Occupy the Airwaves— Valley Free Radio

Join Occupy the Airwaves co-hosts Bob Gardner and Steve Linsky for an in-depth conversation with Tara Jacobs, an elected leader on the Governor's Council. The Governor's Council provides advice and consent over judicial nominations, parole board nominations, and commutations. Tara recently won a Democratic primary election in September, and proceeds to the general election in November with no opponent. We will discuss the work of the Governors Council, the issues raised during the election, and Tara's approach and philosophy as it relates to judge selection, parole and other duties. 

Join cohosts Emikan Sudan and Stephen Linsky for a special Indigenous People's Day show. Hassanamisco Nipmuc tribal member Jasmine Goodspeed shares stories of Indigenous peoples from their lives before contact with Europeans to the current event shaping their lives today. Goodspeed was a founding member of the Western Massachusetts-based Ohketeau Cultural Center which seeks to uplift and bring awareness about our region's rich Indigenous history.

Northeastern University Law Professors Richard Daynard and Mark Gottlieb joins Occupy the Airwaves hosts Emikan Sudan, Bob Gardner and Stephen Linsky to discuss the work of the Public Health Advocacy Institute housed at the law school that has been leading efforts to advocate for consumer protections to the predatory corporate actions operating in the tobacco, food and sports betting industries, including their work recently cited in the New York Times.

Join hosts Emikan Sudan and Stephen Linsky for a lively discussion about the changing face of Northampton, Mass with the upcoming Picture Main Street project. We will be chatting with Lauren Rollins of the Western Mass Policy Center, Quaverly Rothenberg, former Northampton City Councilor, and Carlos Dixon, grassroots community organizer for All Power To All People in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The program will explore how the project will affect the Northampton Community, as well as announce an upcoming Community Cookout on Sunday, September 20th at Maines Field for those who want to be involved in sharing their voices about the Picture Main Street Project as a community.

John E. McDonough, former Massachusetts state representative and present professor at the Harvard University School of Public Health, joins Occupy the Airwaves co-hosts Bob Gardner and Stephen Linsky to discuss his sweeping critiques of America’s health care system as analyzed in his new book: America’s Wrong Turn: U.S. Healthcare in the Neoliberal Era.

U.S. 1st Congressional District House candidate Jeromie Whalen joins Occupy the Airwaves co-hosts Emikan Sudan and Stephen Linsky for a wide ranging conversation about his campaign for Congress in the upcoming September 1st Democratic primary covering local and domestic issues including housing, reparations, data centers, AI, term limits, ICE, potential committee assignments, the direction of the Democratic Party as well as foreign policy issues including support for Ukraine and Israel.

State Representative Lindsay Sabadosa (D-Northampton) joins Occupy the Airwaves co-hosts Emikan Sudan, Bob Gardner and Stephen Linsky for her periodic update of the present Massachusetts legislative session. Unlike past sessions, this session has been governed by different rules that enables the consideration of pending legislation deeper into the legislative calendar. Rep. Sabadosa touches on some of the major pieces of pending legislation, including the major energy bills and the climate bond bill. She also considers a number of the measures that will be on the November ballot including those relating to taxes and cannabis. The future of the initiative petition process, as well as other initiatives relating to housing, abortion and rent stabilization will also be discussed.

UMass Economics professor and co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), Gerald Epstein, spoke with Occupy the Airwaves co-hosts Emikan Sudan, Bob Gardner and Stephen Linsky about the launching of the ‘Game Changers’ project a compendium of initiatives to produce the social and economic goods most needed and desired by working Americans, from housing and healthcare to banking, tax policy and beyond. Learn more here.