KPFK - BradCast w/ Brad Friedman

Guest: Craig Holman, Public Citizen

With new House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and so many other House Republicans referred for ethics violation investigations, it's no wonder they all voted to gut the Office of Congressional Ethics. Public Citizen's CRAIG HOLMAN explains the disturbing consequences of gutting the independent ethics board, and how Republicans have just implemented a 'one-two punch' to shut down any real ethics probes into their activities. Virginia's GOP Gov. Youngkin killed a new Ford EV battery plant by fear-mongering about 'China' as he prepares his 2024 presidential bid. Kansas 'vote fraud' fraudster Kris Kobach hit with massive fines for violating campaign finance laws.

Failed GOP candidate in NM arrested in series of shootings into Democratic elected officials' homes, falsely claiming his election loss was 'rigged.' The rise in rightwing political violence is not surprising after years of election lies and disinformation from Trump/GOP. House Republicans are playing a dangerous game of 'economic terrorism' in planning to crash the US/world economy by forcing the first-ever US default on debt payments. Plus Desi Doyen has our latest 'Green News Report.'

Guest: Jonathan Topaz, ACLU Voting Rights Project

On MLK Day, the fight for voting rights continues. Rightwing courts are gunning for what remains of the landmark Voting Rights Act. JONATHAN TOPAZ of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project explains a disturbing ruling in Arkansas that unilaterally overturns decades of precedent by declaring that the VRA does not allow private groups to sue. If upheld, the ruling will have broad and profound impacts on voting and other civil rights. New analysis finds Republicans filed a record number of anti-voting lawsuits in 2022. OH Republicans enacted a new voter suppression law under the pretext of preventing fraud. Another batch of Republicans have been charged with voter fraud.

Guest: Jonathan Topaz, ACLU Voting Rights Project

Rightwing courts are gunning for what remains of the landmark Voting Rights Act. JONATHAN TOPAZ of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project explains a disturbing case in Arkansas in which a GOP-appointed judge dismissed a challenge to racially-gerrymandered voting maps, unilaterally overturning decades of precedent by declaring that the VRA does not allow private groups to sue. If upheld, the ruling will have broad and profound impacts on voting and other civil rights. New analysis finds Republicans filed a record number of anti-voting lawsuits in 2022. OH Republicans enacted a new voter suppression law under the pretext of preventing fraud. Another batch of Republicans have been charged with voter fraud.

Transparency and oversight are the best disinfectants.Corporate media is doing a lousy job allowing disingenuous rightwing opportunists to falsely equate Donald Trump's theft and obstruction of hundreds of classified government documents with the recent discoveries of some classified documents at Joe Biden's residence and office. But US AG Garland's appointment of a Special Counsel to investigate the Biden documents case, like in the Trump stolen documents case, will ensure both result in a report and exposure of any crimes. Similarly, a transparent, public hand-recount of the 2020 election in a Pennsylvania county is helping restore GOP voters' confidence. Plus Desi Doyen has our latest 'Green News Report.'

Guest: Matthew Kent, Public Citizen

The GOP's dangerous scheme to hold the debt ceiling hostage may come sooner than expected, potentially within weeks. If hardline Republicans carry out their threat, it would cause the first default of the US government in history, and trigger a global recession/depression. MATT KENT of Public Citizen explains the new proposed FTC rule to ban the use of non-compete clauses in employment contracts, why it's critical to help workers, and other anti-monopoly initiatives underway to rein in corporate power.

Extreme storms dontinue to pummel California. The U.S. spent $1 trillion over last 7 years on extreme weather disasters. Judge says he regrets light sentence for Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, the only person at the company prosecuted so far for massive tax fraud. Attorneys for Pres. Biden recently discovered and immediately returned a 'small number of documents with classified markings' found at a private office. Donald Trump hoarded hundreds of classified documents at his Mar-A-Lago residence, lied about it, and defied a lawful subpoena to return them -- so naturally Republicans are falsley claiming the cases are the same. Plus Desi Doyen has our latest 'Green News Report.'

Mandatory evacuations underway in parts of CA amid series of extreme storms. Supporters of former Brazilian Pres. Bolnonaro launch a MAGA-style attempted coup. New House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy gave massive concessions to far-right Republicans, with major implications for the nation and the economy going forward. Consequential new developments in Georgia and Michigan investigations into Trump's attempts to steal the 2020 election.

Guest: Will Bunch, Philadelphia Inquirer

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House Republicans again failed to select a Speaker in 13 rounds of voting, but major concessions made by GOP leader Kevin McCarthy to hard-right insurrectionists may yet succeed. Pres. Biden honored 14 individuals who stepped up to defend democracy at the Capitol on Jan. 6th 2021 and in the 2020 election, at great personal cost. Philadelphia Inquirer national columnist WILL BUNCH discusses the ongoing repercussions of the January 6 insurrection and warns of dangerous times to come with far-right Republican 'nihilists' and insurrectionists now in effective control of the U.S. House.

The new Republican U.S. House majority adjourned again after failing to select a new Speaker of the House in 11 rounds of voting, on their third day of trying. Republicans' chaos prevents them from enacting their radical agenda, but has major implications for serious upcoming issues like raising the debt ceiling. In PA and OH, Democrats and Republicans work together to find a path forward for legislative power-sharing. Plus Desi Doyen has our latest 'Green News Report.'