The Lean to the Left Podcast

Thwarted by Congress for the funds he demanded to build his vanity wall along the southern border, President Trump is ripping off some $7.2 billion from the Pentagon's budget this year to build 900 miles of wall before the November presidential election.Listen for more...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

Perhaps its a stretch to suggest that President Trump is wielding an iron fist, like dictators Vladimir Putin or Kim Jong-Un, but his retribution against perceived impeachment enemies and his tweet "suggesting" the Justice Department's sentencing request for convicted felon Roger Stone was 'horrible and very unfair" certainly makes it look that way. Listen for more... Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

On the same day Kaiser Permanente reported it had nearly tripled its income in 2019, governors of both parties warned that a proposed Trump administration regulation could lead to huge Medicaid cuts, reducing healthcare access for vulnerable, low-income Americans.While neither of those facts are directly connected, combined they're a microcosm of what is wrong with healthcare in America today and the mindset that currently prevails among Trump and his Republican Congressional supporters.Listen for more...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

Donald Trump, preening a usual, celebrated his impeachment trial acquittal with nastiness, name calling, and vindictiveness, claiming false credit and threatening to cast out his enemies. Republicans, meanwhile, offered their excuses as they fell in lock step wit their adopted hero. By Chris WaldronBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

This is the personal story of a young woman, Lauren Kligman, of Myrtle Beach, SC, who has been battling depression and a serious eating disorder for a long time. In and out of rehab centers, her weight having dropped to 70 pounds, she now is doing fine. Lauren, in her own words, tells her story and encourages others with similar issues to seek help.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

It is time for the Democratic presidential candidates to stop taking swipes at each other and focus on the real enemy -- Donald John Trump, the just impeached president who has co-opted the Republican Party and turned it into his own personal cheering section. This stuff with Mayor Pete Buttigieg taking shots at former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders needs to stop. All of these candidates should have a singular objective: take down Trump. Yes, Mayor Pete, you are an impressive, young, dynamic candidate with a lot to offer our country. And, yes, you just might pull the biggest upset in political history and become the first mayor of a city of just 100,000 people to win a major party's nomination for president. But please, have some respect. Stop with the sly little daggers about Sanders' and Biden's age, and for heaven's sake, stop declaring victory before the results are in as you did in Iowa. It's just unseemly and you should know better. The American people are searching for a leader, someone who will take this country out of the morass in which Donald Trump has created. Someone ... for more...listen...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champs for the first time in 50 years! Congratulations are certainly in order and to the people of their home state. Problem is, Donald Trump apparently doesn't know where that is. Never at a loss for words for “important issues” Trump tweeted his congratulations to the team and “the Great State of Kansas”. Whoolps! The Chiefs are based in Kansas City, Missouri, not Kansas City, Kansas. While this faux pas would be acceptable from many others, much like those who mistakenly identify New York City as the capital of New York, rather than Albany, where I grew up, it is troubling coming from the supposed leader of the country. It would appear that geography isn't exactly a strength for this “stable genius”. Perhaps he’d do better pointing out Ukraine on a blank map. Probably not. With the impeachment trial and State of the Union probably weighing heavily on his mind, Trump might be forgiven for this slip of the tongue if he didn’t so readily pounce on so many others who have made verbal gaffes, like his perceived chief rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. Maybe Trump was confused by the similarities between the characters of The Wizard of Oz in not knowing that the Chiefs are from Kansas City, Missouri? After all, one could argue that his mistake resulted from his resemblance to the Scarecrow (no brain), Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s resemblance to the Tin Man (no heart), or even the Cowardly Lion (President Bone Spurs) as they lead Dorothy (Ivanka) and her little dog (Jared Kushner) through the treacherous land of impeachment haunted by the Wicked Witch (Nancy Pelosi D-CA) and her “flying monkeys” (House Managers). It’s a stretch, but the similarities are there, and Dorothy WAS from Kansas, after all. Of course, Trump was tweeting from the friendly confines of his Mar a Lago where he hosted a multitude-million dollar Super Bowl party for club members, at taxpayer expense. Remember how he repeatedly pledged that, if elected, he would have no time for golf? Right. Perhaps if we collectively click our heels and utter in unison “We want a real leader”, the country will magically return to sanity. Let’s hope it happens on November 3rd. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

Regardless of the Trumplican-controlled Senate which is refusing to hear witnesses or subpoena key documents in the Trump sham impeachment "gathering" (it's hardly a trial), the truth about this president's illegal acts ultimately will be revealed. While it will be too late for the see-no evil, hear-no evil Senate to consider those revelations, it will be in plenty of time for the American people to render their verdict on Election Day, November 3, 2020. After all, that's what the Republicans have constantly demanded, saying Donald John Trump's impeachment by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives was an act of blatant partisanship when the general election is only months away. Well, they will get their wish. The duplicitous actions of Senate Republicans and the Trump administration are, however, nearly too incredible to behold. Consider this: Trump's Justice Department, in a midnight filing after the Senate's vote against hearing witnesses, revealed that two dozen emails shielded from Congress detail Trump's decision to withhold military aid from Ukraine. Democrats unsuccessfully sought to subpoena those documents. The filing contains the most detailed description yet of those documents, which reveal why he justified withholding nearly $400 million in security assistance to Ukraine. But they will not be available to the Senate to consider. And, consider the statements of two swing-vote GOP senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, whose twisted logic led them to vote against hearing such witnesses as John Bolton. Trump's former national security advisor, Bolton stood ready to testify that Trump told him he was withholding aid to Ukraine until they investigated the Bidens -- a quid pro quo that Bolton has labeled "a drug deal." Murkowski, in a statement released to the media, said, in part, "“Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate. I don’t believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed." To make the "trial" fair, it doesn't take a legal scholar to understand that witnesses must be heard -- especially witnesses with direct incriminating evidence against the defendant like Bolton. So, Murkowski voted against hearing those witnesses, ending the possibility of the "fair" trial that she apparently sought. Alexander, who is retiring from the Senate at the end of the year, also opposed hearing witnesses and said he will vote to acquit. Combined, their votes sealed the deal for Trump and his supporters. "If you have eight witnesses who say someone left the scene of an accident, why do you need nine?" he reasoned. "I mean, the question for me was: Do I need more evidence to conclude that the president did what he did? And I concluded no." Alexander said the House had proved that what Trump did with regard to Ukraine was wrong, that it was "inappropriate." But he bought the White House claim that, even so, it was not an impeachable offense. When asked who should render the ultimate verdict on Trump, Alexander replied: "The people. The people is my conclusion." Well, that's exactly what will happen. The people will decide. Count the days. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

The other day Secretary of State Mike Pompeo excoriated a female reporter who asked him a question about Ukraine he didn't like, then President Donald Trump, male chauvinist pig-in-chief, commended him for it. "That was very impressive, Mike," Trump said at a White House event after Pompeo was introduced to applause. "That reporter couldn't have done too good a job on you yesterday, huh? I think you did a good job on her, actually." The incident Trump was referring to occurred last week when Mary Louise Kelly, host of All Things Considered on NPR, asked Pompeo about whether he should apologize to former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, for her sudden ouster at the behest of Trump and his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. Angered because the interview was supposed to be about Iran, Pompeo told Kelly, "I have defended every State Department official. We've built a great team. The team that works here is doing amazing work around the world... I've defended every single person on this team. I've done what's right for every single person on this team." But he didn't let it go at that.Listen for more...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

In this episode, Jackie and I explore the hearafter and how Jackie, after she dies, would like to come back in her second life either as an assassin or a nun. What? Where did that come from? I thought maybe it's because some nuns were mean to her in school when she was a kid, making her want to be an assassin. But no, she says, that's not the reason. But I think she has some first-hand experience with a Mafia hit-man, maybe. Then, I ask if there is somebody she wants to kill. She just looks at me. So if I turn up dead soon, you'll know what happened. She got sick of doing "The Bob & Jackie Show." When I come back from being murdered by her, I want to be a tall, handsome dude with a cool accent like Antonio Bandaras -- or even that guy (Mandy Patinkin) in the 1987 fantasy movie, "The Princess Bride," who famously says, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die." A Spanish fencing master, that guy was cool, and in my second life, if I can't be like Bandaras, I want to be like him. I'll even rescue a beautiful princess like he did -- if necessary. In this silly episode, we also cover Did Ya Ever Wonder as Jackie asks why two words like "Finger" and "Ginger" are spelled similarly, but pronounced totally differently. I tell her I have no idea and ask why she asked me. "You're the word man," she replies. When we asked NFN writer Chris Waldron, a college English professor, what he thought, his answer was "English is a strange language." Thanks, Chris, that was helpful. Our third topic in the episode asks why women are expected to take the husband's last name when they marry. "Ownership," says Jackie. Then she told me it was a "dumb question" when I asked if she thought that was unfair. I guess it was. So if you have 15 minutes or so for a laugh or two, check it out. Also, while you're there, please consider subscribing to our new YouTube channel. Just hit the Subscribe button.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

The Trump administration yesterday took action to dilute school lunch nutritional standards pushed by former First Lady Michelle Obama, allowing schools to offer less healthy foods to students, despite staggering rates of childhood obesity in the U.S. The proposal to lay waste to one of the former first lady's cornerstone achievements just happened to come on her birthday. Anybody believe that was just a coincidence? In yet another effort by President Trump to undo key achievements of the Obama administration, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the new rules were needed because school kids are throwing away the healthier foods they are being served and there is just too much waste. Listen for more...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

Depending upon how the U.S. Supreme Court decides, it is entirely possible that in some states voters in the electoral college will be able to ignore the results of their state's popular vote and vote for whoever they want. Should that occur, those who say "Why bother to vote, it won't even count anyway," could end up being right. The Washington Post reports today that the high court will consider whether states can punish or replace "faithless" presidential electors who refuse to support their state's popular vote winner, or whether the U.S. Constitution forbids such a restriction. No wonder there is such a clamor to do away with the Electoral College. Let's hope the Supreme Court brings some sense and reason to this mess in time for the 2020 election. Listen for more...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

President Trump is now on a tweet-a-thon claiming that he has saved healthcare coverage for pre-existing conditions, when one of his obsessive priorities since his election has been to wipe out the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which guarantees that protection.The truth is that Trump has been obsessed with undoing every achievement of President Obama and he will stop at nothing until he has accomplished that. Witness his attack on the environment and climate change, for example. The Enemy of the ACABut this claim is one of his most outrageous. He is the single biggest enemy of the ACA and that is where protections for pre-existing condition coverage reside. Just last week the Justice Department filed a brief in a lawsuit filed by a group of Republican governors and state attorneys general challenging the healthcare law. The Trump administration backs that lawsuit, which if successful, will result in the entire ACA law being declared unconstitutional. And yes, Trump supported and signed legislation eliminating the requirement that individuals must purchase health insurance coverage or face penalties at tax time. Indeed, that was unpopular. But it was one of the foundations of the ACA and now the White House argues that by doing that Congress has made the entire law invalid. Listen for more...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

Imperialism has its definite appeal to Donald Trump. Since his inauguration, he has sought to use his powerful position to disrupt the governments of Venezuela, Iran, Iraq, Syria and the Ukraine, among others. The assassination of a top Iranian government official is the latest example of Trump’s desire to return America to an imperial power. America is no stranger to imperial rule. Indeed, 4 million people, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa currently live under the auspices of the United States government with no representation. But it is the attempt to exercise its influence over foreign governments that is so troubling. it would appear that a return to an imperial power is exactly what Donald Trump seeks as he courts strongmen like the rulers of Russia, Turkey and North Korea. And it is these types of actions that will likely draw the attention of democracies around the world, as they await his next move. The world waits…and it worries.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

So now the prosperity gospel maven Paula White says God visited upon her and asked her to introduce Donald Trump to her. "Show him who I am," White said He told her. Really? Oh, for God's sake! Ah yes, so now White is Trump's "spiritual advisor." If that's the case, she certainly is doing a crappy job given his many well-known transgressions against the teachings of Christianity and the Bible, which Trump claims is his favorite book. If you want to know more about this woman, White, who bilks millions of believers with her BS messages, check out www.paulawhite.org, and if you want to see more about her Trump-related activities, check out https://paulawhite.org/global.html. The story about White saying God told her to bring Trump to Him is just the latest development in the ongoing drama involving Evangelicals and their political supporters who claim God sent Trump to the White House to save humanity. Listen to learn more...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

Welcome to NFN Radio News…brought to you by the progressive news blog site…not fake news.biz, filled with cool commentary on the key stories of the day…plus stories about people in all walks of life…interviews…and some funny stuff, too.Welcome to NFN Radio News…brought to you by the progressive news blog site…not fake news.biz.I’m your host, Bob Gatty, founder and publisher of Not Fake News.biz. Nearly every day we narrate our top blogs that I write with a team of other outstanding writers.A former national wire service reporter and bureau chief, I served as chief of staff for two U.S. Congressmen – one a Republican, the other a Democrat – and then launched an editorial services company based in Washington, DC. and ran a couple of magazines, did some political stuff, and even worked for some lobbying organizations.Then in 2016, I retired to Myrtle Beach, SC and soon launched Not Fake News. It was in response to Donald Trump’s constant harping about the fake news media…which he labeled the enemy of the people.Today, Not Fake News.biz has thousands of readers from across the U.S. and around the world. Our blogs cover politics with a progressive perspective, setting the record straight about Trump and his Republican cronies in Congress.But in addition, Not Fake News – or NFN for short – also includes blogs about happenings of everyday life – often funny, always touching on events common to many of us. We write and post every day, and that’s with the help of a great team of contributing writers. Now, the NFN Radio News podcast will provide the best of our blogs to you in narrative form, often narrated by the authors themselves. We’ll also offer the soundtrack from the un-famous but very funny Bob & Jackie Show, available on the Not Fake News You Tube Channel. Any time you need a laugh, that’s a good place to go.NFN Radio News is our effort to provide more convenience to people on the go.I hope you enjoy our offerings and will become a regular listener and subscriber to NFN Radio News.Now, check out our episodes! There’s a new one almost every day. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.

When federal environmental health policy action weakens, states and local governments are stepping up — and making real progress.In this episode of the Lean to the Left Podcast, host Bob Gatty talks with environmental health lawyer, professor, and author Susan Kaplan about how states are leading the way on environmental health policy. Drawing from her book, A Healthy Union: How States Can Lead on Environmental Health, Kaplan explains how state-level innovation has produced effective, evidence-based policies that protect public health while reducing costs.🔍 What you’ll learn in this episode:• Why federal environmental protections have eroded — and what states are doing instead• How states act as “laboratories of innovation” for environmental health• The growing role of local governments, school boards, and city councils• How everyday environmental choices affect public health• Why collective community action can drive lasting changeKaplan highlights successful policies from states like Massachusetts, New York, and Texas, along with regional collaborations that prove environmental protection and economic efficiency can go hand in hand.🌱 This conversation is a hopeful reminder that progress is possible — and often starts close to home.📘 Learn more about Susan Kaplan’s work and her book A Healthy Union🎧 Subscribe to Lean to the Left for more conversations on progressive politics, climate, and social justice👍 Like, comment, and share to support independent progressive mediaAmazon book Link: https://amzn.to/4acwEsyNOTE: Susan Kaplan is offering listeners ands viewers of this podcast a 20% discount on the price of her book. To obtain that discount visit www.islandpress.org and use the code word: UNION.CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction to the Lean to the Left Podcast00:20 Meet Susan Kaplan: Environmental Health Expert01:34 The History of Environmental Protection in the US03:46 State-Level Environmental Health Policies05:16 Challenges and Solutions in Environmental Protection08:17 Local Government's Role in Environmental Health09:31 Practical Tips for Individuals11:43 Encouraging Local Government Action15:03 Best Practices and Case Studies17:03 Susan Kaplan's Career Journey19:12 Current Issues and Final Thoughts20:40 Where to Find Susan's Book22:12 Conclusion and Optimism for the Future