Andrew Richter

This week, Andrew and Jason reflect upon the George Floyd trial and the aftermath of the guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin. There was a lot of trepidation in the atmosphere until the verdict came down. Did the threat of a city in flames again affect the outcome?  There was pressure and threats from the likes of Maxine Waters, Keith Ellison… even the sitting president of the United States. You had celebrities and sports stars proclaiming their desired verdict in unison. There was no question that Derek Chauvin was guilty of something… but was the verdict just on all charges?

The chances of an appeal are inevitable. Will the outcome be the same? There are some crazy things happening on the political front that have changed the way we interpret societal events. Everything has some secret meaning, and most of us are on the outside… and those with power are afraid of this vocal minority.

We also discuss how our country is on the brink of changing forever. We’re up against some frightening stuff: open borders, court packing, statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico, getting rid of the Electoral College, destroying the filibuster, and more. The House is bent on passing this stuff and the Senate has a few in the middle that are holding the line for the moment. To top it off, the first 100 days of President Biden have been one of the strangest and most liberal in the history of our country. Where are we headed? How long will it take to get there?  Join the discussion and let us know what you think about these hot topics!   

Governor Walz shut down the entire state for COVID in March of 2020. Youth sports were affected, but were treated very differently once things started to reopen. Golf, working out, and professional sports went on and youth sports continued to be held hostage despite the science saying that kids are less susceptible to the spread of the disease.

The government has been meddling and trying to pull strings behind the scenes. The Department of Health instructed the Minnesota High School League that they could not have football and volleyball. They had initially cancelled it until Governor Walz tried to wash his hands of the situation. Then they went back and reversed their decision. The Department of Health has also ignored mask-related injuries, as well as passing out and vomiting.

Why is the High School League so cozy with the Health Department? The executive board should be making these decisions, but it seems like executive director, Eric Martins, has been calling the shots.

There is a trail of emails (8000 pages) that paint a picture of government incompetence and willful ignorance. They honed in on some industries (like bars and restaurants) and ignored others (like retail). They twist and turn the meaning of words (like “outbreak”) into misleading definitions.

We’ve been told that the more unhealthy we are, the greater chance that COVID will be more severe. Yet, we make children sit out and not practice instead.

What are we doing to our children? Why are they acceptable collateral for poor planning or purposeful dishonesty? We need answers and we need to stay vigilant in breaking down the walls between what is fact and what is government slight of hand.

Sam, as the legal counsel for Let Them Play MN, is attempting to get relief from these onerous restrictions, to allow for kids to be able to play sports without masks, that government is not allowed to make false allegations, or to make COVID a political issue. Where’s the press? I guess we’ll just have to do it.

This week we welcome writer, freelance journalist (NYT, WAPO), and former professor, Ann Bauer, to the podcast. (https://annbauer.com/)

Ann Bauer is the author of Wild Ride Up the Cupboards (a novel inspired by raising her son). She also wrote the culinary memoir Damn Good Food with Mitch Omer (owner of Hell’s Kitchen) at the behest of the Minnesota Historical Society. The Forever Marriage is about a friend of hers that was married to a man she didn’t love, but found out that he had an inoperable, fatal, disease, and stuck it out with him. She has also written many essays for the New York Times, Washington Post, Redbook , and others.

She stopped writing after the death of her oldest son, and decided that she wanted to fade out of the public eye. That worked until COVID hit. They shut down society and when they closed the schools, she spoke out on Twitter. That brought down a whole storm of criticism and insults as the cancel crowd came for her.

Anne has been speaking out since, and has found that those she thought were her friends turned on her and those that she thought would have never agreed with her have come to support her.

She has made it her mission to keep the government from using this pandemic to control us, first and foremost, getting the  schools back in session to give this lost generation back their shot at success in life. 

Rep Erik Mortensen was elected in 2020 to his first term in the Minnesota House, Representing HD55A, which is Shakopee, Louisville Township, and Jackson Township. He used to be apolitical, but after a horrific ordeal after starting a business, he decided to run for office.  When he learned that the people we are electing were actually harming the country, he was compelled to stand up and defend liberty.

He has been making waves recently, having introduced articles of impeachment against Governor Walz. This story goes back a year to the early days of COVID. No one seemed to know what to expect, as we all entered into this thing willing to try and stop the spread. It became very apparent super fast that the Governor was willing to take every liberty he could to restrict ours.

Rep Mortensen is convinced that Walz doesn’t ever want to go back to normal... henceforth, the articles of impeachment. It has five charges: 1)Failing to respect the separation of powers, 2)Inventing new penalties not approved by the legislature, 3)Closing churches, 4)Taking private property, and 5) Halting non-emergency medicine.

He also authored the “Never Again Bill”, which would make sure that: 1)The Governor could not unilaterally declare an emergency, 2)The Governor’s orders cannot be treated as law, 3)Punishes the Governor for violating the order he puts forth, and a 4)Citizens Bill of Rights.

He’s having a tough time finding Republicans that have the will to stand up for the rights of the people. In fact, the leadership in the House is actively working to make sure he can’t. He shares his story with us, which you’re going to have to hear to believe.

This week Andrew sits down with Kevin Roche of www.healthy-skeptic.com.

Kevin has worked in the health care industry for over 50 years in everything from nursing assistant to legal counsel. His blog has focused on various issues in the medical industry until COVID-19 hit, and has not veered from it since. 

We’ve dealt with plagues for all of human history. Black Plague, Bubonic Plague, Spanish flu, etc... so why is this one different? It’s the response. The media has been completely irresponsible in the hysteria they have created. Social media has put fuel on the fire. Politicians have taken full advantage of that (at worst) and lacked the backbone to do the right thing (at best). 

We have been told so many things by politicians, the CDC, the medical field, and every other person with a pulse regarding what causes this disease, how it spreads, and what the trends mean. 

Kevin understands the history of corona viruses and how they attack the body. Things don’t add up between what we’ve been told and what the statistics say. 

If you look at the curves, masks didn’t work, staying home didn’t work, and didn’t work. Evidence would say that it’s seasonal, based on heat, light, humidity, etc. If that’s the case, then why won’t people say anything? 

Let’s go down the rabbit hole and try to look at the data objectively to see if we can get to some semblance of the truth. We need to get back to life, and we need to do it soon. 

Rob Doar is visiting from the Minnesota Gun Owner’s Caucus. The caucus exists to defend 2nd Amendment issues, and Minnesota has had their share. Rob works with the MN Legislature to watch over firearms issues that come up in legislation and discussion. COVID has had a negative effect, making it harder to speak to senators and representatives when things come up. 

Firearms are such a hot button issue, and the argument gets heated on both sides. When did gun regulation begin? Why? The regulation issue has been a slippery slope ever since. Anti-gun activists have pressed harder and harder to get more legally owned guns out of the hands of law abiding people. Shall not be infringed? That what our Bill of Rights says, but that’s no longer the standard. 

Opponents of firearm ownership call for greater background checks. How does that compare with the checks they do now? Politicians and activists cry out every time there is an incident with a firearm (except in Chicago). What has the gun control crowd done to push their narrative? What kinds of new restrictions are coming down the pike? What are red flag laws? Why are the figures not what they want you to think? How can we fight back against the encroachment of our 2nd Amendment rights? 

You can check them out and become a member at: https://www.gunowners.mn/

Andrew invites (from am1280 The Patriot) “The Closer”, Brad Carlson to discuss the World Series Champion 1987 Minnesota Twins. This was a magical year to be a Minnesotan. We’ve lost so much over the decades and this year changed everything.

There were some strategic trades like Jeff Reardon and Dan Gladden that set this team up to be successful. Kent Hrbek and Kirby Puckett came into their own. Tom Brunansky, Gary Gaetti, Tim Laudner, Juan Berenguer, Frank Viola, Don Baylor, Greg Gagne, Steve Lombardozzi... the names are still etched in our minds if we were there.

There were so many memorable moments that defined the season. Kirby went 6 for 6 and robbed Robin Yount of a grand slam home run. Joe Niekro got caught with an emory board in his pocket. We got the Berenguer Boogie. They played near perfect baseball against the Tigers in the ALCS.

We discuss the ‘87 season, the ACLS, and that fated World Series game 7 that finally put Minnesota on the map. It is a year that none of us will ever forget.

We also take a look at 270towin.com to discuss the redistricting projections. Which states will gain seats? Which will loose? Let us know what you think!

You’ve heard of Libertarians, but what do they believe? They don’t get much press and both major parties try to make them look crazy.

Third parties need to get 5% of the vote in an election to get ballot access versus needing hundreds of signatures while under 5%.

This week we bring in Chris Holbrook, chair of the MN Libertarian Party.  He didn’t start out political, but he found the Libertarian Party through disappointment with both parties. Shortly thereafter, he was running for governor. In fact, he was errantly arrested in Minneapolis for collecting signatures to get on the ballot. It was trial by fire, but it led him to become the Chair of the MN state party.

There are so many challenges to third parties gaining any ground. There’s no money for them, and the main parties get all of it. They struggle to get on the ballot. They have to convince people that they aren’t throwing away their vote.

We discuss Libertarian ideals on education, taxes, governance, drug policy, the Met Council, COVID, George Floyd, censorship... and realize that maybe we’re all really not that far away from each other.

Well, we're back for episode two... I guess that means this is a thing now. Next up on on this eclectic list of interviews is former Crystal City Councilmember, occasional blogger, political commentator, and troublemaker, Jeff Kolb. No subject is safe. No cow is sacred. Is the caucus system or the primary going to prevail? What keeps happening with all of the Republican losses and why we keep celebrating these candidates (and party officials) that can't win? Governor Tim Walz won't give up his death grip on his emergency powers. We discuss his handling of the COVID pandemic, and if freedom is ever going to come back. How do his merry band of henchman hold up? How did the Republicans respond? What is the state of the MNGOP, looking into the future? You want opinions? Well, we've got 'em!

Yes, it's that Andrew Richter... no, not that one, not the sidekick of the talk show host... yeah, the guy from the Community Solutions podcast. No, he's not quitting that podcast (and in fact, Jason is in tow as producer extraordinaire), but he wants to expand your horizons with a number of other subjects that are near and dear to his heart. So, take some time and give it a listen. Pass the word if you think it's worth it.

On the pilot episode, Andrew invites his best friend, Kevin Lien, on to discuss all things gambling. Kevin is a professional poker dealer and has a great deal of knowledge around all sorts of games of strategy and chance. They discuss everything from sports betting, to poker, to scratch offs, to online gambling, and the effects of crypto on the business. There are a ton of great stories and you will leave understanding the line, covering the point spread, live betting, the over/under, and other important terms and strategies. Kevin also talks playing in professional poker tournaments, and the effects of COVID on the industry. 

You've got to tune in for this!