Centered From Reality

Paul Ryan, Hunter Biden Deflection & A Possible Nuclear Accident at Zaporizhzhia

In this episode, Alex covers Paul Ryan’s disingenuous comments about being “Never-Trump-Again.” Ryan claimed to appreciate Trump’s record but did not appreciate the losses in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Instead, it would add legitimacy to the “moving-on-from-Trump” movement if someone like Paul Ryan would just say the quiet part out loud — Trump is dangerous! Later, Alex argues that the Hunter Biden investigations that are likely to come may backfire on Republicans and are only an attempt at distracting and deflecting from the nepotism and corruption that plagued Trump’s presidency. Finally, Alex discusses troubling reports from the Russian-controlled nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Apparently, heavy shelling out over the weekend has put the facility at high risk of dangerous scenarios.  The International Atomic Energy Agency has voiced concern and called for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine; however, none have occurred. 

Delusions of FIFA’s President, Trump’s Back on Twitter, Tragedy in Colorado & An Iranian Tipping Point?

In this episode, Alex starts by discussing how on the eve of the FIFA games in Qatar, FIFA’s president went on a bizarre, troubling, and long rant during a news conference. The president, President Gianni Infantino, looked to defend the games being held in Qatar and condemned any criticism as hypocrisy. Infantino said, “for what we Europeans have been doing in the last 3,000 years around the world we should be apologizing for [the] next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons.” He also said he felt gay, African, Arab, and disabled. Next in the episode, Alex discusses how Trump has been reinstated on Twitter yet has been noticeably silent. He also discusses how looking into Trump’s tweets from January 2021 feels like a time capsule. Later, Alex discusses the tragic shooting that occurred over the weekend in Colorado Springs. At least five people were killed and 25 were injured in the LGBTQ+ nightclub in what is looking like a violent hate crime. Finally, Alex gives his thoughts on the protests and crackdown on human rights that are both taking place throughout Iran. Then he looks at previous revolutions in Iran and argues that this situation is not likely to lead to a revolution. 

Immunity for MBS, Hypocrisy in Qatar & Another Special Counsel

In this episode, Alex goes over some recent controversies and hypocrosies involving the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He discusses a troubling app that EU countries have warned should not be downloaded in Qatar but is required by the government to have on a phone. He also discusses how Qatari officials have decided that alcohol will not be sold at the stadiums and that the infrastructure may not be as well-designed as some had hoped. Finally, he discusses how the November schedule could cause injuries in players and has caused disasterous changes to the European football season. Then, Alex discusses how according to Reuters, “The Biden administration ruled on Thursday that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has immunity from a lawsuit over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, drawing immediate condemnation from the slain journalist's former fiancee.” This is because MBS was made the Prime Minister and is now the head of state. This allows him international immunity from U.S. investigations. Finally, Alex discusses how Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel to investigate Donald Trump’s mishandling of documents at Mar-a-Lago, as well as his actions on January 6th. 

RIP FTX, ’Hardcore’ Twitter & the Investigations are Coming!

In this episode, Alex discusses the recent news that the current Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, will no longer be involved in house leadership. Since Republicans have taken back the house, Pelosi would no longer be the speaker anyways. Alex then discusses the revelations about FTX, a cryptocurrency firm that had over $30 billion in revenue and almost overnight went into an $8 billion hole. He discusses how this crisis has shed light on the volatility of crypto and it may be the beginning of the end for the currency. Later, Alex discusses new reports of potential resignations at Twitter. Elon Musk has given his employees until the end of the day on Thursday to decide if they want to be part of “Hardcore Twitter.” Finally, with Republicans taking back the House of Representatives, they have vowed to begin a storm of investigations into the Biden Administration.

Missile Strikes in Poland & the Orange God King Is Running

In this episode, Alex dives into two newsworthy events that have been on his mind over the last 24 hours. First, he discusses how a potentially “Russian-made” missile crossed the border into Poland and killed two Polish nationals. This was likely the first death on a NATO country’s soil. While this report is alarming, Alex notes that Poland is running investigations with the help of NATO allies and it appears to be a defensive missile that was used by Ukraine and accidentially crossed over. While Poland and other countires have been measured, and still condemned Russia’s violent strikes throughout Ukraine, Alex worries that the fog of war almost brought NATO countries into a brutal conflict. Later, Alex discusses Donald Trump’s announcement to run for president in 2024. Trump still is the favorite in the Republican primary and Alex is worried that Trump could still win. It seems like the GOP has not done enough to fight back and it may pay… again…

FIFA: To Boycott, or Not to Boycott, That is the Question

In this episode, Alex discusses growing calls to boycott the FIFA World Cup that starts on November 20th in Qatar. Hosting the event in Qatar feels antithetical to the values of the sport and many nations involved. Then he spends the podcast looking into the controversies centered around the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). He uses the Qatar World Cup which will be played in November 2022, to discuss the issues this organization continues to face. Alex looks into the exploitation of workers in many of the countries where the World Cup takes place (such as South Africa, Brazil, and Qatar). Then he looks into the wasteful infrastructure projects that have been required for a World Cup. He finds that the projects are expensive, wasteful, neglect labor laws, and usually use vast state resources for only a few weeks of use. Later he looks into the bribery scandals, corruption charges, and FIFA’s close relationships with despots and illiberal regimes. Alex ends by talking about how inside reform is crucial because it reflects how other non-profit, international organizations are held accountable on the global stage. 

The Circular Firing Squad Has Hit the GOP & Troubling Torpedo Tests in Russia

In this episode, Alex discusses how a judge in Texas has struck down Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness policy. Then Alex discusses some midterm updates and laughs about how the circular firing squad/blame game has infected the GOP after a less than optimal election night. Later Alex discusses why Ron DeSantis won his election by over 19 points and wonders how Florida went from a purple state to a red haven. The Atlantic notes that “In Florida, the (Democratic) party also has an attitude problem, an organizational problem, a Latino problem, a growth problem, and a broccoli problem. And none of them will be easy to solve.” Alex also discusses the madness in Maricopa County, Arizona and how the gubernatorial race is still close and chaotic. Finally, he discusses some updates out of Russia and Ukraine. 

Did the MAGA Movement Overreach? (Midterm Takeaways)

In this episode, Alex gives his recap of the current results from the 2022 midterm elections. He is pleasantly surprised and goes through some of the pressing races and how they may impact the balance of power in the United States. While the GOP is likely to take the house, the red wave seems to have been merely a ripple. Alex also discusses how the MAGA movement did not do as well as Trump supporters may have predicted and it seems like establishment Republicans did better. As the country waits for the final results, things could get very interesting in places like Arizona and Nevada. Finally, Alex gives an update on affairs in Ukraine. 

Crossing the Rubicon: Will It Be a Red Ripple, a Red Wave, or a Blue Miracle?

Alex is back for some last minute, day of, midterm election coverage. He discusses the likelyhood that Trump announces his candidacy soon, why these elections could be the crossing of the rubicon moment, and why more controversies could muddy the waters in key midterm races. Alex thinks that a red ripple is more possible than a red wave; however, he also thinks that anything is possible. He gives a few more predictions and takes on the midterms. Now it is time to watch and see. Will the election deniers get democratically elected to deny more elections? 

The Storm Before the Storm: Final Midterm Predictions, Inevitable Chaos & Is Democracy Really on the Ballot?

In this pre-midterm episode, Alex breaks down why he thinks U.S. elections are too frequent and unstable, why he thinks Biden is screwed no matter what, and why he thinks people are willing to vote Republican even if the candidates are illequipped for the job. Alex goes around the country making predictions, he focuses on a controversy in Pennsylvania, close races in Wisconisn, troubling numbers in Georgia, and why he thinks Arizona is going to be NUTS. Also, he ponders whether democracy is really on the ballot, whether a new range of misinformation will begin after this cycle, and whether elections will ever be the same again.