Podcasts about Democracy

Alejandro Peña Esclusa details his transition from businessman to Venezuela's first political prisoner as Hugo Chávez, aided by the São Paulo Forum, dismantled democracy, recounting cacerolazo pot-banging protests and how the regime systematically destroyed the economy and persecuted dissenters.1870 CARACAS

Hawk breaks down the growing revolt inside MAGA world over the Epstein files. Former Navy SEAL and pro-Trump podcaster Shawn Ryan publicly torched Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Trump administration for failing to prosecute anyone connected to Jeffrey Epstein, calling out the broken promise to drain the swamp and demanding Congress get to work. Hawk notes that Bondi served as Florida attorney general for the entirety of Epstein's sweetheart deal period and did nothing.Dan Bongino is under fire after returning to podcasting and attempting to position himself as an Epstein files crusader, despite having signed off on the July 6th letter that closed the DOJ and FBI investigation, declared there was no client list, and stated there was no evidence of blackmail. Critics including former FBI agent Kyle Seraphin called out the contradiction directly.Marjorie Taylor Greene told fitness podcaster Jillian Michaels that Donald Trump called her personally and screamed at her over the discharge petition, warning her that releasing the Epstein files would hurt his friends. Greene was one of only four Republicans, along with Thomas Massie, Lauren Boebert, and Nancy Mace, who signed the discharge petition that forced the vote.Hawk also covers the 5,300 documents in the Epstein files that mention Donald Trump, including allegations of sexual misconduct, with Trump's name reportedly appearing over one million times across three million pages. Trump responded to reporters on Air Force One claiming total exoneration while deflecting toward Bill and Hillary Clinton, who have their own documented connections to Epstein. SUPPORT & CONNECT WITH HAWK- Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mdg650hawk - Hawk's Merch Store: https://hawkmerchstore.com - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mdg650hawk7thacct - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hawkeyewhackamole - Connect on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mdg650hawk.bsky.social - Connect on Substack: https://mdg650hawk.substack.com - Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawkpodcasts - Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdg650hawk - Connect on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mdg650hawk ALL HAWK PODCASTS INFO- Additional Content Available Here: https://www.hawkpodcasts.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@hawkpodcasts- Listen to Hawk Podcasts On Your Favorite Platform:Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3RWeJfyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/422GDuLYouTube: https://youtube.com/@hawkpodcastsiHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/47vVBdPPandora: https://bit.ly/48COaTB

Humble Area Democrats' President John Cotter explains: From open primaries to seven-page ballots, here's what Harris County voters must know before casting a 2026 Democratic Primary vote.Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://politicsdoneright.com/newsletterPurchase our Books: As I See It: https://amzn.to/3XpvW5o How To Make AmericaUtopia: https://amzn.to/3VKVFnG It's Worth It: https://amzn.to/3VFByXP Lose Weight And BeFit Now: https://amzn.to/3xiQK3K Tribulations of anAfro-Latino Caribbean man: https://amzn.to/4c09rbE

Humble Area Democrats' President John Cotter explains: From open primaries to seven-page ballots, here's what Harris County voters must know before casting a 2026 Democratic Primary vote.Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://politicsdoneright.com/newsletterPurchase our Books: As I See It: https://amzn.to/3XpvW5o How To Make AmericaUtopia: https://amzn.to/3VKVFnG It's Worth It: https://amzn.to/3VFByXP Lose Weight And BeFit Now: https://amzn.to/3xiQK3K Tribulations of anAfro-Latino Caribbean man: https://amzn.to/4c09rbE

'BradCast' 2/17/2026: GOP's 'SAVE America Act' Designed to Disenfranchise Voters, Undermine Democracy by Progressive Voices

Headlines for February 17, 2026; “Keep Hope Alive”: Remembering Rev. Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Icon Who Twice Ran for President; Bernie Sanders on Jesse Jackson: One of the Most Significant Political Leaders of “Last 100 Years”; Jesse Jackson’s Legacy: From Marching with MLK to Building the Rainbow Coalition; When ICE Agents Lie: DOJ Drops Charges Against 2 Minneapolis Men Falsely Accused of Attempted Murder

This week, Julie & Brandy continue to try and wade thru the river of sh*t in the Epstein Files.*******CHECK OUT FREE EPISODES OF JULIE & BRANDY'S PATREON PODCAST**********FOLLOW JULIE ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER****FOLLOW BRANDY ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER***CHECK OUT THEIR T-SHIRTS!***EMAIL THEM! JulieBrandyPodcast@gmail.com******* Dumb Gay Politics with Julie & Brandy **** Dumb Gay Podcast with Julie & Brandy **** Julie Goldman **** Brandy Howard **** Julie and Brandy *** The People's Couch *** DGP *** Gay Podcast *** Political Podcast *** Lesbian *** Bravo *** Housewives *** Queer *** Liberal **** LGBTQ **** Killer Burlesque *** Host *** Portland *** Denver *** Nightmare on Strip Street *** Funny *** Comedy *** Democrat *** Progressive *** Comedian *** Jewish *** Politics *** Left *** San Francisco ***See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Let's organize a union and help our communities with a new TTRPG!REMINDER: next week is our final episode, so send in Afterparty questions about this campaign and JTP as a whole via jointhepartypod@gmail.com, social media, or Patreon.Sponsor- Democracy By Dice! This episode was brought to you by the World Builders Club, a project of Working Families Power. Join the club and build a better world with them by visiting worldbuildersclub.substack.com Find Us Online- website: https://jointhepartypod.com- patreon: https://patreon.com/jointhepartypod- instagram: https://instagram.com/jointhepartypod- twitter: https://twitter.com/jointhepartypod- tumblr: https://jointhepartypod.tumblr.com- facebook: https://facebook.com/jointhepartypod- merch & music: http://jointhepartypod.com/merchCast & Crew- Facilitator, Co-Host, Co-Producer, Sound Designer, Composer: Brandon Grugle- Co-Host, Co-Producer: Julia Schifini- Co-Host, Co-Producer: Amanda McLoughlin- Co-Host, Co-Producer: Eric Silver- Artwork: Allyson Wakeman- Multitude: https://multitude.productionsAbout UsJoin the Party is an actual play podcast with tangible worlds, genre-pushing storytelling, and collaborators who make each other laugh each week. We welcome everyone to the table, from longtime players to folks who've never touched a roleplaying game before. Hop into our current campaign: the drama and excitement of a superhero high school! Or marathon our completed stories: Campaign 3 for a pirate story set in a world of plant- and bug-folk, the Camp-Paign for a MOTW game set in a weird summer camp, Campaign 2 for a modern superhero game, and Campaign 1 for a high fantasy story. And once a month we release the Afterparty, where we answer your questions about the show and how we play the game. New episodes every Tuesday.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Headlines for February 17, 2026; “Keep Hope Alive”: Remembering Rev. Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Icon Who Twice Ran for President; Bernie Sanders on Jesse Jackson: One of the Most Significant Political Leaders of “Last 100 Years”; Jesse Jackson’s Legacy: From Marching with MLK to Building the Rainbow Coalition; When ICE Agents Lie: DOJ Drops Charges Against 2 Minneapolis Men Falsely Accused of Attempted Murder

Will Republican women in the Senate stop the virulently anti-female SAVE Act? The Epstein Files: It's now officially a cover-up...But, wait - there's more. Christopher Armitage - What would happen if insurance companies were banned? Most Americans still assume elections alone will decide whether this stops, but our allies abroad — who've seen this movie before in their own countries in their grandparents' lifetimes — appear far less certain. They're acting as if the United States has entered a phase nations rarely reverse once fully established.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The American Revolution Started Over This Kind of Abuse: Have We Forgotten?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stacey Abrams has published more than a dozen books over the last 25 years. Those include thrillers, romance novels, children’s books and political memoirs and manifestos. That would be a full career for most people, but Stacey Abrams seems to have more energy than most people.   While she has always been a writer, she has also been a tax attorney, a Georgia state lawmaker, the minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives and the first Black woman in U.S. history to become the gubernatorial nominee of a major political party.   Abrams has launched multiple nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies, with a longstanding focus on voter registration and voter’s rights. Her new book is “Coded Justice.” She spoke with “Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller in front of an audience at the 2025 Portland Book Festival.  

The Constitution isn't just a statement of ideals. It's a framework for power - built to divide authority so that no single institution can fully control the law.But that design has a consequence: it slows decisions and complicates action. Is that inefficiency a weakness - or the very mechanism that protects liberty?Drawing on his experience at the center of federal rule-making, Harvard Law School's Cass Sunstein explores how these constitutional guardrails actually work, why they were designed to restrain concentrated authority, and what we risk losing when they begin to erode.This isn't abstract theory. It's about the quiet architecture that shapes who can act, and how a system of divided power ultimately protects self-government.

Trump's February 5th National Prayer Breakfast speech exposed the complete moral collapse of evangelical Christianity in America. At an event founded in 1953 to bring leaders together in reconciliation, Trump delivered 75 minutes of grievances, insults, and praise for dictators. He called critics lunatics, labeled Representative Thomas Massie a jerk, praised El Salvador's authoritarian president Nayib Bukele and his cruel prison system, and claimed Democrats cheat while saying no person of faith could vote for them. The 3,500 attendees, mostly evangelical Christians, responded with standing ovations.Pete Wehner's Atlantic article examines how evangelicals abandoned Jesus's teachings for Trump's viciousness. Leaders like Robert Jeffress openly declared they wanted the meanest, toughest fighter rather than someone who follows biblical principles. Jerry Falwell Jr. called for street fighters instead of nice guys. Tony Perkins admitted evangelicals gave Trump a mulligan on affairs and hush money because they wanted someone willing to punch back. These Christians now see Trump's cruelty as virtue when directed at perceived enemies.The Prayer Breakfast highlighted Trump's authoritarian tendencies. He praised dictators, attacked political opponents, and claimed persecution of Christians before his presidency. Meanwhile, many evangelical pastors remain silent, afraid to speak prophetically against injustice. Some Christians are resisting, including Catholic leaders, mainline denominations, and individual pastors standing against cruelty and oppression. The question remains whether evangelical Christianity can recover its moral foundation or has permanently embraced authoritarianism over Christian ethics. Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter from Birmingham Jail reminds us the church must be the conscience of the state, not its servant. SUPPORT & CONNECT WITH HAWK- Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mdg650hawk - Hawk's Merch Store: https://hawkmerchstore.com - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mdg650hawk7thacct - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hawkeyewhackamole - Connect on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mdg650hawk.bsky.social - Connect on Substack: https://mdg650hawk.substack.com - Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawkpodcasts - Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdg650hawk - Connect on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mdg650hawk ALL HAWK PODCASTS INFO- Additional Content Available Here: https://www.hawkpodcasts.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@hawkpodcasts- Listen to Hawk Podcasts On Your Favorite Platform:Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3RWeJfyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/422GDuLYouTube: https://youtube.com/@hawkpodcastsiHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/47vVBdPPandora: https://bit.ly/48COaTB

CBS lawyers ordered Stephen Colbert to cancel a live interview with Texas State House member and Democratic Senate candidate James Tallarico, citing pressure from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and a newly threatened expansion of the equal time rule to late night entertainment programming. Colbert filmed the interview anyway in front of his live studio audience, then was told he could not air it, could not mention it, and could not even show a photo of James Tallarico during the broadcast. He did all three.The decision is widely seen as CBS pre-emptively complying with the Trump administration to protect the pending merger between Paramount and David Ellison's Skydance Media. Sherry Redstone already declined to renew Colbert's contract, with the show ending in May, a move many view as direct appeasement of Donald Trump. This follows ABC and Disney paying Trump $16 million to settle a defamation suit involving George Stephanopoulos, and previously pulling Jimmy Kimmel off the air under the same FCC pressure from Brendan Carr.Tallarico posted the banned interview himself, framing it as the interview Trump didn't want you to see. Polling shows both Tallarico and Jasmine Crockett performing strongly against John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, and Anderson Cooper simultaneously announced he is leaving 60 Minutes after nearly 20 years over editorial interference tied to the Trump-aligned direction of CBS under its new Ellison ownership. SUPPORT & CONNECT WITH HAWK- Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mdg650hawk - Hawk's Merch Store: https://hawkmerchstore.com - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mdg650hawk7thacct - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hawkeyewhackamole - Connect on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mdg650hawk.bsky.social - Connect on Substack: https://mdg650hawk.substack.com - Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawkpodcasts - Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdg650hawk - Connect on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mdg650hawk ALL HAWK PODCASTS INFO- Additional Content Available Here: https://www.hawkpodcasts.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@hawkpodcasts- Listen to Hawk Podcasts On Your Favorite Platform:Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3RWeJfyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/422GDuLYouTube: https://youtube.com/@hawkpodcastsiHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/47vVBdPPandora: https://bit.ly/48COaTB

The Charlie Kirk assassination continues to divide the conservative movement as Candace Owens promotes conspiracy theories suggesting Turning Point USA involvement in the September 10th killing. TPUSA has responded with employee terminations, cease and desist letters, and heightened internal paranoia as leaked videos and audio recordings reach Owens from inside sources. Former TPUSA staffer Aubrey Lech claims she was fired for questioning the Charlie Kirk murder narrative, joining other employees dismissed in what critics call a purge.The Zionism debate fractures MAGA further as Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, and Candace Owens challenge pro-Israel conservatives. The White House Religious Liberty Commission meeting devolved into chaos when Commissioner Carrie Prejean Bowler defended Candace Owens against antisemitism charges, arguing Catholic opposition to Zionism doesn't equal antisemitism. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick fired Bowler from the commission, but she refuses to recognize his authority and plans to attend future meetings.Will Saletan's Bulwark reporting exposes how Candace Owens conspiracy theories penetrate Turning Point USA staff, creating workplace suspicion and legal threats. Andrew Egger documents the coalition crisis as Trump administration officials navigate between philosemites and antisemites within MAGA ranks, unable to satisfy both groups simultaneously. SUPPORT & CONNECT WITH HAWK- Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mdg650hawk - Hawk's Merch Store: https://hawkmerchstore.com - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mdg650hawk7thacct - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hawkeyewhackamole - Connect on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mdg650hawk.bsky.social - Connect on Substack: https://mdg650hawk.substack.com - Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawkpodcasts - Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdg650hawk - Connect on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mdg650hawk ALL HAWK PODCASTS INFO- Additional Content Available Here: https://www.hawkpodcasts.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@hawkpodcasts- Listen to Hawk Podcasts On Your Favorite Platform:Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3RWeJfyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/422GDuLYouTube: https://youtube.com/@hawkpodcastsiHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/47vVBdPPandora: https://bit.ly/48COaTB

In Drama of Democracy: Political Representation in Mumbai (U Minnesota Press, 2025), Lisa Björkman invites our attention to political form and how they allow us to appreciate the various mediums through which representation is negotiated. Drawing on a decade of research in the city of Mumbai closely following the movements of corporation election candidates, protesting crowds, political rally organisers, and social workers, the book maps the linguistic, visual, sonic, and semiotic tools used to construct the spectacle of democracy. It asks: how does the figure of the crowd subvert what euromodern conceptions of political representation? How do films and their constructions of the public, the organising of rallies, election season cash flows, garlanding, placards and slogans in protests inform new meanings of representation? Through this richly engaging and genre-breaking work, Bjorkman offers new ways – originating from Mumbai – to explain the reorganisation of political authority around the world. Lisa Björkman is an Associate Professor in Urban and Public Affairs at the University of Louisville. She is the author of Pipe Politics, Contested Waters: Embedded Infrastructures of Millennial Mumbai, Waiting Town: Life in Transit and Mumbai's Other World-Class Histories, and Bombay Brokers. Lisa is also a research associate at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle. Raghavi Viswanath is a postdoctoral researcher and teaching fellow at SOAS, University of London. Her research, supported by the Leverhulme Trust, examines how pastoralists claim grazing rights under India's Forest Rights Act 2006 and how the everyday processes of staking such claims has been impacted by the authoritarian turn in India. LinkedIn. Email:rv13@soas.ac.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Is the UK REALLY a democracy?  #CancelElections #UKPolitics #Starmer #LabourParty #ReformUK #NigelFarage #Brexit #BrexitBetrayal #PoliticalElite #JonGaunt #JonGauntTV If Keir Starmer can try to cancel elections without a mandate, what does your vote actually mean? Is the UK REALLY a democracy? Let's stop pretending. This week, Reform UK blocked a move that should have alarmed every voter in the country — Keir Starmer attempting to cancel local elections. Yes — cancel elections.  In a country that never stops lecturing the world about democracy. Starmer has no mandate to do this. No manifesto promise. No referendum. No public consent. And yet here we are — again.  We've seen this movie before. In 2016, the Brexit referendum delivered a result the political elite didn't like. What followed wasn't acceptance — it was years of obstruction, delay, re-runs, legal manoeuvres, and media pressure, all designed to wear the public down and soften the outcome. Voters spoke. Westminster panicked.  Now history looks like it's repeating itself — elections questioned, democratic processes treated as optional, and major national direction shifted without asking the people.  So let's ask the question politicians hate: If elections can be cancelled — is this still a democracy? If referendums are ignored — what's the point of voting? If governments only respect results they agree with — who is really in charge?  As the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band once joked: "There is no point in voting — the government always gets in." It was satire. But does it now sound uncomfortably accurate? Jon Gaunt takes this head-on: Are voters being sidelined? Is democracy being hollowed out by the political class? And if elections can be cancelled today — what gets cancelled tomorrow?

Democracy Now! titulares en español de 17 de febrero de 2026

In Drama of Democracy: Political Representation in Mumbai (U Minnesota Press, 2025), Lisa Björkman invites our attention to political form and how they allow us to appreciate the various mediums through which representation is negotiated. Drawing on a decade of research in the city of Mumbai closely following the movements of corporation election candidates, protesting crowds, political rally organisers, and social workers, the book maps the linguistic, visual, sonic, and semiotic tools used to construct the spectacle of democracy. It asks: how does the figure of the crowd subvert what euromodern conceptions of political representation? How do films and their constructions of the public, the organising of rallies, election season cash flows, garlanding, placards and slogans in protests inform new meanings of representation? Through this richly engaging and genre-breaking work, Bjorkman offers new ways – originating from Mumbai – to explain the reorganisation of political authority around the world. Lisa Björkman is an Associate Professor in Urban and Public Affairs at the University of Louisville. She is the author of Pipe Politics, Contested Waters: Embedded Infrastructures of Millennial Mumbai, Waiting Town: Life in Transit and Mumbai's Other World-Class Histories, and Bombay Brokers. Lisa is also a research associate at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle. Raghavi Viswanath is a postdoctoral researcher and teaching fellow at SOAS, University of London. Her research, supported by the Leverhulme Trust, examines how pastoralists claim grazing rights under India's Forest Rights Act 2006 and how the everyday processes of staking such claims has been impacted by the authoritarian turn in India. LinkedIn. Email:rv13@soas.ac.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.comSociologist Ruth Braunstein joins Faithful Politics to examine how Americans use faith and moral language to interpret citizenship, protest, and public life. Drawing on her research into religious activism across the political spectrum, Braunstein explains why democracy in the United States is often framed as a “sacred project” and how two competing moral narratives — one rooted in prophetic critique and another in patriotic preservation — shape today's political conflicts. The conversation explores Christian nationalism, motivated reasoning, and the internal dynamics of white evangelical communities, while also highlighting progressive faith activism that often goes unseen. Braunstein argues that pluralism is difficult but necessary, and that meaningful democratic engagement starts by moving from partisan abstractions to shared local concerns. This discussion provides a sociological framework for understanding how faith communities influence politics and how citizens can hold strong convictions while navigating deep disagreement. Learn more: https://www.ruthbraunstein.comDemocracy is Hard Substack: https://substack.com/@ruthbraunsteinGuest BioRuth Braunstein is a sociologist who studies religion, politics, and democratic life in the United States. She is the author of Prophets and Patriots: Faith and Democracy Across the Political Divide and writes the Substack Democracy Is Hard. Her research examines how Americans across ideological lines use faith to interpret public responsibility, citizenship, and protest. She also hosts the documentary podcast When the Wolves Came, which explores internal debates within evangelical communities about extremism and political identity.Support the show

County of Hawaiʻi Mayor Kimo Alameda lays out his priorities for 2026; University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Professor Karl Kim shares takeaways from a conference on democracy in South Korea

Parker Palmer believes that if taken together, the 5 habits are critical to sustaining a democracy. The habits are described as deeply ingrained ways of seeing, being and responding to life that involve our minds, emotions, our self-images, our concepts of meaning and purpose in life. This podcast explores Habit 3: An ability to hold tension in life-giving ways. Resources To hear Parker talk about each of the 5 habits or his full interview Non-violent communication resources Dance of the Me and We by Dr Ginny Belden Charles Power and Love – Bringing Out the Best Ourselves The post BOO509 – Encore –  Healing the Heart of Democracy – Habit 3 appeared first on Marcia Hyatt.

In Drama of Democracy: Political Representation in Mumbai (U Minnesota Press, 2025), Lisa Björkman invites our attention to political form and how they allow us to appreciate the various mediums through which representation is negotiated. Drawing on a decade of research in the city of Mumbai closely following the movements of corporation election candidates, protesting crowds, political rally organisers, and social workers, the book maps the linguistic, visual, sonic, and semiotic tools used to construct the spectacle of democracy. It asks: how does the figure of the crowd subvert what euromodern conceptions of political representation? How do films and their constructions of the public, the organising of rallies, election season cash flows, garlanding, placards and slogans in protests inform new meanings of representation? Through this richly engaging and genre-breaking work, Bjorkman offers new ways – originating from Mumbai – to explain the reorganisation of political authority around the world. Lisa Björkman is an Associate Professor in Urban and Public Affairs at the University of Louisville. She is the author of Pipe Politics, Contested Waters: Embedded Infrastructures of Millennial Mumbai, Waiting Town: Life in Transit and Mumbai's Other World-Class Histories, and Bombay Brokers. Lisa is also a research associate at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle. Raghavi Viswanath is a postdoctoral researcher and teaching fellow at SOAS, University of London. Her research, supported by the Leverhulme Trust, examines how pastoralists claim grazing rights under India's Forest Rights Act 2006 and how the everyday processes of staking such claims has been impacted by the authoritarian turn in India. LinkedIn. Email:rv13@soas.ac.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How is democracy important to our UU faith? Whether we are pondering inclusion, justice, or agency, our faith points the way to a more equitable and compassionate world.  And Rev. Stacey will also ponder the importance of Latino superstar Bad Bunny's Superbowl performance from a week earlier and why it matters for our country. Music: Clarinetist Robin Korevaar teams up with pianist Maxwell Reilly for some light classical duos. Lydia Clark will cover congregational hymns.

Headlines for February 16, 2026; Why Is ICE Still Jailing Leqaa Kordia? Palestinian Protester Suffers Seizure After 11 Months Locked Up; “The Alabama Solution”: Oscar-Nominated Film Uses Prisoner Cellphones to Show U.S.’s Deadliest Prisons

Most Americans now get at least some of their news from social media. But these days, the internet can seem less a place for humans to connect and more a playground for AI-powered bots.One estimate found around 20 percent of accounts on social media are automated, while another study found that, for controversial topics, nearly half of the posts could be bot–generated.Experts are sounding the alarm. Large-scale automated social media campaigns could threaten our democracy and the next presidential election.We know conversations we have online can influence how we experience this political moment, but what happens when bad actors fan the flames with AI-generated photos, bot campaigns, and misinformation?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For Presidents' Day, Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian and the author of American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union (Random House, 2026), puts today's political conflicts in the historical context of tensions going back to the country's founding.=> EVENT: Jon Meacham will be in conversation with John Dickerson at 92Y on Tuesday, February 17th, 7 pm (tickets here).cover image courtesy of the publisher

Democracy Now! Monday, February 16, 2026

Michael Wriston of Project Salt Box details alleged abuse at Baltimore ICE Facility as protests grow - New allegations of corporal punishment, unsanitary conditions emerge as demonstrators gather outside federal building - Plus - What Is an ICE Processing Center? Lawyers of a Chicago woman shot by federal agents say documents show how DHS lies about investigations. Crazy Alert! RFK Jr. boasts he's “not scared” of germs because he “used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats.” Did we need to know this?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At 3:07 in the morning the pounding started...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nazis Invade AmericaEpisode 464Jump to Ad-Free Safe House EditionIn the summer of 1942, the war was supposed to be a distant conflict. But that illusion shattered when German U-boats, the predators of Operation Drumbeat, brought the fight to the American home front, sinking ships within sight of Long Island. This episode dives into the extraordinary story of Operation Pastorius, Hitler's audacious plan to cripple the “Arsenal of Democracy.”Eight German agents—all fluent in English and trained in sabotage—landed on American beaches carrying a staggering $175,000 in cash and their most terrifying weapon: the disguised coal torpedo. Their mission: to blow up aluminum plants, railways, and bridges, and sow terror across the nation.The entire operation, however, pivoted on a foggy beach encounter with an unarmed 21-year-old Coast Guardsman, John Cullen, and the stunning betrayal of the mission's leader, George John Dasch. His self-surrender to the FBI exposed the entire plot, leading to a frantic manhunt and the capture of all eight men within two weeks.We explore the secret military tribunal that followed—the first since the Lincoln assassination—which resulted in the swift execution of six saboteurs and set a profound legal precedent that would return sixty years later in the War on Terror. Discover how J. Edgar Hoover transformed an internal catastrophe into an institutional triumph, and the devastating, lifelong cost of "heroism" for the man branded “The Judas of Speyer.”This is the true story of incompetence, constitutional crisis, and the moment American security hung by a thread.Hear more stories about CAPITAL CRIMES!!!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.You can pay more if you want to, but rent at the Safe House is still just a buck a week, and you can get access to over 400 ad-free episodes from the dusty vault, Safe House Exclusives, direct access to the Boss, and whatever personal services you require.We invite you to our other PULPULAR MEDIA podcasts:If disaster is more your jam, check out CATASTROPHIC CALAMITIES, telling the stories of famous and forgotten tragedies of the 19th and 20th centuries. What could go wrong? Everything!For brand-new tales in the old clothes from the golden era of popular literature, give your ears a treat with PULP MAGAZINES with two new stories every week.This episode includes AI-generated content.

On a day when we celebrate the United States' most important historical leaders, a look at the fights faced by past presidents compared to the present.On Today's Show:Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian and the author of American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union (Random House, 2026), puts today's political conflicts in the historical context of tensions going back to the country's founding. 

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: Mockingjay Part 1 - The movie: "Everything old can be new again...like democracy." Remember when watching this movie was a form of escapism? Remember when the concept of the Hunger Games was horrifying and parents were up in arms? Remember all that? Good. Watch it again. ACOFAE is continuing the watch of The Hunger Games series with the third movie, Mockingjay: Part 1. Filled with a cast that is beyond talented, Katniss is struggling with her new life in District 13, after she was rescued from the Games. Peeta is a hostage of the Capital, and is not doing well and Katniss has to rally the people for revolution. With propos. That she isn't very good at. What follows is Katniss' journey of working through the scheming and the politics of 13, dealing with Snow and his cruelty, and figuring out her place in this new district. Hoorah? "Not one to waste it in rehearsal."

Democracy is often framed as a battle between political candidates or parties that have opposing viewpoints and are trying to win over voters to join their side. However, there's another way to think about democracy as a system of self governance that everyone shares and has a stake in preserving and protecting.Jeremy David Engels articulates the latter point of view in the book, On Mindful Democracy: A Declaration of Interdependence to Mend a Fractured World. The book blends Engels's prior work studying democratic theory and history with his experience in yoga, meditation and Buddhism. Engels joined us to discuss the concept of mindful democracy and why it's important to consider during the 250th anniversary of America's founding. He describes how we can — and should — consider a "declaration of interdependence" in addition to the Declaration of Independence the country is celebrating this year. We also talk about the different conceptions of democracy outlined by John Dewey and Walter Lippmann Engels is Liberal Arts Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences at Penn State and a mindfulness and yoga teacher. You can find him in the classroom, lecture hall, on a meditation cushion, or a yoga mat, sharing his insights on how to become capable, compassionate, and engaged democratic citizens. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Wall Street Journal published a bombshell expose revealing unprecedented chaos at the Department of Homeland Security under Kristi Noem and her senior advisor Cory Lewandowski. Multiple sources within DHS describe an agency consumed by personal ambition, alleged romantic entanglements, and petty power struggles that have compromised national security operations. Kristi Noem and Cory Lewandowski face allegations of conducting an extramarital affair while running DHS like a reality television production. The pair reportedly use a $70 million luxury Boeing 737 Max jet with a private bedroom for travel across the country while demanding ICE agents film arrests on personal cell phones for social media content. Noem fired a Coast Guard pilot over a missing blanket, tracks television appearances obsessively to ensure she gets more airtime than Tom Homan, and refers to internal DHS meetings as cabinet meetings despite holding no such authority.Lewandowski operates as a special government employee with a 130-day annual limit but has exceeded this timeframe by avoiding badge swipes at DHS headquarters. He unsuccessfully demanded law enforcement credentials and a federally issued firearm, leading to the firing or demotion of officials who refused his requests. The former South Dakota governor and Trump campaign manager have fired 80% of career ICE field leadership, creating institutional knowledge gaps that contributed to operational failures. SUPPORT & CONNECT WITH HAWK- Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mdg650hawk - Hawk's Merch Store: https://hawkmerchstore.com - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mdg650hawk7thacct - Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hawkeyewhackamole - Connect on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mdg650hawk.bsky.social - Connect on Substack: https://mdg650hawk.substack.com - Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawkpodcasts - Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdg650hawk - Connect on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mdg650hawk ALL HAWK PODCASTS INFO- Additional Content Available Here: https://www.hawkpodcasts.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@hawkpodcasts- Listen to Hawk Podcasts On Your Favorite Platform:Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3RWeJfyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/422GDuLYouTube: https://youtube.com/@hawkpodcastsiHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/47vVBdPPandora: https://bit.ly/48COaTB

Rumble Celebrates Democracy on this Presidents Day

Brussels is full of lobbyists. Over decades, big companies have been using their financial might not only to influence EU policies but even to shape how EU institutions are designed and what their key goals are. Host Licia Cianetti talks to Kenneth Haar, who for almost two decades has been conducting research on corporate lobbying in the EU for Corporate Europe Observatory. Kenneth explains how corporate lobbying works, what lobbyists want, and how a sketchily defined “competitiveness” agenda is driving a far-reaching deregulation drive by the European Commission, which endangers hard fought for environmental, social, health, and labour protections.  Guest: Kenneth Haar is a researcher and campaigner at Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO). His freely downloadable book, A Europe of Capital, details how corporate lobbyists got to the core of the European project. Corporate Europe Observatory is an advocacy and investigative research group. Their many reports, articles, and infographics on corporate lobbying in the EU are available on the CEO website. You can download their alternative tourist guide to Bussels here: “Lobby Planet – Brussels”. CEO's podcast EU Watchdog Radio is also highly recommended! Presenter: Licia Cianetti is Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham and Founding Deputy Director of CEDAR. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Democracy Now! titulares en español de 16 de febrero de 2026

This time on Code WACK!  Why are people in America resorting to receiving medical care in animal stalls - even if they have health insurance? What would it take to make volunteer stopgap clinics unnecessary - and who stands in the way of real reform? To break it down, we spoke with leading healthcare reform advocate and New York Times bestselling author Wendell Potter. A former health insurance executive turned industry whistleblower, Wendell now serves as board president of the Center for Health and Democracy, which advocates for healthcare reform, and editor-in-chief of HEALTHCARE Un-covered, which investigates healthcare corporations and insurance conglomerates. This is part two of a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more!   

Brussels is full of lobbyists. Over decades, big companies have been using their financial might not only to influence EU policies but even to shape how EU institutions are designed and what their key goals are. Host Licia Cianetti talks to Kenneth Haar, who for almost two decades has been conducting research on corporate lobbying in the EU for Corporate Europe Observatory. Kenneth explains how corporate lobbying works, what lobbyists want, and how a sketchily defined “competitiveness” agenda is driving a far-reaching deregulation drive by the European Commission, which endangers hard fought for environmental, social, health, and labour protections.  Guest: Kenneth Haar is a researcher and campaigner at Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO). His freely downloadable book, A Europe of Capital, details how corporate lobbyists got to the core of the European project. Corporate Europe Observatory is an advocacy and investigative research group. Their many reports, articles, and infographics on corporate lobbying in the EU are available on the CEO website. You can download their alternative tourist guide to Bussels here: “Lobby Planet – Brussels”. CEO's podcast EU Watchdog Radio is also highly recommended! Presenter: Licia Cianetti is Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham and Founding Deputy Director of CEDAR. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Democracy Now! is a daily independent award-winning news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. The post Democracy Now! – February 16, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

John Maytham is joined by Steven Friedman, political analyst and director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, to unpack what this water crisis means for Joburg’s local government elections. Afternoon Drive with John Maytham is the late afternoon show on CapeTalk. Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic, and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30 pm. CapeTalk fans call in to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 to 18:00 (SA Time) to Afternoon Drive with John Maytham broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/BSFy4Cn or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/n8nWt4x Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent sentencing of activist Jimmy Lai and the conviction of the father of activist Anna Kwok in the same week marks a new phase in China's crackdown on activists. How far is Beijing prepared to go to silence dissent?Writer: Jess SwinburneProducer: Jess SwinburnePhotography: Sofia FentonExecutive Producer: Matt Russell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brussels is full of lobbyists. Over decades, big companies have been using their financial might not only to influence EU policies but even to shape how EU institutions are designed and what their key goals are. Host Licia Cianetti talks to Kenneth Haar, who for almost two decades has been conducting research on corporate lobbying in the EU for Corporate Europe Observatory. Kenneth explains how corporate lobbying works, what lobbyists want, and how a sketchily defined “competitiveness” agenda is driving a far-reaching deregulation drive by the European Commission, which endangers hard fought for environmental, social, health, and labour protections.  Guest: Kenneth Haar is a researcher and campaigner at Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO). His freely downloadable book, A Europe of Capital, details how corporate lobbyists got to the core of the European project. Corporate Europe Observatory is an advocacy and investigative research group. Their many reports, articles, and infographics on corporate lobbying in the EU are available on the CEO website. You can download their alternative tourist guide to Bussels here: “Lobby Planet – Brussels”. CEO's podcast EU Watchdog Radio is also highly recommended! Presenter: Licia Cianetti is Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham and Founding Deputy Director of CEDAR. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

James Shapiro discusses the historic 1936 Harlem premiere of Macbeth, the Federal Theater Project's creation under Harry Hopkins and Hallie Flanagan, and its significance for democracy during the Depression era.

Trump goes after Canada again just after his billionaire commerce secretary meets with the billionaire owner of a privately owned competing bridge between Canada and Mexico. Can you spell corruption? Why Wisdom Is Almost Always Mistaken for a Threat When It First Appears. Plus journalist John Parker reports from Minnesota. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Several of President Trump's cabinet members are under fire for a variety of controversies dogging the administration; former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland weighs in on the role of middle powers in the new global order being shaped by Trump; how a Canadian pro hockey legend plays into Trump's latest quest to cancel an important infrastructure project in the U.S. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump's continuous self-promotion is pushing a cult of personality in America; why Trump's FDA refuses to review clinical data behind a promising new flu vaccine; abortion bans prove deadly for pregnant patients with chronic conditions To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sen. Alex Padilla discusses the race to the bottom among Trump's cabinet officials and Republicans targeting of the 2026 midterms; former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland describes the new world order being shaped by Trump; how a new class of retiring GOP lawmakers is creating a so-called ‘Retirement Caucus' filled with ‘YOLO Republicans' To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.