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The Obvious Podcast
A podcast presented by the Associated Builders and Contractors Florida East-Coast Chapter (ABC-FEC), where we discuss today's news, economy, and political sphere from a perspective that really should be obvious.
Hosted by ABC-FEC’s Peter Dyga (CEO) and Sonny Maken (COO), each 20-minute episode provides listeners with a quick overview of the week's most pressing issues, cutting through the clutter of conflicting information to deliver clear, concise insights. Whether it’s about regulations or political decisions affecting the construction industry, economic shifts, or conflicting messages from news sources, this podcast strives for a straightforward point of view.
Subscribe now for candid conversations, expert opinions, guest perspectives, and a fresh take on the challenges and opportunities shaping our sector and the nation’s future.
The Obvious Podcast is a production of ABC-FEC. Unless otherwise stated, all content reflects the opinions of the guests and hosts. Each episode is also available in audiovisual format on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3TqIo1G. For comments and questions, email theobvious@abceastflorida.com.
Episodes
47 episodes
47 – ABCI 2025 Graduation Recap
In this episode, Peter and Sonny recap and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of ABC Institute Apprenticeship College, with the 2025 graduation of 110 students, who will be building America in seven construction trades. It was a ceremony that cu...
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Season 1
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Episode 47
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22:25
46 – A Conversation on ABCI’s Israel Silva’s Path to the American Dream
In this episode, Peter and Sonny are joined by a special guest: Israel Silva, the Immediate Past Chairman of the Board of the ABC Institute. They all delve into Israel’s background and his path to building his American Dream. They also discu...
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Season 1
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Episode 46
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24:32
45 – Nothing is Obvious in Today’s Culture
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss the natural limitations of the left's politics, their failures in the last election, and how their message hasn’t really changed. They discuss how can we focus on the “collective agenda” when we can’t...
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Season 1
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Episode 45
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23:45
44 – The Obvious Celebrates Independence Day.
In this episode, Peter and Sonny wish everyone a Happy Independence Day as they discuss how socialism has harmed many countries. They praise the USA’s contributions to the world as we reach our 249th anniversary, and they also explain how AB...
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Season 1
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Episode 44
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21:12
43 – Biden’s Decline and the Cover-Up
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and its subsequent cover-up while still running for reelection. They touch on the Jake Tapper book and the possibility of unelected officials taking deci...
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Season 1
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Episode 43
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23:18
42 – Toxic Leadership and How to Avoid it
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss the impact that toxic leadership has, how to recognize it, how to prevent it, and how easy it is to transition from one to the other.The full audiovisual version of this episode ...
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Season 1
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Episode 42
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20:02
41 - Liars and the Lies They Tell
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss the democratization of misinformation, using examples such as Biden’s mental acuity, Tapper's promotion of his new book, and the litany of hypocritical issues that fall apart upon closer examination.<...
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Season 1
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Episode 41
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23:07
40 – ABC’s National LegCon 2025
In this episode, Peter and Sonny celebrate 40 episodes by discussing the upcoming ABC National Legislative Conference, scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., later this month. We will be sharing our legislative priorities and merit sho...
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Season 1
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Episode 40
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20:42
39 - COVID and the Lessons We Did Not Learn
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss the lessons that our society did not learn from COVID. Issues like our antibiotics, medical supplies, and semiconductor supply shortages due to our reliance on other countries.
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Season 1
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Episode 39
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22:30
38 – The Decline of Male Participation in the Labor Force
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss an article in which Mike Rowe raises the alarm about seven million able-bodied men leaving the workforce in the US and how this deteriorates the fabric of society in our country. Males are curren...
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Season 1
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Episode 38
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20:34
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37 – Habemus Papam
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss Cardinal Robert Prevost's election as Pope Leo XIV. They chat about the conclave process and the election's repercussions for the Catholic Church and the Christian world in general. <...
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Season 1
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Episode 37
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21:32
36 – Happenings at ABC Florida East Coast
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss our recent partnership with Space Florida, which was signed on April 29th at the Kennedy Space Center. ABC-FEC and ABCI will have a 2nd headquarters at this, the busiest space port in the world, where...
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Season 1
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Episode 36
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20:22
35 – Live Taping from Coverings 2025 in Orlando
In this episode, Peter and Sonny take the show on the road. They taped live in Orlando from Coverings 2025, the preeminent event for North America’s ceramic tile and natural stone industry for more than 32 years. They interview Rudy Llerena,...
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Season 1
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Episode 35
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20:51
34 – Gen Z Goes Right
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss how Gen Z (1997-2012) is currently being attracted to the Republican Party's MAGA movement. They have shifted to a politically more conservative position than their parents' generation. They discuss t...
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Season 1
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Episode 34
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22:34
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33 – Did I Really Tweet That?
In this episode, Peter and Sonny deconstruct Katherine Maher's testimony in Congress before the DOGE Committee. Ms. Maher is NPR’s CEO. They center on the questioning by U.S. Representative Brandon Gill (R-TX).You can f...
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Season 1
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Episode 33
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21:36
32 - The Obvious about Trump’s Tariffs
In this episode, Peter and Sonny dive into President Trump's new tariff policy and its wide-ranging impact. They discuss how the policy has the left in turmoil, the stock market's reaction, praise from Michigan unions, and the legacy media's...
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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22:18
31 – 60 Minutes and the Obvious Truth
In this episode, Peter and Sonny deconstruct a story about illegal alien crossings from Canada that ran on 60 Minutes a couple of weeks ago. They point out the contradictions within the story and the source interviewed for it.To view...
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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22:38
30 – ABC National Convention Recap
In this episode, Peter and Sonny celebrate 30 episodes of our podcast by recapping all that happened at the 2025 ABC National Convention in Las Vegas. They go in-depth on the National Craft Championship, the Construction Management Competiti...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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19:32
29 – Trump and Construction
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss what this new administration means for our industry: construction. This includes labor, immigration, essential work, and the need to be careful of the doctored images that currently circulate on socia...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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20:55
28 – About Property Taxes
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss property taxes, how they are unconstitutional, and why they must be abolished. Governor Ron DeSantis has mentioned the issue, and our hosts delve into why this makes sense. They also share data on our...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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20:29
27 – Zelenskyy, Trump, Vance and Their Rift in the Oval Office
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss the Oval Office confrontation between the Ukrainian President and our President and VP. They also touch on the undetermined amount of aid received by Ukraine so far. They also recommend you watch the ...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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18:57
26 – The Power of Meritocracy in Construction
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss how meritocracy and construction work together. One of ABC’s top values is Merit Shop, which, as Martin Luther King stated, is about being judged on the content of your character and not the color of ...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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23:05
25 – Are There Long-Term Benefits to Western Civilization's Influence?
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss if there are long-term benefits that stand from having been influenced by Western colonization in the United States and other places in the world. They argue that the cultures colonized by Wester civi...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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21:55
24 – The ABC Cares Mental Health App
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss the launch of the ABC Cares Mental Health App, designed to support the well-being of workers in the construction industry. They are joined by Sam Wilcox, from our partner organization HARC. Together t...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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21:09
23 – DOGE and the Bureaucrats
In this episode, Peter and Sonny discuss DOGE, Elon Musk's role in the current administration, and why they have discombobulated a specific sector of the political spectrum and the government’s bureaucracy. They also touch on the culture shift ...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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23:16
