Laura Flanders and Friends: Solutions-Focused Progressive Perspectives on Politics, News, and Culture - podcast cover

Laura Flanders and Friends: Solutions-Focused Progressive Perspectives on Politics, News, and Culture

Laura Flanders, Curious Communicationswww.lauraflanders.org
Uncensored history meets bold voices with Laura Flanders, award winning journalist and author. The show explores actionable models for creating a better world by reporting on the people and movements driving systemic change. We spotlight the solutions of tomorrow, today. The show airs on PBS stations in over 300 US markets, and airs on 60+ community radio stations via PRX Exchange and Pacifica, and is available on YouTube and here as a podcast. Subscribers receive lots of video and audio web exclusives in addition to the weekly episode. Recent field reports and specials include: Jimmy Carter; 60th Anniversary of Selma Bloody Sunday March; Bernie Sanders' Fighting Oligarchy; Labor Movement vs. Fascism: Worker Organizers & Teachers Under Attack; And interviewee highlights include Award Winning Actor, Director, Writer, Liev Schreiber on his documentary "Meeting Zelensky"; Award winning journalists Maria Hinojosa (Award Winning Suave Podcast and host of Latino USA) & Chenjerai Kumanyika (Award Winning Podcast Series Empire City) on Forced Removals, Foreign Detention, the War on Education & Free Speech; Democracy & Capitalism: A Failed Experiment? with Bloomberg Economist & host of Truponomics, Stephanie Flanders; Masha Gessen & Jason Stanley on fascism then and now; Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor on the arc of history and “End Times Fascism”; Congressman Jamie Raskin on Donald Trump, Elon Musk, DOGE, and congressional oversight of the executive branch."
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Episodes

US Healthcare After Covid: What’s Next & How Could It Be Better?

You'll find a link to watch this special, “ US Healthcare After Covid: What’s Next & How Could It Be Better? ,” and episode notes posted at Patreon.com/theLFShow along with an invitation to join guests and Laura for a live premiere and chat event to view this week’s episode . The Medicare for All Act was reintroduced into the U.S. House in March with a record number of cosponsors and public support. But while the idea of a public single payer system has never been more popular, the relations...

Apr 02, 202129 minEp. 327

Vaccine Hesitancy: Building Public Trust For Public Health

The Biden administration has promised to make Covid-19 vaccines available to all US adults by May 1st, but getting a vaccine to those who need them most is still an uphill battle. Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Pacific Islander Americans are more than twice as likely to die from Covid-19, but they’re not the ones getting the vaccine.. In this episode, Laura interviews three public health experts about the challenges of eradicating Covid-19 in the face of widespread vaccine hesitancy. Why are som...

Mar 26, 202129 min

F word: A Culture of Violence? The US Can Switch

"Culture of violence, culture of violence. If I hear that phrase wheeled out one more time to excuse a mass shooter, I’ll scream. That doesn’t mean I’ll head to the gun shop." The F-Word is released bi-weekly featuring timely commentaries by Laura Flanders and guests. Support theLFShow with your media muscles by becoming a monthly sustaining member for $3, $5, $12 or more, goto https://Patreon.com/theLFShow Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel...

Mar 25, 20214 min

Cristina Jiménez Moreta, Co-Founder and former Executive Director, United We Dream

In a recent episode called Unforget, Dream, Build, we featured two Latinx Americans whose work flies in the face of the idea that immigrants are a problem or immigration a threat. We spoke with Roberto Lovato, about his memoir “Unforgetting” and with MacArthur genius award-winner, Cristina Jiménez, co-founder of United We Dream who talked powerfully about how her generation experiences the good as well as the bad of immigration activism. Cristina spoke so powerfully that it broke our hearts not ...

Mar 19, 202131 min

Pandemic Economy: Robert Reich, Esteban Kelly, Mary Kay Henry, Stephanie Kelton

The economic collapse unfolding before our eyes is much bigger than it appears and the solution isn’t simply to “build back better.” COVID-19 didn’t create the challenges we face. It laid bare flaws that have long existed at the foundation of our system. That is particularly true for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. What kind of reconstruction effort would truly reflect the scale of the problem? What should we rebuild and what should we abandon? To answer these questions, Laura inte...

Mar 12, 202129 min

F-Word: Royalty, Racist? Really?

"In the context of the Divine Right of Kings, the who-said-what-to-Harry and Meghan question. is most certainly missing the white supremacist forest for the trees." The F-Word is released bi-weekly featuring timely commentaries by Laura Flanders and guests. Support theLFShow with your media muscles by becoming a monthly sustaining member for $3, $5, $12 or more, goto https://Patreon.com/theLFShow Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervisin...

Mar 09, 20214 min

You Can't Deal With Capitalism Unless You Deal With Patriarchy, Vijay Prashad

Achieving social justice is going to take much more than reforming our criminal justice system. Valuing all lives equally is going to require a profound reckoning with every system of “othering” that lies at the heart of our economy. “You can't deal, for example, with capitalism unless you deal with patriarchy, “ says political historian Vijay Prashad. The question of women’s unrecognized labor, care labor and so on is central to the reproduction of the system, says Prashad. Executive Director o...

Mar 05, 202134 min

Not Everyone is a Jerk: Rutger Bregman on Humankind

Life gives us plenty of reasons for cynicism but best-selling author Rutger Bregman (Utopia for Realists) summons a wealth of evidence that humankind can do better. Bregman’s the guy who took down Tucker Carlson and whose suggestion they pay taxes made the tax dodgers uncomfortable at Davos. Could a new understanding of our species—based on psychology, evolutionary biology, and political economic history—help us see ourselves in a new light and guide us toward a kinder future? Laura has her doub...

Feb 26, 202129 minEp. 326

F-Word: In Indian Country, It’s Not the Weather, It’s the Racism That’s Leaving Thousands In the Dark

"How do we live with the decades-long reality that tens of thousands of families in #IndianCountry have had no electricity and limited cell and broadband access - not for a day or a week - but for years already." The F-Word is released bi-weekly featuring timely commentaries by Laura Flanders and guests. Support theLFShow with your media muscles by becoming a monthly sustaining member for $3, $5, $12 or more, goto https://Patreon.com/theLFShow Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Exec...

Feb 23, 20213 min

Indigenous People’s Power

You'll find a link to watch this special, “Indigenous People's Power,” and episode notes posted at Patreon.com/theLFShow along with an invitation to join guests and Laura for a live premiere and chat event to view this week’s episode . “Standing Rock was our Ferguson,” indigenous activist and author Edgar Villanueva tells Laura Flanders in this week’s timely episode. 2020 was a watershed year for indigenous peoples’ movements. Native American organizers made great strides when it comes to electi...

Feb 19, 202128 minEp. 325

Uncut Interview: Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Housing is a Human Right

Princeton Professor and author Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. You can find more information on her new book, "Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Home Ownership" and a link to watch this special, “Housing is a Human Right”, at Patreon.com/theLFShow . That’s also where you’ll find a list of suggested readings and related episodes Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Pr...

Feb 17, 202135 min

Special: Housing is A Human Right

You'll find a link to watch this special, “Indigenous People's Power,” and episode notes posted at Patreon.com/theLFShow along with an invitation to join guests and Laura for a live premiere and chat event to view this week’s episode . Before 2020, America was already in a housing crisis. The Covid-19 pandemic, high unemployment, and a recession have only made things worse. A record level of evictions have created record levels of homelessness at a time when public health demands that as many pe...

Feb 12, 202129 minEp. 324

F-Word: Impeaching Racism Needs to Happen Everywhere

"The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump began just as we were learning of the death, on February 7, of the bold and brilliant labor leader, Karen Lewis." The F-Word is released bi-weekly featuring timely commentaries by Laura Flanders and guests. Support theLFShow with your media muscles by becoming a monthly sustaining member for $3, $5, $12 or more, goto https://Patreon.com/theLFShow Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Pro...

Feb 10, 20214 min

Baldwin's Lessons for the US

James Baldwin was one of the 20th century’s most incisive thinkers and writers. In our own era, as political rhetoric, state violence, and popular uprising bring racism into stark relief, many Americans have been turning to Baldwin’s work for insights from the Civil Rights Movement and the years that followed. In his most recent book, Princeton African American Studies Department chair Professor Eddie Glaude brings Baldwin’s wisdom to today’s challenges. In this episode, Laura spends the full ha...

Feb 05, 202130 minEp. 323

Uncut Interview- Vaccine Hesitancy: A Rights Based Approach for the Most Vulnerable

The following is the full uncut interview with Dr. Olajide Williams. Portions of his interview were featured in our recent episode "Building Public Trust For Public Health". The episode is airing on Public Television or you can w atch it HERE or Listen and Download as a podcast . The Covid-19 vaccine has emergency FDA approval, but how effective will it be if there is no public trust in our public health system? In this exclusive interview, Columbia University professor and neurologist Dr. Olaji...

Feb 01, 202126 min

Building Public Trust For Public Health

This week, The Laura Flanders Show premieres ‘Building Public Trust for Public Health’ on the challenges of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout across the country. While states have initiated vaccine distribution, many still are struggling to reach their targets. President Biden declared 100 million doses in 100 days but what of those who hesitate to get the vaccine? In this episode, Laura and her guests explore the roots of vaccine hesitancy, discover methods for rebuilding public trust in public heal...

Jan 29, 202129 minEp. 322

F-Word: Time to Take the Mittens Off!

" Like or loathe memes, it’s time for Sanders, and more to the point, Sanders-ism, to take its mittens off." The F-Word is released bi-weekly featuring timely commentaries by Laura Flanders and guests. Support theLFShow with your media muscles by becoming a monthly sustaining member for $3, $5, $12 or more, goto https://Patreon.com/theLFShow Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica D...

Jan 27, 20213 min

Uncut Interview: Rep. Karen Bass to Activists: Continue to Push!

The following is the full uncut interview with US Rep. Karen Bass. Downballot victories in the 2020 November elections gave a fresh class of movement organizers across the country a seat at the national level. Incoming Congress members Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman among others represent the rising trend of activists of color who intersect with elected office. In this extended interview, Laura speaks with longtime organizer and U.S. Representative Karen Bass to discuss this growing trend and share...

Jan 27, 202132 min

Inauguration 2021: Democracy Demands a Democratic Economy

A new administration takes office in the midst of an ongoing public health catastrophe and an economic crisis, on the heels of one of the most polarizing presidencies in U.S. history. The day of the inauguration, Laura brings together reverend and community organizer Ronnie Galvin with author, activist and documentary filmmaker Astra Taylor for a lively conversation about what it’s going to take for the Biden Administration—and Americans in general—to address the challenges at hand. This episode...

Jan 22, 202129 minEp. 321

Countering the Coup: From the Grassroots Up

Click Here for the Full Episode Notes In the aftermath of the January 6th siege of the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters, Laura convenes a panel of pro-democracy activists to discuss the fate of the nation. What really led to the events of January 6th and how should we move forward? How do we go from insurrection to cooperation in a multi-racial, multi-ethnic democracy? Is building a healthy political ecosystem and humane economy even possible in the America we have today? And can the Biden/H...

Jan 15, 202129 minEp. 320

F-Word: Learn From Georgia

"The answer to the mobster who riles up the lynch mob is media that’s moral, which is not what we have. What we have is media that’s motivated by money. And money, as we also saw this week, has no morals." The F-Word is released bi-weekly featuring timely commentaries by Laura Flanders and guests. Support with your media muscles by becoming a monthly sustaining member for $3, $5, $12 or more, goto https://Patreon.com/theLFShow Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, W...

Jan 12, 20213 min

Unforget, Dream, Build

The Trump years have seen a doubling-down on the immigrants-as-problem narrative in which migrants are accused of bringing gang violence, crime, and disease to the United States, and of “stealing” jobs. Reformers often play into another problem narrative, emphasizing the tragic circumstances that drive people to leave their home countries with little emphasis on individual experiences. In this episode, Laura speaks with Latinx Americans whose work flies in the face of those narratives. They are ...

Jan 08, 202129 minEp. 319

The Pandemic Economy

The economic collapse unfolding before our eyes is much bigger than it appears and the solution isn’t simply to “build back better.” COVID-19 didn’t create the challenges we face. It laid bare flaws that have long existed at the foundation of our system. That is particularly true for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. What kind of reconstruction effort would truly reflect the scale of the problem? What should we rebuild and what should we abandon? To answer these questions, Laura inte...

Dec 31, 202032 minEp. 318

The Economics of Abolition

“Defund the police” became a rallying cry in the summer of 2020 as demonstrators flooded streets across the United States to demand an end to police brutality in the wake of the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd at the hands of the police. In the months since, hundreds of city councils nationwide have voted to reallocate what amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars away from law enforcement to a broader array of services that support public safety. But these shifts amount to only a fr...

Dec 24, 202033 minEp. 317

Transportation Is A Human Right

The U.S. transportation system has long been rife with inequality, making it more difficult for low-income people, people of color, and people with disabilities to get where they need to go. When Covid19 hit, ticket revenues shrank, workers got sick, and services were cut, even as low-income “essential workers” disproportionately depended on public transit to get to work as other Americans did, to get to grocery stores, food pantries and health services. In rural communities where public transit...

Dec 18, 202032 minEp. 316

F-Word: The Times They Ain’t a Changing

"... sing as he might about The Times They are A-Changing, Dylan’s deal, worth an estimated $300 million to him, changed nothing about anything. But it could have been different." The F-Word is released bi-weekly featuring timely commentaries by Laura Flanders and guests. Support by becoming a patron and help us reach our goal during our Holiday Fund Drive. Every dollar will be matched, doubling your contribution. goto https://Patreon.com/theLFShow Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders...

Dec 15, 20203 min

Growing Farm Workers to Farm Owners

Where do racial justice and food justice meet? Perhaps at the point where long time farmworkers are able to buy their own land. In the United States today, 83 percent of farmworkers are Latinx but Latinx people own only three percent of the farms. Latinx farmers bring a wealth of knowledge to the US food system in terms of fresh produce, healthy techniques and a cooperative management style born out of years working as laborers—but they face unique challenges accessing the resources and aid they...

Dec 11, 202030 minEp. 315

Tracing the Racist Roots of American Psychiatry

Partner with the show during our holiday membership drive, and your contribution will be matched!: https://Patreon.com/theLFShow Acclaimed white anti-racist scholar Mab Segrest , author of the influential book Memoir of a Race Traitor , takes Laura through the US South to trace the racist roots of American psychiatry. Together, they explore the infamous state mental hospital in Milledgeville, Georgia, once the largest “insane” asylum in the world, and visit with Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Just...

Dec 04, 202032 minEp. 314

Okwui Okpokwasili: Visibility for the Invisible, Centering Black Women's Experiences in Performance

Can dance and song offer insight into a person’s experience, and provoke curiosity, even empathy across national identity, race and gender? In this episode, Laura interviews MacArthur Genius Award-winning choreographer Okwui Okpokwasili about her groundbreaking experimental work to communicate the lived experiences of African and African American women through movement. Okpokwasili explains how she uses pain, action, gesture, and character-play to bypass audiences' preconceived notions and bring...

Nov 27, 202031 minEp. 313

Food Justice: A new way of Thinking about the Most Basic Stuff of Life

Food justice is the notion that everyone should have access to healthful food as well as the opportunity to grow, market and serve it. It’s also the idea behind a rising movement in the US, looking at how federal state and local policies have, or have not served everyone’s food needs. In this episode, Laura talks with farmers, workers, organizers, and seed keepers who seldom get much attention from the mass media. Then she visits with Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm near Albany, New York, and au...

Nov 20, 202029 minEp. 312
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