Courageous Thought Podcasts by Ray Hanania

Andy Shallal talks about Politics on Talk of the Town with Ray Hanania

Andy Shallal who ran for Mayor of Washington DC in April 2014 discusses his candidacy and the political empowerment of American Arabs on Talk of the Town Radio show with host Ray Hanania. WCEV 1450 AM Radio and live on www.YahalaVoice.com. Shallal, who is American Arab of Iraqi heritage, discussions the importance of engaging in the political process, voting and running for office. To read a story about Andy's candidacy, click here. Talk of the Town is hosted by The Arab Daily News and Yahala Voice Radio.

The Mayor of Lincolnwood Illinois, Gerald Turry, defended the decision of the Human Relations Commission to rebuff complaints from a handful of activists demanding that the Palestine Flag be removed from a display of ethnic national flags placed on Lincoln Avenue in the north suburban Chicago community. Lincolnwood has displayed ethnic flags representing the various nationalities in Lincolnwood for the past 10 years since 2004 and this year had more than 60 flags on public display during August which is designated as Ethnic Pride Month. Turry, who is Russian Jewish American said that the issue of politics and the battle between Israel and Hamas in Gaza was not an issue and had no relevance over the display of the flag. During an interview on Talk of the Town Radio show with host Ray Hanania on WCEV 1450 AM Radio and live on www.YahalaVoice.com, Turry said that he received some negative and vulgar complaints following the meeting last week but that the overwhelming majority of residents of Lincolnwood, Jews and Arabs, supported the decision to keep the Palestinian Flag on display. Turry said that the commission also had debates between Greeks and Turks, Indians and Pakistanis, and other rival ethnic groups but said only the debate over the Palestinian flag received media coverage. More than 200 people attended the Human Relations Commission meeting on Monday August 11, 2014. Talk of the Town Radio show is presented by Yahala Voice radio and The Arab Daily news at www.TheArabDailyNews.com.

Political consultant Dennis Denno, who is chief of staff to State Senator Virgil Smith, discusses the elections on Tuesday August 5 in which Smith defeated a challenge from State Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Tlaib was forced to retire from her legislative district seat because of Michigan Term limits and chose to challenge a fellow Democrat, Smith, to survive. Tlaib lost to Smith by a landslide. Tlaib received only 41 percent of the vote or only 8,615 total votes. Smith won an impressive 52 percent of the vote or more than 10,882 total votes. A third candidate, Howard Worthy, won only 8 percent of the vote or1,616 total votes, most of which many observers believed would have gone to Smith. In an ironic twist, the Associated Press called the election for Tlaib counting only ballots cast at the polling booth, but not including absentee ballots that were cast. Smith will go on Nov. 5 to face the Republican challenger, although the district is 71 percent Democratic.

Denno is interviewed by Talk of the Town Radio show host Ray Hanania, managing editor of The Arab Daily News and President and CEO of Urban Strategies Group media consulting. Talk of the Town is broadcast every Friday at 4 pm CST (Chicago time) live on www.YahalaVoice.com and on WCEV 1450 AM radio.

Denno also discusses regional elections including the battle between two term U.S. Congressman Justin Amash and extremist challenger Brian Ellis. Amash easily won in a landslide with more than 57 percent of the votes cast in the Republican primary election. Amash is expected to easily defat his Democratic challenger as the congressional district based around Grand Rapids is overwhelmingly Republican.

Click to read a story on the overview of the Amash, Tlaib-Smith and Rashid Baydoun contests.

Click to read an assessment of Rashida Tlaib's future.

Hanania also discusses the decision by the University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign to fire Professor Steven Salaita because of his pro-Palestinian viewpoints posted on his Twitter account. Salaita left his longtime teaching position as Virginia Tech and moved with his wife and child this past week to Champaign to begin the position. But before he could start, Chancellor Phyllis Wise cancelled his contract. Click to read a story on the Salaita racial firing.

60 minutes.

Palestinian Ambassador Maen Areikat discusses the collapsing ceasefire in the Gaza Strip between Hamas and Netanyahu's Israeli army on Talk of the Town with Ray Hanania on Yahala Voice radio August 1, 2014.  Michigan legislative candidate Rashid Baydoun discusses his candidacy for the 11th Michigan House District. (A few telephone disconnects with Rashid, but he persists.) Also, we talk calls from callers. www.YahalaVoice.com Talk of the Town is broadcast live every Friday at 4 pm CST (5 PM EST, 12 midnight Jerusalem, Palestine).