Out D'coup Podcast

On this episode, I'll be talking with Jennifer Cohn about her article "Moms for Liberty and the Dominionist Assault on America's 'Education Mountain'," published in the Bucks County Beacon. Cohen unmasks the extremist, Christian nationalist agenda shared by Moms for Liberty and organizations on the radical Christian right. We'll also talk about significant losses by Moms for Liberty-backed school board candidates in this November's elections - both here in PA and across the country. Does this signal the beginning of the end of Moms for Liberty and Christian nationalists? Or, will they double-down on their radical agenda heading into the 2024 presidential election? Jennifer Cohn is an attorney, election integrity advocate, and political essayist. In addition to writing on elections and Christian nationalism for the Bucks County Beacon, her writing has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Who What Why, The Independent, TYT Investigates, The Brad Blog, and Salon. You can follow Jennifer on the platform for

Raging Chicken's Friday Politics Roundup for November 11, 2023. This week I am joined by Cyril Mychalejko, Editor-in-Chief of the Bucks County Beacon. We'll be diving into the results of the election results from Tuesday. We say HUGE wins in school boards and county offices across Bucks County. Both Pennridge and Central Bucks school boards flipped! There were also significant wins in the State Supreme Court and other judicial elections. We'll get into it all. You can support this show by becoming a patron for as little as $5/month at https://www.patreon.com/rcpress. Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/7XzfKUWCmh

It's Election Day Eve here in Pennsylvania. In Bucks County the future of our schools are at stake. Abortion rights are at stake. Our elections are at stake. Deep breaths everyone. If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to Patreon.com/RCPress. Join our Discord to continue the conversation all week long: https://discord.gg/BnjRNz3u

Raging Chicken's Friday Politics Roundup for November 3, 2023. We're here to break down the good, the bad, and the ugly in state and national politics. This week, we're focused on the critical election this coming Tuesday, Nov. 7 - at stake the future of school boards in Pennridge, Central Bucks, Council Rock, and others. Not only that, but protection for abortion and voting rights is on the ballot with control of the PA Supreme Court up for grabs. Also, the fight to keep a Democratic Party majority on the Bucks County Board of Commissioners is alive and well.  Key links:  Vote for these Pennridge School Board Candidates: https://www.pennridgecommunityalliance.com/ Vote for these Central Bucks School Board Candidates: https://www.cbsdneighborsunited.com/ Vote for these Council Rock School Board Candidates: https://www.togetherforcouncilrock.org/ Vote for these Bucks County Board of Commissioners & Judicial Candiates: https://bucksdemocrats.org/candidates/ You can support this show by becoming a patron fo

On this week's episode, I am talking with Kierstyn Zolfo from Bucks County Indivisible. Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is getting lazy this Halloween. He's dressing up as a "moderate" once again. Trick or treat? We'll let you be the judge. We'll be talking about her new article in the Bucks County Beacon, “Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s Support for New House Speaker Mike Johnson Shows Voters Who He Really Is.” In that piece, Kierstyn writes about how Fitz was selling the new Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, to the so-called “moderate” Problem Solvers Caucus and big donors tied to No Labels. Fitzpatrick went to lengths to help rebrand Johnson as a 'Reagan Republican' and tried to lend some of his "moderate" vibes to Johnson, who we all know is a MAGA extremist Kierstyn Zolfo is a resident of Bucks County and a volunteer organizer with Indivisible Bucks County. She also serves on the steering committee of Pennsylvania Indivisible as the Legislative Chair, and in that position edits and contributes to

UAW settled their contract with Ford this week - the gains in the contract show once again that organized, fearless worker organizing is what gets the goods.  House Republicans finally managed to elect a new speaker of the house. Introducing Mike Johnson, the anti-LGBTQ, election-denying, climate crisis-denying, right-wing Christian nationalist leader of the Republican-led House.  Amazon announces near-record profits after two straight years of eliminating jobs and tightening worker surveillance. Also in Amazon news, a new report shows that more than 4 in 10 Amazon workers report being injured on the job, and about 80% of workers feel the stare of Big Brother, surveilling them at work. Coincidence?  Biden’s strong support of the Israeli government - even during its indiscriminate, ongoing bombing of civilian areas in Gaza - is hitting him in the polls.  The Biden administration approved the bombing of targets in Syria after drone and rocket attacks against American forces stationed in Iraq and Syria.  And ano

Pennridge parent, Darren Lausten, sued the Pennridge school board because he suspected they were banning books under the cover of lies and deceit. They didn't even follow their own book banning policy. Lausten won his lawsuit and tonight the school board meets for the first time since his victory. We'll tune in LIVE with you right here to catch some of the meeting. It promises to be a good one. If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to Patreon.com/RCPress. Join our Discord to continue the conversation all week long: https://discord.gg/BnjRNz3u

Raging Chicken's Friday Politics Roundup for September 29, 2023. We're here to break down the good, the bad, and the ugly in state and national politics. If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Become a patron for the price of a good beer once a month. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to Patreon.com/RCPress.  Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/7XzfKUWCmh

Pretty laid back night tonight. Doing a casual little Out d'Coup LIVE tonight. What's on your mind tonight? If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to Patreon.com/RCPress. Join our Discord to continue the conversation all week long: https://discord.gg/BnjRNz3u

On this week's Out d'Coup LIVE we bring you a pre-recorded interview with Joslyn Diffenbaugh. Joslyn is a 10th grade student at Kutztown Area High School. She is the founder of the Teen Banned Books club and an outspoken student advocate against book bans in her school district and school districts all around the region. This past spring, the Kutztown Area School District school board canceled a grant-funded, "One School, One Book," program that planned to read Alan Gratz's new book, Two Degrees. The reason? Because a few outspoken conservative parents didn't want students reading about climate change! We had Alan Gratz on this program to talk about the controversy and Joslyn had an opportunity to interview him at the Firefly Bookstore during his visit to Kutztown University for last year's Children's Literature Conference.  This interview was conducted on October 1, 2023 as a featured event during the PA Climate Convergence in Harrsiburg. Joslyn was supposed to interview Alan Gratz, but Alan unfortunately go

On October 1, 2023 we took our show to Harrisburg for the PA Climate Convergence. We talked with people all throughout the day and had a chance to interview some great people doing great work. On today's show you'll hear from: Heather Hulton Vantassel, Exec. Dir. Three Rivers Waterkeeper Liz Evans, Third Act Pennsylvania Heaven Sunski, Organizing Director, Center for Coalfield Justice Kate Proust, TIAA-Divest NaTisha Washington, Communications Director, Breath Project Julia Nakhleh, Climate Reality Project Kevin Long, Pastor of Intertwined Frank Fortino, Extinction Rebellion - Philly If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. We’re here for the fight and we need you. Become a patron for the price of a good beer once a month. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by

Pretty laid back night tonight. I spent the day at the PA Climate Convergence yesterday for a great day of panels, music, discussion, and connection. What's on your mind tonight? If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Join our Discord to continue the conversation all week long: https://discord.gg/BnjRNz3u

Senator Diane Feinstein has died at the age of 90. Republicans seem hell bent on shutting down the government as a deal to fund the government by the September 30th deadline is nowhere in sight.  Yesterday the government started notifying federal employees that a shutdown is imminent. We’ll start seeing government layoffs, military personnel will stop receiving paychecks, WIC payments will stop after a few days, many National Parks will shut down, and SNAP benefits will have to dip into emergency funds to keep assistance flowing for a short time.  No worries when it comes to student loans, however. Student loan payments will resume on Sunday, October 1, as scheduled.  Gov. Shapiro announced automatic voter registration for the Commonwealth.  More Pennridge School Board chaos as the Board passes anti-trans policies regarding sports and biological sex.  The lawsuit against the Pennridge School Board’s shadow book banning practices went to court on Tuesday. The mounting legal fees in the district caused more str

UAW readies to expand their strike as noon deadline approaches.  Republicans ready to shut down the government because…well…just because. Biden Administration announced the creation of the American Climate Corps. Pennridge School Board now starts to face lawsuits in response to their unaccountable, extremist, and potentially illegal policies. Darren Lausten’s lawsuit against the school board for its secret book banning heads to court this Tuesday at Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown.  APSCUF negotiations continue. As the PASSHE administration continues to do its best to invest in PR while gutting faculty and programs, we’ll take a quick look at some numbers for perspective. If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. We’re here for the fight and we need you. Become a patron for the price of a good beer once a month. Help keep the me

This week I welcome Cyril Mychalejko and Emily Smith to the show. Cyril is the Editor-in-Chief of the Bucks County Beacon and Emily is the Beacon’s Publisher. We’ll be talking about the role of independent, community-based media in deepening local democracy and organizing against the rise of extremism in our schools and communities. We’ll also be talking about their goals for their fall fund drive and plans for expanding the Beacon’s work in the months and years to come. In addition to his lead role as Editor-in-Chief for the Beacon, Cyril Mychalejko has over two decades of journalistic experience. His work has appeared in The Bucks County Courier Times, The Intelligencer, Upside Down World, Common Dreams, TruthOut, and other publications.  Emily Smith, the Beacon’s Publisher, is a seasoned design professional with nearly a decade of experience in strategic communications. Emily has spent nearly two decades working with startups and small businesses. Beyond her design chops, Emily is a creative problem solver

This week I welcome Cyril Mychalejko and Emily Smith to the show. Cyril is the Editor-in-Chief of the Bucks County Beacon and Emily is the Beacon’s Publisher. We’ll be talking about the role of independent, community-based media in deepening local democracy and organizing against the rise of extremism in our schools and communities. We’ll also be talking about their goals for their fall fund drive and plans for expanding the Beacon’s work in the months and years to come.   If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. We’re here for the fight and we need you. Become a patron for the price of a good beer once a month. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to Patreon.com/RCPress.   Join our Discord to continue the conversation all week long: https://discord.gg/Bn

The UAW is getting closer to striking as the latest contract offer from GM and Stellantis was rejected as not good enough to ward off a strike. UAW president Shawn Fain has made it clear that unless a deal is reached by September 14, 150,000 workers will head to the strike lines.  Hurricane Lee rapidly intensifies to a powerful Category 5 storm in the Atlantic. While current models predict the storm will not directly hit major populated areas, the storms rapid intensification is linked to the record warm temperatures of the Atlantic, providing a window into our climate futures.  Hong Kong was inundated with flash floods as more rain fell on the region since records started being kept in 1884. Over 19 inches of rain fell on Hong Kong in 24 hours, with over six inches falling between 11PM and midnight last night.  West Virginia University becomes the latest “canary in the coal mine” in higher education. The university has announced deep cuts, which will eliminate 169 faculty members (7% of the faculty) and 32 o

Raging Chicken's Friday Politics Roundup for August 25, 2023. We're here to break down the good, the bad, and the ugly in state and national politics. You can support this show by becoming a patron for as little as $5/month at https://www.patreon.com/rcpress. Don’t Let Paul Martino, Moms for Liberty, and their oligarch friends buy our schools and push extremist politics in our community. Raging Chicken has teamed up with LevelField to launch a truly community rooted PAC to invest in organizing, support local and state-wide progressive candidates, and unmask the toxic organizations injecting our communities with right-wing extremism. We’re putting small-dollar donations to work to beat back the power of Big Money.  You can get more information and drop your donation at  https://ragingchicken.levelfield.net/.

Back from vacation and I've already got a pit in my stomach. We'll catch up and talk about the Christian nationalist/Moms for Liberty takeover of the Pennridge curriculum. Nuts. What's on your mind? Don’t Let Paul Martino & Friends Buy Our Schools and push extremist politics in our community. Raging Chicken has teamed up with LevelField to launch a truly community-rooted PAC to invest in organizing, support local and state-wide progressive candidates, and unmask the toxic organizations injecting our communities with right-wing extremism. We’re putting small-dollar donations to work to beat back the power of Big Money.  You can get more information and drop your donation at  https://ragingchicken.levelfield.net/. J

On today’s show, it’s a Monday Politics Roundup. Yup. I had to take a tech day on Friday, so I thought we’d take a peek back at the week. I’d love to hear what’s on your mind tonight! We’re getting close to a critical election this fall and the 2024 presidential campaigns are heating up.  Trump seeks narrow rules on what he can do with evidence his lawyers receive as part of his criminal case of election interference. In other words, he wants to be able to target and intimidate potential witnesses among other things.  Biden’s student debt relief plan for students who were victims of fraud by for-profit colleges is blocked by a federal court.  The Florida Department of Education has effectively banned an Advanced Placement course in psychology because of the state’s new law prohibiting discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity.  Right-wing think tanks and corporate lobbyists have already written their blueprint to undercut action on the climate crisis. It’s called Project 2025. Don’t be fooled by cl