Episodes
Wednesday Feb 05, 2020
State of the Union 2020: Where Do We Go from Here?
Wednesday Feb 05, 2020
Wednesday Feb 05, 2020
Today's guest hosts are Generation Progress's Executive Director, Brent J. Cohen, Communications Director, Charlotte Hancock, and Organizing Director, Edwith Theogene.
Last night, Donald Trump delivered his third State of the Union address in front of a joint session of Congress as a president who has been impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
In the hour-and-a-half-long speech, Trump bragged about the strength of the economy, bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on radio host Rush Limbaugh, and spent significant time railing against undocumented immigrants and touting the success of his—still mostly unbuilt and unfunded—border wall.
During this episode, all three Generation Progress Directors come together to discuss the speech and the current State of our Union—both what Trump said last night and what he neglected to address.
The website for 'Generation Progress' is www.GenProgress.org and their Twitter Handle is @GenProgress. Brent Cohen's Twitter handle is @BrentJCohen, Charlotte Hancock's handle is @CharlatAnne, and Edwith Theogene's handle is @WhoisEdwith.
Wednesday Feb 05, 2020
What Happened with the Iowa Caucuses, and What's Next
Wednesday Feb 05, 2020
Wednesday Feb 05, 2020
Leslie is joined by Brad Bannon, who 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.
You can also hear Brad guest host for Leslie each Monday from 3-4pm ET with his own program, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon.'
Leslie and Brad discuss what went wrong with reporting the Iowa Caucus results on time, whose to blame, whether Iowa should still be the first state to vote on Presidential nominees, and whether they should change the way they vote from a caucus state to a primary state.
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.You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His Twitter handle is @BradBannon.
Monday Feb 03, 2020
The Power of Comedy and Satire in Exposing Trump and the GOP's Bad Acts
Monday Feb 03, 2020
Monday Feb 03, 2020
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 Tara Devlin, a New York City-based comedian, writer, and founder of RepublicanDirtyTricks.com, also known as 'RDTdaily.' Tara's Twitter handle is @REALTaraDevlin and her Instagram handle is @Taradacktyl.
During the second half of the show, Brad leads a political round-table with two guests who discuss the Iowa caucuses and the Democratic primary race as a whole.
The two round-table guests are Anisha Singh and Mark Grimaldi. Anisha is an attorney turned organizer and Democratic Strategist. Her Twitter handle is @Anisha_S113.
Mark Grimaldi, or 'Marky Mark' as Leslie Marshall calls him, is the Executive Producer of this show and a Democratic Activist. 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.
You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His Twitter handle is @BradBannon.
Saturday Feb 01, 2020
Saturday Feb 01, 2020
Wednesday Jan 29, 2020
Democracy Protection and Pro-Voter Reforms in 2020 Election and Beyond
Wednesday Jan 29, 2020
Wednesday Jan 29, 2020
Today's guest hosts are Brent Cohen, Executive Director of Generation Progress, and Charlotte Hancock, Communications Director for Generation Progress.
With next Monday's Iowa Caucus kicking off the Democratic primary elections, they discuss the types of voting reforms that are needed to ensure that all people are able to vote and that everyone’s votes are counted.
Brent and Charlotte are joined by joined by Monique Alcala, the COO of Rock the Vote, and Danielle Root, the associate director of voting rights and access to justice on the Democracy and Government Reform team at the Center for American Progress.
The Twitter handle for 'Rock the Vote' is @RockTheVote, and Monique's handle is @MAAlcala. The handle for the Democracy & Government Reform Team at the Center for American Progress is @CAPdemocracy.
The website for 'Generation Progress' is www.GenProgress.org and their Twitter Handle is @GenProgress. Brent Cohen's Twitter handle is @BrentJCohen and Charlotte Hancock's handle is @CharlatAnne.
Tuesday Jan 28, 2020
The Completely Inadequate U.S.-China 'Phase One' Trade Deal
Tuesday Jan 28, 2020
Tuesday Jan 28, 2020
Leslie is rejoined 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.For over a decade, Mr. 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.
The two discuss why AAM believes that the U.S.-China 'Phase One' Trade Deal is "completely inadequate." Scott and the AAM wrote a letter to President Trump with their reasons for this conclusion. To quote directly from the letter, "The agreement does not level the playing field for American workers in the U.S. or global market. With nearly all the major structural issues left unresolved – including industrial subsidies, overcapacity, state-owned enterprises, predatory investment, currency manipulation and misalignment, cyber intrusions, worker rights, environmental rules, and tax policy – we urge an immediate resumption of negotiations and sustained economic pressure." (Full Letter here)
Leslie and Scott also touch on a new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) which found that the 'Phase One' deal will not restore the 3.7 million U.S. jobs lost since China entered the WTO in 2001.
The website for AAM is AmericanManufacturing.org and their Twitter handle is @KeepItMadeInUSA. Scott's Twitter handle is @ScottPaulAAM. You can also find AAM on Instagram with the handle @AmericanManufacturing and visit their Facebook page at Facebook.com/AmericanManufacturing.
Tuesday Jan 28, 2020
Tuesday Jan 28, 2020
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 Amie Parnes, National Political Correspondent for 'The Hill' and co-author of 'Shattered,' the number one New York Times' best selling book on the 2016 presidential election. Amie's Twitter handle is @AmieParnes.
The two analyze what Senator Bernie Sanders' recent surge to the top of multiple Iowa polls, and national polls, in the Democratic race for President.
To close the interview, Amie gives her take on what factors may have caused Senator Elizabeth Warren's poll numbers to lag after having led in many of the same polls that Senator Sanders is now leading in.
During the second half of the show, Brad leads a political round-table with two guests who continue to analyze Bernie Sanders' polling surge, and also discuss the bombshell New York Times' report that John Bolton's book draft says that Trump tied Ukraine aid to political investigations into Democrats, including Joe Biden.
The two round table guests are Tim Zenk and Mark Grimaldi. 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, or 'Marky Mark' as Leslie Marshall calls him, is the Executive Producer of this show and a Democratic Activist. 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.
You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His Twitter handle is @BradBannon.
Friday Jan 24, 2020
Mitch McConnell's Do-Nothing, Anti-Worker Senate
Friday Jan 24, 2020
Friday Jan 24, 2020
Leslie is joined by United Steelworkers (USW) President, Tom Conway.
The two discuss Mitch McConnell’s Do-Nothing, Anti-Worker Senate.
Here are some important points that Tom and Leslie brought up when analyzing some of the most important bills for workers that have landed in Mitch McConnell's 'graveyard' in the Senate, where over 400 bills from the U.S. House are waiting to be voted on.
In the past year, the U.S. House passed a slate of bills that would help U.S. workers, including:
- the Butch Lewis Act, that would enable the federal government to help save the pensions of about 1.3 million hard-working Americans;
- the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, which would require employers in the health care and social service fields to implement violence-prevention plans;
- and an increase to the minimum wage, raising it from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2025. Congress hasn’t raised the minimum wage in over a decade.
Each of these bills is urgently needed, to help ensure fair wages, keep workers safe and safeguard workers’ right to a dignified retirement. However, the do-nothing Senate continues to ignore these bills and more than 400 others that would help millions of Americans. There has been no effort to compromise and no intention to hold a vote. Republican Senators, led by Mitch McConnell, are simply abdicating their responsibilities to help the American people. By refusing to legislate, the Senate sends a message to the American people that they don’t care about urgent issues like workplace safety, troubled pension plans or fair wages.
Next month, the House is expected to vote on another key bill that would improve the lives of working people: the PRO Act.
The PRO Act is a sweeping labor law reform bill that strengthens worker power by eliminating penalties for union organizing, among other protections for workers. This is especially important in an era of unprecedented attacks on workers’ rights.
Senate Republicans could help a lot of Americans by prioritizing workers over wealthy donors and greedy corporations. It just chooses not to. In November, workers have a choice too.
If anyone wants call their Senators and Representatives and tell them to support pro-worker legislation, they can look up their congresspeople and get their phone numbers by going to www.house.gov or www.senate.gov.
The website for the USW is www.USW.org. Their handle on both Twitter and Instagram is @steelworkers.The USW urges passage of the PRO Act. To help promote passage of the Pro Act, please post about it on social media using the hashtag #ProActNow.
Tom Conway was elected by the International Executive Board to succeed retiring International President Leo W. Gerard as leader of the United Steelworkers (USW), the largest industrial union in North America, effective July 15, 2019.
Previously, Conway served as International Vice President, a position he held since March 1, 2005, and was re-elected to four separate times.
During his 14-year tenure as International Vice President, Conway became the union’s most experienced contract negotiator in steel, aluminum, oil and other major industries where USW members work, often directing bargaining during crises.
Tom is a United States Air Force veteran and grew up in a union family in New Jersey. His father was an active member of the International Union of Operating Engineers. His mother worked in a brush factory, where she successfully organized a union and negotiated labor contracts.
You can read Tom's weekly blog at www.usw.org/blog.
This post is sponsored by cerity.com (Worker's Comp Insurance)
Wednesday Jan 22, 2020
47 Years After Roe v Wade, Where Are We Now?
Wednesday Jan 22, 2020
Wednesday Jan 22, 2020
In today's edition of the Generation Progress "Millennial Takeover" from the Center for American Progress in D.C., GP's own Charlotte Hancock and Edwith Theogene are the co-hosts.
They discuss the state of abortion services in the United States, as it is the 47th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.
The pair are joined by guests Jackie Blank and Jamille Fields Allsbrook, both experts on women's reproductive rights.
In our current political climate, access to women's healthcare services, including abortion services, are increasingly threatened.
The quartet evaluate the pressures befalling women's reproductive health services in this country, and how people are working to improve access to necessary medical treatments in this era of Neo-conservative party rule.
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.
Wednesday Jan 15, 2020
Wildfires—Climate Change + Criminal Justice Reform
Wednesday Jan 15, 2020
Wednesday Jan 15, 2020
Today's guest hosts are Brent Cohen, Executive Director of Generation Progress, and Charlotte Hancock, Communications Director for Generation Progress.
They discuss wildfires—a topic that feels even more urgent in light of the massive fires that have been burning across the entire country of Australia, with devastating consequences for both people and wildlife.
But the increase in the size and frequency of deadly wildfires is happening in many parts of the world. In just the past decade, Californians have experienced half of the state’s 10 largest wildfires in history, and seven of its 10 most destructive fires, including the 2018 Camp Fire, California’s deadliest wildfire ever. Brent and Charlotte have talked on the show before about how climate change is fueling the rise in extreme weather, and recent wildfires in California, Australia, and the Amazon rainforest are just more examples of this disturbing trend.
Experts agree that climate change is at least partially to blame—summer temperatures in Northern California, for instance, have been gradually increasing, and just those few degrees of extra warmth can have a huge impact on wildfires.
During the first half of the show, to talk to Brent and Charlotte about her own experience with wildfires in California, and her take on how climate change is impacting these disasters all over the planet, they’re joined by Lola M. Cornish. Lola is the Senior Training and Technical Assistance Specialist for Strategies 2.0 at the Child Abuse Prevention Center and a climate change advocate.
During the second half of the show, Brent and Charlotte are joined by Brandon Smith, the Founder and Organization Lead of The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program. They expand on the conversation of wildfires—specifically about the intersection between climate change and criminal justice reform.
You can find Lola M. Cornish on Twitter with the handle @hipLady5652LMC. The Twitter handle for Brandon Smith's organization, the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, is @ForestryFire.
The website for "Generation Progress" is www.GenProgress.org and their Twitter Handle is @GenProgress. Brent Cohen's Twitter handle is @BrentJCohen and Charlotte Hancock's handle is @CharlatAnne.