It Could Happen Here - Trump's Constitutional Sheriffs

Episode Date: November 4, 2024

Robert sits down with Cloee Cooper of Political Research Associates to talk about her new podcast, The Insurgents, which looks into the movement of "constitutional" sheriffs working against democracy. Sources: https://politicalresearch.org/the-insurgence-sheriffsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, I'm Ed Zitron, host of the Better Offline podcast, and we're kicking off our second season digging into tech's elite and how they've turned Silicon Valley into a playground for billionaires. From the chaotic world of generative AI to the destruction of Google search, Better Offline is your unvarnished and at times unhinged look at the underbelly of tech brought to you by an industry veteran with nothing to lose. Listen to Better Offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever else you get your podcasts from. On Thanksgiving Day, 1999, five-year-old Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez was found off the coast of Florida. And the question was,

should the boy go back to his father in Cuba? Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him. Or stay with his relatives in Miami. Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. Listen to Chess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story

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Submit your podcast for nomination now at iHeart.com slash podcast awards. But hurry, submissions close on December 8th. Hey, you've been doing all that talking. It's time to get rewarded for it. Submit your podcast today at iHeart.com slash podcast awards. That's iHeart.com slash podcast awards. Call zone Media. Welcome back to It Could Happen Here, a podcast about it happening here and the it that is on everyone's minds right now. This will be dropping two or three days before the 2024 election, possibly two or three days before everyone's life changes substantially. We have no way of knowing.

I'm not optimistic or pessimistic. I have no idea what's going to happen. But one thing that everyone ought to be aware of, whether or not Trump wins, is kind of, to put it bluntly, the man has shooters. And some of those shooters are literal shooters in that they are local

sheriff's departments uh people who call themselves constitutional sheriffs this is an organization that's really got off the ground in 2012 and for more than a decade has been making inroads with elected republican leaders with republican influencers with groups like the oath keepers and these are guys who in brief believe the sheriff is the only, you can kind of get two versions of this, but generally either the sheriff is the only legitimate law enforcement authority in the country or the sheriff is the highest legitimate law enforcement. I've heard it both ways in the country.

And kind of the reason for this basically is a lot of people in rural areas that are more conservative do not want to have to listen to or follow the laws made by people in cities. And more to the point, they believe that the country has been taken off of a good track by dangerous liberal communist types. And, you know, they want the ability to use force against, you know, migrants, against the undocumented, against people they see as criminals, against left-wing protesters. And this is kind of a way for them to argue that they have a right to do it without any restrictions. Now, the whole story is much deeper than that. And to talk about what I think is one of the most important subjects to be discussing right now, because, people laugh a lot about like the gravy seals

or whatever like you know all these different kind of out of shape militia dudes the kind of silly fumbling that we saw a lot at january 6th you know which i think is a mistake just because january 6th was still quite dangerous but when we're talking about these guys these are not just like random yahoos these are people who have the force of law behind them. They're armed, they're organized, and they're quite dangerous. And to talk about how dangerous they are and where they came from, I want to bring on a wonderful journalist, investigative reporter, and PRA research director, Chloe Cooper, who has co-executive produced a podcast on the constitutional sheriff's movement called the insurgents,

which is a co-production of political research associates and Quintero productions. Chloe, I think I got that. All right. Right. That was awesome. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. So let's, let's talk about this. Where do these guys, I gave a little brief overview, but like, where do these guys come from and you know, what are we seeing from them in the lead up to this election? Like, what are they, what are they going to do? Do you think? Yeah. I mean, I loved the overview that you just gave. I think that was such a like great way to approach this all. So the leader of the constitutional sheriffs and

peace officers association is this guy named former Sheriff Mack. And he was a sheriff in Arizona. But one little important detail to note is that he actually kind of got his bearings before that in Nevada. And he was courted by someone who was basically in very close company with the John Birch Society. Always comes back to them. I know. He actually becomes a sheriff partially because of some of the ideas that come out of the John Birch Society and some of this kind of like emerging trend

that in some cases is actually like skeptical of the federal government, skeptical of state governments. Yeah. And then they start to build out with sheriffs in different parts of the country. At times, I would say the network has really ebbed and flowed. But a couple of things that have been important to note, like throughout the six years of researching this network of sheriffs that I think is really important, especially in advance of the elections.

that I think is really important, especially in advance of the elections. One is that sheriffs who are aligned with this have really embraced this idea that you can deputize anybody. Yeah. So in some cases, you have oath keepers and other militias going to the sheriff to say, hey, you want to deputize me. But in other cases, we've actually followed sheriffs who are going into churches and saying, we're deputizing me. But in other cases, we've actually followed sheriffs who are going into churches and saying, we're deputizing all of you. Great. Sheriffs in Virginia, when the state passed a law that was like a law for some gun restrictions saying, don't worry, people, we're actually going to deputize you. Yeah. That way you can have whatever gun you want and carry it anywhere. Yes. Yeah. And also what we started to see is that during the

former Trump administration, he was really actually courting sheriffs around the country. And I think he started to see networks like CSPOA as like part of his ground troops. And so I think that there is a potential danger in sheriffs that are part of this formal network called the CSPOA or other sheriffs because there are hundreds more that just have like aligned with their way of thinking about things just playing this role of deputizing more people and creating this kind of idea of like a super citizen or people who are kind of aligned with a far right way of seeing the world and then getting deputized to be part of the kind of ground troops for that. Yeah. So that's like one thing. And then in addition to that, there's also CSPOA itself teamed up with this group called True the Vote,

which has mostly since been discredited, but it's been one of the loudest groups in the country that has been spreading this idea that the 2020 election was stolen and has been actually working with county sheriffs to try to investigate voter fraud at the local level. But in some cases, also working with sheriffs to align with vigilante groups on the border, for example, to intimidate people from actually voting. And so there's kind of, I would say, like a multi-pronged series of potential risks and dangers that could play out, particularly from this network in the coming weeks. One other quick thing I'll note is that one of the very latest things that we saw, and this actually came out of a close kind of colleague in the movement, Devin Burkhart, who works at the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, is that he came across a plan that the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Offic sovereign citizen style groups in Florida militias uh

citizen militias in collaboration with sheriffs to do kind of old school style like intimidation of election clerks of people involved in the election process and they plan to try to hold tribunals if for example the certification of election goes in the direction they disagree with. Yeah. And now as a hardcore leftist, you may find like, what do you actually think about voting and whether that actually changes things and all of that. And I'm like, I've had those, thought bubbles in my brain for a long time also. But I think what I've started to see is that constitutional sheriffs to me represent

and also the groups of people who have aligned with them are actual not just white nationalists but people who are neo-confederates yeah and I think of it more of like a neo-confederacy and that what we could see is something like sheriffs actually coming in confrontation with potentially even police and mayors and governors and them representing a different kind of politic, a different type of way of seeing society. And one person also talked about how the constitutional, what are they really referring to? Are they referring to, you know, what is it, the organic constitution? Essentially, before slavery was abolished, before women had the right to vote, before the Native Americans had the right to vote. And so if that's the case, that that is

actually the kind of constitution that they are upholding and representing, then they are actually been quite successful in building out different alliances around the country within a somewhat prominent law enforcement institution that has very little accountability. Yeah. And I, so this is, this is where I kind of wind up in conflict with both liberals and a lot of leftists is I think that the leftists who say like, there's no point in voting are wrong for the same reason that like, I think people who say there's no point in voting are wrong for the same reason that like i think people who say there's no reason for civilians to be armed i i don't happen to agree with that and i don't happen to agree with it because i think if somebody who wants to kill you has a weapon and you have the ability to either match that weapon or take it from them then that's probably what you should do

for the sake of your own survival. And handing over complete control of the state, the military, and the police apparatus to the far right is handing them the most powerful weapon anyone has ever made. And I just don't think that's wise. Now, at the same token, the thing that kind of liberals will bring up a lot, which is that like, just vote, just get out and vote. Well, we've been doing that. And Democrats have overwhelmingly outperformed conservatives in elections this century.

And it hasn't been enough. And it hasn't been enough in part because these people don't care about the law. You know, there's a moment in your podcast where I, you know, I like you have an expert on who's kind of talking about the sheriff deputizing, you know, 70 people or whatever in this small town and being like, well, he's not actually allowed to do that. Like, you know, 70 people or whatever in this small town and being like,

well, he's not actually allowed to do that. Like, you know, the actual letter of the law does not give him the right to be doing this. He's misinterpreting the constitution. But the reality of the situation is that, like, he's allowed to do whatever he can get enough people with guns to back him in doing. And that's honestly the root of all politics is how much force can you bring to bear in order to support the reality you want to support, right? That is how it all works. And the bet the right is making with all of these different anti-democratic strategies they're trying is that no matter what they do and no matter how far against the constitution against the rule of law they take things they will have the force to support their version of reality and i don't know i don't know how we thread this needle right the easiest thing

is like well maybe if kamala has a really resounding victory there just won't be much for them to fight on, right? And they'll kind of back down. But even if she wins in 2024, which I think is the better of the options that we've got, these people aren't going away. And in fact, I think you are going to see challenges at local levels.

I think it's not impossible that we wind up with like an anti-Pope style situation with the presidency. Whereas like Trump holds his own inauguration and a bunch of state and local leaders say like, no, we're not recognizing the Harris administration. Donald Trump is our president. Like there's a lot of weird shit that could wind up as the result of this.

And I just don't see us getting out of this purely through electoral methods. And I don't know what, I don't know how else we handle it, right? Because you also get into this situation of like, okay, well, we're gonna send in the police to crack down on these sheriffs that are breaking the law. Well, what if the police don't wanna do it?

What if the police are more supportive of these sheriffs departments than they are of their elected leaders in the state or at the federal level? What if the FBI, as has happened in the past, what if the feds are unwilling to go up against a bunch of heavily armed, quote unquote, patriots, you know, like we saw in, you know, some of the Bundy shit from about a decade ago, right? Like, what if, what if the people who are supposed to handle this for the citizenry in a

situation that abides by the law, abrogate their responsibility because they're scared. You know, who backs us up then? Wow. Okay. You just put a lot out there. Sorry. Sorry.

I was like, I wanted to respond about a minute. Yeah. Oh, one more. I apologize. That was my bad. No, that was so great. I think, okay, a couple of thoughts. One is that I think that far-right movements are very much mobilizing within the government right now. Or you could say maybe

fascism is trying to mobilize within the government. Yeah, absolutely. And so I think we have to grapple with that really seriously. And so in terms of anti-fascist strategies, I don't know what could that actually look like right now, but you have to grapple with that really seriously. And so like in terms of anti-fascist strategies, I don't know what could that actually look like right now, but you have to grapple with the reality that many far-right movements have made serious, serious headway into not just former president, but into state legislators,

into the judicial system, into sheriff's departments. And so we are seeing a major fissure right now. So I don't know how to respond completely to some of the questions around electoral politics. Neither do I. But I think those are really important questions that you're posing. And then just to go pivot back to my wheelhouse, which is the right and the far right and some of their strategies. One of the things that you touched on is something that a number of different far right strategies have been practicing over the years. And it is about this idea of both nullification or interposition is what they call it. So these

constitutional sheriffs, one of the tactics that they have used over the years is to get sheriffs around the country to not enforce state laws. Right. And so you had a whole wave of sheriffs around the country supporting sanctuaries for the Second Amendment, Second Amendment sanctuaries. Okay. So they said in their own county, we're not going to enforce gun restriction laws. And again, think about that however you will. All good. But they're saying, we're not going to enforce it at the county level. Then you had all these sheriffs around the country being like, we're not going to enforce lockdown orders. We're not going to enforce mask mandates. What are they practicing? They're practicing the muscle of exactly what you

just talked about. Right, right. Yeah. I think that's a great way to look at it too. Yeah. Independent of what's happening at the federal government, independent of who wins right now, there is like a confederated situation happening in the country. And these sheriffs and also others have been very much in those muscles. So it's not just kind of the militias that will back these sheriffs and also others have been very much in those muscles. So it's not just kind of the militias that will back these sheriffs that are interested in that type of strategy. There is the whole way all these different movements that come out of the Christian Reconstructionists all talk about interposition. So the idea of getting sheriffs, other elected officials within the local magistrate to prop up and kind of protect your politics, regardless of the state or federal.

And so now we have this interesting moment where you've had in recent history, you know, a former president that actually aligned with some of those politics. And then you have a bunch of state legislators that align. And so I think understanding some of the strategies, that's important. It's important to understand that you may have sheriffs that are backing this and they may not always align with the police and they may not always align with the governor. And so it's going to be a little different than what we may often think of as like systemic white supremacy, where all the state and law enforcement are lock and step together. I think looking at the Civil War, as you've done so many different times, is actually

really important. Like, how does this reflect patterns that are more similar, actually, to, you know, the Confederacy against the North or those or, you know, these types of other moments in U.S. history? I'm going to throw to ads and then I'll come back. OK. So, yeah, everybody, here's here's some ads. Hey, I'm Jack Peace Thomas, the host of a brand new Black Effect original series, Black Lit, the podcast for diving deep into the rich world of Black literature.

I'm Jack Peace Thomas, and I'm inviting you to join me and a vibrant community of literary enthusiasts dedicated to protecting and celebrating our stories. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while commuting or running errands, for those who find themselves seeking solace, wisdom, and refuge between the chapters. From thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture. Together, we'll dissect classics and contemporary works while uncovering the stories of the brilliant writers behind them. Blacklit is here to amplify the voices of Black writers and to bring their words to life. Listen to Blacklit on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hola mi gente, it's Honey German and I'm bringing you Gracias, Come Again.

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Each week we'll explore everything from music and pop culture to deeper topics like identity, community and breaking down barriers in all sorts of industries. Don't miss out on the fun, el té caliente, and life stories. Join me for Gracias Come Again, a podcast by Honey German, where we get into todo lo actual y viral. Listen to Gracias Come Again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Ed Zitron, host of the Better Offline podcast, and we're kicking off our second season digging into how tech's elite has turned Silicon Valley into a playground for billionaires.

From the chaotic world of generative AI to the destruction of Google search, Better Offline is your unvarnished and at times unhinged look at the underbelly of tech from an industry veteran with nothing to lose. belly of tech from an industry veteran with nothing to lose. This season I'm going to be joined by everyone from Nobel winning economists to leading journalists in the field and I'll be digging into why the products you love keep getting worse and naming and shaming those responsible. Don't get me wrong though, I love technology. I just hate the people in charge and want them to get back to building things that actually do things to help real people. I swear to god things can change if we're loud enough so join me every week to understand what's happening in the tech industry and what could be done to make things better. Listen to Better Offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever else you get your podcasts. Check out betteroffline.com.

On Thanksgiving Day, 1999, a five-year-old boy floated alone in the ocean. He had lost his mother trying to reach Florida from Cuba. He looked like a little angel. I mean, he looked so fresh. And his name, Elian Gonzalez, will make headlines everywhere. Elian Gonzalez. Elian Gonzalez. Elian. Elian.

Elian Gonzalez. At the heart of the story is a young boy and the question of who he belongs with. His father in Cuba. Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him. Or his relatives in Miami. Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. At the heart of it all is still this painful family separation. Something that as a Cuban, I know all too well.

Listen to Chess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story as part of the My Cultura podcast network available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Gianna Parente. And I I'm Jimei Jackson-Gadsden. We're the hosts of Let's Talk Offline, the early career podcast from LinkedIn News and iHeart Podcasts. One of the most exciting things about having your first real job is that first real paycheck. You're probably thinking, yay, I can finally buy a new phone. But you also have a lot

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we're back i wanted to ask are there are there cases you can think of of like some of these guys these constitutional sheriffs who have been voted out and like forced out of office and had kind of these some of these like policies that they've been pushing reversed? Like, do we have, do we have any kind of case studies of times sheriffs went, you know, hard into this ideology and actually lost power as a result of it? So actually in episode four, it touches on it briefly, but it's a really interesting and kind of rather both in some ways inspiring, but also disturbing case study to some degree. There was a sheriff in North Carolina, Sheriff Jim Pendergraf of Mecklenburg County. And he was really inspired by the former Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona. And he is one of the people who really champions this program called 287G, which allows sheriffs to basically deputize their office as ICE, federal ICE agents and work with ICE. So he pilots that in Mecklenburg County and then is basically picked up by ICE and

kind of helps try to spread it all throughout the South. Something pretty historic and incredible happened in some ways in 2018, where you had Black organizers, immigrant rights organizers in 2018, where you had Black organizers, immigrant rights organizers, pushed for this whole campaign to oust him and a number of other close by kind of real white supremacist sheriffs in North Carolina. And they were successful. And there was a sheriff that ran and a number of Black sheriffs were elected in the state. And some of the sheriffs ran on not complying with ICE and ending this program called the 287G agreement. And it seemed like this historic moment, this historic win, in the immediate aftermath of that, as opposed to in moments where you have sheriffs saying, we're not going to enforce the lockdown order. And essentially, besides some reporters reporting on it, nothing happens. Instead,

what happened is that within a few months of this sheriff ending the 287G agreement, the federal government comes in and issues pretty massive ICE raids through the county and actually ends up locking up over 100 different people, many of whom got deported. Pretty soon after that, you had a number of other sheriffs in the state, including this one constitutional sheriff who also had aligned with another large anti-immigrant network called the Federation for American Immigration Reform, essentially organizing in the state for the state to push back and push an entire statewide mandate that all sheriffs comply with ICE. So that's not really an uplifting story.

Yeah. Actually, not quite. I think what it demonstrates in a tough way is more about this kind of like when sheriffs claim all of this autonomy at the local level, which they seem to actually in many cases be able to practice kind of quite well. You know, when they say they want to enforce the statewide gun restrictions or mask mandates, again, from what I understand, and I've been in touch with some of the like leading constitutional lawyers who are trying to look into it further, almost nothing happens. But then if you have, let's say a sheriff in this case, you know, not enforcing, ending the agreement with ICE, there's a pretty serious and significant backlash. There has also though been, you know, there was an amazing campaign to

eventually get Sheriff, former Sheriff Joe Arpaio out that took like a ton of organizing by immigrant rights organizers in Arizona. And that was pretty incredible and sustained. And there's been a lot of good stuff written about it. So it's not it's not not the case that people have built campaigns and have been able to unseat their sheriff. Yeah, yeah. I mean, and that's that's good to know, because like, I much prefer the like slow disassembling of this in a world in which they don't just get full power and start, you know, going after people with the wrong signs on their front yards than any other option here. It just, it seems like it's one of those situations where the deck is very much stacked

in their favor, right? In part because of how long I think this problem has been ignored. right? In part because of how long I think this problem has been ignored. Like, it's really just now. I'm so glad that y'all's podcast is out because I still don't think there's nearly enough attention on, like, what these sheriffs are doing because this really is, it's so fundamentally anti-democratic in a way that is also, has a great deal of legitimacy in the eyes and ears of at least a lot of the people living in these areas, right? This is not just some Yehu declaring himself a militia. It's not like the state of Jefferson movement saying, we're totally going to secede from California. These are guys with real power. So I guess where I'd like to close by is asking do you see a shift in rhetoric from these

people from like 2020 to 2024 like because i i feel i feel like right now the rhetoric is much more like aggressively anti like the enemy within whereas you know in 2020 it was much more focused on gun rights and going after migrants. But I think you would have a better sense of that than I do. So one thing is that immediately following 2020, there was some effort on the part of CSPOA to start to slightly distance themselves from the Oath Keepers. Yeah. CSPOA and the Oath Keepers, I mean, the former Sheriff Mack, that was the founder of the CSPOA, was on the board of the Oath Keepers. And Stuart Rhodes, who's been charged with seditious conspiracy for his role planning J6, has been working closely

with CSPOA for the entire time that CSPOA, for the most part, has been around. So they were working really, really, really closely together. So there was a little bit of a shift after J6 where CSPOA for the most part has been around. So they were working really, really, really closely together. So there was a little bit of a shift after J6 where CSPOA tried to distance themselves from the Oath Keepers. But I would say that the other thing that you touched on is also true. As opposed to focusing so much on kind of nullification of any sort

of creating, you know, Second Amendment sanctuaries or those types of things. They've really leaned hard into investigating election fraud and kind of stop the steal style rhetoric. Oh, right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course. And they've really leaned hard in a very frightening way into more like really harsh and horrible anti-immigrant rhetoric. Yeah. And so, you know, back literally at their 2024 spring CSPOA convening, they're talking about the great replacement theory. They're talking about doing every single thing in their powers to make sure that there is not election fraud.

They're talking about, you know, making sure that, I don't want to use the terms here, but that undocumented people don't vote in the elections and those types of things. And then what was really frightening in this plan that I spoke about briefly in Florida that the state director of CSPOA released is that they are actually embracing more far right views overtly in that plan than they have in any other time, actually, since they were formed.

So they're explicitly quoting, for any of your nerds out here that follow this stuff, this guy, Matthew Trujillo. Yeah. And he openly advocated for political violence and was one of the people who actually justified violence against abortion providers in the 1990s. They quote him numerous times when talking about setting up citizen militias to actually essentially target election clerks in the event that they are not happy with how the elections turn out. Yeah. So there is a shift, I would say, in like in multiple directions that that some of which

are very, very much just in line with Trump and the Trump campaign to some degree, and some of which are already kind of, you know, plans for a different type of insurgence at the local level in the event that things don't go in their direction. Yeah. I'm going to throw us to ads once more, and then we will come back and kind of close ourselves out. So everybody have an ad. So everybody have an ad. Hey, I'm Jack Peace Thomas, the host of a brand new Black Effect original series, Black Lit, the podcast for diving deep into the rich world of Black literature. I'm Jack Peace Thomas, and I'm inviting you to join me and a vibrant community of literary enthusiasts dedicated to protecting and celebrating our stories. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while commuting or running errands, for those who find themselves seeking solace, wisdom, and refuge between the

chapters. From thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture. Together, we'll dissect classics and contemporary works while uncovering the stories of the brilliant writers behind them. Blacklit is here to amplify the voices of Black writers and to bring their words to life. Listen to Blacklit on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Ed Zitron, host of the Better Offline podcast, and we're kicking off our second season digging into how tech's elite has turned Silicon Valley into a playground for billionaires. From the chaotic world of generative AI to the destruction of Google search, Better Offline is your unvarnished and at times unhinged look at the underbelly of tech

from an industry veteran with nothing to lose. This season, I'm going to be joined by everyone from Nobel-winning economists to leading journalists in the field, and I'll be digging into why the products you love keep getting worse and naming and shaming those responsible. Don't get me wrong, though. I love technology. I just hate the people in charge and want them to get back to building things

that actually do things to help real people. I swear to God things can change if we're loud enough. So join me every week to understand what's happening in the tech industry and what could be done to make things better. Listen to Better Offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever else you get your podcasts. Check out betteroffline.com. Hola mi gente, it's Honey German and I'm bringing you Gracias, Come Again. The podcast where we dive deep into the world of Latin culture, musica, peliculas, and entertainment with some of the biggest names in the game. If you love hearing real conversations with your favorite Latin celebrities, artists, and culture shifters, this is the podcast for you.

We're talking real conversations with our Latin stars, from actors and artists to musicians and creators, sharing their stories, struggles, and successes. You know it's going to be filled with chisme laughs and all the vibes that you love. Each week, we'll explore everything from music and pop culture to deeper topics like identity, community, and breaking down barriers in all sorts of industries.

Don't miss out on the fun, el té caliente and life stories. Join me for Gracias Come Again, a podcast by Honey German, where we get into todo lo actual y viral. Listen to Gracias Come Again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

On Thanksgiving Day, 1999, a five-year-old boy floated alone in the ocean. He had lost his mother trying to reach Florida from Cuba. He looked like a little angel. I mean, he looked so fresh. And his name, Elian Gonzalez, will make headlines everywhere. Elian Gonzalez. Elian. Elian.

Elian. Elian. Elian. Elian Gonzalez. At the heart of the story is a young boy and the question of who he belongs with. His father in Cuba. Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him. Or his relatives in Miami.

Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. At the heart of it all is still this painful family separation. Something that as a Cuban, I know all too well. Listen to Chess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story, as part of the My Cultura podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Gianna Parenti.

And I'm Jimei Jackson-Gadsden. We're the hosts of Let's Talk Offline, the early career podcast from LinkedIn News and iHeart Podcasts. One of the most exciting things about having your first real job is that first real paycheck. You're probably thinking, yay, I can finally buy a new phone. But you also have a lot of questions like, how should I be investing this money? I mean, how much do I save?

And what about my 401k? Well, we're talking with finance expert Vivian Tu, aka Your Rich BFF, to break it all down. I always get roasted on the internet when I say this out loud, but I'm like, every single year you need to be asking for a raise of somewhere between 10 to 15%. I'm not saying you're going to get 15% every single year, but if you ask for 10 to 15 and you end up getting eight, that is actually a true raise. Listen to this week's episode of Let's Talk Offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

and we're back so chloe yeah just kind of in closing what are you kind of keeping your ear to the ground on as we as we near election day like what are kind of your do you have any like particular sort of red lines that you're keeping an eye out for from these people? I am looking closely at Florida and whether some of the plans that they've actually laid out in Florida might happen. I'm also keeping a close ear to battleground states where it seems like a number of these militias are kind of activated, aligned with some sheriff's departments. And I want to particularly see if there's any type of cases that that kind of show up in terms of either voter intimidation or those types of things. And it's just been dawning on me more and more that a number of the people who are in the CSPOA network are actually in battleground states. And I just wonder to what degree that's a coincidence or not. I think I'm just trying to kind of get a sense of how also some of the framing from these sheriffs continue to shift

and whether they actually become activated, whether they're posses or citizen militias that become kind of mobilized as they did to some degree in 2020. Well, that's what I will be keeping an eye on, too. Thank you. Thank you so much for coming on. Thank you for putting together this podcast series. Everyone listen to The Insurgents Sheriffs, co-produced by Political Research Associates and Quintero Productions. Again, that's The Insurgents Sheriffs.

You can find it wherever podcasts are found. Thank you for coming on. Everybody check this out, and hopefully we will have a drop of the podcast in the Bastards feed so people can listen in on that too.

Thank you so much, Chloe. Thank you so much for having me. And thank you, listeners. It Could Happen Here is a production of Cool Zone Media. For more podcasts from Cool Zone Media, visit our website, coolzonemedia.com, or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can now find sources for It Could Happen Here listed directly in episode descriptions. Thanks for listening. Hi, I'm Ed Zitron, host of the Better Offline podcast, and we're kicking off

our second season digging into Tex Elite and how they've turned Silicon Valley into a playground for billionaires. From the chaotic world of generative AI to the destruction of Google search, Better Offline is your unvarnished and at times unhinged look at the underbelly of tech brought to you by an industry veteran with nothing to lose. Listen to Better Offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever else you get your podcasts from. On Thanksgiving Day 1999, five-year-old Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez was found off the coast of Florida. And the question was, should the boy go back to his father in Cuba? Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home, and he wanted to take his son with him. Or stay with his relatives in Miami.

Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. Listen to Chess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jacqueline Thomas, the host of a brand new Black Effect original series, Black Lit, the podcast for diving deep into the rich world of Black literature. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while running errands or at the end of a busy day. From thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture. Listen to Black Lit on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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