The world feels chaotic until you anchor it to what actually works. We start with a raw look at Venezuela—an oil-rich nation weighed down by corruption and human rights abuses—and connect it to the fentanyl surge, narco-terror networks, and why deterrence at sea and at the border has become a front-line debate. It’s not just geopolitics for headlines; it’s the everyday cost to American communities and the families grieving real losses.
Then we bring it home. Nashville becomes our shorthand for a bigger truth: culture clashes can coexist with economic vitality when cities manage tourism with intention. Budget flights and airport protests spark questions about access, affordability, and who gets to move freely. And in Georgia politics, identity labels collide with a simple demand for competence—earn votes by delivering results, not by leading with a bio.
Our guest, Hunter from Momentum Distillery, pulls back the curtain on craft spirits. From sweet corn bourbon and holographic labels to the nitty-gritty of North Carolina’s ABC system, he explains how a missing definition for “production” tied up common sense. The numbers tell their own story: a 30 percent excise tax on distillers, an effective 56 percent at retail, and a market shaken by the rise of THC seltzers. Hunter lays out a focused fix—legalize in-state shipping with age verification and allow distilleries to sell directly to bars and restaurants when local boards refuse special orders. The payoff is clear: more jobs, more tax revenue, and better consumer choice without cutting the excise rate.
We round out with education and workforce. Community colleges and trade programs are where future-proof careers live, and if taxes and lottery money are as large as promised, classrooms should show it. That’s the challenge to our leaders: manage public money like it matters, because it does. We also give credit where it’s due—signing Irene’s Law was a step toward bipartisan problem-solving—and extend an open invite to keep talking bail reform with data and outcomes front and center.
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