KPFK - BradCast w/ Brad Friedman

Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate

Iowa's Republican-controlled state legislature has banned nearly all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, even though the vast majority of Iowans support legal abortion in all or most cases. 2024 GOP presidential candidate calls for national abortion ban and forcing women to carry unviable pregancies to term. Slate legal reporter MARK JOSEPH STERN explains the most alarming rulings of the Supreme Court's just-concluded term; the made-up-out-of-whole-cloth 'major questions doctrine'; Chief Justice Roberts' neat trick to hoax the media into portraying the Court as 'moderate'; what to expect next term; and specific policies for court reform. Original airdate 7/12/2023.

The choice in the 2024 general election is quickly boiling down to democracy v. autocracy. House Republicans introduced new voter suppression legislation, Senate Democrats introduce voting rights bills that rein in dark money. Michigan GOP election official barred from elections after indictment as a fake elector in 2020 election. Florida judge blocks GOP legislature's attempt to restrict voter registration. Former Trump officials publicly tout their 'autocratic capture' plan for the next Republican president to take over independent federal agencies and institute full autocracy. Biden promoted surge in U.S. offshore wind/manufacturing jobs. Plus Desi Doyen has our latest 'Green News Report.'

Guest: Thomas Frank, Environment reporter, E&E News

House Republicans are pretending they're not climate change deniers anymore with a ridiculous new plan to vastly expand fossil fuel production while planting a lot of trees. Extreme heat continues to engulf much of the northern hemisphere. Climate impact report THOMAS FRANK explains the growing insurance crisis in Florida -- why insurance companies are leaving the state despite new policies pushed by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, how states are addressing the insurance affordability while grappling with more frequent, costly extreme weather disasters, and much more. Also today: another humiliating court loss for Donald Trump in his NYC 'hush money' criminal trial.

Disgraced former President Donald Trump says he was notified he is the target of Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into the January 6 insurrection and efforts to steal the 2020 election. Michigan Attorney General indicted 16 fake electors from the 2020 election. Georgia Supreme Court rejected Team Trump's motion to quash upcoming indictments. Alabama's GOP-controlled state legislature defies Supreme Court ruling directing them to draw fair, non-racist maps. Priceless Israeli antiquities found at Trump's resort... and much more. Plus Desi Doyen has our latest 'Green News Report.'

Guest: Alexandra Flores-Quilty, Free Speech for People

Donald Trump is arguably ineligible to serve as President of the United States, according to the 'insurrection disqualification clause' of the U.S. Constitution. ALEXANDRA FLORES-QUILTY discusses her group's campaign to push state elections officials to disqualify Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot due to his incitement of the January 6 insurrection. Callers weigh in on political questions of disqualification and accountability.

SAG/AFTRA actors join Writers Guild strike over streaming and A.I. concerns. Fox Weather omits climate change in coverage of extreme weather disasters. FDA approves over-the-counter birth control pill. New York ordered to redraw House maps before 2024 due to gerrymandering. Univ. of North Carolina offers free tuition program after SCOTUS struck down affirmative action in college admissions. After specious SCOTUS ruling, Biden introduces new student loan repayment program that would substantially help nearly all borrowers. Plus Desi Doyen has our latest 'Green News Report.'

Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate legal reporter

Iowa's Republican-controlled state legislature has banned nearly all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, even though the vast majority of Iowans support legal abortion in all or most cases. 2024 GOP presidential candidate calls for national abortion ban and forcing women to carry unviable pregancies to term. Slate legal reporter MARK JOSEPH STERN explains the most alarming rulings of the Supreme Court's just-concluded term; the made-up-out-of-whole-cloth 'major questions doctrine'; Chief Justice Roberts' neat trick to hoax the media into portraying the Court as 'moderate'; what to expect next term; and specific policies for court reform.

Accountability Season for Trump World is finally underway, while his GOP stooges in Congress continue to hilariously face-plant in their corrupt 'investigations' of the Biden family. Fulton County, GA D.A. Willis convenes grand juries for possible indictments in Trump/GOP attempts to steal the 2020 election. Disgraced Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Lin Wood, and John Eastman face disbarment. Deadbeat Trump advisor Steve Bannon ordered to pay his attorneys. MyPillow CEO and 2020 election denier Mike Lindell auctioning off parts of his company after sales plummeted. Plus Desi Doyen has our latest 'Green News Report.'

Guest: Andrew Freedman, Axios climate reporter

Our climate is in crisis, with extreme weather disasters in the US, Canada, Europe, India and China. The corporate media is failing to inform the public about the role of climate change or the primary culprits -- the fossil fuel industry and their bought-off politicians. Veteran climate reporter Andrew Freedman explains the wave of record-shattering extreme weather events the role of climate change, and details actions and solutions. Callers weigh in.

Guest: Dr. Philip Stark, UC-Berkeley

The US Supreme Court's rejection of the fringe, rightwing 'independent state legislature' theory is 'the single most imoprtant constitutional case for American Democracy since the nation's founding.' New reporting sheds light on Justice Alito's years of climate denial and decisions favoring the oil and gas industry. Voting system expert DR. PHILIP STARK explains a newly-unsealed expert report exposing shocking, widespread security vulnerabilities in Georgia's statewide electronic voting system and its weak security policies, and debunks nonsense claims and attacks by the state's top election officer, Republican Sec. of State Brad Raffenspgerger, who is refusing to install security patches and upgrades urged by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and election security experts. Original airdate 6-28-2023.