It's a ‘Brave New World’ out there -- the perfect time to revive my A View from the Left Side podcast. I originally started my podcast as a way to push back against dark forces I encountered as a representative in the Arizona House and to highlight the progressive agenda as an alternative. The dark forces have gotten much darker … so here we go again.
Welcome to Season 3: Episode 1 of A View from the Left Side (AVLS) :
Musings for a Brave New World.
Time Stamps for Season 3: Episode 1
Introduction | 00:17
Is This What You Voted For? | 1:47
Trusted News Sources | 5:48
Turn Off Tune In and Be Here Now | 9:29
Tarot1 for a Brave New World | 12:21
Closing Remarks | 15:53
Here is a link to the A View from the Left Side (AVLS)podcast website, where you can see all of the segments and hook up with AVLS via your favorite podcast network. A View from the Left Side is on multiple podcasting services such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I Heart Radio, Podcast Index, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Deezer and others. YouTube podcast videos and original Legislative update videos can be found on my YouTube Channel and Substack.
As of today, Trump's second term is just a little over a week ago. A cloud of Trump-generated chaos has engulfed the world -- after talking about taking Greenland and the Panama Canal by force (so much for being the "peace candidate"); threatening pretty much everyone (including the American people) with tariffs; firing federal employees he believes are enemies; stopping publication of public health reports and warnings; eliminating diversity/equity/inclusion (DEI) programs; pausing grants, inserting fetal personhood language into the official governmental definition of the genders; suggesting that Palestinians clear out of Gaza; nominating a boat-load of unqualified candidates for this cabinet; 200+ executive orders not all of which are legal; and a lot more.
Obviously, there is a lot of national and international political and economic news swirling around us. Although I'll discuss these topics and conduct interviews, AVLS won't be an echo chamber for national news outlets, any political party or any special interest group.
AVLS will continue to be a podcast that includes news and commentary about goings on at all levels of government, but as I did in the past, I plan to cover an eclectic blend topics including health policy, lifestyle, economics, women's rights, arts and culture. The content will be a bit freer now that I am a former elected official.
A Trip Down Memory Lane: Everything Old Is New Again
Ironically, many of the bad ideas that Arizona Republicans proposed during my six years in the Arizona Legislature (2017-2023) are now being proposed nationally. I debated these topics on the floor of the Arizona House, recorded video updates about happenings up in Phoenix and covered these topics in Seasons 1 and 2 of my podcast. History is important.
Twenty-twenty-two was my last year in the Arizona Legislature. It was a wild ride with increased power of the Libertarians in the Freedom Caucus, after the 2020 election. The Republican Caucus in the Arizona Legislature was fractured between the Freedom Caucus [who backed the 2020 election lies and included two fake electors] and the old school Chamber of Commerce Republicans [who accepted that President Biden won and wanted to move on].
Even with that hardline fracture, the Republicans managed to pass many bad bills in the waning months of Governor Doug Ducey's governorship and my tenure in the House. There were intense floor battles over the 15-week abortion ban, fetal personhood, anti-trans bills, voter suppression, the Flat Tax, expansion of Empowerment Scholarship Awards (ESA school vouchers), the Border Wall and more. My last day in the Arizona House was June 24, 2022, which began with the announcement that SCOTUS had struck down Roe v Wade.
You can hear about those debates and other intrigues of the Arizona House by listening to previous episodes of AVLS.
Here is a link to the podcast website. You can also subscribe to A View from the Left Side on multiple podcasting services such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I Heart Radio, Podcast Index, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Deezer and others. YouTube podcast videos and original Legislative update videos can be found on my YouTube Channel.
Here are a few salient 2022 podcasts. More here and here.
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