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Activism, politics, and beer from PA-based Raging Chicken Press
Episodes
Monday Nov 08, 2021
Monday Nov 08, 2021
On this week's episode, I am talking with Kierstyn Zolfo from Bucks County Indivisible. We'll be checking the receipts on Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. As we shift our attention to the 2022 midterm elections, we'll take a look at the votes that Fitzpatrick DOESN'T want to campaign on. Yes, Fitzpatrick's "moderate" credentials are a bit sus when you cut through the press releases and look at his actual voting record. Zolfo will help us dig into his record in one of the most highly watched Congressional districts in the country.
Kierstyn Zolfo is a resident of Bucks County and a volunteer organizer with Indivisible Bucks County. She also serves on the steering committee of Pennsylvania Indivisible as the Legislative Chair, and in that position edits and contributes to the Pennsylvania Member of Congress Tracking report, an effort that keeps an eye on the votes and quotes from the Commonwealth's 20 Members of Congress. Kierstyn is originally from New Jersey but moved to PA when she was an undergrad at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster and has stuck around the area ever since.
Links:
Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/WMW98RQEYV
Wednesday Nov 03, 2021
Wednesday Nov 03, 2021
On today's show, we'll be talking about Cyril's latest column, "Why is your neighbor flying that all-black American flag?" And, it's the day after Election Day. Despite amazing organizing in the community, extremists swept elections throughout much of Bucks County. We'll reflect a bit on Election Day and look ahead to the organizing that has already begun for the next fight.
Check out Cyril's newsletter here: https://cyrilmychalejko.substack.com/
You can help support this show by becoming a patron for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/rcpress. Your support has helped make today’s show possible.
And make sure to join our Discord Server to continue the conversation all week long. Just click on the link in today’s show notes: https://discord.gg/WMW98RQEYV
You can also help out the show by heading over to our YouTube channel - if you are not there already - and smash that subscribe button, like the stream for this show, and hit that notification bell so you’ll know everytime we go live.
Monday Nov 01, 2021
Monday Nov 01, 2021
Tonight on Out d'Coup LIVE we'll be taking a look at the urgency of now. As COP 21 gets underway in Glasgow, Scotland, we are faced with perhaps the last best chance for a livable future as leaders of developed countries tamp down hopes of progress.
Tomorrow is election day as we are faced with the crisis in our school boards as right wing extremists have made a play to turn back the clock and reinvigorate white supremacy.
We are living in a time of high stakes. We'll be taking your comments and calls.
Mentioned tonight: "The real reason Paul Martino is pumping money into school board races," from the great newsletter noneofthisisnormal.substack.com.
Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/WMW98RQEYV Chatting on #livechat during and after the show.
Friday Oct 29, 2021
Friday Oct 29, 2021
Build Back Better? One thing is clear, there would have been next to nothing had it not been for the progressive caucus’s willingness to hold their ground and not cave to pressure from Nancy Pelosi and corporate Democrats.
- Half-full? From Harold Meyerson, the American Prospect.
- David Dayen from The American Prospect, says the bill has some real positives, but does not meet standards of “permanent, hassle-free, and meaningful.”
- Give with one hand, take with another. Los Angeles Times
- Mixed Bag, VOX
Climate emergency and COP26 - We’ll be focusing on this on Monday’s Out d’Coup LIVE.
Big Oil testifies before Congress. Lies, lies, and more lies.
And a new report from Molly Taft and Emily Atkin shows how Big Oil uses Newsletter ads to spread misinformation. Big Oil targeted Punchbowl, Politico, and Axios newsletters that are frequented by beltway insiders. From the report: In the month leading up to the hearing, from October 1 to October 22: 63% of Punchbowl newsletters, or 30 out of 48, were sponsored by fossil fuel interests; 100% of POLITICO’s Morning Energy newsletters, or 15 out of 15, were sponsored by fossil fuel interests; 62% of Axios Generate newsletters, or 10 out of 16, were sponsored by fossil fuel interests.
Cuomo gets charged.
Harvard University graduate students head into day 3 of their strike. The university administration has refused to meet demands for better pay, recognizing union shop clause, including undergraduate workers in the bargaining unit, and more. Harvard has the largest endowment in the world. It topped $53 billion during the pandemic and as the university reported a $283 million surplus operating budget.
Facebook changes its name to “Meta” as it gives a sneak peak to its virtual life platform, metaverse.
Judge in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial says the people he shot and killed cannot be referred to as “victims.”
Democratic Josh Shapiro says he’s not a fan of Gov. Tom Wolf’s climate mitigation plans and decision to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Jake Corman begins flirting with his campaign for governor. He met with Pennsylvania’s congressional republicans at the Capitol Hill Club in DC over a week ago and is expected to announce after election day.
Senator Corman is announcing his run for governor while the Senate “audit” is polling at 55 percet opposed to 43 percent support.
Critical school board elections on Tuesday. Also on the ballot Justice of the PA Supreme Court, County district attorney, sheriff, mayors, more judges,
Black Flags flying in Bucks County. Cyril Mychalejko’s latest piece just dropped on the increasing extremism in Bucks Co.
DSA Activist, union organizer and Philadelphia public school teacher Paul Prescord announced his campaign against Senator Anthony Williams for the Pennsylvania Senate. Williams is a charter school proponent and one of the caucuses largest recipients of Jeffrey Yass Money
Speaking of Jeffrey Yass, Jeffrey Yass and the Commonwealth Foundation are making it rain for Judicial and school board candidates. The Commonwealth Leaders Fund gave at least $1.9 million in support of PA Supreme Court Nominee Judge Kevin Brobson. Then the Commonwealth Children’s Choice Fund and Students First PACs also gave $145,000 to groups supporting right-wing school board candidates across the commonwealth.
Kate Aronoff's book, Overheated should be on your must read list.
Just picked up Tasha's Cauldron of Everything and dove into issues of race in D&D.
Still waiting to find the time to watch the new Dune.
Monday Oct 25, 2021
Monday Oct 25, 2021
On today’s show, we've got another round of open phones. From Bucks County, to Harrisburg, to Washington, the challenges we face just don't stop. What's on your mind? What's at the top of your agenda? We're taking your comments on YouTube. You can also join the show live on Riverside.fm and call in to the show.
You can support this show by becoming a patron for as little as $5/month at patreon.com/rcpress.
You can also help out the show by heading over to our YouTube channel if you are not there already and smash that subscribe button, like the stream for this show, and hit that notification bell so you’ll know everytime we go live.
Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/WMW98RQEYV
Chatting on #livechat during and after the show.
Friday Oct 22, 2021
Friday Oct 22, 2021
Biden makes a last attempt to personally lobby his “friends in the Senate” to pass his Build Back Better plan through reconciliation. So far, his efforts have led to a DECREASE in the size and scope of the bill. According to reports, Biden told progressive lawmakers that the bill is likely to be cut from $3.5 trillion to a ceiling of around $2 trillion. Recall that the $3.5 bill was the original compromise bill, down from the initial $6 trillion. Biden also reportedly told lawmakers that free community college will be cut and the extension of the childcare tax credit will be significantly scaled back. Can you see that white flag flying above the White House?
Biden was in Scranton this past Wednesday to push the Build Back Better plan, but it looks like it's a whole lot of too little too late.
And with Joe Manchin’s threats to leave the Democratic Party, we are left with the question posed by David Dayen in The American Prospect this week: “What if Build Back Better Builds Back Worse?”
And, as Will Bunch wrote this week in the Philadelphia Inquirer, “From college to climate, Democrats are sealing their doom by selling out yount voters.”
And it looks like Manchin’s blocking of climate legislation will have a disproportionately disastrous effect on the people of West Virginia. How’s that for representation.
Doug Mastriano is waiting for a “financial sign from God,” yes, that God, about running for governor. Mastriano has been campaigning at different churches from around the Commonwealth ahead of his anticipated run for governor.
Pennsylvania House Representative Summer Lee announced her run for US Congress with a powerful video highlighting the anger and betrayal industry has wrought in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Representative Lee picked up Representative - and the future mayor of Pittsburgh - Ed Gainey’s endorsement for the seat on her first day.
It has been over 300 days since full-time and part-time professors at Harrisburg Area Community College completed their card signing process and filed their petitions for a union vote. The school is the only community college in Pennsylvania without union representation and PA Spotlight is getting ready to peel back the layers of Dr. Ski’s anti-union past. Buckle up.
University of Pittsburgh faculty voted overwhelmingly to unionize this week.
Kutztown University saw a flurry of progressive action this week. On Tuesday, the student group, KU Activists, protested the university’s denial of ADA accommodations to at-risk students and faculty and President Hawkinson’s over all magical thinking regarding COVID protocols. Then on Thursday, KU dining hall workers went public with their union organizing campaign holding rallies outside several university dining halls.
Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
Wednesday Oct 20, 2021
Welcome to another episode of The Wednesday Show with Cyril Mychalejko. Cyril is a progressive columnist for the Bucks County Courier Times and The Intelligencer.
On today's show, we talk about Cyril's latest column, “Right-wing 'media' triggers misinformed right-wing rage." We'll also check in on his newest entry in his newsletter, “Domestic Extremism Edition! Reopen Bucks Member: Masks Are 'Satanic Ritual,' 'Patriot' Movement Recruits Police in PA & Beyond, Oath Keeper Cops & Soldiers Across the U.S., And More!,” which amounts to a review of the crazy in Bucks County and the deep influence right-wing militias have sought out in police departments and the military.
Make sure to subscribe to Cyril's newsletter right here: https://cyrilmychalejko.substack.com/
Monday Oct 18, 2021
Monday Oct 18, 2021
Tonight I welcome Jordan Hopkins back to the show. Hopkins is a writer, editor, and independent, investigative journalist based in Philadelphia. He's been covering the slimy money trail left behind the right-wing extremist slugs infecting our social and political networks. Listeners of the show will remember that the last time Jordan was on the show, we talked about his article, “A Party of Grifters” unpacking the grift at the core of the emerging Patriot Party and the rise of extremism in PA more broadly.
Jordan has followed the dark money trail once again, exposing the influence that right-wing extremist billionaires are having on local school districts. His article featured in Unicorn Riot last week, “School Board Disruptions Escalate, Funded by Conservative Dark Money,” will be the focus on our show tonight.
You can check out all his great reporting at https://www.ItsAlienMuse.com and you can follow him on Twitter @jhop_phl.
After our break, we’ll be taking your calls and comments and I’ll give you some closing thoughts. If you want to call into the show, you should join the show on Riverside.fm. Details for how to join are in tonight’s chat.
Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/WMW98RQEYV
Friday Oct 15, 2021
Friday Oct 15, 2021
In what has become a ping-ponging of women’s Constitutionally protected right to an abortion, the conservative 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Texas law banning almost all abortions. The decision puts the case on a direct pathway back to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema say they are ready to tank Biden’s Build Back Better plan on the grounds that it’s too hard on fossil fuel corporations; that it expands Medicare to include dental, vision, and hearing coverage; that it provides for tuition-free community college; and, generally, that everything isn’t means tested. At least that’s what Manchin laid out. Sinema seems just pissed that HER piece of legislation, the bi-partisan fossil fuel infrastructure bill, is not getting voted on first.
10,000 UAW workers went on strike against John Deere. The strike comes after workers rejected a tentative agreement by about 90% on Sunday. Workers say the two-tier employee system which would hurt newly hired workers was a non-starter. Now that’s some solidarity for ya.
60,000 IATSE, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, workers will begin a strike on Monday if no significant agreement is reached. 98% of IATSE members voted in favor of a strike over issues of an increased minimum wage, humane working hours, and fair pay for work on streaming programming.
These job actions join the 1,400 workers at Kellogg’s plants who went on strike on October 5 and close to 30,000 workers at Kaiser Permanente in California and Oregon have overwhelmingly passed their strike authorization.
#Striketober anyone?
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro launched his 2022 gubernatorial campaign in Pittsburgh and Montgomery County this week. The Attorney General has essentially clearled the field of any challengers by gaining the endorsements of progressives and moderate Democrats throughout the Commonwealth.
Ashley Ehasz becomes the first Democrat to throw their hat in the ring to try to unseat Brian Fitzpatrick in the PA01. Ehasz is an army vet who’s campaign launch video focused on her anger that the American Dream is out of reach for so many. Her campaign announcement has spurred critical discussion about the political future of Bucks County and the whole of the #PA01.
Sean Parnell, the Trump endorsed candidate for US Senate, went to court to try and place a “sweeping gag order” against his ex-wife. Parnell’s wife filed two PFA’s against Sean Parnell in 2017 and 2018. Some are saying that this can be a liability for his campaign.
Scott Wagner was in the news again this week. On the third anniversary of his epic meltdown underneath a billboard on the side of a highway, Wagner stated that he will pledge $1.5 million to a PAC supporting Jeff Bartos if Bartos gets through the primary.
The Lincoln Project put Pennsylvania’s right-wing billionaire Jeffrey Yass on blast this week. The group put together a 30 second ad detailing how Yass uses his money and a web of political action committees to spread disinformation to Pennsylvania’s voters. The group also highlighted a campaign finance complaint filed by Pennsylvania Spotlight & asked viewers to call Attorney General Josh Shapiro and demand action from the complaint.
KU Activists are holding a protest on Tuesday, October 19 from 10:30 - noon at the Alumni Plaza to advocate for the rights of disabled students, faculty, and staff. We all deserve an environment that is safe for us. Look for posters around campus soon!
Yes, Captain Kirk got to go to space. Well, the edge of space at least. William Shatner joined three other passengers on Blue Origin’s second rich people joy ride into suborbital space on Wednesday.
Gotta love the Dungeon Run.
Monday Oct 11, 2021
Monday Oct 11, 2021
Tonight, I welcome Jamie Davis and Cyndi Shain to the show. Davis and Shain are candidates for the Palisades School District School Board. The Palisades School District has become a hotbed of controversy as the right-wing extremism that has reared its ugly head throughout Bucks County has infected this district as well. We'll get into the controversies and why it is essential to elect Jamie Davis and Cyndi Shain.
Jamie Davis was born in the South Bronx, NYC and raised in suburban NJ. She was adopted at a young age by amazing parents, who are both educators.
Jamie has worked with children of all ages as a caregiver and teacher for 13 years. Recently, she changed careers and now enjoys working with people in a corporate environment. She is passionate about being a positive role model and an advocate in her community. She is also the parent of a Palisades Pirate
Cyndi Shain holds a master’s degree in education from Lehigh University. She has spent the last 25 years as an educator, mostly teaching in private schools, and currently works for a charter school outside of Allentown. Her son is a 2020 graduate of Palisades and currently attends Northampton Community College.
You can get involved by getting in contact with the candidates:
- Jamie Davis: davisforpalisades@gmail.com
- Cyndi Shain: shainforpalisades@gmail.com
ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 2, 2021
OCTOBER 18, 2021 IS THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER BEFORE THE NOVEMBER 2, 2021 ELECTION
- Register here: Voter Registration Application
- Request mail-in ballot: Deadline to request mail-in ballot is October 26, 2021 @ 5pm. Applications must be RECEIVED by your County Election Board by that date and time.