KPFA - Letters and Politics

by KPFA
183

Letters & Politics seeks to explore the history behind today’s major global and national news stories. Hosted by Mitch Jeserich.

Recent Episodes
  • The Life & Works of Frantz Fanon
    May 8, 2025 – 55:29
  • The Corporate Origins of Colonialism: The East India Company
    May 7, 2025 – 49:09
  • How Ancient India Changed The World: From Buddhism to Math
    May 6, 2025 – 59:58
  • When Science & Magic Intermingled
    May 5, 2025 – 59:59
  • The Life & Times of Lucy Parsons
    May 1, 2025 – 59:59
  • When Workers Shot Back
    Apr 30, 2025 – 59:59
  • Hitler’s First 100 Days
    Apr 29, 2025 – 59:58
  • America: What’s In A Name?
    Apr 28, 2025 – 0:13
  • Women In The Ancient World
    Apr 24, 2025 – 59:58
  • What Monsters Tell Us About Us
    Apr 23, 2025 – 59:58
  • A Constitutional Look at Trump and the Courts
    Apr 22, 2025 – 1:44
  • The Legacy of Pope Francis and the Future of the Catholic Church
    Apr 21, 2025 – 23:35
  • Letters and Politics – April 17, 2025
    Apr 17, 2025 – 59:58
  • The Banality of Evil & the Dangers of Mindless Complicity
    Apr 16, 2025 – 59:58
  • KPFA in the McCarthy Era: 76 Years of Alternative Media
    Apr 15, 2025 – 59:58
  • Yanis Varoufakis: Trade War is Class War
    Apr 14, 2025 – 59:58
  • Erwin Chemerinsky on Executive Powers and the Courts. Then, Cuts to Medical Research
    Apr 10, 2025 – 59:58
  • How Black Labor Created An Interracial Movement
    Apr 9, 2025 – 59:58
  • A Greek Tragedy: the Human Cost of the Refugee Crisis
    Apr 8, 2025 – 13:13
  • Economist Dean Baker on Trump’s Tariffs
    Apr 7, 2025 – 7:12
  • The Greatest Threat to Social Security in Its 90-Year History
    Apr 3, 2025 – 59:58
  • Labor Organizing in History & Building Blocks for a General Strike
    Apr 2, 2025 – 59:59
  • Live: Senator Cory Booker Protesting the Trump Administration’s Policies on the Senate Floor
    Apr 1, 2025 – 18:53
  • Cesar Chavez & the Farmworkers’ Struggle
    Mar 31, 2025 – 59:57
  • Gutting the Federal Work Force. Then, Advocating for Gender Diversity in Sports
    Mar 27, 2025 – 6:13
  • A History of Twentieth Century Social Movements
    Mar 26, 2025 – 59:59
  • Ruth Conniff: First 64 Days of the Trump Regime & Nihilism in the Wisconsin Supreme Court
    Mar 25, 2025 – 25:46
  • The German Peasant’s War
    Mar 24, 2025 – 22:30
  • Deportations and the Abuse of War Time Powers
    Mar 20, 2025 – 3:03
  • The Irish Potato Famine and Its Consequences
    Mar 19, 2025 – 3:10
  • The Second Red Scare & Political Deportations
    Mar 18, 2025 – 59:58
  • Loretta Ross: Working with Opposition to Affect Change
    Mar 17, 2025 – 9:49
  • Deportations In The First Red Scare
    Mar 13, 2025 – 57:40
  • Mahmoud Khalil’s Abduction & Targeting of Universities
    Mar 12, 2025 – 17:48
  • Katrina vanden Heuvel on the Russia-Ukraine War, Trump, and a Potential Peace Deal
    Mar 11, 2025 – 29:22
  • James Galbraith on Tariff Wars, Inflation, Recession, & the Politics of the Trump’s Economy
    Mar 10, 2025 – 17:28
  • Kuan Yin: The Princess Who Became the Goddess of Compassion
    Mar 6, 2025 – 59:59
  • Heretic: Jesus Christ and the Other Sons of God by Catherine Nixey
    Mar 5, 2025 – 48:16
  • The Luddites: The First Revolt Against Big Tech
    Mar 4, 2025 – 25:07
  • John Nichols on the Imperial Presidency, the Press, & the Mounting Anti-Trump Opposition
    Mar 3, 2025 – 10:22
  • How Project 2025 Became Reality
    Feb 27, 2025 – 20:25
  • Richard Wolff on the Impacts and Chaos of Trumpenomics
    Feb 26, 2025 – 59:59
  • The Nature of Imperial Power with Mary Beard
    Feb 25, 2025 – 45:52
  • Ralph Nader on the Trump and Musk Dismantling the Government & the Tax Cuts for the Rich
    Feb 24, 2025 – 59:58
  • A History of the Athenian Democracy (Part 3): Decline and Fall of the Empire
    Feb 20, 2025 – 59:58
  • A History of Athenian Democracy (Part 2): Demagogues, Tyrants, Coups, and the People
    Feb 19, 2025 – 59:58
  • A History of Athenian Democracy (Part 1): Democracy & Tyranny
    Feb 18, 2025 – 59:58
  • The Intellectual Life of Frederick Douglas
    Feb 17, 2025 – 59:58
  • Big Tech & AI Monopolies Under Trump
    Feb 13, 2025 – 59:58
  • Trump and The Courts with Elie Mystal
    Feb 12, 2025 – 12:07
Recent Reviews
  • Awaken Heart of Humanity
    A polished journalist--not to be missed
    Mitch Jezzerich's reporting spans throughout unexplored realms of the intelligentsia, from the readings of Gilgamesh to classical Greek History, from the lives of great American writers to largely unknown women who fought for civil rights. Most recently he is delving into environmental issues and spirituality. Mitch is able to conduct a warm yet rigorous and restrained interview, thereby helping break wide open the hearts of his listeners, such that we move beyond mere conventionally-written history or beyond even that of the Intellect to greater knowing, perceiving, intentionality and awareness.
  • VT Peanut
    Thank you
    Great podcast!
  • Jfjfjfjtjtesrastb
    Letters and Politics program in generally
    No praise that I might offer would approach the meticulous research or expert moderation that characterizes any given episode of Letters and Politics. This programming is unmatched.
  • Sandpebble7
    Awesome
    A truly incredible program! Words do not suffice 👍🏽 I cannot praise Letters and Politics enough. A true gem 💎
  • dede. aly
    Excellent !!
    Informative.
  • Mila’s thoughts
    Letters and Politics
    One of my favourite shows Always excellent, often full of magic and magical information, Always very interesting, Fascinating
  • sr_98_sr
    Great podcast!
    This is a great podcast, very interesting and balanced in its coverage of current and past events.
  • G the Nurse
    Put this in your noggin’!
    Timely and perennially relevant topics. Superb, well-informed guests. Great interviewer. I appreciate Mitch’s questions and approach. His style is always respectful and a good blend of antidotes, genuine and determined curiosity.
  • 2016Hawks
    Outstanding
    Every day I look forward to listening and learning from Mitch and his guests. Thank you Mitch!
  • BarbraGR
    Love this podcast.
    Can't get enough of it.
  • In solidarity
    Sound engineer
    Volume differentiation between newscast, newscast clips, L&P host, and guest sooooo annoying… still!!
  • McCarrickless
    Well worth your time
    After listening to literally hundreds of episodes of L&P over the years, I am very comfortable saying there has never been a show where I didn’t learn something. And more often than not I learn a lot. Thanks to all involved 🌀💚🌀
  • Felix5001
    Thanks
    One of my favorite podcasts
  • Real Patriot
    Amazing podcast!
    Amazing thank you for the Vijay Prashad interview!
  • KEPicturewoman
    Inspired to read
    I love this program. Mitch covers so many areas of interest. I head for my library’s website to put the books on hold or a list. Good interviews with his guests.
  • Gobks
    Amazing Stuff
    Mitch, day after day, constantly amazes me, using experts with unassailable credentials to educate and inform on issues I did not realize were hidden away from us in school- the like the 2nd Amendment was designed to ensure slave revolts could be easily put down by slaveholders.
  • Toopassionate
    Letters and Politics
    Mitch has done and is doing a remarkable job during the crisis we are all living through now. This is a continuance of what you have always done, Mitch, but under exponentially more difficult circumstances. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, intelligence, humor and knowledge. Thank you for being at KPFA. Stay well! Hedi Saraf
  • Ramoeclectic
    Great guests & dialogue
    Lots of incredible things to learn from while listening to these interviews. Great guests. I also appreciate the informed, engaged dialogue from Mitch. I’ve been listening to Letters and Politics quite religiously for at least 5 years.
  • ninars.
    In-depth interviews and Analysis
    Mitch gives insightful interviews with renown and intelligent guest. I look forward to each show.
  • redrockersrule
    K.O.
    The man has a keen eye for the subtleties of past and present, when it does not affect him. Unfortunately, he has no eye for the future by cozying up to bourgeois parliamentary elections. It’s the same criticism anyone should have against the capitalist media, the self-help telethons of the so-called free media (Pacifica), and the right. We have no idea what is going on. Or maybe you think you do. But sadly, you have let us down with another horse race. And I’m betting this station will lose after New York and all these years.
  • princetraitor
    Depth and heft
    Fabulous political and social history and analysis for folks looking to build up their knowledge base and make some radical change
  • St Louis Shoes
    Love it
    In depth discussions of current and historical events, always feels relevant to today’s issues. The interviewer is great at making difficult topics accessible and relatable.
  • Holistic Brain Balance
    At its best, Progressive History and Historians speak
    I recommend subscribing to the podcast, donating and listening to the topics of interest to you. Other Progressive History podcasts I’m aware of: Jon Weiner’s two podcasts and Doug Rushkoff’s Team Human.FM
  • Writer single mom
    Fine show
    A good idea, very helpful - this show takes a current issue and digs into its background, interviewing experts.
  • visviva
    Wonderful host
    His questions are pointed and insightful while empathetic. He is never rude. He has a pleasant speaking voice that make him easy to listen to. His guests and topics are not as often covered on NPR etc. This is one of the very best podcasts, and the main reason, along with Democracy Now, for donations to KPFA.
  • City Hobgoblin
    Amateurish
    ‘Letters and Politics’ deserves credit for the guests and the subjects that it covers, but the host is a little hard to listen to. He often restates exactly what the guest has just said or makes very general, obvious points. His speaking style seems a little contrived as well…it sounds like he is playing journalist at times. All in all, it tends to fell like a class project, in my opinion. Maybe I’m being nitpicky, but after all, you do listen to these things, so voice and style counts.
  • evieruin
    Great show
    I love this program. I can't always listen to it on the radio so I listen to the podcast version. It's really great. It covers current events such as the Occupy movement, foreign affairs, and the Obama administration. It also covers historical stuff like unions, socialism, neoliberalism, and more. It definitely has a leftist perspective, but isn't obnoxious or soap-boxy.
  • Hystrybuff
    Good show
    Goes indepth on current affairs.
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