new campaign, "Up in Arms," which advocates for a common-sense Pentagon budget. Then, Ralph speaks to Guardian columnist Arwa Mahdawi about her recent piece: "When will we finally admit: the Gaza death toll is higher than we've been told."Ben Cohen is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and longtime anti-war activist. He is a co-founder of the ice cream company Ben & Jerry's and a prominent supporter of progressive causes. He is co-founder of Up In Arms, a public education and advocacy campaign pushing for a common-sense approach to military budgeting. In May of this year, Ben was arrested by Capitol Police after he interrupted Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s testimony by screaming,”Congress kills poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs and pays for it by kicking kids off Medicaid.”We're up in arms because the government has taken the kindness, the heart, the soul of the American people and essentially replaced it with so many bombs that there's no rational use for them. They've turned us all into mass murderers.Ben CohenYou know, politicians starting from Reagan are fond of saying “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.” And then they turn around and spend $100 billion a year on a nuclear arsenal that's capable of blowing up the entire world several times over. So they say one thing and they do another. I mean, a nuclear arsenal capable of blowing up the entire world several times over? That's not deterrence. That's delusion.Ben CohenI just go back to the moral issue of our time, which is Gaza—two-thirds of the American people don't support continuing to arm Israel. And we need to make our politicians pay the price for continuing to arm Israel… We have a midterm election coming up. If your guy voted to continue to essentially facilitate the genocide, vote them out.Ben CohenWhen you have more money than is needed, you tend to invite corruption, cost overruns, machinery that doesn't work, and I would advise that you look into why the GAO and the Pentagon auditors are being asked to do fewer audits of the military budget. Because there's almost a direct correlation between throwing money at a government program (especially at that scale) and corruption. And corruption is understandable to everybody. It's the number one political issue all over the world, when the pollsters poll.Ralph NaderArwa Mahdawi is a columnist for the Guardian and author of Strong Female Lead: Lessons from Women in Power. Here is her recent piece on the genocide in Gaza: “When will we finally admit: the Gaza death toll is higher than we've been told” (The Guardian, August 8, 2025)To be fair, the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal have published some pretty devastating reports from their reporters in that area. They've put out some devastating features on what's going on [in Gaza], but it doesn't translate into editorial denunciation by these papers. And it doesn't translate into taking the next step and doing what they would do in other conflicts around the world where there isn't so much prejudice and domestic pressureRalph NaderI'm an opinion writer, but as journalists, you're always supposed to report facts. And the fact is: we have absolutely no idea how many people are dead in the Gaza Strip. But there are plenty of studies (which I reference in the article—one Lancet peer-reviewed study, one letter to the Lancet by a highly-respected scientist, one empirical study by Michael Spagat) which show that the death count is a lot higher. So I truly believe that unless you're saying “the official figure from the Ministry of Health is around 60,000 but studies show it is probably much higher,” then that's just journalistic malpractice.Arwa MahdawiI think there's just this instinct to believe that Palestinians are lying and Israelis are telling the truth. And it also goes back to…this isn't just Israel's war, this is America's war as well. And this desire to see America as the good guys—we're the good guys, the Palestinians are the bad guys. And to have this black-and-white narrative where, obviously, we're the good guys, you know, and so if the Palestinian narrative casts doubt on that, then it must be wrong.Arwa MahdawiI always suggest that people write to the media outlets and say that they want to see more Palestinian narratives, they want the media outlets to voice their concern that foreign reporters are not being let in, that more aid workers are not being let in, that pictures are not coming out.Arwa MahdawiThere are very few pictures coming out of the scale of this destruction in Gaza, but when you see the ones that do come out, it is very, very obvious that there are more than 60,000 people dead.But there seems to be this lack of curiosity with some of my peers. Why aren't they asking, “Why aren't we seeing more pictures?” There should be nonstop outrage that their press freedom is being stifled like this and so many Palestinian journalists are being slaughtered.Arwa MahdawiNews 8/22/25* Last Thursday, during an event in her Masscusetts congressional district, Congresswoman Katherine Clark – who holds the position of House Minority Whip, making her the number two Democrat in the House – called Israel's campaign in Gaza a “genocide,” per Axios. According to Zeteo, this makes Clark the 14th member of Congress to use the “g word.” Lest she be accused of bravery however, Clark quickly walked back her comments. In a statement to the Jewish News Syndicate, Clark said “last week, while attending an event in my district, I repeated the word ‘genocide' in response to a question…I want to be clear that I am not accusing Israel of genocide.” This incident illustrates the cross-cutting pressures facing Democratic Party leaders. This divide will be on the agenda again at the DNC meeting on August 26th, where among other issues, party leaders will vote on competing resolutions to lay out the Democrats' position on Gaza. Allison Minnerly, the progressive DNC delegate sponsoring the resolution to end arms shipments to Israel, is quoted saying “Our voters…are saying that they do not want U.S. dollars to enable further death and starvation anywhere across the world, particularly in Gaza…I don't think it should be a hard decision for us to say that clearly,” per the Intercept.* Even as Democrats wrestle with their position on Gaza, the politics are clearly shifting. The Reject AIPAC coalition has released a new statement saying that among Democrats, AIPAC is now a “toxic pariah.” As evidence of this, Reject AIPAC cites the fact that only 14 House Democrats attended the AIPAC-sponsored Israel trip this year. According to Mondoweiss, “In 2023, the lobbying group brought 24 House Dems to Israel over recess. In 2019, over 40 attended.” Reject AIPAC also cites the fact that Reps. Valerie Foushee and Maxine Dexter, both recipients of millions of AIPAC dollars, voted to block arms to Israel and Foushee is even now rejecting AIPAC money. As these small victories mount, the horizon of possibility for movement within the party grows ever wider.* Last week, Tom Artiom Alexandrovich – a senior department head in Israel's National Cyber Directorate – was arrested in a “multi-agency operation targeting child sex predators,” in Clark County, Nevada according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. According to Reuters, “Alexandrovich faces a felony charge of luring or attempting to lure a child or mentally ill person to commit a sex act ‘with use of computer technology.'” Yet, inexplicably, Alexandrovich was released by U.S. authorities and is back in Israel. This set off a firestorm in the U.S., with many accusing the Trump administration of facilitating Alexandrovich's release. The State Department was forced to issue a statement denying these claims, stating that Alexandrovich "did not claim diplomatic immunity and was released by a state judge…Any claims that the U.S. government intervened are false." The AP adds that the “Israeli Embassy in Washington and the Israeli Prime Minister's Office did not immediately return messages.” Disturbingly, the mainstream media seems to be purposely ignoring this case. While it has been covered by the Guardian, the Times of Israel, and Haaretz, there has been zero coverage in the New York Times or Washington Post, or ABC, NBC, or CBS. This media blackout adds fuel to the speculation that this case is being tamped down by the administration for political reasons.* Another troubling story regarding minors on the internet comes to us from Mark Zuckerberg's Meta AI. According to Reuters, internal documents from Meta Platforms detail “policies on chatbot behavior…[permitting] the company's artificial intelligence creations to ‘engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual,' generate false medical information and help users argue that Black people are ‘dumber than white people.'” Former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan called these reports “disturbing” and cited a legal complaint filed by the FTC to the Justice Department against Snap in January, under her leadership, “charging that [Snap's] AI chatbot was creating risks and harms for young users.” Khan noted that the “DOJ hasn't filed the case or taken any steps to protect these kids,” and demanded that “Any lawmaker concerned about big tech's abuse of kids should ask what is going on.” The administration's lack of action on these issues indicates that despite their rhetorical inveighing against the tech industry, they are treating SIlicon Valley with the same kid gloves they use for the rest of corporate America, even when it affects minors.* In more positive news from abroad, the Washington Post reports that between 2022 and 2024, Mexico lifted a stunning 8.3 million residents out of poverty. This 18% drop in poverty includes a 23% decrease in extreme poverty and a 16% drop in moderate poverty. According to experts, this remarkable achievement is the result of the policies of former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, or AMLO, and his successor Claudia Sheinbaum, such as tripling the minimum wage and instituting a raft of social programs to aid “senior citizens, unemployed youth, students, farmers and people with disabilities.” President Sheinbaum is now plowing ahead with a new project – producing a “small, 100% electric, accessible [EV],” called the “Olinia,” to be fully manufactured and assembled in Mexico, per Mexico News Daily.* Turning to domestic politics, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik finally showed up in her district on Monday after an extended period of avoiding public appearances. At a ceremony honoring a late Clinton County clerk in Plattsburgh, Stefanik was drowned out by cries of “‘You sold us out!', ‘Shame!', and ‘Unseal the Epstein files!', along with a “steady stream of boos,” according to the Daily Beast. Stefanik “left the podium after speaking for less than a minute,” and when she returned, she was booed again. Stefanik's chronic absence and chilly reception is a bad sign for her gubernatorial aspirations. In the months since she has held a town hall, her constituents held a mock town hall where they addressed an empty chair, per WRGB, and New York Democrats AOC and Paul Tonko held town halls in her district, per the Albany Times-Union.* In more political news from New York, disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo is explicitly seeking to woo New York Republicans in his independent bid for Mayor of New York City. POLITICO reports that at a fundraiser at media mogul Jimmy Finkelstein's Southampton estate, Cuomo told the crowd that he agrees with President Trump that the “goal is to stop Mamdani.” To this end, he is trying to convince Republicans that they would be “wasting [their] vote on [Curtis] Sliwa,” the Republican nominee for Mayor, “because he'll never be a serious candidate.” Cuomo also implied that he is open to an alliance with Trump, telling the crowd “Let's put it this way: I knew the president very well.” Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for the Zohran campaign, is quoted saying “Since he's too afraid to say it to New Yorkers' faces, we'll make it clear: Andrew Cuomo IS Donald Trump's choice for mayor.”* In Texas, state Democrats have returned to the state, ending their attempt to defeat Governor Abbott's mid-decade redistricting scheme by denying the legislature a quorum. In a statement Gene Wu, chairman of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said "We killed the corrupt special session, withstood unprecedented surveillance and intimidation, and rallied Democrats nationwide to join this existential fight for fair representation — reshaping the entire 2026 landscape," per the BBC. The legislature is now expected to approve the redrawn congressional maps; the state Democrats plan to continue fighting them in the courts. California has vowed to redraw their own maps to compensate for the expected loss of five Democrat-held seats in Texas. New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Maryland are also considering their own redistricting plans. Vice President JD Vance was deployed to Indiana to pressure Republicans in that state to redraw their maps to favor Republicans as well, per the IndyStar. It is a sad state of affairs that American politics has been reduced to such naked power grabbing plots, but here we are.* In local news, the federal occupation of Washington, D.C. continues to deepen. CBS reports the governors of at least six Republican-led states are sending contingents from their National Guards to the capital. These include Mississippi and Louisiana, West Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee. Just what these troops will do in Washington remains unclear. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, who is sending 160 troops, cited “monument security” and “traffic control” among their official responsibilities. The federal agents on the ground, with little to do – the DOJ itself reports as violent crime is at a 30-year low in the District – seem to be mostly just harassing residents. The Daily Beast reports ICE tore down a banner and replaced it with a dildo. A local, Amanda Moore, posted a photo of 15 federal agents calling an ambulance for a drunk girl in Dupont Circle. And, while the Lever reports D.C. corporate lobbyists pushed for the occupation, it is wreaking havoc on local businesses; Rolling Stone reports reservations at D.C. restaurants are down between 25 and 31%, to take just one example. We can only hope that this pointless, destructive farce of quasi-fascistic political theater ends sooner rather than later.* Finally, investigative reporter and Iraq war veteran Seth Harp is out with a new book – The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces – which details the double murder of Master Sergeant Billy Lavigne and Chief Warrant Officer Timothy Dumas, along with the “many more unexplained deaths…other murders connected to drug trafficking in elite units, and dozens of fatal overdoses,” at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Among other remarkable discoveries, Harp “describes a U.S. special forces k9 [unit] that was given titanium dentures and encouraged to feast on human brains in the field,” in the words of publisher and producer Chris Wade. Remember these titanium dentures whenever you hear that there is no money to pay for critical social programs. The money is there. The political will is not.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

With control of Congress at stake in the 2026 midterm elections, Trump is doubling down on efforts to end mail-in voting. In the 2024 election, nearly 30% of Americans who voted cast their ballots by mail. Despite a multimillion-dollar Republican push to encourage supporters to vote by mail, Trump says it’s a fraud. John Yang speaks with legal scholar Rick Hasen for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Andrew Desiderio joins Max Cohen to talk about his recent travel to Arizona and Nevada, covering power in the Senate. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dani on YT    / @danihenderson-gsic  DANI S WEBSITE https://www.galacticspiritualinformer... LIVE CALL IN SHOW UK Number 07879779321 (UK) or 011447879779321 (usa) Worldwide +00447879779321 its FREE to call via Whatsapp STREAMYARD LINK https://streamyard.com/y7ugkmenwi Watch DAVID I Exposes ALL From EPSTEIN COVERUP to ANCIENT REPTILIAN CULTS    • DAVID I Exposes EPSTEIN COVERUP, CULT OF B...  Watch Who Is Ghislaine Maxwell? From Prince Andrew to Epstein's Baby Farm - John Sweeney - Podcast    • Who Is Ghislaine Maxwell? From Prince Andr...  PATRICK ON X https://x.com/PatrickStupfel LIAM ON INSTA   / liam_james301092  Emile on X https://x.com/emileiam EPSTEIN'S BROTHER DESTROYS DOJ NARRATIVE - Mark Epstein EXCLUSIVE    • EPSTEIN'S BROTHER Mark Epstein EXPOSES COV...  Were Ghislaine Maxwell & Prince Andrew LOVERS? ROYAL COP REVEALS ALL Paul Page Podcast    • Prince Andrew's Epstein Maxwell Visits Exp...  Shaun Attwood's social media: TikTok:   / shaunattwood1    / shaunattwood  Twitter:   / shaunattwood  Facebook:   / shaunattwood1  Patreon:   / shaunattwood  Odysee: https://odysee.com/@ShaunAttwood:a Watch all of Shaun's True Crime podcasts:    • Shaun Attwood's True Crime Podcast  Watch all of Shaun's Attwood Unleashed episodes:    • Attwood Unleashed  Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @shaunattwoodofficial  Please subscribe to our FAMILY channel:    / @attwoodfamily  Shaun Attwood's social media & book links: https://linktr.ee/shaunattwood Sitdowns with Gangsters book: https://geni.us/SitdownswithGangsters Shaun's life story is a 3-book series called the English Shaun Trilogy. Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079C82JFC? Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079C82JFC? Here are Shaun's War on Drugs and Predators 6-book series in order: Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RH9WGMT? Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RH9WGMT? Support us on Patreon here:   / shaunattwood  Shaun Attwood merch: https://shaunattwood.shop/collections... Watch our true crime podcasts:    • Shaun Attwood's True Crime Podcast  Watch our interview with Robbie Williams:    • Robbie Williams Life Story: Podcast 366 - ...  Watch our Royal Family videos here:    • The Royal Family  Jen's YouTube:    / @jenhopkinsthegreat  Jen's Instagram:   / jenhoppothegreat  Jen's Twitter:   / jenhopkins88  Facebook:   / jenhopkins88  Our donation links: Patreon:   / shaunattwood  PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/SAttwood #podcast #truecrime #news  #usa #youtube  #people #uk #princeandrew #royal #royalfamily #TRUMP #MUSK

Slavery's Fugitives and the Making of the United States Constitution (LSU Press, 2024) unearths a long-hidden factor that led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. While historians have generally acknowledged that patriot leaders assembled in response to postwar economic chaos, the threat of popular insurgencies, and the inability of the states to agree on how to fund the national government, Timothy Messer-Kruse suggests that scholars have discounted Americans' desire to compel Britain to return fugitives from slavery as a driving force behind the convention. During the Revolutionary War, British governors offered freedom to enslaved Americans who joined the king's army. Thousands responded by fleeing to English camps. After the British defeat at Yorktown, American diplomats demanded the surrender of fugitive slaves. When British generals refused, several states confiscated Loyalist estates and blocked payment of English creditors, hoping to apply enough pressure on the Crown to hand over the runaways. State laws conflicting with the 1783 Treaty of Paris violated the Articles of Confederation--the young nation's first constitution--but Congress, lacking an executive branch or a federal judiciary, had no means to obligate states to comply. The standoff over the escaped slaves quickly escalated following the Revolution as Britain failed to abandon the western forts it occupied and took steps to curtail American commerce. More than any other single matter, the impasse over the return of enslaved Americans threatened to hamper the nation's ability to expand westward, develop its commercial economy, and establish itself as a power among the courts of Europe. Messer-Kruse argues that the issue encouraged the founders to consider the prospect of scrapping the Articles of Confederation and drafting a superseding document that would dramatically increase federal authority--the Constitution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

President Trump says he wants to end mail-in voting and voting machines. The Constitution outlines that state governments manage their elections, but in a post on Truth Social, Trump said that the states simply serve as agents for the federal government. "They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do," he wrote. Any change to the way Americans vote would need congressional approval. The president has already pushed to solidify a Republican majority in Congress by supporting the redrawing of congressional maps in Texas. That new map could add another five seats for the GOP in the House.Could the president use that majority to end voting by mail? What are the implications of this for American democracy and states' rights over elections?National Guard troops are still patrolling the streets of Washington D.C. When Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller visited National Guard troops at D.C.'s Union Station, they faced protestors shouting, “Free D.C.” Miller heckled the activists and said they would compel the administration to ramp up their efforts. Is Trump's use of National Guard troops simply a temporary demonstration of power, or should Americans be concerned that militarized cities will become the norm?In a room full of merchandise near the Oval Office, shelves are lined with “Trump 2028” hats. President Trump gifted some of them to world leaders. The possibility of running for a third term is something Trump has teased since the early days of his second term. Is he just trolling, or should Americans take it seriously?

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 4: 6:05pm- In a statement made via email, President of Villanova University Rev. Peter M. Donohue said that the active shooter incident on campus was a "cruel hoax." 6:20pm- According to a report from John Solomon and Jerry Dunleavy of Just the News, “Federal prosecutors gathered evidence from James Comey's top lieutenants that he authorized the leak of classified information to reporters just before the 2016 election but declined to bring criminal charges, according to recently declassified memos that call into question the former FBI director's testimony to Congress.” You can find the full report here: https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/exclusive-prosecutors-secured-evidence-comey-authorized-classified?utm_source=mux&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=social-media-autopost. 6:40pm- In an interview with Jessica Tarlov on the “Raging Moderates” podcast, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton bizarrely predicted that the Supreme Court would soon overturn gay marriage.

Katie Porter's Surge in the California Governor RaceWith Kamala Harris opting out of a gubernatorial run, Katie Porter is reaping the benefits. New polling from Politico shows Porter pulling ahead, with 30 percent of Harris's former supporters now backing her. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra trail behind at 16 and 11 percent, respectively. Porter's advantage comes from her visibility and defined ideology — she's well known and clearly positioned on the progressive spectrum.California's jungle primary system means all candidates run on the same ballot, and the top two — regardless of party — face off in the general. Right now, two Republicans are splitting their share of the vote, which adds up to something in the thirties. Porter is in the driver's seat, but with that comes the expectation of incoming fire. Her reputation for detail and sharp questioning in Congress could cut both ways — she's admired for precision but rumored to have a temper and staff issues that may resurface.If you ask me, I'd rather be in her shoes than anyone else's in this race. Governor Porter is no longer a long shot — she's a top contender. Sure, she's not universally loved, and her style is a sharp contrast to someone like Gavin Newsom, who leans more on charisma than policy depth. But Porter's grounded, process-oriented approach might resonate with voters ready for a different kind of leadership. It's early — but she's clearly in the lead.The Freedom Caucus ExodusChip Roy is heading home — not just to Texas, but into the state attorney general race. He's leaving behind his role in the House and with it, another domino falls in the dissolution of the Freedom Caucus. He's not alone. Byron Donalds is going for Florida governor. Barry Moore wants a Senate seat in Alabama. Ralph Norman is aiming for South Carolina's governor's mansion. The list goes on — and the pattern is clear.These were the hardliners — the names you heard when Speaker fights broke out or when high-stakes votes were in play. Now, they're moving on, seeking promotions or exits. The Freedom Caucus' influence, once loud and obstructive, is quietly fading. They all bent the knee to Trump eventually, and now it seems like they're cashing out or repositioning for relevance in state politics.In Texas, the AG job is a powerful one. Ken Paxton used it as a springboard and wielded it aggressively. If Roy wins, expect more of that hard-edged, action-first governance. But nationally, their exodus signals something more — the end of a chapter. The Freedom Caucus isn't what it was, and its main voices are scattering. Their watch has ended.Tulsi Gabbard's Deep State OverhaulTulsi Gabbard, now Director of National Intelligence, has unveiled ODNI 2.0 — a major restructuring plan that slashes staff and consolidates units focused on countering foreign influence and cyber threats. The goal is to cut $700 million annually — a bold move, but one in line with this administration's mission to slim down government operations. It's another signal that this White House doesn't operate under old assumptions.The intelligence world, long a target of Trumpian criticism, is being gutted — not just for size but for perceived bias. There's a strong undercurrent here about the so-called deep state and its relationship with the press. This move isn't just administrative — it's cultural. It's about information control. Gabbard is targeting the pipelines that leak classified narratives to shape public perception.Living in D.C., you feel the impact of this. It's a company town — when the company is laying off hundreds, the town shifts. Longer happy hours. People breaking leases. Uncertainty hanging in the air. But if you're in this administration, it's not about sympathy. It's about loyalty — or the lack thereof. And for many who see Trump as the duly elected CEO of the U.S. government, trimming the fat is justice, not politics.Chapters00:00:00 - Intro00:02:43 - Interview with Alex Isenstadt00:27:40 - Update00:28:54 - Katie Porter00:31:49 - Chip Roy00:34:28 - Gabbard Cuts00:41:23 - Interview with Evan Scrimshaw01:31:52 - Wrap-up This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/subscribe

Punchbowl News Reporter Andrew Desiderio is back with Jake to break down the latest Punch Power Matrix. Plus: A look at Senate Democrats' emerging strategy in the fall funding fight, and the latest major political developments out of California and Texas. Punchbowl News is on YouTube! Subscribe to our channel today to see all the new ways we're investing in video. Want more in-depth daily coverage from Congress? Subscribe to our free Punchbowl News AM newsletter at punchbowl.news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Howie Kurtz on the FBI raiding the home of former Trump advisor John Bolton, the first set of Epstein files being sent to Congress and judge ruling Alina Habba unlawfully serving as U.S. attorney. Follow Howie on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@HowardKurtz⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠For more #MediaBuzz click here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday! On this week's Roundup, Yano and Santi are joined by Ro to dive in and explore the signals, indicators and metrics that might or might not point to a top of the cycle. From Chamath's SPAC, borrowing and lending numbers, Kanye meme coins, NFTs and more all provide unique insights into the potential frothy Q4 ahead of us. -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from David Canellis.  Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Follow Roshun: https://x.com/roshunpatel Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- GEODNET is the world's largest RTK network, delivering real-time, centimeter-level precision for drones, robots, farmers, and first responders. Recognized by the U.S. Congress, this blockchain-powered network supports mission-critical applications across a wide range of industries.  Discover how GEODNET is changing the world: [https://geodnet.com] --  Get up to speed on the biggest stories in crypto each week. In five minutes.  Get the Bitwise Weekly CIO Memo delivered directly to your inbox at bitwiseinvestments.com/ciomemo/empire  -- "Mantle is pioneering ""Blockchain for Banking"" as a revolutionary new category that sits at the intersection of TradFi and web3.   Key elements for Mantle as the ""Blockchain for Banking"":      - Transactions posted to the blockchain     - Compatibility with TradFi rails     - Integrated DeFi features UR, built by Mantle, is the first real-world example: an on-chain money app offering Swiss IBANs and unified access to fiat (EUR, CHF, USD, RMB) and crypto — bringing crypto into everyday finance. Mantle Network, the access layer — transforms Mantle Network into a purpose-built vertical platform — the blockchain for banking — that enables financial services on-chain. Mantle leads the establishment of Blockchain for Banking as the next frontier. Follow Mantle on X (@Mantle_Official) for the latest updates on Mantle as the 'Blockchain for Banking'." -- Citrea is the first zero-knowledge rollup to enhance the capabilities of Bitcoin blockspace and enable Bitcoin applications (₿apps). Citrea is optimistically verified by Bitcoin, offering the most Bitcoin-secured and native way to extend BTC's utility to DeFi.  Learn more about Citrea: https://citrea.xyz/?utm_source=bellcurve&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=website_promo   Follow Citrea on X/Twitter for the latest on its journey to mainnet: https://x.com/citrea_xyz -- Chapters: (00:52) Intro (04:01) Top Indicators Explored (25:33) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise) (27:02) Lending Markets & Leverage (45:55) Private Markets (54:38) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise) (56:00) Ads (Mantle,Citrea) (57:36) Overlooked Sectors (01:12:30) Content Recs — Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

"Lorena" believes in community and wants to continue to show up for hers, but as an overwhelmed Angeleno, she is facing burnout amid the fires and political terrors impacting her friends, family and the city at large. She finds herself playing therapist to others' personal and collective traumas, and as much as she wants to keep showing up, is looking for more sustainable ways.

August 19, 2025; 8pm: The growing and vocal resistance of an unpopular president. Then, Jasmine Crockett on the Republican game of keep away with the Epstein files. And as California moves to counter Trump, inside the surreal joke of Gavin Newsom's troll game. To listen to this show and other MSNBC podcasts without ads, sign up for MSNBC Premium on Apple Podcasts. Want more of Chris? Download and subscribe to his podcast, “Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes podcast” wherever you get your podcasts.