Podcasts about Policy studies

There's $326 billion sitting in charitable accounts that face no legal requirement to ever pay out a cent — and the 2026 IPO wave is about to add hundreds of thousands more. Donor-advised funds are now 11 of the top 20 charities in the US by contributions, and the same vehicle that could fund the climate transition has spent two decades quietly funding the movement against it.In this episode, Susan Su reveals how DAFs became the fastest-growing force in American philanthropy, why that should bother anyone who cares about climate, and what donors can actually do about it.We cover:How financialization turned a sleepy 1931 community-foundation tool into the biggest charity engine in the country, once Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab got involved in the 1990sWhy DAFs are a regulatory free pass — immediate tax deduction, no payout requirement, near-total anonymity, and a clean way to erase capital gains before an IPOThe real cost to everyone else: the Institute for Policy Studies estimate that every $1 in a DAF carries a $0.74 taxpayer subsidyWhat's hiding behind the headline 20% payout rate, and why the median account tells a different storyHow DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund moved $479 million in untraceable money into the anti-climate movement — and how Fidelity, Schwab, and Vanguard routed $171 million to the groups behind Project 2025Why the IPO wave won't just mint a few whales but half a million minnows — the median Fidelity DAF holds just $23,500, which makes this everyone's problemFour ways DAF capital is uniquely suited to climate: catalytic first-loss equity, concessionary debt for first-of-a-kind projects, pooled funds, and funding the public goods markets ignoreOnly about 3% of US charitable giving goes to all environmental causes combined. Religious causes got 28% in 2020. The tool takes no sides — but right now, only one side is using it at scale.Read the full essay at climatemoney.substack.com.Warning: this could radicalize you.

IPS-Nathan Lecture by Dr Shawn Lum — Lecture II by Institute of Policy Studies

Singapore’s fertility rate has fallen to a historic low, and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has signalled that there are no plans to introduce a new population target or revise the figures set out in past population planning discussions.Instead, the focus is on maintaining stability and avoiding population decline in an increasingly uncertain demographic landscape.As birth rates continue to fall around the world and immigration remains carefully managed, what does a sustainable population look like for Singapore? Can policy measures meaningfully reverse the trend, or is the country entering a new era where success is measured by more than just population growth?On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr Kalpana Vignehsa, Senior Research Fellow in the Governance and Economy department at the Institute of Policy Studies, to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest episode of the Center for Immigration Studies podcast examines a recent U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memo emphasizing that adjustment of status - the process allowing certain aliens, either temporary visa holders or unlawfully present, who are eligible for permanent residence to obtain it without leaving the United States - is a discretionary benefit and not a guaranteed alternative to consular processing abroad.The discussion between Senior Legal Fellow George Fishman and Director of Policy Studies Jessica Vaughan is accompanied by a new report and a policy blog on the subject.Among the key findings:Congress created adjustment of status under section 245 of the new Immigration and Nationality Act in 1952 largely to eliminate the need for temporary visa holders already in the United States to travel outside the U.S. for immigrant visa processing to permanent status.In FY2023, which is the most recent year for which statistics on adjustment of status admissions are available, the number of adjustments was 608,260 out of 1,172,910 total immigrant admissions, or 52 percent. Of these adjustments, by far the largest share were in the category of Immediate Relatives (315,830). In contrast, in 2023 only 146,880 people adjusted in all the employment categories combined, although this represented 75 percent of all employment LPR admissions.The policy change is expected to have its greatest impact on certain family-based applicants, including some who overstayed visas, violated the terms of admission, or entered illegally and received parole.While USCIS has broad discretion in adjustment decisions, courts have held that such discretion is not unlimited and may be reviewed for abuse of discretion.Existing legal precedent does not clearly support treating the mere act of seeking adjustment of status as a negative factor weighing against an applicant.USCIS has indicated that it may exercise discretion and offer some applicants the opportunity to adjust if it is in the national interest, such as in the case of applicants with meaningful employment or for humanitarian considerations.Fishman's report concludes that the legal significance of the directive will depend on how USCIS implements it in practice. If denial rates rise substantially or applications are denied absent meaningful adverse factors, litigation challenging those decisions is likely to follow (if federal courts allow legal challenges to adjustment denials outside of removal proceedings).Vaughan argues that the policy could strengthen the integrity of the immigration system as overstayers and parolees will no longer apply for fear of being caught for extended unlawful presence.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestsJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies.George Fishman is a Senior Legal Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.LinksUSCIS Upends the Status Quo for Adjustment of StatusUSCIS Blocks Green Card Shortcut for Overstayers and ParoleesIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

A recent survey by the Institute of Policy Studies found a growing acceptance of Singlish among Singaporeans, with many viewing it as an important part of national identity that is worth preserving. But like any living language, Singlish is constantly evolving, shaped by new generations and changing ways of speaking. Does this signal a shift in what it means to be Singaporean? Steven Chia speaks with associate professor Tan Ying Ying from Nanyang Technological University and Dr Melvin Tay from the Institute of Policy Studies about how Singlish has changed over the years, and why change may not be something to fear. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SGLaw200 Youth Forum: Session 1 "Rule of Law and Our Economy" by Institute of Policy Studies

SGLaw200 Youth Forum: Session 2, "Track 2: Stewarding Tomorrow's Environment" by Institute of Policy Studies

SGLaw200 Youth Forum: Session 2, "Track 1: Artificial Intelligence and Digital Assets – Shaping Tomorrow's Digital World" by Institute of Policy Studies

SGLaw200 Youth Forum: Session 2, "Track 4: Social Diversity and Inclusivity" by Institute of Policy Studies

SGLaw200 Youth Forum: Closing Remarks by Institute of Policy Studies

SGLaw200 Youth Forum: Opening Address by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong by Institute of Policy Studies

SGLaw200 Youth Forum: Dialogue on the Rule of Law and our Social Fabric by Institute of Policy Studies

SGLaw200 Youth Forum: Session 2, "Track 5: Youth Voice & Civic Engagement" by Institute of Policy Studies

SGLaw200 Youth Forum: Session 2, "Track 3: Online Harms, Freedom of Speech and Digital Citizenship" by Institute of Policy Studies

SGLaw200 Youth Forum: Ideation Challenge — Presentations and Award Ceremony by Institute of Policy Studies

Iain Dale is joined on Cross Question this evening by Telegraph journalist and former Tory adviser Kirsty Buchanan, Alfie Stirling from the left-leaning Joseph Rowntree Foundation think tank, Emma Revell from the right-leaning Centre for Policy Studies think tank and former Labour Party official Richard Power-Sayeed.

Lord Michael Spencer on the CPS, Conservative Renewal, and Making the Case for Enterprise Jimmy interviews Lord Michael Spencer at the Centre for Policy Studies' Margaret Thatcher Enterprise Conference in London, discussing Spencer's career founding ICAP and his current role chairing the CPS as it recruits a new executive director to succeed Robert Colvile. Spencer explains what a think tank and its chair do, arguing the CPS should build detailed, sequenced pro-growth policy plans for a Conservative opposition and communicate them more effectively through broadcast media and podcasts. 00:00 Conference Setup 01:44 Meet Lord Spencer 01:52 Building ICAP 03:47 Conservative Party Years 06:42 Leading the CPS 10:17 Hiring New Director 14:36 Making Case for Business 17:38 Westminster Talent Problem 19:17 Think Tanks and Funding 24:15 Closing Thanks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Singapore is one of the wealthiest cities in the world. But a landmark new report from The Food Bank Singapore and the Institute of Policy Studies reveals a food support sector that is resourceful, quietly stretched and more fragmented than most people realise. On Viewpoint, Dr Seah Lay Hoon, Senior Research Fellow, NUS, and lead researcher behind Hunger Report III, joins Lyn Lee to unpack what the sector actually looks like from the inside. Why is storage, not funding — the single biggest operational bottleneck? Who is really using food support, and are resources reaching those who need them most? And what would it take to build a more coordinated, resilient system?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ralph speaks to Dr. Marina Nord of the V-Dem Institute about this year's V-Dem Democracy Report and how the Trump Administration is dismantling democracy in the US. Then, Ralph welcomes Dr. Ralph Estes to discuss corporations' shady accounting practices.Dr. Marina Nord is a postdoctoral research fellow at the V-Dem Institute. She is co-author of V-Dem's Democracy Report 2026: “Unraveling The Democratic Era?”.Only six countries during the 21st century have registered larger one-year drops on the aggregate Liberal Democracy Index [than the United States] —and all of them are coups. If you look at the last almost 250 years (so for which we have data going back to 1789), there were only thirty-five instances of more rapid dismantling of democracy—almost all of them were either military coups or international interventions.Dr. Marina NordWe do not measure [Trump's] words. We measure how institutions function de facto. And what is a lot more important for us is not only what he says, but how other institutions (checks and balances) function to constrain him. And one of the things that we see, for example, is that Congress is not constraining him in any way. And this is very, very serious, because if you have a President who violates the law, who violates the Constitution, you should have the judiciary who stand up, the Supreme Court who should stand up to protect the Constitution. You should have the Congress who is not allowed to [abdicate power to the executive]. And this is something that is very, very concerning, a lot more concerning than what Trump is saying. What I find a lot more concerning is that there are no checks and balances to constrain him.Dr. Marina NordWhen looking at the data, we also looked at the countries who managed to stop autocrats similar to Trump. And we tried to analyze which factors contributed to stopping democratic backsliding and turning it around. So research shows that, of course, there is no single recipe, but there are several combinations of factors that may help. One of them is: use whatever institutional safeguards that you still have in the United States…The second thing that we know that still works quite well is robust societal action. And by that we mean not only demonstrations similar to the No Kings protests, but sustained protests, mass pro-democracy protests…And then, of course, one of the things that still should be a possibility to turn things around is the midterm elections.Dr. Marina NordDr. Ralph Estes is Emeritus professor of business and accounting at American University in Washington, D.C., co-founder and vice president of The Center for Advancement of Public Policy, and Emeritus Trustee at the Institute for Policy Studies. He is the author of several books, including Tyranny of the Bottom Line: Why Corporations Make Good People Do Bad Things and Fight the Corpocracy, Take Back Democracy: A Mad As Hell Guide for the 99%.The public has no way of fairly evaluating a corporation except through the press, what it sees in corporate press releases and their claims about being, for example, environmentally responsible and very favorable to customers. And there are no measures on that. Corporation doesn't give us any. Corporation produces a set of financial statements. You won't know how relevant those financial statements are to you and me. They're not relevant at all… In terms of social performance, there's nothing in the corporate reports, the formal reports, that is reliable. Again, you're stuck with what the corporation claims or what the politicians who are lobbying for contributions will admit corporations do… But this is a problem. If the corporation doesn't report it, if the citizens don't know about it, the politicians can try to do something, but they have to start from scratch.Dr. Ralph EstesNews 5/15/26* We begin this week with a bombshell story from Latin America. This week, El País broke what they are calling “Hondurasgate,” an expose centering on leaked audio recordings of conversations between President Donald Trump, Argentinian President Javier Milei and former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández – who was convicted and sentenced to 45 years in prison on drug trafficking charges in the U.S. but pardoned by Trump last year. In these leaked recordings, the three current and former heads of state discuss the creation of a “channel of spreading fake news with the intention of misinforming and destabilizing” Leftist governments in the region, including those of Gustavo Petro in Colombia and Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico. According to this report, the leaks reveal the involvement of another world leader – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – in the decision to pardon Hernández. El País writes the leaks prove the pardoning of Hernández was “not a gesture of clemency, but the down payment of a broader agreement.” Expect more damning information to come out as more recordings are unearthed, even if so far the American media has largely blacked out this stunning story.* At the same time the Trump administration is seeking to subtly undermine governments like Mexico's, they are executing considerably less subtle covert operations there as well. On March 28th, an explosion blew up the car of alleged narco Francisco Beltran just outside Mexico City. CNN now reports that, while “Mexican authorities have maintained extreme secrecy around the explosion,” multiple sources confirm that this was “a targeted assassination,” carried out by the CIA. Not only that, this operation is reportedly just one of several assassinations carried out by the CIA against rank-and-file cartel members on foreign soil which began last year. Troublingly, CNN notes these operations could be illegal under Mexican law, which prohibits foreign agents from participating in law enforcement operations without the express permission of the federal government. Omar Garcia Harfuch, Mexico's Secretary of Security released a statement indicating that the Mexican government has not granted any such permission, writing “The Government of Mexico categorically rejects any version that seeks to normalize, justify, or suggest the existence of lethal, covert, or unilateral operations by foreign agencies on national territory.”* One ironic aspect of the joint right-wing destabilization effort and CIA covert operations campaign both currently underway in Mexico is the fact that the Sheinbaum government has affected a stunning reduction in murders throughout the country. According to Mexico Solidarity Media, the daily average of intentional homicides has been reduced by 40% between the beginning of the Sheinbaum administration in October 2024 and April 30, 2026, with that last month hitting the lowest level in over a decade – comparable in fact to the United States. We can only hope that Sheinbaum is able to stay the course and continue to drive down the murder rate while simultaneously avoiding the destabilization campaigns being waged against her government.* In Colombia, another state targeted in the Hondurasgate plot, Ivan Cepeda continues to consolidate progressive forces in that country ahead of the presidential election, aiming for a first round victory. This week, Luis Gilberto Murillo, a center-left presidential candidate, dropped out and endorsed Cepeda. While Murillo never rose very high in the polls, he has held high positions in the Colombian government – including Minister of Environment and governor of the department of Choco as well as Colombia's ambassador to the United States and later foreign minister under Gustavo Petro.Colombia One notes that this is the second such withdrawal in recent weeks, with Senator Clara López doing the same, indicating a serious intention among the progressive forces in Colombia to stave off a second round of the presidential election, which could see the right-wing consolidate against Cepeda in a way they have thus far been unable to do ahead of the first round.* Meanwhile, El Salvador's Nayib Bukele, a standard bearer for the Latin American Right and a close ally of President Trump, is mired in a new scandal involving his dealings with the MS-13 gang and his ensuing attempts to silence the press. According to PBS, last month the Salvadoran outlet El Faro, in conjunction with PBS FRONTLINE released a documentary titled The Deal: Trump, Bukele & the Gangs of El Salvador, which “uncovered evidence that Bukele's administration had offered privileges to gang leaders in prison in exchange for a reduction in homicides and voter support in territories the gangs controlled.” Now, in retaliation for publishing this story, Bukele has reportedly “frozen the personal assets of two of [El Faro's] shareholders,” including editor-in-chief Carlos Dada who said in a press conference that “These are not fiscal measures…They are political measures trying to silence us.” This article notes that the facts presented in The Deal are particularly damning to Bukele, because of his public claims that he “would never negotiate with gangs” because it would grant them legitimacy. Just as it is ironic that the Trump administration is seeking to destabilize the Mexican government while it dramatically reduces murders, so too is it ironic that it is seeking to bolster the Bukele regime even as it carries out secretive deals with the very gangs the U.S. claims to be fighting.* In a wholly different part of the world, the centrist Labour Party government of Keir Starmer in the UK is teetering on the brink of collapse. Starmer's popularity has been declining precipitously ever since he entered office, but the crisis of confidence from within his own party accelerated after the disastrous results of the May 7th local elections. Now, according to CNN, over 100 members of his party in Parliament are calling for him to resign, but the only way to trigger a leadership challenge is for at least 81 Labour MPs to coalesce around a single challenger – and as yet, none have crossed that threshold. Starmer himself has refused to stand down, challenging any other claimants to come forward. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has come the closest to openly challenging Starmer, even resigning his post in the government but stopping short of formally announcing a leadership challenge, the BBC reports. For now, Starmer continues to cling to power but each day could be his last at No. 10.* Turning to American foreign policy news, this week the Senate voted down yet another War Powers Resolution on Iran – the seventh such attempt since the war began in late February. What is notable about this resolution is that it won the support of the most GOP Senators yet – Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – yet still failed by a margin of 50-49 because Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania crossed party lines to vote against the resolution. This from CBS. Even with Fetterman's disloyalty, this vote is significant for the number of Republicans who broke ranks, perhaps indicating a growing unease with the war and particularly its impact on the price of consumer goods, beginning with gasoline and cascading from there.* In more congressional news, Southern states are scrambling to act in the wake of the Callais decision. In South Carolina and Mississippi, state officials have rejected attempts to call special sessions to redraw congressional maps before this year's midterms. But, NPR reports Alabama is moving towards a new map that, like Louisiana, will likely include just one single largely Black, Democratic-leaning congressional district. However, even though some of these states are holding off on redrawing these districts today, it does not mean those districts will be safe tomorrow. And in Tennessee, where the legislature is moving ahead with a plan to do away with the state's majority Black 9th congressional district in a special session – resulting in a revolt by Democrats in the legislature – the Republicans are retaliating by stripping all Democrats from their standing committee seats for “creating disorder,” per StateAffairs.com. Expect this process to get more contentious, and plain uglier, as it grinds ahead.* Next, a story in Fortune highlights the cost of data center construction. According to this story, the nearly 50,000 permanent residents of the California ski resort town of Lake Tahoe – which regularly attracts 25 to 28 million visitors annually – will soon be disconnected from their traditional power source, NV Energy. NV supplies the power to Liberty Utilities, which services the area directly, and NV has informed Liberty that it will stop providing power after May 2027. That power will instead be redirected to data centers, leaving Liberty Utilities less than a year to find another power source. This story notes that “Northern Nevada has become one of the fastest-growing data-center corridors in the country,” with Google, Apple, and Microsoft all having built or planning to build facilities in the area. Gallingly, just last fall NV Energy's director of business development said the company was “eager to serve the new industrial load” but that it would not “impact [their] existing customer base.” This is a troubling preview of what may come as data center expansion continues unchecked.* Finally, in a story that proves once again that corporate greed knows no limits, the Lever is out with a new report on a class-action lawsuit by consumers against “private equity-backed bowling giant Bowlero.” According to the Lever, the suit accuses Bowlero of executing a “‘multi-year anticompetitive scheme to consolidate bowling centers,' which has led to skyrocketing bowling prices, deteriorating lanes, and ‘the veritable destruction of the decades-old pastime of bowling in America.'” The numbers back up this narrative. Bowlero, which had just six locations in 2012, has exploded to 350 today. The company is said to control roughly 35 percent of U.S. bowling revenue – and 95% of all lanes in some markets – as well as acquiring the Professional Bowling Association itself. As with any monopoly, once it had cornered the market Bowlero proceeded to jack up prices, even using AI to do so algorithmically. In a sense, this is a story we have all heard too many times to be surprised, but we can still be shocked by the base greed of corporate executives, even in something as seemingly anodyne as the bowling industry.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

Caroline speaks to the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who is also Minister for Equalities and Women, about the tumultous week for Sir Keir Starmer as almost 100 Labour MPs called on him to go. Claire Ainsley, who was policy director for Keir Starmer when he was in opposition and is now at the Progressive Policy Institute and Robert Colville, director of the centre right think tank, the Centre for Policy Studies assess whether Labour is doing enough to promote growth, in the week that the UK economy unexpectedly grew by 0.6% during the first three months of the year.Conservative peer Matthew Elliott, who was the Chief Executive of the Vote Leave campaign during the Brexit referendum ten years ago and the Liberal Democrats' Business spokesperson Sarah Olney debate whether Europe is once again becoming a defining issue in British politics after the prime minister vowed to put “Britain at the heart of Europe”.And two long-term Westminster insiders discuss Labour's leadership challenge: the Labour peer, Ayesha Hazarika, who worked as an adviser to several senior Labour party politicians and LBC presenter and writer Iain Dale.

Keir Starmer is defying his own party, the public, and political gravity. But is he going anywhere? After a humiliating set of local, Welsh, and Scottish election results, the knives are out in the Parliamentary Labour Party. Yet the would-be challengers — Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner, Andy Burnham, Ed Miliband — can't seem to land a blow. Spiked Online's Brendan O'Neill joins Julia to break down why this isn't just a Starmer problem… it's a problem with the entire political class.Then, as King Charles delivers the King's Speech, the verdict is damning: recycled announcements, no serious plan for the economy, nothing on immigration, doubling down on net zero, and dragging the country back towards the EU. Robert Colvile, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies and Sunday Times columnist, digs into the numbers: Britain is borrowing over £100 billion a year, welfare spending now exceeds income tax receipts, and the bond markets don't care who leads the Labour Party… despite some MPs saying that the bond markets will have to ‘fall in line'.The brutal truth? Whoever takes over from Starmer inherits the same in-tray: wars in Ukraine and Iran, an energy crisis, a ballooning welfare bill, an ageing population, and a public that refuses to hear difficult choices. As Colvile puts it: you can change the Prime Minister, but you can't change the bond markets.Julia Hartley Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM. Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike joins Dr. Choi Kang, President of the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies, to break down the latest results from the Institute's annual public opinion poll and what they reveal about how South Koreans view today's most pressing security challenges. Why is Japan's Prime Minister the most popular global leader among South Koreans? What's driving record-high support for the U.S.–ROK alliance? And why is backing for an indigenous nuclear deterrent simultaneously rising to unprecedented levels? Mike and Dr. Choi unpack the data and what it means for South Korea's strategic direction on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.

The Center for Immigration Studies has released a new episode of its weekly podcast analyzing the Trump administration's use of travel restrictions and visa limitations affecting dozens of countries. In the episode, Jessica Vaughan, CIS's Director of Policy Studies, explains that the administration has implemented a series of “more expansive and more targeted” travel restrictions […]

The Center for Immigration Studies has released a new episode of its weekly podcast analyzing the Trump administration's use of travel restrictions and visa limitations affecting dozens of countries.In the episode, Jessica Vaughan, CIS's Director of Policy Studies, explains that the administration has implemented a series of “more expansive and more targeted” travel restrictions than seen in his first administration – affecting 75 countries through a combination of full bans, partial restrictions, and category-specific limitations.“These policies are not one-size-fits-all,” Vaughan notes. “They are tailored to specific concerns, including national security risks, weak identity verification systems, and high visa overstay rates, some exceeding 50 percent in certain categories. The restrictions are subject to periodic review.”Additionally, the podcast examines a January 2026 State Department pause on immigrant visa issuance for certain countries under public charge considerations, affecting nations with high rates of welfare use among immigrants.Vaughan's discussion with CIS Executive Director and podcast host Mark Krikorian covers how Congress has granted the president authority to restrict entry in the national interest, forming the legal basis for these measures. Currently, restrictions vary widely:Some countries face full entry bans;Others are subject to partial limits, such as restrictions on student or tourist visas;Waivers are available for compelling cases.Vaughan emphasizes that these policies coincide with a broader effort to strengthen vetting processes at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the State Department. This includes expanded fraud detection, a new National Vetting Center, and more special agents being hired.The policies are already reducing entries and agency workload, but their full impact remains unclear, as the administration has not yet released detailed data.In his closing commentary, Krikorian discusses two blog posts this week on assimilation in Miami, by Resident Scholar Jason Richwine. The experience of Miami shows that assimilation into the mainstream is not inevitable and automatic, and that large-scale admissions can make receiving communities unrecognizable. Keeping immigration low and slow is the key to successful assimilation.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies.LinksPublic Charge PauseExec Order on travel bansMiami: A Failure of the Assimilation ModelMore on Miami as a Failure of AssimilationIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

This episode is a recording of a webinar panel hosted by International Allies Against Mining, moderated by Yvette Borja, with Vidalina Morales, President of the Association for Social and Economic Development of Santa Marta, John Kavanaugh, Senior Advisor at the Institute for Policy Studies, and Luis Parada, Senior Counsel for Sovereign Arbitration Advisors. They discuss the 12 year long fight to pass the historic 2017 metals mining ban and the continued interest that mining companies have demonstrated in El Salvador. Support the podcast by becoming a patron: https://patreon.com/radiocachimbona?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkRead Yvette and Jorge's article describing their experience observing the Santa Marta 5 criminal trial: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5q43k0hpFollow @radiocachimbona on Instagram, X, and Facebook

National Lawyers Guild former President Marjorie Cohn: Supreme Court Kills Voting Rights Act, Green-Lights Return of New ‘Jim Crow' EraInstitute for Policy Studies' Phyllis Bennis: Is the U.S.-Israel War on Iran About to Reignite?Coal River Mountain Watch Executive Director Vernon Haltom: As Trump Pushes to Extract More Coal, Mountaintop Removal Mining Linked to Severe Health ImpactsBob Nixon's Under-reported News Summary• Arizona's SNAP participation rate craters—portends crisis for most vulnerable in America• Islamist militants seize Mali's capital city after the defense minister is assassinated• Papua New Guinea human rights activist wins 2026 Goldman Environmental prizeVisit our website at BTLonline.org for  more information, in-depth interviews, related links,  transcripts and subscribe to our BTL Weekly Summary and/or podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday at 12 noon ET,  website updated Wednesdays after 4 p.m. ETProduced by Squeaky Wheel Productions: Scott Harris, Melinda Tuhus, Bob Nixon, Anna Manzo, Susan Bramhall, Jeff Yates and Mary Hunt. Theme music by Richard Hill and Mikata. 

National Lawyers Guild former President Marjorie Cohn: Supreme Court Kills Voting Rights Act, Green-Lights Return of New ‘Jim Crow' EraInstitute for Policy Studies' Phyllis Bennis: Is the U.S.-Israel War on Iran About to Reignite?Coal River Mountain Watch Executive Director Vernon Haltom: As Trump Pushes to Extract More Coal, Mountaintop Removal Mining Linked to Severe Health ImpactsBob Nixon's Under-reported News Summary• Arizona's SNAP participation rate craters—portends crisis for most vulnerable in America• Islamist militants seize Mali's capital city after the defense minister is assassinated• Papua New Guinea human rights activist wins 2026 Goldman Environmental prizeVisit our website at BTLonline.org for  more information, in-depth interviews, related links and transcripts and to sign up for our BTL Weekly Summary. New episodes every Wednesday at 12 noon ET,  website updated Wednesdays after 4 p.m. ETProduced by Squeaky Wheel Productions: Scott Harris, Melinda Tuhus, Bob Nixon, Anna Manzo, Susan Bramhall, Jeff Yates and Mary Hunt. Theme music by Richard Hill and Mikata. 

X: @simonedegale @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk @JTitMVirginia Join America's Roundtable radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with a guest from London, Great Britain - Simone de Gale, a Chartered Architect who qualified at the Architectural Association in Bedford Square, London. She has served on the Royal Institute of British Architects board as Honorary Treasurer and board trustee. Simone also engages with the Britain's Royal Family as her affiliation with organizations in the field of urban planning and architecture are connected to Kensington Palace, a royal residence situated within Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. She is the driving force behind SGA's Westminster based organization, an Award Winning Architecture Practice which operates in UK and internationally. Simone is shaping innovative architecture throughout London and Internationally. She has won many awards and accolades including the Winner 'Architect of the Year' Women in Construction. The conversation is focused on America and Britain's challenges and opportunities in the housing sector as a new generation and first home buyers face skyrocketing prices and fewer choices. We are also looking for solutions and best practices in the areas of urban planning, infrastructure and long-term growth. In April 2026 via AP: WASHINGTON (AP) — White House economists estimate the United States has a shortage of 10 million houses, according to a new report — and say regulatory cuts could lead to more construction to stabilize prices, increase home ownership and fuel faster economic growth. From a UK think tank: New analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies reveals that the UK has a shortage of 6.5 million homes when compared to similar European countries. Britain has just 446 homes per 1,000 people, the second worst rate in Europe. This compares to 560 in France, 516 in Germany, and a European average of 542. americasrt.com https://ileaderssummit.org/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 X: @simonedegale @ileaderssummit @americasrt1776 @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk @JTitMVirginia America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable radio program focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 68 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Tune into WTON in Central Virginia on Sunday mornings at 9:30 A.M. (ET). Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm

As global attention is held by the US, Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz, in the West Bank, Israeli settlers are running wild and spreading terror. Settler violence has been a problem for years, but recently it has ramped up, with attacks happening daily. On top of this the Netanyahu government is approving more settlements in West Bank and implementing more legal writs to force Palestinians from their land. In April, a handful of EU states decided to speak out and called for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, on the grounds that Israel was not upholding human rights. This week, we look at the rising level of settler violence in the West Bank, the approval of new settlements, the ties between Israel and the EU, and if the tide is turning against Israel at the EU. To discuss the violence in the West Bank, we speak with Yara Asi (@Yara_M_Asi), Assistant Professor of Global Health Management and Informatics at the University of Central Florida, and co-director of the Palestine Program for Health and Human Rights, and author of How War Kills: The Overlooked Threats to Our Health And to guide us through the workings of the EU's workings with Israel, we speak with Isabel Ruck (@isabel_ruck), Head of Research and Scientific Corporation at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Paris (@CarepParis). This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge). Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network. To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com

Segment 1: The Corporate Welfare Problem Sarah Anderson, Global Economy Director at the Institute for Policy Studies, joins us to break down a staggering new report on America's 20 largest low-wage employers. While companies like Walmart, Amazon, and Home Depot report record profits and spend billions on stock buybacks, their median worker pay often falls below the threshold for Medicaid and SNAP. Key Discussion Points: The Buyback Betrayal: How Home Depot could have given every employee a $15,000 annual bonus with the money they spent on stock buybacks. Public Subsidies for Poverty Wages: Why taxpayers are effectively picking up the tab for corporate executives' ultra-wealth. The Policy Solution: Success stories from Portland's CEO pay-ratio tax and the movement to bring it to LA and San Francisco. Segment 2: Transportation Workers Under Fire Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department (AFL-CIO), returns for his monthly update on the legislative battles in D.C. From "clumsy" bill drafting to the ongoing struggle for TSA dignity, transportation workers are facing a multi-front war. Key Discussion Points: The Overtime Tax Flaw: Why workers covered by the Railway Labor Act are currently excluded from a $25,000 overtime tax deduction—and the coalition of 24 unions fighting to fix it. Second-Class Federal Employees: The urgent need for the TSA Workforce Rights Act to give TSOs the same Title 5 protections as their DHS colleagues. The Jones Act Smoke Screen: Why the administration's Jones Act waiver is "political theater" that won't actually lower your gas prices. Go Behind the Scenes of the Labor Movement Every victory at the bargaining table starts with workers standing together. Subscribe to the America's Work Force Union Podcast for daily interviews with the leaders and organizers building worker power across America.

War in Iran. Energy bills set to spike again this summer. Electricity prices that have gone from among the lowest in Europe to among the highest. And a Government that appears to believe the answer is simply to press on.But Dr Gerard Lyons, research fellow at the Centre for Policy Studies, isn't arguing for abandoning the green transition. Instead, he says the way Britain is pursuing Net Zero is making the country poorer, less competitive, and more exposed to exactly the kind of international shocks that good energy policy is designed to absorb.The problem is substitution over addition — replacing fossil fuels before the renewable system is ready to carry the load, and loading the cost of transition directly onto household and business bills. The fix, Lyons argues, requires treating the energy transition as long-term infrastructure, financed through borrowing and repaid over generations. It requires nuclear — urgently, and at scale. It requires a stable tax regime for the North Sea. And it requires fixing a market design that means consumers pay gas prices even when the wind is blowing.Britain led the world in cutting emissions, and it could yet lead the world in doing so affordably. But Lyons warns that the current path risks making the green transition synonymous with economic pain — and that is a political and economic failure the country cannot afford.Despatch brings you the best writing from CapX's unrivalled daily newsletter from the heart of Westminster.Stay informed with CapX's unmissable daily briefings from the heart of Westminster. Go to capx.co to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

https://media.blubrry.com/counterspin/content.blubrry.com/counterspin/CounterSpin260417.mp3 Right-click here to download this episode (“Save link as…”). Inequality.org (3/4/26) This week on CounterSpin:  Tesla reported $5.7 billion in US profits in 2025 and paid $0.0 in taxes. As Rebecca Crosby and Judd Legum at Popular Information report, there's little mystery to this miracle: Tesla used corporate tax breaks, proffered by Trump and co. in what reporters with straight faces call the “One Big Beautiful Bill”—including 100% bonus depreciation; and they exploited a long-standing deduction for executive stock options. At least 88 profitable corporations have reported paying $0 in federal income taxes last year, according to the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy. Citigroup, CVS, Walt Disney—they “made” billions but, weirdly it turns out, they somehow owe the federal government bupkis, whereas you and I are playing a chump's game, evidently. Cheaters cheat, grifters grift, but why do news media label companies “successful” when that success stems from cheating and grifting and, crucially, shafting their workers? Sarah Anderson directs the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies and co-edits the site Inequality.org. She's written a new report that gets to the heart of America's “Low-Wage Employers and the Affordability Crisis.” We hear from her this week. https://media.blubrry.com/counterspin/content.blubrry.com/counterspin/CounterSpin260417Anderson.mp3 Fight for the Future (4/13/26) Also on the show: The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine is a nonprofit digital library with the fundamental mission of preserving web pages. For example, a union organizer used it to look up old job listings and check how what the company says it offers has shifted over time. When police edited a press release after a journalist reported on it, and then said her report was false, she was able to prove that the department had changed their statement. It's kind of Information 101. But it's under threat. We hear about that from artist and activist Lia Holland, campaigns and communications director at the group Fight for the Future. https://media.blubrry.com/counterspin/content.blubrry.com/counterspin/CounterSpin260417Holland.mp3

 Iran: Trump threatening ‘a whole civilization” and a last minute ceasefire. Cat Brooks talks to Phyllis Bennis about Trump threatening ‘a whole civilization” and a last minute ceasefire with Iran. Guest: Phyllis Bennis is a Middle East analyst and directs the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies. She is the author of several books including her latest, Understanding Palestine & Israel.   Paramilitary Agents Behind Trump's Violent Immigration Crackdowns Guest: Ali Winston is an independent reporter covering criminal justice, privacy, and extremism. He is co-author of the book The Riders Come Out at Night: Corruption, Brutality and Cover-up in Oakland.  He recently wrote an article for Wired about DHS agents using extreme force against civilians in the largest known deployment of its kind in US history “Unmasking the Paramilitary Agents Behind Trump's Violent Immigration Crackdown”   —- Subscribe to this podcast: https://plinkhq.com/i/1637968343?to=page Get in touch: lawanddisorder@kpfa.org Follow us on socials @LawAndDis: https://twitter.com/LawAndDis; https://www.instagram.com/lawanddis/ The post US-Israel War on Iran w/ Phyllis Bennis. Then, Paramilitary Agents Behind Trump's Violent Immigration Crackdowns w/ Ali Winston appeared first on KPFA.

Income inequality in the U.S. is surging, reminiscent of the Gilded Age, according to Inequality.org, a project of the Institute for Policy Studies. According to the Congressional Budget Office, between 1979 and 2021 the average income of the top 0.1 percent of households grew almost 27 times as fast as that of the bottom 20 percent. Which brings us to a question being asked across the country today: Should the very rich be subject to a special tax? USA TODAY Personal Finance Reporter Daniel de Visé joins The Excerpt to discuss the possibility of a wealth tax.Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@usatoday.com. Episode transcript available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Virginia considers limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman warns in a new Parsing Immigration Policy podcast that such policies could undermine public safety.Both podcast host Jessica Vaughan, the Center's Director of Policy Studies, and Chapman recently testified before the Senate Budget Committee on the fiscal and human costs of sanctuary jurisdictions.Chapman, a 14-year sheriff overseeing Virginia's largest full-service sheriff's office, described cooperation with federal authorities as standard law enforcement practice. He describes his 287(g) agreement with ICE, which enables his office to notify federal authorities when removable offenders in custody are scheduled for release and hold them for up to 48 hours for ICE to pick them up. In practice, he noted, ICE nearly always assumes custody without delay.“Why would I release a criminal alien back into the community to commit another crime? I'm not going to apologize for doing my job — keeping people safe.”In the discussion, Chapman also emphasized accountability in law enforcement, noting that as an elected sheriff, he answers directly to the public — not political leadership. This allows public safety to drive the mission, not politics.Key topics of the interview with Sheriff Chapman include:How cooperation with ICE reduces the need for riskier at-large arrestsThe role of detainers and advance notification in transferring custodyWhy claims that cooperation discourages crime reporting are not true in practiceConcerns that requiring judicial warrants for civil detainers would “slow everything to a crawl”Chapman warned that proposed restrictions in Virginia, including limiting agreements with ICE and curtailing information-sharing, could replicate the public safety consequences seen in other sanctuary jurisdictions. The neighboring Fairfax County has had two murders recently, allegedly by individuals released despite detainers placed on them by ICE.HostJessica Vaughan the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestMike Chapman is the Sheriff of Loudoun County, Virginia.RelatedMap: Sanctuary Cities, Counties, and StatesWhich Sanctuary Jurisdictions Have Released the Most CriminalsTestimony - Sanctuary Cities: The Cost of Undermining Law and OrderAre Immigrants Less Willing to Report Crime?Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

In his new book, author Chuck Collins targets the billionaire class. The book is called "Burned By Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and Planet." Collins holds nothing back. He's in Rochester as a guest of RIT, but first, he joins us on "Connections" to discuss why he thinks too many progressives don't go hard enough on billionaires. In studio:Chuck Collins, senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies, co-editor of Inequality.org; and author of "Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and Planet"---Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.---Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

Part 1:We talk with Arthur Allen, of KFF Health News.Mr. Allen describes the informal health care networks that have developed in the face of ICE actions, which caused many people to be afraid to leave their homes for health care, school, food shopping, or other tasks. This was especially true in Minneapolis. Should this be replicated in other cities when under this kind of siege?Part 2:We talk with Sarah Anderson, who directs the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies and co-edits Inequality.org. Anderson's research covers a wide range of international and domestic economic issues, including trade, finance, inequality, and budget policies.We discuss how large corporations do not adequately pay their employees, and thus are subsidized by the welfare system. Most people who are getting 'welfare' assistance of various kinds are working, but simply not getting paid enough. Minimum wage has not changed in decades, even as the cost of living has risen greatly. WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: John Pine, "That's how every empire falls,"  2015

Phyllis Bennis, activist, author, and director of the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, offers her thoughts on how Americans can stay hopeful amid the president's recklessness and build a movement against a war mired in confusion.

Phyllis Bennis, activist, author, and director of the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, offers her thoughts on how Americans can stay hopeful amid the president's recklessness and build a movement against a war mired in confusion.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

The first quarter of 2026 still has three weeks to go, but the assumptions and friend group of the People's Republic of China has changed dramatically.Recent changes in the assumptions concerning Venezuela, Iran, Japan, and other nations will impact the national security concerns of the West's greatest challenger on the world stage.Returning to the Midrats Podcast today from 5-6 PM Eastern to discuss will be Dean Cheng.Dean is a Non-resident Senior Fellow, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies and Non-resident Fellow, George Washington University Space Policy Institute.He recently retired after 14 years with the Heritage Foundation, where he was a senior research fellow on Chinese political and security affairs, and wrote on various aspects of Chinese foreign and defense policy.Prior to joining the Heritage Foundation, he was a senior analyst with the China Studies Division (previously, Project Asia) at CNA from 2001-2009. Before joining CNA, he was a senior analyst with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) from 1996-2001. From 1993-1995, he was an analyst with the US Congress' Office of Technology Assessment in the International Security and Space Division, where he studied the Chinese defense industrial complex.He is the author of the book Cyber Dragon: Inside China's Information Warfare and Cyber Operations (NY: Praeger Publishing, 2016), as well as a number of papers and book chapters examining various aspects of Chinese security affairs.Show LinksDean Cheng's article on Chinese military purgesAn Army at Dawn, by Rick AtkinsonChina's HQ‑9B Defense System Under ScrutinySummaryIn this episode, Dean Cheng discusses China's strategic posture, military reforms, cyber capabilities, and the implications of recent global events on China's long-term plans. We explore China's economic outlook, military modernization, regional influence, and the impact of purges within the PLA.Chapters00:00: Introduction and Context of Global Tensions03:01: China's Strategic Position and Five-Year Plan07:07: Defense Spending and Global Security Concerns10:05: China's Vulnerabilities and Energy Security11:44: Military Purges and Leadership Control18:22: Military Readiness and Combat Experience23:27: Testing Chinese Military Equipment in Conflicts28:45: Global Arms Market and Strategic Alliances30:24: Military Culture and Learning from Underperformance32:57: Training and Realistic Combat Experience35:40: Cyber Warfare and Electronic Warfare Concerns38:05: Regional Conflicts and China's Diplomatic Stance40:46: China's Image and Political Warfare44:48: Shifts in Global Alliances and Economic Influence47:34: The Importance of Economic Engagement50:25: China's Diplomatic Approach to Neighbors54:16: Cyber Threats and Infrastructure Vulnerabilities

Guests: Phyllis Bennis is a Middle East analyst and directs the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies. She is the author of a brand new book, Understanding Palestine & Israel.   Zahra Billoo is the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, San Francisco Bay Area (CAIR-SFBA)   —– Subscribe to this podcast: https://plinkhq.com/i/1637968343?to=page Get in touch: lawanddisorder@kpfa.org Follow us on socials @LawAndDis: https://twitter.com/LawAndDis; https://www.instagram.com/lawanddis/ The post Special Coverage of the US-Israel War on Iran – Winter Fund Drive appeared first on KPFA.

Host Ken Miller is first joined by USAF Col. (Ret.) Jeffrey Fischer, author and now CEO of Fischer Aerospace, to discuss the breaking news of the US and Israel's attack on Iran and what it could mean for the region. Then, Ken sits down with Dean Cheng, a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies and Non-Resident Fellow at the George Washington University Space Policy Institute. They take a deep dive into the modernization of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the evolving security dynamics across the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on China's pursuit of information dominance. The conversation explores how the PLA is adapting its doctrine and capabilities in the EMS, and what that means for the US and its allies.We invite you to share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes by emailing host Ken Miller at host@fromthecrowsnest.org or visit us on our Instagram @fromthecrowsnestpodcast.To learn more about today's topics or to stay updated on EMSO and EW developments, visit our homepage.

Guests: Khury Petersen-Smith is Michael Ratner Middle East Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he researches U.S. empire, borders, and migration. Samer Araabi is a member of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC) and co-hosts the weekly Palestine Solidarity Announcements every Friday at noon. ___ Subscribe to this podcast: https://plinkhq.com/i/1637968343?to=page Get in touch: lawanddisorder@kpfa.org Follow us on socials @LawAndDis: https://twitter.com/LawAndDis; https://www.instagram.com/lawanddis/ The post Fund Drive Special: The U.S./Israel War on Iran appeared first on KPFA.

On Tuesday night, President Trump delivered a lengthy State of the Union (SOTU) address on Capitol Hill, during which immigration policy figured prominently. In this episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, guest host Jessica Vaughan, the Center's Director of Policy Studies, and guest Art Arthur, the Center's Resident Fellow in Law and Policy, break down issues […]

On Tuesday night, President Trump delivered a lengthy State of the Union (SOTU) address on Capitol Hill, during which immigration policy figured prominently. In this episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, guest host Jessica Vaughan, the Center's Director of Policy Studies, and guest Art Arthur, the Center's Resident Fellow in Law and Policy, break down issues that the President chose to highlight. Some of the discussed portions of SOTU address:The most political moment of the President's speech came when the President invited congressional members to stand if they agreed that, "The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”President Trump underscored the success of his border policy, fulfilling a major campaign promise. The speech also attempted to explain the President's current immigration enforcement strategy by highlighting various crimes committed my criminal aliens, including the death of Lizbeth Medina. President Trump promoted four pieces of legislation: “Delilah's Law”, which would prohibit states from issuing commercial driver's licenses to those here illegally; the stalled DHS funding bill; an act to end federal funding for sanctuary jurisdictions; and the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. There were two noteworthy omissions from the speech: legal immigration and temporary work visas.HostJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration StudiesGuest Art Arthur is the Resident Fellow in Law and Policy at the Center for Immigration StudiesRelatedIt Is Impossible to Fully Vet Immigrants When a Culture of Corruption Exists New January Data Still Shows Most Job Growth Going to Immigrants; 88% since 2020, 72% in the last year Why Cutting Chain Migration Must Be Part of an Immigration DealIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Greenland's strategic importance is hotter than ever—and the questions about the U.S. desire to secure access aren't just political posturing. In this eye-opening episode, defense expert Bob Peters from the Heritage Foundation reveals why Greenland is a critical security linchpin for North America, and why fears of U.S. invasion are utterly unfounded.From Cold War radar stations to today's race to contain Chinese and Russian influence in the Arctic, Bob unpacks the real reasons Greenland matters—its location, resources, and the growing geopolitical contest. You'll discover how Arctic nations are competing for dominance, why China's icebreakers signal a serious threat, and how the U.S. plans to boost its defenses without breaking NATO.We break down the myths surrounding President Trump's stance on Greenland, revealing that hyperbole and strategic signaling drive much of the chatter. Plus, insights into how Greenland's potential independence could reshape regional power dynamics and why the U.S. relationship with Denmark remains vital.If you care about national security, Arctic geopolitics, or the future of NATO, this episode is essential listening. Bob's straightforward analysis cuts through the noise—arming you with the knowledge to understand why Greenland is much more than a distant ice patch, but a battleground of influence that could define the next decade of global power.Robert Peters is a Senior Research Fellow for Strategic Deterrence in The Heritage Foundation's Allison Center for National Security. For many years, Peters served as a Senior Research Fellow at National Defense University's Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction, where he focused on nuclear deterrence issues, countering weapons of mass destruction, and counterproliferation. In the first Obama Administration, Peters served as the Special Advisor for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he worked on the New START nuclear arms control treaty, the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review, and the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review. In addition, Peters held positions at Northrop Grumman and the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.A prolific writer, Peters' published works include examinations of the impact of Chinese nuclear expansion and Russian withdrawal from arms control, the prospect for future arms control, the need for a new nuclear posture review, and the mission to eliminate North Korean weapons of mass destruction.Socials:Follow on Twitter at @NucleCastFollow on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nuclecastpodcastSubscribe RSS Feed: https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/Rate: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nuclecast/id1644921278Email comments and topic/guest suggestions to NucleCast@anwadeter.org

In a 2021 interview, Michael Sandel, author of the book The Tyranny of Merit argues that if merit can be understood as competence, a good thing to be clear, “The principle of meritocracy, simply put, says that if chances are equal, the winners deserve their winnings.” But as we grapple with meritocracy, or systems built around the idea that those who get ahead are deserving, he says, “What makes merit a kind of tyranny is the way it attributes deservingness to the successful.” How are we supposed to understand the great problems of our time: United States' incredible wealth and income disparities, child poverty, life expectancy gaps, infant mortality, student debt, or even incarceration rates through a lens of meritocracy? Sandel offers, “To rethink meritocracy requires, among other things, rethinking the mission and purpose of higher education.” But what about education inequality and the construction of affluent white suburban public schools as “Good Schools”, where the social and economic advantages of their proximity to wealth compound upward into higher property taxes, more funding, smaller class sizes, more course offerings, higher test scores and higher graduation rates?And that's a lens my guest today, Yong Zhao, Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies & Educational Psychology at the University of Kansas, wants to expand into redefining the purpose of K-12 education more broadly, from meritocracy to human interdependence.He's co-authored an open-access piece for the ECNU Review of Education by that name that you can search yourself or find in the show notes, and it's the focus of our conversation today. “[Meritocracy's] focus on ranking individuals according to flawed metrics fosters unhealthy competition, overlooks diverse human talents, fails to account for unequal starting points, and ultimately hundred both individual fulfillment AND societal progress,” they write, “We propose an alternative framework, the Human Interdependence Paradigm, which….emphasizes cultivating unique individual greatness, realizing [it] through applying it to solve meaningful real world problems for others, [and] fostering a sense of purpose and mutual reliance. The Human Interdependence Paradigm [for education] aims to create learning environments that promote collaboration, social intelligence, and ultimately, a more equitable and flourishing society.”You can email Prof. Zhao @ yongzhao.uo@gmail.comFrom Meritocracy to Human Interdependence: Redefining the Purpose of EducationThe Dark Side of Meritocracy, Noema Mag

While federal workers are asked to keep the country running without a paycheck, the ultra-wealthy are seeing record-breaking gains. This episode of the America's Work Force Union Podcast explores the stark divide between those keeping the lights on and those owning the assets. First up: The partial government shutdown is back, and Matt Biggs, President of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), joins us to expose the human cost of political dysfunction. Representing over 80,000 professionals—from rocket scientists at NASA to immigration judges—Biggs details the strain on "essential" employees who are reporting for duty while their pay is suspended. The "Essential" Trap: How the shutdown is disrupting critical work at the Department of Defense and stalling justice in immigration courts. Recruitment Crisis: Why chronic budget instability is driving skilled experts out of public service. Mobilizing for 2026: A look at IFPTE's upcoming Legislative Advocacy Conference in D.C., where members will fight for stable funding and due process. Then: As working families feel the squeeze of inflation and stalled wages, the billionaire class has hit a new stratosphere. Omar Ocampo, researcher at the Institute for Policy Studies, breaks down new data showing U.S. billionaire wealth has surged to $8.1 trillion. The Asset Gap: How stock market speculation is enriching the "centibillionaires" while the labor share of income shrinks. Wealth vs. Work: Why productivity gains aren't showing up in your paycheck. Taxing the Top: The state-level tax experiments that could finally fund public goods and reduce extreme inequality. Listen now for a hard look at an economy where essential workers wait for back pay while billionaire wealth climbs by the trillions.

Do illegal aliens commit less crime than American citizens? To find the answer, we follow the stories of a legal immigrant and veteran whose lives were forever impacted by illegal aliens. Along the way, we speak to Jessica Vaughn, Director of Policy Studies for the Center of Immigration Studies. The media tells us that illegal aliens are better in almost every way than American citizens…but the reality tells a different story.Support the show: https://redpilledamerica.com/support/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ralph once again welcomes Chuck Collins, heir to the Oscar Meyer fortune and one of the founders of Patriotic Millionaires, to discuss his agenda for reform outlined in his new book BURNED BY BILLIONAIRES: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Are Ruining Our Lives and Planet. Then Sarah Moskowitz, Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board of Illinois (CUB), joins us to tell us how to fight back against AI data centers that are spiking your electric bills.Chuck Collins directs the Charity Reform Initiative at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he also co-edits Inequality.org. He co-founded the Patriotic Millionaires and United for a Fair Economy, and he is the author of Born on Third Base and The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions. His new book is Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Are Ruining Our Lives and Planet.There's a number of examples of how we could create a decency floor that many societies have (including, obviously, Canada) that you can't fall below those levels. Same with education, access to education. These are universal opportunity programs that good societies maintain. You raise the floor and you create a level playing field. But the reality is we're not going to get any of those if we don't address this concentration of wealth and power, which is essentially blocking us from moving toward these reforms we're talking about.Chuck CollinsSarah Moskowitz is Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group with the mission to fight for the rights of customers of investor-owned electric, gas and telecom utilities across Illinois.That's part of what we're really proud of here at CUB Illinois is that you can reach a human. You might have to leave a message, but we will call you back and answer your questions and then talk through what's really going on.Sarah MoskowitzA lot of our work at CUB is just helping people connect the dots behind the policies that are resulting in these really high bills. It's shrouded in mystery and it's dry. It's boring. You don't want to think about it after you've been working all day. And that's why we're here—to keep tabs on all that stuff and help illuminate that for folks…And it's a moving target. Things are happening at the state level. Things are happening at the federal level. And so when you're looking at your bill, it's a culmination of a whole spectrum of jurisdictions and a whole spectrum of regulators making decisions, each having an impact on what you pay every month in a different way. And it's quite overwhelming.Sarah MoskowitzMore Show Notes:CUB ProjectUtility Consumers Action NetworkCub Model Law Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe