On this episode of The Pod Millennial, Libby Emmons sits down with New York Times bestselling author Joshua Lisec to unpack his upcoming book, "Haitians of Springfield." They go beyond the viral "cats and dogs" meme from the 2024 election cycle to explore the real story of mass migration's impact on Springfield, Ohio — from surging housing costs and strained public services to a "two-tiered justice system" and the cultural tensions between working-class residents and a so-called "empathy maxing elite." 

Lisec shares firsthand accounts from ten weeks of on-the-ground reporting, revealing how a Rust Belt town became a flashpoint in America's immigration debate, and what he calls a widening caste divide between heritage Americans and the NGO-driven administrative class that governs their community.

Plus, a personal monologue from Libby about her lifelong love affair with Independence Day. It's a meditation on what the Fourth of July really means — a holiday with no ancient roots, entirely invented, entirely American: brash, rich, gauche, and hard-won.

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Joshua Lisec’s book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/06YueSVb

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