The Laura Flanders Show

549 bills banning books, medical treatment, even access to the bathroom were introduced in 2023. As today’s guest says, the people driving the anti-trans movement are the same as those leading the anti-abortion movement. Imara Jones is the creator of “TransLash Media”, a cross-platform journalism, personal storytelling, and narrative project, which seeks to shift the culture and save trans lives.

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any high-income nation in the world — and it is Black mothers who are dying at the highest rates. What is causing the Black maternal mortality epidemic, and what can be done to save Black lives? Explore the community-centered responses that may lead to better pregnancy outcomes and a more equitable healthcare system.

The plan to permanently close Rikers in New York City and replace it with four borough facilities has hit roadblocks. Why is it so hard to close a jail? Joining Laura to discuss the local and national implications of this story are Journalist Nick Pinto, co-founder of the worker-owned news outlet Hell Gate, and NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who helped pass the law to close the jail.

This Mother’s Day, May 14th coincides with the formal end of the National Covid-19 Emergency. Poor parents will be taking a hit — but Guaranteed Income could be the solution. The Magnolia Mothers Trust in Jackson, Mississippi is the first in the country to provide Guaranteed Income of $1000 monthly to low-income families headed by a Black woman living in affordable housing.

In this episode, we examine anti-democratic election law and a legal case — Moore vs. Harper — which is to be decided this term by the US Supreme Court — that could undermine the power of voting in North Carolina and throw elections everywhere into the sort of chaos we saw after the 2020 election. What does it mean for democracy and voters of color? And what does the pushback look like?

Dangerous stereotypes around Muslim Americans persist, with very real consequences for Muslim people and American democracy at large. But are we witnessing a shift? Join Laura for this “Meet the BIPOC Press” and explore what happens when Muslim Americans themselves take on the task of reporting on their communities.

Chuck D of Public Enemy famously called Hip Hop "the Black CNN". As Hip Hop celebrated its 50th anniversary, Laura talks with him, and Bronx native Rosa Clemente, about Hip Hop's impact. Clemente is known for her expertise in Afro-Latinx identity and hip-hop feminism. Chuck D is a social activist, digital music pioneer and Executive Producer of “Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World”.

The Earth's temperature is rising and time is running out to change direction according to the IPCC. But veteran organizer/strategist Ben Jealous (formerly of the NAACP) sees history as being replete with examples of humans doing the unpredictable in the toughest moments. It’s that perspective, and those stories compiled in his new book, that Jealous brings to his job as head of the Sierra Club.

Low income Americans face an acute housing shortage. But our guests have a victory to share. “Rabble Rousers: Frances Goldin and the Fight for Cooper Square" is a newly-released documentary telling the story of how a diverse group of New Yorkers, led by housing organizer Frances Goldin, won a 50-year struggle to save a 12-block section of lower Manhattan from being destroyed.