KPFA - Against the Grain

Acclaimed program of ideas, in-depth analysis, and commentary on a variety of matters—political, economic, social, and cultural—important to progressive and radical thinking and activism. Against the Grain is produced and hosted by Sasha Lilley.

KPFA - Against the Grain is a news podcast hosted by KPFA, with 25 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

KPFA hosts KPFA - Against the Grain, a news show with 25 episodes published.

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  KPFA - Against the Grain

  Ancient Trees and Fossil Capitalism

  Aug 19, 20261 hour

  For as long as we’ve known, humans have revered ancient trees. We’ve also destroyed them, especially since the advent of colonialism and fossil fuel capitalism. Environmental historian Jared Farmer reflects on what trees illuminate about our past and potential future. And forest activist and writer Greg King discusses the decimation of the California redwoods and the fight to preserve them. Jared Farmer, Elderflora: A Modern History of Ancient Trees Basic Books, 2022 Greg King, The Ghost Forest: Racists, Radicals, and Real Estate in the California Redwoods Public Affairs, 2023 Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash The post Ancient Trees and Fossil Capitalism appeared first on KPFA.

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  KPFA - Against the Grain

  What’s Money For?

  Aug 18, 20261 hour

  We all know that we need money to survive, but most of us don’t spend much time considering its form and uses. Debt, interest, GDP, and capital just seem to follow almost natural laws. But J.W. Mason argues that we misunderstand money, and its power over our lives, at our peril. J. W. Mason and Arjun Jayadev, Against Money University of Chicago Press, 2026 Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash The post What’s Money For? appeared first on KPFA.

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  KPFA - Against the Grain

  Images, UFOs, and Artificial Intelligence

  Aug 17, 20261 hour

  What can the weird tell us about our world of computer vision and so-called Artificial Intelligence? Artist and geographer Trevor Paglen discusses the function of the image now, when the majority of images are made by computers for other computers, with the goal of manipulating our perceptions. Trevor Paglen, How to See Like a Machine: Images After AI Verso, 2026 Photo by Goost Eight on Unsplash The post Images, UFOs, and Artificial Intelligence appeared first on KPFA.

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  KPFA - Against the Grain

  Counting Care Work

  Aug 12, 20261 hour

  Many in our society are struggling to provide care for their families or communities. Often they don’t have time to do it and can’t afford to pay for it. The right realizes this and has tried to woo women with a glorified vision of domestic life. Economist Nancy Folbre discusses the early fight for the recognition of unpaid care work as real work, while the economics profession has mainly ignored it, despite its crucial importance for capitalism. (Encore presentation.) Nancy Folbre, Making Care Work: Why Our Economy Should Put People First UC Press, 2026 Photo by Jill Brand on Unsplash The post Counting Care Work appeared first on KPFA.

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  KPFA - Against the Grain

  Organizing to Win

  Aug 11, 20261 hour

  Workers want and deserve decent, dignified, and democratic workplaces. But better wages and working conditions can be elusive in the face of management inertia and intransigence. Veteran organizer and Labor Notes board chair Ellen David Friedman talks about how to win workplace demands while building workers’ collective power. Ellen David Friedman, Keep Going: A Guide to Organizing When It’s Hard (PM Press / Labor Notes) The post Organizing to Win appeared first on KPFA.

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