KPFA - Behind the News
Host Doug Henwood covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.
Episodes
How and why is Israel pummeling Lebanon? • nonstandard forms of work
Aurélie Daher on the destruction Israel is visiting upon southern Lebanon • Annie McClanahan, author of Beneath the Wage, on nonstandard forms of work and compensation
The post How and why is Israel pummeling Lebanon? • nonstandard forms of work appeared first on KPFA.
The perils of AI, the horrors of the Russia–Ukraine war
Jodi Dean, who has a new Substack on the issue, on why AI is so terrible • Anatol Lieven on the bloody stalemate that is the Russia–Ukraine war (Sidecar piece here)
The post The perils of AI, the horrors of the Russia–Ukraine war appeared first on KPFA.
The Cockroach movement in India • transforming the US economy: a suite of proposals
Aditiya Nigam on the Cockroach movement in India • Gerald Epstein and Juliet Schor on a detailed set of proposals to transform the US economy (papers here)
The post The Cockroach movement in India • transforming the US economy: a suite of proposals appeared first on KPFA.
DSA’s platform • why we fear AI
Michaela Brangan, co-chair of the group that wrote DSA’s new platform, on that document • Hagen Blix, co-author of Why We Fear AI, on exactly that
The post DSA’s platform • why we fear AI appeared first on KPFA.
Fundraising special: a look at the right, intellectual side mostly but not all
Laura Field, author of Furious Minds, on the highbrow side of Trumpism—with a brief comment from David Austin Walsh on how similar the highbrows are to the deplorables
The post Fundraising special: a look at the right, intellectual side mostly but not all appeared first on KPFA.
American anti-egalitarians, AIPAC’s black front group
Kim Phillips-Fein, author of Country of Lords, on the anti-egalitarian tradition in American politics • Aziz Rana on tensions between the Declaration and the Constitution (2024 reprise) • Jasmine Wynn on the National Black Empowerment Coalition, basically an AIPAC front group (Jacobin article here)
The post American anti-egalitarians, AIPAC’s black front group appeared first on KPFA.
The private equity racket
Hettie O’Brien, author of The Asset Class, on the private equity racket—who they are, what they do
The post The private equity racket appeared first on KPFA.
Designing the socialist future, taking the measure of muscular Christianity
Aaron Benanav, author of this pamphlet, on what a future socialist society might look like • Amy Laura Hall, author of Erecting the Pulpit, on muscular Christianity
The post Designing the socialist future, taking the measure of muscular Christianity appeared first on KPFA.
What’s going on with the Iran negotiations?
Two views from BtN regulars on the US–Iran negotiations: Anatol Lieven and Mouin Rabbani
The post What’s going on with the Iran negotiations? appeared first on KPFA.
Cop power, sex and the social
Stuart Schrader, author of Blue Power, on how the political heft of cops allows them to get away with murder • Angela Jones, author of Sex in Public, on how the social and political shape our sexual lives (and vice versa)
The post Cop power, sex and the social appeared first on KPFA.
Against money, hating theory
J.W. Mason and Arjun Jayadev, authors of Against Money, explain that curious stuff and enumerate its problems • Moira Weigel explains why the right hates Theory (October article here)
The post Against money, hating theory appeared first on KPFA.
Two views of the right: the sordid side of “respectable,” and Trump’s court intellectuals
David Austin Walsh, author of Taking America Back, on the relationship between the kooks and respectables on the right • Laura Field, author of Furious Minds, on the intellectual wing of Trumpism [rebroadcast of a January 29, 2026, show]
The post Two views of the right: the sordid side of “respectable,” and Trump’s court intellectuals appeared first on KPFA.
Latin America’s influence on Pope Leo • the Cultural Marxist conspiracy
Greg Grandin, author of this article, on how his time in Peru shaped Pope Leo • AJA Woods, author of The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy, on how the right sees the Frankfurt School as the root of modern decay
The post Latin America’s influence on Pope Leo • the Cultural Marxist conspiracy appeared first on KPFA.
fundraising special: the Xi–Trump summit, the dark doings of Opus Dei
Jake Werner analyzes the Trump–Xi summit and US–China relations generally • Gareth Gore, author of Opus, talks about Opus Dei, a secretive, cult-like Catholic organization involved in right-wing politics around the world (and very much in the US)
The post fundraising special: the Xi–Trump summit, the dark doings of Opus Dei appeared first on KPFA.
Fundraising special: two views on the Iran war
Two views of the US–Israeli war on Iran: Laleh Khalili and Mouin Rabbani
The post Fundraising special: two views on the Iran war appeared first on KPFA.
fundraising special: imperialism and the homeland
Excerpts from an event sponsored by the NYC DSA’s Academy for Socialist Education on the domestic and foreign aspects of Trumpism, featuring historians Nikhil Pal Singh and Greg Grandin, moderated by the Academy’s Gaya Sriskanthan
The post fundraising special: imperialism and the homeland appeared first on KPFA.
A look back at yuppies • Iran: politics and war
Dylan Gottlieb, author of Yuppies, on that often risible but pioneering social formation • Ervand Abrahamian looks at the politics of Iran, a country under siege
The post A look back at yuppies • Iran: politics and war appeared first on KPFA.
Muskism: the world of Elon
Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff, authors of Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed, on Elon’s world and what he wants to do to ours
The post Muskism: the world of Elon appeared first on KPFA.
Two views of Hungary’s election, a global blow to the authoritarian right
Hungary’s long-serving authoritarian prime minister Viktor Orban was defeated in an April 12 election. Two views of what that means: historian Kyle Shybunko and independent scholar Anita Zsurzsán.
The post Two views of Hungary’s election, a global blow to the authoritarian right appeared first on KPFA.
Corruption in the capital, crypto in the age of Trump
Andrew Cockburn, author of Washington Is Burning, on “the spectacular greed at the heart of the nation’s political system” • Hadas Thier, author of this article, on crypto in the age of Trump
The post Corruption in the capital, crypto in the age of Trump appeared first on KPFA.
Venezuela after Maduro • the forgotten radical history of Texas
Gabriel Hetland on what’s been happening in Venezuela since the kidnapping of Maduro (Intercept article here) • David Griscom, author of The Myth of Red Texas, on that state’s forgotten radical history
The post Venezuela after Maduro • the forgotten radical history of Texas appeared first on KPFA.
Iran crisis, Cuba crisis
Mouin Rabbani talks about the Iran war and its many complications • Helen Yaffe talks about Trump’s oil embargo on Cuba—its effects and how Cubans are reacting
The post Iran crisis, Cuba crisis appeared first on KPFA.
beyond the class/identity dead end • effect of federal layoffs on black women
Nancy Fraser goes beyond the class/identity disputes • Natalie Y. Moore on the effects of federal layoffs on black women (article here)
The post beyond the class/identity dead end • effect of federal layoffs on black women appeared first on KPFA.
Trump’s unified domain of impunity
Historian Nikhil Pal Singh, author of this article, talks about how the Trump regime weaves foreign and domestic policy into a single domain of impunity, Homeland Empire
The post Trump’s unified domain of impunity appeared first on KPFA.
Fundraising special: two views of Iran
Behrooz Ghamari, author of The Long War on Iran, on the politics and culture of the country • Anatol Lieven on the effects of the war on Iran on the region and world
The post Fundraising special: two views of Iran appeared first on KPFA.
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