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What’s going on right now in Iran — what the protests tell us about the new generation of Iranians, and about the future of the Islamic Republic — and what Obama, and the American Left, should do to support democracy and oppose tyranny.
MARK LeVINE will explain. He teaches the history of the modern Middle East at UC Irvine and has written four books, including Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam and Impossible Peace: Israel/Palestine Since 1989.

Also: “The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan” – JAMES MANN talks about the hidden history of the end of the Cold War, and about Reagan’s split from the Republican right in his second term, and about his fear of nuclear war. Mann is the author of the much-admired book Rise of the Vulcans, on the Bush White House; his new book is The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan: A History of the End of the Cold War.

for the record: I did not have a show today at 4 on KPFK — where the fund drive continues!

‘3 Days of Peace & Music’: that was Woodstock, summer of ’69, a climactic moment of the sixties and an unforgettable concert film.  In the KPFK fund drive today, we feature a new DVD “Woodstock Ultimate Collector’s Edition” with an all-new cut of the film, plus some fabulous extras: concert footage from two great bands, Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Grateful Dead, that didn’t appear in the original film.  Also: performances from two other acts that weren’t included in the original film: Paul Butterfield and Johnny Winter — along with additional numbers by several artists that did appear in the movie, including Joan Baez, Joe Cocker and the Who.  And of course Jimi Hendrix.  This glorious 3 DVD set, released today, can be yours for a pledge of  $150.   call 818-985-5735 during the show, 4-5pm,  or pledge online www.kpfk.org/pledge/catalog/

For the KPFK fund drive we are featuring celebrated Oxford biologist Richard Dawkins — he says “there are no gods;” religion is “nonsense” and “a divisive and oppressive force.” He been called “the world’s most prominent atheist” – and when he makes his case for rationality and science, he’s witty, well-informed and wonderfully articulate.
Richard Dawkins DVD “The Root of All Evil” — $100 pledge
Richard Dawkins book The God Delusion — $100 pledge
call 818-985-5735 during the show, 4-5pm, or pledge online at www.kpfk.org.

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ERWIN CHEMERINSKY, Dean of the Law School at UC Irvine,will comment on Obama’s pick of Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court. He calls her “a superb choice.”

Also: After the State Supreme Court’s Prop 8 ruling: Is 2010 “too soon” for another gay marriage initiative campaign? Or could a grassroots organizing effort accomplish what the “No on 8” campaign failed to do? RICK JACOBS will comment – he’s founder and chair of the Courage Campaign, and he says “It’s time to go on offense. To be fearless in our fight for equality. Starting right now.”

The war on terror is un-winnable: That’s what REZA ASLAN says. Instead of claiming that Al Qaeda and the Taliban represent “evil,” he argues, the US should address the underlying social and political roots of conflict and terror — and also look at the traditions of religious violence found in Judaism and Christianity.
Reza’s new book is HOW TO WIN A COSMIC WAR: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror.

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Yesterday’s election, in which California voters rejected five budget measures, dramatized the crisis in governing the state with the 8th largest economy in the world. HAROLD MEYERSON will comment on the popular revolt against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the legislature, which is not allowed to pass a budget by a simple majority vote. Harold is an op-ed columnist for the Washington Post.

Also: Killing civilians in Afghanistan: TOM ENGELHARDT says Americans quickly forget the news reports from the backlands of the “war on terror,” but “forgetting doesn’t work so well in those backlands. When your child, wife or husband, mother or father is killed, you don’t forget.” Tom is the legendary editor who publishes the indispensable TomDispatch.com.

Plus: KATHA POLLITT is the award-winning columnist for The Nation – she’s also a poet, essayist, and blogger – and her book LEARNING TO DRIVE: AND OTHER LIFE STORIES is out now in paperback — the Boston Globe called it “painfully hilarious to read.” (originally broadcast 9-5-07)

Your Minnesota Moment: The state supreme court will begin hearing arguments in Norm Coleman’s challenge to Al Franken’s senate victory on June 1, with a decision expected before the July 4 weekend.

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Democrats in Congress are rushing to approve billions in war spending without debating heightened US involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan. TOM HAYDEN comments: he wrote about “The Politics of Escalation” at TheNation.com.

Also: In the fight for his health care program, Obama seems to have neutralized some powerful potential opponents.  JOHN NICHOLS explains: he’s Washington Correspondent for The Nation and writes “The Beat” blog at TheNation.com.

Plus: SUSAN CHOI’s novel A Person of Interest explores the personal and political repercussions set off by a campus bombing reminiscent of the Unabomber and the Wen Ho Lee case. Publishers Weekly called the book haunting”; Booklist called it ‘mesmerizing’; and The New York Times called it ‘beautifully written.’ It’s out now in paperback. (Originally broadcast 4-2-08)