Bill and Karl join Rob in the bunker to talk about our new governor, our new mayor, and a variety of other local and national news stories that have been ringing in the new year in 2025.

Show Notes:

• Bethany Hall-Long swearing in
• Governor/Mayor Carney reflects

SD1 and NCC Pres candidate George Frankel joins Rob in the bunker to talk about his experience running for both a real election and the Democrat's special selection process, and where they may agree and disagree.

Show Notes:

• Spotlight Delaware coverage

Various registered Democrats in the 1st Senate District join Rob in the bunker to talk about the latest Democratic Party selection process for the open state senate seats, and what the alternative is.

Show Notes:

• Rae's previous essay
• Spotlight Delaware coverage

Friendship House Executive Director Kim Eppehimer joins Rob in the bunker to talk about the work they're doing among people experiencing homelessness and how that work is running up against the ongoing transformation of the city of Wilmington, as well as the work of the New Castle County Police Accountability Board.

Show Notes:

• Donate to Friendship House
• Police Accountability Board

Rev. Patrick Burke, Rector of the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew, joins Rob in the bunker to talk about his path from the corporate world to the church, the role of faith in grassroots organizing, and the challenges that SsAM has been facing from the city of Wilmington around the issue of homelessness.

Show Notes:

• Why a Wilmington church, 250 others, accuse city police of 'harassment and intimidation'

The crew joins Rob in the bunker to talk briefly talk about some of the results of the 2024 election now that. month has passed. Bonus episode coming later this week at https://www.patreon.com/TheHighlandsBunker

Unlocked for this week: Historian Dael Norwood joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about a Thomas Nast's 1869 "Uncle Sam's Thanksgiving Dinner" comic and what it means about for what America could have been and then what it actually became.

Show Notes:

• Rob's thread on the homeless sweep
• Richard White Episode
• The racist Thanksgiving cartoon
• Freedom and Slavery at Delaware College: A Student Research Symposium

Historian Dael Norwood joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about a Thomas Nast's 1869 "Uncle Sam's Thanksgiving Dinner" comic and what it means about for what America could have been and then what it actually became.

See the full episode at https://www.patreon.com/TheHighlandsBunker

Spotlight Delaware Report Nick Stonesifer joins Rob in the bunker to talk about his reporting on the Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission and how it was mismanaged.

Show Notes:

• Delaware’s opioid fund differs from any other state
• Opioid grants mostly funded prevention, but also raised questions

After being one of the comprehensive public high schools in the country, AI DuPont High School has seen a massive enrollment decline and is under threat from a variety of sources. Our panel of AI alums join Rob in the bunker to talk about their former school and what needs to be done to save it.

Show Notes:

• Wilmington PD pressed city to cancel police accountability rally
• November 20th Red Clay School Board Meeting
• Friends of AI Interest Form
• AI Taskforce Summary and Recommendations
• Redding Consortium