Progressive Voices

'BradCast' 8/12/2026: What the Heck Just Happened in Wisconsin? by Progressive Voices

94 Major Wildfires Are Burning Across the West—Is This the New Normal?

The Western United States is facing a dangerous wildfire crisis. Crews are fighting to protect Big Sur, three fires are burning near Reno with single-digit containment, and 94 large wildfires remain uncontained across the West as of August 11, 2026.

From the Northwest and Northern Rockies to California, Nevada and the Southwest, extreme heat, dry conditions and expanding fire activity threaten communities, public health and the environment. Wildfire smoke can travel hundreds of miles, while the economic and human costs continue to mount.

What can America do to prevent these disasters? Can better land management, climate action and community preparation make a meaningful difference—or must we adapt to wildfires as the West’s new normal?

Then, after 24 years on the air, a Bay Area radio host has been laid off. His scathing Facebook post captures the troubling state of today’s broadcasting industry. Who killed local radio—and why are experienced local voices disappearing?

Support The Karel Cast at patreon.com/reallykarel. Please watch, like and subscribe at youtube.com/reallykarel.

The Karel Cast streams Monday through Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Pacific and is available on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Spreaker, TikTok and Instagram.

Karel is a history-making broadcaster and entertainer based in Las Vegas with his service dog, Ember.

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https://youtube.com/live/WhcAzTPgXf0

'BradCast' 8/11/2026: War, Climate Chaos Now Threatening U.S. Crude, Diesel, Water, Power Supplies by Progressive Voices

Can America Survive This Divided? The United States Isn’t United Anymore by Progressive Voices

Green News Report 8/11/2026 by Progressive Voices

This time on Code WACK!

We're talking about one of the most frustrating experiences in American healthcare - when your insurance company says ‘no.’ According to Miranda Yaver, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh, insurance denials aren't rare. They're a routine part of navigating our healthcare system.

In her new book, Coverage Denied: How Health Insurers Drive Inequality in the United States, Miranda Yaver explores what happens when patients undergoing treatment find themselves trapped between their doctors and their insurance companies.

This is the first of two episodes with Miranda Yaver.

Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET. 

Brad is first joined by CNN Military Analyst Col. Cedric Leighton (USAF-Ret.). The two discuss whether President Trump has already lost the Iran War. They also break down why the U.S. is running out of ammunition, and how the Iran and Ukraine-Russia wars are connected.

Finally, they analyze Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's poor record during his time in charge of the U.S. military.

Then, long time guest Edwith Theogene rejoins Brad on the show for the first time in a while. She is now Director of Policy and Advocacy at TSNE (Third Sector New England, Inc.), a capacity building organization that partners with nonprofit organizations to provide the services, programs, and resources they need to support their communities and ultimately, create a more equitable society.

She and Brad discuss TSNE's work, as well as the Trump administration's attacks on progressive non-profits.

Brad is on the National Journal's panel of political insiders, is an American political analyst for The Times of India TV, and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. Brad also writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.'

You can read his new Substack called, 'The Bannon Ballot Blast,' at www.bradbannon.substack.com.

His handle on BlueSky is @bradbannon.bsky.social.

'BradCast' 8/10/2026: Alarming voting system vulnerabilities persist by Progressive Voices

Is Civility Dead in America? The Truth About Online Hate & Who’s Really Behind It

Is America really becoming more hateful—or is social media giving us a dangerously distorted picture of who we actually are?

Oprah Winfrey has limited online comments after dealing with relentless negativity. Perez Hilton has faced vicious attacks online even while sharing images of himself injured and hospitalized. Scroll through social media or watch the news long enough and it can feel like basic human decency has disappeared.

But is civility actually dead in America—or are a relatively small number of people making the country appear far more hateful than it really is?

On today’s The Karel Cast, Karel looks beyond the outrage and examines what research tells us about who is actually creating all that toxicity.

Studies of misinformation and social media behavior have found astonishing concentrations of activity among small groups of users. Research has found that a tiny fraction of accounts can be responsible for an enormous percentage of misinformation being shared online. Other studies have found that a relatively small percentage of active users generate a disproportionate share of toxic comments.

Political conversation may be even more distorted. Research suggests that a small minority of users creates the overwhelming majority of political posts—potentially turning social media into a funhouse mirror of American society, where the loudest, angriest voices appear much more representative than they actually are.

So maybe America isn’t as hateful as your feed makes it look.

Maybe most people aren’t screaming at strangers, obsessing over politics or attacking celebrities online. Maybe we’re allowing a comparatively small group of extremely active people—and algorithms designed to amplify engagement—to shape our perception of millions of ordinary Americans.

Then, Karel turns to food.

British comedian Mo Gilligan investigates the enormous industrial poultry and fast-food system in Netflix’s new documentary Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy.

From ultra-processed food and human health to factory farming, animal welfare, pollution, workers and the enormous hidden costs behind cheap fried chicken, the documentary asks an uncomfortable question:

What are we really paying for inexpensive industrial food?

For Karel, who is vegan, it’s another powerful reminder of why walking away from the industrial animal-food system can benefit animals, people and the planet.

Today on The Karel Cast:

• Is civility actually disappearing in America?

• Why does social media seem so much angrier than everyday life?

• How many people are really responsible for online misinformation and toxicity?

• Are algorithms giving us a false picture of American society?

• Why do celebrities like Oprah step away from online comments?

• What does the hatred directed at Perez Hilton tell us about internet culture?

• What does Big Chicken reveal about America’s industrial food system?

• And could knowing who’s really creating all this noise help the rest of us stop being manipulated by it?

The internet may be furious. America may not be.

Tell me in the comments: Do you think Americans have actually become less civil—or has social media simply made the worst among us impossible to ignore?

Support The Karel Cast on Patreon:

patreon.com/reallykarel

Watch, like, comment and subscribe:

youtube.com/reallykarel

The Karel Cast streams LIVE Monday through Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Pacific and is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Spreaker and other major podcast platforms. You can also follow Karel on TikTok and Instagram.

Karel is a history-making broadcaster, entertainer, recording artist and writer based in Las Vegas, joined by his little service girl, Ember.

Leslie welcomes Jimmy O’Donnell, Deputy Legislative Director for the United Steelworkers (USW), to discuss why workers need the bipartisan Faster Labor Contracts Act—and why winning a union election is often only the beginning of the fight.

Jimmy explains how outdated U.S. labor laws allow employers to delay negotiations for a first union contract, sometimes for years. He shares striking examples involving USW members, including workers who waited six years for a first contract—and one group that waited an astonishing 15 years.

Leslie and Jimmy also discuss why the USW continues to push for comprehensive labor law reform through the PRO Act while supporting the Faster Labor Contracts Act as an important step workers need now. The legislation would establish firm timelines for first-contract negotiations and ultimately provide binding arbitration when employers and newly organized workers cannot reach an agreement.

It’s a conversation about giving workers who vote for a union what they voted for: a meaningful voice on the job and a fair opportunity to secure a first contract.

Follow the USW on Facebook, Instagram and X, using the handle @steelworkers, and visit their website at USW.org. Also, check them out on Blue Sky where their handle is @steelworkers.bsky.social.

Jimmy's handle on X is @JFODonnell13.