People's Republic

NPR station WABE, based in Atlanta, has published a racist hit piece on Black progressive journalist Anoa Changa, accusing her of using “Russian-Backed Media” to spread her message. This is the latest in a series of smear campaigns by corporate media, which has used the so-called “Russiagate” conspiracy theory to discredit any left voices critical of the establishment. What ends do these attacks serve and who benefits from the silencing of left voices? And of course, what is the message that the corporate media is so eager to silence?Trump has declared his support for an Arab military presence in Syria, which would continue the U.S. occupation of Syria’s most mineral-rich areas by proxy. This comes after a largely unsuccessful U.S. airstrike aimed at Damascus. While U.S. escalation in Syria for so-called humanitarian pretenses receives bipartisan support, the massive atrocities committed by U.S., Saudi, and Israeli forces in Palestine and Yemen still go largely unanswered.Nationwide protests were called in re

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This is a reupload of an earlier episode for broadcast. We will resume programming new content next week with the release of the second Empire Supernova episode.This week, we are celebrating the 200th birthday of Karl Marx, one of the most influential political philosophers and the founder of scientific socialist thought. Beyond inspiring the socialist revolutions that have transformed societies across the globe, Marx made major breakthroughs in economic thought, theorizing the origin of commodity production and the labor theory of value. To study the living legacy of Marx today, we are now joined from Beijing by Ian Goodrum, an editor with China Daily and a member of the Communist Party USA.We are also joined by Dr. Derek Ford, an educational theorist at Depauw University, to discuss the historic summit that just took place in Korea.

This is a reupload of an earlier episode for rebroadcast. Brian Griffith is off this week.For our first segment, we will be discussing several unfolding world events. The United States has unveiled its new embassy in occupied Jerusalem, as Israel opens fire on protesters in Gaza. The ceremonial opening of the embassy stands in stark contrast to the violence being leveled against Palestinians across the country, which has continued largely unabated between Palestinian Land Day on March 30, Nakba Day on May 15, and the present. Later, Maduro has been reelected as the president of Venezuela with 67 percent of the vote. Venezuelan elections have been monitored by hundreds and sometimes thousands of international observers and the Venezuelan electoral system has been described as one of the most transparent in the world by many commentators, including former president Jimmy Carter. But the U.S. media largely refuses to acknowledge these certifications. Instead, most U.S. media has taken fringe right-wing elements

A history instructor at an Austin charter school told a Black student that she would “hang her upside down on a tree” and “take her down when she is no longer breathing.” The school has written a letter formally apologizing, but has so far refused to fire, suspend, or even investigate the teacher’s conduct. The teacher is still actively working and has attended school events that the student has also attended. What are the larger implications for school accountability and what steps are being taken to ensure a safe learning environment for Austin students?We are joined by Arenda Lawson, the mother of the student who was threatened, and by Chas Moore, the Executive Director of the Austin Justice Coalition, which is circulating a petition on social media to the school to hold the teacher accountable.Later, we commemorate the Stonewall Rebellion that occurred 49 years ago on June 28, 1969. The uprising marked a clear turning point in the struggle for LGBTQ rights. As Pride parades are now held across the country

The Democratic Party is attacking Donald Trump’s foreign policy from a position far to the right of Trump’s own “fire and fury” position. Why are the Democrats advocating for nuclear confrontation, and what are the facts on the ground from the Singapore summit? Later, we talk about a new Amnesty International condemnation of the United States’ massive infliction of civilian casualties in Raqqa. We are joined by Walter Smolarek, an analyst for Sputnik News; and Dr. Greg Shupak, author of the book The Wrong Story: Israel, Palestine, and the Media.

This week, Austin City Council will be voting on two resolutions pertaining to the fightback against Texas SB4, the draconian anti-immigration bill that made national news for its infringement on immigrant rights last year. What is at stake with the City Council vote on these items, and what precedent might that set for cities and organizations working to push back against attacks on immigrant communities at the local level?We are joined by Chris Harris, a data analyst and campaign coordinator; and Rebecca Sanchez, immigration organizer and visual projects coordinator. Both work with Grassroots Leadership. Grassroots Leadership is a non-profit that works for a more just society where prison profiteering, mass incarceration, deportation and criminalization are things of the past.

For our first segment, we will be discussing several unfolding world events. The United States has unveiled its new embassy in occupied Jerusalem, as Israel opens fire on protesters in Gaza. The ceremonial opening of the embassy stands in stark contrast to the violence being leveled against Palestinians across the country, which has continued largely unabated between Palestinian Land Day on March 30, Nakba Day on May 15, and the present. Later, Maduro has been reelected as the president of Venezuela with 67 percent of the vote. Venezuelan elections have been monitored by hundreds and sometimes thousands of international observers and the Venezuelan electoral system has been described as one of the most transparent in the world by many commentators, including former president Jimmy Carter. But the U.S. media largely refuses to acknowledge these certifications. Instead, most U.S. media has taken fringe right-wing elements of the Venezuelan opposition at face value. What is at stake for Maduro and the PSUV as th

We are starting this week with a discussion of Donald Trump’s nominee for CIA director, Gina Haspel. In 2002, Haspel became a chief of base for a CIA black site in Thailand, codenamed “Cat’s Eye,” where she oversaw acts of torture against al Qaeda suspects. Three years later, she would oversee the destruction of 92 tapes of evidence related to the torture of Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. Haspel has been described as “quite literally a war criminal” by Jameel Jaffer of the ACLU, and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights has called on German officials to issue an arrest warrant against Haspel. But instead of facing a day in prison over her egregious violations of human rights under international humanitarian law, Haspel has instead been nominated to lead the very agency she used to carry out these crimes. Two Democrats - Joe Donnelly, and Joe Manchin III - have announced their support for Haspel, while only two Republicans - Rand Paul and the ailing John McCain - are currently oppo

This week, we are celebrating the 200th birthday of Karl Marx, one of the most influential political philosophers and the founder of scientific socialist thought. Beyond inspiring the socialist revolutions that have transformed societies across the globe, Marx made major breakthroughs in economic thought, theorizing the origin of commodity production and the labor theory of value. To study the living legacy of Marx today, we are now joined from Beijing by Ian Goodrum, an editor with China Daily and a member of the Communist Party USA.We are also joined by Dr. Derek Ford, an educational theorist at Depauw University, to discuss the historic summit that just took place in Korea.

This week, we are joined from workers across the U.S. for discussions on labor struggles. We are first joined by Dr. Curry Malott, a professor in the Department of Educational Foundations and Policy Studies at Westchester University of Pennsylvania, to discuss the teachers' strikes and history of global class war. Then, we talk to Quest Riggs and Malcolm Suber of the New Orleans Workers Group on struggles against the tourism industry. Finally, Luis Francisco Rangel of the All Rhythms Ensemble discusses cultural work, as well as the upcoming People's Congress of Resistance Latin dance night at the Sahara Lounge on May 9.

NPR station WABE, based in Atlanta, has published a racist hit piece on Black progressive journalist Anoa Changa, accusing her of using “Russian-Backed Media” to spread her message. This is the latest in a series of smear campaigns by corporate media, which has used the so-called “Russiagate” conspiracy theory to discredit any left voices critical of the establishment. What ends do these attacks serve and who benefits from the silencing of left voices? And of course, what is the message that the corporate media is so eager to silence?Trump has declared his support for an Arab military presence in Syria, which would continue the U.S. occupation of Syria’s most mineral-rich areas by proxy. This comes after a largely unsuccessful U.S. airstrike aimed at Damascus. While U.S. escalation in Syria for so-called humanitarian pretenses receives bipartisan support, the massive atrocities committed by U.S., Saudi, and Israeli forces in Palestine and Yemen still go largely unanswered.Nationwide protests were called in re

The Oklahoma teachers’ walkout enters its second week as teachers keep pressure on legislators for more permanent solutions to the state’s education crisis. At least 58 of the state’s 500-plus school districts - including Oklahoma City and Tulsa - will be closed. What are conditions like in Oklahoma schools and what are the teachers’ demands?New Yorkers gather to mourn the death of Saheed Vassell, a black man who was shot and killed by police during what appeared to be a mental health episode. Along with several other high-profile police killings in recent weeks, the death of Vassell has reignited a national conversation about police violence and gentrification. What are the facts on the ground in Vassell’s case and the stakes for Crown Heights?Donald Trump’s recent announcement that the U.S. would be leaving Syria “very soon” was met with open hostility from corporate media. The current presence of U.S. troops on Syrian land is a violation of international law, but that has rarely been mentioned in American

Israel has killed 18 protesters and injured over 1,500 after opening fire with live ammunition on the Gaza border. This happened during Land Day, an annual protest of Israel’s annexation of large tracts of Palestinian land in 1976. As Israel intensifies its Zionist settler-colonial project, could this signal another military assault on the Gaza strip? We are joined by Haithem el-Zabri, an Austin-based Palestinian activist and director of the Palestine Online Store (palestineonlinestore.com).Houston police are coming under scrutiny for the shooting of 34-year-old Danny Ray Thomas. Thomas was unarmed and experiencing a mental health crisis when he was shot and killed by officer Cameron Brewer. The officer was carrying a Taser at the time, but opted for lethal force instead. What does this mean for the state of police reform in Texas? Chris Harris of Grassroots Leadership weighs in on body cameras, the role of police in society, local response to the Austin bombings, and the state of Black Lives Matter and relat

In this week's People's Republic, we are joined live by Amy Frishkey, a KOOP programmer who hosts Fresh from the Underground. We discuss the latest in national and local events, including a retrospective of the Austin bombings, a left analysis of the March for our Lives movement, and the attempted consolidation of East Side schools by Austin Independent School District.

Russian elections ended in victory for Vladimir Putin this Sunday, who will now serve his fourth presidential term since 2000. As Western governments continue to push the deterioration of relations with Russia, what are the political stakes for the Russian government in what is likely Putin’s last term? How does the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and the immediate push to blame Russia, factor into the possibility of armed conflict? We are joined by Brian Becker, host of Loud and Clear on Radio Sputnik and National Coordinator for the ANSWER Coalition, to discuss the increasingly tense situation between Russia and Western powers.Israel makes a move to officially define the country as a Jewish nation-state. The bill that has been known as “Zionism’s flagship bill” has been fast-tracked for approval by the Knesset. It would enshrine Israel officially as an Apartheid state. This comes on the heels of legislation revoking the residency rights of Palestinians who engage in so-called “anti-Israel activities.

Donald Trump announced late last week plans to meet at the invitation of Korean leader Kim Jong Un, breaking suddenly with the administration’s aggressive annihilation rhetoric. Does this signal a shift in U.S. policy on the Korean peninsula? Just as importantly, what does the DPRK hope to gain from normalized relations with the United States?Teachers in West Virginia win a victory for 21st century labor. A series of statewide wildcat strikes ended with a 5 percent pay raise for state employees, a freeze in health insurance costs, and an end to intrusive neoliberal health “monitoring” system linked to their insurance. What significance does the strike have for changing labor relations in the United States?Democratic turnout in the 2018 Texas primary increased 98 percent over previous midterm primaries. The Democratic Party is predicting a blue wave in the 2018 elections, which would be a huge upset for this deeply conservative state. But how likely is this to come to fruition, and if it does, what policy effe

This week, we talk once again to Jose Garza, the Executive Director of the Workers Defense Project, about the campaign for paid sick leave waged by the Work Strong Austin coalition. The Austin City Council is slated to vote on paid sick leave this Thursday at 6pm, and the Workers Defense Project along with its allies is mobilizing workers to show their support for this legislation. They face opposition from Koch brother-backed business interests, which have once again poured obscene amounts of money into delaying and stopping even common-sense progressive legislation.

This week, we continue our discussion with Chris Harris of Grassroots leadership about the state of the police contract in Austin.

This week, we speak to Chris Harris, data analyst with Grassroots Leadership and co-host of Hip Hop Hooray on KOOP. We discuss the intersections of social and economic oppression, city negotiations with Austin's police union, civilian oversight, immigration, and homelessness. Our main focus is on the racist outcomes of discretionary arrests by the Austin Police Department.