The Lean to the Left Podcast

We have something a little different for you today…no politics for a change…instead a conversation about the influence our mom on our lives in honor of Mother’s Day. Our guest is Jackie Tantillo, host of the “Should have Listened To My Mother Podcast,” which examines who we are because of – or in spite of – our mother. Jackie has worked in broadcasting as on-air talent (radio), on camera talent (c...

It is a remarkable story, and despite obvious political ramifications for lawmakers representing coal states, the U.S. has cut the use of coal for electricity generation from 50% in 2005 to 19.8% in 2021, and it's still falling. In fact, according to our podcast guest, scientist and energy expert Jack Kerfoot, renewables like solar and wind power are expected to overtake coal as the world's top en...

We are living in a time when many of our fellow citizens are facing injustices, even threats to their lives, that nobody should have to deal with. If you’re a Black kid and you knock on the wrong door to meet a friend, you could be shot. That’s just a fact. It just happened, and our guest today, Dr. Pamela Gurley, has something to say about that. Dr. Gurley is a Content Strategy Expert, Internatio...

Lance Hillsinger worked in social services for 34 years and has written two books based on those experiences. He has a master's degree in psychology from Vanderbilt University and a bachelor's degree in psychology and political science from UCLA.Hilsinger’s first, “In Place of the Parent: Inside Child Protective Services,’ examines the child welfare/juvenile court system. His second book, “Build a...

A "witch's brew" of GOP-sponsored political activity in Texas, Florida, Tennessee and other states across the nation tops the discussion in the April edition of the Dixie Dems on the Lean to the Left podcast, now streaming. Arthur Hill, first vice chair of the Brunswick County, NC Democratic Party and Robert Thompson, host of the Got Damn Liberal podcast based in Atlanta, GA, join Lean to the Left...

There’s a horrible, deadly cancer that not many people know about. It’s called Cholangiocarcinoma. We’ll learn a lot about that today from Jan Meyer, who lost her mother to this disease, and has been fighting Cholangio herself. Jan is a retired registered nurse and was diagnosed with Stage 2B intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in February 2018. She underwent a liver resection and then received chemot...

Welcome to Lean to the Left. I’m your host, Bob Gatty. David E. Feldman has confronted so many serious health problems in his life that it’s a wonder he’s still standing. He’s faced drug addiction, depression, spinal problems that nearly led to paralysis, two hip replacements, intestinal resection with colostomy and cancer. But instead letting all of that beat him, what’s Feldman done? He’s writte...

Many states are now restricting, even banning, books that discuss important social issues that can be used in our schools. It’s a misguided attempt to somehow protect children. Our guests today will explore those developments and their implications. Robert Kesten has worked globally promoting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and furthering democracy. His work has taken many forms, includi...

On a Monday morning in late March three nine year-olds and three adults were gunned down by a shooter who opened fire at the Covenant Presbyterian church school in Nashville, Tennessee. The children were students; the adults were staff members. One little girl, Hallie, was the daughter of the lead pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church, which is connected to the school. The shooter, Audrey Elizabe...

Ever wonder what it would be like to be really, really short? Do you think you’d feel discriminated against, or at a competitive disadvantage in life? If you’re a woman, do you believe you face unfair situations because of inequities that favor men? Today we welcome Dr. Deborah J. Burris-Kitchen, a professor of criminology and department chair at Tennessee State University in Nashville, who has ju...

DW Duke is a California attorney and an author of six published books with three more books currently in production. His work has focused on human rights and empathy as a tool to overcome confrontation and conflict in the world. DW currently is creating a series of biographical novels and screenplays about social justice issues. One of his books, Racism Awareness, scheduled to be released in March...

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v Wade, many states are now acting to virtually eliminate the ability of a woman to obtain an abortion, and some states would even prosecute healthcare providers who perform the procedure. We’ll talk about all of that with our guest today, a women’s health coach, Cath Perez. Cathy always had a passion for health and fitness, being orga...

Hey guys, welcome to the Lean to the Left podcast and the March 2023 episode of the Dixie Dems with my partners, Arthur Hill, from North Carolina, and Robert Thompson, from Georgia. Arthur is communications chair of the Brunswick County, North Carolina, Democratic party. Robert Thompson is based in Atlanta and founded Peach News Now and its opinion podcast, Got Damn Liberals, which is worth a list...

At the age of 3, Ed Hajim was kidnapped by his father, driven cross-country, and was told his mother was dead. And then, not too much later, he was virtually abandoned by his dad. Many years later, business entrepreneur Ed Hajim received the Horatio Alger award for exemplifying the values of initiative, leadership, and commitment to excellence -- despite personal adversity. Hajim is the author of...

Welcome. I’m Bob Gatty with Mark M. Bello, social justice lawyer and author of riveting ripped-from-the-headline novels covering some of the major issues of our times. Look up “justice” in the dictionary and you’ll find something like: “Just or fair behavior or treatment.”In addition to hosting the Lean to the Left podcast, I co-host Mark’s “Justice Counts” podcast, where the conversation goes bey...

Would you like a way to help everyone in your personal and professional networks vote faster, easier, and smarter – and help Democrats win – even in traditionally Republican areas? Today we’re with Wayne Liebman, director of operations and “hairball detangler” at BlueVoterGuide.org, a new, unique get-out-the-vote tool built by grassroots organizers for everyone. It’s progressive, simple, and share...

Using a gun and handcuffs, Robert Nordlander chased tax evaders and money launderers around the world for the Internal Revenue Service. So considering that it’s tax time now, he’s our guest on the Lean to the Left podcast, where we talk about taxes, audits, avoiding trouble with the IRS, and a lot more. As an IRS-Criminal Investigation special agent, Nordlander was a highly trained federal agent w...

We’re back with another episode of Dixie Dems, the podcast from Lean to the Left that takes an irreverent look at politics in the south, as well as nationwide. As always, I'm joined by my partners, Arthur Hill, from North Carolina, and Robert Thompson, from Georgia. Arthur is communications chair of the Brunswick County, North Carolina, Democratic party. Robert Thompson is based in Atlanta and fou...

Robin Bartlett takes us back 50 years to a "boots on the ground" account of his extraordinary combat experiences as a 22-year-old 1st Lieutenant with the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam. As a combat infantry platoon leader, he deployed a 32-man platoon on search and destroy missions and helicopter assaults into hot landing zones at the height of the Vietnam War. Today we’ll hear about the horror,...

It was 50 years ago that the U.S. signed a peace treaty to end its long war in Indochina, after losing over 58,000 troops and spending billions of dollars in a failed effort to prevent the nationalist-communist forces of North Vietnam from unifying the country. The U.S. killed 2-3 million Vietnamese, dropped 4.6 million tons of bombs, and created 15 million refugees--but still failed. Award-winnin...

The mass shootings keep coming and innocent people keep getting gunned down. In fact, every day 110 people are killed by guns. On Feb. 14 it will be the five-year anniversary of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, when 17 people were murdered and 17 others injured. Yet, the politicians do nothing. Today’s Lean to the Left podcast episode looks at that throu...

Today we’re with Lynne Parmiter Bowman, author of the Amazon best selling cookbook, Brownies for Breakfast. You probably won’t believe it, but Lynne is 76. You would most certainly never know it and we’re going to spend some time finding out how she maintains her youth. But there’s a lot more to Lynne Bowman than a pretty face. Lynne has been featured at women's expos throughout the country, speak...

This is a story of absolute determination; the story of a rock jock who had the world by the tail -- until he didn't -- and then what he did to live life at its fullest despite having been dealt a bad hand regarding his health. Kim Curry was a radio broadcaster for 33 years in some of America’s finest cities, a DJ in different time slots, and the Program Director of two of America’s legendary stat...

We’re back with another episode of Dixie Dems, the podcast from Lean to the Left that takes an irreverent look at politics in the south, as well as nationwide. TToday, we’ll offer up some prognostications for 2023 as well as take a look at some of the key political developments in our three states, and if our comments turn nationally, don’t be surprised. With me are my partners, Arthur Hill, from...

The high cost of prescription drugs affects us all. But what’s behind them? Is it just pharmaceutical company greed? Welcome to Lean to the Left, the podcast that explores important developments that shape our society and our world. Our guest today is Hank Laskey, PhD, a longtime adviser and consultant in the pharmaceutical industry. Hank brings a ton of knowledge and perspective about this indust...