Laura Flanders & Friends

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”.

The business of media is in danger — but it sure isn’t dead. There have been layoffs across the industry and many newsrooms have cut back on the resources available to journalists. But workers have also organized unions, including high-profile campaigns at Condé Nast and The New Yorker, and started worker-owned media like Hell Gate and Defector.

Political violence is on the rise and has reached just about every corner of the country, whether it's confrontations on social media, at school board meetings or the chambers of Congress. While most Americans oppose political violence, it remains a growing threat to our democracy. We convene an expert panel to define political violence and discuss how to protect one another and democracy itself.

Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have serious problems. How do we square the contradictions when casting our vote, and how should we think about elections altogether? As National Director of the Working Families Party, what is Maurice Mitchell’s advice in this critical election year? For starters, he says “supporting a candidate is a chess move.”

It is a cliché to say that the richest corporate media operate inside a bubble of their own making, but it's largely true. Today’s guests are breathing new life into the world of journalism by covering people, places and perspectives beyond the conventional enclaves of power. How do we break media bubbles? Join us for that conversation.

Women make up 35% of California’s homeless population, and domestic violence is a leading reason why women lose their housing. Organizations across California are coming together to address this issue, break down silos and bring survivors into decision-making. But their work is in danger because of a 45% budget cut. What can be done?

Just in time for election season, Laura invites her sister Stephanie back to the program. Stephanie is the head of Economics and Government at Bloomberg News and head of Bloomberg Economics. Sixty-four countries (plus the European Union) — nearly half of the world’s population — are facing an election this year. Some are calling 2024 “The Ultimate Election Year”, but what should we look out for?

When it comes to crime and migration, all sorts of politicians have justified mass detention and incarceration in the name of confronting a dangerous crisis. But what's real and what's fear mongering, and how can reformers counter the rhetoric to advance alternatives? Activists can do their best to call out abuses, but what is really needed is an entirely new approach.

In “ZODIAC: A Graphic Memoir”, the renowned artist Ai Weiwei writes that artists should “ignite stories”, “fight for freedom” and “help us hope.” Over his long and defiant career, he has used his art in a wide variety of media to do just that. In this wide-ranging conversation with Laura Flanders, they discuss the role of the artist and ask why is “Power so afraid of art and poets?”