Leid Stories

Who’s In, Who’s Out?: Debating U.S. Immigration Policy and ‘Reform’There is no unanimity of agreement on just what U.S. immigration policy should be. There absolutely is agreement, however, that the U.S. immigration system is broken and in dire need of repair.Immigration has become a hot-button issue in the current political season—complete with blatantly xenophobic, racist undertones—but we are no closer to sane policy and much-demanded “reform.”Leid Stories encourages a discussion among listeners on what immigration is/should be, its impact and special challenges, and what might work as improvements to current policies.

Hemispheric History: The U.S., Haiti and the Dominican RepublicDr. Gerald Horne, the John J. and Rebecca Moores chair of history and African American studies at the University of Houston and frequent analyst of world affairs on Leid Stories, discusses his latest book, Confronting Black Jacobins: The United States, the Haitian Revolution, and the Origins of the Dominican Republic.Horne has written more than 30 books, and more than 100 scholarly papers and reviews, on struggles against imperialism, colonialism, fascism, racism and war.

Caught Between the Devil and the Deep Blue SeaJust where are we on the political map? How does our political thinking or philosophy square with our choices and actions?Leid Stories focuses on these and related questions in addressing the broader issue of the readiness and effectiveness of opposition to a well organized, heavy-handed right-wing onslaught.

Widespread Uncertainty About Fairness of Elections in HaitiA 42-Year War for Freedom the U.S. Would Rather ForgetKim Ives, a co-founder and editor of the international weekly newspaper Haïti Liberté, and an award-winning filmmaker and documentarian, reports on two key stories we’ve been discussing on Leid Stories—Haiti’s Oct. 25 elections and the deportation of Haitians from the Dominican Republic under a controversial race-specific law.One hundred and eighty years ago today, bands of First Nations warriors and Africans who had freed themselves from slavery engaged U.S. soldiers in Florida in defense of their land and their freedom. Lasting for seven years, from 1835 to 1842, it was the second time, between 1816 and 1858, that U.S. forces would meet combined military resistance.Historian Jan Carew brings to light this neglected chapter of U.S. history, erroneously recorded as the Seminole Wars.

You’re Cordially Invited … to Free Your Mind!It’s Friday, “Free Your Mind Friday,” on Leid Stories, and you’re in the driver’s seat, taking the conversation wherever you want it to go.Call in (888-874-4888) and give us your take on this week’s bumper crop of news issues and developments.

Whip, Lash: Mainstream Media Gets Outed at Republican QAHistory Redacted: CNN Assists in Tony Blair’s Cleanup on Iraq InvasionA clear winner in the third two-tiered QA session (erroneously called a “debate”) Republican presidential candidates had last night was a point made about the role of the media (“liberal” media, two panelists claimed)  in shaping coverage and influencing public opinion.Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, skewered CNBC’s panel of questioners on the issue, though from the predictable point of view that mainstream media has been functioning almost as a PR arm of the Democratic Party, favoring Hillary Clinton. Leid Stories explains why the senators couldn't go all the way with their argument.CNN is all but gloating over Fareed Zakaria’s interview with former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Interviewed as part of a special report Zakaria did on Iraq, Blair “apologized” for his and Britain’s role as partners in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein, wreaked havoc in the country and spawned ISIS.Blair’s blame-shifting act of contrition was shameful enough, says Leid Stories. But  Zakaria’s and CNN’s editorial assist with deft political scutwork was even more so.

Happy Motoring?: Behind the UAW-GM Tentative AgreementThe Benghazi Hearings: What Gave Hillary Her Big Break (Part 2)Averting a midnight-Sunday threatened strike by mere minutes, the United Auto Workers union and General Motors announced a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract for 52,700 workers. They now must vote on the deal. Veteran auto worker and bargaining committee member Gary Walkowicz says worker solidarity is keeping both union leadership and corporate bosses in check.We pick up from where we left off with the discussion on Hillary Clinton’s “triumph” at last week’s hearing on the attack on two mysterious U.S. “diplomatic” compounds in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012that left four Americans dead—including  Ambassador  Christopher Stevens, foreign service information management officer Sean Smith , and CIA contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. Leid Stories listeners ask questions about Clinton that committee members never intended to.

U.S. Foreign Policy: A History of Empire, Racism and GenocideWhat informs U.S. foreign policy? Noble ideas about fostering freedom, justice and democracy all over the world? Not at all, says our guest, peace activist Robert Fantina.U.S. foreign policy is a mere cover for military involvement and intervention, the true purposes of which are power and wealth, Fantina says.In a wide-ranging interview, Fantina elaborates on this theme, drawing from his most recent book, Empire, Racism and Genocide: A History of U.S. Foreign Policy.