People Power Podcast

Speaking truth to power by bringing you voices from the grassroots.

Episode 16: Investigating the Murders of Ahmed Badal & Jaden Blackmon Part 3 04/30/2023

Episode 16: Investigating the Murders of Ahmed Badal & Jaden Blackmon Part 3 This is the last installment in my series about the murders of Ahmed Badal & Jaden Black mon that took place in South Minneapolis on April 12, 2021, just hours after Kim Potter murdered Daunte Wright, and just blocks from the 3rd precinct police station that was burned after Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd. In this episode I share some statements from neighbors, including a phone interview I recorded April 23, 2021, more than a week after the double murders. Check out Part 2 here: Audio engineering by: Isaac Specktor Copy Right Free Music by: [No Copyright Sound] Sad [Hip Hop, Rap, Instrumental] [ FREE USE MUSIC ] - Pold - Evening Train - License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Free download: Neon [ SHORT TRAP, NO COPYRIGHT BEAT ] HIP HOP, RAP [FREE USE MUSIC] - Abdellah King - License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Free download: /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/26698212

Episode 15: Seward Market Murders Revisited Featuring Michelle Gross 01/22/2023

Episode 15: Seward Market Murders Revisited Featuring Michelle Gross Interview with Michelle Gross, President of Communities United Against Police Brutality, who discusses why she believes teenage convicted killer Mahdi Ali is innocent. On Jan 6, 2010, three people were murdered in cold blood during a robbery at the Seward Market. Mahdi Ali and Ahmed Ali were convicted. Mahdi was given 90 years for being the trigger man. Ahmed was released last summer. Mahdi has always maintained his innocence and Ahmed, who once accused Mahdi, is now saying he's innocent. What has never been disclosed in the case is Target's deep financial ties to the cops and the prosecution. Hosted by Marjaan Sirdar Audio Engineering by Isaac Specktor Support the People Power Podcast by making a donation here: https://gofund.me/e368054d https://gofund.me/e368054d For more on Mahdi Ali: Fox 9 For more on Judge Cahill: For more on Michelle Gross and Communities United Against Police Brutality visit their website Music by: EcroDeron, Copy Right Free; Creative Commons Music by: Abdellah King Copy Right Free; Creative Commons /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/25688568

Episode 14: Interview with Suzanne Medes, White Lady Who Exploited George Floyd 01/14/2023

Episode 14: Interview with Suzanne Medes, White Lady Who Exploited George Floyd In the summer of 2022 I interviewed Suzanne Medes after she got famously dragged on Twitter for exploiting George Floyd's namesake and profiting without the family's consent. Episode #14 of the People Power Podcast is my unedited Q&A with Suzanne Medes. Music by Isaac Specktor. Story about Suzanne Medes published by Unicorn Riot /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/25605999

Episode 13: Investigating the Murders of Ahmed Badal & Jaden Blackmon (part 2) 12/24/2022

Episode 13: Investigating the Murders of Ahmed Badal & Jaden Blackmon (part 2) This episode features an old interview from May 2021 with Gaari Abdi, the widow of Ahmed Badal. She said after Ahmed was killed she was visited by suspicious group of young Somali men. One of them was injured from getting shot in the leg the night Ahmed was murdered. New charges have been filed in connection with the murder of Ahmed Badal and Jaden Blackmon from April 12, 2021. However, many of the new details are contradicted by our investigation, and one of the unidentified victims who is being protected by police and prosecutors, has been implicated in murder. Star Tribune article about new charges in the case https://www.startribune.com/man-charged-with-murder-aggravated-robbery-in-april-2021-shooting-crash-in-south-minneapolis/600229885/ Audio engineering by: Isaac Specktor Music by: H5 audio DESIGN: and EcroDeron - Past: License: /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/25423152

Episode 12: Investigating the Murders of Ahmed Badal & Jaden Blackmon (part 1) 08/27/2022

Episode 12: Investigating the Murders of Ahmed Badal & Jaden Blackmon (part 1) Investigation into the unsolved Minneapolis murders of Ahmed Badal & Jaden Blackmon, which happened just blocks from the 3rd precinct police station a few hours after Daunte Wright was murdered by Brooklyn Center police, implicate police involvement and a cover up. Read the story here: https://spokesman-recorder.com/2021/06/04/unsolved-shooting-deaths-leave-family-and-friends-distraught/ Sound engineering by Isaac Specktor Music: Alone by Geoxor https://soundcloud.com/geoxor_official Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Music for Creators /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/24180264

Episode 11: Public-Private Propaganda (New Season) 06/18/2022

Episode 11: Public-Private Propaganda (New Season) Brand new season begins with an excerpt of my new mini documentary, Unscathed: How the Press Helps Hide Target's Harm (published by Unicorn Riot), examining the role of the mainstream media in denying the voices of Black youths and adults in Minneapolis. The press serves as an intermediary between the multinational retail giant Target Corp., who funds draconian policing and prosecution, and local government. Experts say this trifecta effectively hides the true nature of the downtown business community’s profit-driven agenda which is to weaponize surveillance technologies and police to get rid of “undesirable” groups, especially Black youths, consequently rolling back civil rights for the city’s Black population. Watch the entire documentary at https://unicornriot.ninja/2022/unscathed-how-the-press-helps-hide-targets-harm-film/ Music by Isaac Specktor Featured instrumental, Cruising by Vendredi https://soundcloud.com/vendrediduo Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_cruising Music promoted by Audio Library Please support the People Power Podcast by making a donation to my fundraiser: /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/23471486

Episode 10: The Tulsa Race Massacre 100 Years Later (BONUS) 06/01/2022

Episode 10: The Tulsa Race Massacre 100 Years Later (BONUS) This story was originally published by Unicorn Riot Deep research into the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 unearthed astonishing evidence demonstrating that the public/private sectors conspired to ethnically cleanse the Black Greenwood community in Tulsa, OK, not because they were criminal but because they were prosperous. The story of Tulsa is a very American story. Lessons can be learned from 1921 to help us understand massacres of today. Cover art by Dan Feidt of Unicorn Riot. /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/23295020

Episode 9: From GFS to Gaza Strip, the Struggle for Land 05/22/2021

Episode 9: From GFS to Gaza Strip, the Struggle for Land The struggle in Minneapolis is much bigger than police brutality, it's one of land. Human rights violations against Black, brown and Native people have been carried out by Jacob Frey and the ruling class to control the land beneath their feet. In episode 9, we bring you a speech by Rep. Rashida Tlaib and ask you to make connections from Minneapolis to Palestine. And we are back with the People's Updates. Watch episode 9 on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqkvQgPMYlo Fundraiser for the family of Ahmed Badal: Sources: https://spokesman-recorder.com/2021/05/07/what-the-chauvin-murder-trial-revealed-about-the-u-s-justice-system/ /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/19198760

Episode 8: Tom Lyden, Increased Policing and Gentrification 05/07/2021

Episode 8: Tom Lyden, Increased Policing and Gentrification Episode 8 is a special podcast dedicated to Tom Lyden from Fox 9 news. I ran into Tom Lyden at GFS minutes after the guilty verdict was announced in the Chauvin murder trial. Check out my full exchange with Tom Lyden along with my recent conversation with DFL Minneapolis president Devin Hogan who reflected on a Lyndale Neighborhood community meeting where Lyden disrupted discussion on over-policing with his white male supremacist worldview. The struggle in the community where George Floyd was lynched is much bigger than police brutality. It is about the sophisticated system of violence inflicted by the police and white liberal proxies of wealthy corporations and developers who have an extractive relationship with Black communities and communities of color. Music by: Isaac Spektor. Watch episode 8 on Youtube: Sources: http://theuptake.org/2020/08/27/the-looting-continues/ https://www.fox9.com/person/l/tom-lyden /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/19024958

Episode 7: Minnesota's Operation Safety Net Examined 05/04/2021

Episode 7: Minnesota's Operation Safety Net Examined With footage from independent local media and a recent interview with Niko Georgiades from Unicorn Riot, the People Power Podcast gives a critical examination of Operation Safety Net, and Niko asked the question: "Who are you keeping safe?" The key to OSN's success is fusion of services, sanctioned brutality, blurred leadership and zero accountability for officers to carryout their "duties". Sounds all too familiar. Support the family of Ahmed Badal: Watch episode 7 on Youtube: Sources: /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/18978107

Episode 6: Reactions from GFS to the Chauvin Guilty Verdicts 04/29/2021

Episode 6: Reactions from GFS to the Chauvin Guilty Verdicts Immediately following the announcement of the guilty verdicts in the Chauvin murder trial, GFS was mostly a site of jubilee. I spoke with activists who told me "The system" is not off the hook. Slumlord Basim Sabri rained one dollar bills over the sacred spot where Chauvin murdered Floyd, causing issues with activists. The family of Ahmed Badal believes he was murdered by MPD. Please read their story, donate to his widow who is having her sixth baby and share it widely: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-the-family-of-ahmed-badal Sources: https://unicornriot.ninja/2021/the-states-conviction-of-chauvin-upholds-the-systems-innocence/ The murder of Andrew Browne https://www.democracynow.org/2021/4/27/andrew_brown_jr_police_killing /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/18915470

Episode 5: The Murder of Daunte Wright and the Demand for Justice, with Niko from Unicorn Riot 04/19/2021

Episode 5: The Murder of Daunte Wright and the Demand for Justice, with Niko from Unicorn Riot Despite charges of second degree manslaughter brought against former officer Kim Potter, who murdered 20 year-old Daunte Wright on April 11, people want her charged with murder. Activists do not accept the narrative police have created that this was an “accident” or even an act of “negligence”. In addition to “Operation Safety Net”, authorities have put out a public call for help from the “good ole boys” of Minnesota to “stand up” against the demonstrators. Tragically, white supremacists are happy to answer calls like this, as seen last year in Kenosha, WI, when juvenile vigilante Kyle Rittenhouse murdered two protestors with an assault rifle as they attempted to disarm him. We speak to Niko Georgiades from Unicorn Riot who was assaulted by police live on air, and detained along with several other journalists on the frontline in Brooklyn Center. Check out episode five and hear part one of my conversation with Niko Georgiades from Unicorn Riot, and more. Sources: /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/18780350

Episode 4: Chauvin Murder Trial Resumes in Wake of Police Killing 20 year-old #DaunteWright 04/16/2021

Episode 4: Chauvin Murder Trial Resumes in Wake of Police Killing 20 year-old #DaunteWright The Derek Chauvin murder trial resumed Monday after 26 year-veteran Kim Potters of the Brooklyn Center police shot and killed Daunte Wright, and subsequent protests and unrest. In episode four of the People Power Podcast, hear from Mel Reeves, veteran activist and community editor of the Spokesman-Recorder, Minnesota’s oldest Black newspaper. Reeves was inside the courtroom during the second week of the Chauvin trial. “The system is on trial. …[But] we can expect them to continue to put George Floyd on trial.” - Mel Reeves. Watch the full episode, including a recap of week two in the trial of Derek Chauvin for killing George Floyd. Sources: https://unicornriot.ninja/ http://theuptake.org/2021/04/07/explosive-week-1-in-the-chauvin-murder-trial-raises-new-questions/ http://theuptake.org/2021/04/02/column-the-peculiar-timing-of-the-27-million-settlement/ https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/03/eff-calls-maine-support-bill-defunds-local-intelligence-fusion-center https://spokesman-recorder.com/2021/04/07/chief-describes-an-mpd-unrecognizable-to-many-mpls-blacks/ https://knock-la.com/tradition-of-violence-lasd-gang-history/ https://www.startribune.com/hcmc-doctor-says-his-police-taser-work-saves-live-but-others-see-conflict-of-interest/509447402/ https://www.democracynow.org/2021/4/13/daunte_wright_minnesota_police_killing /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/18754952

Episode 3: Explosive Week 1 in the Chauvin Murder Trial Raises New Questions 04/06/2021

Episode 3: Explosive Week 1 in the Chauvin Murder Trial Raises New Questions After a week of powerful and explosive testimonies from several witnesses all implicating former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd, viewers have serious questions. The executive director of Common Cause Minnesota and former criminal defense attorney, Annastacia Belladonna-Carrera spoke with the People Power Podcast and told listeners what she’s looking for in order for the state to make its case against former officer Derek Chauvin. Featured sources: https://unicornriot.ninja/21st-century-jim-crow-a-series/ https://knock-la.com/tradition-of-violence-lasd-gang-history/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/04/02/capitol-siege-arrests-technology-fbi-privacy/ http://theuptake.org/2021/04/02/column-the-peculiar-timing-of-the-27-million-settlement/ https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/11/18/prosecutors-14yearold-boy-cried-mom-as-chauvin-knelt-on-his-back-for-17-minutes https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/04/us/politics/george-floyd-witness-maurice-lester-hall.html https://unicornriot.ninja/derek-chauvin-trial/ /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/18622913

Episode 2: Minneapolis' Downtown Dark Alliance 03/23/2021

Episode 2: Minneapolis' Downtown Dark Alliance Minneapolis, MN – Multinational retail giant Target Corporation has weaponized its public-private partnerships with nonprofits, law enforcement, the offices of the Hennepin County prosecutor and the Minneapolis city attorney to criminalize and incarcerate the lowest level offenders in downtown. This policy targeted predominantly Black homeless youth populations leading to a feeder program from the streets to prisons, all for the sake of increasing Target’s brand and increasing profits. /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/18437918

Episode 1: Targeted: Young, Black and Harassed in Downtown Minneapolis (part 1) 02/02/2021

Episode 1: Targeted: Young, Black and Harassed in Downtown Minneapolis (part 1) We kick off Season Two with a special documentary called Targeted: Young, Black and Harassed in Downtown Minneapolis, where we trace the roots of a feeder program from the streets to prison to retail giant Target Corporation that systematically locked up Black youth experiencing homelessness. Plus, I have the People's updates with what's going on at the local level in Minneapolis in the struggle for liberation. /episode/index/show/peoplepower/id/17791433

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