Podcasts about behind the news

Greg Grandin, author of a recent article for the New York Review of Books, looks at how Pope Leo was shaped by his time in Peru. A.J.A. Woods, author of The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy, explains why the right sees the Frankfurt School as the root of modern decay. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 5/28/26 - guests: Greg Grandin on Pope Leo • AJA Woods on the Cultural Marxist conspiracy - Doug Henwood

Jake Werner of the Quincy Institute analyzes the Trump–Xi summit and US–China relations generally. Gareth Gore, author of Opus, talks about Opus Dei, a secretive, cult-like Catholic organization involved in right-wing politics around the world (and very much in the US). Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 5/21/26 - guests: Jake Werner on the Trump–Xi summit, Gareth Gore on Opus Dei - Doug Henwood

Two views of the US–Israeli war on Iran: Laleh Khalili and Mouin Rabbani. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 5/14/26 - guests: Laleh Khalili and Mouin Rabbani on Iran - Doug Henwood

Excerpts from an event sponsored by the NYC DSA's Academy for Socialist Education on the domestic and foreign aspects of Trumpism, featuring historians Nikhil Pal Singh and Greg Grandin, moderated by DSA's Gaya Sriskanthan. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 5/7/26 - Imperialism & the Homeland Event: Greg Grandin, Nikhil Pal Singh, Gaya Sriskanthan - Doug Henwood

Dylan Gottlieb, author of the new book Yuppies, explores how that often risible but pioneering social formation took over NYC. Ervand Abrahamian looks at the politics of Iran, a country under siege. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 4/30/26 - guests: Dylan Gottlieb on yuppies • Ervand Abrahamian on Iran - Doug Henwood

Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff, authors of Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed, on Elon's world and what he wants to do to ours. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 4/23/26 - guests: Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff on Muskism—Elon's world and the one he wants for us - Doug Henwood

Hungary's long-serving authoritarian prime minister Viktor Orbán was defeated in an April 12 election. We get two views of what that means, from historian Kyle Shybunko and independent scholar Anita Zsurzsán. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 4/16/26 - guests: Kyle Shybunko and Anita Zsurzsán on the Hungarian election and the defeat of Viktor Orban - Doug Henwood

Andrew Cockburn, author of Washington Is Burning, examines “the spectacular greed at the heart of the nation's political system.” Hadas Thier then discusses crypto in the age of Trump. Read Hadas's article for Jacobin: https://jacobin.com/2026/04/crypto-trump-etfs-stablecoins-regulation/ Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 4/9/26 - guests: Andrew Cockburn on the corruptions of our ruling order • Hadas Thier on crypto in the Trump era - Doug Henwood

Gabriel Hetland, author of a recent article for the Intercept, looks at what's been happening in Venezuela since the kidnapping of Maduro. David Griscom, author of The Myth of Red Texas, discusses that state's forgotten radical history. Read Gabriel's article: https://theintercept.com/2026/03/31/trump-iran-war-venezuela-maduro/ Find David's book: https://orbooks.com/catalog/the-myth-of-red-texas/ And catch The Jacobin Show with David Griscom Fridays at 3pm on our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobinMag Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 4/2/26 - guests: Gabriel Hetland on Venezuela after Maduro • David Griscom on the hidden radical history of Texas - Doug Henwood

Mouin Rabbani talks about the Iran war and its many complications. Helen Yaffe talks about Trump's oil embargo on Cuba — its effects and how Cubans are reacting. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 3/26/26 - guests: Mouin Rabbani on the Iran war, Helen Yaffe on Cuba - Doug Henwood

Nancy Fraser goes beyond the class/identity disputes. Natalie Y. Moore, who wrote a recent article for Hammer and Hope and EHRP, looks at effects of federal layoffs on black women. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind The News [untitled] - - Doug Henwood

Behind the News, 3/19/26 - guests: Nancy Fraser on class/identity • Natalie Y. Moore on federal layoffs & black women - Doug Henwood

Historian Nikhil Pal Singh, author of a recent article for Equator, talks about how the Trump regime weaves foreign and domestic policy into a single domain of impunity, Homeland Empire. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 3/12/26 - guest: Nikhil Pal Singh on Trump’s homeland empire, merging foreign and domestic policy into a single domain of impunity - Doug Henwood

Behrooz Ghamari, author of The Long War on Iran, looks at the politics and culture of the country. Anatol Lieven analyzes the effects of the war on Iran on the region and world. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 3/5/26 - guests: Behrooz Ghamari on Iran • Anatol Lieven on the repercussions of the war on Iran - Doug Henwood

Tessa West, professor of psychology at NYU, examines the social dynamics that kept the Epstein gang together. Nick Srnicek, author of Silicon Empires, discusses AI. And Wanda Bertram breaks down the costs of mass incarceration following a new report from the Prison Policy Initiative: https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/money2026.html Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 2/26/26 - guests: Tessa West, Nick Srnicek, Wanda Bertram - Doug Henwood

Naomi Hossain analyzes politics in Bangladesh generally and the recent election specifically. Stuart Schrader discusses “authoritarianism from below” — the role of local cops in the Trump crackdowns. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 2/19/26 - guests: Naomi Hossain on Bangladesh • Stuart Schrader on how local cops aid Trump's crackdown - Doug Henwood

Stacy Horn, author of The Killing Fields of East New York, on the damage mortgage fraud did to that neighborhood. David Backer, author of As Public as Possible, on how we finance schools and how we could do better. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 2/12/26 - guests: Stacy Horn on East New York, David Backer on financing schools - Doug Henwood

David Harvey speaks about his new book The Story of Capital. We hear an excerpt from Mark Carney's Davos speech. Adam Federman discusses Trump's Greenland obsession. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 2/5/26 - guests: David Harvey, Adam Federman - Doug Henwood

David Harvey on his new book, The Story of Capital • excerpt from Mark Carney's Davos speech • Adam Federman on Trump's Greenland obsession The post Behind the News – February 5, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

David Austin Walsh, author of Taking America Back, looks at the relationship between the kooks and respectables on the Right. Laura Field, author of Furious Minds, examines the intellectual wing of Trumpism. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

David Bier of the Cato Institute looks at what's behind Trump's war on immigrants. Aurélie Daher examines the current state of Hezbollah and why Israel is bombing Lebanon. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 1/29/26 - guests: David Austin Walsh and Laura Field on the right - Doug Henwood

Forrest Hylton, contributor to the London Review of Books, discusses Venezuela past, present, and future. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 1/22/26 - guests: David Bier on Trump's war on immigrants, Arélie Daher on Israel's war on Lebanon - Doug Henwood

Behind the News, 1/16/26 - guest: Forrest Hylton on Venezuela - Doug Henwood

Alejandro Velasco analyzes the situation in Venezuela. Eric Blanc defends Victor Berger, Milwaukee's sewer socialist, against charges of racism. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 1/8/26 - guests: Alejandro Velasco on Venezuela, Eric Blanc on sewer socialist Victor Berger - Doug Henwood

Emile Torres on the posthumanists. Quinn Slobodian on eugenics and neoliberalism. Femi Taiwo on DEI and the war on it. Kristin Du Mez on white Christian nationalism. Anatol Lieven on the Trumpian worldview. Laleh Khalili on the relationship between the Pentagon and US capitalism. And Susannah Glickman on similar. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 12/25/25 - - Doug Henwood

Thea Riofrancos, author of Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism, looks at the complications of using lithium batteries to green our future. Alyssa Battistoni, author of Free Gifts, examines the weird relationship between capitalism and nature. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Behind the News, 12/18/25 - guests: Thea Riofrancos, Alyssa Battistoni - Doug Henwood

Anatol Lieven of the Quincy Institute analyzes Trump's official national security strategy. Susannah Glickman, recently interviewed by the New York Review of Books, looks at the transformation of the US government into a private equity firm. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

David Adler and Matt Kirkegaard of the Progressive International debrief the Honduran elections. Elfadil Ibrahim examines the Sudanese civil war. And finally Eric Blanc, drawing from Milwaukee's decades of “sewer socialism,” offers lessons for Mamdani and Wilson. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.