KNSJ’S COMMUNITY RADIO MEETING TONIGHT, THE FIRST THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH ON ZOOM
EVERYONE WELCOME–ALL AGES–NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY
TO JOIN US, CALL 619-283-1100 FOR ZOOM LINK INFORMATION
HERE IT IS ALREADY, FALL, AND KNSJ PUBLIC COMMUNITY RADIO, WHICH IS VOLUNTEER-RUN, HAS A LOT OF THINGS PLANNED TO CONTINUE TO BRING CURRENT EVENTS, LOCAL, NATIONAL, WORLD, AND MORE, TO YOU IN THE SAN DIEGO AREA, STORIES FROM THE GROUND, STORIES FROM WORKERS AND NEIGHBORS, OBSERVERS OF WHAT IS HAPPENING. KNSJ HAS NEWS AND REPORTS THAT ARE MORE THAN HEADLINES–NEWS AND STORIES NOT CARRIED ON CORPORATELY-OWNED STATIONS WHO HAVE NO TIES TO YOU OR TO SAN DIEGO.
THEN AT NIGHT WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT MUSIC BLOCK WITH LOCAL DJs AND AN ECLECTIC COLLECTION OF MUSIC.
JOIN US AND TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON. WE HAVE A LOT OF VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FROM ADMINISTRATIVE, TECH SOCIAL MEDIA TO WORKING ON A PROFESSIONAL SHOW/PODCAST.
A new poll reveals that Americans continue to support organized labor at historic levels, even as the Trump administration and its Republican allies in Congress take a battering ram to union rights and the nation’s working class.
Gallup’s annual survey, released Thursday, shows more than two-thirds of people in the US (68%) approve of labor unions and the economic security and prosperity they provide working families. The popular support matches record-high numbers of recent years after a long decline from the 1960s through the early 2000s.
As Gallup notes:
When Gallup first measured Americans’ ratings of labor unions in 1936, 72% approved. Approval reached the record high, 75%, in 1953 and 1957 and ranged between 63% and 73% from 1958 through 1967. Then, from 1972 through 2016, approval was lower, with few readings over 60%, including the 48% all-time low recorded in 2009. This was the only time approval fell below the majority level. Since 2017, approval has been above 60%, the longest period at this level since the 1960s.
“Working people want unions and the numbers prove it,” said Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), in response to the latest polling.
The survey shows sharp partisan divides despite the overall approval of organized labor. While 90% of Democrats surveyed and 69% of independents voiced support, only 41% of Republicans expressed the same level of support for organized workers and their unions. “All party groups show increased support for unions compared with 2016,” said Gallup, “though Republican support has declined since peaking at 56% in 2022. That was the only time Republicans’ approval has risen above 50% in the past 25 years.”
Saunders, like other members of the labor movement, has been a steady voice in rebuking President Donald Trump and his Republican Party as they run roughshod over labor rights and wage a relentless war against the working class by attacking Medicaid, food assistance, public education, better wages, collective bargaining, and workplace safety—all while slashing regulatory safeguards designed to protect America’s working families from industry greed and handing out massive tax breaks for billionaires and corporations.
“Gallup polling once again shows historically strong support, because workers understand that they have the power to win fair pay, safer working conditions, and dignity on the job when they organize a union. Today, that power matters more than ever,” said Saunders. “While billionaires and their yes-men in Congress try to slash wages, gut health care, and silence working people, we are fighting back—organizing, mobilizing, and demanding a voice.”
Despite the support of a large majority of Americans across the political spectrum, union density remains at historic lows, which makes sense given the hostility from both major parties to the needs of the working class and their fealty to represent the interests of big business over those of working families over the last five decades.
In his latest attack on the working class—and just ahead of the Labor Day weekend—Trump on Thursday issued a new executive order expanding his assault on the government agencies where federal employees would lose their collective bargaining rights.
Union members and labor experts immediately called the order unlawful—just like the original March order upon which it was based—and vowed to fight it tooth and nail in court.
“This is how President Trump is commemorating Labor Day: continuing his administration’s all-out attack on workers and unions,” said Liz Schuler, president of the AFL-CIO. “This new executive order once again distorts the law by ripping away the collective bargaining rights of federal workers in an attempt to silence their voices on the job.”
“Issuing these executive orders just days before the holiday that honors everything working people have fought and died for—including our right to come together with our co-workers in a union and bargain for what we deserve—shows us that this administration’s callous disregard for workers’ rights knows no bounds,” added Schuler. “No matter what it throws our way, the labor movement will never stop organizing and fighting for each other—and we’ll see him in court.”
AFSCME’s Saunders, suggested the polling should serve to invigorate the labor movement, even at a time when corporate power’s hold on the levers of power seems near complete.
“We know that working families are the backbone of our economy. But instead of getting the respect they’ve earned, they’re getting squeezed by CEOs and anti-worker politicians who want to hand out tax breaks to the billionaire class at the expense of Medicaid, food assistance, worker protections and our communities,” he said. “It is easy to see why trust in Congress and big corporations is hitting new lows, while support for unions remains strong.”
Saunders added that his union’s 1.4 million members are “proud to stand with every worker who is fighting back to demand dignity, fairness, and a voice on the job. Because when we stand together, we can defend our freedoms from billionaires who want to rob us of them.”
Bemoaning how Republicans have been able to coopt the mantle of being the party of the working class, all while undermining wages, workplace safety, and the right to collectively bargain, Les Leopold, executive director of the Labor Institute, has been among those warning the Democratic Party that it must change direction, or die trying, if it wants to win back the working class.
As he wrote following Trump’s 2024 reelection, “It’s time to end this sad chapter in U.S. history when the Democratic Party leaders refuse to be genuine allies for workers and the Republican Party is rewarded for pretending to be.“
ABOUT SCHEERPOST: ScheerPost is an award-winning, independent news organization that focuses on progressive politics and human rights issues that the mainstream media miss or decline to cover. Founded on the principle of honest reporting and holding those in power to account, we make it our mission to bring our readers the latest cutting-edge news and analysis about these issues. With our original articles written by renowned journalists and reposted articles curated by our award-winning staff, we present our readers with daily content from various perspectives that explain and challenge dominant narratives. Since our inception in March 2020, we’ve been able to maintain our independence through grants and reader donations — we will never erect a paywall — and in the process, our stories have been viewed more than 15 million times by our readers from around the world.
At the helm of ScheerPost are editor Narda Zacchino, former Los Angeles Times reporter, Sacramento Bureau Chief, Orange County edition editor, associate editor and vice president, deputy editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, and senior editor at the Center for Investigative Reporting and Robert Scheer, former Ramparts magazine managing editor, Los Angeles Times national correspondent and columnist and author of 13 books. With a combined 60 years-plus of mainstream journalism experience, they created ScheerPost, which has become an essential internet news outlet. At a time of increasing dominance of billionaire ownership in journalism, they materialized the warning of legendary media critic A.J. Liebling that “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.” Led by passion for independent journalism and bringing light to the truth, the founders do not take any compensation so all donations can go to site staff and operations.
ScheerPost fills a news media gap by reporting on issues other publications often shy away from or ignore entirely, such as controversial international issues; the threat of nuclear war; economic, racial and gender inequality; criminal justice reform; defense industry profiteering, and important moments in history that textbooks totally ignore. Our journalism is vital to providing an alternative understanding of what is going on in our world today. ScheerPost is committed to raising the voices of those marginalized by mainstream media and amplifying issues suppressed by the most powerful people and organizations in the world.
Geoff Hueter is the Chair of Neighbors for a Better San Diego, a volunteer grassroots organization that promotes sensible, data-driven planning for San Diego. Prior to that, Dr. Hueter was the Chief Data Scientist and Co-Founder of Certona Corporation, a leader in real time, AI powered omnichannel personalization for the world’s largest retailers. Dr. Hueter holds 12 patents and received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California at San Diego, where he studied gamma ray bursts.
– Stephanie Maccec: Graduate University. She started teaching 31 years ago as an English and Spanish teacher in Los Angeles. She then worked in online education from its inception, and wrote for Teacher Created Materials until she took a teaching position with Grossmont Union High School District as an English Teacher. She served as department chair, WASC Coordinator, OER Coordinator, UDL Trainer, and Mentor Teacher. She taught AP Literature, Film as Lit, ERWC, and AVID until she became a Teacher Librarian. She has long been an advocate for teachers as a Site Representative for Grossmont Education Association and was recently elected Vice President. She is currently serving as the chair of both the Organizing and Communications Committee to promote better learning and teaching conditions for students and educators. She’s recently contributed as an author to Radical School Librarianship: A Global Response. She is currently pursuing an MS in Reading and Literacy at CSUF and teaching ELD and dELD at Valhalla High School.
– Jackie Naah: has dedicated more than 24 years to education as a teacher in the Grossmont Union High School District, serving at both Mount Miguel High School and Valhalla High School. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Sociology from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development. Throughout her career, Jackie has taught a wide range of social science courses, including United States History, Child Developmental Psychology, AP Government, Pre-AP World History, and Life Management Skills. Beyond the classroom, she has been a strong advocate for educators, serving as a site representative for the Grossmont Education Association. She was recently elected as an at-large member of the GEA Executive Board and currently serves as Chair of the Political Action Committee, where she continues her commitment to supporting teachers and advancing public education.
Congratulations to Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez, Nermeen Shaikh and all of DEMOCRACY NOW! who make this show happen.
“Steal This Story, Please!”: Documentary on Democracy Now! Premieres at Telluride Film Festival this Weekend
This amazing documentary is premiering this weekend at the Telluride Film Festival. The film tells the story of Democracy Now! from its inception and also tracks Amy’s remarkable trajectory over the last 30 years. The documentary is called Steal This Story, Please!
KNSJ airs Democracy Now! Monday-Friday 7-8am and 6-7pm.
About Democracy Now!
Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. Our reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues. On Democracy Now!, you’ll hear a diversity of voices speaking for themselves, providing a unique and sometimes provocative perspective on global events.
Democracy Now! launched in 1996, airing on nine radio stations. More than two decades later, we have grown to be one of the leading U.S.-based independent daily news broadcasts in the world.
As an independent news program, Democracy Now! is audience-supported, which means that our editorial independence is never compromised by corporate or government interests. Since our founding in 1996, Democracy Now! has held steadfast to our policy of not accepting government funding, corporate sponsorship, underwriting or advertising revenue.
About Amy Goodman
Amy Goodman is the host and executive producer of Democracy Now!, a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program airing on over 1,400 public television and radio stations worldwide.
The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard honored Goodman with the 2014 I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence Lifetime Achievement Award. She is also the first journalist to receive the Right Livelihood Award, widely known as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’ for “developing an innovative model of truly independent grassroots political journalism that brings to millions of people the alternative voices that are often excluded by the mainstream media.” She is the first co-recipient of the Park Center for Independent Media’s Izzy Award, named for the great muckraking journalist I.F. Stone, and was later selected for induction into the Park Center’s I.F. Stone Hall of Fame. The Independent of London called Amy Goodman and Democracy Now! “an inspiration.”
Goodman has co-authored six New York Times bestsellers. Her latest, Democracy Now!: Twenty Years Covering the Movements Changing America, looks back over the past two decades of Democracy Now! and the powerful movements and charismatic leaders who are re-shaping our world. Before than, The Silenced Majority: Stories of Uprisings, Occupations, Resistance, and Hope, and Breaking the Sound Barrier, both written with Denis Moynihan, give voice to the many ordinary people standing up to corporate and government power. She co-authored her first three bestsellers with her brother, journalist David Goodman: Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times (2008), Static: Government Liars, Media Cheerleaders, and the People Who Fight Back (2006) and The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media That Love Them (2004). She co-writes a weekly column with Denis Moynihan (also produced as an audio podcast) syndicated by King Features, for which she was recognized in 2007 with the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Reporting.
Goodman has received the Society for Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award for Excellence; American Women in Radio and Television Gracie Award; the Paley Center for Media’s She’s Made It Award; and the Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship. Her reporting on East Timor and Nigeria has won numerous awards, including the George Polk Award, Robert F. Kennedy Prize for International Reporting, and the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award. Time Magazine named Democracy Now! its “Pick of the Podcasts,” along with NBC’s Meet the Press. PULSE named Goodman one of the 20 Top Global Media Figures of 2009.
She has also received awards from the Associated Press, United Press International, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and Project Censored. Goodman received the first ever Communication for Peace Award from the World Association for Christian Communication. She was also honored by the National Council of Teachers of English with the George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language.
ICE Continues to Detain Award-Winning Journalist Who Filmed Immigration Raids
By Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg / Truthout–Re-posted on Scheer Post
Award-winning journalist Mario Guevara, who had begun documenting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, has been detained since his arrest at a protest on June 14 in DeKalb County, Georgia.
Guevara has spent almost all of his detention in ICE custody, although he is authorized to live and work in the United States. He immigrated to the United States more than 20 years ago from El Salvador to escape persecution for his journalism. Guevara settled in Georgia and continued to work as a journalist, first for Mundo Hispánico, and then, in 2024, he founded his own news organization, MG News, which had recently begun filming ICE abductions.
In a phone interview from an ICE jail in South Georgia, Guevero told TheAltanta-Journal Constitution that the agency is retaliating against him because, “I was following them. I was showing their faces when they were arresting immigrants.” Some officers have said to him, “You gave me a hard time, Mario. Hey, remember me?”
On August 20, Guevara’s legal team, which includes the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of Georgia, filed a habeas corpus petition requesting that the court allow Guevara to pay the $7,500 bond set by an immigration judge on July 1. Federal prosecutors had appealed the bond order to the Board of Immigration Appeals and were granted a stay, or pause, of the order, thereby preventing Guevara’s release.
At a hearing on Wednesday, the judge did not rule on Guevara’s petition and requested briefs from both sides.
Guevara’s saga began more than two months ago when he was reporting on a “No Kings” protest, which was part of a nationwide day of action to protest President Donald Trump. According to the petition, body camera footage from the protest shows an officer instructing other officers to, “Keep an eye on the guy in the red shirt. If he gets to the road, lock his a** up. . . . He’s been warned multiple times.” Another officer asked, “Press?” The first officer replied, “Yep.”
About a minute later, Guevara stepped off the sidewalk as he moved out of the way of police officers coming through the area, and was promptly arrested. Video of his arrest shows that Guevara is wearing a red shirt underneath a vest clearly marked with PRESS on the front and back.
After his arrest, ICE placed a detainer on Guevara. Although all criminal charges related to the protest have been dropped, federal prosecutors have fought to keep him locked up in ICE custody.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has denied that ICE arrested Guevara because he is a journalist. In an email to Truthout, DHS claimed that he “is in ICE custody because he entered the country illegally in 2004,” which is false.
The immigration judge who granted Guevara bond wrote that the journalist “has a history of following the laws of the United States, as he legally entered the U.S. with a B1 visa, he has employment authorization and a social security number so that he can legally work in the United States, and he has a history of paying his taxes.”
The habeas petition quotes extensively from the government’s filings to demonstrate that ICE is targeting Guevara because he is a journalist.
“In the Notice of Appeal, the Government states that Mr. Guevara is a danger to the community because Mr. Guevara had ‘on five separate occasions … recorded or live streamed’ law enforcement officers and ‘post[ed] videos of undercover agents, their vehicles, and tag numbers,’” it reads. “The Government further states that ‘[l]ocal law enforcement reviewed the respondent’s public posts and learned that the videos were viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.’”
Guevara is currently held in solitary confinement for 22 hours a day at the Folkston ICE Processing Center, according to the petition. For two hours a day, he’s confined to a larger cell where he can “see the sky and breathe fresh air.” During his detention, he has lost approximately 20 pounds. “The freedom of press is only for U.S. citizens,” he told TheAtlanta Journal-Constitution on a call from Folkston. “If I’m outside again, I don’t think I will be on ICE anymore because everything is different now.”
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg is a reporter based in New Jersey.
WOMEN’S RADIO HOUR with Patricia Law Wed 5pm ADUs, PACIFIC BEACH DEVELOPMENT BUILDERS and WHAT WE CAN DO with Guest Mikalyn “Micki” Mellby
Patricia and Micki are in conversation about ADUs in Pacific Beach development and builders, intent of ADUs, how they are being built now, concerns about the environment safety from fires, parking and many more issues. ABOUT MIKALYN “MICKI” MELLBY I am a retired 30+ year small-business, community banker residing in Eastern Pacific Beach, San Diego. I am married with three grown children. My husband and I have worked on flipping houses since we started dating back in 1987, pre-HGTV. We have completed over 25 home remodels over 38 years together. We have remodeled and lived in three homes in this neighborhood over the last 20 years. Our mantra was always to buy the ugliest house in the best neighborhood we could afford and then make it pretty. Upon sale, it was on to the next project. We are not opposed to development. We built an ADU next to our rental bungalow near the beach two years ago, and our son lives there. Currently, we are building an ADU adjacent to our current home for my daughter, son-in-law, and new granddaughter to live in. A couple of years ago, the neighbor below my home sold her large lot and residence to a well-known, rather notorious, ADU developer, Christian Spicer of SDRE. Early this year, several neighbors alerted us to the investment/development plans for this site and adjacent parcel. In March and April, discussions became serious when it was realized what the long-term, negative impacts of such a large apartment project could impose on our community. We had always been under the impression since moving here in 2010 that the lots below us could not be developed due to the significance of well-known Kumeyaay tribal artifacts on the undeveloped land dating back 8000-10,000 years. The cultural significance of the historic site is recognized in all the surviving California tribal communities. Consultations were made with a tribal attorney, and a legal team was put together to represent the neighbors’ best interests in monitoring the subsequently named Chalcifica project. What was 116-units has grown into 136 units under review. Plans are in review with the City of San Diego, and the legal team advised the neighbors to file action before permits are granted. We organized Neighbors for a Better Pacific Beach and established a website at www.protectpb.org. Our goal is to raise $250,000 of the expected legal cost to get us to trial. We have raised over half the funds to date. We have joined and are monitoring the legal efforts of other San Diego communities in opposing these monstrous bonus ADU projects, many of which continue to proceed through the development pipeline even after City Council voted to significantly scale back the program in June
SPECIAL PROGRAMMING–POETS’ ROUNDTABLE, IN CONVERSATION ABOUT LISTENING TO POEMS
Featuring San Diego poets SERETTA MARTIN, DELORES FISHER, KARY VAIL and JOSEPH MILOSCH along with host and poet SUSAN TAYLOR
In a departure from Susan’s regular show, she and her guests are in conversation with suggestions on ways listeners can get the most enjoyment from listening to and reading poetry-spoken word. Have you wondered what a poet is trying to tell you, or wondered why some poems mean more to you than others? Listen in and see what might be meaningful to you.
Also, if you are ready to try your hand at poetry-spoken word and you are shy, you are going to hear tips on writing and ways to connect with your followers. Tonight, Susan’s show is full of thoughtful conversation, ideas, poets bouncing ideas off of one another, so that you can get the most from what poets are trying to say.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK SUSAN OR HER GUESTS ABOUT POETRY-SPOKEN WORD, CONTACT INFO@KNSJ.ORG OR CALL 619-283-1100.
