KPFA - UpFront

UpFront delivers a mix of local, state, and international coverage through challenging interviews, civil debates, breaking updates, and in-depth discussions with authors. The post UpFront – June 29, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — Mar Omega is a community organizer and head of the media team for the San Francisco Trans March. She also goes by Mar xoxo, the Bay Area’s finest trans pinay pop princesa. Both her music and social work are intimately intertwined as she creates audiovisual and physical spaces for everyone to be liberated and celebrated. Her song “like this” is out now. 00:20 — Isaac Ceja is a freelance contributor to the LA Local reporting on Boyle Heights. 00:33 — Zubaida Akbar is the Afghanistan Program Manager at Femena. Her work is focused on supporting the work of grassroots civic movements and women human rights defenders, who are advocating for gender equality and an end to the oppressive policies of the Taliban imposed on women.   The post Trans March Kicks Off Pride Weekend; Plus, Boyle Heights Community After the Lineage Warehouse Fire; Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan Exacerbated by International Community’s Normalization of Taliban appeared first on KPFA.

Mariah Blake, investigative journalist and author of They Poisoned the World: life and death in the age of forever chemicals [rebroadcast from 2025] The post Mariah Blake on Forever Chemicals appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — Hunter’s Point community members are demanding answers after toxic materials were discovered during the cleanup of the former naval shipyard. We speak with Bradley Angel of Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice and journalist Tom Molanphy about the latest developments, community concerns, and the legacy of environmental contamination in Bayview-Hunters Point. 00:33 — Dazon Dixon Diallo of SisterLove joins us to discuss the impact of federal cuts to reproductive health and HIV/AIDS funding on communities in the U.S. and around the world.   The post The Fight for Accountability on Chemical Waste in Hunters Point Continues; Plus, Federal Cuts Hitting HIV/AIDS Care appeared first on KPFA.

San Francisco is facing difficult budget decisions as city leaders weigh layoffs, service reductions, and competing priorities around homelessness, public safety, and a growing fiscal shortfall. We speak with Anya Worley-Ziegmann of the People’s Budget Coalition about what’s at stake in the city’s budget battle and the changes advocates say are needed. Then, ProPublica reporters Nicole Santa Cruz and Anna Maria Barry-Jester join us to discuss new investigations into the loss of SNAP food assistance benefits for hundreds of thousands of children and the impacts of cuts to USAID programs around the world. UpFront delivers a mix of local, state, and international coverage through challenging interviews, civil debates, breaking updates, and in-depth discussions with authors. The post San Francisco’s Budget Battle; Plus SNAP Benefit Cuts and the Fallout from USAID Reductions appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — John Feffer, director of Foreign Policy in Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies, about Russia’s war in Ukraine. 00:33 — Khury Petersen-Smith, Michael Ratner Middle East Fellow and co-director of the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, joins the program to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East.   The post Russia’s War in Ukraine; Plus Middle East Roundup with Khury Petersen-Smith appeared first on KPFA.

[0:08]  Robin D. G. Kelley. Distinguished Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History at UCLA. He is the author of seven books, including Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination. [rebroadcast]. The post Robin DG Kelley on Freedom Dreams [rebroadcast] appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 Walter Riley, longtime civil rights attorney, fixture of struggles for justice in the Bay Area, subject of the new book cao-authored byJesse Strauss: Civil Rights and Structural Attacks: Conversations with Walter Riley The post Walter Riley on Walter Riley appeared first on KPFA.

On this episode, we are joined by Nekima Levy Armstrong, a Minneapolis civil rights attorney, founder of the Racial Justice Network, and former president of the Minneapolis NAACP. Later in the hour we speak with Assemblymember Alex Lee, Democrat representing Silicon Valley’s 24th Assembly District on the California Budget.  Finally, we speak with Dylan Gyauch-Lewis is a senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project about her article https://prospect.org/2026/06/12/new-documents-detail-nine-figure-silicon-valley-funded-abundance-movement/  The post Nekima Levy Armstrong on Minneapolis “Antifa” Charges appeared first on KPFA.

Today on Upfront, we are joined by The Nation’s John Nichols and later by John Feffer from Foreign Policy in Focus. Corona Calls with Dr. John Schwartzberg will resume in July. The post The Rule of Johns appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — John Nichols, Executive Editor of the Nation  00:33 — John Feffer, Director of Foreign Policy in Focus. The post Primary Results in Maine and South Carolina; Plus Trump’s Administration Extension on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ; And Iran-U.S. Peace Framework appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 —  Mark Joseph Stern is a senior writer at Slate Magazine and co-host of the Amicus podcast.  00:33 — Life and Work of Marjane Sartrapi The post Supreme Court Updates; Plus Life and Work of Marjane Sartrapi appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — Steve Fisher is an investigative reporter based in Mexico City who focuses on security and immigration. 00:20 — Dean Baker is a senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. 00:33 — Arang Keshavarzian is Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies at New York University. 00:45 — Lukas Illa is a Human Rights Organizer with the Coalition of Homelessness. The post World Cup Kick-Offs Today Alongside Protests; Plus Inflation Rises; Ongoing Coverage of Iran-U.S. Tensions Escalating; And Coalition of Homelessness Combating SF Mayor’s Homelessness Rates appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — Ramzi Kaiss, researcher at Human Rights Watch investigating human rights abuses in Lebanon. 00:33 — Joel Beinin Professor of Middle East History, Emeritus at Stanford University. The post Israel continues Airstrikes in Lebanon; Plus Whats Behind the Strikes from Israel and Growing Tension Between Netanyahu and Trump appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — Kathryn Ledebur is the Director of Andean Information Network.  00:33 — Dharna Noor is a fossil fuels and climate reporter at Guardian U.S. 00:45 — Laurel Paget-Seekins is Senior Policy Advocate for Transportation Justice at Public Advocates. The post Anti-Government Protests in Bolivia; Plus, Renewable Energy in Texas; And, New Change from CARB Cutting Transit Funding appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — John Feffer is Director of Foreign Policy in Focus. 00:33 — John Nichols, Executive Editor of the Nation.  The post Non-California State Elections; Plus Russia’s War on Ukraine appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 J.W. Mason is Associate Professor of Economics at John Jay College of the City University of New York, and a senior fellow at the Groundwork Collaborative. His new book, co-authored with Arjun Jayadev, is Against Money. The post JW Mason Against Money appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — Ryan Cooper is senior editor of The American Prospect and author of How Are You Going to Pay for That?: Smart Answers to the Dumbest Question in Politics. 00:33 — Justin Salhani is a journalist who’s been reporting from Beirut since 2011. 00:45 — Dr. Gloria Tavera, a UCSF gastroenterology fellow active in the Committee of Interns and Residents SEIU union since 2021. The post Israeli Military Strikes Continue in Lebanon; Plus, How the Closure of the Strait of Hormuz Impacts Americans; And, UCSF Interns and Residents Protest New Union Contract appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — Steve Phillips is the founder of Democracy in Color, a political media organization. His latest book is Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else? 00:20 — Sam Ribakoff is a reporter, journalism teacher, communicator for labor unions. He has reported on the LA County elections for LA Taco.  00:33 — Tim Redmond, founder of 48hills. Tim Redmond has been a political and investigative reporter in San Francisco for more than 30 years.  The post Unpacking Election Results in California; Plus, Races in LA County and San Francisco appeared first on KPFA.

UpFront delivers a mix of local, state, and international coverage through challenging interviews, civil debates, breaking updates, and in-depth discussions with authors. The post UpFront – June 2, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

UpFront delivers a mix of local, state, and international coverage through challenging interviews, civil debates, breaking updates, and in-depth discussions with authors. The post UpFront – June 1, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 Scott Kurashige, interdisciplinary scholar who was a  longtime collaborator of the late philosopher Grace Lee Boggs; he’s just out with the book American Peril: the violent history of anti-asian racism The post Scott Kurashige on Racial Capitalism, Violence, and Asian America appeared first on KPFA.

UpFront delivers a mix of local, state, and international coverage through challenging interviews, civil debates, breaking updates, and in-depth discussions with authors. The post UpFront – May 28, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — Tori Porell is Senior Staff Attorney at Palestine Legal. 00:33 — Arlan Murillo, Director of Client Services and CalFresh Outreach team member at Alameda County Community Food Bank. The post Golden Gate 26 Trial; Plus, New CalFresh Requirements on June 1; And, Hunger Strike Protesting Inhumane Conditions at Adelanto ICE Facility appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — Mark Joseph Stern is a legal analyst who covers courts and the law for Slate. He is also co-host of the Amicus podcast.  00:33 — Yue Stella Yu covers politics for CalMatters, with a particular focus on campaigns, elections and voters. 00:45 — Gregory Terry is an Oakland resident who participated in the the Global Sumud Flotilla that was intercepted by Israeli forces on the way to Gaza. He is joined by his mother Laura Torino.  The post Supreme Court Home Stretch; Plus, Primary Elections Coverage; And, Bay Area Participants of Global Sumud Flotilla Intercepted and Detained by Israeli Forces appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 Manisha Sinha is the James L. and Shirley A. Draper Chair in American History at the University of Connecticut. Her new book is The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic. Reconstruction: 1860 – 1920 [rebroadcast – originally recorded in July 2024] The post Manisha Sinha on Reconstruction and its discontents [rebroadcast] appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — Luke Kemp is a research affiliate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge. The post Fund Drive Special with Luke Kemp appeared first on KPFA.

00:08  Peter Beinart, editor at large of Jewish Currents, proprietor of the Beinart Notebook newsletter, and author most recently of Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: a reckoning, which recently won the PEN America literary award for nonfiction. The post Peter Beinart on Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — Josh Jackson is a writer, photographer. He advocates for public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Through his Forgotten Lands Project, he employs storytelling and visual narratives to inspire engagement with California’s unknown landscapes. His latest book is The Enduring Wild: A Journey Into California’s Public Lands. The post Fun Drive Special with Josh Jackson appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — J.W. Mason is Associate Professor of Economics at John Jay College of the City University of New York, and a senior fellow at the Groundwork Collaborative. The post Fund Drive Special: Against Money appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — John Feffer is Director of Foreign Policy in Focus. 00:33 — Dr. John Swartzberg, clinical professor emeritus of infectious diseases at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health. The post Russia’s War in Ukraine; Plus, Corona Calls appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — Rashid Khalidi is the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University. His Most recent book is  “The Hundred Years’ War On Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance [1917-2017] The post Fund Drive Special: Nakba Day appeared first on KPFA.

08:08 — Peter Beinart is Editor-at-Large at Jewish Currents and writes “Beinart Notebook” on Substack. He is also a professor at the Newmark School of Journalism of the City University of New York. His latest book is “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning.” The post Fund Drive Special: Peter Beinart on Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — Dean Baker, senior distinguished fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Research 00:33 — Negar Mortazavi is a journalist, political commentator, and host of the Iran Podcast. The post Fund Drive Special: Wages, Inflation and the Iran War appeared first on KPFA.

UpFront delivers a mix of local, state, and international coverage through challenging interviews, civil debates, breaking updates, and in-depth discussions with authors. The post UpFront – May 12, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — John Feffer is Director of Foreign Policy in Focus. 00:33 — Dr. John Swartzberg, clinical professor emeritus of infectious diseases at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health. The post Russia’s War in Ukraine; Plus, Corona Calls appeared first on KPFA.

UpFront delivers a mix of local, state, and international coverage through challenging interviews, civil debates, breaking updates, and in-depth discussions with authors. The post UpFront – May 8, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

UpFront delivers a mix of local, state, and international coverage through challenging interviews, civil debates, breaking updates, and in-depth discussions with authors. The post UpFront – May 7, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

Steve Phillips is host of Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips, a color-conscious podcast on politics. He also founded Democracy in Color, a political media organization. His latest book is Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else? The post Fund Drive Special with Steve Phillips appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — John Feffer is Director of Foreign Policy in Focus. 00:33 — Dr. John Swartzberg, clinical professor emeritus of infectious diseases at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health. The post Russia’s War in Ukraine; Plus, Corona Calls appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 Jeff Chang, cultural historian who won the American Book Award for Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, his history of the early years of hip hop. His new book is Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America     The post Jeff Chang on Bruce Lee [repeat] appeared first on KPFA.

UpFront delivers a mix of local, state, and international coverage through challenging interviews, civil debates, breaking updates, and in-depth discussions with authors. The post UpFront – April 30, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

08:00 — J.W. Glass, Senior EPA Policy Specialist at Center for Biological Diversity. 33:00 — Uriel J. García is an immigration reporter at the Texas Tribune based in El Paso. 45:00 — Shawn VanDiver is the founder and President of #AfghanEvac. The post Monsanto Roundup Lawsuit; Plus, 300 DACA Recipients Arrested Under Trump Administration; And, DHS Plan to Deport Afghans Who Aided US War Efforts from Qatar to DRC appeared first on KPFA.

UpFront delivers a mix of local, state, and international coverage through challenging interviews, civil debates, breaking updates, and in-depth discussions with authors. The post UpFront – April 27, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 — Behrooz Ghamari, currently Visiting Scholar at the CUNY Center for Place, Culture and Politics, just out with the book The Long War on Iran: new events, old questions The post Behrooz Ghamari on Politics in Iran appeared first on KPFA.

UpFront delivers a mix of local, state, and international coverage through challenging interviews, civil debates, breaking updates, and in-depth discussions with authors. The post UpFront – April 23, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

08:00 — John Nichols, Executive Editor of the Nation 33:00 — Jessica Pishko is an independent journalist and lawyer covering the criminal legal system. Her book “The Highest Law in the Land,” examines how the unchecked power of sheriffs threatens democracy. Her latest piece for Calmatters is co-written with investigative reporter, Anat Rubin. The post Virginia Redistricting; Plus, CalMatters Investigation Shows Chad Bianco Seized 650,000 Previously Cast Ballots appeared first on KPFA.

08:00 — Omid Memarian is the Director of Communications at DAWN and also serves as the organization’s Senior Iran Analyst. He has previously worked as a journalist and human rights professional.                                       33:00 — Matthew Guariglia is a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, working on issues of surveillance and policing at the local, state, and federal level. 45:00 — Tim Redmond, founder of 48hills. Tim Redmond has been a political and investigative reporter in San Francisco for more than 30 years. The post Looming Deadline of US-Iran Ceasefire; Plus, What Does the FISA Extension Mean?; And A Look at San Francisco’s Policy Priorities appeared first on KPFA.

UpFront delivers a mix of local, state, and international coverage through challenging interviews, civil debates, breaking updates, and in-depth discussions with authors. The post UpFront – April 20, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

00:08 Howard Bryant, multi-award winning sports journalist and author – just out with the book Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America The post Howard Bryant on Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson appeared first on KPFA.