Media Cyphers Kalamazoo

Ep. 57: Rest in Power Deandre Jones, State of the Union, Super Tuesday, Gaza, Dune, and More

We begin our show by paying tribute to Deandre Jones, a young man who passed at the tragic age of 33 after spending the last few years of his life taking Graphic Packaging to task for their pollution of the Northside neighborhood. 

 

In separate portions of the show, we give updates about the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Andy and Lawrence talk about the political calculus around Biden's rhetoric and actions, and talk about the rogue's gallery of war criminals and imperial managers who are positioning themselves to manage Gaza after the conflict.

 

Lawrence and Andy break down the State of the Union- the good, the bad, and the ugly. We focus on how progressives have secured some concessions, his kiss goodnight to neoliberalism (at least, rhetorically), and some critical fact-checking about the anti-immigrant sentiment being thrown around. We also discuss the GOP's boggling response.

 

Norah and Andy break down Super Tuesday, from the mass outpouring for "Uncommitted" and how the media covered it, to some down-ballot victories around the country. We then look at some more updates out of Gaza- from the NYT's sloppy reporting around October 7th to the torturing of UN employees to get false confessions about ties to Hamas. Norah then speaks about Aaron Bushnell, and a compelling report about their gender identity.

 

Media Cyphers then goes to the movie and talk about "Dune" as a neocolonial allegory, how reactionaries are missing the point, and how the movie brings it closer to Frank Herbert's anarchist-leaning message against charismatic leaders.

 

We do some quick hits and updates and trans rights, and close with another short discussion on the National Guard being tapped to patrol the NYC subways.

 

00:40- 10:15 Rest in Power Deandre Jones, Northside Activist Who Fought For Clean Air

 

10:50- 26:00 Gaza Updates Pt. 1

 

26:00- 58:00 State of the Union

 

58:00- 1:01:40 Lawrence on National Guard in the NYC Subway

 

1:02:48- 1:22:30 Super Tuesday

 

1:22:30- 1:35:25 Gaza Updates Pt. 2

 

1:35:25- 1:45:11 The Spice Must Flow: Dune as Anti-Colonial Allegory

 

1:45:11- 1:50:50 Trans Rights Update, Quick Hits

 

1:50:50- 1:55:00 Norah on National Guard in NYC Subway

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

 

Man with asthma, who fought for clean air in Kalamazoo, dies at 33
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2024/03/man-with-asthma-who-fought-for-clean-air-in-kalamazoo-dies-at-33

 

“Between the Hammer and the Anvil” The Story Behind the New York Times October 7 Exposé
https://theintercept.com/2024/02/28/new-york-times-anat-schwartz-october-7/

 

UN agency accuses Israel of detaining, coercing staffers into false confessions about ties to Hamas 
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/04/middleeast/un-israel-confessions-allegations-intl/index.html

 

Task Force That Includes Iraq War Architects Unveils Post-War Plan for Gaza
https://truthout.org/articles/task-force-that-includes-iraq-war-architects-unveils-post-war-plan-for-gaza/

 

The National Guard is in the subway — now what?
https://www.jphilll.com/p/the-national-guard-is-in-the-subway

 

Guilty: U.S.-Backed Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández Convicted of Drug Trafficking
https://www.democracynow.org/2024/3/11/juan_orlando_hernandez

 

Ep. 56: Rest in Power Aaron Bushnell, Voting "Uncommitted" in Michigan, and More

We open our show with the breaking news on Aaron Bushnell's extreme and fatal act of protest against the genocide in Gaza. Aaron, a U.S. Air Force veteran, set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy. We talk about the historical context of self- immolation as a protest tactic, the thoroughly American response by law enforcement, and how the corporate media has shamefully attempted to dismiss and downplay Aaron's actions with allusions to mental illness and suicide prevention. As Aaron said, "This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal."

 

We are then joined by Norah to talk about a people's win in Chicago and a historic rebuke in Wisconsin against gerrymandering. In more disturbing news, the onslaught against queer rights continues- from Dex Benedict, a non-binary teenager in Oklahoma, being beaten to death in a high school bathroom to the continued 'machine gun' pace of anti-trans legislation across the country and the west more broadly.

 

We close with a discussion on Alexei Navalny. The media have been quick to canonize Navalny as a principled critic of Putin who was (likely) assassinated. We ask, whose saint is this? Navalny held ethno-nationalist views and palled around with Neo-Nazis. We ask why the media has buried his toxic views while ignoring principled left-wing critics of Putin's regime.

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

After Setting Himself on Fire, US Airman Aaron Bushnell Dies Declaring 'Free Palestine' 
https://www.commondreams.org/news/aaron-bushnell

 

Mayor Johnson, City Of Chicago Sues Oil And Gas Companies For Climate Deception
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases/2024/february/---mayor-johnson--city-of-chicago-sues-oil-and-gas-companies-for.html

 

Michigan’s “Uncommitted” Campaign Is Challenging Biden. It Could Also Save Him.
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/michigan-uncommitted-biden-gaza-democrats/

 

Wisconsin’s extreme gerrymandering era ends as new maps come into force
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/25/wisconsin-new-voting-maps-gerrymandering-republicans-democrats

 

Alexei Navalny Was Ultra-Right Nationalist Who Compared Muslims to Cockroaches
https://medium.com/@matthew.puddister/alexei-navalny-was-an-ultra-right-nationalist-who-compared-muslims-to-cockroaches-1864e0cda000

 

Socialists Get Sh*t Done- Interview w/ Euan Simpson from SWMI DSA on Public Bathrooms in Kzoo

We talk with local organizer Euan from the Southwest Michigan Democratic Socialists of America to talk about their successful campaign to lobby the city to build more public restrooms downtown.

 

In 2019, several candidates- including those who would go on to win that election- pledged to install public bathrooms downtown. After a single unit was installed in 2020, it seemed that the push for public bathrooms was all but flushed down the toilet. Local organizers took up the issue and pushed the city to follow through with additional bathrooms.

 

We talk about why and how SWMI DSA took up the charge, some of the controversies surrounding their campaign, and how their efforts bore fruit.

 

https://swmidsa.com/

 

Ep. 55: Larry Bell Urges Heavier Policing of the Houseless, MSP's Systemic Racism, and More

Andy and Lawrence discuss some critical local issues. Larry Bell cajoles the city to more strictly enforce trespassing by the houseless, Michigan State Police give us a textbook example of systemic racism, and we spend some time talking about the Grammys.

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

‘Fed up’: Brewery founder wants Kalamazoo city manager fired over homeless issue

https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2024/01/fed-up-brewery-founder-wants-kalamazoo-city-manager-fired-over-homeless-issue.html

 

Study: ‘Informal quota’ fuels racial disparity of Michigan State Police stops

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/study-informal-quota-fuels-racial-disparity-michigan-state-police-stops

 

Fund Housing Not Festivals- Interview w/ Local Organizers on COVID Relief Funds and the Arcadia Festival Site

We are joined by local organizers with We The People Michigan Tristen and K to discuss a plan by the City of Kalamazoo to use ARPA (American Rescue Plan) funds- originally allocated for COVID-19 relief- to fund a project to renovate and "secure" the Arcadia Creek Festival Site.

 

We talk with them about why they feel relief funds should be used differently, the actual plan that would involve selling off part of the park to private developers, and how this speaks to larger issues of gentrification and the use of public space.

 

https://wethepeoplemi.org/

 

Fund Housing Not Festivals

Rallying Outside Kalamazoo City Hall

Monday, February 19th @ 6:00PM

https://fb.me/e/58LWqTi2l

 

Ep. 54: The Fascist Crisis at the Border, Trans Rights, Gaza, and Other Stories

On today's show we provide some updates on the ongoing legislative assault on trans people across the country. Maine walks back legislation that would've made them a sanctuary state for trans folks, and a recent expose reveals leaked audio from Michigan and other lawmakers about their endgame to ban trans people entirely.

We provide a quick update on the recent COVID-19 surge then spend much of the hour providing updates on the genocide in Gaza. The International Court of Justice orders Israel to desist in active genocide, but falls short of calling for a ceasefire. At home college protestors are being assaulted with chemical weapons, congress votes to condemn the ICJ, and Nancy Pelosi speculates that the national campaign for a ceasefire comes from the Kremlin.

We then look at the fascist crisis on the border. Texas is defying a Supreme Court order to remove razor wire and more insidious torture traps from the border, and 25 states have indicated their support of Texas- up to and including calling for Civil War. We look at how the U.S. as a country got to this point and ask why the mainstream media barely covered this.

We close on a more light-hearted topic looking at the abject foolishness that is Tom MacDonald and Ben Shapiro's "rap song" "Facts."

 

01:00- 13:20 LGBTQ+ Rights Update

 

13:20- 17:00 COVID-19 Update

 

17:30- 1:06:40 Gaza Updates

 

1:06:40- 1:38:00 The Fascist Crisis on the Border

 

1:38:00- 1:48:00 A Hip-Hop Farce: Ben Shapiro and Tom MacDonald Drop Rhymes

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

 

Democrats Vote Down Trans Refuge Bill In Maine After Right-Wing Attacks
https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/democrats-vote-down-trans-refuge

 

Ohio, Michigan Republicans In Released Audio: "Endgame" Is To Ban Trans Care "For Everyone"
https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/ohio-michigan-republicans-in-released

 

International Court of Justice Orders Israel to Prevent Genocide in Gaza But Fails to Order Ceasefire
https://www.democracynow.org/2024/1/26/icj_provisional_ruling_israel_genocide_gaza

 

Columbia Scolds Students for “Unsanctioned” Gaza Rally Where They Were Attacked With Chemicals 
https://theintercept.com/2024/01/22/columbia-university-palestine-protest-skunk/

 

62 House Dems Join GOP in Condemning South Africa’s Genocide Case Against Israel
https://truthout.org/articles/62-house-dems-join-gop-in-condemning-south-africas-genocide-case-against-israel

 

The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World
By Antony Loewenstein
https://www.versobooks.com/products/2684-the-palestine-laboratory

 

Texas and fascist governors are defying the federal government
https://www.jphilll.com/p/were-seeing-a-quiet-constitutional

 

The Media Cyphers Holiday Special 2023

The Media Cyphers team and special guests Emily and Sable go over the year that was.

Ep.53: Minimum Wage in Michigan, Pro- Palestine Speech Under Fire on Campus, and More

In our final live episode of 2023 we look at how litigation may bear fruit for the working class in Michigan. Separate cases are working their way through the courts- one that could restore the bite of a ballot proposal on minimum wage that Michigan Republicans infamously defanged with their (at the time) majority in Lansing, and a suit that could have implication for wages of caregivers across the state.

 

We look at several stories about how Pro- Palestinian voices are under attack on campus, here in Michigan and around the country. We also spend some time with Media Cyphers co-host Lawrence breaking down mainstream media coverage of Gaza and the recent vote for a ceasefire at the U.N.

 

We talk about the fascist clown show that was the most recent Republican Party debate, and ask some probing questions about the opposition. With a Republican nominee likely to be an orange narcissist openly talking about making themselves a dictator, where will Biden and the Democrats stand after 4 years of broken promises and a compulsion to be authoritarian when it comes to restricting primaries and other challenges to their status quo?

 

3:00- 8:20 Local Palestine Solidarity Events

 

8:30- 16:00 Minimum Wage Increase Defanged by MI Republicans Goes to MI Supreme Court

 

16:00- 25:30 Lawsuit Could Mean a Pay Raise for Michigan Caregivers

 

27:30- 1:00:00 Pro- Palestine Speech Under Fire on Campus- Here in Michigan and Across the Country

 

1:00:00- 1:18:00 The Gaza Genocide, Mainstream Media, and the U.N.

 

1:18:00- 1:24:00 Brief Comments on Kissinger

 

1:24:00- 1:38:00 Dictator Trump and The Republican Debate Fiasco

 

1:38:00- 1:50:00 The Anti- Democracy in the Democratic Party

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

 

Michigan high court weighs case that would raise minimum wage for 305K workers
https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/michigan-high-court-weighs-case-would-raise-minimum-wage-305k-workers

 

Lawsuit could mean more pay for some Michigan caregivers, relief for families
https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-health-watch/lawsuit-could-mean-more-pay-some-michigan-caregivers-relief-families

 

Peter Beinart & Omer Bartov on UPenn President Resignation, Gaza & the Weaponization of Antisemitism
https://www.democracynow.org/2023/12/11/campus_antisemitism_and_resignations

 

University of Michigan Administration Caves to Zionist Pressure, Students Fight Back
https://www.leftvoice.org/university-of-michigan-administration-caves-to-zionist-pressure-students-fight-back/

 

Vetoing Gaza ceasefire resolution, Biden administration upholds genocide as state policy
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/12/11/heng-d11.html

 

Interview w/ Adam Danis of Fake Baseball on Their Benefit Album for The Kalamazoo River Watershed Council

Local music legend Adam Danis joins us to talk about a new benefit album they've put together with their band Fake Baseball and an all-star lineup of Michigan musicians. The album, "Cartoon Covers" is a compilation of nostalgic cover songs with the aim to raise money for the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council.

 

We have an in-depth conversation about the intersection of art and politics, the role area musicians should play in activism geared against environmentally destructive projects (e.g., Line 5, the Asylum Lake Car Wash), and the genesis of their delightful musical 'team-up' with groups like Katy Needs a Life, Jake Simmons & the Little Ghosts, Jes Kramer, and many more.

 

https://fakebaseballpresents.bandcamp.com/album/cartoon-covers-by-michigan-artists-a-benefit-for-the-kalamazoo-river-watershed-council

Ep. 52: From the Kalamazoo River to the Sea, and Local Election Post- Mortem

We open after our hiatus with some reflections on the siege of Gaza. In the weeks since we were last on-air, the situation has deteriorated immensely. That said, there may be a ray of hope in the unprecedented opposition to Israel's air war on Gaza- and even some mainstream media are starting to ask tough questions about the misery exacted on Palestinians.

 

We then pivot to a deep dive on the recent local elections. With a political win largely for the "liberal capitalist" status quo, we look at how working people in Kalamazoo did (and didn't) vote, and how this was an election defined more largely by ballot initiatives than candidates.

 

We then circle back to Gaza. We talk about how local groups like Kalamazoo Non-Violent Opponents of War are speaking truth to power. We also look at how Michigan politicians are reacting- from Attorney General Dana Nessel clouding the air on the true meaning of "from the river to the sea" to the censure of Michigan's own Rashida Tlaib.

 

Nationally, we look at how the Anti-Defamation League is trying to stick accusations of "anti-semitism" onto Jewish lead peace groups.

 

01:00- 16:00 Opening Thoughts on the Siege of Gaza

 

17:10- 53:00 Local Election Post- Mortem

 

53:45- 1:04:30 From the Kalamazoo River to the Sea- How Our City is Mobilizing Resistance

 

1:04:30- 1:15:00 Dana Nessel Throws Rashida Tlaib Under the Bus

 

1:15:00- 1:24:00 Rashida Tlaib Censured in Congress

 

1:24:00- 1:32:00 Anti-Defamation League Defames Jewish Voice for Peace

 

SOURCES/ FURTHER READING

 

Kalamazoo County Election Results
https://www.kalcounty.com/clerk/elections_voting/elections/results.php?election=2023-11-07#con1

 

Michigan AG urges Rep. Rashida Tlaib to refrain from language that could incite violence
https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/dana-nessel-urges-rashida-tlaib-refrain-from-language-that-could-incite-violence/

 

Rashida Tlaib Censure is an Attack on the Entire Movement for Palestine
https://www.leftvoice.org/rashida-tlaib-censure-is-an-attack-on-the-entire-movement-for-palestine/

 

Anti-Defamation League Maps Jewish Peace Rallies With Antisemitic Attacks 
https://theintercept.com/2023/11/11/palestine-israel-protests-ceasefire-antisemitic/