Counterpoint 06-01-26 with Scott Harris discusses Trump's Cuba oil blockade &invasion threat; World Press Freedom Index tracks decline of free press globally & in US; CT State Rep. Josh Elliott's primary challenge to Gov. Lamont; Democrats autopsy report

Counterpoint 06-01-26 with Scott Harris discusses Trump's Cuba oil blockade &invasion threat; World Press Freedom Index tracks decline of free press globally & in US; CT State Rep. Josh Elliott's primary challenge to Gov. Lamont; Democrats autopsy report

COUNTERPOINT RADIO, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00 – 9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org [http://wpkn.org] Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org [http://www.btlonline.org/] for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site [http://counterpointradio.org/]: http://counterpointradio.org [http://counterpointradio.org/] The full 1.5 hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2 week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint [http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint]   1) Peter Kornbluh, director of the Cuba Documentation Project at the National Security Archive in Washington, D.C., and co-author, with William M. LeoGrande, of Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana.  Kornbluh, also the author of The Pinochet File: A Declassified Dossier on Atrocity and Accountability, talks about his recent Nation Magazine article, "The CIA Goes to Cuba," and what the Trump regime may be planning after its indictment of Raúl Castro in Florida, possibly kidnapping the aging Cuban leader as they did with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January -- or a U.S. military invasion.   2) Ben Grazda, Advocacy Manager with Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Reporters Sans Frontières summarizes RSF's World Press Freedom Index tracking the decline in freedom of the press around the world, and the steep decline here in the U.S. He'll examine some of the long term challenges facing American journalists including: economic pressure leading to the disappearance of many local news outlets, concentration of ownership, political attacks on government critics, and the January 2026 FBI raid on Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's home which sets a dangerous precedent for the future prosecution of journalists doing their jobs.   3) Rep. Josh Elliott of Connecticut's 88th District representing residents of Hamden's Spring Glen, Whitneyville, parts of Centerville and Shepherd Hill neighborhoods. Rep. Elliott, who serves as Deputy House Speaker and Majority Caucus Co-Chair, won 25% of the delegates at the state's Democratic Convention last month, clearing the 15% threshold to force an August primary election against incumbent Democratic Governor Ned Lamont. Lamont won the party's official endorsement with about 75% of the delegate vote. Rep. Elliott will talk about his candidacy, the policies he's advocating, and his strategy to win the August 11th primary.   4) Sam Rosenthal Political Director of Roots Action talks about his recent commentary, "Establishment Democrats Still Don’t Get Why They Lost in 2024," and the critical importance -- in this moment of Donald Trump's multifront violent attack on U.S. democracy -- of having a viable political party to stand as an alternative to Trump and the Republican Party's authoritarian project.

Counterpoint 05-25-26 with Scott Harris discusses Trump Iran War Quagmire; The GOP's MAGA Antiwar Problem; Trump Beijing Summit Reveals China's Rise, US decline; Why Trump, GOP Believe They'll Never Face Accountability

COUNTERPOINT RADIO, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00 – 9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org [http://wpkn.org/]   Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org [http://www.btlonline.org/] for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site [http://counterpointradio.org/]: http://counterpointradio.org [http://counterpointradio.org/] The full 1.5 hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2 week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint [http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint]   1) Trump Appears Unable to Escape his Own Iran War Quagmire  David Faris, Professor of Political Science at Roosevelt University and author of "The Kids Are All Left: How Young Voters Will Unite America," talks about the issues examined in his recent Nation Magazine article, "Why Ending the Iran War May Be a Never-Ending Story, As Trump’s “excursion” veers into quagmire territory," he may just try to walk away amid a host of new distractions."   2) Trump Created the MAGA Antiwar Opposition to his Own War Salon columnist Heather Digby Parton, who writes Digby’s Hullabaloo blog, discusses her recent commentary, "Trump’s anti-war claims blow up in his face after Iran fiasco: Opposition to the president's war with Iran among Gen Z MAGA members could help create positive political change," re: U.S. foreign policy, political history, and a possible new post-Trump anti-war re-alignment.   3) Trump's Beijing Summit Reveals China's Rise, US Decline Mel Goodman, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and a professor of government at Johns Hopkins University.  Goodman, a former CIA analyst and author of "Failure of Intelligence: The Decline and Fall of the CIA," discusses the issues raised in his recent Counterpunch piece, "Sino-American Relations and the “Thucydides Trap.”   4) The Ominous Signals Explaining Why Trump, GOP Appear to Believe They'll Never Face Accountability Paul Street, an independent radical-democratic policy researcher, journalist, historian and author of, "This Happened Here: Amerikaners, Neoliberals, and the Trumping of America," talks about his recent Counterpunch.org commentary, "Why Trump Is So Indifferent to Public Opinion in an Election Year."

Counterpoint 05-18-26 with Scott Harris discusses SCOTUS ruling ushers in new era of political apartheid; Trump GOP rallies for Christian theocracy; New York coalition pushes universal healthcare bill; Peace groups join Memorial Day parade in Norwalk, CT

COUNTERPOINT RADIO, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00 – 9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org [http://wpkn.org/] Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org [http://www.btlonline.org/] for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site [http://counterpointradio.org/]: http://counterpointradio.org [http://counterpointradio.org/] The full 1.5 hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2 week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint [http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint]   1) Dan Vicuña, Senior Policy Director for Voting and Fair Representation at Common Cause, talks about the consequences of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Louisiana v. Callais case that eviscerated the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the disenfranchisement of millions of people of color, and ways in which our nation can work toward achieving a multiracial democracy.   2) Annie Laurie Gaylor co-founder and co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and author of three books including, “Woe to Women: The Bible Tells Me So,” talks about the tax payer funded Trump regime religious rally in Washington, D.C., “Rededicate 250,” that featured white Christian nationalist rhetoric from speakers including  House Speaker Mike Johnson, Franklin Graham, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and others, that the FFRF criticized as an “unprecedented and shocking mix of church and state.”   3) Melanie D'Arrigo, Executive Director with the Campaign for New York Health talks about the campaign dedicated to passing and implementing universal, single-payer health care in New York State. Supporters of the New York Health Act say that New Yorkers will pay less and get more by cutting out waste and using the negotiation power of 20 million New Yorkers. New Yorkers will save billions of dollars by not paying rising premiums, deductibles, co-pays, out-of-network charges, and long-term care costs.   4) John Miksad, a member of Veterans for Peace and World Beyond War, talks about a coalition of groups sponsoring 2 events in Norwalk, CT on Memorial Day, May 25th to promote peace, honor the fallen and support our current troops by keeping our soldiers out of harm’s way in endless disastrous wars, including Trump's disastrous war on Iran, his deployment of the U.S. military to attack civilian boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, and his oil blockade of Cuba.

Counterpoint 05-11-26 with Scott Harris discusses Israeli attacks on Lebanon, West Bank and Gaza; Trump sabotage to Social Security; Psychiatrists call for Trump removal from office; New film: "ICE, No One is Safe at Work"

COUNTERPOINT RADIO, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00 – 9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org [http://wpkn.org] Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org [http://www.btlonline.org/] for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site [http://counterpointradio.org/]: http://counterpointradio.org [http://counterpointradio.org/] The full 1.5 hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2 week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint [http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint]   1) As Trump War on Iran enters 11th Week, US Media Ignores Israel's Ongoing Attacks on Lebanon, West Bank and Gaza. James Zogby, co-founder and President of the Arab American Institute, and Director of Zogby Research Services, a firm that conducts public opinion surveys across the Middle East, discusses the dire situation in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza under continuing military attack by Israel, critically important news that's been lost or ignored by most corporate media coverage during the Iran war.   2) Trump, Musk, DOGE Downsizing of Social Security Administration Demolishes Agency Customer Service Martin O'Malley, Commissioner of the Social Security Administration in the Biden administration, former governor of Maryland and mayor of Baltimore, talks about the impact of the Trump administration's downsizing of the Social Security workforce on customer service, how to fairly address the projected shortfall in the Social Security Trust Fund by 2032, and the current Trump regime attack on democratic institutions and the rule of law.   3) 36 Mental Health Professionals Call for Donald Trump's Immediate, Lawful Removal from Office Dr. Henry Abraham, is Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus at Tufts University School of Medicine, co-recipient of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize for his role as the coauthor of the Constitution of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, and author of, "After the Genocides- Immigration, Education, and the Prevention of Nuclear War," Here he talks about a group of 36 leading physicians and other doctors with expertise in mental health, who he's acting as a spokesperson for, “who issued a statement calling for President Donald J. Trump’s immediate, lawful removal from office for medical reasons. His mental instability, coupled with his sole, unchecked authority to launch nuclear weapons, makes him a clear and present danger to the safety of all Americans.”   4) New Documentary Film Captures ICE Violent Targeting of Workers, and Impact on their Families Robert Greenwald is the founder and president of Brave New Films, a nonprofit production company that creates and distributes investigative political and social justice documentaries. He'll talk about his important new documentary film, "ICE: No One Is Safe -At Work," which highlights how ICE immigration raids affect workers' and their family's lives --- and how listeners can view the film and support Brave New Film's important work.

Counterpoint 05-04-26 with Scott Harris discusses SCOTUS repeal of Voting Rights Act; Is the US-Israel war on Iran about to reignite?; Assessing the power of US pro-democracy movement; CT groups push to prevent 250k residents loss of healthcare

COUNTERPOINT RADIO, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00 – 9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org [http://wpkn.org/] Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org [http://www.btlonline.org/] for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site [http://counterpointradio.org/]: http://counterpointradio.org [http://counterpointradio.org/] The full 1.5 hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2 week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint [http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint]   1) Rightwing Supreme Court Majority Repeals Voting Rights Act, Sends Nation Back to 'Jim Crow' Era  Marjorie Cohn, is professor emerita at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, dean of the People’s Academy of International Law and past president of the National Lawyers Guild.  Cohn, author of the books, "Drones and Targeted Killing: Legal, Moral and Geopolitical Issues." and "The United States and Torture: Interrogation, Incarceration, and Abuse," will take a critical look at the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Louisiana v. Callais case that's decimated what was left of the Voting Rights Act, as examined in her commentary, "The US Supreme Court, Race & the Right to Vote." 2) Is the US-Israel War on Iran about to Reignite? Phyllis Bennis, Director of the Institute for Policy Studies’ New Internationalism Project and author of "Understanding Palestine & Israel," examines the dire situation in the West Bank with a rising number of murders of Palestinians and land seizures by Israeli settlers -- and ongoing deadly Israeli attacks in Gaza that's been lost in most of the corporate media coverage, overshadowed by the Iran war. She'll also discuss the important issues raised in her recent article, "The U.S.-Iran War is Illegal. Here's Why That Matters."  3) Assessing the Power of the US Pro-Democracy Movement to Protect the 2026 Midterm Election  Journalist Micah Sifry, editor of the Connector newsletter which focuses on the "intersection of politics, movements, organizing and technology, with an emphasis on how we make our democracy healthier." He'll talk about his recent Substack piece, "MayDay: The Pro-Democracy Movement Structure Test."  He'll comment on the results of this year's nationwide May Day actions that called for “no work, no school, no shopping” -- and how this tactic, if effective, could impact future resistance plans to disrupt business-as-usual to counter Trump's expected interference in the November 2026 midterm election. 4) CT Health Justice Now Coalition Demands Legislation to Prevent 250,000 Residents From losing Affordable Healthcare Liz Dupont-Diehl, Associate Director of the Connecticut Citizen Action Group CCAG, part of a statewide coalition that’s advocating for urgent legislative action to prevent an estimated 250,000 CT residents from losing access to affordable health insurance resulting from last year's deep Trump, GOP federal budget cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and other social safety net programs.  People who will lose health care coverage this year and in 2027 include those losing Access Health CT financial help, enrollees in the Covered TCT program, and whose coverage will be impacted by new work requirements and other bureaucratic obstacles designed to discourage enrollment in these programs.