Podcasts about state reps

4pm: Video Guest – Jim Walsh – State Rep and Chairman of The WA State GOP // WA Democrats’ latest run at taxing the state’s largest companies // Latest on the three initiative gathering efforts // Talking Sports with RY // ‘Backdoor browsing’ is the commuter guilty pleasure none of us can resist

6pm: Video Guest – Jim Walsh – State Rep and Chairman of The WA State GOP // WA Democrats’ latest run at taxing the state’s largest companies // Latest on the three initiative gathering efforts // Talking Sports with RY // ‘Backdoor browsing’ is the commuter guilty pleasure none of us can resist

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Important Links We Belong Here campaign page We Belong Here Partner organizations: Asian Law Caucus |Asian Refugees United | Hmong Innovating Politics | Hmong Family Association of Lansing | Rising Voices Transcript Nina Phillips: Hello and welcome. You are tuning into APEX Express, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans. I'm your host Nina Phillips, and tonight we are doing something a little different. Earlier this month on Monday, November 3rd, communities of Hmong and Nepali speaking, Bhutanese Americans, fellow immigrants and allies, gathered together at a virtual [00:01:00] community event called We Belong Here. The goal: to shed light on the continued detainment and deportation of immigrant communities in the United States and the specific challenges faced by Bhutanese, Hmong, and Southeast Asian folks.  Tika Basnet: When, uh, my husband got detained on April 8, I took one week after to reach out Aisa and she told me, Hey Tika, come forward, you know, your story is powerful. People need to know your story.  Nina Phillips: That was the voice of Tika Basnet. Her husband, Mohan Karki is a Nepali speaking Bhutanese refugee from Ohio who has spent months in ICE detention, trapped in legal limbo. Tika has been working tirelessly to bring her husband home and shared her story with us at We Belong Here. Tonight, we are bringing you a recording of this virtual community gathering. You'll hear more from Tika about the Free Mohan Karki campaign and from Ann Vue, [00:02:00] the spouse of Lue Yang, a Hmong community leader from Michigan, who is also currently detained and facing deportation. Ann is leading the movement to Bring Lue Home, and we'll be sharing more later about how you can get involved as well and support both of these campaigns. You will also hear from state representatives of Michigan and Ohio, the music and spoken word performance of Asian Refugees United, and community tools and resources that a vital in helping to keep our immigrant loved ones safe. The host of this community event was Miko Lee, APEX producer, and a voice that you might be familiar with. Alrighty, without further ado, here's Miko. Miko Lee: We belong here. What we recognize right now is there's almost. 60,000 people being held in detention right now, immigrants that are being held in detention. It is a pandemic that is happening in our country that's impacting all of our people, and we need [00:03:00] to be able to take action. Tonight we're talking very specifically, not with this 60,000 people that are in detention now, but just two of those stories, so that you can get a sense of what is happening in the Bhutanese and Hmong communities and what's happening right now, and to talk about those particular stories and some actions you can take. First I wanna recognize that right now we are on native lands, so all of us except our original indigenous people, are from other places and I'd invite you to go into the chat and find your native land. I am speaking with you from the unceded Ohlone land, and I wanna honor these ancestors, these elders that have provided for us and provided this beautiful land for us to be on. So I invite you to share into the chat your name, your pronoun, and also what indigenous land you are living on right now in this Native American Heritage Month. Thank you so much to all of you that have joined [00:04:00] us. We are really seeing the impact of this administration on all of our peoples, and particularly tonight in terms of the Hmong and Nepali speaking, Bhutanese communities. These are communities that have been impacted, specifically refugee communities that have been impacted in incredible detrimental ways by this administration. And tonight what we really wanna do is talk to you about what is going on in our communities. We wanted to make sure we translated so that we have as much access into our communities as possible because we wanna be as inclusive of our world as we can. We Belong Here is focusing on the fact that all of us belong here. We belong in this land, and we are telling these stories tonight in the context of these sets of people particularly that have so many similarities in terms of Hmong folks who worked with our US government and worked with our US military during the Vietnam War and then came [00:05:00] here as refugees and stayed in this country to the Nepali speaking Bhutanese folks, who left their country from ethnic cleansing and then went into refugee camps and now took refuge in the United States. So these are all stories that are impactful and powerful, and it's really what it means to be American. we have come from different places. We see these attacks on our people. right now I would like to bring to the fore two empowering women, refugees themselves. Hailing from places as different as Somalia and Southeast Asia, and they're gonna talk about some of the detention and deportations that are happening right now. First I'd like to focus on Rep Mai Xiong, who's from Michigan's 13th District. I hand it over to the representative.  Rep. Mai Xiong: Good evening everyone. I'm state representative,  Mai Xiong, and it is a pleasure to meet all of you virtually. I'm coming to you from Warren, Macomb County, Michigan, and I represent the 13th [00:06:00] house of district, uh, the communities of Warren Roseville and St. Claire Shores. I've lived here in Michigan for over 20 years now. I came to the United States at a very young age, was born in a refugee camp and came here when I was three years old. So I grew up in Ohio. And then I moved to Michigan to attend college. Never thought that I would ever be serving in the State House. I previously served as a county commissioner here in Macomb. And, uh, last year when President Trump got elected, I had very quiet fears that as a naturalized citizen, that even I did not feel safe given the, um. The failure in our immigration system. So we have seen that play out, uh, with this administration, with the, attempts to get rid of birthright citizenship de-naturalization. And, you hear the rhetoric from officials about, deporting the worst of the worst criminal, illegal aliens. And we [00:07:00] know, as Miko mentioned in, in her introduction, that, refugees came here through a legal pathway. The Hmong in particular served alongside America during the Vietnam War and were persecuted from Laos. So my parents fled Laos. And so growing up I didn't have, uh, citizenship. Um, and so we have seen, uh, in this administration that refugees are now caught up in this, immigration effort to get rid of people who came here through legal pathways Lue is a father. He is a community leader. Uh, he is a well-respected member of our community as all of these individuals are. And at some point our system failed them and we are working extremely hard, to get their stories out. But what I have found with many of these families is that they are, uh, afraid to come forward. They are ashamed. There is a stigma involved and, uh, culturally, as many of you may [00:08:00] know, if you are of Asian American descent, and a fear of, uh, retaliation. And as the only Hmong American elected here in Michigan, I'm grateful that I have, uh, the ability to.  have those connections and to be such a visible, uh, member of my community that many of these individuals. Felt comfortable enough to reach out to me. But the reality is back in July we didn't know anything other than, the number of people who were detained. And that was through a firsthand account from loved ones who you know, were accompanying their loved one and got detained. And so it was literally like trying to find missing people and then getting the word out to let them know that, hey, there's actually, there's help out there. The volunteer attorneys, the nonprofits, the Immigration Rights Center, uh, here in Michigan, I mean, everybody has been doing a phenomenal job because I think the majority, the vast majority of Americans understand that, um, these [00:09:00] individuals that are being taken out of our communities are not a, a threat to society. They are members of our community. They've lived here for decades. They have jobs, they have children. And when you when you take an individual out of our community, it actually does more harm then it does to make any one of us safe. So that's the message that I have been sharing with others, uh, not only in having a connection and being a refugee just like these individuals, but advocating for them and making it clear that these are our neighbors, these are our children's classmates, parents, and it doesn't make any one of us feel safer. One of the things I am. Upset about that I continue to talk about is that we're not actually in a immigration crisis. We share here in Michigan, we share an international border with Canada, and we have never had an issue with border security. The [00:10:00] problem is the policies that have been put in place, that these individuals have been caught up in our immigration system for decades, and it is extremely hard for them to obtain citizenship or to even know what their rights are. And so we really need, in addition to advocating for these families, we need immigration reform. Throwing money at a problem is not going to solve the problem. If anything, we have are, we are in an economic crisis. Miko Lee: Thank you so much for joining. Um, I'd love to turn the baton over to another one of our powerful women representatives, Rep. Munira Abdullah from Ohio's Ninth District. Rep Abdullah. We pass it over to you. Thank you so much.  Rep. Munira Abdullahi: Uh, thank you for having me and also Rep Mai Xiong, it is really great to see you. I'm grateful to have been able to see you go from Commissioner to State Rep, doing amazing things on social media as well. I'm very, a big fan. Uh, my name is Munira Abdullahi. I represent District Nine in Ohio, which is in the Columbus area. Northland, [00:11:00] uh, Manette Park. Uh, a little bit of New Albany in Westerville city schools. Um, I'm also a refugee. My family fled Somalia and Civil War, and I was born in refugee camp in Kenya. And then we came to the United States when I was about two, three years old, uh, and ended up moving to Ohio when I was like four. First moved to Utah, salt Lake City, Utah, and then to Ohio when I was about five years old. And so I certainly understand the fear of being an immigrant in a new country and, um, struggling to belong and figure out where are your place is. And, and also just adjusting to a whole new society, um, with the language barriers and, and all of the the barriers are in the way. And then that fear of, your immigration status. You know, before my parents were, you know, passed their, their, uh, citizenship test, right. It was very scary. Um, and I know many families who feel the same way right now, especially with this new administration. Um, with the OCE raids that are happening that are really disrupting our communities and our [00:12:00] families. Um, we have a, a, a cons, a constituent of mine, um, who is now, uh, in prison. We have, uh, have a couple actually. One is Leonardo Faso, and then I know one we're gonna talk about soon is Mohan Karki, who is his family, I believe, is on this call. Uh, and he was taken by ICE. And he's, uh, you know, the, the breadwinner and the, the caregiver of his family. And so it's really important not to forget that a lot of these people who are being taken by ICE are like the breadwinners and, and, and the caretakers of these families. And now the family's left with a hole, uh, in their, in their home. And so, we really need to remember to take care of these families. I know there's gonna be a GoFundMe that that will be shared. Um, but finding these families and supporting them. Um, in any way that we can monetary, you know, checking on them, giving, you know, helping them with food. Now we have SNAP benefits are being cut for many, many, many Americans. We are struggling as is, but immigrants in particular are struggling a lot, lot more, um, with these raids and, and with the uncertainties. But one thing I wanna remind everyone is that, you know, through community we [00:13:00] find strength. And so that, um, understanding, you know, where our communities are, where people are suffering and finding our place and helping with that, right? Whether that might, might be, uh, maybe we have the financial capabilities to, to support, maybe we can cook for someone. Um, maybe we can advocate where, where we have the ability to advocate. Whatever we can do, we have a responsibility to do it. Um, and there are successes. I know in Ohio it's a little different where we can't really advocate anything on the state level because it's like they, we just make things worse. We're in a very rough, super minority, the Democrats and super minority, and we have bills in the State House we're trying to fight against that are trying to make it worse, where we're trying to get rid of Republicans in the State House are trying to get rid of like a sanctuary cities, um, and penalize cities that don't engage, uh, or don't cooperate with ICE. Um, we have currently a bill, which actually this is, this might be more of a, on a positive note, is we had a bill house bill one. That sought to ban immigrants, certain immigrants from owning land in certain areas. [00:14:00] But because of community engagement, because of advocacy, because of collaboration with community advocacy groups, that Bill was effectively paused. Like, as of now, it's paused because people came and advocated. They spoke to their representatives, they testified, they called, they protested, um, they had press conferences. They brought so much attention to the bill, and it just became so. Obvious that people don't want this bill. And that pressure really got to the majority in the State House. And that bill has been paused, right? It was created to keep Chinese Americans from buying land specifically. Um, and that list can change, by the way. It's an, it's a, a rotating list. The Secretary of State can add whatever countries that they want to, that list, so it's very harmful. But the Asian American community came together alongside with us representatives in the State House and, and effectively like paused that bill. So there's there are positive things we could, we could achieve as a community when we fight together and communicate and stand with one another regardless of our nationality. We're all struggling here. We're [00:15:00] all in the same place. We're all, uh, in need of one another. And that's why I was reminding people was like, when we are in need of one another. And when one person is struggling, we should all be feeling that.  Miko Lee: Thank you  Rep Munira. Thank you so much for joining us. And yes, we are all part of a collective community that needs to be working together. And Rep Munira talked about Mohan Karki and next we're gonna see a short video performance that was created by Asian refugees United, uh, Maxine Hong Kingston said, “in a time of destruction, create something”. So we're gonna watch this video that was created. Uh, it's a shortcut of a performance by Asian Refugees United. Nina Phillips: Hello, it's APEX Express host Nina Phillips here chiming in with a couple words on this performance. It's a very music and spoken word forward piece, so you should get a good sense of the production through just the audio. The youth performers from Asian Refugees United do a wonderful job of embodying the story of Mohan Karki and his family through music and [00:16:00] movement and dance as well. Very evocative. If you'd like to see this short video clip in full, with the visuals, please visit the website of Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality. That's accre.org/our-voices/webelonghere.  Enjoy the show. ARU Performer: Mohan Karki, I was detained by an ICE officer to be deported to a country that I never been to. A country. That I don't belong to [00:17:00] a country I wasn't born to, that I don't speak the language of. When they moved me to a detention center in Michigan, I called my wife Tika. They're taking me, I told her my voice was calm, but inside I was breaking into a million pieces. It felt like a goodbye, not just to her, but to the life we built together to the dreams that we planted seeds for. I was just 17 years old when I decided who I was before I could even speak up for myself. I stand here as a victim of an unjust system that never gave me a chance.[00:18:00]  I am a man with purpose. I worked hard. I drove trucks. I supported my family, and I loved my wife Tika, and waited for the day that I would finally meet our baby. [Speaks in Nepali] How do I tell my daughter that leaving her was never my choice? Now I wait for the news. Now would completely change everything. Will they send me back to Bhutan? Will I be deported like the ones before me? No one talks about what happens to us [00:19:00] once we're gone. We vanish. Into silence. Where do I belong?  You belong here. They belong here. We belong here. [Singing in Nepali] [Speaks in Nepali] What type of future do we wanna build? A future where we can all belong? A future where we can coexist, [00:20:00] coexist in nature. And coexist with each other. A future where another Mohan Karki does not have to fear of being displaced all over again. A future where Mohan Karki does not have to be separated from his new born baby girl. A place where people like Mohan Carkey can have home, a future and community, a future with family, a future and harmony. A future to heal. A future to grow. Above all, a future to belong. I hope the future is more generous to all of us. [Singing in [00:21:00] Nepali] Miko Lee: Can you all give it up in the chat for those performers. Nawal was our interpreter at the very beginning of this, and to show the power of how art can transform things at that performance, the ACLU was there. And actually because of that, we were able to find a pro bono lawyer to be able to help with one of, uh, Mohans Habeas Corpuses cases and just that's an example of Asian refugees United, that was their work before all of these detentions were going on. It was youth empowerment and storytelling, but they had to pivot, given the shape of our world. I wanna transition us to our panel of speakers of powerful. Again, powerful women. [00:22:00] Um, Ann Vue who is the spouse of Lue Yang, Tika Bassett, who is the spouse of Mohan Karki and Aisa Villarosa, who has been our brilliant, dedicated lawyer from Asian Law Caucus working on this. So we're not gonna go over and tell the entire stories of each of these people and what happened to them. And if you want that, you can listen to the radio show that we did on APEX Express. Tika, I wanted to start with you and just hear from you, what is your response after watching that video about your husband? Tika Basnet: Yeah, it is really beautiful story. Um, thank you ARU for, um, representing my husband story. Um, it just make, make me cry and I was crying while watching the video and it remind me what happened. Since seven month ago. And, um, yeah. Hi, my name is Tika Basnet. I'm from Ohio and I've been fighting for my husband deportation and detention since seven month ago. Without the community and without all the [00:23:00] support that I got from organization, I don't think it is possible that my husband will still be here. And the reason that this is possible is because I reach out to them without getting fear, without getting afraid of what will happen if I speak outside. So, um, yeah, um, it is really difficult. What is going on right now. Sometime I don't wanna speak because of the current policy. Uh, it make me feel, even though I'm US citizen, um, sometime I feel like if I speak something against the policy, I, they will might, they might gonna take my citizenship away. And then, um, I realized that, if I speak then it'll help me. Right now, um, ICE is not letting my husband come home, even though it is been seven month and our attorney try everything in a possible way. Uh, the ICE is not letting my husband come out. I dunno how long it'll take. I don't know. don't wanna, yeah. Thank you.  Miko Lee: No, you can speak more. Tika. Do you wanna add?  Tika Basnet: Yeah, um, especially I wanna thank you [00:24:00] ARU and Aisa and Miko. Everything is happening right now is because of them, because I reached out to them. If I did not, I feel like my husband is story will be one of those Bhutanese people that disappear. I don't know what happened to them. I hope, uh, the reason that I'm fighting for my husband case is because he deserve fear. Uh, he has a family member here. He has a community that loves him. He was supporting his parent, he was supporting us. We don't have a country. Um, this is our country and we belong here. Thank you.  Miko Lee: You. Thank you, Tika. I wanna bring Ann Vue up to speak about your husband, Lue Yang and his case and what's going on with his case. Very complicated case. What is going on with his case right now?  Ann Vue: So first of all,  Thank you guys so much for. Giving Tika and I this space just to share our stories of families who are fighting every day, um, just to stay together. So [00:25:00] currently with Lue's case right now we are, we just got his, um, stay of removal approved the emergency stay of removal approved. I might, um, have the right lingo for that, but, uh, so as of October 22nd our Michigan governor's, pardon was issued for Lue. So we were so grateful for that. I know our, our Michigan lawmakers are working around the clock uh, Michigan DHS team to bring him back to Michigan, uh, where we have a petition currently filed for his release while his case, uh, is ongoing. Miko Lee: Thanks Ann. And I just wanna point out that there's in, even though these communities are distinct and these two men are distinct, beautiful individuals, there are so many commonalities between the two. Um, both born in refugee camps, both in one case, the Bhutanese, the Nepali speaking Bhutanese, folks having escaped ethnic cleansing to then go to a. Uh, [00:26:00] refugee camp to then come to the US and in another families who worked with the American government in the Secret War in Vietnam, who then again became refugees and came to the US. Two young men who when they were young, like very young, um, with their peers, were involved in incidents that had, uh, really bad legal advice. That did not help them in the process. And that is why even though they're amazing contributing members in our current society, they have this past old, almost like childhood record that is impacting them. And both of them are impacted by statelessness because. Even though they're being deported, they're being deported to a place of which it is not their home. They might not speak that language. They might not have connections with that. Their home is here in America. Um, that is why we say use the terminology we belong here. Um, before we go a little bit more into personal stories [00:27:00] I saw from Asian Law Caucus, I wonder if you can give a little bit of an overview about the broader, legal actions that are taking place around these kidnappings.  Aisa Villarosa: Yeah, thanks Miko. And just huge love to Ann and Tika. Reiterating that these are two refugee communities bonded through not just this frustrating, heartbreaking experience, um, but also this, this solidarity that's building. To share Miko, about the broader legal ramifications, and there was a question in the chat about what's the big deal about a stay of removal? So just for starters, the system that Mohan and Lue got pulled into can be lightning quick with removing folks. Part of this is because Mohan, Lue, so many folks in refugee communities all across the country years and years ago, perhaps when they were teenagers, just like Mohan and Lue, uh, there might have been some sort of, run in with law enforcement. Oftentimes racial profiling [00:28:00] can be involved, especially with the over-policing, right in our country, decades later, after living peacefully in their communities. Oftentimes decades after an immigration judge said to Mohan, said to Lue, you are not a safety risk. You are not a threat to the community. You've done your time. You can come home. Uh, maybe some folks had some ICE check-ins that they would come to every year. Um, and then with this administration, this unprecedented attack on immigrant and refugee rights, that is when we started to see for the very first time as folks have mentioned, these broad deportations, uh, to countries that previously were not accepting refugees primarily because that is the same country of their ancestral persecution. Um, in some cases they have zero connection to the country. Um, and in cases like the Bhutanese refugees, they're actually [00:29:00] expelled from Bhutan when they're removed. Again, all this is happening for the very first time. There are some serious legal questions with due process. Even if immigration court does run on a similar track as a lot of our other court systems, there's still a duty of fairness and often that duty is completely neglected.  Nina Phillips: You are tuned into Apex Express on 94.1 KPFA, 89.3 KPFB in Berkeley, 88.1 KFCF in Fresno and online@kpfa.org. Coming up is Klezmer Dances II by The Daniel Pelton Collective.  [00:30:00] [00:31:00] [00:32:00] That was  Klezmer Dances II by The Daniel Pelton Collective. You are tuned into APEX Express [00:33:00] on 94.1 KPFA. Now back to Miko and her conversation with Tika Basnet and Ann Vue. Two incredibly strong women who are leading campaigns to bring home their respective spouses from ICE detention, and Aisa Villarosa with the Asian Law Caucus. Miko Lee: I would love to speak to a little bit more of the uplifting power of these women that are being highlighted right now. And I'm wondering both for Ann and Tika, if you could talk a little bit about your sense of resilience. because both of your spouses were, even though when they were youth, there were systems impacted in our Asian American communities. There's some shame that's associated with that. And so some people have been really hesitant to speak out. Can you talk a little bit about what encouraged you to speak out on behalf of your husband and how that has made a difference for you in the community? And I'm gonna start with Ann first.  Ann Vue: So I would say, um. In the [00:34:00] beginning when Lue was first detained on July 15th. I was scared. I am the first generation born American, uh, um, right here in Michigan. And even myself, I was so scared to say anything to anyone. I remember getting that call from Lue and it just felt so unreal. Quickly playing back to 2008, uh, which would be the third time that the embassy, Laos and Thailand both rejected Lue's entry and how his immigration officer was like, don't wait, start your life. And then fast forwarding it to what had happened, I was scared and, um. Lue and I are both, uh, Hmong community leaders as well. And Lue, of course, um, being president of the Hmong Family Association, him and I decided we're gonna keep a little quiet at first, and I started getting [00:35:00] calls from our Hmong community members. Uh, in concern to them receiving a letter, which is all dated for the same time at the same place that is not usual, where people would normally go see their immigration officer. And immediately that weekend I went to go visit him and I, it was explaining to him that I have received nine calls and I don't know what to do in immediately he. I think that the urgency around his people created that fear and immediately he was like, Hey, we've gotta start talking. You've gotta call you. You have to start making calls. Because he was detained on the 15th. On the 15th, which was Tuesday, and these letters were mailed to the community on that Friday. And immediately him and I started talking more and more and he said, “we have a 50-50 chance. If you don't fight for me and the others, then. We get sent back, you're gonna regret that for the rest of your life or [00:36:00] you fight for us. And as long as you fought all the way till the end, whatever happens, we can live with that”. And immediately, I remember speaking to, uh, attorney Nancy, and I've been mentioning to her that I wanna call, I wanna call Rep Mai. And I wanted to call Commissioner Carolyn Wright and she was like, well make the call and I'm glad that she didn't wait. And she just said, Hey, you know what? She just started talking and immediately Rep Mai called and that's how it kind of started this whole journey. So I am so thankful that I did. I did voice it out because I myself, even as a community leader, I felt hopeless. I felt like as loud as I am, everyone that I, for the first time had no voice. It became, became lonely. I became scared. Because they've got a, you know, we have a family, right, that we're raising together with small children. So I'm glad that we did, uh, [00:37:00] share our story and I'm glad that it is out. And, and that it, it opened the key to many other Southeast Asian families to do the same as well too.  Miko Lee: Thank you so much, Anna. And I remember you saying that even Lue was speaking with folks in Spanish to get their stories and share them out as well. Ann Vue: He had to learn it! And you know, I will say that with this whole detention thing, it doesn't just detain our person. It detains our whole family. We're all a part of this, you know? And so, you know, Lue had to learn how to count so he can give the numbers 'cause he was doing it with his hand motions. Because it's a hard system, it's a very complex system to navigate, which is how people go disappearing. And so for him to be able to reach out. Give me phone numbers to these families, regardless. Love beyond borders, right? And I was able to reach out to these families so that that way they know where their person was and [00:38:00] help them get set up so they can, so their families can call them. Miko Lee: Thank you so much for doing that. And you and your husband, both as organizers and continuing to be organizers even when locked up. Tika, I wanna turn it to you and ask about the courage it took to speak up and what keeps you going.  Tika Basnet: Yes. So when, uh, my husband got detained on April 8, I took one week after to reach out Aisa and she told me, Hey Tika, come forward. You know, your story is powerful. People need to know your story. And I told first thing to Aisa is our community is very just mental. They doesn't understand. And I've been looking at the video where our Bhutanese people get detained and deported and on common section, the first thing that I noticed was people are commenting, oh, these people are criminal. They are, maybe they, um, kill someone or they rape someone, you know, without. Understanding the people's story. And I, I [00:39:00] was thinking the same, whatever, if I come forward, will they gonna understand my story? Will they gonna talk to me? Will they gonna ask me personally, what is going on? And I actually same as Ann, I, um, I. Was scared to come out. I did not come out in two within two, two months, you know, when, uh, I tried to deport my husband on my due date that I was about to give birth, um, BIA, uh, grant, day of removal, you know, in two month I was crying alone. I was messaging Aisa and I was telling all my pain. And then when they stop my husband deport his son and that day, um. Aisa and ARU, everybody encouraged me. Like, you know, you need to come forward. People need to know your story. And then that day I decide, and I also remember that, um, within one minute after I gave birth, I was messaging, uh, ARU team I think his name [00:40:00] is Pravin or something. I was messaging him, Hey, I'm ready to give, uh, interview. I'm ready to give uh, a story. And that day I decide like I wanna come forward. I don't care what society is thinking, I'm the one that going through and people need to know my story. And, uh, I think, uh, and also I look at my daughter, you know, I don't want, um, her to think that I did not fight for her dad. You know, I want her to think like her mom is, is strong enough to fight and looking at her. That gave me so much power and yeah. And now like give, getting a lot of support, a lot of love is give me like, you know, I, I feel like, um, I wouldn't, uh, get all the support if I was scared and did not, uh, talk about my story. So now like receiving a lot of love from everywhere and that give me couraged to continue and talk about my husband's deportation.  Miko Lee: Thank you, Tika. And I wanna recognize that we're running late, but we're gonna get through it if those of you could stay with us a little bit [00:41:00] longer. My one more question to both Ann and Tika is what message do you have for people that are experiencing this right now? Because this, as we said, 60,000 people are detained right now. Your spouses, we, as we have said, it's not just you with your, the children, the grandparents, all the other people. What advice do you have for other folks that are going through this and do you have a message for those folks? Ann Vue: I would say, um, for anyone who is going through what Tika and I and the many are going through that, um, make sure you document everything, get your loved ones Alien Number because you want to track it as you go. Build your circle. Know that you are not alone. Uh, reach out. I'm still learning as I go too. And it's unfortunate that we as family, like have to become attorneys overnight and learn to as well. But make sure that you guys, that you know that you're not alone you know that [00:42:00] we're not fighting the system. We're fighting a system that. Hopes, uh, that we get tired of fighting it. And the moment that you speak up, they can't disappear your loved one quietly. And I am a very big, um, firm believer. There's this scripture that has always carried Lue and I and, uh, I, I can't stress on it enough. And especially to all of those, to all of our, everybody that's on tonight. And beyond that, uh, there's a scripture. It's a Proverbs, right? 3:27-28 that says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is your power to act”. And so thank you to those who continues to act when action is really within your reach and. We belong here, our families belong here. And compassion delayed is really compassion denied. And so don't fight alone 'cause that's what they are hoping that we will fight alone, [00:43:00] but we're together in this.  Miko Lee: Beautiful, thanks. And Tika, what about you? What advice do you have for other people that are experiencing this with family members?  Tika Basnet: So, yeah, um, I'm encouraging everyone like we experiencing this deportation for the first time or. Come forward. You never know. You know how many support you will get. Looking at Ann and my story that if we did not reach out to the community, I don't think our husband will be here at the moment. So you are the one who going through the pain and, uh, sharing your pain will make you at least a relief and you never know. Your husband Deportes and will stop. You will get like support from, from community. So ICE is not deporting only your husband or your like wife or someone, they are deporting your dream, your hope. So when they try to deport my husband, they were deporting my husband, uh, my [00:44:00] daughter future, the future that we talk about. So I am telling everyone that come forward. Story, your story, and you'll get lot of love. You'll get lot of support. And if I did not talk before, I don't think my husband will be here. He'll be one of the person that disappear long time ago. So yeah, please come forward and see your story. And the last thing is, I wanna say we belong here. This is our home and our future is here.  Miko Lee: Thank you so much, Tika. Um, Aisa, I wanna turn it over to you. Ann was saying suddenly we have to become lawyers and, and so can you talk about, and even like with Lue's case, it was suddenly he got pardoned at the last minute when he was on a deportation plane, and then it was like, oh, that should fix everything, but it doesn't, so can you talk a little bit about some of the legal ramifications that people should know about? Aisa Villarosa: Sure. And just to say, Mohan, Lue, Tika, Ann, I mean, y'all have lived [00:45:00] several movies in, in just the span of months the amount of stress, both you yourselves as the lead advocate, your families. Uh, so, so for folks watching this is literally Mohan and Lue getting like pulled off planes because of the shared advocacy here, uh, which starts with the decision to speak out. Um, and for folks in the room who aren't sure whether they want to share their story, you know, we're not saying, oh, go to the press so much of it. Involves just opening your heart to a trusted person. Um, many of those people are here in this room uh, my organization, Asian Law Caucus. Uh, in a minute we'll share some links for some of our resources. Uh, the wonderful folks at ARU, there's such a full crew, and if you're part of a community, especially the many, many, too many refugee communities being targeted. You are not alone. So in terms of what the legal battle [00:46:00] looks like, another thing to remember is that for any case, there's usually a, a wave of folks that's needed, uh, for Lue, for Mohan. That's multiple states sometimes because in the immigration world, for example, you could have a very, very old final order of removal. So this is essentially the order that is put forward by an immigration judge. That technically allows a lot of these awful deportations and disappearances to take place. The battle to fight that can be multi-state, uh, multi-issue. So you're talking to a criminal defense attorney, you're talking to an immigrant rights attorney. Uh, but going back to that trust, just talk to someone who both you can trust and someone who has a good lay of the land because these cases are incredibly complex. Folks I work with, sometimes they're physically driving to a law office. Someone named Emily is on the call. You know, we drove to a law office. Turns [00:47:00] out the record we were looking for was, was too old. The, that previous attorney didn't have the record on file. There are so many practical challenges you don't anticipate. So the sooner you do that math and just open your story up, um, to, to a loved one, to a trusted one. And in a little bit we're, we'll share more links for what that process looks like.  Miko Lee: So we're gonna move into that call to action. We're running a bit over time, so if you could hang with us for a couple more minutes. Um, we want to one, thank all of our amazing guests so far and then move to our call to action. What can you do? A bunch of people are throwing things into the chat. We're gonna start with Rising Voices. Oh, I guess we're gonna start with OPAWL and Sonya is gonna share about OPAWL's work and the call to action there. Sonya (OPAWL): Hi everyone. My name is Sonya Kapur. I live in Columbus, Ohio, and I'm a member of OPAWL Building AAPI Feminist leadership. I'd like to share a little bit about our efforts to support Mohans Campaign for Freedom and encourage you to donate to [00:48:00] Mohans GoFundMe to cover his legal fees, and the link to the GoFundMe will be in the chat. With the funds raised so far, Tika and Mohan were able to hire a seasoned attorney to review Mohans court documents and work on his case. So your donations will allow Mohan to continue working with his legal team as we fight to bring him home. So even five or $10 will help us get closer to reuniting Mohan with his family and community here in Ohio. A really fun piece of this is that a local, Columbus based illustrator and OPA member Erin Siao, has also created a beautiful art fundraiser to help raise more funds from Mohans release campaign. So when you donate to Mohans GoFundMe between now and November 15th, you receive a complimentary five by seven art print of your choice. Families belong together on the right or on the left. To receive a print, you just email Erin and her. Email address will also be in the [00:49:00] chat, a screenshot of your donation confirmation along with your name and address. You can also send a direct message of the screenshot to her Instagram account, so please consider uplifting our art fundraiser on social media. Encourage others to donate to the GoFundMe and share Mohans story with your family and friends.  Miko Lee: Thanks, Sonya and Opal, and we'll turn it over to Emily at Rising Voices. Emily (Rising Voices): Hi, thank you. Um, rising Voices is one of the, uh, many members helping bring Lue Yang home. Just wanna share that. We do have a online petition going that directs you to email the ice field office in Detroit, pressuring them to bring him home. Um, there's also a number to call with a script provided. So nothing has to be reinvented. We please, please encourage you to share this out, and you do not have to be from Michigan to make a call or email every single email. And, all counts. And we also do have a GoFundMe for [00:50:00] him and his family. As we all know legal file, legal fees pile up, so anything counts. Thank you so much everyone.  Miko Lee:  Thanks Emily. Now we're gonna pass it over to Nawal talking about this event which is connected to disappeared in America.  Nawal Rai: Hi everyone. I'm Nawal here again and yeah, so We Belong Here. Uh, today's event was part of the Disappeared in America Weekend of Action, which is a national mobilization action to protect immigrants, uh, expose corporate complicity and honor the lives lost in detention and across America more than 150 towns and cities held.  Um. Weekend of Collective action this weekend on November 1st and second, standing in solidarity with immigrants families, uh, from holding freedom vigils outside of ICE facilities to via de Los Mortis gathering, honoring life's lost in detentions to ice out of Home Depot actions. Calling out corporate complicity this weekend was a resounding nation nationwide call for compassion, dignity, and [00:51:00] democracy, and demanding justice and due process for all. The National Action was organized by the Coalition of Partners, including National Day Labor Organizing Network, Detention Watch Network, the Worker Circle, public ci, uh, citizen, and many allied organization across the country. Thank you all. Thank you for joining us today.  Miko Lee: Thank you to everyone for showing up today. We thank all of our speakers, all of our many partner organizations. As we were saying, it takes many of us working together collectively. Even though we said there's 60,000 people detained. There are so many more than that. We know that immigrants contribute and refugees contribute immensely to the American experience, and we want everyone to know that we belong here. All of us belong here. This is our home.  Thank you so much for joining us all. We appreciate all of you, the interpreters, the translators, the folks behind the scene who helped to make this event happen. Um, shout out to Cheryl Truong [00:52:00] and Nina Phillips for really doing all the tech behind this. And to all of you for showing up tonight, we need each and every one of you to participate to show that you are part of the beloved community, that you are part of believing that America can be a place filled with beloved love instead of hatred. Um, so I would love you all to just all together. Shout out. We belong here. 1, 2, 3.  Event Attendees: We belong here. We belong here.  We belong here.  Miko Lee: Have a great night, and thank you all for joining us. Nina Phillips: This was a recording of a virtual community gathering that took place earlier this month on Monday, November 3rd. It was made [00:53:00] possible by We Belong Here, a coalition of immigrant rights organizations, Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality, Asian Refugees United, Asian Law Caucus, Hmong Family Association Lansing, Hmong Innovative Politics, OPAWL and Rising Voices.  As I mentioned earlier, you can watch the phenomenal video performance from Asian Refugees United on the website of Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality.  That's aacre.org/our-voices/webelonghere  There's also up-to-date information on how best you can support both the Free Mohan Karki and Bring Lu Home campaigns. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing. Your voices are important. Let's keep immigrant families together.  To close out. Here's a little more from the video performance. [00:54:00] [00:55:00] [00:56:00] [00:57:00]  Nina Phillips: For show notes, please check out our website, kpfa.org/program/APEX-express.  APEX Express is a collective of activists that include Ama Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Cheryl Truong, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Nina Phillips, Preeti Mangala Shekar, and Swati Rayasam. Tonight's show was produced by me, Nina Phillips. Get some rest, y'all. Good night. The post APEX Express – November 27, 2025 – We Belong Here: Bhutanese & HMoob Americans in the Struggle Against Statelessness appeared first on KPFA.

Catholic leaders are speaking out against immigration enforcement in President Donald Trump’s second term. One Chicago priest’s protest strategy? Walking from Pope Leo’s childhood home in Illinois, through Pennsylvania, on his way to Ellis Island in New York. A resolution approved by the state House designates this week as "Pennsylvania Education for Youth Experiencing Homelessness Week." State Rep. Ismail Smith Wade-El of Lancaster County is a co-sponsor of the resolution. Also in Harrisburg, state lawmakers are investing in childcare. This year’s state budget includes a $25 million fund for childcare workers. There's positive news in Pennsylvania's latest education assessments. The scores show improvements in math proficiency and graduation rates. A new White House initiative is aimed at reshaping how young people transition out of foster care. Pennsylvania experts share their reactions. A new study finds higher rates of skin cancer across central Pennsylvania's "farm belt" including Dauphin, Cumberland and York counties. Internal probes uncovered errors in chemo treatment and toxic leadership by Penn State's cancer chief. That's according to reporting - bringing those probes to light - by our partners at Spotlight PA. Pennsylvania and its county and local governments are on track to spend nearly all of the $13 billion received in federal pandemic relief funding by the end of 2026. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11/21/25: Cally Musland-Peterson is the Editor of North Dakota Living and former Producer of "News and Views," and is hosting the show this morning. Cally is joined by North Dakota State Representative Anna Novak. She is from Hazen and is the Chair of the interim energy development and transmission committee. (Joel Heitkamp is a talk show host on the Mighty 790 KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. His award-winning program, “News & Views,” can be heard weekdays from 8 – 11 a.m. Follow Joel on X/Twitter @JoelKFGO.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State Rep. Joe D'Orsie gets Straight to the Point with Martina White, Caucus Chairwoman and Representative for the 170th Legislative District. How do we protect and defend women's athletics when Democrats wish to avoid voting on the issue by employing semantic and legislative games?

State Rep. Joe D'Orsie gets Straight to the Point with Martina White, Caucus Chairwoman and Representative for the 170th Legislative District. How do we protect and defend women's athletics when Democrats wish to avoid voting on the issue by employing semantic and legislative games?

With a Republican majority in both the House and Senate, it's more crucial than ever for Democrats to regain power in our government. Steve Schmidt sits down with Tennessee State Rep. Aftyn Behn to discuss the importance of Democratic victories in local and state elections. Check out my full conversation with Rep. Behn on Substack - https://steveschmidt.substack.com/p/bringing-accountability-back-to-tennessee Subscribe for more and follow me here:Substack: https://steveschmidt.substack.com/subscribeStore: https://thewarningwithsteveschmidt.com/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thewarningses.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteveSchmidtSES/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewarningsesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewarningses/X: https://x.com/SteveSchmidtSESSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior Reporter Brad Johnson interviews state Representative Briscoe Cain about his campaign for Congress in Texas's new Congressional District 9. Cain shares his thoughts on the recent ruling that overturned district maps, his continued commitment to his campaign, and his work in the Texas legislature, including his pivotal role in passing the Texas Heartbeat Act. 00:00 Intro00:49 Thoughts on the Court's Decision04:11 Special Session and Redistricting09:13 Institutional Knowledge and Term Limits13:38 Texas Heartbeat Act19:55 Redistricting20:55 Deciding to Run for Congress21:37 Challenges in the US House of Representatives22:48 Campaign Strategy and Opponents25:58 Addressing Criticisms29:48 Local Issues and Community Concerns37:49 Restoring Congressional Power40:59 Closing

On this episode, we are joined by Georgia State Representative David Huddleston. Rep. Huddleston is a fifth-generation farmer from Carrollton and runs a cow-calf operation alongside his family. Before being elected to office, Huddleston participated in NCBA's Young Cattlemen's Conference (YCC) where he came to Washington, D.C. to advocate for the cattle industry. That experience encouraged Huddleston to step up and run for public office to be an even strong voice for cattle farmers and ranchers. Today, Rep. Huddleston is the Secretary of the Georgia House Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs and serves on the Georgia House Committees on Energy, Utilities, and Telecommunications; Interstate Cooperation; Natural Resources and Environment; and the Special Committee on Resource Management. Huddleston shares his story about standing up to be an advocate for the cattle industry.

You will bew astounded at what those Obamacare tax subsidies really cost for some Oregonians, your calls and opinion and State Rep. Dwayne Yunker - Legislative Days...ooh, education probably not improving anytime soon, he explains why.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 - How did a terrorist get a CDL in Pennsylvania? Better yet, how did he get a Real ID when you need all this documentation? 1215 - Side - someone who had you fooled 1220 - A big announcement regarding the next Politics and Pints! 1230 - State Rep. Martina White joins us today as Harrisburg is abuzz regarding an Uzbek terrorist holding a CDL and Real ID in Pennsylvania. What are discussions like today at the Capital? How could something like this have happened? Why isn't Josh Shapiro speaking out on this? Will there be any updates on school funding for this year? What are they going to push for in the new year? Will this latest school choice budget get a yes or a no? 1250 - How will Scott Jennings react to Dom's driving? Your calls.

12 - How did a terrorist get a CDL in Pennsylvania? Better yet, how did he get a Real ID when you need all this documentation? 1215 - Side - someone who had you fooled 1220 - A big announcement regarding the next Politics and Pints! 1230 - State Rep. Martina White joins us today as Harrisburg is abuzz regarding an Uzbek terrorist holding a CDL and Real ID in Pennsylvania. What are discussions like today at the Capital? How could something like this have happened? Why isn't Josh Shapiro speaking out on this? Will there be any updates on school funding for this year? What are they going to push for in the new year? Will this latest school choice budget get a yes or a no? 1250 - How will Scott Jennings react to Dom's driving? Your calls. 1 - Marjorie Taylor Green makes her case on Capitol Hill today as the Epstein Files get released. Is she doing this for the greater good or for her own personal interest? Should Republicans vote to release the files? 105 - Your calls. 120 - What is the real solution to student loan debt? Would marijuana be legal in PA if it came to a vote today? 130 - Chester County Commissioner Eric Roe joins us this afternoon. Do we have lead counsel into the investigation regarding the voting roll mishap on Election Day? Are there redundancies in the voting process within the county? What part of this whole process has bothered Eric the most? With so many provisional ballots being used this time, were they all counted like they should have been? As a county with vast resources, how could something like this have happened? 150 - Your calls. 2 - Are we getting to the bottom of the Epstein case? Mike Johnson speaks on the case. Will it be a unanimous vote? 215 - Dom's Money Melody! 225 - Is Fox missing the point with their Epstein vote coverage? Your calls. 250 - The Lightning Round! Wrapping up with what is to come tomorrow.

In this episode of American Potential, host David From sits down with Montana State Representative Gary Perry, Chair of the House Energy & Technology Committee, to discuss how Montana can remain a leader in energy production while preparing for the future. Perry outlines his vision for expanding coal and small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), strengthening transmission infrastructure, and ensuring Montana stays a net energy exporter in the West. He also shares how reliable, affordable energy supports local jobs and keeps Montana's rural communities strong, while explaining the importance of regional cooperation with neighboring states and Canada to stabilize the grid. From Colstrip's legacy to next-generation nuclear, Perry lays out a clear, common-sense path to energy abundance and economic growth for Big Sky Country.

State Rep. Sandra Feist announced today that she'll leave the Legislature when her term runs out next year.And it's open enrollment season for many people who get health insurance through their employer. A recent survey found the average cost per employee will go up 7 percent.Those stories and more in today's evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Elena See. Music by Gary Meister.

State Rep. Justin J. Pearson talked about his tenure in the Tennessee House of Representatives and his views on the Memphis Safe Task Force on "Behind The Headlines."

Federal GOP bill gives corporations depreciation benefits to stimulate the economy and Governor Meyer & Democrats panic, voting to refuse to give those depreciation breaks. "Decoupling" How many more corporations will leave Delaware for Nevada and Texas, depriving Delaware of needed corporate fees and taxes? Rick Jensen and Mike Smith talk about it.

Join host Bryan Barrett in an inspiring conversation with State Rep. Mike Sparks and Ankit Patel, center director of Kumon of Smyrna.In this episode we explore how local leade

12 - Why is Scott Bessent on a train? He needs to be here! He appeared on several shows yesterday to counter those who claim the economy is weak. 1215 - Side - uniquely American scene that could be a Norman Rockwell painting? 1220 - Just how big a problem is porch pirating in Philadelphia? The results shock Henry. 1235 - Trump has been named in the latest batch of Epstein files, as emails have leaked that implicate him being left for hours with at least one Epstein victim. Why should this not be overblown? 1245 - Dr. Raffi Terzian, Chester County RNC Chair, and Dolores Troiani, solicitor and attorney for the organization, join us today to discuss the Election Day fiasco that led to 70,000+ county residents being disenfranchised when they went to vote. How are we eight days after the fact, and no investigation has been launched yet? What is the RNC doing in Chester County to help get movement on this issue? What is Dolores' role in this? 1 - Can we move on from the Groypers? They're not the big fish to fry; it's Tucker Carlson? 110 - Will Henry make it to Charleston tomorrow? He should take the train with Bessent! 120 - What is with your guys' side question answers? Trump has to stick to the message on Veterans' Day. 145 - State Rep. Martina White joins us today after a key vote in the state House. What is Martina's evaluation of the election day blowout? Why was getting rid of RGGI so key for energy in Pennsylvania? Where do we stand with schooling, and how can we get more scholarships for kids? What is the new addition to our curriculum? 2 - Should we be allowing so many foreign students in the US, especially from China? Is it America First? Is it MAGA? 215 - Dom's Money Melody! 220 - Your calls. How is affordability being blamed on Trump, at least according to New Jerseyans? 235 - The number one country artist right now is… Artificial intelligence? Your calls. 240 - The US Bishops have elected a new leader, and he is… conservative? Will he be changing their immigration stance? 250 - The Lightning Round!

1 - Can we move on from the Groypers? They're not the big fish to fry; it's Tucker Carlson? 110 - Will Henry make it to Charleston tomorrow? He should take the train with Bessent! 120 - What is with your guys' side question answers? Trump has to stick to the message on Veterans' Day. 145 - State Rep. Martina White joins us today after a key vote in the state House. What is Martina's evaluation of the election day blowout? Why was getting rid of RGGI so key for energy in Pennsylvania? Where do we stand with schooling, and how can we get more scholarships for kids? What is the new addition to our curriculum?

State Rep. John Roth, representing Michigan's 104th House District, joins Steve Gruber to discuss his reintroduction of fertility fraud legislation. The proposed measures aim to strengthen protections for women's healthcare by addressing deceptive practices in reproductive services. Rep. Roth explains what the bill entails, its intended impact, and how it seeks to safeguard patient rights and transparency in medical procedures.

State Rep. Dwayne Yunker, responding to the O-Live hit piece and what comes next. Open phones, D-62 quiz, Open 4 Business, Network in Action, Lisa McClease Kelly and Mark Saunders from Palm Restore.

STATE REP. MARY CAFFERO (D-HELENA) TRT: 25:56 WHITEFISH MEMORIES/BOB BROWN/SNAP BENEFITS

VFW Lafore Lock Post 755 on Old Jacksonville Road hosts the Veterans Day show as visitors include State Rep. Mike Coffey, the post's Dave Hollinsaid with letters from a third grader and a teacher, and the post's Rosemary Connolly about women in the service. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Springfield Republican makes his monthly visit with Sam as the show spends Veterans Day morning at VFW Lafore Lock Post 755.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State legislators in New Mexico have proposed the establishment of a “truth commission” to investigate what occurred at Epstein's sprawling desert property, known as Zorro Ranch, located approximately 35 miles south of Santa Fe. The public proposal, led by State Rep. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe) and cosponsored by Rep. Marianna Anaya (D-Albuquerque), sought a preliminary budget of about $2.5 million and would include a bipartisan oversight body with subpoena power. The aim: to reconstruct what officials knew (or didn't know), how possible crimes (including alleged sex-trafficking activities) were reported or suppressed, and how New Mexico might prevent similar abuse in the future. Survivors of Epstein's abuse have alleged trafficking extended to Zorro Ranch, yet there remains no full public account of what happened.Despite these serious allegations and investigations, Epstein never faced prosecution in New Mexico, though the Attorney General's office interviewed potential victims in 2019 and later examined financial institutions linked to Epstein's operations. The 2023 probe of financial services led to agreements involving $17 million tied to human-trafficking prevention. The proposed truth commission would therefore not simply revisit past crimes but also examine systemic failures in regulation, criminal investigation, and oversight—especially given New Mexico laws and policy may have allowed Epstein to avoid local sex-offender registration that he faced elsewhere. The initiative still needs approval when the legislature meets, and full findings are expected to take at least two years.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:New Mexico lawmakers propose 'truth commission' on Epstein, alleged sex abuse at his former Santa Fe County ranch | Local News | santafenewmexican.com

State legislators in New Mexico have proposed the establishment of a “truth commission” to investigate what occurred at Epstein's sprawling desert property, known as Zorro Ranch, located approximately 35 miles south of Santa Fe. The public proposal, led by State Rep. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe) and cosponsored by Rep. Marianna Anaya (D-Albuquerque), sought a preliminary budget of about $2.5 million and would include a bipartisan oversight body with subpoena power. The aim: to reconstruct what officials knew (or didn't know), how possible crimes (including alleged sex-trafficking activities) were reported or suppressed, and how New Mexico might prevent similar abuse in the future. Survivors of Epstein's abuse have alleged trafficking extended to Zorro Ranch, yet there remains no full public account of what happened.Despite these serious allegations and investigations, Epstein never faced prosecution in New Mexico, though the Attorney General's office interviewed potential victims in 2019 and later examined financial institutions linked to Epstein's operations. The 2023 probe of financial services led to agreements involving $17 million tied to human-trafficking prevention. The proposed truth commission would therefore not simply revisit past crimes but also examine systemic failures in regulation, criminal investigation, and oversight—especially given New Mexico laws and policy may have allowed Epstein to avoid local sex-offender registration that he faced elsewhere. The initiative still needs approval when the legislature meets, and full findings are expected to take at least two years.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:New Mexico lawmakers propose 'truth commission' on Epstein, alleged sex abuse at his former Santa Fe County ranch | Local News | santafenewmexican.com

State legislators in New Mexico have proposed the establishment of a “truth commission” to investigate what occurred at Epstein's sprawling desert property, known as Zorro Ranch, located approximately 35 miles south of Santa Fe. The public proposal, led by State Rep. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe) and cosponsored by Rep. Marianna Anaya (D-Albuquerque), sought a preliminary budget of about $2.5 million and would include a bipartisan oversight body with subpoena power. The aim: to reconstruct what officials knew (or didn't know), how possible crimes (including alleged sex-trafficking activities) were reported or suppressed, and how New Mexico might prevent similar abuse in the future. Survivors of Epstein's abuse have alleged trafficking extended to Zorro Ranch, yet there remains no full public account of what happened.Despite these serious allegations and investigations, Epstein never faced prosecution in New Mexico, though the Attorney General's office interviewed potential victims in 2019 and later examined financial institutions linked to Epstein's operations. The 2023 probe of financial services led to agreements involving $17 million tied to human-trafficking prevention. The proposed truth commission would therefore not simply revisit past crimes but also examine systemic failures in regulation, criminal investigation, and oversight—especially given New Mexico laws and policy may have allowed Epstein to avoid local sex-offender registration that he faced elsewhere. The initiative still needs approval when the legislature meets, and full findings are expected to take at least two years.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:New Mexico lawmakers propose 'truth commission' on Epstein, alleged sex abuse at his former Santa Fe County ranch | Local News | santafenewmexican.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Reaction to Dr. Solomon talk then State Rep. Dwayne Yunker joins in from the DC area. He is working to get DC involved in holding Oregon government accountable to the law. D2 quiz and more open phones follow.

State legislators in New Mexico have proposed the establishment of a “truth commission” to investigate what occurred at Epstein's sprawling desert property, known as Zorro Ranch, located approximately 35 miles south of Santa Fe. The public proposal, led by State Rep. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe) and cosponsored by Rep. Marianna Anaya (D-Albuquerque), sought a preliminary budget of about $2.5 million and would include a bipartisan oversight body with subpoena power. The aim: to reconstruct what officials knew (or didn't know), how possible crimes (including alleged sex-trafficking activities) were reported or suppressed, and how New Mexico might prevent similar abuse in the future. Survivors of Epstein's abuse have alleged trafficking extended to Zorro Ranch, yet there remains no full public account of what happened.Despite these serious allegations and investigations, Epstein never faced prosecution in New Mexico, though the Attorney General's office interviewed potential victims in 2019 and later examined financial institutions linked to Epstein's operations. The 2023 probe of financial services led to agreements involving $17 million tied to human-trafficking prevention. The proposed truth commission would therefore not simply revisit past crimes but also examine systemic failures in regulation, criminal investigation, and oversight—especially given New Mexico laws and policy may have allowed Epstein to avoid local sex-offender registration that he faced elsewhere. The initiative still needs approval when the legislature meets, and full findings are expected to take at least two years.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:New Mexico lawmakers propose 'truth commission' on Epstein, alleged sex abuse at his former Santa Fe County ranch | Local News | santafenewmexican.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

State Rep. Kaohly Her made history early this morning by becoming the first Hmong American and first woman elected to lead the city of St. Paul. Her defeated incumbent mayor Melvin Carter after a second round of tabulation of ranked choice ballots. Her campaigned on revitalizing the downtown and Midway neighborhoods, and working to make the city more business-friendly and responsive.There was no winner declared in the race for Minneapolis mayor Wednesday morning. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, no candidate reached the threshold needed to be declared the winner after first choice ballots were tallied. Incumbent Jacob Frey received nearly 42 percent of first choice votes. That's about 10 percentage points ahead of his closest opponent state Sen. Omar Fateh. Tabulation resumes at 9 a.m. Wednesday.Minnesota Democrats will maintain a narrow edge in the state Senate after the DFLer won a suburban special election and Republicans won a seat in Wright County. And a longtime St. Cloud nonprofit leader has won a special election for Stearns County commissioner. Voters in Duluth approved a ballot initiative that allows tenants to pay for minor repairs and then deduct the cost from their next month's rent. The initiative passed overwhelmingly with about 69 percent of people voting in favor of it. The measure is the first of its kind in Minnesota.Primary care nurse practitioners, doctors and physician assistants at Allina Health are on a one-day strike Wednesday. A St. Paul-based home health care company is shutting down and laying off about 400 employees. Dependable Home Healthcare has notified the state its client care services will end in January. Staff and clients were notified Tuesday. The company employs hundreds of personal care assistants and support staff who work with people with disabilities.Hormel Foods Corporation is reducing its workforce. The Austin-based company is cutting around 250 jobs as part of a restructuring. The reductions will come through layoffs, reducing open positions and buyouts.

State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, 41st District, joins Lisa Dent to discuss Illinois legislation, House Bill 45. Rep. Rohr shares that customers have complained about the reliability and consistency of digital coupons. She explains what the bill is proposing, giving details how digital coupons would be made available offline.

Renee Shaw leads a discussion about SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Guests include: State Rep. Adam Moore (D-Lexington), a member of the Kentucky General Assembly's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Kentucky Task Force; Anne-Tyler Morgan, a Lexington healthcare attorney with McBrayer PLLC; and Heather LeMire, State Director of Americans for Prosperity - Kentucky.

Join us as we talk to State Representative Tom Kunse from Michigan's 100th district to discuss current legislation that will impact outdoorsmen and women in the state. We cover: * Tom's background including his time in the Michigan House of Representatives * Ted Nugent's recent trip to Lansing with a concealed firearm and the security debacle that ensued (more people carry in the state house than you'd think) * Tom presents 2 bills currently being discussed that will impact how both the DNR and EGLE interact with private property. * The state of Michigan's DNR and whether additional funding will solve their problems * Why Michigan doesn't allow Sand Hill Crane hunting, except in certain circumstances and the moral issues this presents * Rules that only seem to negatively impact hunters without positively impacting wildlife (killing and wasting nuisance geese, antler point restrictions, banning the use of bait) * The difference between a wildlife department run by biologists vs. a department run as a police force * The waste of taxpayer dollars on frivolous lawsuits * Should the government shutdown impact the publics ability to purchase a hunting license * Recent increases in hunting pressure despite a decrease in hunter numbers * Many bills brought forth are made by people who don't understand hunting tradition and it's impact on the state which it is why it is so important that hunters get out and vote! * How to get involved in the decisions that are being made everyday that impact your way of life Thanks to State Rep Tom Kunse for joining us to discuss these important topics. To contact hime directly regarding the information from the podcast, you can reach him at TomKunse@house.mi.gov To get involved yourself, check out the 2 bills currently in process here: DNR access to private property: https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2025-2026/billintroduced/House/htm/2025-HIB-4073.htm EGLE access to private property: https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2025-2026/billintroduced/House/htm/2025-HIB-4421.htm Find out more information about bills in your area by going to: www.hunternation.org Watch our HISTORY Channel show on: - HISTORY Follow us on: - Facebook - Instagram - Twitter - Youtube - Our Website

The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day:  How many Texas, this election cycle, will vote property tax increases upon themselves and tremendous amounts more of debt? In Texas, among the worst 5 states for debt, it's not the state government with debt but local governments that cannot act with financial prudence. Read: 472 bonds on Texas ballots statewide totaling at least $90 billion in tax increases Texas is the only Republican-led state among the worst five with largest debt Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.Celina ISD sex abuse scandal continues to get larger: New Celina ISD lawsuit claims coach's son recorded over 30 children in locker room. State Rep. Mitch Little calls for transparency in Celina ISD sexual abuse scandal.Some Republican groups urge ‘no' votes on Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick priorities in Nov. 4 election. What happened to “lock-step conservatives” as the press described us for all those years? It was never true and there has always been disagreement.Hunt says GOP ‘has left' Cornyn; senator fires back, calling him a ‘show horse.‘ Cornyn is a longtime Washington swamp swimmer feeding at the trough.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates.www.PrattonTexas.com

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Trump's choice to withhold SNAP food assistance payments resembles a forced starvation - in an armed conflict, that's a war crime, and in peacetime to force political outcomes, that's close to terrorism: https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/texas-house-democrats-form-committee...Gubernatorial candidate and State Rep. Gina Hinojosa is calling on Governor Greg Abbott to tap into Texas' Rainy Day Fund to keep Texas kids fed: https://x.com/GinaHinojosaTX/status/1983604948429332867Republicans hope the threat of widespread hunger will motivate Democrats to cave on ACA tax credits - if those expire, Texas will experience an outsized impact of premium increases: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/10/30/texas-aca-obamacare-health-insurance-open-enrollment/...As many as one million of the four million Texans using ACA would likely just drop health insurance altogether: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/tomlinson/article/texas-health-insurance-aca-shutdown-21116950.phpNew UT/Texas Politics Project polling shows inflation and healthcare costs at the top of Texans' worries, while many point to bad elected leadership as the cause: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/texans-discouraged-about-economy-skeptical-of-leaders-new-polling-says/In a bad omen for outcomes in El Paso, a panel of judges has upheld the mid-decade gerrymander of Tarrant County's county commissioner map: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/appeals-court-upholds-texas-countys-gop-gerrymander/We're excited to see YOU at one (or both!) of our 2025 Holiday Parties this December in Austin and Dallas - for the first time, featuring live podcast tapings! Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available now: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/progress-texas-holiday-parties-2025⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our 2025 Texas Statewide Voting Guide, including a link at the bottom for a printable version you CAN take with you to the polls: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/2025-texas-statewide-ballot-guide⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thanks for listening! Our monthly donors form the backbone of our funding, and if you're a regular, we'd like to invite you to join the team! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Public transportation advocates in Michigan are especially excited about components in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget that provide additional funding to transit agencies across the state.State Rep. Jason Morgan, D-Ann Arbor, a co-chairman of the Legislature's transit caucus, touted it as an unprecedented investment."This is the largest increase in public transit funding in Michigan's history, as far as I'm aware," Morgan said. "This is a truly transformational investment."On this week's Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, David Bulkowski, executive director of Disability Advocates of Kent County and a long-time supporter of efforts to improve funding for transit services, explains why transportation is paramount for providing access for all.

State Rep. Joanna McClinton runs Pennsylvania's House. She's a Philly Democrat and Speaker of the House of Representatives for the commonwealth, the top legislative Democrat in the state. And that means she's one of the very few people involved in negotiations over our state budget. That budget was due back on July 1st. But the legislature still hasn't passed it, and the consequences are dire. What's going on? McClinton tells host Trenae Nuri what's happening in Harrisburg.  Have you been affected by the state budget stalemate? Call or text us: 215-259-8170 Get Philly news & events in your inbox with our newsletter: Hey Philly We're also on Instagram: @citycastphilly You can support this show and get great perks by becoming a City Cast Philly Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Penn Live Arts  Advertise on the podcast or in the newsletter: citycast.fm/advertise

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Democrats weeping and gnashing of teeth over the White House renovations continues. Marco Rubio delivers a PERFECT response to a reporter when asked about blowing up drug boats. John Fetterman goes on Fox and sounds exactly like a Republican. State Rep. Jolanda Jones just went on CNN and called for SLASHING THE NECKS of Republicans if necessary. Portland Trail Blazers HC Chauncey Billups was arrested by the FBI for being used by the Italian Mafia to attract poker players, exposing multiple crime families.Sunny Hostin apparently thinks all her white neighbors are racists. Dana explains how she is noticing the right using identity politics like race and gender to defend their positions, lately. Seth Dillon from The Babylon Bee joins us to share his side of the story after a man tries to murder him over anti-Semitic lies from Conservative influencers about Israel.MSNBC completely forgets that Democrat Abigail Spanberger is running against ANOTHER woman. An LA teacher threatens ICE agents by saying that he has illegal guns A transgender swimmer was banned for 5 years after gender test refusal and blamed insurance costs. An illegal alien who rammed federal agents was HONORED and presented with framed accolades by LA for targeting ICE.Thank you for supporting our sponsors that make The Dana Show possible…CovePurehttps:/CovePure.com/DanaTake back control of your family's health with CovePure, the advanced water filtration system designed for pure, great-tasting water. Get $200 off. Webroothttps://Webroot.com/DanaChange your October from cyber-scary to cyber-secure with 60% off Webroot Total Protection.AmmoSquaredhttps://AmmoSquared.comDon't get caught without ammo and be sure to tell them you heard about Ammo Squared on this show. ChapterFor free and unbiased Medicare help from my partners Chapter, dial #250 and say keyword “My Medicare”Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand-alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan's contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently, we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don't directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.Keltechttps://KelTecWeapons.comKelTec builds every KS7 GEN2 right here in the USA with American materials and workers—upgrade your home defense today. All Family Pharmacyhttps://AllFamilyPharmacy.com/Dana Don't wait until flu season knocks at your door. Use code DANA10 at checkout to save 10%. Relief Factorhttps://ReliefFactor.com OR CALL 1-800-4-RELIEFTurn the clock back on pain with Relief Factor. Get their 3-week Relief Factor Quick Start for only $19.95 today! Byrnahttps://Byrna.com/DanaGet your hands on the new compact Byrna CL. Visit Byrna.com/Dana to receive 10% off Patriot Mobilehttps://PatriotMobile.com/DanaDana's personal cell phone provider is Patriot Mobile. Get a FREE MONTH of service code DANAHumanNhttps://HumanN.comStart supporting your cardiovascular health with SuperBeets, now available at your local Walmart.

4pm: Video Guest – Jim Walsh – State Rep and Chairman of the WA GOP // Governor Ferguson was asked if he will work with Republicans on the $2 BILLION additional budget shortfall about to hit; He says "they have his number // Washington state GOP supports Lewis County school board candidates // White House expands East Wing demolition as critics decry Trump overreach // President Trump says he’s paying for White House ballroom // Long before Trump, other presidents made big renovations to the White House // Both Seattle Mayoral candidates will join the show this week

6pm: Video Guest – Jim Walsh – State Rep and Chairman of the WA GOP // Governor Ferguson was asked if he will work with Republicans on the $2 BILLION additional budget shortfall about to hit; He says "they have his number // Washington state GOP supports Lewis County school board candidates // White House expands East Wing demolition as critics decry Trump overreach // President Trump says he’s paying for White House ballroom // Long before Trump, other presidents made big renovations to the White House // Both Seattle Mayoral candidates will join the show this week

Former Fighting Illini DE and current Illinois State Representative Kam Buckner kicks off the show. We talk with Kam about his STARS Bill, it's impact on the Bears potential move to Arlington Heights, his relationship with Kevin Warren, and much more. Roman Tomashoff covers the Huskies for UW Huskies Wire & USA Today. He givs us the Washington side of things before Saturday's game. And Illini Head Coach Bret Bielema met with the media today. He talked about practice conditions, crowd noise in Washington, injury report, and much more.