Skip to content

The ruling FOG (Forces of Greed) spin news stories in their favor and keep the masses distracted with celebrity gossip and reality shows. Each week on Clearing The Fog, host Margaret Flowers* features guests who are working to expose the truth and offer real solutions to the current crises faced by our nation and the world. Knowledge is power, and with this knowledge you will be empowered to act to shift power to the people and weaken the corporate stranglehold on our lives. This podcast is brought to you each week without advertising.

Get your Clearing the FOG Gear  here:

 

Clearing the FOG is part of the Popular Resistance Podcast Network, a network of progressive podcasters providing independent political analysis.

New to podcasting? Read our FAQ.

Subscribe to Clearing The FOG using one of these popular services.

  fog-itunes fog-mixcloud SoundCloud Stitcher

*Clearing the FOG was founded by Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese in 2012 on We Act Radio. Kevin died in 2020.

War On Free Speech Expands To Detention, Sanctions Of Individuals

April 20, 2026

The plutocratic power structure in the United States is clamping down on our right to know and to dissent by illegally detaining individuals who speak out or shutting down their access to financial services. Clearing the FOG speaks with political analyst Ali Alizadeh about the unlawful detention of Iranian public policy PhD student at Virginia Tech, Yousof Azizi, who is frequently a guest on major media outlets. The second guest is Rainey Reitman of the Freedom of the Press foundation, who discusses her new book, “Transaction Denied: Big finance’s power to punish speech.”

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guests:

Ali Alizadeh is an Iranian political analyst and presenter of Jadeel TV living in the United Kingdom. He is a member of the Yousof Azizi Defense Committee. See YousofAzizi.com.

Rainey Reitman is a writer and civil liberties advocate who has been at the forefront of today’s most urgent battles for digital rights. She has led viral advocacy campaigns, spoken internationally on civil liberties, and appeared widely on radio, television, and in print. Her writing explores the intersection of technology and human rights. Reitman is the cofounder and president of the board of directors of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, a nonprofit defending journalism.

Proposed Railroad Mega-Merger To Put Corporate Profits Over People

April 13, 2026

In recent decades, the railroad industry has consolidated from more than 40 Class One Rail carriers to only six with disastrous results for the rail workers and the public. Despite a 1990’s moratorium on mergers, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are applying for a new merger, the first one to be transcontinental. Workers, passengers, farmers, and other industries are joining forces to stop this merger. Clearing the FOG speaks with Ron Kamikow, a co-founder of Railroad Workers United, about the state of our rail system, the impact of the potential merger and the campaign against it. Kamikow says the UP-NS merger would definitely lead to further consolidation and would disrupt the supply chain at a time when it is already fragile.

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guest:

Ron Kamikow – Prior to hiring out as a brakeman with Conrail in 1996, Brother Ron served as President of AFSCME Local #634 in Madison, WI. In 2005, Ron co-founded Railroad Operating Crafts United (ROCU), and in 2008, was a Founding Member of Railroad Workers United (RWU), serving on the Steering Committee until 2024 as General Secretary and Organizer. A former brakeman, conductor, and engineer on Conrail and later Norfolk Southern in Chicago (UTU #168) and Elkhart, IN (UTU #194), Ron has worked for Amtrak in Milwaukee (BLET #27), Chicago (BLET #40), and Reno, NV (BLET #51) where he recently retired (2023) after 20 years as a passenger engineer with the company. Ron recently served as his Division’s Vice President and Delegate, and continues to represent the local as Delegate to the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council (NNCLC). He remains active in RWU, serving on various committees.

The Polycrisis, Worsened By War, Is Devastating Our Global Food System

April 6, 2026

The US-Israeli war on Iran and the resultant fuel shortages are already negatively-impacting the global economy. One aspect that isn’t gaining much attention is the impact of the war on an already fragile food system. Shortages and the rising prices of oil, fertilizer and pesticides are forcing farmers to make difficult choices and will lead to food scarcity this Fall. To understand where we are and what we can do to support food security, Clearing the FOG speaks with Kayla Dones of DD Geopolitics and Lauren Borsheim, a food policy analyst for Food and Water Watch who has been tracking the new Farm Bill legislation.

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guests:

Kayla Dones

Lauren Borsheim

‘We Won’t Die For Israel’: Military Members Seek A Way Out Of War

March 23, 2026

On February 28, the Trump administration, in partnership with the Zionist state of Israel, launched an illegal attack on Iran that has broadened to involve the region. Prior to the attack, Iran notified the United Nations that they would view all US assets in the area as legitimate targets for their defense. US military bases and hotels where troops were staying have been bombed. Now, the administration is threatening a ground invasion and is mobilizing Marine Expeditionary Units. Clearing the FOG speaks with Mike Prysner of the Center on Conscience and War about the large increase in military members seeking conscientious objector status. And we bring back a portion of an earlier interview with James Branum of the Military Law Task Force about other options for active military members.

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guest:

Mike Prysner, Executive Director of the Center on Conscience and War, a veteran of the Iraq War and a renowned anti-war organizer, brings over two decades of experience in advocacy, media, and direct support for service members navigating the complexities of military service and individual conscience. Prysner gained international recognition following his 2007 testimony at the Winter Soldier hearings, where his powerful denunciation of the occupation resonated with millions. Since then, he has remained a fixture in the peace movement, organizing fellow Iraq veterans and leading high-profile civil disobedience actions against the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Beyond his activism in the streets, Prysner has been a pioneer in creating educational resources for active-duty personnel. In an era where military recruitment and influence have shifted heavily into digital spaces, Prysner’s expertise in new media is a strategic asset for CCW. His work on projects like the Eyes Left podcast and The Empire Files has already proven successful in reaching service members where they are. Under his leadership, the Center plans to modernize its outreach tools, bringing its more than 85-year legacy of advocacy to a broader, more diverse audience of young people and active-duty personnel.

US, Israel Have Lost The War On Iran; Must Be Held Accountable For Crimes

March 16, 2026

On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched an illegal attack on Iran that has ignited the Gulf Region and sent ripples throughout the world. Clearing the FOG speaks with military analyst Scott Ritter who argues that the US and Israel lost the war on the first day by targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and by throwing the rules of engagement out the window, as evidenced by the double bombing of a girl’s school in Minab. Ritter explains that Pete Hegseth and others are guilty of war crimes. He describes the region as being at an existential crossroads that could weaken Israel and strengthen Iran in the end.

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guest:

Scott Ritter is a former Marine intelligence officer who served in the former Soviet Union, implementing arms control agreements, and on the staff of General Norman Schwartzkopf during the Gulf War. From 1991 until 1998, Mr. Ritter served as a Chief Inspector for the United Nations in Iraq, leading the search for Iraq’s proscribed weapons of mass destruction. Mr. Ritter was a vocal critic of the American decision to go to war with Iraq. He resides in Upstate New York, where he writes on issues pertaining to arms control, the Middle East and national security. Disarmament in the Time of Perestroika is Mr. Ritter’s tenth book.

Scott Ritter has testified before a combined Armed Services/Foreign Affairs hearing of the US Senate, and before the House Foreign Relations and National Security committees. He has testified before a combined Armed Services/ Foreign Affairs hearing of the US Senate, and before the House Foreign Relations and National Security committees. He has spoken to NATO, the United Nations, the British, Canadian, Italian, French, Iraqi, Japanese and European Parliaments. He has done public speaking engagements at Harvard, MIT, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Yale and Columbia, and dozens of other public and private universities and colleges across the country. He has spoken before the Council on Foreign Affairs, Chatham House and RUSI (in London), and various World Affairs Councils.

Movement To Create Unregulated ‘Billionaire Fiefdoms’ Gaining Momentum

March 9, 2026

The Trump Administration is supporting the development of privatized libertarian enclaves that are not subject to local or national laws where the wealthy can exploit land and peoples for profit. Known as the Network State Movement, many of these ‘special economic free zones’ already exist in the United States and around the world, but their backers, such as Peter Thiel of Palantir, are searching for a place to create the first private ‘nation’. Clearing the FOG speaks with Dr. Beth Geglia, an anthropologist and documentarian who focuses on tech-futurist territorial movements, about the first zones, how Trump’s Board of Peace is connected to the Network State Movement and the fight back.

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guest:

Beth Geglia is an anthropologist and documentarian focused on urban political economy, land politics, and tech-futurist territorial movements. She holds a Ph.D. from American University and is based in Washington, D.C. and Barcelona.

The United States Is On The Path To Fascism; How To Change Course

March 2, 2026

Is the United States a fascist state? There is an authoritarian in the White House, systemic racism is rampant, our cities and towns are being militarized, concentration camps are under construction, and our politicians are controlled by corporations. Clearing the FOG speaks with longtime activist and lawyer, Michael Smith, host of Law and Disorder and editor of the new book, “From the Flag to the Cross: Fascism American Style”, about where the United States is on the path to fascism, what we can expect and what we can do to change course. Smith explains what socialism is and why it is the solution for those who believe in democracy.

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guest:

Michael Steven Smith is an attorney, a former board member at the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the cohost of the nationally broadcast radio show Law and Disorder. He is the author, editor, and co-editor of many books, mostly recently Imagine: Living In A Socialist U.S.A. and “The Emerging Police State,” by William M. Kunstler. He has testified before committees of the United States Congress and the United Nations on human rights issues. Mr. Smith lives and practiced law in New York City with his wife Debby, where on behalf of seriously injured persons he sues insurance companies and occasionally the New York City Police Department.

Mass Detention Facility Expansion In The US And The Fight Back

February 23, 2026

While there has been an ongoing expansion of immigrant detention centers in the United States for nearly two decades, the government recently allocated $38.3 billion to put that on hyperdrive in order to add the capacity to detain 92,000 more people. The government is purchasing warehouses in communities across the US and even considering using military bases. Clearing the FOG speaks with journalist Sam Carliner about the expansion, who is being detained, the appalling conditions in these prisons, who is profiting and how communities are organizing to stop what are essentially concentration camps.

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guest: 

Sam Carliner is a journalist covering U.S. foreign policy, militarism, immigration, and social movements. His writing has appeared in Teen Vogue, Responsible Statecraft, Middle East Eye, Truthout, Mondoweiss, Waging Nonviolence, and other publications. He is also an editor at Left Voice, part of the La Izquierda Diario international news network.

As The US Ramps Up Its Attacks On Cuba, Support For Its Revolution Grows

February 16, 2026

On January 29, which coincides with the twelfth anniversary of the declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace (at the CELAC meeting in Havana, Cuba), the Trump administration designated Cuba as “an unusual and extraordinary threat… to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.” As a result of this designation, the US is tightening the economic blockade on Cuba, with a particular emphasis on stopping fuel deliveries, and is threatening any nation that provides aid. Clearing the FOG speaks with Netfa Freeman of the Black Alliance for Peace about the impact of the blockade, the significance of Cuba’s example of internationalism and defending its sovereignty, as well as assisting other nations in doing the same, and efforts to support the Cuban people.

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guest:

Netfa Freeman started at IPS as Director of the Institute’s Social Action & Leadership School for Activists (SALSA) from 2000 to 2010 and is now the Events Coordinator for the other IPS projects. Netfa is also an organizer in Pan-African Community Action (PACA), on the Coordinating Committee of the Black Alliance for Peace, and is Co-Producer/Host for the radio show and podcast Voices With Vision on WPFW 89.3 FM that airs Tuesdays from 9-10 am EST. His writings have been published in Black Star News, Black Agenda Report, Pambazuka News, Common Dreams, Global Research, and beyond and he is often interviewed on radio and TV outlets. Netfa holds a B.A. in History from the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and has been a political organizer/activist since 1985. He served as coordinator of the Committee for Political Education at the Pan-African Resource Center (1985-1989) and has worked as a phone-bank fundraiser for the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES 1988-1990). Netfa has been intimately involved with many movements, such as the 1986 International Peace Gathering in response to the U.S. bombing of Libya, the 1997 Advocates Plus Save UDC movement, and the People Before Profit Community Healthcare Project that was organizing DC residents to take their healthcare needs into their own hands. He served for many years as board member for Empower DC, as well as on the advisory board of M.O.M.I.E.S. TLC, was U.S. liaison for the Ujamma Youth Farming Project in Gweru, Zimbabwe, and a founding member and a lead organizer in the DC-Havana Sister City Project and the No War On Cuba Movement. He was an organizer in the International Committee for Peace, Justice & Dignity for the People, formerly the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5. In 2011 Netfa was a recipient of the Washington Peace Center’s Activists of The Year Awards and was a workshop facilitator as part of the Educator’s Collective for the Wayside Center for Popular Education and for Train the Movement: A Trainers of Color Collaborative.

Minneapolis Teaches How To Fight Fascist Occupation And Terrorism

February 9, 2026

The Trump administration’s ‘Metro Surge’ in Minneapolis-St. Paul, where 3,000 or more federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security have been deployed to terrorize residents and arrest thousands of people a day, has been met with fierce resistance both locally and through national and international solidarity. Clearing the FOG speaks with FBI whistleblower Coleen Rowley, who lives close to the cities, about the current situation there, the illegality of the tactics used by federal agents, and the fight back against them. Then, India McKinney of the Electronic Frontier Foundation speaks about the use of facial recognition technology, the need to abolish it, and people’s rights to record law enforcement.

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guests:

Coleen Rowley

India McKinney

To Defeat US-Led Global Fascism, We Must Fight On Many Fronts

February 2, 2026

This week, Clearing the FOG speaks with Ajamu Baraka, a political analyst, activist, and internationally-recognized human rights defender. Baraka discusses the recent protests in Iran, including the media misinformation campaign, manipulation of Iran’s currency to lower its value, and the US-Israeli attempt to create chaos and install the son of the brutal Shah, who was ousted in 1979. He also talks about the campaign to move the World Cup out of the US and the recent violent occupation of cities by ICE in the context of the US government building the apparatus to instill terror and suppress all dissent. Baraka explains the need to educate ourselves, organize, and take action on many fronts to stop the US-led rise of global fascism.

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guest:

Ajamu Baraka is a geopolitical analyst, organizer, writer, human rights defender, and veteran of the U.S. Black Liberation Movement with over 53 years of work in the U.S. and internationally.  Baraka is the founder of the Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) and currently serves as the director of BAP’s North-South Project for People(s)-Centered Human Rights. Recently Baraka co-founded the International Coalition to Stop Genocide in Gaza to support the South African case filed with the International Court of Justice. In 2016 Baraka was a candidate for Vice President of the United States on the Green Party ticket. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the U.S. Peace Council and the leadership body of the United National Anti-War Coalition (UNAC).  He is an editor and contributing columnist for the Black Agenda Report and the recipient of the Serena Shirm award for uncompromised integrity in journalism. In 2019 Baraka was awarded the US Peace Memorial’s Peace Prize.

Italian Workers Are Building A Global Movement Against Fascism, Launch February 6

January 26, 2026

Last Fall, Italians turned out in massive numbers to support the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza and to stop weapons shipments to Israel. They held nationwide days of action to “Block Everything.” The Unione Syndicale de Base (USB), a grassroots worker-led organization, supported those actions and is now building an international day of action on February 6 against militarization and for stronger social programs. Clearing the FOG speaks with Francesco Staccioli, who leads USB’s international organizing, about the current conditions for workers in Italy, state repression, and the necessity of building a global movement against the rise of fascism. Staccioli describes fascism as a product of capitalism and warns that we must work in solidarity to stop fascism and build alternative structures.

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guest:

Francesco Staccioli

Under US Control, Japan Is Remilitarizing For The Coming War On China

January 19, 2026

The occupied islands of Okinawa, formerly the Ryukyu Kingdom, have been heavily militarized since the end of World War II. 70% of the US military bases in Japan are in Okinawa, which represents less that 1% of Japan’s landmass. In preparation for a hot war on China, the US and it’s client state, Japan, are building more bases, particularly on islands close to Taiwan. Clearing the FOG speaks with Japanese-American activist Rachel Clark about her recent tour of Okinawa where she visited the islands. Clark speaks about the history of the militarization of Japan, including forced changes to its pacifist Constitution, and the similarities between media propaganda in Japan and the US.

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guest:

Rachel Clark, originally from Japan, is an independent interpreter, lifetime member of Veterans For Peace, an active member of the Manhattan Project for a Nuclear Free World and founder of the volunteer group “able.” Her language capacity has been utilized in numerous international events. She first encountered Hibakusha Stories in 2010 during the NPT Review Conference and has been involved with us as an interpreter ever since.  On July 7, 2017, Rachel had an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime moment with the Hibakusha Stories family at the UN when the Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons was adopted by 122 nations.

We’re Being Lied To On A Massive Scale About Events In Venezuela

January 12, 2026

On January 3, the Trump administration authorized a large-scale military invasion in Venezuela that killed one hundred people. The US bombed infrastructure in and around Caracas, and in other states, and kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro and First Combatant (aka First Lady) Cilia Flores. Outright lies are being reported in the corporate media on a massive scale to justify crimes committed by the US military and to mislead the public. Clearing the FOG speaks with activist and policy analyst Leonardo Flores. Flores addresses many of the common myths and provides the facts you need to understand that President Maduro is still the President of Venezuela, that the US-backed far-right opposition led by Maria Corinna Machado has little power within Venezuela, that the Venezuelan government and the Bolivarian Revolution remain strong and united and that gains claimed by the Trump administration are exaggerated. He also discusses what people in the US are doing to mobilize in support of President Maduro and First Lady Flores.

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guest:

Leonardo Flores

‘Killing Democracy’ Exposes Imperialist Tactics And Media Complicity

January 5, 2026

The new book, “Killing Democracy: Western Imperialism’s Legacy of Regime Change and Media Manipulation,” is a timely account of the West’s efforts to control countries around the world through soft power and, when necessary, military power, and the critical role the media plays in forming popular opinion to support these efforts and view them as legitimate. Clearing the FOG speaks with two of the five co-authors, Finian Cunningham and K J Noh. They discuss the West’s efforts not only to overthrow governments but also to go after and, in some cases, annihilate the Left. They also speak about current efforts, including the very recent kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a night raid.

Listen here:

Review us on iTunes! Click here … Then click on “View in iTunes … Then click “Ratings and Reviews.”

Guests:

Finian Cunningham is an award-winning journalist. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, he holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry in Cambridge, England, before entering a career in journalism. For over 25 years, he worked as a sub-editor and writer for The Mirror, Irish Times, Irish Independent and Britain’s Independent, among others. Now a freelance commenter, his columns appear on RT, Sputnik & Strategic Culture Foundation. He is the second-time recipient of the Serena Shim Award for Uncompromising Integrity in Journalism (December 2020).

K.J. Noh is a journalist, political analyst, writer, and educator specializing in the geopolitics and political economy of the Asia-Pacific region. He is a member of Veterans for Peace and Pivot to Peace.

assetto corsa mods

Urgent End Of Year Fundraising Campaign

Online donations are back! Keep independent media alive. 

Due to the attacks on our fiscal sponsor, we were unable to raise funds online for nearly two years.  As the bills pile up, your help is needed now to cover the monthly costs of operating Popular Resistance.

Donate Here

Urgent End Of Year Fundraising Campaign

Online donations are back! 

Keep independent media alive. 

Due to the attacks on our fiscal sponsor, we were unable to raise funds online for nearly two years.  As the bills pile up, your help is needed now to cover the monthly costs of operating Popular Resistance.

Donate Here
Sign Up To Our Daily Digest

Independent media outlets are being suppressed and dropped by corporations like Google, Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our daily email digest before it’s too late so you don’t miss the latest movement news.