Hy and Christopher gaze across the pond to the snap United Kingdom Parliamentary elections and wonder if the divide on the Right could prove a cautionary tale for US conservatives. Currently Nigel Farage’s UK Reform party is poised to pass the ruling Conservatives in the polls—and as a result could deny almost 200 Tories reelection, while only electing five Reform MPs. It provides an interesting “what if” had the US Republicans not embraced Donald Trump. The Tories face electoral oblivion as the vote on the Right is divided. Could the same thing ever have happened in the US? (As we point out, such a scenario did happen in Canada in 1993.)

Then, turning to local history, families define a city, so when a document is found in Europe of tremendous historical importance that explains the reason one of those families came to North America (because they aggravated the French king), it is worthy of celebration. Hy and Christopher speak to Pierre Villere, who recently purchased an important diplomatic document from the middle of the 17th century and donated it to the Historic New Orleans Collection. It tells the tale of Leonardo Villere’s departure from the French court while serving as an envoy for the Duke of Milan.

It’s an important clue, now also posted online at villerefamily.com. The website has become a treasure trove of local historical resources, featuring documents and never before posted information covering the founding of New Orleans, the colonial period, the Revolution of 1768, the American Revolution, and the Battle of New Orleans.  Pierre Villere speaks of his work to make this online resource of history available to everyone.