Progressive Voices

Astonishing, historic deluge inundates Dubai; Climate impacts will cost global economy $38 trillion a year by 2049, new study calculates; New lightbulb efficiency standards will save consumers money; PLUS: Biden Administration cracks down on toxic silica dust to protect workers' lungs... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

This time on Code WACK! What the heck is going on with Medicare for All in California? Can single-payer advocates overcome their differences and finally win health care for all in the Golden State? What’s the significance of two recent bills, Senate Bill 770, and Assembly Bill 2200, in achieving Medicare for All in California? To find out, we spoke to Dr. James G. Kahn, an expert in health policy and economics, an advisor to Code WACK! and editor and primary blogger of Health Justice Monitor, a health policy blog. This is the first episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

TRUMP SLEEPS, No jurors; Coachella Isn't Cool; Are the Arts over? Karel Cast 24-46 The first former President on trial for a felony and he…sleeps. Meanwhile they can't find impartial jurors, and how could they? The media has kept him in every part of our lives for eight years…you'd have to get Martians to be on the jury, or people from other countries, to find someone without an opinion of him. Subsequently, no jurors have been found. Coachella isn't cool, or fun, or innovative. It's a cash machine for a horrid person, so why do people go? Because they're idiots. Like the guys that destroyed part of Lake Meade National Park, idiots. Like the tow truck driver in SF trying to hook up to a car in traffic with people in it…idiots. There's just no shortage of idiots. I went to a Grammy mixer and met fabulous artists like Angela Winbush and Tommy Tutone as well as remixer and producer Chris Cox. What was the consensus? That it's getting harder and harder to make money in the music industry and arts all together. Is the age of artists over? Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe at YouTube.com/reallykarel @ReallyKarel is all social media and website reallykarel.com The Karel Cast is heard three times a week on all your favorite streaming services and the video can be seen on Youtube. Karel is a history-making #LGBTQ talk show host currently living in Las Vegas with his pup Ember. https://youtu.be/X-gxZ872DRc

Leslie is joined by the International President of the United Steelworkers (USW), David McCall. The two explore the topic of restoring the United States' lost shipbuilding capacity. President McCall first details how the USW, alongside four other labor organizations, filed a petition last month requesting the United States Trade Representative (USTR) open an investigation into China’s non-market practices as it seeks to dominate the commercial shipping market.   Next, Leslie and President McCall discuss how the loss of shipbuilding capacity poses a grave threat to America's national security. The pair also explores how the U.S. loss of commercial shipbuilding capacity has directly resulted in the loss of high-paying manufacturing jobs in the sector and across the supply chain. Finally, President McCall breaks down how the COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the danger of relying on foreign manufacturers to supply America's needs. President McCall previously served four years as International Vice President, leading negotiations that delivered wage increases, stronger job security and other gains for tens of thousands of workers in steel, tire and other key industries. McCall, a fourth-generation Steelworker, was born and raised in Gary, Indiana. His great-grandfather, grandfather, great-uncles, uncles and mother all worked at U.S. Steel’s Gary Works, and he walked his first picket line at age 7 during the USW’s 116-day, industry-wide strike in 1959. The website for the United Steelworkers is www.USW.org and their handle on X, Facebook and Instagram is @steelworkers.

Record ocean heat is bleaching coral reefs around the world; Biden raises royalties to drill and mine on public lands, the first update in a century; Innovation in Indiana: wireless EV charging roads; PLUS: Bizarre fish behavior is a marine mystery in Florida... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET. Brad is first joined by Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works, which fights to address the retirement income crisis by protecting and expanding America's Social Security system. Social Security Works is the convening organization of the Strengthen Social Security Coalition— a coalition made up of over 340 national and state organizations representing over 50 million Americans. Brad and Alex talk about the GOP's fight to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits, including former President Trump's comments in support of those cuts during a recent interview on CNBC. The 'Social Security Works' website is www.socialsecurityworks.org and their handle on X is @ssworks. Alex's handle there is @alaw202. Brad is then joined by Joshua Green of Bloomberg Businessweek.  They discuss Joshua's new book, "The Rebels: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the Struggle for a New American Politics." The book is available for purchase here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/586025/the-rebels-by-joshua-green/ Brad writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.'  He's on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His handle on X is @BradBannon. You can watch the show's livestream at any of the following three links: X: https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1ZkKzjVgApDKv Facebook: https://fb.watch/rtqUPJBuFA/ YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/cTU9T-4Wnl8?feature=share

It’s a strange world we inhabit. The most sane person I knew is now the one least tethered to reality. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was a stalwart of our initial progressive talk effort, Air America. Bobby was smart and savvy. As a law professor, he could explain the economically and morally unsustainable nature of slavery, or as a leader of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), he could tell you about our troubles with water pollution. Then, inexplicably, he went off the rails and became an anti-vaxxer, followed soon after by his conversion to conspiracy theory super-spreader. It’s not often that I speak about newsmakers from my personal experience, but this is one of those rare times. I hope you’ll listen.

MONDAY MADNESS: Trump on Trial; Iran, Israel, US; $treaming Ripoff; Karel Cast 24-45 by Progressive Voices

Next time on The State of Belief: R. G. Cravens, author of the new book Yes Gawd!: How Faith Shapes LGBT Identity and Politics in the United States. We’ll talk about the ways religious affiliation – or no affiliation – informs the way members of this community see themselves, as well as the nation in which we all live. Dr. Cravens is Senior Research Analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center. We’ll dig into several important recent reports that bear R. G.’s name, including the toxic feedback loop of anti-Trans pseudoscience being amplified by prominent religious right voices, and the very real attack on religious freedom manifest by attacks on LGBT-inclusive houses of worship.

Why does our society produce more poverty than other wealthy countries? Why don’t we - or why can’t we - change our incentives? Questions like this drive MARK RANK, in his books, POORLY UNDERSTOOD: What America Gets Wrong About Poverty, and THE POVERTY PARADOX:Understanding Economic Hardship Amid American Prosperity, and in his latest, THE RANDOM FACTOR: How Chance & Luck Profoundly Shape Our Lives and the World Around Us.

Another day in the United States of Serfs and Lords. Without a hint of irony, Traitor Trump and collaborator Mike Johnson propose "election integrity" policy that already exists. Republicans usher us from one fake crisis to another. Comedian Poppy Champlin calls to discuss the madness.

This time on Code WACK! Will California’s new single payer bill, CalCare, be a tough sell for the state’s legislature, even if most of the state’s residents want Medicare for All? What political hurdles must be cleared before such a bill would pass? And what would it mean for single payer efforts if Donald Trump is re-elected president this year? To find out, we spoke to Assemblymember Ash Kalra. As a longstanding champion of single-payer health care, Assemblymember Kalra introduced statewide legislation known as CalCare (AB 1400 in 2021 and AB 2200 in 2023), which would guarantee comprehensive, high-quality health care for all Californians as a human right. This is the second episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

ANSWER ME! I’ve Got Questions For You; Plus OJ Dies And Dr. Influencer? Karel Cast 24-44 OJ Simpson, who was found civilly liable for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, has died of prostate cancer. How should the media treat it? Sports star? Famous football player? Acquitted murderer? Felon? How should we publicly treat the death of people who, according to civil courts, have done terrible, terrible things. And what did his trial say about us? Do people under 40 today have it harder or easier than Baby Boomers did? That’s a question of the day and I want to read your comments below, so post them. Also; Would you go to a doctor who was an influencer? Who spent time online promoting themselves, their brand and their content? And in the movie Civil War out this weekend, the filmmaker doesn’t take sides. Should he? There’s two sides to EVERY story, a right and wrong one, and that’s it. Why do we act now like there may be two right sides? Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe at YouTube.com/reallykarel @ReallyKarel is all social media and website reallykarel.com The Karel Cast is heard three times a week on all your favorite streaming services and the video can be seen on Youtube. Karel is a history-making #LGBTQ talk show host currently living in Las Vegas with his pup Ember. https://youtu.be/vWPhMc8u36o

March 2024 was the hottest March ever recorded, continuing a 10-month record hot streak; European court rules Switzerland's climate inaction violates human rights; Norfolk Southern settles East Palestine lawsuits for $600 million; PLUS: EPA cracks down on airborne pollution from chemical plants and toxic 'forever chemicals' in drinking water... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

The Student Debt Crisis Center takes over the airwaves of 'the Leslie Marshall Show,' where they detail the President's latest announcement on student debt cancellation, the important deadline at the end of the month, and the latest Senate hearing focused on Mohela. They'll cover updates and, as always, talk about what actions folks should take and the available programs. This episode's SDCC hosts are President and Founder, Natalia Abrams, Managing Director, Sabrina Calazans, and Policy Advisor, Spencer Dixon. The Student Debt Crisis Center (SDCC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that centers the needs and voices of borrowers, and partners with allies, to impact public policy and end the student debt crisis. The SDCC website is StudentDebtCrisis.org and their handle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook is @DebtCrisisOrg.

OK BOOMER! Is 21 too young for 65? Arizona Goes Medieval Karel Cast 24-43 Arizona is going to enforce an abortion law from…1864…and that speaks volumes for who these people are; they are medieval leftovers, religious zealots, misogynist, subservients…Handmaid Tale much? OK BOOMER is the battle cry of GenX, Y, Z, Alpha and Millenials, but why do they consider it an insult and what, exactly is their beef? Russel Simmons 21 year old daughter is dating a 65 year old…is that too far of an age difference or is there such a thing? What's really on my mind today? Caring when you shouldn't. Putting emotional energy in to someone or something that doesn't care about you. Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe at YouTube.com/reallykarel @ReallyKarel is all social media and website reallykarel.com The Karel Cast is heard three times a week on all your favorite streaming services and the video can be seen on Youtube. Karel is a history-making #LGBTQ talk show host currently living in Las Vegas with his pup Ember.

Leslie is joined by Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), a partnership established by some of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers union. First, Scott explains how high interest rates and trade deficits are stifling U.S. factory jobs growth. Second, Leslie and Scott move across the globe to discuss China, where U.S. Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, is wrapping up a five day trip. Scott begins this discussion by highlighting how Beijing's economic success remains tied to U.S. market access, and how that offers America leverage. Next, Leslie and Scott discuss the increasingly high risk that China will flood the globe with EVs and green tech thanks to their government subsidized overcapacity in both industries. During her current trip to the Communist nation, Secretary Yellen says that the concern about excess capacity is shared by many other countries in addition to the U.S., both developing as well as rich ones. “This is not anti-China policy,” she said. “It’s an effort for us to mitigate the risks from the inevitable global economic dislocation that will result if China doesn’t adjust its policies.” Finally, Scott shares the advice he provided to a panel convened last week by the Washington International Trade Association (WITA) about Chinese auto imports. To summarize, he encourages the U.S. not to wait for China’s heavily subsidized car to arrive here.  But instead, to be PROACTIVE! For over 16 years, Scott Paul and AAM have worked to make American manufacturing a top-of-mind issue for voters and our national leaders through effective advocacy, innovative research, and a savvy public relations strategy. Their website is www.AmericanManufacturing.org and their handle on X is @KeepItMadeInUSA. Scott's handle is @ScottPaulAAM.

Buckle up! It's going to be a hyperactive hurricane season; New study finds half of the Colorado River's water is used to grow feed for cattle; Good news for CA snowpack, for now; PLUS: Disney's Tomorrowland says goodbye to Yesterdayville... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

It’s a strange world we live in. The latest weirdness comes, of course, from the internet, where we find “farmers” trying to get you to fertilize their crop of conspiracy theories. In this short commentary, you’ll hear about how important it is to broaden your news sources, lest you become an unwitting accomplice.

REPENT! The End is Neigh! NYC Shakes, Eclipse; 911 Triggers Karel Cast 24-42 The eclipse today has brought out the wack jobs including MTG. Have we gone that far back in time that we now accept thinking from the Middle Ages? Well, in a word, yes. Plus, NYC shakes and you would think the Empire State Bldg was in rubble…why doesn’t anyone understand tectonics? As 911 enters its seventh year and 100th episode, a favorite character has come out as Bisexual. And that was it. Triggers triggers triggers. But why? Isn’t being Bi a more natural state of being human? And what’s really on my mind today? Money, and I’ll tell you why. Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe at YouTube.com/reallykarel @ReallyKarel is all social media and website reallykarel.com The Karel Cast is heard three times a week on all your favorite streaming services and the video can be seen on Youtube. Karel is a history-making #LGBTQ talk show host currently living in Las Vegas with his pup Ember.

Background Briefing 04-04-2024 by Progressive Voices

The BradCast 04-04-2024 by Progressive Voices

NEXT PANDEMIC? Malls Dying; $430k Is Your Worth; Karel Cast 24-41 Bird Flu is raising its ugly head again…as a vegan I could care less, but is it the next pandemic waiting to happen? And why did we learn NOTHING from Covid? Are we ready for the next virus? Malls are dead, so what is to become of them? And why did they die? 10 Longevity experts all agree…this is what to eat if you want to live the longest. And I had an online disagreement with Pride Radio over their support of an event in Florida. Am I wrong? Are they right? Let's discuss. Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe at YouTube.com/reallykarel @ReallyKarel is all social media and website reallykarel.com The Karel Cast is heard three times a week on all your favorite streaming services and the video can be seen on Youtube. Karel is a history-making #LGBTQ talk show host currently living in Las Vegas with his pup Ember.

U.N. officials warn of looming hunger crisis across Southern Africa amid deepening drought; Biden Administration invests billions to innovate and decarbonize manufacturing; Melting polar ice is changing Earth's rotation; PLUS: America's first commercial-scale offshore wind farm is now operational... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

Background Briefing 04-03-2024 by Progressive Voices

The BradCast 04-03-2024 by Progressive Voices

This time on Code WACK! Once again, a new single-payer bill, AB 2200 or CalCare, sponsored by the California Nurses Association, has been introduced in the California state legislature. How will it help save lives? Will it break the bank, or will it save us money? What’s different about this version of the bill and what kind of support does it have in the state legislature? To find out, we spoke to Assemblyman Ash Kalra. As a longstanding champion of single-payer health care, Assemblymember Kalra introduced statewide legislation known as CalCare (AB 1400 in 2021 and AB 2200 in 2023), which would guarantee comprehensive, high-quality health care for all Californians as a human right. This is the first episode in a two-part series.

The BradCast 04-02-2024 by Progressive Voices

Background Briefing 04-02-2024 by Progressive Voices

YOU CAN'T AFFORD A HOUSE; Don't Worry, It's Pointless; GAZA Fail Karel Cast 24-40 It now takes an income of $100k a year, $200k in some states, to afford a home. But the problem? The median income in the USA is $75k . Is there relief in sight? Does anybody care? Or is it a renter's world now? And what could make housing more affordable? GAZA attack leaves seven aid workers dead, and thousands of Gazans have already lost their lives. All of this while Netanyahu goes in for routine surgery like nothing is happening at all. Why are we still sending weapons to this out of control regime? They are now committing genocide and nobody cares. Why? Don't worry. No, really, don't worry. It won't do any good and will kill you. So how to stop? Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe at YouTube.com/reallykarel @ReallyKarel is all social media and website reallykarel.com The Karel Cast is heard three times a week on all your favorite streaming services and the video can be seen on Youtube. Karel is a history-making #LGBTQ talk show host currently living in Las Vegas with his pup Ember.

President Biden vows to rebuild Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, Republicans say 'maybe'; New study confirms economic toll of man-made climate change; Heavy storms collapse a portion of California's iconic Highway 1 near Big Sur; PLUS: Biden Administration clamps down on Big Oil methane leaks, truck pollution, and more... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

Background Briefing 04-01-2024 by Progressive Voices

The BradCast 04-01-2024 by Progressive Voices

BEST BUY ISN'T; Beyonce Goes Country Karel Cast 24-39 by Progressive Voices

On the radio show this week we cover the latest in the attack from far right extremists on access to abortion, birth control, IVF, and why access to mifepristone is being heard in the U.S. Supreme Court; then we cover health equity, healthcare coverage, and a new report, Lowering Costs for Black Americans: How the Inflation Reduction Act Makes Health Care and Prescription Drugs More Affordable; after that we dive into culture change and how laughter can change minds and public policy; and we close the show hearing the latest from Color of Change, how you can get involved, and why your voice is needed right now more than ever. *Special guests include: Alexis McGill Johnson, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, @PPFA; Dr. Chris Pernell, NAACP Center for Health Equity, @NAACP; Caty Borum, Center for Media & Social Impact, @cmsimpact; Rashad Robinson, Color of Change, @colorofchange.

Mónica talks to historian Ron C. White to find out how our nation’s most renowned bridge builder disagreed fully and freely with those around him while leading the nation through the Civil War. Taking a closer look at private notes Lincoln wrote to himself, the two explore everything from how to approach deep moral disagreements to what to do with your anger with the injustice you see. This podcast is produced with financial support from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and Reclaim Curiosity.

Today we talk about how transparency wins the day. Both the Prime Minister of Israel or the King of England had hard lessons to learn about recent crises in their countries. In another media age, they could issue no comment pressers, but not in this media age. I hope you’ll listen to this short commentary on Kings, PM’s and social media.

Next time on The State of Belief: Best-selling author, pastor and activist John Pavlovitz. John’s brand-new book is titled, Worth Fighting For: Finding Courage & Compassion When Cruelty is Trending. John sees a poverty of empathy in our culture – and many churches, and explores the dire consequences of this condition as well as ways we can build back in both religious and secular settings. In Worth Fighting For, John writes insightfully about ways we can begin to bridge the divides today’s deliberately confrontational discourse has created in our communities and even our families, how to deal with loss of faith, the mental health crisis sparked by public acceptance of untruths, and much more.

With social media and AI, bad actors weaponize information and stress democracy. We have two options: stop the lies or stop people from believing them. The former is near impossible in a free society, but there’s solid evidence the latter is achievable. I talk w/ two founders of The Mental Immunity Project, ANDY NORMAN, author of MENTAL IMMUNITY, and MELANIE TRECEK-KING, creator of THINKING IS POWER, an online resource that teaches critical thinking to the general public.

Another day in the United States of Serfs and Lords. Trump attacks a Judge's daughter - because he's so innocent, of course. Lara Trump's Newly Released Song Track Roasted by DNC with AI Diss Track The Illegitimate Roberts Supreme Court putting its thumb on the scale for Republicons We discuss the madness.

STRESSED AMERICA; No Tourist Want SF; No Cease Fire? Karel Cast 24-38 Another list of the most stressful states is out…why is America so stressed if we are the land of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Why can't we seem to find it any more? The USA wants a cease fire finally in Israel, but Bebe says no. So what do we do to stop the suffering in GAZA AND get the hostages back if neither side will cooperate? And what about Ukraine? SF now has a terrible reputation as a horrible city. This once world class destination is no longer a hub for tourists. Why? And can it recover? Is it media fueling this, or is it really a crap hole? Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe at YouTube.com/reallykarel @ReallyKarel is all social media and website reallykarel.com The Karel Cast is heard three times a week on all your favorite streaming services and the video can be seen on Youtube. Karel is a history-making #LGBTQ talk show host currently living in Las Vegas with his pup Ember.

BRIDGE TRAGEDY; Puffy Troubles; Film Scores Suck; Karel Cast 24-37 by Progressive Voices

This time on Code WACK! Besides the Alabama IVF decision, how else are reproductive rights being rolled back in America? Why are some states going after emergency contraception known as the morning-after pill? What policy solutions are needed to better protect reproductive rights? To find out, we spoke to Vina Smith-Ramakrishnan, a fellow at The Century Foundation, where she works on issues related to maternal health and reproductive rights and justice. Vina’s work supports The Century Foundation’s efforts to eliminate racial and gender disparities in health outcomes. Vina has a master’s of public health in global health policy from George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

Background Briefing 03-26-2024 by Progressive Voices

The BradCast 03-26-2024 by Progressive Voices

Background Briefing 03-25-2024 by Progressive Voices

The BradCast 03-25-2024 by Progressive Voices

USA DISGRACED; Trump Bond; Boomer Hate; Being Robbed Karel Cast #24-36 by Progressive Voices

conversations worth a re-listen. First, from 2007 with DREW WESTEN about the ideas and advice in his influential book, THE POLITICAL BRAIN: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation. Westen: Democrats almost always present the best arguments but lose elections to Republicans who have mastered the art of emotion and story-telling. Second, my 2009 conversation with BERNIE HORN of the Public Leadership Institute about FRAMING THE FUTURE: How Progressive Values Can Win Elections and Influence People. Horn: Persuadable voters make choices depending on how political issues and questions are framed. Emotion, narratives, framing. Trump traffics all too well in all three.

Next time on The State of Belief: The authors of the new book Surviving God: A New Vision of God through the Eyes of Sexual Abuse Survivors. Dr. Susan M. Shaw and Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim are both ordained ministers, theologians, prolific writers – and survivors of sexual abuse themselves. We’ll address the sense of betrayal and isolation abuse experiences often trigger, and ways survivors can lessen these lasting effects of traumatic experiences. We’ll also discuss ways organized religion can be more sensitive to the needs of survivors – as well as ways to reduce the risks of incidences of abuse within religious structures of power, authority and secrecy.

Marjorie Taylor Greene filed a motion to vacate against House Speaker Mike Johnson because he dared to do the business of "governing." MAGA Cult Morons are a lost cause. We discuss the madness!

Leslie is joined by Sean O'Brien, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The two discuss the Teamsters' recently ratified contract with Anheuser-Busch, their striking brothers and sisters at Molson-Coors, organizing at UPS and DHL, as well as their Presidential roundtables. Sean is a 4th-generation Teamster from Boston, and is committed to winning and defending strong national contracts, organizing new members, and aggressively taking on employers. He is focused on mobilizing rank-and-file Teamsters through education and increased engagement—traveling extensively to visit with members at worksites throughout the country. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow them on X and Instagram, where their handle is @Teamsters, and “like” them on Facebook at Facebook.com/Teamsters. Sean's handle on X is @TeamsterSOB.

Leslie is joined by two young women, Afghan refugee Sola Mahfouz and Malaina Kapoor (Stanford ‘25), who are raising awareness about the untold story of millions of Afghan women brimming with potential and longing for freedom in their acclaimed book, “Defiant Dreams: The Journey of an Afghan Girl Who Risked Everything for Education." Sola Mahfouz was born in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 1996, the year the Taliban took over her country for the first time. They banned television and photographs, presided over brutal public executions, and turned the clock backward on women’s rights, practically imprisoning women within their own homes and forcing them to wear all-concealing burqas. At age eleven, Sola was forced to stop attending school after a group of men threatened to throw acid in her face if she continued. After that she was confined to her home, required to cook and clean and prepare for an arranged marriage. She saw the outside world only a handful of times each year. As time passed, Sola began to understand that she was condemned to the same existence as millions of women in Afghanistan. Her future was empty. The rest of her life would be controlled entirely by men: fathers and husbands and sons who would never allow her to study, to earn money, or even to dream. Driven by this devastating realization, Sola began a years-long fight to change the trajectory of her life, deciding that education would be her way out. At age sixteen, without even the basic ability to add or subtract, she began to teach herself math and English in secret. She progressed rapidly., Within just two years she was already studying subjects such as philosophy and physics. Faced with obstacles at every turn, Sola still managed to sneak into Pakistan to take the SAT. In 2016, she escaped to the United States, where she is now a quantum-computing researcher at Tufts University. An engrossing, dramatic memoir, co-written with young Indian American human rights activist Malaina Kapour, 'Defiant Dreams' is the story of one girl, but it’s also the untold story of a generation of women brimming with potential and longing for freedom. This story inspires us to unleash the potential that lies within us and all the women across the globe. It is a universal story of striving for greatness, reaching for the stars, and transcending the boundaries of our birth. In alignment with this year’s International Women’s Day theme "Invest in women: Accelerate progress," Sola and Malaina want to shed light on the need to invest in women’s rights and access to education. Sola's story aligns perfectly with the values and goals of Women's History Month and the United Nations' commitment to #InvestInWomen.   The book is available for purchase at www.DefiantDreams.com.

Forcing a TikTok sale or shutdown won't address the privacy and influence problems it, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook all cause. We need to broaden our approach to regulating social media. In the short commentary, I look at our approach in comparison to the European Union, and suggest things we could do to make social media safer for all. I hope you’ll listen.

Background Briefing 03-21-2024 by Progressive Voices

The BradCast 03-21-2024 by Progressive Voices

BOOMERS WORRIED; Cities too costly; 1800 gallons of water for burger Karel Cast 24-35 Most people living in the top 20 cities in the USA can't afford a comfortable living in those cities. What defines comfort and how much exactly does it take? The numbers are shocking. 1800 gallons of water for one pound of beef. Cities are running out of water across the globe, or soon will. So how are we going to have enough water for everyone to drink in 10 years? The answer is obvious. Boomers are worried about a lot but their top five concerns have been revealed by a group of therapists. Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe at YouTube.com/reallykarel @ReallyKarel is all social media and website reallykarel.com The Karel Cast is heard three times a week on all your favorite streaming services and the video can be seen on Youtube. Karel is a history-making #LGBTQ talk show host currently living in Las Vegas with his pup Ember.

Biden EPA issues new tailpipe emissions and pollution rules, the most significant climate regulation in U.S. history; Rio de Janeiro hits record 144°F heat index; Exxon CEO blames the victim, says climate change is your fault; PLUS: U.N. weather agency issues 'red alert' in new State of the Climate Report... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

Background Briefing 03-20-2024 by Progressive Voices

This time on Code WACK! Where are we today when it comes to reproductive rights in America? And what does the latest IVF case in Alabama mean for reproductive justice and healthcare equity in America? To find out, we spoke to Vina Smith-Ramakrishnan, a fellow at The Century Foundation, where she works on issues related to maternal health and reproductive rights and justice. Vina’s work supports The Century Foundation’s efforts to eliminate racial and gender disparities in health outcomes. Vina has a master’s of public health in global health policy from George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health.

Background Briefing 03-19-2024 by Progressive Voices

The BradCast 03-19-2024 by Progressive Voices

IMMIGRANT SHAME; Playing Gay? Orpah, the O In Ozempic Karel Cast 24-34 We really should be embarrassed about the way we treat immigrants in the USA. First of all, there is no such thing as an illegal human…undocumented, yes. And this notion that anyone could follow our antiquated system these days is beyond expectations. Our system is broken, not the people crossing the border in the South. So why don't we fix it? Distractions. Just like Trump, he is free because rich people want him to be so we'll all fight over him while they royally screw us over. Should gay actors play all gay roles? Why? The new O in Ozempic is Oprah. But is she taking the wrong path. She says there no shame in obesity or taking drugs for it, but, is there, really? Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe at YouTube.com/reallykarel @ReallyKarel is all social media and website reallykarel.com The Karel Cast is heard three times a week on all your favorite streaming services and the video can be seen on Youtube. Karel is a history-making #LGBTQ talk show host currently living in Las Vegas with his pup Ember.

EPA finally bans all uses of asbestos in US, after decades of trying; President Biden unveils billions for rebuilding struggling communities torn apart years ago by highway construction; Extreme heat wave in Africa forces schools to close; PLUS: Massachusetts coastal town spent big on beach restoration that washed away just days later... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

The BradCast 03-18-2024 by Progressive Voices

Background Briefing 03-18-2024 by Progressive Voices

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET. Brad is first joined by Bloomberg Government's Kate Ackley to break down the intense congressional battle over TikTok.   They also discuss the current state of 'dark money' in America's political system, and how it's already affecting the 2024 election cycle. Then, Free Press' Tim Karr joins the show to expose how media outlets profit off of Donald Trump, and what we can do to change that. Brad and Tim also discuss the current media landscape in the United States, and how it can be improved from its current state. Bloomberg Government's website is bgov.com and Free Press' website is FreePress.net. Brad is on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His handle on X is @BradBannon. X: https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1OwxWYnXYENGQ Facebook: https://fb.watch/qUHymfK_jg/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/wadXvuK2m9U?si=d_hlRl0-Uy7IUCTF

VACCINE DANGER; Trump Broke; Accepting the Unacceptable; Karel Cast 24-33 Trump isn’t posting needed bonds but traveling the world in a private plane, why? Why is everyone just accepting this criminal? He says if he looses they’ll be a blood bath…why isn’t he censured? I got a shot that led me to the hospital, why is anything about our health care system accepted? Why do we live in a system where we continually accept the unacceptable from corporations, people and government? Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe at YouTube.com/reallykarel @ReallyKarel is all social media and website reallykarel.com The Karel Cast is heard three times a week on all your favorite streaming services and the video can be seen on Youtube. Karel is a history-making #LGBTQ talk show host currently living in Las Vegas with his pup Ember.

The minority extremists in the prime minister's cabinet are happy to turn Israel into an international pariah. I’m not happy to sit quietly while that happens. Today, a short audio commentary on Netanyahu’s betrayal of his people to save himself (sound familiar?). I hope you’ll listen and share.

Free Forum 03-16-2024 by Progressive Voices

Next time on The State of Belief: Dr. AnneMarie Mingo, author of the new book Have You Got Good Religion? Black Women's Faith, Courage, and Moral Leadership in the Civil Rights Movement. (Mingo clip) AnneMarie Mingo is Associate Professor of Ethics, Culture, and Moral Leadership, and the Director of the Metro-Urban Institute, at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, she’s the founder of Sister Scholars, an organization that supports Black women with or pursuing doctorate degrees.

Another day in the United States of Serfs and Lords. The high tech lynching of DA Fani Willis Delay. Delay. Is Trump above the law? Trump-backed Senate candidate faces Republican worries that he could be linked to adult website profile.

Background Briefing 03-14-2024 by Progressive Voices

The BradCast 03-14-2024 by Progressive Voices

Florida Republicans ban local efforts to protect outdoor workers from extreme heat exposure; Fossil fuel industry still not plugging climate-warming methane leaks; Republicans' Project 2025 would withdraw U.S. from Paris Climate Agreement again, and block re-entry; PLUS: California's snowpack is back, but too late to help struggling salmon... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

Background Briefing 03-13-2024 by Progressive Voices

The BradCast 3-13-2024 by Progressive Voices

BULLIED TO DEATH! Plus TikTok Ban Imminent? More Judges Protecting Fascist Karel Cast 24-32 Nex, the trans teen that was beaten in a bathroom and the school did little and cared even less committed suicide on benadryl and Prozac. The blood is on the hands of the abusers and the school. When are we going to love and accept kids for who they truly are and not who we want them to be? TikTok may be banned and that’s just fine with me. It’s a cesspool of entitlement, sucks the life out of young people, and makes stars out of those with zero talent or wit. But is it a dangerous precedent? What if we don’t like the owner of certain companies should congress be able to get rid of them? And if communist china is so bad, why do we support it with our money as everything from iPhones to, well, everything, is made there? A judge has thrown out three charges of the 13 against Trump in Georgia. Why? Because judges now protect this fascist. And it’s a shame, from the Supreme court to lower courts, they protect a criminal. Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe at YouTube.com/reallykarel @ReallyKarel is all social media and website reallykarel.com The Karel Cast is heard three times a week on all your favorite streaming services and the video can be seen on Youtube. Karel is a history-making #LGBTQ talk show host currently living in Las Vegas with his pup Ember. https://youtu.be/XhWlY0TqL9Y

This time on Code WACK! Are regulations meant to protect nursing home residents being enforced? How is understaffing at the California Dept of Public Health affecting nursing home regulation? Are for-profit and nonprofit nursing homes comparable when it comes to the quality of care residents receive? What reforms are in the works to better protect residents? To find out, we spoke to Tony Chicotel, senior staff attorney at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, or CANHR, where he promotes the rights of residents in long-term care facilities through litigation, legislation, regulatory policy, and consumer education.

Background Briefing 03-13-2024 by Progressive Voices

The BradCast 03-12-2024 by Progressive Voices

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET. First, Brad will be joined by Sarah Jones, Editor in Chief of PoliticusUSA, as they react to President Biden’s State of the Union address. Then, Sarah breaks down what is causing the decline in quality news coverage, including the shuttering of multiple news agencies. Then, Brad is joined by the Chairman of Sonecon, an economic advisory firm, and former U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs, Dr. Rob Shapiro. The two discuss Rob's latest blog, titled, "Based on Incomes, Americans Are a Lot Better Off Under Biden Than They Were with Trump." (Link here: https://www.sonecon.com/based-on-incomes-americans-are-a-lot-better-off-under-biden-than-they-were-with-trump/)   The website for PoliticusUSA is www.PoliticusUSA.com and their X handle is @PoliticusUSA. Sarah's handle is @PoliticusSarah. The website for Sonecon is www.Sonecon.com and Dr. Shapiro's handle on X is @RobShapiro. Brad is on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His handle on X is @BradBannon. You can watch a livestream of this broadcast at the following links: X: https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1vAxRvXQgPVxl Facebook: https://fb.watch/qMsF0ZcuX_/ YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/hnlV65CmIGQ?feature=share

IMPOSSIBLE HAPPENS; Oscars And Online Victims; Hur’s Hilarity Karel Cast 24-31 It’s impossible. It can’t happen. There’s just no way. I’ve heard that a lot in my life but especially in the last week. Seems something has happened to me that doctors say can’t, and yet it has. And it has to do with a “safe” vaccine. The Oscars were great this year, but online, you’d think it was filled with those that wish to make victims out of so many. What sparked the victimhood online? And is this the new trend? Here’s what the Right doesn’t get. If Joe Biden had classified documents and “forgot” because of his aging memory, he gets a pass. But if Mr. Virile Trump has such sharp acumen, then that’s EXACTLY why he should be punished and Biden not. They don’t even see how hilarious their arguments are. Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe at YouTube.com/reallykarel @ReallyKarel is all social media and website reallykarel.com The Karel Cast is heard three times a week on all your favorite streaming services and the video can be seen on Youtube. Karel is a history-making #LGBTQ talk show host currently living in Las Vegas with his pup Ember.

State of the Union Address, President Biden highlights economic and jobs boom from his climate policies; February 2024 obliterated global temperature and ocean heat records; PLUS: Great Barrier Reef hit with yet another 'mass bleaching event'... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

As we embark on the most important presidential election since 1860—yes, there’s that much at stake—it’s time to sound a warning. We have to reach people (and that is most people) who aren’t paying attention, and who by virtue of a lack of knowledge, may innocently vote our democracy down the river. So I’m making the extraordinary ask that you share this short audio essay with your friends and family who are too busy, bored, or disgusted with politics to really pay attention. It’s that important.

Background Briefing 03-11-2024 by Progressive Voices

The BradCast 03-11-2024 by Progressive Voices

Free Forom 03-09-2024 by Progressive Voices

Tarabuster 03-08-2024 by Progressive Voices

Next time on The State of Belief: Jemar Tisby. The best-selling author of The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism, and How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice, Jemar is a national speaker and public historian on a mission to deliver truths from the Black experience with depth and clarity. Jemar Tisby appears in the important new documentary film on Christian nationalism, “God & Country.”

COMMENT The State of our union is.... Plus Ageism must go Karel Cast #24-30 by Progressive Voices

2024 Presidential Election nominees are set, and the climate stakes could not be higher; Lawsuit blames broken utility pole for record Texas wildfires; Coastal U.S. cities are sinking as sea level rise accelerates, new study warns; PLUS: North Atlantic Ocean keeps breaking heat records... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

HELP! Is light coming? Is Space Robbing Earth? Scorpion Meet Testes Karel Cast 24-29 It may always be darkest before the dawn, but is there any light coming? It feels like it's just getting worse and worse and no on is stopping Trump. Why doesn't someone take him out, like the Courts, Law Enforcement, Congress, the IRS, someone ? If he is such a threat to humanity, not one entity can neutralize the threat? No judge will stand up to him? We found a planet that generates oxygen, which is fine and fun. But is all the looking towards space killing Earth? Have we simply given up on Earth and now feel our future lies in space. Because common folks won't ever make it to space…only the wealthy, the young, the chosen. Meanwhile, what do we do with a dying planet? Is there no interest in saving Earth? OK, from the strange files, in Las Vegas a man crawled in to bed and then…got stung by a scorpion. Whose fault is that? And what should the hotel do? Watch on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe at YouTube.com/reallykarel @ReallyKarel is all social media and website reallykarel.com The Karel Cast is heard three times a week on all your favorite streaming services and the video can be seen on Youtube. Karel is a history-making #LGBTQ talk show host currently living in Las Vegas with his pup Ember.

The COVID pandemic devastated nursing homes and other long-term care facilities highlighting the need for major reforms. What are the policies behind the often dismal performance of the nursing home industry? What policy changes have been made so far and why are nursing home residents still so vulnerable? To find out, we spoke to Tony Chicotel, senior staff attorney at California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, or CANHR, where he promotes the rights of residents in long-term care facilities through litigation, legislation, regulatory policy, and consumer education.

Largest wildfire in Texas history continues to burn, while California is buried by an extreme blizzard; Increased risk of mega-fires pushes more insurers to leave both states; PLUS: Biden Administration invests billions to clean up the nation's ports... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

The grifters have achieved a new low. Our transactional ex-president is, unsurprisingly, selling tennis shoes and a couple of bobbleheads. One is his head on the Terminator’s body: the Trumpinator, and the other is a bobblehead based on the Trump mugshot in Fulton County, Georgia. The whole thing redefines unseemly. Today I offer a short commentary on this mess. I hope you’ll listen.

DON'T MISS Why Polls Don't Work; Secrets Heal? Karel Cast 24-28 by Progressive Voices

Leslie is joined by Luis Mendoza, International Vice President of the United Steelworkers (USW). As International Vice President, Mendoza has responsibility for all facets of the USW paper sector, including bargaining, safety, trade, legislative issues, global solidarity and organizing initiatives. Leslie and Luis talk about building unity in the paper industry and beyond. Of the many industries where USW members work, one of the biggest is the paper sector, representing approximately 90,000 workers. Since the onset of the pandemic, these workers have made groundbreaking advances in promoting workplace health and safety, advocating for economic security, and building unity through eliminating dangerously divisive two-tiered systems. The website for the United Steelworkers is www.USW.org and their handle on X and Instagram is @steelworkers. You can find them on Facebook at Facebook.com/Steelworkers.

LISTEN UP Fetterman; Can't Pay Fine? Plus Dorian Awards Karel Cast 24-27 by Progressive Voices