As millions of Americans struggle to pay rent and feed their families, the federal government grinds to a halt; paychecks frozen, services shuttered, hope fading. Yet on the grounds of what once stood the East Wing of the White House, construction crews keep working, installing marble and gold into a new presidential ballroom fit for royalty. Shut It Down, Tear It Down exposes the hypocrisy and human cost of a government that can fund luxury while leaving its own people in the dark. From furloughed workers to hungry kids, this episode asks the question: Who really pays the price when power puts vanity before people?

Listeners are called to civic action: hold elected officials accountable, vote in upcoming elections, attend town halls, and push for transparency and leadership that serves the many, not the few.