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A California Assemblyman named his own nonprofit "Nonprofit of the Year" — three weeks before it received a $6 million line item in the state budget he helped pass. In this episode, we pull that exact page of the budget and show what else is on it: a group tied to last year's Los Angeles riots that helped write the law shielding organizations like itself from public scrutiny, and a grant program with a documented history of funding one of the country's most controversial advocacy organizations.We also break down why a UC Berkeley economist says "tax the rich" won't fix California's affordability crisis on its own, and what a new poll reveals about California Democrats' complicated relationship with their own party's brand.Sources and further reading:California Globe: https://californiaglobe.com/fl/report-california-assemblyman-steers-6-million-to-his-own-nonprofit/Assembly Budget Committee Floor Report (2026-27): https://abgt.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2026-06/floor-report-of-the-2026-27-budget-june-11-2026.pdfBerkeley News: https://news.berkeley.edu/2026/08/19/california-has-an-affordability-crisis-the-fix-may-be-politically-uncomfortable/UC Berkeley BESI, "California's Unaffordability Problem": https://besi.berkeley.edu/publication/californias-unaffordability-problem/Common Dreams: https://www.commondreams.org/news/california-progressives-vs-mainstream-democratsMore California accountability journalism at The Gilded State: www.thegildedstate.com
The halt of the destructive federally-contracted demolition of the natural landscape of Big Bend National Park, announced yesterday, is only temporary and not a reason for advocates to stand down. The U.S. Supreme Court may consider SB 10, the state law that requires the posting of the Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms. Hood County joins a list of Texas communities unplugging their Flock cameras. And, the committee charged with tracking maternal mortality in Texas plans to skip the years immediately following the clawing back of abortion rights. Gina Hinojosa on MS Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bDmEUepihATexas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/17/texas-big-bend-national-park-border-wall-construction-pause/Common Dreams: https://www.commondreams.org/news/big-bend-border-crossingAssociated Press: https://apnews.com/article/ten-commandments-texas-law-supreme-court-facb4b90c54fba5c1d0b3e63079c8b4bHouston Chronicle on SB 10: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/lawsuit-ten-commandments-texas-schools-22389118.phpHouston Chronicle on Flock cameras: https://www.chron.com/texas/article/flock-cameras-texas-hood-county-22391763.phpHow to locate Flock cameras: https://deflock.org/How to neutralize Flock cameras without damaging them: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18Ka3z2wWi/Texas Observer: https://www.texasobserver.org/maternal-mortality-committee-roe-deaths-lawmakers-politics/This election year, you can support the real free press by investing in pro-democracy, pro-justice, pro-gressive storytelling. Become a monthly donor or increase your giving TODAY for our Summer Sustaining Donor Drive today, and we'll thank you with "perks for progress" - plus you'll get a shoutout on the Daily Dispatch: huge thanks to monthly supporter Laura Kehoe, who upped her monthly contribution! Join Laura and the rest of the Progress Texas family now at https://act.progresstexas.org/a/summersustainers26.Check out the Substack version of the Daily Dispatch, which delivers each pod to your inbox and frequently includes extra video goodies: https://substack.com/@progresstexasProgress Texas is now part of the lineups at KPFT-FM in Houston, Empower House Radio in San Antonio, and KZSM True Community Radio in San Marcos! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE.Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Last week, Ralph, along with our constitutional law expert, Bruce Fein, organized another symposium in Washington DC on impeaching Donald Trump. On today's program, we play you highlights from that symposium with eight of the participants, each of whom are going to give listeners their perspective on why Donald Trump should be impeached even before the midterm elections.The rhetoric from many Democratic leaders has not kept up with the horror and the urgency of what [Donald Trump] is inflicting on America and the American people. He has moved very, very quickly to develop a fascist dictatorship embodying a kleptocratic corporate state that is marked by non-regulation, tax cuts for the wealthy, and tax escapes for the wealthy and major corporations, as well as expanded corporate welfare in the midst of personal and institutional two-way bribery and extortion. It's very important to punctuate the seriousness of what he's already done.Ralph NaderCelinda Lake is a political strategist and president of Lake Research Partners.What I love about polling is: conventional wisdom is wrong about 90% of the time, plus or minus 5%. Beltway conventional wisdom is wrong about 100% of the time, plus or minus 5%. So, “Everybody knows impeachment is unpopular.” No, it's not. It's very popular. A majority of people support it. “Everyone knows that it'll energize the other side.” No. The other side, to the extent they're going to be energized, they're already energized. We need to energize our side. We need to get our people out to vote… “Everyone knows it's very volatile.” No, it's not. Attitudes about impeachment track with job performance… And finally, “Everybody knows that nobody understands impeachment.” Well, frankly, voters understand it better than a lot of elected officials.Celinda LakeSuparna Reddy is the Senior Counsel for Free Speech For People.Let us be clear: Congress should impeach and remove Trump for each and every one of these hundreds of offenses. And we have a duty to record his every abuse of power. But in the process, we should not miss the forest for the trees— Trump is intentionally and systematically dismantling our democratic institutions to consolidate his own power and line his own pockets.Suparna ReddyRichard Painter is the S. Walter Richey professor of corporate law at the University of Minnesota Law School and was the chief White House ethics lawyer from 2005 to 2007.We have seen serious, indeed, tragic financial conflicts of interest in the executive branch never before seen in the history of our country—unless we look at our very early Presidents who held vast plantations with slave labor, a clear economic conflict of interest with their official duties. A conflict of interest shared by many Senators and Representatives and Justices of the Supreme Court, and indeed a tragic conflict of interest for the first eighty years of our history that ended only with a bloody civil war. But since then, we have not had at least a President who is embroiled in financial conflicts of interest with his official duties.Richard PainterDoug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, specializing in foreign policy and civil liberties.We need to make a persuasive argument for people, whether they like Donald Trump or not, to understand the Constitution transcends this President. The Constitution transcends future Presidents and future crises. We need to convince Americans across the political spectrum to stand with the rule of law, to stand with accountable government, to stand with an accountable executive, responsible legislatures. History tells us that one person making these decisions is not good. Plenty of authoritarians in the past have made these decisions and brought their countries to disaster.Douglas BandowErwin Chemerinsky is the Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.We're now at a moment when the federal government is a threat to our rights. The actions of the Trump administration are unprecedented in the violations of the Constitution. And so I think it's crucial that state and local governments step in so as to protect rights. It's interesting that through American history, Federalism has always been equated, states' rights have always been equated with regressive policies… But now it's time for progressives to use states' rights and look for the opportunities for states to safeguard our constitutionErwin ChemerinskyKeira Havens is a United States Air Force veteran, a former scientist, and a longtime political activist. She is the executive director of Citizens' Impeachment.Everybody has agency. Everybody has a role that they can play. Everybody can take action. As a private citizen, I can say, “Man, there are a lot of things wrong with what's happening.” In fact, I wrote several articles of impeachment: tyranny, treason, obstruction of justice, and of course, corruption, right? Members of Congress have more power than that. They need to do more than say things. They have to take action. Courage is an action. It's what you do after you say the words that really matters. And every single member of Congress is able to take action. They are able to introduce articles of impeachment, and they are refusing.Keira HavensJessica Denson is a former Trump staffer and founder of the Removal Coalition.The American people (and particularly Democratic primary voters) are looking for fighters. For God's sake, what could you do better than to exert the power that you have—this one privilege in the House, Rule 9, that gives any member of the Congress, including the minority, the ability to force a vote any time. Why would you sit on that? Why would you wait? Instead, in my activism, I've had to resort to relying on literally one Congressman. This is so pathetic. He is a dear friend, and I am so grateful for him. But to this day, I think it is pathetic that I have to rely on one Congressman to bring forth articles of impeachment and force votes, and that's Representative Green.Jessica DensonNews 7/31/26* Our top stories this week have to do with the Democratic National Committee. Several stories have recently come out about DNC Chair Ken Martin, ranging from interpersonal issues to his utter failure to raise money for the Democratic Party. The most stunning example of this comes from NOTUS, which reports that Martin “put [the DNC's] physical headquarters up for collateral last year in order to obtain a $15 million line of credit to help invest in off-year elections.” While the party has used this mechanism before, it underlines the gaping disparity between the DNC, which is currently over $2 million in debt compared to the Republican National Committee (RNC), which can boast $128.5 million cash on-hand.* Compounding the issues of the already cash-strapped DNC, the New Republic reports the Democratic National Committee was scammed out of nearly $29,000 by an email from someone pretending to be Chair Ken Martin last year. DNC spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg is quoted saying “The DNC takes seriously our duty to protect the funds provided to us by millions of patriotic Americans chipping in to fund our mission…this was a one-off mistake that was promptly caught and addressed, and no similar issues have occurred since.” That said, only $7,000 worth of this money has been recovered. As TNR puts it, “This has all been very embarrassing. Martin can't raise money, can't keep money, and can't unite the base under the big tent' he likes to talk about.” Martin may also be facing an outright rebellion led by party insiders.* One surprising proposal to this effect is coming from a very unlikely source. The Hill reports veteran Democratic strategist James Carville, while tearing into Martin, opened the door to former DNC Vice-Chair David Hogg taking the reins. Carville said the DNC appears “dysfunctional” and that the committee needs to “figure out a way maybe they could be somewhat relevant,” adding that “If David Hogg wants to take it over, I ain't stopping you…Go ahead, man, I don't really care.” This is a stark turnabout from Carville's position on Hogg when the latter was in DNC leadership; back then, Carville dismissed him as “a contemptible little twerp.” In an interview, Hogg highlighted this exact reversal, while simultaneously saying that he did not want to lead the crumbling Democratic Party organization. Ben Wikler, the former Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair who challenged Ken Martin in 2025 has also resisted calls to take over the DNC, with rumors circulating that he is gearing up to run for Senate in the Badger State next cycle. While pressure continues to mount on Martin, alternative leadership remains elusive.* Speaking of lackluster leadership, Sources Say News reports Capitol CNCT has launched The Scoop which they describe as “a confidential rating system that lets current and former Hill staffers weigh in on the members and offices they have worked for.” As one might imagine, some reviews are extremely scathing. This piece cites one that reads, “Leadership is abusive. Lies about promotions and bonuses…This place will leach at your mental health like a vampire…Beware.” Sources Say highlights the fact that “Unlike most workplaces, Congress has no HR department, which means bad behavior by members and senior staff can go unreported and unchecked for years.” The new site verifies that the posters are or were real employees of these offices, but keeps their names anonymous to protect them from retaliation.* In more news from Congress, POLITICO reports Maryland Representative and House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin is launching a new investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, this time focusing on whether the deceased sex offender and financier acted as an unregistered foreign agent. In a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, Raskin writes that “Jeffrey Epstein never registered as a foreign agent…Yet numerous recently released documents now show he acted aggressively on behalf of multiple foreign governments, including several with interests adverse to the United States, in order to influence policies of the first Trump Administration.” The declassified files reveal that Epstein “offered to serve as a conduit between Saudi Arabia and members of the Trump administration, consulted with Russian officials on engaging with the president and advised former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.” This inquiry is likely to raise fresh questions about not only Epstein's role working on behalf of foreign governments, but his possible connections with intelligence and espionage organizations including the CIA and Mossad.* Other progressive members of Congress, led by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, have issued a formal response to a new Trump administration report on Cuba. These members interpret this report – which claims that the tiny Caribbean nation of 10 million people has “waged a sustained campaign” to “conquer” the United States and is backing “left-wing terrorism on American soil” – is in fact an instrument the administration plans to use to persecute “Trump's perceived political enemies.” Omar, joined by Representatives Jim McGovern, Delia Ramirez, Rashida Tlaib, AOC and more, contend that Trump is “hell-bent on taking America back 70 years to the height of Cold War McCarthyism, when hawkish foreign policy was paired with unsubstantiated accusations of communist subversion and political repression against dissidents at home.” The administration report singled out several organizations and activists, including the National Lawyers Guild, Hasan Piker, and campus activist Isra Hirsi, daughter of Congresswoman Omar. This from Common Dreams.* In more news from the left, POLITICO reports Donavan McKinney – who is challenging incumbent Congressman Shri Thanedar in Detroit – picked up a major batch of endorsements this week from members of the Congressional Black Caucus. These new endorsers include Representatives Steven Horsford, the former chair of the CBC, along with Lateefah Simon and Ayanna Pressley. These endorsements, particularly that of Congressman Horsford, are notable because Thanedar retains the support of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his deputies, Representatives Pete Aguilar and Katherine Clark. McKinney said he was “honored” by these endorsements, adding that he “[looks] forward to working alongside these incredible leaders to pass critical legislation to protect voting rights, get big money out of our politics, and ensure all families have access to the resources they need to not just survive, but to truly thrive.” McKinney's primary will be held on August 4th, along with the more closely watched Senate primary between progressive Abdul El-Sayed and his moderate, establishment-backed opponent Haley Stevens.* Meanwhile, in New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani continues to fulfill campaign promises at an astonishing rate. First, Forbes reports that Mamdani has officially introduced a $124.7 billion city budget which includes funding for five city-run grocery stores which will sell staple foods at a 30% discount compared to private grocery stores. These staples are set to include produce, dairy, bread, select meat and seafood, and approximately 20 other products. Being city-owned, these stores will not have to pay rent or property taxes, ensuring they can operate more cheaply than their competitors in the private sector. This piece notes that similar experiments in smaller cities like Baldwin, Florida, and Erie, Kansas proved unsustainable financially, while proposals in Chicago and Kansas City struggled to get off the ground. There is reason to believe New York will prove a different matter entirely, but that remains to be seen. At the same time, Jacobin reports Mamdani is launching a new initiative called “Talk to Tenants,” which will “send volunteers door-to-door in buildings with chronic housing code violations, connecting renters with organizing resources, neighborhood organizations, and training on tenants' rights and how to build tenant associations.” This effort will be led by the Office of Mass Engagement in partnership with the Office to Protect Tenants. It is extremely encouraging to see Mamdani utilizing a varied array of tools at his disposal – including both direct action by the city as on grocery stores or using city resources to promote the formation of non-governmental organizing efforts – in order to achieve his vision of a just and affordable American metropolis.* In more troubling, if not surprising, news, the Wall Street Journal is out with a new report finding that the Department of Justice is giving a green light to corporate criminals. The Journal cites examples ranging from Alibaba to Boeing and EagleBank to Abbott Laboratories where the Trump DOJ “declined to charge companies even when prosecutors thought executives or managers were involved in the wrongdoing.” This follows from directives given by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has “said prosecutors shouldn't view prosecuting companies as their goal and should instead focus on holding individual wrongdoers accountable.” This piece cites a December speech by Blanche in which he stated that “Companies don't go to jail, people do.” Yet, it seems that under the Trump Justice Department, neither do.* Finally, in more corporate news, the antitrust lawsuit filed by over a dozen state attorneys general has at least temporarily succeeded in halting the mega-merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and the Ellisons' media conglomerate, Paramount Skydance. After the lawsuit was filed, a federal judge in Oakland ordered a pause on the deal, and since then, the Ellisons themselves have agreed to put the merger “on ice” pending the outcome of the trial, Variety reports. This piece also highlights the private sentiments of anonymous Warner Bros. executives who apparently hope that the deal hits a “legal landmine” and is ultimately “nixed.” However, in an internal memo, David Ellison maintained that “the facts and the law are on our side, and a full hearing will demonstrate why the plaintiffs' arguments should not prevail.”This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe
On today's show, guest host Zoltán Grossman is in conversation with Stephen Zunes about the on-again, off-again US war with Iran. They discuss the status of the Strait of Hormuz, the US's nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, and the shifting public opinion in the US about the war. Despite the asymmetrical power of the US's aerial arsenal, Zunes says that Iranian drones have been very effective at creating tactical advantages in the war. Though there have been many attempts at a ceasefire deal, Zunes argues that any version would have to include some concessions to Iran's advantage. But he says that Trump would rather perpetuate the war than negotiate. They discuss the many rippling effects of the war including a decline in the world petroleum market, more insecurity for US allies in the Middle East, and the creation of nuclear apartheid as the US comes to a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia. These issues, in addition to human rights abuses, are causing massive shifts in public opinion about the war with Iran and Palestine with young people especially. Zunes connects the war with Iran to other global conflicts, from Morocco's occupation of Western Sahara to Palestine. He says that the Palestine solidarity movement should include Western Sahara and that The Odyssey film has created a rare opportunity to bring attention to the occupation. Stephen Zunes is a professor of Politics and Director of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of San Francisco. He writes for The Progressive magazine, Truthout, Common Dreams, and other publications. His most recent book is Western Sahara: War, Nationalism, and Conflict Irresolution. Featured image of a satellite image of the Strait of Hormuz via Flickr (CC BY 2.0). Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post The Forever War with Iran Inflames other Regional Conflicts appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.
Devil's urine. That's what Dupont employees called PFAS. These toxic, human made forever chemicals are now in the blood of almost every human on the planet. They are found in drinking water around the world, even Antarctica. And they are used in a broad range of consumer products, like non-stick cookware, stain-resistant clothing, waterproof items, dental floss, and even medical masks. These are only a few examples of many. This group of toxic chemicals, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), permanently concentrates in your body and the environment. You can't get rid of them. In fact, they bioaccumulate, meaning they get worse and worse. The public awareness from uncovering of the truth behind Dupont's misdeeds now contaminating much of the planet is tantamount to this generation's Silent Spring. Our guest Rob Bilott, is very much a Rachel Carson sort of figure who has stood up to the chemical industry as the lead attorney to bring light to the dangers of PFAS and its many variations. He fought and won a 20+ year battle against Dupont for the poisoning of over 70,000 people in West Virginia and Ohio. His work was even captured in the 2019 feature film, Dark Waters where he was portrayed by Mark Ruffalo. Rob has continued his groundbreaking work and is looking at the potential of a nationwide class action lawsuit as newer versions of PFAS emerge, unregulated and as dangerous as ever. In this interview from Summer 2022, we explore the history of PFAS, what exposure means, where it can be found, and what we can do. We also give an update from the actions of Trump's EPA to nbroaden use and exposure of these chemicals. More Info on the PFAS Presidency from Common Dreams: https://www.commondreams.org/news/pfas-pesticides-approval-epa Rob Bilott is a partner in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky offices of the law firm, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP [https://www.taftlaw.com/people/robert-a-bilott], where he has practiced in the Environmental and Litigation Groups for over 31 years. During that time, Rob has handled and led some of the most novel and complex cases in the country involving damage from exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”), including the first individual, class action, mass tort, and multi-district litigation proceedings concerning the toxic chemical, recovering over $1 billion for impacted clients. Jessica Aldridge, Co-Host and Producer of EcoJustice Radio, is an environmental educator, community organizer, and 15-year waste industry leader. She is a co-founder of SoCal 350, organizer for ReusableLA, and founded Adventures in Waste. She is a former professor of Recycling and Resource Management at Santa Monica College, and an award recipient of the international 2021 Women in Sustainability Leadership and the 2016 inaugural Waste360, 40 Under 40. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Guest: Rob Bilott Host and Producer: Jessica Aldridge Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Executive Producer: Jack Eidt Created by: Mark and JP Morris
Pratap Chatterjee, executive director of CorpWatch, joins us to discuss their latest report, MAGA Inc., which identifies the Crypto Czars, the Tech Titans and the Prison Profiteers who have bankrolled and benefited the most from Donald Trump's corrupt regime. Then, Ralph welcomes Elliot Negin, executive editor of Money Trail to talk about how Donald Trump is trying to turn Washington DC into a monument to himself.Pratap Chatterjee is an investigative journalist, producer and executive director of CorpWatch, an organization that works to promote environmental, social and human rights by holding multinational corporations accountable for their actions. He is the author of several books, including Verax: The True History of Whistleblowers, Drone Warfare, and Mass Surveillance, Halliburton's Army, and Iraq Inc.: A Profitable Occupation.Palantir is really critical to understanding how the surveillance state works, especially in identifying people to deport and locations and people to kill in Trump's new wars overseas, such as in Iran…Palantir's data analytical capabilities are actually extremely simplistic and terrible. But when it comes to looking for an easy solution, that's what Palantir offers. And they've been able to offer this to the Trump administration—to have them speed up their political plans such as deportation, such as waging war against Iran by giving them easy answers.Pratap ChatterjeeThe biggest company behind the cryptocurrency used by criminals and drug dealers and gun traffickers has come out of the shadows, into the light, thanks specifically to the credibility offered by the Trump administration. And so this is really a sea change.Pratap ChatterjeeElliott Negin, executive editor of the Substack newsletter Money Trail, is an award-winning writer, illustrator and publication designer. Prior to co-founding Money Trail in February 2025, he was the managing editor of American Journalism Review, editor and art director of Public Citizen and Nuclear Times magazines, a news editor at NPR, and a regular contributor to HuffPost and the Union of Concerned Scientists' Equation. His freelance articles have appeared in The Atlantic, Common Dreams, The Hill, L.A. Progressive, The Nation, Scientific American, the Washington Post and other publications.It turns out that there is a government-owned ballroom less than a mile from the White House that would serve the purposes of a state dinner, which is one of the only events that you would need a ballroom for. If Trump builds a ballroom, it will not be used probably 360 days out of the year… To have a building that big that's going to be sitting empty for all that time makes no sense whatsoever.Elliott NeginRight now, the cost of this ballroom has been escalating… And half of it's supposed to be covered by taxpayers. Give credit to Public Citizen. It did a report that found out that more than half the donors that were identified as donating to the project when it was pegged at $400 million (including Amazon, Lockheed Martin, Palantir) have gained contracts with the federal government worth more than $50 billion in the last six months. That's a hell of a return on investment.Elliott NeginNews 7/3/26* Our top stories this week are the Colorado primaries. First, DSA-backed insurgent Melat Kiros successfully ousted 29-year incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Diana DeGette in the state's first congressional district, winning in a surprise blowout of over 13 points. Kiros, a 29-year old Tigrayan-American lawyer and PhD student, was fired from Sidley Austin – a “biglaw” firm in 2023, after she “posted an open letter defending students protesting Israel's war in Gaza from charges of antisemitism,” per Colorado Newsline. Axios reports many House Democrats, speaking anonymously, have bemoaned DeGette's loss, with one accusing Kiros of trafficking in “performative politics,” but Usamah Andrabi, spokesperson for Justice Democrats, one of the main groups that backed Kiros, put it simply when he said “If DeGette didn't deserve a primary, Denverites wouldn't have elected Melat” by double digits.* Also in Colorado, state Attorney General Phil Weiser easily defeated Senator Michael Bennet in the primary to succeed Jared Polis as Governor. While Weiser did run to Bennet's left, the real victory for progressives is that Bennet finishing out his own term means the Colorado Democratic establishment won't be able to appoint someone – likely a centrist member of the House – to replace him, per Axios. Meanwhile, John Hickenlooper, a Colorado Democratic institution won his primary as well, fending off a challenge from his left by state Senator Julie Gonzales. However, Gonzales came within 6 points of Hickenlooper, according to Colorado Public Radio, a tantalizingly close margin. Moreover, not only has Hickenlooper vowed that this would be his final Senate term, many are speculating that Bennet himself won't run when his term ends in 2028. That is all to say, it is possible we have not seen the last of Ms. Gonzales.* Speaking of Gonzales, much has been made of the fact that she “softly” distanced herself from DSA as she launched her primary campaign, per Colorado Pols. Perhaps maintaining that organizational relationship would not have resulted in her victory, but the stunning successes of DSA-backed candidates – including Melat Kiros in Colorado – speaks to the group's impressive organizational muscle. In fact, the group can boast of winning yet another seat in the New York State Assembly, with Maurice “Mo” Brown declaring victory against longtime incumbent Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli in the 129th Assembly District. Magnarelli held the seat for 30 years. Brown won by just over 100 votes after all the absentee and affidavit votes were tallied, according to Syracuse.com. With Brown's victory, DSA will send 16 members to Albany next session, nearly doubling its presence across both chambers of the state legislature.* More impressive than the electoral victories however is the fact that DSA members in office are delivering on their campaign promises. Most notably, in New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has successfully forced a vote through the Rent Guidelines Board to enact a rent freeze for the Big Apple's 1 million rent-stabilized apartments, Time reports. These units make up a whopping 27% of the city's housing stock and house around 2 million people. Mamdani's predecessor, the corporate-friendly Democrat Eric Adams, pushed through rent hikes via the guidelines board, raising the rent by 12.6% over the course of his term in office. Mamdani called this the “relief that working people across our city deserve.” This move has, predictably, drawn the ire of landlords and their industry representatives, but there is no denying that the people of New York City voted for Mamdani in large part for this exact policy and he delivered.* In Congress, another socialist – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – is fighting for key amendments to the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act. These run the gamut from prohibiting the transfer of weapons to countries hampering the delivery of humanitarian aid, such as Israel, to demanding that the Secretary of Defense conduct declassification reviews or release unclassified reports on American assistance to the dictatorship in Brazil and the coup in Chile, barring Pentagon funds from being used to enforce sanctions on Cuba, and many more. As the scope of national legislation has narrowed in recent decades, amendments to massive flagship funding bills like the NDAA have become a primary means of getting legislation through the gridlock. It is very encouraging to see AOC take advantage of this mechanism to force votes on these issues.* Of course, the centrists will not simply cede power to the left without a fight. Yahoo reports 13 Democratic House members and candidates have signed onto what they are calling the “Promise to America,” consisting mainly of vague commitments to principles like “Growth, Competition, and Broad Prosperity,” or “Safety, Security, and Human Dignity.” They have also stepped up their rhetoric, saying “there's going to be a war” between themselves and the new crop of progressive and DSA lawmakers, per Fox News. Of course, this all makes one wonder whether the Democrats would be in this position at all if they were this confrontational with the Republicans instead of their own voter base.* Another emerging theater of combat between the center and the left is the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The CHC is led by the lame duck New York Congressman Adriano Espaillat, who was defeated in his primary by Darializa Avila Chevalier. Both Espaillat and Avila Chevalier – or DAC as she has come to be known – are Dominican, despite Espaillat's last-minute smear campaign calling her Haitian, and she plans to join the CHC once she takes her seat in the House. Yet, POLITICO reports the CHC is divided about admitting DAC. While no member is going so far as to say outright that she should not be admitted, many, such as CHC Whip Sylvia Garcia of Texas, are saying things like if DAC is “aligned with all our priorities and all our legislative programs, we would welcome her.” Of course this raises the question of if she is not, would they still welcome her. The all-Democratic CHC has previously barred the entry of Republican Hispanic Congressman Carlos Curbelo of Florida and the Congressional Black Caucus barred Espaillat himself from joining after a feud between him and former Congressman Charles Rangel. In addition to DAC's accession, the CHC will also have to decide on a new leader with Espaillat gone. The Vice-Chair, Darren Soto of Florida, may lose reelection due to redistricting in Florida, leaving the seat up for grabs.* In more Florida-related news, on June 25th Florida Governor Ron DeSantis formally announced the closure of “Alligator Alcatraz” the immigrant detention facility much hyped in the early days of the second Trump administration. While DeSantis claims that the facility had simply “fulfilled the role it was designed to serve,” there is an alternate story being told in the native community. Native News Online has published a statement by Judith LeBlanc (Caddo), executive director of Native Organizers Alliance, which highlights that the facility was constructed and operated “in violation of the sovereign rights of the Miccosukee Tribe, who took the government to court for illegally constructing the center without their consultation or consent,” and hailed the closure as “a victory for human rights and Tribal Sovereignty.” The statement further decried “The administration's violent crackdown on migrant communities” as “an affront to all we stand for as Native peoples.”* Turning further south, the Guardian is out with a chilling story concerning the death of Monika Silva Koniuszek, a Polish anti-corruption activist, who was supposedly investigating self-dealing within the ruling Noboa family of Ecuador. According to her colleagues, Silva Koniuszek was investigating “Noboa Trading, the fruit conglomerate belonging to the family of the rightwing president, Daniel Noboa.” Specifically, they said she had been pursuing allegations that “several tonnes of cocaine had been seized in Noboa Trading banana containers,” and that “high-ranking Ecuadorian judicial officials were stalling the investigations.” Additionally, “Shortly before she was killed, she told friends that she had delivered a dossier of allegations to the US embassy in Quito.” Koniuszek was found dead with a noose around her neck, and Ecuador's interior minister announced that she had died by suicide even before the autopsy results were released. Once those results came out, they contradicted this claim, finding that her cause of death was “a blow to the head and strangulation.”* Finally, in neighboring Colombia, leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda, who lost the recent presidential election, has called on the people of that country to engage in mass civil disobedience, according to Jorge Bastidas, a Colombian Congressman and member of Cepeda's party. Specifically, Cepeda is demanding that the Colombian people not recognize the presidency of Abelardo de la Espriella unless and until he meets certain demands, including renouncing his U.S. nationality, disproving claims that he is a CIA collaborator, and vowing not to persecute and extradite his political opponents including outgoing President Gustavo Petro. Cepeda has stressed that this mass action, if pursued, will be peaceful.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe
The Friday Five for June 19, 2026: Certification for AEP 2027 Coming June 22 Microsoft Teams Location Tracking Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Starts July 1 CMS to Codify Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Federal Judge Vacates Several CMS ACA Provisions Get Connected:
Robin Anderson joins This Is Hell! to talk about her her new book “The Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage Of Israel's Genocide In Gaza” published by OR Books. https://orbooks.com/catalog/the-complicit-lens/ Robin Andersen is professor emerita of media studies at Fordham University and an award-winning author of a dozen single- and co-authored books. Her work examines film, television, and media coverage of war, the environment, politics, and elections. She edits the Routledge Focus Book Series on Media and Humanitarian Action, serves as a Project Censored Judge, and contributes to the annual State of the Free Press. Andersen is on the Board of Directors of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), where she also writes regularly, and is an Izzy Award Judge for the Park Center for Independent Media. Her writing has appeared in CounterPunch, LA Progressive, The Progressive, Salon, Common Dreams, and ScheerPost, among others. We will have new installments of Rotten History and Hangover Cure. We will also be sharing your answers to this week's Question from Hell! from Patreon. Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell
Robin Anderson joins This Is Hell! to talk about her her new book “The Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage Of Israel's Genocide In Gaza” published by OR Books. https://orbooks.com/catalog/the-complicit-lens/ Robin Andersen is professor emerita of media studies at Fordham University and an award-winning author of a dozen single- and co-authored books. Her work examines film, television, and media coverage of war, the environment, politics, and elections. She edits the Routledge Focus Book Series on Media and Humanitarian Action, serves as a Project Censored Judge, and contributes to the annual State of the Free Press. Andersen is on the Board of Directors of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), where she also writes regularly, and is an Izzy Award Judge for the Park Center for Independent Media. Her writing has appeared in CounterPunch, LA Progressive, The Progressive, Salon, Common Dreams, and ScheerPost, among others. Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell
Join us Tuesday, June 9th, at Macro ‘n Chill, the online gathering where we'll listen to and discuss this episode. 8pm ET/5pm PT. Register with this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/L40tjKhOSCGCJTR-R-QJvwThe title of Robin Andersen's upcoming book (published next week) is The Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage of the Genocide in Gaza. You can see why Steve wanted to talk with her. Their conversation looks at how the corporate media helped manufacture consent for Israel's war on Gaza by erasing historical context. It is tasked with enforcing cultural hegemony à la Gramsci, and defending the interests of the imperial core.Robin goes into examples of how the media has been used to erase Palestinian history and justify war crimes. Terms like "occupation," "apartheid," and "genocide" are scrubbed from discourse to maintain ideological control. It allows the ongoing dispossession and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians to go unchallenged.As MMTers we understand – and Steve emphasizes – how state resources are mobilized without hesitation for war and geopolitical control, while austerity is imposed at home as a political choice rather than an economic necessity.In this time where journalists are under attack (literally) the episode urges solidarity with truth-tellers like Francesca Albanese who confront imperialist violence.Robin Andersen is professor emerita of media studies at Fordham University and an award-winning author of a dozen single- and co-authored books. Her work examines film, television, and media coverage of war, the environment, politics, and elections. She edits the Routledge Focus Book Series on Media and Humanitarian Action, serves as a Project Censored Judge, and contributes to the annual State of the Free Press. Andersen is on the Board of Directors of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), where she also writes regularly, and is an Izzy Award Judge for the Park Center for Independent Media. Her writing has appeared in CounterPunch, LA Progressive, The Progressive, Salon, Common Dreams, and ScheerPost, among others.@MediaPhiled on X
In her new book, The Complicit Lens, media scholar Robin Anderson reveals how legacy media in the US presented Israel's genocidal violence in Gaza as defensive and justified, casting doubt on IDF bombings, employing passive language to deflect blame for atrocities, and repeating Israeli talking points, often word-for-word. In this episode of The Marc Steiner Show, Marc speaks with Anderson about the ways US media has systematically run interference for Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza, aligning its coverage with Israeli military narratives while downplaying—and even condoning—the wholesale massacre of Palestinians. Guests:Robin Andersen is professor emerita of media studies at Fordham University and an award-winning author of a dozen single- and co-authored books. Her work examines film, television, and media coverage of war, the environment, politics, and elections. Anderson edits the Routledge Focus Book Series on Media and Humanitarian Action, serves as a Project Censored Judge, and contributes to the annual State of the Free Press. Andersen is on the Board of Directors of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), where she also writes regularly, and is an Izzy Award Judge for the Park Center for Independent Media. Her writing has appeared in a range of outlets, including CounterPunch, LA Progressive, The Progressive, Salon, Common Dreams, and ScheerPost.Additional links/info: Robin Anderson, OR Books, The Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage of Israel's Genocide in GazaCredits:Producer: Rosette SewaliStudio Production: David HebdenAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!
In her new book, The Complicit Lens, media scholar Robin Anderson reveals how legacy media in the US presented Israel's genocidal violence in Gaza as defensive and justified, casting doubt on IDF bombings, employing passive language to deflect blame for atrocities, and repeating Israeli talking points, often word-for-word. In this episode of The Marc Steiner Show, Marc speaks with Anderson about the ways US media has systematically run interference for Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza, aligning its coverage with Israeli military narratives while downplaying—and even condoning—the wholesale massacre of Palestinians. Guests:Robin Andersen is professor emerita of media studies at Fordham University and an award-winning author of a dozen single- and co-authored books. Her work examines film, television, and media coverage of war, the environment, politics, and elections. Anderson edits the Routledge Focus Book Series on Media and Humanitarian Action, serves as a Project Censored Judge, and contributes to the annual State of the Free Press. Andersen is on the Board of Directors of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), where she also writes regularly, and is an Izzy Award Judge for the Park Center for Independent Media. Her writing has appeared in a range of outlets, including CounterPunch, LA Progressive, The Progressive, Salon, Common Dreams, and ScheerPost.Additional links/info: Robin Anderson, OR Books, The Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage of Israel's Genocide in GazaCredits:Producer: Rosette SewaliStudio Production: David HebdenAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-marc-steiner-show--4661751/support.Follow The Marc Steiner Show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Help us continue producing The Marc Steiner Show by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on BlueskyLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast
In announcing New York City's executive budget for the 2027 fiscal year on Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani proved that when city governments “stand with working families, not billionaires, there is nothing they cannot accomplish,” said US Sen. Bernie Sanders, an early backer of the democratic socialist leader. Reported by Julia Conley of Common Dreams. Plus a Progressive National Town Hall, with US Rep. Ro Khanna of CA responding to listener phone calls. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week Howie is joined by Sacha Ismail, Policy & Education Officer for the Green Party Trade Union Group and Green candidate for Wandsworth Town Council in southwest London, for a discussion of the May 7 local elections.Links Shared During the Stream:Sacha Ismail blog, South London Socialist, https://southlondonsocialist.wordpress.com/Sacha Ismail, “Why I'm standing in the local elections,” South London Socialist, March 30, 2026, https://southlondonsocialist.wordpress.com/2026/03/30/why-im-standing-in-the-local-elections/Green Party of England & Wales, “Election Results,” https://greenparty.org.uk/Scottish Greens, “Scottish Greens Hail Seismic Results,” May 8, 2026, https://greens.scot/news/scottish-greens-hail-seismic-resultBrad Reed, "‘Two Party Politics... Is Dead' in UK Says Green Party Leader After Labour Thrashed,” Common Dreams, May 8, 2026, https://www.commondreams.org/news/uk-elections-reform-greensEvening Standard, "Local elections 2026 LIVE: Polanski's Green Party storms London as Labour suffers historic defeats,” May 8, 2026, https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/local-elections-2026-latest-live-london-polls-greens-labour-reform-tories-lib-dems-b1281363.htmlKatherine Hearst, "Green Party leader Zack Polanski condemns 'vile antisemitic caricature' in The Times,” Middle East Eye, May 3, 2026, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-zack-polanski-condemns-vile-antisemitic-caricature-timesMajor British newspapers' antisemitic cartoon caricatures of Zack Polanski, https://x.com/benphillips76/status/2051909751076975056Sacha Ismail, "The left and antisemitism – thoughts from a Green activist and candidate,” South London Socialist, April 22, 2026, https://southlondonsocialist.wordpress.com/Green Party of England and Wales Workers' Charter, https://greenparty.org.uk/workerscharter/https://greenparty.org.uk/2026/02/24/fourth-anniversary-of-russian-invasion-of-ukrainehttps://ukrainesolidaritycampaign.org/2025/12/23/ukraine-solidarity-motion-to-green-party-of-england-wales-2026-spring-conference/https://ukrainesolidaritycampaign.org/2026/02/13/uk-young-greens-stand-with-ukraine/Streamed on 5/9/26Watch the video at: https://youtube.com/live/Ba3JxzTb748Green Socialist Notes is a weekly livestream/podcast hosted by 2020 Green Party/Socialist Party presidential nominee, Howie Hawkins. Started as a weekly campaign livestream in the spring of 2020, the streams have continued post elections and are now under the umbrella of the Green Socialist Organizing Project, which grew out of the 2020 presidential campaign. Green Socialist Notes seeks to provide both an independent Green Socialist perspective, as well as link listeners up with opportunities to get involved in building a real people-powered movement in their communities.Green Socialist Notes PodcastEvery Saturday at 3:00 PM EDT on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.Every Monday at 7:00 AM EDT on most major podcast outlets.Music by Gumbo le FunqueIntro: She Taught UsOutro: #PowerLoveFreedom
With the show coming back into dropping regular episodes this year, we're dropping a few flashback shows for everyone!Introduction Song: A Tribe Called Quest - Youthful Expression (Jive Records)During this FuseBox Radio Broadcast episode, DJ Fusion interviewed Emidio "Mimi" Soltysik (R.I.P. to a great person at large, activist & longtime friend of the show who transitioned over the past week) & Angela Nicole Walker, the presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election for the Socialist Party USA.During 2016's “interesting” presidential election cycle (to say the least) in the United States, we were more aware than ever of the imbalance in how 3rd parties are looked at in our current political system in terms of balanced exposure by mainstream media outlets, if they even get any attention at all.The FuseBox Radio's 2016 Presidential Candidate Interview Sessions were created to assist with educating voters a bit of information about various political parties & ideologies beyond the Democrat/Republican binary with what they stand for straight from the source.We talked about their viewpoint of what exactly IS a socialist, how Emidio & Angela decided to become deeply & personally involved with politics & the Socialist Party USA, their platform (in regards to education, health care, the legal system & more), how change needs to happen from local levels on up (in the ballot box and on the streets), the politics of division & the urgent need to change that ASAP, naturally being “intersectional as f**k”, how folks have been responding to their campaign (especially since socialism has been slandered with misinformation via various places) and lots more!For more information about the Soltysik/Walker campaign, go to:http://www.Rev16.ushttps://twitter.com/SocialistRev16https://www.facebook.com/Rev2016For more information about the Socialist Party USA, go to:http://socialistparty-usa.net/https://twitter.com/SPofUSAhttps://www.facebook.com/SPUSofAFor more information about Mimi Soltysik, check out this great breakdown by Common Dreams here: https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/06/28/interview-mimi-soltysik-1974-2020___Official FuseBox Radio Broadcast Website: http://www.FuseBoxRadio.comOfficial FuseBox Radio Broadcast Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/FuseBoxRadioShow
Aaron is joined by Robin Andersen, author of The Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage of Israel's Genocide in Gaza. Robin Andersen is professor emerita of media studies at Fordham University and an award-winning author of a dozen single- and co-authored books. Her work examines film, television, and media coverage of war, the environment, politics, and elections. She edits the Routledge Focus Book Series on Media and Humanitarian Action, serves as a Project Censored Judge, and contributes to the annual State of the Free Press. Andersen is on the Board of Directors of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), where she also writes regularly, and is an Izzy Award Judge for the Park Center for Independent Media. Her writing has appeared in CounterPunch, LA Progressive, The Progressive, Salon, Common Dreams, and ScheerPost, among others. American Exception followers on Patreon, regardless of the tier, get first access to new episodes! Paid subscribers enjoy access to the entire library of the best historical analysis of deep events on the American Exception podcast. Subscribe to our Patreon at https://patreon.com/americanexception Special thanks to: Dana Chavarria, production Casey Moore, graphics Michelle Boley, animated intro Mock Orange, music
Part 1:We talk with Melvin Goodman, Senior Fellow at Johns Hopkins Univ. and national security and intelligence expert.We discuss the amount of defense spending that is being used now, and likely, in the near future, due to the Trump urge to war in the Middle East and other locations. There is no real national security process, and no real personnel to manage it. Domestic issues are being ignored: hospitals are closing, welfare assistance is cut, etc. The US is hollowed out, so future development is difficult.Part 2:We talk with Brett Wilkins, Staff writer for Common Dreams.We discuss the initiative that Bernie Sanders is launching, "Worker Power Movement", to counter the rich, who own too much, and take more.WNHNFM.ORG productionMusic: "Masters of War", Bob Dylan
Common Dreams says: "We Must Fight Fossil Fuel Oligarchs to Save Democracy";"Energy security is now inseparable from national security. Australia has options, but they're being neglected";"Critically Endangered listing of Lower Murray River ecosystem and Macquarie Marshes is a wake up call";"Overheated cows, flooded highways, and now a fuel crisis: why Australia's food system is in big trouble";"An ‘ordinary' storm with extraordinary impacts: what made Wellington's deluge so intense?";"El Niño is set to take hold this summer, driving up global temperatures";"WaterNSW criticised for ‘appalling' decision after hundreds of turtles left to die in wetlands".
Next Level Soul with Alex Ferrari: A Spirituality & Personal Growth Podcast
BONUS MONDAYS: Dr. Kelly Sullivan Walden is on a mission to awaken the world to the power of dreams as well as life beyond the illusion of death. A dream enthusiast of both the sleeping and waking kind, people often refer to her as “Doctor Dream.” As a “dream expert” she's had the honor of interpreting dreams for Doctor Oz, Ricki Lake, George Noory (Coast to Coast and Beyond Belief), the hosts from The Real, Logan Paul, Stassi Schroeder (Vanderpump Rules), Topher Grace, the Housewives of NY and the O.C. and many more.She's the bestselling author of eight books, two journals, four oracle decks (Dream Oracle Cards, Dream Goddess Empowerment Deck, Awakened Dreamer Oracle Cards), and two apps. Her books include, I Had the Strangest Dream, It's All in Your Dreams, Dreaming Heaven, The Love, Sex & Relationship Dream Dictionary, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams and Premonitions, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams and the Unexplainable, Luminous Humanness, and A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste: The Art of Transforming the Tragic into Magic. She is also the author of the following oracle cards: Dream, Awakened Dreamer, Dream Goddess, and is the multi-award-winning author of The Hero's Journey Dream Oracle cards, journal, meditations and app.She holds a Doctor of Ministry degree, and is a certified clinical hypnotherapist, whose unique approach to dream therapy led her to become a trusted advisor, coach and consultant, enriching the lives of thousands of individuals, including Fortune 500 executives, UN ambassadors, celebrities, inner-city kids, and stay-at-home moms. She is an inspirational speaker, workshop facilitator, and the host of The Kelly Sullivan Walden Show.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/next-level-soul-podcast-with-alex-ferrari--4858435/support.Take your spiritual journey to the next level with Next Level Soul TV — our dedicated streaming home for conscious storytelling and soulful transformation.Experience exclusive programs, original series, movies, tv shows, workshops, audiobooks, meditations, and a growing library of inspiring content created to elevate, heal, and awaken. Begin your membership or explore our free titles here: https://www.nextlevelsoul.tv
Doug Scott examines Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's March 25 Pentagon prayer—asking God for “every round” to find its mark—and argues it reveals a dangerous politicized liturgy that sanctifies annihilation, misuses Christ's name, and feeds a planetary thought-form he calls the Great BASH. Scott traces the theological, psychological, and institutional stakes, contrasts this moment with Francis of Assisi's encounter with the Sultan, and urges readers to recognize and resist the conflation of sacred language with redemptive violence. -- Endnotes 1. Online Etymology Dictionary, “diabolic,” accessed March 2026, https://www.etymonline.com/word/diabolic. See also Merriam-Webster, “diabolical,” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diabolical. The Greek diabolos derives from dia- (“across, through”) + ballein (“to throw”), literally “to throw across/apart.” Its opposite is symbolon, from sym- (“together”) + ballein, literally “to throw together.” The Septuagint translators chose diabolos to render the Hebrew satan (“adversary”). 2. Doug Scott, “How the Egregore Great BASH Shows Itself at the Threshold of Human Shift,” cosmicchrist.net, March 10, 2026; Doug Scott, “The Terran Self at War with Itself,” cosmicchrist.net, March 2026. 3. Ra Material (The Law of One), Session 15.12; Session 32.14. The orange-ray energy center governs personal identity, self-assertion, and the relationship to other-selves as individuals. Blockage or distortion at this level manifests as the inability to stabilize identity without defining against an external other. 4. Associated Press, “At Pentagon Christian Service, Hegseth Prays for Violence ‘Against Those Who Deserve No Mercy,'” March 25, 2026. Reported via PBS NewsHour, Washington Post, Military.com, Washington Times, and dozens of AP affiliates. The service was livestreamed. 5. Associated Press, via Military.com, March 26, 2026. As of that reporting, Operation Epic Fury had resulted in thirteen American service members killed and more than two hundred wounded. 6. Full prayer text reported by Brett Wilkins, “‘Heretical and Batshit Crazy': Hegseth Rebuked for Bloodthirsty Prayer Asking God to Bless Iran War,” Common Dreams, March 26, 2026, citing video posted by journalist Michael Tracey on X, March 25, 2026. Also confirmed by the Daily Beast, March 26, 2026. 7. Associated Press, via PBS NewsHour, March 25, 2026. Hegseth belongs to the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), co-founded by self-described Christian nationalist Doug Wilson. Wilson preached at Hegseth's Pentagon services in February 2026. Hegseth also attends weekly White House Bible study led by Ralph Drollinger. See Doug Scott, “Hegseth, Vance, and Johnson: Religious Framing, War Justification, and the Iran Campaign,” Great BASH Project Research Brief, March 5, 2026. 8. Associated Press, via PBS and Military.com, March 25–26, 2026. Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed suit Monday, March 23, seeking internal communications about the services, their cost, and any complaints. 9. Associated Press, via PBS NewsHour, March 25, 2026. Hegseth directed chaplains to prioritize spiritual ministry over mental health and “self-help” approaches, in a week when the military had grown increasingly dependent on chaplains to address troop mental health distress during active combat. 10. “Pentagon Pete Hegseth Prays for ‘Overwhelming Violence' at Christian Service,” The Daily Beast, March 26, 2026. Trump told reporters at Tuesday's Oval Office swearing-in of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin: “Pete didn't want it to be settled.” Trump identified Hegseth as the first cabinet member to push for military action against Iran. 11. Ronit Stahl, author of Enlisting Faith: How the Military Chaplaincy Shaped Religion and State in Modern America (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2017), quoted in Associated Press/PBS coverage, March 25, 2026. 12. Associated Press, via Washington Times, March 25, 2026. At a gathering of Christian broadcasters in February, Hegseth said of the Pentagon services: “We hear a lot from the ‘freedom from religion' crowd. They hate it. The left-wing shrieks, which means we're right over the target.” 13. Ra Material (The Law of One), Session 46.9–10; Session 48.7. Green ray (the heart center) is the first energy center capable of holding the other without needing to annihilate, possess, or control. It is the gateway to higher-density work and the prerequisite for the density transition Earth is currently undergoing. 14. “Pentagon Pete Hegseth Prays for ‘Overwhelming Violence' at Christian Service,” The Daily Beast, March 26, 2026. Hegseth's pastor Brooks Potteiger appeared on the Christian nationalist podcast Reformation Red Pill, where co-host Joshua Haymes said of Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico: “I pray that God kills him.” Potteiger responded: “Right. Right. We want him crucified with Christ.” 15. For the Francis/Sultan encounter as counter-image to the crusader theology, see Doug Scott, “The Terran Self at War with Itself,” cosmicchrist.net, March 2026. The historical encounter occurred in 1219 during the Fifth Crusade at Damietta, Egypt. 16. Exodus 20:7. The Hebrew nasa means “to lift, carry, bear” rather than simply “to speak.” The word shav (translated “in vain”) means emptiness, vanity, falsehood, worthlessness of conduct. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin argued that the more literal translation—“you shall not carry” the name of YHWH—explains why the commandment ranks alongside “You shall not murder.” See Joseph Telushkin, A Code of Jewish Ethics, vol. 1 (New York: Bell Tower, 2006). See also “The Innocence of God: The Third Commandment,” Tikkun 31, no. 2 (April 2016). 17. David Klinghoffer, Shattered Tablets: Why We Ignore the Ten Commandments at Our Peril (New York: Doubleday, 2007), cited in “Watch Your Language: The Third Commandment,” The Dayton Jewish Observer, May 2010. 18. Carmen Joy Imes, in conversation with Kirk E. Miller, “What Does It Mean to Take God's Name in Vain?,” Logos, March 2025. Imes connects the priestly bearing of God's name on Aaron's garments (Exodus 28:12, 29) to Israel's commissioning as a nation of priests (Exodus 19:5–6), arguing that “carrying God's name” means representing God's character faithfully through one's actions. 19. “The Innocence of God: The Third Commandment: Building the Religious Counterculture,” Tikkun 31, no. 2 (April 2016). The article notes that the second half of the Third Commandment—“for God will not acquit a person who takes God's name in vain”—uses language found in no other commandment, including the prohibitions against murder and adultery.
3869 – March 26, 2026 – DOOMSDAY! …again? – I received a report yesterday from a staff writer of “Common Dreams” – an organization I've NEVER heard of. But I don't “get out” much. However, these GREEN WORSHIPPERS JUST DO NOT QUIT! The article was titled: “Every Key Climate Indicator is ‘Flashing Red' in New UN Report.” …and I sighed… here ... The post DOOMSDAY! …again? appeared first on CSC Talk Radio.
Common Dreams reports that Stephen Miller wants to increase mass surveillance on Americans. More than 90 civil society groups on Thursday urged congressional Democrats to “stand firm against White House efforts to extend government surveillance powers” by renewing “without new safeguards” a highly controversial surveillance authorization historically abused by federal agencies. Free Press Action and Demand Progress are leading the call to senior Democratic lawmakers to not reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)—a controversial law that has been abused hundreds of thousands of times—without first enacting privacy reforms.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week Howie talks about Iran, other current events, and takes viewer questions. Links Shared During the StreamJake Johnson, "Oman's Foreign Minister Said US-Iran Deal Was ‘Within Our Reach.' Then Trump Started Bombing,” Common Dreams, February 28, 2026, https://www.commondreams.org/news/oman-foreign-minister-iran-dealAljazeera, "Al Jazeera investigation: Iran girls' school targeting likely ‘deliberate',” March 3, 2026, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/questions-over-minab-girls-school-strike-as-israel-us-deny-involvementMalachy Browne and Aaron Boxerman, "Analysis Suggests School Was Hit Amid U.S. Strikes on Iranian Naval Base,” New York Times, March 6 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/world/middleeast/iran-school-us-strikes-naval-base.htmlNick Turse, “Rubio Admit That US Is Fighting Israel's War,” The Intercept, March 3, 2026, https://theintercept.com/2026/03/03/rubio-trump-iran-israel-war/Tom Latchem, "Veteran Appears to Snap Bone During Tussle With MAGA Senator at War Hearing,” Daily Beast, March 5, 2026, https://www.thedailybeast.com/veteran-brian-mcginnis-appears-to-snap-bone-during-tussle-with-maga-senator-tim-sheehy-during-war-hearing/Full video of Brian McGinnis protest: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DVecHEVie0u/Anthony Aguilar on Brian McGinnis isolation, https://x.com/anthonyagu88102/status/2030017845610844278?s=46Brian McGinnis for US Senate: https://www.brianmcginnis4ussenatenc.orgMaryam Namazie, Iranian socialist-feminist, "Stop the War on Iran! ,” https://www.facebook.com/MayamNamazie/posts/pfbid02BJfkVBzj36R4uD6XsiFcoUqrJQJWcXco7iWDBJetyCPDhbPpHGRCC2XzTpkLe3PSlNick Turse, "Trump's Orwellian Board of Peace Consists Entirely of Human Rights Abusers,” The Intercept, March 2, 2026, https://theintercept.com/2026/03/02/trump-board-peace-human-right-abuses/Azad Essa, "Brics missing in action as war on permanent member Iran spirals,” Middle East Eye, March 3, 2026, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/brics-missing-in-action-israel-war-permanent-member-iran-spiralsZoltan Grossman, "Escalation of this War Could Shatter Iran into Ethnic Enclaves,” CounterPunch, February 27, 2028, https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/02/27/escalation-of-this-war-could-shatter-iran-into-ethnic-enclaves/Hannah Spencer's by-election victory speech: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckglkz1rp01oHowie Hawkins, A Political Paradox, https://newgreenhorizons.us/a-political-paradox-a-progressive-leaning-public-elects-a-far-right-president/Streamed on 3/8/26Watch the video at: https://youtube.com/live/YO8MhYK7GkEGreen Socialist Notes is a weekly livestream/podcast hosted by 2020 Green Party/Socialist Party presidential nominee, Howie Hawkins. Started as a weekly campaign livestream in the spring of 2020, the streams have continued post elections and are now under the umbrella of the Green Socialist Organizing Project, which grew out of the 2020 presidential campaign. Green Socialist Notes seeks to provide both an independent Green Socialist perspective, as well as link listeners up with opportunities to get involved in building a real people-powered movement in their communities.Green Socialist Notes PodcastEvery Saturday at 3:00 PM EDT on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.Every Monday at 7:00 AM EDT on most major podcast outlets.Music by Gumbo le FunqueIntro: She Taught UsOutro: #PowerLoveFreedom
Urged on by Israel and neocon war hawks, President Trump has brought the US to the verge of a war with Iran, amassing more American military forces in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In this episode of The Marc Steiner Show, Marc speaks with Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, about the disastrous ramifications such a war would have—and what options remain to avoid it. Guests:Trita Parsi is an Iranian-born Swedish writer and policy analyst and the co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He is an award-winning author and the 2010 recipient of the Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. He is an expert on US-Iranian relations, Iranian foreign policy, and the geopolitics of the Middle East. He has authored four books on US foreign policy in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iran and Israel. Additional links/info:Trita Parsi, Common Dreams, “How does this end? Even a ‘small' US strike on Iran by Trump would be disastrous”Maximillian Alvarez, TRNN, “Jeremy Scahill: Prospects for avoiding US-Iran war ‘remain fragile'”Credits:Producer: Rosette SewaliStudio Production: David HebdenAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankFollow The Marc Steiner Show on Spotify and Apple PodcastsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!
Urged on by Israel and neocon war hawks, President Trump has brought the US to the verge of a war with Iran, amassing more American military forces in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In this episode of The Marc Steiner Show, Marc speaks with Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, about the disastrous ramifications such a war would have—and what options remain to avoid it. Guests:Trita Parsi is an Iranian-born Swedish writer and policy analyst and the co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He is an award-winning author and the 2010 recipient of the Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. He is an expert on US-Iranian relations, Iranian foreign policy, and the geopolitics of the Middle East. He has authored four books on US foreign policy in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iran and Israel. Additional links/info:Trita Parsi, Common Dreams, “How does this end? Even a ‘small' US strike on Iran by Trump would be disastrous”Maximillian Alvarez, TRNN, “Jeremy Scahill: Prospects for avoiding US-Iran war ‘remain fragile'”Credits:Producer: Rosette SewaliStudio Production: David HebdenAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-marc-steiner-show--4661751/support.Follow The Marc Steiner Show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Help us continue producing The Marc Steiner Show by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on BlueskyLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast
Part 1:We talk with Ryan Cooper, senior editor of The American Prospect.We discuss Trump's threats against Greenland, and thus NATO. The Europeans are drawing up plans for actions in Greenland, which has a nuclear defense installation. We also discuss Trump's attempt to bribe Greenlanders with services and things they already have, as part of the Denmark social net.We also discuss what is going on in Minnesota and ICE actions. The administration is citing "qualified immunity" for ICE, though that does not apply.Part 2:We talk with Jessica Corbett, Senior editor and staff writer for Common Dreams.We discuss that Trump's DOJ has served the Federal Reserve with a suit claiming malfeasance in the "renovation of the Federal Reserve building", aimed at the Chair, Jerome Powell. This is part of the pressure to make Powell accede to Trump's demands for very low interest rates to be set. What will be the effect on the US and world economy when the FED can no longer be independent of Trump? WNHNFM.ORG productionMusic: Clint Ballard, author, 1963, "You're No Good"Performed by: Linda Ronstadt, 1975
Part 1:We talk with Martha Pskowski, who covers climate news in Texas.We discuss the state of labor and employment regulations in Texas, especially with regard to the dangers that are experiencing due to hotter temperatures. There are no federal or state regulations, and Texas is prohibiting municipalities from enacting regulations locally. This is proving lethal for workers.Part 2:We talk with Thomas Neuburger, a long-time professional writer, author of stories, poems, essays and non-fiction books. His work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Common Dreams, Alternet, Naked Capitalism, DownWithTyranny! and many other venues. he has written political analysis under his own name and the byline Gaius Publius since 2003.We discuss the use of Flock cameras, that enable universal surveillance. These are not secure, and the data is owned by the corporation, to use as it sees fit. WNHNFM.ORG productionMusic: David Rovics
In this podcast we discuss the just released book, “No Neutrals There,” in which labor historian Dr. Jeff Schuhrke outlines the US labor movement's century-long, official alliance with Zionism and Israel, arguing that this stance was driven both by early ideological sympathy for Labor Zionism and, more significantly, by the labor bureaucracy's strategic alignment with US imperial aims during the Cold War and the "War on Terror." He reveals a history of top-down suppression of internal dissent, where national leaders routinely quashed rank-and-file efforts to support Palestinian rights and the BDS movement. However, Dr. Schuhrke also highlights a persistent tradition of grassroots solidarity, a movement galvanized by the ongoing genocide in Gaza, which has created significant cracks in the official position and serves as a critical litmus test for a labor movement at a crossroads, forcing it to choose between entrenched power and principled internationalism. This book, “No Neutrals There,” was released three weeks ago, and we were honored to be one of his first interviews. Other publications to feature his work which focus on the intersections of labor, foreign policy, and political organizing, with a particular emphasis on current events and historical trajectories within the US labor movement include Democracy Now!, Jacobin, In These Times, Common Dreams, Jewish Currents, and Workday Magazine. Dr. Jeff Schuhrke is a labor historian, journalist, union activist, and assistant professor at the Harry Van Arsdale Jr. School of Labor Studies, SUNY Empire State University in New York City. He has a Ph.D. in History from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master's in Labor Studies from UMass Amherst. Get the Book: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2608-no-neutrals-there Greg's Blog: http://zzs-blg.blogspot.com/ Pat's Substack: https://patcummings.substack.com/about JeffSchuhrke#NoNeutralsThere# USLaborZionismandtheStruggleforPalestine#AFL#CIO#AFLCIO#CIA#AFCIO#Zionism#Palestine#LaborHistory#Imperialism#AntiCommunism#Genocide#Gaza#RankandFileOrganizing#GeorgeMeany#LaneKirkland#PatCummings#GregGodels#ZZBlog#ComingFromLeftField#ComingFromLeftFieldPodcast#zzblog#mltoday
Just 11 months into his second term, President Trump has harnessed the brutal power of the federal government to go to war with American cities, communities, and citizens. Since the launch of “Operation Midway Blitz” in September, Chicago has become the epicenter of the Trump administration's assault on immigrants, protestors, and political opponents, but Chicagoans on the front lines of that assault say the reality is even worse than people think. In this episode of the Marc Steiner Show, Marc speaks with CODEPINK national co-director Danaka Katovich to get an on-the-ground view of the federal siege of Chicago and the powerful grassroots resistance movements rising up against it.Additional links/info:Danaka Katovich, CODEPINK, “Chicago battlefields: The cost of the war economy”Mansa Musa, Taya Graham, & Stephen Janis, The Real News Network, “'Spectacle of disorder': How ICE creates the chaos ICE, cops, and the military are called in to 'fix'”Julia Conley, Common Dreams, “ICE raid at Chicago daycare condemned as ‘domestic terrorism'”Credits:Studio Production: Cameron GranadinoAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!
Just 11 months into his second term, President Trump has harnessed the brutal power of the federal government to go to war with American cities, communities, and citizens. Since the launch of “Operation Midway Blitz” in September, Chicago has become the epicenter of the Trump administration's assault on immigrants, protestors, and political opponents, but Chicagoans on the front lines of that assault say the reality is even worse than people think. In this episode of the Marc Steiner Show, Marc speaks with CODEPINK national co-director Danaka Katovich to get an on-the-ground view of the federal siege of Chicago and the powerful grassroots resistance movements rising up against it.Additional links/info:Danaka Katovich, CODEPINK, “Chicago battlefields: The cost of the war economy”Mansa Musa, Taya Graham, & Stephen Janis, The Real News Network, “'Spectacle of disorder': How ICE creates the chaos ICE, cops, and the military are called in to 'fix'”Julia Conley, Common Dreams, “ICE raid at Chicago daycare condemned as ‘domestic terrorism'”Credits:Studio Production: Cameron GranadinoAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-marc-steiner-show--4661751/support.Follow The Marc Steiner Show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Help us continue producing The Marc Steiner Show by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on BlueskyLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast
#podcast #progressives #politics #Democrats #Republicans #Trump #MAGA #CorporateCorruption #CorporateAuthoritarians #CorporateGreed #GovernmentGreed #Michigan #KristiNoem #GovernmentShutdown #LarryEllison #FreeSpeech #Authoritarianism #Oligarchy #WorkingClass #HealthCare #NoKings #Democracy #LeftOfLansing Here's the Left of Lansing "Friday Short" for October 17, 2025. In order for authoritarianism to thrive, its supporters and benefactors must control the message. Pat Johnston explains how the MAGA Republican movement is attempting to do just that through a myriad of ways, including propaganda videos at airports across the country. But even more, by granting MAGA billionaire families to gobble-up media companies so they can spread their "news," and also erase progressive free speech. Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can! leftoflansing@gmail.com Left of Lansing is now on YouTube as well! leftoflansing.com NOTES: "Video of Noem faulting Democrats for shutdown absent from some Michigan airports." Kyle Davidson of Michigan Advance "CBS News' Standards Chief Exits Amid Chaotic Period for News Division." By Brian Steinberg of Variety "Ted Cruz Says His Bill Will Allow DOJ to ‘Prosecute' Those Who Fund No Kings Protests, Which Have Been Overwhelmingly Peaceful." By Stephen Prager of Common Dreams
Residents of Washington, DC, continue to take to the streets to protest President Trump's federal takeover of the city and deployment of National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officers as a “solution” to a fabricated “crime wave.” “We demand ICE out of DC. We demand an end to this unnecessary law enforcement,” Nee Nee Taylor, co-founder and executive director of Harriet's Wildest Dreams, said at a “Free DC” rally on Monday, Aug. 18. “We demand full autonomy. We demand: Hands off DC!” TRNN correspondent and host of Rattling the Bars Mansa Musa reports from the ground in federally occupied Washington, DC.Additional links/info:Free DC Coalition website, Facebook page, and InstagramStephen Prager, Common Dreams, “New Trump order among 'scariest things I've seen in US politics,' civil rights attorney says”Stephen Prager, Common Dreams, “Trump may ‘fabricate a national emergency' to extend DC takeover without Congressional support”Maximillian Alvarez & Mansa Musa, The Real News Network, “‘Crazy as hell!' and ‘Distraction from Epstein': Residents respond to Trump's takeover of Washington, DC”Dave Zirin, The Nation, “The dangers and absurdities of Trump's DC occupation”Credits:Producer / Videographer / Post-Production: Cameron GranadinoHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!
For the last week, countless videos have circulated online showing National Guard troops menacingly patrolling the streets of Washington, DC, and militarized police setting up traffic checkpoints, harassing residents in the streets, and violently clearing encampments of people experiencing homelessness. “The state of mind of DC citizens right now is that they're under a police state, mainly in the poor Black and Brown communities,” Mansa Musa, host of Rattling the Bars at TRNN and a DC native, reports. In this episode of Working People, we speak with Mansa about the authoritarian reality DC residents are experiencing right now, and we hear from a range of residents and organizers Mansa spoke with on the ground at the “Free DC” demonstration on Monday, August 11.Additional links/info:Rattling the Bars website and Bluesky pageFree DC Coalition website, Facebook page, and InstagramChris Cameron, The New York Times, “Trump's DC police takeover and national guard deployment, explained”Brian Mann, NPR, “Trump's purge of Washington's homeless encampments escalates”Stephen Prager, Common Dreams, “Trump may 'fabricate a national emergency' to extend DC takeover without Congressional support”Brad Reed, Common Dreams, “'We are fighting to stop it': DC Attorney General sues to block Trump takeover of City police”Featured Music:Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme SongCredits:Studio Production: Cameron GranadinoAudio Post-Production: Jules TaylorHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!
More than a hundred aid organizations warned Wednesday that “mass starvation” is spreading in Gaza, as Israel's genocidal ethnic cleansing of Palestinians reaches an unspeakable turning point. As the crisis of humanity deepens, another Gaza Freedom Flotilla has set sail in the hopes of breaking Israel's blockade and bringing life-saving supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip. Calling from the Handala ship while en route to Gaza, American labor organizer Chris Smalls, co-founder and former president of the Amazon Labor Union, speaks with TRNN editor-in-chief Maximillian Alvarez about the threats and sabotage attempts the Freedom Flotilla has already faced on its journey—and why that won't deter the crew from their humanitarian mission.Additional resources:Chris Smalls X account and InstagramGaza Freedom Flotilla linktree Ann Wright, Common Dreams, “Despite 2 sabotage attempts, the Gaza Flotilla Ship Handala sails onward”Marium Ali, Al Jazeera, “Freedom Flotillas: A history of attempts to break Israel's siege of Gaza”Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!Credits:Studio Production: Maximillian AlvarezPost-Production: David Hebden
“With only rare exceptions,” Norman Solomon writes, “US news media and members of Congress continue to dodge the reality of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, normalizing atrocities on a mass scale.” How did we end up in this Orwellian situation, where the reality of genocide is so thoroughly denied by pundits and politicians even as that genocide is unfolding in front of our eyes? How do we combat this level of inhumane violence and propaganda? Solomon, co-founder of Roots Action, joins The Marc Steiner Show for an urgent discussion about Israel's manufactured genocide of Palestinians and how the media manufactures consent to, at best, hide and, at worst, justify Israel's heinous actions.Guests:Norman Solomon is the cofounder of RootsAction.org, executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, and the author of numerous books, including War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death and War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of the Military Machine.Additional resources:Norman Solomon, Common Dreams, “In too much of the US, Israel's Gaza genocide has been made invisible”Norman Solomon, Common Dreams, “Who's afraid of Zohran Mamdani? Billionaires”Norman Solomon, Common Dreams, “Bombing Iran Is part of the USA's repetition compulsion for war, war, war”Credits:Producer: Rosette SewaliStudio Production: David HebdenAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankFollow The Marc Steiner Show on Spotify Follow The Marc Steiner Show on Apple PodcastsHelp us continue producing The Marc Steiner Show by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetwork
“With only rare exceptions,” Norman Solomon writes, “US news media and members of Congress continue to dodge the reality of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, normalizing atrocities on a mass scale.” How did we end up in this Orwellian situation, where the reality of genocide is so thoroughly denied by pundits and politicians even as that genocide is unfolding in front of our eyes? How do we combat this level of inhumane violence and propaganda? Solomon, co-founder of Roots Action, joins The Marc Steiner Show for an urgent discussion about Israel's manufactured genocide of Palestinians and how the media manufactures consent to, at best, hide and, at worst, justify Israel's heinous actions.Guests:Norman Solomon is the cofounder of RootsAction.org, executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, and the author of numerous books, including War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death and War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of the Military Machine.Additional resources:Norman Solomon, Common Dreams, “In too much of the US, Israel's Gaza genocide has been made invisible”Norman Solomon, Common Dreams, “Who's afraid of Zohran Mamdani? Billionaires”Norman Solomon, Common Dreams, “Bombing Iran Is part of the USA's repetition compulsion for war, war, war”Credits:Producer: Rosette SewaliStudio Production: David HebdenAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankFollow The Marc Steiner Show on Spotify Follow The Marc Steiner Show on Apple PodcastsHelp us continue producing The Marc Steiner Show by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetwork
Dozens of peaceful protesters, including disabled people in wheelchairs, were arrested last Wednesday in Washington, DC, while protesting President Trump's massive spending and tax bill, which will dramatically slash taxes, restructure the student loan and debt system, and make devastating cuts to vital, popular programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). With Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote, Senate Republicans voted Tuesday to advance Donald Trump's so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, which will now go back to the House of Representatives for final approval. In this urgent episode of Working People, we speak with Lorraine Chavez and Chrstine Rodriguez, who were among the dozens arrested for their peaceful act of civil disobedience on June 25, about what's in this bill, what it will mean for working people, and how working people are fighting back. Editor's Note (7/1/25): Before the US Senate voted to advance President Trump's spending and tax bill, the provision to bar states from issuing new regulations on artificial intelligence for 10 years was removed from the legislation. Guests: Lorraine Chavez is an educator, researcher, and community leader based in Chicago. She is also a student debtor and traveled to the Washington DC protest with the Debt Collective. Chrstine Rodriguez is a legal assistant and student debtor from Pasadena, California, who also traveled to the Washington DC protest with the Debt Collective. Additional links/info: The Debt Collective website, X page, Facebook page, and Instagram Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams, “Medicaid defenders in wheelchairs arrested ahead of Senate vote on 'betrayal of a bill'” Chris Stein, The Guardian, “What's in Trump's big, beautiful bill? Tax cuts, deportations and more” Chris Stein, The Guardian, “Senate Republicans pass Trump's ‘big, beautiful' bill, clearing major hurdle” Featured Music: Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song Credits: Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor
Dozens of peaceful protesters, including disabled people in wheelchairs, were arrested last Wednesday in Washington, DC, while protesting President Trump's massive spending and tax bill, which will dramatically slash taxes, restructure the student loan and debt system, and make devastating cuts to vital, popular programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). With Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote, Senate Republicans voted Tuesday to advance Donald Trump's so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, which will now go back to the House of Representatives for final approval. In this urgent episode of Working People, we speak with Lorraine Chavez and Chrstine Rodriguez, who were among the dozens arrested for their peaceful act of civil disobedience on June 25, about what's in this bill, what it will mean for working people, and how working people are fighting back.Guests:Lorraine Chavez is an educator, researcher, and community leader based in Chicago. She is also a student debtor and traveled to the Washington DC protest with the Debt Collective.Chrstine Rodriguez is a legal assistant and student debtor from Pasadena, California, who also traveled to the Washington DC protest with the Debt Collective.Additional links/info:The Debt Collective website, X page, Facebook page, and InstagramBrett Wilkins, Common Dreams, “Medicaid defenders in wheelchairs arrested ahead of Senate vote on 'betrayal of a bill'”Chris Stein, The Guardian, “What's in Trump's big, beautiful bill? Tax cuts, deportations and more”Chris Stein, The Guardian, “Senate Republicans pass Trump's ‘big, beautiful' bill, clearing major hurdle”Featured Music:Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme SongCredits:Audio Post-Production: Jules TaylorHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast
Daniel Kovalik is a labor and human rights attorney and author, who has taught international human rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. For over two decades he served as a counsel for the United Steelworkers and the AFL-CIO, and is best known for his cases against Coca Cola, Drummond, and Occidental Petroleum based upon human rights abuses in Colombia. He was also a recipient of a Project Censored award for his investigation into the murders of Colombian trade unionists. Dan is a graduate of Columbia Law School and received a fellowship at Stanford University's law school. He has written several acclaimed books dealing with the scapegoating of Russia, plots to attack and overthrow Iran and Venezuela, US efforts to establish world hegemony by interfering in other nations and on Cancel Culture. He is the author of "Cancel This Book: The Progressive Case Against Cancel Culture" and "Nicaragua: A History of US Intervention and Resistance." His articles have appeared on RT, Counterpunch, Common Dreams, Global Research and elsewhere.
Read Roger's piece in Common Dreams here: https://www.commondreams.org/opi.../was-pope-francis-radical Check out our new bi-weekly series, "The Crisis Papers" here: https://www.patreon.com/bitterlakepresents/shop Thank you guys again for taking the time to check this out. We appreciate each and everyone of you. If you have the means, and you feel so inclined, BECOME A PATRON! We're creating patron only programing, you'll get bonus content from many of the episodes, and you get MERCH! Become a patron now https://www.patreon.com/join/BitterLakePresents? Please also like, subscribe, and follow us on these platforms as well, (specially YouTube!) THANKS Y'ALL YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG9WtLyoP9QU8sxuIfxk3eg Twitter: @TIRShowOakland Instagram: @thisisrevolutionoakland Read Jason Myles in Sublation Magazine https://www.sublationmag.com/writers/jason-myles Read Jason Myles in Damage Magazine https://damagemag.com/2023/11/07/the-man-who-sold-the-world/ Read Jason in Unaligned Here: https://substack.com/home/post/p-161586946... Read Jason in Ben Burgis Substack here: https://substack.com/home/post/p-164138518
Alice Rothchild's path to becoming an anti-Zionist Jew took many years, many hard conversations, and required a lot of critical self-reflection. But she is part of a growing, powerful chorus of Jewish voices around the world speaking out against Israel's Occupation of Palestine and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians—and she is urging others to join that chorus. “The time is long overdue for liberal Zionists to find the courage to take a long hard look at their uncritical support for the actions of the Israeli state as it becomes increasingly indefensible and destabilizing, a pariah state that has lost its claim to be a so-called democracy (however flawed) that is endangering Jews in the country and abroad as well as Palestinians everywhere,” Rothchild writes in Common Dreams. In the latest installment of The Marc Steiner Show's ongoing series “Not in Our Name,” Marc speaks with Rothchild about her path to anti-Zionism, the endgame of Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza, and the need to liberate Jewish identity from the Zionist state of Israel.Alice Rothchild is a physician, author, and filmmaker with an interest in human rights and social justice. She practiced ob-gyn for almost 40 years and served as Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Harvard Medical School. She is the author of numerous books, including: Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience; Condition Critical: Life and Death in Israel/Palestine; Old Enough to Know, a 2024 Arab American Book Award winner; and Inspired and Outraged: The Making of a Feminist Physician. Rothchild is a member of the Jewish Voice for Peace Health Advisory Council and a mentor-liaison for We Are Not Numbers.Producer: Rosette SewaliStudio Production: David HebdenAudio Post-Production: Alina NehlichHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast
Alice Rothchild's path to becoming an anti-Zionist Jew took many years, many hard conversations, and required a lot of critical self-reflection. But she is part of a growing, powerful chorus of Jewish voices around the world speaking out against Israel's Occupation of Palestine and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians—and she is urging others to join that chorus. “The time is long overdue for liberal Zionists to find the courage to take a long hard look at their uncritical support for the actions of the Israeli state as it becomes increasingly indefensible and destabilizing, a pariah state that has lost its claim to be a so-called democracy (however flawed) that is endangering Jews in the country and abroad as well as Palestinians everywhere,” Rothchild writes in Common Dreams. In the latest installment of The Marc Steiner Show's ongoing series “Not in Our Name,” Marc speaks with Rothchild about her path to anti-Zionism, the endgame of Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza, and the need to liberate Jewish identity from the Zionist state of Israel.Alice Rothchild is a physician, author, and filmmaker with an interest in human rights and social justice. She practiced ob-gyn for almost 40 years and served as Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Harvard Medical School. She is the author of numerous books, including: Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience; Condition Critical: Life and Death in Israel/Palestine; Old Enough to Know, a 2024 Arab American Book Award winner; and Inspired and Outraged: The Making of a Feminist Physician. Rothchild is a member of the Jewish Voice for Peace Health Advisory Council and a mentor-liaison for We Are Not Numbers.Producer: Rosette SewaliStudio Production: David HebdenAudio Post-Production: Alina NehlichHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast
Originally aired on March 19, 2025: Tornados, MSP flight diverted, "Chet Waterhouse", Common Dreams, Billy Idol. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
President Donald Trump kicked off his second term with a wave of executive actions, including efforts to shrink the federal government by gutting or entirely dismantling some federal agencies. While some of these moves are unprecedented, it's not the first time a president has tried to unilaterally undermine a federal agency. Political scientist Ryan LaRochelle breaks down how President Richard Nixon attempted to shutter the Office of Economic Opportunity and the legal and political pushback he faced as a result. LaRochelle draws on this history to explain why presidents can't slash federal programs on their own and how public and congressional resistance can help keep agencies intact. For more on this topic: Check out LaRochelle's opinion piece on Nixon's failed attempt to shut down the Office of Economic Opportunity in TIME Magazine. Read an opinion piece he co-authored with Luisa Deprez about fears over Trump's strategy to cut U.S. safety net programs in Common Dreams.
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Nineteen-year-old PFC LaVena Johnson was found dead on a military base in Iraq, with the Army ruling it a suicide. But the evidence—broken teeth, burns, a dislocated shoulder, and signs of sexual assault—tells a different story. Her father, a psychologist and military veteran, refused to accept the official explanation and uncovered disturbing details suggesting a cover-up. Was LaVena murdered? And if so, why has the truth been buried for nearly two decades? Let's explore this case, the fight for justice, and the questions that still demand answers.Connect with Paige:BlueSky: reverietruecrime.bsky.socialInstagram: instagram.com/reverietruecrimeTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@paige.elmoreWritten by: Chelsea PerryIntro and Outro by: Jahred GomesResources:Department of Defense. US Army FOIA Request. Requested 15 October, 2021.Dowler, Lorraine, and Jenna Christian. “Landscapes of Impunity and the Deaths ofAmericans LaVena Johnson and Sandra Bland.” Gender, Place and Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography, vol. 26, no. 6, June 2019, pp. 813–29. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1080/0966369X.2018.1553863.Greenburg, Jennifer, and Mimi Healy. “Deserted: The U.S. Military's Sexual Assault Crisis as a Cost of War.” Costs of War, Brown University, 14 Aug. 2024, watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/papers/2024/sexualassault.The Silent Truth. Directed by Joan Brooker-Marks, Midtown Films, 2010. Fandango, https://athome.fandango.com/content/movies/play/811418/ADVERT_CONTENT?returnUrl=%2Fcontent%2Fbrowse%2Fdetails%2FThe-Silent-Truth%2F811418.Wright, Ann. “Is There an Army Cover Up of Rape and Murder of Women Soldiers?”Common Dreams, 21 Dec. 2022, www.commondreams.org/views/2008/04/28/there-army-cover-Rape-and-murder-women-soldiersBackground Music: Documentary by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.com | Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reverie-true-crime--4442888/support.
It's Casual Friday! Sam and Emma speak with Mehdi Hasan, founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of the new media company Zeteo, to discuss the biggest stories of the week and the newest Zeteo documentary entitled "Israel's Reel Extremism". Then, Sam and Emma are joined by Matt Strackbein, better known as The Letterhack, and friend of the show Harvey Kaye, to discuss the comic strip they've collaborated on entitled The 'New Economic Bill of Rights' Comic Strip: A Vision for 2024 and Beyond, available on Common Dreams. First, they run through updates on Harris' widening path to victory, her economic agenda, Israeli settler rampages in the West Bank, Trump's campaign, Latin American leaders' call for Venezuela to rerun elections, Eric Adams' corruption, JD Vance's unfavorability, ceasefire talks, and polio in Gaza, also parsing through the reality behind Trump's attempt to refute his relationship to Project 2025. Mehdi Hasan then joins, diving right into Zeteo's recent work with Basement Films documenting the on-the-ground reality of the Israeli military's proud inhumanity as they carry out an ethnic cleansing in Gaza, and tackling the US political establishment's active refusal to acknowledge this, obscuring their support for this genocide in abstract ideas of “shared values” and “self-defense,” despite the monstrosities that permeate the public consciousness every day. Expanding on this, Hasan, Sam, and Emma watch Miriam Edelson's most recent exultation of Donald Trump's Zionism, looking at how the pro-Israel lobby, much like Oil and Gas executives and the Gun Lobby, bought their way to the forefront of his agenda, before touching on the developing conversation around a ceasefire vs. an arms embargo vs. conditioned, aid, and unpack the potential quagmire of Biden's commitment to Zionist imperial expansion and how it may effect the candidacy of Kamala Harris. Wrapping up, Mehdi, Sam, and Emma bask in the victory of Biden's dropout, assess the still-precarious state of the 2024 election, and discuss what the Walz pick means for Harris' candidacy. Matt Strackbein and Harvey Kaye then join, diving right into the background of the ‘old' Economic Bill of Rights, a New Deal agenda by FDR to bring the old Bill of Rights into a new era, and how this agenda, despite not succeeding, influenced the strategy and agenda of the Democratic Party over the following decades. Stepping into the modern era, Strackbein and Kaye explore the project of making Kaye's work into a comic, the development of Letterhack's relationship with Kaye (among other classic MR guests), the future of their work together, and where we can find it! And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma let Trump entertain them for a bit as they watch him rant about how immigrants get 110% of new jobs, forewarn of the threat of Kamala Harris' communisms, and put down wounded veterans in favor of his Zionist mega-donor. Elephant Graveyard puts Joe Rogan's new master-baiting special in the dirt, and Nancy Mace misunderstands what it means to take part in a racism panel, plus, your IMs! Follow Mehdi on Twitter here: https://x.com/mehdirhasan Check out Zeteo here: https://zeteo.com/ Find out more about "Israel's Reel Extremism" here: https://zeteo.com/p/israel-documentary-social-media Check out Matt and Harvey's comic here: https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/economic-bill-of-rights-comic Check out the LIMITED EDITION Vergogna shirt on the MR shop!: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/collections/all-items/products/the-majority-report-vergogna-t-shirt Check out Tony Y, who designed the Vergogna shirt's website!: https://linktr.ee/tonyyanick AND! 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