Counterpunch Radio

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Erik Wallenberg and Joshua Frank welcome Ellen Schrecker to discuss the legacy of McCarthyism and the current right-wing attack on academic freedom in the U.S., and why the situation is even worse today than it was in the 1950s. Ellen Schrecker is an American historian and author who has written extensively about McCarthyism and American higher education. She is the author of many books, including The Lost Promise: American Universities in the 1960s, published by the University of Chicago Press, which provides the first comprehensive analysis of American higher education’s most turbulent decade. She holds a Ph.D. from Harvard, taught there and at NYU and Princeton, and later joined Yeshiva University, from which she retired as a full professor. Head over and grab some books from the best shop, Pilsen Community Books. The post Resisting Attacks on Academic Freedom / Ellen Schrecker appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

Rebecca Maria Goldschmidt speaks with members of the Asamblea Oaxaqueña por Palestina on Día de los Muertos in Oaxaca, México. They discuss local issues of gentrification, militarization, narco-violence, and religious Zionism, and Mexico’s political and economic ties to the colonial occupation of Palestine. Asamblea Oaxaqueña por Palestina is an autonomous, non-partisan, solidarity space formed by people from Oaxaca united to acompany the resistance of the Palestinian people. Podcast in Spanish, see English transcript here! The post The Palestinization of the World w/ Asamblea Oaxaqueña por Palestina appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

On this episode, Erik Wallenberg and Joshua Frank talk with climate justice campaigner and author Tori Tsui. Tori is a Senior Advisor for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and is a climate justice lead for Brian Eno’s Earth Percent. Her debut book, It’s Not Just You, explores the intersection of mental health and climate change and was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize. The U.S. version is scheduled for release in April 2026. The post Beyond Eco-Anxiety w/ Tori Tsui appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Erik Wallenberg and Joshua Frank talk to Presleigh Hayashida and Sophie Shepherd about efforts to evict genocide profiteers out of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Gen Z organizing, and much more. Presleigh Hayashida is a Brooklyn-based community organizer working on general anti-fascist organizing and the movement for a Free Palestine. More The post Genocide Profiteers Out of Brooklyn Navy Yard + Gen Z Organizing w/ Presleigh Hayashida and Sophie Shepherd appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Erik Wallenberg and Joshua Frank talk to Josh MacPhee and Kennedy Block, authors of the new book, Strike While the Needle is Hot: A Discography of Worker’s Revolt, published by Common Notions Press. Josh MacPhee is a founding member of the Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative, the author of An Encyclopedia More The post Strike While the Needle is Hot w/ Josh MacPhee and Kennedy Block appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Rebecca Maria Goldschmidt speaks with anti-Zionist Jewish community organizers in Brazil and Argentina from Vozes Judaicas por Libertação and JudíesxPalestina about their recent protective presence trip to the West Bank with the Center for Jewish Non-violence. They share a report back on the impacts of ongoing settler and occupational More The post The Anti-Zionist Movement in Latin America w/ Vozes Judaicas por Libertação and JudíesxPalestina appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, we are excited to present a panel discussion featuring Ramzy Baroud and Janene Yazzie, which took place last July at Socialism 2025 in Chicago. Ramzy and Janene discuss the connections between Indigenous struggles worldwide and how the fight for a free Palestine is a fight for justice on all More The post From Turtle Island to Palestine w/ Ramzy Baroud and Janene Yazzie appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Joshua Frank and Erik Wallenberg talk with Leona Morgan about nuclear colonialism in the Southwest and beyond. Leona Morgan (Diné/Navajo) is an Indigenous community organizer who has been fighting nuclear colonialism since 2007. The Albuquerque-based activist co-founded and works with the Nuclear Issues Study Group and Diné No Nukes, More The post Ending Nuclear Colonialism w/ Leona Morgan appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Rebecca Maria Goldschmidt talks with members of Punks Against Apartheid to discuss the history of the network, their entry points into Palestine organizing, and the current watershed moment of cultural intifada across global stages. In 2011, PAA launched a successful cultural BDS campaign against Dead Kennedys’ Jello Biafra, who More The post Racism Ain’t Punk w/ Punks Against Apartheid appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

In this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Joshua Frank and Erik Wallenberg talk with Sasha Davis about his new book, Replace the State: How to Change the World When Elections and Protests Fail.  Sasha Davis writes about how to create positive social change – even when elections and protests don’t work. He received a PhD from More The post Replace the State! w/ Sasha Davis appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

Rebecca Maria Goldschmidt speaks with Ace Kishi, guesthouse owner, and Jeronimo Gehres, former hotel manager, in Kyoto, who have taken action against Israeli soldiers vacationing in Japan. Both Gehres’ refusal to book accommodation for an active duty soldier in June 2024, and Kishi’s requirement for guests to sign a “war crimes pledge”, have gone viral More The post Front Desk Intifada w/ Japanese Hotel Managers Resisting Israeli War Criminals appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

On this episode, Erik Wallenberg and Joshua Frank talk to Nafis Hasan about his new book, Metastasis: The Rise of the Cancer-Industrial Complex and the Horizons of Care. Nafis Hasan received his PhD in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology from Tufts University in 2019. He is currently an Associate Faculty at the Brooklyn Institute for More The post The Cancer-Industrial Complex w/ Nafis Hasan appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

On the latest episode of CounterPunch Radio, Rebecca Maria Goldschmidt brings back Palestinian writer Eman Alhaj Ali to talk about life after leaving Gaza and the importance of solidarity and resistance. More The post Surviving a Genocide w/ Eman Alhaj Ali appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

Rebecca Maria Goldschmidt speaks with activists in México about the parent-led response to Israeli combatants "volunteering" in Chiapas in an attempt to whitewash their war crimes. For members of Acción Palestina Chiapas, the so-called "Heroes for Life" scam has no place in Nuestra América. They discuss the impacts of soldier mili-tourism and decades of Israel's military shadow over Latin American communities. La versión en español comienza en 48:55. More The post From Chiapas to Gaza w/ Acción Palestina Chiapas appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Erik Wallenberg and Joshua Frank are joined by Kathleen Brown and Michael Mueller to discuss the violent crackdown and subsequent criminal charges lodged against pro-Palestine activists at the University of Michigan. It's a tale of a iniquitous D.A., an Israel-friendly Board of Trustees and students persevering against all odds. Kathleen Brown is a doctoral student at the University of Michigan and former vice president of her labor union, Graduate Employees' Organization, AFT Local 3550, where she was involved in grad worker strikes in 2020 and 2023. She has been active in organizing for divestment on campus. Most recently, she was part of the year-long legal defense campaign "Dana Nessel, Drop the Charges" to pressure Michigan Attorney General to end her prosecution of 12 anti-genocide activists from U-M. Her political writing can be found on The Abusable Past, Against the Current, Spectre Journal, and Long Haul Magazine. Michael Mueller is a former PhD student at the

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Joshua Frank and Erik Wallenberg talk with Hadley Austin, director of the new documentary, Demon Mineral, which traces the radioactive legacy of uranium mining on the Navajo Nation. CounterPunch, Pilsen Community Books and Science for the People are co-sponsoring a screening of the film at Socialism 2025 in Chicago on July 4th. You can also check out Demon Mineral on Kanopy. Hadley Austin is a filmmaker/director, producer, poet, photographer, and aerialist. Along with Yoni Goldstein, she is one half of Formidable Entities, a Chicago-based film production studio. More The post The Radioactive Southwest w/ Hadley Austin appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Joshua Frank and Erik Wallenberg talk to Sim Kern, author of the brand new, New York Times bestseller, Genocide Bad: Notes on Palestine, Jewish History, and Collective Liberation. Sim is also the author of The Free People’s Village and an environmental journalist who made a name for themself investigating petrochemical polluters. They’re also a book influencer and activist. Sim used their platform to create The Trans Rights Readathon, which raised over $250,000 for trans-supporting organizations. Since October 7th, 2023, Kern has shared educational content about Palestine and mobilized their followers to raise more than half a million dollars in direct aid for families in Gaza. Their website is https://www.simkern.com/ More The post Genocide (Very) Bad w/ Sim Kern appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Joshua Frank and Erik Wallenberg talk with Kei Pritsker about "The Encampments," a critical new documentary he co-directed with Michael T. Workman on the student uprisings of 2024. Kei a journalist with BreakThrough News. More The post Inside “The Encampments” w/ Kei Pritsker appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Rebecca Maria Goldschmidt speaks with Dr. Aldo Rodriguez, an Independent Medic from Mexico who was part of the first group of doctors to enter Gaza after October 7, 2023. Speaking for his Gaza colleagues, he recounts the massive casualties, primarily children, and the hospital conditions amidst the relentless bombing of Gaza in November 2023. His testimony reminds us of the ongoing need to bring an end to the enduring violence in Gaza; debunks the myths of tunnels and fighters in the hospitals; and recalls the commitment of the medical community to save lives under impossible circumstances. Dr. Rodriguez has been working with a medical humanitarian NGO since 2018 in countries with limited resources and/or conflict zones including Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Central African Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan and Gaza. More The post A Medic in Gaza w/ Dr. Aldo Rodriguez appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Erik Wallenberg and Joshua Frank talk to Mike Prysner about the military, Pete Hegseth's attacks on Black troops, anti-war resistance, and more. Mike Prysner is a writer and producer of The Empire Files. Since returning from the Iraq war, he has been an organizer of anti-war veterans and service members. He hosts a military podcast called Eyes Left, and is co-director of the upcoming film on US military pollution, Earth’s Greatest Enemy. More The post Militarism and Resistance w/ Mike Prysner appeared first on CounterPunch.org.