‘ON THE GROUND’ SHOW FOR APRIL 17, 2020: Earth Day at 50 Amid Emboldened Polluters and a Pandemic…The F-Word: COVID-19 and U.S. Policing, Surveillance and Militarism…Plus Headlines on Unemployment and More


At the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Americans are fighting for survival, not only against COVID-19 and economic collapse, but also against polluters and their friends in DC who destroying our environment for profit. We speak to Ryan Schleeter of Greenpeace. And for this month’s episode of the F-Word on fascism, voices on policing, surveillance and militarism in the midst of a pandemic. We speak of Chop Gibbons of Rights and Dissent and hear from recent virtual gatherings of activists, including Azza Altiraifi, Mahnker Dahnweih, Melody McCurtis, Hoda Katebi and Hyun Lee. Plus headlines:

—The number of confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in the DC, Maryland and Virginia region doubled to more than 20,000.—The Trump administration faced mounting criticism about inadequate response to the health crisis.—Despite the advice of health professionals, Trump supporters, in Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan and Virginia, with some photographed carrying assault rifles.—Black Lives Matter DC organized a car caravan to protest the continued incarceration of people at the DC Jail. —An additional 5.2 Americans filed for unemployment.
—The Natural Resources Defense Council is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. —Code Pink marked Tax Day with a call for the U.S. to end the $80 million spent each hour on war and is sponsoring new webinars. —The SNCC Legacy Project is among the organizations that held virtual meetings, town halls and rallies this week. —Film fans are mourning Sarah Maldordor, a pioneer of Pan African cinema.

The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and support our own media! Please click here or click on the Support-Donate tab on this website to subscribe for as little as $3 a month. We are so grateful for this small but growing amount of monthly crowdsource funding on Patreon. You can also give a one-time donation on PayPal. Thank you!

Photo: Participant in Black Lives Matter DC car caravan protest, on April 16, 2020, to release those incarcerated at the DC Jail and Hope Village halfway house.