1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, hosts Chuck Warren and Sam Stone examine China’s growing challenge to the United States, disturbing allegations involving fentanyl enforcement in New Mexico, the latest developments surrounding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, a 33-year-old NBA All-Star Weekend murder finally solved, and a dramatic migration crisis unfolding in Ceuta. Michael Sobolik, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and author of Countering China’s Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance, joins Chuck and Sam to explain why he believes Washington has failed to adequately respond to China’s political warfare. They discuss TikTok and ByteDance, America’s dependence on Chinese supply chains, Taiwan’s security, advanced semiconductor exports, India’s growing strategic importance, and why rebuilding the U.S. defense industrial base could be critical in a future confrontation with Beijing. Follow Michael Sobolik on X: @michaelsobolik Book: Countering China’s Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance Next, Vince Torres, Executive Director of America First New Mexico, joins the show to discuss New Mexico’s fentanyl crisis and allegations from DEA whistleblowers that agents were told not to seize certain large drug shipments. Vince also breaks down the state’s education struggles, the push for school choice, and changing voter-registration trends that could reshape New Mexico politics. Follow Vince Torres on X: @VincentTorresNM Then, B’s Crime Corner takes us back to Salt Lake City and the 1993 NBA All-Star Weekend, where a woman was murdered in a case that remained unsolved for more than three decades. New forensic technology ultimately helped investigators identify a suspect, leading to an arrest and guilty plea in 2025. Alex Welz, Senior Research Associate at The Heritage Foundation, joins the program with an update on the Iran war and what escalating tensions could mean for global energy markets and the Strait of Hormuz. He discusses Iran’s weakened military and economic position, continued support from Russia and potentially China, Pakistan’s regional role, and efforts to revive the Kirkuk-Banias pipeline as another route for Middle Eastern energy. Follow Alex Welz on X: @WelzAlex Finally, Quebec-based Rebel News journalist Alexa Lavoie joins Chuck Warren following her reporting from Ceuta. She describes how social-media claims about an supposedly open border helped trigger a massive attempted migration from Morocco, the role she says Moroccan authorities played in the crisis, the use of unaccompanied minors, and the growing divide inside Ceuta over humanitarian assistance, security, and control of the Spanish territory. Follow Alexa Lavoie on X: @ThevoiceAlexa Listen now to Breaking Battlegrounds, the radio show covering Arizona politics, campus unrest, election integrity, national campaigns, and the true crime cases everyone is talking about. Catch Breaking Battlegrounds live on 960 AM in Phoenix every Saturday at 9:00 AM, with full episodes and exclusive podcast-only segments dropping every Friday wherever you get your podcasts or watch on Youtube. Stay connected with Breaking Battlegrounds: • Substack: https://substack.com/@breakingbattlegrounds • Website: https://breakingbattlegrounds.vote • News: https://breakingbattlegrounds.news • X: https://x.com/breaking_battle • Instagram: @breakingbattlegrounds • Facebook: Breaking Battlegrounds If you enjoy the show, please leave us a 5-star review and share it with a friend. Your support helps keep the podcast growing. Breaking Battlegrounds is one of the top 2.5% most popular shows out of 3,779,399 podcasts globally. We interview policymakers, elected officials, and nationally and world-recognized reporters about the opportunities and hurdles the United States faces. Breaking Battlegrounds https://breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/podcast <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/42360135/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/42360135