When Woke Politics Cost Jobs: Why Palantir Left Colorado

Friday, February 20, 2026

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You're listening to American Ground Radio with Stephen Parr and Louis R. Avallone. This is the full show for February 19, 2026. 

0:30 The United States Department of Justice has joined a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District over a policy that categorizes schools by race and ties funding, smaller class sizes, and enhanced programs to race.

We break down what this “PHBAO” classification means, why attaching benefits based on race raises serious Equal Protection concerns, and how the 14th Amendment applies when government actors sort students by skin color. Is this equity… or is it government-sponsored discrimination under a new acronym?

9:30 Plus, we cover the Top 3 Things You Need to Know. 

• The Department of Transportation is ordering 550 truck driving schools across the country to close.
• It looks like the Chicago Bears are leaving Illinois for Indiana.
• Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew is being investigated for suspicion of misconduct in office.

12:30 Get Prodovite Plus from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20.

13:00 Representative Ilhan Omar is back in the headlines — sans apple cider viegar— but this time it’s what she said at a recent town hall that has people talking.Omar suggested Democrats don’t just want to abolish ICE — they’re prepared to dismantle the entire United States Department of Homeland Security.

We unpack what that would actually mean, the political strategy behind it, and the bigger question: what does “law and order” mean in today’s America?

16:00 We got a question in for our American Mamas Teri Netterville and Kimberly Burelson. If you could rub a magic lamp and get just one wish for America — what would it be?

From the days of three-network news to today’s explosion of social media platforms like X, the Mamas reflect on how information — and misinformation — shapes division in our country. They talk about the pandemic years, shadow bans, competing narratives, and the challenge of figuring out what’s actually true in a world where everyone has a microphone.

But the conversation goes deeper than media. It’s about friendships strained over politics, assumptions made about neighbors, and how quickly labels replace relationships. When did who you vote for become more important than who you are? And how do we get back to a place where disagreement doesn’t mean disdain?

It’s an honest, heartfelt discussion about truth, unity, and loving people even when you don’t share their politics — a reminder that restoring America might start with a little more light… and a lot more grace.

If you'd like to ask our American Mamas a question, go to our website, AmericanGroundRadio.com/mamas and click on the Ask the Mamas button.

23:00 New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani built his campaign on a simple, viral promise: only the “uber wealthy” would pay more. Not you. Not your neighbor. Just the fat cats, the yacht crowd, the so-called one percent.

But now? The Mamdani is floating a nearly 10% property tax hike — and that doesn’t just land on penthouse owners. It hits homeowners, retirees on fixed incomes, small landlords, and yes, renters, because higher property taxes don’t stay put. They trickle down into higher rents and higher costs for everyone.

So what happened to “only the wealthy will pay”? We dig into how big spending promises — free programs, expanded benefits, sweeping commitments — eventually collide with math. When the tax base shrinks and high earners relocate, who makes up the difference?

26:00 Colorado just lost its largest corporation.

Palantir Technologies — the $300+ billion AI firm that moved from Silicon Valley to Denver in 2020 citing cultural differences with Big Tech — has now packed up again, relocating its headquarters to Miami.

The move follows months of protests outside its Denver offices over its contracts with the Israeli military and federal agencies like ICE, along with growing regulatory pressure from Colorado’s new AI law.

So why leave? And why Florida?

We break down whether this is about taxes, regulation, activist pressure, or a broader shift as companies seek business-friendly, right-to-work states. As America’s economy evolves, Palantir’s exit raises a bigger question: which vision of governance will win the future of growth?

32:00 Get TrimROX from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20.

32:30 A tragic shooting at a Rhode Island ice rink is raising disturbing questions.

Authorities say the gunman, Robert Dorgan, allegedly targeted his ex-wife, their son, and members of her family during a high school hockey game — and that this was not random, but deliberate. Reports indicate there had been long-standing family conflict, including disputes over his transgender identity and a divorce that followed.

As more details emerge, the story becomes even more heartbreaking: a fractured family, mental health concerns, and a violent act that devastated multiple lives in a single moment.

We examine what’s known about the case, the role family estrangement may have played, and the broader cultural tensions surrounding gender identity, media coverage, and mental health. Most importantly, we ask the difficult question: how do we recognize warning signs and prevent tragedies like this before they happen?

35:30 Sometimes the left tries so hard to make a point… that they end up making the conservative argument for us.

Case in point: columnist Jill Filipovic recently argued that if gender-affirming surgeries for minors are banned, then all cosmetic surgeries for minors — nose jobs, breast augmentations, and the like — should be banned too (with exceptions for true medical necessity).

Well… yes.

We unpack how that statement actually reinforces a broader concern many conservatives have been raising: maybe we shouldn’t be encouraging cosmetic alterations for children at all. Maybe we shouldn’t be over-sexualizing teenagers. Maybe we shouldn’t be permanently altering bodies that haven’t fully developed.

We also look at the cultural pressure to “fix” perfectly healthy bodies — from Hollywood cautionary tales like Jennifer Grey to today’s social media-driven beauty standards — and ask whether our society is sending young people the wrong message about identity and self-worth.

At the heart of it all is a bigger question: instead of telling kids there’s something wrong with their bodies, should we be teaching them they were created with purpose and value just as they are?

39:30 Kansas lawmakers have drawn a clear line.

After the legislature passed a bill defining sex in state law as biological sex at birth, Democratic Governor Laura Kelly vetoed it. Lawmakers responded by overriding her veto — and now the measure is officially the law in Kansas.

To wrap up today's show we unpack the political showdown, the cultural debate behind it, and the broader question of identity in today’s America. We also reflect on a simple but powerful idea echoed by voices like Sophia Loren and Oscar Wilde: real confidence comes from being comfortable in your own skin.

At the end of the day, the conversation turns to purpose, design, and the belief that we are not accidents — that we are created intentionally and with value.

May your pursuit of happiness bring you joy.

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