Break it Down with Rick and Tim

In this episode of Break It Down with Rick and Tim, the hosts examine the ICE killings of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota and the official government narratives that followed, narratives later contradicted by video evidence. Rick and Tim unpack how claims of “self-defense,” “armed suspects,” and “domestic terrorism” were deployed to shape public perception, highlighting how narrativ...

In this powerful second installment of a two-part deep dive on immigration and ICE in America, Rick and Tim break down the human cost of Donald Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional terror that he has unleashed into our communities. What begins as an observation quickly turns into a moment of real risk, as Tim knowingly puts his own freedom and safety on the line by stepping forward to film and eng...

In this powerful first installment of our two-part deep dive on immigration in America, Rick and Tim break it down to something startling and increasingly unavoidable: historical parallels. From the early tactics of Nazi Germany to the Japanese American internment camps on U.S. soil, we examine how cruelty becomes policy, how fear becomes a weapon, and how the U.S. immigration system has evolved i...

For this bonus episode of Red Pens & Red Flags, I sit down with alternative school educator Tazz Groffe to discuss what real accountability and care look like for students who the system has failed. We dig into state vs. federal control of curriculum, vouchers and funding, DEI done right, and why “choice” without oversight hurts the most vulnerable. Tazz shares frontline worries, from surveill...

In this powerful season finale of Red Pens and Red Flags, we step outside the classroom and into the heart of the home with parent and advocate Bertha Robinson. A single mother of 14 (and counting), Bertha shares what it’s like raising a neurodiverse, multiracial family in today’s volatile education landscape. From busing and DEI rollbacks to special education funding and Project 2025, Bertha offe...

In this powerful sixth episode of Red Pens and Red Flags, host Rictor Riolo steps into the metaphorical (and literal) principal’s office to tackle the deeply unsettling implications of Project 2025 on America’s most vulnerable students. He’s joined by Jennifer Jones, a district administrator for alternative education, and Kaitlen Green, a high school social worker, who offer raw, unfiltered insigh...

In the fifth episode of Red Pens and Red Flags, self-described MAGA conservative high school math teacher, Aaron Megrian, joins the conversation to discuss the shifting landscape of American education. While he presents himself as a champion of neutrality, Aaron openly acknowledges that students may be treated differently based on race and socioeconomic status, yet he resists challenging these dis...

In this emotionally charged and deeply human 4th episode of Red Pens and Red Flags, host Rictor Riolo sits down with middle school band director Mylo, a fierce advocate, passionate educator, and proud queer non-binary teacher, to talk about what it means to hold space for students during a time when education feels like it’s under siege.  Mylo speaks candidly about the realities of being a public...

In this third episode of Red Pens and Red Flags, host Rictor Riolo sits down with Nancy Gonzalez, an ELD (English Language Development) paraprofessional at the middle school level, for an honest and insightful conversation about the realities of supporting multilingual learners in today’s political climate. Nancy discusses her role in guiding newcomer students, those who have recently arrived in t...

In this second episode of Red Pens and Red Flags, host Rictor Riolo sits down with Veronica Spedner, a veteran special education teacher working in one of Oregon's most diverse high schools. Veronica shares how her core values—hard work, preparation, and inclusion—guide her daily work with students who have IEPs. She emphasizes the importance of supporting students not just academically, but socia...

In this introductory episode of Red Pens and Red Flags, host Rictor Riolo speaks with Dr. Gina Rogers, a middle school educator, about the emotional and political landscape facing her English Language Development (ELD) students in the United States. As the lead teacher for a newcomer program serving refugee and immigrant students, Dr. Rogers discusses the challenges her students face, from navigat...

The podcast begins with Rick and Tim's reaction to the 2024 election results of the first election in US history where an adjudicated rapist, convicted felon, and insurrectionist won a presidential election. Topics include Elon Musk, Luigi Mangione, immigration, and what went wrong with Kamala Harris's election campaign. 

What did President Biden accomplish during his historic presidential term? Rick and Tim break it all down, covering the highs, the lows, and the Trump controversies. They explore Biden's 50-year career in politics, touching on everything from the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan to the passing of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill. They also discuss Biden's role in key issues like the DAC...

Trump’s rogue Supreme Court has done something unthinkable and unimaginable. They have given him immunity with king-like powers. How do we save our country from this radical shift toward autocracy? Did Ruth Bader Ginsburg let us down by not retiring sooner? What kind of court reform must be done if the Democrats win the election? What can be done? Do we stack the court? Impeach the biased and comp...

For the premiere episode of season 2, Rick and Tim talk about ghosts. Things have made Rick a believer; whereas Tim is still skeptical. Has Rick's involvement with the Bigfoot world ruined any skeptical integrity he may have? Or is he able to see things from a different perspective? Tim and Rick discover they both have a commonality with their experiences... unexplained phenomena affecting their l...

The twice impeached, quadrupled indicted criminal ex-president, Donald John Trump, is now facing a grand total of 91 felonies that include racketeering and conspiracy charges to steal the 2020 presidential election. Georgia’s Fulton County District Attorney, Fani Willis is playing hardball and brought RICO charges against Trump and his merry band of sycophants. On this podcast, Rick and Tim break...

The United States of America vs Donald Trump indictment includes the accusations that Trump knew he lost the 2020 election even though his officials told him so. It also alleges Trump enlisted the help of six co-conspirators (and we think we know who four of them are). It has the false elector scheme and a top justice department officials’ effort to delay election certification.  Trump turned on P...

We are now at the end of The Break it Down with Rick and Tim Podcast. The goal was to make ten shows. Instead, Rick and Tim made 17. Over the past year, many topics were discussed from Critical Race Theory to UFOS and Bigfoot. Everything was brought to the table to be broken down that mattered to both Rick and Tim. On the last show, the guys go over the different episodes and if they have had a ch...

Rick and Tim talk about the recent devastating Supreme Court 2023 decisions and how they affect everyone. Gays, blacks, and women. Affirmative Action, President Biden’s Student Loan Relief, and protecting LGBTQ are the three topics struck down. Tim wants to know what is the current student loan debt and Rick gets lost as Tim tries to explain the debt’s numbers and compound interest. They both disc...

Rick and Tim talk about the recent new target the Republicans are dehumanizing and radicalizing with their evangelical base, which is trans people. For example, the hate monger Marjorie Taylor Greene calls trans people like Dylan Mulvaney pedophiles. Caitlyn Jenner’s abusive and absurd internalized hate toward young trans advocate, Dylan Mulvaney, is also explored. The “Let’s Trigger Rictor” segme...

No topic. No structure. That was the goal of this episode. Rick and Tim decided to talk about whatever came to mind, however, the episode was originally recorded in January, so Rick and Tim needed to add a minor update on what has been happening in the country with the topic of Elon Musk and his recent abysmal interview on CNBC. The discussion shifts to what Ron DeSantis has done to Florida with h...

Tim and Rick discuss the historical lawsuit brought on by Dominion voting machines vs the fraudulent Fox News channel. Tim goes through the 20 examples where Fox News was liable, and Rick knows Smartmatic is coming in for the kill. Tim finally sets Rictor off with his “Let's Trigger Rictor” segment with the topic of Elon Musk, whom Rictor despises with tremendous passion. Tim tries to defend Elon...

Tim discusses the infrastructure for mental health. Where do we develop our shapes of reality in regard to development and critical thinking? Why does the topic of mental health have the stigma of shame associated with it? Seasonal Affective Disorder affects 20% of people living in the Pacific Northwest, including Rick. He shares how he was able to defeat it by using a therapy light. How do we sup...

In this episode, Tim breaks down what caused Rick to become so involved in the absurd bigfoot cult. Rictor still stands with his new opinion on the subject: bigfoot is not real. Rick says it’s a make-believe gold rush reinforced by grifters and narcissistic womanizers. Every belief system caters to the broken individual and that included Rick as he shares why he fell hard into the bigfoot rabbit h...

This is the first episode in a three-part series dedicated to the topic of mental health. Rick and Tim talk about how mental health encompasses your emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences cognition, perception, and behavior and it determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Why does society ignore those dealing with mental...