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This week on LF&F, meet two artists and activists at the cutting edge of a burgeoning disability arts movement. Alice Sheppard is a wheelchair dancer and esteemed choreographer, and Jess Thom is a performer and comedian with Tourettes. Tune in on public television and radio.

People across U.S. are resisting authoritarianism in creative ways, and this is just the start. The folks at The People's Network for Land & Liberation (PNLL) say building a brighter future requires a vision of economic and social justice — and lots of practice. Listen wherever you get your podcasts

In this report from 2020, Laura travels to Spain and visits two of the places most brutally repressed under the 20th century dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Now the world's largest worker-owned co-ops reside there. Find the full special this week on public television and radio. #Spain #Coops

A civil war followed by decades of rule by the dictator Francisco Franco led Spain to respond to its authoritarian challenges by encouraging various cooperative efforts. In this episode from 2020, Laura travels to Spain to report on the growth of cooperative models. Tune in on public TV and radio.

History tells us that the probability of beating back authoritarianism skyrockets with worker organizing. Tarso Ramos, a longtime researcher on the far Right, and In These Times Executive Director Alex Han share more on the LF&F #podcast. Subscribe for conversations like these all month long.

Shares of liquefied natural gas production companies like Venture Global are skyrocketing amid the war on Iran, but LNG facilities pose major threats to people and the planet. In this episode, Laura speaks to Louisianans whose lives have been turned upside down by the expansion of LNG exports.

Louisiana is the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas in the US, and the construction of LNG plants is ramping up under the Trump administration. Hear what LNG plant expansion will look like in a region that is especially vulnerable to climate disasters. Tune in on public TV and radio this week

An AI revolution is underway, but so is the resistance. John Cassidy and Faiz Shakir say AI expansion is not a red or blue issue; it’s about who controls the technology and who stands to benefit. Listen wherever you get your podcasts and catch more conversations the labor movement all month long.

In the wake of #HurricaneHelene, community members Laura Flanders spoke to said the state and federal government were slow to respond; it was local organizers that raised funds and quickly distributed water, medicine and more. Tune in on public TV and radio and find Laura's commentary on Substack.

When Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina in September 2024, it came as a shock. But it was mutual aid networks that responded with creative, effective strategies to distribute water, medicine and help communities rebuild. Catch this special report on public television and radio this week.

Fifty years ago, workers at a UK military contractor were at risk of losing their jobs when they came together and drew up a plan to use their skills in a different way. The result was the history-making Lucas Plan, and you can learn all about it on this #MayDay! Tune in on public TV and radio.

This week on the LF&F #podcast, Laura speaks to Louisianans whose lives have been turned upside down by the petrochemical industry. Travis Dardar, a commercial fisherman, is a two-time climate refugee. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. #ClimateRefugee #Louisiana #LNG

Craigsville, Virginia’s local economy was hit hard when a maximum-security prison shut down last year. How can small, rural communities be supported as they transition away from a carceral economy? Check your local listings to watch this episode on public TV and radio, or visit us on YouTube.

There's no evidence to suggest that logging has led to significant economic development in the U.S. South. So why are many government leaders and agencies encouraging more wood production, despite deforestation and ecological damage Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Many of us are feeling the weight of ecological grief, but this moment is also full of possibilities. Alexis Pauline Gumbs' "Undrowned, Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals" proposes transformation — by exploring how dolphins, seals, whales do just that. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

A new season of Laura Flanders & Friends kicks off this week! First up: a special conversation with artist Akinsanya Kambon. Catch the full conversation on public television and radio, YouTube and podcast platforms. #AkinsanyaKambon #Artist #BlackPantherParty

The acclaimed social critic and economic powerhouse Robert Reich says America is “coming up short”, by failing to deal with the underlying problems that led to Donald Trump’s rise to power. Tune in on public television and radio this week, or head to the 🔗 in bio. #RobertReich #WealthInequality

In this episode, former Labor Secretary @rbreich.bsky.social discusses two bullies tormenting US democracy: concentrated wealth and corporate power. Hear what one of America's most influential voices on economic inequality has to say about taking democracy back from the oligarchs: bit.ly/47HsKqO

@thirdworldnewsreel.bsky.social’s catalog of over 700 titles features social justice stories from all over the world. Executive Director JT Takagi says TWN is working hard to make sure these films are preserved — especially as social justice storytelling is being suppressed: bit.ly/3OTs7mv

When #ZohranMamdani launched his mayoral campaign with three pitches — universal childcare, free and fast buses, and a rent freeze on rent-stabilized apartments — it caught people’s attention, and not just in NYC. This week, catch our 2025 report on his campaign and what it signals for the nation.

Before there was Netflix or Amazon, filmmakers were able to get their work to audiences on their own terms. Filmmaker, artist and activist Tami Gold says we need to return to film production and distribution that are separate from corporate structures: bit.ly/3OTs7mv @thirdworldnewsreel.bsky.social

In this episode, hear about the "pillars strategy" to defeat authoritarianism. Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart, Strategic Partnerships Director at @praeyesright.bsky.social, says the Christian church could take a stand against the weaponization of religion to advance authoritarianism: bit.ly/4kxY9Ai

In their first interview together, @indivisible.org’s @ezralevin.bsky.social & László Upor of the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest share strategies against authoritarianism and why creativity is an important resistance tool. Tune in on public TV and radio ahead of #NoKings on March 28

Blair Evans has designed and launched more than half a dozen Fab Lab centers, MIT-backed initiatives that are bringing digital fabrication like 3D-printing and more to communities across the country. People are learning how to make the things they need, and are using what they have: bit.ly/4kX9DgV

The State Fiscal Sovereignty Act would give states the power to withhold funds for the federal government if it doesn't obey election law. "This is a rational, nonviolent response to the social agreement of the US constitution being violated so extremely," says @carmitage.bsky.social: bit.ly/4bGxTkX

The militarization of our cities will have consequences for years to come. @jayapal.house.gov and @janessagoldbeck.bsky.social share how members of the military, veterans and the public can stand up for their communities. Watch or listen on public TV and radio, or find us online: bit.ly/3LmGv50

The Butterfly Impact Fund has raised millions of dollars for organizations that are feeding people, creating jobs, and more. Manager David Cobb says they are plan on raising even more funds, "with the explicit purpose of dismantling this racist, sexist, and class-oppressive society: bit.ly/4kX9DgV

The People's Network for Land & Liberation is a multiracial, multiethnic consortium of six community-based organizations who are doing politics and economics differently, in real places, across the U.S. Edget Betru, attorney, activist and PNLL Coordinator, shares more: bit.ly/4kX9DgV

#BadBunny made history with his performance at the Super Bowl last month. In this episode, documentary filmmaker and multimedia journalist Juan Carlos Dávila shares what this means — and if it changes anything — for Puerto-Rican storytellers like himself. Tune in at the 🔗 in bio. #PuertoRico #Media

Amid all the chaos of this moment, it’s still possible — and good for us — to relish the victories. Catch Laura’s commentary at the end of this week’s show, and visit her on Substack for an exclusive book review on William Morris’s “News from Nowhere”: lauraflanders.substack.com

The folks at The People's Network for Land & Liberation (PNLL) say building a brighter future requires a vision of economic and social justice — and lots of practice. In this episode, we look at some of those practical experiments and paths for radical change: bit.ly/4kX9DgV

Donald Trump is on record as saying “I love AI,” but data shows that most Americans don’t. Taking on Big Tech is no easy feat, but there is a growing movement to stop expansion and expose the true cost of the AI boom. @johncassidysays.bsky.social and @faiz.bsky.social tell us more: bit.ly/4k5S8uu

Back in 1968, filmmakers and activists created @thirdworldnewsreel.bsky.social to get their footage of protests to the masses. At the 🔗 in bio, hear Executive Director JT Takagi discuss a recent TWN retrospective and how audiences are responding to the films all these years later: bit.ly/3OTs7mv

Filmmakers Juan Carlos Dávila and Tami Gold say bring back film screenings! Around the country, theaters are becoming a place for community building and organizing. Watch or listen to the full conversation this week on public television and radio, YouTube and podcast platforms: bit.ly/3OTs7mv

Donald Trump has an extensive, decades-long record of demeaning, objectifying, and allegedly abusing women. Why do some of the women in his circle go along with misogyny? @ninaburleigh.bsky.social, a New York Times bestselling author and "American Freakshow" creator, breaks it down: bit.ly/4kxY9Ai

What might the late great documentary maker Frederick Wiseman say about how our attention is being spent in relation to Gaza? Find out at the end of this week’s show, and visit Laura Flanders on Substack and become a subscriber to receive her extended commentary. 🔗 in bio. #Commentary #Gaza

It’s almost unheard of for an independent media collective to survive as long as @thirdworldnewsreel.bsky.social has. Since 1968, they have chronicled some of the most pivotal movements in human history, and there’s lots to learn about how they’ve adapted in today’s “media carnage": bit.ly/3OTs7mv

AI could exacerbate wealth inequality and put people out of jobs — the same way new tech replaced artisanal workers in the 1800s. @newyorker.com's @johncassidysays.bsky.social and @moreperfectunion.bsky.social's @faiz.bsky.social discuss the movement against AI and what's at stake: bit.ly/4k5S8uu

The Trump agenda is setting back women’s and LGBTQ rights, but there are more actors in this story. On this week’s podcast, hear why ethno-nationalists, tech oligarchs and others are coalescing around gender politics. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. @praeyesright.bsky.social

"If Congress fails to prosecute the powerful and tear down this system today, they are not only failing to prevent the next Jeffrey Epstein from coming around, they are using federal policy to build and maintain his trafficking machine." - @GRITLaura.bsky.social bit.ly/4kxY9Ai #Epstein #ICEOut

Donald Trump has a long record of demeaning and berating women. He’s also linked to Jeffrey Epstein and his name appears thousands of times in relation to what is arguably the biggest, sickest sex abuse scandal ever. But why is the sexism at the heart of Trumpism taken so lightly? bit.ly/4kxY9Ai

AI could further exacerbate wealth inequality and put people out of jobs — the same way new technology replaced skilled artisanal workers in the 1800s. In this episode, @johncassidysays.bsky.social and @faiz.bsky.social discuss the growing resistance movement against AI: bit.ly/4k5S8uu

Hear the strategies, tactics, and long-term vision needed to not just resist MAGA's agenda, but to build the alternative. In NYC, resistance looks like building affordable housing, says Sumathy Kumar, Executive Director of Housing Justice for All & NY State @tenantbloc.bsky.social: bit.ly/3MB6qXK

States are using the tools they have in the federal system to resist and oppose what they see is wrong. Some are even considering new legislation to protect their constituents. It's called "soft secession", and journalist and policy strategist @carmitage.bsky.social tells us more: bit.ly/4bGxTkX

@deanobeidallah.bsky.social was one of the few voices in the media speaking about Palestine, but he's noticed a shift. The lawyer, writer, award-winning comedian and host of SiriusXM radio’s “The Dean Obeidallah Show” says there's support for #Palestine like never before: bit.ly/4sV62U7

@carmitage.bsky.social & Sumathy Kumar are organizers and strategists with ideas for outmaneuvering MAGA at the state and municipal level. Hear what’s possible when people partner with state officials to protect constitutional freedoms from being violated by the federal government: bit.ly/4bGxTkX

Thinking is at least a two-person job, says feminist philosopher and scholar #DonnaHaraway. Much like a game of cat's cradle, thinking is an opportunity to exchange ideas, take risks with other people, and build on ideas. Find this conversation now on YouTube and podcast platforms: bit.ly/4jN89FJ

When data processing centers move in, those neighborhoods rarely see benefits, says @moreperfectunion.bsky.social's @faiz.bsky.social. AI expansion is not a red or blue issue, and more communities and politicians from all sides are raising their concerns. Learn more on this week's podcast (🔗 in bio)

The struggle over how technology is utilized is as old as capitalism, says @newyorker.com's @johncassidysays.bsky.social. In his book "Capitalism and Its Critics", he discusses the Luddites, 19th-century workers in Northern England who organized against technology taking their jobs: bit.ly/4k5S8uu

@joyannreid.bsky.social and @deanobeidallah.bsky.social were recently on the show to discuss corporate media’s missteps. Following the arrest of #DonLemon and Minneapolis freelance journalist Georgia Fort, hear about reporters “as part of the resistance” and the backlash they face: bit.ly/4sV62U7

Last week, one of the co-founders of the AI company Anthropic issued the most dire warning yet about where that technology could lead us. "The dual fights against authoritarianism and for humanity and the planet are the fights of our lifetime," says @GRITLaura.bsky.social: bit.ly/4k5S8uu

Americans are feeling the strain of AI data centers and organizing to slow down or stop new big tech projects. @newyorker.com's @johncassidysays.bsky.social and @moreperfectunion.bsky.social's Faiz Shakir say AI expansion is not a red or blue issue; it’s about who stands to benefit: bit.ly/4k5S8uu

#DonnaHaraway’s concept of response-ability could teach us how to meet this moment. In this episode, the esteemed feminist philosopher and scholar shares some of the ways we can think beyond binaries, cultivate community and take risks. Tune in on YouTube and podcast platforms: bit.ly/4jN89FJ

The Trump administration is rolling back accessibility measures and gutting the agencies that are supposed to enforce accommodations. It's part of a larger push "to distress people who are disabled," says @thrasherxy.bsky.social, author of The Viral Underclass & The Overseer Class: bit.ly/4pxYUu2

@deanobeidallah.bsky.social is a lawyer, writer, award-winning comedian and host of SiriusXM radio’s national daily program “The Dean Obeidallah Show”. In this episode, he discusses bothsidesism, the media's responsibilities to the public and "our Battle of Gettysburg" on the horizon: bit.ly/4sV62U7

"The Joy Reid Show" host @joyannreid.bsky.social says the ICE killing of #ReneeGood is "an escalation." Executing a white Christian mom in broad daylight sends a message to white America: no one safe from ICE violence, not even the people ICE was supposed to protect: bit.ly/4sV62U7

Journalism is at an inflection point, so where does that leave journalists? @deanobeidallah.bsky.social and @joyannreid.bsky.social discuss the money media’s dangerous denials, the problem with bothsidesism in a time of fascism, and the coverage of Renee Good’s killing in Minneapolis: bit.ly/4sV62U7

Humans can be a menace to the natural world, but we can also be medicine. Plant ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer's research shows that nature benefits from human interaction, and her new "Plant Baby Plant" initiative is showing what's possible when people come together to restore plants: bit.ly/4jbYbxd

Feminist philosopher and scholar Donna Haraway isn't the first guest on the show to gush about the joys of movement building! In these heavy times, take a moment to listen to her message. Subscribe to the podcast to receive this week's episode and the full, uncut conversation with Haraway (🔗 in bio)

2020 taught us a lot about the failures in our society and political systems, says @disphilanthropy.bsky.social's @notyouravgho101.bsky.social. While people spoke about "going back to normal," normal was never good enough. ". . . There was no equality or equity prior to the pandemic." bit.ly/4pxYUu2

Feminist philosopher and scholar Donna Haraway's 1985 essay "A Cyborg Manifesto" continues to reach new audiences, but a 2026 manifesto wouldn't be complete without a discussion on “mono-thought" and OpenAI. Learn about Haraway's groundbreaking works and new threats to our thinking: bit.ly/4jN89FJ

Feminist philosopher and scholar Donna Haraway's lifetime of work offers something rare: a way to examine the world through a transdisciplinary, interspecies framework and challenge conventions. In this vast conversation, Donna and Laura discuss everything from AI to dog agility! bit.ly/4jN89FJ

In her 1985 essay “A Cyborg Manifesto” and 2003’s “The Companion Species Manifesto”, feminist philosopher and scholar Donna Haraway challenged patriarchal, binary, species-ist frameworks. It’s no surprise that people are looking to her work again now: bit.ly/4jN89FJ

Plant ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer's Plant Baby Plant initiative brings people together to restore plants, but you don't need a piece of land to get involved, she says.Catch the full conversation on YouTube and podcast platforms: bit.ly/4jbYbxd #RobinWallKimmerer #PlantBabyPlant #Ecology

When disability activist Alice Wong died in November, feminists, anti-racist activists, anti-genocide activists and countless others shared how Wong impacted their lives. @thrasherxy.bsky.social, author of The Viral Underclass & The Overseer Class, describes her intersectional life: bit.ly/4pxYUu2

@disphilanthropy.bsky.social's @notyouravgho101.bsky.social says a better future for disabled people is at risk, now that the Right has made cuts to special education. "If we are not going to have thriving young people with disabilities, then we're not going to have disabled adults." bit.ly/4pxYUu2

Disability activist Alice Wong talked about cripping the world, or in her words, "to bend, compress, twist, subvert, imbue disabled wisdom into systems, institutions and cultures." Could we do it in the next hundred years, asks Laura Flanders in this week's closing commentary: bit.ly/4pxYUu2

Alice Wong lived longer than she expected, but not long enough. The celebrated disability activist has been called an oracle, visionary, unapologetic and fearless, and @notyouravgho101.bsky.social and @thrasherxy.bsky.social are committed to lifting up her legacy: bit.ly/4pxYUu2

On this week's podcast, plant ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer shares how language impacts the way we view nature. In the English language, plants are referred to as "it," or objects. "I found the solution as I was beginning to learn my own Indigenous language," says Kimmerer: bit.ly/49qgVnZ

Plant ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer has taught people of all ages about the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature. Her new project “Plant Baby Plant” is putting those teachings in practice, and she’s on the show to tell us more. Tune in on TV and radio, YouTube and podcast platforms.

Plant ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer is helping people turn their ecological grief into action with Plant Baby Plant. The new initiative brings people together to restore plants, connect with nature and build collective power for the Earth. Learn more on this week's show: bit.ly/4jbYbxd

Why do we need to connect to the natural world to survive? That’s the question we explore on this week’s show. Stay until the end of the episode for Laura’s commentary, and subscribe to her Substack to receive extended commentaries every week. 🔗 in bio. #Ecology #Environment #Commentary

Plant ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer joins Laura Flanders & Friends today to tell us all about "Plant Baby Plant", a counter movement to the Republican's "Drill, Baby, Drill" campaign. Join us on YouTube today at 5:00 p.m. ET or catch the show on public television and radio all week: bit.ly/4jbYbxd

Last Thanksgiving, police showed up at investigative journalist Steven Monacelli's home after an FBI impersonator submitted a bogus tip against him. @stevanzetti.bsky.social had to make changes to protect himself, but the threats haven't deterred him from reporting on extremism: bit.ly/4piHouv

Illiberal democracy is an oxymoron! László Upor is former Vice Rector and Acting Rector of the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest — the one university that fought back when the Viktor Orbán administration began taking control of Hungary’s universities: bit.ly/3MzgDDN

With each piece he creates, artist Akinsanya Kambon brings suppressed histories of both colonization and liberation to life. In this episode, Laura joins Kambon from his studio to learn about the role of art in the struggle to keep our stories alive. Tune in this week on public TV and radio.

"Girl Warrior: On Coming of Age" is the new book from the celebrated writer Joy Harjo. Written as a guide for young people, especially young Indigenous girls, there’s a message for anyone looking for help finding their way in a time of transformation — a metamorphosis, she shares: bit.ly/49sHACt

Governments often justify military spending by saying it will create jobs, but what if the workers had a say? 50 years ago, employees at Lucas Aerospace, a military contractor in the United Kingdom came up with an alternative plan. Learn more about the Lucas Plan this week on public TV and radio.

Experts in counterterrorism are saying the federal government is "effectively gone,” now that the Trump administration has redirected funds and agents away from tracking Right-wing terror. @rawstory.com investigative journalist Jordan Green warns about growing impunity: bit.ly/4piHouv

@indivisible.org, the group behind Hands Off & No Kings rallies, began with a guide on resisting Trump's agenda. Co-founder @ezralevin.bsky.social shares why building a participatory democracy is part of their mission & how the group was inspired by anti-autocracy actions in Hungary: bit.ly/3MzgDDN

According to a leaked memo, the DOJ is charging the IRS with going after the funders of nonprofit organizations. The news is no surprise, says @GRITLaura.bsky.social. Stay until the end of this week’s show for her commentary, and look out for the extended version on Substack: bit.ly/3MzgDDN

Rob and Michele Reiner co-produced the film "God & Country" on Christian Nationalism. We invited Rob Reiner and director Dan Partland on the show last year, and the conversation is just as relevant now. Today we're honoring Rob & Michele with a re-air of our God & Country special: bit.ly/44F2ICd

We’ve produced over 200 episodes since our launch on PBS, and it’s all thanks to you. Your donation helps sustain this work and ensure that our archives are available for years to come. Please make a contribution during our year-end fundraiser and bring even more episodes of LF&F to the masses!

When Hungary’s regime began taking control of universities, only one fought back: The University of Theater and Film Arts in Budapest where László Upor was one of the leaders. Now they are building a liberatory and international alternative. Find out more on this week’s podcast: bit.ly/4s5UTPW #SzFE

@indivisible.org Co-Executive Director @ezralevin.bsky.social and László Upor, Acting Rector of SzFE in Budapest, Hungary are experienced resisters with lots to share about movement strategy. Hear some of the creative efforts that have emerged in the face of autocracy: bit.ly/3MzgDDN