Progressive Voices

This week on CodeWACK! Which states have received the highest scores in the rePROs Fight Back’s 13th annual 50-state report card on sexual and reproductive health and rights released in March -- and why? And what specific threats - whether federal, state or local - should reproductive rights advocates be most concerned about? And what policies should they be promoting? To find out, we spoke with J...

Leslie Marshall Show - A Non-Partisan View on U.S. Tariffs with AAM President Scott Paul by Progressive Voices

Why is National Single Payer organizing a National Day of Action on May 31 amid cuts and freezes to public health programs? How has an incremental approach to universal health care in America made comprehensive healthcare reform more difficult? To find out, we recently talked to Dr. Ana Malinow, who spent three decades working as a pediatrician with immigrant, refugee and underserved children befo...

This week on CodeWACK! Single payer is back in the spotlight with Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Pramila Jayapal submitting new Medicare for All bills for 2025-26! How will the upcoming National Day of Action on May 31st keep the need for healthcare reform in the spotlight? And how do physicians feel about single payer today, 60 years after the American Medical Association’s infamous ‘s...

Leslie is joined by Megan Salrin and Jimmy O'Donnell of the United Steelworkers (USW). In one of his early acts as president, Donald Trump not only fired National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo but also removed NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox. Firing Wilcox upended nearly 90 years of Supreme Court caselaw and left the NLRB unable to perform its vital mission of upholding workers’...

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 joined by Amie Parnes, Senior Correspondent at 'The Hill,...

This time on Code WACK! What’s it like operating an abortion clinic in Wyoming, one of the most anti-abortion states in the nation? Meet Julie Burkhart — longtime reproductive rights advocate, founder and CEO of Trust Women Foundation, which works to expand access to abortion care in underserved communities, and protégé of Dr. George Tiller, who was murdered for providing abortion care. Hear how D...

Can our local health departments counteract the mixed messages given by RFK, Jr. the secretary of Health and Human Services, about vaccine safety and efficacy? What about us? How can we combat disinformation and highlight the benefits of vaccinating our children and ourselves? To find out, we spoke with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed—physician, epidemiologist, author, and county health commissioner. He is for...

Trump Executive Order Stripping Collective Bargaining Rights is Biggest Attack on Labor in Decades by Progressive Voices

Leslie is joined by Jesse Case, Director for the Food Processing Division for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The two examine why so many cannabis workers are joining the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. To add some perspective, the Teamsters represent over 1,000 cannabis workers in six different states. They've also bargained the strongest contracts in the industry for workers...

What could Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services mean for the public health of everyday Americans, given his history of vaccine misinformation? With measles already on the rise and deadly, and the looming threat of future pandemics, how might his leadership shape the nation’s response to infectious diseases? To find out, we spoke with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed—phy...

GOP Medicaid/CHIP Cuts Threaten One-Third of All School Age Children by Progressive Voices

Leslie is joined by Connie Livingston, Senior Lead Counselor at Empowerly, which empowers students to become the most successful version of themselves with personalized college and career guidance.  Their tailored guidance helps students triumph over the college admissions process and spark the future of their dreams. Connie has worked in the field of college counseling since 2008. She began her c...

Leslie Marshall Show - Should U.S. or China Build Our Ships?! Tariffs, and Made In American Spotlight by Progressive Voices

Tackling the Biggest Stories Karel Cast 25-42 White House war plans leaks. Trump going after federal judges. Family deported after 35 years. $150k to live alone in San Francisco. 3x your hourly wage on groceries... Gay bar says NO to Maga clothing... There's a lot of stories out there and I'm going to round them up, explain them to you, and give you my opinion as Karel looks at the news. The Karel...

Leslie is joined by Dr. Anthony Estreet, PhD, MBA, LCSW-C, CEO of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).The NASW is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world. NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards for social workers, and to advance sound social policies. The pair...

How is Ireland’s plan for single-tier, universal health care, known as Sláintecare, funded? Is it sustainable long term? What improvements has the nation’s healthcare system seen so far – and what can America learn from this? To find out, we spoke to Dr. Sara Burke, associate professor and director of the Centre for Health Policy and Management in Trinity College Dublin’s School of Medicine. She i...

Leslie is joined by Sean O'Brien, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. They begin the interview by acknowledging the accomplishments that President O'Brien and General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman have helped their Union to achieve during their three years heading the organization. With 80,000 new members organized, great successes at the negotiating table includi...

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 Mabinty Quarshie, National Political Repor...

This time on HEAL California’s Medicare for All podcast, Code WACK!, we’re taking a closer look at Ireland’s push toward universal healthcare with Sláintecare—a 10-year reform plan designed to ensure access based on need, not wealth. Why did Ireland lag behind other European nations in adopting universal healthcare? How does Sláintecare compare to Medicare for All? And what lessons can the U.S. ta...

Leslie Marshall Show -3/17/25- Is Trump Tanking the Economy? What should Democrats' Strategy Be Going Forward? by Progressive Voices

Elon Musk is a self-described inhabitant of the Autism Disorder Spectrum. One of its hallmarks is difficulty interpreting interpersonal communications. That’s because its victims lack empathy. Empathy is the emotional connection that allows us to put ourselves in another’s shoes. All forms of interpersonal give and take are impacted. For most, this distancing makes life harder. Then there’s Elon M...

How did desegregation impact Black patients in America? What hasn’t changed? What does racism in medicine look like today? And what should we do when we see it? To break it down, we spoke to Dr. Barbara Berney, project creator and producer of the documentary “Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution.” She’s also an emeritus professor at City University of New York School of Public H...

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 CNN Military Analyst, Col. Cedric Leighton...

This time on HEAL California’s Medicare for All podcast, Code WACK!, we’re uncovering the shocking history of racial segregation in hospitals—and the fight to end it. What did segregation in health care really look like? Was it just a Southern problem, or were hospitals in the North just as complicit? And what finally forced hospitals to desegregate—despite years of resistance? Join us as we speak...