Category: Our Podcast

Costa Mantis

Costa Mantis

Director of the new documentary revealing the homeless plight in America, “Searching For Safe Ground,” which debuts at this year’s Action On Film International Film Festival in Monrovia California on August 22nd.  Similar to Steinbeck’s “Grapes Of Wrath,” the touching film “Searching For Safe Ground” directed by filmmaker Costa Mantis, chronicles the struggles of a small group of homeless people in Sacramento, California, who fight for their right for a place to sleep while America and the rest of the world swirl in the strife of the new Great Recession.

In “Searching For Safe Ground” you will meet these homeless people, citizens just like you and me – sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, families – who lost their jobs and homes and must try to rebuild their lives from backpacks, rolling carts and tents.

Searching For Safe Ground” challenges the homeless stereotypes and follows John, their leader, as he guides this group of homeless citizens from the ruins of tent city into their battle for the fundamental right to protect and shelter themselves after losing their homes.

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“Give me your tired, your poor

your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

-Emma Lazarus 1883, engraved on the Statue of Liberty

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Ben Armbruster

Ben Armbruster

For 20 years Israelis and Palestinians have engaged in on and off again negotiations to resolve their dispute over Palestine. It’s been three years since Palestinians and Israelis sat across from each other, but this week Secretary of State John Kerry jump started talks between the two parties.  For more on this Ben Armbruster who is National Security Editor for ThinkProgress.org at the Center for American Progress Action Fund joins us. On today’s episode we talk about peace in the Middle East. Also Rick Overton and Janie Haddad Tompkins. David Weiss and David Feldman have written portions of our broadcast.

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Alan Pyke

bigbanks

Just when you thought it was impossible to hate Big Banks any more than you could, now we can blame the rising cost of beer on Goldman Sachs. Since the beginning of the Great Recession, the Federal Reserve has lent money to banks at about near zero interest rates hoping these banks would stimulate the economy by lending that money to small businesses or Americans trying to buy a home. But this week we learn the banks are using this cheap money to buy up commodities like aluminum and energy driving up prices, making a fortune while making it harder for the rest of the world to do business. For more on this Deputy Economic Policy Editor for Think Progress Alan Pyke joins us.

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Alec Luhn

Alec Luhn

Russia grants political asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden so we discuss relations between Russia and the United States with The Nation Magazine’s Russia correspondent Alec Luhn who talks to us from Moscow. Also June Foray, Paul Dooley, Mark Thompson and Rick Overton.

The G20 summit meeting is scheduled for next month in St. Petersburg, Russia. But now that Edward Snowden has been granted political asylum, President Obama is said to be reconsidering his visit to Russia, especially a planned summit with President Vladimir Putin.

Why did Putin grant asylum to Snowden, and what is the relationship between Snowden and Russia’s secret police?

After nearly 25 years of calm between the two nations, where are the potential flashpoints on the world stage between the United States and Russia?

Also, next year Russia hosts the Winter Olympics while enforcing some of its toughest laws against their LGBT community in recent memory. Much of the world’s LGBT community calls for a boycott on Stolichnaya vodka. Should they also be calling for a boycott of the Winter Olympics? What’s in store for LGBT athletes when they gather next winter to compete in Russia?

We go to Moscow to talk about all this and much more with The Nation Magazine’s Russia correspondent Alec Luhn from Moscow. One note, our conversation was conducted only hours before Russia granted Edward Snowden political asylum.

Guy Nicolucci and David Feldman have written portions of today’s program.

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