Voices of Freedom

An Interview with Chris Krug, Publisher, The Center Square
One of the keys to a healthy American democracy is an informed citizenry. Yet the decline of local news has left millions of Americans without reliable coverage of the institutions, policies, and elected officials that shape their daily lives. Statehouse reporting in particular has withered — leaving citizens in the dark about the decisions being made in their state capitals.
Our guest today has dedicated his career to changing that. He leads one of the most ambitious efforts in the country to fill the local news void with high-quality, government accountability journalism that puts taxpayers first.
Our guest on this episode of Voices of Freedom is Chris Krug, Publisher of The Center Square, a nonprofit news organization launched in 2019 to provide statehouse and statewide coverage across the United States. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in the media industry — from sports journalist to major market editor and publisher — Chris has built The Center Square into one of the country's most expansive sources of state and local government reporting.
Topics Discussed on this Episode:
Chris's path from sports journalism to leading one of the country's most ambitious local news organizations

What it means for communities and democracy when local news disappears

How The Center Square's taxpayer-first sensibility shapes its coverage

Earning reader trust and what keeping that trust means to The Center Square

How The Center Square navigates the pressures of AI, social media, and the struggles of legacy news organizations

What gives Chris optimism about the future of local journalism

An Interview with Nick Morgan, Founder and President, Investor Choice Advocates Network (ICAN)
For decades, small investors and entrepreneurs who run afoul of the Securities and Exchange Commission have faced a stark reality: challenge a powerful federal agency with seemingly unlimited resources or settle. The result is a staggering 98% settlement rate that has led to ruined businesses, lost opportunities, and forever changed lives.
Our guest on this episode of Voices of Freedom is doing something about it.
Nick Morgan is Founder and President of the Investor Choice Advocates Network, or ICAN, a nonprofit public interest law firm that provides free legal representation to small investors and entrepreneurs facing SEC overreach. Before founding ICAN, Nick spent seven years as senior trial counsel at the SEC, followed by 18 years in private practice defending clients against securities enforcement actions. His insider's perspective revealed how heavily the deck is stacked against ordinary Americans trying to pursue economic opportunity — and drove him to act.
Topics Discussed on this Episode:
How the SEC's structure and incentives undermine fairness for small investors and entrepreneurs
ICAN's mission and the clients it serves
Building legal precedent through strategic litigation and regulatory reform advocacy
The proper balance between investor protection and economic freedom
What gives Nick hope that the balance of power between individual Americans and the SEC can shift

An Interview with Shari Williams, President, Leadership Program of the Rockies
The ability to preserve liberty depends on visionary leaders who not only understand America's founding principles, but who are also prepared to put them into practice. Yet there are few opportunities for emerging leaders to form deep connections between these timeless ideas and today's challenges.
For more than two decades, the Leadership Program of the Rockies has been meeting that need by educating and training emerging leaders in America's founding principles and equipping them with the skills to influence public policy and culture.
Our guest on this episode of Voices of Freedom is Shari Williams, President of the Leadership Program of the Rockies. Since founding LPR in 2003, she has built it into one of the country's premier leadership development programs, training more than 2,500 alumni who have gone on to serve as elected officials, judges, business and community leaders, and influential voices across Colorado and beyond. With more than 40 years of experience in public policy, political campaigns, and leadership development, Shari has dedicated her career to building what she calls an "Army for Freedom."
Topics Discussed on this Episode:
What drew Shari to focus on leadership development and why LPR focuses on culture and the way communities think about freedom
Why LPR's mission is more important now than ever
The transformation participants experience and stories of alumni impact
The vision for LPR's Great Lakes expansion
What gives Shari hope about preserving American principles for future generations

An Interview with Dr. Catherine Pakaluk, Associate Professor of Social Research and Economic Thought, Catholic University of America
What makes a society truly prosperous? Is it GDP growth and stock market returns, or is there something more — something rooted in strong families, vibrant communities, and institutions that help people flourish?
Our guest on this episode of Voices of Freedom has spent her career exploring these deeper questions about economic freedom and human flourishing. Catherine Pakaluk is an economist whose research challenges us to think beyond conventional metrics and consider how families, faith communities, and schools work together to create meaningful prosperity.
As both a Harvard-trained scholar and a mother of eight, Catherine brings a unique perspective to debates about family, economic opportunity, and the future of American society. She is an Associate Professor of Social Research and Economic Thought at the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America, where her research focuses on the economics of education and religion, family studies and demography, and Catholic social thought. Catherine's work examines the institutions and relationships that enable people to thrive, from faith communities to schools to families themselves. Her most recent book, Hannah's Children, examines women defying demographic trends by choosing large families, offering surprising insights about how people weigh what truly matters.
Topics Discussed on this Episode:
Catherine's path to economics and her focus on education, religion, family studies, and Catholic social thought
The relationship between religious institutions and economic liberty
How families function as economic and social institutions that create opportunity
Research on school choice, educational outcomes, and teaching the next generation
Catherine's most recent book, Hannah's Children, and insights about women who defy demographic trends
What gives Catherine hope for American families and civil society

An Interview with Todd Gaziano, President, Center for Individual Rights
At a time when constitutional rights face continuing pressures---from campus censorship to race-based government policies---one organization has spent the last 35 years winning legal battles that set lasting precedents for individual liberty.
The Center for Individual Rights was founded in 1989 to defend constitutional principles through strategic litigation. Its first major Supreme Court victory, Rosenberger v. University of Virginia in 1995, established that public universities cannot discriminate based on religious viewpoint---a principle that continues to influence cases to this day. CIR also secured landmark victories challenging race-based admissions policies in the University of Michigan cases.
Our guest on this episode of Voices of Freedom is Todd Gaziano, who became CIR's president in 2023. Before joining CIR, he led legal centers at both the Pacific Legal Foundation and the Heritage Foundation, served as a commissioner on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and worked in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel and as chief counsel to a House subcommittee. He discusses CIR's strategic approach to defending equal protection, religious liberty, free speech, and competitive federalism---and explains why these constitutional battles matter for every American.
Topics Discussed on this Episode:
Todd's path to the Center for Individual Rights and the most urgent threats to constitutional rights today
The 30-year legacy of Rosenberger v. University of Virginia and its impact on campus free speech
CIR's current cases challenging race-based policies in Portland schools and within federal programs
Religious liberty and competitive federalism: why these areas matter
Concerns and hopes for the future of constitutional rights in America