The Nicole Sandler Show

The House today is voting on the Biden-McCarthy deal to raise the ridiculous debt ceiling. David Dayen [http://twitter.com/ddayen] of The American Prospect [http://prospect.org/] returns to the show today to bring us up to date on what's happening and how we got here. I call it a deja vu because we've had this conversation before -- 12 years ago, in fact. On July28, 2011, we talked on this program about President Obama's deal with a Republican-led Congress, the first time the GOP weaponized this ridiculous provision that allows the good faith and credit of the US to be threatened. Today we find out that we, as a nation (or more accurately, our "leaders") haven't learned one damn thing.

The first day back after a long holiday weekend is always tough. But here we are. News was made while America was using the day set aside to remember those lost in battle to buy mattresses and gorge themselves on food and beer. OK, I'm over-generalizing, but we really do need to step back and assess our priorities from time to time. And this would be a good time to do that. With the debt ceiling negotiations ongoing as the holiday weekend began, I was taken aback that the so-called cable news channel MSNBC opted to run the Rudy Giuliani story on repeat Monday afternoon into evening instead of offering some semblance of news, but that would be asking too much. (I guess they all had mattresses to buy or steaks to grill or something...) Today, I was happy to receive Will Bunch's newsletter [http://inquirer.com/bunch]. Will Bunch [http://twitter.com/will_bunch]is a national columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer and, thankfully, in today's edition, he gave a good roundup of what transpired while America was celebrating all of our war dead... or something. So, after I start the show by lamenting that my town suffered yet another mass shooting (when will it ever end?!?) and share a few other thoughts, I'll welcome Will Bunch back to the show and let him tell you what the media missed about the laughing stock that was the fascist Florida man's ridiculous presidential campaign launch and more! At the start of the show, I mentioned an article I wrote encouraging the rest of the world to issue travel advisories against vacationing here due to danger from guns, and it's finally happening, 10 years later! Here's the original column. [https://nicolesandler.com/travel-advisory-the-united-states-is-not-safe/]

Monday is Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer. So today, I'm joined by my friend Boca Britany Somers for a special Trans Summer Kick Off in honor of the fascist Florida man who had the gall to announce his candidacy for president this week...  We'll have a gay old time!

Sometimes life just doesn't make sense. Although today's show isn't really about two governors, it does involve two (actually three) southern governors whose actions were not reflected in the paths their lives and careers have taken. But, in all fairness, one of the stories hasn't yet reached a conclusion, so the odds are pretty good that fairness will win. But we'll see. I'm talking -in the second instance- of Florida's sad excuse for a governor. Ron DeSantis, who signed the bill into law just yesterday that will allow him to run for president without resigning as governor first, made his candidacy official yesterday, launching his campaign on Twitter Spaces. Yes, the correct response to that is "Twitter what?" . The little-known audio only section of Twitter did exactly what we expected: It crashed! The headlines "Failure to Launch" wrote themselves. Meanwhile, the day before, we heard from two former Alabama governors, one of whom I know much more about that the other. The one I don't know is Robert Bentley, a Republican, who resigned from office before he could be removed. The other is Don Siegelman [http://donsiegelman.org/], a Democrat, and one of the best Democratic governors from the south who could have been (and should have been) president. If only he hadn't been targeted, set-up and prosecuted (persecuted) by the nefarious forces on the right, likely led by one Karl Rove. --Click here to hear my interview with Gov. Siegelman about his story from June 12, 2020 ---- [https://nicolesandler.com/6-12-20/] Siegelman was accused of bribery and convicted based on lies and fabrications from the right, and he served a sentence as an actual American political prisoner. Unfortunately, the Democratic president Barack Obama did noting to right the wrongs perpetrated on him by those who sought to discredit him. He's not coming on to talk about that today, though. Instead, Gov. Siegelman joins me to talk about an op-ed he and Gov Bentley co-authored for the Washington Post [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/05/23/alabama-governors-death-penalty-regret/]earlier this week, expressing their regrets for going along with the death penalty when they each had the power to refuse.

Today's the big day! The Fascist Florida Man Ronald DeSantis is officially declaring his candidacy for president in 2024 this evening. We knew it was coming; we just didn't know where, exactly when or how he'd do it, but now we do, and it's par for the ridiculous course that is this authoritarian Trump-in-training. You could almost hear the jeering and laughs accompanying the announcement that the big campaign kick-off event would take place on Twitter with one of the few people on the planet who's as big a laughingstock as is the FFM (fascist Florida man) and TFG (the former guy) -- Elmo, er, Elon Musk. I know, you're thinking "on Twitter? Huh?" But wait, it's even better... it'll be in a Twitter SPACES. Say it with me now, a Twitter WHAT? Twitter Spaces is akin to a party line! As telephones were just being introduced, many people shared the same line... so if you picked up the phone to make a call, you might have to wait until another call finished... or you could just join in. "Spaces" are audio-only group calls. I know what they are, though I've never actually participated in one, and can't understand how a serious presidential candidate would ever launch their campaign in this manner. Then again, nothing about DeSantis is serious except for his quest to be a dictator. So, DeSantis makes it official tonight, on the first anniversary of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX, so I thought I'd combine both occasions for today's show because they are absolutely related. Stay tuned and find out how...

The word on the street is the DeSantis will make it official tomorrow, declaring his candidacy for president on 2024 with an announcement live on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk.  Twitter Spaces? That's like a phone party line, right? Either way, I guess I'll miss it. But I continue doing my civic duty as someone who still (unfortunately) lives in Florida to warn the rest of the nation (and planet) about the sorry, sniveling, authoritarian, dictator wannabe and keep him as far away from the White House as is possible.  Today on the show, I'll share more writings to show you that yes, it could happen here (and already is). And I'll be joined by Maria J. Stephan who has a new article at Salon.com, "The Battle Against Fascism: Lessons on how to beat back authoritarianism from abroad".  Let's get all anti-fascist together! -- ANTIFA!

The news is that Ron DeSantis is going to declare his candidacy for the presidency this week, as ridiculous as that is.... So I figured we'd spend the better part of this week enlightening the rest of the world about what we've known about moRon DeathSentence since he was elected.... and no one knew anything about him before he became governor, as he was just some snivelly back bench nobody congressman. Strap in, and feel free to call in (954-889-6410)  with any questions about the fascist Florida man. If I don't know the answer, I'll do what he does and make something up.

We wrap up the week today with another visit from independent journalist Marcy Wheeler. She does a better job of covering the actual news dealing with national security and the various investigations into the former guy (and all news items related) than I see anywhere in the corporate mainstream press. You find her work at emptywheel.net. I'm honored that Marcy checks in with us every 3-4 weeks or so, and fills the hour with information. Today is no different.  We mostly discuss the Durham report that was released on Monday, on the 4-year long investigation into the oranges* of the Russia investigation. (Yes, I know it was supposed to be the origins, but TFG couldn't remember the word origins. Yikes.)

Howie Klein is a fascinating man. We first met some 30+ years ago. At the time, I was doing music radio in Los Angeles and Howie was President of Reprise Records.  When he saw the writing on the wall ahead of the AOL/Time Warner merger in 2000, he took the payout and got out just before everything started going to shit.   Howie quickly pivoted and turned his energies toward electing progressives to office. He began blogging at DownWithTyranny.com, and formed the Blue America PAC with other progressive bloggers Digby and John Amato. And they're all still going strong.  When I moved from music radio to progressive talk, Howie quickly became a regular guest, eventually joining me weekly. We've been at it for well over a dozen years already. You'd think we'd run out of things to talk about. But sadly, the state of politics today insures that we'll never be at a loss for topics - and politicians - about which to talk.  Today, aside from wherever the conversation takes us, I'll definitely ask Howie about Dianne Feinstein. Howie lived in San Francisco back in the day and was friendly with Harvey Milk. I've heard that Harvey shared his private feelings about the former Mayor of SF, now the sickliest senator in Congress who refuses to stay home...

One sure-fire way to get me to return for a live show is to have Digby booked as the guest. I've been taking a few days to try to regain some sanity as I've been struggling with some demons lately. Still struggling, but happy to be here today to talk with Heather "Digby" Parton. She's the Queen... the OG progressive blogger who's been at it with Digby's Hullabaloo since the start, fighting the good fight. (Though in my current state of mind, I keep asking if anything can stop the descent into full-blown fascism, and haven't come to a decent answer yet...)  Anyway, I've unplugged from most of the news in the past week or so, I've been catching up this morning and things are even worse than before.  Should be a lively discussion today.

I'm going to see Melissa Etheridge in concert tonight, so will not have a live show today. So I thought you should enjoy Melissa today too. So it's a Flashback Friday. I'll share three of the many interviews I've done with Melissa in the 35 (gasp) years since her first album was released in 1988. We start with an interview from October of 2008. It was three weeks before the Nov 4 2008 election that gave us President Obama! The second interview I'm sharing is from five years earlier. It was Christmastime 2003, and Melissa joined me on the air at WXRV/Boston 92.5 The River for an interview and performance. And we wrap it up with an appearance on my show from 2014... Enjoy! And I'll see you Monday.

We have a euphemism in our house. Instead of announcing the need to take a shit, we merely say it's time to Trump. Well, CNN Trumped itself last night. The so-called Town Hall  which was, in reality, a Trump rally hosted live on CNN, was itself a Trump of massive proportions. But now you know exactly what CNN is... and it and Trump are on the same level. Trump inducing sickness.  I started out watching it, thinking that I had to for my work. But about 20 minutes in, I could take it no longer and simply left the room. I was done.  Howie Klein is here today. If I had to guess, I'd say he didn't watch last night's spectacle. And I wouldn't blame him. We still have George Santos to talk about, if that is indeed his name

It's a Monday with Elie Mystal! [http://twitter.com/elienyc] Given the overwhelming number of cases where justice has not been served in recent days, weeks and months, we're past due for a visit with Elie Mystal, Justice Correspondent for The Nation [https://www.thenation.com/authors/elie-mystal/] and author of ALLOW ME TO RETORT: A BLACK GUY'S GUIDE TO THE CONSTITUTION. Thankfully, he joins us today for the better part of the hour. Don't be late!

Freedom of the Press is such an important pillar of a democracy that it's enshrined in the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Here in the so-called land of the free, we pride ourselves on our freedoms. So would it surprise you to learn that the US came in at a barely respectable 45th place in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index? This year's rankings were released yesterday. I'm joined by Clayton Weimers, director of the US bureau of Reporters Without Border, RSF.org [http://rsf.org/], who'll explain the findings and why a free press is such an important pillar in any democracy. Of course, we'll being with late breaking news. Today, the Proud Boys are convicted, more from the Clarence Thomas/Harlan Crow grift, and whatever else the day throws at us before showtime.

As we lurch ever closer to X-Date - the day when the US government can no longer use extraordinary measures with our money to avoid hitting the ridiculous debt ceiling now appears to be coming on June 1 -- neither side is budging. It's been a few years since we've dealt with this unnecessary crisis, but because the Democrats control the White House but the House is controlled by a magaT contingent intent on blowing up the nation, many of us have been getting a bit nervous. Thankfully, The American Prospect [http://prospect.org/] today launched a new "X-Date: A Debt Ceiling Newsletter [https://prospect.org/economy/2023-05-03-x-date-debt-ceiling-newsletter/]" in which they promise to bring us the latest status, news and information about the issue until there's some resolution. Today, I'm joined by Ryan Cooper [http://twitter.com/ryanlcooper], managing editor of TAP, who'll give us a primer on the ridiculous obstacle and how we can get past it...

Responding to the recent revelations about serious ethical breaches at the US Supreme Court, the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning held a hearing on Supreme Court ethics... or the lack thereof. It was another frustrating journey through Opposite World. Instead of yelling at the TV, I invited Lisa Graves [http://twitter.com/thelisagraves] to join us today to weigh in on the situation. Lisa is no stranger to the Senate Judiciary Committee, having served as its Chief Counsel for Nominations under then-chair Patrick Leahy - or to the DOJ where she was Deputy Assistant Attorney General under both Janet Reno and John Ashcroft. Today, Lisa heads up TrueNorth Research [http://truenorthresearch.org/]. She usually appears on this show as a private citizen speaking for herself and not for her organization, today she'll appear in both roles, offering her own opinion as well as the statement of the watchdog organization she leads.

It's a new week and a new month, so I figured it was time for a reset.  There are so many investigations of and political perils swirling around the former guy (who also inexplicably happens to be the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president), so today we'll check in with lawyer and author Teri Kanefield, who's been covering all of them on her blog at terikanefield.com. You can also follow along on Twitter and Mastodon...  We'll begin with a recap of the crap that put me in such a lovely mindset last week, and I'll tell you about our upcoming trip too, if time permits.

Howie Klein's been out for a couple of weeks, but he's back today, no doubt with stories to tell. And plenty happened here while he was gone. We'll also get a quick visit from Lucas Kunce, running to unseat Josh Hawley in the US Senate from MO.

It's completely my fault. I screwed up the date when booking him on the show last week, and had gremlins knock me off the air on Monday. So today, we try again. In the third edition of his book, CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HITMAN [https://bookshop.org/a/1630/9781523001897], John Perkins [http://johnperkins.org/] explains how he and those who do the same work he did as Chief Economist at a major international consulting firm are actually working to, in a nutshell, destroy the world. That's certainly paraphrasing and perhaps oversimplifying his message, but that is the gist of it. In this edition of his NY Times best seller, he shows how China has picked up the slack and taken the helm for what he describes as the third EHM wave that's infecting the world. Not to leave us all wondering what we can do about it, Perkins has a prescription. All that said, if you enjoy the show and can afford it, I hope you'll support this show. What's News has been discontinued because I can't monetize it. If you appreciate this show and would like it to continue, please consider donating: nicolesandler.com/donate-2 [http://nicolesandler.com/donate-2] IF not, that's ok. Enjoy the last few weeks of the show.

It's that other Thursday, so GottaLaff is here to rejoice in Tucker Carlson's firing.

A bit of what's news for now

A bit of what's news for now

A bit of what's news for now

We sometimes use that frame as a diss... when telling someone to get lost, you might say "Have a good life." But we're not being snarky today. The issue is what makes a life worth living? My guest today is Matthew Croasmun [http://twitter.com/mattcroasmun]. He and two others - Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz teach one of the most popular courses at Yale, called Life Worth Living. They've now transformed this popular course into a book -- Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most - [https://bookshop.org/a/1630/9780593489307]-  so we can share in the experience and figure out what matters most. I figured this would be a good way to usher in the weekend. We could all use some help - especially in these contentious times - in learning how to embrace what's important and how to live a life worth living.

A bit of what's news, for now

Ahh, don't you just love it when plans fall apart? I had a guest scheduled for today, or so I thought. But there was a typo, so today's guest thought he was supposed to be here tomorrow. Good thing the world has lost its mind and everything is broken, so there was plenty to talk about. A cornucopia of news and batshit crazy stories....

It's 420 Eve, and my friend Robert Platshorn died. So, a special show about pot - weed- cannabis. What ever you call it, it was what Robert Platshorn was known for. He served almost 30 years in federal prison for smuggling pot back in the 1970s. Upon his release, he founded The Silver Tour to educate senior citizens about the value of medical marijuana. Today, we'll go back to our first conversation after he was released from prison. It was on my show on Air America Radio, August of 2009! Not too long after that, he produced a infomercial and asked me to narrate it. So we'll also watch "Should Grandma Smoke Pot?" Happy 420 eve!

A bit of what's news for now

A bit of what's news for now

If you've ever listened to my show, you know I cannot say the words Fox and News together. They're like magnets that repel each other, the two words just do not go together. But some very creative people in NY rented some trucks with LED light-signs on the sides that say Fox KNEW... along with messages like Tucker Carlson Knew, Rupert Murdoch Knew and, well, you get the message... Those trucks are driving up and down the streets of Manhattan as the Dominion Lawsuit trial against Fox (not news) officially began this morning... I'll update you on the latest, and share some other news and issues of concern. *** ACK - less than an hour before showtime, they settled! Fox is to pay Dominion $787.5 million, and here's the kicker: none of the on-air liars have to admit they lied. So boy am I glad I had a guest booked to take the temperature down a notch or two... In the second half of the show, we'll meet one of the talented musicians whose parody songs help soothe our inner and outer savage breasts regularly on this show. Miss Laurie Lehner [http://misslaurielehner.com/] joins us from New Orleans, where she'll even share a new song with us.

A bit of what's news for now

Yes, it may be manic, but it's a Marcy Monday and those are the best kind. Marcy Wheeler generously brings her knowledge and reporting to the show every few weeks to catch us up on  the various stories unfolding around us, most centering on the former guy's attempts to unravel our democracy. Today, we discuss the latest leak dump of Pentagon papers, the Dominion lawsuit, the Proud Boys trial, the Matty Dick Pics Taibbi saga and lots more... It's a full plate of info, so come prepared to digest a lot...

A  bit of what's news for now

Joan Walsh has been writing about politics longer than I've been covering them on a daily basis. When I moved over from the music radio world, Joan was editor at Salon.com. We saw her regularly on MSNBC back in those days, then over on CNN, and we're now reading her at The Nation. I knew we had a lot in common, but it wasn't until I read her column in The Nation following the opening night of Bruce Springsteen's current tour with the E Street Band in Tampa, just two months ago.  I knew she was a fan, but didn't realize that she's up there with me in terms of Springsteen fandom. But she is.   And since Bruce is in the middle of what might be the final E Street Band tour (I couldn't help but shake that feeling after seeing the show here in Hollywood FL a few days after the opener), I invited Joan on the show ... to talk Bruce.  And today is the perfect day to do so, as tonight, in New Jersey, they wrap up the first US leg of the tour.... They begin the European leg in Barcelona Spain two weeks from tonight... then back for the second US leg starting at Wrigley Field in Chicago on August 9....  Of  course, it's been a while since Joan Walsh was on my show, and there's so much happening in the world outside of music, so you know we will go there too.   But first, the governor of Floriduh MoRon DeathSentence signed a 6-week abortion ban into law last night (literally, at 11pm). It's all sickening. So I'm joined at the top of the show by Nikki Fried, newly elected chair of the Florida Democratic Party!

A bit of what's news, for now

My guest today is a new friend, though someone I've kind of known for over 30 years. Erin Riley and I led parallel lives for a while, both rising in the world of rock radio and loving life. Erin worked at KROQ in LA when I was at WPLJ in NY. As I traded the east coast for the west coast and moved to LA, Erin moved back east to become music director at WMMR in Philadelphia.  We finally met some 35 years after we were both at the same event with Yoko Ono celebrating the release of the documentary "Imagine" about John Lennon back in 1988... It's a small world.  Though I'm sure we'll wind up talking music at some point, that's not the subject of today's interview.   Instead, we'll talk about how Erin's life took a sharp turn from the sex and drugs and rock and roll life to the point where she wrote a book -- not a memoir of those music filled years, but A DARK FORCE: 20 YEARS WITH A COVERT NARCISSIST.  But we'll begin, as usual, with the latest and yes, shocker, there is breaking news. An arrest was made in the case of the huge Pentagon classified documents leak and, go figure, it was a 21 year old gamer in a chatroom. South Florida has been hit with torrential rains and biblical flooding, resulting in the closure of Fort Lauderdale Airport yesterday-- and all day today! Jury selection began today in Delaware for the Dominion Voting Systems vs Fox (not) News. The trial is expected to begin on Monday. And  Trump is back in NYC for another deposition before NY AG Letitia James.... and that will bring us to the topic of a narcissistic sociopath...

A bit of what's news for now

Eli Merritt [http://elimerritt.com/] is a political historian, and an MD and psychiatrist. At Vanderbilt University, he's served as a professor and visiting scholar in three departments: History, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society. He's written and/or edited a few books, including the newly released HOW TO SAVE DEMOCRACY: INSPIRATION AND ADVICE FROM 95 WORLD LEADERS [https://bookshop.org/a/1630/9798987295229]. He's our guest today. Given his wealth of areas of expertise, I have lots of questions for him. Perhaps we will get the answer to the question of how to save democracy! And we'll share some listener mail too.. it's been a while!

A bit of what's news for now

She's back! Well, GottaLaff is still in Canada, but with us this week, and there's no shortage of news to discuss, some of it truly ridiculous and even sickening. Like the Dalai Lama, asking a young boy to suck on his tongue! Really. That's just wrong on so many levels, as is much of the rest of the news today. But we'll manage to have some fun and a bit of laughter, which is always the goal when we get together on these alternate Tuesdays..

A bit of what's news for now

The title of Jeff Sharlet's must-read new book is THE UNDERTOW, the subtitle is SCENES FROM A SLOW CIVIL WAR.  They both work. Jeff has been a favorite author and guest of mine since he gave us THE FAMILY back in 2008, and has been pulling the curtain from around the Christian nationalist movement and the many offshoots of what I call insanity, though Jeff is far more charitable. He gets out among these people and gains insight into what brought them to these points in their lives, so perhaps has a greater understanding of concepts that I believe are impossible to understand.  This is the eighth book that Jeff Sharlet has written or edited and he knows the subject better than most of us. His challenge is in sharing all he's learned with the rest of us who resist being pulled under by the very strong undertow that appears to be growing exponentially each year.  Strap in... Jeff tells some very uncomfortable stories ... they're stories we all need to hear and understand if we are to put up any kind of defense to the forces that are threatening to undercut life as we know it.

A bit of what's news for now

I couldn't be happier that today is Friday. As for the Good part, I don't participate in any organized religion, especially Catholicism (sorry)... And frankly, the story behind this weekend's religious holidays is about as far-fetched as they come. But that the beautiful thing about the US -- we're all free to worship whatever religion we choose, or none at all.  At least, that's the premise on which this nation was founded. And today's Republicans are trying to rewrite history. We cannot allow that to happen. Exit Opposite World.  Today, my guest is an old friend. Barry W Lynn is a minister in the United Church of Christ, and he understands that I have as much a right not to worship as he has to worship. And he's worked most of his career to ensure those rights for both of us, and more.  When I met Barry, he was executive director of American United for Separation of Church and State, from which he retired in 2017.  I love talking with Barry Lynn, and he's welcome here any time. But today, the occasion is his new book... actually a trilogy of books under the heading of PAID TO PISS PEOPLE OFF! Book 1 is PEACE, Book 2 PORN, Book 3 PRAYER.  It's actually the perfect conversation for this Good Friday/Easter/Passover/Ramadan convergence...    If people who claimed to follow the teachings of their religious leaders -- whether that's Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddah or the Flying Spaghetti Monster (yes, I am an ordained minister in the Rasta church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster with the card to prove it), everyone would be a whole lot more accepting of people who are different than they are. Just saying...

A bit of what's news, for now

Today is Thursday, so Howie Klein joins us from Down with Tyranny and the Blue America PAC where we usually talk politics. And there's lots to talk about today, including the travesty unfolding in Nashville right now as the TN state legislature is seeking to expel three Democrats from the legislature because they dared to stand with the protestors following last week's mass school shooting in Nashville.  But  Howie was a music industry icon back when we first met in Los Angeles almost 30 years ago. Before he was president of Reprise Records, Howie worked with Seymour Stein at the groundbreaking Sire Records. Stein died this week, so I'll ask Howie to share what he did that was so important.  But we'll start today with John Nichols, national correspondent for The Nation magazine, and from a family who's been in Wisconsin for, I believe, seven generations. On Tuesday, Wisconsin voters made sure the state's Supreme Court would be controlled by Democrats, thereby blocking the Republicans from enacting an ancient provision from putting another nail in the coffin of  women's reproductive rights.

A bit of what's news for now

It's Wednesday. The former guy was arraigned yesterday and pleaded NOT guilty to all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. I will not play any audio of the orange one's awful-on-so-many-levels- speech from Mar A Lago last night, but I will debunk some of the bullshit he spewed. And yes, we have the transcripts of the hearings too... Plus... Students across Florida are walking out of school today to protest the fact that kids are being killed in their schools and our elected officials are doing nothing to stop it. In fact, in many places- - including Florida -- they're making life more dangerous. I'll speak with Alexis Dorman today. She's a sophomore at Florida State University in Tallahassee, a volunteer with Students Demand Action [https://studentsdemandaction.org/], and helped lead today's walkout there.

A bit of what's news for now

History was made today when a former US president was arraigned on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and conspiracy. The phone lines are open today for your thoughts as we digest the day's news. Read the full indictment here [https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/74a68faf-fccb-4d65-91e3-479c81df590d.pdf]. And this is the "Statement of Fact [https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/84fba797-216a-490c-b75d-d77bca6d10f3.pdf]s" that really explains all the legalese in the other one. Thankfully, Lisa Graves [https://truenorthresearch.org/lisa-graves/]— former deputy assistant Attorney General for nominations under both AGs Janet Reno and John Aschroft– joined in to give her personal opinions on what happened.

A bit of what's news for now

Ideally, we would have done this interview during March, but honestly, women's history shouldn't be relegated to just one month. Ya know? So today, after we cover the latest news on arraignment watch and the further fascist makeover of Floriduh, we'll learn about the American First Lady who basically performed her husband's role of president after Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke -- Edith Wilson. I didn't even know her name until I learned of this new book, UNTOLD POWER: THE FASCINATING RISE AND COMPLEX LEGACY OF FIRST LADY EDITH WILSON.  Today, I'll speak with the author, REBECCA BOGGS ROBERTS. (Note from Nicole: I need to fire my producer. She left up Rebekah Jones' info on Rebecca's chyron... Her Twitter is @RBoggsRoberts and her website is rebeccaroberts.org.) But we'll start the show with a brand new production from Randy Rainbow, and I think it might be his best video yet!

A bit of what's news for now

What a way to end the week! I always look forward to a visit from Cory Doctorow [http://pluralistic.net/]. He's a brilliant bestselling author, journalist and activist. The last time he was here, we spoke about his newest nonfiction book, CHOKEPOINT CAPITALISM [https://bookshop.org/a/1630/9780807007068]. Today, he's here as his new science fiction novel, RED TEAM BLUES [http://redteamblues.com/], is garnering excellent reviews, but Amazon/Audible won't sell Cory's audiobooks because of a pesky rule - the DRM (Digital Rights Management)- that Cory will not agree to. He'll explain what that all means, as it's way too involved for me to explain here. (But go to redteamblues.com [http://redteamblues.com/] to get the book via the Kickstarter campaign.) I promise, every time Cory Doctorow is on, it's a fascinating conversation from which I learn a lot, and am sorry when it ends! But we're kicking off the weekend with the news that the Manhattan Grand Jury voted to indict Trump yesterday, making history. Could it be that no person here is above the law? The jury's still out on that one!

A bit of what's news for now

It's Thursday, so time for our weekly hang with Howie Klein. We usually talk politics,  but occasionally veer into different territory, often music related. Howie spent the bulk of his career in the music industry, where he rose to President of Reprise Records. As he writes at downwithtyranny, usually about politics, he occasionally writes up stories from his past, which all will hopefully find their way in the memoir he's writing.  Today, we'll probably touch on both music and politics, but we'll also explore his newfound friend, "Hal"... aka Chat GPT.  And we'll see where we wind up... And Howie had the breaking news that Donald Trump was indicted!

A bit of what's news for now

Kevin Gosztola has covered Julian Assange, Wikileaks, Chelsea Manning and the related universe of stories from the beginning. He was at Manning's court-martial in 2013, then went on to cover the saga of Julian Assange. His new book, GUILTY OF JOURNALISM: THE POLITICAL CASE AGAINST JULIAN ASSANGE [https://bookshop.org/a/1630/9781644212721], is just out, and documents his years-long saga, as he waits to find out if and when he'll be extradited to the US, and what the charges might be. Assange is a contentious topic. Today's guest considers him "a journalist fiercely committed to transparency, truth-telling, and uncovering the secrets of the powerful" while the government seems to be intent on charging Assange with violating the Espionage act, thereby limiting his defense strategies. We'll begin the show with some late breaking news on the arrest that TFG told us would happen a week ago yesterday (not even close), and today's Sentate HELP committee hearing on Starbucks' union busting with Howard Schultz under oath, and Bernie Sanders leading the proceedings.

A bit of what's news for now

Laffy's back today, joining us from her part time home in Canada, as many of us are secretly jealous that she has an escape from Gilead (there's also a run on new passports, fyi).  We have lots of fodder for discussion today, from yesterday's horrific elementary school shooting in Nashville, to the ongoing quest to hold TFG accountable for his many crimes, the right wing war on Gays, Trans people, People of Color, Women, Jews and every other group  of people who don't fit in with his lily white, Christian nationalistic view of what we are...

A bit of what's news, for now

Well that week went by quickly. I'm back from eye surgery and we have lots to talk about today.  First, another idiot with a gun shoots up an elementary school, this one in Nashville. This time it was a 28-year old woman who killed three children and three adults before the cops finally put her down. I have no more words for this.  And this comes as Floriduh's legislature is pushing a bill through the process to do away with gun permits and training for concealed carry! Who needs a freaking permit, or lessons how to correctly handle a gun? Not anyone here in FlahDuh. Unreal.  But that's only the tip of the iceberg of what's being destroyed here in the Sunshine State.  So I'm thrilled that Rebekah Jones returns to the program today. She's the Florida scientist and whistleblower who exposed fraud in Florida's COVID-19 reporting, and has been attacked, vilified, doxxed and defamed by DeSantis and his army of trolls ever since. I'm glad that she's still speaking out and hasn't let the fascists silence her.

A bit of what's news, for now

We finish up this week of blasts from the past with a  rebroadcast of a segment with the late Joel Silberman. He did a weekly segment with me for a while, one of the best people I know. This was 11-18-16, less than two weeks after Trump won.  Then we end the week with an interview with music legend Boz Scaggs. And yes, he performs a few songs. You'll want to listen through to the end. I'll be back Monday!

Three years ago, MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell accepted my invitation to come on my show and talk about his assertion that he is a socialist, among other things...

Two years ago to the day, I spoke with Arizona's then Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. Though should wouldn't come out and announce she was running for governor then, she is the governor now.... Thank goodness, the Arizonans didn't elect the fascists!

It's Tuesday, and I don't think any former president is getting arrested today. So we jump back into the archives to see what happened this week in years gone by. Today we go back to March 23, 2010 - thirteen years ago. ACORN had been targeted by the twerp we've come to know and loathe as James O'Keefe. Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com covered the story better than most, so he joined me that night -- that day ACORN shut down.

Today marks 20 years since the US under George W Bush invaded Iraq. Today we mark that occasion by reaching into my radio archives. Today we hear a conversation with then-Congressman Dennis Kucinich and a production piece I put together both from May 20, 2009, and an interview with Peace Mom Cindy Sheehan from May 20, 2015.  We end on a peaceful note, with a 1996 performance and interview with musician Keb' Mo'...

Here in Floriduh, the gubmint, under the authoritarian rule of Rhonda Santis, is trying its hardest to rewrite our history and take their fabricated stories to our schools. It's happening right in front of us, and no one is stopping them. And it's not only here. It's happening in other states, coincidentally all states controlled by Republicans. Why are they afraid of history? I guess the same reason they're afraid of science. Boy do I have a story to tell about that one, but I digress.  Today, we'll speak with a man who was a Vietnam war "draft dodger". When I speak with Bob Zaugh on the show today, you'll understand why I put that term in quotation marks. The thing you should understand as a starting point for today's interview is that young people today have no idea about the Vietnam War... or the protest movement that grew from it, or anything else for that matter. He has a big story to tell, one that isn't being taught in schools.  There is some news to tell you about... we'll begin the show that way.  And I will be gone for the next week, taking time off after surgery on Monday. BUT if there is big breaking news next week, I will jump in with a special report. Stay tuned!

A bit of what's news for now

It's Thursday, so I'm joined today by Howie Klein [http://twitter.com/downwithtyranny]. We've been doing this segment for about a dozen years now. Howie writes at DownWithTyranny.com [http://downwithtyranny.com/] and runs with Blue America PAC [http://downwithtyranny.com/blue-america-PAC], finding and promoting the best progressive candidates up and down the ballot. When we get together on Thursdays, pretty much anything goes, so you're as likely to hear a story from Howie's years in the music industry as you are about the evils of yet another fascist Republican...

A bit of what's news for now

I'm off next week, having eye surgery again on Monday and then resting. So I figured we needed a Marcy Wheeler [http://emptywheel.net/] fix before then, as so much has happened since we last spoke! So, get ready for another big information download, as we'll talk the Matty Dick Pics hearings, the Tucker Carlson 1-6 videos and gaslighting, his Russian back channel and how he regards his viewers. Plus the Silicone Valley Bank failure, the Saudi Arabia- Iran deal and more. Really. And for all we didn't get  to, go read emptywheel.net [http://emptywheel.net/]!

A bit of what's news for now

It's that other Tuesday, so GottaLaff [https://mastodon.social/@gottalaff] is here. We scrub the depths of Twitter, Mastodon and actual news sources to talk about what's happening. Today, it's a run on the banks, a drone taken down by Russia and…. we'll find out as we go along!

A bit of what's news for now

We're covering a lot of ground today. First, we must deal with the Silicon Valley Bank collapse. My initial impression upon hearing that the government would make all depositors whole despite FDIC only covering up to $250k was to go ballistic. Again with the billionaire and banker bailouts while the little guy like you and me gets screwed - and most definitely not in a good way? Well, that's not necessarily what's happening. Writer Dave Johnson [http://twitter.com/dcjohnson] lives in Silicon Valley and just posted to a listserv we're both on, "I live a few blocks from Atherton where many of the libertarian Silicon Valley VC and types live. When I open my door I can hear screams for government bailouts from my house. They started this morning and it's getting so bad I have to wear earplugs when I go for a walk." We'll find out if he was kidding or not, and what is really happening here at the beginning of the show. Then it's time for Drag Queen Storytime Gone Wild!  Well, Spencer Brown and Jeff Manabat, better known as The Kinsey Sicks [http://kinseysicks.com/]members Trampolina and Trixie will join us. The Kinsey Sicks just started a month-long run of performances of their new show, "Drag Queen Storytime Gone Wild!" Yes we'll have some fun, but we'll also talk about the horrible attacks on shows like their and the giant leap backwards being attempted by too many authoritarian Republicans in this country today. Now go check out their YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/user/kinseysicks]. So many videos to watch, so little time!

A bit of what's news for now

Some weeks just feel longer than others, and this is one of those weeks. Thankfully, today's Friday and the weekend is right here. We'll finish off the week with a visit from Heather 'Digby' Parton [http://twitter.com/digby56]. Digby is one of the OG progressive bloggers, and she never looked back. She continues keeping tabs on the politicians and calls out the bad guys from her blog, Digby's Hullabaloo [http://digbysblog.net/] and in her column at Salon.com [https://www.salon.com/writer/heather_digby_parton]. I know it'll be a great conversation, as there's no lack of topics to discuss. All you have to do is take a quick look at the batshit crazy Republican majority in the House and the comments write themselves...

A bit of what's news for now

It's Thursday, so Howie Klein [http://twitter.com/downwithtyranny] is here. He's got a few articles up at DownWithTyranny [http://downwithtyranny.com/] that are worthy of discussion -- about Ron DeSantis whining about Wokeism, to Tucker Carlson being an actual serious threat to national security (and those are only his two most recent posts), so we'll see where our conversation leads. At the start of the show, well, I have a list of stories that beg for attention. There is, of course, one story from here in Floriduh. The other is the circus that unfolded in the House Judiciary Committee hearing today on the "Twitter files". Opposite world, here we are.

A bit of what's news for now

Today is the International Day of the Woman... part of Women's History Month. So today, we celebrate women. My guest is Cultural HERstorian Amy Simon, playwright and performer of She's History! [http://sheshistory.com/] We'll talk about the origins of this day and womens history month, and we'll celebrate with some of Amy's fabulous female facts!

A bit of what's news for now

IT was a crazy day today. I found out just seconds before going on the air that my daughter tested positive for Covid. I feel helpless... and a little worried, as she was over here the night before last. Covid test now brewing... We talked about a lot of important things today.  From the Fed threatenng to raise interest rates again and Elizabeth Warren fighting back, to Tucker Carlson's shameful lying last night about the Jan 6 insurrection (with an assist from Kevin McCarthy's 41000+ hours of surveillance video given to Carlson exculsively), to FloriDUH, where the legislative session got underway today. Never a dull moment.

A bit of what's news for now

To counter FL Fascist Gov Ron DeSantis' attack on schools (and therefore students and  their right to learn), I invited a guest who's working hard pushing back  against the push to whitewash our history and to keep teaching our kids  a truthful, honest history from which they can actually learn. Jesse Hagopian [http://twitter.com/jessedhagopian] is above all else a teacher. An educator! He's on hiatus from the  classroom, working to ensure that teachers are able to continue teaching  our children facts– from science to history and beyond, free from the  heavy authoritarian hand that Republicans favor these days. From his website at iamaneducator.com,  [http://iamaneducator.com/]we learn that Jesse is an editor for the social justice periodical Rethinking Schools [http://www.rethinkingschools.org/index.shtml], is the co-editor of the books, Black Lives Matter at School, [https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1607-black-lives-matter-at-school] Teaching for Black Lives [https://rethinkingschools.org/books/teaching-for-black-lives/], Teacher Unions and Social Justice [https://rethinkingschools.org/books/teacher-unions-and-social-justice/], and is the editor of the book, More Than a Score: The New Uprising Against High-Stakes Testing. [https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/618-more-than-a-score] Jesse serves as the Director of the Black Education Matters Student Activist Award [https://blackeducationmatters.org/], is an organizer with the Black Lives Matter at School [https://blacklivesmatteratschool.com/] movement, and is founding member of Social Equity Educators [http://socialequityeducators.org/] (SEE).  And if you liked the "Legalize Black History" hat Jesse is wearing in this interview, he's got that merch for sale here [https://iamaneducator.com/legalize-black-history-store/], with proceeds going to supporting the youth winners of the Black Education Matters Student Activist Award [https://blackeducationmatters.org/], as well as supporting the writing of a forthcoming book about the movement to stop the banning of Black history. But I invited him to join us to tell us about his work with the Zinn Education Project [https://www.zinnedproject.org/]!  Hopefully you're read or are otherwise familiar with Howard Zinn's A Peoples History of the United States.  [https://bookshop.org/a/1630/9780062397348]

A bit of what's news for now

So many legal issues in the news, and the only law classes I ever took in college were broadcast law. That's why I call on Lisa Graves [http://twitter.com/thelisagraves] so often. She's brilliant, with the legal background to prove it. Today, Lisa leads TrueNorthResearch.org [http://truenorthresearch.org/], while still overseeing Kochdocs.org and ALECexposed, and other campaign that have reported truths we need to know. She's also worked on the inside, in the DOJ, holding a few different positions through the years. But Lisa Graves was Deputy Assistant Attorney General under both Janet Reno in the Clinton Administration and John Ashcroft in the W Bush years. So much to talk about today. Lisa lives in Wisconsin where they're in the final days of the WI Supreme Court elections, which will have national ramifications (she'll explain). And I certainly want to ask about all of TFG's legal woes that appear to be piling up around him while he seems to be the guy the Republicans will again nominate to run for president in two years. Like I said, lots to talk with Lisa Graves about today!

A bit of what's news for now

Today's Thursday, so Howie Klein is here. We'll certainly discuss the Republican disconnect as the dividing line will be apparent this weekend. The MAGAt/Trump crowd will be at the CPAC gathering, while the DeSantis delusionals will be just a few miles up the road from Mar a Lago with big donors affiliated with the Club for Growth.   Chicago went to the polls Tuesday to elect a mayor and, for the first time in 40 years, the incumbent didn't make it to the runoff! I'll ask Howie about the two candidates now vying for the job.   And what about the two Democratic senators who are likely to force Joe Biden to use his veto pen for the first time? (Surprise, Sinema is NOT one of them!)

A bit of what's news for now

I don't have a guest booked today. I thought that having Attorney General Merrick Garland testifying today before the Senate Judiciary Committee would provide more than enough material to deal with for the hour. Unfortunately, much of it was unwatchable.. Republicans have become so ugly, so aggressive and confrontational, and they are just completely full of shit. They learned well from their media appendage, Fox (Not) News, because they just make shit up. And they're all preening for the cameras. It's infuriating. So I'll share some of it. But be warned. Watching idiots like Ted Cruz berate Merrick Garland was depressing in multiple ways. Yes, I'll explain on the show today. So, although I didn't have a guest booked for today, my old pal Spocko [http://mstdn.social/@spocko@mastodon.online] joined in, and it was a perfect fit, as he's an activist and media trainer who helps people do their best when appearing on TV or radio.

A bit of what's news for now

Laffy [https://mastodon.social/@GottaLaff]'s back! Hopefully the studio gremlins from last time have been exorcised and it'll be smooth sailing today. We'll see. She's also back in California, where they're gearing up for another round of storm. We're learning more about the deceit from Fox (NOT) News as the Dominion discovery filings keep coming. It's about time they're exposed. SCOTUS appears to screw all with college debt, and Magats are gathering in two places this week... So much to talk about, an hour to do it!

A bit of what's news for now

America has a fraught relationship with the news media. We've enshrined protections for a free press in the First Amendment of the US Constitution! Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. But in today's political climate, even the news has been weaponized with clear dividing lines drawn. Today, I'm joined by Mickey Huff and Andy Lee Roth, director and associate director of Project Censored [http://projectcensored.org/]. They came on to discuss a new article they wrote together about "prior restraint" or "censorship by proxy and the new digital gatekeeping [https://www.projectcensored.org/beyond-prior-restraint-censorship-by-proxy-and-the-new-digital-gatekeeping/]." We recorded this interview on Friday, as I was steaming about cable's two so-called news channels, MSNBC and CNN, carrying a tawdry murder trial live for hours on end, for the second day in a row! So that's an issue. But there's also been a gradual but definitive change in how "news" is delivered to the masses, with no updates on the issues that have arisen due to the new modes of information dissemination. I don't think we came up with any solutions, but we did have one hell of a discussion about it!

A bit of what's news for now

It was one year ago today that Vladimir Putin's Russia invaded Ukraine and began the bombing. It's been a horrific year for the people of Ukraine, who did nothing to provoke that monster. But a year later, they're still taking incoming fire, living without reliable power and under the constant warnings of sirens. Yet the people are strong and aren't willing to give an inch.  Today, we'll look back on a year ago, and our calls to people in Ukraine. I'll share one with a hotel clerk in Kyiv who didn't believe that forces were amassing on the border getting ready to attack.   And we'll check in with Philip Ittner. He's an American journalist who's been in Ukraine for the past year, and says he'll  be there until the war ends!