The Lean to the Left Podcast

Our nation is deeply divided along so many lines, racially, politically, economically. Unbelievably, it’s even possible that a twice-impeached former president who’s been indicted multiple times, including for trying to overturn his election defeat, actually could reach the presidency again. Hate against various groups has grown dramatically and is one of the many factors contributing to the mass...

Tribalism in America must end because it threatens our existence as a society. That’s the view of author and historian Michael C. Anderson, who says social media and a biased news media must share the blame. Anderson, an IT consultant by trade with a PhD in Information Science, has just published his fourth book on the subject, titled Twilight of the American Experiment, Without Moral Balance our...

Legendary feminist and author Dr. Phyllis Chesler warns that the Hamas attacks in Israel could eventually lead to World War III unless democratic powers "stand up to the world bully," the "axis of evil" of China, Russia, Iran, and select Arab countries. Her comments came in an interview for the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcasts, during which she strongly criticized women's organizations...

In the United States, the racial divisions among us seem to be deepening, fueled at least in part by political opportunists who prey upon fear and emotion. Our Lean to the Left podcast guest is Juliet Hooker, a leading thinker on democracy and race and author of a new book, Black Grief, White Grievance. Her book examines racial politics and argues that both White and Black communities must learn t...

Have you ever wondered why your dog or cat seems to know when you’re having a bad day? Why is it that my pup is so comforting when things are going sideways? Is it part of their DNA? Our guest today, Bill Robertson, is the author of a new book, "Uncle Bill's Animal Tales - Life Lessons for Adults". Bill’s book is about his experiences with animals and how he feels they are our greatest teachers &...

Sexual harassment, workplace violence, school violence, bullying, public violence, campus rape, and sexual assault are all connected to whether there is violence in the home, according to our Lean to the Left podcast guest, Sabrina Osso. One out of three women will be beaten or raped in a lifetime. One out of five adolescent girls is abused by her boyfriend. One out of three young people will be i...

Violent extremism is increasing in the United States and around the world, the latest example being the horrible attacks against Israel by Hamas and the subsequent criticism in the U.S. of Israel for defending itself. Appearing on the Lean to the Left and Justice Counts podcast with thriller author Mark M. Bello and myself, author and clinical psychologist Dr. Emily Bashah discusses the factors th...

The mass shootings that continue to plague our country call for drastic measures, contends author and psychoanalyst Gerald Schoenewolf, but they don't involve confiscating guns or preventing law-abiding citizens from owning guns. As of Oct. 26, the U.S. has had at least 565 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive – or about two mass shootings a day. Those numbers cam...

All veterans and their families deserve to receive every single benefit from both state and federal governments that they earned by bravely serving our country, In honor of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, our Lean to the Left podcast guest is Paul R. Lawrence, Ph. D, former Under Secretary for Benefits at the Veterans Administration. An Army veteran, Dr. Lawrence is the author of a new book, "Veterans Be...

The Republicans are in a real mess in Congress and Donald Trump's continued dominance in the GOP presidential sweepstakes is only complicating matters, so in this episode of the Dixie Dems, we take a look at the drama in the GOP Trump world and how it's unfolding. There’s a lot to talk about, from the debacle of the Republicans’ drama of picking a new speaker of the House of Representatives and co...

The election of Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana to be the new speaker of the House places him in an enormously influential position in Congress and second in line for the Presidency. How will he affect social policy in the U.S.? As the architect of last year’s national “Don’t Say Gay” bill, leaders in the LGBTQ+ community are concerned about what could lie ahead. Todd Sears, the CEO and Founder of...

Jeffrey Archer has topped the bestseller lists around the world, with sales of over 275 million copies in 115 countries and 49 languages. He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (19 times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction. In this episode of the Lean to the Left podcast, we learn some of the secrets of this best selling author as he takes us inside the...

Would you buy into a plan to reduce violence & crime and make our streets, schools, workplaces, and homes safe again from an ex-con who spent nearly five years in prison for defrauding investors? Well, that’s our guest on the Lean to the Left podcast. Herbert Kay spent nearly five years in prison for defrauding investors, convincing them that risks were fall smaller and rewards far greater than th...

According to the National Institutes of Health, 20 million Americans suffer from substance abuse at some point in their lives. Mary Beth O’Conno was one of those, but since 1994 has been sober from methamphetamine use disorder. She wrote about her journey in an award-winning memoir, “From Junkie to Judge: One Woman’s Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction.” Mary Beth shares her story with us in this ep...

For baseball fans, October is a great month. It’s the month when the best teams – after a grueling 162-game schedule – are fighting to get into the World Series, which begins October 27. So, today we’re talking baseball with author William R. Douglas, who’s written a captivating book, “The Death and Resurrection of Baseball.” So, stay with us, because this episode will answer the question, can bas...

"The risk of climate change is substantial, and it puts people's lives at risk. We need to stop talking about it, and we need to take real positive action." Those are the words of energy scientist and renewable energy advocate Jack Kerfoot on the Lean to the Left podcast as he wrapped up a five-part series of episodes analyzing regional progress as states establish and implement policies in varyin...

We are all living in the aftermath of January 6, 2021, the day that an angry mob of thousands of Trump supporters violently attacked the U.S. Capitol, the symbolic seat of democracy, and tried to stop the certification of Joe Biden as president of the United States. Our guest today was there – not as a protestor, but as a historian, and the result is his fascinating book, “Sorry Guys, We Stormed t...

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s deal to prevent shutting down the government omitted a $6 billion request for aid to support Ukraine in its war with Russia. Today on the Lean to the Left podcast we have a guest who will describe her parents’ experience in Nazi slave camps and who is writing a book drawing parallels between WWII and the Russo-Ukraine war today. Oksana Kukurudza’s parents were in Naz...

Today we’re talking politics, and with me are Arthur Hill, from North Carolina, and Robert Thompson, from Georgia. I’m a Maryander transplanted into South Carolina, and together we’re the Dixie Dems. There is a ton to talk about today, from the debacle of the second Republican presidential debate, to Trump, his indictments and all that, Joe Manchin and the No Labels party, lewd public activities b...

In today's podcast, we delve into the vital aspects of a Women and Power and explore Helping women master power and achieve success. Our guest is Nicole Devlin, life coach and host of the From the Nth Power podcast, and we talk about power and how it relates to us in our careers and personal lives. Nicole Devlin's passion comes from 30 years' experience guiding and coaching intelligent people. Her...

John Neral was 10 years old when his mom told him not to go to bed with a woman until he was married. 18 years later, he came out to his parents as gay. Today, he stresses that how we "show up matters. So Neral coaches clients on strategies to “get unstuck” and achieve their potential. He's our guest on the Lean to the Left podcast. A certified professional coach, Neral helps mid-career profession...

It's a common experience for a woman to look a man in the eye, and tell him "no." Regardless of her reason, "no" should be a simple word that carries little weight beyond the moment. Unfortunately, for too many women simply saying "no" can put them at risk of verbal abuse, online harassment, or even physical violence. Our guest today, Dr. Pamela Gurley, says that's toxic behavior that needs to sto...

Today we’re focusing on the environmental challenges facing our world today with Rebecca Bratspies, founding director of the Center for Urban Environmental Reform. She’s the author of an award-winning environmental justice comic book series, The Environmental Justice Chronicles. The three books, Mayah’s Lot, Bina’s Plant, and Troop’s Run, are designed to bring environmental literacy to a new gener...

What are individual states doing to reduce reliance on fossil fuels by turning to renewable resources like the wind and the sun? As we see in this episode with energy scientist Jack Kerfoot, that North Carolina and Virginia are making remarkable progress, while Florida and West Virginia continue to pretend that climate change is a hoax, while Kentucky is making some progress but has a long, long w...

Do you believe equity has finally come to the workplace; that women are now being treated equally with men in business today? This episode of the Lean to the Left podcast features Dr. Regina Lark, author of the new book, Emotional Labor: Why a Woman’s Work Is Never Done and What to Do About It. In the interview, conducted by Lean to the Left host Bob Gatty and Mark M. Bello, host of the Justice Co...