Highlands Bunker (Karl Stomberg)

A round table of Jordyn Pusey, Kristin Bricker, Paul Blest, Karl the Producer, and Lovely Lacey join Rob in the virtual bunker to review the results of Delaware's September 15th Democratic Primary, and what they mean for the future of progressive legislation.

Show Notes:

• Election results

Welcome to the Delaware Justice Team, a collaboration between Highlands Bunker, the Delaware ACLU, and the Delaware Call to talk about the work that is being doing around various civil liberties issues.

Today, Mike Brickner joins Rob in the bunker to give an update on what passed and what didn't pass in the past legislative session, and what ACLU priorities will be going forward.

Show Notes:

• Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3

• The Great Uprising episode

• Use of Force

• Opportunity Funding

• Automatic Voter Registration

• Clean Slate bills

Campaign to End Debtor's Prison co-coordinators Meryem Dede and Lynne Kielhorn join Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the issue of fines and fees, how it affects Delaware, and how we can change them.

Show Notes:

• Campaign to End Debtor's Prison

• Our previous episode on fines and fees

• NCAJ Fines and Fees Index

• Brennan Center Study

• Task Force Letter

State Auditor Kathy McGuiness has been compromised (indicted) to a permanent end (up to 13 years). Join us on a journey through Kathy McGuiness's background, her crimes, and how this fits into the larger world of the Delaware Way.

Show Notes:

• Story on the indictment

• Exceptional Delaware on Kathy

• Kathy videos

• Pete Schwartzkopf's worst political ally

It's a double header episode today. First, activist and former senate candidate Kerri Evelyn Harris joins Rob to talk about an event coming up on Saturday, and why it's so important to organize down in Kent and Sussex counties. Then, Dustyn Thompson joins to talk about the work that Delaware United is doing, and how we need to keep pushing through the general election.

Show Notes:

• 'Own Your Vote' Sussex Event

• The Social Dilemma movie

• Donate to Delaware United

• Volunteer for Delaware United

Several activists from DE Actions 4 Palestine join Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the latest protest at the Dover Air Force Base where munitions are being shipped to Israel. We had some technical issues so apologies for the imperfect audio.

Show Notes:

• DE Actions 4 Palestine
• Israel's credit rating downgraded
• More on the Dover protest

Week 3 of the Kathy trial has begun. After we learn a little bit about court procedure, the state's witnesses continue with more insight on the Lovecraftian nightmare that makes up the Office of the Auditor of Accounts. Then, Hall of Famer and DOJ Investigator Frank Robinson comes to the stand to discuss his many phone calls with Kathy whistleblowers.

Delaware native and cannabis industry worker David Gobris joins Rob in the virtual bunker to preview the new legal weed bill in Delaware and what the experience of legalization in Colorado can teach us about what works and what doesn't work at promoting equity.

Show Notes:

• HB150 in Delaware

• Article that David mentioned

• More on Delaware cannabis LLCs

County Executive Matt Meyer joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the county's recent purchase of the Sheraton Hotel and how it will be used as an emergency homeless shelter.

Show Notes:

• Delaware's homeless shelter shortage

• Erik Raser-Schramm stepping down

• The Deficit Myth

• A winning website

Activists James and Henry join Rob in the bunker to talk about their journey into leftist politics and advocacy for Palestine, and some of their takeaways after recent protests in Delaware and Washington DC.

• News Journal coverage of the hearing
• Vote of no confidence episode
• The new LEOBOR reform substitute
• The POST Commission bill

• The Public Reprimand
• Secret Member Votes
• Hiring Family Members
• Wilmington police lawsuit
• Black Mothers in Power

Former Rep. John Kowalko joins the bunker to give updates on RISE Delaware/Medicare Advantage lawsuit, then tells some stories from his time at legislative hall. Patrons will get to hear the full conversation.

Show Notes:

• RISE Delaware
• Rebel John Kowalko
• Ceasefire protest

The movie crew joins Rob in the bunker to talk about Plácido, a Spanish black comedy class-war Christmas movie satire.

Show Notes:

• Plácido

• Previous Movie Episode

People's Policy Project founder Matt Bruenig joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about his latest paper on the Earned Income Tax Credit, and how shoddy statistics can help make mediocre policies look like panaceas.

Show Notes:

• Myths of the EITC paper

• Madinah's Plan for Working Families

• Family Fun Pack

Red Clay School Board Member Adriana Bohm joins Rob in the bunker to talk about the good of Carney's new education plan for Wilmington, how Delaware schools have been handling the pandemic, and the bad of Carney's new education plan for Wilmington.

Show Notes:

• Wilmington Learning Collaborative

• Delaware school staffing shortages clash with quality education

Smart Justice Campaign Manager Haneef Salaam and Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton join Rob in the bunker to talk about the coming fights for probation reform and civil asset forfeiture and reflect on the results in the latest election.

Show Notes:

• Probation reform bill

• People Not Probation

State Representative Madinah Wilson-Anton joins Rob in the bunker to talk about this week's New Castle County Police Accountability Board meeting, and what it represents in the broader efforts to reform policing in Delaware.

Show Notes:

• Another Day Another Case of Extreme Police Violence

Teacher, non-profit president, and common-sense capitalist Frank Hanson joins Rob in the backyard bunker to talk about how he ended up in America from Ghana, his perspectives on capitalism and communism coming from an Africa, and why he ended up starting Guraba's Hands.

Show Notes:

• Guraba's Hands

• WilmU Spotlight on Frank

As we approach our 300th episode, we go back over the story of the Highlands Bunker from the first episode recorded in late 2018 to nearly six years later in 2024. We review some of the key moments in the bunker, some of the key struggles we've focused on, the biggest goofs, and where we stand today.

Show Notes:

• A trip down memory Saturday
• E01 - Proof of Concept
• BONUS EPISODE - Throwing Stones at Mike Purzycki
• E05 - The Satirical Nature of Sending People to the Gulag
• E10 - It’s Not An Election Cycle Thing
• BONUS EPISODE - The Streets of Puerto Rico
• E34 - In The Shadow of the Grand Opera House
• E43 - A Place to Be Somebody
• BONUS EPISODE - Community Care
• BONUS EPISODE - Reflections from the Streets of Wilmington
• E90 - Mayor Purzycki Hates Poor People (w/Jeanne Kuang, Jerry Habraken)
• E146 - Four Freedoms
• E155 - An Evening with Dr. Mehmet Oz
• Kathy v Kathy series
• E179 - What's the Matter with Delaware
• E262 - Gap in The Wall

Etymologist and activist Faith Kuehn joins Rob in the bunker to talk about how a garden project for the Delaware Psychiatric Center turned into an effort to preserve a cemetery containing some of Delaware's most forgotten residents.

Show Notes:

• An overview of these efforts as of 2021

• Find a Grave page for the cemetery

Canio Caputo and Jason Scott from Delaware Liberal join Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the Biden/Harris fanfare in Delaware, whether or not it's important to vote for Biden here in Delaware, and what the implications are of a Biden presidency.

Show Notes:

• A sample of the previous podcast

• Nixon election interference

• What Putin did

• The Delaware Call

Former Kathy McGuiness lawyer Steve Wood joins Rob in the bunker to wrap up some of the loose ends of the Kathy v Kathy trial, the state of the corporate bar and the criminal justice system, and his objection to the term razzle dazzle.

Show Notes:

• Washington Post report on police sexual abuse
• Kathy v Kathy series

Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton joins Rob in the bunker to talk about Wednesday's Nakba vigil, some of the legislation going through the General Assembly right now, and the case for Collin O'Mara for governor.

Show Notes:

• Health Care Review Board coverage
• Collin O'Mara website
• WFP Endorsement Process

Washington Post political report and most famous Delaware native Dave Weigel joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the inauguration of Delaware's second-most famous native, the insurrection at the capitol, and what to expect from a Biden administration.

Show Notes:

• The Trailer on the Capitol riots

• Rick Perlstein on the Nixon pardon

• Branden's website
• Donate to Branden

State Senate candidate Kyle Evans Gay joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about how her background affects her views of the criminal justice system, the importance of actually accomplishing things in Dover, and why she no longer supports Cathy Cloutier. But first, football.

Show Notes:

• Kyle's site

• Donate to Kyle

• First State FC

Welcome to the Delaware Justice Team, a collaboration between Highlands Bunker, the Delaware ACLU, and the Delaware Call to talk about the work that is being doing around various civil liberties issues.

Today, Shannon Griffin and Melva Ware join Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the recent education equity lawsuit, how education money should actually be spent, and dive into issues from school choice to standardized testing to SROs.

Show Notes:

• ACLU-DE Education Equity

• More on the education equity lawsuit

• Ten Dimensions of Education Resource Equity

• Black History Education bill

• Support the Delaware ACLU

• Support the Delaware Call

• Eric Buckson's secession plan
• SB100 and SB101
• Rethinking the "Drug Dealer"
• Some proposals for Christina School District

Professor Samantha Simon joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about her book "Before The Badge", which covers modern police training and how it sets up the violent, oppositional nature of policing as we know it. First, we hear from Mike Abel and Dr. George Zahr about the history of the Nakba ahead of the Vigil to Commemorate the Nakba next Wednesday.

Show Notes:

• Nakba Remembrance Event
• Comptroller's report on police training may require 'further action'
• Before The Badge

Former senate candidate and community organizer Kerri Evelyn Harris joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about their critiques of the Bernie campaign, the latest allegations against Joe Biden, and what the near-term future of progressive organizing should look like.

Show Notes:

• More on Leonard Peltier

• Katie Halper's interview with Tara Reade

• Kerri's new website

PDD President and Elsmere resident Jordyn Pusey joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the trials and tribulations of local party politics. Then, we delve deep into the Delaware Way mind of Elsmere native Robert Lee Byrd and his memoir, Byrd of Legislative Hall.

Show Notes:

• Nevada Democratic Party article

• More on the RD13 debacle

• Byrd of Legislative Hall

Journalist and activist Andray Domise joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the attempted corporate cooptation of the Black Lives Matter movement, the history of black radical movements, and the importance of a systemic analysis of racism.

Show Notes:

• Matt Taibbi review of White Fragility

• Mark Fisher's Capitalist Realism

• JP Morgan's Juneteenth celebration

• JP Morgan's actual history on slavery

• Michael Parenti yellow video

Author, poet, and activist Phillip Bannowsky joins Rob in the bunker to talk about his background, from Ecuador to the Newark Chrysler Plant, what he has learned about activism, and his latest book: Jacobo the Turko.

Show Notes:

• Phillip's website

• Get Jacobo the Turko

• Ideology and Popular Protest

Network Delaware activist Kirsten Walther joins Rob and Tye in the bunker to talk about the upcoming Change Agent Journey program and how the uniqueness of Delaware can be used to build stronger organizations. Then, some controversy.

Show Notes:

• Sign up for Change Agent Journey

• More information about the program

• Fight DE Corruption

Agricultural education coordinator for Bright Spot Farms Airiél Peoples joins Rob in the bunker to talk about her path from Denver to Delaware, the radicalism that can come from agriculture, and how she applies that lessons to working with Wilmington's youth.

Show Notes:

• Bright Spot Farms

• West End Neighborhood House

Former senate candidate Jess Scarane, organizer extraordinaire Tyeisha Grier, and Delaware Call editor Jordan Howell join Rob and Karl in the virtual bunker to talk about Henry Ford, Delaware history, the GameStop situation, the history of markets, and some conflicting thoughts on the Biden inauguration.

Show Notes:

• Some history

• GameStop explainer

• Freedom From the Market

• Leo Strine's corporate governance paper

• The Republic for Which It Stands

Innocence Project Delaware Executive Director Claudia Trupp joins Rob in the bunker to talk about how she became involved in criminal defense work, how an Innocence Project was brought to Delaware, and what work they are doing now to help the wrongfully convicted.Show Notes:

• Innocence Project Delaware

• Donate to the Innocence Project

British writer Alex Hess joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about how capitalism has ruined (non-American) football. Go Spurs.

Show Notes:

• How Capitalism Changed Football for the Worse

We live in an age of statues and bus heroes, mass uprisings and fascists. General Secretary of the Delaware Antifa Chapter Kristin Bricker joins Rob and Karl in the backyard bunker to talk about some of the greatest figures and stories of these developments in Delaware.

Show Notes:

• Delaware Young Republicans post

• Kristin's Antifa credentials

• Petition to name Rodney Square after the hero juggalo

• Elmo's Antifa monologue

• The Dover police monument story

Local activist Monique Fegans joined Rob in the backyard bunker to talk about her journey to activism, the importance and experience of direct action, and the opportunities for direct action that will be available soon.

Show Notes:

• Monique's quote in the News Journal

• United Panther Movement

Professor Harvey J Kaye joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the first days of the Biden presidency and how they compare to his promise of a FDR-Size Presidency vs a continuation of the Obama administration.

Show Notes:

• Speech from intro

• Original article about a FDR-sized presidency

• Let America be America Again

Chance from Chancery Daily and local historian Dael Norwood join Rob in the virtual bunker to talk more about the upcoming changes to the Delaware General Corporation Law, which sailed through the senate despite opposition from dozens of leading law professors and scholars. We talk about the arguments that were made and what effects they did or didn't have on legislators.

Show Notes:

• Karl Baker coverage
• Delaware Business Times coverage
• SB 313

• Once Upon a Team
• Out and About Coverage

Delaware Law School librarian Janet Lindenmuth joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about some Delaware history fun facts. Then, historian and foreign policy expert Daniel Bessner joins Rob to talk about the rise of our current foreign policy consensus, and how it relates to the politics of Joe Biden and Chris Coons.

Show Notes:

• Delaware's segregation laws

• Delaware blue laws

• Daniel's book

• The False Promise of Liberal Order

• A Peoples' Policy for the Americas

MB joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the flotilla that is about to head out from Istanbul to Gaza to break the blockade of aid that Israel has put in place.

Show Notes:

• The Freedom Flotilla Coalition

Author and activist Claire Snyder-Hall joins Rob in the bunker to talk about her new book "Battling the Prince" and how her background in political theory combined with her experiences in Rehoboth Beach politics.

Show Notes:

• Buy the Book

Oh, you thought it was just New Castle County that had horrible police unaccountability? Tye Grier joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about another instance of Dover police violence, and then more about the failed efforts to make change in that arena.

Show Notes:

• Esteban Parra uses passive voice

Author and historian Richard White joins Rob in the virtual bunker to look back at Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, and how they relate (and don't relate) to today.

Show Notes:

• The Republic for Which It Stands

County Executive Matt Meyer joins Rob in the bunker to talk about to talk about housing and homelessness, the challenges of running against an incumbent, and some of the controversy around the Delaware Board of Trade.

Show Notes:

• Matt Meyer's campaign site

• Some background on the DBOT

• Info on Meyer being sued

School board candidate Sarah Fulton joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about her background in progressive activism, some of the racial issues in the school board, and what progressives should do when they lose a vote or an election.

Show Notes:

• The Panel Protests

• Sarah's site

• Article in question

• Result of the Red Clay SRO vote

• List of School Board election polling places

Wilmington and Puerto Rican activist Maria Beauchamp joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the rising left-wing political movement in Puerto Rico, and how it was partially inspired by Network Delaware.

Show Notes:

• Puerto Rico is Moving Left

• Latest Puerto Rican election results

• Erika's piece in the Delaware Call

Local historian Syl Woolford joins Rob in the bunker to talk about he began to research Delaware history and some of the stories and figures in Delaware Black history he has come across.

Show Notes:

• Syl on Harriet Tubman

• Syl on Black Women Leaders in the Early 20th Century

Writer Ben Burgis joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the legacy of Christopher Hitchens and his journey from a young Trotskyist to a defender of the Iraq War.

Show Notes:

• Christopher Hitchens: What He Got Right, How He Went Wrong, and Why He Still Matters

• Hitchens in Lebanon

• Ben's piece on the Supreme Court

• Delaware Journalism Collaborative
• The Nazi Who Became Woke

Dana and Adam from Food Not Bombs Wilmington virtually join Rob in bunker to talk about the direct action they're taking to help the community during the Coronavirus crisis.

Show Notes:

• Contact Food Not Bombs: fnbwilmington@gmail.com

• Donate to Food Not Bombs

• Wilmington 1968 project

The general election is finally over, so we get together to talk about what the results in Delaware and nationwide mean both in the short-term and the long-term.

Show Notes:

• For those confused by the first two minutes

• Election Results

• Delaware Call Fundraiser

Historian Harvey J Kaye and local activist Kerri Evelyn Harris join Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about FDR's economic bill of rights, and how that model can inform and improve our local fights.

Show Notes:

• FDR's Economic Bill of Rights

• Kerri's website

• Donate to Kerri

The criminal legal system is back at it again as Bill joins Rob in the bunker to talk about the latest police violence from the New Castle County police department, as well as the trial of one of the arrested Palestine protesters. Then, some discussion about Delaware's favorite elderly president.

Show Notes:

• New Castle County police beat a woman
• New Castle County Police Accountability Board
• Network Delaware Social Change Summit

Former State Senator Karen Peterson joins Rob in the bunker to talk about the state's attempts to privatize Medicare for public sector retirees and how RISE Delaware has been working to push back.

Show Notes:

• RISE Delaware

• Donate to RISE Delaware

Author Nicole Aschoff joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the new power dynamics and economic conditions created by the rise of smartphones, big data, and tech giants.

Show Notes:

• Buy the book

Welcome to the Delaware Justice Team, a collaboration between Highlands Bunker, the Delaware ACLU, and the Delaware Call to talk about the work that is being doing around various civil liberties issues.

Today, Mary Beth Tinker and Susan L Burke join Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about their historic defenses of civil liberties, from Mary Beth's student activism against the Vietnam War to Susan's defenses of the victims of the War on Terror.

Show Notes:

• Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5

• DOJ's attempt to silence protesters

• Mary Beth's work

• Support the Delaware ACLU

• Support the Delaware Call

Former Delaware Public Media reporter Rachel Sawicki joins Rob in the bunker to talk about their experience in the Delaware media landscape, the parallels between the Kathy McGuiness and Bethany Hall-Long situations, and then a case study on how police violence gets covered.

Show Notes:

• Rachel's most recent Kathy McGuiness story
• Esteban's police violence story

Musician, writer, and podcast host Jason Myles joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about his background in music and radical politics, his essay on Woodstock '99, and what we can do in everyday life to advance a better world.

Show Notes:

• This is Revolution podcast

• TIR Video Essays

• Remembering Woodstock '99

Food and Water Watch activist Greg Layton joins Rob in the bunker to give an update on the planned biogas plant in Seaford and what still needs to be done to fight for environmental justice in Sussex.

Show Notes:

• Greg's op-ed in the Delaware Call

• Greg's previous episode

Activist and Puerto Rico/Eastside resident Maria Beauchamp joins Rob in the bunker to talk about Puerto Rico, the corrupt figure that connects Puerto Rico and Delaware, and the deeper political ideology that also connects the two.

Music: Delaware is Burning - 2DCAT

Show Notes:

• Interview from San Juan

• Julia Keleher and her indictment

• Sarah Gamard's Delaware Way article

• Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana

Central Delaware NAACP President Fleur McKendall and Network Delaware organizer Tyeisha Grier join Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the role of religion and solidarity in organizing and the projects that Central Delaware NAACP is working on. We also dig more into Tye's background.

Show Notes:

• Central Delaware NAACP

Bill and Karl join Rob in the bunker to talk more about what the next few years might look like in the wake of the September 10th primary.

Show Notes:

• Crime rates dropping

• Hal Weitzman episode
• Chancery Daily substack
• SB 114

Former senate candidate Jess Scarane joins Rob, Tye, and Karl in the virtual bunker to talk about Delaware's minimum wage bill and the local effort to keep wages down and kick people off of unemployment.

Show Notes:

• Karl's minimum wage explainer

• Speaker Pete on the minimum wage

• Make calls for the minimum wage

• Knock doors for the minimum wage

• Our reading series this week

State House candidate James Taylor joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about how his background in Wilmington led him to Berklee and back again, why he's running for office, and what needs to be done to fix Delaware government.

Show Notes:

• James's site

• Donate to James

• Pascal Robert article

• Gulftainer update

Writer and TMBS Producer David Griscom joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the structural problems inour modern economy, and the need for

Show Notes:

• Amazon workplace injury issues

• California's Prop. 22

• Wilmington housing meeting situation

• Vienna's public housing

• Quick Takes with David Griscom

Abortion activist Nick Beard and ACLU-DE Executive Director Mike Brickner join Rob in the bunker to talk about the recent leaked Roe v Wade decision, what that means for activism around abortion in Delaware, and what the demands need to be now that the worst-case scenario has happened.

Show notes:

• Essay from the beginning

• Alito's decision

• Join the march on Saturday

• Yellowhammer abortion fund

• Local abortion fund

• Guest bartender event

State Representative Madinah Wilson-Anton and activist Kirsten Walther join Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about food and cooking, and the familial, cultural, and community aspects that make them so great. No politics today.

Delaware CAN President Zoë Patchell joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the effort to legalize cannabis in Delaware, why it's necessary, and what the obstacles are.

Show Notes:

• Delaware CAN

• Carl Sagan Mr. X essay

• 2019 legal marijuana bill

• Find your elected officials' contact info

Former Delaware Democratic Party Executive Director Erik Raser-Schramm joins Rob in the bunker to talk about his unique path into politics, his time in the political establishment, and why he wrote an op-ed calling out Bethany Hall-Long and endorsing Matt Meyer for governor.

Show Notes:

• Lt. Gov. Hall-Long’s campaign team is getting shaken up — again
• Erik's op-ed

Delaware Citizens Opposed to the Death Penalty Vice President Kristin Froehlich joins Rob in the bunker to talk about the most recent attempts to officially abolish the death penalty in Delaware, and how the morality of crime and punishment applies to the case of Anders Breivik, the far-right Norwegian terrorist.

Show Notes:

• Delaware Citizens Opposed to the Death Penalty
• The Anders Breivik Story
• HB70 and HB301

Journalist Andrew Sharp joins Rob in the bunker to talk about Delaware Independent, a new independent outlet covering western Sussex County and Kent County. Also discussed: the role of objectivity and bias in covering local stories and how the media should cover the police.

Show Notes:

• Subscribe to the Delaware Independent

• The Pit Stop bar story

• Noam Chomsky Interview

• Mike Purzycki Hates Poor People

• Boston Police Strike vs New York Police Strike

Rob and Karl the Producer hold down the bunker this week, talking about the recent passing of left media figure Michael Brooks, the importance of compassion in organizing, and how the end of the world isn't quite what it seems.

Show Notes:

• Right-Wing Mandela

• Remembering Michael Brooks

DelawareCAN and Teensharp founder Atnre Alleyne joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about how he got involved in education activism, the roles of charter schools in education reform, and the ethics of ratfucking.

Show Notes:

• DelawareCAN

• Teensharp

• Mike Matthews situation

• Sarah Fulton situation

The trial of the century has (mostly) wrapped up. Rob and Bill walk through the charges, the reactions, and what happens next. Then, we recap the last two days leading up to the verdict, and the various goofs and gags that ensued.

Show Notes:

• John Carney's statement

• General Assembly statement

• Donate to WFP Candidates

• Volunteer for WFP Candidates

A brief history lesson on how Delaware became a state of its own back in the 18th century.

Dr Yasser Payne joins Rob in the bunker to talk about Participatory Action Research, and how he has been using it on the streets of Wilmington to push for

Show Notes:

• WEB DuBois's Philadelphia Negro

• Cuban Literacy Brigade

• The People's Report Mixtape

• Dr Payne's TEDx Talk

• Faces at the Bottom of the Well

• The People's Report

Author and academic Steve Paxton joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about what often gets misinterpreted about Marxist history and economics, how that relates to both history and the present, and of course a little bit about cricket.

Show Notes:

• Unlearning Marx

• FDR's 1912 Speech

• Fire in Babylon

Housing activist Shyanne Miller joins Rob in the bunker to talk about some of the latest bills to make housing worse, how the city handled the evictions on Adams St, and what is still left to be done in this legislative session.

Show Notes:

• SB 311 - Property Bundling

• Water shutoff vote

• Contact your legislature about the eminent domain bill

The Red Clay School District has entered the working group phase of trying to avoid accountability, so the Marbrook Parents rejoin Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about the updates from the last several months around what has been going on with the Spanish Immersion program and how the fight has expanded.

Reproductive justice activist and local Ireland expert Nick Beard joins Rob in the bunker to talk about the latest Irish election, how the culture around abortion has changed in Ireland, and what the future holds here in America.

Music: Delaware is Burning - 2DCAT

Show Notes:

• Burned : The Inside Story of the 'Cash-for-Ash' Scandal

• Jacobin on Sinn Féin

• The case that set of Ireland's abortion referendum

• The Louisiana abortion Supreme Court case

Student activist Vasu Jayanthi joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about her recent op-ed in the News Journal, and how young activists can change our government for the better.

Show Notes:

• Vasu's op-ed in the News Journal

• Volunteer for Jess

• Get an absentee ballot or check your status

Day 1 of the Kathy McGuiness Trial ended in a stalemate as the defense made a motion to try the case in a different county. Hear Rob and legal correspondent Bill Martin talk about the sights, sounds, and arguments of the first day of the trial of the century.

Show Notes:

• News Journal coverage of Day 1

Housing Alliance of Delaware Executive Director Rachel Stucker joins Rob in the bunker to talk about the problem of housing and homelessness in Delaware, the efforts to pass a Homeless Bill of Rights and stop a horrible Supreme Court decision, and the upcoming Housing Day of Action in Dover.

Show Notes:

• Day for Housing Day of Action
• Housing Alliance of Delaware
• Johnson v. Grants Pass

Wilmington activist Haneef Salaam joins Rob in the bunker to talk about the upcoming Justice For All edition of the monthly Positive Vibes in the Park event, the state of the 2024 elections, and the theory of an Old School vs New School Delaware Way.

Show Notes:

• New Book from Maya
• Justice For All Event on 8/23

With a potentially transformative bill moving through Congress right now, Professor Harvey J Kaye joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about how FDR was able to create and frame his New Deal, and what the role of presidential and grassroots leadership is in passing a bold agenda.

Show Notes:

• The Fight for the Four Freedoms

• Where the Build Back Better agenda stands now

• Harvey J. Kaye State of Democracy Speaker Series

Long-time activist and new-time candidate for State Representative Becca Cotto joins Rob in the bunker to talk about why she's running for office and what things she would change in Dover.

Show Notes:

• Becca's website

• Becca's Facebook

• Becca's campaign kickoff

State Representative Madinah Wilson-Anton joins Rob in the bunker to talk about the retirement of John Kowalko, what is going on in Dover, how she balances electoral and legislative work, and handling ethics violation in the politics.

Show Notes:

• Donate to Madinah

• Kowalko's retirement

• New legal weed bill

• Misogyny and the Delaware Left
• It’s Not Complicated – Ceasefire Now

• Xerxes Wilson piece from the start
• Karl's newest port story on the News Arcade
• Delaware Call profile of Madinah

Professor Harvey J Kaye joins Rob in the virtual bunker to talk about Marx and Gramsci, American radicals from Thomas Paine to A Phillip Randolph, and how these ideas, figures, and movements can inspire activism today.

Show Notes:

• Bill Clinton on Kwame Ture

• More on A Phillip Randolph and economic democracy

• New Deal descendants open letter to Joe Biden

The bunker heads to Wilmington Brew Works to attend Coby Owens's birthday fundraiser and talk to WFP Pennsylvania Organizing Director Nicholas O'Rourke, Philadelphia At-Large Councilwoman Kendra Brooks, potential Wilmington resident Josh Whittaker, and State Representative candidate Larry Lambert.

Show Notes:

• Donate to Coby

• Donate to Larry

• More about Kendra and Nicholas

• More about the Amazon debacle

Judge Carpenter has decided: Kathy McGuiness is still guilty, though slightly less so. Rob and Bill go through the latest decision and what it means for sentencing and how the rest of state government will respond.

Show Notes:

• News Journal coverage of the decision