On November 30, six million Hondurans voted in their presidential election. One week later, the outcome of the election has not yet been announced due to credible allegations of fraud and illegal interference by the Trump administration, which includes threats of ending remittances from the United States that account for 25% of Hondura's GDP. Clearing the FOG speaks with Camila Escalante of Press TV and a founder of Kawsachun News who has covered Latin America for nearly ten years. Escalante provides background to the current political crisis and explains what is known so far about the election. She describes similarities to the 2019 coup in Bolivia. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

A right-wing, billionaire-backed and violent demonstration was held in Mexico City on November 15 against President Claudia Sheinbaum. Corporate media in the United States portrayed the protests as Gen Z taking a stand against corruption, but the march had all the makings of a US-backed destabilization effort. Clearing the FOG speaks with Jose Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth, co-hosts of the public TV program Sin Muros and the podcast Soberania, about the protests, who is behind them, the achievements of the Fourth Transformation and the risks of US aggression in the region. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The United States was scheduled for its regular review of its human rights violations by the United Nations Human Rights Council on November 7, but it refused to cooperate. As part of the process, activists in the US submitted a shadow report last April called "The Rights to Life and Health: How financing affects the right to health care in the US." Clearing the FOG speaks with Martha "Marti" Schmidt, a human rights expert and activist, about the findings in the shadow report, the legal basis supporting the human right to health care, the problems with the current healthcare system in the United States and what type of system would honor our right to health care. Schmidt also discusses successful healthcare systems in other countries and the importance of showing solidarity with countries that are targeted by the United States. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) is holding its annual meeting in Brazil this year for the 30th time. Despite the creation of the Paris Climate Agreement nearly ten years ago, carbon emissions continue to rise, and the world is now experiencing the impacts of the 1.5° Celsius rise in temperature we sought to avoid. The time has come to shift our thinking and actions to what we can do locally to prepare for and protect our communities from the dangers of the climate crisis. Clearing the FOG speaks with Ed Jarvis, the leader of the Climate Majority Project's SAFER (Strategic Adaptation for Emergency Resilience) campaign. Jarvis discusses the campaign's efforts to bring greater awareness to the need for adaptation and shares what people are doing with a focus on climate justice. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Syrian government under Bashar Al-Assad was so successfully demonized by Western imperialist media and governments that many celebrated when Assad was overthrown last December, even though the new puppet government was led by the extremist Al Nusra Front, an Al Qaeda terrorist group. Now, Syria is balkanized and the government is implementing forced displacement and ethnic cleansing. Clearing the FOG speaks with Dan Kovalik, co-author with Jeremy Kuzmarov of "Syria: Anatomy of Regime Change," about the long history of US interference in Syria, dating back to the 1946 coup, how the recent coup appeared to happen so rapidly and the current situation in Syria, as well as the impact of these events on the region. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The US military is the greatest threat to the planet, not just for the violence that it commits but also for its carbon emissions and environmental destruction. Clearing the FOG speaks with Abby Martin about her new documentary, Earth's Greatest Enemy, which exposes the harm caused by the military. Martin and her spouse, Mike Prysner, traveled around the world to cover the damage caused by the military, the failure to hold the US military accountable, and the people resisting US foreign military bases. Martin also discusses the military's greenwashing efforts. This program includes a portion of a previous interview with Mike Prysner recorded at the beginning of this project. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

There are more than 5,400 data centers in the United States, which is almost half of the number of data centers worldwide. In the past four years, there has been a surge in data center construction, particularly in poor communities in the South. Clearing the FOG speaks with Jai Dulani of Media Justice, who authored a new report: The People Say No: Resisting Data Centers in the South, and Kali Akuno of Cooperation Jackson, about the harms that these centers are causing in local communities, particularly in their enormous consumption of water and energy, and the risk they pose to the US economy. Akuno also addresses the bigger picture of the deleterious impact of artificial intelligence on our lives. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The United States has been escalating its attacks on Venezuela and has been positioning itself this year for a military invasion. The Venezuelan government recently requested action by the United Nations because it has good reason to believe that an attack is imminent. To understand the current threats and how Venezuela is preparing to defend itself, Clearing the FOG speaks with Roger Harris, a co-founder of the Venezuela Solidarity Network and member of the board of the Task Force of the Americas, as well as other Latin American solidarity organizations. Harris explains how the US has been trying to overthrow the Venezuelan government for decades, why Venezuela is a target of Washington and what people can do to try to stop an invasion. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

This week marks two years since the launch of Al Aqsa Flood and the beginning of the Israeli Occupying Forces' escalated genocide of Palestinians and forced displacement throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Clearing the FOG speaks with former senior United Nations official, human rights lawyer Craig Mokhiber, about the United Nations leadership's recent efforts to suppress criticism of Israel, which led to his resignation, and the failure to take effective action to stop Israel's crimes. Mokhiber discusses the history of the United Nations, what the General Assembly can do to hold Israel accountable and, given the failures of the UN to uphold international law, what people are doing to support Palestinian liberation. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On September 8, the Trump Administration launched 'Operation Midway Blitz to increase the number ICE raids on immigrant communities in Chicagoland. As director of the Casa DuPage Workers Center, Cristobal Cavazos, explains to Clearing the FOG, this initially led to widespread feelings of fear by residents, but organizers turned that into power by creating rapid response teams throughout the region to alert people when ICE comes to their neighborhoods and confront the ICE agents. The teams also do outreach and hand out Know Your Rights information to community members. A growing coalition of immigrants' rights, faith, and other groups is holding protests daily, including at the Broadview detention center, despite the officers attacking demonstrators with tear gas and rubber bullets. Cavazos describes how activists throughout the country are sharing information and resources and why it is critical to be in the streets right now. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

From September 21 (International Peace Day) to October 2 (International Day of Nonviolence), there will be more than five thousand nonviolent actions happening around the world coordinated by Campaign Nonviolence. The focus this year is promoting nonviolence toward self, others, world and earth. Clearing the FOG speaks with author and activist Rivera Sun, who assists in organizing the actions, about the many types of violence people experience every day and how to move from a culture steeped in war to one of peace. Sun discusses the power of nonviolence, the growing interest in how to practice it and the global shift that is occurring to build a more peaceful society. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The situation with respect to the climate crisis is developing rapidly. Each new study seems to bring worse news. In addition, the media is rife with climate denial and misinformation. To help us understand what is happening on this planet, Clearing the FOG speaks with environmental journalist Robert Hunziker. Hunziker follows climate studies published in scientific journals and translates them into a language the average person can understand. He reports that top scientists are saying there has been a fundamental shift in the climate. Rainforests and tundras are now spewing carbon instead of sequestering it, and the oceans have reached their capacity for storing the planet's heat. Cascading weather events are making areas of the world uninhabitable. For More information, visit PopularResistance.org.

For Labor Day, Clearing the FOG speaks with labor organizer Jaz Brisack. Jaz was on the frontlines of organizing the first labor union in a Starbuck's shop and creating the Inside Organizer School in 2018. They are the author of Get on the Job and Organize published by Atria/One Signal Publishers in April of this year. Jaz speaks about their experiences growing up in the South, discovering the history of the labor movement in the United States and getting involved in labor campaigns during college. They also speak about the tactics used and challenges overcome in building Starbucks Workers United, as well as the youth contingent of the labor movement today and the importance of unifying the labor movement across types of work and around broader social demands. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On August 17, in the Bolivian presidential elections, the leftwing candidates lost for the first time in twenty years. Some are calling this a continuation of the US-backed coup there. Just days before the election, the Trump administration announced that it was sending naval destroyers and 4,000 troops to Latin America that could be used in 'targeted strikes' against Venezuela. Clearing the FOG speaks with William Camacaro, a senior analyst for the Council on Hemospheric Affairs and a co-founder of the Venezuela Solidarity Network, about divisions within the left in Bolivia that led to their current demise and how Venezuela is mobilizing millions of civilians to defend their sovereignty against US aggression. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On August 11, the Trump administration announced the deployment of national guard troops and the federal takeover of the police department in Washington, DC. This follows military troops being deployed to Los Angeles and ICE agents snatching people throughout the country. Last week, the Pentagon also announced the creation of a 600-member national guard unit ready to deploy to cities within an hour when there are protests. Clearing the FOG speaks with Erica Caines of the Black Alliance for Peace about the checkpoints and patrols in DC, how this fits into the long history of policing mainly black and brown communities and how people are organizing community self-defense and mutual aid. She also discusses the demand to disqualify the United States and Israel from FIFA and the Olympic games. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

This past week marked the 80th anniversary of the US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Clearing the FOG speaks with Gerry Condon, a past president of Veterans for Peace and a lifelong GI resister, about the myths of the US atomic bombing of Japan and the costs of nuclear weapons, including the environmental contamination from the nuclear chain and testing. Condon warns that the risk of nuclear war is higher than ever. He also speaks about resistance to nuclear weapons and his current work on the anti-nuclear boat, The Golden Rule. And Condon discusses the surge in active duty members who are joining Veterans for Peace in opposition to the genocide in Palestine and the domestic deployment of the military to assist ICE in the detention of immigrants and US citizens. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Lancet, a renowned medical journal, recently published a groundbreaking report on the number of people who die each year as a result of economic sanctions primarily imposed by the United States. US economic wars have killed more than 560,000 people each year for the past ten years, over half of those killed are children five years of age and younger. This number is higher than the number of people who die in military conflicts. Clearing the FOG speaks with Sara Flounders, a co-founder of the Sanctions Kill campaign, about what sanctions are, how they kill, and why the United States wages economic warfare. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Julian Assange, a founder of Wikileaks, endured nearly 15 years of persecution for daring to provide an information platform that opened access to leaked documents exposing the rich and powerful. One year after Assange's release from Belmarsh Prison, his brother, Gabriel Shipton, launched The Information Rights Project to share the lessons he and his family learned as they mounted a global movement in defense of Assange. Clearing the FOG speaks with Shipton about what Assange endured, why information access is a critical right, and what people around the world can do to protect this right as attacks on those who speak out and report the truth grow. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On July 17, as The Hague Group, a coalition of nations committed to diplomatic and legal actions to end the genocide in Palestine, held an emergency summit in Bogota, Colombia, civil society groups also met to launch the Friends of The Hague Group (FoTHG). The FoTHG was convened by Palestinian organizations and joined by major international movements to support and expand The Hague Group, but also to challenge it to place Palestinian demands at the forefront and to take strong actions. Clearing the FOG speaks with Jacqueline Luqman of the Black Alliance for Peace, a member of the FoTHG, about the launch, what US activists can learn from collaborating with other social movements, and why it is a critical time to organize new multilateral anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist structures. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The United States is a failing country. Political leaders at all levels have failed to effectively solve the many crises we face such as the climate crisis, economic insecurity and growing inequality, and the need for affordable housing, education, and health care, and more. Action at the local level, where people have the most control, offers a pathway forward. Clearing the FOG speaks with Michael Shuman, author of A Localism Manifesto, which can be found at The Main Street Journal. Shuman explains how decentralized action works, the principles involved, and how it offers a radical new politics that can heal the current polarization of our society. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

July 5 marked the 90th anniversary of the Wagner Act, also known as the National Labor Relations Act, which created the National Labor Relations Board and created mechanisms for workers to expand their rights and protections. Clearing the FOG speaks with longtime labor activist Steve Early about how worker militancy led to the Wagner Act, which was successful in increasing the percentage of unionized workers. Early explains how attacks on workers have weakened the Wagner Act, leading to a sharp decline in unionization. He states that now, "corporate America is moving in for the kill." Early provides insight into ways workers can fight back in the current system. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

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.

The world is changing rapidly, driven by the necessity of creating alternative institutions to counter US domination and aggression. As the multipolar world rises, it is a critical time for the United States to re-evaluate and change its policies and practices in order to remain an active member of the global community. Clearing the FOG speaks with Ben Norton of Geopolitical Economy about the ways that US policy, the Washington Consensus, have backfired and what the growing US deficit means. Norton outlines what can be done to counter the current path the US is taking. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

As the Biden presidency ends, Clearing the FOG takes another look at Biden's legacy. This time the focus is on his economic and foreign policies. Margaret Kimberley, the senior editor of Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents," describes Biden in the context of a country founded upon settler colonialism and chattel slavery. She discusses Biden's responsibility for the war in Ukraine, the genocide in Palestine and brutal interference in Latin America and the Caribbean. Kimberley also speaks about what can be expected from the new Trump administration given some of his cabinet choices. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

January 11 marked the twenty-third anniversary of the opening of the US military prison on occupied land in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Clearing the FOG speaks with Andy Worthington, an investigative journalist and author of The Guantanamo Files. Worthington explains that the United States opened the prison in Guantanamo to avoid legal restrictions. He describes the connections between Guantanamo and the CIA 'black sites' where prisoners were tortured and who the men are that were recently released as well as who remains. There are calls for Joe Biden to release all of the men and end the scandal of the prison at Guantanamo Bay before he leaves office. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On January 10, President Maduro will be inaugurated and begin his third term in office. This follows a turbulent July election, which a US-backed opposition attempted to disrupt through violence, cyber attacks and allegations of fraud. Venezuelans mobilized successfully to thwart that effort but the United States continues to intervene through mercenaries, growing regional militarization and claims that the US-backed candidate, currently living in asylum in Spain, is the recognized president of Venezuela. Clearing the FOG speaks with Leonardo Flores of the Venezuela Solidarity Network about Venezuelans' preparations to protect their country and their gains made under the Bolivarian revolution. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

As the Biden presidency comes to a close, Clearing the FOG speaks with author and journalist Kevin Gosztola about his current series on Biden's legacy. Gosztola reports in The Dissenter on Biden's failure to fulfill his campaign promises when it comes to government transparency, accountability and press freedom, as well as how these have eroded through successive presidencies this century. Gosztola describes how it has become more difficult to access information about what the government is doing and the abuse of the state secrets privilege to hide crimes being committed by entities such as the CIA. He also discusses what we can expect from the incoming Trump administration. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On December 3, President Yoon Suk-Yeol attempted to impose martial law in South Korea as part of an effort to take more power and reignite the Korean War. Social movements took to the streets en masse and stopped the coup. Legislators then successfully voted to impeach President Yoon, who is refusing to resign. Clearing the FOG speaks with Ju-Hyun Park of the Korean diaspora organization Nodutdol about long-term US intervention in South Korea, how the coup attempt was thwarted, alleged plans to create a false flag event implicating the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and what happens next. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On December 8, the United States and Israel, with support from Turkey, succeeded in overthrowing the Syrian government using Islamic jihadist militants as proxies. Some people in the United States are claiming this as a victory for the Syrian people even though the proxies are Al Qaeda terrorists. Clearing the FOG speaks with Ajamu Baraka about the coup, the history of resistance in Syria and in the region, and what this means for the Syrian people. Baraka discusses Israel's immediate expansion of its occupation in Syria and its quest for a 'Greater Israel.' He also discusses a tendency for some Left forces in the United States to side with US imperialism and why it is important to have ideological clarity about what is happening. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Uhuru 3 - Chairman Omali Yeshitela, Penny Hess and Jesse Nevel - will have a sentencing hearing on December 16 in Florida. Failing to find evidence to convict them of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), the US Government manufactured a charge of conspiring to violate the law by thinking about it. There is no evidence to support this. This conviction creates a new level of state repression. Clearing the FOG speaks with Chairman Yeshitela about the case, the current political environment in the United States, including his opinions on the recent presidential election, and the recent events in the Sahel Region of Africa to decolonize the area. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

December 10 is the anniversary of the signing of the United Nations' Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Organizers with the Americas Without Sanctions campaign are holding an event (in-person and virtual) in Washington, DC to raise awareness of the US's illegal economic war on one-third of the world's population on Human Rights Day. See SanctionsKill.org for details. Clearing the FOG speaks with Barbara Larcom of the International Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition and Cheryl LaBash of the National Network on Cuba about the event and the current crises facing Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela as a result of US sanctions on them and how these are connected to the liberation of Palestine. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The federal government, whether under Democratic or Republican leadership, has failed to address the climate crisis, instead investing in greater production of and dependency on fossil fuels. Those who are impacted by the consequences, from wildfires to droughts to record-breaking storms, have been left to fend for themselves. In response, people are taking action at every level of society from students and workers to tribes to cities and states to create the transformation we need. Clearing the FOG speaks with Jeremy Brecher, author of The Green New Deal from Below: How Ordinary People Are Building a Just and Climate-Safe Economy, about the myriad ways people are organizing to protect themselves and the planet. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The newest Global Carbon Budget Report found that carbon emissions were at a record high in 2024, despite the strong evidence that emissions must be cut drastically to mitigate the climate crisis. The United States, the largest producer of fossil fuels and responsible for 13% of global carbon emissions (with only 4% of the world's population), is largely responsible for the crisis. Clearing the FOG speaks with Anthony Rogers-Wright, a national racial and climate justice advocate, about the failures of the US climate movement and its fatal flaw of being loyal to the Democratic Party. That loyalty profoundly undermined the credibility of the big environmental groups in this election cycle. Rogers-Wright discusses the COP29 and where we go from here to build an independent and more strategic climate movement in the United States. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org

As we enter another four years of oligarchic rule, Clearing the FOG speaks with activist and host of Breakthrough News Eugene Puryear about what he heard from voters as he supported the Claudia de la Cruz and Karina Garcia presidential campaign. Puryear explains the need to build a working class, socialist political movement, what issues will be first and foremost in the struggle to protect our rights and the organizing work that is being done around these issues. Puryear describes both the dire crises that exist and the hope inherent in building toward a better future. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Poor People's Army, formerly the Poor People's Economic and Human Rights Campaign, has been leading efforts across the country to place individuals and families who need them into federally-owned housing for a long time. Their position is that housing is a human right and that people in need should not be forced to wait for shelter. They recently published "Takeover: A Human Rights Approach to Housing" on Poor People's Press, a step-by-step guide to occupying empty houses. Clearing the FOG speaks with Cheri Honkala, the lead author, and Galen Tyler, a lead organizer with the Poor People's Army, about the current housing crisis and how people can use the new book to end the crisis of homelessness. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

A new report, Billionaire Blowback on Housing: How concentrated wealth disrupts housing markets and worsens the housing affordability crisis, explains how the United States has entered a state of hyper-gentrification in which the average person has to compete with a large corporation when it comes to buying or renting a home. There are currently 28 vacant homes for every homeless person. Clearing the FOG speaks with Chuck Collins, a co-author of the report, and Mehrdad Azemun of Peoples Action, about the housing crisis, the vision for a homes guarantee and how people are working to make housing a human right. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

October 1 marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Since its founding, China has made remarkable accomplishments in public health by addressing opium addiction, in the elimination of poverty and in the building of an eco-socialist society. Clearing the FOG speaks with K J Noh, an activist, author and political analyst specializing in Asia. Noh recently wrote "Your Mind Is A Battlefield: Decolonize It To Prevent Global Catastrophe!," which was published in Popular Resistance. Noh describes the Chinese approach of designing policies that benefit everyone, why the West, especially the United States, views China as a threat rather than a partner, and what people in the US can do to counter anti-China propaganda and prevent a global war with China. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org,

October 7, 2024 marks the first anniversary of the launch of Operation Al Aqsa Flood when members of the Palestinian resistance movement broke out of Gaza, known as the world's largest open air prison. The occupying state of Israel responded with a genocidal attack on Gaza that has since spread to the West Bank, Lebanon and other countries in the region that are acting in solidarity with Palestine. Clearing the FOG speaks with activist and author Miko Peled about the goals of Israel, what is happening in Palestine and West Asia and his new project, the Palestine House of Freedom, in Washington, DC. Visit DarAlhurriya.org. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

It has been nearly a year since Hamas and other Palestinian resistance fighters broke out of Gaza and the illegal Israeli occupation launched a devastating and genocidal war on Gaza, which has now expanded to all of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and other countries in the region. Many attempts within the United Nations to stop the war and to hold Israel accountable have failed to protect Palestinians, as have other international bodies. Clearing the FOG speaks with human rights lawyer Ousman Noor, who started a petition demanding that an international protection force be established urgently to protect Palestinians. Noor explains how people can use the petition to pressure nations to take action. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

In addition to risking a nuclear war with Russia, the United States is stoking greater conflicts in West Asia and China. Ajamu Baraka speaks with Clearing the FOG about his recent tour in Iran where he spoke to a cross-section of people about their concerns and the need for greater international solidarity. Baraka also discusses the responsibility of people, particularly in the collective West, to organize in order to change course away from militarism. He provides an analysis of the upcoming presidential election, the verdict in the case of the Uhuru 3 and why people must avoid aligning themselves with the ruling class, which will stop at nothing to hang onto power. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Last week, the United States was considering Ukraine's request for long-range missiles that could strike more deeply into Russian territory. The Russian government made it clear that this would be viewed as a declaration of war and that it would respond with attacks on NATO countries, including the United States. Clearing the FOG speaks with Scott Ritter about the current state of the Ukraine proxy war against Russia. Ritter explained that had the United States not backed down, World War III could have started. Ritter also discusses the escalating attack on free speech and his new campaign, Operation Dawn, which will launch on September 28 in Kingston, New York. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

In the United States and the United Kingdom, employer retaliation and state repression against people who show solidarity with the Palestinian liberation movement and who oppose genocide is escalating. Professor Danny Shaw describes his nearly lifelong solidarity with Palestine and the personal price he has paid for it particularly since last October. Shaw has been doxed, arrested, fired and detained by the FBI and Homeland Security. His phone and electronic devices have been confiscated as well as his passport although he has not committed any crimes. He discusses how he and others are fighting back and why we must defend our rights to free speech and to know what is happening. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

For Labor Day, Clearing the FOG speaks with Rand Wilson, a long time labor organizer who began his career with Tony Mazzocchi and the Oil Chemical and Atomic Workers Union and who has been involved in many campaigns to build worker power in the United States. Wilson speaks about the current challenges for workers, including the way contracts are negotiated, labor laws that prohibit strikes, antiquated union structure and union busting by employers. He comments on the call by UAW for a general strike on 2028 and he describes a new campaign, CHIPS Communities United, and what people can do to support workers where they live. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Private railroad corporations are failing their workers, their clients and the public in general. Their drive for profits means fewer workers, longer hours and neglecting basic safety protocols, unpredictable schedules for freight customers, which is devastating for farmers, and delays for passengers as well as deterioration of railway infrastructure. Clearing the FOG speaks with Maddock Thomas, the author of a new white paper, "Putting America Back on Track: The Case for a 21st Century Public Rail System," who explains the problems with the current system and how a public, electrified rail system would cost less, have a lower carbon footprint, and benefit workers and customers. Thomas is part of a new campaign, Public Rail Now. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On July 28, Venezuelans re-elected President Nicolas Maduro for another term despite US interference in their electoral process and subsequent attempts to delegitimize the process. The United States government has refused to recognize President Maduro, instead claiming without evidence that an opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, was the winner, a tactic reminiscent of the Juan Guaido charade. Clearing the FOG speaks with Venezuelan political analyst Maria Paez Victor about the Bolivarian Revolution, the most recent US-backed coup attempt, media attacks, and how Venezuelans have prepared to protect their deep democracy and social gains. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The United States is a violent society, whether it be its pervasive culture of war and militarism, long term systemic racism or the current rise of political violence. To counter this and build a democratic society that respects human rights, we must educate ourselves about methods of nonviolence and mobilize to put what we learn into action. Clearing the FOG speaks with author and activist Rivera Sun, program coordinator with Campaign Nonviolence. Sun speaks about the upcoming days of nonviolent action from September 21 to October 2, during which thousands of actions ranging from teach-ins to direct actions are planned with the intention of mainstreaming nonviolence. She explains why nonviolence is essential in a democratic society and where people can find resources and training. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On July 18, 2024, the World Court (aka the International Court of Justice) issued an advisory opinion that found Israel to be an illegal occupation of Palestine and that the settlements must be dismantled, Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homes and they must be paid reparations. International human rights lawyer Francis Boyle talks to Clearing the FOG about how the court's opinion came about, what it means and how it can be used by activists in their communities to end the genocide in Palestine. Boyle explains why now is the time to escalate out actions and end the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

This week, Clearing the FOG is in Nicaragua to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution. Host Margaret Flowers speaks with Becca Renk of the Nicaragua Solidarity Network. Renk has lived in Nicaragua for over 20 years. She describes the changes made during the second period of the Sandinista Revolution and how it compares to life under the neoliberal period. She also describes the nationwide festivities organized to celebrate the anniversary of the overthrow of the Somoza Dictatorship, the ongoing economic war on Nicaragua being waged by the United States and the steps Nicaraguans are taking to protect the revolution. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On July 29, 2022, the FBI raided seven properties connected to the African People's Socialist Party/Uhuru Movement and fabricated charges against three prominent members: Chairman Omali Yeshitela, Jesse Nevel, Chair of the Uhuru Solidarity Movement, and Penny Hess, Chair of the African People’s Solidarity Committee. They are facing up to 15 years in jail for speaking out against the proxy war in Ukraine. Their trial is currently scheduled for September 3. Clearing the FOG spoke with Penny Hess and Leonard Goodman, a criminal defense attorney with the Uhuru Legal Team. Mr. Goodman made the point that if this trial succeeds, political speech may be considered disinformation even if it is true. Learn more about the trial and how to support the Uhuru Three as they put the US government on trial. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Members of the US military, inspired by the actions of Aaron Bushnell and Larry Hebert, have launched a campaign with Veterans for Peace, Appeal to Redress V2, to encourage other active duty military to contact Congress and demand a ceasefire in Palestine. And, 12 government officials who resigned over US policy in Gaza, Palestine and Israel released a statement just before the Fourth of July on the conditions in Gaza and steps that the US government must take to end the genocide in Palestine and repression of dissent at home. Clearing the FOG speaks with a Sargent, who wishes to remain anonymous, and Alex Smith, a former USAID employee who specializes in maternal and child health and international law. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

In a landmark legal case, Chiquita Banana was convicted by a federal court in Florida of funding a paramilitary death squad, the United Self Defense Force of Colombia (AUC in Spanish), in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The AUC murdered thousands of workers and used Chiquita ports and boats to move cocaine and weapons. This is the first time a US corporation has been held accountable for committing human rights abuses in another country. Clearing the FOG spoke with Professor Terry Karl, who was an expert in the case, about what happened, how Chiquita will now work to cover up its misdeeds and the impact this case will have. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Two members of Veterans for Peace participated in a recent delegation to South Korea to mark the anniversary of two young girls who were killed by a US tank during a military exercise. Clearing the FOG speaks with Ellen Barfield, a long time activist who was on delegation and who was serving in South Korea in 1980 when the massacre of students and leftists occurred in Gwangju, about the trip and the ongoing war in Korea. Barfield also discusses the RIMPAC military exercises that begin this week in the Pacific and the veteran-led Peace Walk that is headed to Washington, DC for the anti-NATO activities starting the weekend of July 6 and 7. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Many experts, such as former weapons inspector Scott Ritter and the Secretary General of the United Nations, are warning that the world is at the highest risk for a nuclear war in decades. Yet, the United States continues to prevent nuclear treaties from existing, refuses to join the UN Nuclear Ban Treaty and is escalating aggression against major nuclear states, including giving Israel carte blanche to defy international law. Clearing the FOG speaks with Alice Slater, who worked to bring the Nuclear Ban Treaty into existence and currently works with a number of groups to prevent nuclear war. Slater discusses the history of nuclear weapons and the growing risk of war as more countries consider arming themselves, as well as what we need to do to prevent nuclear annihilation. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Africa is rising but the neo-colonial and imperialist forces in the corporate media are working to control the narrative in their favor. To counter this, journalist and international political scholar, Ahmed Kaballo, started a new media outlet, AfricanStream.media, that reports in English primarily on social media targeting youth. Clearing the FOG speaks with Kaballo about the shifts occurring on the African continent and how African Stream is already impacting the dialogue within and outside of Africa. Kaballo also discusses Libya, events in the Sahel Region, South Africa and Sudan and how their coverage of Palestine is changing minds. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The US Federation of Worker Cooperatives recently turned twenty years old. Clearing the FOG speaks with Dr. Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, a professor and author of "Collective Courage: A History of African-American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice," and a charter member of the USFWC, about the work to create a national cooperative organization and the rise of the cooperative economy in the United States. She spoke about the role that cooperatives have played in advancing social and economic justice, the benefits of cooperatives not only to the individual but also more broadly to their communities, and the history of cooperatives that preceded the rise of capitalism and also how cooperative economies offer a better alternative to capitalism. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

In 1954, the landmark decision by the Supreme Court, Brown versus the Board of Education, established that the segregation of students based on race was no longer legal. Seventy years later, schools remain highly segregated and the education system is becoming more unequal. Clearing the FOG speaks with Jennifer Berkshire, a licensed school teacher, journalist and author of the new book, "The Education Wars: A Citizen's Guide and Defense Manual," about the forces behind the defunding and privatization of education in the United States. Berkshire describes nontraditional coalitions that are forming at the state level to stop voucher programs. Some are having success. She also explains how rightwing ideology has infected Democrats and liberals in this struggle. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The United States announced that it will remove its troops from Niger in September after the government ordered them to leave. Mali and Burkina Faso have done the same. Chad is the most recent country in the Sahel Region of Africa to order the US out. This follows a wave of resistance against French colonization in the region. Clearing the FOG speaks with Abayomi Azikiwe of Pan African News Wire about the growing resistance in the Sahel and the United States. He discusses the unfulfilled promises of the Biden administration and the uncommitted movement in this presidential election. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

This week, Clearing the FOG speaks with Ann Wright, a retired Colonel, former State Department official and prominent peace activist. Wright, who resigned in protest of the Iraq War from the State Department in 2003, speaks about recent resignations over the genocide in Gaza and the Biden administration's new report on Palestine. She also discusses the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which is ready to sail but is being prevented from doing so, and the protests and activities being planned for this July when the NATO leaders meet in Washington, DC around the 75th anniversary of its founding. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

As Congress begins the process of putting the next farm bill together, a coalition of farmers with Farm Action Fund has organized a tour to demand a food system that centers the needs of smaller farmers and reins in Big Ag. Clearing the FOG speaks with Christian Lovell, a cattle farmer from Illinois and the Senior Director of Programs for Farm Action Fund, about the challenges for small and medium farms in our monopolized food system, the connections between agriculture and the environment, climate crisis and local economies, and what people can do to build a better system. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

From April 18 to 20, more than 500 activists from around the world gathered in Caracas, Venezuela for the "World Gathering for a Social Alternative." The meeting was convened by the Simon Bolivar Institute and the ALBA Movement, and it was followed by an ALBA-TCP leaders summit, which included the ten ALBA countries and Honduras. Clearing the FOG speaks with Carlos Ron, president of the Simon Bolivar Institute, about the urgency of the gathering, what will come out of it and the next steps. Ron shared the progress Venezuela has made under the Bolivarian Revolution, the retaliation against Venezuela primarily by the United States and the importance of connecting social movements to confront the many global crises of this era. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Nicaragua is a human-rights oriented nation that takes international laws and its obligations under the Genocide Convention seriously. It was the first nation to file a Declaration of Intervention with the International Court of Justice in support of South Africa's case against Israel and recently filed a case against Germany accusing it of being complicit in Israel's genocide. Clearing the FOG speaks with Dr. Carlos Arguello Gomez, Nicaragua's ambassador to The Netherlands and a lawyer with decades of experience in the World Court, about the actions Nicaragua has taken, what they hope will be the result and Nicaragua's 1984 case against the United States. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

In Guatemala, during the government of Fernando Romeo Lucas García from 1978 to 1982, genocidal acts, sexual violence and other crimes against humanity were committed against Indigenous people in Ixil. After 40 years, victims of these crimes are finally having their day in court in a case against the president's brother, Manuel Benedicto Lucas García, who served as the Chief of General Staff of the Army. Clearing the FOG speaks with Michelle Liang and Sarasuadi Ochoa of the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA) about the case, the work done to demand accountability and the powerful indigenous activism that prevented a recent coup attempt. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Gaza has been under a blockade for over 15 years that created bare subsistence conditions for Palestinians, but since October 7, 2023, the noose has been tightened. Palestinians are dying of starvation and dehydration in addition to the massacres committed by Israeli soldiers. In Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC-Pal) has been struggling to provide water and materials to Palestinians to grow food and has been purchasing produce to provide to families in need. Clearing the FOG speaks with Fuad Abu Saif, director of UAWC-Pal, about their work and the global days of fasting in solidarity with Palestine. The next one is April 13. Click here to donate to the UAWC-Pal. Clearing the FOG also speaks with USAF Airman Larry Hebert, an active duty member of the military who began an open-ended hunger strike on March 31 to press the Biden administration for a ceasefire and an end to the starvation of Palestinians. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On March 17, the International Coalition to Stop Genocide in Palestine (ICSGP) held its first Global Call to Action as a webinar moderated by Ajamu Baraka of The Black Alliance for Peace and featuring Azhar Sakoor, a lawyer and executive with the Palestine Solidarity Alliance Youth League in South Africa, Marcy Winograd with CODEPINK, Pavel Wargan, the Coordinator of the Secretariat at the Progressive International, Lamis Deek, a Palestinian born and internationally practicing attorney based in New York, and Fuad Abu Saif, Director of the Union of Agricultural Work Committees - Palestine. Listen to some of their presentations edited here for the program. You can watch the full webinar at PopularResistance.org: https://popularresistance.org/international-coalition-to-stop-genocide-in-palestine-global-call-for-action/. 

On March 11, de facto Haitian President Ariel Henry resigned after being unable to return from a trip to Kenya where he attempted to sign an agreement for military intervention in his country. Social movements shut down the airport in Port-au-Prince and neither the Dominican Republic nor the United States were willing to assist his return. Clearing the FOG speaks with journalist and filmmaker Kim Ives of Haiti Liberte, who has covered events in Haiti for decades. Ives says the current revolutionary moment is unprecedented and describes how the popular movement is organizing to wrest control from Western imperialists that have been occupying Haiti since the coup against President Aristide in 2004. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

"Nobody thought the conflict in Ukraine would last this long," states Scott Ritter, a former Marine intelligence officer and weapons inspector, as the second anniversary of Russia's special military operation is reached. Ritter predicts that the conflict will end within the year, but there are no positive outcomes. He warns that Ukraine will cease to exist, NATO will disband or alter fundamentally and the risk of nuclear war is high. Ritter also discusses the resignation of Victoria Nuland, revelations from the leaked conversation by German military officers and how the façade of US military dominance has been shattered by events in Ukraine and Western Asia. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On February 20 and 21, the High Court in the United Kingdom heard Julian Assange's case for the right to appeal his extradition to the United States. Clearing the FOG speaks with Chip Gibbons, a lawyer and journalist with Defending Rights and Dissent, who attended the hearing. Gibbons describes the intentional efforts by the UK court to prevent media from covering the hearing, which is ironic as the hearing was fundamentally about the attack on press freedom, and what Julian Assange's options are depending on what the court decides. Gibbons makes the point that the United States has given up all pretense of protecting Assange's health and life if he is extradited, even though that admission would be enough to block his extradition, revealing the lack of regard for the law and Assange's human rights that has been evident throughout this prosecution. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez (JOH), is currently being tried in New York City for narco-trafficking during his presidency. Activists from the United States and Canada have launched a new campaign to raise awareness of both the US and Canadian governments' complicity in the crimes committed by the JOH administration. Clearing the FOG speaks with Karen Spring, co-coordinator of HondurasNow.org, which is hosting the campaign, about the US-backed coup in Honduras in 2009, the damage done by subsequent administrations that has driven migration of Hondurans north, the efforts of the current Castro government to reverse those damaging policies and ongoing efforts by the US to undermine the Castro government. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

In his new book, ¨Journalists and Their Shadows,¨ Patrick Lawrence describes his experience over decades as an editor and foreign correspondent of watching the media rise and fall in its ability to serve as a force to hold power accountable. Lawrence writes about the shadows, or authentic selves, that most journalists currently sacrifice in order to maintain employment in mainstream media outlets and the detrimental impact this has on public discourse. He also describes the antidote - an independent alternative media - and the current obstacles to creating a much-needed vibrant democratized media system. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Farmers throughout the European Union, from Ireland and France to Poland, Greece and Portugal, are in the streets protesting unsustainable working conditions, namely higher costs of production while the prices for their goods remain stagnant and new environmental regulations are being brutally imposed on them without state support to realize them. Right wing neo-Nazi groups are using the farming crisis to empower themselves, as they were successful in doing in the Netherlands. Clearing the FOG speaks with Morgan Ody, the general coordinator of La Via Campesina - International, about their efforts to resist this rightward turn, struggle to protect small and medium farmers from neoliberal policies, including new corporate trade agreements, and build a just transition to a more resilient, ecological and localized food system. Foe more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

February 2 marked the 25th anniversary of the inauguration of President Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, which was the beginning of the Bolivarian Revolution. Over the past 25 years, Venezuela has made remarkable gains in reducing poverty, ending illiteracy and building social infrastructure such as housing, health care, education, transportation and more, despite persistent interference by the United States to impose an economic blockade, fund an opposition, attempt coups and assassinations, delegitimize the elections and threaten military attacks. Clearing the FOG speaks with Leo Flores, a Venezuelan activist, about the progress of the revolution, Venezuela's deep democracy and current efforts by the US to stop it. There is much to learn from Venezuelan's struggle for a better life. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On January 7, Adolfo Macias, known as "Fito", a leader of an Ecuadorian drug cartel, escaped from prison, which sparked uprisings across the country. In response, President Daniel Noboa declared a national state of emergency and decreed that the country is in a state of internal conflict, listing 20 gangs as terrorist groups. Clearing the FOG spoke with Alex Main of the Center for Economic Policy and Research about the conditions that have led to growing poverty, insecurity and violence in Ecuador. Main explains how the United States is exploiting the current situation to justify sending US weapons and military personnel to to the country, which has raised concerns about violations of Ecuador's sovereignty and human rights abuses. He also discusses the upcoming elections in Venezuela and the devastating impact of US economic blockades. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Beginning on January 11, the International Court of Justice held two days of testimony regarding the case brought by South Africa against the state of Israel calling on The Court to impose provisional measures to stop Israel from committing acts of genocide against Palestinian people. Clearing the FOG speaks with South African lawyer and activist, Azhar Sakoor, about the significance of the case and other legal efforts aiming to hold all who are complicit with genocide in Palestine accountable. Sakoor also describes the current legal efforts as a 'make or break' moment for international institutions such as the United Nations that will determine whether they continue to exist or are replaced by other institutions and methods of upholding international law. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Major economic shifts are occurring in the world, in part driven by a response to Western imperialist nations' long history of attempting to impose their will through economic and military coercive measures. To understand the current state of globalization and where it is headed, Clearing the FOG speaks with Radhika Desai, the director of the Geopolitical Economy Research Group at the University of Manitoba. Desai discusses neoliberalism and how it weakens first world economies as well as alternatives such as the BRICS formation that are starting to have a significant impact in challenging Western hegemony. She also describes the current events in Western Asia as another turning point in the decline of Western power. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On January 11 and 12, the International Court of Justice, also called the World Court, will hear testimony in South Africa's case charging the state of Israel with genocide. Organizations around the world are mobilizing to press their governments to support South Africa publicly and through Declarations of Intervention in the hope that Israel will be held accountable and that effective actions will be taken to protect the rights and lives of people in Palestine. Clearing the FOG speaks with Suzanne Adely, president of the National Lawyers Guild, about the Genocide Convention, the new International Coalition to Stop Genocide in Palestine and the risk of a broader war in Western Asia. For More information, visit PopularResistance.org.

In November, 2023, a delegation from the US Peace Council traveled to China for meetings at the invitation of the Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament. Ajamu Baraka, who participated in that delegation, speaks with Clearing the FOG about what he witnessed and the contrasts between US/Western and Chinese approaches to development, diplomacy and global security. He also discusses the broader conflicts in the world, particularly in Western Asia, the fall of US hegemony, the black radical tradition's definition of peace and the Peoples-Centered Human Rights Framework. Baraka advises us to understand the gravity of the many crises we face and to take action to build a peaceful and dignified society. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

We hear about the growing influence of fossil fuel, nuclear and Big Agriculture corporations over the United Nations' Conference of Parties (COP) meetings, but hardly anything about the presence of weapons makers and NATO leaders. Clearing the FOG speaks with Canadian environmental lawyer and peace activist Tamara Lorincz, who reports about the meetings and outcomes of the recently-concluded COP28. She is part of an organizing effort to highlight the carbon footprint of Western militaries and the significant contributions of NATO countries to the climate crisis. Lorincz points out the great discrepancies between what Western countries spend each year on their militaries (hundreds of billions of dollars) and what they are willing to contribute to the climate change fund (tens of millions of dollars) for reparations and relief in impacted nations. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Sunday, December 10, was the International Human Rights Day to mark the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in 1948. Clearing the FOG spoke with human rights defender Cheri Honkala. A founder of the Poor Peoples Economic and Human Rights Campaign and the Poor People's Army, Honkala talks about the worsening situation for poor people in the United States. She also describes the protests that will be taking place at the Republican and Democratic Party's national conventions this summer, an update on her arrest and conviction at the Office of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, DC and her new book, a guide on how to take over vacant houses. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On December 7, 2022, Peruvian President Pedro Castillo made a poorly-calculated attempt to thwart right-wing plans to remove him from office. This resulted in his immediate imprisonment and the installation of his vice president, Dina Boluarte, as the <em>de facto</em> head of government. Boluarte quickly pivoted to align with the right-wing forces. In response, there were major protests throughout the country. For this anniversary, and also the 200th anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine, Clearing the FOG speaks with Peruvian journalist and activist, Luis Garate, about the current situation, how left-wing forces are organizing and what people in the United States can do to support the social movements' demands for new elections and accountability for those who murdered and injured hundreds of activists over the past year. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Recently, an international delegation traveled to Cairo, Egypt to visit the Rafah border crossing and pressure the United States to allow aid to be brought into Gaza. Hundreds of trucks carrying aid are lined up at the border waiting for permission to enter. Clearing the FOG spoke with Sara Flounders, one of the members of the delegation, about the current situation in Gaza, the role of the United States in the genocide of Palestinians, how the current conflict is impacting the United States' drive to protect its hegemony and the blowback in Western Asia. Flounders also discusses the incredible solidarity across the world with Palestine and the numerous creative actions in support of the Palestinian liberation struggle. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Israeli War on Palestine, made possible by US support, is beginning to become a regional conflict. In addition to this, the US is backing conflicts in Ukraine targeting Russia, in the Horn of Africa and in Latin America and increasing its aggression against China. Congress is appropriating hundreds of billions of dollars for the Pentagon while the majority of people in the United States struggle to meet their basic needs each week and the climate crisis worsens. To raise awareness about this, Veterans for Peace is organizing a Peace Walk 2024 from Augusta, Maine to Washington, DC, arriving in July to protest the NATO meetings being planned then. Clearing the FOG speaks with Tarak Kauff and Ellen Davidson, two of the Peace Walk organizers. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.