Join us at EartH Hackney on Monday 16 February to see Ash Sarkar in conversation with Aaron Bastani, discussing 'Why the Right is Winning': https://dice.fm/event/wwrypg-downstream-irl-aaron-bastani-in-conversation-with-ash-sarkar-16th-feb-earth-london-tickets Sign up for the new Downstream Newsletter here: https://novaramedia.com/newsletters/the-downstream-newsletter/ When it comes to the relationship between capitalism and crime, people on the left generally think of oppression and exploitation. People turn to crime because they can’t make ends meet by legitimate means; they’ve been left behind by the mainstream economy. But there is another relationship between capitalism and crime, namely the relationship between the state, currencies, and money laundering. ​ On Downstream this week, Aaron Bastani talks to Oliver Bullough about his latest book: Everybody Loves Our Dollars: How Money Laundering Won. Bullough explains that money laundering is estimated to be worth trillions of dollars a year globally, and the basic infrastructure for it is the dollar, the euro and the pound. So while the White House talks about the war on drugs and the war on crime, the currency being issued by the Federal Reserve is the infrastructure that allows much of that crime and all of those drugs to be produced and distributed around the world. Our elected officials talk tough, but never take the material steps needed to stop this global flow of dirty money. ​ What is money laundering, and why should you care about it? Does it look different in places like China and Russia compared to the United States? And what do vape shops, NFTs and luxury watches have in common? ​ 00:00 Intro 03:14 Trillions of Dollars Laundered Each Year 07:50 Money Laundering Is Getting Easier 12:16 We’re Losing the Fight Against Money Laundering 15:46 What TV Depictions of Money Laundering Get Wrong 21:41 Bicester Village and Smuggled European Luxury Goods 26:32 The Vancouver Model: Chinese Gangs, Gamblers, and Drug Money 31:57 The Rise and Inefficacy of Debanking 39:28 The Islamophobia of Debanking 45:32 The Paradox of Bank Notes 56:59 Are We Living in Times That Are Perfect for Criminals? 1:01:13 Tether: The Most Valuable Company You’ve Never Heard Of 1:07:37 Why Right-Wingers Love Crypto 1:10:36 NFTs 1:11:26 Governments Are Completely Failing to Tackle Money Laundering 1:14:45 Vape Shops and Compliance 1:17:33 Money Laundering is Everywhere 1:21:51 Policy Solutions Support our work: http://novara.media/support Buy Novara Media merch: https://shop.novaramedia.com/ Discuss the show on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Novara/_Media/

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Southwest just swapped its most customer-friendly policies for more fees and charges, But it’s not just Southwest. Flying on any airline has gotten worse as a result of deregulation. And options are limited — today just four airlines control 80 percent of the market. Trump's Transportation Secretary says travelers should just "dress up" and "be in a good mood" if they want a better experience. There’s a better, more radical solution that could help: nationalizing the airlines. Producer: Sanya Dosani Video Editor: Marielena Planas Motion Designers: Gerald Lane, Marielena Planas Videographer: Jack Belisle Video Production Manager: Isabel Atalaya Video Production Coordinator: Jodi Clemens Video Editing Fellow: Daria Nastasia

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Trump’s Dept. of Justice has been swift to federally prosecute protestors involved in a nonviolent demonstration against a pastor for his alleged affiliations with ICE, along with journalists covering that protest. But the same DOJ has cold feet when it comes to investigating anyone involved in the Epstein scandal.

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The United States is mobilizing for a new war on Iran — repositioning military forces, floating assassination threats, and insisting on negotiations at the same time. As this military buildup intensifies, Western media is reviving a familiar propaganda narrative: that Iran is collapsing, its government has lost control, and foreign intervention might actually help. To cut through the noise, Rania Khalek is joined by Navid Zarrinnal, an Iranian-American academic and host of The Colony Archive, speaking from inside Tehran. Navid breaks down what’s actually happening on the ground — from internal debates over negotiations, to Iran’s potential military retaliation, to why the myth of Iran’s imminent collapse keeps getting recycled. They also discuss the end of Iran’s so-called “strategic patience,” the reality of U.S. hybrid warfare, the role of foreign intervention in recent protests, and the dangerous push to fracture Iran along ethnic and sectarian lines — a policy openly floated by Western elites. Finally, Navid explains why the nuclear deal failed, why sanctions and regime-change politics won’t bring justice, and what the Western Left should actually be focusing on. 🔔 Subscribe for more in-depth reporting 💥 Support independent media: https://www.patreon.com/BreakthroughNews Read Navid’s Breakthrough News article here; https://breakthroughnews.org/irans-protests-explained-a-diary-from-tehran/

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Donald Trump's attacks on longtime US "allies" have forced Western leaders to admit their warmongering foreign policy was hypocritical. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney said the truth in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos: the "rules-based order" was "false". Ben Norton explains how the global balance of power is shifting. Check out our related video on Europe improving its relations with China: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpngJ3tC7Xw Topics 0:00 Hypocrisy of Western foreign policy 1:05 "Rules-based international order" 1:27 Donald Trump, arch-imperialist 3:00 Canada PM Mark Carney Davos speech 3:42 "Middle powers" fear US attacks 5:42 (CLIP) Multilateralism is under threat 6:04 Double standards on international law 6:35 (CLIP) "Rules-based order" was false 6:58 US unipolar domination 7:28 (CLIP) Defending "American hegemony" 7:41 Financial system & US dollar 8:34 (CLIP) Rupture, not transition 9:13 West's exploitation of Global South 9:36 Canada's complicity in imperialism 9:56 Gaza, Palestine, Israel 10:31 Canada sells weapons to Israel 11:54 Canada's whitewashed reputation 12:22 Canada's hypocritical UN votes 13:47 West votes against rest of world 14:21 Canadian conservatives 15:03 Imperial hypocrisy 15:36 USA supports Canadian separatists 16:33 (CLIP) If not at table, on the menu 16:48 Partners in crime 17:34 Macron's message to Trump 18:38 New phase of imperialism 19:38 Sovereignty: Westphalian system 20:40 Decolonization 21:11 Neocolonialism 22:08 Mark Carney's trip to China 23:09 Trump threatens Canada over China 23:51 Canada's trade dependence on USA 24:26 Oil exports 24:59 Canada's oil pipelines 25:49 Chinese car industry investments 27:41 Reducing dependency 28:06 European leaders visit China 28:30 "Human rights" hypocrisy 29:07 EU relations with China 29:32 Outro || Geopolitical Economy Report || Please consider supporting us at https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/Support Subscribe to our newsletter: https://geopoliticaleconomy.report/ Join us at Patreon: https://patreon.com/GeopoliticalEconomy

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‘Mandelson lied repeatedly,’ says PM Plus: Noam Chomsky’s DISTURBING relationship with Epstein, and Elon Musk caught lying in the wake of recent Epstein revelations… 00:00 Intro 01:14 Peter Mandelson 25:35 Palestine Action 39:38 Epstein And Chomsky With Michael Walker & Aaron Bastani Support our work: http://novara.media/support Buy Novara Media merch: https://shop.novaramedia.com/ Discuss the show on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Novara/_Media/

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On Monday Trump said that Republicans should ‘take over’ and ‘nationalize’ the U.S. voting system, which the U.S. Constitution says is under the authority of the states. Last week the FBI raided an election office in Fulton County Georgia, seizing 2020 election records. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present at the raid and arranged a phone call between Trump and the FBI agents carrying it out. What’s behind Trump’s attempts to change the form of government of the U.S.? And how will the newly awakened movement of working class people, on the heels of the Minnesota general strike and a nationwide shutdown the following week, tip the scales? Brian Becker and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss.

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Tony Blair has made an appearance in the latest release of Epstein files, with the convicted sex offender boasting of his ties to the former Prime Minister. Support our work: http://novara.media/support Buy Novara Media merch: https://shop.novaramedia.com/ Discuss the show on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Novara/_Media/

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Starmer hands Mandelson documents to the police. Plus: Tony Blair’s appearance in the latest release of Epstein files, and Matt Goodwin’s ‘Britishness’ is called into question. 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:23 Could Mandelson face LIFE in prison? 00:37:25 Tony Blair's appearance in the Epstein files... 00:51:09 Matthew Goodwin tells us what it means to be British... With Aaron Bastani & Kieran Andrieu. Support our work: http://novara.media/support Buy Novara Media merch: https://shop.novaramedia.com/ Discuss the show on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Novara/_Media/

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Files now released by the US Department of Justice prove that Prince Andrew lied about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Support our work: http://novara.media/support Buy Novara Media merch: https://shop.novaramedia.com/ Discuss the show on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Novara/_Media/

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council discusses the “unprecedented” deployment of ICE, Border Patrol, and DHS forces into U.S. cities, revealing how the Trump administration is using these surges into "blue" cities like Minneapolis as a direct form of political retribution. He cites new data showing that the majority of people arrested by ICE have no criminal record, directly contradicting Trump administration claims that enforcement targets “dangerous criminals.” Reichlin-Melnick also details how attacks on TPS and visa programs are stripping legal status from hundreds of thousands, fueling what he describes as a deepening civil rights and humanitarian crisis. #breakthroughnews

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On the Epstein file release. Things to keep in mind and think about. Why some of the most powerful voices that could bring insight might not be feeling up for that, but also the way it plays into class & Marxism. this might get buried because I refuse to verbally use the abbreviation "SA" as I feel it downplays a serious topic that should be fully expressed by victims. #epstein #marxism #politics

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The latest Epstein files revelations. Mandelson, Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk, among others, have been exposed in the recent release of Epstein files. 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:22 Newly Released Epstein Emails 00:43:03 Proof Former Prince Andrew Lied 01:04:00 Did Epstein Blackmail Bill Gates? With Michael Walker & Ash Sarkar. Buy tickets for Downstream IRL with Ash Sarkar https://novaramedia.com/events/downstream-irl-aaron-bastani-in-conversation-with-ash-sarkar/ Support our work: http://novara.media/support Buy Novara Media merch: https://shop.novaramedia.com/ Discuss the show on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Novara/_Media/

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On Friday, University of South Carolina students organized a huge walkout to coincide with the nationwide shutdown against ICE. BT spoke to protestors about why they decided to join the student-led demonstration.

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Support the show! https://www.patreon.com/positiveleftistnews One-time Tip / Donation: https://www.paypal.me/MexieYT *MeansTV Discount Link: https://means.tv/orders/customer/_info?o=70845&d=MEXIE *MeansTV Discount Code: MEXIE ___ Savannah (Savannimalz): https://www.instagram.com/savannimalz/?hl=en All Power Books: https://allpowerbooks.org/ Mexie: https://www.youtube.com/@Mexie Kathrin: https://www.youtube.com/c/KathrinYTchannel Javi: https://javier-diablito.bandcamp.com/ Cosmo: https://www.instagram.com/radical/_cosmo/ ___ Intro 0:00 Immigrant Rights 2:49 Workers’ Rights 7:48 Anti-Imperialism 13:54 Abolitionism 17:15 LGBTQ+ Rights 18:39 Environment & Animal Liberation 19:34 Means TV Discount 21:01 Credits 22:05 ___ Minnesota general strike, Jan 23rd: https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/01/13/now-is-the-time-minnesota-calls-for-general-strike-on-january-23-to-drive-ice-out/ https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/minnesota-general-strike-unites-labor-and-community-against-ice-surge/ https://www.workers.org/2026/01/90223/ Nationwide Shutdown January 30th: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/29/ice-out-strike-protests-explained ICE agents chased off by Minneapolis community: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/wrecktangle-pizza-stop-ice-south-minneapolis/ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/khPxmu3D0HI https://inthesetimes.com/article/minneapolis-minnesota-general-strike-trump-ice Bolivian workers defeat gazolino & win new rights: https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/01/13/when-we-are-united-no-one-can-defeat-us-bolivian-workers-defeat-gasolinazo-and-win-new-rights/ Scotland passes Community Wealth Building Law: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTaZO8CDWu6/ https://www.democracycollaborative.org/blogs/a-world-first-community-wealth-building-legislation-in-scotland Universal Child Care plan for New York: https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/01/mayor-mamdani---governor-hochul-to-launch-free-child-care-for-tw AES states strengthen alliance: https://abasimperialism.substack.com/p/breaking-news-from-the-aes-050 https://www.workers.org/2025/12/89397/ Millions mobilize in support of Venezuela globally, including India: https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/01/08/tens-of-thousands-across-india-mobilize-to-oppose-us-attacks-on-venezuela/ Italy: https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/01/12/protests-take-place-across-italy-to-show-solidarity-with-venezuela/ Across Africa: https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/01/06/africa-voices-outrage-against-us-invasion-of-venezuela-and-kidnapping-of-president-maduro/ And across the US: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/04/venezuela-trump-protests-us-cities Cop City RICO Cases Dismissed: https://unicornriot.ninja/2025/cop-city-rico-cases-dismissed-years-after-61-activists-charged-as-criminal-conspiracy/ Planned Parenthood paints rainbow crosswalks: https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/planned-parenthood-paints-rainbow-crosswalks-amid-21300525.php?utm%5C_source=chatgpt.com Poland bans fur farming: https://www.humaneworld.org/en/news/polands-president-signs-fur-farming-ban #positiveleftistnews #generalstrike #iceout

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On Saturday, 10,000 bikers in Minneapolis, Minnesota led an internationally recognized solidarity ride for Alex Pretti, riding to his and Renee Good’s memorial sites and ending at the VA hospital where Pretti worked. Over 200 tribute rides across 42 states and 12 countries took place this weekend.

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As Donald Trump hits the EU with tariffs and threatens to colonize Greenland (an autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark), European leaders are improving relations with China and seeking new trade partners. Is this the end of the political West and the transatlantic alliance? Ben Norton explains. Topics 0:00 Western alliance & US empire 0:59 NATO 2:04 Cold War One 2:42 Rise of China 4:20 Cold War Two 5:11 Europe's trade with China 5:33 Trump strategy: exploit Europe 6:55 Why Trump wants Greenland 8:18 Critical minerals & rare earths 9:37 End of NATO? 10:28 UK PM Keir Starmer visits China 11:07 Europe improves China relations 11:39 Trump threatens Europe over China 12:26 Splits with European Union 13:10 German industry 14:44 Would a Democrat repair EU ties? 15:46 EU trade deal with India 16:25 EU agreement with Mercosur 17:06 EU trade dependence on USA 17:50 UK trade dependence on USA 18:13 Canada trade dependence on USA 19:04 Canada PM Mark Carney visits China 19:33 US military presence in Europe 21:02 EU energy dependency 21:38 US oil exports to EU 22:06 US LNG exports to EU 23:41 EU dependence on US technology 25:52 Artificial intelligence (AI) 26:35 US Big Tech companies 27:05 EU card: ASML machines 28:09 Will EU dump US financial assets? 28:54 European holdings of US assets 29:56 US bond market vulnerability 30:58 Trump threatens "big retaliation" 32:30 INSTEX & US sanctions 34:12 Merkel & Macron promised EU army 35:02 Strategic autonomy? 35:37 Vassals of US empire 36:40 Change will be slow 37:33 Independence would be good 38:26 Outro || Geopolitical Economy Report || Please consider supporting us at https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/Support Subscribe to our newsletter: https://geopoliticaleconomy.report/ Join us at Patreon: https://patreon.com/GeopoliticalEconomy

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Mouin Rabbani, Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, discusses Trump’s escalating threats against Iran, as the U.S. deploys an aircraft carrier, fighter jets, and an “armada” to the region — saying that a US-Israeli attack on Iran is “imminent.” Rabbani discusses the media playbook used to manufacture consent for war, from inflated casualty figures to selective outrage. He also situates this escalation in the broader context of U.S. and Israeli regional ambitions, sanctions, and the manipulation of public opinion to justify another potentially catastrophic war. #breakthroughnews

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We speak to Hannah Spencer, who the Green Party has picked to go up against Reform UK’s Matt Goodwin in the Gorton and Denton byelection. Plus: Martin Lewis takes aim at the UK’s ballooning student debt, Kaiser Guo explains why the West has shifted its attitude towards China, and a Labour MP tears Konstantin Kisin on BBC Question Time. 00:00 Intro 00:39 Hannah Spencer Interview 22:52 Martin Lewis VS Student Debt 37:25 The China Vibe Shift 54:44 Question Time DRAMA With Michael Walker & Barry Malone. Support our work: http://novara.media/support Buy Novara Media merch: https://shop.novaramedia.com/

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Join us at EartH Hackney on Monday 16 February to see Ash Sarkar in conversation with Aaron Bastani, discussing 'Why the Right is Winning': https://dice.fm/event/wwrypg-downstream-irl-aaron-bastani-in-conversation-with-ash-sarkar-16th-feb-earth-london-tickets Sign up for the new Downstream Newsletter here: novara.media/downstreamnewsletter Over the past three years, the Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people has become a flash point for freedom of speech in the West. Expressing solidarity with Palestinians has given Western governments an excuse to crack down on dissenters. There has been intimidation and job insecurity at one end of the scale, through to brutal policing, arrests, and extraditions at the other. Our guest on Downstream this week knows a thing or two about censorship. Artist Ai Weiwei holds an unusual position, having been censored in both China and Europe. In conversation with Ash Sarkar, they discuss how this rising European authoritarianism represents a fragility at the heart of the political project. What was it like being interrogated for 80 days by the authorities? What kind of relationship did Ai Weiwei develop with his captors? Why did he choose to be an artist, rather than a journalist? What is his art in service of? And what is it like being used by the Sinophobic Western media as a weapon to attack China? 00:00 Intro 00:54 Censorship Isn’t Just for Authoritarian States 03:02 Privacy is Over 05:48 Political Scapegoating 08:06 Pro-Gaza Protestors 09:42 The Rising Authoritarianism in Germany 12:20 Exile Under Mao and Xi 14:52 When Does Art Become Journalism? 15:56 A Socialist Model of Art 16:16 Arrest and Interrogation in China 20:33 Is Ai Weiwei More Famous Than His Art? 23:25 On Being Misunderstood 25:59 The Differences Between European and Chinese Censorship 29:01 Shame as an Act of Censorship 32:22 Live Streaming the Taipei Tower Free Climb: Are We Seeing Too Much? 37:57 On Individualism, Collectivism, Uniformity and Plurality 42:13 How Does Ai Weiwei Describe His Political Philosophy? 45:07 Suspicion of Ideology 47:12 Can AI Make Good Art? 48:56 On Andy Warhol Support our work: http://novara.media/support Buy Novara Media merch: https://shop.novaramedia.com/ Discuss the show on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Novara/_Media/

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Rania Khalek and Zoe Alexandra speak with civil rights activist and organizer Linda Sarsour amid a nationwide surge of protests against ICE and growing calls for a national shutdown. Sarsour explains why the brutal killings of Alex Pretti, Renee Good, and Keith Porter Jr. by federal agents mark a political turning point and why sustained mass mobilization is necessary to confront ICE’s reign of terror. #breakthroughnews

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