This time on CodeWACK!

Today, most people on Medicaid get their care through private insurers called Managed Care Organizations, or MCOs—like Aetna and UnitedHealthcare.

Critics say these companies add layers of bureaucracy that make it harder for patients—most of them low-income—to get care. They discourage physicians from accepting Medicaid patients by making them jump through hoops to get treatment pre-authorizations, or even to get paid.

Are Managed Care companies making health care more expensive, not less? How are some states reacting? Are legislators starting to wake up and see through the hype? Some are.

All this and more is discussed in a recent report from Physicians for a National Health Program, Removing the Middlemen from Medicaid. To unpack it, we spoke with Dr. Alankrita Olson—a public health physician and PNHP board member who advocates for a single-payer healthcare system.

This is the 2nd of a two-part series.

Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.

🚨 $15 FLOUR, $5 GAS — Is America Becoming UNAFFORDABLE?

Everything is going up—and it’s not slowing down.

Flour is now $15 for 10 pounds. Sugar? $10. Gas is pushing $5 a gallon. Even basics like fruit and jam are hitting prices that would’ve seemed impossible just a few years ago.

👉 The real question: Is America becoming too expensive for Americans?

Meanwhile, billionaires are doing just fine.

A Las Vegas casino owner openly admits the cheap days are over—and says business is booming as luxury travelers replace everyday Americans. More private jets, more limos… but where does that leave you?

And it doesn’t stop there:

⚠️ Rising tensions with Iran threaten to push oil—and prices—even higher

🌕 NASA’s Artemis mission is heading back to the moon—but is it really about exploration… or profit from rare minerals?

This isn’t just inflation—it’s a shift in who the economy is working for.

We break it all down.

👉 Watch, like, and subscribe: youtube.com/reallykarel

👉 Support the show: patreon.com/reallykarel

🎙️ The Karel Show streams on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, and Spreaker

📡 LIVE Monday–Thursday at 10:30 AM PST

📱 Also on TikTok & Instagram

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

#Inflation, #CostOfLiving, #GasPrices, #FoodPrices, #Economy, #USAEconomy, #MiddleClass, #BreakingNews, #EconomicCrisis, #Recession, #MoneyMatters, #FinancialNews, #USPolitics, #WealthGap, #IncomeInequality, #LasVegas, #TravelNews, #LuxuryLifestyle, #OilPrices, #IranNews, #GlobalPolitics, #Artemis, #SpaceNews, #NASA, #CurrentEvents, #NewsCommentary, #TheKarelShow, #PodcastLife, #IndependentMedia, #EmberDoes_Vegas

https://youtube.com/live/AuC_XeQ_llw

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 Charlie Cook, Founder of the 'Cook Political Report,' to talk March #Midterms Madness. He reviews the latest polling with Brad, and then shares how he thinks the balance of power will look in the House and Senate following the upcoming November elections.

Then, Brad is joined by Christine Wood, Co-Director for 'Declaration for American Democracy.'  Their coalition includes groups from the labor, racial justice, faith, women’s rights, environmental, good government, and many other important communities. 

She first recaps this past Saturday's 'No Kings' protests, which attracted more than eight million participants.

Next, she breaks down the false talking points the Republican party is spreading about their voter suppression bill, which is ironically called, the 'SAVE Act.'

The website for 'Declaration for American Democracy' is www.dfadcoalition.org.

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 columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon.

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

🚨 MAGA MELTDOWN Over Druski + 8 MILLION Protest “No Kings” — Is America Breaking?

Comedian Druski has the internet on fire—and MAGA isn’t laughing.

His spot-on impersonation of MAGA women has sparked outrage, with one critic going so far as to invoke blackface in response. But the backlash raises a bigger question:

👉 Why can’t some people take a joke—and why do they keep missing the point?

Meanwhile, something even bigger is happening…

🌍 Over 8 MILLION people worldwide took to the streets in the latest “No Kings” protests.

What are they protesting—and why is this movement growing fast?

And is LGBTQ acceptance in decline?

A new opinion piece suggests that the end of Queer Eye signals a broader cultural shift away from acceptance.

👉 Are we sliding backward—or just changing?

Plus:

💸 Prices are spiraling—$15 flour, $12 lemonade, gas nearing $5 in Las Vegas

👉 Is the economy reaching a breaking point?

This is the state of America right now—and we’re breaking it all down.

👉 Watch, like, and subscribe: youtube.com/reallykarel

👉 Support the show: patreon.com/reallykarel

🎙️ The Karel Show streams on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, and Spreaker

📡 LIVE Monday–Thursday at 10:30 AM PST

📱 Also on TikTok & Instagram

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

#Druski, #MAGA, #PoliticalComedy, #ViralNews, #InternetDrama, #BlackCulture, #ComedyNews, #NoKings, #Protests, #WorldNews, #PoliticalNews, #BreakingNews, #USPolitics, #SocialCommentary, #LGBTQNews, #QueerEye, #CultureShift, #Equality, #HumanRights, #Economy, #Inflation, #GasPrices, #CostOfLiving, #LasVegas, #NewsCommentary, #CurrentEvents, #TheKarelShow, #PodcastLife, #IndependentMedia, #EmberDoes_Vegas

https://youtube.com/live/zLtA44vmvVQ

🌍 LGBTQ RIGHTS UNDER FIRE: Russia Crackdown, Iran Rumors & Global Backlash

What’s happening to LGBTQ people around the world right now? It’s more intense—and more political—than ever.

This week, Karel is joined by Canadian journalist Scott Jacobsen from The Good Men Project for a powerful global conversation on LGBTQ rights, repression, and visibility.

👉 A Russian journalist is fined for so-called “LGBTQ propaganda” as the crackdown escalates

👉 Donald Trump is reportedly briefed on claims about Iran’s new Supreme Leader—and the dangerous implications of sexuality rumors in that region

👉 From India to global trans rights, we break down what’s really happening—and why it matters now

This isn’t just news—it’s the reality facing LGBTQ communities worldwide.

We connect the dots, challenge the narratives, and bring you the stories that often get ignored.

👉 Read the full column weekly: goodmenproject.com

👉 Watch, like, and subscribe: youtube.com/reallykarel

👉 Support the show: patreon.com/reallykarel

🎙️ The Karel Show streams on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, and Spreaker

📡 LIVE Monday–Thursday at 10:30 AM PST

📱 Also on TikTok & Instagram

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

⸻

🔥 Hashtags

#LGBTQNews, #GayNews, #GlobalLGBTQ, #LGBTQRights, #HumanRights, #RussiaNews, #IranNews, #TrumpNews, #TransRights, #IndiaNews, #WorldNews, #BreakingNews, #PoliticalNews, #LGBTQCommunity, #EqualityMatters, #LGBTQVoices, #QueerNews, #NewsCommentary, #CurrentEvents, #TheKarelShow, #PodcastLife, #IndependentMedia, #FreeSpeech, #Censorship, #GlobalPolitics, #HumanRightsWatch, #LGBTQActivism, #QueerVoices, #InternationalNews, #EmberDoes_Vegas

https://youtu.be/Zz0e3Iqq1C8

GNR_032626 by Progressive Voices

🚨 SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION EXPOSED: Jury BLAMES Meta & YouTube — Are YOU Being Manipulated?

A landmark jury decision just changed everything.

For the first time, Meta and YouTube have been held responsible for harming a young user, with the court finding their platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive—fueling mental health distress. This could open the floodgates to lawsuits against Big Tech.

But let’s be honest… is this really new?

Corporations have been engineering addiction for decades—from sugar-loaded foods to products designed to hijack your brain’s dopamine system. Social media didn’t invent the game—they just perfected it.

So why are Meta and YouTube being singled out?

And if they’re liable… shouldn’t others be too?

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

👉 Social media may be the most powerful addiction machine ever created.

👉 And most of us are hooked—whether we admit it or not.

Also on today’s show:

• Record-breaking airport delays across the U.S., with ICE presence raising questions

• Trump promotes a peace plan… while escalating troop movements

This is the reality we’re living in—and we’re breaking it all down.

👉 Watch, like, and subscribe: youtube.com/reallykarel

👉 Support the show: patreon.com/reallykarel

🎙️ The Karel Show streams on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, and Spreaker

📡 LIVE Monday–Thursday at 10:30 AM PST

📱 Also on TikTok & Instagram

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

#SocialMediaAddiction, #MetaLawsuit, #YouTubeAddiction, #BigTech, #MentalHealthCrisis, #DopamineAddiction, #TechNews, #BreakingNews, #DigitalAddiction, #SocialMediaHarm, #BigTechAccountability, #OnlineSafety, #InternetCulture, #AddictionAwareness, #MediaManipulation, #CorporateGreed, #TechIndustry, #MetaNews, #YouTubeNews, #MentalHealthAwareness, #NewsCommentary, #CurrentEvents, #AirportChaos, #TravelNews, #ICE, #TrumpNews, #USPolitics, #TheKarelShow, #PodcastLife, #EmberDoes_Vegas

'BradCast' 3/25/2026: Trump Over a Barrel in Iran, with Heather Digby Parton of Salon, 'Driftglass' of 'Pro Left Podcast' by Progressive Voices

🚨 AMERICA IS BROKE? Treasury Report SHOCKS — What It Means for YOU 🚨

Is the United States actually… broke?

A bombshell Treasury report for fiscal year 2025 reveals a staggering reality: $6.06 trillion in assets vs. $47.78 trillion in liabilities. That’s not just a gap—it’s a warning sign. And yet, almost no one in mainstream media is talking about it.

So what does this really mean for your future?

Social Security, national spending, and generational wealth are all on the line. If you’re Gen X, Millennials, or Gen Z, this isn’t abstract—it’s personal.

Meanwhile, headlines are focused elsewhere…

Actor Alan Ritchson is caught in a heated confrontation, but newly released body cam footage may flip the narrative completely. Did the neighbor push things too far—and will it change public opinion?

And beyond politics and viral drama, something deeper is happening. Online hate is everywhere. Even major stars are saying it’s getting unbearable—one Oscar-nominated actor now admits he doesn’t even want to leave his house because of it. What does that say about us?

We’re breaking down all of it—unfiltered.

👉 Watch, like, and subscribe: youtube.com/reallykarel

👉 Support the show: patreon.com/reallykarel

🎙️ The Karel Show streams everywhere—Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Spreaker—and goes LIVE Monday–Thursday at 10:30 AM PST.

📱 Also on TikTok & Instagram

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

#USDebtCrisis, #AmericaBroke, #TreasuryReport, #EconomicCollapse, #NationalDebt, #SocialSecurityCrisis, #GenZMoney, #MillennialsMoney, #GenXRetirement, #BreakingNews, #PoliticalNews, #TrumpSpending, #FinancialCrisis, #USPolitics, #DebtExplosion, #AlanRitchson, #CelebrityNews, #BodycamFootage, #ViralNews, #OnlineHate, #MentalHealthAwareness, #ToxicCulture, #HollywoodNews, #CurrentEvents, #NewsCommentary, #TheKarelShow, #PodcastLife, #IndependentMedia, #LasVegasLife, #EmberDoes_Vegas

https://youtube.com/live/nwcKjUxbggU

This time on CodeWACK!

Why are there middlemen in Medicaid—and what are they doing to our most vulnerable patients and physicians? How and why are private insurance intermediaries permitted to put profits ahead of patients? A recent report by Physicians for a National Health Program, titled Removing the Middlemen from Medicaid, pulls back the curtain on Managed Care Organizations (MCOs).

To learn more, we spoke with Dr. Alankrita Olson, a public health physician and advocate for a universal single-payer system. She serves on the board of Physicians for a National Health Program and works to protect and expand healthcare access for all Americans. This is the first episode of a two-part series.

Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!

And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation at heal-ca.org/donate.