The Real News: Recent Episodes
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The question of historical and present antisemitism is at the heart of Zionism, though not always in the ways supporters of Israel would believe. In the effort to shield Israel from criticism of occupation and apartheid, organizations such as the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance have attempted to advance a broad, sweeping definition of antisemitism that includes all criticism of Israel. Rebecca Ruth Gould, author of Erasing Palestine: Free Speech and Palestinian Freedom, joins The Marc Steiner Show for a discussion on this trend and its implications for Palestinians, the progressive Jewish diaspora, and the wider politics of identity and racism.
Read the transcript of this podcast here.
Studio / Post-Production: David Hebden
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While the Democratic leadership expends its energy squashing progressive agendas and candidates, a revitalized GOP is preparing to sweep back into full power. This time, the consequences of Republican rule could be far more devastating than anything previously seen. Political blogger and author John Nichols joins The Marc Steiner Show to discuss the right's 50 year march to power, the GOP's frightening agenda, and the ongoing failure of the Democrats to mount an effective defense.
Editor's note: This interview was recorded on August 10, 2022, prior to Liz Cheney's defeat in the Wyoming Congressional primary.
While the country waits with bated breath for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, it is becoming clearer by the day that this impending decision is part of a broader, reactionary push to undo decades of social progress and solidify the US as a hyper-unequal, theocratic, undemocratic fortress state. “All that we have fought for, from voting rights to reproductive rights, has been whittled away since the right began organizing its counterattack 50 years ago. We are entering dangerous and perilous waters, my friends...” So begins this special installment of The Marc Steiner Show, in which Marc speaks with Dani McClain and Susan Simensky Bietila about the right-wing war on women, bodily autonomy, and civil rights, the failure of the Democratic establishment to protect us, and what lessons we can draw from the pre-Roe days of abortion activism that can help us navigate a post-Roe world.
Dani McClain is an award-winning reporter whose writing focuses on race, reproductive health, and political organizing. She is a contributing writer at The Nation, a fellow with Type Media Center, and her writing has been featured in a wide range of outlets, including The New York Times, TIME, The Atlantic, Slate, Colorlines, EBONY.com, and The Rumpus. She is the author of We Live for the We: The Political Power of Black Motherhood. Susan Simensky-Bietila is a renowned activist, artist, and curator who has been producing radical artwork—including barrier-breaking illustrations for leftist newspapers like RAT and The Guardian—for over half a century. She lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and makes artwork in collaboration with movements for social justice advancing the causes of healthcare as a human right, public education, immigrant rights, Indigenous-led movements to protect water from mines, pipelines, and oil trains, and more. She has been a registered nurse for 49 years and worked for many years in OB/GYN care.
Tune in for new episodes of The Marc Steiner Show every Monday on TRNN, and subscribe to the TRNN YouTube channel for video versions of The Marc Steiner Show podcast.
Pre-Production/Studio: Adam Coley
Post-Production: Stephen Frank
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When faced with unlawful intimidation and interrogation from management at Trader Joe's, Alex P. and his coworkers stood together and stood up for their rights in the workplace, eventually securing a crucial victory with the National Labor Relations Board. In this deep and wide-ranging conversation, we talk with Alex about his life and work—and so much more. We talk about growing up with strict immigrant parents, graduating from college into a global recession, and the imprints our past jobs leave on us. We talk about the winding road that led Alex to his current job at Trader Joe's, and we discuss the events at Alex's store that pushed him to file a complaint with the NLRB and secure a settlement from the company.
Additional links/info below...
National Labor Relations Board, "Your Rights"
A message from Trader Joe's crew members: "Trader Joe’s crew members are organizing to make changes to the way the company does things from the local to national level right now. If you want to connect with us reach out here and you’ll be contacted by other workers fighting to make change and can get paired with experienced organizers to train and support you: Join other Trader Joe's Workers Taking Action!"
Alex Press, Jacobin, "Trader Joe’s Is Once Again Accused of Violating Workers’ Rights"
Brittany Shammas & Hannah Knowles, The Washington Post, "A Trader Joe’s Employee Called for Stronger Coronavirus Measures. The Company Fired Him"
Mary Pilon, Bloomberg Law, "Trader Joe’s Employees Say Virus Response Was Haphazard, Chaotic"
Michael Sainato, The Guardian, "Trader Joe’s and Other US Firms Suppress Unionization Efforts During Pandemic"
Kim Kelly, The Baffler, "Food Fight"
Erica Mildner, Jacobin, "Trader Joe’s Put Workers Like Me at Serious Risk During the Pandemic"
Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)
Jules Taylor, "Working People Theme Song"
Poly Action, "Black Smoke Cloud"
Ep 350
Young activist, Katie Fahey tells us the inspiring story of how she was able to organize a left/right coalition to end gerrymandering in her home state of Michigan. And Paul Hudson, the head of Flyers’ Rights tells us how and why the FAA has re-approved the faulty Boeing 737 Max.
Ep 352
Ralph welcomes the author of “Salt Wars,” Dr. Michael Jacobson, who explains how the food industry and a small group of scientists keep fighting government efforts to reduce dangerous levels of sodium in our food. Plus, fraud expert, Elliot Greenblott, tells us how we can protect ourselves from getting conned by Medicare scammers.
Why is it so hard for people to do the right thing? Ralph spends the entire hour with Amherst professor of psychology, Dr. Catherine Sanderson, discussing her book “Why We Act: Turning Bystanders into Moral Rebels.”
The National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice—whose mission is to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the justice system—reports that the rate of COVID cases in federal and state prisons is more than four times the national rate. Eddie Conway talks to Jose Saldana, director of Release Aging People in Prison, about the public health threat, why prisons and jails are hotbeds of contagion, and how punitive measures for infected prisoners are making everything worse.
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In this episode of "The Marc Steiner Show," Marc talks with David Zirin, author, sports editor for The Nation, and host of the “Edge of Sports” podcast, and Alejandro “Ali” Danois, journalist, author of “The Boys of Dunbar,” and producer of ESPN Films' “Baltimore Boys,” about the dilemma college athletes face in a deadly pandemic. Zirin and Danois discuss the fallout for college athletes as games continue (with politicians cheering on) while hundreds of players, many of whom are African American, test positive for the virus.
In the second segment, Marc talks with Margaret Flowers, director of Popular Resistance, co-host of Clearing the FOG, and former co-chair of the Green Party of the United States, and Andy Ellis, former co-chair of the Baltimore City and Maryland Green Party. We explore the dangers of being lulled into complacency by neoliberal rhetoric while substantive changes to address poverty, racism, global warming, and economic and social inequities remain off the table.
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Documents obtained by PAR reveal that medical waivers allowing police to administer Ketamine to arrest subjects are based upon questionable medical diagnoses.
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The arrest and prosecution of Texas resident Randal Thompson for drugs found in a car he bought at a police auction renew allegations of police profiteering and entrapment.
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Neera Tanden? Rahm Emanuel? Here’s the deal, Jack: President-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet picks and top candidates so far comprise a who’s who of neoliberal ghouls from the Obama and Clinton eras. We speak with political consultant Adriel Hampton and Jacobin staff writer Branko Marcetic about whether the battle lines have been drawn between progressives and establishment Dems.
Former Black Panthers Eddie Conway and Paul Coates talk about their new book, "The Brother You Choose," which delves deep into their friendship and their parallel lives as freedom fighters and family men, featuring an afterword from Paul's son, Ta-Nehisi Coates.
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Eddie Conway talks to the legal representative for Dawn Wooten, the whistleblower in the case of ICE detainees who were forced to have hysterectomies while in custody. Six of the victims who filed complaints have been now been deported.
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Billions are spent here in America on incarcerating the world’s largest prison population. We speak with Hawai’i Friends of Restorative Justice Director Lorenn Walker and TRNN Executive Producer Eddie Conway about what it would take, and what it would look like, to abolish prisons in the U.S.
We ask why police suddenly left all their tear gas and rubber bullets at the office while Trump supporters took to the streets for the Million MAGA March in Washington, DC. Core organizer for BLM DC April Goggans, journalist Chuck Modiano, and TRNN investigative reporters Taya Graham and Stephen Janis join Kim Brown for the discussion.
Drugs won big on Election Day, and the bipartisan divide on the war on drugs appears to be closing. With major strides in drug decriminalization and legalization taking place, we talk to Law Enforcement Action Partnership Executive Director Neill Franklin and NORML State Policies Coordinator Carly Wolf to explore how states are handling these measures and how it will impact us.
Remaining stunningly on brand, Donald Trump still refuses to concede that he lost the election, while his administration signals its intention not to relinquish power. Sociologist Taure Brown, political consultant and community organizer Marcus Ferrell, director Christopher Everett, and author Blake Hill-Saya join us for the discussion.
People with disabilities have loudly pointed out the ways our society and our healthcare system are made inaccessible to them. We talk to investigative journalist Justine Barron and founding executive director of Crushing Colonialism Jen Deerinwater about how the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the cruelty of these systemic exclusions and injustices, and we can no longer ignore the fact that denying disabled rights means denying human rights
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For four years, the endlessly dogmatic and conspiratorial presentation of these scandals has obscured clear abuses of power by the Obama administration while intensifying real existential threats.
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We're joined by Marilyn Vann, president of both the Descendants of Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes Association and African Indians of the 5 Civilized Tribes Foundation; Johnnie Jae, journalist and co-host of Decolonized News Hour; and Antonio Cosme, Indigenous activist, economist, and beekeeper from Detroit.
We look back on the history of Indigenous slave ownership, examine how that history influences anti-Black attitudes today, and discuss the push by Black Native Americans for Rep. Deb Haaland to urge tribes to honor the Treaties of 1866 requiring freedmen to be admitted to tribal nations as full citizens.
Burn It Down with Kim Brown returns live on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 5:00 p.m. EST!
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In the first segment of this week's Marc Steiner Show, we discuss how the left can make its voice heard in the incoming Biden administration with Bill Fletcher, a racial justice, labor, and international activist and author of numerous books, including "They’re Bankrupting Us!", and organizer and activist Shana East, a member of the Coordinating Committee for the Illinois Poor People’s Campaign and the founder of the grassroots campaign Illinois for Bernie.
In the second segment, we talk to Rennie Davis, one of the members of the Chicago 7 and the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, about "The Trial of the Chicago 7," recently released on Netflix.
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Indiana mother Jennifer Fleming speaks out about the brutal and excessive police dog attack on her 19-year-old daughter and calls for police to rethink how these animals and their handlers are trained.
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In the second episode of the Marc Steiner Show, DeRay McKesson talks about his victorious Supreme Court case against a police officer, and how the left has the numbers, but not the organization. Then, TaNesha Barnes and Dr. Lester Spence debate the best recourse for Black Americans after an election where 71 million voters actively supported—or ignored—Donald Trump’s racism.
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TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez interviews Ben Jealous, president of People for the American Way, about the media's rush to draw conclusions from 2020 exit polls and make sweeping generalizations about Black and Latinx voters.
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PAR takes a deep dive into the deliberately misleading rhetoric surrounding the 'Defund the Police' debate and uncovers data that reveals which political party really loves policing.
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In the premier episode of the Marc Steiner Show, as fears mount over political violence in the wake of the election, Dr. Nikki Taylor and Dr. Gerald Horne talk about the history of, and resistance to, fascist violence against Indigenous and Black communities in the US.
Virtuoso drummer Cindy Blackman Santana released a new genre-bending album in September, produced by Narada Michael Walden and featuring collaborations with husband Carlos Santana, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, and guitarist Vernon Reid. Cindy talks to Marc about our trying times and her music's place in them.
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Stir Crazy! Episode 93: Today we are joined by journalist, organizer, and founding executive director of Crushing Colonialism Jen Deerinwater, Miwok journalist and community organizer Desiree Kane, and journalist and community builder Johnnie Jae. Hosted by Kim Brown.
In the final sprint to election day, most organizers are laser-focused on the imperative of defeating the authoritarian threat represented by a second Trump term. Many are also focused on the work needed to drive us forward after election day, whatever the result, to continue to build the movements we need.
On this special episode of This is Not a Drill, hosts Adam Gold and Rishi Awatramani talk with some of the most important organizers leading ambitious strategies to not only win in November, but build a majoritarian movement for racial justice and radical economic democracy. Join us as we talk to Thenjiwe McHarris, Maurice Mitchell from the Working Families Party, Cindy Wiesner, a volunteer with the Frontline, and NTanya Lee from LeftRoots.
Organizations listed for identification purposes only. Views expressed on this show reflect those of the guests individually and not their employers.
Stir Crazy! Episode 73: Today we are joined by TRNN reporter Aman Azhar, journalist Justine Barron, TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, and TRNN editorial director Lisa Snowden-McCray. Hosted by Kim Brown.
Stir Crazy! Episode 72: Today we are joined by Maryland based consultant and organizer Brittny Baxter, Portland resident and activist Darren Golden, and environmental and climate justice organizer Anthony Rogers Wright. Hosted by Charles Lenchner. If you have comments/questions/suggestions email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
Stir Crazy! Episode 71: Today we are joined by journalist, organizer, and founding executive director of Crushing Colonialism Jen Deerinwater; Miwok journalist and community organizer Desiree Kane; and journalist and community builder Johnnie Jae. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have comments/questions/suggestions email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
Stir Crazy! Episode #70: On today’s show: TRNN reporter Aman Azhar, TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, and Action Now Chicago’s Deborah Harris. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have comments/questions/suggestions email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
Any strategy about the 2020 elections has to take very seriously the threats and attacks on particular groups and communities. Black, trans, immigrant, and indigenous folks, are organizing hard for radical change and to shape the outcome of the 2020 elections and beyond. In this episode of OrgUp's This Is Not A Drill, hosts Adam Gold and Rishi Awatramani talk with M Adams, Daroneshia Duncan-Boyd, and Judith LeBlanc to understand how groups are organizing to defeat Trump and Trumpism, end the long history of oppression and racist violence against their communities, and win a new world. Morathi Adams, Co-Executive Director of Freedom Inc Daroneshia Duncan- Boyd, Executive Director of Trans United Fund Judith LeBlanc, Director of Native Organizers Alliance
On today’s show: Director of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership Neill Franklin, Chinatown Collective founding member Leandro Lagera, and TRNN host Marc Steiner. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have comments/questions/suggestions email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
On today’s show: Managing Director for K-12 Education Policy at the Center for American Progress Dr. Khalilah Harris, Baltimore-based activist and recording artist Eze Jackson, and “Why You Should Give A F*ck” co-host Tunde Ogunfolaju. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have comments/questions/suggestions email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
On today’s show: TRNN reporter Aman Azhar and Executive Producer Lisa Snowden-McCray. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have comments/questions/suggestions email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
On today’s show: TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery and political commentator Marcus Ferrell. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have comments/questions/suggestions email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
On today’s show: Journalist, organizer, and founding executive director of Crushing Colonialism Jen Deerinwater, Miwok journalist and community organizer Desiree Kane, and journalist and community builder Johnnie Jae. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: Sociologist Taure Brown, YDSA Co-Chair Amelia Blair-Smith, and Michael Ratner Middle East Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies Khury Peterson-Smith. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: Sociologist Taure Brown, Chinatown Collective founding member Leandro Lagera, and climate and housing organizer Rachel Eve Stein. Hosted by Kim Brown If you have comments/questions/suggestions email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
On today’s show: Journalist Justine Barron, TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, and political commentator Marcus Ferrell. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have comments/questions/suggestions email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
What lessons does the long arc of Black political struggle bring to bear on the Bernie Sanders movement? In this moment of Black-led uprising, the shortcomings of the campaign are stark. And yet, Bernie's campaign popularized socialism and organized tens of thousands of people, many of whom are still in motion. What are the real lessons we should learn from the Bernie Sanders 2020 campaign? What lessons can be learned by examining the history and trajectory of Black political struggle? How has the terrain been fundamentally changed by the summer uprisings, and what impact will it have on the November elections? In this OrgUp exclusive, hosts Adam Gold and Rishi Awatramani tackle these difficult questions and more with Bill Fletcher Jr., Alicia Garza, Claire Sandberg, and Marcus Ferrell.
On today’s show: Activist and recording artist Eze Jackson and TRNN Executive Producer Lisa Snowden-McCray. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have questions/comments/suggestions for the show email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
Ralph reflects on the current unrest in the streets with Professor Michael G. Long, author of “We the Resistance: Documenting a History of Nonviolent Protest in the United States.” Then, he welcomes Middle East scholar, Juan Cole, to speak about Netanyahu’s plan to annex 30% of the West Bank for Israel. Plus, Ralph addresses listener objections to his use of the term “Moscow Mitch.”
On today’s show: TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, political commentator Marcus Ferrell, and political consultant Adriel Hampton, with special guest Ricarra Jones, MD/DC political director for 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers-East. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: TRNN climate reporter Aman Azhar and TRNN managing editor Marc Steiner. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have questions/comments/suggestions for the show email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
On today’s show: Action Now Chicago’s Deborah Harris and Detroit Action’s Branden Snyder. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have questions/comments/suggestions for the show email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
On today’s show: TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, Law Enforcement Action Partnership Director Neill Franklin, and “Why You Should Give A F*ck” co-host Genevieve Montinar. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have questions/comments/suggestions for the show email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
Ralph welcomes back Glen Ford from Black Agenda Report to discuss the ongoing protests over police brutality and the myth of the “warrior cop.” Then Lisa Gilbert, executive vice-president of Public Citizen, tells us what they are fighting to get into the next stimulus package.
On today’s show: Sociologist Taure Brown, political commentator Marcus Ferrell, and TRNN political editor Don Rojas. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have questions/comments/suggestions for the show email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
The big news—it’s the first regularly scheduled Working Life TV Show!!! View the show now and sign up at www.youtube.com/WorkingLifeWithJonathanTasini But, all our audio podcast listeners will still be able to hear the show in the long-time format.
The unemployment system is in chaos—jammed phone lines, crashing websites. People can’t get the checks they desperately need to pay for simple things like food, utilities and rent. So, I decided to devote the lion’s share of the show to dig into why this happening—and give concrete tips on how to access the system. Do not give up—that’s the message Judy Conti, government affairs director for the National Employment Law Project and I deliver in our conversation (and here are the slides we used in the video show!)
As hundreds of thousands of people are massing in the streets, we are inundated by a slew of corporate commercials and corporate statements from Amazon, News Corp and even from something called the Hedge Fund Association, all falling over to show enlightenment about racism, even embracing the slogan “Black Lives Matter”. But, as I explain in the show, once people win an unwinding of the militarization of communities and the unwinding of policing as it’s been done for decades, that’s only half the battle because the corporate PR bullshit is trying to hide the depths of how the corporate boot remains firmly on the neck of African Americans, and all Americans, but especially people of color.
On today’s show: Director of K-12 policy for the Center for American Progress Dr. Khalilah Harris and author and organizer Jesse Myerson. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have questions/comments/suggestions for the show email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
On today’s show: TRNN environmental reporters Aman Azhar and Steve Horn. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: Journalist, organizer, and founding executive director of Crushing Colonialism Jen Deerinwater, Miwok journalist and community organizer Desiree Kane, and journalist and community builder Johnnie Jae. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have questions/comments/suggestions for the show email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
On today’s show: Contributing editor of Black Agenda Report Danny Haiphong, “By Any Means Necessary” co-host Jacqueline Luqman, and TRNN managing editor Marc Steiner. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have questions/comments/suggestions for the show email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
On today’s show: Investigative journalist Justine Barron, The Progressive Army founder Ben Dixon, and TRNN executive producer Lisa Snowden-McCray. Hosted by Kim Brown.
The explosion of the largest urban rebellions in the US since the 1960s has sharpened the political and economic crises that were already unfolding. In the backdrop of all of these overlapping crises, November's election looms large, as Trump's promised escalation of state violence and his drumming up of authoritarian sentiments puts the high stakes of the general election into sharp relief. How do these urban rebellions and the state's violent reaction reshape the political terrain? What new capacities do we now have and what new challenges must we grapple with so that we may defeat Trump and grow our movements? How must we shift our 2020 strategy? Join us for the next episode of This is Not a Drill: LIVE as we talk 2020 political and electoral strategy in the face of uprisings, pandemic, and crisis. Hosts Adam Gold and Rishi Awatramani are joined by special guests Nelini Stamp, Jennifer Epps-Addison, Tami Sawyer, and Max Elbaum to discuss strategic questions facing left organizers at this crucial historical juncture. Guests: Nelini Stamp, Working Families Party Jennifer Epps-Addison, Center for Popular Democracy Tami Sawyer, Black Voters Matter Max Elbaum, Organizing Upgrade
The big news—it’s the first regularly scheduled Working Life TV Show!!! View the show now and sign up at www.youtube.com/WorkingLifeWithJonathanTasini But, all our audio podcast listeners will still be able to hear the show in the long-time format.
The unemployment system is in chaos—jammed phone lines, crashing websites. People can’t get the checks they desperately need to pay for simple things like food, utilities and rent. So, I decided to devote the lion’s share of the show to dig into why this happening—and give concrete tips on how to access the system. Do not give up—that’s the message Judy Conti, government affairs director for the National Employment Law Project and I deliver in our conversation.
As hundreds of thousands of people are massing in the streets, we are inundated by a slew of corporate commercials and corporate statements from Amazon, News Corp and even from something called the Hedge Fund Association, all falling over to show enlightenment about racism, even embracing the slogan “Black Lives Matter”. But, as I explain in the show, once people win an unwinding of the militarization of communities and the unwinding of policing as it’s been done for decades, that’s only half the battle because the corporate PR bullshit is trying to hide the depths of how the corporate boot remains firmly on the neck of African Americans, and all Americans, but especially people of color.
On today’s show: TRNN labor and politics reporter Jaisal Noor, “Why You Should Give A F*ck” co-host Tunde Ogunfolaju, and Executive Director of the New Georgia Project Nse Ufot. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, “Why You Should Give A F*ck” co-host Genevieve Montinar, and TRNN political editor Don Rojas. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: Executive director of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership Neill Franklin; author, historian, and professor Gerald Horne; and activist and recording artist Eze Jackson. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, contributing editor of Black Agenda Report Danny Haiphong, and “By Any Means Necessary” co-host Jacqueline Luqman. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have comments or suggestions for the show reach out to us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
On today’s show: TRNN investigative journalist Stephen Janis, “Smart Start Podcast” host Richard Snow, and TRNN executive producer Lisa Snowden-McCray. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have comments/suggestions for the show please email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
On today’s show: TRNN climate reporter Aman Azhar, “Why You Should Give A F*ck” co-host Genevieve Montinar, and TRNN managing editor Marc Steiner. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today's show: TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, Executive Director for the Law Enforcement Action Partnership Neill Franklin, and By Any Means Necessary co-host Jacqueline Luqman. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: Sociologist Taure Brown, Rattling the Bars host Eddie Conway, political consultant Adriel Hampton, and activist and recording artist Eze Jackson. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have comments or suggestions for the show reach out to us at stircrazy@therealnews.com
On today’s show: Holly Blue of Rent Strike 2020, political commentator Marcus Ferrell, and TRNN reporter Jaisal Noor. Hosted by Kim Brown.
Episode 183:
If I say that drug companies are sleazy leeches whose CEOs make millions of dollars while basically killing thousands of people who can’t afford outrageous drug prices, you’d shrug your shoulders and say, “yeah, well, duh.” Drug companies make these huge profits largely because of an absolutely insane system of patents, which you could stop with a change in the law. It’s especially important to get this idea in our heads right now with the rush to create a vaccine for COVID-19, which makes drug companies salivate over the prospect of pocketing huge profits for something that should be ours to own—which is what I talk about with Dean Baker, senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
Here is a prediction that I’d go to Vegas and bet a huge pile of money on: when it comes to making up big state budget deficits looming in the coming months because of the pandemic-caused economic crisis, and eventually in a year or two when the hand-wringers in Congress consider the pandemic-generated larger federal debt, it isn’t going to be rich people paying, nor corporations. It will be regular people.
Politicians will cut jobs and screw workers, cut pensions and screw retirees and cut school funding and screw children. This is all a consequence of bad tax policy over many decades—and Joe Biden is only making it worse by promising not to raise taxes on people earning less than $400,000 a year, which lets plenty of well-off people off the hook. Matt Gardner, senior fellow at the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, and I chat about Biden’s folly as well as the not entirely surprising hypocrisy of a Wall Street titan, Jamie Dimon.
I also reflect on the amazing and shocking news that the American Federation of Teachers dug into its own treasury and spent $3 million to buy 500,000 N95s, 50,000 face shields, and more than 1 million surgical masks to make sure its members—thousands of whom are frontline workers—do not get sick and die. Amazing because it shows the greatness of the labor movement. Shocking because it exposes how the country’s political leaders running the show are just deeply dysfunctional and incompetent.
On today’s show: TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery and “By Any Means Necessary” co-host Jacqueline Luqman. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: Founder and Executive Director of Faith Matters Network Jennifer Bailey, “By Any Means Necessary” co-host Jacqueline Luqman, and TRNN executive producer Lisa Snowden-McCray. Hosted by Kim Brown.
Episode 234
Ralph talks about how ending corporate tax giveaways and enacting a stock transfer tax can help the country recover from the recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic with first Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First and then New York State Assemblyman, Phil Steck. Plus, we pay tribute to a number of progressive activists and thinkers we’ve lost recently, including one of our favorite and frequent guests, the Green Cowboy, David Freeman.
On today’s show: TRNN climate reporter Aman Azhar, and co-hosts of upcoming new show “Why You Should Give a F*ck” Genevieve Montinar and Tunde Ogunfolaju. Hosted by Kim Brown.
What strategic opportunity remains for left organizers to build political power within the Democratic Party after Bernie? Are the Democrats in internal crisis, exacerbated by the broader health, political, and economic crises? And, how can we best fight the right wing? Join us for the next episode of This is Not a Drill: LIVE as we talk 2020 political and electoral strategy in the face of a global pandemic.
Hosted by Organizing Upgrade
Calling people “gig” workers is a subtle trap. “Gig” can sound anywhere from upbeat to just a mundane description. The truth is the “gig” economy is just another way of exploiting people and it’s a dream for all capitalists to have a pool of workers who can be used and abused at the beckon call of a supply chain or a big tech company, at the lowest cost possible. And not a surprise—lots of gig workers are at great risk during the pandemic. I explore the lives of “gig” workers in a conversation with Bama Athreya, an economic policy fellow at the Open Society Foundation and a veteran social movement activist.
The pandemic has put domestic workers at risk. Think of it logically: you can be locked down in a home with your client, essentially enslaved, with nowhere to go and no social distancing space. You could easily be trapped in a home, forced to stay inside because of a curfew, without personal protection equipment. Elizabeth Tang, the General Secretary of the International Domestic Workers Federation, joins me from her perch in Hong Kong to talk about the pandemic threats facing domestic workers.
My rant of the week is simple: we need to nationalize all payrolls. It’s breathtaking how badly the elected leaders of the country are handling the economic fallout of the pandemic, not to mention the medical crisis—it’s a bi-partisan catastrophe, with the worst human in the Senate, the wealthy Mitch McConnell, showing no rush to stop the implosion of millions of peoples’ lives, while Nancy Pelosi refuses to entertain Pramila Jayapal’s fantastic proposal to pay every unemployed person up to $90,000 on an annual basis while the pandemic rages.
On today’s show: Sociologist Taure Brown, TRNN executive producer Lisa Snowden-McCray, and TRNN managing editor Marc Steiner. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: Journalist, organizer, and founding executive director of Crushing Colonialism Jen Deerinwater, Miwok journalist and community organizer Desiree Kane, and journalist and community builder Johnnie Jae. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: Incoming TRNN Executive Director John Duda, PERI Gender and Care Work Program economist Katherine Moos, and Economic Update host and founder of Democracy at Work Richard Wolff. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: Rattling The Bars host Eddie Conway, Executive Director for the Law Enforcement Action Partnership Neill Franklin, and Police Accountability Report host Taya Graham. Hosted by Kim Brown.
EPISODE 181
Here’s a no brainer observation: It would be hard to find any areas of agreement between the AFL-CIO and Goldman Sachs. Well, I got one—it turns out that the AFL-CIO and Goldman Sachs, along with scores of heads of states, labor folks and business titans, are on the same page about one idea which hasn’t gotten a lot of attention—creating $3 trillion in grants for worldwide distribution by the International Monetary Fund to countries needing immediate financial aid to contend with the pandemic. You’ll learn all about this fascinating global tale in my conversation with Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
And speaking of money, Morris Pearl, the chair of Patriotic Millionaires, joins me to explain how we can free up $200 billion for badly strapped charities by just a little jiggering of the rules for philanthropic foundations who sock away tax break-driven contributions from rich people.
My rant for this week: to be sure, COVID-19 closed down retail stores lickety-split but the collapse of name brands like J. Crew was already in the cards—Wall Street pirates, especially private equity companies, had been looting big chains for years, piling on huge debt burdens that all but guaranteed scores of retail outlets could not weather an economic crisis. It’s an example of the way in which the pandemic has exposed even further the rotten so-called “free market” economic system.
On today’s show: TRNN climate reporter Aman Azhar, co-host of “By Any Means Necessary” Jacqueline Luqman, and TRNN managing editor Marc Steiner. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, political consultant and community organizer Marcus Ferrell, and managing director of K-12 education for the Center for American Progress Dr. Khalilah Harris. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: TRNN climate reporter Aman Azhar, The Progressive Army founder Ben Dixon, and TRNN Executive Producer Lisa Snowden-McCray. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: "By Any Means Necessary" co-host Jacqueline Luqman, TRNN managing editor Marc Steiner, and special guest History and African American Studies professor Gerald Horne. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, Chinatown Collective founding member Leandro Lagera, and writer and organizer Jesse Myerson. Hosted by Kim Brown
Episode 180
It is quite something to hear the elites in Washington—especially Republican members of Congress and the menace in the White House—blather on about wanting to wait to see how well the previous, inadequate fiscal stimulus works before deciding whether to do anything else. That’s while tens of millions of people are in the streets, huge lines of hungry people form every day across the nation and states and cities are on the brink of financial ruin.
States and cities not only employ collectively millions of people but, my god, their services—from education to just picking up the garbage—are damn essential. And you don’t need a computer to get that with the economy shut down and people sheltering at home, revenue to the states through incomes taxes and other taxes has nosedived. It’s just around the corner, folks: when there are gaps in local budgets, especially at the state level, they are coming after us with cuts pretty quickly to our services, our pensions and our communities.
I welcome back Meg Wiehe, deputy director of the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, to wrap our minds around this: Congress should make up any shortfalls states and cities face—and we should use this crisis to also fix the decades-long, deeply crazy, screwed up ideology that skimped on strong government in favor of low taxes for the rich and corporations.
Then, I circle back to what’s happening with poultry, hog and meat processing workers in a conversation with, Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail Wholesale and Department Stores Union, as we focus mainly about the crazed notion of forcing plants to open up even if COVID-19 is raging through the workplace.
On today’s show: Racial justice, labor, and international activist Bill Fletcher, Director of the Americas Program of the Center for International Policy Laura Carlsen, and TRNN political editor Don Rojas. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: Host of The Fade podcast Tunde Ogunfolaju, and sociologist Taure Brown. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: TRNN Executive Producer Lisa Snowden-McCray, “By Any Means Necessary” co-host Jacqueline Luqman, and special guest Center for American Progress Managing Director for K-12 Education Policy Dr. Khalilah Harris. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show Vanessa Bain of the Gig Workers Collective, former Amazon employee Chris Smalls, and Danny Spitzberg of the Tech Workers Collective. Hosted by Kim Brown.
What does it mean for left organizers to build independent political power after Bernie and in the middle of health, political, and economic crises? Join us for the next episode of This is Not a Drill: LIVE as we talk 2020 political and electoral strategy in the face of a global pandemic. Hosts Adam Gold and Rishi Awatramani are joined by an all-star guest line-up of Maria Svart, Ava Benezra, Andrea Mercado, and Jonathan Matthew Smucker to discuss strategic questions facing left organizers at this crucial historical juncture.
Infectious disease expert, Dr. Michael Osterholm, comes back to update us on the latest in the battle against Covid-19. And Naila Bolus, president and CEO of “Jumpstart,” joins us to talk about how the money spent on early education gives society a tremendous return on investment.
On today’s show: TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, TRNN Executive Political Editor Don Rojas, and “By Any Means Necessary” co-host Jacqueline Luqman, with special guests Peoples Power Assembly organizer and former Amazon worker Sharon Black, TRNN’s Rattling the Bars producer Ericka Blount, and activist Tawanda Jones. Hosted by Kim Brown.
EPISODE 179
There is no way to downplay the risks to U.S. frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic—and I’ve dug into that in the past month or so, in our various segments talking about workers in health care, postal service, hog and poultry processing, airlines, rail, and subways. It’s dangerous and frightening—and it’s exponentially more terrifying when you look at the global threat to workers.
Think about what tens of millions of workers in poorer countries, with far fewer resources, are facing. The images coming out of Africa, Asia and South America showing huge migrations of workers are mind-boggling—how do you even wrap your mind around how to achieve social distancing at bus depots in India, crammed with huge crowds of migrants, who are desperately trying to get home because they have nowhere to go as industries have shut down in the pandemic. Or, consider Haiti, the poorest country in this hemisphere—close your eyes and think of garment workers who pack into tap-taps (those are public minibus transports) to ride to factories that are teeming with people, that on a good day, are dangerous, risky places to work—and, then, arriving at a factory to find that the employer is forcing workers to sign a piece of paper that says if the worker gets sick that worker is legally responsible for their illness. Shawna Bader-Blau, executive director of the Solidarity Center, joins me to paint the global picture.
And, then, courtesy of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH), it’s the Dirty Dozen of the Corona Pandemic, and a few other dishonorable mentions—companies like Amazon and Tyson Foods who, surprise, put profits over the safety and health of workers, along with big corporate lobbyists who work hard to block paid sick leave. I chat with Peter Dooley, a National COSH leading workplace safety and health expert, about the Dirty Dozen, and we also discuss a model framework for how to make sure workers stay safe in the pandemic.
On today’s show: TRNN Digital Director Charles Lenchner. We’re also joined by founding member of the Chinatown Collective which hosts the Charm City Night Market Leandro Lagera and Democratic State Committeeman and activist from Manhattan's 66th Assembly District Ben Yee. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: TRNN Managing Editor Marc Steiner, TRNN Executive Producer Lisa Snowden-McCray, and special guest political commentator Marcus Ferrell. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On today’s show: TRNN Managing Editor Marc Steiner, TRNN Executive Political Editor Don Rojas, and special guest Sahar Aziz, director of the Center for Security, Race and Rights. Hosted by Kim Brown.
On the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day, Ralph welcomes environmental historian, Adam Rome, author of “The Genius of Earth Day: How a 1970 Teach-In Unexpectedly Made the First Green Generation.” And the Green Cowboy, S. David Freeman returns to talk about the state of the environment today. Plus, we debut a special song in honor of Earth Day.
On today’s show: TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, “By Any Means Necessary” co-host Jacqueline Luqman, TRNN investigative reporter Stephen Janis, and special guest DC consultant Dante Atkins. Hosted by Kim Brown.
Episode 178
Here’s a little riddle: What has 157 million daily delivery points, 35,000 offices and 500,000 workers? It’s your U.S. Postal Service, that would be the service that really is a democratic, small “d”, institution—it’s there for everyone at a reasonable cost, no matter where you live or who you are.
Putting it mildly, postal workers are frontline workers—and to pile the safety and health dangers on top of everything else, the service is facing a massive budget hole because of the collapse of the economy because, obviously, less commerce means a lot less stuff being sent via the postal service which relies on fees. I go in-depth on what’s happening to postal workers with the Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union.
And Jeff Bezos is up to his usual despicable behavior—the wealthiest human on the planet is piling up more money but at the expense of the safety and health of Amazon’s warehouse workers who are getting sick from COVID-19. Hundreds of Amazon workers stayed away from work yesterday to protest the dangerous conditions. Rachel Belz, an Amazon worker, joins me to discuss the uprising
On today’s show: Journalist and activist Jesse A. Myerson, climate organizer Rachel Eve Stein, and TRNN's Leandro Lagera. Hosted by Kim Brown.
Stir Crazy! on The Real News Network. Sports editor for The Nation Dave Zirin and digital consultant Beth Becker talk with TRNN Finance VP Leandro Lagera about the pandemic's permanent impact on the world of sports. Hosted TRNN's Kim Brown.
Episode #14 of Stir Crazy, on The Real News Network. On today’s show: The Left Ruins Everything! We’re happy to have special guest Carmen Russell-Sluchansky, a freelance journalist with experience covering National Elections. Also on the show: Jacqueline Luqman and Jaisal Noor. Hosted by Kim Brown
Episode #16 of Stir Crazy, on The Real News Network. Political consultant Marcus Ferrell talks with TRNN Climate Reporter Steve Horn and Executive Producer Lisa Snowden-McCray about how Big Pharma and others are taking advantage of COVID-19. Hosted by TRNN reporter Kim Brown.
Episode #17 of Stir Crazy, on The Real News Network. Today’s show is our dankest ever. We are joined by special guests and coauthors of "I Got A Monster: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Corrupt Police Squad" Baynard Woods and Brandon Soderberg, who report on cannabis policy for the newsletter The Outlaw Report. Also on the show Real News investigative reporter and host of The Police Accountability Report, Taya Graham. Hosted by Kim Brown.
EPISODE 177
The dinner plates of millions of people are soon going to be an interesting place to focus the mind on the balance between the desire to fill bellies with protein—poultry and pork, mainly—versus the worthiness of peoples’ lives, specifically the lives of the workers who process the chickens and hogs in plants across the country.
To put it bluntly, workers are getting sick and dying from COVID-19 just so millions of people can chow down some meat product at dinner. And those products may be harder to find because the virus is raging through food processing plants nationwide and fraying the supply chain from factory to plate. To get an on-the-ground report about the epidemic, I’m joined by Randy Hadley, the president of the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union’s Midsouth Council who has been working in the industry for over four decades.
Since today, April 15th, is normally tax deadline day, it’s a good time to look across the spectrum at how stimulus money—tax money—has been flowing, or should flow, and who should benefit. People and state governments, for example, need a lot more economic support, while CEOs and corporations should go to the end of the line, or, at least, every dollar should invested in a workplace should go towards keeping a worker on the job. And maybe there’s a silver lining down the road—a renewed belief that an effective, activist, well-funded government is a good thing. To unwind all this, I chat with Amy Hanauer, the executive director of the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy.
Episode #13 of Stir Crazy, on The Real News Network. On today’s show: What Hath Corporate Media Wrought! We’re happy to have special guest Baltimore based journalist Brandon Soderberg. Also on the show: Eddie Conway, Leandro Lagera, and Lisa Snowden-McCray. Hosted by Kim Brown
Episode #12 of Stir Crazy, on The Real News Network. On today’s show: Labour Party Madness! We’re happy to have a special guest, Steve Hudson. Also on the show: Steve Horn, Jacqueline Luqman, and hosted by yours truly, Kim Brown of TRNN.
Episode 318
Scholar and Bernie Sanders surrogate, Ramesh Srinivasan, joins us to talk about the need to regulate big tech while also sharing his thoughts about the end of the Sanders campaign. Then prominent Bay Area attorney, Joe Cotchett, explains why during the coronavirus lockdown, he has stopped collecting rent from the tenants in the commercial properties he owns.
Episode 317
Ralph welcomes Constitutional scholar Alan Hirsch to talk about how best - amid a pandemic - we can still conduct a legitimate presidential election. And labor writer, Steven Greenhouse, asks the question: Are our grocery deliveries worth a worker’s life?
EPISODE 175
The other night I was watching an episode of Season 3 of Ozark and there was a scene in which the mother, played by Laura Linney, walks out of a supermarket with her son, both of them pushing a shopping cart. My head went immediately to, without a thought: I hope they sanitized that bar on the cart where their hands were placed…and then a few seconds later I laughed. That is where our heads are at these days—but, for lots of frontline workers out there, it’s all very real, deadly real, terrifyingly real.
So, again, this week you are going to hear about those workers—today it’s health care workers and transit workers as I talk with the leaders of two very important unions: Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, which represents 180,000 health care workers, and John Samuelsen, the president of the Transport Workers Union, whose members work on the buses, rail and airlines all across the country. Perhaps not coincidentally, both of them are New Yorkers with a real feel for the pandemic bomb hitting that city.
The workers we are going to hear about—and this is not dramatic exaggeration—are getting sick and dying because of the pandemic, in no small part because of the malfeasance, ignorance and just plain simple “We don’t give a crap about workers” attitude that has meant a lack of equipment to protect folks from the virus.
When I have snuck out briefly in the past couple of weeks to safely get a few items at the supermarket, I made sure to thank the workers in the aisles and my cashier for being on the job, and I also tell them be safe and careful. They are supremely vulnerable to getting sick.
Those retail workers, who still have jobs despite many stores having closed down, are forced to show up at work, mainly because they have no choice—their boss hasn’t shut down and the workers need the paycheck because lots of them are like millions of Americans with very little in the way of an emergency cash cushion, and in lots of cases they have zero paid sick leave. Today, I speak with Dave Mertz, vice president and New York City director of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, about what’s happening in the lives of retail workers on the corona frontlines.
And speaking of bad employers—even without a pandemic Amazon is injuring workers and tossing them away like disposable units. Irene Tung, senior researcher and policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project, talks to me about a stunning new study she recently co-authored that looks at Amazon’s injury and turnover rates.
I wrap up this week’s episode with a conversation with Cori Bush, a single parent, registered nurse, a pastor, an activist, and a community organizer in St Louis Missouri, who is a strong progressive taking on a long-time entrenched incumbent in a Democratic primary in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District.
Episode 316
Ralph talks drugs with two experts, first Katherine Eban about how we can expect the coronavirus pandemic to affect the supply chain for every drug we import. And Jamie Love about how the government needs to keep pharmaceutical companies from gouging American taxpayers in a crisis, especially when the research and development of the drugs was done with taxpayer money. Plus, Ralph answers a question from a listener trapped in the credit economy.
Episode 173
Last week I asked everyone to consider the coronavirus pandemic as a pretty clarifying picture of class warfare—who are the people who get hurt most when millions of jobs go away or at best are in limbo because of a nationwide shutdown? It’s working people, minimum wage workers, service workers—almost none of whom have enough cash in reserve to pay bills, unlike the rich who have made their wealth by exploiting workers. Who are the people most vulnerable? It’s the people who either have to still go to work or can’t afford to stay at home because they don’t have mandated paid sick leave or family leave, even in a crisis.
Today, as so many of you either hunker down or are living in fear, I talk with one of my favorite and regular guests Eileen Appelbaum, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, about a menu of steps the country needs to take to mitigate the devastating health and economic hits workers are taking in the pandemic.
Then, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Democrat from Maryland, joins me to talk about his efforts to protect tens of thousands of federal workers by calling for an expansion of their right to telework during the corona pandemic, as well as his effort with Bernie Sanders to buttress workers’ pensions by ending a multi-billion tax break for CEO retirement plans
Episode 171
You may remember me using this before because the idea comes up again and again in the struggle of workers to get some power at work. In his ballad “Pretty Boy Floyd”, Woody Guthrie sang these words:
“Yes, as through this world I’ve wandered
I’ve seen lots of funny men;
Some will rob you with a six-gun,
And some with a fountain pen”
Today that’s real life, and today, I chat with Hugh Baran of the National Employment Law Project about forced arbitration, a mumbo jumbo legal term that basically means millions of workers are giving up their rights to corporations who are stealing billions from workers by using the power of the corporate pen.
Then, I chat with Tomas Ramos, a progressive running for the 15th Congressional district in New York, a heavily Democratic district where a progressive can win.
Ralph invites filmmaker, Robert Greenwald, to talk about his new film, “Suppressed: The Fight to Vote,” about all the creative ways Republicans use to discourage people of color from voting. And the University of Redlands’, Shelli Stockton, joins us to promote the “tree plant-a-thon” organized in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Plus, Ralph talks Super Tuesday!
Ralph welcomes independent journalist, Monique El-Faizy, to talk about her book “All the President’s Women: Donald Trump and the Making of a Predator,” which chronicles 43 more women who have come forward with stories of the President’s sexual misconduct. Plus, Ralph, Steve, and David talk Trump’s pardons, Michael Bloomberg, electoral politics, and still have time to knock out some listener questions.
EPISODE 169
It’s easy to get dragged into a negative head space if you do any kind of politics or movement building work—it’s hard out there and too often we have a tendency to focus on the really bad stuff, like “the planet is burning up and imploding” or a few people own more wealth in the world than hundreds of millions of people. But, truth is—we’ve had a lot of victories that have shifted the conversation.
And it’s important to talk about those victories because they remind us that, yes, change is possible and, yes, it takes a long time—sometimes. So, today, I chat with economist Dean Baker about how progressive ideas have shifted the conversation and won the debate on many economic issues.
And, then, yet another progressive candidate joins the program—you just don’t hear about most of these great progressive candidates on any show but this one. He is Jim Harper and he is running for a seat in Congress from Indiana, a seat a centrist Democrat held for 35 years and, thus, a Democrat should win this one—hopefully, a progressive Democrat.
Ralph tackles the topic of income inequality from two angles. First, he talks to veteran labor journalist, Sam Pizzagati, about his book, “The Case for a Maximum Wage,” about a plan to link top wages to bottom wages. Then, Steven Shafarman returns to give us an update on the Universal Basic Income with his new book, “Our Future: The Basic Income Plan for Peace, Justice, Liberty, Democracy, and Personal Dignity.”
Episode 168
Hypocrisy is pretty much a given when you are in politics. I’ve pointed out the particular hypocrisy of all those flag-waving politicians who shout a full-throated “I support our men and women in uniform” but, then, cut benefits for vets and cut funds for the VA.
Today, I hone in on another hypocrisy: politicians who wax eloquently about the importance of families but refuse to advance paid family leave, a benefit enjoyed by tens of millions of people in other advanced economies. Just days after the 27th anniversary of the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act, which introduced unpaid family leave, I explore the lack of movement to expand the crucial benefit of paid family leave with Jared Gaby-Biegel of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
Then, I chat with Lauren Ashcraft, a progressive running for the 12th congressional district in NY and challenging a long-time Democratic incumbent.Episode 168: Pay Up For Family Leave; Ashcraft Aims For NYC Incumbent Take-Down
Episode 309
Ralph welcomes progressive firebrand and former congressman, Alan Grayson to discuss his book, “High Crimes: The Impeachment of Donald Trump,” where he argues that it is hard to find an impeachable offense Trump did not commit. Then, infectious disease expert, Dr. Michael Osterholm, returns to give us the latest on the coronavirus pandemic and how to protect yourself.
Featured Stories:
-- How Capitalism’s Structural and Ideological Crisis Gives Rise to Neo-Fascism
-- Trump’s Peace Plan Is a ‘Galvanizing Shock’ for Palestinians
-- Trump Claims Credit for Life Expectancy Rise, Introduces Medicaid Cutback
Episode 167:
It’s pretty likely that when you cut into a nice juicy roast chicken at home or in a restaurant a worker in some poultry processing plant was injured cutting up that chicken into commercial pieces. And in some cases, it’s even worse: in January, two workers in poultry plants were killed in the space of a little over a week. I talk about their deaths and the brutal working conditions in poultry plants with national safety and health expert Debbie Berkowitz.
Then, Tom Winter, a progressive populist, joins me to talk about his race to win the congressional seat in Montana—it’s a conversation about how to win in so-called “red” areas with progressive ideas.
Featured Stories
-- NFL’s Racism Runs Deep, All the Way to the Super Bowl
-- They Killed a Man in Prison. This Is How They Covered it Up
-- 10 Years After Earthquake, Massive Demonstrations Call for Haiti’s President to Resign
-- Black Communities in Brazil Under Threat from US Satellite Deal
It turns out that the American military establishment does not deny the climate crisis, which Ralph talks about with world security expert, Michael Klare, author of “All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagon’s Perspective on Climate Change.” Also, Ralph answers listener questions and talks impeachment
Episode 166:
With the Iowa caucuses just a few days away, I thought this would be a good time to devote the entire episode to progressive candidates who I’ve been talking to over the course of a number of weeks, with many more to come throughout the year. Today, you’ll hear from three women candidates—two are running for Congress—Morgan Harper in Ohio and Kathy Ellis in Missouri—and one, Paige Kreisman, who is running for a state house seat in Oregon.
TRNN confronted the head of the country's only prescription affordability board about his past ties to a lobbying firm that represented a major pharmaceutical company. It's part of our ongoing coverage of the nation's overpriced and ineffective healthcare industry.
Featured Stories
--Progressives Want to Beat Corporate Dems, Not Just Trump
-- Jaisal Noor, Jennifer Epps Addison, Maurice Mitchell
--American College of Physicians Prescribes Single Payer Healthcare
-- Greg Wilpert & Dr. Robert McLean
--Exclusive: Body Cam Shows Cop Planting Gun on Innocent Man
-- Taya Graham & Stephen Janis
--200,000 Canadian Teachers Strike to Defend Public Education
Featured Stories
--Progressives Want to Beat Corporate Dems, Not Just Trump
-- Jaisal Noor, Jennifer Epps Addison, Maurice Mitchell
--American College of Physicians Prescribes Single Payer Healthcare
-- Greg Wilpert & Dr. Robert McLean
--Exclusive: Body Cam Shows Cop Planting Gun on Innocent Man
-- Taya Graham & Stephen Janis
--200,000 Canadian Teachers Strike to Defend Public Education
Ralph talks to historian, Christopher Shaw, about his book "Money, Power, and the People: The American Struggle to Make Banking Democratic." And global trade expert, Lori Wallach, tells us about the pros and cons of the new NAFTA, the USMCA. Plus, former Fed Governor, Sarah Bloom Raskin, stops by again to talk about what the Fed can do to fight the climate crisis.
Featured Stories
-- Impeachment Trial Won’t Be Impartial and Won’t Convict Trump
-- Marc Steiner & Marjorie Cohn
-- Brazil’s Right-Wing Bolsonaro Regime Attacks Leading Critic Glenn Greenwald
-- Greg Wilpert & Brian Mier
-- Climate Change Will Alter Sports Forever
-- Marc Steiner & Dave Zirin
Episode 165:
“Economic inequality is out of control. In 2019, the world’s billionaires, only 2,153 people, had more wealth than 4.6 billion people.” Those two sentences lead off Oxfam’s annual look at inequality. This year, Oxfam looks at unpaid and underpaid care work and the global inequality crisis. I speak with Paul O’Brien, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Oxfam America about the in-depth report that is startling and bracing, and reminds us of the vast chasm dividing the very rich from the rest of us.
Then, almost three decades ago, the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect, which devastated working people and the planet because NAFTA meant poverty for millions and an open season for corporations to abuse workers and the planet. Last week, NAFTA 2.0 passed the Senate so it’s a time to ask: Is it any better? Well, that depends on who you ask—so I debate that question with Eric Gottwald, the AFL-CIO’s trade expert.
-- Jonathan Tasini
Follow me on Twitter @jonathantasini
Sign up for The Working Life Podcast at: www.workinglife.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jonathan.tasini.3
Episode 165:
“Economic inequality is out of control. In 2019, the world’s billionaires, only 2,153 people, had more wealth than 4.6 billion people.” Those two sentences lead off Oxfam’s annual look at inequality. This year, Oxfam looks at unpaid and underpaid care work and the global inequality crisis. I speak with Paul O’Brien, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Oxfam America about the in-depth report that is startling and bracing, and reminds us of the vast chasm dividing the very rich from the rest of us.
Then, almost three decades ago, the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect, which devastated working people and the planet because NAFTA meant poverty for millions and an open season for corporations to abuse workers and the planet. Last week, NAFTA 2.0 passed the Senate so it’s a time to ask: Is it any better? Well, that depends on who you ask—so I debate that question with Eric Gottwald, the AFL-CIO’s trade expert.
-- Jonathan Tasini
Follow me on Twitter @jonathantasini
Sign up for The Working Life Podcast at: www.workinglife.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jonathan.tasini.3
Featured Stories
--Climate Activists Sound Alarm on Mediterranean Natural Gas Pipelines
--‘Our House Is Still on Fire,’ Warns Greta Thunberg at Davos
--The Barber and the Rev
--Bipartisan NAFTA 2.0 Is Still Fatally Flawed
--Phase One of US-China Trade Deal Is Mostly Symbolic
Featured Stories
--Climate Activists Sound Alarm on Mediterranean Natural Gas Pipelines
--‘Our House Is Still on Fire,’ Warns Greta Thunberg at Davos
--The Barber and the Rev
--Bipartisan NAFTA 2.0 Is Still Fatally Flawed
--Phase One of US-China Trade Deal Is Mostly Symbolic
Democratic presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are practically the only major politicians supporting a wealth tax to reduce inequality and fund government programs, even though polling shows nearly two-thirds of Americans support it.
The draft might be gone, but not everyone volunteers for the same reasons. Inconsistent access to education, healthcare, or housing means marginalized communities are systemically pushed into military service to gain those benefits--especially poor students.
We spoke to Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin after Thursday's War Powers resolution vote. Whose interests are driving the narrative around conflict with Iran?
Two Iraq war veterans explain why Congress has failed to stop the endless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and say the United States needs to learn from its imperialist history if anything is going to change.
Shawan Jabarin of the Al-Haq human rights organization discusses the International Criminal Court decision to prepare a lawsuit against the state of Israel regarding war crimes committed against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli authorities are already panicking.
019 presented a complicated and mixed legacy for Latin America. Right-wing governments continued to make electoral in-roads, but popular uprisings against neoliberalism also left their mark on the region, says TRNN's Greg Wilpert.
Ralph gets the real story about the efficacy of autonomous vehicles from auto safety expert Joan Claybrook. And Harvey Wasserman joins us to talk about nuclear power, voting machine fraud, and his new history book “The People’s Spiral of American History: From Deganawidah to Solartopia
Episode 162:
As the New Year beckons, there’s good news and bad news on wages. The good news is something I’ve been able to talk about for the past few years at the end of each year—come January 1st, a whole lot of people are going to see their paychecks increase because of some state and local minimum wage hikes that go into effect. Which shows why movements matter—in this case, the Fight for 15. The bad news: we are quickly becoming a country divided in half when it comes to minimum wages standards. That’s on tap here in our first segment in a discussion with Yannet Lathrop, policy analyst for the National Employment Law Project.
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And two years after she first came on the program, progressive candidate Kara Eastman is back to talk about her second campaign to unseat a Republican incumbent in the 2nd Congressional district in Nebraska—and, even though she came so close in 2018, the party elites are not in her corner.
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-- Jonathan Tasini
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Episode 161:
Shut your damn mouth or be deported. That’s basically the upshot of what happened to Delmer Joel Ramirez Palma, who wanted to tell the truth about the collapse of the under-construction Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans but, two days after he was hurt in the disaster, Joel found himself dragged off by ICE into detention and, then, deported back to Honduras after living in New Orleans for 18 years. I’ll be talking in today’s episode to Mary Yanik, senior staff attorney with the New Orleans Workers Center for Racial Justice, about this abuse of workers to set the stage for a rally later today in New Orleans to “Bring Joel Home”.
Support the podcast here: www.patreon.com/WorkingLifePodcast
Then, two more progressive candidates visit with me. Mike Siegel is running to unseat a Republican incumbent in Texas’ 10th Congressional district—and even though he came pretty close to winning the seat in 2018, the Washington Beltway consultant class and the DCCC are pushing a much more centrist candidate. Liam O’Mara, the son of a dockworker, is also trying to unseat an incumbent Republican in California’s 42nd Congressional District.
Support the podcast here: www.patreon.com/WorkingLifePodcast
-- Jonathan Tasini
Follow me on Twitter @jonathantasini
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Episode 160:
I love the bosses who wring their hands when workers try to unionize, the ones who say, “don’t you love us? Aren’t we good to you”? That isn’t the point. Everyone needs a union so workers together don’t ever have to rely on just good feelings from employers. Which is what I talk about with Cameron Coleman, a bakery worker at Grand Central Bakery who is a key organizer in a unionizing campaign which comes to a head tomorrow with a vote.
I also chat with two progressive candidates who are running in Democratic primaries with the ultimate goal of winning a general election in Republican-held seats—Jennifer Christie, who is a candidate in Indiana’s 5th Congressional district, and Jason Butler who is campaigning to win the nomination in North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District.
-- Jonathan Tasini
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Featured Stories:
--Great Employment Numbers: 44% of Fully Employed Make $18,000 a Year or Less
--Trump Declared War on the Poor--And the Poor Are Fighting Back
--Rep. Tlaib's Bill Targets Trumps Opportunity Zones Scam
--New Climate Model Predicts Alarming Levels of Global Heating
Ralph welcomes legendary trial lawyer, Martin Garbus, who discusses his book “North of Havana: The Untold Story of Dirty Politics, Secret Diplomacy, and the Trial of the Cuban Five.” Plus Ralph answers your questions!
Episode 159:
Twenty years ago, thousands of environmentalists, union leaders and members, and lots of other progressive forces swept through the streets of Seattle to confront the global corporate beast known as the World Trade Organization, the WTO. They were met by the Seattle police force, buttressed by all sorts of other police and security operations, who tear gassed, pepper sprayed, assaulted and arrested people who were simply trying to exercise their free speech rights. Today, I am going to revisit that mass uprising with Lori Wallach, the director of Global Trade Watch. I also talk to a young progressive Democrat who is running against an entrenched Democrat in Illinois
-- Jonathan Tasini
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Featured Stories:
--Capitalism's Failures Ignited Worldwide Protests
--How Public Officials Milk the Healthcare System for Private Gain
--How Israel/Palestine Became a Central Issue in US Politics
--Dismantling the System That Created Trump
Contaminated water in America is not confined to Flint, Michigan. Ralph welcomes Seth M. Siegel, author of “Troubled Water: What’s Wrong With What We Drink,” who not only outlines the problem with our most precious resource, but tells us what we can do to fix it.
Episode 158:
Hypocrisy probably makes it into the top three characteristics, alas, of the vast majority of politicians. That isn’t a reason not to participate in the electoral process but it’s just one of those cautionary, red lights to keep an eye out for. To wit: all those politicians who eloquently talk about the importance of unions—mostly that talk comes when a politician wants a union endorsement or a check—but they get very weird when their own staffers try to unionize. So that’s what makes the unionizing effort among staffers at the New York City City Council something to watch—partly because it could set a standard for the whole country. Zara Nasir, a City Council staffer and a main organizer of the unionizing effort, joins me for a chat about the campaign.
I also revisit the race for the Democratic nomination for New York’s 16th Congressional district, which has drawn another great progressive candidate who is challenging the odious corporate Democrat, Eliot Engel. The son of immigrants from Eritrea, Andom Ghebreghiorgis joins me in a chat about his vision as a young progressive activist running to unseat a long-time incumbent who is way past his expiration date.
And, last, I’m not big on the holiday consumption craziness but I will say there is even more data out just in the past few days that make a clear case that, if you have to shop and consume over the next few weeks, don’t use Amazon. I touch on two reports that document how workers are killed, maimed, and stressed by the Amazon machine which relentlessly has one goal: to make Jeff Bezos even richer, no matter the cost to workers.
-- Jonathan Tasini
Follow me on Twitter @jonathantasini
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Featured Stories:
--Are Dems Barking Up The Wrong Tree On Impeachment?
--How Corporate Media Fueled Trump's Rise
--Why the NFL/Kaepernick Saga Is Bigger than Football
Ralph talks to maverick former FCC Commissioner, Nicholas Johnson, about his two new books, the memoir, “Catfish Solution: The Power of Positive Poking” and “Columns of Democracy” and his views on how to repair our democracy.
Episode 157:
Deval Patrick has become very, very rich since leaving the post of Massachusetts governor. That’s what happens when you become a managing director of Bain Capital, one of the behemoths in the private equity industry. Patrick became rich working for a company—being a managing director of a company—that has screwed thousands of workers, especially 30,000 workers for Toys R Us who don’t have a job today because Bain Capital, with Patrick in the leadership, drove that company into liquidation. I talk about Bain Capital’s role in the demise of Toys R Us with Jim Baker, executive director of the Private Equity Stakeholder Project.
Over a decade ago, I started reading about something called a “Financial Transactions Tax”. It’s often also called a “Tobin Tax” after its creator, economist James Tobin, and it originally focused on taxing currency speculation. But a broader idea is popular: each time a Wall Street trade is made, a very, very, very, tiny tax is levied—which could raise hundreds of billions of dollars, perhaps $1.5 trillion over the next decade. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) proposed the tax way back in 2008; Bernie Sanders has been for it, and made it part of his 2016 presidential campaign—and both of them are pushing some version of the tax right now in Congress. Jessica Schieder of the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, who recently co-authored a paper on the financial transaction tax, chats with me about what the heck it is.
-- Jonathan Tasini
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The Police Accountability Report obtained an exclusive recording of a 911 operator threatening to arrest a caller complaining about a SWAT team that stormed her property without a warrant. The call is part of our ongoing investigation into the arrest of Columbus, OH resident Nick Pettit, who was charged after filming officers slapping a suspect.
Ralph hears from courageous former Boeing Quality Control Manager, John M. Barnett, who blew the whistle on shoddy production of the 787 Dreamliner, how the FAA has backed off on oversight, and how Boeing “bean counters” have put profits over safety.
Featured Stories:
--White Nationalists Are Running the White House
--Bloomberg Could Buy the White House to Kill a Wealth Tax
--Elite Institutions Hoard Wealth While Cities Die Around Them
Episode 156:
Anyone remember that TV advertisement that Merrill Lynch used to have, with the big bull trotting along a beach? I’m reincarnating that bull today for a pretty simple discussion: what is economic progress and how do we have economic growth without destroying the planet? Evelyn Astor, an economic and social policy advisor at the International Trade Union Confederation, joins me to talk about better ideas to measure what a healthy economy looks like for regular people, not just investors and billionaires. Then, Brianna Wu stops by with an update on her primary campaign to unseat a corporate Democrat in the 8th Congressional District in Massachusetts.
-- Jonathan Tasini
Follow me on Twitter @jonathantasini
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Featured Stories:
--AOC Says Bloomberg Run Isn't 'What We Need Right Now'
--Private Equity Firms are Modern Day Vampires Sucking the Lifeblood Out of Our Society
--Right Wing Nationalist Rulers An International Movement That Threatens Our Future
--Brazil's Ex-President Lula Freed, Promises to Continue Fight for Justice
--Thousands Rally with Bernie and AOC at Iowa Climate Summit
Episode 155:
IKEA, Volkswagen, Nestle and Airbus are pretty different companies but all of them have a two-faced corporate Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that explains a lot about the oppression workers face in the U.S. South. Across the pond, all those companies have a pretty reasonable posture towards unions and workers trying to unionize. But just let them come hunting over in the U.S. South to do business and, bingo, they turn into your garden variety, vicious, union busting, corporate pigs. Cathy Feingold, the AFL-CIO’s international director, talks with me about an amazing new report tracing the European corporate marauding down south. Then, Kim Williams joins the show to talk about her Democratic primary challenge against a long-time Blue Dog-Corporate Democrat in the 16th Congressional district in California.
-- Jonathan Tasini
Follow me on Twitter @jonathantasini
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In our continuing series honoring whistleblowers, Ralph welcomes winner of the Joe A. Calloway Award for Civic Courage, Dr. George Luber, former head of the Centers for Disease Control’s Climate Health program, who despite pressure from the newly-minted Trump Administration, blew the whistle after refusing to cancel a convention on how the climate crisis was affecting public health.
Ralph welcomes Thomas Mueller, author of “Crisis of Conscience: Whistleblowers in an Age of Fraud,” where they discuss the heroic stories of the brave man and women, who at great personal cost, have called to account malfeasance across government and industry. Plus, Ralph answers your questions.
Episode 154:
The Gordon Gekko boast in the fictional movie “Wall Street” that “Greed is Good” is really an organizing principle for the financial vultures who rob the country day after day. Today, you will hear two tales of greed and robbery by hedge fund and private equity vultures. First, it’s Paul Singer, the CEO of a hedge fund called Elliott Management, who has a net worth of $3.5 billion, is a political buddy of the Koch brothers and is a funder of climate change deniers. As Beth Allen, the communications director of the Communications Workers of America, explains in our chat Singer now has his sights set on screwing thousands of CWA members who work for AT&T by trying to extort money from AT&T. Then, I circle back with Eileen Appelbaum, the co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, who was on the program just three weeks ago digging into how private equity vultures are behind the plague of surprise medical bills. This week, Eileen and I talk about a sham study that private equity leaders have ginned up to try to deflect the rising chorus of criticism against their tactics. And last up, finally, thankfully, a leading corporate Democrat Gregory Meeks has a primary challenger in New York’s 5th Congressional district—Shaniyat Chowdhury, a great progressive and a proud democratic socialist, chats with me about his campaign.
-- Jonathan Tasini
Follow me on Twitter @jonathantasini
Sign up for The Working Life Podcast at: www.workinglife.org
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Featured Stories:
--Union Organizer Takes On Neoliberal Fearmongering and Wins
--Joe Biden's Acceptance of Super PAC Shows Campaign's Desperation
--Facebook's Threat to Democracy Could Motivate Redefinition of Anti-Trust Laws
--Boris Johnson Pushes for New Election as Brexit Fiasco Continues
Labor writer, Steven Greenhouse, joins Ralph to discuss his new book “Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present and Future of American Labor.” Then Steve, David, and Ralph have a spirited discussion about how the 99% can wrest power from the 1%.
Episode 153:
I’m in a politics mood today, having nothing to do with impeachment or the bizarre spectacle of a previous Democratic presidential candidate going seriously off the rails and accusing with no evidence, in McCarthyite fashion, another Democrat of being some sort of asset of Russia…I mean, crazy shit fills up my news dump every day. So as an antidote, I figured I’d bring to you two more progressive women candidates running for Congress against two corporate male Democrats: Eva Putzova in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District and Rebecca Parson in Washington State’s 6th Congressional District.
-- Jonathan Tasini
Follow me on Twitter @jonathantasini
Sign up for The Working Life Podcast at: www.workinglife.org
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Featured Stories:
--How Would Sanders Give Workers Power?
--Chicago Teachers Strike for Children's Services and Affordable Housing
--Spain Sentences Catalan Leaders in Contradictory Ruling
A member of “The Squad,” Rashida Tlaib, joins Ralph to talk about her aborted trip to the Occupied Territories, Israel and Palestine, poverty in Southern Michigan, and of course, impeachment. Plus, listener questions!
Featured Stories:
--As Democrats Look for Unity, Debate Displays Party's Division
--What Happens When the FBI Chooses Sides
--Can the US Protect the Kurds Without Using Military Force?
--Mozambique Braces for Election
Episode 152:
The running joke about Whole Foods is its nickname: Whole Paycheck. But there’s a far darker side to the touchy-feely, organic feel of Whole Foods than the higher prices—the exploitation of workers everywhere along its supply chains where workers labor in slave-like conditions, and are abused day after day, especially women workers. Oxfam is out with a devastating report on Whole Foods—and I talk with an Oxfam expert about what the report found.
Then, among the politicians no one would miss, ever, on the political scene is Eliot Engel who voted for the Iraq War, has worked to deregulate Wall Street and is a staunch mouthpiece for the most right-wing, racist governments Israel has produced. Thankfully, he’s got a serious primary challenger, Jamaal Bowman, a middle school principal and educator who grew up in public housing in New York City. Jamaal joins me to talk about his campaign.
-- Jonathan Tasini
Follow me on Twitter @jonathantasini
Sign up for The Working Life Podcast at: www.workinglife.org
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Featured Stories:
--Trump Spouts Conspiracy Theories and Attacks Omar at Minnesota Rally
--The Murder of Joshua Brown: Tragic Coincidence, or Something Bigger?
--Voting Access Still a Problem For Students at HBCU Prairie View A&M University
--California Lawmakers Passed a Bill Banning Private Prisons
With a Constitutional crisis afoot, we continue our discussion of impeachment with Constitutional scholar Bruce Fein. And, Ralph welcomes Middle East policy expert, Hassan El-Tayyab, to fill us in on what’s going on with the humanitarian tragedy that is the war in Yemen.
On this episode of the Police Accountability Report we analyze an investigative report on controversial police shootings in Greenville, South Carolina that points to a troubling trend of police using deadly force against people suffering mental distress.
Featured Stories:
--China vs NBA
--Trump's Withdrawal From Syria: Betrayal of Kurds or End to Endless War?
--How Useful Is Modern Money Theory for Developing Countries?
--California Emission Standards Have Trump Admin Blowing Smoke
Working Life Podcast - Episode 151:
I would never have said it before today but it turns out health insurance companies aren’t the most evil players in the healthcare industry. Don’t freak out—health insurance companies are bad, and they are bankrupting millions of people, and the country. But it turns out even worse than the health insurers are some big mega private equity vultures who are gobbling up big pieces of medical services and socking millions of people with surprise medical bills—and I’m going to go in depth on this story, which is not being covered anywhere else, with Eileen Appelbaum, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research and one of the great experts on private equity. Then, I’m kicking back into gear with regular segments with great progressives running for office. Today, I chat with Rachel Ventura who is running in the Democratic primary in Illinois’ 11th Congressional district against a corporate Democrat who is awash in Wall Street and real estate dollars.
--Jonathan Tasini
Featured Stories:
--18 Years Ago the Endless War in Afghanistan Began
--California Legalizes Public Banking
--Blatant Case of Torture Exposes Israeli Occupation Methods
--How Neo-Liberals Profit off of Poverty
Ralph talks to John Bonifaz, head of The Impeachment Project, about the myriad reasons Donald Trump should be impeached. And energy expert, David Freeman joins us to talk about the necessary steps the Climate Strike movement needs to take to realize their demands.
On this episode of the Police Accountability Report we review body cam footage showing Las Vegas police chasing Byron Lee Williams on his bike for not having a proper reflector. Police ignored pleas that he could not breathe and Williams died. Now police are facing questions.
Featured Stories:
--'The Civil War Is Here'
--HAITI: Four Killed as Authorities Crack Down on Anti-Government Protests
--Johnson's Brexit Plan is 'Political, Not Economic'
Teachers are on the ramparts again. This time in Chicago where the members of the Chicago Teachers Union are gearing up for a possible strike if they can’t get a decent contract to improve wages, win a hard cap on class size and increase staffing. To talk more about the struggle for a good contract, I’m joined by Andrea Parker, an English teacher and union vice president, and Robin Blake Boose, a first grade teacher. I, then, take a look at what’s up in Ohio: You would think that people there would be ready to revolt, to overthrow the oligarchs and the elites and the corporate raiders who have effectively strip-mined the economy, destroying factory jobs and making sure new jobs don’t have decent wages because those same raiders fight unions tooth and nail. Even though Ohio voted for Trump, the people re-elected incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown, a progressive, clear populist, quite comfortably in 2018. Populism works. I talk with Amy Hanauer, the executive director of Policy Matter Ohio, about the organization’s recent deep dive look at Ohio’s economy.
-- Jonathan Tasini
Follow me on Twitter @jonathantasini
Sign up for The Working Life Podcast at: www.workinglife.org
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Featured Stories:
--Brazilian Students Take Protest to Next Level, Launch Strike Against Bolsonaro Education Cuts
--'The Government Can and Will Just Waive Any Rights That We Have Today'
--Trump's Attack on LA Homelessness Ignores the Causes
--Israel's Benny Gantz Faces Dutch War Crimes Case
Featured Stories:
--'Impeachment Is Good For Our Political Future'
--The Democratic Party Remains a Party of War, Not Peace
--The Impeachment: Will This Be Trump's Unraveling
--Stateless in Malaysia
--Millions Fear Loss of Indian Citizenship and Detention
On this episode of the Police Accountability Report we take a look at a Columbus, OH SWAT team's brutal arrest of a man who recorded them swarming a residential neighborhood. We dive into how the militarization of policing turns law enforcement into an occupying force.
Featured Stories:
--Trump's Impeachment Will Be a Political War That Can Be Won
--The Right Attacks Greta Thunberg, But Climate Strike Inspires Humanity
--Warming Oceans Are Rising at Alarming Rate, Says New UN Report
Episode 149:
A few weeks ago, I talked about the vast pay discrimination against women who work for supermarket chain Fred Meyer: 2/3 of women are paid $3.70 less than men doing essentially the same job. The union representing the workers—UFCW Local 555—is in hard, brass knuckles bargaining with Fred Meyer to end this. But in the meantime, just this past Sunday, because of the company’s recalcitrance, the union has called for a boycott of all Fred Meyer stores. I talk about the gender pay discrimination and the boycott with Jeff Anderson, the secretary treasurer of Local 555.
Then, there is no difference between the Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers, the Carnegies of the last century and their corporate cousins, Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos or those folks who run Uber: companies just do everything possible to exploit workers, rip them off, take more and more profits made by the hard work of millions of workers and use those profits to make a few people rich. California leaders are trying to reign in some abuse: it just passed a landmark bill that clamps down on the rampant classification of people as independent contractors. I talk about this with Rebecca Smith, the Director of Work Structures with the National Employment Law Center.
-- Jonathan Tasini
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Original Nader’s Raider, Robert Fellmeth, expands upon his open letter to Mark Zuckerberg, demanding that we should know who is talking to us on Facebook. Also, Executive Director of the Museum of Tort Law, Richard Newman, joins us to argue for an ordinary person’s right to have their day in court as he promotes Tort Law Day on October 5th.
Trump has been exposed by leakers and might face consequences, and Edward Snowden has published a book. Daniel Ellsberg reflects on the bravery of exposing the truth.
The new film follows the U.S. oil supply chain, covering health, climate and environmental justice impacts. And it points to the president who was central to creating the current reality: Barack Obama.
Featured Stories:
--Auto Workers Strike for Power and to Protect Workers
--Drone Attack on Saudis Might Not Lead to War, but Dangerous Nonetheless
--How Can We Design a Green New Deal?
--Republicans Partied in a Monument to American Wealth Inequality
--Hydro-Quebec Ends Cyber-Security Agreement With Israel Electric Corporation
Retired UAW Leader Frank Hammer talks about why the workers struck, what it means for the union movement, and what this battle means
Ralph spends the bulk of the hour with prominent FBI whistleblower, Mike German, whose new book is “Disrupt, Discredit, and Divide: How the New FBI Damages Democracy.” Plus, Ralph answers listener questions!"
The US Supreme Court temporarily approved President Trump's new asylum rule, which makes it almost impossible for anyone from Central America to gain asylum in the US. The court's support puts thousands of lives in grave danger and violates US law and international law.
While there are real reasons to be concerned about Google's immense power, this investigation is quite politically motivated, explains former financial regulator Bill Black
A federal judge recently declared the government's terrorism watchlist unconstitutional, but the violation of civil liberties and US wars abroad continue.
This week: Updates on politicians' "blame game" of scapegoating to avoid blaming capitalism; middle class squeezed by prices; limits of workers on corporate boards of directors; lessons from a courageous Puerto Rican people; Prof. Wolff interviews Rob Robinson, activist and global advocate for the homeless on the issues of homelessness in the U.S.
The Trump administration wants to open millions of acres of Alaskan forest for mining, logging, and development. Osprey Orielle Lake of Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network explains how activists are trying to make sure that doesn't happen.
A new generation of leftists are fighting the alt-right and influencing the progressive discourse one video essay at a time. We asked anarchist and libertarian socialist Angie Speaks about engaging with the isolation and loneliness produced by a society colonized by corporatism.
Ralph welcomes the man who coined the term “net neutrality,” Tim Wu, who talks about how we need to break up concentrated power in Big Tech and other industries. Then, Mickey Huff, director of Project Censored, returns to talk about the state of the media as outlined in his new book “United States of Distraction.”
Featured Stories:
--Israeli Security Tech on US-Mexican Border Threatens Nation's Civil Liberties
--Bahamian Environmental Advocate Calls for Global Climate Action
--Tohono O'odham Invaded By Border Patrol & Israeli Surveillance Tech
--Brexit, Boris, and British Parliament Come to a Head After 3 Years
Featured Stories:
--Why Are Hong Kong Protesters Asking Trump for Help?
--How Elites Crush Black Dissent
--Colombia's President Wants War, FARC Dissidents Comply
Kim Kelly talks about writing about labor for glossy magazines, reporting on direct action, how unions should respond to the climate crisis, and why Labor Day is a scam
Featured Stories:
--Big Pharma to Pay for Opioid Crisis, But What Happens to the Money
--Is it Cynical to Believe the System is Corrupt?
--Venezuela's Press Is More Free Than You'd Think
--Trump Administration Proposes Methane Regulations Rollback
John Nichols returns to about the future of newspapers in light of the latest merger between the two largest chains in the country, Gannett and GateHouse. Also, Washington Post reporter and former meat-eater, Courtland Milloy, tells us how much his health improved when he turned to a plant-based diet.
Featured Stories:
--Orwellian Surveillance of Tohono O'odham Nation - A Test Case for Entire US Border
--Rainforest on Fire: Brazilians Mobilize Against President's Amazon Policies
--Trump's Concentration Camps for Children
--How to Confront the Global Rise of the Right
Featured Stories:
--Corporate Media Bias Against Sanders Is Structural, Not a Conspiracy
--David Koch Is Dead, But His Legacy of Climate Denial Lives On
--Trump Is Politicizing the Power of Immigration Judges
Featured Stories:
--Newark's Water Crisis is One of Thousands That Are Worse Than Flint's
--Solar Energy Is Renewable, But Is It Environmentally Just?
--The Land Politics of Solar Energy
--Rohingya Muslim Refugees Refuse to Return to Myanmar
Ralph welcomes Matthew Myers, co-founder of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to talk about the dangers of “Juuling.” Then, using an excerpt of Ralph from the documentary, “An Unreasonable Man, “ Steve, David and Alan Minsky, executive director of Progressive Democrats of America, discuss the “Anybody But Trump” mantra in the context of recent history.
Matthew Fox, a former Catholic priest and theologian talks about the ways conservatives and progressives claim the Catholic religion, and how the secular left ignores religion at its own peril
With his criticism of excessive capitalism and of climate change, Pope Francis has become the target of the far-right, and especially of the secretive Opus Dei sect within the Catholic Church, explains former priest Matthew Fox
Featured Stories:
--Police Use Your Money to Buy Silence of Brutality Victims
--The Amazon is Burning at a Record Rate
--Trump Tweets About Disloyal Jews, Then Tweets He's "King of Israel"
Featured Stories:
--The 1619 Project: A Nation Born in Contradiction, a Democracy Defined by Black Struggle
--Rep Ayanna Pressley on Israel's Ban: "Bigoted, Short-Sighted and Cruel"
--Why Corporate Media Doesn't Talk Honestly About Racism
--Workers in Heat Waves Face Dangerous Exposure in the US Southwest
Featured Stories:
--Bernie Sanders Takes Aim at the Pathology of the For-Profit Criminal Justice System
--How Trump and Netanyahu Undermine Freedom of Speech
--The Toxic 100 Worst Polluters of the World
--DHS Was Tracking White Supremacist Terrorists, but Nobody Wanted to Listen
Featured Stories:
--Activist on the Front Lines Discusses the Historic Protests in Hong Kong
--How The Mainstream Media Fuels America's Income Inequality Machine
--North Korea Suspends Talks With South Korea Because of U.S. Sanctions
--Israeli Illegal Arms Trade in South Sudan Was Disguised as Agriculture
--Russia's Anti-Gov't Protests Draw Large Crowds, but Putin Remains Secure
Featured Stories:
--Epstein May Be Just One Part of an Intricate Network of Sex and Power
--Immigrants Welcome to the US as Long as They Are White and Wealthy
--Hong Kong Protest Withdraws From Airport, but Situation Remains far From Normal
--Brazil's Student Movement Mobilizes to Oppose Bolsonaro's Education Privatization
--Bolivia's President Evo Morales Seeks An Unprecedented Fourth Term
In an offbeat and more light-hearted episode, Ralph, Steve, and David talk to criminal defense lawyer, Mike Chase, author of “How To Be A Federal Criminal: An Illustrated Handbook For the Aspiring Offender.” Plus, Ralph answers more of your questions.
Featured Stories:
--Epstein's Death Should Generate Investigations, Not Conspiracy Theories
--Bayer/Monsanto Silencing Journalists, Activists, and Scientists
--United States and Turkey Agree to a Syrian "Safe Zone," Betraying the Kurds
--Protests In Honduras Intensify as President Is Implicated in Drug Trafficking
Featured Stories:
--What Can We Learn From the History of Struggle Against White Supremacism?
--Student Debt Reform, or Student Debt Forgiveness? What The Candidates' Plans Mean
--ICE Raids on Undocumented Immigrants Create Fear and Enable Exploitation
Legendary former Senator, Mike Gravel, joins us to talk about his ideas for direct democracy, explains the concept of “Republican Socialism,” and tells us about his role in the Pentagon Papers."
Featured Stories:
--More Sanctions Against Venezuela Means More Suffering
--4Chan's and 8Chan's Internet-Brewed Racism Informs Trump's Rhetoric
--Death by Police is Now the 6th Leading Cause of Death Among Young Men
--New Israeli Military Strategies for Annexation and Undermining Palestinian Identity
Featured Stories:
--Trump's China Trade War Increases Risk of Recession
--Will Germany Become the Military Power it Once Was?
--Climate Change Is a Key Issue for a Growing Number of Young Republicans
Featured Stories:
--White Nationalist Terror Attack in El Paso Was Not an Isolated Incident
--Right-Wing Extremist Scott Presler Organizes "Trash Clean Up" in West Baltimore
--Linda Sarsour Explains How "Fire Pantaleo!" Spontaneously Erupted at the Dem Debate
--Democrats Are Not Speaking to the Needs of Immigrants and Communities of Color
--Canadians have a Right to Know if their Wine Was Made on Stolen Land
Featured Stories:
--Russia's President Putin Cracks Down, Despite Maintaining Broad Popular Support
--Trump's New Tariffs on China Help Pay for his Corporate Tax Cut
--US Withdrawal from INF Treaty Creates Greater Nuclear Instability
--Can a Majoritarian Movement Be Built to Stop Trump's Racist Momentum
Military expert Professor Michael Klare talks military budget, the dangers inherent in our contentious relationship with Iran, and the shift in U.S. military planning away from stateless actors to China, Russia, and Iran.
Featured Stories:
--Trump's Attack on Baltimore and Rep. Cummings Are 2020 Campaign Warning Shots
--Democrats Use Trump's Tweets to Hide Neoliberal Policy Failures
--How Do You Confront Prime Minister Boris Johnson?
--House Anti-BDS Resolution Reveals the Power and Limits of the Israeli Lobby
Featured Stories:
--Biden's Criminal Justice Plan Can't Reform the System He Helped Create
--Biden's Criminal Justice Plan: Too Little Too Late?
--MSNBC & CNN To Host Climate Town Halls for Candidates
Featured Stories:
--Trump's Attack on Baltimore and Rep. Cummings Are 2020 Campaign Warning Shots
--Democrats Use Trump's Tweets to Hide Neoliberal Policy Failures
--How Do You Confront Prime Minister Boris Johnson?
--House Anti-BDS Resolution Reveals the Power and Limits of the Israeli Lobby
Ralph talks with John Nichols, national affairs correspondent for The Nation magazine, about Robert Mueller’s testimony, the imperial presidency and Ilhan Omar, and many other aspects of the current political landscape. Then we welcome aviation crash expert, Dr. Alan Diehl, who gives us his take on the situation with Boeing and the problematic 737 MAX 8.
Featured Stories:
--Israel Demolishes 70 More Palestinian Apartments in East Jerusalem
--Airline Caterers Authorize Strike Action, Supported by Presidential Candidates
--'We believe that organizing is a key tool in obtaining justice for our students.'
Featured Stories:
--Corruption, Mismanagement, and Disrespect Fuel Puerto Rico Protests
--Uncertainty Looms Over Boris Johnson's Response to Iranian Seizure of British Tanker
--Unpaid Caregiving Increases Risk of Poverty in Retirement
--The Green New Deal is Built on Decades of Climate Justice Organizing
--Philadelphia Activist: 'Oil Refinery Explosion Literally Rocked the Very Foundation of my Community'
Featured Stories:
--Republicans Are Transforming Federal Courts for the Next Generation
--Yemen's Houthis Maintain Upper Hand, as Peace Talks Proceed
--Ecuador Takes Harmful IMF Loan, Even Though it Doesn't Need it
--Progressive Churches Challenge the Hard-Line Conservative Evangelical Narrative on Immigration
--Are Police Being Paid to Kill Us?
Ralph talks to progressive broadcaster, Thom Hartmann, about how to respond to a malignant narcissist, who also happens to be the President of the United States."
Featured Stories:
--Trump's Iran Treaty Withdrawal and Sanctions Based on Lies, but War Could Be a Reality
--Jewish Activists of 'Never Again' Action Oppose Immigrant Detention Centers
--Trump's Racist Rhetoric is Deliberate - Will it Lead Us to Fascism?
Featured Stories:
--Trump's Racist Tweets Fan Hatred, Defining the Coming Election
--Ruthless Philippine President's High Popularity Is the Result of Failed Democracy
--As Republicans Push Pro-Life Agenda, Maternal and Infant Death Rates Rise
--New Studies Raise Alarms About the State of Ice in Antarctica
Featured Stories
--Pharma Companies Win Case Against Drug Price Transparency
--Nicki Minajs Boycott of Saudi Arabia Sets a Moral Standard for Artists
--Pompeo's 'Inalienable Rights Commission' - A Conservative Christian Assault on Human Rights
--Lula da Silva's Attorney: Intercept Revelations Confirm Political and Unfair Trial
--House Passes Bill to Halt US Support for Yemen War, UAE Withdraws Troops
The war in Yemen could end, if U.S. and United Arab Emirates' support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen is truly over. However, the House NDAA bill still faces a major hurdle in the Senate. If those who want US military involvement to end pressure Congress, it can be done, says CodePink's Medea Benjamin
Featured Stories
--Will Dem Party Superdelegates Prevent a Progressive Nominee in 2020?
--Amazon in Danger of Total Destruction Under Brazil's Right-Wing President Bolsonaro
--UN Human Rights Council's Report on Venezuela is 'Unbalanced'
--Climate to Top Agenda Under Finnish EU Council Presidency
Ralph welcomes two energy experts who span the far ends of the age spectrum, first 29 year old, Rhiana Gunn-Wright, one of the chief architects of the Green New Deal, and then 93 year old David Freeman, former head of the Tennessee Valley Authority. They both talk about the Green New Deal and the bright future of renewable energy.
Featured Stories
--Poll: Religion in Decline in Arab Countries, Anger at the U.S Growing
--The Pentagon's Carbon Boot Print
--India's Rahul Gandhi Resigns, PM Modi Faces Little Opposition to Far-Right Agenda
--Future Resource Wars
Featured Stories
--US Violates Nuclear Non-Proliferation Obligations, Undermining Credibility With Iran and N. Korea
--A World Without Ice
--Facebooks Libra Currency Monetizes Identity and Threatens Privacy
Ralph welcomes mental health experts Judith Eve Lipton and David Barash to talk about what we can learn from Costa Rica, a country that has survived and thrived after giving up its military. And consumer advocates Harvey Rosenfield and Laura Antonini tell us how they are exposing how companies using “surveillance scoring,” your personal data to decide how much to charge you for their products and services.
Despite Trump's affinities with authoritarian leaders such as India's Modi and Russia's Putin, he continues to destabilize the existing neoliberal consensus and now BRICS countries are taking up the neoliberal mantle, says Patrick Bond
Progressives are battling the border aid bill because its lack of accountability provisions means there would be no way to tell if the money was spent on enforcement instead of aid.
Ralph welcomes Walt McRee President of Public Banking Associates, who explains how public banks should be the future of banking. And Dr. Ken Reed joins us to discuss how the elimination of phys. ed. classes and intramural sports in schools is contributing to childhood obesity.
Featured Stories
--New York Passes Nation's Most Comprehensive Clean Energy Legislation in the Nation
--Trump Is Deepening the 'Economic War' Against Iran - Wilkerson
--Greece Heads Towards New Election - Can Syriza Survive?
--How a Baltimore Billionaire Won a Tax Cut Trump Said Would Help the Poor
Featured Stories
--'Deal of a Century': A Push for the Permanent Occupation of Palestine
--Are Immigration Detention Centers Concentration Camps?
--Trump May Stumble Into War With Iran Over Belligerent, Incoherent Policies
--The Central Park 5 and the Rise of Donald Trump
Featured Stories:
--Billionaires Can Buy Sex and Not Go to Jail. Why Can't You?
--Senate Deals Blow to US-Saudi/UAE Arms Deal
--Billions Stolen From Black Families by Predatory Lending
--Brazil's Prosecutors Buried Corruption Case Against ex-President Cardoso
Ralph welcomes Washington Post business columnist, Steven Pearlstein, who asks the question, “Can American Capitalism Survive?” And economist William Lazonick tells us how Boeing management buying back its own stock contributed to the decisions that led to the crashes of the 737 MAX 8
Featured Stories
--Wilkerson: US Further Isolates Itself From its Allies Over Iran Policy
--John Pilger: Extradition Process a 'Very Long Uphill Road' for Assange
--Bernie Sanders Vision Of Democratic Socialism Makes Both Sides Nervous
--Capitalism = Extinction?
Featured Stories
--Germany's Exit from Coal by 2038 Is a Major Transition
--Methane Emissions Down, but Still Causing Climate Change
--Is Joe Biden's Folksy Shtick Beginning to Backfire?
--Longest Period Without Fed Minimum Wage Increase Since Law Enacted in 1938
--Hong Kong Authorities Bow to Beijing, Determined to Ignore a Million Protesters
In an eclectic program, Ralph talks first with Rebecca Sheir and Eric Shimelonis, creators of the podcast “Circle Round,” which adapts and updates folk-tales for children. Then, investigative reporter Katherine Eban joins us to talk about her exposé: “Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom.”
The refusal of the Church to purge abusers and pedophiles from the clergy and accept human sexuality as a blessing, is leading to the end of the Church as we know it, says Matthew Fox on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
Cardinal Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict, launched a campaign in defense of murderous dictatorships in Latin America and to purge the Church of liberation theology and priests like Matthew Fox - on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
Featured Stories
--Democrats Face Decision On Impeachment
--New Evidence Suggests 2018 Chemical Attack in Douma, Syria Was Staged
--Israeli Private Intelligence Company Black Cube Out of Control
--Tennessee Passes Law Designed to Intimidate Black Voters
Former priest Fox talks about questioning the concept of original sin, the assassination of John Paul I, John Paul II reviving the Inquisition led by Cardinal Ratzinger, and the concept that there is no love without justice - Matthew Fox on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
Now an Episcopalian priest, Matthew Fox tells of his coming to political consciousness and decision to join the Catholic priesthood, which he saw not as an escape, but as a way to stay in the world - Matthew Fox on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
Director of Vote Hemp, Eric Steenstra, recounts how they finally won the battle to legalize industrial hemp farming. And former NRC commissioner, Peter Bradford, rebuts recent op-eds that promote nuclear power.
Featured Stories
--D-Day: How the US Supported Hitler's Rise to Power
--Has Indonesia Bucked the Global Rightward Trend?
--Trump's Mexico Tariffs: A "Foolish' Policy"
--Trump's Mexico Tariff Ignores the Reality of Migration
Featured Stories
--State Department Perpetuates Disinformation On Iran
--U.S. Prepares Sanctions to Block Food Program for Millions of Venezuelans
--Is Pope Francis Doing Enough to Root Out Sex Abuse in the Church?
--Anti-Semitism in Germany
--Austria's Far Right Gains Ground Despite Massive Corruption Scandal
--Canadian Inquiry Demands Justice for Genocide of Indigenous Women and Girls
Pope Francis announced new rules requiring pedophilia and sexual abuse to be reported to Church superiors, but survivors are critical, saying police need to be informed - on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
Featured Stories
--Climate Science Denied as Trump Admin Orders Halt on Long Term Projections
--US-China Trade War: Trump Attempts to Veto China's Industrial Policy
--Trump's Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia: An Impeachable Offense?
--The Environmental and Economic Challenge of Our Time
--Brazilian Students Stage New Mass Protests Against Bolsonaro's Education Reform
Former priest Matthew Fox discusses the book In the Closet of the Vatican, which depicts a “ring of lust” at the highest levels of the Church, and the campaign to hypocritically "weaponize" sexuality and bring down Pope Francis - on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
Medicare For All advocate, Dr. John Geyman, rejoins us to discuss his latest book “Struggling and Dying Under Trumpcare: How We Fix This Fiasco.” And philosophy professor Ben Burgis explains how to “Give Them an Argument: Logic For The Left.”
Featured Stories
--Six Children Have Died While in ICE Custody - Why?
--Sen. Graham's Call for Military Intervention in Venezuela: A Scare Tactic?
--T-Mobile and Sprint Merger Endangers Free Media
--Marijuana Activist Faces 10 Years in Prison for Using Facebook Live
Ralph welcomes acclaimed journalist, Andrew Cockburn, who argues that the more we spend on the armed forces the weaker we actually get. And energy security expert Joel N. Gordes explains how best we can safeguard our vulnerable power grid from a cyber attack.
Featured Stories
--Chicago's New Mayor to End Water Shutoffs
--How the U.S. Crackdown on Abortion Laws Influences Other Countries
--Guaidó Out of Gas
--Activists Push Back Against Conservative Threat to Safe and Legal Abortion
Featured Stories
--44 States File Suit Against Drug Companies for Inflating Prices
--Trump Says the Military Industrial Complex is Pressuring him Into a War With Iran
--US Has No Moral Authority to Deem Muslim Brotherhood 'Terrorist'
--Canada's Anti-Venezuela Policy: A Result of Material Interests and US Subordination
--Trump's Real Estate Dealings Needed a Criminal Organization Deutsche Bank
The healthcare system is unsustainable; without a Medicare for All system, only the wealthiest will be able to afford decent care - Wendell Potter on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
Wall Street demands medical insurance companies maintain their profits under the Affordable Care Act, which means they get even more aggressive in denying coverage and creating insurance models that under-insure patients - Wendell Potter on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
Featured Stories:
--Trump's 2020 Military Budget Is $500 Billion More Than He Claims
--Trump Appointees Refuse to Say They Support Brown v. Board of Education
--Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Is Being Pushed By 'Islamophobia Industry'
--Climate Change Hits Southern Mexico Hard Farmers Develop New Ways of Coping
--Trump-Bolton Aggression Against Iran Contained by Russia, Japan, China, and EU
Vijay Prashad says the very dangerous statements, economic sanctions and military aggression unleashed by Washington this week against Iran was countered by cool headed diplomacy by Japan, Russia, EU and China
Ralph talks to professor Ruth Wilson Gilmore about abolishing prisons and journalist Adam Higginbotham about his book, “Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster.”
We revisit Wendell Potter's whistleblowing testimony that exposed how the insurance industry is more interested in pleasing Wall Street than in people's care, and asked him if these abuses continued after the passing of the ACA--Wendell Potter on Reality Asserts Itself, hosted by Paul Jay
Featured Stories
--Fight Against Voter Suppression Continues in Georgia
--Why Socialism? With Bhaskar Sunkara
--Does Baltimore Need a Green New Deal?
--Toronto Residents Face Off Against Google over Waterfront 'Smart City'
--Ocasio-Cortez & Sanders Introduce Bill to Cap Credit Card Interest Rates at 15%
Featured Stories:
--AOC & Bernie Join Sunrise Movement in DC Town Hall (0:32)
--Medical Insurance Companies Can Decide Who Lives and Dies (6:27)
--Why Many Venezuelans Are Still Chavistas (26:14)
--Eurovision Artist Boycott Curbed by Qatari Aid (34:39)
--Guaidó Calls for US Military Cooperation, but few Venezuelans Support the Move (43:18)
--How the Mainstream Media Ignores the Climate Change Crisis (46:45)
Whistleblower Wendell Potter says the death of a young woman denied care by the insurance company he worked for was a turning point in his life; he says these practices are still taking place under the Affordable Care Act - on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
Featured Stories
--Brazil's Bolsonaro: 'Exterminator of the Future'
--The MMT Debate With Dean Baker & Randall Wray
--How the Mainstream Media Ignores the Climate Change Crisis
--Trump Provokes Iran With Intensified Economic War
Featured Stories
--Can Biden 'Make America Moral Again'?
--Can We Reach 100% Renewable Energy?
--Trump's New Policies to Limit Asylum
We talk to Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin about progress on the minimum wage, the environment, corporate power, Medicare for All and the possibility of impeaching Donald Trump. Then advocate Jamie Love explains how greedy drug companies get away with gouging us for life-saving drugs.
Wendell Potter, author of ‘Deadly Spin: How Corporate PR is Killing Healthcare and Deceiving Americans’, traces his life from growing up poor and Republican in Tennessee, to radicalization during the Vietnam War, to cynical journalist who just wanted to make money - on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
Featured Stories
--Trump and Kushner Middle East Peace Deal Is a Trojan Horse for Further Occupation
--Trump's China Tariffs A Misplaced Strategy for the US Economy
--Anya Parampil from Inside the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Featured Stories
--Trump and Mnuchin Break the Law By Refusing to Release President's Tax Records
--Russia-China Alignment Challenges U.S. Hegemony
--Pentagon Report on China's Military Expansion Hypocrisy
--Fear Mongering and Capitalism: A Recipe for Fascism?
Featured Stories
--Citizenship Question Could Invalidate 2020 Census
--One Million Species Face Extinction, UN Report Finds
--Does Bernie Sanders Really Have A Black Voter Problem?
I realized it wasn’t the Soviet Union that was the great danger, it was the potential of nuclear war, and it’s still the case today - says Stephen Cohen on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
Ralph engages in a spirited back and forth with Matt Stoller of the Open Markets Institute about corporate power and how Facebook must be restructured. Plus, Ralph answers listener questions about vaccines, the Boeing Max 8 and has some strong words about Apple buying back 75 billion dollars of its own stock.
The House Rules Committee heard powerful testimony about the urgency of passing Medicare for All from Ady Barkan, who is in late stages of ALS. Wendell Potter on Reality Asserts Itself hosted by Paul Jay
Prof. Stephen Cohen, professor emeritus of politics at Princeton University and of Russian studies and history at New York University, his recent book is titled ‘War with Russia? From Putin and Ukraine to Trump and Russiagate’; Cohen discusses the forces that shaped his political thinking on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
Joe Biden announced his campaign for the Democratic nomination with waves of patriotic "Stop Trump to save America" propaganda. Will it distract from his long and terrible record? Norman Solomon and Jacqueline Luqman examine his campaign strategy
Drs. Rania Milleron and Nicholas Sakellariou talk about changing the culture of the engineering profession so that more will step forward when they see bad things happening. And Karen Friedman, from the Pension Rights Center, tells us about preserving your pension and answers the question: “Is Social Security really in trouble?”
Featured Stories
--Sen. Warren Wants to Jail Those Who Caused 2008's Meltdown
--If Current Laws Prosecuting Bankers Aren't Used, What Can Warren Change?
--Leaked Report: Western Arms Are Essential to Saudi Arabia's War in Yemen
--Venezuela's Parallel Ambassador Seated at OAS as Activists Defend Embassy
After the fall of the Soviet Union, a dysfunctional and pro-American Russian President Yeltsin presided over the chaos of the 1990’s; when Putin came to power, the West was very disappointed at the independent and nationalist character of the Putin led state and the demonization began - Stephen Cohen joins Paul Jay on Reality Asserts Itself
Randall Wray, one of the founders of the economic theory known as Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) lays out some of its main arguments. Gerald Epstein, co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) debates. Paul Jay hosts
The threat of nuclear war; the climate crisis; Trump’s regime change plans for Iran and Venezuela; and confrontation with China are far more significant threats than election meddling - former Pres. Clinton advisor Bill Curry and Paul Jay join host Jacqueline Luqman
Trump's announcement to cut humanitarian aid to Central America will not have much effect. It's the military aid that reinforces brutality in Guatemala and Honduras, says Prof. Adrienne Pine
Ralph talks to founder of Ballot Access News, Richard Winger, about among other things, eliminating the Electoral College and the need for Federal ballot access laws. And Jerome Segal, founder of the Jewish Peace Lobby talks AIPAC and Netanyahu’s plans after his re-election.
Trump’s stated aim is to reduce tensions with Russia, but is it motivated by peaceful objectives or is it preparations for aggression towards Iran and China - Stephen Cohen joins host Paul Jay for a spirited discussion on Reality Asserts Itself
“The claim that Russia attacked America during the 2016 presidential election is both exceedingly dangerous and a complete falsehood,” says Stephen Cohen on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
A panel discussion between FAIR's Jeff Cohen and Jacqueline Luqman, with host Marc Steiner examines whether this is the beginning of an attempt to stop investigative journalists from working with whistleblowers and exposing corruption
Ralph talks to professor Sheldon Krimsky about the controversy surrounding GMOs and the conflict of interest inherent in corporate-funded scientific studies. Plus he talks to Paul Hudson of Flyers Rights about how the FAA dropped the ball and whether the Boeing Max 8 should ever fly again.
Wikileaks released Manning’s leaked documents and exposed multiple crimes committed by the U.S. government and armed forces - Jay says this is getting lost in the corporate media coverage of Assange’s arrest; when he was arrested, Assange carried a copy of TRNN’s book “Gore Vidal on the History of the National Security State” which was based on a series of interviews conducted by Paul Jay between 2005 to 2007; the premise of the book is the American state and its loyal media use patriotism to lie to the American people about U.S. foreign policy and militarism
Featured Stories
--Don't Celebrate: Mueller Report Continues Russiagate Narrative
--US Complicit in War Crimes in Yemen (Part 1 and 2)
--More Sanctions on Venezuela: Operation Florida 2020 (Part 1 and 2)
--Netanyahu's Proposal to Annex West Bank Kills Delusion About Two-State Solution
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization on Monday, upping the economic war against Iran, the rift with Europe and China, and preparing conditions for a “military option” - Col. Larry Wilkerson joins Paul Jay
Dr. Sidney Wolfe explains why Pubic Citizen is calling for a moratorium on FDA approval of any new opioids. And Glen Ford of Black Agenda Report talks with Ralph about a wide range of issues, including right-wing black Democrats, blackface, and the militarization of the police.
Trump's "great healthcare plan" and opposition to Medicare for All's "socialism" and Pelosi's defense of the ACA and opposition to single-payer are both aimed at garnering support from the private insurance industry
Featured Stories
--Trump Dumps Nearly 1M People From Food Stamps
--Is Global Recession Looming?
--The Anti-Democratic Roots of NATO
--Privatization and Kickbacks: Why the Healthy Holly Scandal Is Bigger Than Baltimore's Mayor
Venezuela has become a popular argument against socialism amongst conservatives because of the deep economic crisis it is currently traversing. Defenders of the Bolivarian project, though, say that US sanctions and economic war are to blame for the crisis. Greg Wilpert presents an analysis that tries to take all the factors into account
No matter who wins - Lori Lightfoot or Toni Preckwinkle, Chicago will have elected an African American woman mayor for the first time in history, says Camille Erickson
A third defeat for Theresa May’s Brexit plan sets up April 12 as the drop-dead date for an unlikely agreement in Parliament, a second referendum, a hard Brexit, or a general election where Jeremy Corbyn will present a progressive vision for Brexit and the future - Leo Panitch joins Paul Jay
Toxic Avenger extraordinaire, Walter Hang, joins us to talk about how they outlawed fracking in New York State, why Big Green groups have failed to stop Donald Trump’s anti-environment agenda, and the most effective ways to generate lasting change.
Featured Stories
--US Military Budget Reveals an Offensive Posture, Russia and China on Defense
--Humane Capitalism or Fascism and War - Q&A with Paul Jay
--Could Banning Menthol Cigarettes Have Deadly, Unintended Consequences?
Former UN Special Rapporteur says Michelle Bachelet needs to change her team and visit Venezuela herself, or she is going to continue to get an "unprofessional, one-sided, politicized report" on the state of the country
Featured Stories
--Democrats' Russophobia Hid Trump's Real Crimes
--Ecuador's Lenin Talks Progressive, Acts Conservative
--Russia Obsession Let Trump Abandon Nuclear Treaties
Featured Stories
--Bernie and the Reparations Debate
--Will Corruption Scandal Sink Netanyahu Weeks Before Election?
--The Real News Doesn't Side with Russian or American Oligarchs
O’Rourke is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, a caucus with close connections to the finance, insurance and real estate industries; Beto calls himself a progressive Democrat - with Jacqueline Luqman, Norman Solomon and host Paul Jay
Ralph talks to artist Marilee Shapiro Asher about how she maintains a productive life at age 106. And activist Ray Metcalfe explains his plan on how to defang the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision with his campaign The Bribery Stops Here.
Featured Stories
--Venezuela and Socialism - mailbag with Paul Jay
--Trump's Secrecy Insulates U.S. Public from CIA Drone War
--Global Merchants of Death US Increases Arms Sales by 29
--China the Target of Pentagon's Massive Military Budget - Horne and Jay
--Billions From Deutsche Bank Despite Trumps Bankruptcies, Defaults, and Financial Malfeasance
Peter Kuznick, co-author of The Untold History of the United States, spoke to Paul Jay about the significance of the vice presidency of Henry Wallace, who served in the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, in the context of the Bernie Sanders campaign.
Featured Stories
--Admissions Scandal Exposes the Fraud of Meritocracy
--Far From Progressive, Kamala Harris' Record as Prosecutor
--Venezuela Tops CIAs Agenda for Brazils President
Featured Stories
--The Attack on Ilhan Omar and Pelosis Unconditional Support for Israel
--40,000 UC Workers Are About to Strike Over Race, Class, and Gender
--Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Sentenced to 38 Years and 148 Lashes
With the Conservative Party in disarray, can the Labour Party take advantage of the “Brexit moment”-- Costas Lapavitsas joins host Paul Jay
Our weekly roundup panel looks at the fracture lines in the Republican Party and the corporate Democrats continue their frenzy about Russia - with Jacqueline Luqman, Jeff Cohen and host Paul Jay
The Brexit process is in chaos after a series of votes concludes with the government asking the EU for a three-month extension; Jeremy Corbyn calls for an election to let people decide on their future -- Paul Jay and Costas Lapavitsas
Ralph talks to aviation expert, William McGee, about the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and pays tribute to his grandniece, who was one of the fatalities. Plus, Colman McCarthy returns to update us on the progress his Center For Teaching Peace has made in getting the study of peace into the curriculums of America’s schools.
Preparing for war with largest peacetime military budget paid for with devastating cuts to the poor, ending environmental regulation, destroying retirement and healthcare. Do divided Democrats have an answer? Lindsay Koshgarian of IPS analyzes the proposal
Featured Stories
--Venezuela Update: Massive Blackout, US Unconventional Warfare?
--As Ukraine's Presidential Race Heats Up, Politics Shift to the Right
--German Jewish Peace Group Wins Peace Prize Then Attacked as being Anti-Semitic
--Israeli Policies Force Family Separations
Parliament rejected Theresa May's latest Brexit deal by a vote of 391-242 just 17 days before Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union
Featured Stories
--Trump Budget Showers Pentagon with Cash...Preparing for War?
--Is ICE Trying to Intimidate Anti-Trump and Anti-ICE Protest?
--Billionaire Owners of Purdue Pharma Pushed Opioid Drug OxyContin Knowing it Could Kill
--Trump's "Coalition of the Willing" Against Venezuela Has Legitimacy Issues of Their Own
Chelsea Manning said her testimony before her court martial is all she has to say, standing by her resistance to secret grand juries as her activist ancestors did before her. Kevin Gosztola, Managing Editor of Shadowproof, discusses the case
Ralph spends the whole hour with independent journalist, Dahr Jamail, author of “The End of Ice,” his first person reporting on the front lines of the climate crisis.
Featured Stories
--Ilhan Omars Denunciation of Israel Lobby is Not Anti-Semitism
--Clinton-Era Official Says Left Should Lead Following Center-Right Failures
--UN Commission Report Accuses Israel of War Crimes in Gaza
--The Climate Denier Enablers
--Mexicos Monetary Policy Traps it in Poverty
Featured Stories
--Trump and Netanyahu Scandals a Very Dangerous Moment
--France's Macron Moves to Equate Anti-Semitism with Anti-Zionism
--Sanders on Venezuela: Does His Critique of US Policy Go Far Enough?
--The Politics of Brazil's Carnival
A core concept of “Americanism” is the belief that the United States has a God given right to control all of the Americas in the name of democracy and freedom--but in reality, for plunder and commercial interest - historian Gerald Horne joins Paul Jay
In only the third public conversation between these two progressive icons, Ralph talks to Professor Chomsky - among other things - the media, the Green New Deal, nuclear war, Gaza, and Venezuela.
Hearings reveal deepening systemic corruption, further degeneration of GOP, progressive members standout in questioning - Jacqueline Lukman, Henry Giroux and Carmen Russell-Sluchansky join Paul Jay
On the eve of another US war for oil, Abby Martin debunks the most repeated myths about Venezuela and uncovers how US sanctions are crimes against humanity with UN Investigator and Human Rights Rapporteur Alfred De Zayas.
Ralph welcomes back legendary activist, Lois Gibbs, who updates us on the latest grassroots victories to clean up contaminated communities in spite of Trump’s EPA. And Jason Levine, executive director of The Center For Auto Safety, introduces the new The Car Book 2019, your complete guide to buying a safe, reliable, fuel-efficient automobile.
Pompeo, Netanyahu urged Arab leaders to consolidate and prepare for war with Iran at Warsaw Conference. Europe sends low level delegations. A leaked video from the conference reveals that Arab leaders are ready to abandoned solidarity with Palestinians. We speak with Vijay Prashad for analysis.
Trump's emergency order threatens to create an all powerful presidency and weaken a constitutional order that allows the elites to settle their differences within an electoral process - Paul Jay joins guest-host Jacqueline Luqman of 'Luqman Nation'
Ralph spends the entire hour with physicist and former Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Dr. Gregory Jaczko, talking about his book “Confessions of a Rogue Nuclear Regulator.
Why Are They Really Mad At Ilhan Omar? What does being a woman of color have to do with it? She said no more than other critics of American policy in the Middle East. Marc Steiner, Shir Hever, Charles Lenchner, and Phyllis Bennis discuss the issue
Eze Jackson and Tracey Beale talk with Dharna Noor and Steve Horn about their work reporting on climate change and the urgency for us to act now.
Ralph welcomes activist, George Lakey, to discuss “Viking Economics,” about what the U.S. can learn from the Scandinavian economies and “How To Win” social progress with direct action, non-violent campaigning. Then, Ian Barlow from the Federal Trade Commission, tells us how to stop robo-calls. Plus, Ralph weighs in on Trump’s State of the Union.
President asks for end to investigations & endless war while demonizing immigrants and attacking abortion rights
Russia and China are responding to “perceived US unilateralism and interventionism” - Paul Jay joins Taya Graham to analyze the Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community
Ralph welcomes Dr. George Denniston, founder of Doctors Opposing Circumcision, who argues that male circumcision is unnecessary, unethical, as well as physically and psychologically harmful. Then Public Citizen’s, Rick Claypool, gives us an update on how the Trump Administration’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy for border crossings and street crime does not extend to his buddies in the corporate world. Plus listener questions!
Ralph welcomes Harvard Business School professor, Shoshana Zuboff, to talk about how Google, Facebook and other digital companies make money by watching every move you make, and how it should be stopped.
Josh Fox, director of the “Gasland” documentaries, joins Ralph to discuss his ongoing battles with the fossil fuel industry as detailed in his one-man show “The Truth Has Changed.” And Constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, tells us the important questions the Senate confirmation committee failed to ask Attorney General nominee, William Barr, about executive power.
Ralph welcomes clinical professor and independent health consultant, Dr. Fred Hyde, to give us the lowdown on how the Medicare Advantage program mainly benefits the private insurance companies that participate, not the consumers. Plus Ralph answers more listener questions!
In our first TRNN podcast, we discuss a viewer letter that says Paul Jay underestimates the danger of Putin - with Marc Steiner, Dharna Noor and Paul Jay
Ralph talks to entrepreneur, author, and activist, Paul Hawken, who makes the case that global warming is reversible in his book “Drawdown.” And conservative constitutional scholar, Bruce Fein, does a deep dive into the Mueller investigation.
Ralph talks to Pulitzer Prize winning reporter, Art Cullen, about his hometown, Storm Lake, Iowa and how its ethnically diverse community thrives despite being located in Rep. Steve King’s ultra-conservative district. And 21-year old Joshua Browder tells us how you can save a lot of money using his robot lawyer.
Ralph asks scholar, Richard Falk, about how and why international law seems to not work for peace and security issues. And author, Peter Philips reveals the handful of people who control the world’s wealth.
Ralph welcomes former Nader’s Raider, Jim Musselman, who since working with Ralph founded Appleseed Recordings and is promoting “Roots and Branches,” his latest compilation of new and classic folk/roots music. Also, GM engineer and whistleblower, Nicholas Kachman returns to give us an update on General Motors’ Culture of Failure.”
Ralph welcomes longtime colleague Mark Green and law professor from Wisconsin, Joel Rogers, to break down what the results of the midterm elections will mean for both the Trump agenda and the direction of the Democratic Party.