Richard Chew is joined by Texas Democratic State Rep. Chris Turner. 

Turner, who has represented Texas's 101st House District since 2013, discussed the demographic changes in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, calling it "a microcosm of Texas. It's very diverse," Turner said. "It's very ethically mixed. It's a solid middle-class area. And I think it represents the new Texas, which is younger, more diverse and a lot more politically tolerant of freedom and new ideas than what our current government looks like."

Turner was one of the Texas state House Democrats who came to Illinois earlier this month in an effort to deny Republicans the quorum they needed to pass into law a new congressional map that further favors the GOP. The 2021 redraw did not reflect the state's population growth, he told WCPT, 95 percent of which was people of color. "Number one, Hispanic Texans, followed by a big growth in Black Texans, and then a huge jump as well in Asian and Southeast Asian Texas," Turner said. "And what do Republicans do with all that information? They created two new districts . . . and they gave them both to Anglo voters. It's just absolutely wrong."

"That's the reason that we're having to go through this redistricting fight right now," he continued, "because Texas is changing, and Republicans are trying to rig the game to silence the voices of Texans of color so they can hang on to power, and they're doing it in a racially discriminatory way. That's the whole reason for this mess that we're in is because Texas is changing, and Republicans don't like it." 

Turner returned to Texas with other state Democrats the night before the interview and acceded to a House Republican demand to be put under the watch of the Texas Department of Public Safety until the chamber reconvenes August 20. His colleague, State Rep. Nicole Collier (D), refused and had been confined overnight at the time of the interview. 

"Nicole is a dear friend," Turner told WCPT. "She and I represent the same area. We're from the same county, so we've worked together closely for a long time. Listen, Nicole Collier is someone who is principled, who is strong and is not afraid to make a stand."

He emphasized the importance of federal voting rights protections and court intervention to address racial discrimination. He also expressed his gratitude for the support the Texas Democrats received from the state of Illinois in their fight against gerrymandering. 

"Governor Pritzker and all of Illinois were just so welcoming to all of us for two weeks there. We just can't thank him enough, his team enough, and the people of Chicago and greater Illinois enough," Turner said. 

Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

And find the "Chew's Views" Full Episodes podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Chew is joined by Garlin Gilchrist II, lieutenant governor of Michigan and candidate for Michigan governor.

Gilchrist discussed his background as an engineer and software developer, emphasizing his problem-solving skills. He highlighted his efforts to improve childcare and affordable housing, helping open 1,500 new daycare centers and creating almost 40,000 new affordable housing units. Gilchrist criticized the Trump administration's policies and praised fellow Democratic lieutenant governors for their leadership. He stressed the importance of inclusivity, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community, and called for action to control costs and address disparities. Gilchrist also talked about BasBlue, the Detroit-based women's economic mobility nonprofit that his wife runs.

Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

And find the "Chew's Views" Full Episodes podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Chew is joined by Suzanne Kahn, senior vice president at Roosevelt Forward, the advocacy affiliate of the Roosevelt Institute, a progressive think tank.

Kahn highlighted the need for policies that address both immediate and long-term economic challenges, moving beyond what she called the neoliberal paradigm of policy solutions that has dominated the last 30 years. She also addressed the 90th anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt signing Social Security into law. Kahn addressed the need to lift the Social Security earnings cap to help raise revenue for the program and address growing inequality in the United States, and suggested caregiver credits and paid leave as future reforms to better support American families.

Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

And find the "Chew's Views" Full Episodes podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Chew is joined by Michelle Duster, author, educator, historian, and Chicagoan known for her work to preserve the legacy of her great-grandmother, Ida B. Wells.

A "Chew's Views" regular, today Duster discussed the impact of current policies on marginalized groups. She highlighted the intentional bombardment of the political system by the president and his far-right administration, leading to widespread disengagement among Americans.

"I see it with my friend group," Duster said, "where there's so much happening that the effect is that some people are like, I just can't watch the news anymore, so they're just shutting out. And then I've seen also that it is impacting the way people interact with each other, because some people are being very vigilant in being informed and they want to talk about it, and then some people don't want to talk about it, so then there starts to be tension, even in interpersonal relationships."

Duster shared strategies that her great-grandmother used during the post-Reconstruction period, including truth-telling through journalism and boycotts; Duster urged consumers to support companies aligned with their values. 

She also said she can't understand how business leaders who push for environmental deregulation can "show so little concern for their children, their children's children. They are not going to be around forever, and so what kind of world are they going to leave their descendants? I understand greed, like, 'we're going to make as much money as possible, extract as much as we can so we can have zillions of dollars.' But then what? So then you can't go outside without a mask? I don't get it."

 Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

And find the "Chew's Views" Full Episodes podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Chew is joined by memoirist and essayist Leta McCollough Seletzky, author of The Kneeling Man: My Father’s Life as a Black Spy Who Witnessed the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.  Her new piece for Washington Monthly is “Trump Released Martin Luther King Jr. Files: I’m in Them.”

McCollough Seletzky revealed that in 1968 her father was posing as a member of the Invaders, "which was sort of like Memphis version of the Black Panthers," she explained. "But, in fact, my father was working undercover [for the Memphis police] to infiltrate the Invaders. And it was in that capacity that he found himself at the scene of Dr. King's assassination." Her father is pictured kneeling next to Dr. King in the iconic photograph taken by Joseph Louw moments after the assassination.     

McCollough Seletzky continued: "It was only after I had my children that I decided it wasn't fair to them to pass down . . . this lack of knowledge about who their grandfather is. And so that is what started me on the journey to uncover what really happened and to get from my father, for the very first time, the full story of what put him in that famous photograph on that tragic day."

Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

And find the "Chew's Views" Full Episodes podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Chew is joined by Rich Logis and Danny Collins of Leaving MAGA.

Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

And find the "Chew's Views" Full Episodes podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn. 

 

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Richard Chew is joined by Texas Democratic State Rep. Ann Johnson.

She discussed breaking quorum in Texas to deny state Republicans the opportunity to pass a mid-decade redistricting plan, facing threats from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and President Donald Trump. Johnson highlighted the historical significance of quorum breaks, citing Abraham Lincoln's involvement in one, and advocated for an independent state redistricting commission. She also addressed voter suppression in Texas, particularly where it affects minority communities. Johnson called for increased public engagement and support from other states, including Illinois, to uphold democratic values. 

Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

And find the "Chew's Views" Full Episodes podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Chew is joined by 2025 Texas 18th District congressional candidate Isaiah Martin. He's running in a special election to fill the vacancy left by Sylvester Turner, who died in March after serving in Congress for just two months. 

Martin has been a vocal critic of Republican actions in his state and discussed his recent forcible removal from a redistricting hearing at the Texas State Capitol and subsequent arrest. Martin told WCPT that the GOP redistricting effort is intended to erase the legacy of civil rights leaders like Barbara Jordan and Sheila Jackson-Lee, both of whom served the 18th District in Congress. The Republican redistricting plan would reconfigure the Houston district to favor GOP candidates.    

In the interview Martin also promoted MAMA, his plan to "Make America More Affordable" by guaranteeing health care and childcare. 

Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

And find the "Chew's Views" Full Episodes podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Chew is joined by Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), candidate for U.S. Senate.

Kelly talked about welcoming Texas state House Democrats to Illinois, expressing support for their ongoing effort to thwart Texas's mid-decade redistricting scheme. (Some of the Texas lawmakers have taken refuge in Illinois after leaving Texas last weekend to deny Republicans the quorum they need to pass the redistricting bill.) 

Kelly highlighted the national implications of partisan gerrymandering, noting that the reworking of three Democratic-leaning North Carolina districts in 2024 is the difference between Republicans holding the House majority in the 119th Congress and not the Democrats. She also discussed the possibility of Democratic-majority states countering Republican gerrymandering with their own targeted redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterms. 

Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

And find the "Chew's Views" Full Episodes podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Chew is joined by Mark K. Updegrove, president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation, presidential historian for ABC News, and author of six books on the presidency.

Updegrove discussed President Lyndon Baines Johnson's important legacy, particularly the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He highlighted Johnson's political courage in pushing through the legislation despite warnings of losing the South. Updegrove emphasized Johnson's complex nature, his understanding of power, and his impact on modern America. He also touched on the role of Lady Bird Johnson in supporting her husband's presidency. The conversation concluded with a discussion of the current lack of courageous leadership and the importance of historical education and understanding.

Catch "Chew's Views with Richard Chew” weekdays from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/chews-views).

And find the "Chew's Views" Full Episodes podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Amazon and TuneIn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.