The Signal

The Civic Circle | School Board Elections and Interview with Bucks United’s Kunal Atit

The Civic Circle is a new youth-led podcast by the Bucks County Beacon tackling politics and policy from a Gen-Z lens. Sarah Zhang, Mallorie Marsan, and Alexandra Coffey are students from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Once a month they will chat about activism, advocacy, and all the political happenings affecting their generation today. They focus on PA politics and want the podcast to serve as a call to action for all young people to get involved in the civic process and demand change.
We focus this episode primarily on local school board wars and our experiences growing up in Central Bucks and Council Rock School Districts. We also discuss the incredible candidates running to replace extremist candidates on these boards. In the second half of the show, we welcome Kunal Atit, Bucks United's campaign manager, who shares his story and why these school board races matter so much.
Sarah Zhang is a CB East grad and sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill.
Mallorie Marsin is a Council Rock South grad and freshman at Temple University.
Alexandra Coffey is a senior at CB West. 
The Civic Circle is produced by the Bucks County Beacon and Raging Chicken Media’s Kevin Mahoney.
The music is “Bet On It” by Silent Partner, copyright and royalty-free. 
Follow us on Twitter:
@BucksCoBeacon
@RCpress

The Signal | After Misogyny: How the Law Fails Women and What to Do about It, with Julie Suk

Julie C. Suk is Professor of Law at Fordham University School of Law and is a leading expert on gender and constitutional law in the United States and around the world. In 2020 she published, We the Women: The Unstoppable Mothers of the Equal Rights Amendment, which was the first book to chronicle and assess the twenty-first-century revival of the Equal Rights Amendment. Today, we talk about her new book: After Misogyny: How the Law Fails Women and What to Do about It.
Host Cyril Mychalejko’s 5 Book Recommendations to Further Shine a Light on the Issue 
We the Women: The Unstoppable Mothers of the Equal Rights Amendment, by Julie Suk
Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America, by Dahlia Lithwick
Feminist International: How to Change Everything, by Verónica Gago, translated by Liz Mason-Deese
Textures of Terror: The Murder of Claudina Isabel Velasquez and Her Father's Quest for Justice, by Victoria Sanford
Feminism for the 99%: A Manifesto, by Cinzia Arruzza, Tithi Bhattacharya, and Nancy Fraser
ALSO LISTEN TO:
EPISODE 9 – Feminicide, Impunity, And The U.S.’S Bloody History In Guatemala, With Victoria Sanford
EPISODE 4 - Sylvia Pankhurst – Suffragette Socialist and Scourge of Empire, with Dr. Kate Connelly
EPISODE 3 -  The Radical History of International Women’s Day and the Feminist Movement, with Liza Featherstone

American Carnage: An Officer’s Duty to Warn, with Steve Nolan

Steve Nolan spent 30 years in the military and 25 years as a mental health professional. He has published in numerous journals and his poetry was featured on National Public Radio, Morning Edition, upon his return from Afghanistan in 2007. He is the author of the books Go Deep,  Base Camp, and American Carnage, An Officer’s Duty to Warn. His work reflects his commitment to social justice.
I talk to Steve about his book American Carnage and why he feels compelled as a retired military officer and mental health professional to speak out about the threat former President Donald Trump poses to U.S. democracy and why Trump is mentally unfit for office as Commander in Chief.
Host Cyril Mychalejko’s 5 Book Recommendations to Further Shine a Light on the Issue
The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President - Updated and Expanded with New Essays, by Bandy X. Lee, M.D., M.Div., Organizer of Yale's "Duty to Warn" Conference
The Cult of Trump A Leading Cult Expert Explains How the President Uses Mind Control, by Steven Hassan 
Trump on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President, by Justin A. Frank, MD
Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy, by Jamie Raskin
The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, by Jeff Sharlet
ALSO LISTEN TO: 
EPISODE 5 - The Growing Fascist Threat To American Democracy, with Jeff Sharlet
EPISODE 12 - The New Apostolic Reformation: A Revolutionary Theocratic Movement Coming for Pennsylvania, the Nation, and the World
EPISODE 13 - Peace Activism from Bucks County to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with Barbara Simmons
 

The Civic Circle | The Climate Crisis is Real, Local, and Demands Action

The Civic Circle is a new youth-led podcast by the Bucks County Beacon tackling politics and policy from a Gen-Z lens. Sarah Zhang, Mallorie Marsan, and Alexandra Coffey are students from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and once a month they will chat about activism, advocacy, and all the political happenings affecting their generation today. They will be focusing on PA politics and want the podcast to serve as a call to action for all young people to get involved in the civic process and demand change.
In this first episode we introduce ourselves, explain what brought us into this work, and discuss some of the hot issues of this past summer - with the hottest issue definitely being extreme weather, the sweltering heat, and how the climate crisis has directly affected us in Bucks County. 
Sarah Zhang is a CB East grad and sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill.
Mallorie Marsin is a Council Rock South grad and freshman at Temple University.
Alexandra Coffey is a senior at CB West. 
Also listen to Bucks County Beacon Editor Cyril Mychalejko’s interview with Sarah, Mallorie, and Alexandra on The Signal. 
The Civic Circle is produced by the Bucks County Beacon and Raging Chicken Media’s Kevin Mahoney.
The music is “Bet On It” by Silent Partner, copyright and royalty-free. 
Follow us on Twitter:
@BucksCoBeacon
@RCpress

The Signal | Introducing Our New Gen Z Podcast The Civic Circle, with Sarah Zhang, Mallorie Marsan, and Alexandra Coffey

The Civic Circle is a new youth-led podcast by the Bucks County Beacon tackling politics and policy from a Gen-Z lens. Sarah Zhang, Mallorie Marsan, and Alexandra Coffey are students from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and once a month they will chat about activism, advocacy, and all the political happenings affecting their generation today. They will be focusing on PA politics and want the podcast to serve as a call to action for all young people to get involved in the civic process and demand change.
Today I speak to them about who they are, their politics, their generation, and The Civic Circle - which launches on Monday.
Sarah Zhang is a CB East grad and sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill.
Mallorie Marsin is a Council Rock South grad and freshman at Temple University.
Alexandra Coffey is a senior at CB West. 
The Signal is produced by Kevin Mahoney, Raging Chicken Media.
Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music. 
Follow us on Twitter:
@BucksCoBeacon
@cmychalejko 
@RCpress
 

The Signal | Fighting for Students’ and Teachers’ Rights in Central Bucks School District, with ACLU’s Witold Walczak

Central Bucks is under fire for allegedly creating a toxic environment for LGBTQ+ students, vindictively targeting a teacher, and spending more than $1 million for reputation laundering. 
Witold Walczak is legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania. Today I speak with him about the ACLU’s ongoing legal battles with Central Bucks School District, its latest complaint filed in court which charges the Republican-run district with illegally retaliating against a teacher for supporting a trans student, and Central Bucks’s million dollar disinformation campaign to avoid responsibility for creating a toxic, discriminatory environment for LGBTQ+ students – a charge currently being investigated by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.  
Full transcript of the episode available HERE.
Host Cyril Mychalejko’s 5 Book Recommendations to Further Shine a Light on the Issue
The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children, by Katherine Stewart
A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door: The Dismantling of Public Education and the Future of School, by Jennifer Berkshire
Dark Money and the Politics of School Privatization, by Maurice Cunningham
Whose America?: Culture Wars in the Public Schools, by Jonathan Zimmerman
 The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, by Jeff Sharlet
ORGANIZATIONS
Advocates for Inclusive Education (Bucks County)
Central Bucks Neighbors United
The Network for Public Education
PFLAG
ALSO LISTEN TO: 
EPISODE 2 – The Merchants of Deception: The Dark Money and Front Groups Behind School Privatization, with Maurice Cunningham
EPISODE 6 – The Right’s Long War On Public Education, With Jennifer Berkshire
EPISODE 7 – Understanding Backlash Politics And Religious Conservatives Inciting School Board Wars, With PRRI’s Melissa Deckman
EPISODE 10 – Raising A Transgender Child In An Increasingly Transphobic Country, With Brett Freeman
EPISODE 11 – Unmasking Moms For Liberty’s Extremism, With Olivia Little And Diana Leygerman

The Signal | Peace Activism from Bucks County to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with Barbara Simmons

Barbara Simmons served as executive director for 30 years of The Peace Center, an educational peace and justice non-profit organization in Bucks County. She was founding director of PeaceTalks radio producing radio documentaries from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Rwanda, South Africa, Vietnam, Northern Ireland, Canada and the United States, which aired on NPR, PRI and many other stations. Currently, Barbara is involved as an Ambassador to L.O.V.E. Is The Answer, the executive board of the NAACP, Chair of Communications for Newtown Dems, board member of Divorce Recovery Center, serves on DEI Committee of Bucks County Women's Advocacy Coalition and the Mercer Museum Advisory Committee, and is on the Board of the Nakashima Foundation for Peace. 
Today I talk to Barbara about why she memorializes the barbaric bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and her life as a long-time peace activist.
Host Cyril Mychalejko’s 5 Book Recommendations to Further Shine a Light on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Peace
Hiroshima, by John Hersey
Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-up and the Reporter Who Revealed It to the World, by Lesley M.M. Blume
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin
Living Peace: A Spirituality of Contemplation and Action, by John Dear
The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence, and the Will of the People, by Jonathan Schell
ARTICLES
A Life Committed to Peace, with Barbara Simmons, by Cyril Mychalejko
Why I Commemorate The Bombing Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki, by Barbara Simmons
Bucks County must band together to ‘Ban the Bomb, by Cyril Mychalejko
Poem: Stained Glass, by Steve Nolan
Creating A Nuclear Weapon Free World, with Ira Helfand, by Cyril Mychalejko
Hiroshima’s Lessons of Unnecessary Mass Destruction Could Help Guide Future Nuclear Arms Talks, by Tara Sonenshine
Peace and Nonviolence, with Rev. John Dear, by Cyril Mychalejko
Stealing God’s Stuff: Is E. B. White the Forgotten Prophet of Our Nuclear Doom?, by Lesley M.M. Blume
Counting the Dead at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, by Alex Wellerstein
A time of Unprecedented Danger: It Is 90 Seconds to Midnight, by Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
The Signal is produced by Kevin Mahoney, Raging Chicken Media.
Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music. 
Follow us on Twitter:
@BucksCoBeacon
@cmychalejko 
@RCpress

The Signal | The New Apostolic Reformation: A Revolutionary Theocratic Movement Coming for Pennsylvania, the Nation, and the World, with Frederick Clarkson

Frederick Clarkson is a senior research analyst at Political Research Associates, a social justice research and strategy center that exposes the agenda and strategies of the U.S. and global Right, revealing the dangerous intersections of Christian nationalism, white nationalism, and patriarchy. He has written about politics and religion for four decades. Clarkson is the author, co-author or editor of several books including Dispatches from the Religious Left: The Future of Faith and Politics in America and Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy.
Today we talk about a Christian theocratic movement that wants to build a "kingdom revolution" led by an "army of believers," starting in Pennsylvania, before spreading across the nation and then the world.
Host Cyril Mychalejko’s 5 Book Recommendations to Further Shine a Light on the New Apostolic Reformation
Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy, by Frederick Clarkson
A New Apostolic Reformation?: A Biblical Response to a Worldwide Movement, by R. Douglas Geivett and Holly Pivec
Beyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity Is Taking Over the World, by Elle Hardy
American Evangelicals for Trump Dominion, Spiritual Warfare, and the End Times, André Gagné
The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism, by Katherine Stewart
ALSO LISTEN TO: 
EPISODE 5 - The Growing Fascist Threat To American Democracy, With Jeff Sharlet
EPISODE 7 - Understanding Backlash Politics And Religious Conservatives Inciting School Board Wars, With PRRI’s Melissa Deckman
ARTICLES
"Unfriending" America: The Christian Right Is Coming for the Enemies of God — Like You and Me, by Frederick Clarkson
Pennsylvania’s Prayer Warrior: Abby Abildness And Her Dominionist Crusade In The Commonwealth, by Jennifer Cohn
Statement on NAR & Christian Nationalism Answers Few Questions But Exposes Growing Rifts in the Movement, by André Gagné and Frederick Clarkson
Christian Right Denialism is More Dangerous Than Ever: A Reporter’s Guide to the New Apostolic Reformation, by André Gagné and Frederick Clarkson
When It Comes to Societal Dominion, The Details Matter: A Reporter’s Guide to the New Apostolic Reformation, Part II, by André Gagné and Frederick Clarkson
The Christian Right And Its Top Crusader Seek To Conquer Pennsylvania, by Cyril Mychalejko and Frederick Clarkson 
Dominionism Is on the Ballot in November, but Most Voters Have Never Heard of It, by Jennifer Cohn
The Signal is produced by Kevin Mahoney, Raging Chicken Media.
Music by Maf é Tulà and Cartas a Felice, "La Loca." Panela Music. 
Follow us on Twitter:
@BucksCoBeacon
@cmychalejko 
@RCpress