Show-me Institute Podcast

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Christopher Talgo, editorial director at the Heartland Institute, to discuss his recent piece in The Hill on the state of American public education. They explore why the claim that public schools are underfunded doesn't hold up to scrutiny, how per-pupil spending often exceeds private school tuition while outcomes continue to decline, and where all that money is actually going. They also discuss the growing administrative bloat crowding out classroom resources, the dysfunction baked into teacher tenure and union structures, why school choice may be the only real path to meaningful reform, and how states like Florida and Arizona are already demonstrating what's possible when parents are empowered to choose, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org. This episode was produced using AI-generated narration. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity.

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity. This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Mike McShane, Director of National Research at EdChoice and contributor to the Informed Choice Substack, to discuss his piece, “The Six Words Driving the Education Debate in 2026.” They explore why the school choice conversation has shifted from whether it should exist to what it should look like, how debates over “transparency” and “accountability” are shaping political strategy, and why participation in choice programs changes over time. They also discuss the influence of “rage bait” on public perception, the emerging risks of AI-generated “slop” in schools, and how the “supply side” of education, from micro schools to new learning providers, may determine whether expanded choice truly meets families’ needs, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

David Stokes, Elias Tsapelas, and Avery Frank join Zach Lawhorn to break down Governor Mike Kehoe’s State of the State address, including what we know so far about his plan to eliminate Missouri’s income tax, proposals to modernize Missouri's tax system, and the need to rein in state spending. They also discuss open enrollment legislation, the new Missouri Advanced Nuclear Task Force and AI strategy executive order, the push to privatize downtown St. Louis convention center operations, what the Dome’s history says about stadium subsidies, Kansas City’s stadium debate, what they are watching in Jefferson City, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Vladimir Kogan, professor of political science at The Ohio State University, to discuss his new book, No Adult Left Behind, How Politics Hijacks Education Policy and Hurts Kids. They explore why the No Child Left Behind era is increasingly viewed as a high point for academic accountability, how low-turnout school board elections skew decision making away from students, and why policies like four-day school weeks often serve adult interests rather than children, and more. Find Vlad's book here: https://bit.ly/3KQzCJv Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Patrick Tuohey joined Pete Mundo on Mundo in the Morning on KCMO Talk Radio to question whether the Kansas City Chiefs’ move to Kansas is really a done deal. He explains why unresolved financial details, uncertain STAR bond math, and the lack of taxpayer backing raise doubts about whether the proposed stadium plan can move forward as advertised.

David Stokes, Elias Tsapelas, and Avery Frank join host Zach Lawhorn to discuss the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, new federal proposals aimed at lowering healthcare costs through cost sharing, employer coverage reforms, and prescription drug transparency. They also break down the latest installment of David Stokes’ Free Market Guide for Missouri Municipalities on parks and recreation, the role of user fees and outsourcing, national polling on public school open enrollment and why parents strongly support it, what they are watching as the 2026 legislative session approaches, and more. Link to the national survey: https://yeseverykidfoundation.org/new-national-poll-shows-americans-demand-more-family-first-k-12-education/ Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Guest hosting Mundo in the Morning on KCMO Talk Radio, Patrick Tuohey speaks with Thomas Friestad of the Kansas City Business Journal about how Kansas STAR bonds work and what they mean for a proposed Kansas City Chiefs stadium.

Guest hosting Mundo in the Morning on KCMO Talk Radio, Patrick Tuohey speaks with Neil deMause, editor of FieldofSchemes.com and coauthor of Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money Into Private Profit. DeMause draws on decades of research examining billions in public subsidies for pro sports facilities, explaining why stadium deals rarely deliver economic benefits and how proposed subsidies for a Kansas City Chiefs stadium fit a familiar national pattern.

Guest hosting Mundo in the Morning on KCMO Talk Radio 95.7 FM and 710 AM on December 30, 2025, Patrick Tuohey of the Show-Me Institute breaks down the math behind Kansas STAR bonds proposed for a Kansas City Chiefs stadium, explaining why the revenue projections may not add up and why taxpayers could be more exposed than advertised. Listen to Full Episodes of Mundo in the Morning: https://www.kcmotalkradio.com/shows/mundo-in-the-morning-2/

Susan Pendergrass is joined by Cory Koedel, director of education policy at the Show-Me Institute, and Avery Frank, policy analyst at the Show-Me Institute, to discuss Missouri’s early literacy crisis. They walk through the need for a universal reading screener, the evidence behind third grade retention, why banning three cueing matters, how teacher preparation programs must change to align with the science of reading, what successful states like Mississippi have done, what Missouri’s current laws get wrong, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

David Stokes, Elias Tsapelas, and Avery Frank join host Zach Lawhorn to outline what a responsible plan to eliminate Missouri’s income tax should include, from revenue triggers and spending restraint to rethinking other taxes. They also break down St. Louis County’s Bill 182 expanding prevailing wage and DBE mandates, Independence’s proposed TIF package for a new Wally’s gas station and what it says about corporate welfare, Missouri’s early literacy crisis and reforms like a universal third grade reading screener, mandatory retention, and banning three cueing, and what they are watching next on prefiled tax bills, data center policy, and rising property tax bills across the state. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass is joined by Elias Tsapelas, director of state budget and fiscal policy at the Show-Me Institute, to explain what was actually at stake in the recent federal government shutdown. They break down the debate over extended Affordable Care Act subsidies, why health insurance costs keep rising, how COVID-era provisions distorted the marketplace, and what Congress may do next. The conversation also covers fraud concerns, the future of ACA reform, and what these decisions could mean for Missouri families. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Learn more about the book here: https://www.cato.org/books/fighting-freedom-learn Susan Pendergrass speaks with Dr. James Shuls, fellow at the Show-Me Institute and head of the Education Liberty Branch at Florida State University, and Dr. Neal McCluskey of the Cato Institute about their new book, Fighting for the Freedom to Learn: Examining America’s Centuries-Old School Choice Movement. They discuss how the fight for educational freedom long predates modern debates over public schooling, why early advocates viewed schooling as a family and community responsibility, and how today’s school choice expansion connects to America’s founding principles. The conversation covers the history of the common school movement, the roots of residential school assignment, and why educational freedom has always been central to the American story, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Robert C. Enlow, president and CEO of EdChoice, about the expansion of school choice and the organization’s work advancing parental freedom in education. They discuss Milton Friedman’s original vision, how states like Florida, Arizona, and Indiana have moved toward universal choice, Missouri’s legal fight over its scholarship program, and how parental demand is reshaping education markets, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

David Stokes, Elias Tsapelas, and Avery Frank join Zach Lawhorn to discuss local ballot measures in Missouri, including new hotel taxes in Springfield and Jefferson City, municipal use and gas taxes, how the ongoing federal shutdown could jeopardize food stamp benefits for hundreds of thousands of Missourians and what the federal Rural Health Transformation Fund means for reform, and emerging ideas in energy policy such as consumer regulated electricity and the debate over data center development in Missouri. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Christy Wolfe, director of K–12 policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, about major shifts in federal education policy. They discuss recent Department of Education layoffs, the push to give states more flexibility through waivers, how Indiana is leading a new accountability approach, what it all means for states like Missouri, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity