On this powerful edition of Hard Knock Radio, host Davey D sits down with educator, musician, and cultural worker Dani Cornejo of the group Debajito to unpack the urgency of resistance, the attack on Ethnic Studies, and the healing role of rhythm. With war, genocide, and repression defining the global moment, Cornejo delivers a timely call to action from … Continued


Background Briefing

Trump mocks his own supporters, Epstein’s prosecutor is fired under political pressure, and Senate Democrats stage a walkout over a far-right judicial nominee. Ask ChatGPT

After Feeding Them Lies and Delusions For Years, Trump Now Calls His MAGA Cultists “Stupid” and “Weaklings” We begin with a reporter who I spoke with live on January 6, 2021 from the scene as the US Capitol was being stormed by Trump’s insurrectionists. We discuss how Trump is now castigating his followers for being … Continued


Martin Cruz Smith (1942-2025), noted novelist of literary and genre fiction, best known for “Gorky Park” and the Arkady Renko series of detective novels. Part One: Interview recorded December, 2004 while on tour for the novel “Wolves Eat Dogs.” Part Two: Interview recorded December, 2013 while on tour for the novel “Tatiana.” Hosted by Richard Wolinsky.


How might curiosity show up in our much-besieged civil service? Mikel Herrington is a veteran of both AmeriCorps and Peace Corps. We explore curiosity as the foundation that brings people into civil service, reciprocal curiosity across cultural and experiential divides, humility, humor, how service allows room for listening, and why someone might carry a pecan … Continued


Law & Disorder

5 Weeks of ICE raids w/ LA Taco’s Janette Villafana and Adam Mockler on Epstein and the MAGAsphere

We speak with Janette Villafana, a multimedia journalist at L.A. Taco, covering street vending communities in Los Angeles and the impact of ICE raids. See Janette’s reporting here https://lataco.com/author/janevi Next we go to the Jeffrey Epstein list scandal with Adam Mockler.  Mockler is a rising voice in political commentary and reporting, known for his work … Continued


UpFront

Senate Approves $9 Billion Cuts to Public Media Funding; Plus, Waste Workers Strike Against Republic Services Continues; And, Dual Proposals for Funding Bay Area Public Transit

00:08 — Mike Janssen is Digital Editor at Current, an independent service of the American University School of Communication, providing news and reports on public media 00:20 — Jose Zepeda, is a rank-and-file member of the Teamsters Local 439 Republic Negotiating Committee 00:33 — Laurel Paget-Seekins is Senior Policy Advocate for Transportation Justice at Public … Continued