Greg Palast

Drive Time: The tyranny of the extraction industry

Drive Time host Dave Glover and investigative journalist Greg Palast discusses the tyranny of the extraction industry, plus the latest on the Steven Donziger and Julian Assange cases.

Strangling of John Lewis Voting Rights Act could be death blow for democracy

These are the only states that would be policed under the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the requirement to “pre-clear” new, racially biased, voting procedures, such as limitations on early voting:
Alabama
Georgia
Louisiana
Mississippi
North Carolina
South Carolina
Texas
Virginia
Don’t get me wrong, the strangling of the John Lewis Act by filibuster, unlike the overhyped For the People Act, could be the death blow to a democratically elected Congress.
In 2013, Justice Kennedy said the Voting Rights Act would have been constitutional if it didn’t target specific states, a suggestion from New York City which was then under pre-clearance review.
While the new list is a rogues gallery of bad actors, there are real dangers in Ohio, Wisconsin, Arizona and Florida, not on the list. The Democratic Party has to grasp that vote suppression is serious in almost every state. Ironically, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema may be the victim of her own obstructionism.
Even with its limitations, the John Lewis Act would’ve been a very powerful weapon.
For example, the act would absolutely have prevented Cobb County, Georgia, from closing six of 11 early voting stations, all six in African-American neighborhoods.
So what now? While Attorney General Merrick Garland his filed suits against parts of Georgia’s new Jim Crow SB 202, action so far is slow, limited, and scatter shot.
Learn more: https://www.gregpalast.com/strangling-of-john-lewis-voting-rights-act-could-be-death-blow-for-democratically/
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Senate Republicans Continue Assault On Voting Rights

This week, the Senate Republicans filibustered the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and stopped it from being voted into law in the Senate, even though there was a majority of 51 votes. A filibuster is just, literally, talking a bill to death so that the Senate cannot get on with its work. To close off that trick, to stop a filibuster, you need 60 votes, and only one Republican, Lisa Murkowski, crossed the line to vote for the bill.
Now, understand, the filibuster was specifically created by Southern Democrats after the Civil War for one single purpose: to prevent voting rights legislation and the protection of black people. In fact, one of the only times it was ever used was in 1922 to block the passage of a national law against lynching. So, until very recently, it’s been used almost exclusively for one purpose, that is to block rights of black people to vote. Now, it's been used lately by Republicans for all kinds of things, but basically it's a Jim Crow tactic.

Reality Check: The Vaxhole Epidemic

This is not about vaccinations, this is about STUPID. There’s a pandemic of pin-heads, an epidemic of stupid.

FlashPoints: Hate goes on trial in Charlottesville

[Oct 25, 2021: Charlottesville, VA] Jury selection began today for the civil trial of the organizers of the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. The rally ended with the murder of Heather Heyer and injuries to dozens of other activists. The case was brought by a group of individuals that were attacked during the tiki torch march across the University of Virginia’s Charlottesville campus on August 11, 2017 and the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville the next day.
If successful, the lawsuit, which seeks large monetary damages, could have wide-reaching repercussions. The plaintiffs hope that it will ultimately bankrupt the hate groups behind the far-right events and bring their activities to a halt.
Zach D. Roberts, who filmed the 2017 Charlottesville violence for the Palast Investigative Fund, joins Greg Palast and FlashPoints host Dennis J. Bernstein to talk about the case.
Read Roberts' exclusive report: https://www.gregpalast.com/hate-goes-on-trial-in-charlottesville/

My Own Forever War: Afghanistan and 9-11

Right now, the darkness is falling on Afghanistan, and we are responsible.

The Extraordinary Case of Chevron v. Steven Donziger

Human rights lawyer Steven Donziger, who led a $9.5 billion suit against chevron, sentenced to six months for contempt.
Learn more about this extraordinary case: https://www.gregpalast.com/facing-prison-for-fighting-chevron/
Stand with Steven at: https://FreeDonziger.com.
#FreeDonziger #BigOil #Pollution #Environment #Amazon #HumanRights #StevenDonziger

Reality Check: Palast with Steven Donziger & John Perkins

On this week's Reality Check, Greg Palast stands in for regular host Cary Harrison and interviews human rights lawyer Steven Donziger and "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" author John Perkins.
Learn more: https://www.gregpalast.com/fact-injection-donziger-v-chevron/

Manchin’s Freedom to Vote Act Ain’t Going Nowhere!

Should we pass laws against bank robbery by asking the bank robbers? Manchin's talking about asking the vote thieves to agree to end their crime wave — that ain't going to happen! #FreedomToVoteAct

Ed Asner reads - Mr. Beale, Meet Mr. Palast

Listen to The Network soliloquy that Ed Asner gamely voiced for Greg Palast's bestselling book Armed Madhouse