Single-Payer Advocate Dissects Congress’s Healthcare Debate; UCLA Scholar Updates at UC

On Pacifica’s CRD Single-Payer Advocate Dissects Congress’s Healthcare Debate; UCLA Scholar Updates UC’s Fight Against Trump’s Funding Threats; Puerto Rican Researcher Exposes US Military Operations Against Venezuela

By Capitalism, Race & Democracy - November 16, 202511
The recent political fight in Congress over healthcare was really a pillow fight, said Ed Grystar, who is on the steering committee of the National Campaign For Single Payer. He is the former leader of the Butler County Central Labor Council in Pennsylvania and called out both Democrats and Republicans for the so-called debate about healthcare. He spoke to Pacifica’s Steve Zeltzer.

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A broad coalition of UC faculty, staff, students, and unions sued to block the Trump administration’s threat to cut federal funding to the University of California unless it adopted policies that critics say violated First Amendment rights. On September 16, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) filed suit, and last week a US District Court issued a preliminary injunction stopping the administration from imposing fines or withholding grants.

Michael Chwe is a Professor of Political Science at UCLA. He’s played a leading role in organizing University of California faculty against the Trump administration’s attacks on the UC system, including funding cuts. He spoke to KPFK’s Peter Ross in October.

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At a panel of the Labor Education Project On AFL-CIO International Operations labor researcher Ricardo Ortiz reported on the US military’s use of Puerto Rico to prepare for the invasion of Venezuela. He said they were greatly expanding training, opening new bases, and even test firing a Trident missile over the island, terrifying the residents, and that the people of Puerto Rico were protesting.

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Frank Hammer is the retired president of United Auto Workers 909 local at the General Motors plant in Detroit. His family, who had Jewish heritage, escaped from Nazi Germany, and he sees parallels between what is happening in Chicago and what happened to his grandmother. He spoke to Pacifica’s Steve Zeltzer.

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We thank all of Pacifica’s sister stations and affiliates who contribute to the production of this show. Today’s program was produced by the Capitalism, Race & Democracy collective, with contributions from Steve Zeltzer, Peter Ross, Thomas O’Rourke and Polina Vasiliev.

You can find this and all previous episodes at our website “capitalism race and democracy dot ORG”. Make sure you click the subscribe button. Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, @PacificaCRD.

Thanks for listening!

Music:

Last One Standing (Radio Edit)

PJ Morton & Yola – Give The People What They Want [Official Visualizer]

Residente – Hijos del Cañaveral (Audio)