Best Elfer Podcasts (2024)

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Ep.71 – "No Such a Thing as an 'Invasive Species'?" feat. Prof. Matt Chew 2:52:59

3y ago2:52:59

2:52:59

"No Such a Thing as an 'Invasive Species'?" feat. Prof. Matt Chew Dubbed a ‘gadfly of invasion biology’ by Scientific American, Matt Chew is known for critiquing ecology’s overreliance on societal metaphors and conservationists’ misapplication of notions like ‘nativeness’. Dr. Chew has a B.S. Environmental Interpretation and an M.S. Range Science (…

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Ep.70 – "Trans 101" feat. Terra 1:14:09

3+ y ago1:14:09

1:14:09

"Trans 101" feat. Terra Terra is a freelance artist, writer, and podcaster residing in Portland, OR. I have known them since 2007, when I was an urban farmer living in their backyard. They are on Twitter as @cybersatyr: https://twitter.com/CyberSatyr We discussed how the new ideas fit in with the old ones; the phrase, "trans women are women;" the c…

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Ep.69 – "Animal Liberation / Human Liberation" feat. Robert Porzel 1:44:16

3+ y ago1:44:16

1:44:16

"Animal Liberation / Human Liberation" feat. Robert Porzel Prof. Robert Porzel is a national representative for “Physicians against Animal Testing” and founder of the animal rights group “T-Zelle,” which aims to establish intersectional collaboration between social movements. The current network connects about 20 individual groups and organizations…

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Ep.68 – "People & Plants on the Move, Together" feat. Zach Elfers 2:08:29

3+ y ago2:08:29

2:08:29

"People & Plants on the Move, Together" feat. Zach Elfers Zach Elfers was raised in the piedmont of the mid-Atlantic but has travelled widely around the lower 48. He is a student of the plants who has learned from mentors, elders, and most importantly, from living outside spending as much time as possible with the more-than-human world. His areas o…

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Ep.67 – Rebel with a Cause: Remembering Finisia Medrano (part 3 of 3) 1:05:02

3+ y ago1:05:02

1:05:02

Rebel with a Cause: Remembering Finisia Medrano (part 3 of 3) Disclaimer: This episode is full of obscenities and is probably not safe for work. Additionally, it contains words relating to sexual identity that may be offensive to some. All this vocabulary is not included gratuitously, but reflects the usage of the podcast’s subject, Finisia Medrano…

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Ep.66 – Rebel with a Cause: Remembering Finisia Medrano (part 2 of 3) 1:16:26

3+ y ago1:16:26

1:16:26

Rebel with a Cause: Remembering Finisia Medrano (part 2 of 3) Disclaimer: This episode is full of obscenities and is probably not safe for work. Additionally, it contains words relating to sexual identity that may be offensive to some. All this vocabulary is not included gratuitously, but reflects the usage of the podcast’s subject, Finisia Medrano…

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Ep.65 – Rebel with a Cause: Remembering Finisia Medrano (part 1 of 3) 1:00:14

3+ y ago1:00:14

1:00:14

Rebel with a Cause: Remembering Finisia Medrano (part 1 of 3) Disclaimer: This episode is full of obscenities and is probably not safe for work. Additionally, it contains words relating to sexual identity that may be offensive to some. All this vocabulary is not included gratuitously, but reflects the usage of the podcast’s subject, Finisia Medrano…

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Ep.64 – "A Lifetime Seeking Peace" feat. Kathy Kelly 1:16:50

3+ y ago1:16:50

1:16:50

"A Lifetime Seeking Peace" feat. Kathy Kelly Kathy Kelly is a lifelong pacifist and peace activist. In her efforts to stop the US military machine, she has traveled to war zones around the world, engaged in countless acts of non-violent civil disobedience, and been arrested dozens of times. With her own eyes, she has witnessed the brutal costs of U…

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Ep.63 – "Rethinking Food & Agriculture" feat. Laila Kassam 1:14:43

3+ y ago1:14:43

1:14:43

"Rethinking Food & Agriculture" feat. Laila Kassam Laila Kassam has been involved in social change for most of her career. She has worked in the international development sector since 2003, conducting research on poverty and food security for rural development projects in the Global South. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals a…

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Ep.62 – "The Bonobo Way" with Dr. Susan Block 1:19:32

3+ y ago1:19:32

1:19:32

"The Bonobo Way" with Dr. Susan Block Susan Marilyn Block, Ph.D. is founder and director of the Dr. Susan Block Institute for the Erotic Arts & Sciences. A world-renowned sexologist and best-selling author, her book, "The Bonobo Way: The Evolution of Peace through Pleasure," has garnered critical acclaim from a variety of media outlets and celebrit…

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Ep.61 – "It's Time to Dismantle the United States" feat. Ajamu Baraka

3+ y ago

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"The Vital Need to Decolonize" feat. Ajamu Baraka A human rights defender whose experience spans four decades of domestic and international education and activism, Ajamu Baraka is a veteran grassroots organizer whose roots are in the Black Liberation Movement and anti-apartheid and Central American solidarity struggles. He is an internationally rec…

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Ep.60 – "We Shouldn't Be at War with Plants (How 'Invasion Biology' Misses the Mark)" feat. Prof. Juliet Stromberg 1:23:24

3+ y ago1:23:24

1:23:24

"We Shouldn't Be at War with Plants" feat. Prof. Juliet Stromberg Julie Stromberg is a retired professor from Arizona State University, where she received her PhD in Plant Ecology in 1988. While at ASU, she specialized in riparian ecosystems. Much of her research focused on relationships between stream and ground water hydrology and riparian ecosys…

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Ep.59 – "We're All Preppers Now" feat. Margaret Killjoy

3+ y ago

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"We're All Preppers Now" feat. Margaret Killjoy Margaret Killjoy is a transfeminine author and editor currently living in a self-built cabin in the Appalachian mountains. She is the author of the Danielle Cain series of novellas, published by Tor.com. She hosts the podcast, "Live Like the World is Dying," in which she interviews people who think ab…

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Ep.58 – I'm Interviewed on the Green Root Podcast 1:14:51

3+ y ago1:14:51

1:14:51

Ep. 58: I'm Interviewed on the Green Root Podcast In January I was interviewed by Josh Schlossberg for his Green Root podcast. Josh is an investigative journalist and recovering activist and with his podcast he is pursuing a quest to uncover the roots of the modern ecological crisis. I interviewed Josh in 2018 about how biomass energy isn't green, …

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Ep.57 – "Lithium Mining Ain't Green" feat. Kevin Emmerich 59:15

3+ y ago59:15

59:15

Lithium Mining Ain't Green" feat. Kevin Emmerich The ugly truth behind the in-demand element Lithium mining is back in the news these days, with activists occupying the site of a proposed mine in northern Nevada. (See episode 53 for my interview with Will Falk, one of the occupiers.) So I contacted Kevin Emmerich of Basin & Range Watch, to get more…

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Ep.56 – "Conservation in a Post-'Wilderness' World" feat. Leia Barnett 54:57

3+ y ago54:57

54:57

"Conservation in a Post-'Wilderness' World" feat. Leia Barnett The idea of ecological "conservation" has always been in evolution, and today it is responding to the challenges of climate change, as well as being enriched by the addition of indigenous practices and knowledge. Legislation still lags behind, as it tends to, but the field is undeniably…

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Ep.55 – "No Going Back to Normal" feat. Kenn Orphan 1:24:30

3+ y ago1:24:30

1:24:30

"No Going Back to Normal" feat. Kenn Orphan Kenn Orphan is an artist, writer, radical nature lover, antiwar and anti-capitalist activist, sociologist, spiritualist and hospice social worker. He writes about art and culture, socio-economic injustice, geopolitical issues, philosophy, and the existential threats we collectively face from corporate cap…

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Ep.54 – "Wolves Under Fire" feat. Samantha Bruegger 56:47

3+ y ago56:47

56:47

"Wolves Under Fire" feat. Samantha Bruegger Wolves are one of those animals who inhabit not only the material world, but mythological and cultural ones as well. Metaphorically, settler-colonial society warns of "the big bad wolf," "the wolves at the door," "wolves in sheep's clothing" and "lone wolves." In popular art, Duran Duran scored it big wit…

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Ep.53 – "Activists Occupy Site of Proposed Mine in Nevada" feat. Will Falk 48:25

3+ y ago48:25

48:25

Ep. 53: Breaking News: Activists Occupy Site of Proposed Mine in Nevada, feat. Will Falk In this special breaking news episode, I talk to Will Falk, who is at an occupation of public land in Nevada in order to stop a proposed lithium mine. The encampment was just announced on Monday, Jan. 18th, and I spoke with him by phone that day. The long and t…

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Ep.52 – "Everything Has to Change" feat. brenna bell 1:09:45

3+ y ago1:09:45

1:09:45

Ep. 52: "Everything Has to Change" feat. brenna bell BARK and bite in defense of trees brenna bell is the policy Coordinator & Staff Attorney at BARK, a grassroots environmental organization based in Portland, Oregon. BARK's mission is to transform Mt. Hood National Forest into a place where natural processes prevail, where wildlife thrives and whe…

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Ep.51 – "Spark of Fury" feat. Tim Hermach 51:32

3+ y ago51:32

51:32

Ep. 51: "Spark of Fury" feat. Tim Hermach A veteran forest defender speaks Tim Hermach is the founder and director of the Native Forest Council, based in Eugene, Oregon. Tim has been a forest defender since the late 1980s and at this point has ripened into a proper curmudgeon. We talked on January 9th, 2021, and our conversation covered his early d…

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Ep.50 – "The Future is Relational" feat. Kitsuné Rêver 2:32:45

3+ y ago2:32:45

2:32:45

"The Future is Relational" feat. Kitsuné Rêver Kitsuné Rêver is a resident of Alberta, Canada, where she is a nurse and a gardener among other things. This was her third appearance on the podcast and it was simply delightful to welcome her back to the show. In our wide-ranging conversation, we covered a lot of topics including a political scandal i…

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Ep.49 – "Putting the Heart Back in the Valley by Putting the Fire Back in the Ground" feat. Bobby Fossek 1:28:33

3+ y ago1:28:33

1:28:33

Ep. 49: "Putting the Heart Back in the Valley by Putting the Fire Back in the Ground" feat. Bobby Fossek A place-based, indigenous approach to ecological restoration in eastern Oregon Cove, Oregon, is a tiny town in the eastern part of the state that most Oregonians haven’t heard of. Surrounded by fields of conventional monocrops in the heart of co…

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Ep.48 – "2020: The Year in Review" feat. Kristine Mattis 2:06:34

3+ y ago2:06:34

2:06:34

Ep. 48: "2020: The Year in Review" feat. Kristine Mattis Kristine Mattis returns to the show as a co-host of this special year-end episode. Kristine has PhD in Environmental Studies. As an interdisciplinary environmental scholar with a background in biology, earth system science, and policy, her research focused on environmental risk information an…

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Ep.47 – "Cattle vs. Elk at Point Reyes National Seashore" feat. Laura Cunningham

3+ y ago

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"Cattle vs. Elk at Point Reyes National Seashore" feat. Laura Cunningham Point Reyes National Seashore is the site of a conflict that is typical on US public lands: European-style agriculture vs. indigenous land management; private profit vs. public benefit; civilization vs. wildlife. Elsewhere it's logging vs. forest, mining vs. mountain or green …

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Ep.46 – "How Big Pharma & Psychiatry Gaslight Us" feat. Bruce Levine 1:32:58

3+ y ago1:32:58

1:32:58

Ep. 46: "How Big Pharma & Psychiatry Gaslight Us" feat. Bruce Levine This episode might be the most controversial that I've produced so far. Please note that it is not intended to disrespect anyone who has suffered mental health issues; indeed, I have experienced episodes of depression throughout my life, some of them quite intense. However, this e…

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Ep.45 – "In Defense of the Last Wild Buffalo" feat. Stephany Seay of the Buffalo Field Campaign

3+ y ago

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Ep. 45: "In Defense of the Last Wild Buffalo" feat. Stephany Seay of the Buffalo Field Campaign Current battles in a centuries-long range war The last wild herd of Buffalo in North America spend most of the year in Yellowstone National Park. They are descended from a mere 23 individuals who survived the massive Buffalo slaughters of the late 19th C…

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Ep.44 – "Capitalism on a Ventilator" feat. Sara Flounders 59:45

3+ y ago59:45

59:45

"Capitalism on a Ventilator" feat. Sara Flounders Sara Flounders is a writer and an activist who has been involved in progressive and anti-war organizing since the '60s. She is a member of the Secretariat of the Workers World Party, co-founder of the International Action Center, and a frequent contributor to the Workers World newspaper. She has tra…

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Ep.43 – "Facing the Worsening COVID Crisis" feat. Eva Aaronson 1:11:20

3+ y ago1:11:20

1:11:20

Ep. 43: "Facing the Worsening COVID Crisis" w/ Eva Aaronson A long, dark winter is coming... It's early December, 2020, and we're in the middle of a worsening pandemic. Reported cases of COVID-19 in the US since early March are over 15 million. Total deaths are approaching 300,000 with current daily averages exceeding 2000. Hospitals across the nat…

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Ep.42 – Changing of the Imperialist Guard, feat. Margaret Kimberley 56:32

3+ y ago56:32

56:32

Changing of the Imperialist Guard, feat. Margaret Kimberley Margaret Kimberley is an Editor and Senior Columnist at the Black Agenda Report, which publishes news, commentary and analysis from the black left. She is author of the book, “Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents,” which is an eye-opening and very well researched volume published…

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Ep.41 – "Wildtending in the Colorado Rockies" feat. Kelly Moody & Gabe Crawford 1:47:18

4y ago1:47:18

1:47:18

"Wildtending in the Colorado Rockies" feat. Kelly Moody & Gabe Crawford Kelly Moody produces the Ground Shots Podcast, which is an audio project that features conversations and storytelling about our relationship with ecology through creativity and philosophy. Gabe Crawford collects the seeds of native foods plants, fruit trees, berries and other e…

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Ep.40 – "What is 'Sustainability,' Really?" feat. Kristine Mattis 1:38:02

4y ago1:38:02

1:38:02

"What is 'Sustainability,' Really?" feat. Kristine Mattis Kristine Mattis received her PhD in Environmental Studies. As an interdisciplinary environmental scholar with a background in biology, earth system science, and policy, her research focuses on environmental risk information and science communication. Before returning to graduate school, Kris…

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Ep.39 – "Climate: The Most Important Issue of Our Time" feat. Nick Humphrey 1:09:02

4y ago1:09:02

1:09:02

"Climate: The Most Important Issue of Our Time" feat. Nick Humphrey Nick Humphrey is a meteorologist who lives in Lincoln, Nebraska. He has a Bachelor's Degree of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from South Dakota State University and a Master's Degree in Geosciences--Applied Meteorology from Mississippi State University. Nick and I spoke on Se…

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Ep.38 – "Cuban Health Care: The Ongoing Revolution" feat. Don Fitz 1:17:45

4y ago1:17:45

1:17:45

"Cuban Health Care: The Ongoing Revolution" feat. Don Fitz Don Fitz is a Green Party activist who earned his doctorate degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1974. He taught Environmental Psychology at Washington University and Fontbonne University in St. Louis and was also a research psychologist at St. Louis State Hospital for 25 years.…

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Ep.37 – "Facing the Climate Emergency" feat. Margaret Klein Salamon 43:41

4y ago43:41

43:41

Ep. 37: "Facing the Climate Emergency" feat. Margaret Klein Salamon Margaret Klein Salamon, PhD, is a clinical psychologist turned climate warrior whose work helps people to face the deeply frightening, painful truths of climate change and transform their despair into effective action. She is the founding director of The Climate Mobilization and Cl…

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Ep.36 – "The Mythical, the Political & the Sublime" feat. Phil Rockstroh 2:21:34

4y ago2:21:34

2:21:34

"The Mythical, the Political & the Sublime" feat. Phil Rockstroh Phil Rochstroh is a poet, lyricist and philosopher bard living in Munich, Germany. His mother escaped Nazi Germany after the Gestapo arrested her father. His father born on a Choctaw reservation and adopted out by white parents but did not learn about his origin until later in adult l…

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Ep.35 – "Thoughts from the Other Side of the Pond" feat. Alley Valkyrie 1:35:23

4y ago1:35:23

1:35:23

"Thoughts from the Other Side of the Pond" feat. Alley Valkyrie Alley Valkyrie is a social activist, writer, artist, spirit-worker and co-founder of GODS & RADICALS Press. Though she is a US American citizen, she has been living in France for the last few years. We spoke on Sept. 3rd about American exceptionalism, religious fundamentalism, politica…

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Ep.34 – "The US Clusterf*ck" feat. Forrest Palmer 1:10:21

4y ago1:10:21

1:10:21

"The US Clusterf*ck" feat. Forrest Palmer An electrical engineer by training, Forrest Palmer is an activist who lives in Houston, Texas. His work can be found at Wrong Kind of Green, which advocates an anti-capitalist approach to environmental work. We talked on September 5th, and touched on the clusterf*ck of 2020, the George Floyd protests, the p…

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Ep.33 – "Creating Cultural Transformation" feat. Riane Eisler 1:05:35

4y ago1:05:35

1:05:35

"Creating Cultural Transformation" feat. Riane Eisler Riane Eisler is a social systems scientist, cultural historian, and attorney whose research, writing, and speaking has transformed the lives of people worldwide. Dr. Eisler pioneered the expansion of human rights theory and action to include the majority of humanity: women and children. Her rese…

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Ep.32 – "Right Wingers Descend on Portland" feat. Blank, a street journalist 1:09:01

4y ago1:09:01

1:09:01

Ep. 32: "Right Wingers Descend on Portland" feat. Blank, a street journalist On-the-ground reporting from our local correspondent On Saturday, August 29th, right-wingers including Proud Boys and Trump supporters met up in the Portland area to stir up trouble with the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. Hundreds of them met up in a shopping mall pa…

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Ep.31 – "The Liminal Space of 2020" feat. Jessica L'abbé 1:55:05

4y ago1:55:05

1:55:05

Ep. 31: "The Liminal Space of 2020" feat. Jessica L'abbé Jessica L'abbé is a resident of Alberta, Canada, where she is a nurse and a gardener among other things. In our wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the challenges and possibilities of 2020 on both sides of the border. RADIO FREE SUNROOT:Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblumehttps://rad…

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Ep.30 – How the "Defund the Police" Proposal was Blocked in Minneapolis, feat. Robin Wonsley 1:25:30

4y ago1:25:30

1:25:30

Ep. 30: How "Defund the Police" was Blocked in Minneapolis In mid-July, Counterpunch published, “Minneapolis Ballot Measure to Dismantle the Police Will Test the Strength of Our Movement,” authored by Robin Wonsley & Ty Moore. Intrigued by this article, I contacted Robin, and less than a month later, I interviewed her for my podcast. But already th…

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Ep.29 – "Joy of Resistance" feat. Bette Lee 40:03

4y ago40:03

40:03

"Joy of Resistance" feat. Bette Lee Interview with an activist photographer Bette Lee is a 70 year-old Asian American activist who's been involved in the struggle for justice and equality for over 30 years. She is a substitute teacher at an alternative high school for mostly Black and Brown students. She currently resides (and resists) in Portland.…

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Ep.28 – "Update from Strawberry Rock Treesit" feat. Lupine 32:49

4y ago32:49

32:49

Ep. 28: "Update from Strawberry Rock Treesit" feat. Lupine In this special breaking news episode, I talk again with Lupine, a tree sitter in Northern California, who I originally interviewed for episode 19, back in early June. Forest defenders have been occupying trees around Strawberry Rock, north of Eureka/Arcata since April 1st, and in the last …

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Ep.27 – "Remembering the Freedom Rides" feat. Max Pavesic 53:28

4y ago53:28

53:28

"Remembering the Freedom Rides" feat. Max Pavesic A first-hand account of protest & imprisonment In 1961, bus stations in much of the South were still segregated by race, in spite of a 1960 Supreme Court case that had declared the practice illegal. The Freedom Rides were a campaign in which whites and Blacks rode the buses together to defy the Sout…

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Ep.26 – "Solidarity in Portland" feat. Cammie Pavesic 1:01:26

4y ago1:01:26

1:01:26

Solidarity in Portland feat. Cammie Pavesic Cammie Pavesic is an actor, director, producer, activist and union thug. She has been attending the Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, Oregon, as a participant with the "Wall of Moms." She was born in Denver, grew up in Idaho, earned a Bachelors degree at Boise State University and attended the Nati…

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Ep.25 – "Portland vs. The Feds" feat. Blank 1:01:48

4y ago1:01:48

1:01:48

Ep. 25: "Portland vs. The Feds" feat. Blank First-hand report from the tear-gas filled streets Federal officers have been in Portland, Oregon, for the last few days, on Trump's orders. They have been abducting people off the streets into unmarked vehicles and attacking protesters with a variety of "less than lethal" weapons including tear gas, pepp…

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Ep.24 – "How Trump Stole 2020" feat. Greg Palast 54:39

4y ago54:39

54:39

Ep. 24: "How Trump Stole 2020" feat. Greg Palast "Voter suppression is simply class war by other means." Greg Palast is an investigative journalist who has written for the Guardian, BBC Television, Democracy Now!, Rolling Stone, and more. In 2001, he exposed how Florida was stolen from Al Gore, and since then, one of his main focuses has been voter…

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Ep.23 – "A View from France of US Collapse" feat. Alley Valkyrie 1:08:56

4y ago1:08:56

1:08:56

Episode 23: "A View from France of US Collapse" feat. Alley Valkyrie Alley Valkyrie is a social activist, writer, artist, spirit-worker and co-founder of GODS & RADICALS Press. Though she is a US American citizen, she has been living in France for the last few years. We spoke on July 6th, mostly about the many ways in which French and European cult…

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Ep.22 – "The Necessity of Creating a Political Crisis" feat. Margaret Kimberley 1:16:29

4y ago1:16:29

1:16:29

"The Necessity of Creating a Political Crisis" feat. Margaret Kimberley Margaret Kimberley is an Editor and Senior Columnist at the Black Agenda Report, which publishes news, commentary and analysis from the black left. She is author of the book, “Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents,” which is an eye-opening and very well researched volu…

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