The Goodfriend Group Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Goodfriend Group
Brian Hess sits down with Kevin Saucedo-Broach, Chief of Staff to Virginia House Majority Whip Alfonso Lopez (D VA-49) to discuss the progressive movement in the Commonwealth, what Democrats have been able to accomplish in the short time they've held power, and what's on the horizon for Virginians. Topics include broadband access, Telehealth, cannabis, and LGBTQ+ rights.
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Former Commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission, Catherine Sandoval, sat down with David to discuss her upcoming article about historical discrimination in the media landscape, including the lack of FCC Spectrum Licenses issued to people of color.
This episode is hosted by David Goodfriend and produced by Brian Hess.
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For the premiere episode of Season 2 of the Goodfriend Group Podcast, David, Brian, and Earl discuss David's op-ed in the Nation about Tech and Labor. Read the full op-ed here: https://www.thenation.com/article/economy/tech-unions-google/
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Happy Labor Day from the Goodfriend Group! On Monday, we celebrate all of America's workers with time off, maybe a barbecue, and certainly with gratitude for the American labor movement that brought us the two-day weekend, workplace safety, the 40 hour work week, unemployment insurance, the minimum wage, and more. Our nurses, doctors, teachers, firefighters, grocery store clerks, and other frontline workers are all heroes who deserve celebration this coming Monday. However, there's another group of workers braving the pandemic, tear gas, and other dangers to protect our Democracy -- Journalists. And they're in trouble. Thousands of journalists are losing their jobs due to the pandemic recession, posing a real threat to our free press. To celebrate Labor Day, David spoke with the President of the News Guild, Jon Schleuss, to discuss the importance of protecting local journalism jobs -- both in the short-term through expanding PPP, but also some ideas to ensure a free press for the long term.
This episode is hosted by David Goodfriend and produced by Brian Hess.
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For two-thirds of consumers, privacy practices and a company's trustworthiness are intertwined. Recent developments in consumer digital privacy caused David to call Pam Dixon of the World Privacy Forum to discuss labeling, AI, and a host of other privacy concerns -- which the recent events in Portland make all the more important. This episode is hosted by David Goodfriend and produced by Brian Hess.
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At this week's House Antitrust Hearing lawmaker grilled the top tech CEOs for more than five hours. However, there was one critical issue, lawmakers overlooked when analyzing the dangers of extreme market power -- Amazon's treatment of workers. David spoke with long-time labor advocate Iain Gold of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters about what lawmakers missed.
This episode is hosted by David Goodfriend and produced by Brian Hess.
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David has talked about the importance of broadband access during the pandemic before. This week, however, David speaks with the woman who's been calling for better access longer than anyone, Gigi Sohn. Gigi and David discuss the HEROES Act and what might come of it after the July recess when the Senate responds. Gigi is the host of the G&T Podcast and a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for Technology Law and Policy at Georgetown Law and a Benton Senior Fellow.
This episode is hosted by David Goodfriend and produced by Brian Hess.
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Meagan Sunn, Sr. Director and Counsel at the Goodfriend Group, shares her personal experiences and the role technology plays in policing. In light of police reform protests and the push for policies that compromise protections for private data, we examine how these use of technology in law enforcement impacts marginalized communities in America.
This episode is hosted by Meagan Sunn and produced by Brian Hess.
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David talks with his good friend, former Minnesota Senator Al Franken, to discuss George Floyd, Minnesota "ice," police brutality, economic inequity, and Trump's Section 230 Executive Order. Franken also provides some insight into the state of comedy during these troubling times, and the role it can play in helping us through this.
The Goodfriend Group condemns acts of police brutality, racism and violence. We re-commit ourselves to advocating for social justice in our work and in our lives. These unusually challenging times strain our basic notions of community. People fear for their health, livelihood, and lives. Our common bonds seem overshadowed by divisions, sometimes by race, other times by income, political party, or age group.
We cannot do impactful public policy work without recognizing and addressing the disparities that exist within our system. Going forward we will continue and intensify our work to fight against discrimination in health care, telecommunications, and media.
This episode is hosted by David Goodfriend and produced by Brian Hess.
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Pink Floyd's lyrics, "We don't need no education" may have been an anthem for students in 1979, but today's students are singing a different tune. From online classrooms to zoom graduation ceremonies, COVID-19 has exposed the fragility of America's education system. David sits down with his nephew, Noah Goodfriend, and Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, Fellow - Governance Studies, Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution, to discuss what educators and school boards across the country need to do to better prepare their students for the fall.
This episode was hosted by David Goodfriend and produced by Brian Hess.
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In unprecedented times, American consumers and workers require smart and innovative solutions from lawmakers. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D CT) is just the champion Americans need. David and Blumenthal discuss how the Senator plans to save local journalism, protect workers, and prevent further marketplace consolidation.
This episode was hosted by David Goodfriend and produced by Brian Hess.
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David and Former FCC Chairman and History Buff, Tom Wheeler, continue their conversation. They discuss the importance of electing Joe Biden and creating a government that believes in governing. Wheeler also explains his idea on how to save local journalism, especially in these uncertain times.
This episode was hosted by David Goodfriend and produced by Brian Hess.
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Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler successfully led the charge for net neutrality. However, the Trump FCC rolled back those measures, exacerbating the connectivity crisis that COVID-19 has brought forth. In part one of David's interview with Wheeler, they discuss net neutrality and the five things that Wheeler would do if he still chaired the FCC.
This episode was hosted by David Goodfriend and produced by Brian Hess.
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In the second half of David's interview with former Acting Chairwoman and FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, they discuss prison phones, competition, and South Carolina politics. Clyburn passionately explains that profit motives run amok in our prison phone system, perpetuating recidivism. She also describes South Carolina as a "tale of two states," highlighting that despite its political influence, South Carolina remains problematic for several COVID-19 comorbidities.
This episode was hosted by David Goodfriend and produced by Brian Hess.
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Around the country, COVID-19 has shut school doors, locked down nursing homes, and shifted those lucky enough to still have jobs to telework. This crisis has changed how the American people view workers, otherwise overlooked, as our essential workforce. Yet, these new heroes remain the most disconnected. David Goodfriend chats with former FCC Commissioner and Acting Chairwoman, Mignon Clyburn, about the digital divide and how the current pandemic has brought an issue near and dear to her heart front and center. Clyburn says we should have been listening to the canary's tragic song all along.
This episode is hosted by David Goodfriend and produced by Brian Hess.
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