Millionaire or Homeless? The Numbers Might Surprise You
Monday, October 19, 2026
You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for October 16, 2026.
We open by asking a question we’ve been asking for time immemorial: why do politicians lie? Our answer is that it works. We look at how a lie can raise millions of dollars before the truth gets its shoes on, and why conservatives should be the first to admit both parties do it. That leads us to AOC’s claim on the campaign trail in Michigan for Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed that the Trump administration doesn’t want women to go to college. We break down what the administration’s student loan changes actually do, and we dig into the enrollment numbers, which show women are the majority of college students.
In the Top 3 Things You Need to Know, the Department of Justice sues California over its voter rolls, and we ask why the state won’t simply cooperate and check them. Wildfires again threaten the Malibu area, and we ask why brush clearing and controlled burns still aren’t happening. President Trump’s newest press secretary, Kate Zacharia, is out after just five days. We also talk about President Obama campaigning for El-Sayed despite the controversy over El-Sayed’s sister-in-law and the terror watch list, and why El-Sayed may be struggling with Black Democratic voters.
Then we welcome our American Mamas, Teri Netterville and Kimberly Burleson, to talk about Brian Guan. The self-described atheist set out to pretend to be a Christian for 30 days by practicing gratitude, praying, reading the Bible, and applying what he read. By day 20 he was in tears and giving his life to Jesus. We talk about “seek and you will find,” what happened to other well-known skeptics like C.S. Lewis and Lee Strobel, and why those four daily habits are worth every Christian’s time too.
Next, we talk about the difference between compassion and telling people what they want to hear. We look at the case of a 19-year-old accused of plotting a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Illinois, and the broader conversation about gender dysmorphia and mental illness.
For Digging Deep, we ask whether you’re more likely to become a millionaire or to end up homeless. A Data for Progress poll found most Americans think homelessness is the likelier outcome, but the numbers say you’re about 25 times more likely to be a millionaire. We compare the U.S. to China and India, and talk about failure, discipline, and choices. Then we turn to California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, who says the state is salvageable, and ask whether the real challenge is the mindset of California’s voters.
It’s Fake News Friday, and we test our real news, fake news, and really fake news instincts on headlines about flying cars, Kash Patel, Denzel Washington, the Atlantic Ocean, and more. We also cover the Maryland high school whose answer to bathroom misbehavior was to remove the mirrors, and we close with Words of Wisdom on the pursuit of truth from C.S. Lewis, Diderot, Galileo, and George Washington.
Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.
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