Podcasts about Middle America

Today, I'm joined by Saad Alam, co-founder and CEO of Hone Health.   Hone Health is a longevity care platform combining AI-powered diagnostics, telehealth consults, personalized treatment plans, and specialized physicians for healthspan optimization.   In this episode, we discuss building and training a workforce for new-age medicine.   We also cover:   Normalizing hormone health for both sexes Changing medical education for systemic reform Making premium care accessible to Middle America   Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider   Hone Health's Website: https://honehealth.com/    -   The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart workout solutions for fitness and health facilities.   Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/  Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/  Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/    Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:10) Current State of Hone Health and Recent Growth (03:30) De-stigmatizing Testosterone and Hormone Optimization (08:05) Market Shift Moments for Men's and Women's Health (10:05) Vision for AI-Enhanced Longevity Care Platform (14:20) Commoditization of Diagnostics and Future of Healthcare (18:30) Competing on Care Delivery vs Diagnostics (22:25) Personal Healthcare Journey and Market Research Insights (24:40) Transition from Telehealth to Comprehensive Longevity Care (29:25) Patient Journey from Symptom Relief to Optimization (32:15) Building and Training Longevity Medicine Workforce (35:40) Changing Medical Education and System Reform (37:20) Making Premium Care Accessible to Middle America (39:10) Conclusion  

I'm thrilled to bring you a conversation with a visionary leader whose work is reshaping healthcare innovation—Vic Gatto. Vic is the driving force behind Elevate Health 2050, a bold initiative exploring the transformative potential of Web3, AI, and biotech to redefine healthcare's future, with a special focus on accessibility and impact—areas that touch the lives of women and children every day. Before this, Vic carved his path as the founder and Managing General Partner of Jumpstart Capital, where he's invested in over 200 early-stage healthcare startups, proving that innovation thrives beyond Silicon Valley's shadow, right here in Middle America. Vic's journey began with a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College, giving him a broad foundation, followed by a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, equipping him with the strategic insight to navigate the complex world of venture capital. His entrepreneurial roots trace back to the 1990s, when he co-founded a software company in Boston, growing it from a small team to over 250 employees before selling it—a testament to his ability to build from the ground up. But Vic's story isn't just about credentials or exits; it's about a man who sees healthcare as a mission, not just a market. With Elevate Health 2050, he's pushing boundaries to ensure that the next generation—our women and children—benefits from cutting-edge solutions tailored to their needs. Today, we'll explore how his vision bridges technology and human health, and what it means for families everywhere. So, grab a cup of tea, settle in, and let's welcome Vic Gatto to the show. Enjoy, Dr. M

This Pride Month, Mark Radulich and Sean Comer celebrate the flamboyant, fearless, and fiercely important legacies of three trailblazing films: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), and Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001). While each tells its own unique story—from a desert drag road trip across the Australian outback to a heartfelt exploration of gender identity through glam rock cabaret—they are all interconnected by the historical arc of queer visibility in cinema. These films didn't just showcase LGBTQ+ characters—they centered them, in eras where that was still an act of rebellion.Priscilla broke ground internationally, putting Australian queer cinema on the global map and normalizing drag culture long before RuPaul's Drag Race made it mainstream. Just one year later, To Wong Foo introduced Middle America to drag queens with heart, humor, and dignity—starring mainstream Hollywood actors like Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Leguizamo at the height of their careers. Then came Hedwig, a deeply personal indie musical about gender, trauma, and artistic expression, which has since become a cult favorite and a cornerstone of trans representation in modern film and theater. Together, these films reflect the evolution of queer and trans narratives—from coded subtext to full-throated declarations of identity and humanity.More than just products of their time, these movies pushed culture forward. They asked audiences to look beyond binary norms and embrace love, transformation, and self-expression in all forms. Whether through sequins, ballads, or beat-up buses, these stories assert—loudly and proudly—that queer people, drag performers, and trans individuals deserve joy, complexity, and a place in the cinematic canon. And as we revisit them in 2025, their messages feel just as urgent, defiant, and beautiful as ever.Disclaimer: The following may contain offensive language, adult humor, and/or content that some viewers may find offensive – The views and opinions expressed by any one speaker does not explicitly or necessarily reflect or represent those of Mark Radulich or W2M Network.Mark Radulich and his wacky podcast on all the things:https://linktr.ee/markkind76alsohttps://www.teepublic.com/user/radulich-in-broadcasting-networkFB Messenger: Mark Radulich LCSWTiktok: @markradulichtwitter: @MarkRadulichInstagram: markkind76RIBN Album Playlist: https://suno.com/playlist/91d704c9-d1ea-45a0-9ffe-5069497bad59 

Congressman Andy Biggs from Arizona shares his insights on the current political climate, the unrest in America, and the support for President Trump's policies. He discusses the disconnect between the Democrats and Middle America, the implications of recent protests, and the importance of law and order. Congressman Marlin Stutzman discusses the implications of the one big beautiful bill, the importance of food security, and the vulnerabilities posed by foreign actors in the wake of COVID-19. Stutzman shares insights on how the proposed Spending Accountability Act aims to curb irresponsible spending and protect rural America. Finally, Anne Fundner, a California woman whose 15-year-old son died in 2022 after taking pills laced with fentanyl, discusses the recent sanctions imposed by the Treasury Department on Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa drug cartel. She also sheds light on the ongoing battle against drug trafficking and the critical role of various government agencies in combating this crisis.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bonchon CEO Suzie Tsai reveals how Korean fried chicken is taking over Middle America, with explosive growth from 150 to 500 planned U.S. locations. Discover the tech stack secrets driving higher sales through kiosks, why Gen Z customers are obsessed with authentic Korean flavors, and how this female CEO is revolutionizing the fast-casual space with bold expansion into unexpected markets like Arkansas and Utah. Plus, get insider insights on catering growth strategies, ghost kitchen operations, and why authentic spicy flavors are winning over traditional American palates.FastCasual #KoreanFriedChicken #RestaurantGrowthGet Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights.Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory

Keith Preston digs into how America First's original non-interventionist and paleoconservative ideals are being co-opted by neoconservative and pro-Israel operatives, turning what was once a populist rebellion into controlled opposition.Preston offers a no-holds-barred critique of the ideological sleight of hand at work—and why the future of the Right may look more like Silicon Valley + Tel Aviv than Middle America.Listen now to hear how the neoconservative movement is hijacking the populist Right.Follow Keith Preston's work here:Website: https://attackthesystem.com/Twitter/X: https://x.com/keith_prestonAre you concerned about your wealth during this times of economic uncertainty? Allocating parts of your wealth into physical precious metals is your best play. Whether you are:* An institutional client,* A HNWI or UHNWI,* Or a retail customer,You should contact my good friend Claudio Grass directly.Claudio is a veteran precious metal investor and wealth manager who has mastered precious markets and knows how to protect people's wealth no matter the economic and political circumstances. He will grant you access to his carefully-selected network of trustworthy partners which he has been working for multiple years. Claudio will advise you on the best players, the appropriate terms, and the necessary safeguards you must take to protect your wealth. In addition, he will guide you each step of the way when you buy, sell, and store physical bullion. Your precious metals will be privately stored in Switzerland outside of the banking system, and you can physically pick them up at the vault anytime at your own convenience. Are you ready to make your wealth recession-proof? Do not hesitate to contact Claudio; his initial consultations are free.Contact him below and tell him that José Niño was your reference: https://claudiograss.ch/contacts/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit josbcf.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Busted Pencils, Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci are joined by a couple of very special guests to talk about Wisconsin's number one issue. Heather DuBoise Bourenane and Jenni Hofschulte from the Wisconsin Public Education Network are here to talk about the contentious budget session underway in Madison. This isn't just about bureaucracy, it's about the funding that keeps our schools safe, stimulating, and sustainable places that serve our communities. Don't let anti-education forces get away with their shenanigans, speak up and make your voice heard! Producer and simple farmer Jakob provides perspectives from Middle America. Busted Pencils is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 6-7 pm across Wisconsin. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X and Instagram to keep up with Dr. Tim, Dr. Johnny and the show!

Send in the clowns!   In this Off Book episode I talk to Eli Craig, director of cult-classic Tucker and Dale vs Evil, and the man who put Clown in a Cornfield up on the big screen.   After crowbarring my way into his press day, I asked him what drew him to the project, what else there is to ‘do' with scary clowns and slashers in cinema, and what this movie has to say about Middle America right now.   We go deeper than you'd expect for a movie about clowns chasing kids with chainsaws.   Enjoy   Clown in a Cornfield is in cinemas from May 9th.   Support Talking Scared on Patreon   Check out the Talking Scared Merch line – at VoidMerch   Come talk books on Twitter @talkscaredpod, on Instagram, or email direct to talkingscaredpod@gmail.com   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TVC 688.3: Longtime television announcer Randy West joins Ed as TV Confidential continues its special program-length tribute to game show legend Wink Martindale. Randy was Wink's announcer on five game shows for the Family Channel, including Trivial Pursuit, Boggle, and Jumble. Among other topics in this segment, Randy mentions what he believes are the two reasons for Martindale's great success: his roots in Middle America (which Wink never forgot), and his genuine love for people, which particularly showed during Wink's interactions with the contestants on his various shows. Wink Martindale passed away on Tuesday, Apr. 15, 2025 at age ninety-nine.

Hi and Welcome to the show. Thanks for joining us and congratulations on making it this far into the depths of the internet. You have discovered a truly hidden treasure. The podcast has some throwbacks to middle school and other things. We encourage you to take notes and act better than most of the people who you come in contact with. You deserve it. Listen to more episodes and level up your true self. Check out the episode and maybe some old ones.   We would love to hear from you. Hit us up at CampCitrus@Gmail.com

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

Can the heartland states save our country? The heartland states are 20 states pretty much in the center of the country. They have been regaining economic strength over the years and currently about 39% of the US population lives in these states, according to the census bureau for 2024. The population growth in this area was above the rest of the country for the last five years with numbers that have not been seen in over 65 years. Employers in this area grew by 13.2% between 2020 to 2023 and business capital expenditures totaled $76.9 billion in 2023 and have seen an average annual growth of 9.43% since the beginning of Covid. These 20 states on average have established more business-friendly policies along with tax incentives and grant programs that draw businesses to their area. The East and the West Coast just can't seem to compete with the affordability of states in the middle of America. These mid America states have lower cost for land and utilities are far less being as much as 1/3 less than the rest of the country. This is according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The overall cost of living is lower, so wages can also be lower and still provide a good standard of living for their employees. In my opinion, states like California and others need to wake up and realize that perhaps stats in Middle America are on to something with policies that are attracting new residents. It would appear that foreign companies coming to the United States would build and prosper in one of these 20 states rather than states that are against business or have high taxes and other costs.   Consumer actions aren't matching their words We continue to see negative surveys about consumer confidence and sentiment, but you wouldn't think consumers feel bad after looking at the recent retail sales report. March sales climbed 4.6% compared to last year and if gas stations, which fell 4.3%, are excluded the report was even more impressive as it climbed 5.3%. Some of this is likely due to concerns over looming tariffs as consumers pull forward demand before expected price increases. Some areas that are likely more impacted did see large gains as motor vehicle and parts dealers saw an increase of 8.8% and sales at furniture and home furnishing stores climbed 7.7%. With those said gains were quite widespread in the report and areas that would not see a pull forward in demand like food services and drinking places still saw a nice gain of 4.8%. If people were truly worried about the economy, they would not be spending money at restaurants, especially considering the fact that dining out has gotten quite expensive. While I am expecting the tariffs to have a short-term impact on the economy, we must remember the consumer is coming from a point of strength with relatively low debt levels, a low unemployment rate, and balance sheets that have seen asset prices significantly increase over the last several years. I continue to believe that our economy and the consumer will be able to whether this volatility, but the numbers will likely decelerate from here. We will continue to watch these reports closely, but I again remain confident we will get through the concerns about these tariffs.   Are TV networks tapped out on sports deals? Last year Disney signed a $2.6 billion a year deal with the NBA; however, ESPN said goodbye after a 35-year relationship with the MLB where they were paying $550 million a year for their package of games. One area of growth that surprised me was Formula One car racing as over the last six years it has seen viewership double to 1.1 million viewers in a season. Liberty Media, who owns F1, is trying to get a rights package between $150-$180 million a year and all they're hearing is crickets. Research firms estimate that it is worth over $100 million but it is not at the $150-$180 million that Liberty wants. Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox, Amazon and NBC are not showing much interest in the asset. Netflix will probably not bid since there's no real gain for them considering the estimate that 75% of F1 fans already have Netflix subscriptions. With so many people having Netflix, multiple big dollar sports packages probably don't make much sense for the company. In a couple of months around June, Warner Brothers is distributing an Apple film called F1, starring Brad Pitt. If you want to watch this movie, which is projected to be a blockbuster, you must subscribe to Apple TV. I almost feel like I want to add Apple TV to the five or six other subscriptions I have, but I can't watch everything I have access to now, so I should probably resist.   Financial Planning: Why Life Insurance Is a Poor Retirement Vehicle (And What to Do Instead) Cash value life insurance is often pitched as a tax-free retirement strategy. On the surface it sounds great. You get tax-deferred growth, tax-free loans, no contribution limits, and a death benefit, but when you look under the hood the numbers often don't work out. First, the returns simply don't compare. With Indexed Universal Life (IUL) or Whole Life, your cash value growth is limited by caps and participation rates, and you miss out on dividends. Add in the cost of insurance, admin fees, and other hidden charges, and the actual return on cash value often falls well below the market. Second, the fees get larger over time. The older you get, the higher your cost of insurance becomes which directly eats into your cash value. If you're taking policy loans and the policy lapses, you could even get hit with a massive tax bill in retirement. Third, the opportunity cost is huge. The high premiums needed to fund a policy could instead be invested in assets with better returns, more liquidity, and lower fees. Meanwhile, better tools for tax-free retirement income already exist. Most 401(k)s now offer a Roth option, allowing you to contribute after-tax dollars and grow your money tax-free, exactly what cash value life insurance offers. You can pair this with a Roth IRA or even a Backdoor Roth IRA if your income is too high to contribute directly. Together, these vehicles allow for substantial tax-free retirement savings without the complexity, high fees, or risk of policy lapse that come with life insurance. Don't let marketing hype cloud your long-term strategy. Run the numbers and stick with what works.    Companies Discussed: Nvidia (NVDA), Hertz Global Holdings (HTZ), Car Max, Inc. (KMX) & (DOW)

An insightful conversation with Michael Londra, a proud Wexford man and internationally acclaimed tenor, now living in Iowa. As protests continue to sweep across the United States in opposition to President Trump, Michael shares his unique perspective on life in middle America. He discusses how the Trump era has shaped the daily lives of Irish people living stateside and offers an honest view of the political and social climate in the heart of the U.S.

Former NBA player Etan Thomas releases a racist article accusing Middle America people who support Caitlin Clark of being racist against Paige Bueckers. According to Thomas, Paige isn't received as well as Caitlin because Paige embraces black people and causes more.To watch on YouTube, click the link here.LINK RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/mar/28/paige-bueckers-uconn-basketball JOIN the ARS CHANNEL to get access to perks and support your girl here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1GC6zq-cgRcOV3LWEUqZA/join Remember to SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, SHARE, and COMMENT RESPECTFULLY. WEBSITE: https://www.adriennerosscom.com FOLLOW ADRIENNE ROSS COMMUNICATIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdrienneRossCommunications Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdrienneRossCom CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Adrienne2012 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adriennerossny2mo/ God bless you abundantly! Get full access to Adrienne Ross Communications at adrienneross.substack.com/subscribe

Patrick Bet-David explains how Nixon's 1972 visit to China and China's 2001 entry into the WTO triggered the loss of millions of U.S. manufacturing jobs. From cheap labor costs driving outsourcing to the devastation of states like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, this video explores the economic fallout on Middle America, the rise of the Rust Belt, and how tariffs are now bringing jobs back. Hit thumbs up and subscribe for more!---

It's time to build your family's future on a foundation of true health and freedom. Join us at Future Foundations—because your future generations deserve the best start to the mission that will outlive us… Check it out here. Use code FREEDOM25 for 25% off!    Whether you're looking for tinctures, topicals or teas or a deeper connection to your INNATE healing capacity, Noble Task Homestead is here to serve you. Join the movement. Visit NobleTaskHomestead.com/noblestan today and enjoy a 10% discount on your order. San Diego area residents, take advantage of our special New Patient offer exclusively for podcast listeners here. We can't wait to experience miracles with you!   In today's episode, Dr. Stanton Hom welcomes Talia Likeitis, a prominent California medical freedom activist turned homesteader. In this powerful episode, Talia shares her remarkable journey from fighting vaccine mandates in California to establishing a 160-acre homestead off grid in Middle America. She discusses her family's transition to self-sufficiency, the importance of natural healing, and how they've created Noble Task Homestead - a testament to resilience, faith, and reconnecting with nature's abundant resources.   About Talia Likeitis: Talia Likeitis has been a medical freedom advocate since 2011. She left CA in 2016 after the "burn out" of advocating, and since 2020 has been homesteading with her family in pursuit of a more self-sufficient life in middle America. Talia & her husband Jeff spend most of their days sharing the many failures and trials of gaining back the multi-generational skillsets that were not taught to them, with the hopes that many of these skillsets are passed on to their children. The goal is to have less dependence on the system and more dependence on God as He provides in abundance if we just take the time to stop with the busyness of life and notice.    Connect with Talia: Instagram: instagram.com/talia_likeitis  instagram.com/nobletaskhomestead  website: nobletaskhomestead.com  Highlights: "The only decisions I've ever regretted in my life were the decisions based on fear."   "Wherever I'm placed or planted, I don't think there's any coincidences."   "The real luxury in life is being left alone and having that privacy."   "If you just work at getting a little bit better every day, focusing on a new skill, you don't even have the time to worry about that kind of stuff."   "God is listening to these prayers, and he will open these doors for people."   Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 06:48 The Seed of Vaccine Awareness 13:29 The Silent Epidemic of Childhood Development 22:18 Building Noble Task Homestead 30:42 Land as a Source of Abundance 45:08 Overcoming Bitterness and Finding Gratitude 56:34 Envisioning a Self-Sufficient Future 1:08:02 Personal Transformation and Growth 1:13:00 Challenges of Living in California 1:17:30 Reflections on Freedom and Faith   Resources:   Remember to Rate, Review, and Subscribe on iTunes and Follow us on Spotify!   Learn more about Dr. Stanton Hom on:   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drstantonhom  Website: https://futuregenerationssd.com/    Podcast Website: https://thefuturegen.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/drstantonhom  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanhomdc  Stay Connected with the Future Generations Podcast:   Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/futuregenpodcast  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/futuregenpodcast/  The desire to go off grid and have the ability to grow your own food has never been stronger than before. No matter the size of your property, Food Forest Abundance can help you design a regenerative layout that utilizes your resources in the most synergistic and sustainable manner. If you are interested in breaking free from the system, please visit www.foodforestabundance.com and use code “thefuturegen” to receive a discount on their incredible services.   Show your eyes some love with a pair of daylight or sunset (or both!) blue-light blocking glasses from Ra Optics. They have graciously offered Future Generations podcast listeners 10% off any purchase. Use code FGPOD or click here to access this discount, and let us know how your glasses are treating you!   One of the single best companies whose clean products have supported the optimal wellness of our family is Earthley Wellness. Long before there was a 2020, Kate Tetje and her team have stood for TRUTH, HEALTH and FREEDOM in ways that paved the way for so many of us. In collaboration with this incredible team, we are proud to offer you 10% off of your first purchase by shopping here.   Are you concerned about food supply insecurity? Our family has rigorously sourced our foods for over a decade and one of our favorite sources is Farm Match and specifically for San Diego locals, “Real Food Club PMA”. My kids are literally made from their maple breakfast sausage and the amazing carnitas we make from their pasture raised pork. We are thrilled to share 10% off your first order when you shop at this link.   Another important way to bolster food security is by supporting local ranchers. Our favorite local regenerative ranch is Perennial Pastures. They have the best nutrient-dense meats that are 100% grass-fed and pasture-raised. You can get $10 off of your first purchase when you use the code: "FUTUREGENERATIONS" at checkout. Start shopping here.

In this exclusive episode of The Common Knowledge Podcast with Marcus L-Spade Johnson, Marcus sits down with an old friend—and proud Trump supporter—for a deep, honest conversation. With Democrats struggling to resonate with Middle America, Marcus steps out of the echo chamber to listen, learn, and search for common ground. This isn't about changing minds—it's about understanding where people stand and finding a way to move the country forward, together.#CommonKnowledgePodcast #MarcusLSpadeJohnson #PoliticalDialogue #TrumpSupporter #MiddleAmerica #MeetInTheMiddle #AmericanPolitics #BridgingTheDivide

I used to view Portland through the lens of Portlandia. A bit ridiculous, politically too liberal, but an artsy quirky place that contributed to the cultural vibrancy of America. There should be places like Portland where quirky liberal people should be able to let their freak flag, even if I wouldn't want to live there. Not every place has to be Middle America where peole are hard working, mostly more virtuous, but much less quirky.

Stan Campbell has over 20 years of experience as a police officer in Oklahoma City. He retired as a Lieutenant over a street crime team, and spent over 10 years on the Tactical Unit (SWAT) and has spent 15 years developing and teaching self-defense curriculum. Stan is a certified National self-defense Instructor and has also instructed officers in British Territories. Today Campbell works as a Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of CCW Safe, providing valuable legal self-defense support. You can watch learn more about Stan Campbell and CCW safe at CCWSafe.com or @CCWSafe on instagram.   CARRY TRAINER LINK: https://ccwsafe.com/?ref=carrytrainer   RELATED PODCASTS: Today's Gun Law | Higher Line Podcast #238 Self Defense Advice from a Homicide Investigator | Higher Line Podcast #214 Middle America on Fire | Higher Line Podcast #244   ---   Music Attributions: Intro - "3rd Eye Blimp" by Otis McDonald Outro - "I Want More" by Silent Partner   The Carry Trainer Higher Line Podcast is available on iTunes, Google Play, YouTube, Stitcher and most importantly CarryTrainer.com.

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3039: Harry N. Stout explains the two types of 529 Plans, college savings plans and prepaid tuition plans, along with their benefits, potential drawbacks, and flexibility in case of changing circumstances. Understanding these plans can help families make informed financial decisions while balancing college savings with long-term financial security. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.financialverse.com/post/savings-tax-breaks-for-middle-america-529-plans Quotes to ponder: "Funds in a 529 Plan grow federal tax-free and will not be taxed when the money is withdrawn for qualified education expenses." "There are a myriad of situations that can arise in the future such as the death of a child, the receipt of full academic or athletic scholarships, or the receipt of employer educational assistance." "Your child can take out a loan for school, you however cannot take out a loan for your retirement." Episode references: Saving for College: https://www.savingforcollege.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3039: Harry N. Stout explains the two types of 529 Plans, college savings plans and prepaid tuition plans, along with their benefits, potential drawbacks, and flexibility in case of changing circumstances. Understanding these plans can help families make informed financial decisions while balancing college savings with long-term financial security. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.financialverse.com/post/savings-tax-breaks-for-middle-america-529-plans Quotes to ponder: "Funds in a 529 Plan grow federal tax-free and will not be taxed when the money is withdrawn for qualified education expenses." "There are a myriad of situations that can arise in the future such as the death of a child, the receipt of full academic or athletic scholarships, or the receipt of employer educational assistance." "Your child can take out a loan for school, you however cannot take out a loan for your retirement." Episode references: Saving for College: https://www.savingforcollege.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3039: Harry N. Stout explains the two types of 529 Plans, college savings plans and prepaid tuition plans, along with their benefits, potential drawbacks, and flexibility in case of changing circumstances. Understanding these plans can help families make informed financial decisions while balancing college savings with long-term financial security. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.financialverse.com/post/savings-tax-breaks-for-middle-america-529-plans Quotes to ponder: "Funds in a 529 Plan grow federal tax-free and will not be taxed when the money is withdrawn for qualified education expenses." "There are a myriad of situations that can arise in the future such as the death of a child, the receipt of full academic or athletic scholarships, or the receipt of employer educational assistance." "Your child can take out a loan for school, you however cannot take out a loan for your retirement." Episode references: Saving for College: https://www.savingforcollege.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the cesspool of Trump's so-called economic genius. We're talking tariffs - those sneaky, regressive taxes masquerading as “America First” policy. Tristan breaks down how these misguided measures are nothing more than a stealth assault on your wallet, hitting the working and middle class right where it hurts. But wait, there's more! We're also shining a spotlight on the orange menace's love affair with executive orders. Spoiler alert: it's not because he's an “efficient” leader. And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, we've got Elon Musk playing puppet master with federal operations.

Welcome to another episode of The Hot Dish, where we serve comfort food for Middle America. In today's episode, Heidi Heitkamp and Joel Heitkamp delve into the political whirlwind surrounding Donald Trump's inauguration, cabinet picks, and executive orders — and their implications for the next four years. Later in the episode, you'll hear a fascinating conversation between One Country Project Board Member J.D. Scholten and Anderson Clayton, North Carolina Democratic Party Chair. Anderson, the youngest state party chair in the nation, shares her experiences and insights on enhancing grassroots infrastructure, speaking to rural voters, and the GOP's efforts to throw out 60,000 legal votes in the Tarheel State to overturn the results of a state Supreme Court election.Join us as we explore these pivotal topics and more, all aimed at bringing clarity and hope to the heartland.

60 MinutesPG-13This is a re-release of an episode with Trey Garrison. He is an author and investigative reporter who came on the show to talk about a book he wrote with his partner Richard McClure, "Opioids for the Masses: Big Pharma's War on Middle America and the White Working Class"Opioids for the MassesPete and Thomas777 'At the Movies'Support Pete on His WebsitePete's PatreonPete's SubstackPete's SubscribestarPete's GUMROADPete's VenmoPete's Buy Me a CoffeePete on FacebookPete on TwitterBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-pete-quinones-show--6071361/support.

Former Minneapolis police officer Michael Treat shares his experiences during the 2020 riots. After the riots he wrote “Minnehaha Falling: A Memoir of the 2020 Minneapolis Riots.” Treat served for many years in corrections, law enforcement and private security. After the riots Treat moved west and works as a firearms instructor with Condition Orange Preparedness. You can watch learn more about Mike Treat at ConditionOrangePreparedness.com or follow him on Instagram @ConditionOrangePreparedness.   RELATED PODCASTS: Rittenhouse Personal Security - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW | Higher Line Podcast #164 Solving the 2nd Amendment Debate | Higher Line Podcast #241 Pandemic Gun Market, Shot Show and All Things Tactical | Higher Line Podcast #163 ---   Music Attributions: Intro - "3rd Eye Blimp" by Otis McDonald Outro - "I Want More" by Silent Partner   The Carry Trainer Higher Line Podcast is available on iTunes, Google Play, YouTube, Stitcher and most importantly CarryTrainer.com.

Washington Post journalists have sent an angry letter to Jeff Bezos because they're concerned about "the direction of the paper" -- i.e. the editor pushing for the paper to speak to ALL of America, not just the left. Jeff Bezos's push for the Washington Post to adopt a more centrist approach and broaden its audience has sparked significant backlash from journalists, who fear it compromises the paper's integrity and threatens their job security amid financial challenges. 00:00 Jeff Bezos faces backlash from Washington Post journalists for pushing to broaden its audience and adopt a more inclusive mission statement. 02:13 Washington Post staff are angry with Jeff Bezos for advocating a centrist approach to attract middle America and conservatives amid internal turmoil. 03:43 Over 400 Washington Post staffers are upset with Jeff Bezos for prioritizing general news, fearing it undermines the paper's integrity and leadership. 06:07 Bezos' push for broader readership threatens journalists' jobs as financial realities clash with their desire for editorial freedom. 07:07 Bezos's leaked plea to Washington Post staff highlights frustrations over editorial choices causing subscriber losses, sparking criticism of the paper as a tool for his interests and calls for media integrity reform. 08:59 Washington Post journalists are upset with Jeff Bezos's call for factual reporting and broader appeal after 300,000 subscriptions were canceled due to a lack of political endorsement. 10:17 People's confirmation bias hinders news outlets' attempts to present a balanced, centrist perspective. 11:58 Washington Post journalists may face significant layoffs soon, raising concerns about job security in the current economy.

Well, folks, the Chums have flown away, and our cartographers are stuck on ground duty. Don't feel too broken up, though! While the vertical may be abandoned for now, we'll trace and retrace Middle America alongside Merle Rideout and begin zooming in on Dally, a true heroine-to-be. Alchemy, photography, lovelornity, and more, await our kind listeners within this episode of Mapping the Zone.Next episode: Pages 81-96 (ending on “Veikko was pouring vodka. 'Happy Fourth of July, Webb.'”)If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneIf you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:Films/TV: Godland (2022; dir. Hlynur Pálmason)Books/Authors: The Public Burning by Robert CooverAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: ⁠mappingthezonepod@gmail.com⁠Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/

In this week's episode of Half Past Chai, I'm getting REAL about growing up Indian in the Midwest. I'll share the ups, downs, and plenty of awkward moments that came with being one of the only brown kids in a mostly white town. But it's not just my story — my white wife Hallie is also here to offer her take on how our different backgrounds have shaped everything from our relationship to raising kids. It's a fun, honest, and sometimes surprising look at what it's like to juggle two cultures in the heart of Middle America. Settle in, get cozy, and grab your chai. We LOVE you HPC. Be sure to submit your stories at https://www.halfpastchai.com AND read our weekly blog post! Follow us! https://bio.site/halfpastchai --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/halfpastchai/support

TO WATCH ALL FLYOVER CONTENT: www.flyover.liveTO WATCH ALL FLYOVER CONTENT: www.flyover.livewww.flyover.liveA.J. RiceA.J. RiceBOOK: www.WhitePrivilegeAlbum.com BOOK: www.WhitePrivilegeAlbum.comwww.WhitePrivilegeAlbum.com TWITTER: https://x.com/PubliusPR TWITTER: https://x.com/PubliusPRhttps://x.com/PubliusPR A.J. Rice is a leading conservative publicist, media strategist, and bestselling author. He serves as president and CEO of Publius PR and editor-in-chief of The Publius National Post on Substack. Known for his work with high-profile clients like Laura Ingraham, Donald Trump Jr., and Vivek Ramaswamy, Rice has shaped the messaging for some of the biggest names in the conservative movement. As the author of The Woking Dead, he tackles cultural issues with sharp wit and insight. A columnist for over 30 national outlets, Rice continues to influence media and politics with his expertise and bold commentary.A.J. Rice is a leading conservative publicist, media strategist, and bestselling author. He serves as president and CEO of Publius PR and editor-in-chief of The Publius National Post on Substack. Known for his work with high-profile clients like Laura Ingraham, Donald Trump Jr., and Vivek Ramaswamy, Rice has shaped the messaging for some of the biggest names in the conservative movement. As the author of The Woking Dead, he tackles cultural issues with sharp wit and insight. A columnist for over 30 national outlets, Rice continues to influence Send us a message... we can't reply, but we read them all!Support the show► ReAwaken America- text the word FLYOVER to 918-851-0102 (Message and data rates may apply. Terms/privacy: 40509-info.com) ► Kirk Elliott PHD - http://FlyoverGold.com ► My Pillow - https://MyPillow.com/Flyover ► ALL LINKS: https://sociatap.com/FlyoverConservatives

Tonight at 8:30 pm CST, on the Flyover Conservatives show we are tackling the most important things going on RIGHT NOW from a Conservative Christian perspective!  Tonight at 8:30 pm CST, on the Flyover Conservatives show we are tackling the most important things going on RIGHT NOW from a Conservative Christian perspective!  TO WATCH ALL FLYOVER CONSERVATIVES SHOWS - https://flyover.live/show/flyoverTO WATCH ALL FLYOVER CONSERVATIVES SHOWS - https://flyover.live/show/flyoverTO WATCH ALL FLYOVER CONTENT: www.flyover.liveTO WATCH ALL FLYOVER CONTENT: www.flyover.livewww.flyover.liveTo Schedule A Time To Talk To Dr. Dr. Kirk Elliott Go To To Schedule A Time To Talk To Dr. Dr. Kirk Elliott Go To ▶ https://flyovergold.com▶ https://flyovergold.comhttps://flyovergold.comOr Call 720-605-3900 Or Call 720-605-3900 A.J. RiceA.J. RiceBOOK: www.WhitePrivilegeAlbum.com BOOK: www.WhitePrivilegeAlbum.comwww.WhitePrivilegeAlbum.com TWITTER: https://x.com/PubliusPR TWITTER: Send us a message... we can't reply, but we read them all!Support the show► ReAwaken America- text the word FLYOVER to 918-851-0102 (Message and data rates may apply. Terms/privacy: 40509-info.com) ► Kirk Elliott PHD - http://FlyoverGold.com ► My Pillow - https://MyPillow.com/Flyover ► ALL LINKS: https://sociatap.com/FlyoverConservatives

Hosts: Taylor Morgan & Rusty Cannon Senator-elect John Curtis recently drove across the country on his way to Washington, DC. He wrote an op-ed about the journey, saying politicians in Washington would do well to make a similar drive. Curtis says getting to know voters in middle America has opened his mind to the needs and desires of everyday people. We finish Inside Sources sharing Curtis’ suggestions.

“Nixon now! Nixon now! More than ever we need Nixon now!” It's the 5th of November 1968, and Richard M. Nixon is on tenterhooks, alone in his dark hotel room. He watches as the final states are called in the presidential election. Will he fall at the same hurdle as he did in 1960? Off the back of losing to JFK eight years prior, Nixon is running as the Republican presidential candidate. This time not only does he face Democrat Hubert Humphrey, but the independent segregationist candidate George Wallace threatens to split Nixon's votes. A west coast outsider who embraces modern media, Nixon aims to capture the hearts of Middle America. But will he succeed this time around? Join Dominic and Tom for the final instalment of our series on America in 1968, as they dive into the political campaign that would go on to become the prototype for all future campaigns, as traditionally blue states turn red… _______ *The Rest Is History LIVE in the U.S.A.* If you live in the States, we've got some great news: Tom and Dominic will be performing throughout America in November, with shows in San Francisco, L.A., Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Boston and New York. Tickets on sale now at TheRestIsHistory.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Investigative journalist Jordan Chariton discusses the shocking details behind the Flint water crisis. Dive deep into the origins of the crisis, where a switch from Detroit's water supply to the contaminated Flint River led to dangerous lead levels and life-threatening health issues for residents. Jordan exposes conflicts of interest, financial motives, and an alleged cover-up that kept Flint residents drinking toxic water for years. He shares his experience uncovering erased evidence, silenced voices, and how the mainstream media moved on—leaving behind a devastated community. This conversation sheds light on broader issues of environmental injustice, regulatory failures, and political corruption, with lessons for communities nationwide. Go Support Jordan! YouTube: statuscoupnews Book: https://a.co/d/gi2kvkU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jeff Holzmann, COO of RREAF Holdings, shares insights on the firm's unique approach to commercial real estate, its impressive capital stack strategy, and the vision behind its multi-billion-dollar investments in Middle America. Time Stamps: 0:00 - Introduction 0:17 - Introduction to Guest: Jeff Holzmann 2:28 - RREAF Holdings Overview 3:39 - Middle America Real Estate Strategy 5:50 - Master-Planned Cities Along I-35 in Texas 10:18 - Distinguishing RREAF's Structure from REITs 14:40 - Insights on Capital Stack and Investor Relationships 22:07 - Jeff Holzmann's Background and Path to Real Estate 24:37 - Bringing Cross-Industry Techniques to Real Estate 26:42 - Building a High-Performing Team with Low Turnover 29:47 - Episode Wrap-Up *Be Sure to check us out on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for the Audio version of today's episode!** https://open.spotify.com/show/08KmNvqGV5HjmHUC8fLuce https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-invest-in-commercial-real-estate/id1543470290 Leave a review and win FREE MERCH! https://maps.app.goo.gl/QaaSZnQVWre1HUMH6 Links mentioned in this episode: www.TheCriterionFund.com www.HowToInvestInCRE.TV Invest.HowToInvestInCRE.com To sign up for our exclusive investor list, click below. https://www.thecriterionfund.com/join-our-investor-list CommercialRealEstate #RealEstateInvestment #InvestingInRealEstate #CapitalStack #ReefHoldings #MiddleAmericaInvestments #MultiFamilyRealEstate #RealEstatePodcast #InvestmentStrategies #MasterPlannedCommunities #InvestorReturns #RealEstateGrowth #HighNetWorthInvesting #RealEstateDevelopment #BusinessLeadership #PropertyManagement #AssetManagement #RealEstateDeals #StrategicInvestment #JeffHolzman

Pollster Mark Penn joined John Solomon to explain the top issues of the election and discuss what the two parties might do next. Penn called the election “a statement by the working class and … Middle America” pushing back against coastal elites. He pointed out that Democrats have an opportunity to “do a transfer of power with maximum class” by conceding and ending prosecutions against President-elect Donald Trump.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What If January 6 Happened Again? Exploring the Risks of Another Insurrection.This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to https://LauraFlanders.org/donate Thank you for your continued support!Description: What if January 6 happened again? Are we prepared for another post-election insurrection? “War Game” is a riveting political thriller that tackles this question head-on in what Rolling Stone calls, “the scariest documentary you'll see this year.” “War Game” features a cast of senior officials war-gaming a constitutional crisis, including former North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp, playing a senior advisor to a newly elected President, Retired US Army Lieutenant General Jeffrey Buchanan and Janessa Goldbeck, a Marine Corps veteran and the CEO of Vet Voice Foundation. This time on Laura Flanders & Friends, Laura's joined by Goldbeck who also produced the war game that is at the center of the film as well as the film's directors, Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss, both of whom are award-winning filmmakers. Together they discuss why many Americans — disproportionately military veterans — have joined domestic extremist groups, and what can be done. What reforms to the Insurrection Act are necessary at this moment? All that, plus a commentary from Laura on Donald Trump's appearance at New York's Madison Square Garden.“. . . Domestic extremist groups, particularly on the far Right, have been targeting veterans and military family members for recruitment . . . We've seen veterans and active duty military disproportionately represented in places like the January 6 insurrection in 2021, where one in five of the people who were charged in the insurrection were actually military veterans.” - Janessa Goldbeck"The notion that democracy is this sort of idyllic perfect thing that was once great and will be great again is a complete fabrication. Democracy has always been flawed, it's always been in process . . . There's got to be certain issues that we can all agree on, like the peaceful transfer of power.” - Tony Gerber“[In the war game], we see a healthy politics model, people who probably disagree on a lot of things politically, but actually agree on one important thing, which is safeguarding our democracy . . . I think modeling healthy politics is really valuable today. It's hard to look around and see how people are working together across partisan divides to get work done on Capitol Hill or in state houses.” - Jesse MossGuests:• Tony Gerber: Co-Director & Writer, War Game• Janessa Goldbeck: CEO, Vet Voice Foundation; Game Producer, War Game• Jesse Moss: Co-Director, Writer & Producer, War Game Music In the Middle:  “America at War (Freedom)” by DJ Pope featuring Voices of Freedom released on Yellorange Records.  And additional music included- "Steppin"  by Podington Bear.Watch the episode cut airing on PBS stations across the country at our YouTube channel Subscribe to episode notes via Patreon Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:•  Political Violence & MAGA Militancy: Strategies to Protect Democracy Watch / Podcast + Uncut Full Conversation•  Congressman Jamie Raskin On January 6th: After a Failed Coup, a Successful One?  Watch / Podcast + Uncut Full Conversation• Community Safety in a Time of Insurrection: Watch / Podcast  •  Graphic Artists Drawing Comix At The Margins:  Nate Powell and Mohammad Saba'aneh  Watch / Podcast Related Articles and Resources:• ‘War Game' Is the Scariest Documentary You'll See This Year, by David Fear,August 2, 2024, Rolling Stone•. The Posse Comitatus Act Explained, by Joseph Nunn, October 14, 2021, Brennan Center• Legal experts worry about presidential abuse of the Insurrection Act. Here's Why, by Carrie Johnson, March 28, 2024, NPR-WAMU•  ‘Mischief and problems':  rightwing activists ramp up drive to hand-count ballots, by Rachel Leingang, The Guardian Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders, along with Sabrina Artel, Jeremiah Cothren, Veronica Delgado, Erika Harley, Janet Hernandez, Jeannie Hopper, Sarah Miller, Nat Needham, David Neuman, and Rory O'Conner. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LFAndFriendsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel

TALKIN' POLITICS First: WE HAD THIS THE WHOLE WAYABORTION > Inflation https://apnews.com/article/younger-women-abortion-survey-c8c504a7b9b5a92b4c101a57a3e3a4dcHEARTLANDMissouri - Mike Kehoe won't acknowledge 2020 election results any longer https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article293616364.htmlSame basic lines as Vance -https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/11/us/politics/vance-trump-2020-election-results.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShareThis is made more interesting since the available polling shows Kehoe in enough of a lead that he could just do nothing and likely win the race https://www.270towin.com/2024-governor-polls/missouriGateway pundit takes down LIES https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/10/gateway-pundit-defamation-lawsuit-election-workersAshcroft at election security summit - I'm sure it's definitely focused on fairness right?https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/10/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/Meanwhile… Josh Hawley has embraced the lavish life of private jets he once used to campaign against McCaskill https://www.threads.net/@lucaskuncemo/post/DBB8UBDOy-D?xmt=AQGzAnm4nh7Oig3Yfg01939kHdDrBKEg_UCiaSpP_wdN9ANATIONALNational -Republicans lies about FEMA response Obama not having it (clip) https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/11/politics/video/barack-obama-pittsburg-speech-donald-trump-misinformation-digvid?cid=ios_appAID WORKERhttps://x.com/bradbeauregardj/status/1844462907704172699?s=46&t=mukZUfs5M_R3E9tAHIu-GATrump and MAGA claims about funding for relief being used for migrants is the epitome of nationalistic xenophobia - and was a total liehttps://www.npr.org/2024/10/07/nx-s1-5144159/fema-funding-migrants-disaster-relief-fundFox News pushing major lies:https://x.com/decodingfoxnews/status/1844598082719072588?s=46&t=mukZUfs5M_R3E9tAHIu-GAPeople REJECTING help from FEMAhttps://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/man-says-father-in-law-refusing-all-fema-help-because-of-trump-221374533846The lies are causing at least some rift with GOPhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/10/hurricane-helene-republicans-trump/Harris doing media, including town hall, seems like she had a very good week amid the chaos Guardian op Ed: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/12/a-week-in-a-swing-state-taught-me-a-lot-about-the-maga-cult-and-gave-me-hope-for-kamala-harris-pennsylvaniaFrom the great Dr. Tim Snyder, on why fascists are able to use lies to their vast (and FWIW historical) advantage: https://snyder.substack.com/p/from-the-storm-to-the-stormtroopersMusk is helping Trump by censoring Twitter after buying Twitter to allegedly allow for free speech https://www.thedailybeast.com/elon-musk-censors-jd-vance-leak-goes-full-tilt-for-donald-trumpAnd here is why I remain optimistic (clip)https://x.com/atrupar/status/1844765778865782934?s=46&t=mukZUfs5M_R3E9tAHIu-GA @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Threads)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Threads) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

TALKIN' POLITICS First: WE HAD THIS THE WHOLE WAYABORTION > Inflation https://apnews.com/article/younger-women-abortion-survey-c8c504a7b9b5a92b4c101a57a3e3a4dcHEARTLANDMissouri - Mike Kehoe won't acknowledge 2020 election results any longer https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article293616364.htmlSame basic lines as Vance -https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/11/us/politics/vance-trump-2020-election-results.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShareThis is made more interesting since the available polling shows Kehoe in enough of a lead that he could just do nothing and likely win the race https://www.270towin.com/2024-governor-polls/missouriGateway pundit takes down LIES https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/10/gateway-pundit-defamation-lawsuit-election-workersAshcroft at election security summit - I'm sure it's definitely focused on fairness right?https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/10/midwest-secretaries-of-state-host-election-security-and-integrity-summit-in-nebraska/Meanwhile… Josh Hawley has embraced the lavish life of private jets he once used to campaign against McCaskill https://www.threads.net/@lucaskuncemo/post/DBB8UBDOy-D?xmt=AQGzAnm4nh7Oig3Yfg01939kHdDrBKEg_UCiaSpP_wdN9ANATIONALNational -Republicans lies about FEMA response Obama not having it (clip) https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/11/politics/video/barack-obama-pittsburg-speech-donald-trump-misinformation-digvid?cid=ios_appAID WORKERhttps://x.com/bradbeauregardj/status/1844462907704172699?s=46&t=mukZUfs5M_R3E9tAHIu-GATrump and MAGA claims about funding for relief being used for migrants is the epitome of nationalistic xenophobia - and was a total liehttps://www.npr.org/2024/10/07/nx-s1-5144159/fema-funding-migrants-disaster-relief-fundFox News pushing major lies:https://x.com/decodingfoxnews/status/1844598082719072588?s=46&t=mukZUfs5M_R3E9tAHIu-GAPeople REJECTING help from FEMAhttps://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/man-says-father-in-law-refusing-all-fema-help-because-of-trump-221374533846The lies are causing at least some rift with GOPhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/10/hurricane-helene-republicans-trump/Harris doing media, including town hall, seems like she had a very good week amid the chaos Guardian op Ed: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/12/a-week-in-a-swing-state-taught-me-a-lot-about-the-maga-cult-and-gave-me-hope-for-kamala-harris-pennsylvaniaFrom the great Dr. Tim Snyder, on why fascists are able to use lies to their vast (and FWIW historical) advantage: https://snyder.substack.com/p/from-the-storm-to-the-stormtroopersMusk is helping Trump by censoring Twitter after buying Twitter to allegedly allow for free speech https://www.thedailybeast.com/elon-musk-censors-jd-vance-leak-goes-full-tilt-for-donald-trumpAnd here is why I remain optimistic (clip)https://x.com/atrupar/status/1844765778865782934?s=46&t=mukZUfs5M_R3E9tAHIu-GA @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Threads)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Threads) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

In this special bonus episode recorded at the HolonIQ Back to School Summit in New York City, we catch up with Sara Leoni, CEO & Founder of Ziplines Education, for a candid hallway conversation. Sara shares her journey from Division I softball player to EdTech entrepreneur, discussing how her athletic background shaped her leadership style and business acumen. We dive into Ziplines Education's mission to accelerate careers by partnering with higher education institutions to deliver industry-focused certificates. Sara explains how they're addressing the skills gap for adult learners, particularly in Middle America, by offering programs in digital marketing, business analytics, project management, and more. The conversation touches on the rapidly evolving landscape of tech-enabled careers and the increasing importance of continuous learning. We explore how Ziplines is integrating generative AI into their curriculum and why they've launched a course on AI prompting. Key takeaways: Ziplines Education focuses on partnering with public institutions to serve the underrepresented middle American market. The half-life of skills is shortening, necessitating ongoing education and upskilling. Understanding the unique needs of the education market is crucial for EdTech entrepreneurs. Join us for this insightful discussion on the future of work, the importance of industry-recognized credentials, and how Ziplines Education is helping adult learners navigate the rapidly changing job market. Subscribe where you pod. Spread the word.

For a brief shining moment, Middle America went crazy for the surreal soap opera stylings of David Lynch and Mark Frost. We're talking ABC, primetime, airing against “Cheers”-level mainstream. And then it all came crashing down. Listen as we take our first step into the intoxicating world of Twin Peaks - one of the most influential television series of all time and the project that would come to define Lynch for the rest of his career. Eva Anderson - who literally grew up in the town Twin Peaks was filmed in and can tell you for a fact that the diner cherry pie sucks - joins us to talk about how such a pop cultural oddity came to be, and why it has such staying power. Note - this episode covers Season 1 of Twin Peaks, but alludes to certain plotlines in Season 2 without directly spoiling them.  Blank Check Theme (Cherry Pie Remix) composed by Alex Mitchell, vocals by "The ghost of Julee Cruise" aka Marie Bardi. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Facebook!  Buy some real nerdy merch Connect with other Blankies on our Reddit or Discord For anything else, check out BlankCheckPod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For a brief shining moment, Middle America went crazy for the surreal soap opera stylings of David Lynch and Mark Frost. We're talking ABC, primetime, airing against “Cheers”-level mainstream. And then it all came crashing down. Listen as we take our first step into the intoxicating world of Twin Peaks - one of the most influential television series of all time and the project that would come to define Lynch for the rest of his career. Eva Anderson - who literally grew up in the town Twin Peaks was filmed in and can tell you for a fact that the diner cherry pie sucks - joins us to talk about how such a pop cultural oddity came to be, and why it has such staying power. Note - this episode covers Season 1 of Twin Peaks, but alludes to certain plotlines in Season 2 without directly spoiling them.  Blank Check Theme (Cherry Pie Remix) composed by Alex Mitchell, vocals by "The ghost of Julee Cruise" aka Marie Bardi. This episode is sponsored by: FACTOR (Factormeals.com/check50) Join our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/blankcheck  Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter and Instagram! 

Today on FIREBRAND: Congressman Matt Gaetz is joined by Congressman Andy Biggs to discuss the disastrous economy under Kamala Harris, the next battle over government funding, migrant crime in Middle America, and more! Watch on Rumble: https://rumble.com/v5eo7bx-episode-170-live-kamalanomics-feat.-rep.-andy-biggs-firebrand-with-matt-gae.html?e9s=src_v1_upp

Today, we have the privilege of sitting down with JD Vance, a man who has become a critical voice in American politics. JD Vance, known for his bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy, is Donald Trump's VP pick and has built a reputation for his deep understanding of Middle America and its struggles. On this solemn day, 9/11, JD shares his thoughts on where he was on that fateful day. He reflects on how the tragedy influenced his decision to enlist in the Marine Corps, touching on the massive wave of enlistments post-9/11 and the stark contrast with today's declining recruitment. In this episode, we dive deep into Vance's views on pressing issues like the Biden-Harris administration's funding of terrorism and the ongoing war in Ukraine, where he criticizes the reckless spending of taxpayer dollars while American families struggle to make ends meet. JD offers insight into his stance on Israel, government reform, AI technology, and the border crisis, where millions of illegals have made America their home. This conversation covers not just the policy failures of the current administration but also how Vance plans to address these urgent issues. JD Vance Links: IG - https://www.instagram.com/JDVance/ x - https://x.com/JDVance FB - https://www.facebook.com/p/JD-Vance-100070055152736/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jd?lang=en Truth Social - https://truthsocial.com/@JDVance1 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOu1i1eeT8unVAc678Q6LQA Website - https://www.vance.senate.gov/ Book - https://www.harperacademic.com/book/9780062300553/hillbilly-elegy/ Please leave us a review on Apple & Spotify Podcasts. Vigilance Elite/Shawn Ryan Links: Website | Patreon | TikTok | Instagram | Download Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Chris From Brooklyn and Chris Stanley discuss the victorious demolition derby in Pennsylvania, Chris falling in love with Middle America and their customs, the introduction of The Stanningcast and more. Then Brox Johnny calls in to check in on the guys in the wake of the Russian disinformation payoff news. Plus bitcoin might be a CIA psyop, the boys discover Temu, girls trying dating from a dudes perspective and so much more!Support Our Sponsors!https://monthlyknifeclub.com/ - Use promo code: GAS for 10% off your first month!YoDelta.com - Use promo code GAS for 25% off your order!YoKratom.com - Check out Yo Kratom (the home of the $60 kilo) for all your kratom needs!High Society Radio is 2 native New Yorkers who started from the bottom and didn't raise up much. That's not the point, if you enjoy a sideways view on technology, current events, or just an in depth analysis of action movies from 2006 this is the show for you.Chris Stanley is the on air producer for Bennington on Sirius XM.Chris from Brooklyn is a lifelong street urchin, a former head chef and current retiree.Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisFromBklynInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisfrombklynBronx Johnny was a fixture on the Ron and Fez Show and is currently out of work and looking for a job.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bronx.johnnyEngineer: JorgeExecutive Producer: Mike HarringtonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/themharrington/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMHarringtonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Barn Talk! In this one, we tackle a multitude of topics, from the intricacies of hog farming and the impact of legislation like Prop Twelve, to our thoughts on exercise routines, music preferences, and the challenges of running an Airbnb. We also touch on market updates, the importance of moderation in dietary habits, and the ever-evolving dynamics of direct-to-consumer meat businesses like Farmer Grade. Whether you're a seasoned farmer or just curious about rural life, there's something here for everyone. Use code BARNTALK for 10% OFF your next order https://farmergrade.com SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ➱ https://bit.ly/3a7r3nR   SUBSCRIBE TO THIS'LL DO FARM ➱ https://bit.ly/2X8g45c  SUBSCRIBE TO BARN TALK CLIPS ➱ https://bit.ly/3BlZnqq   LISTEN ON: SPOTIFY ➱ https://open.spotify.com/show/3icVr4KWq4eUDl7Oy60YMY  ITUNES ➱ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/barn-talk/id1574395049 Follow Behind The Scenes

Welcome to Barn Talk! In this one, we dive deep into the world of farm equipment and ag business with our special guest, Greg "Kentucky" Koch. Greg, who owns a small farm and an equipment auction business, brings a wealth of knowledge as we explore the current trends and challenges facing the industry. We'll discuss the strength and potential decline of grain carts, semis, and hopper trailers, and speculate on crop size and quality amidst various environmental factors. Kentucky shares his insights on the downturn of the equipment business and how his diversified model sustains through changing markets. We also tackle the rise of semis in farming operations, the decline of big gravity wagons, and the ongoing challenges of running a business, including customer management and utilizing social media effectively. Get ready for a lively discussion about cattle prices, hay market fluctuations, and the invaluable skills taught through livestock work. Use code BARNTALK for 10% OFF your next order https://farmergrade.com SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ➱ https://bit.ly/3a7r3nR   SUBSCRIBE TO THIS'LL DO FARM ➱ https://bit.ly/2X8g45c  SUBSCRIBE TO BARN TALK CLIPS ➱ https://bit.ly/3BlZnqq   LISTEN ON: SPOTIFY ➱ https://open.spotify.com/show/3icVr4KWq4eUDl7Oy60YMY  ITUNES ➱ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/barn-talk/id1574395049 Follow Behind The Scenes