Mark J. Grimaldi's tracks: Recent Episodes

Mark J. Grimaldi

Executive Producer of 'The Leslie Marshall Show.' I guest host the show Tuesdays from 3-4pm est. You can listen live at www.lesliemarshallshow.com/stream, or catch my podcasts here on Spreaker.
I'm also very passionate about Campaign Finance Reform.

Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democratic Nominee for President, answered my question at the Teamsters Presidential Town Hall in Cedar Rapids Iowa. I asked the question during an interview with the Senator that I was conducting as part of a press pool, along with reporters from 'The Guardian' newspaper.

4-20-17

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon as we discuss the following subjects:

-What Trumpcare 2.0 entails, what would happen to Americans with pre-existing conditions if it became law, and if/when we can expect a vote on it

-A new CNN report stating that the FBI used allegations from former MI6 Agent Christopher Steele’s Trump dossier to bolster the bureau’s Trump-Russia investigation

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.
He’s also a contributor to The Hill in Washington, D.C and to MyTiller.com, the social media site for politics.
Brad lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.
His Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)

3-27-17

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon as we discuss the following subjects:

-The failure to pass ‘Trumpcare’ and its fallout

-The next item on the Republican legislative agenda, tax reform

-New information regarding the controversy surrounding House Intel Chair Devin Nunes and his interactions with President Trump, who he’s supposed to be leading an independent investigation against

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.
He’s also a contributor to The Hill in Washington, D.C and to MyTiller.com, the social media site for politics.
Brad lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.
His Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

12-6-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss the following subjects:

-How a fake news story/conspiracy theory nearly cost innocent people their lives in Washington D.C. this past Sunday

-The role played by President-Elect Trump’s national security adviser, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn (and his son), in spreading this fake news on Twitter

-How we’ve gotten to a point where fake news is being taken as fact by a substantial number of Americans

-What we can do as Americans to fight back against the spread of fake news

Brad Bannon 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.

Brad is also a senior adviser to and contributing editor for Tiller4you.com, the social media network for politics.

He lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Sathi Soma, via Associated Press)

11-29-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss the following subjects:

-What conflicts of interest Trump's business dealings might have for his presidency and our country

-Whether Trump will violate the U.S. Constitution's "Emoluments Clause,” which is intended to prevent political officials from receiving gifts from foreign governments

-Whether we'll see more pressure from members of Trump's own party, like Congressman Justin Amash, for him to eliminate his conflicts of interest as President

-Whether there is any way that Trump would put his business into a blind trust

-How hypocritical it is of Trump to have these conflicts of interest considering how often he and his supporters cited concerns about Hillary Clinton being Secretary of State while her family still ran the Clinton Foundation

Brad Bannon 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.

Brad is also a senior adviser to and contributing editor for Tiller4you.com, the social media network for politics.

He lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Alex Brandon/AP)

11-15-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss the following subjects:

-What guidance history could provide us in limiting the damage of a Trump Presidency?

How do we hold Trump's feet to the fire?
How does the Democratic Party move forward?
Is Keith Ellison the right choice to lead the DNC? If not, who is?
What would the Democrats have to do to re-take the Senate in 2018 considering how tough the map looks?
Will Senate Republicans 'nuke' the filibuster? If so, how often and for what reasons?
Trump says he wants to repeal and replace Obamacare. He says he wants to potentially keep the provisions where people cannot be denied based on pre-existing conditions and parents can keep their children on their plans until the age of 26. However, he also wants to get rid of the individual mandate. So how do you do all of that without rates going up?
Is the fact that Trump, not Obama, will get to nominate the next Supreme Court Justice the biggest injustice in modern political history?

Brad Bannon 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.

Brad is also a senior adviser to and contributing editor for Tiller4you.com, the social media network for politics.

He lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Rocky/ Chartoff-Winkler Productions)

11-8-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss Donald Trump officially becoming the first major party presidential candidate to not release his tax returns in 40 years.

We also discuss the potential reasons Trump made this decision, and what the long terms effect could be on transparency in politics.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Twitter)

11-4-16

I guest host all three hours of "The Leslie Marshall Show" today.

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss the following topics:

-What it would mean for our economy and our country if Donald Trump became President, and how to stop him (volunteer at www.moveon.org/win)

-The strong October jobs report (161,000 jobs added, unemployment down to 4.9% and average hourly earnings rose 2.8% over the prior year, the biggest jump since the financial crisis). How the jobs report will potentially affect the presidential rate

-Kurt Eichenwald of Newsweek’s report on how Trump’s baffling ties to Russia could blow up the U.S. alliance with Britain and France (http://tinyurl.com/zyk9245)

Two former aides to NJ Governor Chris Christie, who is in charge of the Trump transition team if he’s elected President, being found guilty in ‘Bridgegate’
What the Latino population has at stake in this election, and why it’s sometimes hard to accurately poll them
Anderson Cooper challenging Trump Campaign Manager Kellyanne Conway on the hypocrisy of Melania Trump’s cyberbullying concerns
How voting third-party could benefit Trump at the polls

Brad Bannon 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.

Brad is also a senior adviser to and contributing editor for Tiller4you.com, the social media network for politics.

He lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

11-2-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss the following topics:

-The FBI has opened a civil rights investigation of a fire that heavily damaged a black church in Mississippi where someone wrote "Vote Trump" in silver spray paint

-Numerous media figures rushing to the defense of MSNBC’s Katy Tur after she was individually criticized by Donald Trump at one of his rallies

-President Obama calling Donald Trump “temperamentally unfit to be commander in chief" and saying that Hillary Clinton made him a better President

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Twitter/Angie Quezada)

11-1-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss the following topics:

-Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) joking about gun owners shooting Hillary Clinton, as well as saying that if she becomes President, “I am going to do everything I can do to make sure four years from now, we still got an opening on the Supreme Court."

-Senator Bernie Sanders explaining why he doesn’t believe this is the year for a ‘protest vote’ in the presidential election

-How Hillary Clinton has pledged to overturn Citizens United, while Donald Trump has hired the former head of Citizens United (David Bossie) as his Deputy Campaign Manager

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

11-1-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss the myriad of newsworthy stories that have occurred since Friday, but were likely missed by some people as most of the media spent a huge amount of time over the past four days covering Jim Comey’s letter to Congress.

These stories were summarized in an excellent piece by U.S. News and World Report’s Robert Schlesinger here: http://tinyurl.com/z6h3v2e

Some of the highlights are:

-“Donald Trump Used Legally Dubious Method to Avoid Paying Taxes” (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/us/politics/donald-trump-tax.html?_r=0)

-“Donald Trump is refusing to pay his campaign pollster three-quarters of a million dollars” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/10/31/donald-trump-is-refusing-to-pay-his-campaign-pollster-nearly-three-quarters-of-a-million-dollars/)

-Three separate stories examining ties between Donald Trump and Russia

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Reuters/Brendan McDermid/Shutterstock/Salon)

10-31-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss the unprecedented steps Jim Comey took in sending Congress the ambiguous public letter about emails that could potentially be relevant to the FBI's previous investigation of Hillary Clinton.

They also discuss newly revealed information that, according to a report by CNBC's Eamon Javers, "FBI Director James Comey argued privately that it was too close to Election Day for the United States government to name Russia as meddling in the U.S. election and ultimately ensured that the FBI's name was not on the document that the U.S. government put out."
Mark and Brad highlight the hypocrisy of Comey pushing for the FBI not to be involved in that letter on October 7th, citing how close the election was, but having no problem sending his vague letter to Congress on October 28th.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

10-25-16 (2 hours), 10-27-16 (1 hour)

During these three hours I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss some of the 156 ballot initiatives being voted on in 35 states and the District of Columbia on November 8th. This includes initiatives regarding marijuana, campaign finance reform, voting, D.C. Statehood, guns, education, and more.

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.
He's also a senior adviser to and contributing editor for Tiller4you.com, the social media network for politics.
He lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

10-18-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss

The danger of Donald Trump's 'rigged election' claims
Why claims of voter fraud are massively overstated
Melania Trump's comments that Billy Bush ‘egged on’ her husband to brag about sexually assaulting women, and even said “sometimes I said I have two boys at home. I have my young son and I have my husband.”

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.
He's also a senior adviser to and contributing editor for Tiller4you.com, the social media network for politics.
He lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images)

10-3-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss a new revelation from the New York Times that Donald Trump likely paid zero federal taxes for 18 years after claiming a $916 million dollar business loss.

We also discuss the potential effect this news will have on voters heading into the last month of the presidential campaign.

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.
He's also a senior adviser to and contributing editor for Tiller4you.com, the social media network for politics.
He lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Reuters/Mike Segar)

9-27-16

During these two hours I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss the first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Here are some of the most memorable moments from the debate that were covered during our conversation:
- Trump’s racist birther claims about President Obama
- Trump’s missing tax returns
- Trump’s lie about opposing the war in Iraq before the invasion
- Trump’s exchange with Hillary Clinton and Lester Holt on his sexist comments about her 'look'
- Hillary highlighting why it’s important to prepare for the debates and to be President
- The audience laughing when Trump says he has a good temperament

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.
He's also a senior adviser to and contributing editor for Tiller4you.com, the social media network for politics.
He lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Getty Images)

9-13-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon as we discuss new reporting by the Washington Post that reveals misleading and even illegal moves made by Donald Trump using his charity, the Trump Foundation, as a cover.

We also discuss Trump running mate Mike Pence refusing to call Trump supporter David Duke, the former Grand Wizard of the KKK, ‘deplorable’ during an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

Finally, Brad and I talk with a caller as to why we believe that Hillary Clinton is a much better choice than Donald Trump for those who want to see the issues laid out by Bernie Sanders be seriously addressed.

(Image Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

8-30-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon as we discuss a recent Justice Department report regarding Police treatment of mentally ill Americans, as well as Hillary Clinton’s newly released plan to address mental health treatment. We also analyze why there is a stigma and a shame associated with mental illness in our country, and how we can begin to change that.

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.
He's also a senior adviser to and contributing editor for Tiller4you.com, the social media network for politics.
He lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: nytimes.com)

8-23-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss the recent attacks on the Clinton Foundation. The conversation covers how not only are some of the attacks inaccurate, but how they pale in comparison to the work that the foundation does for charity.

This article from 'The Hill' puts it in perspective with the following information:

"The numbers and figures that often go unreported put the life-changing work of the Clinton Foundation in a context that matters. Today, for example, almost 10 million people in more than 70 countries have access to life-saving medicines through the Clinton Health Access Initiative(CHAI). In the U.S. 17 million children in more than 29,000 schools now have healthier food and more physical activity options. And through the Clinton Global Initiative, partners have made nearly 3,200 Commitments to Action that have improved the lives of over 430 million people in more than 180 countries. " (Source: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/presidential-campaign/255654-the-clinton-foundation-does-life-changing-work)

Additionally, here is the in-depth article I read from at the beginning of the hour. It's entitled "What the media doesn't know about the Clinton Foundation could sink the Titanic," by Frank Vyan Walton. (http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/8/22/1562841/-What-the-media-doesn-t-know-about-the-Clinton-Foundation-could-sink-the-Titanic)

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.
He's also a senior adviser to and contributing editor for Tiller4you.com, the social media network for politics.
He lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Barbara Kinney)

8-16-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon as we discuss the potential political costs of so much attention being focused on Donald Trump.

We also analyze a new USA Today/Rock The Vote Poll showing that 50% of Americans under 35 years old identify or lean towards the Democrats while only 20% identify with or lean toward the Republicans.

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.
He's also a senior adviser to and contributing editor for Tiller4you.com, the social media network for politics.
He lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

8-9-16

During these two hours I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss Donald Trump’s comments today suggesting that "2nd amendment people" could act to stop Hillary Clinton from nominating Supreme Court Justices if she was elected President, which many are interpreting as a threat of violence.

We also discuss Republican Senator Susan Collins' strongly worded op-ed as to why she won't be voting for Trump, as well as other new GOP defections from their party's presidential nominee.

Brad and I also delve deep into the latest presidential polls for analysis on the race, including the latest in Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Utah.

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.
He's also a senior adviser to and contributing editor for Tiller4you.com, the social media network for politics.
He lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

8-2-16

During these two hours I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss Donald Trump’s verbal attacks on the Gold Star parents of fallen U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan, and the rebukes against Trump for those attacks by a growing bipartisan list of military and political officials.
We also examine Trump’s gaffe in a recent interview where he said that Putin and Russia would not invade Ukraine (despite the fact that they already have), Warren Buffett’s challenge for Trump to release his tax returns, as well as the latest presidential polls.

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.

Brad is also a senior adviser to and contributing editor for Tiller4you.com, the social media network for politics. He lectures in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.

Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Getty Images/NBC)

7-25-16

During this interview I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Michael Isikoff, Chief investigative correspondent for Yahoo News. We discuss Michael's story entitled "Exclusive: Suspected Russian hack of DNC widens — includes personal email of staffer researching Manafort."

Michael's Twitter handle is @Iskikoff and you can read his work at www.news.yahoo.com.

(Image Credit: Alex Brandon/AP)

7-25-16

During this interview I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Michael Shure, Chief Political Correspondent for BitTorrent News. We're joined by callers as we discuss the leaked DNC emails and their political fallout, as well as the challenge of uniting the Democratic party following the DNC leak.

Michael's Twitter handle is @MichaelShure and you can watch BitTorrent News by downloading BitTorrent Live at http://btlive.tv.

(Image Credit: www.nbcnews.com)

7-25-16

During this interview I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon. We discuss the leaked DNC emails and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz stepping down, Tim Kaine being Hillary's VP selection and the well received speech he gave Saturday, the impressive list of speakers at the DNC, and the latest polling between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

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.
Brad also writes a weekly blog for EpicTimes.com and is a lecturer in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.
Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

7-22-16

During these two hours I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss Donald Trump’s RNC speech. This includes fact checking the content of the speech, as well as analyzing its tone and length. We also preview Hillary Clinton’s VP pick.

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.
Brad also writes a weekly blog for EpicTimes.com and is a lecturer in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.
Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

7-19-16

During this interview I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Jonah Minkoff-Zern, Co-director of Public Citizen’s Democracy Is For People campaign for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling and take control of our nation away from billionaires and big business and restore it to the people.

We discuss Secretary Clinton's new pledge that, if elected, within her first 30 days as President she would “propose a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and give the American people, all of us, a chance to reclaim our democracy.” Clinton also pledged to "fight for other progressive reforms, including small-dollar matching and disclosure requirements." Jonah and I discuss all three of these ideas in detail, including small-donor matching and how it could dramatically transform America's campaign finance system for the better.

Jonah's Twitter handle is @JonahMZ and the website for Public Citizen is www.citizen.org.

(Image Credit: Matthew Healey/UPI)

7-19-16

During this interview I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Nicholas Wapshott, the Opinion Editor of Newsweek and an author. We discuss the first day of the Republican National Convention, which was mired by a floor fight among delegates and accusations that Melania Trump plagiarized a portion of Michelle Obama's 2008 DNC speech.

Nicholas's newest book is titled "The Sphinx: Franklin Roosevelt, the Isolationists, and the Road to World War II." It's available at wwnorton.com/books and Amazon.com.
His Twitter handle is @NWapshott.

(Image Credit: Getty Images)

7-13-16

During these two hours I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon and callers as we discuss the following:

-The speeches yesterday by Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton at their joint event in New Hampshire where Sanders formally endorsed Clinton

-How much of an effect Bernie Sanders had on the Democratic platform

-The specific policy proposals Hillary Clinton laid out yesterday including national guidelines on the use of force by police officers, a $15/hr minimum wage, campaign finance reform, her new debt-free college plan, and strengthening voting rights

-Donald Trump's short list of potential VP choices, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each choice

-President Obama's remarks on uniting the country while he was attending the memorial service for the five Dallas Police officers killed last week

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.
Brad also writes a weekly blog for EpicTimes.com and is a lecturer in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.
Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: AFP)

7-8-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon. We're joined by callers as we discuss a number of different topics surrounding the Dallas sniper attack where five police officers were killed and seven were injured, along with two civilians who sustained injuries as well. We also play audio from President Obama, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Dallas Police Chief David Brown and Presumptive Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton, who all commented on the attack.

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.
Brad also writes a weekly blog for EpicTimes.com and is a lecturer in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.
Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Dallas Police Department)

6-29-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon. We discuss a number of different topics surrounding the 2016 Presidential race including:

-Why Hillary Clinton has a 12-point lead in one recent National poll, but just a 2-point lead in another

-Analysis of the most important Battleground states during this election cycle

-Donald Trump's ever changing position on his proposed Muslim ban

-Who is on Hillary Clinton's short list of potential VP picks and what are their chances of being chosen

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.
Brad also writes a weekly blog for EpicTimes.com and is a lecturer in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.
Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Getty Images)

6-13-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Jonah Minkoff-Zern, Co-director of Public Citizen’s Democracy Is For People campaign for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling and take control of our nation away from billionaires and big business and restore it to the people.

We discuss the significance of New York becoming the 17th state to call for a constitutional amendment overturning the U.S. Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United ruling.

Jonah's Twitter handle is @JonahMZ and Public Citizen's handle is @Public_Citizen.

The website for Public Citizen is www.Citizen.org.
You can sign a petition calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United and McCutcheon rulings and reclaim our democracy at www.democracyisforpeople.org.

(Image Credit: donkeyhotey.wordpress.com)

6-13-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Colonel Cedric Leighton, Founder and President of Cedric Leighton Associates, a strategic risk and leadership consultancy serving global companies and organizations.

We discuss the mass shooting/terror attack that took place in Orlando, Florida this past Sunday morning.
The conversation includes:
-What we know about the shooter, Omar Mateen, and what the FBI knew about him before the shooting
-How America can protect itself from 'lone-wolf' terror attacks
-Why blaming all Muslims for the act of a few is not only wrong, but also dangerous as it alienates important allies in the war against ISIL

Colonel Leighton founded Cedric Leighton Associates in 2010, after serving in the US Air Force for 26 years as an Intelligence Officer and attaining the rank of Colonel.

As of November 2015, Colonel Leighton acquired his new position as a Military Analyst for CNN.

Colonel Leighton's Twitter handle is @CedricLeighton and his website is www.CedricLeighton.com.

6-8-16

During these two hours I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Brad Bannon, who runs Bannon Communications Research, which is a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns.

We're joined by callers as we discuss the Presidential race moving forward now that Hillary Clinton is the presumptive Democratic nominee.

The conversation includes:
-The significance of the United States having it's first female major party nominee for President
-Analysis of the speeches last night by Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump
-How the Democratic party can unite ahead of November
-What issues Bernie Sanders might push to have as part of the Democratic party's platform
-Whether Bernie will drop out of the race before the Democratic National Convention July 25th-28th
-What role President Obama will play in uniting the Democratic party and in defeating Donald Trump
-What will be the most important voting demographics in determining who wins the Presidency in November
-The fallout from Donald Trump's racist comments toward the judge presiding over the Trump University case in California, Judge Gonzalo Curiel

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.
Brad also writes a weekly blog for EpicTimes.com and is a lecturer in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.
Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: AP)

5-31-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Nicholas Wapshott, the Opinion Editor of Newsweek and an author.

We discuss multiple aspects of the Democratic primaries that include:

-What the impacts would be of Bernie Sanders winning the California primary
-Previewing the Democratic National Convention in July and what it might look like
-What goals Bernie Sanders has already achieved, and what else he might be looking for from Hillary Clinton before he agrees to support her for President

Nicholas Wapshott's newest book is titled "The Sphinx: Franklin Roosevelt, the Isolationists, and the Road to World War II." (The book is available at www.wwnorton.com/books and Amazon.com).

Nicholas's Twitter handle is @NWapshott.

(Image Credit: Caitlin Faw / Associated Press)

5-24-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by George Zornick, Washington Editor for 'The Nation.'

We discuss George's new article for The Nation entitled "Elizabeth Warren Takes On the ‘Gig Economy.’" (http://tinyurl.com/hfzmvl7)

George's Twitter handle is @GZornick and you can read more of his work at www.TheNation.com.

(AP Photo / Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

5-24-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Michael Shure, a political commentator and former correspondent for Al Jazeera America. Shure often guest hosts on The Young Turks as well.

We discuss the way that much of the Republican party quickly went from being outraged by Donald Trump, to blindingly accepting and supporting him for President.

Michael's Twitter handle is @MichaelShure.

(Image Credit: Brian Snyder / Reuters)

5-17-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Meg Jacobs, who teaches history and public affairs at Princeton University and is author of Panic At the Pump: The Energy Crisis and the Transformation of American Politics in the 1970s, just released by Hill and Wang. (http://tinyurl.com/jf7gymj)

We discuss Meg's new article for 'The Atlantic' entitled "America’s Never-Ending Oil Consumption." (http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/american-oil-consumption/482532/)

Meg Jacobs' Twitter handle is @MegJacobs100.

5-10-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Michelle Chen, a contributing editor at 'In These Times' and 'Dissent magazine', and associate editor at 'CultureStrike.' She is also a contributing writer at 'The Nation' Magazine.

We discuss Michelle's new article for 'The Nation' entitled "Citizens Are Not Consumers: When education gets outsourced, students lose." (http://www.thenation.com/article/citizens-are-not-consumers/)

The website for 'The Nation' is www.TheNation.com and Michelle Chen's Twitter handle is @MeeShellChen.

(Image Credit: Shutterstock)

5-10-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Ann Marie Cunningham, an active member of 'Fair Economy Illinois' and the 'Jane Addams Senior Caucus' for the past 6 years. She is from Chicago and is a former school teacher. Ann Marie receives Social Security and Home Care Services.

We discuss what actions by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner have led to vital public services being cut off in different areas of the state. We also discuss why so many people protested yesterday during 'Moral Mondays Illinois,' including the 23 who were arrested.
Ann Marie also explains some progressive ideas that could solve the budget impasse in a manner that is fair to all citizens like the 'People and Planet First Budget,' the 'LaSalle Street Tax,' and a Progressive Income Tax.

The website for 'Fair Economy Illinois' is www.FairEconomyIllinois.org and the website for the 'Jane Addams Senior Caucus' is www.SeniorCaucus.org. You can follow them on Twitter at @SeniorCaucus.

(Image Credit: Tyler LaRiviere/Chicagoist)

5-4-16

During these two hours I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Brad Bannon, who runs Bannon Communications Research, which is a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns.

We're joined by callers as we discuss the Presidential race moving forward now that Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee following Ted Cruz and John Kasich dropping out of the race.

The conversation includes:
-Whether Bernie Sanders should continue running
-How likely it is that Cruz and Kasich will endorse Trump
-How the Republican and Democratic conventions might look this July
-Who Donald Trump might choose as a running mate
-The most recent polling between Trump and Clinton, as well as Trump and Sanders
-How the electoral college map might look this November
-Raising the minimum wage
-Trump's false statement that he was against the Iraq war from the beginning

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.
Brad also writes a weekly blog for EpicTimes.com and is a lecturer in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.
Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: AP/John Locher)

4-25-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by D.D. Guttenplan, the Editor at Large at The Nation who has been covering the presidential campaign for the magazine since August. We discuss D.D.'s article for 'The Nation' entitled "Bernie Sanders Is Not Going to Be President of the United States—He Should Keep Running Anyway."

D.D. Guttenplan's most recent book is "The Nation: A Biography." (Published in April of 2015) He is also also the author of "American Radical: The Life and Times of I.F. Stone." Both are available at Amazon.com.
D.D.'s Twitter handle is @DDGuttenplan and the handle for 'The Nation' is @TheNation. Their website is www.TheNation.com.

(Reuters / Lucas Jackson)

4-25-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Lindsey Berger, co-founder of 'UnKoch My Campus', a national campaign led by students, faculty and alumni working to stop billionaire industrialist Charles Koch and his donor network from being able to advance their political agenda at the expense of academic freedom and faculty governance.

We discuss how the Koch brothers' donations influence college research, the professors hired, and the coursework being taught, all in service of advancing their ideologies, building their reputation, and increasing their profits.

Here's some background info. to show how the problem is widespread. Jane Mayer, Author of the new book "Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right," reports that, as of 2015, the Kochs subsidized programs in 207 colleges and universities and were set to expand into 18 more. In some cases, such as West Virginia University and Florida State University, their foundations exert influence over hires. At Florida State, one student reported that the new introductory economics course included lessons that “sweatshop labor wasn’t bad,” and “climate change wasn’t caused by humans and isn’t a big issue.”
Even more disturbingly, the Koch brothers have recently been pushing their ideology into high schools. The curriculum teaches that,

“Franklin Roosevelt didn’t alleviate the Depression, minimum wage laws and public assistance hurt the poor, lower pay for women was not discriminatory, and the government, rather than business caused the 2008 recession.”

Lindsey Berger's Twitter handle is @LindseyBerger and the Twitter handle for her organization is @UnKochCampus.
Their website is www.UnKochMyCampus.org.

(Image Credit: Spencer Platt via Getty Images)

4-19-16

During these two hours I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Brad Bannon, who runs Bannon Communications Research, which is a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns.
We're joined by callers as we discuss what the next moves are for both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders after the New York primary. We also discuss how the Democratic party fully unites between now and the general election.

Brad Bannon's Twitter handle is @BradBannon. His website is www.Bannoncr.com.

(Image Credit: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)

4-20-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Nick Nyhart, the President and CEO of the Every Voice Center, and Charlie Cray, a Researcher at Greenpeace USA. Both were arrested at the Capitol Monday along with over 300 more protesters (including approximately 60 organization and movement leaders). This brought the total arrested between the Democracy Spring and Democracy Awakening movements to over 1,400 arrested in a week. That broke the record for non-violent direct action protests in Washington for a single week.

The message: On voting rights, money in politics and the recent vacancy on U.S. Supreme Court, Congress is failing to do its job and ignoring the will of the people. Democracy Awakening isn’t the end of something, but the beginning of a new phase in the movement for democracy, organizers said.

Those who planned to risk arrest included top leaders of the AFL-CIO, All Souls Unitarian Church, the American Federation of Government Employees, the American Postal Workers Union, Campaign for America’s Future, Democracy Initiative, Center for Popular Democracy, Communications Workers of America (CWA), Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Every Voice, Food & Water Watch, Franciscan Action Network, Free Speech for People, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the United Auto Workers Union (UAW), Jobs With Justice, the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church; the NAACP, Oil Change International, Public Citizen, Sierra Club, the United Church of Christ, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, We Are Casa, the Yes Men and 350.org.

Also risking arrest were NAACP president and CEO Cornell William Brooks; the Rev. William Barber II, pastor and Moral Monday architect; radio commentator Jim Hightower; and Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, co-founders of Ben and Jerry’s.

Thousands of activists from around the country streamed into the nation’s capital April 16-18 for Democracy Awakening, which featured teach-ins, a rally, a march and lobbying as well as the civil disobedience. The aim: to fight back against business as usual in Washington, D.C.

More than 300 organizations endorsed Democracy Awakening. Lead organizations included the American Postal Workers Union, Common Cause, Communications Workers of America, Democracy Initiative, Every Voice Center, Food & Water Watch, Franciscan Action Network, Greenpeace, NAACP, National Nurses United, People For the American Way, Public Citizen, Sierra Club, Student Debt Crisis and U.S. PIRG.

Democracy Awakening is part of a broad movement aimed at advancing democracy reforms. The mobilization began April 2, with Democracy Spring, an event that featured a march from Philadelphia to Washington D.C., followed by six days of sit-ins at the Capitol.

To sign up for updates on what's next for the 'Democracy Initiative,' which organized Democracy Spring and Democracy Awakening, visit www.democracyawakening.org/stay-connected.

Nick Nyhart's Twitter handle is @nicknyhart and Charlie Cray's is @CharlieFCray.

4-19-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I recount my story of protesting outside of a Donald Trump rally in my hometown of Buffalo, NY, then entering the rally and eventually being kicked out for protesting. I managed to get a seat just a few rows behind where Trump was while speaking.

I'm joined later in the hour by George Zornick of TheNation.com. We discuss George's article about the protests of the Trump rally in Buffalo entitled "Hate Is Not Welcome Here."

George Zornick's Twitter handle is @GZornick.

(Image Credit: CJ Gunther/EPA)

4-5-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Margrete Strand Rangnes, Executive Vice President of Public Citizen. We discuss what is expected by the PCCC to be "the largest act of civil disobedience this century," 'Democracy Awakening.' 'Democracy Awakening' is an event, which will take place April 16th-18th in D.C., featuring a rally, march, teach-ins, lobbying and civil disobedience.

According to Public Citizen, the goal of 'Democracy Awakening' is to fight back against business as usual in Washington, D.C., and demand a democracy that works for everyone, not just corporations and the wealthy. The message: On voting rights, money in politics reforms and the U.S. Supreme Court, Congress is failing to do its job and ignoring the will of the people.

As of today, over 260 organizations have signed up to support or attend the landmark mobilization. Lead organizations include the American Postal Workers Union, Common Cause, Communications Workers of America, Democracy Initiative, Every Voice Center, Food & Water Watch, Franciscan Action Network, Greenpeace, NAACP, National Nurses United, People For the American Way, Public Citizen, Student Debt Crisis and U.S. PIRG.

Democracy Awakening runs April 16-18 and will call for three things:

Voting rights reform in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Shelby decision
Campaign finance reform to curb the influence of wealthy interests and corporations in elections, in response to Supreme Court decisions like Citizens United
A vote on the Supreme Court nominee, to help restore a functioning judiciary.

The Rev. William Barber II, leader of the N.C. Moral Monday Movement, will speak at the rally, as will Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers union; radio commentator Jim Hightower; environmental activist Sandra Steingraber and civil rights activist David Goodman.

Attending the event is free and people interested in attending can find access to transportation to the event and very inexpensive housing once in D.C. by visiting http://democracyawakening.org/logistics.

Margrete Strand Rangnes has worked extensively on issues related to trade and globalization; energy policies and climate change; and workers’ rights and economic development.

She helped form the BlueGreen Alliance — a partnership of environmental and labor organizations — as well as the Our World Is Not For Sale network, which is the premier international network of organizations and campaigners working on global trade issues.
Public Citizen's Twitter handle is @Public_Citizen and their website is www.Citizen.org.

The website for 'Democracy Awakening' is www.DemocracyAwakening.org and their Twitter handle is @DemAwakening.

4-5-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon. We discuss the significance of the Wisconsin primary for both the Democrats and Republicans. We also discuss the upcoming states that have yet to hold their primary elections and the state of the race for both parties.

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.
Brad also writes a weekly blog for EpicTimes.com and is a lecturer in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.
Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

3-30-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon. We discuss how GOP frontrunner Donald Trump has finally been facing tough questions by some in the media, how poorly Trump has responded to these questions, and why it's taken so long for virtually anyone in the media to hold Trump's feet to the fire following some of the outrageous statements he's made.

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.
Brad also writes a weekly blog for EpicTimes.com and is a lecturer in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.
Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: Getty Images)

3-30-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Political Strategist Brad Bannon. We discuss whether there is any validity to Hillary Clinton pollster Joel Benenson's comments that Bernie Sanders' campaign has been too negative toward Hillary Clinton for her campaign to agree to a debate with him in New York ahead of the state's April 19th primary.

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.
Brad also writes a weekly blog for EpicTimes.com and is a lecturer in Political Science at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts.
Brad's Twitter handle is @BradBannon and his website is www.BannonCR.com.

(Image Credit: AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

3-30-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Zack Ford, the editor of ThinkProgress LGBT at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

We discuss how North Carolina's new anti-LGBT law goes even further in promoting discrimination than people realize.
We also describe how the state's Republican Governor is not being honest in his claims about the law. Additionally, we detail the businesses who have demanded a full repeal of the HB2, plus Zack describes a lawsuit filed by the ACLU that sues to stop the new law.

Zack Ford's Twitter handle is @Zack Ford and the website for Think Progress is www.ThinkProgress.com.

(Image Credit: Travis Dove for The New York Times)

3-23-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by D.W Gibson, contributor to 'The Nation' and author of the recently published book "The Edge Becomes the Center: An Oral History of Gentrification in the Twenty-First Century. "

We discuss D.W.'s article for 'The Nation' entitled "America, the Unaffordable. There’s a housing crisis. Everywhere. Can New York City create a blueprint to solve it?"

Here's one of many compelling paragraph's from the article, which we explore during the interview:
"the Urban Institute issued a report on housing affordability across the United States. The central finding is shocking: There is no county in the United States that has enough affordable housing to meet the needs of its poor renters—not one. "

D.W. Gibson's Twitter handle is @DW_Gibson and the website for 'The Nation' is www.TheNation.com.

3-23-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Colonel Cedric Leighton, Founder and President of Cedric Leighton Associates, a strategic risk and leadership consultancy serving global companies and organizations.

We discuss the security and political implications around the world following the terror attacks that took place in Brussels this week. Colonel Leighton also explains whether torture, including waterboarding, is an effective way to gain usable intelligence from suspects. This, following GOP-frontrunner Donald Trump indicating that he'd authorize waterboarding and "far worse" forms of torture against suspected terrorists as president.

Colonel Cedric Leighton founded his consultancy in 2010, after serving in the US Air Force for 26 years as an Intelligence Officer and attaining the rank of Colonel.

He has held assignments all around the world and at every level of command, to include tactical deployed units, the US Special Operations Command, national agencies, as well as the Joint Staff in the Pentagon.

As of November 2015, Colonel Leighton acquired his new position as a Military Analyst for CNN.

His Twitter handle is @CedricLeighton and his website is www.CedricLeighton.com.

(Image Credit: Martin Meissner/AP)

3-16-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Nicholas Wapshott, the Opinion Editor of Newsweek and an author.

We discuss the results of the 'Super Tuesday Part 3' primaries, and what they mean for each candidate's path to their party's nomination.
We also discuss the over saturation of Donald Trump in the media.

Nicholas Wapshott's newest book is titled "The Sphinx: Franklin Roosevelt, the Isolationists, and the Road to World War II." The book is available at www.wwnorton.com/books and Amazon.com.
His Twitter handle is @NWapshott.

(Image Credit: Nigel Parry/CNN)

"The Mark and Mike Show" Podcast #5 - 3-11-16

Co-hosts Mark Grimaldi and Mike Klanac discuss diet and exercise in your 30s.

Subtopics covered are:
-Mark and Mike's own personal struggles with weight gain
-What strategies and and programs they've tried using to lose weight. Which worked and which didn't
-Eating healthy takes work
-Overeating
-Finding time for exercise
-What exercises work
-Sleep
-Supplements

Mark Grimaldi is the Executive Producer of "The Leslie Marshall Show," a National Radio Talk Show. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

Mike Klanac is CEO and Co-founder at GripeO, a Customer Feedback App. His Twitter handle is @MJKlanac. The Twitter handle for GripeO is @GripeO and their website is www.GripeO.com.

(Image Credit: www.MensHealth.com)

3-9-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Dr. Robert Shapiro, the Chairman of Sonecon, an economic advisory firm.
Dr. Shapiro is an internationally-known economist who has advised, among others, President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Jr., British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and then U.S. Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

We discuss Dr. Shapiro's blog post entitled "Donald Trump’s Chutzpah: His Tax Plan Doubles Down on Inequality and Gives His Own Company a Huge Tax Windfall" (http://tinyurl.com/go6bw6e)

Dr. Robert Shapiro's Twitter handle is @RobShapiro and his website is www.Sonecon.com.

(Image Credit: AFP/Getty)

3-9-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Bob Deans, director of strategic engagement for the National Resources Defense Coucil (NRDC).

We discuss two articles regarding Climate Change. They are "The mercury doesn’t lie: We’ve hit a troubling climate change milestone" (http://tinyurl.com/z8lv98e) and "Most Americans Disagree With Their Congressional Representative On Climate Change." (http://tinyurl.com/hjapcn3)

Bob Deans joined the NRDC in 2009, following a 30-year career as a newspaper journalist. He recently returned from Paris, where he attended COP21, the Paris Climate Conference.

The NRDC's Twitter handle is @NRDC and their website is www.NRDC.org.

(Image Credit: Dylan Petrohilos)

3-2-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University and a New America Foundation fellow.

We discuss Julian's piece for CNN entitled "Is Donald Trump another Barry Goldwater?"

Julian has published over five hundred op-eds, including his weekly column on CNN.Com. He has received fellowships from the Brookings Institution, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the Russell Sage Foundation.
His newest book is "The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress and the Battle for the Great Society."
Julian's Twitter handle is @JulianZelizer.

3-2-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Will Bunch, a veteran political journalist and author of the recent Amazon Kindle Single e-book "The Bern Identity: A Search for Bernie Sanders and the New American Dream."

We discuss Will's piece for "The Philadelphia Daily News" entitled "Forget 'Spotlight': There's a war against journalism."

Will Bunch is a senior writer for the Philadelphia Daily News and author of its popular blog, Attytood.

Will's Twitter handle is @Will_Bunch and the website for "The Philadelphia Daily News" is www.Philly.com.

(Image Credit: AP Photo/Steve Helber)

"The Mark and Mike Show" Podcast #4 - 2-26-16

Co-hosts Mark Grimaldi and Mike Klanac discuss drinking and fatherhood.

Subtopics covered are:
-Drinking to relieve stress and 'unplug'
-Personal Breathalyzers
-Are you a better or worse father with a 'buzz'
-How much to drink
-What to drink
-When to drink
-Hangover cures
-Drink recommendations

Mark Grimaldi is the Executive Producer of "The Leslie Marshall Show," a National Radio Talk Show. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

Mike Klanac is CEO and Co-founder at GripeO, a Customer Feedback App. His Twitter handle is @MJKlanac. The Twitter handle for GripeO is @GripeO and their website is www.GripeO.com.

2-16-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Nicholas Wapshott, the Opinion Editor of Newsweek and an author.

We discuss the politics involved in replacing Justice Antonin Scalia, as well as this past Saturday's GOP debate.

Nicholas Wapshott's newest book is titled "The Sphinx: Franklin Roosevelt, the Isolationists, and the Road to World War II." The book is available at www.wwnorton.com/books and Amazon.com.
His Twitter handle is @NWapshott.

(Image Credit: Tim Dillon, USA TODAY)

2-16-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Nick Mastronardi, CEO and Co-Founder of Polco.US, where he leads a team bringing tech and crowd-sourced policy analysis to public policy.

We discuss social media's effect on politics, good and bad practices when posting about politics on social media, as well as Nick's company POLCO.
POLCO is a collection of products and services designed to increase civic engagement, improve government transparency, and inform municipal governments of constituents’ input which, in turn, will help better guide public policy.

Nick Mastronardi's Twitter handle is @Mastro and the handle for POLCO is @Polco_US. The website for POLCO is www.Polco.us.

2-16-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Ian Millhiser, a Senior Constitutional Policy Analyst at the Center for American Progress and the Editor of ThinkProgress Justice.
Ian is the author of "Injustices: The Supreme Court's Nearly Unbroken History of Comforting the Comfortable and Afflicting the Afflicted."

We discuss the implications of a split Supreme Court (4 Liberals and 4 Conservatives) on a number of big cases affecting Immigration, Abortion, Birth Control, Unions, Re-Districting, Affirmative Action and Climate Change. These are covered in Ian's piece for ThinkProgress.org entitled "The Simply Breathtaking Consequences Of Justice Scalia’s Death." (http://tinyurl.com/z9kpv4a)

Ian's Twitter handle is @IMillhiser. The website for 'Think Progress' is www.ThinkProgress.org.

(Image Credit: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

"The Mark and Mike Show" Podcast #3 - 2-12-16

Co-hosts Mark Grimaldi and Mike Klanac are joined by POLCO Co-Founder Nick Mastronardi to discuss Politics on Social Media.

Subtopics covered are:
-The Good and Bad of Social Media’s effect on politics
-The lack of anonymity people in their 20s have when talking politics on social media compared to generations before them; and whether that is a positive or negative force
-Quasi-Anonymity online, and how that may be the best way for people to share ideas with some degree of credibility, but without fear of personal attacks
-How posting on different social media platforms affects the conversation
-How America's news changing from a public service to a profit driven business has injected opinions where facts should be, and how that has made it difficult for people to find credible information sources online to share

Nick Mastronardi is the Co-Founder of POLCO, has worked in the White House, for Amazon.com, and served our country as an Officer in the U.S. Air Force. The website for POLCO is www.POLCO.us.

Mark Grimaldi is the Executive Producer of "The Leslie Marshall Show," a National Radio Talk Show. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

Mike Klanac is CEO and Co-founder at GripeO, a Customer Feedback App. His Twitter handle is @MJKlanac. The Twitter handle for GripeO is @GripeO and their website is www.GripeO.com.

(Image Credit: The Odyssey Online)

2-10-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."
I'm joined by two guests to discuss the New Hampshire primary results and the race to become America's 45th President.

First, I'm joined by Michael Shure, a political correspondent for Al Jazeera America. Among the takeaways from the New Hampshire primary results we discuss are:
-Bernie Sanders winning Independents in the state by a 72-27 margin over Hillary Clinton, and how that might translate to a general election
-What the results mean for the 'Establishment' wing of the GOP
-How John Kasich is not moderate, but just seems that way at times when standing on a debate stage with the likes of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz

Michael Shure's Twitter handle is @MichaelShure.

Second, I'm joined by Brad Bannon, who runs Bannon Communications Research, which is a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns.

Brad and I talk about the broader issues of the Democratic and Republican primary races, including who the Democrats would have the best chance of beating in November.

Brad Bannon's Twitter handle is @BradBannon. His website is www.Bannoncr.com.

(Photo Credit: BostonGlobe.com)

2-10-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Ambassador Gary A. Grappo, who served numerous assignments at the State Department in Washington, D.C. as well as postings in Nicaragua, Portugal, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman (twice), Iraq and Jerusalem.

We discuss the implications of the Syrian city of Aleppo being almost completely surrounded by pro-Assad ground forces (backed by Russian airstrikes), including what is likely to happen to the 300,000 civilians in the city.
We also discuss how the Syrian Refugee crisis has affected the European Union.

Ambassador Grappo held a number of senior positions in the State Department including U.S. Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman; Minister Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and Charge' d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Recently, he was named a distinguished Fellow at the Center for Middle East Studies of the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.

(Image Credit: AlJazeera.com)

"The Mark and Mike Show" Podcast #2 - 2-5-16

Co-hosts Mark Grimaldi and Mike Klanac discuss maintaining and creating friendships in your 30s.

Subtopics covered are:
-Is it always essential to have, or "maintain" close "friends" - in your 30's and beyond?
-Maintaining friendships when at different points in your lives (i.e. Married with kids vs. Single without kids)
-It is every okay to "drop" a friend?
-Friends that your significant other does / does not like
-Making new friends
-The passing time of time and 'the 2 year rule'
-Friends as a selfish pursuit

Mark Grimaldi is the Executive Producer of "The Leslie Marshall Show," a National Radio Talk Show. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

Mike Klanac is CEO and Co-founder at GripeO, a Customer Feedback App. His Twitter handle is @MJKlanac. The Twitter handle for GripeO is @GripeO and their website is www.GripeO.com.

2-3-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Dr. Michael Hansen, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and the Deputy Director of the Brown Center on Education Policy.

We discuss America's record $1.3 trillion dollar student loan debt crisis, including how it got this bad, and how we might go about fixing the problem.

Dr. Hansen's Twitter handle is @DrMikeHansen. The website for 'The Brookings Institute' is www.Brookings.edu.

2-3-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Michelle Tang, who writes a blog for 'The Huffington Post' generally focused on politics and religion.

We discuss Michelle's article for 'The Huffington Post' entitled "Where Did the Republican Party Go?", where Michelle examines how the GOP has changed over the past 30 years on issues like taxes and policies and rhetoric toward women. (http://tinyurl.com/jqfd5zl)

Michelle Tang's Twitter handle is @Michelle_Tang. The website for 'The Huffington Post' is www.HuffingtonPost.com.

(Image Credit: AP/Reuters/Gary Cameron/Joe Skipper/Jose Luis Magana)

Co-hosts Mark Grimaldi and Mike Klanac are joined by guest Karmen Klanac as they tackle the subject of cyber-bullying.

Topics covered are:
-How prevalent is cyber-bullying
-How does it compare to in-person bullying
-Do cyberbullies mean to cause harm to others (and do they know the harm they cause)
-Why do most victims of cyberbullying never report it
-What are some ways to protect kids against cyberbullying

Mark Grimaldi is the Executive Producer of "The Leslie Marshall Show," a National Radio Talk Show. His Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

Mike Klanac is CEO and Co-founder at GripeO, a Customer Feedback App. His Twitter handle is @MJKlanac. The Twitter handle for GripeO is @GripeO and their website is www.GripeO.com.

Karmen Klanac is Physician's Assistant at RediClinic, where she works in multiple types of medicine, including mental health.

(Image Credit: www.StompOutBullying.org)

1-27-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Brad Bannon, who runs Bannon Communications Research, which is a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns.

We discuss how former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg running as an Independent would affect the 2016 presidential race. They also discuss GOP front-runner Donald Trump refusing to participate in the Republican debate on Fox News due to Megyn Kelly being on of the moderators.

Brad Bannon's Twitter handle is @BradBannon. His website is www.Bannoncr.com.

(Photo Credit: Eduardo García)

1-27-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Ben Jacobs, a political reporter for The Guardian.

We discuss Ben's recent article for 'The Guardian' entitled "How the Iowa caucuses work: a confusing election process explained." (http://tinyurl.com/zboaqxs)

Ben Jacobs' Twitter handle is @BenCJacobs. The website for 'The Guardian' is www.TheGuardian.com.

1-20-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by John Nichols, a pioneering political blogger, who has written the Beat since 1999.

We discuss John's recent article for 'The Nation' entitled "Outcry Over the Austerity Crisis in Flint Grows." (http://www.thenation.com/article/outcry-over-austerity-crisis-in-flint-grows/)

John Nichols' Twitter handle is @NicholsUprising. The website for 'The Nation' is www.TheNation.com.

(Photo Credit: Eduardo García)

1-20-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Jonathan Cohn, Senior National Correspondent at the Huffington Post, longtime writer on social welfare and health care, and the author of the 2007 book "Sick: The untold story of America's healthcare crisis."

We discuss Jonathan's article for The Huffington Post entitled "Bernie Sanders Releases Health Plan And It's Even More Ambitious Than You Thought." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-health-plan_us_569c3ddde4b0b4eb759ecf51)

Jonathan Cohn's Twitter handle is @CitizenCohn. The website for 'The Huffington Post' is www.HuffingtonPost.com.

(Image courtesy of Bloomberg via Getty Images )

1-13-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Gabriel Thompson, Steinbeck Fellow in Creative Writing at San Jose State University and a contributor to The Nation.

We discuss Gabriel's recent story he published, "This Is What $15 an Hour Looks Like," which was supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, a nonprofit journalism group.

Gabriel Thompson's Twitter handle is @G_Thompson1. The website for 'The Nation' is www.TheNation.com.

(Illustration: Sho Watanabe)

1-13-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Dr. Candace Johnson, currently President & CEO, the Wallace Family Chair in Translational Research, and Professor of Oncology at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Mark and Dr. Johnson discuss the Vice President's push to spearhead a new initiative that aims to double the rate of progress in finding a cure for Cancer. We also discuss new and exciting areas of research being done to find a cure, including Immunotherapy.

The Twitter handle for Roswell Park Cancer Institute is @RoswellPark and their website is www.RoswellPark.org.

(Image courtesy of Evan Vucci/AP)

1-13-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University and a New America Foundation fellow.

Julian and I discuss how divisive America's current political system is, how that compares to our past, and if/when that will change in the future.

Professor Zelizer has published over five hundred op-eds, including his weekly column on CNN.Com.
He has received fellowships from the Brookings Institution, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the Russell Sage Foundation.
His most recent book, "The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress and the Battle for the Great Society" is available on Amazon.com.

Julian's Twitter handle is @JulianZelizer.

1-6-16

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by John Nichols, a pioneering political blogger, who has written the Beat since 1999.

John and I discuss what led to the Great Recession in 2008, and what Presidential candidates Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and (to a certain extent) Donald Trump have said they will do to prevent Wall Street from causing another economic collapse.

John Nichols' Twitter handle is @NicholsUprising. The website for 'The Nation' is www.TheNation.com.

(Image courtesy of www.DailyDot.com)

12-16-15

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Nicholas Wapshott, Opinion Editor of Newsweek and an author.

We analyze the GOP debate on National Security and Terrorism. This includes the battles between Jeb Bush and Donald Trump, Rand Paul and Donald Trump, Rand Paul and Chris Christie, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and much more.

Nicholas Wapshott's newest book is titled "The Sphinx: Franklin Roosevelt, the Isolationists, and the Road to World War II." The book is available at www.wwnorton.com/books and Amazon.com. You can follow Nicholas on Twitter @NWapshott, and myself @MarkJGrimaldi.

(Image courtesy of Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg)

12-16-15

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Bob Deans, director of strategic engagement for the National Resources Defense Coucil (NRDC).

Bob helps to breakdown the details of this past weekend's historic Climate Agreement reached by nearly 200 countries. The goals of the agreement are to tackle the threat of climate change and accelerate the shift to clean energy around the world.
Bob also explains why the move towards clean energy is not only good for the climate, but also presents huge economic opportunities for America and for the world.

The NRDC's Twitter handle is @NRDC.

My Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi.

(Image courtesy of AP)

11-23-15

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Nicholas Wapshott, Opinion Editor of Newsweek and an author. Donald Trump has risen in two National GOP polls following multiple hateful and xenophobic statements he's made since the terrorist attacks in Paris. Nicholas and I are joined by callers as we discuss what this says about today's Republican party.

Nicholas Wapshott's newest book is titled "The Sphinx: Franklin Roosevelt, the Isolationists, and the Road to World War II." The book is available at www.wwnorton.com/books and Amazon.com. You can follow Nicholas on Twitter @NWapshott, and myself @MarkJGrimaldi.

11-23-15

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined during the first portion of the hour by Jamie McDonald, the Founder of Generosity Inc. and the head of civic campaigns for 92Y, the Founders of #GivingTuesday.
Jamie helps to explain 'Giving Tuesday,' a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. She also gives some great examples of charity done during previous Giving Tuesdays. Finally, she provides some excellent ways that people can get involved in 'Giving Tuesday' this year.

Jamie's Twitter handle is @Genero_City and 92Y's website is www.GivingTuesday.org.

During the final portion of the hour, I'm joined by Ellen Ratner, the White House Correspondent and Bureau Chief for The Talk Radio News Service. She is also the founder of a wonderful charity called "Goats For the Old Goat," which is what we discuss during the interview. The organization give goats to returning former slaves and people in South Sudan because of the ongoing civil conflict.
Goats can graze easily on the grasses of Southern Sudan. They provide milk (up to a liter a day) and cheese. She goats multiply. Goats are used for food and their dung is used as fertilizer. By pooling resources, neighbors can begin micro-businesses as small dairies.

Ellen Ratner's website is www.goatsfortheoldgoat.com and her Twitter handle is @EllenRatner.

11-20-15

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show" along with Democratic Political Strategist Brad Bannon.

We discuss yesterday's comments by GOP front runner Donald Trump that, if elected President, he would require all Muslim Americans to register in a database and carry special IDs.

My Twitter handle is @MarkJGrimaldi and Brad Bannon's is @BradBannon.

(Image courtesy of Scott Olson/Getty Images)

11-3-15

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Marina Fang, an Associate Politics Editor at The Huffington Post.

We discuss President Obama's push for criminal justice reform. This includes executive action to 'ban the box,' which delays "asking questions about a job applicant's criminal history until later in the application process." (http://tinyurl.com/pratrap)

Marina's Twitter handle is @MarinaFang. You can read her work at www.HuffingtonPost.com.

11-3-15

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Kate Black, the Executive Director at American Women, an affiliated organization of EMILY's List.

We discuss why GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan is a massive hypocrite when it comes to Paid Family Leave. This is because after saying he wouldn't sacrifice time with his family to take the Speaker position, he has come out against regular Americans being afforded that same benefit through Paid Family Leave.
We also discuss the details of bill that was proposed by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called the "FAMILY Act," which would establish national paid family and medical leave.

Kate Black's Twitter handle is @KateBlackDC and her organization's Twitter handle is @AmericanWomen. Their website is www.AmericanWomen.org.

11-3-15

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Han Chen, the International Climate Advocate with the Natural Resource Defense Council’s International and Climate & Clean Air programs.

We discuss COP21, which is a crucial Climate Conference of 195 countries taking place at the end of this month. The goal of the conference is "to achieve a legally binding agreement, with universal participation among all nations, to keep global warming below what most scientists say is the critical threshold of 2 degrees Celsius of warming." (Source: http://tinyurl.com/ojpy2jv).

Han and I also discuss an article she wrote for the NRDC where she gave the countries that are participating in the conference 'Report Cards.' The report cards evaluate each country's national climate pledge ahead of COP21.
Here is a link to Han's piece - http://tinyurl.com/pdyoqma

Han's Twitter handle is @HanChen2010. You can read more of her work at www.NRDC.org.

I'm joined by callers as I discuss a group of Republican Presidential candidates threatening to boycott future debates if their list of demands is not met. This comes after many of the candidates were critical of the questions they were asked by CNBC moderators at the GOP debate last week.

11-2-15

I'm joined by Cliff Schecter, the Founder and President of public relations and political strategy firm, Libertas LLC. We discuss two ballot initiatives that Ohioans will be voting on tomorrow. Ballot initiative #3 would legalize Marijuana (recreational and medicinal), while ballot initiative #2 (a 'poison pill' put on the ballot by Republicans to sink Marijuana legalization) would allow a handful of political cronies to have the final say on all ballot initiatives.

Cliff explains the issue very precisely in his piece for Cincinnati.com. - http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/10/25/schecter-lawmakers-real-monopolists/74599930/.

Cliff Schecter has worked on campaigns or as a PR consultant for everyone from former President Bill Clinton to former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation.

Schecter is the author of the 2008 Bestseller The Real McCain, a columnist for The Daily Beast and sits on the Board of the Ohio Innocence Project.

Cliff's Twitter handle is @CliffSchecter. You can read more of his work at www.TheDailyBeast.com.

11-2-15

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Roane Carey, managing editor at 'The Nation.' We discuss the recent Syrian peace talks, as well as the United States sending about 50 special forces troops to Northern Syria to "train, advise and assist" local groups. We also discuss what the potential short and long term solutions to ending the war in Syria could be.

10-27-15

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Nicholas Wapshott, Opinion Editor of Newsweek and an author. We discuss the video of a white male police officer slamming a black female student to the ground with her desk still attached to her, and then flinging her across the room before handcuffing her. This is all because the student refused to leave the classroom after getting in trouble for using her phone during class.

Nicholas Wapshott's newest book is titled "The Sphinx: Franklin Roosevelt, the Isolationists, and the Road to World War II." The book is available at www.wwnorton.com/books and Amazon.com. You can follow Nicholas on Twitter @NWapshott, and myself @MarkJGrimaldi.

10-27-15

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show."

I'm joined by Dr. David Wallinga, a physician who is part of the NRDC's Food and Health team. We discuss a new report by the World Health Organization linking processed meats to Cancer, and what we should do about it.

You can find out more about Natural Resources Defense Council by visiting their website, NRDC.org. Follow them on Twitter @NRDC. You can follow Dr. Wallinga on Twitter @Food_Dr, and myself @MarkJGrimaldi.

10-6-15

During this hour I guest host "The Leslie Marshall Show" along with Democratic Political Strategist Brad Bannon.

During the first half hour we're joined by Roane Carey, managing editor at 'The Nation.' We discuss his piece for The Nation entitled "How to End the Civil War in Syria." (https://www.thenation.com/article/the-syria-crisis/)

During the second half hour, Brad and I are joined by callers as we discuss how to solve the massive problem of gun violence in America.

You can follow me on Twitter @MarkJGrimaldi and Brad Bannon @BradBannon.

Mark Grimaldi discusses #SCOTUS decisions on #HobbyLobby and #HarrisvQuinn with Brad Bannon and Julie Karant on 6-30-14

Mark Grimaldi discusses #MichaelSam with Brad Bannon and Pat Garofalo 5-8-14

Mark Grimaldi discusses #Congress with Brad Bannon and Julie Karant 5-5-14

Mark Grimaldi discusses McCutcheon vs FEC with Brad Bannon and Randy Borntrager on 4-7-14

Mark Grimaldi discusses ACA deadline with Brad Bannon and Hank Sheinkopf 4-1-14

Mark Grimaldi discusses getting money out of politics on 2-27-14

Mark Grimaldi explains why Campaign Finance Reform is necessary 2-13-14

Mark Grimaldi discusses #ImmigrationReform, #ChrisChristie & #Hillary on 2-6-14