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.

Hour 2: The Fast‑Food Reckoning | Jon Grishpul on Renovation, ADUs & Homeowner Clarity
49:50

Hour 1: The SAVE Act Showdown | Prof. David B. Oppenheimer on Diversity and Democracy
54:40

Hour 2: The AI Crisis in the Classroom | Caroline J. Knight on Austen, Legacy & Identity
49:49