Media Cyphers Kalamazoo

Welcome to the Terrordome- Trump Returns, Nothing Will Fundamentally Change- The Biden Years, and More

We look at an article from TruthOut that examines the auspicious timing of Trump being inaugurated on MLK Day- and what lessons we can take from the later King, the democratic socialist spiritual leader engaged in class struggle, in the dark days ahead.

 

We look at an article from LeftVoice laying out the internal contradictions of the incoming administration and the potential for organizers to take those weaknesses to their advantage.

 

An article from The Nation lays out how mainstream media is bending the knee to Trump, and we're then joined by our co-host Lawrence to discuss the inauguration, Day One of his presidency, and the legacy of the Biden administration.

 

02:40- 22:30 MLK's Legacy and Class Struggle Under Trump 2.0

 

24:20- 36:10 Capitalist In-Fighting in the Trump Administration

 

36:20- 42:30 The Capitalist Media Capitulates to Trump

 

45:00- 1:18:00 Welcome to the Terrordome, Trump's Inauguration and Day 1

 

1:18:10- 1:37:30 Nothing Will Fundamentally Change: Parting Thoughts on the Biden Years

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

 

MLK’s Legacy Is One of Class Struggle. To Fight Trump, We Must Carry His Torch.
https://truthout.org/articles/mlks-legacy-is-one-of-class-struggle-to-fight-trump-we-must-carry-his-torch/

 

Trump Has No Mandate and His Incoming Administration Is Full of Contradictions
https://www.leftvoice.org/trump-has-no-mandate-and-his-incoming-administration-is-full-of-contradictions/

 

The Media Is Giving Away Its Rights Even Before Trump Tries to Take Them
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/media-capitulation-to-trump/

 

Kamala Harris Paid the Price for Not Breaking With Biden on Gaza, New Poll Shows
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/kamala-harris-gaza-israel-biden-election-poll

 

Hatebook, Disaster Movie in LA, LGBTQ+ Rights, and More

We begin our show looking at how climate change is shortening Michigan winters and creating problems for farmers in the mitten.

 

A bi-partisan bill is going through congress that would make it easier for the federal government to kidnap immigrants.

 

We spend a good chunk of the show looking at Zuckerberg's turn towards the Trump administration in its content guidelines and moderation. When the chips are down capitalists will pursue the path of least resistance and Meta was all to willing to cede social ground to an overtly bigoted administration to protect their bottom line.

 

We look at the disaster in LA- some of the misinformation and narratives from the media and how the city's Democratic mayor robbed Peter (cut funding to the LAFD) to pay Paul (increase funding to the LAPD).

 

We close with some stories about the ongoing assault on LGBTQ+ rights- both from social media corporations in the U.S. and the government.

 

02:15- 9:00 Climate Change in Michigan- Less Freezing Days, Tumultuous Fruit Harvests

 

9:35- 17:40 Bipartisan Anti-Immigrant Bill Going Thru Congress

 

17:50- 42:00 "Hatebook"- Zuckerberg's Heel Turn Towards Unleashing Bigotry and Misinformation in Pursuit of the Bottom Line

 

42:30- 57:45 A Disaster Movie- LA Wildfires, Misinformation, Climate Capitalism, and the Police State

 

59:00- 1:10:30 Updates on the Assault on LGBTQ+ Rights

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

Study: Climate change means fewer freezing winter days in Michigan
https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/study-climate-change-means-fewer-freezing-winter-days-michigan

 

48 Democrats Vote for a Racist Law to Detain More Immigrants and Empower the Right
https://www.leftvoice.org/48-democrats-vote-for-a-racist-law-to-detain-more-immigrants-and-empower-the-right

 

Meta’s Allowance of Hate Speech Is Another Side Effect of Big Tech Monopoly
https://truthout.org/articles/metas-allowance-of-hate-speech-is-another-side-effect-of-big-tech-monopoly

 

Zuckerberg Goes “Full MAGA” as Meta Ends Fact-Checking in U.S. & Paves Way for More Hate Speech
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/1/9/meta_fact_checking_changes_trump_2025

 

Mark Zuckerberg Just Made His Trump Loyalty Pledge
https://www.readtpa.com/p/mark-zuckerberg-just-made-his-trump

 

LA Budgeted Money For Cop Jobs While Cutting Fire Department Positions. Now the City Is Burning. 
https://theintercept.com/2025/01/08/la-police-budget-palisades-fires/

 

Instagram blocked teens from searching LGBTQ-related content for months
https://www.usermag.co/p/instagram-blocked-teens-from-searching

 

Federal Court Rules In Favor of Forcibly Detransitioning Transgender Inmates In Florida
https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/federal-court-rules-in-favor-of-forcibly

 

The Media Cyphers Holiday Special 2024

The Media Cyphers crew along with some special guests take a look back at the year that was- the triumphs, the failures, and the B.S.

 

But You Ain't Heard This
A Community Teach-In at the Edison Neighborhood Association
Tuesday, January 7th @ 6PM
https://www.facebook.com/share/1KstsjFXh1/

UnitedHealthcare CEO Got Got, U of M Backtracking on DEI, and More

Me and Lawrence open with some quick hits about legislation grassroots organizers are pushing Democrats in Lansing to pass during the lame duck session and Kendrick.

 

We spend most of the hour discussing the vigilante incident in New York- what the near universal celebration says about the state of the working class and class consciousness in the U.S., the media reaction, individual revenge killings vs. the "social murder" of the ruling class, and how the energy from this event should be channeled into mass action (i.e., medical debt strikes).

 

We discuss a report from Amnesty International calling what is occurring in Gaza a genocide, and look at how the University of Michigan is shying away from its commitments to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

 

We talk with Vine Neighborhood Association Executive Director Steve Walsh about Kalamazoo Public Schools' recently published intentions to relocate El Sol Elementary School and put up a parking lot. The sudden move has been met with backlash from neighborhood residents and brings up critical issues around local democracy, neighborhood planning, and the relationship between local residents and school administrators.

 

0:00- 14:00 Legislation in Lansing, Kendrick

 

14:00- 37:30 UnitedHealthcare CEO Got Got

 

37:30- 44:00 Amnesty International Declares IDF Committing Genocide

 

45:00- 54:50  U of M Dropping DEI in Hiring

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

No Lone Avenger Can Free Us: A Marxist Position on the CEO Shooting
https://www.leftvoice.org/marxist-position-on-the-ceo-shooting/

 

Amnesty International: Israel Is Committing Genocide in Gaza with Full U.S. Support
https://www.democracynow.org/2024/12/6/amnesty_genocide

 

Facing DEI scrutiny, University of Michigan abandons ‘diversity statements’ in hiring
https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/facing-dei-scrutiny-university-michigan-abandons-diversity-statements-hiring

 

El Sol Out of Vine? Interview w/ VNA Executive Director Steve Walsh

We talk with Vine Neighborhood Association Executive Director Steve Walsh about Kalamazoo Public Schools' recently published intentions to relocate El Sol Elementary School and put up a parking lot. The sudden move has been met with backlash from neighborhood residents and brings up critical issues around local democracy, neighborhood planning, and the relationship between local residents and school administrators.

 

Background Music by Quantum Fleek

House Passes Non-Profit Killer Bill, Netanyahu Has a Warrant, and More

On today's episode we begin with WMU's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine renewing their calls for ceasefire resolution regarding the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

 

Lawrence joins us to discuss an alarming piece of legislation that just passed the house that would allow the Treasury Secretary to strip non-profit organizations of their status if they have ties to "terrorism" (i.e., condemning the genocide in Gaza).

 

We look at how Netanyahu has been issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court, and talk about the unhinged response of the U.S. in comparison to the rest of the world.

 

We discuss some local news before talking about the Trump administration's cabinet picks and plans, and what it bodes for the working class. We close with an article from The Nation discussing the history of mass deportation plans in the U.S.

 

4:40- 7:00 WMU SJP Pushes for Ceasefire Resolution

 

10:40- 26:20 House Passes Bill that Would Could Weaponize "Terrorism" to Strip Non-Profits of Their Status

 

27:10- 36:00 WANTED: Netanyahu for Genocide, and the U.S. Gov't as Accomplice

 

36:40- 38:50 Nancy King and the COPE Network

 

38:50- 43:00 Attendance Up in Kzoo Public Schools After High Absence Rates

 

43:30- 1:06:00 Donald Trump's Bait and Switch with the Working Class

 

1:06:20- 1:14:00 America's Sad History of Mass Deportations

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

WMU SJP Calls for WMU Board of Trustees to Pass Ceasefire Resolution
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10225433411574444&set=pcb.10225433411774449

 

The House Just Blessed Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook by Passing Nonprofit-Killer Bill 
https://theintercept.com/2024/11/21/gop-house-trump-nonprofit-authoritarian/

 

US threats against the International Criminal Court and the normalization of genocide 
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/11/23/ljkh-n23.html

 

How grieving survivors help shape Michigan drug policy
https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-health-watch/how-grieving-survivors-help-shape-michigan-drug-policy

 

After 2 years of poor attendance, Kalamazoo schools sees positive signs
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2024/11/after-2-years-of-poor-attendance-kalamazoo-schools-sees-positive-signs.html

 

Trump’s Labor Pick Is a Cynical Ploy to Divide the Labor Movement
https://www.leftvoice.org/trumps-labor-pick-is-a-cynical-ploy-to-divide-the-labor-movement/

 

Trump Is Poised to Dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
https://truthout.org/articles/trump-is-poised-to-dismantle-the-consumer-financial-protection-bureau/

 

America Has Done Mass Deportation Before
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/trump-mass-deportation-history/

 

Lame Duck Democrats, Trump's "Cabinet of Horrors," and More

We start our show by highlighting some critical analysis from WMU students about the state of the Democratic Party and how the university is responding to the genocide in Gaza.

 

We then spend the next half hour looking at several pieces of legislation that grassroots organizers are pushing the Democrats in Lansing to pass before they lose their "trifecta" in 2025- including housing rights, criminal justice reform, and defending libraries from censorship and book bans.

 

We briefly touch on an article from Common Dreams about campus surveillance, then are joined by co-host Lawrence to discuss Trump's "Cabinet of Horrors"- a brain-wormed oligarch may be making our health care decisions, an alleged pedophile may be the attorney general, and so on and so forth.

 

02:00- 12:30 WMU College Dems on the Democratic Party's 2024 Failure

 

12:30- 18:30 WMU Students for Justice in Palestine Response to Campus Event

 

19:20- 27:40 Kalamazoo City Commission Limiting Citizen's Comments at Meetings

 

28:20- 53:00 Lansing Democrats and Lame Duck Legislation- Will They Prove They're Not Useless?

 

53:30- 1:02:20 The College Campus and the Surveillance State

 

1:07:00- 1:38:00 Trump's "Cabinet of Horrors"

 

1:38:15- 1:41:00 Dem Establishment Blames "Woke" for Their Election Loss

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

 

WMU College Democrats on 2024 Election Results
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=994093916096514&set=pcb.994093929429846

 

WMU Students for Justice in Palestine Responds to "Moral Courage for Messy Times" We Talk Event
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mwi1XBvU165f7o5Tl8QpkejaVKPAai-p/view

 

Demand that the city commission reinstate call-in public comments and policy 10​.​1
https://www.change.org/p/demand-that-the-city-commission-reinstate-call-in-public-comments-and-policy-10-1?signed=true

 

Dems eye cash bail, ‘second look’ criminal justice reforms in Michigan lame-duck
https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/dems-eye-cash-bail-second-look-criminal-justice-reforms-michigan-lame-duck

 

Housing advocates march to Michigan Capitol, demand lawmakers ‘show the people you’re not useless’
https://michiganadvance.com/2024/11/14/housing-advocates-march-to-michigan-capitol-demand-lawmakers-show-the-people-youre-not-useless/

 

Demand Dems Use Last Chance to Deliver for Working-Class Michiganders 
https://secure.everyaction.com/8ClHO4CLNECn82bzgOHWxw2

 

Democratic bills aim to rein in library book challenges in Michigan
https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/democratic-bills-aim-rein-library-book-challenges-michigan

 

The Fight Against Fascism Starts on Campus 
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/fight-fascism-on-campus

 

Trump selects anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head Dept. of Health and Human Services
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/11/15/aked-n15.html

 

Trump Begins Appointing Cabinet of Strikebreakers and Warmongers
https://www.leftvoice.org/trump-begins-appointing-cabinet-of-strikebreakers-and-warmongers

 

Election 2024 Post-Mortem OR Ah S--t, Here We Go Again

Andy begins the show by breaking down local elections and what it says about the state of Kalamazoo's working class.

 

We talk about the implications of Republicans taking the house in Lansing and how the extremists in Ottawa County had less Impact this election.

 

We are then joined by co-hosts Lawrence and Norah with an in-depth post-mortem of the 2024 election- the death of neoliberalism, media nonsense laying the blame on progressives, and more. We also offer insight and strategize as the second Trump administration emerges on the horizon and discuss how organizers can prepare.

 

We close the show doing some media deciphering on the recent football riots in Amsterdam, and talk briefly about Trump's support among young men.

 

0:00- 26:30 Local Election Discussion

 

26:30- 1:38:00 2024 Election Post-Mortem 

 

1:39:00- 1:50:00 Media Propaganda in Amsterdam: Anti- Semitic "Pogrom" or Fascist Football Hooliganism?

 

1:50:00- 2:00:00 All The Young Dudes- Misogyny, Elections, and the Andrew Taint Problem

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

 

Kalamazoo County Election Results
https://app.enhancedvoting.com/results/public/kalamazoo-county-mi/elections/November52024General

 

In Michigan House, time for Democrats is running out. What to expect
https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/michigan-house-time-democrats-running-out-what-expect

 

‘I’m not worried’: Ottawa Impact leader speaks out after losing board majority
https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2024/11/im-not-worried-ottawa-impact-leader-speaks-out-after-losing-board-majority.html

 

Why did Democrats Lose in 2024?
https://thedemocratist.substack.com/p/why-did-democrats-lose-in-2024

 

Despite Red Wave, Election Brought Some Victories for Economic Equality
https://truthout.org/articles/despite-red-wave-election-brought-some-victories-for-economic-equality/

 

The Democrats Couldn’t Beat Trump with Hot Air and Coconut Trees — An Organized Working Class Can
https://www.leftvoice.org/the-democrats-couldnt-beat-trump-with-hot-air-and-coconut-trees-an-organized-working-class-can/

 

“Open Celebration of the Oligarchy”: Both Dems & GOP Sucked Up to Billionaires in 2024 Election
https://www.democracynow.org/2024/11/8/david_sirota_billionaires_election_2024_trump

 

Democrats Abandoned the Working Class: Robin D.G. Kelley on Trump’s Win & Need for Class Solidarity
https://www.democracynow.org/2024/11/7/robin_dg_kelley

 

CNN Panelists Say Harris Didn’t Back Israel Enough — as She Funds Its Genocide
https://truthout.org/articles/cnn-panelists-say-harris-didnt-back-israel-enough-as-she-funds-its-genocide

 

Steps For Transgender People Preparing For Federal Crackdowns Under Trump
https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/steps-for-transgender-people-preparing

 

Time to prepare
https://www.jphilll.com/p/time-to-prepare

 

Mouin Rabbani on What Really Happened in Amsterdam Between Israeli Soccer Fans & Local Residents
https://www.democracynow.org/2024/11/11/netherlands_riots

 

Election Nite 2024: Armageddon? It's Been in Effect...

Come get a late pass.

 

The Media Cyphers team is joined by several special guests including Socialist Party USA presidential candidate William Stodden and their running mate Stephanie Cholensky, Michigan organizer Liano Sharon, and more.

 

We try to elevate our election night coverage above the typical horserace stuff on mainstream media, talking about the failures that paved the way for the result and how the working class should organize in the face of what is to come.

 

We talk about the power of people's organizing and the importance of exercising our sense of collective hope in these dark times.

Rest in Power Mom, October 7th, and More

We begin our show with some words on grief, bereavement capitalism, and how Andy's mom laid out the foundation for us calling out the BS week after week.

 

The WMU AAUP has reached an agreement with the university after weeks of tenacious organizing, and we look at an article from LeftVoice about the increasingly authoritarian tenor from the University of Michigan administration.

 

We spend most of the rest of the show discussing the anniversary of October 7th, a year of genocidal carnage, the innate biases of western media, and what the complicity of the U.S. empire in recent escalations.

 

We close with an article linking climate change with the monstrous Hurricane Milton.

 

0:30- 11:10 Rest in Power Mom

 

12:18- 17:20 WMU AAUP Reaches Agreement with University

 

18:20- 24:50 University of Michigan Clamping Down on Student Dissent

 

25:40- 1:07:00 October 7th

 

1:08:00- 1:12:00 Hurricane Milton and Climate Change

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

 

WMU-AAUP reaches Tentative Agreement in negotiations
https://thewmuaaup.com/2024/10/03/wmu-aaup-reaches-tentative-agreement-in-negotiations/

 

University of Michigan Moves to Eliminate Due Process for Students
https://www.leftvoice.org/university-of-michigan-moves-to-eliminate-due-process-for-students/

 

A Single Day of Genocide Would Be Too Much. What Then When It Lasts a Year?
https://truthout.org/articles/a-single-day-of-genocide-would-be-too-much-what-then-when-it-lasts-a-year

 

U.S. Media’s Doublespeak: Israelis Live in “Densely Populated Areas,” Palestinians Are “Human Shields” 
https://theintercept.com/2024/10/04/israel-human-shields-hypocrisy

 

Biden Allowing Israel to March US Into War With Iran 
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/biden-israel-war-with-iran

 

Ocean Heat Fueling Hurricane Milton Was Made Up to 800 Times More Likely by Climate Crisis 
https://www.commondreams.org/news/hurricane-milton-climate