What does protest look like in 2026?

In this episode, independent journalist Darisse Smith speaks with Peter, the founder of Coqui—a crowdsourced, live-map community alert app designed to help people stay informed about ICE and police presence in their neighborhoods in real time.

Peter explains how Coqui works similarly to Waze, but instead of traffic or potholes, users can report nearby ICE activity, upload photos, confirm reports through community verification, and communicate locally—without confrontation and while remaining anonymous.

Together, we discuss:

• Whether sharing information can itself be a form of protest

• How fear affects undocumented and documented immigrants alike

• Why situational awareness matters for everyday life—work, school, pharmacies, and small businesses

• Claims that apps like this endanger law enforcement, and what the evidence actually shows

• Free speech, anonymity, and the role of technology in modern civic action

• Immigration data, crime statistics, and how media narratives shape public perception

This conversation is not about encouraging confrontation. It’s about visibility, humanity, and choice—and what it means to live in a country where some people are afraid to move freely in their own communities.

As always, this episode challenges listeners to seek multiple sources, question messaging, and examine how power and policy affect real lives.

If it affects your life, it’s worth examining.

#Immigration
#ICE
#CivilLiberties
#FreeSpeech
#Technology
#CommunitySafety
#CurrentEvents
#Politics

• (00:00:00) - Welcome & Why Immigration Is Personal
• (00:03:45) - Fear, Enforcement, and the Reality on the Ground
• (00:06:10) - Introducing Peter & the Coqui App
• (00:08:00) - “It’s Like Waze, But for ICE”
• (00:12:30) - Crowdsourcing, Misinformation & Safety Controls
• (00:16:45) - Why Peter Built This App
• (00:20:30) - Protest vs. Awareness: What Is This, Really?
• (00:25:10) - Does Tracking ICE Endanger Agents?
• (00:30:00) - Tech, Speech, and Government Pushback
• (00:34:45) - Personal Risk, Threats & Why He Keeps Going
• (00:39:00) - Patriotism, Power, and Who America Is For
• (00:44:20) - Real Stories: When the App Helped
• (00:48:30) - Immigration Data vs. Political Narratives
• (00:54:10) - Final Thoughts: Why This Matters Now
• (00:59:10) - Closing & Where to Find More

What is driving Donald Trump’s foreign policy in his second term—and is it rooted in strategy, history, or impulse?

In this episode of The Journalism of Everything, independent journalist Darisse Smith speaks with Dr. Charles Kupchan, Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. Kupchan previously served on the National Security Council in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, advising presidents on U.S. foreign policy and global security.

The conversation examines the rapid escalation of Trump’s second-term foreign policy—from U.S. military actions in Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, to renewed efforts to acquire Greenland and mounting pressure on NATO allies. Kupchan explains how “America First” has evolved in Trump’s second term, why it looks less restrained than before, and how elements of the Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny are resurfacing in modern geopolitics.

We explore whether Trump is attempting to revive a 19th-century vision of American power in a 21st-century world shaped by cyber threats, globalization, pandemics, and climate change—and what that means for U.S. alliances, global stability, and America’s long-term credibility.

Topics include:

• How Trump’s second-term foreign policy differs from his first

• Venezuela, Greenland, and the limits of military power

• NATO, Europe, and America’s shifting role in the world

• Neo-isolationism vs. global entanglement

• What allies are doing to manage uncertainty—and what comes next

A deep, historically grounded conversation about power, geography, alliances, and whether the United States can ever truly “pull up the drawbridge.”

#USForeignPolicy #Geopolitics #TrumpForeignPolicy #AmericaFirst
#InternationalRelations #GlobalPolitics #NATO #Venezuela #Greenland
#NationalSecurity #ForeignPolicyPodcast #PoliticalAnalysis
#TheJournalismOfEverything #CharlesKupchan

In this episode of The Journalism of Everything Podcast, I sit down with retired U.S. Army Colonel Ron Gallimore — Cold War officer, parachutist, engineer commander, Iraq veteran, and the senior leader who oversaw my own deployment — for a candid, boots-on-the-ground conversation about duty, morality, leadership, war, and the Constitution.

We talk about:

• What the military oath actually requires
• Can soldiers refuse illegal orders — and how realistic is it?
• What 9/11 looked like inside Army command
• Why some leaders get away with bad decisions
• How the Venezuelan strike raises questions of war crimes and accountability
• Why civilians misunderstand the chain of command
• Why America’s military culture is mission-focused — and why that matters
• Whether someone who has never served should run the Department of Defense

From Korea liaison missions in Iraq to Fort Bragg’s airborne culture and the complexities of Iraq’s collapse, Gallimore takes us inside the moments most Americans never see — where ethics, survival, and loyalty collide.

Stay to the end — his response to whether non-military politicians should run the Pentagon is blunt, uncomfortable, and timely.

Let me know what you think:

Do you believe service members can disobey illegal orders?
Was the Venezuela operation a justified strike — or a war crime?
Should Pete Hegseth be Secretary of Defense?

Comment, rate, and share — the debate starts here.

— Darisse Smith
Journalist & Host, The Journalism of Everything Podcast

#PeteHegseth #Venezuela #JournalismOfEverything #MilitaryEthics #VeteransVoices #ColonelGallimore #IllegalOrders #MilitaryOath #ChainOfCommand #IraqWarStories #NationalSecurityTalk #LeadershipInWar #DefensePolitics #USMilitaryCulture #MoralityAndWar #WarCrimesDebate #MilitaryLeadership #PoliticalPodcast #VeteransPodcast #ForeignPolicy #HistoryAndConflict

• (00:00:00) - Opening: A Message to Soldiers Sparks Outrage
• (00:02:01) - What the Military Oath Actually Says
• (00:04:02) - Can You Really Disobey an Illegal Order?
• (00:05:45) - Meet COL Ron Gallimore
• (00:08:00) - How We Met: Baghdad, Mosul, and a Trial by Fire
• (00:12:01) - 9/11 Inside the Army: “We Thought It Was an Exercise”
• (00:15:30) - “You’re Not Retiring — You’re Going to Bragg.”
• (00:18:00) - What Makes a Paratrooper Legend
• (00:19:45) - Leadership vs. Blind Obedience
• (00:24:00) - My Lai, Moral Failure, and Who Takes the Blame
• (00:26:45) - Combat Reality: The First Bullet Changes Everything
• (00:29:00) - Convoys, IEDs, and My Wake-Up Call
• (00:31:30) - Training Iraq’s Army: “They Wanted TVs, Not Doctrine”
• (00:33:45) - Americans Aren’t Wanted Everywhere — and Don’t Understand It
• (00:36:46) - The Brotherhood of Combat Veterans (1% of America)
• (00:38:00) - Illegal Orders Explained: A Practical Test
• (00:41:00) - Would Senior Officers Push Back?
• (00:44:30) - Responsibility at 22: Holding Lives and Millions in Assets
• (00:46:45) - Venezuela Strike: Who Gets Held Accountable?
• (00:49:00) - Should Civilians Run the Pentagon?
• (00:52:01) - Can America Lead Without Looking for War?
• (00:54:30) - Why Iraq Collapsed and Nobody Saw It Coming
• (00:56:00) - Closing: What Do YOU Think About Illegal Orders and Leadership?