WPKN: Politics, Policy, and Planet Podcast

Interview with Melinda Rostal, an epidemiologist and lead for Office of Management and Budget response with the group Defend Public Health, conducted by Melinda Tuhus. Melinda Rostal, with Defend Public Health, a national public health watch dog organization founded in the wake of Trump’s 2024 election win,  describes some of the proposed changes to regulations, their potential impact, and what pe...

Interview with Arthur Kanegis, director of the film documentary, "The World Is My Country," conducted by Scott Harris. Arthur Kanegis talks about his documentary film that explores the life of Garry Davis, a Broadway song and dance man who turns his war guilt over bombing civilians in World War II into electrifying action that galvanizes war-weary Europe, sparks a movement and helps pave the way f...

Interview with Todd Schulte, president of FWD.US, conducted by Scott Harris. Todd Schulte talks about the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended Temporary Protective Status and the justices’ narrow decision upholding birthright citizenship. He warns that 400,000 U.S. citizen children could still be separated from their parents because of the TPS ruling. The consequences for 1.3 million indivi...

Interview with Norman Solomon, director of RootsAction and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, conducted by Scott Harris. Norman Solomon talks about his Guardian commentary, “Progressive primary victories have corporate Democrats panicking,” examining how the success of democratic socialists has led to an establishment backlash, fueling divisions over how to respond.

Interview with Hanna Riley Fernandez, a writer and activist based in Burlington, Vermont, conducted by Scott Harris. Hanna Fernandez, who writes about the intersection of media and the criminal legal system, discusses her recent Nation magazine article, “Cameras Are Everywhere—and People Have Had Enough,” and issues related to growing public concern about the unregulated surveillance applications...

In today's Organic Farm Stand:    Diane's Hot Topics    Tribute to Suzanne Duesing    Honey Bee Update with Vincent Kaye    Wakeman Town Farm with guests Nicole Gerber and Jaime Smith Hosted by Richard Hill and Diane Lauricella

Interview with Xavier de Janon, an attorney representing one of the defendants facing state charges, conducted by Melinda Tuhus. While there are 22 individuals facing charges across various jurisdictions, related to the ICE detention center protest, the primary federal case involves a group of 9 defendants, accused of being part of an antifa terror cell, who were convicted in March of domestic ter...

Interview with Brendan Cook, a defendant in the "Swarthmore 9" case, conducted by Scott Harris. Brendan Cook discusses his and his co-defendant’s trial that begins on July 1st, stemming from the group’s May 3, 2025 arrest on third-degree “defiant trespassing” charges after the individuals refused to vacate a pro-Palestine encampment at Swarthmore College.

Interview with Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, conducted by Scott Harris. Guerline Jozef discusses Haitian Bridge Alliance’s view on the consequences of two recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings: the Mullin v. Doe case that overturns lower court decisions blocking the Trump administration’s move to end Temporary Protected Status for roughly 350,000 Haitians and 4,000...

Interview with Carol Evans, vice president of policy with Common Cause, conducted by Scott Harris. Carol Evans talks about Common Cause’s concern about and work to protect this November’s midterm election from interference and manipulation by the Trump administration and Republican party. In recent months, the president and GOP have taken multiple steps to implement measures with the intent of sup...

Interview with John Tarleton, editor-in-chief of The Indypendent, conducted by Scott Harris. John Tarleton discusses The Indypendent’s coverage of the city’s historic June 23rd Democratic primary election, with a focus on Democratic Socialist of America party candidates’ victories and their likely impact on both local and national politics. The Indypendent is New York City’s free progressive month...

Between The Lines’ Melinda Tuhus spoke with Wanda Bertram, communications strategist with the Prison Policy Initiative. Here she talks about the studies and the recommendations her organization is making to address the problem. An increasing number of Americans have been imprisoned for longer and longer sentences over the past several decades, due to the government’s so-called “War on Drugs” and p...

Interview with Rachel Carroll Rivas, deputy director research, reporting and analysis with the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center & SPLC Action. Rachel Rivas discusses the Souther Poverty Law Center’s “Annual Year in Hate & Extremism Report,” which finds that under the Trump regime, far-right extremist groups have gained new power across the federal government, private...

Interview with Pastor Doug Pagitt, executive director of the Minneapolis-based national organization Vote Common Good, conducted by Scott Harris. Pastor Doug Pagitt discusses how the resistance community he works with has been doing since the dark days of the ICE invasion in the Twin Cities in January. He talks about the Department of Justice’s recent federal criminal charges against 15 Minneapoli...

Interview with Dion Nissenbaum, senior reporter with VoteBeat National, conducted by Scott Harris. Dion Nissenbaum, discusses his recent news story, “FBI Probe of Ohio Voting Rights Group Expands to Include an Affiliated National Advocacy Network,” and other Trump administration threats to the midterm election he’s been covering for VoteBeat National, a nonpartisan local reporting on elections and...

Interview with David Faris, professor of political science at Roosevelt University and author of The Kids Are All Left: How Young Voters Will Unite America, conducted by Scott Harris. David Faris discusses his recent Nation magazine commentary, “The Framework for the Iran Peace Deal Means Total Humiliation for Trump,” and other developments in the status of U.S.-Iran ceasefire and peace negotiatio...

On this episode of RRT:    Prof. William LeoGrand, expert in U.S. policy toward Latin America and Cuba, discusses the dire conditions in Cuba and that nation's prospects for surviving the Trump regime's oil embargo and threats to "take the Island."    Kary Love, a self-described country lawyer from Michigan, discusses his recent article in Counterpunch, " "Being Honest With Ourselves 250 Years Aft...

Interview with Ofer Neiman, a Jewish-Israeli anti-apartheid activist living in Jerusalem, conducted by Melinda Tuhus. Between The Lines’ Melinda Tuhus spoke with Ofer Neiman, an anti-Zionist Jewish-Israeli citizen and a supporter of the international Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel founded by Palestinian civil society. Here he assesses the likely results in Israel’s upco...

Interview with Yanira Arias, advocacy and leadership organizer at Alianza Americas, conducted by Scott Harris. Yanira Arias focuses on Alianza America’s call for elected officials to reject the expansion of a system that spreads fear, destabilizes families, and undermines trust in public institutions. She also describes what can be done now to mitigate the harm ICE agents will inflict across the U...

Interview with David Schultz, distinguished university professor and Winston Folkers Endowed Distinguished Faculty chair at Hamline University, conducted by Scott Harris. David Schultz discusses issues related to extending democracy into the economy and how this debate should relate to U.S. electoral politics. Schultz talks about his recent commentary, “What is Wrong With the American Left: the Ab...

Interview with Jennifer Loewenstein, former associate director of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, conducted by Scott Harris.  Jennifer Loewenstein assesses the announcement that the U.S. and Iran reached an initial agreement to open the Strait of Hormuz and further extend a shaky ceasefire in the Iran war; how Israel’s ongoing attacks and invasion of Lebanon could de...

Interview with William D. Hartung, senior research fellow, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, conducted by Scott Harris. William Hartung discusses his recent Nation magazine article, “The Pentagon is Going ‘AI First,’” and issues related to growing concern about the unregulated military applications of AI. Hartung is co-author with Ben Freeman of The Trillion Dollar War Machine: How Runa...

In  this episode of the Organic Farm Stand:    Diane's Hot Topix    Small Farms Report with Steve Munno    The Honey Bee update    Report: The Westport Farmers Market with Lori Cochran-Dougall, executive director Hosts: Richard Hill and Diane Lauricella

In today's episode of the Organic Farm Stand    Diane's Hot Topics    Small Farms Report with Steve Munno    Honey  Bee Update with Vincent Kaye    The science of soil fertility with Monique Bosch Hosted by Richard Hill and Diane Lauricella

Excerpt of talks by Fredi Guevara and Liam Henrie, crew members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, recorded and produced by Melinda Tuhus. The Global Sumud Flotilla, the largest effort so far to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians there, consisted of 52 boats and more than 400 volunteers from 41 countries. The boats were intercepted and boarded by the Israeli...