While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 3 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and tie them to what’s actually happened so far. Project 2025 proposed to eliminate the Department of Education and divert federal education funding into universal school voucher programs, allowing public money to be used for private and for-profit schools. This would result in cuts to critical services and programs at public schools, including mental health counseling, school resource officers, after-school programs, reading/writing specialists, and services for students with disabilities. Classroom sizes at public schools would increase substantially due to the funding cuts, hampering the ability to provide a quality education. The plan also calls for the censorship of curriculum and book banning related to topics like racial equity, LGBTQ issues, and reproductive health. Private for-profit schools receiving voucher funds have been found to use substandard or misleading curriculum, including teaching that dinosaurs and humans co-existed and that slavery was not as bad as portrayed. Overall, the goal of Project 2025 is to end public education in the United States in favor of a privatized, deregulated school system, with devastating consequences for students, especially those from lower-income families and communities.

Based on the actual proposals and likely consequences above, the fictional based stories begin as Martha Sheakley, the principal of Southeast Middle School, faces the challenges of new controversial book-banning laws that require the removal of numerous classics from the library. As she meets with librarian Paige Parker, they express their frustration over the vague standards forcing them to censor popular titles, including works by Toni Morrison and Anne Frank. Martha is frustrated with the political landscape affecting education and the consequences of enforcing these new laws. Martha then attends a distressing meeting about school funding. Due to the government's shift to vouchers for private schools, public schools face severe funding cuts. She learns they must eliminate wrap-around services and support staff, including mental health counselors, after-care programs, and special education resources. These cuts threaten the well-being of students and the overall educational environment. The meeting exposes the deepening crisis in public education as more responsibilities are pushed onto families with lower income and fewer resources. After a day filled with painful decisions and meetings, Martha encounters law enforcement taking away censored books from the library, further highlighting the absurdity and tragedy of censorship in education. As the day ends, Martha reflects on the privilege of parents benefitting from the new policies while her own students and staff suffer the consequences.

In parallel, Marcus and other parents share their concerns about Blue Ribbon Academy, a new school that seemed promising but delivered a disappointing reality. They discover misleading curriculum materials that trivialize serious historical issues and provide an inadequate education. As they navigate their experiences trying to advocate for better education options for their children, they are met with resistance from the Blue Ribbon administration, which has no accountability to the public.

Despite their efforts, the parents ultimately face the grim reality that shifts in educational policy have sidelined their children, particularly those with special needs like Marcus's son, Jamal, who is deemed "not a good fit" for Blue Ribbon due to his ADHD. This reflects a larger trend of public schools becoming underfunded and unable to meet the needs of diverse learners as more families are funneled into less supportive educational environments.

We'd like to

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal-The Assault on Public Education

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 4 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and have the series author, pro-democracy advocate and the author of nine books, David Pepper, tie them to what’s actually happened so far.

In this episode of Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal, we see the real-life effects of this assault on unions and workers. In our fictional story, two legendary high school football players, Turk Foster and DeAndre McCollum, still relish their past glory. But they are struggling to navigate the rule changes proposed by Project 2025 that undercut the power of unions and tilt the playing field in favor of the employers to the detriment of employees. Turk struggles with his job as a union electrician as wages and job security diminish. He feels the weight of expectation on his son, who may soon forgo football to support the family by taking a job, previously off limits to teenagers in a plant in town. DeAndre’s wife, a nurse, has had her hours cut and has to cope with last minute schedule changes that disrupt their family life.

In the second half of the episode, Bruce Lipton, the fictional private equity executive, plays golf with his HR consultant Dudley Brennan. Their conversation reveals the ruthless cost-cutting measures undertaken by their firm, Bald Eagle Capital, and the broader privatized economy shaped by the election of Donald Trump and the deregulation as proposed in Project 2025. Dudley lists strategies like eliminating union protections, utilizing young workers—including hiring teenagers for hazardous jobs—and reducing overtime expenses. Despite his discomfort with these practices, Bruce feels pressured to comply with the aggressive corporate tactics that prioritize profit over worker safety and rights, reflecting an uncomfortable tension between his upbringing in a union household and the cutthroat world of private equity. The chapter concludes with Bruce's disillusionment leading him to leave the golf course, symbolizing his internal conflict over the ethical implications of his work. 

We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode: Wendell Pierce and Fisher Stevens who read the chapters and others who contributed character voices. 

Sound design by Marilys Ernst and Jonathan Moser

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal is written by David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.

Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The Ironworkers Union. More information at Ironworkers.org. [http://Ironworkers.org.]

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Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal Chapter 7 -The Brutal Attack on Workers and Unions

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 4 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and tie them to what’s actually happened so far. The story that leads off Chapter 6 captures the struggles of 12-year-old Alvaro and his mother in a fictional detention center in West Texas. Alvaro expresses his hunger to his mother, who is too weak to properly care for herself. As they navigate the deteriorating conditions of the camp—overcrowded with diminishing food supplies, hostile guards, and a sense of fear from both authorities and fellow detainees—Alvaro reflects on lost friendships and longing for better times. His mother’s health declines as she sacrifices for him, giving him her piece of bread despite needing it more herself. This highlights Alvaro’s growing awareness of their desperate situation. He learns from a friend, Manuel, about possible escape routes and decides to plan his own escape to ensure both his and his mother’s safety.

In the second half of Chapter 6, in a parallel narrative, soldier Jake Caldwell describes the chaos of the detention center from his perspective. As he witnesses the overwhelming influx of women and children, he feels the systemic failures of the camp. The environment strips away humanity, leading children to escape in search of freedom. As both narratives unfold, Alvaro attempts to escape the camp, filled with hope for a future where he can see his mother smile again even as Jake grapples with the moral dilemmas of his role in the oppressive system. Their stories intertwine themes of resilience, sacrifice, and the harsh realities faced by both detainees and guards in the unjust conditions of the camp.

We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode:

Mark Ruffalo and Andrea Guidry who read the chapters and others who contributed character voices. 

Sound design by Marilys Ernst and Jonathan Moser.

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal is written by David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.



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Trump's Project 2025: Update: Chapter 6. Mass Deportation Disaster

Bill interrupted his sabbatical in Europe to share his thoughts on the death of Pope Francis and who just might replace him. And how important that is for the Catholic Church, and the world.

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Bill's thoughts on the next Pope. From Bologna Italy

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 4 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and have the series author, pro-democracy advocate and the author of nine books, David Pepper, tie them to what’s actually happened so far. In Chapter 5, Part one, the fictional characters Congresswoman Louise Getty (a stand-in for Liz Cheney) and Senator Wade Stiller, former rivals, meet at the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. They reflect on their pasts and express concern over a hostile political climate under Trump’s second term, feeling fear and paranoia about being surveilled and targeted by the government. Their conversation reveals a sense of vulnerability as they confront the reality that many of their colleagues have abandoned principles out of fear. Louise recalls the intense political maneuvering and betrayals leading up to and following the January 6 insurrection.

In Part Two, Woody Nuxhall, the newly appointed head of the Treason and Political Crime Section of the DOJ, oversees his zealous young team of prosecutors, eager to pursue investigations and vendettas against political enemies. The group discusses tactics to surveil and undermine former colleagues and opposition figures, planning a strategy fueled by partisan loyalty and vengeance, while embracing a radical transformation of the DOJ's role in politics.

While these stories are fictional, they are based on Trump's own words and Project 2025.

We’d like to thank the artists who contributed their time to make this episode:

Richard Schiff and Morgan Fairchild who read the chapters and Jason Kravits, Tony Michaels, Jim Hilmes, Joe Walsh and Omid Abtahi contributed character voices.  

Sound Design by Marilys Ernst and Jonathan Moser.

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal was written by David Pepper and Produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod. 



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Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal. Chapter 5: The Department of Retribution.

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical, we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and to ask the author David Pepper tie them to what’s actually happened so far. This episode tells the fictional story of a middle school that opens its doors to unvaccinated students under a second Trump Regime as Trump eliminates Federal funding for schools with vaccine mandates. The story follows the school nurse, Stephanie Morris, as she navigates the influx of unvaccinated students and the resulting disease outbreaks that spread rapidly through the school and community. The narrative illustrates the real-world implications of the president's policy, with outbreaks of diseases like measles, whooping cough, and the flu causing hospitalizations and even deaths among vulnerable students and staff. The story highlights the challenges faced by the school nurse in trying to protect the health of all students, including her own daughter who has an autoimmune condition, without the backing of mandatory vaccination policies.

We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode: Laurie Burke, Leigh McGowan who read the chapters & Audrey Hakes, Joe Walsh, & others who contributed character voices. Sound design by Marilys Ernst and Jonathan Moser. Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal written by David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.



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Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal-Chapter 4: The End of Vaccine Mandates

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 5 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and tie them to what’s actually happened so far. In Chapter 3, the fact-based fictional story of Dr. Yvette Hardman and JJ Newsom depicts the dismantling of expertise and science-based decision making in the federal government under a second Trump administration guided by Project 2025. Dr. Hardman, an experienced infectious disease expert, is removed from her position at the CDC and replaced by JJ Newsom, an unqualified political loyalist with no relevant experience. This reflects Project 2025's plan to fill government positions with partisan appointees rather than nonpartisan experts. The new administration, in this fictional account and now in real life, rejects science-based pandemic response recommendations from Dr. Hardman instead prioritizing political and economic considerations over public health. This aligns with Project 2025's directives to limit the CDC's ability to make public health recommendations. The story highlights the Trump administration's hostility towards science and the displacement of experienced civil servants. Overall, the narrative illustrates how a second Trump term guided by Project 2025 would undermine the role of expertise and independent scientific advice in government, with potentially disastrous consequences for public health and safety.

We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode: CCH Pounder, Richard Schiff and Jason Kravits who read the chapters and Omid Abtahi, Laurie Burke and Joanne Carducci who did the voices. Sound design by Marilys Ernst and Jonathan Moser. Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal was written by David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.

Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The Laborers' International Union of North America. More information at LIUNA.org [http://LIUNA.org].

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Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal-Chapter 3: The Death of Expertise.

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 6 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and tie them to what’s actually happened so far. Chapter Two depicts the personal story of Eve, a nurse struggling with infertility, whose treatment is threatened by the new president's actions. The episode explores how the president's policies are impacting everyday Americans, particularly women and families, by interfering with reproductive freedom and the right to self-determination. The author of the serialized novel “2025,” upon which this podcast series is based, David Pepper, highlights how the fictional story is turning into fact, underscoring the very real and devastating consequences a second Trump term and the implementation of Project 2025 are having. You can read Chapter Two of David Pepper’s “2025: A Novel” at davidpepper.substack.com/p/2025-a-novel-chapter-2 [http://davidpepper.substack.com/p/2025-a-novel-chapter-2]

We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode. J. Smith Cameron read the chapter and audio finishing by Marilys Ernst. This series is produced by David Pepper, Melissa, Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman. Trump’s Project 2025: Up Close and Personal is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and the Bill Press Pod.

Today's Podcast is supported by The Ironworkers Union. More information at Ironworkers.org [http://Ironworkers.org]

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal-Chapter 2: The Threat to Reproductive Freedom

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 6 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and tie them to what’s actually happened so far. Chapter One depicts how the lives of everyday Americans would be impacted by the policies outlined in Trump's Project 2025 and the return of Donald Trump to power. The fictional story follows Ammon Maher, a college student and immigrant, as he is detained and deported without due process due to his involvement in past campus protests. This narrative directly reflects Trump's campaign promises and current actions to crack down on student protesters and his administration's policies that target undocumented immigrants. The author of the serialized “2025: A Novel” upon which this podcast series is based, David Pepper, highlights how these policies are being implemented right now. We hope the re-running and updating of the podcast series will encourage even more people to stand up to Donald Trump, strengthen our courage to resist, and lead to a total rejection of Donald Trump and the anti-democratic MAGA movement in 2026..

You can read Chapter One of David Pepper’s “2025: A Novel” at davidpepper.substack.com/p/2025-a-novel [http://davidpepper.substack.com/p/2025-a-novel]

This episode is supported by The United Food and Commercial Workers Union. More information at UFCW.org [http://UFCW.org]

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Trump's Project 2025 Chapter One Update: Deportation

Tarriff Debacle. Trump Defiant. Negotiation Ploy? Countries Fight Back. GOP is Nervous. Margin Slips in Florida Races. Musk Loses Wisconsin Race. Musk White House Turmoil. New Mothers Fight Johnson. Laura Loomer Flex. Booker’s Very Very Long Fight. With Sudeep Reddy, Senior Managing Editor at Politico, Nikki Schwab, Chief Political Campaign Correspondent at the Daily Mail and John Bennett, White House Correspondent at CQ Roll Call.

Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The United Food and Commercial Workers Union. More information at UFCW.org [http://UFCW.org]

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"It's All Just Nuts. "The Reporters' Roundtable. April 4, 2025

Deep dives into the crucial issues and emergencies facing America with the people trying to solve them.