Real Talk with Marissa Streit | PragerU

Former Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction and CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, Ryan Walters and PragerU CEO Marissa Streit expose how teachers unions, activist bureaucrats, and textbook publishers work TOGETHER behind the scenes to shape what happens in America’s classrooms. They discuss why school board transparency matters, how unions influence curriculum even in red states, how book publishers make money from political classrooms and why broad state standards are not enough to keep our students safe from the Education Industrial Complex. Find the Scholastic text Marissa references in the episode by clicking here: https://www.scholastic.com/momentsinfocus/icebox/icebox_lesson_activity.pdf Chapters: 00:00 — Why parents should stop complaining in private and go public 02:53 — What schools do behind closed doors to avoid accountability 05:16 — Why Ryan Walters left office to fight teachers unions nationally 06:50 — Who really has more power in education: elected officials or unions? 08:20 — The truth about local teachers unions vs. the national machine 13:11 — The NEA agenda, activist curriculum, and how ideology reaches classrooms 17:40 — Why radical books and anti-American messaging are not accidents 20:11 — What state standards can and cannot do to protect children 22:25 — How activists train teachers to ignore standards and hide content from parents 24:24 — Toolkits, publishers, and the apparatus behind ideological education 26:08 — Why facts, primary sources, and classical education still matter 29:28 — Reading failure, whole language, and why schools ignore what works 33:25 — The system that burns out good teachers and rewards activists 37:41 — Why standards keep getting lowered while spending keeps rising 40:42 — What high expectations actually do for kids 43:24 — California teacher training, LGBTQ activism, and the “Prism” problem 46:21 — Student walkouts, politicized classrooms, and the radicalization of children 47:13 — Why America’s boys are becoming disaffected and extreme 52:01 — Ryan’s advice to parents trying to rescue lost young men 55:00 — Why boys need strong male role models before extremists fill the vacuum 58:06 — Why good men should become teachers—and how to fight back Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dennis Prager and Marissa Streit discuss the importance of Passover in both the Jewish and Christian faiths. They also discuss why rituals and traditions are critical to collective memory and collective identity. Dennis draws parallels between the lessons found in the Jewish Haggadah and America’s moral crisis. Get your copy of Dennis's book The Rational Passover Haggadah here: https://www.amazon.com/Rational-Passover-Haggadah-Dennis-Prager/dp/1684512581 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The current mayor of Panama City, Mayer Mizrachi spent six months in a Colombian jail ten years ago. He emerged fierce and now he’s working to bring economic freedom to his country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robby Starbuck, activist and former Hollywood director, speaks with PragerU CEO Marissa Streit about his family’s escape from communist Cuba and why that history shapes his view of America today. They discuss the rise of corporate activism, how DEI policies spread through corporate boardrooms, and why many companies are reversing course. They also discuss the growing power of AI, the dangers of AI-driven misinformation, and why the country that wins the AI race could determine the future of global power. Chapters: 00:00 – From Cuba to Hollywood: Robby Starbuck’s Story 02:40 – Walking Away: Why He Risked Everything 05:00 – The Lesson From Cuba: Courage Over Comfort 06:40 – Corporate America Goes Political: DEI & Power 13:45 – Inside the System: Government Pressure & Corporate Control 16:00 – The New Communism: Control Without Seizing Power 27:20 – AI Gone Wrong: The Google Defamation Case 33:00 – The Collapse of Truth: How AI Could Shape Elections 39:20 – The AI Race: Why China vs U.S. Changes Everything 46:50 – Cuba, Power, and the Future of America Follow Marissa on social: https://www.instagram.com/marissastreit/ https://x.com/marissastreit https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissastreit/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan Jekielek, Senior Editor at The Epoch Times and host of “American Thought Leaders,” joins PragerU CEO Marissa Streit to discuss the Chinese Communist Party’s global strategy, the weaknesses behind China’s economic power, and why President Trump’s foreign policy aims to contain the CCP before it expands further. They examine tariffs, rare earths, strategic pressure on Iran and Venezuela, and why Beijing responds only to real leverage. They also discuss unrestricted warfare, forced organ harvesting, and why understanding the communist mindset is essential if America hopes to avoid being outmaneuvered by China. Follow Marissa on social: https://www.instagram.com/marissastreit/ https://x.com/marissastreit https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissastreit/ Follow Jan on social: https://x.com/JanJekielek https://www.instagram.com/jan.jekielek/ Chapters 00:00 Why China’s economy is weaker than it looks 02:14 China’s export dependence and why Trump’s tariffs matter 05:40 Debt, local corruption, and the CCP’s economic model 08:42 China’s demographic collapse and youth unemployment 09:45 Did America help build the CCP’s power? 13:20 Xi Jinping’s purges and what they reveal about the regime 16:17 Iran, Venezuela, and the message Trump is sending Beijing 20:55 Belt and Road, Huawei, and how China builds leverage 25:17 Rare earths, recycling, and America’s path to independence 32:25 Military-civil fusion and why China weaponizes everything 33:30 Communism, unrestricted warfare, and the CCP mindset 37:05 Political correctness, naivete, and useful idiots 41:15 Organ harvesting and the brutality of the communist system 49:45 Why the media still underplays the China threat 54:42 What Trump’s meeting with Xi could look like 58:43 Jan’s book, Killed to Order, and why understanding the CCP matters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fr. Robert Sirico joins PragerU CEO Marissa Streit to discuss his journey from left-wing activism in Hollywood to becoming a leading defender of free markets and of virtue. They examine why socialism confuses coercion with compassion, why families and faith—not government—form moral citizens, and why the Right is not immune from chaos, conspiracy, and spiritual confusion. Fr. Robert Sirico reminds viewers Catholics must reject antisemitism and resist using the Church for political or financial power. Chapters: 00:00 Fr. Robert Sirico’s unlikely journey from socialist activist to Catholic priest 12:53 His gangster brother, The Sopranos, and a family unlike any other 18:02 The Holocaust, compassion, and what forms moral conscience 23:44 Chaos on the Left—and now on the Right 27:39 Catholicism, anti-Semitism, and the Jewish roots of Christianity 33:34 Loyalty, truth, and what to do when friends go wrong 38:13 Why economics matters more than politics 40:30 What the parables reveal about socialism, markets, and envy 56:23 Is it wrong to like nice things? Beauty, capitalism, and the good life 01:00:24 Should religious leaders stay out of politics? 01:07:04 The Acton Institute and the moral case for a free society 01:10:20 Why classical education is growing 01:14:17 Catholicism “on one foot” 01:17:18 Truth, gentleness, and the antidote to cultural chaos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dennis Prager and PragerU CEO Marissa Streit discuss President Trump’s decision to expand military operations in Iran and the debate over “endless wars.” Dennis explains why he believes confronting the Iranian regime carries both strategic and moral significance, and argues that Trump’s strikes could positively reshape the geopolitical balance in the Middle East and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Editor-in-Chief of The Federalist, Investigative journalist and author Mollie Hemingway joins PragerU CEO Marissa Streit to discuss Big Tech’s lingering influence, the Left’s effort to reshape the Supreme Court through court stacking and election integrity. They examine America’s voting system, the expansion of mail-in voting, and why public confidence in elections requires constant attention. They also discuss why politics alone cannot restore the country, the importance of marriage, and why Mollie believes saving America ultimately starts at home. Chapters: 00:00 — Supreme Court & Free Speech Concerns 00:49 — Fighting Big Tech Censorship 01:29 — How Big Tech Censorship Works 03:18 — Shadow Banning & Algorithmic Suppression 05:25 — Government’s Role in Preventing Censorship 06:50 — Holding Government & Tech Companies Accountable 08:16 — Tech Companies, Politics & Corporate Activism 12:04 — Section 230 & Big Tech Immunity 15:07 — Mollie Hemingway’s Book Rigged 17:06 — Florida’s Election Reforms 18:03 — Mail-In Voting & Election Confidence 22:17 — Dating Crisis & Disaffected Young Men 24:21 — Marriage, Happiness & Social Stability 26:53 — Advice for Parents Raising the Next Generation 31:03 — Family Life & The Importance of the Home 33:11 — Modern Dating Challenges 35:38 — Economic Pressures on Marriage 38:28 — Where Young People Should Meet 40:26 — Writing a Book on Justice Samuel Alito 42:30 — The Personal Cost of Serving on the Supreme Court 43:56 — Court Stacking & the Future of the Supreme Court 47:18 — Final Reflections: Family, Faith & Optimism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices