The Leslie Marshall Show

Systemic Racism in the United States

Today's guest hosts are Brent J. Cohen and Charlotte Hancock, Executive Director and Communications Director for Generation Progress.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen protests across the country to call out the systemic racism in policing and the cyclical injustices faced by Black Americans for over 400 years in this country. In many cities, these protests have been met with wildly disproportionate and often outright violent reactions from police, who have tear-gassed, beaten, and even driven cars into protesters. Despite the danger faced by those protesting, it has been encouraging to see how many people are willing to stand up on this issue and call on elected officials to rethink the role of policing in our society and the many institutions that are still plagued by white supremacy.

To talk with Brent and Charlotte more about the roots of systemic racism, and how we can further work to dismantle white supremacy, they are joined today by Dr. Theodore R. Johnson, Senior Fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice.

Here is the Twitter handle for today's guest and his respective organization: Dr. Ted Johnson - @DrTedJ, Brennan Center for Justice - @BrennanCenter

The website for "Generation Progress" is www.GenProgress.org and their Twitter Handle is @GenProgress. Brent J. Cohen's Twitter handle is @BrentJCohen and Charlotte Hancock's handle is @CharlatAnne.

Former Officer Condemns Police Killing of George Floyd; 'Justice in Policing Act' Explained

Leslie begins the show with her 'Ripped from the Headlines' news segment.

Here are the stories she covers during the segment:

1. AUDIO: One of George Floyd's Brothers, Philonise Floyd, Remembers His Brother at this week's Public Memorial Service

2. WASHINGTON POST: "In Georgia, primary day starts with long lines, problems with voting machines — a potential preview of November"

Leslie is then joined by Michael Mendelsohn, a Retired Law Enforcement Officer from Charlotte County Sheriff's Office in Florida.

Retired Officer Mendelsohn believes that former Minnesota Police Officer, Derek Chauvin, who is now charged with second-degree murder, was wrong for how he physically handled George Floyd during the arrest, which led to Mr. Floyd dying. Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, all while Floyd was saying "I Can't Breathe," and pleading for his life, while two other Officers leaned on Floyd's body, and a fourth Officer told concerned bystanders to keep their distance.

Leslie is next joined by Connor Maxwell, a senior policy analyst for Race and Ethnicity Policy at the Center for American Progress. His work focuses on criminal justice, racial justice, diversity, and inclusion issues. His Twitter handle is @Connor__Maxwell, and the handle for the Race and Ethnicity policy team of the Center for American Progress is @CAPTalksRace.

Leslie and Connor analyze the new policing reform bill released by Congressional Democrats on Monday, which is called "The Justice in Policing Act of 2020."

Here are some of the key parts of the bill:

- Revising federal law on criminal police misconduct and qualified immunity reform
- Ban no-knock warrants in drug cases at the federal level
- Ban chokeholds at the federal level
- Establish a national registry of misconduct by law enforcement officers
- Require states to report use of force to the Justice Department
- Mandate racial bias training at the federal level
- Require that deadly force only be used as last resort
- Make lynching a federal crime
- Require police to use more body and dashboard cameras
- Limit the transfer of military equipment to local police departments
(more info on the bill can be found here: https://www.vox.com/2020/6/8/21283841/democrats-police-reform-bill-explained-george-floyd)

Leslie and Connor also briefly touch on the semantics surrounding the #DefundPolice movement, which does not mean what many people think it means.

Police Reform Legislation, Protests and President Trump's Response

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 new show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is first joined by Ed Chung, Vice President for Criminal Justice Reform at the Center for American Progress, where he co-hosts 'The Tent' Podcast. Before working at CAP, he served as Senior Adviser on criminal justice, policing, and civil rights issues for the Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Chung also held positions in the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, including special counsel to the assistant attorney general and federal prosecutor with the Criminal Section, where he received the John Marshall Award for successfully prosecuting the first case under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009.

Ed's Twitter handle is @EdChungDC and the handle for his podcast is @TheTentPod.

Brad and Ed discuss police reform legislation that was released today by House Democrats in response to the police killing of George Floyd. They also compare the police reform work that Ed did as part of the Obama Justice Department to that of the Trump Justice Department.

During the second half of the show, Brad leads a political round-table with Will Jawando and Mark Grimaldi. The roundtable continues the discussion of reforming policing in America. They also have a conversation about public opinion of nationwide #BlackLivesMatters protests, and President Trump's deployment of the military in response to peaceful protests in our nation's Capitol last week.

Will Jawando is Councilmember At-Large for Montgomery County, Maryland. Described as “the progressive leader we need” by revered civil rights activist and Congressman, John Lewis, Will has worked with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senator Sherrod Brown, and then-Senator Barack Obama.

During the 8-year Obama Administration, Will had the honor of serving as Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, followed by a position as an advisor to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in the U.S. Department of Education.

Will's handle on both Twitter and Instagram is @WillJawando.

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), and Secretary Hillary Clinton (2016). 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 column every Sunday on the 2020 Presidential race 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 the show here: https://www.pscp.tv/w/1LyGBaMRNoPKN
 

Rep. Ro Khanna on Trump and Barr Deploying Teargas at Protesters, Police Reform

Leslie begins the show with her 'Ripped from the Headlines' news segment.

Here are the stories she covers during the segment:

1. AUDIO: Trump says it's a great day for George Floyd

2. AUDIO: Joe Biden responds to Trump's comments today on George Floyd and new unemployment data 

3. AXIOS: "D.C. mayor asks Trump to withdraw military and federal law enforcement"

4. AXIOS: "High Ranking Former Military Officials Denounce Trump's Military Response to Peaceful Protesters"

5. New ABC/IPSOS Poll: Roughly 2/3rds of Americans Disapprove of Trump's Handling of COVID-19 and Handling of the Response to George Floyd's Death

6. Today is National Gun Violence Awareness Day (#WearOrange)

7. The Week: "The White House is now surrounded by nearly 2 miles of fencing and barricades

8.  As President Trump visited Main on Friday, the editorial board of Maine's largest newspaper called on Trump to resign

Leslie is then joined by Congressman Ro Khanna.  He represents California's 17th congressional district, including Silicon Valley. His focus is to create proposals for jobs in areas left behind and tax credits for the working class. He believes in exercising restraint in foreign policy, and takes no PAC money!

The two discuss President Trump and A.G. Bill Barr ordering peaceful protesters in D.C. to be tear-gassed for a Trump photo-op.  They also analyze Trump and Barr authorizing unidentified officers to police D.C. protests.

Additionally, Leslie talks with Rep. Khanna about policing reform, including the related legislation he has co-sponsored, which is called the PEACE Act.

Rep. Khanna's website is Khanna.House.Gov and his handle on Twitter and Instagram is @RepRoKhanna.

Trump Threatens to Invoke Insurrection Act; U.S. Senate Candidate for Georgia Talks George Floyd and Systematic Change

Leslie is first joined by Professor Joshua Geltzer, who serves as the founding Executive Director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, as well as Visiting Professor of Law, at Georgetown University Law Center.
He is also an International Security Program Fellow at New America and an Executive Editor at Just Security.
Geltzer served from 2015 to 2017 as Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council staff. He also served as a law clerk to Justice Stephen Breyer of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Leslie and Professor Geltzer analyze President Trump's threat to invoke the Insurrection Act, a centuries-old law that gives the president the authority to send the U.S. military into America cities and towns to quash domestic unrest. This came on the same day that Trump had berated Governors for being "weak" and demanded that they fully utilize the National Guard to "dominate" the streets amid civilian unrest.

You can follow Professor Geltzer on Twitter where his handle is @jgeltzer.

Leslie is then joined by Sarah Riggs Amico, a labor-backed progressive businesswoman and Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Georgia, running for the seat currently held by David Perdue. A Harvard MBA and 17-year business leader, she served most recently as Executive Chair of her family’s trucking company. Sarah is the only candidate in the race to have the backing of labor, with endorsements from five labor unions. In 2018, she was the Democratic nominee for Lt Governor, running with Stacey Abrams in one of the most closely-watched elections in the country.

Sarah tells Leslie and the audience why she is calling for "deep systemic change" in regard to law enforcement's policing of minorities, as well as justice for George Floyd. Sarah and Leslie also discuss her condemnation of President Trump's federally-directed assault on peaceful protesters outside of the White House so that the president could take a staged photo at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Sarah released a statement on Trump's decision, saying, "there is nothing holy about tear-gassing peaceful protestors so the president can do a Bible-waving photo op at a house of worship.

Sarah and her husband live with their two young daughters in Marietta, GA. Her website is SarahForGeorgia.com and her Twitter handle is @SarahRiggsAmico. The Democratic primary election in Georgia takes place on Tuesday, June 9th.

Protests Against George Floyd's Murder, Racial Injustice, and Police Brutality

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 new show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is first joined by Jeneé Osterheldt, a culture columnist who covers identity and social justice through the lens of culture and the arts. Sometimes this means writing about being Black at Art Basel. In 2020 it means exploring both the pandemic of coronavirus and America's original pandemic: racism.

She joined the Globe as a culture writer in 2018. A graduate of Norfolk State University, Osterheldt was a 2017 Nieman Fellow at Harvard, where her studies focused on the intersection of art and justice. She previously worked as a Kansas City Star culture columnist.

Jeneé 's Twitter handle is @SincerelyJenee.

Brad and Jeneé discuss her latest piece for the Boston Globe, titled "It’s bigger than buildings. America is burning." (Link here: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/29/nation/its-bigger-than-buildings-american-is-burning/)

During the second half of the show, Brad leads a political round-table with Tim Zenk and Mark Grimaldi.  The roundtable discusses the impact of racial conflict on Joe Biden choosing his running mate, as well as Biden's increased public visibility during the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests in response to the police killing of George Floyd.

Tim is a Principle at 'Molecule,' a business and public affairs company, a former Democratic staffer, and a well known renewable energy expert. His Twitter handle is @greencrude.

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), and Secretary Hillary Clinton (2016).  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 column every Sunday on the 2020 Presidential race 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 the show here: https://www.periscope.tv/w/1YqJDEZZkDvxV

Manufacturing, Infrastructure and American Security

Leslie is joined by United Steelworkers President Tom Conway to discuss manufacturing, infrastructure, and American security during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Much of the information they covered can be found in this week's USW blog, titled "America's Infrastructure Crisis." (link here: https://usw.org/blog/2020/americas-infrastructure-crisis)

The website for the USW is www.USW.org and their Twitter and Instagram handle is @steelworkers.

Police Brutality, Gun Violence Prevention, and COVID-19

Today's guest hosts are Brent J. Cohen and Edwith Theogene, Executive Director and Organizing Director for Generation Progress.

During today's episode, they discuss how as COVID-19 continues to reshape many elements of our lives, we’ve been reminded that one thing that has continued in spite of the pandemic, is the threat of gun violence and the harm that the criminal legal system in the United States inflicts on Black bodies.

While heavily armed white protesters have marched on state capitals to protest stay-at-home orders without any police intervention, we have seen several horrific instances in just the past few weeks of racism and racist violence that police have inflicted on Black Americans. Though these events have taken place in different parts of the country and have ended in different ways, they are all part of a broader system that poses a daily threat to people of color and is in desperate need of dramatic change.

To talk with Brent and Edwith more about these tragedies, and the broader gun violence prevention space, they're joined by Greg Jackson, the National Advocacy Director of the Community Justice Action Fund, and Tia Bell, Founder of the T.R.I.G.G.E.R. Project.

Here are the Twitter handles for today's guests and their respective organizations: Greg Jackson - @gregoryjackson, Community Justice Action Fund - @CJACTIONFUND, T.R.I.G.G.E.R. Project - @TheTRIGGERProj.

The website for "Generation Progress" is www.GenProgress.org and their Twitter Handle is @GenProgress.  Brent J. Cohen's Twitter handle is @BrentJCohen and Edwith Theogene's handle is @WhoIsEdwith.

COVID-19 and Homelessness

Today's guest hosts are Charlotte Hancock and Edwith Theogene, Communications Director and Organizing Director for Generation Progress.

They discuss one group of people in particular who are extremely vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic—people who are experiencing homelessness or who have insecure housing situations. These populations are more at risk both as a result of the infectious nature of the disease and because of the economic crisis that the pandemic has caused.

To talk with them more about how this population is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and what lawmakers should do to better protect people who are unhoused, they’re joined by two expert guests.  They are Valencia Gunder, the CEO and founder of The Smile Trust, and Jaboa Lake, a senior policy analyst for the Center for American Progress’s Poverty to Prosperity Program.

Here are the Twitter handles for today's guests and their respective organizations: Valencia Gunder - @ValenciaGunder, The Smile Trust- @SmileTrustInc, Jaboa Lake - @jaboalake, the Center for American Progress - @amprog

The website for "Generation Progress" is www.GenProgress.org and their Twitter Handle is @GenProgress.  Charlotte Hancock's Twitter handle is @CharlatAnne and Edwith Theogene's handle is @WhoIsEdwith.

Fired Inspector General was Investigating Pompeo and Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia

Leslie begins the show with her 'Ripped from the Headlines' news segment.

Here are the stories she covers during the segment:

1. AUDIO: Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) asks Treasury Secretay Steven Mnuchin, “How many workers should give their lives to increase our GDP by a half percent?”

2. WASHINGTON POST: "As White House pushes firms to reopen, new report says much of bailout stimulus money remains unspent"

3. TIME: "The Real Estate Industry Pushed for $160 Billion in Tax Breaks in the CARES Act, Disclosure Filings Show"

4. AXIOS: "Trump threatens to end WHO funding and withdraw U.S. membership"

5. POLITICO: "Biden White House would yank Keystone XL permit"

6. USA TODAY: "New poll shows Sen. Martha McSally losing ground to Mark Kelly and that's not even the bad news"

During the second half of the show, Leslie is joined by Bob Ney, an Independent Political analyst for radio stations across America, covering the White House, Congress, and specializes in Mideast issues.
He graduated from 'The' Ohio State University and taught English in Shiraz, Iran to Persians in 1978. Leaving Iran due to the beginning of the revolution, Bob was then the American manager of a private sector company in Saudi Arabia, where he lived for a year. He then returned to the United States and was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives (1980), Ohio Senate (1984) and the U.S. House in 1994 as a Republican in an overwhelming Democratic seat.
Bob became Chairman of the House Administration Committee, Chair of the Housing Sub Committee, Deputy Whip leadership position and member of the House Transportation Committee.
His legacy bill was the passage of the Help America vote act. Co-authored by now Democratic leader Steny Hoyer. HAVA in a bipartisan effort, modernized the American voting systems after the Bush/Gore election aftermath.
In 2006 Bob resigned from Congress due to the Jack Abramoff scandal and wrote a book about his time in politics and his incarceration in the federal corrections system. “ Sideswiped” (lessons learned courtesy of the hit men of Capitol Hill) was released in 2013, and is definitely worth a purchase and a read! (buy here: tinyurl.com/buysideswiped)

The two discuss news that the State Department Inspector General who was fired by President Trump late Friday night, Steve Linick, was investigating the president’s effort to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia without congressional approval.

Bob Ney also volunteers helping people with recovery from alcohol and drug abuse, and is involved in other entrepreneurial ventures. He makes his home in Ohio, Father of two grown children and five grandchildren. Bob also co-hosts a weekly podcast, with co-host Jim Owen, where they speak the truth about a fundamentally unfair economic system, and learn what can be done to correct it. It's called 'Door to Door' and can be found at www.BobNeyDoorToDoor.com.

You can watch this episode here: www.pscp.tv/w/1RDGlQagbAqJL