Common Sense with Dr. Ben Carson

Who is shaping what your child believes about America – and about themselves?Guest host Dr. Ami Butler sits down with Dr. Ben Carson for a conversation about the influence reaching our children, the history he wants them to understand, and the encouragement that can change what they believe is possible.If children do not know their country’s story, who gets to tell them what it means? Dr. Carson argues that knowledge of American history can help children resist propaganda, understand the sacrifices behind their freedom, and recognize their own responsibility to those who come next. For parents and grandparents, it is a conversation about the influence they still have and how to use it.The stakes become personal when Dr. Carson recalls being called “Dummy” in elementary school. His mother refused to accept that label. Reading opened a different future, and a classroom moment helped him realize he knew something no one else did. From one-on-one conversations to a family dinner-table challenge, he shares ways to encourage curiosity and confidence. Dr. Butler closes with how eligible K–5 students can take part in the Little Patriots Civics Bee.In this episode:Dr. Carson’s concerns about indoctrination and historical knowledge; patriotism and civic responsibility; free Little Patriots learning resources; his mother’s influence and the books that changed his life; overcoming academic labels; encouraging children who doubt themselves; family time and screen habits; faith and religious liberty; the Little Patriots Civics Bee.Subscribe to Common Sense with Dr. Ben Carson for conversations about faith, liberty, community, life, and the next generation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Will your family have a home to return to after the next hurricane?Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Ben Carson joins FIU engineering dean Dr. Jack Puleo and wind engineering professor Dr. Arindam Gan Chowdhury to explore how stronger homes can protect families, what to check before a storm, and why the real cost of housing includes what happens when disaster strikes.You work for years to build a life. A hurricane can put the home at the center of it at risk in a matter of hours. From windows and garage doors to roof connections, this conversation explores the places where protection can fail and why waiting for a storm warning is too late to begin planning.At FIU, researchers use hurricane-force wind and rain to study how buildings break and how to make them more resilient. Puleo and Chowdhury explain why a proposed facility combining wind and water at large scale could reveal risks that separate tests miss, including what happens when flooding changes the soil holding a structure in place.The stakes reach beyond the storm itself: repair bills, insurance costs, and whether families have somewhere to live afterward. The researchers discuss their hope that stronger homes could reduce future losses and insurance costs, while reminding the next generation of engineers that every structure they work on affects real people.In this episode:Protecting homes and families before a hurricane; vulnerable windows, doors, and roof connections; hurricane-resistant openings; FIU’s Wall of Wind; testing wind and water together; aging infrastructure and power outages; repair costs and potential insurance savings; curiosity and compassion in engineering.Subscribe to Common Sense with Dr. Ben Carson for conversations about practical solutions, family, faith, and opportunity.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Where did the money go, and who was actually helped?Money meant to help people without a home should change lives. HUD Secretary Scott Turner joins Dr. Ben Carson to question the results of homelessness spending in Los Angeles, discuss allegations that public funds paid for personal luxuries, and explain why he wants greater accountability.For taxpayers footing the bill—and families still waiting for help—the stakes are personal. Turner makes the case for changing how homelessness is addressed, while Dr. Carson presses him on what went wrong and what needs to change.The conversation also explores another challenge facing American families: buying a home. From factory-built housing and cutting red tape to respecting skilled trades, Turner shares his approach to expanding opportunity—and the faith he says guides his hardest decisions.In this episode:Turner’s criticisms of homelessness spending in Los Angeles; fraud allegations and accountability; his case for a treatment-first approach; housing affordability and regulatory barriers; factory-built homes; skilled trades and opportunity beyond college; disaster recovery; faith in public service.Subscribe to Common Sense with Dr. Ben Carson for conversations about practical solutions, family, faith, and opportunity.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why should starting a family mean leaving the community you love?Dr. Ben Carson joins Bobby Fijan, co-founder of the American Housing Corporation, at HUD’s Innovative Housing Showcase on the National Mall to explore missing starter homes, the cost of building where families want to live, and a new approach to making homeownership more attainable.A first home can mean staying near the people, schools, and church that already anchor your life. Fijan describes the smaller starter homes he believes cities are missing, and the families who leave when marriage or children change what they need. His company is working to reduce construction costs through three-story row homes built for the places people want to live.What if the path to your first home started on a factory floor? Fijan’s company builds large panels in Austin with electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems already inside, ready to ship to where homes are needed. The goal: bring construction costs down so more families can put down roots. And the stakes go beyond owning a house—it’s the chance to raise children near the family and community who help make it home.In this episode:The missing starter home; why cities lose young families; housing near jobs and schools; family and community support; three-story row homes; factory-built panels and freight transport; what first-time buyers really want.Subscribe to Common Sense with Dr. Ben Carson for conversations about practical solutions, family, opportunity, and the future of our communities.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Could construction robots make homeownership more affordable? Dr. Ben Carson joins Nick Callegari, founder and CEO of Verustruct, at HUD’s Innovative Housing Showcase on the National Mall to explore how robotics, reinforced concrete, and coordinated construction could lower housing costs.Callegari explains why automating a single construction task may not change the economics of an entire project. His approach seeks to coordinate more of the work, use locally available materials, and reduce delays between subcontractors. The conversation also explores robots that climb the walls they build, parallel work on electrical, plumbing, insulation, and finishes, and the role of local regulation. Based on full-scale device testing, Callegari projects that a 2,500-square-foot home’s wall system could be built in under 48 hours.In this episode:Coordinating construction trades; reinforced concrete and local materials; the 50% cost-reduction ambition; the under-48-hour wall-system projection; robots working in parallel; reducing waste; scaling robotic fleets; local rules and affordable housing.Subscribe to Common Sense with Dr. Ben Carson for conversations about practical solutions, opportunity, and the future of our communities.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.