Jacobin Radio

Stuart Schrader, author of Blue Power, explains how the political heft of cops allows them to get away with murder. Angela Jones, author of Sex in Public, looks at the social and political factors shaping our sexual lives. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

The show’s co-producers Alan Minsky and Meleiza Figueroa fill in for Suzi with a special installment of their quadrennial podcast series, The People’s Game⁠, which covers the world's most popular spectacle from a socialist internationalist perspective. Alan and Mel talk with their fellow People’s Game co-host Fernando Romero about, well, “everything” going on in the world. How surreal it feels to be passionate fans of the beloved global game when the political circumstances inside the World Cup’s primary host country are so fraught and dire for so many people inside and outside US borders. Fernando Romero is beaming! We spoke with him on the eve of his journey to Mexico. First stop is Mexico City for the opening game, then onto Guadalajara and Monyterrey, all three World Cup cities in Mexico. We then speak with Thomas Hanna from the Democracy Collaborative, a longtime fan and player, about the problems — and potential — for the people’s game as a vehicle for democracy rather than capitalism. As a fútbol fan, Thomas mirrors his work with the Democracy Collaborative, which advocates for worker ownership of businesses and industry, and assists worker-led efforts to own and control their workplaces. Thomas helps organize a growing global movement for fans to own their favorite clubs. Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.

The fifth episode in a series on the history of Indonesia: a hinge in the world system where colonialism and revolution have decisively shaped the trajectory of global history. This installment traces the armed conflicts—civil wars and then confrontations with the Dutch and British — that propelled Indonesia into Sukarno’s authoritarian Guided Democracy system and cascading economic crisis. Both the military and the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) became increasingly powerful forces on the eve of 1965–when the armed forces would slaughter the communists and inaugurate Suharto’s New Order. Featuring Rianne Subijanto, Made Supriatma, and Farabi Fakih. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Register for the Socialism Conference by June 19th for the early bird rate! Socialismconference.org Get 50% off Backlash: The Global Rise of the Radical Right , or any first book purchase from plutobooks.com with code ‘DIG50’ The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.

Suzi speaks with Simon Pirani about his book Voices Against Putin’s War: Protesters’ Defiant Speeches in Russian Courts and the film Try Me For Treason. Russian exile activist Aleksandra Zapolskaia also joins the conversation to discuss Azat Miftakhov’s case, one of thousands. Currently, there are more political prisoners in Russia than at any time since the post-Stalin thaw of the 1950s, and the state is killing them; at least seven political prisoners died in Russian custody in the first four months of 2026. We will also hear actors from the film read courtroom speeches from Igor Paskar and Andrei Trofimov. Paskar, who was tortured after protesting at an FSB office, asked the court what future generations will be told about these times. Trofimov received three additional years of imprisonment for his initial courtroom statements; his second speech concludes with the line that gave the film its title: “Try me for treason. I betrayed your deranged state.” Aleksandra Zapolskaya (Sasha) shares the story of Azat Miftakhov, the mathematician and anarchist who was tortured at an Arctic penal colony just down the road from where Navalny was killed. After his torturers were publicly identified, prison officials called Azat to their office and promised to treat him “respectfully” if he would stop talking to the media. “Being silent doesn’t help,” Sasha says. “Being loud helps.” The discussion covers prisoner solidarity, the duration of the war, and the implications of Russia’s current trajectory. Sasha offers a warning to Western listeners regarding the speed of political shifts: “It changes very slowly. And then it happens very fast.” Watch the film: youtube.com/watch?v=7FHacVH8tK8 Jacobin article: https://jacobin.com/2026/05/film-russia-ukraine-antiwar-prisoners Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.

Featuring Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Tennessee US House candidate Justin Pearson, New York US House candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, Oregon state House candidate Tammy Carpenter, Providence mayoral candidate David Morales, and DC City Council candidate Aparna Raj. The first episode in a series featuring short interviews with left-wing and socialist candidates at every level of US politics. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Our huge new Thawra study guide and resource website thawraproject.com Dan debates the topic of Hasan Piker on Brian Lehrer wnyc.org/story/should-democrats-appear-with-hasan-piker/ Hasan’s analysis of the debate youtube.com/watch?v=fgkcuHZtsiM\\&t=1557s RSVP to the May 20 Dig party in Seattle! eventbrite.com/e/the-dig-x-house-our-neighbors-party-tickets-1986843010930 RSVP to the May 26 Dig party in LA! eventbrite.com/e/a-party-in-la-for-the-dig-friends-tickets-1987008568116? Buy How to End Family Policing at Haymarketbooks.org Get 50% off How to Sell a Genocide, or any first book purchase from plutobooks.com with code ‘DIG50’ The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.

Excerpts from an event sponsored by the NYC DSA’s Academy for Socialist Education on the domestic and foreign aspects of Trumpism, featuring historians Nikhil Pal Singh and Greg Grandin, moderated by DSA’s Gaya Sriskanthan. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.