Episodes
Wednesday Oct 28, 2015
The Mark Riley Show – 10.28.15
Wednesday Oct 28, 2015
Wednesday Oct 28, 2015
- Arrest video fallout: Spring Valley High officer Ben Fields may learn his fate today. Or maybe not. Think about this: If a parent did what he did to their child, at the very least Child Protective Services would be called in. Fields should face assault charges.
- Race and discipline in spotlight after SC officer drags student. Yeah but Fields can’t be racist, he’s got a black girlfriend!!! Disparate treatment based on race is central to this issue.
- Tyrone Howard, suspect in officers’ killing, had string of second chances. When do you decide whether a criminal deserves a second chance? When does a lock’em up mentality become mass incarceration?
- Gun used to kill NYPD cop trafficked through iron pipeline. Don’t get me started!!!
- Nationwide test shows dip in students’ math abilities. Concerns about tests aside, this can’t be ignored.
- Teenager killed in Brooklyn shooting dreamed of becoming a lawyer, his family says. So many kids get killed, and all of them have aspirations, dreams. The dreams are shattered in an instant.
- A humbler Donald Trump pleads with Iowans: I’m not leaving. Not winning is a serious bruise to Trump’s ego, and now Ben Carson beat him in a national poll. That trend continues, he’s out.
- Florida newspaper calls on Marco Rubio to resign for missing Senate votes. This follows his “federal workers who don’t do their job should be fired” thing. It also follows his inability to explain why it shouldn’t pertain to him.
- Republicans head into debate with the lower tier angry and Carson on the rise. I’m cynical about all this, But how did Christie make the cut, and Kasich didn’t. Oh, the unfairness.
- The pay gap will ensure that CEOs enjoy luxurious retirement while workers keep struggling. That’s right, it’s not just a working life anymore.
Wednesday Oct 21, 2015
The Mark Riley Show – 10.21.15
Wednesday Oct 21, 2015
Wednesday Oct 21, 2015
- New York officer killed after gunfight in East Harlem led to police chase. In addition to condolences to officer Holder, who was doing his job keeping this city safe, we need to know the origins of all the guns used in this incident. The Wisconsin case may have long arms.
- Police leaders join call to cut prison rosters. This is interesting, and includes NYPD Commissioner Bratton and Manhattan DA Cy Vance. More on this later….
- Assad makes unannounced trip to Moscow to discuss Syria with Putin. These two are united against US position that the terror war can be won without Assad. Problem is, anyone who opposes Assad is a terrorist, according to, guess, who?
- Republican voters, in focus group, express rage at career politicians. This is interesting only in that they somehow don’t think the people they support won’t end up being career politicians.
- Potential Speaker Paul Ryan just issued a list of demands to Republicans. The right wing isn’t happy. First question: Is the right wing happy about ANYTHING? Second question. This Freedom Caucus, the spear carrier for the right wing, numbers about 40. So does the Congressional Black Caucus. Has the CBC ever flexed its muscles the way the Freedom Caucus has?
- A big lesson American should learn from Canada’s new Prime Minister. The article says ranked voting is the lesson. Maybe the lesson is that properly focused, organized politics can really win.
- Pay up or go to jail: How a Mississippi town resurrected the debtors prison. While police and Das mentioned in earlier piece are looking at ways to decrease incarceration, maybe they need to get the State of Mississippi to start following the law.
- From Benghazi to Capitol Hill: Three years of accusations and investigations. Hillary’s getting ready to testify, and congressional committee Republicans are trying to figure out what and how they can something on her. Wanna bet they fail?
- House Democrats plot 2016 takeover. Great idea, and here’s hoping there’s some out of the box thinking from all involved.
Wednesday Oct 14, 2015
The Mark Riley Show – 10.14.15
Wednesday Oct 14, 2015
Wednesday Oct 14, 2015
- A night goes Clinton’s way, after months of difficulties. The media consensus is that she won the evening. Where have I heard this before?
- Who won and lost the Democratic debate? The Web has its say. Of course, who else but self appointed experts?
- Two officers shot: Wisconsin store liable for gun sale. This one could set a serious precedent. Imagine if gun stores all over the country had to deal with this.
- Prosecutor release report calling police shooting of 12 year old “objectively reasonable”. Say what? What the deuce does this mean?
- Just 158 families provided nearly half the early money for efforts to capture the White House. So what do you think these good people want for their money. Is it what you and I want? Or something different.
- Tax plans of GOP favor the rich despite populist talk. How do they manage to convince regular people that helping the rich helps them?
- Obama is rethinking pullout in Afghanistan, officials say. The reason given is to continue to fight the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Why do I have a bad feeling about this?
- The Supreme Court hears a case today that could give corporations even more immunity from the law. What, they don’t have enough already?
- Schneiderman probes drugmaker over $750 a pop pill. You may have heard of this clown, the guy who jacked up the price of a pill from $13.50 to $750. He may live to regret his greed.
Thursday Oct 08, 2015
The Mark Riley Show – 10.07.15
Thursday Oct 08, 2015
Thursday Oct 08, 2015
- US to release 6000 inmates from prisons. They’re trying to relieve overcrowding and rollback harsh sentences on non violent drug offenders. Both laudable goals, no matter what naysayers think.
- 2016 presidential contender Ben Carson defends remarks criticizing victims of Oregon shooting. Carson isn’t the first to run this, “victims should have done more” scenario. It should do serious damage to his presidential run.
- Australians are disgusted at the American response to the Oregon gun massacre. And they’re not talking about Ben Carson!
- Scandal erupts in the unregulated world of fantasy sports. I can’t figure out why this isn’t considered gambling I hear people talk about skill, but the fact is, you have to have skill to win at any game, poker, gin rummy, etc. And what are NFL owners doing with a stake in one of these fantasy sports sites now accused of insider trading? Oh yeah, and the NY Attorney General has launched an investigation.
- General thinks Kunduz strike broke rules. Yeah, somebody did when you hit a Doctors Without Borders hospital and kill 22 people.
- Americans make racist assumptions based on names, study finds. This is nothing new, but what does it take to change this? It’s like a lot of other American attitudes that are impervious to change.
- Rally invites fellow patriots, veterans, bikers, rednecks and good ‘ol boys to anti-Islam protest. Ever wonder why all these people don’t protest old fashioned American racism?
- Koch Bros. eyeing Marco Rubio for nearly $1 billion campaign contribution. This isn’t final yet, but it could be the one thing that puts Rubio’s campaign ahead of all others. He’s been trending up lately.
- Escalating Syria attack, Russia fires missiles from warships. And these warships aren’t next door. Some missiles travel 800-900 miles. Russia’s upping the ante, and we can’t say with certainty their not fighting ISIS.
- Mayor de Blasio shoots back at Gov. Cuomo on MTA funding, says city residents pay enough to keep subways running. First, the mayor and the governor need to cut the crap and play like grown ups. Second, the city should up its contribution.
Thursday Oct 01, 2015
The Mark Riley Show – 09.30.15
Thursday Oct 01, 2015
Thursday Oct 01, 2015
- Trump’s tax plan would raise deficit $12 trillion: analysis, It seems everyone who tries to revise the tax system would add stupid money to the deficit. But that’s Okay, Donald will simply call the people who came up with this number “losers”, and “weak”.
- Visas to import talent help copycats to take US jobs abroad. What, you mean somebody’s gaming the system? Here’s where immigration reform ought to happen, and right away.
- Missouri finds Planned Parenthood didn’t mishandle fetal tissue. Think that will stop the political gasbags that are trying to defund Planned Parenthood? They do this because they think they can get away with it.
- Police killing in Delaware brings calls for inquiry. This guy was in a wheelchair! And of course, he was black.
- Georgia executes woman on Death Row despite clemency bid and Pope’s plea. Yes Francis did call for the abolition of the death penalty, but in the US, the executions will keep on coming.
- Slavery reparations call overshadows Cameron’s visit to Jamaica. Not quite sure how this happened, but reparations has become a front burner issue outside the US. And it seems, Cameron’s “nothing to see here” attitude isn’t going over well at all.
- Russia launches first airstrikes in Syria. Putin ain’t playin. He says he’s going after Islamic State, but he also says he’s helping Assad, thereby putting Obama in a box.
- House GOP hardliners agitate to have one of their own in a leadership role. These folks at least know what they want. Did progressives in Congress get one of their own in a leadership role? Must have missed that one.
- Top Republican admits Benghazi committee is all about attacking Hillary Clinton. If that’s the case, Obama should call for its immediate abolition. Wanna take odds he won’t?
- House Republicans are quietly advancing their next tactic to dismantle Obamacare. And the time, unlike the other 50 times, they’re serious!