Leid Stories

Leid Stories – 02.17.16

The “This System Is Rigged, But What Will We Do About It” Blues

Drawing from previous programs about the 2016 presidential election and what they have learned from other coverage, Leid Stories listeners offer their own analyses of where things—and they—stand, and what they see as workable strategies, choices and actions in this election cycle and beyond.

Leid Stories – 02.16.16

A Court Supreme: The Not-So-Endearing Legacy of Justice Antonin Scalia

The Un-Democratic Party Helps Hillary Win Without Actually Winning

Dr. Gerald Horne, the John J. and Rebecca Moores chair of history and African American studies at the University of Houston and frequent analyst of world affairs on Leid Stories, discusses the enduring impact of Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court, decisions that reflect both its politicization and rightward shift in recent decades, and whether President Obama’s nominee to replace Scalia could substantially change the tenor and direction of the court.

Bernie Sanders’ underdog campaign almost torpedoed Hillary Clinton in Iowa, and she definitely “felt the Bern” in New Hampshire with Sanders’ double-digit victory margin. Yet she’s winning. Big. Leid Stories explains how the Democratic Party’s rigged delegate system could cause Sanders to lose the party’s nomination, even if he wins in the primaries.

Leid Stories – 02.15.16

With Justice Scalia’s Death, A Return of ‘Constitutional Originalism’

Election Follies: Hillary, Bernie Seek Salvation in Nevada

The death over the weekend of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has added yet another dimension to the 2016 presidential race: Who will President Barack Obama appoint to replace the right-leaning constitutional originalist? While the president says he will not be rushed or pressured about a nominee, U.S. Supreme Court pundits and congressional pols are already making noises about which ideological camp the prospective nominee should stand call home. John Friedl, professor of political science at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, provides a backgrounder that dispels the myth that the U.S. Supreme Court is apolitical.

Bernie Sanders thought he’d clinched an appearance at Victory Missionary Baptist Church in Las Vegas, ahead of Nevada’s Feb. 20 primary. When he got there, he found Hillary Clinton, civil-rights icon Rep. John Lewis in tow to introduce her. In a commentary, Leid stories says black voters appear not to be safe anywhere.

 

 

Leid Stories – 02.12.16

Bring It On! Make Your Point on ‘Free Your Mind Friday!’

Another news-filled week comes to a close, and “Free Your Mind Friday” on Leid Stories is open to hear what you made of it. Call in (888-874-4888) and add your own special intellectual flavor to this delicious, simmering soup of information, opinions and ideas.

Leid Stories – 02.11.16

In Like Flint: Hillary Clinton Sees Victory in Lead Poisoning

Congressional Black Caucus PAC Adds Insult to Injury with Its Endorsement

Abayomi Azikiwe, editor in chief of Pan-African News Wire and a Detroit organizer for the Workers World Party, has been coursing us through the process of Detroit’s forced bankruptcy and its devastating social, economic and political impact, including it ripple effects throughout the state and across the country. He discusses Hillary Clinton’s foray into Flint, Mich., trolling for votes from people whose water system has left untold thousands poisoned by lead.

The Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee today endorsed Clinton’s candidacy for president. Leid Stories explains why (a) this is no surprise and (b) black communities must reassess their political leadership and options.

Leid Stories – 02.10.16

Election 2016: White Bread and Corn Bread Politics

Leid Stories looks at how the media and the candidates have used, and are using, race to shape the course of the 2016 presidential election and, eventually, its outcome.

 

 

Leid Stories – 02.09.16

Leak at NY Nuclear Power Plant Again Raises Safety Issue

Haiti: A Horror Show As Clinton’s Toady President Leaves Office

It was to be a raucous Mardi Gras in Haiti today, the annual carnival celebration coinciding with the election of a new president. Instead, a somber mood envelops the country. Michel Martelly, the singer Hillary Clinton helped install as president, left office on Feb. 7 and left total chaos in his wake—postponed elections, a now-leaderless country, violence and turmoil in the streets, and a legacy of corruption that harkens back to the Duvalier regime of 30 years ago. Kim Ives, editor of Haïti Liberté, discusses the current situation.

Paul DeRienzo, who has been reporting on “America’s Fukushima”—actual and looming disasters of America’s nuclear program and at several nuclear power plants—discusses a radioactive leak into the ground water beneath the Indian Point nuclear facility in Buchanan, N.Y., that was found to be 65,000-percent higher than “normal” levels.

Leid Stories – 02.08.16

For the Record: Reporting on Underreported Reports

The din of the presidential election seems to have drowned out several noteworthy reports. Leid Stories starts the week off discussing a few of them—including reports on U.S. employment and the income gap; hunger and food aid; human rights violations; a record number of exonerations due to false convictions; and new tactics cops and city governments are using to avoid paying judgments won against them.

Leid Stories – 02.05.16

It’s Our Town Hall! Speak Up and Free Your Mind!

A “town hall” meeting every four years is good for democracy? We beg to differ. Leid Stories’ “Free Your Mind Friday” is a weekly town hall on the critical issues of the day. Call in (888-874-4888) and share your thoughts, opinions and ideas.

Leid Stories – 02.04.16

President Obama on Islam, Terrorism, Race and the American Way

In a highly publicized speech he delivered yesterday at the Islamic Society of Baltimore—his first visit to a U.S. mosque as head of state—President Barack Obama ostensibly was playing the role of Domestic Peacemaker in Chief, calling for religious tolerance and a rekindling of the Jeffersonian/Founding Fathers’ commitment to religious freedom for all Americans.

Lawdy, Lawdy, so wrong in so many ways, says Leid Stories of Obama’s speech.