The State of Us

Go beyond mainstream cable news and party lines, with a Millennial and a Boomer, as they work to push past the noise and bring attention to all the issues that matter. Justin T. Weller and Lance Jackson examine the topics that are often overlooked by most major media outlets, but are critical for Americans to be educated about. There’s a world beyond the noise and it begins with Justin & Lance on The State of Us.

With Guzzling Gas Prices, is it Time to Buy an Electric Car?

Buying an electric car may be financially responsible, but it may not be the right decision for you. Justin and Lance break down the math behind owning an electric vehicle and discuss how driving an EV might change the way you travel. tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, car, electric, EV, gas, travel, road, trip, money, finance, price, charging, chevy, ford, GM, tesla, environment

03-21
38:51

Congress is Ignoring Student Debt - Why?

Should a student be allowed to take on $400,000 of student loan debt for a degree that leads to a $75,000 salary? Justin and Lance address the underlying causes of the student loan crisis in America and propose some real changes congress could make to solve this issue. tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, student loan, education, money, school, college, university, degree, study, career, salary, planning, finance

03-19
38:51

Where Have the Missing Workers Gone?

4.3 million workers are missing and U.S. jobless claims reach a 52 year low. Justin and Lance discuss three potential options to solve the labor shortage issue in the United States. tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, politics, labor, immigration, money, capitalism, automation, jobs, career, worker, unemployed, hiring

03-14
38:51

Rethinking the Grading System & Unvaccinated Cost Colleges

How are schools rethinking grade levels for students and the amount of time they spend in class? Justin and Lance discuss how education should shift towards application-level understanding and how unvaccinated college students are costing schools millions of dollars. tags: justin weller, lance jackson, education, school, learning, teaching, teacher, vaccine, money, loans, taxes, technology

03-12
38:48

Get Your Dream Job: Relationships Thrive in Tough Times

How can you best leverage your skills in the strong labor market to get your dream job? Justin and Lance outline some tips on how to gain dream employment and finish the show with anecdotes on how to sustain a fruitful relationship. tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, jobs, economy, hiring, employment, relationships, professional, development, work, ethic, money, romance

03-07
38:51

Should College be Free & Student Loans Forgiven?

Should every college program publicly share the return on investment they provide? Justin and Lance are joined by Richy Richardson, a finance and economics student at the University of Cincinnati, to discuss the value of a college degree and how people should attain them. tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, richy Richardson, economy, school, college, university, money, loans, education, finance, future, investment, interest

03-05
38:51

What If We Doubled Life Expectancy?

The human species was able to double its own life expectancy in under 100 years - could we do it again? Justin and Lance discuss the history of preventative medicine and what a future with humans regularly living to be 100+ years might look like. tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, age, old, medicine, antibiotics, elderly, healthcare, economics, disparities, history, aging, immortality, science, policy, activism

03-01
38:51

Challenges for Kids Lack of Trust, Location & Mental Health

A recent survey found that 93% of college freshmen trust their parents while only 36% of them trust major media outlets. Justin and Lance discuss how children are struggling with mental health, and how rural America is disproportionately affected by mental health challenges because of desolate economic, healthcare, and labor statistics. tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, rural america, jobs, mental health, healthcare, economics, children, trust, politics, college

02-27
38:51

Are You Using Your Time Correctly? A Simple way to Tame Stress

Gen Z spends half of their waking hours tied to a screen. Justin and Lance discuss a simple way to reduce stress and manage time while touching on the benefits of being more intentional with your time. tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, phone, tik tok, screen time, walking, nature, family

02-22
38:51

Failures of Globaliziation

Globalization has led to the creation of large new labor markets, better technologies, and the prevention of a third world war. Justin and Lance discuss how events in recent history have slowed the success of globalization and ask what price we are willing to pay for the benefits of globalization. tags: tsou, podcast, justin weller, lance jackson, globalization, jobs, money, economy, united states, india, china, russia, africa, politics, war

02-20
38:51

Bosses Are Back and Will a 4-Day Work Week Work?

More companies are implementing a 4-day work week, but will employees work more hours under this system? Justin and Lance discuss the post-pandemic labor force, repurposing vacant office spaces, and reimagining retirement. tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, work, labor, boss, office, retirement, week, money, invest, economy, savings

02-15
38:51

Oil & Christianity in America

Corporate and political power brokers with access to Washington framed big oil and Christianity as the twin pillars of American exceptionalism in the modern age. Justin and Lance are joined by Darren Dochuk, author of Anointed With Oil, to discuss how Christianity and crude made modern America.tags: tsou, darren dochuk, oil, Christianity, crude, Christian, economy, money, God, Rockefeller, politics, history, america, middle east, canada, justin weller, lance jackson

02-08
38:51

Why Do People Get Hacked?

What is making you more susceptible to being hacked? Justin and Lance breakdown the behavioral science of habituation, task switching, and multi-tasking and their role in increasing your risk of facing an online threat. tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, online, internet, scam, safety, attention, memory, task, multi, web, car, EV, computer

02-06
38:51

Buy a Cheap Old Home - Women Say No to Stocks

Are you thinking about purchasing a new home? You may want to consider a big old house. Justin and Lance discuss the advantages of buying an old home and break down women's investing tendencies as more women take on the breadwinner role. tags: tsou, investing, house, home, family, women, economics, ownership, justin weller, lance jackson, land, career, stock market

02-01
38:51

Why we Keep Forgetting Stuff & Vinyl Spins Back

People of all ages are becoming more forgetful. Justin and Lance discuss what may be the cause of our memory issues, and how to improve our cognitive ability. Finally, Justin connects these topics to music and shares his personal vinyl collection. tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, music, memory, forget, health, physical, walking, partner, cognition, brain, psychology, neuroscience

01-30
38:51

How to Like Annoying People & AARP for the Young

How did one couple go from despising each other to being happily married for over 20 years and what can we learn from them about how to like people we find annoying? Justin and Lance break down four key ways to get to know people better and touch on AARP for the young. tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, relationships, people, communication, annoying, aarp, young

01-25
38:51

What Americans Think About Critical Race Theory

How we teach history to our children will shape how they make decisions in the future. Justin and Lance discuss how schools should approach teaching the good and bad things about our nation's history.tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, race, theory, school, education, politics, democrat, republican, truth, debate, racism, America, united states, school, children

01-23
38:51

Apartment Owners in Trouble? Investors Love Self-Storage

Why are the debt costs of landlords skyrocketing in 2023? Justin and Lance discuss why more are investing in storage units with the expectation that Americans will continue to accumulate more stuff and what these trends mean for you as a consumer. tags: tsou, podcast, justin weller, lance jackson, property, money, investment, land, storage units, apartments, wealth, home, stuff, items, land, debt, landlord, cost, rent

01-18
38:51

Why Do People Get Hacked & Could EVs get Hacked?

What is making you more susceptible to being hacked? Justin and Lance breakdown the behavioral science of habituation, task switching, and multi-tasking and their role in increasing your risk of facing an online threat. tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, online, internet, scam, safety, attention, memory, task, multi, web, car, EV, computer

01-17
38:51

Who Should Get to Vote? Becoming a Citizen

What should be required to gain American citizenship? Justin and Lance discuss how voting rights in America have changed throughout history, and suggest new ways to attain an involved, informed populous. tags: tsou, justin weller, lance jackson, voting, citizenship, rights, immigration, election, service, family

01-11
38:51

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