Patrick Brenner, founder and president of the Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), joins the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss public records law, school choice, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

In this episode, he covers the institute's pending lawsuits against the city of Scottsdale and Mesa Public Schools related to Arizona's public records law.SPPI is a research organization focused on formulating, promoting, and defending public policy solutions. It operates in eight U.S. states: Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California.This episode can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

H. Sterling Burnett, director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy, joins the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss the creation of "chief heat officers" within the State of Arizona government and Phoenix city government, the agenda behind those positions, and the way in which "heat related" deaths are reported within Arizona. Dr. Burnett is also the managing editor of The Heartland Institute's Environment & Climate News and previously worked at the National Center for Policy Analysis for 18 years.This episode can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Steve Cortes, founder and president of the League of American Workers (LAW), joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss the results of a new poll of Arizona voters.

Among other findings, the poll results show:

• Former President Donald Trump ( R) leads President Biden (D) by four points among Arizona voters in the 2024 race for the White House: https://grandcanyontimes.com/stories/657187403-trump-leads-biden-by-four-points-in-arizona-poll-shows

• 72% of Arizona voters think the federal government is weak at securing the U.S. borders: https://grandcanyontimes.com/stories/657316386-72-of-arizona-voters-think-federal-government-weak-at-securing-u-s-borders-says-new-poll

• 56% of Arizona voters think President Joe Biden’s border policies are to blame for crimes like an illegal alien’s February 22 murder of University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley: https://grandcanyontimes.com/stories/657336942-56-of-arizona-voters-think-biden-border-policies-contribute-to-crimes-like-illegal-alien-s-murder-of-laken-riley-says-new-poll

The survey released by LAW was conducted among 600 likely Arizona voters on March 14-17, 2024 by North Star Public Opinion Research.

Cortes is a political advisor and commentator. He previously traded global currencies and interest rates for 25 years for large international hedge funds. He has been an on-air broadcaster for CNBC, Fox News, and CNN. He founded LAW in 2022 to conduct research and develops proposals on public policies impacting American workers and the economy.

Naomi Lopez, Senior Fellow at the Goldwater Institute, joined the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss the need for more transparency in the federal 340b program.

Established in 1992, the 340b program enables eligible hospitals and healthcare organizations to purchase outpatient medications at significantly discounted prices.

Hospitals participating in the 340B program can use the savings to fund for essential services and programs, such as free or low-cost medication assistance, expanded access to healthcare, and community outreach initiatives.

Participating hospitals, however, “often extend their 340B discounts to clinics in well-off communities, where they can charge privately insured patients more than those on Medicaid,” reported the Wall Street Journal.

“In some cases, the program appears to be bolstering profits in well-off areas more than it is underwriting services in less-privileged neighborhoods,” said the Journal article.

Naomi Lopez is a Senior Fellow at the Phoenix-based Goldwater Institute, specializing in health care issues. She previously was the Vice President for Healthcare Policy at Goldwater. She also has worked for the Illinois Policy Institute, Pacific Research Institute and the Cato Institute.

This episode can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Since 2021, government records show 186 voter registrants were “involuntarily purged” for citizenship issues in Pima County, ArizonJ. Christian Adams, president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation and founder of the Election Law Center, joined the Grand Canyon Times podcast to discuss a new report from his organization which showed that, since 2021, 186 voter registrants were “involuntarily purged” for citizenship issues in Pima County, Arizona.

Kayla Van Soest, the Tucson Market Manager of Children’s Entrepreneur’s Market (C.E.M.), joins the Grand Canyon Times Podcast to discuss the organization. Founded in Utah, CEM helps organize markets in sixteen states, including Arizona, where children can sell their products and learn about entrepreneurship.

CEM operates in various locations, including farmers markets, movie nights, and concerts, partnering with events that attract significant foot traffic to provide kids with greater exposure and sales opportunities. The program allows kids aged 5 to 17 to showcase their entrepreneurial skills and creativity by selling a diverse range of products, from beverages and snacks to handmade accessories, dog treats, and even flowers.

U.S. Congressional candidate Blake Masters (R-AZ-8) joined the Grand Canyon Times podcast to discuss his race. Masters is one of four candidates currently running in the Republican primary to represent the 8th Congressional District. 

The district is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko (R), who announced last year that she will be retiring at the end of the current term.

Following is a summary of this episode:

• Trump Endorsement: Masters discussed his endorsement by former President Donald Trump in his 2022 Senate race. He said President Trump endorsed him because Masters was "strong on the border." 
• Border Security: Masters advocated for stringent border security, criticizing what he said are the Biden Adminstration’s “open border” policies. He said he supports finishing the border wall, empowering border patrol, and deporting millions of illegal immigrants, saying that border security is the most crucial issue in his campaign and for the country.
• Economic Policies and Big Tech Regulation: Masters said we had economic growth and low inflation under President Trump, attributing it to the former president’s pro-business policies. Masters also said there is a need to regulate Big Tech companies to prevent them from manipulating elections and infringing on free speech, drawing from his experience in the tech industry.
• Chinese Ownership of U.S. Farmland:  Masters said that Chinese ownership of Arizona farmland should not be allowed.

Masters ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, losing to incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D) by a vote of 51.4% to 46.5%. Kelly reportedly outspent Masters by $66 million in that race. 

After growing up and attending high school in Tucson, Masters graduated from Stanford University and received his J.D. from Stanford Law School. He then co-founded legal research startup Judicata.

He is co-author of the bestselling business book, “Zero to One: Notes on a Startup” with Peter Thiel, and served as president of the Thiel Foundation. Masters married his wife, Catherine, in 2012 and they have three sons.