What happens when courts shape elections? And, is redistricting ever actually fair? In this episode of Independent Conversations, we attempt to answer these questions as Graham H. Walker sits down with Williamson M. Evers and Phillip W. Magness for a discussion on the fallout of Louisiana v. Callais. Together, they examine the distinction between racial and partisan gerrymandering, the legacy of the Voting Rights Act, the risks of court-imposed districting standards, and the deeper question of what representation should mean in a diverse democracy.

You know Adam Smith and Milton Friedman—but what about the economists whose ideas quietly kept the free market running? These overlooked thinkers shaped modern economic life, yet rarely receive the recognition they deserve. "Unsung Heroes of the Market: The 24 Underrated Economists You Need to Know," edited by Robert M. Whaples, shines a spotlight on these remarkable minds—from Julian Simon, who overturned doomsday thinking about natural resources by seeing human ingenuity as the ultimate resource to Thomas Sowell, whose cultural insights often fly under the radar. Written by leading scholars of liberty and economic policy, this collection invites readers to discover or rediscover the economists whose ideas laid the groundwork for today’s free society.

With California electricity demand growing exponentially, why is the state holding so tenaciously to its ban on new nuclear power plants? Why has California closed itself off from the largest source of carbon-free power generation in the United States? On this episode of Independent Conversations, we talk with energy researcher and author, Paige Lambermont, who answers these questions, and more, in connection with her recently published California Golden Fleece Report.