Mike Codella & Terris E. Todd: Duty Demands Proof

What does America owe the people who ran toward danger on September 11? And when government promises economic justice through marijuana legalization, who measures the results?

Today, Peter Vazquez welcomes retired NYPD Detective Sergeant and 9/11 survivor Mike Codella, who recounts rushing to the World Trade Center, surviving the collapse of the South Tower, and the importance of teaching duty, faith and history to the next generation. Codella also discusses his law-enforcement career and his forthcoming book, The Evil That Walked New York.

Terris E. Todd of Project 21 examines the promises surrounding cannabis legalization, the hurdles to Black business ownership, neighborhood concentration of dispensaries, public-health concerns and political accountability. Their conversation challenges the distance between a policy's stated intentions and its measurable outcomes.

Show notes: Mike Codella on 9/11, survival, public service and remembrance. The Evil That Walked New York and questions surrounding historic criminal cases. Terris E. Todd on Project 21, cannabis ownership and economic opportunity. The public-health and neighborhood consequences of legalization. Original broadcast: October 7, 2026. The Next Steps Show with Peter Vazquez. Putting People First.

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