At a time when our nation is portrayed as increasingly polarized, media often ignore viewpoints and stories that are worthy of attention. American Thought Leaders, hosted by The Epoch Times Senior Editor Jan Jekielek, features in-depth discussions with some of America’s most influential thought leaders on pertinent issues facing our nation today.                        

“What happened during COVID is exactly a perfect illustration of the harms of sacrificing some for the many,” says Leslie Manookian, founder and president of the Health Freedom Defense Fund.She played a pivotal role in getting her state of Idaho to pass the first legislation in the United States banning most medical mandates, including vaccines and masks.“One of my missions at Health Freedom Defense Fund, in founding this organization, was to educate the public and raise awareness about the importance of medical freedom, because I think it’s the most basic and fundamental of human rights—and then to codify that in law. And the Idaho Medical Freedom Act is the first step in that process,” says Manookian.In this episode, we dive into the volatile process of getting this bill signed into law, and discuss why Manookian believes Americans must be protected from being forced to undergo medical interventions—even if they are potentially lifesaving.“On the last day of the legislative session, we were able to insert … that no healthy, unvaccinated individual may be excluded from any educational entity or any business entity on the basis of a disease outbreak. So just because you’re unvaccinated, if you’re healthy, they can’t kick you out,” says Manookian. “In the last 50 to 70 years, somehow public health has started to intrude into private health, and I think that’s a mistake.”Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

American Thought Leaders

The First Legislation in America Banning Medical Mandates: Leslie Manookian

A recently leaked directive details the Chinese Communist Party’s strategy to respond to Trump’s tariffs.How is the CCP trying to leverage this moment? Will this be the end of China as the “factory of the world?”And what’s behind the purges in the military, the apparent removal of two Xi Jinping loyalists, and recent changes in top CCP leadership? Why did two top CCP officials recently swap positions?Joining us today is longtime China analyst and commentator Heng He.Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Leaked Directive Reveals the CCP’s Desperate Strategy to Survive the Trade War: Heng He

David Zweig is a journalist and author of “An Abundance of Caution: American Schools, the Virus, and a Story of Bad Decisions.” His book is a searing criticism of the policy to close schools across America during the COVID-19 pandemic. The result: Major lags in education achievement, a mental health disaster, and so much more that simply cannot be easily quantified.“How do we track what happened to that kid who could have gotten into college and instead is doing something else now? We don’t know exactly the kids who were lost, who just stopped going to school entirely.”And what was it all for?“They were sacrificed for nothing,” Zweig says.Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

How America Betrayed Its Children During the Pandemic: David Zweig

“I felt like I was a Rip Van Winkle therapist. I left my profession due to a health condition in 2017 ... In 2021, I came back, and it was radically different,” says licensed clinical social worker Pamela Garfield-Jaeger. “All the teens that I had worked with before had never talked about being trans, and then the new program I was working at, half the girls were identifying as trans.”Known as “The Truthful Therapist,” she is the author of “A Practical Response to Gender Distress” and is featured in the Epoch Times documentary “Gender Transformation.”How has the mental health profession changed in recent years? What’s behind the spike in teens identifying as transgender? Why has “affirmation” become the norm? What alternatives exist? What impact is the widespread prescription of antidepressants and other drugs having on teenagers?Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

The Epoch Times

American Thought Leaders by The Epoch Times

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