NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with A.B. Stoddard, columnist at The Bulwark, about the election results and if it means there has been a durable political realignment.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with award-winning film composer Hans Zimmer about his latest work for the film "Blitz."

Congress returns this week. Republicans are hopeful they will maintain their House majority in the next Congress. In the Senate, Republicans will choose the next majority leader.

Always listen to your mother — that's advice the = legendary Finnish figure Lemminkainen might have wanted to take. But he = thought he knew better and got into trouble for his antics. We hear = Lemminkainen and the Maidens of Saari, set to music by Jean Sibelius and = performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and conductor Arvo Volmer in = Reykjavik.=20

Montana not only went enthusiastically for Trump for a third time, but took the last statewide seat held by a Democrat. Senator Jon Tester's defeat caps a years-long quest to erase purple from Montana's map.

On Explorations this week Dr. Michio Kaku speaks with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. Tyson studied at Harvard University, the University of Texas at […]

The post ON EXPLORATIONS – the science of black holes, with Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson and Dr. Fulvia Melia. appeared first on KKFI.

The Netflix documentary “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” is about a young man whose expansive life was only discovered after his death.

The post Take Two: “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” (PG-13) appeared first on KKFI.

We’re digging into the Piedmont blues, a rich style that mixes ragtime, old-time country music, jazz, gospel, hollers, and historic popular songs. A conversation and music with two younger players […]

The post American Routes – Piedmont Blues with Jontavious Willis & Andrew Alli and The Stooges Brass Band Live from New Orleans appeared first on KKFI.

This week on CounterSpin: We talk about what just happened, and corporate media’s role in it, with Julie Hollar, senior analyst at the media watch group FAIR, and FAIR’s editor Jim Naureckas. We […]

The post Julie Hollar and Jim Naureckas on Placing Blame for Trump appeared first on KKFI.

Wednesday MidDay Medley Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning Wednesday, November 13, 2024 Brock Wilbur & Nick Spacek of The Pitch + Damron Russel Armstrong of The Black Repertory Theatre […]

The post WMM presents Brock Wilbur & Nick Spacek of The Pitch + Damron Russel Armstrong of The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City appeared first on KKFI.

KC Public Theatre: Three Cast Members join Michael in studio- Kelly Main Shane St. James Jake Golliher SHOW SCHEDULE Nov. 15-17 @ 7:30pm LOCATION KCPublic’s Oak Street Studio 1519 Oak […]

The post Arts Magazine Show: KC Public Theatre Presents The Disappointments appeared first on KKFI.

Music has been part of the Franciscan tradition for centuries - but Friar Alessandro appears to be the first one with a big record deal.

Music has been part of the Franciscan tradition for centuries - but Friar Alessandro appears to be the first one with a big record deal.

The British-Indian novelist and journalist spoke with Eleanor Wachtel in 2017.

The academic and author spoke with Eleanor Wachtel about his provocative new novel, Immigrant, Montana.

Farming fish lose their fertilizer and inoculation against misinformation.

Orca sons inhibit mom’s future offspring and more detail on how the first people got to the Americas

Nearly every powered device we use these days depends on microchips, from cars to electric guitars. A look at the origin of the integrated circuit, its rapid development, and the way this technology has changed the world's geopolitical and economic landscape.

The pandemic has driven consumers online for everything from groceries to outdoor heaters. But e-commerce experts caution that online sellers are netting not just revenue, but a treasure trove of personal data, too.

Today on Q with Tom Power: viral sensation Rebecca Black and dancer Hannah Alissa Richardson

Connor Bedard's former coach says the World Junior hockey phenom is something special; how Buffalo is rallying together after Damar Hamlin's near death on the football field; how the bid to keep Prince Harry's memoir from leaking plays into the hype; seriously though, what exactly is Ozempic?; Toronto bartender mixes alcohol-free cocktails for Dry January and beyond; why BioNTech's plan to ship prefabricated mRNA vaccine factories to Rwanda is controversial; and more.

In 2015, the poet-musician Grzegorz Kwiatkowski made a strange discovery at the site of the former Stutthof concentration camp in Poland — something he calls 'a carpet of abandoned shoes.' But these were more than shoes: they're both artifacts and symbols of the Holocaust — as well as a flashpoint of nationalist denialism and historical amnesia.

Having problems commenting on stories?

We need more information.

To help us investigate the problems you are having making comments about our news stories, please include the following information in your email to “contact us”:

What Operating System are you using.
What Browser (including version)
What is your Username
What URL are you referring to (or what article are you commenting on)

If you are having problems viewing our videos please go to our new Video help page.

Without permission to use sandwich boards to attract business, the Irish had to get resourceful.

Every company dreams of doubling its profit. It’s almost impossible to do. Yet, some companies do it by tweaking one tiny thing.

An extraordinary record from a singer previously overlooked.

A calmer-than-usual concept set from the virtuoso saxophonist.

Vaughan’s retooling of the blues made it relevant to a new generation.

A good introduction, albeit a wandering one.

Ellington et al would be proud of Carrington’s 21st century reinterpretations.

Few will grow tired of these intimate songs living in their headphones.

A worthy, satisfying indulgence that’s been a long time coming.

Ipswich rapper offers much more than a simple stopgap release.

A partial victory, and one buoyed by some outstanding surprise turns.

As retailers accelerate into the ‘golden quarter’ new YouGov research finds nearly half of consumers (48%) that buy Christmas gifts say they are not influenced by Black Friday, Cyber Monday or any other last-minute deals.

“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails,” Dolly Parton once said. In the face of uncertainty and disruption, all we can do is adapt. This rings especially true for the logistics industry, which has been subject to major disruption over the last five years. Here, Dave Walsha, sales and marketing director at drive system supplier EMS, explores how robotics could streamline internal logistics operations.

A surprising number of swing voters may be listening to Howard Stern on their way to church.

The summer of Black Lives Matter protests responding to the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks, among others, has led to stunning commitments from major banks and corporations to commit to social justice and promoting practices to recruit, hire and retain underrepresented populations, including black Americans, Latinx and female colleagues.  American Express just announced its pledge to invest $1 Billion to advance racial and gender equity.  JP Morgan Chase in October announced a $30 Billion commitment to advance racial equity.  Similarly, Citi and Bank of America have each pledged $1 Billion to promote economic mobility among communities of color.  Goldman Sachs, famously referred to as a vampire squid during the mortgage crisis in 2008, has announced its "Launch With Goldman Sachs" program "to increase capital and facilitate connections for women, Black, Latinx and other diverse entrepreneurs and investors."  These commitments represent huge infusions of capital into causes that these major corporations have just recently found religion upon.  Numerous corporations have made recent pledges to financially support social justice and economic equality including Google, Disney, Facebook, Amazon,  Cisco, DoorDash, Etsy, Home Depot, Intel, TikTok, Lego, Nike, Proctor & Gamble, Fashion Nova, WeWork, and YouTube, among so many others.

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan Chase stated in announcing its $30 billion-over-five-year commitment, that “[s]ystemic racism is a tragic part of America’s history. . . . We can do more and do better to break down systems that have propagated racism and widespread economic inequality, especially for Black and Latinx people. It’s long past time that society addresses racial inequities in a more tangible, meaningful way.”

For those long-time followers of the Corporate Justice Blog, these corporate pronouncements may seem ironic or perhaps will be received with trepidation or doubt.  Profit maximization has for years furiously driven corporate leadership to dizzying examples of fraud, corruption, and malfeasance as recorded on these blog pages for years.  Still, these Billion dollar commitments respond to a summer of true discontent and protest over inequality and the value of black lives, and if these corporations are to be taken seriously, these capital infusions could come as true gamechangers.  Will these corporations truly put their money where their commitments are?  And how do we hold these companies accountable to their commitments to advancing racial equality and economic mobility for those communities previously shut out?  

photo: Jamie Dimon, Wikimedia Commons

hat tip: Jessica Smith, 3L, Arkansas Little Rock Bowen School of Law

I was an associate at Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison from 1988 until 1991. These almost three years were impactful even though my time there was brief. To say that I learned a great deal is an understatement. My work at the firm took me to places like Gracie Mansion, and to Hollywood for several weeks to perform due diligence for a music publishing company. My time there was further evidence of my African American family’s dramatic upward mobility in just six generations. My maternal grandmother was the granddaughter of enslaved African Americans. She worked as a maid and cook before she went back to school. With a sixth-grade education, she passed the New York State licensing exam for cosmetology. She opened a successful hair salon, and she and my grandfather sent my mom to Hunter College. My mother retired decades ago from a successful career as a scientist and school administrator. And when I went to Paul Weiss, I was making more money than anyone in my immediate and extended family had ever made.

There were about 400 lawyers at the firm’s New York office during the years I was there. Only six of those lawyers (associates) were Black/African American. None of the approximately 80 partners were Black.  My time at Paul Weiss was brief because my plan was to become a law professor. But while I was at the firm, I was supported and mentored. That is why I was surprised to see a 2018 LinkedIn photo of the firm’s new partners in which almost all were white and male. None were Black.

Happily, much has changed in the years since I was associated with the firm, and even in the almost three years after the LinkedIn photo. I attended the firm’s webinar (The Biden Administration:  What’s Next for Businesses) on March 3^rd, 2021. Two of the firm’s (Black) litigation partners were on the panel– Loretta Lynch, former U.S. Attorney, and Jeh Johnson, Former Secretary of Homeland Security. After the webinar I went to the firm’s website that reported the following: “27% of our attorneys self-identify as racially diverse compared to the 20% Big Law average” and “Racially diverse partners are 13% of the equity partnership, compared to the 8% national average”. 

After seeing this website report, I was left wondering how many of these “racially diverse” individuals are Black. Paul Weiss played such a significant role in the upward trajectory of my African American family. And Paul Weiss issued a statement in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. But its racial diversity disclosure had only a fraction of the precision that has made the firm a giant in the legal profession. Law firms can address antiblack racism, if they choose to do so, only if they confront the problem and its impact on the success of Black lawyers. Firms can’t do this if they fail to consider that Black lawyers face issues that are saliently different from those endured by white women, and indigenous, Asian and Latinx individuals. Firms can make their disclosure on these issues more meaningful by counting the Black lawyers. If the numbers are not good (on retention, percentages of partners), it’s time for the firm to engage in some meaningful introspection.

Oh, and one more small, but important point. People of color bring racial diversity to an organization. White people bring racial diversity to an organization. But to say that an individual (a partner, for example) is “racially diverse” is the kind of inaccurate, imprecise language that clouds discussions about difficult issues like antiblack racism. 

 On September 17, 1787, upon exiting the final session of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin told a bystander that the Founders had established “A republic, if you can keep it.” In my youth this statement made little sense because I assumed humans would always want democratic self-governance instead of dictatorship. Humans will always value freedom including self-governance over oppression.

Today, our Constitutional Republic faces grave dangers and unprecedented political challenges that prove Franklin’s point. The Constitution requires constant citizen vigilance to assure that as political winds blow from whatever direction our Constitution endures to assure the freedom and self-governance of successive generations of Americans. Citizens must certainly value the freedom of all over petty partisan advantage.

Today that certainty wavers, and I understand more than ever how dictatorships and autocracies take root and how republics and democracies fail. We now face an epic election on November 5. The presidential candidates run neck and neck. Our Constitutional Republic hangs in the balance. The manifest threats include:

1)    1.   One candidate openly called for the “termination” of the Constitution merely so that he could maintain his grip on power, legally or not.

2)    2.   That candidate previously gathered an angry mob, on January 6, 2021, and told them to “fight like hell” to stop the Constitutional certification of election 2020. That mob subsequently brutalized the Capitol Police and vandalized the Capitol all in an effort to overturn a Constitutional election at his behest. Today, he calls those convicted of criminal misconduct on January 6, “unbelievable patriots”, and he promises to pardon them all.

3)    3.    He openly ridicules and defames the integrity of our Constitutional elections and attacks American elections as “rigged” and “fraudulent” without any evidence. Over 60 courts of law rejected these lies, including rulings by judges he appointed. Today, he leads an effort undermine the certainty of our elections, and use violence and chaos to sow mistrust of democracy in America.

4)     4.   A jury he helped pick, from his native state, found him unanimously guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of 34 felony counts of illegally influencing election 2016 through hush money payments to a porn star to cover up an adulterous affair.

5)      5.  He insults our military heroes willing to die for our Constitution and the hard-won freedoms it secures, calling them “losers” and “suckers” according to, among others, his own handpicked and longest serving Chief of Staff, General John Kelly.

6)     6.   He courts the favor and affection of brutal dictators. He leaked classified intel to one and “fell in love” with another who now menaces virtually our entire nation with nuclear weapons.

7)    7.    He faces criminal charges that he mishandled classified documents, refused to return documents belonging to the United States and obstructed justice.

8)    8. He openly promises to be a dictator on Day One. This promise entails massive Constitutional violations.

9)     9.  He promises “bloody” violence if he should prevail and implement his unconstitutional proposal for “mass deportations” with no due process and massive violations of human rights.

10  10.  Even today, he refuses to commit to the peaceful transition of power. He persistently refuses to ever concede defeat.

No President nor candidate for the White House ever committed any single one of these offenses against the Constitution. Each offense renders a person unfit for the Presidency.

Combined, these offenses make Donald Trump incapable of credibly taking and adhering to his oath of office to defend the Constitution. This inability to take the oath of office usually plays no role in an election. Today it assumes the utmost importance. Trump attacks our Constitution and seeks unbridled power. Donald Trump’s extreme embrace of fascism complete with Big Lies, scapegoating and hatred renders him the most unfit candidate in history. 

Six years ago I began this blog, so I take the opportunity to review my blog’s progress over the past 12 months and to plan its direction for the year ahead.

The post Annual Blog Review: Year 6 appeared first on Richard Farrar.

Seven years ago I began this blog, so I take the opportunity to review my blog’s progress over the past 12 months and to plan its direction for the year ahead.

The post Annual Blog Review: Year 7 appeared first on Richard Farrar.

After damaging his spinal cord, James Gribble decided it was time the golf industry included people of all abilities with North Turramurra Golf Course getting on board.

The travelled far and wide, but it was all worth it for the Lindfield Public School cricket team.

THE North West Sydney Bluetongues are more than a talented cricket team.

CAMPBELLTOWN Mayor Paul Hawker says he envisages a decked carpark for Park Central to alleviate the inadequate parking madness residents have reported within the suburb.