abortion

“I wonder if those same people who asked for the intervention, when they ask for the intervention to end, will we listen to them?" asks GRITtv foreign affairs correspondent and author Phyllis Bennis. Who will the leadership that so swiftly made the decision to commit troops to Libya answer to? Phyllis joins us via Skype to discuss the continued presence of U.S. troops in the Middle East. President Obama’s March 28 appearance framed U.S. intervention in Libya in terms of American exceptionalisn, and American tax dollars and military resources have all gone forth under the banner of a “moral imperative.” But, do we really know just who the good guys and the bad guys really are? And, more disturbing news from Afghanistan as a small group of American troops gain more and more notoriety for their brutal behavior -- notoriety brought on by their tendency to record and distribute the violence. A chilling new video turns actual footage of Afghans being killed into a music video. Phyllis discusses this high-profile violence in Afghanistan, and the possibility of it playing out again in Libya. “It’s a matter of political will and a moral question: do you see the rest of the world as your brothers and sisters or not?” asks food writer and New York Times columnist Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food. Spring is in the air, and the issues of planting and food supply -- both local and global -- are now in season. With dwindling varieties of crops, decreasing genetic variation amongst those left, and the rise of genetically modified crops, the global food supply may be poised for a takeover by corporate seed producers. Mark joins Laura to talk about the politics, power and control behind seed production and distribution worldwide. And finally, a commentary from Laura on South Dakota's new anti-choice legislation -- what has the state done now to suppress the rights of women? Distributed by Tubemogul.

Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to receive her party’s nomination to run for Vice President is dead at 75. Her battle with blood cancer lasted a long nasty 12 years. Our battle with character assassination, a fight she also took on, is still with us. Distributed by Tubemogul.

"The idea of fiscal crisis is the pretext for a real power grab," says Jesse Jackson of the latest news from Wisconsin: Scott Walker and the State Senate Republicans separated the union-busting portion of the "budget repair" bill and passed it without a quorum. Rev. Jackson is in Madison and checks in with Laura by phone to tell us what's going on on the ground as Wisconsin gears up for the next part of the fight. "It's an ideological mission they have in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, they're going after an ideological agenda," says Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio on the latest moves by Republicans to bust unions, defund Planned Parenthood, and restrict women's right to abortion. He points out that neither Ohio governor John Kasich nor Wisconsin governor Scott Walker campaigned on any of these issues--and that the people of his state and around the country are ready to fight back. Senator Brown joins Laura from Washington, D.C. to discuss the attacks on workers in his state and around the country, how they connect to attacks on health care and abortion rights, and why he's optimistic about the fight ahead. "This is a country that has seen an incredible increase in hate crimes and hate groups. They're not simply one group of people. If they were it would be easy," points out Maya Wiley of the Center for Social Inclusion, to do what Rep. Peter King is doing today in his hearings on "Muslim radicalization." But it's not just one group of people, and King's myopic focus is contributing to an increasingly toxic political discourse. Maya joins Laura in studio to discuss the hearings, the forgotten influence of patriot groups, white supremacist groups, and more. Finally, when Wisconsin's capitol building echoed with cries for a general strike, Laura remembered another general strike, just over a hundred years ago in New York. What could we accomplish now? Distributed by Tubemogul.

"Many important issues facing working people don't get the attention they deserve, and other issues get a whole lot of issues because they're sensational or if they divert attention," says Senator Bernie Sanders of the media's failures these days. He notes that we're now seeing a newly aggressive push from corporate interests and the politicians they sponsor, making attacks that have little to do with deficits. Senator Sanders joins Laura via Skype from Washington, D.C. to discuss the assault on programs that aid working families, the way the media helps conservatives wtih framing, and his state of Vermont's steps toward single-payer healthcare. "We're seeing the political southernization of the whole country. There's a surge of conservatism, targeting a wide variety of communities," says Paris Hatcher, interim director of Georgia-based SPARK Reproductive Justice Now. As we see the anti-abortion tactics started in the south hitting the northeast--a billboard sprang up in New York City recently targeting black women, and though it was quickly taken down, states around the country are fighting antichoice legislation and attempts to defund reproductive healthcare. Paris joins Laura in studio to discuss her reproductive justice work in Atlanta and how the rest of the country can learn from the work women of color are doing on state and local levels. On February 26, the first round of US Uncut protests hit the states, targeting Bank of America branches around the country. Inspired by the UK's actions targeting corporate tax dodgers, protesters came up with creative ways to express their ire at Bank of America's tax avoidance. And this week right here in New York, US Uncut made its presence felt at the Bank's investor conference. Thanks to various US Uncutters for the footage! And Laura has a few thoughts on the new wave of protest, from US Uncut to Madison, that's sweeping the country--and why the media hasn't pounced the way they did on the Tea Party. Distributed by Tubemogul.