The Real Mike Rowe

Today’s guest was influenced in large part by his Mamaw, a devoted Christian woman with an unrepentant potty-mouth, and the bestselling memoir that made her, and him, famous. I'm reminded of the first saw him interviewed, shortly after the presidential election in 2016, by a panel of flabbergasted talking heads on CNN who were trying, desperately it seemed, to make sense of Trump’s unlikely victory. As you might recall, most of the pollsters got that one wrong, and a lot of deeply confused journalists were wondering why Trump won in Ohio, and in many so other places where Hillary Clinton was expected to easily prevail. The author of Hillbilly Elegy offered a thoughtful explanation, which came down to the simple fact that a lot of Americans in a lot of flyover states felt overlooked and underserved and taken for granted by their elected officials. Coincidentally, around the same time, I was invited on to Meet the Press to answer the same question. Prior to the election, I had predicted that the outcome was going to be a lot closer than people thought, and Chuck Todd wanted to know if the men and women I’d highlighted on Dirty Jobs might have provided me with some unique insight. After the interview, Kim Strossel – a reporter at the @WSJ who was also on the panel - asked me if I’d read Hillbilly Elegy or met the author. “Not yet,” I said. “But I just saw him on @CNN and liked what he had to say.” “There’s an obvious parallel,” she said. “You’ve gotten famous working alongside a lot of forgotten Americans, and he’s gotten famous writing about them. You two would probably have a lot to discuss.” Ten years later, it seems that Kim was right. I do in fact, have a lot to discuss with the author of Hillbilly Elegy, including his latest bestseller, Communion, which he’s been writing for the last decade. I suspect he’d have published it sooner had he not been distracted with his run for the Ohio Senate and subsequent elevation to Vice President of the United States. But regardless, Communion is finally available, and @JDVance has dropped by to discuss it, along various matters of national importance. Our whole conversation is here. bit.ly/TWIHI493JDVance Hopefully, Mamaw is watching…

Get tickets to watch Young Washington in theaters here. bit.ly/TWIHIYoungWash… In theaters now.

Not that you asked, but I have a few quick recommendations for some worthwhile viewing and listening this week, beginning with my conversation with @JonErwin13 the terrific director of a really good movie called Young Washington, which premiered in theaters on Independence Day. Modesty aside, the conversation is excellent, the movie is thrilling, and I encourage you to enjoy both at your leisure. We say it all the time, but it’s worth repeating – Washington was without question, the most indispensable American to ever live. It’s super interesting to see what shaped him as a young man, and the mistakes he made on the road to his remarkable presidency, especially in the wake of our semi quincentennial. Also, though I had nothing to do with it, I heartily recommend another very patriotic movie called “Pressure,” that tells the weirdly riveting story of a very unpopular weather forecast from a very disagreeable meteorologist whose instincts might very well have altered the outcome of WWII. I have no idea how this one got greenlit, because the treatment must have looked ridiculous on the page... “A WWII thriller that takes place almost entirely in a drawing room, wherein two meteorologists of differing opinions argue over the best day for Eisenhower to invade Europe.” There’s no way this movie should be as good as it is, but it is. And Brendan Fraser as Eisenhauer is terrific. And finally, I just got around to listening to @pmarca Marc Andreessen on @joerogan. It’s another three-hour marathon that was recorded a month ago, but don’t be dissuaded. This is a must-watch for anyone who is open to the possibility that data centers and AI might not be the encroaching Armageddon that so many believe it to be. Or at least curious to understand how the genie got out of the bottle, and why it will never be returned. (I listened to it at 1.75 speed, which takes some getting used to, but knocks the running time down to less than two hours. You can also start listening to an hour in, and still come away with a lot of useful insight.) My conversation with Jon Erwin is here. bit.ly/TWIHI492JonErw… Get tickets to watch Young Washington in theaters here. bit.ly/TWIHIYoungWash… Pressure is somewhere on Amazon Prime. Just google Rogan & Andreessen. You’re welcome!

As promised, here are the names of the first round of work ethic scholarship recipients. If your name is on the list, congratulations. If your name is not on the list, please apply again. We're still accepting applications.   We awarded 322 work ethic scholarships in the first of four rounds this year, for a total of $3 million. As always, scholarship awards varied, ranging from $500 to $34,000, with an average award of $9,100.00. This batch of recipients are collectively pursuing 23 different skilled trades in 45 states. Our goal is to award a total $10 million in scholarships this year, and thanks to our sponsors, we have the funds to make that happen. That doesn’t mean we’ll award the full $10 million. Despite the pressing need for skills tradespeople nationwide, our program is still rooted in work ethic, and we don’t grade on a curve. Truth is, we could lower our standards and give the money away a lot faster, but that’s not how it works here. The application process and the requirements therein are not negotiable, and I remain very stingy with the money we raise from our many sponsors.   Speaking of which, a big thanks to our benefactors.   Build Freedom Wells Fargo Fisher Global Foundation Ferguson Cares PureTalk J&K Trash Removal Folds of Honor Berens Foundation Google Montana Knife Company Software Engineering of America Ford Philanthropy BlackRock James & Shirley Rippey Family Foundation Lockheed Martin Suffolk Care Charitable Foundation Turbine X Energy Aligned Data Centers Coign Grady Family Foundation Paul Mitchell Schools   And most of all, to the people on this page—many of whom have supported us for over a decade through a variety of auctions and fundraisers—and the many others who prefer to keep their support anonymous. My foundation wouldn’t exist without you.   Finally, a big thanks to my team. The foundation itself only has only two full-time employees. Everyone else in my company volunteers their time, and this year, they have once again gone above and beyond the call of duty. Mary, Jade, Chuck, Shari, Jennifer, Paige, Libby, Logan, Noah, Charlie, Kristi…thank you all, very much. Now, back to work!

This version of The Star Spangled Banner is dedicated to the 322 men and women who will learn this weekend that they received a work ethic scholarship from MRW. A total of $3 million is being awarded this quarter. Details to follow, later today. In the meantime, please join me and a few of our past recipients in a gentle reminder that our national anthem can - and should - be sung in under a minute. And feel free to sing along!

Profoundly Disconnected, Part 3 Brenda Pfarr writes…Why are people here calling Corey Zach? We know why Mike called Corey Matt, but … well actually no one knows that, really. But where did Zach come from? Tiffany Rizer responds…Brenda Pfarr check the edit history. He said "Zach," and then edited it to "Corey." So not only did he get his name wrong as "Matt," he then got it wrong as "Zach" and had to go in and change it to Corey. HAHAHA! Ladies, I’m sorry to say that Tiffany is correct. I screwed up not once, but twice. I have no excuse, but if I were to make one, I suppose I’d blame this enormous check for $10 million dollars, made out to my foundation, which I was pleased to accept yesterday morning. This check was the reason for my trip to DC, and the subject of my conversation with Mary when I left my phone in the crapper four days ago. It’s not every day that my foundation receives a check this large, and I was somewhat distracted by the prospect of accepting it, especially in The Hall of Heros at The Pentagon, where I can be seen in the attached photo beaming with a rare mix of gratitude and humility. Truth is, this check has been distracting me all week. Not only did it cause me to abandon my phone in a public toilet moments before takeoff and then repeatedly misidentify the man who returned it to me, it will probably cause me to misidentify the people presenting me with this generous donation. Three genuine patriots, who I will now attempt to properly thank. To my right, The Honorable Michael Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. To my left, The Honorable Michael Cadenazzi, Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy. And to his left, Dr. Kristin Schaaf Director of Programs for Warfighting Investments, Resourcing, and Execution. Together, these individuals have spearheaded a long overdue initiative to reinvigorate the skilled trades. The initiative is called @BuildFreedomUS and I am proud to support their efforts, just as they are supporting mine. In short, Build Freedom is both an online resource for job seekers, and a public awareness campaign designed to shine a light on hundreds of thousands of AI-Proof, six-figure jobs currently open in the defense industrial base. These jobs can be found at BuildFreedom.US, along with work ethic scholarships from The Mike Rowe Works Foundation. bit.ly/BuildFreedomUS If you’ve followed my exploits since the Dirty Jobs days, you know that I pitched a similar campaign to Congress in 2011. Back then, the skills gap was wide and getting wider, and I was worried that our workforce was headed for a colossal imbalance. Well, sixteen years later, the government got back to me! And frankly, not a moment too soon. Hundreds of thousands of essential jobs are waiting to be filled, and the DoW is now taking affirmative steps to reinvigorate the skilled trades on a national level. I’m glad they are, and I’m happy to help them spread the word. I’ll have lots more to say about Build Freedom in the coming weeks and months, and if you live in Texas, Pennsylvania, or Michigan, you’ll likely be seeing me all over the place. With luck, the campaign will spread quickly, and the scholarship money I’ve just deposited will be quickly spent and replenished, as we train the next generation of skilled workers our country so urgently needs. It really is an honor to participate in this endeavor, and I want to thank the people in the photo one more time, especially Aliscia Andrews and Matt Draper, who will bear the daily brunt of making Build Freedom a national success. Closing the skills gap is now a matter of national security, and this administration is the first to accept my offer to help make that a reality. Good luck to you all, and Happy Independence Day. (And by “you all,” I include Matt/Zach/Corey, for his/their role in getting me to the Pentagon in time to accept this check. Whatever your name really is, I couldn’t have done it without you.) Carry on, Mike

Profoundly Disconnected, Part 2 I’m surprised it took a whole 24 hours for the Internet to locate Matt, the Good Samaritan in the white tee-shirt who found my smartphone in the bathroom at SFO yesterday morning and returned it to me. If you missed all the excitement, I left my phone on a urinal in Terminal 3 while taking not one, but two very important calls; one from my business partner, and the other from nature. I didn’t realize the phone was no longer with me until the first call was suddenly disconnected a few minutes after I left the bathroom, when my airbuds stopped working - at which point I was a hundred yards away from the toilet and halfway down the jetway. If you want the details of the panic that ensued, the true story is posted below this one. For whatever reason, it struck a chord with the masses and created a weird level of curiosity about the hero in the story, Matt, the man who recovered my lost phone. This photo, which I promised to share if someone tracked it down, was taken on Matt's phone yesterday morning, and recently posted in the comments of the prior tale. I’m sharing it here to not only thank him publicly, but to apologize for identifying him as "Matt." Because apparently, his real name is Corey. Oops. If you read the original tale, you know that I was not in my right mind when my phone was recovered, and desperately late for my flight. I’m sure the man in the white tee-shirt introduced himself as Corey, but I heard “Matt,” so that’s who he became in my story - and in the minds of a few million readers - many of whom have since demanded photographic proof of our encounter. And so, here it is, 24 hours later. For the record, I can attest that the man in the white tee-shirt is in fact the same man who recovered my phone - Corey Zurcher. The attached photo was probably taken by the guy standing next to Corey, but maybe not? I thought someone grabbed a selfie, but the angle here doesn’t look quite right. Whatever - the guy in the white tee-shirt is definitely the guy who returned my phone, and I have no idea who standing next to him. But I'd like to think his name is Matt. Because I'm almost positive I met somebody named Matt yesterday. In any event, Corey Zurcher – thank you! If you see this, feel free to share your version of yesterday's events. My partner, Mary, was still on the line after our connection dropped, and apparently, you guys had a brief but very confusing conversation while I was running through the terminal making unauthorized public service announcements. I’d love to hear your take on that, along with the thrill of finding a smartphone on a public toilet during an active call, and your subsequent conversation with a total stranger who was just trying to figure out what the hell happened to The Dirty Jobs Guy as he was taking a pee at the airport. Thanks again. See you in the friendly skies...

Profoundly Disconnected According to my many masters, I should be using this time on another cross country flight to write something thoughtful about my most recent podcast, or my mom’s latest book, or my grandfather’s extraordinary whiskey, or the newest episode of The Story Behind the Story, or the latest developments with mikeroweWORKS and our new initiative with the Pentagon that’s necessitated today’s trip to our nation’s Capital. But never mind all that. Because the only thing on my mind at the moment, as I hurtle through the friendly skies somewhere over Kansas, is the profoundly unhealthy reliance I’ve developed on my smartphone, and sheer panic that occurs when I lose the friggin’ thing. Like so many of life’s unfortunate moments, this one unfolded in the men’s room at SFO. I was standing at the urinal, offloading a few liters of Pete’s Coffee, and chatting on the phone with my business partner. Mary Sullivan was already in DC, and we were trying to coordinate a number of meetings after my arrival at National airport five hours hence. (Thanks to my airpods, I can multitask pretty much anywhere these days, much to Mary’s chagrin.) “Are you in the bathroom?” Mary said. “Did I just hear a toilet flush? Seriously?” After 20 years in business, we don’t have a lot of boundaries. At least, I don’t. “Of course not,” I said. “I just walked past a janitor with a vacuum cleaner. Now, what were you saying?” I put my phone on mute, placed it on the tile shelf above the urinal, and waited patiently for the coffee to make it’s exit complete, as Mary outlined the day’s events. When I finally finished, I flushed the toilet, washed my hands, and left the can in a hurry, fast walking toward my gate. My flight was boarding, and I like to get on early, especially when I’m in the bulkhead. I took the phone off mute and told Mary where to meet me when I got to DC. “You’re breaking up,” she said. “Are we meeting at the hotel or the Pentagon?” “The hotel,” I said. “I’ve got a change into a suit and tie or they’ll never let me in.” “You own a suit,” she said? “Since when?” But then, as I scanned my boarding pass and headed for the jetway, the connection turned to static, and Mary was gone. “Hello? Mary, can you hear me?” For a moment, I assumed she’d hung up on me, a not uncommon occurrence. But then the static returned, and I realized what had happened. My airbuds were out of range, because I’d left my smartphone on the shelf above the urinal. Not smart. I spun around in the jetway and bolted back toward the bathroom, dragging my bags behind me. I was freaking out, but felt a surge of relief when Mary’s voice was back in my ear, through a field of static. “ike?…an’t ear ou…Pentagon…you there?” “Yes, I’m still here! Keep talking! I left my phone in the can!” “I knew you were in the bathroom!” she said. “What’s the matter with you?” I reentered the lavatory and found the urinal I’d utilized just a few minutes before, but the phone was no longer on the shelf. “Crap! My phone’s not where I left it!” “Well, it gotta be close,” said Mary. “I can still hear you!” There was a man standing at the urinal I’d just vacated. Breeching all sorts of bathroom etiquette, I tapped him on the shoulder. “Pardon me,” I said. Did you by any chance notice a smartphone on the shelf?” The man jumped, went briefly off-target, and replied in a language I’m not familiar with. But the man standing next to him answered for him. “Was it an iPhone? Blue case?” “Yes!” I said. “That’s the one. Do you have it?” “No, but I saw the guy who picked it up.” “Guy? What guy? What did he look like?” “White shirt. Ball cap. Tall. He asked if someone had left it behind and then walked out with it.” I ran from the bathroom and into the crowded terminal, searching for a tall guy in a white shirt and ballcap, trying not to think about how complicated my day would become if I had to leave my phone behind. Everything I needed was in that stupid phone. Confirmation numbers, reservation details, and a special code to get me into the Pentagon. How would I call a Lyft once I landed? How would I coordinate with the dozen or so people who were waiting for instructions 3,000 miles away? In my ear, I could still hear Mary’s voice crackling through a field of static, which meant my phone was still nearby, but on the move. But in which direction? To my right, hundreds of travelers were making their way to the exit. To my left, hundreds more were headed to one of thirteen different gates. “Ladies and Gentleman!” I yelled. Did anyone find a smartphone in the men’s room?” Dozens of heads turned on a swivel, curious no doubt, to see what sort of cretin would use a smartphone in the commode. Several people recognized me and walked over to say hello, but no one had my phone. So, I stood on a nearby chair and asked again, this time in my full-on outside voice. “ATTENTION IN THE TERMINAL. DID ANYONE FIND A SMARTPHONE IN THE MEN’S ROOM? IT’S AN IPHONE IN A BLUE CASE WITH A CRACKED SCREEN PROTECTOR! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY! MY PLANE IS ABOUT TO LEAVE AND I’VE LOST MY PHONE!!!” I was struck by the panic in my voice and surprised by my inability to think rationally. If I went to Lost and Found, I’d have to leave and come back through security. There was no time for that, and now, Mary’s voice was no longer in my ear, which meant the person with my phone was getting farther and farther away, but again - in which direction? I ran back to my gate, scanning the crowd for a tall guy in a white shirt with a ball cap. Still no luck. At the gate, I asked the agent to get on the PA to see if anyone had picked up a smartphone that didn’t belong to them. “Certainly,” she said. “When did you last have it?” “Just a few minutes ago,” I said. “I left it in the men’s room.” The agent didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to. Just a slight arch of an eyebrow was enough to convey her disapproval. “Attention in the Terminal. If you’ve found a smartphone just a few minutes ago - in the men’s room - please bring it to Gate E8, immediately.” “Thanks,” I said. “I’m gonna go look for a tall guy in a white shirt and ballcap. Don’t leave without me!” “The doors close in five-minutes, sir.” I left my bags with the agent and ran back to the urinal where all my trouble began, marveling at my level of anxiety. How had I become so reliant on such a small device, and why was I feeling so utterly distraught at the prospect of never seeing it again? I was feeling physically ill, electronically naked, and completely helpless, when I noticed a guy in a white tee-shirt, pacing around in front of the restroom. He wasn’t that tall and he wasn’t wearing a ball cap. Neither was he waving my phone over his head, as I would have done if I’d found a phone in similar circumstances. Nevertheless, I walked up him and said, “Excuse me, but did you happen to find a blue smartphone in the bathroom?” “Holy shit,” he said. “Are you Mike Rowe?” I wasn’t exactly rude, but neither was I the gracious, avuncular version of myself I try to be in public. “Yes,” I said. “I’m Mike Rowe.” “My name’s Matt,” he said. “I grew up watching your show.” “That’s nice,” I said, as we shook hands. “I’m very happy for you. Now, did you find a smartphone or not?” “Yes!” he said. “I did! Is it yours? That’s so crazy! I found Mike Rowe’s smartphone!” “Matt,” I said. “Where is it?” “Oh, I gave it to the gate agent over at E5. It’s the closest gate to the bathroom, so I figured that would be the smartest place to leave it.” I sprinted to Gate E5, twenty feet away, and there it was, on the counter next to the gate agent. I grabbed it and fought back a tear. “Matthew,” I said, “you’re a lifesaver.” “Cool,” he said. “Can I get a selfie?” “Hell, if I had time, I’d hire someone to paint us a portrait.” Matt grabbed a selfie and I sprinted for my gate, where I boarded with several seconds to spare. As I collapsed into the bulkhead, cradling my smartphone, I requested a Bloody Mary before takeoff, and got one. Now, three hours later, I’m somewhere over Kansas, pondering that which keeps us connected, and wondering if should awaken my seatmate, or try to climb over her on my way to the bathroom. Either way, I won’t be taking my phone with me... PS. Matt, if you’re out there, thanks again. Had I thought to grab a selfie I would have shared it here. If you see this, post yours in the comments, and I’ll replace the AI slop posted here...

Reasonable people can disagree about the impact of AI on education, or the wisdom of implementing it in the classroom. Likewise, critics of alternatives to traditional K-12 education are justifiably concerned about the cost and scalability of microschools like Alpha, which is featured in this conversation. But no one can dispute the fact that our current system is in desperate need of an overhaul, or that something must be done to reimagine public education. Personally, I'm intrigued by the results that Alpha is getting. Yes, it's expensive, and not (yet) a practical alternative for many parents whose kids are being failed by the current model. But most good ideas are expensive in the early stage, and get a lot more affordable over time. The bigger issue here, is whether or not the 2-hour learning method is fundamentally sound? The results, so far anyway, are very encouraging. And I'm glad people like @mackenzieprice are pushing the traditional boundaries, and optimistic that AI can play a positive role in how modern education evolves. A short clip is attached. Our whole conversation is here. bit.ly/TWIHI491MacKen… Learn more about Alpha Schools here: hubs.la/Q04m3_r70

If you like this Facebook post from my mother (bit.ly/PeggyonFacebook), you'll love this bonus Father's Day podcast. bit.ly/TWIHI490 And if you love this bonus podcast, you’ll have to buy my mom’s bestselling audiobooks. bit.ly/MomsAudiobooks

Six years ago, Josh Smith was making knives in a garage in Missoula. Today, @Montanaknifeco is operating out of a 51,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, employing more than 100 people, and proving that American manufacturing is alive and well. Josh is one of the finest bladesmiths on earth, but what impresses me most is what he's built—and the jobs he's created along the way. Thanks to sales of The Rocker, MKC has already raised nearly $200,000 for our Work Ethic Scholarship Program. I'm grateful he's chosen to support mikeroweWORKS. Now he's doing it again with this limited-edition Traditions knife. If you're looking for a great blade from a great American company that supports the skilled trades, here's your chance. First come, first served. Quantities are limited. Tonight at 7:00 PM MT. You know you want what's in the box. bit.ly/MKCTraditionsR…

Had a pretty great day in Pittsburgh last week with @SenMcCormickPA who understands workforce better than most politicians, and Wells Fargo, who – when it comes to workforce - continues to put their money where their mouth is. The Senator showed me around his beloved city, and proved to be an excellent guide. We started with breakfast at a legendary local diner called Pamela’s. Me, the Senator, and the head of every trade union in town. Electric, plumbing, carpentry, HVAC…they were all there, and there was much to discuss about the state of work in the Keystone State. Great guys, great conversation, great omelet. From there, we headed over to FerroWorks, the only mill in town that still pours steel. Once upon a time, there were a hundred steel mills like this one, up and down the river. Today, there is only one, but the pride and work ethic on display is impossible to ignore. Beyond their core manufacturing capabilities, FerroWorks is also dedicated to workforce development. The company actively runs metallurgy and metalworking training programs and apprenticeships to help grow the domestic manufacturing workforce. FerroWorks is known primarily for churning out the solid steel knuckles that connect railroad cars. Thousands and thousands and thousands of knuckles, since 1868. I swear, no place on earth looks more like work than a steel mill. From there, we headed over to CCAC, a local community college that’s likewise committed to workforce development. The tour was very impressive. So much state-of-the-art technology, and so much talent on hand. Again – the pride that these teachers take in their work, and the enthusiasm of the students I met…just great. Reminded me of my own alma mater, another community college called Essex, back in the day. After that, I joined a panel discussion with the Senator, my new friend Scott Mautino – who gave us the tour of FerroWorks – and Fernando Revas from @WellsFargo, who casually presented my foundation with a check for $1 million. That money will be earmarked to support workforce development in Pennsylvania. To say I’m grateful to Wells Fargo, and humbled by their ongoing support, would be an understatement. Finally, the Senator took me to lunch at the Capital Grille with a couple dozen CEOs from Pennsylvania’s leading companies. All are intently focused on skilled labor, and all appeared to listen with great interest to what we’re doing at mikeroweWORKS, and what we’re about to do. Suffice it to say, no state is doing more than Pennsylvania to drill down on this issue. Democrat, Republican, union, non-union…everyone has a seat at the table, because everyone has skin in the game. I’m super encouraged to see what’s next. Big thanks to Senator McCormick and Wells Fargo for leading the charge. Mike PS. The guy behind the podium is Manny Gomez, and he completely upstaged me and everyone else during the panel. In short, Manny started as a grinder at FerroWorks seven years ago, and worked his way up to a supervisor, overseeing 120 workers today. He came from a very tough part of town, and worked his way up with a level of determination and work ethic available to anyone, but seldom exercised. Manny is a rockstar, with a story that needs to be told. Also of note, a couple of MRW scholarship recipients who happened to work in the area and dropped by to say hello and make me very proud. Zoey McEleeven applied for a work ethic scholarship last year from mikeroweWORKS, and got one, along with a badass tattoo. (Half woman, half tiger!) She’s working today as a diesel power systems tech who gets to travel all over the country doing what she loves. Jason Taylor was also there, even though his hair was not. Jason was a janitor when he applied several years ago, and today, he’s the lead building tech at Chatham University, overseeing facilities. More importantly, Jason told me that his scholarship from MRW led to a series of domestic events that directly resulted in the birth of his two children. I didn’t ask for details but assume they were named after me, and remain deeply flattered. Like I said, a pretty good day. If you want more, the Pittsburgh Gazette did a nice write-up. Hopefully, it’s not behind a paywall. bit.ly/4vPWUki PPS. Work ethic scholarships currently available at mikeroweWORKS.org. Go get some!

Today I learned about Spontaneous Order, the mind-bending idea that society's most incredible innovations emerge naturally through voluntary cooperation rather than through a centralized master plan. I learned about this phenomenon from my guest, Connor Boyack, who thinks a lot about such things, and had the good sense to cast me in an episode of The Tuttle Twins, the ridiculously popular series of books he dreamed up one day, that has since turned into a ridiculously popular animated series. In this particular episode, Connor allowed me to sing a song about the perils of college debt, which I did to the best of my ability. I’ve wanted to thank him for that opportunity ever since, and congratulate him on launching one of the most consequential animated series of all time, along with a think tank called “Libertas,” which is kind of fantastic. I finally got the chance to do so, in the midst of this utterly enjoyable conversation, which you can experience here. bit.ly/TWIHI488Connor…

Another moral dilemma. Tweety bird edition.

washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/column… The reaction to yesterday‘s announcement from @Meta and mikeroweWORKS has been rather astonishing. More to come…

wsj.com/opinion/high-t… As most of you here know, my foundation has sent thousands of men and women to trade schools all over America. Through our work ethic scholarship program, mikeroweWORKS has helped train the next generation of skilled workers, and in the coming months and years, we’ll train thousands more. But the truth is, there aren’t enough trade schools in the country to meet the current need, and a lot of people who might otherwise consider a career in the skilled trades, have been discouraged by the cost of doing so. Happily, a lot of influential CEO's have done the math and concluded that closing the skills gap is nothing less than a matter of national security. Every week, some leader in some consequential industry calls to tell me about a new initiative to reinvigorate the trades, and many have reached out to see if mikeroweWORKS might join their efforts to help train the next generation of skilled workers. Recently, I’ve been really encouraged by companies like @WellsFargo, @BlackRock, @Ford @HomeDepot, @Lowes, and so many others – all looking for better ways to make a more persuasive case for hundreds of thousands of AI-proof, six-figure jobs that don’t require a four-year degree. The most recent initiative to hit my radar comes from Meta. It looks promising, and I’m happy to support it. The attached op-ed appeared in yesterday’s The @WSJ and outlines the details of The American Workforce Academy - a five-week, super-intensive training program that doesn’t cost the workers a dime. In fact, the workers are actually paid as they learn. And then, they’re guaranteed a job on the other side. I co-authored the piece with Dina Powell-McCormick the President of @Meta, and today, Dina and I'll be making the rounds on the usual networks, talking about the pressing need to attract more workers into the skilled trades as soon as possible. The AI economy, like it or not, is upon us, and the infrastructure that’s being proposed to support it will cost upwards of $10 trillion and require hundreds of thousands of skilled workers. Workers that, for the moment anyway, do not exist. I know that data centers are controversial, and I know people are nervous about AI. I’m not downplaying any of that. In fact, I think it’s really important for those in power to make a more persuasive case for a future that has so many unsettled. All I can tell you for sure is that the future is coming at us very quickly. The AI Race is real, the stakes a very high, and the United States cannot afford to lose. On the other hand, we can’t possibly hope to win, without skilled labor. This program, and others like it, are an important step in the right direction. COMMENTARY (U.S.) High-Tech Seeks Skilled Tradesmen Americans have been told a fable about our economic future. Construction and manufacturing were giving way to a digital economy based on knowledge alone. Skilled labor was outdated. Shop class was defunded. Four-year degrees were idolized. Blue-collar job losses and brittle supply chains were the price of progress. This myth assumed that high-tech and the trades were alternatives, even rivals. In fact, they are interdependent. For 250 years, America has claimed the lion’s share of the world’s greatest inventions. But it was generations of American workers who strung the telegraph wire, laid the railroad tracks, and built the interstate highways and buried the fiber. They shared in the prosperity that resulted. The artificial-intelligence revolution shows that America’s technological progress and skilled workforce are still inseparable. To maintain our technological edge, we need to build infrastructure at scale and with great speed. This requires better pathways into high-paying trades for Americans hungry for opportunity. The skilled trades and Silicon Valley need each other—and America’s future needs them both. That’s why Meta and our partners, including the @ABCNational and the The National Urban League are announcing the launch of America’s Workforce Academy, the largest private-sector commitment to the skilled trades in American history, beginning with a $115 million commitment in the first year and committing hundreds of millions over time. AWA will reject the failed approach that asks workers to pay for their own training and hope to be rewarded with a job. The men and women who enroll will be paid for their time. Parents won’t be blocked from learning tomorrow’s skills because they need to put food on the table today. Courses will take weeks and leave graduates with industry-standard certifications in high-demand fields such as electrical work, mechanical systems and plumbing. Every graduate will be guaranteed a job on a @Meta partner’s construction site. AWA, we believe, is the start of a revolution our economy needs. Practically every major industry is desperate to hire more skilled workers. The mikeroweWORKSFoundation has spent years sounding this alarm. At Metaalone, we anticipate needing thousands more workers as we build infrastructure to empower students, families and small-business owners. There is no lack of Americans eager to learn and work. Earlier this year, Meta launched LevelUp, a smaller training program focused on fiber installation. In the first seven days, we received more than 35,000 applications for 1,000 openings. Demand isn’t the problem. What has been missing is a practical bridge linking America’s workers to America’s needs. AWA will be that pathway. Skilled workers electrified rural America one pole at a time. They manned the factories that built the arsenal that won World War II. Now a new generation will pour the foundations and lay the fiber that secures American economic strength for a new age. The AI revolution is bringing change and uncertainty, but also historic opportunities. Americans don’t flinch from challenges. When opportunity shows up as a hard hat or a pair of overalls, we put them on and get to work. That’s always been our story. AWA will help us write the next chapter—one where the future is for everyone. @dinapowellMcC is president of Meta. Mr. Rowe is CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation and host of the Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs.”

I was seven years old when America made it to the moon. Too young to fully appreciate the significance of that accomplishment, but old enough to assume – logically, I think – that we would have surely ventured a whole lot farther by 2026. But we didn’t, and I think I understand why. We were in a space race, and we won. But, when the race was over, we had to reconsider our motivation in every category, including cost, risk, and so forth. In the end, I guess we had bigger fish to fry. Later that same year, Concorde broke the sound barrier and proved that supersonic travel for non-astronauts was for real. The implications of that were a lot more impactful, potentially, to a lot more people, and the possibilities were intoxicating. In the early seventies, lots of smart people in the aerospace industry predicted extraordinary advancements in the coming decades, to the point where most everyone agreed that we’d be able to fly from Los Angeles to Paris in under two hours by 2000. But of course, we didn’t. We just kind of…slowed down. It was if someone, somewhere, decided that air travel should not exceed the speed of sound. That we were going fast enough, and that was that. Weird, right? Unlike every other form of technology, we simply gave up on going faster, and today’s guest is determined to change that. His name is Blake Scholl, and he plans to bring commercial supersonic flight to the masses by 2029. His company is called Boom, and his airliner, Overture, aims to cruise at Mach 1.7 (twice the speed of today's jets), cutting flight times dramatically, such as London to New York in just 3.5 hours or New York to Rome in under 5 hours. Overture is designed to carry between 64 and 80 passengers and run on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Major carriers, including United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines, have already placed orders and pre-orders. I find the whole endeavor to be utterly fascinating, as well as our conversation. The whole this is here, and worth your time. Especially if you've come to the conclusion that air travel is ripe for a massive upgrade. bit.ly/TWIHI487BlakeS…