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IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: We're back! But, while we were out --- some big developments in climate science, climate strikes, extreme weather impacts, public lands policy, pollution, and pesticides. A month's worth of green news, jammed into six minutes, in today's Green News Report!

Got comments, tips, love letters, hate mail? Drop us a line at GreenNews@BradBlog.com or right here at the comments link below. All GNRs are always archived at GreenNews.BradBlog.com.

IN 'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (see links below): Making a killing: As indigenous climate protectors die, businesses profit; How Trump's USDA is failing farmers on climate change; New Chevron oil spill emerges in Kern Co., CA; Louisiana kills net metering. Will other states roll back solar?; Why we need to treat wildfire as a public health issue in California; Trump administration calls wild horses biggest threat to public lands; Microgrids emerge as potential solution to blackouts... PLUS: 5 'radical' climate policies that most Americans actually like... and much, MUCH more! ...

Desi and I are back on today's BradCast, after an unscheduled month-long hiatus as my otherwise very healthy 80-year old dad suffered a sudden and major stroke in mid-September before ultimately passing away a few weeks later. [That's him on the left with me in the photo. Audio for today's program is posted below.]

We share a few memories of Harvey Friedman at the top of today's show (there are many more here) and a couple of very important lessons learned both before and after his death that will almost certainly be of use to you and your family! The two booklets I mentioned on air today are Five Wishes (available via AgingWithDignity.org) and the Advance Health Care Directive (available via PrepareForYourCare.org). Both are likely to be wildly helpul to your family, should you or they find themselves in a similar situation. Please consider clicking on those links when you find some time.

Then, we're joined by the great NICOLE SANDLER of The Nicole Sandler Show who filled in for us, with absolutely no notice, over the past month (with some occasional help from Angie Coiro along the way) even as she did her own show as well nearly every damned day! Desi and I cannot thank her enough. Though we try to today.

Since Nicole filled in for us during what was clearly a very very slow news month, she gets us caught up on what we missed while we were "gone", from the Impeachment process now under way in the House in response to Trump's strong-arming of the Ukrainian President for (apparently false) dirt on Joe Biden and the 2016 election; to Trump's disturbing sudden withdraw of U.S. troops in the Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria (and the death and chaos and escaped ISIS detainees and new deal cut between our previously-allied and now-abandoned Kurds and the Russian-supported Syrians in its wake); to the corporate media still falling for Trump's B.S. on everything from his "new impeachment attorney", former Rep. Trey Gowdy (who doesn't appear to have been hired after all) to his new trade deal with China (which may not be a deal after all); to the latest in the 2020 race for the Democratic Presidential nomination.

After a month off the grid, we're wading gently back in today and this week with a little help from our friends. My thanks to so many of you for your kind words while we were gone, and our thanks to all of our listeners and affiliate stations for tolerating our unexpected and unprecedented absence! Hope you'll enjoy today's program as we gently get back into the swing of things...

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It's been a long month here at the BradCast, but the end is near. Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen return to their rightful places here on Monday. I'm NICOLE SANDLER, holding down the fort for one final show until they return.

When Brad called to tell me that his father had suffered a stroke, and that he and Desi were heading out to Arizona to be with him, I told him I'd be here for whatever he needs. That's what friends do. And I consider Brad and Desi not only friends, but family. I'm glad I could help them out so they didn't have to worry about anything here, but be fully with his parents, taking care of what's really important in life. But I, like you, am looking forward to the return of the Brad Friedman-hosted 'BradCast' and Desi's much-missed Green News Report!

On this final show of the week, I spent the first two segments, once again, recapping the latest news. Harvey Friedman sure picked the craziest time in this generation to make his exit, as the already frenetic pace of breaking news accelerated exponentially in the past month.

Today was insane, with news on the Giuliani front (he's the subject of a criminal investigation now too, after his associates were arrested Wednesday attempting to flee the country!). The Pentagon is now telling Turkey to stop doing what Donald Trump gave them his blessing to do less than a week ago. And, oh, what he authorized was genocide of our only real allies in the region. But the dominoes are about ready to fall, as even his staunchest defenders in Congress - Lindsey Graham, we're looking at you - are appalled by his actions and are calling him out publicly about it. And a courageous former Ambassador to Ukraine defied the White House's warning that no one would be testifying or cooperating with the impeachment inquiry, showing up today and apparently blowing the roof off the sucker. At press time, we'd only gotten reports about her explosive opening statement. I'm guessing more details will emerge in the coming hours and days.

Our guest today is an old friend and Air America Radio colleague, JACK RICE. In addition to being a broadcaster and journalist, he's also a trial lawyer. And he was a CIA case officer under the Clinton and Bush 43 administrations. I call on Jack regularly for his expertise, which he kindly provided in reference to the plethora of news we're living through.

Thanks for bearing with me this past month... Welcome home Brad and Desi. We've missed you!

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It's NICOLE SANDLER back with you again today, guest hosting the BradCast. The good news is that Brad and Desi will return on Monday, so you'll just have to deal with me for one more day.

As has been the case the entire time Brad's been gone, the news is non-stop. We begin the show, as usual, with the latest. Then I check in to commiserate with our UK Correspondent- journalist, author and broadcaster DENIS CAMPBELL.

The new term of the Supreme Court convened on Monday, coinciding with the release of a new book, The Hidden History of the Supreme Court and the Betrayal of America, from our guest THOM HARTMANN.

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It's NICOLE SANDLER, still guest hosting the BradCast for a few more days. Brad and Desi will be back soon, I promise.

There's so much news breaking that today, I try to catch up on the big stories: Turkey's invasion of Syria where they'll wipe out our allies, the Kurds, and are doing it with Donald Trump's blessing. And the Republicans blockade of Democrats working on the impeachment inquiry.

My guest today is DR. STEFFIE WOOLHANDLER, co-author of an article titled The 'Public Option' on Health Care Is a Poison Pill, who explains that not all of the Democratic presidential candidates Medicare for All plans are actually Medicare for All!...

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It's your friendly Guest Host NICOLE SANDLER, again filling in for Brad and Desi on the BradCast, for a show that deals with Donald Trump and the administration, Congress and its role in trying to perform oversight, and the Supreme Court, now back in session. We begin the show with the latest news from Trumpworld on the impeachment inquiry and his self-inflicted crisis with Syria, Turkey and the Kurds.

My first guest is DAVID L. PHILLIPS, author, educator and veteran of the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations about the situation in Syria with the Kurds and Turkey. He wrote 'Shock and Disgust' about Trump's idiotic announcement that he was turning Syria over to Turkey, damn the Kurds.

And, the Supreme Court began its new term yesterday. Today, they heard what will likely be one of the biggest cases of the year "“ the question of whether LGBTQ people have employment protection under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. We discuss it with JASMINE BEACH-FERRARA, Executive Director of the Campaign for Southern Equality.

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It's NICOLE SANDLER, back to guest-host another episode of the BradCast..

As Donald Trump today unilaterally decided to pull all military support from the Kurds in Syria and give Turkey free rein to do as they please, I thought today would be a good time to replay my 2015 interview with BAYAN RAHMAN, the Kurdistan Regional Government Representative to the USA, to learn about the Kurds and our relationship with them.

Also, MIKE ELK of Payday Report checks in with an update on the GM strike, now in its third week.

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It's NICOLE SANDLER, back again to guest host the BradCast. We start the show as usual, by bringing everyone up to speed on the latest news concerning the impeachment inquiry into the president.

I promised I'd provide links to the pages of text messages turned over to Congress by Kurt Volker, and to Volker's opening statement as delivered yesterday. So, just click!

I have two fascinating guests today. First up, JENNY BROWN, author of Without Apology: The Abortion Struggle Now, on the day the Supreme Court announced that they'll hear an abortion rights case this term.

Then, I speak with author and non-profit advisor DOUG WHITE about his new book, Wounded Charity: Lessons Learned from the Wounded Warriors Project Crisis.

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It's NICOLE SANDLER, still manning the guest host desk for Brad and Desi at the BradCast.

The news is breaking at warp speed. I open the show with a recap of what's happened since the last BradCast, and there's a lot!

My guest today is MARCY WHEELER from Emptywheel.net who explained how Attorney General Bill Barr is implicated in Trump's efforts to solicit help from foreign leaders to damage his political opponents. And it's not only Barr, but Pompeo, Pence, Giuliani and even Lindsey Graham!

Plus, I'll share an amazing essay from John Pavlovitz titled, "I'm Not The Radical Left, I'm The Humane Middle."

And because we need it and deserve it, we end the show with some levity, courtesy of the always brilliant Randy Rainbow.

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It's NICOLE SANDLER, still holding down the fort at the BradCast for Brad and Desi.

As you know, it's been an insane few weeks in the news. I begin each show with an update on the latest from Trumpland and Impeachment World. Today, we witnessed a Trump meltdown that started with presidential profanity on Twitter in the wee hours of the morning, and continued through two media moments with the president of Finland looking on, horrified!

We had two great guests today. I wanted to get a whistleblower's take on what's happening, so I reached out to JOHN KIRIAKOU, who served 23 months in prison for blowing the whistle on the US torture program during the Bush years, who brings a unique perspective to the story. He's written three great books on his experience.

Then, I went the academic route, and called on HARVEY J. KAYE, author and professor of Democracy and Justice Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, to get his thoughts on this moment in history.

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It's NICOLE SANDLER in the BradCast guest host seat again today, filling in for Brad and Desi. Since there's so much breaking each day, we begin with an update on the latest news in the Donald Trump impeachment inquiry! Both Mike Pompeo and Bill Barr are in it up to their eyeballs!

My first guest is D.D. GUTTENPLAN, editor of The Nation. We discussed his new article, "We Don't Have to Choose Between Warren and Sanders Yet," a topic I'm obsessed with these days.

But, with impeachment looming, if Trump is removed from office, Mike Pence is first in line to become president. Or he could be implicated along with the rest of this administration. Either way, he's an interesting topic, and the focus of the new book from veteran journalist TOM LOBIANCO called Piety and Power: Mike Pence and the Taking of the White House.

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It's NICOLE SANDLER, back today as your trusty guest host for the BradCast. With all the news that broke last week, I though we could take a day and just discuss how we got into this predicament, and how to navigate the stormy waters ahead.

My first guest is the eloquent and funny ELIE MYSTAL of Above The Law.

And then we check in with journalist TERRELL STARR of The Root, who has been reporting on Ukraine for many years.

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