Episode #61 examines the controversy surrounding President Trump’s $200 million, privately funded White House ballroom, raising questions about the optics of opulence amid deepening political and economic divides. The hosts explore whether such grandeur aligns with empathetic leadership in a fractured era. The episode concludes with Dr. Akli Adjaoute — AI entrepreneur and founder of Exponion — discussing his book Inside AI and the future of artificial intelligence in business and society.

Episode #61 examines the controversy surrounding President Trump&rsquo;s $200 million, privately funded White House ballroom, raising questions about the optics of opulence amid deepening political and economic divides. The hosts explore whether such grandeur aligns with empathetic leadership in a fractured era. The episode concludes with&nbsp;<a href="https://cognitix.com/why-cognitix-management-team/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Dr. Akli Adjaoute</a>&nbsp;&mdash; AI entrepreneur and founder of Exponion &mdash; discussing his book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Akli-Adjaoute/219938959" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">Inside AI</a>&nbsp;and the future of artificial intelligence in business and society.

Tune in each week, as an established lawyer, and a self- proclaimed “man of the people,” debate some of the hottest issues impacting our city, state and nation. 

Tune in each week, as an established lawyer, and a self- proclaimed “man of the people,” debate some of the hottest issues impacting our city, state and nation.

Shake It Off with Mert & Lucas

Hour 1: Legacy or Luxury? Adding a 90,000‑Square‑Foot Ballroom to the White House.  Interview with Dr. Akli Adjaoute on the Future of Artificial Intelligence.

The hosts examine how the film Melania constructs a polished, tightly controlled portrait of the former First Lady, contrasting its curated narrative with decades of polling that reveal what Americans value in presidential spouses — visibility, warmth, relatability — and how sharply Melania diverged from those expectations. They also unpack the Bezos–Amazon controversy surrounding the film’s unprecedented $75 million price tag, exploring how political optics, corporate power, and public perception collided to create a firestorm over influence and access. The hour concludes with an interview featuring Shannan Kym, a reflective, clarity‑driven author whose work centers on helping people navigate healing, identity, and self‑understanding with honesty and intention. In her book Find the Answers Within You, she guides readers toward resilience and inner alignment through grounded insights drawn from lived experience.

 

 

The hosts examine how the film&nbsp;Melania&nbsp;constructs a polished, tightly controlled portrait of the former First Lady, contrasting its curated narrative with decades of polling that reveal what Americans value in presidential spouses &mdash; visibility, warmth, relatability &mdash; and how sharply Melania diverged from those expectations. They also unpack the Bezos&ndash;Amazon controversy surrounding the film&rsquo;s unprecedented $75 million price tag, exploring how political optics, corporate power, and public perception collided to create a firestorm over influence and access. The hour concludes with an interview featuring&nbsp;<a href="https://www.shannankym.com/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">Shannan Kym</a>, a reflective, clarity‑driven author whose work centers on helping people navigate healing, identity, and self‑understanding with honesty and intention. In her book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.shannankym.com/book" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">Find the Answers Within You</a>, she guides readers toward resilience and inner alignment through grounded insights drawn from lived experience.
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Hour 2: The Melania Mythmaking | Shannan Kym on Finding Answers Within

Episode 83 tracks how the Grammys became a flashpoint for debates over representation and cultural power. As the country confronts intensifying scrutiny of ICE and its enforcement practices, the hour situates the awards show within a broader national reckoning over who is protected, who is marginalized, and who gets a platform to speak. The hour concludes with an interview featuring Patrick Payton, a civic leader who argues that America’s “quiet majority” still holds the power to mend a fractured nation. In The Middle: How the Quiet Majority Can Mend a Divided Nation, he lays out a grounded, practical roadmap for restoring trust, rebuilding civic unity, and reclaiming common purpose.

Episode 83 tracks how the Grammys became a flashpoint for debates over representation and cultural power. As the country confronts intensifying scrutiny of ICE and its enforcement practices, the hour situates the awards show within a broader national reckoning over who is protected, who is marginalized, and who gets a platform to speak. The hour concludes with an interview featuring&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patrick-payton.com/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Patrick Payton</a>, a civic leader who argues that America&rsquo;s &ldquo;quiet majority&rdquo; still holds the power to mend a fractured nation. In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Middle/Patrick-Payton/9781637634943" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">The Middle: How the Quiet Majority Can Mend a Divided Nation</a>, he lays out a grounded, practical roadmap for restoring trust, rebuilding civic unity, and reclaiming common purpose.

Hour 1: The Grammys Flashpoint | Patrick Payton on the Quiet Majority

The hosts debate the explosive revelations from Josh Shapiro’s memoir, unpacking how a single vetting-room question about “Israeli agents” ignited a national conversation about bias, identity, and the persistence of the dual‑loyalty trope in American politics. They then trace the political, cultural, and historical fallout, examining why the moment struck such a deep nerve and what it reveals about modern campaigns and the country’s unease around Jewish belonging. The show wraps with an interview featuring Zach Shefska, co-founder and CEO of CarEdge, offering sharp, practical insight into the shifting auto market and what consumers need to know now.

The hosts debate the explosive revelations from Josh Shapiro&rsquo;s memoir, unpacking how a single vetting-room question about &ldquo;Israeli agents&rdquo; ignited a national conversation about bias, identity, and the persistence of the dual‑loyalty trope in American politics. They then trace the political, cultural, and historical fallout, examining why the moment struck such a deep nerve and what it reveals about modern campaigns and the country&rsquo;s unease around Jewish belonging. The show wraps with an interview featuring&nbsp;<a href="https://shefska.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://shefska.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770066313679000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0XOc5n8Gq-4XrOLdZjI3cD">Zach Shefska</a>,&nbsp;co-founder and&nbsp;CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://caredge.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://caredge.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770066313679000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0QG3POC80KxA3m0FemL5uH">CarEdge</a>, offering sharp, practical insight into the shifting auto market and what consumers need to know now.

Hour 1: Legacy or Luxury? Adding a 90,000‑Square‑Foot Ballroom to the White House. Interview with Dr. Akli Adjaoute on the Future of Artificial Intelligence.

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