775 Alive

We are joined by Dr. Hank Thurston, CEO of Anthracene Softworks, an Elko, Nevada-based artificial intelligence company. Crystal and Scott engage Hank on his interests in AI, how AI and traditional forms of data modelling are different, and the problems inherent in AI design and use across construction, financial markets, and election fraud monitoring. The three of us also discuss how AI might bene...

As the federal shutdown over the FY26 budget continues, Crystal and Scott take a look at the issues swirling around the melodrama, including immigration, health care subsidies, and how the effort of House Republicans to restore the regular budgeting process may lead to a more active Congress in 2026. We also look at how the continuing shutdown impacts Nevada, where 28% of the budget is coming from...

President Trump's September 23rd speech to the UN General Assembly rejected two key components of modern international policy, climate change and mass immigration. Crystal and Scott discuss the ways that the UN has succeeded and failed over the years. We also delve into changes in American foreign aid policies since DOGE. Finally, the conclusion of Trump's speech is examined and what it...

The free speech debate after the Charlie Kirk assassination, especially around Jimmy Kimmel and the allegations of FCC influence, were followed closely by Crystal and Scott on both sides of the state. We finally had a chance to discuss the issue of what might have happened with the Kimmel suspension, as well as the role of the FCC and the freedom of speech. We also look at how an old media/new med...

Crystal and Scott recap their recent meetings in Las Vegas and the many topics that emerged in this initial effort to "Bridge The Gaps" across Nevada. Some of the topics covered include the Lithium Loop uniting northern and southern Nevada, rural media, the ongoing debates over primary endorsements among Republicans, issues such the future of sharia law in the United States, and toxic fe...

Yadusha Jones, leader of Moms For Liberty Nevada and Chair of the Clark County Chapter, joins Crystal and Scott to discuss the Moms For Liberty project and its expansion into rural Nevada. Key issues include why Moms for Liberty is necessary, problems with current school board practices, civics education and teaching the Constitution, and legislation concerning libraries. Filmed in Las Vegas at th...

Mail ballots for elections continue to roil election debates, with arguments ranging from their importance to increase minority turnout to allegations they are a mechanism for fraud. Crystal and Scott delve into controversies in Nevada, one of only 8 states that use universal mail ballots that are sent to all registered voters. Major topics include the differences between opt-in and opt-out mail b...

The recent funding cuts to public media have resulted in claims that it is rural communities that will suffer most of all. Crystal and Scott delve into the world of rural public media, how it operates in rural Nevada, and what its end might mean. We cover the history of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), National Public Radio (NPR), and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), as well as...

Redistricting has emerged as the hottest news topic over the last month, nationally and here in Nevada. Crystal and Scott talk about how redistricting, especially Scott’s recent involvement with a redistricting controversy in the city of Henderson, Nevada’s gerrymandered map, and what this might for a Nevada ballot question on an independent redistricting commission. We also look at the factors th...

Guest Caleb Cage (Arc Dome Strategies and Nevada Battery Coalition) joins Crystal and Scott to discuss Nevada's emerging lithium industry. Caleb describes closing the Lithium Loop, where all aspects of the lithium industry--mining, processing, manufacturing, and recycling--are located entirely in Nevada. The Lithium Loop promises to liberate Nevada's economy from a reliance on only extra...

Will the Citizenship question be on the 2030 Census? The issue is back in the news, so Crystal gets up the nerve to ask Scott about the Census and his work on the 2020 Census. We discuss what the citizenship question might mean about political representation and federal funding for sanctuary states, as well as some common issues with the Census and whether alternatives are actually possible. 

 With the struggle of the Trump administration to cut off federal funding to Harvard continuing, Crystal and Scott look at the various dimensions of the issues, from Harvard's brand identity to its advising and consulting projects globally to how dependent even rural Nevada communities are on university research centers that are subject to little oversight. 

Crystal's recent visit to Tampa for the 2025 Turning Point USA Student Action Summit (SAS) left her shocked at both the interest in the Epstein files from Gen-Z and their growing power in politics. Crystal and Scott discuss whether Gen-Z will be more consistently engaged in politics than earlier young generations, what the absence of Gen-Zers in the rurals means, and also a little bit about t...

The story out of the Nevada State Legislature this year is Governor Joe Lombardo's new record of 87 vetoes. Since this podcast started with discussing the 2025 Legislative session, Crystal and Scott turn back to look at what happened and then discuss the increasingly active role of governors in American politics, from standing up to the federal government to becoming one of the most fertile r...

The strike on Iran's nuclear facilities is one of the hottest stories at the moment. Crystal and Scott take a dive into the various controversies, including the war-making powers of the president, the role of media leaks, what Iran attempted to gain, and what the effects of the strike are likely to be. 

This episode covers the basics of the Big Beautiful Bill. Scott and Crystal talk about what is in the bill, what the bill hopes to accomplish and what the bill means to the overall Trump strategy. Plus, our hot take on whether are Elon and Trump's spat is real. 

Scott and Crystal discuss the anti-ICE riots in LA breaking out in early June 2025 in light of our earlier conversations on the culture of protesting (see Episode 004: The Culture of Protesting ). We also talk about the differences between these riots and earlier riots in the 2020 "Summer of Love", the 1992 Rodney King Riots, and the 1960s riots in Watts and Detroit. The role of the mili...

Crystal and Scott tackle the issue of district judges currently dominating national headlines. Topics for discussion include the 775's Thacker Pass Lithium Mine case, the Alien Enemies Act, Birthright Citizenship, and the ability of district court judges to issue nationwide injunctions through the process of jurisdiction shopping. We also highlight the theory recently put forward by Fifth Cir...

 Inspired by Crystal watching a video about an AI-powered robot attacking workers trying to turn it off, her and Scott discuss the impact of AI from the perspective of the 775. Topics include how rural Nevada is becoming a potential location for the data farms to power AI, the nature of AI intelligence, deep fakes in politics and the Nevada Legislature, and how AI might impact jobs in the urban an...

DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, is one of the most controversial programs of the second Trump administration. Crystal and Scott discuss the issues around DOGE, historical and modern bureaucracies, and how the process might not be as radical as it appears in the media. 

 Nevada is one of the seven current swing states in the nation--a status it has maintained since becoming a state in 1864. Crystal and Scott discuss how two separate political cultures, rural and urban, may be interacting to keep Nevada a swing state. 

  Crystal’s video of the “Hands Off” Protests on April 5th in Carson City sparked a discussion during a Zoom test call about modern protest culture. Are protests authentic uses of First Amendment protections if the protesters are paid or organized on a large scale? Are modern protests effective at creating change, a tool for political parties, or callback to the “glory days” of 1960s social moveme...

 Mining is one of the most important industries in rural Nevada, but one that raises numerous controversies. Crystal and Scott dive into some of these controversies around the economic and environmental issues from the gold mining currently taking place and the potential of lithium mining in the region. We also discuss the possibilities of the Lithium Loop, where Nevada would be both mining the li...

 With tariffs leading news headlines at the moment, Crystal and Scott chat about tariffs from an economic and historical perspective. Topics include different kinds of tariffs, the long history of tariffs in American policy, and how modern Keynesian economics view tariffs as a threat to economic stability. We wrap up with some speculation of how the proposed tariffs will impact those living in the...

Here in Nevada, the biennial Nevada State Legislature is in session. While Republicans might (barely) dominate the three branches of government at the national level, Democrats dominate both houses of the Nevada State Legislature. Crystal and Scott delve into what this means in terms of legislative priorities at both the state and national levels.