Podcasts about McClatchy

Episode 9-16 – Miranda Spivack and Dianne Cotter – “Backroom Deals in Our Backyards”As we pass through life, we encounter many people. This one works in a tall building; another delivers office supplies and a third washes all the windows. Most see this as “blue-collar” job, but do we really know what's going on.Our guests today are Miranda Spivack, a former reporter and she worked for the “Washington Post,” for 20 years. She has been a Fulbright Scholar. Her work has appeared in the “New York Times,” “USA Today,” and “Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting” and the McClatchy newspapers. And Miranda's “guest,” is a frequent guest on 5-Alarm Task Force. Ms. Diane Cotter who, when her husband was diagnosed with cancer, Diane wanted to know both, how could this happen and how can we fight this. Both of our guests have “climbed” the very tall wall. And as it came to be, Miranda was following Diane's life and her determination and how she fought the system, not just for her family, but for every firefighter who has worn bunker gear with a known carcinogenic.As Miranda reveals, what we used to assume that our city/town/state/federal's officials are operating “above board.” Ahhhh…that's not necessarily true. Hence the name of her book, “Backroom Deals in Our Backyards.”Want to read even more than we discuss here? Miranda's book will be released on May 6th. Please listen to this podcast then, read the book!! You can order the book at this link:https://thenewpress.com/books/backroom-deals-our-backyards and those below, Here's info on per-ordering the book:https://bookshop.org/p/books/backroom-deals-in-our-backyards-how-government-secrecy-harms-our-communities-and-the-local-heroes-fighting-back-miranda-s-spivack/21644217?ean=9781620978559&next=t&affiliate=1871https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/backroom-deals-in-our-backyards-miranda-s-spivack/1146017644;jsessionid=BC6335333E4AEE777160AF759E9B5AAB.prodny_store02-atgap02?ean=9781620978559https://www.amazon.com/Backroom-Deals-Our-Backyards-Communities/dp/1620978555/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VeZdCG8JFfprOKoKY5mkQw.eiDA7dTsZ3429ZOdLMPuGTU0W17AlV59kb8XIf7GX10&dib_tag=se&keywords=9781620978559&qid=1742576802&sr=8-1https://thenewpress.com/books/backroom-deals-our-backyardsMiranda's email: mirandaspivack@yahoo.com

RESUME ATMOSPHERIC BOMB TESTS?  ARE YOU NUTS?   We open with a beautiful poem from our Laureate MIMI GERMAN.   We then explore the origins of the 1963 Atomic Test Ban with the tragic tale of the premature death of Patrick Kennedy, the son of President John Kennedy and First Lady Jackie.   This terrible loss led directly to JFK agreeing with Nikita Khrushchev to ban nuclear explosions in the atmosphere.   We are then honored by the genius of ROBERT ALVAREZ, JOE MANGANO and KARL GROSSMAN on critical issues of radiation and health.   We celebrate a vital op ed on this by CHRISTIE BRINKLEY in the Kansas City Star, with McClatchy syndication.   We take a deep dive into the legendary “Baby Teeth” study, and Project 2025's insane push for more nuke testing.   We hear from PAUL NEWMAN warning about Christian Nationalists who want an Armageddon to fulfill Biblical prophecy.   A spiritual contribution comes from LYNN MYSTIC-HEALER, and from MELISSA, who asks “Is this even legal?”   From LISA WHITE we hear about the movement in Fresno for post-nuclear sanity.   “How Project 2025 Will Ruin Your Life” is a new radio show from LYNNE FEINERMAN alerting us to the Evangelical push for nuclear war.   Ontario's Doug Ford is exposed by MYLA RESON who questions his commitment to new nukes.   Reporting in from southern Ohio, PAT MARIDA and VINA COLLEY report from the Piketon-Portsmouth nuclear death plants & an upcoming 2/12 town hall.

Two veteran political journalists Jim Asher and Dale Eisman who have investigated and analyzed Washington power for decades discuss what they saw in watching the Trump Inauguration and what they think it portends. It was a weird day from the guest list to the richest man in the world making a Nazi salute and it's likely to get more weird, they agree. James Asher, now retired, was a veteran investigative journalist and Pulitzer-Prize winning editor. Over his career, he worked as reporter and editor at five newspapers on the East Coast, including the Philadelphia Inquirer and The Baltimore Sun, In 2002, he moved to Washington as national investigative editor for The Knight Rider company. He later ran the Washington Bureau for the McClatchy Co., which bought Knight Ridder in 2006. Under his leadership, McClatchy set a standard for independence in Washington, winning numerous national awards for journalistic excellence. In 2017, he shared a Pulitzer for his work on the global Panama Papers document leak about off-shore tax havens. In all, he managed and edited four other projects that were finalists for a Pulitzer, including two for McClatchy and two for The Sun.  After leaving McClatchy, he worked for Injustice Watch, a nonprofit focused on criminal justice reform, and he helped The Associated Press with its coverage of the Mueller investigation of Donald Trump.  A native of Utica, NY, Asher holds a B.S. and a M.S. from Syracuse University and did postgraduate work in finance, economics and accounting in Temple University's MBA program. Dale Eisman is a veteran journalist who capped a 37-year newspaper career in Virginia and Washington DC with an eight-year stint advocating for good governance as a writer and editor at Common Cause. He's covered trials in state and federal courts and campaigns for offices from city council to the Virginia statehouse to the US House and Senate. He's also been catapulted off aircraft carriers and tracked sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Now retired, he lives in Surf City, NC.

This episode is presented by Create A Video – In one of the most insipid and racialist column I've ever seen, McClatchy columnist Isaac Bailey basically calls Republican voters racist for not supporting Mark Robinson enough to win his race for governor - but he's glad they didn't. WBT's relief & recovery links: How to Help: Donate to Support Recovery Efforts in Western North Carolina After Tropical Storm Helene A Western NC disaster relief agency: Hearts With Hands Subscribe to the podcast at: https://ThePeteKalinerShow.com/  All the links to Pete's Prep are free: https://patreon.com/petekalinershow  Advertising inquiries: Pete@ThePeteKalinerShow.com  Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was a LOT of "quiet part out loud" fodder served up at Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden rally yesterday - a not-so-subtle homage to the 1939 Nazi rally at the venue's predecessor in New York City. Many are honing in on the racist swipes made by a previously little-known comedian - so awful even the Trump campaign seeks to distance itself from them (did they review when loading his notes on the teleprompter?). I began with Tucker Carlson, though, what with his mocking Kamala Harris' being multi-ethnic and his gratitude for Trump sparking a MAGA movement that gives him the freedom to SAY "the quiet part out loud" now - making him feel like s a freed slave. I'm not making that part up. Hear it for yourself. Reminded me a lot of Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder getting fired in 1988 for racist statements made in a TV interview ... or Rush Limbaugh losing his ESPN gig in 2003. They've come a long way, baby. Also, much has been made of the Washington Post and L.A. Times declining to endorse either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump - and they do deserve all the smoke. Incidentally, cancelling your WaPo subscription isn't what'll hurt Jeff Bezos. What about your Amazon shopping habit? Your Prime subscription? Follow through if you truly intend to, people. That said, what about at the state and local level? What are editorial boards doing there? In South Carolina, The State (Columbia, SC) chose to reward a Congressional candidate with their endorsement despite his failing to respond to their questionnaire in the 7th district race vs. the Democratic opponent - who did fill out the questionnaire - mostly (it seems) based on how they believe the race will play out on Election Day. Here's what they wrote: "In northeastern District 7, The State Editorial Board endorses incumbent Republican Rep. Russell Fry over Democrat Mal Hyman. This was the endorsement we spent the most time discussing. Fry, elected in 2022 after easily defeating five-term incumbent Rep. Tom Rice in the GOP primary, was one of only two congressional candidates to not reply to our questionnaire. Hyman seemed thoughtful, but he didn't offer much in the way of specific solutions in his Q&A, and he also was hard to reach for what should have been an easy follow-up question seeking to fact-check a couple of his figures. Given that Hyman has already fallen well short in two other races for this seat since 2018, a third time does not feel like a charm. We reluctantly endorse Fry, and hope that he doesn't show such disinterest in the press or the public in a second term." That's prognosticating; not endorsing. It's weak and their quibbling over a follow-up (given prior to publication, no less) doesn't hold up. HERE are the submitted answers to the questionnaire given by the Mal Hyman for Congress campaign. Bear in mind, at the bottom of The State's endorsements, behind a paywall but you can read HERE, they wrote: "How we do our endorsements Members of McClatchy's South Carolina Editorial Board conducted interviews and research of candidates and made endorsements in many local, county, state and federal elections on the Nov. 5, 2024 ballot. We based our endorsements on this reporting and fact-checking — and on each candidate's achievements, background, character, demeanor and experience. The state and federal endorsements were made by South Carolina Opinion Editor Matthew T. Hall, letters editor Allison Askins and regular columnist Matt Wylie, a Republican strategist and analyst, in consultation with Brian Tolley, president and editor of The State, The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette, and The Sun News. Hall and Askins made the local and county endorsements in consultation with Tolley. If you have questions or comments about our endorsements, please email Hall at mhall@thestate.com." I do, and I will. Do you? Will you?

Welcome back to Breaking Battlegrounds! Sam Stone kicks off the show with Sean Noble as they welcome David Catanese to compare the enthusiasm and confidence between the Republicans and Democrats, discuss whether this is truly the "worst it's ever been" in politics, JD Vance's future, and Kamala Harris' ability to "fake it till she makes it." Later, Chuck Warren sits down with Congressman Jason Smith, Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, to cover the budget process, the future of Social Security and Medicare, and the impact of Harris' call to let the Trump tax cuts expire—this, in the face of the 20.5% inflation tax that has occurred under her watch as Vice President. Finally, Shay Khatiri joins us to explore growing dissatisfaction within Iran's conservative base over Khamenei's leadership, the potential cracks within the regime, and why U.S. involvement in shaping these developments is crucial for protecting its interests in the Middle East. Stay tuned for an insightful discussion on the pressing issues shaping the future of our country and the world.www.breakingbattlegrounds.voteTwitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_BattleFacebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegroundsInstagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegroundsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds-Show sponsors:Invest YrefyYrefy offers a secure, collateralized portfolio with a strong, fixed rate of return - up to a 10.25%. There is no attack on your principal if you ever need your money back. You can let your investment compound daily, or take your income whenever you choose. Make sure you tell them Sam and Chuck sent you!Learn more at investyrefy.com4Freedom MobileExperience true freedom with 4Freedom Mobile, the exclusive provider offering nationwide coverage on all three major US networks (Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile) with just one SIM card. Our service not only connects you but also shields you from data collection by network operators, social media platforms, government agencies, and more.Use code ‘Battleground' to get your first month for $9 and save $10 a month every month after.Learn more at: 4FreedomMobile.comDot VoteWith a .VOTE website, you ensure your political campaign stands out among the competition while simplifying how you reach voters.Learn more at: dotvote.vote-About our guests:David Catanese is a Washington-based political writer and Host of Too Close To Call. He's written for McClatchy, The Atlantic, U.S. News & World Report & Politico. You can read his work at davidcatanese.substack.com and you can follow him on X @davecatanese. -Shay Khatiri is the VP of development and a senior fellow at Yorktown Institute. An immigrant from Iran, he is an alumnus of Arizona State University and the Strategic Studies Department at Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies. He publishes the Substack newsletter, The Russia–Iran File. You can follow him on X @ShayKhatiri.-Congressman Jason Smith is a 7th generation Missourian, a 4th generation owner of his family's farm, a citizen-legislator, and a champion for the rights and values of rural Missourians. Jason chairs the Ways and Means Committee – the oldest committee in Congress. He became the youngest Ways and Means Chairman since before the Civil War and the first Missourian to lead the committee since John Phelps – the namesake of Missouri's Phelps County – in 1859. The committee has broad jurisdiction over some of the most consequential issues facing Missourians today, including all federal tax policy, all U.S. trade and tariffs, Social Security, Medicare, and many welfare programs.As Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Smith's top priority is delivering for the working families, farmers, and small businesses that make the American economy the envy of the world. In his first term, Smith has passed out of his committee pro-worker, pro-family, pro-small business tax relief; trade agreements that expand opportunities for small businesses and farmers; legislation that expands access and lowers the cost of health care for working families; and legislation to recover fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance. His committee has also engaged in aggressive oversight, including an investigation into certain colleges' unwillingness to curb antisemitic protests on their campus as well as being selected to help lead an impeachment inquiry into President Biden.Smith was elected to Congress in 2013 after serving in the Missouri General Assembly for eight years. He served in elected House leadership during the Trump administration and in 2021 he was elected as Republican Leader of the House Budget Committee.Jason comes from humble roots and learned the value of hard work growing up in Salem, Missouri. He attended Salem High School, where he was an active member of FFA. At the University of Missouri-Columbia, Jason earned degrees in Agricultural Economics and Business Administration. After receiving degrees from both programs in three years, he graduated from Oklahoma City University School of Law at the age of 23.Jason has been rated as the top conservative in the Missouri delegation by the American Conservative Union; he is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and a supporter of the right to life movement and traditional values. Jason attends Grace Community Church in Salem. Get full access to Breaking Battlegrounds at breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com/subscribe

Today's poem is a shape poem dedicated to chefs, but (surprise?) it might be about more than cooking.John Hollander, one of contemporary poetry's foremost poets, editors, and anthologists, grew up in New York City. He studied at Columbia University and Indiana University, and he was a Junior Fellow of the Society of Fellows of Harvard University. Hollander received numerous awards and fellowships, including the Levinson Prize, a MacArthur Foundation grant, and the poet laureateship of Connecticut. He served as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, and he taught at Hunter College, Connecticut College, and Yale University, where he was the Sterling Professor emeritus of English.Over the course of an astonishing career, Hollander influenced generations of poets and thinkers with his critical work, his anthologies and his poetry. In the words of J.D. McClatchy, Hollander was “a formidable presence in American literary life.” Hollander's eminence as a scholar and critic was in some ways greater than his reputation as a poet. His groundbreaking introduction to form and prosody Rhyme's Reason (1981), as well as his work as an anthologist, has ensured him a place as one of the 20th-century's great, original literary critics. Hollander's critical writing is known for its extreme erudition and graceful touch. Hollander's poetry possesses many of the same qualities, though the wide range of allusion and technical virtuosity can make it seem “difficult” to a general readership.Hollander's first poetry collection, A Crackling of Thorns (1958) won the prestigious Yale Series of Younger Poets Awards, judged by W.H. Auden. And in fact James K. Robinson in the Southern Review found that Hollander's “early poetry resembles Auden's in its wit, its learned allusiveness, its prosodic mastery.” Hollander's technique continued to develop through later books like Visions from the Ramble (1965) and The Night Mirror (1971). Broader in range and scope than his previous work, Hollander's Tales Told of the Fathers (1975) and Spectral Emanations (1978) heralded his arrival as a major force in contemporary poetry. Reviewing Spectral Emanations for the New Republic, Harold Bloom reflected on his changing impressions of the poet's work over the first 20 years of his career: “I read [A Crackling of Thorns] … soon after I first met the poet, and was rather more impressed by the man than by the book. It has taken 20 years for the emotional complexity, spiritual anguish, and intellectual and moral power of the man to become the book. The enormous mastery of verse was there from the start, and is there still … But there seemed almost always to be more knowledge and insight within Hollander than the verse could accommodate.” Bloom found in Spectral Emanations “another poet as vital and accomplished as [A.R.] Ammons, [James] Merrill, [W.S.] Merwin, [John] Ashbery, James Wright, an immense augmentation to what is clearly a group of major poets.”Shortly after Spectral Emanations, Hollander published Blue Wine and Other Poems (1979), a volume which a number of critics have identified as an important milestone in Hollander's life and career. Reviewing the work for the New Leader, Phoebe Pettingell remarked, “I would guess from the evidence of Blue Wine that John Hollander is now at the crossroads of his own midlife journey, picking out a new direction to follow.” Hollander's new direction proved to be incredibly fruitful: his next books were unqualified successes. Powers of Thirteen (1983) won the Bollingen Prize from Yale University and In Time and Place (1986) was highly praised for its blend of verse and prose. In the Times Literary Supplement, Jay Parini believed “an elegiac tone dominates this book, which begins with a sequence of 34 poems in the In Memoriam stanza. These interconnecting lyrics are exquisite and moving, superior to almost anything else Hollander has ever written.” Parini described the book as “a landmark in contemporary poetry.” McClatchy held up In Time and Place as evidence that Hollander is “part conjurer and part philosopher, one of our language's true mythographers and one of its very best poets.”Hollander continued to publish challenging, technically stunning verse throughout the 1980s and '90s. His Selected Poetry (1993) was released simultaneously with Tesserae (1993); Figurehead and Other Poems (1999) came a few years later. “The work collected in [Tesserae and Other Poems and Selected Poetry] makes clear that John Hollander is a considerable poet,” New Republic reviewer Vernon Shetley remarked, “but it may leave readers wondering still, thirty-five years after his first book … exactly what kind of poet Hollander is.” Shetley recognized the sheer variety of Hollander's work, but also noted the peculiar absence of anything like a personality, “as if the poet had taken to heart, much more fully than its author, Eliot's dictum that poetry should embody ‘emotion which has its life in the poem and not in the history of the poet.'” Another frequent charge leveled against Hollander's work is that it is “philosophical verse.” Reviewing A Draft of Light (2008) for Jacket Magazine, Alex Lewis argued that instead of writing “philosophizing verse,” Hollander actually “borrows from philosophy a language and a way of thought. Hollander's poems are frequently meta-poems that create further meaning out of their own self-interrogations, out of their own reflexivity.” As always, the poems are underpinned by an enormous amount of learning and incredible technical expertise and require “a good deal of time and thought to unravel,” Lewis admitted. But the rewards are great: “the book deepens every time that I read it,” Lewis wrote, adding that Hollander's later years have given his work grandeur akin to Thomas Hardy and Wallace Stevens.Hollander's work as a critic and anthologist has been widely praised from the start. As editor, he has worked on volumes of poets as diverse as Ben Jonson and Dante Gabriel Rossetti; his anthologist's credentials are impeccable. He was widely praised for the expansive American Poetry: The Nineteenth Century (1994), two volumes of verse including ballads, sonnets, epic poetry, and even folk songs. Herbert Mitgang of the New York Times praised the range of poets and authors included in the anthology: “Mr. Hollander has a large vision at work in these highly original volumes of verse. Without passing critical judgment, he allows the reader to savor not only the geniuses but also the second-rank writers of the era.” Hollander also worked on the companion volume, American Poetry: The Twentieth Century (2000) with fellow poets and scholars Robert Hass, Carolyn Kizer, Nathaniel Mackey, and Marjorie Perloff.Hollander's prose and criticism has been read and absorbed by generations of readers and writers. Perhaps his most lasting work is Rhyme's Reason. In an interview with Paul Devlin of St. John's University, Hollander described the impetus behind the volume: “Thinking of my own students, and of how there was no such guide to the varieties of verse in English to which I could send them and that would help teach them to notice things about the examples presented—to see how the particular stanza or rhythmic scheme or whatever was being used by the particular words of the particular poem, for example—I got to work and with a speed which now alarms me produced a manuscript for the first edition of the book. I've never had more immediate fun writing a book.” Hollander's other works of criticism include The Work of Poetry (1993), The Poetry of Everyday Life (1997), and Poetry and Music (2003).Hollander died on August 17, 2013 in Branford, Connecticut.-bio via Poetry Foundation Get full access to The Daily Poem Podcast at dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

"(It) started as a blog, Unleashing the Next Chapter, to document my stroke recovery and unleashing is a nod to the fact that I had just gotten Gizmo (service dog)...to (now) having a boutique marketing agency..." Kathryn McClatchy is an authorpreneur and consultant who lived two distinct lives: one before strokes and one after. She reveals what it took to rebuild a life in the aftermath of multiple strokes and turning her passion of helping others into a thriving business and the Authorpreneurs Unleashed podcast.Connect with Kathryn:https://kathrynmcclatchy.com/Twitter: @KmmcclatchyInstagram: @kathrynmcclatchyFacebook: @KMMcClatchyTikTok: @kathrynmcclatchyAuthorpreneurs Unleashed PodcastAuthorpreneurs Unleashed (buzzsprout.com)---------The YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPcGXevs2NQk3Ab9OD66zuQSupport the Show:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/romancethestoryFind me below:Twitter - @RomancetheStoryInstagram - @RomancetheStoryFacebook - @RomancetheStoryMusic:Strawberry Flavor Love by Daystarhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMi0dxVgqvo Support the Show.

For the week of April 8, 2024, podcast host and The News & Observer's Capitol bureau chief Dawn Vaughan is joined by politics team reporters Avi Bajpai and Danielle Battaglia to talk about a major issue at the state and national levels: immigration. The two have written stories about the issue that will publish this week. It's part of a national series of stories that McClatchy newspapers is publishing on immigration. Bajpai has stories coming about detention requests that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, makes of jails, and legislation planned for this year's General Assembly session that would require sheriffs to cooperate with those requests. After the break, Battaglia talks about her coverage of a new facility for immigrant children in Greensboro and all the unanswered questions about it. Plus, how the immigration issue is playing out in Washington. Stay tuned to the end for our picks for Headliner of the Week. Host: Dawn Vaughan Guest: Avi Bajpai, Danielle Battaglia Executive Producer: Laura Brache Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsletter dives deep into all things #ncpol and legislative happenings. It's sent to your inbox Tuesday to Friday and Sunday. Sign up here. Please consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to The N&O. If you're already a subscriber, thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bristow Marchant, Michael Burgess and more discuss the Willie Leaphart podcast with the Lexington community at River Bluff High School. ***** Bristow Marchant is the reporter on this podcast. It is a a production of The State and McClatchy, and produced by Loumay Alesali, Jennifer Molina, Kata Stevens, Hrisanthi Pickett and Joshua Boucher. Special thanks to Don Blount.

Bryan catches David up on the Ronna McDaniel–NBC catastrophe (0:50). Then, they get into The Washington Post's profile on LSU women's basketball coach, Kim Mulkey (12:37). Afterward, they get into some found sounds from March Madness, including one of the most mind-blowing calls of all time (23:09). In the Notebook Dump they discuss the following: LeBron James's comments on his upcoming retirement (24:55) Whether or not the Media Apocalypse was declared too soon (28:03), Gannett and McClatchy drop the AP (32:54) Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Producer: Brian H. Waters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not a lot of lawyers can say that they helped create a whole new legal field, but William Shernoff can. On this week's episode, Ralph welcomes trailblazing attorney William Shernoff to discuss predatory insurance practices, and how consumers can protect themselves. This special episode was co-presented by The American Museum of Tort Law, and was recorded in front of a live virtual audience.William Shernoff is the founding partner of Shernoff Bidart Echeverria, a law firm specializing in insurance bad faith litigation. A longtime consumer advocate, he has made a career of representing insurance consumers in their cases against insurance companies. Often called the “father” of bad faith insurance law, in 1979, Mr. Shernoff persuaded the California Supreme Court to establish new case law that permits plaintiffs to sue insurance companies for bad faith seeking both compensatory and punitive damages when they unreasonably handle a policyholder's claim (Egan v. Mutual of Omaha).A frequent lecturer and writer, Mr. Shernoff co-authored the legal textbook, Insurance Bad Faith Litigation, which has become the field's definitive treatise, as well as How to Make Insurance Companies Pay Your Claims . . . . And What To Do If They Don't, Fight Back and Win – And How To Make Your HMO Pay Up, and Payment Refused. Under bad faith law in California and in most states, you not only could get the benefits you deserve under the insurance policy—whether it be life insurance or disability insurance or health insurance. But you can also get damages over and above the policy limits, which are emotional distress damages…Not only can you get the emotional distress damages, but any aggravation of your medical condition. And then punitive damages are on top of that. And attorney's fees are on top of that. So all of these damages are coming from insurance bad faith if the insurance bad faith law applies. And punitive damages are designed to punish the insurance company so that they correct their wrongful conduct in the future, and deter them from unfair claims practices. William ShernoffMost people, if they get a letter from an insurance company—which they consider to be an authoritative source— and the insurance company says, “Your claim is denied because…” and then they cite all kinds of fine print in the insurance policy, most people accept that and don't do anything. They don't see a lawyer. They just accept what their insurance company told them because it sounded quite official to them.William ShernoffInsurance regulation is state-controlled. The federal government has been blocked for decades and the Congress has imposed itself on the federal Federal Trade Commission and said that they can't even investigate the insurance companies without being allowed to by a committee in the House or the Senate that has jurisdiction over such matters. So the privileges of the insurance lobby are quite extraordinary even by comparison with other corporate lobbies.Ralph Nader More people should know about bad-faith cases rights—and use them. And not take whatever is dealt to them by insurance companies—denials, rescission of insurance policies, refusing to renew, other delays, or other crazy obstructions. Learn about your rights.Ralph Nader In Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 3/27/241. CNN reports the United Nations Security Council has passed a Gaza ceasefire resolution. The resolution itself is imperfect, calling only for a ceasefire during the month of Ramadan, but this watered down language paved the way for the United States to allow the resolution to pass. The U.S. has vetoed every previous ceasefire resolution before the Security Council and disputes the extent to which this resolution is legally binding. For its part, Israel's Foreign Minister stated unequivocally that Israel “will not cease fire,” per CNN.2. Following the passage of the Security Council resolution, Prime Minister Netanyahu canceled a planned high-level Israeli delegation visit to Washington, per CNBC. The planned visit, which would have included an address to Congress, was staring down scathing criticism from Congressional Progressives. Axios reports Representative Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian member of Congress and the most outspoken on the Israeli campaign of terror, said “[Netanyahu] shouldn't come to Congress, he should be sent to the Hague.”3. In another sign of the rift between the Biden Administration and Netanyahu, Haaretz reports that Congressional Democrats are sending formal warnings to the administration stating that Israel is not in compliance with U.S. laws governing the dispensation of military aid.  Joaquin Castro, a Democrat from Texas, said “Congress and [the] White House need to make clear to Israel that we will enforce US law to protect Palestinian children from starvation in Gaza.”4. Professor Jana Silverman, co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America International Committee, reports “After a totally last-minute, ad-hoc, no-budget campaign, 13.2% of voters in the Democrats Abroad primary said no to genocide in Gaza and voted Uncommitted!” This impressive performance signals that the Uncommitted electoral protest movement isn't going anywhere. The next major test for the movement will be Pennsylvania, where Uncommitted PA is aiming for at least 40,000 votes in the state's April primary, per Lancaster Online.5. In an open letter, over 100 prominent American Jews condemned AIPAC. The letter reads “We are Jewish Americans who have…come together to highlight and oppose the unprecedented and damaging role of AIPAC…in U.S. elections, especially within Democratic Party primaries. We recognize the purpose of AIPAC's interventions in electoral politics is to defeat any critics of Israeli Government policy and to support candidates who vow unwavering loyalty to Israel, thereby ensuring the United States' continuing support for all that Israel does, regardless of its violence and illegality.” Signatories include the Ralph Nader Radio Hour's own Alan Minsky, celebrated academic Judith Butler, Postal Workers Union president Mark Dimondstein, Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's, and the actor Wallace Shawn among many others. The full letter is available at USJewsOpposingAipac.org.6. Oscar winning director Jonathan Glazer continues to be the target of phony outrage by pro-Israel groups like the Anti-Defamation League. Coming to the defense of the filmmaker however are other prominent Jewish organizations, like Jewish Voice for Peace and the Auschwitz Memorial, whose director said “In his Oscar acceptance speech, Jonathan Glazer issued a universal moral warning against dehumanization,” per the Guardian. Decorated Jewish playwright Tony Kushner, a signatory on the anti-AIPAC letter, told Haaretz “There's been a concerted attempt by right wing American Jews to sort of sell the idea that American college campuses are awash with virulent antisemites – professors and students and so on. And the Jewish students are walking these campuses in terror for their lives. I think this is nonsense. I see no evidence of it.”7. Both the Gannett and McClatchy newspaper companies have announced they will no longer use AP journalism in their publications, AP reports. This is yet another indication of the dire financial straits the news business finds itself in. The AP notes “Gannett's workforce shrank 47% between 2020 and 2023 because of layoffs and attrition…The company also hasn't earned a full-year profit since 2018… Since then, it has lost $1.03 billion.”8. In Honduras, the Intercept reports “an almost-impossible-to-believe scenario: A group of libertarian investors teamed up with a former Honduran government — which was tied at the hip with narco-traffickers and came to power after a U.S.-backed military coup — in order to implement the world's most radical libertarian policy, which turned over significant portions of the country to those investors through so-called special economic zones. The Honduran public, in a backlash, ousted the narco-backed regime, and the new government repealed the libertarian legislation. The crypto investors are now using the World Bank to force Honduras to honor the narco-government's policies.” While this story has certain unique angles – crypto and narco-trafficking chief among them – the key element is actually quite familiar: international ‘free trade' regimes superseding sovereign governments. We offer Honduras solidarity against these contemporary crypto-filibusters.9. On March 11th, Congressmen Jimmy Gomez and Joaquin Castro sent a letter to the heads of the CIA and FBI demanding disclosures of surveillance efforts on Latino civil rights leaders during the 1960s and ‘70s, citing the well-documented pattern of surveillance on Black civil rights leaders during that period and the wealth of circumstantial evidence indicating that these organs of national security did the same toward prominent Latino figures such as Cesar Chavez. The following day, in a hearing before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Castro pressed CIA Director Bill Burns on the matter, and Burns committed to working with his office to bring these activities to light. We hope that further transparency will beget further transparency and that some day the complete account of the CIA and FBI's domestic surveillance programs will be a matter of public record.10. Finally, in Mississippi, CBS reports that authorities have successfully convicted all six members of a police gang calling themselves the “Goon Squad.” These six white officers plead guilty to “breaking into a home without a warrant and torturing two Black men…The assault involved beatings, the repeated use of stun guns and assaults with a sex toy before one of the victims was shot in the mouth in a mock execution.” Lawyers representing the criminal cops allege that “their clients became ensnared in a culture of corruption that was not only permitted, but encouraged by leaders within the sheriff's office.” If true, then a federal investigation – and likely more than a few exonerations of individuals victimized by this “Goon Squad” – are in order. Justice demands it.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

You won't believe it, but we have a solid piece from The Washington Post this week. Apart from that, we have many grievances with American news media regarding Trump's "anti-semitic" comments, The New York Times' take on disinformation, Mark Levin's plea to billionaires, and blaming the youth for their gloomy outlook. Wretch on! Time Stamps:  2:28 Front Page 46:36 Obsessions 58:46 Reader Mail  1:02:55 Favorite Items Show Notes: Bloomberg: Doug Emhoff Decries Trump Comments on Jewish Democrats WSJ: Trump Claims 2024 Will Be Rigged, Putting Republican Turnout at Risk WaPo: How a sleuth defense attorney and a disgruntled law partner damaged the Trump Georgia case Mediaite: Mark Levin Demands to Know Why Republican Billionaires Aren't Posting Trump's $454 Million Bond: 'This Is an Outrage' The Hill: Trump sues ABC and Stephanopoulos, alleging defamation over Mace interview  NYPost: Don Lemon demanded Tesla Cybertruck, $5M advance, equity in X before Elon Musk canned him: sources  The Hill: RBG Award organizers cancel gala after backlash from Supreme Court justice's family  Poynter: Gannett and McClatchy to drop The Associated Press. What does that mean? NYTimes: A New Chapter for Sports Illustrated, With Plans to Keep Print Reuters: Gloomy youth pull US and western Europe down global happiness ranking  WSJ: The Couples Embracing the DINK Label Obsessions: Semafor: ‘Very few have balls': How American news lost its nerve Business Insider: Facebook is reviving one of its earliest features after hiding it for years  NyTimes: How Trump's Allies Are Winning the War Over Disinformation  The Dispatch: Defund the Speech Police Favorite Items:  The Times: Evan Gershkovich's year in Russian jail: what it's like and how he copes  NYPost: Don Lemon wanted free ride on Elon Musk's rocket to host 'first podcast in space' as part of wild list of demands: sources If you have a story you want us to talk about, e-mail us at wretches@nebulouspodcasts.com. Sign Up for the Newsletter: https://nebulouspodcasts.com/shows/ink-stained-wretches Follow us on Instagram @InkStainedWretches

In this Better Satellite World podcast, recorded as a special bonus interview after of the February edition of the New York Space Business Roundtable, SSPI's Lou Zacharilla speaks with TIME Magazine reporter Vera Bergengruen. Vera recently returned from Ukraine where she reported on the nation's communication network, including satellites. Vera Bergengruen is a senior correspondent at TIME Magazine, based in the Washington, D.C. bureau. She covers the overlap of national security, politics, and technology. Her work at TIME has won the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi Award and a New York Press Club Award. Vera has over 10 years' experience as a Washington correspondent, having worked as a National White House and later Pentagon Correspondent for McClatchy and National Security Correspondent for BuzzFeed before joining TIME. She joined the New York Space Roundtable on February 21, 2024 to discuss the potential role of satellites and commercial space in bringing an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

After the trial, Graham makes an appeal for clemency to the governor. He presents evidence he was prevented from bringing forward at trial, including witnesses who place Willie at church at the time of the attack. He also has first-hand evidence casting doubt on Rosa's story. Excerpts from Graham's own handwritten appeal. ***** Bristow Marchant is the reporter on this podcast. It is a a production of The State and McClatchy, and produced by Loumay Alesali, Jennifer Molina, Kata Stevens, Hrisanthi Pickett and Joshua Boucher. Special thanks to Don Blount, Sarah Ellis and David Travis Bland.

What happens in a small Southern town after a lynching? Will Willie's killers be held accountable? The man accused of leading the lynch mob actually faces charges, but another Lexington trial has a very different focus and a different outcome than Willie Leaphart's. More than 130 years after Willie Leaphart's murder, a new legal case will take up the challenge of getting his initial rape conviction overturned. But even today, the challenges that come with correcting the injustice are steep. Can Willie ever get justice? ***** Bristow Marchant is the reporter on this podcast. It is a a production of The State and McClatchy, and produced by Loumay Alesali, Jennifer Molina, Kata Stevens, Hrisanthi Pickett and Joshua Boucher. Special thanks to Don Blount.

With Graham's appeal looking like it might succeed, some people in Lexington are getting very anxious. It culminates in a late-night attack on the Lexington jail where Willie is being held, and the young man meets a violent end at the hands of a lynch mob. This episode features first-hand accounts of the lynching itself. ***** Bristow Marchant is the reporter on this podcast. It is a a production of The State and McClatchy, and produced by Loumay Alesali, Jennifer Molina, Kata Stevens, Hrisanthi Pickett and Joshua Boucher. Special thanks to Don Blount, Jeff Wilkinson, Walter Edgar and Orry Lee.

A step back to look at the other characters in this story. The Union-sympathizing scalawag congressman who took young Rosa into his home, the pro-Jim Crow friend of a future governor who led the prosecution of Willie, and the secret letters and press speculation that call the story of that night into question, and the scandalous reason it can't be challenged. ***** Bristow Marchant is the reporter on this podcast. It is a a production of The State and McClatchy, and produced by Loumay Alesali, Jennifer Molina, Kata Stevens, Hrisanthi Pickett and Joshua Boucher. Special thanks to Don Blount, Jeff Wilkinson, Walter Edgar and Orry Lee.

Willie Leaphart was tried on a charge of raping a white woman just 25 years after the end of slavery. His judge, William Wallace, is a former Confederate general. There are warnings he may be lynched. George Graham is reluctantly appointed to be his attorney, but it does not go well. ***** Bristow Marchant is the reporter on this podcast. It is a a production of The State and McClatchy, and produced by Loumay Alesali, Jennifer Molina, Kata Stevens, Hrisanthi Pickett and Joshua Boucher. Special thanks to Don Blount, Sarah Ellis, David Travis Bland and Jeff Wilkinson.

A quiet church night in 1890 turns violent when 18-year-old Rosa Cannon reports being attacked and sexually assaulted by an intruder in her home. Suspicion very quickly falls on Willie Leaphart. But this individual story brings into sharp focus issues of race, class and power in 19th-century Lexington, SC. Rosa tells her own story of that night in an archival police statement. ***** Bristow Marchant is the reporter on this podcast. It is a a production of The State and McClatchy, and produced by Loumay Alesali, Jennifer Molina, Kata Stevens, Hrisanthi Pickett and Joshua Boucher. Special thanks to Don Blount, Sarah Ellis and Jeff Wilkinson.

SynopsisIt's a play both Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein wanted to make into an opera, but the playwright always said, “No.”We're talking about Our Town, by Thornton Wilder, a nostalgic but bittersweet look at life, love and death in Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, set in the early 1900s, complete with white picket fences, boy meets girl, and a drugstore soda counter.It wasn't until decades after Wilder's death in 1975 that the executor of the Wilder estate, after a long search for just the right composer for an Our Town opera, settled on Ned Rorem, and a libretto crafted by poet J.D. McClatchy, who also happened to be an authority on Wilder's works.Rorem was in his 80s when the opera premiered on today's date in 2006 at the Opera Theater at the Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana.The New York Times thought the resulting opera was a success, writing, “Our Town opens with a hymn, and Rorem retained and refracted the familiar melody, turning pat modulations slightly bitter, as if the music were heard through a lens of nostalgia that turned it sepia. This nostalgia proved a hallmark of the score.”Music Played in Today's ProgramNed Rorem (b. 1923): Opening, from Our Town; Monadnock Music; Gil Rose, cond. New World 80790

Strong atmospheric river forecasted this week. Also, an empowerment center for human trafficking survivors opens in Sacramento. Finally, Will Rogers' great-granddaughter discusses “The Legacy of the Cherokee Kid.” Atmospheric River Arrives This Week After a few days of mild, spring-like weather, Northern California is poised to take a direct hit from an atmospheric river ramping up off the coast. Along with the rain, it is forecasted to be gusty and potentially dangerous wind - which has the potential to knock out power and cause property damage. Joining us today to walk us through the timing of the storms is National Weather Service Sacramento meteorologist, Jeffrey Wood. Empowerment Center for Human Trafficking Survivors (3SGF) works to create a world free from human trafficking. The nonprofit is set to open The Table in downtown Sacramento– an empowerment center for survivors of human trafficking and those at risk of exploitation. Ashlie Bryant is the President & CEO 3Strands Global Foundation. Kaitlyn DiCicco is Vice President Survivor Services. And Kristi Merrill is a Survivor Leader Advocate. They join Insight to discuss how The Table will provide services for survivors and at-risk youth - ranging from basic needs, to mental health support, career workshops, and childcare. Will Rogers Presentation at C.K. McClatchy High School A presentation this weekend in Land Park will focus on one of the Cherokee Nation's most famous citizens. “Will Rogers: The Legacy of the Cherokee Kid,” will be presented by family representative and Will Rogers' great-granddaughter Jennifer Rogers-Etcheverry at C.K. McClatchy High School on Saturday, Feb. 3 from 2-4 p.m. Jennifer and Mike Webb, Cultural Center Chair for Cherokees of Northern Central Valley, join Insight to talk about Will Rogers' life and legacy, as well as how the presentation ties into the CNCV's larger cultural education efforts - for both Cherokee and non-Cherokee people alike.

Ralph welcomes leaders from two grassroots groups advocating against the war on Gaza. First, from Tel Aviv, we are joined by Ido Setter of “Standing Together” a movement aimed at mobilizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel in pursuit of peace, equality, and social and climate justice. Then, here in America, Stefanie Fox, executive director of Jewish Voice For Peace, reports on their work taking action in Congress, on the streets, and in the press to stop the ongoing genocide in Gaza.Ido Setter works on Standing Together's digital mobilization team. Standing Together is a grassroots movement mobilizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel in pursuit of peace, equality, and social and climate justice.For the last two decades, the Israeli government and Israel as a state didn't offer any kind of hope for the Palestinian. There wasn't another serious peace process, no serious talks, and basically the Israeli government said to Palestinians, “Listen, this is how things are going to be. Deal with it.” And when you don't offer any hope, people will go to extreme places. So what happened on October 7th was, of course, a strategic collapse. But it was also an accumulation of the past two decades, where Israel didn't think that moving forward with a peace treaty or some kind of a peace agreement with the Palestinian people was an imperative.Ido SetterNothing stays on one side of the border. Everything that happens on the Palestinian side of the border eventually comes back to the Israeli side of the border… We need to stop right now what's happening at the current moment in Gaza, have compassion, and move in the opposite direction that Benjamin Netanyahu and his hawkish government is trying to lead us.Ido SetterStefanie Fox is Executive Director of Jewish Voice for Peace, which is one of the largest Jewish anti-Zionist organizations in the world.There is a large and growing community of faith leaders, of rabbis, of synagogues, of many, many Jews who are working to build a Judaism liberated from Zionism. And so there's probably 10 synagogues across the country that are anti- or non-Zionist. There are dozens of independent spiritual communities we call Chavurot that are connected (or not) to Jewish Voice for Peace. There's a burgeoning and growing movement to fight for the soul of Judaism, to fight for the future of our communities. And we have millennia of Jewish tradition—that predate the founding of the state of Israel and the movement of political Zionism—to lean on and to extend into a future where we are not bound up and made complicit in support for a genocidal ethno-state.Stefanie FoxThe term ‘semite' comes out of 19th century scientific racism. It's not really something in any moment in history that anybody has actually used to describe themselves. It's only a racist term. And so, the term ‘antisemitism' does refer to the bigotry and discrimination that emerged out of that racist classification system. And at its root it comes from the same white supremacy in which anti Palestinian racism and erasure and Zionism itself were born… And of course, antisemitism is real. There's real hatred and bigotry and discrimination against Jews. The point is that antisemitism and white supremacy and Zionism emerge from the same root of exclusionary ethno-nationalist racialized state building.Stefanie FoxIn order for [President Biden and the US Congress] not to ask for a ceasefire, they are engaged in hostilities now—the U.S. that is—against the Houthis in Yemen. They are bombing in Iraq and Syria. It's quite a price the U.S. is paying…because if there were a ceasefire, there'd be no Houthi assailing of shipping in the Red Sea. There would be no missiles with Hezbollah in Lebanon.Ralph NaderIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 1/24/241. Just Foreign Policy reports that there is dissent brewing among Obama foreign policy alumni regarding President Biden's air war on the Yemeni Houthis. Former Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, considered Obama's foreign policy guru, called the campaign “a dangerous escalation,” and further stated "We have no legal basis to be doing that.” Rhodes, joined by former National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor, are thus aligned with the dozens of groups – including the Friends Committee on National Legislation, the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, and World BEYOND War, among many others – which signed a letter calling for an end to the campaign. Representative Ro Khanna, writing in the Nation, argues that “President Biden has both the constitutional obligation and a political imperative to seek congressional authorization for proposed hostilities,” but is quick to note that “ it is…not too late to pursue a more effective approach…which happens to be wildly popular with voters—regional diplomacy and statesmanship.” Asked "Are the airstrikes in Yemen working?" President Biden himself replied “are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they gonna continue? Yes," per Just Foreign Policy.2. Following Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's statement ruling out a two-state solution, more Senate Democrats are warming up to the idea of imposing conditions on military aid to Israel. Yahoo! News reports that 18 Senate Democrats now support “an amendment that would require that any country receiving funding in the supplemental [aid package] use the money in accordance with U.S. law, international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict,” with five Senators – Tina Smith, Tammy Baldwin, Laphonza Butler, Jon Ossoff, and Raphael Warnock – adding their names after Netanyahu's comments, per Jewish Insider. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been non-committal, with the Times of Israel reporting that he said “the Democratic caucus is still discussing the best way forward, regarding conditioning aid to Israel.”3. The Huffington Post reports controversial Biden Middle East advisor Brett McGurk may have earned a target on his back from Congressional Progressives. A draft letter from Congressional Democrats to Biden demanding McGurk's resignation is already circulating, with sources saying frustration with McGurk “has reached a boiling point.” McGurk's signature Middle East policy has been his attempted marriage of Israel and Saudi Arabia, even going so far as to push “U.S. officials to tie the future of the Palestinian enclave of Gaza to the prospective Saudi-Israel deal.” Other officials, speaking anonymously, called the plan “delusionally optimistic.” However, while Progressives may well claim McGurk's political scalp, some worry that he could become a scapegoat for administration-wide policy on Palestine.4. Harvard, caving to attacks from the likes of Larry Summers and billionaire Bill Ackman, has established an “Antisemitism taskforce.” However, this has not stopped the bad-faith attacks on the university, with that same coterie now alleging that the co-chair of the task force – Professor of Jewish History Derek J. Penslar – is insufficiently Zionist, per the Crimson. Penslar has previously signed a letter stating “‘Israel's long-standing occupation' of Gaza [has] resulted in a ‘regime of apartheid,'” and rejects the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which includes anti-Zionism. Summers wrote that Penslar is “unsuited” to lead the task force; meanwhile the American Academy for Jewish Research writes “Professor Penslar is a prolific scholar with a stellar international reputation, whose numerous books address the historical development of many of the topics raising rancor at our universities today: antisemitism, Zionism, Jews and the military, and the history of Israel.” Responding to Summers, Professor Steven Levitsky, who is Jewish, said “Larry Summers…is not representative of a majority of Jews at Harvard,” adding “That guy is batshit crazy — and you can quote me on that.”5. U.S. District Judge William Young has blocked the planned merger of Spirit Airlines and Jetblue Airways, arguing the acquisition would “‘substantially lessen competition' in violation of the Clayton Act, which ‘was designed to prevent anticompetitive harms for consumers,'” per the Hill. President Biden praised the decision in a statement, saying “Today's ruling is a victory for consumers everywhere who want lower prices and more choices. My Administration will continue to fight to protect consumers and enforce our antitrust laws.” The Department of Justice has been fighting this merger since March 2023.6. The New Republic reports “Earlier this month, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released an explosive report documenting that Donald Trump's businesses pocketed at least $7.8 million in payments from foreign governments during his presidency.” Yet, House Democrats are powerless to subpoena witnesses to further investigate this report because Republicans hold the majority. Ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Jamie Raskin, has been pushing Senate Democrats – who hold the gavels in that chamber – to issue subpoenas. Yet these Senate Democrats have hesitated to do so. We urge these powerful Democratic committee chairs to use their subpoena power. The American people deserve to know if their president profited from foreign dealings at their expense.7. Public Citizen reports “the [Consumer Financial Protection Bureau] plans to crack down on banks charging ridiculous overdraft fees. Their proposal would cap overdraft fees at $3 and close the loophole that allows banks to take advantage of Americans who are already struggling.” CFPB Director Rohit Chopra is quoted saying “Decades ago, overdraft loans got special treatment to make it easier for banks to cover paper checks that were often sent through the mail…Today, we are proposing rules to close a longstanding loophole that allowed many large banks to transform overdraft into a massive junk fee harvesting machine." According to the CFPB's statement, “The proposed rule would apply to insured financial institutions with more than $10 billion in assets… The CFPB estimates that this rule may save consumers $3.5 billion or more in fees per year.”8. California Senate candidate Barbara Lee has picked up the endorsement of the statewide McClatchy editorial board, including major Golden State papers like the Sacramento Bee. In their announcement of the endorsement, the Bee wrote “Barbara Lee stood out from the rest. Her independence, her perseverance in fighting for the underdog and her life experiences set her apart.” Confirming this assessment, just this week Congresswoman Lee was kicked out of a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on Cuba for arguing in favor of normalizing diplomatic relations.9. The National Labor Relations Board has filed a complaint against Trader Joe's for the company's attempted union busting. Based on a 2022 unfair labor practice charge, the complaint alleges the company shuttered their New York City wine store in order to avoid impending unionization, in addition to “subject[ing] employees to interrogation, threaten[ing] to cut their benefits and [telling] them deciding to join a union would be ‘futile,'” Grocery Dive reports. The United Food and Commercial Workers union praised the decision, writing “Trader Joe's shamelessly and illegally engaged in union busting to scare Trader Joe's workers across the region and stop these workers from having a voice on the job. We applaud the NLRB's decision …and look forward to holding Trader Joe's accountable for their egregious anti-worker behavior.” Possible remedies the board could utilize include compelling the company to reopen the store.10. Finally, he Intercept reports Republicans Glen Grothman and Marco Rubio have put forward a bill to provide pensions to citizens who worked for Air America. But just what was Air America? The generically named airline was in fact a CIA cutout which “has been accused of running weapons and even…drugs in Southeast Asia.” The faux airline also played a key role in the CIA's operations in Laos and Cambodia, among the darkest chapters in American covert ops history. Tim Weiner, author of Legacy of Ashes told the Intercept “The whole point of Air America was to kill Communists.” Ironically, as the piece points out, these are the same Republicans who decry the so-called “deep state.”This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Join Chuck Warren and Sam Stone on this episode of Breaking Battlegrounds as they dive deep into the dynamics of the upcoming political battles with , host of the "Too Close to Call" podcast. With David's expert analysis and unique perspectives, the episode provides an in-depth analysis of how the Iowa caucus could significantly influence the trajectories of major political contenders. Don't miss this deep dive into the key aspects and potential outcomes of the Iowa caucus. And be sure to stay tuned for Kiley's Corner as we explore two chilling cases: the discovery of three bodies on Tuesday night in a Kansas City backyard and the shocking unearthing of over 215 bodies found buried behind a jail in Jackson, Mississippi.Connect with us:www.breakingbattlegrounds.voteTwitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_BattleFacebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegroundsInstagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegroundsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds-About our guest is the host of Too Close Too Call podcast. He is a Washington-based political writer ready to feed your political appetite but also challenge you on some of life's larger quandaries. He has written for McClatchy, The Atlantic, U.S. News & World Report & Politico. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com

On this week-in-review, Crystal is joined by Washington State government reporter for McClatchy, Shauna Sowersby! Crystal and Shauna recount the terrifying details of a hole blowing out the side of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 midflight, the response by Alaska Airlines, and what steps the National Transportation Safety Board is taking to get to the bottom of the incident. They then shift gears and discuss Inslee's final State of the State address, the start of the Washington state legislative session, and how $700k has been spent by the State Transportation Department on boulders to discourage homeless from returning to encampments. Finally, Crystal wraps up with a rundown of a Seattle City Council staff shakeup less than a week into new Council President Sara Nelson's term. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, Shauna Sowersby at @Shauna_Sowersby.   Shauna Sowersby Shauna Sowersby was a freelancer for several local and national publications before joining McClatchy's northwest newspapers covering the Legislature. Before that, Shauna worked for the US Navy as a photographer and journalist.   Resources RE-AIR: Evaluating the Role of Incarceration in Public Safety with Criminologist Damon Petrich from Hacks & Wonks   “Alaska, United find loose hardware during inspection of 737 MAX 9s” by Dominic Gates from The Seattle Times   “When Alaska flight 1282 blew open, a mom went into ‘go mode' to protect her son” by Dominic Gates from The Seattle Times   “NTSB focus on Boeing, Spirit assembly work after Alaska Airlines blowout” by Dominic Gates from The Seattle Times   “‘The strongest state in the nation': Gov. Jay Inslee delivers State of the State address” by Shauna Sowersby from The News Tribune   “Leading WA lawmakers give media a rundown on their 2024 legislative priorities” by Shauna Sowersby from The News Tribune   “Washington taxpayers paid nearly $700,000 for boulders to deter return to encampments” by Shauna Sowersby from The Olympian   “Major Staff Shakeup Marks Sara Nelson's First Week as Council President” by Erica C. Barnett from PubliCola   Find stories that Crystal is reading here   Listen on your favorite podcast app to all our episodes here   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. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Tuesday topical show and Friday week-in-review delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. If you missed our Tuesday topical show, we re-aired my robust conversation with criminologist Damon Petrich about the ineffectiveness of incarceration. We hope everyone listens as the pressure to double down on the punitive status quo intensifies. Today, we are continuing our Friday week-in-review shows where we review the news of the week with a co-host. Welcome back to the program, friend of the show, today's co-host: Washington State government reporter for McClatchy, Shauna Sowersby. Hello. [00:01:24] Shauna Sowersby: Hi, Crystal - thanks for having me on again. [00:01:27] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely - thanks for coming on. We have a lot to discuss. I think this week we will start with what has been dominating the news and is quite concerning to many. And that is what has followed from the Alaska Airlines flight that had a door plug basically fall off during a flight and cause a rapid depressurization, forced the plane to return back to Portland - it was on its way to Ontario, California. And my goodness, so much has happened in the aftermath. What happened in this incident? [00:02:06] Shauna Sowersby: Yeah, so what it appears like - kind of after the fact, after they've been given a few days to kind of look this over - was that, I believe, one of the theories is that the plug was not properly, the door plug was not properly put into place. They're not aware if it was even screwed down completely to begin with, if those screws were even there at all, or what's going on. But it sounds like a lot of those - if not most of those - flights have now been grounded so that they can kind of inspect that issue a little bit more. [00:02:37] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, so all of the 737 MAX 9 aircraft have been grounded by the FAA. Initially, Alaska announced that they were going to ground them pending a maintenance inspection, which they had started and had already said - Hey, a couple of the inspections had already been complete, we're ready to fly again. The FAA actually stepped in and said - No, we're actually going to ground these - or the NTSB stepped in and said - We're going to ground them, we want a robust inspection. And they have decided to do that. And they actually don't have a time for return yet from that grounding - and they've learned more. The nature of airplanes, airlines, as they're constructed, is it's not just Boeing. Boeing has subcontractors and suppliers that are also responsible for part of the assembly. And in this situation, Spirit AeroSystems, based out of Wichita, Kansas, is the subcontractor that is responsible for installing this door plug. And then Boeing in Renton is responsible for the final inspection of the component before sealing it behind installation and the sidewall. Dominic Gates of The Seattle Times is their aerospace reporter and has done a number of articles on this - useful to follow him and his reporting if you want to stay on top of this. But it just really seems, just like you said, that it seems pretty obvious that this was not installed correctly. Both United and Alaska in their inspections have found multiple problems associated with this door plug installment - whether it's loose bolts, some bolts or some hardware that may not be in the right place or missing - they just don't know what's happening. And this causes a lot of questions about the quality control of both Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems. [00:04:27] Shauna Sowersby: Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, all of this, too, is just so harrowing. I know you and I, before the show started, were kind of talking about the folks who didn't show up for that flight. I believe Dominic also wrote the article about - from the mother's perspective, who had to hold on to her child as the flight was trying to land an emergency landing. So yeah, I mean, this stuff - I'm glad that they grounded everything when they did. My own daughter actually had a flight out Saturday by herself, after Friday night had happened, on an Alaska flight. So we were kind of holding our breath for that and really glad to see the news Saturday morning that they had grounded all of those flights, but still - not something people want to be thinking about before they're boarding their flights. [00:05:15] Crystal Fincher: Not something people want to be thinking about and also just another unpleasant incident for Boeing after their previous quite lengthy grounding of MAX airliners - following that software error that led to fatal crashes that took quite some time to fix. And kind of ironically, Boeing was also seeking a safety exemption for that other plane - had just requested it within hours of this incident happening on this type of plane. So there's still - looks like quite a lot to be determined, looks like the NTSB in its preliminary findings are really focusing on Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems. There was a question about an indicator light saying, you know, there may be something going on with the depressurization system that Alaska Airlines chose to - they followed up on, they saw it, they didn't seem like they quite got to the root cause of what it was, but they said - Okay, so we won't send these planes on long haul flights, we won't send them over water so that if anything happens, they'll be able to get to an airport quickly. Which on one hand, some people said, Why are they flying it at all? And on the other hand, people said, Well, that may have actually saved some lives, depending. One thing that is absolutely clear is it's fortunate this depressurization happened at the relatively low altitude that it did - at 16,000 feet, instead of much higher up, which could have had this wind up being a very, very different and much more tragic story - if it would have depressurized at a much higher altitude or typical cruising altitude. And just more questions surrounding even Boeing and their training and preparation for this aircraft. One of the findings was, occurrences that happened was that when the depressurization happened, the cockpit door flew open, which Boeing says - Well, it's designed to do that, that's supposed to happen. The pilots didn't know that. No one on the plane knew that. And that also caused a checklist - this is important information that the pilots are dealing with - to just fly out of the cabin. So they're down information, trying to manage an emergency, one of the pilots' headset fell off or was sucked off as that happened. Yeah, so I mean, this was a harrowing thing. Very, very happy that the injuries that did occur were relatively minor. But it does seem like it was a really traumatic experience. As you said, that article detailing the mother having to basically hold on to her son whose shirt and headphones had been sucked off. And then basically her seatmate holding on to her, as she's holding on to her son. The flight attendants - because of how they were positioned and the noise and everything - they knew that there was a depressurization, but they didn't actually really know that there was a gaping hole in the plane, which also delayed them getting to help this mom and her son. And she's staring out at the ground 16,000 feet below, trying to hold on to her kid - just, I can't even imagine. But this has certainly caused me to feel uncomfortable about flying on these MAX planes and just wondering - Okay, so they're inspecting all of this. Well, are they inspecting everything on the planes? Because I think there's a lot of people questioning - this is a quality control issue. What else may be escaping their attention? So I do hope that we do get to the bottom of this. It does seem like the NTSB generally does very thorough investigations and inspections. They seem like they're being cautious and just their plan to deal with this - making Boeing revise their safety materials and warnings for pilots and airlines to reflect the reality of the situation that we know now. So this is quite challenging, but also - looking at having potential regional economic effects again. What does this mean for Boeing, who's one of our region's largest employers? What does this mean for Alaska Airlines, and potentially United, having to cancel a lot of flights? Just a lot of questions. But there has to be absolute confidence in the safety of air travel or else everything unravels from there. So we'll see how this continues to unfold. [00:09:27] Shauna Sowersby: Yeah, I'm really curious to know what's going on internally at Boeing right now. And, you know, if we're actually going to see any action on that front in the coming weeks as well. [00:09:40] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. And it does seem like Boeing initially is taking a little bit different of, is operating a little bit differently in the beginning of this challenge that it did initially in the beginning of the last MAX issue challenge. They seem to be stressing that they plan to be transparent, that they plan to be accessible, that they're trying to support their partner airlines, saying that they know they need to get this right and rebuild trust. So it is a different stance that hopefully, I mean, after learning how seemingly trying to cover things up or discount things before did not turn out that well. And that this is a real crisis. So yeah, we'll see how everyone approaches this and what the findings continue to uncover. [00:10:28] Shauna Sowersby: I will be looking forward to it. [00:10:30] Crystal Fincher: As will I. Well, here in the state of Washington - as we start a new year, not only is there a new start of the legislative session, which just convened, but also we get our annual State of the State from Jay Inslee, who has announced that he's in his final term. He will not be running, he is not running for reelection. What did he have to say in his State of the State address? [00:10:55] Shauna Sowersby: Yeah, it seemed to me like Inslee really wanted to highlight his last - he mentioned that this was his 11th State of the State that he's given, this will be his last one as governor. And so I - this one seemed to be highlighting a lot of the things that he believes are wins for Washington state. The one that comes to the top of my head is the regional training centers for law enforcement officials that they had opened out in Pasco - so to him, that's a really big issue. He mentioned climate issues, of course - talking about the CCA [Climate Commitment Act] and being proud of that work. Also brought up housing from last year and all the bills that were passed to increase the supply of housing. So he just kind of went through all the things over the last three terms that he's been in that he believes the state has done really well. [00:11:49] Crystal Fincher: What was the reaction to his State of the State address, both by lawmakers in his party who are Democrats and by Republicans? [00:11:58] Shauna Sowersby: Yeah, I would say the Democrats are cautiously optimistic, it seems like. I would say - well, Laurie Jinkins did say that she is very optimistic. But, you know, it seems like some of the other ones are a little bit more cautiously optimistic about the things that Inslee is saying. Republicans - Jerry Cornfield asked them a question the other day, because he felt like they were kind of focusing too negatively on on issues. So he's like - Is there anything nice that you do have to say? And it seemed like there was kind of a struggle to come up with that, as they were listing out all these kind of other issues that they were bringing up - public safety and things of that nature. [00:12:41] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, it'll be interesting. There are going to be a number of ballot initiatives that they're gearing up for that are going to be on the ballot. So they are certainly in a critical mood and are trying to ride that all the way through to November. But there are - agree with them or disagree with them - there have been some major landmark achievements under Jay Inslee. One of the biggest and most recent is the Climate Commitment Act, the CCA, which is raising quite a bit of money from pricing carbon, basically - trading credits that are trying to cap emissions and have that money be reinvested in policies and infrastructure that helps to do the same. We'll see how that turns out to be, what the results and progress of that are as we get more reporting and tracking of what's going on - but certainly a lot of cause for optimism, a lot of opportunity to make some significant investments and movements towards decarbonization, reducing pollution, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Talking about public safety - that center that had been opened - as many municipalities talk about wanting to accelerate hiring and recruitment of police and sheriffs. This adds to the capacity to do that. We've talked about it before, but some people don't know there's quite a bit of lead time - once you hire an officer, it's not like you hire them today, they're on the street tomorrow. They do have to go through a training, quite extensive training, policies and procedures. And so it can be and often is a year plus from the time that they're hired to the time that they are actively on - working for a police or sheriff's department - so that expanding capacity. Talked about mental health treatment and support there, expanding capacity. There have also been some challenges in those areas, which I definitely saw Republicans point out. But kind of as you saw him wrapping up his final State of the State, did you see him trying to - was he contending with what he might view as his legacy or what he wanted to leave people with? How did you read this final State of the State address from Inslee? [00:15:02] Shauna Sowersby: Yeah, I would say it was kind of exactly that. Like, hey, here's this reminder. Look at all of these things that I've done over the course of the last 11 years, 12 years. I feel like it definitely was written in such a way, or given in such a way, that it was to check all the boxes, show off all the things that he's done - understandably. There were a lot of good things that have been done, so why not show them off, I guess? [00:15:29] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. He also did say that he saw two grave threats in the US and the state - one to just the basic tenets of democracy, part of the larger conversation. The other is about reproductive rights and women having reproductive choice - and called on the legislature to enshrine reproductive protections in the State Constitution this session, something that did not get passed last year. So we will see if they decide to heed that call this session or not. What do you see as the prospects for that? [00:16:07] Shauna Sowersby: Well, Republicans have already stated that they are not on board with this idea at all. I think that's - it seems pretty unanimous across both Republican caucuses in the Senate and the House that it's just not going to happen. They believe that there's other issues that need to be taken care of. They - one of the things they always go to is - There's no threat to it here in Washington, it's already protected. Why would we need this additional measure? So they have very clearly stated that there is no appetite in their parties to pass this. And since this would be a constitutional amendment, it would require some Republican votes there as well. [00:16:49] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely. Well, we talk about there being no threat, but we continue to see a number of Supreme Court cases that do have the potential to impact what we're doing here in the state and what's happening in other states - increasing demand, restricting capacity for what we're doing here in Washington state and what women have access to. So we will continue to follow along with that and see. But as you've been covering and have been talking about, our legislative session did start. There have been a couple of availabilities talking about priorities in this session. What are Democrats and Republicans saying are their priorities for this legislative session? [00:17:29] Shauna Sowersby: Yeah, it seems like everybody is on board with behavioral health and continuing that progress from last year. Of course, housing is on the docket for both parties. And what was it - even just on Monday, they already passed Rep. Barkis' lot-splitting bill off the House floor. So, you know, huge appetite to continue that work, it looks like. Public safety is another thing that I keep hearing from both parties, although I will say it seems like it's coming more from the Republicans than it is the Democrats. And those are some of the major issues I can think of kind of off of the top of my head. I know that the ballot initiatives from Let's Go Washington will also have, could have a major impact this year, too, on what the legislature decides to do once those are certified. They've talked about how they'll deal with them as they come to them. But that's also something - they need to need to watch out for as well. [00:18:31] Crystal Fincher: So when we talk about housing - obviously, there was some pretty significant action and movement on housing last session. What specifically are they talking about trying to accomplish this session? [00:18:44] Shauna Sowersby: Well, I will tell you that it doesn't seem like - this more pertains to rental housing - rent stabilization has come up and they've been asked about this many times. And so I know that that's been a really big issue for a lot of folks. And a lot of folks are really curious in this - and it doesn't seem like that one is going to get passed anytime soon. But in terms of housing, Representative Melanie Morgan introduced a bill to create a centralized Department of Housing in Washington state, so I thought that that was a pretty interesting idea. Trying to think - the lot-splitting bill was the other one that comes to mind. [00:19:23] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, it'll be interesting. And just as you continue to talk about - as you mentioned, addressing behavioral health needs and needing to dramatically expand capacity, in addition to expanding the labor force that is available. There are shortages in providers and workers in that arena and that needing to be addressed there. So that is an area where there does seem to be bipartisan recognition that action is needed in that area. What that ultimately turns out to be - we will see - but it is basically at crisis levels, most people are acknowledging, and needing to happen there. Housing and homelessness are still there. There seems to be a lot of the back and forth that we've been hearing in a lot of localities about what is the right approach, criticism of trying to double down on failed policies for many. But we will - we'll see what happens there. Transportation is another area that that you covered there - lots of major projects that have skyrocketing costs. The ferry system struggling, and what to do about that, are major issues. What have you heard in those areas? [00:20:41] Shauna Sowersby: Well, definitely in terms of ferries, it does not seem like either the Democrats or the Republicans feel very optimistic in that area. I'm trying to think of what - one of the quotes I heard the other day, but it was like, you know, if you're expecting anything anytime soon, don't. This is stuff that is going to be in the works for quite a while. We are - obviously, as I'm sure you're familiar with, there's been a lot of issues with our ferries in the last several months - you're hearing news stories about them getting grounded, all sorts of things, so I think that that is going to be, will continue to be a very serious issue that needs to be addressed. And it doesn't seem like that'll happen anytime soon. [00:21:33] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, that is going to be a challenge. I think you did report that most lawmakers don't have an appetite for delaying any of the outrageously expensive and growing more expensive transportation projects. You know, a lot of highway projects are what we're looking at there. So it looks like they will find the money from somewhere - and where that comes from, we will see. But yeah, just a lot on their docket and a lot to keep track of. Session has just gotten underway. Early action, early hearings are underway. But we will see what continues to unfold there and we'll continue to follow your reporting. Also wanted to talk about another story of yours this week, talking about - my goodness, Washington taxpayers have paid nearly $700,000 for boulders to deter a return to encampments by people who had been cleared out. What is going on? [00:22:33] Shauna Sowersby: That is a good question. I live here in Olympia, and so I was just driving by the former encampment on Sleater Kinney a couple months ago, and I noticed how many boulders there are. I mean, it's massive - I don't know if you've seen it anytime soon. But it got me really curious. I just wanted to know what was going on. And so yeah, had a conversation with WSDOT about it - one encampment at Sleater Kinney, the one that I had mentioned, that one alone is $643,000 just for the boulder placement, transportation, and all that stuff. So yeah, this is - it shocked me whenever I heard that number, and whenever I added up all the numbers that they had given me and everything to total nearly $700,000 just for boulder placement in three areas. [00:23:27] Crystal Fincher: I mean, it's wild, it's frustrating. As we've talked about several times on this program - fundamentally, at its core, homelessness is a housing problem. The one thing that every homeless person has in common, the cause of being homeless is not having a house. There are things that can contribute as factors. There are oftentimes, you know, being homeless is so hard that it often exacerbates other factors or other risks that were there before. But we seem to be spending money on everything but getting people into housing. And spending so much money on things that are not helping move people into housing. And to think that we're investing in literal rocks - $700,000 in rocks - to say, Don't come back, does not alleviate the problem of homelessness. We basically - we know that if we clear an encampment without also helping people into shelter or housing, that they just move to a different place. We're relocating the problem, we aren't solving it. And to spend $700,000 in a basically relocation effort doesn't seem like the best investment to me. Did this strike the people you were talking to as a large expenditure? Did they seem like - Well, this is just what we needed to do? Was there any kind of thought or reflection on that? [00:24:57] Shauna Sowersby: Yeah, I actually posed that question to WSDOT because I was curious too. I'm like, this - people might be startled by this number, right? Like, what do you think of this? And she acknowledged - Kris Abrudan - she acknowledged that it is quite an expense, but stressed the need to have something like that in place to prevent people from returning to encampments. I asked the same question to Governor Inslee at a press conference. I asked him - if he thought that that was a good thing to invest in. And it was sort of the same response - I was actually a little surprised by Inslee's response, especially since he's kind of been on the forefront of wanting to create so much housing and help homeless folks and stuff, but his response to say - Oh well, the neighbors like it being there, they like having those boulders there because it means people won't return. I just was a little surprised by his response in that instance. [00:26:00] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, I mean - and wow, you know what a good way to get people not to return to the site of an encampment would be - would be like providing them housing. They wouldn't return if they had a place to actually live. And how much could $700,000 go towards making that possible? That is not a small amount of money. That could do a lot, not just for the plain old housing costs or even, you know, if it was temporary shelter hotel. But to move towards permanent housing - for some supportive services, assistance, coordination - it just seems like such an expensive waste to me personally. But I really appreciate your reporting on this because it does take understanding what we are contending with, with the issue on the table - what's being proposed and done currently to address it, and going, Is that working? And is this the wisest expenditure of money? I certainly hope that more people would figure out ways to - instead of spending money on eco-blocks, or on hostile architecture, on rocks, that we would take that money and do something that more meaningfully and permanently addresses the issue and gets people off of the street for good. And doesn't just keep them on the street, but just away from this specific area with some rocks - which also like are an eyesore to many people, like they're not cute. [00:27:30] Shauna Sowersby: I'm saying - thank you. Yes. I'm like, are we just gonna keep expanding rocks everywhere until, you know, there's no more room for anything. [00:27:40] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and it's a challenge. And also that we have to contend with these things. I mean, hostile architecture is the term for it - but these are in public spaces, these are in places that we all congregate at, drive by, are around, and it's not pleasant for the community. I'm sure some people will say - Well, encampments aren't pleasant either - and they certainly aren't for the people who are forced to live there because they have nowhere else to live. And I just think that we should focus on removing the pain from everyone and really sustainable solutions that try and address the root cause of the problem and not the symptoms of the problem, that ignoring addressing the root cause just continues to exacerbate. [00:28:26] Shauna Sowersby: Yeah. And not to mention, those are all being graffitied up and everything now, too. So if we're talking about an eyesore, you know, it's just progressively getting worse on that front. [00:28:38] Crystal Fincher: My goodness. Well, the final thing I wanted to talk about today is local to Seattle. We recently had the new city council sworn in. Sara Nelson selected as Council President - who is a conservative - or centrist, as they're calling themselves. And with this, the first action, one of the first actions that Sara Nelson took was to fire the head of Central Staff there, which was very concerning to a lot of people. With the amount of new councilmembers who, regardless of what your political leanings are - there's a lot to just understand if you've never held elective office before, you're coming in to a major city. To legislate, to be part of the city council - just how things work, understanding what the roles and responsibilities are, how to conduct yourself during meetings, what the status of projects underway and planned are, getting familiar with what is going to be in your portfolio on your committees. It really is a lot. You are drinking from the fire hose. And this is true for any new elected in any position, regardless of ideology. Just the job is daunting. And so there's a lot that needs to be caught up. Institutional knowledge is really important. People who understand why legislation was written a certain way, understand the consequences or ramifications of things that have been proposed, understand what stakeholdering went into different processes and what was done. This institutional knowledge - a lot of it walked out the door with a lot of the outgoing councilmembers. And with all these new ones, I think there's been broad agreement and reporting and discussions that while there's going to be a lot on their plates and, you know, having people who understand just how things work at the city is really important. When it comes to Central Staff, these are the people who support all of the councilmembers, who help to analyze and move legislation, who are working in this capacity. And Esther Handy is the person who was fired, but was largely credited for stabilizing that office when they took this position a few years back and just has done the job very well. Having competent people in those roles is very important for just the writing and passage of sound policy, across the whole portfolio of policy. And there was no performance reason given. It wasn't like they weren't doing their job. Sara Nelson said that she just didn't feel like, you know, just didn't like the supposed political leaning of Esther, which that doesn't seem to have ever been an issue before. These are nonpartisan positions. You know, was she performing the duties of the job? It seemed to catch, it absolutely did catch a lot of people by surprise. And really at a time when this kind of knowledge and stabilization is needed, was just viewed as really short-sighted. Certainly looks that way to me. And it looks like someone really wanting to say - It's a new day, there's a new sheriff in town. And, you know, this is, we're now doing this my way. So very new day there at the Seattle City Council. Hard to find a similar incidence of something like this happening in the city before. Certainly within offices, people in their own staffs, and people who know that they're in, you know, kind of positions attached to the elected - that happens, and it's unfortunate sometimes for the actual lives involved. But people are prepared for that, and that happens more often. But for this, this caught a lot of people off guard and was just like - Whoa. It looks like there's going to be a use of power in ways that we have not seen in recent memory here in the City of Seattle. [00:32:41] Shauna Sowersby: Yeah, it'll be interesting to see how - how else everything is affected moving forward. What else will be changed, too? [00:32:48] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, absolutely. And with that, we thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks on this Friday, January 12th, 2024. The producer of Hacks & Wonks is Shannon Cheng. Our insightful co-host today is Washington State government reporter for McClatchy, Shauna Sowersby. You can find Shauna on Twitter at @Shauna_Sowersby. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter at @HacksWonks. You can find me anywhere you want to find me at @finchfrii, with two I's at the end. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review shows and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave 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 podcast episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

Insight's best conversations of the year. We revisit interviews with two Sacramento-based Pulitzer-Prize winning editorial cartoonists– Jack Ohman and Darrin Bell. Jack Ohman  At 19 years old Jack Ohman became a nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist and, decades later, earned a Pulitzer Prize for the Sacramento Bee. For almost a decade, Jack's cartoons at the SacBee evoked a wide range of thoughts and emotions from readers about the politicians or events shaping our lives. But earlier this year, the Sacramento Bee's parent company “McClatchy” let go of Jack, along with other Pulitzer-Prize-winning editorial cartoonists saying it would no longer publish editorial cartoons. Insight sat down with Jack Ohman in July as he closed a chapter with the SacBee and opened up about his remarkable career, and point of view, that spans more than 40 years, and is far from over. Darrin Bell Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Darrin Bell is turning to his youth for his new graphic memoir “The Talk.” Bell grew up in Los Angeles in the ‘80s and ‘90s to a white mother and Black father, and through vulnerable illustrations he shares personal experiences that shaped his understanding of race and racism throughout his life, culminating into fatherhood and whether he and his son are ready to have “the talk.” Bell joined Insight in September about his career as an editorial cartoonist with syndicated comic strips, and a passion for graphic novels.

This episode is presented by Carolina Readiness Supply – Associate Opinion Editor at the McClatchy-owned Charlotte Observer, Ned "Stan" Barnett, looks at one metric to determine NC Democrats led a great COVID response. He conveniently ignores a host of other data that prove otherwise.  Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode we're joined by Joseph Bustos. Joseph is a state government and politics reporter at The State, a McClatchy-owned newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina. He's a 2005 graduate of Northwestern University who has previously been a reporter for 3 other papers. He's been with The State for 4 years and can be found on Twitter at @JoeBReporter.Joseph talked about a photojournalism class that served as a turning point for his journalistic skills. He explained his interest in government and politics and his approach to covering the Republican primary candidates and other South Carolina politicians. He gave us examples of his reporting and of what a day in the life is like on the beat, including where the adrenaline rush moments come from.Joseph's salutes: John Monk, The State and Nick Reynolds, Charleston Post & Courier.Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com, visit our website thejournalismsalute.org and Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com) or tweet us at @journalismpod. And find us on TikTok at @journalismsalute.

As a once-in-a-generation quarterback at Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., Armanti Edwards led the Mountaineers to FCS national championships in 2006 and 2007 as well as an extraordinary road win over then-No. 5 Michigan, often called the biggest upset in college football history. Lightly recruited out of Greenwood, S.C., Edwards would become the first two-time Walter Payton winner as the FCS National Player of the Year. He was also a four-time All-American and led App State to a 42-7 record as a starter. Edwards then became a third-round NFL draft pick by the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers employed Edwards from 2010 to 2013, trying to switch him from a star quarterback to wide receiver and punt returner with little success. That was a period where Edwards said he experienced “the darkest time in my football career.” In our "Sports Legends" interview he also discussed in detail for the first time the circumstances of his release from the Panthers in 2013. Edwards would then have a strong career as a wideout in the Canadian Football League, where he once played on a team that won the CFL's equivalent of the Super Bowl. He now lives in Charlotte with his wife and two children. Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Loumay Alesali, Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. Our interns on this production are Zoe Williams and Christina Silvestri. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steph Curry, the all-everything point guard for the Golden State Warriors, is still in the prime of his career and already a “Sports Legend of the Carolinas.” In this deeply personal retrospective, the eight-time All-Star, four-time NBA champ and two-time league MVP offers Scott Fowler never-before-heard details about Curry's high school career for the Charlotte Christian Knights; leading Davidson College to the Elite Eight in 2008 — and in the process, giving Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski a glimpse of the talent UNC and Duke never bothered to recruit; the challenges for Curry of following in the NBA footsteps of his famous father, Dell; the biggest wins of his own sterling career; and the one thing that could get Curry to leave Golden State. This special bonus episode of Sports Legends of the Carolinas is free for all listeners in its entirety. The episode is sponsored by Parker Poe, a law firm representing many of the Southeast's largest companies and local governments in business and real estate transactions, regulatory issues, and complex litigation. Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unit 99, first aired over ABC's KFBK Sacramento on August 23rd, 1957. The radio station was part of the McClatchy media empire along with The Sacramento Bee and other radio and TV stations, as well as newspapers in the Western U.S. The show was born from Jack Webb's Dragnet mode of realistic police portrayals, then furthered by shows like Night Watch which removed the script, followed actual officers, and made the drama real. Tony Kester directed the show under the auspices of the Sacramento police department. It featured Police Chief James B. Hicks as host and sergeant Dan Meredith recording his nightly police beat, interviewing witnesses of various crimes and police calls. Unit 99 ran until June 13th, 1958.

"....We need time to think. We need time to research, and we need time to be creative. And so that has to go into our calendar as well."Back in episode 42, Writer, speaker, and social media consultant Kathryn McClatchy provided ways to create realistic, achievable goals and put the right timeframes in place.  Over six months later, we're doing a re-assessing of yearly goals since we're both embarking on new stages of life.  Tag along as we chat ever-changing goals. No matter if you are looking to level up your business, writing, or hobbies, the conversation delves into linking identity with goals and how we manage the shift in our schedule and thinking. Connect with Kathryn:https://kathrynmcclatchy.com/Twitter: @KmmcclatchyInstagram: @kathrynmcclatchyFacebook: @KMMcClatchyTikTok: @kathrynmcclatchyAuthorpreneurs Unleashed PodcastAuthorpreneurs Unleashed (buzzsprout.com) ---------Resources Mentioned: * Atomic Habits by James Clearhttps://amzn.to/3Eo4EkT* Maya Shankarhttps://mayashankar.com/* Building a Second Brain by Tiago Fortehttps://amzn.to/3L8P8gE* The PARA Method by Tiago Fortehttps://amzn.to/3Z7qDpZ* The Bucket List https://amzn.to/482fCug* Trello - Project Management Apphttps://trello.com/* Asana - Platform for Cross-Functional Workhttps://asana.com/* Notion - Note taking Apphttps://www.notion.so/* Evernote - Note Taking Apphttps://evernote.com/---------The YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPcGXevs2NQk3Ab9OD66zuQSupport the Show:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/romancethestoryFind me below:Twitter - @RomancetheStoryInstagram - @RomancetheStoryFacebook - @RomancetheStoryMusic:Strawberry Flavor Love by Daystarhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMi0dxVgqvo Support the show

This week on Sports Legends of the Carolinas, Alex Zietlow interviews Coach Mike Krzyzewski, or Coach K. Mike Krzyzewski served as an astonishing basketball coach for 47 years and has impacted the game and this state forever. In his 42 years coaching the Blue Devils, he led the team to 5 national titles, 13 Final Fours and 1,202 wins — the most all-time. As if that was not enough, Coach K was Team USA's head basketball coach in three straight Olympic Games, earning gold medals every time, and he has a remarkable story attached to each and every one of his accomplishments. Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Loumay Alesali, Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. Our interns on this production are Christina Silvestri and Zoe Williams. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Context of White Supremacy welcomes Toriano Porter. An opinion writer and member of The Kansas City Star Editorial Board, Mr. Porter has received statewide, regional and national recognition for reporting since joining McClatchy in 2012. C.O.W.S. investor "Mama C" recently posted about one of the many incidents of White Terrorism in the "Show Me" state: "Kansas City, Missouri generates fodder for the True Crime TV.

Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist Jack Ohman worked for The Sacramento Bee until he and two other cartoonists were fired by McClatchy, the paper's owner, when they announced they were ceasing running political cartoons in their papers. In this podcast episode, Hear Michael's conversation with him from when he was let go, and then hear the special news that Jack is now drawing for Smerconish.com The Daily Newsletter! Original air dates 14 July and 26 July 2023.

On this week-in-review, Crystal is joined by Washington State government reporter for McClatchy, Shauna Sowersby! They discuss the failure of an anti-trans referendum campaign, a self-proclaimed white nationalist country musician playing at the Washington state capitol, new state laws going into effect, AG Ferguson continuing to avoid disclosing his donors, and another lawsuit filed against the Washington State Legislature for withholding public records under “legislative privilege.” The conversation continues with federal pandemic relief aid getting funneled into police surveillance technology, no-notice sweeps being ruled unconstitutional by King County Superior Court, and an audit showing that the Seattle Police Department could do more with existing resources to address organized retail crime. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, Shauna Sowersby at @Shauna_Sowersby. Shauna Sowersby Shauna Sowersby was a freelancer for several local and national publications before joining McClatchy's northwest newspapers covering the Legislature. Before that, Shauna worked for the US Navy as a photographer and journalist.   Resources “PRIMARY WEEK RE-AIR: Teresa Mosqueda, Candidate for King County Council District 8” from Hacks & Wonks   “PRIMARY WEEK RE-AIR: Becka Johnson Poppe, Candidate for King County Council District 4” from Hacks & Wonks   “PRIMARY WEEK RE-AIR: Sarah Reyneveld, Candidate for King County Council District 4” from Hacks & Wonks   “PRIMARY WEEK RE-AIR: Jorge Barón, Candidate for King County Council District 4” from Hacks & Wonks   “With referendum failure, WA just dodged a bullet of hype and hate” by Danny Westneat from The Seattle Times   “‘Heretic' group to offer unbaptisms at WA Capitol Campus” by Shauna Sowersby from The Olympian   “New Washington state laws go into effect Sunday. Here are some of the key ones” by Shauna Sowersby from The Olympian   “WA AG Bob Ferguson should come clean about donors” by The Seattle Times editorial board   “WA judge fines AG's office, DSHS in ‘cavalier' withholding of lawsuit evidence” by Jim Brunner from The Seattle Times   “New lawsuit alleges WA state Senators were ‘silently withholding' public records” by Shauna Sowersby from The Olympian   “Federal aid is supercharging local WA police surveillance tech” by Brandon Block from Crosscut   “Summary judgment in ACLU case could end ‘no-notice' sweeps in Seattle” by Tobias Coughlin-Bogue from Real Change   “Audit: Police Could Do More, Without Hiring Extra Cops, To Address Retail Theft Rings” by Erica C. Barnett from PubliCola   Find stories that Crystal is reading here   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. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Tuesday topical show and our Friday week-in-review delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen. In preparation for the primary election on next Tuesday, August 1st, we've been re-airing candidate interviews for the open City [County] Council seats all this week. Be sure to check them out if you're still deciding whom to vote for. Today, we are continuing our Friday week-in-review shows where we review the news of the week with a co-host. Welcome to the program for the first time, today's co-host: Washington state government reporter for McClatchy, Shauna Sowersby. Hello. [00:01:09] Shauna Sowersby: Hello, thanks for having me. [00:01:11] Crystal Fincher: I am so excited to have you on the show today. I think I told you before - followed your work for so long and your reporting has been really important for quite some time now, so very excited. To begin the conversation, we will start talking about the failure of a referendum for a piece of legislation that would benefit the trans community. What happened here? [00:01:35] Shauna Sowersby: During the State Legislature this year, there was a bill that was passed, 5599, that was sponsored by Senator Marko Liias. And that bill expanded a law that was already in place and included teenagers trying to seek gender-affirming care as well as abortion care. So it wasn't really a new law, it was just expanding on something that was already there - to try and protect these other factors that were involved. [00:02:04] Crystal Fincher: This is really about protecting populations within our homeless community. This is about shelters and whether shelters have to mandatorily divulge information, or if they wait to determine, or discriminate in any way. So it's not - as it was couched by some people - this is about medically intervening with youth, this is about intervening in family matters, or they wanna take people from your homes. This is about a population that's already unhoused and legislation that's trying to keep teens from really being vulnerable when they're homeless and out on the street with nowhere else to go, which is a very, very dangerous and harmful place to be. This became what a lot of people refer to as culture war stuff - is really what we're dealing with in this whole time now, where people are targeting trans people, trans rights, really the broader LGBTQ community in a lot of these situations. And anything that could potentially make life easier or just not as extraordinarily difficult for trans people in things that they may be dealing with. There are a lot of LGBTQ youth that get kicked out of their homes for that reason - and so if they are there, or people who are seeking abortion care - that can't be a reason for someone to be turned away or submitting information, divulging information to other people. Basically just protecting them like we protect everyone else. But I was happy to see, personally, that this referendum failed. And I think it's just another statement that overall - we don't play that, we don't do that in Washington. Certainly these elements are active, but they are nowhere near the majority of community and we need to keep making sure people know and understand that and make that visible. [00:03:44] Shauna Sowersby: And I just wanted to point out, too, that it failed by a lot - I think it was like 5,000 signatures or something that it failed by. So I don't think it had quite as much support as the writers of that referendum had intended. [00:03:57] Crystal Fincher: When you look at the facts of what is and isn't happening and why, and what gender-affirming care means in the context of the broader community - it's got broad meanings. People who are not even trans access that all the time. It's not a controversial thing. This is not really about kids. This was an attack on the entire community and an attempt to claw back rights. [00:04:17] Shauna Sowersby: And I think the Danny Westneat article in The Seattle Times brought up a really good point too. This wasn't even an issue until gender and reproductive rights got brought into the mix. It wasn't a problem before that. These two things are very popular topics throughout the country right now. [00:04:35] Crystal Fincher: I also wanna talk about a self-proclaimed Christian nationalist country musician playing at the Washington State Capitol. What went on? [00:04:43] Shauna Sowersby: He'll be there Friday the 28th. There was a Rolling Stone article that came out a while ago about him. He was open about being a white nationalist - seemed to be proud of the fact that he is a white nationalist country musician. So he'll be there at the Capitol with Turning Point USA, which I'm sure a lot of folks listening might be familiar with. But the House of Heretics will be there and they will be doing unbaptisms and gender affirming rituals. I believe one of their quotes was something like they wanted whenever Sean plays on Friday night for it to be the devil's ground for him to play on. So I thought that was pretty interesting. [00:05:24] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, it is. And Turning Point USA is a radical organization - you have a self-described white nationalist, like a Charlie Kirk, that is associated with and promoting white nationalists. And it's just not that wonderful. And like I said, these things are here and they're around and people are trying to introduce this in the community, certainly trying to make it seem more mainstream. But it's not. And I think all of our responsibility is making that known and visible. Other news this week - and especially with you as a legislative reporter covering so much that happened in the legislative session - we passed legislation, but there's usually a little bit of time before it's passed and when it completely takes effect. But we do have a number of new laws about to go into effect this Sunday. What are some of the key laws coming? [00:06:09] Shauna Sowersby: Our legislature did a really good job on housing this year. And one of the laws that went into effect on the 23rd was more access to ADUs, so that's a positive thing. That's something that the legislature had been going after for several years, if I remember correctly, but finally got that one. So those are allowed in certain cities with a certain population. Hopefully that will help ease the lack of housing situation that's going on pretty much everywhere around the state. So I think that's a good one. Another one that goes into effect is landlords' claims for damages. So that extends the timeline landlords have to provide documentation to show that they are in the right in retaining a tenant's deposit - which is a really important one, I feel - that's also another thing that they've been trying to get passed for a long time. They also need to keep receipts that they can actually show to their tenants before they can charge them, so I think all of those are really good. It also prevents them from charging past normal wear and tear, which anybody who's ever rented, I'm sure, has probably run into an issue like that. So I think that type of law will be a positive for a lot of renters out there. And then another one I thought was interesting, just because I'd never really heard of this before this year, but they're making pill presses illegal in the state. I had no clue what these were, to be honest with you, before they passed this law. It's basically trying to prevent people from overdosing on fentanyl when they take things that they think might be something else, such as a Percocet. These can look very legitimate with these pill presses, but can include amounts of fentanyl in them that can kill you. So obviously that is another positive law that went into effect just recently. [00:08:04] Crystal Fincher: And that's how people can identify pills. They're registered, marked for different types of pills. You can actually look up and Google them. If a pill gets lost or dropped or something and you pick it up and see markings on them, you can find out what it is by that. But yeah, people have been abusing that to pass off some substances. And when we have such dangerous and harmful drugs out there that can be so easily mixed into other substances or look like something else, that's really important. As well as the accessory dwelling unit, or the ADU, bill - a lot of people think of them as mother-in-law houses, but allowing people to add density or add a unit to their existing property is an important element in the whole web of increasing the amount of density, or preparing communities to responsibly absorb more people living there without having real estate prices go sky high as we've been seeing. So some really, I think, good laws coming in, some progress being made. And so it'll be interesting to see how these are enforced, especially when it comes to those landlord ones - to see if they actually do materially improve the situations that they are seeking to improve. Also wanna talk about Attorney General Ferguson's campaign for governor and a call for him to come clean about his donors, especially in a piece that was published in The Seattle Times this week. What's happening with this? [00:09:27] Shauna Sowersby: The Public disclosure Commission was set to have a ruling a few weeks back that outlined and reinforced the idea that if you're moving money from one campaign to another campaign - so Ferguson moving from going for Attorney General again to governor - so you can move a certain amount of money over into your other campaign without having to disclose those donors. Like you were saying earlier, it's something that could be done - they were saying you shouldn't be doing it this way. And right before that date came in, they clarified that he switched all that money over - and I believe it was $1.2 million, is that correct? [00:10:05] Crystal Fincher: It's about $1.2 million and they received notice that a clarification was coming. They transferred it the day after that notice, which I think was a day before they officially did it. That is a detail that I don't know we all knew and understood before. And it's confusing. With the PDC, there's an underlying law and the PDC issues guidance and interpretations. This entire time, the actual law has not changed. The PDC's guidance about the law is what changed. And a person was looking at the law and looking at the guidance - unconnected to the campaign, I think to any campaigns - and was - Hey, it looks like your guidance does not actually say what the law does, or it leaves a hole. The bigger issue is - say you transfer these things over - we have campaign finance limits. If you can only donate - say a limit is $1,000, it changes year to year - if you transfer money over from some of those same donors, it could put people over the limit for this race and you can't be over the limit. The PDC said - Oh, that is correct. We overlooked that or got that wrong. Called the campaigns to say - Hey, we realized we got something wrong and we're going to be issuing formal guidance tomorrow. After that call, the campaign said - Oh, let's transfer it. Then we find ourself here. There's the law. Should this have been done? The answer appears to be no, but it's also hard because people are following guidance. I followed a PDC guidance before. And so the fact that it was done in the first place - I completely understand you're relying on the PDC for guidance - it's the muddy area of when they say - Ooh, this guidance is wrong. And it's not like they're saying the law is going to change. If it's not the law, it's not the law. It's not illegal if you do it before it's a law. It's a little dicey in that they were notified that they weren't going to be able to do it and then rushed to do it before it was written on paper when basically they got the tip off. [00:11:57] Shauna Sowersby: And now the fact that they're being called on to disclose those donors and they're not doing it - that's another issue as well. [00:12:05] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, it's something that the PDC is taking up again. I believe they're having a meeting - we're recording this on Thursday - I think they are having a meeting today, potentially as we speak. Big issue that we're left with - because the issue of democracy, small-d democracy, is the disclosure of donors. This is foundational to our system. And from near and far, every state has campaign finance regulations. Some are enforced better than others, but this is really important so that within campaigns - there's dark money with PACs - within campaigns, it's really defined that someone can donate, but they have a limit and they can't donate above that limit. That helps, from the campaign perspective, make sure that people with money can't crowd out everyone else or just dominate the conversation financially within that campaign. I do find it concerning that right now, there's $1.2 million worth of donors that we don't know. If you have pledges that you're not accepting money from these people or who's that? We see in other races - Oh, whoa, this Trump supporter donated or this, on the Republican side, Biden supporter did this. Or you're wondering why they're donating and what promises may have been made. I'm not saying that promises are always made for donations, but usually people donate to who they find themselves aligned. That's a reasonable thing to explore and debate, which is why our law mandates that. I hope that they are disclosed. Even if they find that he shouldn't have transferred the money at all, I do think it is realistic and very doable to disclose them. Disclosure is easy. For them to have been able to transfer the money, they had to get permission from the donor. So they have all of those records - that the transfer couldn't have happened without it. It'll be really interesting to see how this winds up. [00:13:48] Shauna Sowersby: One more thing too that I wanted to add about the whole Ferguson thing is that - for the state's highest attorney's office, him being in that office for so long - he obviously knows these rules. He knows that he should be holding himself to a higher standard. One of the things that concerns me - not just about the PDC and his campaign finance stuff - is that his office was recently fined for withholding hundreds of thousands of documents in a lawsuit against a developmentally disabled woman. Documents that would have helped this woman and her case, but appears that a lot of these documents were intentionally withheld. Not saying that Ferguson himself was responsible for doing these things, but it is his office. The mixture between that and then the recent PDC guidance that - as a candidate for governor, he should really be putting himself in a higher standard. [00:14:44] Crystal Fincher: Like you said, who knows how much he was aware of going in - and most of these donors are probably above board - I would assume most of them are not above the limit. How much money is it, really, from donors who are above the limit here? Practically looking at correcting this issue - say it's even half a million dollars worth, he still has a significant financial lead over other people and it gets this thing that's dogging his campaign. Just disclose the donors - you have the money, just disclose donors. [00:15:15] Shauna Sowersby: You're already in the lead. Hilary Franz said she wanted to make sure that this was a fair transfer and that everybody was going by the same rules. Even with somebody else calling him out for it, still wasn't doing it. [00:15:28] Crystal Fincher: There's a reason why he's the front-runner. There's a lot of things about him that excite people, but I don't think you're ever above having to answer questions. Even if you are the front runner in the race, we all wind up better. And it sets a precedent - people may be comfortable with Ferguson and he may make a wonderful governor, but for successive governors, I don't want a precedent set where they don't have to follow the rules. I want to talk about another lawsuit filed against the Washington State Legislature for withholding public records under "legislative privilege." What's happening this time? [00:16:03] Shauna Sowersby: Nothing new here. I believe it was Friday of last week - me and some other requesters got back a set of documents - this is from a request that was filed, I want to say, in January and closed out in February. We were told that we had all records from every lawmaker that was withholding records under "legislative privilege". Lo and behold, Friday, we get another batch of records that have suddenly been found. The petitioner in this lawsuit, Arthur West, also filed one of the previous lawsuits for "legislative privilege." He believes that in this case, it's called "silent withholding" - it's still part of the same lawsuit that he's filed before, but this is an addendum where he believes they may have intentionally been withholding these final documents - they should have been found, they should have been captured in our request, so it's odd they're showing up now. This is an additional lawsuit into what's already happening - I believe WashCOG, Washington Coalition for Open Government, they also have a lawsuit pending. I don't think it has a hearing date until later in September. So not looking good so far for lawsuits and lawmakers. We'll see how this all turns out. I'm assuming it'll be a slow process, but we're finally getting things kicked off. [00:17:25] Crystal Fincher: I'll be curious to see what comes of it. Also want to talk about a story that came out this week - just a couple of days ago or yesterday, I think - about the amount of federal aid going towards police surveillance. When we say police surveillance, what are they talking about? [00:17:40] Shauna Sowersby: An article from Brandon Block in Crosscut - looks like they are using federal aid money that was supposed to go to other things to basically spy on people. It seems like there's a lot of concerns from groups like the ACLU who say that the surveillance equipment can be used - not just for immigrants and for trying to deport people, but it can also be used for people who are seeking out-of-state abortions coming into Washington. So there's multiple concerns here what the surveillance equipment could be doing. And it looks like a lot of it is - from the article - license plate surveillance and the drones that they were using - makes you wonder why these smaller towns are spending so much money on surveillance equipment. [00:18:29] Crystal Fincher: I don't think people realize that this much money was going to these things. And at a time when lots of people are talking about wanting more police funding, wanting to hire more officers, saying that there's not money to do it - there's so much money being spent and being siphoned from other areas where it seems like it was originally intended to go and being spent on this surveillance technology, like drones and automatic license plate readers, going through communities and looking up everyone's license plates everywhere. And usually - one, these are not equitably used, equitably deployed. A lot of times they are deployed much more heavily and ubiquitously in lower income communities and BIPOC communities. Is the community aware of this? Are people aware of this? Like you said, we have other states trying to - actually have criminalized abortion care, gender affirming care. There aren't policies, strong policies with enforcement that really limit how this data can be used, how it can be shared, how it can be spread. This is where we can have bad outcomes where potentially someone from another state, someone with a nefarious purpose can find this information to track people down and inequitably enforce laws that are on our books in communities, causing disproportionate harm. At minimum, this should be something that is very intentionally discussed in these communities. I definitely recommend that people do read this article by Brandon Block - we'll include it in the podcast show notes and on the website. It's really concerning to see so much money diverted for this purpose - was supposed to help people survive the pandemic, help people not get evicted, help cities support small businesses - that this was diverted for this purpose and in a way I don't think was transparent or consistent with what people intended within their communities or even federally. [00:20:25] Shauna Sowersby: Yeah, it seems like people weren't asked about that. I'm sure there was probably no conversation for that, but like you're saying, it could have been diverted for a number of purposes and instead goes to surveillance equipment. [00:20:39] Crystal Fincher: We will see if there's any follow up on that. There was another case this week that was really important and reiterated what other cases have found and that is that no-notice police sweeps that are used in lots of localities, including Seattle, were found to be unconstitutional. What did this ruling hold and what are some of the impacts that it may have? [00:21:01] Shauna Sowersby: In this article from Real Change, it talks about how the court ruled the city's sweep policies are not carefully tailored, in some circumstances, to pursue the city's valid governmental interests and require more disclosure than is reasonably necessary. The rules define obstruction so broadly, the city can invade unhoused people's privacy rights without notice, offers of shelter and preservation. [00:21:27] Crystal Fincher: This is an issue that many cities are dealing with. We've been talking about the unfortunate circumstances in Burien, certainly in Seattle. Every community is really looking at this and facing this. So many of our neighbors are now homeless - and the City of Seattle and Burien have really gone too far. It had been established before that it is illegal for a city to conduct a sweep if there is no offer of shelter provided. Basically, if you have nowhere for someone to go, it is found to be unconstitutional to sweep someone in that instance. There's a reason why the CDC recommends against it, why it is not recommended, especially in extreme weather situations. These are people's whole possessions. Though outwardly sometimes they may not look like much to someone walking by, this is what they have and this is critical - the few things they do have for work, their ID, the few mementos that have meant the absolute most to them that they've been able to keep when they've lost everything else is what they have. Just coming through unannounced - and you leave, you come back, and your stuff is gone. Or you have an hour and the stuff is gone is really destabilizing. We have to do a better job of supporting this. Most people have also seen that when there is nowhere for someone to go, it doesn't do anything to solve the problem. We're really just moving the issue of homelessness around. We're not doing anything to solve it. It's this game of musical chairs and most people are just moving from property to property or place to place within a city most of the time, certainly within the region. So we've got to expand our response. We can't keep doing the same thing over and over again. The biggest problem here is that people don't have housing. If housing is not an element in the solution, it's not a solution. And yes, that is complicated. Yes, it's costly. But it really is not as costly as allowing the situation to continue. I don't think there's anyone left, right, or anywhere who is satisfied with seeing people on the street within encampments, but I think people just don't want to double down on that failure, spend so much money on police resources - all the resources that we're spending in a way that doesn't solve the problem. So the City of Seattle is gonna have to go back to the table and figure out what they're gonna do. Other cities are gonna have to look at this ruling and modify what they're doing, or potentially face the same lawsuit and legislation, and wind up having to do it by force rather than proactively. [00:23:58] Shauna Sowersby: The governor and the legislature - they've been trying to tackle this issue too with the rights-of-way - the whole idea there was that they weren't gonna move people out unless they had some sort of housing situation set up for those folks. So instead of just shuffling them around from one place to another, it's still a small pilot program at this point - and can't do it on a large scale, obviously. I think instead of sweeping folks, this is a better alternative - not the best alternative, for sure - but it's better than shuffling folks around one other part of the city like you were saying. [00:24:33] Crystal Fincher: And this ruling did say that the use was overbroad. There are still circumstances where it is legally permissible to do this if really obstructing a sidewalk. It is constitutional for a sweep to happen. The issue is that they're happening in so many more situations where there's imminent harm or obstruction. The last story I wanted to talk about today was an audit that came out about the City of Seattle, but really applicable to many cities - saying police could do more without hiring extra cops to address retail theft rings. This is really important - we see stories almost every day on the news about theft. If you're online, you see surveillance photos from stores and theft happening. People are trying to figure out the way to address this, and the biggest problem that seems solvable from a public safety perspective is going after these retail theft rings. But in a way, going after petty theft is not going after retail theft and this audit addressed that. This report basically said targeting organized retail theft is important. And some cities like Auburn have been successful at doing that, but they've succeeded by trying to "cut off the head of the snake" - as they put it - and not going after petty theft. What this study found is that Seattle really likes going after petty theft and calling it going after retail crime. Most of the crimes are theft under $750, they are individuals doing this. They find them participating in task forces, but as for action on the ground - action that they're taking - it doesn't appear that they're doing much to actually go after the heads of these organizations, the organized part of that organized crime. According to the audit - in PubliCola that came out on the 25th - responding to calls from just the top 100 retail locations in the city used almost 19,000 hours of police time, equivalent to nine full-time officers that could be streamlined by using tools like rapid video response instead of deploying officers out all over town. So if they need to interview employees, they can do those interviews by Zoom. They can do those in a more proactive way, in a more efficient way - that saves officers time, that saves employees time, that is really less impactful to both the business and the department. And can also get them that information quicker, so it gives more of a chance to get closer to the people who are in these fencing rings, who are making it profitable for these people to steal. And the audit found that the City does participate in task forces and stuff, but they should also invest in place-based strategies like environmental factors, the actual design, better lighting, activating vacant lots, and other non-law enforcement approaches to make hotspots less appealing places for people to operate illegal street markets. There were 68 strategies proposed last year, but the City's only implemented three. So we have these conversations - they're really visible in Seattle, but they're happening all over the place in cities from Auburn to Kent to others - having these community meetings and saying - Wow, we're really trying to do this. If you look under the hood, you see that they continue to go after petty criminals at the expense of the ability to go after the heads of these organized crime rings and using other tools besides just a cop responding to something to prevent these things from happening. How did you see this? [00:28:00] Shauna Sowersby: Yeah, this is something that could probably not just apply to Seattle, even down here in Olympia, Tacoma. This is a result of the other media outlets making a bigger deal about shoplifting and focusing on that as a narrative - that could be inspiring more resources to be going into those sorts of things, as opposed to - like you were saying - the areas where they really could be focusing on instead. We're just going for the wrong thing. [00:28:35] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and you raise a good point. If you are seeing this highlighted - and we've seen lots of stories of theft used in a way that's really propaganda, we've seen situations here locally and nationally where the impact of theft has been overstated and the cause is muddied. If people really care about this, they'll take these findings into account and implement them. If all you hear them saying is the same thing over and over again, that seems more like a campaign tactic or like a scare tactic. We have to use all of the tools at our disposal. We have to get more intentional about wisely using the resources that we do. You have people saying the only way that things can be improved is to hire more cops. There's no way to get more cops online without basically a year lead time because they have to be accepted, go to the academy - there's a long lead time before you get them on the street. Wow - how bleak and hopeless is that situation? Seemingly nothing else can be done - after we have already taken so many steps and allocated so much money, extra money - retention bonuses to stay, high salaries, how many officers are clearing money that other people in the community aren't making? And so using that money effectively, finding ways to use the existing assets more efficiently - this is gonna save officers' time. We should see action taken on these. And certainly within SPD, when there are 60-something recommendations and only three have been implemented, we need to keep ticking down that list. I hope we get beyond the talk when there's so much that needs to happen to keep us safe and to hopefully prevent crime instead of just responding to it. There are things identified and hopefully they choose to do them. And with that, we thank you for listening to this Hacks & Wonks on Friday, July 28th, 2023. The producer of Hacks & Wonks is Shannon Cheng. Our insightful cohost today was Washington State government reporter from McClatchy, Shauna Sowersby. You can find Shauna on Twitter @Shauna_Sowersby - Shauna underscore Sowersby. You can - and that's S-H-A-U-N-A. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter and you can find me on all platforms @finchfrii, that's two I's at the end. You can catch Hacks & Wonks wherever you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review shows and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, please leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a 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, vote by August 1st, and we will talk to you next time.

A McClatchy newspaper columnist in North Carolina says the only thing she learned about communism was that it was bad, but she thinks Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson's call for people to learn why communism is bad is just a culture war tactic.    Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a once-in-a-generation quarterback at Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., Armanti Edwards led the Mountaineers to FCS national championships in 2006 and 2007 as well as an extraordinary road win over then-No. 5 Michigan, often called the biggest upset in college football history. Lightly recruited out of Greenwood, S.C., Edwards would become the first two-time Walter Payton winner as the FCS National Player of the Year. He was also a four-time All-American and led App State to a 42-7 record as a starter. Edwards then became a third-round NFL draft pick by the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers employed Edwards from 2010 to 2013, trying to switch him from a star quarterback to wide receiver and punt returner with little success. That was a period where Edwards said he experienced “the darkest time in my football career.” In our "Sports Legends" interview he also discussed in detail for the first time the circumstances of his release from the Panthers in 2013. Edwards would then have a strong career as a wideout in the Canadian Football League, where he once played on a team that won the CFL's equivalent of the Super Bowl. He now lives in Charlotte with his wife and two children. Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Loumay Alesali, Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. Our interns on this production are Zoe Williams and Christina Silvestri. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Sports Legends of the Carolinas, Alex Zietlow interviews Coach Mike Krzyzewski, or Coach K. Mike Krzyzewski served as an astonishing basketball coach for 47 years and has impacted the game and this state forever. In his 42 years coaching the Blue Devils, he led the team to 5 national titles, 13 Final Fours and 1,202 wins — the most all-time. As if that was not enough, Coach K was Team USA's head basketball coach in three straight Olympic Games, earning gold medals every time, and he has a remarkable story attached to each and every one of his accomplishments. Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Loumay Alesali, Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. Our interns on this production are Christina Silvestri and Zoe Williams. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Debbie Antonelli, a 1986 NC State graduate, has been a major influence in the women's college basketball circles for 35 years and has served as an analyst for ESPN in numerous capacities. Her announcing career also includes calling games for CBS, Fox Sports Net, Big Ten Network, NBATV and Westwood One, as well as WNBA games. The Cary, N.C. native became the first woman in nearly 22 years to call an NCAA men's basketball tournament game in 2017 and now regularly broadcasts "March Madness" games for both men and women. Antonelli was a four-year letterwinner with the Wolfpack under the guidance of legendary head coach Kay Yow, helping NC State to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Sweet 16 berths. In addition to her ACC Network women's basketball duties, Antonelli also serves as an analyst on men's college basketball telecasts and sometimes calls both women's and men's games in the same day. She now lives in Mount Pleasant, S.C, with her husband Frank. They are the parents of three boys.  Her charity work includes an annual free-throw marathon where Antonelli makes 100 free throws every hour for 24 straight hours in her driveway. By doing that and soliciting contributions for each free throw made, the 58-year-old Antonelli has raised close to a million dollars for the Special Olympics. In this conversation, Antonelli talks about motherhood, the start of her broadcasting career in Kentucky, and the evolution of women's basketball. Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Loumay Alesali, Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. Our interns on this production are Christina Silvestri and Zoe Williams. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1994, Jeff Gordon won his first race in NASCAR's signature series, taking the checkered flag at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway at age 22. Gordon would win 92 more times after that, becoming racing royalty and a NASCAR hall of famer. Now he's our latest subject of “Sports Legends of the Carolinas,” the multimedia project in which we interview sports stars about their journeys to iconic status and their struggles along the way. Somehow, Gordon is 51 years old. He's been a household name in NASCAR for the past three decades. After a six-year stint in the TV broadcast booth, he now works as vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports, the place where he launched his own career in the sport. He and his family live in Charlotte. In his racing prime, Gordon turned into such a crossover star that he became the first NASCAR driver to ever host “Saturday Night Live.” In this interview, which we conducted in his office at Hendrick Motorsports, he talked about his favorite character from that SNL appearance, as well as teaching his daughter how to drive, his early days as a breakdancer (yes, seriously) and his rivalry with Dale Earnhardt Sr. Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Loumay Alesali, Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can journalists adopt a human-centered design mindset when building AI-driven products, and what skills will the next generation of journalists need to succeed in an AI-powered newsroom? Today we're joined by Damon Kiesow, a digital media pioneer specializing in aligning community information needs and business strategies to support sustainable local journalism. Damon shares his expertise as a professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, author of the first textbook in News Product Management, and co-founder of the International News Product Alliance. He is also the co-founder of the summer pop-up newsroom, the Missouri Information Corps, and the creator of an audience and product-focused diversity internship program in partnership with the Institute of Nonprofit News.Before joining Mizzou, Damon served as director of Product for McClatchy, where he created the company's first Product Design and User Experience Research teams. Over at The Boston Globe, as a senior product manager, he helped guide the publication's mobile strategy. In Nashua, New Hampshire, he served as the managing editor/online at The Telegraph, where he helped the Newsroom pursue a digital-first local news strategy — launching the newspaper's first mobile app and video journalism efforts.In this episode, we get Damon's views on how newsrooms can approach AI, delve into the importance of a human-centered design mindset when incorporating AI into newsrooms, and discuss the essential skills journalism students must develop to succeed in this evolving landscape. Be a part of the conversation on AI in journalism! Send us your questions here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George Shinn, who conceived the Charlotte Hornets and brought the NBA to Charlotte, remains a busy man at age 81. Shinn was the Hornets' original owner and — because of Charlotte's great attendance and merchandising success, also indirectly had a hand in the NFL deciding the Queen City was worthy of a pro football franchise. The young boy from Kannapolis who finished dead last in his high school graduating class found his pro sports opportunity in the late 1980s and capitalized on it, although he now is out of the ownership business. In Charlotte, Shinn was complicated. Controversial. Charismatic. While the Hornets are here largely because of him, they also left the city for a time, largely because people lost confidence in him. That happened when Shinn was sued for sexual assault. His trial was nationally televised in 1999. A jury acquitted Shinn, but on the witness stand the devout Christian had to admit to questionable behavior — including two sexual relationships with women other than his then-wife.  The trial was part of the reason Shinn's relationship with the city and Hornets fans soured. In 2001, voters in Charlotte rejected a referendum that would have built the Hornets a new arena. Soon thereafter, Shinn moved the original Hornets franchise to New Orleans.  But the NBA was enamored with the Charlotte market by then and put a new team in Charlotte in 2004, which was first called the Bobcats but later re-adopted the “Hornets” nickname.  None of that would have happened without Shinn's original dream, which is why he's our latest guest on “Sports Legends of the Carolinas.” Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Loumay Alesali, Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're going to Capitol Hill, as we connect with E&E News reporter Emma Dumain. Dumain has been a Capitol Hill reporter since 2010, previously covering Congress for McClatchy, The State newspaper and also the Charleston Post & Courier before moving to E&E News.Host Chelsea Henderson talks with Dumain about the recently passed energy bill in the House of Representatives (the Lower Energy Costs Act), the Inflation Reduction Act, permitting reform, what it's like being a Congressional reporter after January 6th and the latest energy and climate happenings on and around the House side of the Capitol. Don't miss this episode to get the latest legislative download from one of DC's most talented energy and environment reporters!

Bill Radke discusses the week's news with McClatchy's Shauna Sowersby, Seattle Times Elise Takahama, and political analyst Joni Balter.

Tyler Hansbrough needs no introduction to UNC fans. Hansbrough finished his UNC basketball career in 2009 with a national championship and as both the Tar Heels' and the ACC's all-time leading scorer, with 2872 points. Hansbrough then played seven years in the NBA and for three years after that in China. Now, at age 37, Hansbrough is figuring out what comes next in a life that was so devoted to basketball for so long. Renowned for his relentless determination as a player, Hansbrough is also famous among UNC fans for going 4-0 as a player at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. His No.50 jersey hangs in the rafters at the Smith Center. In our "Sports Legends" interview, talks about his favorite win at UNC (which wasn't the national title game) and his new sports passion, which gets him more nervous than basketball ever did. He also discusses the "cheap shot" Gerald Henderson directed at him in an unforgettable UNC-Duke game, being in China when the COVID pandemic began, why his NBA career didn't go as well as he had hoped and whether this past season's Tar Heels should have taken that NIT bid after being excluded from the NCAA Tournament field. Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Loumay Alesali, Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing the Band:Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) are with guest Adam Wollner. Adam is a Washington-based journalist who has covered national politics for CNN, McClatchy, and National Journal. Check him out on Twitter at @adamwollner.Adam's Music Pick: My Morning JacketA reverb-laden, indie-country band? Roots rock? Electro-funk? Jam band? All that and much more could be said to describe My Morning Jacket at various stages of their career. The constant has been solid-to-great albums and a dynamic live show that harnesses the power of the studio tracks and unleashes it upon the audience.Led by songwriter and lead vocalist Jim James, My Morning Jacket's music is most closely tied to the Americana folk scene, drawing comparisons, especially early on, with The Band and Neil Young. MMJ slowly adopted some of the moods and styles of the late '60s psychedelic/folk movement, as well. What results is a unique amalgam of genres, songs that seem to pick up new tricks and ideas from across a wide musical spectrum. MMJ has been around for 25 years but, if you're not in the right musical circles, you might not have heard of them before now. Which is, of course, a shame. As Scot explains in the episode, this is not music you need to work hard to love or enjoy. MMJ comes to you, arms open, holding a fluffy blanket. There are numerous ways to enter the world of this band. From there, wonder awaits.

Driven by a passion to replace pain points with user delight, Dean Peters has provided product management expertise across a variety of domains and technologies for nearly two decades. From large enterprises such as IQVIA and Citrix to startups such as Dude Solutions and Seven Lakes Technologies, to merged and acquired companies such as Aprimo and McClatchy, Dean has helped teams self-organize, and businesses deliver on the promise of highly usable and valuable outcomes. In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover moving from solution space to problem space, the importance of building relationships with other departments, and what makes a great work environment for product managers. Read the show notes to learn more: URL: www.h2rproductscience.com/post/the-dean-peters-hypothesis-the-best-products-are-created-from-problem-focused-conversations

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are joined by Congressman Eric Burlison of Missouri's 7th Congressional District. He is a sixth-generation Missourian with 20 years of private sector experience as an investment advisor and software consultant.  -Congressman Burlison is a sixth-generation Missourian with 20 years of private sector experience as an investment advisor and software consultant.  He is a 1995 graduate from Parkview High School in Springfield, and he received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and a Master of Business Administration from Missouri State University. He was elected to represent Missouri's 7th Congressional District in 2022.He previously represented the 20th Senatorial District, comprising of Christian County and part of Greene County, from 2019 to 2023. Before his election to the Missouri Senate, he represented the 133rd District in the Missouri House of Representatives. In his free time, Sen. Burlison enjoys hunting and fishing in the Ozarks. He and his wife, Angie, are active members of their church and passionate about supporting campus ministries. They live in Battlefield with their two daughters, Reese and Aubrey.-David Catanese is a Washington-based political writer ready to feed your political appetite but also challenge you on some of life's larger quandaries. He's written for McClatchy, The Atlantic, U.S. News & World Report & Politico.-Jon Levine is a political reporter for the Sunday New York Post. His work covers city, state and national politics. He has worked on significant continuing stories and investigations, including Hunter Biden and the 2020 presidential election. A native New Yorker, he previously worked as a media reporter for TheWrap and Mediaite. His work has been featured on CNN.com, The Atlantic, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. When he's not working, he's thinking about work.-Connect with us:www.breakingbattlegrounds.voteTwitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_BattleFacebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegroundsInstagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegroundsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegroundsAre you getting ready for retirement? Invest in a portfolio with a high, fixed rate of return, that's not correlated to the stock market. Visit investyrefy.com or call CALL 888-YREFY-24. Make sure you tell our friends at Yrefy that Chuck and Sam sent you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com

McClatchy reporter Dave Catanese returns to the show. Dave has been following closely Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman's health issues and the seeming cover-up by Fetterman and his staff. Dave and Pratik discuss the likelihood that he'll resign from the Senate this year.  In part 2, Zoltar and Gaeten award the Golden Modelos Worst Pump of the Year award to Trafalgar polls.