Why has college tuition skyrocketed to 150% above the rate of inflation over the last 40 years? People on every corner of political spectrums are pissed about it, too! It's one of many reasons I'm against the "cancelling" of student loans - it would further drive college costs up. So, why is college so expensive? Join me as I sit down with the Dean of Social Sciences from a local community college to get his perspective from inside academia.

Over the weekend, Iran fired over 300 drones and missiles at Israel. Half of them failed in the air. All but 5 were shot out of the air by Israel and their allies. By all measures it was not a success, but could lead to further escalation of tensions and conflict in the Middle East. Should Israel retaliate? Was the show of force without any real damage inflicted Iran's goal the entire time? What does all this mean for Biden and Trump in an election year?

- 60 Minutes/The Insider/Der Spiegel's reporting on the alleged connection of Russia's GRU in the attacks on US officers and their families known as Havana Syndrome, or what the government now calls anomalous health incidents. Last year's US intelligence report claimed it was "very unlikely" caused by a foreign adversary, but the reporting indicates a pretty clear connection to Russia. Is this a cover up from an administration constantly trying to "not escalate" conflict with our adversaries? Even adversaries who are violently attacking our high-performing intelligence officers on American soil?

SOURCES:

Havana Syndrome & Energy Weapons: Russian Involvement Would Demand Strong U.S. Response  

https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/04/a-havana-syndrome-cover-up/

Unraveling Havana Syndrome: New evidence links the GRU's assassination Unit 29155 to mysterious attacks on U.S. officials and their families  

https://theins.ru/en/politics/270425

Havana Syndrome mystery continues as a lead military investigator says bar for proof was set impossibly high

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/havana-syndrome-culprit-investigation-new-evidence-60-minutes-transcript/

ShotSpotter Frequently Asked Questions  

https://www.soundthinking.com/faqs/shotspotter-faqs/

Independent Audit of the ShotSpotter Accuracy 2019-2022  

https://www.edgewortheconomics.com/assets/htmldocuments/Independent%20Audit%20of%20the%20ShotSpotter%20Accuracy%202019-2022.pdf

RINO Hunt  

https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/boilingfrogs/rino-hunt/

What could sway the votes of 'double haters' who don't like Biden, Trump? They explain.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/sway-votes-double-haters-biden-trump-explain/story?id=108250815

Why Hasn’t Biden Called Chris Christie?

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/03/29/biden-anti-trump-republicans-00149610

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On this episode, I explore these key topics: ISIS-K's attack in Russia, Biden's housing proposals, and the U.S.'s historic oil production in 2023.

First, I talk about the ISIS-K attack on Russia, and the ignored warning by the U.S. about the intelligence predicting exactly such an attack. How will this affect the war in Ukraine, if at all?

Shifting to U.S. domestic policy, I critique President Biden's housing market proposals. Despite intentions to lower housing prices, Biden's focus on demand-side economics may inadvertently raise prices further, neglecting the crucial issue of housing supply constraints. I argue that federal, state, and local regulations, such as zoning laws and permit costs, obstruct the construction of affordable housing, exacerbating the American housing crisis.

Lastly, I highlight the record-breaking U.S. oil production in 2023, emphasizing its importance in energy independence and economic stability. This milestone, despite many Americans being completely unaware of it, illustrates the critical link between energy costs and the broader economy, showcasing the benefits of domestic energy production on controlling inflation and living costs.

---------------------

SOURCES:

Journal of Public Economics  

https://bit.ly/498yVRS

National Review - The Islamic State's Terribly Inconvenient Terrorism  

https://bit.ly/3TPNsNP

Business Insider - Russia's security services parade brutal treatment of terror suspects  

https://bit.ly/49ehy25

Congress.gov - Witness Testimony by Kurilla M  

https://bit.ly/3xbzSvx

Pillsbury Law - US Repeals Longstanding Ban on Export of Crude Oil  

https://bit.ly/3TyComR

National Affairs - A Way Forward on Housing  

https://bit.ly/3vEHyWt

EIA - Today in Energy: Crude Oil Production  

https://bit.ly/4acC04B

Can America’s cars be 100% electric by 2050? Democrats think so, but what does the data say? The Biden Administration just announced new regulations on car manufactures requiring 33-41% of their new vehicle sales to be fully electric by 2030 - and that’s less aggressive than their original proposals. But why are we in such a rush to make the switch to EVs when consumers still have doubts? And is it wise to add strain to an already aging and failing electrical grid? That’s a lot of questions - join me as I discuss the answers. 

President Biden delivered the State of the Union address last week, and went full-on partisan campaign speech with it. It was full of lies, half-truths, and legislatively impossible promises. He would be better off throwing a lucky penny in a fountain and making a wish for some of his agenda than getting it through a dysfunctional and hyper-polarized Congress.

And the Republican response wasn't much better, thanks to the cringe-worthy performance put on by Sen. Katie Britt. And for all the talk about Biden's age and mental acuity, maybe we should take a look at Trump's recent incoherent ramblings on live television, as well.

00:02:26 Biden is lying when he says billionaires pay 8% income tax

00:04:33 Are billionaires really taxed at only 8% on income?

00:13:57 Can Biden pay for all his policies with changing the tax code?

00:17:06 Has Biden been fiscally responsible, as he claims?

00:20:40 What is Shrinkflation?

00:26:25 Are Republicans trying to suppress minority voters?

00:33:18 Biden has to apologize for calling an alleged murder "an illegal"

00:37:47 Biden's Israel problem with his progressive base

00:47:38 Biden's wishlist isn't the state of our union - it's a campaign speech

00:54:58 The republican response was...interesting

01:00:57 Trump's flipflop on TikTok

01:07:14 Trump isn't mentally fit to be president, either

01:12:21 Blake's state of the union (not good, bob)

Normally political junkies like my neighbor Mackenzie and myself are glued to our TVs and Twitter (X, whatever) watching the coverage of Super Tuesday, but this year was...boring. We knew going into it Donald Trump and Joe Biden would ride their incumbency to easy victory. But what's next? Nikki Haley has exited the race, but will her voters show up for Trump in November, or will they remember that he and others have explicitly said anyone supporting her during the primary should be "permanently barred" from the party going forward?

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Note: Ep018 and Ep026 also covered the topic of sexual abuse by teachers, if you want some context for this episode's discussion

In this episode, I delve deeper into the critical issue of child sexual abuse by teachers, joined by Amos Guiora, a respected law professor whose work sheds light on the institutional complicity and enabling culture that allows predatory teachers, coaches, preachers, and doctors to continue their abuse. Drawing parallels to the Holocaust, an experience deeply personal to him as both his parents were victims, we discuss the sobering role of bystanders and enablers in perpetuating these crimes.

Exploring the legal landscape surrounding the issue, including the criminalization of enablers, we examine the impact of social media and the responsibilities of educators in preventing abuse. Amos provides valuable insights into the grooming process used by predators and emphasizes the urgent need for education and accountability.

Addressing challenges faced by school administrators, we highlight the necessity of imposing criminal penalties for enablers and the importance of enforcing laws and reporting mechanisms. Amos stresses the significance of genuine accountability and measures to prevent inappropriate electronic communication between teachers and students.

Finally, we discuss the imperative of publicizing accountability and collaborating with legislators, schools, and the public to prioritize the protection of children. Join us as we navigate through these pressing issues and advocate for meaningful change in our society.

Notes:

Russia was all over the news this week. There was Tucker Carlson's interview with Putin, overshadowed by his propagandizing on behalf of the brutal dictator from grocery stores, subways, and fast food joints in Moscow. Then came the assassination of Putin's most outspoken critic, Alexei Navaldy, in the Siberian prison camp he was sentenced to die in for his criticisms. As if those weren't enough, we got Congress talking about Russian plans to fire nukes into space and take out commercial satellites.

I dive into all that and why it's such a bummer the new Right has taken such a Putin-apologetic stance that I think is frankly anti-American. How do we fix the country if both parties think the U.S is a trash country?

Despite Democrats and their media allies trying their best to convince us all Biden is running circles around the White House staff with the vigor of a man half his age, we finally got an official declaration from Robert Hur's special council investigation of Biden's mishandling of classified documents that simply found him to be an "elderly man with a poor memory". He misremembered his son's death by years, and couldn't remember which years he was vice president. If his memory is too bad to press charges, then why are we trusting him to be the commander in chief?