This morning on Patriot Switchboard, Harlan Mercer breaks down three stories that matter if you care about transparency, public safety, and sovereignty—and what each one says about whether the people in charge can still do the basics.

First: the Epstein files. President Trump is calling on the Justice Department to release what it has—names included—arguing the public deserves to know what the government has been sitting on. DOJ says it has uncovered “over a million more” documents potentially tied to the case, and that reviewing them and making legally required redactions could take weeks. The question isn’t whether some material should be protected—victims and witnesses must be safeguarded. The question is whether Washington can deliver clarity instead of endless delay, and whether the rules are being applied evenly or used to shield the connected. When the timeline keeps moving, trust collapses. And once trust is gone, rumors fill the gap.

Second: Washington, D.C. Five people were shot near 5th and N Streets Northwest on Friday night, with police saying the injuries were not life-threatening and that the incident was not random. Multiple suspects reportedly fled in a black Honda Accord. Mercer’s focus is the part that matters to regular families: law and order is not a slogan, it’s a service. When violence becomes routine and consequences feel optional, people stop cooperating, stop trusting, and start living around risk. The conversation also turns to self-defense and personal responsibility—why the Second Amendment remains relevant when help is minutes away and danger is measured in seconds.

Third: Thailand and Cambodia. After weeks of border fighting that has killed over a hundred people and displaced more than half a million, the two countries agreed to a ceasefire that took effect Saturday at noon local time. Early reporting suggests it’s holding. The terms show how little trust exists: hold positions, avoid reinforcements, allow monitoring, and a 72-hour test period tied to repatriating captured soldiers. Mercer connects the lesson back home: borders are not a theory, and order doesn’t maintain itself. When borders break down, violence and instability spread—and Americans end up paying for chaos abroad through higher costs, disrupted trade, and strategic competitors looking for leverage.

Patriot Switchboard is a short, direct dispatch: straight news first, then clear commentary grounded in reality. Three stories. No lectures. No panel noise. If you want a daily reminder of what matters—and why—subscribe, follow, and share the show with someone who’s tired of being managed and ready to be informed.