The Fight Over the Indian Child Welfare Act Is Not Just A Custody Battle
It’s a lesser-known case in the docket for the Supreme Court, but if The Indian Child Welfare Act is overturned, it could have massive implications for the laws that govern Indigenous sovereignty in the United States. We talk with author and activist Rebecca Nagle about the case of Baby O and the Librettis and how their story led to Halaand v. Brakeen. But, we also investigate the money and interests behind the lawsuit....
The Response: Heatwaves and Energy Poverty in the Mediterranean
In today’s episode, we’re going to focus on energy poverty. When temperatures rise to the point where they become dangerous, what happens to people who can’t escape the heat? As temperatures continue to soar and extreme heatwaves become the norm, a lack of resources to stay cool — so, having access to things like air conditioning, for example, — is a huge issue across the world. To find out how people are fighting energy...
70 Million – Forget Reform, They Want Abolition
This week on Making Contact we’re taking you to St. Louis, Missouri with the Podcast 70 Million to learn about the city’s ongoing efforts to re-imagine public safety beyond incarceration. Organizers in St. Louis have given up on trying to simply reform the criminal legal system. Now, they’re working to abolish it. And they’re starting with the closure of the “Medium Security Institution” known as...
Re:Work Soul Force, Part 1
On Dec. 11, 2021, the UCLA Labor Center’s historic MacArthur Park building was officially named the UCLA James Lawson Jr. Worker Justice Center, in honor of a civil and worker rights icon who has been teaching at UCLA for the last 2 decades. In this episode of Re:Work, 93-year-old Rev. Lawson shares stories from his youth, and how he came to discover soul force and the path of nonviolence. This episode contains material from Rev....
U.S. Anti-Torture History After 9/11
Making Contact · U.S. Anti-Torture History After 9/11 In today’s program, we turn our attention to the history of torture in the U.S. since the 9/11 attacks. Sociology professor Lisa Hajjar traces the post-9/11 history of torture through the victories and defeats, and to the ways in which torture and the fight against it have altered the legal terrain on torture, not only in the United States, but potentially on a global scale....
But Next Time Part 2: From the Ashes
Making Contact · But Next Time Part 2: From the Ashes As fires ravaged California’s world-famous wine country in 2017, a community radio station, emergency dispatcher, and tenant organizers helped the most vulnerable in their community survive and recover. Continue delving into community-rooted responses to disaster in California, from the fires to the pandemic. You’ll hear about how people banded together to build...
