The State of Us

How serious is the climate crisis and where do farmers fit in? Justin and Lance examine a new concept that involves farmers and the battle against climate change. tags: politics, news, issues, climate change, farm, farmers, crops, weather, tsou, truechat, justin weller, lance jackson, truechat

A presidential candidate recently released a plan to lift up rural communities across the country. Justin and Lance examine the issues facing rural America and the practicality of this candidate's proposal. tags: politics, election 2020, president, campaign, rural, farm, community, republican, democrat, small town, economy, business, development, tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, truechat

Nearly 80% of Americans have a social media profile and these places are becoming a major place for pushing extreme ideologies. Justin and Lance discuss the larger issue and what can be done to fix it. tags: politics, current events, social media, violence, mass shootings, hate, crimes, dayton, el paso, ohio, texas, tsou, truechat, justin weller, lance jackson, republican, democrat, president, don...

The price of cars, colleges, and houses have become more costly while wages have remained essentially flat. What does this mean for the "middle class?" Justin and Lance search for an answer. tags: politics, economy, business, middle class, life, american dream, future, wages, minimum wage, college, tsou, truechat, justin weller, lance jackson

Tens of thousands of American citizens are protesting in Puerto Rico. With tear gas deployed against the people of the United States, why isn't this issue getting more coverage? Could some of this be fixed by making Puerto Rico a state? tags: politics, government, issues, puerto rico, united states, republican, democrat, statehood, state, protests, citizens, corruption, tsou, truechat, justin well...

A new study discovered that government programs for adults typically lead to more government spending. On the other hand, programs for low-income children return taxpayer dollars in the long run. Justin and Lance breakdown the situation. tags: government, politics, republican, democrat, morals, value, kids, education, social security, unemployment, welfare, medicare, medicaid, tsou, truechat, just...

From the tone of your voice in a meeting to how often you are away from your desk, big employers are tracking more information on employees. Where should the limits be and what are the benefits? Justin and Lance are joined by Caleb Spinner to discuss. tags: current events, politics, privacy, information, news, business, tracking, data, personal, technology, company, tsou, justin weller, lance jack...

What should the United States do about the minimum wage? Is the solution put forward by the House of Representatives the answer? Justin and Lance have the answers. tags: politics, government, wage, minimum, living, lives, quality, republican, democrat, new, house, speaker, justin weller, tsou, lance jackson, truechat

Who gets to own the West? According to The New York Times, a new group of billionaires is shaking up the landscape. Justin and Lance dive into the details and talk about the implications. tags: land, government, climate, freedom, united states, america, republican, democrat, history, west, truechat, justin weller, tsou, lance jackson, families, power, money, business

In a recent court ruling, it was determined that President Trump is not allowed to block critics on Twitter. This has spawned new law cases against Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for also blocking critics on the platform. Justin and Lance determine if this is a simple as it seems or if there may be other consequences. tags: politics, government, free speech, first amendment, donald trump,...

After being hit hard by the departure of several large companies, Kalamazoo, MI was desperate. They believed the promise of free college might fix their problems. Years later, the initial data is in. Did it work? Justin and Lance analyze the situation and discuss the broad implications. tags: politics, government, college, education, democrat, republican, policy, free, small town, tuition, economy...

Potentially more than 550,000 people gathered to protest in Hong Kong. How long will China wait to respond more aggresively and should the United States get involved? Justin and Lance analyze the situation and explore options. tags: politics, government, international, relations, china, foreign, policy, republican, democrat, independent, protest, issues, tsou, hong kong, united states, justin well...

The Supreme Court has left the legality of Gerrymandering up to the states. Should anything be done about this and what does it mean for future elections? Justin and Lance provide some historical context and discuss the implications in today's world. tags: politics, government, gerrymandering, republican, democrat, independent, representation, congress, constitution, supreme court, tsou, truechat,...

The electoral college is a system that eludes many voters. Should the President of the United States be elected by a simple majority? Justin and Lance examine the issue and discuss alternative options. tags: politics, government, election, history, 2020, discussion, predictions, electoral college, voting, vote, donald trump, president, tsou, truechat, justin weller, lance jackson

Today, 28% of households are made up of just one person. This is a significant increase and companies are taking notice by catering more products to singles. Olivia Jackson, a single millennial from the midwest, joins Justin and Lance to share her perspective on living alone. tags: news, information, trends, tech, millennial, generation, single, tips, politics, government, business, companies, tru...

In a blog post, YouTube announced that it would further restrict content by removing videos and banning creators that were claiming one race or ethnic group was superior to another. Is this crossing the line of free speech? Justin and Lance discuss this issue and share their perspective at TrueChat. tags: politics, government, content, youtube, free speech, ban, restrict, remove, google, alphabet,...

Career and technical education options are increasing while full-time MBA programs are decreasing. What does this say about the direction of education and is this a positive move? Justin and Lance breakdown the data. tags: education, higher, college, technical, careers, options, future, government, politics, policy, programs, truechat, tsou, justin weller, lance jackson

The United Nations is forecasting that two-thirds of the world's population may soon face issues with access to water. Why haven't you heard more about this and will it affect you? Justin and Lance have the answers. tags: climate, change, issues, warming, water, crisis, looming, politics, government, united states, truechat, tsou, discussion, facts, informed, debate, justin weller, lance jackson

New data suggests some kids are getting extra time on standardized tests and they don't need it. Who's to blame and what's the larger problem? Justin & Lance explore testing for education. tags: education, school, college, politics, news, fair, unfair, advantages, privilege, private schools, test, testing, ACT, SAT, reform, tsou, justin t weller, lance jackson, truechat

He might be the richest man in the world and he runs a county with fewer citizens than Rhode Island. Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates was a close friend of the United States, but recently has been going his own way. Why should you care? Lance and Justin share their insight on this little known, yet powerful prince. tags: politics, government, republican, democrat, independent,...

The largest generation in the workforce today is worse off in most categories than all other living generations. What unique challenges do Millennials face and how can they overcome them? Justin and Lance explore this issue. tags: issues, politics, government, policy, truechat, tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, millennial, technology, poverty, wages, economy, birth rate, home ownership

Is Facebook a monopoly and shout the FTC split the company? Justin and Lance examine an op-ed written by the co-founder of Facebook suggesting that the social media giant has grown too big. tags: politics, news, technology, congress, democrats, republicans, Facebook, mark zuckerberg, debate, chris hughes, justin t weller, tsou, lance jackson, truechat

After criticism from the FDA, Walmart and other retailers are raising the minimum age from 18 to 21 to purchase tobacco products. This is in response to a recent increase in teen use of vape pens and e-cigarettes. Justin, Lance, and Caleb discuss if this will solve the problem and what else can be done. tags: politics, news, walmart, tobacco, teens, education, age, requirements, issues, debate, tr...

With the recent testimony of William Barr, the Russia investigation continues. Who is the real winner in the aftermath of the Mueller report, President Trump, the Democrats, or someone else? Justin and Lance share their consensus on the issue. tags: politics, news, information, current events, mueller, trump, barr, democrats, republicans, independents, investigation, campaign, truechat, justin wel...

Some 90% of Americans have seen their incomes stagnate or decline in the past 30 years. What's the solution, progressive capitalism? Justin and Lance examine what would seem to be an oxymoron. tags: politics, economy, business, money, wages, income, earnings, news, government, republican, democrat, tsou, independent, capitalism, progressive, conservative, truechat, justin t weller, lance jackson