Clearing The Fog With Co-hosts Margaret Flowers And Kevin Zeese

On June 12, just days before a scheduled negotiations session, the illegal state of Israel attacked Iran, killing top military leaders and scientists. Iran responded the next day by returning the attack on Israel, and there have been daily attacks between the two countries since then. On June 21, the United States, which had been providing support to Israel, attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran. Clearing the FOG speaks with Dr. Foad Izadi from the University of Tehran about the long history of US and Israeli aggression on Iran, how the current war is impacting the country and why this conflict is pivotal to the end of US/Western hegemony and the rise of a multipolar world. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On June 7, 2025, the Trump administration overstepped the state government and federalized the national guard in California. They were deployed to Los Angeles to suppress protests against the rampant raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In an unprecedented move, the administration also ordered marines to Los Angeles to join the guard. Clearing the FOG speaks with attorney James Branum of the Military Law Task Force, a branch of the National Lawyers Guild, about the history and legality of domestic troop deployments, the dangers of escalation and violations of civil rights, and what rights members of the military have to refuse to participate. Branum outlines the resources available to military members who want more information or need legal support. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On May 16, 2025, an EF3 tornado tore through the city of St. Louis causing massive destruction. Instead of responding with aid to those who were impacted, the city deployed police to black communities and condemned 5,000 homes and buildings without fully reviewing if these designations were warranted. Some homes were condemned even though repairs were made. Clearing the FOG speaks with President Westbrook of the St. Louis branch of the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement and Jesse Nevel, chair of the Uhuru Solidarity Movement, about what the city is currently doing to force Black residents from their homes, how this is part of a longer-term effort and why it is necessary to support residents there. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Trump administration is reviving previous administrations' plans to build a missile defense system in space. They are calling it the "Golden Dome," similar to Israel's Iron Dome. The Congressional Budget Office estimates it will cost trillions of dollars at a time when the United States has a record-high national debt and is failing to meet domestic needs. Clearing the FOG speaks with Bruce Gagnon, the coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, about the history of the US project to control space and mine its resources in defiance of United Nations treaties and who will benefit. He also describes resistance efforts around the world and what people in the United States can do to fight it. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On May 22, veterans and their allies launched a 40-day Fast for Gaza with two core demands: provide humanitarian supplies to Palestinians and stop sending weapons to the illegal state of Israel. A core group of over three dozen fasters are holding a daily vigil in front of the US mission to the United Nations in New York City. They are joined by more than 400 solidarity fasters. Clearing the FOG speaks with two of the fasters and organizers, Kathy Kelly, board president of World Beyond War, and Mike Ferner, former national director of Veterans for Peace, about the fast, their experiences with supporting those who are targeted by wars, and the importance of continuing to oppose the genocide of Palestinians. They encourage people to join the fast however they are able. Get more information and sign up at FOSNA.org/2025gazafast. And, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Trump administration, which unilaterally withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Agreement during Donald Trump's first term, claims to be negotiating a new nuclear agreement with Iran. However, 'negotiations' are taking place under an escalation of economic coercive measures, a.k.a. sanctions, and military threats. Bahman Azad, president of the US Peace Council, delves into the hidden intentions of the Trump administration and the changes to Iran's foreign policy under its new president. Azad also explains what is happening in the context of the rise of the multipolar world and the decline of US hegemony, and what we can do in the United States to promote security and peace, as Israel and the US prepare for war. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On May 31, a large coalition of labor and community groups is holding a nationwide day of action to demand a national single payer healthcare system. Clearing the FOG speaks with Kay Tillow, an organizer of the action and member of the leading organization, NationalSinglePayer.com. Tillow speaks about the current healthcare crisis in the United States and why it is imperative that people organize now for a solution, such as national improved Medicare for all. Tillow critiques the Medicare for All legislation that was recently introduced in both houses of Congress and what we need to do to move the bills forward. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The displacement, genocide, and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians continue unabated with a total blockade of water, food, and supplies to Gaza, which is entering its third month. Yemen has now issued an aerial blockade of Israel in addition to its blockade of the Red Sea according to its obligation under the Genocide Convention. An international coalition attempted last week to bring aid to Gaza. Its ship was bombed on May 2 in European waters just off Malta. Clearing the FOG speaks with members of CODEPINK, Danaka Katovich, Tighe Barry, and Colonel Ann Wright (Ret) about the resistance to Israel's genocide. Katovich is a national co-coordinator who works on the Yemen Campaign. Barry and Wright are currently in Malta with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition working to rescue the ship and its occupants who are stranded. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On April 13, a runoff presidential election between the incumbent Daniel Noboa and the progressive candidate Luisa Gonzalez was held in Ecuador. Leading up to the election, a very tight race was expected and conditions pointed to a likely victory by Gonzalez. However, on election day, Noboa was declared the winner with a lead of more than 11%. Clearing the FOG speaks with Pedro Labayen Herrera, who is a researcher at the Center for Economic and Policy Research where he focuses on Ecuador. Labayen was present for the elections. He reports on the scandals just before the election, violations of the Constitution by Noboa and what happened on election day. He also describes the deterioration of conditions within Ecuador and the challenges ahead. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Trump administration is imposing tariffs on a growing list of countries in a desperate effort to find leverage for protecting US interests abroad and to ostensibly re-industrialize the United States. Clearing the FOG speaks with Jon Jeter, author of "Class War in America: How the elites divide the nation by asking are you a worker or are you white?", about the motives behind the trade war and how this may impact both the global and domestic economies. Jeter explains that the United States is entering uncharted territory as it increasingly isolates itself from the rest of the world and hurtles toward another Great Depression. For the first time, the US may experience a situation in which the shelves are empty and families are unable to afford what is left. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Trump Administration is dismantling the Department of Education, placing tens of millions of student loan debtors in an uncertain situation. Clearing the FOG speaks with Braxton Brewington of the Debt Collective about the weaponization of debt as a form of social control and the ongoing efforts to erase federal student loan debt. Brewington explains the bipartisan effort to block debt relief and what student loan holders should be doing now to protect themselves. He also discusses the April 17 National Day of Action for Free College for All and the actions that need to be taken to create an educational system that empowers and protects all students, faculty and staff. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The repression of people who show support for Palestinian liberation has escalated. The Trump administration is using an antiquated immigration law and executive orders to target student activists, threatening them with deportation, and has gone so far as to kidnap students and professors. Clearing the FOG speaks with a Cornell University PhD student, Sriram Parasurama, who was suspended for participating in pro-Palestine demonstrations and is currently a plaintiff in a case challenging two of President Trump's executive orders and with Chip Gibbons, a lawyer with Defending Rights and Dissent and the author of an upcoming book on the FBI, surveillance and the national security state. Both explain the urgency of fighting violations of our Constitutional rights and how to do that, as well as the implications of not taking action. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Social Security Administration (SSA), which has been understaffed for a long time, is now facing collapse within months if changes made by the Trump administration are not reversed. 73 million people in the United States rely on Social Security for part or all of their income. Clearing the FOG speaks with Alex Lawson of Social Security Works about the cuts to the SSA workforce, the closure of regional and local offices and other changes that are going to lead to beneficiaries not receiving their checks and possibly the end of this 89 year old institution. Lawson describes how people can join the struggle to save Social Security. Visit SocialSecurityWorks.org. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Beginning with the so-called Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, which required the postal service to hold billions of dollars in reserve to fund retirement benefits for workers who have not yet been born, and then the sell-off of post offices, cuts to the workforce and price hikes, the ground for privatization of the US Postal Service, as was done in Canada and the United Kingdom, has been laid. Clearing the FOG speaks with Annie Norman, a leader of the Save the Post Office Coalition, about the current effort to begin privatizing the postal service in incremental steps. Norman also discusses the upcoming national days of action to protect our post offices and the People's Postal Agenda, a program to strengthen the postal service and add more services for people. For more information, visit PopularResistanc.org.

The Trump Administration seems to be taking steps to end the Ukrainian proxy war against Russia, in a significant shift of US foreign policy. This has led to renewed fervor by Democrats to keep the war going and talk of Europeans taking on greater weapons and other military support for Kiev. Clearing the FOG speaks with international human rights lawyer and author, Dan Kovalik, who has traveled to Ukraine and Russia many times since February 2022, about the genesis of the conflict, how it is viewed by Ukrainians in the Donbass Region and Crimea, the new approach by the US and the impact it will have on Ukraine, NATO and the European Union. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) launched the next phase of the Zone of Peace campaign, the creation of the US/NATO Out of Our Americas Network. Clearing the FOG speaks with Austin Cole of the BAP Haiti/Americas Team about the network, which debuted on February 21, the anniversary of the assassinations of Malcolm X and Augusto Sandino. Cole explains the origin of the term "Our Americas (Nuestra Americas)" and why that framing is necessary for the decolonization of our continents. He also describes current US aggression in the Americas, how our struggles are connected, and what the network will do to build a stronger popular movement for our collective liberation. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

In the first month of the new Trump administration, there has been a widespread assault on federal workers led by billionaire Elon Musk and his new 'agency' called DOGE. Thousands of federal workers have lost their jobs, funding for government programs has been suspended and technocrats under Musk have entered agencies and demanded access to privileged data. Clearing the FOG speaks with a current federal worker, John, who is being kept anonymous for protection, about what is happening within federal agencies, the legality of the attacks, and how workers are organizing and fighting back. John warns that most federal workers are going to be fired and services are going to be cut without a plan for protecting and serving the public. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Trump administration is attempting an attack on federal workers at every agency and is allowing Elon Musk access to sensitive data. Federal workers are organizing and fighting back. In less than two months, one federal worker union, AFGE, has gained over 16,000 new members compared to 7,400 new members in all of 2024. Clearing the FOG speaks with Suzanne Gordon of the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute about what is at stake and what workers are doing to resist efforts to force them out of their jobs. Gordon also explains why the Veterans Health Administration is a model of health care for the country and the work the VA does to benefit everyone. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The United States' support for the genocide in Palestine, especially since the launch of Operation Al Aqsa Flood in October 2023, has led federal employees and active duty military members to take action in opposition to violations of domestic and international law. Clearing the FOG speaks with two members of the US Air Force, Juan Bettancourt and Joy Metzler, who have applied for conscientious objector status. Together with Larry Hebert, who conducted a hunger strike in front of the White House last year, they created Servicemembers for Ceasefire to provide a space for members of the military to question US foreign policy. Bettancourt and Metzler describe their journeys, the level of dissent within the military and the deployment of US troops domestically. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

White America is divided. There are poor whites, many of whom have not gone to college and who support President Donald Trump, and liberal whites, many of whom have college degrees and who support the Democrats. This division, fostered by the corporate media, serves the interests of the wealthy class. Clearing the FOG speaks with Danny Shaw, author of the six-part series, "Despised: The Poor white Trash Manifesto", who has walked in both worlds. Shaw traveled last year to "Trump Country". He explains the crises that poor whites in the US experience and the way they are manipulated to believe that certain peoples, not the system, are to blame for their suffering. He also discusses the importance of organizing with poor whites and provides guidance on how to do this. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.