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For 30 years, Clarence Carter worked inside America's public assistance system under two presidents, four governors, and a mayor. In this episode, he joins John Odermatt to explain why the safety net designed to lift people out of poverty often keeps them trapped instead, and what a better system could look like. Carter draws on his three decades of experience — including transforming Washington DC's homeless services program and leading welfare reform in Virginia — to argue that the problem isn't a lack of funding, but a lack of clear purpose. He walks through the 114 federal programs that make up the safety net, why they measure compliance instead of outcomes, and what it would take to build a system focused on growing people beyond dependency rather than managing it. Along the way, he shares personal stories, from handing out apartment keys to former shelter residents to a welfare recipient's tearful first paycheck, that illustrate what real freedom from the system looks like, and makes the case for a whole-of-society approach involving government, business, faith communities, and everyday citizens. Show Sponsor: Jason Gagne’s Good2GoBody 90-day beginner fitness program - https://good2go.podia.com/?coupon=LIONSJOHN Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction 0:58 – Sponsor message & guest introduction 3:18 – Why Clarence stayed 30 years in public service 4:11 – Transforming DC's homeless program 10:48 – The core problem: a system with no clear objective 15:37 – Can government solve this alone? 24:45 – Reimagining the safety net from scratch 34:14 – Building bipartisan support 38:13 – What keeps Clarence going after 30+ years 43:45 – The Wizard of Oz story & closing thoughts Book: Our Net Has Holes in It by Clarence H. Carter — available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4vW3syo Schedule a 15 minute Gut Health Audit with John: https://calendar.app.google/B9fcGdSFjC5caTVu5 SUPPORT LIONS OF LIBERTY: Help keep this podcast going! We rely on listener support to continue bringing you content on freedom, political reform, and personal empowerment. Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lionsofliberty Support us on Locals: https://lionsofliberty.locals.com/ Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen – it makes a huge difference! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eduardo "Ted" Alexander joins Brian Nichols to reveal how to get paid in Bitcoin for what you already know - and why the banks, Big Tech, and inflation are quietly draining your value right now. Ted's a former venture capitalist who ran a half-billion-dollar fund, then walked away to build FeeMe, an app where you set a price on your knowledge and get paid in Bitcoin and Litecoin through a non-custodial wallet only you control. No bank. No middleman. No gatekeeper deciding whether you're allowed to earn.Inside, Ted breaks down the playbook nobody in Silicon Valley wants you to hear. How a bounty works - you post a question, put Bitcoin on it, and experts around the world compete to give you the best answer while you reward the top three. Why he flat-out refuses to touch dollars, PayPal, or Cash App. And how a non-custodial wallet - twelve words on a piece of paper - hands you money no bank can freeze, seize, or manipulate.Here's the uncomfortable part. As long as the government controls the money, they control you. Every dollar they print quietly steals from the one already in your pocket. And the same gatekeepers who flagged this very show as "harmful content" for asking questions during COVID are the ones deciding which voices get seen and which get buried. So what happens when you route around all of them?At 8:55, Brian gets raw about why The Brian Nichols Show is STILL labeled harmful content on YouTube - and why that's the whole point. At 11:40, Ted pulls out his phone and walks through a live bounty, Tinder-style, right on camera. And at 15:46, he explains the regulatory trap that would turn him into a bank overnight if he ever accepted a single dollar.If this one hit home, subscribe and share it with someone who still thinks Bitcoin is monopoly money. Download FeeMe using the links below, grab the show wherever you listen, and tag Brian @BNicholsLiberty on X, Facebook, and Instagram. And a big thanks to Cardio Miracle for powering the show - support healthy blood flow and energy with the stuff Brian takes every day at cardiomiracle.com/TBNS, code TBNS for 15% off. Educated. Enlightened. Informed.CHAPTERS0:00 - Intro2:56 - Why He Left California For Freedom6:02 - The Problem With "Trust The Experts"8:55 - Flagged "Harmful" For Asking Questions11:40 - Put Bitcoin On A Question, Watch Experts Compete15:46 - Why He Refuses To Take Dollars23:26 - The 12 Words That Put You In ControlLINKSGuest / FeeMeDownload FeeMe (iPhone): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/feeme/id6741012486Download FeeMe (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.feeme.applicationFeeMe website: https://www.feeme.comThe Brian Nichols ShowFollow Brian on X, Facebook & Instagram: @BNicholsLibertyListen/watch: YouTube, Rumble, Spotify, Apple PodcastsSponsorCardio Miracle - 15% off with code TBNS: https://cardiomiracle.com/TBNS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a fascinating and hilarious special ep of Mean Age Daydream, Brian welcomes in Brody Martinez, one of the founding members of 90s boy band C-Note, who performed across the country alongside artists including the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Cher, Brandy, and LFO. During his music career, he worked with acclaimed producers and songwriters such as Diane Warren, Full Force, Vassal Benford, Dakari, and Sturken & Rogers. His years in the music industry shaped a lifelong appreciation for hard work, collaboration, and the lasting impact of music. Brian is also joined by longtime friend and producer Remso Martinez, Brody's nephew. Check out the podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Germania Rodriguez Poleo — journalist, writer, and Venezuelan exile — escaped her country at age 11 after the Chavez regime accused her mother of terrorism, tortured their bodyguard to death, shot at their car, and raided their home. She arrived in Miami as a refugee. Then she went to NYU and voted for Bernie Sanders in the primary. Her Reason magazine article "My Family Fled Socialism. Then I Voted for Bernie Sanders." tells the story of how that happened — and how she found her way back out. She's also the narrator of the documentary Escaping Venezuela. We covered: her mother's escape on a boat to Curacao and what Interpol red notices actually do to dissidents; the Pinochet whataboutism that follows every conversation about left-wing atrocities; what NYU taught (and didn't teach) about communism, socialism, and US foreign policy; why the pipeline from wealth and privilege to socialism is real and why it matters who makes the culture; the DSA's old platform calling for nationalization of media — and what that looks like in practice in Venezuela; the 32 Cuban soldiers killed protecting Maduro when the US captured him; the 2024 Venezuelan election that was stolen in plain sight; the recent earthquake with 40,000 missing while the dictatorship reports 3,000 dead; why she believes the US should be the policeman of the world; and the tragedy of exile — what it means to have your entire family legacy erased. Follow Germania on social media → @iamGermania TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 — Intro — who is Germania Rodriguez Poleo? 0:31 — The Reason article: "My Family Fled Socialism. Then I Voted for Bernie Sanders" 1:43 — Her mom: the #1 journalist exposing Chavez — accused of terrorism 3:30 — House raids, shot at their car, bodyguard tortured to death 4:59 — How democracy is lost — and why people allow it 6:07 — Her mom escapes on a boat to Curacao, then flies to Miami 7:07 — Born in Miami — how that gave her some protection 7:26 — Interpol red notices — how dictators use them against dissidents 8:47 — Her grandfather arrested in Rome on Interpol orders 9:13 — The UN Security Council problem 10:06 — The Pinochet whataboutism — and why the left always pivots there 12:05 — NYU, Karl Marx, and an incomplete education 13:26 — No readings on the Soviet Union, Mao, or Cuba — only US horrors 15:03 — The 2002 Venezuela coup — US engineered or not? Her mom was in the room. 16:41 — "Whatever the US does is bad, everyone opposed to it is good" 17:21 — NYU's Karl Marx birthday dance party 18:39 — Why aren't we winning the argument against communism? 19:04 — The pipeline from privilege to socialism — and who makes the culture 20:08 — The documentary Escaping Venezuela — and why it matters 21:06 — DSA, Bernie Sanders, and the Norway vs. Cuba confusion 22:08 — Che Guevara shirts — racism, homophobia, concentration camps 24:08 — DSA's platform: nationalizing media — the Venezuela playbook 26:21 — How authoritarianism starts: shutting down speech in the name of morality 29:04 — Race, identity, and the boxes put on Latinos at NYU 31:06 — NYC Mayor Mamdani — victimhood politics and who's actually brown 32:22 — If the US is so racist, why do people lie about being minorities? 33:56 — Paid propagandists for left-wing dictatorships 36:13 — The US captures Maduro — and the 32 Cuban soldiers protecting him 37:39 — Should the US be the policeman of the world? Her answer: yes. 39:23 — Venezuela is not Libya — why intervention wouldn't cause a civil war 40:09 — The 2024 election Maduro stole 41:14 — The recent earthquake — 40,000 missing, dictatorship says 3,000 42:30 — That's socialism in practice — from richest country to this 42:54 — Cuba: communists vs. thugs — and the cancer it spread 46:04 — "I want to go to Cuba before Starbucks gets there" 48:23 — Her mom: still fighting, now critical of Trump, 200K YouTube views 50:16 — Does she want to go back? The tragedy of exile. 52:20 — Exile is different from immigration — what was taken from her family 54:39 — Trying to revive her grandfather's newspaper 56:05 — Outro Watch full episodes on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Vb53s4I0A&list=PLb5trMQQvT077-L1roE0iZyAgT4dD4EtJ Listen on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lou-perez-podcast/id1535032081 Listen on Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2KAtC7eFS3NHWMZp2UgMVU Co-host of Happy Hour Econ → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happy-hour-econ/id1863476697 Lou's book — That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore: https://amzn.to/3VhFa1r TheLouPerez.com | info@thelouperez.com Newsletter: https://substack.com/@louperez Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Independent analyst and Gold, Goats, and Guns host Tom Luongo joins the show to explain why he's left orthodox libertarianism behind and adopted a framework built around the City of London, the Federal Reserve, and Donald Trump's geopolitical strategy. The conversation ranges from Jerome Powell's rate hikes to Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Strait of Hormuz, Bitcoin's murky origins, and why Tom thinks most libertarian commentary misses the real centers of power entirely. Tom traces his intellectual break from the Ron Paul/Mises Institute wing of libertarianism back to the post-COVID Fed tightening cycle, arguing that the "coup" against Trump and Powell in 2020–21 mirrors a much older pattern of financial power rooted in London rather than Washington. He recounts a heated confrontation at the Mises Institute where he was cut off mid-speech for suggesting the movement update its models, and uses that story to argue libertarians are prone to the same "purity spiraling" as Bitcoin maximalists or gold bugs. From there, the discussion turns to Trump's Iran policy — framing it as less about Israel and more about dismantling chokepoints, energy dominance, and the offshore dollar system tied to the British Empire's financial remnants. Tom also lays out a theory connecting Bitcoin's DARPA origins to a broader strategy of building a new economic order outside the old London-centered system, and closes by tying Trump's moves in Venezuela and the Middle East to a long-term plan to leave the world harder to drag back into the old status quo. Show Sponsor: Jason Gagne’s Good2GoBody 90-day beginner fitness program - https://good2go.podia.com/?coupon=LIONSJOHN Chapters 0:00 – Intro & episode setup 1:47 – Introducing Tom Luongo 3:10 – John's evolution away from libertarian orthodoxy 5:13 – Tom's break: Powell, the Fed, and the 2021 "coup" 10:27 – Naming the enemy: the British Empire, Davos, and the "High Table" 15:16 – The blind spot: why libertarians never blame London 16:36 – Confrontation at the Mises Institute 19:36 – The Last Jedi test: challenging orthodoxy 23:37 – Kevin Warsh and the death of the Phillips Curve 27:30 – Hamiltonian economics vs. Austrian purity: Russia & China 32:00 – Purity spirals and the algorithm trap 35:02 – Trump, Iran, and the nuclear "forever war" 39:55 – Chokepoints, energy dominance, and London's financial architecture 46:07 – Netanyahu, Zionism, and the brain-hemisphere theory 54:34 – Reassessing gatekeepers: from King World News to Dave Smith 65:22 – Bitcoin, DARPA, and the new financial order 70:19 – Trump's endgame: Venezuela, oil, and troop drawdowns 78:46 – Closing thoughts Links Tom Luongo: tomluongo.me Twitter/X: @TFL1728 Patreon: patreon.com/goldghostandguns Schedule a 15 minute Gut Health Audit with John: https://calendar.app.google/B9fcGdSFjC5caTVu5 SUPPORT LIONS OF LIBERTY: Help keep this podcast going! We rely on listener support to continue bringing you content on freedom, political reform, and personal empowerment. Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lionsofliberty Support us on Locals: https://lionsofliberty.locals.com/ Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen – it makes a huge difference! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Norton joins Brian Nichols to reveal why Trump won Michigan by a BIGGER margin in 2024 than 2016 - and how Republicans are quietly converting blue dog Democrats to turn a supposed blue state red. This is an Afghan War veteran and Michigan State Senate candidate breaking down the demographic shift nobody in the national media wants to admit: gun-owning, pro-union Democrats who are done with the far-left agenda and flipping right. According to Tom, Michigan isn't drifting blue... it's trending red, and it's becoming more conservative than it's been in decades. We expose the reality behind the "Michigan is a blue state" narrative... and the ground game that's actually moving the needle. Tom knocked roughly 8,000 doors in a single week - and he's selling voters on a platform that should make every bureaucrat in Lansing sweat. Gutting CPS. A Michigan version of DOGE. Full school choice. This is the playbook that's converting Democrats one door at a time. But here's the question that should keep both parties up at night... if a former blue wall state is flipping red, what does that do to the map in 2028? Get this shift wrong and you misread the entire country.Inside, you'll hear Tom explain why Michigan Democrats are "blue dog" Democrats who like their guns (17:19)... how the Michigan GOP went from Romney-Rockefeller liberal to genuinely conservative (17:19)... plus the CPS due-process nightmare costing veterans their kids (6:16) and the lottery-style audit he wants running the entire state budget, Ron Paul "audit the Fed" style (7:53). If you got value from this one, smash subscribe and hit the notification bell - new episodes drop every Thursday at 9PM Eastern. Follow Brian across X, Facebook, and Instagram @BNicholsLiberty. Today's show is powered by Cardio Miracle - head to cardiomiracle.com/TBNS for 15% off. Support Tom's campaign at ThomasJNorton.com. Educated. Enlightened. Informed.CHAPTERS0:00 - Intro 2:54 - He Scared The Feds... Now He's Coming For CPS 6:16 - Why 62% Of CPS Kids Turn Violent 7:53 - Michigan's Version Of DOGE 10:32 - Where Your School Taxes Really Go 17:19 - Did Trump Turn Michigan Red? 21:40 - Where To Cast Your VoteLinks:Tom Norton for State Senate (campaign + donate) - https://www.thomasjnorton.com/Donate direct - https://secure.anedot.com/friends-of-thomas-norton/donateTom Norton on X - https://x.com/ForNortonSponsor:Cardio Miracle - https://cardiomiracle.com/TBNS (15% off) The Brian Nichols Show:Follow Brian @BNicholsLiberty on X, Facebook, and InstagramWatch on YouTube, Rumble, X, Facebook - Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube MusicNew episodes Thursdays, 9PM EST Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's Mean Age Daydream, Brian theorizes Europe's ban on AC is by design to implement a Canada MAID style culling of the older population. Also: Supergirl predictably bombs, SCOTUS rules on birthright citizenship, Dem Socialists rack up wins, and John C. Reily makes an ass out of himself about "Empathy." Buy my new card game: WOKE WORD WARS - https://www.amazon.com/Woke-Word-Wars-Ridiculously-Players/dp/B0FLF8Y16S🦁 Support Lions of Liberty: Patreon: patreon.com/lionsofliberty Locals: lionsofliberty.locals.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mitchell Suchner, director of Arkpad, joins John Odermatt from his floating resort in the Philippines to discuss how seasteading is moving from theory to operational reality. Arkpad has deployed 14 floating Airbnb units, five large fish cages, and a working resort off the coast of Davao City — all built for under $50,000 per unit using fiberglass and stainless steel. Mitchell explains the two core structure types (the Glamp House and the oil-rig-inspired Ark Pad), the engineering challenges of open-sea conditions, and how international flagging laws create a surprisingly libertarian legal framework for life at sea. The conversation covers who seasteading is realistically for today, how the path to a stateless floating city mirrors historical frontier movements, and Arkpad's roadmap to reach international waters within five years. Chapters 0:00 – Intro: Why states lose power 12 nautical miles out 0:49 – Welcome & episode overview 1:27 – Sponsor: Jason Gonyea's Good to Go 90-Day Workout 2:30 – Meet Mitchell Suchner & Arkpad 5:38 – What Arkpad has built: resort, fish farm & floating houses 11:41 – Engineering: Glamp House vs. Ark Pad, storm resistance & lifespans 22:27 – Mitchell's origin story: COVID lockdowns & the Thai navy attack 26:10 – Who is seasteading for? Cost & accessibility breakdown 38:31 – Arkpad's 2, 5 & 10-year vision + the seasteading flag 41:22 – How to visit, invest & get involved Links Mentioned Arkpad / Reef Resort: reefresort.co Samal Reef Resort on Facebook (for bookings) Seasteading Institute: seasteading.org Show Sponsor: Jason Gagne’s Good2GoBody 90-day beginner fitness program - https://good2go.podia.com/?coupon=LIONSJOHN Schedule a 15 minute Gut Health Audit with John: https://calendar.app.google/B9fcGdSFjC5caTVu5 SUPPORT LIONS OF LIBERTY: Help keep this podcast going! We rely on listener support to continue bringing you content on freedom, political reform, and personal empowerment. Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/lionsofliberty Support us on Locals: https://lionsofliberty.locals.com/ Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen – it makes a huge difference! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Murphy is a systems administrator from Chicago's Austin neighborhood running for Cook County Board President - as an independent - against one of the most entrenched political machines in America. No corporate PACs. No consultants. No backup. So what happens when a guy who fixes broken systems for a living looks at Cook County government and decides the whole thing just needs a reboot? In this episode, Brian sits down with Murphy to break down his "People Over Politics" pitch - cutting waste without cutting services, consolidating a transit mess three decades in the making, and selling pro-freedom positions to voters who've been told those things can't go together. Brian pushes him on the hard stuff too. What's the day-one waste cut? What does "reform without chaos" actually mean in Chicago? And what's the real math on an independent winning in machine country? Whether you're in Cook County or watching from a thousand miles away, this is a case study in something bigger... how you break a political machine when you've got no money, no party, and no permission.Because if it can work here? It can work anywhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meghan Murphy is a writer, podcaster, and one of the original people to get canceled on Twitter — permanently banned in 2018 for tweeting "men aren't women, though" and referring to a man who wanted to get his testicles waxed as "him." She's been writing and podcasting independently ever since, and she now lives in Mexico. We talked about: the tweet that got her banned and the Yaniv waxing lawsuits that triggered it; Canada's Bill C16 and what it actually means to have gender identity law on the books; losing venues, hiring private security, and getting stalked around her Vancouver neighborhood; how Joe Rogan and Elon Musk both played a role in keeping her career alive; why she left Canada in January 2021; the cartel "protest" that burned some cars, got wildly exaggerated online, and tanked the tourist season in her Mexican town; the fear of fun — Andrew Huberman, Bryan Johnson, Gen Z, and the obsession with optimizing yourself out of actually living; why she's happier single; why "nobody wants you after 35" is not true; and why guys who call attractive women "mid" are almost certainly not having sex with real women. Follow Meghan on X → @MeghanEMurphy Meghan on Substack → substack.com/@meghanmurphy TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 — Intro — who is Meghan Murphy? 0:45 — The tweet that got her banned: "Men aren't women, though" 1:36 — Jessica Yaniv and the waxing lawsuits — the rabbit hole 3:20 — Trans widows, skin suits, and Lou's Black Mirror idea 5:15 — Canada's Bill C16 — gender identity legislation and its consequences 6:07 — Getting banned at 11pm on a Friday — and crying at the bar 7:22 — Losing venues, getting no-platformed, and hiring private security for talks 7:46 — Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, and getting back on X 9:10 — How a ban silences other people — the chilling effect 9:54 — Her entire left-wing social circle turned on her 10:43 — Canada's speech laws — brushing up against criminal charges 12:05 — Leaving Vancouver in January 2021 — Covid authoritarianism and fear 13:27 — Stalked in her neighborhood, verbally attacked in public, constant threats 15:03 — Canada vs. America — why things changed here but not there 15:37 — Trump, Canada as the 51st state, and touring with Scott Thompson 18:18 — Life in Mexico — why she stayed and never went back 20:29 — Gentrification, gringos, and the cartel "protest" that tanked the tourist season 26:59 — The fear of fun — Andrew Huberman, Gen Z, and the obsession with optimization 30:55 — Bryan Johnson measuring his son's nighttime erections 33:40 — Living forever for what? If you're not having fun, what's the point? 35:46 — Lou weighs his food — and his brother smokes and has the same cholesterol 37:53 — Being single vs. married — and why Meghan is happier alone 40:12 — "Nobody wants you after 35" — why that's not true 44:10 — Porn, Instagram filters, and why guys don't understand real attraction 48:04 — Lou meets his wife — the audible "wow" at the bar 50:23 — Bitterness is unattractive — and everyone in Mexico is still having sex 50:44 — Outro — follow Meghan on X and Substack Watch full episodes on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Vb53s4I0A&list=PLb5trMQQvT077-L1roE0iZyAgT4dD4EtJ Listen on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lou-perez-podcast/id1535032081 Listen on Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2KAtC7eFS3NHWMZp2UgMVU Co-host of Happy Hour Econ → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happy-hour-econ/id1863476697 Lou's book — That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore: https://amzn.to/3VhFa1r TheLouPerez.com | info@thelouperez.com Newsletter: https://substack.com/@louperez #MeghanMurphy #CancelCulture #FreeSpeech #TransDebate #Canada #LouPerezPodcast #LionsOfLiberty #FearOfFun #BryanJohnson #Dating Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices