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Everything you need to know about the Iowa Caucuses: Harold Meyerson on KPFK 1/27

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The Iowa caucuses
on Monday: will we see the triumph of Trump? Bernie in the lead? HAROLD MEYERSON will explain everything—he’s executive editor of The American Prospect, where he wrote “Can the Democrats Channel America’s Discontent?”

Also: DAVE ZIRIN, sports editor of The Nation, talks with KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR about black politics, Ferguson, John Lewis, Donald Trump, and also Gil Scott-Heron. The full conversation is at Dave’s podcast, “Edge of Sports,” HERE.

And we’ll talk about “revolutionary fast food” – The amazing new restaurant LocoL in Watts, from celebrity chefs Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson—they say “the giant corporations that feed most of America have degraded our communities by maximizing profits over decades. We believe that chefs should feed America, and not suits.” JOSH KUN will explain: he writes about music, culture, and food, and teaches at USC.

Tavis Smiley Q&A: The Nation 2/8

Tavis Smiley talks about Martin Luther King’s final year—the year that began with his speech condemning the war in Vietnam, where he called the US “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.”  That year ended, of course, with the sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis.
Print version of the longer interview published online on MLK Day HERE

Katrina vanden Heuvel: Why We’re for Bernie
The Nation podcast, 1/22

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T
he Nation magazine has endorsed Bernie Sanders for president; editor and publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel explains why.

Also: Dave Zirin, sports editor of The Nation, talks with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar about black politics, Ferguson, John Lewis, Donald Trump, and also Gil Scott-Heron.

Plus: The Big Short is probably the best movie Hollywood has ever made about an economic crisis—it’s fun, but it’s also serious.  Kenneth Turan explains—he’s film critic for the LA Times.

Black Votes Matter: KPFK 1/20

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Black Votes Matter
— in Ferguson: A federal trial challenging the city’s discriminatory election system is underway. ARI BERMAN reports—he’s The Nation’s expert on voting rights struggles, past and present.

Also: Feminists and Hillary, for and against: LIZA FEATHERSTONE and KATHA POLLITT consider whether Hillary or Bernie offers the most promise, especially for poor and working women.

Plus: The Gay Revolution: LILLIAN FADERMAN explores the 50-year fight for gay, lesbian, and trans civil rights—the years of outrageous injustice, the early battles, the heart-breaking defeats, and the victories beyond the dreams of the gay rights pioneers.  Her new book is The Gay Revolution.

Feminists and Hillary, For and Against: TheNation podcast 1/14

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Katha Pollitt says feminists should vote for Hillary–she’s good for women, and, unlike Bernie, she can get elected.
But Liza Featherstone says feminists should not vote for Hillary—her record is full of attacks on poor women, starting with “welfare reform.”

And Tavis Smiley talks about Martin Luther King’s last year—the year that began with his speech condemning the war in Vietnam, where he called the US “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.”
Tavis’s book, Death of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Final Year, is out now in paperback.

Barack Obama, David Bowie: John Nichols on KPFK 1/13

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In Obama’s final State of the Union speech, he condemned anti-Muslim bigotry and argued for action on climate change. JOHN NICHOLS of The Nation will comment.

And we’ll also talk about DAVID BOWIE, who died earlier this week. PLAYLIST: “Heroes”— recorded in Berlin, about the Berlin wall; “Young Americans,” with the unforgettable line “Do you remember/Your President Nixon?”; “Fame” – the song he wrote and recorded with John Lennon.  READ John Nichols on David Bowie HERE.

Plus: How a small number of people can accomplish great things–and change history. We’ll speak with ERIC FONER about the hidden history of the underground railroad—his book Gateway to Freedom is out in paperback now.

Also,  RICK PERLSTEIN  says The attempt to cover up the police killing of Laquan McDonald in Chicago ought to end Mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s career.

Rick Perlstein: Rahm Must Go: TheNation podcast 1-7

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The attempt to cover up the police killing of Laquan McDonald in Chicago ought to end Mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s career, says Rick Perlstein, who reviews Rahm’s life in politics going back to the Clinton era and Obama’s first term.

Also: It’s the first anniversary of the attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris. Charb, the editor-in-chief, finished a manifesto two days before he was killed; we have comment from Amy Wilentz and Adam Gopnik—he wrote the forward to Charb’s book.

Plus: Dolpo Radio, with Rebecca Solnit—she went hiking in the remote Dolpo region of Nepal to help with a traveling medical clinic and to see what climate change looked like in the Himalayas.

Pico Blvd. Diary: LA Review of Books 1-5-16

A caravan of four Stanford football buses roars down Pico Boulevard with a police escort — in town for the Rose Bowl. I stand at the corner with a delivery guy from the Domino’s Pizza down the block — he’s an older Latino man.

He asks, “Is it Obama?” . . .

Continue reading  at LA Review of Books HERE