GRITtv with Laura Flanders

Why Wisconsin's TAA Refused to Endorse (VIDEO)

Tue, 08 May 2012 21:08:00 +0000

This Tuesday, as Wisconsinites voted in primaries to replace Governor Scott Walker and five other state wide office holders, the union of graduate students at the heart of the 2011 Capitol protests stood apart from their union fellows and refused to endorse any candidate. TAA co-president Adrienne Pagac explains why.

Chatting With Chomsky

Tue, 01 May 2012 22:10:49 +0000

Laura Flanders talks with MIT professor and author Noam Chomsky, to discuss his latest publication, OCCUPY, OWS, anarchism, racism, corporate power and the potential for a cooperative alternative. Recorded 4/24/12 for Free Speech TV

Rev. Jesse Jackson on Charging of George Zimmerman

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 03:52:07 +0000

George Zimmerman was behind bars Wednesday, 45 days after he went free after shooting Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman now faces the possibility of life in prison, but Rev. Jesse Jackson tells Laura Flanders of GRITtv that the mobilizing shouldn't end.

Rural Women: Climate Bad, Corporate Pillage Worse

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 10:18:26 +0000

Fatima Ahmed, Director of Zenab for Women and Development in Sudan and Rose Cunningham, Director of Wangki Tangni, an indigenous women’s group in Nicaragua talk to Laura Flanders of GRITtv about what they face, courtesy of MADRE.

Women Say Climate Bad, Corporate Pillage Worse

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:36:50 +0000

Rural development experts, Fatima Ahmed, Director of Zenab for Women and Development in Sudan and Rose Cunningham, Director of Wangki Tangni, an indigenous women’s group in Nicaragua talk to Laura Flanders of GRITtv about what they face.

The Laura Flanders Show...coming soon!

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:14:34 +0000

After three years in daily production, GRITtv is transforming into the Laura Flanders Show for distribution online and on public TV later this year.

Occupy, Indignados? Democracy's in Trouble

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:41:10 +0000

Economist Loretta Napoleoni, and advisor to Spain's Indignados, talks to Laura Flanders of GRITtv about Occupy Wall St., the crisis of western democracy and her newest book, Maonomics, Why Chinese Communists Make Better Capitalists than We Do. (This clip was originally posted in October, 2011.)

Nobel Winner, Leymah Gbowee on sex, peace and the US at War

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:01:48 +0000

Nobel Paace-Prize winner, Leymah Gbowee of Liberia talks to Laura Flanders of GRITtv about sex as an organizing tool, the prospects for women in Eqypt and where NGOs - and the US - go wrong when it comes to making peace after war.

Housing Groups work with Occupy Wall St.

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:17:38 +0000

Long time anti-homelessness activist Rob Robinson talked with Laura Flanders of GRITtv about Occupy Wall St and the December 6 day of national actions, #OccupyYourHomes. (http://occupyyourhomes.org)

Lou Reed at Occupy Lincoln Center

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:28:08 +0000

Rocker Lou Reed with Laurie Anderson joined Occupy Wall street and Philip Glass to protest for free speech and assembly and against colonial-style arts funding, after the last performance of Glass's "Satyagraha" opera at Lincoln Center Dec.1.

Occupy the Church

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:50:10 +0000

Hours after the forced eviction of #OWS protestors in Zuccotti Park, church leaders called on people of faith to share resources with the OWS movement. Rev. Michael Ellick of Judson Memorial Church talks with Laura Flanders of GRITtv.

Wallace Shawn at Occupy Wall St

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:14:06 +0000

Wallace Shawn, renown actor, author and thinker, tells Laura Flanders why he cares about Occupy Wall St.

Richard Wolff at Occupy Wall St.

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 05:08:37 +0000

These are the conversations happening at Occupy Wall St. Join in by watching our live collaborative coverage of the March on Wall Street rally Weds, October 5, on http://livestream/lauraflanders 4-7 pm EST.

Mark Ruffalo: Thank God for Fracking (and for Josh Fox)

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 13:36:22 +0000

Actor/Director Mark Ruffalo, a resident of Sullivan Co, NY, talks to Laura Flanders of GRITtv about the impact of Irene on an area where big energy companies want to "hydro-frack" for gas. The threats to water & soil are extreme, he says.

Mary Robinson: The War on Terror Was a Mistake

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:12:14 +0000

Former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, was the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights on 9/11/01. In this exclusive interview, Robinson talks to GRITtv's Laura Flanders about the mistakes made ten years ago, their continuing impact on situations such as the famine in Somalia and what, by contrast, inspires her now.

Mary Robinson: The War on Terror was a Mistake

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:26:04 +0000

Former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, who was the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights on 9/11/01, talks to GRITtv's Laura Flanders about the mistakes made then and what inspires her now, and shares a special message for Interdependence Day.

Michelle Alexander Part 1

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 20:36:24 +0000

Michelle Alexander Part 1

Michelle Alexander with Laura Flanders Part 2

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:15:39 +0000

Michelle Alexander with Laura Flanders Part 2

Michelle Alexander Part 1

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:57:23 +0000

Michelle Alexander Part 1

Rose Ann DeMoro: It's Not About a Paycheck

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 11:49:05 +0000

Rose Ann DeMoro

Rose Ann DeMoro Hangs Tough

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:26:12 +0000

Rose Ann DeMoro Hangs Tough

GRITtv Promo

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:28:24 +0000

Promo reel from August 2009

Richard Trumka

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 21:49:47 +0000

Richard Trumka warns politicians not to expect a blank check from Labor. Talking with Laura Flanders in June, in Washington DC.

Linda Valdez and Regelio Garza

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:22:12 +0000

Linda Valdez and Regelio Garza

Deborah Burger

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 22:15:55 +0000

Deborah Burger

Linda Condon

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:01:00 +0000

Linda Condon, R.N. speaks about her experience working in the health care industry.

Linda Condon

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 23:22:44 +0000

Linda Condon, R.N. speaks about her experience working in the health care industry.

Jared Bernstein

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 21:21:03 +0000

Jared Bernstein

Fadi Quran

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 19:19:07 +0000

This Sunday, June 5, Palestinians in the occupied territories and neighboring countries will take part in peaceful protests to mark the 44th anniversary of the 1967 War. Fadi Quran is a coordinator within various youth movements. We had a chance to talk earlier this week, in New York.

GRITtv: Bill Moyers: Taking Back Our Media Power

Tue, 31 May 2011 16:04:40 +0000

GRITtv: Chris Hedges: The World As it Is

Thu, 12 May 2011 21:50:16 +0000

GRITtv: May 12, 2011

Thu, 12 May 2011 21:15:15 +0000

"You can't sustain a democracy in an oligarchic state. The writers on Athenian democracy understood that 2000 years ago," says Chris Hedges, whose new book The World As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress explores the problems of a crumbling empire, inside and out. Chris joins Laura in studio for a conversation about the death of Bin Laden and the continuing concern over terrorism, the end of empathy in the U.S., and what avenues are left for progressives to fight back. "The elites are not going to help us," he warns, "We're going to have to help ourselves." We first met the steelworkers from Metropolis, Illinois in Madison, Wisconsin early this spring, where workers from all over the country gathered to defend the right to collectively bargain. Until their lockout in June of last summer, these workers ran Honeywell's uranium conversion plant, the only one of its kind in the country, and they depended on their collectively bargaining rights to defend the health and safety of themselves and their small community. A few weeks back, United Steelworkers Local 7-669 came to Morris New Jersey to exercise another right--their rights as shareholders of the very company that has locked them out. Our own Danya Abt traveled there to get the story with cinematographer Zac Halberd. Finally, three years ago today GRITtv first went on air, and on our birthday Laura says goodbye, for now, and introduces you to the next chapter for our organization--a new weekly program on public broadcasting stations. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Locked-Out Steelworkers Bring Fight to Honeywell

Thu, 12 May 2011 20:21:53 +0000

We first met the steelworkers from Metropolis, Illinois in Madison, Wisconsin early this spring, where workers from all over the country gathered to defend the right to collectively bargain. Until their lockout in June of last summer, these workers ran Honeywell's uranium conversion plant, the only one of its kind in the country, and they depended on their collectively bargaining rights to defend the health and safety of themselves and their small community. A few weeks back, United Steelworkers Local 7-669 came to Morris New Jersey to exercise another right--their rights as shareholders of the very company that has locked them out. Our own Danya Abt traveled there to get the story with cinematographer Zac Halberd. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: The F Word: Goodbye For Now from GRITtv

Thu, 12 May 2011 20:07:03 +0000

Three years ago today, on May 12, 2008, the first episode of GRITtv hit the air. Given life by Free Speech TV, the project we imagined was a daily forum for changemakers that would welcome new voices and celebrate diversity. Three years later, you can find all that work permanently archived at our website. Just check it out. Effective today, though, we're suspending daily production to retool. Come this fall, with your help, you'll see a new project: a one-hour weekly program, right here, and also on PBS stations from coast to coast. You can contribute to that effort online, right now. Watch the full program at http://grittv.org Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: The Nurses Station: Jean Ross

Wed, 11 May 2011 22:10:49 +0000

GRITtv: May 11, 2011

Wed, 11 May 2011 21:48:12 +0000

"The message of public vs. private, fight against each other, isn't working," says Jean Ross of the Minnesota Nurses Association, who joined the protests in Madison, Wisconsin at the Capitol building against Scott Walker's union-busting bill. Jean and the National Nurses United have been traveling and talking to their workers, hearing firsthand about the impact of the economy on nurses and their patients. "The notion of shared sacrifice--there needs to actually be some sharing, but there's been none. All the burden has been on the working people in this country," Jean notes. She joins Laura via Skype from Minnesota to discuss the nurses' plan to take the fight to Wall Street. "I imagine a world in which my seven-year-old daughter doesn't say to me 'I can't be the president because I'm a girl.'" Anika Rahman was horrified and yet not surprised when her daughter expressed that sentiment. As the new CEO and president of the Ms. Foundation for Women, Anika works to empower women to fight for their right to control their bodies and their lives. She joins Laura in studio to talk about the latest research on how the recession is hitting women, about why she works for women's rights, and why the attacks on collective bargaining are attacks on women. Teachers right here in New York are facing more than just cinematic attacksâ€”Mayor Bloomberg is laying off 4100 teachers and eliminating another 2000 teaching jobs through attrition. The Mayor blames Governor Cuomo, but the story is the same as the one we've heard in Wisconsin and around the country: there's just no money for those greedy union teachers. Our friend Brian Jones and the Grassroots Education Movement have crafted a response to that message in a film, The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting For Superman, and they're premiering it on May 19 in New York City. On May 12, the teachers and a broad coalition of unions and activist groups are descending on Wall Street to make the point that there's actually plenty of money for schools and other social programs, if only Wall Street kicked in its fair shareâ€”or if they hadn't tanked the economy in the first place. Check out the links here for more on the May 12 action and the film premiere. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Anika Rahman: Fighting the Womancession

Wed, 11 May 2011 21:40:50 +0000

"I imagine a world in which my seven-year-old daughter doesn't say to me 'I can't be the president because I'm a girl.'" Anika Rahman was horrified and yet not surprised when her daughter expressed that sentiment. As the new CEO and president of the Ms. Foundation for Women, Anika works to empower women to fight for their right to control their bodies and their lives. She joins Laura in studio to talk about the latest research on how the recession is hitting women, about why she works for women's rights, and why the attacks on collective bargaining are attacks on women.

GRITtv: The Inconvenient Truth Behind "Waiting For Superman"

Wed, 11 May 2011 20:14:54 +0000

Teachers right here in New York are facing more than just cinematic attacks—Mayor Bloomberg is laying off 4100 teachers and eliminating another 2000 teaching jobs through attrition. The Mayor blames Governor Cuomo, but the story is the same as the one we've heard in Wisconsin and around the country: there's just no money for those greedy union teachers. Our friend Brian Jones and the Grassroots Education Movement have crafted a response to that message in a film, The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting For Superman, and they're premiering it on May 19 in New York City. On May 12, the teachers and a broad coalition of unions and activist groups are descending on Wall Street to make the point that there's actually plenty of money for schools and other social programs, if only Wall Street kicked in its fair share—or if they hadn't tanked the economy in the first place. Check out the links here for more on the May 12 action and the film premiere. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Sen. Bernie Sanders: We're All In This Together on Health Care

Tue, 10 May 2011 21:36:30 +0000

GRITtv: Real News Network: Tuscon's Ethnic Studies Fight

Tue, 10 May 2011 21:28:19 +0000

Obama travels to El Paso today as part of a campaign to win back Latino voters, many of whom are still waiting for Obama to make good on his last campaign promise of immigration reform. At the same time the glad handing and photo ops are taking place, in nearby Tuscon Arizona there's a new front to the war on immigration where students are fighting the Board of Education to preserve a historically successful ethnic studies program. Here's a report from the Real News Network.

GRITtv: Adam Hochschild: To End All Wars

Tue, 10 May 2011 21:26:31 +0000

World War I was called "the war to end all wars," but nearly 100 years later, war is far from over. Adam Hochschild, co-founder of Mother Jones magazine, has written a new book looking back at that war and specifically, those who objected to and fought against the Great War. Adam joins Laura in studio to discuss World War I, the anti-war movement then and now, and why we're still struggling to articulate an opposition to war that will successfully end all wars.

GRITtv: May 10, 2011

Tue, 10 May 2011 20:46:39 +0000

"The USA has got to join the rest of the industrialized world and guarantee health care to everyone as a right, not a privilege," says Senator Bernie Sanders, who this week is introducing a new bill in Congress that would provide a single-payer health care system, administered at the state level, that would treat health care as a human right. Sanders' home state of Vermont is on its way to being the first state in the country with a single-payer plan, but he notes that all Americans should have that same right. Senator Sanders joins Laura from Washington, D.C. via Skype to explain his bill, why it matters, and why he thinks Vermont can lead the nation to a better health system. Obama travels to El Paso today as part of a campaign to win back Latino voters, many of whom are still waiting for Obama to make good on his last campaign promise of immigration reform. At the same time the glad handing and photo ops are taking place, in nearby Tuscon Arizona there's a new front to the war on immigration where students are fighting the Board of Ed to preserve a historically successful ethnic studies program. Here's a report from the Real News Network. World War I was called "the war to end all wars," but nearly 100 years later, war is far from over. Adam Hochschild, co-founder of Mother Jones magazine, has written a new book looking back at that war and specifically, those who objected to and fought against the Great War. Adam joins Laura in studio to discuss World War I, the anti-war movement then and now, and why we're still struggling to articulate an opposition to war that will successfully end all wars. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: The F Word: Have We Forgotten How to End Wars?

Tue, 10 May 2011 19:53:39 +0000

Will the death of Osama bin Laden bring change in US policy? Last week on this show, one by one, our guests said no. Hopes are one thing; likely reality is something else. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Laurie Anderson: Exploring Art, Music, and Technology

Mon, 09 May 2011 21:26:42 +0000

GRITtv: May 9, 2011

Mon, 09 May 2011 21:19:30 +0000

"If people think about how they might want to create something that isn't just me me me, that could be revolutionary," says musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson. Anderson has crossed genres, created new instruments, performed in "audio drag" and even created some comics, but she's best known for her experimental violin playing. Laurie joins Laura in studio for a feature-length interview on art, electronics, making music for fish, and why Homeland Security still has one of her instruments. "I'd like my title to be 'explorer,' but on my passport it just says 'artist,'" she says. You may be familiar with Annie Leonard's The Story of Stuff Project, the illustrated, animated explainers that break down progressive issues in easy, fun ways. In the same style, she explains the story of Cap & Trade--how it works, who would benefit, who would suffer, and why real solutions to climate change are necessary. And finally, Vermont is nearly all the way to single-payer health care, but Laura warns not to forget the fight the insurance companies will put up. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: The Story of Cap & Trade

Mon, 09 May 2011 21:07:02 +0000

You may be familiar with Annie Leonard's The Story of Stuff Project, the illustrated, animated explainers that break down progressive issues in easy, fun ways. In the same style, she explains the story of Cap & Trade--how it works, who would benefit, who would suffer, and why real solutions to climate change are necessary.

GRITtv: The F Word: Vermont Closer to Single-Payer Healthcare

Mon, 09 May 2011 20:12:48 +0000

The Senate and the House of Representatives agree: single-payer health care is the only way to provide real coverage for all. Insurance companies are never going to do the right thing and put people before profits, so the only option is to go around them, and politicians in both houses have voted to create a real health care system. In Vermont, that is. Mary Gerisch of the Vermont Workers Center joined us last month here on GRITtv to explain the grassroots organizing campaign that finally resulted in victory in the state legislature. She noted that two years ago, they were told that it was not politically possible to pass single-payer legislation, but they didn't take no for an answer. The insurance companies will no doubt keep fighting this billâ€”even one small state single-payer plan could provide a powerful example for the rest of the country. Already, California Democrats are reviving a bill that would create single-payer care in that stateâ€”and it's already moved out of the Health Committee. We've spoken before to Wendell Potter, formerly a CIGNA executive, about the way the health insurance industry fought national health care reform, and we know that misinformation, attack ads, and millions of dollars will be flowing Vermont's way as the bill moves through reconciliation and toward the governor's desk. But for now, Vermontâ€”and all of us--should be celebrating the proof that a grassroots campaign can lead to victory for single-payer advocates and progressives in general. We're that much closer to recognizing health care as a human right. And much closer to the big fight which will show really, which side our for-profit insurers are on. Keep an eye on Vermont, people. An alternative model. . . the US has invaded small countries for less. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Malalai Joya: A Dirty Game in Afghanistan

Fri, 06 May 2011 20:41:45 +0000

GRITtv: May 6, 2011

Fri, 06 May 2011 20:35:21 +0000

Osama bin Laden was the reason given for invading Afghanistan in 2001--but he was found in 2011 in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the Afghan people have dealt with ten years of occupation, and Malalai Joya has been speaking out against it for that long. Malalai joined Laura in studio before the death of Bin Laden was announced, but in a later email she told GRITtv: "One of the main excuses of the US occupation is now gone. The struggle for independence, democracy, and freedom should get easier, but it won't. Not without an end to occupation." In other words, it won't change much from the picture she presents here. The circle of life doesn't end when people begin a life behind bars. Incarcerated women give birth; others become gravely ill. Do prisoners have the right to comfort as they approach death? If so, who will provide it? These are real questions that many working in the prison system have ignored--but not everyone. Our documentary of the week goes behind the walls of the maximum security Iowa State Penitentiary, where a prisoner-staffed hospice program has been touching the lives of patients and caregivers alike. Filmmaker Edgar Barens spent six months embedded with program participants, and the resulting film is the intimate Prison Terminal. We've followed Vermont's struggle for single-payer healthcare for a while now, and this week the grassroots movement saw victory as the State Senate passed the bill, which now heads to Governor Peter Shumlin for his signature. Last week, Sam Mayfield attended a rally in support of the bill in Montpelier and sent us this report on what Green Mountain Care means to the people of that state. Comic Hari Kondabolu has a few words for people who don't realize that "African" is not a language. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Got Docs: Prison Terminal

Fri, 06 May 2011 20:22:49 +0000

The circle of life doesn't end when people begin a life behind bars. Incarcerated women give birth; others become gravely ill. Do prisoners have the right to comfort as they approach death? If so, who will provide it? These are real questions that many working in the prison system have ignored--but not everyone. Our documentary of the week goes behind the walls of the maximum security Iowa State Penitentiary, where a prisoner-staffed hospice program has been touching the lives of patients and caregivers alike. Filmmaker Edgar Barens spent six months embedded with program participants, and the resulting film is the intimate Prison Terminal. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Everybody In, Nobody Out: Rallying For Universal Healthcare in Vermont

Fri, 06 May 2011 19:37:09 +0000

We've followed Vermont's struggle for single-payer healthcare for a while now, and this week the grassroots movement saw victory as the State Senate passed the bill, which now heads to Governor Peter Shumlin for his signature. Last week, Sam Mayfield attended a rally in support of the bill in Montpelier and sent us this report on what Green Mountain Care means to the people of that state. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Hari Kondabolu: Speaking African

Fri, 06 May 2011 19:29:24 +0000

Comic Hari Kondabolu has a few words for people who don't realize that "African" is not a language. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Heather McGhee: Deficit Obsession is Depression-Maker

Thu, 05 May 2011 22:09:19 +0000

GRITtv: May 5, 2011

Thu, 05 May 2011 21:16:41 +0000

"Saying when the economy is at its weakest we're going to put into law that we can't spend more to pick ourselves up...that's a depression-maker," says Heather McGhee of Demos. But despite warnings from economists from all over, the government in Washington, Democrats and Republicans both, remain obsessed with the deficit.Heather joins Laura in studio to grade Obama, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and of course the Ryan plan on the budget, the deficit, and the need for more stimulus.Tom Morello, Rage Against the Machine guitarist and protest singer as The Nightwatchman, was in Madison to support the workers' protest, and now his new music is inspired by those union workers. ; His new EP, Union Town, is coming out soon and its proceeds will go to support The America Votes Labor Unity Fund, but you can download this track for free now at SaveWorkers.org. Bernie Madoff, the infamous Wall Street Ponzi schemer who became one of the villains of the economic crisis, played on his clients' fear, not their greed. So says Diana Henriques, author of the new book Wizard of Lies. Having twice interviewed Madoff in prison, Diana notes that his personal charisma combined with Wall Street's lax regulations to create a perfect storm that wiped out his clients' wealth.Diana joins Laura in studio for a conversation about Madoff, Wall Street, and the ways ordinary people get ripped off by complex financial schemes.Finally, playwright Tony Kushner has spent his career fighting

GRITtv: Diana Henriques: Bernie Madoff's Deadly Sins

Thu, 05 May 2011 22:04:11 +0000

Bernie Madoff, the infamous Wall Street Ponzi schemer who became one of the villains of the economic crisis, played on his clients' fear, not their greed. So says Diana Henriques, author of the new book Wizard of Lies. Having twice interviewed Madoff in prison, Diana notes that his personal charisma combined with Wall Street's lax regulations to create a perfect storm that wiped out his clients' wealth. Diana joins Laura in studio for a conversation about Madoff, Wall Street, and the ways ordinary people get ripped off by complex financial schemes.

GRITtv: Tom Morello: Union Town

Thu, 05 May 2011 20:41:38 +0000

Tom Morello, Rage Against the Machine guitarist and protest singer as The Nightwatchman, was in Madison to support the workers' protest, and now his new music is inspired by those union workers. His new EP, Union Town, is coming out soon and its proceeds will go to support The America Votes Labor Unity Fund, but you can download this track for free now at SaveWorkers.org. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: The F Word: Tony Kushner Denied Honors Over Palestine

Thu, 05 May 2011 20:22:48 +0000

This week, the news hit that Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner, perhaps best known for his Angels in America, was being blocked from receiving an honorary degree from the City University of New York because of his views on Israel. Kushner, who also has an honorary degree from Brandeis University, told Salon's Justin Elliott that this was an “unprecedented and pretty ugly experience.” Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Paris Hatcher: "Culture of Life" is a Lie

Wed, 04 May 2011 21:29:19 +0000

GRITtv: Walter Mosley: The Path to Political Identity

Wed, 04 May 2011 21:22:18 +0000

"We need to understand that we are one people all of whom have myriad origins. We've come together here in this place," says bestselling author Walter Mosley. He joins us to talk about his newest book, 12 Steps Toward Political Revelation. For a growing number of American who feel left out--or even targeted--by the current political climate, the possibility of influencing change and of having a voice is becoming an increasingly problematic task. 12 Steps Toward Political Revelation stresses the importance of everything from finding a strong political identity, and recognizing the systems that work against us and not for us. Walter joins us to explain how important each of our paths towards political enlightenment is for our nation and our world.

GRITtv: May 4, 2011

Wed, 04 May 2011 20:47:22 +0000

"We're supposed to love life, right? And protect mothers and ban abortion because abortion is about ending babies lives, right? But then we see cuts to WIC, [Women, Infants & Children benefits], we know women are being chained to beds to give birth," Paris Hatcher of SPARK Reproductive Justice points out. The entire idea pushed by conservatives that we are concerned with a "culture of life" is proved false by the way our society treats mothers--certain mothers, anyway. Today, while the House debated H.R. 3, the "redefining rape" bill that would eliminate funding for abortion, we spoke with Paris via Skype from Georgia, and she noted the outrage that women around the country feel over the double standard in Congress and the states--we don't want women to have abortions, but we don't want to support their motherhood, either. One of the deadliest tornadoes in US history, over a mile and a half wide, touched down in Tuscaloosa, Alabama last week, with devastation extending across seven states. More than 350 fatalities have been reported, 80 people are still missing in Tuscaloosa alone, and over a thousand people remain hospitalized with critical injuries. The Alabama state Emergency Management Agency is calling the aftermath in Tuscaloosa “Katrina, without three days warning...” While the networks are wall-to-wall Bin Laden, with or without budgets or even homes - survivors are getting the story out.. To compile this piece GRITtv's Rebecca MacDonald relied on eyewitnesses -- many of them students of University of Alabama assistant professor Dr. Rachel Raimist. Student Trey Moe's graduation was to be this week. "We need to understand that we are one people all of whom have myriad origins. We've come together here in this place," says bestselling author Walter Mosley. He joins us to talk about his newest book, 12 Steps Toward Political Revelation. For a growing number of American who feel left out--or even targeted--by the current political climate, the possibility of influencing change and of having a voice is becoming an increasingly problematic task. 12 Steps Toward Political Revelation stresses the importance of everything from finding a strong political identity, and recognizing the systems that work against us and not for us. Walter joins us to explain how important each of our paths towards political enlightenment is for our nation and our world. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Tornado Devastates Alabama, Southeast

Wed, 04 May 2011 20:02:40 +0000

One of the deadliest tornadoes in US history, over a mile and a half wide, touched down in Tuscaloosa, Alabama last week, with devastation extending across seven states. More than 350 fatalities have been reported, 80 people are still missing in Tuscaloosa alone, and over a thousand people remain hospitalized with critical injuries. The Alabama state Emergency Management Agency is calling the aftermath in Tuscaloosa “Katrina, without three days warning...” While the networks are wall-to-wall Bin Laden, with or without budgets or even homes - survivors are getting the story out.. To compile this piece GRITtv's Rebecca MacDonald relied on eyewitnesses -- many of them students of University of Alabama assistant professor Dr. Rachel Raimist. Student Trey Moe's graduation was to be this week. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Richard Trumka: Fight, Mobilize, Educate Workers

Tue, 03 May 2011 21:13:25 +0000

GRITtv: May 3, 2011

Tue, 03 May 2011 21:09:37 +0000

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.

GRITtv: US Uncut: Bringing an Education to Bank of America

Tue, 03 May 2011 21:04:13 +0000

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!

GRITtv: Phyllis Bennis: Listening to the People in the Arab World

Tue, 03 May 2011 21:01:36 +0000

"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.

GRITtv: The F Word: Is BP Too Big To Fail?

Tue, 03 May 2011 20:15:48 +0000

Now to the opposite of cuts. Over a year after the biggest oil spill in US history and even as criminal investigations continue, BP is still receiving millions of dollars in government contracts. That's according to a new story by Jason Leopold at Truthout, who notes that only last week Air BP, a division of the oil company responsible for the oil still causing problems in the Gulf of Mexico, was awarded a $42 million contract to supply fuel to Dover Air Force Base. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Sonali Kolhatkar: Reflecting on Bin Laden, Afghanistan

Mon, 02 May 2011 22:09:42 +0000

"Bin Laden's ideology is not the ideology of the masses, of the Arabs, of people in central Asia, of Muslims," notes Sonali Kolhatkar of the Afghan Women's Mission. But, she notes, the danger is that now by killing him we have made him a martyr and inflamed anger again among people already feeling marginalized. Sonali joins Laura via Skype from California to discuss the impact of the war and bin Laden's death on Afghanistan, and the standards that should be applied when pursuing people like bin Laden or Libya's Qaddafi.

GRITtv: Tariq Ali: Killing Bin Laden Was Not "Justice"

Mon, 02 May 2011 22:01:55 +0000

GRITtv: New Yorkers Reflect on Bin Laden, September 11

Mon, 02 May 2011 21:27:58 +0000

After the news of Bin Laden's death hit late Sunday night, Laura headed down to Ground Zero to catch up with the New Yorkers who gathered there to remember the collapse of the Twin Towers. A few of them shared their reflections with her, and we share them with you. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: May 2, 2011

Mon, 02 May 2011 21:20:22 +0000

"If the aim was to show us that state terror was more powerful than individual terrorists, we already knew that," says Tariq Ali of the U.S. special forces action that reportedly killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. As Americans celebrated outside of the White House and gathered at Ground Zero to remember those lost, Tariq reminds us that bin Laden's death will not make the U.S. safer. He joins Laura via Skype from London to discuss the ramifications of bin Laden's death, on U.S. foreign policy and specifically the relationship with Pakistan, as well as to question the use of the word "justice" to describe a unilateral military action. After the news of Bin Laden's death hit late Sunday night, Laura headed down to Ground Zero to catch up with the New Yorkers who gathered there to remember the collapse of the Twin Towers. A few of them shared their reflections with her, and we share them with you. "Bin Laden's ideology is not the ideology of the masses, of the Arabs, of people in central Asia, of Muslims," notes Sonali Kolhatkar of the Afghan Women's Mission. But, she notes, the danger is that now by killing him we have made him a martyr and inflamed anger again among people already feeling marginalized. Sonali joins Laura via Skype from California to discuss the impact of the war and bin Laden's death on Afghanistan, and the standards that should be applied when pursuing people like bin Laden or Libya's Qaddafi. And finally, Laura reflects on the past ten years and the U.S.--and the world's--desire for closure. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: The F Word: Searching for Closure at Ground Zero

Mon, 02 May 2011 20:39:43 +0000

Closure. That was the word on people's lips last night after President Obama announced that Osama Bin Laden had been killed in a firefight with US forces in Pakistan. Hours after the attack on the Trade Towers in 2001 I walked down to the site. I returned there again last night and found a loud crowd shouting mostly the words "USA, USA," in the darkness to a clutch of news cameras. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Got Docs: Two Americans

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:36:57 +0000

A 9-year-old child faces down Sheriff Joe Arpaio in this week's featured documentary, Two Americans. Katherine Figueroa is a US citizen born to immigrant parents, and when Arpaio targets them for deportation, she becomes the center of a fight against the sheriff's plans. In Arizona, the immigration battle has its ground zero, and this documentary follows the people at the center of it all.

GRITtv: Vandana Shiva: Understanding the Corporate Takeover

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:33:10 +0000

GRITtv: April 29, 2011

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:32:18 +0000

"The American people should see that corporations have abandoned them long ago," says scientist, environmentalist, and food justice activist Dr. Vandana Shiva, named one of the seven most influential women in the world by Forbes magazine. "The people will have to rebuild democracy as a living democracy." Dr. Shiva has been fighting corporate takeover in every area in her native India, combating a nuclear plant one week and patented, genetically modified seeds another. She joins Laura in studio to advise American activists how they can fight the merging of corporations and government here at home and around the world. A 9-year-old child faces down Sheriff Joe Arpaio in this week's featured documentary, Two Americans. Katherine Figueroa is a US citizen born to immigrant parents, and when Arpaio targets them for deportation, she becomes the center of a fight against the sheriff's plans. In Arizona, the immigration battle has its ground zero, and this documentary follows the people at the center of it all. Singer-songwriter Phoebe Snow died this week at the age of 58. Her powerful voice will certainly be missed, and we bring you this performance of her classic hit "Poetry Man" to remember her too-often forgotten work. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Phoebe Snow: Poetry Man

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:21:44 +0000

Singer-songwriter Phoebe Snow died this week at the age of 58. Her powerful voice will certainly be missed, and we bring you this performance of her classic hit "Poetry Man" to remember her too-often forgotten work. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Andrew Bacevich: Serious Thinking About US Military Action

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:06:23 +0000

GRITtv: Sex, Hope & Rock'n'roll: Ellen Willis and Pop Critique

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:56:40 +0000

"Rock is, among other things, a potent means of expressing the active emotions--anger, aggression, lust, the joy of physical exertion--that feed all freedom movements, and it is no accident that women musicians have been denied access to this powerful musical language." So wrote Ellen Willis in June of 1974, when the acclaimed feminist thinker and cultural critic was working as the Rock, Etc. columnist at the New Yorker. A new book of Willis's rock criticism is out now, titled Out Of The Vinyl Deeps and edited by her daughter, Nona Willis Aronowitz, and this weekend a conference at New York University will celebrate her work as a pop culture thinker and writer. Nona joins Laura in studio with Drexel University professor Devon Powers to discuss Willis's influence and ideas.

GRITtv: April 28, 2011

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:53:24 +0000

According to retired Colonel Andrew Bacevich, Barack Obama "is a problem solver, he's surrounded himself with problem solvers at a time when maybe we need some creative thinking." This week saw the announcement that General David Petraeus would be taking Leon Panetta's spot as head of the CIA, while Panetta would be moving to replace Robert Gates as Defense Secretary. Bacevich joins Laura in studio to discuss the changes in the administration and the ongoing situation in Libya and Syria, and notes that at a time when the Arab world is undergoing deep changes, it should be a time for modesty in the US and a reconsideration of military power and the use of violence to achieve goals. "Rock is, among other things, a potent means of expressing the active emotions--anger, aggression, lust, the joy of physical exertion--that feed all freedom movements, and it is no accident that women musicians have been denied access to this powerful musical language." So wrote Ellen Willis in June of 1974, when the acclaimed feminist thinker and cultural critic was working as the Rock, Etc. columnist at the New Yorker. A new book of Willis's rock criticism is out now, titled Out Of The Vinyl Deeps and edited by her daughter, Nona Willis Aronowitz, and this weekend a conference at New York University will celebrate her work as a pop culture thinker and writer. Nona joins Laura in studio with Drexel University professor Devon Powers to discuss Willis's influence and ideas. Baratunde Thurston is usually one of our favorite comedians, but even he couldn't bring himself to laugh at the ugly spectacle of a privileged white man like Donald Trump congratulating himself in front of news cameras for getting Barack Obama to produce a "long-form" birth certificate. Baratunde recorded his feelings about that statement, and what it says to millions of African-Americans. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Baratunde Thurston: Trump and the Birth Certificate

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:51:25 +0000

Baratunde Thurston is usually one of our favorite comedians, but even he couldn't bring himself to laugh at the ugly spectacle of a privileged white man like Donald Trump congratulating himself in front of news cameras for getting Barack Obama to produce a "long-form" birth certificate. Baratunde recorded his feelings about that statement, and what it says to millions of African-Americans. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Walter Mosley: Beyond "Birthers," Trusting People

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:24:50 +0000

"People actually want to believe in heroes, so they'll believe in Glenn Beck, they'll believe in Barack Obama, they choose individuals to believe in but won't believe in politics itself," says Walter Mosley, author and activist. Obama may have been pressured into releasing his "long form" birth certificate this week, but that won't heal the hurt in our politics, Mosley says, until Americans stop trusting heroes and experts and start trusting each other. Mosley joins us for part one of a two-part conversation on his vision for a truly people-powered America.

GRITtv: Antonia Juhasz: Oil Companies Profit, American Consumers Suffer

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:13:12 +0000

GRITtv: April 27, 2011

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:04:24 +0000

"What has translated into a change in price for oil and gas has simply been a result of the greed of the oil industry," says author and GRITtv oil correspondent, Antonia Juhasz of rising oil prices and pain at the pump. Antonia is the director of the Energy Program at Global Exchange, and author of the newly released book, Black Tide: The Devastating Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill. With prices two times higher than they were when President Obama took office, and up 37% just this year, Americans are feeling an additional squeeze at the pumps. The White House's plan to reduce fuel costs may be a step in the right direction, says Antonia. However, as we continue to navigate issues like speculative trading and a lack of regulation in the Intercontinental Oil Exchange, true progress may be difficult. Is there a responsible way forward? And, more importantly, is the Obama administration ready to set us on that path? "People actually want to believe in heroes, so they'll believe in Glenn Beck, they'll believe in Barack Obama, they choose individuals to believe in but won't believe in politics itself," says Walter Mosley, author and activist. Obama may have been pressured into releasing his "long form" birth certificate this week, but that won't heal the hurt in our politics, Mosley says, until Americans stop trusting heroes and experts and start trusting each other. Mosley joins us for part one of a two-part conversation on his vision for a truly people-powered America. Finally, the media is more obsessed with the British royal wedding than the US people actually are, but why should we bother with British royals at all when we have our own royals right here? They're called corporations. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: The F Word: Let's Admit The Truth About American Royals

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:52:46 +0000

According to polls, only about 6 percent of Americans are following with any close attention the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. But that's not stopping the media fascination on both sides of the Atlantic with American's supposed fascination with Britain's royals. “Royal wedding reminds us why we tossed Brits,” ran one letter to a local paper recently. That exorbitant $80 million spent on a medieval style ritual in time of 21st century austerity. It's shameful. It's old world. It's just what Americans fought a revolutionary war to throw off. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Laura Flanders on The Ed Show, 4/25/11

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:11:55 +0000

Laura and Tyson Slocum of Public Citizen discuss oil price gouging and the GOP with Ed Schultz.

GRITtv: Gioconda Belli: Bringing Back the Lusty Left

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 20:42:50 +0000

"Because of the separation of women, we have created societies where we are cut in the middle. And when women have gone into public life they are forced to go into public life like men," says Gioconda Belli, Nicaraguan poet and author and former Sandinista revolutionary and later government member. Gioconda and her female comrades formed "The Party of the Lusty Left" in response to continued sexism by the revolutionary party. Gioconda is in New York for the PEN World Voices festival, and joins Laura in studio for a conversation about what modern revolutionary movements need, how women are leaders in the fight for equality, and why media matters.

GRITtv: Thomas Frank: What's the Matter With Wisconsin?

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 20:33:03 +0000

GRITtv: April 26, 2011

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 20:21:21 +0000

"This is what's interesting in Wisconsin: I think that the Right may have picked a fight they can't win rhetorically," says Harper's columnist Thomas Frank, who visited Wisconsin during the heat of the union battles this winter. He notes that Wisconsin was historically one of the most liberal states in the country, and the labor-liberal base there is fired up and ready to fight back. Thomas joins Laura in studio to talk Wisconsin and the bigger picture for progressives in the country--is the time of the Tea Party fading? "Because of the separation of women, we have created societies where we are cut in the middle. And when women have gone into public life they are forced to go into public life like men," says Gioconda Belli, Nicaraguan poet and author and former Sandinista revolutionary and later government member. Gioconda and her female comrades formed "The Party of the Lusty Left" in response to continued sexism by the revolutionary party. Gioconda is in New York for the PEN World Voices festival, and joins Laura in studio for a conversation about what modern revolutionary movements need, how women are leaders in the fight for equality, and why media matters. Finally, as gas prices are going up, Obama's approval ratings waver--and Republicans, who never met an oil and gas subsidy they didn't like, are preparing to exploit that. Laura has some thoughts. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Shirin Ebadi: Justice for Women in Today's Revolutions

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:45:53 +0000

Shirin Ebadi was the first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and the first woman to serve as a Chief Justice in her native Iran--a right taken away from her with the 1979 Islamic revolution. Since then, she has fought for human rights, particularly those of women and children, and has campaigned to restore the rights of women in Iran. While visiting New York, Ms. Ebadi took time out to sit down with Laura and discuss the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, the struggle for civil rights in Iran, and why the revolutions will be incomplete without democracy and rights for women.

GRITtv: The F Word: Oil Prices: Gouge Us Baby One More Time

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:37:01 +0000

Gas prices have been edging up since February, reaching $4 a gallon this Easter, and Republicans are gearing up to make a stink about it. To blame Democrats, that is, for setting things up this way. Blaming green energy initiatives for driving up prices, House Republicans are planning to hold hearings on a slurry of bills aimed at expanding domestic oil production in response to high gasoline prices. Even the President admits gas prices effect his standing in the polls. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: South Carolina Tea Party: Previews of 2012?

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:54:17 +0000

Michele Bachmann and Nikki Haley joined a Tea Party crowd in Columbia, South Carolina to talk politics--and a Democratic consultant was in the crowd, talking to rally attendees.

GRITtv: The F Word: Guantanamo Files Show Media Priorities

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:48:54 +0000

As I perused the latest WikiLeaks releases this morning, a retweet from their Twitter feed caught my eye: “Gitmo: Compare the first paragraph of these two stories about the same thing.” One was a link to the BBC and one was CNN. At the BBC, the title is “Wikileaks: Many at Guantanamo 'Not dangerous'” and the first graf points out that the US believed many were innocent or only low-level operatives. CNN's piece, by contrast, says that the released documents “reveal extraordinary details about the alleged terrorist activities of Al Qaeda operatives” at Gitmo. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Vince Warren: WikiLeaks Exposes Guantanamo Truth

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:40:29 +0000

GRITtv: April 25, 2011

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:33:40 +0000

"The real issue is who was actually at Guantanamo, how were they treated, and this revelation gives us another chance to look at that," says Vince Warren of the Center for Constitutional Rights, who joins Laura in studio to discuss the latest disclosures from WikiLeaks--nearly 800 files on the detainees at the infamous Guantanamo Bay detention facility. Though President Obama promised to close the prison when he was elected, it remains open and 172 people remain imprisoned there, Warren notes, and argues that this disclosure could be another opportunity to rethink that policy. Shirin Ebadi was the first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and the first woman to serve as a Chief Justice in her native Iran--a right taken away from her with the 1979 Islamic revolution. Since then, she has fought for human rights, particularly those of women and children, and has campaigned to restore the rights of women in Iran. While visiting New York, Ms. Ebadi took time out to sit down with Laura and discuss the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, the struggle for civil rights in Iran, and why the revolutions will be incomplete without democracy and rights for women. Michele Bachmann and Nikki Haley joined a Tea Party crowd in Columbia, South Carolina to talk politics--and a Democratic consultant was in the crowd, talking to rally attendees. And finally, Laura points out some differences between US and overseas media coverage of the WikiLeaks Guantanamo documents--and why it matters, even if the complete documents are available online for all to see. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Students and Teachers Fight California University Cuts

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:19:54 +0000

Budget cuts are everywhere we look these days, but they often come right along with giveaways and moves to further enrich those at the top. In San Francisco, students and teachers came out to protest massive budget cuts in the California State University system, express outrage over the obscene salaries of the dean of students and voice their concern about their financially debt ridden future. This video comes courtesy of Davey D and OpenLine media. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: East WillyB: Creating Socially Conscious Humor Online

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:19:50 +0000

GRITtv: April 22, 2011

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:18:47 +0000

"We need to be able to laugh about issues but we also need to know that aside from the comedy that we find in the series when cultures collide, there is a very real issue of displacement in many urban communities," says Julia Ahumada Grob, the co-creator and lead actor of the web TV series East WillyB. The show is set in Bushwick a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, and it addresses the problems of gentrification and displacement of communities of color through humor, and brings high-quality TV production values to the 'net. Julia and actor Flaco Navaja join Laura in studio to discuss dealing with pressing social issues through humor, addressing the "new generation Latino" and why they moved to create their own media. The job of the journalist is not to give people a voice, filmmaker Miki Chakarova explains to her students: "People have a voice," she says, "It's just that they don't have an outlet." In her recent film, The Price of Sex, Chakarova went to great lengths to provide that outlet by embedding herself in the world of Eastern European sex trafficking. The resulting film is an intimate portrait of the individuals that comprise an industry, and the way that corruption thrives in the context of poverty. The film is playing around the country at select venues and will have its NYC premiere this summer at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Budget cuts are everywhere we look these days, but they often come right along with giveaways and moves to further enrich those at the top. In San Francisco, students and teachers came out to protest massive budget cuts in the California State University system, express outrage over the obscene salaries of the dean of students and voice their concern about their financially debt ridden future. This video comes courtesy of Davey D and OpenLine media. Finally, a new story in The Nation shows that the Supreme Court's also made it a lot easier for companies to pressure their employees directly about voting. Laura has some thoughts on the way Citizens United is changing the workplace as well as the ballot box. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Got Docs: The Price of Sex

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:57:33 +0000

The job of the journalist is not to give people a voice, filmmaker Miki Chakarova explains to her students: "People have a voice," she says, "It's just that they don't have an outlet." In her recent film, The Price of Sex, Chakarova went to great lengths to provide that outlet by embedding herself in the world of Eastern European sex trafficking. The resulting film is an intimate portrait of the individuals that comprise an industry, and the way that corruption thrives in the context of poverty. The film is playing around the country at select venues and will have its NYC premiere this summer at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: The F Word: Citizens United Allows Workplace Propaganda

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:25:52 +0000

We've talked a lot about the devastating effects of corporate cash on elections following the Citizens United decision, but a new story in The Nation shows that the Supreme Court's also made it a lot easier for companies to pressure their employees directly about voting. Distributed by Tubemogul.

GRITtv: Christopher Anderson: Remembering Tim Hetherington

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:35:05 +0000

Photojournalist and filmmaker Tim Hetherington was a guest on GRITtv recently to discuss his Oscar-nominated documentary Restrepo, which he made while embedded with a troop of soldiers in Afghanistan. He spoke candidly with us about the dangers of reporting on war. Tim Hetherington was killed in Misrata, Libya yesterday, along with photojournalist Chris Hondros. Two other journalists were wounded, along with at least 15 civilians killed and more than 100 injured in the last 24 hours. Christopher Anderson, Tim's studio-mate and an award-winning photojournalist himself, joins Laura in studio to remember his colleagues and discuss the perils of photographing war.

GRITtv: Mark Hertsgaard: Surviving Generation Hot

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:29:12 +0000

Global climate change isn't an if anymore, it's a when, according to journalist Mark Hertsgaard. The planet is going to get warmer, and Hertsgaard says that only the "climate crooks and climate cranks" are still in the denial business. But legislation is stalled in Congress because those very same crooks control the purse strings of the politicians who make the decisions. How do the members of Generation Hot, like Hertsgaard's daughter Chiara, make it? Mark joined Laura in studio to discuss that and more in the second part of a two-part interview, this one focusing on the big picture, covered in his new book Hot: Living Through the Next Fifty Years on Earth.