The Nation Podcasts

Trump's efforts to interfere with voting, and with certification of the results, have not been successful. Rick Hasen of the UCLA Law School says “We're doing well on election protection”: the courts have been strong, the blue states have been a bulwark, and—most important—early voting has been big. Rick is also director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project and editor of the Election Law Blog. Also: If the election goes roughly as the polls say it will, next Tuesday will mark the beginning of the end of the Trump era. Harold Meyerson comments, focusing on getting to 51 in the Senate—or, better yet, 52. Harold is editor-at-large of The American Prospect. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We haven’t had any political candidates on Fighting Fascism yet. But we decided to make an exception for Jane Kim, who is running to be the next insurance commissioner of California. Part of that exception is because Jane is an old friend. But part of it is because the office she’s running for touches on such interesting and important issues. We don’t think often about insurance, particularly property and casualty insurance. But it’s the foundation for so much of our economic world. And right now it’s not working. Well, it’s actually working great for the massive corporations raking in billions in profits while denying and underpaying claims and saddling us with massive climate risks. But Jane believes a better way is possible. And we think you will, too, after listening to our conversation. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

“No one has a right to tell you how to organize, to free yourself, and to liberate yourself.” The fight over Cop City was never just about a police training center. In Atlanta, a multiracial, multigenerational movement brought together environmental justice, land conservation, police abolition, and grassroots organizing to challenge the destruction of a forest and expansion of police power. In this episode of A People’s Climate, Shilpi Chhotray talks with organizer Kamau Franklin about the strategies behind the Stop Cop City movement—and the lessons it offers for fights still to come. Although the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center was ultimately built, the movement showed how organizers can build power across ideologies, work through decentralized networks, shape the public narrative, and connect struggles that are often treated as separate. Franklin and Shilpi also discuss the criminalization of protesters, including the killing of forest defender Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán. They examine what it means to organize under state repression and ultimately, what the Stop Cop City movement can teach those fighting for justice. Key Topics Climate & the forest: Why protecting Atlanta’s South River Forest was an environmental justice fight Movement tactics: The organizing strategies behind Stop Cop City, from town halls and petition drives to direct action, civil disobedience, and decentralized organizing. Defining violence: Why organizers challenged the idea that property destruction is equivalent to violence—and who gets to define legitimate protest. Organizing across differences: How a decentralized movement brought together people with different ideologies, tactics, and political traditions. The power of narrative: How organizers turned “Cop City” into a powerful frame and pushed back against efforts to portray protesters as outsiders or extremists. Criminalizing dissent: The killing of forest defender Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán and the sweeping RICO charges brought against protesters. Building power under repression: How movements can organize when the state is working to divide, intimidate, and silence them. Lessons for future fights: What Stop Cop City can teach organizers fighting for climate, racial, and environmental justice beyond Atlanta. Resources Community Movement Builders No Cop City, No Cop World: Lessons from the Movement Edited by Micah Herskind Mariah Parker, and Kamau Franklin Credits Presented by Counterstream Media and The Nation Powered by Wildseeds Fund Host: Shilpi Chhotray Executive Producer: Mindy Ramaker Engineer: Ameeta Ganatra Project Manager: Asia Simms Kamau Franklin Kamau Franklin (he/him) is the founder of Community Movement Builders. He’s been a dedicated community organizer for over thirty years. For 18 years, Kamau was a leading member of a national grassroots organization dedicated to the ideas of self-determination and the teachings of Malcolm X. He’s spearheaded organizing work in areas, including youth organizing, police misconduct, and developing sustainable urban communities. Kamau has coordinated community cop-watch programs, liberation schools for youth, electoral and policy campaigns, large-scale community gardens, organizing collectives and alternatives to incarceration programs. Kamau was an attorney for ten years in New York with his own practice in criminal, civil rights and transactional law. He now lives in Atlanta with his two children. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Neera Tanden has not yet posted a tirade about AP, and we’re starting to take it personally. In this week’s news: the U.S. and Israel prepare for renewed strikes against Iran after the midterms (1:07); an Ansar Allah/Houthi missile strike kills at least 73 people at a military camp in Yemen, while continued attacks force Saudi Arabia to cancel a major investment conference and Pakistan, Britain, Egypt, and France offer defensive support to the kingdom (7:52); Israeli settlers assault an American journalist and attack European diplomats, while Israeli forces detain dozens of volunteers in the West Bank (15:05); North Korea announces the resumption of anti-South Korean loudspeaker broadcasts amid unverified rumors that Kim Jong Un has died (19:12); drone strikes kill hundreds in Sudan and the disputed Abyei region (22:28); Ethiopia establishes a new interim administration in Tigray (25:02); the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to spread (27:01); Ukraine resumes attacks on Russian oil refineries, angering Trump (29:33); Steve Witkoff meets with Zelenskyy and Putin as the U.S. restores intelligence support for Ukraine (30:41); Russia signals a possible return to peace talks (32:28); massive protests over the high cost of living sweep France (37:30); and Haitian armed groups abduct four Salvadoran soldiers, prompting El Salvador to threaten military action (40:58). Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hyperscale data centers are not an inevitable infrastructure, but a product of capitalist financialization pushing us further from a livable future. Ingrid Burrington interviews Paris Marx about his new book Hyperscale, discussing the history behind the rise of hyperscale data centers and how companies are obscuring their true social and environmental costs to maximize profits before the overinflated bubble bursts. Ingrid Burrington is the author of Networks of New York and host of RIP Corp. She’s been writing about internet infrastructure for over a decade, including an 18-story online series for The Atlantic in 2015. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It’s Tech Day here at AP, so Danny and Derek speak with Quinn Slobodian, professor of international history at Boston University, and writer Ben Tarnoff, co-authors of Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed, about Elon Musk's role in contemporary capitalism. They discuss Fordism and Muskism; the influence of apartheid South Africa on Musk's approach to production; his vision of AI and human-machine integration; the political significance of his acquisition of Twitter; DOGE's expansion of government data collection and immigration enforcement; and the potential for regulating or replacing Big Tech. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Republicans are spending hundreds of millions on the midterms, but their money hasn’t been able to counter the crisis of affordability, the disgust with Trump’s corruption, and the quality of many of the Democratic candidates. Harold Meyerson comments – he’s editor at large of The American Prospect. Also: Katha Pollit argues that the gang rape at a Cornell fraternity party could have been stopped--if someone had bothered to intervene. But no one did. “Where were the good guys?” She asks. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dr. Isabella Weber’s new book is called Anti-Fascist Economics. As a native of Nuremberg, where the Nazis staged their famous mass rallies, there’s another term she also uses: the economics of “never again.” We think this book is such an important intervention in the world right now. So we were thrilled to have Isabella on the show to discuss why the rise of today's authoritarian movements is not an accident, but is rooted in an economic order that has treated regular people as expendable while elevating markets above democratic choice. In the face of rising costs, what if we didn’t take the primacy of corporate profits and market fundamentalism as a given? What if, instead, we said, “Let’s do something about this! Let’s take on the corporate profiteering and stabilize the price of essential goods and actually use government to help people so they don’t elect a bunch of fucking fascists!” If you care about democracy, you should read Isabella’s book. And you should definitely check out this episode. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

“This is about life. And this extractive industry is not a giver of life, it is a taker of life.” On March 23, 2026, a massive explosion tore through the Valero refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, shaking homes and sending a plume of smoke over a community that has lived with oil and petrochemical pollution for generations. In this episode of A People’s Climate, host Shilpi Chhotray talks with John Beard Jr., a former refinery worker who spent 38 years inside the industry, about what happens when global oil decisions become local realities. From U.S. policy toward Venezuelan oil to the expansion of petrochemical production and the world's demand for plastics, Beard connects the decisions made far from Port Arthur to the people who pay the price close to home. They explore who benefits from the fossil fuel economy, who bears its risks, and what it would take to build a transition that doesn't leave communities to pay for it with their health and their lives. Key Topics Global oil, local consequences: How decisions about oil, foreign policy, and energy affect communities right here in the United States. The price of fossil fuels: Why communities like Port Arthur bear the pollution, health risks, and industrial disasters that make fossil fuel profits possible. The Valero explosion: What the March 2026 refinery explosion revealed about the risks fence-line communities live with every day. Oil & petrochemicals: How Gulf Coast communities became sacrifice zones for refining, plastics, and global fossil fuel demand. Who benefits?: The disconnect between the industry's promise of jobs and prosperity and the economic realities facing Port Arthur residents. A just transition: What it means to move away from fossil fuels while repairing the damage already done and protecting workers and communities. Building power: Why communities need political power to challenge an industry whose reach extends from local government to global geopolitics. Resources Port Arthur Community Action Network A People’s Climate Episode: An Unreasonable Woman with Diane Wilson - Another Texan’s historic win against the petrochemical industry U.S. Gulf South Climate and Environmental Justice organizations: Better Brazoria: Clean Air & Water Cheek Texas Community Association Climate Conversation Brazoria County Concerned Citizens of St. John Parish For a Better Bayou Freeport Haven Project for Environmental Justice Houston Climate Movement Mossville Environmental Action Now (MEAN) Permian Gulf Coast Coalition RISE St. James S.A.F.E. Communities San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper South End Charlton-Pollard Greater Historic Community Association Southern Sector Rising t.e.j.a.s. (Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services) The Vessel Project of Louisiana Credits Presented by Counterstream Media and The Nation Powered by Wildseeds Fund Host: Shilpi Chhotray Executive Producer: Mindy Ramaker Engineer: Ameeta Ganatra Project Manager: Asia Simms John Beard, Jr. John Beard, Jr. is the Founder and CEO of the Port Arthur Community Action Network. After working in the oil industry for 38 years, Beard became a community advocate in his hometown of Port Arthur, Texas, dedicated to holding the industry accountable. He founded the Port Arthur Community Action Network to fight for health and safety protections in an area dense with refineries, export terminals, and petrochemical plants. Over the past year, Beard has emerged as a national and global environmental justice leader, serving as a civil society delegate to the U.N. Plastic Treaty negotiations, the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, and the Conference of Parties negotiations on climate change. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Metallica says they stay out of politics, so Danny and Derek are reassessing their approach to the show. In this week’s news: Navi Pillay wins the Nobel Peace Prize, angering Trump (3:51); Ansar Allah strikes Saudi airports and oil facilities (7:58) while fighting continues on multiple fronts in Yemen (11:35); attacks on commercial ships escalate near the Strait of Hormuz (13:45), and the U.S. prepares a new bombing campaign against Iran (15:59); Israeli forces kill at least eight people in Gaza on the first anniversary of the “ceasefire” as the Palestinian Authority postpones elections until at least September 2027 (19:12); in southern Lebanon, Israeli forces demolish dozens of towns and villages (22:22); China’s trade surplus grows at a record pace (24:04); Egyptian drone strikes kill at least 72 gold miners in Sudan (25:43); Ethiopian forces advance toward the Eritrean border (28:20); former Congolese president Joseph Kabila forms a new rebel coalition with M23 (31:38) as the country’s Ebola outbreak surpasses 9,000 confirmed cases (33:27); Trump suspends sanctions on Russian diesel exports and clashes with Zelensky (34:24); Trump declares a Russia-Ukraine energy ceasefire that fails to take hold as Ukraine reports several days without Western intelligence on Russian airstrikes (37:40); Ukrainian forces report temporary restrictions on Starlink service (38:52); and the U.S. seeks control of frozen Russian assets held in Europe (43:07). Don’t forget to pre-order Welcome to the Crusades: The Second Crusade with promo code CRUSADES15 for 15% off. Offer is valid through October 27! More of Danny’s work at Imperialist Realism. More of Derek’s work at Foreign Exchanges. Catch a replay of last night’s livestream. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Data centers are being approved without proper oversight into their broader impacts, but there are organizations pushing back. Martha Dark joins Paris Marx to discuss her work at Foxglove and how legal challenges against data centers are imposing stronger rules and reframing false narratives from policymakers and Big Tech. Martha Dark is co-executive director of Foxglove. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Danny and Derek speak with historian Stuart Schrader about the history and political power of police unions in the US. They discuss the rise of police unions in the 1960s, their relationship with organized labor, resistance to the civil rights movement and affirmative action, the role of race in policing, bipartisan support for policing and the 1990s crime bills, the growing political influence of the Border Patrol union, and the future of police reform and abolition. Get your copy of Stuart’s book Blue Power: How Police Organize to Protect and Serve Themselves. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Most political reporting has been about Democrats’ chances of taking control of Congress, but the Governors’ races hold the key to election protection in the 2028 presidential vote. Harold Meyerson explains, and examines the contest now underway in Nevada. Harold is Editor-at-Large of The American Prospect. Also: John Berger, author of the classic “Ways of Seeing,” was more than a Marxist art critic. On the 100th anniversary of his birth, John Powers comments on his life and work—both of which were extraordinary. John is critic-at-large on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Data centers and AI, AI and data centers. We all know how pivotal these issues have become. But lots of the analysis on these topics has been coming from pundits who are the farthest removed from them. That’s why we wanted to speak with Ben Inskeep and Bryce Gustafson from Citizen Action Coalition. Bryce and Ben have been helping communities on the frontlines of data center fights in Indiana organize and stand up against Big Tech, and their on-the-ground insights—about what’s motivating the backlash, the potential for a broader political realignment, and more—are critical to understanding what’s actually going on right now. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

That’s why The Nation’s justice correspondent Elie Mystal thinks the Supreme Court should matter to everyone who cares about climate and environmental justice. The Court can block laws, limit the government’s ability to regulate polluters, and prevent communities from holding powerful companies accountable. In this episode of A People’s Climate, Shilpi Chhotray talks with Mystal about what happens when some of the biggest climate battles are being decided by a few unelected judges. Mystal explains how the Supreme Court has changed, why its decisions have such far-reaching consequences for climate policy, and what recent cases like Loper Bright and Suncor Energy reveal about the stakes. He and Shilpi also discuss what can be done to change the Supreme Court, including stronger ethics rules, term limits, and expanding the number of justices. Note: At the time of recording, Justice Samuel Alito had not recused himself from Suncor Energy v. Boulder County, which is discussed in this episode. On September 28, 2026, Alito recused himself from the case. Key Topics The Supreme Court & climate: Why the Court has become such an important battleground over climate laws, environmental protections, and corporate accountability. The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court can block or change major climate policies through emergency rulings—without hearing full arguments or explanations. Loper Bright & the EPA: What overturning Chevron deference means for regulating polluters and protecting the environment. Fossil fuel accountability: What the Suncor Energy case could mean for efforts to hold oil and gas companies responsible for climate-related harms. Supreme Court ethics: Questions around conflicts of interest, financial ties, recusals, and the lack of a binding ethics code for the justices. Reforming the Court: What could be done to change the Supreme Court, including term limits, stronger ethics rules, and adding more justices. Climate & political power: Why understanding the courts is essential to understanding where climate policy gets made—and where it can be blocked. Resources Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America by Elie Mystal Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution by Elie Mystal Contempt of Court podcast hosted by Elie Mystal The Inside Story of Five Days That Remade the Supreme Court Credits Presented by Counterstream Media and The Nation Powered by Wildseeds Fund Host: Shilpi Chhotray Executive Producer: Mindy Ramaker Engineer: Dennis Maxwell Project Manager: Asia Simms Elie Mystal Elie Mystal is The Nation's justice correspondent and a columnist; host of its legal podcast, Contempt of Court; and author of the weekly newsletter “Elie v. U.S.” He is also an Alfred Knobler Fellow at Type Media Center and the author of the New York Times best-sellers Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution and Bad Law: 10 Popular Laws That Are Ruining America. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Derek has returned, but he keeps trying to get Danny to go to some seminar led by a charismatic “mentor” he encountered in his travels. In this week’s news: war breaks out in Ethiopia’s Tigray region (0:43); Flavio Bolsonaro wins the first round of Brazil’s presidential election as the right makes major gains (6:46); in Yemen, the government’s counteroffensive against Ansar Allah stalls (9:51), the group attacks airports in Saudi Arabia and Yemen (12:40), and Saudi Arabia seeks outside military support (13:42); the U.S. prepares to resume its war against Iran as the Islamic Republic intensifies attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz (17:44); in Japan, a U.S. Marine’s arrest for alleged murder sparks protests against the American military presence on Okinawa (22:18); Sudan’s military advances in North Kordofan (25:20) and Sudanese military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan rejects peace talks (28:06); in Mali, Tuareg rebels withdraw from Kidal as government forces retake the town (29:54); the U.S. and the WHO seek information about suspected plague cases at a Russian lab (29:54); Russian attacks across Ukraine kill at least 25 (32:57); Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calls a snap election (35:00); the U.S. bombs another alleged drug boat in the Caribbean (37:12); and Trump creates a new AI task force called the Super Intelligence Force (38:12). Note: Since recording, Trump has said that the U.S. will not attack Iran before the November midterm elections. Watch a replay of last night’s livestream with journalist Michael Fox about Brazil’s elections. Subscribe and check out our History of Modern Palestine series with Rashid Khalidi. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Brazil’s renewable energy is being exploited to justify unnecessary data center construction. Laís Martins joins Paris Marx to discuss why the renewable energy sector is behind a rise in Brazilian data center development, how this is impacting communities, and the ways this greenwashing is redirecting funding away from more socially progressive projects. Laís Martins is a technology reporter at The Intercept Brasil. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Danny and Derek welcome back to the show Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor Emeritus of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University and author of Palestine: A Primer, to talk about changes in the regional and political landscape of Palestine since October 7. They discuss adapting The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine for a younger audience, the devastation of Gaza, Hamas’s October 7 strategy and its miscalculations, the Biden administration’s support for Israel, changes in the Middle East after the war with Iran, shifting American attitudes toward Israel and Palestine, the prospects for Palestinian resistance, and the destruction of Gaza’s cultural and historical heritage. Be sure to grab a copy of Palestine: A Primer, an adaptation of The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine aimed toward a younger audience. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The real threat of AI is not the destruction of humanity, but rather replacing human labor with machines—that’s what Garrison Lovely argues. He’s the author of Obsolete: The AI Industry’s Trillion Dollar Race to Replace Us—and How to Stop It. Also: Our right to peaceful protest is under assault. To save it, we need to “respect it, defend it, and more than anything – use it.” that’s what Annie Leonard says - she’s a longtime activist who spent 17 years with Greenpeace USA, then she helped launch the Jane Fonda Climate PAC. And she’s co-author of the new book, “Protest.” Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Staten Island is often referred to—by its inhabitants—as the Forgotten Borough of New York City. But who knew that in the 1990s, Staten Islanders literally tried to secede. Our guest this week, Ben Naddaff-Hafrey, is a journalist and senior producer for the Revisionist History podcast, and he’s created a brilliant new series called The Staten Island Problem that tells the history of this moment when New York City almost came apart. Ben sees this story as an early example of the politics of resentment that dominates America today. To understand Staten Island is to understand the communities across our country that feel forgotten and disrespected, whose resentments Trump rode to power. Oh, and obviously we also talk about how Staten Island—or Shaolin, as they call it—explains the Wu-Tang Clan, which totally fits perfectly well with the other themes and definitely isn’t just shoehorned in because it’s super interesting. To get started on Ben’s series: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revisionist-history/id1119389968?i=1000776007729 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Many of Joe Biden’s closest advisors are now well-ensconced in the sinecures reserved for the elite, working at think tanks, academia, and major media outlets. Normally, they could expect to have future jobs when the Democrats retake the White House. But this cozy situation is being disrupted by ongoing reporting showing the extent of their complicity in the Gaza genocide and other US crimes in the Middle East. I spoke about this with Connor Echols, managing editor of Responsible Statecraft, who wrote an excellent article on the efforts to hold these officials accountable. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

“National security has always explicitly been about fossil fuels.” The U.S. military is the world’s largest institutional consumer of fossil fuels—and one of the largest sources of environmental destruction. Yet its role in the climate crisis is rarely part of mainstream climate or environmental justice conversations. In this episode of A People’s Climate, host Shilpi Chhotray talks with independent journalist and documentary filmmaker Abby Martin about why meaningful climate action must confront militarism. As military spending rises and wars continue to devastate communities and ecosystems, the connections between war, fossil fuels, and environmental destruction are becoming harder to ignore. Martin traces how military power has shaped the climate crisis, from the toxic legacy of U.S. military bases to the destruction of land and water in Hawaiʻi and the environmental costs of modern warfare. She and Shilpi also explore why climate and anti-war movements have so often operated separately—and what it could look like to build a broader movement capable of confronting both systems. Key Topics War & fossil fuels: How fossil fuel extraction, U.S. military power, and global war are deeply intertwined. The environmental cost of war: The carbon emissions, toxic rubble, contaminated soil and water, and ecosystem destruction left behind by modern warfare. Military pollution: The toxic waste and contamination generated by U.S. military bases, including the devastating legacy of Camp Lejeune. Hawaiʻi & militarism: How colonization and militarization have turned Hawaiʻi into a military playground, with lasting impacts on Indigenous land, water, and communities—including the Red Hill fuel spill. RIMPAC: What Abby Martin witnessed at the world’s largest international maritime military exercise—and its impact on Hawaiʻi’s land and ocean ecosystems. War & wildlife: How military sonar, weapons testing, and munitions damage marine life and leave pollution that can persist for generations. Connecting movements: Why climate and anti-war movements need to break out of their silos to confront the systems driving both crises. Building power: How divestment, grassroots organizing, labor action, and community resistance can challenge militarism and corporate power. Resources to Explore Earth’s Greatest Enemy The Empire Files Water Protectors Rise Up: Native Hawaiian resistance in the wake of the Red Hill disaster Collateral of the Permanent War: How 'national security' made communities and ecosystems disposable Credits Presented by Counterstream Media and The Nation Powered by Wildseeds Fund Host: Shilpi Chhotray Executive Producer: Mindy Ramaker Engineer: Ameeta Ganatra Project Manager: Asia Simms Abby Martin Abby Martin is an investigative journalist, filmmaker, and founder of The Empire Files, an independent video series exposing U.S. imperialism and its global consequences. She directed the widely acclaimed Gaza Fights for Freedom (2019) and Earth’s Greatest Enemy (2026), a groundbreaking investigation into the U.S. military’s devastating environmental footprint and its role in the global climate crisis. Her uncompromising style has made her a standard-bearer of advocacy journalism and one of the most prominent figures in alternative media. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

As Derek completes the final phase of his vision quest, Alex Jordan of the Always at War podcast fills in once more. In this week’s news: U.S.-Iran talks stall over the order of concessions (1:28); Gulf oil exports return to prewar levels (4:34); Netanyahu uses an attempted seizure of a FlyDubai flight to reinforce his agenda as an election approaches (11:15); in Iraq, the U.S. ends its counter-ISIS mission (16:06); Pete Hegseth launches Project Meridian to study the “future of warfare” (21:35); Trump hosts tech leaders who pledge “tremendous” self-regulation (24:49); British police arrest five men near RAF Fairford amid claims of Iranian involvement (27:23); U.S. intelligence says Saudi Arabia is keeping a nuclear weapons option open (30:06); Russia warns NATO of a nuclear response if Kaliningrad faces a blockade (33:09); Germany’s foreign minister meets Russia’s foreign minister as Russian attacks hit Ukraine’s energy grid (37:27); and Brazil prepares for a presidential election between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro (41:13). Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Tech companies are working with the fossil fuel industry to push unnecessary data center projects while misrepresenting the climate impact — and governments are letting it all happen. Ketan Joshi joins Paris Marx to discuss how the data center buildout is driving a surge in fossil fuel investment, and how it’s all playing out in Australia. Ketan Joshi is a climate writer and data analyst based in Oslo working with climate and environmental groups. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of Indivisible, answers the question, “What’s the Plan -- for the next No Kings Nationwide Day of Action?” This one shifts from mass protest in the streets to organizing for early voting – and preparing for whatever Trump does to disrupt or undermine the vote, the count, and the certification. Also: The Supreme Court last Friday issued an order allowing states to use Trump’s SAVE database to purge their voter rolls of people the DHS considers ineligible – but it’s too late to apply to the midterms. Rick Hasen explains – he teaches law at UCLA and he’s Director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project and editor of the Election Law Blog. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Last week, we spoke with campaign manager Ben Shanahan about David Morales’s winning strategy in his successful campaign for Providence mayor. Today, we have a very different conversation with Jenn Steinfeld, David’s field director, about how they built the grassroots operation that knocked proportionately more doors than Zohran’s, without burning anyone out. It turns out campaigns really can run field the right way and win. Let’s do it more often! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

My Nation colleague Kate Wagner has written a brilliant critical essay on the Obama Center, which just opened in Chicago. I talk to her about how the history of presidential libraries, a now anachronistic form as well as the controversies surrounding the Obama Center’s displacement of public space and the dissatisfying way it memorializes the Obama presidency. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A People’s Climate is back for Season 2. Host Shilpi Chhotray takes you inside the fight for climate and environmental justice with organizers, legal experts, filmmakers, and movement leaders challenging the corporate and political forces blocking real change — from Big Oil and militarism to over-policing and the Supreme Court. This is essential listening for anyone serious about building a mass climate movement. New episodes every Saturday starting Oct 3, 2026. Guests this season include: LaTricea Adams - Founder and CEO of Young, Gifted & Green Brea Baker - Writer, Activist and Author of ROOTED: The American Legacy of Land Theft & The Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership Dr. Hatem Bazian - Decolonial scholar, professor at UC Berkeley, author, and activist John Beard Jr. - Founder and CEO of the Port Arthur Community Action Network Nalleli Cobo - Environmental Activist and Co-Founder of South Central Youth Leadership Coalition Kamau Franklin - Founder of Community Movement Builders U.S. Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost - Florida’s 10th Congressional District Abby Martin - Investigative journalist, Director of Earth’s Greatest Enemy, and founder of The Empire Files Elie Mystal - Justice Correspondent for The Nation Sean Sherman - Chef and Founder of Indígena by Owamni and North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems And more to be announced. Credits Presented by Counterstream Media and The Nation Powered by Wildseeds Fund Host: Shilpi Chhotray Executive Producer: Mindy Ramaker Engineer: Dennis Maxwell Project Manager: Asia Simms Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Danny and Derek talk with Noam Scheiber, New York Times reporter and author, about the radicalization of American college graduates. They discuss a Starbucks union campaign, underemployment among recent grads, the Taylorization of white-collar jobs, AI, corporate fixation on labor costs, the “con” of college for millennials, and the collapse of meritocracy. Buy your copy of Noam’s book on the subject, Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The primary force behind the settlement that will allow Trump’s allies at Paramount to take over Warners-Discovery and CNN was Gavin Newsom, who pressured California Attorney General Rob Bonta to end the anti-trust fight defending media independence. Norm Eisen explains – he’s co-founder and executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund and Democracy Defenders Action, and, the New York Times reported, “the leader of a coalition of entertainment and news industry professionals who opposed the deal.” Also: After Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House newsroom, the TV networks united in refusing coverage of his events – including Fox News. John Nichols has our analysis. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Two weeks ago, 28-year-old democratic socialist David Morales defeated Providence's incumbent mayor Brett Smiley in the latest electrifying win for the Democratic Party's populist wing. But how did it happen? And how can it be repeated? In the first episode of this two-parter, Aaron and Matt talk to David's campaign manager Ben Shanahan about the message, strategy, and tactics that powered this insurgent victory. Next week, we expand this conversation with David's field director, Jenn Steinfeld, who gives a window into what it looks like to combine electoral campaigns with movement building. For more analysis on David's win, see Aaron's piece in The Nation: https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/david-morales-mayor-race-providence-rhode-island/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

My Nation colleague Joan Walsh recently profiled Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff for the magazine. Georgia is very much a purple state. The fact that Ossoff won there and stands a good chance at re-election is evidence of his political talent, turning him into an increasingly prominent national figure. Joan and I talked about Ossoff’s background and the long struggle to transform Georgia, a formerly red state where Democrats are making headway. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Derek has journeyed to Bolivia seeking contact with the newly discovered cat species, so Alex Jordan of Always at War steps in to bring you the headlines. This week: in New Delhi, BRICS member states issue a fractured joint statement on restraint in the Middle East (1:12); Iran strikes a U.S.-contracted vessel near the Strait of Hormuz (5:42); a cyberattack disables Texas-bound tankers (8:30); a new Pentagon report puts the Iran war’s cost at $33.4 billion (9:59); the Houthis/Ansar Allah advance in Taiz and hit Saudi Arabia (14:46); Yemeni government forces strike back while the U.S. rules out direct involvement (19:00); China pushes Iran to restrain the Houthis (22:37); an Israeli strike collapses a building in Gaza City, killing at least 21 people (25:12); the U.S. approves a $2.8 billion weapons sale to Israel (27:34); Russia and Ukraine strike each other’s energy infrastructure (30:57); the House passes a Russia sanctions bill named in honor of Lindsey Graham (33:37); a banking scandal roils Brazil’s presidential race (37:53); and in Sweden, a left-wing bloc narrowly wins an election (41:12). Don’t forget to grab your copy of Danny’s new book Imperialist Realism. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Danny and Derek welcome back Akbar Shahid Ahmed, Diplomatic correspondent for The Washington Sun and author of Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel’s War on Gaza, to talk about the Biden administration’s role in enabling the genocide in Gaza. They discuss the conditions in the Strip as of the current day; Biden’s small inner circle of Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, and Brett McGurk; Jack Lew’s role of ambassador and the dubious war crime review process he implemented; the Rafah red line and its immediate collapse after Israel invaded; and the Democratic Party’s domestic political miscalculations heading into 2024 and 2028. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Only two Justices backed Trump in the Court’s ruling blocking his efforts to enlist the postal service in restricting voting by mail in the midterms. David Cole explains why this is a huge victory, but far from the end of Trump’s effforts to undermine Democratic voting. Also: The blue state attorneys general have succeeded in blocking the efforts of Trump’s allies at Paramount-Skydance from taking over Warners-Discovery, at least for now, but their lawsuit followed months of protests organized by, among others, Jane Fonda’s Committee for the First Amendment. Rashad Robinson has our analysis – his new book is From Presence to Power: How to take on the Fights that Matter – and Win. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Yotam Marom has been helping build movements—and many of the most important movement organizations—for the last 20 years. His new book, For Louder Days: Reaching Beyond a Politics of Powerlessness, is an essential read for everyone on the left who wants to win a better world. Yotam, who became an organizing leader in Occupy Wall Street alongside Jonathan approximately a million years ago, joined us to talk about the left's conflicted relationship to power, leadership, identity, and strategy. We discuss how and why movements too often get in our own way, turn on each other, and play small, and talk through the big shifts we need to make if we hope to win the big battles ahead. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I, for one, welcome our new AI overlords. In this week’s news: the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirms last month was tied for the hottest ever recorded (0:52); the Houthis/Ansar Allah take the port city of Mokha (1:45); the U.S. and Iran exchange ship attacks as oil prices rise (5:25); the IAEA refers Iran to the United Nations (7:32); Trump predicts an end to the Iran war immediately after the midterms (8:59); 12 countries ban products made in Israeli settlements (10:52); a new report alleges that Netanyahu ignored October 7 warnings and a chance to recover hostages (13:49); the IDF takes a strategic ridge in Lebanon, then escalates strikes (18:30); an arbitration court rules against India on the Indus Waters Treaty (20:49); new claims of famine emerge in Sudan’s Darfur region (23:05); the Nigerian government and Boko Haram maintain a ceasefire (24:59); the Trump administration phases out U.S. support for anti-AIDS programs in Namibia (27:21); American envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visit Russia and Ukraine (29:22); Ukraine tries to close Russian airspace (31:20); and in a trade war update, Canadian tariffs on U.S. goods take effect (32:50). Don't forget Derek's Substack, Foreign Exchanges. Enjoy Danny's new Substack, Imperialist Realism. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

For this Labor Day episode we’re joined by Bill Fletcher, a longtime union organizer who’s spent the last several years working to build out the labor movement’s anti-fascist infrastructure. Bill has an important reminder for those of us who direct most of our anti-fascist energy against Trump and the oligarchy: MAGA isn’t some astroturf trick. It’s a genuine social movement representing some 25-30 percent of Americans, and any strategies that ignore this fact are missing something fundamental about today’s dangerous political reality. You can learn more about Bill's organization, Standing for Democracy, here. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What can ancient human prehistory teach us about fighting fascism today? It turns out, quite a bit! So says historian Patrick Wyman, whose recent book, Lost Worlds, covers the 10,000 years between the end of the Ice Age and the Late Bronze Age collapse. Together, we discussed what makes societies fall apart, what is lost when they do, and how history demonstrates that human agency — and our decisions today — really do matter in determining what comes next for our civilization. Check out Patrick’s wonderful book, Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World⁠. And his great podcast, Past Lives: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/past-lives/id1852618120 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Danny and Derek speak with David Griscom, co-host of Left Reckoning and author of The Myth of Red Texas: Cowboys, Populism, and Class War in the Radical South, to talk about the all-but-ignored history of leftwing politics in Texas. Topics include: the current state of Texas politics, the Farmers’ Alliance and the People’s Party, the Texas Socialist Party and its newspaper The Rebel, the role of religion in Texas socialism, and the prospects for socialism in modern-day Texas. Along with the book and podcast, be sure to also check out David’s Substack The Rattler. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Is the resistance to data centers a new kind of mass politics? David Wallace-Wells explains why the answer is “yes.” He’s a writer for The New York Times Opinion pages and author of the unforgettable book “The Uninhabitable Earth.” Also: How to be a dissident in an age of fear – Ami Fields-Meyer has thought a lot about that. For starters: don’t start from scratch; don’t try to do it alone. Ami is co-author of the new book “On Courage.” Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Trump could proceed with construction of his ballroom—they explicitly did not rule on the merits of the case, but on the issue of standing for the plaintiff. Robert Weismann has our analysis – he’s co-president of Public Citizen. Also: The Democrats are now favored to win not only the House but also the Senate in November – they need to flip four seats, and their candidates are ahead in five. John Nichols explains. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Trump administration has announced a new set of harsh sanctions against Iran. This is a strange development since originally Trump launched a war on Iran on the pretext that sanctions weren’t working. Trita Parsi of the Qunicy Institute argues the current tactic won’t work and is a holding action as both the US and Iran bide their time in a long conflict. Parsi’s writings can be found on his Substack. In the interview, we discuss his column on the surprising way many governments are rooting for Iran to check US imperialism. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

American Prestige brand MREs use Argentinian beef, but don't worry, it's the good kind. In this week’s news: the US launches a new sanctions campaign against Iran (1:35); Iran and Oman negotiate the management of the Strait of Hormuz (5:49); a Haitian gang killing (9:20); the Israeli government takes bids for its E1 settlement (11:52); the US removes Syria from the terrorism sponsors list (14:30); the Syrian Democratic Forces announces its dissolution (15:43); Trump submits the Saudi nuclear deal to Congress (18:31); progress is made in negotiations between the DRC and M23 (23:46); the Ebola outbreak in the DRC continues to expand (26:26); the CIA director visits Russia (28:07); US-Canada trade talks collapse (31:10); and the United States prepares a deep sea mining auction around overseas territories (35:35). Don't forget Derek's Substack, ⁠Foreign Exchanges⁠. Enjoy Danny's new Substack, I⁠mperialist Realism⁠. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Not long ago, tech jobs were sought after for their security, benefits, wages, and the progressive values promoted by Silicon Valley companies. But now workers are barely hanging on. Clarissa Redwine and JS Tan join Paris Marx to discuss the state of worker organizing in the tech industry, including how it’s changed since the mid-2010s and where it needs to go from here. Clarissa Redwine is a tech worker and labor activist. JS Tan is a PhD candidate at MIT and writes the Value Added newsletter. They are the authors of Against Tech Oligarchy: Worker Resistance in the World's Most Powerful Industry. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy