Roots of Today

Where the past meets the present

  • Episode 6 – The Voice of America

    Republican majorities in the House and the Senate passed a rescissions bill that would cancel over 9 billion dollars in previously approved federal spending. Included in the cuts was financing that helped the Corporation for Public Broadcasting fund both PBS and NPR. And while this government funding is not the sole source of support for Read more

  • Episode 5 – Journalism and Fake NEws

    Episode notes Donald Trump has famously labelled most of the mainstream press as both fake news, and the enemy of the people. For years Republicans had decried the problem of media bias as if it is some new phenomenon that began at some point during the Reagan presidency. However, if we are going to have Read more

  • Episode 4 – Immigration Raids and a Guest Worker Program

    As the ice raids and massive deportations continue, labor shortages are inevitable, especially in the agricultural and construction industries. Estimates of the number of ice deportations vary from the official number of over 200,000, to about half that from independent sources. The number of self-deportations varies widely, from an official count of just over 100,000, Read more

  • Episode 3 – Presidential Authority and the War Powers Act

    When President Donald Trump authorized the military strikes against three Iranian sites suspected as the key to that nation’s attempt to build nuclear weapons, it also started a political firestorm back in the United States. The reaction from Democrats was immediate. Firebrand New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was perhaps the most direct in her response. Read more

  • Episode 2 – The US Senate and the 17th Amendment

    This week, we get into the weeds a little bit and take an in-depth view of the United States Senate: specifically, how the body was originally structured in the Constitution, how the 17th amendment changed the method Senators were selected, and why that change was detrimental to our federal republic. Music courtesy of Nesrality.Nesrality – Read more

  • Episode 1 – Immigration and Birthright Citizenship.

    Birthright citizenship—the principle that a person is granted citizenship by virtue of being born within a country’s territory—has a long and complex history in the United States. Its development was shaped by British legal traditions, early American law, racial exclusion, and finally, constitutional reform in the aftermath of the Civil War. Nevertheless, bills have been Read more

  • It’s Alive. ALIVE!

    Welcome to the Roots of Today blog. First and foremost, this is where I can post show notes about each particular episode, including a list of sources for those who may feel inclined to do a lot of reading. As for me, My I am Alan, the host of the show. I have had a Read more