46.6K
Downloads
548
Episodes
Activism, politics, and beer from PA-based Raging Chicken Press
Episodes
Monday Feb 27, 2017
Monday Feb 27, 2017
On Monday, February 27, 2017, right-wing Republican Representative Rick Saccone announced his campaign to challenge PA’s Democratic Senator Bob Casey in the 2018 midterm elections. Saccone represents the 39th district in Western PA, which includes parts of Allegheny and Washington Counties. Saccone is perhaps best known for introducing and passing a bill declaring 2012 the “Year of the Bible.” Saccone was elected to the PA house as part of the Tea Party sweep of the 2010 midterm elections.
Saccone is introduced by Tim Barton, the President and COO of WallBuilders - a right-wing Christian organization founded by his father, David Barton. Here’s how Americans United for the Separation of Church and State describes WallBuilders:
“WallBuilders was founded by David Barton, a former Christian school teacher in Texas who has carved out a lucrative niche for himself by promoting the idea that the United States was founded to be a “Christian nation.”
Named by Time magazine as one of the most 25 influential evangelicals, Barton uses WallBuilders, which has both for-profit and non-profit arms, to attack mainstream history, insisting that church-state separation was not the intention of our Founders.”
Saccone’s announcement was held in the PA Capitol rotunda. This audio was recorded by Sean Kitchen of Raging Chicken Press.
We are digging in for 2017 and Trumplandia. We need you - the progressive community - to help us deepen pull-no-punches, progressive media that will hold power accountable.
- Become a member: https://goo.gl/OgYRW0
- Be a Patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rcpress
- Make a donation: https://www.paypal.me/rcpress
Friday Feb 24, 2017
Friday Feb 24, 2017
The 2017 Keystone Progress Summit was held at the Hilton in Harrisburg, PA February 17-19. Thomas Frank, author of Listen Liberal: Or, Whatever Happened to the Party of the People? - as well as numerous other books - gave the keynote address on Saturday, February 18. Thomas Frank is introduced by Pat Clark, the Board Chair of the Keystone Progress Education Fund.
This audio was recorded by Sean Kitchen of Raging Chicken Press.
Friday Feb 24, 2017
Friday Feb 24, 2017
The 2017 Keystone Progress Summit was held at the Hilton in Harrisburg, PA February 17-19. Democrat Chris Rabb, newly elected state representative from district 200 in Philadelphia, spoke as part of the Keynote luncheon on Saturday, February 18th. Chris Rabb is introduced by Pat Clark, the Board Chair of the Keystone Progress Education Fund.
This audio was recorded by Sean Kitchen of Raging Chicken Press.
Friday Feb 24, 2017
Friday Feb 24, 2017
We’re officially one month into Trumplandia, folks. The Trump Organization kicked off Deportation Nation this week. Jeff Sessions will finally get a chance to squash Reefer Madness. Bannon reaffirms strategy to attack media as the “opposition party.” Standing Rock evicted as Dakota Access Pipeline green lighted again.
Closer to home, PA Dept of Env Protection gives green light to Mariner East 2 pipeline as protests and legal battles continue. Activists are taking a Stand against Williams Transco Central Penn Line South. Senator Eichelberger steps in it, because he cares about education. PASSHE Chancellor ramps up the Shock Doctrine even the system “self-study” is delayed. Oh, and our friend Eichelberger is all for shutting down a couple universities...because, you know, he cares about education. And thanks to a court ruling, a Republican may take over in a district that is 95% registered Democrat. And Democratic Senator Bob Casey gets his first official challenger - Rick Saccone. Looks like Saccone is getting ready to bring the crazy. And we’ll reflect back on our weekend at Keystone Progressive Summit! All that and more on today’s show.
Check out Women's Political Bootcamp in Kutztown on Saturday 2/24.
Remember folks, we need you to help keep progressive, activist media going strong. Become a member of Raging Chicken for as little at $2/month! Simply go to RagingChickenPress.org and look for the Support and Membership tab. Click “Become a member.” We are also on Patreon. If you want to be a member through Patreon just click, click “Be a Patron” under the same tab. Or, if you are not ready to become a member, you can make a one-time donation by clicking “Donate.”
For a limited time, you can pick up one of our exclusive “UNPAID PROTESTER” t-shirts over at Teespring. The will be available for the next 10 days or so. Proceeds from t-shirt sales go directly to support our awesome team of writers. And next week we’ll be launching a new exclusive design! Stay tuned.
We are digging in for 2017 and Trumplandia. We need you - the progressive community - to help us deepen pull-no-punches, progressive media that will hold power accountable.
- Become a member: https://goo.gl/OgYRW0
- Be a Patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rcpress
- Make a donation: https://www.paypal.me/rcpress
Friday Feb 17, 2017
Friday Feb 17, 2017
Welcome to the first 2017 edition of The Sit Down. In 2017 we are going to be focused on organizing and building power.
When I started teaching at Kutztown, some of my courses focused on rhetorics of globalization. It wasn’t long before students began showing up at my office hours saying they wanted to get involved with more activism, but that Kutztown was “too conservative” or “most students are apathetic” or “nothing is going on here.” Well, after a few weeks of a constant stream of students coming to me to say a version of that same narrative, it became pretty clear that the problems students were having was not about “apathy” it was about a lack of a network and the lack of experience building political networks. So, I began putting students in touch with each other - and helping them build their networks. In less than a year we had an active and successful United Students Against Sweatshops chapter, a student labor group, and we had build a network with student activists in the region.
The fact is that that one of the most important challenges we face on the left is that of isolation. And I see this again and again across Pennsylvania. That was one of the reasons, in fact, that I started Raging Chicken Press in 2011. That is why I was thrilled when Matt Breidenstein contacted me over a month ago about a project he and a group of other progressives were working on in the Philadelphia region: PhillyProgressives.com.
Today on the Sit Down I am pleased to welcome Matt Breidenstein and Ajay Joshi, two of the co-founders of PhillyProgressives.com to talk about the launch of their project to connect progressives and activists across the region.
Welcome Matt and Ajay!
Remember folks, we need you to help keep progressive, activist media going strong. Become a member of Raging Chicken for as little at $2/month! Simply go to RagingChickenPress.org and look for the Support and Membership tab. We are digging in for 2017 and Trumplandia. We need you - the progressive community - to help us deepen pull-no-punches, progressive media that will hold power accountable.
- Become a member: https://goo.gl/OgYRW0
- Be a Patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rcpress
- Make a donation: https://www.paypal.me/rcpress
Wednesday Feb 15, 2017
Wednesday Feb 15, 2017
It’s Wednesday, February 15, 2017. I am Kevin Mahoney, editor and founder of Raging Chicken Press and Raging Chicken Media. Each week I talk to our Capitol muckraker-in-chief, Sean Kitchen, about the good, the bad, and the ugly in state and national politics. This week we’re coming to you a couple days early as we prepare to head to Harrisburg, PA this weekend for the Keystone Progress Summit. We’ll give you a little preview!
It’s only been a few days since we were last on the air, but that hasn’t stopped the insanity in DC. This week’s news has been dominated by the resignation of Trump’s National Security Advisor, former General Michael Flynn. And the news keeps breaking around Flynn, after new reporting points to improper communication between Flynn and other Trump cronies and Russian officials during the presidential campaign. Meanwhile, PA Senator Toomey jumps into the Trump camp with gusto in attempts to deflect independent investigations. Net neutrality in jeopardy as Trump’s pick to run the FCC declares war on Obama era consumer protections. And Trump is finding allies among Civil Rights Organizations???? What’s up with that?
Students at Pennsylvania State System universities launch a campaign for $15/hour minimum wage on campus as students from the new PA Student Power Network flex their collective muscles across the Commonwealth. Tuesdays with Toomey keep the pressure on...This past week they focused on issues affecting the LGBTQ community. Sean Kitchen was there and stayed to talk with organizers following the event. And security concerns in the State Capitol as drunk guy breaks into Capitol building and discharges a fire extinguisher. These are the times we are living in folks.
Special musical break by The Invisible World following the second segment. Check them out HERE.
Remember folks, we need you to help keep progressive, activist media going strong. Become a member of Raging Chicken for as little at $2/month! Simply go to RagingChickenPress.org and look for the Support and Membership tab. Click “Become a member.” We are also on Patreon. If you want to be a member through Patreon just click, click “Be a Patron” under the same tab. Or, if you are not ready to become a member, you can make a one-time donation by clicking “Donate.”
For a limited time, you can pick up one of our exclusive t-shirts: 2017 is the new 1984 or the Richard Spencer Project over at Teespring. The will be available for the next 10 days or so. Proceeds from t-shirt sales go directly to support our awesome team of writers. And next week we’ll be launching a new exclusive design! Stay tuned.
We are digging in for 2017 and Trumplandia. We need you - the progressive community - to help us deepen pull-no-punches, progressive media that will hold power accountable.
- Become a member: https://goo.gl/OgYRW0
- Be a Patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rcpress
- Make a donation: https://www.paypal.me/rcpress
Friday Feb 10, 2017
Friday Feb 10, 2017
It’s Friday, February 10, 2017. I am Kevin Mahoney, editor and founder of Raging Chicken Press and Raging Chicken Media. Each week I talk to our Capitol muckraker-in-chief, Sean Kitchen, about the good, the bad, and the ugly in state and national politics.
Week three since the Trump Organization took control of the White House and the floods have not receded. This week, more confirmations - including a historic VP tie breakers and a middle of the night vote. Oh, yeah, and now we have a racist Attorney General. Right-wing organization launches $2 million ad campaign to get their guy in the Supreme Court. More attacks on the media and Melania lays bare her plans to use her position to cash in. Indivisible protests grow. And PA’s own Daylin Leach has the term for Trump - “shitgibbon” - hashtag that one folks.
And it just gets crazier her in PA. PA Senate passes a 20 week abortion ban. That bill has its origins in the national Right to Life Committee - something Sean has been reporting for over a year. We talk about what happened this week with SB 3 and what comes next. PA Senate also passes Paycheck Deception bill...just one step to step closer to Right to Work. And, white nationalists look to recruit fellow fascists at Berks County colleges and universities. All that and so much more on today’s show.
Remember folks, we need you to help keep progressive, activist media going strong. Become a member of Raging Chicken for as little at $2/month! Simply go to RagingChickenPress.org and look for the Support and Membership tab. Click “Become a member.” We are also on Patreon. If you want to be a member through Patreon just click, click “Be a Patron” under the same tab. Or, if you are not ready to become a member, you can make a one-time donation by clicking “Donate.”
For a limited time, you can pick up one of our exclusive t-shirts: 2017 is the new 1984 or the Richard Spencer Project over at Teespring. The will be available for the next 10 days or so. Proceeds from t-shirt sales go directly to support our awesome team of writers. And next week we’ll be launching a new exclusive design! Stay tuned.
We are digging in for 2017 and Trumplandia. We need you - the progressive community - to help us deepen pull-no-punches, progressive media that will hold power accountable.
- Become a member: https://goo.gl/OgYRW0
- Be a Patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rcpress
- Make a donation: https://www.paypal.me/rcpress
Friday Feb 03, 2017
Friday Feb 03, 2017
It’s Friday, January 27, 2017. I am Kevin Mahoney, editor and founder of Raging Chicken Press and Raging Chicken Media. Each week I talk to our Capitol muckraker-in-chief, Sean Kitchen, about the good, the bad, and the ugly in state and national politics.
Week two since the Trump Organization took control of the White House and the firehose is still on full blast. This week we saw an explosion of international instability as Trump threatened to invade Mexico, hung up on the Austrailian Prime Minister, and tapes of Bannon discussing the inevitability of war with China make the rounds. The State Dept is now fused with Big Oil with the confirmation of Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. And we’re on our way to confirming a white supremacist to run the Justice Department; a mortgage fraudster to run the Dept of the Treasury; and an anti-EPA warrior to run the EPA. And that doesn’t even scratch the surface. And...Alt.Facts rule the day. Didn’t you hear about the massacre at Bowling Green?
But the past week has also been dominated by non-stop protests. Following Trump’s executive order banning Muslims from seven countries. Airports and town squares around the country were occupied by thousands of protesters who came out against Trumps order and to stand in solidarity with Muslim refugees, immigrants, and travellers. We’ll talk about some of the actions here in Pennsylvania - from growing Tuesday with Toomey protests to mass rallies from Philadelphia to Lancaster. Senator Toomey’s phone lines crash (or are shut off) due to a flood of calls urging him to vote against Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education. Toomey, in turn, blows off his constituents.
It doesn’t stop there. While news cycles are buried by the unyeilding assaults from the White House, here in PA the state legislature is moving closer to approving extreme anti-abortion legislation. The PA State System of Higher Education sets the stage for dismantling or gutting the 14 state-owned university system. And right in my own back yard, faculty at Kutztown University demonstrate the value of “pissing in your own backyard” in their fight for safe and healthy working conditions. All that and so much more on today’s show.
Remember folks, we need you to help keep progressive, activist media going strong. Become a member of Raging Chicken for as little at $2/month! Simply go to RagingChickenPress.org and look for the Support and Membership tab. Click “Become a member.” We are also on Patreon. If you want to be a member through Patreon just click, click “Be a Patron” under the same tab. Or, if you are not ready to become a member, you can make a one-time donation by clicking “Donate.”
For a limited time, you can pick up our exclusive “Alternative Facts are Lies” t-shirt over at Teespring, but you need to get it in the next 5 days! Proceeds from tshirt sales go directly to support our awesome team of writers. And next week we’ll be launching a new exclusive design! Stay tuned.
We are digging in for 2017 and Trumplandia. We need you - the progressive community - to help us deepen pull-no-punches, progressive media that will hold power accountable.
Become a member: https://goo.gl/OgYRW0
Be a Patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rcpress
Make a donation: https://www.paypal.me/rcpress