KPFA - Talkies

It’s a nasty job, but somebody’s got to do it: be the journalist who covers Trump. David Cay Johnston has been doing it for longer, better, than ANYBODY; and won a Pulitzer while he was at it. He joins us on-air. ALSO: John Nichols, no slouch in the journalism department himself! National politics his beat, and midterms are in a month. How’s it looking, John??? Hosted by Kris Welch. The post Talki...

The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear it, love it, question it, live it. Hosted by Kris Welch. The post Talkies – September 25, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

Our warming planet! the Endangered Species Act! What could possibly go wrong? We ask the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). Then there’s a new podcast: “The Unstoppable Vote”: really??? May it be so! Jeff Chang has a brilliant bio of Bruce Lee, and the origins of “Asian American”. He joins us to talk about it. Finally the POET! Raymond Nat Turner. Host Kris Welch. The post Talkies – Septemb...

A conversation with Fred Weir, long-time Moscow journalist, about Russian public opinion on the war with Ukraine. Then Greg Palast, election rabble-rousing journalist, about OUR FRANCHISE! what’s left of it, and what to do about it! Second hour, macro-economist Dean Baker about the national debt, inflation, and generally The Economy Stupid! Stephen Zunes follows, with an analysis of the many “ceas...

We begin today’s program with a discussion of CUBA, as well as much of the rest of central America, with Pedro Labayan Herrera, research associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (cepr.net). Then a visit from Dr. Science (he knows more than you do). Second hour is a conversation with David Dante Troutt, Rugters law professor and author, about his new book “Reckoning the Racial Recko...

It’s primary season, and there have been many surprises! We talk about it all with Chris Lehmann, of The NATION, and then with Jim Saksa, at Democracy Docket. Second hour we speak with Jennifer Lowenstein, about “ceasefires” we have known—the horror of reality… The one and only SHERRY GLASER is in the Bay with her new one-woman show, “Life and Death: a Love Story”; she joins us to talk about it. A...

The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear it, love it, question it, live it. Hosted by Kris Welch. The post Talkies – August 7, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear it, love it, question it, live it. Hosted by Kris Welch. The post Talkies – July 31, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

“Forging a Democracy that Works for All!”, a new progressive policy agenda from IPS (The Institute for Policy Studies). We speak with Sarah Anderson, one of the report’s authors. Then, speaking of progressives!, we talk to Dave Zirin, political sportswriter, about his new book, “The :People’s Historian: the Outsized Life of Howard Zinn”   The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritua...

John Feffer (Foreign Policy in Focus) on international authoritarianism, Trump in Iran. grift. Khury Peterson-Smith (Institute for Policy Studies) on Gaza/Lebanon/Iran, Israeli hegemonic efforts. Bill Fletcher Jr. (stand4democracy.org) on race, capitalism, the missing anti-war movement. Devorah Major and Opal Palmer Adisa (Daughters of Yam) on up-coming performance (Thursday 30 July, 7 p.m BAM Hou...

Kris Welch speaks with Mary Moore about Bohemian Grove protests, Bill Hartung on NATO, Iran, and military spending, John Nichols on the political landscape ahead of the midterms, Rachel Lee on Radio Day by the Bay and the California Historical Radio Society, plus Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier returns. The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we kno...

The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear it, love it, question it, live it. Hosted by Kris Welch. The post Talkies – July 3, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

This week, the show examines the latest developments surrounding a potential Iran deal, the 2026 elections, and the impact of artificial intelligence on the economy. Later, a conversation on the legacy of Juneteenth and the ongoing fight for racial justice, followed by the weekly Town Crier segment.   The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it,...

Happy Juneteenth! Today on The Talkies we revisit some great interviews from the archives: Tribute to Berkeley’s legendary Hate Man Why Buddhism is True Pulitzer Prize finalist Robert Wright connects the dots, from evolutionary psychology to the science and power of Buddhism.  Wit, a hallmark of his writing, makes the medicine go down. During the second hour, we replay the latest installment of KP...

Kris Welch talks with Nation writers Jeet Heer and Chris Lehmann about “The Great Grifter” and the state of American politics. Later, Jennifer Lowenstein joins the program with analysis of the ongoing crises in Gaza and Lebanon. Plus, Raymond Nat Turner, the Town Crier. The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear it, love it, question it,...

On this episode of The Talkies, host Kris Welch speaks first with legal journalist Chris Geidner of Law Dork about the latest developments at the U.S. Supreme Court. Then, University of San Francisco professor Stephen Zunes joins the program to discuss current events in the Middle East. In the second hour, veteran Moscow correspondent Fred Weir offers analysis of Russia and its role in today’s geo...

Kris Welch explores major developments at the U.S. Supreme Court with legal journalist Chris Geidner, examines the latest news from the Middle East with political analyst Stephen Zunes, checks in on Russia with veteran correspondent Fred Weir, and welcomes poet the Town Crier Raymond Nat Turner. The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear...

The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear it, love it, question it, live it. Hosted by Kris Welch. The post Talkies – May 15, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear it, love it, question it, live it. Hosted by Kris Welch. The post Talkies – April 24, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear it, love it, question it, live it. Hosted by Kris Welch. The post Talkies – April 17, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear it, love it, question it, live it. Hosted by Kris Welch. The post Talkies – April 10, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear it, love it, question it, live it. Hosted by Kris Welch. The post Talkies – April 3, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

The cultural, the intellectual, the political, the spiritual — and the silly. Life as we know it, fear it, love it, question it, live it. Hosted by Kris Welch. The post Talkies – March 27, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.