Audio by artist conscious_voices

Cynthia shares musings with poet and educator Brian Michael Murphy.

Cynthia and daughter, Sophia, learn about the history and problems with Olentangy River projects from Dr. William Mitch, director, Olentangy Wetlands Research Park.

Tom captures the sounds and passionate energies of Occupy DC. Included are interviews with Jim Hightower, activists from the U.S., Egypt, and Tunisia.

Evan speaks by phone with Marcia Johnson-Blanco of the Voting Rights Project on the topic of voter ID requirements and the disenfranchisement that can result as a consequence.

On the second half of the program, Evan speaks with Mike Breen of the Truman Nat'l Security Project regarding apparent compromise of U.S. citizens' rights by an anti-terrorism inclusion in the current Defense Authorization Bill.

Here are a few excerpts from part 1 of 2 interview segments WCRS reporter Evan Davis had with a combat veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq and who wishes to remain anonymous.

He said the US military is lying to and ignoring the medical problems of troops exposed to depleted uranium.

“The DOD will never acknowledge it. So, you can never get treated for it. One of my friends, when we were in Afghanistan, he got sick from it and started dying. Rather than treat him for depleted uranium exposure, they just gave him chemo which only sped up his passing.”

He said mercenaries working for various companies such as Black Water, which changed its name to Xe and then to Academi, would destabilize areas of Iraq so the military could then go back in to resume fighting, with the apparent ultimate goal of prolonging the conflict in order to make more money for corporations involved.

“Looking back, most of these conflicts could have easily been won over a year, but they were stretched out over ten, just to keep the profits going…They (US officials) are not trying to run an honorable war. They’re trying to maximize corporate profits...The people that run this country, that have created these wars for profit, they’ve stolen my friends from me.”

He said the US government has designated returning veterans as among the greatest threats for domestic terrorism.

“It was a memo signed by Janet Napolitano of Homeland Security passed down to law enforcement agencies…When I saw that I said, ‘why, would they be so paranoid about us?’ It’s because so many of us are figuring out what they did. While I will never say my friends died in vain, at the same time you have to also admit that the people who started these conflicts didn’t have the best intentions.”

Replaces previous version of Conscious Voices "More info about Fracking). This version is complete.

Replaces previous version of Conscious Voices more info on fracking Includes; Coal Report, Fracking/Joshg Fox edition of Making Contact, and interview with Coleen Unroe

Speeches on Fracking by Youngstown area resident Jaymie Frederick, whose health has been directly affected by a fracking well near her house, \Bill McKibben, author and activist who spearheaded the fight against the Keystone XL pipeline, Jason Box, climatologist at Ohio State University, and Mari Lynne-Evans, director of the documentary Coal Country

Elisa Young ( pronounced "e-lee-sah" - I mis-pronounced it in the narration) gave a presentation at the anti-fracking conference in Columbus recently. She talks about her efforts to hold the Ohio Department of Natural Resources accountable for properly regulating and enforcing laws pertaining to fracking waste fluid injection wells. Madeline ffitch (correct spelling) blocked the gate to a waste fluid injection well near Athens and was arrested this week in order to draw attention to the dangers of waste fluid injection and the need for greater oversight and enforcement, while also advocating a ban on the practice. She'll stand trial on July 9. We feature a long, candid interview with her in this edition. Photo gleened from the Athens Messenger article here;http://www.athensohiotoday.com/news/fracking-protest-ends-with-peaceful-surrender-arrest/article_20aa48d0-bfdd-11e1-b473-001a4bcf887a.html?success=1

Audio and commentary from the recent Open House encounter at the headquarters of the Wayne National Forest. Forest managers are hoping to lease parts of the forest for Fracking even before an environmental impact study (EIS) is done. Around 50 people attended to ask questions and voice concerns.

2010 interview with Dr. Lonnie Thompson, glaciologist regarding global warming and climate change

commentary by Evan Davis, interviews with voting rights activists and sound from 2 rallies in Columbus from Monday, August 20 plus Glenn Ford of the Black Agenda Report and thge weekly Coal Report

As part of her 100-city book tour (The Silenced Majority), Amy Goodman and co-author Denis Moynihan speak at the First UU Church of Columbus on Sept. 15, 2012. Topics include importance of dissent and protest in today's political environment.

Renowned paleoglaciologist Dr. Lonnie Thompson discusses the latest data on global warming and the melting of glaciers and the polar ice caps, and its implications for human and biological survival. This is a recording of a powerpoint [presentation given by Dr. Thompson at the Upper Arlington public library on Sept. 25, 2012, presented by Upper Arlington Progressive Action.

A look at the alleged North / South political divide, a historic excerpt from LBJ on the passage of the Voting Rights Act, and sound from the annual protest at the School of the Americas (info as www.soawatch.org )

Conscious Voices Black Friday edition; a history of Thanksgiving from a Native American perspective contrasted with a view of the Palestinian struggle from a Palestinian perspective.

350.org held a gala event in Columbus on Nov 27 to launch a new offensive against global warming and fossil fuel consumption. WCRS was invited to record the entire program for broadcast.

Bill McKibben on what to do, James Hansen and other scientists on the dangers of Methane release due to Polar ice melt.

Views from American Jews critical of Israeli policy, and under-reported info about the ongoing occupation of Gaza. Norm Finkelstein, Sonali Kolhatkar interviews Jennifer Lowenstein, Dennis Kucinich speaks to Congress, Tom Over interviews Ilyad Burnat in Columbus.

Sound from a recent Columbus public forum on gun violence, plus some analysis and commentary by the show's producer.

MLK's speech; "Why I Oppose the War on Viet Nam", Danny Glover reading John Lewis' original, un-redacted speech that was to have been delivered at the March on Washington, John Lewis speaking at the 2012 Democratic Convention, and a Democracy Now report on the Wilmington 10, who we3re pardoned on Dec. 31, 2012

Interviews with ODNR spokesperson Heidi Hetzel-Evans, and a well inspector plus Eric Miller on opposing waste injectioon wells in Mansfield.

An examination of the Steubenville case, with mention of several similar cases. Narrated articles by sports columnist Dave Zirin, former punk rocker Henry Rollins, and feminist author Mia McKenzie witn a music clip from Peggy Seeger, and closing remarks by feminist sex blogger Laci Green

Carla Hale was fired from her teaching position at Bishop Watterson catholic high school after 19 years when an anonymous letter, allegedly from a parent of a student there outed her as a lesbian. Alumni and others have organized in solidarity and are demanding her reinstatement and a change in the Catholic Dioces employment policies.

Two separate rallies focused on labor rights took place in downtown Columbus this week as the state legislature takes up a bill that may lead to union-busting in public schools, and another that would seriously undermine collective bargaining rights throughout the state. In this program we feature highlights from both rallies, plus a song from Pete Seeger, who turned 94 this week.

1st half; interviews at the rally for Carla Hale held last Friday in front of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus. 2nd part; a lecture by Aura Bogado on global climate debt.

Update on Carla Hale's case against the Catholic Diocese, a message from youth environmentalist group Earth Guardians, and reflections on the 2001 riots in Cincinnati from a program produced at WSLR in Gainesville, Florida

update on Carla Hale case with audio from the latest rally, a clip from Jeremy Scahill, and and interview with Jennie Scheinbach, founder of Pattycake Bakery, which has now become a worker-owned cooperative, plus music from Pete Seeger and Sweet Honey in the Rock

Last week as many as 1,000 people marched in downtown Columbus to protest against the biotech company Monsanto. We have audio from the rally and we take a look at monsanto's history dating back to Agent Orange and up to this week's banning of GMO crops by Peru. We hear from Canadian farmer Percy Scmeiser who lost a lawsuit against Monsanto and we look at the impact of neonicotenoid insecticides on the world's bee population.

On this episde of Conscious Voices Evan Davis brings you coverage of what's happening with Mining in Wayne national forest & the latest attempt to pass Right to Work anti-union legislation in the Ohio State House.

Carla Hale update, Assaults on GLBTQ folks in Columbus, Jeremy Scahill on U.S. involvement in Somalia

Jeremy Scahill, author of Blackwater and Dirty Wars spoke in Columbus this week and we recorded it for you.

Jeremy Scahill answers questions from the audience after the screening of the film Dirty Wars, a documentary companion to his latest book by the same title.

Speeches from the two rallies commemorating the March for Jobs and Justice in Washington ( Al Sharpton and Bernice King, rally in Columbus by SEIU local 1 calling for fair wages for janitors, Phyllis Bennis on why the U.S. should not strike against Syria.

Talk by Niel Waggoner given at a meeting of Upper Arlington Progressive Action, focusing on Republican attempts to overturn Ohio's existing clean energy standards.

The Coalition of Imokalee Workers is pressuring Columbus-based Wendy's to sign on to their 1-cent-per-pound contract which guarantees better wages and conditions for tomato pickers in Southern Florida. We spewak with several of the organizers. Also; the weekly Coal Report and a new weekly feature, an audio column from Sonali Kolhatkar

The Trans Pacific Partnership ( "TPP") is a new "free trade" agreement being pushed by the Obama administration that critics say would allow an unaccountable consortium of transnational corporations to over-rule local laws in the U.S. and other participating nations. Indeed, the language of the proposal spells it out explicitly, yet it is being "fast-tracked" through Congress and its details have only recently been leaked. Lori Wallach, of Public Citizen explains.

Stand Your Ground, Thanks Giving, Hannuka

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing a rule change that may leaad to quick approvals of license renewals for nuclear power plants, many of which are nearly 40 years old, despite the fact that no new technologies have been developed to handle the storage of radioactive waste. A series of hearings is taking place across the country until Dec 20. We hear from two of the people who presented testimony at one of those hearings, as well as a few of the 3-minute testimonies themselves.

1,000 + columbus janitors win a new 3-year contract after a year-long battle with downtown cleaning service agencies. Imokalee workers and allies draw 120 to a protest at the grand opening of Wendy's newest burger joint - meet, briefly with a Wendy's exec.

the Coalition for Responsive Government filed petitions to place a campaign finance reform initiative on the ballot, and last week a formal objection was filed against the proposal, questioning both its legality, on procedural grounds, and its potential effectiveness. Its opponents claim there may be loopholes in the proposal that would render it less meaningful than its drafter intend. In this edition we speak with Jonathan Beard, principle architect of the proposal, and with Brian Rothenberg, who filed the objection.

Historian, author, and radio producer, Jeffery Blankfort discusses Israel's possible role in the assassination of John F. Kennedy

This is a re-broadcast of last year's MLK mspecial featuring the speech Beyond Viet Nam . It includers a new Coal Report from this week

On or before January 9, 2014 Thousands of gallons of a largely un-0tested toxic fluid leaked in to the Elk River at Charleston, West Virginia, poisoning the water supply for 300,000 West Virginians

8 people were arrested at a protest near Athens for blocking an access road to a fracking waste injection well. Audio from a video report including actualities from the protest plus part of a Pacifica Archives tribute to Pete Seeger

More Coal ash spills - BIG ones! in West Virginia and North Carolina, and a huge demonstration in Raleigh, North Carolina (80,000+!) on a host of issues stemming from the ALEC agenda - and the commercial and "public" media largely ignored it. No coverage, nationally on NPR at all. We've got it here.

This week documents uncovered by the Sierra Club implicate the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio EPA, and top officials in the Kasich administration of conspiring to discredit grass roots organizations and certain state legislators opposed to fracking in our state parks.

This is the same show as the previouys one titled; "ODNR scandal", but updated with THIS week's Coal Report.

Arizona governor vetoes a bill that would have allowed businesses to refuse service to customers based on a variety of criteria, New Mexico's weapons-grade radioactive waste storage facility leaks, and a look at what's happening now in Venezuela.

House Bill 203 is still moving through the legislature, despite having little public support, and being opposed by city councils, police organizations, and citizens. In this edition we have interviews with Ohio ACLU director Gerry Daniels,and Ohio Student Organizing Committee activists James Hayes and Erica Turner, and we have audio, gathered by WCRS volunteer Robb Ebright at a press conference held in Columbus featuring a woman whose son was gunned down in Florida by an assailant who received no penalty for the murder, thanks to Florida's Stand Your Ground law.

Journalist and author Pam Olson, whiose book, Fast Times in Palestine offers an in-depth and nuanced view of live in Palestine under Israeli occupation will be speaking in Columbus, March 23 and 24. This edition of Conscious Voices features an interview with Pam about the book and her expoeriences and observations.

This week we have a recent lecture from noted author and activist Arundhati Roy whose latest book, Capitalism, a Ghost Story details the crisis of capitalism in India and globally.

Jane Goodall gave a presentation recently at the All Saints Presbyterian church in Pasadena California one of the most powerful, well- delivered, urgent, yet optimistic speeches about environmental justice you are likely to hear.

Cornel West speaking recently at the All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California. Also; acknowledgements of the passing of journalist Robert Knight, researcher John Judge, author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, conspiracy speculator Mike Rupopert, and publisher John Johnson

Jonathan Beard, of the Columbus Action Network on why he opposes Issue 6, the proposed zoo levy, and Robert Knight interviews Staughton Lynd on the history of Mayday

The Ohio Senate just passed a bill that effectively guts the state's 6 year old energy policy that included renewable energy mandates. We speak with the Sierra Club's Jen Miller about the implications, and we hear the arguments from the Senate's leading fossil fuel proponent, Energy

This edition features an interview with Dr. Lonnie Thompson, renowned glaciologist who was among the first scientists to confirm anthropogenic causation (human activity) as one of the principal drivers of climate change today. This is especially timely in light of the state legislature's approval of a bill that guts Ohio's renewable energy mandates and incentives.

This is a lecture from the recent conference on climate change held at the Byrd Polar Research Center at Ohio State University. This one deals especially with severe droughts and how they have impacted human populations in the past, and their likely implications in the future.Conscious Voices

Interview with Mark Shanahan, energy adviser to former governor Ted Strickland

James Earl Jones reads Frederick Douglas' reflections on July 4th, NARAL's Jamie Miracle on the Hobby Lobby decision, and Angela Davis speaking at the Left Forum

This week we pay a visit to a unique community gardens project in the Franklinton neighborhood that has two acres under cultivation on 5 city plots, and is building community in an otherwise blighted area.

Jenny Scheinbach travels to Detroit to bring water and solidarity to residents whose water has been shut off by the appointed city manager, and Nigerian human rights activist Leo Igwe speaks in Columbus on the rise of Islamic extremism

On the third weekend in July there was a rally in Columbus which drew an estimated 3,000 people demanding an end to Israel's assault on Gaza and to the occupation. It was one of many such rallies around the world and in the U.S., yet all of those rallies received scant coverage in the Western media. In this edition we have an interview with Reema Al-Waridat, a Palestinian American who organized last week's rally and is co-organizing another, scheduled for Friday, August 1 at 4 pm at Broad and High. We also have 3 reports sourced from Russia Today discussing the current siege and the history behind it. With musical bridges from Ghalia Benali and Rim Bana

Professor Noura Erakat is a human rights activist and attorney, teaching at George Mason university, ho I had the pleasure of meeting once at a Palestinian solidarity conference. She is an occasional guest on Democracy Now. Here she speaks at length about the history of Palestinian leadership and the impacts of Israeli and Western policies on its development

Audio from a recent Palestine solidarity rally in Columbus Ohio, which drew around 400 people. The rally went smoothly and without incident. It was not co-opted by hate or anti-Jewish sentiments, nor commandeered by Trotskyists, nor picketed by counterprotesters. Maybe if any of those things had happened, it might have garnered more attention in the local media, but the full audio is here, along with commentary, and a musical piece by Anoushka Shankar

On-the-ground report from Ferguson with Thandisizwe Chimurenga, Local activist Bilal Al-Youssef reflect on the killing of some of his relatives by Israeli bombing in Gaza,and the Moral Monday coalition comes tyo Ohio to organize for justice and equality.

Interview with activists in Detroit leading the fight against water privatization.
Interview with Caroline Harding, on the Columbus Community Bill of Rights Initiative.

Activists in Columbus launch a campaign to amend the city charter with a "bill of rights" that would allow the city administration to adopt ordinances that protect our water, air, and soil against industrial solution, in opposition to the statewide authority of the industry-friendly Ohio Department of Natural Resources' regulatory authority, thus reclaiming local control.

Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow spoke at Ohio Dominican University to a full audience of nearly 1000 people about the prevalence of institutionalized racism and how it has created a new "caste system" in America.

On Sept 21 more than 400,000 people marched in New York City to demand action to address climate change. Unfortunately, the commercial and "public" media maintained its climate of omission and barely covered the event. In this program we have several speeches that were given at a forum held the night before the march. Speakers include Senator Bernie Sanders, 350.org founder Bill McKibben, Naomi Klein, and Chris Hedges.

Hundreds of folks rallied over the weekend in Columbus demanding justice in the (many) cases of unjustified police shootings of Black folks, and linked the crisis to the historic struggles for civil rights and equality in the U.S, Palestine, Mexico, and around the world. Audio from video recorded by Jim Brew Anderson

Interview with Allison Auciello ofFood and Water Watch at a protest against fracking in Columbus, audio from an early Ferguson protest attacked by police,and audio from a press conference in Dayton with the family of John Crawford

People from Newtown, Connecticut, where the infamous Sandy Hook school shootings too place 2 years ago, were in Columbus last week to launch a national promotion for a program they've developed called Sandy Hook Promise, which hopes to address the epidemic of gun violence in the U.S. by educating communities and individuals on methods of prevention.

Pt. 1 of audio from a symposium held at Stanford University on the implications of Ferguson

Panel discussion on the historical conditiions that underlie the police shootings in Ferguson and Ohio, featuring author Richard Rothstein, and NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorney Sherrylin Ifill

Interview with James Hayes and Alwiyah Shariff of the Student Organizing Committee on the directions and perspectives of the current movement to oppose police brutality, and audio, including interviews, chants and speeches from the 700+person march and rally for Black Lives in Columbus on Dec. 8

Continuing protests against police brutality are met with continuing intransigence by law enforcement, as well as continued censorship and distortion by many media outlets. Audio from the most recent Black Lives Matter demonstration in Columbus, and an op-ed by Thanidisizwe Chimurenga about the sparse attention given to female victims of violence.

An article by Arun Gupta on the next steps for the Black Lives Matter movement, and a speech by Angela Davis on the same

A critical look at U.S. media coverage of international events, including the Charlie Hebdo massacre, then audio from a candlelight vigil in Columbus remembering transgendered teen Leelah Alcon who committed suicide a few weeks ago, citing a lack of acceptance on the parts of parents, and society.

If you missed seeing Julian Bond in Columbus on MLK commemoration day, speaking at the Lincoln Theater to an overflow crowd, WCRS was there to record it. In this edition we also have a panel discussion from the National Urban League on the state of Black FEMALE America.

Institute for Policy Studies analyst Phillis Benis speaking in late 2014 on the Isis crisis and how to address it without resorting to military intervention.

Panel discussion featuring Noam Chomsky on the history and future of U.S. relations with Iran

Recently passed legislation traded a culturally and environmentally significant area within the Tonto National Forest to a foreign-owned mining company in exchange for less desirable parcels of land in Arizona. The planned Copper mine at Oak Flats will destroy an area several miles square. The San Carlos Apaches who have strong ancestral ties to the area being threatened, are organizing to prevent its destruction.

MIT political science professor Rich Neilsson and author/historian Juan Cole explain the rise of ISIS; who they are, what they want, and the circumstances in which they operate.

As we face a water shortage crisis globally, thanks to climate change, commercial meat production, Fracking, and water pollution there is a push to privatize the world's remaining fresh water supplies. The Swiss-owned company, Nestle, the world's foremost marketer of bottled water, has been in the forefront of this controversy, especially in light of recent statements by Nestle's CEO that water should not be considered a human right.

A look at the issues and details surrounding the Baltimore protests and their underlying causes as portrayed in alternative media outlets, not beholden to the standard narrative.

A look at the situation in Cleveland regarding the police brutality issue, and a look back at the history of oil spills off the coast of Santa Barbara

In this program we visit the Kossuth Street Community Garden in Columbus, and we take a look back at the tragedy of the nation's largest community garden, the South Central Farm in Los Angeles which was destroyed by a developer nearly 10 years ago.

2 editions of Laura Flanders' Grit TV featuring interviews with Michelle Alexander and Cornel West, plus commentary from Thandisizwe Chimurenga

Democratic Socialist senator Bernie Sanders delivered a historic campaign speech to a crowd of nearly 10,000 people in Madison, Wisconsin. We air it here, not as an endorsement, or as a campaign speech per se, but as a political lecture punctuated by frequent applause.

Lecture given recently in Spain by Naomi Klein upon the release of the Spanish language edition of her new book.

Monologue connecting Cecil the Lion and Mountain Top Removal and police shootings of Black folks. Interview about a proposed new Gas pipeline in Virginia, and an interview with an Upper Arlington resident who wants to save Northam Park from development.

2 local protestrs this week; one drawing attention to the killing of Black Trans women, and another at Congressperson Tiberi's office urging support for the Iran nuclear deal

An in-depth look at the arguments against Issue 3, the so-called "marijuana legalization" bill, that some have called "marijuana privatization". An interview with the founder of a group called "Citizens Against Responsible Ohio"

Short documentary about the battle to save historic Blair Mountain from being blown up by the coal companies, a Democracy Now interview with Prof. Noam Chomsky on the Iran nuclear agreement, and citizens protest at a fund raising event for Columbus mayoral hopeful Andrew Ginther

Lecture by anti-racist author and activist Tim Wise

Interview with Nathan Johnson, staff attorney for the Ohio Environmental Council about a proposed logging project that would impact a large area within the Hocking Hills stste forest, and a segment from Sonali Kolhatkar's radio program, Uprising about a Native American protest over the pope's canonization of a 1`5th century missionary.

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders sopeak against the Trans Pacifiuc Partnership, Sonali Kolhatkar on Aghanistan and Syria, and civil rights activist Grace Lee Boggs, speaking a couple of years ago at a conference, addresses the meaning of "leadership".

anti-zionist author and lecturer Norman Finkelstein speaking recently on the escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict, plus, audio from rallies for and against reproductive freedom

Sonali Kolhatkar takes a look at the recent police brutality incident involving a South Carolina high school student ( segment from Wednesday's edition of Uprising, produced in exile) , and an interview with Ohio Hemp pioneer, Don Wirtshafter about why he opposes Issue 3.

analysis of issue 3's defeat, update on the Keystone pipeline, a debate on Mountain top removal, and a 1989 speech to congress by Russel Means

A near East side apartment building, formerly dedicated as low-income housing was purchased by a New Jersey developer who is evicting dozens of elderly and disabled residents to convert the building to higher-priced apartments. A group of citizens has organized both to resist the evictions and to assist the residents.

Columbus social justice activist MarShawn McCarrel ended his life, but his legacy continues. A brief tribute to a fallen comrad.
Developers have their sights set on a block of historic buildings in Old North, but residents in the area are organizing to stop them in their tracks.

A rare and pristine ecosystem in Arizona is scheduled for demolition, thanks to a last-minute rider attached to a finance bill by Arizona senator John McCain that awarded the Oak Flats region to an Australian mining company. The land is sacred to the San Carlos Apaches, whose organization, Apache Stronghold, is leading the fight to stop the mine. They held a rally in Tucson to kick-off a two=week intensive campaign, culminating in a large protest gathering at Oak Flats in late February. We have audio from the rally, and an interview with Apache Stronghold spokesperson Wentsler Nosey/

Arizona was a crime scene on Tuesday where election fraud was perpetrated on a massive scale, reflecting a problem that has nation-wide implications since the gutting of the Voting Rights Act. We have a number of reports from Arizona and some analysis, plus a look at Sanders and Clinton's positions on Israel, and an excerpt from an interview with community activist Joe Motil on gentrification in Columbus' North side.

Humane urban planning advocate Jane Jacobs speaking in 2000 on the need for a radical shift in the way we view cities, urban culture, and architecture, and author James Kuntzler on the same.

Ohioans for Medical Marijuana has suspended their campaign to get a medical marijuana initiative on the state ballot, not because the odds were against them ( they weren't) but because legislators beet them to it with a lesser bill of their own. We have an interview with Aaron Marshall, spokesperson for Ohioans for Medical Marijuana.
Also, we have audio from a program from Russia Today on the origins of Europe's refugee crisis in policies of Western states.

Stanford rape survivor's epic testimony, as read by CNN's Ashleigh Banfield, and another, un-named rape survivor's harrowing story.

A "People's Summit" was held in Chicago in June to strategize about the next steps for the progressive movement. We have audio from one of the plenaries, as well as a few words about the latest police murders of Black people.

Interviews with activists outside the RNC , including STAT, a group of medical professionals opposed to Trump's stand on immigration, Ohio Jobs With Justice, Wall Off Trump,and Patriotic Millionaires, a group of wealthy individuals who support a $15 minimum wage,and campaign finance reform. Also a firey speech by Olivet Baptist paastor Jawanza Karriem Colvin.

Cleveland area voting rights attorney Subodh Chandra prepares to challenge Ohio's restrictive voter I. D. laws, which, he says are intended specifically to supress African American votes.

Palestinian activist Iyad Burnat has been fighting for years to keep his West Bank village of Bil'in from being annexed by Israel through the construction of illegal "settlements", the massive "security wall", fences, and buffer zones. He was first arrested, detained and tortured by Israeli Defense Forces as a teen , and, more recently, one of his sons was shot by an Israeli soldier during a non-violent protest, costing him part of a leg. Burnat addressed a crowd of around 70 people at the Maynard Ave Methodist Church, and also spoke about the solidarity between Palestinians and the Movement for Black Lives/Black Lives Matter in the U.S.

Upper Arlington residents opposed to the redevelopment of Northam Park, and concerned about the accontability of their city council have launched a recall campaign against 4 council members, which will be voted on on August 23. An interview with Stephan Buser, spokesperson for the recall campaign, and audio from videos both for and against. Also an interview with a local Sanders activist.

Extended segment from a recent edition of sportswriter Dave Ziren's podcast, The Edge Of Sports about San Francisco 49'ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's recent passive protest for racial justice, and an interview with local activist Puja Datta regarding the continuation of the political revolution ignited, in part by the Bernie Sanders campaign.

Press conference announcing the findings of a multi-city study on police practices which gave Columbus an unfavorable rating. Activists are calling for an independent investigation in to the police killing of Columbus resident Henry Green.
Also, an interview with one of the organizers of the protests at Standing Rock, North Dakota against a proposed oil pipeline.

Audio from a rally protesting the police shooting of Ty're King, and an interview with Ohio Environmental Council's Melanie Houston regarding a proposed gas pipeline through Ohio

Audio from Monday's rally at City Hall announcing an agreement between City Council and The People's Justice Project regarding the Summer Policing program, and a lecture by professor Angela Davis from the 17th annual Steven Biko memorial in South Africa.

Audio from a Columbus Day demonstration in Columbus, Ohio in solidarity with the protesters at Standing Rock, North Dakota, and audio from a recent protest in Charleston, West Virginia against Mountain Top Removal

Hard to believe it's been 4 years since I attended, and reported on an "open house" by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources regarding proposed oil and gas ("fracking") leases in the Wayne National Forest. Plans to auction thnose leases are now being fast-tracked, but a coalition of environmental groups is gearing up to fight it. Recently the Ohio Revolution, the local affiliate of Bernie Sanders' national group, "Our Revolution" held a strategy session in Columbus to help coordinate that campaign. Audio featured in this show from that meeting features representatives from the Ohio Environmental Council, The Buckeye Forest Council, Athens County Fracking Action Network, and the Ohio Sierra Club.

Interview with Progress Ohio executive director Sandy Theiss about voter supression in Ohio and also the general contentiousness of the 2016 Federal election.
Audio from a picket at Republican senator Rob Portman's offices regarding proposed fracking leases in the Wayne National Forest and some audio clips about the standoff at Standing Rock.

Interview with CAIR's atty Roman Ichbal about Senate Bill 268 which CAIR says will undermine the rights of workers who have faced discrimination or harassment from employers, and an interview with West Virginia gubernatorial candidate Charlotte Pritt who ran on the Mountain Party ticket against a conservative Republican, Bill Cole, and a Democrat coal magnate with numerous mine safety violations, Jim Justice. Plus a monologue about the 2016 presidentiaal election.

Ad Hoc coalition Columbus United organized a march and rally protesting the Trump/Republican agenda on Tuesday, Nov, 30th that drew between 900 and 1,000 people (817 on the march, with more joining at the statehouse). Speakers included a Muslim student, an un-documented immigrant, an African immigrant, and racial justice activists. Full audio featured in this show. Photo courtesy of Jose Luis Mas

audio from a recent press conference with Bernie Sanders and Keith Ellison

A look at the history of Social Security and , especially Mediaid through presidential speeches, starting with JFK's 1962 speech on Medicaid, then LBJ's "great society speech", and Obama's speech on the program's 50th anniversary. Also Bernie Sanders' recent Senate speech calling out Donald Trump on this issue

Large rally to save Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security organized by Ohio Revolution, with Union allies and social justice activists on January 15th 2017 at the Plumbers and Pipefitters hall in Columbus, Ohio.
Audio recorded from the house PA - a bit glitchy due to some problems with the PA equipment. (fortunately that did not compromise the sound in the room - just the line feeding the recorder). 3 salvaged speeches from the rally in this edition.

Audio from women's marches January 21 across the country

Extended interview with Ohio state director of the Women's March on Washington, Rhiannon Childs, plus Elizabeth Warren's speech at the Women's March in Boston

Rev. William Barber speaks on how we have arrived at our current political crossroads

Author, historian, and lecturer Michael Parenti traces the roots of some of the myths used to justify capitalism

Author and African American Studies professor cancelled a number of public appearances after she received death threats from Trump supporters in response to this commencement address she gave in 2017.
Ohio's own Nina Turner gave a keynote address at this year's People's Summit in Chicago.

Bernie Sanders held a rally to oppose the latest Republican bill to slash Medicaid. Full speech here.

The Ohio state senate may try to override Governor Kasich's veto of an item in the state budget bill that would drastically cut Medicaid. Audio from a Columbus rally to save Medicaid featuring Rev. William Barber.
Also, a feature-length interview with Wriply Benet, one of the 4 people arrested for staging a civil disobedience action at the Pride parade to draw attention both to the killings of Black and Brown trans people, and police violence against Black and Brown folks in general.

In answer to the on-going controversy over the incident at Comfest regarding a band having been told not to play a particularly incendiary song, "Fuck the Police", written 30+ years ago in response to systemic police brutality in South Central L.A., we have a recent interview with Twilight Bey, one of the members of The Bloods who signed the historic truce between the Crips and the Bloods. It speaks to the circumstances that inspired the song, and reveals an alternate perspective - one of a gang member-turned community organizer as opposed to that of a commercially successful singer commenting from a particular social niche.
The interview was conducted by Pacifica Radio's Davey D.
Also, audio from a speech given by Dennis Kucinich at this year's Comfest.

Many folks regard the 1969 Stonewall uprising in Greenwich Village as the "start" of the GLBT rights movement, but GLBT rights advocacy, and even a militant physical resistance to a police raid on a popular GLBT hang-out pre-dated Stonewall by several years. A Communist Party member, Harry Hay started the first GLBT advocacy group as a committee of the Communist Party. It then became an independent organization called the Matachine Society. This program takes a look at Harry Hay, including audio of a speech he gave on the 20th anniversary of Stonewall, and testimonies from veterans of both the Stonewall, and earlier Compton's Diner uprisings.

After white supremacists, nazis, NRA members, "Men's rights" advocates, Liberetarians, and other Trump supporters rioted in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing one person and injuring many more, we feature audio from a short video documentary by Vice TV, who had a reporter embedded with the white supremacists, and we'll hear audio from the funeral of Heather Heyer, the civil rights activist killed by an Ohio man who plowed his car in to a group of peaceful demonstrators.

several produced pieces regarding climate change, urban flooding and urban sprawl, plus some commentary on the pardoning of Arizona's former Maricopa County sherrif Joe Arpaio

A free-ranging somewhat informal conversation with Puja Datta, national coordinator for the Working Families Party about local and national politics of the day

Tariq Ali speaking on the crisis in Venezuela as a function ogf U.S. colonialism, and Juan Gonzalez on the history of the Puerto Rican debt.

Interview with Yes We Can candidate for City Council, Jasmine Ayres, plus audio (poor) of Maxine Waters speech at the Reclaiming Our Time conference in Detroit.

A talk given by Women's March organizer, Tamika Mallory recently in Australia about the state of the women's movement, intersectionality in feminism, and the lead-up to the 2018 election.

Grad students and others at Ohio State University rally in opposition to the Republican proposed tax overhaul bill by holding a "grade-in" at the Student Union.
Also, an excerpt from the RT TV program Boom Bust with financial analysis of the tax bill and other financial news.

Sound from a rally opposing Alabama senatorial hopeful Roy Moore featuring Rev. William Barber, audio from Tom Over interviewing protesters at a rally to save Net Neutrality in New York, and audio from the latest rally in solidarity with Palestine in Columbus.

Some notes in the monologue about the tax bill, then a recent lecture by Phyllis Benis of the Institute for Policy Studies

In this show there are three recordings offering perspectives on feminism and rape culture, one from Anita Sarkeesian, who has spoken against violence against women in video games, a CBC report on the Me Too movement, and Nigerian author Chimananda Ngozi Adichie

Al Jazeera report on the protests in Iran, and an interview with Columbus Community Bill Of Rights Campaign organizer Greg Pace

Sound from a rally at City Council to demand the appointment of Jasmine Ayres to city council, interview with Rhiannon Childs, co-organizer of this year's Women's March, and Oprah Winfrey's speech at the Golden Globe awards

Denis Kucinich announces his run for the governorship and reveals a detailed, thorough, fully articulated platform. Full speech, plus press conference Q and A, plus a song from Judy Small; One Voice In The Crowd

Audio from the 2018 Columbus women's march and other women's marches from around the U.S.

This edition includes a lecture by Professor Kimberle Crenshaw, who coined the term "INtersectionality" in the 1980's and is one of the pioneers of intersectional feminism. There is also audio from the 2018 Women's March in Oklahoma City

Speeches from the Power To The Polls Women's March, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada including Melissa Harris-Perry, Tamika Mallory, Linda Sarsour, Rev. William Barber, and others

Media interviews with school shooting survivors, and sound from two rallies organized by Florida high school students in response to the killing of 17 by (yet another) male white supremacist sociopath

A lecture by William Barber on the history of social justice movements in the U.S., and audio from one of the Florida gun reeform rallies

Book tour talk by historian, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz on the release of her ;latest book Loaded; A Disarming History of the Second Amendment

Audio from a number of student walk-outs against gun violence, and part 1 of a conversation between Angela Davis and Michelle Alexander

Part two of a wide-ranging conversation between Angela Davis and Michelle Alexander

Speeches from the student-led national march again st gun violence

2 short documentaries on Sudden Oak Death, a new pathogen that is killing Oaks and other trees in California, pluys a refresher course on the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, killing Hemlocks in the East.

A recent lecture by Cornel West and commentary about the disconnectedness of the Black elite class in the wake of recent "off color" remarks by hip hop mogul Kanye West

Two speeches regarding Israel/Palestine offering perspectives no usually heard in the American media

Author and lecturer, Naomi Klein critiques Trump, capitalism, and environmental issues in this speech given as part of her latest book tour

Economic and political crises are unfolding in both Venezuela and Nicaragua, which are partly caused by deliberate meddling by the United States, and partly by mis-steps of the elected administrations in those countries, and external economic factors, yet the American media paints a simpler ( and inaccurate) picture of both Venezuela's Maduro, and Nicaragua as text-book petty dictators bent on consolidating power at any cost.
Two reports from Al Jazeera Engliush are presented here that offer a moire nuanced view.

Audio from 2 immigratiion rights rallies; one on the Broklyn Bridge, reported by Pacifica's Mitchel Cohen, and another in Columbus, recorded by me.

Interview with National Abortion Rights Action League Ohio chapter deputy director Jaime Miracle on the status of abortion rights and the struggle ahead in light of the recent Supreme Court nomination.

The Colyumbus City Council adopted a new policy regarding tax abatements for developers which includes a provision that requires developers to dedicate a portion of each new construction to "affordable hoiusing". But is that enough? What is "affordable"? Critics say the policy greases the skids for gentrification.

Field recordings of speakers at the City Council meeting and an interview with Amy Harkins of Yes We Can.

Also; the Council approved the Columbus Community Bill Of Rights ballot measure to proceed to the November ballot . A speaker on that issue addressed the council, and an interview with Community Bill Of Rights activists afterward.

And a remembrance of Ron Dellums, who died this week at 82 - a recording of his 1990 speech in Oakland introducing the newly freed Nelson Mandela.

The Franklin County Board of Elections denied the Columbus Community Bill of Rights issue ballot access , even after the Columbus Community Council had approved sending the proposal to the November ballot. Dozens of volunteers spend thousands of hours gathering signatures for the proposal which would grant Columbus the right to regulate or ban industrial activities that pose a public health risk or jeopardize the city's air and water , suchg as fracking, waste injection wells, or placement of radioactive mine tailings in municipal landfills.
Audio from the Board of Elections meeting and interview with attorney Terry Lodge, and Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund organizer Tish O'Dell.
Also; discussion of the issue of confederate monument removals in the wake of the removal of one such statue at the university of North Carolina by student activists.

An interview from a community TV station in California with former congressperson Ron Dellums

`Two segments about the benefits of urban trees in light of the City of Columbus' recent campaign to eradicate all trees that are affecting sidewalks (rather than modify the sidewalks, which requires caring and imagination).

Sept 10, 2018, political sports writer and historian, Dave Zirin gave a talk in Columbus at the Wexner Center. Full board recording.

Coal ash impoundments and "fecal lagoons" on hog farms in North and South Carolina are hit by flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence

Sound from various Kavanaugh protests and an introduction to Texas senatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke

1st half; a Sam Seder interview with The Nation's Ari Berman in the days after the U.S. Supreme Court's Shelby decision which partially gutted the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
@nd half; local interview with Catherine Tercer, of Common Cause on the current state of voting rights in Ohio

Audio from Democracy Now's election night live broadcast, that was carried locally on community radio station WGRN, including Women's March co=leader Linda Sarsour, journalist Alan Nairn, and New York congressperson-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez' inspiring victory speech, plus an election day interview with Issue One spokesperson Dennis Willard.

Narration; brief history of U.S. interference with Honduras
Segment 1; Noam Chomsky traces the current crisis to Hillary Clinton's tenure as Sec. of State under Obama
Segment 2; Al Jazeera's Faultlines segment on the impact of the U.S. "war on drugs" in Honduras
Segment 3; Tariq Ali podcast on the latest post-coup election in Honduras

Journalist David Cay Johnston, author of the new book; It's Worse Than You Think; What Trump Is Doing To America, and congressperson-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the New Green Deal

Talk by Morgan State University professor of communications, Jared Ball on the intersection of modern Pan-Africanism and the anti-zionist movement.

Ohio Republican legislators fail by just one vote to overturn Governor Kasich's veto of a sweeping abortion ban bill that the legislature adopted last week, but the governor signed a second abortion ban bill that opponents say is nearly as bad.
Also, Medea Benjamin speaks with Phyllis Benis on the announced withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria

The Columbus City Council proposes a package of campaign finance reforms that include a very high limit on how much an individual or company can donate to a candidate. Citizen activists speak against that portion of the proposal.

A recorded speech from Hawaii congressperson Tulsi Gabbard, and a recorded conversation between Gabbard and Jane Sanders, plus some discussion in the intro of Gabbard's pros and cons.

Some of the speeches from the Columbus, Ohio 2019 Women's March, plus Nina Turner speaking at the national Women's March

Georgia politician/activist Stacey Abrams delivers the Democratic Party rebuttal to the state of the union address, followed by Wisconsin Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes, speaking for the Working Families Party, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Ilfan Omar grills Elliot Abrams on his record, Abby Martin on the effects of U.S. sanctions in Venezuela, and 2 lectures on how Israel affects U.S. policies, elections, and legislators

In light of the majority of U.S. media's complete lack of coverage of Venezuelan perspectives not alligned with the U.S.-backed opposition we have several segments offering historical analysis and updates on the situation from non-opposition viewpoints.

Audio from the memorial service for Columbus community activist, and social justice chapion and friend, Ruben Castilla Herrera

Interview with Jen Miller, Ohio League of Women Voters on the recent Federal district court ruling declaring that Ohio's electoral districting is unconstitutional due to Gerrymandering
Also audio from a rally in support of Masonique Saunders, and speech by Elizabeth Warren

A recent talk in Columbus by professor of international human rights, Dan Kovalik on the situation in Venezuela was joined, informally, by a family of Venezuelan ex-patriots who support the U,S,-backed Venezuelan opposition. The talk begins as a straightforward presentation, but then devolves in to an unmoderated discussion that includes dissenting viewpoints, thus offering a good example of the differences between pro and anti-revolution perspectives.

This week the Ohio House passed HB6, an energy policy bill misleadingly touted as a "clean energy" bill, but which opponents say weakens environmental protections, and creates permanent subsidies for the fossil fuel industry. An interview with the Ohio Environmental Council's Trish Demeter.

As Columbus continues to see its urban canopy diminish due to predation by developers, utility construction, aging, and thoughtless and caprecious homeowners or parasitic house-flippers, and, in general, poor municipal management, we have two reports on the importance of trees and efforts in at least one city to increase their population in an urban setting.

Talks by several of the leading Democratic candidates at the Move-On "Big Ideas" forum

SB 6 has passed and was signed in to law this week. It creates a semi-permanent rate hike (fee) on our electric bills to off-set unspecified costs related to maintaining 4 antiquated power plants ( 2 nuclear and 2 coal) owned by First Energy. The bill also does away with the state's energy conservation standards. A coalition of environmental groups may seek to overturn the new law by means of a statewide referendum.
Full audio from a press conference held at the statehouse on the day of the vote.

Also; local community organizer Morgan Harper is challenging Democratic incumbent Joyce Beatty for the nomination to run for Ohio's 3rd congressional district - a so-called "safe" Democratic district created when the Republican Party re-drew a number of congressional districts to assure a Republican majority in the Ohio congressional delegation. Beatty may be slightly to trhe Left of the political center, while Harper's politics more closely resemble those of the newer generation of self-described progressives. She supports the Green New Deal, free college tuition, un iversal health care, and a comprehensive approach to resolving the nation's affordable housing crisis. A full interview with Morgan Harper.

3 recorded speeches by one of the foremost American intellects and literary artists of the last century or more.

An extended interview with Roger Featherstone of the Arizona coalition on Mining Reform about the latest developments on the efforts to save Oak Flats
Also, Bernie Sanders on his campaign's efforts to address concerns of the African American communities, and to enlist Black voters ( an excerpt from a recent interview on a podcast program called Black Coffee)

panel discussion featuring Puja Datta and a Young Democrat at the Democratic Candidates debate watch gathering, David Adelson reports from Tijuana, and Greta Thurnburg on tnhe Global Climate Justice strike.

Greta Thurnberg speaking to the EU parliament, Columbus climate strike speeches, and David Adelson's Border Stories interview with Maria Galleta

RT's Rick Sanchez discusses the possible impact of the impeachment proceedings on the Biden campaign, and David Adelson attends an immigrant Rights workshop in San Diego

Interview with congressional candidate Morgan Harper, whose campaign has steadily grown in the months since our last interview and has achieved some impressive fund raising goals.
Also, audio from the Sanders rally in Queens, New York, which drew nearly 30,000 people - the largest campaign rally of the season for any candidate so far.

Two reports about the right-wing coup in Bolivia, and as new instalment of David Adelson's Border Stories

a guest production ( edition of Writers Voice, with host, Francesca Rihanon) focused on the myths of Thanksgiving, told from a Native American perspective.

An interview with Jonathan Beard, of Every Day People Columbus ( everydaypeoplecolumbus.us ) on their latest initiative to reform the way the city council is elected.

Independent journalist David Adelson shares interviews with immigrants, detainees, asylum-seekers and immigrant rights advocates from both sides of the U.S. border with Mexico. These reports have been produced exclusively for WCRS and WGRN .

Audio from a solidarity assembly for/with undocumented Columbus resident Edith Espinal, audio/interviews from the impeachment rally on Tuesday, and another installment of David Adelson's Border Stories.

A panel discussion with Crystal Ball, and Jacobin Magazine recorded art Versos Books in New York, covering the Democratic Party's attempts to promote a centrist candidate over progressives.

Institute for Policy Studies' Phyllis Bennis speaks in 2018 at the All Saints Church in Pasadena, California about the recent history of US policy on Iran.
Retired US General Wesley Clark speaking in 2007 on a classified Pentagob memo detailing plans for US military coups, destabilization, and effective control of 7 Middle Eastern and Sfrican nations including Lybia, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, and Iran

An interview with Columbus-based Iranian-American attorney Shayan Parsai on the history and current status of US/Iranian relations. Also; audio from Jane Fonda's Fire Drill climate change rallies in DC

Author and activist Angela Davis gives the 2020 MLK commemoration address at the University of Michigan, Detroit

Jeff Cohen, founder of the media watchdog group, Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting ( FAIR), whose weekly program, Counterspin airs on this station has a new documentary film; The Corporate Coup D'Etat, part of which was filmed in Youngstown, Ohio. I spoke with him in the studios of community radio station WGOT in Gainesville Florida. ( Special thanks to WGOT co-founder, Fred Souder, who engineered).
Conscious Voices contributor Tom Over attended a progressive candidates forum and interviewed Morgan Harper, running against Joyce Beatty in Central Ohio's 3rd congressional district , and Xavier Carrigan, running in Ohio's 5th, plus economics professor Fadel Khaboub

David Adelson reports from Tijuana where a number of refugees applying for refugee status in te US are being prevented by Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs from attending their mandatory court hearingfs in the US, resulting in their cases being dismissed.

Also JEFF Cohen, founder of Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) takes audience questions in Gainesville, Florida

An interview with Faye Williams, of Gainesville, Florida, a community activist who spearheaded the fight to remove a confederate statue there, and several short interviews with progressive activists in Ohio's electoral campaigns, by Tom Over

Writer and activist Shaun King researches a long history of Joe Biden's political prevarications. It's an extensive list. It suggests something may be pathologically amiss with the former VP, though King leaves that up to the listeners to judge.

A recent panel discussion with Congressional authors and co=sponsors of the Medicate For All bill

Analysis of the Sanders campaign in light of recent primary election disappointments

Self-employed artist Ed Beard on the effects of the Coronavirus shut-down on independent and "gig" workers, analysis of the Republican relief package proposal, and a report from David Adelson in the Border Stories series about some illegal dumping of sewerage in Tijuana by a U.S. company that is causing illness among refugees.

Veteran social justice, labor rights and environmental activist of Los Angeles, Sabina Virgo succumbed to pancreatic cancer in the last week of March 2020. To commemorate her life and accomplishments, we offer a speech that she made at the 2014 Earth Day celebration in Southern California.

Rev. William Barber addresses the context of the Covid 19 Corona virus pandemic in a social justice framework

As the quarantine continues in states with administrations that care, people who don't care, but say they do demonstrate at state government offices mixing alleged concern for "rights" with a toxic mix of racism, antisemitism, and anti-science ideologies.
3 reports cover the racism angle of the CoviD19 pandemic; one from Al Jazeera addressing racism toward Asian folks in America, one from China Global Television Network examining vulnerability of populations in Africa's urban centers , and one from Roland Martin discussing white supremacists plans to use Covid19 as a terrorist weapon.

An analysis from We Charge Colonialism on the racist implications of the Covid 19 pandemic response, AFL CIO president Richard Trumka on what conditions should be met for workers to return to work safely, Cryatal Ball on workers forced back to work under unsafe conditions, and Nina Turner on New York's cancellation of the Democratic primary there.

As the US tightens its economic embargo against Venezuela and encourages the violent overthrow of the elected government there, the Covid 19 corona virus compounds Venezuela's crisis. Abby Martin puts it in context.
Also; a broadcast from Telsur English describing the attempted coup in Venezuela by a group of American mercenaries with ties to the Trump administration, and an American political science professor's view.
Also, some discussion of the apparent lynching of a 25 year old Black man in Georgia by a trio of white men, who, as of the recording date of this show were neither arrested, nor charged, but which, since that date have now been charged with felony murder.

A recorded interview with author, Richard Wolfe on the crisis of capitalism and how it compounds the present pandemic.

An interview with activists Steven Underwood and Ricardo Harris sharing their feelings and observations about the protests in Columbus to demand an end to police violence and for accountability on the part of the city administration.

Speeches from The Black Lives Matter march in Columbus led by the mothers of people slain by police in Columbus and Dayton

Mayor Ginther's press conference where he pledges his commitment to at least some of the reforms demanded by the Black Lives Matter movement, Crystal Ball on the latest Democratic primary results, and Columbus' Bill Lyons and Tish O'Dell on the latest setback for the Citizens Bill Of Rights initiative.

Audio from a Columbus City Council press conference announcing intent to address racism and police brutality, and audio from a youth-led Black Lives Matter march in Worthington, and another at the Columbus City Hall.

Recent talk by professor Keeanga Yamhatta Taylor discussing how housing policies and the real estate industry have segregated America

Community activist and former candidate fir City Council, Jasmine Ayres discusses the state of the movement for racial justice in Central Ohio at this point.
David Adelson files another interview report with border justice/immigration rights advocate Hugo Castro from Los Angeles.

Audio from a press conference/rally in Louisville, Kentucky in response to a grand jury's failure to indict any of the officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor, and audio from a Yes We Can streamed presentation on Issue 2 which would amend the Columbus city charter to create a Civilian Review Board to monitor police uses of force.

Audio from Women's Marches in October to protest the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the US Supreme Court

Audio from a small rally in Columbus on Wednesday, the day after election day, an interview with Cathy Cohen Becker on the passage of Issue 1, sound from Republican mobs outside several boards of elections attempting to intimidate poll workers, and a short NYT documentary on ther stolen election of 2000

3 segments discussing what must be done to hold the new administration accountable to a progressive agenda, and the dangers for both the party and the movement of failing to do so.
Speakers; Alexandria Ocassio-Cortez, Juan Gonzalez, Crystal Ball, Cornel West

An interview with Kossuth Street Garden co-founder Michael Doody as the garden faces an immanent threat from a developer, reminiscent of the plight of the nation's once largest urban farm in Los Angeles, and a speech from the Indigenous protest in Plymouth, Massachussetts, marking Thanksgiving as a day or mourning , plus an essay from Christian Davis ( my dad) on saving the turkeys.

Columbus resident Casey Goodson was gunned down by a Franklin County Sheriff's Deputy last week. He was not a suspect in any investigation, and had no criminal record. The deputy claims Goodson pointed a gun at him. Goodson's family say he had only a cel phone, and a bag of sandwiches. He bled out on his kitchen floor in front of his family. The county coroner has ruled the killing a "homicide". All three shots that killed Goodson were received in his back.
Columbus police apparently mis-handled the investigation, failing to secure the scene or to interview witnesses, leading many to beliefs they were operating with the pre-emptive assumption that the shooting was "justified". Citing a lack of coherent evidence, the Ohio attorney General has declined to investigate, but the US justice department has stepped in.
Goodson's family is calling for murder charges to be brought against the deputy, who has a history of insubordination and volatility. The family is represented by Columbus attorney Sean Walton. We have audio from a press conference held by Walton and co-counsels via video chat.

This week I also met with community activist Dontavius Jarells, who will represent the Ohio 25th House district at the start of the new legislative season. I first encountered Jarells when he was a keynote speaker and emcee at an International Black Lives Matter rally at City Hall, which I recorded and broadcast here on this program this past Summer. Here he discusses his vision for improving the lives of his constituents, fighting injustices, and transforming our democratic culture.

Audio from a rally for justice for Casey Goodson on Saturday, Dec 12 that drew around 1500 people, plus Alerxandria Ocasio=Cortez on the Covid relief debate and Democratic Party leadership failings.

A feature-length interview with civil rights attorney Sean Walton, who represents the family of slain Columbus citizen Casey Goodson, plus; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks about her experience of the storming of the Capitol by white supremacists.

Professor/author Michael Eric Dyson gives a sermon just days after the attempted coup at the nation's capitol by white supremacists, anti-maskers, Trump devotees, and other Republicans.
Also the poem heard 'round the world.

audio fromm a recent "virtual rally" to save Oak Flats in Arizona from a giant copper mine that the previous whitehouse administration accelerated approval for. Also discussion of the case of Andre Hill's murder by Columbus police officer. Adam Coy ( now fired, indicted and charged, and arrested, and held on a multi-Milliuon dollar bail).

Audio from a recent on-line forum on the destructive impacts of the border wall, presented by the Center for Biological Dioversity in Tucson.
Also; update on the killing of Casey Goodson, and commentary on the impeachment trial of a certain former chief executive.

A look at the purpose and value of community gardens in light of the threat many of them are facing from developers and gentrification. This week ther Kossuth Street Community Garden on Columbus' near East side was served an eviction notice by the developer that recently purchased the land. An up-to-date intervoew with Kossuth Street Garden director Michael Doody

A public poetry reading by American treasure, poet, Lawrence Ferlingetti, on the occasion of hsi receiving the honor of becoming San Francisco's first poet laureat, and an encouraging update in the fight to save Oak Flat in Arizona.

A look at the recently passed American Rescue Act, and Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema's no-vote against a 15$/.hr minimum wage, plus Mumia Abu Jamal's case and health risks currently.

Sound from the protest in Minneapolis as the murder trial of Derek Chauvin begins, Phyllis Bennis on Biden;s foreign policy challenges, and audio from an Asian American solidarity rally ion Columbus

A look at the legislative efforts to, on the one hand limit, restrict, or deny voting access, and , on the other, to protect and expand voting access. An interview with Jenn Miller of the Ohio League of Women Voters, plus reports from North Carolina and Georgia, and a report on voter-roll purging in Ohio.

Content from a radio program produced at Pacifica affiliate station KBOO in Portland, Oregon called Let's Talk About Race. This Earth Day edition expolres the many facets of environmental racism.

Interview with organizer/community advocate Heather Johnson in the aftermath of the police killing of 16 year old Columbus resident Ma'Khia Bryant, plus audio from a rally in Goodale Park in solidarity with Ma'Khia's family

Audio from a Palestinian solidarity rally in Columbus, Ohio, and from a press conference with the family and attorneys in the case of police-slain Columbus resident Andre Hill

Audio from a Palestinian solidarity rally in Columbus, Ohio and from a press conference featuring the family of police-slain Columbus resident Andre Hill, and their attorneys announcing a 10 Million dollar settlement with the city of Columbus

Around 500 people gathered in Goodale Park for a rally and march in solidarity with the people of Palestine on May 21. In this program we hear "raw" audio from the rally ( edited for improved sound quality) and a 2003 speech by SJP co-founder Ora Wise.

This program features a panel discussion on the current situation in Palestine with former US ambassador to Israel, Martin Idyk, and Rutgers University professor and author Noura Erakat

Rev William Barber of the Poor People's Campaign, and Rev. Jesse Jackson march on Washington to pressure senators Manchin and Sinema to pass the For The People voting rights act, and to eliminate the filibuster rule in the Senate.
Sinema argues that the filibuster prevents a "tyrany of the minority" situation, yet that is what we have right now, as minority leader McConnel has vowed to block any and every proposal by the Biden administration.
Sinema says that, if there is no filibuster, Republicans will use their next majority ( if there is one) to undo every accomplishment of the Biden administration. They undoubtedly would, but the point is that they would, anyway. Getting rid of the filibuster NOW could allow Democrats to pass a raft of bills that could transform our political culture, ushering in a new era of justice and equality and environmental protection.
Sinema and Manchin can either stand in the gap, or stand in the way.

1st half;
Interview with Kathy Cowan Becker about two bills that just became law in Ohio that are clearly aimed at thwarting commercial scale wind and solar power development.
2nd half
Interview with three women from Athens who recent took part in a pipeline protest in Minnesota and who were arrested there and charged with felony "theft" for blocking a gate to a pipeline construction-related facility.
Music at the break; Peter Paul and Mary singing "Flow"
Music at the close; Ana Fritz; "Leave it in the Ground"
Photo from Athens Messenger

Part of an on-line seminar from the Ohio Environmental Council on the mechanisms and urgent importance of Ohio's congressional redistricting process.

Glen Ford, radio commentator and author , co-founder of the Black Commentator, and the Black Agenda Report has passed away at the age of 71. In today's program we'll hear a speech he gave in 2020 on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the founding of the Black Agenda Report.

Panel discussion on Afghanistan featuring Phyllis Bennis, Tariq Ali, and Maya Evans.
The panelists discuss the history of the US role in Afghanistan and how our actions percipitatede the current situation, and they offer suggestions for how to rectify the mess.

Several media reports and presentations on the two insfrastructure bills now being blocked by Republicans and two right-wing ( ie; "moderate") Democrats

Several speeches on climate change including Greta Thunburg, and Boris Johnson, and a short documentary on recent deadly flooding in Germany brought about by climate change.

Analysis of and speeches from the UN climate conference ("COP 26") in Glasgow

2 talks by 1619 author Nikole Hannah-Smith discussing the history of racism in America and its influences on education.

The US-backed right-wing Honduran regime that was supported and sanctioned by the Obama administration during Hillary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State has been ousted in a landslide election, giving the presidency to a progressive female politician who ran on a platform of political, social, and economic reforms and a promise to crack down on corruption and the drug trade. But the new administration will stall face escalating challenges resulting from climate change.
2 reports, one from the independent radio program Making Contact , hosted by Monica Lopez, and another from Al Jazeera offer a deeper look.

538.org panel discussion on the state of American democracy going in to 2022

repeat of previous week's show featuring a 538.org panel discussion on the state of American democracy, but with an update at the beginning featuring Morgan Harper's rebuttal to AZ senator Kyrsten Sinema.

An award-winning MLK documentary from Pacifica Radio originally broadcast in 1968, 3-days after the assassination.

Ohio Democratic Senatorial hopeful Morgan Harper debates Republican rival Josh Mandel

Several perspectives on the Russia/Ukraine conflict that the Western media is largely omitting

Professor John Mersheimer explains the US role in creating the Russia/Ukraine conflict

Content from a recent edition of Pacifica Radio's Covid Race and Democracy related to the conflict in Ukraine

Bernie Sanders assembled a group of commentators to address the conflict in Ukraine from the standpoint of democracies around the world, versus authoritarian and imperialist regimes, including the US, and with regard to climate change.

interview with geopolitical policy analyst Samo Burja on the long term global balance-of-power implications of the conflict in Ukraine.

Bill Fletcher Junior interviews Noam Chomsky on the conflict in Ukraine

Russel Brand, Richard Wolfe, and Chris Hedges discuss the conflict in Ukraine and the crisis of imperial capitalism ( 2 segments)

Interview with a spokesperson from the Center For Biological Diversity on the impacts of the border wall, another Ukraine perspective and news of the acquittal of two notorious Columbus police officers in the killing of Henry Green

In the wake of the news of a leaked draft ruling from the Republican-dominated US Supreme Court effectively overturning Roe Vs Wade , we hear from MSNBC's Ali Velshi on the white supremacist roots of the anti-abortion movement, Vice President Kamala Harris' comments to an Emily's List convention, and my interview with Cole Wojdacz, field director for Pro Choice Ohio

A panel discussion ("webinar") on Ukraine with Institute For Policy Studies analyst Phyllis Bennis

Several international news reports about the murder of an American Al Jazeera journalist in occupied Palestine, and an attack by Israeli police of the mourners, Americans aiding Israeli settlers in harassing Palestinians, and a far-right Israeli nationalist march in Jerusalem reminiscent, in some respects of the far-right march in Charlottesville, Virginia

Speeches from the 2022 ( second) March For Our Lives against gun violence.

As this program aired on WGRN, 94.1 fm on Thursday evening, August 4, the Columbus Education Association the union representing 4500 Columbus teachers voted to send an "intent to strike" resolution to the Columbus Board of Education, which the unions says has refused to bargain in good faith as the August 21 expiration of the teachers' current contract approaches.
I interviewed Regina Fuentes, spokesperson for the CEA.
Also; the deal struck with West Virginia senator Joe Manchin in exchange for his support for the scaled-down version of the Build Back Better bill includes a promise to re-start construction of the Mountain Valley pipeline, which, like the cancelled Keystone XL pipeline would have severe environmental and social impacts. We have a raw-audio documentary, of sorts, from an independent filmmaker who spoke with property owners in the pipeline's path as well as protesters who blocked construction before the pipeline was idled nearly 2 years ago.

An excerpt from Code Pink Radio discussing the possibility of a diplomatic resolution in Ukraine

John Mersheimer interview ( recent) on the situation in Ukraine, and a retired miner speaks against the proposed copper mine that would destroy Oak Flat

* Correction; in the monolugue I incorrectly identified the former ( ousted) Ukrainian president as "Lukashenko", whereas I meant to say Yanukovych. Lukashenko is the president of Belarus.

Recent Canadian webcast interview with Professor Jeffrey Sachs on the situation in Ukraine

Distinguished professor John Mersheimer ( University of Chicago) discusses the current situation in Ukraine and how it might be resolved - or not.

Several foreign media reports on the destruction of the Kakhova dam in Ukraine with speculation about who or what may have caused the disaster. Also a report on Canadian forest fires and climate change.

A coalition of women's rights and reproductive rights groups submitted over 700,000 signatures on a petition to place a reproductive rights issue on the November ballot (press conference)
And, an interview with former Piketon Uranium enrichment plant employee Vina Colley

a discussion on Ohio's Issue 1, to be voted on in an (illegal) special election on Tuesday, August 8 that would raise the number of signatures required to place an initiative on the statewide ballot, and would require a 60% vote for passage of any constitutional amendment.