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Jamie Laquan Beall, a 29 year old man in Charlestown, South Carolina, was just sentenced to more than 12 years in prison this week for distribution of crack cocaine. The timing of his sentence is ironic given that the House of Representatives just passed the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, which aims to significantly reduce the differences in sentencing between crack and powdered cocaine convictions. For decades, those convicted for possession or distribution of crack cocaine, mostly Black Americans, were given disproportionately higher sentences than for powdered cocaine which result primarily in convictions for Whites. As of now, someone convicted of crack cocaine possession gets the same length of sentence as someone with 100 times the amount of powder cocaine possession, resulting in an enormous racial disparity in sentencing. Additionally, a …

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While pundits and economists worry about Wall Street’s well-being, Americans worry about losing their jobs, paying their bills and the health of the planet. The capitalist marketplace promotes the exploitation of people and natural resources as cheap fixes. But you don’t have to abandon your values to save a buck. Welcome to the People’s Marketplace.

By Martina Steiner

You can save money and “go green” at the same time by making cleaning products at home. Why might you want to try this? Common household cleaning products contain toxic chemicals – the kind that cause cancer, respiratory problems, and long-lasting environmental pollution. Also, most natural cleaning products are easy to make, requiring two or three super cheap ingredients. And, most importantly, natural cleaning products are effective. There are tons of websites and books with …

“INJUSTICE, n. A burden which of all those that we load upon others and carry ourselves is lightest in the hands and heaviest upon the back.” — Ambrose Bierce

We’ll speak with an attorney and an activist on the various ways in which SB 1070 is being resisted, even as a new ruling strikes down the worst aspects of the law. And, we’ll hear part 2 of our conversation with Bollywood megastar Aamir Khan on the new film’s produced called Peepli Live, about farmer suicides in India. Plus, Congress passes the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, and this week’s People’s Marketplace.

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Journalists around the world have dived into the the treasure trove of information published by Wikileaks on Sunday about the Afghanistan war. The Afghan war diary as it’s called, contains raw data such as basic intelligence reports and incident reports filed by soldiers on the ground about day-to-day operations from January 2004 to December 2009. While the Obama administration’s initial response was one of alarm, the President said in his first remarks about the leak, “These documents don’t reveal any issues that haven’t already informed our public debate on Afghanistan.” Meanwhile the Times of London is claiming that the documents out hundreds of Afghan informants even though WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has assured the public that all incriminating and endangering information has been withheld. Media outlets are quoting the Times …

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A tangible consequence of India’s shift to a neo-liberal economic model has been the flood of suicides among farmers. The vast majority of the world’s second most populated country still farms for a living, but are caught between deep debt and the erratic nature of seasonal change. Lured by the promise of greater production, farmers are pressured into mortgaging their farms to purchase genetically modified seeds, pesticides, and fertilizer from American companies like Monsanto. Since GM seeds are patented by Monsanto, their repeated use each year requires constant licensing fees that keep farmers impoverished. One bad yield due to drought or other reasons, plunges farmers so deep into debt that they resort to suicide. One study estimates that 150,000 farmers have killed themselves in the past ten years.

Now, …

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Perla Batalla is a mutli-talented, Grammy nominated artist who, along with an eclectic group of female performers, will be at the Ford Amphitheater on Sunday, August 1st, for a show to benefit Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural. Tia Chucha’s is a gathering place for artists, poets, musicians and the community of the San Fernando Valley. The Center includes a printing press, bookstore, art gallery and workshop space. Perla Batalla began her career as a back-up singer for Leonard Cohen. Her solo albums have received critical acclaim. In 2004 she performed at the Kennedy Center as an artist in Residence. Batalla is also a highly respected interpreter of Leonard Cohen’s music. She produced the 2007 Grammy nominated tribute album to Cohen, “Bird On The Wire”. In 2006 Batalla performed in the star-studded …

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The Right Hook, a weekly segment which covers the machinations of the right wing, from the Republican Party to the Tea Party Patriots, and beyond. By Chris Bennett

After last week’s Right Hook, the Shirley Sherrod story broke. As you recall, the NAACP formally labeled elements of the Tea Party as racist. In response, Andrew Breitbart pimped yet another of his out-of-context video edits. This one purported to show Shirley Sherrod, the Georgia Director of Rural Development, making racist statements.

In context, Ms. Sherrod explained how she overcame her own racist views earlier in her career in order to help a white farmer keep his land. However, the out-of-context video had already gone viral. Ms. Sherrod was pilloried in the media and …

“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent.” — Victor Hugo

We’ll bring you a conversation with one of Bollywood’s biggest movie stars, Aamir Khan, who is a film producer in his own right. We’ll talk about his new film Peepli Live, about farmer suicides in India. And, an exclusive interview with a former Navy veteran in Iraq and Afghanistan on his perspective on the Afghan war diary published by Wikileaks. Plus, singer/song writer Perla Batalla joins us in studio and this week’s edition of The Right Hook.