WPKN: Politics, Policy, and Planet Podcast

Excerpt of a talk by William I. Robinson, professor of sociology, global and international studies, Latin American and Iberian studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara at the Nov. 8th Hartford, CT conference, “Our Power: A Working People’s Conference on Civil Liberties and Resistance.” Professor Robinson, the event’s keynote speaker, is an authority on what’s driving the world’s elit...

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 recent commentary, “A Year After Trump Won, Why Won’t Democrats Change Their Playbook?” — a discussion that goes well beyond the mainstream’s superficial analysis of the 2025 off-year election results. Solomon is author of War...

Interview with John Tarleton, editor-in-chief of The Indypendent, New York City's free progressive monthly newspaper, conducted by Scott Harris. John Tarleton reflects on Zohran Mamdani’s election victory, becoming New York City’s first Muslim and immigrant mayor in 50 years, the youngest mayor in a century, as well as the city’s first democratic socialist mayor, the challenges ahead for governing...

Interview with Steve Ellner, an associate managing editor of Latin American Perspective, conducted by Scott Harris. Steve Ellner discusses the situation in Venezuela as the Trump regime appears to be preparing an attack or invasion of the country with the goal of removing President Nicolás Maduro from power. Ellner is a retired professor at the Universidad de Oriente in Venezuela, where he lived f...

Interview with Doug Pagitt, pastor and executive director of the national organization Vote Common Good, conducted by Scott Harris. Doug Pagitt discusses his group’s mission of “mobilizing people of faith to make the common good their voting criteria,” with a focus on how progressive religious activists are now taking action to oppose the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda and frequent...

The Organic Farm Stand features an interview with Emily Oakley, co-owner of Three Springs Farm in eastern Oklahoma. Emily recently presented a proposal for a "stand alone" Real Organic Project label and she describes just what that would entail in this fascinating conversation on today's show. Also featured: Hot Topics with Diane and the honey bee update from Vincent Kaye. Hosts: Richard Hill and...

Interview with Peggy Bailey, executive vice president for Policy and Program Development with the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, conducted by Scott Harris. Peggy Bailey discusses her group’s views on the major issues and possible solutions to end the ongoing government shutdown, i.e.: extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies and addressing the impending cutoff of Supplemental Nut...

Interview with artist and activist Robert Shetterly, creator of the ‘Americans Who Tell the Truth’ project, conducted by Melinda Tuhus. The project, which channels the “power of art to illuminate the ongoing struggle to realize America’s democratic ideals,” offers a variety of ways to engage with his portraits through exhibits and educational programs. Between The Lines’ Melinda Tuhus spoke with S...

Interview with Maria Stephan, co-lead and chief organizer with the Horizons Project and author and editor of five books on authoritarianism and civil resistance, conducted by Scott Harris. Maria Stephan assesses the recent No Kings Day protests, Trump and the Republican Party’s labeling anti-authoritarian protesters as “anti-American and terrorists,” and what new strategies and tactics may be nece...

Interview with Henry Burke, senior researcher with the Revolving Door Project, conducted by Scott Harris. Henry Burke examines Donald Trump’s recent pardon of convicted money launderer Changpeng Zhao, which many observers link to Zhao’s boost of the Trump family’s crypto business and an “example of Trump’s Pay-to-Pardon scheme.” He also shares his views of how Trump, unlike any other U.S. presiden...

Interview with Andra Watkins, a New York Times best-selling author and Project 2025 dissector on her Substack online newsletter, "For Such a Time as This," conducted by Scott Harris. Andra Watkins discusses the current government shutdown, suspension of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) food and nutrition benefits that relate to her recent, timely discussion and articles, “How Pro...

Interview with Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel with the ACLU, conducted by Scott Harris. Chad Marlow takes a critical look at President Trump’s late September National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-7) authorizing government-wide investigations into nonprofits, activists, and their donors and funders using vague and overbroad labels of “terrorism” and “conspiracy against rights.” He als...

Interview with Gregg Gonsalves, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, and a founder of the group 'Defend Public Health,' conducted by Melinda Tuhus. Between The Lines’ Melinda Tuhus spoke with Gregg Gonsalves, a recipient of a MacArthur fellowship in 2018, who describes Defend Public Health’s work over the past year and what he thinks the future prospects are...

Interview with David Paul, a member of the Task Force on the Americas and Democratic Socialists of America, conducted by Scott Harris. David Paul assesses the Trump regime’s escalating military threats against Venezuela, Columbia and Latin America; the bombing of small boats and murder of 40+ alleged drug smugglers or fishermen in international waters; open White House discussion of a regime chang...

Interview with Hardy Merriman, former president of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, conducted by Scott Harris. Hardy Merriman discusses his views on the direction and strength of the U.S. anti-authoritarian resistance movement, i.e. the recent No Kings Day mobilization — and what new strategies and tactics may be necessary to rapidly adopt in the face of Donald Trump’s deployment o...

Interview with Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas, conducted by Scott Harris. Secretary Thomas discusses the importance of local elections, highlighting typical low turnout and the need for more civic engagement. She also talks about steps her office is taking to ensure elections in Bridgeport, Connecticut are secure and open to all eligible voters, questions about early voting and ab...

Interview with Robert Weiner, director of the Voting Rights Project at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, conducted by Scott Harris. Robert Weiner discusses the critical issues being decided in the Louisiana v. Callais case now before the U.S. Supreme Court: racial gerrymandered congressional district maps eliminating the voices of Black and Latino legislators and the battle ahead...

The Organic Farm Stand hosts an interview with L. Michael Green, executive director or Food First (Institute for Food and Development Policy), about the mission and history of this organization that has been fighting for food justice and innovative food policy for 50 years. Hosts: Richard Hill and Diane Lauricella   

Interview with Eddie Lejuine, a 62-year-old fisherman from Cameron, Louisiana, conducted by Melinda Tuhus. Eddie Lejuine traveled with other Gulf residents to Washington, D.C. in September to protest the continued buildout of LNG facilities. The group met with government agency representatives and politicians, and participated in a 'Petrostate Tour' organized by Third Act Actions Lab.  They also v...

Interview with Dr. Ira Helfand, member of the International Steering Group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), conducted by Scott Harris. Dr. Ira Helfand, a steering committee member of the 'Back from the Brink' campaign, discusses the threat nuclear warfare poses to humanity and how the public can help mitigate it. He is calling on the U.S. to implement policies to le...

Interview with Steven A. Cash, executive director of The Steady State, whose members are former senior national security officials drawn from across the intelligence, diplomatic, homeland security and defense communities. Steven Cash, who formerly served as senior advisor to the undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence & Analysis, talks about his group’s “...

Interview with Steve Phillips, host of the podcast “Democracy in Color" and founder of the political media organization Democracy in Color, conducted by Scott Harris. Steve Phillips discusses his views on the important issues being decided in the Louisiana v. Callais case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, which could eliminate the remaining protections in the Voting Rights Act — and the battle ah...

Interview with Phyllis Bennis, director of the Institute for Policy Studies’ New Internationalism Project, conducted by Scott Harris Phyllis Bennis shares her views on the Gaza ceasefire agreement and its many shortcomings, including the lack of specificity on a number of key issues such as who will govern Gaza and when will Israeli forces fully withdraw? But most important, how can reconstruction...

WPKN's live interviews from the streets of Middletown, Hartford, Bethel and Stamford in CT; East Hampton, Long Island; and New York City. conducted by Mike Merli, Tyler Nelson, Michael Zweig, Francesca Rheannon, Scott Harris and Caroline Bortoretto. Hosted and with commentary by Richard Hill, John Lugo, Roberto and Alexandro.

Interview with Bryce Lockwood, 85-year-old retired U.S. Marine who was aboard the USS Liberty, conducted by Melinda Tuhus. Lockwood was one of three Marine Corps linguists aboard the ship and was seriously burned when a torpedo exploded. He was awarded a Purple Heart and also a Silver Star for rescuing three sailors trapped in flooded ship compartments. Altogether, 34 were killed and 174 wounded....