Undercurrents

Ashik Siddique, research analyst at the National Priorities Project, which is a part of the Institute for Justice and Peace, comes on the show to discuss the federal budget and why "somehow there's always more money to go to war." 

The Project conducts research on fund allocation and advocates for the redistribution of military funds to programs that are "socially useful." Read Siddique's latest article More Military Money, More Problems at https://rosalux.nyc/more-military-money-more-problems/. 

Brian Garvey and Amar Ahmed of Mass Peace Action return to the show! This week's episode brings us to the Middle East, and Brian and Amar discuss severing ties with Saudi Arabia, pulling out of Yemen and other forever wars, and putting pressure on the Biden administration to make good on its campaign promises. 

Bob Pollin, econ professor at UMass Amherst, returns to the show to discuss the glob al climate crisis and hope for a green economy. Pollin's latest book, written with renowned humanitarian Noam Chomsky, is titled Climate Crisis and the Global Green New Deal. 

Dept. of Geosciences professor Justin Richardson comes to Undercurrents to proselytize– to preach the gospel of soils. But Richardson does more than just dig holes. Listen below to join our conversation around soil toxicity and environmental racism. 

Swing Left's Jeff Lobo returns to the show along with his colleague Jeff Angus to talk more about the importance of Swing Left's work, how to replicate successes in Georgia, and why we should listen to grassroots organizers and volunteers on the ground. 

UMass history professor Asheesh Siddique talks to Undercurrents about his book, Legal Meanings: Intention and Methods in the US, and analyzes to what degree the January 6 insurrection was at all unprecedented or unforeseeable. Spoiler alert: it's not very high. 

Brian Garvey and Amar Ahmad from Mass Peace Action return to the show! This week, we talk about Peace Action's January 25 International Day of Action, a day when "the world says no to war on Yemen." 

Alan Robock, climate science professor at Rutgers University, joins our virtual studio to talk about his research on climate intervention and nuclear winter. Robock also works at the Physicist Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction. 

UMass economics professor Lisa Saunders brings her decades-long work around women in economics and inclusivity in the labor market to this week's discussion surrounding inclusive and accessible teaching. 

Graduate Student Shaina Sadai talks about her work at the UMass Department of Geophysics and helps us understand the impact of high Antarctic ice melt on the global climate.