Colombia and Brazil recently elected far-left presidents, joining Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Peru in the growing leftist bloc. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar joins us to look at this Marxist resurgence in Latin America and what it means for American relations with these countries. We also talk about different approaches to solving the immigration crisis and uplifting the Northern Triangle countries. And Rep. Salazar, who spent three decades as a journalist covering politics and war in Latin America, describes what it was like to interview Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, and Augusto Pinochet. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar represents the 27th Congressional District of Florida. She serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Committee on Small Business. She was the Central American Bureau Chief for Univision during the 80s. Follow her on Twitter at @RepMariaSalazar.

Rice University's Michelle Foss, Ph.D. gives us an easy to understand overview of the materials science and supply chains behind wind and solar energy. The proponents of wind and solar would like you to believe that these technologies just appear out of nowhere - no resources needed. But Michelle shows us how these "renewable" technologies take an inordinate amount of finite resources to produce, and why their benefits aren't worth the tradeoffs - especially when compared with nuclear and natural gas. Michelle Foss, Ph.D., is the fellow in energy, minerals and materials at Rice University's Baker Institute, developing policies and conducting research to help build capacity on non-fuel minerals supply chains. Follow her work here: www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/michelle-michot-foss

Carl Allen is a real life treasure hunter with a fleet of ships that would make Jack Sparrow jealous. He has recovered thousands of priceless, intricately crafted artifacts from ship wrecks strewn across the Caribbean seafloor. Carl gives us an inside look at how professional treasure hunters operate: Where does the research for a treasure hunt start? How does he figure out what plot of ocean to look at? What tools do you need to find artifacts buried under shifting ocean sands? Along the way we get fascinating details about lost religious artifacts, the history of the Spanish Armada, and the treacherous navigation of Caribbean waters. Since this is a policy podcast, there’s also a good lesson on the benefits of public-private partnerships. Links from the show: www.bahamasmaritimemuseum.com/ www.walkerscay.com/ www.youtube.com/c/TheOutdoorswithCarlAllen

Joe Lonsdale has dedicated his life to figuring out how the world works, and how it could work better. For over two decades he’s partnered with the brightest minds in Silicon Valley to identify conceptual gaps in everything from healthcare to education to finance to defense, and build innovative companies that push humanity towards a better future.  We talk about the early history of Silicon Valley, how everything changed when his mentor and business partner Peter Thiel emerged on the scene, building next generation defense weapons systems, frameworks to understand and invest in the next technology waves, disrupting the higher education system with the University of Austin, and much more. Joe Lonsdale is a technology entrepreneur and investor. He is the co-founder of Palantir and managing partner of the venture capital firm 8VC. Follow him on Twitter at @JTLonsdale.

Peter Huntsman is one of the foremost experts on energy and chemical markets. He joins us to examine the multiple crises involving energy, food, and water that are unfolding across the globe thanks to radical environmental policies. Peter Huntsman is CEO of Huntsman Corp, a global chemicals company that manufactures the building blocks for countless consumer and industrial products.

Marian Tupy debunks the persistent myth that population growth will lead to the exhaustion of Earth's natural resources and the destruction of our ecosystem. He argues there are no resource constraints on what an ever-expanding humanity could accomplish  - the only constraints are the ones humans make through their own bad governance. Marian Tupy is co-author with Gale Pooley of "Superabundance: The Story of Population Growth, Innovation, and Human Flourishing on an Infinitely Bountiful Planet." He is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity and editor of the website HumanProgress.org. Follow Marian's work on Twitter at @HumanProgress.

Zuby joins us to talk about the culture wars, moral polarization between the left and right, how social media exasperates it all, and the fundamental question behind all of this cultural tension: is America a good or bad place? Zuby is an independent rapper, author, podcast host, and speaker. He is the author of the childrens' book "The Candy Calamity" and "Strong Advice: Zuby's Guide to Fitness for Everybody." Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @ZubyMusic.

Dan Blumenthal is the Senior Fellow and Director of Asian Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. We discuss the history that led to China's escalating tensions with Taiwan, why Americans should care about Taiwan remaining free, and the near-term prospects of a total collapse of the Chinese state. Dan Blumenthal previously served as senior director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia at the Department of Defense. He is the author of "The China Nightmare: The Grand Ambitions of a Dying State and An Awkward Embrace: The United States and China in the 21st Century." Follow him on Twitter at @DAlexBlumenthal.

Dr. Jacob Robinson is a bioengineer working at the cutting edge of neurotechnology. We talk about his groundbreaking research into brain-machine interfaces that will make possible everything from bionic eyes to real-life telepathy. And we discuss the limits of what we know about consciousness and how the brain works. Dr. Jacob Robinson is an Associate Professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Bioengineering at Rice University, and an Adjunct Associate Professor in Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine. His research group uses nanofabrication technology to create miniature devices to manipulate and monitor neural circuit activity. Follow him on Twitter at @JTRobinsonLab.

Congressman Mike Gallagher returns to the show to talk about Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (those unexplained sightings of highly advanced aircraft that even the Pentagon admits are a mystery), the probability of secret government programs using advanced alien technology, remote viewing, Top Gun: Maverick, and Pelosi's potential delegation to Taiwan. This is a good one. Congressman Mike Gallagher has represented Wisconsin’s 8th District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2017. Mike served for seven years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps, including two deployments to Iraq. Mike also served as the lead Republican staffer for the Middle East and Counterterrorism on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Follow him on Twitter at @RepGallagher.