Act Out! podcast

Last week, tens of thousands took part in the teacher's strike in Oregon. Their list of demands throw into sharp focus not only our nation's failures inside the classroom, but throughout society. Next, a Rhode Island school district has decided to publicly shame children as a kind of twisted lunch money stickup.

PLUS Robbie Leppzer sits down to discuss his latest film, Power Struggle, which chronicles the decades-long grassroots fight against the nuclear power industry in Vermont, and why all Americans need to educate themselves on this issue.

https://www.powerstrugglemovie.com/

http://www.beyondnuclear.org/

https://www.nirs.org/

Human rights violations are rife in Alabama prisons – meanwhile, the Alabama Department of Corrections continues to overcrowd these torture centers while blaming mistreatment on staff shortages.

Next up, we are effectively laminating our planet in plastic. And while the public recognition of plastic's evil and long life is growing, there are several aspects of this industry we don't talk about – and we really need to.

https://www.ciel.org

https://bit.ly/ActOutNewsletter

Venezuela is under attack. As US empire applies various violent tactics to destabilize the nation, a group of activists stand in the way of the war machine by holding space at the Venezuelan embassy.

Next, Netfa Freeman discuss pan-african issues and the neo-colonialist scramble for Africa also known as AFRICOM.

https://www.facebook.com/ColectivosporlaPaz/ http://www.pacadmv.org/

When fighting for human rights is a crime, we should all become outlaws.

Sixteen activists fighting the overt rise of fascism find themselves in the crosshairs of our "justice system." We take a look at the detention of migrant children, the celebration of white supremacist imperialism and how folks are standing up for justice.

Next up, there is precious little ancient forest left in this world – and a patch in Northern California is quite literally on the chop block. We sit down with a forest protector for a look into the grotesque world of logging and destroying in the Mattole watershed.

https://bit.ly/borderland16 https://www.facebook.com/savethemattoleforest/

A special episode that takes a look at how US empire operates in two of its latest and long standing efforts to terrorize and oppress foreign peoples, trample self-determination, and whitewash hearts and minds here at home.

Recently returned from trips to Venezuela and Iran, Kevin Zeese and Dr. Margaret Flowers sit down with me to discuss what US imperialism looks like from the front lines, and how the people the US targets are not only wise to these tactics, but they have no intention of submitting.

https://popularresistance.org/ http://bit.ly/ActOut205VZ http://bit.ly/ActOut205Iran

Breaking up from the abusive relationship with oil and gas is no easy task – but several communities in Louisiana have started divorce proceedings.

Meanwhile, lawmakers push to keep the abuser at home while the state quite literally disappears into the blue, oil-slicked abyss.

Finally, two community organizers join us to talk about their current fight against a dirty energy project so horrific not even the Nazis wanted anything to do with it!

https://www.noc2d.com http://valleywatch.net

Who gets water and what does it cost? Should it even cost anything? A new report looks at what restricts access to water and the only real solution to address it. PLUS, as floods continue to pound huge swaths of the US, here's another reason to fear the storm surge (hint: snakes!)

Pia Eberhardt wants you to know about the Energy Charter Treaty, a trade agreement that encompasses almost 25% of the world's countries and is on the hunt for more.

https://www.energy-charter-dirty-secrets.org/

Rob from the poor to give to our wars. We take a dive into the grotesque sludge that is Trump's proposed budget - and why we should really care regardless of whether it passes Congress or not. Next up, Mnar Muhawesh with Mint Press News introduces us to NewsGuard, the new Big Brother that's here to tell you what to believe via a neo-con backed news ranking system. Hint: they wouldn't like our show.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/

The war machine marches on towards toppling the democratically elected President Maduro of Venezuela. Meanwhile, the US empire isn't acting alone. Colombia is throwing in its lot with Uncle Sam to the continued detriment of both Venezuelans and Colombians.

Nelly Velandia and Luisa Fernanda Gonzalez of Cumbre Nacional de Mujeres y Paz join us along with Gimena Sanchez of WOLA to discuss the ongoing human rights violations in Colombia. Focusing on war crimes against women, they explain the situation on the ground and the direct connections between their government, the United States and corporate malfeasance.

https://www.wola.org/

http://cumbrenacionaldemujeresypaz.com

Dissent – protest, direct action, civil disobedience – these are the manifestations of our power. And they are the only things that the ruling elite truly fear. Which is why we're seeing a wave of legislation being introduced to try and crackdown on that power – to strangle our ability to affect change. Here's the scoop and how we should respond. Next, industrial hemp is now federally legal – but what does that actually mean? What's included in that? And how does this affect conflicting state or local laws? Ministry of Hemp editor-in-chief Kit O'Connell joins us to lay it all out.

https://ministryofhemp.com/ https://www.votehemp.com/ https://hempsupporter.com/ https://www.hemphistoryweek.com/