American Heroes with Kathy Hoekstra

North Dakota farmer Cody Peterson wants to care for his land and keep his family farm productive. But he says federal officials are stretching decades-old wetland easements beyond their original terms, blocking water management needed to restore his soil. In this episode of American Heroes, Cody talks with Kathy Hoekstra about the toll on his farm, his fight with help from Pacific Legal Foundation, and why he left harvest behind to take his concerns to Washington.

When her father became seriously ill, Lindsay Hoopes returned to Napa to carry on the family winery. Now she’s fighting more than $3.5 million in fines and legal fees stemming from a dispute with Napa County over wine tastings and other winery activities. Lindsay joins Kathy Hoekstra to share what the battle has cost her family, why she continues to fight, and what’s at stake for the winery her father built.

Yi Fang Chen came to America as a teenager with limited English and went on to earn a PhD from Stanford. Now, she is challenging New York City’s specialized high school admissions policy and fighting to ensure that her children—and all students—have access to educational opportunities based on merit, not race.

In this special America 250 edition of American Heroes, host Kathy Hoekstra speaks with the leaders of Pacific Legal Foundation's four litigation practice groups about the enduring principles of the Declaration of Independence and how those ideals continue to shape the fight for individual liberty today. From equality before the law and property rights to responsible stewardship of natural resources and the separation of powers, this episode explores the founding ideas that remain at the heart of PLF's work 250 years later.

When their infant son developed a fever, Josh Sabey and Sarah Perkins rushed him to the emergency room. Just 36 hours later, child welfare and police officers arrived at their home at 1 a.m. and removed their two young children—without a warrant or court order. On this episode of American Heroes, Josh and Sarah share the devastating impact of that night, their fight to reunite their family, and why they chose to challenge the government's actions in court. Their case raises important questions about parental rights, due process, and the constitutional protections every family should be able to rely on.

Is a doctor’s call a crime?Can a doctor be punished just for speaking with their patient across state lines? Dr. Sean McBride joins American Heroes to discuss his challenge to California’s telehealth restrictions, which treat even routine virtual consultations as the “practice of medicine” requiring in-state licensure—turning follow-up care into a legal risk.

When a California law shuts down access to oil and gas, John Morgan’s family loses more than income—they lose a legacy nearly a century in the making. In this episode of American Heroes, John shares how SB 1137 wiped out the value of his property overnight and what his fight says about the future of property rights in America.

Small business owners Eva St. Clair and Rebecca Melsky know the real impact of tariffs—because they lived it. In this episode of American Heroes with Kathy Hoekstra, they share how their companies, Princess Awesome and Boy Wonder, were destabilized by unpredictable presidential tariffs—and how their courage in joining Princess Awesome & Stonemaier Games v. Customs helped secure a landmark Supreme Court ruling reaffirming that only Congress—not the president—can impose such taxes.Hear their personal story of struggle, triumph, and the fight to reclaim what was taken, and discover how standing up for constitutional limits can protect small businesses everywhere.

In this episode of American Heroes, host Kathy Hoekstra sits down with Pacific Legal Foundation Senior Attorney Christina Martin to examine the fight against home equity theft—when local governments seize far more than a homeowner owes in taxes. The conversation centers on Pung v. Isabella County, a case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, where a Michigan family lost their nearly $200,000 home over a $1,600 tax that never should have been imposed. The county sold the home at a steep discount and kept the proceeds, wiping out the family’s equity.Christina explains why cases like this represent an excessive and unconstitutional punishment, and how a win for the Pungs could set a nationwide precedent protecting homeowners from unfair government takings. Drawing on her decade-long career—and prior unanimous victories at both the Michigan Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court—Christina highlights why defending property rights is essential to protecting everyday Americans from government overreach.

On this episode of American Heroes, host Kathy Hoekstra speaks with Jamie Leach, a registered nurse and cofounder of Leachco, Inc., a family-run Oklahoma business that spent nearly 40 years creating safety-focused baby products trusted by parents nationwide. Despite a strong safety record, federal regulators targeted one of Leachco’s most popular products—not for a defect, but because it could potentially be misused.Jamie recounts how the Consumer Product Safety Commission refused to engage with the company, publicly labeled the product dangerous, and destroyed decades of trust almost overnight. Instead of going to a traditional court, the agency prosecuted Leachco within its own system and even appealed a favorable ruling to itself.The result was the closure of a small family business and an ongoing constitutional fight, now supported by Pacific Legal Foundation. Jamie warns that unchecked government power doesn’t just affect one company—it puts every small business at risk.