The Real News Podcast

Protests erupt across the U.S. as people walk out of jobs and schools to commemorate a year since Trump's inauguration. This movement, initiated by the Women’s March, gathers support with over 400 events nationwide. Voices of unity resonate, urging mass participation in this act of resistance. Organizers emphasize the importance of withholding consent and labor to push back against the administration. Meanwhile, the podcast celebrates the anniversary of Stories of Resistance and looks forward to future seasons.

Ayyad Amawi, a Palestinian aid coordinator and representative of the Gaza Relief Committee, shares a heart-wrenching account of life in Gaza. He reveals that the so-called ceasefire is merely a façade, as violence persists and civilians continue to suffer. Ayyad discusses the dire living conditions, with families facing displacements amidst bombings and environmental degradation. He highlights starvation as a weapon and urges for the opening of crossings to facilitate aid. Ayyad's urgent call for global pressure and humanitarian access paints a bleak picture of Gaza's future.

In this discussion, Steve Ellner, an academic expert on U.S.–Latin America relations, sheds light on the global response to the U.S. invasion of Venezuela. He highlights widespread protests and the public's outrage in countries like Mexico and Brazil. Ellner also explores the pushback from Latin American leaders against U.S. intervention, while emphasizing the consequences of Trump's strategies on regional unity and sovereignty. The conversation reveals the interconnected struggles facing Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela under the looming threat of U.S. military actions.

Samira Mohyeddin, an award-winning Iranian-Canadian journalist and founder of On the Line Media, shares insights on the escalating protests in Iran. She discusses how economic collapse sparked nationwide outrage, turning into a struggle for survival against a repressive regime. Personal accounts reveal bloody scenes on the streets as state violence rises. Mohyeddin also warns that foreign interventions could worsen the situation, stressing the grassroots and youth-led nature of these demonstrations driven by deep-seated grievances.

Marc Steiner speaks with Geo Maher, abolitionist scholar and author of We Created Chávez: A People's History of the Venezuelan Revolution, about the untenable goals behind President Trump’s invasion of Venezuela, and what the US bid to reassert imperial dominance in the Western hemisphere reveals about its declining place on the global stage.Additional links/info:Geo Maher Facebook page and InstagramGeo Maher, Duke University Press, “We Created Chávez: A People's History of the Venezuelan Revolution”Geo Maher, Verso Books, “Building the Commune: Radical Democracy in Venezuela”Mike Fox, Under the Shadow / The Real News Network, “The Americas will never be the same”Follow The Marc Steiner Show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Credits:Studio Production: Cameron GranadinoAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!

Canadian journalist Nora Loreto reads the latest headlines for Monday, January 12, 2026.TRNN has partnered with Loreto to syndicate and share her daily news digest with our audience. Tune in every morning to the TRNN podcast feed to hear the latest important news stories from Canada and worldwide.Find more headlines from Nora at Sandy & Nora Talk Politics podcast feed.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!

Prisons have frequently been presented as a “solution” to the economic woes and employment needs of rural communities around the US—but that doesn’t mean residents of these communities want them there. In Franklin County, Arkansas, for instance, residents are banding together in opposition to the state’s plans to build a mega-prison in their area. In this episode of Rattling the Bars, host Mansa Musa speaks with Lauren Gill, a staff reporter from Bolts magazine, and Natalie Cadena, executive director of the Arkansas-based rural advocacy nonprofit Gravel & Grit, about the fight in Franklin County and rural America’s changing relationship to the prison-industrial complex. Guests: Lauren Gill is a staff writer at Bolts. She previously worked as a reporter for The Appeal, Newsweek, and the Brooklyn Paper. Her reporting on the criminal legal system has also appeared in ProPublica, Rolling Stone, The Intercept, Slate, The Nation, and The Marshall Project, among others.Natalie Cadena is a seasoned education professional and writer with over 15 years in public education and 5 years of experience in professional writing. She is also the executive director of Gravel & Grit, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit dedicated to transparency, accountability, and rural advocacy in the state of Arkansas.Additional links/info:Gravel & Grit website and InstagramLauren Gill, Bolts, “The prison next door”Caroline McCoy, Oxford American, “Arkansas’s faulty plan to build a mega prison”Credits:Producer / Videographer / Post-Production: Cameron Granadino Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!

Canadian journalist Nora Loreto reads the latest headlines for Friday, January 9, 2026.TRNN has partnered with Loreto to syndicate and share her daily news digest with our audience. Tune in every morning to the TRNN podcast feed to hear the latest important news stories from Canada and worldwide.Find more headlines from Nora at Sandy & Nora Talk Politics podcast feed.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!

They called Ali Primera “The People’s Singer.” The Venezuelan ambassador of the Nueva Cancion, protest song, movement, which spilled across Latin America in the 1960s and ’70s, and included others like Mercedes Sosa and Victor Jara.Ali Primera sang in solidarity. He sang for rights and for justice. He sang in defense of the people, the humble and the working class. He sang in solidarity with El Salvador in the 1980s, and Nicaragua. He sang for revolution and for peace. He sang to demand an end to US imperialism. An end to US intervention and aggression throughout Latin America.Please check out our new season of Under the Shadow. It’s all about Trump’s onslaught in Latin America. You can listen and subscribe here: https://therealnews.com/under-the-shadowBIG NEWS! This podcast has won Gold in this year’s Signal Awards for best history podcast! It’s a huge honor. Thank you so much to everyone who voted and supported. Sign up for the Stories of Resistance podcast feed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, or wherever you listen. And please take a moment to rate and review the podcast. A little help goes a long way.The Real News’s legendary host Marc Steiner has also won a Gold Signal Award for best episode host. You can listen and subscribe to the Marc Steiner Show here on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.Please consider supporting this podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting on his Patreon account: patreon.com/mfox. There you can also see exclusive pictures, videos, and interviews. Written and produced by Michael Fox.Resources:Nicaragua - 1983 - concierto por la pazAlí Primera. Abran la Puerta.Los Guaraguaos "No Basta Rezar", LIVE, 1974ali primera - Canción Bolivariana Alí Primera. Himno Nacional de Venezuela.Ali Primera - EntrevistaDocumental "Savia y Fruto" (Alí Primera, Entrevista Completa)Chávez sobre alí primeraAli Primera Abrebrecha y Yankee go home en vivoAlí Primera - Canción Bolivariana (Venezuela) (English Subs)La Canción Bolivariana, presentada en dos tiempos, dos interpretaciones en vivo de esta obra que el camarada Alí grabó en nuestros corazones y sobre todo en nuestras mentes como un ideograma perpetuo de la lucha bolivariana, que es nuestra lucha pasada, presente y futura.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!

Canadian journalist Nora Loreto reads the latest headlines for Thursday, January 8, 2026.TRNN has partnered with Loreto to syndicate and share her daily news digest with our audience. Tune in every morning to the TRNN podcast feed to hear the latest important news stories from Canada and worldwide.Find more headlines from Nora at Sandy & Nora Talk Politics podcast feed.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!