KPFA - Letters and Politics
1,116 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 232 ratingsLetters & Politics seeks to explore the history behind today’s major global and national news stories. Hosted by Mitch Jeserich.
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Episodes
Escaping & Remembering Fascism
November 20, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBPart 1: Aileen Alfandary’s Documentary on Spain’s Memory Law. Photo (c): Aileen Alfandary. In The picture is Emilio Silva, founder of the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory. He’s holding the ring of his grandfather who was executed in 1936 by the forces of former dictator Francisco Franco. Part 2: Nicolas Sanchez-Albornoz escaped Fascism three times in the 20th century. He is Professor Emeritus and former William Kenan Jr. Professor at New York University, Spanish and Latin Am...
Letters and Politics – November 16, 2023
November 16, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBA look at burning political issues and debates and their historical context within the US and worldwide, hosted by Mitch Jeserich. The post Letters and Politics – November 16, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.
Letters and Politics – November 15, 2023
November 15, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBA look at burning political issues and debates and their historical context within the US and worldwide, hosted by Mitch Jeserich. The post Letters and Politics – November 15, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.
Preempted for Pacifica Radio Archives Fundraiser
November 14, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBOur regularly scheduled programming is preempted from 6am to 9pm (PST) today for a special fundraiser. During this one-day event, we air old and new broadcasts that demonstrate the richness of the Pacifica Radio Archives and how important it is that we ensure their preservation and accessibility. We appreciate your understanding and support in contributing to the success of this important initiative. The post Preempted for Pacifica Radio Archives Fundraiser appeared first on KPFA.
How Pirates Halted The Slave Trade
November 13, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Angela C. Sutton is an Assistant research professor at Vanderbilt University, where she has taught Seapower in History, the Golden Age of Piracy, and Comparative Slavery. She is the author of Pirates of the Slave Trade: The Battle of Cape Lopez and the Birth of an American Institution. The post How Pirates Halted The Slave Trade appeared first on KPFA.
Letters and Politics – November 9, 2023
November 09, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBA look at burning political issues and debates and their historical context within the US and worldwide, hosted by Mitch Jeserich. The post Letters and Politics – November 9, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.
Censuring Rashida Tlaib & Vijay Prashad Responds
November 08, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Vijay Prashad, director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He is the author of many books including The Darker Nations: A People’s History of the Third World The post Censuring Rashida Tlaib & Vijay Prashad Responds appeared first on KPFA.
The 2024 White House Budget Request for the Border & The Trump’s Legal Cases
November 07, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBPart I. The WH Budget Request for the South Border Guest: Todd Miller is an independent journalist and author of several books including Border Patrol Nation, Storming the Wall, Empire of Borders, and his latest Build Bridges, Not Walls: A Journey to a World Without Borders. His writings have been published in The New York Times, Tom Dispatch, The Nation, San Francisco Chronicle, In These Times, Guernica, Al Jazeera English, and Counterpunch. His latest pieces are From the Gazan Laboratory ...
Shutting Down Tacoma Port to Delay Military Aid to Israel & US Military Bases in the World
November 06, 2023 10:00 - 18 minutes - 20.6 MBPart 1. Tacoma/Seattle Protestors Shutting Down Terminal To Delay US Vessel With military Aid Bound For Israel Guest: Wassim Hage with the Arab Resource & Organizing Center joining us live from the protest at Tacoma, Washington. Photo credit: Arab Resource and Organizing Center Part 2. US Bases Military Bases the Middle East Guest: David Vine is Professor of political anthropology at American University in Washington, DC. He is the author of the book The United States of War: A Global Hist...
The U.S. Military Aid for Israel, No Humanitarian Assistance for Gaza & the Calls for a Ceasefire
November 02, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: David Dayen is the executive editor of The American Prospect. He is the author of Monopolized: Life in the Age of Corporate Power. His latest piece in American Prospect is The Agonizing Drift Toward Cease-Fire. The post The U.S. Military Aid for Israel, No Humanitarian Assistance for Gaza & the Calls for a Ceasefire appeared first on KPFA.
A History of Antisemitism in Today’s World & An Update on the Spending Request for Israel in Congress
November 01, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBBeth S. Wenger is the Moritz and Josephine Berg Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania. Her most recent book is History Lessons: The Creation of American Jewish Heritage and her co-edited anthology (with Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet), titled Gender in Judaism and Islam: Common Lives, Uncommon Heritage. https://kpfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Beth-Winger-on-Antisemitism.mp3 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { var media = $('#audio-410263-1'); media.on('canplay', f...
The Palestine/Israel Conflict – US Foreign Policy. Then, the Backlash Against Lawmakers who Signed the Ceasefire Resolution
October 31, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Stephen M. Walt is the Robert and Renée Belfer professor of international relations at Harvard University. He is the author and coauthor of several books, including The Hell of Good Intentions: America’s Foreign Policy, and The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy co-authored with John J. Mearsheimer. Professor Walt is also a columnist at Foreign Policy. https://kpfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Stephen-Walt_Foreign-Policy_Gaza2023.mp3 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { ...
International Law in the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
October 30, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: John Quigley is Professor emeritus of international law at Ohio State University. His many books include The Statehood of Palestine: International Law in the Middle East Conflict, The International Diplomacy of Israel’s Founders: Deception at the United Nations in the Quest for Palestine. Photo by Naaman Omar, October 2023 on Wikimedia The post International Law in the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict appeared first on KPFA.
Ilan Pappé: Crisis in Zionism, Opportunity for Palestine?
October 26, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBA lecture by Professor Ilan Pappé, Professor of History, Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies, University of Exeter, UK on October 19th, 2023 at Berkeley Law, UC Berkeley Campus. Special thanks to the Sponsors for providing the recording of the event: Center for Middle Eastern Studies, NorCal Sabeel, Department of History, Department of Ethnic Studies, Law Students for Justice in Palestine, Institute of International Studies, Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project ...
Congress, Gaza, and the Calling for a Ceasefire
October 25, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Ryan Grim is The Intercept’s D.C. Bureau Chief and the host of the podcast Deconstructed. He authors the newsletter Bad News. He is the author of the books “This Is Your Country on Drugs” and “We’ve Got People.” His third book, due out in late 2023, will be called “The Squad and the Final Act of a Political Revolution.” Feature photo: Wikimedia Commons. The post Congress, Gaza, and the Calling for a Ceasefire appeared first on KPFA.
How The Female Body Drives Evolution
October 24, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Cat Bohannon is a researcher specialized in the evolution of narrative and cognition. She is the author of Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution by Cat Bohannon. The post How The Female Body Drives Evolution appeared first on KPFA.
How The Female Body Drives Evolution
October 24, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Cat Bohannon is a researcher specialized in the evolution of narrative and cognition. She is the author of Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution by Cat Bohannon. The post How The Female Body Drives Evolution appeared first on KPFA.
The Geopolitics of the Israel/Palestine Conflict
October 23, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Phyllis Bennis directs the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), her work focuses on the Middle East, U.S. militarism, and UN issues. She is the author of several books including Before & After: U.S. Foreign Policy and the War on Terror, Challenging Empire, and her latest, Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer. The post The Geopolitics of the Israel/Palestine Conflict appeared first on KPFA.
The House Speakership Chaos & The History of Hamas
October 18, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBPart I. The House Speakership Chaos Guest: John Nichols is a national affairs correspondent for The Nation Magazine. Part II. The History of Hamas Guest: Zaki Chehab is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ArabsToday.net. He is the author of the book Inside Hamas: The Untold Story of the Militant Islamic Movement. https://kpfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Zaki-Chehab-on-Hamas_10.18.23.mp3 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { var media = $('#audio-409521-7'); media.on('canpla...
The CIA Backed Assassination of Patrice Lumumba
October 17, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Stuart Reid is an executive editor at Foreign Affairs magazine and the author of The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination. The post The CIA Backed Assassination of Patrice Lumumba appeared first on KPFA.
The Palestine/Israel Conflict – The Media Coverage and the Backlash Across US
October 16, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Hatem Bazian is a professor of Islamic law and theology at Zaytuna College. He is also a lecturer in the departments of Near Eastern and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Most lately, he is the author of Erasing The Human: Collapse of The Postcolonial World and Refugee Immigration Crisis. The post The Palestine/Israel Conflict – The Media Coverage and the Backlash Across US appeared first on KPFA.
A History of the AR-15
October 12, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Zusha Elinson is a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, where he covers America’s gun culture and industry. He is the co-author with journalist Cameron McWhirter of the new book American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15. The post A History of the AR-15 appeared first on KPFA.
The Palestine / Israel Conflict: The Root Causes of the Occupation and the US Involvement
October 11, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Stephen Zunes is Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of San Francisco where he chairs the program in Middle Eastern Studies. He is the author of “Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism”, and the co-author of “Western Sahara: War, Nationalism, and Conflict Irresolution.” Photo by Mohammed Ibrahim on Unsplash The post The Palestine / Israel Conflict: The Root Causes of the Occupation and the US Involvement appeared first on KPFA.
The Palestine/Israel Conflict: Processing the Tragedy and Finding Justice
October 10, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Dr. Penny Rosenwasser is a white queer Ashkenazi Jewish educator and activist. She is the author most recently of the award-winning book “Hope into Practice: Jewish Women Choosing Justice Despite Our Fears.” She co-teaches a class on Antisemitism / Anti-Arabism with a Palestinian colleague at City College of San Francisco. She is a founding board member of Jewish Voice for Peace and helps lead racial justice work at Kehilla Community Synagogue in Oakland. She is also former KPFA r...
The Palestine / Israeli Conflict: A History of Settler Colonialism & Resistance
October 09, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Rashid Khalidi is the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies. He is author of several books including his most recent, The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917- 2017. Photo by Mohammed Ibrahim on Unsplash The post The Palestine / Israeli Conflict: A History of Settler Colonialism & Resistance appeared first on KPFA.
KPFA Special – Heather Cox Richardson on the State of Democracy in America
October 05, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Heather Cox Richardson is a professor of history at Boston College and an expert on American political and economic history. She is the author of several books, including the award-winning How the South Won the Civil War and her latest, Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America. She is also the author of the widely read newsletter Letters from an American which addresses history and current politics. The post KPFA Special – Heather Cox Richardson on the State of Democracy i...
KPFA Special – Live with Bart D. Ehrman on the Biblical Apocalypse
October 04, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Bart D. Ehrman is a leading authority on the New Testament and the history of early Christianity. He is a Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the author of several books including, Misquoting Jesus, How Jesus Became God, The Triumph of Christianity, Heaven and Hell, and his latest, Armageddon: What the Bible Really Says about the End. The post KPFA Special – Live with Bart D. Ehrman on the Biblical Apocalypse appeared fi...
KPFA Special – The Legacy of Dianne Feinstein
October 02, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Tim Redmond is a political and investigative reporter in San Francisco for more than 30 years now. He spent much of that time as executive editor of the Bay Guardian. He is the founder and editor of the independent news and culture website 48hills. Photo credit: Dianne Feinstein in November 2014 – Wikimedia Commons The post KPFA Special – The Legacy of Dianne Feinstein appeared first on KPFA.
KPFA Special – Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz on the History of Settler Colonialism
September 28, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz grew up in rural Oklahoma in a tenant farming family. She has been active in the international Indigenous movement for more than 4 decades and is known for her lifelong commitment to national and international social justice issues. Dunbar-Ortiz is the winner of the 2017 Lannan Cultural Freedom Prize, she is the author or editor of many books, including the iconic book An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, this year celebrating its 10th Anniversary w...
KPFA Special – Volatile Times: The Political History of the Civil War Part III
September 27, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBThe Reconstruction Amendments and How They’ve Created Our Political World Today Guest: Eric Foner is DeWitt Clinton Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University. He is the author of several books including, Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men; The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery which won the Pulitzer; and The Second Founding : How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution. The post KPFA Special – Volatile Times: The Political History of the Civil Wa...
KPFA Special – Volatile Times: The Political History of the Civil War Part II
September 26, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Eric Foner is DeWitt Clinton Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University. He is the author of several books including, Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men; The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery which won the Pulitzer; and The Second Founding : How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution. The post KPFA Special – Volatile Times: The Political History of the Civil War Part II appeared first on KPFA.
KPFA Special – Volatile Times: The Political History of the Civil War Part 1 – The 1850s
September 25, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Eric Foner is DeWitt Clinton Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University. He is the author of several books including, Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men; The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery which won the Pulitzer; and The Second Founding : How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution. The post KPFA Special – Volatile Times: The Political History of the Civil War Part 1 – The 1850s appeared first on KPFA.
Dr. Cornel West Takes Listener Calls About Presidential Run
September 21, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Dr. Cornel West is a renowned philosopher, author, and activist who is running to be the U.S. Green Party Presidential Candidate. He is a professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Dr. West is known to be an outspoken advocate for social justice in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Fannie Lou Hamer, and bell hooks. The post Dr. Cornel West Takes Listener Calls About Presidential Run appeared first on KPFA.
KPFA Special – Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire
September 20, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Kyle Harper is professor of classics and letters at the University of Oklahoma. His books include The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire. The post KPFA Special – Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire appeared first on KPFA.
KPFA Special – Cooking with Ralph Nader: Family Recipes From Lebanon and Beyond
September 19, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate, lawyer, host of The Ralph Nader Radio Hour that broadcasts on the Pacifica Radio Network. He is the author of several books including his latest The Ralph Nader and Family Cookbook: Classic Recipes from Lebanon and Beyond. The post KPFA Special – Cooking with Ralph Nader: Family Recipes From Lebanon and Beyond appeared first on KPFA.
Bill Clinton & the Transformation of American Capitalism
September 18, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Nelson Lichtenstein is Research Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His books include State of the Union: A Century of American Labor, and his latest, A Fabulous Failure: The Clinton Presidency and the Transformation of American Capitalism with Judith Stein (1940–2017) who was Distinguished Professor of History at City College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York. The post Bill Clinton & the Transformation of American Capitalism appeared first o...
Mary Wollstonecraft, The French Revolution and The Tyranny of Men
September 14, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Susan J. Wolfson is professor of English at Princeton University and author of On Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: The First of a New Genus. Photo credit: Wikimedia commons The post Mary Wollstonecraft, The French Revolution and The Tyranny of Men appeared first on KPFA.
The Church Committee: Investigating Assassinations, Coups, and the Drugging of Americans
September 11, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: James Risen is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author. Throughout his career, Risen’s explosive investigative reporting has triggered a series of political firestorms. Among his best-selling books are State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration; Pay Any Price: Greed, Power and Endless War; and his latest, The Last Honest Man: The CIA, the FBI, the Mafia, and the Kennedys―and One Senator’s Fight to Save Democracy co-authored with Thomas Rise...
The Church Committee: Investigating Assassinations, Coups, and the Drugging of Americans
September 11, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: James Risen is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author. Throughout his career, Risen’s explosive investigative reporting has triggered a series of political firestorms. Among his best-selling books are State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration; Pay Any Price: Greed, Power and Endless War; and his latest, The Last Honest Man: The CIA, the FBI, the Mafia, and the Kennedys―and One Senator’s Fight to Save Democracy co-authored with Thomas Rise...
Disinvestment In Cities, Crime, and the Persistence of the Racial Wealth Gap
September 07, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Tanya Golash-Boza is the Executive Director of the University of California Washington Center and a Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Merced. She is the author of Before Gentrification: The Creation of DC’s Racial Wealth Gap. The post Disinvestment In Cities, Crime, and the Persistence of the Racial Wealth Gap appeared first on KPFA.
A History of US Intervention in Nicaragua
September 06, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Dan Kovalikis the author of Nicaragua: A History of US Intervention & Resistance. The post A History of US Intervention in Nicaragua appeared first on KPFA.
A History of Hacking
September 05, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Scott J. Shapiro is a professor of law and philosophy at Yale Law School and the director of the Yale Center for Law and Philosophy and its CyberSecurity Lab. He is the author of Fancy Bear Goes Phishing: The Dark History of the Information Age, in Five Extraordinary Hacks. The post A History of Hacking appeared first on KPFA.
Letters and Politics – September 4, 2023
September 04, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 9.25 MBA look at burning political issues and debates and their historical context within the US and worldwide, hosted by Mitch Jeserich. The post Letters and Politics – September 4, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.
Shakespeare & Race
August 31, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Farah Karim-Cooper is a professor of Shakespeare studies at King’s College London and Director of Education at Shakespeare’s Globe. She is the author of The Great White Bard: How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race. The post Shakespeare & Race appeared first on KPFA.
Shakespeare & Race
August 31, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Farah Karim-Cooper is a professor of Shakespeare studies at King’s College London and Director of Education at Shakespeare’s Globe. She is the author of The Great White Bard: How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race. The post Shakespeare & Race appeared first on KPFA.
Current Political Trends in Latin American & Upending the Tenderloin’s ‘Doom Loop’ Narrative
August 30, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBPart 1. Latin America Current Trends Guest: Miguel Tinker-Salas is Emeritus Professor of History and Chicana/o Latina/o Studies at Pomona College. He is an expert on the political and social issues of Latin America and the author of several books including, Venezuela: What Everyone Needs to Know; and The Enduring Legacy: Oil, Culture and Society in Venezuela. Part 2. The Tenderloin tour upends ‘doom loop’ narrative Guest: Christopher D. Cook is an author and award-winning investigative jour...
The Life & Times of Anna May Wong
August 29, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Yunte Huang, a Guggenheim Fellow, has taught at Harvard and the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he is a professor of English. He is the author of Inseparable, the Edgar Award–winning biography Charlie Chan, and his latest, Daughter of the Dragon: Anna May Wong’s Rendezvous with American History. The post The Life & Times of Anna May Wong appeared first on KPFA.
The Life & Times of Anna May Wong
August 29, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Yunte Huang, a Guggenheim Fellow, has taught at Harvard and the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he is a professor of English. He is the author of Inseparable, the Edgar Award–winning biography Charlie Chan, and his latest, Daughter of the Dragon: Anna May Wong’s Rendezvous with American History. The post The Life & Times of Anna May Wong appeared first on KPFA.
Poverty, Crime and Policy in America
August 28, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuest: Nikhil Goyal is a sociologist and policymaker who served as senior policy advisor on education and children for Chairman Senator Bernie Sanders on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and Committee on the Budget. He is the author of the book Live to See the Day: Coming of Age in American Poverty. The post Poverty, Crime and Policy in America appeared first on KPFA.
Analysis of the First GOP Presidential Debate and Trump’s Absence
August 24, 2023 10:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBGuests: Geoff Kabaservice is a historian of the Republican Party and the Director of Political Studies at the Niskanen Center. He is the author of Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, from Eisenhower to the Tea Party. John Nichols is the national affairs correspondent for The Nation Magazine. His latest book co-written with Senator Bernie Sanders, is It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism. His latest pieces on the GOP campaign in The Nation a...