The Chris Hedges Report

Today’s the day! I couldn’t be more excited to welcome the one and only Chris Hedges back to The Real News. In these dark and dismal times, we need critical and morally clear voices like Chris’s more than ever. Today at 12PM ET on the TRNN YouTube channel we will be premiering the inaugural installment of The Chris Hedges Report, featuring a crucial conversation between Chris and Dr. Cornel West about the decay of the American empire, the struggle to show international solidarity in the face of escalating militarism, and what it means to examine this historical moment through a moral and spiritual lens. The Chris Hedges Report is a half-hour show in which Chris interviews writers, intellectuals, and dissidents, many banished from the mainstream. He gives voice to those—from Cornel West and Noam Chomsky to the leaders of groups such as Extinction Rebellion—who are on the front lines of the struggle against militarism, corporate capitalism, white supremacy, the looming ecocide, as well as the battle to wrest back our democracy from the clutches of the ruling global oligarchy. Tune in every Friday at noon ET on the TRNN YouTube channel for new episodes of The Chris Hedges Report, and subscribe to Chris’s Substack for early access and bonus content.

After taking a short break to review a flood of tips and potential cases, Taya Graham and Stephen Janis are back with a new installment of the Police Accountability Report. Graham and Janis investigate the questionable arrest of a Mississippi woman who was detained by an officer and later charged for reasons that appear to contradict what was caught on body camera—an investigation that reveals just how potent police powers are and why the unchecked power of cops to arrest people should be scrutinized.

And don’t miss two original reports that we published this week. It’s been over a year since 1,100 coal mine workers in Alabama hit the picket line. The historic strike at Warrior Met Coal continues one year later while mainstream and right-wing media continue to ignore it, but one journalist, the brilliant Kim Kelly, won’t let the public forget about these brave workers and their families. Read Kelly’s moving, on-the-ground report from the commemorative rally held by the union last week in Tuscaloosa County. Then, in his latest, heart-wrenching column, Michael Sainato speaks with COVID-19 widows and survivors about the so-called “return to normal” and the rolling back of pandemic management policies while many are forced to accept a nightmare that will never truly end.

Lastly, if you’re looking for more TRNN perspective, be sure to check out some of our team’s recent media appearances. On the We’ve Got Issues podcast, Jaisal Noor speaks about his vital series of reports for TRNN detailing how some progressive groups are learning to play a long game using "deep canvassing" to make gains in rural communities that have typically been hostile to their cause. As for me, over the past week and a half I’ve ventured into uncharted territory to spread the word about the labor movement and the importance of covering workers’ struggles in the media. First, check out my conversation with Marianne Williamson about the historic union drives at Amazon and Starbucks, then buckle up for a wild—but, I think, very productive—ride as I discuss workers rising up on The Megyn Kelly Show. (Our discussion begins at the 49:20 mark.)

Thank you, as always, for your continued support of TRNN, and stay tuned for more important stories. Take care of yourselves, take care of each other.

Solidarity forever, —Maximillian Alvarez, Editor in Chief