Left Of Lansing

#podcast #politics #progressives #Democrats #Environment #ClimateChange #GreatLakes #Michigan #Jobs #WorkingClass #DOGE #CorporateCorruption #GovernmentCorruption #MAGA #Republicans #AnnaClark #ProPublica #Budget #CorporateGreed #FreeSpeech #Gaza #Farmers Economics #LeftOfLansing Here's Episode 132 of Michigan's Premier Progressive Podcast! 00:00-20:01: UofM Ono Out/Nessel Mistake/Trump Tariffs The opening segment concentrates on University of Michigan President Santa Ono's sudden exit, and why that's a good decision. Ono acted weak in the face of the Trump Regime's threats while also going after Pro-Palestinian student protesters. And sadly, Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel went along with it by charging seven of those students. Although, she dropped all charges this week. Pat also covers how MAGA is echoing Dear Leader's "sacrifice" mantra even though that message was never pushed during the election. 20:02-38:06: ProPublica's Anna Clark Interview Anna Clark from ProPublica talks about

#podcast #politics #Michigan #progressives #Democrats #Republicans #MAGA #Trump #Budget #Education #TaxCuts #CorporateGreed #CorporateCorruption #GovernmentCorruption #WorkingClass #Economy #Environment #jobs #leftoflansing Here's the Left of Lansing "Monday Musing" for May 5, 2025! The Trump Regime's proposed budget is setting-up to serve working class Michiganders with a lot of pain. Whether it's cuts to education, health care, Medicaid, clean water, or keeping homes cool and warm, The Regime is ready to perform one of the greatest disinvestments in Michigan's, and America's, working class. Why? To provide the elites and the corporate class with lavished tax cuts with very little oversight.  Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can! leftoflansing@gmail.com Left of Lansing is now on YouTube as well! leftoflansing.com NOTES: "Trump's budget hits Michigan with education, housing, community development cuts." By Todd Spangler of The Detroit Free

#podcast #politics #Michigan #RightWing #MattHall #MaiXiong #Democrats #Progressives #Trump #MAGA #ElonMusk #Whitmer #LeftOfLansing Here's the Left of Lansing "Friday Short" for May 2, 2025! MAGA Michigan Republican House Speaker Matt Hall threw a temper-tantrum this week after Democratic State Rep. Mai Xiong criticized Hall for closing down the House so he could slobber and stargaze at his Dear Leader Trump in Michigan. Hall called Xiong "low IQ," since she had the temerity to call-out how he and his MAGA Republican collogues continue to ignore the working class in the state. When MAGA policies predictably fail, hurling middle school insults, like Dear Leader Trump does, is all MAGA Republican authoritarians have left. Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can! leftoflansing@gmail.com Left of Lansing is now on YouTube as well! leftoflansing.com NOTES: "Rep. Xiong responds to ‘disrespectful’ remarks from Michigan House Speaker." By Kyle Davidson of

#podcast #politics #Michigan #Democrats #progressives #CorporateCorruption #GovernmentCorruption #CorporateWelfare #WorkingClass #Lobbying #DonorBase #CorporateAuthoritarianism #Trump #ElonMusk #Whitmer #MattHall #Republicans #LeftOfLansing Here's Episode 131 of Michigan's Premier Progressive Podcast! 00:00-21:41: Trump's Low #'s/Slotkin & Oligarchy The first segment features Pat Johnston detailing how Michiganders, and America, are giving Trump a failing grade after his first 100 days in office. Trump's tariffs are hurting the working class, but he and his regime are doubling-down. Then, Pat breaks-down Michigan Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin's new "war plans" for Democrats, and where she says Democrats should stop saying "oligarchy" when attacking Trump. Pat gives examples where he thinks Slotkin's right, and where she's wrong. 22:01-39:00: Interview w/ Paula Gardner Paula Gardner, Business Editor at Bridge Michigan, is our guest this week. Ms. Gardner unveiled a handful of articles detailing ho

#podcast #health #Michigan #Vaccines #Politics #Democrats #MAGA #Extemism #PublicHealth #HealthCare #LeftOfLansing Here's the Left of Lansing "Monday Musing" for April 28, 2025! Michigan has nine measles cases so far in 2025. It's not too hard to figure-out why: major drops in childhood vaccination rates in the state combined with misinformation and mixed messages from the Trump Regime, and specifically from its Health & Human Services Director Robert Kennedy Jr. Pat Johnston explains why he's not so sure making measles great again in the country is a winning strategy for the people.  Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can! leftoflansing@gmail.com Left of Lansing is now on YouTube as well! leftoflansing.com NOTES: "Michigan headed toward worst year for measles in decades, chief medical exec says." Hannay Mackay of The Detroit News "RFK Jr. says he wants to curb measles. His former nonprofit keeps undermining his message." By Barbara Rodrig

#podcast #Politics #GulfOfMexico #Michigan #MattMaddock #MAGA #Republicans #Weird #Trump #Progressives #Democrats #LeftOfLansing Here's the Left Of Lansing "Friday Short" for April 25, 2025. The weird Michigan MAGA Republican state House Rep. Matt Maddock of the 51st House District is making news again in his own warped and cruel way. Maddock announced this week that he wants to abolish the Michigan Veteran's Affairs Agency, which coincides with Dear Leader Trump and Elon Musk cutting the U.S. Veterans' Affairs office. Maddock also introduced a bill forcing Michigan's government to call The Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America," which is how MAGA Republicans believe will help the working class? Pat Johnston shares his thoughts on why Maddock is the perfect embodiment of today's clownish, weird, but horrifically cruel MAGA Republican Party. Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can! leftoflansing@gmail.com Left of Lansing is now on YouTube as well! le

#podcast #politics #Michigan #progressives #Democrats #Line5 #Trump #MAGA #Economy #CorporateGreed #Oligarchy #WorkingClass #Environment #CorporateCorruption #GovernmentCorruption #LeftOfLansing Here's Episode 130 of Michigan's Premier Progressive Podcast! 00:00-20:03: MAGA MI Cowards/Stevens Runs For U.S. Senate LOL's Pat Johnston describes how the "empty chair" town halls for MAGA Michigan Republican Congressmen John James and Tom Barrett shows the cowardice of these so-called tough MAGA men. How can John James run for governor if he's too afraid to face his own constituents who are angry with how Dear Leader Trump & Republicans are gutting Social Security and Medicaid while passing massive tax breaks for the corporate donor base. And Pat isn't real enthused by Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens's U.S. Senate run, and he explains why. 20:04-44:56: Dr. Jeffrey Insko Line 5 Interview Dr. Jeffrey Insko of The Current joins Pat to discuss the Trump Regime's fast-tracking of a tunnel project designe

#podcast #politics #immigration #Michigan #Education #InternationalStudents #Deportation #GovernmentCorruption #MAGA #Republicans #CorporateAuthoritariansm #Authoritarianism #LatinoVoters #Trump #Economy #Democrats #LeftOfLansing Here's the Left of Lansing "Monday Musing" for April 21, 2025. A new Gallop poll shows Americans are beginning to reject Dear Leader Trump on a host of issues, including his top issue of Immigration. Ryan Cooper of The American Prospect gives reasonings as to why Americans are no longer supporting his anti-Constitutional immigration disappearance program, but also why Latino-American voters are rejecting him even though many voted for him just five months ago. And this is why Democrats should've never ceded ground on immigration rather than choosing Trump-Lite on the issue. It didn't solve the issue, nor did it give them extra votes. Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can! leftoflansing@gmail.com Left of Lansing is now on

#podcast #politics #Michigan #DEI #MinorityRights #Immigration #HigherEducation #GovernmentCorruption #WhiteChristianNationalism #WhiteChristianNationalist #Law #MAGA #Oligarchy #Propaganda #Authoritarianism #Republicans #MichiganState  Here's the Left of Lansing "Friday Short" for April 18 2025. Michigan State University's faculty passed a resolution calling for MSU to join a new "mutual defense compact" with other Big Ten schools to help fight back against the Trump Regime's constant attacks on higher education in Michigan, and the country. The Trump Regime is working to defund colleges and universities so it can force these higher education institutions to instill their warped and weird White Christian Nationalist propaganda.  It was all right there for us to read in Project 2025. Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can! leftoflansing@gmail.com Left of Lansing is now on YouTube as well! leftoflansing.com NOTES: "MSU faculty join call for Big

#podcast #politics #Michigan #progressives #Democrats #GretchenWhitmer #DavidHogg #Trump #ElonMusk #CorporateCorruption #GovernmentCorruption #Corruption #Immigration #First Amendment #Education #Republicans #Economy #Authoritarianism #WhiteChristianNationalism #RightWing #Democracy #WorkingClass Here's Episode 129 of Michigan's Premier Progressive Podcast! 00:00-21:46: What Happens When We Give-Up To MAGA Pat Johnston opens the show talking about the Republicans running to become Michigan's next governor. It'll be funny, but cringeworthy, to watch Congressman John James and former state Attorney General Mike Cox try to "out-Trump" each other. Pat then explains how years of Democrats giving-up against MAGA Republicans is a major reason why we're facing the totalitarian takeover of the country by Trump & MAGA. The Trump Regime is now targeting international students at several universities and colleges in an effort to harm undocumented students, and higher education. Democrats give an inch, and Trump &a

#podcast #politics #Michigan #education #News #Democrats #Republicans #MAGA #WhiteChristianNationalism #Immigration #HigherEducation #FirstAmendmentRights #Trump #CentralMichiganUniversity #UniversityOfMichigan #Authoritariansim #Progressives #Fascism Here's the Left of Lansing "Monday Musing" for April 14, 2025. The Trump Regime has started to new line of attack against Michigan universities and colleges: By forcing foreign students to leave via threats of deportation. The Regime is also issuing similar threats to foreign students across the country in an effort, they say, to remove those who are a risk to America.  But what this is really about is pleasing the anti-immigrant and anti-science MAGA Republican base, draining universities of much-needed federal funding, and removing the free speech rights of noncitizens. And after they are successful at stamping-out free speech rights for noncitizens, they'll go after American citizens for criticism them.  Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each e

#podcast #politics #Michigan #MichiganPolitics #Economy #Tariffs #CorporateCorruption #Corruption #Government #GovernmentCorruption #GenX #Progressives #MinimumWage #Democrats #unions #WorkingClass #HamiltonNolan #LaborRights #Trump #ElonMusk #Republicans #Democrats #MAGA #LeftOfLansing 00:00-17:45: Protests/Tariff Con/Whitmer WH Visit Pat opens the show discussing Trump's Tariff Con, and how it's costing the working class. And while Democratic Party leaders still appear unable to fight back against MAGA Republicanism's embrace of corporate authoritarianism, Indivisible groups are leading the way with "Hands-Off" protests across Michigan and the country last weekend. Pat also has words for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's disastrous White House visit. 17:46-40:01: Hamilton Nolan Interview Labor Writer Hamilton Nolan joins Pat to talk more about why Trump's Tariff Con isn't about helping the working class. Hamilton describes the reasons why multinational corporations moved jobs overseas: to break unions. H

#podcast #politics #Michigan #Line5 #Oil #Energy #FossilFuel #Lobbying #CorporateCorruption #CorporateGreed #Democrats #MAGA #Republicans #Progressives #Economy #Government #Corruption #Loybbying #Trump #Tariffs #LeftOfLansing Here's the Left Of Lansing "Monday Musing" for April 7, 2025. In this week's "Monday Musing," Pat explores what this Dear Leader Trump tariff scheme is ultimately about: enriching himself and those willing to buy him off. This tariff scheme is another in a lifelong scheme of cons by Donald Trump. When will MAGA Republicans stop his corruption? Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can! leftoflansing@gmail.com Left of Lansing is now on YouTube as well! leftoflansing.com NOTES: "Trump Tariff Scheme A Great Opportunity For Even More Presidential Corruption." By S.V. Date of The Huffington Post "Line 5, a Trump donor, is profiting off a pipeline deal threatening pollution." By Tom Perkins of The Guardian

#podcast #politics #Michigan #news #Democrats #progressives #union #labor #workingclass #socialsecurity #Veterans #Medicaid #Rural #Education #PublicEducation #CorporateGreed #CorporateCorruption #Tariffs #ElonMusk #TechBros #Trump #MAGA #Republicans #Oligarchy #Democracy #LeftOfLansing Here's Episode 127 of Michigan's Premier Progressive Podcast! 00:00-23:52: Trump Low Econ Polling; Musk Attacks Soc.Sec & V.A.; Dems Must Counter Pat shares the latest AP Poll showing poor numbers for Trump re: handling of economy, Social Security, and the federal government. Elon continues gutting Social Security, Medicaid, and the V.A., and the detriment to millions of Michiganders! And Pat highlights a national "Hands-Off" rally with many events happening all across Michigan on April 5th, from 1-3pm. Visit https://handsoff2025.com/ to find-out where you can attend a local rally, and how to sign-up. 23:53-32:27: Last Call--Trump Cuts School Spending in MI In this week's "Last Call," we concentrate on how the Trump-Mu

#podcast #politcs #news #progressives #workingclass #unions #medicare #medicaid #corporategreed #corporatecorruption #Democrats #michigan #Republicans #MAGA #Trump #ElonMusk #leftoflansing Here's the Left of Lansing "Monday Musing" for March 31, 2025. As the economy falters and worsens during the Trump Regime, Elon & Trump's policies further abandon the working class in Michigan, and across the country. And MAGA Republicans in Congress are going along with it to please their elite corporate tax donor base. Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can! leftoflansing@gmail.com Left of Lansing is now on YouTube as well! leftoflansing.com

#podcast #politics #race #minorities #Education #Authoritarians #MAGA #Trump #ElonMusk #HigherEducation #DEI #CorporateCorruption #Michigan #UniversityOfMichigan #WorkingClass Here's this week's Left of Lansing "Friday Short" for March 28, 2025. The University of Michigan cowered to Dear Leader Trump Regime's demands to eliminate its DEI programs, or else it would lose millions in federal research grants, and more.  Rather than universities sticking together and refusing to give-in to these White Christian Nationalist authoritarians, universities are doing what they're told. It might be the first domino to drop in the MAGA Republican aim to control public education.  Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can! leftoflansing@gmail.com Left of Lansing is now on YouTube as well! leftoflansing.com "A scholarship program helped boost diversity at U of M. Trump’s DEI crackdown just killed it." By Phil Lewis in What I'm Reading

#podcast #politics #Michigan #VotingRights #Progressives #democracy #Democrats Here's Episode 126 of Michigan's Premier Progressive Podcast 00:00-22:56: Elon & Trump's War On Working Class Michiganders Pat breaks-down the Signal-gate story, and why perhaps hiring unqualified Fox News weekend cohosts wasn't the greatest idea). He then discusses how Elon & Trump continue to attack the working class while empowering their own corporate donor class. But while MAGA Michigan Republicans in Congress continue to ignore their constituents due to Musk & Trump's unpopularity, Michiganders across the state are hosting their own "empty chair" town halls thanks to Indivisible groups. Pat provided some audio so you can hear how there's a true working class grassroots movement that's building to fight against authoritarianism. 22:57-46:07: VoteBeat Michigan's Hayley Harden VoteBeat Michigan Reporter Hayley Harden joins the show to discuss the Michigan House Republican effort to require proof of citizenship

#podcast #politics #news #Michigan #AOC #BernieSanders #Indivisible #Progressive #MAGA #ElonMusk #Trump #Democrats #Project2025 #Congress #JackBergman #JohnMoolenaar #Canada #CorporateCorruption #Democracy #WorkingClass #LeftOfLansing Here's the Left of Lansing "Monday Musing" for March 24, 2025. Anti-Elon & Trump rallies and events are happening across Michigan and the country, thanks to some strong grassroots organizing.  These events, including the AOC/Bernie Sanders "Fight Oligarchy" rallies, are showing how there's a boiling anger and frustration not just with Elon & Trump, but also with the lack of bold leadership within the Democratic Party. Pat's wondering who'll pick-up the baton and fight for all of the people who are taking to the streets, to the empty chair town halls for their absent MAGA Republican Congressional reps, and who are sounding the alarms and whistles of how MAGA Republicanism is destroying this country's institutions and working class. Please, subscribe to the podcast, d

#podcast #politics #JackieRobinson #DEI #MAGA #Republicans #Race #History #Education #WhiteChristianNationalism #LeftOfLansing Here's the Left of Lansing "Friday Short" for March 21, 2025.  Following orders from Elon Musk and Dear Leader Trump, federal agencies are scrubbing-away the stories and histories of marginalized Americans. That includes the erasure of Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, Jackie Robinson, who also served in the Army during WWII. Articles containing Robinson's names were immediately removed from Defense Department records due to DEI initiatives.  But the White Christian Nationalists inside the Musk-Trump Regime unwittingly illustrated how and why DEI not only works, but is needed in our society.  Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can! leftoflansing@gmail.com Left of Lansing is now on YouTube as well! leftoflansing.com NOTES:  "Department Of Defense Backtracks After Deleting Jackie Robinson Article For 'Woke DEI.'" By L

#podcast #progressive #Michigan #Indivisible #Democrats #MAGA #Republicans #JackBergman #WorkingClass #CorporateCorruption #WealthInequality #Democracy #FreedomOfSpeech #Gaza #Immigration #LeftOfLansing #Trump #Musk Here's Episode 125 of Michigan's Premier Progressive Podcast! 00:00-21:30: Democrats Must Learn Offense Pat Johnston opens this week's show opining how ineffective and weak Democrats appear to voters, especially after how U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer fell apart and gave into appeasement last week. Pat explains how Democrats must go on offense, and propose a strong, working class agenda to counter the Anti-Working agenda pushed by Elon Musk, Dear Leader Trump, and MAGA Republicans. Pat explains how it doesn't seem like Democrats are getting the message how people need to know they're hearing their worries while the working class is suffering, and democracy is disappearing. 21:31-40:02: Traverse Indivisible John DeSpelder Interview Traverse Indivisible's John DeSpelder joins the s