The Journalism of Everything Podcast

Darisse Smith
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Politics
  • Updated Biweekly

Have you ever wondered if birth order determines one's personality? Or if we know what happens in our brains when we have deja vu? Have you thought about the rights undocumented immigrants have? Does capitalism improve healthcare innovation? The Journalism of Everything Podcast takes curiosity to another level. Host Darisse Smith is an experienced freelance journalist that brings research, expert interviews, and thoughtfulness to a wide array of topics. Let's go beyond a Google search and find out about everything!

  1. Sep 29

    Why Millions of Americans Do Not Vote.

    Why do millions of Americans not vote—and does your vote actually matter? Despite calling ourselves one of the world’s great democracies, the United States consistently struggles with voter turnout. But the reasons Americans stay home are much more complicated than simple apathy. In this episode of The Journalism of Everything, I examine some of the most common arguments Americans give for not voting: • “My vote doesn’t matter.” • “The system is rigged.” • “I never like the candidates.” • “Politics doesn’t affect my life.” • And for millions of Americans: voting simply isn’t convenient enough. We look at Pew Research Center and U.S. Census Bureau data on nonvoters, the effect of the Electoral College on how voters perceive their political power, dissatisfaction with the two-party system, distrust of elected officials, and the practical barriers that keep some Americans from the polls. I also take these arguments seriously. Because when someone says their vote doesn’t matter, dismissing them as lazy or apathetic doesn’t explain why they feel that way. Some criticisms of the American political system have legitimate evidence behind them. Others become much more complicated when we examine how elections actually work—especially state, congressional and local elections. And there’s one statistic I keep coming back to: among Americans eligible to participate in the 2020 presidential election, the 2022 midterms and the 2024 presidential election, only 41% voted in all three. Another 26% voted in none of them. So the bigger question may not simply be “Why don't Americans vote?” It may be: What happens to a democracy when millions of people stop believing participation is worth it? #VoterTurnout #Voting #2026Midterms #AmericanPolitics #VoterApathy #Elections #DoesMyVoteMatter #Democracy #PoliticalParticipation #JournalismOfEverything

    Why Millions of Americans Do Not Vote.

  2. Sep 22

    Talarico Raised 7X More Than Paxton. So Why Is the Race So Close?

    James Talarico has outraised Ken Paxton by nearly $60 million. On paper, this Texas Senate race shouldn't even be close. But there's another mountain of money sitting outside the candidates' campaigns. In this episode of The Journalism of Everything, I follow the money behind the Talarico–Paxton race and explain how Super PACs, billionaire donors and dark money are pouring millions into Texas politics. From Reid Hoffman and Lone Star Rising PAC to Elon Musk, MAGA Inc. and Republican Senate groups, this race offers a revealing look at a much bigger question: When everyone gets one vote, how much influence should someone with $10 million have over what everyone else sees and hears? #JamesTalarico #KenPaxton #TexasSenate #SuperPACs #DarkMoney #CampaignFinance #2026Midterms

    Talarico Raised 7X More Than Paxton. So Why Is the Race So Close?

  3. Sep 10

    Think Your Vote Doesn't Matter? Watch This.

    Think your vote doesn't matter? In 2008, nearly 2.9 million votes were cast in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race. The difference between Al Franken and Norm Coleman came down to just 312 votes!  Those 312 votes helped put Franken in the Senate at a critical moment in the battle over healthcare reform. Months later, Democrats would need exactly 60 votes to overcome a Senate filibuster as legislation that became the Affordable Care Act moved forward. But that's only half the story. Because voting determines who gets a seat at the table. What happens after Election Day is influenced by another powerful force in American politics--LOBBYING.  #midterms2026 #AffordableCareAct #PowerofLobbying #HealthInsuranceIndustry #DoesYourVoteMatter

    Think Your Vote Doesn't Matter? Watch This.

  4. Aug 25

    Is America Really the Greatest Country in the World? A Veteran Asks

    Is America really the greatest country in the world? For years, I believed many of the things Americans are taught from childhood: that we are uniquely free, that our government represents its people, that America fights for freedom, and that despite its flaws, this country and its ideals were worth defending. I believed those things strongly enough to serve seven years as an officer in the United States Army and deploy to Iraq. But my experience in Iraq started raising questions I hadn't seriously considered before. Questions about American foreign policy, our motives abroad, and eventually the stories we tell ourselves here at home. Now, as a military veteran and independent journalist, I'm ready to start asking those questions. Does the average American actually have meaningful influence over government policy? Who gets access to Congress? Who owns the companies delivering our news? Is the American Dream still supported by the numbers? Why does the United States spend so much on healthcare? And what do we really mean when we call ourselves the "greatest country in the world"? This episode is the introduction to a new investigative series from The Journalism of Everything examining American exceptionalism—and whether the America I once believed I was serving matches the America that actually exists. I'm not approaching this investigation without opinions. I'm angry, and I'm skeptical. But I can promise this: I won't manipulate the evidence to justify how I feel. If the evidence supports my assumptions, I'll show you. If it challenges them, I'll show you that too. Maybe America really is the greatest country in the world. Maybe it isn't. It's time to ask the questions. #AmericanExceptionalism #USPolitics #AmericanDemocracy #Veteran #ArmyVeteran #IraqWar #IndependentJournalism #Journalism #AmericanDream #PoliticalAnalysis #MediaLiteracy #UnitedStates

  5. Aug 18

    Should a President Own Defense Stocks? The Ethics Behind Trump's Investments (Part 2)

    Part 2: Government Contracts, Defense Stocks, and the Ethics Question In Part 2 of this investigative series, independent journalist Darisse Smith continues following the timeline behind President Donald Trump's investments in major defense contractors and the policy decisions that affected the defense industry during his presidency. This episode examines RTX, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, and L3Harris Technologies, exploring how Pentagon initiatives, missile production, government contracts, and national security priorities intersected with companies in which President Trump held financial interests. The investigation also addresses an important distinction: public records do not prove that President Trump made policy decisions to enrich himself. But they do reveal a system that allows a sitting president to own investments in companies directly affected by presidential decisions. What does that mean for public trust? Should future presidents be required to place their assets in blind trusts or divest from individual stocks altogether? Using financial disclosures, government documents, Pentagon announcements, and the public record, this episode follows the evidence, separates documented facts from speculation, and asks whether America's presidential ethics rules are sufficient when hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars—and national security—are involved. Hashtags: #DonaldTrump #DefenseStocks #GovernmentContracts #RTX #NorthropGrumman #GeneralDynamics #L3Harris #FinancialDisclosure #GovernmentEthics #ConflictOfInterest #InvestigativeJournalism #Politics #NationalSecurity #DefenseIndustry #Podcast

  6. Aug 11

    Trump Moved Defense Stocks Twice in One Day. I Followed the Timeline.

    In Part 1 of this two-part investigative series, journalist Darisse Smith examines one of the most overlooked sections of President Donald Trump's 2026 financial disclosures: his investments in some of America's largest defense contractors. After discovering holdings in Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, and L3Harris Technologies, Darisse follows the timeline to understand how those investments intersected with major defense policy announcements, a proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget, and an executive order aimed at reshaping the defense industry. This episode explores how President Trump's January 7, 2026 statements moved defense stocks in two different directions within hours, why the market reacted the way it did, and how presidential decisions can influence industries in which a president holds personal investments. The investigation also takes a closer look at Lockheed Martin, the Patriot missile program, and the broader ethical question of whether any president—regardless of political party—should own individual stocks in companies whose value can be affected by decisions made from the Oval Office. Rather than beginning with conclusions, this episode follows the public record, government documents, financial disclosures, and the timeline itself. In Part 2, we'll examine Trump's White House meeting with defense executives, the reported Lockheed Martin stock purchase, the Pentagon's investment in L3Harris, and the major government contracts awarded to America's largest defense contractors. MERCH AVAILABLE HERE! https://www.journalismofeverythingpodcast.com/category/all-products SOURCES: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2026/01/08/defense-stocks-surge-after-trump-calls-for-15-trillion-defense-budget/?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/trump-plans-financial-restrictions-late-overbudget-defense-contractors-sources-2025-12-17/?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://www.instagram.com/p/DTOW_oxkbtN/ https://extapps2.oge.gov/201/Presiden.nsf/PAS+Index/69AEAA9D7455ACD585258E27002DDEE1/$FILE/Donald-J-Trump-2026-278ANNUAL.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/01/prioritizing-the-warfighter-in-defense-contracting/ https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/pentagon-invest-1-billion-l3harris-rocket-motor-business-2026-01-13/?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/06/iran-war-trump-defense-companies-pete-hegseth.htm Hashtags: #DonaldTrump #DefenseStocks #LockheedMartin #RTX #NorthropGrumman #GeneralDynamics #L3Harris #GovernmentEthics #DefenseBudget #FinancialDisclosure #InvestigativeJournalism #Politics #MilitarySpending #Podcast

  7. Aug 4

    Did Trump Profit From His Own Immigration Policies?

    In 2025, President Donald Trump disclosed purchasing stock in GEO Group—one of the nation's largest private detention contractors. At the same time, his administration was implementing sweeping immigration policies, expanding ICE enforcement, reopening detention facilities, and securing billions of dollars for immigration detention. Was this simply an ordinary investment, or does the timeline raise legitimate ethical questions? In this episode of The Journalism of Everything, independent journalist Darisse Smith follows the public records, financial disclosures, executive orders, and government contracts to reconstruct exactly what happened—and when. This isn't an allegation of criminal wrongdoing. It's an investigation into timing, transparency, and the ethical standards we expect from the President of the United States. Together, we'll examine: Trump's 2025 GEO Group stock purchases GEO Group's role as a major ICE contractor The administration's immigration and detention policies Executive orders and congressional funding Presidential financial disclosures How previous presidents have addressed potential conflicts of interest Rather than telling you what to think, this episode lays out the documented timeline and lets the evidence speak for itself. Hashtags: #DonaldTrump #GEOGroup #ICE #Immigration #GovernmentEthics #FinancialDisclosure #InvestigativeJournalism #Politics #PublicPolicy #TheJournalismOfEverything

    Did Trump Profit From His Own Immigration Policies?

  8. Jul 28

    The 25th Amendment Revisited: Trump’s NATO Gaffes and Presidential Fitness

    In one of the most talked-about moments from the recent NATO summit, President Donald Trump referred to the "Islamic Republic of Japan." It wasn't the only verbal mistake. During the same series of appearances, he appeared to confuse Volodymyr Zelenskyy with Vladimir Putin, called TikTok "Tic Tac," and stumbled over the name of the Iran nuclear agreement. Are these simply ordinary verbal slips from an 80-year-old president speaking off the cuff? Or do they raise legitimate questions about presidential fitness and the standards Americans should expect from the Commander in Chief? In this follow-up to one of my most popular episodes, I revisit the 25th Amendment—not to diagnose Donald Trump, but to examine what these public moments actually tell us, what they don't tell us, and why the same standards of accountability should apply to every president, regardless of political party. We'll explore the constitutional purpose of the 25th Amendment, the limits of diagnosing cognitive decline from public appearances, the importance of medical transparency, and whether Americans have become too willing to excuse concerns when they involve their own political side. If presidential fitness mattered when Joe Biden was in office, should it matter now? And what evidence should journalists—and the public—actually rely on when asking these difficult questions? If it affects your life, it's worth examining. Hashtags: #DonaldTrump #Trump #25thAmendment #NATO #PresidentialHealth #Politics #PoliticalPodcast #CurrentEvents #Constitution #Journalism #PoliticalAnalysis #USPolitics #News #Government #TheJournalismOfEverything

    The 25th Amendment Revisited: Trump’s NATO Gaffes and Presidential Fitness
See All (49)

Trailers

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Have you ever wondered if birth order determines one's personality? Or if we know what happens in our brains when we have deja vu? Have you thought about the rights undocumented immigrants have? Does capitalism improve healthcare innovation? The Journalism of Everything Podcast takes curiosity to another level. Host Darisse Smith is an experienced freelance journalist that brings research, expert interviews, and thoughtfulness to a wide array of topics. Let's go beyond a Google search and find out about everything!

Information