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Meet in the Middle
The fourth Tuesday of every month from 4-5 p.m.

Meet in the Middle is a public affairs show where local thought leaders with different perspectives share dialogue on complex issues. The hope is for listeners to gain new insights and to inspire freedom of expression in tomorrow’s voices.

Latest Episodes
  • This month’s show of Meet in the Middle is titled: 'Garfield County Dems and Republicans - Searching for Middle Ground Between its Local Leaders.' As the saying goes, "all politics are local." There is no question that Democrats and Republicans disagree on many issues, but is there any common ground? Guests Greg Rippy and Debbie Bruell, Chairs of the Garfield County Republicans and Democrats respectively, will share thoughts on local issues, party extremism, and why common ground even matters.
  • This month's episode of the Meet in the Middle show is titled ‘Abortion – the If, Who, Where, When, and Why’ with guest Sandi Kister. What are the primary arguments for and against abortion? Should it be legal and if so, should it be up to the states, Congress, or the Supreme Court to decide? Or is the right already embedded in the constitution? What’s the data say on who, where, and when? Come prepared with an open mind.
  • This month's episode of Meet in the Middle is titled ‘Immigration Policy v. Reality – Where does the Rubber Meet the Road?’ Immigration has been an especially hot topic for a few years, and recently it’s made headlines in Carbondale with the arrival of more than 80 Venezuelan migrants. On the show, Dan and Alex Sanchez, founder and CEO of Voces Unidas, discuss the drivers, the impacts, and the benefits of immigration nationally and locally.
  • On this episode of Meet in the Middle, Dan and Bente will reflect on the shows of 2023, what nuggets of wisdom can be extracted from those conversations, and how the topics relate to state-wide issues and trends. They’ll pull on the common threads of shows including political discourse, freedom of speech, leadership, and the other components of being good stewards of democracy.
  • This month's Meet in the Middle show is titled “Israeli – Palestinian Conflict – What is it Teaching Us?” Host Dan Richardson and guest Stew Tabin will discuss why this war has been referred to as 19th century idealism, driving a 20th century conflict, in a 21st century world. They’ll explore how other global players fit into the conflict, and if and how holding two separate but equal narratives about the conflict is possible.
  • This episode of the Meet in the Middle show is titled “Freedom, sustainability, identity, and civility through the eyes of a thoughtful high school student.” Host Dan Richardson and Roaring Fork High School Junior Gus Richardson (no relation) will challenge each other on these topics, and perhaps what it takes to achieve and sustain these lofty ideals.
  • This month's Meet in the Middle show is titled ‘What Does It Mean to “Reach Across the Aisle”?’ Dan and his guest Russ Andrews, 3rd Congressional District candidate, engineer, financial advisor, veteran, and community volunteer, will discuss some thorny topics, the challenges of balancing strong opinions with finding common agreement, and what it means to compromise in today’s world.
  • The theme of this episode of Meet in the Middle is ‘Guns in America: Armed or Dangerous?’ Dan and his guest Jennifer Carlson, professor, MacArthur fellow and author of 3 books on the topic, will discuss the stories and the data behind America’s dogged debate on gun rights and its growing culture of gun violence. Listen in and decide for yourself whether the benefits outweigh the dangers of not infringing on our right to keep and bear arms.
  • Has the Supreme Court lost its way, or is it right on course? This month on Meet in the Middle, host Dan Richardson speaks with Bill McSwain, former Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney from 2018-2021, Republican gubernatorial candidate in the 2022 primaries in Pennsylvania, and current practicing attorney. They discuss how the Supreme Court works, and dig into what McSwain believes is working well, what's not, and why.
  • Human Consciousness: A Means or an End? Meet In the Middle host Dan Richardson speaks with Nicholas Vesey, Minister at the Aspen Chapel.