Patricia Kullberg hosts this episode of the Old Mole, which includes the following segments:
The Midterms are Over; Now what? We dodged a bullet in 2022 mid-year election, with the Democrats strengthening their control of the Senate and narrowly losing the House of Representatives. All pundits had predicted a Republican triumph, and their loss triggered a bloodletting in the Party and jubilation for the Democrats and most of the left. What did it mean? What can the Biden Administration do? Bill Resnick talks to Dave Finkel, the editor of the journal Against the Current and prolific commentator on U.S. politics.
Horse: Book Mole Larry Bowlden reviews Horse, a 2022 novel by Geraldine Brooks about a great American racehorse and, more importantly, the turning tide of legalized slavery in 1850s America. Journalist turned novelist Brooks brings all of her prodigious talents to this superb historical novel.
Prisoners’ Rights: Jan Haaken interviews Jacob Reisberg, ACLU attorney, on safety and health conditions in US jails. Reisberg spearheaded a federal lawsuit last year against the Orange County sheriff to force him and the county to reduce the jail's population to better implement social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic and to take other measures to address the health needs of incarcerated persons. Reisberg provides an update on this ongoing suit and its implications for the movement for social justice and prison reform.
In Memoriam: On November 17 of this year, left author, activist, labor lawyer and historian, Staughton Lynd died at the age of 92. In this tribute, his friend and fellow activist, Andy Piascik summarizes Lynd’s legacy. The article, entitled “Forever Young: Staughton Lynd”, was published online in Countercurrents in November 21, 2022.
- KBOO