Breaking Battlegrounds

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by Senator Mike Lee of Utah and Matt Gress, a Republican running for the Arizona State House in Legislative District 4. Elected in 2010 as Utah's 16th Senator, Mike Lee has spent his career defending the fundamental liberties of all Americans and advocating for America's founding constitutional principles. Senator Lee serves as the Ranking Republican on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, and on the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. In addition, Senator Lee continues to lead Republicans on the Joint Economic Committee as the Ranking Member, after spending the last two Congresses as Vice Chairman and Chairman, respectively. He also serves on the Senate Commerce Committee and the Senate's Special Committee on Aging. Lee graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Political Science, and served as BYU's Student Body President in his senior year. He graduated from BYU's Law School in 1997 and went on to serve as law clerk to Judge Dee Benson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, and then with future Supreme Court Justice Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Matt Gress is an Arizona conservative, running to represent us in the State House. Matt believes in common sense principles like small government, balanced budgets and individual liberty. From 2017 to 2021, Matt served as a Governing Board Member in the Madison Elementary School District. Where he fought to keep schools open during COVID-19, supported increased school choice and advocated for parents and taxpayers to have a seat at the table in curriculum, hiring decisions and budgeting, including expensive procurement contracts. Matt has served as a faculty associate at Arizona State University and as a budget analyst at the Arizona State Capitol, learning exactly where our tax dollars go. Currently, he serves as the state's top budget chief in the Arizona Governor's Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting. Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam turn their attention to our public school system and the mess that progressives have made of it. First, they are joined by Tom Horne, former Superintendent of Public Instruction for Arizona who is currently running for that office again. Later in the program, Luke Rosiak of the Daily Wire joins the show to talk about the startling discoveries he made while researching his new book, Race to the Bottom, including the Loudoun County school rape that made headlines during the Virginia election last year. Tom Horne, a candidate for Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction. Mr. Horne has served both his community and our state impressively in several elected offices: Paradise Valley School Board member and president; Legislator where he was chair of the academic accountability committee; Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction; and, Arizona Attorney General. As Superintendent, he is most famous for enforcing the English immersion mandate for mostly Spanish-speaking children and getting rid of La Raza studies in Tucson schools. As Attorney General, he earned acclaim for winning lawsuits for Arizona that he argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. Luke Rosiak is an investigative reporter for the Daily Wire and the author of a new book released this week Race to the Bottom. In Race to the Bottom, Luke uncovers the problems in K-12 schools and the shocking reason why American education is failing. Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam sit down with Tiffany Shedd, a Republican running for Attorney General in Arizona, to get an honest look at how an unsecured border has created a humanitarian crisis. Later in the show, Chuck and Sam talk to Justin Clements, spokesman for Project Dynamo, a non-profit organization that is working to evacuate Americans from Ukraine.Tiffany Shedd grew up in Pinal County and worked her way through college and law school at the University of Arizona. She's worked as a bilingual kindergarten teacher, farmer, and natural resource attorney, and owns several small businesses, in addition to being a homeschool mom and an SCTP and 4-H certified pistol and shotgun coach. Living on a major trafficking route in Pinal County, Tiffany has experienced first-hand the consequences of the failure to secure our border and relies on the 2nd Amendment to protect herself and her family. Tiffany's personal experiences with the consequences of an unsecured border, and as an attorney, business owner, and mother are why she is firmly committed to conservative principles and dedicated to making sure Arizona stays great for future generations. Tiffany and her husband Rodney, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, are the fourth generation to farm their land in Pinal County and are proud parents of three children. Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

Since we recorded our show a little early this week, we wanted to put out a brief update with our thoughts on the situation in Ukraine and extend our prayers and support of the Ukrainian people. - Connect with us: www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by former Congressman and Fox News contributor, Jason Chaffetz and National Review senior writer, Charles C.W. Cooke.Jason Chaffetz is a contributor for the Fox News Channel and author of two New York Times best-sellers, Power Grab: The Liberal Scheme to Undermine Trump, the GOP, and Our Republic and The Deep State: How an Army of Bureaucrats Protected Barack Obama and Is Working to Destroy the Trump Agenda. Chaffetz was elected to Congress in 2008 and served until 2017. He was selected by his peers to be Chairman of the powerful Oversight & Government Reform Committee, where he led investigations into the United States Secret Service, the Department of Education I.T. vulnerabilities, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data breach, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Benghazi terrorist attack, Fast & Furious and the IRS scandal. Prior to Congress, he was Chief of Staff to the Governor of Utah. A former placekicker on the Brigham Young University Football Team, he earned his BA in Communications in 1989 and then joined the local business community for 16 years before entering the public sector. Charles Cooke is a senior writer for National Review and the former editor of National Review Online. He is a graduate of the University of Oxford, at which he studied modern history and politics. His work has focused especially on Anglo-American history, British liberty, free speech, the Second Amendment, and American exceptionalism. He is the co-host of the Mad Dogs and Englishmen podcast, and is a regular guest on HBO's (Real Time with Bill Maher). He has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. Connect with us: Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

Broken Potholes is now Breaking Battlegrounds! We're excited for this change as we continue to grow and expand our show with new content and new markets. Connect with us: Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

With Chuck out of the studio this week, Sam is joined by his good friend and Balsz School Board Member Christina Eichelkraut. Christina is a self-described policy wonk who is quite a bit more liberal than a typical Broken Potholes guest and she doesn't shy away from a good debate. Christina has lived in the Balsz School District since she moved to Arizona from Nevada in 2010.In 2014 she moved to the Orangedale Neighborhood and became head of the Neighborhood Association as part of her efforts to get sidewalks on Virginia Avenue (an effort still ongoing -- contact her for details.) She was appointed to the Camelback East Village Planning Committee in 2019 after pointing out to the City Council her area -- south of Thomas -- had zero representation on the advisory board. Christina has lived in Arizona for the past 12 years and has been a Cubs fan her entire life. Her passion for public education and thriving school districts stems from her experience as a community print journalist in Nevada and Arizona. During the Great Recession, she covered urban and rural school districts and saw firsthand how communities suffer when public schools shutter due to lack of enrollment and funding. These experiences led her to become an active civic participant in the Balsz School District. She has canvassed for overrides, ranted at the podium during school board meetings and is a tireless advocate for District initiatives. Christins always makes it a point to listen to and learn from district teachers, parents and staff – who are, after all, also her neighbors. In 2014, Christina fully transitioned from print journalism into digital communications consulting for many Valley small- and medium businesses and nonprofit organizations.Currently, she is a marketing project manager for a Valley firm specializing in small business marketing. Latching on to any excuse to bake bread or pastries, Christina has a tendency to ask for petition signatures with Tupperware in hand. She reads well past her bedtime and is happiest when clacking on her keyboard.Connect with us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrokenPotholes Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brokenpotholes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokenpotholes/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/broken-potholes Show notes: www.brokenpotholes.vote Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Broken Potholes, Chuck and Sam are joined by Dr. Warren Farrell. Dr. Farrell is the author of The Boy Crisis, a comprehensive blueprint for what parents, teachers, and policymakers can do to help our sons become happier, healthier men, and fathers and leaders worthy of our respect.Dr. Warren Farrell has been chosen by The Financial Times as one of the world's top 100 thought leaders. His books are published in over 50 countries, and in 19 languages. They include The New York Times best-seller, Why Men Are the Way They Are, plus the international best-seller, The Myth of Male Power. His most recent is The Boy Crisis (2018, co-authored with John Gray). The Boy Crisis was chosen as a finalist for the Foreword Indies award (the independent publishers' award). Dr. Farrell has been a pioneer in both the women's movement (elected three times to the Board of N.O.W. in NYC) and the men's movement (called by GQ Magazine "The Martin Luther King of the men's movement"). He conducts couples' communication workshops nationwide. He has appeared on over 1000 TV shows and been interviewed by Oprah, Barbara Walters, Peter Jennings, Katie Couric, Larry King, Tucker Carlson, Regis Philbin and Charlie Rose. He has frequently written for and been featured in The New York Times and publications worldwide. Dr. Farrell has two daughters, lives with his wife in Mill Valley, California, and virtually at www.warrenfarrell.com.Connect with us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrokenPotholes Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brokenpotholes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokenpotholes/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/broken-potholes Show notes: www.brokenpotholes.vote Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

In this exclusive, podcast-only episode of Broken Potholes, Chuck and Sam talk with tech entrepreneur Alex Mashinsky to talk about the future of blockchain technology and digital currencies. Alex Mashinsky was born into communism, reared under socialism, and is currently thriving under capitalism. He is a prominent entrepreneur who has founded several companies over the years, including Celsius Network, GroundLink, Transit Wireless, Elematics and Arbinet. Alex disrupted several industries but he is most known as the inventor of VOIP which today enables over 1B people worldwide to use free voice over the internet for free. His new startup Celsius Network, is disrupting the banks, it is a community-based Proof-of-Stake blockchain protocol allowing members to borrow dollars against their crypto assets and to earn interest when they deposit (and lend) their crypto out. he wants 7.5B people to go From VOIP to MOIP (Money over IP). Alex's success as an entrepreneur stems from his acute ability to identify future trends, assemble world-class teams and raise enough money to fund his projects. Two of his companies, Arbinet and Transit Wireless achieved a monopolistic hold in their respective industries and pioneered new business models and groundbreaking technologies. Alex has a long history with high tech, evidenced by his powerful intellectual property portfolio. He has authored over 50 patents that cover aspects of VOIP, Smart Grid, Ad exchanges, Groupon, Twitter, Skype, App Store, Netflix streaming concept and many other top performing web companies. He is one of the leading evangelists of web-based exchanges. Due to his extensive experience as a prolific inventor and a business strategist, Alex has been a featured speaker at over 250 international conferences. He has also made numerous TV appearances on business networks and talk shows. He has received numerous awards, notably the prestigious Albert Einstein Technology Medal in 2000, the Technology Foresight Award for Innovation (presented in Geneva at Telecom '99) and Crain's Top Entrepreneur Award in 2010. He has also been nominated for E&Y's Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2002 and 2011. He recently was named "Top 100 In Crypto" by CoinTelegraph. After years of entrepreneurship, Alex subsequently gravitated towards investing in startups, founding his early stage venture capital firm, Governing Dynamics. Over the years, Alex has raised over $1 billion in venture and private equity funds to help position his startups as leaders in their fields. Arbinet's fundraising efforts were even documented in an HBS case study in 2001. Currently based in New York, Alex serves as a Managing Partner of Governing Dynamics. The firm has invested in Cryptocurencies and ICO's as well as startups focused on AI/ML, biotech and cybersecurity. Alex has invested in over 60 startups over the years, recording many successes and an equal number of failures. As a prominent figure in the New York entrepreneurial scene, he has previously been a member of the YPO's NYC chamber. He believes that "the secret to success is finding something to do in which your skills can exceed your ambitions." - Connect with us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrokenPotholes Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brokenpotholes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokenpotholes/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/broken-potholes Show notes: www.brokenpotholes.vote Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Broken Potholes, Chuck and Sam are joined by two fantastic guest. Ben Leuschner, president of the Phoenix Police Sergeants and Lieutenants Association joins us first in the studio to talk about how the current political climate is affect our police officers and what that means for your safety. Later in the show, Congressman Byron Donalds of Florida calls in with an inside look at the political dysfunction and partisanship in DC. - Ben Leuschner has been with the Phoenix Police Department for almost 28 years, over 20 of those as a supervisor. He worked in nearly every precinct, as well as in investigations. He has been a member of the Phoenix Police Sergeants and Lieutenants Association Executive Board since 2013 and in that time he has seen the damage that can be caused by an ineffective union and a lack of competent representation. He has been a PPSLA representative for almost 9 years and, now that he has been elected President, he is committed to providing outstanding representation to PPSLA members and ensuring that PPSLA is transparent, accountable, and responsive to the needs to its members. - Congressman Byron Donalds grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and he is also the proud son of a hardworking and loving single mother. His mother dedicated her time instilling in him that greatness requires sacrifice, which drives him as a devoted family man and United States Congressman. Byron is a graduate of Florida State University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance and marketing. Byron's career led him to Southwest Florida, where he worked in the banking, finance, and insurance industries. Elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2016, Byron represented Hendry County and east Collier County in the State Capitol. During his tenure in the Florida House, Byron served as the PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee Chair during the 2018-2019 Legislative Session and served as the Insurance & Banking Subcommittee's Chairman 2019-2020 Legislative Session. While serving in the Florida House, primarily focused on elder affairs, criminal justice reform, and ensuring that each child has access to a world-class education. Byron is committed to serving and giving back to the community that gave him so much. He has served Southwest Florida in many ways, including previously serving on the Board of Trustees for Florida Southwestern State College after being appointed by then-Governor Rick Scott. Byron continues to volunteer in his church as a youth leader and a mentor. He also enjoys volunteering as a coach in youth football and basketball leagues. Congressman Byron Donalds lives in Naples, Florida, with his wife, Erika, and their three sons: Damon, Darin, and Mason. Byron has spent his entire adult life serving others, whether it be through volunteering, business, or leadership. He is committed to representing Florida's 19th Congressional District's conservative values in Washington DC to ensure a stronger Florida and a stronger nation. - Connect with us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrokenPotholes Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brokenpotholes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokenpotholes/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/broken-potholes Show notes: www.brokenpotholes.vote Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe