In this episode of Just Politics, the conversation explores the question: who can afford to get sick in the United States? Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word Rosanne Popp and Nancy Kwan, both medical doctors providing care through CHRISTUS Health, join the discussion to examine how healthcare access is shaped not just by medicine, but by policy, poverty, immigration status, food insecurity, housing, and community support.

Together, we look at what lies beyond individual responsibility to highlight the structural realities that make care inaccessible for many people. Myriad factors are at play, including the downstream effects of Medicaid changes, Affordable Care Act coverage gaps, and the ways poverty, food insecurity, and fear of immigration enforcement can keep people from seeking care. Popp and Kwan highlight the life-saving importance of preventive care, dignity, and community-based clinics that offer more than treatment—they offer safety, continuity, and compassion.

On this episode of Just Politics, Sister Eilis McCulloh welcomes Dr. Cathleen Kaveney of Boston College and Cecilia Flores of the Catholic Volunteer Network for a conversation about Catholic social teaching and why it matters in public life. They unpack what the church’s social teaching actually is, how it should shape the way Catholics think about politics and policy, and why relationship, human dignity, and the common good should inform civic engagement.

Cathy and Cecilia both make a strong case that Catholic social teaching is not just a set of ideas to know, but a way of seeing and living in the world. They also push back on overly binary political thinking and offer a more relational, both-and framework for faith-informed public action.

This latest episode of the Just Politics podcast takes a close look at the fragile and rapidly shifting landscape of voting rights in the United States. Host Eilis McCulloh is joined by Eliza Sweren-Becker, deputy director of the Brennan Center’s Voting Rights and Elections Program, and by Reverend Kendall L. McBroom, director of Civil and Human Rights at the General Board of Church and Society and an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Together, they examine the current state of voting rights, the impact of recent court decisions on the exercise of those rights, and how faith communities can support voter engagement and counteract suppression efforts.

In this episode, host Eilis McCulloh together with Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Patricia “Patty” Chappell, Sister of Saint Joseph Erin McDonald, and Global Sisters Report Latin America Regional Correspondent Rhina Guidos explore how love rooted in faith can transform unjust systems, inspire courageous action, and foster community in today’s polarized world. They share insights on responding to social issues with love, systemic change, and hope for the future.

As Medicaid faces severe cuts in the federal budget that will take health care away from millions of people, Laura Peralta-Schulte, head of NETWORK’s government relations team, discusses the life-saving importance of the program for its 60th anniversary. The program, which emerged as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s efforts to help people in the United States not just survive but thrive and which expanded greatly under the health care reforms under President Barack Obama, is now under serious threat.

This week on Just Politics, hosts Eilis and Colin welcome Laurie Carafone, NETWORK’s new executive director. She takes on the role of executive director at a perilous time in U.S. politics, especially regarding the treatment of immigrants. Recorded during just her second week on the job, this conversation offers insights into NETWORK’s new leadership as we enter an exciting new chapter of advocacy work.

Host Joan Neal returns to the interview chair for something that is becoming less and less common: an honest political conversation with someone who has strongly different views. Joan interviews prominent political figure and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who currently serves as an MSNBC political analyst.

Giovana Oaxaca, the senior government relations advocate for immigration with NETWORK, joins hosts Colin and Eilis to discuss the escalating immigration crisis facing communities nationwide.

In this conversation, Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould challenges faith leaders to “come off mute” and speak truth to power, moving beyond charity to working for real structural change. The hosts and Gould talk about grassroots organizing, how policy decisions affect people’s daily lives, and what it means to build spiritual practices that sustain long-term activism. The discussion concludes with a call to action for individuals disrupt the silence surrounding social injustices.

This week on Just Politics, the hosts revisit a powerful conversation from last season that feels more urgent than ever. Kristen Whitney Daniels—a disability advocate, diabetes educator, and associate director of the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph—joins us to talk about the moral and social consequences of stripping people of access to health care.

Rather than diving into our usual policy discussion, hosts Colin and Eilis pass the mic to a group of young men wrestling with one of the most pervasive forces shaping our political and cultural moment: toxic masculinity.

In this episode, longtime tax and budget expert Sarah Christopherson joins us to expose the political and moral cost of extreme wealth inequality.

Sister Janet Kinney shares how the Long Island Immigration Clinic stands firm, offering accompaniment and legal support even when the political tides are brutal. Click here to read the transcript on the US Catholic website.