8 O'Clock Buzz

A recent amendment to the National Defense Authorization Action that would have reformed the Espionage Act and protected whistleblowers and journalists — and their freedom of speech — against outdated laws of espionage was recently defeated in committee, according to Chip Gibbons, Policy Director of Defending Rights & Dissent. Gibbons talks about how charges of espionage have been overused, resulting in jail time instead of thanks for people reporting government abuse and overreach.

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Today on the Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Aaron Perry and Dr Alvin Thomas:  Joshua Wright from UW Carbone Cancer Center joins to talk about cancer and its impact on Black men’s health, health disparities, and the importance of early detection and treatment;  in the second half, State of Wisconsin ETF Health Program Manager Korbey White, joins us to talk about COVID vaccination, preventative medicine, staying healthy, and health maintenance.

More on Carbone Cancer Center’s Health Disparities Initiative: https://cancer.wisc.edu/community-outreach-and-engagement/chdi/ 

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

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For the last several decades, the American West has been subject to a water shortage. The main culprits for this crisis are record longstanding drought seasons and unsustainable water practices, all amplified by the effects of a changing climate. And there is a pressing need for a water-saving plan for the future, given that last month, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton warned Congress that area waters of the Colorado River Basin are at perilously low levels and the surrounding states would need to reduce their diversions by an amount in the range of 2 to 4 million acre-feet in 2022. The water crisis of the West needs a serious intervention and Robert Glennon, Professor  Emeritus of Law & Public Policy at the University of Arizona, has some innovative ways to achieve that future.

 

The Conversation | A water strategy for the parched West: Have cities pay farmers to install more efficient irrigation systems

 

Photo by Leslie Cross on Unsplash

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With little discussion, the proposed National Defense Authorization Act budget for the U. S. is currently $850 billion, $143 billion more that last year’s budget, according to Ashik Siddique, Research Analyst at the National Priorities Project/Institute for Policy Studies. An amendment proposed by Mark Pocan and Barbara Lee hopes to trim $100 billion from that number, with hopes to put this money to better use on infrastructure, clean energy projects, and more.

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The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group and funded, in part, by public monies intended for development of small economies to raise the living standard worldwide, recently approved a $200 million loan to an agricultural conglomerate with $49 billion in revenue in 2021 for growing soy and corn in the Cerrado area of Brazil — previously rainforest, according to Kelly McNamara, Senior Research and Policy Analyst at Friends of the Earth. The crops depend heavily on pesticide use, fossil fuel fertilizer, and results in displacement of small farmers, which goes against the IFC’s own policies.

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The recent Supreme Court ruling in “W. Virginia v. EPA” further limits the government’s ability to move forward with greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. Adam Carlesco, Staff Attorney on Climate & Energy, Food & Water Watch, talks about the recent article “W. Virginia v EPA: Climate case confirms the Supreme Court is on a Dark Path“. The Clean Air Act allows the EPA to set the “best system” to wean the U.S. off fossil fuels, but the conservative court defined “System” in such a limited way as to prohibit the EPA from producing enforceable guidelines.

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Today on the Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Aaron Perry and Dr Alvin Thomas, Dr. Carrie Streiff-Stuessy, Executive Director of Common Ground’s Forward Scholars Volunteer Training Program in Milwaukee joins us to talk about tutoring as a way to ensure success for kids, and how Forward Scholars will fill the gap!

More on Common Ground Wisconsin, the Forward Scholars Program and to donate or volunteer: https://www.commongroundwi.org/ic-education.

More information and listen to the Black Fatherhood Podcast with Dr. Alvin Thomas: https://thomaslab.humanecology.wisc.edu/podcast/ and https://humanecology.wisc.edu/introducing-the-black-fatherhood-podcast-with-dr-alvin-thomas/ 

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

Photo from Facebook

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Today on the Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Aaron Perry and Dr Alvin Thomas, Clyde Gaines joins to talk about the upcoming 5th annual Next Level Music and Community Festival coming up on August 6th.

Events at the Next Level Festival:

9AM 5K Run/Walk at Madison Labor Temple

11AM Keynote Presentation at MATC South Madison

3-8PM Music, Food, Culture and Vaccination Clinic at Madison Labor Temple with DJ Ace, NA3 Superstar, Orquesta Del Soul, Kin Folk, College and Company

More on PEBOGA Productions and their events: https://peboga.com/ 

More information and listen to the Black Fatherhood Podcast with Dr. Alvin Thomas: https://thomaslab.humanecology.wisc.edu/podcast/ and https://humanecology.wisc.edu/introducing-the-black-fatherhood-podcast-with-dr-alvin-thomas/ 

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

Provided Photo 

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With more than 17 million acres of forested landscape, Wisconsin boasts a considerable treeline, AKA the iconic Northwoods. And all those natural environments are managed between private landowners, government entities, tribal nations, and urban cityscapes. Finding a balance for the entire ecosystem with all the different groups of people involved has proven challenging, but the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters set out to do just that. The obvious answer seems to be just “plant more trees,” but a more nuanced approach that considers preservation, mitigation, and adaptation should also be taken into account when exploring climate change solutions. WORT reached out to Academy Environmental Initiatives Director Lizzie Condon, and Academy Climate & Energy Initiative Program Coordinator Jessica James, to find out how their latest report explores a sustainable forestry future for Wisconsin.

Read the full report here: WISCONSIN’S FORESTED LANDS: OPPORTUNITIES FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND STORAGE

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Last week, the Michigan Supreme Court threw out charges against former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and eight others who played key roles in creating the Flint water crisis of 2014, saying that a judge overreached and had no authority to issue indictments.

The charges were leveled against nine state and city leaders who played pivotal roles in deciding to switch Flint’s water source to the Flint River – a decision that corroded lead pipes throughout the city, poisoned residents, and became one of the largest public health crises in recent history.

The “money-saving” measure to switch Flint’s drinking water source from the Detroit Water Authority to the Flint River caused an outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease, killing 12 people and sickening dozens more. And it leached lead from pipes throughout the city: the CDC estimates 99,000 residents were exposed to lead poisoning in that eighteen-month period.

The impact of drinking that lead-poisoned water will be felt throughout the Flint community for generations. “People are falling sick and dying all the time because of the long-term impacts of drinking Flint water,” says Nayyirah Shariff, grassroots organizer and director of Flint Rising, a coalition of Flint residents and community groups, labor, and progressive allies that formed in response to Flint’s emergency declaration.

Shariff joined 8 O’Clock Buzz host Jan Miyasaki to talk about the history and impact of the water crisis, the Michigan Supreme Court’s decision to throw out indictments against former Governor Snyder and others, and what comes next in the fight for accountability.