On February 4th, China has stepped forward to make a statement in support of Russia as the U.S. and NATO continue to ratchet up tensions on the border of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping came together after a meeting and have announced a demand to end the expansion of NATO and a call for the U.S. to abandon it’s cold-war era ideological approaches. In similar news we are on the 60 year anniversary of the crippling blockade on Cuba. We take a look at the impact of sanctions on Cuba and other nations around the globe. Later in the show we turn our attention to the ongoing right-wing protests happening in Ottawa where truck drivers are clogging up downtown around their shared goals of opposing the vaccine mandates and lockdowns. They have raised more than $7.8 million on GoFundMe, one of the biggest campaigns in its history. Elon Musk, Donald Trump (whose flags they are waving), and others get behind to support these right-wing actions. We discuss how misinformation is legitimized and how not all protests are progressive. In our final segment, we discuss the recent report from Australia’s National Research Organization for Women’s Safety that found that during the pandemic Women experiencing high financial stress were three times as likely to experience physical or sexual abuse, and in particular women who were the breadwinners were 1.6 times more likely to face physical abuse. We dive into how these numbers legitimize what women on the ground already know.

Women Fight Back!

China Stands with Russia Against NATO Expansion and U.S. Cold War Ideology

On today’s show, we talk Russia and Ukraine. If you listen to the mainstream media and U.S. politicians on the airwaves, it certainly seems like Russia is about to invade Ukraine. What’s going on? Are we on the verge of a new war between Russia and the United States? Musician Neil Young has decided to remove his music from Spotify in response to the fact that Joe Rogan has continued to push forward COVID-19 misinformation. #CancelSpotify has been trending on twitter and the drama that has ensued raises serious questions on the issue of censorship and so-called free speech. We are joined by Chris Garaffa of Tech for the People to discuss.The irony was thick today when Joe Biden arrived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to boast about the infrastructure bill passing, only to arrive hours after a nearby bridge collapsed. Activists and community members in Pittsburg demand real action on the failing infrastructure in Pittsburg among many other failures of the capitalist system. We are joined by Kitt Baril from the Party for Socialism and Liberation in Pittsburg.Sunday, January 30th marks the 1 year anniversary of the brutal murder of 84 year old Thai elder Vicha Ratanapakdee in San Francisco. His death has been seen by many as a galvanizing moment in the fight against Anti-Asian violence. Organizers in cities across the country have been mobilizing to demand justice for Vicha and to demand an end to the racist violence that continues to terrorize the asian community. We are joined by Don Vu Founding Member of Stand with Asian Americans.

A New War Between the U.S. and Russia?

In Hawaii thousands of people have been displaced and had their water poisoned by the Red Hill Navy facility. This is after two fuel leaks just this year, and a major fuel leak of 27,000 gallons of fuel in 2014. The Navy sacrifices water for war by refusing to do anything about the facility, which activist demand should be closed and fuel tanks drained immediately.  We are joined by Marti Townsend, former director for the Sierra Club Hawaii and lead organizer in the effort to protect O’ahu’s water supply.In New York City, workers employed with the United Jewish Council (UJC) home care agency rallied to end the 24-hour work day and demand their stolen wages on the morning of December 16. While home care workers in New York are being forced to work 24-hour shifts for poverty wages, 11 hours worth of that pay is stolen by their employers.  We are joined by Vicki Niu with the Ain&apos;t I A Woman Campaign. Finally, the holidays are upon us and there’s no better way to celebrate them than by dealing with angry right-wingers aggressively yelling Merry Christmas in your face! We talk more about the origins of the War on Christmas and the profits Fox News has seen from it.

U.S. Navy Poisons Water for 93,000 Residents in Hawaii

On today’s show, the Supreme court has upheld the Texas abortion ban, the strictest abortion legislation in the country. The Texas ban has essentially been  greenlit by the Supreme Court, despite the fact that they have also ruled that abortion providers will be able to sue. What does this all really mean? To make sense of it all, we are joined by Jessica Mason Pieklo, Executive Editor and  Senior Vice President with Rewire News Group. This last week, Russia has been center stage in the crosshairs of Washington and the mainstream media following mutual expulsions of U.S. and Russian diplomats. We wade through the disinformation campaign launched by the pentagon with Walter Smolerek, producer with The Socialist Program. Islamophobia is alive and well, and  we don’t need Lauren Boebart’s comments about Ilhan Omar  to prove that to us. Joining us to  discuss the personal impacts of islamophobia and the islamophobic policies of the pentagon is activist and immigrants rights advocate, Adama Bah. 

Supreme Court Greenlights Texas Abortion Ban on Human Rights Day

Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17 year old vigilante murderer walks free. This verdict has set the precedent for fascist paramilitary groups around the country to be able to kill protesters without any consequences. This is hardly the first time that the police have relied on paramilitary right-wing violence to put down resistance movements. In local news, a street will be named after police brutality victim, Akai Gurley who was shot and killed in the Pink Houses by officer Peter Liang in 2014. After years of struggle, activists have fought to have a street named after Akai to enshrine the struggle for justice for Akai in history, and to make sure that the city never forgets what happened. Akai Gurley&apos;s Aunt, Heretencia Peterson joins the show to talk about the bittersweet victory of the street naming.Thanks-taking is coming up and around this year&apos;s dinner tables it&apos;s important to remember that native struggle is not in the past - but happening right now. In NY state in the hamptons, one of the wealthiest areas in the country, The Shinnnecock nation is being sued by NY state for building billboards to raise money for their tribe. The audacity of the state is on full display, as the state wastes resources to deny the Shinnecock&apos;s treaty rights, but did little to nothing to support the tribe during COVID-19. Joining the show is Tela Trogue, attorney and organizer with the Shinnecock Nation.

Kyle Rittenhouse Walks Free and Right-Wing Vigilantes Get a License to Kill

On today’s show we will start off with the slashing - not the halloween kind of slashing - but rather the slashing of the budget reconciliation bill by not the republicans, but the Democrats. We get into what this means and it’s impact with Anoa Changa host of the podcast The Way with Anoa. The ongoing trial of Kyle Rittenhouse continues forward and despite being right at the beginning we already get a sense of his this trial will go when the judge announced that the defense can refer to the people that Rittenhouse killed as “rioters” and “looters.” Finally, Betsy DeVos got swindled out of nearly $100 million by biotech company Theranos. The best irony here is that the DeVos family made their millions off of Amway, a well known Muti-Level Marketing scheme, and they are responsible for lobbying to keep these scams going. So it seems the scammers got scammed! 

Build back... Never?

On today&apos;s episode of Women Fight Back we continue on with Striketober! Workers struggles are heating up, and internal struggles within the union are growing. We are joined by Evangeline Byars, the first woman to run for President of TWULocal100 the Largest Transport Workers Union in America. Evangeline is fighting back against corruption in the union with a campaign to revitalize the labor movement and fight for workers power. However, she has been disqualified from running and is speaking out about this sabotage. Mark Zuckerberg has officially decided to go full Matrix. In true sci-fi fashion, Facebook is rebranding from a social media company to a “metaverse” company. What is a metaverse and why is this an important development in late stage capitalism? We are joined by Chris Garraffa editor of techforthepeople.org to find out.To top off this exploration of the capitalist hell-scape the hosts of Women Fight Back discuss the Squid Game and why millions of working class people around the globe resonated with this dystopian capitalist reality.

Facebook's Metaverse and the Growing Resistance to the Capitalist Hell-Scape

On today’s episode of Women Fight Back,  in historic numbers workers go on strike this STRIKETOBER! Workers across the country from John Deere, Hollywood film studios, Mercy Hospital, Kellogg’s cereal, and more are either on strike  or preparing for one. This is the first time we have seen such a significant number of workers on strike at the same time since the 1980&apos;s. We are joined by Rhiannea Shaheen, Local 871 member, 5-year film industry worker and Yasemin Zahra, the Chairwoman of Labor Against Racism and War. 

From Hollywood to the Factory Floors 100,000+ Workers on Strike this #Striketober

What does it mean to fight for a world without mass incarceration and police violence? On today’s show we joined by human rights lawyer, organizer, and author Derecka Purnell to discuss her new book titled "Becoming Abolitionist: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom." We reflect together on how capitalism is at the heart of the continued violence at the hands of the police, and what future is possible beyond this system. Join us in exploring the themes from Derecka&apos;s book, like the history of slavery, settler colonialism, imperialism, as well as the love at the heart of the struggle. 

The Political is Personal: The Journey to Abolition with Derecka Purnell

On this episode of Women Fight Back, we discuss the U.S. cold war on China and the treatment of Haitian migrants at the border. President Joe Biden told the world Tuesday that the United States is not seeking a new cold war without naming the target, obviously being China. What does this mean especially as the US leads the way in developing the AUKUS, a new "defense" agreement comprising the U.S., U.K. and Australia?  Joining the show to discuss is Amanda Yee, host of Radio free Amanda.Later in the show we will hear from Jack Herrera, independent reporter and contributing editor at Politico magazine, speaking on his experiences on the ground in Del Rio. He will be sharing  his eyewitness account from the Haitian migrant camps on the border where recently images emerged of border agents whipping Haitians seeking Asylum.

Is Biden Really Stepping Back from the Cold War on China?

This week the WFB team and guests dive into the $3.5 trillion proposed budget reconciliation bill, horrific conditions endured by inmates in New York State prisons, and the critiques of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Tax the Rich” fashion statement at the 2021 Met Gala. What does this budget reconciliation bill mean for working class and poor people? What can we do to address horrendous prison conditions due to COVID and Hurricane Ida? Are there meaningful critiques or conversations to be had around AOC’s Met Gala dress despite what “woke” Twitter may have you thinking? All this and more on today’s episode.

National Distress & … a Dress?

On today’s episode we say No Contract, No Snacks! Mondelez Nabisco workers across the country are on strike. On August 10th union members walked off the company’s cookie plant in Portland Oregon demanding fair treatment and a fair contract. Since then over 1,000 other Nabisco workers are on strike nationwide. Jesus Martinez, the President of BCTGM Local 364 and Corey Waddy, a Packing Technician at Mondelēz/ Nabisco join us today to discuss their demands and their ongoing and growing movement.The end of extended unemployment assistance this week marks the largest cutoff of unemployment benefits in history, and spells disaster for the over 7.5 million jobless Americans struggling to pay their bills. Jenna Gerry, Senior Staff Attorney with the National Employment Law Project joins the show to explore what this means for working class people across the country, and why the mainstream media continues to pretend like this isn’t devastating for working people and instead treats this cutoff as some marker of “normal”. 

No Contract, No Snacks! Nabisco Workers on Strike Get International Solidarity

This week the inhumane anti-abortion bill Texas SB8 went into effect, offering up to $10,000 for private citizens to sue abortion providers providing abortions after 6 weeks. As abortion whistleblowers ask for anonymous tips on “illegal” abortions, netizens have flooded the anonymous tip forms with inappropriate photos and trolled these groups mercilessly. Executive Editor of ReWIRE News, Jessica Mason PIeklo, joins the show to talk about what a post-Roe society may look like, and why we need a militant grassroots women’s movement to protect all women’s rights. In Louisiana, hurricane Ida made landfall and devastated the community on the 16th anniversary of Katrina. This climate catastrophe puts the disparities of class in stark privilege as wealthier residents turned on their generators while low-income residents saw their houses flooded by another brutal hurricane. Miriam Belblidia, Director of Research and Advocacy at Imagine Water Works, joins the show to discuss how climate crises are felt differently across class boundaries, and what must be done to stop the climate crisis.In Suffolk County, Long Island a bill has been introduced by local legislators to make police a "protected human rights class." This is one of many of these bills aiming to pervert human rights law to give more unrestricted power to police in the U.S. Joining the show to discuss this bill and the state of the police brutality movement is Nia Adams, organizer with Justice League NYC and the Long Island Progressive Coalition.

Supreme Court Upholds Unconstitutional Abortion Ban

After the horrific details of Britney Spears’ abusive conservatorship, even members of Congress are saying it’s time to #FreeBritney. One issue at the center of the conservatorship was Britney’s right to reproductive autonomy. The right to quality reproductive healthcare is being fiercely battled for in Texas as well, where the details of SB8, one of the worse anti-abortion bills in America’s history, just get worse and worse. And it doesn’t just stop there - all healthcare is a woman’s issue, and providing universal health care would materially improve the conditions and autonomy of working women. Legalizing abortion and Medicare for All is popular with the American public; both issues have support from 60% of Americans. The Women Fight Back team asks: What would policy on women’s issues and healthcare look like if the people truly had a say?  

Healthcare is a Women’s Issue!

When protests against deteriorating living conditions broke out in Cuba this Sunday, Western media outlets were eager to amplify the protests as indicative of a “failing” socialist system. In reality, the lack of access to food and energy is a direct result of the internationally condemned blockade the United States has imposed on Cuba since the late 50’s. Pambana Bassett, a Black internationalist who has been based out of Havana since February, joins the show to discuss the reality of conditions on the ground and how the Cuban government has been responding to its people’s demands.In South Africa, there has been an emerging crisis after the recent imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma. Mikaela Nhondo Erskog, an educator and researcher in Pan Africanism Today, joins us to provide much-needed context about the situation in South Africa and how compromises made in the late 90’s led to the poverty and unrest that South Africa is experiencing today.

Western Media Lies about Cuba Protests & Unprecedented Crisis in South Africa

“Women Fight Back” is a program that gives voice to the burgeoning fighting women’s movement in the era of Trump and in the midst of an intensifying war on women. Women Fight Back features weekly discussions with grassroots activists on current issues facing women from a socialist women’s perspective. The activists and organizers featured on Women Fight Back are fighters from a range of different movements. This program covers a range of topics from the role of women in the anti-war movement, women in labor, anti-racism in the women’s movement, and the struggle for LGBTQ liberation. All issues are women’s issues, and the fight against U.S. imperialism here and abroad is part and parcel of the struggle for women’s liberation. Join us every Wednesday to hear from the socialist women of the grassroots! Rachel Silang is a national organizer with the ANSWER Coalition and a dedicated anti-war activist and women's rights activist for the past 7 years. She is a proud South East Asian American and queer activist who is based in New York City and Long Island. Rachel is currently a social worker and was a former teacher.

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Women Fight Back!

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