Democracy Now! Audio Democracy Now! 2026-01-21 Wednesday
Jan 21, 2026
Nakema Levy-Armstrong, a civil rights attorney and founder of the Racial Justice Network, speaks about confronting church leadership involved with ICE. Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International, discusses the alarming influence of billionaires over media narratives and global economic disparities. Michaud (Michelle) Gonzalez, a lead organizer from the New York State Nurses Association, shares firsthand accounts of the challenges nurses face amid staffing shortages and healthcare cuts, particularly during the pandemic's lasting effects.
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Church Confrontation Over Pastor's ICE Role
- Nakema Levy-Armstrong described entering a St. Paul church to confront Pastor David Easterwood about his ICE role during a service.
- She said parishioners were unaware of his dual role and organizers intentionally participated in the service to raise accountability.
Wealth Concentration Undermines Democracies
- Amitabh Behar argued billionaire wealth concentration fuels political power grabs and oligarchy risks.
- He linked billionaire control of media, AI, and politics to weakening democracies and worsening global inequality.
Billionaires' Gains vs. Global Poverty
- Oxfam's report found billionaires added $2.5 trillion in one year, enough to eradicate poverty many times over.
- Behar emphasized this surge while half the world lives in poverty and one in four goes hungry.