The Torch – Bill Hartung

The U.S. grounds an aircraft built by a major defense contractor. We speak with Bill Hartung, director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy about Boeing, The United States recognizes Israel’s annexation of the Golan in Syria, Ritchie Torres opens investigation into Kushner properties relationship with the Department of Buildings, Vicky Ward on her new book Kushner, …

The Torch – Activist Jonathan Kozol

Iconic education activist Jonathan Kozol on the college admissions scandal and savage inequalities of American education, The U.S. grounds an aircraft built by a major defense contractor. We speak with Bill Hartung, director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy about Boeing. Peter Kuznick, Professor of History and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University, …

The Torch – 03.12.19

Jacob Bacharach is a Jewish American author based in Pittsburgh.. He wrote an oped today on the website Truthdig.com. Saying that criticism of the left for anti-semitism has become it’s own dogwhistle by the media The NSA drops its domestic digital spying program, but rights activists ponder what’s next. In New York City, The Nation uncovers President Trump’s private spies …

The Torch – 02.18.19

As temperatures in New York City plunged to the single digits this week, some inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn have been forced to endure the frigid weather without heat, hot water, or other essential services, according to their attorneys. David Patton has been Executive Director and Attorney-in-Chief of the Federal Defenders of New York since July 2011 …

The Torch – 02.05.19

The Trump administration is pulling the plug on a decades-old nuclear arms treaty with Russia, lifting what it sees as unreasonable constraints on competing with a resurgent Russia and a more assertive China. In explaining his decision, which he had foreshadowed months ago, President Donald Trump accused Moscow of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty with “impunity” by deploying banned missiles. Moscow denies …

The Torch – 01.21.19

Scott Ritter was the nuclear weapons inspector who first reported that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction. He was an outspoken critic of the Iraq invasion and war who warned of the destructive effect the attack would have on the region. He opposed Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Weapons deal. Andy Worthington on the 17th Year of …

The Torch

Jason

Paul DeRenzo

The Torch – 12.17.18

Alene Lee (1931–1991) was an African-American member of the Beat generation in New York City whose romantic relationship with Jack Kerouac was the central theme in his novel The Subterraneans. Kerouac used the pseudonym Mardou Fox for Lee. Her long relationship with writer and journalist Lucien Carr led Lee to pursue an anonymous life. Her daughter Christina Diamonte tells the story. The story of a woman whose 1 year …

The Torch – Patricia Okoumou Immigrant Activist Tortured in France

  Patricia Okoumou Immigrant Activist Tortured in France On July 4th an African-American immigrant, Patricia Okoumou charmed New Yorkers when she scaled the foot of the Statue of Liberty to protest the Trump policy of separating children from their parents at the border with Mexico. After a3-hour low-stress confrontation with police Okoumou was arrested for trespassing, interfering with government agency …

The Torch – 11.12.18

The Torch investigates how slavery built New York City. Lisandro Perez is a professor at John Jay College and the author of Sugar, Cigars and Revolution, The Making of Cuban New York. He says few knew the extent of connections between the island, then a colony of Spain and American mercantile interests. Especially a merchant named Moses Taylor one of …