Turn Signal

Rob and Patrick on Medicaid, Elon, Inequality, and the Fifth Element

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00:00 / 43:51

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Rob and Patrick met on June 11th to discuss politics and policy from the podcast studio at Union Market in Washington, DC. Patrick shares a story about his father’s reliance on Medicaid for memory care, illustrating how social safety nets affect middle-class families facing astronomical long-term care costs. We cover the Trump-Elon Musk feud, wealth inequality’s impact on democracy, and standards of behavior for the powerful versus ordinary citizens. We hit on the multiplier effects of social spending versus defense spending, and reflect on the 2024 election results. Hope you enjoy it.

Turn Signal

Steve Herman & the Voice of America – “The Hard Edge of Soft Power”

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00:00 / 46:09

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In this episode, we speak with Steve Herman, Chief National Correspondent for Voice of America (VOA) and former White House Bureau Chief, about the unprecedented shutdown of VOA in March 2025 after 83 years of continuous broadcasting. Herman explains how VOA served as America’s “soft power,” reaching 340 million people weekly through 49 language services and operating on a modest $250 million budget (equivalent to “two fighter jets”). He details VOA’s mission to provide accurate, balanced news to people living under authoritarian regimes or in regions lacking robust media infrastructure. We discuss the legal battles between VOA staff and their parent agency, with Herman arguing the shutdown violates Congressional intent and the VOA Charter. He shares insights on VOA’s importance in global diplomacy, its “firewall” ensuring editorial independence, and the concerning proposal to replace VOA content with One America News programming. Herman urges listeners to support the #SaveVOA campaign and contact their Congressional representatives to help restore this vital American institution.

Links & Resources:

• Steve Herman bio
• Steve Herman Substack
• Docket: WIDAKUSWARA v. LAKE, 1:25-cv-01015, (D.D.C.)
• Docket: RFE/RL, INC. v. LAKE, 1:25-cv-00799, (D.D.C.)
• NYT Tracker of lawsuits against Trump administration
• “Behind the White House Curtain: A Senior Journalist’s Story of Covering the President―and Why It Matters” by Steve Herman
• 5/7/25 Guardian article: “‘Maduro did not close our bureau – Trump did’: Voice of America journalists speak out”
• Article about Joseph Nye and “Soft Power”
• Buy REM’s Radio Free Europe fundraiser release
• W7VOA – Steve’s ham radio hobby page
• #SAVEVOA Campaign

Turn Signal

Introduction to Turn Signal

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00:00 / 18:01

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In this preview episode of the Turn Signal podcast, hosts Rob Pierno and Patrick Sullivan introduce their new show focused on revitalizing the progressivism and the Democratic Party after Trump’s 2024 election victory. The hosts share sample conversations: why economic policies fail to resonate with working-class Trump voters despite harming them economically; the scandal involving the Trump administration using Signal for classified communications and accidentally adding a journalist to the chat; Bernie Sanders’ critique of extreme wealth inequality, highlighting that Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg together have more wealth than half of all Americans; and a discussion on DEI (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion) initiatives and the resistance to them in corporate America and educational settings. The podcast aims to bring together progressives and generate ideas for winning future elections.