American Viewpoints

With the destruction of Helene still affecting Americans throughout the Southeast and Hurricane Milton on the the way to Florida, many politicial activists, pundits, and officials are - again - pointing to "climate change" as the reason for the frequency and intensity of dangerous storms. In this discussion, Craig Rucker from CFACT (Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow) disputes the claims and sa...

It's as predictable as can be in politics, right? Organized labor, especially the biggest unions, align with Democrats. Most of the time, that's the case but the Teamsters' national leadership surprised many political observers and operatives by declining to endorse any candidate in the 2024 presidential race. In this discussion, the Competitive Enterprise Institute's Sean Higgins assesses that de...

Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Wilson Freeman explains why some broadcasters are going to court to fight an FCC proposal that would mandate the reporting of racial and gender demographics of their employees. Among the immediate concerns are the possibility of DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion), hiring-quota type of requirements. Among the long-term concerns is that the possibility of mandating...

Before activist ideas take hold and grow in places of influence like business board rooms, governments, and even non profit groups, they are generated and grown somewhere - that's often on college and university campuses. In this discussion that originally aired on NewsTalk STL, Speech First's Cherise Trump explains why she belives the pushback against the leftist ideas has momentum and could win...

Paul Hutchinson, executive producer of Sound of Freedom - the film that spotlighted the horrors of the child sex trafficking trade, reacts to the shocking news & allegations we're now getting about sex-based parties in Hollywood. Those accusations are related to the parties hosted by "P Diddy" (aka Sean Combs). Hutchinson says the trafficking trade and sexual abuse is far more widespread than most...

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recently issued an official advisory on mental health and parenting, saying government should offer more support and resources to parents because rearing children today is harder than it has been for previoius generations. In this discussion, Chris Bullivant from the Institute for Family Studies takes issue with the doctor's prescription of more government to be inv...

Inflation is coming back down to earth and it's rising at a lower rate than before. That's the good news. The bad newes is that today's inflation - while better - piles on top of the high inflation over the past few years. A new report says what most of us already feel: wages have not kept up with inflation. In other words, we've fallen behind and it could take years for many people to catch up fi...

Often relegated to an historical artifact, the US Constitution isn't often held in the same regard as in generations past. Former Virginia Deputy Attorney General Ken Davis, writing for Townhall.com, argues that last week's Constitution Day (it's a real thing, look it up) should be a reminder for our nation to recommit to the principles of the document and to the restraints it puts on government....

Former IDF paratrooper Uri Goldflam has fought Islamic terrorists first-hand. Now, he's making the case for the West to support Israel in its battle for survival at a time when antisemitic protests are far too common around the nation. In this discussion, Goldflam details the current war against Iran and her proxiesas well as why he believes all western nations, especially the US, should be on Isr...

Can we be too connected? Maybe. New research indicates that the pressure of being connected online and on text could come at a cost to our mental and physical health. In this discussion, Dr Marschall Runge from the University of Michigan Medical School explains what we now know. He also discusses the debates over banning cell phones in schools, which is happening in some states and districts aroun...

Jordan Fischetti, immigration policy analyst for Americans For Prosperity, assesses both the debate about and the policies related to immigration in the US. This includes discussions of both legal and illegal immigration.

Host Mike Ferguson assesses the ABC Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. * thumbnail image courtesy of ABC News via Youtube

The Conservative Partnership Institute's Hugh Fike discusses the current debate over keeping the federal government from "shutting down". Basically, the current spending authorization to keep the government running expires at the end of this month. The continuing resolution to extend government funding isn't generally controversial but the GOP addition of the SAVE Act has Democrats (and a few Repu...

Depending on who you ask, Donald Trump is either the most pro life president in US history or he's unprincipled on the issue. Or somewhere in between. Suzanne Bowdey from the Washington Stand's recent article on his mixed messaging regarding abortion looks at the conflict between pro life advocates, conservatives, and Trump's MAGA movement. She discusses that in this segment. For more information:...

Chris Dorr from the American Firearms Association reacts to the news of the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia and the immediate call by some on the Left to enact more gun control laws. This discussion took place on NewsTalk STL and happened before the 14-year-old suspect's father was also charged in connection with the four deaths.

It's playing in theaters across the nation now: Reagan, the biopic about our 40th President. Marshall R. Teague plays Eduard Shevardnadze (USSR Foreign Minister under Mikhail Gorbachev) in the film and discusses his role, the effort to make a movie about Reagan that's fair, and the need for history to reflect Ronald Reagan's legacy - good, bad, and otherwise, accurately. For more information: http...

Is there a stealth lobbying campaign designed to bolster climate activism within the courts? In this discussion, OH Skinner from the Alliance for Consumers details the work some environmental interest groups are doing under the guise of education and training for judges. For more information (National Review article): https://allianceforconsumers.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Climate_Activism_Com...

Congress is debating two (related) ideas for regulating what happens online. Specifically, the question is how to best protect children from the ills of social media. That includes everything from blocking ads targeting children to the dangers of groomers and traffickers. Some of the complexity lies in the need to protect freedom of speech and as open of a marketplace as possible. In this discussi...

Academic freedom is important but can it be abused to the point of making taxpayers fund political activism? According to Rick Hess from the American Enterprise Institute, the answer is yes. Where is the line between respecting the right to free speech and making the public pay for specific opinioins and activism? That's the focus of this discussion. For more information: https://www.aei.org/resea...

To some degree, there's one area of economic policy that find agreement with some Republicans and some Democrats. The problem is that area of agreement pushes prices up on things most people need to buy. In this discussion, the National Taxpayer Union's Bryan Riley discusses the effort to use tariffs (and other costs added to imports) and how that affects our cost of living. For more information:...

It's one thing to understand the issues. It's another to understand how to debate those issues, which cam be divisive. In this discussion, Mercatus Center Executive Director Ben Klutsey discusses the campaign to teach civil discourse in America. Is there a place for that in our classrooms? For more information: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/teaching-civil-discourse-a-classroom-blueprint-for...

Since the fatal confrontation between Michael Brown and a Ferguson, Missouri Police officer, the start of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the resulting growth in anti-police activism, many communities are finding it more difficult to keep their officers and recruit new additions to their police departments. Logan Seacrest a Resident Fellow at the R Street Institute looked into ways department...

Ten years ago, Ferguson, Missouri was in chaos and what we now know as the Black Lives Matter movement was born following the death of Michael Brown. Brown, multiple investigations showed, assaulted a police officer and was shot during the confrontation. Still, narratives about police brutality and years of sometimes-violent protests resulted in significant changes to law enforcement, academia, an...

Elaine Parker from the Job Creators Network assesses the latest Consumer Price Index (inflation) report. She also differentiates between the current inflation rate, which is within the target range of a healthy economy, and the effect of multi-year inflation increases that have pushed up the prices of most essentials over the last three years. For more information: https://www.jobcreatorsnetwork.c...

RedState.com writer Joe Cunningham assesses the race for president as the Democrats head into their national convention. He focuses on the importance of Donald Trump staying disciplined and on-message when it comes to his abilituy to win the election. For more information: https://redstate.com/joesquire/2024/08/14/trump-on-the-campaign-trail-today-can-he-stick-to-his-economic-message-n2178090