Progressive News Network

Recently, journalist Jane Mayer published a piece in the New Yorker titled: Inside the Koch-Backed Effort to Block the Largest Election-Reform Bill in Half a Century. The piece also features a leaked audio from the Koch-Backed founded known as Stand Together. This leaked audio blatantly features public relations expert Kyle McKenzie on a conference call with an aide to Mitch McConnell discussing how to derail and discredit the lates legislative attempt to restore voting rights, namely H.R. 1. 

The strategies presented by McKenzie as discussed as casually as someone else would relay information about the best pie crust recipe. There is no moral handwringing here, just indifferent consideration on which propaganda methods would best manipulate a stupid and intellectually lazy public. That is the Big Story. 

Our Jackass of the Week segment features self-described "theocratic fascist" Matt Walsh. Walsh has recently expressed the same desire to limit voting rights--but does so with more flourish and intellectual honesty. At least Walsh explicitly states that most people should NOT have voting rights, instead of hiding behind an alleged 'philanthropy' like Charles Koch.

Come join me.

Jeanine

We have marked the first anniversary of the January 6th insurrection. President Biden gave a strong speech, practically calling out Trump as the Inciter-in-Chief behind this massive act of violent treason, which should be recognized as the first salvo in a second American Civil War. The GOP of Trump reacted, in a predictable manner. They were predictably entitled. They were predictably gaslighting. They were predictably racist. 

We expected the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, and Andrew Clyde to wave the neo-Confederate flag of white privilege. For the past year, the mainstream GOP stalwarts have maintained that THEY are not like these racist rabble rousers, so how do you explain the twitter storm coming from Lindsey Graham? In true Confederate fashion, in true Jim Crow fashion, Senator Lindsey Graham had a fit over the way democrats and progressives were "waving a bloody shirt." The term "waving a bloody shirt" refers to White Rage over being faced with the ugliness and evil of their racist action. It speaks to the outrage racists feel when they are exposed as--racists. 

Finally, we will look at the gaslighting coming from the GOP and corporate media. As we covered last week, what good is giving strong speeches, when those speeches are not followed with equally strong action--especially on respecting the right to vote--and having that vote counted. Where is the outrage coming from dems regarding the massive voter suppression and voter disenfranchisement being perpetrated by the GOP at the state level. 

Come join us.

Jeanine

2022 has just begun, and yet the dangers of 2020 still hold us hostage. Donald Trump has not yet been indicted for his role in inciting the January 6th Insurrection. His GOP enablers now sitting in Congress have also escaped indictment so far. As a result of this inaction on the part of Merrick Garland's DOJ, Republicans are getting bolder. Plans are already in the making to elect Trump's handpicked candidates for Secretary of State in multiple battleground states. This is critical as the Secretary of State is the top election official at the individual state level. This is setting the stage for a quieter coup than what the world witnessed on January 6th, 2020. Each Secretary of State should face intense scrutiny like never before to ensure that all votes are counted, and that rogue republicans don't decide to toss our votes in favor of a Trump dictatorship. I will discuss these strategies in some depth.

Producer Rick Spisak brings 4 scholar activists to discuss Jan 6th 2021 A year on.

Professor Wendy Lynn Lee, Professor John Dwyer, Welsh Activist Tim Evans and Edwin Enciso Founder of ForProgress.org

Come listen. 

Jeanine

Executive Producer

Income inequality is not merely an issue of labor justice, but also one of environmental justice. Multiple studies in recent years have documented a clear link between the excesses of the very rich and increased environmental destruction. This state of affairs cannot continue. 

I will discuss this issue and possible solutions to this global injustice. The rich treat this planet as their private playground and the poor pay the price with their lives. While the general public has been lectured to recycle and conserve, the rich do neither as they commit ecocide.

I will also discuss an interview Noam Chomsky gave at Democracy Now! He calls out the GOP for wantonly destroying the planet. 

Tune in. 

Jeanine

This Sunday after Christmas, I will talk about the children Santa forgot--namely the COVID ORPHANS. As a result of irresponsible GOP policies, especially those pushed by GOP state Attorney Generals like Eric Schmitt of Missouri; there are 140,000 new COVID ORPHANS. Policies which deny the responsibility of public health departments to mandate universal masking in public and vaccination have been a major driver in the USA becoming a nation of orphans. 

The GOP of Trump continues to push reckless policies which grant privilege to COVID denialists at everyone else's expense. 24 state level GOP Attorney Generals are fighting for the liberty--to infect others with a deadly virus. The right of COVID denialists has been elevated over anyone else's right--to REMAIN ALIVE. 

Come listen.

Jeanine Molloff PNN

The Sunday before Christmas, I want to discuss the very 'special present' Missouri Attorney General AND US Senate candidate, Eric Schmitt is giving to the children of the state, namely the 'liberty' to either contract COVID-19 or carry it to their families. In the finest tradition of giving, Eric Schmitt and his GOP collaborators just keep fighting to 'spread COVID CHEER to every corner of the 'Show-Me State.' Assisted by Trump appointed circuit Judge Daniel Green, the 'liberty' to spread COVID to all good kiddies, (without those pesky mitigation strategies such as masking, vaccinating and quarantining when medically needed); has been guaranteed. 

Now, all sarcasm aside, a circuit judge and the Missouri AG have attacked the duty of public health departments and school boards, to a level not seen since the Dark Ages. This show will discuss the issue here in Missouri, and how these rulings could endanger everyone. The nation has suffered 800,000 COVID deaths that we know of this past week. The callous indifference of anti-maskers/anti-vaxxers knows no bounds. I will also discuss the Supreme Court precedent in the case of Jacobsen v. Massachusetts. 

The Jackass of the Week segment will go to Donald Trump--the monster behind the COVID lies. 

Join me.

Jeanine

This Sunday, I will discuss this issue of restorative justice within the context of a deadly pandemic once again, spiraling out of control. Journalist Thom Hartmann, recently called out the "Trumpies and Maskholes" as they gleefully act as the 21st century equivalent of 'Typhoid Mary or Typhoid Mark," with no consideration for the people they hurt and possibly kill. Meanwhile, the GOP is using COVID to tank the dems, again--with no consideration for the ever-growing death toll. 

Hartmann mentioned that Germany is going to forcefully restrict anti-vaxxers from the public sphere. He backs up the idea by mentioning the 1905 Supreme Court Case that stated no individual has the right to infect others with a deadly and highly communicable disease. The case of Jacobson v Massachusetts established the right of the government to mandate vaccines and other measures to protect the common good. 

Rick Spisak sent us a piece of his erudite writing to enjoy, and then there's the "Jackass of the Week" feature. 

Check it out. 

Jeanine

West Va. v EPA is the case that could dismantle all regulations especially environmental regs, by using the Nondelegation Doctrine. This case has enormous implications for our nation as we know it. If corporate polluters win, then ANY new regulations for the EPA or other agencies would have to gain legislative approval.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge to Roe v. Wade coming from Mississippi. While the corporate media has focused on abortion rights, this case poses a much deeper threat to the rights of minorities on multiple fronts. This case would use the abortion issue as a way to coronate 'states rights' at the expense of any sort of federal appeal. Without a federal level of law to supersede various state laws; wholesale discrimination could once again be the law of the land with no right to appeal. 

Only Justice Sonia Sotomayor has spoken out regarding this danger to any true and diverse democracy. Killing the Roe decision sets the stage to allow state legislatures to reign over their own fiefdoms as they led up to the Civil War and the Confederacy. 

This time the ultra-conservatives on the Supreme Court are poised to dismantle federal law as we know it.

Come listen.

Jeanine

This Sunday's show isn't one that has been underreported lately, but that's only because the case involves an extremely egregious injustice here in Missouri. This is the story of Kevin Strickland. Strickland had been incarcerated in Missouri over 40 years--for a crime he did not commit. Due to a recent change in Missouri law, a judge was able to vacate this conviction, since the prime witness realized they picked the wrong man out of a lineup. This witness contacted various officials, but no one would listen. Finally, on November 23rd a hearing was held in Kansas City, Judge James Welsh accepted the testimony, and vacated Strickland's conviction. Strickland was released a few hours later. Meanwhile, the state of Missouri will not have to pay any reparation for this egregious miscarriage of justice. Strickland has no money, no home, nothing. He is living with family right now. 

Meanwhile the Mo. AG Eric Schmitt has been fighting this release. 

One last thing, the Mo. AG is white and a Trump ally--and Strickland is black.

This IS about systemic racism and the inconvenient truth that this systemic racism has become accepted routine.

Come listen.

Jeanine