applied research center

Our biological clock is ticking, and it’s ticking fast. Global temperature averages have risen by ten degrees, eliminating many species and drying up necessary water resources. When natural ecology changes, human ecology changes; while we might not have an apocalyptic "Day After Tomorrow" scenario, it may be a slow and more painful series of wars, refugees, and failed states brought on by slowing food production. Heather Rogers, author of Green Gone Wrong, and Gwynne Dyer, author of Climate Wars joined us in the studio to discuss the risks and environmental policy needs to postpone the inevitable, bleak consequences of overconsumption. While plenty of people are making personal choices to ride their bikes or be vegetarians, these will barely help without structural policy changes to curb the behavior of the unconverted. Over a year ago, our friends at the Applied Research Center and ColorLines investigated the impact of the recession on communities of color. Their report, "Race and Recession: How Inequity Rigged the Economy and how to Change the Rules" looked at the long-term racial inequalities that left people of color disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of the economic crisis. Now, a year later, Seth Freed Wessler revisits one of the women profiled in the original reporting to talk about how her home foreclosure continues to affect her. Former BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) police officer Johannes Mehserle, who shot 22-year-old Oscar Grant in the back while he was handcuffed, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter on July 8.

Last Friday, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law the country's most repressive immigration bill, SB 1070, which criminalizes undocumented immigrants and gives police the authority to demand papers from anyone they suspect of being undocumented. Though Brewer, a Republican who took over from Janet Napolitano when she left to become Obama's Homeland Security secretary, claims that there are protections in the bill to prevent racial profiling, it's hard to imagine a way that officers will decide from whom to demand papers that won't involve the color of their skin or the language that they speak. Rinku Sen of ColorLines and the Applied Research Center joins us to discuss the bill, the criminalization of immigrants, and what to do to fight back. "America is coming back stronger, better, and faster than nearly anyone expected, and faster than most of its international rivals," says Daniel Gross in Newsweek recently, declaring that all the doom and gloom about the economy was just exaggeration. But is that really the case? Or is the economy still failing far too many people? David DeGraw, author of "The Economic Elite vs. The People of the United States of America," says that the story of recovery is just a bit premature. Both men join Laura in studio to debate the state of the economy. New York City braced last week for a strike by the doormen of the Service Employees International Union's local 32BJ. Late negotiations might have prevented the strike for now, but GRITtv was on the scene as the mobilization grew and we're happy to bring you this report on their struggle. A special thanks to Anna Gold and Zuhal Danyildiz for this report. And speaking of New York's doormen, Laura has some thoughts about workers and the jobs they do--and how they get compensated for all that hard work.

After the passage of the health care bill, windows shattered in the offices of Congress members across the country, and Congressmen like Bart Stupak received death threats. Meanwhile, Sarah Palin and others encouraged opponents of the bill to "reload" and "take aim" at health care supporters. Where is the violent rhetoric headed? We ask David Neiwert, author of The Eliminationists: How Hate Talk Radicalized the American Right, what it all means, and why we should take it seriously. Last weekend's 200,000-person-strong march on Washington for justice on immigration was spared from too much violence and anger because the press was largely focused on health care reform. But as that bill was signed into law Monday, immigration will again find itself at the top of the list for political action--and the passions that it inspires are certain to flare. Joining us to talk about whether the Obama administration and this Congress will have the will, vision, and political capital to get anything done on immigration--and whether the legislation being considered at the moment will do more harm than good--are Seth Freed Wessler of the Applied Research Center and ColorLines, and Roberto Lovato of New America Media. Finally, Laura has some thoughts about justice, maybe, for Jamie Leigh Jones.

The Bush administration thrived on secrecy; Obama promised more transparency, but has yet to really deliver. What's more, when information does come out, it seems that accountability is nearly impossible to get: the torture memos were released, but there will be no trials. We ask Daniel Ellsberg, one of the world's most famous whistleblowers, if there's anything the people can do to take the power back. Former GRITtv guest Ted Rall is an editorial cartoonist as well as an acclaimed radio journalist and he's looking for a kickstart to return to Afghanistan to do more reporting. For your enjoyment, we've got a couple of his animated cartoons: one on the Democratic party, and one on Obama's health care plan. The progressive media during the Bush era grew to new heights, developing in ways that suited the particular tendencies of the left. Tracy Van Slyke and Jessica Clark started to study the way the media was developing while they worked together at In These Times magazine, and continued their work as Tracy founded the Media Consortium (of which GRITtv is a proud member) and Jessica moved to the Center for Social Media at American University. Their new book, Beyond the Echo Chamber: How a Networked Progressive Media Can Reshape American Politics, explains how the progressive media has used new technology to make progressive change, and they join us in studio to talk about their book and their continuing work. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been under investigation and the subject of constant protest over his racial profiling and abuse of power in Arizona. Now, Wells Fargo has served Arpaio with an eviction notice from his offices. Dennis Gilman sent us this video in celebration. Our friends at the Applied Research Center and the Rights Working Group are organizing a "night of 1000 conversations" around racial profiling, and they sent us this video to ask for your support and involvement. Finally, lobbyists for polluting companies and members of Congress are busy people, and sometimes they just don't have the time to make the love connections they need to keep the money flowing. PolluterHarmony is here to the rescue! (This spoof brought to you by our friends at GreenPeace.)