WPKN: Politics, Policy, and Planet Podcast

Luis Puig Bio: Born in 1965, and raised in La Habana, Cuba under communism, Mr. Luis Puig spent his first 15 years of life living in Castro’s Cuba. Mr. Puig had to live under the rules of that system, even having to be a communist Pionero (communist youth organization) like all the kids are forced to be there. His father served 12 years imprisonment as a political prisoner, and enemy of the state. Naturally this reflected on the family, and his son Luis.Upon released from prison in 1978 under a deal brokered by the then Carter Administration and the Castro regime, the family began the necessary paperwork to leave Cuba, and come to the United States. But just as they were almost ready to get on a plane and leave, the Peru embassy incident occurred in La Habana, and all exits were canceled. Faced with the uncertainty of (if) when they could leave, they took the only way out available at the time…. the infamous Mariel Boat-Lift. Crammed into a small fishing trawler, over loaded with over 150 souls onboard, the Puig family made the 14 hour trip from Cuba to Key West, battling on the way the waves and vomit.After arrival in the US with no money, no language skills, no property of any kind, the family began to rebuild their lives all over again. Mr. Puig completed High School, and after a trial at college decided to join the US Navy, where he served for over 20 years in the elite US Navy Submarine Force, stationed in various naval vessels including nuclear submarines.Today, Mr. Puig is married, and lived in Maryland with his family.

UE President Carl Rosen and economist and labor historian Michael Zweig discuss the Trump/Musk fascist coup and what role labor will play in forming alliances with the different silos on the Left and in leading an anti-fascist front.Hosted by Richard Hill

Interview with Greg Palast, Filmmaker and journalist and the author of several New York Times bestsellers including The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, conducted by Scott Harris.Greg Palast discusses his recent article, “Trump-Musk order will cost 21 million their vote,” re: Donald Trump’s March 25th executive order that restructures the way Americans can register to vote and when they can cast their ballots, an unlawful edict that will face legal challenges for encroaching on state powers outlined in the U.S. Constitution.

Interview with Nader Hashemi, director of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, and associate professor of Middle East and Islamic Politics at Georgetown University, conducted by Scott Harris.Nader Hashemi discusses the campus response to the ICE arrest and attempt to deport Georgetown Univ. researcher and instructor Badar Khan Suri, alleging he has “close connections” to a Hamas official — as well as similar arrests of a growing number of other international students across the U.S. He’ll also update our listeners on growing IDF, Jewish settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, and Israel’s breaking of the Gaza ceasefire and its resumption of its bloody war that’s already killed more than 50,000 Palestinians.

Interview with Sam Pizzigati, veteran labor journalist, Institute for Policy Studies associate fellow, co-editor of IPS' newsletter Inequality.org, and author, conducted by Scott Harris.Sam Pizzigati discusses his recent article, “Could Elon Musk Destroy Social Security as We Know It? — and issues related to the Trump-Musk attempt to sabotage Social Security’s reliability and smooth operation over 88 years, and the millions of Americans who are now angry and becoming active in resisting the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle the nation’s social safety net.

Interview with Tim Wise, one of the nation’s most prominent antiracist essayists and author of nine books, including his latest, "Dispatches from the Race War," conducted by Scott Harris.Tim Wise, whom scholar and philosopher Cornel West calls “a vanilla brother in the tradition of (abolitionist) John Brown,” assesses Trump and Trumpism since his inauguration on Jan. 20. He focuses on the twice-impeached convicted felon’s attempt to repeal civil rights law, the legalization of discrimination, and the effort to eradicate DEI in the federal government, while coercing states and universities also to eliminate DEI or lose federal funding. 

Interview with Barbara Fair, a licensed clinical social worker, social justice activist, organizer, and founding member of Stop Solitary CT, conducted by Scott Harris.Barbara Fair talks about a press conference on Tuesday, March 25 that demanded the release of a video related to the correction officer beating death of J’Allen Jones on the 7th anniversary of his death.

Interview with Aaron Regunberg, a contributing editor at The New Republic, senior climate policy counsel at Public Citizen and a steering committee member of the Pass the Torch, conducted by Scott Harris.Aaron Regunberg discusses his recent New Republic article, “Bernie Sanders Is Showing Democrats How It’s Done,” and the current debate about the need to replace the Democratic party’s leadership, i.e. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer after he voted to support the Republican House Continuing Budget Resolution, which cuts $13 billion in domestic spending while increasing defense spending by $6 billion.

Interview with Kayla Gogarty, research director with Media Matters for America, conducted by Scott Harris.Kayla Gogarty discusses her group’s recent study, “New analysis found 9 out of the 10 top online shows assessed are right leaning.” Ideas are being debated on how progressive activists, journalists and scholars can break through right-wing media domination to reach more Americans to counter dangerous Trump-GOP authoritarianism in defense of democracy and advocate for policy solutions to address our nation’s many problems and failings.

Interview with Christopher Wright Durocher, vice president for program and policy with the American Constitution Society, conducted by Scott Harris.Christopher Durocher assesses the threat to democracy posed by the Trump administration’s actions over the past eight weeks and offers thoughts on what it will take to mount an effective defense of the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law.