Highlands Bunker

Author, poet, and activist Phillip Bannowsky joins Rob in the bunker to talk about his background, from Ecuador to the Newark Chrysler Plant, what he has learned about activism, and his latest book: Jacobo the Turko. Show Notes: Phillip's website Get Jacobo the Turko Ideology and Popular Protest

Fellow podcaster and American in Chile Natalie Smith joins Rob in the bunker to talk about Delaware's continuing neoliberalism, examine how Chile is in the midst of a movement to remove neoliberalism from its constitution, and dive into the behavior of online left media figures and what that means for the movement. Show Notes: Superstructure Podcast Michael Brooks Impressions Constitutional Conven...

Educator Michelle Classen joins Rob in the bunker to talk about her plans to start a radically democratic Sudbury School in Wilmington, how it differs from more typical forms of education, and the potential challenges of starting a new school like this. Show Notes: Wilmington Sudbury School

Activists Yejoon Koh and Erika Guttierez join Rob in the bunker to talk about Gerald Brady's racist comments as Asian women, the Delaware American Asian Voice group, and what it takes to bring new activists into the movement. Show Notes: The initial story on Brady An op-ed calling on Brady to resign Tom Carper on #StopAsianHate

After the previous ACLU episode, Mike Brickner sticks around a little bit more to talk about how the ACLU has evolved over time (if it has gotten too woke), and responds to sports updates in his native Ohio. Show Notes: Main Episode Glenn Greenwald and Rob's tweets PDD Ice Cream Social Cleveland Guardians

Welcome to the Delaware Justice Team, a collaboration between Highlands Bunker, the Delaware ACLU, and the Delaware Call to talk about the work that is being doing around various civil liberties issues. Today, Mike Brickner joins Rob in the bunker to give an update on what passed and what didn't pass in the past legislative session, and what ACLU priorities will be going forward. Show Notes: Episo...

In late June, a six-year old girl was found walking down the side of the Coastal Highway near Lewes, Delaware. While she was luckily unharmed, Alondra Fuentes's story shows how some of our day-to-day systems from education to policing are not treating everyone equally. Alondra's family and Erika Gutierrez join Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about how that day went down, and how there has been n...

Former Delaware State News reporter and new public affairs manager at Planned Parenthood of Delaware Matt Bittle joins Rob in the bunker to talk about the past legislative session, disagreements with Republicans, and the role of nonprofits in our politics. Show Notes: Full Mark Twain letter Matt's announcement Abolish the Senate Stephanie Bolden selling out her constituents Elon Musk in Wilmington...

Tye, Rob, and Karl recap the 2021 legislative session, talking about the win and the many losses of the year, what they mean, and what needs to be done going forward. Show Notes: News Journal session roundup Delaware Constitution Article VIII, 10a and 11a on raising taxes Why legal weed failed

History professor and Middle East expert Djene Bajalan joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about how the right distorts class politics, how racism and nationalism can be used to undermine universal programs, and then a bit about Turkish politics and the Kurds. Show Notes: Professor Bajalan on The Majority Report Some of Professor Bajalan 's previous writings on Turkey/The Kurds This is Revolut...

Welcome to the Delaware Justice Team, a collaboration between Highlands Bunker, the Delaware ACLU, and the Delaware Call to talk about the work that is being doing around various civil liberties issues. Today, Claire Snyder-Hall and Dwayne Bensing join Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the For the People Act, where the state legislature has succeeded and failed on voter registration and abse...

The government has said the pandemic is over, so the Bunker is back open. Jordyn Pusey, Kirsten Walther, the band Workstudy, and Jess Scarane all join Rob in the bunker to talk about a wide variety of topics from legal weed to Network Delaware to college labor practices. Show Notes: John Carney's position on hazing Change Agent Journey Workstudy on Spotify Dem-A-Thon 2021 FOIA Bill John Carney wee...

Campaign to End Debtor's Prison co-coordinators Meryem Dede and Lynne Kielhorn join Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the issue of fines and fees, how it affects Delaware, and how we can change them. Show Notes: Campaign to End Debtor's Prison Our previous episode on fines and fees NCAJ Fines and Fees Index Brennan Center Study Task Force Letter

Tye, Karl, and Rob convene in the virtual bunker to talk through the Darius Brown situation, the latest BPG developments in Wilmington, Israel and Palestine, and what to expect for the rest of the 2021 legislative session. Show Notes: The Darius Brown situation BPG's new hotel Riverfront East Ella Baker Black Organizers Group

The American Prospect executive editor David Dayen joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about Chris Coons, and how he is trying to use his influence in the Biden White House to protect corporate power around the world, and how the Biden administration can actually improve things. Show Notes: NYTimes Article on Chris Coons Chris Coons Working to Install Business-Friendly Candidate for Key Patent...

Welcome to the Delaware Justice Team, a collaboration between Highlands Bunker, the Delaware ACLU, and the Delaware Call to talk about the work that is being doing around various civil liberties issues. Today, Shannon Griffin and Melva Ware join Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the recent education equity lawsuit, how education money should actually be spent, and dive into issues from schoo...

Former senate candidate Jess Scarane joins Rob, Tye, and Karl in the virtual bunker to talk about Delaware's minimum wage bill and the local effort to keep wages down and kick people off of unemployment. Show Notes: Karl's minimum wage explainer Speaker Pete on the minimum wage Make calls for the minimum wage Knock doors for the minimum wage Our reading series this week

Freelance journalist Karl Baker joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about his post-News Journal ventures, his recent articles about the new problems that Wilmington is facing, and the what that means about the broader model of economic change that we operate under. Show Notes: Wilmington at a crossroads Port of Wilmington faces headwinds

Delaware CARES executive director Liz Richards and former family court judge Chandlee Kuhn joins Rob and Tye in the virtual bunker to talk about SB1, the new legislation which will bring Paid Family Leave to Delaware. Show Notes: Delaware CARES website The actual legislation How to take action on Paid Family Leave More coverage on the bill Canvass / phonebank for the minimum wage bill

Author and historian David T. Dixon joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the life and times of August Willich, the German revolutionary and communist who later became a Union general in the American Civil War. Show Notes: More about Radical Warrior

Welcome to the Delaware Justice Team, a collaboration between Highlands Bunker, the Delaware ACLU, and the Delaware Call to talk about the work that is being doing around various civil liberties issues. Today, Haneef Salaam and John Reynolds join Rob and Tye in the virtual bunker to talk about police accountability, clean slate initiatives, and what the results of the Chauvin trial mean for Delawa...

Law Enforcement Accountability Taskforce Subcommittee member Crystal Womack joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the letter of no confidence that many members signed, and how it relates to Delaware's broader deference to law enforcement and endless taskforces. Show Notes: Article from intro More information about the letter Campaign for Fair Policing

Delaware native and cannabis industry worker David Gobris joins Rob in the virtual bunker to preview the new legal weed bill in Delaware and what the experience of legalization in Colorado can teach us about what works and what doesn't work at promoting equity. Show Notes: HB150 in Delaware Article that David mentioned More on Delaware cannabis LLCs

Delaware United activist Dustyn Thompson joins Rob in the virtual bunker to give an update on what Delaware's state legislature has been working on for the past three months from minimum wage to legal weed to gun bills. Plus, what hasn't happened, and what needs to happen going forward. Show Notes: Delaware United updates More on the tax bracket vote The taskforce letter

PDD President and Elsmere resident Jordyn Pusey joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the trials and tribulations of local party politics. Then, we delve deep into the Delaware Way mind of Elsmere native Robert Lee Byrd and his memoir, Byrd of Legislative Hall. Show Notes: Nevada Democratic Party article More on the RD13 debacle Byrd of Legislative Hall