Tonight, on this explosive, educational, investigative episode of Light ‘Em Up we will explore in-depth the issues of:

— The treatment of migrants & refugees

— Criminal Immigration

— How the radical right-wing politicized and took advantage of the death of Laken Riley when in reality they really didn’t give a single, solitary care about her — taking advantage of and using her death as a political football.

With this, our 95th episode, we are now heard in 122 countries around the globe.

Again, we challenge you to listen and think critically to this episode.

With the recent passing of Pope Francis, at the age of 88, on Monday April 21st -- the day after the Christian world celebrates Easter — we wanted to examine in-depth the “theory” of those people who claim to be “Christian” yet use race, color and country of origin as a sledge-hammer for fascism.

Whether they claim to be:

— Christian Nationalists

— Christian Fascists

— Christian Conservatives

— Evangelicals

You name it … people who claim to be “doing the work of Jesus Christ” while steadily:

— Denigrating

— Persecuting and prosecuting migrants … the foreign born

— LGBTQ individuals and

— People of color.

“Othering” pretty much everyone who isn’t them.

April 30th marked 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term — over the past three months, the president has issued more than 100 executive orders that aim to bypass Congress and change policy through unilateral action. His administration has:

— Imposed sweeping tariffs on virtually every country in the world

— Withdrew the United States from the World Health Organization

— Declared a national emergency at the southern border

— It has purported to rewrite election rules and end birthright citizenship.

— It is attacking major law firms and universities and much, much more.

But we ask, has this flurry of orders affected fundamental change?

To date, there have already been 46 challenges to executive orders pending in court, and the administration has had no outright victory in any of them. Judges appointed by presidents of both parties have put the brakes on Trump’s fascist plans for change.

Will the courts continue to thwart his lawless agenda?

This is a pivotal moment in the history of this country that will affect it for all time going forward — as the Trump administration strives to keep the politics of fear and panic alive.

Without fear or favor we follow the facts and tackle the topics that touch your lives.

Tune in for all of the explosive details. Follow our sponsors: Newsly & Feedspot.

Promised links found within the body of the podcast audio file:

Criminal Alien Statistics | U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Letter of The Holy Father Francis to the Bishops of the United States Of America - The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC)

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Tonight, on this explosive, educational, investigative episode of Light ‘Em Up.

We debut in 121 countries around the globe! Is that sick, or what?

Tonight, we challenge you to listen and think critically as we examine in-depth the Venezuelan transnational criminal organization called: Tren de Aragua.

Its origins can be traced to its foundation in 2014 inside Tocorón Prison, Aragua state, Venezuela. It has expanded exponentially: Spread across Colombia, Peru, Chile, and the US, exploiting Venezuelan migrants.

The gang’s growth has made it a transnational criminal organization.

A transnational criminal organization or (TCO) is a group of individuals who operate across national borders (not just in one country) to achieve gains in power, influence, or money through illegal means, often engaging in activities like:

— drug trafficking

— human trafficking (including smuggling of migrants)

— arms trafficking

— money laundering

— counterfeiting

— trafficking in firearms, counterfeit goods, wildlife and cultural property and sex and cybercrimes.

Suddenly we’re hearing this gang’s name blaring over the airwaves of MAGA-favoring “news” outlets like NewsMax or what I call the Fox “Entertainment News” Network … and among:

— Christian fascists,

— Christian nationalists,

— Members of the radical right,

— Trump Republicans who stand in front of the camera regurgitating GOP party talking points,

— White supremacists and xenophobes.

Among these select groups of people they know very few words in the Spanish language … and they don’t wish to learn any of the language or learn about its culture because they think people who speak Spanish certainly aren’t of the (Aryan) “master race”.

The Oath Keepers, Proud Boys and the 3 Percenters … and people of this ilk wouldn’t even see these people as human beings — because of their brown skin.

Tonight, unlike what one is likely ever to hear on one of those networks, without fear or favor we’ll deliver to you the truth about: Tren de Aragua.

— We’ll examine the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 …

— And we’ll relate how civil rights, civil liberties and hard-fought protections are being destroyed … under the guise of Making America Great Again!

Do you value your civil rights? Do you think civil rights ONLY pertain to people of color?

If yes, you are dead wrong. If one individual’s civil rights are being oppressed — then every person’s rights are being oppressed and diminished. This happened after 9/11 and it is happening again, today!

To know the present, you must be aware of the past.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" is a famous aphorism attributed to the philosopher George Santayana, emphasizing the importance of learning from history in order to avoid repeating mistakes.

You’d never hear the truth about Venezuela, its past, or its present. Venezuela is a country that is in crisis. Its people are affected directly by the widespread political and civil unrest that has plagued their nation.

Their people need help. The situation has become a humanitarian crisis.

The current U.S. administration has willfully turned a blind eye to the plight of the Venezuelans. U.S. homeland security advisor and White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller and his cronies are good at overlooking the suffering of others — yet claiming to be pious.

Don’t move a muscle —tune in to hear all the explosive details and the facts … not the fiction, about Tren De Aragua! Follow our sponsors: Newsly & Feedspot.

Follow this link to the ASMR video on X.

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Welcome to this explosive and investigatory episode of Light ‘Em Up.

Our global audience has reached 119 countries. Spread the word!

This is the story of the tragic death of an “All-American Girl” and the sloppy investigation that ensued.

Out of Aubrey, Texas, we shine the antiseptic light of the truth to investigate the death of Haley Cheney, a 24-year-old, new mother who was found sitting in her car in the driveway of her boyfriend’s home early on December 3, 2023 — with a bullet in the right temple of her head.

We’re honored to sit and talk with (Mrs.) Jackie Stewart Alvarado, Haley’s aunt.

According to Jackie, “Haley had the biggest, bluest eyes and she gave THE ABSOLUTE BEST hugs. She always greeted everyone with the words, “hello beautiful”. She never met a stranger, and she absolutely loved, loved, loved animals. Haley loved life. She was filled with hope, promise and potential. She loved fully and completely her family and those around her. She was one of the most selfless individuals.”

Haley was thrilled to be a new mother — she adored her baby boy. Her life had barely just begun. Haley had to work very hard in order to maintain the peace and to encourage a positive perspective in the relationship with her boyfriend.

She wanted to be loved by her boyfriend, yet time and again, she was confronted with threats of physical violence by him. We'll showcase just one of many verbal threats made by Kristopher Winston, as was posted on Facebook (according to members of Haley’s family).

The City of Little Elm Police Department caught this case. That may have been one of the most detrimental and injurious factors in the case.

Police departments are entrusted with a diverse set of tasks requiring a high degree of integrity within their agencies. Without that integrity, bad things happen, and people and cases suffer.

Determining the correct cause and manner of death are among the chief responsibilities of the forensic pathologist, not a street cop or even a Detective Sgt. When confronted with a case having a questionable manner of death, it is important for scene evidence, witness statements, and forensic autopsy findings to be thoroughly reviewed before certifying the manner of death.

We examine the factors that hurt a thorough investigation and led to a rush to judgement that this case was a suicide. Haley’s family vehemently disagrees with this finding.

There’s nothing common about murder nor a suicide. Each case has its unique aspects and signatures. Every case, victim and member of the surviving family deserves to have their loved one’s case investigated to its fullest extent.

The investigative process involves both science and art. For an investigation to be effective it must follow a few basic principles. Following the acronym “T-A-R-O-T” (just like the card) ...

The incident must be investigated in a: Timely, Accurate, Relevant, Objective & Thorough manner. We'll break down each aspect of a proper investigation and discuss the 5 F's of Murder. We educate on IPV & IPH (Intimate Partner Violence and Intimate Partner Homicide).

3 women are killed every day at the hands of those who "claim" to love them.

You can judge for yourself if that's what transpired in this case.

We deliver the facts ... not the fiction.

Tune in to hear all of the explosive details. Follow our sponsors: Newsly & Feedspot.

For case history, updates and more detailed information follow this page on Facebook Justice For Haley Cheney

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Welcome to this probing, brand-new, fact filled episode of Light ‘Em Up.

We are currently being actively downloaded in 119 countries, globally.

Please spread the word with a friend regarding our podcast! Remember, we are here for you and because of you!

We tackle the topics that touch your lives!

We hear so much talk about the topic of Qualified Immunity — but few really know what it is and what it consists of in much detail. THIS episode will put to bed ALL of those questions.

Bringing a §1983 Civil Rights lawsuit against any government entity is not an easy task to accomplish.

Qualified immunity is a judicially crafted legal doctrine and concept created by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Pierson v Ray in 1967.

The doctrine was created to protect government officials, particularly law enforcement officers, from frivolous lawsuits and financial liability when they acted in good faith in legally unclear situations.

We discuss the requirement (as the law states) that there must be a constitutional violation that infringed upon the rights of a person that was “clearly established” at the time it was committed.

Many legal scholars argue that qualified immunity has no legal basis and is not grounded in the text or history of the relevant statutes at 42 U.S. Section 1983. Many argue that the doctrine signals a retreat from the protections afforded to Black victims of racial terror by the Civil Rights Act of 1871 (also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act).

Several of our guests on Light ‘Em Up have run face first into the stone-cold, hard truths and effects of qualified immunity.

— As a case study we’ll examine the fact pattern in a case called Betts v Brennan whereby an officer was sued for using his taser on a non-compliant motorist.

— We examine and amplify on the historic background of the concept of qualified immunity.

— Drilling down on the original intent, pro’s/con’s and purposes of the law.

— Search out how this doctrine, for lack of a better description, has become “twisted and perverted”, providing what for all intents and purposes is a never-ending “get out of jail free card” to members of law enforcement (and other governmental agents) — even when they violate the law.

We share inconvenient truths how qualified immunity (as it has been regularly implemented):

— erodes justice and public trust

— blocks accountability

— sets an unreasonably high legal barrier

— serves to further injure those who have already been injured — as victims must identify a near-identical precedent, meaning they have to cite a similar case that a prior victim experienced to challenge misconduct, as we mentioned, an often “insurmountable legal hurdle”.

As education is always a foundational pillar of Light ‘Em Up, we introduce you to the concept of Respondeat superior: A legal doctrine and Latin term that literally means, “let the master respond”.

It holds employers liable for the actions of their employees — which is also known as vicarious liability.

And we empower you with six of the Supreme Court’s landmark decisions that have further defined and carved out this judicial doctrine since its inception by the Warren Court.

This episode is jam-packed with rock-solid research and information regarding the legal concept of qualified immunity. After today, after tuning in, you will speak with authority about the topic — forever setting you head and shoulders above and apart from everyone else — who speak without knowing.

Tune in and be educated and empowered you with the facts, not fiction!

Follow our sponsors: Newsly & Feedspot.

We want to hear from you!

Welcome to this super-charged, explosive episode of Light ‘Em Up.

We're currently being downloaded in 119 countries. We tackle the topics that touch your lives!

On this episode we examine how our First Amendment (freedom of speech) and due process rights can be stripped from us and violated in a rapid series of cascading events that ultimately put our freedom and liberties in grave jeopardy.

We travel to Michigan to speak with our special guest, Alison Reedy, the mother of young Dillon Reedy.

The following events unfolded at Huron High School in New Boston, Michigan on December 8th, 2021.

This is a case that every parent of any school child anywhere across the nation should be extremely concerned about.

Imagine sending your 14-year-old son to school in the morning and by the afternoon he’s been arrested, never Mirandized (according to his mother) taken in hand cuffs to the juvenile detention facility where he was processed into the system and issued a state (juvenile) criminal ID number — and forced to submit to a mugshot — ALL for something he did not do.

The fact pattern showed that in a brief conversation with another student in class, Dillon was accused by the classroom teacher of making a terroristic threat to “shoot up” the school.

The teacher incorrectly overheard what she thought was a threat. She later allegedly admitted that she never herself felt threatened, according to Alison.

From there, common sense went AWOL.

Dillon was “in big trouble”— the school secretary said to his mom — when she called to inform Alison to come to the school immediately. Wrongfully accused, wrongfully charged. Let down by a host of adults who should have been able to understand the difference between a credible threat and one that was not credible.

This is a textbook case of a “rush to judgment” by over half a dozen school, municipal and county professionals and politicians, as well as the Huron School Board, any of which should have known better than to proceed with this case.

Initial news reports regarding this incident were defaming, libelous and salacious and most importantly WRONG! Alison maintains that the county prosecutor was “rogue” … as the county was in possession of evidence that exonerated her son — yet, they chose willingly to suppress and overlook those crucial facts.

“Negligence on all sides, a biased expulsion hearing and two off-record plea deals,” Alison stated.

No one desires to see any violence on any school campus. However, this zero-tolerance policy for even uttering the words “shoot” or “gun” is an unconstitutional kneejerk reaction by the legislature and has led school administrators to make rash and very costly decisions concerning student discipline.

The truth matters. Facts matter. Dillon Reedy’s rights matter!

If this happened to our guest and her son, certainly it can happen to you and your family.

After hearing the fact pattern in this case you’ll ask yourself:

— Is this America?

— Is the First Amendment still intact and applicable?

— How can abuses such as this take place, everyday across our nation?

Tune in to hear all of the explosive details. Follow our sponsors: Newsly & Feedspot.

You can follow Alison on Facebook. Her group is called: My Son on the Alter.

We want to hear from you!

Happy New Year, we welcome you back to Light ‘Em Up!

This is our 2nd installation of our brand-new 6th season! A double dip this month.
Who’s listening to us in Mozambique? We’re actively being downloaded in 117 countries, globally!

On this no holds barred, explosive, investigative, educational episode — we once again, shine the antiseptic light of the truth as we deliver this in-depth investigation that is focused on de-escalation of aggression as it relates to law enforcement activities.

We ask rhetorically, “Who will police the police”? Oversight of law enforcement is necessary in the 21st century.

In Latin this phrase translates to “Quis custodiet Ipsos custodes”. Literally, it means “Who shall guard the guards?

We hear the term “de-escalation of aggression” so often now-a-days.
What does it really mean?

In theory, de-escalation training has been widely implemented by U.S. law enforcement agencies in the wake of adverse public reaction to a rash of recent controversial police use of force (UoF) incidents.

George Floyd, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castille, Eric Garner, just to name a few.

How is it effectively put into practice on a daily basis, or is it really being employed or implemented regularly, at all?

The essence of de-escalation involves:

— Engaging the person with empathy and reserving judgement
— Maintaining a calming presence and
— Setting limits, but picking your battles

Our learning concepts for this episode include:

Educating you about the essentials of the de-escalation process that can aide you at:

— work
— home (in your interpersonal relationships) and
— in the mean streets

— We take a close up look at: Graham v. Connor | 490 U.S. 386 (1989) as it applies overall to the de-escalation process.

And:

Examine the origins of “officer induced jeopardy” and the ground-breaking ICAT training (Integrating Communication Assessment & Tactics) for the purposes of de-escalating a situation.

And:

The “comply or die” mentality that often plagues these high stress encounters with the public – especially and disproportionately encounters with individuals of color.
“Officer induced jeopardy” is often the culprit in many violent encounters with the public. An officer can’t pick a fight — end it with bullets and then claim self-defense — but they do this with regularity.

This is the essence of officer induced jeopardy.

We’ll examine the Miami Beach, Florida Police Department’s body worn camera (bwc) video footage of the recent arrest of U.S. Olympic sprinter and bronze medalist in the Summer Paris Games, Fred Kerley, and the high profile, rough arrest of Miami Dolphins star wide receiver, Tyreek Hill.

And examine the Akron, Ohio Police Department’s shooting of Jazmir Tucker, a 15-year-old high school freshman — with a high-powered assault rifle.

You’ll hear the exclusive audio of these high-profile arrests as we share the fact pattern in these cases as our case studies.
Tune in to hear all of the explosive details.
Follow our sponsors: Newsly, Feedspot.

We want to hear from you!

Happy New Year to each and every one of you!
Welcome to Season 6 episode 1 of Light ‘Em Up!

We launch 2025 with exciting news! We’re actively being downloaded in 117 countries, globally!

Without fear or favor — we follow the facts wherever they lead us.
We present the facts not the fiction that drive and support our theories forward!

We’ll shine the antiseptic light of the truth as we deliver this in-depth investigation that started some 14 months ago as we began to march heavily into the election season of 2024.

We’ll take an up-close and personal historic look at the United States’ oldest domestic terrorist organization — the Ku Klux Klan — and how some of what you are hearing these days from many MAGA Republicans — even from the recent victor in the presidential election, Donald J. Trump — harkens back to the goals and aspirations of the very same night riders — who burned crosses and terrorized Black people and pretty much anyone or anything that moved after the Civil War that wasn’t like them. White, nativist and Protestant.

Terror, vigilantism and murder were the Klan’s calling card.
We’ll look at the historic foundation of the Klan.

Like it or not, agree or not, the similarities between the 1920s Ku Klux Klan and Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement are stark and marked. Both movements have preached the centrality of being anti-immigrant. Both have been rooted in white supremacy. Both had and have a dark side of associated hate crimes. Both have wrapped themselves in the flag and pretended to be the most patriotic and pro-American.

Originally the Ku Klux Klan was established innocuously enough as a social organization by six ex-Confederate officers in the small Southern town of Pulaski, Tennessee.

In the spring or early summer of 1866, six men gathered one evening in the Pulaski law office of Judge Thomas M. Jones, the father of one of the founders, to create their new “fraternity”.

In 1867 former Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest became the first “Grand Wizard" (national leader) of the order.

The transformed Klan was to be organized along military lines in a rigid hierarchy with leaders elected at each level.

A Grand Cyclops was to be the leader of a local den, or chapter.

— Above him was a Grand Giant in charge of all dens in a county, who in turn was answerable to a Grand Titan.

— A Grand Titan reigned over a Congressional District, and in charge of the whole state was a Grand Dragon.

— They created an organization patterned after a previously prominent college fraternity, Kuklos Adelphon.

They adopted the basic ritual of this fraternity with some changes. They took the first part of the name, Kuklos, Greek for circle or band, altered it slightly to Kuklux and added Klan for alliterative appeal.

Thus, the Ku Klux Klan was born.

With our investigation, we submit that to understand MAGA, the Klan must be considered as a formative background influence.

MAGA didn’t spring full-blown from the mind of “stable genius” Donald Trump.

Many Americans love and strive to hide the deep-seated racism which is part of our history, and that is the case with the Klan. In the early 20th century, the Klan was far more influential than is now recognized.

Tune in to hear all of the explosive details.

Follow our sponsors: Newsly, Feedspot and Dayquil Vapo-Cool

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As we close out another fantastic year filled with one accomplishment after another for “Light ‘Em Up” — which included new sponsorships — and new underwriters — we wanted to focus on what is most important to us other than searching out the truth.

We wanted to take some special time to recognize you, our listeners for your TSL (time spent listening) to us throughout this past year.

We thank you for another fantastic year of growth and achievements and express our appreciation for your wonderful engagement and your role in helping us grow to 115 countries globally as we close out Season 5.

We never thought this kind of success would be something that we could attain, and we never were concerned about our growth at the inception of this project.

Initially we set out to tell the truth about topics of importance in the U.S. criminal justice system — and look what it has become!

We have been able to advocate for so many people.

The corporate plan is to take the remainder of the year off in order to rest for a week or so, recover and enjoy some quality time with our families.

We then will begin the process for Season 6 of Light 'Em Up where we strive to achieve new goals and break even more records with the reach of our podcast.

Also, to add more sponsors and underwriters.

The truth is under attack — and is worth defending!

We have labored tirelessly to dig deep, vast and wide to bring you a special insight that you really won’t find anywhere else regarding the U.S. criminal justice system.

We're loyal, consistent and dedicated to you, our listeners. We are truly here for you and because of you!

Our commitment to you here on Light 'Em Up is that we’ve endeavored to tackle real topics that touch your daily lives.

We’ve worked tirelessly to try to be the "Voice of the people"

Please consider joining our Criminal Justice Foundation Justice Rolls Down and its page found on Facebook as well as our worldwide presence on YouTube at: Rizzo's Protective Group.

Here is our complete catalogue. Here is our last full episode of the year regarding the conducted energy weapon known better as the Taser. Are they "less-lethal"? Do they Save Lives & Reduce Civilian Shootings or Facilitate Cardiac Arrests and are used in a Reckless, Punitive Manner?

This advocacy piece irritated a lot of people in law enforcement but was wildly popular and downloaded at a record (for us) and at a tremendous rate/amount.

Thank you to Feedspot — online at Feedspot.com as we are featured in their top 50 poll of the 50 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: 50 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts You Must Follow in 2024 (feedspot.com)

And for all your news and current affairs check out our friends at Newsly by visiting https://newsly.me. Use the promo code L1GHTEMUP to launch your 10% savings.

We thank you and we look forward to you joining us in 2025!

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad! Buon Natale & Happy Hanukkah and a Happy and Prosperous New Year to each and every one of our listeners.

You'll hear from us early on in January 2025.

Executive Producer
Phil Rizzo

We want to hear from you!