Podcast appearances and mentions of josh eidelson

For decades, workers, disability advocates and employers have debated a program called 14(c), a section of employment law that lets companies pay certain employees with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage. Proponents say the program provides opportunities for people who might not find them elsewhere. Critics say it’s exploitative and stigmatizing. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg senior reporter Josh Eidelson joins host Sarah Holder to dig into the debate over subminimum wage and the future of the program under President Trump. Read more: It’s Legal to Pay US Workers With Disabilities as Little as 25¢ an HourSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ralph welcomes Deepa Padmanabha, senior legal advisor to Greenpeace USA, to discuss that organization's looming trial against Energy Transfer Partners (builder of the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock) that threatens the constitutionally protected First Amendment right of citizens and citizen groups to protest. Plus, Josh Paul, former State Department employee, who resigned in protest over the Biden Administration's policy of sending weapons to support Israel's genocide in Gaza, returns to tell us about an organization he co-founded called “A New Policy,” which as the name suggests envisions an American policy toward the Middle East more in line with the “foundational principles of liberty, equality, democracy, and human rights; advancing American interests abroad; and protecting American freedoms at home.”Deepa Padmanabha is Senior Legal Advisor at Greenpeace USA, where she works closely with environmental activists seeking to exercise their First Amendment rights to promote systemic change. In September 2022, she testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Greenpeace USA's experience with legal attacks from extractive industries and the importance of federal anti-SLAPP legislation. And her work has focused on defending Greenpeace entities in the US against two SLAPP lawsuits attempting to silence the organization's advocacy work.This was not a Greenpeace campaign—and that was very intentional. And so our very limited involvement was solidarity with the Indigenous tribes, the Indigenous water protectors that were carrying this fight…Personally, I don't think that Energy Transfer likes the optics of going after Indigenous people. I think that it's much easier to go after the “Big Greens”, the “agitators”, things like that—and they probably would be dealing with a much more difficult PR campaign if they went after members of tribes.Deepa PadmanabhaBack in 2016 and 2017, when the original civil RICO cases were filed against the Greenpeace entities (all of these fights started out as RICO), many groups across issue areas were deeply concerned that this would be the new tactic used to go to attack labor, to attack human rights, to attack every kind of organization imaginable. And so what we did at that time (Greenpeace USA was a part of it as well as other groups) is we've created a coalition called Protect the Protest. Protect the Protest is a coalition of organizations to provide support for individuals who are threatened with SLAPPs, who receive cease-and-desist letters, who might want help either finding a lawyer or communication support. Because we know that the individuals bringing these lawsuits want the fights to happen in silence. So a big part of the work that needs to be done—and that we do—is to bring attention to them.Deepa PadmanabhaPast SLAPP lawsuits by corporations intended to wear down the citizen groups, cost them all kinds of legal fees. There have been SLAPP lawsuits for citizen groups just having a news conference or citizen groups being part of a town meeting. Or in the case of Oprah Winfrey, who was sued by at Texas meat company because she had a critic of the meat industry on her show that reached millions of people. That case was settled. So, this is the furthest extension of suppression of free speech by these artificial entities called corporations.Ralph NaderJosh Paul is co-founder (with Tariq Habash) of A New Policy, which seeks to transform U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. He resigned from the State Department in October 2023 due to his disagreement with the Biden Administration's decision to rush lethal military assistance to Israel in the context of its war on Gaza. He had previously spent over 11 years working as a Director in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which is responsible for U.S. defense diplomacy, security assistance, and arms transfers. He previously worked on security sector reform in both Iraq and the West Bank, with additional roles in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Army Staff, and as a Military Legislative Assistant for a Member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee.I think that the time for quitting in protest over Gaza, unfortunately, in many ways, is greatly behind us. I think there will be a significant number of State Department officials who will be leaving in the coming days, weeks, and months. And this is a result of a push from the Trump administration to gut America's diplomatic corps, much as they did at the start of the previous Trump administration, but even more so this time around. What I'm hearing from former colleagues in the State Department is a sense of immense despair as they see freezes being placed on U.S. foreign assistance programs—including programs that do an immense amount of good around the world—and just a concern about the overall and impending collapse of American diplomacy.Josh PaulWe have to acknowledge the precedent set by President Biden. Not only in his unconditional support for Israel and its attacks on Gaza, its violations of international humanitarian law, but also in President Biden and Secretary Blinken's willingness to set aside U.S. laws when it came to, in particular, security assistance and arms transfers in order to continue that support. That is a precedent that I think all Americans should be concerned about regardless of their thoughts on the conflict itself.Josh PaulI would say that what we face in America is a problem set that runs much deeper than any change in administration, than any political party. There is an entrenched dynamic within American politics—an entrenched set of both political and economic incentives across our electoral system—that are maintaining U.S. unconditional support for Israel, regardless of what the American people might want.Josh PaulNews 1/31/251. Our top stories this week have to do with the betrayal of the so-called “Make America Healthy Again” or “MAHA” movement. First up, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Health of Human Services – found himself in the hot seat Wednesday as his confirmation hearings began. Kennedy, who is facing opposition both from Democrats who regard his anti-vaccine rhetoric as dangerous and Republicans who view him as too liberal, struggled to answer basic questions during these hearings. Perhaps most distressingly, he shilled for the disastrous Medicare privatization scheme known as “Medicare Advantage,” at one point saying that he himself is on a Medicare Advantage plan and that “more people would rather be on Medicare Advantage.” Kennedy went on to say most Americans would prefer to be on private insurance. As Matt Stoller of the American Economic Liberties Project writes, this is “basically Cato [Institute] style libertarianism.”2. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration is signaling they intend to scrap a proposed EPA rule to ban “forever chemicals” from Americans' drinking water, per the Spokesman-Review out of Spokane, Washington. Per this piece, “perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, abbreviated PFAS, are a set of man-made chemicals used in thousands of products over the decades. High levels of them have…been linked to cancers, heart disease, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, low birth weight and other diseases.” Shelving PFAS regulation was high on the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 wish list, though the Trump team had previously sent mixed messages on the topic. Trump's pick to oversee regulation of dangerous chemicals is Nancy Beck, a longtime executive at the American Chemistry Council.3. As if those betrayals weren't enough, Trump has also selected Ms. Kailee Buller as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For the past year, Buller has served as president & CEO of the National Oilseed Processors Association. More simply put, she is the top seed oil lobbyist in the nation. This is perhaps the most illustrative example of the MAHA bait and switch. Not only is the Trump administration spitting in the face of their own supporters and doing the opposite of what they promised in terms of cracking down on ultra-processed, unhealthy food – they are doing so in an openly and brazenly corrupt manner. Under Trump, regulatory agencies are on the auction block and will be sold to the highest bidder.4. In more health news, legendary investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has come out with a new story – and it's a doozy. According to Hersh's sources, the Trump administration mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic long before the public knew anything about the virus. He writes “I learned this week that a US intelligence asset at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, where the Covid virus was first observed…provided early warning of a laboratory accident at Wuhan that led to a series of infections that was quickly spreading and initially seemed immune to treatment.” Hersh continues “early studies dealing with how to mitigate the oncoming plague, based on information from the Chinese health ministry about the lethal new virus, were completed late in 2019 by experts from America's National Institutes of Health and other research agencies.” Yet, “Despite their warnings, a series of preventative actions were not taken until the United States was flooded with cases of the virus.” Most damningly, Hersh's sources claim that “All of these studies…have been expunged from the official internal records in Washington, including any mention of the CIA's source inside the Chinese laboratory.” If true, this would be among the most catastrophic cases of indecision – and most sweeping coverup – in modern American history. Watch this space.5. Meanwhile, in more foreign affairs news, Progressive International reports that “For the first time in history,” Members of the United States Congress have joined with Members of Mexico's Cámara de Diputados to “oppose the escalating threats of U.S. military action against Mexico” and call to “strengthen the bonds of solidarity between our peoples.” This move of course comes amid ever-rising tensions between the United States and our southern neighbor, particularly as the GOP has in recent years taken up the idea of a full-blown invasion of Mexico. This letter was signed by many prominent U.S. progressives, including Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Summer Lee, AOC, Greg Casar and Raul Grijalva, as well as 23 Mexican deputies. One can only hope that this show of internationalism helps forestall further escalation with Mexico.6. Turning to the issue of corruption, former New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison for his role in a bribery scheme that included him acting as an unregistered agent of the Egyptian government, per the DOJ. Until 2024, Menendez had served as the Chairman or Ranking Member of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee – an ideal perch for a crooked politician. During sentencing, Menendez broke down and weepily begged the judge for leniency. Yet, almost immediately after the sentence was handed down, Menendez changed his tune and started sucking up to Trump in a transparent attempt to secure a pardon. Axios reports Menendez said “President Trump was right…This process is political, and it's corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system.” Unfortunately, Trump's fragile ego makes him particularly susceptible to just this sort of appeal, so it would be no surprise if he does grant some form of clemency to the disgraced Senator.7. Likewise, New York City Mayor Eric Adams appears to feel the walls closing in with regard to his corrupt dealings with his Turkish benefactors. And just like Menendez, Adams' strategy appears to be to ingratiate himself with Trump world. On January 23rd, the New York Daily News reported that Adams had pledged to avoid publicly criticizing Trump. Adams has previously called Trump a “white supremacist.” Adams' simpering seems to having the intended effect. On January 29th, the New York Times reported “Senior Justice Department officials under President Trump have held discussions with federal prosecutors in Manhattan about the possibility of dropping their corruption case,” against Adams. This story notes that “The defense team is led by Alex Spiro, who is also the personal lawyer for Elon Musk.”8. Our final three stories this week have to do with organized labor. First, Bloomberg labor reporter Josh Eidelson reports Trump has ousted National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. This alone is a tragedy; Abruzzo has been nothing short of a crusader on behalf of organized labor during her tenure. Yet, more troubling news quickly followed: Trump has unlawfully sacked Gwynne Wilcox a Democratic member of the labor board with no just cause. As Eidelson notes, the law forbids “firing board members absent neglect or malfeasance.” Wilcox was the first ever Black member of the NLRB and her unlawful removal gives Trump a working majority at the board. Expect to see a rapid slew of anti-worker decisions in the coming days.9. In some good news, independent journalist Ken Klippenstein reports that union collective bargaining agreements have successfully “thwart[ed]…Trump's return to work order.” Instead, the administration has been forced to issue a new order, stating “Supervisors should not begin discussions around the return to in-person work with bargaining unit employees until HHS fulfills its collective bargaining obligations.” In other words, even while every supposed legal guardrail, institutional norm, and political force of gravity wilts before Trump's onslaught, what is the one bulwark that still stands strong, protecting everyday working people? Their union.10. Our final story is a simple one. Jacobin labor journalist Alex Press reports that in Philadelphia, the first Whole Foods grocery store has voted to unionize. The nearly-300 workers at the store voted to affiliate with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1176. Whole Foods was sold to Amazon in 2017 and since then the e-tail giant has vigorously staved off unionization. Could this be the first crack in the dam? Only time will tell.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

Bloomberg reporters Josh Eidelson and Loren Grush recently went deep on a tangle of lawsuits orbiting SpaceX, all related to toxic workplace allegations including sexual harassment and retaliation. They join the Elon, Inc., panel to tell us what they found. Also, Dana and Max discuss a new feud developing between Musk and venture capitalist Reid Hoffman while delivering some thoughts on the fate of those who short Tesla stock.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time now for our daily Tech and Business Report.  Today, KCBS Radio's Holly Quan was joined by Bloomberg's Josh Eidelson. Eight former Space X employees have filed a US labor board case and a civil rights suit against the company, claiming the company was rife with sexual harassment, and retaliated on whistleblowers. The company is not only fighting back in court, but going after the federal agency in charge of overseeing labor laws.

Ralph welcomes professor M. Steven Fish, political scientist and author of “Comeback: Routing Trumpism, Reclaiming the Nation, and Restoring Democracy's Edge” who argues that winning elections is about more than policy positions, it's about projecting strength and dominance. And Donald Trump plays that game better than his Democratic rivals. Plus, former Navy Petty Officer, Phil Tourney, who was aboard the USS Liberty when it was attacked and nearly sunk by Israeli fighter planes and torpedo boats during the Six Day War in 1967, tells us why 57 years later, he still fights for accountability.M. Steven Fish is a comparative political scientist at the University of California, Berkeley who specializes in democracy and authoritarianism, religion and politics, and constitutional systems and national legislatures. He writes and comments extensively on international affairs and the rising challenges to democracy in the United States and around the world, and he has published commentary in the Washington Post, the New York Times, and Foreign Policy, among other publications. His latest book is Comeback: Routing Trumpism, Reclaiming the Nation, and Restoring Democracy's Edge.Dominance can be used for good or for ill. The Republicans have used it to advance injustice and corruption. And the Democrats need to—as they did in the 20th century, very often—use it in favor of justice.M. Steven FishWhat's holding them back? PAC money? Corruption of campaigns? Lack of character? Fear of skeletons in their own closet? What's holding them back if it's so obvious?Ralph Nader, on why Democrats aren't more dominantThe Republican Party historically has been the party of “no”, once the Civil War was over. When they were formed in 1854, they were the party of “no” against slavery. But after that, they're the party of “no” against labor unions, “no” against progressive taxation, “no” against Medicare, “no” against Social Security, “no” against environmental health regulation, “no” against consumer protection, “no” against raising the minimum wage, “no”, “no”, “no”. And the Democrats— in those examples at least—were “yes”, “yes”, “yes”, and they never bragged about it.Ralph NaderPhil Tourney served aboard the USS Liberty as a US Navy Petty Officer on June 8th 1967, when the Liberty was attacked by Israeli planes and torpedo boats. He is President of The USS Liberty Veterans Association, which was established to provide support for survivors of the attack. The efforts of the LVA are also focused on ensuring the US government finally conducts the public investigation of the attack on the USS Liberty.I can't explain the carnage that went on, but that ship— all of us came together. All the spies, all the ship's company we all came together…we saved that ship, to tell the truth—and we were ordered by Admiral Isaac Kidd never to say anything about it. He boarded our ship and told us to shut up or we'd end up in prison, fined, or worse— we all knew worse meant death. That's what they told us. To shut up. They took away our First Amendment rights and Congress has not done a darn thing in 57 years. The line is, “It was a case of mistaken identity, that's where they left it.Phil Tourney, President of the USS Liberty Veterans AssociationIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 5/28/241.  In Rafah, at least 35 people were killed Sunday night when Israel bombed a “tent camp housing displaced Palestinians in a designated safe zone,” per Al Jazeera. AP reports that at first, Israel's military claimed it had “carried out a precise airstrike on a Hamas compound,” and only after photographic and video evidence of the horror inflicted on civilians emerged did Prime Minister Netanyahu reverse this position and claim the strike was a “tragic mishap.” Israel's assault on Rafah continues despite the U.N. International Court of Justice ordering Israel to “immediately halt its military offensive” in the South Gaza city, per the BBC. 2. The Guardian is out with a disturbing report alleging “The former head of the Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence agency…threatened a chief prosecutor of the international criminal court in a series of secret meetings in which he tried to pressure her into abandoning a war crimes investigation.” This expose details how Yossi Cohen, the former Israeli spy chief, threatened ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, reportedly telling her “You should help us and let us take care of you. You don't want to be getting into things that could compromise your security or that of your family.” The paper also hinted at further forthcoming revelations, noting that they are working with +972 Magazine and the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call to expose “how multiple Israel intelligence agencies ran a covert ‘war' against the ICC for almost a decade.” This piece notes that “According to legal experts…efforts by the Mossad to threaten or put pressure on Bensouda could amount to offences against the administration of justice under article 70 of the Rome statute.”3. Investigative journalist Ken Klippenstein reports through his newsletter that “The Biden administration has publicly admitted that it is working with tech companies to…suppress pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel sentiment,” under the guise of “limit[ing] Hamas's use of online platforms.” As Klippenstein explains, “Platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook have long banned terrorist organizations like Hamas. Now, however, the federal government is pressuring companies to ban ‘Hamas-linked' accounts and those of pro-Palestinian Americans.” Human Rights Watch raised the alarm about censorship of pro-Palestine content in a report from December 2023, which detailed “Meta's…‘systemic…censorship' of speech regarding the…war.”4. Over Memorial Day weekend, activists assembled in Detroit for the People's Conference for Palestine. In a surprise address, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib spoke to the crowd, decrying the genocide in Gaza and asking "Where's your red line, President Biden?" the Detroit News reports. Tlaib went on to call Biden an "enabler," who "shields the murderous war criminal Netanyahu." Over 100,000 Michigan residents voted “uncommitted,” in the state's Democratic primary.5. Celebrated actor Guy Pearce was recently photographed by the French subsidiary of Vanity Fair during the Cannes film festival. When he posed for the photo, Pearce wore a Palestinian flag pin; yet when the photo was published, the pin had been photoshopped out entirely. The Middle East Eye, which covered this story, reached out to Vanity Fair asking for a comment on why they edited the image, but did not receive a response. Vanity Fair restored the original photo and apologized, claiming it was a mistake, but many are not buying it. As one social media commenter put it, “This is a reminder that the media... will do anything and everything to hide any form of solidarity.”6. The American Prospect's David Dayen reports “[The American Prospect] has learned that during [Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco's recent trip to California to participate in the 2024 RSA Cybersecurity Conference]…[she] had an off-the-record, no-readout briefing with several tech executives.” As Dayen notes, this meeting comes “at a time when the DOJ is suing both Google and Apple,” and as Monaco has spoken of making corporate criminal enforcement a higher priority at Justice. As there is no official record of this meeting it is impossible to know what was discussed, but the cloak-and-dagger nature of this rendezvous raises serious questions about DOJ's commitment to pursuing the lawsuits against the tech giants. We demand the Deputy Attorney General disclose the content of this meeting at once.7. The Reform Party, originally founded by Ross Perot, has announced that it “has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr.…for President of the United States.” The most significant effect of this nomination, as the party notes, is that it “will hand [Kennedy] our automatic ballot access in the State of Florida as well as our advantages as a qualified party.” According to Kennedy's campaign website, he is now eligible to be on the ballot in states totaling 229 electoral votes, though Axios has a lower tally. Kennedy now faces a race against the clock to qualify for the upcoming presidential debates, though even if he does qualify his participation is not guaranteed as both the Biden and Trump campaigns have agreed to sidestep the Commission on Presidential Debates.8. In more Third Party news, the Libertarian Party has chosen Chase Oliver as their 2024 presidential nominee, per POLITICO. Oliver gained national attention for his 2022 campaign for Senate in Georgia, with some claiming his candidacy forced the race to a runoff, ultimately resulting in the reelection of Democrat Raphael Warnock. During that race, Oliver describes himself as “armed and gay.” Both former President Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vied for the Libertarian Party nomination. Trump himself addressed the convention in person but was roundly booed. He was ultimately deemed ineligible, while Kennedy received only 19 votes. However, Larry Sharpe, a longtime Libertarian Party member and unsuccessful vice presidential candidate expressed alarm about Kennedy's potential impact on the party. Sharpe said “We're gonna lose ballot access in probably 22 states. We're not gonna make more than half a percent…RFK sucks the money out of the room and he gets the ‘I'm mad at the system votes' that we used to get because we're the only other guy on the ballot.”9. The Teamsters union is turning their presidential endorsement over to their members. Since May 19th, Teamsters locals have been holding polls to determine which candidate the national union will endorse. This is a marked departure from the traditional endorsement structure, which is typically decided in a top-down fashion by the national union leadership. However, this process could result in a Teamsters endorsement of Donald Trump – a real possibility based on the union's recent flirtation with Trump and the GOP more generally. We urge the union not to endorse Trump, who has an abominable track record on labor issues, clearly documented by the AFL-CIO and the Communications Workers of America.10. Finally, Bloomberg Labor reporter Josh Eidelson reports the United Autoworkers union is petitioning the National Labor Relations Board, to “discard the results of last week's Mercedes election in Alabama, [and] asking the agency to hold a new vote due to alleged misconduct by the company.” CBS 42 reports this alleged misconduct includes “poll[ing] workers about union support, suggest[ing] voting in the union would be futile, target[ing] union supporters with drug tests and [per UAW] “engag[ing] in conduct which deliberately sought to exacerbate racial feelings by irrelevant and inflammatory appeals to racial prejudice.'” In addition to these complaints, Mercedes is reportedly under investigation by the German government for anti-union activity during this campaign. In a statement, the UAW wrote “All these workers ever wanted was a fair shot at having a voice on the job and a say in their working conditions…Let's get a vote at Mercedes…where the company isn't allowed to fire people, isn't allowed to intimidate people, and isn't allowed to break the law and their own corporate code, and let the workers decide.”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 program, Ralph welcomes two guests who have worked as civic advocates for more than fifty years—chemical engineer and environmentalist Barry Castleman, and solar energy advocate Ken Bossong. How do they maintain their civic stamina over more than five decades? That's what Ralph wants to know. Then, Ralph is joined by our resident international law expert Bruce Fein, to discuss breaking news from the International Criminal Court. Barry Castleman is a chemical engineer, environmentalist and researcher specializing in health issues. He is the author of Asbestos: Medical and Legal Aspects and has worked with public interest groups around the world over the past 50 years on the control of asbestos and chemical hazards. Mr. Castleman has been involved in rule-making on asbestos by numerous federal agencies as a consultant to the agencies and to environmental groups. He has testified as an expert witness in civil litigation in the US on the history of asbestos as a public health problem, and the reasons for failure to properly control asbestos hazards.I remember speaking to students at Johns Hopkins about 30 years ago about careers in international public health, and talking to them about how they should try and listen into themselves and think about what it is they'd really like to do, what they're really interested in, and try to follow that. Rather than following the money or auctioning themselves off to the highest bidder when they graduate from Hopkins.Barry CastlemanYou lose your innocence reading these corporate documents. They're unbelievable in terms of showing that all of these decisions about health and safety and environment are business decisions to the people who make them. And the wanton, reckless, willful disregard of public health is clear. So making these documents publicly available is an extraordinary public service.Barry CastlemanKen Bossong is the Executive Director of the Sun Day Campaign, a non-profit research and educational organization he founded in 1992 to aggressively promote sustainable energy technologies as cost-effective alternatives to nuclear power and fossil fuels. Mr. Bossong has advocated for solar energy and other renewable energy for more than 50 years, and he previously served as Director of the Critical Mass Energy Project at Public Citizen. Nearly 100% of all the new generating capacity in the United States in the month of March—which is the most recent month for which there are statistics—came from solar alone. There was none from coal. There was only one megawatt from natural gas. There was, I think, three megawatts from oil. And there was zero from nuclear. So the only resource that's growing and scaling up rapidly is solar. Coming in second place is wind. The fossil fuel technologies and nuclear power combined are producing very little.Ken BossongWhat keeps me going? Basically the bad guys. I am always ginned up by the challenge of confronting people who are doing things which I consider to be socially, environmentally irresponsible. And as you pointed out with the example of the oil companies, there's never been a shortage of people who are trying to do things that I think are damaging. Ken BossongBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law.  Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.Although it doesn't really change a whole lot on the legal chessboard, the more countries that recognize a Palestinian statehood, the more pressure there will be on the United States to do something that acknowledges their right…The one other element that comes into play, however, is that there are various tribunals, jurisdictions that can be employed only by a state... So the more that we have international recognition of a Palestinian state, it then would have standing instead of South Africa to go to the International Court of Justice and say—we want a declaration that genocide is being committed against us by Israel. So there are small ways in which I think the greater the recognition, the greater the legal standing Palestine has as in at least some international body.Bruce FeinIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 5/22/241.  On May 20th, the International Criminal Court announced it would seek arrest warrants related to the ongoing atrocities in Gaza. Bucking pressure from western governments, the ICC will pursue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges including “Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare…[and] Extermination…as a crime against humanity.” The Court also announced it would seek arrest warrants for Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri for their alleged international offenses. The ICC's decision was met with indignation by Israel and its western allies, including President Joe Biden, who said “What's happening is not genocide,” per the Guardian. Mousa Abu Marzouk – the first chief of Hamas' politburo, and the head of Hamas' international relations – writes in Media Review Network “Hamas stands ready to appear before the ICC with witnesses and live testimony and bear the burden of any judicial finding against it or its members after a full and fair trial with rules of evidence; with examination and cross examination into [what] we have done or not over the many years of our leadership as a national liberation movement. Is Israel?”2. On May 19th, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed when his helicopter was forced to make a “hard landing” near the Iranian/Azerbaijan border. Many suspect Israeli involvement in this crash, largely due to Israel's history of assassinating Iranian officials. Israel however denies any involvement. The Middle East Monitor, relaying what Israeli officials told Channel 13, reports “The message Israel is sending to the countries of the world is that Tel Aviv has nothing to do with the incident.”3. Israeli ambassador Michael Herzog has sent a letter to dozens of congressional Democrats “accus[ing] lawmakers of aiding…Hamas…misrepresenting Israeli policy and…inappropriately trying to influence President…Biden,” per the Huffington Post. This letter – a response to moderate Democrats Jason Crow and Chris Deluzio's May 3rd letter alleging that Israel is breaking U.S. law – has rankled Democrats in Congress. One staffer told the Huffington Post that multiple parts of the letter “verg[ed] on offensive,” and another said “the tone of this letter is not reflective of the fact that the U.S. is the primary guarantor of Israel's security. An unaware reader would assume that Israel is the superpower in this relationship and the U.S. the recipient of aid.” Yet another aid put it this way, “Never before have we received such a harsh letter from the Israeli government. But then again, never before have we been so critical of their actions.”4. Independent investigative journalist Ken Klippenstein reports “The National Counterterrorism Center, created in the wake of 9/11 to combat al Qaeda, is now working overtime to find evidence of foreign funding of pro-Palestinian student protesters.” Klippenstein continues “The effort follows repeated calls by Congress for the federal government to investigate university protesters' purported links to Hamas, and coincides with a push by the FBI and homeland security bureaucracies to link the campus demonstrations to foreign actors. Tempting as it might be to laugh off the specter of foreign powers directing undergraduate protesters, evidence of this would provide the legal basis for the intelligence community to spy on Americans. Absent a foreign connection, the protests are constitutionally-protected speech.” Civil liberties advocates have long warned of the American anti-terrorism apparatus being weaponized against internal dissent. During the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, the Trump administration infamously worked feverishly to cook up some connection between foreign governments and supposed domestic “antifa” leaders. The fact that the Biden administration is seeking to do the same speaks to just how enticing it is for the federal government to use trumped up terrorism accusations to silence legitimate protests.5. In a chilling new installment of the campus crackdown on pro-Palestine activity, POLITICO reports the California State University system has “placed Sonoma State campus President Mike Lee on leave… after he agreed to protesters' demands to involve them in university decision-making and pursue divestment from Israel.” In a statement, CSU Chancellor Mildred García derided president Lee for his “insubordination and the consequences it has brought upon the system.” The message is clear: any degree of violence in confronting the student protesters is acceptable, engaging with their demands is not.6. In more higher education news, the Harvard Graduate Student's Union – organized under the UAW – has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the university over their response to campus pro-Palestine protests, per Bloomberg labor reporter Josh Eidelson. “[The union is] claiming the school's retaliation violated students' right as employees to protest over workplace issues.” This charge will test the limits of workplace speech protections and we will be watching closely to see where the board lands.7. Last week, workers at two Alabama Mercedes-Benz plants voted against joining the United Autoworkers by a margin if 2,045 to 2,642, per 1819 News. UAW President Shawn Fain blamed the loss on union busting by the corporation, stating “Mercedes engaged in egregious illegal behavior. The federal government as well as the German government are currently investigating Mercedes for the intimidation and harassment they inflicted on their own workers. We intend to follow that process through…This is a David and Goliath fight. Sometimes Goliath wins a battle. But David wins the war.” Fain went on to say “Justice isn't about one vote or one campaign. It's about getting a voice, getting your fair share. And let's be clear: workers won serious gains in this campaign. They raised their wages, with the 'UAW bump.' They killed wage tiers. They got rid of a CEO who had no interest in improving conditions in the workplace. Mercedes is a better place to work thanks to this campaign, and thanks to these courageous workers.” Finally, Fain noted the similarities between this campaign and the previous attempts to unionize Volkswagen plants, stating “[Mercedes] told the workers to give the new CEO a chance. That's exactly what Volkswagen told its workers in 2019. And in 2024, Volkswagen workers realized it's not about a CEO. It's about a voice on the job, it's about getting our lives back, and getting our time back. The only path to do that is through a union contract.”8. CNN reports that on Tuesday May 14th, the Justice Department  “notified Boeing that it [had] breached [the] terms of its 2021 [deferred prosecution] agreement in which the company avoided criminal charges for two fatal 737 Max crashes.” This report goes on to say “Families of victims and lawyers representing them met with the Justice Department late last month to persuade the Biden administration to end the agreement in light of multiple safety lapses at Boeing this year and in past years after the 2021 agreement was reached.”  Following this meeting, attorney Paul Cassell said the deferred prosecution agreement was “rigged” and “pledged to hold Boeing accountable for its ‘fraud and misconduct.'” 9. On Monday May 20th, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange won the right to appeal his extradition to the United States. Per Democracy Now! “Assange's lawyers argued before the British High Court that the U.S. government provided ‘blatantly inadequate' assurances that Assange would have the same free speech protections as an American citizen if extradited from Britain. Assange…faces up to 175 years in prison for publishing classified documents exposing U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.” This is a major victory for Assange. Yet, as Chip Gibbons, policy director of Defending Rights & Dissent puts it “[Assange is] not out of Belmarsh [Prison] yet…This could still end in him being sent to the U.S. And the person who can stop this is Joe Biden.”10. Finally, according to Washington Post labor reporter Lauren Kaori Gurley, “[Over 400] physicians have filed to unionize with SEIU, in what they say would be the first doctor's union in Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic.” These physicians – employed by ChristianaCare, Delaware's largest private employer – have laid out a list of grievances they hope to address by organizing, including “patient safety concerns due to understaffing and inadequate resources…the erosion of the physician-led model of care...[and] the moral injury caused by the pressure to prioritize...profit over patient needs.” Gurley further highlighted that a key priority of this doctor's union is “combating excessive corporatization,” in healthcare.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

We explore how young people have made meaningful careers and lasting change working in the public interest with Sam Simon, editor of “Choosing the Public Interest: Essays From the First Public Interest Research Group” and Lisa Frank, Vice President and D.C. Director at The Public Interest Network and also Executive Director in the Washington Legislative Office at Environment America. Plus, the indomitable Chris Hedges stops by to report on his interviews with college students protesting the genocide in Gaza, which he chronicled in a Substack piece titled “The Nation's Conscience.”Sam Simon is an author, playwright, and attorney who co-founded the Public Interest Research Group with Ralph and the other Nader's Raiders in 1970. He compiled and edited the new book Choosing the Public Interest: Essays From the First Public Interest Research Group.This is something that every one of these themes have and that this movement has had—that the consumer, the user, the student, the pensioner have equal voice in our systems to help create the systems that are intended to benefit them, and not leave that power in the hands of corporate entities and profit-making enterprises. And that idea needs to continue to exist. And I'm glad that the Public Interest Network and PIRGS still thrive on many campuses.Sam SimonWhat I want to come out of this book is that average kids from average backgrounds ended up doing amazing things with their entire lives, because of the opportunity and the vision that they could do that.Sam SimonLisa Frank is Vice President and D.C. Director at The Public Interest Network. She is also Executive Director in the Washington Legislative Office at Environment America, where she directs strategy and staff for federal campaigns. Ms. Frank has won millions of dollars in investments in walking, biking and transit, and has helped develop strategic campaigns to protect America's oceans, forests and public lands from drilling, logging and road-building.The particular types of problems we're focused on at [PIRG] are ones that really have been created in a sense by our success as a country in growing. We're the wealthiest country the world has ever seen. We figured out how to grow more than enough food than we can eat, we produce more than enough clothing than we can wear, certainly more than enough plastic…And all of this abundance is leading to new types of problems…The problems that have either come about because of the progress we've made as a society and now we've got the ability to tackle them, or problems where—clean energy is an example—where there are problems that we newly have the ability to solve.Lisa FrankYou have Congress that passed these five laws that are being violated, with the result of huge death and destruction overseas— and not just in Gaza, but places like Iraq and Libya in the past. And they're talking about students trespassing at their own university, and nonviolent protests? The problem starts in Congress. They're the funders, the enablers, the surrenderers of their constitutional rights of oversight and war-making powers.Ralph NaderChris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, who spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He is the host of The Chris Hedges Report, and he is a prolific author— his latest book is The Greatest Evil Is War.[Students] understand the nature of settler colonial regimes. The expansion or inclusion of students from wider backgrounds than were traditionally there at places like Princeton…has really added a depth and expanded the understanding within the university. So they see what's happening in Gaza, and they draw—rightly— connections to what we did to Native Americans, what the British did in India, what the British did in Kenya, what the French did in Algeria, and of course, they are correct.Chris Hedges[Students] have defied, quite courageously, the administrations of their universities, who are—kind of like the political class—bought and paid for by the Israel lobby, and in particular wealthy donors and the Democratic Party. And that is why these universities have responded to these nonviolent protests the way they have, with such overwhelming and draconian use of force.Chris HedgesIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 5/15/241. The New Republic reports the Federal Trade Commission has filed suit against Scott Sheffield, former CEO of oil and gas giant Pioneer Resources alleging that “voluminous evidence” suggests Sheffield “collaborated with fellow U.S. producers and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in order to keep crude oil prices ‘artificially' high.” As Matt Stoller explains in his newsletter, “after a bitter price war from 2014-2016, [American oil producers] got tired of competing on price with…the OPEC oil cartel, and at some point from 2017-2021, decided to join the cartel and cut supply to the market. This action had the [e]ffect of raising oil prices, costing oil consumers something on the order of $200 billion a year.” Stoller claims that this price-fixing scheme between the OPEC cartel and the American oil oligopoly caused 27% of all inflation-related price increases in 2021. Progressive lawmakers such as Senator Bernie Sanders who tried to raise the alarm about what he dubbed “greedflation” were dismissed at the time, but like so many times before, have been vindicated by the simple fact that American corporate greed always exceeds expectations.2. Tal Mitnick and Sofia Orr, the two Israeli teenagers conscientiously objecting to being drafted into Israel's campaign of terror in Gaza, have sent a letter to President Biden excoriating him for his unconditional support of the Netanyahu regime, per the Intercept. The two heroic peaceniks write “Your unconditional support for [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's policy of destruction, since the war began, has brought our society to the normalization of carnage and to the trivialization of human lives…It is American diplomatic and material support that prolonged this war for so long. You are responsible for this, alongside our leaders. But while they're interested in prolonging the war for political reasons, you have the power to make it stop.” These kids wrote this letter before reporting for their latest round of prison sentences, which have reached unprecedented lengths. As the article notes, “The refuseniks are not alone in their opposition, nor in the treatment they face. Throughout the war, Israelis have taken to the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to protest the war and Netanyahu's government. This past week, Israeli police arrested and beat protesters and hostage family members calling for an end to the war, just the latest example of Israelis being punished for voicing dissent or sympathy with the people of Gaza.”3. Al Jazeera reports yet another Biden Administration official has made public his resignation over the genocide in Gaza. Army Major Harrison Mann, who resigned in November, posted a letter Monday wherein he expressed “incredible shame and guilt” over the United States' “unqualified support” for Israel's war. Explaining why he waited so long to come forward with the reasoning behind his resignation, Mann wrote “I was afraid. Afraid of violating our professional norms. Afraid of disappointing officers I respect. Afraid you would feel betrayed. I'm sure some of you will feel that way reading this,” yet he noted “At some point – whatever the justification – you're either advancing a policy that enables the mass starvation of children, or you're not.”4. At long last, Egypt has announced its intention to join South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, Al Arabiya reports. In a statement, the Egyptian foreign ministry said this decision comes on the heels of the “worsening severity and scope of Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip,” likely referring to the terror bombing campaign in Rafah, which the United States had previously identified as a “Red Line” in terms of material support. Egypt has faced international embarrassment over its soft line towards its militaristic neighbor and alleged mistreatment of Palestinian refugees trying to flee into Egypt. The country has also “called on the UN Security Council and countries of influence to take actions to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and halt military operations in Rafah, according to the statement.”5. On Wednesday, May 8th, the State Department report on whether Israel has violated U.S. international law was due to Congress. Instead, it was delayed. As POLITICO reported “The State Department has been working for months on the report, which will issue a determination on whether Israel has violated international humanitarian law since the war in Gaza began. If so, the U.S. would be expected to stop sending Israel military assistance.” When the report was finally released, it stated “it is ‘reasonable to assess' that US weapons have been used by Israeli forces in Gaza in ways that are ‘inconsistent' with international humanitarian law,” but the report stopped short of officially saying Israel violated the law, per CNN. The report goes on to say that investigations into potential violations are ongoing but the US “‘does not have complete information to verify' whether the US weapons ‘were specifically used' in alleged violations of international humanitarian law.” This equivocation in the face of genocide – using American weapons — will leave an ineradicable black mark on the already spotty human rights record of the U.S. State Department.6. Students for Justice in Palestine at Columbia University reports “Columbia…is under federal investigation for anti-Palestinian discrimination and harassment.” According to the group, Palestine Legal is representing four Palestinian students and the group itself. Senior attorney for Palestine Legal Radikah Sainath said in a statement “The law is clear— if universities do not cease their racist crackdowns against Palestinians and their supporters, they will risk losing federal funding.”7. On May 8th, the D.C. Metro Police Department cleared the protest encampment at the George Washington University, using pepper spray and brute force. According to the Associated Press, the police arrested 33 protesters. The AP quoted Moataz Salim, a Palestinian student at GW with family in Gaza, who said the authorities merely “destroyed a beautiful community space that was all about love.” He went on to say “Less than 10 hours ago, I was pepper sprayed and assaulted by police…And why? Because we decided to pitch some tents, hold community activities and learn from each other. We built something incredible. We built something game-changing.” The police broke up the encampment in the wee hours of the morning, just before D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was slated to appear before hostile Republican lawmakers in Congress, leading many to believe she acted when and how she did out of sheer cowardice and political expediency. After the encampment was cleared, the hearing was canceled. Undeterred, these courageous students have continued to protest their institution's support of Israel's criminal war and per the American University Eagle, have now set up a second encampment. We urge Mayor Bowser not to bow to pressure from bloodthirsty Congressional Republicans a second time.8. The Seattle Times reports “The FAA has opened an investigation into Boeing's 787 Dreamliner after the company disclosed that employees in South Carolina falsified inspection records.” As the paper notes, “This is the latest in a long litany of lapses at Boeing that have come to light under the intense scrutiny of the company's quality oversight since a passenger cabin panel blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight in January.” That is to say nothing of the safety lapses leading to the Lion Air and Ethiopia Airlines crashes in 2019, that resulted in the deaths of all aboard both flights. Incredibly, “This new 787 quality concern is unrelated to the 787 fuselage gaps described as unsafe in an April congressional hearing by Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour.” As these critical safety failures and lies continue to come to light, the only question remaining is when is enough enough?9. Bloomberg labor reporter Josh Eidelson reports “The US government [has] raised concerns with Germany about alleged union-busting in Alabama by Mercedes, an unusual move that escalates scrutiny on its handling of the high-stakes union vote.” Mercedes is facing a momentous union election at its Alabama plant, led by the United Autoworkers, fresh off of unionizing the first ever foreign-owned auto plant in the country. Eidelson goes on to say that members of the European Commission have raised the matter with Mercedes as well, raising the heat on the company as the election kicks off. Among other union busting tactics, Labor Notes reports Mercedes has tried enlisting a pastor to tell workers via text “Here in Alabama, community is important, and family is everything. We believe it's important to keep work separate. But there's no denying, a union would have an impact beyond the walls of our plant.”10. Finally, the Chicago Sun-Times is out with a story on the success of Illinois' experiment with ending cash bail for pre-trial detention. As the article puts it, “Despite all the anguish over the Pretrial Fairness Act, [Cook County Judge Charles] Beach says he has been struck by how proceedings have significantly changed for the better in his courtroom. ‘I think we've come a very long way in the right direction…Things are working well.'” This piece describes how “Under the old system of cash bail, Beach — a supervising judge in the pretrial division — was often tasked with setting a dollar figure a person would have to post before being released, a decision that could force a family to skip the rent to post a bond. It was a process that could seem arbitrary, depending on the judge, the time of day and where in the state the hearing was held.” Beach himself goes on to say “There's a sense in the courtroom that taking money out of the equation has leveled the playing field.” The success of this reform should be taken very seriously by other states, particularly New York where Democrats have sought to roll back the state's attempts at ending cash bail following pressure from conservatives. Turns out, it works.This has been Francesco DeSantis. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Attribution: Palestinian News & Information Agency (Wafa) in contract with APAimagesRalph welcomes Josh Paul, the State Department official who resigned in protest over the Biden Administration's policy of unconditional arms transfers to Israel in the response to the attacks of October 7th. Then, investigative reporter, James Bamford joins us to discuss his deep dive into how the Israeli government has recruited Americans as foreign agents to troll, dox, and blacklist college students and professors who dare to criticize Israeli policies.Josh Paul served 11 years in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the US Department of State, before his resignation on October 17, 2023. Mr. Paul previously worked on security sector reform in both Iraq and the West Bank, with additional roles in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, US Army Staff, and as a congressional staffer.I have spoken with a number of members of Congress in the last few months and—even for those who haven't publicly called for a ceasefire—many are willing to acknowledge behind closed doors that yes, actually, they do believe that Israelis are committing war crimes, but they will not say it publicly. And that just seems to me such a moral abdication of the purposes for which you were elected. If you know something to be a fact, if you know the U.S. to be complicit in facilitating war crimes, but are unwilling to say it because you are afraid of how your donors might react or how your next election might go, why are you even in Congress?Josh PaulIt is interesting that the United States places control of arms transfers and security assistance within the State Department. That is a different model than most of our allies follow… And there is an advantage to putting them in the State Department, so that they can be considered as tools of foreign policy along with other diplomatic tools such as economic assistance, such as of course diplomatic engagement. So there is an advantage there, but of course there is also inherently by doing so a militarization of foreign policy. Particularly when we look at the massive amount of funding that is provided for military assistance. And of course, the way that that providing that assistance then links us to the actions of our partners, whether we want to be complicit in those actions or not.Josh PaulIt's been said that in the last three months, the pro-Palestinian people in the United States have controlled the streets, but the pro-Netanyahu people in the United States have controlled the suites in Congress and the Executive branch.Ralph NaderJames Bamford is a best-selling author, Emmy-nominated filmmaker for PBS, award-winning investigative producer for ABC News, and winner of the National Magazine Award for Reporting for his writing in Rolling Stone on the war in Iraq. He is the author of several books, including Spyfail: Foreign Spies, Moles, Saboteurs, and the Collapse of America's Counterintelligence.I think some of these (American) groups should be arrested for being agents of a foreign government. I mean, if you're an American and you're contributing money and support to a clandestine foreign operation or clandestine foreign agency of a foreign government, then that's pretty much the definition of being an agent of a foreign government.James Bamford[People] get put on this blacklist—the Canary Mission list—and their job opportunities are extremely limited. Because if anybody goes for a job and their employer looks on the internet, one of the first things they'll see is that their name is on this blacklist where they're called a variety of names basically for doing something that's basically honorable.James BamfordIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantis* On Tuesday, Senator Bernie Sanders forced a vote on Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act, which, if passed, could have resulted in the United States cutting off military aid to Israel, the Intercept reports. While this attempt failed by a wide margin - 72-11 – it did win the support of Senators Laphonza Butler of California, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Peter Welch of Vermont, along with Rand Paul the lone Republican to back the effort. However, as Andrew O'Neil, policy director for Indivisible, put it “It's frankly historic that this vote took place at all…The number of senators willing to take a vote like this even weeks ago, on the face of it, would have been zero.”* 384 leaders from around the globe, led by Representative Ilhan Omar and German politician Sevim Dağdelen, have signed a letter calling for “an immediate, multilateral ceasefire in Israel and Palestine, the release of all the remaining Israeli and international hostages, and the facilitation of humanitarian aid entry into Gaza,” per the Guardian. The letter continues “We further urge our own respective governments and the international community to uphold international law and seek accountability for grave violations of human rights.” Further American signatories include Reps. Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, André Carson, Greg Casar, Chuy García, Hank Johnson, Summer Lee, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Nydia Velázquez and Bonnie Watson Coleman, who are joined by British progressive icon Jeremy Corbyn  and politicians from Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.* Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush have issued a statement of support for South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. The representatives write “We unequivocally join world leaders and international human rights organizations in support of South Africa's case before the International Court of Justice alleging Israel violated the Genocide Convention. There must be an end to the violence—and there must be accountability for the blatant human rights abuses and mass atrocities occurring in the region. The historical significance of a post-apartheid state filing this case must not be lost, and the moral weight of their prerogative cannot be dismissed. The United States has a devastating role in the ongoing violence in Gaza, where already over 23,000 Palestinians have been killed, more than 59,000 injured, and millions have been displaced. We must refuse to be silent as the majority of the world is calling for an end to the violence and mass human suffering, and the need for accountability. As one of the countries that has agreed to the Genocide Convention, the U.S. must stop trying to discredit and undermine this case and the international legal system it claims to support. Our commitment to protecting the human rights of all people must be unconditional. The best time to make a conclusive determination on genocide is when there is still time to stop it, not after. We will continue pushing for a lasting ceasefire, full accountability, and a just and lasting peace for everyone.”* The South African attorney Wikus Van Rensburg has formally delivered a letter to the leadership of the United States outlining that his firm “intend[s] to bring legal proceedings against the U.S. Government based on overwhelming evidence that the [it] has, and is, aiding, abetting and supporting, encouraging or providing material assistance and means to…the Israeli Defense Forces…enabl[ing]...crimes against the Palestinian people.” Legal advocates like Ralph Nader and Bruce Fein have long sounded the alarm that American support for Israel's actions in Gaza are in breach of international law, but it remains to be seen whether the U.S. will stand trial at the Hague for their support of this genocidal campaign. This from Al-Mayadeen.* Al-Mayadeen also reports “in a rare show of dissent, US federal employees from nearly 22 agencies are planning a walkout to protest the Biden administration's handling of the war on Gaza.” This report attributes organization of this walkout to a group called “Feds United for Peace” and the walkout is “expected to draw participants from key agencies, including the Executive Office of the President, the National Security Agency, and the Departments of State, Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs…[along with the] Food and Drug Administration…the National Park Service, the Federal Aviation Administration…and the Environmental Protection Agency.” Axios reports that Congressional Republicans are planning to retaliate against these workers exercising their free speech rights, with Speaker Johnson, saying “Any government worker who walks off the job to protest U.S. support for our ally Israel is ignoring their responsibility and abusing the trust of taxpayers…They deserve to be fired."* The Intercept published an interview with teenage Israelis who are refusing conscription into the IDF. These young “refuseniks,” almost all part of the group Mesarvot – Hebrew for “we refuse” –  have been resisting conscription since the large-scale protests against the Netanyahu government last year, when over 230 of them signed a letter stating “The dictatorship that has existed for decades in the territories is now seeping into Israel and against us…This trend did not start now — it is inherent to the regime of occupation and Jewish supremacy. The masks are simply coming off.” However, these courageous young people are facing an increasingly hostile environment in Israel due to their refusal to serve. We offer them our solidarity.* In a massive blow to journalism, the Baltimore Sun has been sold to David Smith, the Baltimore Banner reports. Smith serves as executive chairman of Sinclair Inc., which owns more than 200 television stations nationwide and has been criticized for pushing uniform, Right-wing narratives through these channels. In addition to the Sun, Smith purchased its affiliated papers, including “The Capital and Maryland Gazette newspapers in Annapolis, the Carroll County Times, the Howard County Times and the Towson Times.”* The Lever has dropped a stunning report on “How Boeing Bought Washington,” which lays out the influence network the embattled airline has cultivated in the Beltway. The top-line numbers alone are eye-popping, with Boeing & Spirit AeroSystems spending over $65 million on lobbying and campaign donations over just four years. More insidious however is what they got for this money, namely safety waivers enabling them to keep unsafe planes in the sky. This report also touches on the case of Republican Congressman Ron Estes of Kansas, a top recipient of this campaign cash, who pressured the FAA to reinstate the 737 MAX – and Senator Maria Cantwell, Democrat of Washington, who received nearly $200,000 from the company and then dutifully “pushed through legislation to exempt Boeing's 737 MAX…from a looming safety deadline that would have required changes in their alerting systems…despite concerns from the families of the passengers who died in the 2018 and 2019 crashes.”* Josh Eidelson, Labor reporter at Bloomberg, is out with two major updates on the United Auto Workers new campaigns. One, Bloomberg reports the union has “signed up more than 30% of workers at a Mercedes plant in Alabama, after hitting the same milestone last month at Volkswagen in Tennessee,” illustrating the durability and success of their union drives at foreign-owned auto plants in the U.S. And two, Bloomberg reports that “Tesla is boosting pay for all US production associates, the latest bump by a non-union automaker following the UAW's big Detroit wins.” Taken together, one gets the impression that Auto Workers are organized, on the march, and have momentum behind them.* In Guatemala, Bernardo Arevalo of the Semilla Party has finally been sworn in as the president of that country, beating back multiple attempts by the corrupt ruling elites to undermine his ascension down to the moment of his inauguration. Reuters reports “Arevalo's inauguration was thrown into disarray after the Supreme Court allowed opposition lawmakers to maintain their leadership of Congress, and forced members of the president's Semilla party to stand as independents… [sparking] wrangling in Congress…[with] supporters of Arevalo threaten[ing] to storm the building as police in riot gear amassed in the streets.” Arevalo managed to weather the storm however, in part because he was aided by other countries' leadership. USAID Administrator Samantha Power, opposing the power grab, tweeted “There is no question that Bernardo Arevalo is the President of Guatemala. We call on all sides to remain calm — and for the Guatemalan Congress to uphold the will of the people. The world is watching.” Meanwhile, the presidents and foreign ministers present at the inauguration released a statement forcefully avowing “The will of the Guatemalan people must be respected,” Progressive International's David Adler reports. Renowned investigative journalist Allan Nairn added, “What is clear…is that even if Arévalo succeeds in taking power as president he will be governing under siege”.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 Dollar General retail chain has 19,000-plus locations, more than Walmart and Wendy's combined. Its business model is to open in towns too small to support bigger retailers, sell necessities at low prices and keep staff to a minimum, sometimes as few as one or two people per shift. This bare bones approach has led to profits but also numerous OSHA citations and millions of dollars in proposed fines against the company since 2017.  Bloomberg reporters Josh Eidelson and Brendan Case join this episode to talk about their reporting on Dollar General, what current and former employees say about what it's like to work there–and how the company has responded.  Read more: Why Dollar General Might Just Be the Worst Retail Job in America Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Movie and TV productions have come to a nearly complete stop in Hollywood. Both the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America are on strike, with the latter having halted work for the major studios over three months ago. What brought the industry to this point? What do the two opposing sides want? And how do these strikes fit into other labor actions that we're seeing this summer? On this episode, we speak with Lucas Shaw, entertainment reporter at Bloomberg and the author of the Screentime newsletter, as well as Josh Eidelson, a labor reporter for Businessweek and Bloomberg News, about what's going on with the strikes right now, what both sides are looking for, and the prospects of a resolution.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air Date 5/5/2023 Today, we take a look at the history and present of the labor movement to demonstrate how times may change but the fundamental struggle, including many of the exact tactics, remains the same. Plus, get ready to get excited about salts, the secret ingredient in labor movement. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows and Bonus Content) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: May Day and the Haymarket Massacre Part 1 - Rattling the Bars, Real News Network - Air Date 5-1-23 RNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez joins Rattling the Bars for a discussion on the history of May Day, and how the persecution of organizers in the wake of the Haymarket Massacre highlights the importance of extending solidarity Ch. 2: The History of May Day - The Young Turks - Air Date 5-2-23 The Young Turks discuss the history of May Day. Ch. 3: Labor in America Part 1 - The Zero Hour - Air Date 1-21-23 Heidi Shierholz is President of the Economic Policy Institute Ch. 4: Secret Union Tactic Fuels Unprecedented Labor Wins - Bloomberg Originals - Air Date 4-3-23 Bloomberg's Josh Eidelson explains the tactic's recent revival after exclusive visits to undercover training sessions over the past year. Ch. 5: Donna Murch on Rutgers Labor Action - CounterSpin - Air Date 4-21-23 We'll get an update from Donna Murch, associate professor of history at Rutgers, and New Brunswick chapter president of Rutgers AAUP-AFT. Ch. 6: Labor in America Part 2 - The Zero Hour - Air Date 1-21-23 Ch. 7: Union Organizing 101 Building Class Solidarity Every Day - The Majority Report - Air Date 1-22-18 Jane McAlevey on strengthening the union movement. Ch. 8: May Day and the Haymarket Massacre Part 2 - Rattling the Bars, Real News Network - Air Date 5-1-23 MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 9: May Day and the Haymarket Massacre Part 3 - Rattling the Bars, Real News Network - Air Date 5-1-23 Ch. 10: Jane McAlevey on Deep Organizing - Jacobin - Air Date 12-10-18 Unions are the weakest they have been in a century. But, as Jane McAlevey explains, the story of a group of Philadelphia nurses shows that deep organizing and a willingness to strike can still win. VOICEMAILS Ch. 11: Nuances to add to the JK Rowling episode - Soph FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on framing arguments in defense of trans lives MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE Description: Labor protesters march on a city sidewalk. The person in the front holds a placard that says “Support Amazon Labor Union.” The person behind them holds a sign that says “Starbucks: Union Busting is Disgusting.” A third person in the line wears a sign that says “Safety & Unions For All Workers.” Credits: “Philly Solidarity with Starbucks, Amazon & all workers organizing!” By Joe Piette, Flickr | License: CC BY- SA 2.0 | Changes: Slight increase in contrast Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

The US Federal Trade Commission is weighing restrictions on many non-compete agreements in employment contracts. These clauses dissuade workers from switching jobs and impact roughly one in five Americans—including physicians, hair stylists, even fast food workers. Bloomberg reporter Leah Nylen joins this episode to explain the FTC's efforts to dial them back. And reporters Jo Constantz and Josh Eidelson, and White House editor Mario Parker, talk about how non-competes became a way for companies to freeze employees in place—and how the move to restrict them is part of a larger push by the Biden administration to bolster workers' rights. Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:08 —Talor Gruenwald, is a Research Associate at Rewiring America, and lead author of a new study on gas stoves' link to childhood asthma that sparked the cycle of outrage over regulations that haven't even been proposed.  0:33 — Josh Eidelson, is a labor reporter for Bloomberg News and Businessweek. 0:47 — Alastair Boone, is editor in chief of Street Spirit, which is published by Youth Spirit Artworks. The post All about gas stoves; Plus, YouTube workers alleging retaliation for organizing; Also, Berkeley Here / There encampment receives eviction notice appeared first on KPFA.

My beloved friend Derry Queen joins me for a real fast-and-loose episode about RuPaul's Drag Race. This one was a very fun episode for me because it's less heavy on the research since Derry has a lot of personal experience relating to the show. The standard working conditions in reality TV are absolutely bonkers, and we talk about some of that history. Don't forget to vote for ME for best podcast in the Chicago Reader, and don't forget to NOT VOTE FOR DERRY as best drag queen. Please vote for Irregular Girl!!! She is fucking awesome. If you like drag and you live in Chicago, you should absolutely check out her work. SOURCES: I made it up -Tired, Tipsy, and Pushed to the Brink, Edward Wyatt, NYT 2009 -Reality TV's Low-Wage and No-Wage Work, Tanner Mirlees, Alternate Routes: A Journal of Critical Social Research, 27. -REALITY’S KIDS: ARE CHILDREN WHO PARTICIPATE ON REALITY TELEVISION SHOWS COVERED UNDER THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT?, Adam P. Greenberg, Southern California Law Review 2018 -Reality TV's worker scandal: Shows accused of stealing millions in wages, Josh Eidelson, Salon.com 2013 -Shantay, You Pay: Inside the Heavy Financial Burden of Going On ‘Drag Race’, Rachel Miller, VICE 2021. -PEG countersuit v Adore Delano -Reality TV: The Work of Being Watched, Mark Andrejevic, 2004 -Bussy Queen's season 14 contract review on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=700Nvfa4wHk&t=757s&ab_channel=BussyQueen

A growing number of workers at Apple Stores across the US believe the company they once loved to work for is changing–and they're not happy about it. They say the famously low-key, no-pressure showcases for Apple's products have turned into just another retail floor, where associates at some stores and technicians at the Genius Bar are expected to upsell customers–or encourage them to buy new devices instead of fixing their current ones. Apple retail workers at two stores have already voted to unionize, and others may follow. Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg's senior labor reporter, joins this episode to look at the state of play for Apple workers who are frustrated with “Big Apple” and why some see the union drive as a way to persuade the company to return to its roots. Wes and Josh also zoom out to look at how Apple's retail challenges are similar to those of other big-name US companies where workers have unionized, and how the bosses are pushing back. Learn more about this story here: https://bloom.bg/3V8usIs  Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK  Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.This podcast  is produced by the Big Take Podcast team: Supervising Producer: Vicki Vergolina, Senior Producer: Kathryn Fink, Producers: Mo Barrow, Rebecca Chaisson, Michael Falero and Federica Romaniello, Associate Producers: Sam Gebauer and Zaynab Siddiqui. Sound Design/Engineers: Raphael Amsili and Gilda Garcia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg's Josh Eidelson explains

Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg Businessweek Reporter, discusses discrimination based on weight and why being fat can cost you your job. Paige Smith, Bloomberg Law Reporter, discusses why you really can't be paid by your employer directly in bitcoin or cryptocurrency. June Grasso hosts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg Businessweek Reporter, discusses discrimination based on weight and why being fat can cost you your job. Paige Smith, Bloomberg Law Reporter, discusses why you really can't be paid by your employer directly in bitcoin or cryptocurrency. June Grasso hosts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The move by Starbucks workers to unionize appears to be growing, with workers at around 50 stores now taking action. This comes after the labor board certified the vote to unionize at two stores in the Buffalo area.  For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Rebecca Corral spoke with Bloomberg News reporter Josh Eidelson.

Guests: Rep. Adam Schiff, Sen. Tim Kaine, Ryan Grim, Josh Eidelson, Jane McAleveyTonight: Steve Bannon will face the full force of the law from the January 6th committee. Plus, Donald Trump raises the stakes in Virginia, and Republicans connect the insurrection to the next election. Plus, why Sen. Sinema is jetting off on a European fundraising vacation. And as workers go out on strike across the U.S., a look at what's fueling this historic moment for workers rights. 

Amazon workers may get a second chance on whether or not to unionize. Back in April, employees overwhelmingly rejected joining the union. But now the National Labor Relations Board is weighing in. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Rebecca Corral spoke with Bloomberg News reporter Josh Eidelson.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union are facing off at a National Labor Relations Board hearing today on the union's attempt to overturn its loss in an election to unionize the company's Alabama warehouse. For more on this, Bloomberg News Reporter Josh Eidelson joined KCBS Radio news anchor, Liz Saint John. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon has secured enough votes to block a union effort at one of its warehouses in Alabama.  The win shows the strength of the online shopping giant and dashes the hopes of labor activists who had hoped to be able to unionize other Amazon locations around the country.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Platforms like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash emerged big winners from the 2020 election when California voters approved Proposition 22. The ballot measure keeps gig workers classified as independent contractors, rather than employees who qualify for full benefits and protections, including the right to join a union. It had looked like gig companies were ready to take this playbook to other states to basically create their own labor laws at the ballot box. But now, we’re seeing signals the companies and labor unions might be willing to talk to head off more Prop 22-style battles. Meghan McCarty Carino speaks with Josh Eidelson, who covers labor for Bloomberg. He said despite the platforms’ victory, there’s still incentive to negotiate.

Platforms like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash emerged big winners from the 2020 election when California voters approved Proposition 22. The ballot measure keeps gig workers classified as independent contractors, rather than employees who qualify for full benefits and protections, including the right to join a union. It had looked like gig companies were ready to take this playbook to other states to basically create their own labor laws at the ballot box. But now, we’re seeing signals the companies and labor unions might be willing to talk to head off more Prop 22-style battles. Meghan McCarty Carino speaks with Josh Eidelson, who covers labor for Bloomberg. He said despite the platforms’ victory, there’s still incentive to negotiate.

Platforms like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash emerged big winners from the 2020 election when California voters approved Proposition 22. The ballot measure keeps gig workers classified as independent contractors, rather than employees who qualify for full benefits and protections, including the right to join a union. It had looked like gig companies were ready to take this playbook to other states to basically create their own labor laws at the ballot box. But now, we’re seeing signals the companies and labor unions might be willing to talk to head off more Prop 22-style battles. Meghan McCarty Carino speaks with Josh Eidelson, who covers labor for Bloomberg. He said despite the platforms’ victory, there’s still incentive to negotiate.

Platforms like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash emerged big winners from the 2020 election when California voters approved Proposition 22. The ballot measure keeps gig workers classified as independent contractors, rather than employees who qualify for full benefits and protections, including the right to join a union. It had looked like gig companies were ready to take this playbook to other states to basically create their own labor laws at the ballot box. But now, we’re seeing signals the companies and labor unions might be willing to talk to head off more Prop 22-style battles. Meghan McCarty Carino speaks with Josh Eidelson, who covers labor for Bloomberg. He said despite the platforms’ victory, there’s still incentive to negotiate.

Meltem Demirors, Chief Strategy Officer at CoinShares, on bitcoin breaking thru $50,000 and the growing adoption of crypto. Craig Johnson, President of Customer Growth Partners, on the surprisingly strong retail sales numbers. Liam Denning, energy, mining & commodity columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, on the Texas power and climate change crisis, and his column: “Texas, California Blackouts: A Song of Ice, Fire.” Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg labor reporter, on how the gig economy is coming for millions of American jobs. Hosted by Paul Sweeney and Matt Miller.

Instacart is cutting 1,900 jobs, including all of its unionized workers. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor Rebecca Corral spoke with Bloomberg News reporter Josh Eidelson. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In what's a rarity in the tech industry, employees at Google's parent company have formed a union. For more, KCBS Radio news anchor spoke with Bloomberg News reporter Josh Eidelson. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Uber driver has filed a civil rights suit against the ride-hailing company saying it unfairly fires minorities.  To hear more, KCBS Radio news anchor Rebecca Corral spoke with Bloomberg News reporter Josh Eidelson for Monday's Tech and Business Report See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Grant, Managing Director and Chief Global Strategist at B. Riley FBR, discusses Deutsche Bank’s restructuring as the financial institution cuts jobs and exits its equities business. Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg News Labor Reporter, explains why Amazon workers in suburban Minneapolis are planning to strike on Prime Day in a continuing push to improve pay and working conditions for the facility's heavily East African workforce. Andy Browne, Bloomberg New Economy Editorial Director, talks about how the U.S. and China should heed a warning from the past. Bloomberg Businessweek Editor Joel Weber and Freelance Writer Mary Pilon share Mary’s story on how nerd culture, Stranger Things, and the gig economy have created a world where Dungeons & Dragons enthusiasts host games. And we Drive to the Close with Brian Jacobsen, Multi-Asset Strategist with Wells Fargo Asset Management.  Hosts: Carol Massar and Jason Kelly.  Producer: Paul Brennan 

Mark Grant, Managing Director and Chief Global Strategist at B. Riley FBR, discusses Deutsche Bank's restructuring as the financial institution cuts jobs and exits its equities business. Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg News Labor Reporter, explains why Amazon workers in suburban Minneapolis are planning to strike on Prime Day in a continuing push to improve pay and working conditions for the facility's heavily East African workforce. Andy Browne, Bloomberg New Economy Editorial Director, talks about how the U.S. and China should heed a warning from the past. Bloomberg Businessweek Editor Joel Weber and Freelance Writer Mary Pilon share Mary's story on how nerd culture, Stranger Things, and the gig economy have created a world where Dungeons & Dragons enthusiasts host games. And we Drive to the Close with Brian Jacobsen, Multi-Asset Strategist with Wells Fargo Asset Management.  Hosts: Carol Massar and Jason Kelly.  Producer: Paul Brennan  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Hosted by Carol Massar and Jason Kelly. It’s the Bloomberg Businessweek Equality Issue Featuring: -Jeanna Smialek on how inequality is holding economies back. -Josh Eidelson profiles trans workers facing widespread discrimination. -Jeff Green on how Dow Chemical became a bastion of equality -Dune Lawrence on a Chinese dating app that is helping gay men connect with surrogates.

Hosted by Carol Massar and Jason Kelly. It's the Bloomberg Businessweek Equality Issue Featuring: -Jeanna Smialek on how inequality is holding economies back. -Josh Eidelson profiles trans workers facing widespread discrimination. -Jeff Green on how Dow Chemical became a bastion of equality -Dune Lawrence on a Chinese dating app that is helping gay men connect with surrogates. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg News Labor Reporter, discusses news that Google, whose employees have captured international attention in recent months through high-profile protests of workplace policies, has been quietly urging the U.S. government to narrow legal protection for workers organizing online. Michelle Dennedy, Chief Privacy Officer at CISCO, talks about a study on how companies are working to better protect data. Businessweek Magazine Editor Joel Weber shares the cover story of the new issue on why the current Washington standoff is different from all others. Kevin Whitelaw, Bloomberg News U.S. Government Deputy Editor, breaks news that the Senate has voted to block President Trump's proposal to reopen the government. And We Drive to the Close of Markets with Eric Clark, Portfolio Manager at Accuvest Global Advisors.  Hosts: Carol Massar and Jason Kelly. Producer: Paul Brennan  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg News Labor Reporter, discusses news that Google, whose employees have captured international attention in recent months through high-profile protests of workplace policies, has been quietly urging the U.S. government to narrow legal protection for workers organizing online. Michelle Dennedy, Chief Privacy Officer at CISCO, talks about a study on how companies are working to better protect data. Businessweek Magazine Editor Joel Weber shares the cover story of the new issue on why the current Washington standoff is different from all others. Kevin Whitelaw, Bloomberg News U.S. Government Deputy Editor, breaks news that the Senate has voted to block President Trump’s proposal to reopen the government. And We Drive to the Close of Markets with Eric Clark, Portfolio Manager at Accuvest Global Advisors.  Hosts: Carol Massar and Jason Kelly. Producer: Paul Brennan 

Dan Ivascyn, Chief Investment Officer of PIMCO overseeing $1.7 trillion in assets, and manager of the world’s biggest actively-managed bond fund, discusses everything from leveraged loans to Brexit to emerging markets. David Garrity, Chief Market Strategist for Laidlaw & Co. Ltd, on the reversal of globalization, as Apple expands its operations in Austin and other U.S. locations. Josh Eidelson, labor reporter for Bloomberg, on workers trying to form a union for Amazon’s new NYC location.

Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg Businessweek reporter, discusses a new class action lawsuit that has been brought in relation to the U.S. Au Pair program, which is now under pressure by plaintiffs lawyers who argue that the program has been used by employers fix wages for caregivers. Plus, Jennifer Ann Drobac, a professor at Harvard University Law School, discusses a new lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein that was brought by New York attorney general Eric Schniederman over the sale of his company, Weinstein Co. They speak with Bloomberg's June Grasso. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Josh Eidelson, Bloomberg Businessweek reporter, discusses a new class action lawsuit that has been brought in relation to the U.S. Au Pair program, which is now under pressure by plaintiffs lawyers who argue that the program has been used by employers fix wages for caregivers. Plus, Jennifer Ann Drobac, a professor at Harvard University Law School, discusses a new lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein that was brought by New York attorney general Eric Schniederman over the sale of his company, Weinstein Co. They speak with Bloomberg's June Grasso.

Do you want to know where your food comes from? Well, Congress is in the process of repealing our Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law because the World Trade Organization says our meat labels are internationally illegal. In this special episode, we take a look at the World Trade Organization: What is it? Where did it come from? How is it possible that it is determining our laws? Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Please Support GovTrack's Kickstarter Upcoming Meet-Ups Orinda, September 2, 2015 6:30pm - 8:00pm: Rep. Mark DeSaulinier's Town Hall Meeting Orinda Library Auditorium 8:15pm - ?: Piccolo Napoli The Bills H.R. 2393: Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act of 2015 Removes beef and pork from the list of items that must have mandatory country of origin labels Removes ground beef and ground pork from the list of items that must have mandatory country of origin labels. Removes "chicken, in whole or in part" from the list of items that must have mandatory country of origin labels. Eliminates voluntary programs for labeling the country of origin of beef. Passed the House of Representatives 300-131 Sponsored by Rep. Michael Conaway of Texas's 11th district 4 pages S. 1844: Voluntary Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) and Trade Enhancement Act of 2015 Removes beef and pork from the list of items that must have mandatory country of origin labels Removes ground beef and ground pork from the list of items that must have mandatory country of origin labels. Removes "chicken, in whole or in part" from the list of items that must have mandatory country of origin labels. Creates a voluntary program for packers who want to include country of origin labels for beef, pork, or chicken. Has not passed the House of Representatives or the Senate Sponsored by Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota 5 pages Information Presented in This Episode Country of Origin Labels USDA fact sheet on the country of origin labels World Trade Organization documents related to the case the United States lost regarding our country of origin labels. Panel Members for the country of origin label WTO case: Chairman: Dr. Christian Haberli of Switzerland Was a trade negotiator for Switzerland during the Uruguay round and has been a WTO panelist since 1996 Manzoor Ahmad of Pakistan He’s a Senior Executive at World Trade Advisors Regional Trade Advisor for Deloitte Consulting, the self-proclaimed “world’s largest consulting firm”, Joao Magalhaes of Portugal World Trade Organization World Trade Organization has 161 member countries The House of Representatives voted 288-146 to create the World Trade Organization on November 29, 1994. The U.S. Senate voted 76-24 to create the World Trade Organization on December 1, 1994. The World Trade Organization's creation became law when signed by President Clinton on December 8, 1994. Additional Information European Commission fact sheet on the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) International Monetary Fund: Frequently asked questions regarding Greece International Monetary Fund wants Greece to sell of their banks, rails, ports, utilities and airports in return for loans. Article: Greece approves first privatisation deal under Syriza, EurActiv.com, August 19, 2015. Article: For most workers, real wages have barely budged for decades by Drew Desilver, Pew Research Center, October 9, 2014. Speech: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at Singapore Management University, November 2012 (transcript) Article: Courting Unions, Hillary Clinton Says She Didn't Work on Trans-Pacific Partnership by Josh Eidelson of Bloomberg, July 30, 2015. Sound Clip Sources Panel Discussion: GATT Treaty Negotiations, C-SPAN, April 15, 1994 Ralph Nader, founder of Public Citizen James Sheehan, analyst for the Competitive Enterprise Institute Hearing: General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, October 18, 1994 Laurence Tribe, Professor at Harvard Law School Ralph Nader, founder of Public Citizen Panel Discussion: Beyond NAFTA and Gatt, Southern Center for International Studies, April 20, 1994. Arthur Dunkel Former Director General of the United Nations Wrote the “Dunkel Draft” in 1991, a 500 page general outline of what became the WTO 3 years later “Retired” from GATT in 1993, became a “trade consultant”, and served on the board of Nestle Was a registered WTO dispute panelist Alejandro Orfila Former Secretary General of the Organization of American States 1953: Director of Information at the Organization of American States right after it was formed 1962: Created a lobbying firm, specializing in the interests of U.S. firms investing in or trading with Latin America 1964: Political advisor to the Director of the Adela Investment Company, the largest multinational development corporation in Latin America 1975: Became Secretary General of the Organization of American States until 1984 James Callaghan Former Prime Minister of the UK Andreas von Agt Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands Press Conference: Country of Origin Labeling, U.S. Capitol, January 7, 2004 Former Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota Tom Buis, Vice President of the National Farmers Union Hearing: H.R. 2393 & H.R. 2685 Markup, House Rules Committee, June 9, 2015. Rep. Michael Conway of Texas Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut Rep. Louise Slaughter of New York Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Globalisation: The Pirate Song

This week on Belabored: a message from departing co-host Josh Eidelson and a roundup of labor news from New York to Bangladesh. Then, Sarah Jaffe interviews longtime organizer and union strategist Stephen Lerner about fighting Wall Street, organizing around debt, and the recent fast food strikes. The post Belabored Podcast #24: New Insurgencies appeared first on Dissent Magazine.

Nicole talks about this week's fast food worker strikes around the nation with NY Communities for Change's Greg Basta and The Nation/Salon contributor Josh Eidelson. Plus Nicole Belle of Crooks and Liars with "Fools on the Hill"

Nicole talks about they Republican hypocrisy, this time as it relates to aid to the Oklahoma tornado victims. The Nation's Josh Eidelson spoke about yesterday's federal contract workers strike and the problems facing our teachers. She's History's Amy Simon told us about Eleanor Roosevelt, and C&L's John Amato weighed in on LA's new mayor and NYC's mayoral race.

Presenting our new podcast, Belabored, hosted by labor journalists Josh Eidelson and Sarah Jaffe. The inaugural episode features an interview with Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis. The post Belabored Podcast, Episode 1: “We will shut down your city” appeared first on Dissent Magazine.

Nicole speaks with Congressman-elect Patrick Murphy (who beat Allen West), adoption advocate Robert Lamarche, and labor reporter Josh Eidelson on the Walmart Black Friday strike