Leid Stories

TOPIC: Politically I'll say I'm a _____(description).   I voted for _____ in the 2020 presidential election. I thought the country needed _______.   Two years in with President Biden, I think ________.   What shapes my view is _______.

On this program on Jan. 10, 2022, I asked two questions: They were not rhetorical. I asked: Is Trump succeeding at undermining Biden's presidency with a parallel presidency?    I also asked: Have Republicans fully yielded their party to Trump?   Do yesterday's elections make the answers to both questions any clearer?   Just how much has Trump's orchestrated attack attempt on Jan. 6 cost Washington, D.C.? As the convener-in-chief of the violent protest, is Trump responsible for picking up the tab?    I note that not even the current inquiry into the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol has raised this question.

Based on your own experience, did studying hard and getting a good education equip you for a life you thought you could or would have? 

Based on your own experience, did studying hard and getting a good education equip you for a life you thought you could or would have?  Drawing on your own experience and your own knowledge and observation, what is your own view of education today? 

Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today. ︎Is American democracy in crisis? How can you tell?

Do Democrats act as though they're a solid bet for people of color, but work even harder to win the white vote?   ︎Is nonparticipation in voting a good or useful strategy?     Despite perennial protests urging voting boycotts   ︎Would you vote to re-elect Joe Biden? Why / Why not?   ︎ Name three issues on your top-priority political agenda.   Are you preparing/have you begun to make plans to live in a war economy? What changes have you made or are you making? What plans should we consider making right now?

It's Free Your Mind Friday!" Listeners' calls feature their considered opinions about critical issues of the day and how they affect our lives and collective survival.

Will current social, political and economic conditions encourage or discourage the formation of new (or newer) movements and social systems? ︎What, in your view, is the purpose of a government?  ︎Is democracy, as we know it, sustainable? Have we outgrown it, or has it outgrown us? ︎What do you see as the greatest threats or impediments to American democracy? ︎Have you ever switched political parties or been reluctant to openly identify with a party? Why?

Will Joe Biden be re-elected to a second presidential term? What's working in his favor so far? What's not?   ︎Is it time to mount real intra-party leadership challenges for both parties?  Why? / Why not?

Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today: ︎How to answer a [Leid Stories] question. ︎Will current social, political and economic conditions encourage or discourage the formation of new (or newer) movements and social systems? ︎What do you see as the greatest threats or impediments to American democracy? ︎What, in your view, is the purpose of a government?  ︎Is democracy, as we know it, sustainable? Have we outgrown it, or has it outgrown us? ︎Have you ever switched political parties or been reluctant to openly identify with a party? Why?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been banned from receiving the Catholic sacrament of Holy Communion in the archdiocese of San Francisco, its conservative Cardinal Cordileone confirmed over the weekend. Pelosi, a lifelong Catholic who lives in San Francisco, has been banned from receiving communion because of her support for women's reproductive rights, including abortion, the Cardinal said, noting that the church opposes such a policy. A spokesman for the church said Pelosi was informed of her communion ban by letter.   QUESTIONS: ︎What is the significance of the cardinal's action?   ︎Pros and cons of the fallout.   ︎President Biden, also Catholic, supports a woman's right to choose, but no action has been taken against him. The old double standard

Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today: ︎Almost a year and a half in office as the nation's two top leaders -- as President and vice president, respectively, of the United States -- what is your assessment of the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris team?

Free You Mind Friday!

Based on what you have been able to learn from media coverage of the mass killing in Buffalo, N.Y., last Saturday--allegedly by a lone teenage gunman--what do you consider the main stories/issues to be? Explain.  

The Buffalo, N.Y., mass shooting:  Nobody seems to have real answers or solutions, other than a slew of scrambled-together ideas and "policies" to show that well-intentioned law-enforcement and political responses were attempted. Bottom line: No new ideas so far relating specifically to the killings, but a lot of discussion on the "Great Replacement Theory," which supposedly informed 18-year-old gunman Payton Gendnon's deadly assault on unsuspecting supermarket shoppers on Saturday.   ︎What happens now?  

It's "Free Your Mind Friday" on Leid Stories.    That's when the program becomes an open forum and listeners have their say about a subject or issue that warrants closer attention and/or debate.  

No cogent answers yet on what, exactly, is the law of the land on women's reproductive rights and why are such laws aimed particularly at women and their presumed  constitutional right to decide whether to bring a pregnancy to term or terminate it. Many states prefer their own interpretations of the law.  Roe v. Wade, a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision,  said that a pregnant woman may decide for herself, without governmental intervention or interference, whether to complete a pregnancy or terminate it.  Since then, the landmark decision has served as the cornerstone of political movements seeking to overturn it as heresy that will bring about America's eventual destruction. President Biden, a Catholic, now is in the eye of the political storm on the abortion issue, and many other constituencies have already begun to organize and mobilize against any possibility that Roe v. Wade continues to be the law of the land. You've had some time to think about where you stand on the issue. So, what are your thoughts? Wh

No easy answers on a national policy on abortion, and President Biden's lack of clarity on the issue is only adding more fuel to an already roaring fire. What do you think?

Share your thoughts on the U.S.-Russia-Ukraine crisis. 

Here's what we're talking about on Leid Stories today -- Living well(ish) on a tight budget.   SAVING MONEY IN A WAR ECONOMY: SMALL STEPS TO KEEP YOU GOING   ︎Are you preparing / have you begun to make plans to live in a war economy? What changes have you made or are planning to make? What plans should we consider making right now?   ︎Make a plan, with a minimum of how much you'll try to save each week. Encourage each member of your household to do the same.   ︎Set up your own network of family and friends also trying to cut expenses and save money.   ︎ Cut your utility bills.   ︎Cut your drycleaning bill.   ︎Start a pantry for making simple, low-cost, nutritious meals.   ︎ Make a list of people near you who should be checked on or might need assistance.   ︎ Stay on (or, even better,  below) budget, taking advantage of specials and sales.   ︎Consider healthier choices for you and your family.   ︎Creatively mix and match or recycle clothing.   ︎Buy when there's a good sale.