Guest Host Nicole Sandler recaps the news of the day, then delves into Climate Week with 350.org's Tamara Toles O'Laughlin and, from the archives, Bill McKibben too.

'BradCast' 9/17/2019: (Nicole Sandler with Tamara Toles O'Laughlin and Bill McKibben of 350.org)

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com. Originating on Pacifica Radio's KPFK 90.7FM in Los Angeles and syndicated coast-to-coast and around the globe! NOW FIVE DAYS A WEEK!

News  & amp; Politics

Society  & amp; Culture

On today's 'BradCast':  An historic day for the United States -- the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. President is now underway in a Manhattan courtroom. It's the first of four criminal trials seeking accountability for disgraced ex-President Donald Trump, the Republican Party's presumptive nominee for the 2024 election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's 34 felony criminal counts allege that Trump unlawfully falsified business records to hide hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels and violated federal campaign finance laws in service of cheating to win the 2016 election. Columnist HEATHER DIGBY PARTON of Salon and former attorney KEITH BARBER of Daily Kos delve into the legal, political and cultural significance of the historic first day of Trump's first criminal trial, the evidence in the case, and its potential ramifications for the critical 2024 election in November.

'BradCast' 4/15/2024 (Special Coverage: Trump on criminal trial in NY, Day 1, with Heather Digby Parton of Salon, attorney Keith Barber)

Encore: original airdate 4-12-2024. On today's 'BradCast':  Encouraging news from Tuesday's elections in rural Enid, Oklahoma, where voters successfully removed a neo-Nazi from the city council in a recall election. In Presidential primaries in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and Wisconsin, President Biden again saw small but noteworthy protest votes against him in response to his policy on Israel's brutal war in Gaza. Donald Trump continued to do worse among his own Republican Party voters, with significant numbers voting for Nikki Haley, who dropped out of the race weeks ago. In Wisconsin, voters approved two deceptively benign constitutional amendments, placed on the ballot by the extremely gerrymandered Republican-controlled state legislature, that could unleash chaos in the November 2024 election. Voting rights journalist ALEX BURNESS of Bolts Magazine explains the two ballot measures that are likely to wreak havoc in November in the closely divided state, and could be wielded to criminalize routine election tasks, intimidate election officials and volunteers, and more.

'BradCast' 4/12/2024 (Encore: Journalist Alex Burness on new Wisconsin election restrictions, Neo-Nazi recalled from office in OK)

On today's 'BradCast':   Donald Trump's hand-picked new RNC Chair channels Russian propaganda to suggest Ukraine is somehow trying to 'meddle' with our elections. In a victory for gun safety, President Biden closed the 'gun show loophole.' Alabama's Republican Sec. of State follows GOP-controlled Ohio in warning he may not allow Biden on the state's 2024 ballot because the DNC convention is scheduled after state deadlines. Georgia's Lt. Governor Burt Jones (R) is now being investigated for his role as a fake elector in the 2020 election. Fox 'News' omitted coverage of the Arizona Supreme Court's ruling banning abortion in nearly all of its primetime shows, then the next day misled viewers to blame Democrats for the political fallout. Liberal justice on Wisconsin Supreme Court will not run for re-election next year, potentially tipping the court's majority control back to Republicans; the stakes could not be higher. Plus Desi Doyen has our latest 'Green News Report.'

'BradCast' 4/11/2024 (Biden Closes 'Gun Show Loophole'; Republicans Turning Desperate)

On today's 'BradCast':  The real news is bad enough, but fake news sites masquerading as real news sites are proliferating across the country and spreading disinformation in advance of the critical 2024 election. Funded by shadowy rightwing billionaire activists, the number of fake 'pink slime' news sites now equals the number of legitimate local news sites. ALEX MAHADEVAN, Director of the non-profit Poynter Institute's MediaWise project, explains how and why these fake news sites are surging, the rightwing funders behind them, techniques to protect against misinformation and disinformation, and much more. Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg sentenced to five additional months in prison for committing perjury in Donald Trump's massive New York bank, tax, and insurance fraud trial. The Arizona Supreme Court's ruling reinstating an 1864 ban on all abortions in the state has Republicans in panic mode to manage the fallout, which may have a remarkable effect on turnout in the November election.

'BradCast' 4/10/2024 (Guest: Alex Mahadevan on proliferation of fake 'local news' sites in advance of 2024 election)

On today's 'BradCast':  Every vote matters. In California, a tie in last month's primary means a three-way U.S. House race in November. Nationally, new polls are finally turning in favor of President Joe Biden, with caveats. Rightwing dirty tricksters Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman will pay a million-dollar fine for misleading robocall scheme attempting to deceive voters before the 2020 election. Woman is sentenced to prison for stealing a diary belonging to President Biden's daughter, Ashley, and selling it to rightwing dirty trickster James O'Keefe. Another New York appeals court rejected another attempt by Donald Trump to delay his criminal 'hush money' trial. New revelations indicate major problems with the company that backed Trump's last-minute $175 million bond posted in New York State's $454 million civil fraud judgment against him. Plus Desi Doyen has our latest 'Green News Report.'

'BradCast' 9/17/2019: (Nicole Sandler with Tamara Toles O'Laughlin and Bill McKibben of 350.org)

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