Podcast Summary: 10 Minute Drill

Episode: Wednesday Special: Congress and their rough September; Chicago defends crime status quo; special guest Nicki Neily
Host: Matt Whitlock
Guest: Nicki Neily (Defending Education)
Date: September 3, 2025

Episode Overview

This special Wednesday edition of the 10 Minute Drill offers a brisk yet detailed rundown of the pressing issues facing Congress as sessions resume, ongoing debates about crime in major cities like Chicago and D.C., and the increasing politicization of teachers unions. Host Matt Whitlock is joined by Nicki Neily, president of Defending Education, for a frank discussion on parental rights, public education ideology, and holding schools and unions accountable. The episode wraps up with the latest political gaffe from Minnesota governor Tim Walz.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Congress Returns: September Struggles

[00:33 - 02:12]

• Congress is back from August recess—often misunderstood by the public as vacation, actually an “in state work period.”
• Major focus: funding the government ahead of an impending deadline.
• Funding negotiations create rare leverage for Democrats, given the need for a 60-vote threshold in the Senate.
• Speculation about potential government shutdown tactics by Democrats, referencing “Gavin Newsom esque yolo” (01:13).
• Additional focus on funding National Guard deployments, particularly in support of efforts to combat surges in violent crime, especially connected to President Trump’s administration.

"One challenge that Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader John Thune face is the fact that these funding fights are one of the rare opportunities for Democrats to flex and make some requests because you cannot fund the government without the 60 vote threshold." — Matt Whitlock at [01:03]

2. Crime in D.C. and Chicago; Defending the Status Quo

[02:12 - 04:45]

• President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in D.C. prompts talk of extending similar measures to Chicago.
• Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson push back strongly against federal intervention.
• Host highlights extent of Chicago crime, referencing a violent Labor Day weekend:
  • “At least seven people were shot and killed and dozens more wounded.” (02:24)
• Mayor Johnson asserts: “No federal troops in the city of Chicago... We're gonna defend our democracy... We're gonna protect the humanity of every single person in the city of Chicago.” (03:36)
• Whitlock criticizes these stances, suggesting local leaders are defending an unacceptable "murder status quo" and neglecting educational failings.

"So as you hear Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson talk about protecting the humanity of the people of Chicago, recall the fact that he is defending murder status quo in Chicago." — Matt Whitlock at [02:55]

• Critique of teachers unions for diverting dues to political causes, not classroom needs.

3. Teachers Unions: Political Activism Over Education

[04:45 - 06:32]

• Discussion of teachers unions prioritizing political causes (e.g., AFT joining a boycott of Target over changes in DEI practices) rather than student achievement or teacher welfare.
• Example of a new demand: unions pushing Target to give $2 billion to Black businesses, predicted to end up funneled to Democrat-affiliated nonprofits.
• Context: unions spent $50 million from taxpayer-funded teacher salaries on Democrat groups.

"Once again, teachers unions will do anything but focus on helping kids learn to read and write." — Matt Whitlock at [05:25]

4. Interview: Nicki Neily, Defending Education

[06:32 - 16:36]

Guest Introduction

[06:32]

• Matt introduces Neily as “perhaps the most important, highest impact operative whose name you might not have heard of,” lauding her work defending parental rights and education watchdog efforts.

How Neily Got Into Education Activism

[06:47 - 08:21]

• Background in campus free speech advocacy.
• Shifted focus after seeing schools embrace political and identity-based messaging, especially post-George Floyd.
• The turning point: a superintendent near Chicago planning to re-open schools only for "Black and brown students" before white students—called it “unconstitutional” and proof K-12 was the next frontier for activism.

"He said that fall he was going to open schools for in person education for black and brown students before white students in the name of anti racism. And I remember screaming at my computer saying, ah, you can't do that, that's unconstitutional." — Nicki Neily at [08:11]

Most Alarming Discoveries in K-12

[08:44 - 10:03]

• Notable incidents:
  • National School Boards Association labeling parents as "domestic terrorists"—FBI “looked into parents that were raising valid questions,” which helped propel Glenn Youngkin in Virginia (08:44).
  • “Privilege bingo” in Fairfax schools—one square for “military family,” which Neily calls offensive and insensitive.
  • Outrageous “pizza and consent” lesson in Connecticut, where students assigned sexual “kinks” to pizza toppings.

"My brother was buried at Arlington. It is not a privilege to wait every morning for a knock on the door for 18 months during that period." — Nicki Neily at [09:17]

How Defending Ed Supports Parents

[10:03 - 11:28]

• Tip line receives 50–200 tips/week; team sorts legitimate cases, files public records (FOIA) requests, protects informants’ anonymity.
• Focus on exposing waste, ideological curricula, and holding public officials accountable.

"Sunshine is the best disinfectant...Our children are sent to school to learn, not to be filled with a bunch of poison.” — Nicki Neily at [10:50]

Advice to Parents

[11:28 - 13:29]

• Build teacher relationships, stay engaged, ask questions before escalating up the administration.
• Reminds listeners: the school board works for the community, not vice versa.

"At the end of the day, you are the consumer, you are the taxpayer, they are accountable to you." — Nicki Neily at [13:16]

Unions vs. Education: Exclusive Report

[13:29 - 15:28]

• Recent exposé: unions’ spending patterns (per federal LM2 filings) show donations to overtly political groups (Center for American Progress, Trevor Project, etc.), not education initiatives.
• At union conferences, substantive issues like student achievement are voted down in favor of unrelated political topics (Middle East, Medicare for All, abortion).

"A couple years ago they actually voted down a resolution that would recenter the union's focus on student achievement." — Nicki Neily at [14:25]

How to Join or Support Defending Education

[15:57 - 16:36]

• Resources, incident database, and tip submission available at defendinged.org.
• Aim is to empower and guide parents for local impact, not force a one-size-fits-all solution.

5. You Can’t Make This Up: Tim Walz’s Gaffe

[16:36 - 18:09]

• Minnesota Governor Tim Walz makes light comments about “doomscrolling” and anticipation of news after conspiracy theories swirl about President Trump’s health.
• Walz is mocked for a “foot in mouth” moment, seeming to imply expectation of negative news about Trump’s wellbeing.
• Whitlock: “hypothesizing and kind of hoping that President Trump has died might be a new low even for Tim” ([18:09]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Matt Whitlock:

  • “So as you hear Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson talk about protecting the humanity of the people of Chicago, recall the fact that he is defending murder status quo in Chicago.” [02:55]

• Brandon Johnson (Mayor of Chicago):

  • “No federal troops in the city of Chicago. No militarized force in the city of Chicago. We're gonna defend our democracy in the city of Chicago. We're gonna protect the humanity of every single person in the city of Chicago.” [03:36]

• Nicki Neily:

  • “Sunshine is the best disinfectant. And a lot of these school officials… don’t think of themselves as state employees. But their salaries are paid for with tax dollars.” [10:50]
  • “It's the sex stuff, it's the race stuff, it's the teaching kids to hate each other. And at the end of the day, right, we want students to be treated as individuals, not as members of an identity group.” [09:51]
  • “At the end of the day, you are the consumer, you are the taxpayer, they are accountable to you.” [13:16]

• Nicki Neily on unions' priorities:

  • "Their money and their mouths are going towards activism, not towards education.” [14:44]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:33 – 02:12] — Congress returns; government funding and National Guard deployment debates
• [02:12 – 04:45] — Chicago’s crime debate and leaders’ responses
• [04:45 – 06:32] — Teachers union funding and DEI activism
• [06:32 – 16:36] — In-depth Nicki Neily interview (parental rights, school ideology, union politics)
• [16:36 – 18:09] — Tim Walz and “You Can’t Make This Up” segment

Final Thoughts

The episode manages to pack a significant breadth of analysis and commentary into 18 minutes, tying current events, education politics, and the broader culture war together with direct language, pointed humor, and concrete examples. Nicki Neily’s special guest segment offers actionable guidance for parents who are concerned about their children's education and exposure to ideology, while also spotlighting systemic union practices. Listeners come away with a clear understanding of the challenges facing Congress, public education, and urban policy debates—as well as a few watercooler political moments.

To learn more about Defending Education or to submit tips about concerning education policies, visit defendinged.org.