On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker kicks off Black History Month with, what else, but a black-intensive program, featuring an article that reads “Florida is offering an advanced lesson in anti-blackness,” by the writer Karen Attiah. Also, “Yale honors black girl, 9 years old, wrongly reported to police over insect project,” written by Ramon Antonio Vargas.
Michael McCusker
On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker provides an Orwellian lens to view (The Mahatma) Mohandas Ghandi.
Michael McCusker shares a piece of writing originally in KMUN’s The Current, by microphone immortal Joanne Rideout. The title is: “Turning Toward the Light.” And, from J.N. Nielson, “The morning after the end of the world.”
An outright partisan program featuring “There are no moderate House Republicans,” written by Jennifer Rubin, supplemented by original writing from Michael McCusker. Also, effective January the first, “Legal Use of Hallucinogenic Mushrooms Begins in Oregon,” written by Andrew Jacobs. Finally a tribute to Jack London, from McCusker.
Semi-coherent but original musings compiled for the new year by Michael McCusker. Also, from Jim Dott, “How Anna’s Hummingbirds Conquered Winter.” Finally, Colbert I King claims that there’s “No resolutions for me.”
Michael McCusker ends 2022 with a collection of refined ruminations in “The Millennium Is Us.” Also, by the late Dr. Robert Brake, “The Politics of Kindness.”
A smattering of articles, poetry, and commentary, such as Paul Waldman’s “Truth can defeat ‘gaslighting,’ but not always.” Gaslighting being Merriam-Webster’s 2022 word of the year. Also, Jeremy Plester asks “Could hemp be a key tool in the fight against climate change?” Finally “Tribute: The Goddess of Liberty,” by Michael Horowitz.
This episode is almost entirely devoted to Astoria’s history, particularly in relation to it’s own, numerous, city-wide fires. Also, Ruth Marcus claims that “Trump’s call to suspend the Constitution is too dangerous to ignore.”
In observance of World AIDS Day, a program all about gay rights, featuring “Petition of Prejudice,” and “Atlas Hugged,” both written by Michael McCusker.
On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker reacts to Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign announcement. Also, Pamela Paul asks “Is There A Problem With Thanksgiving?” And finally from the late Dr. Robert Brake, “A Brief Synopsis of Donald Trump’s First Thanksgiving As President.”
On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker presents original, but untitled material that relates to Ann Coulter’s call to threaten liberals with death. Also, Michelle Goldberg warns that “The Trump Show Is Back,” and urges curious viewers not to tune in. Finally, Thomas Homer-Dixon and Johan Rockström ask “What Happenens When a Cascade of Crises Collide?”
On the next Story Told, in a post-midterm breath, Matt Bai calls to “Cancel Election Night.” Also, The late Dr. Robert Brake elucidates the “Downward Slide of American Politics.” And finally, in honor of Armistice Day, “Veterans of America: I Salute You,” by Rick Rubin.
On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker calls upon and old mentor guru: Norman Solomon, who wrote “The Power of Babble.” Additionally, from the late Dr. Robert Brake, “We Have No Right To Vote.”
On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker recalls a harrowing personal event in Vietnam, October 27 1966, which also took place the same day as his mother’s birthday in “Happy Birthday Mother.” Also, Craig Spencer warns that “We May Have Only a Few Months to Prevent the Next Pandemic.”
On the next Story Told, original writings from Michael McCusker about the Cuban Missile Crisis. Also, from Masha Gessen and the New Yorker Magazine, “Different Worlds.” Finally, Maya Steinitz seeks to elucidate “How criminal trials of leaders can bring the country together.”
Hail Columbia! On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker delivers an original, sardonic ode to the navigator who missed India by half a world, and thus doubled the world’s size in “Hello Columbus.” Also, Ellis Lucia describes “The Columbus Day Storm of 1962,” and it’s aftermath.
On the next Story Told, part two of two in “9/11: Culture War and the Pitfalls of History. A Presentation by Professor David A. Horowitz before the Humanists of Greater Portland.”
On the next Story Told, an untitled screed from Michael McCusker on Russian occupation and nuclear threat in Ukraine. Also, part one of a two of “9/11: Culture War and the Pitfalls of History. A Presentation by Professor David A. Horowitz before the Humanists of Greater Portland.”
On the next Story Told, a splendid tribute to Larry Ziak, which was published anonymously to the Astorian newspaper. Also, in dedication to Ed and Verna Hellberg, “The Price of Fish,” by Michael McCusker. Finally, a piece of poetry by Juanita Huebner titled “Cedar.”
On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker explains “The trouble with viewing 9/11 and the pandemic through a wartime lens,” written originally by Lila Nordstrom and Sarah Senk.
On the next Story Told, Michael Kazin claims “On Labour Day, Democrats and Unions should recall their shared history.” Also, dredged from the archives, Michael McCusker shares an original, fictional interview of Mikhail Gorbachev in “Gorbi and I go for a walk.”
On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker deliver’s an original screed based on a repressed 1979 article from The Progressive Magazine. That article is titled “The H-Bomb Secret. How we got it – why we’re telling it.” Michael calls it “The People’s Bomb.” Also, from the brilliant and mad penmanship of R. Louis Richards, “Clearcut Feeling.”
Salman Rushdie earns the ultimate literary award: a politically and religiously motivated death sentence, in, “My Dinner with Salman Rushdie,” written by Eugene Robinson. Also, happy birthday to the station’s own Michael McCusker, PSU’s David Horowitz, unofficial poet laureate Walt Curtis, and Shanghaied in Astoria godmother Judy Niland.
On the next Story Told with Michael McCusker, a feature segment from R. Louis Richards titled “Reality Chex,” who claims that, to say what is real is to automatically miss the point and it would perhaps be the purest practice of folly to try.
On the next Story Told, a double feature between Dan Armstrong’s “The Third World War,” and Dr. Robert Brake’s “Stupidity Run Amok.”
On the next Story Told, an untitled stream of consciousness on getting beat up by police, and how to most effectively protest. Additionally, by David Lamb, “The Machine That Set Women Free.”
On the next Story Told, Michael McCusker, in an untitled screed, elucidates the poor state of human rights in the USA. Also, from Amy Davidson Sorkin, “G.O.P. Heckles the January 6ᵗʰ Show.” Finally, former Astorian Dan Armstrong’s “The Trimline Pencil.”