The Review Squared

This episode, the 11th of the season, marks the final episode recorded live in studio until the fall and this week has everyone looking out to various things quite puzzled.  The segments this week are: Gideon explaining how Arizona will have a flat income tax rate after all, as the state Supreme Court threw out a referendum on it John discussing a recent charitable gala with Habitat for Humanity and Rose Law Group in the metaverse (and what the metaverse and NFTs are) Haley talking about the resignation of the NCAA President Mark Emmert and some of the troubles in his time there and the difficult search for a successor to a job few qualified candidates want Kirsten leading the panel in a short segment of defining incel-related terms This episode was recorded on April 29th. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis, the transition from the (unheard on the podcast version of this show) break is "Broadway Shing-A-Ling Part 1" by The Soulsations and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to see what our summer plans as far as this show goes, both are @review_squared.

The panel is missing Gideon on the 10th episode of the season and switches the regular segment order around a bit. The stories this week are: Haley talking about Jackie Robinson and his legacy on the 75th Jackie Robinson Day, marking the day when he broke the color barrier in baseball John discussing the issue of men who have sex with men not being able to donate blood, as a national blood shortage gets worse Kirsten continuing her series on incels with another incel dictionary segment and taking a look at Elliot Rodgers' views on both race and women For more on John's segment, see "Blood providers call for donors amid first national blood crisis" and "LGBTQ advocates want blood donation restriction lifted for gay and bisexual men", both from Cronkite News. For more on Kirsten's segment, refer back to the episodes of this show "Communities, for Worse" and "Lotus and the Apocalypse", along with the brochure from the Anti-Defamation League "When Women are the Enemy: The Intersection of Misogyny and White Supremacy". This episode was recorded on April 15th. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to see if Kirsten ever finishes her series, both are @review_squared.

The panel is missing Kirsten on the 9th episode of the season but is joined in the last segment by State Press politics reporter and fellow Blaze member, Tori Gantz.  The stories this week are: John discussing a recent PBS NewsHour story on statelessness and how it affects people's lives Haley giving a rundown of some of the highlights of the MLB's long-awaited opening day  Gideon and Tori explaining the Starbucks unionization campaign, both locally in Arizona and the larger context (for more on the national context Tori provided, see this episode of NPR's Up First podcast and More Perfect Union's coverage on Twitter @MorePerfectUS) This episode was recorded on April 8th. You can find Tori and their work on Twitter, @GantzTori. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis, the transition from the (unheard on the podcast version of this show) break is "Broadway Shing-A-Ling Part 1" by The Soulsations and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to see if Tori ever returns, both are @review_squared.

The 8th episode of the season was recorded on a day of jokes and with people who rarely take themselves seriously, but is not a joke itself. The panel this week, minus John, was joined by Rithwik Kalale, friend of the pod and fellow Blaze member. The stories this week are: Gideon explaining the recently signed into law anti-trans bills in Arizona, SB 1138 (bans doctors from providing gender confirmation surgery to minors) and SB 1165 (bans transgender girls and women from women’s sports at all academic levels) Rith talking about E3, the gaming expo, getting cancelled this year and the rise of other conferences in its place Haley discussing the culture of journalism with the panel in light of a recent student-produced documentary, Dear Cronkite: A Love Letter This episode was recorded on April 1st (seriously). You can find Rith on Twitter @pokefanrithwik and his show POP48 every Monday this semester at 7:30pm MST on blazeradioonline.com. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis, the transition from the (unheard on the podcast version of this show) break is "Broadway Shing-A-Ling Part 1" by The Soulsations and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to see who else will spend an hour chatting with us, both are @review_squared.

The 7th episode of the season is mostly an interview with ASU student (also a returning Review Squared guest), poet and homeless outreach organizer Austin Davis. The stories this week are: The panel interviewing Austin Davis about his recent book of poetry "Lotus and the Apocalypse" and his work with AZ Hugs for the Houseless Kirsten continuing her multi-part series on incels (those who identify as "involuntarily celibate") by introducing the background of Elliot Rodgers This episode was recorded on March 25th. You can find Austin on Twitter @Austin_Davis17 and on Instagram @austinwdavis1. His latest book "Lotus and Apocalypse" can be found at major bookstores and if you're in the Valley, you can get involved with AZ Hugs for the Houseless' by bringing a meal, clothing or collected spray bottles (or just your friendliness) to their event every Sunday 3-5pm at Tempe Beach Park. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis, the transition from the (unheard on the podcast version of this show) break is "Broadway Shing-A-Ling Part 1" by The Soulsations and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to see who we'll drag on this show next, both are @review_squared.

The 6th episode of the season mostly focuses on those seeking to tear at the very fabric of healthy communities for all as Ethan (this episode marking his official departure from the show for the rest of the season) and Haley are out. The stories this week are: Gideon looking into recent changes to a bill in the Arizona House, HB 2161, a controversial bill that in its original form was criticized for forcing teachers to out gay and transgender students John talking about the new Hulu series "The Dropout", which is based on the story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos (listen to Kirsten's segment from a previous episode of this show, "The Discontented", for a bit more on Holmes) Kirsten starting her multi-part series on incels (those who identify as "involuntarily celibate") by explaining the 1989 Montreal Polytechnic shooting and what led the shooter, Marc Lépine, to doing it This episode was recorded on March 18th. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis, the transition from the (unheard on the podcast version of this show) break is "Broadway Shing-A-Ling Part 1" by The Soulsations and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to see who we'll drag on this show next, both are @review_squared.

Gideon and John are the only regular panelists on the 4th episode of the season and are joined by local journalist, fellow Blaze Radio member and the Co-Executive Editor of the Downtown Devil, Cami Parrish for an episode almost entirely focused on education funding in Arizona. The stories this week are: Gideon giving brief updates on two Arizona legislative bills mentioned on this show previously Cami and John leading a discussion on what exactly the education funding cap is and what is meaningful about Arizona hitting it on March 1st (hint: lots of money for public schools becomes untouchable) that rolls into a discussion of school choice and Proposition 208 along the way This episode was recorded on February 11th. You can find Cami on Twitter, she's @TheCamiParrish over there. The specific Know Your Enemy episode that Gideon references when discussing school choice is "School Wars (w/ Jennifer Berkshire)". The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to see who we'll drag on this show next, both are @review_squared.

The panel (minus Ethan) is back with a surprisingly high mix of hope for the future in the stories on the 3rd episode of the season. The stories this week are: Gideon explaining HB 2674, a bipartisan bill meant to tackle Arizona's housing shortage through zoning reform  John talking about the efforts Afghan women are making to push back against the Taliban's prohibitions on women participating in education and the workforce Kirsten discussing exploitation in true crime and the case of Brooke Preston's death, in light of Dead Asleep, a controversial new Hulu documentary about it Haley taking a look at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, looking at some of the athletes representing the US, the COVID restrictions and the human rights issues in China  This episode was recorded on February 4th. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis, the transition from the (unheard on the podcast version of this show) break is "Broadway Shing-A-Ling Part 1" by The Soulsations and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to see what's next for us, both are @review_squared.

The panel is smaller (with Gideon and Haley out) on the 2nd episode of the season and COVID once again being the leading discussion topic as the world continues to be a bit of a mess. The stories this week are: John talking about a bill in the Arizona Legislature that would make vaccine mandates harder to enforce and a bit about COVID in Arizona generally Ethan discussing the situation in Ukraine as Russia builds moves troops near its border Kirsten taking a look at the case of Lauren Smith-Fields' death This episode was recorded on January 28th. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to see what's next for us, both are @review_squared.

The panel (minus Ethan) marks our 2nd anniversary on Blaze and is back to our usual business on the 1st episode of the fifth season. The stories this week are: Gideon and John talking about the omicron variant of COVID and what's going on there (Gideon doing a general overview, John focusing on cases in children)  Kirsten discussing the case of Irene Luevano's disappearance and death Haley taking a look at the NCAA's policy changes concerning transgender athletes This episode was recorded on January 21st. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis, the transition from the (unheard on the podcast version of this show) break is "Broadway Shing-A-Ling Part 1" by The Soulsations and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to see what's next for us, both are @review_squared.

The panel is joined by Wallace Milner, a political science and history student at Portland State University on the 11th and final episode of the season to talk a bit about the history of right wing vigilantism in the United States, how it relates to current events and some other related topics. This episode was recorded on December 16th. You can find Wallace's writing in Reform and Revolution's magazine at reformandrevolution.org and Know Your Enemy can be found wherever you get podcasts. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram to see what is coming up on this show in the new year, both are @review_squared.

The panel (minus John) goofed off this week with local reporter, verified on Twitter person and Blaze alum Vaughan Jones on the 10th episode of the season. The main activity this week: completing a Pixar tier list. Come and listen to the panel's hot and not so hot takes on Pixar movies as we celebrate Kirsten and Ethan's birthday. This episode was recorded on December 3rd and is the last live recorded episode of 2021. You can find Vaughan on Twitter, they're @vjonesradio there and you can find their reporting on the Phoenix NPR affiliate KJZZ. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for silly promos, to see what discourse we ignited and to learn when we'll return for winter break podcast episodes, both are @review_squared.

The whole panel is back for a dive into public discontent with the 9th episode of the season and is joined by Nick Sanchez, the Blaze Radio News Director. The stories this week are: Gideon explaining "Striketober" and how its spirit is finally hitting Arizona with a impeding strike at Sky Harbor Airport and a unionization push at a Mesa Starbucks John taking a look at the recently concluded Kyle Rittenhouse trial and the judge who presided over it, Bruce Schroeder Kirsten discussing the ongoing fraud trial for disgraced Theranos founder and CEO, Elizabeth Holmes Nick taking a look at publicly financed stadium deals, as the Oakland A's buy land in Las Vegas because of not getting a deal in Oakland This episode was recorded on November 19th. You can find Nick on Twitter, he's @NickSanchez_19 there, his show The Sanchize airs Wednesdays 11am MST on Blaze Radio (blazeradioonline.com), his DJ shift airs Wednesday at 3:30pm MST on Blaze also, and you can find Believe in the Run and The Drop podcast at their website believeintherun.com. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis, the transition from the (unheard on the podcast version of this show) break is "Broadway Shing-A-Ling Part 1" by The Soulsations and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to see what's next for us, both are @review_squared.

Gideon and Kirsten are the only ones in for the 8th episode of the season. The stories this week are: Gideon taking a look back at the now ended conservatorship over Britney Spears at the start of the episode and talking about Arizona being said to hit a rather dubious record: the only state where COVID was the leading cause of death at the end of the episode Kirsten discussing the disappearance and death of Hailey Dunn in Colorado City, Texas This episode was recorded on November 12th. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis, the transition from the (unheard on the podcast version of this show) break is "Broadway Shing-A-Ling Part 1" by The Soulsations and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to eventually learn who we'll be having on soon, both are @review_squared.

CW for Nicole's segment at the end of the show: sexual assault The whole panel (including Ethan!) is back for a jam-packed 7th episode of the season, where Nicole Pinter (co-host of Blaze shows The Future is Female and Hypothetically Speaking) joins as a guest panelist to bring about one of the greatest crossover episode showdown in the history of Blaze crossover episode showdowns. The stories this week are: Gideon explaining congressional and legislative redistricting, specifically looking at Arizona John talking about embattled Arizona U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema being confronted (again) in an airport Ethan taking a look at a recent report from the Treasury Department on the efficacy of U.S. sanctions Kirsten discussing the person most famous for the comedy skits online about "Skyrim NPCs in real life" Ali Abulaban (better known as "JinnKid") being accused of fatally shooting his wife Ana Abulaban and her friend Rayburn Barron Nicole discussing former Chicago Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich being accused of sexually assaulting two players on the team, including Kyle Beach, leading to a recent report investigating it This episode was recorded on October 29th. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is confidential and open 24/7 at rainn.org and 800.656.HOPE (4673). You can find Nicole on Twitter under the username @nicole_pinter6. Gideon and Kirsten's show with Nicole, Hypothetically Speaking is on Blaze Radio every Monday at noon MST (through early December), on Twitter @hypoth_speaking and wherever you get podcasts. Also, Nicole's other show The Future is Female is on Blaze Radio every Monday at 7pm MST and on Twitter @TheFutureisFe13. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis, the transition from the (unheard on the podcast version of this show) break is "Broadway Shing-A-Ling Part 1" by The Soulsations and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to maybe get a laugh, both are @review_squared.

John and Kirsten are all by themselves for the 6th episode of the season. The stories this week are: John talking about Alec Baldwin fatally shooting Halyna Hutchins, the director of photography on the set of the movie "Rust" with a prop gun, along with a viral incident of shaming a high school girl for her homecoming dress that led to a TikTok trend discussing "Boomer hate" Kirsten discussing the issues with sensationalism and reckless speculation in true crime media online (focusing on the Gabby Petito case) This episode was recorded on October 22nd. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to learn more about this show, both are @review_squared.

Blaze Radio continues to force us to make a promo for our show as a condition of broadcasting it, so enjoy this prescription for the 4th season of The Review Squared. Music is by lesfm from Pixabay.

After a week's hiatus, the panel is back for the 5th episode of the season where we are reminded once again that we live in a society full of controversy and uncertainty. The stories this week are: Gideon taking a look at the vaccine mandate for employees of Arizona's public universities at the start of the episode and leading an impromptu discussion of the controversy surrounding Dave Chappelle's latest Netflix comedy special at the end of the episode John talking about the new FX show about the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Impeachment: American Crime Story Kirsten discussing some recent developments in the cold case of the Zodiac Killer This episode was recorded on October 15th. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis, the transition from the (unheard on the podcast version of this show) break is "Careless Whisper" by George Michael and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to see how much this show can change at the drop of a hat, both are @review_squared.

The panel is bigger once again, with our regular contributor Ethan Pelland back talking about international affairs on this episode as everyone focuses on corruption, both of the political and moral kind on the 4th episode of the season. The stories this week are: Gideon discussing the recent conviction of R. Kelly on sex trafficking charges and racketeering John talking about the recent increase in unruly flight passengers in the US Ethan explaining the persecution of attorney Steven Donziger because he was the lawyer for the winning side of a court case that led to a massive settlement for damages against Chevron in Ecuador Kirsten outlining and giving updates on the case of Gannon Stauch, a 11 year old kid who disappeared back in 2020 and was found dead This episode was recorded on October 1st. Our live show (and in turn, new episodes) resumes on Friday, October 15th at 7pm MST on blazeradioonline.com. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis, the transition from the (unheard on the podcast version of this show) break is "My Girl is a Soul Girl" by Lon Rogers & The Soul Benders and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to see where which Blaze Radio show we're picking online fights with next, both are @review_squared.

Gideon and Kirsten are joined this week in really good discussions by Sarah Nelson, a public policy student at ASU on the 3rd episode of the season. The stories this week are:  Gideon taking one (hopefully) final look at the Maricopa County "audit" as the report about it is released that leads to a discussion on voting rights  Kirsten giving updates on the case of Gabby Petito and leading a discussion on "missing white woman syndrome"  Sarah discussing a story of a recent death of a man in police custody in downtown Phoenix and some parts of the Department of Justice inquiry into the Phoenix Police Department  This episode was recorded on September 24th. You can find Sarah on most social media platforms under the username @heysarahnelson. The intro music is "Dedicated to the Press" by Betty Davis, the transition from the (unheard on the podcast version of this show) break is "Broadway Shing-A-Ling Part 1" by The Soulsations and the outro is "We Are Heading to the East" by springtide. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on the show and to learn more about this show, both are @review_squared.