American Heroes with Kathy Hoekstra

When a California law shuts down access to oil and gas, John Morgan’s family loses more than income—they lose a legacy nearly a century in the making. In this episode of American Heroes, John shares how SB 1137 wiped out the value of his property overnight and what his fight says about the future of property rights in America.

Small business owners Eva St. Clair and Rebecca Melsky know the real impact of tariffs—because they lived it. In this episode of American Heroes with Kathy Hoekstra, they share how their companies, Princess Awesome and Boy Wonder, were destabilized by unpredictable presidential tariffs—and how their courage in joining Princess Awesome & Stonemaier Games v. Customs helped secure a landmark Supreme Court ruling reaffirming that only Congress—not the president—can impose such taxes.Hear their personal story of struggle, triumph, and the fight to reclaim what was taken, and discover how standing up for constitutional limits can protect small businesses everywhere.

In this episode of American Heroes, host Kathy Hoekstra sits down with Pacific Legal Foundation Senior Attorney Christina Martin to examine the fight against home equity theft—when local governments seize far more than a homeowner owes in taxes. The conversation centers on Pung v. Isabella County, a case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, where a Michigan family lost their nearly $200,000 home over a $1,600 tax that never should have been imposed. The county sold the home at a steep discount and kept the proceeds, wiping out the family’s equity.Christina explains why cases like this represent an excessive and unconstitutional punishment, and how a win for the Pungs could set a nationwide precedent protecting homeowners from unfair government takings. Drawing on her decade-long career—and prior unanimous victories at both the Michigan Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court—Christina highlights why defending property rights is essential to protecting everyday Americans from government overreach.

On this episode of American Heroes, host Kathy Hoekstra speaks with Jamie Leach, a registered nurse and cofounder of Leachco, Inc., a family-run Oklahoma business that spent nearly 40 years creating safety-focused baby products trusted by parents nationwide. Despite a strong safety record, federal regulators targeted one of Leachco’s most popular products—not for a defect, but because it could potentially be misused.Jamie recounts how the Consumer Product Safety Commission refused to engage with the company, publicly labeled the product dangerous, and destroyed decades of trust almost overnight. Instead of going to a traditional court, the agency prosecuted Leachco within its own system and even appealed a favorable ruling to itself.The result was the closure of a small family business and an ongoing constitutional fight, now supported by Pacific Legal Foundation. Jamie warns that unchecked government power doesn’t just affect one company—it puts every small business at risk.

For decades, specialized wood from Alaska’s Tongass National Forest has shaped the sound of Steinway pianos and Martin guitars and strengthened everything from NASA wind tunnels to helicopter blades. Much of that wood comes from one family-owned mill: Viking Lumber on Prince of Wales Island. Now, a broken promise from Washington bureaucrats threatens to silence the saws and erase a legacy built on generations of grit and sacrifice.

On American Heroes with Kathy Hoekstra, Brian Wanner, president of Peters Brothers, shares how Pennsylvania regulators are automatically adopting California’s trucking emissions rules—without input from local lawmakers or businesses. These open-ended regulations could cost his company—and all Pennsylvania trucking companies—millions, forcing them to buy extended warranties for trucks they could service themselves.