The Nicole Sandler Show

A bit of what's news for now

It's Thursday, so Howie Klein is here with tales of corrupt dark money being deployed against progressives, and who is supposedly coordinating the attacks. There's so much about which you need to be aware. So listen to Howie. But before he gets here, I have a few things to discuss with you. This nation's obsession with guns is sick, and people are dying. Back in 2013, after a few more of these horrific attacks including Sandy Hook where 20 first graders were massacred in their classroom, I knew that it was time for major action. Unfortunately, no one adopted the remedy I proposed. The only thing that the gun nuts like more than their weapons is money. Hit them in the pocketbook. I suggested other nations issue a travel advisory against the US, as it simply is not safe to walk down Main Street USA.... I've resurrected the idea many times over the nine years since. And finally, today, I see that Amnesty International picked up on my idea! I'll tell you about that and see if we can help promote it... tell the rest of the world, DO NOT TRAVEL TO THE USA. IT IS NOT SAFE HERE.

A bit of what's news for now

Welcome to Wise Women Wednesday! (It's also the first day of June, but there's no alliteration there!) Anyway, we have Heather "Digby" Parton live on my show this afternoon. And later tonight, I guest host the BradCast, where I'm joined by Marcy "Emptywheel" Wheeler. There's so much we could talk about and nothing is out of bounds, but we'll start with the Durham case, where a federal jury reached a not guilty verdict quickly and unequivocally. Actually, the timing is perfect. The House Select Committee on 1-6 public hearings begin a week from tomorrow. This is put up or shut up time... So listen to some wonderfully wise women on this Wednesday... (To hear Marcy Wheeler tonight, listen to my audio stream at 8pm ET at nicolesandlerstream.com or at progressivevoices.com, or find it posted at BradBlog.com)... I'll share it on this show later in the week too...

A bit of what's news for now

I don't often get to question military leaders, either current or former. My track record isn't great. Consider the last time I spoke with General Wesley Clark. It was June of 2014. I was guest hosting the Randi Rhodes Show, and ISIS was gaining ground in Iraq, and it looked like we were going back in. So I asked the logical questions, and his responses shocked me. I let him know. Needless to say, it didn't end well! (Hear it for yourself if you're interested (it's posted at https://nicolesandler.com/5-20-21/). Well, today, I try again. Not with General Clark, but with Admiral James Stavidris. I've seen him over the years on NBC and MSNBC, and he has a new book out, "To Risk It All: Nine Conflicts and the Crucible of Decision"...It's about making tough decisions while under fire, in the heat of the moment. I asked him about that with regards to the commander in charge of the school police in Uvalde, Texas, and the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. As he served for a while as NATO Supreme Commander, I asked about NATO, along with Ukraine and Russia. And I asked him about an issue that's been hanging out there since the start of the war in Iraq, about possible lack of transparency when former military appears on TV as military experts without disclosing who they're working for, usually in the military industrial complex... As usual, we'll begin with a look at all that's happened since we last spoke on Friday...

A bit of what's news for now

Monday is Memorial Day. It's the one day set aside each year to remember US military members killed in the line of duty. Certainly worthy of the recognition. But we have a growing number of dead citizens who are victims of gun violence. It's time to recognize that growing group of bodies, which we are powerless to stop. Actually, we're not powerless. Unfortunately the people who were elected to represent us in Congress are the ones who've ceded their power, mostly to big money interests. It's time to take it all back. Today, the latest on the devastating news out of Uvalde, Texas. The director of the Texas Division of Public Service answered questions from the press in a 40-minute long press conference, trying to clean up the mess from the last police presser. He answered questions, but his answers are wholly unacceptable. The officer in charge made the call not to attempt to enter the classroom where the shooter was still terrorizing the remaining children he hadn't yet murdered. Today, in advance of Memorial Day, I'll speak with Naveed Shah, political director of Common Defense, a progressive veterans group who you should know about. On Monday, I'll do a special Memorial Day music show on our audio streams only. Listen at nicolesandler.com/listen-live, on Progressive Voice (progressivevoices.com) or my standalone player at nicolesandlerstream.com.

A bit of what's news for now

Another Thursday is here, so Howie Klein of Down with Tyranny and the Blue America PAC is here. We'll update the latest on the still not called races we're following (Cisneros-Cuellar among them). We get a break from Tuesday primaries next week, as Monday is Memorial Day. So today, we welcome a friend of Howie's to join us .. journalist and author David de Jong, whose first book is out: "Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany's Wealthiest Dynasties". But we'll begin with the latest news from the horrific school shooting in Texas, where details are now surfacing about how the police responded or, more accurately, didn't respond. This escalates a horrific tragedy to an even worse dereliction of duty. Un fucking believable.