This weekend, I rewatched The Big Short - an acclaimed film from 2015 regarding the 2008 economic crash. If you’ve never seen it, the two hours is well spent. After rewatching it, I can’t help but think we are in the midst of a sequel.

In a brief nutshell, the movie is about a group of financial guys (hedge fund managers and investors) who independently saw something in the housing market that seemingly nobody else saw - a discrepancy in how financial assets made up of various mortgages (from AAA rated to B rated) were rated and packaged by banks. Everyone assumed mortgages were financially fail-safe, because for decades that had been the case. 30-year fixed mortgages with people largely paying them on time. A safe investment. But things changed once lenders started offering adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) and other junk mortgages, with very little down and basically no qualifications. Once those mortgages came into portfolios, and were treated essentially the same as 30-year fixed mortgages, the rot began.

In October 2007, the Dow Jones was at an all-time high. But the issues that led to the country-wide collapse (not to be confused with the concurrent collapse of Countrywide) less than a year later were already present for those who bothered to look. Homeowners were walking away from mortgages that they could no longer afford. Solvent homeowners and rich investors didn’t see an issue - it didn’t mean it wasn’t there. The blissful ignorance led to a financial collapse that took over a decade to recover from for most.

The 2008 collapse was largely predicated on these ARMs coming to fruition for buyers that had poor credit history and could not afford the newly adjusted rates. But why did they get the ARMs in the first place? Because they otherwise couldn’t afford to buy a house on a 30-year fixed due to the housing prices. Earlier in 2007, the average price of a home had peaked at $322,100. This represented a surge in pricing over seven years (when a home at the same time in 2000 had only cost $202,900). To keep up with the surging prices, people resorted to ARMs to purchase their American dream. By 2008, it had become a nightmare.

ARMs became toxic for a good decade following the financial collapse. But they have since returned - largely due to (let me know if you’ve heard this before) rising house prices. Where before they were a secondary means of obtaining a loan, they are increasingly becoming a primary option. Granted, there are safeguards now in place to try to prevent 2008 from happening again, but these risky mortgages are creeping back into portfolios.

But sketchy ARMs are not the underbelly of 2026. Instead, for those who are willing to look at the signs, it’s the general unaffordability of everyday living. Just like in 2007, stocks are surging and at all time high. Just like in 2007, housing prices in the last quarter of 2025 had hit an all-time high. So, on the surface, the gravy train is rolling. But that’s not the full story.

Car loan delinquencies are at all-time highs while new car prices are at all-time highs. Costs of groceries and gas are at all-time highs. Student loan delinquencies are at all-time highs. People point to the lack of foreclosures as compared to 2007. Again, it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison. But it should be noted that Americans are increasingly dipping into their 401ks to avoid foreclosures and evictions. That tax-penalized shell game can only be played for so long. Eventually, the reckoning arrives.

I’m not claiming to be Michael Burry, but even he has issued warnings. The bottom line is, you can sense it. I know you can. You’ve lived it before. You know what it is like. And you can sense it again. What is happening is not sustainable. And you know it. Hopefully, this time you are more prepared.

Wake County, North Carolina

2012

• Median Household Income: $64,107

• Median Home Sales Price: $260,322

• Average New Car Price: $30,500

• Average Grocery Bill: $240 - $290/month

2019 (7 years later)

• Median Household Income: $96,353 (50.3% increase)

• Median Home Sales Price: $300,000 (15.2% increase)

• Average New Car Price: $37,950 (24.4% increase)

• Average Grocery Bill: $320 - $390/month (34.4% increase)

2026 (7 years later

• Median Household Income: $109,920 (14.0% increase)

• Median Home Sales Price: $450,000 (50.0% increase)

• Average New Car Price: $49,353 (30% increase)

• Average Grocery Bill: $415 - $510/month (30.7% increase)

Since COVID, wages have gone up slightly while the cost of everything else has risen sharply. And it’s not just in Wake County, but across the country. This, in a nutshell, is why Main Street is feeling financially strapped. Homeowners are sitting on equity. Investors are seeing their portfolios surge. But day-to-day costs are becoming increasingly unaffordable.

On Friday, May 22, 2026, Gwendolyn White shot two attorneys, Mary Harris and Jeffrey Whitley, multiple times in an alley outside the Wake County Courthouse in Raleigh, North Carolina. All three had just been in front of Judge Bedford hearing a Motion to Recuse and Motion to Reconsider involving police body cam footage from an incident in 2021. Raleigh Police promptly arrested Gwendolyn with her gun still smoking while Mary was rushed for surgery. Both Mary and Jeffrey are stable and expected to survive. But online, a growing number of supporters for the shooter have emerged, encouraging followers to look further into the case - some going as far as justifying the shootings. Rather than spout off on social media, I decided to do just as the supporters asked and did a deep dive into the case. This is what I found.

March 3, 2021

Police are called to Gwendolyn’s home in Rolesville, North Carolina (a town 20 minutes north of Raleigh) for a neighbor dispute. Gwendolyn, and her neighbors Craig and Michelle, are in a verbal confrontation. The police are wearing body cams. Per Gwendolyn’s social media and court filings, Craig is a Grand Wizard of the KKK and this was unbeknownst to her and her mother when they moved into the home in 2019. Between that point and the police arriving on that day, Gwendolyn and her mother had allegedly been subjected to a terror campaign of harassment, spying and physical violence.

Since moving on December 30, 2019, Craig and Michelle had allegedly done the following per court filings:

• Harassed daily

• Acid thrown in face on two separate occasions

• Poisoned food, drinks, medications and HVAC repeatedly with arsenic levels of 6% in her mother and 3% in her

• Broke into her home 497 times

• Verbal threats over the phone and in person

• Cars destroyed with acid and flattened tires

• Property and lawn/plants damaged

• Clothes cut up and jewelry stolen

• Hacking into wifi and cell phone data

• Stolen $26,873 in cash and father’s coin collection

• Pour chemicals over laptop

Per Gwendolyn, Michelle admitted to much of this upon arrival of Rolesville Police. However, she went further by demanding that the police shoot Gwendolyn in the head, and when they did not, she reached for the officer’s gun herself to do it. These are essentially the allegations of what occurred that day in Rolesville - the root that ultimately bore the shooting of two attorneys in Raleigh.

March 24, 2021

Craig files a No-Contact Order against Gwendolyn, approved by a judge, alleging that she has stalked, harassed, and otherwise bothered him by posting disparaging comments referencing him and his family on social media and making violent threats (including use of a firearm) both in person and on social media. Gwendolyn had accused him and his family of damaging her property without any proof on multiple occasions and filed retaliatory No-Contact Orders (50c’s) against Craig and Michelle. He alleged a real threat of serious continued emotional distress and a real fear of personal safety for him and his family due to Gwendolyn’s behavior.

Early April 2021

Rolesville Police, per policy, purge the body cam footage from March 3, 2021, after finding no evidentiary value and no criminal activity. There is no active civil or criminal case involving Gwendolyn and Craig/Michelle at the time.

Late January/Early February 2022

Gwendolyn files three baseless Complaints for No-Contact (Wake County File No: 22 CVD 1607). The Court sanctions her for these filings on February 23, 2022. Despite being sanctioned, she continues to file Complaints for No-Contact causing the Court to enter a Gatekeeping Order on April 20, 2022 preventing her from making additional filings. There is no documentation as to who these complaints were filed against, but based on the timing and history of such filings, it is likely these complaints were against Craig and Michelle.

February 4, 2022

Gwendolyn files a Petition for Release of Custodial Law Enforcement Agency Recording seeking police body cam footage from the March 3, 2021, incident at her home with Craig and Michelle. In North Carolina, one cannot simply obtain police body cam footage. It can only be obtained via specific requests and typically through a court order.

February 8, 2022

Judge Shirley enters an Order Requiring Custodial Law Enforcement Agency to Transmit Law Enforcement Agency Recording and to Provide Required Notice and Notice of Hearing. In response, Rolesville Police mailed a Transmittal of Law Enforcement Agency Recording form to the Court and Gwendolyn which quoted the General Order and apprised Petitioner of Rolesville Police’s efforts to obtain the purged body-worn camera footage from Rolesville Police’s technology providers.

February 24, 2022

Judge Rozier presides over a hearing regarding the body cam Petition and files an Order for Rolesville Police to produce all portions of remaining recordings or images concerning the events that occurred at Gwendolyn’s house, including body cam footage from Officer Apodaca. In the event that any materials have been deleted, Rolesville Police shall provide Gwendolyn a copy of the procedure that led to the recording being deleted and inform Gwendolyn of any efforts to retrieve the recordings.

April 2022

After a weeks’ long effort to extract purged body cam footage, Rolesville Police is able to recover three videos from body cam and turns over the same to their attorneys who request an in camera review of the footage. This involves a judge reviewing the footage in private to determine if it should be produced. Notably, nothing in the court filings indicate that this review took place or if Gwendolyn pursued anything further following the request for the review.

January 30, 2023

Gwendolyn and her mother move from Rolesville to a new residence in Raleigh. Margot and Yesica move in next door on February 23, 2023.

July 12, 2023

Margot files a Complaint for No-Contact against Gwendolyn. In response, Gwendolyn files a Complaint for No-Contact against Margot.

August 1, 2023

Judge Bedford hears the Complaints and issues a one-year No-Contact Order against Gwendolyn and dismisses her Complaint against Margot. At the hearing, Gwendolyn advises that she had taken out criminal charges against Margot, unbeknownst to Margot, a few days prior. She had filed misdemeanor stalking charges against Margot and the matter had been referred to mediation, but Gwendolyn demanded a hearing. The criminal allegations mirrored the already dismissed Complaint for No-Contact.

Following the dismissal, Gwendolyn calls Raleigh Police several times to have Margot served and arrested.

August 21, 2023

Gwendolyn swears out a misdemeanor stalking charge against Margot’s spouse, Yesica. The charges mirror the previously dismissed Complaint of No-Contact and previous charges alleged against Margot. Again the matter is referred to mediation and again Gwendolyn demands a hearing.

September 26, 2023

Margot files a Motion to Show Cause alleging ongoing violations by Gwendolyn of the No-Contact Order. An Order to Show Cause is filed the same day.

October 10, 2023

In retaliation, Gwendolyn files a Complaint for No-Contact against Yesica. The allegations again mirror the criminal charges against Yesica and the previously dismissed Complaint against Margot.

November 16, 2023

The Court finds Gwendolyn in civil contempt for violation of the No-Contact Order and orders a purge of $4,866.25 in attorney fees.

December 12, 2023

Judge Eagles issues a second Gatekeeper Order against Gwendolyn, preventing her or anyone acting on her behalf from filing any civil or criminal action in Wake County without first obtaining a certificate from a licensed North Carolina attorney in good standing that Gwendolyn’s proposed filing complies with the requirements of Rule 11 (preventing frivolous or baseless filings) and that the certifying attorney has read the Order for Rule 11 Sanctions and Gatekeeper Order.

May 13, 2025

Gwendolyn’s 90-year-old mother dies. Gwendolyn asserts that her mother was murdered. 10 days later, she posts the following on her Facebook page:

5/13/25: RIH Mommie

---------I love you and this is not over.

Governor Josh Stein,

Sir, I have a nearly 3 hr 49 min audiotape of the State Ombudsman - Kerr Tar Kim Hawkins declaying that your staffer Amanda Stearin Fish NEGLECTED Nd created NEGLIGENCES behavior to start and continue regarding my 90 yo mothers healthcare.

And Amanda called our entire family: “Ghost” the walking dead, repeatedly.

State Ombudsman - Kerr Tar Kim Hawkins said Amanda Fish created this pattern of behavior when she BLOCKED the daughter and entire family from expessing how to even take care of her mother. Amanda told Duke Raleigh and Oxford Healthcare & Rehab how hard can it be to take care of a 90 yo female?

I can share the audiotape but Ive sent it already to Larry her supervisor and she needs to be FIRED and ARRESTED for mother’s murder.

Please Arrest Amanda Fish for neglect, negligences and the murdering of my Mother Elleen White, who allowed a 90 yo female to get ACID poured over her repeatedly at Oxford Healthcare & Rehab and no one stops it. The Oxford - Wound Provider told Director Charles Brown someone is hurting this elderly lady..., but who’s doing it? I reported this when i heard snout it on 2/17/25 in her room and Dir Charles Brown told the Wound Provider to be quiet.

My mother was a human being with civil rights, period.

Dead or alive, im going to fight for JUSTICE’

Why is the State of NC covering this up and was going to cremate her, too?

I’m being told my mother was already dead 24-48 hrs when the funeral was notified first before family and then, I was even contacted by Gentiva Hospice & Oxford stating she died at 10:34 am but she actually died the previous Friday night over Mother’s Day weekend.

Arrest these people, Sir?

This mess can’t just be about Mommie getting The Camp LeJeune Water Containment Lawsuit PENDING money regarding my father that has NOT even paid yet or the PENDING $51,888 of back benefits I filed from 2001-2024 schedule to pay on 11/14/24 that the State is holding after it took me 5 years to complete!

We never asked for Medicaid and the State gave her it in November then tried to RECOUP her benefits. Instead of properly going through Federal Government to get her money the State went into the bank and had a lawyer to manually withdraw her money. Got mad because they only got her Disability check and VA benefits but wait her VA check was Widower care at home which meant they received to much money and should only had gotten $90. But because of how the State took her money out of SECU they took more than required and might have to pay it back. Why is the State doing this!

Then the State came after my 2 yr old home sighting its in both names with Joint Right of Survivorship and you can’t touch it, so I had to get the DEED corrected with the bank because it was properly completed but not accurately done on the Deed of Trust. Got it Fixed, thou. The State had to back ----off.

The State REVOKED 2 POAs out of 3 Mommie signed from 2014 and 2022, in the attempt to steal her assets and finances. The attorney said he was tasked to retrieve-------Assets but he got $4.01 in checking, $26.46 in savings and a home in her name. We used her money for her CNA/Nurses as it took more than $4831 monthly to take care of her medically as my saving and retirement is zero-out but I’ll do it again for my Mommie.

The State knew the Money was coming and they wanted every last dime. Everything is Pending!

My Mother is ------DEAD.

Over the next year, Gwendolyn makes hundreds of Facebook posts regarding her mother’s death and seeking justice/revenge for her death while posting numerous shocking pictures of her mother naked in her bed in a decrepit state of health.

August 14, 2025

Gwendolyn files a Notice for Hearing regarding contempt against Rolesville PD for failing to produce the body cam footage in 2022.

December 2025

Gwendolyn files a suit against Malaby’s Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church for alleging taking her donated items and settling them for cash.

January 12, 2026

Judge Bedford hears the contempt hearing regarding the failure of Rolesville Police to produce the body cam footage from March 3, 2021. Attorney Mary Harris appears for the first time on behalf of Rolesville Police. She is an attorney at Fox Rothschild who began working for the firm in May 2024 after previously working as an associate at Hedrick Gardner for two years. Notably, she was not involved in the request for in camera review of the body cam footage in April 2022.

Judge Bedford dismisses the contempt allegation, but orders Rolesville Police to provide Gwendolyn with (a) a jump drive with Officer Jarrell’s body camera footage, (b) a copy of Chief Simmons’ affidavit, and (c) RPD’s Transmittal of Law Enforcement Agency Recording form.

Attorney Harris provided Gwendolyn with the jump drive, but Gwendolyn alleged that it had no footage on it. She then provided the footage to Gwendolyn via a file-sharing platform on or about January 15, 2026. At that time, Gwendolyn possessed all of the body-worn camera footage in Rolesville Police’s possession from March 3, 2021, along with their corresponding retention policy, and a full appraisal of their extensive efforts to recover the body cam footage.

January 16, 2026

Gwendolyn files an Appeal Motion for a New Trial on Merits of Contempt Order by Judge Rozier. Notably, she appears to be seeking a new trial on the February 2022 Order by Judge Rozier. However, from a legal standpoint, this is a frivolous filing given that it is nearly three years removed from the Order. Seemingly because she is unrepresented, the Court appears to give the filing the benefit of the doubt and instead treats it as a Motion for Reconsideration of Judge Bedford’s Order four days prior.

February 21, 2026

Gwendolyn makes the following Facebook post with photos of her mother:

RIP Mommie

----they’ll regret ever touching you in court or me.

We had the right to live in peace.

I shall fulfill my promise to you, PERIOD!

March 19, 2026

Attorney Harris files a Response to Gwendolyn’s Motion for a New Trial (ultimately treated as a Motion for Reconsideration). In her response, she contends that (1) Rolesville Police abided by the January 13, 2026 Order; (2) Gwendolyn’s Motion violates the December 2023 Gatekeeper Order; (3) the Motion seeks no cognizable form of relief and (4) the Motion fails to lay out any viable grounds for overturning the January 13, 2026 Order.

In the Motion, Attorney Harris states the following, “Thereafter, Petitioner contacted the undersigned and advised that the jump drive did not have any footage recorded on it. Although the undersigned confirmed the footage was available prior to the Court’s hearing, out of an abundance of caution, the footage was shared via a filesharing platform and downloaded by Petitioner on or about January 15, 2026.”

The bolded portion stands out to Gwendolyn, who appears to believe that this references an admission by Attorney Harris of ex parte communication with Judge Bedford prior to the January 12, 2026, hearing.

March 23, 2026

Gwendolyn files a 33-page Response to Attorney Harris’s filing. The first 11 pages deal with this alleged ex parte communication. In part, the Response states:

It’s very interesting how Attorney Harris kept stating my writing is incoherent..., but here is counsels’ very coherent motion date 3/19/26 in black/white that obviously an ex prate communication occurred on 1/12/26 between Judge Bedford and Harris, just moments prior to the hearing, apparently.

In conclusion, Attorney Harris is clearly in violations of Federal & State Civil Procedures, when she met with the undersigned prior to the Contempt of Court Hearing.

March 30, 2026

Gwendolyn files a Notice of Intent to Act in Person in a personal injury lawsuit against All State stemming from a motor vehicle accident that occurred in 2019. The Notice of Intent appears to be an effort to get rid of her attorney, Christopher Wencker, of Brent Adams & Associates in Raleigh.

In the 6-page filing, Gwendolyn states that Attorney Wencker is a pathological liar, compulsive lair and extremely dishonest; he has a major conflict of interest with the All State attorney; he ignored her verbal and written instructions; he lied to her face and over the phone; he destroyed Medicare medical files; and unilaterally agreed to a $30,000 settlement without her permission, amongst other accusations.

March 31, 2026

Gwendolyn makes the following Facebook post:

Rolesville Police Dept was ordered by Superior Court Judge to turn all recordings and audios (over 497 CAD Reports and over 31 body cam videos)...;

instead the “Chief David Simmons” put in an affidavit he ordered the ----------DELETED--------everything regarding me and Mommie from 12/30/19 to YTD, per their attorney.

Back in court 4/13/26

They attorney is trying to get the case DISMISSED after she gave the evidence to the judge prior to the court hearing on 1/12/26 then wrote about it in a motion 3/19/26.

That’s -----EX PARTE COMMUNICATION---!

April 13, 2026

At the hearing for a new trial (really a Motion for Reconsideration), Gwendolyn shows up with an attorney for the first time. Attorney Aviance Brown files a Notice of Appearance, but her representation is limited to the Motion for Reconsideration.

That same day, Gwendolyn files a Motion to Recuse Judge Bedford from hearing the Motion for Reconsideration (presumably seeking Judge Rozier to hear it instead). The case is continued to May 18, 2026. Attorney Brown files a request for verbatim audio from the January 12, 2026 hearing. She presumably makes this request to see if ex parte communication between Attorney Harris and Judge Bedford actually occurred. She receives the audio on April 14, 2026.

May 15, 2026

Attorney Brown files a Motion to Withdraw. Notably, Attorney Brown was retained to represent Gwendolyn on the Motion for Reconsideration, that appears to be largely predicated upon the alleged ex parte communication between Attorney Harris and Judge Bedford. Attorney Brown got the audio from the hearing and withdrew prior to the new hearing taking place.

That same day, an arbitrator decides against Gwendolyn in her lawsuit against Malaby’s Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church and awarded her $0.

May 22, 2026

7:17 a.m.

Gwendolyn posts on Facebook:

Back in Wake County Court at 10am, reg Rolesville Police Dept stating in open court the Chief ordered the DELETION of all evidence in over 11 crimes against my family, double attempted murder and the pouring of acid on my 90 yo murder Mother Elleen Abrom White last year.

10 a.m.

Attorney Harris arrives for Court with her colleague Jeffrey Whitley. Notably, Attorney Whitley has never been on any court filings in the Rolesville Police matter. He has been practicing at Fox Rothschild since 2018. There is no reason for Attorney Whitley to be at this Motion hearing other than for protection of Attorney Harris. The Motion hearing is pretty straightforward from a legal standpoint and is likely only to last a few minutes, not requiring any oversight from such a senior attorney. In my 18 years of practice, I have served this role and seen other males serve this role involving younger female attorney colleagues who felt threatened going to court alone.

Judge Bedford hears the case and, presumably, quickly dismisses it. Note that Court that morning was only to hear two things (1) whether Judge Bedford should be recused from hearing a Motion to Consideration on her own Order and (2) whether her January 13, 2026 Order should be overturned. She likely ruled quickly and against both Motions. There is no documentation of that ruling yet in the court system.

According to Raleigh Police Chief Boyce, Gwendolyn became “belligerent” in court upon hearing the ruling and left the courthouse. She went to her car to retrieve a gun.

Approximately 10:30 a.m.

After waiting for Attorney Harris and Attorney Whitley to exit the courthouse, Gwendolyn confronted them in the alley between the courthouse and the post office, shooting them multiple times.

This is the context of what led to the shooting. There have been a growing number of supporters online who are advocating for Gwendolyn’s release and even justifying the shootings of Attorney Harris and Attorney Whitley. Her supporters have asked readers and followers to look into the case further. I did.

There is no justification for the shootings of Attorney Mary Harris and Attorney Jeffrey Whitely. The target seems to be Attorney Harris under this belief that she colluded with Judge Bedford through ex parte communication to render the January 14, 2026 Order. There is no basis for it. If there had been, Attorney Brown would not have likely withdrawn after reviewing the audio of the January hearing and days prior to the May hearing.

I am not sure what happened to Gwendolyn’s mother. I am not sure what allegations are true or not between her and her neighbors. All I do know is the Court found in favor of the neighbors, both Craig & Michelle and Margot & Yesica, on multiple occasions with similar complaints and tactics being levied by Gwendolyn against them.

Attorney Seth Blum used to represent Gwendolyn. He told WRAL, “She had, at the time that I represented her, called the police on her neighbors dozens of times, I think it was 37 times, and they got sick of it. Every time the police came out, they would investigate, and Ms. White had this fixed belief that her neighbors were poisoning her through her air conditioning system, which there's no evidence at all that that was true.” He went on to say, “But I felt awful for Miss White, who I knew had not been getting the treatment that she needed. I actually got a call indirectly; the police were apparently investigating other lawyers who might be targets of Miss White, and I understand that I was on that list.”

I understand friends and loved ones want to support Gwendolyn and claim that she was at her whit’s end and finally broke. That does not give her, or anyone else for that matter, license to shoot another person. What she did was wrong, regardless of her mental state.

Attorney Mary Harris and Attorney Jeffrey Whitley did not deserve to be shot. That was wrong. And if you are advocating that their shootings were justified, you are wrong as well.

My now-wife and I are professionals. We rent a 5-bedroom house with our blended family. Why? Because we pay half of what our mortgage would be if we actually purchased the same house. And we are not alone. The market has left buyers sitting out across all demographics.

I live in a community in Holly Springs, North Carolina that is relatively in a bubble compared to the rest of Wake County, North Carolina and the United States. But as I go on neighborhood walks, I can’t help but see the crisis beginning to penetrate our idyllic slice of Americana.

Two houses near me recently went on the market at the same time. They have the same amount of bedrooms and are even on the same side of the street. The first house sold within two weeks. What crisis, right? It was originally listed for $1.1 million, sold for $1.075 million. The $25,000 price drop is a bit new for my neighborhood, which for years was used to asking price or above-asking price sales, but still no reason to sound an alarm. The second house is still on the market, albeit for only a month so far. Originally listed for $1.05 million it is now for sale at $999,999. A $50,000 price drop and still sitting. A tale of two houses on the same street tell the story of what is happening at a more significant level outside the boundaries of this neighborhood. Both houses were originally purchased new within the past seven years. The prices? House One sold in 2021 for $593,000. House Two sold in 2019 for $530,000. That’s right, for both a $500,000+ markup in less than seven years.

And that’s the rub. Sellers are anticipating buyers that largely do not exist. Average incomes in Wake County increased by 27% between 2019 and 2026. But sellers are expecting to sell their houses by 100% or more value in that same period. The math doesn’t math.

Realtors will point to rates and a 30-year fixed is currently sitting at 6.49%. But, in reality, even if rates went down to 0%, there still would not be the buyers. Why? The prices are way too high and the buyers are way too extended. Delinquency rates on credit cards, auto loans and student loans are all at the highest points in over a decade. The national average for a gallon of gas is $4.59 - meaning it costs $70 just to fill up a 15-gallon vehicle. The monthly costs for groceries for a family of four is upwards of $1,500.

If rates go down, which is what many experts in the real estate industry are hoping will solve the stalemate, it will only cause prices to collapse. A flood of Baby Boomers who have been waiting to downsize or evade capital gains taxes will hit the market along with those sitting on 2% - 4% rates. But the buyers will not be there. The houses will sit until strapped buyers can figure out a way to afford the plethora of houses on the market.

The scenario is already here in some places. Look at Austin, Texas - once a real estate boom town, now seeing price reductions in 30% of sales and the number is growing. Hot spots of Miami, Nashville, and even Raleigh are not far behind. It’s happening. Inventory isn’t the issue. Rates are not the issue. Affordability is the issue. And it’s only going to get worse.

Nicki Minaj, the rapper known for hits like Super Bass, Anaconda, Side to Side and Starships, has recently joined the Trump orbit as his “number one fan” to promote his new Trump Accounts for kids born on or after January 1, 2025. She also openly promoted the Trump Gold Card visa, which is meant to fast-track permanent residency and citizenship to highly skilled foreign workers who are able to foot the $1 million fee. Minaj came to America as an undocumented immigrant herself at 5 years old.

Notably, Minaj’s seemingly initial public foray into political issues came in 2018 when she posted on Instagram protesting the Trump Administration’s “zero tolerance” family separation policy dealing with immigration. The Trump Administration soon reversed the policy. Her tone towards Trump seems to have changed with time. In November 2025, she spoke at the United Nations backing Trump’s allegations of Christians being persecuted in Nigeria. In December 2025, Vice President JD Vance weighed in on the longstanding feud between Minaj and Cardi B, tweeting “Nicki>Cardi B.” And she joined Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, on stage for the annual Turning Point USA AmericaFest to speak about her affinity for Trump, Vance, and attacking her homestate governor, Gavin Newsom.

There has long been an alliance of celebrities and politicians, with the partnerships largely dominated by the Democrats. Republicans tend to rely upon aging celebs (remember Clint Eastwood and the empty chair or the late Hulk Hogan ripping off his shirt and RNCs), country music stars or B-list television personalities. It’s rare to see someone of Minaj’s clout (not to mention being an African American rap artist) throwing her support behind Republicans - which makes it noteworthy.

However, there is a bit of hypocrisy amongst Republicans in this new union, as well. Common retorts when someone like Beyonce or Taylor Swift speaks out in favor of or makes an appearance on behalf of Democrats is that these celebrities are elitists, not connected to the common American, and not smart enough to know the policies they are advocating for or against. They are simply a political prop. Those retorts seem more like sour grapes when someone like Minaj steps in and Republicans go full froth mode in pushing her appearances. Exhibit A? Try Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent participating in a video with Minaj posted on social media just today promoting the Trump Accounts. I’m willing to bet Bessent has never listened to Super Bass before. And the lyrics to the video promoting the accounts are not exactly would I would call conservative. It wasn’t too long ago that Charlie Kirk publicly condemned Minaj and Cardi B as being bad role models for 18-year-old black girls.

It wasn’t long ago that Trump had Kanye West posing for pics and speaking his mind in the Oval Office with him. Or Bill Clinton palled around with Kevin Spacey The list of unfortunate political pairings is long.

Look, nobody’s perfect and one can likely find criticism in anyone, celebrity or not, that supports a political figure. I really don’t care if Jay Z and Beyonce opt to join Hillary and Bill on stage in Philadelphia the night before the 2016 election or Jason Aldean plays at the Republican National Convention. Celebrities, like all of us, can support whomever they want and use their outsized clout to do it. But that doesn’t mean that I have to accept that support at face value as anything more than political posturing.

So, the next time I hear a Republican lament about a liberal A-list celebrity collaborating with a Democrat on the campaign trail or speaking out during an award show acceptance speech, I’ll simply say, “Oh you don’t Say So”

I have lived in North Carolina for almost 23 years. I have raised multiple kids through the Wake County Public School system, with one already off to college and four others following suit over the next six years. I have seen my fair share of snow days over the years where my kids have had to stay home due to the weather. Last week was no different, with them staying home for three days and operating on two-hour delays for two days after a decent, but by no means crippling, ice storm over the weekend. But just because I am used to the kids staying home for multiple days when my area’s roads are clear and drivable doesn’t make it acceptable. Rather, it’s reflective of a systemic problem slowly eroding away what used to be a premiere school system.

I grew up in Michigan. I went to school on snowy roads, when temperatures were in the single digits and sidewalks were icy. That was typical from December through March. I understand the difference in snow removal capabilities between Michigan and North Carolina. However, I also understand a problem when I see one.

Last week was not the first time in 23 years that my roads and the vast majority of the roads in my area were clear of ice and snow, yet the schools were shut down. In fact, it happens nearly every year. Why? Because WCPSS operates on a county-wide system. If the roads are bad in Wake Forest, then all of WCPSS is shut down even though nothing is on the roads in Holly Springs, 55 minutes and 45 miles to the south. That’s how it plays out every year. And it still makes no sense.

50 years ago, Wake County had two school districts: Raleigh City Schools and Wake County Schools. Back then, the entire county had an approximate population of 267,400. Today, that population is estimated to be 1.29 million. In 1976, community and business leaders pressured lawmakers to merge the districts. Minorities tended to fill the under-utilized and under-financed Raleigh City Schools while “white flight” was taking place in the suburbs. A merger sought to discourage the exodus while evenly distributing funding. A noble solution for the time. But times have changed.

50 years later, a million more people live in the district. Yet, it is still one district. It is the 14th largest school district in the US. 197 schools. Over 160,000 students. Parents getting up in arms about a handful of snow days can easily be dismissed by Board members who have bigger issues to address. But the laissez faire attitude towards the school day has permeated beyond just when a few flakes come down.

My son, a junior, was out of school from January 13th through January 28th. This was after being out of school from December 20th through January 4th for Christmas break. Why the extended period after break? He was exempt from taking final exams and the week he was supposed to return he had a teacher work day and two snow days. He was physically in the classroom for six days between December 20th and January 28th.

The exam exemption is a new WCPSS policy this year allowing all high schoolers to be exempt from exams if they (1) have an A or a B as a projected final grade for the course and (2) 10 or fewer absences of any kind for the course. Seems reasonable on its face, but WCPSS (like the rest of NC) utilizes a 10-point grading scale. North Carolina opted to change to a 10-point grading scale in 2015. At the time, critics contended that it would make for easier As and Bs. Educators and proponents disagreed, but the downward trend in classroom performance is undeniable. Is there causation? I believe so, but reasonable minds can differ.

Granted, transcripts record the percentage score, but the GPA is still based upon the letter grade. An A is a 4.0 and a B is a 3.0. And so on. So the student that scores a 90 has the same GPA as the student who scores 100. An A is anything from 90-100 and a B is 80-89. Previously, North Carolina operated on a 7-point scale where a 93-100 was an A and an 85-93 was a B. Common sense said that the change would disincentivize students, and that is only furthered by exempting them from final exams.

The only students that have any actual incentive to take a final exam are those who may be in the 87-89 range and hope to eke into a 90. And if they do score a 90, they have the same grade as their peer who scored 100 in the course. The result? Droves of kids not taking final exams during the 5-7 days of exam prep and testing days. Kids striving to “just get by” in the classroom, often with the help of ChatGPT and other online “aides.” Why push for an 87 if an 80 counts the same? And when you have that approach day-to-day in the classroom, it’s hard to turn it on for a final exam. So just skip it. Unfortunately, the students can’t skip state exams, and the decline in scores over the past decade should not surprise anyone given the non-competitive environment cultivated in our classrooms.

In 2000, WCPSS experienced significant gains in its classroom performance and was a major draw for people moving to the area seeking to start a family, especially from out of state. 80% of elementary schools were meeting exemplary growth status (compared to 40% in 1997) and 92% of high schools in accordance to the ABC Growth standards set a few years prior.

In 2003, EOG (end of grade testing for Grades 3 through 8) passage rates were at or above grade level for 90.4% in reading and 92.3% in math. By 2010, WCPSS had been recognized as the number one destination for public schools.

As noted earlier, in 2015 North Carolina implemented the 10-point grading system. Locally, Democrats regained control of the WCPSS School Board in 2011 and have never relinquished it. WCPSS Superintendent Anthony Tata was fired in 2012 - largely due to a failed busing policy. And diversity issues, rather than classroom performance, have seemed to mire the Board ever since, including a diversity inventory controversy in 2019 and an extended DEI debate in 2025, leading Board member Sam Hershey to lament that the country had been run by mediocre white men for 250 years.

The focus needs to shift back to performance in the classroom, and that includes getting the kids into the classroom as much as possible. COVID showed how vital in-person learning really is for students. Back then, the Board felt it was important to keep all kids out of school out of fear that some kids may get sick or may transfer sickness to others - ignoring mounting evidence to the contrary from other states/districts. Likewise, the Board keeps all kids out of school on snow days because some kids/areas are unable to return in person. For a district hyper-focused on diversity, it has a tendency of uniformity of thought when it comes to policy.

By 2019, only 65% of students were at or above grade level proficiency across all subjects. WCPSS’s decision to close schools from in-person learning from March 2020 through August 2021 exacerbated learning loss, but the trend was already heading in an alarming direction.

In 2025, WCPSS proficiency rates rose to 64.4%. Rose. The decline is undeniable.

Wake County experienced anywhere between 1-6 inches of snow this weekend. Holly Springs got less than 2. Wake Forest got near 6. Kids are already out of school completely tomorrow (again) with no remote learning. They will likely be out for multiple days (again). For a district that denied learning loss existed during COVID, the lack of effort to try to get as many kids back into the classroom shouldn’t surprise anyone.

It’s well beyond time for WCPSS to re-think its snow policies. But it is also well beyond time for the district to re-think its size. Diversity has spread throughout the county, accomplishing the goals sought out with the original merger in 1976. The district should be divided into four districts to help better represent the diverse communities serving those districts. Most importantly, there needs to be recognition that in an age where AI is an ever-increasing danger of taking future jobs, our kids are becoming increasingly less proficient. And keeping them home to play video games while roads are clear for in-person learning is not passing the test.

Bad Bunny is going to sing at the Super Bowl halftime show. Sound the alarms. Alert ICE. Create an alternative show. Cancel the Super Bowl. Seems like these would be a parody response to the selection. But in our world of hyper-partisanship often with a tinge of racial undertones, there is certainly nothing funny about Bad Bunny in the eyes of his out-of-the-woodwork critics.

Conservative pundits have taken to the airwaves and print over the past few days to condemn the selection - most of whom I guarantee had no idea who Bad Bunny even was as of last week. But now? No way can he perform at halftime. Why? He sings in Spanish. He’s Puerto Rican. He’s a Trump critic. Really?

Bad Bunny has refused to perform his recent tour within the United States out of fear that his concerts would be raided by ICE. Those fears, now, seem to actually be justified. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem went on The Benny Show and said the following when asked about the decision to have him perform, given his views on ICE.

“They suck, and we’ll win,” Noem said of the NFL. “God will bless us, and we’ll stand and be proud of ourselves at the end of the day. And they won’t be able to sleep at night because they don’t know what they believe. They’re so weak. We’ll fix it.”

Noem’s long-rumored boyfriend (despite both being married), Corey Lewandowski, has acted as her de-facto chief of staff for some time. In that role, he too joined The Benny Show this week and warned, “There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you and apprehend you and put you in a detention facility and deport you. Know that this is a very real situation under this administration, which is contrary to how it used to be.”

But it doesn’t end with threats of deportation. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (again doubtful to have Bad Bunny in his Spotify playlist) opined that it was a “terrible decision” and given the amount of young, impressionable eyes watching, Lee Greenwood would be a better choice. Don’t get me wrong, to this day I love “God Bless the USA” as I did when it first took hold during the Persian Gulf War despite being released in 1984. But unless he’s going to sing that song on repeat, I have no idea what else he would sing. The 82-year-old singer certainly would not move the needle for that “young impressionable” audience Speaker Johnson hopes to captivate.

Turning Point USA, the group founded by the late Charlie Kirk, announced today that it would be hosting an alternative halftime show headlined by “anything in English.”

Keep in mind, this is a halftime show that grew into a national event after Michael Jackson grabbed his nuts multiple times on center stage in the Rose Bowl. It’s the show where Prince posed behind a curtain with a guitar made to look like he had a giant erection in the pouring (purple) rain in Miami. These two shows are widely considered to be in the top 5 of all-time Super Bowl performances. Justin Timberlake literally exposed Janet Jackson’s nipple. JLo performed on a stripper pole. But Bad Bunny? Man that guy sings in Spanish. Ban him.

The truth is, this is a faux controversy meant to stir up animosity against those who are not “like us.” Maybe Kendrick Lamar’s viral performance at last year’s show of “They Not Like Us” was true foreshadowing.

Bad Bunny is an American (he’s from Puerto Rico). He speaks English. He’s extremely popular world-wide. The root of the fervor is two-fold (1) he doesn’t like Trump and (2) he plans to sing mostly in Spanish. Well, Taylor Swift doesn’t like Trump either (and she was purportedly the NFL’s first choice) but I doubt there would be a tizzy over her music being played since it was in English and we could all sing along to Wood and the impact Travis Kelce’s junk has had on her life. I didn’t know most of what Kendrick Lamar sang last year either because I’m old, I don’t listen to his music, and he sang it too quickly for me to pick up on in a crowded room full of people talking and eating. Did it bother me? No. Why? Because I was eating my pizza and wings, having a beer and having a discussion with neighbors at a party.

Maybe critics should plan to do the same during the game rather than fretting over the selection. Have a beer. Eat some pizza. Have a discussion with friends or neighbors - but make sure it is in English.

Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page is running against Senator Berger in the 26th District for the 2026 race. It is the first real challenge Berger has had from the Republican side in quite some time. A poll obtained by The Assembly earlier this year showed Page up by 18% amongst likely Republican voters. In a bright red district, what is the best way to separate yourself? A Trump endorsement.

Per CBS 17, multiple sources confirmed that Berger is expected to accept an endorsement from President Trump. The price? Redrawing Congressional District 1. Berger has denied the report, although he does not deny contemplating redrawing districts prior to 2030 (when districts are typically redrawn based on the census). He simply denies the quid pro quo from Trump.

If the reporting is true, then this is a political bribe to secure another two-year term for a career politician at the expense of a completely different district in Eastern North Carolina - District 1 currently represented in Washington by Democrat Don Davis.

North Carolina Republicans already successfully redrew districts to their distinct advantage after the 2020 census. Although their efforts faced significant legal hurdles, they eventually secured a map that won them 10 of 14 US House seats. 13 of those districts are uncompetitive, with the winning margins well above 10%. The only competitive district? District 1. Don Davis won his race by 1.7%. And that, apparently, does not sit well with President Trump and the Republican Party.

So maps are looking to be redrawn again. Not to make races actually competitive or more representative of the purple nature of our swing state. But to eliminate the one competitive district and make our elections (1) hyper-partisan and (2) predictable. Neither benefits North Carolinians.

With uncompetitive districts comes candidates that skew to the far left or far right. They don’t have to worry about winning a general election. They just need to get out of their respective primaries, and those races tend to favor red meat purveyors rather than moderates. Simply having an R or a D next to your name is sufficient to win your district in the general election - based solely upon how the maps are drawn.

District 1 encompasses a large swath of Eastern North Carolina. It is bordered by Districts 3 and 13 - both Republican districts. Greg Murphy won District 3 by 55% running against a Libertarian. Brad Knott won District 13 by a “close” margin of 17%. Democrats won their other three districts by an average of 43%. The current map creates a wholly uncompetitive political landscape in North Carolina, at least in terms of the US House. But we must redraw the maps to save Senator Berger’s seat in order to make the one competitive district uncompetitive.

It’s a sham. And a shame. I don’t know Don Davis. But I have followed him over the past few years and he seems to be exactly the type of person someone from North Carolina would want to represent them in Washington. He’s a former Air Force officer. He was a mayor. He’s a pastor. One would think with that background, he’s actually a Republican. But he’s a Democrat, and a moderate one at that. Sure, he votes blue more often than red. That’s expected. But he’s someone that is open to bipartisanship - unlike many of his colleagues on Capitol Hill. When House Republicans held a vigil for Charlie Kirk, Davis was one of only a handful of Democrats to attend This is not someone so hell-bent on partisan politics that he can’t see the bigger picture. And yet Trump wants him out of office to gain an eleventh district in North Carolina. Does that benefit those whom Davis represents? Does it matter? Apparently not.

Our politics is as divided as its ever been. The rhetoric has been blamed in recent weeks with the upsetting political violence taking place across the country. But that rhetoric is bolstered by politicians who can essentially become keyboard warriors holding actual offices given the uncompetitive nature of their districts. Type and say things that fire up your far-leaning base, regardless of how much further it deepens our divide.

Davis seems to be one of the good guys. North Carolinians have been running away from partisan party registration for years. Unaffiliated voters make up 38% of our electorate as opposed to 30% Republican and 30% Democrat. Competitive races bridge differences for the greater good. Davis is a product of such a competitive district. And it shows.

Senator Berger has a decision to make. Add another term to his 26-year political career by making a deal with Trump to make his state completely uncompetitive - or actually compete in his own race to earn his next term. We know what the likely outcome will be. Just as we know what the outcomes of all Congressional districts will soon be. Berger doesn’t want competition. Not for him. And not in any district apparently.

Nate Bartgaze. My favorite comedian. Makes me laugh every time I watch him. His self-deprecating humor that most Americans can relate to gives him mass appeal. Add in his big eyes and Tennessee accent doing a routine free from the swearing or vulgarity so often heard in the comedy world and he stands out amongst his peers.

Hollywood. I generally do not watch award shows. I used to. But a long time ago they turned into severely drawn out self-affirmations of the entertainment elite celebrating shows or movies most of us have never seen or even heard about. Sprinkle in (exclusively liberal) political soap boxes and nothing about the shows makes it stand out to me. But I watched last night. Why? Nate Bartgaze.

His opening act was decent - spin off of his viral George Washington skits on SNL that helped make him a household name. He even came up with a unique idea to help reduce the typical 1-2 minute speed reading of every relative, co-star, producer, executive producer, director, talent agent, makeup artist, technician, script writer, or therapist that the actor or actress has ever worked with on the project I likely never watched. If the winner went over the 45-second allotment, the music would not play him off, but rather each second over would take away from Nate’s $100,000 personal pledge to contribute to the Boys and Girls Club. A nice schtick for a good cause.

The problem is, there was nothing else. The honorees largely ignored the time limit, with it being down to -$26,000 near the end of the night (which Nate joked that they now owe him money now). Nate really didn’t have much else left to riff about as the host for the 3+ hour show. Overall, he fell flat. Why? Because I really don’t think he relates to the people in the room either and probably wouldn’t watch the very show he was now hosting.

I’d venture to say that most people in that room had not watched a single stand-up routine of Nate’s and that he had not watched most of the shows that won an award. The Studio. Slow Horses. Somebody Somewhere. Hacks. I watch a lot of TV. Probably too much. I’ve never heard of these shows. I watched Adolescence, a big winner on the night, and it was really well done. I’ve heard Severance and The Pitt are good, but I’ve just not found the time or motivation to watch. Maybe last night was just a microcosm of Hollywood and America, we just don’t really get each other.

Nate’s routines land on audiences across the country. Old. Young. Democrats. Republicans. Doesn’t matter. But it doesn’t land in a room full of Hollywood elites. He never looked comfortable, which is odd for someone who performs in sold out arenas. He didn’t seem to have material that would carry 3+ hours with that audience. My guess is because he couldn’t relate to them.

I love Nate Bartgaze. I tuned in to watch him. I’ll tune in to watch his next Netflix special. And I’ll once again tune out from watching another awards show.

I imagine that Sunday morning was Charlie Kirk’s favorite part of the week, given his unabashed profession of his faith. I didn’t follow Charlie. I never tuned in to his Turning Point USA podcast or watched his TikToks. I watched him speak at the 2020 Republican National Convention. I observed his reels on Facebook where he engaged college students across the country in debate. I knew of him, I just did not really know him.

Over the past week, that has changed. I, like many of you, have seen a lot more of his videos, and not just the horrific one in the middle of the Utah Valley University campus. I have seen clips of his podcast. Watched a lot more reels of his debates. And read a lot about him as a person, from all perspectives.

The thing that stood out to me the most was his consistent message of faith in Jesus. And it wasn’t just as a street preacher shouting at people through a bullhorn on a corner of a busy street. Or while carrying a sign saying The End is Near or God Hates Fags. It was a matter-of-fact approach typically in a setting where faith is either talked about solely in the abstract or not at all.

Charlie Kirk was not perfect, regardless of how the conservative media and pundits paint him as in the aftermath of his death. Nor was he a fascist demon, as some in liberal world believe who are attempting to justify that same death. He was imperfect, as many of his critics have been quick to point out. We are all imperfect. We are all flawed.

The truth is, nobody who professes faith in Jesus can live up to the actual standard he set. We all fall short. If I had has much video online of me speaking as Charlie did, I am sure that I would receive labels from critics that were not true to those who actually know me. I am positive the same is true for you.

I do not agree with everything I have read about things Charlie said in his shortened life. I can see how certain people would be offended by his arguments or points of view. I can see how things can be taken out of context, as well. Those are all natural consequences of imperfect people debating ideas.

It didn’t mean he deserved to die for those ideas. My most recent podcast discussed the need for Americans to be able to exchange ideas without political violence. My first Substack did as well, notably written just as news began to break that Charlie had been shot.

Your faith journey is unique to you. Only you can make a decision as to what to believe and what not to believe. Nobody can do it for you. And those that profess their faith around you are imperfect too, just like you.

Less than three months ago, Charlie was asked on a podcast how he would like to be remembered if he died. He said, "I want to be remembered for courage for my faith. That would be the most important thing; most important thing is my faith."

I have read a lot about Charlie’s imperfections this week, a lot of which were attempts to justify his assassination. I have read a lot about his virtues, as well. Inevitably, the commentary has devolved into political discourse as to whose rhetoric is responsible for the political violence that took place.

Political violence also took place over 2000 years ago in Jerusalem. And the person killed that day, at the hands of the government, was perfect. Charlie spoke about Him freely on campuses across the country in a way that will likely shape a lot of young people’s faiths - regardless of whether they are Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, or Socialists. My hope is that is the message, not the political message, that carries the test of time for him long after he has passed.

An imperfect messenger delivering a perfect message to an imperfect world.

Isolation. It’s a feeling that most people try to avoid as there is an innate desire for us to be connected with others. I’m a very social person. I love to spend time with friends and family. I’m an extrovert. But I began feeling increasingly isolated. Not socially, but politically. I watched a news story a felt that I couldn’t relate. I read an online piece or saw the latest partisan talking point being espoused and would think, “yeah but….” or “I need more context.” Unfortunately, that context rarely came. At least not in the media’s present state of hyper-partisanship.

I’ve been interested in politics and its impact on society/pop culture for a long time. I graduated from the University of Michigan (Go Blue) with a degree in Political Science. During my time there, I listened to and met George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford and Steve Forbes. I ran for student government. I discussed professional wrestling with Al Gore at an MTV Rock the Vote town hall on campus. But that was the most I ever really did to “get involved” with politics as I had post-graduate work and a career to pursue.

I got married. Moved to North Carolina. Went to an HBCU law school. Had kids. Practiced law. Lived the American Dream. Along the way I remained a tacit observer of politics. I continued to watch the news, read articles and pieces online, listen to talk radio. I’d watch Wolf on CNN, Joe MSNBC or The Five on Fox News. I tuned in to Rush or Pod Save America. Like Forrest Gump, I intersected with political dignitaries, listening to and meeting Barack Obama and Bill Clinton along the way. Although this form of name dropping makes for great story telling while sharing drinks at a bar with buddies, it hardly has any true impact on anyone.

COVID, on the other hand, impacted all of us. Life as we knew it changed. The political isolation I had been experiencing for years now turned into actual social isolation as we all were confined to our homes for the endless “two weeks to stop the spread.” We all went a bit crazy during that time - myself included. But what I noticed towards the end of the Obama Administration and certainly during the Trump Administration had now exploded in the COVID bubble - an intense partisanship approach to nearly everything going on in these “United” States.

Us versus Them. Blue versus Red. D versus R. Liberals versus MAGA. Sure, partisanship has existed for decades in our two-party system. But this was different. You could see it playing out to such an extreme. No longer talking to an uncle because he supported MAGA. Unfriending a life-long friend because she voted for Hillary. Engaging in vile comments towards friends and even strangers on Facebook or Twitter simply because the poster did not share your opinion or political viewpoint.

The media fed it. What has become corporate media profits off of its audience uniting against a common enemy. This tribe mentality is why MSNBC (or MSNOW) and Fox News even exist - catering to a specific political following. The main networks have been exposed over time for the own biases, as well. What is seemingly not profitable? Seeing nuance. Noting context. Or having the ability to operate through differences to reach common ground. That’s not acceptable at 30 Rockefeller Center any more than it is on Capitol Hill. We need conflict. We need demonization. We need political point scoring.

But, in reality, we don’t. The progression to the far left and right of the political spectrum has left an expanding void for those of us in the middle. If you were a Republican that didn’t follow the herd to the right, you were labeled as a RINO. If you were a Democrat that didn’t get pulled further to left, you were a Blue Dog. Despised the party you once were a member of but yet still counted on for your vote on Election Day.

COVID changed me, as it did many of you. I saw how government, from DC to my local town hall, impacted my day-to-day life like never before. And I experienced how different life could be depending upon who were the shot callers in your district, city, state, etc. I led a fight against my local school district, one of the largest in the country, to reopen schools after shutting doors on kids for over 18 months. I felt like I actually made a difference in my kids lives, and those of others, in fighting for them when they were being told by officials that their learning loss wasn’t real.

But life carried on. People encouraged me to run for the school board. Throw my hat into the ring for city council. Explore running for the State House. But life and its responsibilities still carried on. I got divorced. Moved into a townhouse. And had a lot more time on my hands to think of what I wanted to do with this life restart.

I started my podcast, The Middle American, in March 2023 as a vehicle to communicate my thoughts about politics, society and life from a perspective that may not be profitable but is nevertheless pertinent, the middle. That isolation I felt years earlier still existed, but I had grown to realize others were in the same state of mind, but without a platform to share it.

I had no idea what I was doing. I had a microphone I bought off of Amazon and a laptop. No fancy background. No O ring light. No built-in audience. No planned format. Just a desire to observe and discuss politics and society in a way that would make others feel comfortable observing and discussing politics.

The format evolved over time as did the frequency of publishing episodes. I have interviewed candidates, or more accurately had conversations, running for local offices to better inform voters. I have discussed controversial topics like school shootings, abortion, race, gender, etc. I’ve had people say I support Trump or that I’m MAGA. I’ve had people stop listening because I was perceived as too tough on Trump or MAGA. I’ve had people say I’m liberal. Others say I’m conservative. All that indicates to me is that I’m doing it right.

Most of us are in the middle. We don’t want a label. There are things we agree with on the Republican platform and things we agree with on the Democrat platform. I would have no problem grabbing a beer with AOC or JD Vance. Why? Because they are Americans, just like me. Politics does not define me, nor should it you. But it does impact us as a society. As a result, isn’t it best that we work our way through perceived differences to actually produce something that benefits our country that we share in a positive way?

In North Carolina, Unaffiliated (our name for Independents) voters make up 38.5% of all registered voters. Democrats? 30.5%. Republicans? 30.3%. The NC GOP has been trumpeting its looming overtaking of Democrats. But what isn’t being said is how both parties are falling further behind to those who do not want to be associated with either of them. Since 2008, Unaffiliated voters have grown by 31.1% while the ballyhooed Republican surge is a mere 6.6% and Democrats have actually lost 3.5%.

The majority of the political noise comes from the mouths of these two parties. But the audience is increasingly becoming disassociated with both. It’s why I started my podcast and why I have decided to start this Substack. To be a voice, regardless of size, to those longing to hear about and discuss politics and society from their view and experience outside of the limitations of the tribal two-party system.

I plan on writing content on here more frequently than what I produce on the podcast. I appreciate all those who have listened to the podcast so far, and I hope that you appreciate the content on this format as well. We must learn to have civil discussions over difficult topics. Agree to disagree, but work towards common ground. We are a country of people made up in the middle, it’s time we start pulling ourselves together rather than pushing each other apart.

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