Part One:
REPARATIONS FOR DESCENDANTS OF ENSLAVED PEOPLE.
We speak with Eric Lutz, writer for The Guardian, about plans for a reparations program which may soon become a reality in Evanston, IL. The city had, for years, made efforts toward inclusion, but racial disparities not only failed to decrease but actually increased.
Seeing huge gaps in education, income, housing and life expectancy, community leaders urged the city to study the feasibility of raising money and earmarking it for a fund that will invest in housing, schools, jobs and income benefitting the descendants of slaves. Proponents say they are trying to accomplish, at the local level, what Rep. John Conyers proposed in Congress every year since 1989.
Because the sin of slavery was created by the nation as a whole — and enshrined in the U.S. Constitution — it is clear that a national solution is necessary. We agree, nevertheless, that it is a good thing that even one small city has recognized the need to rectify slavery’s stain on the national soul, and has demonstrated that it’s possible to take the first small step toward remedial action.
Part Two:
FIGHTING VOTER SUPPRESSION; A SHAKEUP IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE; TRUMP’S IMPEACHMENT TRIAL BEGINS.
We again welcome “Dr. Politics,” Steffen Schmidt, professor of political science at Iowa State University. As the Iowa caususes are almost upon us, there is another battle in addition to the one among the candidates: the fight over voter suppression. Like other states, Iowa has enacted laws that limit the ability of people to cast their ballots. One such law requires anyone who comes to the polls to show a larger amount of information to prove their identity. In response, Iowa State University quickly modified all its student IDs so they now include all the information necessary to be allowed to vote. So now 35,000 Iowa State students will be able to cast their votes without being hassled by ballot clerks.
BERNIE IS SURGING! New polls now show Bernie Sanders leading by a large margin in New Hampshire, and also doing very well nationally. Biden is ten percentage points behind Bernie in NH, and Warren is behind him (with virtually the same level of support she has had for months now). Buttigieg is far behind (11%), with Yang and Klobuchar (5%) trailing. At this stage in the primaries, Bernie picked a good time to turn on the momentum. Will he keep this up until the finish line?
Steffen educates us on the intricate nuances of the Iowa caucus process. It is like a dance contest, and the candidates’ staffs must be sure they know all the possible steps. Elizabeth Warren may have some advantage here because her organization was on the ground early in Iowa, with strategists and ground staff. Will that carry her to a strong finish?
HILLARY BUTTS IN. We discuss Hillary Clinton’s gratuitous attack on Bernie Sanders this week. Will this do any damage to Bernie’s campaign? Or will it instead help voters recognize the stark divide between the establishment/corporate wing of the Democratic Party and the progressive candidates who are more attuned to the needs of ordinary Americans?
