Leid Stories: Recent Episodes
Progressive Radio Network
When Candidates Have Primary Objectives
Should presidential candidates be tested on their mental acuity, physical health; knowledge of the role of the U.S in past and current world events; a thorough understanding of how the U.S. government works; and a deep knowledge of U.S. history?
Questions: ● Which declared presidential candidates need to be dumped? Why? ● As you see it, what is the greatest threat to economic stability right now? ● How do we get out of the economic mess we're in?
Catch Utrice Leid on Leid Stories daily at 1 PM EST on PRN.live. She takes callers and has deep discussions with the viewers.
Topic:
︎Looking back at the Biden administration's past two years, and forward to the possibility of two more (if he runs again and wins), is Biden the kind of president the country needs?
For what has he earned strong points? And for what have you found him wanting?
︎Do you trust our political leadership? Why/why not? Be specific.
︎What argument do you make for or against legal or illegal entry into the United States?
︎If you were offered citizenship in another country that appealed to you, would you take it or pass? Why?
TOPIC: We pick up from where we left off yesterday, with Washington in political turmoil.
Topic:
When They're Past Their Primaries
Should presidential candidates be tested on their mental acuity, physical health; knowledge of the role of the U.S in past and current world events; a thorough understanding of how the U.S. government works; and a deep knowledge of U.S. history?
Today's program will be free-form, featuring callers' opinions on contemporary issues.)
What is your attitude in general about elections? What has shaped your attitude? Do you believe U.S. elections are fair?
Tomorrow is Election Day. Are you prepared to vote -- based on where candidates and their parties stand on issues that matter to you?
Will current social, political and economic conditions encourage or discourage the formation of new (or newer) movements and social systems?
What do you see as a great threat or impediment to American democracy?
︎What, in your view, is the purpose of a government?
︎Is democracy, as we know it, sustainable? Have we outgrown it, or has it outgrown us?
Have you ever switched political parties or been reluctant to openly identify with a party? Why?
Marcus from Wisconsin should be calling in at the start of the program to finish his presentation from yesterday.
Then we'll continue with "Free Your Mind Friday" with other callers.
What influences your vote or political the most?
-- Political, social or religious affiliation
-- Media coverage
-- Your family's political attitudes or history
-- Your own self-education
-- Other
Has there been a major shift in your political thinking. What caused it? How has it changed, or is changing, your outlook and actions?
What do you make of American politics right now? Where do you see things going?
Even before he took office -- even before he announced he would run for president as a far better choice than Donald Trump -- Joe Biden was cast by his political critics as an oldager fading fast and unfit for the nation's highest office. He won't be his own man, they said. Showing of dementia and memory loss, he's often confused, forgetful and temperamental, they say, even going so far as to suggest that a coterie of political actors decide Biden's priorities and agenda, and then let Biden appear at show time to sell new ideas and programs that Biden and the Democrats want people to support. The idea is to hammar at Biden's age and his supposedly feeble mind, and to warn voters they would be making a terrible mistake to re-elect him. This is old-fashioned dirty politics -- using any strategy, no matter how base, that helps knock down an opponent. Just the same, is the matter of Biden's mental health a legitimate issue? What do you think?
Even as major political developments continue to unfold -- for Democrats and Republicans alike -- what do you consider the most significant so far? Why︎? How is this saga affecting your own views on U.S. party politics? Race, Class and Politics.
Today's topic: "What has changed about your political outlook in recent years? From what to what?
What would you say has caused that change?
We pick up from where we left off with each other yesterday. talking about our individual and collective state of mind in light of recent developments here in the United States and around the world.
(Today's program will be free-form, featuring callers' opinions on contemporary issues.)
Glad to be back with you -- again! Missed you so much! Sooo, let's catch up.
What's on your mind?
Here’s the promo for Leid Stories today. It's "Free Your Mind Friday," when Leid Stories becomes an open forum for listeners' views on major issues of the day.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today:
The legal and diplomatic tug-of-war over two U.S. citizens detained in Russia on drug-smuggling and espionage charges.
Here's the promo for Leid Stories today.
Solution or Symbolism? VP Kamala Harris performs an official duty as she visits Akron, Ohio, today. What is the Biden administration's response to the police execution of Jayland Walker specifically, andI about its continuing function in communities of color as occupying military forces maintaining America's race-based status quo? In what important ways will the Biden administration change this established order?
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
︎Jayland Walker (Akron, Ohio) and Robert Crimo III Highland Park, Ill.): Yet another study in systemic racism and law-enforcement outcomes.
LEID STORIES RUNSHEET TUESDAY, JUNE 30 2022
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
︎ Name three things you give President Joe Biden credit for, and three things you think he has failed, or is failing, to achieve.
︎ Should Biden quit the presidency -- and politics all together?
︎ Will the testimonies of several witnesses before the Jan. 6 Committee, result in several criminal prosecutions? Will Trump be among them?
Join the conversation live on air! Call 888-874-4888 and be heard.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today. We conclude our open forum on Juneteenth, commemorating the post-Civil War emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.
Even as major political developments continue to unfold -- for Democrats and Republicans alike -- what do you consider the most significant so far? Why? What impact do you think the hearings on the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol are having on the nation's understanding of ex-President Donald Trump's key role leading up to that day? How is this saga affecting your own views on U.S. party politics?
TOPIC: Politically I'll say I'm a _____(description). I voted for _____ in the 2020 presidential election. I thought the country needed _______. Two years in with President Biden, I think ________. What shapes my view is _______.
On this program on Jan. 10, 2022, I asked two questions: They were not rhetorical. I asked: Is Trump succeeding at undermining Biden's presidency with a parallel presidency? I also asked: Have Republicans fully yielded their party to Trump? Do yesterday's elections make the answers to both questions any clearer? Just how much has Trump's orchestrated attack attempt on Jan. 6 cost Washington, D.C.? As the convener-in-chief of the violent protest, is Trump responsible for picking up the tab? I note that not even the current inquiry into the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol has raised this question.
Based on your own experience, did studying hard and getting a good education equip you for a life you thought you could or would have?
Based on your own experience, did studying hard and getting a good education equip you for a life you thought you could or would have?
Drawing on your own experience and your own knowledge and observation, what is your own view of education today?
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
︎Is American democracy in crisis? How can you tell?
Do Democrats act as though they're a solid bet for people of color, but work even harder to win the white vote?
︎Is nonparticipation in voting a good or useful strategy?
Despite perennial protests urging voting boycotts
︎Would you vote to re-elect Joe Biden? Why / Why not?
︎ Name three issues on your top-priority political agenda.
Are you preparing/have you begun to make plans to live in a war economy? What changes have you made or are you making? What plans should we consider making right now?
It's Free Your Mind Friday!" Listeners' calls feature their considered opinions about critical issues of the day and how they affect our lives and collective survival.
Will current social, political and economic conditions encourage or discourage the formation of new (or newer) movements and social systems?
︎What, in your view, is the purpose of a government?
︎Is democracy, as we know it, sustainable? Have we outgrown it, or has it outgrown us?
︎What do you see as the greatest threats or impediments to American democracy?
︎Have you ever switched political parties or been reluctant to openly identify with a party? Why?
Will Joe Biden be re-elected to a second presidential term? What's working in his favor so far? What's not? ︎Is it time to mount real intra-party leadership challenges for both parties? Why? / Why not?
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today:
︎How to answer a [Leid Stories] question.
︎Will current social, political and economic conditions encourage or discourage the formation of new (or newer) movements and social systems?
︎What do you see as the greatest threats or impediments to American democracy?
︎What, in your view, is the purpose of a government?
︎Is democracy, as we know it, sustainable? Have we outgrown it, or has it outgrown us?
︎Have you ever switched political parties or been reluctant to openly identify with a party? Why?
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been banned from receiving the Catholic sacrament of Holy Communion in the archdiocese of San Francisco, its conservative Cardinal Cordileone confirmed over the weekend. Pelosi, a lifelong Catholic who lives in San Francisco, has been banned from receiving communion because of her support for women's reproductive rights, including abortion, the Cardinal said, noting that the church opposes such a policy. A spokesman for the church said Pelosi was informed of her communion ban by letter. QUESTIONS: ︎What is the significance of the cardinal's action? ︎Pros and cons of the fallout. ︎President Biden, also Catholic, supports a woman's right to choose, but no action has been taken against him. The old double standard
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today:
︎Almost a year and a half in office as the nation's two top leaders -- as President and vice president, respectively, of the United States -- what is your assessment of the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris team?
Based on what you have been able to learn from media coverage of the mass killing in Buffalo, N.Y., last Saturday--allegedly by a lone teenage gunman--what do you consider the main stories/issues to be? Explain.
The Buffalo, N.Y., mass shooting: Nobody seems to have real answers or solutions, other than a slew of scrambled-together ideas and "policies" to show that well-intentioned law-enforcement and political responses were attempted. Bottom line: No new ideas so far relating specifically to the killings, but a lot of discussion on the "Great Replacement Theory," which supposedly informed 18-year-old gunman Payton Gendnon's deadly assault on unsuspecting supermarket shoppers on Saturday. ︎What happens now?
It's "Free Your Mind Friday" on Leid Stories. That's when the program becomes an open forum and listeners have their say about a subject or issue that warrants closer attention and/or debate.
No cogent answers yet on what, exactly, is the law of the land on women's reproductive rights and why are such laws aimed particularly at women and their presumed constitutional right to decide whether to bring a pregnancy to term or terminate it.
Many states prefer their own interpretations of the law.
Roe v. Wade, a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision, said that a pregnant woman may decide for herself, without governmental intervention or interference, whether to complete a pregnancy or terminate it.
Since then, the landmark decision has served as the cornerstone of political movements seeking to overturn it as heresy that will bring about America's eventual destruction.
President Biden, a Catholic, now is in the eye of the political storm on the abortion issue, and many other constituencies have already begun to organize and mobilize against any possibility that Roe v. Wade continues to be the law of the land.
You've had some time to think about where you stand on the issue. So, what are your thoughts? What informs your opinion?
No easy answers on a national policy on abortion, and President Biden's lack of clarity on the issue is only adding more fuel to an already roaring fire.
What do you think?
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today -- Living well(ish) on a tight budget.
SAVING MONEY IN A WAR ECONOMY: SMALL STEPS TO KEEP YOU GOING
︎Are you preparing / have you begun to make plans to live in a war economy? What changes have you made or are planning to make? What plans should we consider making right now?
︎Make a plan, with a minimum of how much you'll try to save each week. Encourage each member of your household to do the same.
︎Set up your own network of family and friends also trying to cut expenses and save money.
︎ Cut your utility bills.
︎Cut your drycleaning bill.
︎Start a pantry for making simple, low-cost, nutritious meals.
︎ Make a list of people near you who should be checked on or might need assistance.
︎ Stay on (or, even better, below) budget, taking advantage of specials and sales.
︎Consider healthier choices for you and your family.
︎Creatively mix and match or recycle clothing.
︎Buy when there's a good sale.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today -- Living well(ish) on a tight budget.
SAVING MONEY IN A WAR ECONOMY: SUGGESTIONS
︎Are you preparing / have you begun to make plans to live in a war economy? What changes have you made or are planning to make? What plans should we consider making right now?
︎Make a plan, with a minimum of how much you'll try to save each week. Encourage each member of your household to do the same.
︎Set up your own network of family and friends also trying to cut expenses and save money.
︎ Cut your utility bills.
︎Cut your drycleaning bill.
︎Start a pantry for making simple, low-cost, nutritious meals.
︎ Make a list of people near you who should be checked on or might need assistance.
︎ Stay on (or, even better, below) budget, taking advantage of specials and sales.
︎Consider healthier choices for you and your family.
︎Creatively mix and match or recycle clothing.
︎Buy when there's a good sale.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today -- Living well(ish) on a tight budget.
SAVING $$$: A START
︎Are you preparing / have you begun to make plans to live in a war economy? What changes have you made or are planning to make? What plans should we consider making right now?
︎Make a plan, with a minimum of how much you'll try to save each week. Encourage each member of your household to do the same.
︎Set up your own network of family and friends also trying to cut expenses and save money.
︎ Cut your utility bills.
︎Cut your drycleaning bill.
︎Start a pantry for making simple, low-cost, nutritious meals.
︎ Make a list of people near you who should be checked on or might need assistance.
︎ Stay on (or, even better, below) budget, taking advantage of specials and sales.
︎Consider healthier choices for you and your family.
︎Creatively mix and match or recycle clothing.
︎Buy when there's a good sale.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
︎House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a group of high-level U.S. officials should be back home today after unannounced whirlwind visits to Ukraine and Poland to assure both countries of U.S. support in the face of heightened Russian aggression.
What is significant about the legislators' trip?
Picking up from where we left off yesterday, here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
FINISHING
︎In your view, how real is the risk of nuclear war in the Russia-Ukraine conflict? What do you think could provoke a nuclear war?
What could deter it?
What factors are you weighing?
NEW TOPIC: SAVING MONEY
︎Are you preparing / have you begun to make plans to live in a war economy? What changes have you made or are planning to make? What plans should we consider making right now?
︎Make a plan, with a minimum of how much you'll try to save each week. Encourage each member of your household to do the same.
︎Set up your own network of family and friends.
︎ Cut your utility bill.
︎Start a pantry for making simple, low-cost, nutritious meals.
︎ Make a list of people near you who should be checked on or might need assistance.
︎ Stay on (or, even better, below) budget, taking advantage of specials and sales.
︎Consider healthier choices for you and your family.
︎Creatively mix and match or recycle clothing.
︎Buy when there's a good sale.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
Are you preparing/have you begun to make plans to live in a war economy? What changes have you made or are making? What plans should we consider making right now?
Is the United States, by virtue of its massive -- and, presumably, continuing military aid to Ukraine -- at war with Russia, too?
︎With the Biden administration's secretary of defense, Ret. Gen. Lloyd Austin, and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken visiting Ukraine President Volodymir Zelenskyy over the weekend, does it signal that the U.S. has chosen "sides" position on the Russia-Ukraine war? When was that vote taken?
︎Why hasn't Congress yet held an open debate and vote on U.S policy on the war -- inasmuch as billions of dollars are already being allocated and spent on the Russia-Ukraine war?
Here's what's happening on Leid Stories today. It's "Free Your Mind Friday," a free-form opinion fest. Give your take on issues that matter!
Here's what we're talking about today on Leid Stories:
President Biden has opened the gates to the nation's coffers -- to check the threat of economic and social woes that loom large nationwide. A grateful nation--and a normally adversarial Congress--considered it a good move.
That program just getting off the ground and showing encouraging results, Biden is urgently beseeched by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to help repel Russia's declared its intention to reclaim territories it had lost to Ukraine in previous battles.
The Russia-Ukraine war is ongoing, with both sides suffering significant losses and setbacks.
Should Biden, without making his case to the nation, be allowed to commit the United States to billions of taxpayer dollars in military support to Ukrain -- and without conditions?
Is Biden skirting the War Powers Act? Why hasn't Biden presented his case openly to Congress and the people?
Continuing our ongoing series of special presentations by Leid Stories listeners, Gardis Henry Watts explains what violence is--and isn't--in his hometown, Chicago.
Here's what what we're talking about on Leid Stories today: whatever you have a strong, thought-out opinion about and want to share with others.
Here’s the promo for Leid Stories today.
Public officials' self-serving, career-boosting, money-wasting news conferences that really are free, taxpayer-funded political ads for themselves.
What if?... Biden's memory lapses and jumbled words turned out to be much more than we knew?
︎Are you beginning to see Obama's return in a different light?
︎Will the Democratic Party leadership endorse the leadership of Kamala Harris, or will she be forced out?
︎Is Obama a possible stand-in for Biden?
︎Constitutionally, must there be new elections for a Biden successor, however temporary?
︎Can the president be ordered to submit to physical and psychological tests in the interests of the people and the country?
︎Who makes the call on the president's fitness for office?
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today:
What qualities did you have as a child that you're glad you still have as an adult?
︎Who or what inspires you?
︎Were you on a wrong path, but made a dramatic turnaround because of a major event or a particular person in your life?
︎Did you develop a different reading of life early but were not understood?
︎What were you like as a child or growing up that caused your parents endless worry, even despair, but turned out to be one of your best character traits or attributes?
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today:
What qualities did you have as a child that you're glad you still have as an adult?
︎Who or what inspires you?
︎Were you on a wrong path, but made a dramatic turnaround because of a major event or a particular person in your life?
︎Did you develop a different reading of life early but were not understood?
︎What we're you like as a child or growing up that caused your parents endless worry, even despair, but turned out to be one of your best character traits or attributes?
Here's what we're talking about today on Leid Stories:
It's been 54 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 on a balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn.
Dr. King had gone to Memphis to support sanitation workers on strike for equitable pay, safer working conditions, and better job opportunity -- and to begin to organize national advocacy efforts around the issue.
Black workers and King had struck a decisive blow against economic apartheid in America. Why did it die?
︎How will / should history recall Putin's actions in Europe? Explain.
Have We 'Moved On?"
It's been 54 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 on a balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn, where he had gone to support sanitation workers on strike for equitable pay and safer working conditions.
In the passing years, it seems King and other stalwarts of the civil rights movement have faded into distant memory, their work, their sacrifices, their lives and accomplishments fading into the past, too.
Have we "gotten over" them? Have we "moved on?"
Activist Gwen Goodwin distills her recent personal experience in arranging for and monitoring care for her elderly mother. She shares what she has learned about hospice care in her presentation, "Hospice Care: What You Should Know." She'll also take questions.
Who / what caused the "shortage" of black judges -- conveniently noted by many jurists and legislators as the appointment of Judge Ketanji Brown-Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court is being considered?
Is the U.S. too deep into the Russia-Ukraine war? What do you think are Biden's objectives? Why is President Biden not discussing the U.S.'s military and financial commitment? Why is Congress not asking? Shouldn't the nation know?
︎Just Say Sorry: Back home from duty in the Caribbean representing Queen Elizabeth II at ceremonies celebrating ties between Britain and Commonwealth nations, Prince William bemoaned the scourge on Britain that slavery was. Was?
Will Britain ever pay -- or be made to pay -- the debt that is owed to its former -- and current --colonies?
Is the U.S. too deep into the Russia-Ukraine war? What do you think are Biden's objectives? Why is he not discussing the U.S.'s financial commitment? Why is Congress not asking? Shouldn't the nation know?
︎Just Say Sorry: Back home from duty in the Caribbean representing Queen Elizabeth II at ceremonies celebrating ties between Britain and Commonwealth nations, Prince William bemoaned the scourge on Britain that slavery was. Was?
Will Britain ever pay the debt that is owed to its former -- and current --colonies?
︎ If you had your druthers and the power to change the American political system, would you? What kind of system would we have?
Is the U.S. already too deep into the Russia-Ukraine war? What do you think are Biden's objectives? Why is he not discussing the U.S.'s financial commitment? Why is Congress not demanding answers -- unless it approves of loosie-goosie war policies? But under what authority is the Biden administration committing to and engaging in "wartime" policies and actions?
Shouldn't the nation know?
︎Just Say Sorry: Back home from duty in the Caribbean representing Queen Elizabeth II at ceremonies celebrating ties between Britain and Commonwealth nations, Prince William bemoaned the scourge on Britain that slavery was. Was?
Will Britain ever pay the debt that is owed to its former -- and current --colonies?
︎ If you had your druthers and the power to change the American political system, would you? What kind of system would we have?
Explain the significance of President Joe Biden's four-day swing through Europe.
︎Is the U.S. too deep into the Russia-Ukraine war? What do you think are Biden's role and objectives?
︎Lots of U.S. money and resources are being directed at helping countries attacked by Russia rebound. Is the burden equally shared, or is the U.S. carrying the lion's share of it? Shouldn't the president brief the nation on this?
︎Explain what you think accounts for President Biden's caustic remarks about President Vladimir Putin.
It's "FYMF" on Leid Stories
Here's what what we're talking about on Leid Stories today -- whatever you have a strong, thought-out opinion about and you want to share with others.
Make a prediction about what President Biden will do about massive shortfalls he will soon face. ︎While we weren't looking, what happened to a slew of programs and initiatives that should be well under way by now? ︎ Is Biden in over his head? Is he playing into Trump's hands? ︎ Does Biden get points for involving himself/U.S. in the Russia-Ukrain crisis? ︎Would Biden be this deeply involved in solving problems in this hemisphere? ︎ Have you figured out a plan that would help you and your family get through challenging times ahead?
QUESTIONS & CALLS ︎Make a prediction about what President Boden will do about massive shortfalls he will soon face. ︎While we weren't looking, what happened to a slew of programs and initiatives that should be well under way by now? ︎ Is Biden in over his head? Is he playing into Trump's hands? ︎ Does Biden get points for involving himself/U.S. in the Russia-Ukrain crisis? ︎Would Biden be this deeply involved in solving problems in this hemisphere? ︎ Have you figured out a plan that would help you and your family get through challenging times ahead?
Jeremiah made his presentation yesterday, titled, "The Universal Effects of Lockdown."
I couldn't be here as planned. I was sidelined by a construction project that seems to have no end.
Do you have a question for Jeremiah, based on histopic yesterday,The Universal Effects of Lockdowns?"
Trump loses bid to further delay rape case against him.
︎Are you preparing for a rough road ahead? What are the most significant changes you intend to make?
︎Are you done with two-party politics? Or, does the prospect of starting over with a new party too scary to think about?
Will America ever overcome its longstanding problems with race and class?
What do you make of where the situation stands between Russia and Ukrain and the threat of war between them?
︎International volunteers are signing up to fight in an anticipated war between Russia and Ukrain that has not even been declared. If you felt compelled to do likewise, what will have been the compelling reason?
︎President Joe Biden (i.e the United States) has taken a leading role in galvanizing international support behind Ukrain, promising billions in technical, humanitarian and military aid. Is Biden setting up once again the old East-West tug-of-war?
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
It's "Free Your Mind Friday," and the entire program is about listeners' opinions on the issues of the day.
Choose your own subject or issue, but please have an opinion about it.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
︎Based on media reports you've seen, read, heard and have learned about, what do you think the next phase or major development in the Russia-Ukraine war is likely to be?
︎Why isn't the United States, a leading nation of the world, not yet beyond its two-party political system, when so many people are looking for other choices?
Add your voice and views to the discussion.
It took 65 years and more than 200 attempts over the last century to get the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act passed into law. Even so, it's no total victory, as the battle for justice in this and other cases continues.
Are we beyond the two-party political system?
Add your voice and views to the discussion.
Running his line: Andrew Cuomo, the disgraced ex-governor of New York state, thought he'd test his credibility and appeal himself at -- where else? -- a small Black church in Brooklyn yesterday. God isn't finished with him yet, he told congregants about why he left office. A trial might refresh his memory.
Inasmuch as President Joe Biden and his administration are trying to square the ledgers on what Russia owes to European states for war-related damages, should U.S. communities targteted by violent acts of government consider doing the same?
The "old days" are still here, as U.S. media tells the story of the Russia-Ukraine crisis through a very white lens.
So, it was sedition after all, according to prosecutors. But Trump, the ringmaster of the violent, Jan. 6 seditious gathering in Washington, D.C., is not yet charged with inciting the minions to "action" because the election was "stolen" from him?
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
Reactions to President Biden's State of the Union address.
Share your thoughts on Leid Stories live.
President Joseph R. Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address at 9 p.m. tonight, EST.
Each year, the president formally addresses Congress and the people of the United States, outlining critical issues confronting the country and how the administration proposes to deal with them.
Most people, even though they may not have formal credentials as political scientists or policy makers, are keenly aware of the problems we face as a nation and what can be done to solve them.
What, would you say is the state of the nation?
This is the first in a series of special talks you'll be hearing on Leid Stories.
Many listeners responded to an open invitation to present their views on an issue or subject that deeply concerns them. They suggested their own topics, and will take questions at the end of their presentations.
INTRO PRESENTER:
Edward Duzant
Our presentations series makes its debut next Monday, Feb. 28. Details. What's going on? Tell me the news -- as you see it.
Our presentations series makes its debut next Monday, Feb. 28. Details. What's going on? Tell me the news!
Three white men, convicted in a state court of the brutal murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man they saw jogging through their suburban Brunswick, Ga., neighborhood on Feb. 23, 2020, are on trial in federal court.
Federal statutes allow for separate/additional prosecutions for crimes allegedly committed in violation of human-rights laws.
Racial hatred motivated Arbury's attackers -- Gregory McMichael, 65, son Travis McMichael, 35, and neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan, 52 -- the prosecutor has charged.
In her opening statement prosecutor Bobbi Bernstein laid out the premise of the federal case: Ahmaud Arbery, she told the court, would not have been murdered had he been white.
Is the prosecutor playing "the race card" to sensationalize the case and play to Black sympathies? Is she unmasking the sheer brutality that lurks behind the illusion of well-ordered life?
On Leid Stories today we look at how the murder of Ahmaud Arbery lays bare the false notion of "progress" in the South.
Three white men, convicted in a state court of the brutal murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man they saw jogging through their suburban Brunswick, Ga. neighborhood on Feb. 23, 2020, are in their second day of trial in federal court.
Federal statutes allow for separate/additional prosecutions for crimes allegedly committed in violation of human-rights laws. Racial hatred motivated Arbury's attackers -- Gregory McMichael, 65, son Travis McMichael, 35, and neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan, 52 -- the prosecutor has charged.
In her opening statement prosecutor Bobbi Bernstein said that Ahmaud Arbery would not have been murdered had he been white.
QUESTIONS:
︎Is prosecution under federal statutes double jeopardy?
︎Could prosecutors prove beyond the shadow of a doubt what was in Arbery's killers' minds when they murdered him?
︎How prepared are we for the very real possibility that the United States could soon be at war, as President Biden has vowed, should Russia, still massing its forces against Ukraine, overrun it?
President Biden has warned Russia of swift and certain U.S. military action if it should invade Ukraine. But Russia continues massing its troops at Ukraine's borders.
︎Ahmaud Arbery would not have been murdered had he been white, the prosecutor in the federal trial of three men who chased and killed Arbery as he jogged through their neighborhood told the court yesterday afternoon as the trial began.
Arbery, 25, was shot to death on Feb. 23, 2020. Gregory McMichael, 65, son Travis McMichael, 35, and neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan, 52, were convicted in the killing of Arbery and sentenced to life in prison.
QUESTION: What would true justice be in this case?
What has been, and continues to be, your greatest secret yearning -- a yearning that has haunted you for years but you haven't yet actualized it?
Do you think it's still attainable? Will you still pursue it? Or, will you let it go and move on?
The president's wife, First Lady Jill Biden, last week announced her "disappointment" that the president's $2.2T Build Back Better budget for next year will not include $45.5 billion for free tuition for two-year college students.
"We knew this wouldn't be easy. Joe has always said that. Still, like you, I was disappointed," she told attendees at the Community College National Summit in Washington.
Question: What do you make of Mrs.Biden's appearance at the national summit and her remarks?
It's "Free Your Mind Friday" on Leid Stories, a free-wheeling forum to share information, opinions and ideas that matter.
We're making up for time lost last week, when some equipment we were expecting was snowbound in delivery. Thanks to our chief engineer, Rodney Harris, who was on the case, we're good to go! So, we added a day to our regular "Free Your Mind Friday" open forum to give you time to talk.
President Biden's declaration that he'll nominate by the end of February a black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the seat that Justice Stephen Bryer will have vacated by his retirement.
What's your take on how Biden is handling this?
Prosecutors in the federal hate crime case of the killing of Armaud Arbery filed notices yesterday that they've made plea deals with two of the three men -- a father and son, Gregory and Travis McMichael -- charged in Aubery's Feb. 23, 2020 shooting death.
William "Roddie" Bryan, the third member of the posse that chased Arbery and cornered him as he jogged through their neighborhood outside Brunswick, Ga., was not included in the plea deal, which Arbery's parents, Wanda Cooper Jones and Marcus Arbery, said they are "vehemently" against.
What is your initial reaction to the purported plea deals?
It's "Free Your Mind Friday" on Leid Stories, so we make our usual tweaks.
We dispense with our regular program format and become an open forum so that callers can express their views.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today:
What concerns you most about the nation right now? Why?
It's "Free Your Mind Friday" on Leid Stories, so we'll make our usual tweaks.
We'll dispense with our regular program format and become an open forum so you can express your views on issues that matter to you and about which you have a considered opinion.
Those who differ also are invited to express their views.
Call 888-874-4888 and free your mind live on air!
TOPIC: A year into his four-year term, President Joe Biden explains the challenges he has faced and others ahead that will test his mettle. Meanwhile, his predecessor, Donald J. Trump, has become a case study in the many ways a president can blow it.
Is this the start of the Trump takedown? The beginning of Trump's inglorious end? There's a growing consensus in ex-President Donald J. Trump's camp, sources say, that he should lay low while various law-enforcement and legal entities have him in their sights. Will he take heed?
TOPIC: Donald Trump, reeling out of control and following the chaotic dictates of his frazzled mind, continues to wreak havoc and create disorder as he tests the limits of his outrageous conduct. Except, he's a former president and head of state, and hell-bent on utterly destroying what he believes was stolen from him and those he holds responsible for making that happen. What's to be done? What's the fix for this problem? A current president who often seems detached from what's actually happening, and a full-blown megalomaniac who demands he be let back in the door so he can finish the chaos that he started.
Eleven months before he was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn., Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is interviewed at his Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga., about the burgeoning nonviolent Black freedom movement, which was gaining ground nationwide.
It's "Free Your Mind Friday" on Leid Stories. We break from our regular program format and become an open forum for callers to have their say on issues they have strong feelings about.
Call 888-874-4888 and free your mind!
︎Are you more aware, less aware or unaffected in your attitude about U.S. politics and its impact on your life? ︎How do you measure or gauge your progress in life and that of the nation as a whole? ︎Given the precarious times we're living in, do you nonetheless feel confident in the nation's systems of government? ︎Do you privately panic about the country's leadership?
President Joe Biden appears to be signaling an intention to run for reelection in 2024, after this term ends.
Should he go for it or not? Why/why not? ︎Martha Sepulveda, a devout Roman Catholic woman from Medellin, Colombia, finally was granted her wish to die but euthanasia because she had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurological disease with no known cure that had caused her great pain, she said. She became the first woman in Colombia to be euthanized without having a terminal illness. Should a government decide whether you wish to die?
Is Trump succeeding at underming Biden's presidency with his parallel presidency? Have Republicans fully yielded the party to Trump? ︎Just how much has Trump's failed coup attempt on Jan. 6 last year cost the district of Washington, D.C.? Who picks up the tab, and what was the cost? Eight years ago, 61-year-old Yao Pan Ma, was savagely assaulted in the Bronx while he collected soda cans to pay his rent. Jarrod Powell, a 50 -year-old black man, had pleaded not guilty of several charges -- including attempted murder and hate crimes -- at his arraignment last June 22. But eight years after the brutal attack, Yao Pan Ma has died of his severe wounds. A security camera captured a man, prosecutors identified as Powell, stomping repeatedly on Yao Pan Ma's head. Does this case make a strong argument for the state's harshest sentence?
Is Trump succeeding at underming Biden's presidency with his parallel presidency? Have Republicans fully yielded the party toTrump? ︎Just how much has Trump's failed coup attempt on Jan. 6 last year cost the district of Washington, D.C.? Who picks up the tab, and what was the cost? ︎Eight years ago, 61-year-old Yao Pan Ma, was savagely assaulted in the Bronx while he collected soda cans to pay his rent. Jarrod Powell, a 50 -year-old black man, had pleaded not guilty of several charges -- including attempted murder and hate crimes -- at his arraignment last June 22. But eight years after the brutal attack, Yao Pan Ma has died of his severe wounds. A security camera captured a man, prosecutors identified as Powell, stomping repeatedly on Yao Pan Ma's head. Does this case make a strong argument for the state's harshest sentence?
It's "Free Your Mind Friday," our first meet up for 2022. A whole year passed since we last met -- hard to believe! -- and there's a lot to talk about, a lot to free your mind of. "FYMF" is your time. Let's hear your point of view on issues you deem important.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today: The anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on Congress by a violent mob of Donald Trump-inspired, wannabe insurrectionists claiming Trump didn't lose the election; victory was "stolen" from him.
Here's what we're discussing on Leid Stories today: Rep. Brenda Lawrence, who represents Michigan's 14th Congressional District, announced Tuesday she'll be leaving at the end of her term.
She'll be the 25th House Democrat and 36th member of that body to quit, although 11 of them have intentions to run for the U.S. Senate or for governor in their states. It's a sign that they may be out but not down; they're just switching focus. Just the same, the exodus from the House will have significant impact. In what ways will that impact likely manifest itself?
Here's what we're discussing on Leid Stories today: Will there ever be a consolidation of effort and support among smaller parties to challenge and break the hegemony of the so-called major parties? Are major parties responsible for race-, class-, gender-, and income- based politics in the United States? Have mainstream political parties agreed to shut out younger people from politics? What kind of person should seriously consider running for public office?
It's the first edition of "Leid Stories" for 2022. Welcome! -- if you're joining us for the first time, or are fairly new to the program. And welcome back, those of you who are in the groove again, picking up from we left off all the way back in 2021. I'm Utrice Leid. and this is Leid Stories. So, let's get started. ︎What do you think will be our greatest challenge as a nation in this new year? What makes you think so? ︎Will Donald Trump get his comeuppance this year or will there be a battle royal to spring him from the clutches of the Democrats? ︎What major national disaster should we be prepared for? Why will it happen? ︎What strong points do you think the Republicans have against the Democrats? ︎Facing the challenges we face as a nation, what is the smartest thing political, institutional and civic leaders can do now?
What are your feelings about life in the United States of America at this time? What is shaping your view?
TOPIC:
︎Archishop Desmond Tutu's New Year's Day homegoing
︎Kwanzaa still getting short shrift, but is it needed more now than in the past 55 years?
Here's what we're discussing on Leid Stories today:
On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the lowest grade and 10 the highest, how do you rate the Biden-Harris leadership team's performance in its first year?
Would Donald Trump have done better had he been reelected?
Are you more comfortable with the Biden-Harris team than you were with Trump-Pence? How so?
Want in on the discussion? That's easy!
︎Archbishop Desmond Tutu, one of many frontline champions against South Africa's brutal apartheid regime, died yesterday in Cape Town. He was 90 years old.
Battling prostate cancer and related complications, Tutu had been in failing health for some time. But the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and people's hero held on, continuing to inspire and support freedom movements all over the world.
A seven-day period of mourning has been declared in South Africa.
On Leid Stories today, we hold Archbishop Desmond Tutu in our hearts.
We continue to look at how we've grown/changed in the last year -- from what to what, and because of what?
Call 888-874-4888 and join the conversation live on air!
Where are we headed as a nation?
︎Has your education prepared you to make a decent living? Was/is your investment worth it?
︎On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you? Where does your happiness come from?
︎Are you where you envisioned you'd be at this point in your life?
Are you hopeful about your future?
Are you optimistic about America -- or uncertain, or disappointed, or angry?
︎What does your future depend on?
Are you getting a fair shake?
︎Long range, what's the plan?
︎What are you exceptionally good at? What do you need to learn?
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
The nation is in turmoil, as is much of the world today.
For the vast majority, there'll be no quick or easy way out of the crises they face. No ready solutions. No easy victories.
As you assess the situation here in the United States, what concerns you most about what we're dealing with as a nation?
What's your opinion?
Call 888-874-4888 and tell us live on air!
Here's what's on Leid Stories today.
The nation is in turmoil, as is much of the world right now. For the vast majority, there's no quick or easy way out of the crises we're in; we're in for a long, tough struggle and there will be no easy victories.
As you assess the situation, what concerns you most about where we are as a nation? What should be our priorities right now? How confident are you that the nation's political leadership will pull us through?
Have an opinion on the subject that you'd like to share? Call 888-874-4888 and share it live on air!
Here's what's on Leid Stories today.
It's "Free Your Mind Friday," and your opinion matters. Share your opinion on an important issue. Some may agree with you; others may not. What's important is that you make your best case.
Here's what's on Leid Stories today.
Trump May Be Out of Control, But Who/What Will Stop Him?
Former President Donald J. Trump, who runs his own self-designed parallel presidency, has become a problem and an embarrassment, but he continues to run his own show.
Should people living legally in the United States but are not citizens be allowed to vote in local, statewide and national elections? Should presidential candidates be tested for their mental acuity before qualifying to run for office?
Killer Cop Derek Chovin Flips Plea on Killing George Floyd In court today to respond to federal charges he violated George Floyd's civil rights, former cop Derek Chovin, serving 22.5 years on a state second-degree murder conviction for killing Floyd, pleads guilty. What could the reason(s) be?
Trump May Be Out of Control, But Who/What Will Stop Him? Former President Donald J. Trump, who runs his own self-designed parallel presidency, has become a problem and an embarrassment for the party, but he continues to run his own show. Who/what will stop him?
In the aftermath of the human and environmental devastation caused by tornadoes violently tearing through six Central and Southern states on Friday, it is clear that the tragic event and its impact need to be studied with the aim of producing innovative, life-saving responses and solutions and protecting regional economies. How soon?
It's "Free Your Mind Friday" on Leid Stories.
We switch from our regular format and become an open forum for callers to express their views on a topic or issue about which they have a strong--and well reasoned--opinion.
People may agree or disagree with a person's view. That's OK. But we want to hear how well the presenter argues his/her position.
QUESTIONS (PART 2):
Where are we headed as a nation?
︎Has your education prepared you to make a decent living? Was/is it worth it?
︎On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you? Where does your happiness come from?
︎Are you where you envisioned you'd be at this point in your life?
︎Are you hopeful about your future?
︎Are you optimistic about America -- or uncertain, or disappointed, or angry?
︎Are you getting a fair shake?
︎Long range, what's the plan?
︎What are you exceptionally good at? What do you need to learn?
QUESTIONS:
Where are we headed as a nation?
︎Has your education prepared you to make a decent living? Was/is it worth it?
︎On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you? Where does your happiness come from?
︎Are you where you envisioned you'd be at this point in your life?
︎Are you hopeful about your future?
︎Are you optimistic about America -- or uncertain, or disappointed, or angry?
︎What does your future depend on?
︎Are you getting a fair shake?
︎Long range, what's the plan?
︎What are you exceptionally good at? What do you need to learn?
QUESTIONS (PART 2)
︎Based on your own observation, direct experience, and news reports you've seen, read, or listened to, has progress been made on race in America? In what ways?
︎US America's gun culture so deeply engrained in its society and culture that it's beyond change? Are gun laws effective?
︎Are we destined to live with violence? What must be done to significantly change this aspect of American life?
︎Where does gun violence fall on your list of America's plagues?
QUESTIONS:
︎Based on your own observation, direct experience, and news reports you've seen, read, or listened to, has progress been made on race in America? In what ways?
︎US America's gun culture so deeply engrained in its society and culture that it's beyond change? Are gun laws effective?
︎Are we destined to live with violence? What must be done to significantly change this aspect of American life?
︎Where does gun violence fall on your list of America's plagues?
It's "Free Your Mind Friday" on Leid Stories.
What's "Free Your Mind Friday?" It's when we switch from our regular format and become an open forum for callers to express their views on a topic or issue about which they have a strong--and well reasoned-- opinion.
People may agree or disagree with a person's point of view. That's OK. But we want to hear how well the presenter argues his/her own point of view.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
Barbados: Should it proceed with plans to become fully independent of Britain as a republic? Pros and cons.
The United States: Based on recent events, should weapons be prohibited at public gatherings and protests, and right-to-carry laws suspended in the interest of public safety?
Barbados: Should it proceed with plans to become fully independent of Britain as a republic? Pros and cons.
The United States: Based on recent events, should weapons be prohibited at public gatherings and protests, and right-to-carry laws suspended in the interest of public safety?
Here's what's on Leid Stories today:
The jury is hearing the case against three white men charged with chasing down and killing 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, who they saw jogging through their Satilla Shores neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia,on Feb. 23 last year and thought he looked "suspicious."
The men--Gregory McMichael, 65; his son Travis, 34; and William Bryon, 52-- faced nine counts each at trial--including for malice murder; felony murder (four counts); aggravated assault (two counts); false imprisonment; and criminal intent to commit false imprisonment.
The question today:
Only one person on the 12-member jury is black. Could this affect deliberations amd/or the outcome of the trial?
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
Defense lawyers for three white men charged with killing Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man they saw jogging through their neighborhood and deemed suspicious, are expected to complete their closing arguments, signaling the case may soon head to the jury.
But the strength of their lawyers' arguments appears shaky.
Was the killing of Arbery a deliberate, racially motivated attack, or was it the unintended consequence of the actions of an overreaching group of men who saw themselves as community guardians eager to make a citizen's arrest?
Leid Stories listeners have their say
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
︎Defense lawyers in Arbery murder case strike a sour note with judge as they argue clients were attempting to make a citizen's arrest.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today, as we present another installment of our open forum, "Free Your Mind Friday."
Have a strong opinion about an issue and want to present it for our consideration?
Call 888-874-4888 and share it live on air!
Here's what's on Leid Stories today.
We continue discussing noteworthy developments in the case we've been following on Leid Stories -- the killing of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, who went on a jog through a white suburb in Georgia on Feb. 23, 2020 and ended up being chased and cornered by three white men. Two of them--a 65-year old man and his 35-year-old son--were armed. The third man, a friend and neighbor of the other two men, began filming with his phone camera.
As the younger man, who had a shotgun, advanced toward Arbery, Arbery grabbed the weapon and tried to aim it away from his body. The shotgun fired three blasts. Arbery, bleeding badly, fell to the ground and died.
We continue our discussion from yesterday, when the prosecution rested its case. The key question was whether the prosecutor had done a good job during the trial, or whether important points were missed.
The question today:
How will the defendants explain their actions on that fateful day?
Here's what's on Leid Stories today.
In the Glynn County courthouse in Brunswick, Georgia, state prosecutors yesterday rested their case against three white men -- Gregory McMichael, 64; his 35-year-old son Travis McMichael; and William "Roddie" Bryan, a 52-year-old family friend and neighbor of the Travises.
Leid Stories listeners were on the right track in pointing up major issues in the case as the courtroom battle unfolded, and then again as lawyers for the three defendants hinted at their clients' side of the story.
The questions today:
Will there be a theme to the defendants' arguments? What should we expect to hear? How will they explain their actions that fateful day, Feb. 23, 2020, when Ahmaud Arbery was jogging through their predominantly white neighborhood but was chased by the trio and brutally killed?
We pick up from where we left off yesterday on the trial in Brunswick, Georgia, of three men charged with chasing down and killing 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery as he went jogging on Feb. 23, 2020 through a white community near where he lived.
As the second week of the controversial trial proceeds, Leid Stories continues its discussion on major developments in the case and what they might be telling us about how it might end.
Call 888-874-4888 and share your thoughts on air.
︎It's the second week of trial in Brunswick, Georgia, for three white men--including a father and son and a neighbor-- charged in the Feb. 23, 2020 killing of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery as he went jogging in a mostly white area near where he lived.
Today on Leid Stories, we discuss major developments in the case and what they might be telling us about the outcome.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today, as we present another installment of our open forum, "Free Your Mind Friday."
Have a strong opinion about an issue and want to present it for our consideration?
Call 888-874-4888 and share it live on air!
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
︎Based on what has been reported about the case so far, do you believe the three white men charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery will get a fair trial? Please explain.
Feel strongly about this case and want to go on record about it? Call 888-874-4888 and share your view live on air!
Based on what has been reported about the case so far, do you believe the three white men charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery will get a fair trial? Please explain.
Feel strongly about this case and want to go on record about it? Call 888-874-4888 and share your view live on air!
It's "Free Your Mind Friday" on Leid Stories. Our regular format takes a breather and the program becomes an open forum for callers to express their views on a topic of their choosing.
But they must be ready to prove their point.
The post-election blues
We'll have to hurry up and wait a bit for some official results, especially in races across the country that are still being tabulated or disputed, awaiting their day in court.
But that doesn't stop us from talking about U.S. elections -- what we like, don't like, or could care less about them.
It was among the topics up for discussion on Leid Stories yesterday, but it soon became clear that callers wanted to express fully their views about the murder of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, a black man, and the pending trial of three white men charged with killing him.
The conversation continues today, to accommodate those who wish to register their thoughts. Thank you
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
︎State Attorney General Letitia James has confirmed she's in the running for governor of the State of New York in 2022. Will her candidacy energize the race?
︎The idea of a national third party spawning new political choices while widening the field beyond two parties seems to have died. Are we to live forever in a Democrat-Republican world?
︎Jury selection continues its slow pace in Brunswick, Georgia, where three white men are to be tried on murder charges for hunting down and allegedly killing a 25-year-old black man who was jogging through a mostly white neighborhood near where he lived. Leid Stories discusses why the case is moving so slowly.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
It's "Free Your Mind Friday." The entire program is an open forum, devoted to listeners' calls.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
︎Are you optimistic or pessimistic about life in America today and the forseeable future? What informs your point of view? ︎What would cause you to consider moving out of the country and living elsewhere? Where would that be? How would such a decision affect you? ︎What do you desire most out of life that you haven't yet achieved? What's in the way? ︎What is happiness for you right now?
Here's what we're discussing on Leid Stories today.
Are schools for the "gifted and talented" doing more harm than good to education and our society? What do the challenges in seating a jury to hear the case about the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, by three white men, including a father and son, tell us about this case? U.S. law-enforcement authorities are said to have pinpointed a location in Haiti where a gang holding 17 missionary hostages and demanding $17 million to set them free apparently sent out many communications from. Has the gang been located?
Here's what we're discussing on Leid Stories today.
Are schools for the "gifted and talented" doing more harm than good to education and our society? ︎What do the challenges in seating a jury to hear the case about the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, by three white men, including a father and son, tell us about this case? ︎U.S. law-enforcement authorities are said to have pinpointed a location in Haiti where a gang holding 17 missionary hostages and demanding $17 million to set them free apparently sent out many communications from. Has the gang been located?
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
New York Attorney General Letitia James scores a $1.1B victory against three major opioid manufacturers and distributors. Except they won big, too. The 400 Mawozo, one of several gangs controlling daily life in villages and small towns in Haiti, is threatening to kill 17 hostages -- 16 American and one Canadian missionaries -- if their $1- million-per-hostage demand is not immediately met. Is this the point of no return?
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
It's "Free Your Mind Friday." The entire program is an open forum, devoted to listeners' calls.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
You've been summoned to Washington to meet with President Biden and a group of his top national advisers.
Some of your recently published opinions and analyses have come to their attention.
They want to know: What kind of national program would you recommend be implemented right away? What need would it serve? What problem will it solve?
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
What is your sense of where we are as a nation, having experienced a full term of Donald Trump's presidency? Was he good for the country? What would you say was his most significant accomplishment? How is President Joe Biden's administration resonating with you so far? More positively than Trump, or less positively? ︎More reactions to the death of Gen. Colin Powell.
Racism: Will It Ever Die?Racism in the United States is pervasive, and for centuries has been, and remains, a permanent thread in the fabric of practically all aspects of our lives. Even with laws declaring it illegal, even with incremental steps forward over the years, by and large racism persists. It hasn't gone away or disappeared, it isn't a thing of the past. Will it ever be? What do you think? Call 888-874-4888 and share your thoughts live on air! Leid Stories 10-18-2021
It's "Free Your Mind Friday," which means our regular format is suspended and Leid Stories becomes an open forum.
Callers choose their own topics to present and make their strongest, most persuasive arguments to support their points of view. Listeners are more than willing to take them on.
Call 888-874-4888 and free your mind!
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
Is the United States currently in deep crisis or not? Why the hesitancy by the Biden administration to officially declare a national crisis and be clear about what must be done to avoid further downward spirals? Why such a strong effort to "calm" the people by making them think that things are under control? Why the unwillingness to face the facts? Why has America's all-time pandemic -- racism and race oppression -- never been a top priority to tackle and solve? Is it accepted that it is znd will continue to be a permanent reality of American life that will never be eradicated?
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
Andrew Yang, a brash, lawyer-entrepreneur from New York City, last year made a bid for president. He was among the many political casualties of the Biden campaign. Yang made an independent bid for mayor of New York City earlier this year, but couldn't overcome popular support for Democrat Eric Adams, a former borough president of Brooklyn. As an independent candidate, running under the Forward Party he founded, Yang once again has his eyes set on public office. He may or may not succeed, but his political attempts do raise an important question: What does / it take to break the stranglehold on politics?
Here's what's on Leid Stories today.
︎Puerto Rico's State of Emergency
What's Your Pandemic Survival Secret?"
GUEST Today: Eliza Llenza
Here's what's on Leid Stories today.
Is Donald Trump succeeding at creating a parallel presidency and parallel political reality?
It's "Free Your Mind Friday," which means our regular format is suspended and Leid Stories becomes an open forum.
Callers choose their own topics and make their strongest, most persuasive arguments to support their unique points of view.
Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today.
Callers call in on 888-874-4888 and announce which topic they choose.
Here's what's on Leid Stories today.
It's "Free Your Mind Friday," which means our regular format is suspended and Leid Stories becomes an open forum.
Callers choose their own topics and make their strongest, most persuasive arguments to support their unique points of view.
Call 888-874-4888 and free your mind!
Sixteen years since it last issued a mandatory minimum wage -- or, put another way, after almost two decades of protests, lobbying and legal wrangling -- the State of Florida as of today must adhere to new minimum-wage laws.
The last time Florida enacted a minimum-rate law was in 2004, when the state capped it at $6.15 per hour.
The state this week has approved an hourly rate of $10 -- and, for tipped workers, from $8.65 an hour to $10 -- but workers and their unions have their eyes on a $15-an-hour national standard.
It's been -- and continues to be -- a long, hard fight for U.S. workers to earn a fair, living wage, and the struggle continues all over the country, said to be the world's largest economy.
How do you see it?
Whatever you choose to believe -- or not believe -- about Coronavirus-19 and its related effects, what has influenced your thinking and guided your actions and decisions the most about it so far?
Is it a health issue, a political issue, or a personal issue for you?
︎Do you recall having to deal with a national health challenge the way you're dealing with it now? What's the same? What's different?
︎What aspects of the pandemic do you believe need urgent refocusing and attention?
They created a monster, but can't control him: The Republican Party and Donald Trump.
R&B phenom R. Kelly finally faces the music, though he doesn't like the tune.
Do you believe, as many do, that this, too, shall pass -- that the turmoil we're experiencing is par for the course and the ship of state will right itself and all will be well again. We're a tough lot and as a nation will survive daunting challenges, as we did many times before. But this seems and feels different. Can you tell?
It's "Free Your Mind Friday," which means our regular format is suspended and Leid Stories becomes an open forum.
Callers choose their own topic and make their strongest, most persuasive arguments to support their points of view.
︎Can / will we survive the coming crash that's predicted as certain without President Biden and Congress raising the debt ceiling? Call 888-874-4888 and share your opinion live on air!
As briefly as you can, using only a few words or phrases, how would you describe the state of the union right now? As you see it, will things get better or worse? What will be key indicators? ︎Do you feel you're a part of America or apart from it? Explain. How do you rate President Joe Biden's performance so far? ... and more
As briefly as you can, using only a few words or a phrase, how would you describe the state of the union right now? As you see it, will things get better or worse? What will be key indicators? Do you feel you're a part of America or apart from it? Explain. ︎How do you rate President Joe Biden's performance so far? ... and more
As briefly as you can, using only a few words or a phrase, how would you describe the state of the union right now?
︎As you see it, will things get better or worse? What will be key indicators? ︎Do you feel you're a part of America or apart from it? Explain. ︎How do you rate President Joe Biden's performance so far? ... and more!
Politics Most Foul: Will Donald Trump's single term as president taint U.S. politics forever -- serving as an example of what we do not want to be or do?
Gov. Gavin Newsom Projected to Survive Recall Challenge in California, But Has Been Served Notice About Reelection Next Year
Flying Solo: Cutting Political Ties That Bind
︎In Crisis, Opportunity?
︎It's Already Looking Bleak!
Twenty years after the 9/11 terrorist attack that claimed almost 3,000 lives (and still counting), will there be justice?
The nation somberly continues to observe the 20th anniversary of three separate but coordinated terrorist attacks, allegedly by Islamic terrorists using airplanes as weapons, on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001.
The attacks claimed nearly 3,000 lives (including 400 police officers and firefighters), and left untold numbers of others with long-lasting medical and psychological injuries that to this day continue to add to the carnage.
Meanwhile, more is being uncovered about the attacks on 9/11 -- on the World Trade Center in New York City; the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C.; and a plane crash near Shanksville, Penn.
The investigation into 9/11, said to be the single largest foreign attack on American soil, continues. At its conclusion, it is expected that a series of formal actions will be taken by the United States and demands made of governments said to have sponsored the attacks.
︎How do you categorize U.S. post-9/11 actions so far?
︎Will the United States gain wide support in the international community for sanctions it proposes or wishes to take against nations it accuses of supporting the 9/11 attacks?
︎Will any action taken against the accused terrorists and their supporters strengthen their hand?
︎... And more!
It's "Free Your Mind Friday." The program suspends its regular format and becomes an open forum for listeners to express their opinions and ideas about any subject they choose.
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Will you be voting in the presidential election this year? Why/Why not? ︎Do you mind sharing your reason(s) for voting / not voting? ︎Can you recall a year that you voted in a presidential election that you felt made a difference? Who was the candidate? What difference do you feel your vote made? What is your view about voting? Are you convinced it truly is the voice of the people -- an expression of democracy? ︎Do you think voters are sufficiently informed on the issues and candidates they are asked to vote on? ︎ Given the historical and current climate that typically surrounds elections in the United States, can free and fair elections be guaranteed?
President Biden and his administration have been concentrating on getting up and running throughout the country a wide range of economic-development projects and programs that are addressing people's pocketbooks. Ex- President Donald Trump, who says he has the best shot Republicans have of regaining power in 2024, is inspiring dramatic conservative changes in state constitutions. Which strategy will win greater voter loyalty in the next presidential election?
So, let's talk about it. The president, Joe Biden, and the vice president, Kamala Harris: Are they really a team? ︎Are you encouraged or worried about the state of the economy? ︎As the Covid and vaccine wars continue to rage, are you any clearer about where you stand? ︎Since the presidency of Donald Trump, are you more hopeful or less hopeful about America? Why? ︎Do you agree or disagree that the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was, and continues to be, a national and international embarrassment? What do you think its long-term effects will be? ︎What major challenges lie ahead for the United States? How do we prepare?
Federal Bankruptcy Judge Conditionally Approves Multibillion-Dollar Settlement for OxyContin Manufacturer. But Is It Justice? On the heels of an announcement by New York Attorney General Letitia James that three opioid distributors -- McKesson Corp, Cardinal Health Inc. and Amerisource Bergen Drug Corp -- have agreed to pay $1.1 billion toward opioid abatement in the Empire State after negotiating a settlement in a decades-long civil lawsuit, a federal bankruptcy judge yesterday announced conditional approval of a multibillion-dollar settlement in the major-league drug-manufacturing world. I'll read you the Associated Press report
But as we discussed yesterday, is it justice?
The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James was pleased to announce another big win for justice yesterday. McKesson Corp, Cardinal Health Inc. and Amerisource Bergen Drug Corp., three opioid distributors, have agreed to pay $1.1 billion toward opioid abatement in the Empire State after negotiating a settlement in a decades-long civil lawsuit, the AG's office announced. It is yet another high-profile victory for James. But is this justice, asks Leid Stories.
Is Trump's I'm-still-president-and-nobody-can-do-anything-about-it campaign doing real damage to Biden and his administration? Or, is it proving Trump's desperate need to hold on to power so he can carry out his hidden, unfinished agendas?
What a crazy week it's been for millions of people all over the world! Wars, bombings, starvation, displacement, annihilation, unimaginable loss and despair they did not cause but have come to know as a bizarre kind of normal now, while the rest of the world observes sympathetically, but does little to undo the damage or stop the unending suffering and pain. Today on Leid Stories we discuss the reality that the people of the world are no match for the bullies of the world and their genocidal agendas.
It's "Free Your Mind Friday." Callers take aim at media coverage of a news issue they think is off the mark, not telling the whole story, or is missing entirely from the news menu.
Have recent issues, events or developments in politics significantly affected your interest or desire to participate?
︎In six days, President Joe Biden is expected to bring to end the U.S. military presence and rescue mission in Afghanistan. What else do you think will happen?
In just seven days, President Joe Biden will end the U.S. rescue mission in Afghanistan. The Taliban say they will not allow Afghans to leave, and they won't agree to extend the deadline to evacuate those wanting to leave under U.S. protection. Will it come to a military showdown, or will the U.S. (Biden) suffer a total defeat at the hands of the Taliban? How will the crisis play out on the world stage? How do you rate the Biden presidency so far? Compared to his predecessor, Donald Trump, how, in your opinion, is the Biden administration doing?
We follow up on yesterday's discussion, "What's the story?" and add to it President Joe Biden's entreaty to the nation, also yesterday, to get vaccinated because it will be a tremendous boost to the economy and the stock market.