The Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast

For this week’s episode of The Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast, our host Shane Vander Hart discusses President Trump’s recent Twitter threat to the President of Iran and his current policy toward Iran with Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis (USA, Ret.), a senior fellow and military expert with Defense Priorities, a DC-based think tank that promotes realistic foreign policies.

Prior to that interview, Shane discusses the following items of interest:

U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) said those who support Judge Brett Kavanaugh are complicit in evil.

The Des Moines Register’s editorial thinks Iowa’s Voter ID law is “unnecessary” and “causes confusion.”

A Ninth Circuit Court panel ruled in favor of open carry.

An Oregon high school student suspended for wearing a “banned” Trump t-shirt is awarded $25,000.

Our interview guest, Lt. Col. Davis, retired from the United States Army after 21 years of active service, which included four deployments into combat zones— twice to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan, as well as, serving as a U.S. advisor to the Second Republic of Korea Army. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor at the Battle of 73 Easting during the First Gulf War in 1991 and was awarded a second Bronze Star Medal for service in Afghanistan in 2011.

Listen to the podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Blubrry, Google Play Music, Stitcher, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Podbean, or Spotify.

The Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast can only exist due to the generosity of our sponsors.

This show is sponsored in part by American Principles Project, a conservative political think tank in Washington, D.C. American Principles Project believes that human dignity should be at the heart of public policy. They work in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C. to promote life, religious freedom, local control over education, authentic economic progress for working Americans, and a return to constitutional principles, such as federalism. Want to help American Principles Project? Visit their website today. Sign up for e-mail updates, send a small (or large) donation their way, help them out. They are a great group.

Also, be sure to check out Travis Risvold of Modern Woodmen of America. Call Travis at 515-883-0029. He can help you find the life insurance YOU need.

For this episode of the Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast, our host Shane Vander Hart spoke with Jeremy Davis, the Republican candidate running for Iowa State Treasurer.----more----

Before that Shane discussed the following items of interest:

President Trump’s Press Conference with Russian President Vladmir Putin.

The American Psychological Association no longer considers all pedophiles to have a mental disorder.

State Senator Nate Boulton (D-Des Moines) says he’s not quitting the Iowa Senate after accusations of sexual misconduct forced him from the gubernatorial race.

Shane then had a chat with Jeremy Davis who was nominated to run for State Treasurer at the Republican Party of Iowa State Convention. Davis currently works for the National Pork Producers Council as their Director of Grassroots and serves the treasurer for the Story County Republican Party. He was formerly a member of the Ames City Council. He ran unsuccessfully for the Iowa Senate against State Senator Herman Quirmbach (D-Ames). He hopes to unseat the 35-year Democrat incumbent Michael Fitzgerald.

You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Blubrry, Google Play Music, Stitcher, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Podbean, or Spotify.

The Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast can only exist due to the generosity of our sponsors.

This show is sponsored in part by American Principles Project, a conservative political think tank in Washington, D.C. American Principles Project believes that human dignity should be at the heart of public policy. They work in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C. to promote life, religious freedom, local control over education, authentic economic progress for working Americans, and a return to constitutional principles, such as federalism. Want to help American Principles Project? Visit their website today. Sign up for e-mail updates, send a small (or large) donation their way, help them out. They are a great group.

Also, be sure to check out Travis Risvold of Modern Woodmen of America. Call Travis at 515-883-0029. He can help you find the life insurance YOU need.

On the Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast, Shane Vander Hart speaks with Ericka Andersen, author of author of Leaving Cloud 9: The True Story of a Life Resurrected from the Ashes of Poverty, Trauma, and Mental Illness.----more----

Before his conversation with Andersen, Shane discussed a few items of interest:

Are we a nation of narcissists? A couple of studies say so.

The left continues their meltdown over the Supreme Court.

The Episcopal Church will debate using gender-neutral language for God in their Common Book of Prayer among other outrageous revisions.

Then Shane's conversation with Ericka Andersen about her new book which discusses her husband Rick's story of overcoming a childhood of extreme poverty and neglect.

Andersen is a freelance writer who also serves as the Digital Marketing Director at the Independent Women’s Forum. She previously wrote for and was the Digital Director at, National Review magazine. Prior to that, she was the Digital Manager at the Heritage Foundation and worked in communications for Vice President Mike Pence at the GOP Conference.  She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her husband and two children.

 You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Blubrry, Google Play Music, Stitcher, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Podbean, or Spotify.

The Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast can only exist due to the generosity of our sponsors.

This show is sponsored in part by American Principles Project, a conservative political think tank in Washington, D.C. American Principles Project believes that human dignity should be at the heart of public policy. They work in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C. to promote life, religious freedom, local control over education, authentic economic progress for working Americans, and a return to constitutional principles, such as federalism. Want to help American Principles Project? Visit their website today. Sign up for e-mail updates, send a small (or large) donation their way, help them out. They are a great group.

Also, be sure to check out Travis Risvold of Modern Woodmen of America. Call Travis at 515-883-0029. He can help you find the life insurance YOU need.

On the Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast, Shane Vander Hart speaks with Ericka Andersen, author of author of Leaving Cloud 9: The True Story of a Life Resurrected from the Ashes of Poverty, Trauma, and Mental Illness.

Before his conversation with Andersen, Shane discussed a few items of interest:

* Are we a nation of narcissists? A couple of studies say so.

* The left continues their meltdown over the Supreme Court.

* The Episcopal Church will debate using gender-neutral language for God in their Common Book of Prayer among other outrageous revisions.

Then Shane’s conversation with Ericka Andersen about her new book which discusses her husband Rick’s story of overcoming a childhood of extreme poverty and neglect.

Andersen is a freelance writer who also serves as the Digital Marketing Director at the Independent Women’s Forum. She previously wrote for and was the Digital Director at, National Review magazine. Prior to that, she was the Digital Manager at the Heritage Foundation and worked in communications for Vice President Mike Pence at the GOP Conference.  She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her husband and two children.

Listen to the podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Blubrry, Google Play Music, Stitcher, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Podbean, or Spotify.

The Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast can only exist due to the generosity of our sponsors.

This show is sponsored in part by American Principles Project, a conservative political think tank in Washington, D.C. American Principles Project believes that human dignity should be at the heart of public policy. They work in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C. to promote life, religious freedom, local control over education, authentic economic progress for working Americans, and a return to constitutional principles, such as federalism. Want to help American Principles Project? Visit their website today. Sign up for e-mail updates, send a small (or large) donation their way, help them out. They are a great group.

Also, be sure to check out Travis Risvold of Modern Woodmen of America. Call Travis at 515-883-0029. He can help you find the life insurance YOU need.

For this episode of the Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast, our host, Shane Vander Hart discusses the trouble Christian adoption and foster care agencies face with Anna Anderson from American Principles Project.----more----

Shane also discusses items of interest from late last week and over the weekend:

The media blames Donald Trump for the shooting at The Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland.

Have conservatives weaponized the First Amendment? The New York Times believes so.

Women are encouraged to talk about their abortion in order to protect abortion, but does that get to the heart of the debate?

Anderson, who is the Director of Family Policy for American Principles Project, discussed how state and local sexual orientation and gender identity laws are placing Christian adoption and foster care agencies at risk because they don't want to place children with same-sex couples. She promotes a bill that is beginning to pick up some momentum in the U.S. House of Representatives entitled the "Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act" (H.R. 1881) that would help protect these agencies from the choice to either sacrifice their principles or close. You can contact your member of Congress about this bill here. Iowans can also call their member of Congress and ask them to co-sponsor the bill:

Congressman Rod Blum (R-Iowa 1st) - (202) 225-2911

Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa 2nd) - (202) 225-6576

Congressman David Young (R-Iowa 3rd) -  (202) 225-5476

Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa 4th) - (202) 225-4426 Congressman King is already a co-sponsor.

You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Blubrry, Google Play Music, Stitcher, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Podbean, or Spotify.

The Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast can only exist due to the generosity of our sponsors.

This show is sponsored in part by American Principles Project, a conservative political think tank in Washington, D.C. American Principles Project believes that human dignity should be at the heart of public policy. They work in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C. to promote life, religious freedom, local control over education, authentic economic progress for working Americans, and a return to constitutional principles, such as federalism. Want to help American Principles Project? Visit their website today. Sign up for e-mail updates, send a small (or large) donation their way, help them out. They are a great group.

Also, be sure to check out Travis Risvold of Modern Woodmen of America. Call Travis at 515-883-0029. He can help you find the life insurance YOU need.

For this episode of the Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast, Shane Vander Hart discusses the decline of civility in political discourse, Supreme Court news, and has a conversation with Bill Charlier who is running in Iowa House District 32.----more----

It is only midweek, but yet there is a lot to talk about for this episode of the Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast. Our host, Shane Vander Hart, discusses several items of interest:

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-California) called for supporters to harass Trump officials following the harassment of U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials because of President Trump's immigration policies.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave a Virginia restaurant because the owner and employees do not like the Trump administration's policies.

Are we on the verge of a "soft civil war"?

Big news out of the Supreme Court, Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy will retire after 30 years of service. Plus, the Court releases two big decisions with First Amendment implications and they uphold President Trump's travel ban.

Shane then talks with Bill Charlier who is the Republican candidate in Iowa House District 32 facing the daunting task of unseating State Representative Ruth Ann Gaines (D-Des Moines).

 You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Blubrry, Google Play Music, Stitcher, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Podbean, or Spotify. The Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast can only exist due to the generosity of our sponsors.

This show is sponsored in part by American Principles Project, a conservative political think tank in Washington, D.C. American Principles Project believes that human dignity should be at the heart of public policy. They work in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C. to promote life, religious freedom, local control over education, authentic economic progress for working Americans, and a return to constitutional principles, such as federalism. Want to help American Principles Project? Visit their website today. Sign up for e-mail updates, send a small (or large) donation their way, help them out. They are a great group.

Also, be sure to check out Travis Risvold of Modern Woodmen of America. Call Travis at 515-883-0029. He can help you find the life insurance YOU need.

Today for the Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast, Shane Vander Hart discusses a pimp running for office in Nevada, an important Supreme Court decision for privacy, and the Southern Poverty Law Center's recent settlement with the Quilliam Foundation.----more----

Would you vote for a pimp?

Reuters reports that Christian conservatives are backing a self-described pimp. Here's an excerpt:

Meet Dennis Hof, whose political rise reflects fundamental changes in electoral norms that have roiled the Republican Party and upended American politics during the era of President Donald Trump.

“This really is the Trump movement,” Hof, 71, told Reuters in an interview at Moonlite BunnyRanch, his brothel near Carson City in northern Nevada that was featured on the HBO reality television series “Cathouse.”

“People will set aside for a moment their moral beliefs, their religious beliefs, to get somebody that is honest in office,” he said. “Trump is the trailblazer, he is the Christopher Columbus of honest politics.”

Shane discusses on the podcast.

A Win for Privacy

The U.S. Supreme Court released their five to four ruling in Carpenter v. United States, a case that had some major 4th Amendment implications, they decided that the police will generally need to obtain a warrant before they can track your cell phone location.

Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote for the majority, said:

Given the unique nature of cell phone location records, the fact that the information is held by a third party does not by itself overcome the user’s claim to Fourth Amendment protection. Whether the Government employs its own surveillance technology as inJones or leverages the technology of a wireless carrier, we hold that an individual maintains a legitimate expectation of privacy in the record of his physical movements as captured through CSLI. The location information obtained from Carpenter’s wireless carriers was the product of a search…. A person does not surrender all Fourth Amendment protection by venturing into the public sphere.

Shane further describes the ruling and its implications.

The Southern Poverty Law Center Eats Crow

Shane rehashed his report from earlier this week about the Southern Poverty Law Center settlement that included a public apology and $3.375 Million payment to the Quilliam Foundation, a counter-extremism think tank, and its founder Maajid Nawaz for wrongly adding them to their Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists.

Shane noted a joint statement from several organizations and individuals who have found themselves in the left-wing group's crosshairs not for hate, but for advocating for traditional marriage and against Islamic terrorism. They write:

Editors, CEOs, shareholders and consumers alike are on notice: anyone relying upon and repeating its misrepresentations is complicit in the SPLC’s harmful defamation of large numbers of American citizens who, like the undersigned, have been vilified simply for working to protect our country and freedoms.

With this significant piece of evidence in mind, we call on government agencies, journalists, corporations, social media providers and web platforms (i.e., Google, Twitter, YouTube and Amazon) that have relied upon this discredited organization to dissociate themselves from the Southern Poverty Law Center and its ongoing effort to defame and vilify mainstream conservative organizations.

 

You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Blubrry, Google Play Music, Stitcher, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Podbean, or Spotify.

The Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast can only exist due to the generosity of our sponsors.

This show is sponsored in part by American Principles Project, a conservative political think tank in Washington, D.C. American Principles Project believes that human dignity should be at the heart of public policy. They work in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C. to promote life, religious freedom, local control over education, authentic economic progress for working Americans, and a return to constitutional principles, such as federalism. Want to help American Principles Project? Visit their website today. Sign up for e-mail updates, send a small (or large) donation their way, help them out. They are a great group.

Also, be sure to check out Travis Risvold of Modern Woodmen of America. Call Travis at 515-883-0029. He can help you find the life insurance YOU need.

We are back with The Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast! Welcome to our 50th episode! We apologize for the hiatus, our host Shane Vander Hart was traveling last week and early this week.

For this episode, Shane introduces a new segment to the podcast – items of interest. This segment is similar to the “news you can use” segment aired on Caffeinated Thoughts Radio. So in addition to interviews, Shane will highlight different stories and events to provide analysis and his opinion which he so freely gives.

For this episode:

* More Americans say pornography is morally acceptable

* Religious liberty is officially dead in Canada.

* President Trump says some interesting things about North Korea’s leader Kim Jung Un.

And later in the podcast, Shane speaks with Jonathan Williams, the Chief Economist and Vice President for the American Legislative Exchange Council who is the author of a new report ranking each governor’s State of the State address, as well as, the Rich States, Poor States Report.

How did Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Legislature do? What is Iowa’s economic outlook?

Listen to the podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Blubrry, Google Play Music, Stitcher, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Podbean, or Spotify.

The Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast can only exist due to the generosity of our sponsors.

This show is sponsored in part by American Principles Project, a conservative political think tank in Washington, D.C. American Principles Project believes that human dignity should be at the heart of public policy. They work in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C. to promote life, religious freedom, local control over education, authentic economic progress for working Americans, and a return to constitutional principles, such as federalism. Want to help American Principles Project? Visit their website today. Sign up for e-mail updates, send a small (or large) donation their way, help them out. They are a great group.

Also, be sure to check out Travis Risvold of Modern Woodmen of America. Call Travis at 515-883-0029. He can help you find the life insurance YOU need.

On the Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast, Shane Vander Hart discusses Iowa's economic outlook with Jonathan Williams with the American Legislative Exchange Council. Plus, more Americans think porn is morally acceptable, religious liberty is dead in Canada, and Donald Trump has declared the North Korea summit a success.----more----

We are back with The Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast! Welcome to our 50th episode! We apologize for the hiatus, our host Shane Vander Hart was traveling last week and early this week.

For this episode, Shane introduces a new segment to the podcast - items of interest. This segment is similar to the "news you can use" segment aired on Caffeinated Thoughts Radio. So in addition to interviews, Shane will highlight different stories and events to provide analysis and his opinion which he so freely gives.

For this episode:

More Americans say pornography is morally acceptable

Religious liberty is officially dead in Canada.

President Trump says some interesting things about North Korea's leader Kim Jung Un.

And later in the podcast, Shane speaks with Jonathan Williams, the Chief Economist and Vice President for the American Legislative Exchange Council who is the author of a new report ranking each governor’s State of the State address, as well as, the Rich States, Poor States Report.

How did Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Legislature do? What is Iowa's economic outlook?

 

You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Blubrry, Google Play Music, Stitcher, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Podbean, or Spotify.

The Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast can only exist due to the generosity of our sponsors.

This show is sponsored in part by American Principles Project, a conservative political think tank in Washington, D.C. American Principles Project believes that human dignity should be at the heart of public policy. They work in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C. to promote life, religious freedom, local control over education, authentic economic progress for working Americans, and a return to constitutional principles, such as federalism. Want to help American Principles Project? Visit their website today. Sign up for e-mail updates, send a small (or large) donation their way, help them out. They are a great group.

Also, be sure to check out Travis Risvold of Modern Woodmen of America. Call Travis at 515-883-0029. He can help you find the life insurance YOU need.

On this episode of the Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast, our host Shane Vander Hart speaks with Sheila Matheney, one of four Republican candidates that will be on the ballot in Iowa House District 84 for the primary on June 5th.

Matheney, Martin Amos (interview), Trevor Lynn (interview), and Joe Mitchell are competing for the Republican nomination to challenge Democrat candidate Jason Moats for a seat that is open upon the retirement of State Representative David Heaton (R-Mount Pleasant).

Matheney was born and raised in Troy, Missouri, where her parents were teachers and owned a construction company. During her school years, she spent numerous weekends and summers on her grandparent’s family farm near Troy.

She graduated from Buchanan High School and went on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Health Sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia becoming a Licensed and Certified Speech Pathologist.

She met and married Ryan Matheney from Mount Pleasant and the family moved there in 2002 after buying a business. In 2004, Matheney went back to school and earned her Long-Term Care Administrators Degree from DMACC. Today, the Matheney’s own and operate Arbor Court, The Willows, and Arbor Village, a retirement community with 62 Skilled Nursing Facility beds, 12 Assisted Living apartments, and 52 Independent Living duplexes.

They continue to invest in the community. Recently, their Arbor Village South campus added 19 Assisted Living apartments, known as Silver Palms, set to open in May. Also, they are currently under construction for 24 new apartments located in Linden Heights, known as Heather Branch Estates, to help meet the workforce housing shortage in the district. The businesses employ more than 85 people.

Matheney and her husband, Ryan have been married for 22 years. The couple has two children, Jordan, 18 and Nick,13.

Listen to the podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Blubrry, Google Play Music, Stitcher, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Podbean, or Spotify.

The Caffeinated Thoughts Podcast can only exist due to the generosity of our sponsors.

This show is sponsored in part by American Principles Project, a conservative political think tank in Washington, D.C. American Principles Project believes that human dignity should be at the heart of public policy. They work in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C. to promote life, religious freedom, local control over education, authentic economic progress for working Americans, and a return to constitutional principles, such as federalism. Want to help American Principles Project? Visit