Noam Chomsky on ?Crisis and Hope: Theirs and Ours?
3 Jul 2009
Noam Chomsky, the MIT professor, author and dissident intellectual, just turned eighty years old this past December. He has written over 100 books, but despite being called “the most important intellectual alive” by the New York Times, he is rarely heard in the corporate media. We spend the hour with Noam Chomsky. He spoke recently here in New York at an event sponsored by the Brecht Forum. More than 2,000 people packed into Riverside Church in Harlem to hear his address, titled ?Crisis and Hope: Theirs and Ours.? In his talk, Chomsky discussed the global economic crisis, the environment, wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, resistance to American empire and much more. [includes rush transcript]

John Pilger Calls UK National Health Service a Treasure, Blasts US Lawmakers for Being “in Bed with Powerful Interests” and Neglecting “Their Own People’s Basic Human Rights”
2 Jul 2009
We play an excerpt of an extended interview with Australian investigative journalist, John Pilger. Speaking about the US healthcare system, Pilger says, “What is it about US legislators that they appear to be so in bed with such powerful interests such as the insurance companies, that they can’t represent their own people’s needs, their own people’s basic human rights.”

Up in Smoke: How the Tobacco Industry Shaped the New Smoking Bill
2 Jul 2009
President Obama signed into law a bill last week that gives the US government broad regulatory power over cigarettes and other tobacco products. Obama said the law would curb the ability of tobacco companies to market their products to children. But several public health professionals have come out strongly against the new legislation. They argue that it was largely shaped by Philip Morris, now called Altria Group, the largest cigarette company in the country. We speak with Dr. Joel Nitzkin, chair of the Tobacco Control Task Force of the American Association of Public Health Physicians.

“Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford’s Forgotten Jungle City”
2 Jul 2009
We speak with NYU professor Greg Grandin about his new book, Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford’s Forgotten Jungle City. The book tells the story of Henry Ford, the richest man in the world in the 1920s, and his attempt to build a rubber plantation and a miniature Midwest factory town deep in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon.

Zelaya Vows to Return to Honduras Despite Threats of Arrest by Coup Leaders
2 Jul 2009
The ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has vowed to return to Honduras within the next few days in an attempt to reclaim power. Zelaya was forced out of office in a military coup d’etat on Sunday. He will reportedly return to Honduras accompanied by the OAS Secretary General, the presidents of Argentina and Ecuador, and the head of the UN General Assembly. But Roberto Micheletti, who was appointed interim leader by the Honduran congress, has given warning that Zelaya will be arrested should he return, regardless of who is traveling with him. We speak with Latin American historian Greg Grandin.

Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire Speaks from Israeli Jail Cell After Arrest on Boat Delivering Humanitarian Aid to Gaza
2 Jul 2009
Irish Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire speaks to us from her jail cell in Israel. She was taken into custody along with twenty others, including former US Congress member Cynthia McKinney, when the Israeli military boarded their ship in international waters as it tried to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for July 2, 2009
2 Jul 2009
US Forces Launch Major Afghan Offensive, Mullen: No Limit on US Troop Increase in Afghanistan, Senate Dems Revise Healthcare Proposal, Obama Holds Health Forum with Pre-Screened Audience, Lieberman Opposes Public Health Proposal, US Suspends Military Cooperation with Honduras, Iraqi Soldier Killed in Baghdad Bombing, Amnesty: Israel Committed “Wanton Destruction” of Gaza, Poll: Pakistanis Oppose US Attacks, Afghan Occupation, Morales: Bolivia Trade Suspension Shows Obama “Lied to Latin America”, California Fiscal Crisis Intensifies, Staffer: SEC Officials Ignored Madoff Warnings, Obama Admin Accused of Relying on Torture-Induced Statements, Military Panel Urges Discharge for Gay Servicemember, Striking Workers Win Reinstatement, Back Pay, Hussein Stoked WMD Talk Out of Fear of Iran, Militants Capture US Soldier in Afghanistan

How Can We Have Sovereignty When We Don’t Have Electricity or Water to Bathe? Iraqi Reporter on US Troop Pullback
1 Jul 2009
In Iraq, a deadly car bomb in the northern city of Kirkuk has killed up to forty people and injured another 100. Tuesday’s bombing came hours after US troops withdrew from major Iraqi towns and cities, marring celebrations on a day that is now officially declared as “National Sovereignty Day,” a public holiday. We go to Iraq to speak with Sahar Issa, an Iraqi reporter working with the Baghdad Bureau of McClatchy Newspapers. We also speak with investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill about his article, “Iraq’s ‘National Sovereignty Day’ is US-Style Hallmark Hype.”

What’s Behind the Honduras Coup? Tracing Zelaya’s Trajectory
1 Jul 2009
We take a look at ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya with journalist Nikolas Kozloff, author of Revolution!: South America and the Rise of the New Left. Despite initial conservative leanings, Zelaya took on powerful vested interests in Honduras. ”[Zelaya] was at odds politically with the Honduran elite for the past few years and had become one of Washington’s fiercest critics in the region,” writes Kozloff. “Even if the Obama Administration did not play an underhanded role in this affair, the Honduran coup highlights growing geo-political tensions in the region.”

Generals Who Led Honduras Military Coup Trained at the School of the Americas
1 Jul 2009
Romeo Vasquez, a general who led the military coup in Honduras against President Manuel Zelaya, received training at the US School of the Americas. The SOA has trained more than 60,000 soldiers, many of whom have returned home and committed human rights abuses, torture, extrajudicial execution and massacres. According to School of the Americas Watch, Vasquez attended the SOA in 1976 and 1984. The head of the Air Force, Gen. Luis Javier Prince Suazo, also studied there in 1996. We speak with Father Roy Bourgeois, founder of the School of the Americas Watch. [includes rush transcript]

Military Using “Brutal” Force Against Anti-Coup Protests in Honduras
1 Jul 2009
The ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya is expected to meet with US diplomats in Washington today before attempting to return to Honduras Thursday, five days after being deposed by a military coup. Meanwhile, the streets in Honduras remain tense, and the crackdown on the media has reportedly not been lifted. We go to Honduras to speak with human rights activist, Dr. Juan Almendares. [includes rush transcript]

“Change to Win is Dead” – Juan Gonzalez on Labor Movement Struggle
1 Jul 2009
In a dramatic blow to SEIU’s efforts to raid UNITE HERE members and jurisdictions, fifteen of the nation’s leading unions pledged Monday to provide UNITE HERE with “material and moral” support, according to an article in the Huffington Post. Democracy Now! co-host and Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez says this is “a seminal moment in the American labor movement.”

Headlines for July 1, 2009
1 Jul 2009
Zelaya Vows Return as UN, OAS Condemn Coup, 40 Killed in Iraq Bombing, Iraq Oil Auction Attracts Single Bid, Israel Seizes Aid Ship, Kidnaps Activists, Israel Maintains Refusal on Settlement Freeze, Franken Declared Winner in Minnesota Senate Race, Supreme Court Delays Ruling in Davis Case, Ex-CIA Algeria Station Chief Indicted on Sexual Assault Charges, Groups Call for UN Probe in Iran, Shell Accused of Covering Up Nigeria Oil Spills, Wal-Mart Backs Employee Health Mandates, Ex-Alabama Governor Seeks New Trial

Michael Jackson 1958-2009: The Life and Legacy of the King of Pop
30 Jun 2009
Fans around the world are still mourning the passing of Michael Jackson, the “King of Pop.” Jackson catapulted to fame on the Motown Records label as the youngest member of the Jackson Five but soon embarked on a solo career that made him the biggest star in the country and one of the most globally recognized entertainers. Michael Jackson’s immensely popular music, dance moves and videos were known and loved across the world, but in the last decade of his life, it was his multiple plastic surgeries and allegations of child molestation that dominated media attention. We take a look at the life and legacy of the pop icon with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Margo Jefferson, author of On Michael Jackson, and Duke University professor Mark Anthony Neal. [includes rush transcript – partial]

Judge Sentences Madoff to 150 Years, But Will Regulatory System that Allowed Massive Financial Fraud Really Change?
30 Jun 2009
Bernard Madoff, the convicted mastermind behind one of the biggest financial frauds in US history, was ordered Monday to serve 150 years in prison, the maximum sentence allowed. Madoff pleaded guilty in March to running a massive Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of some $50 billion. Federal District Judge Denny Chin said it was important that the severity of the sentence serve as a deterrent to future offenders. We speak with financial journalist, Bethany McLean of Vanity Fair. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for June 30, 2009
30 Jun 2009
US Pullback Leaves Iraq in Formal Control of Urban Areas, 4 US Soldiers Killed; Ambassador Vows US Military Action “for Months to Come”, Foreign Companies Bid on Iraqi Oil Deals, Zelaya Vows Return to Honduras as Crowds Protest Coup, Obama Condemns Honduran Coup, But Won’t Suspend Aid, Iran Guardian Council Certifies Elections, Ahead of US Meeting, Israel Annexes New West Bank Land, Announces New Settlement Construction, Israel Threatens Free Gaza Aid Ship in International Waters, US Blamed for Killing of Afghan Police Chief, US Resumes Surveillance Sharing in Pakistan, Obama Vows Action on Gay Issues, Openly Gay Army Lieutenant to Appear Before Military Court, Texas Police Accused of Anti-Gay Raid on Stonewall Anniversary, Madoff Given 150-Year Sentence, Obama Objects to Trade Sanctions in Climate Bill, Supreme Court Restricts Diversity Efforts in Hiring, Anti-Torture Activists Seek Disbarment of CIA Lawyers, Latin American Leaders Back Zeyala

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa on Global Capitalism, Why He Won’t Renew the US Base in Manta, Chevron in the Amazon, Obama’s War in Afghanistan, and More
29 Jun 2009
In a national broadcast exclusive, we speak with the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa. He was in New York attending the United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development. In a wide-ranging interview, we speak with President Correa about global capitalism, his decision not to renew the license for the US military base in Manta, the $12 billion lawsuit against Chevron brought by thousands of Amazon residents for toxic oil pollution, Ecuador’s relationship with Colombia, and his advice to President Obama: “To learn more and come to better understand the region, and that [Obama] not let himself be taken along by the power of certain media outlets that are compromised with certain ideological fundaments, and that the heroes aren’t necessarily heroes, and the villains aren’t necessarily villains.” [includes rush transcript]

Coup in Honduras: Military Ousts President Manuel Zelaya, Supporters Defy Curfew and Take to the Streets
29 Jun 2009
In the first military coup in Central America in a quarter of a century, the Honduran military has ousted the democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya. Former Parliamentary speaker Roberto Micheletti, who was sworn in as Zelaya’s replacement on Sunday, has imposed a two-day nationwide curfew. But hundreds of Zelaya supporters remain on the streets, and shots were fired at protesters near the presidential palace early Monday morning. We go to Honduras to speak with Honduran medical doctor and award-winning human rights activist, Dr. Juan Almendares, and NYU professor of Latin American history, Greg Grandin. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for June 29, 2009
29 Jun 2009
Honduran President Ousted in Military Coup, House Narrowly Passes Climate Bill, Justice Dept.: Gitmo Prisoners Have Some Constitutional Rights, Report: Admin Drafting Indefinite Jailing Authorization, Admin Delays Torture Report for 2nd Time, Iranian Forces Beat Protesters, US Forces to Encircle Iraqi Towns They Withdraw From, Thousands Protest US in Pakistan, US to End Poppy Eradication in Afghanistan, UN Opens Gaza Probe with Public Hearings, Obama Issues Signing Statement to Ignore Labor, Environmental Provisions, Report: GE Major Beneficiary of Wall Street Bailout, Organizers: 500,000 Mark Stonewall Anniversary in New York, Madoff Faces Sentencing Hearing

A Look at the Gay Rights Movement Beyond Marriage and the Military
26 Jun 2009
Forty years after Stonewall, where is the gay rights movement headed? What does the focus on marriage equality mean for the goals of gay liberation? We speak with activist, writer and historian, Lisa Duggan. “It remains to be seen whether a call for full civil equality can produce mass mobilization, or whether it might soon be reduced to a call for gay marriage only, or worse, to the production of just another commercially sponsored gay parade,” Duggan writes. “The devil will be in the details, which will be settled in the weeks to come.”

Trans Day of Action: “The Rebellion Is Not Over”
26 Jun 2009
Today is the fourth annual Trans Day of Action for Social and Economic Justice. A rally to the Stonewall Inn is planned for this afternoon to “let the world know, that on the 40th anniversary of Stonewall, the rebellion is not over.” We speak with transgender activist, Mya Leilani Vazquez.

Stonewall Riots 40th Anniversary: A Look Back at the Uprising that Launched the Modern Gay Rights Movement
26 Jun 2009
Commemorations are being held across the world this weekend to mark the fortieth anniversary of the Stonewall uprising that launched the modern gay and lesbian rights movement. The uprising began in the morning on June 28, 1969, when New York City police officers raided a gay bar called the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. As the police began dragging some of the patrons out, members of the gay community decided to fight back, sparking three days of rioting. We play a documentary, Remembering Stonewall, with the voices of people who were there and speak with historian David Carter. [includes rush transcript – partial]

Headlines for June 26, 2009
26 Jun 2009
Iranian Opposition Candidate Vows Continued Protests, Ahmadinejad Accuses Obama of Meddling , Witnesses: Hundreds Defy Ban to Honor Slain Protester, 13 Killed in Iraq Bombing, Senate Health Negotiators Target Medicare, Medicaid, Uninsured, Obama Urges Passage of Climate Bill, Friends of the Earth Urges Stronger Climate Legislation, Hamas Welcomes Obama’s “New Language,” Calls for Pressure on Israel, Pakistani PM Calls for End to US Drone Attacks, Nigeria Offers Amnesty to Niger Delta Militants , North Koreans Rally, Threaten Nuclear Response, Honduras in Crisis over Referendum Vote, Ecuadorian President: World Should Consider Abolishing IMF, Bankers Recruit Ex-Treasury Aides for PR Campaign, Senate Confirms FCC Nominee, Supreme Court: Strip Search of Arizona Teen Illegal, Actor Farah Fawcett Dies at 62, Pop Singer Michael Jackson Dies at 50

Rite Aid Workers Fight for a Union
25 Jun 2009
Ahead of congressional debates on the Employee Free Choice Act, or EFCA, we take a look at a long struggle of over 600 Rite Aid workers in California to form a union. The workers are based in Lancaster, California, at the Southwest distribution center for the nation’s third largest drugstore. After a two-year struggle, a majority of Rite Aid workers at the site voted to join the International Longshore Workers Local 26. The story has gained national attention and focused attention in the fight over the Employee Free Choice Act. We speak with a Rite Aid worker and with Ken Silverstein about his article in Harper’s Magazine, “Labor’s Last Stand: The Corporate Campaign to Kill the Employee Free Choice Act.”

EXCLUSIVE: Animal Rights Activist Jailed at Secretive Prison Gives First Account of Life Inside a “CMU”
25 Jun 2009
In a Democracy Now! exclusive interview, we speak with Andrew Stepanian, an animal rights activist who was jailed at a secretive prison known as a Communication Management Unit, or CMU. Stepanian is believed to be the first prisoner released from a CMU and will talk about his experience there for the first time. He was sentenced to three years along with six other activists for violating a controversial law known as the Animal Enterprise Protection Act. The ACLU has filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of CMUs. We also speak with Stepanian’s lawyer and a reporter covering the story. [includes rush transcript – partial]