Podcasts about Social services

What if the truth about Alzheimer's could change how we care, connect, and prepare for the future? Tune in for an empowering discussion with Lisa Skinner, CDP, CDT, CPD, on her new book Truth, Lies & Alzheimer's: Its Secret Faces.Moments with Marianne Radio Show airs in the Southern California area on KMET1490AM & 98.1 FM, an ABC Talk News Radio Affiliate!  https://www.kmet1490am.comLisa Skinner, CPD, CDT, CPD, is a behavioral expert in the field of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. In her 20-year career as a community counselor and regional director of senior care facilities, she has helped thousands of families find the best care options for their loved ones. She holds an Administrator's License through the California Department of Social Services. As a trainer, adviser and public speaker, she has dedicated her career to teaching people the skills to effectively manage brain disease. https://www.mindingdementiasummit.comOrder on Amazon https://a.co/d/027HVcHY To learn more about the show and interview opportunities contact us at: https://www.mariannepestana.com 

In this episode of Good Is In The Details, Gwendolyn Dolske sits down with Karen Olson — founder and CEO emeritus of Family Promise, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping homeless and low-income families, whose organization has trained and mobilized over one million volunteers over the past thirty years to provide services to homeless families, and author of Meant for More: Following Your Heart and Finding Your Purpose, to have the conversation about homelessness that most people are too uncomfortable, too misinformed, or too distant to have.  The myths Karen dismantles in this conversation: The homeless are lazy. The homeless are addicted and choose not to get help. Homelessness is an individual failure rather than a systemic one. The people on the street are strangers with no history and no future. Karen has spent thirty years learning the truth. Family Promise has helped more than a quarter of a million people annually, and in that work Karen has come to know her clients the way most of us know our neighbors: by name, by story, by the specific combination of circumstances and choices and bad luck and systemic failure that brought them to where they are.  She calls them her friends. In a culture that speaks of homeless people as a mess to be cleaned up, as a problem to be managed, as a category rather than a collection of individuals with names and histories and futures, Karen Olson calls them her friends. And she means it. What we explore in this episode: Who is actually homeless in America, and why the answer will surprise you. Children. Veterans. Families. People who work full-time jobs that pay less than the cost of a roof over their head The drug and alcohol addiction myth, what Karen has actually observed about addiction and homelessness, why addiction makes it harder for people to accept help, and the conditions under which she has watched people move away from it when genuine opportunity is offered The policy dimension: how government decisions about mental health treatment, addiction services, affordable housing, and the minimum wage are not separate from the homelessness crisis, they are its architecture Why the cost of living has outpaced income for entire categories of employment, and what that means for who ends up on the street Why this book is not about guilt or moral obligation, it is a gentle but firm call to action, an invitation rather than an indictment, asking simply: what if the smallest acts of kindness aren't small at all?  Why kindness toward yourself is where the work of kindness toward others begins, and how that insight connects to the deepest traditions of moral philosophy  A deeper exploration of Kant's ethics and how they apply to homelessness, compassion, and our obligations to one another is coming to Patreon (exclusively for members of The Examined Life). This book is about human connection. It is about recognizing the invisible and understanding that sometimes the smallest acts of kindness aren't small at all.  And it is about the most Socratic thing a person can do: stop, pay attention, learn someone's name, and let that moment change you. Guest: Karen Olson — founder and CEO emeritus of Family Promise, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping homeless and low-income families, whose organization has trained and mobilized over one million volunteers over the past thirty years. Recipient of the 1992 Points of Light Award from President George H.W. Bush, the New Jersey Governor's Pride Award in Social Services, and the Jefferson Award from the American Institute for Public Service. Profiled by CBS News. Featured in Courage Is Contagious by Congressman John Kasich. Author of Meant for More: Following Your Heart and Finding Your Purpose.  Good Is In The Details is hosted by Gwendolyn Dolske, Ph.D. and Rudy Salo — a philosophy, books, and ideas podcast exploring the examined life in the spirit of Socrates.

A former teacher at the Word of Faith Christian School told the Associated Press that in the middle of class, children would surround a classmate accused of having demons, throw them to the floor, and beat them. Teachers were allegedly told not to stop it. The school, which operated on the Spindale compound under Jane Whaley's authority, was one piece of the church's alleged control over children and families. Former members described a practice of removing children from their biological parents and placing them with ministers to be raised. In some cases, contact was allegedly cut for up to ten years. According to former members, the separations served as loyalty engineering — children bonded with church guardians while biological parents were trapped, unable to leave without forfeiting their kids. When parents did leave the church and fought for custody, the Word of Faith Fellowship reportedly used its resources to fight them in court. Three single mothers described a church member and county court clerk who allegedly bypassed the foster system to gain custody of their children. A judge found clear evidence of abuse and neglect inside the fellowship. The church sued the Department of Social Services and reportedly won, closing investigations. Tony Brueski continues a five-part investigation into what former members say was a machine designed to weaponize family bonds.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#WordOfFaith #JaneWhaley #ChildAbuse #Cult #TrueCrime #Spindale #CultSurvivors #HiddenKillers #FosterCare #ReligiousAbuse

A bill is moving through the North Carolina General Assembly named after Dominique Moody. The 6-year-old died last year after being beaten and starved. Investigations found that the Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services had received reports of abuse but failed to protect the child. We look at that failure, the role local reporting played in exposing it and what this bill would do to address it.

A round-up of the main headlines in Sweden on May 20th 2026. You can hear more reports on our homepage www.radiosweden.se, or in the app Sveriges Radio. Presenter/producer: Kris Boswell.

Steven Crowder- Schools are Failures, Liberal Woman Turns Into A Republican After Working In The Social Services Department.   Liberals Want More of Your Money for Schools and Your Kids Still Can't Read Watch this video at- https://youtu.be/XSrsas0ht6o?si=zb8xsCBu-GLJh2vH CrowderBits 1.33M subscribers 82,131 views May 16, 2026 America keeps spending more money on schools and kids keep getting dumber. The teachers union is raking in hundreds of millions and spending almost none of it on actual teachers. And leftists want to tell you the problem is funding. It's not. Click here for today's sources: https://www.louderwithcrowder.com/sou...   Liberal Woman Turns Into A Republican After Working In The Social Services Department Watch the entire video at- https://youtu.be/KPjonrUi1h4?si=nCC6MI9S-soc2PNY Legion Of Men 609K subscribers 36,181 views May 13, 2026 LIVESTREAMS Exclusively on kick.com/legionofmenyt Private Community

This episode features a conversation on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and recent federal changes including reductions in administrative funding, as well as tightened work requirements. The conversation focuses on how these changes to the program will affect how counties are able to effectively administer this program Dave Lucas, NYSAC's Director of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs is joined by Kira Pospesel, Commissioner of the Greene County Department of Social Services, as well as Paul Brady, Executive Director of the New York Public Welfare Association. 

Macca, Kenny and Fiona are joined live on air by Ged Kearney, MP Cooper – Asst Min for Prevention of Family Violence, as they discuss the new policy initiative National Healthy Men Community Conversations. The Albanese Labor Government is has launched the national Healthy Men Community Conversations project to support the health and wellbeing of men and boys. The project will deliver a series of community conversations across the country, bringing together the public and organisations working to support men's health and wellbeing, as well as those engaged in family, domestic and sexual violence prevention. The project aims to explore and encourage help-seeking and connection for mental, physical and social wellbeing and health among men. The project will be led by the Assistant Minister for Social Services and the Prevention of Family Violence, Ged Kearney, and the Special Envoy for Men's Health, Dan Repacholi. The National Healthy Men Community Conversations will: Strengthen connections between men and local and national health and support services and encourage help-seeking Engage in conversations and evidence sharing about respectful relationships and what it means to be a happy, healthy and supported man. Conversations from the tour will inform future government policies and programs as part of the Albanese Labor Government's broader commitment to working in partnership with communities to improve outcomes for men and boys, while supporting safer, healthier relationships for all Australians. The project kicks off with a Healthy Masculinities Roundtable hosted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, with representatives from government and academia bringing expertise in family safety and services, legal affairs, gender-based violence, online safety, gender equality, social cohesion and men's physical and emotional health. The Albanese Labor Government is also extending funding for the Healthy Masculinities Trial and Evaluation Program (Healthy MaTE) through to 30 June 2027. Healthy MaTE trials and evaluates schools and community based activities to encourage healthy expressions of masculinity and promote respectful relationships among boys and young men. It is funded through the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-32. The 12-month extension, is supported by an additional $861,000. More information on the government's work to improve men's health outcomes is available on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's website. More information on the government's work to end family, domestic and sexual violence is available on the Department of Social Services website. Assistant Minister for Social Services and the Prevention of Family Violence, Ged Kearney is quoted as saying, “ The Albanese Labor Government is committed to working with men and boys, because when we do, we know we strengthen families and communities for generations to come. “We want men to feel confident seeking support when they need it, and to know that reaching out is an act of strength. “The data shows that when men feel supported and socially connected, they are better able to build respectful, healthy relationships. Understanding what strengthens connection and wellbeing is key to fostering strong and positive relationships”. The post Sat, 9th, 2026: Ged Kearney, MP Cooper – Asst Min for Prevention of Family Violence, National Healthy Men Community Conversations appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

On Wednesday's Mark Levin Show, don't do this Iran deal, Mr. President! The Iranian regime the world's worst terrorist state for decades, which funds proxies, lies in negotiations, and uses talks to buy time while pursuing its fundamentalist ideology. The only path to true elimination of this regime is arming and training the Iranian people to overthrow their internal police state. Without fully toppling the regime, it will regroup, Hezbollah and Hamas will survive, and critics (Democrats, media, isolationists) will still attack Trump as having wimped out. Also, Barack Obama ignited Marxist-Islamist influences during his administration and is now praising Zohran Mamdani. In New York City, Mamdani is deliberately fostering a hostile and potentially deadly environment for Jews, where they face intimidation by thugs and Islamists, cannot safely attend temple, and encounter widespread antisemitic graffiti. Though he issues denunciations, he abolishes the anti-Semitic commission, targets organizations, and signals his intent to create conditions forcing Jews to leave, effectively aiming to depopulate the city of its Jewish community. Later, California has awarded CAIR-CA at least $41 million in taxpayer funds—mostly federal—over the last five years through the Department of Social Services, primarily for immigration legal services to Afghan newcomers. CAIR presents itself as a Muslim civil rights group but it is a front group for Hamas. CAIR should be shut down and its officials deported. Afterward, Alan Dershowitz, who has left the Democrat Party, calls in. Republicans need to retain the House and Senate to prevent Senators Warren, Murphy, and Rep AOC from controlling key committees – they are harmful to the country and peace. He calls Bernie Sanders the greatest anti-Semite today for opposing anything Jews or Israel do, drawing a parallel to 1932 German Jews who supported Hitler and ended up in Auschwitz. Sanders is a hypocrite who claims Jewish heritage yet abandoned diverse Brooklyn for overwhelmingly white Vermont to address racial problems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week's Mean Age Daydream, Brian looks at how all of the services (welfare, SNAP, free healthcare) are creating an entire society that doesn't want to take part in civil culture. Also: Animal Farm tanks hard, and California's ridiculous climate policies lead to a catastrophe when a massive fire breaks out in an abandoned oil tunnel. ⁠⁠https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lou-perez-live-in-los-angeles-tickets-1986570202954⁠ ⁠ Buy my new card game: WOKE WORD WARS - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLF8Y16S⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

On this week's Mean Age Daydream, Brian looks at how all of the services (welfare, SNAP, free healthcare) are creating an entire society that doesn't want to take part in civil culture. Also: Animal Farm tanks hard, and California's ridiculous climate policies lead to a catastrophe when a massive fire breaks out in an abandoned oil tunnel. ⁠⁠⁠https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lou-perez-live-in-los-angeles-tickets-1986570202954⁠⁠ ⁠ Buy my new card game: WOKE WORD WARS - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLF8Y16S⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you've noticed the men in your life repeating talking points from Andrew Tate or Joe Rogan, you're likely seeing the real-world impact of the ‘manosphere’. Research suggests these digital echo chambers are doing genuine damage to the lives of boys and men, but how do we combat an algorithm? Today, we are joined by Australia’s first-ever Special Envoy for Men’s Health, Dan Repacholi. The Labor MP and five-time Olympian is heading off on a national listening tour to tackle the crisis in men’s mental health, respect, and the rising tide of online misogyny. We investigate what it actually takes for men to stay well and why the solution has to start with men talking to men.

On this week's Mean Age Daydream, Brian looks at how all of the services (welfare, SNAP, free healthcare) are creating an entire society that doesn't want to take part in civil culture. Also: Animal Farm tanks hard, and California's ridiculous climate policies lead to a catastrophe when a massive fire breaks out in an abandoned oil tunnel. ⁠⁠https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lou-perez-live-in-los-angeles-tickets-1986570202954⁠ ⁠ Buy my new card game: WOKE WORD WARS - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLF8Y16S⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Illinois faces a structural budget crisis: tax hikes, not economic growth, are keeping the state solvent – and that strategy is running out of runway.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/shaw-local-s-bears-insider-podcast--3098936/support.

Social Services caseworker accused of stealing SNAP benefits..."Three Things You Need to Know"...interview with Democrat Nathan Mathis, who is running for Governor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 165 - This week Pete meets author and advocate Julie Hayden who was working in Social Services when she was diagnosed with Young Onset Dementia.Disclaimer: Please note that all information and content on the UK Health Radio Network, all its radio broadcasts and podcasts are provided by the authors, producers, presenters and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge. As a service to our listeners/readers our programs/content are for general information and entertainment only.  The UK Health Radio Network does not recommend, endorse, or object to the views, products or topics expressed or discussed by show hosts or their guests, authors and interviewees.  We suggest you always consult with your own professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advisor. So please do not delay or disregard any professional – personal, medical, financial or legal advice received due to something you have heard or read on the UK Health Radio Network.

Welcome to Cross Examining Cyber, a podcast brought to you by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. In this podcast series, we speak to our business leaders about all things cyber, including the legal, governance, technical, regulatory and policy developments that impact corporates around the world. I'm really excited to announce that this is the first of our Cross-Examining Cyber Director Series. For the next six months, we will speak to some of our leading directors, including David Gonski, Anne Templeman-Jones, John Mullen, Catherine Brenner, just to name a few. Today's the first in our series, and today we cross-examine David Moffatt. David has over 40 years' experience in executive leadership positions. He's worked and lived almost everywhere, Australia, the US, Europe and Asia. He's currently the chair of Ventia Services Group, Environmental Remediation and Social Services and Apollo Global Management. David is also the chair of the American Chamber of Commerce here in Australia. David has first-hand experience dealing with a cyber incident as part of his role at Ventia. His insights are not only considered but come from direct experience. Thanks again for listening. This is Cross Examining David Moffatt, the first in our Director Series. Here we go.

Dr. Scholar Lee is an educator, thought-leader, keynote speaker, creative and Spiritual Genius. Creator of the trademarked acronym T.R.A.N.S., Dr. Scholar Lee continues to Triumph over life's obstacles, exercise Resilience in the face of adversity, and is the epitome of an Authentic Noble Success. He is the Founder of the nonprofit, T.R.A.N.S. INC., and CEO of T.R.AN.S.parent Life Conversations, an LGBT-Business Enterprise with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), and an award-winning Small Business of 2022. Dr. Scholar Lee is the Director of  the Transgender and Nonbinary documentary series, GENDERED., which is featured on the GENDERED. YouTube Channel. You may visit www.genderedpodcast.com to listen and support gender variant individuals. In addition visit www.drscholarlee.com to know more about Dr. Scholar Lee's services, upcoming podcast. Subscribe to @drscholarlee on all popular social media platforms.  ​ Educationally, Dr. Scholar Lee obtains a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology, and Bachelor of Science (BS) in Justice and Law Administration with a concentration in Legal Studies. He also received a Master of Science in Management and Organizational Leadership (MSMOL) and a Master of Philosophy (MPHIL) in Human and Social Services. Dr. Scholar Lee obtained his PhD in Human and Social Services. Also, he obtained his professional Doctorate in Business Administration (D.B.A.). Professionally, he has 15+ years' experience in the human service field working with various underprivileged populations in various settings. Currently, Dr. Scholar Lee expresses his creativity in various forms and manages several businesses in various industries.  ​ Dr. Scholar Lee's purpose and mission is to passionately educate, enlighten, and empower people to evolve into a greater version of themselves. Moreover, he inspires his transgender and nonbinary community to lead an authentic life and to accept their differences. He encourages his community to develop an INNER-standing of self and to OVER-stand that their differences is what will make a difference in their life and in this world. In conclusion, Dr. Scholar Lee's personal, educational, and professional experiences has evolved him into a well-versed scholar, compassionate thought-leader, successful entrepreneur, eloquent communicator, and a maverick of his time. He encourages all to: Be Great. Be Bold. ALWAYS BE YOU!!!   Connect w/ Dr. Scholar Lee   Dr. Scholar Lee Website: https://drscholarlee.com   About Dr. Scholar Lee: https://drscholarlee.com/bio/   GENDERED. Documentary Series Landing Page: https://drscholarlee.com/gendered/   Scholar Vision Network Website: https://scholarvisionnetwork.tv  

3p County Social Services 3:30p Tolosa Children's Dental Center

Ralph welcomes Haley Hinkle, policy counsel at Fairplay to tell us about how a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million for harming children's mental health and safety, violating state law. Then when present highlights from last week's symposium on impeachment, featuring Dennis Kucinich, CIA whistleblower, Jeffrey Sterling, Public Citizen co-president, Rob Weissman, GW law dean Alan Morrison and many more.Haley Hinkle is policy counsel at Fairplay, where she advocates for laws and regulations that protect children and teens' autonomy and safety online. Ms. Hinkle has also worked on issues at the intersection of government surveillance technology and civil liberties.We saw a lot of that in the discovery for these cases and other lawsuits that are currently being brought against the companies—that they have a lot of internal research where they're very specific with their features. And also their safety features. They test them to make sure safety features aren't too effective. They don't reduce too much screen time. And this is completely overwhelming for young brains. And it's completely overwhelming for families that are trying to make the choice between protecting their children and isolating them from the virtual spaces where all of their friends and classmates are gathering. And so it's not straightforward. And in many cases, the parental controls or settings that may give a family some semblance of control are not usually very effective.Haley HinkleI think if juries continue to make such resounding decisions on behalf of families, that's maybe going to motivate these companies to try to find ways to avoid further jury trials and to settle. But all of this raises the fact that as these processes continue (and they're so important), we can't wait for lawmakers to do their part to also step in and act and try to get some strong rules of the road in place to fill the void that has created this situation.Haley HinkleWe're in a moment right now where we have to decide who we are as a people—not who the President is. We already have an estimation of that. The question is who we are. Because, with few exceptions, almost each and every statement the President has made in the last month has been an impeachable offense. He is a walking, talking impeachment machine.Dennis KucinichLet me remind everybody watching this and this panel that this entire Congress is complicit in every crime of this administration for letting Donald Trump pass that threshold into his illegal presidency by not upholding Section 3 of the 14th Amendment on January 6, 2025. I am preaching to the choir if I tell this audience that we have passed so many thresholds when accountability should have happened, when somebody's foot should have been put down, and this should have stopped. This obscene, lawless war launched by a draft dodging pedophile domestic terrorist in concert with an international war criminal…Generations are going to be looking back to this moment to see what those people, those men and women (Democrats and Republicans in that body, but at the end of the day, human beings with moral compasses somewhere deep within themselves) were doing when American democracy was being burned to the ground.Jessica Denson, founder of the Removal CoalitionNews 4/10/26* This week, many felt that the U.S. came as close to a nuclear conflagration as it has since the Cuban Missile Crisis, as President Trump whipsawed between vowing that Iran's “'whole civilization will die” and striking peace deals with the Islamic Republic. Ultimately, the U.S., Iran and Israel all signed a two-week cease-fire agreement, mediated by Pakistan, including a provision that Iran will “allow oil, gas and other vessels to proceed unmolested” through the Strait of Hormuz, per the New York Times. However, this is just a cease-fire – not a peace treaty – and is being immediately pushed to the brink as Israel continues their ongoing, devastating assault on Lebanon. The Guardian reports that both Iran and Pakistan view Lebanon as included within the deal, while Israel maintains that it is a separate matter. In retaliation, Iran is now demanding tolls as high as $2 million per ship to pass through the Strait. With Israel showing little interest in acceding to a ceasefire in Lebanon, it seems unlikely this crisis will be resolved swiftly.* In the lead up to Trump's address Tuesday night, a large number of Democrats came out publicly in favor of Trump's removal via the 25th amendment, or failing that, a new congressional impeachment effort. According to Axios, this group includes both progressives like AOC, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, as well as more moderate members, including even Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. Some Democratic Senators, including Senators Ed Markey and Ron Wyden also signaled their support. Perhaps most strikingly, former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene called for Trump to be removed through an invocation of the 25th amendment, though she stopped short of calling for impeachment. This all coincided with Congressman John Larson introducing a new set of 13 articles of impeachment – that he may soon force a vote on under House Rule IX – and the legal symposium on impeachment organized by our own Ralph Nader and friend of the show Bruce Fein, available on C-SPAN.* Leading the moral opposition to the Iran war meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV – the first American Pope – has come out in opposition, telling journalists that “all people of goodwill” should “always search for peace and not violence… [and] reject war,” emphasizing that many have called this war “unjust” and that it is ”continuing to escalate and…not resolving anything.” Pope Leo stressed that “the innocent: children, the elderly, the sick…will become victims of this continued warfare.” The pontiff even went so far as to conclude with a call for political action, urging the people of the world “to contact the authorities—political leaders, congressmen—to ask them, to tell them, to work for peace and to reject war and violence.” This from Vatican News.* However, this is just the latest flashpoint between Pope Leo and the Trump administration. Administration officials were already irate with the Vatican earlier this week, following Pope Leo's statements on Easter Sunday, when he called for world leaders to give up their “desire to dominate others” and “the imperialist occupation of the world.” In response, Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby – grandson of former CIA Director William Colby – reportedly told Vatican officials that “America has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world,””and “The Catholic Church had better take its side.” They also reportedly invoked the Avignon Papacy, implying that the United States could sponsor an heretical anti-pope as an alternative for rightwing Catholics. This exchange was apparently so shocking that Vatican officials canceled a planned American visit by the first American Pope. This from Newsweek.* Another deeply immoral story comes to us from Michigan, where the Detroit News reports Danhao Wang – a Chinese electrical and computer engineering research assistant at the University of Michigan – has died after falling from an upper level of the George G. Brown Building. According to this report, the university's police department is investigating this incident as a “possible act of self harm,” but Chinese authorities are demanding an investigation into his death, noting that it came on the heels of Wang enduring “hostile questioning” by federal law enforcement. This tragedy has occurred within the context of a Trump administration-led “crackdown” on foreign influence at U.S. universities. The Chinese Consulate in Chicago meanwhile put out a public statement decrying that “For some time now, the U.S. has overstretched the concept of national security for political manipulation and groundlessly interrogated and harassed Chinese students and scholars,” like Wang, implying some role in his death, while simultaneously “infring[ing] on Chinese citizens' legitimate and lawful rights and interests, poison[ing] the atmosphere of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and the U.S., and creat[ing] a serious chilling effect.” The Consulate is also demanding that law enforcement “carry out a full investigation, give the family of the victim and the Chinese side a responsible explanation, stop any discriminatory law enforcement targeting Chinese students and scholars in the U.S., and stop imposing wrongful convictions.”* Elsewhere in the midwest, Republican lawmakers in Ohio are taking first steps to do something about the out of control sports gambling epidemic. These legislators have introduced two bills, one designed to ban in-game gambling, parlay and prop bets and wagers on all college athletics and a second bill which would prohibit the “use of credit cards to make bets…[limit] bets to $100 and only [allow] up to eight wagers per 24 hour [period].” It would also ban ads during events broadcast live. However, the number one biggest rule these laws would impose would be banning online sports gambling period. Republican State Rep. Gary Click is quoted saying “[We're] going to put some common sense consumer protections in place to protect Ohio citizens.” Yet, this report also notes a huge loophole in these bills: they would not apply to prediction markets like Polymarket or Kalshi, just pure sportsbooks. This from ABC News 5 Cleveland.* Turning back to foreign affairs, French authorities have arrested Rima Hassan, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and Jean-luc Mélenchon left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) party. The charge? According to Al Jazeera, suspicion of “apology for terrorism” for a post that referenced Kozo Okamoto, a participant in the deadly attack at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport in 1972. However, Hassan's allies in the LFI see this as a thinly veiled attempt to silence pro-Palestine voices. Sophia Chikirou, an LFI MP said “The French police and justice system are being used to intimidate those who support the Palestinian people,” while Mélenchon himself wrote “So there is no longer parliamentary immunity in France. Intolerable.” Mathilde Panot, an MP and head of the LFI delegation in the National Assembly, said “the criminalisation of political opponents has reached a new level,” under President Emmanuel Macron and demanded that “This relentless attack, trampling on the most fundamental rights, must end immediately.”* Our final stories this week cover Latin America. First, a delegation of American members of Congress, including Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Congressman Jonathan Jackson, visited Cuba in an attempt to see “firsthand the devastation and suffering caused by the U.S. blockade of fuel,” according to Jayapal. In their joint statement, Jayapal and Jackson wrote that they met with “families, religious leaders, entrepreneurs, civil society organizations, the Cuban government, Latin American and African ambassadors, humanitarian aid organizations, and Cubans across the political spectrum, including dissidents,” all of whom demanded an end to the blockade. Further, they wrote that they witnessed “premature babies in incubators, weighing just two pounds, who are at tremendous risk because their ventilators and incubators cannot function without electricity. Children cannot attend school because there is no fuel for them or their teachers to travel. Cancer patients cannot receive lifesaving treatments because of lack of medications. There is a water shortage because there is little electricity to pump water. Businesses have closed. Families cannot keep food refrigerated, and food production on the island has dropped to just 10 percent of the people's needs.” They concluded by calling for “real negotiations” between both countries. Sadly, it is unlikely that those will come after such a long, acrimonious relationship since the 1959 revolution.* Next, in Venezuela, NPR reports that the Office of Foreign Assets Control – a division of the Treasury Department – has lifted sanctions on acting President Delcy Rodríguez. NPR notes that this sanctions relief “allows Rodríguez to more freely work with U.S. companies and investors.” In a statement on the platform Telegram, Rodríguez wrote “We value President Donald Trump's decision as a step toward normalizing and strengthening relations between our countries...We trust that this progress will allow for the lifting of current sanctions against our country, enabling us to build and guarantee an effective bilateral cooperation agenda for the benefit of our people.” Yet, her presidency rests on shaky legal grounds. While the Trump administration recognizes her as the “sole Head of State” the Venezuelan political system still recognizes Nicolás Maduro as the rightful president and Rodríguez as acting president for just 90 days – a window that is ending as we record this segment – though the National Assembly, presided over by her brother, can extend her acting term by six months. After that point however, the future of Venezuela looks far murkier, particularly if Maduro remains in U.S. custody.* Finally, in Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced that her government will consolidate the various branches of the Mexican public health apparatus – including the Mexican Social Security Institute, the Social Security Institute and Social Services of Workers of the State, and the IMSS Bienestar program – into a single Universal Health Service. According to TeleSUR English, President Sheinbaum stated that the “objective is that any citizen can attend any health institution and be guaranteed full and free coverage throughout the national system.” President Sheinbaum emphasized that “universal breast cancer care will also be incorporated, including mammograms, biopsies, and treatments at the nearest facility, expanding preventive and therapeutic coverage for women nationwide,” and that the plan would “ensure continuity of complex treatments for conditions such as cancer, HIV, kidney disease, and hemophilia, even if the patient loses or changes their health insurance coverage, preventing interruptions in critical therapies.” She hopes to have this system in place by next year. While Mexico has a much more robust public health infrastructure than the U.S. to begin with, it is remarkable how, with the right combination of administrative competence, popular government and political will, Sheinbaum is poised to achieve yet another social safety net expansion considered a complete political impossibility in this country in such a short window of time. Never let yourself be beaten down. A better world is possible.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

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Homelessness is one of the most visible—and often misunderstood—crises facing the world today. In this deeply important episode, Jay S. Levy brings both expertise and compassion to a conversation that goes far beyond statistics and headlines. Drawing from years of experience working directly with vulnerable populations, Jay explores the complex realities behind homelessness and the human stories that are too often overlooked. From economic hardship and mental health challenges to systemic gaps in social services, this discussion uncovers the many factors that contribute to individuals and families losing stable housing. Jay sheds light on the day-to-day struggles faced by those living on the streets, as well as the resilience and strength many demonstrate in the face of overwhelming adversity. But this episode doesn't stop at identifying the problem—it also looks toward solutions. What approaches are actually making a difference? How can communities, governments, and individuals work together to create meaningful change? And perhaps most importantly, how can we shift our perspective from judgment to understanding? Join us for a powerful and eye-opening conversation that challenges misconceptions, humanizes a global issue, and calls on all of us to think differently about homelessness—and our role in addressing it.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-x-zone-radio-tv-show--1078348/support.Please note that all XZBN radio and/or television shows are Copyright © REL-MAR McConnell Meda Company, Niagara, Ontario, Canada – www.rel-mar.com. For more Episodes of this show and all shows produced, broadcasted and syndicated from REL-MAR McConell Media Company and The 'X' Zone Broadcast Network and the 'X' Zone TV Channell, visit www.xzbn.net. For programming, distribution, and syndication inquiries, email programming@xzbn.net.We are proud to announce the we have launched TWATNews.com, launched in August 2025.TWATNews.com is an independent online news platform dedicated to uncovering the truth about Donald Trump and his ongoing influence in politics, business, and society. Unlike mainstream outlets that often sanitize, soften, or ignore stories that challenge Trump and his allies, TWATNews digs deeper to deliver hard-hitting articles, investigative features, and sharp commentary that mainstream media won't touch.These are stories and articles that you will not read anywhere else.Our mission is simple: to expose corruption, lies, and authoritarian tendencies while giving voice to the perspectives and evidence that are often marginalized or buried by corporate-controlled media

Ralph welcomes Wes Bryant, a retired Air Force special operations master sergeant and former analyst at the Civilian Protection Center who talks to us about how civilians, either through incompetence or negligence, are not being protected during American missile strikes. Then our resident constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, joins us to break down his latest op-ed “The Power to Declare War Belongs to Congress Alone.”Wes Bryant is a defense and national security analyst with focus on foreign policy and global conflict, counterterrorism and extremism, strike and joint targeting operations, and civilian harm. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2018 at the rank of Master Sergeant after twenty years of active duty service. He was formerly a senior policy analyst and advisor on precision warfare and civilian harm mitigation at the Pentagon's Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, where he led as the first-ever Branch Chief of Civilian Harm Assessments.This strike [on the girls' school in Minab, Iran] violated standing practices and doctrine we've had in place for two, three decades. That's aside from even the work we were doing at the Pentagon in civilian harm mitigation to get better at this sort of thing and prevent these things from happening…This is just one of many. My colleagues at Airwars who track civilian harm incidents in conflict zones—right now, they're tracking over 130 separate incidents throughout Iran (that's between the U.S. and Israel) and that number is going to spike. And of course we're tracking, I believe, it's over 2,000 civilian casualties. That number is surely going to spike once the smoke clears.Wes BryantI believe that right now, with the way we are conducting ourselves as a nation on the international stage—and most importantly, the way we're using or abusing our military and the use of lethal military force—we are carrying out state terrorism. Israel assuredly has been for years.Wes BryantWe hear all these people (especially Hegseth most recently) talking about “precision” —”precision strikes” and “no one's more precise” and “precision warfare”. Well, I was an expert in precision warfare. I was one of the people helping develop our standards for precision warfare and try to make us get to the point where we're actually carrying out precision warfare consistently. Precision warfare really means the minimal use of resources, the minimal use of (as Hegseth says) lethality in order to accomplish strategic objectives—and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. We have in Gaza simply the use of precision weapons to decimate an entire urban infrastructure and decimate parts of the population. So what I say is (and not flippantly, unfortunately, I say it somberly) the only thing being applied here in terms of precision is that civilians and civilian infrastructure are being killed and destroyed more precisely.Wes BryantBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.When we decided in the culture that we would rather be an empire that got an adrenaline high from being a colossus and surrendering our republican virtues of rule of law, everyone gets to march to their own drummer, find fulfillment as long as they're not harming anyone else, you then find this repeated disrespect for the Declare War Clause.Bruce FeinNews 3/27/26* Our top stories this week have to do with the tiny, blockaded island nation of Cuba. Cuba, famous for its medical innovations including a lung cancer vaccine, has long maintained medical missions abroad. In recent days, the United States has pressured foreign governments to end these partnerships, including passing a law that opens up the possibility of sanctions on countries that accept these medical missions. This week, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Mexico will retain the Cuban doctors in defiance of American threats. Since 2022, thousands of Cuban medical workers have been deployed in poor, rural areas of the country. Sheinbaum emphasized that “It's hard to get Mexican doctors and specialists to go out to many rural areas where we need medical specialists, and the Cubans are willing to work there,” per Al Jazeera. However, Mexico is the exception. Within the past month, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Guyana and the Bahamas have all announced that the Cuban doctors will leave their countries under American pressure. It is tragic to think of the number of poor people in the rural areas of these countries who will needlessly suffer and die simply because they are caught in the crossfire of American imperialism.* In more Cuba news, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio told Drop Site that the Cuban government is preparing to submit a proposal to the United States offering lump sum payments to Americans and American firms that lost property during the 1959 revolution. As this piece notes, Cuba negotiated lump sum compensation agreements with Canada, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Spain, and France in the wake of the revolution, but the United States refused this offer and instead sought to destabilize the Castro government for decades. The Cuban officials admit that they lack the reserves to make good on this offer right away, but argue that if the Americans eased the sanctions regime they could use the new capital flow to finance this agreement. With all of that said, Cossio also contends that “the Cuban people and the Cuban nation…deserves…to be compensated for the damage done by the economic blockade, by the invasion, by terrorism, by assassinations…[and by] violent actions against the [Cuban] economy.”* In more news from Latin America, CBS reports Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel, a 28-year old Venezuelan man deported from the U.S. and detained in the notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador last year has filed a tort suit alleging false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress and demanding $1.3 million in damages from the United States. According to Rengel, he and fellow detainees were constantly beaten by prison guards, forced to drink the same water he and other inmates bathed in, and was told by guards that he would be there for 90 years. Rengel was eventually freed in a prisoner exchange with Venezuela in July of 2025. Rengel, who entered the country legally, was deported on the basis of alleged ties to the Tren de Aragua gang. He denies having any connection with that criminal organization.* Turning to the Middle East, while the American war on Iran rages, the new Israeli offensive in Lebanon has largely slipped under the radar. But as this campaign grows larger and larger, it cannot be ignored. According to Reuters, Israel is planning to seize a “chunk” of southern Lebanon south of the Litani River to create a “buffer zone” against Hezbollah militants. Approximately 8% of Lebanese territory lies south of this line of demarcation. On March 24th, Israeli Defence Minister Katz said Israel had “destroyed five bridges over the river and that the military would ‘control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the Litani,' adding that Israeli troops would remain as long as there is “terrorism and missiles.” As part of this offensive, Israel has ordered the evacuation of all Lebanese south of the Litani. In practice, this means over 1.16 million people – 25% of the population of Lebanon – has been displaced, per Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayyed. This from Drop Site.* Meanwhile, the Hill reports that the Progressive Caucus – Chaired by Texas progressive congressman Greg Casar – will uniformly vote against any proposed supplemental funding for the Pentagon to prosecute the war in Iran. Casar told the publication, “Democrats should unite against funding this illegal war and force Republicans to answer to the American people for it.” The Progressive Caucus argues that the eye-popping $200 billion price tag of the supplement could be better used to fund programs to expand health care subsidies, cover pre-K education costs, build more affordable housing, cover school lunches and eradicate medical debt. Congresswoman Sara Jacobs added that the supplement request is “not a one-time cost to wrap things up” but rather “a down payment on a long war.”* Even as Congress debates the supplementary funding bill, Democrats are eyeing a new War Powers Resolution. Axios reports that while the previous War Powers Resolution on Iran failed by a margin of 219 to 212, the four Democrats who crossed party lines to vote down the resolution last time are “poised to flip” the next time party leadership forces a war powers vote and Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace is hinting that she would support a new resolution as well. If all Democrats vote for the measure, along with the two Republicans – Reps. Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson – who supported the resolution last time maintain their support, Mace's support wouldn't even be necessary for a majority vote. Unfortunately, Axios notes that even if both the House and Senate pass the resolution, President Trump can veto the measure and it would be nearly impossible to get the necessary two-thirds vote in both chambers to override his veto.* Turning to tech news, Wired reports that Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced a bill in the Senate designed to institute a national moratorium on construction of AI datacenters “until legislation is enacted that safeguards the public from the dangers of artificial intelligence.” Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez plans to introduce a companion bill in the House in the coming days. In a speech, Sanders contended that “A moratorium will give us the chance to figure out how to make sure that AI benefits the working families of this country, not just a handful of billionaires…A moratorium will give us the time to figure out how to ensure that AI is safe and effective and prevent the worst outcomes. A moratorium will give us the time to figure out how to make sure AI does not harm our environment or jack up the electric bills that we pay.” Concerns about AI Data Centers have demonstrated an appeal on both the Right and Left; beyond Sanders and AOC, Republican Senator Josh Hawley and Rep. Thomas Massie, along with Governor Ron DeSantis and conservative pundit Steve Bannon, have all expressed some level of concern. Even President Trump, who forged an alliance with the tech industry in his second term, has been forced to admit that “Data centers…need some PR help.”* On the open market, OpenAI is reportedly shutting down Sora, the video generation app it launched just last year intended to be a harbinger for expansion into creative tools and social media, per CNN. While Sora started off with a significant degree of public enthusiasm, and a billion-dollar deal with Disney, copyright holders “quickly raised concerns over the use of their intellectual property and people's likenesses on the platform.” Others derided Sora for its contributions to misinformation and for helping to proliferate so-called “AI slop.” For their part, Disney issued a statement maintaining that they “respect OpenAI's decision to exit the video generation business,” but that the deal would not be moving forward.* In more local news, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is initiating a massive round of cuts to wasteful spending in the municipal budget. In a video, the mayor acknowledged how past spending has left the city with a $5.4 billion budget gap over the next two years and how he plans to cut $1.7 billion to help drive that down in the near term, without compromising essential services. One way Mamdani plans to cut costs is by minimizing the use of outside contractors and crucially, consultants. Mamdani said the city's Department of Social Services is canceling its contract with McKinsey worth a staggering $9 million. In addition to these cuts, Mamdani stressed that in order to fight this budget gap, the city also needs to “tax the rich and end the drain that's been our relationship with the state for far too long.” Staying true to his promise of transparency with the people of New York, he said his administration will “keep [them] posted every step of the way. Because to deliver public goods, you have to first deliver public excellence.” This from Newsweek.* Finally, ever since his 2020 election loss, President Trump has ceaselessly attacked mail-in voting as fraudulent – calling the method “mail-in cheating” – and his government is currently arguing a case before the Supreme Court seeking to ban the practice of states accepting mail-in ballots postmarked by election day but received afterwards. This week however, in the midst of this campaign against mail-in voting, Trump himself cast a mail-in vote in his adopted home state of Florida, NPR reports. Democracy Docket adds that when asked about his mail-in vote, Trump responded “because of the fact I'm president of the United States, I did a mail-in ballot for elections that took place in Florida because I felt like I should be here instead of being in the beautiful sun.” While a minute example of Trump's rampant hypocrisy, this is indicative of his philosophy that rules exist for thee and not for me.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

A Spartanburg, South Carolina family is sounding the alarm after a middle school teacher allegedly bypassed parents and reported their 14-year-old child to the Department of Social Services over gender expression issues. Host commentary highlights the legal and ethical responsibilities of schools under South Carolina law, the parents' swift exoneration by DSS, and the growing national debate over parental rights versus school authority in matters of gender identity.

This episode uncovers two explosive stories: Shocking revelations about U.S. intelligence hiding China's 2020 election meddling, including voter database hacks and fake absentee ballots, while Russia's alleged interference was a hoax. John Solomon and whistleblowers expose the deep cover-up and the recent indictment of James Comey in Florida. A Spartanburg, South Carolina family faces a Department of Social Services investigation after a teacher reported their 14-year-old child over gender expression, sparking debate on parental rights, school authority, and state law. Hosts break down the legal, political, and social ramifications of both events.

Host Cody Cook sits down with Patrick Carroll, a sharp libertarian opinion journalist based near Toronto whose writing appears in outlets like the Mises Institute, Libertarian Institute, AIER, and FEE (where he once served as managing editor). Carroll's Substack, Against the Left, regularly dismantles progressive arguments from a free-market vantage point—and this conversation dives deep into one of his most provocative pieces: “Why SNAP Spending Should Be Cut Even If Charity Doesn't Replace It.”The episode centers on the dramatic events of late 2025, when a record-breaking U.S. government shutdown stretched into its second month. By early November, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) faced a funding lapse. The Department of Agriculture announced that the roughly $100 billion annual program—serving about 42 million Americans, or one in eight—would not issue full November benefits. Chaos ensued: food banks reported overwhelming demand, long lines formed, and media stories highlighted desperate families suddenly without their usual grocery support.Left-leaning commentator Carl Beijer seized on the crisis in a Jacobin piece, declaring it definitive proof that private charity cannot substitute for state welfare. Overwhelmed pantries and panicked recipients, he argued, exposed the fantasy of market-based solutions replacing government safety nets.Carroll pushes back hard. He concedes the short-term strain on food banks but argues the episode reveals more about SNAP's overreach than charity's inadequacy. With little advance certainty (the shutdown's duration remained a day-to-day uncertainty), private organizations had scant time to scale. Yet many still responded impressively—businesses like DoorDash offered free meals, churches and local groups rallied, and some food banks pivoted quickly. Had there been months of clear notice, Carroll contends, the charitable response would have been far stronger.More controversially, he challenges the scale of need SNAP addresses. Citing a 2021 USDA study, he notes that 39% of recipients are obese, 26% overweight, 33% normal weight, and only 3% underweight. This, he says, shatters the media stereotype of widespread starvation and suggests the program subsidizes far beyond genuine hardship—often enabling poor lifestyle choices rather than preventing famine.Carroll proposes an initial 50% cut, returning spending to roughly 2007 levels after years of ballooning budgets. He acknowledges “food insecurity” statistics (around 13% of Americans) but critiques their definitions, which can include anyone who occasionally buys cheaper groceries or skips a preferred item—hardly a crisis justifying $100 billion annually.The discussion turns philosophical and theological. Carroll invokes the “negative contact hypothesis”: while meeting marginalized groups often reduces prejudice, direct exposure to many in poverty can erode naive sympathy when observers see patterns of self-inflicted hardship—addiction, unwise relationships, financial irresponsibility. Anecdotes from YouTuber Caleb Hammer's Financial Audit series reinforce this, as do studies showing that more well-off people's support for redistribution weakens after real contact with the poor.From a Christian libertarian perspective, Carroll emphasizes voluntary generosity over state coercion. Jesus warned against lording authority over others (Matthew 20); early Christians practiced communal sharing without petitioning Caesar for taxes. He praises historical mutual-aid societies and modern examples like Mormon welfare systems as superior, more personal, and non-coercive alternatives to centralized bureaucracy.Addressing bleeding-heart objections, Carroll entertains the sequencing argument: enact free-market reforms (deregulation, free trade, ending occupational licensing and minimum wage barriers) first to boost opportunity and reduce poverty, then phase out welfare. He's sympathetic but rejects indefinite delay—some cuts can and should happen now without catastrophe, especially given SNAP's questionable targeting.This episode is bold, data-driven, and unapologetically challenging. It refuses easy compassion narratives, forces listeners to grapple with uncomfortable stats, and calls Christians to prioritize peaceful, voluntary charity over state redistribution. Whether you bristle or cheer, it's a thought-provoking case for rethinking welfare in a free and faithful society.Links:Patrick's SubstackPatrick's piece Why SNAP Spending Should Be Cut Even If Charity Doesn't Replace ItPatrick's Twitter/X: https://x.com/PatrickC1995David Beito's book From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890-1967Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com Use code LCI50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings and also support LCI!Full Podsworth Ad Read BEFORE & AFTER processing:https://youtu.be/vbsOEODpQGs  ★ Support this podcast ★

Good morning, Indiana School Leaders — As the General Assembly moves toward adjournment, the pace at the Statehouse has accelerated. Conference committees have dominated the week, and final votes may still be occurring as this message reaches you. In this week's Legislative Update Podcast, I focus on legislation that has officially crossed the finish line. At the time of recording, Governor Braun has signed four bills we've been following into law. Below you'll find direct links and a brief summary of each. ✅ HEA 1035 – Permissible Unsupervised Activity Author: Representative Teshka This new law defines "independent activity" and clarifies that a child is not considered a Child in Need of Services solely because a parent allows age-appropriate independence — including walking, biking, playing outdoors, remaining at home, or remaining briefly in a stationary vehicle. While not an education-specific bill, this legislation shapes the broader child welfare framework impacting our students and families. ✅ HEA 1195 – High School Equivalency Diplomas Author: Representative Davis This legislation extends pilot timelines through 2028 and requires students pursuing a High School Equivalency diploma to: Complete the Indiana Career Explorer program Complete a DOE-approved readiness assessment Effective upon passage. This reinforces structure and accountability within alternative diploma pathways. ✅ HEA 1325 – Special Education Author: Representative Pfaff HEA 1325 requires the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Health, Department of Child Services, and the Office of the Secretary of Family and Social Services, to collect data and make recommendations regarding: Residential placements Developmental preschool Special education services With next year being a budget year, this data-driven approach positions Indiana for more informed conversations about special education funding and service alignment.     ✅ HEA 1036 – Children in Need of Services Author: Representative Wilburn This law requires the Department of Child Services to have in-person contact with an alleged victim before: Concluding an abuse or neglect assessment, and Dismissing or terminating a pending CHINS case. Given recent statewide discussion around DCS processes, this legislation strengthens procedural safeguards. School leaders — often mandatory reporters and partners in these cases — should be aware of this procedural shift. As session concludes, remember: IASP will continue monitoring conference outcomes and agency guidance and will provide additional updates as final language settles. Thank you for your leadership, your advocacy, and your steady presence for Indiana students.  

A Community Comes Together to Honor Local Excellence Fresh off a Parisian adventure, Kaleigh Fincham returns to the Top of Virginia region with renewed energy and a mission: to orchestrate one of the Chamber's most meaningful events of the year. As Director of Events for the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber, Kaleigh joins host Janet Michael on "The Valley Business Today" to unveil the details of the 2026 Greater Good Awards, presented by Valley Health. More Than Just an Awards Ceremony The Greater Good Awards stand apart from typical business recognition events. Rather than simply celebrating success, this gathering honors the individuals and organizations whose vision, leadership, and dedication actively strengthen the region's quality of life. "This event is a little different," Kaleigh explains. "It really shows the community at its finest and celebrates the outstanding individuals and businesses whose vision, leadership and hard work strengthened the quality of life in our region." Scheduled for March 12th at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club, the semi-formal evening event runs from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. However, prospective attendees need to act quickly—tickets sell out rapidly, and Kaleigh warns that availability may be extremely limited by the time listeners tune in. The Theme: Gathering Gratitude This year's theme, "Gathering Gratitude," reflects the heart of what makes this event special. Kaleigh crafted the concept around the idea of pausing amid busy schedules, growing businesses, and packed calendars to recognize those making genuine differences in the community. "It's about taking that pause in the middle of busy schedules, growing businesses, and full calendars," Kaleigh shares. "Overall, just basically coming together as a community to recognize the people and organizations who are making a real difference here in the top of Virginia region." The theme resonates particularly well with presenting sponsor Valley Health, whose daily work embodies the spirit of community service. Kaleigh draws parallels between the healthcare provider's mission and the awards' purpose: "I think about the hands of doctors and nurses in our communities, the way they show up every single day for our families, our neighbors, and our businesses. It's a powerful example of how people come together in service of something bigger than themselves." Valley Health: A Partner in Community Excellence Chris Rucker, Chief Administrative Officer for Valley Health, joins the conversation to discuss why his organization continues to serve as the presenting sponsor year after year. His perspective reveals the deeper connection between healthcare and community prosperity. "Healthcare is an essential part of every community," Chris emphasizes. "It's an essential part of what determines the success and the livability and the trajectory of growth, the prosperity in every community." As the region's largest employer, Valley Health views its role as extending beyond patient care to include being a positive role model for other organizations. Moreover, Chris highlights Valley Health's extensive community involvement, which often happens behind the scenes. "We have some relationship and some involvement with just about every nonprofit organization in the community," he notes. The organization's mission of serving the community by improving health requires partnerships, collaboration, and avoiding redundancy—values that align perfectly with the Greater Good Awards' celebration of community impact. Eight Categories of Excellence The 2026 Greater Good Awards recognize achievement across eight distinct categories, each highlighting different aspects of community contribution: Small Business of the Year nominees include Capon Valley Bank and Summit Events, representing entrepreneurial spirit and local economic vitality. Large Business of the Year features First Bank, Shenandoah University, and Timber Ridge School - organizations whose scale allows them to make substantial community investments through volunteering, product donations, and strategic partnerships. Nonprofit of the Year acknowledges Access Independence, Winchester CCAP, and NW Works for their dedication to serving community needs. With nine to ten initial nominations, this category demonstrates the region's robust nonprofit sector. Entrepreneur of the Year celebrates Kelly Botta with Smartypants Medicine and Will Sparrow with Blue Bay Tech/Shallow Creek Electrical for their innovative business ventures. Citizen of the Year honors Kimberly Wilt with United Way of Northern Shenandoah Valley, Tamara Green from Frederick County Department of Social Services, and Tracy Fitzsimmons of Shenandoah University for their individual community contributions. Emerging Leader Award recognizes rising stars Emily Windle from Winchester City Council Ward Two, Lauren Clouse from Winchester Rescue Mission, and Mario Wisdom with Crystal Clear Business Solutions—individuals just beginning their careers but already making significant impacts. Career Pathways Impact Award, recently renamed from the CTE Award, broadens its scope to include educators, CTE instructors, workforce development professionals, training providers, and community partners. This year's nominees are Devon Smith with Frederick County Public Schools, Michael Diaz with Virginia Works, and Sarah Weinstein with Winchester Public Schools. Finally, the Lifetime Community Impact Award remains shrouded in mystery. Unlike other categories, this recipient's identity stays secret until the evening of the event, creating an element of surprise and anticipation. "You've had to put your time in," Kaleigh notes. "Absolute dedication at its finest." The Selection Process: Rigorous and Fair The path to nomination involves more than popularity. Kaleigh receives nominations from various sources—Chamber members, community members, and even self-nominations from businesses and individuals. However, getting nominated represents just the first step. A committee composed of past Chairs of the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber Board reviews all submissions against specific criteria. These include community involvement, ethics and character, leadership, creativity, growth, and for businesses, economic impact. Additionally, nominees must maintain good standing as Chamber members for at least three years. "We want the meat, not just, 'Oh, this person or this business is great to work for, work with,'" Kaleigh emphasizes. "We want the details." She encourages nominators to provide facts, numbers, and supporting documentation to help the committee make informed decisions. The rigorous process ensures the awards maintain their significance. "They're trying to bring the significance of the award ceremony back," Kaleigh explains, noting that without clear criteria, recognition risks becoming merely a popularity contest. Community Participation Opportunities While sponsorship opportunities have closed, community members can still contribute to the event's success through silent auction donations. Kaleigh welcomes creative contributions beyond standard gift cards—themed baskets, experience packages, travel opportunities, or unique local offerings that will capture bidders' attention. Janet herself offers to create an auction package featuring a guest appearance on "The Valley Today," complete with an orange microphone. Interested donors can contact Kaleigh at kfincham@regionalchamber.biz or call the office at 540-662-4118 extension 16. The deadline for auction item donations is Monday, March 9th, and Kaleigh offers to pick up items directly from businesses. A Partnership That Extends Beyond One Night The conversation reveals that Valley Health's relationship with the Chamber extends far beyond the Greater Good Awards. Kaleigh notes their involvement in Business at the Bloom, the Community Leadership Program, and the recently added Arising Leadership Program for high school juniors and seniors. "We greatly appreciate our partnership with Valley Health because it's not just this event that I've worked with individuals from Valley Health," Kaleigh shares. This ongoing collaboration demonstrates how meaningful partnerships strengthen the entire community ecosystem. Chris acknowledges the value of these diverse connections: "The number of nonprofits demonstrates, in my mind, and I'm sure to your listeners, just how many people are out there that really have care and passion to serve their community and whatever their particular area of interest is." Additional Sponsors Make It Possible While Valley Health serves as presenting sponsor, the event requires support from multiple community partners. Kaleigh gives special recognition to First Citizens Bank, YHB, Zwiesel Fortessa Tableware Solutions, City National Bank, and CNB Bank for their sponsorship commitments. Many of these organizations return year after year, demonstrating their belief in the event's community impact. The Bigger Picture Throughout the conversation, a central theme emerges: recognition matters. Being nominated alone represents a significant honor, as it means someone in the community values your contributions enough to put your name forward. Winning amplifies that recognition, but participation in the evening creates something equally valuable—a collective pause to appreciate the good work happening throughout the region. "Simply showing up is important," Kaleigh reflects. "So the night is about gratitude, but for work being done, for the partnerships being formed, for the impact that happens when we gather together as a community. It's not just an award ceremony. We all come together in gratitude and we, at the end of the day, strengthen as an entire region." As tickets dwindle and the March 12th date approaches, the Top of Virginia region prepares to gather in gratitude, celebrating not just individual achievements but the collective spirit that makes the community thrive. In a world that often rushes past moments of appreciation, the Greater Good Awards create space to pause, recognize, and honor those who make the region a better place to live, work, and grow. For those interested in attending, tickets remain available at regionalchamber.biz, though Kaleigh cautions they won't last long. The dress code calls for semi-formal attire in colors like sage green, gold, and champagne—fitting for an evening dedicated to celebrating the golden contributions of community champions.

Today marks a massive milestone for Labor's Tanya Plibersek, who reflects on a career spanning three decades as one of Australia’s longest-serving female politicians. We sit down with the Minister for Social Services to discuss her 10,000-day legacy and her life as an urban beekeeper. If you or someone you know needs help you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 And in headlines today, The man accused of throwing a bomb into an Invasion Day rally in Perth has been identified as 32 year old Liam Hall; The focus now shifts to the coalition's immigration policy as leader Angus Taylor calls for unity following the announcement of a front bench rewarding his supporters; 16yo Ally Hickman is facing a delay in her event at the Winter Olympics without her coach who’s had to head back to Australia; Actor Shia LaBeouf has been arrested after an altercation outside a bar in New Orleans THE END BITS Support independent women's media Check out The Quicky Instagram here GET IN TOUCHShare your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice note or email us at thequicky@mamamia.com.au CREDITS Hosts: Taylah Strano & Claire Murphy Guest: Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Social Services Audio Producer: Lu Hill Group Executive Producer: Ilaria BrophyBecome a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, I interview Dr. Barbara Minton. Dr. Minton is a trailblazing psychologist, musician, and neuroscientist whose innovative work bridges the powerful intersection of music, neuroscience, and emotional healing. As the driving force behind the album “Calm the Storm,” Dr. Minton has dedicated her career to harnessing the therapeutic power of music, drawing on both rigorous scientific expertise and profound personal devotion.Dr. Minton earned her BA in Psychology, summa cum laude, from the University of Denver, followed by PhDs in Psychology with an emphasis in developmental and child clinical practice. Demonstrating her deep commitment to brain science, she is Board Certified in Neurofeedback and holds the distinction of Diplomate in Quantitative Electroencephalogram (QEEG).Her diverse career includes private clinical practice in Boise, Idaho, serving as Mental Health Education Coordinator for the State of Alaska's Department of Health and Social Services, and as Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Alaska Southeast. These roles have allowed her to cultivate expertise not just in psychological assessment and neurofeedback, but also in the deeply human areas of giftedness and hypnotherapy.Connect with Barbara:Website: https://musicandhealing.netListen to her album: Calm the StormYouTube Interview: The Intersection of Music, Science, and the HeartFacebook | LinkedInWork with me—schedule a free 30-minute breakthrough consultation today. Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for entertainment and informational purposes only and does not substitute individual psychological advice. No AI—all content and episodes created and written by Ashley Melillo. *This is an affiliate link. Purchasing through affiliate links supports The Soul Horizon at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!

What if the key to supporting autism lies in understanding the body's environment as much as the brain itself? In this episode, we explore the powerful intersection of biohacking and autism based on the experience and study of Jackie McMillan as she joins Dr. Tracey Steady Hardcastle for our interview today. Jackie McMillan has autism, and has spent the years since 1976 - a period of dramatic functional gains and losses - figuring out what helps, what hurts, and the science which explains this.  Drawing on a degree in Environmental Studies, two years of premedical training, and many years in complementary health, she demystifies autism recovery, with a particular focus on inexpensive and DIY options for all ages and stages.Here are the highlights of today's episode:00:58 Jackie's Interest in Biohacking07:53 Interventions that Help with Autism and Environmental Toxicity08:56 The Goldilocks Zone09:58 Using a "SMART" System12:53 The Evaluation Process20:02 Optimizing vs Pathologizing Autism24:11 Does Tylenol Cause Autism?27:55 Social Services in CanadaIf you wish to learn more from Jackie McMillan, you may do so from the following channels:YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/jackiethrivesFaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/Thrive.With.AutismGoogle+: https://plus.google.com/+ThriveWithAutismCaLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/autismrecoveryguide______________________________________________________Keep yourself up to date on The DNA Talks Podcast! Follow our socials below:The DNA Talks Podcast Instagram: @dnatalkspodcastThe DNA Company Instagram: @thednacoThe DNA Company's Official Tiktok Account: @thednaco3Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this communication is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.

In this episode of One in Ten, host Teresa Huizar speaks with Dr. Robin Ortiz, an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, about neglect recurrence in child abuse cases. Dr. Ortiz discusses the factors contributing to neglect recurrence, including adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), environmental influences, and societal factors. They explore the gaps in the literature, the complexities of defining neglect, and the need for tailored interventions. Findings from Dr. Ortiz's recent research indicate that various risk factors exist at the child, family, community, and policy levels, and they emphasize the importance of societal investment in mental health, substance abuse treatment, domestic violence intervention, and financial stability to prevent neglect. The episode highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to support families and break the cycle of neglect.  Time Stamps  Time Topic 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 00:13 Understanding Neglect Recurrence 01:11 Guest's Background and Research Focus 03:11 Literature Review on Child Maltreatment Recurrence 05:33 Defining Neglect and Its Challenges 10:08 Study Hypotheses and Findings 18:26 Risk Factors for Neglect Recurrence 25:07 Impact of Services on Neglect Recurrence 38:24 Policy Implications and Societal Responsibility 41:03 Conclusion and Takeaways ResourcesChild, Family and Societal Factors Related to Neglect Recurrence After CPS Investigation - Robin Ortiz, Vincent J. Palusci, 2025Support the showDid you like this episode? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

What happens when workforce innovation stops focusing on individuals alone—and starts supporting entire families? In this episode of Manager Minute, Carol Pankow sits down with Lucas Halverson and Kathy Davis of ServiceSource to explore Families Achieving Self-Sufficiency Together (FASST)—a Disability Innovation Fund initiative that's connecting VR, TANF, employers, and community partners in a powerful new way. You'll hear how FASST: ·       Tackles generational poverty through a family-centered employment model ·       Supports disconnected youth and adults with disabilities across multiple states ·       Complements VR services without duplicating them ·       Uses AI-powered job matching and strong employer partnerships ·       Creates real solutions during Order of Selection and funding constraints This conversation is a must-listen for VR leaders, program managers, and partners looking for scalable, practical models that expand impact without expanding cost.   Listen Here   Full Transcript:   {Music} Lucas: The big goal is to break the cycle of poverty. We want to create lasting self-sufficiency, reduce the need for benefits and things of that nature.   Kathy: The beauty of this project is that it was originally designed for six sites across multiple states.   Lucas: We don't intend as a program to supplant programs that already exist, but we do intend to supplement or fill the gaps that exist.   Kathy: We are one as part of this project, and you would not have to pay fee for service or contract us. We're already being paid through the grant.   Intro Voice: Manager Minute, brought to you by the Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center. Conversations powered by VR. One manager at a time, one minute at a time. Here is your host, Carol Pankow.   Carol: Welcome to the manager minute. In today's episode, we're diving into one of the exciting initiatives funded through the Rehab Services Administration's Disability Innovation Fund 21st Century Workforce Grants. And these grants were designed to spark new ideas and scalable strategies that help youth and adults with disabilities prepare for and succeed in today's rapidly changing world of work. From artificial intelligence and virtual reality to cross-system partnerships and new ways of engaging employers. These projects are testing innovative models that could reshape how we think about disability employment for the 21st century. And one of those projects, launched just this past year, is led by ServiceSource, and it's taking a unique approach to helping families move toward self-sufficiency and employment. And joining me today to talk about it are Lucas Halverson, project director, and Kathy Davis, one of the key leaders behind this groundbreaking effort. So how goes it, Lucas?   Lucas: Hey, good morning Carol. Everything's going very well. Thank you so much for inviting us to talk about our project today. We're extremely excited to be here to talk about our project Families Achieving Self-sufficiency Together. We also call it fasst with two S's. So thanks again for having us.   Carol: You bet. How about you, Kathy? How are you doing?   Kathy: I'm doing great, Carol, thanks so much for having us. We are definitely excited to speak with you about our grant, which is short for that Disability Innovation Fund.   Carol: Excellent. Yeah, I've had a lot of experience talking with other DIF grantees in like the C.D.E.F. We always give them the little alphabet soup label, but there have been different focuses each year that RSA had released the Disability Innovation Fund grant. So it's been really fun to catch up and see what things are happening. So let's dig in. So before we get into the details of your project, Lucas, could you tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to be involved in this work?   Lucas: Yeah, absolutely. So my entire professional career is related to helping others. That started as an employment development specialist right after my bachelor's degree, focusing on all things employment placement, support services, community based, competitive, integrated employment. I transitioned from that into helping individuals with more significant disabilities prepare for employment. I've done a little bit of group and individual substance abuse counseling, but largely the last 15 years or so, I've been in the world of vocational rehabilitation in a variety of roles, both on the public side and the private sector side, and was happy through those wonderful years to get my master's degree in rehab counseling and my certified rehabilitation counselor credential. So to present day, I've been with ServiceSorce for over ten years, and when the grant was awarded, I looked at it as an opportunity to still stay in the world that I love of helping people, but knew it would expand my skills and really looked at it as an opportunity to bring a pretty large proposal to life. And so here we are, fresh into the second year of our project and seeing all of that happen. So very exciting.   Carol: It's very cool. I love finding people's stories, like how you found your way into this world of work, because we all came in a long and winding road different ways, but make it in. And then once you're in, you're kind of hooked. It's hard to leave. So, Kathy, how about you? How did you come to be involved in this work?   Kathy: Well, same. I love people's stories about how they find their vocation. And I have also been serving individuals with disabilities for a very long time, well over 20 years. I started as a volunteer in high school with Easter Seals, and from there, I did volunteer work with therapeutic horseback riding. I eventually also went back to school and got my master's in rehab counseling and became a nonprofit community mental health counselor and a traumatic brain injury program manager. And because of my background in counseling and also a previous master's degree in economics, when the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act was being discussed,  and the emphasis changed to or included employers. My econ background and my master's rehab counseling background made me a little bit of a unicorn, and I was hired by a Blind services agency around 2012. And then I also did business relations for them. And then I was hired to start the first business relations program at one of the VR agencies. And really, my golden thread throughout all of my career has been starting new programs. No matter what role I've been in. I love new things, I love innovation, and so DIF has been a perfect fit for me. I'm also working on my doctorate degree, almost finished with that and doing a Pre-ETS dissertation. So I have a really strong interest in evaluation. And so evaluation actually brought me to this project. And I serve as an internal evaluator for it.   Carol: Wow, you are a unicorn. Let me say that is exciting. Very fun. Thanks for sharing that. So when you two first saw the grant announcement, what caught your attention and made you want to apply?   Lucas: Yeah. So this DIF grant cycle the F grant cycle was the first time nonprofit organizations were eligible to apply. So it was a unique opportunity for ServiceSource. And so our program development team recognized that our agency had the capacity to try to take this on, and also the expertise to successfully apply with a strong proposal, but then also administer and monitor the program successfully. So our organization, ServiceSource, is a leading service provider and employer for individuals with disabilities. So it made us well positioned to deliver impactful outcomes under this project. The DIF grant in general definitely aligns very closely with our mission and our vision and our values. And we have affiliated organizational model that we felt would provide a strategic advantage with this project. So it's allowing us to have a fairly large geographic reach. We have several teams across the country all working together on this project, and it also allows us to leverage partnerships and resources that have already been in existence across these teams and these affiliates to have the greatest impact that we can. And so really, the alignment and the capacity gave us confidence that we could do what this grant needed us to do. And so we're in that second year and really getting rocking and rolling now.   Carol: Yeah, I hadn't realized that ServiceSource had such a big footprint because I was familiar with the work ServiceSource did in Florida, and Tina down in Florida and working with the Florida General Agency. In fact, we did a podcast about that and that particular model, and I knew there were little fingers of that kind of had spread out, I believe, into a few different states, but I hadn't realized, like, really how expansive ServiceSource was. So that is an excellent point that it really positioned you well for this. Now your project family is achieving self-sufficiency together. As you said FASST with the two S's. So no, we don't have a typo. If they read the transcript later, we didn't have a spelling error. It is the FASST you really launched at the end of June. I know that first year is always a very big planning year and getting things ready. Can you give us a quick overview of what the initiative is about, and really what motivated your focus on families?   Lucas: Yeah, absolutely. Really the high level focus aims to help disconnected youth and disconnected adults with disabilities achieve competitive, integrated employment. In addition, you know, using early intervention workforce reintegration strategies to support long term success. That's where the whole self-sufficiency piece comes in, uniquely for our project. But overall, FASST is, as I mentioned, a multi-state initiative, and we want to empower disconnected adults and youth with disabilities. Our core focus is individuals that are eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or TANF. So that's part of our eligibility requirement. And the ultimate focus is to remove barriers to employment and to independence. And so we do that by connecting families to community partners such as vocational rehabilitation, training providers, employers. But we also have staff that assist the individuals we're serving, build those critical skills such as job readiness, financial capability. And we have a case manager component to the team. Each team has a case manager to help with that kind of wraparound, holistic approach, to try to knock down as many barriers as possible. The big goal is to break the cycle of poverty, looking at kind of that two generational approach. We want to create lasting self-sufficiency, reduce the need for benefits and things of that nature. So pretty big goals. But we have a solid team that I'm confident can hit those goals with us.   Kathy: So and related to goals, we really our project has three overall goals. And as Lucas mentioned, it is to connect disconnected adults to find and retain that competitive integrated employment. But I'll also add that we want to have at least one high quality indicator as part of that employment, and we're helping to support them to retain their employment for at least 90 days. But we're also tracking beyond 90 days. And that's one of the really exciting and fun parts of this project. Unlike vocational rehabilitation, where you'd see a closure at 90 days, we're able to support individuals for the remainder of the project if that's what it takes to help them maintain their employment. The second overarching goal that we have is for the youth, disconnected youth ages 14 to 24. Our goal is to help them gain work skills and then either enter employment or enter education and or complete education. And then finally, the third goal would be to build the system's capacity with all of our partners to sustain our model and be able to serve more TANF recipients.   Carol: I like your holistic approach that you guys have brought up. I know back in the day, as customers would come in the door, and I was working at State Services for the Blind in Minnesota. You're looking at employment, but it's hard to just talk employment right off the get go. If people don't have food or your housing is unstable or you have all the other issues, so you've got to kind of connect all the pieces together. Employment obviously is a very important piece of this, but it isn't the only piece. You got to have it all work together.   Lucas: You make a great point, because I realized I didn't touch on the motivation to focus on families as part of this, and it's largely what you just described. You know, we recognize that families are key support systems for the individuals that we're serving. Families strongly influence decisions about anything but including employment and training, career paths. And so our whole focus is trying to have an alignment to that. And again, with our case management, part of our staffing, looking at the barriers, making sure they're addressed to increase those chances of success, because just as you said, there's not transportation, there's not a job. If there's not a house over your head, there's not a job if you don't have food. So all caregiver responsibilities and so the family tie in is really looking at barriers that affect the family. So could be the parent could be a child. But we know how it impacts the household. It creates kind of that ripple effect. And so not addressing it holistically could be a key piece missing. And so kind of the core motivation I guess to capitalize on that is to increase skills, of course, relating to employment, but also to again try to reduce the reliance on benefits as part of that. So knocking down barriers, helping go to work, reducing that need. And one of the key points with our project is as things are evolving, it does align with some of the current different federal agency initiatives. So, for example, children and families is emphasizing employment as a pathway to self-sufficiency. So that's very close to what we're looking at. And another example is Health and Human Services. They're looking at employment and family as the foundation of economic and social well-being. So our project really kind of just fits and plugs into that, because that is what our goal is with the larger focus. But I do think the holistic piece is extremely valuable for this project and will continue to be.   Carol: Yeah, you guys are definitely ahead of the curve because when I saw that that you guys had picked TANF, you know, at first I'm like, well that's interesting. Like how did you come to that? You know, to decide you were going to focus on those folks eligible for TANF and kind of make that the centerpiece?   Lucas: Yeah. So the program development folks that really dug into the proposal, part of the application process did a lot of research and found that largely there was a disconnect. There are a lot of folks that are eligible for TANF or receiving TANF that were appropriate for other agencies, such as vocational rehab, just as one example. But the tie in often wasn't there. It wasn't happening. And so, as Kathy mentioned, one of our goals is to hopefully have some better pipelines for that. So for folks and entities that are naturally working with individuals with TANF to understanding no important programs such as vocational rehab exist and what that looks like and what the scope is and what they can help with. So it just kind of was a noticed need and kind of became one of the key parts of, of this proposal when it was getting all put together.   Carol: I think that's brilliant because you always look at kind of VR can be the best kept secret. People say that all the time, and even though it seems like it would be apparent, like, why wouldn't you, you know, get connected with VR and you're in this program. People don't know that. And it's not necessary that the staff may be working in TANF, even know about VR or what's going on. We don't always do the best job at connecting with all the different partners and other folk out there.   Lucas: Another part of that decision to again, ServiceSource operating many programs across the country. There are a couple TANF specific programs that ServiceSource operated for many years, one being in Virginia that partners with the Virginia Department of Social Services, and then another unrelated program in Denver in Colorado. So there's already some knowledge base of that in addition to the research they all did. So it helped us kind of align with one of our corporate strategic goals of expansion and wanting to increase our support to individuals that are eligible for TANF. And so it kind of checked a, checked a lot of mini boxes, both there being a need and interest from our company with our goal of expanding and serving, you know, additional individuals. So it kind of presented just almost a natural opportunity, I guess, as it was all coming together. And I think it gives, you know, a pretty solid opportunity to try to interrupt the generational poverty that exists within families.   Carol: Well, that's where the magic happens. There's nothing better than having a project that fits with your own corporate mission. You know, the stars are aligned, things all sync up. It's not like you're having to kind of fit round, peg in a square hole or whatever, the square peg in a round hole, because it's all aligned really well. Now, I understand you recently received approval to expand your focus to include disconnected youth such as those in foster care, the justice system. How does that change the picture of your work going forward?   Lucas: Yeah, so kind of a really cool example. So with the DIF grants, one of the key focuses on being innovative and being flexible in changing with what you're finding during your project. And so very early on, not long after we launched the project and began some large increased efforts with outreach almost immediately, there were a handful of situations that involve youth that met the larger definition of disconnected, but didn't quite meet our project eligibility of being in a household that had a parent or guardian eligible for TANF benefits. And so we originally had intended to focus on those youth later in the project. But we talked about it and we did not want to exclude individuals. We knew we had the expertise and interest to serve, and we certainly did not want to risk coming back in the months or years ahead trying to find them. You know, it's kind of like the hot potato. If you have youth that are interested, now is the time. And so we worked with our project officer from RSA and they were very supportive of us expanding our focus to the broader definition of disconnected youth a little bit sooner than we originally planned, of course, but so that expansion includes youth now that are in foster care, the justice system that are low income or don't have stable housing. And so they don't have to have that TANF tie in for, for that kind of subgroup, but still relates very directly to our mission of serving the disconnected youth and adults within the project.   Carol: Yeah, I like that. You recognize that, you know, and take advantage of that as you're seeing that. And that's kind of the beauty of these projects, because they do ebb and flow based on how things are rolling and what you write in a proposal. As everything comes to fruition, you realize different things and you're like, oh, you know, maybe we get to pivot or do something a little differently or whatever that may be, or make this addition and it just makes the project better. I love the flexibility that RSA has with the projects to allow that kind of expansion and changes as you're going along. So I understand you've got six teams working across six states under this shared framework. How does that structure work, and what have you learned so far about coordinating across all these different regions?   Lucas: Yeah, I'm proud and very happy to report that it's been working incredibly well so far. It's kind of a new experience for our organization as well because it's bringing together multiple affiliated teams, but working collectively on the same project at the same time with shared goals. So from the start, when Kathy and I were putting this all together, one of the elements that really wasn't negotiable was building a sense of community within our team. Since we're all working on the same grant, have the same expectations. We knew if everybody was working in their own silo, it would be, you know, highly unnecessary and really counterproductive to what we're wanting to do. So we spent a lot of time in the earlier stages and continue to with emphasizing cross team collaboration. It's really kind of the key driver to our success and our continued success. And so some of the efforts to make this team that's spread across the country feel like we're all sitting in the same office space together, is having weekly meetings. So Kathy and I lead a weekly meeting with all the grant funded staff, their supervisors, the executive directors for the different affiliates, other subject matter experts from our organization, and then different contractors as necessary that are on the project. And we focus on anything and everything relating to the project, so it could be updates, progress, best practices, things that seem to be going well, maybe things that we need to work a little better on any process reviews we need to do. So we go through just anything that's relevant each week, keeps that engagement there, keeps everybody, you know, interacting. And beyond that, we also knew that with having some external contractors on the project that we really needed that to be bought in from the staff as well. And so we had kick off meetings with each contractor, both with our large group and then with each individual team, really just to build rapport, clarify roles, responsibilities, expectations, how it was going to work, what the goals were, and just start those relationships strong as well. You know, there's so much going on when you launch a project that we didn't want our external folks not to feel a partner like our internal folks. And so that's been going remarkably well. And then lastly, the last comment I'll make on this is that we also recognize that because we have really three position types that are working directly with the individuals we're serving, again, spread out across the country. We really wanted them to feel together and not, again, not separate. And so each position has its own community of practice. They meet monthly, they share best practices. They discuss challenges, Brainstorm ideas. For example, case manager in Florida found a gem of a resource that's national. There's no reason our case manager in Utah should have to spend time finding that as well. They talk about it. They you know, hey, I found this. This is great. It might help each other. And so those meetings we've had a lot of positive response on and Kathy and I hop on, if they have a topic they want us to discuss or, you know, problem solve with them. And so we've really felt that's helped bridge that large geographic distance across the teams. And we're hoping that, you know, turns into high quality and impactful services for the folks we're serving efficiently, serving our individuals and not having multiple people having to spend the same time on the same need.   Kathy: Yeah, I'll add something here, too, from an evaluation perspective. You might be familiar that when you start a new program and it develops into a fully developed, successful project and program, and then you start sharing it nationally. Inevitably, someone will, from another state or another agency outside of your region will say, well, that could never work for us because we're, you know, we have these resources or we're serving this population. The beauty of this project is that it was originally designed for six sites across multiple states. And so our implementation really is across varying populations and community resources. And so this project has such strong potential for successful implementation across multiple states and contexts. So we're very excited that we're really documenting everything that we're doing. We'll have a toolkit when we complete the project, and we're really looking forward to sharing what we're doing and how to do it with others.   Carol: And that's a really important piece to RSA. It's one of the things you write to in the project, like how is this going to be sustained past the project ending? Like how can you then, you know, transfer this information to other folks and they can implement it. So I can see where that was very appealing to them as they're looking at evaluating the different proposals that shoot. Here's a group looking at six states. So you mentioned, Lucas, Utah and Florida. What are the other four states that you're in?   Lucas: Yeah. So we're  in Delaware, North Carolina and Virginia. And we're right now in the process of bringing on a team in Colorado. We have the approval. We're just doing the logistics of what it takes to bring them on. That's one of the ServiceSource teams that has an experienced TANF program. And so we looked at that as another opportunity to be able to already leverage existing relationships and expertise to just tie right into what we were already planning to do in the Colorado team was just a little bit newer to ServiceSource, so they weren't part of the original proposal because they weren't here quite yet, but they now are. So we're extremely excited to have some additional folks joining the team and fitting right into what we're doing.   Carol: That's very cool. I know one of your partners. Our Ability, brings some cutting edge tech into the mix with AI powered job matching and training. How is that partnership helping you engage employers and job seekers in new ways?   Lucas: Yeah, so I think as we all know, the workforce development is just kind of an ever evolving landscape. So bringing Our Ability in, I'm extremely excited. John Robinson, the CEO from Our Ability, is part of our project. And at the core of our partnership is the innovative use of technology. They have a portal that's called Jobs Ability, that uses generative AI to connect job seekers to employment based on their interests, their skills, their expertise. So the system helps focus on the challenge of both unemployment but also underemployment among folks with disabilities. And their platform reaches 15,000 people with disabilities each month, which to me is pretty remarkable. That's a lot of folks consistently visiting and using their resources. And so the job matching will assist with better connections between the individuals were serving and getting into the work world, or trying to help upgrade or increase their employment in a system that's already proven, which, you know, helps with efficiency. They already know it works. And so by us leveraging their extensive employer network within the system, you know, we're really focused on fostering the employment opportunities that encourage and again, increase self-sufficiency.   Kathy: Just kind of expanding on what the Jobs Ability portal will mean for our customers. We'll be able to assist our job seekers with creating quality resumes that are keyed in on skills and experience, and there is an AI matching protocol that really matches their preferences and experiences and skills with job descriptions. It's a proprietary AI system, and so we're really excited about how participants are going to be able to be matched with jobs that actually match their skills. These are real jobs, competitive wages. As we said, we have high quality indicators for our outcomes, including wages. And if you think about it, this is a win for our participants as well as our employers, because they are going to be able to actually tap into qualified individuals with disabilities who meet the skills and experience that they are seeking.   Carol: I love AI. I know there's people I've done different podcasts around, different AI initiatives, and some people have different feelings about AI. I know there's kind of the you have the dark side of it, but this sounds super cool. I had not heard of this company. And about this proprietary software. I think that's very interesting and super smart of you to leverage something already out there, proven tested, can be used right away. Instead of you trying to like, go down the road of creating something and doing all of that, you don't need to waste, you know, time and energy in that when you've got something already done. Now, I know no large project like this starts without a few hurdles. What have been some of your biggest challenges so far, and how are you navigating maybe any kind of overlap with other services or agencies?   Kathy: As you said, VR is a well-kept secret. Many times that's what we hear. And so being experienced with that, when we started the project, we knew the outreach was going to be key. And so we did not wait to start our outreach. And Lucas and I developed a very thorough support system and toolkit for our staff to help them really be purposeful about their outreach. And as soon as people were hired, one of the first things they were told to do after they were up and running with knowledge about the project was to start outreach. And honestly, I think we've become an outreach machine and we're really keeping track of hundreds, hundreds of contacts across our six locations that we've made and also just really analyzing which of those resources are turning into pipelines of referrals. And so I think we're going to be learning a lot about that. One of the things that we also knew from the beginning is that we needed to tailor our outreach to the audience. So we have a library of outreach materials for students, for VR, for employers, for schools and parents. So there's many ways that we have. We also are created outreach in other languages. So we're definitely doing our best to reach as many people as we can about this project, and also equipping our staff to be able to speak about it, to really understand it and to be able to keep track of what we're doing to reach the populations that and stakeholders that we're going to serve.   Carol: Very cool.   Lucas: I was going to talk about the overlap with other agencies. It's been a very real discussion with our teams because, you know, how does FASST fit in with other programs that might do similar types of work. And so, you know, it's an ongoing discussion, teaching staff the significance of a comparable benefit, a very familiar term for our friends that have been in the VR world before. We don't intend as a program to supplant programs that already exist, but we do intend to supplement or fill the gaps that exist. Maybe we can move faster within a process to help somebody now that while they'll go through a process that takes a little bit longer, or maybe we can support someone a little bit longer, like Kathy said before, you know, if someone has a VR counselor and at 90 days, VR is comfortable with closing them, but maybe they might need a little bit more support. That might be a gap we can fill or a little bit more job coaching or financial literacy or something like that. And so we really focused on the design of our project to try to rapidly engage individuals as much as we can. We can serve someone start to finish on our own as a project. We don't have to have a built in external component, but we recognize the significance of resource connection, obviously. So both now and down the road for folks, if they're not receiving our support, knowing what resources exist, who can help with different things. And so it's still an ongoing process. So part of that outreach, Kathy mentioned hundreds and hundreds of outreach. We have to hit folks with the right info that makes sense to them. And so for as long as this project's going, I think it will always be a focal point for us to make sure that, you know, it's just clear what we do and what we don't do and what we can do to just try to support agencies and programs that do exist already, but then also knowing we can do a pretty good job on our own if we had to, so.   Carol: So let's hone in a little bit. You've talked a lot about outreach and have mentioned VR, but let's talk about those VR partnerships. How are your teams building relationships at the state and local level, and what can VR agencies gain from working with your project?   Lucas: Yeah, so the teams have done a really good job focusing on building relationships with vocational rehab. Again, trying to listen to what the needs are, what they're seeing as needs, and then versus, you know, collaboration of what we can offer teams that are working on having regular check ins set up. As with any agency, you know, some relationships have been a little more natural than others. But continuing to work together to try to establish those pipelines and that knowledge base of our existence, and then also that need for the individuals that are eligible for TANF. And so I always kind of say, you know, what's in it for VR agencies? And from my perspective, at least, our project can increase access to services and resources that could make service delivery easier or more efficient or more effective, which should then lead to increase or better outcomes. That's the goal. One of our objectives, as Kathy touched on, is to establish a system that connects. Connects the folks eligible for TANF and other entities such as vocational rehab. And so we're really continuing to focus on that and going to continue to ramp that up throughout the project. As the more, you know, line level relationships exist with the different offices and the different staff. And we've learned that adults with disabilities receiving TANF benefits are often best served by VR. As I mentioned, you know, programs can be complex sometimes, and so trying to smooth that out a little bit might be helpful for them. So we kind of see an additional potential to have connect VR teams with employers. We just talked about our ability and John and his team. They have very robust employer connections across the country. And so that'll be a regular interaction. So we might be able to connect some employers. Some of our interest is connecting educational partners as well. So looking at programs that can help foster people to get into good jobs and, you know, and other stakeholders of course, as well. So we kind of see it as a very big collaboration opportunity for our teams. And I really think at the end of the day, it really just to me looks at shared impact. So we work together. How can we all show that the good work everybody's doing is impactful and supporting the individuals that are coming to us that are needing that support?   Carol: It takes a village. It really does.   Lucas: It does. It takes a village. And we have one team, the state they're in recently. Just last month went on order of selection. And so we're using that as another opportunity to be a support because at least I know us in this podcast know when going on Order of Selection, the most significant disabilities have to be focused first. And so those individuals with less significant disabilities are typically the ones that have to wait. And we can serve them. So that team is working with their VR agency to make sure that's known, so that if they have folks going on the waiting list, that it might be a great opportunity to shift them to us and we can support them while they're on the waiting list. And whenever the time would come for that release, we can just catch up together and see where we're at.   Carol: That's a perfect example of really great collaboration, I love that. That I'm glad you mentioned that.   Kathy: Yeah, I just want to mention too, it's kind of tied into that. The reason we're seeing agencies start to use Order of Selection is because of increasing costs. This project would not cost BR to use our services because we're funded through the grant. So if you need an employment service provider, we are one as part of this project and you would not have to pay fee for service or contract us. We're already being paid through the grant, so it really helps with cost.   Carol: Yeah that's perfect. So as you guys look at the year ahead, what are your priorities and what does success look like for FASST as you continue to grow and refine your model?   Lucas: Many things, but I think largely continuing to strengthen the project. You know, we're still relatively new in implementation. And so we've learned a lot and will continue to learn a lot. And so we just really want to make sure we're maximizing the positive impact of the individuals we're serving. First of all, strengthen develop clear pathways. The end goal would be for this to be replicable at the end to scale our model effectively. And so I really think this second year, now that the team's together, everybody's getting comfortable with our process. This year is really where the car starts driving full speed, is how I feel. And I know Kathy, you have some ideas on quality and partnerships too, right?   Kathy: Definitely. As an internal evaluator, I'm looking at quality of this project. I want to make sure that we're ensuring fidelity to our model and the key components of our model and project, and we're going to be making adjustments throughout the next year, especially based on the needs of our participants and even our staff. And we're going to be capitalizing on our successes and sharing best practices across our teams through those communities of practice that Lucas talked about. We want to be consistent in implementing our project across the teams and our locations. So again, we have process documents and we're making sure that we're doing things similarly across our locations. And then we're definitely going to be collecting data. We've already started that process, and we want to make sure that we can demonstrate our outcomes so that we can inform our improvements and just really develop that replicable model in the end. And then as far as collaborations and partnerships go, we're working with our local partners to strengthen our connections and expand resources for our disconnected youth and adults with disabilities. So really looking forward to the next year being strengthening of our program and proving our model.   Carol: Well spoken like a true evaluator indeed, I love that. Oh, that is good stuff. So how could our listeners learn more about your work or connect with the FASST team? Do you have a website or something you could share with us.   Lucas: Yeah, so there's a few ways. So if someone's wanting to get connected to Kathy and I quick, we have an email. It's FASST, which is FASST@ServiceSource.org. Comes directly to Kathy and I, and we can answer questions if it's specific to a team, a referral, something like that. We get it out to the appropriate folks across the different teams. We do have a website. There's a lot of hyphens in it, but so largely it's ServiceSource.org/families-achieving-sufficiency-together. The hyphens had to be in there. So it's a little much if someone's trying to write it down. So I don't know if there's a way to have that posted somehow.   Carol: Yeah, we'll definitely put that in when we post the podcast. We can put that in the transcript too, to have the website linked right there.   Lucas: And then, also always like to put a plug in for the National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials, or NCRTM. They have a website for all DIF grantees that provides information about the project so you can see any of the grant cycles, what they're doing, where they're located, and of course, ours being one of them. So it has information and also ties folks back to our project site as well.   Carol: Well, Heather Servais will sure appreciate that shout out to them. They have great stuff. I sure appreciate you both very much. This is interesting. It'll be fun to catch up with you in a year or so and see, like now that you said you're kind of going full speed ahead to see where things land, I appreciate you.   Kathy: Thank you.   Lucas: Thank you so much.   {Music} Outro Voice: Conversations powered by VR. One manager at a time. One minute at a time. Brought to you by the VRTAC. Catch all of our podcast episodes by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening.   Lucas: The contents of this discussion were developed under Grant H421F240144 from the US Department of Education Department. The Department does not mandate or prescribe practices, models or other activities described or discussed in this discussion. The contents of this discussion may contain examples of adaptations of, and links to, resources created and maintained by another public or private organization. The. The department does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of this outside information. The content of this discussion does not necessarily represent the policy of the department. This publication is not intended to represent the views or policy, or be an endorsement of any views expressed or materials provided by any federal agency. Edgar. 75.620.   Carol: Well, thank you both. I really appreciate you. Good job.   Kathy: Thanks Carol.   Lucas: Thank you so much.   Music} Outro Voice: Conversations powered by VR. One manager at a time. One minute at a time. Brought to you by the VRTAC. Catch all of our podcast episodes by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening.

A Conversation About Community, Connection, and Caring for Kids in Need When Heather Frost joins Janet Michael on The Valley Today, she brings a message that hits close to home: hundreds of children across the Shenandoah Valley desperately need stable, caring families. As Foster Parent Coordinator for Embrace Treatment Foster Care, Heather sees firsthand how the shortage of local foster homes affects vulnerable kids throughout our region. The Scope of the Problem The statistics paint a sobering picture. At any given time, Virginia has approximately 5,000 children in foster care. Remarkably, 40% of these children are teenagers—the age group that proves hardest to place. Breaking this down to our local communities reveals the true scale of the need. Frederick County and Winchester together care for 120-150 children at any time, while Shenandoah County serves 40-60 kids. Even smaller Clarke County has 15-25 children in the system annually. Meanwhile, larger counties like Loudoun regularly have 250-300 children awaiting placement. Furthermore, the consequences of inadequate foster care resources extend far beyond childhood. More than 1,000 young people age out of Virginia's foster care system each year without finding a permanent family. This failure dramatically increases their risk for homelessness, unemployment, and involvement in the justice system—outcomes that could be prevented with stable family support. Why Location Matters Heather emphasizes a crucial point that many people overlook: where a foster child lives makes an enormous difference in their recovery and development. When children must be placed far from their home communities due to a lack of local foster families, they lose vital connections. They leave behind their schools, their therapists, their neighborhoods, and often their extended family members who still play important roles in their lives. "The research shows these things really matter in terms of getting over the trauma that the kids have gone through," Heather explains. Maintaining these connections helps children recover faster and build resilience. Consequently, Embrace actively seeks foster families throughout the region—from Winchester and surrounding counties to Harrisonburg and even Loudoun County—to keep kids rooted in familiar territory. What Treatment Foster Care Really Means Unlike traditional foster care through the Department of Social Services, Embrace provides treatment-level care for children with more complex needs. These kids often face challenges like ADHD, developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, or post-traumatic stress. However, Heather quickly dispels any notion that foster parents must navigate these challenges alone. Instead, Embrace treats foster parents as integral members of a treatment team. The agency provides extensive initial certification training, then continues with monthly sessions covering new strategies, specific situations, and emerging best practices. Additionally, foster parents receive 24/7 support—whether they need a phone consultation or an in-person visit. This comprehensive approach transforms foster parents from isolated caregivers into supported professionals working alongside schools, social services, and community partners. Breaking Down Barriers and Misconceptions Throughout the conversation, Heather addresses common concerns that prevent people from considering foster care. First, she tackles the financial question head-on. All foster children receive Medicaid coverage, eliminating worries about medical expenses. Moreover, foster parents receive stipends to cover clothing and other necessities, though Heather acknowledges these don't cover every expense. Community support, like the Front Royal Chamber's annual fundraiser for foster families, helps fill remaining gaps. Second, Heather confronts the fear that potential foster parents lack the necessary skills or experience. "We're not looking for perfect people," she emphasizes. "We're just looking for people who will show up, who will be there, who want to help children." The certification process takes approximately 90 days and includes about six weeks of training classes, which can be completed virtually or in person based on family preferences. The Power of Stability and Connection Perhaps the most compelling part of the conversation centers on how dramatically children can transform when given stability and structure. Heather acknowledges that many foster children arrive labeled as "difficult" or "hard to manage." Nevertheless, she's witnessed countless times how these same children soften and thrive once they realize someone will consistently show up for them. "Just having someone who cared about them" makes all the difference, Heather notes, recalling stories from community members who approach her at events like Apple Blossom to share their own foster care experiences. Janet reinforces this point, observing that labels hurt children and that removing those labels allows kids to flourish in ways that might seem impossible at first. Importantly, Heather doesn't sugarcoat the experience. "I'm not gonna say it's all butterflies and rainbows a hundred percent of the time," she admits. Yet she describes the profound reward of watching relationships develop between foster children and their families. "When a child and a foster parent have that relationship and you get to watch it grow, it's just very beautiful." From Foster Care to Forever Families The conversation also explores how foster placements can evolve into permanent adoptions. Embrace dual-certifies foster parents for both fostering and adoption, creating flexibility as situations develop. Sometimes a child initially expected to reunify with their biological family cannot do so. In these cases, foster parents who've built strong relationships over months or years often choose to adopt, providing the permanent stability these children desperately need. This possibility becomes especially meaningful for teenagers. As Janet points out, raising any teenager presents challenges—foster or biological. However, the opportunity to guide a young person from a traumatic past toward a stable future offers rewards that transcend typical parenting experiences. The Urgent Call to Action As the conversation concludes, Heather issues a straightforward invitation: if you're even slightly curious about foster care, reach out for a conversation. There's no obligation, no cost, and no pressure. Visit embracetfc.com to learn more and indicate your preferred method of contact. The agency will respond according to your comfort level, whether you're just exploring the idea or ready to begin classes. Ultimately, the message resonates clearly throughout the conversation: the Shenandoah Valley's foster children need local families who represent their communities and cultures. They need people who will maintain their connections to schools, therapists, and extended family. Most importantly, they need adults who will simply show up—consistently, reliably, and with genuine care. The need is great, but so is the potential for impact. As Heather reminds listeners, foster parents don't need to be perfect. They just need to be present.

On this edition of the America's Work Force Union Podcast, we tackle two critical fronts of the labor movement in 2026: the life-and-death stakes of public healthcare staffing in California and a high-level analysis of national economic and political instability. Segment 1: Solano County's Mental Health "Emergency" Solano County's behavioral health workforce isn't warning of a future risk—they are describing a present-tense catastrophe. Sarah Soroken, a licensed marriage and family therapist and SEIU Local 1021 member, joins the podcast to discuss why 2,000 county workers recently walked out on a two-day strike. The Vacancy Gap: With 200 open positions in Health and Social Services, remaining staff are facing "moral injury" and burnout while patients face dangerous waitlists. The Human Cost: Why union-driven staffing demands are a public health issue in a county that ranks 15th out of 58 in California suicide rates. Budgetary Myths: A look at union "deep dives" into county finances that challenge claims of a financial crisis. Segment 2: Union Rights at a Breaking Point Retired International President of the Machinists Union (IAMAW), Tom Buffenbarger, provides a sobering diagnosis of a country he says has slipped into a 1960s-style crisis—only worse. The Investigation Gap: Buffenbarger explains why he trusts state leadership, such as Minnesota AG Keith Ellison, over federal investigators following recent tragedies in Minneapolis. The Tariff Price Tag: How trade brinkmanship with Canada is hitting the grocery store (milk, eggs, cereal) and industrial supply chains of working families in the U.S. Organizing the Future: Why the Young Workers March on Washington (Feb. 7) represents a "bright spot" for a generation looking for stability through union rights. Resources & Next Steps Join the Movement: Visit goiam.org for details on the Young Workers March. Follow the Fight: See more SEIU 1021 and IAMAW stories on the America's Work Force Union Podcast.

Minnesota's social-services fraud, March for Life leaders weigh in on Trump's pro-life record, travel restrictions on international adoptions, and former congressman Steve Pearce's vision of leadership. Plus, Cal Thomas on Mitt Romney's tax argument, AI hallucination, and the Thursday morning newsSupport The World and Everything in It today at wng.org/donateAdditional support comes from Pensacola Christian College. Academic excellence, biblical worldview, affordable cost. go.pcci.edu/worldAnd from the Joshua Program at St. Dunstan's Academy in the Blue Ridge Mountains: work, prayer, and adventure for young men. stdunstansacademy.org

Joyce talks about the fraud findings in Minnesota and how foreigners have come into America and found a way to leverage our social services systems for the benefit of them and family members in their home country. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jan N. DeFehr is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Winnipeg and an associate of The Taos Institute and a member of the Faculty for Palestine, Manitoba. She is also a member of the York University Mad Studies Hub. Before entering academia, she spent many years as a clinical social worker, working alongside people who were trying to make sense of their distress within, and often in spite of, the mental health system. Her teaching, research, and course development focus on building public access to critical analyses of that system, drawing on the work of clients and survivors of psychiatry, practitioners, and scholars. Her new book, A Critical Mental Health Primer: Towards Informed Choice in Social Services, Education, and Healthcare(Canadian Scholars, 2025), offers a clear and accessible map of critical mental health scholarship. The book examines scientific critiques of diagnosis, the potential harms of psychiatric labels, the lack of transparency and procedural justice in services, anti-colonial critiques of mental health premises and practices, and the evidence on psychiatric drugs and the DSM. It also gathers non-pathologizing ways of helping that center relational, dialogical, anti-oppressive, and anti-colonial approaches, along with concrete tools for informed choice and everyday support outside of the dominant medical model. In our conversation, we talk about how Jan came to adopt critical perspectives, why she sees access to critical mental health knowledge as a prerequisite for ethical practice, and what it looks like when organizations take informed choice seriously. We move through the key chapters of the book, explore its implications for social workers, educators, and health professionals, and look at how communities can build forms of care that do not depend on diagnosis or coercion. *** Thank you for being with us to listen to the podcast and read our articles this year. MIA is funded entirely by reader donations. If you value MIA, please help us continue to survive and grow. https://www.madinamerica.com/donate/ To find the Mad in America podcast on your preferred podcast player, click here: https://pod.link/1212789850 © Mad in America 2026. Produced by James Moore https://www.jmaudio.org

Episode Overview: Fraud in Minnesota's Social Services: Federal prosecutors have uncovered widespread fraud in Minnesota's social safety programs, with fewer than 100 individuals exploiting pandemic-era funds, resulting in over $1 billion in misappropriations. The lack of effective oversight allowed fraudulent activities to flourish, leading to significant repercussions for the Somali community in Minnesota. The "blast radius" effect highlights how a few bad actors can have widespread negative impacts on an entire community, affecting funding and perception. Flipcause Bankruptcy Fallout: Flipcause, a fundraising platform, has filed for bankruptcy, owing over $29 million to more than 3,200 nonprofits. The insolvency raises questions about the platform's financial management practices, emphasizing the need for nonprofits to maintain control over their payment processing systems. Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's Strategic Shift: The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has withdrawn support from Forward Us, an immigration nonprofit, citing a strategic focus on science and education. This decision reflects a broader trend of philanthropic organizations re-evaluating their commitments to social justice initiatives.

Episode Overview: Fraud in Minnesota's Social Services: Federal prosecutors have uncovered widespread fraud in Minnesota's social safety programs, with fewer than 100 individuals exploiting pandemic-era funds, resulting in over $1 billion in misappropriations. The lack of effective oversight allowed fraudulent activities to flourish, leading to significant repercussions for the Somali community in Minnesota. The "blast radius" effect highlights how a few bad actors can have widespread negative impacts on an entire community, affecting funding and perception. Flipcause Bankruptcy Fallout: Flipcause, a fundraising platform, has filed for bankruptcy, owing over $29 million to more than 3,200 nonprofits. The insolvency raises questions about the platform's financial management practices, emphasizing the need for nonprofits to maintain control over their payment processing systems. Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's Strategic Shift: The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has withdrawn support from Forward Us, an immigration nonprofit, citing a strategic focus on science and education. This decision reflects a broader trend of philanthropic organizations re-evaluating their commitments to social justice initiatives.

It's been more than a year since Gov. Mike Kehoe announced that state government veteran Jessica Bax would lead the Missouri Department of Social Services. It's arguably the most challenging state governmental department in Missouri that oversees Medicaid, benefits like SNAP and TANF and the state's Children Division. Bax joined “the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air” to talk about the big changes ahead for the state's Medicaid program – and a plan to help retain investigators looking into allegations of child abuse and neglect.

On the latest episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg preview the 2026 Missouri General Assembly session. Rosenbaum also talks with Department of Social Services director Jessica Bax about her first year on the job – and plan that could pay child abuse investigators more money.

This episode kicks off with the federal government freezing $10 billion in social service funds—including child care and TANF grants—to five Democratic-led states (California, New York, Illinois, Minnesota, and Colorado) over alleged misuse and fraud. Officials cite systemic misuse and say the freeze ensures proper spending, while critics call it political retribution and warn it risks undermining supports for low-income families in these states. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode kicks off with the federal government freezing $10 billion in social service funds—including child care and TANF grants—to five Democratic-led states (California, New York, Illinois, Minnesota, and Colorado) over alleged misuse and fraud. Officials cite systemic misuse and say the freeze ensures proper spending, while critics call it political retribution and warn it risks undermining supports for low-income families in these states. Next, Cardi B fires back at blogger Tasha K during an online showdown tied to new allegations involving her boyfriend, NFL star Stefon Diggs. Tasha K evoked witness tampering, and Cardi strongly denied the claim, threatening legal action over continued harassment—reminding fans that Tasha still owes her a six-figure defamation payout. In a lighter segment, Chloe Bailey clapped back on Insta Live when a troll criticized her weight—calling it “getting big.” She snapped, “Even if I was… what about it?” before telling them to “send a pic” and reminding fans that “stress got my waist snatched”—firmly reclaiming control over her body image. Finally, the White House has reaffirmed interest in Greenland, calling its control a national security priority. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted the U.S. is considering a “range of options” including military force—a statement that triggered bipartisan and international backlash, with many allies denouncing any threat to Denmark’s sovereignty. Website: https://www.urban1podcasts.com/rickey-smiley-morning-show See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Venezuela remains on edge as the Trump administration preps to brief lawmakers about the US operation. We'll tell you how House Democrats are marking five years since the January 6th Capital riot. Five Democratic-led states are facing billions of dollars in funding cuts to social services and child care. More details have emerged about the Swiss bar where dozens of people died in a fire. Plus, the US' worst flu season in a quarter of a century.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New York  City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announces new members of his incoming administration, including Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services; States receive the first allotments from a $50 billion federal rural health care fund; Federal investigation into alleged multi-billion-dollar fraud of Minnesota state services expands, with some Republicans calling on Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to resign. We will talk about it with Axios breaking news reporter Herb Scribner (16); U.S. pledges $2 billion in for United Nations humanitarian aid, down sharply from previous years; China's Foreign Minister criticizes a record $11 billion in U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan as China conducts military drills simulating a blockade of Taiwan; more performers cancel scheduled dates at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC after President Trump's name was added to the institution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin Barclay filling in for Glenn. Hundreds of millions of dollars laundered in Minnesota in one of the biggest fraud scandals in history.  Gov. Walz defends Somali community. Alirezah Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director of the U.S. office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, joins to discuss Iran declaring 'full-scale war' on the U.S., Israel and Europe. Scott Singer, Mayor of Boca Raton, joins to discuss his run for Congress and the important issues facing America today. Massive fraud uncovered in Ohio by Somali Immigrants. Mike Lindell joins to discuss his run for Governor of Minnesota and recent fraud uncovered. Gavin Newsom releases video wishing everyone 'Happy Kwanzaa'. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, recorded on December 19, 2025, we examine the latest retail sales, employment, and CPI reports. Retail sales were flat on the month, underscoring a continued pullback in consumer spending as sentiment deteriorates and labor-market momentum slows.The employment report was more troubling than the headline figures suggest. The unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in November, while payrolls fell in October before rebounding modestly in November. A closer inspection, however, reveals a far weaker underlying picture. Year to date, job gains in Health Care and Social Services have exceeded total payroll growth, implying that employment outside those sectors has declined outright. After adjusting for the outsized contribution from health care and the Federal Reserve's estimated 60,000 monthly overstatement, we estimate that non–Health Care payrolls have fallen by more than 500,000 this year.We also discuss the latest CPI report, whose construction raises serious questions. Evidence increasingly suggests that the Bureau of Labor Statistics imputed zero inflation for missing observations, including within the Shelter component, which accounts for roughly one-third of the index. If correct, this would render the headline inflation figures deeply misleading. That said, we also explore the counterfactual: what if the data are, in fact, accurate?We hope you enjoy the episode and thank you for listening.

In this Flash X Space from 30 October 2025, philosopher Stefan Molyneux recounts his challenging childhood marked by neglect and systemic failures in welfare systems. He highlights the lack of support from social services and educators, arguing these institutions often exacerbate dependency. Engaging with callers, Molyneux calls for societal reflection on indifference and urges listeners to advocate for meaningful change to combat cycles of neglect.SUBSCRIBE TO ME ON X! https://x.com/StefanMolyneuxFollow me on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/@freedomain1GET MY NEW BOOK 'PEACEFUL PARENTING', THE INTERACTIVE PEACEFUL PARENTING AI, AND THE FULL AUDIOBOOK!https://peacefulparenting.com/Join the PREMIUM philosophy community on the web for free!Subscribers get 12 HOURS on the "Truth About the French Revolution," multiple interactive multi-lingual philosophy AIs trained on thousands of hours of my material - as well as AIs for Real-Time Relationships, Bitcoin, Peaceful Parenting, and Call-In Shows!You also receive private livestreams, HUNDREDS of exclusive premium shows, early release podcasts, the 22 Part History of Philosophers series and much more!See you soon!https://freedomain.locals.com/support/promo/UPB2025

Andrea Barton Reeves is a former ad litem lawyer, CEO of Harc. Inc - a nonprofit organization supporting people with intellectual disabilities and their families, and the founding CEO of the Connecticut Paid Leave Program - the state’s first new agency in 12 years thanks to which over 200,000 individuals and families have received paid family leave benefits. With over twenty years of experience in advocacy, Barton Reeves has dedicated her career to ensuring accessibility to services and support for thousands of residents throughout the state of Connecticut. Barton Reeves is the current Commissioner for the Department of Social Services in Connecticut, leading an 1,800-person agency which serves 1.2 million residents. Critical services include Medicaid, SNAP, Home and Community-Based Services, supports for elders and health care delivered through Federal Qualified Health Centers. In light of the current threats to public healthcare and social services, Barton Reeves remains grounded in her values of transparency, integrity and service to othersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.