On the Ground w Esther Iverem

In an upside down world, where an indicted war criminal is feted at the White House, those here in the U.S, fighting against the Gaza holocaust are determined to fight back the only way they know—by continuing to stay in the streets. We hear those speaking out in opposition to the third visit this year of Israeli Prime Ministers Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, DC.  Plus, Gerald Horne on Gaza, Iran, BRICS…. 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 supp...

On Friday,, July fourth , Trump is scheduled to sign into law his so-called big beautiful bill which eliminates health care and food assistance for millions of Americans, adds $150 billion more for the military, and triples the budget for Trump’s mass deportation machine, making ICE the largest police force in the country. All of this to give billionaires a massive tax cut and add more than three trillion to the national debt. 

Three days before the House vote, as the Senate was still debating, faith leaders were arrested on the street outside the capitol as they carried sym...

Poor news coverage of the Israeli-U.S. attack on Iran reinforces alternative media as the only place for truth about the empire. We speak to Jon Jeter for this month’s episode of On the Media. And the Trump administration may not have acknowledged the Juneteenth federal holiday but DC residents started a new tradition of honoring ancestors who walked to freedom. Plus headlines on Iran, Gaza, the federal budget, DC budget, and talk on sports and culture. 

The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the a...

As the possibility of a new U.S. war looms in West Asia, we speak to political scientist Wilmer Lemon for this month’s episode of the F-Word on fascism. And a U.S. veteran was among those speaking out in front of the White House at a protest against Israel’s attack on Iran. Plus headlines on Gaza, Iran, Minnesota shooter, and the DC budget.  

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...

Israel, the U.S. armed outpost in West Asia, bombs Iran, assassinating several military leaders and at least one nuclear scientist. We speak to historian Gerald Horne. And here at home, the Trump administration tests the limits of executive authority by illegally calling up both the National Guard  and the Marines against protesters.  And the administration is still firing federal workers illegally. We hear from a union leader, and we speak to a lawyer helping them to fight back. With Gerald Horne, Mark Dimondstein, Sejal Singh, Becky Pringle, Lee Saunders, pro-immigrant and anti-ICE protesters in DC. 

The sho...

After the United States vetoes, for a fifth time, a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, the U.S. and Israel are more isolated than ever on the world stage. We hear from some countries, Algeria, Pakistan and Somalia, vowing to keep up the fight to end the holocaust. And what is the aftermath of Ukraine’s strikes on nuclear capable bombers in Russia? And were NATO countries involved? Gerald Horne considers the real dangers of World War III.

The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s vo...

Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric of being a peace president is fading fast, as Russia, West Asia and China remain in the crosshairs. We speak to historian Gerald Horne. And then we go to Dayton Ohio, where hundreds of people participated in actions to counter the North Atlantic Treaty Organization/ NATO military alliance meeting there. Plus headlines on five years since George Floyd’s murder, Elon Musk’s exit from Washington, and much 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...

Despite a myriad of human crises here in the U.S. and around the world, the story is still Gaza, where Israel’s genocidal attacks are intensifying. We speak to Jon Jeter for this month’s episode of “On the Media.” Then, 90 percent of workers at the federal agency tasked with keeping all American workers and workplaces safe have been fired! But they are fighting back, for their jobs and for all of us. 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 supp...

The Trump administration challenges birthright citizenship at the Supreme Court the same week it grants refugee status to white South Africans fleeing the post-apartheid state.And even as the horror of the Nakba is remembered, there is a victory as a federal judge orders that Georgetown University scholar, Badar Khan Suri, be released from an ICE detention facility in Texas. We go outside the Virginia courthouse where the case was heard, and hear from Suris wife and attorney. Plus headlines on the 77th anniversary of the Nakba and more. 

The show is made possible only by our v...

On May 9, 2025, 29 world leaders are in Moscow to celebrate the Soviet Unions victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. To explain the significance of that victory 80 years later, we speak to Professor Gerald Horne. And Georgetown Law Professor David Cole compares the attack by Congress on students and universities to the red scare McCarthyism of the 1950s. Plus headlines on DC substitute teachers, Hands Off Our History, Gaza, Congress 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 l...

Workers in DC stand up for their rights and take to the streets on May Day. And, for some, the issue is not Trump's first 100 Days but, rather, the American empire, built on genocide, entering its decline. We speak to political analyst Tom Porter. Plus headlines on Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi released. Hundreds of thousands rallied around the world on Wednesday April 30th in support of Burkina Faso's interim president Ibrahim Traore, who recently survived a coup attempt. And it appears that the District of Columbia cannot rely on the House of Representatives to correct what was assumed to be...

At an Emancipation Day speakout in DC, by a call for solidarity among American workers to fight back. And, as the Trump administration continues to trample on the first amendment, due process and other constitutional rights, we ask our media critic Jon Jeter to weigh in on Trump's war on free speech.  The speakout was organized by six DC organizations, Free DC, Federal Unionists Network, Harriet's Wildest Dreams, the Washington Metropolitan AFL-CIO, Anacostia Coordinating Council, the Washington Informer and by WPFW Pacifica Radio producer Joni Eisenberg. The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep t...

As Trump and the President of El Salvador met at the White House, refusing to return a wrongly deported man to the U.S., faith leaders met outside and held a prayer vigil with the family of the man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The Trump administration's continued defiance of the law is deepening a constitutional crisis and creating wide ripple effects. Plus headlines on federal workers and Emancipation Day in DC. 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 er...

For most of this show, we hear from speakers and attendees we interviewed at the April 5th National March on Washington to Stop the Genocide in Gaza and Stop the Repression here at home. Then we speak to our geopolitical analyst Gerald Horne for part one of this month's episode of the F-Word on Fascism. Horne takes the pulse of this moment of seemingly nonstop chaos of tariffs, brewing cold war with China, brewing hot war with Iran, hands off rallies against the Trump agenda, and so much more.  The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our r...

Organizers of the April 5th March on Washington say the time is now to save hundreds of thousands of people in Palestine, and to save basic constitutional rights here in the U.S. And another crisis is brewing as the Trump administration defies a judges order to reopen the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and as it appeals a court ruling to rehire thousands of illegally terminated federal workers.   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...

Some say that the Trump administration's abduction and imprisonment of pro-Palestinian students at U.S. colleges and universities is a sure sign that the Zionist occupation of Palestine now threatens us on these shores. But the question remains: will Americans fight to preserve our right to freedom of speech and assembly? We speak to our media critic Jon Jeter. Plus headlines, a preview of the new movie "The Encampments," and Susan Sarandon speaking at the "Free Mahmoud, Free Palestine" event March 22, 2025 in New York City. This show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the...

An annual gathering to celebrate the successful fight for voting rights turns into a movement update for all citizen rights in the United States. And as the Trump administration eyes Greenland for 21st century colonization, a human rights complaint was just filed with United Nations because of the toxic waste LEFT by the U.S. military on Sivuqaq, also known as St. Lawrence Island of Alaska. Plus headlines on Gaza, Ukraine and the Trump Administration with Gerald Horne. The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by...

SUPPORT ESTHER'S BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISER FOR ON THE GROUND UNTIL MARCH 22, 2025: https://www.facebook.com/donate/1153324579630758/?fundraiser_source=external_url UN human rights experts say that the genocide against Palestinians, perpetrated by Israel and supported by the US and NATO countries, is also destroying international and human rights laws enacted after the carnage of World War II.As Israel continues to kill, displace and starve people in Gaza, in the West Bank, and in prisons documented as torture and death camps, we spend this hour hearing these UN human rights experts, including including Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of...

As the Trump-Musk administration fires hundreds of federal workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration, we hear from scientists, researchers and lawmakers speaking out at a protest in Silver Spring, MD, against this attack on the nation's premier public science agency. The ongoing illegal firings, along with dismantling and attacks on vital public services, is deepening a political, economic and social crisis in the country. Plus more headlines with Gerald Horne. 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 th...

Dramatic changes in the world require news organizations to be fearless truth tellers, but in this heady moment, corporate media are falling down on the job. We speak to journalist Jon Jeter. And here in DC, and across the country, Americans are speaking up for federal workers and against the dismantling of government for the people. Plus headlines on national and international affairs with Gerald Horne and vigils honoring murdered Palestinian journalists and U.S Airman Aaron Bushnell.   The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and by...

As the Trump administration shatters traditional alliances abroad, at home it is firing thousands of federal workers, upending countless lives and the work done for the American people. We speak to a federal worker, Dante O'Hara. And 60 years ago, on February 21, 1965, the human rights leader Malcolm X, or El-Hajj Malik Shabazz, was murdered at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. We hear an excerpt from his last known recorded speech, which still resonates today. Plus headlines with historian Gerald Horne. The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on th...

Is it possible that the U.S.-provoked war in Ukraine is ending? We speak to historian Gerald Horne... And, here in DC, workers and unions are fighting back against the Trump-Musk billionaire agenda. We hear from workers, union officials, legislators and activists attending a labor rally on Capitol Hill, one of many rallies where public sector workers are speaking truth to power. 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...

Inside the White House on February 5th, Donald Trump entertained wanted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu and announced a so-called U.S. takeover of Gaza. But outside the White House, we the people had our say. And after an unprecedented week of the billionaire Elon Musk accessing confidential files at federal agencies and threatening mass layoffs, will the DOGE train finally get stopped in its tracks? We speak to former OSHA official Jordan Barab. 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...

As the Trump Administration attacks the gains of the 1960s Black Freedom Movement, which addressed centuries of racist apartheid and greatly benefitted all of U.S. society, we interview Gerald Horne about his new book on that era of revolutionary change. We also discuss his other new book: African Americans and a New History of the USA. 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 be and support ou...

The new Trump administration launches a shock and awe blitzkrieg of controversial executive orders, but tens of thousands in the U.S. march on Inauguration Day, vowing to organize against Trump's billionaire agenda. Then, is TikTok allowing Israel to censor speech on the world's largest social media platform? We speak to journalist Jon Jeter. Plus, headlines with Gerald Horne. 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 ou...

On January 20th, Inauguration Day in the U.S., the We Fight Back movement will launch in dozens of cities against the Trump billionaire agenda. For this month's episode of The F-Word on Fascism, we speak to Brian Becker, national coordinator for the ANSWER Coalition, a core organization behind We Fight Back. Also, Lydia Curtis attended Cuba's conference on The International Decade forPeople of African Descent, and Chantal James reports on a new movement among healthcare workers in the U.S. to stand up against genocide in Palestine. Plus headlines on Gaza ceasefire and jounnalists ejected from Blinken press conference.   T...

Whether its wildfire smoke, rage at the for-profit heath care, or murder of doctors and nurses in Gaza, the issue of healthcare and health are much in the news. We speak to Dr. Margaret Flowers. And Maryland residents want state lawmakers to stop using their tax dollars to fund a center supporting Israeli weapons producers. Plus headlines on Doctors Against Genocide on Capitol Hill, Gerald Horne on January 6, 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 er...

What was the importance of 2024, and what to look for in this new year? We hear from historian Gerald Horne. Also, DC residents speak to their elected officials about a plan to cut more than 1000 trees for a golf course in Rock Creek Park. And author Susan Abulhawa details online censorship of her historic speech for Palestine at the Oxford Union in England.  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...

On November 28th 2024, the Oxford Union debate society in England voted in favor of the motion that Israel is an apartheid state responsible for genocide against Palestinians. For this hour we hear from writers, scholars and activists who powerfully made the case: poet Mohammed El-Kurd; Ibrahim Osman Mowafy, president of the Oxford Union debating society; Israeli author and activist Miko-Peled; and author, scholar and activist Susan Abulhawa.  PLEASE SUPPORT OUR YEAR-END FUNDRAISER! 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, produ...

For this month's episode of the F-Word on fascism, we discuss with journalist Jon Jeter the role of unelected billionaires in government, profits before people, and growing populous anger. And why does Israel get away with killing Americans? The family of Aysenur Eygi comes to Washington, DC for answers after she was shot and killed by an Israeli sniper in the West Bank.  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 a...

Will Turkey's apparent duplicity with the U.S. and Israel destroy Syria and Palestine? We speak to historian Gerald Horne. And this year's International Human Rights Day links together issues of U.S. hegemony abroad with attacks on undocumented workers here at home. We hear from activists from Bayan USA advocating on behalf of Filipinos. Plus headlines on Gaza, Syria, the threat of nuclear war, Social Security, NLRB, Luigi Mangione, Uhuru 3, Nikki Giovanni R.I.P. and much more.  The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and...

As U.S. experts and activists gather here to oppose escalation to nuclear war, the Biden administration uses its final weeks to ratchet up dangerous conflicts across the globe. We speak to historian and author Gerald Horne.Then the voices of two women of the Palestinian diaspora: Hazami Barmada is on day 12 of a hunger strike to protest U.S.-Israel starvation of Gaza, and Rep.Rashida Tlaib of Michigan shares the story of her famous "and solo" protest during this years visit to Congress by accused war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu. The show is made possible only by our volunteer...

As President-Elect Trump continues to nominate cabinet picks who counter his campaign promises of a peace agenda, we revisit this hour our discussion with author, historian, and journalist Vijay Prashad. In this our first broadcast of the full interview, Prashad explains why terms such as fascism may be in vogue to describe the incoming 47th presidency, but policies, especially foreign policies, may be identical to those of the current and past administrations. 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 th...

Whether the subject is Israeli soccer hooligans, the U.S. elections, or possible World War, Western corporate media surely missed the mark during November 2024. We speak to our media critic Jon Jeter. And what can movies teach us about our precious planet? Everything! We speak with Michelle Lewis, director of the Outer Banks Environmental Film Festival. Plus headlines on Ukraine, ICC warrant for Netanyahu, Trump transition, plan to cut 1000 trees in Rock Creek Park, new Go-Go museum in DC.   The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air, and...

As Donald Trump threatens to deport up to 20 million undocumented workers in the United States. we speak to immigrant rights attorney Heather Benno for this month's episode of "The F-Word" on fascism. And as lawyers, advocates and neighborhoods prepare to fight back, the U.S. building brand of fascism could include a melding of the military and the prison industrial complex. Headlines with Gerald Horne, and day laborer organizer Jorge Torres speaks at the People's Forum in New York City.  The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people’s voices on the air...

As millions of Democratic voters declined to cast ballots for their party's nominee for president, we hear from those who chose to protest instead on election night near the White House. For many protesters, the election marked 13 months into the U.S.-backed Holocaust in Gaza and 13 months of their resistance. Headlines on the U.S. presidential election and the impact, nationally and internationally, with Gerald Horne.  “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...

New documentary by Sut Jhally and Max Blumenthal exposes lies created by Israel about the Hamas military attack on October 7, 2023, and how U.S. and European corporate media and politicians allowed Israel to use this propaganda in order to gain cover for its extermination campaign against Palestinians. We air excerpts from "Atrocity Inc." Plus, Gerald Horne on the election, Israel and Iran... And More  “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...

When it comes to enabling the genocide in Gaza, Western corporate media are as complicit as those sending and dropping bombs. We speak to Jon Jeter for this month's episode of "On the Media." And the Muwekma Ohlone tribe continue their mission in DC to regain federal recognition but are met with more closed doors. Plus, headlines with Gerald Horne on the Historic BRICS Summit, West Asia and Cuba. “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 Est...

Though there is growing alarm about the rise of the far right, there is little difference between the policies of the extreme right and and the extreme center. For this month's episode of the F-Word on fascism, we speak to journalist and historian Vijay Prashad. And Native Americans visiting DC to gain tribal recognition are arrested on the National Mall. Plus headlines on the death of Yahya Sinwar, Ukraine asks for nukes or NATO, U.S. sanctions force Sputnik Radio off the air. And more...  “On the Ground: Voices of Resistance from the Nation’s Capital” gives a voice to the voi...

Is humanity's fate in the hands of an out-of-control Israeli regime? We speak to author and historian Professor Gerald Horne about the escalation ladder in West Asia. And as the U.S. fails to reign in its outpost of settler colonialism, Latin America and the Global South have their say at the event: "Latin America Speaks: Solidarity vs. Empire" held September 28, 2024 at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Remarks by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla and journalist and historian Vijay Prashad. Headlines on Gaza, Lebanon, Campus Protests and More...   The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our r...