Stephen is often asked how he gets the information that he needs. How does he learn? How does he stay on top of trends? One of the ways, of course, is by reading. Non-fiction certainly isn’t the only type of reading that can teach you about the world. In this episode, Stephen shares how “smart fiction” can teach you about current affairs, from how Russia corrupts and controls the West with dirty money to how nations battle for control[read more]

Sunday, July 11, 2021 could go down in history as the date in which a nation began to change. Something special is happening in Cuba. The 62-year-old Communist regime was rocked for the first time with popular uprising around the entire nation. In this episode, Stephen shares a brief political history of the nation, and asks: could we see Cuba become a democracy in our generation? Has the time come? Will this be the pivotal moment in Cuban history[read more]

It’s very likely that water will be a significant crisis in the United States and around the world in the coming years. We’re seeing a decrease of potable water, especially in the Western United States, where many lakes and reservoirs are dropping down to as low as 10% of capacity. We have to get serious about technologies that will ensure the world has the water it needs. Let’s use our American common sense to save lives and build a[read more]

Stephen tackles one of the latest controversial topics in our politically-charged environment: critical race theory. He explains what it is, where it comes from, and provides his balanced take that sees the nuances in both sides. There have been horrible injustices in African-American history, such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment and the Tulsa race massacre. But is the blanket application of the lens of critical race theory the right way to teach history?

The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment is a critical part of American history, and it may have something to do with why many African Americans are hesitant to get the vaccine. Tune in as Stephen describes how this six-month long program stretched out into 40 years of abuse. Medical researchers purposely misdiagnosed hundreds of black men and failed to treat them properly – even when there was a remedy. Let’s remember: we’re not all living out of the same history. Let’s[read more]

Between 1865 and 1920, African Americans built almost 50 townships in Oklahoma. Many flourished, especially Tulsa’s “Greenwood District,” which became known as “Black Wall Street.” Soon it was the envy of whites in Tulsa. On May 31, 1921 tragedy struck. The city erupted into violence and fire in the infamous Tulsa race massacre. Black Wall Street was destroyed. To add insult to injury, the insurance companies didn’t even pay out to black owners after all of this painful death[read more]

A stunning 27% of white evangelicals believe in the QAnon conspiracy theory – the idea that the government, media, and financial worlds are in league together to run a global child-trafficking ring. Though there absolutely is trafficking in the world – as many as 48 million people, we’re being told – there is zero evidence for QAnon. This QAnon obsession is ripping up families and churches and damaging the soul of our nation. If you really care about trafficking, stop[read more]

The statue version of history omits flaws. This view perpetuates a false belief that the great men and women of history had relatively little existence outside of the great acts for which they are known. The story of the university that wanted to remove a Lincoln statue because the Great Emancipator once said he would allow slavery to continue if it would preserve the Union tells us as much. Our society is waking up to the idea that great[read more]

There’s been a trend of recent decades toward trying to personally destroy the people that we cannot defeat politically. In this episode, Stephen discusses why this trend is toxic to democracy. He also shares a story about the first time he saw it happen in 1987, as well as how the politics of personal destruction affected one of his friends.
This episode originally aired on May 9, 2018.

We have all seen photos and videos of the events of January 6 in Washington, D.C. We witnessed the violence and desecration of the U.S. Capitol. (We must also acknowledge that well-intended people went to pray peacefully for our nation on that day.) The violence, however, should anger any American patriot. Now there is a call for a Congressional commission, which will create a classic D.C. crisis that Stephen explains in this episode. How did the Republicans react to[read more]