CounterPunch Radio – podcasts

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When State Disaster Response Fails w/ Dr. Nadine Ortega

In this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Rebecca Maria Goldschmidt speaks with Dr. Nadine Ortega, co-founder of Tagnawa Hawai’i, about grassroots mutual aid disaster recovery. Dr. Ortega breaks down the socio-economic and historical conditions that have led to the recent Kona Low flooding on O’ahu and the 2023 Lahaina, Maui fires, which have disproportionately affected Native Read more

The State of the US Left w/ Arun Gupta

Journalist Arun Gupta returns to CounterPunch Radio to discuss the state of the left, antiwar politics, and much more. Arun talks to host Eric Draitser and provides his analysis of the No Kings movement and how leftists should understand it, as well as a retrospective of the antiwar movements around Iraq and Vietnam. He explores Read more

The Most Botched Imperial War w/ Gilbert Achcar

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Erik Wallenberg and Joshua Frank sit down with Gilbert Achcar to discuss Israel, Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, and the most botched US war ever. Gilbert Achcar is Emeritus Professor at SOAS, University of London. He is the author of many books, most recently, The Gaza Catastrophe: The Genocide in World-Historical Read more

The Collective Power of Music w/ Sean Adams

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, host Tori Tsui talks to Sean Adams, founder of Drowned in Sound. Tori and Sean talk about Spotify, AI, militarism, capitalism, independent music, how we can harness music’s power for social change, and much more. Founded in 2000 by Sean Adams, the UK-based Drowned in Sound has evolved from Read more

No Option But Sabotage w/ Thomas Zeitzoff

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Joshua Frank and Erik Wallenberg are joined by Thomas Zeitzoff to talk about his new book, No Option But Sabotage: The Radical Environmental Movement and the Climate Crisis.  No Option But Sabotage explores how far activists are willing to go to defend the planet in the face of repression Read more

An Image of Total Liberation w/ Dr. Shahd Abusalama

On this episode of Counterpunch Radio, Rebecca Maria Goldschmidt speaks with Dr. Shahd Abusalama, Palestinian academic, writer, and artist, born and raised in Jabalia Refugee Camp, in northern Gaza. Shahd discusses her book, Between Reality and Documentary: A Historical Representation of Gaza Refugees in Colonial, Humanitarian and Palestinian Documentary Film, published in 2025 by Bloomsbury Read more

Before the Flood: A Tale From Gaza w/ Ramzy Baroud

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Erik Wallenberg and Joshua Frank welcome back Ramzy Baroud to discuss his new book, Before the Flood, a profound exploration of Palestinian history and resilience through the personal stories of his family—the al-Badrasawis. Beginning with intimate details of village life in Beit Daras prior to the Nakba. They also talk about Read more

Nuclear Madness: MV Ramana in Conversation w/ Joshua Frank

In this episode of CounterPunch Radio, MV Ramana speaks with Joshua Frank about the lies and misconceptions surrounding a nuclear power revival, atomic energy’s ties to weapons proliferation, and much more. The conversation took place in January at Page Against the Machine bookstore in Long Beach, California. M. V. Ramana is the Simons Chair in Disarmament, Read more

Battling Killer Robots w/ BDS Japan Bulletin & Engineers Against Apartheid

Industrial robotics company, FANUC, was the only Japanese company named in the Albanese report on Israel’s “economy of genocide.” This week on CounterPunch Radio, we speak with members of BDS Japan Bulletin and Detroit-based Engineers Against Apartheid to understand the role that FANUC robots play in the production of 155mm shells, one of the primary Read more

The Illegal War on Iran w/ Yassamine Mather

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Eric Draitser talks with Yassamine Mather about the Israel/US war on Iran, its geopolitical ramifications, Iranian resistance, and what it means for the future of the region. Yassamine Mather is an Iranian scholar and political activist. She is the acting editor of Critique: Journal of Socialist Theory. Her research Read more

Zionist Expansion w/ Sam Kimball

This week on CounterPunch Radio, Erik Wallenberg and Joshua Frank talk to journalist Sam Kimball about Israel’s illegal occupation of Syria, Zionist expansion in Lebanon, and the US/Israel war on Iran. Read Sam Kimball’s piece, Zionist Expansion: A First-Hand Account of Israel’s Illegal Occupation of Southwestern Syria. Support the CounterPunch Investigative Fund.

Jewish Radical Traditions of the SWANA Region w/ Emanuel Ovadia

In this episode of Counterpunch Radio, Rebecca Maria Goldschmidt speaks with Emanuel Ovadia, a researcher and educator on radical Jewish traditions in the Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region. Emanuel shares stories of Muslim-Jewish relations, the politics of language, and the Jewish radical traditions outside of the typical “Ashkenormative” European or American Jewish left. Read more

Black History Is for Everyone w/ Brian Jones

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Joshua Frank and Erik Wallenberg are joined by Brian Jones to discuss his new book, Black History Is for Everyone, out now with Haymarket Books. In Black History Is for Everyone, Brian Jones offers a meditation on the power of Black history, using his own experiences as a lifelong learner Read more

Voices from the Semillero Zapatista w/ Roberto Hernandez, Ana Vázquez & More

In this episode, CounterPunch shares voices from participants in the Zapatistas’ most recent gathering of activists, the “Semillero de Piramides, de historias, amores, y claro desamores,” in CIDECI, Universidad de la Tierra, Zapatista territory in San Cristóbal de las Casas, México. The 5 day event featured seminars and discussions with over 1000 attendees from 30 Read more

The Nuclearized World w/ Sean J Patrick Carney

On this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Erik Wallenberg and Joshua Frank welcome Sean J Partick Carney to discuss his 10-part series, Time Zero, on the nuclearized world. Sean J Patrick Carney is a visual artist, composer, and writer. His essays, criticism, and interviews appear frequently in publications including Artforum, Art in America, VICE, Southwest Contemporary, Read more

Citizen Printer, Bill Ayers w/ Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr., Monica Trinidad, and Chi Nwosu

In this special episode of CounterPunch Radio, Bill Ayers, friend of Pilsen Community Books and fellow podcaster at Under the Tree, introduces Amos Kennedy and fellow artists and activists Monica Trinidad and Chi Nwosu. This evening at Pilsen Community Books in Chicago included a packed-house crowd for a celebration for the release of Citizen Printer by renowned letterpress Read more

Resisting Attacks on Academic Freedom w/ Ellen Schrecker

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 Read more

The Palestinization of the World w/ Asamblea Oaxaqueña por Palestina

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 Read more

Beyond Eco-Anxiety w/ Tori Tsui

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 Read more

Strike While the Needle is Hot w/ Josh MacPhee and Kennedy Block

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 Read more

The Anti-Zionist Movement in Latin America w/ Vozes Judaicas por Libertação and JudíesxPalestina

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 Read more

From Turtle Island to Palestine w/ Ramzy Baroud and Janene Yazzie

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 Read more

Ending Nuclear Colonialism w/ Leona Morgan

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, Read more

Racism Ain’t Punk w/ Punks Against Apartheid

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 Read more

Replace the State! w/ Sasha Davis

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 Read more

Front Desk Intifada w/ Japanese Hotel Managers Resisting Israeli War Criminals

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 Read more

The Cancer-Industrial Complex w/ Nafis Hasan

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 Read more

Surviving a Genocide w/ Eman Alhaj Ali

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.

From Chiapas to Gaza w/ Acción Palestina Chiapas

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 Read more

The Crime of Opposing Genocide w/ Kathleen Brown & Michael Mueller

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.

The Radioactive Southwest w/ Hadley Austin

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 Read more

Genocide (Very) Bad w/ Sim Kern

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 Read more

Inside “The Encampments” w/ Kei Pritsker

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.

A Medic in Gaza w/ Dr. Aldo Rodriguez

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 Read more

Militarism and Resistance w/ Mike Prysner

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 Read more