Cosentino, Sierra Interview – Podcast February 15, 2026

Posted on February 24, 2026 by Gary LaMaster

Examining The Seismic Societal Change Of AI. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome former co-host Mike Cosentino and his guest Sheran Sierra, who has a multi-faceted career as a digital tech executive, writer, speaker and more.  

Their discussion focuses on the current status of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its many implications for the future. Sierra begins by saying, “Content creation is most of what AI is doing at this time.” And she goes on to explain, “Content creation is key. Because it’s writing the textbooks. It’s writing the programming and it’s writing the mental wellness of those who are coming behind us. And that is my biggest concern.”

Cosentino notes, “AI’s future is going to be determined by regulation, and everybody knows that. The tech bros know that, and they’re spending – I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say – hundreds of millions of dollars to prevent regulation.”

Regarding AI being used to convey political falsehoods and to rewrite history, Sierra reminds us, “We don’t own it. It’s owned by billionaires. It’s owned by governments. It’s owned by different individuals who don’t want us to know the truth as a rule. Because that’s how they have controlled forever.” As a result, she suggests that we have to question everything.

The group goes on to discuss many other issues surrounding AI, including the impact on privacy, job security, and much more.

Posted in Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Automation, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Rural Economy,, Business Cultural Change, Civil Liberties, Cultural Change, Digital Revolution, Disinformation, Ethics, Government, Human Rights, Innovation, Interviews, Jobs and Employment, Misinformation, National Politics, Public Accountability, Regulation, Technology, Wealth Inequality, Oligarchy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Work Interview – Podcast January 18, 2026

Posted on February 15, 2026 by Gary LaMaster

Remaining Positive In Troubled Times. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome author and activist Robertson Work back to the show. His most recognized work is A Compassionate Civilization: The Urgency of Sustainable Development and Mindful Activism – Reflections and Recommendations.

As always, Work is able to help us cut through the chaos to find a positive path forward.

Posted in Autocracy, Civic Renewal, Civil Liberties, Community, Community Activism, Compassion, Constitutional Issues, Democratic Governance, Domestic Extremism, Ethics, Government, Interviews, Local Politics, Morality, Philosophy, Political Polarization | Tagged , | Leave a comment

ICE in Minnesota – Podcast January 25, 2026

Posted on February 12, 2026 by Gary LaMaster

Operation Metro Surge Claims Another Victim. Steve Williamson and Gary LaMaster discuss the consequences and the reasons behind the invasion of 3,000 masked and armed federal agents in Minnesota. A violent invasion that has violated the constitutional rights of thousands and claimed the lives of two innocent U.S. citizens – Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti – who were simply monitoring the illegal activities of CBP and ICE.

So far, the invasion has terrified residents, shut down businesses, and stressed Minneapolis and St. Paul police forces to the max. Federal agents have racially profiled people of color and dragged many of them from their homes and businesses regardless of their age, citizenship or immigration status. The brutality of the agents is appalling and the conditions in detention facilities are deplorable.

Indeed, intimidation and cruelty seem to be at the very heart of the operation.

Posted in Autocracy, Bigotry, Civil Liberties, Community, Constitutional Issues, Corporations, Department of Homeland Security, Domestic Extremism, Domestic Terrorism, Domestic Violence, Government, Human Rights, Immigration, Law Enforcement, Mass Incarceration, Morality, National Politics, Native American Issues, Racism, Resistance | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Boyce, Masters Interview – Podcast January 11, 2026

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Gary LaMaster

The Growing Privacy Threat Of ALPR Surveillance Cameras. Steve Williamson and Mik Jordahl welcome Sandy Boyce and Laura Masters to discuss Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras operated by Flock Safety, and to explain why they helped convince Sedona to “de-Flock” the city.

Laura begins by describing how ALPRs work. She says that they are mounted at intersections and take very detailed still images of passing vehicles. She further explains: “They develop a vehicle fingerprint through Flock. The system does more than just read the license plate; it uses machine learning identifying and cataloging specific vehicle details. It captures the license plate and the state. It captures the vehicle type whether it’s a sedan, truck, SUV – the make, the model and the color. It also captures characteristics unique to that vehicle, like if you have a roof rack, a bumper sticker, car damage. The second part of it is the data transmission and storage. It’s immediately uploaded to a secure, encrypted cloud server…the authorized users can search the data by any captured criteria. The system continuously compares captured license plates against federal and state databases.”

Boyce adds, “There isn’t any real transparency on reporting how many cameras are in use in a certain locality. But there is a website that’s a citizen-run website called deflock.me. As of right now, there are residence-mapped 66,441 of the ALPRs in the country.” (EDIT: As of this posting, that number has grown to 70,572.)

Posted in Arizona Law Enforcement, Arizona Politics, Artificial Intelligence, Autocracy, Civil Liberties, Community Activism, Constitutional Issues, Domestic Policy, Government, Homeland Security, Interviews, Law Enforcement, Legal Issues, National Politics, National Security, Public Accountability, Public Policy, Surveillance Programs | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Boyce, Masters Interview – Podcast January 11, 2026

Venezuela – Podcast January 4, 2026

Posted on January 14, 2026 by Gary LaMaster

Return Of Imperialism. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland discuss the Trump regime’s invasion of Venezuela and kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Though Maduro was a brutal dictator who caused millions of people to flee the nation, the invasion and his removal break numerous international norms and laws. And lest you think the action was based on human rights, Trump proudly announced it was all about oil – taking control of the largest known oil reserves in the world.  

The implications for the takeover are far-reaching. It not only leaves a leadership vacuum in Venezuela, but it could also further embolden our rivals to take similar actions – a Chinese takeover of Taiwan and a further escalation of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Moreover, where does it stop? Does the Trump regime invade Cuba next? Greenland? Mexico? Iran? Canada?

Posted in Autocracy, Big Oil, Constitutional Issues, Democratic Governance, Foreign Affairs, Government, Human Rights, International Relations, Military, National Politics, National Sovereignty | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Venezuela – Podcast January 4, 2026

Year-End Review – Podcast December 28, 2025

Posted on January 14, 2026 by Gary LaMaster

A Look Back At The First Year Of Trump’s Second Term. Steve Williamson, Jessica Williamson and Gary LaMaster review what they consider the biggest stories of 2025.

Steve focuses on the impact of Trump’s borderline personality on U.S. foreign policy. Jessica focuses on Trump’s exploitation of the federal government to enrich himself, his family and his friends. And Gary sorted through a laundry list of the regime’s destruction of the rule of law to focus on the government’s increased surveillance of American citizens and its multifaceted invasion of privacy.

Posted in Autocracy, Civil Liberties, Constitutional Issues, Corruption, Drug Trafficking, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Government, Human Rights, Immigration, International Relations, Justice System, National Politics, Surveillance Programs | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Year-End Review – Podcast December 28, 2025

Pratte Interview – Podcast December 21, 2025

Posted on December 24, 2025 by Gary LaMaster

Imagining A Corporation Commission That Serves The People. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome Clara Pratte, candidate for Arizona Corporation Commission. Pratte is a member of the Navajo Nation and has a varied and successful background. She has worked for the federal government as well as for tribal communities and numerous small businesses. Pratte is also co-founder of Navajo Energy, a clean energy enterprise.

To explain why she’s running for the office, she says, “You know, I just got tired of not having what I think we deserve as Arizonans to have the best policies in place for our ratepayers.”

Pratte describes the Commission this way, “You have an elected five-member body with an incredible amount of influence over something that impacts all of us every single day when we open our utility bills. And they do regulate utilities, they regulate infrastructure, they also operate if you’re filing an LLC, or a C-Corp, S-Corp in the state. They also have a hand in that as well. They are elected, so we the people are their oversight.”

She notes that the office should not be partisan. “There’s no such thing as conservative water or liberal water or conservative electricity or liberal electricity…I’m hoping that we have a lot of voters who see past the letter after a name and really look at what the candidates are bringing to the table.”

Posted in Arizona Politics, Corporations, Energy Policy, Environmental Issues, Government, Infrastructure, Interviews, Political Candidacy, Public Service, Regulation, Technology, Water Policy | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Pratte Interview – Podcast December 21, 2025

ICE – Podcast December 14, 2025

Posted on December 23, 2025 by Gary LaMaster

ICE: What You Need To Know About America’s Secret Police. Steve Williamson, Karen McClelland and Gary LaMaster discuss the history, structure, recent actions and excesses of ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement).

This year, the agency has sent heavily armed masked agents into communities across the U.S. to round up migrants who are “the worst of the worst.” Instead, it has arrested, abused, and detained your neighbors, co-workers, military veterans, American citizens, even elected officials. As a result, there are currently more than 68,400 people being held in often deplorable conditions.

It could be argued that all of this has ties to last week’s show on oligarchy. Because a strongman/tyrant needs a loyal and compliant police force to make the nation safe for themselves and the oligarchs.

Posted in Arizona History, Autocracy, Bigotry, Civil Liberties, Community, Constitutional Issues, Department of Homeland Security, Domestic Extremism, Government, Human Rights, Immigration, Law Enforcement, Mass Incarceration, Policing, Private Prisons, Racism, Refugees, Resistance, Surveillance Programs | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on ICE – Podcast December 14, 2025

Oligarchy – Podcast December 7, 2025

Posted on December 13, 2025 by Gary LaMaster

The United States Of Oligarchy. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome frequent contributor Mik Jordahl to discuss oligarchy. Jordahl begins by offering a definition of oligarchy which he says means “rule by the few” in which political power is concentrated in the economic elites.

Interestingly, Williamson found that, when he asked AI about oligarchy and Donald Trump, the AI responded that it couldn’t talk about that yet. “AI is afraid to comment about current policy,” he says. Jordahl adds, “There are a few oligarchs behind that.”

Williamson continues to note the growing influence of billionaires in the media, politics and social media platforms. “Modern oligarchy systems form around tech wealth and resource wealth that stretch social influence,” he says, “Oligarchy is not usually something that happens with a big bang.”

Indeed, the United States has transformed over time. As Jordahl states, “The bottom 50 percent has stagnated. It’s share of the wealth of the United States since 1989 has diminished over time…the share of the super wealthy has shot way, way up. In 1990, there were 66 Americans qualified as billionaires. In 2025 there are over 900 billionaires in the United States. This is something we’ve chosen through policy, through tax rates.”

Posted in Arizona Politics, Autocracy, Automation, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Rural Economy,, Business, Campaign Finance, Capitalism, Citizens United, Class Conflict, Corporate Welfare, Corporations, Dark Money, Domestic Policy, Education, Fiscal Policy, Government, Income Inequality, inherited Wealth, Mass Media, National Politics, Oligarchy, Tax and Investment Policy, Tax Law, Tax Revenues, Taxation, Technology, Wealth Inequality | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Oligarchy – Podcast December 7, 2025

Jordahl Interview – Podcast November 30, 2025

Posted on December 9, 2025 by Gary LaMaster

Woke, Cancel Culture And Tribalism. Steve Williamson and Karen McClelland welcome back Mik Jordahl to discuss the concept of Woke. Williamson begins by noting that Woke began when the great blues singer Huddie William Ledbetter (aka Lead Belly) used the term in his 1938 song “Scottsboro Boys” in which he asked people to be aware of social injustices they may face. The term gained popularity during the Civil Rights movement of the 50s and 60s and grew more popular with the Black Lives Matter movement making it a target of the political right.

Jordahl says, “It has become a real pejorative term in general, so I almost hesitate to use it because it sort of lends credence to the rightwing perspective.” He adds, “There is a twin called cancel culture, and the Republicans have honed that to a great degree.” He goes on to explain, “There is a real effort across the board to suppress speech. And people are afraid, whether it’s on the right or left, to speak their minds.”

McClellan notes that such tribalism has been used by the right to divide us in what they decry as identity politics.

Posted in Bigotry, Civil Rights, Class Conflict, Conservatives and Reactionaries, Corporations, Cultural Diversity, Digital Revolution, Domestic Extremism, Economic Policy, Education, Funding, Genocide, Government, Interviews, Jobs and Employment, LIberals and Conservatives, National Politics, Political Polarization, Race and Class, Racism, Religion, Slavery, Tolerance, Women's Issues | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Jordahl Interview – Podcast November 30, 2025