Does a U.S. President have the authority to order a military raid on a foreign capital like Caracas, Venezuela? Is the United States really going to “run” Venezuela as President Trump said, or will it take some slightly more modest role as Marco Rubio seems to suggest. And what will happen to Venezuelans themselves? We address these questions on this episode of Independent Conversations--including live commentary from our correspondent on the ground in Venezuela.

There's been time to reflect on the horrific wildfires in Los Angeles of January 2025. What have we learned about the fires’ origins? And more importantly what have we learned about what could have been done—and what still could be done—to reduce the risks of such devastating fires in the future? We explore these questions on this episode of Independent Conversations.

For those who care about liberty, 2025 was a mixed bag. On the down side, socialism was embraced explicitly by some Americans on the left, and implicitly by some on the right. On the up side, the principle that people should be treated even-handedly without reference to their race—especially by the government—seems finally to be reemerging from the DEI house of mirrors. On this episode of Independent Outlook, we take a look back at these and other big issues of 2025, where the fate of liberty has been on the line repeatedly.

What’s going on at the Heritage Foundation and elsewhere, with confusion about how to deal with antisemitism and more broadly with what is being called “post-liberalism”? And also, why is President Trump suing the BBC for bias? We take on these issues, and more, in this episode of Independent Outlook.

Due to their persistent interference with much-needed housing projects, the Independent Institute is awarding the seventeenth California Golden Fleece® Award to the many NIMBY groups and individuals that have contributed to the state’s housing crisis. The list of recipients includes environmental organizations, such as the Sierra Club, and anti-density neighborhood groups, such as Livable California.

What makes government shutdowns drag on? On the other hand, how much does it matter? Shutdown or no shutdown, President Trump’s tariffs are about to go before the Supreme Court; and in the meantime, the President keeps adjusting them pretty much every week. He also seems to be taking liberties in bombing accused drug boats off the coast of Venezuela. We tackle these issues, and more, on this episode of Independent Outlook.

Entire neighborhoods across the U.S. have become open-air asylums, drug markets, and impoverished wastelands—despite billions poured into homelessness programs. The tragic truth? The prevailing “solutions,” like Housing First, are failing—failing those experiencing homelessness, and failing the communities around them.

But there IS another way.

This conversation with the authors of Beyond Homeless: Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes, Transformative Solutions, a groundbreaking new book that shines a light on proven, life-changing alternatives, looks at why current policies fall short, hear real-world success stories from San Antonio and communities across the country, and lay out bold reforms that can restore dignity, save lives, and transform struggling communities into places of hope and renewal.

Los Angeles has a metropolitan transit system—the L.A. Metro for short—but few people want to ride it because it’s dirty and unsafe, and doesn’t go where they want to go. Taxpayer advocates balk at the billions of tax dollars spent on dubious Metro expansions. Los Angeles is one of the greatest cities in the world. Does its Metro system have to be this bad?

The answer is “No!” We learn why in this episode of Independent Conversations as we talk with Mr. Baruch Feigenbaum, an expert in urban transportation policy and author of Independent Institute’s California Golden Fleece Award and Report on the L.A. Metro.