“Grassroots Pressure” Propels Single Payer
The endorsement of Bernie Sanders Medicare For All bill by 15 Democratic senators is “the result of direct, grassroots pressures,” said Dr. Margaret Flowers, of Health Over Profits. Flowers said Sanders’ bill is strong on women’s reproductive rights but weaker on issue of long term care.
North Korea Stands Firm
“The U.S. is threatening nuclear annihilation of North Korea, day-in and day-out,” said Sara Flounders, of the United National Anti-War Movement. However, North Korea refuses to give up its nukes, knowing that “the very countries that agreed to disarm” under U.S. threats “ended up in ruins,” said Flounders, “like Libya.”
Paul Street on Ta-Nehesi Coates’ “Bullshit”
Ta-Nehesi Coates, the Black writer for the neoliberal Atlantic magazine, accuses what he calls “the left” of subordinating race to class. “Bullshit,” said historian and author Paul Street, in the title of his Counterpunch article. “Coates doesn’t seem to know a lot about ‘movement’ leftists,” most of whom see race and class as inseparable, said Street. He said Coates lives in the bourgeois world of Democratic politics.
Parents Oppose Excessive Testing
A poll commissioned by the American Federation of Teachers shows 61 percent of public school parents think too much emphasis is placed on testing, and what schools need most is more funding. Only 11 percent say there is not enough “choice” in the pubic schools. Dr. Monty Neill, of Fair Test, said most parents don’t agree with the “testing ideology” promoted by big business and media.
Black Agenda Radio on the Progressive Radio Network is hosted by Glen Ford and Nellie Bailey. A new edition of the program airs every Monday at 11:am ET on PRN. Length: one hour.
This week, we hear from a formerly incarcerated person about efforts in the state of California to end slavery in the prison system and we discuss the need for an enlarged housing voucher program in…
Milton Perez joins us to discuss the lack of affordable housing in New York City and the housing access voucher program.
Dr. Bertrhude Albert joins us to discuss the construction of the Ouanaminthe Canal, the history of the Massacre River, and the project's importance to the Haitian people.
Dorsey Nunn joins us to discuss a proposed amendment to California’s state constitution, ACA 8, which aims to abolish involuntary servitude as a form of criminal punishment.
Israel is crowing about rescuing four people held hostage and killing more than 200 Palestinians in the process. It is typical behavior for the apartheid state but all of the pressure it exerts can’t…
