Laura Flanders & Friends

Election 2024 is happening in a media environment unlike any other. With legacy papers closing and digital media in crisis, too, election ads are filling the news vacuum with misinformation and lies. What is to be done? In this episode of “Meet the BIPOC Press”, we examine the state of election media and ask, could this be a moment of opportunity for others to transform the news and build power?

The 2022 Supreme Court ruling to overturn Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health dramatically changed the political scene. Now we are witnessing another watershed moment in the struggle for abortion rights. Abortion, access to trans health, contraception and freedom from sterilization abuse are all part of the far Right’s agenda to control bodies. Could reproductive rights leap forward in 2024, not back?

Voting should be simple, but we’re seeing more and more barriers — especially for BIPOC voters — this election. From efforts to eliminate same-day voter registration, new voter-ID laws, and vigilante style “election integrity” watchdogs turning up at the polls, voters in many states and tribal nations face serious challenges they’re working hard to overcome. Will all who want to vote be able to?

North Carolina is a battleground state, and a petri dish for extremist policy and practice. Whether it's the right to vote, the right to read, or the right to decide the fate of one’s body, North Carolinians are on the frontlines. Where is the state headed this November and beyond?

South Australia has become a global leader in green energy transition. How did they do it, and what can we learn from them? In this report for Climate Week, Laura goes Down Under with her partner, Elizabeth Streb, and her extreme dance company, and discovers how the region’s culture and its many world-class festivals have helped pave the way for transformation.

Were you one of the hundreds of thousands of people on the streets during the Occupy movement? For many the movement was a political awakening, as people rallied to end economic inequality and support democracy in response to the 2008 global financial crisis. On this 13th anniversary, how does the spirit of Occupy live on? And what progress — if any — has been made when it comes to the wealth gap?

What risks do working people face this Labor Day? Workers continue to die on the job and struggle to protect worker safety, but the dangers for labor go beyond bad bosses. On the federal level, the far Right’s Project 2025 playbook has plans to gut unions and fire federal workers.

In the documentary “God & Country”, producer Rob Reiner and director Dan Partland explore Christian Nationalism — a toxic brew of patriarchal White Nationalism and messianic faith. Christian Nationalism poses a real and immediate threat, not only to the very idea of secular democracy but also to Christianity itself. Whether you’re a Christian or a concerned citizen, this episode is a must-watch.

In the wake of Donald Trump's shooting, falsehoods flooded our feeds faster than facts. The problem of disinformation, the deliberate spread of false or misleading information, isn’t new, but the stakes are high in this critical election year. In this monthly installment of “Meet the BIPOC Press”, we ask: Who are the targets of disinformation in the run up to the 2024 election and why?

Under the view of the iconic Hollywood Sign, a struggle is being waged over the future of policing and incarceration. Los Angeles is ground zero for fights over the job of District Attorney, Police Chief, and the size of prisons and jails. Corporations that have profited from prison communications are now profiting on electronic monitoring. Can today's Los Angeles change the script?

As the Republican National Convention comes to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Laura talks with award-winning reporter and author, Malaika Jabali, author of "It's Not You, It’s Capitalism: Why It’s Time to Break Up and How to Move On”. Wisconsin is one of the most racially unequal states in the country. It’s also seen a precipitous decline in Black voting. Are these things connected?

What does it take to be politically outspoken in Hollywood? You may know Amanda Seales from her role on HBO’s “Insecure”, her stand-up comedy, her podcast and radio show or viral videos on social media. She’s lost agents, her publicist, and had speaking gigs retracted for her commitment to social justice. Hear why Seales is taking backlash from her support for Palestinians as “a badge of honor”.