Why we should rethink voting rights. An alternative history of the Constitution. Plus Bill Press on what’s in store in the newest Supreme Court term.   Elections expert Amel Ahmed makes the case for voting as a positive right. Author John F. Kowal on how people have made our Constitution more democratic. Plus Bill Press with NBC News Justice Correspondent Pete Williams. Amel Ahmed The passage of H.R.1 would mark a necessary advance in defense of the right to vote.  But does that go far enough? Amel Ahmed says more can be done to go on the offense in the struggle over voting rights.  John F. Kowal In his new book, co-author John F. Kowal tells the story of how 200 years of constitutional amendments have made our founding document more inclusive and more democratic. It’s a history, he says, with great relevance for today.    Pete Williams Bill Press talks with Pete Williams of NBC News on what to expect as the Supreme Court opens its momentous new term. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.  Jim Hightower Why Would We Let Wall Street “Care For” Our Pets?   Question: What does a packet of M&M’s and your local veterinarian have in common? Answer: Both are owned by Mars Inc., the global candy monopolist.   Since the 1980s, we’ve seen massive consolidations in industry after industry – from airlines to newspapers, the internet to candy. These monopolists run roughshod over consumers, workers, communities, suppliers, and our nation’s commitment to the Common Good.

America's Democrats

Why we should rethink voting rights.

Factory towns as political battlegrounds. Growing Black women’s political power. Plus Bill Press on the meaning of “patriotic philanthropy”.   John Pouland on a new report showing big losses for Democrats in factory towns, and why that matters. Glynda Carr on how to get more Black women elected to office. Plus Bill Press with billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein on what it means to give back to our nation. John Pouland  John Pouland explains a study that details how the conventional political wisdom has completely missed the biggest electoral earthquake of the last decade, specifically highlighting how both Democratic and Republican parties have discounted and misjudged their appeals to voters in manufacturing-heavy working-class towns.  Glynda Carr A record number of Black women ran for Congress in 2020. Political strategist Glynda Carr says that record could be broken again in 2022.   And if Black women win, she says we all stand to gain.  David Rubenstein Bill Press talks with billionaire David Rubenstein on the limits and possibilities of philanthropy. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.  Jim Hightower America needs a quality child care system   Nearly every nation with an advanced economy (and some not so advanced) treats child care as a fundamental public good essential to nurturing children, families, and the whole society. But not our US of A.   Indeed, our so-called leaders relegate millions of working parents and 21 million kids under 5 to the tender mercies of a for-profit market, with child care facilities ranging from impossibly expensive to helter-skelter, unlicensed Kiddie Korrals.

Factory towns as political battlegrounds.

Farmers on the front lines of climate change.  A Wyoming view on 2022. Plus, Bill Press on the very real threat of election subversion.   Former secretary of agriculture Dan Glickman makes an urgent call for climate smart agriculture. Wyoming Democratic Party Chair Joe Barbuto lays out a plan to prevail in the midterms. And election law expert Rick Hasan tells Bill Press why “election subversion" is the greater threat to American Democracy than voter suppression. Dan Glickman There’s a growing acknowledgment that even as agriculture feels some of the worst impacts of climate change, it also contributes to the crisis. Former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman says farmers can be part of the solution and public policy can help them do that. Joe Barbuto Democrats face daunting odds in Wyoming. But, with a midterm election on the horizon, Joe Barbuto says Democrats can beat those odds… with the right strategy. Rick Hasan Coming up, Bill Press talks with national election law expert Rick Hasan on the mounting threat Republicans pose to election integrity. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com. Jim Hightower Why Corporations Pay Millions for Executive Mediocrity   Most people believe the American economy is being rigged by and for bankers, CEOs, and other superrich elites, because… well, because it is!   With their hired armies of lawmakers, lobbyists, lawyers, and the like, they fix the economic rules so even-more of society’s money and power flows uphill to them. Take corporate CEOs. While 2020 was somewhere between a downer and devastating for most people, the CEO class made out like bandits, with each of the three top-paid corporate honchos pocketing as much as a billion dollars in personal pay!

Farmers on the front lines of climate change.

Budget reconciliation and the future of health care.  The Black women who fought to vote. Plus, Bill Press on why the Justice Department should begin a criminal investigation of Donald Trump.   Frederick Isasi of Families USA on why now is the time for Congress to take a stand on lowering health care costs. Historian Martha S. Jones on her new book Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All. Plus Bill Press with legal analyst Barbara McQuade on holding Donald Trump responsible for his actions leading up to January 6. Frederick Isasi  As Democrats' reconciliation bill makes its way through Congress, health advocates will be closely watching. Frederick Isasi says this is an opportunity to make a critical and necessary investment in the health of every American. Martha S. Jones In her newest book, acclaimed historian Martha S. Jones writes about the Black women who fought for the vote, even after the 19th Amendment was passed. It’s a little-known history but one that is essential to understanding the evolution of democracy in America. Barbara McQuade Coming up, Bill Press talks with former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade on why a failure to open a criminal investigation into Trump’s role in the January insurrection would undermine democracy. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com  Jim Hightower Let’s Create a Bank System That Serves People, Instead of Bankers   Corporate ideologues never cease blathering that government programs should be run like a business.   Really – what businesses would they choose? Pharmaceutical profiteers? Big Oil? Wall Street money manipulators? High tech billionaires? Airline price gougers? 

Budget reconciliation and the future of health care.

The populist message progressive voters need to hear. And Bill Press on holding Donald Trump accountable for his role in the January 6 insurrection. This week, pollster Vic Fingerhut on how progressive populism can win elections. Plus, Bill Press with a timeline of events leading up to January 6, and how they implicate Trump in the effort to overturn an election. Vic Fingerhut  Vic Fingerhut has established an unmatched record of moving millions of votes to the progressive side of the political spectrum. Recently he lent his expertise to Canada’s New Democratic Party as they face a pivotal election.   Ryan Goodman Bill Press with the first of his three-part series, “Our Democracy in Peril”, with Ryan Goodman, founding co-editor-in-chief of Just Security. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com. Jim Hightower How About an Award for Sleaziest Corporate Profiteering? We’ve got the Academy Awards, the Emmy’s, and GRAMMYs… but what should we call the award for the most extraordinary performance by a corporate profiteer? How about the “Sleazy,” with winners getting a solid gold sculpture of a middle finger? There were so many worthy contenders, but one corporation exhibited uncommon callousness, so the 2021 Sleazy goes to … Tyson Foods! The meatpacking giant has regularly run roughshod over workers, farmers, communities, and the environment – not to mention the millions of animals it fattens and slaughters. But the coronavirus pulled out the worst in Tyson’s corporate ethic.

The populist message progressive voters need to hear.

Who does our essential ‘dirty work’, and at what price?  Why prison gerrymandering has to end.  Plus, Bill Press on why California Governor Gavin Newsom is likely to survive the effort to recall him.   Eyal Press, author of Dirty Work: Essential Jobs and the Hidden Toll of Inequality in America. Alec Kajstura on how the prison system distorts legislative redistricting. Plus, Bill Press looks ahead to California’s recall election with Carla Marinucci, Senior Writer for POLITICO’s California Playbook. Eyal Press In his new book, Eyal Press talks about the overlooked jobs that are dangerous or morally compromising, but essential to our lives. He says it’s time to come to terms with the consequences of this work  we pay other people to do. Alecs Kajstura As states begin the process of redistricting, our attention is drawn to the debate over where prisoners are counted as residents.  Alecs Kajstura explains how making the wrong decision can undermine democracy for all of us.  Carla Marinucci Bill Press talks with Carla Marinucci, Senior Writer for POLITICO’s California Playbook about California’s gubernatorial recall election and the issue that will decide its outcome. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com. Jim Hightower   Hey Washington: Follow The People   “Those in the know,” say that We the People should forget any progressive fantasy that – at long last – Washington might finally produce the kind of bold FDR-style agenda that America needs. They smugly lecture us that recalcitrant Republicans in Congress, not to mention a swarm of corporate lobbyists, are opposed to progressive change, so who could get it passed?   Here’s an idea: Try the people themselves. Those in the know don’t seem to know it (or don’t want us to know it), but big majorities across grassroots America are strongly in favor of the fundamental changes that Washington elites are rejecting.

Who does our essential ‘dirty work’, and at what price?

How Biden’s plan for economic recovery could lead to more affordable health care for all Americans. Why humor matters in politics. Plus, Bill Press on what happens when science mixes with politics.   Health care advocate Laura Packard on why it's time to build American health care back better.  Former secretary of agriculture Dan Glickman on his new book Laughing at Myself.  Plus, Bill Press with Philip Bump, National Correspondent for the Washington Post, on pandemic politics. Laura Packard President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda includes critical provisions that would expand and improve health care. If the bill passes, health care activist Laura Packard says it will be a game-changer. Dan Glickman  In his new autobiography, Dan Glickman describes a long and successful career in public service that took him from the heartland of America to the halls of power in Washington, DC. He says that critical to his success has been a willingness to laugh at himself, work across the aisle, and compromise. Philip Bump Bill Press talks with Philip Bump, on how Donald Trump stoked the pandemic response into a  Republican partisan issue. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com. Jim Hightower Where’s the “Dignity of Work” When Work Kills Workers?   Corporate acolytes and right-wing moralists constantly preach to laboring stiffs about the uplifting dignity of work.   Of course, that’s “dignity” as defined and controlled by corporate elites, not by workers, and the reward for it frequently includes on-the-job injuries… and death. Not that CEOs and well-heeled investors intend to sicken, maim, and kill thousands of laborers every year – but they certainly do put them in positions that assure such unhappy results. 

How Biden’s plan for economic recovery could lead to more affordable health care for all Americans.

A powerful history of workers’ strikes in America. How unions will shape the future of democracy. Plus Bill Press on the staying power of Trump with the GOP.     Historian Erik Loomis on his book A History of America in Ten Strikes. Author and organizer Jane McAlevey on her book, A Collective Bargain:Unions, Organizing, and the Fight for Democracy. Plus, Bill Press with never Trump conservative Bill Kristol.   Eric Loomis Historian Eric Loomis says if we truly want to understand the history of labor movements in the United States, look to the moments when workers went on strike. In this encore interview from 2018, Loomis reminds us of the powerful change that can happen when workers are willing to fight. Jane McAlevey In her most recent book, Jane McAlevey makes the case that unions are a key institution capable of taking effective action to reset power and politics in America, and clear a path to progressive change.  Bill Kristol Bill Press with journalist and author Bill Kristol on what it will take for Republicans to break free from Donald Trump. If you'd like to hear the entire interview, visit BillPressPods.com. Jim Hightower Making Work Work for Workers   As a writer, I get stuck every so often straining for the right words to tell my story. Over the years, though, I’ve learned when to quit tying myself into mental knots over sentence construction, instead stepping back and rethinking where my story is going.   This process is essentially what millions of American working families are going through this year as record numbers of them are shocking bosses, politicians, and economists by stepping back and declaring: “We quit!”

A powerful history of workers’ strikes in America.

How the rich rig the tax code and the millionaires who want it to stop. How the battle for marriage equality was won. Plus Bill Press on how to confront a "code red" for our planet. Erica Payne on her new book Tax the Rich!: How Lies, Loopholes, and Lobbyists Make the Rich Even Richer. Sasha Issenberg on his new book The Engagement: America's Quarter-Century Struggle Over Same-Sex Marriage. Plus Bill Press with Jaime Williams, President of the Wilderness Society on what has to happen to avert climate catastrophe. Erica Payne In 2010, Erica Payne organized some of the richest Americans to demand higher taxes on millionaires like themselves.  Her new book offers an insider’s view of how the wealthy have rigged the tax code in their favor and offers a blueprint to unrig it. Sasha Issenberg In his newest book, Sasha Issenberg chronicles the 25 years that led up to marriage equality. It tells the story of how same-sex marriage went from fringe to mainstream and explores what can be learned for ongoing civil rights movements. Jaime Williams Bill Press with Jaime Williams, President of the Wilderness Society on key takeaways from the latest UN Report on climate change and why it is an urgent call to action. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com. Jim Hightower Working From Home – While Your Boss Watches You on Video If you’re a corporate employee, you know that something unpleasant is afoot when top executives are suddenly issuing statements about how committed they are to their employees, making sure that all of them are treated with dignity and respect. For example, the PR chief of a global outfit named Teleperformance, one of the world’s largest call centers, was recently going on and on about how “We value our people and their well-being, safety, and happiness.” Why did the corporation feel such a desperate need to proclaim its virtue?

How the rich rig the tax code and the millionaires who want it to stop.

The looming threat of Republican gerrymandering. Why America needs a Tech New Deal. Plus Bill Press with a harrowing look at Trump's final year.   David Daley on why time is running out to stop Republican gerrymandering. Nicol Turner Lee on what it will take to deliver digital equity in a post-pandemic world. Plus Bill Press with Carol Leonnig and Phil Rucker on their new book  I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year.  David Daley The once-a-decade process of redistricting has begun, and the stakes could hardly be higher. David Daley is one of the nation's leading authorities on partisan gerrymandering. And he says if Democrats don’t do more to stop it, Republicans will have the power to shape elections for years to come.  Nicol Turner Lee The pandemic didn’t create the digital divide, but it certainly has revealed the depth and severity of its impact. Nicol Turner Lee has studied the digital divide for more than two decades. She says any plan to “build back better” must ensure digital equity for all.  Carol Leonnig and Phil Rucker  And now, Bill Press with Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Phil Rucker on their behind-the-scenes story of former president Trump’s last year in office. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.  Jim Hightower Working From Home – While Your Boss Watches You on Video   If you’re a corporate employee, you know that something unpleasant is afoot when top executives are suddenly issuing statements about how committed they are to their employees, making sure that all of them are treated with dignity and respect.   For example, the PR chief of a global outfit named Teleperformance, one of the world’s largest call centers, was recently going on and on about how “We value our people and their well-being, safety, and happiness.” Why did the corporation feel such a desperate need to proclaim its virtue?

The looming threat of Republican gerrymandering.

The state of Black America in 2021. A new chapter in progressive politics and how we got here. Plus Bill Press with Dana Milbank, op-ed columnist for The Washington Post.   Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League with a call to action to create a more equitable and inclusive nation. Mark Schmitt on the rebuilding of the left in American politics. Plus Bill Press with Dana Milbank on the GOP attempt to rewrite the history of January 6.   Marc Morial An annual report released by the National Urban League concludes that we are living in a historic moment that demands that historic injustices are recognized and repaired. For National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial, that means that as America seeks to move beyond COVID 19, it cannot return to what passed for normal before the pandemic struck.   Mark Schmitt Mark Schmitt is an expert on progressive political reform. In this moment of new possibility, he calls on progressive democrats to recognize the years of successful organizing that got us here.   Dana MilbankBill Press with Dana Milbank on what should come next for the  Capitol Hill insurrectionists and the January 6 select committee. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com.   Jim Hightower Shortage, Start With the Wage Shortage   At a recent congressional hearing on America’s so-called “labor shortage,” megabanker Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, offered this insight: “People actually have a lot of money, and they don’t particularly feel like going back to work.”   Uh… Jamie… most people are living paycheck to paycheck, and since COVID-19 hit, millions have lost their jobs, savings, and even homes. So, they’re not exactly lollygagging around the house, counting their cash.    

The state of Black America in 2021.

A democracy test in Texas and the future of voting rights in America. Why it’s time for government to “go big” again. Plus Bill Press with Joe Trippi on what it will take to defeat Trumpism.   Texas State Representative Richard Peña Raymond on why he had to leave the state to protect democracy. An extended conversation with Jim Hightower on protecting the vote, building a wall, going big on infrastructure, and the folly of rich people taking joy rides into space. Plus Bill Press with Democratic strategist Joe Trippi on why he is teaming up with Republicans to stop an authoritarian movement fueled by Donald Trump.   Richard Peña Raymond The dramatic exodus of Democratic Texas lawmakers to Washington this month denies Texas Republicans the two-thirds quorum they need to pass new voting restrictions. Among the lawmakers who left is State Representative Richard Peña Raymond.  He says this battle to protect democracy is much bigger than Texas.   Jim Hightower Jim Hightower's website states that he “has spent four decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be”. In this extended conversation, he explains why the battle over the future of Texas is about more than stopping Republicans from suppressing voters. It’s about reaching out to all Texans with a progressive populist message.   Joe Trippi Bill Press with Democratic strategist Joe Trippi on how close we are to losing our democracy and why he is  working across party lines to save it. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPresPods.com.   Jim Hightower There’s Rich, Ugly Rich, and Jeff Bezos   I cheered recently when the richest man on Earth had himself rocketed into space. But then he came back down.   There’s nothing irredeemably wrong about being rich – indeed, one good role model for handling wealth, rather than letting it handle you, is music superstar Dolly Parton. She donated a cool million bucks to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2020 to help finance its development of the “Moderna” vaccine that’s now preventing millions of people from dying with COVID-19.   

A democracy test in Texas

What’s next for Amazon workers? What we can learn from a century of U.S. public health emergencies? Plus Bill Press looks ahead to 2022 with Larry Sabato, the founder of Sabato’s Crystal Ball.   Nelson Lichtenstein on the link between antitrust advocacy and the movement to unionize workers. Martin Halliwell on how America responds to health crises and what needs to change. Plus Bill Press with Larry Sabato on how Republicans are positioned for success in 2022, and what Democrats can do about it.  Nelson Lichtenstein In the wake of the recent failure to unionize workers at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein explains how the current antitrust revival has the potential to prevent similar failures and advance unionization at Amazon and other giant corporations. Martin Halliwell Martin Halliwell’s most recent book covers a century of public health governance and where it has fallen short reacting to crises such as COVID 19. He calls for a new kind of public health culture that can be more resilient in the face of future crises. Larry Sabato Bill Press with Larry Sabato on the enduring hold of Donald Trump over today’s GOP, and the party’s plan to retake the House in 2022. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com. Jim Hightower A Phoenix is Rising Our local newspapers are being merged, purged, shrunk, shut down, and looted by Wall Street profiteers – yet there’s good news. In the towns those media vultures are torching, a phoenix is rising! Hundreds of determined locals, often led by people of color, are finding new ways to pay for and revive top-quality, local journalism.

What’s next for Amazon workers?

Can America be united again? Making the case for Medicaid expansion. Plus Bill Press on Biden’s most difficult foreign policy challenges.  George Packer on his new book Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal. Eliot Fishman on how Medicaid expansion has made a difference during the pandemic. Plus Bill Press with Joe Cirincione on restoring American leadership in the world.  George Packer George Packer’s newest book describes America as a nation dangerously fractured into four warring tribes. He argues that central to any reconciliation is a recommitment to equality. Eliot Fishman The Covid-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the need for universal access to affordable healthcare. Eliot Fishman says that is why now is the time for every state to adopt Medicaid expansion. Joe Cirincione Bill Press with Joe Cirincione on reimaging national security after four years of a Trump presidency. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com. Jim Hightower Is America big enough to Go Big again? It’s time for America to go back to the future – a future of true greatness created by a people united to build a strong nation for the Common Good. From the start of our United States, Americans have backed leaders who dared to do big public projects – Jefferson, Lincoln, TR, FDR, Truman, Ike, JFK, and LBJ all dared to achieve bold goals.

Can America be united again?

The price we pay if we don’t trust elections. Why we all should care about health disparities. Plus Bill Press on the defining theme of the Trump era.    David Becker on the myth of voter fraud and its damage to democracy. Dr. Lisa Cooper on why health disparities are everyone's problem. Plus Bill Press with Adam Serwer, author of the new book, The Cruelty Is the Point: The Past, Present, and Future of Trump's America.  David Becker David Becker works to build voter trust and participation.  As baseless claims of voter fraud persist, he warns that we could become unable to govern ourselves in between elections. Lisa Cooper Dr. Lisa Cooper has dedicated her career to eliminating disparities in healthcare. In her newest book she makes the compelling argument that these inequities are harming all of us. Adam Serwer Bill Press with journalist and author Adam Serwer on the ideological history that gave rise to Trump. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, visit BillPressPods.com. Jim Hightower Why Corporations Pay Millions for Executive Mediocrity   Most people believe the American economy is being rigged by and for bankers, CEOs, and other superrich elites, because… well, because it is!   With their hired armies of lawmakers, lobbyists, lawyers, and the like, they fix the economic rules so even more of society’s money and power flows uphill to them.

The price we pay if we don’t trust elections.

21st Century Democrats is proud to bring you AmericasDemocrats.org, the weekly netcast for stand-up Democrats that explores progressive perspectives on public policy, economic debates, foreign affairs and national politics. With regular contributors who include Texan populist Jim Hightower and provocative media commentator Bill Press, AmericasDemocrats.org seeks to become a salon of the nation’s most prominent Democrats. We're all about giving progressive Democrats tools you need to fight back against the Tea Party Republicans. So progressives, populists, liberals, Democrats and independents, sit back and listen -- then stand up and fight!

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America's Democrats

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