On the Ground w Esther Iverem

On this show, we report on a protest in DC outside the embassy of the United Arab Emirates on the one-year anniversary of the massacre of thousands of Sudanese by the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces in El Fasher, a city in the Darfur region of western Sudan. A recent UN report provided more evidence of the “substantial” support in funding, weapons, mercenaries and coordination provided by the UAE to the RSF, which has been accused of genocide by the UN and other international agencies. Protesters called on the U.S. to stop funding the UAE and the genocide in Suda...

A new report details the ways the Trump administration is criminalizing constitutionally protected rights of free speech, dissent and protest. We speak to our media critic Jon Jeter. And at the recently concluded meetings of the United Nations Human Rights Council, resurgent racism inside the U.S. was on full blast. We hear from Awa Dabo, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, addressing the Human Rights Council during its 63rd session in Geneva on September 26th 2026, and Kari Sigenthaler, legal intern for the ACLU Human Rights Program speaking during the same session on September 29th.

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The Trump administration is plotting to deport a standing member of Congress and may be plotting war on Latin America. We speak to political scientist Wilmer Leon for this month’s episode of the F-Word on fascism. And the Oxford Union tried to censor the Palestinian scholar and activist Susan Abulhawa but she sued and won. On this podcast we hear the FULL historic speech. Plus headlines on Yemen, Iran, government watchdog group targets Jared Kushner, Celebration of life for Alvin ‘Skipper’ Bailey’ and more.

The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep...

Sam Husseini’s in-your-face style of journalism is well-known”and now he wants to take the fight to Congress. And the family friends and advocates for Tawfiq Abdul Haqq are demanding justice after a Prince Georges County, Maryland police officer shot and killed the 33-year-old father of two.

The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and support our own media! Please click here or click on the S...

The 2026 United Nations General Assembly met during what is arguably the most dangerous time in global affairs since the Cuban Missile crisis. We hear one view from the global majority, by Mia Motley, prime minister of Barbados. And as we live in a time of monumental changes on the world stage, we also live in a time of giants falling all around us. DC celebrates the life of artist and educator Uzikee Allen Nelson, and the world remembers master calypsonian The Mighty Sparrow. Plus headlines on world affairs with Professor Gerald Horne.

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After months of the U.S. strangling Cuba with an illegal oil blockade, several members of Congress held a shadow hearing on Capitol Hill about the deaths, hunger and crippling impact of the medieval-type siege.

The hearing, sponsored by Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois and Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, was held Wednesday, September 2nd 2026 on Capitol Hill. The witnesses included

Suzanne Adely, president of the National Lawyers Guild. Felix Sharpe Caballero, former director of
behavioral health integrations for the State of Michigan. Dr. Tania Zakrison, trauma surgeon and professor at the University of...

On this show, more voices from “Turning the Tide: 9/11, 25 Years Later,” a conference of scholars, scientists, firefighters and a myriad of others who dispute the official narrative of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The conference in New York City occurred as the United States nears the seven-month mark in an illegal war of aggression against the people of Iran, the most recent war targeting West Asia and Africa, in the so-called war on terror launched after the 9/11 attacks, which were blamed on 19 Muslim alleged hijackers armed with box cutters.

For this...

People around the world are marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the U.S., and their aftermath of endless wars, genocide, surveillance, repression and islamophobia. And 25 years later, the movement for 9/11 truth, with scientists and engineers challenging official narratives about what really happened that day, has moved from the fringe, to the center of debate.

The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be...

As the Trump Administration and the U.S Supreme Court continue to gut voting rights laws, thousands gathered on August 28, 2026 at the Lincoln Memorial to mark the 63rd anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Under the slogan, ‘Defend the Vote,’ the march lifted up the promise that voters can elect politicians who will put the needs of working people above the priorities of corporations and oligarchs. We hear from several speakers at the march, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Janeese Lewis George, Democratic nominee for mayor of the District of Columbia. 

The show...

Israel has killed at least 22,000 Palestinian children, maimed and injured another 44,000, including hundreds killed or wounded since the so-called ceasefire in Gaza during October 2025. Two UN reports released recently document how Israel kills Palestinian children with impunity, including in the Occupied West Bank. This show includes complete June 23, 2026 press conference by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, and the August 11 report delivered to the UN Security Council by Hannan Sulieman, deputy executive director of UNICEF. 

The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve t...

"HOW TRUMP HAPPENED: A View from History," is the title of lecture that Professor Gerald Horne delivered at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota on February 6, 2026. Rather than view Donald Trumps two presidential wins as anomalies, Gerald says these victories are a predictable outcome of centuries of class collaboration among this country's European settlers.(Extended bonus content not included on radio broadcast.) The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be...

On this show, part two of our coverage of DC marking one year of Trump's occupation, with armed national guard and police from up to two dozen federal agencies in our neighborhoods. The result is several federal police-involved shootings and deaths, a crackdown on Black and Brown youth, immigrants and the unhoused. But DC is not just recounting these attacks, it is determined to keep fighting back. Also, on this show: are we in a new Emmett Till moment? Gerald Horne comments on the unsolved death of Mississippi teen Nolan Wells, and discusses the chaos in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine and...

DC residents are protesting one year of Trump occupation. With the National Guard and federal police patrolling neighborhoods, residents are resisting any plan to make militarized policing the new normal. Plus, August 8 and 9 2026 marks the 81st anniversary of the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed a quarter of a million people, and maimed and poisoned scores more. Plus headlines on West Asia, Cuba, South America, U.S. politics, Nolan Wells death, and Trump wants National Guard to stay in DC until 2029. The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s...

Wanted war criminal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meets Trump at the White House and protest erupts on the streets of DC. And Professor Gerald Horne weighs in on the latest in the unprovoked war on Iran by Isarel and the U.S.  Plus headlines on ICE terror, voting rights, Nolan Wells death, DoorDash boycott in DC, and a labor roundup. The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and...

The Trump administration ramps up its attack on journalists, freedom of speech, and the First Amendment, and dusts off a McCarthyite red scare attack on the left. We speak to Jon Jeter for this month's episode of "On the Media." DC residents protest a planned ICE headquarters in their neighborhood. Plus headlines:Iran escalation, Code Pink Disrupts Hegseth Testimony, Preliminary Autopsy Results in Nolan Wells Death, Police in Madison, Wisconsin Caught on Video Shooting Unhoused Man, Corey Ruiz, Three Times Point Blank in the Head. In culture and media: New documentary, "May There Always Be Words Between Us," explores the...

Perhaps it takes an event like the World Cup to expose the hypocrisy of the U.S. being allowed to host the games while at the same time supporting a genocide and conducting an illegal war of aggression. We speak to human rights advocate Ajamu Baraka for this month's episode of "The F-Word" on fascism. And protests continue against killings by ICE in Texas and Maine, and against construction of an ICE headquarters in a Black neighborhood of DC. Plus, headlines on Iran, ICE violence, the deaths of Nolan Wells and Daniel Erving, Capitol Hill news, and Trump's continuing efforts...

The U.S. resumes bombing Iran, and Iran fights back. We discuss the latest in West Asia, Ukraine and here in the U.S. with historian Gerald Horne. And, in our first segment of this year for our series, "Unheard Voices," more from leaders of the Next 250 movement, Linda Sarsour and Tamika D. Mallory. Plus, headlines on Dr. Abu Safiya, ICE Killing in Houston, Graham Platner Drops Out of Maine Race, July 4 Fiasco in DC, a victory in the DMV against data centers, and more.  The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the p...

The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and support our own media! Please click here or click on the Support-Donate tab on this website to subscribe for as little as $3 a month. We are so grateful for this small but growing amount of monthly crowdsource funding on Patreon. PATREON NOW HAS A ONE-TIME, ANNUAL DONATION FUNCTION! You can also give a one-time or recurring donation on PayPal. Thank you! On...

A new UN report documents how Israel is targeting children in its genocide against the Palestinian people, killing, maiming, torturing and sexually assaulting them. And residents in rapidly gentrifying DC win a decades-long battle to keep public land in their neighborhood in the hands of the public. Plus headlines on Iran, Cuba, the World Cup and more.  The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and support our own med...

The defeat of the U.S. and Israel in their unprovoked attack on Iran offers a time to consider the first imperialist adventure of the U.S. beyond its borders. We speak to Gerald Horne about his new book on the U.S.-backed coup of the monarchy in Hawaii. And DC walks in the footsteps of New York City and chooses a democratic socialist as the Democratic nominee for mayor. We hear from DC councilmember Janeese Lewis George. Plus headlines on Iran, FBI raid on voting advocates, Mississippi police kill one-year-old boy, Juneteenth, and more. The show is made...

In Congress, 59 years of silence is ended about Israel's deadly attack on the U.S.S. Liberty, which killed 34 servicemembers and wounded another 174. We hear from Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky. And there is a victory for both free speech and the Free Palestine student movement that blossomed at Columbia University. Plus headlines on Iran, U.S. domestic news and DC news, including a picket protest by Aramark workers, the DC primary, the DC budget, and the opening of the DC Liberation Center. And more. Correction: an early version of ths show misstated the number of wounded on the U.S...

The Celebration of Life for Black freedom fighter Assata Shakur, held at Riverside Church in New York City, was also a clarion call for the African diaspora to defend Cuba and the Cuban Revolution, which granted Shakur political asylum in 1979. We hear from her longtime attorney Lennox Hinds.The celebration was an opportunity to humanize the former political prisoner, who was able to be reunited with family in Cuba. We hear from her daughter, the writer Kakuya Shakur. Plus headlines on Iran, Lebanon, Rubio mum on Israeli nukes, Are U.S. and Israeli Militaries Merging? Protests and Hunger Strike at...

A celebration of life for Assata Shakur, happening May 30, 2026 at Riverside Church in New York City, offers a space to consider legacies of struggle and paths for freedom and survival. We speak to longtime human rights activist Rosemari Mealy. And you may not get down with U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren but she does break down how private equity, another term for vulture capitalism, is killing U.S. housing, health care, businesses and even youth sports. Plus, Gerald Horne joins us for international headlines on Iran, Russia, Ebola and Cuba. Chantal James covers Cuba, Trump's latest foibles, Gaza Flotilla participants...

While corporate news organizations are focused, in their limited way, on the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, they are ignoring new dangers in the U.S.-NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. We speak to our media critic Jon Jeter and discuss the excellent program on the subject produced by "Reason 2 Resist." And a coalition of advocates speak out on Capitol Hill, denouncing the Supreme Court's attack on voting rights--and on all rights. Plus headlines on the War Powers Act, Iran, Cuba, faith leaders protest taxpayer-funded Christian Nationalist rally on the national mall, "Rededicate 250."  The show is made p...

This in the "On the Ground" special for Nakba Day: "The Ongoing Nakba: Greater Israel and the Open Secret of its Nuclear Weapons." We speak to independent journalists Sam Husseini and John Steinbach. Steinbach is also co-founder of the Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Committee of the National Capital Area. The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and support our own media! Please click here or click on the Support-Donate tab o...

As the United States continues to shift its plan of attack on Iran, shots are fired and all-out war could begin again. And a coalition of Christians rally on Capitol Hill for Palestine and Palestinians, determined to seize back the narrative about their faith from those condoning genocide. Plus headlines on May Day, the DC budget, the Voting Rights Act and more The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be...

Hundreds protest in front of the Supreme Court for the right to be warned about cancer risks from the controversial herbicide Roundup. And if U.S. imperialism appears to be in a state total disarray and lawlessness, thats because it is. We speak to historian Gerald Horne. Plus headlines on May Day, DC budget, data centers, and more. The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and support our ow...

As community opposition grows to AI data centers across the country, activists in DC protest outside the World Data Center Conference, and march to the offices or locations of Apple, Meta, Open AI and Microsoft, demanding a moratorium on the building of these resource-sucking centers. And there's a new documentary about world renowned educator Paulo Freire, author of the seminal text, 'Pedagogy of the Oppressed.' We speak to the filmmakers. Plus, headlines on the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, DC curfew for teens and more. BONUS CONTENT ON PATREON. The show is made possible only by our volunteer e...

Historians may mark April 15, 2026 as the day when Americans were fed up with tax dollars used to bomb children abroad, while so many children in the US can't get food, shelter or healthcare. On this show, we hear from activists, elected officials and members of Doctors Against Genocide. And with the shock of official prayer meetings at the Pentagon, Defense brass evoking Bible prophecy to soldiers, and attacks on Catholics and the Pope, this month's F-word on fascism features a rebroadcast of our 2020 interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges, author of American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War...

Clergy speak outside the White House, denouncing the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, and the diverting of billions of tax dollars from human needs, to bombs and killing. After a so-called ceasefire, Israel carpet bombs Lebanon, an oil refinery in Iran is also hit, and Hezbollah fights back. Protesters outside the White House react to news of ceasefire. Plus headlines on the Pentagon 'threatening' Pope Leo, Radio legend Bob Law joins the ancestors, and more.  The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by support fro...

Protesters outside the Supreme Court denounce Trump's executive order that attempted to end birthright citizenship guaranteed in the 14th Amendment. And as Iran continues to fight back against the U.S and Israel, Trump falls into a war of attrition. We speak to political scientist Wilmer Leon. Plus headlines on No King's Day, Cuba, the "oil shock," and more.  The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and support our...

Mounting anger over the influence of Israel in the Trump administration's attack on Iran has raised the cry for justice for 34 U.S. sailors and Marines killed, and more than 170 injured aboard the USS Liberty, which was bombed and torpedoed in 1967 by the Israeli Defense Forces. The shocking attack in International waters was never investigated by Congress. We hear from Marine veteran Bryce Lockwood, a commander on the ship. Then, this is the week for "On the Media" with Jon Jeter.  The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the...

The attack on Iran by the U.S. and Israel is upending the military and economic status quo and there is no end in sight. Gerald Horne gives his take. Residents of the DC area are joining in the worldwide effort to deliver humanitarian aid and solidarity to Cuba. Author Susan Abulhawa response to being called "reprehensible" by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Plus headlines. The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to...

Please click here or click on the Support-Donate tab on this website to subscribe for as little as $3 a month. We are so grateful for this small but growing amount of monthly crowdsource funding on Patreon. PATREON NOW HAS A ONE-TIME, ANNUAL DONATION FUNCTION! You can also give a one-time or recurring donation on PayPal. Thank you! “On the Ground: Voices of Resistance from the Nation’s Capital” gives a voice to the voiceless 99 percent at the heart of American empire. The award-winning, weekly hour, produced and hosted by Esther Iverem, covers social justice activism about local, national and international issues, with...

As the U.S. spends billions on an illegal attack that could lead to global war, people in the U.S. take to the streets to say 'No War on Iran.' And the world joins DC in celebratng the life of a champion for justice, the Rev. Graylan Hagler. Plus headlines.  With Dante O'Hara, Parisa Norouzi, Rev. Freeman L. Palmer. Zyad from American Muslims for Palestine, Lubna and Miranda Mlillo from the Palestinian Youth Movement, Bella from the National Iranian American Council. The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voi...

Lies, insanity and spin are becoming the norm in our daily news and information diet, where one shocking story quickly supplants another. To help us wade through the muck, we speak to our media critic Jon Jeter about coverage of Iran, Tucker Carlson, the BAFTA Awards fiasco and more. And in this new era of attempted colonization and bullying by the U.S. empire, Halie Gerima's new film 'Black Lions, Roman Wolves' reminds us how we liberated ourselves and can still fight fascists and win. Plus headlines.  The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to k...

Whether it is threatening war with Iran, funding genocide in Gaza, Killing people in Venezuela, or killing its own people at home, the U.S. its lashing out in a spiral of violence. Protesters rally outside the first meeting of Trump's so-called Board of Peace, denouncing the diplomatic cosplay as continued genocide. And in these times, we can count on our artist,, writers and filmmakers to remind us of our victories, and our abillity to win today.  The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by sup...

Bodycam footage offers more proof that Trump officials lied about border agents shooting a Chicago school teacher five times after first ramming her car. And what do the repeated lies by the federal government mean? We speak to political scientist Wilmer Leon. Plus Gerald Horne on Bad Bunny and more headlines. “On the Ground: Voices of Resistance from the Nation’s Capital” gives a voice to the voiceless 99 percent at the heart of American empire. The award-winning, weekly hour, produced and hosted by Esther Iverem, covers social justice activism about local, national and international issues, with a special emphasis on milita...

From Minnesota to DC, to Haiti, Gaza and Iran, the U.S. empire is in a whirlwind of war and violence.And with four U.S. citizens killed by immigration agents and dozens more dead in detention prisons, survivors of this wave of police violence tell members of Congress these attacks on the people must stop. Plus headlines on Gaza, Iran, Nigeria, Cuba, DC home rule, and more.   The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fak...

The street execution of Veterans Affairs nurse Alex Pretti by border patrol agents in Minnesota may mark a turning point in the Trump administration's lawless deportation strategies. We spend most of this show hearing from federal workers and their supporters who attended a vigil for Pretti outside the headquarters of the VA, two blocks from the White House.And there are threats of more attacks by the U.S. abroad, as the Trump administration movies warships to the region of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Please headlines with Gerald Horne.  The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, o...