Senator Kelly: 1. Pete Hegseth: 0. Judge Blocks Hegseth From Punishing Kelly.

Plus: El Paso Airport Mayhem. Ukrainian Athlete Shamefully Disqualified by IOC. Alex Pretti GoFundMe Hits $2M. Jan 6 Criminal Abused Kids. James Vanderbeek RIP. The Patriotic Bagpipe Hero. Paul Rieckhoff breaks down Senator Mark Kelly's First Amendment victory over Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon's laser debacle at El Paso airport, and why Beethoven's Ode to Joy reminds us that hope is the oxygen of democracy. In this solo Thursday episode, Paul Rieckhoff delivers rapid-fire analysis on the top stories you need to stay vigilant about—from Senator Mark Kelly's legal win protecting free speech against retaliation, to the Pentagon's bumbling use of experimental lasers that shut down El Paso's airspace, to Ukraine's inspiring Olympic athletes being punished for honoring fallen heroes. Paul also covers the near $2 million GoFundMe honoring VA nurse Alex Pretti, the deportation case victory for a Mexican father of three Marines, a January 6th pardoned rioter convicted of child abuse, and a 21-year-old bagpiper playing through tear gas at ICE protests. Plus: updates on striking NYC nurses, James Van Der Beek's tragic death and call to action on colorectal cancer screening, and Olympic medal counts. This episode delivers the five I's—Independence, Information, Integrity, Inspiration, and Impact—with a focus on finding glimmers of hope and joy even in dark times. Connect with Independent Americans: Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all podcast platforms Read more at Substack Support ad-free episodes at Patreon  Connect: Instagram  • X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook  Follow on social: @PaulRieckhoff on X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky -WATCH video of this episode on YouTube now. -Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders like Dan with Independent Veterans of America. -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power.  -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year.  Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media.  And now part of the BLEAV network!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.