Headlights: Voices from The Progressive South

SYNOPSIS: Democracy is hard. As John Adams said, "It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself." It's even harder when governments are corrupted by money and partisan chicanery. Which is why the nonprofit group Democracy North Carolina has been fighting for truly representative government in the state for more than 30 years. Jesse talks with Marques Thompson, the group's Organizing Director, about the work of organizing, advocating and educating voters on issues including redistricting, ballot access, and the outsize role of corporate interests. He also talked about the impact the recent wave of immigration enforcement across North Carolina could have on this year's elections. Also: Why Texas A&M is censoring Plato, Tennessee opts out of federal funding for summer food assistance for low-income children, and Louisiana gives up on redistricting this year. And a look at a new exhibition that celebrates the music of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. SHOW NOTES: "Louisiana will use challenged congressional map after Supreme Court declines to expedite ruling" Louisiana Illuminator "DeSantis calls April special legislative session on Florida congressional redistricting" Politico "Gov. Bill Lee declines to secure millions in federal funds to feed Tennessee kids during summer" Tennessee Lookout "How a secret recording of a gender identity lecture upended Texas A&M" Texas Tribune "Texas A&M restrictions on race, gender could affect 200 courses" Texas Tribune  Martin Peterson "Texas A&M Bans Plato (further updates)" Texas Nous Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising - Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: The political map of the South is full of interesting questions in 2026, some of which will be answered at the ballot box. In this preview of the new year, Jesse looks at some of the highest-profile races and the contenders facing off in them: Contests for governor and senator in Texas, a fascinating rematch in Alabama, a test of Georgia's purple-state status, and a high-stakes Democratic primary in Tennessee. Plus: As Carnival season kicks off, we check in on the home of the nation's first Mardi Gras celebration. SHOW NOTES:  "Texas Democrats fill every state and federal race on 2026 ballot, a first for either party" The Texas Tribune   "Texas Rep. Gina Hinojosa joins Democratic race to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott" The Texas Tribune "Texas AG Ken Paxton officially enters Senate race against incumbent John Cornyn, Rep. Wesley Hunt" KUT News "Jasmine Crockett explains stance on Israel and Gaza amid 'coordinated attack' on social media" The Grio  "State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt announces run for comptroller, dropping congressional bid" The Texas Tribune  "Raffensperger, who rejected Trump's false election claims, is running for governor" Axios  "Trump endorses Lt. Gov. Burt Jones for Georgia governor" Politico "Memphis state Rep. Justin Pearson to challenge U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen in 2026 Democratic primary" Tennessee Lookout "Mardi Gras in Mobile" Visit Mobile CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: 2025 has been a tumultuous and difficult year across the United States, and certainly here in the South. In a year-end episode, Jesse looks back at some of the major issues we've covered on Headlights, from immigration enforcement to redistricting battles to labor rights and electoral contests — with help from a selection of voices we've heard here. Join us for a quick look back, and a look ahead to 2026. Show notes:  Headlights Ep. 14: Florida's War on Immigrants Headlights Ep. 21: Guns and Sanctuary in the South Headlights Ep. 11: ICE in the Louisiana Heat Headlights Ep. 3: A Union Veteran  Headlights Ep. 25: The Heart of Texas Headlights Ep. 27: Looking for Progress in Texas Headlights Ep. 33: 'Can't Win' in North Carolina Headlights Ep. 8: Watering the Roots  Headlights Ep. 29: Signs at the Ballot Box  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: What do you do if you have to run for office in a district that was drawn so that your political party can't possibly win it? That was the situation Kate Compton Barr faced in a North Carolina state Senate race in 2024. Her solution: radical honesty. She told voters she couldn't win, and instead talked to them about the damage that rigged maps do to democracy. Then she and some partners launched the Can't Win Victory Fund, a political action committee dedicated to recruiting other candidates to do the same — all of it focused not on flipping districts but on redrawing the underlying maps, to allow for actual representative government. Jesse talked to her about that, and about her current political run for Congress — as a Republican. Also: the ongoing conservative makeover of public education in the South. Florida loses track of thousands of K-12 voucher students; the University of Alabama shuts down magazines for Black and female students; and the University of Texas at Austin comes under the sway of the state's far-right leadership. And as Hanukkah begins, a look at one of the oldest and most important synagogues in the country — Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, founded in Charleston, S.C., in 1749. SHOW NOTES: Can't Win Victory Fund Fair Map Fight Club "University of Alabama alumni organize fundraiser for suspended student magazines" Alabama Reflector 1956 Magazine Alice Magazine Florida audit of voucher programs "How Florida lost track of 30,000 students, a 'cautionary tale' for vouchers" Washington Post  https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/21/funding-did-not-follow-the-child-state-audit-displays-school-choice-woes/ "The Conservative Overhaul of the University of Texas Is Underway" The New York Times "Texas Republicans are redefining higher ed. It's creating confusion about free speech on campuses." The Texas Tribune "What a Democrat's victory in the Miami mayoral election may mean for Trump" Associated Press "Democrat flips northeast Georgia state House seat, pulling off special election upset" Georgia Recorder History of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: All eyes were on Tennessee's 7th Congressional District last week, where Republicans held onto what has been a safe GOP seat in a special election — but Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn cut the Republican margin of victory from 22 points in 2024 to under 9 points. The swing got the attention of political observers in both parties, who mostly agreed that it could spell bad news for Republicans in the 2026 midterms. We talk with Tennessee-based political writer and strategist Corbin Trent about what progressive candidates can learn from Behn's campaign, which focused on affordability and access to health care. We also look at an interesting election in Roswell, Georgia, an affluent suburb of Atlanta where a Democratic mayoral candidate ousted the Republican incumbent. Plus: a tribute to the late Steve Cropper, whose tasty, funky guitar riffs helped power Stax Records — and all of Southern soul music. SHOW NOTES: "GOP Frets 'Dangerous' Result in Tennessee" Politico "Super PACs have now spent $7 million in Middle TN U.S. House special election with a week to go" Tennessee Lookout "Republican Ousted by Democrat in Georgia" Newsweek  "Time Is Tight (Live 1970)" Booker T. and the M.G.'s  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

Hey guys,  A little bit of breaking news on the most recent episode.  We did an edit of the orginal production adding this bit in, BUT if you got this episode on release date it will not have included this edit so we wanted to make sure you had access to these details.   Thanks,  We'll talk to you soon.

SYNOPSIS: Jim Hightower has seen Texas politics from the ground up for more than half a century. From editing the progressive Texas Observer to serving as the state's unlikely Commissioner of Agriculture to writing syndicated columns and books, he has been both a participant and a savvy and often funny observer. And he's still at it! Jesse sat down with him at an Austin brewpub for a wide-ranging conversation about the Lone Star State's political past, present and future, the Democratic Party's corporate money problems, and why "populism" — a word and idea Hightower has long embraced — has circled back into the political mainstream. Also: A series of court orders across the South throw roadblocks (however temporary) in MAGA's political path. And a look at why the South was slow to adopt the Yankee idea of Thanksgiving.  SHOW NOTES: JimHightower.com "Court order striking down Texas redistricting map upends plans for candidates across the state" The Texas Tribune  "Judge temporarily blocks National Guard deployment in Memphis" Tennessee Lookout "Florida judge temporarily blocks transfer of downtown Miami land for Trump's presidential library" Associated Press "Appellate Court rejects Florida attorney general's request in Trump library case" Miami Herald  "For Decades, Southern States Considered Thanksgiving an Act of Northern Aggression" Atlas Obscura  Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day proclamation  "How Thanksgiving, the 'Yankee Abolitionist Holiday,' Won Over the South" Serious Eats CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: Wilderness and untamed landscapes loom large in the South's sense of itself. Southern history and folklore are full of tales of mountains and rivers, swamps and bayous. A new magazine called Southlands aims to explore the Southern outdoors, both literally and literarily. This week Jesse talks to Southlands publisher Boyce Upholt about our relationship to our natural surroundings — and about a new book Upholt has also written, about the history and destiny of the Mississippi River. Also: a look at public employees across the South who are fighting back in court after being fired or punished for comments about the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. And we check in on the First Voices Festival, a celebration of indigenous culture in Atlanta. SHOW NOTES: Southlands  'The Great River' Boyce Upholt Lawsuit against the University of Tennessee by Professor Tamar Shirinian  "Former Auburn University instructor sues school, says she was fired over Charlie Kirk post" Alabama Reflector  "Spartanburg County teacher's assistant claims wrongful termination over Charlie Kirk social media post" WYFF News  "Firing over Charlie Kirk post was unconstitutional, former Clemson professor claims in lawsuit" South Carolina Daily Gazette "Florida college employee fired after social media post about Charlie Kirk assassination files lawsuit" CBS News "Former MTSU dean, fired for social media posts about Kirk, sues school" The Tennessean "Judge temporarily restrains university from firing professor for post about Charlie Kirk" South Dakota Searchlight First Voices Festival  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: Democratic candidates romped in Virginia last week, and scored some significant wins in Mississippi and Georgia as well. What does that mean to politics in the rest of the South? It's complicated! That's why we asked Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson, one of the "Tennessee Three," to join us for some analysis and thoughts about the results. She tells us why she thinks the pushback against conservative dominance in the South is real — and what it can learn not only from Virginia, Mississippi and Georgia, but also from Zohran Mamdani's win in New York City. Plus: her thoughts on President Donald Trump's pardon of convicted felon and former Tennessee state House Speaker Glen Casada. In our arts and culture segment, we forward — from afar — to the 8th annual Beignet Fest this weekend in New Orleans. We're wondering what exactly Crawfish Etoufee beignet fries are. SHOW NOTES: "Blue wave rebuilds the House" Virginia Mercury  "Democrats end GOP two-thirds supermajority in Mississippi Senate. What does that mean?" Mississippi Today  "Democrats flip two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission" Georgia Recorder  Beignet Fest  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: What does it take to run an effective progressive political campaign in the South? This week, Jesse talks to political consultant Eva Posner of Evinco Strategies, who specializes in exactly that. She focuses on candidates from working-class and marginalized communities, and also helps train campaign managers and staffers — helping to build progressive political infrastructure in places that often lack it. Also: As wrangling continues over SNAP benefits during the federal government shutdown, we look at the importance of the food stamp program in the South, where one-third of its lower-income beneficiaries live. Virginia and Louisiana have put forward plans to cover any gaps for their residents at least through November. But Texas and Florida, whose residents together receive about $1.1 billion a month in SNAP funding, have no plans at all. Plus: A look at the 1924 exhibition in Jacksonville, Fla., that helped introduce Modern art to the South. SHOW NOTES: Evinco Strategies "SNAP: Key Statistics and Research" U.S. Department of Agriculture  SNAP benefits by state  "The loss of SNAP benefits could have ripple effects across the economy" Marketplace  "The Armory South" MOCA Jacksonville CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: What are the prospects for progress in Texas? Who better to ask than Progress Texas? This week Jesse talks to Chris Mosser, a veteran broadcaster who reports for the nonprofit media platform. They talk Lone Star politics, including this year's redistricting fight and names to watch in next year's elections. Also: how Florida sugar barons are capitalizing on their relationship with Trump; an Alabama school for LGBTQ students has to revise its mission to keep its charter; and a Texas school district locks its libraries. In the arts and culture segment, we look at the origins and spread of Trunk or Treating — coming to a church parking lot near you! SHOW NOTES: Progress Texas "Meet The Florida Sugar Barons Worth $4 Billion And Getting Sweet Deals From Donald Trump" Forbes Magazine  "​​Coca-Cola's Trump-approved soda begins to roll out in the United States" CNN  "America's Addiction to Big Sugar Leaves a Bitter Aftertaste" The Heritage Foundation  Magic City Acceptance Academy "Magic City Acceptance Academy secures renewal from Alabama Public Charter School Commission" Alabama Reflector   Alabama Public Charter School Commission Meeting, 10/15/25 "Magic City Acceptance Academy and the cost of state-sanctioned bigotry" Alabama Reflector "A Texas District Has Just Banned Students from Secondary School Libraries" BookRiot "New Braunfels ISD libraries to reopen Monday, 81 books flagged for further review" KSAT-TV "What to know about trunk-or-treating, a trick-or-treating alternative" National Public Radio CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: A new report shines light on gun deaths in Tennessee. It shows that the state has high levels of both gun homicides and suicides — and they have risen as conservative legislators have rolled back gun safety laws. We dig into the data with its lead researcher, Beth Joslin Roth, and state Senator Heidi Campbell. Also: Mississippi this year declared a public health emergency as its infant mortality rate hit its highest level in a decade. It has the worst infant mortality in the country, but many other Southern states aren't much better. Health care advocates say it will only get worse if subsidies for coverage on the Affordable Care Act marketplace vanishes next year — which is one of the sticking points in the federal government shutdown. And we pay tribute to the great soul singer D'Angelo, and look at how his roots in Richmond, Virginia, shaped his music. SHOW NOTES: Tennessee Under the Gun  "Southern Lawmakers Say Infant Mortality Rates Could Worsen with Health Care Cuts" NOTUS  "Stats of the States: Infant Mortality" CDC  "4.8 Million People Will Lose Coverage in 2026 If Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Expire" Urban Institute and the Commonwealth Fund  "MSDH Declares Public Health Emergency on Infant Mortality" Mississippi State Department of Health  "The Legendary Ingramettes" Richmond Folk Festival  "D'Angelo Brought Virginia's Soul to the World" Justin Tinsley, Andscape  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: The redistricting fight in Texas set the stage for a national scramble to redraw congressional lines ahead of next year's midterm elections. Among those at the center of the battle was Texas state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, a leading progressive voice in the state Legislature and one of the Democrats who fled the state in an effort to block the Republican power grab. This week, we hear from Eckhardt about that, and about the broader fight for representation in the Lone Star State. The biggest obstacle she sees? A lack of engagement by voters who feel ignored and have tuned out. She has ideas about how to bring them back in. Also, we look at the deportation of a Latino journalist in Georgia; a fascinating primary emerging in Memphis, over Tennessee's only Democratic congressional seat; and how yet another redistricting case being heard by the Supreme Court this week could spell the effective end of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. In our arts and culture segment, we preview the LEAF Global Arts Festival in the North Carolina mountains this weekend — which is marking its 30th year, and possibly also its final one. SHOW NOTES: "Spanish-language journalist arrested while covering protest near Atlanta deported to El Salvador" Associated Press  "NAHJ expresses concern over deportation of journalist Mario Guevara" National Association of Hispanic Journaliss  "A Letter From Detained Journalist Mario Guevara" ACLU "Tennessee House primary puts Democratic Party's generational divide on display" Politico  "Supreme Court to hear arguments in pivotal case on the Voting Rights Act" SCOTUSBlog  LEAF Global Arts  "CNN Explores Recent Decline of Music Festivals" EDM Tunes CONTACT:  Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: In the South, the prospects for progressive causes and candidates can be daunting. But Corbin Trent thinks the answer is not to back down or dilute their messages — it's to take strong, bold positions on behalf of the region's working people. Trent has been fighting for progressive values for a long time. He was a cofounder of the influential PAC Justice Democrats, and served as communications director for New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. A native and resident of Tennessee, he is now the creator of "America's Undoing," a new media project that is developing an ambitious progressive agenda in response to President Donald Trump's MAGA movement — and to the paralyzing inertia of what should be the opposition party. He talks about what Democrats are getting wrong, and how to move forward. Also, we take a look at a recent dust-up at Tennessee State University, the state's only publicly-funded Historically Black University. Two white internet provocateurs attempting to follow in the late Charlie Kirk's footsteps showed up on the Nashville campus recently. The result was an entirely manufactured confrontation designed to create clippable content for sharing across the right-wing media. We take a look at the incident, and at the way that seamless ecosystem works to generate endless right-wing outrage and, increasingly, to set the the agenda for conservative politicians in our Southern states. Finally, a tribute to Norman Jones, who died last week — a legendary drag queen and bar owner who was for decades a central figure in Arkansas' LGBTQ communities. SHOW NOTES: America's Undoing Corbin Trent  "How to beat MAGA in 2026, 2028 and beyond" America's Undoing  "​​Charlie Kirk's Most SAVAGE Campus Moments of Spring 2025" Turning Point USA  "Tennessee governor signs into law a bill that vacates the TSU board" WTVF Nashville  "Norman Jones, drag legend and gay bar proprietor, has died" Arkansas Times  "Norma Kristie Performing at Miss Gay Fayetteville 1988-89"  CONTACT:  Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: Writer Alexis Okeowo grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, and then moved away from the state for college. She is a contributing writer for The New Yorker, and has reported from Africa and Mexico. She has returned to her home state as the focus of her new book, Blessings and Disasters: A Story of Alabama. In a conversation, she talks about her experience in the state as the child of Nigerian immigrants, the layers of history and connection she dives through in her narrative, and the whiplash nature of progress and backlash in the state. Also: measles spreads in Georgia; the consequences of South Carolina's abortion ban; and still hopeful signs for electric vehicle investment in the South. And our arts and culture segment looks at a striking new exhibit by Texas artist David-Jeremiah. SHOW NOTES:  Alexis Okeowo "DPH Confirms Three New Measles Cases" Georgia Department of Public Health  "Headlights Ep. 8: Watering the Roots"  "Georgia's Childhood Vaccination Rates Have Dropped. Doctors Are Worried." Atlanta Journal-Constitution  "How Public Health Outreach Ended A 1990s Measles Outbreak And What's Different Now" National Public Radio   "SC Senate bill is the most extreme, dangerous abortion ban in our history" Amalia Luxardo South Carolina Daily Gazette "SC lawmakers are playing politics with women's lives" Christine Glang South Carolina Daily Gazette "Transportation Electrification in the Southeast" Atlas Public Policy and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy "David-Jeremiah: The Fire This Time" The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: Leah Song of Rising Appalachia joins us this week to talk about music, activism and bringing people together in difficult times. Leah and her sister, Chloe Smith, founded the band nearly 20 years ago and have combined an embrace of many strands of Southern music — from Appalachian string-band to Gospel and soul — with a commitment to social justice. Also: The troops are coming to Memphis. President Donald Trump last week announced a deployment of the National Guard to Tennessee's largest, Blackest and poorest city, with the enthusiastic support of Governor Bill Lee and the state's Republican senators. We take a look at the history of military deployment in the South, and why this mission is different from those after the Civil War and during desegregation. And we check in on Fiesta, this weekend's celebration of Hispanic and Latino culture in Birmingham, Alabama.  SHOW NOTES: Rising Appalachia    "Trump Deploys National Guard to Memphis" Associated Press "Trump's Use of National Guard in Los Angeles Was Illegal, Judge Rules" BBC  Fiesta 2025 Birmingham, Ala.  "Immigration Will Likely Save Our Birmingham Region" Comeback Town CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: In the wake of the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week, blame flew in multiple directions. As usual, nobody on the right wanted to talk about guns. But Kirk's wasn't even the first newsworthy shooting of the day — there was a school shooting in Colorado a few hours earlier — or the first American political assassination of the year. This week we look at the issues of guns and gun deaths in the U.S. — and particularly in the South, home to some of the nation's loosest gun laws and highest levels of gun ownership. On gun safety, as on so many other issues, most of our state leaders are out of step with what the people of their states want. The conversation this week is with Katie Blankenship of Sanctuary of the South — a grassroots organization working across multiple states to provide legal representation for immigrants and havens for marginalized communities. She talks about the challenge of representing clients in the nightmarish ICE detention system — and about reclaiming the word "sanctuary" from right-wing scorn. And in our arts and culture segment, a look at this weekend's Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion. The music festival celebrates Bristol's history as "the Birthplace of Country Music" and spreads across outdoor stages throughout downtown. It also takes place in two states simultaneously — Virginia and Tennessee — because the state line runs through the center of the city. SHOW NOTES:  Sanctuary of the South "School Shootings in the U.S.: Fast Facts" CNN  Everytown for Gun Safety  "Gun Ownership by State 2025" World Population Review  "Firearm Mortality: State of the States" CDC  Charlie Kirk comments Media Matters  Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: Up until January of this year, several Southern states were among the leaders in clean energy production, with big investments in solar and wind power in Texas, Florida and elsewhere. Then came the Trump administration, with its hostility to renewable sources and championing of fossil fuels. This week, we talk to Steve Smith of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy about the status and future of energy production in the South — and the growing impact of massive new data centers and cryptomining operations, which are guzzling more and more from our regional grids. Also, we take a look at a trio of new laws in Texas that reflect the ongoing efforts of anti-abortion advocates to extend the state's total abortion ban outside its borders via novel legal mechanisms. If anyone thought religious fundamentalists were going to be happy with state-by-state abortion regulation, they were of course wrong. Our arts and culture segment previews this weekend's Mississippi Festival of Books, a celebration of all things literary in a state that punches way above its weight in producing great writers. Show Notes: Southern Alliance for Clean Energy "Stability in the Number of Abortions from 2023 to 2024 in US States Without Total Bans Masks Major Shifts in Access" Guttmacher Institute  "New Texas law requires hospitals support grieving families amid rising infant death rates post-abortion ban" CBS News "Texas bill allowing private citizens to sue over abortion pills clears Legislature" The Texas Tribune "City of Austin ends abortion fund to comply with new state law" The Daily Texan "Abortion Views in All 50 States" PRRI  Mississippi Festival of Books "Why has Mississippi inspired so many great writers?" W. Ralph Eubanks, America: The Jesuit Review  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: It's Labor Day, even in the South — the region of the country that has long been most hostile to workers' rights. From slavery through Jim Crow, from "Right to Work" laws aimed at weakening unions to low or nonexistent minimum wages, right-wing leaders in the South have long conspired to disempower labor. But in recent years a few fights — and some high-profile wins — have shown there's life in the Southern labor movement. In this week's holiday-abbreviated episode, we look at the state of play on the shop floor. SHOW NOTES: "They Moved My Job to Georgia" Peyton Hopkins "History of Prison Labor in the U.S." End Slavery Now "The Evolution of the Southern Economic Development Strategy" Economic Policy Institute "List of U.S. States and Territories by Income" Wikipedia  "Headlights Episode 3: A Union Veteran" "​​Just by having a union vote, Mercedes workers in Alabama won major concessions and proved the importance of worker power" Economic Policy Institute Union of Southern Service Workers "As a key labor union pushes into the South, red states push back" Stateline CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: Florida was once the swing state that presidential elections hinged on. But over the last few decades, it has turned redder and redder. This week we're joined by writer, educator and Progressive South board member Alfred Soto to talk about what has happened to his home state — and what (if anything) he sees that gives him hope. Also: School vouchers! As they roll out in ever more expansive forms across most of the South, we take a look at the shifting rationale behind them. First sold as a way to give options to low-income families, they are increasingly talked about in hazier terms of freedom for all — including wealthy families who already send their kids to private schools. Who's really benefiting from them? And in the arts and culture segment, we look at the desecration by the Trump and DeSantis administrations of a memorial to the victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre.   SHOW NOTES: "School Choice Facts & Statistics" EdChoice "A Betsy DeVos-backed group helps fuel a rapid expansion of public money for private schools" NBC News  "Kentucky voters rejected proposals to allow tax dollars to go to private schools" NPR "Tennessee to give more average per-pupil funding to voucher participants than public school students" Chalkbeat "Private school vouchers are now law in Texas. Here's how they will work." The Texas Tribune "Why Florida school vouchers can pay for Disney tickets, TVs while draining billions from public schools" WESH Private School Review "The Role of Government in Education" Milton Friedman "Florida removes rainbow crosswalk honouring Pulse nightclub victims" BBC News Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer response X.com "Only When I'm Dancing Can I Feel This Free" Alfred Soto (MTV News)  CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark  jmayshark@theprogressivesouth.org (865) 214-7764