As authorities continue to unravel the enigmatic, at-times disturbing life of Jeffrey Alan Lash, they dig into what little is known about his past, seeking to uncover answers. How did he get all those weapons? What about all that hard currency? In the course of their investigation, they begin to notice a pattern: Lash seemed to be targeting people, turning them into supporters of his vague mission -- and, at times, threatening them if they refused to give him funding and lodging. His claims had begun to evolve into a sort of self-perpetuated mythology, wherein he was a sort of superhuman antihero, fighting the forces of darkness in an ongoing war of which the public was unaware. Some of his followers thought he would marry them, some thought he would help them become aliens. No one was sure exactly what was going to happen next.
Could fur farms be responsible for COVID-19? Why are people burning down Masonic lodges? And over in Texas, in turns out Tesla may be building a real-life company town to support SpaceX -- and, by hook or by crook, driving the existing residents out. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment.
Racism, exclusion, and unchecked corporate growth have trapped an entire class of people in poverty, no matter how hard they work. We call them the “working poor.” This week, workers’ rights advocate Ai-jen Poo shows Baratunde how it’s possible to work several jobs and still struggle to make ends meet — and how domestic workers are fighting for a future where all workers receive the dignity and fairness they deserve.
Guest: Ai-jen Poo - Co-Founder and Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance
Twitter: @aijenpoo
Bio: Ai-jen Poo is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, a non-profit organization working to bring quality work, dignity, and fairness to the growing numbers of workers who care and clean in our homes, the majority of whom are immigrants and women of color.
SHOW NOTES + LINKS
Go to howtocitizen.com to sign up for show news, AND to start your How to Citizen Practice.
Please show your support for the show in the form of a review and rating. It makes a huge difference with the algorithmic overlords!
We are grateful to Ai-jen Poo for joining us! Follow her at @aijenpoo on Twitter, or find more of her work at domesticworkers.org.
ACTIONS
PERSONALLY REFLECT
Who’s cared for you?
Think about someone in your life who's cared for you. Think about the value of that relationship. It could be a family member, a neighbor, a childcare provider, or some other caregiver in your life. What role did they play in your life? Bonus points: Give them a shout out, call them, and just let them know that you appreciate them.
BECOME INFORMED
Be an Ethical Employer, even at home.
The National Domestic Workers Alliance’s sister organization, Hand in Hand, offers support to employers of domestic workers (housekeepers, nannies, care givers). Also, their new app Alia allows you to provide insurance and time-off for people you employ in your home. Check out the resources on their website, domesticemployers.org, to learn how you can ethically employ someone in your home.
PUBLICLY PARTICIPATE
Benefits for all, no matter the job.
New platforms are working to address the need for portable benefits. Two that we found promising are: Opolis, a new membership-owned digital employment platform, and the Portable Benefit Network, another new platform focused on attaching healthcare to the worker no matter their job. Share these options with others in your network, so many more people can vote with their dollars and push for portable benefits as a part of a more equitable working future.
Support the National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.
After winning Domestic Workers Bills of Rights in nine states and two cities, the National Domestic Workers Alliance is leading an effort to pass a National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. Follow the link below to add your name in support! https://actionnetwork.org/forms/domestic-workers-make-all-other-work-possible
If you take any of these actions, share that with us - action@howtocitizen.com. Mention Working 5 to 9 in the subject line. And share about your citizening on social media using #howtocitizen.
Visit the show's homepage - www.howtocitizen.com - to sign up for news about the show, to learn about upcoming guests, live tapings, and more for your citizen journey.
How To Citizen with Baratunde is a production of iHeartRadio Podcasts and Dustlight Productions. Our Executive Producers are Baratunde Thurston, Elizabeth Stewart and Misha Euceph. Stephanie Cohnis our Senior Producer and Alie Kilts is our Producer. Kelly Prime is our Editor. Original Music by Andrew Eapen. Valentino Rivera is our Engineer. Sam Paulson is our Apprentice. This episode was produced and sound designed by Sam Paulson. Special thanks to Joelle Smith from iHeartRadio.
In some ways, Jeffrey Alan Lash's story begins after his death, when his body was found decomposing in a parked SUV on Palisades Drive -- but as investigators looked further into the case, they learned increasingly bizarre and troubling things. Was Lash a gunrunner? A criminal on the lam? An operative for a top-secret government agency? An alien hybrid? Tune in to learn more about this mysterious case in part one of this two-part episode.
It's no secret that inequality is rising in countries around the world, but what does this mean for the future? What is the middle class, exactly -- and why do some people believe it's going extinct? Find out in this classic episode.
After decades without leads, investigators use DNA evidence to finally arrest John Daly III, the infamous East Valley Rapist. An Iraqi prank show sparks controversy by staging fake acts of terrorism. A mysterious hacker collective shuts down the Colonial Pipeline, prompting fears of a gas shortage. All this and more in this week's Strange News.
As one of the biggest bands in human history, it's no surprise that The Beatles are the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. Is the real Paul McCartney dead? Was the government stalking John Lennon? Is there a a secret cache of unreleased Beatles music hidden away somewhere? In today's episode, the guys sit down with Brian Ray, host of the On Tour podcast and guitarist for Paul McCartney, to explore the fact and fiction behind these strange claims.
How easy is it to use the National Crime Information Center for nefarious ends? Is the musician Blueface running a reality show, or a TikTok cult -- and what's the deal with TikTok, cults and online radicalization anyhow? How many people feel they've encountered a real-life haunted object? All this and more in this week's listener mail.
In 2021 it’s non-negotiable: quality home internet is something we all need. Our entire economy, along with almost all other aspects of our lives, relies on access to the internet. This reality is why many argue that it should be treated as a public good and operated like a public utility instead of run by a handful of corporations that leave many people underserved. This week, Baratunde sits down with technologist Bruce Patterson to learn how the small city of Ammon, Idaho gives its residents access to high speed internet through its own state-of-the-art, public broadband infrastructure.
Guest: Bruce Patterson - Technology Director for the City of Ammon, Idaho
Bio: Bruce Patterson is the mastermind behind the ‘Ammon Model,’ which focuses on the separation of broadband infrastructure from broadband service, both technically and economically. During his tenure at the City of Ammon, Bruce was responsible for the creation and management of the Ammon Fiber Network. He managed everything from strategy and implementation including legal, public process, financial, construction, and technical aspects.
SHOW NOTES + LINKS
Go to howtocitizen.com to sign up for show news, AND (coming soon!) to start your How to Citizen Practice.
Please show your support for the show in the form of a review and rating. It makes a huge difference with the algorithmic overlords!
We are grateful to Bruce Patterson for joining us! Learn more about his work at ammonfiber.com.
ACTIONS
PERSONALLY REFLECT
What’s publicly or municipally run in your community?
Post office, water, library, etc. How do you use these services and what would change about them if they were owned exclusively by private companies? Or if they are, do you feel your community is being well-served? If you were in charge, how would you improve these services for the public? What else could you imagine working better if it was run by the people and served more of us?
BECOME INFORMED
Other Public Options
Basically our participation in society and our lives now rely on the internet. Bruce helped meet that essential need by having the local government operate a network, but it’s not the only way, and internet access isn’t the only service. Find out more about community efforts to own services from broadband to banking through the links below:
If this topic excites you on your citizen journey, consider joining a community broadband effort near you or learning from one in order to lead an effort in your town or city. Join one of the efforts being tracked by The Institute for Local Self Reliance on their community map. (Stacy Mitchell, theCo-Director of the Institute, was our guest in Ep 5!)
If you take any of these actions, share that with us - action@howtocitizen.com. Mention Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Broadband in the subject line. And share about your citizening on social media using #howtocitizen.
Visit the show's homepage - www.howtocitizen.com - to sign up for news about the show, to learn about upcoming guests, live tapings, and more for your citizen journey.
How To Citizen with Baratunde is a production of iHeartRadio Podcasts and Dustlight Productions. Our Executive Producers are Baratunde Thurston, Elizabeth Stewart and Misha Euceph. Stephanie Cohnis our Senior Producer and Alie Kilts is our Producer. Kelly Prime is our Editor. Original Music by Andrew Eapen. Valentino Rivera is our Engineer. Sam Paulson is our Apprentice. This episode was produced and sound designed by Alie Kilts. Special thanks to Joelle Smith from iHeartRadio.
What if future explorers never have to physically travel anywhere? It's an odd question, but according to proponents of remote viewing, government-paid psychics were doing this as early as 1984 -- and breaking the known laws of time and space in the process. In today's episode, the guys re-enact one of the CIA's most ambitious (and strangest) classified experiments: Using ESP as a new method of exploration. Tune in to learn more in this 3D episode.
