Just over a week ago, a young woman lost her life in Minneapolis.

In this episode, we take a sober, fact-based look at the tragic death of Renee Nicole Good and the events that followed. Renee was a mother of three, a poet, a guitar hobbyist, and a person described by family and friends as kind, gentle, and loving. She had no criminal record and no history of conflict with law enforcement.

We also examine the life and career of Jonathan Ross, the ICE officer involved in the incident. Ross has nearly twenty-five years of public service, including military service in Iraq, work with U.S. Border Patrol, and years with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. There are no public records of misconduct, investigations, or criminal activity in his history.

From there, the conversation widens.

We explore the larger context surrounding this case, including:

• The Minnesota fraud scandal involving billions in alleged waste, fraud, and abuse
• The federal response known as Operation Metro Surge
• Claims and counterclaims from state officials, federal prosecutors, and national media
• ICE arrest quotas, enforcement pressure, and how rhetoric shapes public perception
• Why rushing to judgment damages trust on both sides

This episode does not argue for blind loyalty or blind outrage. It argues for something harder and more important: fair process, restraint, and truth.

Both the victim’s family and the officer involved deserve a full, unbiased investigation. And the public deserves leadership that lowers the temperature instead of inflaming it.

If you’re looking for a balanced analysis of the Minneapolis shooting, ICE enforcement, political rhetoric, and the real-world cost of misinformation, this episode is for you.

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In this episode, we break down the real-world cost of democratic socialism and why history keeps repeating itself.

The episode opens with New York’s new mayor openly embracing socialist policy, attacking landlords while ignoring the damage caused by rent control and rising costs. From there, we zoom out to show where this same thinking has already led before.

Using Venezuela as a case study, this episode traces the path from Hugo Chavez’s promises of a “humane” socialism to Nicolas Maduro’s rule, economic collapse, mass migration, drug trafficking, and the loss of basic freedoms. We explain the socialist doom loop — where bad policy creates failure, the failure is blamed on capitalism, and even worse policy follows.

We also examine Trump’s capture of Maduro, what it signals about U.S. strategy in Latin America, and why rebuilding failed states requires more than good intentions or empty slogans. This episode challenges both the political left and right, exposing why spreading democracy is harder than it looks and why cutting off corrupt funding comes first.

If you want a clear, honest look at socialism, Venezuela, New York politics, Trump’s foreign policy, and the real cost of collectivism, this episode connects the dots without spin or excuses.

🔗 Learn more at https://toddsheetswriter.com

Subscribe to Todd's Substack: https://substack.com/@toddsheets

📖 Get the book 2008: What Really Happened: https://www.amazon.com/2008-Really-Happened-Todd-Sheets/dp/1641773936

🎧 Podcast: Search “Todd Sheets – On Wealth and Progress” on your favorite platform

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In this holiday episode, Todd shares a short reflection on gratitude, progress, and perspective as we close out the year.

It’s easy to focus on what still feels hard, the challenges ahead, the work left to do, the mountains still left to climb. But this episode is a reminder to pause and remember how far we’ve already come, and how many times we’ve faced difficulty and made it through.

As we turn another corner and move toward a new year, this message centers on thankfulness, direction, and steady hope remembering our past, staying grounded in the present, and trusting that our best days are still ahead.

We’ll be back in two weeks to begin the new year. Until then, thank you for listening, supporting the show, and taking the time to reflect.

Happy holidays to you and yours.

Todd
December 28, 2025

🔗 Learn more at https://toddsheetswriter.com

Subscribe to Todd's Substack: https://substack.com/@toddsheets

📖 Get the book 2008: What Really Happened: https://www.amazon.com/2008-Really-Happened-Todd-Sheets/dp/1641773936

🎧 Podcast: Search “Todd Sheets – On Wealth and Progress” on your favorite platform

👉 Subscribe for more deep dives on history, economy, geopolitics, and American resilience.