Vetted News
Honest Politics
Community Organizing
“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually” -James Baldwin
About Us
The inception of The Rundown began in August of 2016 with it's primary feature, the podcast. Chris Baugh, Eddie Reyes, and Anson Smith had been frustrated with friends and colleagues who primarily only got their news from 'echo chambers' --a source or platform whose information only reinforces their existing views, potentially as an unconscious exercise of confirmation bias-- and felt the imperative need to offer them an alternative news & opinion resource that was strictly based on factual information and statistics from reputable sources. Since their initial target audience was only their immediate friends who frequently shared inaccurate or patently false political memes, they were pleasantly surprised to see their $0 advertisement budget investment begin to slowly grab the attention of people from around the world...thanks internet.
The years following the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election have seen our elected leaders trade good faith & civil discourse for cronyism & tribalism. We've seen the Press, the bedrock of every Democracy, vilified for simply reporting the stark truth. Make no mistake: This is a country we love dearly --a country who possesses great wealth and power, and the ability to use it's influence to completely alter global norms-- and as such we understand the importance of being able to criticize it when we feel the government is doing harm. We must never forget that Lady Liberty has stood in New York Harbor for over 130 years, as a symbol of peace, safe harbor, and hope, to all who seek her out. It is our duty as citizens to protect those ideals.
The plain reality is The Rundown is still an extremely small blip on very few people's radar, and we recognize that, as is evident with our self-deprecating humor. Our hope is more people will join us to build an online community to compile various resources for the purpose of helping organize, support, & better arm one another with information to improve ourselves and our communities.
Our singular goal has always been to inform the public using vetted information that has been collected from legitimate & respected sources. It's simple: News and reasonable opinion, based on facts.
With a dose of humor for good measure.
“The people are the only censors of their governors: and even their errors will tend to keep these to the true principles of their institution. To punish these errors too severely would be to suppress the only safeguard of the public liberty. The way to prevent these irregular interpositions of the people is to give them full information of their affairs thro’ the channel of the public papers...” -Thomas Jefferson
in the WEST COAST
Chris Baugh
Writer/Co-founder/Co-host
Chris is a long time California resident by way of Georgia. His vast knowledge of the legislative process and politics in general makes him a highly prized information resource to many. He works tirelessly to educate people on the necessity to be involved in the political process, as well as helping them to understand an exercise their Constitutional rights. He earned his degree in Political Science and is very active in local California politics.
In his free time he enjoys Sports (especially his Georgia Bulldogs), literary works like those by Dickens, blogs by Charlie Pierce, movies, TV, music, live theater, and experiencing other cultures. He enjoys the comfort of a good Kentucky Bourbon.
In addition to many other important issues facing the world, Chris is an especially big defender of the Environment, Civil Rights, and Education.
in the MIDWEST
Anson Smith
Researcher/Co-founder/Co-host
A New Englander by birth and Coloradan by choice, Anson is the resident encyclopedia; a virtual walking-talking history book. His knowledge of geopolitics, numerous world cultures, technology, economics, and U.S. politics is indispensable. He earned his degree in East Asian Studies, with a focus on Japanese Culture, and a Masters degree in Management Information Systems with a specialization in Business Intelligence.
On his down time he enjoys reading, hiking, kayaking, cooking, traveling, trivia, and board games. He wants it to be on official record that he's a Die hard Red Sox fan and despises the Yankees because they have no soul.
In addition to many other important issues facing the world, Anson is an especially big defender of Poverty Advocacy, Gun Control Advocacy, Civil rights, and Education.
in the EAST COAST