Category: Our Podcast

Paige St. John

pelican bay

Pulitzer Prize winning Investigative Journalist Paige St. John on Pelican Bay Prison. America has more prisoners than any country in the world, more prisoners than at the height of the Soviet gulag system, more prisoners per capita than South Africa at the depths of Apartheid. More African Americans are behind bars right now than were held as slaves at any given time before the Civil War. Nearly two and a half million Americans are behind bars. One in three black men will spend time in prison during their lifetime. And yet not a single banker responsible for the Great Recession has been arrested. More and more American prisoners are being held in solitary confinement which Amnesty International calls torture.

Two years ago, in a landmark five to four decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled that prison over population here in California was so horrendous it violated our constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. One of the most conservative Supreme Courts in American history ordered California to reduce its number of prisoners by 30,000. California Governor Jerry Brown had exactly two years to comply with that order, and he is now asking for an extension.

On today’s program California inmates stage the largest prison protest in state history including a hunger strike. We talk with Los Angeles Times Reporter Paige St. John who has just returned from Pelican Bay Supermax prison in Northern California where the hunger strike is being spearheaded, and we learn why Pelican Bay was called one of the ten worst prisons in America by Mother Jones magazine.

We ask the important question: Is our prison system a crime? We’re building more prisons in America, those beds have to be filled, especially the ones in private prisons. The cops are coming for you. You or someone you know is going to do time. So it’s no longer a question of how we treat prisoners, it’s how we treat each other. America’s prison system is a disgrace, and there’s a very good chance you’re going to bear witness to just how disgraceful it is up close and personal. We’re no longer talking hypotheticals.  On today’s program you learn what you or someone you know is in for with Los Angeles Times Correspondent Paige Saint John.

Also on the show, our film critic Michael Snyder stops by to discuss Woody Allen’s latest masterpiece.

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Obamacare Isn’t Enough

obamacare isnt enough

Dr. Paul Song and Dr. Nancy Niparko from Physicians for a National Health Program explain why America needs a single payer healthcare system right now. Everything you need to know about Obamacare and why Obamacare simply isn’t enough to heal all Americans. Physicians for a National Health Program is a non-profit research and education organization of 18,000 physicians, medical students and health professionals who support single-payer national health insurance. For more information please visit www.pnhp.org. Also Mark Thompson and new music from Will Ryan And The Cactus County Cowboys.

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Aura Bogado

 

Aura Bogado

On today’s show the role race plays in deciding which Americans get to live, and which Americans get to die. Is an African American’s body worth less than a white person’s? And why are Republicans trying to keep Native Americans from voting? All this and more with Aura Bogado who covers racial justice, native rights, and immigration for The Nation magazine. Have you subscribed yet to the Nation? You should. Race, George Zimmerman, and keeping Native Americans from voting with our special guest the Nation Magazine’s Aura Bogado. Plus Will Ryan and The Cactus County Cowboys. Today’s show features Paul Dooley,  Jeremy S. Kramer, Hal Lublin, and Lauren Pritchard. Portions of today’s show were written by David Weiss and David Feldman.

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Andrea Peterson

Andrea Peterson

Is America slowly becoming a surveillance state, or is it already a surveillance state and we don’t know it? And if we don’t know it, then does it matter? For more on this and the latest Edward Snowden revelations we head to Washington DC, where Andrea Peterson joins us. Andrea covers technology issues for Think Progress. Today you will learn what exactly the NSA is, what a FISA court is, and just how much privacy President Obama thinks we’re entitled to. Also David weighs in some more on the George Zimmerman trial. The Cactus County Cowboys today feature Will Ryan, Westy Westenhofer and Diane Michelle. We are produced by Alicia Cordova and our executive producer is Troy Conrad.

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