#RolandMartinUnfiltered

11.8.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Trump Criminal Cases, Trump's No Fluke, Trump & Higher Education Finances 

Folks believed that Trump's 2016 presidential win was a one-off, a fluke. Elie Mystal will explain how Tuesday's outcome proved that the country is much more right-wing than we thought. 

Now that Trump is returning to the White House, what's happening with his criminal election interference cases?  Today, a federal judge paused all upcoming deadlines related to the case. 

We'll also talk to a student loan expert about what parents and returning students can expect when the Department of Education is demolished. 

And tonight, we want to hear your thoughts.  We'll have the phone lines open. 

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In Chapter 11, set in November in Tallahassee, fictional Florida, Governor Buck Bryce confidently addresses the press regarding Hurricane Timothy, initially predicted to be a manageable Category 1 storm. However, the hurricane unexpectedly strengthens to a devastating Category 4 upon landfall, causing widespread destruction and significant loss of life. The governor, previously assured by Washington that all preparations were sufficient, is confronted with the reality of inadequate storm forecasting due to recent cuts to federal meteorological services as proposed by Project 2025.

As emergency response efforts falter, Bryce grapples with the new federal policies under Trump that make it difficult to declare emergencies and provide immediate assistance to affected businesses and citizens. The narrative highlights the consequences of disregarding climate science and federal data, resulting in death and destruction

As always, the series author, David Pepper ties the fiction to the facts in Project 2025 and Trump’s own words.

We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode: 
Mark Ruffalo who read the chapter and others who contributed character voices.  
Sound design by Jonathan Moser.

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal is written by David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.

Suggested Podcaster Copy: 
To episode:  Once again, we are pleased to present this special bonus episode in (your podcast name).  In this last week before the election, it's even more important that we understand the dangers of Project 2025. And share those dangers with people we know and care about. Here is Chapter 11 of Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal.

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11.7.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Biden On Trump's Win, Latino Men Showed Up for Trump, Jane Elliott Explains How Racism Elected Trump

President Joe Biden spoke for the first time since election night, asking the country to unify and promising a peaceful transition of power. We'll show you what he said. 

Journalist Eric Garcia of The Independent says he knows why Latino men helped re-elect Trump. He'll be here to discuss the warnings he gave the Democratic Party. 

Diversity Educator Jane Elliott will explain the different ways racism played a significant part in electing a racist, misogynistic, convicted felon as president of the United States. 

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The first part of Chapter10 introduces the fictional character Dr. Joy Brewer, a dedicated researcher focused on studying cancer clusters affecting Black Americans. Joy learns from her colleague, Dr. Matthias Kunz, that all federal grants linked to race or gender are being canceled, jeopardizing her life’s work. Despite her attempts to advocate for her essential research, the political climate forces her into a corner where she must reconsider her direction. This part of the chapter closes with Joy’s resolute decision to remain true to her mission, suggesting a significant personal and professional loss amidst the disaster of Trump and his ideological allies.
In the second part of chapter, the fictional Webster "Web" Powers, addresses a packed ballroom in Washington, D.C., on a day he considers pivotal for his political ambitions. Web, who has transformed from a simple condo salesman into a powerful figure opposing what he sees as “woke” ideologies in education and government, relishes the fear among his audience—representatives from universities and research institutions.  
He recalls how his concerns about a lack of patriotic historical education for his children led him on a crusade to eliminate anti-American content from schools, which in turn propelled him into politics. After achieving success in Florida by banning critical race theory and related concepts from education, he is ready to extend his efforts nationally. During his speech, he unveils plans to remove references to race, gender identities, and diversity from federal policies and grants, branding the funding of such initiatives as “racism.”  

His announcement indicates that billions in federal research funds supporting various racial and gender-focused studies will now be terminated, causing dread among established academics who relied on these grants. Web takes pleasure in exerting control, sensing that his audience, once dismissive towards him, is now subservient to his newfound authority.

Ultimately, both narratives illustrate what happens when a Trump second term guided by Project 2025 destroys the lives and work of dedicated individuals committed to social justice and scientific integrity.

We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode: 
Danai Gurira and Joel Hurt Jones who read the chapter and  others who contributed character voices.  

Sound design by Jonathan Moser  and Marilys Ernst.  
Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal is written by David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.

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11.6.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: 2024 Election Recap: Harris Concedes, Trump Wins: Now What?, GOP Controls Senate

Vice President Kamala Harris conceded the 2024 presidential election. We'll show you her concession speech, which she gave at Howard University a while ago. 

We did make history last night by electing a convicted felon as commander-in-chief.  We'll explore what will happen to Trump's legal cases. 

We'll show you some election victories, including the two Black women elected to serve in the Senate at the same time, Maryland's Anglea Alsobrooks and Delaware's  Lisa Blunt Rochester.

We have so much to unpack about this election.  

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11.5.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Black Votes Matter Election Night 2024 | #BlackStarNetwork 

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11.4.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Roland on the Road in Battleground Pennsylvania, GA Early Vote Lawsuit, Black Voter Project Poll

LIVE in Pennsylvania on election night eve, counting down the hours before polls open across the nation to pick the next commander-in-chief. 

We'll show you Vice President Kamala Harris' last-ditch effort to get folks to the polls here in Pennsylvania.

Black Voter Project's Director Christopher Towler will be here to discuss the third wave of their survey results.

Georgia MAGA Republicans are pissed about the opening of election offices over the weekend to accept hand-returned absentee ballots. 

We'll show you some of Michigan's Get Out To Vote efforts from this past weekend. 

Download the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox  http://www.blackstarnetwork.com

The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

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The story follows fictional Private Troy Marquis, who attends a tense early morning briefing at a military reserve base in Philadelphia. Troy is told that a radical group, Antifa, has invaded the city, prompting a second-term President Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act.   US law currently prohibits the military from operating on US soil. However, the Insurrection Act of 1807 gives the president broad and sweeping authority to use the military to quell domestic violence or conspiracy that the president thinks is a domestic rebellion or insurrection. Donald Trump tried use the Insurrection Act against Black Lives Matter protests in his first administration and has threatened use the U.S. Military to shut down protests against him if he is re-elected.

As the soldiers in Troy Marquis company advance towards City Hall, tensions rise with the conflict between what the soldiers were told and what they see with their own eyes. In the midst of a peaceful protest against police violence, the situation escalates when one soldier purposely makes up a perceived threat, leading to gunfire. The chaos results in the deaths of dozens and many injuries, including their own soldiers. Overcome with horror and guilt, Troy grapples with the aftermath of their actions and the brutal reality of their mission.

In a view from the other side, the fictional Julie Brown joins that protest in Philadelphia calling for justice after the police killing of two Black students. Despite her parents' concerns about the increasing hostility towards protesters, she feels compelled to stand up for her beliefs. The protest initially unfolds peacefully, filled with songs and chants, until military forces arrive with orders to disperse the demonstrators. As the military's authoritative tone becomes increasingly menacing, panic ensues when gunfire breaks out, resulting in casualties among the protesters. Julie is injured in the chaos and wakes up in the hospital, facing a representative of military intelligence who informs her that the protest group is being investigated for allegedly attacking the military. Once again in a trump administration up is down and down is up. 

We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode:
Mark Hamill and Andrea Guidry who read the chapters and  others who contributed character voices.  

Sound design by Jonathan Moser and Marilys Ernst.  
This episode was jointly written by Daniel Miller—lawyer, writer and democracy advocate—and David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.

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Project 2025 proposes to eliminate the Department of Education and divert federal education funding into universal school voucher programs, allowing public money to be used for private and for-profit schools.  This would result in cuts to critical services and programs at public schools, including mental health counseling, school resource officers, after-school programs, reading/writing specialists, and services for students with disabilities. Classroom sizes at public schools would increase substantially due to the funding cuts, hampering the ability to provide a quality education. The plan also calls for the censorship of curriculum and book banning related to topics like racial equity, LGBTQ issues, and reproductive health. Private for-profit schools receiving voucher funds have been found to use substandard or misleading curriculum, including teaching that dinosaurs and humans co-existed and that slavery was not as bad as portrayed. Overall, the goal of Project 2025 is to end public education in the United States in favor of a privatized, deregulated school system, with devastating consequences for students, especially those from lower-income families and communities.
Based on the actual proposals and likely consequences above, the fictional based stories begin as Martha Sheakley, the principal of Southeast Middle School, faces the challenges of new controversial book-banning laws that require the removal of numerous classics from the library. As she meets with librarian Paige Parker, they express their frustration over the vague standards forcing them to censor popular titles, including works by Toni Morrison and Anne Frank. Martha is frustrated with the political landscape affecting education and the consequences of enforcing these new laws. Martha then attends a distressing meeting about school funding. Due to the government's shift to vouchers for private schools, public schools face severe funding cuts. She learns they must eliminate wrap-around services and support staff, including mental health counselors, after-care programs, and special education resources. These cuts threaten the well-being of students and the overall educational environment. The meeting exposes the deepening crisis in public education as more responsibilities are pushed onto families with lower income and fewer resources. After a day filled with painful decisions and meetings, Martha encounters law enforcement taking away censored books from the library, further highlighting the absurdity and tragedy of censorship in education. As the day ends, Martha reflects on the privilege of parents benefitting from the new policies while her own students and staff suffer the consequences.

In parallel, Marcus and other parents share their concerns about Blue Ribbon Academy, a new school that seemed promising but delivered a disappointing reality. They discover misleading curriculum materials that trivialize serious historical issues and provide an inadequate education. As they navigate their experiences trying to advocate for better education options for their children, they are met with resistance from the Blue Ribbon administration, which has no accountability to the public. 

Despite their efforts, the parents ultimately face the grim reality that shifts in educational policy have sidelined their children, particularly those with special needs like Marcus's son, Jamal, who is deemed "not a good fit" for Blue Ribbon due to his ADHD. This reflects a larger trend of public schools becoming underfunded and unable to meet the needs of diverse learners as more families are funneled into less supportive educational environments.

We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode: Ever Carradine and Don Cheadle who read the chapters and others who contributed character voices.  

Sound design by Johnathan Moser. 
Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal is written by David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11.1.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Oct. Jobs Report, Shomari Figures, ProPublica Exposes Ad Targeting Election Officials, VP Wis. Rally

LIVE  in Mobile, Alabama, at the 2nd Annual Port City Classic Business Expo, where I participated in two panels.  Here's what's coming Up on Roland Martin Unfiltered streaming live on the Black Star Network.

October's job report was well below expectations.  The overall black unemployment rate remained the same while the rate for black men increased but dropped for black women. We'll talk to economist Morgan Harper about the numbers.

Alabama's 2nd Congressional District race winner could impact who controls the House. Democratic candidate Shomari Figures will join me to discuss his plans if he wins.

ProPublica exposed an organization that placed ads targeting election officials, telling them they don't have to certify the results. We'll talk to one of the reporters. 

Vice President Kamala Harris is speaking in the second hour.  We'll show you her rally in Little Chute,  Wisconsin, live. 

A Pennsylvania volunteer fire department has some explaining to do for allowing an entry in their Halloween parade depicting Trump leading a handcuffed Vice President Harris in chains. 

A White South Carolina man gets physical with some black female election workers when he was asked to remove his Trump hate before voting.  We'll show you the video.

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The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.