Talking Left w/ Danielle & Shane-O

Let's get radical! This week on Talking Left, we got into President Obama's Economic Mobility speech, the life of Nelson Mandela, and how we all need to be a little radical to radically change the world. First, we spoke with Kymone Freeman, co-owner of We Act Radio, about the real history of Nelson Mandela.  In the wake of Mandela's death, the major news media will try to re-write history to make him seem less radical than he really was - but we can't let that happen.  Nelson Mandela may have had made some compromises in his life, but he was all about fighting racism, inequality, and oppression, and he spent 27 years in prison to prove it.  Many great leaders in our history shared these same qualities, but history was re-written to make their stories more "family friendly."  In order to make change, sometimes you have to fight for it, and you have to celebrate the people who were willing to do so - even when they weren't perfect. Next we spoke with Justin Duckham, the Chief Washington Correspondent for Talk Radio News Service.  Justin told us about what happened in Congress since we last spoke, and what we can expect for the rest of the year.  Congress refuses to do anything to help the working class - like extend unemployment benefits, pass immigration, or raise the minimum wage - but, as Justin pointed out, they're perfectly fine with increasing funding to search for extraterrestrial life.  You have to wonder.... And, we had the honor of speaking with Michael Artz, the Associate General Council of AFSCME, about the Detroit bankruptcy case, and its effect on public workers.   AFSCME has been leading the fight to save Detroit's pensions and union contracts, and they're not giving up, despite the ruling this week that the bankruptcy can proceed.  This fight isn't just about Detroit, or unions.... it's about saving the promises we made to the middle class, protecting our commons, and standing up to corporate power.  Please join the fight at StandWithDetroit.org, and stand up and speak out before your city is next. Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!  

This is why it was time to go 'nuclear'! This week on Talking Left, we spent time talking about the 'why' behind the nuclear option.  In addition to putting a partial end to Republican obstruction, the rule change in the Senate has a broader effect on courts, agencies, and how the government works for the American people.   First, we spoke with Justin Duckham, the Chief Washington Correspondent for Talk Radio News Service Next, we heard from whistleblower Heidi Weber.  Last week, we spoke with Kyle McCarthy of StudentDebtCrisis.org, about the for-profit Globe University taking advantage of students.  The story he broke was based on Heidi coming forward to expose the scandal, and the fact that she was fired for doing so.  Heidi is a true American hero, and it was an honor to speak with someone who was willing to put her career on the line to expose the unethical practices at Globe. After that, we spoke with Ian Millhiser, the editor of Think Progress Justice and the Constitutional Policy Analyst for Center for American Progress Action Fund.  This week, Ian put some amazing articles about how the courts became so conservative, and why it was time for the Democrats to change the rules in the Senate.  As usual, Ian shared his brilliant analysis, and helped us understand why presidential appointments are so important. As we'll be off next week, we'd like to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday - and ask that you please not spend it shopping at stores that abuse their workers! Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!  

It's time to take on the corporate power! This week on Talking Left, we focused on how corporate power is harming our nation, and what we need to do to stop it! First, we spoke with Justin Duckham, congressional reporter for Talk Radio News Service.  Justin shared his thoughts on why Congress won't pass immigration reform this year - or anything else for that matter - and who that hurts.  Of course, the House will attempt to pass the legislation in pieces, which means they'll try to militarize our border before doing anything to help undocumented immigrants.  It's obvious that the defense industry is pulling the strings of House Republicans, and nothing will get done unless the corporate masters give their approval. Next we heard from Kyle McCarthy, of StudentDebtCrisis.org.  Kyle shared an incredible story about Globe University, and the fact that they are swindling students out of thousands of dollars in exchange for worthless degrees.  In addition to covering stories like that, Kyle is always working to bring attention to the massive student debt problem in our nation, and fighting to fix the broken system.   After that, we spoke with Maira Sutton, the Global Policy Analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, about the Trans-Pacific Partnership.  This week, Wikileaks released the complete intellectual property rights chapter of the TPP, and it poses a serious risk to free speech.  Maira explained how copy right laws and other provisions in the TPP can have a major impact on our rights, and emphasized that this is only one chapter of the monster trade deal.  For the sake of our rights, our national sovereignty, and much, much more - we must stop the TPP! Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!  

Election issues, media consolidation, drone victims, and more news that the corporate media won't cover! This week on Talking Left, we brought you as many non-corporate news topics as we could fit into three hours! First, we spoke with Brad Friedman of The Brad Blog about some serious election issues in Virginia.  Not only did people have trouble using the completely unverifiable touch screen voting machines, but there were thousands of absentee ballots missing from the totals in Fairfax County.  As of Sunday, there are only 55 votes separating the candidates in the Attorney General's race, and the whole vote could come down to provisional ballots.  This story is likely to change quickly - so be sure to follow all the updates at The Brad Blog, and by following Brad on Twitter. Next we heard from Lou Colagiovanni of Ruthless-Politics.com, and the Facebook page "We survived Bush. You will survive Obama."  Lou shared his thoughts on the election results in Virginia, New York, and New Jersey, as well as on Chris Christie in general.  It appears that like us, Lou doesn't appreciate the corporate media focus on future elections, while they enjoy important topics like the NSA, drones, and more.  Hopefully, Lou will come back again soon so that we can get into some of the more important issues - and the ones that you won't hear on major networks. After that we were joined by Congressman Alan Grayson, who told us about the amazing congressional hearing on drone bombing victims.  As usual, the Congressman With Guts did not back down from his beliefs, which include putting a stop to the bombing of innocent civilians.  The comments and stories that Congressman Grayson shared were amazing, and the fact that only five members of Congress bothered to show up to the hearing is as well.  These atrocious acts are being committed in our name, and we must not stand for it.  Last, but certainly not least, we spoke with Sue Wilson, of SueWilsonReports.com, about taking back our public airwaves.  Sue will be right here in DC next week, to air Broadcast Blues,a documentary about media consolidation and what we can do to stop it.  Just like protecting our right to vote, protecting our media is vital to our democratic process, and we have to get involved to fight for change.  Please donate, or help in this fight in any way you can, at MediaActionCenter.net. Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!  

Here's a whole lot of news you probably didn't hear about this week! This week on Talking Left, we tried to bring you stories that you didn't - and probably won't - hear anywhere else. We spent time talking about the Trans Pacific Partnership, Fukushima, fracking, and the NSA.  And, we had the help of two great guests to tell you about even more. First, we spoke with Justin Duckham, the Congressional Reporter for Talk Radio News Service, about this week's congressional hearings in the new Obamacare website.  As you might expect, the hearings were about nothing more than political grandstanding, but that doesn't mean there aren't any problems with the healthcare roll out.  The President says that people should be able to use the new site and sign up by the end of next month, but we're sure that Republicans will do everything in their power to make the process more difficult. We also had a chance to speak with Ari Rabin-Havt of Media Matters for America.  Ari is the co-author of a great new e-book called "The Benghazi Hoax" - as well as the host of "The Agenda" on Sirius Radio.  Air, and his co-author David Brock, documented how the Right politicized a tragic event, and showed that they aren't the least bit interested in actually preventing another one.  The book is only 99 cents, so be sure to download it, read it, and share it with all your right-wing conspiracy-loving friends and relatives! Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!  

We don't mind spending a little time in the weeds! This week on Talking Left we spoke about many of the topics you probably already heard this week, but we got further into the weeds than the corporate shows will ever take you.  We know our audience is smart enough to handle it! First, we spoke with David Bender, the political director of Progressive Voices, about the fallout of the government shutdown.  David gave us his take on the future of the Republican Party, and the future for Ted Cruz.  As usual, David shared his brilliant insight and experience in the political process, to explain what we can expect for the future.  And, he teased us about some important things we should watch for in the upcoming elections. Next, we explained the real truth behind the debt limit deal, and why it is not - in fact - a debt ceiling increase.  The Republicans set President Obama up to own the debt, without the risk of defaulting on our nation's debt.  And, they set themselves up to vote against it.  This is important to note as Congress has virtually scheduled the next economic standoff, and it's something to make sure we repeat loud and often in the next election.  It's Congress who decides what our nation will spend, and no matter how they try to use sneaky tricks, we need to make sure that Americans know that. After that, we spoke with Justin Duckham, the Congressional Reporter for Talk Radio News Service, about the real cost of John Boehner's Speakership.  Justin agreed that keeping John Boehner in his leadership role is not worth $24 billion dollars, but it's likely that he'll keep his job unless we can take back the House.  In addition, Justin shared a really interesting theory on how a moderate Republican could take over Boehner's job, but you'll have to listen to hear the intriguing prediction. Of course, as Shane-O is also the Supreme Court Reporter for Talk Radio News Service, we spent time going over the cases that have been in the news this term.  Perhaps the most important is McCutheon v. FEC, because of its effect on our political process.  But, we also spoke about an Affirmative Action case, and the Court agreeing to hear a challenge to the EPA's power. And last, but certainly not least, we spoke with Farron Cousins, producer for Ring of Fire Radio and TV shows, and editor of Trial Lawyer Magazine.  Farron gave us the break down about how BP is using paid internet trolls to attack environmentalists and oil spill victims.  As you may have expected, BP is spending much more time and money trying to convince people that they've completely cleaned up the 2012 Gulf Oil Spill, than actually cleaning up the Gulf.  Perhaps they could stop paying internet trolls and criminal PR firms, and put that money back into caring for the victims of that disaster. Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!  

We barely had time for all these incredible guests! This week on Talking Left, we had a plethora of brilliant people on to help us cover the government shutdown, and all the other news that the mainstream media is ignoring! First we got an update on Congress with Justin Duckham, the Congressional Reporter for Talk Radio News Service.  Justin helped us sort out what's been going on behind the scenes in the House, and how we may avoid an economic catastrophe.  As usual, Justin explained the who, what, why, and where of the politics holding up a vote on funding the government and paying our nation's debt.  And, he gave his predictions on what's likely to happen next week when our lawmakers have to get to work on breaking the political gridlock. After that, we heard from Kevin L, an amazing activist, musician, and artist - and the step son of musical icon Ray Charles.  Kevin's music is a rare blend of gospel, R & B, and hip hop, and he's using it to reach out to the youth in many of our nation's most needy neighborhoods.  In addition, he works with several incredible organizations devoted to helping with AIDS awareness and prevention, youth violence, and more - like Making Peace Popular.  You can contact Kevin to get involved, check out his music, and support the many causes that he works on at SouledOutCD.com. Next, we spoke with Richard Muti, the former mayor of Ramsey, New Jersey, and the author of several books, including Essays For My Father.  Richard is a true patriot, not a "tri-corner hat" phony.  He has a long background of serving his country, his community, and our Constitution.  And, he has some strong feelings about the Tea Party that is holding our nation hostage.  We can personally say that his book is a great read, and it provokes some interesting thought, ideas, and laughter. Then we heard from Rocky Mountain Mike, our friend, and the political genius behind Politically Incoherent.  His new album is not even out yet, and it's already at the top of the charts on Amazon, and we're certain it will stay there as more people discover it.  Mike is talented beyond all explanation, and we're thrilled that we now have an opportunity to see more of his incredible work.  We hope you support him by purchasing his great album - it makes a great holiday gift - and letting him know what you think of his brilliant work! Last, but certainly not least, we spoke with Dr. Walter Brasch, the author of Fracking Pennsylvania, Flirting with Disaster.  Walter is a social issues journalist who also works with the ACLU, the Pennsylvania Homeless Alliance, and several other important organizations.  He joined us to talk about his book - which is number 18 in his lineup - and energy production in general.  It's obvious by listening to Walter, and checking out his incredible work, that he's a put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is social issues advocate.  It was an honor to speak with him, and we hope you'll check out his work! And - as promised - here's the link to the House Rules, which we talked about several times during the show.  Next time you hear someone refer to the "Obama/Reid shutdown" - be sure to show them THIS! Rule #59 - states that only the House Majority Leader can offer amendments to the debt ceiling legislation. Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!  

Shut down the Tea Party! This week on Talking Left, we had to get into the weeds about the government shutdown.  If you've wondered about the history of the debt ceiling, whether you can call Tea Partiers treasonous, or when this economic hostage-taking really began, you can find out in this episode. First, we spoke with Heather Beaven, former Democratic nominee for Congress in Florida, and the author of some amazing posts on PolicyMic.  Heather helped us breakdown the meaning of treason, and whether the GOP should be held liable for that crime.  In addition, Heather discussed the optics of this whole government shutdown, and the real effects of it on everyday Americans.  We gave our opinions on the treasonous Tea Party, but you'll have to make up your own mind. After that, we took a break from the serious news for a bit and spoke with Peter G., author of Hannah Singer, Celestial Advocate.  Peter's books are a great new series that flips the ideas of religion, faith, heaven, and holiness on their heads.  In his book, pornographers, atheists, and mermaids can get into heaven, but some religious leaders cannot.  He presents a great message - you should be judged by your actions and how you treat your fellow man, and not by how much you submit to religious doctrine.   Next, we heard from Justin Duckham, the congressional reporter for Talk Radio News Service.  Justin was at the Capital this week when police shot and killed a woman who attempted to get to the White House.  Regardless of whether the police used excessive force - which is a whole other discussion we could have - it's definitely worth noting that the Capital police, who protect our nation's capital, will soon be going without pay because of the government shutdown.  We also spoke with Justin about the upcoming debt ceiling standoff, and got his predictions about what's going to happen to our Congress, and our economy, in the coming weeks.   Last, but certainly not least, we spoke with Ian Millhiser of Think Progress about several important cases that will be before the Supreme Court this term.  If you care about abortion rights, campaign finance, the right to unionize, or protection from discrimination, you should be paying attention! We only had time to cover a few of the most important cases, but you can check out the other big ones in Ian's great breakdown of the important cases. Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!  

It all comes down to working together! This week on Talking Left, we tried our best to get to all of the important news of the week.  Thankfully, we had some great guests to help us sort it all out. First, we spoke with Desi Doyen of The Green News Report about the 1,000-year flooding in Colorado.  Desi helped us understand the connection between the flooding and global climate change - and the likelihood that we'll see more of these destructive storms.  In addition to dealing with more than $2 billion dollars of property damage, and at least 8 deaths from the storm, Colorado also faces the difficult task of cleaning up oil, fracking chemicals, and other toxic products that have been spread by the flooding.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Colorado, and we must be sure to learn from this event, and prepare for more like it. After that, we heard from Justin Duckham, the congressional reporter for Talk Radio News Service.  Justin helped us break down the craziness that is Congress, and the likelihood of a full government shut down.  Considering that House Republicans thought it was acceptable to cut $40 billion dollars from food stamp funding, it's difficult to believe that they won't push our nation over the economic brink.  Justin shared his insight and predictions about what may happen in the coming days, and whether Congress will ever get their act together - and start doing something to actually help the American people. Next, we spoke with Eric Hunsader of Nanex.net.  Eric and the fine folks at Nanex just broke a huge story - that someone at the Fed is feeding Wall Street inside information.  In Eric's article, "Einstein and the Great Fed Robbery", he lays out the data to show how New York and Chicago made trades on the Fed's announcement before they could have possibly received the news about more quantitative easing.  Essentially, unless Wall Street gets information faster than the speed of light - which is NOT possible - someone at the Fed leaked the information.  That means our tax dollars are being spent to help Wall Street gamblers make billions! Before the show was over, we also heard from Kymone Freeman of We Act Radio, who helped us tie the whole show together.  Kymone joined us to explain and promote the Black Luv Festival in Anacostia, but his message applies to much, much more - when we work as a community, we can achieve anything.  All the problems we face - poverty, government spying, corporate power, and more - can be solved when we realize that we do have all the power.  Take part in your community... get active... get involved...Do Something!   Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!  

Let's draw a red line on poverty! This week on Talking Left, while the corporate media continues to focus on Syria, we wanted to discuss the issues that have a real effect on most Americans - poverty, wages, and corporate power. First, we spoke with Michael Petit of Every Child Matters Education Fund.  Michael has worked on issue that effect kids for more than 40 years, and he helps inform voters where candidates stand on policies that keep kids fed, educated, and cared for.  He helped remind us that parents aren't the only ones responsible for children, and that it takes the whole community coming together to ensure that our future leaders are off to the best start possible.  As they say - it takes a village! Next, we heard from Reverend Graylan Hagler, of Respect DC.  Respect DC is a coalition of organizations, pastors, environmentalists, parents, and community members concerned about the quality of life in DC, and they are committed to securing a decent living wage in the district.  As Mayor Vincent Gray recently vetoed the "living wage" bill in DC, Rev. Hagler and Respect DC are calling on the District Council to stand for people, not corporations.  If you're in the area, please attend the Respect DC rally on Tuesday, and help in the fight for a living wage.  And, be sure to call council members and let them know where you stand! After that, we got an update on Congress from our friend, Justin Duckham.  Justin is the congressional reporter for Talk Radio News Service, and he keeps us informed about our nation's lawmakers.  This week, Justin told us all about the FEC investigation into Speaker of the House, John Boehner - which clearly shows who he really represents in Congress.   Last, but not least, we spoke with Ian Millhiser of Think Progress Justice, about several important court appointments and a proposed White House compromise with Republicans.  Appointments to these courts effect our labor laws, our environmental laws, and many other aspects of our lives.  Thankfully, Ian's amazing reporting keeps us informed, and up to date, with all the latest news about our Justice System. Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!  

Dear NSA - Show your work! This week on Talking Left, we tried our best to get into some detail about the intelligence, risks, and potential for a military strike in Syria - and we had four amazing guests to help us! First, our great friend Jorge Rodriguez of SoFlo Radio joined us to discuss our disappointment with many of our elected leaders over government spying, Syria, and much more.  Jorge IS the one who makes our show on SoFlo and We Act Radio, and it was wonderful to have a few minutes to get his brilliant insight on the news.  Please be sure to follow Jorge and SoFlo on Twitter and, if you can, donate a few bucks to help keep independent progressive media on the air in South Florida. After that, we spoke with Brad Friedman of The Brad Blog about the variety of restrictive voting laws being passed in states throughout our country.  Not only are Republicans in North Carolina and Texas trying to steal our right to vote, but their counterparts in Virginia, Kansas, and even the democrats in California are up to the same dirty tricks.  As always, Brad helped break down the issues and explained why we need to pay close attention to the theft of our voting rights. Next, we were honored to have a few minutes of Congressman Alan Grayson's time.  The Congressman with Guts has been making the case against a military strike in Syria, and giving the American people a voice in the debate via his petition at DontAttackSyria.com.  Congressman Grayson also wrote an amazing op-ed in the New York Times recently about the so-called intelligence supporting military action - it's called "On Syria, Trust, but Verify."  Please be sure to check out his article, sign the petition, and share it with all your friends! Last - but certainly not least - Thom Hartmann, host of The Thom Hartmann Program, joined us to talk about his latest book: "The Crash of 2016: The Plot to Destroy American and What We Can do to Stop it."  Thom explained how the billionaires and banksters destroyed the middle class, just like that have throughout history, and why that poses a risk to our national - and global - economy.  We also spoke to Thom about the potential strike in Syria, and why it could trigger the next world war.  Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!  

We're back! This was our first show in a month, and our first show in our new home studio!  We missed our mics while we were away, and we really appreciate everyone who tuned in to Justin Duckham filling in, and our "best of" episodes. In addition to recapping much of the news that occurred in the past four weeks, we also had the pleasure of two great guests! First, we spoke with Doug Lain.  Doug joined us to talk about his new book Billy Moon, which is a fictional tale of an adult Christopher Robin in the 1968 Paris strikes.  It definitely sounds like one you won't want to miss.  In addition to writing, Doug also produces a podcast called Diet Soap, which will soon be on the terrestrial air waves in Minneapolis.  Please be sure to check out DouglasLain.net for a more complete list of Doug's amazing work, and follow him on Twitter too! During the last hour, our lovely and brilliant friend Nicole Belle of Crooks and Liars joined us to help digest the month of news we missed.  We always love speaking with Nicole, but it was also an honor to have her as our first live guest in the new studio.  Be sure to check out Nicole's blog everyday, and show her some love on Twitter! Once again, special thanks to everyone for sticking with us! We're now up and running, and we'll be adding a high-quality video stream on this site in the coming weeks.  We'll keep you updated! Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, Progressive Blend Radio, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!  

Don't be part of a moment, be part of a movement! Last week, we recorded our show before the George Zimmerman verdict was read, so this was our first chance to talk about.  And, we couldn't think of anyone better to speak with than Joe Madison, The Black Eagle, host of The Joe Madison Show on the Urban View on Sirius Radio.  As expected, Joe provided an amazing take on Trayvon's death, the verdict, and the race relations in our country as a whole.  It's not everyday we get to speak to one of our favorite, most inspiring radio hosts, so we talked to Joe for a full, uninterrupted half hour! We covered issues from "stand your ground" to racial history to where this movement goes from here.  Be sure to check out Joe's show every Monday through Friday morning on Sirius, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter. After that, we were joined by Justin Duckham, of The Talk Radio News Service, for our new regular weekly "Just-in Time" segment.  This week, Justin shared a few thoughts on Liz Cheney, and what her recent decision to run for office means for the Republican Party.  It's not exactly like we needed more proof of the ongoing civil war in the GOP, but Liz Cheney reminded us all of just how divided conservatives are about their future.  Hopefully, Justin will be back again next week to update us on all the congressional news.  In the meantime, be sure to follow along with all his updates on Twitter. The Republicans in North Carolina are out of control - going after women's rights, unemployment, Medicaid, and even the right to vote.  Thankfully, organizations like Democracy NC are out fighting, and taking part in Moral Monday protests.  Gabe Casalett, Democracy NC's communications specialist, joined us next to talk about how the Moral Monday events got started, and what his organization is doing to protect voters in North Carolina.  Even if you're not in that state, you can follow along with the Moral Monday protests by using the hashtag #MoralMonday on Twitter.  And, while you're there, be sure to follow Democracy NC, and support all their amazing work. Of course, North Carolina isn't the only state going after a woman's right to choose.  So, Nancy L. Cohen, author of the book Delirium: The Politics of Sex in America, joined us to talk about how these extreme reactions are creating a major movement in Red states.  Nancy gave us some hope, and said that these GOP tactics are simply the last ditch efforts to enact policy from a Party that knows it's falling apart.  And, she came to the same conclusion, in that the ongoing extremism will get more people to the polls in upcoming elections.  To see more of Nancy's brilliant take on all the issues we fact, follow along with her on Twitter. Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, Progressive Blend Radio, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!  

Will Republican overreach inspire a national Progressive movement? This week on Talking Left, we considered the impact of the latest Republican overreach.  In addition to ultra-conservative Congress members holding our nation hostage, GOP lawmakers in many states are pushing extreme right-wing policies.  As we see more lawmakers shift farther to the Right, it appears a Progressive movement is waking up.   We considered how this may play out in several areas, and we were joined by two great guests! In the first hour, we spoke with Sean McGuire, of Maryland's Department of Natural Resources.  Sean helped us understand Maryland's recent move to consider the GPI - Genuine Progress Indicator - when making decisions that effect state residents.  Rather than only taking economics into account, and only judging the state by financial measures, Maryland is now also factoring in indicators like the real cost of pollution, and the amount of down-time residents have.  This measure could have a huge impact of the future of Maryland, and would be a great policy to enact nation-wide. And, during the last hour of the show, we spoke with our friend Justin Duckham, of The Talk Radio News Service.  As Justin reports for TRNS on all the latest news in Congress, we thought he could help us unravel the Republican-controlled House of Representative's recent action on the Farm Bill.  Of course, as the House wasn't the only legislative branch to make news this week, Justin also spoke with us about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and his renewed threat to reform the filibuster.  There's way too much detail to get into in the blog post, so you'll have to listen to Justin's great analysis. Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, Progressive Blend Radio, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!  

Do Something! This week on Talking Left we tried our best to cover everything that happened during the week, but there was so much, it was a difficult challenge! First we spoke with Dana Variano-Comisi, of the human rights group - Breakthrough.  They are behind the hilarious satirical video, Deport the Statue - which you can watch below.  Dana and everyone at Breakthrough are using humor to reach new audiences, and cut through the immigration debate.  For an extra laugh, check out the wide variety of responses Breakthrough has gotten on Twitter, via hashtags #DeportTheStatue and #TakeLiberyBack.  As the immigration debate now moves to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, it's more important than ever to get people engaged in the struggle, and Dana and Breakthrough are helping to start that conversation. After that, we heard from David Schoen, an attorney who worked with the ACLU of Alabama in fighting for the Voting Rights Act in the Supreme Court.  David helped us understand the impact of the Supreme Court's horrendous decision in that case, and where the fight continues from here.  It's now up to our broken Congress to restore the vital provision in the VRA that was struck down.  Please get involved by calling lawmakers in your state and demanding they fix this problem fast. Next, we were joined by our friend Zack Ford, the LGBT Editor of Think Progress.  Zack joined us in celebrating the other Supreme Court rulings this week - which struck down The Defense of Marriage Act, and denied standing to those fighting to discriminate in California.  In addition to his brilliant work at Think Progress, Zack is also the musical director for an upcoming show - Love, NY.  You can check it out next month in DC! Please come and show your support! Our last guest was Nathan White, who is helping put together the Rally to Restore the Fourth in Washington, DC.  Restore the Fourth has events going on all throughout our country this Independence Day to demand the government respect our Fourth Amendment.  You can join Nathan's event July 4th, from Noon to 2pm, at McPherson Square, or you can find an event near you at RestoreTheFourth.net!  Share the events, and follow along with their Twitter account, and use the hashtag - #RestoreThe4th. Last, but far from least, we told you about an upcoming event at We Act Radio - our home, sweet, home.  Kymone Freeman and everyone at We Act are hosting a "NSA Mixtape Bike Ride" at 5pm on July 4th.  You can come check out the station, join the event, and protest abusive government surveillance.  Check out the event on Facebook, and check out the promo video on YouTube!  Don't forget you can always follow along with the latest We Act events on their Facebook page, or by using the hashtag #DoSomething!   Thanks to Rocky Mountain Mike for writing and producing our incredible theme music! Please check out his amazing Sound Cloud! Thanks to We Act Radio - 1480AM WPWC, Radio or Not, Progressive Blend Radio, and SoFlo Radio - for helping to ensure all listeners have corporate-free, independent radio! And, of course, thanks to you, our listeners, friends, and family - for supporting us through all of our crazy shows, dreams, and political addictions!!  You can also follow all of the news about upcoming topics and guests on our Facebook page and on Twitter @TalkingLeft.   And you can subscribe to Talking Left free on iTunes and to our awesome new YouTube Channel! As always, thanks for listening!