WPKN: Politics, Policy, and Planet Podcast - podcast cover

WPKN: Politics, Policy, and Planet Podcast

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WPKN's leading public affairs coverage concerning politics, policy, planet and so much more.
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Episodes

Thousands Oppose Trump Regime 2.0 in ‘50501’ Nationwide Protests

Interview with Kay Evert, one of the co-founders of the group NoVoiceUnheard, and Sydney, an organizer with the Pittsburgh branch of the 50501 protest movement and 50501’s national press liaison, conducted by Scott Harris. Kay Evert talks about the national mobilization network opposing Donald Trump’s illegal conduct and authoritarian agenda that, on Feb. 5, coordinated some 80 protest rallies in all 50 U.S. states against Trump, Elon Musk, and the Republican Party’s power grab....

Feb 13, 202516 minEp. 105

Trump’s Targeting of Education Dept Could Eliminate Dozens of Federal Programs Benefitting Millions of Students Nationwide

Interview with Derek W. Black, Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina, conducted by Scott Harris. Derek Black discusses what’s at stake in the Trump administration’s attack on the federal Department of Education, his motivation for this assault, and the importance of federal funds to providing quality primary and secondary education to millions of students across the U.S. He also touches on the issues examined in his new book, “Dangerous Learning: The South’s Long War on Black Lite...

Feb 13, 202516 minEp. 104

Elon Musk’s Child Hacker Army Illegally Attempting to Eliminate Multiple Federal Agencies

Interview with Amanda Marcotte, a senior politics writer at Salon.com and author of "Troll Nation: How the Right Became Trump-Worshipping Monsters," conducted by Scott Harris. Amanda Marcotte discusses her article re: Oligarch billionaire Elon Musk’s lawless federal agency takeover, “‘ Hitler had some decent points’: Internet trolls guide Musk’s covert coup,” examining the vile white supremacy that permeates Musk’s fascist child army, conducted by Scott Harris

Feb 13, 202516 minEp. 103

Trump Doubles Down on his Criminal Plan to Ethnically Cleanse Gaza

Interview with Phyllis Bennis, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and international adviser for Jewish Voice for Peace, conducted by Scott Harris. Phyllis Bennis talks about Donald Trump floating the idea that the US should take over Gaza, ethnically cleanse 2.3 million Palestinian residents and rebuild it into a “Middle East Riviera,” as well as the international rejection of this criminal proposal. Bennis is author of the new book “Understanding Palestine & Israel,” published by ...

Feb 13, 202530 minEp. 102

Immigration Defense: What to Know, Who to Call

Immigration Defense Special John Lugo of Unidad Latina en Accion, and Bethany Perryman, communications director for the Connecticut ACLU, discuss strategies for defending undocumented people against ICE raids in local communities. Host: Richard Hill

Feb 10, 202530 minEp. 101

Voter Suppression Key to Trump’s Election Win

Interview with Greg Palast, investigative journalist for The Guardian and New York Times best-selling author of The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, conducted by Scott Harris. Greg Palast concludes that if all legal ballots were counted, Trump would have lost the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Kamala Harris would have won the Electoral College vote and the presidency. He talks about his years-long investigation into Republican voter suppression impact on the 2024 president...

Feb 06, 202521 minEp. 99

Trump-GOP Moves to Extend Tax Cuts for the Rich, Austerity for Everyone Else

Interview with Will Rice, a consultant with Americans for Tax Fairness, conducted by Scott Harris. Will Rice discusses the Trump-GOP plan to cut more taxes for the rich and impose austerity on the rest of us, referencing a newly leaked memo from House Budget Committee Republicans that proposes slashing trillions from healthcare, nutrition, climate change prevention and more while handing $1.2 trillion in new tax breaks to millionaires, billionaires and big corporations.

Feb 06, 202514 minEp. 98

If Confirmed by U.S. Senate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Poses Grave Danger to U.S. Public Health

Interview with Dr. Stephanie Woolhandler, distinguished professor of public health at Hunter College, conducted by Scott Harris. Dr. Stephanie Woolhandler talks about her concerns regarding Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services. She focuses on his anti-science and anti-vaccine views and what damage he could inflict on U.S. public health policies should the U.S. Senate confirm him.

Feb 06, 202520 minEp. 97

Trump Launches Vicious White Supremacist Policy Agenda

Interview with Steve Phillips, columnist, host of the Democracy in Color podcast and best-selling author of "How We Win the Civil War: Securing a Multiracial Democracy and Ending White Supremacy for Good" conducted by Scott Harris. Steve Phillips discusses the Trump regime 2.0’s white supremacist ideology – blatant as ever during the campaign, and undeniable in his first week in office eliminating all DEI programs, as well as revoking LBJ’s 1965 executive order prohibiting federal contractors fr...

Feb 06, 202524 minEp. 96

Elon Musk’s Nazi Salute Elicits Alarming, Twisted Response

Interview with Stanley Heller, host of the TV newsmagazine “The Struggle," conducted by Scott Harris. Stanley Heller discusses multi-billionaire and Trump pal Elon Musk’s white supremacy and hate speech, examined in his book, “Zionist Betrayal of Jews: From Herzl to Netanyahu,” as well as Musk’s recent Nazi salute at the Trump inauguration, and the U.S. Anti-Defamation League and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s twisted defense of Musk’s “Heil Hitler” gesture. Heller is administrator ...

Feb 06, 202516 minEp. 95

Trump’s Imperial America Intends to Conquer Panama, Greenland, and Canada

Interview with Joe Lauria, editor-in-chief of Consortium News, conducted by Scott Harris. Joe Lauria talks about his recent article, “The Imperial Presidency Marches On,” about the domestic and international response to Donald Trump’s threat to annex other nation’s territories, including Greenland, the Panama Canal and Canada through economic blackmail or the use of military force. Lauria has written for the Boston Globe, the London Daily Telegraph, the Johannesburg Star, the Montreal Gazette, a...

Feb 06, 202517 minEp. 94

As Trump’s Mass Deportation Begins, 6 Ways to Support Immigrants’ Rights Now

Interview with Amy Gottlieb, U.S. migration director with the American Friends Service Committee, conducted by Scott Harris. Amy Gottlieb talks about the work her group is doing to challenge Donald Trump’s many executive orders setting in motion his campaign pledge to execute mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, close the southern border and suspend the entry of refugees seeking asylum in the U.S.

Feb 06, 202516 minEp. 93

Trump’s Pardon of 1,500 Jan. 6 insurrectionists: An Undeniable Endorsement of Right-Wing Domestic Terrorism

Interview with Lawrence Rosenthal, Ph.D., chair and lead researcher at the Berkeley Center for Right-Wing Studies, University of California at Berkeley, conducted by Scott Harris. Lawrence Rosenthal discusses Donald Trump’s pardon and commutation of some 1,500 convicted Jan. 6 insurrectionists, many of whom had engaged in violent attacks on Capitol police. He also expresses growing concerns that this blanket presidential pardon will be viewed as a green light by right-wing extremist groups to en...

Feb 06, 202526 minEp. 92

Speeches and Interviews from the Anti-Trump People’s March in Washington, D.C.

Excerpts of speeches and interviews at the People's March at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., recorded and produced by Scott Harris. Speeches and interviews were recorded Saturday, Jan. 18 at the People’s March in Washington, D.C. where tens of thousands marched and rallied to oppose Donald Trump’s radical authoritarian agenda, including his campaign pledge to deport millions of immigrants, suppress the LGBTQ community, criminalize media outlets that are critical of him, prosecute his per...

Jan 23, 202524 minEp. 91

The Israel-Hamas Gaza Ceasefire Takes Effect. Still, it Fails to Address Future of Palestinians in Crisis

Interview with Jennifer Loewenstein, former associate director of Middle Eastern Studies and senior lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, conducted by Scott Harris. Jennifer Loewenstein examines the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the future of Gaza and the ongoing struggle a free and independent Palestine, as well as her assessment of the new and unstable Middle East landscape that many US commentators describe ...

Jan 23, 202516 minEp. 90

Organizing Effective Resistance to Trump’s Authoritarian Repressive Agenda

Interview with Svante Myrick, president of People for the American Way Foundation, conducted by Scott Harris. Svante Myrick reflects on the life and legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., in talking about what Donald Trump’s inauguration will mean for activists fighting for economic, racial, and environmental justice, as well as the work his group will be engaged in to counter the second Trump regime’s extremist agenda over the next four years, while proposing a progressive vision for the future...

Jan 23, 202518 minEp. 89

Trump, Back in Office, Doubles Down on Intensifying the Global Climate Crisis

Interview with Antonia Juhasz, a leading energy, climate and environmental justice author, analyst and investigative journalist, conducted by Scott Harris. Antonia Juhasz discusses her recent Rolling Stone magazine article, “The Trump Resistance Inside Washington’s National Cathedral,” covering the social justice activist leadership within that famous church who vow to oppose Trump’s extremist right-wing agenda. She also talks about the devastating Los Angeles fires, growing awareness of the des...

Jan 23, 202520 minEp. 88

The Organic Farm Stand: The Neo-Nics Are Here -- Save The Birds and Bees!

The Organic Farm Stand, Jan. 16, 2025: -Hot Topics with Diane Lauricella -Small Farms Report with Steve Munno of Massaro Farm in Woodbridge, CT -Update from CT NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association) -Louise Washer, President of the Board of Directors of the Norwalk Watershed Association, discusses the systemic dangers of neonicotinoids and the fight to limit their uise in Connecticut. Hosted by Richard Hill and Diane Lauricella

Jan 22, 202554 minEp. 87

Amazon Labor Union’s Christmas Strike Succeeds in Organizing First National Action

Interview with Sultana Hossain, recording secretary with the Amazon Labor Union, conducted by Scott Harris. Sultana Hossain discusses her union’s recent national holiday strike, the ongoing campaign pressuring Amazon to negotiate with the union to sign and implement fair contracts, and concern about the Trump administration’s declared hostility to labor rights, and the future of the U.S. labor movement.

Jan 16, 202515 minEp. 86

Los Angeles Wildfire Catastrophe, the Climate Crisis and the Future of Public Policy

Interview with Michael Richardson, an activist with the elder-focused group Third Act, conducted by Scott Harris. Michael Richardson talks about the real-world impact of the climate crisis we see now in the catastrophic fires in Los Angeles and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events across the globe. He assesses the incoming Trump administration’s plan to implement destructive climate policies and what our listeners can do to express their opposition effectively....

Jan 16, 202518 minEp. 85

Facebook Dumping Fact-Checking Promotes Trump Lies and Disinformation

Interview with Ahmed Baba, a journalist and columnist at The Independent, conducted by Scott Harris. Ahmed Baba talks about his recent article, “How Zuckerberg’s Meta Policy Changes Empower Trump’s Disinfo Machine,” re: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Facebook will abandon professional third-party content moderation and fact-checking in favor of the user-generated “Community Notes” model Elon Musk uses.

Jan 16, 202517 minEp. 84

Trump Pardon of J-6 Insurrectionists: A Disaster for Democracy, Rule of Law

Interview with Jonah Minkoff-Zern, Citizen Democracy Campaign co-director, conducted by Scott Harris. Jonah Minkoff-Zern talks about his group’s position on Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to pardon convicted Jan. 6 insurrectionists which were explained in their recent press release, “If Trump Pardons January 6 Insurrectionists, He Will Further Betray the American People.” He’ll also assess the consequences of this act for the rule of law and the signal it will send to right-wing domestic terrori...

Jan 16, 202527 minEp. 83

Resistance Begins Now! Zweig and Nichols Map Our Course

Michael Zweig, economist and labor historian, and John Nichols, National thAffairs Correspondent with the Nation Magazine, discuss the very fraught road ahead in age of governement by oligarch, but point toward strategies for push back and potential victories, both local and national. Panel: Scott Harris, Richard Hill and Ruthanne Baumgartner

Jan 14, 202551 minEp. 82

Labor's Fight in 2025: What The Trumpocalypse Will Mean For Working People

Michael Zweig, economist and labor historian, is joined by Steve Rosenthal, former political director with the AFL-CIO, for a conversation about how the draconian agenda of the incoming Trump administration may provide an opportunity for organized labor to make gains with working people and win electoral victories in 2026. Host: Richard Hill

Jan 10, 202540 minEp. 81

Danger Ahead for the World Under Trump’s Muddled Foreign Policy

Interview with Mel Goodman, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, professor of government at Johns Hopkins University, an author, and a former CIA analyst, conducted by Scott Harris. Mel Goodman talks about his concern re: Donald Trump’s authoritarian rhetoric, and how he could use violent incidents/terrorist attacks (as we just witnessed in New Orleans and Las Vegas) as a pretext to invoke emergency powers to impose repressive measures targeting his critics, dissenters, and th...

Jan 09, 202517 minEp. 80

Climate Denier Trump Threatens US Renewable Energy Future

Interview with Ken Bossong, executive director of the nonprofit Sun Day Campaign, conducted by Scott Harris. Ken Bossong discusses his year-end review of reports from FERC and EIA regarding the mix of renewable energy sources that now comprise 30 percent of total U.S. electrical generating capacity, and is on track to reach 37 percent by the end of 2027. He also addresses prospects for setbacks that may be ahead for renewal energy under President Trump who has declared climate change as a “hoax”...

Jan 09, 202518 minEp. 79

Before Reagan Jimmy Carter’s Conservative Economic and Foreign Policy Moved the US to the Right

Interview with David N. Gibbs, professor of history at the University of Arizona and author of Revolt of the Rich: How the Politics of the 1970s Widened America's Class Divide, conducted by Scott Harris. David Gibbs shares his views on late President Jimmy Carter’s legacy, both in economics and foreign policy, that many corporate media obituaries of the 39th U.S. president omit.

Jan 09, 202518 minEp. 78

On the 4th Anniversary of Trump's Jan. 6th Insurrection, Democracy is on the Ropes

Interview with Sasha Abramsky, The Nation magazine's Western correspondent and author of Chaos Comes Calling: The Battle Against the Far-Right Takeover of Small-Town America, conducted by Scott Harris. Sasha Abramsky discusses his recent article, “Will Trump Weaponize the FCC to Crack Down on Media Outlets He Doesn’t Like?” and the alarming anticipatory obedience we see toward Trump from Jeff Bezos, Patrick Soon-Shiong, ABC News, Mark Zuckerberg, et al. He is the author of The American Way of Po...

Jan 09, 202524 minEp. 77

The Story of Big Train Farm, Certified by the Real Organic Project

The Organic Farm Stand --Hot Topics: The return of light, the polar vortex, what to do with fire place ash --The Honey Bee Update with Vincent Kaye --John Kenny of Big Train Farm talks about the history of his CSA and the trials and tribulations of organic certification Hosts: Richard Hill and Diane Lauricella

Jan 04, 202547 minEp. 76
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