The Signal

The Normalization of Book Banning in the United States, With PEN America’s Sabrina Baêta

“In 2025, book censorship in the United States is rampant and common. Never before in the life of any living American have so many books been systematically removed from school libraries across the country. Never before have so many states passed laws or regulations to facilitate the banning of books, including bans on specific titles statewide. Never before have so many politicians sought to bully school leaders into censoring according to their ideological preferences, even threatening public funding to exact compliance. Never before has access to so many stories been stolen from so many children.” 
This is the introduction to PEN America’s Banned in the USA 2024-2025 report “The Normalization of Book Banning.” As part of the Bucks County Beacon’s Banned Books Week coverage, we speak with one of the author’s of this report – Sabrina Baêta. 
Sabrina is a senior program manager with Freedom to Read at PEN America. She engages in research and awareness-building around censorship attacks on public K-12 education, especially as it relates to literature accessibility in libraries and classrooms. 
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READ:
The Quiet Creep of Censorship: How ‘Everyday Banning’ Is Reshaping American Schools, by Tabitha Dell’Angelo
We Must Continue to Defend the Freedom to Read in Central Bucks School District, by Karen Smith
Banned Books Week: A Local Reflection From a Pennridge School District Dad, by Darren Laustsen
‘This Book Won’t Burn’ Celebrates Student Resistance in This New Era of Book Banning, by Lauren Bradley 
ALSO LISTEN TO:
The History of Fascism and Anti-Fascism in America, with Bill Mullen and Christopher Vials
This Bucks County Dad Took His Child’s School District to Court to Uncover a Secret Book Banning Scheme
Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider on Their New Book ‘The Education Wars: A Citizen’s Guide and Defense Manual’
Black History Is a History of Resistance and Liberation, with Rann Miller
Fighting for Students’ and Teachers’ Rights in Central Bucks School District, with ACLU’s Witold Walczak
Unmasking Moms for Liberty’s Extremism, with Olivia Little and Diana Leygerman
Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music. 
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The History of Fascism and Anti-Fascism in America, with Bill Mullen and Christopher Vials

On this week's episode of The Signal I welcome two guests: Bill V. Mullen, Professor of English and American Studies at Purdue University and Christopher Vials, an Associate Professor of English at the University of Connecticut, where he also serves as Director of American Studies. Together they co-edited the book The U.S. Anti-Fascism Reader. Today we talk about their book, the history of fascism and anti-fascism in America, and lessons we can learn to help us navigate through this moment where President Trump has just designated anti-fascism as domestic terrorism and on Tuesday told top military generals and admirals that the country faces an enemy from within (namely his political opponents) and that US cities should become training grounds for the military.
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READ:
The U.S. Anti-Fascism Reader, by Bill Mullen and Christopher Vials
Haunted by Hitler: Liberals, the Left, and the Fight against Fascism in the United States, by Christopher Vials
How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them, by Jason Stanley
 The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, by Jeff Sharlet
Trump Tells Military Brass ‘We’re Under Invasion From Within’ and US Cities Should Be ‘Training Grounds for Our Military’
‘Rubber Glue Fascism’: A Close Reading of Trump’s ‘Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence’ Memo
Why Journalists Are Reluctant to Call Trump an Authoritarian – and Why That Matters for Democracy
ALSO LISTEN TO:
Journalist Jordan Green on Why the Neo-Nazi Movement Is an Escalating Threat to US Democracy
From Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio to Bucks County’s Fred Harran: Why ICE 287(g) Partnerships Are So Dangerous, with Jessica Pishko
How Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement Will Legalize and Deploy Vigilantes to Push Their Agenda, with David Noll
Former FBI Agent Who Once Infiltrated Neo-Nazi Groups and Militias Explains Why Law Enforcement Fails to Take Far-Right Extremism Seriously
Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music. 
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Editor-in-Chief Cyril Mychalejko on The Beacon in Turbulant Times

Cyril Mychalejko is the Editor-in-Chief of the Bucks County Beacon. He has over two decades of journalistic experience. His work has appeared in The Bucks County Courier Times, The Intelligencer, Upside Down World, Common Dreams, TruthOut, and other publications.
Today, Cyril joins The Signal as a guest to reflect on the week that Charlie Kirk was killed, the disturbing history of Turning Point USA, the failure of the mainstream media to meet our authoritarian moment, and the role of The Beacon in these turbulent times. 
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READ: 
Why Journalists Are Reluctant to Call Trump an Authoritarian – and Why That Matters for Democracy
Why Some People Are Pretending About Charlie Kirk’s History and the Truth About This Dangerous Moment
White House Working to Criminalize Left-Wing Dissent as ‘Domestic Terror’ in Wake of Charlie Kirk Murder
Right-Wing Extremist Violence Is More Frequent and More Deadly Than Left-Wing Violence, Data Shows
State Senator Steve Santarsiero: American Democracy Is the Frog and the Water Is Starting to Boil
Jimmy Kimmel’s Cancellation Is the Latest Sign We’re Witnessing the End of US Democracy
Democracy Requires Our Attention, All The Time
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro Says US Must ‘Turn the Tide’ Against Political Violence, Reject Vengeance
Trump Administration Uses Tragic Minneapolis School Shooting to Target Transgender Community Rather Than Strengthen Student Safety
Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music. 
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Journalist Jordan Green on Why the Neo-Nazi Movement Is an Escalating Threat to U.S. Democracy

Jordan Green is an investigative correspondent based in Greensboro, N.C., who covers right-wing extremism for Raw Story. His work has been featured in a host of publications, including the Washington Post, The Daily Beast, The Nation, In These Times and Sojourners. Today he joins us to talk about his recent article in The Assembly  “I’ve Seen How the Neo-Nazi Movement Is Escalating. You Should Worry,”  and to talk about covering, and being stalked and threatened by neo-Nazi groups, and the threat militant far-right accelerationism poses for the country. 
Read Jordan’s reporting at the Raw Story here. 
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ALSO LISTEN TO:
Interview: Solidarity Journalism Can Help the Mainstream Media Restore Public Trust and Strengthen Democracy, with Dr. Anita Varma
From Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio to Bucks County’s Fred Harran: Why ICE 287(g) Partnerships Are So Dangerous, with Jessica Pishko
How Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement Will Legalize and Deploy Vigilantes to Push Their Agenda, with David Noll
Former FBI Agent Who Once Infiltrated Neo-Nazi Groups and Militias Explains Why Law Enforcement Fails to Take Far-Right Extremism Seriously
Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music. 
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Fighting to Finally Raise the Minimum Wage in Pennsylvania – A Conversation With State Rep. Roni Green

State Rep. Roni Green’s professional life has been about helping people climb out of poverty and fighting for working class families. 
She began her career serving the people as a human services caseworker with the Glendale County Assistance Office, working for nearly two decades to ensure that Philadelphia’s most vulnerable residents have access to a path out of poverty. Her experience has deeply informed her understanding of the systemic causes of economic, social and political inequality.
Roni won her first election with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 668 as a Shop Steward and through additional elections held the positions of Philadelphia Chapter 12 Chair, and statewide Secretary/Treasurer based in Harrisburg, while serving as a community and labor organizer for more than 30 years.
As a state representative Roni’s priorities include fighting for a living wage and workers’ rights, affordable housing to preserve neighborhoods and ensure that every working family has a home, sensible gun reform to combat the gun violence epidemic, equitable community and economic development that provides opportunities for all, and criminal justice reform with a focus on ending mass incarceration.
She joins us today to talk about the current struggle to get lawmakers in the state capital to finally raise the commonwealth’s embarrassing $7.25 per hour minimum wage. 
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ALSO LISTEN TO:
Interview: Solidarity Journalism Can Help the Mainstream Media Restore Public Trust and Strengthen Democracy, with Dr. Anita Varma
‘A Fight Fails Without A Dream’: DNC Vice Chair Malcolm Kenyatta on How The Democratic Party Will Meet This Dangerous Trumpian Moment
Larissa Hopwood on the Newly Formed Doylestown Action League and Progressive Activism in Bucks County
Interview: Kadida Kenner on Defending Democracy and Voting Rights in Pennsylvania
Karen Downer Has Fought Racism Locally Since She Was a Child in Pre-Civil Rights Bucks County
Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music. 
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Photojournalist Michael Nigro on Documenting History as It Happens

Photojournalist Michael Nigro reported a piece for the Bucks County Beacon earlier this month from the streets of Los Angeles which were turned into a war zone after Trump sent in the National Guard and Marines to quash anti-ICE protests. He was actually shot in the head with nonlethal bullet by police, though thankfully he was wearing a helmet. This multimedia journalist based in Brooklyn, New York joins us today to talk about his work and his penchant for ​documenting ​​world-changing stories that has put him at the forefront of some of the most crucial events of our times, including Occupy Wall Street, Standing Rock, Charlottesville, the Yellow Vest Movement in France, The January 6th Capitol Riots, and three assignments in Ukraine, to name a few.​ His work has been featured in dozens of publications including The New York Times, The Guardian, Vice, The Intercept, Rolling Stone, and Time​ Magazine.
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Photo Essay: Trump’s Militarized War on Immigrants Meets Citizen Resistance in Los Angeles, by Michael Nigro
Michael’s Website: https://www.nigrotime.com/
Michael’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nigrotime
Follow Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nigrotime/
ALSO LISTEN TO:
Interview: Solidarity Journalism Can Help the Mainstream Media Restore Public Trust and Strengthen Democracy, with Dr. Anita Varma
From Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio to Bucks County’s Fred Harran: Why ICE 287(g) Partnerships Are So Dangerous, with Jessica Pishko
How Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement Will Legalize and Deploy Vigilantes to Push Their Agenda, with David Noll
Former FBI Agent Who Once Infiltrated Neo-Nazi Groups and Militias Explains Why Law Enforcement Fails to Take Far-Right Extremism Seriously
Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music. 
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From Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio to Bucks County’s Fred Harran: Why ICE 287(g) Partnerships Are Dangerous, with Jessica Pishko

Jessica Pishko is a journalist and lawyer with a JD from Harvard Law School and an MFA from Columbia University. She is the author of The Highest Law in the Land: How the Unchecked Power of Sheriffs Threatens Democracy. She has been reporting on the criminal legal system for a decade, with a focus on the political power of sheriffs since 2016.
In addition to her newsletter Posse Comitatus, her writings have been featured in The New York Times, Politico, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, The Appeal, Slate, and Democracy Docket. She has been awarded journalism fellowships from the Pulitzer Center and Type Investigations and was a 2022 New America Fellow. A longtime Texas resident, she currently lives with her family in North Carolina.
She joins us today to talk about the ICE 287g program partnering with a growing number of sheriffs departments across the country, including right here in Bucks County, as well as how this development fits within the history of Sheriffs in the United States. 
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READ: 
Exclusive: Sheriff Fred Harran Enlists Bucks County in Trump’s Nationwide Immigration Crackdown
Bucks County Commissioners Meeting Packed with Residents Fired Up Over Sheriff’s ICE Agreement
ACLU Says Sheriff Fred Harran Must Get Bucks County Commissioners’ Approval for Future Partnership with ICE
It’s Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran Who Owes the Jewish Community an Apology for His Disingenuous Accusations of Antisemitism
ICE Approves Bucks County Sheriff’s ‘Task Force Model’ Partnership, ACLU Lawsuit ‘Forthcoming’
Republican Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran Calls Local Critics of ICE Agreement ‘Liars’, ACLU ‘Lunatics’
Bucks County Commissioners Vote to Set the Record Straight That the Sheriff Lacks the Legal Authority to Partner with ICE
Ballooning Number of ICE Partnerships with Sheriff’s Departments — Like in Bucks County — Leaves Immigrants and Advocates Worried
ALSO LISTEN TO:
Larissa Hopwood on the Newly Formed Doylestown Action League and Progressive Activism in Bucks County
How Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement Will Legalize and Deploy Vigilantes to Push Their Agenda, with David Noll
Former FBI Agent Who Once Infiltrated Neo-Nazi Groups and Militias Explains Why Law Enforcement Fails to Take Far-Right Extremism Seriously
The Growing Fascist Threat To American Democracy, With Jeff Sharlet
Karen Downer Has Fought Racism Locally Since She Was a Child in Pre-Civil Rights Bucks County
Kristin Kobes Du Mez on Evangelical Support for Trump and Project 2025’s Christian Nationalist and Authoritarian Designs for the Nation
Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music. 
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CELDF’s Ben Price, Trailblazer in the Rights of Nature Movement, on His New Book, “Wouldn’t You Say: A Collection of Essays About Environment and Community”

On this special Earth Day episode of The Signal, we welcome Ben Price, education director at the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, where he has worked at since 2004. Ben is a trailblazer in the Rights of Nature movement and has a new book out: Wouldn’t You Say? A Collection of Essays About Environment and Community. 
In this conversation, we discuss his book and how the rights of nature movement challenges us to rethink our relationship with the natural world while calling us to expand our political imaginations to not just dream of what a sustainable, just world looks like – but how each of us can work in our own communities to make that dream a reality.  
Listen on Apple, Spotify, and iheart 
ALSO LISTEN TO:
Larissa Hopwood on the Newly Formed Doylestown Action League and Progressive Activism in Bucks County
Kadida Kenner on Defending Democracy and Voting Rights in Pennsylvania
Solidarity Journalism Can Help the Mainstream Media Restore Public Trust and Strengthen Democracy, with Dr. Anita Varma
Ralph Young on His New Book ‘American Patriots: A Short History of Dissent’
Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music. 
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