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Braver Angels, an optimistic alternative to toxic politics

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Written by Jordan Lenoir

Braver Angels invites anyone and everyone to join them to help depolarize politics in America by bringing any political view to the table! This national cross-partisan, non-profit organization invites members red, blue and others to converse through shared and separated values and concerns to build more trust in politics. 

On the Asheville FM Newshour, KP Whaley interviewed Tod Lester about his organization that is dedicated to bringing the citizens of America together from all political views. 

Braver Angels recently conducted a survey regarding elections and how they can become more trustworthy for voters. Last year, Braver Angels held a convention that gathered 700 people where they collectively questioned, “what’s an issue that congress needs some help with or what are they not doing that we can do?” Lester revealed that following this questioning was “a series of 26 workshops, 194 evenly balanced red leaning and blue leaning participants, 747 points of unanimous agreements, they came up with 23 solutions on how to ensure that our elections are more trustworthy.” Lester shares that Braver Angels is holding an event on July 25th at Skyland United Methodist church in south Asheville at 6:30 to go through this report with all opposing political viewpoints and discuss the 23 solutions of trustworthy elections. 

Braver Angels, which was established in 2016, is working hard to rebuild trust in American politics and they do this through workshops, skill building, surveys, parliamentary style debates, and inviting politicians to town halls. Lester shares that “we are focused on this toxic political polarization thinking there has to be a better way.” 

Braver Angels’ main goal of their mission is to be able to bring all different political standing citizens together to come to reasonable compromises and agreements on what they collectively want to see change in politics. Lester speaks lightly on how politics tends to divide people/communities and how more recent divisions of sides have been difficult in America. Lester expresses that it is harder to build trust when people are discorded and reacting anonymously. He explains, “as long as people stay separate, they are going to think separately.” 

For more about Braver Angels, visit https://braverangels.org/

Addameer on Palestinian Prisoners + new TTRPG “Oceania 2084”

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This week, we’re sharing two segments. The podcast can be found at our website.

Addameer on Palestinian Prisoners

Montage of the log of Addameer featuring a dove flying up from barbed wire and "Addameer" in Arabic, as well as part of the book cover of "Oceania 2084" featuring an eye peering down

First up, we spoke with Tala Nasser of the Palestinian prisoner human rights group, Al-Addameer which has offices in Jerusalem or Al-Quds, as well as in Ramallah. We speak about the report they released on Palestinian Prisoners day, April 17th, on the conditions of Palestinian prisoners, particularly since October 7th, 2023 including in Gaza since the invasion. More info on the group and their findings can be found at addameer.org

A-Radio Berlin on new TTRPG “Oceania 2084”

Then, we’ll hear a segment by our comrades at A-Radio Berlin speaking with Johan Eriksson, an anarchist game designer has recently published such an RPG called “Oceania 2084“, based on George Orwell’s novel “1984”. You can find more of about the game including a free austere pdf of the gameplay at jocher-symbolic-systems.itch.io , and you can hear more audios from A-Radio Berlin at aradio-berlin.org .

Sean Swain’s 2024 Presidential Run

Available on the podcast version or as a standalone file here. For the sake of anyone in the office of Attorney General of Ohio if they’re listening: this segment is political satire. We feel it’s necessary to make this disclaimer as they referenced a spoof press conference for Sean as governor in exile of Ohio on the January 18th, 2015 radio segment in court filings to prove how dangerous Sean is, while actually just showing how stupid hierarchs are.

Midweek Release: Yaffa As

In case you missed mid-week release of our interview with Yaffa As, a queer and trans Palestinian poet, author, publisher and activist living in the diaspora about two recent collections they published as well as mutual aid and fundraising to get queer Palestinians out of range of Israeli genocide.

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Featured Track:

The Knotty G’s – AshevilleFM Live Music Sessions – The Getaway River Bar – Wednesday February 21st, 10-11pm at 103.3FM – streaming www.ashevillefm.org

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Asheville band “ The Knotty G’s ”  will be performing at The Getaway River Bar  – show starts at 9pm and will be simulcast live on 103.3FM at 10pm on the..

AshevilleFM Live Music Sessions..

Join us!  Wednesday, February 21st

No Cover!!

 

AshevilleFM and The Getaway River Bar are pleased to present The Knotty G’s live at The Getaway Bar from 9-11PM & broadcast on 103.3 Asheville FM 10-11PM. Please join us in person or tune in!

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ABOUT THE BAND: The Knotty G’s

Gill & Chuck Knott are the core of the funky and fun-loving group, The Knotty G’s. They sometimes call on a wide range of musical companions, to form everything from a duo to a full band. Established in Asheville, NC, The Knotty G’s travel the country sharing their Soul-Soaked Americana music, serving up a hearty, original recipe of pan-seared, boot-stomping-upbeat tunes, slow-cooked, captivating ballads, and even a few beaten, battered, deep-fried covers. Nothing short of a stir fry of fun, these characters can certainly satisfy even the biggest of musical appetites.

Find out more below..

Stream/All Links: https://linktr.ee/theknottygs

The Getaway River Bar – The Getaway is a laid-back bar with extra chill vibes by the river. With an expanse of outdoor seating and recreations set on the edge of the French Broad River, it welcomes everyone 21+ to loosen up and enjoy a getaway hidden in-between the city center and growing West Asheville.

790 Riverside Drive – Asheville, NC 28801 – (828) 545-6985 https://www.getawayontheriver.com/

 

AshevilleFM Live Music Sessions

Wednesday’s at 10pm

@AshevilleFM 103.3 /  https://ashevillefm.org/


More Posts for Show: Asheville Live Music Sessions

Free Alex Stokes + Russian Anti-War Saboteur Ruslan Siddiqui

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"TFSR 2-4-2024 | Alex Stokes faces 20 years + Russian Anti-War Sabateur Ruslan Siddiqui" featuring a photo of Alex looking to the left and Ruslan in fatigues in a forest holding a cow skull

This week on the show, we’re starting out with an interview with Lo and Meghan, two supporters of Jewish independent journalist, artist and antifascist leftist from Albany, NY, Alex Stokes Contompasis. Alex is serving a 20 year sentence for defending himself and 3 other community members attacked by Proud Boys and Oath Keepers at the New York state capital on January 6th, 2021. For the hour, we speak with Lo and Meghan, two friends and supporters of Alex who talk about Alex’s media work, the politically-charged court case and his ongoing appeal. More on his case can be found at FreeAlexStokes.Com, you can order his artwork to support his case there as well. They mentioned getting support & attention from the International Anti-Fascist Defence Fund.

Then, you’ll hear an interview from our comrades at Frequenz-A in so-called Germany with a recent interview of Anya of the grassroots group called Solidarity Zone that offers legal, media and other support to people facing charges for anti-war direct actions inside of Russia to speak about their work and the case of Ruslan Siddiqui, an anarchist who does not deny railway sabotage against the Russian war efforts in Ukraine. This first aired on episode 75 of B(A)D News: Angry Voices From Around The World from the A-Radio Network.

Solidarity Zone Links

Finally, you’ll hear Sean Swain reading from an incomplete list of people killed by law enforcement in the USA during the month of April 2023. The full podcast can be found at our website, here.

Announcements

Red Onion Hunger Strike Phone Zap

The saga at Red Onion continues, with more than 30 participants. Participants are asking supporters to call the Governor and the Virginia Department of Corrections to demand that the Red Onion follows state restrictions on solitary confinement. Kevin “Rashid” Johnson is additionally requesting his treatment for congestive heart failure and prostate cancer that he be moved from Red Onion to a facility like Sussex I or Buckingham that are near to large medical facilities.

You can hear a recent interview we had with a comrade of Rashid and see a roundtable of comrades of Rashid on Black Power Media recently talking about his situation. Here’s a social media post with all of the pertinent information: https://kolektiva.social/@BlueRidgeABC/111868911724769356

  • VADOC Central Administration USPS P.O. Box 26963; Richmond, VA 23261
    David Robinson
    Phone: 804-887-8078
    Email: [email protected]
  • VADOC Director, Chadwick S Dotson Phone: 804-674-3081
    Email: Chadwick. [email protected]
  • VADOC Central Administration Rose L. Durbin Phone: 804-887-7921
    Email: Rose. [email protected]
  • Beth Cabell, Division of Institutions Phone: 804-834-9967
    Email: [email protected]
  • Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin Phone: 804-786-2211
    Email: [email protected]

Sample script: I am calling in support of the hunger strikers at Red Onion State Prison. I am concerned about the serious health effects of long-term solitary confinement and other illegal and brutal methods of confinement including sensory deprivation. Please end the use of these practices. I am also seriously concerned for the health of Kevin ‘Rashid’ Johnson, as he is being prevented from accessing care for his health conditions. Please move him back to Sussex I or to Buckinghm, near a major medical facility, so that he can resume cancer and cardiac treatment. Thank you.

Support Guarani M’Bya in Brazil

from FireFund.Net:

This campaign aims to support two native land in São Paulo south and also, others in state interior and coastal zones.
Our goals is to restore and expand the prayer house (Opy’i) and communal kitchen, plant native trees and subsistence foodsuch as corn, rice, potato and others, distribute water and generate clean energy collected from surrounding rivers, support the cerimonies, and other constructions such as houses and other demands that the comunitie brings to us.
Also carry out the construction of ecological bathrooms and support the school located in the land. These are some of the missions and commitments we have to native people here in São Paulo.

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Featured Tracks:

  • Get It Together (Buck Wild Instrumental) by The Beastie Boys
  • High Water Everywhere, Part 2 by Charlie Patton from Complete Recordings 1929-1934

More Posts for Show: The Final Straw Radio

Mohammad Hureini of Youth of Sumud

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A black and white photo of Mohammad Hureini in a jacket with a Nehru collar in an olive orchard plus the words "TFSR 1-28-24 | Mohammad Hureini of Youth of Sumud"This week, we’re featuring a conversation with Mohammad Hureini (twitter / instagram), a young activist from Masafer Yatta, an area in the hills south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank in Palestine. Mohammad is a member of a non-violent group called Youth of Sumud that struggles to hold on to the sites and lives of Palestinian villages despite displacement by the Israeli military occupation as well as the illegal zionist settlements (like the neighboring Havat Ma’on) and their routine violence and impunity. For the hour, Mohammad speaks about the work of Youth of Sumud, their recent report co-published with The Good Shepherd on increased settler violence entitled Indigenous Erasure: How the zionist movement is using state sanctioned violence to eliminate the Palestinian communities of the West Bank, the South African genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice and other topics. A transcript of this interview will be available soon, a podcast version of this is available at our website.

Organizations Mohammad names doing on the ground support:

Recent interviews about the conflict in Palestine

Announcements

B(A)D News #75 is out!

Check out the January 2024 episode featuring updates on support for antifascists facing charges in Budapest from February 11, 2023; reflections from an Autonomist on the ’80s-’90s journal “Radikal”; a portion of our interview with Israeli refuser Yuval Dag; and an interview from Solidarity Zones on the case of accused Russian war sabateur, Ruslan Siddiqui

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Featured Track:

  • Building Steam with a Grain of Salt by DJ Shadow from Entroducing….

More Posts for Show: The Final Straw Radio