WPKN: Politics, Policy, and Planet Podcast

Interview with Mark Colville, longtime social justice activist and leader of New Haven CT's Amistad Catholic Worker House, and a Yale student who wishes to remain anonymous, conducted by Scott HarrisMark Colville discusses Yale University administrator’s decision to revoke Yalies4Palestine university club status, the larger issues of freedom of speech on campus, the illegitimate conflation of any criticism of Israel with antisemitism, and the Trump administration’s attack on colleges and university federal funding to suppress dissent and academic freedom.

Interview with Craig Mokhiber, an international human rights lawyer and former director of the New York Office of the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, conducted by Scott Harris.Craig Mokhiber discusses Israel’s blockade of food supplies to Gaza, starving 2.3 million Palestinians, the recent International Court of Justice hearings on Israel’s attack on and interference with UNRWA and other UN agencies in Palestine — as well as the long-term impact of Israel and the U.S. government’s undermining of international law and the impact on future conflicts around the world.Mokhiber is an international human rights lawyer and former director of the New York Office of the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights who resigned in protest in 2023 because of the unfolding genocide in Gaza and the UN’s failures.

Interview with Ralph Nader, America’s best-known and most effective public interest lawyer, ran for president four times with the Green Party and as an independent, conducted by Scott Harris.Ralph Nader talks about the current constitutional crisis under the Trump regime, and his new book, “Civic Self-Respect,” a handbook on democracy and how citizens are empowered by their several roles, not only as voters but through other roles: such as workers, parent, and veteran.

Greenport, New York's native Candace Hall talks about being Greenport’s Village Clerk along with some candid personal revelations: the complexities of being part of a large family in a small town, being the first young black woman to achieve community prominence and the psychological importance to her of black representation. (WPKN May 7, 2025)

Interview with Gareth Gore, a London-based investigative journalist and editor, conducted by Scott Harris.Gareth Gore talks about his new book, “Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church. He discusses the late Pope Francis’ views on Opus Dei, the conservative personal prelature within the Catholic Church, and the coming college of cardinals vote for his successor, as well as the rising influence of the political right-wing inside the U.S. Catholic Church.

Interview with Kevin Martin, executive director of Peace Action, the country’s largest grassroots peace and disarmament organization, conducted by Scott Harris.Kevin Martin talks about his article, “Trump, the Peace President? More Likely the Proliferation President,” assessing the Trump regime’s foreign policy on Iran’s nuclear program, the Ukraine war, Israel’s ongoing slaughter of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and nuclear disarmament.

Interview with Dulce Guzmán, executive director of Alianza Americas, conducted by Scott Harris.Dulce Guzmán discusses her group’s concerns about the arrest of Milwaukee County Judge Hanna Dugan over allegations she obstructed justice after directing a migrant out of her courtroom as federal agents waited to arrest him. She also addresses the Trump regime’s continued defiance of federal and Supreme Court orders while hundreds of people are being deported without due process, some to a brutal prison in El Salvador.

Interview with Melvin Goodman, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, professor of government at Johns Hopkins University, a former CIA analyst and author, conducted by Scott Harris.Mel Goodman talks about his recent article, “The Meltdown of the United States,” where he observes, “The executive branch has taken on powers that are usually associated with wartime requirements. The legislative branch has been neutralized because of the near total abdication of the Republican party. And the judicial system is facing an unprecedented challenge from a president and vice president who have no respect for our courts and our judges.”

Interview with Sam Rosenthal, political director of RootsAction.org, conducted by Scott Harris.Sam Rosenthal discusses his group and Progressive Democrats for America’s petition calling for the Democratic National Committee to convene an emergency meeting, declaring that “business as usual must give way to truly bold action that mobilizes against the autocracy that Donald Trump, Elon Musk and their cronies are further entrenching every day.” He also talks about what actions petitioners are asking the Democratic party to take in response to the current constitutional crisis.

Interview with Ari Paul, a New York City-based journalist and lecturer at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, conducted by Scott Harris.Ari Paul discusses his recent article, “Failing to Rise to the Constitutional Crisis,” about the deficiencies of corporate media’s coverage of the Trump regime’s authoritarian coup, and the growing importance of independent, non-commercial progressive media outlets, conducted by Scott Harris.  Ari Paul has covered politics and labor for the Nation, the Guardian, Dissent, Al Jazeera, and the Forward.