County in Texas
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SHORT STORY 1: Voter Suppression in Tarrant CountyResidents, families rally to protest Tarrant County Jail deaths days after woman dies in custodyTarrant County honors Charlie Kirk despite Democrats' vehement oppositionTarrant County's November elections will have 92 fewer places to cast ballots than 2022Republicans' midterm convention in Dallas is anything but conventional. Why is it happening?SHORT STORY 2: Flock in TexasFort Worth police crime-fighting drone program takes off in partnership with Flock SafetyHow a $1 Texas insurance fee funded thousands of Flock camerasGov. Abbott blocks state agencies from spending money on Flock camerasFlock cameras key to Tarrant County crime reduction, sheriff says as scrutiny mounts / Tarrant County sheriff says Flock cameras are their most valuable assetAfter Abbott's order limiting Flock cameras, DPS to continue using its vast surveillance networkSHORT STORY 3: Corruption in Fort Worth City CouncilState sues Fort Worth City Councilman Chris Nettles, his nonprofit for $787,872 / Fort Worth council member owes Texas up to $1M, mismanaged food program: lawsuitMattie Parker: Woman in the Arena - Fort Worth MagazineWINS: Fort Worth moves toward budget cut restorations, higher city tax rateBedford considers property tax rate increase for 2027Como Arts FestivalThis Tarrant County College campus offers childcare to students. Here's why.Fort Worth's ‘flying saucer' set to depart, taking with it decades of memoriesLOSSES: Tarrant commissioners move to lower JPS tax rate for fourth yearWoman dies at Tarrant County Jail — the 6th jail death this year / Woman recently gave birth before she died at Tarrant County jail, records showFederal judge dismisses Fort Worth ISD lawsuit filed by reassigned principalICE present in Fort Worth for ‘daily enforcement,' agency confirms after video circulatesACTIONS:September 8 - FWISD Board of Managers meetingSeptember 9 & 10 Protests at Republican Midterm ConventionSeptember 12 - TCDP Sneaker Soiree September 15 - Tarrant County Budget Vote & Fort Worth City Council Budget VoteSeptember 19 - Fall Gallery NightSeptember 20 - 817 Gather at 3pmOctober 5 - last day to register to voteJoin the 817 Gather Discord, donate to the 817 Gather, and follow us on Instagram & TikTok.
Michelle Davis is one of our favorite progressive political thinkers, and we're overdue to have her on to talk about the latest dirt - which lately, is the gutting of voting access in Tarrant County, the voter suspense list scare, and why so many people tune out and stay home when it comes votin' time in Texas.Michelle's terrific Lone Star Left newsletter got a recent writeup in the Texas Observer: https://www.texasobserver.org/the-year-for-magical-thinking/Direct to Lone Star Left: https://www.lonestarleft.com/Our latest reel on the voter suspense list: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DczJRr5Epbl/Resources to check your status and everything else for voting in Texas: https://govotetexas.org/Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.
On Culture Faith and Politics Live, Pat and Adam connect today's disparate headlines through one question: who gets to belong? From Emmer's "assimilate or go the hell back" moment at the Faith & Freedom Coalition to vulnerable Republicans quietly distancing from Trump's Dallas midterm convention, from the Tarrant County polling place cuts (316 to 224) to a rare point of agreement with Franklin Graham on Samaritan's Purse refusing federal money — plus Adam's new Substack article on what assimilation really means and a look at the Nepal floods as a neighbor test.
September 2, 2026Some pundits interpreted Trump's 2024 win as a permanent political realignment, Others disagreed, seeing the swing toward Trump as due to anti-incumbent feelings, Republicans set out to redistrict states to guarantee control of Congress after the 2026 midterm election, The redistricting may have backfired, Anti-incumbent feeling has turned against the Republicans, In January voters flipped a seat in the Texas Senate from Republican to Democratic in a historically Republican dominated district in Tarrant County, Now Republicans are panicking, Trump is talking about nationalizing voting, rigging the election, sending armed officers to the polls, but every effort has been blocked by the courts or failed in Congress, Courts blocked Trump's attempt to use the USPS as a gatekeeper to stop ballots from being delivered to voters, but the plan has continued in spite of the court order, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is not ruling out sending ICE agents to the polls although federal law prohibits it, In Tarrant County Texas the Republicans are cutting the number of polling places, in spite of voter outrage. Watch today's recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribeYou can also find me:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson Get full access to Letters from an American at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe
The GOP is quickly ramping up their election schemes - this time in Texas - as Tarrant County commisioners voted this week to reduce the county's polling locations by 30% ahead of the Texas Senate showdown this November. Voters in the county are confronting their commissioners in person as the GOP shamelessly engages in voter repression. Dina Doll reacts. Pre-order the new book from MeidasTouch, WTF America?!: The Way Out of This Hell and Back to Democracy, today: https://bit.ly/wtfamericayoutube Visit https://meidasplus.com for more! Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steve Hassan: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show The Ken Harbaugh Show: https://meidasnews.com/tag/the-ken-harbaugh-show Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered
September 3, 2026 – 5am:Iran fires on Gulf neighbors after U.S. strikesTrump floats renaming Strait of Hormuz to the ‘Trump Strait'WSJ: Hegseth extends Mideast deployments into 2027Trump, White House preparing for Democratic congress, investigations: ReportsDan Driscoll says yesterday was his last day as U.S. Army SecretarySen. Tillis (R-NC) calls on trump to replace HegsethJudge blocks Trump's bid against birthright citizenshipTarrant County, Texas votes to reduce polling sites by 30%GOP leaders sound the alarm on Texas Senate raceSecy. Bessent claims Ukraine is causing high gas pricesU.S. trade rep huddles with GOP amid Canada trade warOne year since Epstein survivors spoke out at rally on Capitol HillMile-long stretch of the National mall closed until 2027 To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Tarrant County, a big Texas county seen by some as key in the upcoming midterms, cuts the number of polling places. We'll have the backstory.It’s not political convention season — or is it? What looks like an unconventional convention set for Dallas.Also, more on a mysterious kidney disease that’s arrived in Texas hitting young men […]
In episode 268, Coffey talks with Jeff Lay about what it means to build a conflict-capable organization, why artificial harmony is more dangerous than open disagreement, and how leaders can develop the skills and culture needed to handle difficult conversations before they become expensive problems. – HRSOUTHWEST October 11-13, 2026 – Good Morning, HR listeners can use the promo code 2026-CoffeyGMHR-100 to save $100 on an HRSouthwest full conference registration at https://hrsouthwest.com! ________________ They discuss the concept of a conflict-capable organization as an alternative to the unrealistic goal of conflict elimination; the conflict incubator — how childhood environments and previous workplaces shape an individual's default conflict behaviors; artificial harmony versus genuine trust, and why silence in a meeting rarely signals agreement; the financial cost of unresolved conflict, including disengagement losses that don't show up on a P&L but function like money thrown in a fire; becoming fluent in the language of small things — addressing friction early before emotions escalate into "you always" and "you never" conversations; how a leader's response to the first person who raises conflict determines whether anyone ever raises it again; the challenge of coaching up when the conflict source is the leader themselves, and how HR can build the relational runway to do it; social media, generational change, remote work, and AI as compounding forces making productive conflict harder to navigate; emotional intelligence, humility, and curiosity as foundational leadership skills for conflict resolution; and the CURVE framework — cared for, understood, respected, valued, and empowered — as a diagnostic for organizational health. For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP268 Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Jeff Lay is the Founder of The People Curve, a leadership and conflict resolution consulting practice focused on helping leaders and organizations navigate difficult conversations, strengthen workplace relationships, and build healthier cultures. With more than 25 years of leadership experience spanning nonprofit, ministry, and organizational leadership, Jeff has coached leaders through employee relations challenges, team conflict, organizational change, and workplace investigations. Jeff believes conflict is not something to avoid but a skill to develop. His work centers on helping organizations become conflict-capable—creating cultures where difficult conversations can be addressed with clarity, respect, and accountability. Jeff is a SHRM-SCP and frequent speaker for leadership teams, HR professionals, churches, and nonprofit organizations. He lives in East Texas with his wife and family and enjoys camping, reading, and cheering on the Dallas Cowboys Texas A&M football. Jeff Lay can be reached at: Website: | www.thepeoplecurve.com LinkedIn: | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-lay-shrm-scp-09987a10 About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Distinguish between artificial harmony and genuine organizational trust, and identify the leadership behaviors that create each. Apply the "language of small things" approach to surface and address interpersonal friction before it escalates into formal conflict requiring HR or legal intervention. Assess the financial and cultural cost of unresolved workplace conflict and use that framing to make the business case for investing in manager training and conflict-capable culture.
President Trump floats renaming the Strait of Hormuz as "Trump Strait," a Hong Kong activist pleads guilty to foreign collusion, Ursula von der Leyen and Mark Rutte meet following the Russian drone attack accusation, the DR Congo president visits Israel to deepen ties, Florida bans license plate readers (LPRs) over privacy fears, Trump nominates Hung Cao as permanent Navy secretary, Texas' Tarrant County cuts 92 election day polling sites, 34 are held after a Dutch village shooting kills one, the Lindsay Clancy murder trial jury is deadlocked again, and U.K. AI Adviser Clifford joins Anthropic as managing director. Sources: Verity.News
The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Sept. 4, 2026Tarrant County, TX Commissioners Close 92 Polling Places; Convicted CO County Clerk Tina Peters Withdraws from Shasta County, CA Job OfferJust eight weeks from the midterm election, Tarrant County, Texas commissioners voted to close one third of the growing county's polling places. And in California, after Shasta County announced it hired felony-convicted Mesa County Colorado Clerk Tina Peters to help run its elections, Peters now says she didn't accept the job. Some podcasting platforms strip out our links. To read our resources and see the whole script of today's report, please go to our website at https://AmericanDemocracyMinute.orgToday's LinksArticles & Resources:Texas Tribune - Tarrant County removes 92 polling sites ahead of November election KNVN - Shasta County ROV says he wants to hire Tina Peters next monthGov. Gavin Newsom - Post on 'X' regarding Tina PetersShasta Scout - Shasta elections official says Tina Peters won't be working in ShastaRelated ADM Reports:American Democracy Minute - Tarrant County, TX Proposes Eliminating 93 Polling Places Just Before the 2026 Election for Financial Reasons. Voters Aren't Buying It.American Democracy Minute - (2024) Colorado Election Official Who Allowed 2020 Conspiracy Theory Activists Access to County Voting Machine Data Found Guilty American Democracy Minute - Five Years After the 2020 Election, More Election Denier Turmoil in Shasta County, CAGroups Taking Action:Common Cause California, League of Women Voters Redding, Common Cause CO, States United Democracy Center, Issue OneFind all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.orgSubscribe for FREE at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most podcasting platforms.#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #TarrantCounty #Texas #ShastaCounty #California #TinaPeters #ElectionDeniers #VoterSuppression
Republicans continue their voter suppression tactic– closing a third of all voting locations in Tarrant County, Texas. Brian interviews Robert Garcia and Ro Khanna.Written by Brian Tyler CohenProduced by Sam GraberRecorded in Los Angeles, CASee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Drawing a line back to 2020 and the stretch between election night and January 6th, Hawk argues the difference now is planning. He points to reporting that ICE is building a multimillion dollar national voter database, to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin saying agents could appear at polling places, and to a New York Times account of federal agents combing state voter rolls without warrants. The warning extends past election day. Hawk lays out the Senate and House math, the risk that batches of mail ballots from Democratic cities could be thrown out, the Tarrant County move to close polling sites, and the January 3rd handoff when a House clerk could shape who gets seated. His closing point is blunt: the courts are the last line, and they may not move fast enough. SUPPORT & CONNECT WITH HAWK- Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mdg650hawk - Hawk's Merch Store: https://hawkmerchstore.com - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mdg650hawk7thacct - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hawkeyewhackamole - Connect on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mdg650hawk.bsky.social - Connect on Substack: https://mdg650hawk.substack.com - Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawkpodcasts - Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdg650hawk - Connect on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mdg650hawk ALL HAWK PODCASTS INFO- Additional Content Available Here: https://www.hawkpodcasts.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@hawkpodcasts- Listen to Hawk Podcasts On Your Favorite Platform:Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3RWeJfyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/422GDuLYouTube: https://youtube.com/@hawkpodcastsiHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/47vVBdPPandora: https://bit.ly/48COaTB
As Tarrant County's Republican-dominated Commissioners Court slashes polling locations for Election Day, that bellwether county becomes the epicenter of the midterm paritisan struggle across Texas. Yet another death happens in the Tarrant County Jail, even as Sheriff Bill Waybourne is lauded with a plaque. And a Tarrant GOP nominee for the State House is being pressure to resign from leading a charter school board over her own racist social media posts.Associated Press: https://abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/plan-cut-number-polling-sites-major-texas-county-136078582Democracy Docket: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/a-deliberate-barrier-texas-battleground-county-cuts-30-of-midterm-voting-locations/KERA Dallas: https://www.keranews.org/news/2026-09-01/tarrant-county-residents-rally-to-protest-jail-deaths-days-after-woman-dies-in-custodyFort Worth Star-Telegram: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/education/article317080564.htmlThe election approaches! Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org. And see a handy ballot customizable to your home address from the Texas Tribune at https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-general-election-ballot-november-2026/.Check out the Substack version of the Daily Dispatch, which delivers each pod to your inbox and frequently includes extra video goodies: https://substack.com/@progresstexasProgress Texas is now part of the lineups at KPFT-FM in Houston, Empower House Radio in San Antonio, and KZSM True Community Radio in San Marcos! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE.Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Medical groups issue fall vaccine guidance as federal recommendations remain in flux. Massachusetts voters reject Democrats' push for generational change in Senate primary. Tarrant County, Texas, Republicans approve plan to cut election day polling sites by nearly a third. Activists protest border wall construction threatening historic trees and cemetery near Nogales. California voting rights and immigrant advocates sue Trump administration over voter data checks. The post The Pacifica Evening News Weekdays – Massachusetts voters reject Democrats' push for generational change in Senate primary appeared first on KPFA.
Tarrant County commissioners have approved a plan cutting 92 Election Day polling sites, reducing the total from 316 in 2022 to 224 this year. Civil rights groups warn the closures could disproportionately affect Black and Latino communities as a competitive U.S. Senate race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico approaches. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed with the latest news from a leading Black-owned & controlled media company: https://aurn.com/newsletter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Episode 5634: Tarrant County Revolt; Whistle Blower Comes Out Against Admins Lockdown On Mail In Voting
The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Sept. 2, 2026Tarrant County, TX Proposes Eliminating 93 Polling Places Just Before the 2026 Election for Financial Reasons. Voters Aren't Buying It. The Tarrant County, Texas Commissioners meet September 1st to vote on reducing polling places for the Nov. 3rd election by 93 locations. In the last two years, the county serving Dallas and Fort Worth has been accused of racially gerrymandering its voting districts, and trying to suppress student voters.Some podcasting platforms strip out our links. To read our resources and see the whole script of today's report, please go to our website at https://AmericanDemocracyMinute.orgToday's LinksArticles & Resources:PBS NewsHour/AP - Plan to cut polling sites in major Texas county draws protests as Senate battle loomsTexas Tribune/Votebeat - (Aug. 6, 2026) Fracas over Tarrant County voting sites highlights public distrust over how elections are runSpectrum News - Tarrant County to vote on whether to close 140 Election Day polling locations KDFW Fox 4 News – (2025) SMU researcher says proposed Tarrant County redistricting ‘diminishes' voting power Related ADM Reports:American Democracy Minute - (June 2025) Apparent Racial Gerrymandering in Tarrant County, TX Draws Condemnation and a VRA Lawsuit. The County's Reply? It's OK. It was for Political Reasons.American Democracy Minute - Tarrant County, TX, Already Embroiled in VRA Racial Gerrymandering Litigation, Cuts Election Day and Early Voting PrecinctsGroups Taking Action:Texas Civil Rights Project, Legal Defense Fund, League of Women Voters Tarant CountyFind all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.orgSubscribe for FREE at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most podcasting platforms.#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #VoterSuppression #TarrantCounty #Texas
Today's DMN Debrief covers a proposal to add polling locations in Tarrant County, a D-FW restaurant veteran making a comeback, and a camp wrecked by the Ross fire. Plus, staffer Joe Snell has an interview with a researcher studying how birds are building nests with plastic trash. This digest was partially generated by AI and then reviewed and edited by our newsroom staff. Learn more: dallasnews.com/ai_use. We welcome your feedback: audience@dallasnews.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SHORT STORY 1: Republicans attack on DemocracyMore than 1.2 million Texas voter registrations are flagged. Here's what voters should knowFollowing backlash, Tarrant County elections head proposes cutting 92 voting sites for NovemberMap comparing 2022 Voting Sites to 2026Tarrant County task force finds 2 election violations among 193 allegations from the publicFree speech lawsuits against Tarrant County judge awaiting decision from US appeals court / Tarrant County meeting arrests raise First Amendment concernsSHORT STORY 2: Tarrant County the model for property tax relief across Texas, governor says / Gov. Abbott praises Tarrant for lowering property taxes, proposes new tax planThe Budget Tim Doesn't Want You to Read - by Chris Tackett$33.9M Tarrant Appraisal District budget reflects lowest staff headcount since 1999Tarrant water district proposes rate bump, tax increase to address demand, aging pipesWhat you need to know before TCC trustees consider a property tax rate increaseColleyville City Council moves toward higher property tax rate to counter lower appraisalsFort Worth City Council deliberates proposed budget cuts, fate of Alliance pet adoption programSHORT STORY 3: Fort Worth City CouncilFort Worth OKs $10B data center site plan with more green space, distance from homes / Tensions flare at Fort Worth City Council meeting over $10B data centerFort Worth police crime-fighting drone program takes off in partnership with Flock SafetyWINS: Here are the candidates for Tarrant Appraisal District board election in NovemberA greater good is coming to west Fort Worth — through coffee, thrifting and givingTexas Health to launch new maternal health program for continuity of careThis historic Fort Worth building will become affordable housingHeartland Flyer funded through '27 as proposed state budget item targets future allocationsTrinity Metro kicks off transit-oriented development plans with first public meetingCouncil of governments executive director leaves jobLOSSES: Trinity Metro plans to cut spending in 2027 but will advance train improvementsEngageFW cancelled due to budget cuts. Possibly delayed until Spring.The Last Picture Show: Coyote Drive-In fading to blackChanges planned for Fort Worth street following troubled bike-friendly makeoverICE seen in Fort WorthACTIONS:September 1 - Tarrant County Commissioner's Court Meeting and RallySeptember 2 - Gather at the Table (District 9)September 2 - Arlington Chamber candidate forum with SD9 & HD94September 12 - TCDP Sneaker Soiree September 15 - Fort Worth City Council Budget VoteSeptember 20 - 817 Gather at 3pmOctober 5 - last day to register to voteJoin the 817 Gather Discord, donate to the 817 Gather, and follow us on Instagram & TikTok.
In episode 267, Coffey talks with Catherine Clifton about AI-generated employee grievances, another lawsuit arising from a DEI training program, a Walgreens race and age discrimination case, and a Reddit scenario involving FMLA leave and workplace gossip. They discuss the rise of AI-generated employee grievances citing nonexistent laws and containing factual errors, and how employers should respond to them the same way they'd respond to any poorly written complaint; AI use by medical providers in ADA accommodation responses — including providers drawing conclusions that are legally the employer's to make; the danger of employees using AI to build one-sided cases that start with a conclusion rather than an objective analysis of facts; an EEOC lawsuit against Washington University in St. Louis arising from a DEI training that racially segregated participants over an employee's explicit objection, followed by elimination of her position after she filed an EEOC charge; the structural problems with demographic-based separation in DEI programming and the assumption that shared identity equals shared experience; the Walgreens case and the legal standard for comparators in race and age discrimination claims — including similar job, same decision-maker, comparable conduct, and disparate treatment; how summary judgment works and why consistent policy enforcement across all employees is the strongest defense against comparator arguments; the risk of employees not knowing what disciplinary action others have received, and how that gap fuels gossip and unfounded discrimination claims; and a Reddit scenario involving a coworker complaining about an FMLA-protected employee, a supervisor who deflects with "HR is aware," and how HR should respond to protect privacy while addressing cultural warning signs. For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP267 Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Catherine has more than 20 years of experience specializing in employment law in Texas. She worked with multiple local governmental entities as an employment law attorney and also served as a legal advisor for public safety. She spent several years as an administrative services director, where she was responsible for Human Resources, Risk Management, and Payroll. She has advised clients on recruitment, selection, discipline, wage and hour, policies, and grievance matters, including federal and state laws related to labor and employment. Catherine also has experience with general municipal law, utility matters, public information, open meetings, and general governance matters. Catherine is a graduate of Southwestern University, obtained her JD from Texas Tech University. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). She joined Ross | Gannaway | Clifton, PLLC in 2022. Catherine can be reached at: https://www.gannawayclifton.law/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/rossgannawayclifton/ About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for all stakeholders. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 30 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Apply a consistent, policy-grounded response protocol to AI-generated employee grievances — including clarifying conversations, documentation, and using complaints as opportunities to identify real underlying issues. Identify the legal elements of a valid comparator in a discrimination claim and explain why consistent enforcement of discipline across all employees is the most effective defense. Recognize the supervisor behaviors that signal cultural and legal risk — including deflecting accountability to HR and failing to redirect inappropriate peer complaints — and describe how HR can address them.
A mechanical engineer turned grassroots candidate, Nydia Cárdenas argues that Tarrant County can replace austerity and cruelty with competent, people-centered government.Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://politicsdoneright.com/newsletterPurchase our Books: As I See It: https://amzn.to/3XpvW5o How To Make AmericaUtopia: https://amzn.to/3VKVFnG It's Worth It: https://amzn.to/3VFByXP Lose Weight And BeFit Now: https://amzn.to/3xiQK3K Tribulations of anAfro-Latino Caribbean man: https://amzn.to/4c09rbE
In episode 266, Coffey talks with Brandon Sammut about how Zapier built its AI transformation from the inside out — and what HR leaders can learn from a fully remote, AI-native company that decided people and AI strategy belong in the same hands. They discuss the evolution of the Chief People Officer role into a Chief People and AI Transformation Officer and why HR is uniquely positioned to lead organizational transformation; AI transformation as one instance of organizational transformation, and why culture health and clarity of mission matter more than tool selection; Zapier's March 2023 "AI code red" as a high-contrast leadership communication strategy that didn't wait for perfect clarity before naming urgency; the importance of keeping accountability for business outcomes where it belongs while using a cross-functional Center of Excellence to provide enablement and remove friction; individual contributor identity and energy management challenges when AI eliminates tasks that provided meaning or cognitive reprieve; Zapier's customer support transformation — 50% faster resolution, higher satisfaction scores, 30-point employee engagement gains, and two entirely new types of work created from recovered human time; why AI-inflated application volume and homogenized resumes are making recruiting harder even as AI automates more of the process; Zapier's reference-heavy hiring model, which targets 50% of candidate signal from references including back-channel outreach, to counter AI-generated application fraud; the AI Fluency Framework — four competencies including strategy, growth mindset, builder skills, and accountability — used for both hiring and internal development; and why cross-person coordination is declining as individuals become more empowered, while human skills like psychological safety, feedback, and clarity become more important, not less. More information about Zapier's AI fluency framework is available at: https://zapier.com/blog/raising-ai-fluency-bar-in-hiring/ For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP266 Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: brandon is the Chief People & AI Transformation Officer at Zapier—an AI orchestration platform powered by a fully-remote team across 40+ countries. Brandon specializes in building high-performing teams through talent and technology. He brings a diverse background spanning business development, finance, talent acquisition, talent development, education, and venture capital. Brandon Sammut is the Chief People & AI Transformation Officer at Zapier—an AI orchestration platform powered by a fully-remote team across 40+ countries. Brandon specializes in building high-performing teams through talent and technology. He brings a diverse background spanning business development, finance, talent acquisition, talent development, education, and venture capital. Brandon can be reached at LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-sammut-8147b76/ Website https://zapier.com/blog/author/brandon-sammut/ About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives:Explain why organizational culture health and mission clarity are more predictive of AI transformation success than tool selection or governance framework design. Apply the lesson of Zapier's customer support transformation to identify how recovered human time from AI automation can be reinvested in higher-value work rather than defaulting to headcount reduction. Evaluate the four competencies of Zapier's AI Fluency Framework — strategy, growth mindset, builder skills, and accountability — and assess how each applies to building an AI-ready workforce.
SHORT STORY 1: Fort Worth City Council & Data CentersFort Worth council asks Tarrant County to reject proposed cut in November voting sitesFort Worth City Council reapproves increased legal fees for ex-police officer Aaron DeanData center moratorium takes first steps after Fort Worth City Council's unanimous vote / Fort Worth makes major moves towards data center moratorium, regulationsNewly formed commission set to advise Fort Worth on data center regulationsParker touts Fort Worth City Council's unanimity in confronting data center issueBeyond the Algorithm and the 'Smart' Phone, Fort Worth's People Instilling Hope, ActionSHORT STORY 2: EJ's ArrestMan arrested after profanity at last week's Tarrant commissioners meetingFort Worth activist arrested a week after his removal from Tarrant County Commissioners CourtNBC DFW / CBS / WFAASupport for EJSHORT STORY 3: TAD is starving local budgetsColleyville proposes tax rate increase in 2027 budget to offset lower property valuationsUNT Health Fort Worth expects nearly flat revenue, higher spending in 2027Tarrant County proposes lower property tax rate for 4th consecutive yearWINS: Can Fort Worth duplicate Grapevine's rail station success? City leaders are taking stepsTrinity Railway Express on track for improvementsSettlement reached in dispute between transportation body, council of governmentsCasey Kleeb is ArtsGoogle's featured artistPre launch 817 Day with PatriceLOSSES: Council OKs incentives for defense tech firm that could bring 1,000 jobs tol Fort WorthFort Worth's new data center rules aren't stopping this projectACTIONS:August 12 - September 3 - Fort Worth City Budget MeetingsAugust 17 - Focus Local PAC's new candidate recruitment eventAugust 19 - CDFW's Transit AcademyAugust 25 - Black Mountain data center voteSeptember 1 - Tarrant County Commissioner's Court MeetingSeptember 12 - Dr. Opal Lee Empowerment Gala Sneaker SoireeSeptember 15 - Fort Worth City Council Budget VoteJoin the 817 Gather Discord, donate to the 817 Gather, and follow us on Instagram & TikTok.
BIG STORY: We spoke with Nathan Smith, the Democratic candidate for Tarrant County District Clerk, who will unseat 30-year incumbent Republican Tom Wilder.nathan4tarrant.comJoin the 817 Gather Discord, donate to the 817 Gather, and follow us on Instagram & TikTok.
In episode 265, Coffey talks with John Singleton about HR's long-standing identity crisis, the strategic skills the profession must develop to stay relevant, and how AI is reshaping both the work of HR and the way work itself gets done. They discuss HR's decades-long reputation as a bureaucratic gatekeeper — from the 1996 Fortune critique through the 2025 revisit of "Why We Hate HR" — and what it means to function instead as a strategic confidant and ethical agent; the DEI whiplash as a case study in HR failing to provide compliant, data-grounded counsel when it mattered most; using PESTEL and SWOT analysis to advise on business expansion decisions including workforce availability and market fit; financial literacy as a critical and underdeveloped skill for HR professionals, including reading P&L statements and linking people decisions to EBITDA; the dangers of AI-powered auto-application tools flooding recruiting pipelines with unvetted, uninterested candidates; why AI should not replace human judgment in interviewing, candidate evaluation, and culture-fit assessment; the growing requirement for HR practitioners to understand AI governance, prompt literacy, output verification, and state-level AI employment legislation; the individual responsibility of HR professionals to own their own continuous learning when employers won't fund it; HR's emerging role as architect of human-AI workflow integration in partnership with IT and operations; and HR's internal identity crisis as the profession's biggest obstacle to earning the strategic credibility it seeks. For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP265 Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: John Singleton, SHRM-CP, is a fractional HR partner based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, working 1-on-1 with Texas founders, business owners, and leadership teams on the people side of building and scaling. With 16+ years of HR leadership experience — including senior roles at Tata Consultancy Services, Coforge, and Mastek — John brings pattern recognition, strategic judgment, and a trusted vendor network to every engagement. His approach goes beyond handbooks and compliance. He serves as a confidante and strategic sounding board for the harder conversations founders face — the ones that don't fit neatly into an HR playbook. Whether it's navigating the compliance cliff at 50 employees, coaching a leadership team through a difficult hire, or being the calm voice on the phone when something unexpected lands, John's role is to be the person in the room when it matters most. Based in Waxahachie, TX, John founded Quick HR Solutions to give small and mid-sized Texas businesses access to senior-level HR partnership without the cost of a full-time hire. John Singleton can be reached at Your Website: www.quickhrtx.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsingleton720 About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Distinguish between HR as compliance gatekeeper and HR as strategic business partner, and identify the advisory behaviors — including data-driven counsel, financial fluency, and risk-option framing — that define the latter. Evaluate the compliance and reputational risks of AI-assisted recruiting tools, including auto-application platforms and resume-scanning systems, and articulate the human judgment elements those tools cannot replicate. Identify the technical, financial, and interpersonal skill sets HR practitioners must proactively develop to remain relevant as AI eliminates transactional HR work and expands the profession's strategic scope.
Local government may not get the attention Washington does—but the decisions made closest to home can have an enormous impact on our families and communities.In this episode of Conversations with Christians Engaged, part of our Local Government Lessons series, Ben Quine sits down with Tarrant County Commissioner Matt Krause to explore why local government matters, why Christians are needed in the public square, and how believers can make a meaningful difference right where they live.Drawing from his experience in the Texas Legislature, constitutional law, and now county government, Matt shares why he chose to serve locally, what county commissioners actually do, and why biblical principles and God-given rights matter in government. He also takes us behind the effort to place a Ten Commandments monument outside the historic Tarrant County Courthouse and discusses religious liberty, the proper relationship between church and state, and the importance of restoring America's foundational principles.Whether you're ready to volunteer on a campaign, meet your local elected officials, attend a government meeting, or simply begin praying for your leaders by name, this conversation will encourage you to take your next step and become salt and light in your community.In this episode:Why local government has such a significant impact on everyday lifeWhat county commissioners actually doWhy Christians are needed at every level of governmentThe story behind Tarrant County's Ten Commandments monumentGod-given rights, religious liberty, and church and stateHow to build relationships with your local elected officialsPractical ways to get involved in local elections and campaignsWhy your voice can have an outsized impact close to home
SHORT STORY 1: Tim O'Hare's Failed Voter Suppression AttemptTarrant voting rights activists to rally against proposed polling site cutsTarrant County judge removes attendees during public meeting about voting site reductions Tarrant County commissioners delay vote on polling sites for November electionReleased after arrest at Tarrant meeting, former lawmaker considers suing county judgeRelated: Tarrant commissioners thank WWII veteran for ‘defeating socialism' at Battle of Iwo JimaRelated: Why did Tarrant County end its contract early with a jail staffing company? It's still unclearSHORT STORY 2: Fort Worth City BudgetFort Worth resets as tax rolls come in lower than projected, spiking shortfall for 2027 / Fort Worth weighs tax rate increase as lower property values widen budget holeFort Worth City Budget MeetingsRelated: Fort Worth council to consider do-over vote on money for Aaron Dean's defenseSHORT STORY 3: Data Center UpdatesNew Texas data center projects frozen until state audits themCity officials evaluating what statewide data center audit means for Fort Worth projectsFort Worth to consider forcing data center developers to show state approvalWINS: Back to school events Black Coffee and Fort Worth Community CollaborativeStockyards leaders not proceeding with planned $1 billion second phase of development / Former leader of Stockyards redevelopment plans $160M luxury resort for areaTexas Polls:James Talarico 48% vs Ken Paxton 45%Gina Hinajosa 46% vs Greg Abbott 45%Vicki Goodwin 48% vs Dan Patrick 46%Alisa Simmons 44% vs Tim O'Hare 43%LOSSES:Former US Rep. Kay Granger dies at 83, leaving a lasting mark on Fort WorthStruggling Ridgmar Mall finds a new owner, set to become logistics center / Fort Worth officials express support for Ridgmar Mall redevelopment plansFort Worth Alliance Airport to be major testing site for air taxis‘We're going to power AI': Officials celebrate opening of Alliance manufacturing plantCurtain call: Fort Worth theater troupe bids farewell after 30 yearsACTIONS: Donate to the 817 GatherThe US is facing a blood supply crisis. Here's how you can help in Tarrant CountyAugust 11 - Fort Worth's data center policy voteAugust 15 - Alisa Simmons - Black Women's BreakfastAugust 17 - Focus Local PAC's new candidate recruitment eventAugust 19 - CDFW's Transit AcademyAugust 25 - Black Mountain data center voteSeptember 1 - Tarrant County Commissioner's Court MeetingA September 15 - Fort Worth City Council Budget VoteCanvass for Nydia with EJJoin the 817 Gather Discord, donate to the 817 Gather, and follow us on Instagram & TikTok.
In episode 264, Coffey talks with Timothy State about the science of workforce wellbeing, why middle managers are the most at-risk population right now, and how AI-powered life quality companions are transforming the way organizations understand and support thriving at scale. They discuss the five core dimensions of human wellbeing — physical and mental health, relationships, security, and meaning and purpose — and why employer influence on all of them is both a business and social responsibility; EAP underutilization and the limits of traditional point-solution approaches to employee wellness investment; the predictive power of the question "does my leader care about my wellbeing?" on retention and workforce outcomes; team-level wellbeing contagion and how one individual's improvement reliably lifts the whole team over time; middle managers as the most burned-out and at-risk population in today's workforce; the perverse hiring incentives created when leaders are held accountable for individual wellbeing outcomes rather than demonstrated care behaviors; the difference between using AI to extract efficiency from existing work versus using AI to elevate the human system itself and generate human-centered value; cognitive overload as an unintended consequence of AI-driven task elimination, including the loss of low-complexity recovery work; Altius's AI life quality companion "Alti" — its nine wellbeing dimensions, 750-plus KPIs, perpetual memory, and 96% user satisfaction rate across 26 countries; and the radical privacy architecture required for employer-sponsored AI wellbeing tools to earn employee trust and avoid discriminatory misuse of health data. For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP264 Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Timothy State is a people strategist, business leader, and human wellbeing innovator with 25 years' experience leading large-scale workforce transformation. He led Humana to global recognition for improving workforce well-being. Tim is an active advisor to Harvard Human Flourishing / SHINE, a founding member of Center for Positive Organization, chaired the Wellbeing and Workforce Strategy Institute and several other leading bodies. In 2025, Tim founded Altius, an AI-native human optimization company helping businesses and healthcare systems thrive via regenerative AI technologies and advanced human advising. He institutionalizes human well-being through data, social infrastructure, and leadership transformation. Tim can be reached at: Your website: https://www.altiusco.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altiuswellbeing/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/altiuswellbeing/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/AltiusWellbeing About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Identify the five dimensions of employee wellbeing and explain how each one is influenced by organizational culture, leadership behavior, and employer-provided resources. Distinguish between holding leaders accountable for demonstrating care versus for employees' actual wellbeing outcomes, and describe why that distinction protects against perverse hiring incentives. Evaluate the design principles — human-centered AI, radical data privacy, proactive personalization, and clinical grounding — that determine whether an AI wellbeing tool will drive adoption or be ignored like traditional EAPs.
8.4.2026 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Cory Booker Blasts Senate Sellout. Texas Polling Places Slashed. Haitians Forced Into Ankle Monitors Senator Cory Booker called out two fellow Senators for "giving away their votes for nothing" before today's Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation vote on Todd Blanche to be the next attorney general. Tarrant County, Texas, could slash the number of polling locations from 316 to 176.We'll show you some of what happened at today's hearing. A new poll shows Black Texas voters prefer James Talarico in the closely watch senate race. A Colorado cop is facing murder charges for killing a black man during a 2025 traffic stop. The twice-impeached, criminally convicted felon-in-chief, Donald "The Con" Trump, had a lot to say about blue states. We'll show you how California responded. The Trump Administration is forcing Haitian immigrants in Ohio to wear ankle monitors. And in tonight's Show Black Star Network - Dot-Com segment, jewelry with an African flair. Black Star Network Partner: Chapter Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan’s contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don’t directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. ____ Download the Black Star Network app at http://www.blackstarnetwork.com! We're on iOS, AppleTV, Android, AndroidTV, Roku, FireTV, XBox and SamsungTV. The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Fort Worth Report: https://fortworthreport.org/2026/08/04/tarrant-county-commissioners-delay-vote-on-polling-sites-for-november-election/Lone Star Left: https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/ohare-caves-under-pressure-tablesRep. Vikki Goodwin: https://www.instagram.com/p/DboHhIdKD-n/Marfa Public Radio: https://www.marfapublicradio.org/news/2026-08-04/border-project-contractors-arrive-in-big-bend-national-park-as-texas-lawmakers-call-for-a-pauseThis election year, you can support the real free press by investing in pro-democracy, pro-justice, pro-gressive storytelling. Become a monthly donor or increase your giving TODAY for our Summer Sustaining Donor Drive today, and we'll thank you with "perks for progress" - plus you'll get a shoutout on the Daily Dispatch: huge thanks to new monthly supporter Carolyn Frawley! Join Carolyn and the rest of the Progress Texas family now at https://act.progresstexas.org/a/summersustainers26.Check out the Substack version of the Daily Dispatch, which delivers each pod to your inbox and frequently includes extra video goodies: https://substack.com/@progresstexasProgress Texas is now part of the lineups at KPFT-FM in Houston, Empower House Radio in San Antonio, and KZSM True Community Radio in San Marcos! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE. Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
The Cowboys are bitten by the injury bug
In episode 263, Coffey talks with Jimmy Taylor about the state of return-to-office, AI's real impact on workforce participation and HR practice, and why proactive networking and skills-based hiring matter more than ever. They discuss CBRE data showing peak office utilization reaching 80% and the factors driving successful return-to-office adoption; the hidden financial costs employees bear when returning to the office and how employers should account for that in compensation and goodwill; why early-career professionals stand to benefit most from in-person work through mentorship, visibility, and relationship-building; June jobs report softness, a 50-year-low labor participation rate, and competing explanations from immigration enforcement changes and AI displacement; AI as a net job creator over time, drawing parallels to fears about the internet eliminating insurance agents, real estate agents, and recruiters in the 1990s; the organizational opportunity and challenge of assessing AI skill gaps and reskilling loyal existing employees rather than replacing them with outside talent; Gen Z's surprising gaps in desktop computing and interpersonal skills despite their reputation for tech fluency; the case for replacing traditional resumes with tailored application processes and front-end skills assessments to filter out AI-generated candidate slop; professional association involvement as a proactive career resilience and network-building strategy before a job loss forces it; and Dallas HR's hands-on AI skills day designed to move HR professionals from AI curiosity to practical daily application. For listeners of Good Morning HR podcast, use 2026-CoffeyGMHR-100 promo code and take $100 off a HRSouthwest full conference registration at https://hrsouthwest.com. For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP263 Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Jimmy Taylor brings more than 20 years of business and HR leadership to DallasHR and the HR Southwest Conference. As Executive Director, Jimmy is responsible for leading strategic initiatives and overseeing the operations of the organization in the mission to advance and connect the regional HR community. Jimmy Taylor can be reached at Website: https://www.dallashr.org/ Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-taylor-sphr-25b230/ About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for all stakeholders. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 30 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Evaluate the real costs — financial, cultural, and competitive — that employees and employers each absorb when transitioning back to in-person or hybrid work arrangements. Assess an organization's current AI skill gaps and identify practical reskilling strategies that retain institutional knowledge while closing the gap with external market demands. Redesign the candidate screening process to replace resume-based review with structured application workflows and skills assessments that resist AI-generated submissions and reduce bias.
In episode 262, Coffey talks with Randy Anderson about the critical differentiators for human performers in an AI-driven workplace. They discuss AI's inevitability and its impact on task elimination versus full job replacement; the enduring human advantage in relational and interpersonal transactions that AI cannot replicate; emotional intelligence as a two-sided competency — reading others and maintaining self-awareness; nonverbal communication, microexpressions, and the limits of virtual interaction for building culture; the case for renaming "soft skills" as core skills or power skills given their foundational value; generational deficits in interpersonal development worsened by COVID, remote learning, and screen-based communication; how employers can purposefully structure learning tracks, mentoring, and stretch assignments to develop core skills alongside technical ones; top employer-identified skill gaps from a Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce talent survey — emotional intelligence, leadership, global mindset, and adaptability; AI-generated cover letters undermining candidate credibility, including a case where AI reproduced a hiring manager's own quotes; and time-windowed team skill development as a practical organizational strategy for building interpersonal competency at scale. For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP262 Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Randy Anderson is a self-declared mercenary in the war on employee disengagement and lost productivity. He spent 20 years in sales and management before founding E3 Professional Trainers in 2005. Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to work with virtually every type and size of business in almost every industry.Now, through keynote presentations, customized training, and personal coaching, he delivers strategies to help individuals, teams, and entire organizations become more engaged in their work, better equipped to do it, and to feel empowered to experience greater fulfillment in life, both personallyand professionally. Randy Anderson can be reached at Your Website: e3professionaltrainers.com LinkedIn: Randy Anderson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/randyandersontrainer) Facebook: E3 Professional Trainers (https://www.facebook.com/E3ProfessionalTrainers/) Twitter/X: E3ProfTrainers (https://twitter.com/e3proftrainers) YouTube: E3 Professional Trainers (https://www.youtube.com/user/e3protrainers) About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives:Distinguish between the tasks AI will replace and the human relational capabilities that will remain differentiators for high performers. Define emotional intelligence as a dual competency — accurately reading others and maintaining self-awareness — and explain why both sides matter in workplace interactions. Design intentional learning tracks, mentoring programs, and structured assignments to develop core interpersonal skills in employees who lack natural exposure or prior coaching.
BIG STORY: Republican Funding and Running for OfficeRepublican incumbent's funds outpace Democratic opponent for Tarrant county judgeTarrant GOP's election strategy focuses on $3.5M in donations, unified campaign3 Tarrant Appraisal District seats on the November ballot as board considers reappraisal planRelated: New political action committee pours $70K into Tarrant Appraisal District raceFocus Local PACDonate to Alisa SimmonsSHORT STORY 1: Tarrant County Commissioner's CourtTarrant commissioners honor Carroll ISD for role in Supreme Court ruling on trans athletesTarrant County commissioners approve body camera policy for county law enforcement officersTarrant residents ask for more meetings as commissioners court keeps monthly scheduleTarrant County residents protest, demand accountability over June's jail deathsSHORT STORY 2: How Granbury is Fighting Data CentersGranbury residents seek to recall mayor, 4 council members over data center concernsInside the Granbury data center revolt: recalls, lawsuits and Texas RangersWhat rural Texans should know about the Granbury data center fightHere's where Fort Worth's data centers are — and where developers look to build othersFort Worth to consider starting lengthy data center moratorium processSHORT STORY 3: FWISD TurnoverAbout 40% of Fort Worth ISD campuses will have a new principal this school yearNearly 800 Fort Worth ISD teachers resign after state takeoverFort Worth ISD to pay Karen Molinar at least $412K in separation dealReassigned FWISD educator says district offered her $130,000 job after principal backlashFort Worth ISD Board of Managers to consider changes to ethics policyWINS: Fort Worth Community Collaborative's fashion show walks the walk for clothing accessSpace at DFW Airport's Chase Sapphire Lounge is cherry on top for Fort Worth coffee shopFort Worth's Leon Bridges announces new album ‘Happiness Anytime'Recharged and still caring, Fort Worth arts advocate launches new kid theater programLOSSES: Longtime Historic Southside advocate Johnny Lewis dies at 78 ACTIONS:Where are North Texas road improvements needed? Officials want your input on spending $95BengageFW Community AcademyCitizen's Prosecutor's AcademyJuly 18 - Aug 17 - Apply to run for TADJuly 22 - August 16 - The Shark is Broken at Amphibian StageJuly 25 - Kinfolk House Giving & GatheringJuly - August - Floating Lotus Tea Room openingAugust 6 - 817 Gather at the Table (District 8)August 11 - Fort Worth's data center policy voteAugust 17 - Focus Local PAC's new candidate recruitment eventAugust 25 - Black Mountain data center voteJoin the 817 Gather Discord, donate to the 817 Gather, and follow us on Instagram & TikTok.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP261 In episode 261, Coffey talks with Bernadette Jones about how leaders can identify, triage, and resolve workplace issues before they escalate into legal and cultural crises. They discuss leader avoidance of difficult conversations and its organizational consequences; distinguishing between people problems, process problems, and leadership problems; using a triage framework to assess urgency and risk in workplace issues; the TRIAGE acronym as a structured people problem resolution framework; the role of documentation in at-will terminations and discrimination defense; when to bring in third-party HR consultants or employment counsel; the cost and cultural damage of nuisance lawsuits and settlement checks; transparent post-incident communication strategies that protect employee privacy; the connection between ongoing feedback practices and employee trust; and workplace trauma, post-COVID mental health, and psychological safety as cultural imperatives. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Bernadette Jones is Co-Founder of Visionova HR Consulting, where she helps organizations lead at the intersection of compliance and culture. With more than two decades of experience in HR leadership, coaching, and consulting, she supports nonprofits, small businesses, and mission-driven teams in navigating difficult conversations, employee-relations challenges, leadership communication breakdowns, and workplace culture transformation. A national speaker, Bernadette has presented for SHRM, Nonprofit HR, Northern California SHRM, and other conferences across the country. She serves on the Northern California SHRM Professional Development and Conference Committee and chairs the NorCal SHRM DEIB Committee, where she helps shape content and conversations for HR leaders regionally and beyond. Bernadette has presented at SHRM conferences and nonprofit leadership events on topics including workplace respect, harassment prevention, inclusive leadership, and culture-first HR strategy. She is especially valued for helping leaders move beyond policy-only thinking and toward practical, respectful leadership that works in the real world. With her 20 years of experience, Bernadette has worked with executives, HR leaders, and managers who are navigating toxic employees, scary complaints, high-stakes terminations, and burned-out teams often without a full HR department behind them. She is known for her calm, candid style and her ability to translate complex HR and employment-law concepts into plain language leaders can act on right away. Bernadette Jones can be reached at: Email: bjones@visionovahr.com Website: https://visionovahr.activehosted.com/f/55 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernadettejones-visionovahr/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VisionovaHR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernadettejoneshr/?hl=en# About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Apply the People Problem Triage framework to distinguish between people, process, and leadership problems before escalating to formal action. Assess the compliance and legal risk level of a workplace issue in order to determine appropriate urgency and next steps. Recognize how undocumented role changes, unclear responsibilities, and deferred feedback create conditions for employee conflict and litigation exposure
Election integrity remains one of the most hotly debated issues in America, and in this episode of Joe Oltmann Untamed, Joe dives into questions surrounding election security, transparency, and public trust. The discussion revisits a January 2024 event in which election officials in Tarrant County, Texas invited members of the public to test the security of the Hart InterCivic Countywide Polling Place system. The results sparked conversations about vulnerabilities in election technology and raised important questions about how election systems can be strengthened to ensure confidence in the democratic process.Joining Joe is Lorenzo Sewell, pastor of Detroit-based 180 Church, whose remarkable life story is a testament to faith, perseverance, and redemption. Pastor Sewell shares his journey from early struggles and adversity to a life transformed by purpose and conviction. He offers powerful insights on hope, prayer, and gratitude, encouraging listeners to find strength in their own challenges and recognize the blessings that often emerge from life's most difficult seasons. This is a conversation about faith, resilience, and the enduring belief that no story is beyond redemption.
In episode 260 Coffey talks with Gerald Maatman Jr. about reducing employment litigation risk in an increasingly complex legal environment. They discuss the realities and limitations of at-will employment in modern workplaces; litigation avoidance strategies for business owners and HR leaders; how employers should evaluate settlement versus defense decisions; reverse discrimination and evolving protected class litigation trends; federal, state, and municipal employment law compliance challenges; managing multi-state employment law requirements and policy administration; workplace culture, employee trust, and internal complaint systems; the role of HR as advisor, coach, and organizational risk manager; wage and hour class action litigation and emerging workplace legal threats; artificial intelligence governance and employment-related legal exposure; workplace privacy, biometric data, and employee information security risks; equal pay litigation and compensation equity concerns; religious accommodation and changing EEOC enforcement priorities; frontline manager training and its impact on legal risk; remote work management challenges and post-pandemic workplace dynamics; practical documentation, communication, and employee relations best practices. For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP260 Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Gerald L. Maatman, Jr., is the Chair of Duane Morris LLP's Class Action Defense Team. With nearly four decades of experience practicing law, he has defended some of the most significant bet-the-company cases ever filed against corporate America. Mr. Maatman has represented companies, executive teams, and boards across the country in class action litigation, ranging in size from thousands to hundreds of thousands of claims by employees. In addition to his litigation work, Mr. Maatman helps clients anticipate large-scale risks before they escalate into litigation. Gerald L. Maatman, Jr can be reached at https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/geraldmaatman.html https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldmaatman/ https://x.com/g_maatman About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Understand how employment litigation develops and how organizations can reduce legal exposure. Evaluate HR policies and management practices that strengthen workplace compliance and employee trust. Implement practical approaches to documentation, manager training, and personnel decision-making that withstand legal scrutiny.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:In thanking Donald Trump for interfering with FIFA in a USMNT red card, Ted Cruz jinxed the team into an embarrassing defeat in the World Cup: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-sen-cruz-thanks-trump-for-getting-rid-of-folarin-baloguns-world-cup-red-cardGovernor Greg Abbott's reversal on data centers is nothing but talk, should he fail to call a special session to stop their spread across Texas: https://www.chron.com/news/article/data-center-greg-abbott-legislature-22333815.php..."Batch Zero" is the codename for a huge wave of data centers, all fast-tracked through approval as a group - and by the 2027 session, they'll be grandfathered in: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/power-switch/2026/07/06/why-texas-lawmakers-cant-keep-up-with-data-centers-00987738Patriot Front - the masked gang of matched khakis marching through D.C. on the Fourth of July - were founded and are based in Texas: https://www.statesman.com/news/article/patriot-front-texas-group-22334164.php...They originated after a splinter neo-Nazi group underwent an internal coup after the 2017 Charlottesville uprising: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-news/white-supremacist-group-from-texas-marched-on-washington-d-c-during-july-fourth-holiday/...The Southern Poverty Law Center says Patriot Front's mission is the formation of a white ethnostate in the United States: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/patriot-front-in-washington-dc-july-4-white-nationalist/287-f33ffe9e-d664-4d4e-ba4d-d7b394825639With the run of Alisa Simmons for County Judge, Tarrant County has become the epicenter of the political struggle of 2026 in Texas: https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/how-important-is-tarrant-county-in-6ebCheck out the Substack version of the Daily Dispatch, which delivers each pod to your inbox and frequently includes extra video goodies: https://substack.com/@progresstexasProgress Texas has expanded into both broadcast radio - including a new partnership with KPFT-FM in Houston! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE, and to our Spanish expansion HERE. Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Thank you Lynette, Jane B In NC
In episode 259, Coffey talks with Meg Delp about workplace mental health, burnout prevention, and how employers can create psychologically safe cultures that support employee wellbeing and performance. They discuss the growing awareness of workplace mental health and its impact on business outcomes; generational differences in expectations around employee wellbeing and psychological safety; caregiver stress and burnout among younger employees and the sandwich generation; mental health stigma and why employees hesitate to seek support at work; practical manager training strategies for handling mental health conversations appropriately; how frontline supervisors can support employees without becoming therapists; the role of psychological safety in employee engagement and retention; burnout warning signs including exhaustion, irritability, and declining performance; how leadership and HR can model healthy mental health conversations year-round; NAMI's Stigma Free Workplace Initiative and free “You Can Ask” mental health training resources; the importance of employee friendships and trust relationships at work; balancing compassion, performance management, and ADA accommodations in workplace conversations; and how proactive mental health support improves retention, engagement, and organizational culture. For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP259 Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Meg Delp, PsyD LMFT is the Director of Workplace Mental Health at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) where she leads the StigmaFree Workplace initiative. As an Organizational Psychologist and (retired) Marriage and Family Therapist, Meg brings both clinical and organizational expertise to her work, helping employees and leaders alike understand how to build company cultures that prioritize mental health, connection, and psychological safety. She's passionate about creating workplaces where people feel safe to show up as themselves and supported in caring about one another. Meg Delp can be reached at: https://stigmafree.nami.org https://www.linkedin.com/company/nami https://www.facebook.com/NAMI https://www.instagram.com/namicommunicate https://x.com/NAMICommunicate About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 30 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Identify early warning signs of employee burnout and workplace mental health challenges. Apply practical techniques for having supportive, work-focused mental health conversations. Develop workplace strategies that improve psychological safety and employee wellbeing.
The $28K Fort Worth Note with Massive Equity PotentialAre you looking for a real estate investment strategy that lets you step in as the bank, bypass the heavy competition, and capture massive equity for pennies on the dollar? Welcome back to our 50 Deals in 50 Days series! Host Scott Carson dives deep into a unique, low-balance nonperforming note opportunity sitting right in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas. Unlike typical cash-flowing performing notes, this distressed asset features a jaw-dropping dynamic: a rock-bottom legal balance on a property that is absolutely bursting with equity. If you want to maximize your returns using your IRA, savings, or investment capital, this episode reveals exactly how a $23,000 entry point could yield anywhere from a fast 21% ROI to a massive six-figure profit. Key Topics Covered in This Episode:The Anatomy of the Deal: A look into the 3-bedroom, 1-bath property in Tarrant County built in 1953, featuring an incredibly low legal balance of just $28,000 against a fair market value of $195,000–$205,000. The "Rehab the Borrower" Strategy: How a simple loan reinstatement or double-payment structure could instantly skyrocket your ROI to 23% or even 46%. Navigating Texas Foreclosure Laws: Capitalizing on the fastest foreclosure timelines in the country to secure a quick cash return or take the property back as an REO. The Power of Cash for Keys & Deeds in Lieu: Creative exit strategies to avoid court, obtain the deed directly from the borrowers, and take total control of the real estate. Turnkey Rental & Owner Financing Options: Analyzing market rents ($1,700/mo) and leaseback structures to create long-term cash flow. Partnering and Scaling up: How to utilize small-balance IRAs or partner directly with Scott to fund and flip these high-margin deals. Multiple Exit Strategies, Maximum FlexibilityThe true beauty of note investing is that you aren't locked into a single path. With this Fort Worth asset, you can play the role of the benevolent bank or the savvy real estate liquidator. If the vacant property heads to auction, a third-party bidder might pay off the debt, handing you a quick $5,000 profit in roughly 60 days (an annualized return of over 120%). "The real profit lies not taking this property to foreclosure... but taking the property back. When you buy the note, you don't own the real estate. You own the debt. But buying the note, you become the bank." — Scott Carson If no one outbids you, the property becomes a real estate owned (REO) asset. Suddenly, you are in control of a ~$200,000 home for just your initial note acquisition and light renovation costs. Whether you choose to fix and flip, rent it out for $1,700 a month, or offer owner financing back to the marketplace, the safety net of a 14% loan-to-value ratio ensures your capital is incredibly well-protected. Conclusion & Next StepsWhether you are an experienced investor or completely new to the space, small-balance nonperforming notes offer an unparalleled way to outmaneuver traditional foreclosure buyers. You get to skip the crowded courthouse steps and control the asset months before it ever hits the public market. Watch the Original VIDEO HERE!Book a Call With Scott HERE!Sign up for the next FREE One-Day Note Class HERE!Sign up for the WCN Membership HERE!Sign up for the next Note Buying For Dummies Workshop HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here's How »Join the Note Closers Show community today:WeCloseNotes.comThe Note Closers Show FacebookThe Note Closers Show TwitterScott Carson LinkedInThe Note Closers Show YouTubeThe Note Closers Show VimeoThe Note Closers Show InstagramWe Close Notes Pinterest
In episode 258, Coffey talks with Blair Doran about the “Great Flattening” of middle management, AI adoption in HR, and the thawing job market's impact on employee retention. They discuss the Great Flattening and the causes of middle management cuts; the risk of losing institutional culture and coaching capacity when middle managers are eliminated; poor selection criteria for promoting individual contributors into management roles without leadership training; AI adoption shifting employee self-service away from managers and freeing them for strategic work; HR's evolving role in understanding business operations rather than acting purely as a compliance gatekeeper; state-level AI employment law developments in Colorado, Illinois, and New York amid federal disparate impact uncertainty; confidentiality and trade secret risks when employees use AI for brainstorming and content creation; a recent study comparing passive AI cut-and-paste use versus active AI collaboration on employee engagement and output quality; job security concerns and the thawing job market's effect on long-tenured employee retention; and proactive employee engagement strategies to prevent turnover before it becomes a retention crisis. For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP258 Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Blair Doran is the founder of Good HR, a consulting firm that helps small and mid-sized businesses build practical, people-focused HR programs that support growth while staying compliant. With more than 15 years of HR experience, Blair partners with leadership teams across a variety of industries on everything from employee relations, compliance, benefits, compensation, and leave management to recruiting, manager development, and organizational strategy.What sets Blair apart is her ability to make HR approachable. She believes HR shouldn't just be about policies and paperwork—it should help businesses make better decisions, build stronger teams, and create workplaces where employees can do their best work.As a trusted advisor to business owners and executives, Blair is known for bringing a practical, real-world perspective to today's workplace challenges, helping organizations navigate everything from complex compliance issues to evolving workforce trends.When she's not supporting clients, Blair enjoys spending time with her husband, three children, and toy poodle, Teddy, on Maryland's Eastern Shore.Blair Doran can be reached at:https://goodhumanresource.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairdoranhttps://www.instagram.com/goodhrllc/About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Evaluate the risks and tradeoffs of cutting middle management layers in response to AI adoption and cost pressures. Identify the leadership and confidentiality safeguards organizations need when integrating AI into HR and business workflows. Apply proactive retention strategies to re-engage employees before job market conditions accelerate voluntary turnover.
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In episode 257, Coffey talks with Elizabeth Ledoux about talent considerations in business succession planning. They discuss why most succession plans fail because leaders ignore employee emotions and organizational culture; how owners and successors can align around a shared vision for the future of the company; the importance of involving employees early in transition conversations to reduce fear and turnover risk; the concept of “Transition 3.0” and collaborative succession planning between owners and future leaders; how multi-year transition roadmaps improve leadership development and business continuity; balancing founder identity, emotional attachment, and letting go of operational control; strategies for transferring institutional knowledge and mentoring future owners over time; creating succession-focused company cultures that continuously develop future leaders; why delegation and role transition should become an ongoing organizational habit; and how HR and operations leaders can proactively support leadership continuity and organizational resilience. For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP257 Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Elizabeth Ledoux is the founder of The Transition Strategists and creator of the Transition 3.0 methodology. Over the past 30 years, she's helped hundreds of family and private business owners navigate succession, focusing on the relationship challenges that cause most transitions to fail. Elizabeth started her career as a petroleum engineer before founding several businesses and moving into strategy consulting. She's a sought-after speaker on business succession and family business dynamics, host of the Business Transition Roadmap podcast, and co-author of three books, including the award-winning It's A Journey, The MUST-HAVE Roadmap to Successful Succession Planning. She's also part of Tiger 21, bringing her expertise to a network of high-net-worth entrepreneurs and investors. Currently, Elizabeth is living what she teaches—navigating her own family's ranch transition with her brother while also planning the long-term transition of her own consulting firm. She leads a team of trained Guides who help business owners build the strategic foundation for transition, making sure the people side is solid before bringing in lawyers and accountants. Her work helps families stay together and successors—whether family or non-family—step into their roles with clarity and support. Elizabeth Ledoux can be reached at: https://transitionstrategists.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/transitionstrategists https://www.facebook.com/thetransitionstrategists https://www.instagram.com/transtionstrategists https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfcH2Be31Mr1laOZ6KZXDNA About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Identify the human and cultural factors that commonly derail business succession plans. Develop long-term transition roadmaps that align owners, successors, and employees. Implement succession-focused leadership development practices that strengthen organizational continuity.
The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: Texas A&M start its statewide polling like an Aggie joke by putting out wrong numbers. I'll bring you the corrected numbers and you can see the numbers here. Beyond that, we find that the “Platner Paradox” explains much about Texas Dems nominating Little Jimmy “The Creep” Talarico – and excellent read.Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.Texas Judges Refusing Same-Sex Weddings Get $950,000 in Fees – good.Even when liberal media people get somethings right, they get basics wrong! They may fix it before you see it but the Dallas Morning News Editorial Board got a foundational fact wrong in their otherwise good editorial on the Texas Tech gambling QB saga. The judge was not a hometown judge but a judge from their patch, Tarrant County. The Sporting News got it right days ago.City of El Paso's environmental franchise fee illegal, appeals court rules – Pickett sued and has won at trial court and the appellate level that the fee is an illegal tax.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates.www.PrattonTexas.com
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP252 In episode 256, Coffey talks with Leslie Speas about developing high-retention managers who improve employee engagement, accountability, trust, and workplace culture through intentional leadership habits. They discuss promoting high-performing employees into leadership roles without proper management training; emotional intelligence and self-awareness as foundational leadership competencies; connecting employees to organizational purpose and mission-driven work; building workplace trust through consistency, humility, and integrity; coaching employees through questions instead of problem-solving; accountability systems that improve performance and retention; effective communication strategies for managers and team leaders; employee recognition and appreciation practices that reinforce company values; empathy and flexibility in supporting employee wellbeing and mental health; leadership development frameworks that strengthen organizational culture and productivity; practical feedback models including the BEAN and BET communication methods; performance management processes that move beyond annual reviews; balancing individual contributor career growth with leadership readiness assessments. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Leslie Speas is a seasoned Human Resources and Organizational Development leader with over 30 years of experience. She serves as Founder and President of InfluenceHR Consulting, a firm dedicated to helping leaders and HR teams build workplaces where people will thrive and stay. Leslie holds a master's degree in industrial/organizational psychology and possesses senior-level HR designations and certifications in coaching, the Working Genius, Enneagram assessment, and Talent Management/Succession Planning. Her leadership experience spans diverse sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, technology, financial services, and nonprofit organizations. In addition, she is the author of the book, 7 Habits of High-Retention Managers. Leslie is heavily involved in furthering the HR profession and serves as a District Director with the North Carolina Society for Human Resources Management. She and her husband, Tracy, reside in Winston-Salem, N.C. Leslie Speas can be reached at: https://www.influencehrconsulting.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-speas https://www.facebook.com/influencehrconsulting https://www.instagram.com/influencehrconsulting https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdH17Da_dvt_UFpRNmUvqrQ About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business' small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas' 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: Identify the leadership habits that improve employee retention and engagement. Apply coaching and feedback techniques that strengthen accountability and trust. Evaluate leadership readiness before promoting employees into management roles.
In December 1996, 32-year-old Sharon McLane was brutally murdered inside her Bedford, Texas apartment. Two years later, her friend John Earl Nolley was convicted of the crime and sentenced to life in prison. The case appeared closed.But questions never completely disappeared.Years after Nolley's conviction, attorneys with the Innocence Project and Tarrant County's Conviction Integrity Unit uncovered troubling problems with the original prosecution, including undisclosed evidence, unreliable jailhouse informant testimony, and forensic findings that cast doubt on the verdict.Early in the case, Paul Dennis Reid, a violent serial killer later convicted of seven murders in Tennessee and suspected in several others, emerged as an alternate suspect. But police discounted him despite many witnesses placing him at Sharon's apartment complex around the time of the murder, among other things.In the final chapter of Sharon McLane's story, we examine Reid's murder convictions, the evidence that pointed away from Nolley, and the extraordinary review that ultimately led to Nolley's release after nearly two decades behind bars.While John Earl Nolley eventually regained his freedom, Sharon McLane's murder remains unsolved, leaving behind one lingering question that has never been definitively answered:Who killed Sharon McLane?Part three of three.If you have any information about the murder of Sharon Lucretia McLane, please call the Bedford police at (817) 952-2127.You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcastFind us at https://www.gonecold.comFor Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.comFollow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast#JusticeForSharonMcLane #BedfordTX #TarrantCountyTX #Texas #TX #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #Unsolved #MissingPerson #Missing #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcastBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.
Are you ready to uncover the massive hidden real estate opportunities hitting the Lone Star State this June? Welcome back to The Note Closers Show! In this episode, we are diving deep into the freshly leaked June 2026 foreclosure data for Texas's biggest counties. After a significant dip last month, foreclosure filings are officially bouncing back, sparking an 11% swing and creating a prime playground for note investors, REO hunters, and private money lenders. Whether you are looking for subject-to deals or trying to deploy private capital, this monthly market breakdown is your ultimate roadmap to distress debt success.
In this episode, Chris sits down with John McQueeney, State Representative for House District 97 in Tarrant County, Texas and member of the State Affairs Committee covering power grid and electric policy. In the last six weeks alone, John's committee has run three interim data center hearings. He is also drafting the Data Center Responsibility Act for the January 2027 session - the bill that will set the framework for how Texas handles the data center build-out for a generation. Texas has 440 gigawatts of applications in the queue against roughly 110 gigawatts of current peak capacity. Someone has to sort out what's real, what's speculative, and who pays for the grid when it all comes online. John is one of the people doing that work. They discuss: Why the data center industry is losing a PR battle it should be winning The tax story hyperscalers haven't been telling How the large load approval process works in Texas, end to end - from TSP submission to ERCOT study to Approved to Energize What's real vs. speculative in the 440 GW pipeline Behind-the-meter data centers as grid stabilizers What the Data Center Responsibility Act will cover The railroad analogy: why communities that miss this build-out will fall behind for decades Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(02:27) Why Data Centers Are a "12 Out of 10" for Texas(08:17) A Day Without a Data Center(09:34) Inside Stargate: Lancium, Crusoe, Oracle & OpenAI(14:34) When One Data Center Funds 30% of a City's Budget(17:03) The Vicious Restudy Cycle & the Batch Zero Fix(28:55) 440 GW of Applications Chasing 105 GW of Capacity(35:53) The 75 MW Threshold & Going Behind the Meter(48:36) Drafting the Data Center Responsibility Act(54:19) North Texas's Hidden Risk in Batch Zero(01:08:35) Who Actually Pays for the Grid Buildout?(01:14:32) Data Centers Are a National Security Issue(01:18:12) Data Centers in Space & the Long Arc ----- Presented by Airshare: Trusted across the country for fractional ownership, jet cards, charter, and aircraft management, Airshare gives you a smarter way to fly private - over 25 years of experience, operating their own fleet, with the top safety ratings in the industry. Drive up to the FBO, walk on, and go. Go to flyairshare.com to learn more. ----- Sponsored by Collateral Partners: Collateral Partners builds institutional-grade investor materials for private credit, private equity, real estate, and family office firms - the kind of marketing collateral that helps you close capital. Learn more at collateral.com/fort. ----- Chris on Social Media: X: https://x.com/fortworthchris Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepowerspodcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ Visit our website: https://www.powerspod.com/Leave a review on Apple: https://bit.ly/45crFD0Leave a review on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Krl9jO
5.6.2026 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: DeSantis Map Sued in Florida. Tennessee Targets Black District. FBI Raids Louise Lucas Florida Democrats are suing over the congressional map that Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law. I will speak with the founder of the organization that filed the lawsuit. Tennessee's proposed map splits the state's 9th Congressional District and divides the only majority-Black congressional seat in Memphis. I will talk to two Tennessee lawmakers about this illegal gerrymandering effort. The FBI has executed a search warrant on the offices and business of Virginia lawmaker Louise Lucas, who led the state's redistricting effort. We will examine a new report highlighting that Tarrant County, Texas, sentences Black individuals to death at a disproportionate rate. A Black pastor claims he knows the real reason Christians disapprove of the twice-impeached, criminally convicted felon-in-chief, Donald "The Con" Trump. You will not believe his reasoning. And we will pay tribute to former Oklahoma State Representative and civil rights leader Don Ross. Download the Black Star Network app at http://www.blackstarnetwork.com! We're on iOS, AppleTV, Android, AndroidTV, Roku, FireTV, XBox and SamsungTV. The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.