Majority 54

Our guest today had never been a political person, mostly because he simply did not have time to. He works​ three jobs trying to support a family. And that ​is the issue: based on the minimum wage in America, he ​is ​still struggling to provide for his family. It certainly ​isn't due to ​a ​lack of work ethic.  

Here is my very personal conversation with minimum wage activist Terrance Wise about how we can right the ship.

If you're a fan, check out our new line of t-shirts from the Crooked Media Store at https://store.crooked.com/collections/majority-54

Important links:  

@fightfor15

@Majority54  

@JasonKander  

[email protected]  

Produced by Brock Wilbur  

Ads: 

ZipRecruiter.com/54

GetQuip.com/Majority54

His name is Trae Crowder but you might know him under a different name: The Liberal Redneck. From his porch, Trae films videos on his phone where he goes on rants about social issues. You instantly feel he’s about to venture into very upsetting territory, and some of that comes from his mix of anger and a heavy southern accent. And then, when he hits his stride, The Liberal Redneck shifts into a position of openness, and general woke-ness, that turns your expectations on their head. Now, him and his co-comedians WellRED Comedy are touring the country, engaging with audiences of all types, and headed for an inevitable network TV show of their own.

Here is my conversation with Trae Crowder about how we can use a few good jokes to offset the darkness.

Also, check out our new line of t-shirts from the Crooked Media Store at https://store.crooked.com/collections/majority-54

Important links:  

@‏traecrowder

www.wellredcomedy.com

@Majority54  

@JasonKander  

[email protected]  

Produced by Brock Wilbur  

Ads: 

HelixSleep.com/Majority54

Phil Spagnuolo is a state representative in New Hampshire, and someone who has personally struggled with opioid addiction. Last year, he flipped the seat from red to blue for the very first time in the history of that state. During the campaign for the 2016 election, Trump came to New Hampshire and made a lot of claims about the opioid epidemic and his plans to solve it. As you might have guessed, there’s been no progress on this issue from the Trump administration. But there has been progress from Phil Spagnuolo. He’s a certified substance misuse recovery coach who founded his own clinic.

Phil says he’s here today, alive on this earth, because of Medicaid. And now he’s in a position to defend Medicaid from the inside, so that it can help other people stay alive.

Here is my conversation with State Representative Phil Spagnuolo about his own battle with addiction, what he’s learned, and what he’s trying to teach his colleagues.

Also, check out our new line of t-shirts from the Crooked Media Store at https://store.crooked.com/collections/majority-54

Huge thank you to Ryan Wilson, a majority 54 fan who created the new logo. Ryan is a freelance designer and creator, who you could possibly employ via his website at www.RyanGWilson.com

Important links:

@PhilSpagnuoloNH ‏ 

@Majority54

@JasonKander

[email protected]

Produced by Brock Wilbur

Here are links to the advertisers mentioned on the show:

Blinkist.com/Majority54

SunBasket.com/54

HelixSleep.com/Majority54

Today, we’re talking to one of the biggest names in the tech entrepreneur world. He experienced a total political shift the night of the 2016 election, while he watched in horror, as most of us did. Unlike most of us, he set about creating a means for change to prevent this from ever happening again.

Eric Ries inadvertently became very influential in the Resistance against Donald Trump’s policies (and many of you probably have used a tool he invented without even knowing it). 

We’re going to discuss how the online landscape has changed the political and the person forever, and what we can do in the face of it. Eric's story is one in a million, and we hope you feel as inspired by the conversation as I was.

Important links:

@ericries

startuplessonslearned.com 

@Majority54

@JasonKander

[email protected]

Produced by Brock Wilbur

Welcome to Majority 54. We’re talking to the 54% of American​s​ who did not vote for Donald Trump about where we go from here.

Senator Yvanna Cancela is a millennial union leader who thought she was headed for a much different destination. She listened to her calling and became the political director of Culinary Local 226, Nevada’s largest union. Now, Cancela has led protests, lobbied state lawmakers and played a pivotal role in turning Nevada blue last November when most of the nation wound up red. 

We’re going to discuss how unions are perceived in America, both positively and negatively, and what the future of organized labor looks like. Hope you enjoy!

Important links:

@YvannaCancela

@Majority54

@JasonKander

[email protected]

Produced by Brock Wilbur

Welcome the official start of season two of Majority 54.

If you’re new to Majority 54, I’m Jason Kander, the president of Let America Vote: an organization dedicated to making sure that every American gets to vote by creating political consequences for anyone who wants to diminish the most basic American right. And we’re talking to the 54% of American who did not vote for Donald Trump about where we go from here.

He's a District Attorney for Nueces County in Texas. He's a proponent of criminal justice reform. He's a self-proclaimed "Mexican biker lawyer covered in tattoos." He's a Dallas Cowboys fan. He's never prosecuted a single case. He's Mark Gonzalez, and he's our guest today.

We're going to discuss how law enforcement impacts real people, how sweeping reform needs to come to America, and how District Attorneys can change enforcement on a local level. 

We hope you enjoy listening to this interview as much as we enjoyed discussing Mark's colorful history and bright future.

Important links:

@Majority54

@JasonKander

[email protected]

Produced by Brock Wilbur

If you’re new to Majority 54, I’m Jason Kander, the president of Let America Vote: an organization dedicated to making sure that every American gets to vote by creating political consequences for anyone who wants to diminish the most basic American right. And we're talking to the 54% of Americans who did not vote for Donald Trump about where we go from here.

In the first episode of this second season, we talk to someone who has an incredible platform about how he uses it to do good. That man is someone that a couple of you may know: Mr. Lin-Manuel Miranda. The creator of In The Heights and Hamilton discusses making politics entertaining and engaging, as well as how to choose fundraising campaigns to maximum effect. Then, we ask when he's going to run for Secretary of Treasury, since he has more experience than the current Secretary of Treasury.

This is just a killer interview and we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed recording it.

There are only a few days left to support the campaign Lin-Manuel is running, which benefits Let America Vote among other worthwhile organizations. The links for that campaign is prizeo.com/hamilton-dc

Important links:

@Lin_Manuel

prizeo.com/hamilton-dc

@Majority54

 @JasonKander

[email protected]

Produced by Brock Wilbur.

Jason Kander previews Season 2 of Majority 54... coming this Friday!

Today we’re talking health care, taxes, and activism with Ady Barkan. 

Like me, you probably first became aware of Ady when a video of him confronting Jeff Flake went viral. 

But that wasn’t Ady’s first stab at activism – far from it in fact. A graduate of Columbia and of Yale Law, he could have done anything he wanted. He could have made a whole bunch of money right out of school, but instead, he started representing low-wage workers in New York City in pursuit of everything from paid sick days to the unionization of the car wash industry. 

Today, Ady is a Director at the Center for Popular Democracy, where he runs Local Progress and the Fed Up campaign. 

Eighteen months ago, at the age of 33, Ady and his wife Rachel welcomed a son, Carl, and shortly thereafter, Ady was diagnosed with ALS – a terminal illness that paralyzes its victims over time. In a very short period of time, he’s gone from being an active runner and hiker to being in a wheelchair, unable to pick up his son.

It’s a cruel and inexplicably random affliction, and after talking to Ady, I found myself in awe of his resilience and thankful for the way he’s continued to dedicate his life to fighting for what’s right. 

Important Links:

@AdyBarkan

http://populardemocracy.org/

@Majority54

@JasonKander

[email protected]

Today we’re talking Voting Rights. In my mind, there is no issue of greater importance in the country right now – and that’s because it affects every other issue.

As you may know, I’ve put a good chunk of time into this cause. I spent four years fighting voter suppression as Secretary of State in Missouri and I’ve spent the last year fighting it as the President of Let America Vote, an organization I founded.

It’s a broad issue because there are a lot of different pieces to it, so in the second segment of today’s show I’ll go a little deeper than usual. I’ll get into the recent history of voter suppression, the tactics of vote suppressors, and how we fight back – as well as doing what we usually do in segment two: I’ll tell you how to talk about it with friends who don’t yet agree with you.

So segment 2 will tackle the issue as a whole, but for today’s conversation with a guest, I wanted to zero in on an aspect of voter suppression I don’t think gets enough attention: disenfranchisement of formerly incarcerated individuals.

Desmond Meade is the Founder and President of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, but he’s also impacted directly by this issue, because he in years past he was addicted to drugs and spent some time in prison. He is one of the well over one million U.S. citizens living in Florida with very little hope of ever having their civil rights – including their voting rights – restored.

He has a law degree, but he can’t sit for the bar. He’s active in his community and his wife ran for the state legislature, but he can’t vote. But Desmond isn’t discouraged. He’s fighting back and he’s inspiring a lot of people, including me.

Important Links:

@DesmondMeade

@FLRightsRestore

FloridaRRC.org

@LetAmericaVote

LetAmericaVote.org

LetAmericaVote.org/intern

@JasonKander

@Majority54