You can also listen to today’s show here:

A Public Affair has opened up its Twitter feed as well as its Facebook  to listener questions and comments. If you have a question or comment during the show, please feel free not only to call, but to also tweet us @WORTtalk or comment on our Facebook page. We can’t wait to hear from you!

On Tuesday, May 21st, guest host Nigel O’Shea interviewed a panel of local stand-up comedians to talk about comedy in the Madison area, their personal stories, and upcoming stand-up events. For the first half of the hour he spoke with Alan Talaga, Chris Lay and Sarah Connor. During the second half of the show they were joined by David Fisher and Aaron Haag.

For upcoming events, you can follow them on Twitter  here. For more information on the Barry Roberts tribute show coming up Wednesday, May 29^th at the Comedy Club on State, go here.

Also, starting today, A Public Affair has opened up its Twitter feed to listener questions and comments. If you have a question or comment during shows, please feel free to tweet at us at @WORTtalk. We look forward to hearing from you!

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As the organizers of the “Fighting Forward” conference write: “Join us at the epicenter of the “Wisconsin Uprising” for a gathering of working people, community and labor activists, students and educators focused on building a revitalized movement in support of labor and the working class.  Since the start of the Uprising, we have witnessed an historic response by working people to the decades-long assault on our rights and livelihoods. Now is the time to reflect, strategize, and build connections, as we not only continue to fight back against this assault but also move forward in building a better future for labor and working class people. It is time for Fighting Forward!”

Read more about the Fighting Forward conference here or visit their website.

Learn more and listen to the second half of the show here:

© Madison Area Community Land Trust

Madison Area Community Land Trust is a non-profit based in Madison, Wisconsin, that sells high-quality, energy-efficient homes at below market prices to low-moderate income households. Their mission is “to strengthen the Madison community by increasing the supply of affordable homes for present and future generations.”  Andy Miller explained that MACLT homes are more affordable because our homeowners purchase the home only, while the land remains part of community-managed the land trust. Lisa Fiala elaborated on her own experience with a MACLT home.

Learn more about the MACLT here or give them a call at (608)280-0131.

Listen to the first half of the show:

Rios Montt
Copyright Moises Castillo.

On Friday, May 17th, host Esty Dinur talked with investigative journalist Allan Nairn about U.S.-involvement in the Guatemalan genocide and Rios Montt’s crimes.

The U.S. first intervened in Guatemalan politics when President Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán nationalized United Fruit company holdings throughout the country in the early 1950′s. In response to this, the United States supported a military coup, which deposed the elected president and replaced him with a military government that would preserve U.S. interests in the region.

During the 70′s and 80′s the Guatemalan military, in the name of suppressing dissent and chiefly under the leadership of Rios Montt, executed, tortured, and displaced nearly a quarter of a million ethnic Mayans throughout the country. This included women, children, and the elderly. Survivors set international precedent by bringing a criminal charge against Montt for crimes against humanity. As of May 10th, Montt was convicted to 80 years in prison.

Nairn provided detailed and important information on all of these events, including the atrocities against the Guatemalan people and the continuing fight for justice and redemption. Most importantly, though, he argues that justice has not yet been achieved. And it will not be achieved, he maintains, until the U.S. officials within the Reagan administration who were responsible for supplying arms and turning a blind eye to these atrocities are also brought to trial.

Read Nairn’s blog to learn more about the trials and how you can get involved.

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This voucher program has now been expanded across the State, and eligibility has been extended to over half of all school-age children. Although it has been heralded as a system which breaks down racial boundaries and expands educational opportunities, Conniff and Ruff questioned the true motivations behind these vouchers. Money, through this program, is redirected into religious and online private schools that don’t have to follow public standards. Additionally, this takes money from public schools, which promotes public school failure and perpetuates the voucher system.

These and more effects were explored during this program.

Read Conniff’s article on this issue.

Listen to the entire show here:

Garlic mustard

Kearns answered these questions and more, elaborating on how invasive species were brought into the United States and Wisconsin specifically and how, without natural predation, they can quickly out-compete and destroy native populations. Specifically, she and Hansel focused on garlic mustard, a plant which blooms at this time of year. Garlic mustard is especially detrimental because it spreads into forest areas, where it can destroy natural herbaceous forest cover and even eventually stop the growth of larger plants such as shrubs and trees.

Finally, Kearns gave some tips for how to reduce the spread of invasive plants. She urged everyone to visit the DNR’s website to learn which plants are invasive. Then, if you see those plants, you should either clear them (if it is a small patch) or at least make sure that you don’t track their seeds to spread them further. This means cleaning off boats, shoes, and other property or clothing that could’ve come in contact with these plants.

To learn more about invasive plants and other species, as well as how to stop their spread, visit the DNR’s website.

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During the first half of the hour, Amanda Allen provided information about Plan B as a contraceptive. She stressed that Plan B is, in fact, a contraceptive, as it does not terminate a pregnancy once it has begun. She also discussed the many FDA studies which prove that Plan B is safe at any quantity for any age – in fact, it has been called one of the safest over-the-counter drugs. As the federal judicial ruling stated, “Plan B is more dangerous for politicians than for adolescent girls.” Following up on this comment, Allen and Bayrd discussed the judicial ruling about Plan B and the different arguments on both sides of the debate.

On the second half the show, Dr. Julie Fagan talked with Carousel Bayrd about her support of the Plan B pill as an important and effective contraception tool for women of all ages. She also voiced concerns about limitations on Plan B, such as age requirements which require valid ID or doctor prescriptions for girls of certain ages. Since the effectiveness of the pill is tied to how long after sex it is taken, these kind of steps would seriously limit access of the pill to lower-income women and younger girls.

For more information about the ongoing Plan B controversy and other issues surrounding women’s health, visit the NIRH website:

NIRH

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From right to left: Franck, John, Joey, Gabi, Above: Rachel Tiven of Immigration Equality

On the Monday, May 13th A Public Affair, host John Quinlan discussed legislation now pending to give LGBT couples and families the same immigration rights as other families with Attorney Rachel Tiven, the executive director of the national advocacy organization, Immigration Equality, who joined us via phone from New York. Our guests also included Gabi Helfert and Joey Johannsen (a couple with with Madison roots who are current residents of the Netherlands), as well as Franck Meunier, the husband of newly-elected Madison Alder John Strasser (who couldn’t be with us due to a prior commitment).

Although both couples were married in Iowa, lack of recognition of LGBT people under federal immigration law makes the potential US residency and citizenship status of German-born Gabi and French-born Franck much less secure than their heterosexual counterparts. For Gabi and Joey, it’s meant choosing to live in the European Union, rather than here in Madison, where their rights are recognized continent-wide.  In order for Franck and John to be able to live together in Madison, it means a delicate balancing act to keep Franck’s work-based immigration status intact, instead of basing it on the integrity of the 20 year relationship he’s shared with John.  It’s an ambiguous status shared by thousands of couples, one that also potentially separates parents from their children. Despite trends in public opinion that support full recognition of LGBT families under law, concern is that these rights will be compromised in the immigration reforms now being debated in Congress, if LGBT-supportive voices are not heard.

For more information, and updates on current pending legislation, see:

www.immigrationequality.org

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