🎙️ Today’s Conversation
On the fifth anniversary of January 6th, I reflect on where I was that day, what it felt like to witness an attempted overthrow of the U.S. government in real time, and how naïve I was to think things couldn’t get worse. Spoiler alert: it can and it will, specifically the U.S. military escalation in Venezuela, the capture of Nicolás Maduro, and why oil (not drugs) is the real story underneath the rhetoric.
I also zoom back home to Indiana to preview the 2026 legislative session, what a shortened session means for policy, and the three issue areas I’m watching most closely in the months ahead.
🪴 Mentioned in This Episode
* The January 6th, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol
* U.S. military action in Venezuela and the extradition of Nicolás Maduro
* Indiana’s 2026 legislative session and the failed December redistricting effort
* Indianapolis Local Education Alliance (ILEA) recommendations
* Affordability policy in Indiana, including child care
* Proposed data centers in Martindale-Brightwood and their impact on utilities and water
* Hank Green on Data Center Water Usage
* Wildstyle Paschall on threads
🧠What I’m Watching in the 2026 Indiana Legislative Session
* Public EducationEspecially how ILEA’s recommendations move through the Statehouse and what they mean for IPS and public schools across Indiana.
* AffordabilityWhat lawmakers actually propose around cost of living, child care, and everyday expenses—and whether those proposals match the rhetoric.
* Utilities & Data CentersHow proposed data centers could drive up utility costs, strain municipal water supplies, and reshape neighborhoods like Martindale-Brightwood.
