Star Spangled Banter

Los Angeles is a city of dreams… but what happens when those dreams become unaffordable?In this episode, we sit down with LA City Councilmember & mayoral candidate Nithya Raman to talk about the REAL issues facing the city—from skyrocketing housing costs and homelessness to traffic, bureaucracy, and whether LA is… kinda broke.We get into:Why housing is the root of everythingThe truth about homelessness spendingThe politics behind “waiting your turn”Why LA might need a total system resetAnd yes… how we might fix the 405 (we’re skeptical too)It’s honest, it’s a little chaotic, and it’s exactly the kind of conversation LA needs right now.No official sponsor today—but if you’re currently paying LA rent, congrats, you’re already sponsoring like 3 landlords, a property management company, and probably someone’s third Tesla Timeline:00:00 – Intro & welcome back01:50 – Why LA is magical… but unsustainable04:23 – Can we FIX the 405??05:22 – What an urban planner actually does (The Sims but real life)07:12 – Running for mayor after endorsing Karen Bass 09:32 – The “wait your turn” culture in politics10:25 – Why local elections matter more than you think17:36 – “Dream differently” for LA’s future18:00 – Do rich people actually leave when policies change?19:07 – “Gentle density” explained20:31 – Reacting to Karen Bass’ housing plan24:14 – Homeowners vs affordability (the real tension)25:31 – Housing and homelessness are directly linked28:52 – Is LA… broke? 31:05 – LAPD budget & political influence33:28 – Why she decided to run Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Heather Gardner sits down with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed — physician, public health expert, and U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan — to talk about why healthcare shouldn't bankrupt you, what one day of war could actually pay for, and why there hasn't been a Democratic doctor in the Senate since 1969.They also discuss Medicare for All, the corporate capture of both parties, why Democrats keep losing the plot, and what it means to be "fantastically better, not just less bad." No corporate PAC money. No talking points. Just someone who actually knows how the system works — and how to fix it.See Star Spangled Banter on tour: https://beacons.ai/heathergtv --Join the Star Spangled Banter Substack for exclusive content and show info: https://substack.com/@heathergtvHeather Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathergtv/Star Spangled Banter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starspangledbantershow/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heathergtvYouTube: Subscribe to Star Spangled Banter Here: https://www.youtube.com/@heathergardner#michigan #senate #election #election2026 #medicareforall #healthcare #democrats #democrat Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.