Episodes

  • Taxing the Rich

    Taxing the Rich
    Dec 17 2024

    Taxes have a long history in this country, shifting further after the introduction of income taxes. Join me in this episode as we hash through the history of federal income taxes, their uses, and their effects in the country. Low taxes and little to no federal protections caused chaos and mayhem for the working classes across the country during the Industrial Revolution and "Gilded" Age, following the Civil War and Reconstruction periods. All culminating as the country shifted toward the Progressive Eras and Great Depression/Prohibition Era. Taxing the rich corporations and “industry leaders” is not a new notion and resulted in many of the few benefits working America’s have access to in this country.

    America's "Working Poor"

    Millions of Full-Time Workers Rely on Federal Health Care and Food Assistance Programs (2020) | GAO

    Walmart’s Food Stamp Scam Explained in One Easy Chart | Jobs with Justice

    Walmart and McDonald’s are among top employers of Medicaid and food stamp beneficiaries, report says | NBC

    Walmart, McDonald's among largest employers of SNAP, Medicaid recipients: Report | Fox Business

    Walmart

    Check out Nancy Walton Laurie's $300 million superyacht that features a helipad, swimming pool, and aquarium | Business Insider

    Boat of the Week: Inside ‘Secret,’ the Lavish 271-Foot Superyacht Owned by Walmart Heiress Nancy Walton Laurie | Robb Report

    How Walmart is Dodging Billions in Taxes | Americans for Tax Fairness

    Gilded Age

    How Upton Sinclair’s ‘The Jungle’ Led to US Food Safety Reforms | History.com

    Great Depression

    New Deal | History.com

    Why Social Security Was the Cornerstone of FDR’s New Deal | History.com

    Social Security Act | History.com
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    46 mins
  • The Illusion in U.S. Politics

    The Illusion in U.S. Politics
    Dec 10 2024

    The power of language, the framing and centering of beliefs and "identities" matter because of their impact on the rhetoric and discourse that influence and construct our society and culture. Join me as I dive into key reminders when going into this Tuesday's election surrounding the structuring of our state and federal governments, the importance of civic engagement for the democratic process and the weight of propaganda and misinformation. A disengaged and disempowered proletariat only serves the few.

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    26 mins
  • Bad Policy and Preventable Deaths Post-Roe V. Wade

    Bad Policy and Preventable Deaths Post-Roe V. Wade
    Dec 2 2024

    Over 2 years ago, Roe V. Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court which opened the door for multiple states to pass abortion bans and continue to test the waters on the extent in which their governments can interfere in the privacy of women's reproductive rights and healthcare. More stories flood the media surrounding women turned away from hospitals and denied treatment, dying or almost dying in the process. What does this all mean? How have we gotten here with the steadily growing concern on preventable pregnant persons' deaths in America?

    Resources/Recommendations/References:

    Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care. In Georgia, Experts Say This Mother's Death Was Preventable | ProPublica

    Rest In Power: A Running List of the Preventable Deaths Caused by Abortion Bans | Ms. Magazine

    Infants dying, women at risk: Medical literature describes wide-ranging consequences of Dobbs

    Life Of The Mother | ProPublica

    Dozens of pregnant women, some bleeding or in labor, are turned away from ERs despite federal law | AP News

    Doctors Warned Her Pregnancy Could Kill Her. Then Tennessee Outlawed Abortion | ProPublica

    In Oklahoma, a woman was told to wait until she's 'crashing' for abortion care | NPR

    Pregnancy-related deaths are on the rise…and sepsis is a big reason | NIH

    Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health: Current Status and Efforts to Address Them | KFF
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    37 mins
  • Voter Disenfranchisement

    Voter Disenfranchisement
    Nov 11 2024
    Join me as we look into voter disenfranchisement through direct ways or from behind the scenes during the election process. Gerrymandering, Super PACs, and more. Participating in elections feels like a burden to many, more so now than ever, what have been some recently revealed causes? And longstanding practices? What are some small steps we can take to begin to stir up shift? References/Recommendations/Resources: Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens (2014) (Research Paper) Gilens and Page: Average citizens have little impact on public policy | PNHP Congress literally doesn't care what you think | Represent Us Influence of Big Money | Brennan Justice Center How Corporate Donors Get Their Tax Breaks and 5 Ways to Fight Back | Center for American Progress (CAP) Dark Money Basics | Open Secrets Dark Money | Brennan Justice Center Super PACs & Coordination | Brennan Justice Center Money in Politics | Common Cause 7 Facts about Americans' Views of Money in Politics | Pew Research Center Money, Power, and the Influence of Ordinary People in American Politics | Pew Research Center How Big Money Corrupts the Economy | Democracy Journal It Takes Lots of Money to Win Elections. Here's What You Need to Know | NPR How Jim Crow-Era Laws Suppressed the African American Vote for Generations | History.com History of Voting Rights The Man Who Rigged America's Election Map | Vox (Video) Gerrymandering Definition | Britannica Democracy Lab | TedED 'The Great Hack': Cambridge Analytica is Just the Tip of the Iceberg | Amnesty International History of the Cambridge Analytica Controversy | Bipartisan Policy Center Citizens United Explained | Brennan Justice Center Summary How States Define Lobbying and Lobbyist | National Conference of State Legislatures Political Action Committees (PACs) | Federal Election Commission Summary of The Mueller Report, for Those Too Busy to Read It All | Harvard After Mueller Revelations, How to Protect Election Integrity in 2020 (Video) | PBS News Block the Vote: How Politicians are Trying to Block Voters from the Ballot Box | ACLU Removal of On-Campus Voting on Election Day Sparks Uproar at Purdue | Inside Higher Ed NC Election Officials Removed Nearly 750,000 Ineligible Registrants Since Start of 2023 | North Carolina State of Election Boards Texas officials say they've scrubbed the voter rolls. Here's how to check if you're still on them | Texas Tribune Democracy Diverted: Polling Place Closures and the Right to Vote | The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
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    19 mins
  • Remembrance on Indigenous People's Day: A Reflection of Past & Present

    Remembrance on Indigenous People's Day: A Reflection of Past & Present
    Oct 28 2024
    The discourse surrounding the celebration of Indigenous People's Day vs "Columbus Day" continues as the country denies reckoning with its own history of its founding. This history exists past and present as the fruits of colonization remain largely unacknowledged or blatantly ignored. The recentering of indigenous peoples in this narrative is crucial for our society to come to terms with the oppression, assimilation, and appropriation of indigenous communities and culture. References/Resources/Recommendations: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) The Impact of Words and Tips for Using Appropriate Terminology: Am I Using the Right Word? | National Museum of the American Indian Federal Boarding Schools Origin of Names of U.S. States | U.S. Dept of the Interior Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative | U.S. Dept of the Interior Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative | U.S. Dept of the Interior Video: Unspoken: America's Native American Boarding Schools (Part One) | PBS Unspoken: America's Native American Boarding Schools (Part Two) | PBS Struggling with Cultural Repression | National Museum of the American Indian - Smithsonian U.S. Indian Boarding School History | The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition "Indian" Removal Act Remembering the Trail of Death and its Impact on the Potawatomi People The Potawatomi Trail of Death | The History Museum Immigration and Relocation in U.S. History: Native American | Library of Congress Trail of Tears | History.com The Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears | National Geographic (Video) How the Brutal Trail of Tears Got Its Name | Smithsonian Channel (Youtube) Christopher Columbus Was Christopher Columbus a Hero or Villain? | Biography.com Why Columbus Day Courts Controversy | History.com Christopher Columbus | Britannica.com Sand Creek Massacre (Video) UNUM Short: Remembering the Sand Creek Massacre | PBS Sand Creek Massacre | Britannica.com Osage Murders How Marriage and Murder were Used to Steal Osage Oil Riches | History.com Additional Butchered Tongue Lyrics (Hozier) | Genius Lyrics Understanding the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis Beyond Individual Acts of Violence Indiana Statehood | IN.gov Oklahoma | History.com Skunk, Bayou, and Other Words with Native American Origins | Merriam-Webster A Legacy of Negligence: The Historical Mistreatment of Indigenous Peoples in the United States | Berkley Public Policy Journal
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    34 mins
  • Why Choose Love?

    Why Choose Love?
    Oct 21 2024

    Welcome back for the latest season!

    This episode lays the groundwork for later episodes as I utilize this message and practice of "Choosing Love." While it is quick to consider the transactional notion of this word and practice, I focus on continuing the effort and shift to re-envision what can be meant and taught surrounding this word and all connecting ideals. All forms of love are not something to be earned through "respect" and "authority" but is in actuality connected to the intrinsic value already within each of us and all other aspects of nature. Love is an act and a practice, not something owed or held; it's a way of life that is cultivated and developed throughout our lives. The "Choose Love" Movement by the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation is an exceptional example of this idea in practice. Visit their linked homepage to learn more about the foundation, their impact, and their movement or if you're interested in utilizing their curriculum.

    References/Resources/Recommendations:

    Choose Love Movement Official Homepage

    Choose Love Movement Program Overview

    Choose Love Movement Educator Guide
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    19 mins
  • Social Determinants of Health

    Social Determinants of Health
    May 20 2024

    Have you ever wondered why some parts of health are easier than others or why others are able to have better health than you? It may not just be a you problem. Join me in the season finale as I discuss what is meant by the social determinants of health, what goes into them and examples, and what that means for us.

    References/Resources:

    Social Determinants of Health | Benton-Franklin Health District

    Social Determinants of Health | Healthy People 2023

    Understanding Social Determinants of Health | Illinois Department of Public Health
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    16 mins
  • Advocacy and Activism

    Advocacy and Activism
    May 6 2024

    What is advocacy? What is activism? Why can protestors be so annoying? If you have thought or questioned this in light of current events, check out this week’s podcast as we cover the topic and famous movements throughout history.

    Resources/References

    What is the Difference Between Advocacy and Activism? | Commons Library

    Activism Defined: What is Activism | Masterclass

    The History of Student Activism in the United States | Teen Vogue

    In pictures: A lookback at student protest movements in the US | CNN
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    27 mins