People's Republic

We are joined for this episode by Rachell Tucker, an elementary school teacher in San Antonio who has been fighting for safe schools and transparency in San Antonio. Rachell documented extensive lies by the school district around COVID, as well as a year-long campaign of retaliation against her, before the school district terminated her contract in May. We talk about what she faced, how the school district pushed through in-person learning against all guidelines, and what it will take for communities to win safe, transparent public schools.Read more about her story and the struggle against unsafe schools here:https://www.liberationnews.org/san-antonio-teacher-fighting-retaliation-after-speaking-out-against-unsafe-schools/https://www.liberationnews.org/texas-schools-are-peddling-lies-to-normalize-covid-at-the-expense-of-communities/

This week, we cover the beginning of a statewide campaign against privatization and fossil fuels as activists from across the state bring the struggle to ERCOT's doorstep.

This week, we speak with Jovanni Reyes and Monisha Rios, veteran anti-war organizers, about the hybrid warfare the U.S. is waging against Venezuela, the democratic elections of 2020, and the precedents that Venezuela is setting in the face of U.S. imperialism.

We are once again joined by Ken Zarifis, president of Education Austin, to discuss the situation with Austin ISD attempting to send teachers back into unsafe classrooms.

For the show today, we are joined by Ken Hammond, professor of history at New Mexico State University. We discuss the latest news around China and outline what to expect from the incoming Biden administration, which has already announced its plans to continue Trump's aggression against China.

For our first episode in the New Year, we discuss the impending danger to the public as school districts force unsafe "reopenings" to schools. Despite the obvious scientific proof that schools and children are carriers of COVID, districts continue to distort figures and lie about the nature of its spread. We spend the entire hour talking with teachers to get the facts straight and discuss what teachers, students, and parents can do to protect their communities. We are joined for the full hour by Rachell Tucker and Zac Vecellio.

Gloria La Riva, presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, speaks on a range of political issues in Dallas on Monday, October 26.

Gloria La Riva, presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, speaks on a range of political issues in Dallas on Monday, October 26.

On November 1, Austin organizers held a community webinar titled "Democracy for Whom?" First, Izzy lays out a history of voter suppression by various names in Texas. Later, we hear from Luis, who breaks down the myths of capitalist democracy and compares this to socialist democratic systems in the Paris Commune, USSR, and Cuba.

On November 1, Austin organizers held a community webinar titled "Democracy for Whom?" First, Izzy lays out a history of voter suppression by various names in Texas. Later, we hear from Luis, who breaks down the myths of capitalist democracy and compares this to socialist democratic systems in the Paris Commune, USSR, and Cuba.

October 1 is National Day, the commemoration of the establishment of the People's Republic of China after the defeat of colonialism in that country. We talk with Sheila Xiao of the Party for Socialism and Liberation about the conditions that China endured under colonialism, the progressive legacy of the Chinese Revolution, and the role of China in today's multipolar world.Later, we rebroadcast a segment from Breakthrough News covering the first presidential debate, which took place on Tuesday, September 29.

October 1 is National Day, the commemoration of the establishment of the People's Republic of China after the defeat of colonialism in that country. We talk with Sheila Xiao of the Party for Socialism and Liberation about the conditions that China endured under colonialism, the progressive legacy of the Chinese Revolution, and the role of China in today's multipolar world.Later, we rebroadcast a segment from Breakthrough News covering the first presidential debate, which took place on Tuesday, September 29.

We begin this episode with an announcement about a horrifying roundup of anti-racist activists by Denver-area police departments. As of the time of this recording, five organizers in Denver were being held without bond, having been snatched from their homes, parking lots, while driving, and around the city for protests held earlier this summer. They have since been released on bond, but are still facing the ludicrous charge of "kidnapping." The Party for Socialism and Liberation is demanding that that all charges be dropped.We later talk with Houston-area organizer Caleb Granger about environmental racism, abdication of responsibility for civic preparedness, and disaster capitalism following the hurricane that hit Louisiana earlier this month.Finally, we are re-airing an interview with the late Kevin Zeese, co-founder of Popular Resistance, who passed away suddenly September 6. We talked with Zeese last year about the Embassy Protection Collective, which stood in defiance of Trump's coup and assault on the Venezuelan embassy in DC.

We begin this episode with an announcement about a horrifying roundup of anti-racist activists by Denver-area police departments. As of the time of this recording, five organizers in Denver were being held without bond, having been snatched from their homes, parking lots, while driving, and around the city for protests held earlier this summer. They have since been released on bond, but are still facing the ludicrous charge of "kidnapping." The Party for Socialism and Liberation is demanding that that all charges be dropped.We later talk with Houston-area organizer Caleb Granger about environmental racism, abdication of responsibility for civic preparedness, and disaster capitalism following the hurricane that hit Louisiana earlier this month.Finally, we are re-airing an interview with the late Kevin Zeese, co-founder of Popular Resistance, who passed away suddenly September 6. We talked with Zeese last year about the Embassy Protection Collective, which stood in defiance of Trump's coup and assault on the Venezuelan embassy in DC.

We begin this episode by talking with Luke Amphlett, a teacher and union representative at Burbank High School in San Antonio, who faced retaliation for speaking up about unsafe working conditions in schools.Later, we are joined by Sarah Jalandoon, the co-coordinator for Malaya Movement Texas, about the continued state-sponsored violence in the Philippines and the Pentagon's role in enabling this violence.

We begin this episode by talking with Luke Amphlett, a teacher and union representative at Burbank High School in San Antonio, who faced retaliation for speaking up about unsafe working conditions in schools.Later, we are joined by Sarah Jalandoon, the co-coordinator for Malaya Movement Texas, about the continued state-sponsored violence in the Philippines and the Pentagon's role in enabling this violence.

We begin this episode by talking with Wyatt Reed, an independent journalist and the producer of By Any Means Necessary on Radio Sputnik. We discuss the brutal police crackdowns on medics and journalists at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, DC.Later, we continue our discussion on the growing U.S. aggression against China. Ken Hammond, Professor of History and editor of the Journal of Chinese History, joins the show to analyze the University of North Texas' hostility against Chinese scholars.

We begin this episode by talking with Wyatt Reed, an independent journalist and the producer of By Any Means Necessary on Radio Sputnik. We discuss the brutal police crackdowns on medics and journalists at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, DC.Later, we continue our discussion on the growing U.S. aggression against China. Ken Hammond, Professor of History and editor of the Journal of Chinese History, joins the show to analyze the University of North Texas' hostility against Chinese scholars.

For our first segment, we are joined by Lilith McKenzie and Will Arment, journalists for Liberation News. We discuss their reporting from the scene of Kenosha protests following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Laura Nadine of the Party for Socialism and Liberation also contributed to their article, "On the ground with Kenosha protesters: 'We want justice.'"https://www.liberationnews.org/on-the-ground-with-kenosha-protesters-we-want-justice/Later, we are joined by Chris Garaffa for Tech for the People, a monthly look at the latest tech news from a working-class perspective. We discuss Palantir's full embrace of the military-industrial complex, a journalist's burying of vital information on facial recognition, Amazon seemingly going full Pinkerton with job applications, and what you can do to keep your Venmo transactions safe from prying eyes.

For our first segment, we are joined by Lilith McKenzie and Will Arment, journalists for Liberation News. We discuss their reporting from the scene of Kenosha protests following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Laura Nadine of the Party for Socialism and Liberation also contributed to their article, "On the ground with Kenosha protesters: 'We want justice.'"https://www.liberationnews.org/on-the-ground-with-kenosha-protesters-we-want-justice/Later, we are joined by Chris Garaffa for Tech for the People, a monthly look at the latest tech news from a working-class perspective. We discuss Palantir's full embrace of the military-industrial complex, a journalist's burying of vital information on facial recognition, Amazon seemingly going full Pinkerton with job applications, and what you can do to keep your Venmo transactions safe from prying eyes.

We conclude our month-long study of Black August with a conversation about the contemporary movement for Black liberation. We break down reformist trends within the U.S. today and look at what radical alternatives younger generations could be engaging with. We are joined by Jacquie Luqman, co-host of By Any Means Necessary and co-editor in chief of Luqman Nation.

We conclude our month-long study of Black August with a conversation about the contemporary movement for Black liberation. We break down reformist trends within the U.S. today and look at what radical alternatives younger generations could be engaging with. We are joined by Jacquie Luqman, co-host of By Any Means Necessary and co-editor in chief of Luqman Nation.

This week, we continue our commemoration of Black August with Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of history and author of over 40 books, including The Counter-Revolution of 1776. We start by discussing Dr. Horne's latest book, The Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism, and Capitalism in the Long Sixteenth Century. We also cover a basic history of Black resistance to U.S. capitalism and the racialized forms that class relations in the U.S. have taken.Later, we are joined by Dr. Ken Hammond, Ken Hammond, professor of history at New Mexico State University and Associate Editor of the Journal of Chinese History. We break down U.S. aggression against China and the media's contradictory portrayal of right-wing billionaire Jimmy Lai as a "pro-democracy tycoon."

This week, we continue our commemoration of Black August with Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of history and author of over 40 books, including The Counter-Revolution of 1776. We start by discussing Dr. Horne's latest book, The Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism, and Capitalism in the Long Sixteenth Century. We also cover a basic history of Black resistance to U.S. capitalism and the racialized forms that class relations in the U.S. have taken.Later, we are joined by Dr. Ken Hammond, Ken Hammond, professor of history at New Mexico State University and Associate Editor of the Journal of Chinese History. We break down U.S. aggression against China and the media's contradictory portrayal of right-wing billionaire Jimmy Lai as a "pro-democracy tycoon."

We continue our commemoration of Black August by speaking with Eugene Puryear, author of Shackled and Chained: Mass Incarceration in Capitalist America, as well as the host of Breakthrough News. We discuss the roots of the mass incarceration system known today as the "prison-industrial complex."Then, we return with our monthly segment Tech for the People with Chris Garaffa. We talk about what a "stingray" is, third-party data collection through apps, Twitter censorship, and the Trump administration's hypocritical, racist plan for a "clean" internet.

We continue our commemoration of Black August by speaking with Eugene Puryear, author of Shackled and Chained: Mass Incarceration in Capitalist America, as well as the host of Breakthrough News. We discuss the roots of the mass incarceration system known today as the "prison-industrial complex."Then, we return with our monthly segment Tech for the People with Chris Garaffa. We talk about what a "stingray" is, third-party data collection through apps, Twitter censorship, and the Trump administration's hypocritical, racist plan for a "clean" internet.

This week, we begin our commemoration of Black August, a month of study and training against U.S. imperialism and mass incarceration. For the first segment, we talk with Joe Tache,an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation based in Boston. We discuss Tache's article, "Study, fast, train, fight: The roots of Black August."https://liberationschool.org/study-fast-train-fight-the-roots-of-black-august/Later, we are joined by Lillian House of the Denver Liberation Center to discuss the latest in Aurora's spirited resistance to police repression and right-wing attacks.

This week, we begin our commemoration of Black August, a month of study and training against U.S. imperialism and mass incarceration. For the first segment, we talk with Joe Tache,an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation based in Boston. We discuss Tache's article, "Study, fast, train, fight: The roots of Black August."https://liberationschool.org/study-fast-train-fight-the-roots-of-black-august/Later, we are joined by Lillian House of the Denver Liberation Center to discuss the latest in Aurora's spirited resistance to police repression and right-wing attacks.

This week, we dedicate the full hour to education issues. We are joined by Ken Zarifis, president of Education Austin, to discuss Austin ISD's threats to reopen schools while COVID infections are at record highs. We also talk about the failures of two-party politics, teachers' union engagement with the Black Lives Matter movement, and why unions are the surest long-term investment for workers.

This week, we dedicate the full hour to education issues. We are joined by Ken Zarifis, president of Education Austin, to discuss Austin ISD's threats to reopen schools while COVID infections are at record highs. We also talk about the failures of two-party politics, teachers' union engagement with the Black Lives Matter movement, and why unions are the surest long-term investment for workers.

We continue our coverage of the nationwide rebellion against police violence. Monica Johnson joins us from Atlanta, Georgia, to discuss the community's response to the killing of Rayshard Brooks. Then, we hear from Eliza Lucero in Denver on the state of affairs after police violently attacked a peaceful musical protest for Elijah McClain.These interviews were conducted shortly before the occupation of the space outside an Aurora Police Department precinct. This is a breaking story as of publication time. We will follow up with organizers on future episodes.

We continue our coverage of the nationwide rebellion against police violence. Monica Johnson joins us from Atlanta, Georgia, to discuss the community's response to the killing of Rayshard Brooks. Then, we hear from Eliza Lucero in Denver on the state of affairs after police violently attacked a peaceful musical protest for Elijah McClain.These interviews were conducted shortly before the occupation of the space outside an Aurora Police Department precinct. This is a breaking story as of publication time. We will follow up with organizers on future episodes.

This week, we dedicate most of the hour to a discussion with Clarence Thomas, a retired worker with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Thomas talks about the Juneteenth work stoppage that shut down all 29 ports on the West Coast in solidarity with, and as a part of, the growing movement for Black lives.For the last segment, we hear the sound and fury from a protest in Philadelphia on June 6. Puryear spoke before a crowd of 100,000 people about the nature of the now-global uprisings against police brutality.

This week, we dedicate most of the hour to a discussion with Clarence Thomas, a retired worker with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Thomas talks about the Juneteenth work stoppage that shut down all 29 ports on the West Coast in solidarity with, and as a part of, the growing movement for Black lives.For the last segment, we hear the sound and fury from a protest in Philadelphia on June 6. Puryear spoke before a crowd of 100,000 people about the nature of the now-global uprisings against police brutality.

This week, we air the debut episode of The Reawakening, a podcast project of the Del Valle Blast featuring host Richard Franklin. Del Valle is a food desert and unincorporated area outside of Austin that suffers from a severe lack of resources. Richard interviews Brianna Griffith and Tina Byram about the issues that Del Valle faces.

This week, we air the debut episode of The Reawakening, a podcast project of the Del Valle Blast featuring host Richard Franklin. Del Valle is a food desert and unincorporated area outside of Austin that suffers from a severe lack of resources. Richard interviews Brianna Griffith and Tina Byram about the issues that Del Valle faces.

We continue our coverage of the nationwide rebellion by turning to the social, political, and economic conditions facing Dallas leading up to the uprising there. We hear first from Marissa Rodriguez, an organizer with the Dallas/Fort Worth branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.Brianna then briefly discusses her own experience with the Austin uprisings before turning back to Dallas. We are then joined by Dariel Hernandez and Cooper Feste, two more organizers with the Dallas/Fort Worth branch of the PSL, to discuss their article "Pandemic reveals worker exploitation in Texas meatpacking industry."https://www.liberationnews.org/pandemic-reveals-worker-exploitation-in-texas-meatpacking-industry/

We continue our coverage of the nationwide rebellion by turning to the social, political, and economic conditions facing Dallas leading up to the uprising there. We hear first from Marissa Rodriguez, an organizer with the Dallas/Fort Worth branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.Brianna then briefly discusses her own experience with the Austin uprisings before turning back to Dallas. We are then joined by Dariel Hernandez and Cooper Feste, two more organizers with the Dallas/Fort Worth branch of the PSL, to discuss their article "Pandemic reveals worker exploitation in Texas meatpacking industry."https://www.liberationnews.org/pandemic-reveals-worker-exploitation-in-texas-meatpacking-industry/

We begin our coverage of the nationwide rebellions of hundreds of thousands (likely millions) against police brutality. We are starting with voices from Texas cities to get a sense of this movement in areas outside of traditional "protest" strongholds. Brianna Griffith has also been on the ground, both as an organizer and a journalist, in protests in Austin.First, we hear from Mike Zendejas, an organizer in Houston, about the 60,000+ people who have risen up against police terror in that city.For the second half, we hear from Jake and Rachell Tucker about the burgeoning protest movement in San Antonio. Despite its conservative reputation as "Military City USA," San Antonio's City Council and police forces are creating the conditions for historic rebellions against state repression.

We begin our coverage of the nationwide rebellions of hundreds of thousands (likely millions) against police brutality. We are starting with voices from Texas cities to get a sense of this movement in areas outside of traditional "protest" strongholds. Brianna Griffith has also been on the ground, both as an organizer and a journalist, in protests in Austin.First, we hear from Mike Zendejas, an organizer in Houston, about the 60,000+ people who have risen up against police terror in that city.For the second half, we hear from Jake and Rachell Tucker about the burgeoning protest movement in San Antonio. Despite its conservative reputation as "Military City USA," San Antonio's City Council and police forces are creating the conditions for historic rebellions against state repression.

In the weeks after COVID-19, a couple in Del Valle, TX struggled to pay rent. They were both employed in carpentry, worked at the same business, and were tenants on the same lease. A reporter for the Austin American-Statesman implied the man was the sole breadwinner and leaseholder, while mentioning the woman only once: as a "live-in girlfriend." This reinforces sexist stereotypes about societal roles and completely erases the role of women in blue-collar professions. We speak with Sage Westbrook, a carpenter and one of the tenants in the story, to correct the record about her work. We also talk about the struggles women face in male-dominated blue-collar professions.Later, we speak with Walter Smolarek, an editor of Liberation News. We discuss the geopolitical realities obscured by U.S. fearmongering and posit a different thesis: that the United States, not China, is the primary threat to global stability.

In the weeks after COVID-19, a couple in Del Valle, TX struggled to pay rent. They were both employed in carpentry, worked at the same business, and were tenants on the same lease. A reporter for the Austin American-Statesman implied the man was the sole breadwinner and leaseholder, while mentioning the woman only once: as a "live-in girlfriend." This reinforces sexist stereotypes about societal roles and completely erases the role of women in blue-collar professions. We speak with Sage Westbrook, a carpenter and one of the tenants in the story, to correct the record about her work. We also talk about the struggles women face in male-dominated blue-collar professions.Later, we speak with Walter Smolarek, an editor of Liberation News. We discuss the geopolitical realities obscured by U.S. fearmongering and posit a different thesis: that the United States, not China, is the primary threat to global stability.

American mercenaries were captured in Venezuela trying to overthrow the government in a Bay of Pigs-style operation. They were quickly apprehended even as seemingly pre-scheduled Tweets about the operation continued to be published. We talk with Jovanni Reyes, an organizer with About Face, about the forces behind the assault.Then, we have our segment Union News with Ken Zarifis, where we discuss the latest developments from Education Austin. If teachers and AISD employees are essential workers during COVID - which they absolutely are - then they deserve to be paid like essential workers. A petition can be found to support AISD employees here:https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/support-aisd-teachers-and-school-employeesWe conclude with Tech for the People with Chris Garaffa, where we discuss the latest tech news from a working-class perspective. We discuss companies' and governments' use of COVID-19 fears as a pretense to implement dangerous surveillance technologies. While tracing COVID-19 points of contact is important, the tracking technology being implemented has implications far beyond the pandemic.

American mercenaries were captured in Venezuela trying to overthrow the government in a Bay of Pigs-style operation. They were quickly apprehended even as seemingly pre-scheduled Tweets about the operation continued to be published. We talk with Jovanni Reyes, an organizer with About Face, about the forces behind the assault.Then, we have our segment Union News with Ken Zarifis, where we discuss the latest developments from Education Austin. If teachers and AISD employees are essential workers during COVID - which they absolutely are - then they deserve to be paid like essential workers. A petition can be found to support AISD employees here:https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/support-aisd-teachers-and-school-employeesWe conclude with Tech for the People with Chris Garaffa, where we discuss the latest tech news from a working-class perspective. We discuss companies' and governments' use of COVID-19 fears as a pretense to implement dangerous surveillance technologies. While tracing COVID-19 points of contact is important, the tracking technology being implemented has implications far beyond the pandemic.

We celebrate May Day by highlight three ongoing struggles by working and oppressed people. First, we speak with Ryan Hamby, an organizer with the Denver branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, about the nationwide protests demanding to #CancelTheRent.Then, we examine Austin PD's shooting of Mike Ramos while his hands were in the air on April 24. The shooting happened just days after a damning report showing systemic racism, sexism, bigotry, and a culture of retaliation across all of APD. Chris Harris, an organizer with HomesNotHandcuffs, joins the conversation.Finally, we hear about the ongoing struggle to free ICE detainees from detention centers across the state of Texas. We speak with Rafael Aguilar with Never Again Action, a Jewish political action organization seeking to prevent genocide from happening in the U.S.A Gofundme for the family of Mike Ramos can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-mike-ramos.

We celebrate May Day by highlight three ongoing struggles by working and oppressed people. First, we speak with Ryan Hamby, an organizer with the Denver branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, about the nationwide protests demanding to #CancelTheRent.Then, we examine Austin PD's shooting of Mike Ramos while his hands were in the air on April 24. The shooting happened just days after a damning report showing systemic racism, sexism, bigotry, and a culture of retaliation across all of APD. Chris Harris, an organizer with HomesNotHandcuffs, joins the conversation.Finally, we hear about the ongoing struggle to free ICE detainees from detention centers across the state of Texas. We speak with Rafael Aguilar with Never Again Action, a Jewish political action organization seeking to prevent genocide from happening in the U.S.A Gofundme for the family of Mike Ramos can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-mike-ramos.

We speak with Austin DSA organizer Marina Roberts about her article in the Austin Chronicle, "Capitalism Has Failed Americans in This Crisis." We also discuss the latest wave of anti-government protests and the latest reports of Austin's police racism.Later we hear from Richard Franklin, the president of Youth Unlimited and former Del Valle School Board member, about Del Valle's fight for community health services.

We speak with Austin DSA organizer Marina Roberts about her article in the Austin Chronicle, "Capitalism Has Failed Americans in This Crisis." We also discuss the latest wave of anti-government protests and the latest reports of Austin's police racism.Later we hear from Richard Franklin, the president of Youth Unlimited and former Del Valle School Board member, about Del Valle's fight for community health services.

We speak public health policy, geopolitics, media bias, and China with K.J. Noh. K.J. is a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of the Asian continent who writes for Counterpunch and Dissident Voice. He is special correspondent for KPFA Flashpoints on the “Pivot to Asia,” the Koreas, and the Pacific. He has recently authored "Yellow-caking an epidemic: New York Times spreads the virus of hatred, again."We highly recommend this article:https://mronline.org/2020/03/05/yellow-caking-an-epidemic/

We speak public health policy, geopolitics, media bias, and China with K.J. Noh. K.J. is a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of the Asian continent who writes for Counterpunch and Dissident Voice. He is special correspondent for KPFA Flashpoints on the “Pivot to Asia,” the Koreas, and the Pacific. He has recently authored "Yellow-caking an epidemic: New York Times spreads the virus of hatred, again."We highly recommend this article:https://mronline.org/2020/03/05/yellow-caking-an-epidemic/

We begin this episode with Union News with Ken Zarifis. We discuss the mass resignations of special education professionals within Austin ISD, while the district spends $53 million on a new headquarters.Then, we continue with Environmental Justice with Marissa Rodriguez. Marissa talks about the January explosion in Houston that left several people dead, the effects of environmental deregulation, and the Pentagon as a weapon of ecological destruction.Finally, we have Tech for the People with Chris Garaffa. We cover tech ground including the botched Iowa caucus app, the prosecution of Joshua Shulte around Vault 7, Clearview AI's legal troubles for scraping billions of pictures for law enforcement, and newly revealed information that the CIA had secretly owned an encryption company that it used to listen in on world affairs for decades.