green revolution

"The American people should see that corporations have abandoned them long ago," says scientist, environmentalist, and food justice activist Dr. Vandana Shiva, named one of the seven most influential women in the world by Forbes magazine. "The people will have to rebuild democracy as a living democracy." Dr. Shiva has been fighting corporate takeover in every area in her native India, combating a nuclear plant one week and patented, genetically modified seeds another. She joins Laura in studio to advise American activists how they can fight the merging of corporations and government here at home and around the world. A 9-year-old child faces down Sheriff Joe Arpaio in this week's featured documentary, Two Americans. Katherine Figueroa is a US citizen born to immigrant parents, and when Arpaio targets them for deportation, she becomes the center of a fight against the sheriff's plans. In Arizona, the immigration battle has its ground zero, and this documentary follows the people at the center of it all. Singer-songwriter Phoebe Snow died this week at the age of 58. Her powerful voice will certainly be missed, and we bring you this performance of her classic hit "Poetry Man" to remember her too-often forgotten work. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Not long ago on GRITtv, Hamid Dabashi told us that the Iranian protests are turning into a civil rights movement with long-term potential for change. Wel talk to Hooman Majd, author of The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran, Hadi Ghaemi, director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, and Kelly Golnoush Niknejad of Tehran Bureau about the protests, the regime, and what happens next. On Jan. 29, Barack Obama took questions from House Republicans at their "issues retreat," televised on CSPAN. David Corn of Mother Jones joins Laura via Skype to explain why he thinks more events like this can make the political debate in Washington and around the country better. The Winter Olympics are headed to Vancouver, British Columbia, but activists are pointing out the way international sporting events lead to police crackdowns and displacement of locals. Thanks to our friends at the Vancouver Media Cooperative for the video. The 2010 census is starting up, and as New America Media shares, for Southeast Asian community, organizers are making sure that they get the proper representation, and not undercounted. Did you know that in Utah, you're more likely to get chlamydia than the chicken pox or the flu? Well, a Republican State Senator, who says he's from the most conservative part of the state, is leading the fight to allow teachers to teach contraception. Health care reform isn't dead yet, and a coalition of progressive groups, including Bold Progressives and Democracy for America, are increasing the pressure in Washington for Democrats to pass reform--by any means necessary. Finally, in this new documentary, filmmakers David Ridgen and Nicholas Rossier follow Norman Finkelstein, the son of Holocaust survivors called a self-hating Jew for his response to Israeli and US policy over Palestine, around the world in pursuit of his principles.