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Leid Stories – Election 2016: Political Inevitabilities; Turning Things Around in Detroit – 05.10.16

Leid Stories continues yesterday’s discussion about developing alternatives to the political “inevitabilities” we face in this presidential election year.

Also, we look to Detroit, where, in the face of awesome challenges to community-controlled education and just about everything governing daily life, there is organized resistance, and it is gaining ground. Dr. Thomas Pedroni, associate professor of curriculum studies and policy sociology at Wayne State University, discusses ways in which the community is mobilizing to assure a quality education for Detroit’s schoolchildren.

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Leid Stories – Election 2016: The ‘Inevitability’ of Trump and Clinton, and Other Self-Fulfilling Political Prophesies – 05.09.16

They’re distrusted, even hated, by significant numbers of voters, but Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton inevitably will be the standard bearers of the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively, say the sycophantic media that created them, and one of them will lead us.

Leid Stories discusses another self-fulfilling prophesy: We’ll help it all happen.

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Leid Stories – Cinco de Mayo: 154 Years of Misunderstood American History – 05.05.16

Say “Cinco de Mayo” to the average American and you’d probably be asked, “Where’s the party?”

True, it is a celebration, but the advertising world and the mainstream media have all but erased its historical significance; most people associate Cinco de Mayo with after-work bar crawls and copious amounts of tequila and beer, and tacos and guacamole.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates this day in 1862, when an outnumbered, outgunned Mexican army repelled French invaders in the Battle of Puebla. Oddly, the event goes practically unnoticed in Mexico, and is more celebrated in the United States, particularly California and Texas.

Dr. David Hayes-Bautista, author of El Cinco de Mayo: An American Tradition and professor of medicine and director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at UCLA’s School of Medicine, explains the connection between Cinco de Mayo and the abolition of slavery in the United States, the Civil War, the Declaration of Independence and, most importantly, the “Indo-Afro-Iberio Americano” sociopolitical achievements already made long before English settlers founded Jamestown (Va.) in 1607, and Plymouth (Mass.) in 1620.

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Leid Stories – Lessons Learned from Detroit, Flint and the Indiana Primaries – 05.04.16

And on the third day, there’s school. The Detroit Federation of Teachers has ended a two-day sickout that shut down 94 of its 97 public schools on Monday and Tuesday. Teachers were told over the weekend that the state’s largest school district would run out of money by June 30 and their salaries for summer school and thereafter could not be guaranteed.

Meanwhile, President Obama today visits Flint, Mich. He’ll get “briefings” there on the city’s water-contamination crisis—two years after it came to light. And in Indiana, the presidential primaries delivered many surprises. Leid Stories discusses the lessons to be learned from all three events.

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Leid Stories – Water Shutoffs Add to School Shutdowns in Detroit; Election 2016: The Indiana Primaries: – 05.03.16

For the second day, most all of Detroit’s 97 public schools remain closed—the result of a sickout by teachers whose salaries are not guaranteed beyond June 30, when the state’s largest school district runs out of money. About 46,000 schoolchildren remain home today. Abayomi Azikiwe, editor in chief of Pan-African News Wire and a co-founder of the Moratorium NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures, Evictions and Utility Shutoffs, reports that the misery index goes several notches higher for many of their parents; more than 20,000 households face water shutoffs today.

Voting is brisk in Indiana, where Democratic and Republican presidential hopefuls are duking it out for decisive delegate wins to assure nomination or for badly needed voter boosts to flagging campaigns. Leid Stories discusses the Indiana primaries.

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Leid Stories – School’s Out in Detroit, and That’s the Plan; Hillary Had Dinner in Detroit, Total Contempt on the Menu – 05.02.16

Almost all (94) of Detroit’s 97 public schools are closed today—the result of a sickout by teachers reacting to news over the weekend that the state won’t be able to pay them after June 30, when emergency aid to the bankrupted city runs out. Elena Herrada, an elected member of the school board whose authority over local education was overridden during the imposed bankruptcy, says the sickout protest is a publicity stunt to cover up the union’s complicity in the main objective: destroying the public education system in Detroit.

Presidential candidate was the keynote speaker at the Detroit NAACP’s Freedom Fund Dinner last night. Leid Stories discusses the main item on the menu: total contempt for the very people chiefly responsible for her viability as a political candidate.

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Leid Stories – Out of It: Why Election 2016 Should Radically Reshape our Thinking About Politics and Activism – 04.26.16

In the throes of a media-induced frenzy about the 2016 presidential race, it’s hard not to get caught up in the bizarreness of it. But rather than join the madness, says Leid Stories, this election cycle should cause us to overhaul our thinking about the political process, our political orientation and ideology, and the nature of our relationship with “the system.”

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Leid Stories – You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet! It’s Debate Time on ‘Free Your Mind Friday!’ – 04.15.16

Think last night’s Clinton-Sanders faceoff was something? Well, you ain’t heard nothin’ yet! Hear the sparks fly on Leid Stories’ “Free Your Mind Friday,” the best people’s forum in Radioland. Great minds gather here at the end of the week to analyze and share information, opinions and ideas about news and issues that matter to our growing community. Callers decide what they want to talk about, and are free to take on other callers’ points of view. The battle of ideas is all done with great respect—and a generous helping of humor. Join in! Call 888-874-4888 and take your turn at the people’s podium!

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Leid Stories – Election 2016: Ahead of Primary, All Presidential Candidates Are In A New York Frame of Mind – 04.14.16

Going into the high-stakes, delegate-rich April 19 New York primary, presidential hopefuls are leaving nothing to chance. They’re all over the Empire State, working their circuits and trolling for votes. A hurriedly arranged CNN “debate” between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders tonight in Brooklyn is trumping (pardon the pun) all other events the Democratic candidates have scheduled. On the Republican side, Donald Trump is making the most of his hometown brand.

Leid Stories discusses the importance of the New York primary, especially to those who reject duopoly politics.