This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Chuck and Sam first welcome Thomas Grove of the Wall Street Journal to share his experience writing with Evan Gershkovich, recently freed from Russian imprisonment, on a front-page story exposing what is going on inside Putin’s Russian prisons. Thomas also analyzes Syria’s faltering regime, examining whether Russia’s focus on Ukraine sped up its collapse and what this means for Israel’s strategic outlook. Later, Congressman David Schweikert joins to discuss his recent meeting with Elon Musk, where they explored hundreds of modernization ideas to streamline government spending. He also highlights the critical tax policy debates Congress must tackle in 2025. Finally, Dan McLaughlin of National Review joins the show to dissect Biden’s pardons, the Daniel Perry case, and his article Progressives Are Mad at What Obama Did to Our Health Insurance System. In Kiley’s Corner, discover how the McDonald’s employee who tipped off police about Luigi Mangione could claim the FBI or Crimewatch reward, and delve into the shocking twists of the Melody Farris trial, including her revelation of the alleged real killer she has been protecting for six years.