Monday, September 30, 2013

Is US government shutdown imminent?




A government shut down may begin quickly, but our political leaders are more interested in playing a game of political chicken than dealing with our problems, and there is plenty of blame to go around. Join us today live at five and we will find people to blame too.

Wall Street is said to making millions of the pensions of public workers. Matt Taibbi reports that "Essentially it is a wealth transfer from teachers, cops and firemen to billionaire hedge funders…"Pension funds are one of the last great, unguarded piles of money in this country and there are going to be all sort of operators that are trying to get their hands on that money."

According to investigative journalists Glenn Greenwald and Jeremy Scahill, the NSA has played in a key role in the US assassination program. There is no doubt that the Obama administration is running an assassination program as US Attorney General Eric Holder announced back in 2012 that the President has the power to assassinate anyone it chooses without any disclosure.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Where does Senator Tim Scott stand on mass incarceration and racial disparities in South Carolina?




Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on mandatory minimum sentencing brought about by the failed Drug War and has helped propel the United States into incarcerating more of its citizens than any other nation. Statics show that there are huge racial disparities in conviction rates and sentencing. Senate Bill 619 introduced by Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and fellow committee member Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) seeks to reform the sentencing guidelines. Research on South Carolina’s prison population follows the same national patterns with Blacks and non-Whites sentenced to more time than Whites and it shows that the Drug War is the leading cause of South Carolina incarceration rates. Occupy The Microphone put in a call to South Carolina Senator Tim Scott’s Greenville office to see where he stands on the issue. Scott was sent a letter earlier this year by a constituent asking him to address the issue.

Republicans like to cite various polls showing that Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unpopular but according to research, so did other federal social insurance programs until they were implemented. Republicans have tried hard to defund the Affordable Care Act and as we reported yesterday, they going as far as to threaten a government shut down.

A growing sinkhole in Louisiana is about the size of 20 football fields is still growing and the Natural Gas industry may be responsible. Corporations have been using underwater salt domes to store propane, butane and natural gas and hollowing out 53 caverns to use as storage facilities may be the cause the sinkhole that is threatening to swallow the town of Bayou Corne.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Senators proposing "real" reforms to NSA




Three Democrats and one Republican in the US Senate have introduced legislation to get control over the NSA. Congressional hearings begin today on a proposal the senators promise will not be "cosmetic" reform, but offer real protections to the US. Brazil? Not so much.

The Republican leadership in Congress has threatened to bring the national political process to a halt in an "I'll hold my breath until I am blue" move over funding the Afordable Care Act. Just around the corner is the "debate" over raising the national debt ceiling. Threatening a government shutdown, some Republican leaders seem prepared to run us over an economic cliff to score points. Is this what we need from Congress?

Finally, with close to a hundred billion dollars a month being poured into banks and corporate profits as big as they have ever been, it seems impossible to imagine a different economic future. The way we are headed we may have almost no control over our food, jobs, money supply or much of anything else. Even projects we may like, such as solar power projects, can turn into a nightmare because they are so big. Is it actually possible to have an economy "too big to fail", or are we headed for more economic hard times?

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Sen Graham's opponents oppose his stance on Syria




South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has been consistently pushing for US intervention in Syria including military strikes. He is the only representative from South Carolina who does support US military action. Graham is facing an upcoming Republican primary challenge and his Republican opponents are all opposed to Graham’s position on Syria.

Iran’s new president has been reaching out to the world to reduce tensions among global rivals. President Obama gave a speech at the United Nations and said that the Iranian President’s comments about the country being only interested in nuclear power for civilian uses could eventually produce a relationship of “mutual respect.” However, South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn of Columbia said that President Obama should be very wary of President Hassan Rouhani.

RT is reporting that in the short term, the Monsanto Protection Act may lose it's protection. “In its short-term government-funding bill, the US Senate will propose an end to a budget provision that protects genetically-modified seeds from litigation despite possible health risks.”

Andrew Whalen, who represents the gubernatorial campaign of Vincent Sheehan, sent our a press release reporting that the company Experian, which was contracted to monitor credit activity of South Carolinians whose personal information was stolen by hackers from state computers, is now soliciting those individuals trying to sell them their services.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Has Dusten Brown given up hope in custody fight for daughter?




Has Dusten Brown given up hope in retaining custody of his daughter who was by some accounts, illegally adopted by a South Carolina couple. According to an ABC affiliate, “Cherokee Nation officials said Dusten Brown, Veronica's biological father, acting under court order peacefully surrendered the girl to Cherokee County and Cherokee Nation authorities who took the girl to the Capobiancos.”

John McCain’s former chief strategist Steve Schmidt called Sarah Palin, McCain’s 2008 presidential running mate and Republican Senator Ted Cruz a “freak show” over their efforts to push for the defunding of “Obamacare”. Schmidt made the comments while appearing on Hardball with Chris Matthews.

An American Nazi group’s plans to buy up property in a North Dakota town was heavily protested this past Sunday as hundreds of people turned out to speak out against the group. The National Socialist Movement wants to turn Leith City into an all white town.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Death of professor shows America values sports more than education




A professor in Pittsburg who had cancer and huge medical bills committed suicide and her death is putting the spotlight back on how little educators are paid in America. Margaret Mary Vojtko was a long-time, part-time professor who earned only $10,000 per year. Contrast her paltry pay with a graph from a report that shows that the highest paid public employees across the nation are either football or basketball coaches.

When the dust settled after last year's elections, North Carolina Republicans began to pass laws making any number of changes, leading to mass arrests for non-violent civil disobedience in Moral Monday protests sponsored by the NAACP. Now it appears that these same legislators have tried to seize control of the Charlotte airport. Owned and operated by the city for decades, including years under Governor McCrory when he was Mayor, why did the state legislature intervene and pass a law designed to take at least some control over the airport's future? Could there be a profit motive at play?

A declassified document shows that in 1961, two hydrogen bombs were dropped inadvertently in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Just how close did America come to a nuclear weapon catastrophe?

Friday, September 20, 2013

Members of the International Action Center report from Syria




Independent journalist Andrea Sears of LeftVoices.net just published an interview with IAC's Sara Flounders who is on the ground in Syria with former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark and former Congressional Representative Cynthia McKinney on a fact-finding mission. We run that audio for our listeners today to hear what Flounders has to say about what they have found so far in Syria and who they have talked to.

Was a Washington DC Swat team ordered to stand down and prevented from entering the building within the Washington, DC Navy Yard while Aaron Alexis was allegedly inside on a shooting rampage that killed 12 people? An unnamed source told the BBC that “when the Capitol Police team radioed their superiors, they were told by a watch commander to leave the scene”.

If we have time we will report on some local happenings and upcoming events plus more news for the 99%.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

John McCain: Going Rogue




Senator John McCain, the former failed 2008 presidential candidate seems to be taking on the title of a book by his former failed running mate Sarah Palin, Going Rogue: An American Life. From funding Contra death squads in the 80s, meeting with Al Qeada affiliates in Libya and Syria to now writing op-eds in Russian newspapers, the Senator from Arizona has a history of going rogue.

In what is called “quantitative easing”, the Fed chairman Ben Bernanke announced that the Federal Reserve will continue to purchase bank bonds at a tune of $85 billion per month to keep the economy stimulated. This sent stocks soaring to a record high Wednesday. In related news, Naked Capitalism wrote a piece yesterday that says while it is a relief that Larry Summers has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the next Federal Reserve chairperson, Yves Smith says you should not be enthusiastic about Janet Yellen.

In local news, we reported the controversy surrounding the racist vitriol hurled at the new Miss America through social media but a smaller controversy erupted when Miss South Carolina made a joke in her remarks about 20% of South Carolinians living in mobile homes because that’s how we roll. Ms. Brooke Mosteller is now apologizing for those remarks.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Declassified documents reveal Telecoms complicit in government spying




Perhaps in an effort to get out in front of more revelations from former private security contractor employee and whistle blower Edward Snowden, the US government has declassified documents that not one single telecommunications company objected to turning over bulk customer records. According to USA Today, “A newly declassified opinion from the government's secret surveillance court says no company that has received an order to turn over bulk telephone records has challenged the directive.” Ironically, this was the opinion of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Judge Claire Eagan, whom was awarded the 2012 Constitution Day Award by Rogers State University.

New information has emerged in the case of Charlotte Police Officer Randall Kerrick who was charged with manslaughter for the shooting death of unarmed 24 yr-old Jonathan Ferrell. Attorney Chris Chestnut who represents the Ferrell family has viewed dash cam video and the picture he painted was not favorable to Officer Kerrick. Chestnut said Ferrell walked toward officers when he came into view, which seems to contradict reports that the young man “charged” officers. It seems that Ferrell started to back away and run from the officers when two of officers pointed tasers at him from about 20 feet away. By that time, Officer Randall Kerrick, the shooter, was behind Ferrell therefore when he started to run, he was running towards Kerrick. Chestnut says that their were no commands from Officers to Ferrell “to stop, freeze, stop or I’ll shoot,” until after he was shot 10 times by Kerrick at which point officers then yell “‘Get on the ground, get on the ground”. The attorney also said that the video showed that made no threatening comments were made toward officers by Ferrell and “It was clearly apparent he had no weapons, He never reached” for his waistband while running or anyplace a weapon could be concealed”. As we reported yesterday, an attorney for Officer Randall Kerrick, Michael Greene said Kerrick’s decision to shoot was legal but could not be reached by the Charlotte Observer to comment on the video.

In local news, a Greenville entertainment venue will be changing its name from The BI-LO Center to Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The contract to name the entertainment complex after the nonprofit hospital system will come at a cost of $4.5 million for ten years.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Racist trolls attack the new Miss America Nina Davuluri




Racist suspects are singing the same old “Take America Back” tune after a young woman of Indian descent won the Miss America pageant. Miss New York Nina Davuluri being crowned as Miss America 2014 caused social media to light up with racist rants and one tweet collected by Buzz Feed stated “Man our president nor our new Miss America isn't even American I'm sorry but Miss Kansas I salute you your the real American”. Todd Starnes, a radio host of Fox News & Commentary took a page out of Sarah Palin’s book when he tweeted “The liberal Miss America judges won’t say this – but Miss Kansas lost because she actually represented American values,” During a campaign stop in North Carolina during John McCain’s run for President in 2008, Palin implied that certain parts of the nation were “Pro-American” implying that others were not. Of course, Starnes is in full spin mode with the same old Palin talking points blaming the “mainstream media” for misreporting his implied derogatory comments about the crowning of Nina Davuluri.

A fourth sewage treatment plant in South Carolina has tested positive for the dangerous polychlorinated biphenyls chemicals also known as PCBs. It is believed that someone is engaged in illegal dumping in the Upstate area. Jeff Bailey, city of Inman wastewater treatment manager, said he notified the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control after detecting small amounts of the chemical were detected in septic sludge.

A Charlotte Mecklenburg Police officer is facing manslaughter charges after his shot at an unarmed man seeking help twelve times hitting him ten times and killing him. Jonathan Ferrell, a former Florida A&M football player who moved to Charlotte to be with his fiancée had a car accident and sought help from a nearby home. The woman who answered the door thinking it was her husband was startled when it was not, shut the door, and called police apparently reporting a breaking and entering. When police arrived to investigate, Ferrell approached the three officers when one tried to tazer him before CMPD Officer Randall Kerrick open fire on the unarmed man killing him. Kerrick was quickly charged with manslaughter after an investigation by homicide detectives. Lawyers representing Officer Randall Kerrick told the local new media that the shooting was justified but declined to take questions.

Monday, September 16, 2013

US Navy Yard Attacker identified as Aaron Alexis




The US Naval Yard shooter has been identified as a civilian contractor from Texas named Aaron Alexis. At least 12 have been killed according to reports.

Did the Detroit emergency manager intentionally cause a partial power outage in Detroit to facilitate privatizing the cities power grid? Several people were injured and many more trapped in elevators when electrical power was purposely cut to certain sectors of the city. Bill Nowling of Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr's office and City of Detroit-Chief Compliance Officer, Gary Brown both admitted that the power outages were intentional but tried to blame it on potential problems with the entire grid ad Brown said if they did not shut off the power DTE would have. However, DTE offcials say that Brown is lying and they supply the power but don’t choose where the power goes.

Lawrence Summers, a former U.S. Treasury secretary, has withdrawn his name from consideration to become the next Federal Reserve Chair. Many progressives, including Elizabeth Warren were vocal critics of Summers attempts to deregulate the financial sector when he was Treasury secretary under President Clinton.

In local news, last week South Carolina electrical cooperatives are backing the first large-scale solar farm which will be built in the countryside near Walterboro.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Syria signs agreement to put chemical weapons under international control



Download Podcast

The United Nations has announced that the Syrian government has signed a decree to join the international communities ban on chemical weapons. Secretary of State John Kerry seems intent to hold the Assad government to a quicker timetable than international norms, which is 30 days, but earlier this month when Kerry demanded that Assad turn over his chemical weapons in a week’s time but then admits, “It can’t be done”.

In what some consider a crack down on political expression and the right to assemble, thousands of people who participated in the Occupy Movement were arrested in 2011. In New York City alone, there were 2,812 arrests recorded by the National Lawyers Guild and only 49 were convicted on minor so-called crimes. That is a conviction rate of less than 2%.

Thousands have been evacuated in Colorado to escape Mountain towns being cut off by heavy flooding. President Obama approved federal disaster aid late Thursday night for areas along Colorado’s Front Range Mountains. There have been at least three reported deaths.

In local news, a 15 yr-old boy, Trayvon K. Dodd was found shot to death in a backyard in Greenville County on Wednesday night. The story is still developing and one person has been brought in for questioning.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Did President Obama sell the American people on attacking Syria?



Download Podcast

The President of the United States took to the public airwaves to convince the American public to back his proposal for “limited” military strikes against the Assad government in Syria. Were you convinced one way or the other by the “evidence” he presented or the lack thereof? The Occupy crew will examine parts of his case for waging war against Syria and give their analysis. Call us and share your thoughts on the President’s speech.

*Breaking News: Syrian analyst cited by Kerry, McCain, fired for Ph.D. lie

Yesterday we promised we would revisit the report about the underground adoption networks being run on the internet where without government oversight, vulnerable children from overseas are passed from one family to another in America, sometimes with disastrous results. A Reuters report says, “By obtaining a power of attorney, the new guardians are able to enroll a child in school or secure government benefits – actions that can effectively mask changes of custody that take place illegally outside the purview of child welfare authorities.”

In local news, Greenville will be experiencing a trial referred to as the first of its kind in the area where a judge ruled last week that a case would move forward involving a child who was born a "true hermaphrodite." When the child who is now 8 yrs-old and identifies as a male, was a 1 yr-old, doctors performed sex reassignment surgery and removed his functioning male genital tissue. The lawsuit says doctors, acting as agents of defendant hospitals, performed the surgery for the purpose of "assigning" the child the female gender despite their own conclusion that the toddler "was a true hermaphrodite but there was no compelling reason that she should either be made male or female.”

Listen Only: 1-559-726-1300 Participant Code: 810246#
Listen to Occupy The Microphone on your smartphone by downloading the free Shoutcast apps for iPhone and Android
To advertise contact Gregg info@occupythemicrophone.com

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Will Folks on how the SC Republican Party is falling apart



Download Podcast

Today is the twelfth anniversary of the 911 attacks.

We caught up with FITSNews’ editor and blogger Will Folks for a candid conversation. Folks revealed that he had engaged in an “inappropriate physical relationship” with then Republican gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley who would go on to become South Carolina’s Governor. We will get his thoughts on why he believes the South Carolina Republican Party is falling apart.

Occupy The Microphone has provided in depth coverage of the adoption case involving a Cherokee child by the name of Veronica Brown whose father Dusten Brown contends was illegally adopted by a South Carolina couple. On September 9, NBC News and Reuters published and broadcast the first in a series of reports on the underground adoption networks operating in the United States where adoptive parents who want to give up their adoptive children, hand them over to other people without any government oversight.

Listen Only: 1-559-726-1300 Participant Code: 810246#
Listen to Occupy The Microphone on your smartphone by downloading the free Shoutcast apps for iPhone and Android
To advertise contact Gregg info@occupythemicrophone.com

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Possible diplomatic solution on Syrian chemical weapons in the works



Download Podcast

*Breaking News: Russia says the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) has confirmed that the videos and photos purporting to show the victims of a chemical attack near the Syrian capital, Damascus, were fabricated.

Secretary of State John Kerry seemed to offer an opening to Syrian President Assad when he said that the US would not attack his nation if he put any chemical weapons they have under international control. After apparently being pressured by Russian President Putin, the Syrian government seems ready to do just that. That doesn't mean the end of the story. Who used these weapons? Will there be a price to pay for those who used them?

Brandon Hilton, Spartanburg's own pop star in the making, joins us on air today. He'll talk about this weekend's Upstate Pride Parade and Festival and whatever else comes to mind.

A reference to AIPAC, renown as a major Israeli pressure group, was deleted from a New York Times report recently. The article, about the march to attacking Syria, reported that the political action committee was pressuring the Obama administration to attack Syria.

Finally, both Washington and Colorado are cashing in on the financial boom they are experiencing as they legalized pot use. When more freedom also means a stronger economy, what's holding us back?

That and more today on Occupy The Microphone.

Listen Only: 1-559-726-1300 Participant Code: 810246#
Listen to Occupy The Microphone on your smartphone by downloading the free Shoutcast apps for iPhone and Android.
To advertise contact Gregg info@occupythemicrophone.com

Monday, September 9, 2013

House of Saud sends death row inmates to “Jihad” in Syria



Download Podcast

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has acknowledged that it has been sending prisoners sentenced to death from several nations to “Jihad” in Syria. According to a secret memo obtained by the Assyrian International News Agency, The House of Saud negotiated with up to 1239 inmates and offered them full pardons and monthly payments to their families for the prisoners “training in order to send them to Jihad in Syria." The prisoners included Saudis, Afghans, Egyptians, Iraqis, Jordanians, Kuwaitis, Pakistanis, Palestinians, Somalis, Sudanese, Syrians and Yemenis. USA Today reports that all faced execution for rape, murder and drug smuggling.

In related news, US Sec of State John Kerry says that Syria can avoid military action against it if the Syrian government gives up their chemical weapons in one week, which he then admits is an impossible task. This represents yet another red line painted by the Obama administration while Congress debates whether to authorize US military strikes.

The CEO and President of the NAACP, Benjamin Jealous will be stepping down at the end of this year citing that he would like to spend more time with his wife and children. In a statement Jealous said, “The NAACP has always been the largest civil rights organization in the streets, and today it is also the largest civil rights organization online, on mobile and at the ballot box too, I am proud to leave the association financially sound, sustainable, focused, and more powerful than ever.” Jealous said he plans to start a political action committee to raise money to elect diverse progressive candidates to public office and that the candidates would not be limited to Democrats.

In local news, an opinion piece published over the weekend on GoUpstate.com takes members of the Spartanburg County Council to task over not holding public hearings over proposed changes to the county’s 911 communications that include fire service, police and emergency medical service. According to the piece, the law requires that all official meetings be open and that the public be given notice. That did not occur when Councilmen Michael Brown, Dale Culbreth and David Britt attended a private meeting with Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright to discuss public safety issues.

Listen Only: 1-559-726-1300 Participant Code: 810246#
Listen to Occupy The Microphone on your smartphone by downloading the free Shoutcast apps for iPhone and Android.
To advertise contact Gregg info@occupythemicrophone.com

Friday, September 6, 2013

Putin says that Russia will help Syria if US attacks



Download Podcast

Speaking from the G20 summit, Russian president Vladimir Putin said that the recent alleged chemical attacks in Syria is a provocation carried out by the rebels to attract a foreign-led strike. He also said in the event of military strike, Russia would help Syria. “Will we help Syria? We will. And we are already helping, we send arms, we cooperate in the economics sphere, we hope to expand our cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, which includes sending humanitarian aid to support those people – the civilians – who have found themselves in a very dire situation in this country,” Putin said.

In related news, McClatchy news service reported today that Russia delivered a 100-page report to the United Nations laying out evidence that the Syrian opposition carried out the sarin gas chemical attacks earlier this year in March that killed 26 people. Russia said its investigation of the March attacks was carried out under the strict protocols established by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and that samples collected by Russian technicians were sent to OPCW-certified laboratories. The OPCW is the international agency that governs adherence to treaties that prohibit the use of chemical weapons.

Carl Romanelli of the Pennsylvania Green Party will call in today to discuss the challenge of third party ballot access in the United States and weigh in on some of the national issues facing America.

In SC news, a South Carolina student and his parent sued the Charleston County School District in the Charleston County Court of Common Pleas. In the complaint, it is alleged that one of the student’s teachers at West Ashley High School in Charleston, Alan Ingram, bullied the teen so much that he attempted suicide. The lawsuit states, "In early April 2013, Ingram began bullying plaintiff in class, in front of plaintiff's classmates, by telling plaintiff's classmates that plaintiff was 'gay,' and by calling plaintiff names and belittling him in the presence of his classmates. This continued on a daily basis for an extended period of time,”

Listen Only: 1-559-726-1300 Participant Code: 810246#
Listen to Occupy The Microphone on your smartphone by downloading the free Shoutcast apps for iPhone and Android.
To advertise contact Gregg info@occupythemicrophone.com

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Is Secretary of State John Kerry being truthful about the Syrian opposition?



Download Podcast

Veronica Brown “adoption case” update: Dusten Brown turned himself in yesterday after "Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed an extradition warrant to send him to South Carolina’.

Is the Obama administration and key Republicans trying to play down the power and influence of Islamic extremists fighting in Syria? Tuesday while speaking to the Senate Foreign Relations committee, Secretary of State John Kerry said the Syrian opposition "has increasingly become more defined by its moderation, more defined by the breadth of its membership, and more defined by its adherence to some, you know, democratic process and to an all-inclusive, minority-protecting constitution".

However, in July deputy director of the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency, David Shedd estimated that there were at least 1,200 different Syrian rebel groups and those Islamic extremists, notably the Nusra Front, were well placed to expand their influence according to Reuters. Other intelligence sources are also, at odds with what Kerry and people like John McCain are trying to sell to the American people concerning the make up of the Syrian opposition. A New York Times article published today citing the brutality of the Syrian "rebels" and that it was posing a problem for the West. It featured a photo of Syrian soldiers who had been captured being executed while bound, facedown and on their knees.

Jack Rasmus of the Green Shadow Cabinet Federal Reserve Chair will call in today to discuss the appointment of Larry Summers as Federal Reserve chairperson. Jack Rasmus is the author of the book, “Obama's Economy: Recovery for the Few”.  In a recent article at Mint Press News author Martin Michaels implies Summers could drive us into another financial collapse.

Vincent Sheheen, the Democratic state senator is challenging Republican Governor Nikki Haley and is making the hacking of South Carolina computers part of his campaign. He blames Haley for the data breach on her watch which resulted in millions of South Carolina tax payer’s personal information being stolen.

Listen Only: 1-559-726-1300 Participant Code: 810246#
Listen to Occupy The Microphone on your smartphone by downloading the free Shoutcast apps for iPhone and Android.
To advertise contact Gregg info@occupythemicrophone.com

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Oklahoma Supreme Court to hear arguments in Baby Veronica adoption case



Download Podcast

The Oklahoma Supreme Court granted to stay with her biological father and will hear arguments next week from the lawyers of Dusten Brown and those of the girl's adoptive parents from South Carolina, Matt and Melanie Capobianco. The Indian Child Welfare Act, which was established in 1978 in response to the high rate of adoption of Native American children by non-Native families is at the heart of the case. The US Supreme Court has already ruled that the act’s provisions do not apply to the case.

Charlotte based Freedom House Church is in the news for all the wrong reasons. The church is facing a controversy after one of its pastors sent out an email asking for “white only” volunteers to greet people coming through the church doors for services. One of the members of the church who has since stop attending, showed the email to the local media and the church says it has apologized for the email.

South Carolina governor Nikki Haley is going to federal court to defend South Carolina’s constitutional ban on gay marriage. In announcing the governor’s decision, spokesperson Doug Mayer stated in an email “Gov. Haley, like the majority of South Carolinians, supports traditional marriage as defined between one man and one woman, and in accordance with state law, will continue to uphold those values. The legislature has spoken on this issue, the people have spoken on this issue, and the governor remains resolute in her support of South Carolina’s Constitution and state’s rights and this lawsuit doesn't change that,”.

Listen Only: 1-559-726-1300 Participant Code: 810246#
Listen to Occupy The Microphone on your smartphone by downloading the free apps for iPhone and Android.
To advertise contact Gregg info@occupythemicrophone.com

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Another massive domestic spying program revealed dwarfs NSA program


Download Podcast

The Office of National Drug Control Policy has been coordinating a massive domestic spying program involving the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the telecomm giant AT&T. In 1987 AT&T made a decision to store massive amounts of communication data not just on its customers but all calls that pass through their switches. In 2007, former President George W. Bush activated “Project Hemisphere” and the DEA and AT&T have been working together ever since to mine the data.

According to Daily Tech, “an estimated 4 billion records (one call sometimes generates multiple records) are estimated to be added to the federally funded AT&T databases a day; over a trillion records are estimated to be added yearly. And possibly tens of trillions of records --- mostly from law-abiding Americans -- may reside in the agency's carefully maintained databases.”

South Carolina received $295 million dollars in 2010 to help keep struggling homeowners from losing their homes in foreclosure. However, it has only used about $98 million of the money it got from the federal government due mostly to those who qualify for assistance not knowing the program even exists. To apply, you can call 1-855-435-7472 or go to www.SCHELP.gov.

Studio: 864-751-0115 or toll free 864-751-0116
Listen Only: 1-559-726-1300 Participant Code: 810246#

Listen to Occupy The Microphone on your smartphone by downloading the free apps for iPhone and Android.
To advertise contact Gregg info@occupythemicrophone.com

Monday, September 2, 2013

The fight for worker's rights continues....



Download Podcast

Today Americans celebrate Labor Day and Occupy The Microphone will celebrate by sharing some labor related music today. Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. While reflecting on how far the labor movement has come, it is just as important to reflect on how far labor rights in America are still lacking in many areas.

ThinkProgress published a piece today that specifically names 11 issues still on the table for the labor movement.

Fast-food workers have been on strike over the past few weeks over low wages. Most fast-food workers are not unionized and is one of the things they are fighting for. In support of the fast-food worker, union labor turned out today across the nation in support of the striking workers.

Studio: 864-751-0115 or toll free 864-751-0116
Listen Only: 1-559-726-1300 Participant Code: 810246#

Listen to Occupy The Microphone on your smartphone by downloading the free apps for iPhone and Android.
To advertise contact Gregg info@occupythemicrophone.com