Counterpoint 06-15-26 with Scott Harris discusses: The Pentagon's dangerous rush to adopt AI; Trump says Iran peace deal is real this time; Assessing the US left debate on race & class; Congress gives ICE $70 billion opening door to more violence & abuse

Counterpoint 06-15-26 with Scott Harris discusses: The Pentagon's dangerous rush to adopt AI; Trump says Iran peace deal is real this time; Assessing the US left debate on race & class; Congress gives ICE $70 billion opening door to more violence & abuse

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) The Pentagon's Dangerous Rush to Adopt and Deploy AI into All Military Missions William D. Hartung, Senior Research Fellow, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft -- and author, with Ben Freeman of "The Trillion Dollar War Machine: How Runaway Military Spending Drives America Into Foreign Wars and Bankrupts Us At Home," discusses his recent Nation magazine article, "The Pentagon Is Going “AI First,” and issues related to growing concern about the unregulated military applications of AI.   2) Trump Says Iran Peace Deal is Real This Time Jennifer Loewenstein, former associate director of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, assesses the announcement that the US and Iran reached an initial agreement to open the Strait of Hormuz and further extend a shaky ceasefire in the Iran war, how Israel's ongoing attacks and invasion of Lebanon could derail this peace deal, and the lasting impact of Donald Trump's war will impact America's standing in the world.   3) Assessing the Long US Left Debate on Race and Class David Schultz, Distinguished University Professor, Winston Folkers Endowed Distinguished Faculty Chair at Hamline University, talks about his recent commentary, "What is Wrong With the American Left: the Abandonment of Class," issues related to extending democracy into the economy and how this debate should relate to U.S. electoral politics.   4)  Congress gives ICE $70 Billion Opening Door to More Violence & Abuse Yanira Arias, Advocacy and Leadership Organizer at Alianza Americas, discusses her group's opposition to the recent congressional authorization of $70 billion for the Dept. of Homeland Security to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, without any reforms or restrictions. She'll focus on Alianza America's call on "elected officials to reject the expansion of a system that spreads fear, destabilizes families, and undermines trust in public institutions," and what can be done now to mitigate the harm ICE agents will inflict across the U.S. with their new funding.

Counterpoint 06-08-26 with Scott Harris discusses: The MAGA Murder of '60 Minutes;' 'Kick Out Corruption Tour' links Trump Grift to Affordability Crisis; DOGE Mass Firings Close Social Security Offices Nationwide; Campaign Warns of Coming Healthcare Cuts

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) Ellisons & Bari Weiss Murder '60 Minutes'  Sophia Tesfaye, a senior writer at Salon.com, talks about her recent commentary, "Bari Weiss brings Trumpism to “60 Minutes, ” re: the Ellison family CBS "murder" of America's highest rated and most watched news program, issues related to MAGA friendly billionaires' takeover of media outlets, and Donald Trump's weaponization of the FCC and other federal agencies to destroy the nation's free press.   2) 'Kick Out Corruption Tour' Links Trump Grift to Affordability Crisis  Stand Up America's Executive Director, Christina Harvey discusses her group's national "Kick Out Corruption Tour," being organized with End Citizens United, to expose how corruption in Washington is driving up costs for everyday Americans, while offering solutions to cleaning up the waste, fraud and abuse that results from unchecked government corruption.   3) Musk-DOGE Mass Firings Close Social Security Offices Nationwide Alex Lawson, executive director of the group Social Security Works, talks about the Increasing number of Social Security offices that are "temporarily closed" while others are chronically understaffed "ghost offices" that only have a skeleton crew left and can’t meaningfully serve the local community. All this while there are reports that the Trump administration is planning to use AI to spy on employees and use low staffing as an excuse to close more offices.   4) Campaign Warns of Coming Catastrophic Healthcare Budget Cuts Sean Strub, an AIDS activist, founder of POZ Magazine, author, and politician talks about the nationwide Seven Days in June campaign, June 1–7, organized to raise awareness about the $1.2 trillion in federal cuts to healthcare programs, the fight to restore funding impacting millions of Americans, and calling on local, state, and federal leaders to protect health as a governing priority.

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.