On today's PULSE CHECK, we’re bringing you a bonus conversation that captures this moment in politics and one of the key voices shaping the debate — a discussion with activist Ady Barkan.

A Yale-trained lawyer, Ady worked with the Center for Popular Democracy to push progressive economic policies and reform the Federal Reserve, high-profile battles that led POLITICO to name Ady to our list of 50 leaders and influencers in 2016.

But Ady's life radically changed after a diagnosis of ALS last year. Now he's fighting to stop Republicans' tax bill and avoid possible cuts to Medicare — an argument that Ady made in a viral video where he confronted Sen. Jeff Flake aboard an airplane over Flake's support for the tax bill

On today's episode, Ady discusses his life, his advocacy work and what average Americans can do to shape the policy debate.

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