Shockingly good news on today's BradCast, following today's remarkable announcement by the U.S. Dept. of Justice that they are working to end the federal government's "use of privately operated prisons".
After that, you may want to pop up some popcorn to best enjoy the rest of today's program. [Audio link to complete program is posted below.]
First up today, Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates issued a memo, as Washington Post reported, instructing federal officials "to either decline to renew the contracts for private prison operators when they expire or 'substantially reduce' the contracts' scope. The goal, Yates wrote, is 'reducing --- and ultimately ending --- our use of privately operated prisons.'
Wow. Her memo goes on to cite a recent DoJ Inspector General's report finding that privately run prisons do not provide same level of service, "do not save substantially on costs" and "do not maintain the same level of safety and security" as those run by the federal government's Bureau of Prisons.
I am joined by Carl Takei, staff attorney for the ACLU's National Prison Project, for both an explanation and a bit of a victory lap after his organization and others have spent decades taking on the private, for-profit prison industry. Takei details what the announcement means, why it has finally come about now, and how the ACLU and others --- including investigative reporters, the Bernie Sanders campaign, and eventually the Hillary Clinton campaign --- have long argued precisely what the DoJ has admitted today.
"Handing control of prisons over to for-profit companies is a recipe for abuse, neglect, and misconduct because their primary duty is to their shareholders. They have to deliver value to their shareholders by skimming a profit off of whatever payments the government gives them to run the system," Takei tells me.
"In the 1990s, when the Bureau of Prisons first started this experiment with private prisons, the argument was they could provide incarceration more cheaply and that the innovations of the free market would somehow make things better. In fact, it turned out to be far worse. Because the major way that you can make money off incarceration is by cutting expenses," he says. "Some of the biggest expenses are security staff, medical staff, and providing medical services. Anywhere that the company starts cutting back its expenditures, it ends up harming the people inside."
He goes on to offer some startling examples of both that and of some of the easily-disproven responses and claims of the for-profit, private prison industry lobby.
Next, we look at how the coming and/or current GOP Civil War is shaping up not as a battle of ideas for the party's future, but as a wingnut street-fight over whose false version of 'reality' will win out. It's getting quite ugly. But also, at least for those of us on the outside, kinda hilarious in several regards.
Then, Desi Doyen joins us for the latest Green News Report, with "some news that blows" and, finally, we close with the NYC Parks Department hilariously short response to the growing erection of naked Donald Trump statues around the city. You're welcome.


So Much Losing:
'Green News Report' 4/23/26
'A Scammer's Treasure Trove': DOGE Bros Stole Your Social Sec. Data: 'BradCast 4/22/26
Insiders Making a Killing
'Green News Report' 4/21/26
Week 8: Iran War Lies Continue from Sundowning Gaslighter-in-Chief: 'BradCast' 4/20/26
Sunday 'WWJD?' Toons
U.S. Middle Eastern 'War Crimes' Then and Now: 'BradCast' 4/16/26
Trump's USDA Takes Chainsaw to U.S. Forest Service: 'BradCast' 4/15/26
Midterm Elections Reality Check:
'Green News Report' 4/14/26
Another Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Weekend: 'BradCast' 4/13/26
Sunday 'Mission Accomp...' Toons
MAGA Buckles: 'BradCast' 4/9/26
'Green News Report' 4/9/26
Chaos, 'Ceasefire' Politics, Iran with Upper Hand: 'BradCast' 4/8/26
Bye Bye Bondi (and It's TACO Tuesday Again!): 'BradCast' 4/7/26
Trump Unhinging: 'BradCast' 4/6/26
Potential Disaster for Democracy in Deep 'Blue' CA
BRAD BLOG on the Move: Some good news for a happy change!...
Trump Over a Barrel on Iran: 'BradCast' 3/25/26
'Holding Out Hope' for SCOTUS on Late Mail Ballots: 'BradCast' 3/24/26
FCC Chair Follows Instructions, Approves Unlawful Merger: 'BradCast' 3/23/26
VA GOP VOTER REG FRAUDSTER OFF HOOK
Criminal GOP Voter Registration Fraud Probe Expanding in VA
DOJ PROBE SOUGHT AFTER VA ARREST
Arrest in VA: GOP Voter Reg Scandal Widens
ALL TOGETHER: ROVE, SPROUL, KOCHS, RNC
LATimes: RNC's 'Fired' Sproul Working for Repubs in 'as Many as 30 States'
'Fired' Sproul Group 'Cloned', Still Working for Republicans in At Least 10 States
FINALLY: FOX ON GOP REG FRAUD SCANDAL
COLORADO FOLLOWS FLORIDA WITH GOP CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
CRIMINAL PROBE LAUNCHED INTO GOP VOTER REGISTRATION FRAUD SCANDAL IN FL
Brad Breaks PA Photo ID & GOP Registration Fraud Scandal News on Hartmann TV
CAUGHT ON TAPE: COORDINATED NATIONWIDE GOP VOTER REG SCAM
CRIMINAL ELECTION FRAUD COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST GOP 'FRAUD' FIRM
RICK SCOTT GETS ROLLED IN GOP REGISTRATION FRAUD SCANDAL
VIDEO: Brad Breaks GOP Reg Fraud Scandal on Hartmann TV
RNC FIRES NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION FIRM FOR FRAUD
EXCLUSIVE: Intvw w/ FL Official Who First Discovered GOP Reg Fraud
GOP REGISTRATION FRAUD FOUND IN FL


























On today's
North Carolina has now filed a last gasp attempt with the U.S. Supreme Court to keep a racially discriminatory voter suppression law in place for the November general election. The state's Hail Mary --- or, perhaps, Hail Justice Roberts --- emergency petition is unlikely to succeed.
It's a very 'green' show on 
Today on 
On today's
The plaintiffs in One Wisconsin Institute v. Thomsen, one of several long-running court challenges to Wisconsin Republicans' strict Photo ID voting restriction, have filed an
On today's 
"If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is."
The primaries are over, the nominees are set, so what are the best options remaining for dyed-in-the-wool Bernie Sanders fans this November 8th?












