Left Face

This week Adam and Dick are joined in studio by Pablo Capistrano — 20-year Navy veteran, local activist, and co-founder of Civic Shield, a firearm safety program serving vulnerable communities in the Colorado Springs area.

In this episode:

We start close to home with the story of Freedom Acres Ranch — a Black-owned farm in Yoder, Colorado run by CW and Nicole Mallory. What began as a fresh start after Hurricane Harvey became a years-long campaign of harassment, a bogus felony stalking charge from El Paso County Sheriff's Office, and most recently a drive-by shooting in April 2025. If you want to support them directly, visit their website, buy their meat, book a tour, or share their story: freedomacresranch.com

From there we zoom out — to Trump's standoff with the Vatican, JD Vance's theology takes, and what it actually means when self-described Christians tell the Pope he's wrong. Then Pablo breaks down why Orban's landslide loss in Hungary matters for American progressives and what the TISA movement's grassroots strategy can teach us. We close on FISA Section 702, warrantless surveillance, and why a 10-day extension on a spying law should have more people paying attention.

Adam and Dick break down a chaotic week in American politics, law, and foreign policy through a veteran lens from Colorado Springs.

Topics covered:

• Trump's unprecedented appearance at Supreme Court oral arguments on birthright citizenship — and his Truth Social meltdown afterward
• The SCOTUS conversion therapy ruling out of Colorado Springs: what it actually decided, what it deliberately avoided, and why Justice Jackson's dissent cuts to the heart of it
• ICE arresting a soldier's wife outside Fort Polk while he was in-processing her as a military dependent — and how ICE knew exactly where to be
• Iran, the fake ceasefire, nuclear nonproliferation, and what it means when a nuclear nation threatens a non-nuclear one
• The "Ghost Murmur" technology claim from the downed aviator rescue — real quantum magnetism or a cover story?
• NATO tensions, Greenland posturing, and Five Eyes intelligence sharing concerns
• Artemis swings around the moon

Left Face is the Pikes Peak regional podcast for veterans and those interested in political issues affecting the military community.

An honest conversation about military culture, what basic training actually does to your worldview, and why arming troops on base might get people killed.

Iran was built for a long war and only has to survive to win. The guys break down why the administration's victory claims don't add up — and what the real endgame looks like.

Adam and Dick open with two local items — No Kings 3 hitting Colorado Springs tomorrow and Syracuse University's veteran candidate training program, now with an ideation track for folks still on the fence about running.

From there, they get into Colorado Springs city council banning vehicle camping and why that sale is dead on arrival with the current council, contrasted with the San Jose tiny home model that actually worked by dropping the sobriety-first requirements and just opening the doors.

On the federal side: ICE gets deployed to airports with no coherent mission, no shift briefing, and no real plan beyond body count. Democrats pull off a funding maneuver worth something — and then immediately talk about it too much. The Iran situation gets declared over again while 10,000 troops head that way, the Supreme Court press corps ruling sits ignored, and the Strait of Hormuz remains the one real chip on the table.

Recorded at Studio 809 in downtown Colorado Springs.

Dick and Adam open with Iran's public execution of protesters — including a 19-year-old wrestler — as a deliberate message of state terror, then pivot to Pete Hegseth's $200 billion war funding request and what the quadrupling of that number actually signals about U.S. military strategy. The conversation shifts to the Time Magazine investigation into César Chávez, the allegations of sexual abuse against him, and how Dolores Huerta and the Chávez family have responded. The guys also touch on Cuba's continued grid failures, the erosion of U.S. soft power through tariff politics, Ukraine's drone knowledge-sharing, and why flooding the news cycle might be the whole point. Closing out with a Chuck Norris send-off.

Iran's decentralized military structure means no single target stops the drone and missile threat. Meanwhile, lone-wolf attacks are ticking up stateside. Adam and Dick connect the dots between foreign escalation, domestic terrorism, eroding civil liberties, and an administration that treats every crisis as an opportunity to grab more power.

Left Face Podcast — Pikes Peak Region Politics Through a Progressive Veterans Lens

This week on Left Face, Adam and the team unpack a chaotic week in American politics and global conflict. From cabinet shakeups in Washington to a rapidly escalating war with Iran, the conversation dives into the deeper forces shaping today’s political landscape.

The episode begins with the firing (or “lateral move”) of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and what it says about the current administration’s governing style—one driven less by consensus and more by execution of a pre-written political agenda.

The hosts discuss how organizations like Progressive Veterans of El Paso County allow veterans to speak freely about political issues without the constraints placed on official party structures.

From there, the conversation shifts into the broader political climate surrounding Project 2025, authoritarian governing tactics, and how political leaders are increasingly selected for loyalty and aggression rather than competence.

The second half of the episode explores the troubling intersection of religion and governance, including reports of religious messaging within military circles and the growing influence of Christian nationalist movements inside the political sphere.

Finally, the hosts analyze the rapidly expanding Iran conflict, now drawing in multiple countries and escalating into a regional war. With unclear objectives, mounting casualties, and increasing global instability, the question becomes: What exactly is the U.S. strategy?

The episode closes with a moment of reflection honoring American service members who have recently lost their lives in the conflict.

The episode covers a range of topics including local candidate forums, the Iran situation, the importance of educated voters, and the potential impact of federalizing elections. It also delves into the recent conflict with Iran, the Epstein files, and the absurdity of current political events.

Takeaways

• Local candidate forums are an important platform for discussing key issues and evaluating candidates.
• The conflict with Iran raises concerns about the potential impact on the region and the world.
• The federalization of elections and its potential implications for democracy is a topic of significant concern.

Chapters

• 00:00 Local Candidate Forums and Political Engagement
• 08:47 The Conflict with Iran and its Implications
• 15:22 Federalizing Elections and Concerns for Democracy
• 27:25 The Absurdity of Current Political Events

The Left Face podcast discusses the dramatic week in veterans news, focusing on the interim rule that impacts veterans' benefits. The conversation delves into the responsibility, reaction, and details of the rule, as well as its insulting nature and political affiliations. It also covers the Supreme Court ruling, potential conflict with Iran, and the formation of new alliances. Additionally, it addresses the lack of oversight and accountability in the administration, as well as advocacy efforts at the Capitol and the role of veterans in political advocacy.

Takeaways

• Veterans' reaction to the interim rule was swift and overwhelmingly unanimous.
• The lack of accountability in the current administration is a cause for concern.

Chapters

• 00:00 Discussion with the Adjutant General and Advocacy Opportunities

The conversation covers community activism and hope, military appreciation day at the Capitol, the Minnesota situation and Second Amendment, response to attack, and government shutdown. It also highlights the importance of veterans' political engagement and the impact of community activism on political change. The conversation covers topics related to government funding and potential shutdowns, the impact of political pressure on funding decisions, the influence of education and qualification standards on government officials, and the long-term impact of social media regulation. These themes are explored in depth, providing insights into the current political and social landscape.

Takeaways

• Community activism
• Veterans' political engagement Government funding and shutdowns
• Impact of political pressure
• Education and qualification standards
• Social media regulation and its long-term impact

Chapters

• 00:00 Community Activism and Hope
• 06:55 Minnesota Situation and Second Amendment
• 20:32 Government Funding and Shutdowns
• 26:02 Social Media Regulation and Long-Term Impact