Hungry Kids, Hounded Workers, and Hollow Politics (w/ Apreill Hartsfield and Dr. Will Boyd)

This week, Josh and David are fired up about the disconnect between Alabama's real problems and its political theater. They kick things off with a blistering critique of the recent ICE raids in LA and the hypocrisy surrounding immigration.Then, they dive into the devastating numbers from the new Kids Count data book, which ranks Alabama 43rd in the nation for child well-being. Why is the legislature focused on banning books when 82 percent of 8th graders can't do math and thousands of kids are going hungry?To get answers, they bring on two fantastic guests. First, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Will Boyd shares his strategy for reviving Alabama and why he believes this election will be different. Then, Apreill Hartsfield of Voices for Alabama's Children walks them through the shocking data and discusses what it will take to create real change.Finally, the show closes with a heated debate over ABC's firing of reporter Terry Moran, forcing the question: In an era of misinformation, what are the true ethics of journalism?Key Topics & Timestamps:00:41 - Rant: ICE Raids & Immigration Hypocrisy29:45 - GUEST: Dr. Will Boyd on His Plan to Revive Alabama50:05 - GUEST: Apreill Hartsfield on the Shocking Kids Count Data1:22:15 - DEBATE: Media Ethics & The Terry Moran FiringGuests in This Episode:➡️ Dr. Will Boyd: Democratic candidate for governor of Alabama. Dr. Boyd discusses his platform, the challenges of running as a Democrat in a deep-red state, and his message-driven strategy to connect with voters on kitchen-table issues.➡️ Apreill Hartsfield: Alabama Kids Count director at VOICES for Alabama's Children. Apreill breaks down the sobering statistics from the 2025 Kids Count Data Book, highlighting the urgent crises in education, health, and economic security facing Alabama's children.Resources & Socials:➡️ Kids Count Data Book: http://www.alavoices.org🔵 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alpoliticsthisweek.com⚫ X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/alathisweek🔵 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alathisweekSupport the Show:👍 Like, Rate, and Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.⭐ Leave us a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.📧 Send us a question or a voice recording to [email protected]. We take a bit of time each week to answer questions from our audience about Alabama politics. Make sure you include your name and the city or county where you live.About Our Sponsor:Alabama Politics This Week is sponsored by Wind Creek Hospitality. Gaming is the heart of Wind Creek Hospitality, but they offer so much more. Wind Creek's 10 distinct properties in the U.S. and Caribbean — including four in Alabama — provide world-class entertainment, dining, hotel stays, amenities and activities. As the principal gaming and hospitality entity for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Wind Creek continues to grow and offer guests luxurious destinations and opportunities for escape.Music courtesy of Mr. Smith via the Free Music Archive.