Somebody Should Do Something

In a fight to survive a terrible illness, Laura Packard took time out from chemotherapy and radiation treatments to lobby her senator and the Trump Administration to stop them from eliminating the Affordable Care Act, which she and millions of other required to get medical treatment to survive. Today Laura is a cancer survivor and has formed her own non-profit to help others speak out about their health care coverage experiences and bring about state and federal reforms.

In 2011, Mindi Callison learned about rampant commercial dog breeding in her home state of Iowa, the terrible conditions that many dogs routinely live in at in “puppy mills,” and the myths that trick the public into thinking they are buying well cared for, healthy animals at local animal stores. Mindy learned more and started local protests.

Now Bailing Out Benji, the organization she eventually founded, is a multi-state grassroots movement with a goal of ending puppy mills. The group has created detailed state maps showing the locations of puppy mills and brokers by county.
Learn how how to avoid purchasing puppies bred in puppy mills or backyard breeder operations.

Ellen Harley is a passionate defender of horses used in the carriage trade in Charleston, South Carolina. Harley and others founded Charleston Carriage Horse Advocates to raise awareness of the conditions that horses and mules must work under, which are some of the worst in the country. She also explains safety issues addressed under a new ordinance proposed to the City designed to protect both horses and people.

America’s political system is severely compromised by big money interests, but Daniel G. Newman is certain it’s a problem we can solve. After working on passing publicly funded elections in the San Francisco area, Daniel took his technical expertise and co-founded the non-profit MapLight. This organization exposes the influence of money on state and federal legislation and gives citizens resources and tools to bring about change. The group also focuses on uncovering digital deception on social media and other online platforms that can so easily mislead the public.

Somebody Should Do Something tells the stories of those American citizens – past and present – who have made or are trying to make a difference in the United States with their leadership on a specific issue or cause. Follow along on a narrative journey to learn about the issues they care so passionately about and why. You'll hear interviews/profiles of Americans working in four different areas: helping people, protecting animals, preserving the environment, and safeguarding our democracy. Subscribe now and listen to our first three episodes on Oct 20, 2020!