American Heroes with Kathy Hoekstra

In this special America 250 edition of American Heroes , host Kathy Hoekstra speaks with the leaders of Pacific Legal Foundation's four litigation practice groups about the enduring principles of the Declaration of Independence and how those ideals continue to shape the fight for individual liberty today. From equality before the law and property rights to responsible stewardship of natural re...

When their infant son developed a fever, Josh Sabey and Sarah Perkins rushed him to the emergency room. Just 36 hours later, child welfare and police officers arrived at their home at 1 a.m. and removed their two young children—without a warrant or court order. On this episode of American Heroes , Josh and Sarah share the devastating impact of that night, their fight to reunite their family, and w...

Is a doctor’s call a crime? Can a doctor be punished just for speaking with their patient across state lines? Dr. Sean McBride joins American Heroes to discuss his challenge to California’s telehealth restrictions, which treat even routine virtual consultations as the “practice of medicine” requiring in-state licensure—turning follow-up care into a legal risk.

When a California law shuts down access to oil and gas, John Morgan’s family loses more than income—they lose a legacy nearly a century in the making. In this episode of American Heroes , John shares how SB 1137 wiped out the value of his property overnight and what his fight says about the future of property rights in America.

Small business owners Eva St. Clair and Rebecca Melsky know the real impact of tariffs—because they lived it. In this episode of American Heroes with Kathy Hoekstra , they share how their companies, Princess Awesome and Boy Wonder, were destabilized by unpredictable presidential tariffs—and how their courage in joining Princess Awesome & Stonemaier Games v. Customs helped secure a landmark Sup...

In this episode of American Heroes , host Kathy Hoekstra sits down with Pacific Legal Foundation Senior Attorney Christina Martin to examine the fight against home equity theft—when local governments seize far more than a homeowner owes in taxes. The conversation centers on Pung v. Isabella County , a case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, where a Michigan family lost their nearly $200,000 home o...

On this episode of American Heroes , host Kathy Hoekstra speaks with Jamie Leach, a registered nurse and cofounder of Leachco, Inc., a family-run Oklahoma business that spent nearly 40 years creating safety-focused baby products trusted by parents nationwide. Despite a strong safety record, federal regulators targeted one of Leachco’s most popular products—not for a defect, but because it could po...

For decades, specialized wood from Alaska’s Tongass National Forest has shaped the sound of Steinway pianos and Martin guitars and strengthened everything from NASA wind tunnels to helicopter blades. Much of that wood comes from one family-owned mill: Viking Lumber on Prince of Wales Island. Now, a broken promise from Washington bureaucrats threatens to silence the saws and erase a legacy built on...

On  American Heroes with Kathy Hoekstra , Brian Wanner, president of Peters Brothers, shares how Pennsylvania regulators are automatically adopting California’s trucking emissions rules—without input from local lawmakers or businesses. These open-ended regulations could cost his company—and all Pennsylvania trucking companies—millions, forcing them to buy extended warranties for trucks they could...