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This week, Rob Chappell brings you news and voices from the community while the rest of the team is scattered. Highlights include:
00:08 — Joel Beinin is Professor of Middle East History, Emeritus at Stanford University. 00:33 — John Nichols is National Affairs Correspondent for the Nation. The post How Israelis View a War with Iran; Plus, the Role of Off-Year Elections in Resisting Trumpism appeared first on KPFA.
John Nichols, National Affairs Correspondent for The Nation magazine, talks about Trump's use of military force on civilians and the Progressive response this weekend with “No Kings Day” protests scheduled nationwide.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
Across the country, Democratic leaders and voters are beginning to push back against Trump's cruelty and chaos. Some are cautiously optimistic that a few key state races could serve as a crucial odd-year referendum—with major implications for voters, donors, and even Republican politicians who may reconsider their allegiances after significant MAGA defeats.Joining us today is our own national affairs correspondent, John Nichols, who, in our July issue, turned his focus to two potential bellwethers: Virginia and New Jersey. He spoke with politicians, strategists, and activists to understand what's at stake this fall, and who might be best positioned to deliver a winning message. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The Musk Report: The world's richest man and donor of the largest amount of money in the history of the world ever spent by one person on a US presidency. What will the Trump-Musk feud mean for Congress and the future of the GOP? Harold Meyerson comments. Also: Forget the midterms next year, at least for now. The fight against Trump runs through the elections this November—starting with Virginia and New Jersey. The Nation's national affairs correspondent John Nichols explains.Plus: J. Hoberman, the long-time film critic for The Village Voice, talks about the happenings, the underground movies, and the radical art and music— from Bob Dylan to Andy Warhol to Yoko Ono. His new book is Everything is Now: The 1960s New York Avant-Garde.
What it is Like to Be An American Citizen Targeted by the Most Powerful Person in the World Who is Accusing You of Treason For Speaking the Truth | Trump's America: The United States of Cruelty backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia
Forget the midterms next year, at least for now. The fight against Trump runs through the elections this November—starting with Virginia and New Jersey. The Nation's national affairs correspondent John Nichols explains.Also: J. Hoberman, the long-time film critic for The Village Voice, talks about the happenings, the underground movies, and the radical art and music— from Bob Dylan to Andy Warhol to Yoko Ono. His new book is Everything is Now: The 1960s New York Avant-Garde.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Forget the midterms next year, at least for now. The fight against Trump runs through the elections this November—starting with Virginia and New Jersey. The Nation's national affairs correspondent John Nichols explains.Also: J. Hoberman, the long-time film critic for The Village Voice, talks about the happenings, the underground movies, and the radical art and music— from Bob Dylan to Andy Warhol to Yoko Ono. His new book is Everything is Now: The 1960s New York Avant-Garde.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
John Nichols, National Affairs correspondent for The Nation; Joe Neville, Fine Gael TD for Kildare North; John Brady, Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow; ; Frances Black, Independent Senator; Louise Burne, Political Correspondent for the Irish Mirror
00:08 — John Nichols is National Affairs Correspondent for the Nation. 00:33 — Zeiad Abbas Shamrouch is Executive Director of Middle East Children's Alliance. He is a Palestinian refugee from Dheisheh Refugee Camp in the West Bank. The post Trump's Big Budget Bill; Plus, The State of Humanitarian Aid in Gaza appeared first on KPFA.
Part 1:We talk with Rafia Zakaria, a political philosopher and author.We discuss the denaturalization threats that have been used by the Trump Administration, and how denaturalization has been used in the past.Pare 2:We talk with John Nichols, journalist and author.We discuss Trump's attacks on popular entertainers, such as Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift.We also talk about how Democrats have been outperforming in local elections. We discuss some of the tactics used by the winner Democrats to defeat 'safe' Republicans WNHNFM.ORG productionMusic: David Rovics
National Affairs Correspondent for The Nation magazine, John Nichols, gives his analysis about the Papal Conclave and trending political stories.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
00:08 — John Nichols is a national affairs correspondent for The Nation. 00:33 — Marisa Kendall is a reporter covering California's homelessness crisis for CalMatters. Ben Christopher is a reporter for CalMatters covering housing policy. The post National and State Impact of Trump Budget Plan appeared first on KPFA.
00:08 — John Nichols is National Affairs Correspondent for the Nation. 00:20 — Dan Russell is UPTE President & Chief Negotiator. Liz Perlman is Executive Director of AFSCME Local 3299. 00:33 — Tim Redmond, founder of 48hills. Tim Redmond has been a political and investigative reporter in San Francisco for more than 30 years. The post National News Roundup; May Day Strikes Over UC Unfair Practices; Plus, Airbnb Lawsuit Impact on San Francisco Budget appeared first on KPFA.
Part 1:We talk with Sophie Hill, reporter for the Christian Science Monitor.We discuss antisemitism in higher education in the US. This is being used by the Trump administration to punish universities, particularly the more prestigious universities for not having more stringent rules about antisemitism for their employees and students. However, according to surveys and interviews, rabbis and antisemitism activists do not agree what constitutes antisemitism, and whether Trump's approach is correct. Withdrawing funds from schools hurts ALL students, including Jewish students.Part 2:We talk with John Nichols, who is a national affairs correspondent for The Nation. He has written, cowritten, or edited over a dozen books on topics ranging from histories of American socialism and the Democratic Party to analyses of US and global media systems. His latest, cowritten with Senator Bernie Sanders, is the New York Times bestseller “It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism.”We discuss, in detail the recent arrest of Milwaukee judge Dugan in her courtroom on what appear to be specious charges. Trump is at was with the judiciary, and this appears to be an intimidation tactic. This is likely to have an chilling effect on the rule of law in the US. Sympathy is currently with the judge. Music: David RovicsWNHNFM.ORG production
In this episode of the Think Brazos Podcast, Mayor John Nichols of College Station joins us to discuss various challenges and legislative issues affecting housing affordability in Texas. The conversation delves into the implications of impact fees, local control versus state legislation, and the unique housing demands caused by Texas A&M University's large student population. Mayor Nichols also explains the city's efforts to adapt to market pressures, including allowing accessory dwelling units and considering smaller lot sizes. Tune in to understand the complexities of housing policies and their impact on local communities. You can find a list of housing bills we're watching here: https://thinkbrazos.org/2025/03/13/texas-housing-legislation-2025-bills-were-tracking/ Mentioned in the episode SB15 on minimum lot sizes ADU bills HB5489 on impact fees SB 844 on the valid petition process (“tyrant veto”) SB1567 on occupancy limits by familial status College Station's Housing Action Plan: https://www.cstx.gov/departments___city_hall/commserv/development/housing_action_plan College Station Impact Fees: https://www.cstx.gov/departments___city_hall/pds/engineering/impact_fees The Think Brazos Podcast is a policy conversation platform produced by staff at Bryan/College Station Habitat for Humanity. As a 501c3, we do not make endorsements of any candidate or political party. Full disclaimer: https://thinkbrazos.org/about/#disclaimer Learn more at https://thinkbrazos.org Follow Think Brazos https://facebook.com/thinkbrazos https://instagram.com/thinkbrazos https://x.com/thinkbrazos
Part 1:We talk with John Nichols, a national affairs correspondent forThe Nation. He has written, cowritten, or edited over a dozen books on topics ranging from histories of American socialism and the Democratic Party to analyses of US and global media systems. His latest, cowritten with Senator Bernie Sanders, is theNew York TimesbestsellerIt's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism.'We discuss the large protest demonstrations, themed "Hands Off" against the Trump policies. The federal government is dysfunctional, and the US cannot afford this.Part 2:We talk with Congressman Ro Khanna, who represents California's 17th Congressional District, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, and is serving his fourth term.Rep. Khanna serves on the House Armed Services Committee as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies and Information Systems (CITI), as co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, a member of the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, and on the Oversight and Accountability Committee, where he previously chaired the Environmental Subcommittee.We discuss what Congress and voters should be doing NOW, in the crisis in the US. His recommendations are to 1) raise the minimum wage, 2) expand Medicare and Medicaid, and 3) tax rich people more. Music: From David Rovics, “The Richest Man in the World Says So”, 2025
Last Tuesday, the Democrats made striking gains in districts that were solid red – and Wisconsin's State Supreme Court maintained its liberal majority. Meanwhile, Trump claims that his sweeping tariffs are to restore US manufacturing; but Paul Krugman says it's all based on ridiculous, totally false statistics – Harold Meyerson comments.Also: The Wisconsin Supreme Court election tested the political power of Musk's money, and voters rejected his candidate. The results have huge implications for the midterms. John Nichols has our analysis.Plus: A big victory in federal district court: Trump cannot shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – and, April 5th will be Hands Off! – a National Day of Action to stand up against the Trump administration – Rob Weissman of Public Citizen will explain.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court election tested the political power of Musk's money, and voters rejected his candidate. The results have huge implications for the midterms. John Nichols has our analysis. Also: A big victory in federal district court: Trump cannot shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Rob Weissman of Public Citizen will explain.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The Wisconsin Supreme Court election tested the political power of Musk's money, and voters rejected his candidate. The results have huge implications for the midterms. John Nichols has our analysis. Also: A big victory in federal district court: Trump cannot shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Rob Weissman of Public Citizen will explain.
Thursday night, Trump signed an Executive order abolishing union rights at more than two dozen federal agencies – part of his campaign to destroy the government. Harold Meyerson comments on this "ultimate form of union busting".Also: Bernie Sanders and AOC are on their “fighting oligarchy” tour, and in Denver last weekend they had the biggest political event there since Obama in 2008. It was also the biggest rally of Bernie's life – bigger than anything in his presidential campaigns. And the first big election of the year is underway in Wisconsin. John Nichols has our analysis. Plus: Elie Mystal talks about popular laws that are ruining America – starting with our voter registration requirements. But despite the obstacles and disappointments, he argues that it's always necessary to vote. His new book is Bad Laws.
John Nichols, the National Affairs Correspondent for The Nation magazine, takes us inside The Oligarchy Tour featuring Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as the top political stories of the week. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
Part 1:We talk with John Nichols, a national affairs correspondent for The Nation. He has written, cowritten, or edited over a dozen books on topics ranging from histories of American socialism and the Democratic Party to analyses of US and global media systems. His latest, cowritten with Senator Bernie Sanders, is the New York Times bestseller, It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism.We discuss Musk's involvement in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race.We also talk about the latest Trump administration scandal: the attack plan against the Houhtis being discussed on Signal, a commercial chat. What will be White House do? Who, if anyone will be fired?Part 2:Race Class, with Jonathan Feingold.Ep. 39 | How Trump is Deploying Anti-Blackness and Antisemitism to Crush AmericaWe recorded about twelve hours after federal officers abducted a Tufts University graduate student. The student's apparent "transgression"? Writing an op-ed in Tufts' student newspaper advocating for Tufts to divest from Israel.To understand how we've reached this moment, we begin to unpack how President Trump is wielding both anti-Black racism and antisemitism to crush American democracy. The truth is, Trump is a terrific story teller. The story he's telling us, now, to justify his assault on our universities and our students marshals race as a political weapon. Trump is cementing a predictably fascist "us v. them" narrative that defines whiteness by Black inferiority and locates Jews as a scapegoat for his most vicious attacks on civil rights and democratic norms. Music: From David Rovics, “The Richest Man in the World Says So”, 2025
Bernie Sanders and AOC are on their “fighting oligarchy” tour, and in Denver last weekend they had the biggest political event there since Obama in 2008. It was also the biggest rally of Bernie's life--bigger than anything in his presidential campaigns. And the first big election of the year is underway in Wisconsin. John Nichols has our analysis.Also: Elie Mystal, The Nation's Justice Correspondent, talks about popular laws that are ruining America – starting with our voter registration requirements. But despite the obstacles and disappointments, he argues that it's always necessary to vote. His new book is Bad Laws.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Bernie Sanders and AOC are on their “fighting oligarchy” tour, and in Denver last weekend they had the biggest political event there since Obama in 2008. It was also the biggest rally of Bernie's life--bigger than anything in his presidential campaigns. And the first big election of the year is underway in Wisconsin. John Nichols has our analysis.Also: Elie Mystal, The Nation's Justice Correspondent, talks about popular laws that are ruining America – starting with our voter registration requirements. But despite the obstacles and disappointments, he argues that it's always necessary to vote. His new book is Bad Laws.
Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com
John Nichols, National Affairs correspondent for The Nation, talks to Aine about the JFK assissination files.
A Growing Grassroots Opposition Movement to Catch up to the Damage Musk and Trump Are Doing | Musk's Gutting of the Department of Education Before Trump Abolishes it | The Bombing of the Houthis as a Prelude to a "Peace" Deal With Iran Meant to Deliver Trump a Nobel Prize backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia bsky.app/profile/ianmastersmedia.bsky.social facebook.com/ianmastersmedia
Colombia University student Mahmoud Khalil is the first pro-Palestinain activist to be disappeared by the Trump administration; with the President making good on his promise to target people supportive of a free Palestine. Some folks in congress have piped up – but many have not. joining us to discuss is National Affairs Correspondent for the Nation John Nichols. His latest article is titled, “14 House Dems Demanded Mahmoud Khalil's Release. Where Are the Others?” Read the article here: https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/mahmoud-khalil-house-democrats-letter/ —- Subscribe to this podcast: https://plinkhq.com/i/1637968343?to=page Get in touch: lawanddisorder@kpfa.org Follow us on socials @LawAndDis: https://twitter.com/LawAndDis; https://www.instagram.com/lawanddis/ The post ICE Disappears Pro-Palestine Activist Mahmoud Khalil w/ John Nichols appeared first on KPFA.
00:08 — Luke Savage is a columnist for Jacobin and author of The Dead Center: Reflections on Liberalism and Democracy After the End of History. You can find him on Substack at lukewsavage.com. 00:33 — John Nichols is National Affairs Correspondent for the Nation. 00:45 — Andrea Henson is Co-founder and Director of Operations for the homeless advocacy and legal aid group Where Do We Go. The post Canada's New Prime Minister; Plus, House Budget Vote; And, Lawsuit Poses Obstacle to California Homeless Encampment Sweeps appeared first on KPFA.
Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com
Trump's forgettable State of the Union speech shows he remains in campaign mode, rather than governing: Harold Meyerson comments.Plus: Trump suffered a big loss at The Supreme Court in the first challenge to his unconstitutional seizure of power: an order to release USAID funding appropriated by Congress. The suit was brought by Public Citizen; their co-president, Robert Weissman, will explain.Also: John Nichols with our protest update for the week. Topics include: includes Tesla dealer showroom picketing; Ukraine support demonstrating; national park protesting, and Town Hall yelling.
John Nichols joins Tavis SmileyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.
On today's show, Allen Ruff speaks with John Nichols about the crucial work of independent media. At a time when publications like the Washington Post are being turned into what Nichols calls “a tribune for oligarchy,” it's more important than ever to support your trusted local media. The post A Fun Hour with John Nichols appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.
Guest: John Nichols is the national affairs correspondent for The Nation Magazine. He is the author of several books including his latest co-written with Senator Bernie Sanders “It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism.” His latest article in the Nation is Democracy Dies at “The Washington Post” …and oligarchy lives. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons The post John Nichols on the Imperial Presidency, the Press, & the Mounting Anti-Trump Opposition appeared first on KPFA.
John Nichols, national-affairs correspondent for The Nation magazine and the author of, with Sen. Bernie Sanders, It's OK to be Angry About Capitalism (Crown, 2023), talks about today's planned protest boycotts and other responses by those opposed to the early Trump administration actions.
00:08 — Craig Aaron, is Co-Ceo of Free Press. 00:33 — John Nichols, is National Affairs Correspondent for the Nation. The post Media Policy Under the Trump Administration; Plus, National Politics Roundup with John Nichols appeared first on KPFA.
The House budget plan could see deep cuts to Medicaid but, "the political basis for cutting Medicaid because 'this can only hurt the Democrats' is really no longer the case;" also, on Kash Patel's confirmation as the new director of the FBI: "there's nothing like reconfiguring the FBI so it carries out whatever Donald Trump wants, which is what Kash Patel would do" – Harold Meyerson has our political update.Plus: The first big election of 2025 will be in Wisconsin, which elects a new Supreme Court Justice on April 1. Elon Musk is spending hundreds of millions in that race. That's both a threat, and an opportunity for Democrats. John Nichols will comment.
The first big election of 2025 will be in Wisconsin, which elects a new Supreme Court Justice on April 1. Elon Musk is spending hundreds of millions in that race. That's both a threat, and an opportunity for Democrats. On this episode of Start Making Sense, John Nichols will comment.Also: How did we end up with Trump back in the White House? We got here in part because Republicans built a movement over several decades centered on what are called “the culture wars.” But there's a long history behind the culture wars, going back at least a century to the Scopes Trial, in 1925, about teaching evolution. It's still an issue today. Adam Hochschild is on the show to explain.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The first big election of 2025 will be in Wisconsin, which elects a new Supreme Court Justice on April 1. Elon Musk is spending hundreds of millions in that race. That's both a threat, and an opportunity for Democrats. On this episode of Start Making Sense, John Nichols will comment.Also: How did we end up with Trump back in the White House? We got here in part because Republicans built a movement over several decades centered on what are called “the culture wars.” But there's a long history behind the culture wars, going back at least a century to the Scopes Trial, in 1925, about teaching evolution. It's still an issue today. Adam Hochschild is on the show to explain.
0:08 — John Nichols, National Affairs Correspondent for the Nation on the numerous unfavorable court rulings enjoining the Trump Administration and the defining characteristics of a constitutional crisis 0:34 — Joel Laucher, insurance expert and Program Specialist at United Policyholders explains the $1 Billion assessment made by the California FAIR plan in the aftermath of the southern California wildfires. The post What Defines a Constitutional Crisis?; California Insurer Gets $1 Billion Bailout After LA Fires appeared first on KPFA.
00:08 — John Feffer is Director of Foreign Policy in Focus and Global Just Transition at the Institute for Policy Studies. 00:33 — John Nichols is National Affairs Correspondent for the Nation. . The post Russia's War in Ukraine; Plus, Senate Confirmation Hearings Continue for Trump's Cabinet Picks appeared first on KPFA.
On this holiday - John honors Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He discusses his inspiring speeches, the politics of racism, and his non-violent activism in the Civil Rights Movement. Then, he interviews Dr. Jemar Tisby who is a historian that studies race, religion, and social movements in the 20th century. They talk about the life of MLK Jr. and his new book "The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance". Next, John welcomes back the National Affairs correspondent for the Nation, John Nichols. They mull over Trump's first day in office and the chaos that will ensue. And then finally, comedian Rhonda Hansome returns to joke with the crew about Trump, GOP politics, and MLK.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
As we prepare for Trump to take office next week, we're getting ready to challenge him and his people in the upcoming elections later this year. But before that, we have an important election in the next few weeks: the Democratic National Committee will elect a new chair on February 1 to prepare for the battles and the campaigns to come. For our analysis we turn to John Nichols.Also: Trump promises to deport millions of undocumented residents, while Republicans in Congress threaten a nationwide abortion ban. Meanwhile parts of the mainstream media are caving in to Trump. How can individuals help at this point? Katha Pollit has some suggestions about groups that deserve support.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
John is back from the holidays. First, he talks about top MAGA leaders and the Tech Bros fighting over H-1B visas that allow highly qualified foreign workers to join the American workforce. Then, he discusses the arrest of MAGA extremist Brad Spafford after the FBI found the largest cache of explosives in FBI history at his farm; and the 2 horrific vehicle attacks - a pick up driving through a crowd in New Orleans and a Tesla Cybertruck explosion in front of the Trump hotel in Las Vegas. Then, John welcomes back 2 great guests: liberal and progressive American journalist and author - John Nichols. He is is The Nation's national affairs correspondent, the associate editor of the Capital Times, and a co-founder of the national media reform organization - Free Press. And, American historian of Christianity and an advocate for progressive Christianity - Diana Butler Bass. She is the author of eleven books. Bass earned a PhD in religious studies from Duke University in 1991 with an emphasis on American ecclesiastical history, studying under George Marsden. They have a round house discussion about current politics and the death of President Jimmy Carter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Trump's Triumph of Lawlessness and the Weaponization of Kash Patel's Federal Bureau of Retribution | Will Elon Musk's Threat to Deploy His Unlimited Amounts of Campaign Money Bring All Republicans to Heel? | With Trump Back Hate and Extremism Are on the Back Burner For Now backgroundbriefing.org/donate twitter.com/ianmastersmedia facebook.com/ianmastersmedia
Happy Monday! Sam speaks with John Nichols, national affairs correspondent for The Nation, to discuss his recent interview with Sen. Bernie Sanders, and the paths forward he sees for the Left after the 2024 election. First, Emma runs through updates on the acquittal of Daniel Penny, the potential detaining of the United Healthcare CEO killer, the fall of Assad in Syria and the imperialist responses from Israel and the US, South Korean President Yoom, Trump's pledge to pardon insurrectionists, and Trump's developing cabinet, before parsing through Trump's inhumane and unconstitutional plan to end birthright citizenship, and Democrats' failure to prevent this threat. Then, John Nichols joins Sam as he dives right into his recent interview with Bernie Sanders, unpacking Bernie's major takeaways from Democrats' failure in the 2024 elections, from the need for a new way to communicate with a multi-racial, multi-ethnic working class to the imperative for Democrats to stand aside and let independent, working-class progressive candidates run without the burden of the party establishment weighing them down. After briefly expanding on the challenge of convincing the Democratic Party Brand to stop pushing the Democratic Party Brand, Nichols steps back to walk through the history of this tactic's success on the left, playing a particularly prevalent role in bolstering FDR's progressive coalition and the major progress they achieved. Next, John and Sam look to Bernie's 2016 anti-oligarchy candidacy, exploring how Democrats' failure to address that growing political inequality provided a path (twice) for Trump and the GOP (twice) to successfully stand as the party of money power and as anti-establishment, bolstered by the GOP's messaging dominance (see: Elon Musk's Twitter purchase), before looking deeper into the contemporary examples for Bernie's model – namely himself and Angus King, two independents that, while outside of the party infrastructure, caucus (and vote) with Democrats. Wrapping up, Nichols and Sam look at the ongoing race for DNC chair, and the promising future of a Blue-Wall-led party – touching particularly on the success of DNC chair candidate Ben Wikler. And in the Fun Half: Emma unpacks the potential capture of the United Healthcare CEO killer in Altoona, PA, and the wide-ranging coverage of the event, from the incensed and out-of-touch Ben Shapiro to the ever big-brained Bill Burr, with additional commentary from Joe from Illinois. Zack from Missouri unpacks the MAGA defense of Trump's character, Brie from New York on their view of the View, and Jim Clyburn and Chip Roy come to the defense of Trump and his administration, respectively, plus, your calls and IMs! Follow John on Twitter here: https://x.com/NicholsUprising Check out John's interview with Sen. Sanders here: https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/bernie-sanders-working-class-candidates-challenge-both-parties/ If you can, donate to Majed Jebril's GoFundMe to assist their family in Gaza: https://www.gofundme.com/f/emergency-help-jebrils-family-in-gaza Check out Bana Jebril's incredible portrait of Emma here: https://x.com/Banajebrilart/status/1865807635095896289 Get the limited edition EmMajority Report hat at the MR store here!: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/collections/all-items/products/limited-edition-the-emmajority-baseball-hat Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Follow us on TikTok here!: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here!: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here!: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here!: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Join Sam on the Nation Magazine Cruise! 7 days in December 2024!!: https://nationcruise.com/mr/ Check out StrikeAid here!; https://strikeaid.com/ Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 20% off your purchase! 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Ralph welcomes Marc Rotenberg, founder and president of the Center for AI and Digital Policy to fill us in on the latest international treaty aimed at putting guardrails on the potential Frankenstein monster that is Artificial Intelligence. Plus, as we get to the end of the Medicare enrollment period, we put out one last warning for listeners to avoid the scam that is Medicare Advantage.Marc Rotenberg is the founder and president of the Center for AI and Digital Policy, a global organization focused on emerging challenges associated with Artificial Intelligence. He serves as an expert advisor on AI policy to many organizations including the Council of Europe, the Council on Foreign Relations, the European Parliament, the Global Partnership on AI, the OECD, and UNESCO. What troubles me is the gap between an increasingly obscure, technical, and complex technology—abbreviated into “AI” —and public understanding. You know, when motor vehicles came and we tried to regulate them and did, people understood motor vehicles in their daily lives. When solar energy started coming on, they saw solar roof panels. They could see it, they could understand it, they could actually work putting solar panels on roofs of buildings. This area is just producing a massively expanding gap between the experts from various disciplines, and the power structure of corporatism, and their government servants and the rest of the people in the world.Ralph NaderThe difference between these two types of [AI] systems is that with the old ones we could inspect them and interrogate them. If one of the factors being used for an outcome was, for example, race or nationality, we could say, well, that's impermissible and you can't use an automated system in that way. The problem today with the probabilistic systems that US companies have become increasingly reliant on is that it's very difficult to actually tell whether those factors are contributing to an outcome. And so for that reason, there are a lot of computer scientists rightly concerned about the problem of algorithmic bias.Marc Rotenberg[The sponsors of California SB 1047] wanted companies that were building these big complicated systems to undertake a safety plan, identify the harms, and make those plans available to the Attorney General…In fact, I work with many governments around the world on AI regulation and this concept of having an impact assessment is fairly obvious. You don't want to build these large complex systems without some assessment of what the risk might be.Marc RotenbergWe've always understood that when you create devices that have consequences, there has to be some circuit breaker. The companies didn't like that either. [They said] it's too difficult to predict what those scenarios might be, but that was almost precisely the point of the legislation, you see, because if those scenarios exist and you haven't identified them yet, you choose to deploy these large foundational models without any safety mechanism in place, and all of us are at risk. So I thought it was an important bill and not only am I disappointed that the governor vetoed it, but as I said, I think he made a mistake. This is not simply about politics. This is actually about science, and it's about the direction these systems are heading.Marc RotenbergThat's where we are in this moment—opaque systems that the experts don't understand, increasingly being deployed by organizations that also don't understand these systems, and an industry that says, “don't regulate us.” This is not going to end well.Marc RotenbergIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DesantisNews 11/27/241. Last week, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. According to a statement from ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, the international legal body found reasonable grounds to believe that each has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare and intentionally directing attacks against civilians. This news has been met with varied reactions throughout the world. These have been meticulously documented by Just Security. The United States, which is under no obligation to honor the warrant as it is not a party to the Rome Statute, has said it “fundamentally rejects” the judgment and has called the issuing of warrants “outrageous.” Canada, which is party to the Rome Statue has vowed to uphold their treaty obligations despite their close ties to Israel. Germany however, another signatory to the Rome Statute, has suggested that they would not honor the warrants. In a statement, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib said the warrants are “long overdue” and signal that “the days of the Israeli apartheid government operating with impunity are ending.” One can only hope that is true.2. On November 21st, 19 Senators voted for at least one of the three Joint Resolutions of Disapproval regarding additional arms transfers to Israel. As Jewish Voice for Peace Action puts it, “this is an unprecedented show of Senate opposition to President Biden's disastrous foreign policy of unconditional support for the Israeli military.” The 19 Senators include Independents Bernie Sanders and Angus King, progressive Democrats like Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen and Raphael Warnock, and Democratic caucus leaders like Dick Durbin, among many others. Perhaps the most notable supporter however is Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia, whom Ryan Grim notes is the only Democrat representing a state Trump won and who is up for reelection in 2026 to vote for the resolution. Ossoff cited President Reagan's decision to withhold cluster munitions during the IDF occupation of Beirut in a floor speech explaining his vote. The Middle East Eye reports that the Biden Administration deployed Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer to whip votes against the JRD.3. Last week, we covered H.R. 9495, aka the “nonprofit killer” bill targeting pro-Palestine NGOs. Since then, the bill has passed the House. Per the Guardian, the bill passed 219-184, with fifteen Democrats crossing the aisle to grant incoming-President Trump the unilateral power to obliterate any non-profit organization he dislikes, a list sure to be extensive. Congressman Jamie Raskin is quoted saying “A sixth-grader would know this is unconstitutional…They want us to vote to give the president Orwellian powers and the not-for-profit sector Kafkaesque nightmares.” The bill now moves to the Senate, where it is unlikely to pass while Democrats cling to control. Come January however, Republicans will hold a decisive majority in the upper chamber.4. President-elect Donald Trump has announced his selection of Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer as his pick for Secretary of Labor. Chavez-DeRemer is perhaps the most pro-labor Republican in Congress, with the AFL-CIO noting that she is one of only three Republicans to cosponsor the PRO Act and one of eight to cosponsor the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act. Chavez-DeRemer was reportedly the favored choice of Teamsters President Sean O'Brien, who controversially became the first ever Teamster to address the RNC earlier this year. While her selection has been greeted with cautious optimism by many labor allies, anti-labor conservatives are melting down at the prospect. Akash Chougule of Americans for Prosperity accused Trump of giving “A giant middle finger to red states,” by “picking a teachers union hack” and urged Senate Republicans to reject the nomination.5. Unfortunately, most of Trump's selections are much, much worse. Perhaps worst of all, Trump has chosen Mehmet Cengiz Öz – better known as Dr. Oz – to lead the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Beyond his lack of qualifications and history of promoting crackpot medical theories, Oz is a longtime proponent of pushing more seniors into privatized Medicare Advantage, or “Disadvantage,” plans, per Yahoo! Finance. This report notes that the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 called for making Medicare Advantage the default health program for seniors.6. According to CNN, Brazilian police have arrested five people who conspired to assassinate leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, better known as Lula, in 2022. This assassination plot was allegedly cooked up even before Lula took office, and included plans to kill Lula's Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The conspirators included a former high-ranking Bolsonaro advisor and military special forces personnel. Reuters reports investigators have discovered evidence that Bolsonaro himself was involved in the scheme.7. In more news from Latin America, Drop Site reports that the United States and Colombia engaged in a secretive agreement to allow the country's previous U.S.-backed conservative President Ivan Duque to utilize the Israeli Pegasus spyware for internal surveillance in the country. Details of the transaction and of the utilization of the spyware remain “murky,” but American and Colombian officials maintain it was used to target drug-trafficking groups and not domestic political opponents. Just two months ago, Colombia's leftist President Gustavo Petro delivered a televised speech revealing details of this shadowy arrangement, including that the Duque government flew $11 million cash from Bogotá to Tel Aviv. As Drop Site notes, “In Colombia, there's a long legacy of state intelligence agencies surveilling political opposition leaders. With the news that the U.S. secretly helped acquire and deploy powerful espionage software in their country, the government is furious at the gross violation of their sovereignty. They fear that Colombia's history of politically motivated surveillance, backed by the U.S. government, lives on to this day.”8. Following the Democrats' electoral wipeout, the race for new DNC leadership is on. Media attention has mostly been focused on the race to succeed Jamie Harrison as DNC Chair, but POLITICO is out with a story on James Zogby's bid for the DNC vice chair seat. Zogby, a longtime DNC member, Bernie Sanders ally and president of the Arab American Institute has criticized the party's position on Israel and particularly of the Kamala Harris campaign's refusal to allow a Palestinian-American speaker at this year's convention. He called the move “unimaginative, overly cautious and completely out of touch with where voters are.” This report notes Zogby's involvement in the 2016 DNC Unity Reform Commission, and his successful push to strip substantial power away from the so-called superdelegates.9. Speaking of Democratic Party rot, the Lever reports that in its final days the Biden Administration is handing corporations a “get out of jail free card.” A new Justice Department policy dictates that the government will essentially look the other way at corporate misconduct, even if the company has “committed multiple crimes, earned significant profit from their wrongdoing, and failed to self-disclose the misconduct — as long as the companies demonstrate they ‘acted in good faith' to try to come clean.” This is the logical endpoint of the longstanding Biden era soft-touch approach intended to encourage corporations to self-police, an idea that is patently absurd on its face. Public Citizen's Corporate Crime expert Rick Claypool described the policy as “bending over backward to protect corporations.”10. Finally, on November 23rd lawyer and former progressive congressional candidate Brent Welder posted a fundraising email from Bernie Sanders that immediately attracted substantial interest for its strong language. In this note, Sanders writes “The Democrats ran a campaign protecting the status quo and tinkering around the edges…Will the Democratic leadership learn the lessons of their defeat and create a party that stands with the working class[?]…unlikely.” The email ends with a list of tough questions, including “should we be supporting Independent candidates who are prepared to take on both parties?” Many on the Left read this as Bernie opening the door to a “dirty break” with the Democratic Party, perhaps even an attempt to form some kind of independent alliance or third party. In a follow-up interview with John Nichols in the Nation, Sanders clarified that he is not calling for the creation of a new party, but “Where it is more advantageous to run as an independent, outside of the Democratic [Party]…we should do that.” Whether anything will come of this remains to be seen, but if nothing else the severity of his rhetoric reflects the intensity of dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party in light of their second humiliating defeat at the hands of a clownish, fascistic game show host. Perhaps a populist left third party is a far-fetched, unachievable goal. On the other hand, how many times can we go back to the Democratic Party expecting different results. Something has got to give, or else the few remaining pillars of our democracy will wither and die under sustained assault by the Right and their corporate overlords.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. 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Headlines for November 06, 2024; “The Confederacy Won”: Why Donald Trump’s Reelection Is a Win for White Supremacy, Xenophobia & Hate; “This Is a Collapse of the Democratic Party”: Ralph Nader on Roots of Trump’s Win Over Harris; “A Devastating Result”: John Nichols on GOP Taking White House and the Senate; Linda Sarsour: Harris’s Embrace of Pro-Israeli Policies at Odds with Democratic Base; Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor: Democrats Demobilized Their Base. A Movement Is Now Needed to Oppose Trump; Rami Khouri: U.S. Voters Are Sick of Foreign Wars. Can Trump Strike a Grand Bargain in Middle East?; 7 States Vote to Protect Abortion Rights in Busy Year for Ballot Initiatives
First, John runs down some early election returns and races. Then he plays SXM Progress Zerlina Maxwell's interview with VP Kamala Harris. Next, he interviews New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera about politics in New York and the Puerto Rican vote. Then, John welcomes back Amanda Litman who is the co-founder and president of Run for Something, which recruits and supports young, diverse progressives running for down-ballot office. And lastly, he talks with John Nichols who is the National Affairs correspondent for the Nation, a contributing writer for the Progressive and In These Times, and the associate editor of Madison, Wisconsin's Capital Times.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.