5:00 AM PT: Friday
A daily digest of independent news analysis, investigation, education, artistic expression, and activism in the public interest, emphasizing the connection between global issues and those in local communities.
Hosted by Sonali Kolhatkar.
Donald Trump declares Jerusalem the capital of Israel and announced that the US would move its embassy from Tel Aviv into Jerusalem. His announcement has sparked global condemnation and violence on the ground. On our show today we’ll turn to our Palestine and Refugees correspondent Huwaida Arraf for context on why Jerusalem is so important … Continued
As the federal government spending bill deadline looms on December 8th, are Republicans even ready to pass a budget? On today’s show we’ll turn to Lindsay Koshgarian of the National Priorities Project. She’ll discuss how the GOP may have spent all its political capital to pass it’s massive tax reform bill instead of working on … Continued
The US Supreme Court issued an order allowing Donald Trump’s Muslim Ban v 3.0 to take effect while lower courts rule on its constitutionality. On today’s show we’ll speak with Zahra Billoo of the Council on American Islamic Relations about the disappointing order and what it means. Then, Trump announces a dramatic reduction in federal … Continued
On today’s show we’ll take up the unconscionable tactics that the Republican Party resorted to in order to pass the largest tax code re-write in recent history at the Senate, even though the Trump administration has been roiled in news of Michael Flynn’s guilty plea. We’ll speak with Stephen Spaulding of Common Cause about the … Continued
A new investigation in The Nation explores the army of lawyers behind Jack Phillips, the so-called “Cake Artist” central to a case going before the Supreme Court on the right of a baker to refuse service to a gay couple. On our show today we’ll speak with investigative reporter Sarah Posner about the legal group … Continued
Pope Francis is visiting Bangladesh after his historic trip to Myanmar this week. While he thanked Bangladesh for accepting hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing from Myanmar, he did not mention the word Rohingya publicly in Myanmar. We’ll turn to Edith Mirante today to hear part 2 of our 2-part conversation about it. Then, … Continued
Pope Francis’s historic visit to Myanmar has let human rights observers and activists down – the outspoken religious leader chose not to mention the word “Rohingya” publicly, despite a systematic pogrom of ethnic cleansing against the Muslim minority that has been well-documented and denounced worldwide. On today’s show we’ll turn to long-time expert on the … Continued
As Hondurans await election results from a crucial race we’ll turn to Suyapa Portillo of Pitzer College who just returned from Honduras after serving as an official election observer. With left-leaning Salvador Nasralla in the lead for President over incumbent Juan Hernandez, the Central American nation that has struggled since its 2009 US-backed coup is … Continued
Despite overwhelming public and business opposition to repealing net neutrality, the Federal Communications Commission chair Ajit Pai has announced a vote on a rule change on December 14th. Overturning rules that protect net neutrality could jeopardize the future of the internet in favor of profits for a handful of telecomm giants like AT&T, ComCast, and … Continued
On todays show we present a one-hour special on police violence and Black Lives. First author Andrea Ritchie joins us to discuss her book, Invisible No More: Police Violence Against Black Women and Women of Color. Then, Pulitzer-prize winning reporter Wesley Lowery joins us to discuss his New York Times bestseller – They Can’t Kill … Continued
