FLASHPOINTS

Norman Finkelstein - American Radical

BP oil smothers the shores of Louisiana’s coastline today, confirming people’s worst fears in this unprecedented oil spill that scientists say equals an Exxon Valdez-size spill every three days; we’ll speak to shrimper and local activist Kindra Arnesen; we’ll also hear from our special correspondent on the coast Larry Everest; we’ll have our regular weekly edition of Community Business with Catherine Austin Fitts, who will report on the devastating impact the Wall Street meltdown has had on Calpirg, the largest pension fund in the country; and we broadcast excerpts of American Radical, a documentary film about historian and scholar Norman Finkelstein.

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Guests:

Kindra Arnesen, shrimper and local activist

Larry Everest, historian and author

Catherine Austin Fitts, Solari Network

Norman Finkelstein and Lowkey

Norman Finkelstein talks about his new book, This Time, We Went Too Far: Truth and Consequences of the Gaza Invasion, in which he documents the 2008-2009 massacres by the Israeli military and sets forth possibilities for redemption as the world’s conscience galvanized in outrage; also, British-Iraqi hip hop artist Lowkey, who joins Finkelstein in his speaking event this week in Berkeley, discusses the powerful blending of hip hop and activism, we’ll also hear some of his music; and a look back at the Kent State massacre forty years later as new testimonies reveal shocking details.

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Guests:

Norman Finkelstein, author, scholar and historian

Lowkey, British-Iraqi hip hop artist

EVENT:

Thursday, May 13^th, 7:30pm, Norman Finkelstein and Lowkey; King Middle

School, Rose st. in North Berkeley. More information: www.mecaforpeace.org or 510-548- 0542

cartoon by Khalil Bendib

Ali Abunimah and university student organizers talk about last night’s vote at UC Berkeley to uphold the veto on divestment, we’ll discuss the technical defeat but the moral victory of the vote and the growing boycott, divestment and sanctions movement across the country and across the world; also, thousands of Oakland teachers go on strike to defend public education, we’ll hear voices from educators and students demanding fair contracts and salaries.

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Guests:

Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada

Shoaib Kamil, UC Berkeley Task Force on Divestment

Loubna Qatami, Palestinian Youth Network

Jesse Strauss on assignment in Oakland

A Palestinian teenager sits outside a protest tent in Silwan, next to a site where Israeli settlers are excavating a tunnel. (Jonathan Cook, Electronic Intifada)

Rene Saucedo of the San Francisco Day Labor Center reports back from City Hall on a day of protest against Arizona’s racist, anti-immigrant legislation SB 1070; also, Israel plans to build more illegal settlement colonies in occupied East Jerusalem as Palestinians face violent repression by settlers and Israeli forces; we’ll have an in-depth discussion on the state of emergency facing Haitians three months after the devastating earthquake as relief and food runs out; and commentaries by death row journalist Mumia Abu Jamal.

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Guests:

Rene Saucedo, Director, SF Day Labor Center

Zakaria Odeh, Director, Civic Coalition to Defend Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem

Ryan Ikeda, filmmaker and high school teacher

Mumia Abu Jamal, political prisoner, journalist

US Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israeli

Support continues to build for a global movement against Israeli apartheid in Palestine, today we feature anti-apartheid activist and Nazi holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein talking about why she supports the campus divestment movement; also, an in-depth analysis of the extent and the dangers of the unmeasured Israeli nuclear arsenal; and a GI resister who was a member of the same company shown in the recently-released Wikileaks video talks about how this action is commonplace throughout the military’s occupation of Iraq.

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Guests:

Hedy Epstein, activist

John Steinbach, journalist

Spc. Josh Steiber, Iraq vet and peace activist

Dr. Francis Boyle

Dr. Michio Kaku talks about the global nuclear state of affairs as world leaders gather at a Presidential summit in Washington; also, Francis Boyle analyzes the front-runners for possible appointment to the Supreme Court; and UC Berkeley students talk about the university’s bill to divest from companies that profit from the injustices of Israel’s occupation of Palestine.

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Guests:

Dr. Francis Boyle, International law professor

Michio Kaku, legendary physicist, author, radio and tv personality

Nairi Shrinian and Majdi Abuhamdieh, UC Berkeley undergraduates and members of Students for Justice in Palestine

Obama signs the health care bill

Israelis have announced new settlement construction while Obama is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netenayu. We’ll speak with Ali Abunimah and report on the powerful AIPAC meeting. Also, we’ll hear from doctors and nurses about the health care bill signed into law today. And we’ll speak to a former death row prisoner about his work against the death penalty.

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Guests:
Dr. Steffie Wolhandler, Co-founder, Physicians for a National Health Program
Chuck Idelson, California Nurses Association
Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada
Lawrence Hayes, Death row activist
Jack Bryson

Stop AIPAC

An encore presentation of our in-depth interview with Jefferey Blankfort, a leading investigator into the pervasive powers of AIPAC, the US-Israeli lobby; and we’ll rebroadcast our interview with exiled Afghan parliamentarian Malalai Joya, who talks about the ongoing impact of US occupation policy in her country.

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Guests:

Jefferey Blankfort, investigative journalist

Malalai Joya, author, A Woman Among Warlords

Gaza Freedom March

Voices from Cairo as over 1500 people gather for a Gaza Freedom March; also, legendary comedian, satirist and lead writer for Richard Pryor, Paul Mooney live in the studio with JR and the Block Report.

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Guests:

Barbara Lubin, Middle East Children’s Alliance

Dr. Mona al-Farra, physician and director of Gaza Projects with Middle East Children’s Alliance

Hedy Epstein, Gaza Freedom March delegate

Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada

Paul Mooney, legendary comedian

Dennis Brutus

Our special correspondent in the occupied West Bank, Jamal Juma, jailed by Israel for his nonviolent activism; also, a Holocaust survivor goes on hunger strike in protest to Egypt’s lockout of the Gaza Freedom March, we’ll also speak to Barbara Lubin in Cairo; plus, Andres Conteris reports on the upsurge of death squad violence under the coup regime in Honduras; we remember noted South African poet and freedom fighter Dennis Brutus; and the Knight Report.

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Guests:

Hindi Mesleh, anti-apartheid wall activist and organizer with Stop the Wall Campaign

Hedy Epstein, peace activist and Holocaust survivor

Barbara Lubin, Middle East Children’s Alliance

Andres Thomas Conteris, Nonviolence International and Democracy Now!

Excerpts from an interview in 2007 with Dennis Brutus