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Law and Disorder is a weekly independent civil liberties radio program airing on more than 150 stations and on Apple podcast. Law and Disorder provides timely legal perspectives on issues concerning civil liberties, privacy, right to dissent and practices of torture exercised by the US government and private corporations.
Law and Disorder October 6, 2025
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Taxpayers Against Genocide and the National Lawyers Guild Submit Petition To UN
Eighty years ago, after 2 world wars claimed millions of lives, nations worldwide — including the United States — came together and established the UN system “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” The UN Charter requires that all states settle their disputes peacefully and refrain from the use of armed force, except in self-defense after an armed attack against a UN state by another state, or when the Security Council authorizes it.
But, motivated by American exceptionalism — the notion that the U.S. is unique and morally superior and thus not bound by the rules — successive U.S. governments have violated the commands of the UN Charter and illegally attacked other countries with impunity. Trump has ignored the straightforward rules about the lawful use of force, but he is not the first U.S. president to do so. The last five presidents have launched armed attacks without Security Council approval against countries that had not carried out armed attacks on the U.S. or other UN member countries.
Besides violating the Charter’s prohibition on the use of force, the U.S. government – under both Biden and Trump – has aided and abetted Israel’s commission of genocide in Gaza. As the number of Palestinians killed by Israel exceeds 66,000, and famine has reached the “catastrophic” phase, thousands of taxpayers across the country have united with Palestinian-Americans to file an international legal complaint against the U.S. government for funding Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
An initial petition was filed in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in May by Taxpayers Against Genocide and the National Lawyers Guild. It charged the U.S. with aiding and abetting Israel in genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Tomorrow, the petitioners will file a new petition with the Commission. It includes substantial evidence of the U.S. role in Israel’s campaign of starvation.
Guest – Marjorie Cohn is Professor Emerita at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Dean of the People’s Academy of International Law, and former president of the National Lawyers Guild. She is a legal political analyst who does commentary and writes columns on Truthout and other outlets, and she a former host on Law and Disorder radio. Her most recent book is Drones and Targeted Killing: Legal, Moral, and Geopolitical Issues. Marjorie wrote an article published last week on Truthout about U.S. violations of the UN Charter. Her article about the petition to be filed in the Inter-American Commission will be published tomorrow on Scheer Post.
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Lisa Cook is ‘Low Hanging Fruit—While Jerome Powell Is a Bridge Too Far
Sharon Kyle is the publisher of the L.A. Progressive. She has written a couple of fine articles about racism in American life in that publication. One of them, written at the end of August, is titled, Lisa Cook is ‘Low Hanging Fruit—While Jerome Powell Is a Bridge Too Far. She maintains that when political commentators, and the corporate media, describe Cook as “low hanging fruit” they expose the racism in American life and politics.
So, we’ve invited Sharon Kyle to be our guest today to explain her claim of racism in connection with Trump’s efforts to get rid of Cook on the vitally important Federal Reserve Board, and replace her with someone who would do his bidding.
Guest – Sharon Kyle is not only the publisher of the L.A. Progressive, a must read, online daily newsletter for all serious political thinkers and activists in and around L.A. She is also the former president of the Peoples College of Law, a former member of the Board of Directors of the ACLU of Southern California, and is on the editorial board of the BlackCommentator.com.
Remembering Assata Shakur (1947-2025)
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Law and Disorder September 29, 2025
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Soon after the attacks of September 11, 2001, when federal agents demanded library circulation records under the USA Patriot Act, librarians became unlikely whistleblowers for democracy. The “Connecticut Four” successfully sued the FBI in 2005 over secret National Security Letters that sought patron data and imposed gag orders. They reminded the nation that a book borrowed in silence should never be grounds for suspicion.
The Library Freedom Project was born in this climate of intrusion. It equips librarians with new skills: teaching prompt literacy so they can critically evaluate generative AI outputs; training them in deepfake and voice-clone detection; and raising awareness about the growing use of AI surveillance in schools and communities. In doing so, the project prepares librarians to guide the public through one of the most disruptive technologies of our time.
Guest – Alison Macrina, activist librarian and founder of the Project. Since 2015, she has built a network of librarians committed to protecting privacy, defending intellectual freedom, and challenging power structures through organizing and education. Recognized with a 2023 Electronic Frontier Foundation Award, Macrina and her colleagues argue that libraries are among the last truly public goods—accessible to everyone, regardless of income or background—and that defending these spaces means defending the very foundation of free expression and information democracy.
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Media Censorship: A Structural Problem
As the Trump administration seeks to expand presidential authority, it’s not surprising that the First Amendment is making headlines. Enacted in 1791 to protect fundamental freedoms – such as speech and the press – it serves as a safeguard against potential abuses of government power, including censorship and other efforts to stifle dissent. Trump and his allies have made no secret about their intention to silence prominent comedians who are critical of the administration.
On July 17th, CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a move that Trump publicly applauded, adding that Jimmy Kimmel would be next. Within days, the FCC approved a merger involving CBS’s parent company, Paramount. On Sept. 17th, FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned that if Disney did not suspend Jimmy Kimmel for making comments about MAGA and Charlie Kirk, the FCC could get involved with ABC’s licensing. Disney immediately took Jimmy Kimmel Live off the air. And even though it started back up on Sept. 23rd, many ABC affiliates refuse to air it. Oh, and by the way, Trump has warned that Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers at NBC will be next to go.
Guest – Jeff Cohen is a highly regarded progressive critic of the media. Indeed, he was recently quoted in an important article in the Washington Post about the disclosure that FOX News hosts were advising the White House during the January 6th insurrection. Jeff Cohen, along with Martin Lee, were the co-founders of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, or “F.A.I.R.,” which is the anti-corporate media group that monitors and reports on the mainstream media’s bias, spin and misinformation. Jeff Cohen is also a lecturer on these matters and the author of the book, Cable News Confidential.
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Law and Disorder September 22, 2025
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Corporate Media Coverage Analysis of NYC Mayoral Race
The majority campaign of Zohran Mamdani in New York City is the most hopeful development on the left in America today. Mamdani is a charismatic 33 year-old Uganda born one time state legislator and a wholehearted supporter and member of the Democratic Socialists of America. He is challenging former governor Andrew Como, who was recently forced to resign in disgrace after being credibly accused by 13 women of sexual harassment.
Cuomo represents the establishment, the real estate, financial, and big tech interests in America’s largest city. He has the support of major media and even Donald Trump. Meanwhile, none of the leading Democratic Party figures in New York State except Governor Hochul have endorsed Mamdani.
Cuomo’s campaign is run on fear. Mamdani won the primary by a landslide. His support comes mostly from the young, Black people, Asians, and a white working class in neighborhoods throughout New York City. During the primary campaign 50,000 volunteers knocked on 1,500,000 doors with the message that their candidate will work to make their lives better. The major media in New York City have thrown their weight behind Cuomo. But New York City’s grassroots, newspaper, The Indypendent has covered the Mamdani campaign consistently, and extensively since it’s beginning.
Guest – John Tarleton is a co-founder and editor in chief of the Indypendent, a free monthly newspaper and website publishing in New York City since 2000. He’s the cohost of the independent NewsHour on WBAI in New York City.
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Animal Protection Laws Emboldened By Case Precedent
Humankind has, happily, made considerable progress in extending legal rights to the non-human animal world, but certainly from the point of view of animal rights advocates we’ve still got a long way to go. So today on Law and Disorder we’ll speak with an attorney whose practice includes animal rights law to discuss some of the recent pluses and minuses in the battle to secure legal protection for the animals with whom we share this planet.
Guest – Attorney Matthew Strugar was previously Director of Litigation for the PETA Foundation, or the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Matthew Strugar is now in private practice where, in addition to animal law, his practice includes handling civil rights cases, cases of police misconduct, the First Amendment, prisoners’ rights and the defense of political protesters.
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