The 60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
John talks about the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and the recent reversal of voting freedoms with the Republican Save Act officially the "Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act," - (a bill that would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections) and the Texas gerrymandering debacle. Plus, he also talks about RFK Jr. announced that 22 projects, totaling $500 million, to develop vaccines using mRNA technology (including ones being developed to fight covid 19and the flu) will be halted. Then, he kids around with the amazing Bob Cesca about Trump firing Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner Erika McEntarfer, the sweet deals for Ghislaine Maxwell, and the big gerrymandering war. Next, John welcomes back Desimber Rose and Dillon Naber Cruz for their God Squad segment and they discuss the GOP's outrage over Cynthia Erivo playing Jesus in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar and they chat with listeners about the bible. Then finally, Dr. Tracy Pearson returns to talk listeners off the edge with sound and hopeful legal advice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
7 Aug 1h 53min
When You're Scared Enough to Cheat with Gerrymandering - Then You KNOW You Can't Win the Election Fairly
Today - John discusses Trump ordering the US National Parks Service to reinstall a statue of Confederate military officer Albert Pike in Washington, DC. Protestors tore it down in the wake of the George Floyd protests against police brutality and racial injustice on Juneteenth in 2020. He also talks about the latest in the Texas gerrymandering debacle with Governor Greg Abbott saying democrats have until Friday to return to the statehouse or face expulsion. More than 51 Democratic members of the Texas House left the state, aiming to deny the chamber a quorum and prevent passage of the proposed gerrymandered Republican map before a scheduled floor vote. Then, he chats with Professor Corey Brettschneider about the supreme court paving the way for Texas’s gerrymandering mess and the overuse of the shadow docket in the Supreme Court to hide reasoning behind the court's decisions. These decisions are typically made with limited briefing, no oral argument, and often without full explanation, leading to concerns about transparency and the potential impact on legal precedent. Then, John welcomes back Rev. Barry Lynn who is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and served as the executive director for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State until his retirement in 2017. They talk about Texas gerrymandering, Ghislaine Maxwell, and churches now being able to endorse candidates. Then finally, he plays clips from the recent Nebraska town hall where Republican congressman Mike Flood was booed by constituents. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
6 Aug 1h 37min
Texas Democrats Stand Their Ground By Running for the Hills
This time John discusses Texas democratic lawmakers pulling the rip cord and leaving their state in a planned action to break quorum at the state House. Without quorum, Republican plans to reshuffle voting districts will have to be put on hold. In response, Gov. Greg Abbott sought civil arrest warrants for the members, who have all fled to the welcoming arms of party allies in blue states. Then, he interviews Sheria Smith who is President of AFGE Local 252 - the union representing thousands of Dept of Ed workers - and former attorney with ED's Office of Civil Rights. They talk about Trump's dismantling of the Department of Education. And then winding it up, comedian Rhonda Hansome is back to joke about trending topics and Donald Trump's mishigas.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
5 Aug 1h 10min
Republicans Have So Many New Ways to Cheat in the Next Election
John discusses how Republicans are coming up with creative ways to swing the next election in their favor. First, he talks about how they are greasing the palms of large corporate donors with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin moving to repeal the 2009 Endangerment Finding which states that greenhouse gases are a threat to public health. Second, he talks about ICE being the largest (and most funded) secret police in the nation with the goal of locking up as many brown democratic voters as they can. And third, John discusses Democratic lawmakers in Texas who are leaving the state in a last-ditch bid to prevent Republicans from further gerrymandering their congressional map at the request of Trump. If successful, the GOP’s redistricting effort could potentially give the party an additional five seats in the 2026 midterms. Then, he interviews the General President of the Laborers' International Union of North America -Brent Booker on the impacts of Trump's tariffs and Big Bad Budget Bill on job creation and job loss. Then finally, John speaks with author Bridget A. Lyons about her new book "Entwined: Dispatches from the Intersection of Species".See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
4 Aug 1h 1min
We're Still Here with Simon and Julie
Simon and Julie join John for another segment of We’re Still Here. They dig into a disturbing new report revealing that Trump-era officials pushed to remove books on slavery, Native history, and even George Washington from national park gift shops, all in the name of “patriotism.”Then they turn to Arkansas, where a whites-only settlement is quietly building a “fortress for the white race” under the banner of “returning to the land.” Yes, it’s 2025. No, you didn’t misread that.But it’s not all grim news: the House has approved $8.4 billion for the Indian Health Service, with advance appropriations that could offer much-needed stability for Native healthcare—if it survives the political storm ahead.They unpack all of it with humor, fire, and a healthy dose of listener calls.Simon Moya-Smith - instagram.com/simonsaidtakeapic threads.com/@simonsaidtakeapicJulie’s Substack “The Fire I Keep” https://substack.com/@juliefrancella?r=1u83jb&utm_medium=iosCheck out Julie's artwork on her website - juliefrancella.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2 Aug 34min
Hunger in Gaza Reaches 'Tipping Point' as Children Face LIFELONG Impacts of Malnutrition
John discusses the dire situation in Gaza under Israel's assault as Palestinian children are perishing each day from malnutrition. The World Health Organization warned that the "health and well-being of an entire future generation" was at stake. Then, he speaks with the Managing Director of Strategic Resource Group - Burt Flickinger about Trump’s recent policy of reciprocal tariffs which are now going into effect and Sydney Sweeney's controversial American Eagle 'Good Jeans' ad. And then John chats with Ahmed Baba who is the founder of the bestselling Substack newsletter AhmedBaba.News and a columnist at The Independent. They discuss his new piece entitled "Trump's New Epstein Comments Contradict the Timeline & Raise Troubling Questions".See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1 Aug 1h 13min
The Forced Reunion of Church and State
John discusses Trump announcing workplace rules that stand to make it easier for federal employees to pressure their colleagues to convert to their religion of choice. He also talks about the Senate voting to confirm Emil Bove as a judge on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, granting a lifetime appointment to Trump's former personal lawyer. Then, he jokes with actor, director, and podcast star Bob Cesca about the Jeffrey Epstein debacle and of course current movies and Star Trek shows. Next, John speaks with The God Squad featuring former pastor Desimber Rose and theologian Dillan Naber Cruz. They talk about Trump's new Christian work place rules and other disruptions to the separation of church and state. Then finally, he chats with legal analyst Dr. Tracy Pearson and they take calls from the Evil Army of the Night on Emil Bove, Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
31 Juli 1h 46min
Trump: I Unfriended Jeffrey When He Stole My 16 Year Old Massage Girl
Max Burns guest hosts. He has a mixed bag of topics...1. NYPD says a note found on the gunman who killed 4 in a midtown Manhattan skyscraper blamed his actions on traumatic brain injuries caused by football and the inaction of the NFL, whose headquarters he sought. 2. The head of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the NSA's deputy director have been fired. The firings were described as abrupt and occurred after reports of pressure from right-wing activist Laura Loomer who had accused the officials of disloyalty. 3. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is rumored to be quitting his current post to run for office in Tennessee. 4. Immigration Czar Tom Homan gave out some very back of the napkin math on the people his goon squads are rounding up and disappearing from the country. 5. Trump told reporters he had a falling out with Jeffrey Epstein over underage spa workers at Mar a Lago being recruited into his sexual predator enterprise. Then, Max speaks with Elaine Godfrey who is a staff writer at The Atlantic. She covers national politics. Her latest reporting documents the kind of leadership, issue-advocacy and grit the modern Democratic party needs to survive the Second Age of Donald Trump – as typified by Texan Jasmine Crockett. Next, he interviews Zoë Towns who is the Executive Director at Forward Dot U-S, where she launched the criminal justice reform portfolio in 2017 - defining its advocacy, policy, research, and philanthropic agenda. In her years since, Zoë has overseen administrative, ballot, electoral, and legislative criminal justice reform campaigns in states across the country and at the federal level. And finally, Max chats with the National Affairs correspondent for The Nation - John Nichols about current news and all things in Trumpland. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
30 Juli 1h 31min
