Links to today’s show transcripts:

“A Racist, Xenophobic Attack”: Immigrant Rights Activist Decries Trump Remarks About Southern Border
President Donald Trump addressed the nation Tuesday night in his first prime-time speech from the Oval Office. He urged Congress to approve $5.7 billion to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, but he opted not to declare a national emergency to force construction of the wall, in a xenophobic speech riddled with falsehoods. Oscar Chacón is the executive director of Alianza Americas, an immigrant rights group based in Chicago.

Bernie Sanders Responds to Trump’s Border Wall Address, Debunking President’s Lies About Immigration
After Donald Trump addressed the nation Tuesday in a speech that attacked immigrants and demanded a border wall, Sen. Bernie Sanders called out the president for lying to the American people and creating a false crisis at the border. Oscar Chacón is the executive director of Alianza Americas, an immigrant rights group based in Chicago.

Longtime Reporter Leaves NBC Saying Media Is “Trump Circus” That Encourages Perpetual War
“Prisoners of Donald Trump.” That’s how longtime NBC reporter and analyst William Arkin described the mainstream media in a scathing letter last week announcing he would be leaving the network, accusing the media of warmongering while ignoring the “creeping fascism of homeland security.” He issued the blistering critique after a 30-year relationship with NBC, calling for “Trump-free” media days and a reckoning about how the network encourages a state of perpetual warfare. Arkin, whose award-winning reporting has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post is interviewed. He is the author of many books, including “Top Secret America: The Rise of the New American Security State.”

William Arkin on Homeland Security’s Creeping Fascism and Why the CIA & FBI Won’t Save Us from Trump
Longtime NBC reporter and analyst William Arkin announced he was leaving the network last week in a blistering letter that took aim at the mainstream media for encouraging perpetual warfare and bolstering the national security state. In his letter, Arkin writes of Trump, “Of course he is an ignorant and incompetent impostor. And yet I’m alarmed at how quick NBC is to mechanically argue the contrary, to be in favor of policies that just spell more conflict and more war. Really? We shouldn’t get out Syria? We shouldn’t go for the bold move of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula? Even on Russia, though we should be concerned about the brittleness of our democracy that it is so vulnerable to manipulation, do we really yearn for the Cold War? And don’t even get me started with the FBI: What? We now lionize this historically destructive institution?” Arkin, whose award-winning reporting has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post is interviewed. He is the author of many books, including “Top Secret America: The Rise of the New American Security State.”

As we go deeper into this most unusual and challenging phase of history, intelligence is the thing we need the most. That is the theme of the 2019-2020 annual edition of Planet Waves — audio now available for instant access. See more information here. If you’re looking for individual signs, order here.

Links to today’s show transcripts:

Rep. Rashida Tlaib: I Won’t Apologize for My Comments About Trump—I Still Want to Impeach Him
Newly elected Democratic Congressmember Rashida Tlaib of Michigan made headlines last week for declaring, “We’re going to go in there, and we’re going to impeach the motherf***er,” in reference to President Donald Trump. Tlaib made the comment at a Washington, D.C., bar, days after she made history last week when she and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota became the first Muslim women sworn in to Congress. Tlaib is part of the most diverse and most female class of representatives in U.S. history. Rashida Tlaib is interviewed from Detroit, Michigan.

Rashida Tlaib: The Senate’s Anti-BDS Bill Is an Unconstitutional Attack on Free Speech
A new Senate bill would allow state and local governments to boycott any U.S. companies which are engaged in a boycott against Israel. Congressmember Rashida Tlaib is interviewed, who has come out out against the bill, tweeting, “They forgot what country they represent. This is the U.S. where boycotting is a right & part of our historical fight for freedom & equality. Maybe a refresher on our U.S. Constitution is in order, then get back to opening up our government instead of taking our rights away.”

“Crime + Punishment” Exposes Racial Quotas in the NYPD & Retaliation Against Officers Who Speak Out
A group of New York Police Department officers are challenging what they call a racially charged policy of quotas for arrests and summonses. Known as the ”NYPD 12,” they risked their reputations and livelihoods to confront their superiors, fight illegal quotas and demand a more just police force. Democracy Now! looks at a film following their story called “Crime + Punishment.” It has just been shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Documentary. Stephen Maing is the film’s director and producer, and Lieutenant Edwin Raymond is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by the NYPD 12.

As we go deeper into this most unusual and challenging phase of history, intelligence is the thing we need the most. That is the theme of the 2019-2020 annual edition of Planet Waves — audio now available for instant access. See more information here. If you’re looking for individual signs, order here.

Links to today’s show transcripts:

Ari Berman: Dems Introduce Sweeping Voting Rights Bill to Combat Rampant Voter Suppression
Voting rights activists are hailing a new House bill that aims to restore voting rights to millions, crack down on the influence of dark money in politics, restore the landmark Voting Rights Act, establish automatic and same-day voter registration and other measures. The bill has been dubbed the For the People Act. It is the first piece of legislation introduced by the new Democratic majority in the House. Ari Berman is a senior writer at Mother Jones, reporting fellow at The Nation Institute and author of “Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America.” His latest piece is titled “Democrats’ First Order of Business: Making It Easier to Vote and Harder to Buy Elections.”

Sunrise Movement: Pelosi’s Actions on Climate Fall Woefully & Inexcusably Short of What We Need
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is facing criticism from some climate activists for failing to back a Green New Deal. Last week Pelosi announced the formation of a new Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, headed by long-standing Florida Congressmember Kathy Castor. But the committee is far weaker than what backers of a Green New Deal had envisioned. The committee will not have subpoena power or the power to draft legislation. Varshini Prakash is the founder of the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate group that has occupied and lobbied at congressional offices, risking arrest to demand adoption of the Green New Deal and bold climate leadership.

Surviving R. Kelly: New Doc Says Time’s Up for Singer Accused of Abusing Black Girls for Decades
Democracy Now! takes a look at the shocking Lifetime documentary series “Surviving R. Kelly,” which chronicles two decades of allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against the celebrated R&B singer and producer. R. Kelly has been accused of abuse, predatory behavior and pedophilia throughout his career but has avoided criminal conviction despite damning evidence and multiple witnesses. Angelo Clary, whose daughter Azriel Clary met R. Kelly at the age of 17 and moved in with him with hopes of advancing her music career, hasn’t seen her in almost four years. Oronike Odeleye is the co-founder of #MuteRKelly—a campaign to end R. Kelly’s music career—and an Atlanta-based arts administrator.

As we go deeper into this most unusual and challenging phase of history, intelligence is the thing we need the most. That is the theme of the 2019-2020 annual edition of Planet Waves — audio now available for instant access. See more information here. If you’re looking for individual signs, order here.