Breaking Battlegrounds

Latest Episodes:

Trump Economy, ICE Showdowns, School Choice & Switzerland's Political Shockwaves Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

On today's episode of Breaking Battlegrounds, hosts Chuck Warren and Sam Stone tackle the issues driving today's headlines, from the economy and immigration fights to crime, culture, and the future of education.

First, Henry Olsen joins the show to break down Europe's political shocks, including ATM bombings in Switzerland and a coming vote that could cap the country's population. The conversation turns to why Epstein remains in the headlines, shifting Democratic messaging around ICE, and the economic showdown between Trump and Biden, plus why wages and inflation may decide control of Congress in 2026.

Then, Ashley Hayek, President of America First Works, discusses falling crime rates, the real consequences of a DHS shutdown, and how culture changes when people stay silent. She highlights Trump-era policy wins, ICE enforcement, the fentanyl crisis, and why many administration successes aren't breaking through in mainstream media coverage.

In a podcast-exclusive final segment, Tom Horne, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, lays out his push for stronger academics, AI readiness in schools, expanded school choice, and CTE programs that prepare students for real careers, while addressing teacher shortages, classroom discipline, and the debate over cellphones in schools.

Inside The Enemy Within with Patrick Byrne Oct 03, 2025

Show notes

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds we're doing something different with one guest for the full show, our friend Patrick Byrne, founder and former CEO of Overstock.com. We open with a conversation on education, from school choice to teacher unions, and how Mississippi made the leap from 50th to top 10 in the nation in education. From there, we dive into Patrick's new docuseries The Enemy Within, exploring his journey from being hailed as a Wall Street prophet to resigning in 2019 after claiming he was a covert government asset caught in political espionage. We close with Kiley's Corner, where Kiley unpacks the disturbing case of Christopher Scholtes, a father accused of leaving his two-year-old to die in a hot car while he spent three hours watching adult entertainment, as a judge now approves his request to vacation in Hawaii. You won't want to miss this episode!

Alexander Raikin on Canada's Euthanasia Crisis Dec 31, 2022

Show notes

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by Alexander Raikin, a freelance journalist investigating Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program. Later in the show, Abraham Hamadeh calls in with an update on the legal fights over Arizona's election.

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Corey DeAngelis on School Choice and Christopher Bedford on Free Speech Online Apr 30, 2022

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This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam are joined by Corey DeAngelis, a leading advocate for school choice, and Christopher Bedford, an expert on free speech and journalism in the digital age.

Corey DeAngelis is the national director of research at the American Federation for Children, the executive director at Educational Freedom Institute, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, and a senior fellow at Reason Foundation. He was named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work on education policy and received the Buckley Award from America's Future in 2020. DeAngelis's research primarily focuses on the effects of school choice programs on nonacademic outcomes such as criminal activity, character skills, mental health, and political participation. He has authored or coauthored over 40 journal articles, book chapters, and reports on education policy, and he is the coeditor of School Choice Myths: Setting the Record Straight on Education Freedom.

Christopher Bedford is a senior editor at The Federalist, a founding partner of RightForge, vice chairman of Young Americans for Freedom, a board member at The Daily Caller News Foundation and National Journalism Center, and the author of "The Art of the Donald." His work has been featured in The American Mind, National Review, the New York Post and the Daily Caller, where he led the Daily Caller News Foundation and spent eight years. A frequent guest on Fox News and Fox Business, he was raised in Massachusetts and lives across the river from D.C. Follow him on Twitter.

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Breaking Battlegrounds: Statement on Ukraine Feb 28, 2022

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Since we recorded our show a little early this week, we wanted to put out a brief update with our thoughts on the situation in Ukraine and extend our prayers and support of the Ukrainian people.

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Dr. Everett Piper on Wokeism in Schools and Brandon Darby on the Border Crisis Jan 15, 2022

Show notes

This week on Broken Potholes, Chuck and Sam are joined by best-selling author Dr. Everett Piper for a discussion on how wokeism has affected our culture, especially our schools. Later in the show, Brandon Darby joins the program for a deep look at the reality of our border crisis.

Dr. Everett Piper is the author of the national best-seller, Not a Daycare: The Devastating Consequences of Abandoning Truth. He has served as president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University for 17 years, during which time he led his school from relative obscurity to a position of national recognition and influence. He currently serves as a contributing columnist for The Washington Times. Dr. Piper is also the 2016 recipient of the Jeane Kirkpatrick Award for Academic Freedom.

Brandon Darby is the Director of Breitbart's Border and Cartel Chronicles projects, where he reports on the crisis on both sides of our southern border. He is also the co-founder of the Common Ground Collective, which began as a relief organization in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

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Kevin McCarthy on the Impact of Taxes Nov 03, 2021

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This week on Broken Potholes, Chuck and Sam are joined in studio by Kevin McCarthy of the Arizona Tax Research Association (ATRA). Later in the show, Brent Buchanan gives us an update on the Virginia governor's election.Kevin McCarthy has served ATRA since 1986. A recognized expert in the public finance and taxation field, Kevin has extensive experience representing taxpayers before policy makers at the state and local level. He has been appointed to and served on numerous legislative and executive committees. He currently serves on the Arizona State Retirement System Board and the Property Tax Oversight Commission.Brent Buchanan is CEO & Founder of Cygnal, an innovation-driven public opinion polling and predictive analytics firm. He started the company in 2007 as a regional general consulting firm but transitioned the organization in 2017 to focus fully on solving the problems with political polling and the insights industry. It worked! The New York Times recognized Cygnal as the most accurate private polling firm in the nation in the 2018 election cycle, and FiveThirtyEight ranked them the most accurate Republican pollster. The firm has served as pollster on presidential, US Senate, gubernatorial, congressional, state legislative, and local races. Brent doesn't know what free time is, because his most important priority is his wife of 12 years and five children age 11 and under.CONNECT WITH USTwitter: https://twitter.com/BrokenPotholes

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Karan Deep Singh and Carlos Martinez on India's COVID Crisis and Protests in Cuba Jul 28, 2021

Show notes

This week, Broken Potholes looks to the world stage. First, Karan Deep Singh of the New York Times joins Chuck and Sam to shed some light on the COVID crisis in India. Carlos Martinez of the Miami Herald joins the program later to explain the recent protests in Cuba.Carlos Martinez is a student of journalism at Florida International University. He grew up in Cuba and moved to the United States when he was 17. He is a reporter for the Miami Herald and the Nuevo Herald, covering Cuba and local news. Karan Deep Singh is a reporter and visual journalist at The New York Times, based in New Delhi, India. He covers economy, politics and technology in South Asia and contributes to The Times's visual report from the region.CONNECT WITH USTwitter: https://twitter.com/BrokenPotholesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/brokenpotholesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokenpotholes/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/broken-potholes

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Mia Love on Immigration and the Border Crisis Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

Former Congresswoman Mia Love joins Sam Stone and Chuck Warren on this weeks episode of Broken Potholes.

Love was the first African-American Republican woman in Congress. She brought a unique personal history and diverse résumé to the House. Love, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, was born in New York, studied theater in Connecticut, converted to the Church of Latter-day Saints, moved to Utah, and was a staunch proponent of small government. But Love's career in politics, long before she served in the House, revolved around policy more than her individual story. "I wasn't elected in Saratoga Springs because of my race or my gender or my heels," she said in 2013 about her time as mayor. "I was elected by the people there because I had a plan and a vision to get us financially stable."

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Dr. Kelly Victory on Covid-19 Feb 03, 2021

Show notes

Sam Stone and Chuck Warren are joined by Dr. Kelly Victory. Kelly Victory, MD, is a board-certified trauma and emergency specialist with over 15 years of clinical experience. She served as CMO for Whole Health Management, delivering on-site healthcare services for Fortune 500 companies. Dr Victory is an expert in disaster preparedness and the medical management of mass casualties. She is a member of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, a combined effort of Harvard School of Public Health and the Kennedy School of Government to develop meta-leaders for national disaster preparedness and response. She has worked closely with officials from Homeland Security, the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and multiple branches of the military. #FactsNotFear

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