The Nicole Sandler Show

There is no such thing as a slow news day any more. With so much happening, we'll just hone in on two stories today. And they both deal with disaster, though of different varieties. Hurricane Ian - huge disaster. Here in Florida, where I live, the damage and despair is everywhere, even in the safe pocket in the southeastern section that probably the safest place to be in the whole state. Today, I think everyone here is feeling incredibly lucky. In fact, we should all go out and buy lottery tickets. But the reality is, we're far from lucky. The losses will be enormous, in both lives and treasure. And good luck if you hope to ever be able to purchase homeowners insurance in Florida again. Today, I'll speak with Daily Kos' senior staff writer April Siese who wrote today, "We need to drastically rethink what recovery looks like as the climate crisis worsens." But we'll start the show with our friend Lisa Graves, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General under AGs Janet Reno and John Ashcroft (in the Clinton and W administrations), now founder/ editor at True North Research. Lisa is my go-to expert on all legal/justice issues, and boy do we have a doozy! 'Judge' Aileen Cannon was appointed by Trump; Trump hand-picked her to do his bidding regarding the cache of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago. Her first rulings dealing with the special master were overturned on appeal, but she gave Trump cover again on Thursday with a ruling that even this non-attorney can tell you was grade a bullshit. I'll ask Lisa about this latest head-scratcher. And of course, we'll talk about the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas being an election denier and doubling down on that sentiment yesterday when she answered questions from the House Select Committee investigating January 6.

A bit of what's news, for now

This has been a hell of a week, and it's not over yet. It's Thursday, so Howie Klein of Down With Tyranny and the Blue America PAC is here. We talk politics, and I've saved a few political ads from this season that I think are worthy of discussion, so we'll do that. And as much as I'd like it to be over, Hurricane Ian is still drowning Florida. We'll have the latest on the storm that just won't leave...

A bit of what's news, for now

Lucky is not a word I'd usually use to describe my situation, but this time, I'll make an exception. I'm very lucky not to be in the direct line of Hurricane Ian. The photo on today's show card is of the guy who became a South FL superstar during Hurricane Andrew. Most who experienced that storm first-hand credit Bryan Norcross for getting them through that terrifying night, myself included. That's why that picture of Norcross' coverage of Ian is so shocking... Today, I was prepared for the Jan 6 committee hearing, which was canceled thanks to the storm. So I'll share some things I've been holding on to for lack of time. Today, we have time. So we'll hear Merrick Garland's speech to a group of the US's newest citizens, we'll try to figure out why anyone would vote for Herschel Walker, and further make a dent in the file of sound and video I've been compiling but haven't had time to play. And yes,. the phone lines are open, especially if you're riding the storm out.. 954-889-6410

A bit of what's news for now

That was a question posted in the YouTube chat today. Since I've been through both a major hurricane (Andrew in 1992) and earthquake (Northridge 1994), I'm an expert, and gave my well thought out and long-winded answer... Yes, it's raining hard and the wind is blowing, but where I live in Broward County, FL, we're outside of the ring of uncertainty. That's something you learn about at an early age here in Floriduh. Prepared as we can be, we sit like ducks waiting for the storm to hit. Actually, we wait for days, willing the winds to shift ever so slightly, steering the beast away from where we are. It worked for me this time. The storm track moved further and further to the west, so it will slide up Florida's west coast and make landfall around Tampa. Certainly not good for them, but just what the doctor ordered for Miami/Ft. Lauderdale. But we're still getting outer bands and tomorrow has been called off. Well, not the whole day, just the Jan 6 hearing that we were ready for... Damn. But the optics. I get it. So today, we'll talk... Phones are open for anything you'd like to discuss. And I have some clips to share and stories to tell... Showtime 5ET/2PT

A bit of what's news, for now

It's one of the banes of my existence! And I'm not living completely on the creative side of the line. But living life as a creative artist in a capitalistic society is akin to constantly swimming upstream during a tidal wave. Well, it often feels that way. Consumers are ingesting content more than ever, but the artists aren't reaping the benefits. A few behemoths who've swallowed up other producers along the way are living quite large, while the struggling artist just struggles harder. For those of us who thought the rise of the internet would give everyone an even chance to be seen and heard, the opposite seems to have triumphed and the giant companies are rolling in the riches. Today I'm joined by activist, author and defender of artists rights Cory Doctorow. He's joined by his co-authoor of the new book, "Checkpoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back," Rebecca Giblin.

A bit of what's news, for now