Podcasts about McCarthyism

Writer Mark Russell joins us to discuss his path into comics, beginning with his breakthrough work God Is Disappointed in You, a satirical retelling of the Bible with cartoons by Shannon Wheeler that launched his unique career. We explore Mark's knack for breathing new life into seemingly impossible properties, from the reboot Prez and his surprising take on The Flintstones to his bold reimagining of Snagglepuss as a gay playwright facing McCarthyism in Exit, Stage Left!: The Snagglepuss Chronicles. Mark reveals his attraction to underestimated and dormant properties like the Wonder Twins, discusses the inspiration behind his controversial Second Coming series and reflects on the backlash it generated. We also dive into his Eisner Award-winning humor work Not All Robots, his collaboration process with artists like Mike Deodato, and his special creative partnership with Mike Allred on Superman: Space Age and Batman: Dark Age. Mark's recent Traveling to Mars series was just collected into trade paperback, and the second issue of the Vanishing Point anthology, comes out today, June 18! You can follow Mark on his website, markrussellbooks.com, and on Instagram and Bluesky @manruss.Support the show___________________Check out video versions of this and other episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/dollarbinbandits!If you like this podcast, please rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you found this episode. And if you really like this podcast, support what we do as a member of the Dollar Bin Boosters on Patreon: patreon.com/DollarBinBoosters.You can follow us @dollarbinbandits on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky, or @DBBandits on X. You can even email us at dollarbinbandits@gmail.com.___________________Dollar Bin Bandits is the official podcast of TwoMorrows Publishing. Check out their fine publications at twomorrows.com. ___________________ Thank you to Sam Fonseca for our theme music, Sean McMillan for our graphics, and Pat McGrath for our...

Why does a 72-year-old play about 333-year-old witch trials still feel urgently relevant today? Arthur Miller's The Crucible has become theater's ultimate evergreen story, because it captures something timeless and terrifying about human nature—our willingness to destroy each other when fear takes hold.When Miller's play premiered on January 10, 1953, audiences immediately understood it wasn't really about Salem. This was Miller's bold response to McCarthyism, a thinly veiled critique of Senator Joseph McCarthy's communist witch hunts that were tearing through American society. Miller had taken the Salem witch trials and transformed them into a mirror, forcing 1950s America to confront its own capacity for panic and persecution.But here's what makes The Crucible truly remarkable: it didn't stop being relevant when McCarthyism ended. In our current era, when we're so quick to label people as enemies and deny their humanity, Miller's allegory feels more essential than ever. The play's central question—what happens when a community turns against itself in search of hidden enemies—remains one of the most important questions we can ask.Whether you know the play from school, the stage, or the screen, whether you have family who lived through the Red Scare or ancestors who witnessed Salem's trials, The Crucible speaks to something universal about the human condition. It reminds us that in times of crisis, we all face the same choice: Will we stand with the mob, or will we find the courage to stand for justice?Buy the book: The Red Scare by Clay RisenBuy the Play: The Crucible by Arthur MillerBuy the book: The Enemy Within by John DemosHelp Us Build Our Patreon Community⁠⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts WebsiteThe Thing About Salem WebsiteCheck out our new podcast: The Thing About Salem on YouTube!⁠⁠Sign up for our Newsletter⁠⁠Donate to The Thing About Witch Hunts Fieldwork Fund

Lawfare Contributing Editor Renée DiResta sits down with Clay Risen to talk about his book “Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America,” exploring the historical context of McCarthyism and its relevance to contemporary issues. They discuss the dynamics of accusation versus evidence during the Red Scare, the impact of vigilantism, the erosion of civil liberties, and the lessons that can be drawn from this period in American history. Risen highlights lesser-known figures who resisted the Red Scare and examines the political opportunism that characterized the era, drawing parallels to current political challenges.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

June 9, 1954. Senator Joseph McCarthy has accused the United States Army of having communists within its midst. After rising to power during a time of great fear in America, McCarthy's name has become synonymous with anti-communism – and with baseless, life-ruining accusations. But today, five simple words will take down one of the most notorious men in American political history. What made McCarthy so powerful in the first place? And how did that very same thing eventually bring him down? Thank you to our guest, Ellen Schrecker, historian, author and expert on McCarthyism. Thank you to Thomas Doherty, Professor of American Studies at Brandeis University, for speaking with us for this episode. He is the author of Cold War, Cool Medium: Television, McCarthyism, and American Culture.  ** This episode originally aired June 8, 2020. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ellen Schrecker is the preeminent historian of McCarthyism/The Red Scare in America and we had a really great conversation with her about the resurgence of political repression today . . . Professor Schrecker argues that what we're seeing right now under the Trump administration, especially the attack on Palestine advocates on campuses, is already worse than the early Cold War years. We discussed how the two periods compare: what the motivation was (charges of communism and anti-semitism); the ways in which targeted groups, such as universities and unions, purged themselves before the government had to do it; how the resistance today is so much larger than it was in the 1950s; and what we can do to combat it.Bio//Ellen Schrecker is professor emerita at Yeshiva University and has published extensively on McCarthyism in America, especially the red scare and the universities. Her books include: . . . The Lost Promise: American Universities in the 1960s . . . The Lost Soul of Higher Education: Corporatization, the Assault on Academic Freedom, and the End of the American University. . . . Cold War Triumphalism: Exposing the Misuse of History after the Fall of Communism (Editor). . . . American Inquisition: The Era of McCarthyism (compact disc). . . . The Age of McCarthyism: A Brief History with Documents . . . Many Are the Crimes: McCarthyism in America. . . . No Ivory Tower: McCarthyism and the Universities-------------------------------------------Outro- "Green and Red Blues" by MoodyLinks//+ Prof. Schrecker's Website: https://www.ellenschrecker.com/+ Ellen Schrecker: Worse Than McCarthyism: Universities in the Age of Trump (https://bit.ly/4kDh7Fa)Follow Green and Red// +G&R Linktree: ⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/greenandredpodcast⁠⁠⁠ +Our rad website: ⁠⁠⁠https://greenandredpodcast.org/⁠⁠⁠ + Join our Discord community (https://discord.gg/3a6AX7Qy)+Follow us on Substack (https://greenandredpodcast.substack.com)+Follow us on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/podcastgreenred.bsky.social)Support the Green and Red Podcast// +Become a Patron at https://www.patreon.com/greenredpodcast +Or make a one time donation here: ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/DonateGandR⁠⁠⁠ Our Networks// +We're part of the Labor Podcast Network: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.laborradionetwork.org/⁠⁠ +We're part of the Anti-Capitalist Podcast Network: linktr.ee/anticapitalistpodcastnetwork +Listen to us on WAMF (90.3 FM) in New Orleans (https://wamf.org/) + Check us out! We made it into the top 100 Progressive Podcasts lists (#68) (https://bit.ly/432XNJT) This is a Green and Red Podcast (@PodcastGreenRed) production. Produced by Bob (@bobbuzzanco) and Scott (@sparki1969). Edited by Scott.

Scott talks with author Clay Risen about if modern politicians are returning to McCarthyism for political purposes. Also Ken Kober the Cincinnati FOP President joins Scott to explain how the Cincinnati city leadership is to blame for an OTR man's death. Finally Teresea Dinwiddie-Herman breaks down the latest scandal with the Catholic Church.

Scott talks with author Clay Risen about if modern politicians are returning to McCarthyism for political purposes. Also Ken Kober the Cincinnati FOP President joins Scott to explain how the Cincinnati city leadership is to blame for an OTR man's death. Finally Teresea Dinwiddie-Herman breaks down the latest scandal with the Catholic Church.

Guest: Clay Risen is a historian and a reporter and editor at The New York Times.  He is the author of several books including The Crowded Hour, a New York Times Notable Book of 2019, and his latest, Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America.   The post The Witch Hunt Against the Left in the 1940s appeared first on KPFA.

In this episode, we discuss the Broadway production of Good Night, and Good Luck at the Winter Garden Theatre. We look at how the show tackles McCarthyism, the role of media, and the challenges of adapting a story rooted in journalism. We analyze George Clooney's performance, the direction by David Cromer, and the design that brings 1950s America to life. We also talk about the Tony nominations, audience reactions, and what the ending montage means for today's media landscape.  Follow and connect with all things @HalfHourPodcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Share your thoughts with us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Good Night, and Good Luck ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on our podcast cover post on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We Must Save the Books. That's Michael Kimmage's SOS message from Trumpian Washington in this issue of Liberties Quarterly. Kimmage, former director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center, describes the surreal experience of being hired in January 2025 only to see his institution shuttered by Trump's administration three months later. He reflects on the "American ruin" created as a consequence of abandonment of the Wilson Center's 30,000 book library. And Kimmage connects the rapid destruction of foreign policy institutions like USAID and the U.S. Institute of Peace to a broader assault on expertise and nonpartisan learning, warning that without such institutions, "an abyss opens" in American governance and international relations. Five Key Takeaways* Institutional Destruction was Swift and Unexplained - The Wilson Center, USAID (reduced from 10,000 to 15 employees), and U.S. Institute of Peace were shuttered within months with no clear rationale provided, creating a "nightmare-like" quality where decisions happened without accountability.* America's First Modern Ruin - Kimmage describes the abandoned Wilson Center library as unprecedented in American experience - a functioning institution in the heart of Washington D.C. suddenly left as a tomb-like ruin, unlike anything seen in a country never defeated on its own soil.* Books Were Saved, But Expertise Was Lost - While the 30,000-volume library was eventually rescued and distributed to universities, the real loss was the destruction of nonpartisan expertise and institutional knowledge that took decades to build.* Echoes of 1950s McCarthyism - The assault on expertise mirrors McCarthyism, with direct connections through Roy Cohn's mentorship of Trump, but differs in scale since it's driven by a president rather than a senator.* The Death of Learning in Government - The shutdowns represent a fundamental rejection of the idea that careful, nonpartisan study of international affairs is essential to effective policymaking, potentially creating an "abyss" in American foreign policy capacity.Michael Kimmage is Director of the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute. Prior to joining the Kennan Institute, Michael Kimmage was a professor of history at the Catholic University of America. From 2014 to 2017, he served on the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he held the Russia/Ukraine portfolio. He has been a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and at the German Marshall Fund; and was on the advisory board of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. He publishes widely on international affairs and on U.S. policy toward Russia. His latest book, Collisions: The War in Ukraine and the Origins of the New Global Instability, was published by Oxford University Press in March 2024. He is also the author of The Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea in American Foreign Policy, published by Basic Books in 2020, and The Conservative Turn: Lionel Trilling, Whittaker Chambers and the Lessons of Anti-Communism, published by Harvard University Press in 2009.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting the daily KEEN ON show, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy interview series. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

In this Weekly Insight, Dr. Ettensohn examines the rise of moral panic within contemporary discourse about narcissism, particularly how popular online narratives have transformed psychological terms into tools of moral judgment. In this Weekly Insight, Dr. Ettensohn examines the rise of moral panic within contemporary discourse about narcissism, particularly how popular online narratives have transformed psychological terms into tools of moral judgment. Using a recent online interaction as a jumping-off point, the video traces how disagreement is increasingly reframed as harm, and how nuanced discussions of narcissistic personality structure are met with accusations of abuse, gaslighting, or complicity. Drawing on Stanley Cohen's original criteria for moral panic, and placing current trends alongside historical examples such as witch hunts, McCarthyism, and the Satanic Panic, Dr. Ettensohn contextualizes the intense emotional reactions that now dominate conversations about NPD. The video explores how stigma, stereotypes, and moral binaries are amplified online, creating a culture in which appeals to complexity and humanity have become taboo. It also considers the communal function of scapegoating within current narratives about narcissism. This video offers a clinically grounded, sociologically informed framework for understanding what happens when trauma discourse is overtaken by lurid sensationalism and moral panic, and why the path toward healing lies in reclaiming psychological depth, complexity, and humanization.  

Send us a textUniversity administrators have imposed an unprecedented array of repressive measures designed to squelch student protests against Israel's war in Gaza. Faculty have been affected as well, with many losing their jobs for advocating for Palestine. Margot Patterson talks to NYU Professor Andrew Ross, the secretary of Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, a national network of 130 campus chapters supporting student protesters and academic freedom, and Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), about the repression of dissent on campuses, the weaponization of antisemitism and the new McCarthyism. They say what's involved is not just pro-Palestine speech but an effort to destroy American universities. | 

Clay Risen, author of Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America, discusses key elements of this era--The Hollywood 10, censorship of books and movies, those affected, including actor Sterling Hayden and Robert Oppenheimer--as well as the national landscape that provoked the conspirator style of politics, unsung heroes, and much more.

At this very moment, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who have managed to survive Israel's scorched-earth siege and bombing are being deliberately starved to death as a result of Israel's 11-week blockade preventing food and aid from entering Gaza. As Jem Bartholemew writes at The Guardian, “The UN's humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, told the BBC [Tuesday] morning that 14,000 babies could die in Gaza in 48 hours if aid did not reach them in time. Five aid trucks entered Gaza on Monday but Fletcher described this as a “drop in the ocean” and totally inadequate for the population's needs.” In response to this dire humanitarian crisis, students at multiple university campuses in the US have launched hunger strikes in solidarity with the starving people of Gaza. In this urgent episode, we speak with four hunger strikers at the University of Oregon (UO), including: Cole, Sadie, and Efron, three undergraduate students who are all members of Jewish Voice for Peace - UO and who just completed a 60-hour solidarity hunger strike; and Phia, a Palestinian-American undergraduate student who has organized with JVP-UO on the hunger strike and who currently remains on hunger strike herself.Additional links/info:UO Gaza Hunger Strike Instagram and TikTokUO Gaza Hunger Strike: Community Calls to Action!Press Release: University of Oregon Students, Faculty, and Staff Launch “UO Gaza Hunger Strike” Campaign Protesting Mass Starvation and GenocideJewish Voice for Peace - UO InstagramNathan Wilk, KLCC, “University of Oregon protesters begin hunger strike for Gaza”Michael Arria, Mondoweiss, “Students across the U.S. are going on hunger strike as Israeli-engineered famine takes hold in Gaza”Syma Mohammed, Middle East Eye, “US: UCLA student hospitalised during hunger strike for Gaza”Jem Bartholemew, The Guardian, “First Thing: UN says 14,000 babies could die in Gaza in next 48 hours under Israeli aid blockade”Ronen Bergman & Natan Odenheimer, The New York Times, “In private, some Israeli officers admit that Gaza is on the brink of starvation”Maximillian Alvarez, Working People / The Real News Network, “‘The raids happened Wednesday, finals started Thursday': FBI agents raid homes of pro-Palestine students at University of Michigan”Maximillian Alvarez, Working People / The Real News Network, “‘A tremendous chilling effect': Columbia students describe dystopian reality on campus amid Trump attacks”Maximillian Alvarez, Working People / The Real News Network, “‘People are hiding in their apartments': Inside Trump's assault on universities” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “‘Worse' than McCarthyism: Trump's war on higher education, free speech, and political dissent”Audio Post-Production: Jules TaylorHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast

American Experience Presents stops by to share the fascinating story of Joseph McCarthy. From humble beginnings on a Wisconsin farm, to leveraging his military service after World War II to launch a successful Senate bid, McCarthy's story is one of ambition and opportunity. As Cold War tensions escalate, McCarthy masterfully taps into America's deepest fears about communism, positioning himself as the nation's defender against an invisible enemy. Discover how his rise coincides with a national climate of paranoia, setting the stage for the demagoguery that would define McCarthy's career—all against the backdrop of a nation grappling with its identity and values.You can find all episodes of American Experience Presents wherever you listen. Learn more about American Experience Follow the show on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads

This is the conclusion of our two part conversation with Tariq Khan on his book The Republic Shall Be Kept Clean: How Settler Colonial Violence Shaped Antileft Repression. In part one of the conversation we laid out many of the general dynamics between anti-indigenous settler colonial violence in the 19th Century and the development of the earliest iterations of anticommunism in the so-called United States, long before McCarthyism or even what's recognized by historians as the first Red Scare. In this conversation we talk about some of the legal precedents that the Trump administration has dusted off for some of his attempts to remove or exclude people for political views.  Because we recorded this conversation in December before Trump took office for his second term, we did not directly address several of his actions that draw from this history. The renaming of Denali as Mt. McKinley, drawing directly on laws used to deport anarchists to go after immigrants for their political views, and continuing the genocidal legacy of this settler colonial empire in fueling the genocide in Gaza. In addition to McKinley who was assassinated by an anarchist motivated in part by the US's war in the Philippines, we talk about contrasting figures like Teddy Roosevelt, John Hay, and Albert and Lucy Parsons and the influence that the later half of the 19th century, and 1877 in particular, had on their political trajectories. In addition we talk about the history of lynching and sexual violence and the relationship this practice had to disciplining anarchists alongside its roles for white society and as a repression mechanism against solidarity across racial lines.  Dr. Tariq Khan is a historian with an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the intertwined forces underlying and shaping our social, political, economic, and cultural institutions. He has wide-ranging research, writing, and teaching experience in the fields of global capitalism, transnational studies, U.S. history, psychology, sociology, ethnicity & race studies, gender studies, colonialism & postcolonialism, labor & working-class history, radical social movements, history “from below,” public history, and community-based research and teaching. A few things to shout-out. Recently I had the pleasure of joining the good people of Tankie Group Therapy on the East is a Podcast. I also recently joined Nick Estes from the Red Nation Podcast for a discussion of J. Sakai's book Settlers and went on Saturdays with Renee with Renee Johnston and Jared Ball. Recent episodes on our YouTube channel include Freedom Archives, Abdaljawad Omar, Momodou Taal, Steven Salaita, and a couple of discussions on Pakistan, India, and Kashmir. Make sure you're subscribed to our YouTube channel so you can catch all of that work as well. If you like the work that we do, please support our show via patreon you can do so for as little as $1 a month and now you can also make a one-time contribution through BuyMeACoffee. Your support is what makes this show possible.     

The girlies are back for part two of the immigration series to unpack our modern-day McCarthyism. Starting with a recap of current events (aka The Horrible Things Update), they pick up where they left off in history, discussing Japanese internment, the second Red Scare, post-9/11 surveillance, and how fear of the 'other' has always justified oppression. Digressions include Khloe Kardashian's venture into protein dust and the comforting fact that, as of today, sunlight is still legal to experience. We're going on tour!!!! Find tickets at https://linktr.ee/binchtopia  This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb and edited by Allison Hagan. Research assistance from Kylie Finnigan. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, zoom hangouts and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. SOURCES:  ‘He is not a gang member': outrage as US deports makeup artist to El Salvador prison for crown tattoos At $5 Million Each, 1000 ‘Gold Card' Visas Have Been Sold. Could This Pay Off The US Debt? Ask a Historian: How Many Japanese Americans Were Incarcerated During WWII? Columbia University agrees to policy changes after Trump administration funding threats Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians Counterintelligence and Access to Transactional Records: A Practical History of USA PATRIOT Act Section 215 Eighty Years After the U.S. Incarcerated 120,000 Japanese Americans, Trauma and Scars Still Remain  Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations Edward Snowden Speaks Out: 'I Haven't And I Won't' Cooperate With Russia Fact check: Is Tren de Aragua invading the US, as Trump says? Florida lawmakers push legislation to weaken child labor laws  Forced to live in horse stalls. How one of America's worst injustices played out at Santa Anita Harvard Renames Diversity Office As Trump Demands Dismantling of DEI Harvard, Under Pressure, Revamps D.E.I. Office Harvard Will Not Fund Affinity Group Graduation Celebrations Following Ed Department Warning  Higher education, federal government ‘intimately connected' History of the Certificate of Citizenship, 1790–1956 Hollywood Ten How U.S. immigration laws and rules have changed through history HUAC   ICE Arrests Nearly 800 in Florida in Operation With Local Officers ICE deported 3 children who are U.S. citizens, their families' lawyers say   Immigration and Naturalization in the Western Tradition Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of The United States by Tren De Aragua Japanese Internment Camps Judge Blocks Deportations of Venezuelans Under Wartime Law Law from the 1950s may play role in Columbia University student deportation case   Maryland judge orders return of second man deported to El Salvador in violation of court order  McCarran Internal Security Act of 1950 (1950) McCarthyism / The "Red Scare"  McCarthyism and the Red Scare Memorializing Incarceration: The Japanese American Experience in World War II and Beyondlocked National Security Entry-Exit Registration System Of Spies and G-Men: How the U.S. Government Turned Japanese Americans into Enemies of the State PATRIOT Act    Redress and Reparations for Japanese American Incarceration The Alien Enemies Act, Explained The Alien Enemies Act Is a Weak Argument for Deportation The Alien Enemies Act Paved the Way for Japanese American Incarceration. Let's Keep It in the Past. The Alien Enemies Act: The One Alien and Sedition Act Still on the Books The case of Edward Snowden This Is What Detention Under the Alien Enemies Act Looked Like in World War II Truman's Loyalty Program Trump is promising deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. What is it? Trump May Seek Judicial Oversight of Columbia, Potentially for Years  Trump officials issue quotas to ICE officers to ramp up arrests U.S. Immigration Timeline Venezuela minister says no Tren de Aragua members among US deportees When John Adams Signed a Law to Authorize Deportations and Jail Critics World War II Japanese Americans Incarceration: Justice Denied  

Mohsen Mahdawi is a free man. That has not come easily. It has taken a national human rights campaign to free Mahdawi and keep him free. He is among the first people in the country to be freed from detention under President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Mohsen Mahdawi is a Columbia University student and Palestinian activist who was arrested in Vermont by immigration agents last month at what he was told would be a citizenship interview. Mahdawi, 34, grew up in a refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank but is now a legal permanent resident living in Vermont. He is a practicing Buddhist and was president of the Columbia University Buddhist Association and he co-founded Columbia's Palestinian Student Union.Mahdawi's immigration interview on April 14 was supposed to be the last step in his 10-year journey to become a U.S. citizen. But it was a trap. Upon completing his interview, he was whisked away in unmarked SUVs by armed and masked federal agents. He was accused by the State Department of posing a threat to national security over his pro-Palestine campus activism. Mahdawi was keenly aware of President Trump's ominous crackdown on immigrants. Other international students who were in the U.S. with valid student visas or were legal permanent residents were being snatched off the street and quickly shipped to a prison in Louisiana, where judges were more sympathetic to the Trump administration's effort to deport them. Mahdawi alerted Vermont's congressional delegation to his fear of being arrested and he contacted attorneys to act swiftly in the event he was detained. Just as he anticipated, the federal agents who arrested him hustled him to the Burlington airport where he was to be put on a plane to Louisiana. This followed a well-worn script — until Mahdawi missed his flight. That gave time for his lawyers to make an emergency appeal to Vermont federal Judge William Sessions III, who immediately issued an order blocking the Trump administration from removing him from Vermont. Mahdawi was in immigration custody in Vermont for 16 days. On April 30, Vermont Judge Geoffrey Crawford ordered Mahdawi's release on bail, comparing his arrest to the unlawful repression of free speech under McCarthyism. The Trump administration is continuing its effort to deport Mahdawi. For now, he can continue his fight for freedom outside of prison. (Disclosure: the ACLU of Vermont, where I am a board member, is part of Mahdawi's legal team.) Mohsen Mahdawi is planning to attend his graduation from Columbia University next week and to begin graduate studies at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs in September.I met Mohsen Mahdawi near his home in the rural Upper Connecticut River Valley. He said he preferred to be outside in nature, his sanctuary. He asked me to join him on a favorite hike through a forest and up a hillside with beautiful views. Following is an excerpt of our Vermont Conversation edited for length and clarity. You can hear the full conversation at the audio link at the top of this article.

On May 9, 2025, 29 world leaders are in Moscow to celebrate the Soviet Unions victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. To explain the significance of that victory 80 years later, we speak to Professor Gerald Horne. And Georgetown Law Professor David Cole compares the attack by Congress on students and universities to the red scare McCarthyism of the 1950s. Plus headlines on DC substitute teachers, Hands Off Our History, Gaza, Congress and more...  The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people's voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and support our own media! Please click here or click on the Support-Donate tab on this website to subscribe for as little as $3 a month. We are so grateful for this small but growing amount of monthly crowdsource funding on Patreon. PATREON NOW HAS A ONE-TIME, ANNUAL DONATION FUNCTION! You can also give a one-time or recurring donation on PayPal. Thank you! “On the Ground: Voices of Resistance from the Nation's Capital” gives a voice to the voiceless 99 percent at the heart of American empire. The award-winning, weekly hour, produced and hosted by Esther Iverem, covers social justice activism about local, national and international issues, with a special emphasis on militarization and war, the police state, the corporate state, environmental justice and the left edge of culture and media. The show is heard on three dozen stations across the United States, on podcast, and is archived on the world wide web at https://onthegroundshow.org/  Please support us on Patreon or Paypal. Links for all ways to support are on our website or at Esther Iverem's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/esther_iverem

Matt Crawford speaks with Andrew Holter about his book, Going Around: Selected Journalism Murray Kempton. A courtly man of Southern roots, Murray Kempton worked as a labor reporter for the New York Post, won a Pulitzer Prize while at Newsday, and was arrested at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago along the way. He wore three piece suits and polished oxfords and was known for riding his bicycle around New York City while listening to his CD Walkman and smoking a pipe with wild red hair that later turned white. He developed a taste for baroque prose and became, in the words of Robert Silvers, his editor at The New York Review of Books, ''unmatched in his moral insight into the hypocrisies of politics and their consequences for the poor and powerless.'' He went to court proceedings and traffic accidents and funerals and to speeches by people who either were or wanted to be rich and famous. He wrote about everything and anybody—Tonya Harding and Warren Harding, Fidel Castro and Mussolini, Harry Truman and Sal Maglie, St. Francis of Assisi and James Joyce and J. Edgar Hoover. From dispatches from a hardscrabble coal town in Western Maryland, a bus carrying Freedom Riders through Mississippi, an Iowa cornfield with Nikita Krushchev, an encampment of guerrillas in El Salvador, and Moscow at the end of the Soviet Union (these last two assignments filed by a reporter in his 70s), Kempton's concerns and interests were extraordinarily broad. He wrote about subjects from H.L. Mencken to Tupac Shakur; organized labor and McCarthyism; the Civil Rights and Black Power movements; presidential hopefuls and Mafiosi; frauds and failures of all stripes; the “splendors and miseries” of life in New York City.

Max Blumenthal discusses a US senator's call for the fbi to investigate code pink on specious grounds, the inflammatory US tour of Israeli fascist Itamar Ben Gvir, and Trump's failing negotiating strategy in Ukraine.

McCarthyism, Whitaker Chambers, Alger Hiss, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Paul Robeson, House Un-American Activities Committee, the Smith Act, the Hollywood 10, the Joint Anti-Fascist Committee, the Truman Loyalty Program, the Blacklist, book burning, and communism – all subjects of controversy during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s here in the United States. Clay Risen, a reporter and editor at the New York Times, has a fresh look at all this in his book, "Red Scare." Mr. Risen writes in his preface that his grandfather was a career FBI agent who joined the Bureau during World War II, and he recounted stories of implementing loyalty tests for the federal government in the late 1940s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

McCarthyism, Whitaker Chambers, Alger Hiss, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Paul Robeson, House Un-American Activities Committee, the Smith Act, the Hollywood 10, the Joint Anti-Fascist Committee, the Truman Loyalty Program, the Blacklist, book burning, and communism – all subjects of controversy during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s here in the United States. Clay Risen, a reporter and editor at the New York Times, has a fresh look at all this in his book, "Red Scare." Mr. Risen writes in his preface that his grandfather was a career FBI agent who joined the Bureau during World War II, and he recounted stories of implementing loyalty tests for the federal government in the late 1940s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During production of Johnny Guitar, Joan Crawford wrangled a lacklustre script, a mercurial director, a chaos agent, and columnists who put a bounty on her head. Johnny Guitar is a parable about the persecutions of McCarthyism, but it's also about the perils in store for an aging film star.

This Day in Legal History: Louisiana Adopts State Constitution, McCarthy Dies, and Birmingham CampaignOn May 2, 1939, Louisiana adopted its current state constitution, known as the Louisiana Constitution of 1921, which at the time marked a significant overhaul of state governance. Though originally adopted in 1921, it underwent critical amendments and re-ratification processes culminating on this date to reflect broader federal constitutional principles, especially concerning civil rights and governance reforms. This version would go on to become one of the most amended constitutions in the U.S., highlighting Louisiana's complex political and legal environment, particularly around issues of race, voting, and economic regulation.On the federal level, on May 2, 1957, Senator Joseph McCarthy died, signaling the end of one of the most controversial chapters in American legal and political history. McCarthy had become the face of the post-war Red Scare, using Senate hearings and investigations to accuse numerous government officials and private citizens of Communist sympathies without substantial evidence. His tactics led to the coining of the term “McCarthyism,” representing the broader trend of reckless accusations without due process, a violation of basic legal protections. His downfall began with the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings, where his aggressive questioning was televised, turning public opinion sharply against him.Also on May 2, 1963, during the Birmingham Campaign, hundreds of African American children and teenagers marched in Birmingham, Alabama, as part of a civil rights strategy to provoke mass arrests and draw national attention to segregation. The police response, using dogs and fire hoses on peaceful demonstrators, shocked the nation and galvanized support for federal civil rights legislation. These events laid crucial groundwork for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which fundamentally altered American legal frameworks surrounding discrimination.Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, never one to sugarcoat institutional danger, pulled no punches in a recent address where she warned that political attacks on the judiciary—particularly from Donald Trump and his orbit—aren't just angry outbursts. They're strategic. “Not random,” she emphasized, but seemingly calculated to chill the bench and warp the public's view of judicial independence. Speaking in Puerto Rico at a judges' conference, she framed the threats and harassment against judges as not merely inappropriate, but corrosive to democracy itself—an erosion of the rule of law masquerading as political speech.While Jackson didn't name Trump directly (a nod, perhaps, to judicial decorum), she acknowledged “the elephant in the room.” That elephant has been stomping around the judiciary for years, from defying court orders to demanding impeachments of judges who don't rule his way. Chief Justice John Roberts—no firebrand liberal—has already rebuked Trump this year for trying to undermine judicial authority. Jackson's remarks, which reportedly drew a standing ovation, echoed deeper concerns among legal scholars about an impending constitutional crisis fueled by executive overreach and coordinated judicial delegitimization.With a 6–3 conservative majority still holding firm on the Supreme Court, her comments are more than ideological protest. They're a pointed reminder that the judiciary's legitimacy isn't just under rhetorical attack—it's being targeted as a political obstacle. And in Jackson's view, the stakes couldn't be higher.US Supreme Court Justice Jackson criticizes Trump's attacks on judges | ReutersDonald Trump's judicial conveyor belt is up and running again. Today, May 1, 2025, he announced his first federal judicial nominee since retaking the White House: Whitney Hermandorfer, a conservative legal operative from Tennessee who's clerked for three sitting Supreme Court justices and currently works under the state's Republican Attorney General. If confirmed, she'll take a seat on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals—a vacancy that lingered after Biden's nominee stalled amid GOP opposition from Tennessee's own senators.Trump's post on Truth Social didn't mince words: Hermandorfer is a “Fighter,” a term that doubles as both a branding strategy and a judicial philosophy. Her resume backs that up—she's defended Tennessee's abortion ban and fought Biden-era protections for transgender students. Translation: she's been in the legal trenches of the culture war and emerged as a reliable soldier for the right.This nomination is the opening salvo in what could be a new wave of over 100 judicial appointments in Trump's second term, offering him another shot at reshaping the federal bench after appointing 234 judges—including three Supreme Court justices—during his first. Hermandorfer is stepping into a seat vacated by Judge Jane Stranch, an Obama appointee, whose intended successor under Biden, Karla Campbell, never got her Senate vote thanks to a post-election deal between Democrats and Republicans to fast-track some trial court nominees at the cost of four appellate picks.The judicial arms race is back. And this time, the Senate arithmetic—and the vacancies left behind—may tilt even harder in Trump's favor.Trump makes first judicial nomination since returning to White House | ReutersGoogle's legal team is headed to federal court Friday to plead with Judge Leonie Brinkema not to yank apart its advertising tech empire. At stake is nothing short of the future architecture of online advertising. The DOJ is pushing to force Google to divest key parts of its Google Ad Manager, including the ad exchange and publisher ad server—core infrastructure for monetizing digital content. Think of it as ripping out the plumbing from the internet's ad economy.Judge Brinkema has already ruled that Google unlawfully tied its ad server and ad exchange, leveraging its dominance in a way that stifled competition and hurt publishers. Not exactly a glowing endorsement of their market behavior. Still, Google insists that a forced breakup isn't just excessive—it's legally unjustified. Their position is these tools do more than just hawk banner ads, and the DOJ's remedy would be a regulatory overreach.In the backdrop is another case in D.C., where the DOJ is toying with the idea of making Google sell Chrome—the browser—over its search dominance. Google clearly doesn't want a repeat of that nightmare here.So, the message from Mountain View is clear: Let's talk tweaks, not torpedoes. But Brinkema's already signaled she sees systemic harm. Whether that translates into structural remedies—or just more behavioral promises—now depends on how persuasive Google's lawyers can be without sounding like they're defending a monopoly.Google will seek to avoid ad tech spinoff in antitrust case | ReutersThis week's closing theme brings us into the fiery imagination of Hector Berlioz, the 19th-century French composer who lived as intensely as he wrote. Berlioz was a Romantic through and through—equal parts visionary, dramatist, and eccentric. His music defied convention, his orchestration exploded boundaries, and his literary obsession with Goethe's Faust gave rise to one of his most enigmatic and powerful works: La Damnation de Faust (The Damnation of Faust), completed in 1846.Not quite an opera, not quite a cantata, Berlioz called it a "dramatic legend"—a hybrid form that suited his unconventional style and theatrical flair. Drawing from Gérard de Nerval's French translation of Faust, the work traces the tortured scholar's tragic arc: from existential despair, to enchanted pastoral scenes, to infernal damnation, all wrapped in Berlioz's vivid orchestral color. Its fourth part, the “Ride to the Abyss” and “Pandemonium,” is especially striking—a blazing descent into hell that's often performed independently, particularly around Walpurgis Night on April 30 and May 1, when tales of witches' sabbaths and demonic revels echo the scene's imagery.At its premiere, The Damnation of Faust baffled audiences and bombed commercially, though it has since been recognized as one of Berlioz's masterpieces, showcasing his flair for narrative, his taste for the macabre, and his unmatched orchestral daring. It remains a high watermark for musical storytelling without staging—and an apt closer for a week shadowed by ambition, unrest, and devilish bargains.Without further ado, The Damnation of Faust, by Hector Berlioz. Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Federal Judge orders the release of Columbia Student Mohsen Mahdawi comparing Trump's actions to the Red Scare and McCarthyism. Dina Doll reports on how Trump's latest attempt scare tactic backfires. Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to https://fatty15.com/misstrial and using code: MISSTRIAL at checkout. Visit https://meidasplus.com for more! Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Charles H.F. Davis III about the increasingly repressive conditions on university campuses, particularly in the context of Columbia University's caving in to federal pressures under the thumb of Trump's administration. We explore the broader implications of these concessions at the expense of liberalized notions of intellectual and academic freedom, student activism, and the role of universities as sites of political struggle. Dr. Davis highlights the historical and ongoing repression of student activism, particularly pro-Palestinian movements, and critiques the legal and institutional frameworks that perpetuate these violences. We also delve into the limitations of liberalism in fending off fascist infringement and the active participation of universities in maintaining these structures of domination. We also touch on the historical collaboration between Zionist organizations and U.S. universities, the erosion of diversity and inclusion initiatives, and the broader implications for the future of higher education. Dr. Charles H.F. Davis III is a third-generation educator, organizer, and artist. He is a faculty member in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education and director of the Campus Abolition Research Lab at the University of Michigan. His research and teaching broadly explore the racialized consequences of higher education on society, including the role of colleges and universities in limiting the life-making possibilities of Black and other racialized communities. Edited/produced by Aidan Elias, music as always is by Televangel If you like what we do and want to support our ability to have more conversations like this. Please consider becoming a Patron or supporting us at BuyMeACoffee.com/MAKCapitalism. You can do so for as little as a 1 Dollar a month at patreon or by making a one time contribution through BuyMeACoffee.   Longer bio:  Dr. Charles H.F. Davis III is a third-generation educator, organizer, and artist committed to the lives, love, and liberation of everyday Black people. Dr. Davis is a faculty member in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education and director of the Campus Abolition Research Lab at the University of Michigan. His research and teaching broadly explore the racialized consequences of higher education on society, including the role of colleges and universities in limiting the life-making possibilities of Black and other racially minoritized communities. Dr. Davis has produced nearly three dozen scholarly publications, which have been cited in amicus curiae brief to the Supreme Court of the United States and included as expert testimony before the California State Assembly. He is co-editor of Student Activism, Politics, and Campus Climates in Higher Education (Routledge) and author of the forthcoming Campus Abolition and Police-Free Futures on Johns Hopkins University Press. For his intellectual contributions, Dr. Davis been nationally-recognized by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, as a 2020 Emerging Scholar by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, a recipient of the National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship, a 2024 Inductee to the Martin Luther King, Jr. College of Ministers and Laity's Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College and, most recently, was named a Senior Fellow at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. At the institutional level, Dr. Davis' teaching and service have been recognized as the 2023 recipient of the John Matlock Cornerstone Award for his contributions to the success of African American students at the University of Michigan and the 2024 Diversity, Inclusion, Justice, and Equity Award at the U-M Marsal Family School of Education.

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) talks with Matt Lewis about Senator Margaret Chase Smith's historic “Declaration of Conscience,” delivered in 1950 during the height of McCarthyism. Senator King draws direct parallels between Smith's courageous stand for constitutional principles and today's challenges to American democracy, emphasizing the urgent need for patriotism over partisanship. Citing the erosion of checks and balances, King warns of the rising threat of concentrated executive power and the undermining of the rule of law. He calls on Congress to reassert its constitutional authority and urges Americans to remember that the Constitution is not just a document — it's a defense against tyranny. Support "Matt Lewis & The News" at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewisFollow Matt Lewis & Cut Through the Noise:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDCTwitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattklewis/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A– Who is Matt Lewis? –Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians.Buy Matt's book: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416Copyright © 2024, BBL & BWL, LLC

Common Man Hour 2 --JJ McCarthy Presser --5 Questions --Twins Win --McCarthyism's

Common Man Hour 2 --JJ McCarthy Presser --5 Questions --Twins Win --McCarthyism'sSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Common Man Hour 2 --JJ McCarthy Presser --5 Questions --Twins Win --McCarthyism'sSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During this bonus episode, taped live at the Angelika Film Center in downtown Manhattan in a send-up to the Hollywood Ten, writer and critic Julie Salamon returns to The Wreckage to host New York Times editor/reporter and historian Clay Risen and AJHS executive director Gemma R. Birnbaum. Risen's new book, Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America, provided an excellent framework for the discussion. Our deep appreciation to Rebecca Naomi Jones, who has once again brought life to the archives this season, and with her immense talent and empathetic storytelling, took our listeners on a riveting journey through one of the most tumultuous times in US history.  Additional thanks to Matthew Dallek, Thomas Doherty, Martin J. Siegel, Larry Tye, Jelani Cobb, Clay Risen, and Julie Salamon for being part of our season. The Wreckage is made possible by funding from the Ford Foundation. Additional funding is provided through the American Jewish Education Program, generously supported by Sid and Ruth Lapidus.  

A dystopian reality has gripped America's colleges and universities: ICE agents are snatching and disappearing international students in broad daylight; student visas are being revoked en masse overnight; funding cuts and freezes are upending countless careers and our entire public research infrastructure; students are being expelled and faculty fired for speaking out against Israel's US-backed genocidal war on Gaza and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. An all-out assault on higher ed and the people who live, learn, and work there is being led by the federal government and aided by law enforcement, internet vigilantes, and even university administrators. Today's climate of repression recalls that of McCarthyism and the height of the anti-communist Red Scare in the 1950s, but leading scholars of McCarthyism and political repression say that the attacks on higher education, free speech, and political repression we're seeing today are “worse” and “much broader.” In this installment of The Real News Network podcast, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with a panel of scholars about the Trump administration's authoritarian war on higher education in America, the historical roots of the attacks we're seeing play out today, and what lessons we can draw from history about how to fight it. Panelists include: Ellen Schrecker, a historian and author who has written extensively about McCarthyism and American higher education, and a member of the American Association of University Professors national committee on academic freedom and tenure. Schrecker is the author and co-editor of numerous books, including: The Right To Learn: Resisting the Right-Wing Attack on Academic Freedom; The Lost Promise: American Universities in the 1960s; No Ivory Tower: McCarthyism and the Universities; and Many Are the Crimes: McCarthyism in AmericaDavid Palumbo-Liu, Louise Hewlett Nixon Professor in Comparative Literature at Stanford University, host of the podcast Speaking Out of Place, and author of several books, including: Speaking Out of Place: Getting Our Political Voices Back; The Deliverance of Others: Reading Literature in a Global Age; and Asian/American: Historical Crossings of a Racial FrontierAlan Wald, H. Chandler Davis Collegiate Professor Emeritus of English Literature and American Culture at the University of Michigan. Wald is an editor of Against the Current and Science & Society, he serves as a member of the academic council of Jewish Voice for Peace, and he is the author of a trilogy of books from the University of North Carolina Press: Exiles from a Future Time: The Forging of the Mid-Twentieth-Century Literary Left; Trinity of Passion: The Literary Left and the Antifascist Crusade; and American Night: The Literary Left in the Era of the Cold WarStudio Production: David HebdenAudio Post-Production: Jules TaylorHelp

First, Ralph welcomes Washington Post tech journalist Faiz Siddiqui to discuss his new book "Hubris Maximus: The Shattering of Elon Musk." Then, our resident legal expert Bruce Fein stops by to explain how Elon Musk and DOGE are breaking the law. Finally, David picks up our interview with Ralph about Ralph's new book "Civic Self-Respect."Faiz Siddiqui is a technology journalist who writes for the Washington Post and has covered companies such as Tesla, Uber, and Twitter (now X) for the Business Desk. His reporting has focused on transportation, social media and government transformation, among other issues. He is the author of Hubris Maximus: The Shattering of Elon Musk (excerpted here).Over and over throughout this book, there's this recurring theme of victimhood, or at least Elon feeling like his back is against the wall. And why? For what? He and his fans felt they were doing the right things, and yet they were being scrutinized and punished for it.Faiz SiddiquiIn the wake of many Facebook scandals, many Uber scandals, Tesla was the company to work for. Elon was the person to work for. There was no figure as magnetic, who inspired people in the way that Elon did. So recruiting was a strong suit of that company. And the pitch was: come here and change the world.Faiz SiddiquiI think what this book brings is a healthy dose of reality and skepticism… that so far has been lacking from the overall conversation around Musk. And what I you'll find is (I hope you'll find) that you can identify with some of the folks in the book who were lured in by the promises (or just enamored by the guy and what he might be able to bring to society if his goals were ultimately realized) but then ended up feeling disappointed or feeling like—hey, this guy was not all he was cracked up to be. Even if the goals were noble, even if the ambitions were the right ones, the ends might not have justified the means. And so I want people to find, ideally, that their understanding of one of the most powerful people in society today is enriched.Faiz SiddiquiBruce 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.[Elon Musk is] just a walking violation of the federal code.Bruce FeinThere's nowhere to go but up in terms of being a smart consumer. Unfortunately, our Elementary and high schools don't teach consumer skills (they prefer to teach computer skills) and consumer skills result in what is, in effect, a pay raise.Ralph NaderAdam Smith once said many centuries ago that the purpose of production is consumption. And if consumption is informed and feeds back, it can lead to a high-quality economy. It can lead to more integrity to your consumer dollar and to your health and safety. It can lead to less environmental damage. It could lead to stronger regulation of product defects and services that are harmful. It's sort of a bottom-up economic democracy.Ralph NaderComplexity is a tool of power. Complex tax regulations are often blamed on the federal bureaucracy. No, it's the corporate tax lawyers.Ralph NaderNews 4/25/251. On Monday, April 21st, Vatican News announced the death of Pope Francis. This came just one day after Easter Sunday, when Francis met with Vice-President JD Vance. The day prior, Francis had snubbed the VP, sending in his place Cardinal Pietro Parolintoto to “deliver a lecture on compassion,” per the Daily Beast. Pope Francis led the Catholic Church since 2013 and during his tenure sought to move the church in a vastly more progressive direction – preaching against capitalism's destruction of the environment, advocating for abolition of the death penalty and greater acceptance for LGBTQ Catholics within the church, and expanding the reach of the church into non-traditional areas such as Mongolia among many other initiatives. This won him the admiration of many around the world, but also drew the ire of the conservative clergy, particularly in the United States. Francis was the first Jesuit Pope and the first Pope to hail from the New World. Senior churchmen will now assemble to elect a new pope. This conclave is expected to be contentious, with progressives seeking to consolidate Francis' reforms, while the conservatives see an opening to take back the formal organs of the church.2. Instead of death, our next story concerns birth. Noor Abdalla – wife of Mahmoud Khalil, the Palestinian Columbia University student currently being held by ICE in Louisiana – gave birth to their son on Monday. According to a statement by Abdalla, reported by Arya Sundaram of WNYC, ICE denied a request for Khalil to be temporarily released to meet their son, a “purposeful decision by ICE to make [her], Mahmoud, and our son suffer.” Later in this statement, Abdalla writes, “I will continue to fight every day for Mahmoud to come home to us. I know when Mahmoud is freed, he will show our son how to be brave, thoughtful, and compassionate just like his dad.” Khalil's case continues to wind its way through the courts; the result of this case will have significant ramifications for the Trump administration's ability to remove individuals with legal status on the basis of political speech.3. In an encouraging sign, more and more congressional Democrats are getting personally involved in cases of Trump administration overreach on immigration. In addition to Senator Chris Van Hollen's highly-publicized visit to El Salvador, TruthOut reports that Senator Peter Welch met with Mohsen Mahdawi, the Columbia University student entrapped with a false citizenship test, in Vermont. Meanwhile Cape Cod Times reports that on April 22nd, Senator Ed Markey and Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Jim McGovern of Massachusetts – along with Democratic members of the House Troy Carter and Bennie Thompson – traveled to a Louisiana detention facility to demand the release of Rümeysa Öztürk, the Tufts University grad student who was abducted off the street last month by masked ICE agents. This delegation met with Öztürk herself, as well as Mahmoud Khalil. And CBS reports Representatives Robert Garcia, Maxwell Frost, Yassamin Ansari and Maxine Dexter traveled to El Salvador as well, keeping pressure up regarding the Kilmar Garcia case. Still, hundreds of immigrants of varying status have been deported to the ominous and shadowy CECOT prison camp in El Salvador without due process since Trump began this mass deportation campaign.4. In more troubling Congressional news, Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa wrote a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel on April 16th calling for investigations into the progressive activist group CodePink as well as the New York City cultural center known as the People's Forum. This letter is almost textbook McCarthyite red-baiting, claiming CodePink and the People's Forum are nothing more than mouthpieces for the Chinese Communist Party, thereby violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Beyond the fact that these groups are engaging in nothing more than constitutionally protected political speech, it is clear from the citations within the letter that they are targeting these groups because of their pro-Palestine positions. This is just another escalation in the Orwellian suppression of free-speech critical of the Israel's illegal occupation. Unfortunately, just as with McCarthyism itself, we cannot count on congressional Democrats to go to bat for the free speech rights of the Left.5. In a win for consumers, Bloomberg reports Airbnb announced it will now display the total price of stays – including all fees – to comply with a Federal Trade Commission rule set to go into effect next month. Many worried that the FTC would rescind this rule with the changing of the administration, but for now at least, the Trump FTC seems poised to keep it. This new rule is expected to “nudge hosts to lower their cleaning fees to make rentals more affordable, as the sometimes-exorbitant fees have become a key reason why some customers preferred hotels over Airbnb.”6. Another positive move is that the Trump Department of Justice has proceeded with an anti-trust case against Google's advertising technology, or “adtech.” On April 17th, a judge found Google liable for “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power,” in two markets for online advertising technology, per Reuters. This follows a similar judgment against Google regarding a monopoly on search, which is only amplified by its adoption of AI. Another trial will determine the remedy for this monopoly, which could include Google being forced to sell off aspects of its business. According to this report, “Google has previously explored selling its ad exchange to appease European antitrust regulators.” Senator Amy Klobuchar, former chair of the antitrust subcommittee, called the ruling “a big win for consumers, small businesses, and content creators that will open digital markets to more innovation and lower prices.”7. On the other hand, Public Citizen's Rick Claypool reports, “58 corporations facing federal investigations & enforcement lawsuits collectively gave $50 million to Trump's inaugural fund. Cases against 11 of these corporations have already been dismissed or withdrawn, and 6 have been halted.” More granular information about each of these enforcement actions is available through Public Citizen's Corporate Enforcement Tracker database, but the big picture is clear: If a corporation wants the government off its back, all they have to do is make a handsome contribution. The Trump administration is pay-to-play and open for business.8. In another instance of the administration tying the hands of key federal regulators, the Food and Drug Administration will “End its Routine Food Safety Inspections,” according to the National Public Health Information Coalition. The FDA plans to “shift most…food safety inspections to state and local agencies.” While some food inspections are conducted at the state and local level, public health advocates are raising concerns about “oversight and consistency.” According to CBS, these plans have not been finalized.9. Turning to the very worst part of this administration, NOTUS reports “The DOGE website, the only public accounting of Elon Musk and President Donald Trump's attempts to reduce federal government spending…[has posted]…revisions that suggest DOGE was previously overstating its savings by hundreds of millions of dollars.” These stunning, if not altogether surprising, overestimations are staggering in scale. “On Tuesday [April 15th] alone, DOGE removed around $962 million in previously claimed cuts and altered hundreds of others to boost individual items' purported ‘savings' values.” The incompetence of DOGE has led Musk to reduce the target goal of spending cuts, down from $1 trillion to just $150 billion – a drop in the bucket when it comes to federal spending and certainly not worth the evisceration of Social Security and other programs these cuts have entailed.10. Finally, in more bad news for Elon Musk, Reuters reports the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is tightening electric vehicle battery safety standards, specifically to “ensure…batteries won't catch fire or explode.” This is quite a humble regulatory goal. However, this new regulation could spell disaster for Tesla. According to Tesla-fire.com, there have been 232 confirmed cases of Tesla fires and “83 Fatalities Involving a Tesla Car Fire.” If I were a Chinese EV regulator, I would be wary of allowing Tesla vehicles on the roads. But that's just me.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

Diana West is the author of The Death of the Grown-Up, American Betrayal, The Red Thread, and her newest release Wake Up and Smell the Culture and other selected essays. She talks the new administration, McCarthyism, propaganda, her biggest concern, polarization of the country, the next level of revolution, future of academia, and much more. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE LIKE AND SHARE THIS PODCAST!!!   WatchShow Rumble- https://rumble.com/v6sized-wake-up-and-smell-the-culture-and-other-selected-essays-diana-west.html YouTube- https://youtu.be/OCZwnP3cW_M   Follow Me X- https://x.com/CoffeeandaMike IG- https://www.instagram.com/coffeeandamike/ Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/CoffeeandaMike/ YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@Coffeeandamike Rumble- https://rumble.com/search/all?q=coffee%20and%20a%20mike Substack- https://coffeeandamike.substack.com/ Apple Podcasts- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coffee-and-a-mike/id1436799008 Gab- https://gab.com/CoffeeandaMike Locals- https://coffeeandamike.locals.com/ Website- www.coffeeandamike.com Email- info@coffeeandamike.com   Support My Work Venmo- https://www.venmo.com/u/coffeeandamike Paypal- https://www.paypal.com/biz/profile/Coffeeandamike Substack- https://coffeeandamike.substack.com/ Patreon- http://patreon.com/coffeeandamike Locals- https://coffeeandamike.locals.com/ Cash App- https://cash.app/$coffeeandamike Buy Me a Coffee- https://buymeacoffee.com/coffeeandamike Bitcoin- coffeeandamike@strike.me   Mail Check or Money Order- Coffee and a Mike LLC P.O. Box 25383 Scottsdale, AZ 85255-9998   Follow Diana X- https://x.com/realDianaWest Order Diana's new book- https://a.co/d/i0Wg1Mm Substack- https://dianawest.substack.com/ Patreon- https://patreon.com/DianaWest?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=join_link   Sponsors Vaulted/Precious Metals- https://vaulted.blbvux.net/coffeeandamike McAlvany Precious Metals- https://mcalvany.com/coffeeandamike/ Independence Ark Natural Farming- https://www.independenceark.com/  

In this solo documentary episode, Will considers the events that led to Charlie Chaplin's political exile from the United States in 1952, and the lessons he offers for the current era of neo-McCarthyism. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/127261077

In this episode of the Explaining History podcast we speak with the writer Dennis Broe whose new book The Dark Ages, explores the second Hollywood anti communist purge of 1951. We talk about Hollywood and Los Angeles as a site of ongoing class struggle, the role of the media and the LAPD in the development of modern Los Angeles and the role of dissenting writers and film makers in challenging the power of the studios.You can join Dennis for a zoom class on Darkest LA: Film Noir, Greed and Corporate Graft in LaLa Land Friday Nights 7-8:30 ETFive-week online course begins May 2, then 9, 16, 23, June 6$100 For the Course includes a special “bonus” sixth week June 13 Register for the course at https://radicalimagination.info/A Zoom link will be sent to all subscribersSponsored by Institute for the Radical Imagination, Marxist Education Program,LA Progressive and People's WorldWeek 1 – Left of Eden, about the beginning of the Cold War and its intrusion into Hollywood at the moment of the beginning of the breakup of the studio system which had been so prosperous over the previous two decades. We'll see the echoes of the Cold War ethos in today's foreign policy.Week 2 – A Hello To Arms, about the renewal of the arms industry after the war in what was nominally a time of peace and how that affected the African-American community as wartime opportunities vanished. This will be an occasion to examine the current state of relations in the African-American community as well as the US “defense” industry, a behemoth that today is utterly out of control and that dictates global wars.Week 3 – The Precinct With The Golden Arm about the LAPD and its changing modes of surveillance, particularly of the Mexican-American community is this period starting to dominate Boyle Heights, an area that is now being gentrified. This novel also looks at Big Pharma and its relation to drugs in these communities and will prompt an examination of the origin of street drugs, of surveillance by what Mike Davis calls “the space police,” and of continued struggle and resistance in the city's Latinx population.Week 4 – The House That Buff Built about the LA real estate industry and the design and spatial allocation of the city and its sprawling suburbs. This will be an examination of racial discrimination in housing and especially of the history and exploitation of the Chinese population as well as the role of the LA Times and its owners The Chandlers in divvying up the city.Week 5 – The Dark Ages about the second and more destructive devastation caused by McCarthyism in the form of HUAC in Hollywood. We will look at the history of unions in the entertainment industry and in the city as a whole and posit that it was union activity in the industry that brought HUAC to Hollywood. We'll then look further at the history of unions in the city both in the past and today.Bonus 6th Week, Pornocopia, on corporate America's penetration into the mob industries of porn in LA and gambling in Las Vegas. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Suzi talks to Alan Wald, Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan and a member of the academic council of Jewish Voice for Peace, to unpack the Trump offensive against higher education — a campaign that escalated after last spring's clampdown on student encampments protesting the Israel–US war on Gaza. Since October 7, universities have cracked down on protests under the guise of protecting “Jewish student safety.” What does it mean when many of those protesting are themselves Jewish? And, despite the repression, these crackdowns haven't earned universities any favor with the government. Congressional hearings forced the resignation of university presidents, and now the Trump administration is threatening to withdraw federal research funds. Columbia University buckled, while Harvard, Princeton, and others are holding the line and fighting back. At the center of it all is the redefinition and weaponization of antisemitism as a political tool used to quash criticism of Israeli policy and chill speech. This isn't just censorship. It's an authoritarian bid to impose ideological control over the academy. Alan Wald has tracked this turn — its roots, its enablers, and its eerie echoes of McCarthyism. He helps us understand where we are — and what it means. Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.

Journalist Clay Risen is out with a new narrative history of the Red Scare, based in part on newly declassified sources. In Red Scare, Risen depicts McCarthyism as a cultural witch hunt against all kinds of people, not just potential communist spies. And he argues that the Red Scare was part of a broader cultural backlash against New Deal progressivism and an increasing sense of cosmopolitanism in the United States. In today's episode, Risen joins NPR's Steve Inskeep for a conversation about Senator Joseph McCarthy's personal and political opportunism, the enduring power of conspiracy theories, and how the Constitution did – and didn't – stand up to protect American civil liberties.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This hour we talk about the history of the Second Red Scare, a period also known as McCarthyism. We learn about why the Scare took off in the United States, its impact, and how it eventually fizzled out. Plus, we’ll look at the parallels and throughlines between that time period and our current moment. And, a look at how the Second Red Scare impacted Hollywood, and how it, in turn, was reflected back through the movies. GUESTS: Clay Risen: Reporter and editor at The New York Times, and the author of Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America Ann Hornaday: The Washington Post's Senior Film Critic. She is the author of Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clay Risen, author of Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America, joins to discuss the era when suspicion was a political tool and civil liberties were sidelined. Today we have echoes—and outright repetitions—of McCarthyite tactics, from loyalty oaths to immigration crackdowns. Also- there may be three plastic spoons' worth of microplastic in the average human brain—according to science, which Mike neither trusts nor understands, on account of his 0.5% spoon brain. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In his book, "Red Scare," Clay Risen examines the history of the 1950s anti-Communist witch hunt and connects it to Trump and Musk's anti-DEI and intellectual purges.

Fights over how American history is taught. Labels of “Communist” and “Socialist” used to smear. Civil rights gains seen as a loss for the “real” America. While all that might sound like last week's headlines, those battles and the hysteria surrounding them are nothing new. In “Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism and the Making of Modern America,” Clay Risen details how the conspiracy-mongering and cultural backlash of that post-World War II period speak to the divisiveness of today. The award-winning historian and New York Times editor joins Equal Time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new book, "Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America," journalist Clay Risen resurrects a turbulent chapter of post–World War II American history.

Aziz Rana, J. Donald Monan, S.J., University Professor of Law and Government at Boston College, is back on the program to talk about the 20th and 21st century constitutional order leading to the current crisis under Trump. They delve into the attack on racial liberalism, the balance between the disavowed and embraced aspects of McCarthyism, the theory of the unitary executive, defending and regulating capitalism, the advent of the carceral state, and more. Read Aziz's piece on the matter at New Left Review, “Constitutional Collapse”. Subscribe now for the full episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.Clay Risen, New York Times reporter and the author of Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America (Scribner, 2025), on his new book (First) | Andrew Marantz, staff writer at The New Yorker, on why young men are shifting to the Right (Starts at 31:05) | Avery Trufelman, host of the podcast Articles of Interest, delves into the last 100 years of preppies and their clothes (Starts at 59:10)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

As our centennial series continues, Clay Risen, New York Times reporter and the author of Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America (Scribner, 2025), goes through the history of the Cold War-era struggle inside the US between the FDR progressives and social conservatives and how it continues to reverberate.

Lucille Ball might have been a natural boundary-pusher, but America's top TV comedienne had some ‘splaining to do when a damning news broadcast unveiled her former ties to the Communist Party. The hysteria of the Red Scare threatened to bury this redhead at the bottom of the Hollywood blacklist overnight. Even when America put rampant McCarthyism to rest, the United States government kept watching Lucille Ball – and we're not talking about I Love Lucy reruns. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Columbia University graduate who led protests last year has been detained by I.C.E. Even though he is a green card holder. On this week's On the Media, hear why the case has conjured comparisons to the Red Scare of the forties and fifties. Plus, a look at the years-long campaign to dismantle press freedoms in the United States.[01:00] Host Brooke Gladstone speaks with Corey Robin, distinguished professor of political science at Brooklyn College, on the arrest of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, and the parallels between now and the Red Scare of the forties and fifties. [16:49] Brooke continues her conversation with Corey Robin, author of Fear: The History of a Political Idea. Robin explains how free speech crackdowns can change our political culture and tear at the fabric of the soul. Plus, how Humphrey Bogart betrayed the ideals of his most celebrated film.[27:00] Host Micah Loewinger speaks with David Enrich, business investigations editor for The New York Times and author of the new book, Murder the Truth: Fear, the First Amendment, and a Secret Campaign to Protect the Powerful, on why a Supreme Court case that's protected press freedoms for over half a century may now be in danger.Further reading:“Two Paths for Jewish Politics,” by Corey Robin“Muskism and McCarthyism,” by Alan Dean, Charles Petersen, and Corey Robin“There Are No Good Reasons Not to Fight,” by Corey Robin“Can the Media's Right to Pursue the Powerful Survive Trump's Second Term?” by David Enrich On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.

On today's episode of The Right Time, Bomani Jones discusses the latest in NFL free agency. Bo starts the show by reacting to the vast amount of unexpected NFL news including Geno Smith being traded to the Raiders (4:15), why Sam Darnold will end up in Seattle (7:26), and if DK Metcalf getting paid means George Pickens will want a new contract as well. (12:54) Next, Bo revisits his thoughts on Myles Garrett after he re-signed with the Cleveland Browns (14:50), by saying he is the greatest player in their franchise's history since Jim Brown and what this contract extension means for Micah Parsons. (19:33) And finally, we have another round of If You Haven't Heard stories involving why America is persecuting its teachers, 'boomers' trying to get one last job before retirement (28:03), and why Tulsa is aiming to be the next big tech city. Then Bomani listens to some voicemails about the time you tried your mom or dad. (41:38) If You Haven't Heard Contributors:  Clay Risen, Author of the forthcoming Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America. “When America Persecutes Its Teachers” (The Atlantic) https://bit.ly/3Fh65FJ  Nicholas Lalla, Author of Reinventing the Heartland.“ A Case for Turning Tulsa Into the Next Big Tech Hub” (Wired) https://bit.ly/3QUXFGp  Noah Sheidlower, Economy Reporter with Business Insider “Boomers are struggling to land that one last job before they hit retirement” https://bit.ly/3FdfjCN  . . . Subscribe to The Right Time with Bomani Jones on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok for all the best moments from the show. Download Full Podcast Here: Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/6N7fDvgNz2EPDIOm49aj7M?si=FCb5EzTyTYuIy9-fWs4rQA&nd=1&utm_source=hoobe&utm_medium=social Apple:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-right-time-with-bomani-jones/id982639043?utm_source=hoobe&utm_medium=social Follow The Right Time with Bomani Jones on Social Media:  http://lnk.to/therighttime Subscribe to Supercast for Ad-Free Episodes: https://righttime.supercast.com/ Support the Show: Discover faster, more reliable search with Perplexity today. Download the app or ask Perplexity anything at perplexity.com! https://pplx.ai/bomani-jones  When any player scores 50 or more points in a game, DashPass members save 50% on an order, up to $10 off. Use promo code NBA50 to redeem. See further terms and conditions at https://drd.sh/8ONpZP/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices