First up, we spoke with Crystal and Alecia from the Auto(nomous) body shop. From their website:
TheAuto(nomous) Body Shop is a Pittsburgh based mobile mutual aid resource supporting bodily autonomy & community care. We provide free info + supplies + propaganda to support & empower folks to be the go to friend for reproductive health, abortion care, & harm reduction in their community. We also fundraise for repro health to break down barriers to care, conduct workshops, collaborate with & support other mutual aid orgs.
The discussion touches upon the many facets of their organizing in the Pittsburgh region, the climate for reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming care in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area, and their expansion into other regions of the state. The conversation also includes discussion of their coalition-based strategy to broaden the breadth and depth of their efforts and the need for joyful celebration of their values and goals. To that end, we get into the social events and zine publication coming up later this month.
Then, we share an interview by FrequenzA out of Germany with a guest about recent repression against queer people and organizations across Turkey from September 12-14th, 2026. This crackdown against activists, organizations and spaces was named “My Family Is Safe”, with the reactionary government of Erdogan’s AK Party using the same rubric of upholding cis-hetero nuclear families as the only healthy model against “gender ideology” as you hear from regimes in the US under Trump, Russia and from right wing movements around the world. This interview will also appear in episode 106 of B(A)D News: Angry Voices From Around The World from the A-Radio Network, of which we’re a member.
This week, we’re sharing a recent interview with Cal Robinet, an anarchist, union electrician, and fire arms instructor involved in the union and LGBT Ray Rainbolt Memorial Shooting Club. Cal is also a member of the Minnesota 15, who were federally indicted following Operation Metro Surge and taking their challenge to court, charged under 18 U.S.C. § 372 “conspiracy to impede federal officers”, the civil war-era statute that has been deployed against other, non-violent anti-ICE protesters as we saw in Chicago with the Broadview 6 and in Washington with the Spokane 3. We would direct folks to Minnesota15.org for further reading, updates and ways to support the defendants.
Of note, there is a call for a day of solidarity with the defendants on Sunday, October 3rd wherever you are. More at the support site, or find a pic in our show notes related to this.
This week, we’re sharing a conversation with two anti-repression organizers in the UK who are both associated with NetPol, or the Network for Police Monitoring as well as other defendant support projects. For the chat we speak about the sort of work their orgs are involved in, changes in sentencing amongst protestors, increasingly violent police suppression of antifascists counter-demonstrating (and greatly outnumbering) anti-immigrant crowds, the Filton Palestine Action cases and more. We hope you enjoy and you can find some links in the show notes on where to find more of Maya and Andy’s work.
We recorded this interview several weeks ago, before Palestine Action was proscribed by the US as a Specially Designated Terrorist Entity and has had sanctions applied to it by the US State Department, so it’s notable that we can legally not suggest anyone offer material support to Palestine Action thanks to the Anti-Antifascist US government as they could be punished under US law.
NetPol (including the ‘One Day In…’ protest reports): https://netpol.org
On June 11, 2025, there was a demonstration of hundreds of people in Spokane, Washington to defend two young asylum-seekers, Cesar Alexander Alvarez Perez and Joswar Slater Rodriguez Torres, who were kidnapped by ICE while appearing for a scheduled check-in. The next day, the Trump administration’s DOJ sent out a memo to all districts to prioritize prosecution of anti-ICE protestors and publicize the repression. Months later, 9 people were brought to Federal trial, with 6 of them taking a non-cooperating plea deal. The remaining 3, refused to back down and were taken to trial and were convicted of conspiracy.
For this episode we’re joined by Hadley, a member of the Spokane 3 Support Committee to speak about those defendants ( Justice Forral, Bajun Mavalwalla II, and Jac Archer ), their case and struggle for justice. A great, local media outlet named Range Media has been covering this case in detail, check it out at https://www.rangemedia.co/spokane-9-protests/ . Finally, stay tuned for a press conference this coming week after some next legal steps are taken by the defendants.
First up, you’ll hear Jeremy and Sea speak about the upcoming G20 Financial Track gathering of Finance Ministers and Central Bankers happening in Asheville at the end of August this year. We speak about the G20, neoliberalism, and some of the organizing happening locally. More info available at G20AVL.NoBlogs.Org
Then you’ll hear a segment form the June 2026 episode #103 of B(A)D News: Angry Voices from Around The World by the A-Radio Network. In this audio, members of Crna Luknja from Ljubljana, Slovenia, speak with participants in the autonomous, squatted neighborhood of Athens, Prosfygika, a name which translates to Refugee. The audio was recorded on May 28th , so likely the situation has shifted and you can find more information and updates at SaveProsfygika.GR/index.php/en/ for English. According to a statement from June 24th found on that website, the hunger strikes of Aristotelis Chantzis and Suzon Doppagne were suspended following municipal statements in line with movement demands. Check the Materials page for statements, photos, audios and documentaries from and about the community.
Mutual Aid in Spokane in the wake of massive fires
A comrade sent some fundraising links for mutual aid, particularly for undocumented community members and folks at the Colville Tribal Rez north of town where fire damage has been extensive. Check our show notes for links.
Sunday 8/16 – Week of Action kickoff & potluck: coalition building, info and resource sharing, and organizing for week of action and beyond, 1 to 3 pm, Home Hub Pavilion, 27 Balm Grove Ave., W AVL, rain or shine (covered outdoor space and access to indoor spaces).
**Tuesday evening 8/18 – online panel and Q&A with local and national experts, 7 – 8:30 pm.**
Friday evening 8/21 – Infoshare, Q&A, Speak Out + dance party, 6 to 10 pm, location TBD.
First up is a conversation with two activists of Appalachians Against Uranium in eastern Tennessee about the expansion of a nuclear weapons development in Jonesborough in the Tri-Cities near the border with North Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains. For the interview we speak about the legacy of the nuclear industry in the region, health impacts on locals, some of the companies (like BWXT) involved, concerns of pollution and building off the work of past and ongoing civic activism in the region. Find our guests online at their website or find them on bluesky for further information.
If you missed our prior interview talking about other and related elements of the nuclear industries in the US, check out the chat with M.V. Ramana from our July 19th episode, found at our website.
Eastern TN Nuclear Links
Scott Perez article on “economic hostages” available thanks to Dine CARE
A book about the Transform Now Plowshares action in Oak Ridge, TN
The Ulm 5 Case in Germany
[00:50:00]
After this, you’ll hear a recording from May 14th, 2026 of journalist Roser Garí Pérez speaking in Freiberg, Germany, about the the case of the Ulm 5: five activists from various countries held in pre-trial detention since September of 2025 in Germany on charges of taking action against an Elbit Systems Deutschland factory in that country. Elbit Systems is an Israeli arms manufacturer whose products bring death to people in Palestine. The defendants have experienced long term isolation, extraordinarily long pre-trial detention without the option of bail. This segment appears in episode 104 of B(A)D News from the A-Radio Network, and was submitted and recorded by Radio Ausbruch from Freiberg
As a note for US listeners, the use of the term protocol in this segment can be translated to mean taken notes. You can keep up on the case, find how to write letters or send support, at https://ulm5.info/ and find updated writings on the case by Roser Garí Pérez on their instagram or their author page at The Left Berlin
Announcement
Support Request by 2020 Uprising Prisoner Khalif Miller
We received correspondence from Khalif Miller who was arrested in Philadelphia. Acording to his GoFundMe, “Khalif was held on pre-trial detention for 2 years and eventually sentenced to 5 years in Federal prison. As he was on probation at the time of his indictment he was additionally given a 1-10 year state sentence for probation violation.” According to his page on UprisingSupport.org, Khalif had this to say:
“I was working, I was trying to get my business up and running, I was going to school. I was doing things not just to help my family, I was trying to help communities. The day that I went to the protest… the night before when I was even making my signs. I spent 4 hours just making signs and writing down a bunch of people who were unfairly killed by police officers. This is something I really feel passionate about.
People say all the time, you can do anything you want in America. You can be whatever you want to be. Growing up, I heard it but I never really believed it because I felt like my resources were limited. The world has so many possibilities. I would like to teach that. That’s one of the things I would like to be able to pass along to the younger generations when I come home.”
Check the show notes for links to how you can write to Khalif and how you can offer him support during this long period of repression.
Write letters:
Smart Communications / PA DOC
Khalif Miller / #QQ9287
SCI Forest
PO Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL 33733
Send books:
Khalif Miller
#QQ9287
268 Bricker Road
Bellefonte, PA 16823
This week, you’ll hear a conversation with Bam and Row, two residents of so-called Durham, NC to talk about that city and industries and their experience of solidarity with houseless neighbors, particularly in the Oakwood Park encampment which the city has already attempted to evict once this year. The guests give a long term and detailed view of the development of the city and the role of Duke University and adjacent, co-constitutive businesses and the city’s research park play in the day to day grind of living in that triangle city.
GoFundMe to support mutual aid with the Oakwood community
Also, after the interview the guests reached out wanting to uplift Traingle Anarchist Black Cross as one group involved in community support for the Oakwood Park encampment. They meet 4th Sunday (that’s today!!!) from 2-4pm for letter writing at The Burrow in Durham. More at linktr.ee/triangleabc
Finally, many of the people listed as inspirational by Row at the end of the interview have been either guests on this show in the past or the subject of episodes, which you can find under the tag of Black Anarchism.
Announcements
Recent Repression Updates
Federal Indictments have come down against people alleged to have taken part in anti-ICE protests (accused of being Antifa) in so-called Minneapolis. We plan to cover this in an upcoming episode, but meanwhile would direct listeners to recent episodes of It Could Happen Here, Outlaw Podcast and Live Like The World is Dying on the topic (the latter two are pending but should pop up at those links)
Also, sentencing has begun in the Prairieland “Antifa” case, with decades being handed out to make a political point (in the words of one judge). You can follow the updates at PrairielandDefendants.com (and we should be sharing an interview on the sentencing next week, once it’s complete for the Federal case).
Request for call-in to support mentally ill prisoner at the Joe Corley Detention Center in Texas
The prescribed collective action I believe will solve this issue here at the Joe Corley Detention centers RHU cellblock is:
1) A phone zap to warden Dickey’s office, the commissary office and the US Marshals office. The Marshals pay these inmates $1 a day and are responsible for their work ethics while awaiting transfer to a BOP.
Joe Corley Detention Center phone number: (936) 521-4000
US Marshals Office Southern District of Texas phone number: (713) 718-4800
2) Request that these individuals review surveillance cameras in the RHU cellblock where the incident involving a mentally ill prisoner name Brandon that live in cell 243 took place on the morning of 6-25-26 while he was forced to go to rec. This is to verify that he just purchased nearly $100 worth of commissary, a T-shirt- batteries, boxers, etc yesterday.
3) Demand that all of his items be returned to him.
4) Disciplinary for the officers involved in allowing the inmate worker to enter Brandon’s cell wholly unsupervised, take his items and refuse to investigate his valid complaint because he’s mentally ill and can’t comprehend what happened.
Background
On the morning of June 25 2026 officer Henley and a male white or Hispanic looking officer approached Brandon’s cell (243). They told him he was going to rec whether he liked it or not. Brandon complied with their order and was handcuffed and taken to the rec cage outside. I note Brandon wasn’t wearing a commissary T-shirt, nor was he carrying anything when he left the cell.
Moments later a Black inmate worker with a yellow skin tone entered the cellblock with a cart used to carry cleaning materials. They say he is amongst the most despised for his interest in stealing from other inmates.
This inmate worker was ordered to clean Brandon’s cell. Not only did he clean the cell, he cleaned him out. As both guards left him to his own device, taking their eyes off of him to tend to less important things. The inmate worker took a large plastic bag full of Brandon’s commissary that he’d just bought yesterday, two bags of coffee and a few things laying around and tossed them in the cart’s trash compartment like it was trash.
Soon after Brandon was placed back into an empty cell and to his dissatisfaction, he protested that Henley had set him up to be robbed.
Henley blew his concern off to a female mailroom employee as a hallucination, but what happened was reality.
Around 10:20am the inmate worker returned to sweep and mop the cellblock wearing, what looked like, Brandons brand new T-shirt under his own jail issued prison garb.
The officer who helped Henley take Brandon to rec halfheartedly asked the inmate worker if he stole Brandon’s commissary, implying he wasn’t present while the worker was in Brandon’s cell. Of course the worker denied taking anything, merely suggesting that the only thing in the cell was trash on the floor. Though he did admit to the officer to taking Brandon’s shampoo to use as he wanted. And his other inmate co worker gritted at Brandon that that’s what gets done to psych patients.
From what transpired both officers not only knew what happened but they created the incident as they already dislike Brandon because of his mental illness, forced him to leave his cell so that an inmate that openly despised him could clean it up unsupervised and stock piled with goodies.
If such acts against the mentally ill are perceived as heroic deeds in the eyes of this inmate worker and guards who condone it. What does that say about observers on standby that cheer them on, or an administration that chooses to assist by covering it up?
The conversation vacillates between the past and the present as Taylor talks about the misconduct and cover-up by the FBI and Chicago PD in the assassination of Chicago Black Panther’s Leader Fred Hampton, the forty year effort to freeJackie Wilson, the tradition of movement lawyering, and the legacy of the People’s Law Office.
First up, a long sharing of perspectives from occupied Kumeyaay [Kum-ee-aih] land, the Mexico-US border. Devi Machete from Contra Viento Y Marea in Tijuana in the Mexican state of Baja California about the history and activity of that project and journalist and activist James Stout speaks from San Diego in the US state of California about desert conditions north of the border wall. For this chat, you’ll hear third-hand accounts of border crossings, imprisonment, and deaths in border regions but also about solidarity, organizing, and resistance among those on the move as well as the communities they encounter.
After that, at roughly one hour and forty six minutes in, you’ll hear this year’s statement for the June 11th Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason and long term anarchist prisoners which will include perspectives of organizers, updates in folks struggles and conditions of confinement and reflections on solidarity and insurrection. Check the show notes for a few links and the time stamps of where this section begins. [ 1:46:45 ]
Many of you have been asking for an update, so here’s where things stand.
While at Scotland Correctional Institution, Shine was helping organize political education among prisoners and speaking out about conditions and serious medical concerns inside the facility. As many already know, he had a contraband cell phone. According to Shine, that phone contained recordings and information documenting conditions inside Scotland, including prisoners begging for medical attention. Not long after, Shine and others around him were transferred and separated across different facilities.
In mid-April, Shine was transferred overnight from Scotland to Granville Correctional Institution in what he described as one of the fastest transfers he had seen in 17 years of incarceration. Upon arrival, he was immediately placed on HCON (High Security Maximum Control). Shine maintains the placement was arbitrary, requested a grievance regarding that placement, and to our knowledge has yet to receive a meaningful opportunity to challenge it. He has been on hunger strike ever since.
Over the past few weeks, many of you participated in Calls to Action, making phone calls and sending emails seeking answers about his health, communication, property, grievances, and HCON status. Those efforts led to direct conversations with Assistant Regional Director Timothy Jones, who assured us that concerns were being reviewed and investigated.
Here’s the problem.
We have now confirmed through official records that Shine was already housed at Central Prison on the same date we were being given information that appeared to place him at Granville. We still don’t know whether that means the Regional Office had outdated information, didn’t know where he was, or something else entirely. What we do know is that the answers we were given don’t line up with the timeline we can now verify.
At this point, we have no direct communication with Shine. Updates are coming through fellow comrades who have been able to get word out through prison channels.
What we know right now:
Shine remains on HCON.
Shine remains on hunger strike.
Shine is housed in Central Prison’s medical unit.
Communication remains extremely limited.
Questions about his mail, property, grievances, and classification remain unanswered.
The transfer changed the address. It did not answer the questions.
This week we are launching another Call to Action. Supporters will once again be contacting Central Prison, the Regional Office, and NC DAC leadership seeking answers and accountability.
If Shine’s status remains unchanged and these concerns continue to be ignored, we are preparing for an in-person demonstration later this week.
If the goal was to make people stop paying attention, it didn’t work.
This year has felt like there’ve been a series of large sports mega events and summits planned and taking place in cities across the USA. For instance, starting in June the FIFA World Cup will be hosted in cities across the country (as well as a few in Mexico and Canada). Also a few cities are hosting meetings and an eventual summit related to the G20, or group of 20 economies, a gathering between large capitalist industries, banks, para-governmental neoliberal international institutions, government ministries and heads of state that share policy decisions effecting immigration, wars, trade policy and the climate. In 2028 Los Angeles will host the Olympics.
This episode will feature two discussions about some of the security impacts of hosting large sports or political events and the ways that the state and capital work to change the landscape and norms of the locations they take place. First up, Kristian Williams speaks about National Special Security Events like the G20 or World Cup, how they change local police and surveillance landscapes and work to turbocharge gentrification and displace working and poor people, making our cities more hostile to anything but commerce and control. Then, you’ll hear from Sam Schmidt at Our Streets Collective to speak about homeless sweeps in Pittsburgh, PA in the run-up to and aftermath of the 2026 NFL Draft taking place in that city.
Prosfigyka coverage by Pyrias of Athens appears on this episode of B(A)D News podcast
Announcement
Marius Mason
Longtime listeners to The Final Straw Radio will be familiar with the yearly June 11th Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason and other Longterm Anarchist Prisoners. Well, stay tuned for an announcement from the June 11 crew in coming weeks with a recording of this year’s call. We are happy to announce here that Marius Mason, a long standing ecological, animal rights and trans prisoner rights activist will is on his way out of prison, currently in a halfway house having served out his sentence,
Past interviews on Marius’ case, other prisoners supported on the day and June 11th yearly event
