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 &ldquo;man of the people,&rdquo; debate some of the hottest issues impacting our city, state and nation.&nbsp;

Shake It Off with Mert & Lucas Live

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.

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.

Our second hour opens by taking AOC’s viral line — “You can’t earn a billion dollars” — and using it to argue that her anti‑billionaire stance isn’t just bad economics but a philosophical rejection of the American idea itself. The hosts contend that her worldview casts wealth as theft, ambition as exploitation, and success as illegitimate, warning that if it takes hold, the country risks trading aspiration for resentment and innovation for stagnation. The show wraps with Judd Saul — filmmaker, evangelist, and founder of Equipping The Persecuted and TruthNigeria.com — whose organizations deliver rapid‑response aid and document ongoing attacks against Christian communities in Nigeria. His work puts him on the ground in some of the most dangerous parts of the Middle Belt, providing medical support, security training, and firsthand witness to a crisis the world rarely sees.

Our second hour opens by taking AOC&rsquo;s viral line &mdash; &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t earn a billion dollars&rdquo; &mdash; and using it to argue that her anti‑billionaire stance isn&rsquo;t just bad economics but a philosophical rejection of the American idea itself. The hosts contend that her worldview casts wealth as theft, ambition as exploitation, and success as illegitimate, warning that if it takes hold, the country risks trading aspiration for resentment and innovation for stagnation. The show wraps with Judd Saul &mdash; filmmaker, evangelist, and founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://equippingthepersecuted.org/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">Equipping The Persecuted</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://truthnigeria.com/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">TruthNigeria.com</a>&nbsp;&mdash; whose organizations deliver rapid‑response aid and document ongoing attacks against Christian communities in Nigeria. His work puts him on the ground in some of the most dangerous parts of the Middle Belt, providing medical support, security training, and firsthand witness to a crisis the world rarely sees.

Hour 2: AOC’s Billion‑Dollar Claim Under the Microscope | Judd Saul on Nigeria’s Persecuted Communities

Episode 98 opens with a discussion of humanity’s shift from curing disease to engineering advantage, asking whether genetic optimization is compassion, control, or the first step toward a biologically divided society in a world with no real rules for embryo editing. The hour closes with investigative reporter Chris Papst, author of Failure Factory, whose nationally recognized work exposes how bureaucratic waste and mismanagement quietly hollow out American cities and leave taxpayers holding the bill.

Episode 98 opens with a discussion of humanity&rsquo;s shift from curing disease to engineering advantage, asking whether genetic optimization is compassion, control, or the first step toward a biologically divided society in a world with no real rules for embryo editing. The hour closes with investigative reporter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chrispapst.com/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Chris Papst</a>, author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Failure-Factory-Baltimore-Taxpayers-Students/dp/B0FNDQQY1T" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">Failure Factory</a>, whose nationally recognized work exposes how bureaucratic waste and mismanagement quietly hollow out American cities and leave taxpayers holding the bill.

Hour 1: Engineering the Human Future | Chris Papst on Failure Factory

The second hour opens with an exclusive interview with Candi Carter, CEO and Founder of Cistus Media, the innovative e‑commerce company reshaping how networks and creators monetize their audiences. A multi‑Emmy Award‑winning executive producer with more than three decades in television — from The Oprah Winfrey Show to The View to Tamron Hall — she also brings a deeply personal mission as the founder of We’ve Got Friends, the New Jersey nonprofit creating inclusive social spaces for teens with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The show wraps with Prof. J. Eric Oliver, a political scientist and social‑psychology researcher whose work uncovers the hidden intuitions and unconscious habits that shape how we think and behave; his book How to Know Your Self offers a clear, science‑driven guide to understanding identity and the inner forces that steer our lives.

The second hour opens with an exclusive interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.candicarter.com/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">Candi Carter</a>, CEO and Founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://cistusmedia.com/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">Cistus Media</a>, the innovative e‑commerce company reshaping how networks and creators monetize their audiences. A multi‑Emmy Award‑winning executive producer with more than three decades in television &mdash; from&nbsp;The Oprah Winfrey Show&nbsp;to&nbsp;The View&nbsp;to&nbsp;Tamron Hall&nbsp;&mdash; she also brings a deeply personal mission as the founder of We&rsquo;ve Got Friends, the New Jersey nonprofit creating inclusive social spaces for teens with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The show wraps with&nbsp;<a href="https://jericoliver.com/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">Prof. J. Eric Oliver</a>, a political scientist and social‑psychology researcher whose work uncovers the hidden intuitions and unconscious habits that shape how we think and behave; his book&nbsp;<a href="https://jericoliver.com/how-to-know-your-self/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="5">How to Know Your Self</a>&nbsp;offers a clear, science‑driven guide to understanding identity and the inner forces that steer our lives.

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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