police

Democracy Now! Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Unrest continues to spread across England after protests erupted Saturday in London when police shot to death Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old black man. Mobs firebombed police stations and set shops on fire in London, Manchester, Salford, Liverpool, Nottingham and Birmingham. After waiting for several days, Prime Minister David Cameron has cut short his vacation and recalled Parliament from summer recess. Republicans have retained control of the Wisconsin State Senate following a series of historic recall elections organized in response to their support of Gov. Scott Walker’s union-busting bill this spring. Democrats needed to win three of the six Republican seats up for grabs in order to gain a majority, but four incumbents prevailed. or analysis on the Wisconsin recall vote, we go to Madison to speak with John Nichols, Washington correspondent for The Nation magazine. Although Republicans hold onto a slim 17-to-16 majority after the election, Nichols says the Democrats’ pickup of two seats, coupled with the moderate stance of Republican State Sen. Dale Schultz, amounts to a new "pro-labor majority" in the Wisconsin State Senate. "Gov. Scott Walker took a hit last night," Nichols says. "Even though Democrats didn’t win, progressive politics made a real advance." Some $30 million was spent by outside groups on the Wisconsin recall. Democracy Now!, a daily independent newshour.

Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

GRITtv: Vince Warren: Human Rights at Home and Abroad

"The key here for the Obama administration is not just to talk the talk but they have to walk the walk," says Vince Warren of the Center for Constitutional rights. It's not just Libya he's talking about -- the US has a ways to go on many humanitarian concerns, from Guantanamo to the Mavi Marmara, the International Criminal Court to neighborhood policing. Vince joins Laura in studio to discuss the historic UN Security Council vote on Libya, the ongoing struggle for habeas corpus rights for detainees, and racist stop-and-frisk policies right here in New York. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

GRITtv: Breakthrough: Restore Fairness

Karwan Abdul Kader left Iraq when he was 7, seeking refuge from Saddam's attacks on the Kurds. But he faces a different kind of attack in the U.S., as this next clip from our friends at Breakthrough shows. He shares his story of dealing with racial profiling after escaping a dictatorship.

Your rating: None Average: 5 (1 vote)

GRITtv: Philip Rizk: Everyday Egyptians Protesting in Cairo

"People are sick and tired of the way things have been for the past 30 years," says Philip Rizk, a blogger and filmmaker based in Cairo. In 2009, Philip was detained by state security after taking part in a protest in support of Gaza, and so has intimate awareness of the control and terror inflicted by the state on its people--who are only escalating, with a general strike called for today and a "Million March" for Tuesday. Despite reports on some media outlets of increasing chaos, Philip says he feels very safe in Cairo, and joins us via phone to tell us the latest from where he is.

No votes yet

GRITtv: Laurie Penny: Turning Point in UK Politics

"It felt like the relationship between state and citizen had totally broken down, like there was no order left," says New Statesman journalist Laurie Penny of the Parliament Square protest last week, as the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition voted to pass legislation that may effectively triple the cost of higher education in the UK. While Parliament voted, student protesters were shoved and batoned by police, and Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles found themselves in the middle of the mess.Laurie joins us once again via Skype from London to talk about the protests, the vote, why the student movement is a definining moment for this generation of British youth--and once again, what we can learn from it and apply here.

No votes yet

The Global Report Dec. 8-14, 2010

The European Union is losing faith in the war in Afghanistan. The Obama Administration worked with Republicans to block a criminal probe in Bush Administration officials' roles in setting torture policy. Latin American leaders decry what they see as unwanted American intervention into their region. His own panel says that President Obama didn't do enought for Gulf Coast states after the BP oil explosion. The Global Report is a non-profit news organization dedicated to providing under reported news to the citizens of the world.

Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

GRITtv: Sept. 24 2010

"In every sense the Tea Party is able to get away with things that no group of color could ever possibly do," says Tim Wise, author of the new book Colorblind: The Rise of Post-Racial Politics and the Retreat from Racial Equity. While the Tea Party wails about socialism, Wise notes, they want to cut social services that they perceive as benefits for people of color--and the Obama administration's "race-neutral" politics aren't helping anyone. Wise joins Laura in studio for a special interview about his new book, and how racial bias infects every level of people's lives, from infant mortality rates to unemployment, college admissions and graduation rates to treatment in hospitals. Then, will censoring Craigslist keep young people from turning to sex work? Melissa Gira Grant of the Third Wave Foundation shares her thoughts. How much does it cost to run for office? That's the question behind this week's featured documentary, Pricele$$. We know that it costs a lot to run for office, but are we really aware of where that money comes from, and how much time the politicians really spend raising it? As we head into election season, the first major elections since the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United, we thought this was a good time to take a closer look at this subject.

No votes yet

GRITtv: Crusade Against Craigslist Won't Help Sex Workers

During last week’s House hearing on Craigslist and the sex industry, advocates, and policymakers debated the lives of young people engaged in sex work and the sex trade, with little involvement of those young people themselves. They made a case for censoring online ads for sex work and increasing law enforcement power and resources to police sex work. They stated that they were doing this to end violence against young people in the sex trade. Melissa Gira Grant is a writer, a contributor to AlterNet, and the external relations officer at the Third Wave Foundation.

No votes yet

GRITtv: Bloody New Orleans: A.C. Thompson and Jacques Morial on Police Violence

Violence abounded in the anarchic days right after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and new evidence continues to come out, even five years later, that the New Orleans police department was responsible for much of it. Investigative reporter A.C. Thompson covered "Katrina's Hidden Race War" for The Nation and helped bring attention--and accountability--to the crimes committed by officers in the days after the storm. Thompson continues to cover this beat as a reporter with ProPublica, and he joins us in studio to discuss the ongoing investigations uncovering, little by little, just what happened after the hurricane. Jacques Morial, co-director of the Louisiana Justice Institute, also joins us via phone. Look out for much, much more coverage of the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina coming in the next couple of weeks from GRITtv.

No votes yet

GRITtv: Aug. 9 2010

The battle for Congress--otherwise known as the 2010 midterm elections--is underway, and it seems that every bill that comes up for a vote is a campaign issue. Republicans are voting in a bloc against any money Obama asks for, including billions to help states continue to pay teachers, and Tea Party activists decry all government spending as bloated. Meanwhile, our wars continue in Iraq and Afghanistan, and once again a major media outlet--Time, this time--is using the body of a woman to make the case for occupation. Betsy Reed, executive editor of The Nation, joins Laura in studio to discuss these stories and more for The Nation on GRITtv. Violence abounded in the anarchic days right after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and new evidence continues to come out, even five years later, that the New Orleans police department was responsible for much of it. Investigative reporter A.C. Thompson covered "Katrina's Hidden Race War" for The Nation and helped bring attention--and accountability--to the crimes committed by officers in the days after the storm. Thompson continues to cover this beat as a reporter with ProPublica, and he joins us in studio to discuss the ongoing investigations uncovering, little by little, just what happened after the hurricane. Jacques Morial, co-director of the Louisiana Justice Institute, also joins us via phone. Look out for much, much more coverage of the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina coming in the next couple of weeks from GRITtv.

Your rating: None Average: 4.7 (3 votes)
Syndicate content