UC Strike Settlement? Nelson Lichtenstein; the WWI Xmas Truce: Adam Hochschild; Bob Dylan’s Xmas: Sean Wilentz
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The biggest strike in the country this year, and the biggest in the history of American universities, may be over– after five weeks of picketing and protests, the union representing 48,000 grad student employees at the University of California announced a settlement offer by the university, and members are voting this week. Nelson Lichtenstein has our analysis.
Also: For our holiday show, we want to talk about the Christmas Truce of World War I — it’s a unique event in the history of modern warefare. Adam Hochschild will explain.
Plus, our Christmas music special: Bob Dylan fans have been puzzled and troubled by his Christmas album, “Christmas in the Heart”, ever since he released it in 2009. To help figure out what Dylan was doing, we turned to Sean Wilentz–he’s the official historian at the official website BobDylan.com, and he also teaches American history at Princeton. 12-22-2022
Steve Phillips on Sinema and Nelson Lichtenstein on the U.C. Strike
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The Democrats triumphed in Arizona this November, electing the governor and the secretary of state, and reelecting senator Mark Kelly –in what used to be a red state. But then Senator Kyrsten Sinema quit the Democratic Party, and Progressives moved towards a primary election to challenge her. On this week’s podcast, Steve Phillips explains how the victories happened, and what’s to be done about Sinema.
Also on this episode of Start Making Sense– the largest strike in the nation entered its fifth week. 36,000 grad student employees of the University of California –including teaching assistants– are not grading final exams. The union agreed to mediation—which seems unlikely to succeed. Nelson Lichtenstein has our update. 12-15-2022
Homelessness in LA: Harold Meyerson; On Strike at the U of Cal: Nelson Lichtenstein; plus Beverly Gage on J. Edgar Hoover
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The new mayor in LA, Karen Bass, the former community organizer and former head of the Congressional Black caucus, LA’s first woman mayor, was sworn in on Sunday, and her first act was to declare a state of emergency to address homelessness. Harold Meyerson comments.
plus: In the biggest strike in the nation this year, the strike by University of California graduate student employees, one group of strikers—the postdocs–settled, and another agreed to go into mediation—the Teaching Assistants, who are refusing to grade final exams for tens of thousands of students. Nelson Lichtenstein has our report.
Also: We know a lot about the bad things J. Edgar Hoover did, but it turns out there’s a lot we didn’t know. Historian Beverly Gage explains; Her new book is “G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover & the Making of the American Century.” 12-15-2022
Joan Walsh on the Georgia runoff and Nelson Lichtenstein on the UC strike
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On this episode of the Start Making Sense podcast, Nation correspondent, Joan Walsh, comments on Democratic incumbent, Senator Raphael Warnock beating Herschel Walker in the Georgia runoff, and what that means for the future of American politics.
Also on this episode, the largest strike in the country this year, and the largest in the history of higher education, entered its fourth week at the University of California. Historian Nelson Lichtenstein joins the show to discuss. 12-9-2022
After Georgia: Harold Meyerson and Joan Walsh; the UC Strike: Nelson Lichtenstein
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National Politics after the Raphael Warnock victory in Georgia – Harold Meyerson comments. Also, the UAW after the UC strike.
Plus: historian Nelson Lichtenstein on the divide-and-conquer strategy of the University of California administration in facing grad student employees on strike. 12-9-2022
Beverly Gage on J. Edgar Hoover, plus Erwin Chemerinsky on Originalism
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We know a lot about the bad things J. Edgar Hoover did, but it turns out there’s a lot we didn’t know. Historian Beverly Gage joins the podcast to explain. Her new book is “G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover & the Making of the American Century.”
Also: Should the Supreme Court base its decision on what it can discern about the original intent of the framers? That’s what the “originalists” say – and they dominate today’s court. Erwin Chemerinsky comments. Chemerinsky is dean of the law school at UC Berkeley and author most recently of “Worse Than Nothing: The Dangerous Fallacy of Originalism.” 12-1-2022
After DACA: Ahilan Arulanantham; Hoover’s FBI: Beverly Gage; LA’s Grassroots Activists: Eliza Moreno
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Hundreds of thousands of young immigrants brought here by their undocumented parents since 2007 are not eligible for DACA. But now they are eligible for jobs–at the University of California. UCLA law professor Ahilan Arulanantham explains.
Also: The left has hated J. Edgar Hoover for a hundred years ever since the Palmer Raids of 1919, the attacks on radicals that began his career. Now there’s a terrific new biography of Hoover, called “G-Man” – the author is Beverly Gage.
Also: the fight against air pollution in the port communities of Los Angeles, where 300,000 people, mostly Latino, live next door to oil refineries, chemical facilities, and one of the largest oilfields in the nation. For decades they’ve been fighting for basic rights and a cleaner environment. Eliza Moreno has that story. 12-1-2022
The Undocumented Can Work Jobs at the U. of Calif., and Latinas Are Fighting Toxic Pollution
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Hundreds of thousands of young immigrants brought here by their undocumented parents since 2007 are not eligible for DACA. But now they may be eligible for jobs–at the University of California. UCLA law professor Ahilan Arulanantham explains.
Also: the fight against pollution in LA’s port communities, where 300,000 people, mostly Latino, live next door to oil refineries, chemical facilities, and one of the largest oilfields in the nation. For decades they’ve been fighting for basic rights and a cleaner environment. Eliza Moreno has that story. 11-24-2022
The U. of Calif. T.A. Strike: Harold Meyerson; plus Father Greg Boyle on Homeboy Industries
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48,000 Grad student employees at the University of California are on strike in the largest strike in the history of higher education and the largest strike anywhere in the US this year. But how come the auto workers’ union represents teaching assistants and research assistants? Harold Meyerson explains.
Plus: For Thanksgiving we chat with Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries, a beacon of hope for young men in LA coming out of gangs and prison. (originally broadcast in January, 2018). 11-25-2022
Joan Walsh on the Georgia Runoff; Gustavo Arellano on the LA Vote
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The Georgia Senate runoff campaign has begun–Joan Walsh has just returned from Atlanta, and explains why Trump’s candidate Herschel Walker seems likely to lose. Also: comment on what happened in Stacey Abrams’ tragic loss.
Plus: in Los Angeles the terrible sheriff has lost his re-election campaign. Gustavo Arellano, the LA Times columnist, comments, and reports on how the billionaire developer running for mayor campaigned for the Latino vote. 11-17-2022
