Laura Flanders and Friends: Solutions-Focused Progressive Perspectives on Politics, News, and Culture

This month on Laura Flanders & Friends we’re lifting up the people, the stories, and the ideas driving disability justice forward.  This week, We’ll hear from a comedian and unapologetic voice weaving together disability rights and Palestinian identity with humor and sharp political insight.

These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters. Become a supporting member at https://LauraFlanders.org/Donate

Description [Original Release Date December 8, 2024]:  Israel’s US-backed war on Gaza has been a mass disabling event. Today’s guest says we must create a “viable, accessible future” for the disabled Pales...

This month on Laura Flanders & Friends we’re lifting up the people, the stories, and the ideas driving disability justice forward.  This week, We’ll hear from a comedian and unapologetic voice weaving together disability rights and Palestinian identity with humor and sharp political insight.

These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters. Become a supporting member at https://LauraFlanders.org/Donate

Description [Original Release Date December 8, 2024]: Israel’s US-backed war on Gaza has been a mass disabling event. Today’s guest says we must create a “viable, accessible future” for the disabled Pale...

This month on Laura Flanders & Friends we’re lifting up the people, the stories, and the ideas driving disability justice forward.  This week, a candid conversation with two leading disability rights organizers on the ongoing fight for recognition, respect, and full inclusion for the largest minority in the country—these stories push us to rethink what justice really looks like.

This show is made possible by you!  To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate  Thank you for your continued support!

Description:  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, a significant mileston...

This month on Laura Flanders & Friends we’re lifting up the people, the stories, and the ideas driving disability justice forward.  This week, a candid conversation with two leading disability rights organizers on the ongoing fight for recognition, respect, and full inclusion for the largest minority in the country—these stories push us to rethink what justice really looks like.

This show is made possible by you!  To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate  Thank you for your continued support!

Description:  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, a significant mileston...

This month on Laura Flanders & Friends we’re lifting up the people, the stories, and the ideas driving disability justice forward.  This week, two artists expand our ideas about beauty, mobility and inclusion.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description:  As the nation marks another anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), disability advocates are calling attention to the work still left undone—from expanding accessibility and representation in public life to protecting disability rights and ensuring equitable access to the arts. In this e...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around solidarity, kinship and what it means to be human.  This week we learn from the feminist philosopher Donna Haraway about  thinking beyond binaries, cultivating community and taking risks.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description: “Thinking requires action and passion,” says feminist philosopher and scholar, Donna Haraway in this unique conversation. In her 1985 essay “A Cyborg Manifesto” and 2003 work, “The Companion Species Manifesto”, Haraway challenged patriarchal, capitalist, binary, species-ist ways of looking at the world. It...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around solidarity, kinship and what it means to be human.  This week we learn from the feminist philosopher Donna Haraway about  thinking beyond binaries, cultivating community and taking risks.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description: “Thinking requires action and passion,” says feminist philosopher and scholar, Donna Haraway in this unique conversation. In her 1985 essay “A Cyborg Manifesto” and 2003 work, “The Companion Species Manifesto”, Haraway challenged patriarchal, capitalist, binary, species-ist ways of looking at the world. It...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around solidarity, kinship and what it means to be human.  This week we celebrate Marsha P Johnson's life and legacy with two trans activists who are carrying on her work. 

This show is made possible by you!  Make a one off donation or make it monthly at LauraFlanders.org/donate. 

Episode Description: Activist and artist Marsha P. Johnson was one of the key founders of the gay liberation movement after the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, but it’s taken years for her to receive recognition. On this spe...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around solidarity, kinship and what it means to be human.  This week we celebrate Marsha P Johnson's life and legacy with two trans activists who are carrying on her work. 

This show is made possible by you!  Make a one off donation or make it monthly at LauraFlanders.org/donate. 

Description: Activist and artist Marsha P. Johnson was one of the key founders of the gay liberation movement after the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, but it’s taken years for her to receive recognition. On this special...

This show is made possible thanks our members! To become a sustaining member go to https://LauraFlanders.org/donate   Thank you for your continued support!

Description:  In a time of climate catastrophe, genocide, mass incarceration and political turmoil, people need to work together – better! That’s why lifelong activist Dean Spade has written “Love in a F*ed Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell, Together”. Which tools can help people and social justice movements face conflict and emerge stronger (rather than weaker)? Which stories do we tell ourselves that aren’t helping us think — o...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around solidarity, kinship and what it means to be human.  This week Dean Spade shares tips for putting our interpersonal houses in order so that we’re better equipped to show up for others and the causes we care about.

This show is made possible thanks our members! To become a sustaining member go to https://LauraFlanders.org/donate   Thank you for your continued support!

Description:  In a time of climate catastrophe, genocide, mass incarceration and political turmoil, people need to work together – better! That’s wh...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around solidarity, kinship and what it means to be human. This week we explore 'The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity’, with author and activist Sarah Schulman, who shares what she’s learned from AIDS activism to Palestine.

Description: What is “solidarity” and what does it require? Giving up on perfection, for one thing, says Sarah Schulman, author of “Conflict is Not Abuse,” and so much more. Award-winning writer, teacher, playwright and activist, Schulman’s latest book is “The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity”, in which she reflects on years of...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around solidarity, kinship and what it means to be human. This week we explore 'The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity’, with author and activist Sarah Schulman, who shares what she’s learned from AIDS activism to Palestine.

Description: What is “solidarity” and what does it require? Giving up on perfection, for one thing, says Sarah Schulman, author of “Conflict is Not Abuse,” and so much more. Award-winning writer, teacher, playwright and activist, Schulman’s latest book is “The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity”, in which she reflects on years of...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move.  This week we explore how the folks at The People's Network for Land & Liberation (PNLL) are building for the future in the midst of the crisis facing us now.  They say the forces that got us here are bigger than one bad leader; entire systems must be taken down.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description: People across the country are resisting authoritarianism in c...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move.  This week we explore how the folks at The People's Network for Land & Liberation (PNLL) are building for the future in the midst of the crisis facing us now.  They say the forces that got us here are bigger than one bad leader; entire systems must be taken down.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description: People across the country are resisting authoritarianism in c...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move.  This week we explore how workers and their allies are confronting authoritarianism—and building power from the ground up.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

DESCRIPTION [Original Release Date July 9, 2025]:  The United States is moving towards authoritarianism, but there is still a window of opportunity to reverse course. What could improve the chances of re-balancing power in the nation, and advancing towards that multir...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move.  This week we explore how workers and their allies are confronting authoritarianism—and building power from the ground up.

Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters.

DESCRIPTION [Original Release Date July 9, 2025]:  The United States is moving towards authoritarianism, but there...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move.  This week, we turn our lens on the AI Data Center Revolt underway. Red and blue state's alike people across the country are feeling the strain of the huge energy-sucking data processing centers that AI requires and they're speaking out.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description:  An AI revolution is underway, but so is the resistance. People across the country are f...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move.  This week, we turn our lens on the AI Data Center Revolt underway. Red and blue state's alike people across the country are feeling the strain of the huge energy-sucking data processing centers that AI requires and they're speaking out.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description:  An AI revolution is underway, but so is the resistance. People across the country are feeling the...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move.  This week, get inspired by courageous activism! Learn from lifelong activists like 95-year-old Dolores Huerta on using narrative to break through fear and build movements.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description [original airdate October 24, 2025]: People are taking to the streets and calling out fascism in bold, unique ways, but we’re not all there yet. If you need some encouragement, watch "The Peopl...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move.  This week, get inspired by courageous activism! Learn from lifelong activists like 95-year-old Dolores Huerta on using narrative to break through fear and build movements.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description [Original Air Date - October 19, 2025]: People are taking to the streets and calling out fascism in bold, unique ways, but we’re not all there yet. If you need some encouragement, watch...

Synopsis: Two decades after Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana, the state is now facing a new kind of storm: the rapid expansion of liquified natural gas facilities that are displacing residents and polluting minority communities.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description: Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest hurricanes ever to strike the United States, killing 1,833 people, displacing hundreds of thousands more and causing more than $100 billion in damage. Louisianans wanted change and climate action, but 20 years on, a state ravaged by climate disasters...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around the earth, the natural world and climate justice in action. This week we head to Louisiana for a special investigative report. Decades after Katrina, Louisiana is weathering a new storm: the petrochemical industry.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio ex...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around the earth, the natural world and climate justice in action. This week we head to Brittons Neck, South Carolina to explore the Booming Forest Industry in the South - Economic Gains vs. Community Costs.

Make a tax deductible and become a member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate. This show is made possible by you! 

Description: The forest industry in the American South is booming, but at what cost? According to some government leaders, logging is bringing big economic gains to rural America. But in...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around the earth, the natural world and climate justice in action. This week we head to Brittons Neck, South Carolina to explore the Booming Forest Industry in the South - Economic Gains vs. Community Costs.

Make a tax deductible and become a member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate. This show is made possible by you! 

Description: The forest industry in the American South is booming, but at what cost? According to some government leaders, logging is bringing big economic gains to rural America. But in...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around the earth, the natural world and climate justice in action. This week, Survival Guide for Humans Learned from Marine Mammals with Alexis Pauline Gumbs.

Make a tax deductible donation and become a member at LauraFlanders.org/donate. This show is made possible by you!

Description: Are you drowning? This year hasn’t been smooth sailing for many of us — with extreme temperatures, and other crises. How do we take a breath? Alexis Pauline Gumbs’ UNDROWNED: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals, draws on the prac...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around the earth, the natural world and climate justice in action. This week, a call to ecological action that’s about more than planting with 'plant whisperer', ecologist, Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Make a tax deductible donation and become a member at LauraFlanders.org/donate. This show is made possible by you!

Description:  When was the last time you listened to the plants? Plant ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer, a self-proclaimed “student of the plants,” has dedicated her life to helping people of all ages understand the symbi...

This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we’re revisiting conversations around the earth, the natural world and climate justice in action. This week, A call to ecological action that’s about more than planting with Braiding Sweetgrass' Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Make a tax deductible YEAR END DONATION and become a member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate. This show is made possible by you! 

Description [Full Uncut Conversation]: When was the last time you listened to the plants? Plant ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer, a self-proclaimed “student of the plants,” has dedicated her life to helping people of...

Synopsis:  As a bestselling author of 18 books, including "Aftershock" and "The System: Who Rigged It and How We Fix It", Robert Reich shares his insights on how to address growing income inequality and its impact on politics and economy.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description (original air date September 14, 2025)-  The crisis we’re in was a long time coming. Now that we’re here, what do we do about it? Returning to the show, former Labor Secretary and longtime professor Robert Reich joins...

Synopsis:  Robert Reich Calls Out Corporate Power Threatening US Democracy

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description (original air date September 14, 2025)- The crisis we’re in was a long time coming. Now that we’re here, what do we do about it? Returning to the show, former Labor Secretary and longtime professor Robert Reich joins Laura Flanders to discuss two bullies tormenting U.S. democracy: concentrated wealth and corporate power. As Reich shares, growing income inequality yields corruption in our politics and economy. No on...

“. . . There's this sense that [Left-leaning candidates] have to essentially be apologizing for their policy prescriptions and their stances. Mamdani has not done that . . . For the most part, he very much embraces who he is and what his policy prescriptions are.” - Felipe De La Hoz

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description [original air date Oct 31, 2025]:  Wherever you are in the country, you’ve probably heard the name “Zohran Mamdani”. New York City’s mayoral race is a national story, and it’s hard to overstate th...

“I hate giving labels. I don't look at Mandani as a progressive. I look at him as representing the anger and anguish of people who have been left behind with the political apparatus.” - Osama Siblani, Publisher, The Arab American News

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description [Original air date Oct 31, 2025]: Wherever you are in the county, you’ve probably heard the name “Zohran Mamdani”. New York City’s mayoral race is a national story, and it’s hard to overstate the significance of the leading...

Synopsis:  Indivisible’s Ezra Levin and Hungarian organizer László Upor share creative, community-driven tactics — from joyful protests to bold campus actions — that pushed back against autocratic agendas. Their message: you have more power than you think.

This show is made possible by you!  Make a tax deductible donation and become a member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate. 

Description: If you care about resisting autocracy and building democracy, the U.S. has much to learn from Hungary. While Donald Trump rails against Europe, he and Hungary’s strongman leader, Viktor Orbán, have praised each other for year...

Synopsis:  If you’re worried about authoritarianism, this episode reminds you that people-powered resistance still wins. Indivisible’s Ezra Levin and Hungarian organizer László Upor share creative, community-driven tactics — from joyful protests to bold campus actions — that pushed back against autocratic agendas. Their message: you have more power than you think.

This show is made possible by you!  Make a tax deductible donation and become a member, go to LauraFlanders.org/donate. 

Description [orignal airdate December 2025]: If you care about resisting autocracy and building democracy, the U.S. has much to learn from Hungary. While Donald...

Synopsis:  The Trump administration’s aggressive use of ICE agents and National Guardsmen has sparked outrage among lawmakers like Rep. Pramila Jayapal and veteran activists such as Janessa Goldbeck; they join forces to discuss what can be done now.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description [original air-date November 2025]:  The U.S. military is sworn to serve the Constitution, but that’s getting complicated under Donald Trump. The President has deployed National Guard troops to half a dozen U.S. cities against the wishes of loc...

Synopsis:  What happens when the President threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act? Two leading voices weigh in on how Congress, veterans, and citizens can push back against rising militarization.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description [original air-date November 2025]:  The U.S. military is sworn to serve the Constitution, but that’s getting complicated under Donald Trump. The President has deployed National Guard troops to half a dozen U.S. cities against the wishes of local officials and ICE agents are roaming around communities acti...

Synopsis:   From Resistance to Revolution How Communities Are Creating a New Economy

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description: People across the country are resisting authoritarianism in creative and powerful ways, and this is just the start. The folks at The People's Network for Land & Liberation (PNLL) say the forces that got us here are bigger than one bad leader; entire systems must be taken down. Building a brighter future requires a vision of economic and social justice — and lots of practice. Today on Lau...

Synopsis:  Members of PNLL are experimenting with new ways of doing politics and economics in communities across the US, focusing on local solutions and shared resources.

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description: People across the country are resisting authoritarianism in creative and powerful ways, and this is just the start. The folks at The People's Network for Land & Liberation (PNLL) say the forces that got us here are bigger than one bad leader; entire systems must be taken down. Building a brighter future r...

Synopsis:  Surviving and Thriving in Turbulent Times Third World Newsreel's Enduring Legacy

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description: It’s almost unheard of for an independent media collective to survive as long as Third World Newsreel has. Since 1968, they have chronicled some of the most pivotal movements in human history and continue to expand on their collection of over 700 titles. There’s lots to learn about how they’ve adapted through technological revolutions, political persecutions, philanthropic booms and busts — and how the oldest media art...

Synopsis: What’s it take for an independent media collective to last for almost 60 years?

This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate

Description: It’s almost unheard of for an independent media collective to survive as long as Third World Newsreel has. Since 1968, they have chronicled some of the most pivotal movements in human history and continue to expand on their collection of over 700 titles. There’s lots to learn about how they’ve adapted through technological revolutions, political persecutions, philanthropic booms and busts — and how the ol...