massachusetts

In Massachusetts, a Democratic state legislature voted to take away public workers' right to collectively bargain over health care, in what Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, calls "A miniature version of what we saw in Wisconsin." He notes that just like Scott Walker, these politicians are scapegoating employees who didn't cause the economic crisis. But Trumka and the labor movement are fighting back, building coalitions with immigrants rights groups and civil rights organizations, banding together against a common enemy. He joins us via Skype from Washington, D.C. to give us the latest on actions this past May Day and ongoing around the country. This weekend, the New York branch of the nationwide budget-cut protest group US Uncut tried a new tactic--they held teach-ins in not one, but two Bank of America locations, explaining economic issues to a crowd of interested listeners (and bank customers) until they were chased out by security. Thanks to US Uncut for producing the video! "For the first time what we're seeing is people on the rise and they can no longer be ignored, by their own governments or by the United States," says Phyllis Bennis. And those people are saddened by the U.S.'s action against Osama Bin Laden, but more importantly are demanding that their voices be heard, not the voices of their dictators that the U.S. has relied on for so long. Phyllis checks in with us from Amman, Jordan, and tells us about the reaction of people there to Bin Laden's death. She also gives us the latest from Cairo, Egypt, where she was before traveling to Jordan. Finally, Jason Leopold for Truthout reports that BP may just be "too big to fail"--Laura has some thoughts. Distributed by Tubemogul.

"People are looking to state ballot initiatives to have some form of control over governance when elected officials are abdicating," says Jane Hamsher of this year's crop of ballot initiatives around the country. Perhaps best known is California's Proposition 19, which would legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana, but there are also important tax initiatives on ballots around the country, as well as state environmental regulations. Hamsher joins us via Skype and Nathan Newman, formerly of the Progressive States Network, is in studio to discuss the various ballot initiatives and their effect both on voter turnout and on actual governance.

Barack Obama was able to win the presidency in part because of the strong support of self-identified "independent" voters. Yet the Tea Party movement draws many who also refer to themselves as independents. As the 2010 midterm elections approach, who's going to win over those supposed independents this time? And what about independent candidates for office? Joining us to discuss are Bill Hillsman, author of Run the Other Way: Fixing the Two-Party System, One Campaign at a Time, and Malia Lazu, executive director of The Gathering for Social Justice.

The California Nurses Association and other nurses' unions were some of the strongest voices for real healthcare reform, continuing to call for single-payer Medicare for All even now. But with the birth of the new National Nurses United, the nurses are fighting battles on all fronts for healthcare--from a strike at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia to struggles with Massachusetts' program. Joining us from Boston to talk about the nurses' union, patient care, and what's next after this healthcare bill is Karen Higgins, co-president of National Nurses United, who says that any fight on behalf of patients is their fight. GRITtv with Laura Flanders brings participatory democracy onto your computer screen and into your living room, bridging the gap between audience and advocates. Watch any show, at any time: http://grittv.org Distributed by Tubemogul.