WPKN: Politics, Policy, and Planet Podcast

Interview with Sultana Hossain, recording secretary with the Amazon Labor Union, conducted by Scott Harris.Sultana Hossain discusses her union’s recent national holiday strike, the ongoing campaign pressuring Amazon to negotiate with the union to sign and implement fair contracts, and concern about the Trump administration’s declared hostility to labor rights, and the future of the U.S. labor movement.

Interview with Michael Richardson, an activist with the elder-focused group Third Act, conducted by Scott Harris.Michael Richardson talks about the real-world impact of the climate crisis we see now in the catastrophic fires in Los Angeles and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events across the globe. He assesses the incoming Trump administration’s plan to implement destructive climate policies and what our listeners can do to express their opposition effectively.

Interview with Ahmed Baba, a journalist and columnist at The Independent, conducted by Scott Harris.Ahmed Baba talks about his recent article, “How Zuckerberg’s Meta Policy Changes Empower Trump’s Disinfo Machine,” re: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Facebook will abandon professional third-party content moderation and fact-checking in favor of the user-generated “Community Notes” model Elon Musk uses.

Interview with Jonah Minkoff-Zern, Citizen Democracy Campaign co-director, conducted by Scott Harris. Jonah Minkoff-Zern talks about his group’s position on Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to pardon convicted Jan. 6 insurrectionists which were explained in their recent press release, “If Trump Pardons January 6 Insurrectionists, He Will Further Betray the American People.” He’ll also assess the consequences of this act for the rule of law and the signal it will send to right-wing domestic terrorists.

Michael Zweig, economist and labor historian, and John Nichols, National thAffairs Correspondent with the Nation Magazine, discuss the very fraught road ahead in age of governement by oligarch, but point toward strategies for push back and potential victories, both local and national.Panel:  Scott Harris, Richard Hill and Ruthanne Baumgartner

Michael Zweig, economist and labor historian, is joined by Steve Rosenthal, former political director with the AFL-CIO, for a conversation about how the draconian agenda of the incoming Trump administration may provide an opportunity for organized labor to make gains with working people and win electoral victories in 2026.Host:  Richard Hill

Interview with Mel Goodman, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, professor of government at Johns Hopkins University, an author, and a former CIA analyst, conducted by Scott Harris.Mel Goodman talks about his concern re: Donald Trump’s authoritarian rhetoric, and how he could use violent incidents/terrorist attacks (as we just witnessed in New Orleans and Las Vegas) as a pretext to invoke emergency powers to impose repressive measures targeting his critics, dissenters, and the press. He’ll also share his concerns regarding: Trump’s foreign policy in the Middle East/Iran, Russia/Ukraine/nuclear arms, and China/Taiwan.

Interview with Ken Bossong, executive director of the nonprofit Sun Day Campaign, conducted by Scott Harris.Ken Bossong discusses his year-end review of reports from FERC and EIA regarding the mix of renewable energy sources that now comprise 30 percent of total U.S. electrical generating capacity, and is on track to reach 37 percent by the end of 2027. He also addresses prospects for setbacks that may be ahead for renewal energy under President Trump who has declared climate change as a “hoax” and has pledged to repeal some of the Biden administration’s key renewable energy/climate change programs and funding.

Interview with David N. Gibbs, professor of history at the University of Arizona and author of Revolt of the Rich: How the Politics of the 1970s Widened America's Class Divide, conducted by Scott Harris.David Gibbs shares his views on late President Jimmy Carter’s legacy, both in economics and foreign policy, that many corporate media obituaries of the 39th U.S. president omit.

Interview with Sasha Abramsky, The Nation magazine's Western correspondent and author of Chaos Comes Calling: The Battle Against the Far-Right Takeover of Small-Town America, conducted by Scott Harris.Sasha Abramsky discusses his recent article, “Will Trump Weaponize the FCC to Crack Down on Media Outlets He Doesn’t Like?” and the alarming anticipatory obedience we see toward Trump from Jeff Bezos, Patrick Soon-Shiong, ABC News, Mark Zuckerberg, et al.  He is the author of The American Way of Poverty, The House of Twenty Thousand Books, Little Wonder: The Fabulous Story of Lottie Dod.