COUNTERPOINT RADIO, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00 – 9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org

Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site: http://counterpointradio.org The full 1.5 hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2-week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint

1) Assessing Trump's Disastrous First 100 Days

Melvin Goodman, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, professor of government at Johns Hopkins University, a former CIA analyst and author talks about his recent article, "The Meltdown of the United States," where he observes, "The executive branch has taken on powers that are usually associated with wartime requirements. The legislative branch has been largely neutralized because of the near total abdication of the Republican Party. And the judicial system is facing an unprecedented challenge from a president and vice president who have no respect for our courts and our judges."

2) Trump Deports US Citizen Children, Arrests Wisconsin Judge

Dulce Guzmán, Executive Director of the group Alianza Americas discusses her group's concerns about the arrest of Milwaukee County Judge Hanna Dugan over allegations she obstructed justice after directing a migrant out of her courtroom as federal agents waited to arrest him. She'll also address the Trump regime's continued defiance of federal and Supreme Court orders -- while hundreds of people are being deported without due process, some to a brutal prison in El Salvador.

3) Trump Policies Risk Dangerous Global Nuclear Proliferation

Kevin Martin, Executive Director of Peace Action, the country’s largest grassroots peace and disarmament organization, talks about his article, "Trump, the Peace President? More Likely the Proliferation President," assessing the Trump regime's foreign policy on Iran's nuclear program, the Ukraine war, Israel's ongoing slaughter of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and nuclear disarmament.

4) Opus Dei, Trump's MAGA Movement and Pope Francis' Catholic Church

Gareth Gore, a London-based investigative journalist and editor talks about his new book about Opus Dei the conservative personal prelature within the Catholic Church, "Opus The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church. He'll also discuss the late Pope Francis' views on Opus Dei, the coming college of cardinals vote for his successor, and the rising influence of the political right wing inside the U.S. Catholic Church.

COUNTERPOINT RADIO, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00 – 9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org

Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site: http://counterpointradio.org The full 1.5 hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2-week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint

1) Campaign Prepares for Trump's Invocation of the Insurrection Act

Nastasia Lawton-Sticklor, an organizer with the Climate Disobedience Center, discusses her group's recent "Call to Courage" campaign -- amid concern that the Trump regime may be getting ready to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, which would give the president power to deploy US military on domestic U.S. soil to enforce mass deportation of immigrants and/or unconstitutionally target protesters and quash dissent.

2) Effective Resistance to Trump's War on Democracy

People For the American Way President Svante Myrick discusses the escalating constitutional as the Trump regime defies or ignores court orders -- and the growing concern that the president may invoke emergency powers, such as the Insurrection Act of 1807, to eliminate all remaining checks on executive power, and establish a brutal and violent police state to crush all dissent.

3) Assessing Corporate Media's Coverage of Trump 2.0

Ari Paul, a New York City-based journalist and lecturer at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs who has covered politics and labor for the Nation, the Guardian, Dissent, Al Jazeera, the Forward, discusses his recent article, "Failing to Rise to the Constitutional Crisis," about the deficiencies of corporate media's coverage of the Trump regime's authoritarian coup, and the growing importance of independent, non-commercial progressive media outlets.

4) Groups Petition Democrats to Call an Emergency Meeting to Design Response to Trump's Authoritarian Coup

Sam Rosenthal, political director of RootsAction.org discusses his group and Progressive Democrats for America's petition calling for the Democratic National Committee to convene an emergency meeting, declaring that "business as usual must give way to truly bold action that mobilizes against the autocracy that Donald Trump, Elon Musk and their cronies are further entrenching every day." He'll also talk about what actions petitioners are asking the Democratic Party to take in response to the current constitutional crisis.

COUNTERPOINT RADIO, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00 – 9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org.

Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site: http://counterpointradio.org The full 1.5 hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2 week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint

1) Fawzia Afzal-Khan, visiting professor in gender and sexuality studies, Princeton University, discusses her recent article, "Student and Faculty Repression on US Campuses: the Palestine Exception," relating to the reported 600 international students who have had their visas revoked by the Trump State Dept., and the preliminary ruling by a judge in Louisiana that the Trump regime can proceed with its deportation of Palestinian Columbia University graduate student, and Green Card holder Mahmoud Khalil.

2) Micah Sifry, is a writer, editor and organizer with nearly forty years of experience covering politics, technology and international affairs, who is currently working on a novel and writing a weekly newsletter on democracy, movements, organizing and tech called The Connector. Micah will discuss his recent New York Times article, "A Different Kind of Anti-Trump Resistance is Brewing," and issues related to Trump/Musk's mass firing of tens of thousands of federal government workers.

3) Lindsay Koshgarian, Program Director of the National Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy Studies talks about her group's latest annual analysis, the 2025 Tax Day Receipt, highlighting exactly where Americans' 2024 income taxes went and what those numbers say about our national spending priorities. Overall, in 2024, the average taxpayer contributed $3,707 per person for weapons and war – the equivalent of the price of 628 dozen eggs – including war and the Pentagon, weapons contractors, and aid to foreign militaries.

4) Jeff Hauser, Executive Director of the Revolving Door Project discusses growing concern that people in Trump's inner circle may have had knowledge of his changing tariff policy, allowing for insider trading -- combined with the fact the SEC is dismantling a key tool in collecting trading data, the Consolidated Audit Trail, that impairs regulators’ ability to understand suspicious activity.

COUNTERPOINT RADIO, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00 – 9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org

Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site: http://counterpointradio.org The full 1.5 hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2 week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint

1) The Disastrous Impact of Trump's International Tariffs on US Economic Inequality
Omar Ocampo, a researcher at the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies, discusses his recent article, "‘Liberation Day’ Tariffs Will Concentrate Wealth Even More,” the repercussions of Donald Trump's decision to impose massive international tariffs, and the vision for a progressive alternative fair trade policy.

2) The Trump Resistance Movement and the History of General Strikes
Fred Glass, a labor historian, retired union communications director, and writer/director of the documentary film, "We Mean to Make Things Over: A History of May Day," will discuss his recent article, "Best Guess: How Do We Defeat the Fascists?" the history of general strikes, and United Auto Workers' President Shawn Fain's idea for a general strike on May Day 2028 or before.

3) Interviews with New York City Hands Off Protesters

In the largest day of protests yet in Donald Trump's second presidency, it's estimated that over a million Americans protested the twice impeached, convicted felon's agenda, billionaire Elon Musk's demolition of the federal government, and the Republican Party controlled Congress threat to make major cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. The protests, which were organized in more than 1,400 cities and towns across the US, Canada and Europe, sent a message to Trump, Musk and the GOP: Hands off our healthcare, hands off our civil rights, hands off our schools, our freedoms, and our democracy. The interviews in this segment were recorded during New York City's Hands Off protest, which drew well over 100,000 people.

4) Connecticut Prepares for Trump Federal Education Budget Cuts
Mary Yordon, president of the Norwalk, CT Federation of Teachers union and a vice president of the American Federation of Teachers Connecticut, talks about the massive April 5th "Hands Off" protests across the U.S., and the Stamford, CT protest where she spoke in opposition to President Trump and his Secretary of Education Linda McMahon's plan to make make major cuts to education funding, and to eliminate the federal Department of Education.

COUNTERPOINT RADIO, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00 – 9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org

Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site: http://counterpointradio.org The full 1.5 hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2 week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint

1) Confronting the Reality of Trump's Repugnant White Supremacist Agenda

Tim Wise, whom scholar and philosopher Cornel West calls, “A vanilla brother in the tradition of (abolitionist) John Brown,” is among the nation’s most prominent antiracist essayists and educators is author of nine books, including his latest, "Dispatches from the Race War." He'll assess Trump and "Trumpism" since his inauguration on January 20th, with a focus on the twice impeached convicted felon's attempt to repeal civil rights law, the legalization of discrimination and effort to eradicate DEI in the federal government, while coercing states and universities to also eliminate DEI or lose federal funding.

2) Trump-Musk Sabotage of Social Security Designed to Hasten the System's Privatization

Sam Pizzigati, veteran labor journalist, Institute for Policy Studies associate fellow, co-editor of IPS' newsletter Inequality.org, and author, discusses his recent article, "Could Elon Musk Actually Destroy Social Security as We Know It? -- and issues related to the Trump-Musk attempt to sabotage Social Security's reliability and smooth operation over 88 years, and the millions of Americans who are now angry and becoming active in resisting the Trump administration's attempt to dismantle the nation's social safety net.

3) ICE Attempt to Deport International Students, First Step to Repress Free Speech for All

Dr. Nader Hashemi, director of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, and associate professor of Middle East and Islamic Politics at Georgetown University, discusses the campus response to the ICE arrest and attempt to deport Georgetown Univ. researcher and instructor Badar Khan Suri, alleging he has "close connections" to a Hamas official -- as well as similar arrests of a growing number of other international students across the U.S. He'll also update our listeners on growing IDF, Jewish settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, and Israel's breaking of the Gaza ceasefire and its resumption of its bloody war that's already killed more than 50,000 Palestinians.

4) Trump's Unconstitutional Executive Order to Change US Voting System Would Disenfranchise Millions
Filmmaker and journalist Greg Palast, the author of several New York Times bestsellers including The Best Democracy Money Can Buy," discusses his recent article, "Trump-Musk order will cost 21 million their vote," re: Donald Trump's March 25th executive order that restructures the way Americans can register to vote and when they can cast their ballots, an unlawful edict that will face legal challenges for encroaching on state powers outlined in the U.S. Constitution.

COUNTERPOINT RADIO, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00 – 9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org

Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site: http://counterpointradio.org The full 1.5 hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2 week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint

1) Trump Defiance of Rule of Law Triggers Deepening Constitutional Crisis

Christopher Wright Durocher, Vice President for Program and Policy with the American Constitution Society who will assess the threat to democracy posed by the Trump administration actions over the past 8 weeks, and thoughts on what it will take to mount an effective defense of the US Constitution and the rule of law.

2) Rightwing Domination of Social Media is a Powerful Channel for Political Disinformation

Kayla Gogarty Research Director with Media Matters for America will discuss her group's recent study, "New analysis found 9 out of the 10 top online shows assessed are right-leaning," and ideas being debated on how progressive activists, journalists and scholars can break through right wing media domination to reach more Americans to counter dangerous Trump-GOP authoritarianism in defense of democracy, and advocate for policy solutions to address our nation's many problems and failings.

3) As Voters' Anger Rises over Trump attacks on Federal Government Bernie Sanders and AOC Rally and Energize Opponents

Aaron Regunberg a contributing editor at The New Republic, senior climate policy counsel at Public Citizen and a steering committee member of the group Pass the Torch, discusses his recent TNR article, "Bernie Sanders Is Showing Democrats How It’s Done," and the current debate about the need to replace the Democratic Party's leadership, i.e. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer after he voted to support the Republican House Continuing Budget Resolution, that cuts $13 billion in domestic spending while increasing defense spending by $6 billion.

4) CT Criminal Justice Reform Activists Demand State Release Video Capturing J'Allen Jones 2018 Prison Death
Barbara Fair, a licensed clinical social worker, social justice activist, organizer and founding member of Stop Solitary CT who will talk about a planned press conference on Tuesday, March 25th to demand the release of video related to the correction officer beating death of J’Allen Jones on the 7th anniversary of his death.

COUNTERPOINT RADIO, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00 – 9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org

Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site: http://counterpointradio.org The full 1.5 hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2 week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint

1) Trump Suppression of Free Speech Used as Unconstitutional Pretext to Deport Palestinian Student Activist

Sam Carliner, a journalist who focuses on US imperialism and the climate crisis, talks about his recent Waging Nonviolence magazine article, "How pro-Palestine student activists are fighting increasing repression," and the recent Trump administration's arrest and attempt to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder who played a major role in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University last spring.

2) Trump-Musk Attack on Social Security Could Disrupt Elderly and Disabled Recipients Receiving Benefits

Justin Glawe, an independent journalist, editor of the American Doom newsletter, and author of the forthcoming book “If I Am Coming to Your Town, Something Terrible Has Happened,” discusses his latest Rolling Stone article, "Social Security Insiders Warn Trump and Musk Could Break the Program," and growing concern that Congressional Democrats aren't capable of mounting an effective defense of America's most popular government program.

3) Trump's Tariffs, Massive Federal Government Layoffs, Budget Cuts and Erratic Economic Policy Could Provoke US Recession

Dean Baker, Senior Economist with the Center for Economic and Policy Research talks about his recent articles, "The Democrats’ Necessary Apology," "The Trump-Musk Recession: Because They Can." and issues related to Trump's tariffs, Wall street's response and what's ahead for the U.S. economy.

4) New Book Examines the Vast Difference in How White Americans Perceive Racism and Sexism

Betsy Leondar-Wright, a community organizer, a diversity workshop facilitator, and a sociology professor teaching critical race theory and economic inequality, talks about her new book co-written with Jessi Streib, "Is It Racist? Is It Sexist?: Why Red and Blue White People Disagree, and How to Decide in the Gray Areas," as well as President Trump's attack on DEI and effort to overturn civil rights and anti-discrimination laws.

COUNTERPOINT RADIO, hosted by Scott Harris, is heard every Monday night on WPKN 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, CT between 8:00 – 9:30 pm ET. Webstreaming and audio archive at http://wpkn.org

Some segments featured on Counterpoint are edited for re-broadcast on the syndicated Between The Lines radio news magazine. Visit their web site at http://www.btlonline.org for free subscriptions to mp3 - podcast audio files, program summaries and interview transcripts. An archive of current and past Counterpoint interviews are accessible for free at our Counterpoint Radio web site: http://counterpointradio.org The full 1.5 hour unedited program can be accessed for a 2 week period after the show, at the WPKN Radio archives: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/search/counterpoint

1) Trump's Ongoing Assault on Democracy Closely Follows the Authoritarian Playbook

Jason Stanley, the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University and author of "How Fascism Works," and his newest book, “Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite The Past To Control The Future,” shares his views on the Trump regime's unconstitutional attempt to eliminate entire federal agencies, the mass firing of government employees, the witch hunt targeting DEI and all federal anti discrimination policies, as well as recent threats to criminalize student protest at university campuses nationwide.

2) Target's Elimination of the Store's DEI Policy Provokes Nationwide 40-Day Boycott

Jamal-Harrison Bryant, Senior Pastor at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia discusses his call for a 40-day "fast" from shopping at Target stores during Lent starting on March 5th, in response to the company's retreat from their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies after Donald Trump launched a campaign to eliminate DEI and decades-long civil rights policies in the federal government.

3) Trump's Erratic On-Again, Off-Again Tariff Policy Born of Desperation

Richard D. Wolff, professor of economics emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, author of 11 books including, “Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism,” and host of the weekly syndicated radio program Economic Update. Professor Wolff will examine Donald Trump's imposition of tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China, Europe and other nations, the impact on the US economy, as well as indications that the Trump regime is getting ready to manipulate government issued economic statistics by excluding government spending from data about U.S. economic output -- and the Commerce Department's decision to disband two expert committees that worked with the government to produce reliable economic statistics.

4) Connecticut Citizen Action Group's 2025 Legislative Agenda Explained

Tom Swan, Executive Director of the Connecticut Citizen Action Group discusses CCAG's priorities and goals in the current state legislative session, as well as initiatives a coalition of groups in the state are working on to build a firewall to protect CT residents from Trump 2.0 authoritarian federal policies targeting civil rights, education, and critical social safety net programs.