Category: Green Energy

16-28 Some Battles You May Not Realize You Won — Title IX at the Supreme Court, and Climate Hysteria’s Retreat

16-28 Some Battles You May Not Realize You Won — Title IX at the Supreme Court, and Climate Hysteria’s Retreat

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Some Battles You May Not Realize You Won — Title IX at the Supreme Court, and Climate Hysteria’s Retreat

Aired  July 11–12, 2026
Runtime  Added Monday
Host  Mark Anderson
Guests  Kimberly Hermann & Craig Rucker
Listen  See our network of stations, areas, times and livestream options

Listen to this episode (Available Monday after airing on our network of stations)


STAGE 2 — swap [INSERT_MP3_URL] for the compiled Blubrry-hosted file Monday.

About this episode

A landmark Supreme Court ruling on Title IX came down the same season as the birthright citizenship fight — and got almost completely buried. We dig it back out. Then we turn to a run of quiet climate-policy retreats that add up to more than any one headline suggests.

On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 in West Virginia v. B.P.J. (consolidated with Little v. Hecox) that states may reserve girls’ and women’s school sports for biological females — and, in a 9–0 holding that got even less attention, that doing so does not violate Title IX at all. Kimberly Hermann, President of the Southeastern Legal Foundation, joins Mark to unpack what the ruling actually does (and doesn’t do), how Title IX went from guaranteeing women equal access to being used to justify men in women’s locker rooms, and why she says the Court just handed litigators like her the roadmap to sue the 23 states and the school districts in all 50 that are still allowing it. Along the way: her own daughter’s school assignment, the Obama-era memos that quietly rewrote Title IX’s definition of sex, and a quick bonus take on the Court’s birthright citizenship ruling.

Then the show turns to energy and climate with returning guest Craig Rucker, Co-Founder and President of CFACT. Renowned climate skeptic Dr. Judith Curry just shut down her influential blog, Climate Etc., declaring “victory against climate stupidity” — Craig explains why that may be true, and why it may also be premature. From there: New York quietly gutting its own landmark climate law, a new study on why blue-state electricity bills are climbing faster than red-state bills, and why Duke Energy just walked away from a major offshore wind lease in favor of nuclear and natural gas.


In this episode

00:00
01

The Title IX Ruling You Probably Missed

Kimberly Hermann on the Supreme Court’s June 30 ruling in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox — a 6–3 win on equal protection and a unanimous 9–0 win on Title IX itself — why some analysts call it narrow, and the roadmap it opens for lawsuits in the 23 states still allowing boys in girls’ sports.

00:00
02

How Title IX Got Hijacked

Hermann untangles the 6–3 and 9–0 numbers — the Title IX question was decided unanimously, while the Equal Protection reasoning split the Court 6–3 across two consolidated cases — then walks through a Title IX complaint SLF just filed for a mother whose special-needs daughter was required to share a restroom with a male classmate. Also: Justice Thomas’s concurrence on gender dysphoria, drag-show content aimed at children, and cases in California and Colorado where parents have lost custody disputes over refusing gender-transition treatment for their kids..

00:00
03

Bonus: The Birthright Citizenship Ruling

A quick final take from Hermann on the Court’s separate 5–4 ruling on birthright citizenship — closer than most expected, and, in her view, far from the end of that fight either.

00:00
04

RIP Climate Etc.

Craig Rucker on Dr. Judith Curry closing her 16-year climate blog and declaring “victory against climate stupidity” — her path from mainstream climate scientist to skeptic, the funding gap between well-funded green groups and the skeptic side, and whether the retreat in media climate coverage is really about audience interest or dried-up federal marketing dollars.

00:00
05

New York Guts Its Own Climate Law

How New York quietly rewrote its 2019 climate law’s hard 2030 mandate into an unenforceable 2040 goal, the wave of blue states walking back net-zero mandates, and a new study tying blue-state electricity price hikes directly to renewable and net-zero policy choices — plus a look ahead at Oregon’s own Climate Protection Program.

00:00
06

Duke Walks Away From Offshore Wind

Duke Energy’s $129 million federal buyout to abandon its Carolina Long Bay offshore wind lease in favor of nuclear and natural gas, what the underperforming Vineyard Wind project says about the technology, and what practical climate adaptation — forest management, dams and reservoirs, and the urban heat island effect — could look like instead.

Links & resources mentioned

Kimberly Hermann & Southeastern Legal Foundation

Craig Rucker & CFACT

About the guests

Kimberly Hermann
President  ·  Southeastern Legal Foundation

Kimberly Hermann is President of the Southeastern Legal Foundation, a national nonprofit constitutional litigation firm founded in 1976 with an 80% win rate at the U.S. Supreme Court. She has been with SLF since 2009 and represented Moms for Liberty and Young America’s Foundation in the 2024 Kansas federal court case that halted the Biden administration’s Title IX rewrite. She attended President Trump’s February 2025 White House signing of the executive order protecting women’s sports, and is a recurring guest on I Spy Radio on Title IX and constitutional litigation.

slfliberty.org

Craig Rucker
Co-Founder & President  ·  CFACT (Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow)

Craig Rucker co-founded CFACT with David Rothbard in 1985 and currently serves as its President. He is co-producer of the films Climate Hustle (2016) and Climate Hustle 2 (2020), has attended roughly 30 United Nations climate conferences as an observer, and is a frequent commentator on Fox News and OANN. Craig is a recurring guest on I Spy Radio, last appearing the week of May 28, 2026.

cfact.org

Full transcript ▸

Transcript posts Monday, once the compiled episode audio is finalized and timestamps are added. Check back after the show airs on our full station network.

Catch the show live


Map of I Spy Radio broadcast areas and air times

The I Spy Radio Show airs weekends — seven times across seven real radio stations, not internet-only streams. Listen anywhere through the stations’ live streams. See when, where, and how to listen for the full schedule.

Missed it? The podcast posts Mondays, after the broadcast stations air the show — here on this page or on your favorite platform.

I Spy Radio  —  Keeping an Eye on Big Government

 

Illustration of a taxpayer shining a flashlight into a ledger titled "State Taxpayer Accounts & Funding" while the state government attempts to keep the book closed. Text reads "Who's looking at the books? The fight for state accountability" featuring Jonathan Williams.
16-23 Digging Into and Exposing State Government Fraud & Waste

16-23 Digging Into and Exposing State Government Fraud & Waste

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Digging Into and Exposing State Government Fraud & Waste

Release Date: June 6, 2026

Duration: 47:55

Host: Mark Anderson

Guests: Jonathan Williams

About This Episode

Government agencies are supposed to protect taxpayer dollars, so why are some states resisting efforts to examine spending records, voter rolls, and public assistance programs? And what happens when government agencies don’t want anyone looking at the books? On this episode, Mark Anderson sits down with Jonathan Williams, president and chief economist of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), to examine fraud, waste, and accountability in government spending.

They discuss ALEC’s Government Efficiency Coalition, major fraud investigations, improper Medicaid payments, and why some states are resisting efforts to verify public records and benefit programs. The conversation also explores how artificial intelligence, audits, and greater transparency could help uncover billions in waste and protect taxpayer dollars.

Could the fraud already uncovered be only the beginning? And what would it take for states like Oregon to truly clean up their fiscal house?

Show Notes

  • 00:00 – Why complexity makes fraud easier to hide
  • 11:05 – ALEC’s Government Efficiency Coalition and its work with state lawmakers
  • 18:01 – How AI is being used to uncover waste and abuse
  • 25:11 – The Minnesota fraud scandals and lessons for other states
  • 32:56 – Why improper payments cost taxpayers billions
  • 40:53 – Practical reforms states can implement to improve transparency and accountability

Transcript

(Opener)

Mark:

If your intention is to commit fraud — there is an easy, simple way to do it: make things complicated. The more complicated something is, the easier it becomes to hide what’s actually happening — with a lot of moving parts, interrelated systems, and, the number one means: make it hard for people to look. Make it complicated to look.

Because if there is no fraud, they would welcome your scrutiny. Here’s the checkbook! Take a look. And if you find fraud for heaven’s sakes let us know! We have a sacred duty to protect taxpayer dollars.

But they don’t do that they make things complicated and say you can’t look.

Take for example our voting rolls. Right now there are multiple lawsuits where states are pushing back against the federal government which is asking states to provide basic information about who is on the voter rolls. That should be simple. How many people are in your state? How many people are citizens — and of those citizens how many are registered to vote? Because we have a sacred duty to protect our elections and to make sure that only citizens vote. And only vote once. And only vote in one state.

But states are pushing back because they don’t want to provide that simple, straightforward data. They act as if the federal government has no right to obtain it — no right to look. Imagine telling the IRS ohh you can’t look at our books — everything is fine. You’ll just have to trust us.

When you complicate It’s something that ought to be simple — like a database — it opens the door to fraud even if that is not your intention. Allegedly not your intention.

Because here’s how voter rolls ought to work. Simply. The federal government maintains a single database of every person living in the United States. The various columns would include their name, their SS #, whether someone is a citizen yes or no. The address where they live. And the state where that address is.

States can then access that database and append data to. This person with this Social Security number has this voter ID and they live at this address in our state — or they’re currently living overseas — serving in the military, and so on.

Problem solved. We know where everybody lives we know where everybody ought to be voting and if there are multiple instances of that person then guess what — there’s your problem. Simple.

Government, like businesses using shell companies, can further complicate things by hiding the end recipient of money by hiding it behind a shield of nonprofits. You, the taxpayer, can see money going in but you can’t see who a “non-profit” getting 100s of millions of taxpayer dollars then gives that money to.

And even if they opened their books just a little, it’s still complicated because they can say ohh that $1,000,000 we got from the taxpayers we spent that on office space and utilities — we didn’t spend $1,000,000 on activists. We used our own funds for that. sure

But. Where government is uniquely positioned to help people commit fraud is the bureaucracy within government.

Again, it’s complicated, Multiple agencies multiple departments all getting money comingling it and shoving money out the door. Add to that, the layer of inherent laziness by far too many people in government.

For example so much fraud could have been prevented if bureaucrats handing out cash had just asked questions. Like looking up business addresses on google maps.

But that would depend on people taking initiative. And from where I sit far too many people in government don’t bother to ask questions about where that money comes from or where it goes.

To talk about fraud I’d like to welcome back Jonathan Williams to the show…

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Additional Show Notes: Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

  • Jonathan Williams’ organization is ALEC – the American legislative Exchange Council. Visit them at alec.org. &the ALEC Coalition
  • ALEC helped push states like Oregon to put their spending online. Oregon’s attempt at spending transparency can be found at Oregon.gov/transparency
  • Co-founder of ‘green’ bank gets 14 years for defrauding lenders, investors (Courthouse News Service, June 1, 2026)
  • State of Oregon Statewide Single Audit Report, March 2025 (PDF)
  • Oregon audit flags OHA and ODOT errors, including OHP Bridge eligibility problems (KATU, Apr 1, 2026) *“The audit also identified holes in the Highway Planning and Construction Program, administered by the Oregon Department of Transportation. Auditors said they could not gather enough evidence to verify compliance” with the law and federal regulations.
  • Audit: California Lost Track of $24 Billion Spent to Combat Homelessness (Breitbart, Apr 12, 2024)
  • “Illegal aliens & foreign fraudsters steal BILLIONS yearly from American taxpayers.” (White House via X, Jun 3, 2026)
  • The Joe Rogan interview with Elon Musk in February 2025 discussing social security as the fraud gateway (Joe Rogan Experience, Episode 2281)

 

A man in a rugged jacket stands in a desolate desert landscape at twilight, looking at a large heap of broken solar panel debris and dilapidated wind turbines. A prominent central sign on a concrete pylon base reads, "IPCC: RCP8.5 MODEL DECLARED IMPLAUSIBLE."
16-22 Did the IPCC Just Kill Its Worst-Case Climate Model?

16-22 Did the IPCC Just Kill Its Worst-Case Climate Model?

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Did the IPCC Just Kill Its Worst-Case Climate Model?

Release Date: May 30, 2026

Duration: 48:28

Host: Mark Anderson

Guests: Craig Rucker, president of CFACT, and Chuck Wiese, meteorologist


About This Episode

The IPCC quietly walks back its most alarming climate model, RCP8.5. Who holds billions in green mandates accountable? Plus: The looming toxic crisis of worn-out solar panels and wind turbines. And what Oregon — the first state with a recycling bottle bill — is not doing about all that “green” about to litter the state.

Show Notes

On Show 16-22, what if the foundational worst case model behind fifteen years of global climate policy was just declared implausible by the very institution that created it? For two decades the world spent trillions on mandates based on a nightmare scenario known as RCP8.5. Now that the IPCC is walking back its most alarming work, who is being held accountable?

First up we have Craig Rucker breaking down this massive scientific course correction and why a multi-billion dollar green transition moves forward without an apology. We look closely at the broken promises of government programs, from California missing its solar goals by hundreds of thousands of homes, to looming legal liabilities over toxic forever chemicals.

Then, meteorologist Chuck Wiese joins us to expose a massive environmental crisis looming on the back end of the green energy push. Millions of acres of solar panels and wind turbines are operating nationwide, but what happens when they wear out. We dive into the hidden reality of this waste, the legal loopholes, and what surprisingly Oregon is actually prepared to do about the looming aftermath. Listen to find out who will be left holding the bill, and what it means for the future of our farmland.

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If you enjoy our content, help others discover the show! Give us a like and subscribe or leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform—or drop a comment below. That really helps us get a bump up in the ol’ algorithms when platforms suggest shows to others.

Additional Show Notes & Research

Craig Rucker is president of CFACT — Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow. Find them and all their terrific work at cfact.org.

IPCC / Climate Science

California Green Energy / Solar

PFAS / Forever Chemicals

Wind Turbine Disposal

Solar Disposal / EPR Policy

Oregon Policy

 

Oregon economic outlook and election integrity Discover why Oregon ranks 40th in economic outlook. We discuss the 19th edition of Rich States, Poor States, potential energy price hikes, and the battle for Oregon’s election integrity.
16-18: They’re Hoping You Won’t Notice the Numbers

16-18: They’re Hoping You Won’t Notice the Numbers

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Show Summary

In this episode, we dive into the economic divide between “rich states” and “poor states” with Jonathan Williams, Chief Economist at ALEC. As Oregon falls to 40th in national economic outlook, we explore the data behind why tax-heavy, high-spending states are falling behind and the looming 300% natural gas price spike facing Oregonians. We also shift gears to election integrity with Dr. Douglas Frank and Judicial Watch to discuss the recent removal of 800,000 names from Oregon’s voter rolls. From the intent of our Founding Fathers to the transparency of our local ballots, this episode uncovers the numbers and policies shaping Oregon’s future.

Air Dates: May 2nd & 3rd, 2026 | Guests: Jonathan Williams & Dr Douglas Frank

About This Episode

On Show 16-18, is your state building wealth — or quietly destroying it? This week we sit down with Jonathan Williams, President and Chief Economist  of ALEC and co-author of the just-released 19th edition of Rich States, Poor States. Nineteen years of data. One consistent lesson: the states that tax less, spend smarter, and keep government accountable consistently outperform the rest — and the gap is widening.

Oregon economic outlook and election integrity Discover why Oregon ranks 40th in economic outlook. We discuss the 19th edition of Rich States, Poor States, potential energy price hikes, and the battle for Oregon’s election integrity.
Click for full image

Oregon ranks 40th in Economic Outlook and shows how bleak our economic future is. Jonathan breaks down what that means, why it matters for your wallet right now, and what’s coming. Especially if Phase 2 of Oregon’s Climate Protection Program hits in 2028 — potentially spiking natural gas costs by 300%.

We also dig into what happens when state agencies become too disorganized to audit, what the labor market is actually signaling, and — on the eve of America’s 250th birthday — what the founders actually intended when they designed the relationship between states and the federal government.

This is the economic conversation Oregon needs to hear.

Dr. Frank is visiting every county in Oregon. Coming up May 4th through 6th: Portland, Salem, and Canby. Head to Secure Our Elections Now to find a Dr. Frank event near you.

Also this week, election integrity expert Dr. Douglas Frank joins us on Oregon’s elections integrity — who’s really controlling Oregon’s elections, and what’s the state of our rolls? Plus, Judicial Watch’s landmark settlement forced Oregon to address 800,000 names that shouldn’t have been on voter rolls. A step forward — but is it enough?

Tune in because what Oregonians don’t know about its own numbers is exactly what some are counting on.

Catch Live the Show or Podcast

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I Spy Radio broadcast areas. Click for full-size.

The I Spy Radio Show airs weekends—seven different times on seven different radio stations. The real ones, not internet-only “radio” stations. Listen anywhere through the stations’ live streams! Check out when, where, and how to listen to see a full list of times and stations.

Trapped under a heavy object? Missed the show? Need to listen again? Wish you could share it? We’ve got you covered. Mondays, after our network of radio stations have aired the show, catch the I Spy Radio podcast version is available on your favorite podcasting platform, or you can grab it right here with the built-in player. See the full list of podcast options.

Show Notes: Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

  • Jonathan Williams is the president and chief economist organization at American Legislative Exchange Council. Find out more at ALEC.org.
      • Encourage your representatives to join ALEC! There are state and city memberships. Help elected officials understand economic problems and the real solutions available to get out of them. Send them this link: https://alec.org/membership/.
      • And you too can join as a private-sector member!
      • Follow Jonathan on Twitter at @TaxEconomist.
  • Head to Rich States, Poor States to see how your state is doing — .

Dr. Frank Election Integrity Events

Michael Astalis I Spy Radio interview - Communist Romania vs Modern California bureaucracy
16-17 Iron Curtain Deja Vu Part 2: Echoes of Communism

16-17 Iron Curtain Deja Vu Part 2: Echoes of Communism

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Iron Curtain Déjà vu, Part 2: Echoes of Communism

Release Date: April 25, 2026

Duration: 47:55

Host: Mark Anderson

Guests: Michael Astalis – Property developer, owner of KFIR radio station, Iron Curtain escapee


About This Episode

On Show 16-17, we continue our discussion with Michael Astalis, who escaped Romania’s oppressive communism and came to America, where he became a successful businessman and property developer in Southern California. (If you missed Part 1, you really missed a fascinating story. Head to Part 1, Show 16-15.) Communist Romania had no property rights and after losing all of his income properties in the Los Angeles fires, Michael learned firsthand how California now treats property rights in the same abusive way. But it’s far more than just that.

Show Notes

  • 00:45 – Brief refresher of  Michael’s escape from communism, zeroing in on that day he was publicly shamed by his university as a “traitor.”
  • 08:34 – Communism demands loyalty, no independent thinking, but what was the mechanism for conformity?
  • 17:03 – In California, what Michael is seeing more and more elements of that reminds him of what he grew up with under Romania’s communism.
  • 23:35 – The 2025 Los Angeles fire. Michael lost all his income properties — California’s communistic environment policies created the problem. What he personally saw and experienced that led to people being killed in the fires.
  • 30:36 – Did Romania’s communistic government handle natural disasters better? Or do they sound like California?
  • 41:00 – Democrats in California’s move to one-party rule, seizing more power. Voting in Romania vs California. Not much difference. Does he still have hope for America and what does defending that freedom mean for the rest of us? A surprising glimmer.

Transcript

(Opener) And welcome — very glad you’re joining us today here on the I Spy Radio Show, where every week we help you get a little more intelligence on big government. The peak of big government is communism. If you heard our show 2 weeks ago, you got a pretty good glimpse at what it was like for our guest to grow up under communism. It’s one thing to read about it in a book or see old movie reels it’s quite another to have lived it.

I would like to welcome back Michael Astalis, a successful business owner and property developer in Los Angeles CA he grew up in Romania back when it was still a communist country and we’re continuing our discussion from Part 1 of this show. If you missed that show you really ought to go hear that too. You can find that at ispyradio.com/16-15. Today’s show will be 16-17. In Part 1 we covered what his life was like, the loss of his family farm — confiscation actually. And how he and his family were able to get out frombehind the Iron Curtain, and come to America. But Michael is now seeing echoes of the communism he grew up under happening right now in modern-day America. And that will be the main focus of our show today.

Michael welcome back — I’m really looking forward to continuing our discussion.

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Additional Show Notes

About the Show: Catch it Live or the Podcast

Map showing the radio stations broadcast areas and air time for the I Spy Radio Show.
I Spy Radio broadcast areas. Click for full-size.

The I Spy Radio Show airs weekends—seven different times on seven different radio stations. The real ones, not internet-only “radio” stations. Listen anywhere through the stations’ live streams! Check out when, where, and how to listen to see a full list of times and stations.

Trapped under a heavy object? Missed the show? Need to listen again? Wish you could share it? We’ve got you covered. Mondays, after our network of radio stations have aired the show, catch the I Spy Radio podcast version is available on your favorite podcasting platform, or you can grab it right here with the built-in player.

 

The I Spy Radio Show Logo, 2025. © Copyright January 2025. All rights reserved.
16-12 Same Enemy — Two Fronts?

16-12 Same Enemy — Two Fronts?

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War on Prosperity. Same Enemy, Two Fronts?

Release Date: March 21st & 22nd, 2026

Duration: 47:55

Host: Mark Anderson

Guests: Jen Hamaker, president of ONRI, and Craig Rucker, president of CFACT


About This Episode

Show 16-12 exposes the growing “war on success” narrative, examining new policies aimed at unlocking America’s natural resources—from revitalizing Oregon’s timber industry to restarting California offshore oil production. Featuring Jennifer Hamaker and Craig Rucker, the episode explores the “maximum productivity” model, U.S. energy independence, and how domestic oil production now exceeds consumption, reshaping economic and geopolitical strategy. It also dives into the shift from climate-focused policies to a rising “plastics agenda,” revealing the broader impact on energy prices, supply chains, and American prosperity.

Show Notes

  • 00:00 – Host opener. Jen updates us on the status of Trump’s executive orders on timber production after one year. Working? Or just more of the same old same old? How is the Left combating it? The reality of what the EOs actually do. Incredible illustration of just how much 1 billion board feet of wood actually is.
  • 08:42 – Oregon produces 13 billion board feet annually. But when Oregon chooses to let the wood rot or burn, just how much is lost? Another terrific illustration of just how much we lose when that happens — the Labor Day fires as just one example.
  • 15:50 – Sorry, tree huggers and uninformed Leftist “environmentalists.” There is WAY more wood than you think there is. Just how much we could be doing. The exciting news from the Bureau of Land Management — the revision to Oregon’s O & C forest lands. What this means for Oregon’s counties. Why is the Left the enemy of prosperity?
  • 24:46 – Craig Rucker joins us, we talk just how much oil the US is producing, how this changes the impact of Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Genuine energy Independence.
  • 31:27 – Oregon and California’s war on prosperity. Why and how Trump is beating them anyway. The impact if Democrats finally got on board with supporting America. Why it’s amazing Trump has been able to get anything going with the economy.
  • 38:49 – Green mandates. How things would be going if Trump hadn’t made the changes he did in his first time — and not getting credit for his current changes. The UN has given up on Climate Change. And what their next war is. Meaning, where now the cash cow?

Transcript

(Opener only) Way back in 2012 and again in 2013 and 2018, we interviewed Vicky Steiner, a North Dakota state representative, and the Executive Director for the North Dakota Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties.

Seems like ancient history now but if you remember back in those days North Dakota was having a massive oil boom thanks in large part to fracking. They could not get enough workers in fast enough. Wages skyrocketed.

And that’s great to be suddenly making a lot of money but there’s the other side of that. They did not have the infrastructure. People were sleeping in tents or their trucks. And it gets cold in North Dakota. Esp in winter. Temporary housing was brought in. Water and plumbing and electric lines all needed to be run. Which meant another boom they needed electricians and plumbers. There was constant food shortages — and… whenever supply is short, prices on food and everything else shot up. Roads needed to be built or repaired — rural schools suddenly had twice as many students.

It was like squeezing 15 years of civilization into about one year.

So when we talk to Vicki she said something that has always stuck with me. She said, “I don’t understand Oregon. Here in ND we realize at some point these wells will go dry. You guys have trees and they grow back. Why aren’t you harvesting them? That’s an endless supply of money just sitting there. None of us can figure that out.”

Trust me, I said. We don’t get it either. But it’s the radical left. We’re largely handcuffed by environmentalists and the democrats and to a lesser degree republicans are scared of them.

Oregon is a tremendously blessed state when it comes to natural resources — we are the envy of other states. The problem is we are cursed with junked up junk science. That carbon dioxide is somehow “the enemy” (which goes against what most of us learned in second grade science — That plants depend on carbon dioxide). And the overriding junk science of “Climate Change” is costing us a massive amount of money — money that we could be earning.

But instead the idiots in charge — currently in charge — are far more interested in getting and spending other people’s money than doing anything to fix other people’s problems

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If you enjoy our content, help others discover the show! Give us a like and subscribe or leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform—or drop a comment below. That really helps us get a bump up in the ol’ algorithms when platforms suggest shows to others.

Additional Show Notes, Links Mentioned, Related Info

Our Guests’ Websites:

  • Jen Hamaker is president of Oregon Natural Resources, ONRI.us
  • Craig Rucker is co-founder and president of the Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, CFACT.org

Links Mentioned

The I Spy Radio Show Logo, 2025. © Copyright January 2025. All rights reserved.
Show 16-02 Podcast: 2026 — The Year Democrats Destroy Themselves

Show 16-02 Podcast: 2026 — The Year Democrats Destroy Themselves

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Show 16-02 Summary: In our first live show for 2026, we welcome back fan-favorite and long-time guest, Chuck Wiese. Chuck is a meteorologist, pilot, and fierce Global Warming debunker. And he’s a growing political activist. We take a brief look back at the biggest stories of 2025 but focus on what will be the biggest stories of 2026. And the biggest and best will be the Democrats destroying themselves in 2026. Repeatedly. Find out why “the pundits” and Far-Left strategists have it all wrong. Have plenty of popcorn on hand—2026 is going to be lit!

Keywords/categories: 2026 elections, 2026 year of popcorn, Chuck Wiese, fraud, global warming, Minnesota fraud, Oregon fraud, Somali fraud, conservative talk radio, democrats, democrats in 2026, 2026 mid-term elections,

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2026: The Year of Popcorn | How Dems Will Destroy Themselves

2026: The Year of Popcorn | How Dems Will Destroy Themselves

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Show 16-02 Summary: In our first live show for 2026, we welcome back fan-favorite and long-time guest, Chuck Wiese. Chuck is a meteorologist, pilot, and fierce Global Warming debunker. And he’s a growing political activist. We take a brief look back at the biggest stories of 2026 but focus on what will be the biggest stories of 2026. And the biggest and best will be the Democrats destroying themselves. Repeatedly. Find out why “the pundits” and .Far Left strategists have it all wrong. Have plenty of popcorn on hand.

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The I Spy Radio Show airs weekends, seven times over the weekend, on seven different stations and anywhere via live streams. Check out when, where, and how to listen. Missed it? Podcast available Mondays.

Air Dates: January 10th & 11th, 2026 | Guest: Chuck Wiese

This Week – Look Back, Look Forward, and Look Out

There has been nothing boring about 2026’s opening days. From watching the Somali fraud that exploded in late 21025 just get bigger and bigger in 2026 to the awe-inspiring capture and arrest of Venezuela’s Nicholas Maduro, Americans are witnessing historical events unfold.

In our first live show for 2026, we welcome back fan-favorite and long-time guest, Chuck Wiese. We love talking to Chuck because of his analytical, scientifically trained  mind. But as someone who has recently taken a more active role in politics, his eyes have been opened. And it’s good to get that every-man perspective. Because “the pundits” are too often wrong because they rely solely on other “pundits.”

Going out of 2025, those media pundits were predicting no end of doom for Republicans in 2026’s midterms. But they are missing the key elements behind the stories, which explains why they are so likely to be wrong about what’s coming.

Tune in to find out what.

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

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15-51 Podcast: If the Fraud Happened There, It is Happening Here

15-51 Podcast: If the Fraud Happened There, It is Happening Here

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Show 15-51 Summary: USAID? The Social Security gateway fraud? All that fraud, waste, and abuse DOGE uncovered? That was bad. But more extensive fraud will be uncovered at the state levels. This week we bring back Rep. Ed Diehl to discuss this success of the No Gas Tax referendum movement. And what that success means for ODOT, an agency that oozes overspending and waste. And what it means for the Democrats who pushed this bill on Oregonians. ODOT is a prime example of a government agency abusing the taxpayer. We are seeing fraud, waste, and abuse exposed at every level of government. We drill down into the Somali fraud in Minnesota because there are patterns now emerging in other states where additional fraud is being uncovered. And those are very similar patterns to fraud that Ed is exposing at Oregon’s Health Authority.

 

 

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15-51 If the Fraud Happened There, It is Happening Here

15-51 If the Fraud Happened There, It is Happening Here

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Show 15-51 Summary:  This week we bring back Rep. Ed Diehl to discuss the success of the No Gas Tax referendum movement. And what that success means for ODOT, an agency that oozes overspending and waste. And for the Democrats who pushed this bill on Oregonians. ODOT is a prime example of a government agency abusing the taxpayer. We are seeing fraud, waste, and abuse exposed at every level of government. But it turns out there’s a lot more fraud out there happening the more we look. We drill down into the Somali fraud in Minnesota because there are patterns now emerging in other states where additional fraud is being uncovered. And those are very similar patterns to fraud that Ed is looking into from Oregon’s Health Authority.

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Air Dates: December 20th & 21st, 2025 | Guest: Rep. Ed Diehl

This Week – Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

Did it occur to anyone the reason why Oregon democrats shoved through the Gas Tax Bill is because throwing more money at ODOT makes it easier to cover up fraud, waste, and abuse? With big spending has come expansive, and expensive fraud. And we’ve only just started to see this exposed.

We welcome back Rep Ed Diehl to talk about the phenomenal success of the No Gas Tax signature gathering to put the referendum on the November election. They needed over 78,000 qualified signatures but have already turned in 193,000. Talk about room for margin of error.

Why not congratulate Oregon Freedom Coalition for their outstanding work? Head to OregonFreedom.com to drop them a Christmas gift to help them build on that success in 2026. Plus, as a registered 501(c)4 and PAC, Oregon residents get a $50 tax credit ($100 per couple) for political donations.

Somali Fraud Framework Here in Oregon?

We’ve said Oregon is the Wuhan Lab of Leftist policies. And that’s true.  They try out policies here, do some gain of function (trial and error, improve processes, persuasion points, marketing, funding, etc.,), and then export it to other states. Fraud happens that same way.

Someone schemes up something, they figure a way to make it work, then others in other states replicate it. And that’s what has happened with the Somali fraud. Which is being uncovered in other states.

It requires an expansive and overly generous social benefit program. Like welfare, Medicaid, food stamps, rental assistance, etc. And, in places like Oregon, they throw a whole bunch more of it under the umbrella of “health care.”

By having such massive amounts of money fly out the door, fraud becomes harder to find, despite there being more of it. It’s one thing to to find a single needle in a haystack. But a haystack the size of a barn can hide a lot more needles. Even worse: use illegal immigrants so anyone who looks can be labelled a “racist” to stop potential investigations in their tracks.

Don’t think that works? It did. In Minnesota, merely suggesting racism was enough to stall investigations. And now at least $1 billion was stolen from Minnesota. And some are saying it’s as high at $9 billion .

We talk with Ed about a fraud scandal through Oregon’s Health Authority. Which is so eager to create a football-field sized haystack they include things like Climate Change as “healthcare.” Literally anything can now be called healthcare.

But what to do about? Those are our questions too.

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

Due to changes in Apple podcast, we now need to post the podcast separately. Listen to 15-51’s podcast here.

Show Notes: Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

  • Ed Diehl’s organization is Oregon Freedom Coalition. Head to OregonFreedom.com to learn more. And please donate to reward them for their success—and to grow it in 2026!

Somali Fraud

  • Not familiar with the Somali Fraud? Here’s a Minnesota Somali Fraud Summary via Perplexity AI (Perplexity, Retrieved December 17, 2025)
  • Could Minnesota officials have stopped Feeding our Future fraud sooner? (Star Tribune, October 28, 2022)
  • Many millions lost. Is the Walz administration taking fraud and waste seriously enough? (Star Tribune, July 12, 2024)
  • The Somali Fraud Story Busts Liberal Myths (City Journal, December 2, 2025)
  • Federal investigators warn Minnesota welfare fraud may have helped fund Al-Shabaab (Fox Baltimore, November 21, 2025)
  • How Fraud Swamped Minnesota’s Social Services System on Tim Walz’s Watch (NY Times, Nov. 29, 2025)
  • Government watchdog says evidence in Minnesota fraud cases ‘overwhelming’ (Fox Baltimore, December 4, 2025)
  • ‘It makes me want to knee someone in the groin,’ Senator says of $1B Somali fraud scheme (KOMO News, December 6, 2025)
  • Fear of being called ‘racist’ was key factor in Minnesota’s fraud scandal, expert reveals (Fox News, December 9, 2025)
  • Luxury cars and private villas: See how Minnesota fraudsters spent millions intended for hungry kids (CBS News, December 11, 2025)
  • Expert reveals key factor that led to massive Minnesota fraud scheme (Fox News, Dec 9, 2025)
  • ‘Schemes stacked upon schemes’: $1B public benefits fraud fuels scrutiny of Minnesota’s Somali community (Fox News, Dec 7, 2025)
    • In 2021, when the Minnesota Department of Education grew suspicious and tried to stop the flow of funds, Feeding Our Future sued, alleging racial discrimination. A judge ordered the state to restart reimbursements — a ruling prosecutors said enabled the scheme to escalate.
    • That case has now grown to 78 defendants

Oregon Fraud

  • Health Authority withheld plea for “scrutiny” of Uplifting Journey (Jeff Eager, Substack, Dec 14, 2025)
    • An Oregon Health Authority contracts manager emailed senior leaders in May about a “circuitous” bunch of businesses tied to $60M Arizona Medicaid fraud case
    • OHA paid Uplifting Journey $2.3 million in drug and alcohol treatment Medicaid reimbursements
    • State Rep. Ed Diehl triggered the investigation when he asked OHA whether Uplifting Journeys had ever received state or federal funding.
    • Diehl wanted to know after The Post Millennial reported police responded to 17 calls at the Lake Oswego house operated by Uplifting Journey and alleged gang ties

Related

  • Fraud at the highest levels — inside the White House: “Trump Administration Moves To Expose Autopen Presidency Records Biden Tried To Hide” (Trending Politics, Dec 17, 2025)