Weekly Battleground Buzz
April 7, 2025
Hello, Friends of the Airwaves!
Stay informed and engaged with Breaking Battlegrounds
April 7, 2025
On this day in 1969, the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) awarded a contract to BBN Technologies to build a precursor to the modern internet, widely considered the symbolic birth of the internet.
This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, guest host Sean Noble joins Sam Stone for a conversation with Mackenzie Eaglen of the American Enterprise Institute. She breaks down the true state of U.S. military readiness, how China’s defense spending compares to ours, and how Pentagon bureaucracy is undermining our ability to prepare for global threats.
Justin Heap Battles Stripped Election Powers
Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap offers an inside look at what he calls a “crisis situation” in his office, revealing that outgoing officials stripped him of key powers, staff, and budget before he even took office, leaving voters with a “clearly broken system” and a power struggle that threatens local election integrity.
Will Trump's Tariffs Work?
I don't know, but America's economy was going down the wrong path
By Chuck Warren
America needs an economic reset, and Trump is doing it. Is this the right reset? I don’t know.
All economists believe that tariffs are bad for the economy. Everyone who attended a college economics or political science course was taught the danger of tariffs. So, if these tariffs work, we will have to burn every economic textbook in the world. But if they don’t, it’ll be a mistake to revert to the status quo ante. We will have to find another solution because the economic numbers have been average to bad for a long time.
A troubling trend? 4 former and current Texas deputies take their own lives in last 6 weeks
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas -- Friends, family, and colleagues gathered to say their final goodbyes on Thursday to Deputy Christina Kohler, a veteran of Texas' Harris County Sheriff's Office, whose death last week was ruled a suicide by the county medical examiner. Her passing marks the fourth suicide in just six weeks among current and former Harris County deputies, raising concerns about the mental health toll on law enforcement officers.
This Eight-Pound Miniature Dachshund Survived 16 Months on a Rugged Australian Island. But She’s Still Evading Rescuers
A tiny, eight-pound dog has defied the odds by surviving in the wild on a rugged Australian island for more than a year. But even as rescuers have tried to bring her to safety, so far, the scrappy pooch has eluded capture.
Volunteers and wildlife experts are trying to lure in a miniature dachshund named Valerie on Kangaroo Island, a 1,700-square-mile outpost off the coast of South Australia.
Valerie has been on the run for the last 16 months. In November 2023, the then-1-year-old wiener dog came to the island on a camping vacation with her human parents, Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock. On the second day of their trip, the couple decided to go fishing at a nearby beach, so they placed Valerie in a playpen with food and toys.
But while her owners were away, Valerie broke out of the pen and hid under a parked car. Vacationers who were camping nearby tried to capture the dog, but she got spooked and darted off into the wilderness.
Philadelphia Zoo’s 100-Year-old Galapagos Tortoises Hatch 4 Babies–to Help Ensure the Species’ Survival
The Philadelphia Zoo is overjoyed to announce the hatching of four critically endangered Galapagos tortoises for the first time in the Zoo’s 150 year history.
The parents, Western Santa Cruz tortoises, are the Zoo’s two oldest residents, each estimated to be around 100 years old.
Additionally, the female named Mommy is considered one of the most genetically valuable of her species in the Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). She is also the oldest first-time mom of her species.
The hatchlings are currently eating and growing normally “behind-the-scenes” inside the Reptile and Amphibian House. The first one hatched on February 27 and the animal care team is still monitoring more eggs that could hatch in the coming weeks.
They will make their public debut on April 23, which is the 93rd anniversary of Mommy’s arrival at the Zoo.
The babies are part of the AZA breeding program to ensure the survival of this species, which are listed as “critically endangered”.
The last clutch of Western Santa Cruz tortoises to hatch in an AZA accredited zoo was in 2019 at Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina. Other zoos with breeding pairs of this species include San Diego Zoo, Zoo Miami and Honolulu Zoo.
“This successful outcome comes from years of hard work studying animal behavior and providing top-level care. Until now, Mommy’s genes were not represented in the AZA population, making these offspring extremely important in the protection of this species,” said Philadelphia Zoo Director of Herpetology Lauren Augustine.
The animal care team worked diligently to provide the right conditions for Mommy to lay her eggs and for them to incubate and successfully hatch.
In December 2020, the father of the new hatchlings, Abrazzo, came to the Zoo on a breeding recommendation from Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina. New substrate was purchased—nesting material like sand and soil for Mommy to lay her eggs in—Abrazzo’s behaviors were studied to see how he spent his time. Since 2023, Mommy has laid a total of four clutches of eggs, but the three prior tries did not result in viable eggs.
After Mommy laid her 16 eggs in November 2024, the reptile and amphibian team dug them up to incubate them–expecting the eggs to hatch between four and eight months later.
The hatchlings will remain at the Zoo for at least five years.
Stay Connected: Follow Us on Your Favorite Socials!
www.breakingbattlegrounds.vote
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_Battle
Facebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegrounds
Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegrounds
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds
Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@breakingbattlegrounds
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakingBattlegrounds
Breaking Battlegrounds Sponsors:
Invest Yrefy - investyrefy.com
4Freedom Mobile
Experience true freedom with 4Freedom Mobile, the exclusive provider offering nationwide coverage on all three major US networks (Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile) with just one SIM card. Our service not only connects you but also shields you from data collection by network operators, social media platforms, government agencies, and more.
Use code ‘Battleground’ to get your first month for $9 and save $10 a month every month after.
Learn more at: 4FreedomMobile.com
Dot Vote
With a .VOTE website, you ensure your political campaign stands out among the competition while simplifying how you reach voters.
Learn more at: dotvote.vote