May 31, 2009

Broadcast Date: 
May 31 2009

Barack Obama signs the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act; the Hip Hop Hoodios on their latest CD, Carne Masada; and Jeff Sharlet on Christian evangelicals proselytizing inside the US military

Episode segments
  • Credit Card Reform: How Good is it for the Consumer? The Economy?
    National Politics, Domestic Policy
    Sarah Ludwig is the founder and co-director of NEDAP (Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project).
    Marilyn Kleinberg Neimark

    We talk with NEDAP's Sarah Ludwig about the credit card reform legislation recently signed by Barak Obama.  To what extent will it really help consumers? The economy? We also talk about HR 1214, a bill pending in Congress that will, under the guise of reform, put a federal imprimateur on payday lending one of the most predatory of loan practices. For a list of local members of Congress who are co-sponsors of this unwise legislation, go to Take Action.

  • Carne Masada
    Music, Arts & Culture
    Abe Velez, host of Beyond the Pale's monthly music show, and Josh Norek are members of the Hip Hop Hoodios.
    Marilyn Kleinberg Neimark

    We talk with Abe and Josh about the Hip Hop Hoodios' new album-- Carne Masada--a collection of arguably the best of their past recordings plus several brand new releases. And we play some of their latest tunes.

  • The Battle for the Soul of the U.S. Military
    National Politics, Christian Right
    Jeff Sharlet is a contributing editor of Harper's Magazine and the author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power. To listen to Beyond The Pale's 2008 interview with Jeff about The Family, click here.
    Josh Nathan-Kazis

    We talk with Jeff Sharlet about his May 2009 Harper's magazine article, Jesus Killed Mohammed: The Crusade for a Christian Military. While it's no surprise that the Bush administration was tone deaf to critics' concerns about the erosion of separation of church and state in the military, Jeff tells us there are no signs that the Obama administration shares those concerns either.