Episodios
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We are a few days away from the end of voting in the United States, and many are facing long lines to vote. Pizza to the Polls is here to help, by sending pizza to voters facing long lines.
Facing an 1+ hour long wait to vote? Request pizza from Pizza to the Polls here.
Pizza to the Polls is available in all states for this election except Georgia, which criminalized the provision of food and water to voters following 2020, when Georgia voted for Joe Biden and for two Democratic senators.
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Welcome to Season 5! If you're feeling election anxiety, I've got a way for you to direct that energy towards winning in November. In addition to winning the White House, we also need to retake the House and keep the Senate; the change we need requires a blue trifecta. With that in mind, here are a few places where you can donate to key congressional races, i.e. races that are really close and underfunded, so a boost in funding can make a difference in the voter turnout needed to ensure a blue trifecta.
key House races
key Senate races
key House and state races
key House, Senate, and state races
*full disclosure: I have donated to each of these funds, so I am recommending what I myself have used
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I have collaborated again with Mike Pinto, host of the Singing for Survival capoeira history podcast. This time, we discuss sexual abuse in capoeira and what we as capoeiristas can do to address the wrong that has happened and how to prevent it moving forward. One of those ways is to support CapoeirAcolher, an organization in Brazil that supports victims of such abuse.
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My thoughts on voting no on Prop. 36.
More information:
LA Times Editorial Board piece on No on Prop. 36
Stop Prop. 36 campaign
Independent journalist Judd Legum has done several pieces on retail theft and Prop. 36:
California's shoplifting laws are not broken. California is "fixing" them anyway A closer look at California's $267 million war on "organized retail crime" UPDATE: The truth about TargetThe Vera Institute Infographic on Prop. 36 and longer analysis
Politico coverage on Prop. 36
How California's incarceration rates compare to other states and countries, by the Prison Policy Initiative
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I will be doing a two-part series on why to vote NO on Prop. 36. Part one is a quick share on some upcoming opportunities to learn about Prop. 36 from reputable criminal justice organizations.
Wednesday, September 25th at 5:30pm PST (virtual) - Initiate Justice's No on Prop. 36 Workshop
Thursday, October 3rd at 6pm PST (in-person in Oakland) - Ella Baker Center and Urban Peace Movement Prop. 36 Town Hall
Stay tuned for part two!
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With the November election coming up soon, it's time to get out the vote! In this episode, I share some ways you can help boost voter turnout.
register to vote check your voter registration status save the Election Protection Hotline number to your phone: 866-687-8683 Vote Save America's Empower GOTV initiative - get paid to get out of the vote in swing states North Carolina - register to vote by mail. To learn about what's been going on in NC on the voting front, check out this article. Neighbor2Neighbor initiative by Indivisible Postcards to Voters sign up for voting rights news from Democracy Docket --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/natasha-t-baker/support -
As part of my election series, today's episode is about why I am voting for Nikki Bas for Alameda County Supervisor, District 5.
To hear directly from the candidates, check out the candidate forum on zoom on September 5th from 4-5:30pm.
I discuss the Oakland Reimagining Public Safety Task Force Report that Nikki was highly involved in and why that's a great thing.
I talk about the MACRO program, which Nikki was instrumental in making a reality.
I also discuss why Nikki is more likely to implement the Care First, Jails Last Taskforce Final Report, which is one of Supervisor Carson's legacies and critical to public safety.
A couple of articles on some recent scandals with the Alameda County sheriff's office and why we need county supervisors who will provide oversight of the sheriff.
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A gorgeous work of historical fiction that tells the story of a woman born during the Spanish flu pandemic and who dies during the coronavirus pandemic 100 years later. Allende introduces us to multiple generations of a family and their loves and losses, hopes and disasters, while exploring historical events like the military dictatorships in Chile and Argentina during the 1970s and 80s. I reflect on how this book reminds me of my own grandmother and what this book can teach us about the current moment.
I recommended the following movies for a deeper dive:
Machuca
La Historia Oficial
I referenced the following articles during the episode:
https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/southern-cone/2021-03-23/argentinas-military-coup-what-us-knew
https://www.mediamatters.org/russ-vought/undercover-interview-project-2025-architect-gets-candid-initiatives-radical-goals-and
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My reflections on the 2024 US presidential election.
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In California, slavery is still legal — as long as you're incarcerated. Incarcerated people are forced to labor for little-to-no-pay under threat of punishment. In November, California voters have the opportunity to change that by voting YES on Prop 6 (formerly ACA 8), the End Slavery in California Act.
I mentioned the Foresty & Fire Recruitment Program, which was founded by formerly incarcerated firefighters and which helps formerly incarcerated firefighers obtain careers in firefighting upon release from prison. For more info, check out https://www.forestryfirerp.org/.
For more about Prop 6 and the broader movement to #EndTheException, check out:
voteyesprop6.com
https://endtheexception.com/
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/27/californians-slavery-ban-ballot-initiative-00165466
https://laist.com/news/criminal-justice/california-voters-to-weigh-in-on-ending-forced-labor-in-prison
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You may have heard recently about #flaggate - the scandals related to Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito flying flags at his homes in support of the Jan. 6th insurrection and Christian nationalism.
More news has also come out about Justice Thomas' corruption, specifically around his receipt of millions of dollars worth of gifts from GOP donors.
All of these developments are more reason to put pressure on Congressional Dems to put pressure on the Supreme Court, especially in light of this fall's presidential election. An ethics bill is not enough.
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Did you know you can call your elected officials and share your thoughts on what matters to you? In this episode, I explain how to do that, why it matters, and how to stay informed on what your elected officials are up to.
To be connected to the offices of your federal elected officials, you can dial the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121.
A couple of options of newsletters to sign up for to stay up to date on what Congress is doing: https://www.govtrack.us/; https://idueprocess.org/
I also mentioned that the Justice Reinvestment Coalition is hosting a training on May 23rd on how to provide public comment at public hearings. 1-4pm at the Cal Endowment in Oakland, CA. For more, check out the Justice Reinvestment Coalition on Instagram @jrcofac
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I'm back with another book report and this one is all about family, love, activism, identity, politics, and American and Puerto Rican culture.
Other resources mentioned in the episode:
The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
Independent reporter Bianca Graulau @biancagraulau
Author and poet Elisabet Velasquez @elisabetvelasquezpoetry
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It's an election year and the deluge of negative news can make it easy to feel disillusioned and want to check out. I offer some tips and tools to help you feel informed, engaged, and yes, even hopeful.
Tldr: pick a handful of journalists and/or a podcast or two to follow and one cause or campaign to support. And set a daily timer on your news apps! Quality over quantity is the key here.
Folks I mentioned as suggestions on who to follow on social media/subscribe to their newsletters/read their stuff:
Oliver Willis (I have 3 one-month subscriptions to his newsletter to give away, so contact me if you're interested) Teri Kanefield Judd Legum Dan Rather Heather Cox Richardson Adam Serwer Keith Edwards Marc Elias Sherrilyn Ifill Elie Mystal Molly Jong-Fast Nikole Hannah-Jones Robert Reich Jay KuoThe podcasts I mentioned:
The Nation Boom Lawyered Small Doses with Amanda Seales--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/natasha-t-baker/support -
On March 5th, residents of District 4 of Alameda County will be voting for their supervisor, who will represent them on the county's Board of Supervisors. The candidates are 24-year incumbent Nate Miley and his challenger, Jennifer Esteen. Esteen joins me to talk about her campaign and why voters should support her. We talk about public safety, mental health, housing and homelessness, the Coliseum, and more.
To learn more about Jennifer Esteen, visit jenniferesteen.com.
Two upcoming candidate forums:
Feb. 25th, Skyline Church in Oakland, 5-6:30pm, in-person and virtual. More info here: https://skylineucc.org/forum/
Feb. 29th, virtual forum, 7-8:30pm, hosted by Restore Oakland and Oakland Rising
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Last week, there were major developments in the insurrection cases against both former Brazilian president Bolsonaro and former US president Trump. Let's explore.
Early in the episode, I mention another podcast called "Alexandre," which is focused on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. You can listen here.
I also recommend checking out this interview with Elie Mystal on Political Roots to get more in depth on what's at stake in the US.
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I want to share a fun collaborative podcast project I did with Singing for Survival host Mike Pinto to discuss the abolitionist movement in Brazil. We focus on one key person in that struggle, Dragão do Mar, and explore the ties to capoeira and the ongoing struggle for a better world. I hope you'll take a listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4FjaP2hpSj81aRNT7xfkEO?si=5gwxVIdvTryeVLKm4ljWNQ
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As of Jan. 1, 2024, new laws have gone into effect in California regarding traffic stops and enforcement. These laws have implications for pretext stops, racial profiling, and road safety. I explore. *does not constitute legal advice*For more:AB2773, requiring police to explain why they have pulled you overAB645, Speed Safety Systems Pilot Program I also recommended Allow Me to Retort by Elie Mystal if you want to learn more about the seminal case on pretext stops, Whren v. United States.This is the last episode of Season 3. Stay tuned for Season 4, coming soon. :)--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/natasha-t-baker/support
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What's the difference between civil and criminal courts? A recent conversation with friends led me to this topic. I dive in and also talk about how the public can access court records online.
Another example of civil cases I didn't touch on in this episode: product liability/consumer protection. A product is defective, dangerous, and/or there was false advertising and the company gets sued over it - that suit will be in civil court.
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A recent interview I watched with @AGoodWitchOfficial and the fact that Ohio just became the 24th state to legalize marijuana sparked this episode. I share some thoughts on why legalization is good policy and that the continued illegality of marijuana at the federal level and in some states, as well as criminal court policies, actually exacerbate the opioid epidemic.
Plus, I share some fun stats about where listeners of Natasha Explains It All are tuning in from around the world.
If you want to learn more about drug policy in the US, I recommend checking out the Drug Policy Alliance.
You can watch the A Good Witch interview on What's Underneath here.
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