Film-Maker Motaz H Matar, a Syrian and Palestinian, on His New Book

Claudia Cragg @claudiacragg (comments, suggestions, ratings welcome) speaks here with George Packer staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal, Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century, The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America, and The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq. Americas, says Packer, is"...trapped in two countries. Each one is split by two narratives—Smart and Just on one side, Free and Real on the other. Neither separation nor conquest is a tenable future. The tensions within each country will persist even as the cold civil war between them rages on.

8 Juli 202138min

Claudia Cragg @claudiacragg, speaks here with former Cleveland Mayor Dennis J. Kucinich (1977 – 1979). Twitter: @Dennis_Kucinich In his new book, Kucinich gives an unprecedented, fully documented insider's account of his battle against a shadow city government which allegedly engaged in corporate espionage, sabotage, price-fixing, cut-throat competition, anti-trust activities, organized crime, and wholesale fraud. That is, until Kucinich, then America's youngest big-city mayor at age 31, fought back, risking assassination attempts and the destruction of his personal life. One of America's largest banks threatened to upend the city financially unless the new Mayor Kucinich agreed to sell the city's publicly owned electric system, Muny Light, to the bank's utility business partner, handing them a monopoly and the ability to raise electric rates to the sky. The "powers that be" subverted the media. They tried to buy Kucinich, and when they discovered he could not be bought, they tried to kill him. Key points are:- A political battle that is more relevant today than ever, given corporate influence over government decisions at all levels - - which is why utility monopolies in Texas, California, Illinois, and Ohio have crushed consumers with sky-high rates, price gouging and criminal behavior. Why utility bills and taxes are so high and who is really making the decisions effecting their social and economic life. A road map showing how a principled approach to everyday life can empower each of us to find the courage to do the right thing. THE DIVISION OF LIGHT AND POWER by Dennis Kucinich (Finney Avenue Books; June 8, 2021)

1 Juli 202124min

Claudia Cragg speaks to former Congressman Dan Glickman, @DanRGlickman, about his new book from the University Press of Kansas, Laughing at Myself: My Education in Congress, on the Farm, and at the Movies. Secretary Glickman (he held the post of Agricultural Secretary in the Clinton administration) tells his story of a classical family background, religious heritage, and "Midwestern-nice" roots, and how it led to a long and successful career in public office. Now at almost 77 and newly retired from the Aspen Institute, Dan is known throughout Washington as one of the most approachable politicians with relationships on both sides of the aisle. He tells a now infamous story of how his name was actually proposed for the job as Secretary of Agriculture by Bob Dole and Leon Panetta. What he has written combines Dan's sense of humor with serious reflection on his rise from the middle of nowhere to becoming a successful U.S. politician and the first Jewish secretary of agriculture. A religious man that cherishes his strong family ties, Glickman shares the lessons he has learned about success, compromise and staying true to yourself – even when stepping into the shoes of the most powerful man on Earth (a chapter in the book and his recounting of the 1997 Inauguration when he was chosen as the designated survivor).

24 Juni 202122min

After 16 months on the front lines of the COVID war in New York at Mount Sinai, Dr Schachter @MountSinaiNYC does not focus on exhaustion or trauma, but rather the possibilities that have come with dealing with such wide-scale and going medical trauma. Dr. Schachter is currently the Maurice Hexter Professor of Pulmonary and Community Medicine and Medical Director of Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Mount Sinai Medical Center. He has established and directs the Mount Sinai Pulmonary Rehabilitation program. Author of five books and over 400 articles and abstracts on pulmonary disease, Dr. Schachter is past president of the American Lung Association of the City of New York, the Connecticut Thoracic Society and the National Association of Medical Directors of Respiratory Care. He currently serves on the board of directors and as the chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the American Lung Association of the Northeast. In 2005 he was an honoree of the American Lung Association of the City of New York at their annual Life and Breath Gala. In 2016 he received the Will Ross Medal Award from the Lung Association. Dr. Schachter is an advocate for environmental lung issues. He worked with the Southern Poverty Law Center for healthier factory standards and increased workers' compensation for men and women in cotton textile mills. He lobbied for tougher anti-smoking laws in New York City on behalf of the Lung Association and the Coalition for Smoking or Health. He is currently completing a study on the health effects of air pollution on children with asthma in the inner city neighborhoods of New York City. In Schachter's new book, The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds and Flu, you can learn how to learn strategies to avoid getting pummeled by a cold.

17 Juni 202130min

Jonathan Cappelli is a true champion for affordable housing in the Denver metro area. An experienced urban planning, real estate, and community development professional, Cappelli is focused on finding ways to bring equitable and sustainable development to communities across Colorado. N.B. In this interview, Mr. Cappelli focused on Denver and, he says, neglected to mention "Homeless Solutions for Boulder County". People living in Boulder, they can call them too. The Neighborhood Development Collaborative (NDC) is a coalition of 16 Metro-Denver nonprofits that build homes for middle- and low-income residents and who seek to strengthen neighborhoods with community-oriented businesses and innovative human services. In addition, NDC works to educate metro-area stakeholders and municipalities about the importance of affordable housing and decrease the percentage of metro-area residents who are housing-cost burdened by facilitating strategic collaboration between members. Launched in 2009, NDC initially worked to coordinate the efforts of metro-area nonprofits in the implementation of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, a Congressionally funded initiative aimed at mitigating the effects of foreclosures in areas of greatest need.NDC was a big advocate for Denver creating an affordable housing plan in 2013 and a dedicated affordable housing fund in 2015, by demonstrating the increasing need for additional housing resources as Federal funding lagged. Collectively, the collaborative has an impressive resume, having created 7,000 affordable multifamily and single-family homes; helped 3,492 families with foreclosure prevention, housing rehabilitation, and down-payment assistance loans; and provided home-buyer assistance counseling to over 35,776 households over the last nine years.

3 Juni 202131min

Claudia Cragg speaks with Denver Post columnist, Sue McMilllin on the difficulties of trying to rent an affordable apartment.

27 Maj 202124min

Claudia Cragg speaks here with Mother Jones' senior editor @MichaelMechanic (Michael Mechanic) who offers a harsh wake-up call for the millions of American dreamers who still believe that winning the lottery—or just simply having obscene wealth—will change their lives for the better. The author ushers readers past the velvet rope to reveal the lifestyles of the ultrawealthy and the ever more expensive ventures they have to indulge in to not only keep themselves amused, but to outdo their wealthy peers. One of the most interesting factoids in this well-researched book is that, according to one study, a person's "self-reported positive emotions improved with rising earnings up to a satiation point at about $65,000 per year. Negative emotions…declined as earnings increased, reaching an inverse satiation point at $95,000." As Mechanic demonstrates throughout this eye-opening book, once the contentment with one's finances ends, the addiction to "extrinsic" goals—e.g., buying mansions, cars, and other luxury goods—leaves less time for the "intrinsic" pursuits that give us real grounding. Mechanic shows how the ultrawealthy make their money and how U.S. tax laws and loopholes allow them to keep building it—but he also provides a cautionary tale about the myriad headaches that unbridled wealth can bring. Mechanic is happy to report that the rich are often bored and miserable—and (surprise!) less compassionate unless they can balance their extrinsic and intrinsic pursuits. Though the text is often a gleeful sendup of the absurd eccentricities of the superrich, the author also spotlights a few billionaires who find genuine spiritual contentment in giving their wealth away. "For an actual rags-to-riches tale," writes the author, "one might turn to Ford Foundation president Darren Walker, who grew up penniless in rural Texas and went on to become an icon in the world of philanthropy." [Kirkus Reviews]

13 Maj 202126min

Claudia Cragg (@claudiacragg - all comments, reviews, suggestions welcome) speaks here for @KGNU #ItsTheEconomy with Guyana-born Donnel Baird, founder of BlocPower, This is a startup that markets, finances and installs solar and #green #energyefficiency technology to help houses of worship, non-profits, small businesses and multifamily projects to slash their energy costs. Baird spent three years as a community organizer in Brooklyn and one year as a voter contact director for Obama For America. He managed a national Change to Win/LIUNA campaign to leverage Dept. of Energy energy efficiency financing to create green construction jobs for out of work populations. He partnered with the Washington Interfaith Network to generate a $100m government investment in underserved communities in the District of Columbia. Baird has a B.A. from Duke University and an M.B.A from Columbia Business School.

6 Maj 202126min