American Political Paradise

The shutdown stems from political disagreements over the funding of the DHS, particularly concerning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In January 2026, the deaths of two American citizens during ICE operations intensified scrutiny of the agency's practices, leading to demands for reform. Senate Democrats have argued that funding for DHS should not be tied to funding for ICE, creating a standoff with Republicans.

Here are articles relevant to this episode:

https://thehill.com/homenews/5794792-dsh-shutdown-impacts-travel/

https://abcnews.com/Politics/minneapolis-shootings-raise-stakes-dems-gop-odds-funding/story?id=129564308

https://www.dhs.gov/operational-and-support-components

https://www.npr.org/2026/03/05/nx-s1-5737554/markwayne-mullin-homeland-security-kristi-noem-trump

Gary Phipps is a father, husband, combat veteran, drone pilot, and independent writer. Gary and I discuss the ways the military can or cannot be used correctly, 2nd amendment of the U.S. Constitution & gun rights , and the flaws of America's two-party political system.

Here are Gary Phipps' social media Handles:

LinkedIn: garyphipps86

Instagram: garybear86

X or Twitter: garybear86

What does the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Justice aka the F.B.I. do? How does the Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI protect the American people & uphold the constitution of the United States?

The links below are relevant to the FBI & its role in protecting the American people:

https://scientificorigin.com/what-exactly-does-the-fbi-do-a-detailed-overview-of-the-fbis-roles-and-functions#google_vignette

https://www.fbi.gov/

https://www.fbi.gov/about/mission

https://www.fbi.gov/about/leadership-and-structure

https://www.fbi.gov/history

https://www.justice.gov/doj/federal-bureau-investigation

In this episode, Andy Semotiuk and I discuss the history behind the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the significance of the 1994' Budapest Memorandum. And what exactly happened at the February 28th, 2025 White House meeting between President Trump & Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy?

Andy Semotiuk's website:

https://www.myworkvisa.com/

Andy Semotiuk's Forbes.com Articles Link:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyjsemotiuk/

Andy Semotiuk is on the following social media platforms:

LinkedIn

Facebook

Youtube

Twitter/X

Article Links related to The 1994' Budapest Memorandum:

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/why-care-about-ukraine-and-the-budapest-memorandum/

https://lieber.westpoint.edu/budapest-memorandums-history-role-conflict/

President Trump's Executive Order was signed on Thursday, March 20, 2025 and aimed to dismantle the Department of Education. If this plan proceeds, I believe that the American educational system will go through major changes. Will Congress pass legislation eliminating the Department of Education?

Introduction & ending song credits: "Evening Melodrama" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.html

Articles used in this episode:

https://time.com/7270145/what-does-the-department-of-education-do/

https://www.ed.gov/about/ed-overview/an-overview-of-the-us-department-of-education--pg-1

https://www.ed.gov/

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/02/06/how-the-department-of-education-came-into-existence/

The Top 3 Other Headlines:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-preparing-pull-elise-stefaniks-nomination-un-ambassador-rcna198389

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/26/politics/ghost-guns-supreme-court/index.html

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5203916-secret-service-trump-security-florida-new-york-new-jersey/

Former Vice President Kamala Harris has a lot to think about in regards to her future in United States Politics after losing the November 5th, 2024 Presidential election. Will she run for California Governor in 2026 or run for President in 2028?

Below are the links related to this episode:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/15/politics/kamala-harris-future-2028-california-governor/index.html

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5141391-kamala-harris-democratic-frontrunner-for-california-governor-in-2026-poll/

The Top 3 Other Political Headlines:

https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5149600-george-washington-revolutionary-war-letter-up-for-sale-on-presidents-day/

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5143053-tina-smith-not-seeking-reelection/

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/28/gary-peters-not-running-for-reelection-in-battleground-michigan-00200925?cid=apn

Josh Weil is running in a special election to the U.S. House to represent Florida's 6th Congressional District. Florida's 6th Congressional District is holding a Democratic primary on January 28th, 2025. The general election for Florida's 6th Congressional District will be on April 1st, 2025.

Here are links relevant to Josh Weil's campaign:

https://www.joshweil.us/

https://ballotpedia.org/Joshua_Weil

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/FL/6

Below are Josh Weil's Social Media Handles:

Facebook: flpolytician

Instagram: joshweilfl6

Twitter or X: joshweilfl6

Bluesky: @joshweil.bsky.social

On November 5th, 2024 or election day in the United States Former President Donald Trump won the Electoral College & The White House. Trump received 312 electoral college votes compared to Kamala Harris who received 226 electoral college votes.

Here are the links to the articles used in this episode:

Live election results maps: President, Senate, and Congressional races | FOX 2 Detroit

Sarah McBride makes history as first transgender person elected to Congress

Elias Marty is an registered independent voter wanting to talk about the 2024' Presidential election, U.S. politics, and Israel. He will call out Democrats, Republicans, independents, and third parties for hypocrisy in politics. Elias has his own podcast called Politically High-tech.

Link to Politically High-tech podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/politically-high-tech/id1494737668

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2308824

Links to Elias's social media handles:

https://www.facebook.com/EliasEllusion

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUxk1oJBVw-IAZTqChH70ag

https://twitter.com/x/migrate?tok=7b2265223a222f706f6c69746963616c6c796874222c2274223a313732393033313434387d6ce66862ea934c3850d92c9752abe293

Jonathan Ocasio has had an extensive career centered on the integration of Cyber security data analytics, and the ways Artificial Intelligence has impacted our society. Jonathan has completed a Master's degree in Cyber security to receive more knowledge and further understanding of digital threats and defense mechanisms. He is interested in the different ways A.I. has changed our societal structures and norms in our civilization.

Here are links to his website & Youtube channel:

https://insidethealgorithm.com/

https://youtube.com/@insidethealgorithm-ia?si=xXxNiaq02nUuEwXW

His podcast is called Inside The Algorithm and is available on Spotify.