Top Priority | Ideas for Human Flourishing

Show: 035 Top Priority Podcast | No-Knock Raids

Date Recorded: January 14, 2021

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Americans for Prosperity Foundation

Guests: Jeremiah Mosteller, Senior Policy Analyst of Criminal Justice Reform, Americans for Prosperity

Show Notes & Timestamps

• What exactly is a no-knock raid? min [5:01]
• What does the Constitution require for a warrant? min [5:20]
• What three instances can be used to justify a no-knock warrant or no-knock raid? min [6:29] 
• How often are no-knock raids done and the most common situation they are used? min [8:30]
• If you're concerned about a violent response, why do a violent entry? Couldn't you avoid violence by apprehending the suspect using alternative tactics? min [11:51]
• How has the use of SWAT changed since it was created? min [13:35]
• Why worry about suspects destroying evidence if the evidence is drugs? Isn't that still a win? min [15:20] 
• What has happened in communities or states that banned the use of no-knock raids? min [16:33]
• How our Community views no-knock raids through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [20:19]
• How our Community views no-knock raids through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [23:17]
• How our Community views no-knock raids through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [25:27]
• How our Community views no-knock raids through the lens of the fourth mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [27:21]

Guest Bio:

Jeremiah Mosteller serves as the senior policy analyst for criminal justice at Americans for Prosperity, where he works alongside our millions of activists and a diverse coalition partners to advance criminal justice reform in 38 states and Congress. Before joining AFP, Jeremiah served on the criminal justice teams at the Due Process Institute, the Charles Koch Institute, and Prison Fellowship. Over his many years in this policy space, he has sought to make the criminal justice system more restorative, effective, and constructive while also upholding the rule of law and proper due process protections. Jeremiah is a graduate of Liberty University School of Law, where he also earned his Master’s in Business Administration. He received his B.S. from Western Carolina University.

Our Vision:

We break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential. This moves our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others improve their lives.

History demonstrates people are capable of extraordinary things when they have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and succeed. We can transform society by breaking the internal and external barriers that prevent people from realizing their potential, enabling all people to improve their lives and find fulfillment by helping others do the same.

This vision is guided by the following mutually reinforcing principles:

• Equal Rights A system of equal rights—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—requires respect for the dignity of all people and equality under the law.

• Mutual Benefit When the values and laws of society respect the dignity of individuals and uphold their rights, people succeed by creating value for others, motivating them to assist rather than harm one another.
• Openness Equal rights and mutual benefit foster openness by allowing the free movement of ideas, resources and people that generate knowledge, innovation, and opportunity, fueling progress throughout society.

• Self-Actualization For such a society to exist, its key institutions—education, communities, business, government—remove rather than erect barriers to people realizing their potential and finding fulfillment.  As more people have the opportunity to use their unique talents to succeed by helping others improve their lives, society flourishes.

To realize this vision, we strive to build movements of millions by inspiring and equipping principled social-change entrepreneurs to bring us closer to a society of mutual benefit by eliminating injustice of all kinds. We stand by our principles at whatever cost, with a commitment to unite with anybody willing to dedicate themselves to any of these goals.

Recognizing the magnitude of the task, our efforts are guided by a heightened sense of urgency.  We are committed to continually transforming ourselves and our organizations, constantly experimenting, learning and innovating. As we improve and add to our capabilities, new opportunities open, which point to the need for additional capabilities, and so on, in never-ending cycles of improvement and human betterment.

Stand Together Website 

Show: 034 Top Priority | Understanding Stakeholder Capitalism

Date Recorded: January 21, 2021

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Russell Greene, Associate Director, Institution of Business at Stand Together

Show: 033 Top Priority Podcast | "Reclaiming the American Dream" with Evan Feinberg

Date Recorded: February 18, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Evan Feinberg, Executive Director at Stand Together Foundation

 Additional Links:

• Reclaiming the American Dream

Show: 032 Top Priority Podcast | Does "Big Tech" Need Its Own Regulator

Date Recorded: February 4, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Neil Chilson, Senior Research Fellow for technology and innovation at the Charles Koch Institute

 Additional Links:

• Does Big Tech Need Its Own Regulator?

Guest Bio:

Neil Chilson is a senior research fellow for technology and innovation at the Charles Koch Institute where he spearheads the Institute’s efforts to foster an environment that encourages innovation and the individual and societal progress it makes possible.

Prior to joining CKI, Chilson was the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) chief technologist. In this capacity, he focused on understanding the economics of privacy, convening a workshop on informational injury, and establishing the FTC’s Blockchain Working Group, among other things. Prior to his appointment, Chilson was an adviser to then-Acting FTC Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen. In both roles he advised Chairman Ohlhausen and worked with commission staff on nearly every major technology-related case, report, workshop, and proceeding. Chilson practiced telecommunications law at Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP before joining the FTC in January 2014.

Chilson is a regular contributor to multiple news outlets, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Seattle Times, and Morning Consult.

Chilson holds a law degree from the George Washington University Law School and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He received his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Harding University.

Show: 031 Top Priority Podcast | How Altering Section 230 Threatens the Free Speech of Marginalized Communities

Date Recorded: November 13, 2020 

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy 

Guests: Billy Easley, Sr. Policy Analyst, Americans for Prosperity Foundation

Additional Resources  

• Slate | Revising the Law That Lets Platforms Moderate Content Will Silence Marginalized Voices
• Ep 005 Top Priority | Section 230 of Communications Decency Act
• The Stand Together Community 

Our Vision

We break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential. This moves our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others improve their lives.

History demonstrates people are capable of extraordinary things when they have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and succeed. We can transform society by breaking the internal and external barriers that 

prevent people from realizing their potential, enabling all people to improve their lives and find fulfillment by helping others do the same. 

This vision is guided by the following mutually reinforcing principles:

Equal Rights

A system of equal rights—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—requires respect for the dignity of all people and equality under the law. 

Mutual Benefit

When the values and laws of society respect the dignity of individuals and uphold their rights, people succeed by creating value for others, motivating them to assist rather than harm one another.

Openness

Equal rights and mutual benefit foster openness by allowing the free movement of ideas, resources, and people that generate knowledge, innovation, and opportunity, fueling progress throughout society.
 

Self-Actualization

For such a society to exist, its key institutions— education, communities, business, government— remove rather than erect barriers to people 

realizing their potential and finding fulfillment. 

As more people have the opportunity to use their unique talents to succeed by helping others improve their lives, society flourishes. To realize this vision, we strive to build movements of millions by inspiring and equipping principled social-change entrepreneurs to bring us closer to a society of mutual benefit by eliminating injustice of all kinds. 

We stand by our principles at whatever cost, with a commitment to unite with anybody willing to dedicate themselves to any of these goals. Recognizing the magnitude of the task, our efforts are guided by a heightened sense of urgency.  We are committed to continually transforming ourselves and our organizations, constantly experimenting, learning, and innovating. As we improve and add to our capabilities, new opportunities open, which point to the need for additional capabilities, and so on, in never-ending cycles of improvement and human betterment.

Show: 028 Top Priority Podcast | **Just in Time** Facebook, Twitter, and THAT Hunter Biden Story 

Date Recorded: October 21, 2020 

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy 

Guests: Jesse Blumenthal, VP of Tech & Innovation, Stand Together 

• The New York Post released an investigative report on the corruption of Hunter Biden and Big Tech responded. min [1:30] 
• The Stand Together Principles for Continued Tech Leadership: Possible under US laws and Based in American Values min [17:28] 
• Tech Giants need to shape up on data and speech 

Additional Resources  

• 7 Principles for Reforming Section 230 (and none include policing internet speech) 
• What 20 Years of Internet Law Teaches Us about Innovation Policy by Adam Thierer 
• Ep 005 Top Priority | **Just in Time** Section 230 of Communications Decency Act 

Show: 027 Top Priority Podcast | Talking Civil Asset Forfeiture with Captain Leigh Mattox 

Date Recorded: October 12, 2020 

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy 

Guests: Captain Leigh Mattox  

Captain Leigh Mattox explains the two types of asset forfeiture, including civil asset forfeiture min [7:44] 

Additional Resources  

• Ep 026 Top Priority | Civil Asset Forfeiture and Criminal Justice Reform 
• Dick Carpenter of Institute for Justice | TEDx Talk on Civil Asset Forfeiture  
• The Supreme Court Strikes a Blow Issues Unanimous Ruling in Favor of 8th Amendment Rights
• Remove bad incentives such as civil asset forfeiture and qualified immunity 
• Ep 002 Top Priority | Overcriminalization & Criminal Justice Reform 
• The Stand Together Community