InfluenceWatch Podcast

In late 2021, following a class action suit in which the Supreme Court decided some college athletes should be allowed to earn money off their image and likeness, a Biden administration lawyer with the National Labor Relations Board named Jennifer Abruzzo issued a memo clarifying that some college athletes could now be considered employees of state universities.This memo led to breathless articles from well-known, hard left outlets like In These Times arguing that employees of the state designation meant potential unionization of college athletes and, as In These Times said, “a new progressive institution powerful enough to bend the South to its will.”This idea gained traction in December of last year when the NLRB determined that the Pac 12 Conference and the University of Southern California were indeed employers of athletes at the school and were violating the law by failing to treat student basketball and football players as employees.Joining me today to discuss sports unions and the possibility of collective bargaining at the collegiate level is my colleague Mike Watson. Links: https://inthesetimes.com/article/nlrb-college-football-union-labor-ncaa-abruzzo https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/ncaa-violated-athletes-labor-rights-us-labor-officials-say https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/minor-league-baseball-players-unionize-minor-leaguers-officially-join-mlbpa-after-authorization/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2022/02/12/players-union-unimpressed-with-mlbs-new-proposal-lockout/6767700001/ Follow us on our Socials: Twitter: @capitalresearch Instagram: @capitalresearchcenter Facebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenter YouTube: @capitalresearchcenter

Thirty years ago, Al Gore took office as Vice President of the United States. Over the intervening period, he has lost a campaign for President and reinvented himself as the Nobel Peace Laureate-branded conscience of the climate movement. But years removed from his film An Inconvenient Truth and with countries like Germany following his environmentalist policy prescriptions, has Gore’s vision borne out? Joining me to assess are my colleagues Ken Braun and Parker Thayer. Links: Al Gore's 30 Years of Climate Errors Part 1: https://capitalresearch.org/article/al-gores-30-years-of-climate-errors-part-1/ Al Gore's 30 Years of Climate Errors Part 6: https://capitalresearch.org/article/al-gores-30-years-of-climate-errors-part-6/ Al Gore's 30 Years of Clmate Errors Part 7: https://capitalresearch.org/article/al-gores-30-years-of-climate-errors-part-7/ Al Gore - InfluenceWatch: https://www.influencewatch.org/person/al-gore/ They Really Believe You'll Be Happy: https://capitalresearch.org/article/they-really-believe-youll-be-happy/ Soup Throwing Aside, Environmental Activists Are Still Ruining People’s Lives: https://capitalresearch.org/article/soup-throwing-aside-environmental-activists-are-still-ruining-peoples-lives/ Follow us on our Socials: Twitter: @capitalresearch Instagram: @capitalresearchcenter Facebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenter YouTube: @capitalresearchcenter

Are America and broader Western Civilization in crisis? Today’s guest, author Spencer Klavan, says yes, and he has written How to Save the West: Ancient Wisdom for 5 Modern Crises to outline the problems facing the West and the philosophical resources that its defenders have to fall back on in its defense. Links: Making Meta Mandatory: https://capitalresearch.org/article/making-meta-mandatory/ How to Save the West: https://www.regnery.com/9781684513451/how-to-save-the-west/ Federalist Radio Hour: https://ricochet.com/podcast/federalist-radio-hour/spencer-klavan-on-how-to-save-the-west/ Soul Dysphoria: https://ricochet.com/podcast/federalist-radio-hour/spencer-klavan-on-how-to-save-the-west/ Judith Butler - Influence Watch: https://www.influencewatch.org/person/judith-butler/ Follow us on our Socials: Twitter: @capitalresearch Instagram: @capitalresearchcenter Facebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenter YouTube: @capitalresearchcenter

We’re doing something a little different this week: We are joined by Rusty Brown of the Freedom Foundation for a bit of government-worker union wonkery. Brown and his colleagues have been researching certain financial products that the National Education Association markets to its members, and they have many questions about how it all works and whether members are being taken for a ride. Links: Fighting for Workers' Rights: https://www.freedomfoundation.com/ Influence Watch: National Education Association (NEA): https://www.influencewatch.org/labor-union/national-education-association-nea/ Government Unions After Wisconsin: https://capitalresearch.org/article/government-unions-after-wisconsin/ Follow us on our Socials: Twitter: @capitalresearch Instagram: @capitalresearchcenter Facebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenter YouTube: @capitalresearchcenter

The recent Supreme Court case New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen that curtailed a state's ability to infringe on Americans' right to carry publicly for their own self defense has brought the 2nd Amendment fight back to the headlines as defenders celebrate and gun control activists plan to counter the ruling. Larry Correia, a firearms expert and successful novelist, chose this time to write a nonfiction book called "In Defense of the Second Amendment," to both explain why winning this particular culture war is necessary and to dismantle arguments from the left about gun control. He addresses everything from the importance of self defense as a core tenet of free societies, to the statistics about gun crime and gun ownership, to the benefit of getting trained and involved in the fight against mass shooters and tyranny. Mr. Correia joins the Influence Watch podcast this week to discuss his book.  Follow us on our Socials: Twitter: @capitalresearch Instagram: @capitalresearchcenter Facebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenter YouTube: @capitalresearchcenter

Equal treatment under the law, regardless of race: One would think that all could agree on that principle, but in states and localities across the country—even in Republican-controlled states—that principle is giving way to programs that restrict eligibility based on skin color. Joining my colleague Sarah Lee and I to discuss these programs and how to challenge them legally is Glenn Roper, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation. Links: https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/3778095-are-georgia-and-oklahoma-racially-discriminating-in-a-homeowners-covid-relief-program/ https://pacificlegal.org/the-washington-examiner-agricultural-programs-should-focus-on-opportunity-not-equity/ Follow us on our Socials: Twitter: @capitalresearch Instagram: @capitalresearchcenter Facebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenter YouTube: @capitalresearchcenter

In 2022, Arizona passed one of the most comprehensive school-choice programs in the nation. But later that year, the state elected Katie Hobbs a governor who is backed by the teachers’ unions, and she has targeted that program for elimination, even as other states like Iowa and Texas consider similar expansions to school choice programs. Joining my colleague Hayden Ludwig and I to discuss Arizona’s proposed retreat as other states advance school choice is Jason Bedrick, research fellow in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation. Links: Education Freedom Report Card: https://www.heritage.org/educationreportcard/ Katie Hobbs Wants to Turn Back the Clock on School Choice: https://www.wsj.com/articles/arizona-gov-katie-hobbs-wants-to-turn-back-the-clock-on-school-choice-esas-budget-children-11673896303 Iowa and Utah Lead States on School Choice Progress: https://www.heritage.org/education/commentary/iowa-and-utah-lead-states-school-choice-progress-the-new-year Follow us on our Socials: Twitter: @capitalresearch Instagram: @capitalresearchcenter Facebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenter YouTube: @capitalresearchcenter

It is well known that George Soros and his Open Society Foundations are major funders of left-wing advocacy, but a new report from Media Research Center shines the light on one facet of that advocacy. According to MRC’s research, Soros and his associated philanthropies have funded 253 organizations involved in activist media worldwide. Joining me and my colleague Sarah Lee to discuss Soros’s funding of left-wing media, the broader universe of foundation-funded journalism, and what it all means is Media Research Center associate editor Joseph Vazquez. Links: George Soros: Philosophy - https://capitalresearch.org/article/george-soros-part-1/ Propaganda Powerhouse - https://cdn.mrc.org/static/pdfuploads/PropagandaPowerhousePart1FINAL.pdf-1670340182273.pdf Propaganda Czar - https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/business/joseph-vazquez/2022/12/06/propaganda-czar-soros-bankrolls-253-groups-influence Follow us on Socials: Twitter: @capitalresearch Instagram: @capitalresearchcenter Facebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenter YouTube: @capitalresearchcenter

If you believe Axios and the Washington Post, this is just the latest GOP and conservative culture war: A ban on gas stoves proposed by the Biden administration-controlled Consumer Product Safety Commission. But like so many things that the media tells us aren’t happening, until they are, and then you’re a bigot for opposing them, the Left is coming for gas stoves—and all gas appliances, if not convenience itself. Joining me to discuss the proposed ban on gas stoves, the publishers of the shoddy “science” behind it, and the far-reaching desires of the Left to reduce Americans’ standard of living are my colleagues Ken Braun and Parker Thayer. Links: https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/01/the-only-proper-response-to-a-national-gas-stove-ban/ https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/rocky-mountain-institute/ https://capitalresearch.org/article/anti-humanist-environmentalism-part-1/ https://capitalresearch.org/article/anti-humanist-environmentalism-people-as-pollution/ Follow us on Socials: Twitter: @capitalresearch Instagram: @capitalresearchcenter Facebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenter YouTube: @capitalresearchcenter

In 1968, Paul Ehrlich claimed that “the battle to feed all of humanity is over” and that mass starvation was imminent. He was completely, utterly, and totally wrong. But because Ehrlich is a leader of the environmentalist movement, just last week, “60 Minutes” brought him back to make more predictions of imminent doom unless we vastly reduce our quality of life. Joining me and my colleague Sarah Lee to discuss Ehrlich’s life, work, and revival to aid the green agenda is Steve Milloy, Senior Legal Fellow at Energy and Environment Legal Institute. Links: The Books That Begat ‘Big Green’: https://capitalresearch.org/app/uploads/GW1508-final-draft-150810.pdf A Darker Shade of Green: Apocalypse...Now?: https://capitalresearch.org/article/a-darker-shade-of-green-apocalypse-now/ WATCH: ‘60 Minutes’ Gives Airtime to ‘Population Bomb’ Fanatic to Prophesy Mass Extinction: https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/business/joseph-vazquez/2023/01/03/watch-60-minutes-gives-airtime-population-bomb-fanatic Follow us on our socials: Twitter: @capitalresearch Instagram: @capitalresearchcenter Facebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenter YouTube: @capitalresearchcenter