WPKN: Politics, Policy, and Planet Podcast

Sandra Levinson, executive director of the Center For Cuban Studies (www.centerorcubanstudies.org), reports on her recent trip to Cuba, focusing on the island nation's struggle survival under the yoke of the Trump regime's total oil embargo.Interview by Richard Hill

Resistance Round Table is broadcast on WPKN the 3rd Thursday of each month where hosts Ruth Anne Baumgartner, Scott Harris, and Richard Hill engage in conversation about local and nationwide organizing for a more just and democratic America during this pivotal and dangerous moment in our nation's history.On our March 19, 2026 program we first talk about the U.S. Israeli war on Iran with Jennifer Loewenstein, a former associate director of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Jennifer has a newsletter comprehensively covering many different Middle East issues from perspectives difficult to find on mainstream news outlets. In our 2nd segment we discuss the upcoming 3rd No Kings Day anti-Trump, pro-democracy protest on March 19th with Carol Rizzolo, a Board Member of the Tri-State Maxed-Out Womens PAC,  CT Coordinator of the Center for Common Ground, and Team Leader of the CT Shoreline chapter of Indivisible, and Ambassador with The Campaign School @Yale University.

Interview with Xavier de Janon, an attorney representing an anti-ICE activist in the Prairieland Texas terrorism trial, conducted by Melinda Tuhus.Between The Lines’ Melinda Tuhus spoke with Xavier de Janon, co-founder of the People’s Law Collective, which represents political defendants across the South. De Janon, a member of the National Lawyers Guild, represents one of the defendants, Elizabeth Soto in her state case and provided support to defense attorneys in the federal case. Here, de Janon explains why he believes this prosecution represents an escalation in the Trump regime’s attack on people’s right to protest and free speech.

Interview with Tom Alter, a tenured professor of history at Texas State University, conducted by Scott Harris.Texas State University history professor Tom Alter talks about his termination from the university without due process for remarks he made at a socialist conference in his capacity as a private citizen. Alter also talks about his legal battle defending free speech and academic freedom important to all educators and citizens — as well as his national speaking tour, including events in Connecticut in April.

Interview with Kica Matos, the president of the National Immigration Law Center and the Immigrant Justice Fund, conducted by Scott Harris.Kica Matos discusses her critical work at National Immigration Law Center, the recent Senate confirmation of Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, what if any changes may be made in DHS/ICE policies, and her view of what Senate Democrats are doing to negotiate reforms in ICE operations.  Matos is distinguished practitioner at Yale University’s Brady Johnson Program in Grand Strategy.

Interview with Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister, former president and current national board member of Veterans For Peace, conducted by Scott Harris.Gerry Condon assesses the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran from the perspective of veterans and active-duty service members, some of whom are now seeking advice on how to follow the protocol to disobey illegal orders and apply for conscientious objector status.  Condon is a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister, former president and current national board member of Veterans For Peace.

Interview with former U.S. Marine Capt. Matthew Hoh, associate director of the Eisenhower Media Network, conducted by Scott Harris.Former U.S. Marine Capt. Matthew Hoh assesses the current state of the illegal U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, including allegations that the U.S. lacks a coherent strategy and made inadequate preparations for this conflict — as well as prospects that the Trump regime may soon deploy U.S. troops for a ground war inside Iran.  Hoh is a Iraq War combat veteran and Afghanistan State Department officer who resigned in protest over U.S. war policy in 2009.

Interview with Andy Shallal, owner of the Busboys and Poets bookstores and progressive political cultural hub in Washington, D.C., conducted by Scott Harris.Andy Shallal talks about the Trump regime’s blockade of oil to Cuba, the impact on the Cuban people and the Nuestra América Convoy to Cuba, which recently delivered a shipment of 6,300 pounds of critical humanitarian aid to the island nation by air and sea.

Interview with Lois Parshley, climate research director with Public Citizen’s Climate Program, conducted by Scott Harris.Parshley examines the spike in energy prices and interruption in the delivery of energy supplies due to Trump’s Iran war, creating hardship for vulnerable populations. She also discusses strategies for the world escaping this cycle of endless oil wars that has caused so much violence and destruction — and the catastrophic contribution to the climate crisis.For more information read her article, “Memo: The Strait That Runs Through Everything.”

Interview with Katherine Spillar, executive director of the Feminist Majority Foundation and Ms. Magazine executive editor, conducted by Scott Harris. Katherine Spillar discusses her Ms. Magazine article, “Project 2026 Declares Open War on Women’s Rights,” with a focus on Trump administration policies’ impact on women and the SAVE Act—voter suppression legislation designed to disenfranchise millions of women across the country in the 2026 midterm election.