“Trump’s occupation of American cities has begun”—with Portland.  We get an eyewitness report.  PLUS: the U.S. Postal Service, vital to vote-by-mail, among many other things, is nearing bankruptcy: thanks to Charles Koch! Hosted by Kris Welch.

Photo by Tito Texidor III on Unsplash

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Photo by Liz Caldwell on Usplash.com

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Why and how the wealth of the very rich has grown, while all other public and private wealth has shrunk during COVID 19. Detailed analysis from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. With host Kris Welch.

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Schools 

Barbara Madeloni is the Education Coordinator at Labor Notes. She recently served as president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and is a longtime writer and educator.

Harley Litzelman is a high school history teacher at Skyline High School and a union organizer in Oakland, CA.

Social Security

Max Richtman, former staff director, Senate Special Committee on Aging; 16-year veteran of Capitol Hill; President/ CEO,  National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM); Chair of the National Committee’s Political Action Committee (PAC) board; has testified before House and Senate committees.

Image source by Kimberly Farmer on unsplash.com

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On today’s Talkies:

A strong right-wing tilt among governments around the world, including here at home, has put the word fascism back into the conversation.

But an exact definition remains elusive. We know fascism when we see it, but no one definition seems to pin it down. Yale University Philosophy Professor Jason Stanley is in conversation with guest host Max Pringle to discuss it. Professor Stanley’s latest book is “How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them.” In it, Stanley argues that we need to recognise fascist politics so as to better counteract it before it starts to seem normal.

Then, the 40th Annual SF International Jewish Film Festival starts next week with a social distancing and virtual flavor in this time of pandemic. Films from around the world will be presented online or in local drive-ins as will virtual online discussions with some brilliant filmmakers. That’s in the second half of the show.

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On today’s Talkies, guest host Max Pringle speaks with legal scholar and author Kim Wehle about her new book “What You Need to Know About Voting and Why.” It’s a thorough examination of the American voting system, it’s vulnerabilities and what can be done to improve this critical piece of our democracy. It makes for required reading as we head toward the most important election in generations.

Then, Human Rights Watch’s China Director Sophie Richardson joins Max to discuss the draconian new security laws just passed in the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong and the ongoing government crackdown on China’s Uighur Muslim minority.

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On today’s edition of the Talkies, guest host Max Pringle speaks with author and journalist Sarah Kendzior about her new book “Hiding in Plain Sight: The Invention of Donald Trump and the Erosion of America.” Kendzior’s latest book lays bare the endemic corruption, criminality and incompetence of Donald Trump and the Trump organization from decades long links to organized crime to using his office to enrich himself and his family.

Then, writer Thomas Chatterton Williams joins Max to discuss his latest book “Self Portrait in Black and White: Unlearning Race.” In the book, Chatterton Williams makes the case for moving beyond the outdated and scientifically dubious notion of human races as a means of categorizing our species. The book is an important part of the public discussion in the wake of the George Floyd protests and the conversation about race that they have re-awakened in society.

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The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear it, love it, question it, live it. Hosted by Kris Welch.

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The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear it, love it, question it, live it. Hosted by Kris Welch.

The post Talkies – July 1, 2020 appeared first on KPFA.

The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear it, love it, question it, live it. Hosted by Kris Welch.

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