I want to discuss the state of siege that has been imposed on the Cuban people since their heroic revolution triumphed in 1959 and which has been redoubled by the Trump Administration in recent weeks. The U.S. empire cannot tolerate a strong independent socialist state in the western hemisphere, in its proverbial “backyard”, a state which is sovereign and controls its own resources, economy, and industry for the benefit of its own citizens. But Cuba’s no pushover. It’s withstood over sixty years of economic siege and the country and its people have demonstrated their resilience again and again.

Backbeat is your weekly dose of straight-from-the-heart music the way they used to make it, and some, like Diana Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley, still do. Tune in to hear blues, gospel, country, jazz, pop and international music from decades past up to now. Backbeat is also available in a 56 and 58 minute versions in three separate files if you want breaks. I am happy to provide custom station IDs, promos and liners. Email Lorne@Backbeatradio.com or visit www.backbeatradio.com for more information.

Today we turn to a YouTube video that has resurfaced with renewed relevance: “Israel Does Not Target the Palestinian Civilians.” The video, originally uploaded more than a decade ago, challenges one of Israel’s most frequently repeated claims that its military avoids harming civilians. Through archival footage and documented incidents, it highlights a long‑standing pattern of civilian casualties in Gaza and the West Bank. It also exposes the gap between official Israeli messaging and the findings of journalists and human rights organizations. Investigations cited in related reporting show that the majority of Palestinians killed in major Israeli offensives have been civilians. This includes Christians, who make up a small but historic community in Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Jerusalem, and Gaza. The video’s context is especially important today, as Palestinian Christian leaders continue to report harassment, land seizures, and restrictions on worship imposed by Israeli authorities. Church properties have faced repeated attacks by extremist settlers, and clergy have documented rising intimidation in occupied East Jerusalem. In Bethlehem, the separation wall cuts Christian neighborhoods off from Jerusalem, limiting access to holy sites and economic life. These realities contradict the narrative that Christians in Palestine enjoy freedom under Israeli control. The video underscores how official statements often obscure the lived experiences of both Muslim and Christian Palestinians. It shows how language phrases like “precision strikes” or “human shields” is used to deflect accountability for civilian harm. At the same time, it documents the destruction of homes, schools, and churches that has shaped Palestinian life for generations. The contrast between rhetoric and reality is stark. The video argues that the claim “Israel does not target civilians” functions more as a political talking point than an accurate description of military conduct. It invites viewers to examine the evidence themselves rather than rely on official narratives. It also highlights the importance of independent documentation in conflict zones. For many, this video serves as an early record of a pattern that continues today. It is not just a historical clip, it is a reminder of how narratives are constructed, repeated, and used to justify ongoing harm. And it challenges us to ask: when the evidence contradicts the rhetoric, whose truth do we accept? This is This Week in Palestine.

The crack up of the Chomsky cult was long overdue and, with Epstein's help, he brought it down on his own head.

There is a major trade crisis threatening all workers, why won't UNIFOR rejoin the CLC? Would their big three "partners" object?

The BDS movement says “after weapons manufacturers, technology is arguably the second most complicit sector in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Palestine.” The Electronic Intifada’s Ali Abunimah speaks with tech worker Alex Mitov about how he decided to resign from Dell over its role in Israel’s crimes against Palestinians. On February 11th, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his sixth official visit to the US since Trump began his second term. The visit comes at a time when negotiations are ongoing between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program. The Electronic Intifada’s director Ali Abunimah takes a closer look. On the Resistance Report, Jon Elmer reports on the resistance in Gaza revealing a fallen commander responsible for a string of high-profile ambushes targeting Israeli tanks and troops in Beit Hanoun in late 2024 and early 2025. And the Electronic Intifada’s beloved Abubaker Abed asks Jon about how his early reporting on Palestine shapes his coverage of the Palestinian resistance.

Sonic Café, A Transistor Radio Childhood, sounds great right? That’s Ricky Byrd from 2025. So hey welcome to the café, I’m Scott Clark and this is episode 471. This time we’ve lined up another really great mix pulled from 58 years, yeah they actually recorded music that long ago. Listen as Seinfeld’s George Castanza tells an old timer he’s pushing the envelope at 72, followed by 94 year old Clint Eastwood telling everyone to get off his lawn. So there’s that. Also the Isley Brothers with Pop That Thing from 1972, also music from The Idles, The Stems, and Toto’s, Hold The Line, spun from the original vinyl recording. Plus Jon Anderson with the origin story of how he got together with the Band Geeks to play Yes music, along with a live performance of Your Move and I’ve Seen All Good People. Just great. We’ve also got the Three Stooges, in something we’re calling you owe me twenty bucks. Oh and also another Sonic Café believe it or not. Listen, and ahh believe it or not, so all that plus The Syndicates, Katrina Stone and many more. So let’s dive in, from 2001 this is Aerosmith with the Avant Garden, and we’re the Sonic Café.

African American Writers: Portraits and Visions The voice of a writer can be heard in words, and sometimes seen in the writer’s face. It is unusual to find both in a book in which the creator is both the author and the photographer. Lynda Koolish, our guest on this archive edition of Radio Curious, is a professor of African American literature at San Diego State University and an accomplished photographer. She is the author of a book entitled “African American Writers: Portraits and Visions” in which she reveals the visage of 59 African American writers along with a thumbnail biography and summation of each writer’s vision. Lynda Koolish, Ph.D. recommends “Dien Cai Dau” and “Neon Vernacular” by Yusef Komunyakaa. Originally Broadcast: February 19, 2002

A weekly 30 minute review of international news and opinion, recorded from a shortwave radio and the internet. With times, frequencies, and websites for listening at home. 3 files- Highest quality broadcast, regular broadcast, and slow-modem streaming. Germany, France 24, Japan, and Cuba.

Wow, what a week for sports! Push that thing to the other thing. Go Sports! It's also a great week for Celtic music with some fresh spins and old chestnuts, like the title track from PM Mark Carney's favourite album, done in a Celtic stylee. Yay Team Canada! We're there when you're done sporting.

There's madness in the mix and a method to the madness this hour! We spin song, instrumental, song, rinse, repeat. Plus, every track is brand new including a wicked tribute to The Talking Heads by Zamrock purveyors, WITCH! Dig fresh grooves from Rio 18, Yasmine Hamdan, Patagonia Dub and more Afrotronix. It's what the world is listening to.

Nora Barrows-Friedman brings us a recap of Palestinian news for the week of February 12th, 2026.

We're NEW but not improved this week as we bring back the basics of spelling words with songs in our NEW show...songs with N E and W in the titles. We like to be "Cheezucational" now and then.

In This Episode First Half: In the first half of the episode, we comb through several statements typically made by folks who intend to distance themselves from racists but they end up sounding racist themselves. We examine the intention typically found behind these statements, but also how they can be perceived as problematic. Second Half: The second half of the show is dedicated to The 8 White Identities by Barnor Hesse—a supposition by the professor that segments different White identities based on their level of racist/anti-racist behavior. We give our thoughts on this insightful chart and share examples of how we see these behaviors played out in real life.

Gaza Humanitarian Disaster Continues as Implementation of Deeply Flawed 2nd Phase of Ceasefire Plan Begins; FBI Spies on, Then Raids Washington Post Reporter's Home in Escalating Attack on Press Freedom; Trump asks GOP Congress to "Nationalize" the 2026 Midterm Election, in an Attempt to Rig the Outcome.

Edward Baptist on The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism. From intimate slave narratives & other sources, the book shows how the expansion of slavery drove the evolution & modernization of the US, making the South a cotton empire, and the US a global capitalist power. Slave owners extracted continual increases in production from enslaved African Americans thorough continuous, brutal torture, to give the US control of the world cotton market.

It's Carnival Time! UpFront Soul takes you to the streets as the Mardi Gras parade rolls by. We'll bring you big noise from brass bands and watch the Mardi Gras Indians march. Get out your beads, cut yourself a slice of king cake, and join the parade!

It's Carnival Time! UpFront Soul takes you to the streets as the Mardi Gras parade rolls by. We'll bring you big noise from brass bands and watch the Mardi Gras Indians march. Get out your beads, cut yourself a slice of king cake, and join the parade!