The Signal

The results of this year’s midterm elections were nothing short of historic. Actually, “historic” doesn’t seem to capture the full potential of this moment. Today on The Signal, Kevin Mahoney hosts another post-election wrap-up with Cyril Mychalejko, the editor-in-chief of the Bucks County Beacon - and boy do we have some things to talk about. 

We’re also thrilled to be joined by Nikil Saval, a democrat just re-elected to the PA Senate from the 1st district in Philadelphia. Nikil is also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. He has championed the Whole-Home Repairs Act, sought to change zoning regulations to allow for constructing affordable housing, advocated for prison reform, and has been a long time proponent of Medicare for All & aggressive climate action. He’s been a champion of working families in Philadelphia and the entire Commonwealth.

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Chris Gambino is an independent candidate for Bucks County’s 143rd state House district. He is running against incumbent Republican Shelby Labs and Democratic challenger Tim Hayes. Chris joined me today to talk about his campaign and positions, what he believes it means to be a progressive, why the two-party system is failing us, and why we need to stop letting outrage shut down conversations. 

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Bryan Allen is a lifelong Lower Bucks County resident, a father of three, and a dedicated public servant who has spent more than three decades fighting for the community that raised him. Now he wants to take that fight to Harrisburg. Bryan joins me today to talk about why he is running to unseat Republican incumbent state Rep K.C. Tomlinson.

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Robert May is a producer/director of independent films whose projects have collectively garnered over 40 awards including the Oscar, Bafta, Independent Spirit Award and Human Rights Award, to name a few. He produced documentaries the Fog of War, about former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, Kids for Cash, about a scandal involving judges in Wilkes Barre receiving kickbacks for sending kids to a private prison, among other films.

His latest, which airs on PBS on Sunday, is Bucks County, USA, a five-part documentary series May co-produced with filmmakers Jason Sosnoff and Barry Levinson. The series, filmed over 4 years, covers what the New York Times dubbed “The School Board Wars” in Central Bucks School District. He spoke with me to talk about his filmmaking career, Bucks County, USA, and how he hopes this new docuseries can help a community once at war with each other heal, and maybe even actively try to listen and talk to each other like friendly neighbors – despite deep political differences. 

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This special episode of The Signal Podcast brings listeners inside a dynamic, solutions‑focused conversation about civic engagement, community care, and the everyday actions that strengthen democracy. Recorded live at a joint event hosted by the Bucks County Beacon and Doylestown Action League, the discussion explores what participation really looks like—and why showing up matters.

Moderator Connor O’Hanlon guides a powerhouse panel of leaders whose work spans civic education, mental health advocacy, trauma‑informed care, and political engagement. Join him and featured panelists Lauren Cristella, Amy Widestrom, Ariel Virk and Nick Emeigh for an in-depth and actionable conversation. Together, these experts unpack the barriers that keep people from participating, the cultural narratives that shape our sense of agency, and the practical steps anyone can take to build healthier, more connected communities.

This is an energizing, grounded, and deeply human conversation about the power of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Links:

Bucks County Beacon - News. Government. Politics. 

Behind the Beacon | The Bucks County Beacon 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-bucks-county-beacon-turns-5-tickets-1989228969396?aff=oddtdtcreator

Kevin Mahoney takes over the mic for a conversation with Cyril Mychalejko, the editor-in-chief of The Beacon and the regular host of The Signal. We take a close look at Democrat Bob Harvie's "New Fair Deal for Working Families" - a 12 point plan for "Restoring the Promise of the American Dream in the 21st Century." I think it's fair to say that Cyril and Kevin have some questions for the Harvie campaign and some thoughts on what's needed if Democrats have a shot at defeating the always slippery, deep-pocketed, yet vulnerable Republican Brian Fitzpatrick in this year's mid-term elections. 

NOTE: At one point in the conversation Cyril misspoke regarding health care spending. He said that the US spends half as much on insurance than other countries. What he meant to say was that OTHER COUNTRIES spend half as much as the U.S. per person on health. For clarification, here's the relevant article from Peterson-KFF: 

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These 3 Central Bucks Parents Started a ‘Revolution’ to Save Their School District

“CBSD Neighbors United Was a Revolution in Central Bucks School District.” This was the title of a recent column authored by Diana Leygerman, Tracy Suits, and Steve Sullivan, district parents and the founders of the organization which helped save the school district from Moms for Liberty, a local MAGA multi-millionaire, and other right-wing political arsonists who had captured the school board back in 2021 and were pushing a reactionary, and largely anti-public education agenda. The three join me today to talk about how CBSD Neighbors United started, the organization’s breathtaking success, and why even though they are closing its doors they are confident the movement they helped start will live on. 

Diana Leygerman is a Central Bucks School District parent and the Director of Comms and Strategy of CBSD Neighbors United.

Steve Sullivan is a CBSD parent and the Director of Fundraising for Neighbors United.

Tracy Suits is the current chair of the Chalfont New Britain Democrats. She served on the Central Bucks school board from 2017 to 2021, and is the Chair and Director of Operations for CBSD Neighbors United. She’s also a CBSD parent.

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Marlene Pray (she/her) is a queer activist, sexuality educator, and community organizer whose work spans over three decades of LGBTQ+ advocacy, anti-racism, and social justice movement-building. She founded and directs the Rainbow Room, Bucks County’s LGBTQ+ youth center at Planned Parenthood Keystone, which has been a lifeline for queer youth in the region for 24 years. 

A PhD candidate in Human Sexuality Education, Marlene has trained educators, organizations, and communities across the country on LGBTQ+ inclusion, racial equity, and youth empowerment. Her public service includes serving on Doylestown Borough Council, where she championed the borough’s LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination ordinance, and she continues to lead through board roles with the NAACP and NAMI Bucks County. Marlene lives in Doylestown and brings her whole self to the work — as an organizer, mother, homicide survivor, and earth-based celebrant committed to collective liberation.

She joins me today to kick off Pride Month, to talk about its history as a riot, as protest, and as a demand, and what the fight for LGBTQ+ rights looks like today.

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Welcome, welcome everybody to a special edition of The Signal from the Bucks County Beacon. Today guest host Kevin Mahoney talks with Cyril Mychalejko, the editor-in-chief of the Bucks County Beacon, about this week’s primary elections. We’ll take a look at the results and focus on two of the contested Democratic primaries: the PA 01 House race to face Brian Fitzpatrick in November, and the PA 16th State Senate race that will challenge Moms for Liberty darling, Jarett Coleman. What do the results mean in November's mid-terms?

We’ll also take a little stroll down memory lane as Cyril celebrates his fourth anniversary with the Beacon! That’s right, Cyril basically has the equivalent of a presidential term with the Beacon - and what a few years it has been.

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"I believe if we just give the AI revolution to tech billionaires we're going to have political unrest in this country." Ro Khanna is a Bucks County native who is a U.S. Representative in California’s 17th District. He is also vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Last month he wrote an article in The Nation, “AI for the People”, which laid out his vision “for an AI revolution that works for the many not just the billionaires.” He joins us today to talk about why he is an an AI-democratist, his policy vision for regulating this disruptive technology, and why we cannot allow Big Tech oligarchs to build a society where “AI ‘progress’ is defined by their wealth rather than by our democracy.”

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