Ballot initiatives are not the only battle ground in the struggle for equal rights in the United States. One year after California voters passed a proposition banning gay marriage, a court battle has begun to overturn that ban and prove that gay and lesbian couples should have the same right to marry as heterosexual couples do.
My guest is communications consultant, videoblogger, world citizen Jeffrey Taylor who joins me on the program from San Francisco. In this podcast he helps explain what this trial means, what both sides are doing in court, what could happen depending on the outcome, and all other aspects of the trial. We also get into the difference between fighting a battle for equal rights through the ballot box versus doing it in the courts and in the legislature.
Those wanting more info about the trial can follow NCLR or Jeffrey on twitter
Also his blog The Accidental Activist or the Prop 8 Trial Tracker are good places to read and follow deeper links.
Presenting a new program from citizenreporter.org, The Citizen Reporter Weekly News Review, which aims to go over global news stories with the help of guests in different corners of the planet. This week being our first attempt at it, my guests are 
John Aravosis is annoyed. For him and millions of Obama supporters who believed in the campaign that swept the current president into office, there is a great feeling of disgust with what has happened over the past year. What happened? On issue after issue, causes that were very clearly indentified as goals once Obama got into office, the white house has backed down. As John breaks it down, they don’t even back down, they simply do not fight, despite having said they would.
The story is not unique to Newark, all over the United States there are cities that are struggling. But what is unique is how citizens of Newark respond. Led by Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a man who loves his gadgets and social networking, groups of volunteers from all walks of life ride the streets of the city in packs of caravans, looking around to see what is going on, who needs help, and what doesn’t look right. In cooperation with the police and department of public safety, the objective is to stem the violence, reduce crime, and show residents that people do care. As the mayor himself said to me, it is also a chance for people from different backgrounds, races, religion, geographic locations, you name it – to meet each other and engage in this community activity together.
During his long career as a public relations professional in the health insurance world, Wendell Potter lived a luxorious life far removed from the realities of uninsured people throughout the country. Until the day he turned up at a free healthcare fair where thousands of people lined up to receive the most basic care which they could otherwise not get. It was at this point that Wendell decided he had had enough and after leaving his job, dedicated his life to telling the world what he had done and how the insurance companies function to keep things just as they are.