11.8.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Trump Criminal Cases, Trump's No Fluke, Trump & Higher Education Finances

Folks believed that Trump's 2016 presidential win was a one-off, a fluke. Elie Mystal will explain how Tuesday's outcome proved that the country is much more right-wing than we thought.

Now that Trump is returning to the White House, what's happening with his criminal election interference cases? Today, a federal judge paused all upcoming deadlines related to the case.

We'll also talk to a student loan expert about what parents and returning students can expect when the Department of Education is demolished.

And tonight, we want to hear your thoughts. We'll have the phone lines open.

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In Chapter 11, set in November in Tallahassee, fictional Florida, Governor Buck Bryce confidently addresses the press regarding Hurricane Timothy, initially predicted to be a manageable Category 1 storm. However, the hurricane unexpectedly strengthens to a devastating Category 4 upon landfall, causing widespread destruction and significant loss of life. The governor, previously assured by Washington that all preparations were sufficient, is confronted with the reality of inadequate storm forecasting due to recent cuts to federal meteorological services as proposed by Project 2025.

As emergency response efforts falter, Bryce grapples with the new federal policies under Trump that make it difficult to declare emergencies and provide immediate assistance to affected businesses and citizens. The narrative highlights the consequences of disregarding climate science and federal data, resulting in death and destruction

As always, the series author, David Pepper ties the fiction to the facts in Project 2025 and Trump’s own words.

We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode:
Mark Ruffalo who read the chapter and others who contributed character voices.
Sound design by Jonathan Moser.

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal is written by David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.

Suggested Podcaster Copy:
To episode: Once again, we are pleased to present this special bonus episode in (your podcast name). In this last week before the election, it's even more important that we understand the dangers of Project 2025. And share those dangers with people we know and care about. Here is Chapter 11 of Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal.

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11.7.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Biden On Trump's Win, Latino Men Showed Up for Trump, Jane Elliott Explains How Racism Elected Trump

President Joe Biden spoke for the first time since election night, asking the country to unify and promising a peaceful transition of power. We'll show you what he said.

Journalist Eric Garcia of The Independent says he knows why Latino men helped re-elect Trump. He'll be here to discuss the warnings he gave the Democratic Party.

Diversity Educator Jane Elliott will explain the different ways racism played a significant part in electing a racist, misogynistic, convicted felon as president of the United States.

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The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

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The first part of Chapter10 introduces the fictional character Dr. Joy Brewer, a dedicated researcher focused on studying cancer clusters affecting Black Americans. Joy learns from her colleague, Dr. Matthias Kunz, that all federal grants linked to race or gender are being canceled, jeopardizing her life’s work. Despite her attempts to advocate for her essential research, the political climate forces her into a corner where she must reconsider her direction. This part of the chapter closes with Joy’s resolute decision to remain true to her mission, suggesting a significant personal and professional loss amidst the disaster of Trump and his ideological allies.
In the second part of chapter, the fictional Webster "Web" Powers, addresses a packed ballroom in Washington, D.C., on a day he considers pivotal for his political ambitions. Web, who has transformed from a simple condo salesman into a powerful figure opposing what he sees as “woke” ideologies in education and government, relishes the fear among his audience—representatives from universities and research institutions.
He recalls how his concerns about a lack of patriotic historical education for his children led him on a crusade to eliminate anti-American content from schools, which in turn propelled him into politics. After achieving success in Florida by banning critical race theory and related concepts from education, he is ready to extend his efforts nationally. During his speech, he unveils plans to remove references to race, gender identities, and diversity from federal policies and grants, branding the funding of such initiatives as “racism.”

His announcement indicates that billions in federal research funds supporting various racial and gender-focused studies will now be terminated, causing dread among established academics who relied on these grants. Web takes pleasure in exerting control, sensing that his audience, once dismissive towards him, is now subservient to his newfound authority.

Ultimately, both narratives illustrate what happens when a Trump second term guided by Project 2025 destroys the lives and work of dedicated individuals committed to social justice and scientific integrity.

We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode:
Danai Gurira and Joel Hurt Jones who read the chapter and others who contributed character voices.

Sound design by Jonathan Moser and Marilys Ernst.
Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal is written by David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11.6.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: 2024 Election Recap: Harris Concedes, Trump Wins: Now What?, GOP Controls Senate

Vice President Kamala Harris conceded the 2024 presidential election. We'll show you her concession speech, which she gave at Howard University a while ago.

We did make history last night by electing a convicted felon as commander-in-chief. We'll explore what will happen to Trump's legal cases.

We'll show you some election victories, including the two Black women elected to serve in the Senate at the same time, Maryland's Anglea Alsobrooks and Delaware's Lisa Blunt Rochester.

We have so much to unpack about this election.

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11.5.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Black Votes Matter Election Night 2024 | #BlackStarNetwork

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11.4.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Roland on the Road in Battleground Pennsylvania, GA Early Vote Lawsuit, Black Voter Project Poll

LIVE in Pennsylvania on election night eve, counting down the hours before polls open across the nation to pick the next commander-in-chief.

We'll show you Vice President Kamala Harris' last-ditch effort to get folks to the polls here in Pennsylvania.

Black Voter Project's Director Christopher Towler will be here to discuss the third wave of their survey results.

Georgia MAGA Republicans are pissed about the opening of election offices over the weekend to accept hand-returned absentee ballots.

We'll show you some of Michigan's Get Out To Vote efforts from this past weekend.

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The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

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The story follows fictional Private Troy Marquis, who attends a tense early morning briefing at a military reserve base in Philadelphia. Troy is told that a radical group, Antifa, has invaded the city, prompting a second-term President Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act. US law currently prohibits the military from operating on US soil. However, the Insurrection Act of 1807 gives the president broad and sweeping authority to use the military to quell domestic violence or conspiracy that the president thinks is a domestic rebellion or insurrection. Donald Trump tried use the Insurrection Act against Black Lives Matter protests in his first administration and has threatened use the U.S. Military to shut down protests against him if he is re-elected.

As the soldiers in Troy Marquis company advance towards City Hall, tensions rise with the conflict between what the soldiers were told and what they see with their own eyes. In the midst of a peaceful protest against police violence, the situation escalates when one soldier purposely makes up a perceived threat, leading to gunfire. The chaos results in the deaths of dozens and many injuries, including their own soldiers. Overcome with horror and guilt, Troy grapples with the aftermath of their actions and the brutal reality of their mission.

In a view from the other side, the fictional Julie Brown joins that protest in Philadelphia calling for justice after the police killing of two Black students. Despite her parents' concerns about the increasing hostility towards protesters, she feels compelled to stand up for her beliefs. The protest initially unfolds peacefully, filled with songs and chants, until military forces arrive with orders to disperse the demonstrators. As the military's authoritative tone becomes increasingly menacing, panic ensues when gunfire breaks out, resulting in casualties among the protesters. Julie is injured in the chaos and wakes up in the hospital, facing a representative of military intelligence who informs her that the protest group is being investigated for allegedly attacking the military. Once again in a trump administration up is down and down is up.

We'd like to thank all the artists who volunteered their time to make this episode:
Mark Hamill and Andrea Guidry who read the chapters and others who contributed character voices.

Sound design by Jonathan Moser and Marilys Ernst.
This episode was jointly written by Daniel Miller—lawyer, writer and democracy advocate—and David Pepper and produced by Pepper, Melissa Jo Peltier and Jay Feldman and is a production of Ovington Avenue Productions and The Bill Press Pod.

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