The MiddleGround Mic

Are we raising our children to succeed, or are we simply hoping they survive? In this episode of The MiddleGround Mic, host Joseph Steagall sits down with Dr. Robert "Bob" Saul, a pediatrician, author, and children's advocate with more than four decades of experience, for an important conversation about conscious parenting, raising responsible citizens, and rebuilding stronger communities. Drawing on his remarkable medical career and his book My Children's Children: Raising Young Citizens in the Age of Columbine, Dr. Saul explores why parenting goes far beyond providing food, shelter, and education. It's about teaching empathy, accountability, compassion, and the responsibility we all share for the next generation. At the heart of our discussion is Dr. Saul's powerful 12-word mantra: "I am the problem. I am the solution. I am the resource." What would happen if more parents, educators, and community leaders embraced that philosophy? We discuss the lessons Dr. Saul has learned from decades of working with families, the challenges facing today's parents, the importance of conscious parenting, and why building healthier communities starts with each of us. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, teacher, or someone concerned about the future of our children, this conversation offers a different way to think about the responsibility we share. CONNECT WITH DR. ROBERT SAUL Official Website: https://mychildrenschildren.com/ My Children's Children — Book: https://mychildrenschildren.com/book/my-childrens-children/ Explore Dr. Saul's Other Books and Resources: https://mychildrenschildren.com/ EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 – Cold Open: The 12-Word Mantra 01:15 – Welcome Dr. Bob Saul 04:30 – Lessons From Decades in Pediatrics 12:45 – What Is Conscious Parenting? 22:10 – My Children's Children: The Inspiration 31:20 – Why Community Building Matters for Kids 42:00 – Challenges Facing Modern Parents 51:30 – Final Thoughts and the Path Forward FOLLOW THE MIDDLEGROUND MIC Official Website: https://themiddlegroundmic.com/ Subscribe for more conversations that challenge assumptions, explore difficult issues, and bring people together. No Left. No Right. Forward.

What actually happens behind the scenes of Michigan's election system? Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds and Michigan Secretary of State candidate Anthony Forlini joins Joseph Steagall for a wide-ranging conversation about election administration, voter-roll maintenance, security procedures and public trust. Forlini explains why he has raised concerns about noncitizen registrations and what changes he believes should be made to Michigan's voter-registration system. The conversation also covers: • Election equipment, verification and security procedures • Voter-roll maintenance and eligibility checks • E-poll books and election administration • College-campus voting • Customer service and wait times • Notary fraud • The Office of the Great Seal • Forlini's priorities for the Secretary of State office Rather than campaign slogans, this episode focuses on the actual systems, procedures and disagreements surrounding how Michigan elections and Secretary of State services operate. The MiddleGround Mic features long-form conversations that give guests enough time to explain their positions — and listeners enough information to make up their own minds. Learn more about Anthony Forlini and his campaign: forliniforus.com CHAPTERS 00:00 Anthony Forlini on Michigan Election Security 02:15 Noncitizen Voting & Michigan Voter Rolls 07:40 How Michigan Voting Machines Are Secured 12:30 Cutting Wait Times & Improving Service 18:10 College Campus Voting & Election Procedures 23:45 Notary Fraud & Michigan's Great Seal 29:00 Why Forlini Is Running for Secretary of State

Can an Independent candidate realistically win a seat in Congress? Former firefighter Mike Thurow joins host Joseph Steagall on The MiddleGround Mic to share why he bypassed party politics to run in Wisconsin's 6th District. Thurow breaks down the corrupting power of corporate money, the challenges of third-party ballot access, and how direct public service shapes his approach to representation. Connect with the campaign:  Official Site: https://www.thurowforcongress.com/ Text & Updates: https://mtwi6.com/  Chapters: 0:00 - Can an Independent Win? 2:15 - From Firefighter to Congressional Candidate 6:40 - Breaking Free from the Two-Party Machine 12:10 - How Corporate Money Ruined Politics 18:35 - The Strategy to Win WI-06 25:10 - Restoring Faith in Public ServiceÂ

What happens when someone gets canceled — and there's no way back? Tim Kelley — MIT alumnus, former Navy commanding officer, global leadership advisor, and founder of canceledleader.com — joins The MiddleGround Mic to make the case that cancel culture's real crisis is not the cancellation itself. It is the complete absence of any defined path to re-entry. Tim and Joe cover why Kevin Spacey's full exoneration in court bought him nothing in Hollywood, what happened to Puerto Rico Governor Ricky Rosselló when a manipulated chat log went viral before anyone checked the facts, why being innocent does not protect you when it becomes a competition of narratives, and what a real "uncanceled" system would actually look like. If you believe in the political middle — that most people want accountability without permanent exile — this conversation is for you. canceledleader.com | The MiddleGround Mic --- CHAPTERS (00:00) Tim Kelley: MIT, Navy, and the Change Agent Mindset (02:15) Cancel Culture's Real Problem: No Sentence, No Re-Entry (06:45) Kevin Spacey — Exonerated in Court, Still Exiled in Hollywood (10:30) Ricky Rosselló — When a Manipulated Chat Log Ends a Career (13:45) The Trauma of Ostracism: Why Being Canceled Hits Like Physical Pain (20:00) False Accusers and the Accountability Gap (27:30) Who Tim Works With — and Who He Doesn't (35:00) The Political Middle: Centrism Isn't Standing for Nothing (43:00) How to Actually Help Someone Who's Been Canceled (46:40) Find Tim: canceledleader.com --- GUEST Tim Kelley is a leadership advisor, MIT alumnus, former Navy commanding officer, and founder of canceledleader.com. Tim has spent decades coaching leaders, executives, and public figures through career crises and is one of the leading voices on structured re-entry after cancellation. Website: canceledleader.com Support the show [https://buymeacoffee.com/tmgm]

Wayne County voters will decide on the August 4 SMART bus millage, a public transportation proposal tied to SMART bus service, the Wayne County Transit Authority, and former opt-out communities. Matt Wilk and Patty Pozios from Not SMART Wayne join Joe Steagall to explain why their group opposes what they call a new $570 million SMART bus tax after House Bill 6088 changed the opt-out system in Wayne County. This episode covers the Wayne County SMART bus tax fight, the Wayne County SMART millage, local control, Detroit and DDOT, Livonia, Plymouth, Northville, Canton, Van Buren, Downriver, fare revenue, taxpayer subsidy, senior transportation, ballot language, and where voters can check the receipts before the August 4 ballot. Matt and Patty argue that Wayne County voters need to understand what changed before this proposal reached the ballot. They say communities that had the ability to opt out of SMART for decades lost that local control after House Bill 6088, and they believe many voters are being sold a softened version of the cost, the service guarantees, and the financial reality behind the system. The conversation covers Not SMART Wayne's claims about 3% fare revenue, 97% taxpayer subsidy, 3.88 riders per bus, a $570 million Wayne County cost, senior transportation, existing local transit programs, broken promises from Oakland County, pension and legal liability concerns, and why opponents believe the word "replacement" in the ballot language deserves a much closer look. This is not about telling voters what to think. It is about understanding what is on the ballot, what changed with opt-out communities, what the opposition is claiming, and where Wayne County voters can verify the information before they vote. In this episode: * What is the Wayne County SMART bus tax? * What is the Wayne County SMART millage on the August 4 ballot? * Why Not SMART Wayne calls it a new SMART bus tax * How House Bill 6088 changed opt-out communities * Why local control is central to the opposition argument * What Detroit, DDOT, Livonia, Plymouth, Northville, Canton, Van Buren, and Downriver have to do with the issue * Why opponents focus on the $570 million Wayne County cost * The "only $8/month" framing and why opponents reject it * The 3% fare revenue and 97% taxpayer subsidy claim * The 3.88 riders-per-bus claim * Whether the proposal changes existing senior transportation * What "replacement" means in the ballot language * Where voters can check Not SMART Wayne's receipts Chapters: 00:00 — Cold open: 3% fares and 97% taxpayer subsidy 01:12 — Matt Wilk and Patty Pozios introduce Not SMART Wayne 02:21 — What changed with House Bill 6088 06:59 — Why local control and opt-out communities mattered 08:36 — What the Wayne County SMART millage could cost 11:53 — Why Not SMART Wayne says $570 million is only Wayne County's portion 12:27 — Fare revenue, taxpayer subsidy, and SMART's financial picture 16:56 — The 3.88 riders-per-bus claim 18:42 — Traffic, roads, bus weight, and emissions 21:29 — Senior transportation and existing local programs 25:48 — Ballot language and the word "replacement" 30:51 — Patty reads the ballot language 33:37 — Pension hole, legal costs, and financial concerns 37:23 — Broken promises and Oakland County's 2022 transit plan 43:56 — Government efficiency and the economic argument 47:45 — Where voters can check the receipts 55:32 — Closing statements and August voting information Guests: Matt Wilk Not SMART Wayne Patty Pozios Not SMART Wayne Website: NotSmartWayne.org Support the show [https://buymeacoffee.com/tmgm]

The evidence is undeniable. In 1964, 77% of Americans trusted their government. Today, that number has collapsed to a catastrophic 17%. This isn't a political problem; it's a systemic failure. In this urgent conversation, I sit down with author and civic leader Chip Webster to prosecute the case against a nation that has lost its way. We dissect the "gradual, then sudden" bankruptcy of our democracy, why we no longer trust our institutions or each other, and the root cause of our crisis of disconnection. Then, we unveil the radical solution: a sweeping proposal for universal national service designed to rebuild our social fabric from the ground up. This isn't just another interview. It's the blueprint for a national reset. Learn more about Chip Webster's work: https://www.unityandservice.org/ Chapters: (00:00) - The Question We Can No Longer Ignore (01:00) - The 60-Year Collapse: The Damning Evidence (05:00) - The Hemingway Prophecy: How Democracies Go Bankrupt (10:30) - The Radical Plan: One Year of National Service (19:00) - The Real Sickness: Our Crisis of Connection (32:00) - The Path Forward: Rebuilding the American Citizen Support the show [https://buymeacoffee.com/tmgm]

Michigan Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt sits down with Joseph Steagall for an unfiltered conversation about the policies quietly driving up the cost of every new home in Michigan — to the tune of $95,000 in government-mandated costs that most buyers never see on the invoice. Learn more about his campaign: https://nesbittforgovernor.com/ In this episode: • The housing mandate that added $95,000 to every new Michigan home and who is responsible for it • Michigan's reading crisis: why 3 out of 5 fourth graders cannot read at grade level and what Nesbitt's plan actually is • What a Nesbitt governorship would look like in practical terms — not talking points, actual policy • Where Joseph pushes back and where the centrist case holds up This is the conversation mainstream media is not having. No party line. No spin. Just the receipts. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who thinks both parties have lost the plot. Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/tmgm Support the show [https://buymeacoffee.com/tmgm]

Is the world sleepwalking into a larger war? Former Navy JAG officer, federal prosecutor, and former national security advisor Don Brown joins The MiddleGround Mic for one of the most intense conversations we've had yet — breaking down Iran, the Strait of Hormuz blockade, sleeper cell fears, Europe's growing instability, and why global leaders may be closer to a breaking point than the public realizes. We discuss: • Iran's collapsing military posture • Why the Strait of Hormuz matters to YOUR wallet • Sleeper cell concerns inside the United States • Europe's "no-go zone" reality • Why Trump's strategy looks more like Reagan than Iraq • The hidden geopolitical risks nobody in media wants to explain • Missile threats, oil shocks, EMP fears, and the race against escalation This isn't partisan panic. This is geopolitical reality explained without the corporate media filter. WATCH BEFORE THE NEXT HEADLINE HITS. đŸ‘‡ COMMENT BELOW: Do you think this ends in diplomacy‌ or escalation? Support the show [https://buymeacoffee.com/tmgm]