8 O'Clock Buzz

Today on the Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and RR Moore, talking about love, dating, relationships and the new year, looking back at 2023 and ahead to 2024 and where we’re going.

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Kirk Bangstad, owner of the Minoqua Brewing Company, joins Tony Castañeda and the 8 O’Clock Buzz to discuss his efforts to remove Don Trump from the presidential ballot in Wisconsin.  Kirk will be filing a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission to take any known insurrectionists off the ballot per the stipulations of Article 3 of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution.  Kirk has been encouraged by the recent decision by the Colorado State Supreme Court to remove Trump from that State’s ballot, and by the recent change within the Wisconsin State Supreme Court to a more fair and balanced makeup of justices.

Photo by Gaytri Malhotra on Unsplash

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The County of El Paso, the ACLU, and two civil rights organizations have filed a lawsuit in an attempt to prevent Texas Senate Bill 4 from going into effect.  This is the state law that authorizes Texas law enforcement officials to arrest asylum seekers if they are suspected of illegally crossing the border, and implement severe criminal punishments if they are found guilty.  Virginia Raymond, immigration attorney and professor of Mexican American literature, joins the Thursday edition of the 8 O’Clock Buzz to talk about the potential consequences of this law and how a similar law in Arizona was ruled illegal by federal courts.

Photo by Ray Shrewsberry on Unsplash

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Despite strong support and approval of the Senate in July, the RECA (Radiation Exposure Compensation Act) amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) failed to be included in the bill that was passed and signed. Tina Cordova, Co-Founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders, calls this failure to support the victims of the first atomic blast “shockingly immoral”.

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In his recent article, “Make America Fascist Again (MAFA!): The Future If Donald Trump Returns to the Oval Office“, Professor Clarence Lusane relates the history of fascism in the U. S., which has centered around a number of xenophobic trends in the 1900’s, from the KKK to support of Mussolini to treatment of Japanese Americans in the 1940’s. He relates how Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon work to weaponize the prejudices of Trump and his supporters.

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Today on the Tuesday 8:00 Buzz, the old dog is back to give Tara and company a few weeks off for the holiday!  Stan Woodard is back behind the mic celebrating Kwanzaa, talking with Dr. Charles Taylor on the history and meaning, and then in the second half about the meaning of Umoja and the other seven principles with Reentry Coordinator Aaron Hicks, Delilah McKinney, and Dennis Franklin from Nehemiah’s Criminal Justice and Re-Entry program.

More on Dr Taylor and the book: https://drcharlestaylor.com/product/kwanzaa/

More on Nehemia’s re-entry programs: https://nehemiah.org/our-work/criminal-justice-reentry/ 

Music playlist: https://spinitron.com/WORT/pl/18329454/Tuesday-8-O-Clock-Buzz 

Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org!

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It has been said that the first casualty of war is truth, a sentiment often attributed to Aeschylus, the father of Greek tragedy. The death toll in the Israel-Gaza war now exceeds 20,000, and among the dead are at least 68 journalists and media workers, according the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Norm Stockwell, publisher of the Progressive Magazine, joined Thursday 8 O’Clock Buzz host Tony Castañeda to discuss how the targeting of journalists is affecting the dissemination of news about the war. The International Rules of War specify that all parties engaged in conflict must protect journalists and uphold their rights in the event of their capture. In addition, the rules establish that intentionally directing attacks against civilians, and thus journalists who are not engaged in the hostilities, constitutes a war crime. As casualties increase and threats to journalists and their families continue, the public will increasingly be left vulnerable to disinformation and unable to separate truth from fiction, a tragedy by any measure.

Photo courtesy of hosnysalah on Pixabay.

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Winter Solstice celebrations often include rituals and traditions to honor the return of the sun after the longest night of the year, however in Madison, the date is a time to remember and honor the homeless in Dane County who died in the past year. Linda Ketcham, Executive Director at Just Dane (formerly Madison Urban Ministry) joins 8 O’Clock Buzz host Tony Castañeda to talk about The Longest Night Homeless Persons’ Memorial Service, one of many taking place throughout the US. The interfaith service, set to begin at 3 p.m. Thursday, December 21, 2023 on the Capitol Square at the intersection of East Main, South Pinckney Street and King Street, will include reflections from Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities, as well as family members and homelessness advocacy groups. If able, please bring mittens, hats, long underwear, winter clothing and blankets, which will be given to local shelters or can be dropped at First Congregational United Church of Christ at 1609 University Ave. Additionally, Porchlight is open to receive donations such as jeans, boxers, winter coats, hats and gloves daily between 4pm and 8pm at 2002 Zeier Road. The National Coalition for the Homeless is creating a database which will track the wherabouts of unhoused individuals and names of homeless people who have died.

Photo courtesy of Planet Fox on Pixabay.

 

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Chuck Collins, Director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at Inequality.org talks about his most recent article “Revealing the True Cost of Billionaire Philanthropy“, which describes how some ultra-wealthy make “donations” to private foundations, control the wealth for whatever purpose they see fit, and little, if any, of that money eventually goes to charity — with taxpayers funding their investments.

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PADRES E HIJOS EN ACCIÓN is a non-profit in Madison focusing on supporting special needs Latino children and their families, according to founder and Executive Director Hector Portillo. Jan talks with Portillo and his wife, Aracely, about the program’s programs for equity and inclusion, educating both the families and communities surrounding these individuals.

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