**Illinois' cash bail reform**: The state ended cash bail in 2023 with the Pretrial Fairness Act, a move that aims to address the disproportionately negative impact on Black and Brown communities and favoritism towards the wealthy. Explore the history and impact of Illinois' decision to end cash bail statewide in 2023, featuring insights from key advocates and policymakers involved in this monumental change. This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to https://LauraFlan...
Aug 26, 2025•34 min
On the Road with Laura Flanders: Join Us as We Dive into Sanders' Vision for America's Political Future and Meet the Citizens Sparking Change at Rallies Coast to Coast. Can the Democratic party reinvent itself? In this exclusive one-on-one interview with Bernie Sanders, recorded during the Senator’s “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, he sits down with Laura Flanders in Las Vegas to discuss what he hopes people will take away from his rallies, and how we can all push back against oligarchy. Sanders’ mess...
Aug 22, 2025•19 min
Synopsis: Is Authoritarianism Here?: Gessen and Stanley discuss the shift in America's self-understanding, from democratic ideals to a self-identity based on loving the US for its past greatness, and warn that this is not a democratic project, but rather a fascist one, similar to what Putin is doing in Russia. Stay informed and engaged! Please hit the podcast subscribe button if you've yet to subscribe. Description: What will it take to reject fascism, before it’s too late? Masha Gessen and Jaso...
Aug 20, 2025•29 min•Ep. 220
Sound the Alarm on Rising Fascism: Masha Gessen and Jason Stanley, leading experts on authoritarianism, warn of attacks on DEI, trans bodies, civil rights, and higher education, and discuss the need for a bold vision of a multi-ethnic democracy. ARE YOU AUDACIOUS? SUPPORT OUR RESISTANCE REPORTING FUND! Help us continue fighting against the rise of authoritarianism in these times. Please support our Resistance Reporting Fund. Our goal is to raise $100K. We're at $35K! Become a sustaining member s...
Aug 15, 2025•1 hr 2 min
From "Bloody Sunday" to Modern Activism: Civil Rights Leaders Reflect on Legacy This show is made possible thanks our members! To become a sustaining member go to https://LauraFlanders.org/donate Thank you for your continued support! Description: 60 years ago in Selma, Alabama, state troopers beat peaceful protesters bloody on the Edmund Pettus Bridge as they marched for civil rights. The horror of “Bloody Sunday” and the resilience of the Civil Rights Movement ultimately led to the passage of t...
Aug 13, 2025•30 min•Ep. 219
“When we see and hear and think about fascism, we think about anti-democratic movements in Europe. We think about the Holocaust . . . But for Black people, as Langston Hughes said, you don't have to explain to us what fascism is. We experienced it. That is what we were fighting, for the 60, 70 years after Reconstruction was overthrown.” - Kimberlé Crenshaw This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to https://LauraFlanders.org/donate Thank you for your continued support!...
Aug 08, 2025•36 min
Synopsis: Two decades after Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana, the state is now facing a new kind of storm: the rapid expansion of liquified natural gas facilities that are displacing residents and polluting minority communities. This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate Description: Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest hurricanes ever to strike the United States, killing 1,833 people, displacing hundreds of thousands more and causing...
Aug 06, 2025•29 min•Ep. 218
Stay informed and engaged! Please hit the podcast subscribe button if you've yet to subscribe. Description: Explore the top headlines of the month — and stories you won’t find in mainstream media — in this timely episode of Meet the BIPOC Press. From New York City, Documented’s Labor Reporter Amir Khafagy returns to fill us in on mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s win in the primary election, and how mainstream media overlooked the immigrant vote. Was this a “political upset” to journalists from...
Aug 04, 2025•28 min•Ep. 217
Synopsis: In an unflinching interview from the upcoming “Louisiana Survived Katrina. Will it Survive the Petrochemical Industry?” podcast special, veteran Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré confronts corporate corruption and calls out systemic failures threatening public health in his home state. This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, w...
Aug 01, 2025•1 hr 16 min
Snyopsis: A pair of investigative reporters shine light on underreported stories affecting marginalized groups, including employer intimidation tactics against undocumented workers speaking out about labor exploitation and biased media coverage distorting community narratives. This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer ...
Jul 25, 2025•35 min
Synopsis: In a call to action, Sara Nelson, President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO, urges workers to move beyond defense and set the agenda for change, declaring "our world is burning" but asserting that collective power can be used to create a better future. Stay informed and engaged! Don't miss out on our captivating weekly episodes that dive deep into the heart of our economy, culture, and politics from the past to the present. Please hit the podcast subscribe button i...
Jul 23, 2025•29 min•Ep. 216
Synopsis: US Labour Leader Sounds Alarm on Government Attacks. Sara Nelson's urgent call to action for cross-industry worker solidarity and general strikes as a powerful countermeasure against the Trump administration's plans to gut government agencies ending federal contracts is both timely and crucial. The uncut conversation includes the entire rich and inspiring discussion ringing in at 50minutes. This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate ...
Jul 18, 2025•55 min
Synopsis: Fifty years ago, factory floor workers at Lucas Aerospace challenged their company's focus on war machines with an innovative plan for socially useful production - and it could be just as relevant today. Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters. Description: Milit...
Jul 17, 2025•46 min
Synopsis: As military spending soars, how does the Lucas Plan present an alternative model? This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate Description: With the passage of the Republicans’ “Big Beautiful Bill” and NATO allies pledging to more than double their spending on defense as a portion of all economic output, military spending around the world is soaring, while spending on meeting social needs and the climate crisis is on the chopping block...
Jul 16, 2025•29 min•Ep. 215
Synopsis: Fifty years ago, factory floor workers at Lucas Aerospace challenged their company's focus on war machines with an innovative plan for socially useful production - and it could be just as relevant today. Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters. Description: Milit...
Jul 11, 2025•45 min
In a candid discussion with Laura, veteran union organizer Alex Han and U.S. Right Wing expert Tarso Ramos explore how workers are uniting against rising authoritarianism. - Watch the episode released on YouTube July 4th 5pm ET; PBS World Channel June 6th, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode) and airing on community radio ( check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast July 9th. Description: The Unite...
Jul 09, 2025•29 min•Ep. 214
In a candid discussion with Laura, veteran union organizer Alex Han and U.S. Right Wing expert Tarso Ramos explore how workers are uniting against rising authoritarianism. Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters. DESCRIPTION: The United States is moving towards authoritari...
Jul 07, 2025•35 min
Reframing Media Narratives for Queer and Trans Liberation with Marsha P Johnson's Story. How Artists and Activists Are Reframing Media Narratives for Queer Liberation. SAVE THE DATE July 16th 7pm EDT: Laura hosts an online conversation just for our donors. It’s a chance to connect, ask questions, and hear what’s coming up behind the scenes. Make a one off donation or become a sustaining member by making it monthly go to LauraFlanders.org/donate . This show is made possible by you! Episode Descri...
Jul 02, 2025•29 min•Ep. 213
As an unapologetic advocate for trans and queer empowerment, Qween Jean carries forward Marsha P. Johnson’s spirit by confronting systemic barriers that continue to threaten vulnerable communities today. Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters. SAVE THE DATE July 16th 7pm ...
Jun 27, 2025•44 min
REWIND EPISODE FROM THE LF&F ARCHIVES (Synopsis)- From sabotaged performances in rural North Carolina to besieged Drag Story Hour events in diverse urban neighborhoods, the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ rights is being fought on multiple fronts, with activists, artists, and journalists joining forces to resist a surge in anti-queer hostility and promote a culture of acceptance and inclusivity. Stay informed and engaged! Don't miss out on our captivating weekly episodes that dive deep into the ...
Jun 26, 2025•26 min
In a powerful interview, author Sarah Schulman reflects on decades of activism, from fighting AIDS to advocating for Palestinian liberation, revealing key lessons learned along the way. SAVE THE DATE July 16th 7pm EDT: Laura hosts an online conversation just for our donors. It’s a chance to connect, ask questions, and hear what’s coming up behind the scenes. Make a one off donation or become a sustaining member by making it monthly go to LauraFlanders.org/donate . This show is made possible by y...
Jun 25, 2025•29 min•Ep. 212
As fascist threats escalate globally, activist and playwright Sarah Schulman argues that achieving real change requires embracing imperfection and rejecting "supremacy concepts" – listen as she explains what this means for social justice movements today. Description: What is “solidarity” and what does it require? Giving up on perfection, for one thing, says Sarah Schulman, author of “Conflict is Not Abuse,” and so much more. Award-winning writer, teacher, playwright and activist, Schulman’s late...
Jun 20, 2025•52 min
AUDIO EXCLUSIVE [this interview took place June 13, 2025] Back in 2024, the Los Angeles City Council passed a “sanctuary city” ordinance and said the city would not collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. “They are lying,” says Hamid Khan, an expert on the surveillance state and organizer with the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition. In this timely interview, Khan unpacks “fusion centers” where agencies like DHS, the FBI and local law enforcement work together to gather and sha...
Jun 19, 2025•29 min
Laura's Extended Commentary aka The F-Word: Melissa Hortman’s murder was more than a tragedy—it was a political assassination aimed at a movement. This commentary honors her legacy as a coalition-builder behind Minnesota’s progressive gains and calls for courage, organizing, and solidarity in her wake. - The related episode featuring Sarah Schulman premieres on our YouTube channel June 20th 5pm ET where you are invited to join us to Watch the episode live and chat with Laura in real time. It pre...
Jun 19, 2025•4 min
Renowned actor, writer and director Liev Schreiber recently released “Meeting Zelenskyy”, a feature documentary in which he sits down with Ukraine’s embattled leader. In an extended conversation, Schreiber speaks actor-to-actor about Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s rise from entertainer to war time leader. In this exclusive interview with Laura Flanders, Schreiber discusses how the documentary came to be, how he personally became involved, and how technology could shape the outcome of the Russia-Ukraine w...
Jun 18, 2025•29 min•Ep. 211
“This was never about Ukraine for me. This was always about American values and democracy and what it is, where it comes from and what it means. I don't think those values and those principles are on display anywhere more clearly than in Ukraine.” - Liev Schreiber Description: Renowned actor, writer and director Liev Schreiber recently released “Meeting Zelenskyy”, a feature documentary in which he sits down with Ukraine’s embattled leader. In an extended conversation, Schreiber speaks actor-to-...
Jun 13, 2025•38 min
Laura's Extended Commentary: With seventeen veterans taking their lives daily in the US, a haunting question arises: can America redefine its values and reclaim its democratic principles before it's too late, or will it continue down a path of militarized politics and shattered ideals? Watch the episode released on YouTube June 13th 5pm ET; PBS World Channel June 15th, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on ...
Jun 13, 2025•5 min
“We have advertised to the rest of the world that we've discovered the best thing since sliced bread. That we should be the envy of the entire world because we have this democracy, and our constitution defends that . . . To renege on that promise makes us a different place than what we taught our kids.” - Ras Baraka, Mayor of Newark, NJ and NJ Gubernatorial Candidate Description: “They targeted me because I'm the mayor of the city,” says Newark, New Jersey mayor and gubernatorial candidate Ras B...
Jun 11, 2025•28 min•Ep. 210
REWIND EPISODE FROM THE LF&F ARCHIVES (Synopsis)- Under the view of the iconic Hollywood Sign, a struggle is being waged over the future of policing and incarceration. Los Angeles is ground zero for fights over the job of District Attorney, Police Chief, and the size of prisons and jails. Corporations that have profited from prison communications are now profiting on electronic monitoring. Can today's Los Angeles change the script? Stay informed and engaged! Don't miss out on our captivating...
Jun 10, 2025•27 min
“The Department of Justice is suing Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken and Patterson because of their sanctuary city status, erroneously suggesting that we are standing in a way of the ability to do their job, which is completely false . . . We understand the importance of immigrants in our communities, and we want to uphold that.” - Ras Baraka Description: “They targeted me because I'm the mayor of the city,” says Newark, New Jersey mayor and gubernatorial candidate Ras Baraka. In this tell-all inter...
Jun 06, 2025•35 min
