On today’s show, host Esty Dinur is in conversation with Kieran Knutson and Coleen Rowley about the ongoing presence of ICE and other federal agents in the Twin Cities. Knutson says that the assault on the people of Minneapolis and surrounding areas isn’t over even though some ICE activity has diminished following the announcement by border czar Tom Homan that Operation Metro Surge has concluded. He also discusses the vast network of rapid response groups, daily protests, mutual aid, and a new tenant’s union and other labor organizing that has galvanized the population. Knutson says that labor unions like his are helping their members find ways to participate in local organizing.

Rowley says that she’s optimistic about the role of US attorneys’ offices in standing up for the Constitution. She sees this as proof of how unlawful ICE and Homeland Security’s actions are. They also discuss the connection between what’s happening in the Twin Cities and Palestine, US empire and counter insurgency operations, how people build bridges to work in solidarity against ICE, how local law enforcement has provided cover for federal agents, and how industries where immigrants are employed are feeling real strain.

Kieran F. Knutson is the President of Communication Workers of America Local 7250. CWA Local 7250 is a non-profit membership labor union representing workers at AT&T mobility retail stores in Minnesota, and AT&T Legacy T in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North & South Dakota.

Coleen Rowley is a retired FBI agent who served as Minneapolis Division Legal Counsel for the latter 13 years of her career, teaching constitutional law (i.e. criminal procedure) to FBI agents and other law enforcement. She disclosed some of the FBI’s pre 9-11 failures as part of the Joint Intelligence Committee Inquiry, then testified later to the Senate Judiciary Committee and as part of the lengthy, detailed Department of Justice Inspector General’s investigation of these same matters. She also publicly warned FBI Director Mueller in Feb 2003 that his wrongful support for President Bush’s illegal war on Iraq would prove counterproductive. Rowley was one of three whistleblowers selected as TIME Magazine’s 2002 Persons of the Year.

Featured image of law enforcement officers at the site of Renée Good’s murder via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).

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It takes the average Latina, 12 extra months to earn what the average White, non-Hispanic man earns. That is because Latinas are only paid .55 cents to the dollar of […]

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On today’s show, host Ali Muldrow is in conversation with Joanne Molinaro, aka The Korean Vegan. A former lawyer turned content creator and award-winning author with over 6 million followers, Molinaro sends a message of optimism and strategy that helps her followers feel like they can engage in informed political conversations.

Molinaro says that she’s followed her talents, using her power as a storyteller to make an impact in the world. She started The Korean Vegan in 2016 as a hobby but eventually left her law firm to become a full-time influencer. She’s a master of the bait and switch, melding videos about food with captions about what it’s like to be an immigrant in the US.

In addition to recipes, Muldrow and Molinaro discuss the echo chamber of social media, what her family thinks about her storytelling, and who she would and wouldn’t make dinner for (she’d cook JD Vance japchae). Molinaro says that we need to invest in institutions that aren’t online, like dinner parties, book clubs, picnics, etc.

Joanne Molinaro has over 6 million fans spread across her social media platforms. She is a New York Times best-selling author and James Beard Award winner. Her debut cookbook was selected as one of “The Best Cookbooks of 2021” by The New York Times and The New Yorker among others. Molinaro is a Korean American woman, born in Chicago, Illinois. After a single post of her making Korean braised potatoes for dinner (while her husband taught a piano lesson in the background) went viral, Molinaro shifted her attention to producing 60 second recipe videos, while telling stories about her family—immigrants from what is now known as North Korea.

Featured image of the cover of The Korean Vegan Cookbook.

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Earlier this week, the Atlanta City Council approved an addition $31 million dollars for the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. This was after more than 16 hours […]

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On today’s show, host Dana Pellebon is in conversation with Director Ilesa Duncan and cast of cullud wattah, Jnae Thompson (Ainee), J’Nya Smith (Reesee), Jayda Smith (Plum), and Faerie Afi Mlatawou (Reese/Plum understudy).

It is 2016 and it has been 936 days and counting since Flint, Michigan, has had clean water. Third-generation General Motors employee Marion finds herself on the cusp of a promotion until her sister begins participating in protests accusing the company of poisoning the water. Forced to confront their past and weigh their limited options for the future, the family of Black women finds their tight-knit unit threatened by more than just the toxicity of the water. Written by UW-Madison and First Wave alumna Erika Dickerson-Despenza, this powerful play deconstructs the linear passage of time to ponder the choices we make for the sake of our survival.

They discuss the ongoing Flint water crisis and break down a key refrain from the play, “there’s money in war, and there’s war in money.” They also talk about the actors’ relationship to their characters, their favorite moments in the play, and what it’s like to perform with an all-Black and femme-identified cast.

cullud wattah is showing later this month at the UW Vilas Hall-Mitchell Theatre. Tickets are available here.

Featured image of J’Nya Smith, Jayda Smith, Dana Pellebon, Faerie Afi Mlatawou, Ilesa Duncan, and Jnae Thompson.

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“The Philippines is under a new administration, but still the government’s case against de Lima hobbles along, a symbol of the country’s degradation from the Duterte years of violent populism […]

The post Timothy McLaughlin on Leila de Lima and the cost of criticism in The P... appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

In recognition of the urgency of the climate crisis, groups of young people around the country are taking their concerns to court. In places like Montana and Hawaiʻi, they’re winning lawsuits and forcing states to address greenhouse gas emissions and more. In late August, fifteen youth in Wisconsin filed a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Public Service Commission and the state legislature. To talk about their lawsuit and others like it, host Douglas Haynes is joined by two lawyers helping the youth bring their case to court, Tony Wilkin Gibart of Midwest Environmental Advocates and Joanna Zeigler of Our Children’s Trust.

The youth plaintiffs are claiming their constitutional right to live in a world with a stable climate system and that climate change is threatening their rights to life, liberty, and happiness. They’ve been successful in Montana where the state constitution provides a right to health and safety. And in Hawaiʻi, the state has committed to decarbonizing transportation by 2045. In Wisconsin, the youth plaintiffs are claiming that the state is both supporting and fueling the climate crisis by approving fossil fuel power plants and preventing renewable energy projects. They say these actions by the state are infringing on their constitutional rights and the state is failing to preserve and protect the right to use and enjoy the waters of the state.

Gibart tells the story of some of these plaintiffs, like Kaarina Dunn who experienced the major floods in the Driftless region a few years ago and Lucy Wright who grew up cross country skiing, but has seen the seasons cut short. Zeigler says that youth have a strong, intuitive moral compass and since they’re the ones who will be disproportionately impacted by climate change, it’s important to hear their voices.

Tony Wilkin Gibart has led Midwest Environmental Advocates since 2019, guiding the organization’s legal, policy, and community-focused work to protect Wisconsin’s natural resources and strengthen environmental rights. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School and one of the attorneys representing the young plaintiffs in Dunn v WI PSC.

Joanna Zeigler joined Our Children’s Trust as a staff attorney in 2022. She primarily works on state cases filed by Our Children’s Trust, including Sagoonick v. State of Alaska II and Dunn v. Wisconsin Public Service Commission and is working to develop new cases in other states. Joanna is also working with the State of Hawaiʻi to implement the historic settlement agreement reached in Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Dept. of Transportation. Prior to joining Our Children’s Trust, Joanna worked at a Honolulu law firm as a litigation associate for over five years and she earned her JD with a certificate in environmental law from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi.

Featured image of skiers in the American Birkebeiner, which has been cancelled several times in recent years due to warm weather, via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0).

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Sold in headshops and on the grey market, “spice” or K2 is a way to get high while avoiding showing up on a drug test. Whether or not they’re legal […]

The post Synthetic Cannabinoids, the Analogue Act, and an Unprecedented Prosecu... appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.