People's Republic

This week, we are joined by Sofia Casini and Martha Mercado to discuss the upcoming rally to free Griselda in Laredo, Texas. Later, we hear from Gloria La Riva, from a speech given at the Southwest Socialism Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico in mid-2018.

This week, we are joined again by Jacqueline and Abdus Luqman, co-editors in chief of Luqman Nation, to talk about the news of the day. We discuss neoliberalism in France, the Yellow Vest movement, and the climate change summit in Poland.For the last segment of the show, we air an older segment with Dn Kovalik on the situation in Nicaragua.

Chief Brian Manley confirmed that the Texas Department of Public Safety is currently reviewing how the Austin Police Department processes and clears sexual assault cases. Run by DPS's Uniform Crime Reporting program, the audit intends to ensure APD is acting in accordance with federal guidelines. For context: last month, reporters with Newsy, Reveal, and ProPublica, together with a former sergeant with APD’s sex crimes unit, uncovered that Austin Police Department had allegedly and knowingly miscategorized as many as 1400 rape cases as having been “exceptionally cleared,” when, in fact, no charges had been filed and no arrests had been made. Can we expect DPS to shed light on Austin’s apparently rogue police force, or is this another case of the fox guarding the henhouse? We are joined for the first segment by Amanda Lewis, a social worker and community organizer with the Survivor Justice Project.Then, we are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer and the author of The Plot to Control the Worl

This week, we are joined again by Dr. Greg Shupak, professor of media studies at the University of Guelph and author of the book The Wrong Story: Palestine, Israel, and the Media. We discuss the firing of Marc Lamont Hill, the internal logic of the Israeli state's racial hierarchy, and its role as mercenary of the U.S. empire. Then, we hear from Jacqueline and Abdus Luqman, co-editors in chief of Luqman Nation, about the rise of the far right in Brazil. Starting in January, we will feature the Luqmans in a monthly segment to discuss important news items.

This week, we're joined by journalist Adan Plascencia, who covered the Honduras caravan for Liberation News, about the U.S. firing of tear gas on asylum seekers at border. We talk about the roots of the violence in Honduras, U.S. taking a page from Israel in border militarization, and the role of grassroots organizations such as the Party for Socialism and Liberation in mobilizing for refugees.Then-Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was just indicted for murder after shooting Botham Jean in his own home. What does this mean for local organizers, who have worked hard to bring justice for Botham Jean? We talk with John Fullinwider, the co-founder of Mothers Against Police Brutality and a veteran organizer in Dallas, about the history of police brutality and grassroots resistance in Dallas.

On this episode, we are joined by Kristen Lenau of the Survivor Justice Project to discuss Austin Police Department's shameful rape case clearance scandal. Then, in celebration of resistance to settler-colonialism this Thanksgiving, we are rebroadcasting a discussion with Dr. Gerald Horne about his book, The Counter-Revolution of 1776.

The City of Austin passed an ordinance on November 15 creating the Office of Police Oversight. Even as this new police accountability goes into place, Austin Police Department, the deadliest in the state, faces several looming scandals. What safeguards does the city have in place against its cavalier police department, what remains to be accomplished, and how will this effect the shocking revelations that APD may have falsely cleared as many as 1,400 rape cases without an arrest or charge? We talk to Chris Harris, an organizer with Grassroots Leadership, for the full hour about police transparency and accountability policies throughout the nation.

In the second half of this episode of Empire Supernova, we use Venezuela as a case study in CIA regime change operations. We are joined by Mike Prysner, producer of The Empire Files with Abby Martin and co-host of the Eyes Left podcast. The full episode can be found on Patreon.https://www.patreon.com/EmpireSupernova

We turn now to the fight to release Griselda Cruz Lopez, one of several hundred women being held at the T. Don Hutto Detention Center in Taylor, Texas. Griselda has been separated from her child, has not heard from her child in a month, and suffers complications from a skull fracture suffered in the care of Core Civic, which runs the detention center. Joining us is Sofia Casini, an organizer at Grassroots Leadership, fighting to end the abuses at Hutto Detention Center.The far-right candidate Bolsonaro has just surged to victory in Brazil, now putting the future of the Amazon in jeopardy and certainly spelling danger for Black and indigenous Brazilians. Meanwhile, a rash of far-right hate crimes has once again plagued the U.S. What can we expect out of a right-wing dominated Brazil and what can the left do to better prepare itself? For this segment, we speak with Jacqueline and Abdus Luqman, co-hosts of Luqman Nation.

On this episode, we are joined by Jacob Aronowitz, the eastern regional field director of the Mike Siegel campaign, to talk about his arrest in Waller County as he tried to demand an end to systematic voter suppression. We discuss the history of Waller County (where Sandra Bland died under mysterious circumstances in police custody), the unbroken history of U.S. voter suppression, the lawsuit being brought against the county by Prairie View A&M students, and what can be done to fight this disenfranchisement.

This week, we discuss the Kavanaugh hearings and the nature of the Supreme Court for the full hour. We are joined first by Jaqueline Luqman, co-host of Luqman Nation. Later, we talk to Marina Roberts and Maddie Detelich, co-chairs of the Austin DSA housing committee, to talk about local actions to protest the Kavanaugh confirmation.

The city of River Oaks, Texas, west of Forth Worth, is experiencing an environmental crisis as water pours out of the taps brown. The city is ostensibly planning to replace the 70-year-old iron pipes, but how do we know the replacement will work and what will residents do in the meantime?We are joined by Archer St. Hilaire, a resident of River Oaks, to talk about the struggle that River Oaks residents face. Meanwhile, the city is looking for any excuse to evict citizens, setting the stage for violent gentrification by developers.You can see the water quality here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/253040188077011/permalink/1828507693863578/For the last segment, we are joined by Marissa Rodriguez, a Dallas-based organizer, to talk about the struggle for #JusticeForBotham.

In this reupload of the Southwest Socialism Conference keynote speech, Brian Becker discusses the shifting orientation of U.S. empire. We also hear from PSL leader Gloria La Riva on the state of affairs throughout Latin America.

A rash of attacks has hit a local mosque, as well as a Middle Eastern grocery store, and authorities believe it is likely the same person. Starting in Mid-August and continuing through September, this attacker has smashed windows, slashed tires, and urinated on one of the vans belonging to the North Austin Muslim Community Center. Is this a hate crime, and if so, how has this affected the Muslim community of Austin? We are joined by Imam Islam of the North Austin Muslim Community Center to discuss the ramifications.Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall has refused to fire police officer Amber Guyger, even as Guyger faces manslaughter charges for shooting Botham Jean in his own apartment on September 6. Meanwhile, community outrage continues to grow as Dallas PD fail to get their story straight. What will it take to get justice for Botham Jean? Marissa Rodriguez, a community organizer who has been involved with the Justice for Botham movement in Dallas, discusses the struggle for #JusticeForBotham.

This week, we talk about Austin Proposition A, a $250 million bond that would seek to develop affordable housing for Austin residents. How is this money likely to be spent, what material impacts would it have, and how can it be situated within a larger framework of the nationwide housing and gentrification crisis? Joining us for the full hour to talk theory and organizing are Maddie Detelich and Marina Roberts, co-chairs of the housing committee of the Austin DSA.

This week, we talk to Lewis Conway, an organizer with Grassroots Leadership, author of two books, and candidate for Austin City Council District 1, about his campaign and life.Then, we discuss SESTA-FOSTA Rainny Daze, a representative with the Austin chapter of the Sex Workers Outreach Project.

This week we are continuing to feature presentations from the Southwest Socialism Conference put on by the Party for Socialism and Liberation in early August 2018. First up, we have Gloria La Riva speaking on the recent political developments across Latin America. You can find more information on the PSL at PSLweb.org.

This week, we’re talking with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer, as well as the author of The Plot to Scapegoat Russia. We’ll be discussing his latest book, The Plot to Attack Iran, for the full episode, and really digging into the history of U.S. overthrow of Iranian democracy.

This week, we are continuing our coverage of the Southwest Socialism Conference that took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico last weekend. We feature Brian Becker's keynote presentation, The Reorientation of U.S. Imperialism: Gearing Up for Conflict with Russia and China. Then we include a part of Gloria La Riva's speech, Latin America: The Sharpening Class Struggle. All of these speeches will be made available in full on our Spreaker page.