The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. 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. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is first joined by Tim Karr, Senior Director of Strategy and Communications at 'Free Press,' a nonpartisan organization fighting for your rights to connect and communicate.

The pair examines how Trump and his FCC pressured media organizations to remove Jimmy Kimmel from the airwaves, but also discusses how Americans banded together to make their voices heard in opposition to the authoritarian style actions.

Then, Brad is joined by Ana Valdez, President & CEO of the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC), which produces the annual U.S. Latino GDP Report. 

The two examine the contributions made by Hispanic Americans, as well as their population and economic trends, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Brad and Ana also talk about the repercussions from the Supreme Court decision that allows ICE to resume arrests in Los Angeles based on appearance, language, or type of work.
Drawing on the LDC's data showing Latinos as one of America's fastest-growing economic engines, Ana also released a statement emphasizing that the Court's decision carries consequences far beyond immigration enforcement:
"This is not law enforcement; it is racial profiling.
That is not how the Fourth Amendment is supposed to work. The Constitution requires specific facts, not a checklist of skin color, language, and job site.

It also ignores economic reality. Latinos are not on the margins of this country; we are a major growth driver. Our GDP reached $4 trillion in 2023, making us the fifth-largest economy in the world if measured independently. Latino incomes and purchasing power are growing about twice as fast as the rest of the country, and Latino consumer spending topped $2.5 trillion last year. Targeting people who look or sound Latino undercuts the workforce and the businesses that keep the U.S. economy strong for everyone. Profiling this workforce is economic self-harm.

And it ignores the community reality. Most Latinos are fully part of the American fabric. Ninety-four percent of Latinos under 18 are U.S.-born, and nine out of ten Latinos overall are citizens or lawful residents. Treating Spanish speakers or brown people as presumptive suspects means punishing citizens on their way to work and parents on school runs, not just the undocumented.

Enforcement of immigration law cannot come at the cost of civil liberties and human dignity.
America's economic future depends on treating Latinos as full and equal participants in our society, not targets of suspicion."

The website for Free Press is www.FreePress.net and their handle on BlueSky is @freepress.bsky.social.  Tim Karr's handle is @timkarr.bsky.social.

The website for the Latino Donor Collaborative is www.LatinoDonorCollaborative.org and their handle on X is @LDCLatino and Ana's handle is @LDCAna1.

Brad writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.'
He's on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His handle on BlueSky is @bradbannon.bsky.social.  

The Leslie Marshall Show - 9-29-25 - Trump's Attacks on Free Speech; Hispanic Heritage Month

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The Leslie Marshall Show - 9-29-25 - Trump's Attacks on Free Speech; Hispanic Heritage Month

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