Podcast
Jacobin Radio
News, politics, history and more from Jacobin. Featuring The Dig, Long Reads, Confronting Capitalism, Behind the News, Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman, and occasional specials.
- Politics chart
- #130
- Episodes
- 1,927
- Releases
- Daily
- Typical length
- 55 min
- On air since
- 2017
- Latest episode
- 11 hours ago
Episodes
1,927 episodes, newest first
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53 min
Behind the News: Lula’s Victory w/ Alfredo Saad-Filho
Show notes
Alfredo Saad-Filho discusses Lula’s victory and the challenges facing him in his fourth term. Raj Patel looks at the malign influence of foundations on the food supply.
Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.
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2 hr 21 min
The Dig: Human Liberation, Planetary Salvation w/ Alyssa Battistoni
Show notes
Featuring Alyssa Battistoni on Free Gifts: Capitalism and the Politics of Nature. This episode is the second of a two-part interview: Battistoni’s account of capitalist class and market rule; what’s hidden behind the mystification of the externality; existentialism and Marxism; why human freedom is the precondition for saving the planet rather than the cause of its destruction; how a theorization of nature clarifies our analysis of care work and reproductive labor — and much more.
Give Dan a birthday present and support The Dig at https://patreon.com/TheDig
Find Unsafe and How to Close a Camp at https://haymarketbooks.org
The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.
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1 hr 5 min
Jacobin Radio: Democratic Socialism in LA w/ Angela Gonzales-Torres
Show notes
With the midterms approaching, Suzi talks to Angela Gonzales-Torres, the democratic socialist running against ethics-challenged incumbent Jimmy Gomez in LA’s 34th Congressional District. They discuss her family’s experience with deportation, organizing against ICE raids, and the fight for housing, healthcare, and political representation free of corporate money.
Next, Vermont State Senator Tanya Vyhovsky returns from Ukraine with a firsthand account of intensifying Russian attacks and Ukrainians’ determination to resist. She examines Trump’s concessions to Putin — “blood money” that won’t lower American gas prices — and the challenges facing Ukraine’s left.
Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.
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58 min
Confronting Capitalism: Understanding DSA’s Rise
Show notes
Over the past decade, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has moved from an obscure Cold War holdover to one of the most impactful organizations in US politics. But even with continued electoral success, are they at risk of stalling out?
On this latest episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber discusses the rise of DSA with Paul Heideman, author of the new Catalyst essay, “Where is DSA Going?” Vivek and Paul look at the membership’s class interests and geographic concentration to get a sense of the organization’s relative strength and longevity.
Read Paul’s article here: https://catalyst-journal.com/2026/09/where-is-dsa-going
The latest issue of Catalyst is out and you can subscribe for just $20 using the code CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM: https://catalyst-journal.com/subscribe/?code=CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM
Have a question for us? Write to us by email: confronting.capitalism@jacobin.com
Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber is produced by Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy, and published by Jacobin. Music by Zonkey.
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53 min
Behind the News: A Blueprint for Socialism w/ Mike Beggs
Show notes
Mike Beggs, co-author of The Blueprint, outlines what a socialist economy might look like.
Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.
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43 min
Long Reads: Burkina Faso’s Revolutionary Tradition w/ Bettina Engels
Show notes
Burkina Faso is one of Africa’s poorest countries. But it has a powerful tradition of social movements and popular mobilization. In 2014, protesters brought down the regime of Blaise Compaoré, the man who had overthrown Thomas Sankara in the 1980s. Sankara has become an iconic figure in African politics since his death and remains a touchstone in Burkina Faso today.
The current leader of the country, Ibrahim Traoré, took power in a military coup in 2022. He became the world’s youngest head of state. Traoré has presented himself as the political heir to Sankara, engaged in a project of national renovation.
Bettina Engels joins Long Reads to discuss developments in Burkina Faso from the fall of Compaoré to the present. Bettina lectures in peace and conflict studies at the Free University of Berlin.
Read Bettina’s article for Jacobin, “Ibrahim Traoré Would Like to Be Thomas Sankara’s Heir”: https://jacobin.com/2026/09/ibrahim-traore-would-like-to-be-thomas-sankaras-heir
Long Reads is a Jacobin podcast looking in-depth at political topics and thinkers, both contemporary and historical, with the magazine’s writers. Hosted by features editor Daniel Finn. Produced by Conor Gillies with music by Knxwledge.
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2 hr 7 min
The Dig: Free Gifts w/ Alyssa Battistoni
Show notes
Featuring Alyssa Battistoni on Free Gifts: Capitalism and the Politics of Nature. Fossil-fueled capitalism has pushed our planet into a profound set of crises. How Marxists should make sense of this all, however, is unclear. Battistoni offers a Marxist theory of nature that’s simultaneously a brilliant reworking of Marxist theory more generally. The first episode in a two-part interview.
Support The Dig at http://patreon.com/TheDig
Find recent releases The Anti-Defamation League – A Critical Reader and Decolonizing Money at http://plutobooks.com
The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.
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53 min
Behind the News: The Legacy of Eugene V. Debs w/ Shawn Gude
Show notes
Rodrigo Nunes, author of Anatomy of Disintegration, speaks about Bolsonaro, Brazil, and the global far right. Shawn Gude, author of American Socialist, details the life and legacy of Eugene V. Debs
Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.
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58 min
The Dig: Who Moves America w/ Yael Bridge, Jeremy Flood, and Erick Stoll
Show notes
Featuring Yael Bridge, Jeremy Flood, and Erick Stoll on Who Moves America, a powerful documentary about the massive 2023 Teamsters strike against UPS that ultimately did not happen.
Find or request a screening of Who Moves America at http://whomovesamerica.com
Support The Dig at http://patreon.com/TheDig
Check out The Nation‘s Books & the Arts section at http://thenation.com/books-and-the-arts
Find How to Close a Camp at http://haymarketbooks.org
The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.
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1 hr 21 min
Jacobin Radio: Uprisings in France and Spain w/ Sebastian Budgen
Show notes
From Madrid to Paris, tenants and teenagers are forcing their crises onto the agenda. Suzi talks to Agustín Santos Maraver, Spain’s former UN ambassador and Sumar MP, who explains how the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal ignited a national housing uprising, why the Catalan right sank the government’s rent decrees, and why a general strike on the eve of the November 29 snap election is a first for Spain.
Then Verso’s European editor Sebastian Budgen explains why France’s high-school revolt began in the banlieues rather than the city centers, why the government has doubled down on police violence, and what it means for a presidential race that could come down to leftist Mélenchon against the far right’s Le Pen.
Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.
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59 min
Confronting Capitalism: Socialists in the Capitalist State
Show notes
The Left looks poised to pick up some big electoral wins in the midterm elections. But with virtually all of the Left’s victories since the first Sanders presidential primary coming through elections, are socialists and progressives at risk of devolving into electoralism?
On this latest episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber and Melissa Naschek examine the structural and institutional pressures facing left-wing politicians and how we can build greater power outside the state.
Read Vivek’s obituary for Anwar Shaikh here: https://jacobin.com/2026/10/shaikh-obituary-marxism-political-economy
The latest issue of Catalyst is out and you can subscribe for just $20 using the code CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM: https://catalyst-journal.com/subscribe/?code=CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM
Have a question for us? Write to us by email: confronting.capitalism@jacobin.com
Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber is produced by Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy, and published by Jacobin. Music by Zonkey.
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53 min
Behind the News: Housing for All w/ Sam Stein
Show notes
Sam Stein, author of A Right to Housing?, investigates that proposition skeptically. Natasha Lennard, author of On Un/Certainty, talks about how doubt can be a mask for certainty.
Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.
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1 hr 6 min
Long Reads: Telling the Truth About Biden and Gaza w/ Akbar Shahid Ahmed
Show notes
After three years of slaughter in Gaza, some leading officials of the Biden administration are trying to justify their record. Figures like Antony Blinken and Brett McGurk have been on media tours recently giving their version of the story.
Meanwhile Akbar Shahid Ahmed, diplomatic correspondent for the Washington Sun, has been working to provide a serious account of what really happened. Akbar has been a guest on Long Reads several times before. He returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel’s War in Gaza.
Long Reads is a Jacobin podcast looking in-depth at political topics and thinkers, both contemporary and historical, with the magazine’s writers. Hosted by features editor Daniel Finn. Produced by Conor Gillies with music by Knxwledge.
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2 hr 29 min
The Dig: Confronting Labor’s Crisis w/ Chris Brooks
Show notes
Featuring Chris Brooks on labor’s crisis and the strategic, militant class struggle that can turn it all around. Brooks, former chief of staff to UAW President Shawn Fain, urges organizers to be flexible in their methodology, explains the federal monitor’s anti-left lawfare against the UAW over Gaza—and why labor must build for 2028.
Support The Dig at http://patreon.com/TheDig
Read more:
“Is Labor at the Point of No Return?” by Chris Brooks in New Labor Forum http://newlaborforum.cuny.edu/2026/01/15/is-labor-at-the-point-of-no-return
“Is Labor at the Point of No Return?” by Chris Brooks in New Labor Forum http://newlaborforum.cuny.edu/2026/01/15/is-labor-at-the-point-of-no-return
“Shawn Fain’s UAW Is Facing Strong Headwinds” by Nelson Lichtenstein in New Labor Forum http://newlaborforum.cuny.edu/2026/05/15/shawn-fains-uaw-is-facing-strong-headwinds
“The War on the UAW” by Ella Fanger in The Nation http://thenation.com/article/economy/uaw-elections-monitor-gaza
Find Bad Energy and Songs My Mother Taught Me at http://haymarketbooks.org
The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.
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53 min
Behind the News: The Hidden 1 Percent w/ Owen Zidar
Show notes
Owen Zidar, co-author of The Everywhere Millionaire, reveals the world of the hidden rich. Plus: Jake Werner surveys the latest in US-China relations.
Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.
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2 hr 46 min
The Dig: Muskism w/ Ben Tarnoff and Quinn Slobodian
Show notes
Featuring Ben Tarnoff and Quinn Slobodian on their book Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed. What the world’s bizarre richest man reveals about our financially fabulist, hard tech, far-right political-economic era.
Support The Dig at http://patreon.com/TheDig
Find Against Tech Oligarchy at http://haymarketbooks.org
Learn more about Hate Speech at http://ucpress.edu
The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.
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49 min
Confronting Capitalism: What Makes a Marxist?
Show notes
Karl Marx famously declared that he was not a Marxist. But his theoretical work spawned many branches of research, political movements, and heated debate. Can we identify a set of unifying ideas that make up Marxism?
On this latest episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber and Melissa Naschek look at the foundations of Marx’s writing and explain how Marxism has both developed and degenerated over the past century.
The latest issue of Catalyst is out and you can subscribe for just $20 using the code CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM: https://catalyst-journal.com/subscribe/?code=CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM
Have a question for us? Write to us by email: confronting.capitalism@jacobin.com
Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber is produced by Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy, and published by Jacobin. Music by Zonkey.
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55 min
Jacobin Radio: Jewish Anti-Zionists w/ Benjamin Moser
Show notes
Pulitzer Prize winner Benjamin Moser joins Suzi to discuss his new book, Anti-Zionism: A Jewish History, which recovers a century of Jewish opposition to Zionism, told through twelve lives, from an assassinated Dutch dissident to Hannah Arendt to the photographer Nan Goldin. Moser opens with his own grandfather’s copy of Theodor Herzl’s The Jewish State — the one object the family carried out of Nazi Germany — and traces his break with an unexamined liberal Zionism to a 2016 trip to Hebron: “It’s not that Israel is doing things that are wrong,” he said. “It’s that Israel itself is wrong.”
Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.
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53 min
Behind the News: The Gospel of Live, Laugh, Love w/ Kristin Kobes Du Mez
Show notes
Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Live Laugh Love, dives into the world of right-wing evangelical Christian women.
Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.
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48 min
Long Reads: Ansar Allah’s Offensive in Yemen w/ Helen Lackner
Show notes
Over the past few weeks, Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, has launched a major offensive. The offensive could have major implications for the world economy, as it involves one of its most important trade routes through the Red Sea. It certainly has major implications for Saudi Arabia.
Long Reads is joined by Helen Lackner, an expert on the politics of Yemen and the author of several books about the country. This is the third time Helen has joined us on the podcast. In this week’s episode, we’re going to cover events since the last time Helen spoke to us more than two years ago.
Long Reads is a Jacobin podcast looking in-depth at political topics and thinkers, both contemporary and historical, with the magazine’s writers. Hosted by features editor Daniel Finn. Produced by Conor Gillies with music by Knxwledge.
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