F Bombs and Bunker Bombs
Here’s what we dove into this week:
➤ World News: F Bombs & Bunker Busters We kicked off with Trump’s headline-making F bomb over the Israel-Iran ceasefire drama. Norm recapped the high-stakes, last-minute bomb-drops on military targets, explaining both the geopolitics and history—think Top Gun 2, but real life. The conversation turned to U.S.-Iran relations and why a successful regime change has to come from within, not by outside force. (Did you know postwar Japan and Germany got it right partly because they chose their own leaders?)
➤ At Home: The “Big Beautiful Bill” Breakdown Congress is arguing over a bill that's supposed to keep Trump’s tax cuts alive, but it’s loaded with non-budget regulatory riders (AI oversight, anyone?). Norm and Brett called out the political cowardice and bemoaned the lack of serious debt reduction. With a $37 trillion national debt and too many sacred cows in the budget, they challenged lawmakers to grow up and finally get real about spending cuts, especially where there’s fraud or waste.
➤ Ohio Spotlight: Browns, Bridges, and Budget Priorities Ever heard of taxpayer-funded performance incentives for NFL teams? Ohio Rep. Bill DeMora’s bold idea would tie public sports funding to actually winning games. As the state offers $600 million to the Browns from unclaimed funds, Norm and Brett wonder why we’re not fixing rural hospitals, schools, and crumbling bridges first.
➤ Quick Hits:
U.S. Supreme Court rules: ICE can deport some migrants to third countries—not just back home—sometimes with financial incentives for host countries.
EV mandate rollback: The push for all-electric vehicles fizzles as auto makers pivot back to tried-and-true gas models. Turns out, 97% of Americans are still buying what they know.
NYC mayoral madness: One candidate wants city-run grocery stores and social workers instead of cops in high-crime areas. Brett and Norm… aren’t having any of it.
Fact vs. Headline: Remember, headlines can mislead (looking at you, national forest management story)—always dig into the details!
➤ Wins & Losses:
Winners: Air Force B2 crews and Navy submariners for a flawless military mission in Iran.
Big Science Win: A new blood test can detect early Alzheimer’s with 95% accuracy—a game-changer for early intervention.
Sad Losses: We paid tribute to Bobby Sherman, Sly Stone, and Ohio’s own Rick Derringer. Rock on!
Join the Conversation Do you think public money for sports teams should come with performance strings attached? Are lawmakers just too chicken to solve the debt crisis? Reply and let us know your take!
Catch the full episode for all the nuance, honest debate, and, of course, plenty of “common sense.”
Thanks for reading and listening, The Common Sense Ohio Team
P.S. Want to support the show? Drop us a review on your favorite podcast app or share this with a friend who likes their takes straight and sensible.
Recorded at the 511 Studios, in the Brewery District in downtown Columbus, OH.
info@commonsenseohioshow.com
Copyright 2025 Common Sense Ohio
Stephen Palmer is the Managing Partner for the law firm, Palmer Legal Defense. He has specialized almost exclusively in criminal defense for over 26 years. Steve is also a partner in Criminal Defense Consultants, a firm focused wholly on helping criminal defense attorneys design winning strategies for their clients.
Norm Murdock is an automobile racing driver and owner of a high-performance and restoration car parts company. He earned undergraduate degrees in literature and journalism and graduated with a Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1985. He worked in the IT industry for two years before launching a career in government relations in Columbus, Ohio. Norm has assisted clients in the Transportation, Education, Healthcare, and Public Infrastructure sectors.
Brett Johnson, My Podcast Guy®, is an award-winning podcast consultant and small business owner for nearly 10 years, leaving a long career in radio. He is passionate about helping small businesses tell their story through podcasts, and he believes podcasting is a great opportunity for different voices to speak and be heard.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/
Mentioned in this episode: