When an Iraqi political asylum seeker, now US citizen, says the recent revelations regarding the NSA reminds him of Saddam Hussein, it certainy gives one pause. Amir came to live in America because of its open embrace of freedom, free speech and ability to provide employ. Now he's not so sure.

Nichola Naioti talks about his role in setting up FAIRfest's first event--the 3rd Street Block Party Thursday, June 20th 6-11pm at 3rd Street and Grimes. Plus his role in creating the tasty new restaurant called the Gardens.

At 4pm, it's the ever eloquent and yo-so-savvy JP Sottile, of newsvandal fame, who takes us "Inside the Headlines" with PLANET ERSTWILD host James Moore on another weekly foray into the flotsam and jetsam of newsful items. The three tiers du week: within you, without you; the economy doesn't suck, it just sucks for you; and water slide. All headlines listed below...

3pm, I'll be interviewing Napoleon Gomez, the exiled leader of Mexico’s powerful mining and metalworkers union Los Mineros. His book Collapse of Dignity is just out and it's a helluva read. One of my favorite interviews I've ever done. You will not think about unions the same way after hearing what this man and his family has been through standing up for workers' rights and safety.

4pm we go "Inside the Headlines" with Newsvandal JP Sottile who's written two incredible articles this week on on Big Oil's War on the Sun for Counterpunch and another on Glenn Greenwald challenge to Bill Mahr's skewed anti-Muslim views. He's hard on all religions, it's true, but his special venom for Islam is confronted.

For list of this week's headlines, click on "Read more" below.

FULL TILT A LA PLANET ERSTWILD BOOGIE

Joel Lesko returns to Fairfield after a 10-year-plus hiatus to show his documentary "Tears of the Buddha" Sat May 18th at Morning Star Studio: Stuart Tanner talks about what he's been up to and more; Siobhan Spain, director of the Center on Sustainable Communities discusses a special free workshop [Sat May 5th at the Public Library 1-3pm] on home energy improvables; recent sustainable living graduate and permaculture garden designer Sascha Kyassa explains new KRUU garden he installed as part of EcoFairfield 2013; and at 4pm we go "Inside the Headlines" with Newsvandal JP Sottile.

For list of "Headlines", click "Read more" below.

Helluva Show Today, Folks. I love community radio as much as any man's ever loved community radio but today we got a dandy. If you care about quality of life issues and taking control of your own surroundings, tune in at 2pm to hear what becoming we the people's Liz Rog and longtime community rights activist Paul Cienfuegos have to say. It could literally change your life. In New Mexico, in what's believed to be the first county in the country, oil exploration and fracking has been banned. Local control. What a novel concept! They say even if corporations have managed to gain the rights of individuals, there's still more of us than them--if people get organized. They're holding a weekend workshop May 10-12 in Decorah.

In the second hour, it's my new favorite writer, New York TImes best-selling author Michael Perry, who'll be at the Fairfield Public Library 7:30pm on Sunday, May 12th. You definitely want to spend some time with this guy. Funny and humble as hell, the amateur pig farmer's latest book VISITING TOM is a gem. He told me his writing was inspired by Greg Brown & Steve Earle. And wait till you hear his band The Long Beds. Perry’s bestselling memoirs include Population 485, Truck: A Love Story, and Coop. The Wisconsin farm boy writes regularly for Men's Health,and has contributed to Esquire, Runner's World, New York Times Magazine and Salon.com. His website is sneezingcow.com.

At 4pm, it's our regular segment with Newsvandal JP Sottile, where we go "Inside the Headlines" with an in depth look at the week's standout news stories. From going nuclear to a look at "otherness" to that good ol' sucking economy, with a few UFO stories thrown in for good measure, it's just another manic news week.

First hour, Jeremy Scahill on DIRTY WARS from Democracy Now with Amy Goodman. Scahill is author of the new book, "Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield."

Second hour, it's the HIrshberg family, Joel, Joy & Aaron, talking about their grand opening for May Art Walk at Green Building Supply.

Then at 4pm, we go "Inside the Headlines" with regular co-host JP Sottile, the Newsvandal.

Great show planned for you today!

Talk about full-tilt boogie, we've got interviews with motivational maestro Brendon Burchard & marketing magnate Joe Polish, who are receiving awards & speaking tonight at Dalby Hall on MUM campus, Scotty Saks, CEO of The Expert Radio Network, Mission Creek's Andre Perry & Joe Tiefenthaler, literary events director for the storied festival, talking about the 8th annual festival happening in Iowa City April 2-7, Tim Hawthorne catches us up on Hawthorne Direct and his role in Fairfield's First Fridays ArtWalk. Then it's the lovely Lyric Benson sharing about her role in Way Off Broadway's production of "Cabaret" which opens Fri, Mar 29 and runs through next Sunday's matinee at the Sondheim Center, before the production heads up for one more weekend at the Coralviille Playhouse.

4pm it's "Inside the Headines" with Newsvandal JP Sottile. Our three tiers this week include blue genes, matrix and treats, and poison. Don't miss the discussion and a chance to stay informed on critical topics. See list with links to all the headlines referenced below.

Four amazing interviews today--local, regional, national & international in scope:
--Allen Bailey, founder of the Harlem Gospel Choir.
--Gloria Hardiman, blues singer who sang with Roy Buchanan and tours with Buddy Guy's band and who was forced to flee Mississippi when she was a child due to Klan threats, and Patti Miller about next week's  "Let Freedom Ring" multimedia concert at Sondheim
--Gershon Baskin, the Israeli peace activist who negotiated with Hamas for Gilad Shalit's release and heads the Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information

PLUS the Newsvandal JP Sottile with another powerful "Inside the Headlines." Three tiers include hearts; mind and bombs; that ol' sucking economy; and love, American style on the heels of Valentine's Day. Headlines referenced below.

A restaurant called Tacopocalypse? Too cool for words. James Moore talks with Sam Auen, grindcore, gravel bike racing, television chef and the multi-talented Kristian Day, president of Modern American Cinema.

What does Skunk Baxter have to do with David Seagal, Bob Reeder, Steely Dan and the defense industry? All I can say is Rikki, don't lose that number cuz we're taking it to the streets. Even if I think missile shields are a joke, some people are making serious hay, man, while the military industrial complex whistles all the way to many overseas banks. Amen.

Good lead in to our regular 4pm segment "Inside the Headlines" with Newsvandal JP Sottile. Our three tiers today focus on the amazing shrinking 4th estate, the amazing shrinking economy for non-1%ers, and dirty growing pains. Check out all the headlines below the fold.

First hour, an interview by Democracy Now's Amy Goodman with investigative journalist & Nation contributor Jeremy Scahill and director Rick Rowley about their new film Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield. A recent article in the Atlantic [The Myths of America's Shadow War] highlights how unclean our "precision strike" modality is, despite proliferate myths to the contrary.

Then James interviews renowned feminist, professor and author Zillah Eisenstein. Distinguished Scholar of Anti-Racist Feminist Political Theory at Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York, she wrote two articles recently for al Jazeera discussing women's issues in terms of the military and more.

3pm enjoy Robert Reeder's heartfelt new KRUU series ABOUT THE MUSIC which airs Thursdays at 11am. One sweet ride by the chair of the Fairfield Musicians Club.

At 4pm, Newsvandal JP Sottile takes us "Inside the Headlines" for a look at the week's standout stories. Main categories: Justice ≠ Just Us, droning on & on & on (don't blame us, it's a US growth industry), and is there something in the water? Click "Read more" below for all of this week's headlines with links.

PLEASE NOTE: Next week James interviews Larry Warsh, author of a book of sayings by Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei plus Gershon Baskin, founder and co-director of Israel-Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI), currently on US tour.

PLANET ERSTWILD host James Moore commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day with a special rebroadcast of Dr. Vernon Katz talking about his Holocaust memoir The Blue Salon and Other Follies.

In the second hour, seminal folk legend Tom Paxton talks about his career and upcoming concert this Saturday, January 26th at beautiful CSPS in Cedar Rapids. Then Betty Andrews, CEO of the 15th Annual African American Festival, informs us about the amazing things going in Des Moines this weekend, at a free event at the Hy-Vee Center with Billy Dee Williams & more. [Sat 10am-7pm]

At 4pm we go "Inside the Headlines' with award-winning journalist and filmmaker JP Sottile, the Newsvandal. This week topics include numbing numbers, sucking economy and blowback & forth. Links to headlines listed below.