News For Reasonable People

Bold and unapologetic, our latest conversation is an urgent exploration of Portland's escalating drug crisis. The city's move to decriminalize small amounts of hard drugs has sparked a wave of criticism, stoked by the New York Times' damning critique. Brett Stevens of the Times joins us, alongside Jacob Suleim of Reason Magazine, for an intense debate that pulls no punches. We revea...

Opening a business in Portland, Oregon, may feel like stepping into the ring with Mike Tyson – it's a costly and challenging process that can leave you feeling bruised and battered. The city's complicated regulations, including system development charges, sidewalk improvements, and an array of hidden costs can rack up to an eye-watering $200,000. This episode asks the tough questions: Is...

Are your dollars stretched thin in high-tax states? Are you craving for more breathing space, both financially and regulatory? This episode unravels the intriguing trend of people bolting from the fiscal clutches of expensive blue states to more affordable red ones, impacting state tax revenues in a startling way. We'll dissect the hard numbers, revealing how states like California and New Yo...

Ready to peel back the layers of a crisis that's wreaking havoc on small businesses and local communities in San Francisco? Brace yourself for an insightful conversation about the rampant shoplifting epidemic that costs a family-owned hardware store a staggering $700,000 in just one year. Our special guest, Sam Khalil, will shed light on the heart of the matter, including causes like organize...

Do you ever wonder about the complex issues surrounding homelessness and encampments in cities like Oakland, California? Prepare to have your curiosity satisfied, as we pull back the curtain and expose the gritty reality of living in a homeless encampment and the challenges cities face in addressing this issue. We shine a light on a recent controversial clearance of a 40-acre homeless camp, a plac...

Picture this: you're trying to run a grocery store in San Francisco, but you're dealing with upwards of 100 thefts a day and even Whole Foods is shutting up shop after a staggering 500 emergency calls in just over a year. Could you still turn a profit, or would you follow Safeway's lead and close your doors, despite their classical music and security gates? We’re wading knee-deep in...

Ever wondered who's ultimately responsible for the homeless encampments cropping up on the steep terrains of Washington State's Department of Transportation land? Brace yourselves as we unravel the baffling bureaucracy that leaves city workers in a quandary over this gnarly issue. Drawing upon the firsthand account of Jeremy Harris- the reporter who brought to light the disturbing incide...

How does the price of freedom measure against the cost of safety and stability? We wrestle with this question as we journey into the stark reality of homelessness and addiction, through the lens of Anthony Saldana's tragic story. Anthony, who moved from Las Vegas to Portland in 2018, navigated life on the streets and a crippling drug addiction, until succumbing to his struggles. His narrative...

Are you ready to venture into the heart of Alaska's escalating homelessness crisis? We're taking a hard look at Anchorage Mayor Ethan Bronson's controversial proposal to fly homeless individuals to warmer, sanctuary cities. We're not just skimming the surface; we're going deep into the nuances of drug addiction, the economics of relocation, and the optics of homeless encam...

Fear is becoming a constant companion to the residents living near 'The Pit', Portland, Oregon's notorious homeless camp. Imagine treading on eggshells every time you step out of your own home, threatened by hunting knives and violence, as experienced by Aliyah Maze and her neighbors, including a transgender individual who suffered a brutal attack. These are not just stories; they&a...

Have your ears perked up to the whispers of an insurance crisis brewing in California? This episode pulls back the curtain to reveal a stark reality: major insurance companies like Liberty Mutual, Allstate, State Farm, and Farmers are backing out from offering bundled insurance policies for small businesses in the Golden State. Discover why this could force many businesses to operate without any c...

Discover just how a 54-time convicted felon managed to evade a lengthy jail sentence and the outrage that ensued amongst his victims. This episode unravels the tale of the infamous 'Snake Burglar', Christopher Michael Jackson, and the audacious methods he employed to dodge detection. We also touch upon another felon, known as 'The Viper', a notorious assaulter of women, and tak...

Could your backyard be the new hot spot for a homeless encampment? What happens when this harsh reality is on your doorstep, or worse, next to the local school where your children go? Welcome to our latest podcast episode, where we grapple with the rapidly escalating homeless crisis in Hollywood, California. We bring you raw, firsthand accounts of the situation on the streets - needles, nudity, an...

What if the key to solving Los Angeles' notorious homelessness crisis was found in the city's sprawling mansions and lofty penthouses? Welcome to this fascinating discussion about LA's innovative approach to tackling homelessness - the new mansion tax. This episode delves into the substantial effect this tax has had on the city's commercial and residential real estate transacti...

Picture a targeted attack, an explosion unfolding just steps away from a bustling hospital, right in the heart of Seattle. The scene: a homeless encampment, believed to be the battleground of a raging drug turf war. This is not the plot of a blockbuster movie, but the grim reality we're diving into today. We discuss the disturbing implications of this event, which happened on state property a...

What happens when the sanctuary turns away those seeking refuge? NYC Mayor, Eric Adams, is challenging the system by limiting the stay of migrants in temporary shelters to a mere 60 days. This eye-opening episode tackles the questions on everyone's minds: What happens after the 60 days? Is this just a move to discourage migration? As we draw parallels with southern border states battling migr...

Bold Statement: San Francisco is the new Wild West, where even ice cream is kept under lock and key. As we dive into the rampant issue of shoplifting, we expose the city's attempts to underplay a crisis that has transformed local stores into fortified strongholds. Learn about the Walgreens in Richmond, where chains on the ice cream aisle became symbolic of a city under siege by theft. We disc...

Are you ready to challenge the status quo of corporate America? Prepare to be bewildered as we unearth Amazon's latest corporate move that is causing a stir amongst its employees. We bring to light the intricate details of their 'Return to Office' policy, that demands some workers to relocate to larger cities or even headquarters, with the alternative being resignation. But that&apo...

A couple weeks have passed since the City of Portland’s camping ordinance officially went into effect. But while some of the city’s homeless are leaving sidewalks and parks, others are heading into more dangerous areas. Some have migrated into areas along Highway 26 and I-405, where they are just feet from cars passing by. The Oregon Department of Transportation says that despite putting up signs...

Thousands of people converged on Seattle for a busy weekend of events amid what the Seattle police union described as a department overworked and understaffed. Mike Solan, the president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG), said the Seattle Police Department (SPD) is stretched too thin and patrols were down by half of its "minimum safe staffing levels" on Saturday. In a blotter po...

Some residents in the City by the Bay are on edge as car break-ins, thefts and robberies rise, telling Fox News the city is becoming more dangerous.  "The safety in San Francisco has been getting worse," Andrea, a babysitter, told Fox News. "I've lived here my whole life — it's always been a little unsafe, it's a big city, but recently, it's just been crazy high....

Seattle vagrants have now constructed a homeless encampment in the trees above the crime-ridden city, prompting one stunned local to liken it to the Ewok Village from Star Wars.  Local journalist Jonathan Choe stumbled across the ramshackle treehouse high in the city's trees on Friday, and deployed a drone to get a closer look. The Ewok encampment has a wooden stepladder to let its residents...

The Multnomah County Health Department has provided an itemized list of its controversial purchase of $84,212.93 in “smoking supplies” — including 31,000 straws, 90,000 sheets of tin foil and more than 55,000 pipes, which it planned to begin handing out to local drug users in July. Public pushback regarding the highly publicized plan caused county officials to temporarily suspend the policy on the...

Road crews spent the morning Wednesday placing cement barricades along Myers Way in Seattle's Highland Park neighborhood to prevent any more vehicles from entering a sprawling homeless encampment in the woods. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) placed notices in the encampment last week advising people to remove operable vehicles from the site before the barricades are...

 Portland’s 90-day reset to help clean up the city’s central eastside was temporarily effective according to business owners. However, they say once the reset ended, the same issues returned. Starting in January, the city worked for three months to clean up crime and homelessness in the district amid rising concerns from business owners. With visibly less trash in the neighborhood, but still plent...