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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.

We're covering workers and labor organizing all month long on the Laura Flanders & Friends podcast. Scroll to see the lineup of shows this May and be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 🔗 in bio. #MayDay #Labor #Podcast

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

People facing deportation in immigration court do not have the right to counsel. Not even children. And in a few days, federal funding towards free legal representation for unaccompanied children is set to expire. Read Laura Flanders' commentary on #Substack: bit.ly/3OwJji9 #Immigration #Deportation

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.

Up next on the Laura Flanders & Friends podcast: Earth Day! We're spotlighting conversations on climate justice, ecology and environmental activism all month long. Scroll to see the lineup of episodes and listen wherever you get your podcasts. #EarthDay #ClimateJustice #Activism

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

Learn all about The People's Network for Land & Liberation on today's episode on LF&F. The consortium of six community-based organizations is building a future rooted in economic justice and local resilience — and teaching us all about the path to 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

Today on Laura Flanders & Friends, we’re looking at the past, present and future of @thirdworldnewsreel.bsky.social , the oldest media arts collective in the U.S. There’s lots to learn about how they’ve survived the ever-changing media landscape: bit.ly/3OTs7mv #ThirdWorldNewsreel #SocialJustice

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

"The next season of LF&F kicks off in April, and it will be unlike anything we’ve done before," says Laura Flanders. Visit Laura on Substack to read more about upcoming changes to the show, and subscribe to be the first to know about new projects and what comes next. Visit lauraflanders.substack.com

Thanks to @lauraflanders.org show for making this video from my appearance on her show talking about Palestinian humanity. She was very kind to include an image of my late Palestinian father and a clip of me on my friend @joyannreid.bsky.social show from years ago talking about Palestinians

"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

Feminist analysts are all too rare in U.S. reporting, but history is clear on the connection between sexism and fascism. We’ve invited three experts to discuss why the sexism at the heart of Trumpism is taken so lightly and what it means for democracy. Tune in today at 5:00 p.m. ET: 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