The Rick Smith Show

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works, about Trump’s national address, his escalating declaration of war on democracy, and how attacks on elections and Social Security fit the broader authoritarian project. Later, Margaret Poydock, Senior Policy Analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, joins to discuss EPI’s new report “The case for tripli...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Rebekah Caruthers, President and CEO of Fair Elections Center, about Trump’s latest primetime speech to the nation, why his ranting about “free and fair elections” is really about sowing doubt, and what she expects his whining to focus on. Later, Rachel Peace, Democratic congressional candidate in New Jersey’s 4th District, joins to talk about her...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with LIUNA organizer Taf Sourov about the East 42nd Street high rise in New York City that was at risk of collapsing after buckled columns and sagging floors exposed how an anti‑union developer and nonunion contractor cut corners and put workers’ lives in danger. Later, Mother Jones contributor Anna Rogers joins to discuss her recent article on fired federal workers sti...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Sam Ratner, Director of Policy at Win Without War, about the death of Trump’s Iran ceasefire, why the fragile truce finally collapsed, and what renewed escalation means for troops, civilians, and global stability. Later, Rich Ojeda, Democratic candidate for Congress in North Carolina’s 9th District, joins to talk about his campaign and how a district that cal...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with AlterNet Senior Digital Editor Sarah Burris about the sudden passing of Sen. Lindsey Graham at 71, his long role as a Trump ally, and what his death means for Republican politics and foreign policy going forward. Later, investigative journalist Greg Palast joins to dissect Graham’s legacy and connect it to the imploding Graham Platner saga and the broader crisis of...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works, about his new piece “Trump’s Latest Corruption: Hijacking Social Security,” arguing that, like the reflecting pool, the Kennedy Center, and even the White House, Social Security is a sacred American institution Trump is abusing for his own financial and political gain. Later, journalist and two‑t...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with DaMareo Cooper, Executive Director of Popular Democracy, about a day of action in Washington, DC marking the 158th anniversary of the ratification of the 14th Amendment and defending equal protection as the backbone of every civil rights victory in American history. Later, UFCW 3000 President Faye Guenther joins to discuss how to close the massive, widening inequality ga...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Aurelia Glass, Policy Analyst with the American Worker Project, about Trump’s NLRB and courts throwing out key remedies in unfair labor practice cases and what that means for workers trying to hold union busters accountable. Later, former OSHA official Jordan Barab explains the Supreme Court’s Trump v. Slaughter decision and how a patronage government will gu...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Jacob Thomas, Communications Director at Common Defense, about why Americans should be worried that the U.S. military is being turned into Trump’s branded fan club after his latest Fourth of July spectacle. Later, education policy expert Mark Weber joins to explain why Trump’s calls for “patriotic education” are a dangerous attempt to sanitize his...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with AlterNet’s Sarah Burris about Trump’s Fourth of July debacle, where extreme heat, storms, evacuations, and sparse crowds turned his “great” America 250 celebration into a weather‑cursed flop. Later, Bucknell economics professor Matias Vernengo joins to explain why workers are now getting the smallest share of the economic pie on record and what th...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Quentin Scott, Federal Policy Director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, asking whether liberals are really “coming for your AC” and if our planet can survive the next 250 years. Later, Eric Schultz, President of USW Local 7-1, joins to discuss BP’s illegal lockout, how to support locked-out oil workers, and why their fight matters for safety, c...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with labor lawyer David Borer and AFGE District 3 Vice President Phil Glover about the Supreme Court’s latest rulings and what they mean for federal workers, voting rights, and the balance of power in America. They dig into how the court has effectively said “destroy democracy but save capitalism,” and what unions and working people can do to push back.

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Lewis Crawford, Lead Negotiator for the Texas City Metal Trades Council, about the strike at Ashland Specialty Chemical and workers’ fight for real safety on the job. Later, Ready Frost from Carpenters Local 82 joins to discuss how young workers are organizing, demanding better standards, and changing America’s future by bringing new energy and expectations i...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with IUPAT General President Jimmy Williams Jr about the Great American DC State Fail and what the recent Supreme Court decision on Temporary Protected Status means for his members and their families. Later, Veronica Goodman, Senior Director for Workforce Development Policy at the Center for American Progress, joins to discuss their article “6 Things To Know About Vocat...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works, about why Democrats need to put the spotlight squarely on billionaires instead of cutting deals that hurt workers and retirees. Later, AlterNet’s Sarah Burris breaks down Trump’s latest stunts, from “Making DC Golf Course Great Again” to his failed attempt at a DC state fair in a city that ...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Wisconsin Representative Mark Pocan and veteran labor reporter Steven Greenhouse about what it will take to rebuild a prosperous working class in America. They dig into policy ideas, organizing strategies, and the role of unions in raising wages, restoring worker power, and strengthening democracy so that working families can share in the wealth they create instead of be...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Charlotte Brody, VP of Health Initiatives at the BlueGreen Alliance, about New York City’s new executive order establishing essential heat protections for workers and what it means for safety on the job. Later, Doug Pasternak, Research Director at the Trump Accountability Project, breaks down a Public Citizen report alleging Trump spent $11 billion paying federal w...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Acting VP of Policy and Government Affairs at POGO, about Trump’s reflecting pool debacle as the canary in the coal mine for disastrous policies and incompetent governance. Later, Guardian labor reporter Michael Sainato joins to share what he found on a recent trip to Toledo, Ohio, and Dearborn, Michigan, where workers are still struggling t...

On this episode of The Rick Smith Show, Rick talks with AlterNet Senior Editor Sarah Burris about Trump’s latest failures, from “Making Algae Great Again” to renewed tensions as the Strait of Hormuz closes once more. Later, Bucknell economics professor Matias Vernengo joins to discuss strategies for fighting inequality and what policies can rebalance the economy for working people facing rising costs and eco...