The Nicole Sandler Show Nicole Sandler

I first met Jesse Hagopian [http://iamaneducator.com/] a few months ago, after I discovered the existence of the Zinn Education Project. [http://zinnedproject.org/] I invited him on the show to talk about his work as an educator and activist for truth in education. Unfortunately, such activists are necessary in today's world, as elected officials like the fascist Florida Man DeSantis are pushing to whitewash history, literally.

When Jesse joined us back in March, [https://nicolesandler.com/3-6-23/] he mentioned an event called the Teach Truth Day of Action [http://teachtruthpledge.org/] coming up on June 10, which I dutifully put in my calendar.

When I noticed that day would arrive on Saturday, I invited Jesse back on the show for another conversation about the dumbing down of America and the need to teach our children the truth!

So, Jesse Hagopian returns today to talk about how the attacks on our public education system have only intensified since we last spoke, and to remind us how to get involved in the Teach Truth Day of Action on Saturday. Hint: Visit TeachTruthPledge.org. [http://teachtruthpledge.org/] That will take you to the details page for the day.

Or you can go to the Zinn Education Project [http://zinnedproject.org/] where the day of action originated.

What are you waiting for? Go, now!

Seventy-nine years ago today - June 6, 1944, allied forces invaded five beaches at Normandy-- more than 160,000 Allied forces landed in Nazi-occupied France as part of the biggest air, land and sea invasion ever executed. Why? They were fighting fascism!  Today, we celebrate the OG Antifa fighters of fascism.  It was on this day in 1968 that Bobby Kennedy was assassinated. And now his son, RFK, Jr, is poised to be a spoiler who can't possibly win the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 2024, but he surely could help return the fascist Trump to office. Lovely. And what a day for the PGA and Saudi's to announce they've reached a deal to merge their golf tours. What could possibly go wrong? We'll delve into all that and more today.... We'll see where the day brings us.

Welcome to the start of a new week. It's a Monday alright.  Today was the day the government would have run out of money if Biden and McCarthy hadn't come to a deal on raising the debt limit. Depending on what you're reading or to whom you're listening, the deal was either a turd sandwich, Biden getting the best of the Republicans, Biden giving in to the Republicans, or a shit sandwich (I know, not much different from a turd sandwich -- it's all at the whim of the reader, er, eater). Anyway, Brian Karem returns to the show today.  I invited him because in his latest column for Salon.com, he writes that it was actually that relic of DC gone by... something called "compromise" - and that, he says, sort of, is a good thing.  But first, wtf is up with the American right wing? They're asleep when they should be woke (YES, they should be WOKE) and, thanks to Trump saying the quiet parts really LOUD, their flat-earth-beliefs are being exposed and they thing we're the ones imposing the beliefs of a small minority on the masses?  Opposite world, indeed.

It's June -- Pride month. Today we celebrate our gay, lesbian, bi, trans, non-binary and all people and their rights to be whomever they are, to find their unique voices and march to their own tunes and drummers. As an older person (did I just say that?), I've lived through the changes - both attitudinal and in real life. I've learned to be quiet long enough to listen to the people around me who are going through their own self-awareness journeys, realizing that everyone should be afforded the dignity to live their lives as best suits them... Today, realizing that the hate is not only here in the US, we extend our hand across the globe to say Happy Pride... be loud, be proud, be who ever the f**k you are.

I spoke with an artist called Skaly [https://skaly.bandcamp.com/] from the UK. They had sent me this video that just went live yesterday, and I thought it was appropriate to invite them on the show and help spread the word.

https://youtu.be/OtM8kx6h0v8

And my old pal Spocko [http://spockosbrain.com/] joined in too. We talked about our mutual friend, the late great Joel Silberman [https://nicolesandler.com/8-8-18/] who taught us (and members of Congress, candidates, celebrities and activists) how to use stories to make a point. Find Spocko's writings at Digby's blog [http://digbysblog.net/] and find out more about Spocko on his website. [http://spockosbrain.com/]

The House passed the Biden-McCarthy debt ceiling deal last night with more Democratic than Republican votes. Was it a great deal? No. But did the Dems come out ahead of the Republicans? Without a doubt. Well, that's my take. As for what Howie Klein [http://downwithtyranny.com/]thinks? We'll find out today.

You never know with Howie. One of the things I'll ask him about today is his post at Down With Tyranny [https://www.downwithtyranny.com/post/california-has-3-good-choices-for-senate-barbara-lee-katie-porter-and-adam-schiff] in which he basically says that the three members of Congress vying to replace Dianne Feinstein in the Senate -- Katie Porter, Barbara Lee and Adam Schiff -- are all progressives, and he actually defends Schiff as just as progressive as Lee!

The House today is voting on the Biden-McCarthy deal to raise the ridiculous debt ceiling.

David Dayen [http://twitter.com/ddayen] of The American Prospect [http://prospect.org/] returns to the show today to bring us up to date on what's happening and how we got here. I call it a deja vu because we've had this conversation before -- 12 years ago, in fact.

On July28, 2011, we talked on this program about President Obama's deal with a Republican-led Congress, the first time the GOP weaponized this ridiculous provision that allows the good faith and credit of the US to be threatened. Today we find out that we, as a nation (or more accurately, our "leaders") haven't learned one damn thing.