The second hour opens with Bishop Alfred L. Phillips, pastor of Sheepshead Bay United Methodist Church and founder of the Sheepshead Bay Community Development Center, reflecting on faith, community, and decades of hands‑on work supporting youth and neighborhood stability.  The show closes with Beth Heller Gelles, author of Crazy for College, who unpacks the pressures, myths, and modern realities shaping today’s college admissions landscape.

The second hour opens with&nbsp;<a href="https://fbcsheepsheadbay.com/our-pastor" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">Bishop Alfred L. Phillips</a>, pastor of&nbsp;<a href="https://fbcsheepsheadbay.com/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">Sheepshead Bay United Methodist Church</a>&nbsp;and founder of the Sheepshead Bay Community Development Center, reflecting on faith, community, and decades of hands‑on work supporting youth and neighborhood stability.&nbsp; The show closes with&nbsp;<a href="https://bethhellergelles.com/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">Beth Heller Gelles</a>, author of&nbsp;<a href="https://bethhellergelles.com/books/crazy-for-college/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">Crazy for College</a>, who unpacks the pressures, myths, and modern realities shaping today&rsquo;s college admissions landscape.

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 2: Bishop Alfred L. Phillips on Community & Faith | Beth Heller Gelles on the College Admissions Crunch

In our second hour the hosts examine the decision by Turkey and Egypt to bar the LGBTQ+ chartered cruise ship Scarlet Lady from their ports, tracing the incident across four fault lines: the cynical use of religious doctrine as political cover, the deafening silence of a U.S. government that funds Egypt and arms Turkey through NATO, the civil rights dimensions of identity-based exclusion of eleven hundred American citizens, and the deepest irony of all — that the very community turned away at sea has been among the loudest defenders of Muslim civil rights on American soil. The show then wraps with an interview with Alicia Scovill, retired U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant, President and owner of Scovill Construction & Contracting Services, LLC, and a passionate veterans advocate and keynote speaker who works to build veteran-friendly workplaces and stronger support systems for those who have served our country.

In our second hour the hosts examine the decision by Turkey and Egypt to bar the LGBTQ+ chartered cruise ship Scarlet Lady from their ports, tracing the incident across four fault lines: the cynical use of religious doctrine as political cover, the deafening silence of a U.S. government that funds Egypt and arms Turkey through NATO, the civil rights dimensions of identity-based exclusion of eleven hundred American citizens, and the deepest irony of all &mdash; that the very community turned away at sea has been among the loudest defenders of Muslim civil rights on American soil. The show then wraps with an interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-scovill-reduces-risk/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">Alicia Scovill</a>, retired U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant, President and owner of&nbsp;<a href="https://scovillccs.com/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">Scovill Construction &amp; Contracting Services, LLC</a>, and a passionate veterans advocate and keynote speaker who works to build veteran-friendly workplaces and stronger support systems for those who have served our country.

Hour 2: Ports, Politics & Pride | Alicia Scovill on Veterans, Advocacy & the Workplace   

Episode 106 opens with a critical look at a Texas hospital’s discounted “birth packages” for foreign nationals — a move that ignited a political firestorm, triggered a state investigation, and thrust birthright citizenship back into the national spotlight. The issue now sits squarely inside a larger constitutional and immigration clash as leaders battle over the 14th Amendment, birth tourism, and what reforms, if any, should come next. The show then shifts to an interview with Col. Kurt Schlichter — he’s a retired Army Infantry colonel and seasoned trial lawyer whose practice focuses on winning complex civil litigation for business and insurance clients.  He’s also a nationally known commentator, bestselling novelist, and upcoming author of American Warlord, appearing frequently on Fox News, Newsmax, and major media outlets, and he breaks down how we should think about power, conflict, and the future of American resilience.

Episode 106 opens with a critical look at a Texas hospital&rsquo;s discounted &ldquo;birth packages&rdquo; for foreign nationals &mdash; a move that ignited a political firestorm, triggered a state investigation, and thrust birthright citizenship back into the national spotlight. The issue now sits squarely inside a larger constitutional and immigration clash as leaders battle over the 14th Amendment, birth tourism, and what reforms, if any, should come next. The show then shifts to an interview with&nbsp;<a href="https://ssandkattorneys.com/attorneys/kurt-andrew-schlichter/" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Col. Kurt Schlichter</a>&nbsp;&mdash; he&rsquo;s a retired Army Infantry colonel and seasoned trial lawyer whose practice focuses on winning complex civil litigation for business and insurance clients.&nbsp; He&rsquo;s also a nationally known commentator, bestselling novelist, and upcoming author of&nbsp;<a href="https://a.co/d/04GebXLU" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">American Warlord</a>, appearing frequently on Fox News, Newsmax, and major media outlets, and he breaks down how we should think about power, conflict, and the future of American resilience.

Hour 1: Hospital Birth Packages for Migrants Controversy | Col. Kurt Schlichter on Power, Conflict & American Resilience

Our second hour opens with Pete Najarian, co‑founder of Market Rebellion. Najarian delivers the kind of clarity Wall Street rarely offers: direct, unvarnished, and grounded in real‑world experience. He cuts through volatility, opportunity, and the psychological traps driving today’s markets. No jargon. No mystique. Just a straight look at what’s moving, why it’s moving, and what everyday investors keep getting wrong. From the financial trenches, we shift to the workplace battlefield with Dr. Lois P. Frankel, bestselling author of Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office. Her work is a cultural touchstone for women navigating professional power structures. She doesn’t tiptoe around the habits, expectations, and biases that still shape workplace dynamics. She names them, dissects them, and gives listeners tools to challenge them. It’s part coaching session, part cultural critique, part wake‑up call — delivered with the wit and authority that made her book a global phenomenon.

Our second hour opens with&nbsp;<a href="https://marketrebellion.com/company/teamcpete-najarian/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://marketrebellion.com/company/teamcpete-najarian/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1783982889531000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2hAeQxDIjx4MvuAgg6lEK7">Pete Najarian</a>, co‑founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://marketrebellion.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://marketrebellion.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1783982889531000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3qx4JU9AQpZ1tTw3ZrXRc_">Market Rebellion</a>. Najarian delivers the kind of clarity Wall Street rarely offers: direct, unvarnished, and grounded in real‑world experience. He cuts through volatility, opportunity, and the psychological traps driving today&rsquo;s markets. No jargon. No mystique. Just a straight look at what&rsquo;s moving, why it&rsquo;s moving, and what everyday investors keep getting wrong. From the financial trenches, we shift to the workplace battlefield with&nbsp;<a href="https://drloisfrankel.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://drloisfrankel.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1783982889531000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1GXGTq48bPwKdb5AAXSJTQ">Dr. Lois P. Frankel</a>, bestselling author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1455546046" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/dp/1455546046&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1783982889531000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1c7FbvewdaJIK2BpSBgpSp">Nice Girls Don&rsquo;t Get the Corner Office</a>. Her work is a cultural touchstone for women navigating professional power structures. She doesn&rsquo;t tiptoe around the habits, expectations, and biases that still shape workplace dynamics. She names them, dissects them, and gives listeners tools to challenge them. It&rsquo;s part coaching session, part cultural critique, part wake‑up call &mdash; delivered with the wit and authority that made her book a global phenomenon.

Hour 2: Bishop Alfred L. Phillips on Community & Faith | Beth Heller Gelles on the College Admissions Crunch

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