In Episode 47 of Politics with Pan, Pan welcomes Angel Carrol, criminal justice advocate, content creator, and Ground Game TX board member, for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with her story and ends with a ballot measure Houston voters are deciding right now.

Angel opens up about her life in the system: arrested for the first time at 10 and put in a youth prison without ever being convicted, and at 15 or 16 certified as an adult facing two to four years after a school incident spiraled. An attorney and a diversion program changed her path, and she explains how that experience fuels everything she does, including Raise the Age, her work on adultification bias and the school-to-prison pipeline, and helping pass the CROWN Act in Austin and then statewide with Representative Rhetta Bowers.

From there, the conversation turns to the Houston Freedom Act (Prop A) and the campaign behind it. Angel walks through Ground Game, the nonprofit and PAC founded in 2021 in Austin, and how its 40,000-signature petition made it to Houston's November 4 ballot. She breaks down what the act actually does: making Class A and B misdemeanor marijuana possession the lowest enforcement priority so simple possession means a ticket instead of jail, favoring diversion over arrest, ordering a one-time audit of five years of marijuana enforcement with annual public reports, and banning no-knock warrants by requiring officers to announce themselves and wait at least 15 seconds, a direct response to the Harding Street raid.

The two dig into why it's needed: low-level marijuana arrests have reportedly gone up by more than 1000% under Mayor Whitmire despite claims that it's not a priority, it costs about $400 a day to jail someone, and existing diversion programs are limited, discretionary, and don't reach everyone. Angel is blunt about what the act is not, it does not legalize marijuana, and about where she wants Texas to go next, from prison air conditioning to ending slave labor behind the walls.

Personal stories anchor the whole episode. Pan shares his own experience being roughed up by police at 16 in California, and Angel tells the story of a late-night traffic stop outside a coffee shop where officers pointed guns at her over a rolling stop and assumed she was a Black man, a moment she says still haunts her, and one that shapes how she sees policing, community policing done right in Precinct 7, and the police union. They also touch on Black misleadership, education and school vouchers, the politics of weed and why the community's fear of it is misplaced, who actually supports the Houston Freedom Act including Lt. Gov. nominee Vikki Goodwin, and why Dan Patrick's anti-THC policies matter in this election.

It closes the way the episode does: go vote before early voting ends, "vote like your life depends on it, because it does", and remember that our electeds work for us.

📅 Early Voting: Oct. 19–30

🗳️ Election Day: Nov. 3

🔴 LIVE every THURSDAY at 8:30 PM

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Black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party, casting the pivotal 92% voting block, and in this episode of Politics with Pan, three of Houston's most influential Black women in politics sit down to talk about rage voting, judicial integrity, and the fight for the future of public education in Texas.Host Christian "Pan" is joined by master organizer Hon. Audrie Lawson Evans, Dr. Darlene Breaux, Alief ISD School Board President and candidate for Texas House District 149, and Judge Katherine Thomas, the youngest sitting district judge in Texas history and Judge of the 184th District Court.Early voting in Harris County is in full swing, and the mood at the polls is electric. Judge Thomas calls it "rage voting": people showing up mad, fed up, and determined to see change, with lines forming by 9:00–9:30 AM, voters bringing chairs and umbrellas, and young voters turning out in numbers not seen in 2024. The panel also gives credit to Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth for delivering on-time, trustworthy results, and explains why Texas has a voter turnout problem, not a voter registration problem.Then the conversation turns to power and representation: why Black women deserve to lead at the head of the table, not just have a seat at it, and how the historic 2018 wave of 19 Black women judges in Harris County transformed the judiciary. Judge Thomas and Hon. Audrie Lawson Evans break down the misinformation behind the "soft on crime" attacks on Democratic judges, why judicial canons prevent sitting judges from defending themselves, and the fact that crime is down in Harris County, as even Governor Greg Abbott has acknowledged. Plus, a practical voter toolkit for researching judges on your ballot, from the Houston Bar Association judicial preference poll to live-streamed courtrooms and League of Women Voters guides.Dr. Breaux delivers a urgent warning about school vouchers in Texas: $11,000 to $30,000 per student diverted from public school districts, 70% of voucher recipients already attending private schools, districts adopting deficit budgets, and state leadership pushing another $2+ billion for vouchers. With civics and PE cut and books banned, she shares how families and communities can supplement education through faith institutions and weekend schools, following the model of Asian and African immigrant communities.The episode wraps with rapid fire: the most underrated Black woman in Houston politics (Councilwoman Martha Castex-Tatum of District K), why the Democratic Party needs a "one band, one sound" united front, the one-word answers Bright, Necessary, and Strong, 10-year hopes for Harris County, and the panel's endorsed candidates on this year's ballot.Black women, the ballot, and the fight for public education, this is a conversation every Texas voter needs to hear before heading to the polls.📅 Early Voting: Oct. 19–30🗳️ Election Day: Nov. 3🔴 LIVE every THURSDAY at 8:30 PMFOLLOW & LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS:Hon. Audrie Lawton-Evans: https://www.instagram.com/audrielawtonevans/?hl=enJudge Katherine Thomas: https://www.instagram.com/judgekatherinethomas/?hl=enhttps://thomasforjudge.com/Dr. Darlene Breaux:https://www.instagram.com/darlenebreauxtx/?hl=enhttps://darlenebreaux.com/📌 Follow Politics With Pan:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@politicswithpanclipsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/politicswithpan/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587471566816#BlackWomenInPolitics #BlackWomenLead #HarrisCounty #TexasElection #EarlyVoting #SchoolVouchers #PublicEducation #DemocraticParty #TexasPolitics #VoterEducation #BlackVotesMatter #USPolitics #Houston #HTX #HarrisCountyJudge #TexasHouse #VotingRights #Houston #PoliticsWithPan

Houston politics is in the middle of a changing of the guard.

On this episode of Politics with Pan, host Pan sits down with communications strategist Shea Jordan Smith for a real, unfiltered conversation about where the city goes from here. From the legacies of Sheila Jackson Lee and Sylvester Turner, to the young wave of leaders stepping up — Dolores Lozano, Christian Menefee, and the State House candidates on the ballot right now — they break down what Houston's political future actually looks like.

The conversation also covers the stuff nobody else says out loud: the fear-mongering ads flooding the feed, why kitchen-table issues (gas prices, property taxes, Medicaid) beat culture wars every time, the real story behind the James Talarico vs. Jasmine Crockett primary, what political creators actually do behind the scenes, and the big question, who's next on the 2027 Houston City Council horizon.

Plus: election week energy, rapid-fire questions, and an NGO Spotlight on The Montrose Center and the work they do for LGBTQ+ youth in Houston.

Mark your calendar:

📅 Early Voting: Oct. 19–30

🗳️ Election Day: Nov. 3

🔴 LIVE every THURSDAY at 8:30 PM

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Shea Jordan Smith

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In this episode of Politics with Pan, host Christian Alexander and CiErra break down MLK's 1967 question and whether Black institutions have ever answered it, starting with the Nicole Hannah-Jones school experiment, the New York Times writer who sent her daughter to an under-resourced public school instead of using her family's means, betting that affluent Black families could uplift failing schools by their presence. Pan and CiErra debate whether that's a radical act of community investment or a risky sacrifice, and whether the daughter was a pawn in her parents' experiment.

Pan and CiErra dig into the school choice debate, public school vs. charter school vs. micro schools, and the Toure controversy over sending Black kids to PWIs and private schools to "navigate whiteness." They break down the broken promise of integration, how it opened the capital pool while creating a hyper-individualism that left the community behind, and why MLK's call for Black institutions to organize for economic mobility still hasn't produced a Black Houston think tank. CiErra also delivers the Three Earths Theory of radical imagination, they cover 2026's book bans, even Where the Wild Things Are got pulled for being "too dark", and Pan explains why real solutions like Saturday Black history schools, resource-pooling coalitions, and a welcome network for Black families moving to Houston matter more than a thousand turkey drives.

Then CiErra shouts out The Black School in New Orleans' 7th Ward, Joe and Shawnie's organization teaching radical activism through art, which is opening its new building this Saturday, and Houston folks can join HBAD for civic engagement at their next meeting on October 20th. Visit christiantalexander.com to watch the show live, catch past episodes, and access the full voter resource hub.

They say send your kids to the school that gets them the best shot. I say if we can't get it together for the babies, what we gonna get it together for? Support The Black School's opening, check your civic engagement calendar, and pull up Thursday.

📅 Mark your calendar:

The Black School grand opening in New Orleans: October 10th

HBAD civic engagement meeting: October 20th

🔴 LIVE this week THURSDAY at 8:30 PM

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In this episode of Politics with Pan, host Christian Alexander breaks down what in the hell is going on in America, from Trump's proposed $100 million Triumphal Arch near the Lincoln Memorial, to the fight over renaming the USS Doris Miller after a sitting president, to Pete Hegseth's controversial new Religious Affairs office at the Pentagon that critics say erases the separation of church and state. This is the political commentary you need before the midterms.Pan digs into the economy with sky-high gas prices and grocery prices, ICE raids devastating the agriculture industry, and why Trump is telling Republican voters to "act like I'm on the ballot" heading into the 2026 midterm elections. He also delivers a frank conversation about vote-splitting in Black political races, why so many Black candidates entering the same race costs the community real political power, and what it takes to build lasting Black political power in Texas and beyond.Then Pan takes a point of personal privilege to launch his brand-new website, christiantalexander.com, home of the Black Voter Hub, a one-stop resource for Black voters in Harris County and Fort Bend County to check voter registration, find polling places, look up important election dates, discover Black candidates, and get involved as an election worker or precinct chair. Visit christiantalexander.com to watch the show live, catch past episodes, and access the full voter resource hub.The show also covers the data center boom in Texas, where data centers have poured more than $343 million into communities across the state for infrastructure, schools, and emergency services, and why Pan warns rural communities that this PR money comes with water depletion, noise, health risks, and no real economic value. Plus, leaked audio reveals Ken Paxton admitting that Trump's appearance dropped Republican convention numbers, and Pan reacts to taxpayer-funded White House propaganda ads ahead of the midterms, including the claim that "America will never be a communist country" — and Pan's argument that America is actually an oligarchy where the state has been sold to big business.They say America will never be a communist country. I say look at who owns the state. The midterms start October 19b check your registration, find your polling place, and discover Black candidates at christiantalexander.com. 📅 Mark your calendar:Early voting in Harris County: October 19thElection Day: November 3rd🔴 LIVE this week THURSDAY at 8:30 PM📌 Follow Politics With Pan:TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@politicswithpanclips⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/politicswithpan/⁠Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587471566816⁠

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Is Texas finally turning blue? In this episode of Politics and Pain, we break down why the Democrats have a real shot in the 2026 midterm elections and why Texas is more competitive than it has been in years. James Talarico is up in the polls against Ken Paxton, Gina is within striking distance of Greg Abbott, and the Republican Party is showing cracks nobody expected. From the suburban moms in Dallas-Fort Worth walking away from Ken Paxton to Greg Abbott suddenly pausing data centers because he's feeling the heat, something is genuinely shifting in American politics and we're covering all of it.We also get into the story everyone's talking about: Dan Patrick's AI deepfake of Vikki Goodwin and the lawsuit that followed, plus why the Lieutenant Governor's seat might be the most powerful position in the Texas State House. And it's not just Texas. John Fetterman cast the deciding vote in a razor-thin 49-50 Senate showdown, breaking with his own party on a major foreign policy vote while gas and diesel prices are crushing truckers, farmers, and small businesses across the country. We break down what that vote means for working families and why voters on both sides are fed up.This episode also digs into the AI takeover of the job market, why entry-level tech jobs are disappearing, the truth about data centers draining your water and your tax base, and how the Islamic Society of Greater Houston is registering 1,000 voters a week in Harris County. Whether you vote red, blue, or not at all, this episode shows you how the ground is moving under both parties heading into November.Topics covered: Texas midterms 2026, James Talarico vs Ken Paxton, Greg Abbott data center pause, Dan Patrick AI deepfake, Vikki Goodwin for Texas, Fetterman foreign policy vote, rising gas and diesel prices, AI replacing tech jobs, voter registration in Harris County, and the shifting 2026 political landscape.New episodes of Politics and Pain drop every Friday. Subscribe so you never miss the real political talk they won't give you anywhere else.📅 Mark your calendar:Early voting in Harris County: October 19thElection Day: November 3rd🔴 LIVE every Friday at 7PM📌 Follow Politics With Pan:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@politicswithpanclipsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/politicswithpan/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587471566816#TexasPolitics #Midterms2026 #JamesTalarico #TexasElection #KenPaxton #GregAbbott #DanPatrick #VikkiGoodwin #JohnFetterman #GinaHinojosa #Republican #RepublicanParty #DemocraticParty #Democrats #Election2026 #USPolitics #PoliticalPodcast #PoliticsWithPan

Ken Paxton says we're in a "common sense revolution", but common sense for WHO? In this episode of Politics with Pan, host Pan sits down with Shamier Bouie, chair of Houston Black American Democrats, nonprofit leader, and founder of the Community First Institute, to break down the battle for Texas and America's future.We react to Ken Paxton's speech at the RNC event in Dallas where he called James Talarico "the most radical Democrat in Texas history" and declared that if Republicans lose Texas, they lose the "common sense revolution" and America itself. We dig into where that slogan really comes from, tracing it back to Ontario, Canada in the 1990s and even Thomas Paine's famous "Common Sense", and ask whether the rhetoric means anything at all for regular people struggling with affordability, gas prices, healthcare, and housing.Then we compare the two candidates' plans head to head: Ken Paxton's "Protecting the Texas Promise" plan with its $50,000 down payment tax deduction, $25,000 medical expense deduction, and gym membership and Ozempic (GLP-1) tax deductions, versus James Talarico's agenda of raising the minimum wage, expanding overtime pay, universal childcare, canceling medical debt, paid family leave, expanding the child tax credit, down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, and legalizing cannabis in Texas. If you've ever wondered why you make $100K and still feel broke, or why childcare costs $2,200 a month, this conversation is for you.We also cover the wild story of Amir Hassan, the Black Muslim-turned-Christian-nationalist Republican candidate in Michigan who was endorsed by Donald Trump and Senator Tim Scott, and still lost his primary by 20 points to Tom Smith, a man who raised only $2,000, hand-wrote his FEC filing, and dropped out of the race. What does that teach us about the MAGA base, Islamophobia, and the Trump political ecosystem?Plus: what Donald Trump's insults about James Talarico on national television reveal about his base, why voters confuse Trump's "authenticity" with honesty, the Octavia Butler and James Baldwin books everyone needs to read right now, and how Councilwoman Tiffany Thomas is mobilizing Black churches to build real collective power. Pan also talks about the crisis in public education and the idea of church-based micro schools, and Shamir shares the civic education work her organization, the Community First Institute, is doing with young voters in underrepresented communities.At the end of the day, both candidates know you're struggling, the question is which plan actually puts money back in your pocket. Listen to the full episode and decide for yourself.💬 Tell us in the comments: whose plan actually helps YOUR wallet, Paxton's tax deductions or Talarico's wage and childcare agenda?Follow Shamier Bouie:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shamierishere/ Community First Institute: https://www.instagram.com/communityfirstinstitute/Shampups: https://www.instagram.com/shampups_/🔴 LIVE every Friday at 7PM📌 Follow Politics With Pan:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@politicswithpanclipsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/politicswithpan/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587471566816#KenPaxton #JamesTalarico #TexasPolitics #DonaldTrump #CommonSenseRevolution #Republican #Democrat #AmirHassan #BlackPodcast #PoliticalCommentary #TexasSenateRace #MAGA #Election2026 #midtermelections #BlackVoices #BlackCommunity #CivicEducation #TexasNews #USPolitics #PoliticalNews #PoliticsWithPan

In this episode of Politics with Pan, host Pan delivers an unfiltered breakdown of replacement theory, the viral fear of being "replaced" spreading across social media, and what it reveals about the social climate of America less than two months before the election. Pan argues that right-wing figures around the world are using immigration panic to fire up their base, and he traces how the same playbook is playing out in Texas and as far away as Australia, where immigrants are told to assimilate or go home.The episode digs into the Texas Railroad Commissioner race between Bo French and John Rosenthal. Pan reacts to Bo French's viral tweet attacking a University of Texas graduation photo full of Indian students and breaks down why the slogan "Don't Talarico my Texas" is really a dog whistle for keeping Texas safe for right-leaning white Christians. Pan contrasts French with John Rosenthal, a Houston-area engineer and community advocate, and explains why Rosenthal is the candidate Texas needs.Pan pulls the numbers into the conversation with a tweet claiming that in 1970 the white population of Texas was 89 percent and today it is 39 percent. From there, he makes the case that the fight over voting, democracy, and the economy is really a fight to keep whiteness on top, hidden behind dog whistles like small government and states' rights. Pan examines how the same forces pushing replacement theory are now chasing the AI gold rush, dissecting Elon Musk's claim that artificial intelligence will grow the global economy by 20 to 30 percent and questioning who actually benefits. He connects that to the wave of data centers being built in rural, majority-minority Texas towns like Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Refugio, massive concrete structures with no reuse case that drain local water and enrich only a handful of people.The episode also confronts Greg Abbott's pitch that Texas is the best state for business, asking why the governor never mentions whether Texas is a great state to have a baby, raise a family, or attend a properly funded public school. Pan contrasts the state's obsession with attracting business with the realities facing everyday Texans and points to leaders like Gina Hinojosa and James Talarico as the change the state needs. He then zooms out to national politics, covering the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America, why the DSA is winning voters traditional Democrats are losing because they cannot be bought by dark money, and how the American government has become for sale to the highest bidder.Pan turns to the 2028 election and makes his predictions, analyzing AOC's surge in prediction markets, whether America would elect a Democratic socialist Puerto Rican woman, and why he believes the Democratic establishment will fall back on propping up a tall, slender white man with good hair. He reacts to JD Vance pleading for another chance, Ted Cruz reflecting on Trump's attacks, and explains why he believes the pendulum will swing back to the left in 2028. Pan also walks through the real scenarios by which Donald Trump could technically pursue a third term, from a vice presidential loophole to suspending the Constitution during a manufactured emergency, and argues that voting out his cronies is the only firewall.The conversation closes with the fights hitting close to home. Pan breaks down the NCAA's save college sports push as an attempt to strip Black and brown athletes of NIL money and generational wealth, critiques the corporate greed driving mining in national parks and the destruction of natural resources for profit, and asks the question at the heart of it all: when is enough, enough? Pan ends with a direct challenge to viewers, that local elections matter more than federal ones, that no one is coming to save you, and that you have to be the change you want to see.📅 Mark your calendar:Early voting in Harris County: October 19thElection Day: November 3rd🔴 LIVE every Friday at 7PM