Independent Thought

Rose Bender is the Director of Research at the Montana Budget and Policy Center. She joins the podcast to discuss the Center's recent study into the effects of tax policies on the people of Montana. We dive into whether or not tax policies disproportionately effect people of color, why they're looking into this data now & why people should care about the impacts of tax policy.   Special t...

Brandi McNease is the cofounder of Chipotle United. Her Chipotle location was the 1st store in America to file for a union. Shortly after filing for an election, Chipotle shut down the store permanently. In this episode, we discuss what conditions led up to the workers filing for a union, how the corporation sprung into action to bust this unionization attempt & why this story is so important...

My guest this episode is Drew Turner. Drew was deployed overseas with the Navy and was exposed to toxic burn pits. In this episode, we discuss the what the military was putting in these burn pits, what health effects came from this exposure, what exactly the PACT Act is doing to help & living with the effects of burn pit exposure.   Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for sponsoring today's...

Andy Nelson is the executive director of the Western Montana LGBTQ+ Community Center. In this episode we discuss his thoughts on recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation from around the country. As well as, his run for state legislature in Montana, recent attacks on drag queens & his thoughts on how LGBTQ+ members should find their chosen family. Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring t...

Matthew Diemer is a Democrat running for Congress in Ohio's 7th district. We discussed his thoughts on labor unions, competing against China, combating inflation, student loan forgiveness & energy independence. Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for sponsoring today's show! You can find Betty's Divine online at https://www.bettysdivine.com/ Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring...

Meshayla Cox is the founder of Co Equity Consulting. We discuss anti-racism in the workplace, what exactly equity looks like & her response to those who believe D.E.I. & anti-racism work is "indoctrination".   Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring today's show! Get 15% Off with the code INDEPENDENTTHOUGHT at https://www.bathingbeautiesbeads.com/ Special thanks to BET...

Conor Halbleib is a progressive Democrat running for Congress in Kentucky's 5th district. We speak about the political divide in America, how he's able to find common ground with republicans in his district, the ongoing water crisis in eastern Kentucky & combating inflation.  Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for sponsoring today's show! You can find Betty's Divine online at https://www.be...

Kay Fellows is the co-founder of P.L.E.A. the first ethical life organization in America. Kay discusses her transition away from the Republican Party, due to her pro-life beliefs. We discuss the difference between pro-life organizations and her ethical life organization, the recent overturning of Roe V Wade, if she believes there should be any exceptions for abortion (life of the mother, rape, or...

Dr. Luis Daniel Muñoz is running for Governor in the state of Rhode Island. We discuss why he transitioned from a medical doctor to running for office, corruption in the state of Rhode Island, issues facing the state, and what changes need to be implemented to propel the state forward.  Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for sponsoring today's show! You can find Betty's Divine online at https:/...

January Walker is running for Congress in Utah's 4th district. She joins the show to discuss the recent overturning of Roe V Wade, data privacy, & what the best way forward is to protecting our civil rights.  Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring today's show! Get 15% Off with the code INDEPENDENTTHOUGHT at https://www.bathingbeautiesbeads.com/ Special thanks to BETTY'S...

Jordon is the host of the 805 Uncensored podcast. He joins the show to discuss common misconceptions surrounding socialism and communism, if America can transition away from capitalism, and what the country could be doing differently to help those who are struggling in this economy.  Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for sponsoring today's show! You can find Betty's Divine online at https://ww...

Sex work is still illegal in most of America, but should it be? In this episode, we discuss recent laws that have been passed around the country pertaining to sex work, how sex workers intersect with the police & I lay out my feelings on whether it should be legalized.  Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring today's show! Get 15% Off with the code INDEPENDENTTHOUGHT at ht...

January Walker is running for Congress in Utah's 4th district. She joins the show to talk about the high costs related to our healthcare system, whether universal healthcare can work in America, if Utah is a "moderate" state & guaranteed paid time off.  Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for sponsoring today's show! You can find Betty's Divine online at https://www.bettysdivine.com/ Special...

Julia Metraux is a journalist who's had her work published by several outlets, including DAME Magazine, Business Insider & JSTOR Daily. We discuss her battles with vasculitis, a disease that causes several health issues due to inflammation of blood vessels. We also discuss her experience with our healthcare system, her thoughts on our Government's handling of the pandemic & why it's import...

It's a little hard for me to believe, but Independent Thought has reached 100 episodes! For my 100th episode, I'm going over 10 episodes that have incredible significance for me. We're going to go over the the important facts of the episodes & why they're so important to me. If you're interested in getting to know me and the podcast a little better, tune into this episode, as we celebrate #100...

Wendy Weaver is the executive director of the Montana Freshwater Partners organization. We discuss the challenges of maintaining the watersheds in the state, how human infrastructure interferes with the environment & how people can get involved in helping maintain our land.  Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring today's show! Get 15% Off with the code INDEPENDENTTHOUGHT...

The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade and now the right to an abortion has been reverted to the will of each state. We're discuss what the Democrats plans are, the rationale of the Republicans & what everyone should do going forward.  Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for sponsoring today's show! You can find Betty's Divine online at https://www.bettysdivine.com/ Special thanks to BA...

Steven Olikara is a Democrat running for Senate in the state of Wisconsin. In this episode we discuss who he calls the "exhausted majority", gun reforms. inflation, ranked choice voting & why he's a good fit for Washington. Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring today's show! Get 15% Off with the code INDEPENDENTTHOUGHT at https://www.bathingbeautiesbeads.com/ Special thanks t...

Sabrina Salvati is the host of the Sabby Sabs podcast on YouTube & a member of the Revolutionary Blackout Network. She joins the show to talk about a variety of topics. We discuss what inspired her to start her channel, overcoming political apathy, the war in Ukraine & the Democratic Party.  Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for sponsoring today's show! You can find Betty's Divine onli...

Inflation hasn't been this high in over 40 years & it's crushing millions of people with higher costs of living. The Republican Party blames the rise of inflation on President Biden's stimulus package, but is that true? In this episode we take a look at the rise of inflation & how it may be tied to corporate greed. Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring today's show! Get 1...

Joey Desatnik is a former Amazon employee from the Cleveland 2 fulfillment center. He's now trying to organize his previous warehouse to become the 2nd unionized Amazon location in the world. In this episode he details what led up to him wanting to form a union, how Amazon treats their employees on the job & why it's so important for workers to stand up for themselves. Special thanks to BETTY'...

After the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas & in Buffalo, New York, the country is once again talking about gun control. In this episode we discuss the different types of gun control measures that are being proposed, whether they work or not, & can we live in a country without gun violence? Topics:   Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring today's show! Get 15% Off with t...

Intense scrutiny has befallen the Uvalde police department, since the mass shooting that claimed the lives of over 20 people last week. We discuss why the police are under attack & what might happen next. 2nd half - China's Xinjiang province is once again in the news for the forcible detainment of millions of Uyghurs. I catalog some of the reporting that has come out of the province & ask...

In this episode, I am joined by Zach Knoll & Hailey Sinoff, two members of the Montana State Climate Coalition. We discuss what exactly is divestment & why the climate coalition is asking the university to make this transition. We also discuss the administration's response to the coalition & outside money influencing the school. Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring t...

The Oklahoma, Idaho & Louisiana state legislatures have all introduced bills recently that would restrict, completely ban & criminalize abortion. We discuss those bills, as well as, the mass shooting in Buffalo, a COVID test corruption scandal in Nevada & the U.S. sending troops into Somalia  Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for sponsoring today's show! You can find Betty's Divine...