Speak Up with Laurel Libby

Speak Up with Laurel Libby is on a mission to give everyday folks the insight and confidence to speak up and make their voices heard, in Maine and beyond.Each episode breaks down the issues of the day… separating fact from fiction, translating policy into plain language, and connecting local challenges to the national conversation. Through interviews, deep dives, and practical guidance, Speak Up empowers everyday citizens to become educated, get engaged, and take action for a stronger, freer future.

Speak Up with Laurel Libby is a news podcast hosted by Laurel Libby, with 17 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Laurel Libby hosts Speak Up with Laurel Libby, a news show with 17 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #15

  Transforming Education with Accountability and High Standards | Episode 15 with Mike Miles

  Aug 4, 20261h 16mS1

  Mike Miles took over Houston ISD (170,000 students, the largest district in Texas) in June 2023. The district was broken: 121 D and F schools, 1,900 chronically absent teachers, zero focus on instruction quality, financial chaos, and worst of all, kids failing year after year.In just three years, HISD transformed. From 121 D and F schools to nearly 200 A and B rated schools 13 of 20 state exams: above state average (previously zero) Reading and math proficiency gains three years in a row Teacher salaries: highest in Texas ($83K-$101K) Chronic absenteeism: from 1,900 absent teachers to near zero How?? With systemic, wholesale reform: New curriculum + direct instructio New evaluation + pay for performance Teacher coaching + daily support Real accountability + real consequences Speed: 85 schools completely overhauled in one summer Mike's message to Maine (and every state struggling with education): Kids are never at fault. Adults are the problem. Set high expectations. Move fast. Refuse excuses. Pay teachers well. Hold everyone accountable. The roadmap exists. The question is: are we willing?More about Mike Miles: Mike's book: "By Design: How to Transform School Systems" (Amazon) Paradigm Leaders Fellowship (training next-gen education leaders) Third Future Schools (charter-district partnership network) goodreasonhouston.org

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  Episode #14

  What Does it Take to Prosper? | Episode 14 with Owen McCarthy

  Jul 21, 20261h 24mS1

  Owen McCarthy grew up in a trailer on his grandfather’s land in Patten, Maine, the son of a logger and a school lunch worker. He became the first in his family to finish college, co-founded the Maine health-tech company MedRhythms, and this spring ran fifth of seven candidates in the 2026 Republican primary for governor. Owen McCarthy sat down with me in-studio for a post-primary look at why he ran, what building a company in Maine taught him about the state’s business climate, and the specifics of his Maine 2040 plan. In this episode: How MedRhythms uses foot-worn sensors and real music to help stroke and Parkinson’s patients relearn how to walk Why McCarthy moved the company from Boston to Maine, and what he says is the hardest part of building a health care company here McCarthy’s case for why young Mainers leave the state, and where Maine ranks for new business formation The campaign-trail issue McCarthy says he heard about most: electricity costs Maine’s record education spending alongside record-low reading scores The “smart bets” in McCarthy’s Maine 2040 plan, from maritime innovation to a state crypto framework This year’s AI data center fight in Augusta, and what McCarthy says it signaled to investors A constituent’s anger over the Gateway Community Services MaineCare fraud case McCarthy’s case for provider-to-provider telehealth and why he says “coverage is not the same as access” What McCarthy learned about Maine, and himself, in the 2026 primary About the guest: Owen McCarthy of Gorham, Maine, is co-founder of MedRhythms, a Maine digital therapeutics company. He grew up in Patten, Maine, was the first in his family to finish college, and holds an engineering degree from the University of Maine and an MBA from Harvard. He served as a University of Maine System trustee and on the American Telemedicine Association board, and was one of seven candidates who ran in the 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary. Please subscribe! Follow Laurel: X www.x.com/Laurel_LibbyFacebook https://www.facebook.com/LaurelLibbyMEHouse Follow Lead Maine: X www.x.com/lead_maine Facebook www.facebook.com/leadmaine More on www.leadmaine.com

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  Episode #13

  Living in Faith, Freedom, and Service in Downeast Maine

  Jul 7, 20261h 6mS1

  Maddy Curtis is in her early twenties, a homesteader in training from Washington County, and she came to politics through history, not headlines. In this conversation, we talk about why no single election decides everything, finding common ground across deep divides, and what a grounded life looks like in modern Maine. What you'll hear: Why Maddy believes Maine is turning around over the long haul, not in one election William Wilberforce and the case for patience in politics George Washington's secret Culper spy ring, the young heroes history forgot How to disagree without writing people off (including working with the ACLU) Wholesome living, homesteading, and where our food really comes from About Maddy Curtis: A member of the Washington County Republicans, recently elected state committeewoman, and head organizer of the Freedom's Legacy Conference. She lives in Pembroke, Maine. Resources: "Washington's Secret Six," Eric Metaxas, WallBuilders (David and Tim Barton), Drive Thru History (Dave Stotts) Subscribe: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@laurel_libby/videos | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/75Y2G40k0gWwFH6cncgiuW | Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-up-with-laurel-libby/id1870102672 Follow Laurel: X www.x.com/Laurel_Libby | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LaurelLibbyMEHouse Follow Lead Maine: X www.x.com/lead_maine | Facebook www.facebook.com/leadmaine More on www.leadmaine.com #SpeakUp #LeadMaine #Maine #MainePolitics #History

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  Episode #12

  MaineCare... Got FRAUD? | Episode 12 with Steve Robinson

  Jun 23, 20261h 15mS1

  Maine spends $1.4 billion a year on MaineCare, one of every four dollars the state spends. When a provider overbills, the state often calls it an "improper payment"... even if there is fraud involved... and lets the provider pay it back out of future claims. Steve Robinson of The Maine Wire explains how that works, and the two rules Lead Maine is asking DHHS to put in place.In this episode: How MaineCare became the largest and fastest-growing line item in the state budget Recoupment": how providers found to have been overpaid can repay out of future claims, with few criminal referrals Why low cost-sharing drives ER overutilization, longer waits, and lower quality for everyone The cross-subsidy in your paycheck: how low MaineCare rates push private insurance premiums up The two rules Lead Maine is proposing: in-person verification before billing, and a payment pause with escrow when improper payments are found Lead Maine is submitting petition signatures to DHHS to begin rulemaking on these two rules, with a public comment period coming this fall. Sign up at www.leadmaine.com to be notified when it opens. About Steve Robinson: Editor-in-Chief of The Maine Wire, the leading source of investigative reporting on MaineCare fraud, waste, and abuse in Maine. www.themainewire.com The Robinson Report on Substack: www.AsMaineGoes.com Follow Steve Robinson on X: www.x.com/SteveRob Subscribe to Speak Up with Laurel Libby: ▶ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@laurel_libby ▶ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75Y2G40k0gWwFH6cncgiuW ▶ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-up-with-laurel-libby/id1870102672 Follow Laurel: ▶ X: www.x.com/laurel_libby ▶ Facebook: www.facebook.com/laurellibbyMEhouse Learn more about Lead Maine at www.leadmaine.com #SpeakUp #LeadMaine #Maine #MaineCare #DHHS #MainePolitics

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  Episode #10

  Speaking Up for Maine Moms

  Jun 9, 202638 minS1

  <p>What happens when a Maine mom who doesn't follow politics sits down with her state rep and just starts asking questions?<br>Libby Fotter, a homeschooling mom of four daughters from Auburn, joins Laurel for a conversation that covers how the Maine Legislature actually works, from the inside, for anyone who has ever felt like Augusta was happening to them without their input. No political experience required.<br>In this episode:</p>How Maine's Legislature is structuredWhat constituent requests actually look likeHow a bill gets writtenWho actually elects Maine's Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Treasurer (hint: it's not...

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