Episodes

Tuesday Aug 31, 2021
End Of War In Afghanistan; New Tom Nichols Book
Tuesday Aug 31, 2021
Tuesday Aug 31, 2021
Leslie is first joined by Colonel Cedric Leighton, Founder and President of Cedric Leighton Associates, a strategic risk and leadership consultancy serving global companies and organizations.
He founded the company in 2010, after serving in the US Air Force for 26 years as an Intelligence Officer and attaining the rank of Colonel.
Leslie and Col. Leighton analyze the United States ending its longest war in Afghanistan. They also discuss the U.S. and its allies successfully flying more than 123,000 civilians out of the country, including 6,000 Americans.
Finally, Col. Leighton gives his take as to what he would have done differently if he were in charge of withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan.
Colonel Leighton can be seen regularly on CNN, where he is a Military Analyst.
The Colonel's Twitter handle is @CedricLeighton, and his website is CedricLeighton.com.
Leslie is then joined by Tom Nichols, a national political commentator, Columnist for 'USA Today,' contributing writer at 'The Atlantic,' and Author of the popular book, "The Death of Expertise." Tom is also Author of the brand new book, "Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault from within on Modern Democracy," which he and Leslie discuss during today's interview.
You can purchase the book on Amazon.com in either Hardcover, Kindle, or Audiobook form.
Follow Tom on Twitter, where his handle is @RadioFreeTom.

Monday Aug 30, 2021
Plight of Migrants at Mexican Border; Political News of the Week
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Monday Aug 30, 2021
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 Hope Frye, an internationally recognized immigration lawyer focused on disadvantaged populations, especially women and children.
They discuss the reasons for recent surge in U.S. border crossings from Mexico by undocumented migrants, the Supreme Court ordering former President Trump's controversial 'remain in Mexico' policy to be put back in place, as well as the topic of how bad that conditions remain for child migrants being housed within the United States.
The website for 'Project Lifeline' is ProjectLifeline.com and their Twitter handle is @ProjLifeline.
Then, Brad is joined by Sarah Jones, Editor-in-Chief of PoliticusUSA.
They analyze what they believe it will take for Congress to pass major legislation that addresses the devastating effects of climate change.
They also break down news that "the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has asked 35 telecommunications and social media companies to retain phone records and other information relevant to its inquiry as the panel ramps up its investigation ahead of the return of Congress next month. That list was expected to include phones used by some members of Congress," according to the Washington Post.
Sarah is a 2 time Telly Award winner, and now hosts Politicus News and co-hosts Politicus Radio. The website for PoliticusUSA is www.PoliticusUSA.com and their Twitter handle is @PoliticusUSA. Sarah's handle is @PoliticusSarah.
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 Twitter handle is @BradBannon.
Watch a video broadcast of this episode here on Twitter/Periscope: https://www.pscp.tv/w/1kvJpobMWwbGE
Or here on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/DeadlineDCWithBradBannon/videos/262716035494881

Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
Expert Analysis on COVID-19 Delta Variant and U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
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 Dr. Bob Bollinger, the Raj and Kamla Gupta Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
The two discuss the COVID-19 Delta variant, the struggle to safely re-open schools for in-person learning when Governors of states like Florida and Texas have outlawed mask mandates, and more.
Dr. Bollinger is Founding Director of the Center for Clinical Global Health Education (CCGHE). Their website is main.ccghe.net and their Facebook page is Facebook.com/CCGHE.
Brad is then joined by Colonel Cedric Leighton, Founder and President of Cedric Leighton Associates, a strategic risk and leadership consultancy serving global companies and organizations. He founded the company in 2010, after serving in the US Air Force for 26 years as an Intelligence Officer and attaining the rank of Colonel.
Brad and Colonel Leighton analyze the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan, and what can be learned from how long the U.S. has spent fighting there (21 years).
Colonel Leighton's website is CedricLeighton.com and his Twitter handle is @CedricLeighton.
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 Twitter handle is @BradBannon.
Watch a video broadcast of this episode here on Twitter/Periscope: https://www.pscp.tv/w/1vAGRwvBwbqJl
Or here on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/DeadlineDCWithBradBannon/videos/983558642430277

Wednesday Aug 11, 2021
'No Democracy Without Black Women' Report 2021
Wednesday Aug 11, 2021
Wednesday Aug 11, 2021
Today's guest hosts are Brent J. Cohen and Charlotte Hancock, Executive Director and Communications Director for Generation Progress.
During today's show they discuss the underrepresentation of Black women in elected office and the impact that that lack of representation has on the national political landscape. We know that Black women turned out in extremely high numbers in the 2020 election and ultimately had a significant impact on the result. But when we look at legislatures at both the state and federal levels, it is clear that Black women are not even close to equally represented in government.
To talk with Brent and Charlotte more about this issue, and the findings from the recently released 'No Democracy Without Black Women' report on the subject, they are joined by two expert guests from the organizations that made that report happen,
Krystal Leaphart, an operations and policy associate with NOBEL Women, and Lauren Bealore, the Democracy Director for State Innovation Exchange.
Generation Progress' website is GenProgress.org and their Twitter handle is @GenProgress. Edwith Theogene's Twitter handle is @WhoIsEdwith and Charlotte Hancock's handle is @CharlatAnne. The handle for NOBEL Women is @NOBELWomen1 and the handle for the State Innovation Exchange is @stateinnovation.

Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Senate Passes $1.2 Trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Package
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
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.
The two discuss the contents of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package that passed the Senate today. This includes the important 'Buy America' provisions included in the bill.
They also analyze the bipartisan nature of the package, which passed the Senate by an overwhelming margin of 69-30, handing a major victory to President Biden and a group of Senators that spent months negotiating on the agreement.
Finally, they talk about what's next for the infrastructure package as it heads to the House of Representatives for a vote.
The website for the Alliance for American Manufacturing is AmericanManufacturing.org and their Twitter handle is @KeepItMadeInUSA. Scott Paul's handle is @ScottPaulAAM.
You can watch this episode for free at https://www.pscp.tv/w/1eaJbngyAaoJX.

Tuesday Aug 03, 2021
Investigating the Insurrectionists; Competing Infrastructure Packages
Tuesday Aug 03, 2021
Tuesday Aug 03, 2021
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.
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Mark Grimaldi has been a progressive political activist for the past 12 years. He volunteered for the campaigns of President Obama (2008 and 2012), Senator Bernie Sanders (2016), Secretary Hillary Clinton (2016), and President Joe Biden (2020). Mark is also involved in campaign finance reform efforts around the country, and philanthropic efforts for Cancer research. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.
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 Twitter handle is @BradBannon.
Watch a video broadcast of this episode here on Twitter/Periscope: https://www.pscp.tv/w/1YpKkzgvkrdxj
Or here on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/DeadlineDCWithBradBannon/videos/329881205444943

Wednesday Jul 28, 2021
What The Build Back Better Plan Means For Young People
Wednesday Jul 28, 2021
Wednesday Jul 28, 2021
Today's guest hosts are Edwith Theogene and Charlotte Hancock, Organizing Director and Communications Director for Generation Progress.
Last Thursday, the White House Office of Public Engagement held a webinar on how the Build Back Better plan proposed by President Biden will impact young Americans. Generation Progress was excited to be able to attend the event as well as host a Build Back Better after-party with the White House on Instagram Live to further discuss how the plan addresses key issues that young people care about, including economic justice, climate change, and more.
To break down exactly what the Build Back Better plan is and what it means for young people, Edwith and Charlotte are joined by expert guests from two of the organizations that were also involved in the Build Back Better after-party. They are Sixto Cancel, the founder and CEO of 'Think of Us,' and Duy Pham, a policy analyst with the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).
Generation Progress' website is GenProgress.org and their Twitter handle is @GenProgress. Edwith Theogene's Twitter handle is @WhoIsEdwith and Charlotte Hancock's handle is @CharlatAnne. Sixto Cancel's Twitter handle is @SixtoCancel and the handle for Think of US is @ThinkOf_Us. The Twitter handle for Duy Pham is @DPhamK and the handle for CLASP is @CLASP_DC.

Wednesday Jul 28, 2021
Health System CEO for Gun Violence Prevention; COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
Wednesday Jul 28, 2021
Wednesday Jul 28, 2021
Leslie is first joined by Michael Dowling, President and CEO of Northwell Health. Dowling is one of health care’s most influential voices, taking a stand on societal issues such as gun violence and immigration that many health system CEOs shy away from.
Leslie and Michael discuss why he and 17 other health system CEOs, along with over 1,300 caregivers, are imploring Congress to support President Biden's gun violence plan.
As President and CEO of Northwell Health, Michael Dowling leads a clinical, academic and research enterprise with a workforce of more than 75,000 and annual revenue of $14 billion dollars. Northwell is the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State, caring for more than two million people annually through a vast network of more than 830 outpatient facilities, including 220 primary care practices, 52 urgent care centers, home care, rehabilitation and end-of-life programs, and 23 hospitals.
The website for Northwell Health is Northwell.edu and their Twitter handle is @NorthwellHealth. Michael's Twitter handle is @MichaelJDowling.
During the second half of the show, Leslie is joined by Dr. Bob Bollinger, the Raj and Kamla Gupta Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Leslie and Dr. Bollinger discuss COVID-19 variants, including the Delta variant. They also talk about vaccine mandates, and whether they will become necessary within the United States.
Dr. Bollinger is Founding Director of the Center for Clinical Global Health Education (CCGHE). Their website is main.ccghe.net and their Facebook page is Facebook.com/CCGHE.

Tuesday Jul 27, 2021
Combating COVID Misinformation; Evaluating President Biden's First Six Months
Tuesday Jul 27, 2021
Tuesday Jul 27, 2021
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 Scott Wilkinson, CEO of AlphaVu, which specializes in advanced network science. Their technology empowers their clients with competitive intelligence, message control, and smart engagement. AlphaVu also has a new patent-pending technology designed to provide policymakers with the tools and knowledge to identify and combat misinformation within digital conversations.
Brad and Scott discuss misinformation surrounding COVID-19 and vaccines. They also explore whether social media companies like Facebook are doing enough to address the problem, and what more Scott would recommend that they do.
The website for AlphaVu is AlphaVu.com and their Twitter handle is @AlphaVu. Scott's handle is @SGWilk.
During the second half of the show, Brad leads a political roundtable with Atiba Madyun and Mark Grimaldi. The roundtable evaluates the job that President Biden has done during his first six months leading the country, as well as the challenges ahead that he'll be facing.
Atiba Madyun, President/CEO of The Madyun Group, a government relations firm based in Washington, DC, as well as Party Politics US, a data collection firm that not only gathers data from American voters but also engages with young people to educate them on public policy. Atiba is the former Division Director of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, as well as the author of the novel 'Saving Grace,' which is available for purchase on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. His website is AtibaMadyun.com and his Twitter handle is @AtibaMadyun.
Mark Grimaldi has been a progressive political activist for the past 12 years. He volunteered for the campaigns of President Obama (2008 and 2012), Senator Bernie Sanders (2016), Secretary Hillary Clinton (2016), and President Joe Biden (2020). Mark is also involved in campaign finance reform efforts around the country, and philanthropic efforts for Cancer research. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.
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 Twitter handle is @BradBannon.
You can also watch this episode here on Periscope: https://www.pscp.tv/w/1RDGlPaMvQlGL
Or here on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeadlineDCWithBradBannon/videos/271327044758062

Friday Jul 23, 2021
U.S. Poised For a Manufacturing Renaissance
Friday Jul 23, 2021
Friday Jul 23, 2021
Leslie is joined by International Vice President of the United Steelworkers (USW), David McCall.
The two discuss why the United States is poised for a manufacturing renaissance, and how we can assure that it happens.
Manufacturing is the backbone of the country, providing both critical goods and good jobs.
While union members have known this for years, the past year and a half drove home on a wide scale how important domestic manufacturing is not only to our economy, but also to our national security:
- Broken supply chains during the pandemic meant shortages of lifesaving personal protective equipment and medical supplies- It also created supply chain shortages in other critical goods like computer chips
- Other factors like the strain on Texas’s electrical grid this winter are also creating shortages of plastics needed for consumer goods, highlighting the need for more resiliency in our supply chains
The manufacturing sector has been weakened over the years by bad trade policy and lack of attention to meaningful and sound economic growth principles.
The result of the pandemic caused the sector to fall even more deeply.
As a result, in the 1st quarter of 2020, Durable Manufacturing production fell almost 10%, and by the 2nd quarter of 2020 it fell by 58%. In Non-Durable production, during the 1st quarter of 2020, it only fell by less than 1%, but in the 2nd quarter it dropped by 33%.
The Manufacturing sector overall lost 1.3 million jobs in March and April of 2020 (900,00 in Durable and 400,00 in Non-Durable). Now the U.S. did add 15,000 manufacturing jobs in June, but we’re still down 481,000 jobs from February 2020, which was just before the pandemic struck.
Despite these struggles, this is a moment of great potential:
- Once the extra federal stimulus money and extra unemployment benefits began in the latter half of 2020, the sector began to rebound
- A recent report from the Reshoring Initiative revealed that more companies are reshoring production, or bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States
- Earlier this month, the FTC issued a rule to crack down on Made in America fraud which will help businesses that are truly operating here
- We also have a President who is taking the need for domestic manufacturing seriously
This is reflected in a number of decisions and policies from the Biden administration:
- President Biden issued executive orders intended to help foster domestic manufacturing growth, including a critical supply chain review that resulted in a number of recommendations that were issued last month
- He also issued an executive order looking to ensure that wherever possible the government is spending tax payers’ money on American-made products. This is already bearing fruit with new waiver guidance that will help close loopholes in Made in America rules
But some of the most significant potential for revitalizing domestic manufacturing comes from the effort to rebuild America’s infrastructure, especially if it comes with strong domestic procurement provisions.
The robust infrastructure investment President Biden is working toward won’t just make our communities safer, it’ll support a variety of good, union jobs. From making the steel that goes into our bridges, to manufacturing pipes for our water systems, American workers are already well positioned to meet our country’s infrastructure needs.
But it’s not just about meeting last century’s infrastructure needs. We also need to invest in things like the fiber optic cables and renewable energy infrastructure – that USW members also make – that will be critical in keeping us connected well into the future.
The bipartisan deal 21 Senators are working on is a good start, but we need to keep the momentum going.
The website for the USW is www.USW.org. Their handle on Twitter and Instagram is @steelworkers.