Independent Times

The SAVE America Act is sparking fierce debate from Senate standoffs and mail-in voting rules to the heated battle over voter roll purges. Is it possible to secure our elections without disenfranchising eligible voters? In this episode, we cut through the partisan spin and examine evidence-based solutions that most Americans actually support. PUBLISHED: April 21st, 2026

Voter roll purges are accelerating nationwide as states clean up outdated lists before the 2026 midterms. Proponents of Trump’s SAVE America Act say aggressive maintenance is essential to block non-citizen voting and restore election trust, while critics warn that flawed algorithms are wrongly removing eligible citizens. In this episode, we examine why the purges are speeding up and what it means for election integrity. PUBLISHED: April 19th, 2026

In Part 1, we covered the Senate battle over the SAVE America Act. Today, we tackle one of its most divisive issues: mail-in ballots. Republicans say the current system lacks uniform standards and has created serious vulnerabilities, while critics argue the new restrictions threaten access for millions, especially the elderly, military voters, and Americans abroad. We trace the history from Civil War soldiers voting by mail to today’s heated debate and what it means for 2026.

In January 2026, Senator Mike Lee warned the Senate: “If we don’t secure our elections now, we will never secure them.” Days later, President Trump declared the SAVE America Act his #1 priority, saying he would not sign any major legislation without it. Yet the bill remains stalled, even though 81% of Americans, including large majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, support requiring voter identification. In this episode, we examine how the SAVE America Act became President Trump’s top priority. PUBLISHED: April 12th, 2026

The Senate passed H.R. 6644, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, by a strong 89-10 bipartisan vote on March 12, 2026. The bill limits large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes while protecting small landlords and families, aiming to curb corporate ownership and restore affordable homeownership. In this episode, we give an independent look at what the bill actually does, its limits, and why housing affordability remains a top issue for Independent voters.

America’s two-party system is stuck in gridlock and polarization, with closed primaries shutting out more than 27 million Independent voters. Independents now make up a record 45% of the electorate and hold the power to demand real change, open primaries, ranked-choice voting, and reforms that deliver results over partisan hype. In this episode, we explore how Independents can restore precision and accountability to American democracy.

In the 1958 “Greatest Game Ever Played,” Alan Ameche’s quiet one-yard plunge broke a deadlock and changed the NFL forever. Today, America’s political game is stuck in gridlock, and the decisive force is the Independent voter. Independents now make up a record 45% of the electorate (Gallup 2025), outnumbering both parties and holding the power to break partisan ties. In this episode, we explore this quiet revolution, why younger generations are leading it, and how Independents can deliver the momentum for real democratic reform.

Independent voters have quietly become the largest political force in America, now accounting for 45% of the electorate and larger than both Democrats and Republicans. Yet they remain shut out of primaries, ignored by pundits, and treated as an afterthought in a system still stuck in red-vs-blue thinking. In this episode, we explore why Independents are the most important and overlooked group in American democracy, and how their rise can break gridlock and restore common-sense leadership.

America today echoes the Gilded Age of 1892, marked by division, corruption, and economic strain that once gave birth to the Populist movement. Independent voters have now become the largest bloc in the country at a record 45%, surpassing both major parties and positioning themselves as the new center of American politics. In this episode, we explore how Independents can draw from history’s reformers to demand fair elections, real accountability, and a fairer chapter for the nation.

A record 45% of Americans now identify as Independent, the largest voting bloc in the country, signaling deep dissatisfaction with the two-party system. This episode explores why millions are leaving the parties, how gridlock and closed primaries are pushing them away, and the practical reforms Independents are demanding: open primaries, ranked-choice voting, and fair redistricting. If you’re tired of extremes and want facts over spin, this one’s for you.

With trust in government at a record-low 22%, what is our real civic duty as citizens? Host Lisa Singer and co-hosts Leyla Gullen and Bryan Gallo explore the “Core Covenant” of American citizenship and why the Independent majority now carries the responsibility to restore the republic. We unpack the history of civic duty, the power of the First Amendment, and today’s battles over voting rights, closed primaries, and accountability. Chapters (00:00:00) - Title Sequence(00:00:44) - Clip: “JFK’s Famous Inaugural Address Passage, 1961.”(00:02:14) - Intro: George Washington's Core Covenant of Citizenship(00:05:16) - The Paradox of Apathy; Why Citizens Check Out(00:06:33) - The Price of Freedom Is Eternal Vigilance(00:07:49) - Clip: “The West Wing, Margaret Mead Quote.”(00:10:12) - The Purpose of Government is Human Happiness(00:11:29) - Clip: “Dave Chapele Hosts SNL: Douglass/Lincoln Lesson.”(00:14:06) - Superpowers of the American Citizen: The First Amendment Toolkit(00:15:15) - Civic Duty vs. Civic Responsibility: Formal vs. Proactive(00:17:49) - Clip: “Inn 2024 Frontline PBS Revisits 2020 Voters.”(00:19:24) - History Proves Engagement Works: Voting and Protesting(00:20:46) - Clip: “BBC Interview With MLK on Peaceable Assembly.”(00:25:24) - Power to the People, Voting Rights Restrictions(00:27:42) - Clip: “Voting Rights Rollbacks, Shelby vs. Holder.”(00:30:19) - Clip: “LBJ Voting Rights Act Speech to Congress, 1965.”(00:32:11) - Our Independent Hero of the Week: The League of Women Voters(00:35:51) - 4 Things Independent Voters Must Do RIGHT NOW

Trust in government is at historic lows, with 65% of young Americans now open to radical change amid economic anxiety and elite disconnect. Host Lisa Singer and co-hosts Leyla Gullen and Bryan Gallo examine the deep ideological divide between parties, the long erosion of public trust, and today’s economic pressures that threaten democracy. We explore how independent voters can drive practical solutions starting locally and highlight Braver Angels as this week’s Independent Hero, working to rebuild trust. Chapters (00:00:00) - Title Sequence(00:00:44) - Clip: “All In The Family” Archie Debates Politics(00:01:32) - Intro: Churchill's Cynical Defense of Democracy(00:03:53) - The UN Defense of Democracy(00:05:55) - What Makes America a Democracy?(00:07:16) - Clip: President Obama on Public Service(00:08:15) - Democracy vs. All Other Forms of Government(00:12:28) - Threats of Polarization and Lack of Accountability(00:13:28) - Economic Stress, Delinquencies, and Bankruptcies,(00:14:03) - Clip: Everyday Americans are Struggling(00:15:16) - What Breaks a Democracy?(00:16:16) - The Great Shift: FDR's New Deal Revolution(00:17:01) - Brief Moments of High Trust (1812 to Post-WWII Peak)(00:19:21) - Clip: The Great Depression(00:21:35) - The Ideological Divide: New Deal vs. Reagan(00:25:46) - Clip: Ronald Reagan on The Tonight Show (1975)(00:27:11) - Betrayal: Lies from Vietnam to the Iraq War(00:28:35) - Clip: 60 Minutes on the 2008 Bank Bailouts Clip(00:29:59) - Independents: The Key to Fixing Gridlock(00:33:52) - Independent Hero of the Week: Braver Angels(00:35:52) - Final thoughts, next week's topic, and call to action.

Only 29% of Independent voters trust the media, according to a 2025 YouGov poll, a sharp fall from the Walter Cronkite era to today’s polarized sea of spin. Host Lisa Singer and co-hosts Leyla Gullen and Bryan Gallo trace the major failures that destroyed trust and share practical tools to help Independents navigate news with confidence. We unpack the collapse of local journalism, false balance, and narrative-driven reporting, plus this week’s Independent Hero, Alan Miller of the News Literacy Project. Chapters (00:00:00) - Title Sequence(00:00:45) - Clip: Walter Cronkite & The Unifying Force of the Press(00:01:22) - Intro: 29% Independents Trust the Media(00:03:37) - Clip: The Presidential Battle with the Free Press(00:05:30) - The Press as Watchdog: The First Amendment & The Fourth Estate(00:07:38) - Clip: The Katharine Graham Story (Courage in Publishing)(00:09:30) - The End of Trust: History Behind the Erosion of Media Credibility(00:10:51) - The End of the Fairness Doctrine (The Birth of Partisan Media)(00:11:32) - Clip: The Fairness Doctrine: A Brief History(00:13:48) - The WMD Disaster: How the Media Failed on the Iraq War(00:16:41) - Clip: Judith Miller and Jon Stewart on the NYT Coverage of WMD(00:18:10) - The Price of Partisan Narratives: Prioritizing Narrative over Truth(00:21:12) - Clip: Margaret Sullivan on Hillary Clinton’s Emails(00:22:09) - Major Media Mistakes (Woodward, Caliphate, FOX/Dominion)(00:23:52) - Clip: FOX News Massive Settlement with Dominion Voting(00:25:12) - The Ethics Failure & What Journalists Must Adhere To(00:28:17) - The Bleeding Out: Social Media & The Death of Local News(00:29:44) - The Fix: Practical News Literacy Tools for Independent Voters(00:34:00) - Finding Clarity in the Spin & Independent Hero of the Week(00:35:15) - Independent Priorities: The Cost Battlegrounds (Health & Finance)

The Founding Fathers called the free press the “Fourth Estate,” a vital check on power. Today, with only 16% of Americans subscribing to a newspaper and one to two papers closing every week, that pillar is crumbling. Host Lisa Singer and co-hosts Leyla Gullen and Bryan Gallo explore the history of press freedom, key Supreme Court protections under threat, and what’s at stake for democracy. We also highlight this week’s Independent Hero, the American Journalism Project, and how Independents can help save local news. Chapters (00:00:00) - Title Sequence(00:00:45) - Clip: “JFK on the Vital Role of a Free Press”(00:01:20) - The free press as the "fourth estate" and its current struggle.(00:03:26) - The Partisan Press: Jefferson/Sally Hemings scandal (1802)(00:03:59) - The eternal love-hate relationship between politicians and the press.(00:06:34) - Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's Watergate investigation.(00:12:21) - Florida and Texas are weakening protections for journalists(00:14:56) - Historical Laws Limiting the Press: Sedition Act, Espionage Act(00:16:05) - Julian Assange and the Espionage Act Danger(00:20:12) - Privacy Protection Act of 1980 to shield work product(00:23:49) - New York Times v. United States (1971)(00:26:02) - New York Times v. Sullivan – The “Actual Malice” Shield (1964)(00:28:41) - Donald Trump calls for "opening up" libel law protections(00:30:07) - Independent Hero of the Week: The American Journalism Project(00:32:13) - Final thoughts, next week's topic, and call to action.

Host Lisa Singer and co-hosts Leyla Gullen and Bryan Gallo examine the enormous barriers facing independent political candidates in a system dominated by the two major parties. Despite Independents being America’s largest voting bloc, true independent officeholders are nearly extinct, with only 25 out of 7,386 state legislative seats and zero in the U.S. House. We explore the legacies of Ross Perot and Ralph Nader, the “spoiler” risk, and how Andrew Yang’s Forward Party is pushing ranked-choice voting and open primaries to give voters real choices. Chapters (00:00:00) - Title Sequence(00:00:44) - Seinfeld Clip – Kramer asks, “What’s the deal with politics?”(00:00:58) - Intro by Lisa, Bryan, and Leyla – the rarity of independent politicians(00:02:55) - Ross Perot's Presidential Bid (1992 Clip)(00:05:44) - Bernie Sanders Presidential Bid (montage)(00:07:03) - Bernie Sanders on Joe Rogan to discuss the minimum wage (clip)(00:08:25) - Angus King explains that most Maine voters are unenrolled (clip)(00:09:40) - The Statehouse Scarcity(00:10:05) - Andrew Yang makes the case for universal basic income (clip)(00:11:15) - Andrew Yang, The Forward Party, and Local Wins(00:11:42) - Andrew Yang makes the case for the Forward Party (clip)(00:14:20) - The Barrier: Sore Loser Laws & Party Flipping(00:14:24) - NYC 2025 Mayoral Race, Cuomo and Adams switching to independent (clip)(00:15:22) - Is the Two-Party System in the Constitution?(00:18:00) - Steve Kornacki on how independents vote (clip)(00:19:15) - RFK Jr. flips to independent in the 2024 election (clip)(00:20:47) - Unaffiliated independent voters explain why (clip)(00:24:19) - The best reform ideas for independents (clip)(00:26:26) - Andrew Yang is our independent hero of the week(00:26:59) - Independent Hero: Andrew Yang's TED Talk

Host Lisa Singer, joined by co-hosts Leyla Gullen (FOX24 News Now) and Bryan Gallo (Emmy-winning producer), explores why most Americans are rejecting the Red vs. Blue labels and embracing independence. We examine how Independents have swung every presidential election since 2004, the frustration of 27 million voters locked out of primaries, and the power of the Independent majority to heal a divided nation. This week’s Independent Hero: Dr. Jackie Salit, author of Independents Rising and co-director of ASU’s Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy. Chapters (00:00:00) - Title Sequence(00:00:44) - Opening Clip: Family Guy Sketch(00:01:17) - Welcome & Introductions by Lisa, Bryan, and Leyla(00:02:48) - Video Clip: Independent voters – America’s largest voting bloc(00:03:43) - Discussion: Analyzing the 43% independent voter majority(00:04:42) - Video Clip: Independents are a rising new force in our politics(00:05:54) - Key Question: What do independent voters actually want?(00:08:40) - Video Clip: Who are independent voters?(00:12:18) - Discussion: The power of independents to swing an election(00:13:44) - Video Clip: Exploring the phenomenon of "split-ticket voters."(00:16:19) - The purpose of the Independent Times podcast(00:19:01) - Independent Hero: Featuring Dr. Jackie Salit(00:19:33) - Wrap-up & Outro