
Michael Watson
Co-Host of InfluenceWatch Podcast
Michael conducts research for Capital Research Center. A graduate of the College of William and Mary, he previously worked for a Washington, D.C. public relations firm.
Michael Watson has hosted 210 Episodes.
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Episode 209: Protecting Big Labor's Paycheck
March 11th, 2022 | 29 mins 31 secs
In 2020 as the coronavirus hit and governments ordered mass lockdowns of length and scope unprecedented in American history, Congress passed the “Paycheck Protection Program” or PPP to help small businesses maintain their payrolls with forgivable loans. But before 2021, labor unions were not supposed to receive funds from PPP; my guest, the Freedom Foundation’s Maxford Nelsen, documented as many as 226 forgivable loans made under PPP totaling over $36 million that went to labor unions and related organizations. Max joins us today to discuss this and the Freedom Foundation’s other work on government worker unions.
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Episode 208: Blackrock Loves China
March 4th, 2022 | 24 mins 41 secs
blackrock, larry fink, woke, woke boardroom
Today, Sarah Lee hosts as Will Hild from Consumer's Research discusses the man behind the "woke boardroom", Larry Fink, and his empire, BlackRock.
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Episode 207: Saving our Elections
February 25th, 2022 | 21 mins 34 secs
election integrity, election reform, heritage action, save our elections
Our host Mike Watson and guest, Jessica Anderson of Heritage Action discuss their efforts regarding state level election reforms to have safer, more secure elections.
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Episode 206: Equality and the Value of Humans
February 18th, 2022 | 13 mins 28 secs
black lives matter, black lives matter global foundation network, blm, color us united, financial disclosures, irs, washington examiner
Equity is based on arbitrary concepts like fairness. Equality is based on the value of humans. Join us this week as we discuss the stark differences between equity and equality with Christian Watson from Color us United.
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Episode 205: When Rules Begin to Apply
February 11th, 2022 | 26 mins 41 secs
Our guest today went digging for the federally mandated financial disclosures that the BLM Global Network Foundation was supposed to file. He couldn't find them which only raised more questions. Where did all the money go that BLM shoveled in during the 2020 riots go? Join us in a discussion about BLM's lack of financial accountability with our guest, Andrew Kerr from the Washington Examiner.
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Episode 204: An Education on Image
February 4th, 2022 | 25 mins 33 secs
The teachers' unions are receiving a lesson for themselves on the subject of image. Join us for a discussion with Dan Gainor of Media Research Center about how they are tracking the teachers' unions efforts to create a more positive image.
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Episode 203: Did ZuckBucks buy the 2020 Election? - Virginia's Response
January 28th, 2022 | 23 mins 59 secs
2020 election, election 2020, election integrity, virginia, voter fraud, zuckbucks
Since we shined a light on ZuckBucks and how it influenced the 2020 Election, many state legislatures are responding to prohibit private dollars going to local election superintendents' offices. Join Mike Watson for a discussion with CRC President Scott Walter and researchers Hayden Ludwig and Parker Thayer about the Virginia Legislature's response to ZuckBucks.
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Episode 202: Virginia's Education Deep State
January 21st, 2022 | 19 mins 30 secs
As Virginia has been turning blue, the education system in that Commonwealth has become more ingrained with leftist policies and ideals. However, shifts could be occurring upon the election of Glenn Youngkin and his executive orders banning divisive educational concepts and promoting parental involvement in their childrens' education.
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Episode 201: Education Distrust
January 14th, 2022 | 27 mins 23 secs
Listen to Dr. Jay Greene as he describes the impetus behind Critical Race Theory and why American parents are so upset.
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Episode 200: Teachers Strike: Chicago
January 7th, 2022 | 24 mins 17 secs
chicago, chicago teachers union, conservative, politics, teachers, teachers unions
Our host, Mike Watson, has a conversation with Mailee Smith, director of Labor Policy at the Illinois Policy Institute. She breaks down the the radical history behind the Chicago Teachers Union, its deep-rooted connections, and the impetus behind the latest action that Chicago Teachers are taking.
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Episode 199: Auditing Equity
December 17th, 2021 | 15 mins 31 secs
conservative, deplatforming, equity audit
While conservatives chafe under the threat of censorship and “de-platforming” by Big Tech companies, liberals are pressuring Congress to make the left-wing industry even more left wing through “equity audits,” which would in essence assess how completely companies are aligning their practices with critical race theory. And Congress has been receptive to the push, with Democrats proposing a bill to fine companies $20,000 each day if they do not have such an “equity audit” in any given two years. Joining me to discuss this proposal and the powers behind it is Santi Ruiz, reporter for the Washington Free Beacon.
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Episode 198: Escape From New York
December 10th, 2021 | 25 mins 37 secs
authoritarianism, de blasio, vax mandate
On this episode: Mike Watson chats with Joel Zinberg, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, director of Paragon Health Institute’s Public Health and American Well-Being Initiative, and associate clinical professor of surgery at the Icahn Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, about de Blasio's nonsensical 11th hour vaccine mandate.
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Episode 197: Progressive Ruins
December 3rd, 2021 | 38 mins 39 secs
michael shellenberger, progressives, sick cities
In this episode: Mike Watson and CRC's Senior Investigative Researcher Ken Braun talk with Michael Shellenberger, author of "San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities" about the book and his work as President of the group Environmental Progress.
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Episode 196: Rigged -- The Story of the 2020 Election
November 19th, 2021 | 22 mins 18 secs
2020 presidential election, election integrity, the federalist
In this episode: Mike Watson chats with Mollie Hemingway, senior editor of The Federalist, about her new book examining efforts by the left to "fortify" the 2020 election.
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Episode 195: How Teachers Unions Affect Elections
November 12th, 2021 | 24 mins 31 secs
leftism, municipal elections, teacher unions
In this episode: CRC's Mike Watson interviews Max Eden, a research fellow at AEI, on the extraordinary and little-discussed power teacher unions have to affect the outcome of municipal elections.
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Episode 194: The National School Board Association's Arrogant Overreach
November 5th, 2021 | 13 mins 15 secs
domestic terrorists, nsba, osba, parents
In this episode: Mike Watson interviews Sara Clark, the Chief Legal Counsel for the Ohio School Boards Association to discuss their decision -- emulated in states across the country -- to disassociate from the National School Boards Association following the now-infamous letter to President Biden.