Podcasts about Congressional Hispanic Caucus

Capitol Hill was a chaotic mess on Thursday, and Senator Padilla made sure all eyes were on him. He walked into a press conference, got into a scuffle, and wound up in handcuffs — all of it caught on tape. The footage, conveniently shot by Padilla's own team, spread fast. If it was a stunt, it worked. Within hours, major Democratic voices like Pete Buttigieg were condemning the incident, claiming even Trump wouldn't cross that line. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus rallied, heckled Speaker Mike Johnson, and declared Padilla a thug or a hero, depending on which side you were on.Let's be real: Padilla knew exactly what he was doing. He showed up to that press event looking to make a scene — and he made one. Whether or not he wore his Senate pin is beside the point. He wanted the arrest. He wanted the handcuffs. He wanted to be the visual representation of resistance to what California Democrats are branding a fascist crackdown. Gavin Newsom practically begged Trump to arrest him — Padilla followed through.The reactions say it all. I've heard from Republicans on the Hill who weren't thrilled with how it went down, and that tells you who won the optics game. If the video wasn't a strategic release — if this wasn't planned — it sure fooled me. Democrats instantly seized on it. Social media lit up. The message was clear: California's not backing down. Padilla's not backing down. And if you try to box us out of this debate, we'll crash the press conference — literally.Padilla and Governor Kristi Noem apparently had a sit-down afterward. They exchanged numbers, maybe patched it up, maybe not. But the story had already moved. The narrative was set. This wasn't about reconciliation — it was about the clip. A sitting senator in handcuffs doesn't just turn heads. It dominates the news cycle. And for a party looking to show spine in the face of rising federal enforcement in California, Padilla delivered. He walked in knowing exactly how it would play — and for better or worse, he played it perfectly.Chapters00:00:00 - Intro00:02:04 - Thoughts on Sen. Padilla00:09:38 - Interview with Evan Scrimshaw00:38:53 - Update00:39:25 - Dem Govs Defend State Immigration00:42:02 - House Recissions Package Passes00:44:55 - Air India Plane Crash00:46:54 - Interview with Evan Scrimshaw, con't.01:25:32 - Wrap-up This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/subscribe

On this week's episode of 'The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart': Deportation and Retaliation: President Trump slapped Colombia with major tariffs and sanctions today for refusing to admit deportation flights from the U.S. as the new Border Czar says he needs more money to get his job done. I'll ask Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, how far Congress will go to bankroll mass deportations and the rest of Trump's Imperial agenda. "You're fired!" Trump's executive orders are upending the federal bureaucracy and risk disrupting government operations that serve all Americans. Max Stier of the Partnership for Public Service and NAACP President Derrick Johnson join me to discuss the consequences of the President's war on federal workers. All that and more on “The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart.” 

Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair says group will oppose mass deportations. Haitians are self-deporting in Springfield, Ohio. Trump's presidency could bankrupt already failing Legacy news outlets. Pennsylvania Supreme Court orders counties not to count undated ballots and a second Trump term may push China's economy over the cliff.

On this week's episode of 'The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart': Capitol control. Who will hold the majority in the next House of Representatives remains unclear, but Democrats are already gearing up for life in Trump's Washington. Rep. Nanette Barragan, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Barbara Lee, former chair for the Congressional Black Caucus, and Rep. Marc Pocan, chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus will take us inside how Democrats will confront a second Trump administration. Never mind? Donald Trump's MAGA allies insist he has no plans to seek revenge. Brendan Buck and Ashley Etienne will Sound Off on whether they actually believe that -- because I sure don't. And Sunday Solace. This election has many Americans feeling frustrated, angry or even afraid. Bishop Gene Robinson and Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis will offer some reflections on finding hope for the future. All that and more on “The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart.” 

On this episode of Here to Lead, Senator Alex Padilla -- the first Latino Senator elected to represent California in the United States Senate and member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus -- talks about what motivated him to take leaps of faith at the beginning of his civic career. From honoring his parents' sacrifices to committing to authentic representation in his community, he underscores the importance of acting in alignment with personal values.

The Teamsters Union decides to not endorse a Democrat for the first time since 1996. Kamala Harris unveils a new accent while speaking to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Harry and Megan posts a video urging people to vote in the US Election while all but endorsing Kamala Harris. Morning Joe has Joan Baez on to talk about Palestine. Will the fallout of the Israeli pager attack become a concern for technology production? Recovering investment banker, Entrepreneur and Author Carol Roth joins us to discuss the Fed rate cut, political influence, the Trump tax cuts and more. Dana shares the story of Amber Thurman and how Democrats are exploiting her death to score political points on abortion. An Alaska man is charged with threatening to assassinate the conservative Supreme Court justices. Former Trump Administration State Department Official Matt Mowers joins us on Europe's immigration crisis, Hungary sending immigrants to Brussels and more.Please visit our great sponsors:Black Rifle Coffeehttps://blackriflecoffee.com/danaUse code DANA to save 20% on your next order.  Byrnahttps://byrna.com/danaVisit today for 10% off and get the protection you need.  Cozy Earthhttps://cozyearth.com/danaGet the ultimate in comfort at up to 40% off with code DANA. Hillsdalehttps://danaforhillsdale.comVisit DanaForHillsdale.com to pick your new favorite podcast today on the Hillsdale College Podcast Network.  KelTechttps://KelTecWeapons.comInnovation. Performance. Keltec. Learn more at KelTecWeapons.com today.Patriot Mobilehttps://patriotmobile.com/danaGet a free month of service with code Dana.ReadyWise https://readywise.comUse promo code Dana20 to save 20% on any regularly priced item.Tax Network USAhttps://TNUSA.com/DANADon't let the IRS control your life—empower yourself with Tax Network USA. Visit TNUSA.com/DANA

Kamala Harris unveils a new accent while speaking to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Harry and Megan posts a video urging people to vote in the US Election while all but endorsing Kamala Harris. Morning Joe has Joan Baez on to talk about Palestine. Please visit our great sponsors:Black Rifle Coffeehttps://blackriflecoffee.com/danaUse code DANA to save 20% on your next order.  Byrnahttps://byrna.com/danaVisit today for 10% off and get the protection you need.  Cozy Earthhttps://cozyearth.com/danaGet the ultimate in comfort at up to 40% off with code DANA. Hillsdalehttps://danaforhillsdale.comVisit DanaForHillsdale.com to pick your new favorite podcast today on the Hillsdale College Podcast Network.  KelTechttps://KelTecWeapons.comInnovation. Performance. Keltec. Learn more at KelTecWeapons.com today.Patriot Mobilehttps://patriotmobile.com/danaGet a free month of service with code Dana.ReadyWise https://readywise.comUse promo code Dana20 to save 20% on any regularly priced item.Tax Network USAhttps://TNUSA.com/DANADon't let the IRS control your life—empower yourself with Tax Network USA. Visit TNUSA.com/DANA

China on Monday refrained from commenting on US President Joe Biden's decision to exit the presidential race.7月22日，外交部在例行记者会上就美国现任总统拜登宣布退出2024年美国总统竞选一事回应：不作评论。"The US election is an internal affair of the US", said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning."No comment," Mao replied when asked about China's reaction to Biden's exit.当被问及中国对于拜登推出总统选举的回应时，外交部发言人毛宁表示：“美国大选是美国内政，我们不作评论。”After nearly a month of mounting pressure from his own party, Biden dropped his reelection bid on Sunday and endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris to head the Democratic ticket in November.在民主党内部的强大压力下，美国现任总统拜登7月21日宣布退出2024年总统竞选，并支持提名副总统哈里斯为民主党总统候选人。"It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president," he wrote in a letter posted to social media. "And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus entirely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term."拜登当天在社交媒体上发表声明称，他原本打算寻求连任，但为了民主党和国家的最佳利益，他决定退出竞选，并专注于履行总统剩余任期内的职责。Biden's endorsement for Harris came in a subsequent post on X.拜登随后又发文表示将全力支持哈里斯为民主党总统候选人。"Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year," Biden said in a post to X on Sunday. "Democrats — it's time to come together and beat Trump."7月21日，拜登在社交媒体X上发文称：“今天，我想全力支持和认可卡玛拉成为民主党总统候选人。民主党——是时候团结起来打败特朗普了。”"I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and our nation — to defeat Donald Trump," said Harris, adding that she was honored to have Biden's endorsement and wrote on X that "my intention is to earn and win this nomination".“我很荣幸能够得到总统的支持，我的目的是赢得这项提名。”哈里斯表示，“我将尽我所能团结民主党，团结我们的国家，击败特朗普和他那极端的2025计划议程。”The Democratic candidate, who will be nominated at the Democratic National Convention, which starts on Aug 19 in Chicago, will face Trump, 78, the Republican nominee and former president.这位民主党候选人将在8月19日于芝加哥举行的民主党全国代表大会上获得提名，她将面对的是78岁的共和党候选人、美国前总统特朗普。Biden, 81, whose term ends on Jan 20, 2025, said he will address the nation about his decision later this week. He is the first sitting US president to not seek reelection since Lyndon B. Johnson in March 1968.81岁的拜登将于2025年1月20日结束美国总统任期，他表示将在本周就他的决定向全美国发表讲话。美国历史上曾有多位在任总统放弃连任，上一位是1968年3月的的林登·约翰逊（Lyndon B. Johnson）。"Should she win the nomination, the nation will watch a multiracial woman compete in a presidential general election for the first time in history," Debbie Walsh, director at the Center for American Women & Politics, said of Harris, 59, who is of Jamaican and Asian Indian descent.哈里斯有着亚裔及非裔血统。美国妇女与政治中心主任黛比·沃尔什（Debbie Walsh）谈到59岁的哈里斯时说：“如果成功获得提名，她将成为美国历史上第一位融合血统的女性参加总统大选。”Harris previously served as a US senator from California and as California attorney general.哈里斯此前曾担任过此前她曾担任加利福尼亚州总检察长和加利福尼亚州联邦参议员等职务。She immediately got to work shoring up her support on Sunday, and as the evening wore on she appeared to be quickly building momentum. The North Carolina and South Carolina delegates pledged their support to her on Sunday evening as did a growing list of Democratic governors and members of Congress.7月21日，哈里斯立即开始为总统候选人提名进行准备工作，以获更多支持。当时晚，南北卡罗来纳州的代表表示支持哈里斯，越来越多的民主党州长和国会议员也对其表示支持。While Biden did endorse Harris, her nomination is not guaranteed, and there could be a rare open convention, also referred to as a "floor fight". There also had been talk of Democrats selecting a nominee virtually before the convention.尽管哈里斯得到拜登等人的“背书”，但这并不意味着她可以自动获得民主党总统候选人的提名，此后可能举行一场公开会议（总统辩论）。也有传言称，民主党在大会召开前已选择了一名候选人。But Representative Nanette Barragán of California, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, who said she spoke with Harris on Sunday, said the vice-president wants to forego a virtual roll call for the nomination process and instead hold a process that adheres to regular order.美国国会拉美裔核心小组主席、加利福尼亚州民主党众议员纳内特·巴拉甘（Nanette Barragán）已于7月21日与哈里斯进行了交谈，她表示，哈里斯希望放弃提名过程的虚拟提名，按照正常流程进行投票。Harris needs the backing of 1,969 of the 3,936 Democratic delegates to secure her nomination, Reuters reported.据路透社报道，3936名民主党代表将于8月19日至22日在芝加哥举行会议，选出民主党的提名人。哈里斯须要获得1969人的支持，才能确保获得提名。"Biden does not control his delegates: He cannot tell them whom to vote for next month. And party politics being what it is, they are most likely to go with whomever they think has the best chance to defeat Mr. Trump," The New York Times reported on Sunday.据《纽约时报》7月21日报道，“拜登并不能控制其代表，他无法告诉他们下个月给谁投票。而政党就是如此，他们将与其认为最有可能打败特朗普的人合作。”Among the names mentioned as other potential Democratic presidential candidates are governors Gavin Newsom of California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Andy Beshear of Kentucky.其他民主党总统候选人包括加利福尼亚州州长加文·纽森（Gavin Newsom）、密歇根州州长格雷琴·惠特默（Gretchen Whitmer）、宾夕法尼亚州州长乔什·夏皮罗（Josh Shapiro）、伊利诺伊州州长杰·罗伯特·普利兹克（J.B. Pritzker）和肯塔基州州长安迪·贝希尔（Andy Beshear）。Although Newsom wrote on X on Sunday: "With our democracy at stake and our future on the line, no one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump's dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America's Vice President, @KamalaHarris."7月21日，加利福尼亚州州长纽森在社交媒体X上发文称：“在我们的民主受威胁和未来岌岌可危情况下，没人比美国副总统哈里斯更适合控诉特朗普的黑暗愿景，带领我们国家迈向更健康的方向。Whitmer and Beshear issued statements praising Biden but did not mention Harris.惠特默和贝希尔发表声明称赞拜登，并未提及哈里斯。Biden and Harris together had raised a massive campaign war chest of $240 million through various entities as of June 30, according to the Times.据《泰晤士报》报道，截至6 月 30 日，拜登和哈里斯共同筹集了 2.4 亿美元的竞选资金。ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising platform, announced it had collected $46.7 million as of 9 pm ET from small-dollar donations for Harris' campaign.据拜登—哈里斯竞选团队使用的小额捐款平台ActBlue称，截至美东时间晚9时，一共已处理4670万美元筹款。Media reports circulated last week that Biden would step down on Sunday, but the stories lost steam as Biden angrily dismissed them.上周有媒体报道称拜登将于7月21日下台，但彼时拜登愤怒地驳斥这些报道，称将继续参选。Biden's political fortunes began to crumble after his dismal performance in a debate with Trump on June 27. Gaffes in subsequent interviews and appearances led to more doubts about whether he should continue.拜登在6月27日与特朗普的辩论中被认为表现不佳，在随后的采访和几次公开露面中的发言失误也导致了人们怀疑其是否继续参选。Former president Barack Obama praised Biden, his former vice-president, in a statement on Medium.com on Sunday, saying Biden "wouldn't make this decision unless he believed it was right for America".前总统奥巴马周日在Medium的一份声明中称赞了拜登：“除非拜登认为这对美国是正确的，否则不会做出这个决定。”Obama said Biden "pointed us away from the four years of chaos, falsehood, and division that had characterized Donald Trump's administration"."We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges."奥巴马写道，拜登曾说：“我们远离了唐纳德·特朗普政府四年来的混乱、谎言和分裂……在接下来的日子里，我们将在未知的水域航行，但我对民主党有非凡的信心，他们将能够创造一个过程，从中产生一位杰出的候选人。”Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr, in comments from his family compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, said neither party will address what he considers the major issues facing the US.作为独立人士的总统候选人小罗伯特·弗朗西斯·肯尼迪（Robert F. Kennedy Jr）在马萨诸塞州海恩尼斯港（Hyannis Port）的肯尼迪家族庄园表示，民主和共和党都无法解决他认为美国目前面临的主要问题。Democratic National Conventionn.民主党全国大会

Dom welcomes in Marc Lotter, Former Special Assistant to President Trump, onto the Dom Giordano Program to offer his thoughts on both the debate and the Supreme Court decision favoring Donald Trump over Jack Smith in today's decision. First, Dom asks Lotter about the debate and whether Biden will be the nominee in the eventual election, with Lotter explaining whether there'd be any chance for anybody besides Kamala Harris to be said replacement. Then, Giordano and Lotter delve into the trial, telling what this means for the President, suggesting why the Supreme Court ruled this way. Also, Lotter tells why Trump has surged with minority communities as Jill Biden comes to Allentown with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. (Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Full Hour | Today, Dom led off the Dom Giordano Program by providing analysis on the huge news out of the Supreme Court, who released a 6-3 ruling in favor of Donald Trump in the Jack Smith case. The ruling solidifies that presidents cannot be held criminally liable for official actions of government, which upends the Democratic strategy in persecuting Trump. Then, Dom welcomes in Marc Lotter, Former Special Assistant to President Trump, onto the Dom Giordano Program to offer his thoughts on both the debate and the Supreme Court decision favoring Donald Trump over Jack Smith in today's decision. First, Dom asks Lotter about the debate and whether Biden will be the nominee in the eventual election, with Lotter explaining whether there'd be any chance for anybody besides Kamala Harris to be said replacement. Then, Giordano and Lotter delve into the trial, telling what this means for the President, suggesting why the Supreme Court ruled this way. Also, Lotter tells why Trump has surged with minority communities as Jill Biden comes to Allentown with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. (Photo by Getty Images)

Esther Aguilera is one of the 102 amazing women leaders in our new book, Women Mean Business: Over 500 Insights from Extraordinary Leaders to Spark Your Success, In a world where success is often portrayed as a linear path, Esther Aguilera's journey stands out. Born to Mexican immigrants, she defied the odds and rose to significant positions in Washington, in non-profits, and in business. . Her story is a testament to the power of determination, self-belief, and the unwavering pursuit of one's dreams, inspiring us all to embrace our own unique paths to success. Welcome to "On the Brink with Andi Simon," where we delve deep into the stories of remarkable individuals who have defied odds and shattered barriers to carve their path to success. In this episode, we have the privilege of sitting down with Esther Aguilera, a trailblazer whose journey took her first to numerous positions in Washington, D.C., to the helm of the Latino Corporate Directors Association. Her openness to new ventures and a willingness to try unfamiliar leadership roles have not only transformed her life but have also paved the way for countless others. Esther's journey is one defined by resilience and tenacity. Growing up as the daughter of Mexican immigrants, she learned early on the value of hard work and perseverance. However, her unwavering confidence and belief in herself truly set her apart. As you listen to our conversation, consider our thoughts about "imposter syndrome." Throughout her career, Esther grappled with feelings of being an imposter - a notion that she was never fully competent, yet always completely confident. However, this blend of humility and self-assurance propelled her forward, allowing her to navigate the corporate landscape with grace and determination. A profound commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion lies at the heart of Esther's journey. Throughout her career, she has been a tireless advocate for Latino representation, from building diverse teams to expanding the seats held by Latinos in corporate boardrooms, recognizing the immense value that diverse perspectives bring. Under her leadership, the Latino Corporate Directors Association rapidly expanded, becoming the premier resource for Latino talent on corporate boards. Esther's unwavering dedication to championing diversity and inclusion is a powerful reminder of the importance of representation and opportunity for all of us. You will hear a woman who knew that Latinos were not moving into leadership positions, and she would help them open doors and find pathways to change these limitations. Embark on a transformative journey with Esther Aguilera, a leader whose story resonates with us all. Her journey inspires us to embrace our strengths, confront our doubts, and forge our path with unwavering confidence. Through her reflections, insights, and profound wisdom, Esther invites us to challenge the status quo, embrace our authenticity, and dare to dream boldly. Join us as we learn from her experiences and find inspiration for our own journeys. Watch and listen to our conversation here   How to connect with Esther You can reach Esther on LinkedIn Or, email her at estheraguilera@me.com Additional resources for you Our new book, Women Mean Business: Over 500 Insights from Extraordinary Leaders to Spark Your Success, co-authored by Edie Fraser, Robyn Freedman Spizman and Andi Simon, PhD. Read more about it at http://www.womenmeanbusinessbook.com My two award-winning books: Rethink: Smashing The Myths of Women in Business and On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants Our book website: www.andisimon.com Read the transcript of our podcast here. (Edited for readability) Andi Simon: Welcome to On the Brink with Andi Simon. I'm Andi Simon, and as you know, my job is to get you off the brink. However, if you're stuck or stalled. Our job is to bring you interesting people. And I have a wonderful woman here today who's going to help you see, feel and think in some new ways because you don't have a story like hers. And she is an extraordinary role model. So how you can overcome life, life's adversities and rise. We're going to talk about a bunch of things that are going to touch you as she has touched me, and I think this is such an exciting time. Esther Aguilera is here with us today, and I am very excited because she is a part of our new book, Women Mean Business. Esther comes to us with the perspective of somebody who has had a journey, and I'm going to have her tell you about it, but let me introduce her. She is currently a senior advisor at Altura Capital. Previously, she was president and CEO of the Latino Corporate Directors Association, and she built the first national network of Latino CEOs, corporate directors and C-level leaders. She oversaw the organization's rapid expansion to become the premier resource for Latino talent primed for the boardroom to accelerate the conversation of Latino inclusion in America's boardrooms. She's a thoughtful, transformational leader, and she's known for driving impact and results. She is a two-time chief executive and a two time executive director, and she comes to us with a 32- year track record, executing strategic business plans and leading high performance teams. And she's going to tell you more. As you know, my desire is for them to tell you about their journey. It gives you a context for understanding the challenges that she's facing and the way she's overcoming them. But she also tells us that she brings a deep experience and understanding of the intersection between the charitable, business and government sectors. And I think this is really exciting. She's worked with members of Congress, cabinet members, corporate CEOs and directors, nonprofits, and associations, and she's just a superb-powerful person. Welcome, Esther. Thank you for being with me today. Esther Aguilera: It is a great pleasure to be with you, Andy. Andi Simon: Tell the listeners and the viewers, who is Esther? You tell me your story. And I think it's a very important one to set the context for your own journey, the challenges you've overcome and how you thrive, and the joy you bring to others in the process. Who's Esther? Esther Aguilera: Thank you for having me. And thank you for the question. So, you know, as you mentioned, I have had the privilege of working for our nation's most powerful leaders from members of Congress, and cabinet members. I've organized meetings with the US President and worked with the top leaders in the nonprofit space, corporate space, and working with corporate directors. But my path was not a typical one. My family moved to the US from Mexico when I was four years old, so I'm an immigrant. We were actually undocumented when we first came. It's a long story, but needless to say, I'm the proud daughter of a landscape laborer and a garment worker. So, we had a very humble upbringing. But we clearly strived to do our best and contribute and get a good education, which is what landed me in college and also, I studied my first public policy. It's not something that growing up, I would have ever seen myself doing. I didn't even know what it was. By the way, when I moved, I moved to Washington, D.C. after college, and my parents didn't really understand what I did, and neither did my family. But here I was in Washington, D.C. We moved here in 1990 right after college. And that's where oh my gosh, so many worlds opened up. So many opportunities and a lot of scary things. I mean, good, scary things, but new things that really opened up all new apertures and experiences and opportunities again, that I enjoy today. Andi Simon: But, when you shared with me your story, you said public policy wasn't something you're familiar with. How did you get to Washington? Esther Aguilera: Well, I was very, very lucky. First I was visiting Washington, D.C., and I had a professor who I contacted and I said, hey, I'm in the nation's capital. And he said, well, you need to meet with some of the premier organizations. And he made some connections for me that I was literally just planning to have some informational meetings and then travel back to California to start looking for a job. And I took the plunge. I had some great meetings. The first organization was a National Council of La Raza, which is the premier today known as Latinos, U.S. and it's a public policy organization. I went for the informational interview, and they offered me a job. And I was just one in shock and thinking, oh my gosh, I'm moving to Washington, D.C. Is that something for me? But you know what? I took the plunge. And this was another great theme that I like to talk about is I've had some different pivots and new areas and new places. And what's been wonderful was really embracing new challenges has been how I have been able to broaden my horizons and find new opportunities. Andi Simon: Yes. Good. But it is interesting because as we think about it, your intention wasn't to come to Washington and get a job. It was to go discover; you were curious. You're an explorer and you really didn't know what the possibilities were. It was an interesting opportunity for you to land something unexpectedly that has turned into a whole career trajectory for you. And I have a hunch several times during your career, things sort of popped in you and you thought that could be interesting. Where did your career go from that first destination? Esther Aguilera: Well, I was lucky to land a job on Capitol Hill. I worked in the US Congress and became the executive director of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. I have had leadership roles since my mid 20s. That's what I love about Capitol Hill is you get great opportunities early and you are contributing a great deal. And so, that came about also with mentors who put my name in the hat and said, hey, I think Esther would be a great candidate for this. When I was already working on the Hill and when they asked me, is this something you're interested in, things went through my mind of doubting. Am I ready for this? That's such a big challenge, such a big role. But I raised my hand and said, yes, I will take on the challenge and contribute everything I've got. Andi Simon: It's interesting because that's one of your five wisdoms. Raise your hand. It puts yourself out there for new opportunities. You don't really know what's happening and what is going to happen to you, but you're comfortable enough in yourself to say, of course I can. I don't know where that is and I don't know how we're going to do it, but somehow I know that I can succeed at some level. What are people expecting? Were they clear about their expectations or they just trusted you to rise to the occasion? Esther Aguilera: With every role and pivot that I've had, and I will go into some of those as well, there's always been one. I already had some great ground training in policy and writing and research. And then I worked as a legislative assistant. So, I had some of the base groundwork. And then you take that and the important thing what I tell young people is don't go into your next role because you meet 100% of the experience and expectations. You look at a job description and you want to have space to grow, but you've got the foundation and you take that and you build on it and that's okay to ask for help. It's okay to feel vulnerable to say hey, I can do 50, 60% of this, and I'm going to need some guidance. I can do the rest with that guidance. And it's important to feel that you can be both honest with yourself and know that you can do it. Don't let that hold you back. Andi Simon:  Well, I couldn't agree more. We can compare career tracks, but it is interesting listening to people talk today about needing mentors or sponsors. I never had any. Did you have them along your journey? Esther Aguilera: Well, when we talk about sponsors, these are people who put your name in the hat for you. And so my professor who first said, hey, I'm going to make this introduction. And then, of course, you step right in., I had a member of Congress put my name in the hat. Another mentor of mine, a male mentor who said this is someone who could take on that role. So I think they saw something in me that I probably wouldn't have raised my hand. So those sponsorships are so important. And then, down the line. Andi Simon: Well, you know, it's interesting because you didn't even go looking for them to sponsor you or mentor you. You just were good at what you were doing and kept showing up, curious, whatever the attributes were that they were looking for. And there you were. And that was really what's exciting about it is that you don't have to be intentionally groveling up that ladder. You can just be really good at what you do. People see it and then offer you something and you say, I can do that. And then you rise. And it's very exciting. Esther Aguilera: I agree, but I also think it's important. There are so many lessons learned on the journeys that I'm an open book and I love to share. And that while sponsorships are important, let's not rely on them and make sure one keeps your resume circulating and raise your hand. And oftentimes, making a transition is really tough sometimes. But keep your eyes and ears open. Keep opportunities open even when you love what you're doing. It's okay. You're not being disrespectful to your current employer.  You are inquisitive and want to grow. I'm in the book Women Mean Business and my wisdoms have been around again and be open to new opportunities, new frontiers because that is how you learn and grow. Andi Simon: So one of the things that you and I talked about was a theme. There are two themes that I want to make sure that we dig into. One is about where Latinos are today. But the one just prior to that is that we mentioned the fact that you were the child of immigrants, and you have led some of the most consequential organizations in the US. Did you bring a particular perspective that was extremely valuable? Were you just a young person coming out of college? How did you blend all of this so that you were you? Because I have a hunch of those who were sponsoring you, mentoring you, saw something unique in how you saw the world. Something that you can share. Is it something you can reflect on? Esther Aguilera: Some of my early areas of motivation were really looking at women and how there were two standards for what women can do versus men. And I saw this growing up, and I always kind of fought against it or thought against it and said, why is there that difference? That was one of the things that just kind of kept me going. But, at the end of the day, I was always very impact oriented. I always wanted to leave a mark and a contribution. We all have superpowers. I've had opportunities after working on Capitol Hill.  I went to work at the Department of Energy, running the procurement office. And in that role, I came in to lead a team of federal employees and gave them real purpose. We reorganized the office and built a high performing team that was very impactful, and mission driven. It was a little lost, but the Secretary of Energy put me in charge and said, I want you to fix this. And it's where I discovered some of my superpowers. I was given that opportunity, I already knew that I could drive change on the legislative front. And I was thinking, how am I going to drive change here? And it's through people and it's through leadership and promoting people for leadership. And in that role, I later went to run a larger group, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, which is an internship fellowship organization for young people to get experience on Capitol Hill. I had so many doors open to me since with my experience, I wanted to make sure others had that as well. And so this organization, I grew it from $4 million to $10 million. And at every stage just transformed and built an even better, solid foundation for the organization, for the future. There again, it's about building a high performing team and impact. So, I found that my superpower is driving growth and impact. But my secret weapon is building high performing teams where people can contribute. And we find ways of finding where they can excel and contribute and grow to the overall having a clear purpose mission that everyone has a role to play in. Andi Simon: I have several leadership academies I've been running for many years for clients. And one of the things we talk about is that a leader really needs other followers. A leader can't do anything alone. And so, as I'm listening to you, I'm saying you have some magic to empower and enable and engage others so they can rise higher than where they are growing. They don't have to move up a ladder. They need to grow personally in their skills, their confidence that you said it so well, their purpose, their mission to have strong values and to see how their actions are purpose driven and they can actually become part of a team that's delivering extraordinary results. And I have a hunch you had great pleasure when you were doing that, building those teams, and building those people. Right? Esther Aguilera: That really was. That's when you find it's your superpower when you really enjoy doing it. And of course, I had another pivot to then start an organization with corporate directors. And we formed the Latino Corporate Directors Association, and that I was able to start from scratch and grow it tenfold to become the premier organization that really elevates because it's so important to have leadership roles and to have decision making roles and have a seat at the table. Because if you don't have a seat at the table, you don't matter, that's the bottom line. And it's part of important work that I'm really proud of now doing even more after having built a really solid foundation, all of the pillars that lead towards the impact and the team there to then take it on. Andi Simon: Well, all of this then leads to the community. You and I spoke about how the Latino community developed, grown? Where is it going? How do we get access to positions of power and equal pay for Latinas and Latinos?  You've had a wonderful solo career and now you're pulling along lots of others to be able to actually optimize their success as well. Share with us a little of your perspective. What do you see happening? Esther Aguilera: Well, first, this has always been the second largest demographic in the US. For 32 years have been working to advance the Latino community in the US from all angles, from legislative leadership and education across the board. And I have to say that in the 90s, we were called, and even the 80s, The Sleeping Giant because it was a large group, but still was more behind the scenes. And I don't think we have advanced as much as we can, and we need to. That's why I'm such a believer in having Latinas and Latinos in positions of power and authority because you have to have both a bottom up from grassroots kind of building to leadership as well and have those important roles across the board. This has to be in government and whether it's in the private sector, in the largest corporations of the country and so that's an important ingredient. Today, Latinos are 62 million Americans. This is close to 20% of the population and a GDP of nearly 3.5 trillion, which is the same as a fifth largest country. It's massive and yet we're still not in the positions of power, and we're still, especially Latinas, are least paid. In fact, the pay gap is the lowest for Native American women and Latinas. Native American women earn $0.51 to the dollar that men make in the same jobs. And Latinos are $0.54. Other groups come in and that hasn't changed much in the past 20 years. So there's still that huge gap. The boardrooms and corporate boardrooms, Latinos are the single group of any other women's group, any other demographic group with the least amount of board seats and representation in that boardroom, Latinos and Latinos alike. I think that's why my philosophy here is that and this is why we started the Latino Corporate Directors Association that you can't complain about. You can't say, well, it's the search firms is this and we keep hearing we can't find qualified Latinos for the boardroom. You have to point the finger this way and do something about it. So that's why a group of pioneering corporate directors launched it and then brought me on board to build it because we have to be the owners of our destiny. And we can't wait for others to solve these things. Andi Simon: It's easy to complain and it's easier to sort of look at history, but I think you're already beginning to see some small steps to move the needle a little bit. Anything that you can share that is exciting to you? Do you want to share your superpowers with others? Do you see opportunities opening up? You said we're still the sleeping giant. You do have a whole lot of people here in this country ready to do some really exciting things. What are you thinking? Esther Aguilera: Oh my gosh, we have so much talent.  In every sector and every industry, it's about really showcasing and lifting up the talent that's there so that we take away the narrative and excuse. We can find them right there. It's groundbreaking with Latino corporate directors. I'm also advising Alpha, which is the largest Latino professional association in the country. It is the oldest and largest with over 115,000 members around the country. And here is an organization that we already have so much, membership and visibility within the community. But it's about letting others in other communities know, here's where you can find the pipeline and the talent for anything you need, and lifting up and showcasing profiles and taking away again that narrative that there's plenty of talent, there's more to grow. There is potential and talent there. And we're here to help make it easy for you to find it. Andi Simon: You know, I'm thinking about two situations.  When I mentioned to you there was a woman at Washington University, when I spoke there on Women Mean Business, who had gotten a scholarship to a high profile Latino woman who had gone to college, the first from her family. She had gotten a wonderful scholarship to a very high profile private school, and then had gotten into Washington University with a big scholarship and was very lonely. And when we were talking, she said, I'm all alone. And it's very hard to have to be here without a community of others like me who understand the journey I've been on, and I'm not quite sure where I'm going. Am I going back to make money for my family and my community? It was the most profound. And then I gave a talk down in Houston and Arturo Lopez, a Vistage chair that I knew brought in a whole group of Latinos, all of whom are struggling to be heard. And I think that the nature of both media and what we talk about, how we celebrate, where we get the positive superpowers and how we acknowledge it, needs something to boost it. And as you and I were talking about Alpha and others, it's not a bad time to think through how to rally other Latino to help build a network of mentors for others. She said, I don't have a role model. I have no one. I've had no role model through most of my education, and I felt I was amazed at her boldness and her bravery, but I also knew that she was going to have to work hard to find some community to belong to that she could lift herself up. So there's a real need. We're going to rise. We need to have others help us. And I've heard that so often from the folks like yourself in our book, who said, if I rise, I lift others. They basically can't do it without others. That's why I said to who's your sponsor? Who's your mentor? And how do I get help? And they're not even women. They were all guys. And so there's a real need out there. So now with Altura Capital, are you seeing things that are shareable? You're in the private equity world now. Esther Aguilera: Yes. My latest pivot, what's exciting about my pivot to private equity was one in every one of these paths, I have honed in more around my brand, and my brand has been to really lift up others. And the firm that I work with is Latina led, Latina founder, CEO, private equity. Her name is Monica Mantilla. And I always say she's probably the pioneer Latina who was founder, CEO and managing partner of a private equity firm for 18 years.  The way that she invests in companies and again, private equity, you already have to have a profitable company that's going that we can invest in to grow. But, she also has a social impact mission. She invests in low, moderate-income communities that have great businesses and can invest in them to then also create better jobs, better pay, better benefits, and they track that impact. So here we have a firm that's not only creating value for shareholder, for investors and for the company, but also an impact and community. That is my brand. So I always have to feel really strong and passionate about what I'm pushing, what I'm driving, and who I'm working with and for. And so I found each step of the way has always been that for me. I always tell folks, find what are what drives you, what kind of team and environment do you want to be part of, but also how do you help create that team and environment? Because we're all players in it, developing high performing teams. Meaning means that everyone brings something to the table and you want to harness it, and you want to continue to nurture it, to continue to produce even more, because you feel part of that mission and drive of what we're all achieving together. Andi Simon: You're a real multiplier, aren't you? It isn't enough for you to have a job and to do things. It's only really good if I have a team, however big that might be, who also are empowered and engaged to multiply and do more together and better. This is really exciting. Esther Aguilera: But it wasn't always something you and I talked about as well. It wasn't always an easy journey, right? You know, a big part was, I've been thinking a lot about the imposter syndrome and early in my career. Oh, my gosh, I was there really. Two big things to overcome. You know, one here is an immigrant working in the US Capitol, what am I doing here? And someone is going to expose me. I found that, in fact, I don't like the term imposter syndrome. There are two sides to it.  I think most of it is self-inflicted. Let's say as an immigrant, you come here and you're already feeling like an outsider, and you don't always have the resources to really properly show up and build that confidence that you need to step into some new roles, but you have to find it yourself. And so in terms of the imposter syndrome, as I mentioned, there's kind of two sides to it. I think that other people probably see a lot more. When you're feeling that, people see a lot more value and worth and contributions, and you do it yourself. So I see it as an opportunity to turn it around and say, okay, well, what am I bringing to the table and how do I own my own worth and my own contribution? So, the imposter syndrome, you're only diminishing your self-worth. It's about building that up and then building a network and supporters around you that are also going to lift you up. Because we all need that. It's okay to ask for help. You can say, I don't feel good today, but you're always going to have ups and downs. That's part of life. It's not always going to be rosy. Andi Simon: But, as you reflect on your movie, we were talking about how life is a movie and you don't want to end up regretting things.  You have been able to champion gently yourself, slowly through many pivots, and each one adding richness to your life. And you add richness to that. And it isn't as if there's a straight line. I mean, one of the things that I think is so true is the unknown in front of you can become the best experience. I look to your wisdoms and I go, oh my goodness, Esther is a wise woman because that's exactly what we're saying.  It's the unknown. Usually your brain fights it, flees it. Fear fiercely denies it. Appease it. You have an amygdala that would like to hijack it, but instead you've embraced it and you've written a new story for yourself where it's okay, I cannot fail. I just embrace the new and I am going to succeed. Impostor syndrome could be a whole other podcast. I don't think I truly don't believe in it. I do think that people are always a little uncomfortable and it's okay to be uncomfortable. But in fact, the unknown in front of you can become the best experience. And that's right and once you turn lemons into lemonade, let's do it. What's the worst that can happen? Well, it didn't work. So what? And everything you've touched is turned to good, better and best. And so you've got a wonderful career, Esther. If you want to leave the folks with a couple of really cool, actionable things, one, two or three, other than forget your imposter syndrome, we don't need it. What would you share with them based on a beautiful life story? Esther Aguilera:  Well, certainly one, build that board for yourself around you and that group of friends, both peers and a network that you could be there for them. They're there for you, too. Don't be afraid to ask for help or to say, hey, I'm really happy where I am right now, but maybe I should start putting my resume out and privately talking to people about what I should be doing next. Because unless you put your name out there, whether it's for maybe something new or for a boardroom, people aren't going to have you on the top of  their mind always, unless you bring it up or let them know, and that in your own mind kind of helps to put you in a position where you can say, hey, I'm ready for this pivot. And the last is, those pivots could be scary, but at the end of the day, they do open new opportunities. Andi Simon: Yes. And opportunity is exactly what they are. They're not problems. They're all opportunities. And they are in front of you waiting for you to say, I'm cool, let's try it. And that becomes a great, great journey. This has been such fun. Thank you for joining us, our audiences, and Esther shared with us today some really profound opportunities that she has lived through with her superpowers. Esther, if they'd like to reach out to you for talking, experience, consulting, any kind of work with Altura, how could they reach you? Is there a website or is it through LinkedIn? Esther Aguilera: I think the best way is LinkedIn. Esther Aguilera, and I look forward to hearing from individuals. It has been my great pleasure and thank you for inviting me. I'm honored and just really admire your work. Thank you for what you do for us all. Andi Simon: Well, thank you for that kind, kind ending here. Esther and I have truly enjoyed being in Women Mean Business. And I think that the most interesting part of a book is you don't really know where it's going, like life. It takes you along. And that's what's happened here. And every time I open it and I read some things, they're all different. There are 500 of them. They really reflect very different perspectives, but very enriching ones and the energy and the force there. So when you read Esther's, you're going to say, of course the opportunities are here. Who's stopping me except me? And that becomes really important. Let me wrap up for all of you who come to On the Brink with Andi Simon. Thank you. You pushed us into the top 5% of podcasts globally, and I admire that for you because that's your benefit to it. We keep looking for great people that can help us see, feel and think in new ways. Send them along. Your emails are wonderful, and I keep looking for more people like Esther and others who can share with you their life's journey so that you can see how others have tackled the opportunities or the challenges that they faced. Remember, Women Mean Businesses is on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and your local bookseller. So are all my other books there as well. So if we can help you take your observations and turn them into innovations, let us know. It's been a pleasure to share the day with you, Esther. I'll say goodbye and thank you so much. Goodbye, everybody. Esther Aguilera: Bye bye everyone. Thank you. Andi.   WOMEN MEAN BUSINESS® is a registered trademark of the National Association of Women Business Owners® (NAWBO)

Mia St. John Biography of a Champion Mia St. John, is a 5-time World and International Boxing Champion and first generation Mexican born in America. She founded the "El Saber Es Poder" Foundation to empower individuals suffering from mental illness, homelessness, addiction and poverty by providing programs to better educate, inform and improve physical and mental health. Mia St. John was born in San Francisco, California. Her fighting career started soon after, at the age of six, competing in Tae Kwon Do. Mia earned a black belt and received a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from California State University of Northridge in June 1994. Mia made her pro-debut in boxing in 1997 after signing a lucrative contract with world famous promoter Don King. After accumulating an unheard of boxing record of nearly 70 pro fights and five world and international titles, in 2017 Mia retired. Mia is always media savvy. She has made appearances on such shows as, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, "Good Morning America," "Entertainment Tonight," "CNN," “Fox News," "E," and countless others. She has also acted in commercials and played herself on t. v. shows and has her own PlayStation game by EA sports. She has written articles on mental health, fitness, overcoming hardships and female empowerment for the Washington Post, Huffington Post and many others, along with a book, "The Knockout Workout", which sold in stores nationwide. Public speaking being one of her many strong points, she was asked to speak at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, where President Barack Obama made a riveting speech at the CHCI's annual Gala. She continues to speak at Universities, High Schools and Congress about overcoming obstacles, such as poverty and addiction. On November 23, 2014 Mia's son Julian, passed away at the age of 24. He was a talented artist battling Schizophrenia and addiction. His art was displayed at the Laguna Gallery of Contemporary Art and Air Laguna in Laguna Beach, California. His personal art studio, "Stone Art" is now a free center for young adults suffering from mental illness, including homelessness and addiction. St. John says of her son, "He was the light of my life and I will continue to fight for mental health until I take my very last breath". Mia was named by CNN, "Mental Health Warrior", along with eight other inspiring people. Currently, her new book Fighting for My Life: A Memoir about a Mother's Loss and Grief is out now. #miastjohn #boxer #champion #author #mentalhealthadvocate #chrispomay #livewithcdp #wqee #ckrt #radiopersonality #barrycullenchevrolet Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/54200596

President Biden announces over 500 new sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine, White House responds to Congressional Hispanic Caucus criticism of possible asylum limits, interview with Politico's Caitlin Emma on government funding deadlines (33), Supreme Court Justices Sotomayor and Barrett on civility. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The bipartisan border bill is on the verge of collapse. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) says he's “uncomfortable” with the legislation in its current form. Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-Calif.), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, discusses ongoing efforts to impeach Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Rhonda Colvin, former Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) and Brendan Buck join the Meet the Press NOW roundtable to analyze the latest NBC News poll.

As the war between Russia and Ukraine drags on without any clear momentum on either side, Republicans in Congress are balking at more U.S. aid to defeat Putin, while the Biden Administration pursues a deal that would include tougher border enforcement. We'll discuss the standoff over Ukraine funding in Congress and get the latest on what's happening on the battlefield as winter arrives. Guests: Steven Pifer, affiliate, Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University; former ambassador to Ukraine and senior director, National Security Council in the Clinton administration Joan Greve, senior political reporter, The Guardian Nanette Barragán, democratic congresswoman, represents California's 44th congressional district in Los Angeles County; chair, Congressional Hispanic Caucus

As negotiations to overhaul the current immigration system continue, Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair Rep. Nanette Barragan says that Hispanic lawmakers must be included in talks about the U.S.-Mexico border. And, a small trial is underway for a new form of male birth control. For years, scientists have known that a deficiency of vitamin A causes male infertility. And this new method focuses on Vitamin A instead of hormones. Annalisa Merrelli, a reporter for STAT, joins us. Then, Cuban jazz pianist Harold Lopez Nussa just wrapped up his U.S. tour. He joins us to talk about his latest album, his influences and how homesickness colors his work.

President Biden made some interesting remarks while speaking in front of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Pags breaks it all down.

Zero students were proficient in math at 13 Baltimore city high schools in Maryland, according to state math exams. President Joe Biden turned heads at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus event after mistaking one caucus for another, the latest in a series of recent speaking snafus. President Joe Biden told a story at a Manhattan campaign event, appearing completely oblivious to the fact that — just moments earlier — he had told the exact same story, almost word for word. Sen. Bob Menendez was charged Friday with secretly aiding the authoritarian regime of Egypt and trying to thwart the criminal prosecution of a friend in exchange for gold bars and cash as prosecutors unsealed a corruption indictment that accuses him of using his foreign affairs influence for personal gain. Sara Foster denounced California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday after admitting she was jealous of her sister's new home in Nashville, Tennessee.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Dominic Carter Show: Dominic discusses Mayor Adams rolling out his housing reform plan, Biden praising the Congressional Black Caucus instead of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and much more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden mistakenly praised the “Congressional Black Caucus” this week while giving an address before the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in Washington, RadarOnline.com can report.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On today's show, 1:06 pm CT, 2:06 pm ET: Invasion: Eagle Pass Mayor declares emergency, "We're ‘abandoned' by Biden Admin. on Border" - President Biden sending 800 fresh troops to border, but not for enforcement - DHS plans photo ID cards for aliens freed into U.S. - Admin. plan to fast track employment for illegal crossers - TX Gov. Abbott doubles down on 'invasion' declaration and vows to reinstall defenses - New York state lawmakers propose raising taxes to help pay for 'migrants' - Cartels now one of the largest employers in Mexico - Karine Jean-Pierre lashes out at Peter Doocy over border crisis question, obfuscates other reporters border questions - we'll examine. Hey Joe: Biden praises wrong group during speech at Congressional Hispanic Caucus' annual gala - Joe Biden tells donors real reason he ran for president, then repeats exact same story minutes later - Third IRS Agent says Joe Biden's DOJ blocked David Weiss from charging Hunter - Many Hispanic voters say they're 'running away' from Joe Biden - Ex-Intel officials who signed 'Russian disinfo' laptop letter getting big jobs - we'll analyze. Plus, Local U.S. community attacked AGAIN – for its Christianity! - Federal judge sets up trial for religious discrimination case, determines Michigan state officials exhibited 'hostility' toward sincere beliefs. https://www.spreaker.com/show/christian-talk-that-rocks https://christiantalkthatrocks.net or http://christiantalkthatrocks.com

Wednesday on the NewsHour, the death toll from the Maui wildfires rises as crews comb the disaster area and fire containment efforts continue. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus pressures President Biden to investigate separation of fathers from families at the southern border. Plus, we go inside Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant to check on the cleanup twelve years after a catastrophic meltdown. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Reports of inhumane treatment from the separation of families to razor wires on river buoys have put a spotlight on the tactics of Operation Lone Star, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's effort to control migration at the U.S.-Mexico border. Hispanic Democratic lawmakers are putting pressure on the Biden administration to investigate the claims. Laura Barrón-López discussed more with Geoff Bennett. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Reports of inhumane treatment from the separation of families to razor wires on river buoys have put a spotlight on the tactics of Operation Lone Star, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's effort to control migration at the U.S.-Mexico border. Hispanic Democratic lawmakers are putting pressure on the Biden administration to investigate the claims. Laura Barrón-López discussed more with Geoff Bennett. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Congressman Jimmy Gomez represents California's 34th Congressional District. He sits on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and serves as an Assistant Whip of the Democratic Caucus and Deputy Whip for the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He is also the Founder and Chair of the Congressional Dads Caucus and is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and Future Forum. Prior to his election to Congress in June of 2017, he served four and a half years in the California State Assembly where he served as Chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Rep. Gomez's life and career is the embodiment of the American dream. Born and raised in Southern California, he is the proud son of working-class Mexican immigrants who went from being held back in the 3rd grade to earning his master's degree from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Rep. Gomez's journey from childhood through Congress is a truly fascinating, inspiring story. of overcoming social, cultural and economic challenges to achieve one's goals. He also shares his thoughts on Trump, Trumpism, the Republican-led House craziness, immigration, his incredible Dad's Caucus and more. I absolutely love this conversation, as it's such a positive reminder of how great our country can be. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Associate producer Jennifer Hammoud Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel

This week, guest host Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC's Senior Director of Policy and Political Affairs, had the honor of connecting with Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the House Democratic Caucus, after he led a congressional delegation to Israel and Ghana. As we approach the AJC Global Forum 2023 in Tel Aviv, we have the opportunity to listen to the Democratic leader's insights on the trip, the crucial nature of the U.S.-Israel relationship, and the historical and contemporary significance of Black-Jewish relations. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.  ____ Episode Lineup:  (0:40) Hakeem Jeffries ____ Show Notes: Learn more about AJC Global Forum 2023 in Tel Aviv: AJC.org/GlobalForum Listen: 8 of the Best Jewish Podcasts Right Now From Roots to Harmony: Nefesh Mountain's Fusion of Jewish American Culture and Bluegrass Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, tag us on social media with #PeopleofthePod, and hop onto Apple Podcasts to rate us and write a review, to help more listeners find us. __ Transcript of interview with Hakeem Jeffries:  Manya Brachear Pashman: This week, Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC's Senior Director of Policy and Political Affairs, had the honor of connecting with leader of the House Democratic Caucus, Hakeem Jeffries, after he led a group of lawmakers on a recent trip to Israel. Julie, the mic is yours. Julie Fishman Rayman: Thanks, Manya. It's my pleasure to introduce Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who represents the very diverse 8th congressional district of New York, in Brooklyn, and also serves as the Democratic Leader. He was unanimously elected to that position in November 2022, and in that capacity he is the highest ranking democrat in the US house. He is also the former chair of the democratic caucus, the whip of the congressional black caucus, and previously co-chaired the  Democratic Policy and Communications committee. Also, a great friend of AJC and the Jewish community. Leader Jeffries, welcome to People of the Pod. Hakeem Jeffries:     Wonderful to be on. Thanks so much for having me. Julie Fishman Rayman: I want to get started by asking you about Jewish American Heritage Month, which as you know, we celebrate in May. Many listeners may not realize that members in congressional leadership cosponsor very few bills – meaning cosign or add their name to endorse them . In this Congress–correct me if I'm wrong–you've cosponsored fewer than a dozen bills and only one resolution–the resolution commemorating Jewish American Heritage Month. Can you speak about this effort and why it was important to you to help lead it? Hakeem Jeffries:   Well, thank you so much. And that is absolutely correct. The tradition has been that members and leadership sponsor very few bills and even fewer resolutions, just because the enormity of the request is large. And you want to make sure that you're being very discerning in terms of what you want to elevate as a priority. And for me, it was incredibly important to make sure that I co sponsored the resolution that commemorated Jewish American Heritage Month for a variety of reasons, including the fact that I'm privileged to represent a district that has one of the largest Jewish communities in the country. In fact, I represent the ninth most African American district in the country, and the 16th most Jewish. And so I represent. As a good friend of mine, Leon Goldenberg, once and I quote, you've got the best of both worlds. It's an honor, though, to represent the reformed Jewish community, the conservative Jewish community, the Orthodox Jewish community, the modern Orthodox Jewish community, the ultra orthodox Jewish community, and more Russian speaking Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union than any other member of Congress in the country. I mean, Hakeem Jeffries, who knew only in America, but that's Brooklyn, that's New York City and the Jewish community has meant so much to the country, which is why we honor and celebrate and elevate Jewish American Heritage month but particularly has meant so much to the district that I'm privileged to represent to Brooklyn and to the great city of New York. Julie Fishman Rayman: The United States has many heritage months that celebrate the various communities that form the mosaic of our country, including Black History Month, Women's History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and more. By celebrating heritage months, we learn about one another, we honor the richness of our diverse nation, and we strengthen the fabric of American society. Some have described JAHM as going on the offensive against rising antisemitism, do you think that's an appropriate description? Amidst rising antisemitism and hate of all forms, does this change how we think about commemorative months?  Hakeem Jeffries:    Yes, it's a great question. I do think AJC's leadership and certainly the leadership of my former colleague, and good friend, Ted Deutsch has been phenomenally important in this area. And your leadership, Julie, of course, and this podcast and communicating information to the American people will continue to be critical. And the fact that the Jewish community is facing a shocking rise in anti semitism and hate crimes is a cause for alarm for all of us. And it does, I think, lead to the important conclusion that we need to rethink how we lean into the celebrations and acknowledgments, such as Jewish American Heritage Month. That is not just simply an opportunity to be able to communicate to the American people about the many accomplishments, the many ways in every field of human endeavor that Jewish Americans have contributed to the growth and development of America as we know it. And that is important, and that is appropriate. And that is a central part of what celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month should be all about.  But it also provides a vehicle to make sure that the appropriate narrative is in the public domain in a compelling way, as a vehicle to push back against the rise in antisemitism and hate crimes. Because it's an all hands on deck approach. And it is going to require using every tool available to us. The rise in sort of hatred and extremism, and divisive, generally should trouble us all throughout America over the last several years, and particularly, the sharp and dramatic rise, particularly given the history of the Jewish community, over 1000s of years of persecutions, and pogroms and pain and suffering, should alarm us all. And it is exactly the reason why thinking about this month as one of the tools that we can use to push back aggressively against the rise and hatred is an important and appropriate approach. Julie Fishman Rayman: In April, during your first congressional delegation trip as Leader, you traveled to Israel. You have been a great supporter, supporting Israel's right to defense and speaking out against anti-Israel sentiment time and time again. What were your biggest takeaways from this mission? What are the major challenges and opportunities for the U.S.-Israel relationship? Hakeem Jeffries:   Well, that was my sixth time traveling to Israel, fifth time as a member of Congress. And the first time that I traveled to Israel, I actually was a freshman member of the New York State Legislature as part of a trip sponsored by the JCRC of New York, a wonderful opportunity. Someone said to me recently, Julie, wait, wait. You've been to Israel six times. I said, Yes. That's more than any other country you've been to in the world. I said, That would be correct. Is it isn't that a lot? I said, No, not at all. First of all, I'm from New York City, where we consider Jerusalem to be the sixth borough. And I'm just trying to catch up to my constituents. Every time I go to Israel, it's a wonderful eye opening experience. This particular trip was meaningful to me in that I was able to actually lead a delegation for the first time in this position and choose where I would go to in the world as part of my first congressional trip on foreign soil, as the House Democratic Leader. And I chose to go to Israel and to Ghana, to incredibly meaningful countries to meet personally, to the people that I represent, and, of course, to the relationship that exists between the United States and Israel. And I wanted to do it so that it was timed to the anniversary of the 75th founding of the State of Israel, because I thought that will be meaningful for the members that agreed to travel with me and certainly meaningful to me to say to the world, that we're going to continue, as we've transitioned leadership in the House of Representatives, to stand behind the special relationship between the United States and Israel. And to make it clear that that's a special relationship that we as House Democrats believe, is anchored in our shared values and our shared strategic interests. And it was incredible because of the timing of we were there, both on the day of remembrance was incredibly moving. And I was able to participate in one of the ceremonies that we're held to acknowledge those who have been lost, both to acts of terror, and in the conflicts that Israel has been made to endure throughout the 75 year history. And then, of course, on the eve of the celebration connected to the 75th anniversary, and we had a very diverse group of members, several prominent Jewish American members of Congress, of course, like Josh Gottheimer and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Dean Phillips, Sarah Jacobs, who was a new and emerging leader, but also the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Steve Horsford, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Nanette Barragan, the first vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Yvette Clarke, as well as the top Democrat on the foreign affairs committee, Greg Meeks. And so it was a wonderful experience. We had important public policy discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Herzog, with the Speaker of the Knesset, as well as the opposition leader, Lapid, they were open, they were honest, there were candid discussions about the challenges that our two countries face. But it was all anchored in our clear affirmation of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state, and our commitment as House Democrats to continue to lift up and elevate the special relationship between our two countries. Julie Fishman Rayman: So important. How's Israel doing at 75? Hakeem Jeffries:    I think Israel, it's a miracle, as has been described, that we've gotten to 75 years. And it's a testament to the strength, and the resilience and the ability, the heart, the soul, the love the intellect, of the Jewish people, and the people of the State of Israel. And I'm confident that through the challenges that we all face in Israel, the best is yet to come. You had an interesting discussion, because of the judicial reform, issues that are underway. And we've got challenges that we're working through here in the United States of America, certainly, as it relates to the Supreme Court, and what is the right, you know, balance in terms of our three branches of government. And we've got to work through that here. Many of us have been troubled by recent developments coming out of the Supreme Court, and Israel's working through trying to figure out what that right balance is, in terms of the rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary, and how that works together. I think what has been clear to me, in terms of Israel as a robust democracy, that will continue to be a robust democracy is not the challenge is that it's working through to find common ground. And those talks are being led, of course, by President Herzog. But most significantly, the fact that hundreds of 1000s of Israelis have been in the streets, exercising their right, their freedom of expression, their freedom of speech, their freedom of assembly, the right to peaceably gather and petition your government that is at the hallmark of a democratic society. And that's what we've seen, and not a single shot fired, probably nowhere else in the Middle East, would that have occurred other than in Israel, and it's an affirmation of Israel's democratic character. Julie Fishman Rayman: In just a few weeks, AJC will hold our annual Global Forum in Tel Aviv. What is one piece of advice you'd give the 1000 or so people coming from around the world to Israel at this time? Hakeem Jeffries:   Well, I do think that every time I've gone to Israel, what has been a wonderful aspect of the trip was talking to the full range of people in Israeli society, to get the perspectives on the ground in terms of their views related to the challenges that Israel confront, and the opportunities that exists to continue to thrive into the future. And those are particularly relevant conversations to have now that Israel has hit this incredible milestone of 75 years in what still remains one of the toughest, if not the toughest neighborhoods in the world. And one of the reasons why sustained dialogue, sustained opportunity to engage in wonderful that AJC is hosting this forum in the next month, is that the challenges are always unique whenever one arrives in Israel. You know, it could be Hamas, it could be Hezbollah, it could be uncertainty in terms of the Iranian malign activity in Syria. It's always, you know, Iran's efforts to try to secure a nuclear weapon and we're gonna make sure that Iran never becomes nuclear capable in Gaza. There are different moments in time, where particular concern meets a level of urgency, but it's always consistently within the frame of Israel living in a very tough neighborhood, which is what I, you know, we reiterated as House Democrats directly to Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to ensuring Israel maintains its qualitative military edge. My view on this thing has always been, and I grew up in central Brooklyn, came of age in the mid to late 80s, early 90s. I kind of know from tough neighborhoods. That was a tough neighborhood. I grew up in Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, Gaza, chaos in Syria, in Iraq, Iran with nuclear aspirations, dangerous situation in the Sinai. That's a tough neighborhood. And in a tough neighborhood. The one constant, as I've consistently said, is strength. You can achieve peace, you can achieve stability, but you can only achieve it through the lens of strength. And I think, part of the dialogue that we all should continue to have and will be important for AJC to continue to have is, you know, what are the severe threats that Israel currently confronts? And how can we continue to ensure that Israel has the strength to defend itself and to provide a foundation for lasting peace moving forward building upon things like the Abraham accords? Julie Fishman Rayman:  Prior to Israel, you and the members of congress who traveled with you to Israel went to Ghana, one of America's closest allies in West Africa and a nation that still bears the painful scars of the transatlantic slave trade. At AJC's 2019 Global Forum, you became the first member of the congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations, I think less than an hour after it was officially launched. Did your back to back trips to Ghana and then Israel spark any insights as we continue–collectively–to try to bring Blacks and Jews closer together? Especially because Blacks and Jews were really strongly represented in your delegation? Hakeem Jeffries:   Yes, you know, AJC's effort in terms of forming the black Jewish caucus was a wonderful thing, a great foundation. And in many ways, the trip to Ghana and to Israel is in that same tradition. And as you pointed out, Julie, there were a lot of African American members of Congress who on the trip and a lot of Jewish men from the members of Congress who were on the trip who visited both countries. And, you know, we were able to involve Ghana, and in Israel and Ghana, visit the Cape Coast slave castles, which were central to the horrific transatlantic slave trade. And we also were able to visit Yad Vashem and I was able to lay a wreath and make it clear that we would never forget and never again, allow the Horus of what was seen during the Holocaust to occur. And it was important that in addition to, in Ghana, for instance, meeting with President Akufo Addo, to visit the site, for a lot of the activity of the transatlantic slave trade, and, of course, the ties that then connect to the African American community in the United States of America, and to visit the door of no return. But also to make sure that, in the time that we were in Israel, almost every time that I've been there, we've always made it a point to make sure that we visited Yad Vashem, it's always a very powerful, moving experience. And it was the same and to be able to do it together with black members of Congress and Jewish members of Congress, and leaders, who were not black and Jewish, but were on the trip with us, was really a powerful experience, I think, for everyone involved. And I think it's important for us to continue to try to lean in to strengthening the relationships between the black and Jewish community. It's something that because of the district that I represent, has always been central to my time and public service. And I do you know, I am moved by the fact that at least part of the district that I represent, and that told this story during the Democratic caucus celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month, but I tried to tell it whenever I get the opportunity that I do represent a district that was once represented in part by a manual seller. And a manual seller was the longest certain Congress person in the history of the country. He served for 50 years, first elected in 1922. And served through 1972.  He was a staunch ally and advocate for the special relationship between the United States and Israel from the very beginning. He was there, I believe, with Truman, when the United States first recognized Israel, and was there to support the special relationship every step of the way throughout the time that he was in Congress. But what also is little known about Manny seller, as he was affectionately known in Brooklyn, is that during the 1960s, he was also the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, which meant that he played an important role, legislatively, and making sure that the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, became the law of the land, to crush Jim Crow, and crushed the effort to oppress the ability of African Americans, particularly in the south to participate fully in our democracy. And then you go to civil rights museums across the country, and whenever there have been exhibits, even here in the Library of Congress, usually always an acknowledgement of the role that Manny Celler played. And I'm proud of the fact that I can represent a district that someone who was such an important link between the black and Jewish community and actually played a meaningful role in helping to advance legislation to change the course of America, in supporting the efforts and leadership of Dr. King and others, is an important thing.  That's a tradition that I look forward to continuing to build upon and at the same time, to be able to represent a district as I mentioned earlier, where I serve more Russian speaking Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union than anyone else. And to know that Dr. King took time out from his days of leading the civil rights movement, to speak to Jewish leaders and rabbinical leaders across the country famously anchored in his guiding principle, that injustice anywhere is a justice everywhere, and it was great injustice, being directed at the Jewish community that was behind the Iron Curtain during the days of the Soviet Union, and to use his voice to speak up on behalf of what he appropriately viewed as his Jewish brothers and sisters who are facing oppression. That example that was set by Dr. King, that example that was set by Congressman Judiciary Committee Chair Manny Celler, who wasn't just focused on strengthening the relationship between the United States and Israel, but also dealt with the injustices directed at African Americans throughout the United States. That's a powerful heritage for us in Congress, or us as leaders, as AJC has promoted, to continue to build upon. Julie Fishman Rayman: Thank you so much, you've provided us with such a sweeping understanding not just of the history-everything from Manny Celler to Dr. King to Yad Vashem. But also a vision for where we can all go collectively. Whether it's in May, during Jewish American Heritage Month, or Black History Month, or every day, trying to honor the legacy of Americans from all facets who lift up our great nation and make it what it is today. Leader Jeffries, thank you for your leadership and thank you for being with us. Hakeem Jeffries:   Thank you so much, what an honor Julie to be on and all the best to you and look forward to continuing to work closely with Ted, with AJC, on behalf of the issues that we all care about, particularly as it relates to the well being of the Jewish community here in the United States of America and throughout the world. Manya Brachear Pashman: If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in for my conversation with the Jewish bluegrass duo Nefesh Mountain, featuring not one but two live musical performances, a wonderful way to wrap up our month-long series of shows honoring Jewish American Heritage.  

We've got more developments in the 2024 Arizona Senate race as Congressman Ruben Gallego officially announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination. David Beard and guest host Joe Sudbay discuss his chances in the race and how Dem-turned-Indy Kyrsten Sinema's decision on whether to run for re-election will impact Gallego's support from national Democrats. Then we discuss the upcoming Chicago mayor's race and the recent flurry of polls that have shown incumbent mayor Lori Lightfoot anywhere from leading the pack to missing out on a runoff entirely. Lastly, we touch on Virginia Senator Tim Kaine's decision to run for re-election and the importance of Virginia's 2023 state elections.After the break we're joined by Victoria McGroary, the Executive Director of BOLD PAC, which serves as the campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. She breaks down how Democrats prevented losses among Hispanic voters in 2022 despite pundit predictions otherwise. We also discuss the ongoing problem of disinformation in Spanish language media and how BOLD PAC has fought back against it. And we heard about the memorable OR-6 Democratic primary from last year, where BOLD PAC's endorsed candidate, Andrea Salinas, managed to overcome a 12-1 spending disparity to defeat a crypto-backed candidate.Transcript to come.

On today's very special Friday show, Crystal welcomes Phil Gardner to spill all the details behind the drama of Washington's Third Congressional District race from his vantage as the campaign manager for now-U.S. Representative-elect Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez. As we hear about the nailbiter of a race in Southwest Washington between a rural Democrat and a right-wing fascist, Phil outlines the strategy memo he wrote that propelled an untraditional and underestimated candidate to flip a seat that had been held by Republicans for 12 years. With little to no support for the campaign from the establishment, Phil tells how a scrappy campaign fought for every vote by leveraging volunteer enthusiasm and connecting with voters in every place across the district. He and Crystal then reflect on lessons learned, possible downballot impacts, the need for continued vigilance against anti-democratic forces, and the hope that is manifested by engaging and being active. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Follow us on Twitter at @HacksWonks. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find Phil Gardner at @gardnerphil.   Phil Gardner Phil Gardner is a Washington state political strategist and the campaign manager for U.S. Representative-elect Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez. He spent this fall working in Southwest Washington but normally lives in Tacoma. Phil's managed successful campaigns for federal, state, and local office, including those of Superintendent Chris Reykdal, State Auditor Pat McCarthy, Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards, and State Rep. Jessica Bateman's first campaign for Olympia City Council. Phil previously served as Chief of Staff for Lt. Governor Denny Heck. He also served as Heck's District Director and Communications Director when Heck represented the South Sound in Congress. Phil went to college in Washington, D.C. and worked on Capitol Hill where he developed a strong preference for living and working back home in the better Washington.   Resources “Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler concedes; Perez will face Kent for the 3rd District” by Lauren Ellenbecker from The Columbian   Phil Gardner August 9th Strategy Memo - Can Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez win? Yes.   “Kent, Perez brawl over two different Americas in WA congressional race” by Joseph O'Sullivan from Crosscut   Straight Talk bonus round: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Joe Kent from KGW News   Election To Watch: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez on the Verge of Upsetting Pro-Trump Candidate Video edited by Meg Herschlein from More Perfect Union   “Why aren't national Dems bankrolling WA's 3rd Congressional race?” by Joseph O'Sullivan from Crosscut   “Congressional candidate Joe Kent wants to rewrite history of Jan. 6 attack” by Jim Brunner from The Seattle Times   “In Washington state, controversial ties and rhetoric are upending a House race” by Claudia Grisales from NPR-KQED   “How did Marie Gluesenkamp Perez pull off the upset of the year in Southwest WA?” by David Gutman from The Seattle Times   “The Future Is … Doorknocking?” by Alexander Sammon from Slate   “Marie Gluesenkamp Perez Is Going From An Auto Repair Shop To Congress” by Daniel Marans from The Huffington Post   “Party reps say Gluesenkamp Perez won House seat, not Democrats” by Brennen Kauffman from The Daily News   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Well, this is an exciting show for me. I'm very excited to be welcoming Phil Gardner to the show. Now, Phil Gardner is known by a lot of people who are in political circles, Democratic circles - but for those who aren't, he is a political strategist and was the campaign manager for Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez, who is the newest Congressperson in Washington's Third Congressional District, which a Democrat hasn't won in how long? [00:01:13] Phil Gardner: 12 years. [00:01:14] Crystal Fincher: 12 years. And beat Joe Kent in one of the longest-shot victories that we saw this cycle, if not the longest-shot victory that we saw this cycle in the nation. So very excited to talk to Phil and talk about this race. Welcome to the show. [00:01:33] Phil Gardner: Thank you, Crystal. I'm really glad to be here - appreciate you noticing what we did. [00:01:38] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely - hard not to notice, but definitely noticed that you were making some moves even before the conclusion of the election. I guess just starting off - getting a little bit more familiar with you - what is your background and what was your path to get to Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez's campaign? [00:01:58] Phil Gardner: Yeah, so I grew up in Pierce County outside Puyallup, graduated high school in Tacoma. So I'm from, consider myself from the state - I was actually born in Texas, but I'm a Washingtonian - and have worked in and out of politics on the Democratic side, both here in the state and back in Washington, D.C. I worked for Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck as his Chief of Staff in Olympia and also back on Capitol Hill as his Communications Director. And then have done a bunch of different campaigns in either manager or general consultant roles, like Superintendent Reykdal's 2020 re-elect for our statewide School Superintendent, the mayor here in Tacoma - I was a part of her first election in 2017, Jessica Bateman - her first run for City Council. So I have had my hand in a bunch of different political and campaign things all over the state. And actually the first federal race I was ever involved with, I was an intern on Denny Heck's 2010 campaign in the Third Congressional District against Jaime Herrera Beutler, which was the last time the seat was open. So it's not quite a full circle moment because - obviously Jaime Herrera Beutler lost in the primary and this - sort of a very different tone than what that campaign was like, but it has been an interesting sort of 12-year journey for me to find myself back down there. [00:03:30] Crystal Fincher: Back down there and in a situation where - for quite some time, Jaime Herrera Beutler looked like a comfortable incumbent. But then this year happened - and after Trump happened and MAGA Republicans - seeing a different blend of Republicans in the district, certainly around the state, and a crowded Republican field. How did you get connected with Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez and how did just starting the campaign unfold? [00:04:04] Phil Gardner: Yeah, so this was an absolutely wild ride that I only got on maybe two-thirds of the way into it for a lot of people that were involved pre-primary - like Marie, most significantly. But I guess to think of the timeline here - for these federal races, they're really two-year affairs at this point just because of the amount of money involved and such. And Joe Kent declared his candidacy against Jaime Herrera Beutler shortly after the January 6th insurrection, so way back in early 2021. And then he got the endorsement of the former president and that sort of propelled him into the leading anti-Jaime Herrera Beutler Republican. And I was watching all of that as anybody checking the news was aware of it. I assumed in the end that Jaime would make it through to the general election one way or another because there were also many, many Democrats running. And I just figured that she's lost a lot of support from within her party, but surely there's enough of a base to get her through against widely divided opposition. But little did I know that Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez had much different plans for what was going to happen. She jumped in the race in February, which is quite late to jump into a Congressional race - February the year of. But as she said many times, she saw a bunch of Joe Kent signs going up around her county where Jaime Herrera Beutler signs used to be. And it reminded her in 2016 when she saw all these Trump signs appearing. And she felt that if this guy really beat Jaime, and there was a good shot at that, that the Democrats didn't have a good candidate who could beat Joe Kent. So she got in in February while she had a - I guess at that point - he was a six-month old at home, running a small business with her husband. But yeah, yeah. But she felt that this was - we needed somebody to go up against this guy if the worst were to happen. And a lot of people didn't really take her very seriously. I think that it's fair to say that - because people didn't think Jaime was likely to lose the primary, they didn't want to do anything to - they wanted her to be able to run the race that she wanted to run. And so I think there was a lot of Democratic establishment players in the state who were not as helpful down their pre-primary. Again, not saying that they were supporting Jaime necessarily, but they just didn't see it as a priority. And there were others who were helpful, but because of that, it was - I think for Marie, it was a kind of lonely primary in a lot of ways - because a lot of people just didn't understand and see the district as she did. And in the end, they were able to clear the field. There was some negotiations and talks between the Democrats down there and that sort of got itself sorted out. And she was the only major Democratic candidate on the ballot in the primary. And she advanced and got 31% of the vote. And then as we all saw, it turned out Jaime was in a lot more trouble than I think any of us really understood. And ended up coming in very narrowly behind Joe Kent, by about a thousand votes, but that's all it took. And again, I didn't see it coming. I was watching this as anybody was - but I did have a friend, Delana Jones, who is a mail consultant, and I worked with her on Victoria Woodards' campaign - and she did Marie's mail as well. And I remember - I think it was the Thursday after the primary, and I was actually sitting in my office at the State Capitol because I was Lieutenant Governor's Chief of Staff at the time - just sort of looking at the numbers. And Joe Kent was not ahead yet, but based on the trend from what was coming in, it was just obvious that he was going to pull ahead once they actually finished counting all these votes. And I texted Marie's consultant and I was like - This is going to happen. OMG, what the hell are we going to do? And we got to talking - and I had actually been planning to take the fall off and reset my career and sort of think about what I wanted to do because I've been doing nonstop Congressional service or campaigns since Trump took office, basically, and was pretty burnt out. But Marie, prior to the primary, had one paid staffer - and she did a great job in what she was able to do, but she had no campaign experience. She just graduated from college. And all of a sudden you're in this tightly, tightly nationally competitive race, if you could get the resources into there. So I said, Well, it's a less than 100-day thing. I know it'll end. And Marie's great - I'd never met Marie before, but I knew Joe Kent was a fascist and we could not let someone like that win a seat in Congress from our state. And we certainly could not do anything less than give everything we could to try and stop it. So I took a detour - I was actually in Taiwan for a lot of August because I had a prearranged trip to do that. So there was a lot of nights of working on candidate questionnaires while I was in Taiwan and then during the day - anyway, so I finally got back onto the ground in Southwest Washington - it was Labor Day weekend. And so for me that - yeah - that is in my mind when my direct involvement began, but that's how I ended up at that point. So it was not a plan, but when Joe Kent wins the primary, you got to scramble the jets. [00:10:09] Crystal Fincher: Got to engage. [00:10:11] Phil Gardner: Yeah. Yeah. [00:10:12] Crystal Fincher: Wow. So looking at just even Marie deciding to run, I completely get feeling the alarm of looking at Joe Kent, feeling that he could win, and the history of the district saying - and he could win it all. What made her think she could win? [00:10:37] Phil Gardner: Yeah. She gets her district, she gets her community. She lives 45 minutes from anywhere, God bless her. I've been out there to that house on that gravel road and it is rural - she gets her water from a well, her Internet from a radio tower. And out there in Skamania County in the Columbia River Gorge, communities are just different when you live that far away from large population centers. And your local government - the resources are just nowhere near what they are in other places. And I think she knew that a lot of communities in the district were a lot like that. And that's true about a third of the population that lives outside of Clark County, and even parts of Clark County are a lot like that. But I also think beyond that dynamic, I think she knew - in this community, but I think all over the country - that Democrats had not done a good job of recruiting candidates who really look like America or really look like their base. The sort of prototypical, let's-go-candidate-recruiting is - Can you find somebody who has won an office before? Can they self-fund? Can they raise a bunch of money from a pre-existing donor network? Do they not have family obligations that are going to get in the way? Can they take time off to work, or do they not even work anymore? And Marie doesn't check any of these boxes, which is why when parties go to recruit, they often - in fact, very, very, very rarely come up with moms who run small businesses, and live out in rural areas, and who have a father from Mexico. But just because of the circumstances of this, she didn't ask for an invite to be the candidate. She stepped up because she saw it needed to be done. And then she won the primary and came up against Joe Kent - and that usual sort of screener for who are we going to run in really competitive races that just didn't occur because it wasn't even on the radar of the folks in DC. But I think she could see that was so necessary in order to connect with people like her - who work in the trades, with Latino voters - who in some parts of the country, we've had a ton of difficulty in the Trump years, with a lot of sort of conspiracies and misinformation that goes around, but nevertheless has struggled in places like Florida and South Texas. But also in the wake of the Dobbs decision, having a woman who had recently had a miscarriage and who was having a family and planning to grow her family, be able to talk about the real consequences and impacts of Joe Kent's nationwide abortion ban with no exceptions. So I think she was - for Joe Kent - a particularly good foil, but she is also, I think, as anybody who has watched her, she is just a very gifted and talented public servant. I think it's wonderful that this is the way in which people have come to learn about her, but she has been down there in Skamania County really doing that work. She ran for County Commissioner in 2016. And Hillary Clinton, I think she outran Hillary Clinton by eight percentage points in a rural red county. So she knows what she's doing. I guess that is one message - I don't want to leave people with this notion that what happened here was a fluke or unexpected or not. It happened because she knew that this opportunity was there and then decided to take advantage of it. And slowly everybody came on board, or at least enough to get us over the finish line. [00:14:12] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. And that was apparent for a while. This - one, it takes a great candidate to win, period. Even if you have a great team around you, if you don't have a candidate who does connect with people, who does understand the district, and who is really - feels a personal responsibility for making things better, it doesn't connect, certainly not at this level. So she was a great candidate - saw the opportunity, stepped up thankfully, and was ready to run. But it absolutely took a great strategy, which you put together. You shared publicly a strategy memo that you put together basically saying, Hey, can Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez win? Yes, she can. And this, in detail, is how. What did you identify? What was in that plan? [00:15:13] Phil Gardner: Yeah. So I wrote that back in August when it was - there were sort of two camps that happened right after the primary. There was a bunch of people who were like, Oh my gosh, this is obviously competitive. We have to jump at this. Let's do this. And then there are others who were like, We've got no shot. This just is not going to happen. And so I said, Okay, then I guess we need to explain to people who I don't think should have needed explanation, but did, that this is how we're going to win this race and just show beyond a doubt that we could. And so there are three components to it. The first is making sure that every Democrat knows who Joe Kent is and turns out in votes. And not just partisan Democrats, but progressives, working class folks, everybody who lives in Vancouver and Clark County - which is the most Democratic area - just very mobilize your base. This is stuff that Democrats, when they're on their game, know how to do - and devoting the resources and the attention to making sure that was going to happen. The second was in the rural areas - the six counties outside of Clark County - which run from where Marie lives in the Columbia River Gorge, all the way out to the Pacific coast, and then all the way up into Thurston County, nearly to the State Capitol. There are some cities in there that we knew we could maybe win, but - and then Pacific County, we thought we could win and we did win. But broadly speaking, we knew in those rural areas - we're probably not going to win a lot of these communities. But it makes a huge difference if we are getting 35% of the vote there versus getting 30% of the vote there. And I think that is something that Democrats have all too often written off about rural areas is - it's sort of, Well, we're going to lose those areas by a lot, so we shouldn't even try. And losing them by 10 points less than you lost them is a bunch of votes that could be your winning margin, depending on the sort of nature of the district or the state. So we wanted to take that really seriously. And we knew that Marie was a really great candidate to connect with those folks. And then the third aspect of it was - and these folks lived in all kinds of geographies - but making this very direct appeal to Republicans and Independents, who - anyone who supported Jaime Herrera Beutler, and just really could not stomach Joe Kent. And that was one of the most apparent things coming out of the primary. And the initial sort of looking at - who can Marie win - started with - who cannot stomach Joe Kent. And that is a very long list of people because Joe Kent often seems like he is intentionally trying to exclude and ostracize. And in fact, he is very intentionally trying to do that much of the time. But people can actually hear what he has to say and don't like the things he's saying. And I still don't think he's really ever caught on to that. But we knew that there were a bunch of people who supported Jaime Herrera Beutler, who maybe voted for Mitt Romney, but really didn't like Trump and the sort of direction the party was going under that. But these were not people who would typically vote for a Democrat, or really even consider a Democrat, unless you went out and made this very specific case to them and made it - not try to trick them, just be very honest, which was that - Look, Joe Kent is terrible. Here's all the terrible things in case you weren't aware. I'm Marie, I'm not a Republican, but I believe in democracy. I am going to listen to you. I'm going to hold town halls. I'm not going to embarrass you on the national stage. And asking those Republicans and those conservatives even to - again, not necessarily become Democrats, but just lend us your vote in this election against this guy, so we can beat him. That's basically what it said on paper. And then of course, the challenge is doing all of that all at once, and raising the money as you're spending it and etc, etc. But yeah, but that was the core. And we stuck with that through the end. [00:19:11] Crystal Fincher: And so that is really interesting. An experience that I went through - you talked about letting people know who Joe Kent is - it is actually hard to do justice to how bad and scary he is by just explaining. And was in a number of situations with - did the KIRO election coverage, right? So talking to people there in the newsroom, another Republican consultant, right? It's just - trying to explain how just problematic he is. And they're just like, Well, maybe well, I heard it was moderating in the general election and he's moving that direction. And I'm like, No, you don't understand. And I had watched a number of his video clips, just researching going into there. It's just like - Okay, I just need you - sit down, watch this. And they watched a clip of him just - it's like he was not in the same reality as other people. Just conspiracy theories - denied - like January 6th was some CIA conspiracy, just all these things. And one, just - my goodness, Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez also sitting there next to him and having to debate someone who's not making sense in the same kind of reality that you are, but also trying to explain things. But after watching him directly, they're just like, Oh, okay, I get it. It was so alarming. Even Republicans there were alarmed. And so there absolutely was an opportunity to mobilize people and to get votes from people who traditionally didn't vote for Democrats. Now with that, how did you negotiate and how did you move forward and talk through - Marie is a Democrat, she has Democratic values - making that appeal to Republicans. How do you broaden a base while maintaining consistency with your values? [00:21:13] Phil Gardner: Yeah. And it was a daily balance and a sort of figuring it out as we went. A lot of it was based on - well, it was mostly Marie's instincts. That's another - she did a lot of press during the election and afterwards. And as a communications professional who has prepped a lot of candidates for interviews, she does not require much at all. We chat about sort of the points she may want to make and if there's sort of one way she's explaining something and I'm like that may be misinterpreted, but by and large, she just knows what - she can smell what's good and what's off. And I think she knew what the media in her district was going to be. So using her as a guidepost - you know, she - right to repair, which is this issue that she talks about a lot, which is this sort of basic concept of if you own a piece of mechanical equipment or electronic equipment, you should be able to repair it. And there's home medical devices, tractors, iPhones, there's this long litany of things. And I will admit when I first heard her talking about this, I was like, This is, I don't, this is not a top of mind issue for voters. And it isn't - yet. I think it's becoming, partly because she is talking about it more and more in national media. But what was so interesting about it is people took it seriously. And it was very different from what they'd heard, not just a Democrat, but any sort of candidate talk about. And it did feel, the more they thought about it, more relevant to their day-to-day life than Joe Kent's latest vaccine gene therapy conspiracy or something. She also talked a lot about the dangers of microplastics, which is something that there's a bunch of research that - there's just more and more presence of these almost-permanent plastics in very small quantities in placentas and fish and just anything you can measure. And what better way to replace all that plastic packaging than with paper and cardboard products grown in Washington's Third Congressional District. She took this very, again, not something that was in the headlines or a lot of people were talking about, but managed to connect it right back into voters lived experiences and daily lives, and talk about in a way that was different from Democrats. So she wasn't trying to sound like a Republican. She was just trying to sound and be like a different Democrat. And it is working, [00:23:44] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, no. And I did notice that - the first thing I noticed was in the broader conversation about how Democrats, how the country sometimes is becoming more polarized - that bluer places are becoming bluer, redder places are becoming redder, and a number of Democrats are not performing well in rural areas. And to your point earlier, lots of times Democrats are not trying to compete in rural areas - thinking, Man, I just saw the margin in these other races when someone else tried to run, there's no way I'm gonna win there. So what's the point? But you saw the point. Hey, if you improve performance and you win in other areas, that's a win altogether. And one, her being a rural resident period and understanding the different context of life in rural areas, which is different. And I think a lot of people who do not live in rural areas, are not familiar with, or haven't spent a lot of time in rural areas - underappreciate just how different day-to-day life can look and be. It can be very, very different. And some of the things that you talk about in a metropolitan context, just there is no context for that thing out there. So talking about it just does not connect. It's not relevant. And I feel like, especially with a lot of Democrats not showing up in rural areas, that they are hearing lots of things from Democrats that they just don't see in their daily lives or that address their specific challenges. And Marie was able to directly speak to that, based on her own experience and really caring about making it better. And showing up and the campaign showing up - showing up is - you can't win without it. You got to do that. You did it well. You got the message out. But also trying to pull together a campaign, a Congressional-sized campaign, without a lot of external help was a challenge you had to deal with. There was lots of coverage about the national party not helping as much as they did in some other close races - whether it's because they didn't consider this being close enough to engage with or not - not receiving the kind of support that you, seeing it as a competitive race, probably hoped for. What was that experience like and how did you manage your way through that? [00:26:31] Phil Gardner: Yeah, it was excruciating at points. It was very frustrating, because we had an internal poll that we released publicly as far back as late August that showed Marie ahead by two. And this was at a time in national politics when the generic ballot was a little bit better for Democrats. And then there was this sort of whole freak out during the fall. And then I guess it turned out to be not quite that bad. But we had polling done by a very reputable pollster - I know people are trained to be skeptical of internal polling, but we hired a very reputable firm that everybody back in D.C. knew. And - [00:27:08] Crystal Fincher: By the way, most campaigns do. [00:27:11] Phil Gardner: Yeah. Like the campaigns - one, they're not going to spend all this money on research that's bunk. But it was, I think, two things. One was this knowledge that this district was - I don't think you'll find this in writing anywhere, somebody will say it on the record - but the district was drawn to elect a Republican. It's part of how our redistricting system works - is there's an incumbent protection that goes on. And this was Jaime Herrera Beutler's district. And in order to forge an agreement, they agreed to keep the incumbent safe. So with that knowledge that this district was drawn to elect a Republican, the notion that it could flip to a Democrat in a midterm with a Democrat in the White House, just - I think no matter what sort of facts you tried to put in front of people, they just could never get past that. But I think also that - I think people didn't - if Marie had been some, a man with a nice haircut - I just think there was something about who she was, and the fact that she was a young mom, and had never run for federal office before that people just thought, Well, surely she can't be putting together a campaign that could actually win. This is a novelty that's happening out there. And that was frustrating. But I could also see, as we were trying to convince people of our credibility, that our fundraising was going extremely well, especially online. We've - driven by a lot of that media coverage, but then also the long list of people who are horrified by Joe Kent. In the end - third quarter, the third fundraising quarter - Marie raised $2.2 million in the third quarter, which was more than any other Democrat challenging for an open seat or against a Republican incumbent, except for the guy running against Marjorie Taylor Greene. But Marie outraised Democratic incumbents in frontline districts. And I thought at that point, surely they will now see that this is not some fly-by-night scam we're running out here - it looks non-traditional because it must be, but surely now. And even at that point - no, Marie was never named one of the DCCC's Red to Blue candidates. And we asked for that - we knew that there was, it was unlikely that we were going to get air support that we can't legally coordinate, but we just wanted the designation so that when we called donors in other states, they would know we were - because there's a lot of these donors who, if you don't, if you're not Red to Blue, they don't think you're a serious candidate. And that would have cost the DCCC nothing and they wouldn't give it to us. And, of course now it's - they're apologetic and such, but I don't know - I try not to dwell on it and be bitter about it because in the end, we won. And I do think there's a silver lining in that because it wasn't on the DCCC's radar, the national Republicans also did not really get it on their radar. The national Republicans never spent anything for Joe Kent, which - we had always anticipated that as soon as we had our big fundraising quarter and started running our ads, they would come in with all these negative ads to slime Marie, and it just never came. And I don't know whether that was because the Republicans never really believed it was competitive, or because they just really didn't actually want Joe Kent in their caucus. And their attitude was - Well, if he doesn't make it, it's not our fault. It's his fault. And we've got a lot of other people who aren't so difficult that we're going to spend on. So I don't know, but it was - and he himself had a terrible, he was basically unable to raise any significant amount of money after the primary. Because I think once he had defeated Jaime Herrera Beutler, there was just not a lot of energy. And he was going around telling people that he had this under control - it was a safe Trump seat. And by the time he tried to pivot, it was too late to get his donors to notice or care. So that is one thing - I actually, I think Joe Kent ran a terrible campaign in the primary. He just had Trump's endorsement and that was enough. And then they continued that terrible campaign into the general and it finally caught up with them. But, yeah, it was still on the inside - it was, and if you were on the ground there, anybody who was able to come - it felt very competitive. We could see that obviously we had all of the Democrats - anyone who voted for Joe Biden was behind us. And we were picking off these - elected Republicans were willing to appear in TV ads to support Marie. And it's - well, surely there's some amount of people who are coming along with this because we can see them. It was just not clear whether it'd be quite enough. But the notion that on Election Night, it leaned Republican - I think if the rankers who had put it in that category been on the ground, I think they would have felt very differently. Because it was not a surprise that it was competitive to folks who were in the picture. [00:32:09] Crystal Fincher: Right. It was absolutely competitive - I think, just looking from the outside, it was - Hey, this is going to be close. Is she going to get enough? But especially in that situation, I think part of my personal frustration with some of the national establishment is that we also have to be willing to fight, and that we can't only engage when we feel like it's a sure thing. And if anything was worth fighting for, surely it was worth fighting - even if you hadn't yet engaged with how good of a candidate Marie was, you certainly could see how terrifying the prospect of having Joe Kent as a Congressperson is and was just unacceptable. And he was so far outside of what so many people consider acceptable or moral or decent. And we certainly have seen Republicans as a whole become more extreme, but he was like tip-of-the-spear extreme and proud of it and resistant to any kind of advice to do anything else. And so I am so thankful that you saw that opportunity, that we don't have Joe Kent as a representative. But also hope that the things that you talked about, the reasons why maybe they didn't support Marie - create a lot of people a lot of reflection - and people who do have the ability to influence the people and the ability to influence where resources are spent locally and nationally, starting from just who an ideal candidate is. We've talked before on this show looking, hearing - Oh man, they're a great candidate. And a lot of times that's code for a guy who's a military veteran, a guy who is a business owner. And really it's code for this person has a profile that could be a Republican, but they're a Democrat. And reality is so much broader than that. The community is so much broader than that. And the things that people are struggling with today just throughout everyday life are felt by so many more people. Even who is considered the working class a lot of times is coded as just white people. And it's so many people. And so having a young mom who is running - family running an auto shop, living in rural Skamania County - was someone who was absolutely relatable. And I hope we learned those lessons - certainly at the legislative level, candidates who look more, who are like Marie, or who are candidates of color or LGBTQ candidates are actually outperforming and increasing turnout to greater degrees than candidates in majority communities are. So I really do hope we take out the filter that sometimes prevents us from seeing the people who are the most connected within their communities and who do understand them the most. Going in and just how you went about defining who Joe Kent was and how you went about defining who Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez was - to people who maybe they realize an election is happening when they get the ballot in the mail, they were not tuned in throughout the months prior in the campaign, and you've got to reach them somehow, maybe not in person. How did you go about doing that? And what was your strategy there? [00:35:41] Phil Gardner: Yeah. In running against Joe Kent, this was one of the challenging things because as you alluded - well, you had said earlier - it's hard to understand how bad he is unless you sit down and really take the time to - Oh my God, he really - he really thinks that. And of course, we don't have the luxury of voters actually mostly having the time or interest to do that. So it was a real - what are the worst things of the terrible things he's said and done that we're going to be able to bring up? And we had some polling to help with this, but we also just used some intuition behind what was easy to explain and what was really going to click. And so we narrowed around a top five hits on Joe Kent because we would spice it up a little. But one is his national ban on abortion with no exceptions, which was his stated stance. Another was he told the New York Times that he wanted to put Anthony Fauci, they wanted Fauci arrested for murder. And there was one part in a Rotary that never got reported because it was a private event - but I was there - and someone stood up and said, Do you really believe this - that Anthony Fauci should be indicted for murder? And Joe Kent's response was, Well, he'll get a trial. This is what this man actually believes. [00:36:52] Crystal Fincher: Geez. Yeah. [00:36:54] Phil Gardner: Then there was the election denial, January 6th stuff - I guess that was actually - we mostly talked about that for the framework of Joe Kent wanting to abolish vote-by-mail. We found that was something that polled very terribly because - and I was a little skeptical to use it because I thought it would just be so unfathomable to people at this point that they wouldn't really believe anybody could or would do that. But it really did click. I'm glad we leaned into that. He wanted to ban immigration for 20 years to establish a white majority. And that's a conversation stopper in a lot of rooms. And what was interesting is that is the one that more than anything else, Joe Kent would react very emotionally negative to. The other stuff, he wouldn't really try to dispute it. But that one he would. I don't know exactly why that is. I think on a certain level, he may know how messed up and horrific and toxic - and he may just know that he definitely doesn't want his brand to actually be associated with the people sort of spending every day of their lives pushing for that policy, which are people who exist in white nationalist circles that Joe hangs out in - but yeah, it was - Oh, and then the fifth one, which he started talking about in the campaign - and he went to the right - was this whole defunding the FBI. Which, as a Democrat running in a Trump district, obviously we thought a lot about how was she going to talk about law enforcement because it's a top issue in any district, but especially when you're trying to win Republicans. And then Joe Kent just comes in and says, I think we should get rid of the FBI. And bunch of moms in Longview and Centralia, if you tell them - Are you going to sleep better at night with the FBI gone? - that's just not something that resonates with a lot of people in the communities that we needed to win over from the Republicans. So that was the sort of cornucopia of awful-Joe Kent. But there was even terrible stuff that doesn't even make that list. He wanted to legalize machine guns. He doesn't believe people should watch professional sports because it's emasculating to watch other men. Yeah, no, this is an actual thing. [00:38:51] Crystal Fincher: I didn't even know this one. Oh my gosh. [00:38:53] Phil Gardner: Yeah. His tweets are just - there's just so many, there's just so much - but a lot of it, it's can we really turn this into a mail piece or a TV ad? Probably not. But it is just so weird. And then with Marie, it was a lot of biography, but then basically just doing the counterpoint to a lot of what Joe was doing. She supports abortion rights. She believes in voting rights. She is not focused on these bizarre cultural conspiracies. And Joe said and did horrible, horrible mailers and statements regarding healthcare for trans people. And there was a debate in Longview where there was an audience participation point and they clearly organized to have his people come up and try to bait Marie on all these sort of cultural things about sports and bathroom. And this part never aired, I think, because the host realized that he had completely lost control of the room. But Marie would not yield an inch on any of those issues, and doesn't on any LGBTQ issues, and doesn't on any core rights issues - because that's who she is and what she believes. And that authenticity is what really matters and not engaging on these things that are so clearly just meant to divide. It was both mirroring him and just not swinging at the pitches that she didn't want to swing at. [00:40:09] Crystal Fincher: And that's so important. One, I think people in rural and even suburban situations that I've been in - there are people who understand that they may disagree with you on some things. But they want to be able to trust you. They want to know that you're going to stand by your word and that what you see is what you get. And so her having the courage to stand by her convictions, I think helped - even with people who - Hey, I'm a Republican, you're a Democrat, but I can see that you seem to want to help, that you seem to understand the challenges that we're facing, and you get things done. Am I going to agree with you a hundred percent? No. But do I think that you understand how to help me? I do. I think you can help. I think that makes a big difference. And just the campaign not taking the bait is a good thing and not engaging earnestly with bad-faith tactics and calling out the bad-faith tactics, instead of trying to fact check or engage in all the minutiae and all that was a smart decision. And one I hope other people see how you handle it, see how others handle it, and do the same thing. So now, we're at the point of the election. You have done a good job communicating who Joe Kent is, which - I really don't think people understand how challenging that is - even, some people think, Well, he's horrible. It must be really easy to run against him. It's hard to convince people - people who are horrible in a special way, impressively horrible, unusually horrible. It's hard to make people believe that someone actually is that horrible. People's first thought - Surely he doesn't believe that, man, this is a misstatement. This is an exaggeration. So you did that very well. Going through, turning out the votes, turning out the base, how did you approach just getting everyone to get their ballot in? [00:41:59] Phil Gardner: Yeah, well, we tried to work the mobilization messaging into those same persuasion messaging that we were doing, like the vote-by-mail. We would say, Hey, not only are we reminding you to get your ballot in and that your ballots coming in the mail, but you should be aware the other guy, Joe Kent - he wants to get rid of this whole system. He wants us to go back to standing in line at polling stations. So if you'd ever like to vote in another election by mail again, we would really appreciate your support for Marie. But it was a mix of very traditional mobilization operations. I guess with the voter mobilization, this was one of the challenges coming in after the primary was - to really do a lot of voter mobilization programs well, it requires money and investment and time. It's always put to the side by a lot of campaigns so they try to start it in July or something. To really have it really effective, you really need to have it in place starting pretty early in the year, depending on the size of the race. That just wasn't really present as much. There was a Coordinated Campaign presence from the State Party because Patty Murray was on the ballot, but there was nothing at the scale that we would have liked or would have been considered proper. But I thought that there was - the only option that – well, another thing is we couldn't really hire staff at this point from other place because any sort of top-field talent is generally already on a campaign at this point. But there was a lot of energy from volunteers, and we noticed that. And so we tried this – it goes by a lot of names – the snowflake model, where you're really taking volunteers and giving them job duties and responsibilities that in a lot of campaigns would really be paid staff - and I think ideally should be paid staff, or at least people should be compensated for work that they're doing that they're not volunteering on. But it's a complicated model because if people just lose interest or don't have the enthusiasm, it doesn't really gel together. But there was enough, I think, both positive enthusiasm for Marie and antipathy for Joe Kent that - our field director had never worked in politics before. He'd never worked on any campaign before. He was a friend of Marie's from college, who had just run a restaurant for five years that had gone under because of some supply chain issues. But he was very, very organized and very good at logistics. We hooked him up with a brilliant strategist in Oregon named Hannah Love, who knows all sorts of field and mobilization stuff, and she transferred knowledge. Eventually, we had 500 people coming out to canvasses. So it was a lot of traditional stuff like that, but in a sort of non-traditional way - mixed with our messaging. And then there were very specific communities who we wanted to go and talk to and make sure that they understood who Joe Kent was. One was the Ukrainian community, which is quite large in the Portland metro area, including on the Vancouver side. A lot of the members of the Ukrainian community here in the Pacific Northwest - it originated with folks who were fleeing the Soviet Union because they were evangelical Christians or Baptists and were being persecuted for their religious beliefs. Not everybody who's come over here since then is also a pastor or something, but they have family or friends - and so it's a very religiously conservative community. But they knew what Joe Kent's stance was on support for Ukraine, which is - Joe Kent doesn't think there should be any. In fact, he thinks it's all sort of a conspiracy theory to start World War III that Biden and Obama are all-in on and such. They didn't agree with Marie on a lot of things, but they knew that. Marie came and showed up and talked to them and looked them in the eye and said, I'm not going to abandon you and your family. And I think that really resonated. And then also up in Pacific County, the Chinook Indian Nation, which has lived in the mouth of Columbia since time immemorial - they have been seeking federal recognition for many, many decades. There's no real question that they have all the necessary paperwork, and people should look into this online if they want to learn more about it, but it really is a travesty that they've not yet been federally recognized. Marie met with the Chairman and learned about this and heard - and we put out a statement making very clear that she supports recognition and would fight for it in Congress. I know that the Chairman and members of the Chinook indian Nation made sure that everybody who lives in the district knew that. It's a lot of this very targeted outreach that - the cookie cutter appeals and mass appeals are necessary and good - but we knew we were going to have to squeeze every - look under every rock or every mountain, whatever metaphor you want to use. It's not just one thing, but it was a mix of things. [00:46:17] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and you did a great job. So now we're to Election Night. What did it feel like when you got the results? [00:46:25] Phil Gardner: It felt really good. I guess we all lived through this, but how I was looking at it is - because our results didn't come until 8pm and I think the results from the East Coast were not looking quite as bad for Democrats as I think we had feared. And so I was like, Oh, okay, well, maybe we could do this. Because for all that we did, just so much of this is just national tides that you ultimately don't have first-hand control over, but - [00:46:52] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and I should mention - going up to the results on the East Coast, that there was a lot of talk about races narrowing in the final weeks. There were a lot of internal polls that showed races narrowing in the final weeks of the campaign. So there was a big question about - are things falling out of our grip democratically? And so there was cause for a little bit of relief at least. And especially as we got further from the East Coast, further West - things were looking pretty good. And then 8 o'clock hits. [00:47:20] Phil Gardner: Yes. So we're there in the Hilton - at the Clark County Democrats, their Election Night party usually is. And we knew that what we got on Election Night was going to be the highest that we were going to get. It was going to be our high-water mark - because Joe Kent, one of his conspiracy theories was that everybody should return their ballot on Election Day so then they know, they can't figure out how many fake ballots they need to create if we vote late. It's just bonkers stuff. But as a consequence of that, we knew that he was going to gain in these later counts. So I said, If we're not ahead on election night, then that's probably ballgame, folks. But even so, we needed to be ahead by a big margin. We needed to be ahead in Clark County by more than 10 points. And it came in, and I think we're ahead by 12, 12 and a half. And it's a little more exciting in these districts with multiple counties because there's some suspense where it's - Oh, okay, but what are we going to get in Lewis and what are we going to get in Pacific? And they just kept coming in, and they kept coming in and hitting those marks. And I was just like, Marie was just - we always knew that it could happen, but then for it actually to be happening - it just felt very surreal and out-of-body. And she was just overjoyed. And of course, very quickly composed herself to go get the speech done, and do - I think she did 9 or 10 interviews that night. But it was, it felt really good. But at the same time, we also didn't feel like we could truly celebrate because we did know it was going to narrow. And so the race ended up getting called - Saturday night after the election was when all the media outlets came out. But I personally felt confident that I no longer had worry bugs crawling around my head that we were going to win - I felt that way on Wednesday night. And that was when I knew how many ballots had come in and I could see what the margins were. And I could also see - using these analytic models on the back end, I could essentially see the uncounted ballots - what those were probably going to be like. Because the ballots are roughly counted in the order they're received. So at that point, we know that there's this whole big batch of Election Day votes for Joe Kent, and I knew they would be better for him - but you look at the partisan modeling and I'm like - that's really not going to be quite enough for him. But there's one thing to know that and one thing to actually say it publicly, because you want to respect the process and that tiny chance you could get egg on your face. But that was, that was almost, that was excruciating in a sense. I mean, it was nice to have that internal confidence that we knew, but it was still maddening to go that many days after - but much better than obviously the alternative outcome. And they called that race Saturday night. And Sunday morning we were on a plane to DC. So she got to new member orientation just in time, but - not a day too late. [00:49:58] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, I saw that. I was like, that was quick. [00:50:01] Phil Gardner: Yep, it was interesting. They had invited Joe Kent, but they had not invited Marie at first. [00:50:07] Crystal Fincher: Interesting. [00:50:08] Phil Gardner: Yes. And then what they do in a lot of these races that are close, they invite both of them. And so then we were both invited and then Joe Kent was uninvited. But the materials for him were still lying around - I was at one point accidentally handed Joe Kent's parking pass for Capitol Hill. And I was - I'm sorry, this is actually not the person who won that election. And they were very apologetic and I get their - so it was just odd, almost - seeing the physical artifacts of this alternative reality that could have happened. [00:50:37] Crystal Fincher: I'm glad we are not in that timeline - that would be a very bad timeline. We have more than enough challenges in this timeline that we do have, but that was such an exciting and uplifting race. So now, because no one can ever rest and because Congressional campaigns start as soon as they end - now there's talk about, Okay, so can she hold the district? Can she get re-elected? It's one thing to have an aberration like Joe Kent on the ballot, but maybe that doesn't happen next time. How do you think she should be approaching these next couple of years? How can she hold a seat? [00:51:12] Phil Gardner: Yeah, I think the starting point is to understand that she can. There are Democrats who represent districts that are more Republican or voted for Trump by a wider margin. Mary Peltola up in Alaska is the most recent example, but there's also a member from northern Maine named Jared Golden, who has a very timber-friendly, very rural district that shares some similarities to the Third. So we know it can be done, so we're not trying to do something nobody's ever done. But it's going to require her basically doing what she said during the campaign. There's not going to be some giant pivot - it's the same person she's been. I think without - well, first of all, I think it's quite likely that Joe Kent runs again. I think Joe Kent is her most likely 2024 opponent because Joe Kent was planning on winning and then running again. And we didn't even get into this, but he apparently has no actual job - so he's not busy doing something else during the day other than running for office. So I anticipate he will run again, and I think he may have the name ID to be the Republican nominee again. But even without that, in the eventuality that Marie ends up running against somebody who is less conspiratorial on the Republican side, I think that voters are going to give her a chance. I think a lot of these Republican voters who originally voted for her because they were soured on Joe Kent - I don't think, at least from the conversations I've had with them and then some of the community members who have supported them - they are still with Marie. There will be a Republican. I don't know who it'll be. I don't know exactly how that'll impact how people make their choices down there. But it's at this point an opportunity for Marie to show that she is that independent voice, that rural Democrat, that Democrat from the trades, working mom - and show people what a sort of different kind of politics and different kind of Democrat is. One of the first decisions Marie has made so far - back in Congress, there are these sort of ideological caucuses. There's a Progressive Caucus, and there's the more conservative one called the Blue Dogs, and then there's one sort of in the middle called the New Dems. And Marie's decided not to join any of them. She's joining the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, who was supportive during the campaign too. But I think she doesn't feel like she fits into a box really well, and her district doesn't really fit into a box well. And she's gonna need to be seen and be different from the sort of Puget Sound-area Democrats in the delegation and figure out exactly what that path is with her district. Because the nice thing is she showed up not owing anybody any favors, because so few people believed in her. So I'm just very excited to see - she's 34. She's born in 1988. It is just so amazing that we have, from our state, this just incredible public servant who really does represent generational change and change in a lot of ways, and is doing it in a seat where we beat a fascist. I'm just so excited and delighted to see what she's able to do. [00:53:52] Crystal Fincher: I love it. And obviously, you did an incredible job on this campaign. You did great work. What other staffers or volunteers should we be on the lookout for from the campaign who are also superstars? [00:54:05] Phil Gardner: Great question. So we had at maximum five staff. Tim Gowen, who was our Field Director, is going to be joining Marie's district office. Peter Sandifer, who is our Political Director. Julian Chapin, who read Michelle Goldberg's New York Times article, emailed us and said, I'd love to drive across the country and come work for you - and that's how you get to become a Deputy Field Director on our campaign because that's the kind of world it was. And then Madeleine Newton, who was the staffer before the primary and stayed on as the Deputy Campaign Manager. And then a whole suite of consultants from around the Seattle area and some back in DC. I'm also just excited to see a lot of these volunteers who were engaged for the first time - what they end up doing. We had a lot of people who said they voted for Jaime Herrera Butler in the primary and then knocked on doors for Marie - it was the first candidate they ever knocked on doors for. It was, there are certain campaigns - they're usually presidential campaigns - but there are certain campaigns that really just leave a lasting impact on the people who were a part of them. And I think for a lot of people in Southwest Washington, this is going to be one of them. And I'm excited to see where that goes. [00:55:06] Crystal Fincher: I'm so excited about Southwest Washington. It's politically, in my opinion, the most exciting area in the state and the area with the biggest opportunity in the state. Just looking legislatively, there are districts that are so close that have been so close that have been on the other side of 48-52%, 49-51%, 49-50% races over the past couple few cycles. With a Democrat in Congress, new people engaged in the district, people hearing from Democrats and talking to Democrats who maybe just hadn't before - presents so much of an opportunity. What do you see the opportunity being downballot moving forward? [00:55:47] Phil Gardner: Yeah, well, I do think there - in Clark County especially, which this is the biggest county in the district, 61-63% of the vote where Vancouver is. But then there's a band of suburbs right around Vancouver as well. And Marie won by 10 points there. And it is one of those counties, like the suburbs of Atlanta or the Dallas suburbs, that once Trump came on the scene, there was a lot of moderate suburbanites who were - I don't know about this direction that this party's going. And so in addition to Joe Kent sort of accelerating that and Marie being appealing, there has been this phenomenon over the last six to eight years down there, where those Clark County suburbs are becoming much more friendly towards Democrats. And I think that, like you said, we keep getting real close. We redrew two of them pretty significantly and got up to 48%, 47% in a few of these. But I think it will be interesting and I'm optimistic that - there's almost a tipping point in a lot of these communities, where once the sort of prevailing cultural norms become more progressive, become more open-minded, become more friendly to folks on the Democratic side of the aisle - that that just keeps going. And I don't quite know where it stops. I think it'll take some time for it to happen, but I think it's going to keep going in that direction. And I think that's going to create some real opportunities for Democrats in those - in the 17th and the 18th, especially. But also need to run great candidates - candidates who are going to work hard, who know districts. And I will leave that to the folks working in state politics to figure that out. But I think that candidates who fit profiles that we know voters are going to like, we know this person is compelling, we know there's so much about them that fits in with our messaging, really making the person the message. I think we should look more seriously at those sort of opportunities and maybe not so much at what do we think is always going to be the best sort of candidate based on what's always been done. [00:57:43] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. Any parting thoughts that you would leave with people about things that you learned from this campaign or how people should be operating moving forward? [00:57:53] Phil Gardner: Gosh, I both feel like I've learned so much and had no time to really stop and process at all. But I guess I'll go as big picture as we can get because that was a motivator for me in this, which is that I - sure many people listening to this - have felt very deep fear and concern that we're slipping into a sort of very anti-democratic culture and government. And this creeping fascism that we see all around us in different forms - the trajectory is really, really, really concerning. I believe Joe Kent represents that, and that was a big motivating factor for why I was willing to throw up everything to go and do this. And then it turned out Marie was fantastic as well, and so we get sort of a twofer out of it. But I think after this election - because Joe Kent lost, because so many of these election deniers around the country lost, I do think we should feel heartened that there is apparently a bottom for a bunch of voters. And there are consequences to saying these things. But I also still feel that history is a long time and this is just one election cycle and we can't rest on our laurels. So as I look forward into 2024 and beyond, I would love love nothing more than to get back to the days where we're just fighting and trying to advance progressive causes on the sort of traditional D versus R axis that we may have known. But I think at least for the time being, there is also this very dark anti-democratic force that is out there and very present - and it's going to require more than I think what is typically thought of as being necessary. The careerists are not going to be able to solve this. It is a problem beyond the people just clocking in to work on campaigns. And we all work very hard and I think there are many brilliant people, but this is a force beyond what we have dealt with before. I spend a lot of time thinking about how we make sure that doesn't grow and doesn't go on. And again, I think we gave it a good bop on the nose this time, but I think it may be back and don't take our eyes off that ball. So that was a little darker than I intended, but I do think it's important. [00:59:55] Crystal Fincher: But real. I spend quite a bit of time thinking about that. It's real, but there is hope. There is cause for hope. [01:00:04] Phil Gardner: Yes. [01:00:05] Crystal Fincher: And I think that in so many circumstances, I needn't look any further than my own family history - that that has been the only thing that has got people through some of those times - engaging, being active, doing what you can, and just holding onto that hope, and continuing to push. So appreciate so much you joining us today to have this conversation. Thank you for saving us from Joe Kent. And for putting Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez on our radar and in our Congress. Just such a huge win. Such an exciting win. I know some - Election Night - I'm just like, Look at the Third District. People are like, Okay, what were you working on? I'm like, But look at the Third District. And stuff that I was working on turned out really well, I was really excited about that. But this was as exciting, I think, as a result gets because - I'd shared with people before - certainly felt that this race was worth engaging in, and fighting for, and knew it should be close. Didn't know if it could be. So had thought about the reality of Joe Kent and allies having significant control in our country and it was terrifying. So yeah, just so excited to be able to talk about this race with you, and such a great job on both the strategy and execution. And I also love hearing that your Field Director was new to politics and knocked out of the park anyway. And you were just a scrappy bunch who fought through without any - very little establishment support - and just made a way. So really good job, really exciting. And thank you for joining us today. [01:01:43] Phil Gardner: Thank you. Absolutely. Thanks for having me on. [01:01:45] Crystal Fincher: Thank you all for listening to Hacks & Wonks. The producer of Hacks & Wonks is Lisl Stadler. Our assistant producer is Shannon Cheng and our Post-Production Assistant is Bryce Cannatelli. You can find Hacks & Wonks on Twitter @HacksWonks and you can follow me @finchfrii, spelled F-I-N-C-H-F-R-I-I. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get our Friday almost-live shows and our midweek show delivered right to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave us a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

In the third hour of the morning show, Larry O'Connor and Mariela Roca talked to Rep. Rob Wittman and VA Lt. Governor Winsome Sears. They also discussed the Congressional Hispanic Caucus denying membership to Rep. Mayra Flores, Miss Argentina and Miss Puerto Rico revealing they secretly got married and the White House deletes a tweet after a Twitter fact check. For more coverage on the issues that matter to you, visit www.WMAL.com, download the WMAL app or tune in live on WMAL-FM 105.9 FM from 5-9 AM ET. To join the conversation, check us out on Twitter: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor,  @Jgunlock,  @patricepinkfile and @heatherhunterdc.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan will likely become chairman of the House Judiciary Committee if Republicans regain the majority in the House of Representatives in the midterm elections. Jordan also explains why he believes the GOP will do very well on election night and why the Democrats' politicization of the Justice Department is out of control.Sara also explains why she is very optimistic about the future of Twitter with Elon Musk running the show. And she slams Democrats for refusing to include Texas GOP Rep. Mayra Flores in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.Please visit our great sponsors:My Pillow https://www.mypillow.com/carterSave on the new Percale Bed Sheets with code CARTER.The Association of Mature American Citizenshttps://amac.us/carterThe benefits of membership are great, but the cause is even greater.

3:05pm- Rich is LIVE! from the Grand Hotel of Cape May in Cape May, New Jersey.   3:10pm- The Florida Board of Medicine has voted to ban sex change surgeries and hormonal therapy on children under 18-years of age.    3:15pm- As the November 8th midterm elections draw near, Democrat candidate for Senator John Fetterman has walked-back his 2018 proclamation, “I don't support fracking at all.” While appearing on MSNBC with Joy Reid, Fetterman called his Republican opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, a “fraud.”   3:30pm- While speaking with the press on Thursday, President Joe Biden explained that inflation is on its way down. He added that if consumers are unhappy with the price brand name products at the grocery store, they can buy less-expensive off-brand products—specifically saying there are off-brand versions of “Kellogg's Raisin Bran.” Would Corn Pop approve of Biden's cereal choices?   3:45pm- Brian Kilmeade—Host of Fox News & Author—joins the show to discuss his latest book, “The President and the Freedom Fighter.” During the conversation, Kilmeade breaks-down the upcoming midterms. Will high crime in big cities, elevated gas prices, and persistent inflation ultimately decide the election? In “The President and the Freedom Fighter,” Kilmeade “tells the little-known story of how two American heroes moved from strong disagreement to friendship, and in the process changed the entire course of history”—Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas.    4:05pm- According to a recent NBC News/Telemundo poll, 54% of Latino voters said they hoped Democrats keep control of Congress—however, according to Fox News, “that number is down a whopping 13-points since 2018.”   4:10pm- While appearing on Pod Save America, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) claimed that the Democrat party has not attempted to win over Latino voters—which, she believes, explains Latino voter's projected exodus from the Democrat party in the 2022 midterm elections. Meanwhile, Rep. Mayra Flores, the first Mexican-born woman to serve in Congress, was prevented from joining the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.    4:25pm- While on MSNBC, Professor at Morgan State University Dr. Jason Johnson compared Republicans to fascists.    4:35pm- Jarrett James Lash—Reporter at RealClearPennsylvania—joins the show to discuss his latest editorial, “Fetterman's Record in Braddock is No Roadmap for PA.” Is Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate John Fetterman exaggerating his success as Mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania?    4:50pm- The Republicans staff on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions' investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 has concluded that the virus likely originated in a Chinese laboratory.    5:05pm- While appearing on MSNBC, John Fetterman and Joy Reid accused Dr. Mehmet Oz of being ableist during Tuesday night's Senate debate. However, Dr. Oz did not mention Fetterman's health during the one-hour debate.    5:40pm- Elon Musk has officially purchased Twitter, Inc. for $44 billion. Could this mean that former President Donald Trump will have his Twitter account reinstated?    6:05pm- In a clip that has gone viral, Georgia Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams can be heard asking a group of supporters to socially distance themselves for a social media post.   6:10pm- Speaking with the press on Thursday, President Joe Biden explained that inflation is on its way down.    6:15pm- While appearing on CNN with Jake Tapper, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) claimed that as much as 50% of inflation can be blamed on corporate greed.    6:30pm- Vice President Kamala Harris loves Venn diagrams…and she wants everyone to know it!!!   6:50pm- Who Won Social Media? + Zeoli's Final Thought

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 2: 4:05pm- According to a recent NBC News/Telemundo poll, 54% of Latino voters said they hoped Democrats keep control of Congress—however, according to Fox News, “that number is down a whopping 13-points since 2018.”   4:10pm- While appearing on Pod Save America, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) claimed that the Democrat party has not attempted to win over Latino voters—which, she believes, explains Latino voter's projected exodus from the Democrat party in the 2022 midterm elections. Meanwhile, Rep. Mayra Flores, the first Mexican-born woman to serve in Congress, was prevented from joining the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.    4:25pm- While on MSNBC, Professor at Morgan State University Dr. Jason Johnson compared Republicans to fascists.    4:35pm- Jarrett James Lash—Reporter at RealClearPennsylvania—joins the show to discuss his latest editorial, “Fetterman's Record in Braddock is No Roadmap for PA.” Is Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate John Fetterman exaggerating his success as Mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania?    4:50pm- The Republicans staff on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions' investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 has concluded that the virus likely originated in a Chinese laboratory. 

The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: Amarillo case shows how badly we have lost our sense of civic integrity and shows that it's not just Leftwing Democrat leadership and cities that have civic cancer. And related to that case, lawmakers must tighten laws to stop the abuse of taxpayers.Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.Why should Texas DPS Director McCraw resign over what happened at Uvalde ISD? Is it because that's the easy way for politicians to do little but appear to have done much? Rep. Tony Gonzalez and others' calls for McCraw to step down are beyond ridiculous. McCraw says internal investigations over actions of his agency's people at Uvalde will be completed by the end of the year.Free political, and to some degree religious, speech is at issue in a defamation case against Mark Lee Dickson by abortion groups heard this week by the Texas Supreme Court.Congressional Hispanic Caucus is another example of how Democrats have played minorities for decades.And, other news of Texas.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our affiliates.www.PrattonTexas.com

Support the SHOW https://www.buymeacoffee.com/derekosheashowSUPPORT THE SHOW : https://streamelements.com/theoneminutenews/tipWANT A MUG WITH MY FACE ON IT?https://store.streamelements.com/theoneminutenewsLatina Republican blocked from joining Congressional Hispanic Caucus#mayraflores #republican #breakingnews Sources:https://chci.org/The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute was founded in 1978 by three Hispanic members of Congress committed to creating a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership institute to ensure a diverse and inclusive work force that included talented Latino Americans. Today, twenty-five Hispanic members of Congress along with distinguished national executives are guiding the institute's mission.https://www.foxnews.com/politics/latina-republican-blocked-joining-congressional-hispanic-caucusDemocrats who run the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) have blocked a freshman Latina Republican lawmaker from joining the group.Mayra Flores, who flipped a long-held Democratic House seat along the U.S.-Mexico border earlier this year, said she was refused admission by the CHC because of her party affiliation."As the first Mexican-born American Congresswoman, I thought the Hispanic Caucus would be open to working together," said Flores. "This denial once again proves a bias towards conservative Latinas that don't fit their narrative or ideology."The CHC is the largest working group within Congress for lawmakers of Hispanic and Latino descent. Its membership is made up of roughly 40 lawmakers from both the House and Senate.MAYRA FLORES: HISPANICS STAND FOR GOD, FAMILY AND HARD WORKRep. Mayra Flores, R-Texas, left, was among the conservative stars at CPAC Texas 2022. Rep. Mayra Flores, R-Texas, left, was among the conservative stars at CPAC Texas 2022.  (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)The CHC has defended its decision by saying the organization is for Democrats only and that Flores holds "extreme" views at odds with its mission."Per our bylaws, the CHC is now for Democratic Members," said a spokesman for the caucus. "Rep. Flores' extreme MAGA values and their attacks on Latinos and our nation's democracy on January 6 do not align with CHC values.""The party of ‘inclusion' does it again," Flores said in reaction. - FoxNewsPolitically Homeless Daily Comedy News ShowEmail: derekosheashow@gmail.comLocals:  https://locals.com/member/DerekOsheaShowYoutube: Rumble  : https://rumble.com/c/c-624233Podcast Audio Webpage: https://derekosheashow.buzzsprout.comApple Podcast : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/derek-oshea-show-comedy-news-show/id1508917484Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/show/3BNCK8HjbDOtyOlHMOVGTXOdysee: https://odysee.com/@DerekOsheaShowWebsite : https://theoneminutenews.wixsite.com/derekosheashowTwitter: https://twitter.com/DerekOsheaShowInstagram : https://www.instagram.com/derekosheashow/Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/LgKyzhcXmm52/Gab: https://gab.com/TheOneMinuteNewsFacebook : https://www.facebook.com/DerekOsheaShowTikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@derekosheashow?Twitch : https://www.twitch.tv/derekosheaBreaking News Live,Breaking News Today,Current Events,latino voters,breaking news,mayra flores texas,mayra flores fox news,mayra flores tucker,mayra flores fox,mayra flores hispanic caucus,congressional hispanic caucus institute,congressional hispanic caucus members,Congressional Hispanic Caucus,us news,2022 midterms,republican party,politics,political satire,political humor,latina republicans,latina gop,latino gop,latino republicansSupport the show

Hour 1 -- the Pierce County pet alligator story, VP Kamala Harris's weird energy and speaking style about electric school buses in Seattle, some good news and bad news about federal taxpayer money for electric school buses, Democratic US Senate candidate can't give specifics for his plan to reduce 4-year university/college tuition, KVI's Lars Larson updates the latest economic/political twist in the WA 3rd District Congressional campaign involving the Democratic candidate. Hour 2 -- Democratic candidates in tight races aren't inviting Pres. Biden to campaign with them, the pathetic hypocrisy of hack TV co-host Jay Behar exemplified in two audio clips just 24 hours apart, Friday Harbor high school student diagnosed with 5lb tumor after in-game injury from awkward tackle, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus won't allow a Republican Latina to join, "bizarre" is not a strong enough word to describe this story about a 'pet' alligator found inside a shipping container in Lakebay WA, a neighbor woman next to the alligator 'owner' sums up what we're all thinking right now, a new story about "white supremacy in math" in public schools, Hour 3 -- multi-state drug bust (17 people arrested, 1000lbs of meth, 330K fentanyl pills, oh, and 43 guns) involving Mexican cartel includes several locations in Puget Sound including a home in Kent and RVs in Seattle, Carlson conclusion: the "biggest obstacle to safer streets, safer neighborhoods" is WA State Sen. Manka Dhingra, GUEST: State Sen. candidate, Ryika Hooshangi (45th Legislative District in Redmond area) is challenging incumbent Sen. Dhingra, how extreme Dhingra's policies are, "real solutions to our problems", Hooshangi cites the police pursuit reform law passed by Dhingra, over 900 drivers according to WSP don't stop for troopers on highways (i.e. this doesn't even count city police or county sheriff attempted stops), Hooshangi cites her 3 priorities for her campaign, Dhingra supported SB 5464 reducing in-class learning by 1 day a week, the only place Dhingra fits in WA politics would be the left wing of the Seattle City Council.

Mike's daily visit with legendary Dallas/Ft. Worth talk show host Mark Davis of 660AM The Answer has become appointment listening. Here's today's segment: A second woman came out and accused Herschel Walker of paying for her to have an abortion. This is a desperate attempt to harm Herschel right before a crucial election. Did you see how the Congressional Hispanic Caucus declined Congresswoman Mayra Flores simply because she is a Republican? Also, the aftermath of the Pennsylvania Senate debate is wild. Many liberals are claiming that Dr. Oz bullied John Fetterman in the debate. The Fetterman campaign is bragging about how much money they've raised following the debate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 What A Week   (5/24)Intro: (Cue intro music) Hey everyone, welcome back to What a week! I'm your host, Olivia Lee, here to deliver your weekly dose of the news. Let's get started!In Local News:  https://katu.com/news/local/permits-for-western-columbia-river-gorge-national-scenic-area-may-24-september-5-multnomah-falls-oregon-timed-use-pass-waterfallsThe summer permit system will be in effect starting this week for visits to the western Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. From May 24th through September 5th, timed-use permits will be required for cars in the quote, "Waterfall Corridor" between Vista House and Ainsworth State Park. The western Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area includes access to picnic areas, scenic viewpoints, trails, and many waterfalls, including the iconic Multnomah Falls viewpoint. Permits will also be required for the Multnomah Falls exit along I-84 (Exit 31) In-state news: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/house-primary-win-oregon-latina-andrea-salinas-make-history-november-rcna29464Oregon state Rep. Andrea Salinas won a crowded Democratic congressional primary last week,, overcoming a better-financed opponent who was backed by the House leadership's campaign arm. If Salinas wins the election in November, she'll be the first Latina elected to Congress from Oregon. Her win would be a boost for Latino Democrats who had publicly clashed with the Democratic leadership's House Majority PAC over its endorsement in the race of political newcomer Carrick Flynn. Salinas said in a statement last Tuesday night quote,  "I am ready to win this seat in November and work hard to expand access to abortion care, tackle the climate crisis, and lower the cost of prescription drugs," end quote. NBC News has declared Salinas the winner in the race. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus' political action committee, Bold PAC, threw its backing and $1 million in ad support behind Salinas, while the House Majority PAC's put $1 million behind Flynn. In National News: https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2022-05-20/pentagon-denies-ukrainian-claims-of-plan-to-destroy-russias-black-sea-fleet Last Friday, the Pentagon denied that it is forging plans to destroy one of Russia's most consequential navy fleets, despite assertions to that effect from the Ukrainian government, but officials did leave open the possibility of new weapons shipments that would dramatically change the scope of naval warfare in the region. Anton Herashchenko, an official adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, tweeted last Thursday, quote “The US is preparing a plan to destroy the Black Sea Fleet,” end quote, according to a translation, in an attempt to force access to strategic ports that Russia has blockaded.  Control of the seas off Ukraine's coast has become among the most high-profile issues facing Western officials supporting the government in Kyiv against the Russian invaders. Despite some successes in recent weeks – notably the sinking of the Russian flagship Mosvka – warships loyal to Moscow have succeeded in exerting pressure on Ukraine.   In International News:  https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61505842 Last week it was reported that the country of Sri Lanka has defaulted on its debt for the first time in its history as the country struggles with its worst financial crisis in more than 70 years. A 30-day grace period to come up with $78m (£63m) of unpaid debt interest payments expired last Wednesday. The governor of the South Asian nation's central bank said the country was now in a quote "pre-emptive default". Last Thursday, two of the world's biggest credit rating agencies also said Sri Lanka had defaulted.  Defaults happen when governments are unable to meet some or all of their debt payments to creditors. It can damage a country's reputation with investors, making it harder for it to borrow the money it needs on international markets, which can further harm confidence in its currency and economy. Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week: https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/22/world/rhino-population-population-growth-scn-trnd/index.htmlNepal's population of one-horned rhinos has increased to its highest number in more than 20 years, partly owing to a pause in tourism due to the Covid-19 pandemic that allowed the animals' habitats to regenerate, conservationists said. The population of rhinos across four national parks in Nepal increased to 752 in the latest count, up by more than 100 from 645 animals in 2015, according to an information officer at Nepal's Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). Since 2000, no previous survey of rhino populations by the Nepali government has found more than 650 of the animals.   Closing:  Well that wraps up What a Week! Stay safe and see you guys next week. 

You no doubt know that Alex Burns and Jonathan Martin, both of the New York Times, recently released their new book THIS WILL NOT PASS…chronicling the last few years of our politics…including Trump's time in office, the 2020 election and aftermath, the January 6 insurrection, and the first phase of the Biden Administration. In this conversation, they go deep on many of the stories in their book – including some background and asides not fleshed out in the book and stories you won't have heard from them amidst their recent media blitz. IN THIS EPISODE…Does Donald Trump really think he won the 2020 election or is this all subterfuge to refuse to acknowledge he lost?Which US Senator was prescient in anticipating exactly how Trump would cast doubt on the results post election?Why hasn't President George W. Bush been more vocal against Trump?One Republican Senator who typifies the GOP establishment's difficulty managing Trump?How many Republicans would've impeached and removed Trump were it a secret ballot?Inside Mitch McConnell's decision to back Trump on impeachment…Whose hold on his caucus is more tenuous…Mitch McConnell or Kevin McCarthy…The conventional wisdom of what a post-Pelosi Democratic caucus looks like…Inside the Biden VP process…Inside GOP attempts to woo Senator Manchin to switch parties…Weighing in on rumors Trump flirted with dumping Mike Pence from the 2020 ticket…The backbench Republican Congressman who captured the House GOP sentiment to give Trump a pass for January 6…The Democratic Governor who was one of their favorite interviews…The failed GOP Senate recruit who shows the changing of the guard in the Republican Party…The interview with the House Republican that demonstrates “the beauty of reporting…”…The two colleagues they specifically mention in the acknowledgements…The Southern influence on the New York Times…Off-the-beaten-path political book recommendations from both Alex and Jonathan…AND Air Force One, Lamar Alexander, Don Bacon, Howard Baker, Dean Baquet, Beau Biden, John Boehner, Josh Bolton, Rick Bragg, Mo Brooks, Jeb Bush, Robert Caro, Turner Catledge, Liz Cheney, Chris Christie, Katherine Clark, Hillary Clinton, colonoscopies, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, convenient self-justification, Bob Corker, defied admonitions, difficult truths, Dixiecrats, Duck Run, Tammy Duckworth, Dwight Eisenhower, Facebook, Fox News, Jeffrey Frank, Maggie Haberman, Kamala Harris, Bill Haslam, the House Steering Committee, Sasha Issenberg, Pramila Jayapal, Hakeem Jeffries, Bill Johnson, Jim Jordan, John F Kennedy, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Patrick McHenry, Mt Rushmore, musical chairs, Richard Nixon, Kristi Noem, normie Republicans, Robert Novak, the Progressive Caucus, Howell Raines, real damn Democrats, red carpets, Reservoir Dogs, Campbell Robertson, Karl Rove, Steve Scalise, Brian Schatz, Adam Schiff, Ted Strickland, Gay Talese, Harry Truman, useful fig leaves, JD Vance, Gretchen Whitmer, Roger Wicker, Steve Womack, worry-mongering, Jeff Zients…& more!

What's it like to represent one of the very few remaining swing districts on the U.S. Congressional map, and be virtually the only Republican member at that time to publicly address climate change?  Former Congressman Carlos Curbelo from Florida's 26th district (including southwest Miami and the Florida Keys) fields these questions in a season-ending Purple Principle episode entitled, Heard the One About a Centrist Congressman?  Curbelo also recounts some telling anecdotes from his time in the U.S. House, such as his application to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (traditionally bipartisan but now controlled by Democrats), which was ultimately rejected.  “Polarization in the House” is the subtitle and subtext of this episode, which also includes intel on the polarization of music choices in the House members' gym. There's also a more serious discussion of the populist drift of his Republican Party. “I told people that I was not gonna let Donald Trump define this party, or kick me out of it,” says Curbelo, now a political analyst for NBC and Visiting Fellow at the University of Chicago. This episode also marks Jillian Youngblood's last co-hosting stint for the foreseeable future as she turns full attention to an innovative new round of Civic Genius engagement programs nationwide. Tune in to learn more about these efforts and get a refreshingly non-partisan perspective on the U.S. House from former Congressman Carlos Curbelo. Original music by Ryan Adair Rooney SHOW NOTES Our Guest The Hon. Carlos Curbelo: Twitter page, Unite America, University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute Check out Carlos as a regular contributor to Telemundo, NBC News, MSNBC and NBC 6 Additional Resources Rep. Carlos Curbelo - House of Representatives  2021 Partisan Voter Index Scores by Congressional District (Cook Political Report) The GOP Just Lost Its Most Important Climate Moderates (The Atlantic)  Ryan and McCarthy split on Dreamers (Politico) The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Conference (U.S. House of Representatives) Curbelo hands in formal request to join Congressional Hispanic Caucus (Miami Herald) Curbelo calls rejection from Hispanic Caucus "shameful" (USA Today) Rep. Xavier Becerra - House of Representatives  Ex-GOP Rep. Curbelo to testify at climate change hearing (The Hill) House panel yanks Curbelo invite amid furor from top Democrats (Politico) Republican introduces bill calling for carbon tax (Reuters) Florida Amendment 3 Election Results: Establish Top-Two Open Primary System (New York Times) Read Trump's Jan. 6 Speech, A Key Part Of Impeachment Trial (NPR) Congressional Democrats fear losing majority in midterms (NPR) Rep. John Katko to retire from Congress, ending bid for 5th term (Syracuse.com) Join Us for Premium Content: Apple: https://link.chtbl.com/PurpleApple Patreon: patreon.com/purpleprinciplepodcast Find us online! Twitter: @purpleprincipl Facebook: @thepurpleprinciplepodcast Instagram: @thepurpleprinciplepodcast Our website: https://bit.ly/2ZCpFaQ Sign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2UfFSja 

Episode 101 Notes and Links to Mia St. John's Work         On Episode 101 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Mia St. John, and the two talk about her upbringing, being a victim of racism, her private battles as a youth and her moving around a lot as a youth, her resolve in becoming a world-champion boxer, how her childhood shaped her boxing prowess, the highs and lows of high-level boxing, and the grief and love she has experienced, especially in recent years, which she has channeled into in becoming an advocate for mental health. The two discuss these topics and more through the prism of her recently-published memoir, Fighting for my Life: A Memoir about A Mother's Loss and Grief.            Mia St. John was born in San Francisco, California. Her fighting career started soon after, at the age of six, competing in Tae Kwon Do. Mia earned a black belt and received a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from California State University of Northridge in June of '94.   In 1996, Mia decided to pursue her true passion full-time, the sport of combat. Valentines Day, 1997, Mia made her pro-debut in boxing, knocking out her opponent in fifty-four seconds into the first round. Mia signed with Don King and stayed with him for a year and a half before she left King for his rival Bob Arum of Top Rank. At Top Rank, Mia spent four years opening for all of Oscar De La Hoya's major fights. Mia has fought all over the world, including Beijing, China, where she won her IBA Championship. After accumulating an unheard of boxing record of nearly 60 pro fights, on June 14th, 2008, Mia fulfilled her dream of fighting in her mother's home country of Mexico. She fought one of the toughest fights of her career and became the WBC International Boxing Champion of the World at the age of 40. In November of 2010, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano joined Mia and LA Laker Ron Artest for an official mental health and suicide prevention training at Napolitano's district office in Santa Fe Springs. Artest and St. John have joined Napolitano to promote the Mental Health in Schools Act, legislation she authored which would increase federal funding for mental health therapists in schools. She also spoke at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, where President Barack Obama made a riveting speech at the CHCI's annual Gala. As well as Congress, Mia speaks in schools and juvenile halls on the importance of education and overcoming hardship. She speaks of her own battles with mental illness, addiction, poverty and overcoming it all, to become a three time international boxing champion. On August 14th, 2012, Mia fought Christy Martin in a long awaited rematch. Her dream of sixteen years finally materialized and at the age of 45, she captured the WBC Super Welter Weight Championship of the World.   Buy Mia St. John's Fighting for My Life   Mia St. John's Personal Webpage   Mia with Jim Hill on CBS LA   Support The Mia St. John Foundation   People Magazine Synopsis of Mia's Memoir At about 4:20, Mia talks about her mission in publishing her memoir   At about 4:55, Pete wonders and asks Mia a boxing question: How does someone train to get punched in the face?   At about 6:40, Mia references a synopsis of her memoir in People Magazine from Dec. 21, 2021   At about 7:20, Mia talks about her reasons and timing for her new book   At about 8:20, Pete asks Mia about the positive feedback-she cites so many notes from mothers-she has received for her memoir   At about 9:15, Mia talks about “seeds” for the book, explaining that its origins go back to childhood   At about 10:50, Pete refers to the opening of Mia's book, and how a daily affirmation by Francisco “Panchito” Bojado affected and affects Mia   At about 11:50, Pete asks Mia about perspective and how years away from boxing have informed her book   At about 13:25, Mia talks about the “dark part of the soul” that was experienced in boxing and boxing in response to her tough upbringing    At about 14:55, Mia talks about her determination, as manifested in her boxing days, and in her response to the horrible    At about 15:50, Mia explains how her mother's upbringing affected her later life, and the determination she inherited from her mother   At about 17:10, Mia describes the ways in which her father was a “functioning alcoholic”   At about 18:20, Mia details racist slurs and racism that she experienced growing up, and how sad it was that respect came with violence   At about 20:30, Mia responds to Pete's question about how she was changed by moving around so often as a kid   At about 22:10, Mia responds to Pete's question about what alcohol brought her as a young person who became addicted    At about 24:10, Pete asks Mia about her independent trip to live in CA after high school graduation, and Mia outlines her early days in the Los Angeles-area   At about 26:30, Pete inquires into her educational hard work and her choice to study psychology and about her initial time with Kristoff St. John   At about 28:05, Mia describes her early days in taekwondo, and how her mentor “Mr. V” showed such tough love and brought out the best in Mia   At about 29:00, Mia gives background on how she decided to turn pro in boxing   At about 30:00, Pete describes Mike Aspinwall's description (at about 40:45 of this episode) of the adrenaline rush and feelings associated with his time on WWE, and then asks Mia to describe he feelings about entering the ring   At about 32:00, Mia describes her time with her mentor Art, an early boxing coach and Pete asks about how Mia is still inspired by him to this day   At about 33:10, Pete wonders about the “shady” nature of boxing that Mia learned about early on, and she describes the idea of the “tomato can”   At about 34:40, Pete wonders about the “solitude of boxing” that Mia describes in the book   At about 35:50, Pete asks Mia about her experience being featured in Playboy, which Mia describes as an overall great experience and how she came to be featured on the cover for the November 1999 issue    At about 36:55, Mia is asked to describe the incredible atmosp[here and feelings surrounding being on the undercard for the legendary Oscar de la Hoya vs. Julio Cesar Chavez 1998 fight   At about 39:10, Mia describes how she became a “boxer” under the tutelage of Fernardo Vargas' team and left being a “fighter” in the past   At about 40:40, Mia talks about her relationship with and fights against Christy Martin, and she details her mindset and the moving end to their second fight   At about 43:00, Pete wonders what it was like for Mia after she retired    At about 44:15, Mia talks about her beautiful and sensitive son Julian and his brilliant art and her daughter, “a hero” to Mia, and how Julian's schizophrenia manifested itself    At about 47:15, Mia talks about Julian's legacy and his enduring art    At about 48:15, Mia talks about Stone Art and The Mia St. John Foundation (donate here) and their missions   At about 49:00, Mia talks about using her knowledge of mental health and mental health facilities to help others and change the system, including working with Grace Napolitano and Metta World Peace on The Mental Health in Schools Act   At about 50:45, Pete asks Mia about the tragic passing of her ex-husband and its connection to our mental health system    At about 52:00, Pete and Mia talk about her resolve and her family and friends who have helped her in these past years and Mia talks about her daily gratitude list   At about 54:10, Mia talks about her upcoming work, including working with homeless populations through Step Up   At about 55:00, Mia gives out contact information and thanks Elaine Aradillas and Post Hill Press for their help with the memoir       You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.  This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form. The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.        Please tune in for the next episode, Episode 102 with Tice Cin, who is an interdisciplinary artist from north London. A London Writers Award-winner, her work has been published by Extra Teeth and Skin Deep and commissioned by places like Battersea Arts Centre and St Paul's Cathedral. An alumnus of Barbican Young Poets, she now creates digital art as part of Design Yourself – a collective based at the Barbican Centre – exploring what it means to be human when technology is changing everything. A producer and DJ, she is releasing an EP, Keeping the House, to accompany her debut novel of the same name.

Photo: From the Inquisition on the Iberian Peninsula to Sante Fe, New Mexico.  Rep. Teresa Leger-Fernandez, @RepTeresaLF.   Malcolm Hoenlein @Conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 ·         https://jewishinsider.com/2021/12/leger-fernandez-charts-uniquely-new-mexican-path-in-jewish-community-relations/ ·         https://www.jta.org/2021/10/14/ny/new-yorkers-with-sephardic-roots-say-spain-is-breaking-its-promise-of-citizenship ·         https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/barriers-arise-for-descendants-of-spanish-jews-seeking-right-of-return/article_5bf7757e-6731-11ec-88c0-7fbe03ae4367.html Congresswoman Teresa Leger-Fernández represents New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District. In Washington, she holds a leadership role with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus as Freshman Representative. Congresswoman Leger Fernández serves as chair of the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States for the 117th Congress. She has also been appointed to the House Committee on Education and Labor, the House Committee on Natural Resources, and the Committee on House Administration. She is a 17th-generation Northern New Mexican.

In this second part Victoria, the Executive Director of BOLD PAC, the campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is back to talk to us about how communications with Latinx have evolved, what is being done about misinformation campaigns, and what the future looks like for progressive Latinx.

Victoria is the Executive Director of BOLD PAC, the campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. BOLD has been working to elect Latinx candidates for the past 20 years - we love that! In this first part we'll be talking about the technical and political side of what the PAC does and how the challenges and situations we face have changed from 20 years ago to now.

Debra Dixon is a principal at Ferox Strategies, a strategic advisory and government relations firm based out of Washington DC. As former Chief of Staff to then Rep. Xavier Becerra, Debra's more than a decade and a half of work on Capitol Hill included supporting the Congressman's efforts on the Ways and Means Committee, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, House Democratic Leadership and the California Delegation. Debra also learned the ins and outs of the non-profit world at the National Immigration Forum where she advocated for immigration reform, workforce needs, and a path to citizenship. An attorney by trade, Debra bookended her time on Capitol Hill with stints at two federal agencies, serving as Immigration Counsel at the Department of Justice and subsequently as the Chief of Staff at the Department of Education's Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development. Debra has represented clients in the tech and B2B manufacturing industries. She is an expert at translating legislative and regulatory developments into layperson's terms on issues such as international trade, supply chain, tax, immigration, and health IT. Debra's mother was born in the Midwest, her father in Panama, and they met and married in Ecuador. Wanting their children to receive the best education in the world, they moved to the US, and Debra grew up in Ohio. She has an undergraduate degree from Wheaton College, a law degree from Ohio State, and an LLM with an emphasis on International Trade from Georgetown University Law Center.  ICYMI: We interviewed Debra's colleague, Cristina Antelo, on episode 122.  Help us grow! Leave us a rating and review - it's the best way to bring new listeners to the show. Don't forget to subscribe! Have a suggestion, or want to chat with Jim? Email him at Jim@ThePoliticalLife.net  Follow The Political Life on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter for weekly updates.  

Tonight on the Last Word: Attorney General Merrick Garland opens an investigation into Minneapolis Police Department practices. Also, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation begins looking into the fatal police shooting of a 16-year-old girl in Columbus. Plus, the Biden administration reaches the goal of 200 million COVID vaccine shots in arms. President Biden meets with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. And a daughter of farmworkers defies odds and receives a full scholarship to Harvard. Eddie Glaude, Melissa Murray, Cedric Alexander, Dr. Ashish Jha, Rep. Raul Ruiz and Elizabeth Esteban join Lawrence O’Donnell.

The day's action in our three branches of government. Highlights include: The President (and VP) speak on the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial and meet with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Supreme Court hears related cases about trial errors in two gun cases.

Nation braces for verdict as jury deliberates in Chauvin’s murder case; President Biden meets with leaders of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; and a look at the role of “coyotes” or human smugglers in the rising number of migrants at the US border.

In this January 31 stimulus update I go over what's going on with some people's stimulus checks, what the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is saying Democrats should include in their stimulus, and what ten Republicans senator are reaching out to Biden about.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez said he is confident the new Biden Administration can deliver on its promise to pass comprehensive immigration reform.Success with such a bill would finally allow around 11 million undocumented residents to come out of the shadows and enter a pathway to citizenship that could take eight years to complete. The pathway would likely be limited to those without a criminal record.Gonzalez was asked about the chances of passing such reform on a webinar he hosted on Wednesday, just hours after President Biden and Vice President Harris were sworn into office.“I think there is a great chance,” Gonzalez said, in response to question about the comprehensive immigration reform being passed by Congress.“First of all there is a different aura in the room. But now, with both chambers being as close as they are… under Biden I think you are going to see a moderate Democrat presidency that is willing to work across party lines. Remember, President Biden is a creature of the Senate, that is where he spent most of his life. He knows how to negotiate across party lines. He knows how to get things done.”Gonzalez predicted Biden would be a “great” president because he understands the process. “He understands the chamber works. He knows how to make friends. He knows how to get things done. It is a matter of getting both sides together and figuring out what we need to do to continue progressing our democracy.”Gonzalez is one of 112 Democratic lawmakers who sent a letter led by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to Biden to express their commitment to addressing immigration reform. Editor's Note: To read the full story go to www.riograndeguardian.com.

The U.S. House pressed swiftly forward Tuesday toward impeachment or other steps to forcibly remove President Donald Trump from office, even as Trump blamed Democratic foes and not himself for last week's deadly attack on the Capitol.He targeted the lawmakers who are pushing for his ouster, saying that it's “a really terrible thing that they're doing.”“To continue on this path, I think it's causing tremendous danger to our country, and it's causing tremendous anger," he said. He accepted no blame for the Capitol attack and said, “I want no violence.”The defeated president, in his first remarks to reporters since last week's violence, showed no remorse for firing up the crowd ahead of the the deadly invasion with comments that now are part of the impeachment charge of inciting insurrection.The president spoke as he left for Texas to survey the border wall with Mexico, taking no questions, after the most serious and deadly domestic incursion at the Capitol in the nation's history.Impeachment ahead, the House on Tuesday will first try to convince the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly to remove Trump from office, warning he is a threat to democracy in the remaining days of his presidency.House lawmakers are reconvening at the Capitol for the first time since the deadly pro-Trump riot to approve a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to declare the president unable to serve. Pence is not expected to take any such action. The House would next move swiftly to impeach Trump.“We have to be very tough and very strong right now in defending the Constitution and democracy,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., an author of both pieces of legislation, in an interview.Trump faces a single charge — “incitement of insurrection” — in the impeachment resolution that the House will begin debating Wednesday, a week before Democrat Joe Biden is set to be inaugurated, Jan. 20.The unprecedented events, which could make Trump the first U.S. president to be twice impeached, are unfolding in a nation bracing for more unrest. The FBI has warned ominously of potential armed protests in Washington and many states by Trump loyalists ahead of Biden's inauguration. In a dark foreshadowing, the Washington Monument was closed to the public and the inauguration ceremony on the west steps of the Capitol will be off limits to the public.It all added up to stunning final moments for Trump's presidency as Democrats and a growing number of Republicans declare he is unfit for office and could do more damage after inciting a mob that violently ransacked the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday.A Capitol police officer died from injuries suffered in the riot, and police shot a woman during the violence. Three others died in what authorities said were medical emergencies.Late Monday, the entire Congressional Hispanic Caucus, all 34 members, unanimously agreed to support impeachment, calling for Trump's immediate removal.“It is clear that every moment Trump remains in office, America is at risk,” said a statement from the caucus, led by Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Ca. It said Trump "must be held accountable” for his actions.Democrats aren't the only ones who say Trump needs to go.Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., spoke to House GOP colleagues late Monday of the significance of the vote, and encouraged them to consider it a “vote of conscience,” according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private call. She has spoken critically of Trump's actions but has not said publicly how she will vote.Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania joined GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend in calling for Trump to “go away as soon as possible.”Pence and Trump met late Monday for the first time since the Capitol attack, and had a “good conversation” pledging to continue working for the remainder of their terms, said a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting....

Miguel Cardona, Connecticut's education commissioner, is on a short list of candidates to become education secretary in the Biden administration. Politico reported Saturday that the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has given its “enthusiastic endorsement” to Cardona in a letter to the President-elect.  As The Mirror’s Jacqueline Rabe Thomas reported today, if he got the job, Cardona would be in charge of getting the majority of the nation's students back into schools - something Biden has promised in his first 100 days. It’s an effort Cardona was focused on in Connecticut this year, with mixed results. The state saw a shutdown of schools in the spring, followed by a reopening that left many students, parents and teachers confused. Each district devising its own plan to reopen in-person classes or provide virtual or “blended” learning. I talked to Cardona twice this year on the podcast, and as he’s considered for this important national job, we wanted to look back at what he said to us about Connecticut schools, and what it might signal if he’s tapped to go to Washington. In early August, right in the middle of the pandemic, he made the case that COVID showed how important getting back to school is, especially for children in struggling districts.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) plays a very important role in the Congress. As a "cardinal," the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations subcommittee chairman is in charge of more than $70 billion worth of departmental and agency funding. Serrano spoke with me recently and made the case for a return of earmarks, how the Congressional Hispanic Caucus works and what it takes to get a mascot in the district with its own twitter feed. He also explains how it is possible to enact policy changes related to police reform through the FY'21 Appropriations bill. Take a listen, leave a rating or review and please let me know what you think. Special Guest: Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) .

Why a Congressional Black Caucus and a Congressional Hispanic Caucus??? #blackcaucus #congressionalblackcaucus #latinocongressionalcaucus --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/larry-a-yff/message

In this inaugural episode of Panorama, Gil and Luis introduce the podcast and talk with former Rep. Carlos Curbelo about his early influences, bipartisanship, divides within the GOP, and conservative climate policy. 0:00- Introduction7:34- Interview with Carlos begins with discussion on public service12:18- Carlos talks about his roots in the Cuban-American community15:21- Discussion on split-ticket voting among Hispanic voters 17:58- Analysis of the fundamental causes of polarization21:06- Carlos describes to implications of being denied membership in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus 25:45- Conversation on misconceptions about bipartisanship29:36- Description of current divides within conservatism and within the Republican party35:35- Carlos makes the conservative case for carbon pricing and answers common objections41:26- Carlos gives closing advice for the upcoming generation of Latino conservatives44:08- Gil and Luis reflect on their conversation with Carlos and preview next week's episodeLearn more about our podcast or submit a question to be answered on air at https://www.panoramapodcast.org/

Read more on ExpressNews.com: San Antonians mostly complying on day one of the latest mask requirement in fight against the coronavirus San Antonio city manager casts doubt on VIA’s dire budget warnings Texas coronavirus experts call for a national investigation of U.S. response to pandemic Ayala: San Antonio Dem leads Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ new tilt to the movie, book industries San Antonio officials warn of worsening coronavirus outbreak as cases surge past 7,000 Chuck’s Food Shack: Turn those rib, brisket trimmings into good eats Mockery of Abbott shows a vile lack of decency Subscribe to the San Antonio Express-News to support quality local journalism.

Read more on ExpressNews.com: San Antonians mostly complying on day one of the latest mask requirement in fight against the coronavirus San Antonio city manager casts doubt on VIA’s dire budget warnings Texas coronavirus experts call for a national investigation of U.S. response to pandemic Ayala: San Antonio Dem leads Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ new tilt to the movie, book industries San Antonio officials warn of worsening coronavirus outbreak as cases surge past 7,000 Chuck’s Food Shack: Turn those rib, brisket trimmings into good eats Mockery of Abbott shows a vile lack of decency Subscribe to the San Antonio Express-News to support quality local journalism.

Michael interviews Marco Davis, President and CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, where they discuss the impact on the Latino community of COVID-19, institutional bias, and the ongoing protests, as well as how Wall Street can help young Latinos gain access to jobs in finance coming out of college.

WFTL (Miami-Fort Lauderdale) Radio host Joyce Kaufman and Dave Ray discuss various actions taken by open border advocates to release illegal aliens from detention and cease deportations and immigration enforcement.

There are currently over 35,000 immigrants in detention in the United States, and most of them are in centers under the control of ICE, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. As the spread of COVID-19 overwhelms some areas of the country, the situation that many immigrants in detention are facing has become an urgent concern. ICE has already started to report that some immigrants and employees have tested positive for the virus. In this episode of Latino USA, we speak with Noah Lanard, a journalist who has reported on the conditions in these detention centers for Mother Jones magazine, and Joaquin Castro, Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Recently, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus held a conference call with reporters to highlight the danger of migrants catching COVID-19 in detention facilities.The CHC called on ICE to release migrants and asylum seekers, pointing out that most of those locked up are not criminals or a danger to society. Two members of Congress from Texas were on the conference call - Joaquin Castro of San Antonio and Sylvia Garcia of Houston.Asked if they had heard about claims that an outbreak of the coronavirus had occurred at the ICE Port Isabel Detention Center, in Port Isabel, Texas, and that some migrants may have gone on a hunger strike, Castro and Garcia said they had not. “Thanks for the heads up,” Garcia said. “We will look into this,” said Castro, who chairs the CHC.In the attached podcast, CHC members Castro, Rep. Linda Sanchez of California, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York give their views on releasing migrants and asylum seekers from ICE detention centers.

CNN, Univision, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus host 2020 presidential candidates Sunday, March 15, 2020 from Washington, DC. Moderators: Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, Ilia Calderon Participants: Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.

This November, 32 million Latinos will be eligible to vote in the 2020 election, making them the largest minority voting bloc in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center. But Latinos are a diverse electorate—with roots from more than two dozen countries. This hour, what are President Trump and the Democrats doing right now to reach these voters? We talk to Kristian Ramos, who has written an article for The Atlantic titled “Latino Support for Trump is Real.” Plus, two Latino leaders in Connecticut join us to talk about the communities they serve in Hartford and beyond. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. GUESTS: Kristian Ramos – Founder and principal of Autonomy Strategies in Washington D.C., and the former spokesman for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. (@kramos1841) Fernando Betancourt – Executive Director of the San Juan Center, a social services organization serving the Latino community in Hartford. Wildaliz Bermúdez – Hartford City Councilwoman (@WizBermudez) Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the impeachment trial of Donald Trump gets underway in the U.S. Senate, the President’s legal team now seemingly in place for the historic defense; Representatives from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are touring shelters on both sides of the border as they try to assess the impact of the White House’s ‘remain in Mexico’ policy.

Why Your Bank Sucks went viral this week. Quarter of a million tweet impressions in 48 hours, because of a retweet by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus about a Sacramento Bee story which detailed customers getting accounts frozen for not answering a contoversial question. The question is: Do you hold dual citizenship? Twitter was up in arms, thinking it's a debate on immigrants. It's not. It's the bank's war on the poor people, at-risk people, clients that provide no value to Bank of America. Learn how that question actually gets international customers and born and bred American customers to leave the bank for vastly different reasons. Hear me talk about that the warning to answer this question is sent in English to Spanish Speaking customers! I was there to see it. You will also find out it is a way of getting another at-risk group out of Bank of America, the elderly. Learn how system changes in the bank wipe out data and lead to older folks with decades long relationships to be alienated by the bank by them asking a question they should know the answer to, which is...Who are you? Just because Democratic Hispanic Congressional Members tweeted about it doesn't mean it's just in their interest. Why Your Bank Sucks is here to explain how it will impact you, as it is STILL going on!!!! Article: https://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article217567300.html?fbclid=IwAR1jlGqkk0HD63XP6kMLtsgrmVFKdvWbiPJT6IcRDfgDVhVSjuUQOnrsLik Tweet by Cong. Hispanic Caucus: https://twitter.com/HispanicCaucus/status/1169018230930731008 Tweet by Me: https://twitter.com/BankScrewedUs/status/1169026858802962433 Plus: I talk about the best product that Bank of America had still closing down in two weeks. Shopsafe is a virtual Credit Card system that allows you to generate one time use cc numbers to use online or for trial subscriptions. Learn Why Bank of America said it's gone. Learn about how they don't know what a digital wallet is and learn that they are committed to be committed to be committed to be committed to be committed. Haha. Listen to the pod, and you will see what that means. R.I.P. Shopsafe! MY PATREON Page! For as little as $1, you can help James Baca in his fight against big banks. http://www.patreon.com/whyyourbanksucks Donate to Why Your Bank Sucks on Cash App $TheBankerDude Sponsors - James@WhyYourBankSucks.com - Advertise your business with a growing, cutting edge podcast. 575-322-4127 is our voicemail line to share your bad banking experience. 3 min limit. Our website www.whyyourbanksucks.com for more info on our podcast, store, sponsorship info and much more! Visit our Twitter Page @bankscrewedus - Running commentary with BofA clients and VIGILANTE CUSTOMER SERVICE & Host James B on Twitter @jamesbisright. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

.@AOC ain't nothing but s Hounddog just crying/lying all the time.. do you think the news covers her way too much?Ocasio-Cortez continues to compare border conditions to 'concentration camps,' critics accuse her of misinformation campaignU.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has sparked controversy in recent weeks with arguably increasingly inflammatory rhetoric in her conversations about the conditions at the U.S.-Mexico border. Despite coming under fire last month for saying the U.S.government is "running concentration camps on our southern border," Ocasio-Cortez once again made the same comparison on Twitter on Tuesday. On Monday, after traveling to a border detention center in El Paso, Texas, with almost a dozen members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, she blasted border officials as “violent” and “inhumane” while claiming agents forced detained migrant women and children to drink toilet water.Current and former immigration officials rejected the congresswoman's allegations and accused her of pulling a political stunt. Hispanic pastors who toured the same facility Ocasio-Cortez visited said the conditions at the detention center were "drastically different" than what she described. They said they were "shocked at the misinformation of the crisis at the border." The controversy over AOC's latest comments come as afederal judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration cannot categorically detain asylum seekers while they pursue their cases.Navy SEAL rejoices in not guilty verdictNavy SEAL Edward Gallagher said he feels thankful and vindicatedafter a jury on Tuesday found him not guilty on almost all charges he was facing, including murder and attempted murder, in the 2017 killing of a teenage ISIS war prisoner in Iraq. "I'm happy and I'm thankful," Gallagher told reporters after the verdict, as he joked with his legal team that "it's Independence Day," his freedom coming days before the Fourth of July. Jurors did find him guilty of the seventh charge, posing for a photo with a corpse, considered the least egregious of the crimes, which carries a maximum prison sentence of four months. Having already served seven months in confinement ahead of the trial, Gallagher, a Bronze Star recipient, is expected to go home a free man after his sentencing, his defense lawyers said.Trump detractors sound the alarm as military vehicles roll in for July 4 celebrationsAppearing on "Deadline: White House," MSNBC's Joy Reid insisted on Tuesday that President Trump is using the upcoming Fourth of July "Salute to America" celebration as a "threat" to Americans who oppose him. Trump has longed talked about showing off America's military capabilities in celebration of Independence Day, and now his vision is coming to fruition as tanks arrive in Washington, D.C., ahead of Thursday's festivities. Reid claimed that Trump aspires to be a "mini" North Korean leader Kim Jong Un or Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Fox News' Geraldo Rivera, these kind of complaints are the ramblings of Trump haters.Still, as preparations were underway Trump's July 4 celebration, a few problems emerged along the way as military vehicles were hauled into the capital city. On Tuesday, a flatbed carrying the tanks was apparently unable to clear an underpass, according to photos tweeted by a Politico reporter. A crane was later employed to resolve the issue. Retired U.S. Army Gen. Thomas Spoehr, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Center for National Defense, told the Daily Reporter that some local roads are ill-equipped to handle the weight of the tanks.Missing Connecticut woman’s estranged husband maintains innocenceFotis Dulos, a Connecticut real-estate developer charged in connection with the disappearance of his estranged wife Jennifer Dulos, maintained his innocence Tuesday during his first sit-down interview about the case, claiming he's "worried" about his wife and never wished her "ill in any way." “I know what I’ve done, I know what I haven’t done,” the 51-year-old Greek immigrant told New York City’s WNBC-TV. “I have to stand and fight and hope that the truth is going to come out.” Jennifer Dulos, 50, hasn't been seen since dropping her children off at school in New Canaan, Conn., on May 24.Remembering Lee IacoccaLee Iacocca, the father of the Ford Mustang and former chairman of Chrysler, has died of natural causes at his home in Bel Air, Calif., his family said Tuesday. He was 94. Iacocca, born in Allentown, Pa., on Oct. 15, 1924 as the child of Italian immigrants, started working at Ford Motor Co. in 1946 and is heralded as the leader of the team that created the first Mustang in 1964. He ascended to CEO of the company in 1970 but was fired by Henry Ford Jr. in 1978. He moved on to Chrysler Corp. in 1978 and became the CEO a year later, pulling the company out of bankruptcy after taking it over. Iacocca successfully persuaded the federal government to provide the company a $1.2 billion loan in 1979 and made major cuts to the workforce, slashing wages -- including his own, which he shrunk to $1 a year -- and closing plants. He also introduced fuel-efficient cars and the minivan. His effortswere successful and Chrysler made a comeback, profiting $20 million. The turnaround made Iacocca a media star. Later, he was a key figure in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and creation of the Ellis Island museum.TODAY'S MUST-READSDOJ says citizenship question being dropped from 2020 Census.Former Google exec ran 'sex ring,' estranged wife claims in civil complaint.Vatican to open two tombs in decades-old disappearance of teen.MINDING YOUR BUSINESSCharlie Ergen presents significant obstacle in T-Mobile-Sprint negotiations with DOJ.WATCH: Facebook, YouTube tweaking algorithms to fight misinformation: Report.These are the highest paid White House employees.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, most recently of the film “Killing Gaza.”Last week we discussed two reports that were made public after being commissioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee. Those reports purported to document Russian interference in the US electoral process and senators from both parties lauded the research as “proof positive” that social media companies and the government should work more closely together to police and block fake news. But the truth is that the authors of those reports were the ones who engaged in electoral manipulation. They manipulated social media platforms to impact the 2017 special election for an Alabama senate race, utilizing Russian bots and troll farms and then accusing the Russians themselves of interference. Now one of the authors has had his Facebook page suspected and his credibility ruined. False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey is Tuesday’s regular segment that is airing today. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show. An 8-year-old Guatemalan boy died yesterday in the custody of Customs and Border Protection in New Mexico. This is the second death of a child in CBP custody in the past two weeks. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has called on CBP to conduct a probe into what they call “systemic failures” to protect and care for children in custody. Human rights activists say that vulnerable children are kept in overcrowded, unsafe, and cold facilities called “hielaras,” Spanish for “ice boxes.” Brian and John speak with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition. The partial government shutdown is in its fifth day today with no end in sight--at least not in the near term. President Trump this morning said that he was content to keep the government closed indefinitely, so long as Democrats will not agree to fund his border wall, which he is now calling, “a border wall or border fence or whatever you want to call it.” Senators speaking anonymously told the Washington Post yesterday, however, that negotiations are underway, and there could be an agreement to end the shutdown as soon as next week. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show. Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.

With a potential new wave of women legislators coming to Capitol Hill after this election, Women Rule asked the question: What about their staffers? They’re the backbone of Congressional offices – the legislative assistants, the communications directors, the chiefs of staff. And women’s representation in these offices matters too. Just before the midterms, we’re bringing you this bonus episode on the minority women staffing Capitol Hill offices. In this live Women Rule podcast taping, which we recorded at The Wing’s D.C. offices, we talked to two minority women who serve as chiefs of staff: Natalie Armijo, chief of staff for Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, part of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Caren Street, chief of staff for Rep. Karen Bass, who’s also part of the Congressional Black Caucus. We asked them about their paths to Capitol Hill, what it took to get them there, and the challenges they’ve faced since. To tee up that interview, we had Rhonda Foxx, chief of staff to Rep. Alma Adams, set the stage, while Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand gave opening remarks.

Congressman Joaquín Castro, a Texas democrat representing the 20th Congressional District, talks about civic life, the importance of the youth vote, the role of the United States in foreign affairs—and the best way to reach your elected officials. Castro also serves on the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committees, and is First Vice Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. He came to Tufts as a guest of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and the Tisch College of Civic Life.

News Segment - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham who is also the Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. She discusses the current status of immigration at the national level and the current proposals in moving an immigration agenda forward.  Education Segment - we discuss impacts of deportation, mixed status families, and an immigrant economy.  Mental Health Segment - mindfulness in everyday life: news consumption. UndocuTalks is a podcast produced by immigrant youth centered on the premise of informing, educating, and sharing culture. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Show Hosts:  Rafael A. Martinez @undocu_scholar  Frankc Berlanga-Medina @incogh_stry Nancy Canales @_nancycanales UndocuNews Segment:  Alejandro Mendiaz-Rivera @alejandromagno31 Cindy Nava @cindyloo1912 Mental Health Segment:  Norma Ramirez @normaramirezart Original Poetry by:  Julio Molina @juliom999 Rossy Evelin Lima DePadilla  Editor & Production:  Froilan Orozco

Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee say that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election. Plus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus sees record fundraising numbers, far-right YouTubers were banned from the UK, and the "Black-ish" episode that was canned by ABC.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carlos Paz, Director of Communications for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, is interviewed by fellow Houstonian Ernesto Nieto, NHI President and Founder. They discuss his leadership journey with NHI, his career in community development and public service. The conversation ends with brief talks about the current political climate in D.C. and what is on the horizon for Latinos in politics.   

What modern books can impart ancient virtue? And the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

God bless our men and women in blue. Please read this story about this heroic police officer who was brutally slain in the line of duty. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sean-suiter-baltimore-detective-dead-after-head-shot/   Unbelievable! The “Congressional Hispanic Caucus” told a Republican lawmaker he can’t join their group because he’s too Republican. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article184983023.html   The war on your Second Amendment Rights is getting intense. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/know-the-facts-anti-gun-activists-utilize-emotional-grief-to-line-their-pockets/article/2640904   Who pays America’s business tax? You do.  http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/you-should-want-to-cut-business-taxes-after-all-its-you-who-has-to-pay-them/article/2640982   Is Atheism really “scientific”?  https://www.facebook.com/prageru/videos/1602721066437410/

Bio Jason Resendez (@jason_r_dc) directs the LatinosAgainstAlzheimer's Network. LatinosAgainstAlzheimer's is the nation's first-ever coalition of Latino organizations focused on raising awareness of Alzheimer's disease within the Latino community. Previously, Jason served as senior manager of strategic partnerships at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). NCLR is the nation's largest Latino advocacy organization.  Prior to NCLR, he served as the director of corporate relations and development at LULAC National Educational Service Centers Inc. (LNESC). LULAC is the nation's oldest Latino civil rights organization.  Jason has written about Latino issues for national and regional media outlets. Those outlets include NBC News, Huffington Post, and the El Paso Times. He graduated from Georgetown University with a B.A. in Government. Resources UsAgainstAlzheimer's Slow Dancing with a Stranger:Lost and Found in the Age of Alzheimer's by Meryl Comer Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande News Roundup Researchers discover vulnerability in Wi-Fi protocol Researchers at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium have discovered a vulnerability in the WPA2 protocol that secures most modern Wi-Fi connections. The researchers call the proof-of-concept exploit KRACK, or Key Reinstallation attacks. What it does is it tells devices connecting to the network to reinstall the network key and replace the password with all zeros. This lets in criminals to steal essentially anything off of your computer. The hack is particularly effective against Android and Linux devices, although other devices aren't immune. Further, websites encrypted with https protocol are also vulnerable. Fortunately, you can still install updates even if your device has already been hacked using this method. Dan Goodin explains in Ars Technica. Black and Hispanic lawmakers challenge tech companies on diversity, racist ads In closed-door meetings, the Congressional Black and Hispanic Caucuses met with Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg last week. According to Politico, the CBC blasted Facebook for allowing Russian operatives to place ads designed to stoke racial resentment. The ads were intended to sway the 2016 election in favor of Donald Trump. Additionally, the CBC challenged Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg about the lack of racial and ethnic diversity at the company. CBC Chair Cedric Richmond pointed to a persistent lack of staff and board diversity. Further, Sandberg met with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. In addition to the diversity CBC raised issues, CHC reportedly focused on recovery efforts in Puerto Rico and the status of 700,000 Dreamers. Heather Caygle and Elana Schor report in Politico. Also, Olivia Beavers reports in the Hill that Pinterest has joined a growing list of companies including Facebook, Twitter and Google, that reported ads and content tied to Russia during last year's election cycle. Federal Election Commission seeks comment on online ad disclosure rules The Federal Election Commission has opened a rulemaking on disclosure rules for online political ads. Facebook and Google had both received exemptions from the existing rules during the 2012 election cycle.  Comments are due November 9th. Harper Neidig reports in the Hill. Supreme Court will hear Microsoft privacy case The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case regarding whether U.S. law enforcement officials can obtain a warrant to access digital evidence stored abroad. The case against Microsoft is up on appeal from the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The Second Circuit had overturned a lower court decision upholding a warrant U.S. prosecutors served on Microsoft. The court issued the warrant for data stored on Microsoft's servers both in the US and in Ireland. Robert Barnes reports in the Washington Post. Supreme Court asks DOJ to weigh in on Apple case The Supreme Court has asked the Department of Justice to weigh in on whether the Court should hear a class-action against Apple.  The case involves the 30% commissions Apple charges app developers to be included in the App store. However, customers--people who download the apps--are the ones bringing the class-action. Apple is saying the customers don't have standing since they're not the ones being charged the commission. Andrew Chung has the story in Reuters. Facebook has suspended rapper Lil B for race-related post Ali Breland reports in the Hill that Facebook has removed rapper Lil B for posting race related material. Google unveils job training initiative Google announced a job training initiative last week called Grow with Google. Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO, said Google will be investing $1 billion over the next 5 years in the effort. The program will allow anyone to access training and professional certificates to improve their businesses.  

Tony Coelho was not intending to be a disability rights advocate, he was on track to be a priest. But when he found out he had epilepsy, the Catholic Church told him that there was no way he was going to do that job. The misfortune for the Priesthood, became a blessing for people with disabilities and our American government in the House of Representatives. While in the House, he was a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Mr. Coelho has been the Democratic Minority Whip and is credited by congressional colleagues as the primary sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. Today, on Life’s New Normal, he shares with us what it meant to be treated different as a youth and as an adult. He also focuses our attention on what all of us can do to ensure all citizens have a fair shake and fair shot at the American dream. And, finally he shares what happened when he went to the Vatican to address the one person that could have made a difference with Tony going into the Priesthood. Settle in with a great cup of joe and be enlightened by the Honorable Tony Coelho. --- John Register, Paralympic Silver Medalist | Inspirational Catalyst | Change Management Speaker | Author | Long Jump Record Holder | Gulf War Vet | Disability Rights Advocate | 2 x TEDx Speaker who shows business leaders and sports professionals how to courageously step up to championship performance by walking in the new normal.

Aired Sunday, 6 November 2016, 2:00 PM ETThis Sunday we discuss the heartbreaking story of a mother Mia St. John as she lost her son as he was being treated at a mental health facility to suicide.On Nov. 23, I received the call no parent wants to get – my only son was dead. My beautiful, 24-year-old boy was gone. It is a nightmare I have yet to wake up from; one I will never wake up from.About the Guest Mia St. JohnMia St. John was born in San Francisco, California. Her fighting career started soon after, at the age of six, competing in Tae Kwon Do. Mia earned a black belt and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from California State University of Northridge in June of ’94.In 1996, Mia decided to pursue her true passion full-time, the sport of combat. Valentine’s Day, 1997, Mia made her pro-debut in boxing, knocking out her opponent in fifty-four seconds into the first round. Mia signed with Don King and stayed with him for a year and a half before she left King for his rival Bob Arum of Top Rank. At Top Rank, Mia spent four years opening for all of Oscar De La Hoya’s major fights.In the November 1999 issue of Playboy magazine, Mia appeared on the cover along with an eleven page celebrity pictorial. Mia insisted the pictures maintain a boxing theme so that the world would know she is a fighter first and foremost.As well as being a hard-hitting boxer, Mia is media savvy. She has made appearances on such shows as, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, “Good Morning America,” “Entertainment Tonight,” “Extra,” “TMZ,” “E,” and countless others. She has also acted in commercials and played herself on t. v. shows. Mia also has her own Playstation game by EA sports.Currently her book, “The Knockout Workout” and fitness dvd, is in stores now nationwide. She is also hosting for networks such as, Fox Sports Net, ESPN, ESPN Deportes and color commentating for PPV fights.Mia has fought all over the world, including Beijing, China, where she won her IBA Championship. After accumulating an unheard of boxing record of nearly 60 pro fights, on June 14th, 2008, Mia fulfilled her dream of fighting in her mother’s home country of Mexico. She fought one of the toughest fights of her career and became the WBC International Boxing Champion of the World at the age of 40.In November of ’08 she was awarded by the Governor of Zacatecas, Mexico an outstanding achievement award for her role in sports and humanitarianism. The WBC also presented her with the 2008 “WBC Goodwill Ambassador” Award.In November of 2010, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano joined Mia and LA Laker Ron Artest for an official mental health and suicide prevention training at Napolitano’s district office in Santa Fe Springs. Artest and St. John have joined Napolitano to promote the Mental Health in Schools Act, legislation she authored which would increase federal funding for mental health therapists in schools.She also spoke at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, where President Barack Obama made a riveting speech at the CHCI’s annual Gala.As well as Congress, Mia speaks in schools and juvenile halls on the importance of education and overcoming hardship. She speaks of her own battles with mental illness, addiction, poverty and overcoming it all, to become a three time international boxing champion.On August 14th, 2012, Mia fought Christy Martin in a long awaited rematch. Her dream of sixteen years finally materialized and at the age of 45, she captured the WBC Super Welter Weight Championship of the World.Web links to where the listeners can find your work on Internet: http://www.miastjohnfoundation.org/

Jorge Reina Schement became Rutgers Vice President of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion on July 1, 2013.  Previously he was Dean of the School of Communication & Information at Rutgers University from 2008 to 2013.   He is also Professor II in the Bloustein School of Public Policy, and in the Department of Latino-Hispanic Caribbean Studies. A Ph.D. from the Institute for Communication Research at Stanford University, and M.S. from the School of Commerce at the University of Illinois, he is author of over 200 papers and articles, with book credits including, Global Networks (1999/2002), Tendencies and Tensions of the Information Age (1997), Toward an Information Bill of Rights and Responsibilities (1995), Between Communication and Information (1993), Competing Visions, Complex Realities: Social Aspects of the Information Society (1988), The International Flow of Television Programs (1984),   Telecommunications Policy Handbook (1982), and Spanish-Language Radio in the Southwestern United States (1979). A Latino from South Texas, his research focuses on the social and policy consequences of the production and consumption of information, especially as they relate to ethnic minorities. His research has been supported by the Ford Foundation, Markle Foundation, Rainbow Coalition, Port Authority of NY/NJ, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Communications Commission, National Science Foundation, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Verizon, Lockheed-Martin.   He has received awards for his policy scholarship from the International Communication Association, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Pace University, the University of Kentucky, UCLA, and Penn State.   Schement has served on the editorial boards of twelve academic journals, and has edited the Annual Review of Technology for the Aspen Institute.   He is editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of Communication and Information. His research contributed to a Supreme Court decision in Metro Broadcasting, Inc. v. F.C.C. et al. In 1994, he directed the F.C.C.'s Information Policy Project and conducted the original research that led to recognition of the Digital Divide. In 2008, he advised the F.C.C. Transition Team for the Obama administration. He introduced the idea of Universal Service as an evolving concept, a view adopted in the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The movement to integrate community museums, libraries, and public broadcasting as Partners in Public Service began in a project he co-directed. He conducted the first study of the impact of minority ownership in broadcasting, and authored the telecommunications policy agenda for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.   He co-founded the Institute for Information Policy at Penn State Univ. Schement has served on advisory boards for the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, Office of Technology Assessment, United States Commission on Civil Rights, Centers for Disease Control, Governor of California, Media Access Project, Libraries for the Future, Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, Center for Media Education, Internet Policy Institute, American Library Association, Minority Media Telecommunications Council, New Millennium Research Council, Open Society Institute, Advertising Council, Benton Foundation, Aspen Institute, MCI, Verizon, and Pew Project on Internet and American   Life.   He chaired the board of directors of TPRC Inc. He is listed in, 2007, Hispanic Business' “100 Most Influential Hispanics.” His interest in the history of printing led him to discover a discrepancy in chapter and line numbers between the 1667 and 1674 editions of Paradise Lost, as cited in the Oxford English Dictionary.   He reads histories.   In this episode we discussed: Jorge's survival tactics in Texas in the 1960s How to avoid feeling "pigeon-holed" in your policy career What a private breakfast at the White House with President Bill Clinton was like Key topics in diversity and inclusion at the intersection of telecommunications policy Resources Rutgers University Gary Cross, Men to Boys: The Making of Modern Immaturity (Columbia University Press, 2013)