Dr. Cindy Banyai interviews Ashley Bell, a physician assistant and longtime educator running for Congress in North Carolina’s 10th District, during the final week of early voting ahead of the March 3 primary. Bell says Roe v. Wade’s reversal pushed her into politics and highlights healthcare access, Medicaid funding, and provider burnout, calling for Medicare for All with interim steps like ACA subsidies and a public option, plus reorganizing how Congress handles healthcare. They discuss affordability, with Bell advocating a higher minimum wage, ending tariffs, and subsidized or free childcare to help families and workforce participation. Bell contrasts her direct, progressive messaging with establishment Democrats, warns about Trump’s foreign-policy escalation and Congress’s duty under war powers, and asks voters for turnout, visibility, and donations at ab4nc.com.

Donate to Ashley here.

00:00 Show Intro

00:36 Meet Ashley Bow

01:50 Why She’s Running

02:30 Fixing Healthcare

05:53 Medicaid Funding Gaps

07:00 Primary Race Dynamics

08:22 Cost of Living Plans

13:25 Bold Progressive Messaging

18:07 Foreign Policy and War Powers

22:30 How to Vote and Support

24:26 Closing and Subscriptions

Dr. Cindy Banyai hosts an episode of Dr. Cindy Speaks dated February 19, 2026, discussing why she calls Florida the most fascist state in the country and highlighting legislation moving through the Florida Legislature. She says lawmakers will not take up promised property tax reform, arguing cuts would disproportionately benefit wealthy property owners, exclude renters and young people, and create budget shortfalls that would worsen underinvestment in infrastructure, including roads and water systems. She contrasts property tax cuts with her campaign idea of a summer sales tax holiday to help Florida residents when tourism slows. She references Gaslit Nation and Andrea Chalupa, including the film Mr. Jones about Stalin’s genocide in Ukraine, and a discussion about the Nuremberg trials that concluded Nazi leaders were often opportunists driven by ambition rather than a specific mental disorder. She connects this to modern politics, describing opportunism, narcissism, and “win at any cost” incentives in the MAGA era, citing Byron Donalds and tech leaders’ shifts in response to Donald Trump. Banyai urges critical thinking, compassion, and conscientiousness as antidotes to authoritarianism, and then focuses on Florida bills she says consolidate power and favor developers, especially the “Blue Ribbon Projects” bills (SB 354 and HB 299), which she says reduce local control, limit environmental challenges, and curtail public input. She describes developer lobbying influence in southwest Florida, mentioning Ballard Partners and lobbyist Terry Miller’s role in local and state campaigns and a school board lobbying contract. She argues state preemptions have eroded home rule, giving an example involving Key West cruise ship restrictions and a state law preventing municipalities from regulating cruise ship docking. She also cites culture-war legislation such as banning pride flags and a bill she describes as “don’t say gay at work,” affecting recognition of identities and pronoun use. Benet says Florida’s militarization and expansion of policing differentiates it as fascist, citing DeSantis’ creation of specialized forces, an election integrity police force, and Florida’s universal 287(g) cooperation with ICE across all law enforcement and enforcement agencies. She warns about surveillance capabilities, including use of cameras to track protesters, and references Palantir and Peter Thiel moving business headquarters to Miami. She urges viewers to contact legislators about SB 354/HB 299 and HB 991, which she says would require voters to provide citizenship documentation to be re-registered shortly before a primary, and encourages continued voting and speaking out.

00:00 Welcome to Dr. Cindy Speaks (Show Intro)

00:35 Why I Call Florida the Most Fascist State

01:45 Florida Legislature 101: Session, Budget & Redistricting

02:19 Property Tax Reform Fizzles—And Why That Matters

03:27 Infrastructure, Dirty Water & Funding Government Right

05:47 Fascism, Opportunists & Lessons from Nuremberg

09:16 MAGA Politics as Ambition: Tech Bros, Byron Donalds & Power

13:55 Critical Thinking, Empathy & What Healthy Societies Reward

18:55 Developer Giveaways: The “Blue Ribbon Projects” Bills

23:23 Power Consolidation & Preemption: How Tallahassee Overrides Locals

29:28 Culture-War Bills: Pride Flags, Pronouns & “Don’t Say Gay at Work”

30:44 Florida’s Police State: ICE Agreements, Surveillance & Militarism

37:24 What You Can Do: Call Legislators, Protect Voting Rights, Keep Fighting

38:24 Support Independent Media + Final Thanks & Sign-Off

In the first episode of Season 4, Dr. Cindy Banyai discusses the political climate in Florida for the 2026 legislative session. She criticizes current developments under the Trump administration, highlighting authoritarian tendencies and the impact on Florida, the first state to adopt comprehensive 287(g) agreements. Banyai also examines local news coverage biases, problematic legislation in the Florida legislature, and the influence of powerful political families such as Jenna Persons-Mulicka. Tune in for her detailed breakdown of legislative issues like environmental control, fetal personhood, AI regulation, and more. Subscribe to Big Mouth Media for continuous insights into Florida's evolving political scene.

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00:00 Introduction to Dr. Cindy Speaks 01:02 Current Political Climate and Trump's Influence 02:03 Florida's Authoritarian Slide 02:59 Local Media and ICE Actions in Florida 04:56 Florida Legislature and DeSantis' Influence 07:11 Controversial Bills and Their Impacts 11:13 Jenna Persons Malika's Legislative Actions 12:48 AI Regulation and Political Power Plays 21:17 Property Tax Debate and Government Funding 26:27 Voter Registration and Suppression Tactics 28:59 Conclusion and Call to Action