On today’s show, guest host Carlos Dávalos is in conversation with journalist Carlos Pérez Osorio, who sailed with the Global Sumud Flotilla as a journalist last summer. He joins us to talk about the successes and failures of their non-violent mission to open a humanitarian corridor to Gaza by sea.
Pérez Osorio reflects on the mission, saying that while the flotilla raised global awareness of what’s happening in Gaza, their objective of establishing a humanitarian corridor was a failure. They knew it would be difficult, but he and the others all believed they could get to Gaza and distribute aid. Then, after their long journey a ceasefire was announced. However Israel has violated that ceasefire hundreds of times.
The flotilla was made up of over 500 volunteers, and Pérez Osorio was on a boat with eight other people that departed from Barcelona, Spain. Their journey took around a month before they were intercepted by Israeli forces. But Pérez Osorio says the focus should be on Gaza, “People have to keep fighting.”

Carlos Pérez Osorio is a Mexican documentary filmmaker and photographer whose work focuses on justice, human rights, and stories of resilience. He has directed award-winning films such as Las 3 Muertes de Marisela Escobedo and the Emmy-nominated Los Tigres del Norte: Historias que Contar. His projects have taken him across Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia, and his work has appeared on platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and Discovery.
Featured image of Ship to Gaza Norway vessel from 2018 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 1.0).
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On today’s show, host Dana Pellebon is joined by April Kigeya to swap tips about how to survive the stress of the holidays. Whether you’re hosting a large party at your home or visiting family or friends, you can still practice self care and set boundaries. 
They talk about one of the most common issues people face around a family meal: managing differences of opinion. Kigeya recommends avoiding people who stress you out, finding a buddy, and making the kids the focus of the conversation. Pellebon says you don’t have to treat every moment as a confrontation. She also recommends taking a deep breath, stepping outside, and blaming menopause. They both say that it’s important to take a break from social media at this time of year.
Kigeya says it’s easy to ignore your own needs when you’re wrapped up in caring for everyone else, especially for Black women. But she’s started being more vulnerable and honest about her mental health struggles with her friends and family. And in her new book, Couch Confessions: The Chronicles of a Black Woman in Therapy, she narrates her own journey in therapy. Both Pellebon and Kigeya recommend interviewing your therapist and telling your therapist what you want to get out of your time.

April Kigeya is a mother of four children and is the second Vice Chair of the Dane County Board. She has a passion for working with children and families, underrepresented communities, and those who can’t advocate for themselves. In 2020 April was named one of Wisconsin’s most influential Black leaders and was the first person of color to serve on the Middleton Police Commission, where she served as the Co-Chair from 2021-2022. She is currently attending Edgewood college where is a PhD candidate in Business Administration. She is also the author of Couch Confessions: The Chronicles of a Black Woman in Therapy.
Featured image of a broken Christmas ornament via Rawpixel.
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The world around us plays a key role in our health, though “nature deficiency” isn’t a diagnosis that you’ll likely hear from your doctor. On today’s show, host Douglas Haynes is joined by journalist Phoebe Weston to talk about how the biodiversity crisis is happening in our own bodies and how efforts to reverse it are succeeding. 
Weston says the biodiversity crisis is made up of “lots of local losses stitched together into this global picture.” Noticing species that go missing, like the decline of migratory flycatchers and swallows in her hometown, is a way to see the local side of the global climate crisis. Weston also tracks the links between human health and biodiversity, from farming and meat consumption, urbanization, and bird migration. 
Weston also reports on “nature deficiency,” the idea that we’re not getting enough access to healthy nature. This results in a loss of the biodiversity of our microbiomes: the tiny bacteria, fungi, worms, etc. that live inside and on our bodies. She says we need to keep our “micro citizens” healthy. A program in Finland is trying to re-wild school yards to improve kids’ developmental and physical health through access to a more microdiverse environment.
They also discuss the “luxury effect” (the relationship between wealth and biodiversity), how cars are “ecosystem engineers,” and The Guardian’s “Age of Extinction” coverage.
You can learn more about local biodiversity loss at the Remembrance of Lost Species event on December 4. 

Phoebe Weston is an environment reporter at The Guardian focussing on global biodiversity loss – what is happening, why it matters, and what we can do about it.
Featured image: an illustration from The Birds of Illinois and Wisconsin (1909) via Flickr.
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Today on A Public Affair, we bring you a special feature produced by Matvei Mozhaev who tells the story of Brian Deschane, a Madisonian who experienced homelessness for three years.
Brian was bright, capable, and passionate about helping others. Yet, he struggled to find stable housing. On May 20th, 2025, Brian was offered permanent housing through the Coordinated Entry program run by Dane County. The news did not reach Brian. He passed away the day before, on May 19th. Brian was 41 years old. We hear from Brian’s loved ones, community leaders, and other unhoused folks who tell the story of Brian’s life and the challenges of accessing stable housing in our community.
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A war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is well into its third year and has gained world attention as the RSF in October took control of el-Fasher in Darfur. Before this escalation, Sudan was already in the midst of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. To talk about the context of the war, host Allen Ruff is joined by freelance journalist Lital Khaikin. She says this is a resource war–of oil and gold–and that the continued marginalization of Darfur is key to understanding the conflict.
Khaikin clarifies that the language of “civil war” in Sudan does not accurately reflect the complex regional interests, militia activity, and profiteering at play. The current RSF occupation of el-Fasher consolidates the region under the control of the paramilitary. Nevertheless, both groups–the SAF and RSF –stand accused of war crimes, including genocide. Khaikin says that the war is against civilians and humanitarian aid is being actively impeded.
They also talk about how it is difficult to know accurate numbers of deaths, the closing of immigration programs for Sudanese refugees, horrendous acts of violence, including over 200 attacks on hospitals, and international coverage of the war.

Lital Khaikin is a freelance journalist and author based in Montreal writing on issues largely relating to human rights and conflict. Her journalism has appeared in numerous independent media outlets including The Progressive, Responsible Statecraft, Inkstick, Truthdig, and elsewhere. 
Featured image of a displaced woman in Darfur in 2011 via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
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The longest federal government shutdown ended last week when eight Democratic Senators struck a deal with Republicans to re-open the government. Their deal did not include an extension of healthcare subsidies that the Democrats had been fighting for. To talk about what this means for folks on the healthcare marketplace and for the Democratic party, host Ali Muldrow is joined by political analyst and friend of the show, Angela Lang.
Lang says people really stepped up to support furloughed government employees and families who lost SNAP benefits during the shutdown. But mutual aid shouldn’t have to fill the gap when our tax dollars have already been allocated to support food assistance programs like SNAP. 
“What is the point of shutting down for over 40 days just to end up with nothing? If you’re going to take a stand for something, see it through,” says Lang. We’re in a really dystopian place if we’re pitting healthcare against food. Lang wants to hold Democrats accountable for the state we’re in, but says we also have to hold Republicans and billionaires accountable. She envisions a “big tent” democratic party that works to build a government that serves everyday people. 

Angela Lang was born and raised in the heart of Milwaukee. She has an extensive background in community organizing. Angela has served as both an organizer and State Council Director for the Service Employees International Union, working on such campaigns as the Fight for 15. Before joining BLOC’s team as Executive Director, Angela was the Political Director with For Our Future Wisconsin.
Featured image of a lock superimposed on the White House via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
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On today’s show, host Dana Pellebon speaks with the co-founders of Own It: Building Black Wealth, Tiffany Malone and Sara Alvarado. They discuss why home ownership is so important for Black families to build generational wealth and how their organization is creating a path for economic justice. 
Redlining blocked many Black families from home ownership by creating neighborhoods that were hazardous based on race. But redlining isn’t just something of the past. If you qualify for a first-time homeowner program, you might still face discrimination based on who the money is coming from, say Malone and Alvarado. They wanted to create opportunities for home ownership for Black families who have been deemed a “poor financial risk,” a kind of coded language for people who use down payment assistance. 
Their organization provides “down payment grants” of $19,000, an amount that falls within the gift tax limit. They use private sector funding so that communities can be the wealth that Black and brown families have been denied. So far they have helped 27 families close on homes, educated 400 people on financial literacy, and raised over a million dollars. From challenging the appraisal industry to advice on how to remove or redact racial housing covenants, Malone and Alvarez talk about how to support Black families for generations to come.

Sara Alvarado is a writer, entrepreneur, and unapologetic advocate for racial justice in real estate who believes the key to handling challenges in life and business is to show up authentic, bold, and vulnerable, always ready for fun. Sara is the co-founder & director of Own It: Building Black Wealth, a groundbreaking initiative to increase generational wealth in Black and brown communities through homeownership. She published the memoir Dreaming in Spanish and the Racial Justice Toolkit for Real Estate Professionals. Sara was a real estate broker for 20 years, and her husband, Carlos, now leads their team, Alvarado Group, at Compass.
Tiffany Malone is a real estate consultant, affordable housing advocate, a change agent for racial justice in the real estate industry, and a loud voice for building generational wealth for Black families. Tiffany works with buyer and seller clients in the greater Madison WI area as a licensed Realtor at Alvarado Real Estate Group and is one of the co-creators of OWN IT: Building Black Wealth, an innovative local initiative that is changing the game when it comes to educating and creating access to funds for Black and Brown families to build wealth through real estate and homeownership.
Featured image of Dana Pellebon, Tiffany Malone, and Sara Alvarado courtesy of Sara Gabler/WORT.
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On today’s show, guest host Juliana Bennett speaks with Native leader Art Shegonee about his life and activism. At a time when nationalism and the colonizer narrative are flourishing, especially around the Thanksgiving holiday, it’s important to center Native voices and experiences. 
Shegonee shares stories from his early childhood and years of dancing. Separated from his family at a very young age and put into foster care, Shegonee faced racism as a child growing up in a white foster family. This was before the Indian Child Welfare Act and it took Shegonee years to reconnect with his siblings. 
Shegonee also talks about what it means to be Native in a settler society, his work organizing for treaty rights, the land back movement and the recent transfer of land back to Lac du Flambeau tribe, and the change Shegonee wants to see. He likes to open his public talks by saying, “Welcome to My Country.” 

Art Shegonee is an Indigenous cultural educator, traditional dancer, and peacemaker from Wisconsin, belonging to the Menominee and Potawatomi tribes. He co-founded the Call for Peace Drum & Dance Company in 1990, alongside his wife Dawn. And has dedicated his life’s work to uplifting Indigenous people across the state.
Featured image Art Shegonee from his organization, Call For Peace.
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On today’s show host Allen Ruff speaks with brian bean about their timely new book, Their End is our Beginning: Cops, Capitalism, and Abolition. As police forces act with impunity against civilians and immigrants, bean’s book is an argument for getting rid of the institution of police and replacing it with community-focused services.
bean argues that the police can’t be reformed because they are a violent institution that serves the class interests of the elite. bean wants people to understand the connection between the police and the system of capitalism. They describe how crime is both defined and enforced based on elite interests. For instance, world-threatening pollution, internment camps, and war are legal, whereas vagrancy and informal economies are considered illegal. 
Finding better, more effective, and safe solutions to social problems will help us arrive at a more just world in which democracy and equality are valued, says bean. They envision a classless, stateless society, where people have democratic control over their lives instead of society’s resources going to a few.
bean will give a reading at A Room of One’s Own on Tuesday, November 18.

brian bean is a Chicago-based socialist organizer, writer, and agitator originally from North Carolina. They are one of the founding editors of Rampant magazine. Their work has been published in Truthout, Jacobin, Tempest, Spectre, Red Flag, New Politics, Socialist Worker, International Viewpoint, and more. They coedited and contributed to the book Palestine: A Socialist Introduction, and wrote Their End is Our Beginning: Cops, Capitalism, and Abolition, both from Haymarket Books.
Featured image of brian bean’s book, Their End Is Our Beginning: Cops, Capitalism, and Abolition by Haymarket Books.
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This week President Trump pardoned a group of Wisconsin Republicans who worked to overturn the results of the 2020 election by casting fake Electoral College votes. The pardons were symbolic, but the issue of the public’s faith in election results remains. Today host Ali Muldrow is joined by Madison’s new City Clerk, Lydia McComas, to talk about her role in making sure our local elections are accurate and secure.
McComas says that she’s excited to be in Madison because we have high voter registration and voter turnout here. She steps into this role after a 2024 controversy in which her predecessor mishandled ballots. That incident put a dent in voters’ confidence, but McComas says her office has put in place some new processes that will come into play in February’s primary elections and is working to rebuild trust. Because of the larger issue of so-called voter fraud in the country, McComas says that election administrators have to be transparent with the public and not make mistakes. 
Madison voters will have two opportunities to cast their votes next Spring: the primary on February 17 and the general election on April 7. They also talk about the challenges of implementing electronic poll books, voter suppression in Wisconsin through voter ID requirements, how to serve all residents including incarcerated folks, and the other responsibilities of the city clerk’s office.

Lydia McComas graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in political science. She holds a graduate certificate in election administration from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Her previous role was as Voter Engagement Division Manager with Hennepin County in Minnesota.
Featured image of Lydia McComas.
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