blackwater

"Now we think not only us are going to have to review our sense of comfort. I am not very comfortable." says Leo Gerard, President of the United Steelworkers union. Gerard himself was once a union representative at a facility that mined and refined uranium, and he represents many workers in such dangerous conditions across the country today. The USW has long been part of the Blue-Green Alliance, creating a labor-environmentalist coalition, but stopped short of calling for an end to nuclear power--but will that change after Japan? Leo joins Laura via Skype to discuss the crisis in Japan, the situation of the workers there, and why this crisis is linked to workers' protests around the US. Republicans have NPR and PBS in their sights once again, and once again progressives and media reformers have to fight for every penny that public media gets. Just how many pennies is that, though? Sally Kohn of Movement Vision puts that funding in perspective in this video. "You see this coming together of networks of educated people—I call them the graduates with no future—with the urban poor, with sometimes organized labor. This mixture is there everywhere the protests have been," says Paul Mason, Economics editor of BBC Newsnight and author of Live Working or Die Fighting: How the Working Class Went Global. Mason notes that from student protests in London to workers in Wisconsin, revolution in Tunisia to uprising in Libya, many of the same characteristics are visible. Paul joins Laura in studio for a conversation about the global protest movement, the role of social media, what different areas have in common, and much more. You can see Paul and Laura along with Cornel West and Barbara Ehrenreich in New York on Friday night at the opening plenary of the Left Forum--more information here! Finally, the US Government paid $2.3 million to have CIA contractor Raymond Davis freed in Pakistan. But what are other lives worth--or other jobs? Distributed by Tubemogul.

"In a very human way you just don't ever think something like this can happen," says Tucson Representative Raul Grijalva, whose district is near that of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, shot on Saturday at a community event. Six people died in the shootout, which left Rep. Giffords and others in critical condition. Grijalva and Giffords' offices had both seen attacks over the past couple of years, during the campaign season and the fight over the health care law, and Grijalva joins us via phone from Washington, D.C. to talk about his experience this weekend, the political climate, and how he will handle his interactions with constituents in the future. "On the eve of the shooting that left her critically injured, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) wrote an email to Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R), asking his help in toning down the partisan rhetoric in the country." Amanda Terkel reported that Giffords had been asking for help, as one of the few Democrats and the only woman remaining in a Republican district, toning down the anger and violence running through much of political discourse. Terkel has had her own experiences with right-wing language and media attacks: she was harassed and stalked by Bill O'Reilly's producer, and she notes that especially as a woman, it can be easy to feel threatened when you're targeted by politicians or other public figures. She joins us via Skype from Washington, D.C. to discuss the Giffords shooting, her own experiences, and more. Immigrants rights activist Salvador Reza wasn't as shocked as the rest of us when he heard that Gabrielle Giffords and several other people had been shot in Tucson, Arizona. He's used to what he calls the "climate of hate" in Arizona lately, especially around immigration and children of immigrants. From Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the Minutemen to State Senator Russell Pearce and bills that demonize immigrants while loosening gun regulations, Reza notes, Arizona has been building its reputation as a state on the brink. Reza joins us via Skype from Phoenix, Arizona to talk about why it's important to note the political conditions in Arizona--and why the hate isn't going to stay in his state. Finally, while we remember the victims of Saturday's shooting, we should remember others who became collateral damage to U.S. bullets--especially other children caught in the crossfire.

The Nation article reveals that Blackwater linked companies provided intelligence and security to multinational companies like Monsanto and Chevron; Right Livelihood laureates from Croatia, Thailand, and Burundi discuss their battles for social justice; Johan Galtung talks about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, mideast peace talks, and why Obama is losing his base. Democracy Now! is a daily independent newshour.

Recently at Netroots Nation, Laura sat down with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who's been a leader in the fight against the use of private contractors like Blackwater in war zones (and at home). ; Our friends at the UpTake captured this video for us, as she spoke with Laura about jobs, the economy, military contractors, and the war in Afghanistan--especially the role of women in the conflict there.The struggle for green jobs brings together the struggle for sustainability and a cleaner environment and the fight against poverty--a struggle for justice for all. Green for All unites these struggles into one movement, as CEO Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins explained at Netroots Nation, in a personal discussion of her past and present experiences with poverty and the environment.The current stage of the recession sees state budgets hitting crisis points around the country, and one of the areas targeted for cuts has been state univerisities.