Category Archives: United States

abortion, Art, Author, Comics, Feminism, gender, General, Health, Politics, Transcribed, United States

Bodily Autonomy and Health Education In An Easy To Swallow Package (Abortion Pill Zine)

Abortion Pill Zine Cover featuring flowers and houses
Download This Episode

This week, we’re sharing an interview Ian conducted with cartoonists Isabella Rotman, Sage Coffey, and Marnie Galloway on the subject of the Abortion Pill Zine: A Community Guide to Misoprostol and Mifepristone out now from Silver Sprocket (and freely readable on their website). They discuss the process by which this resource was assembled, the benefits of local, focused abortion organizing, the timeliness and timelessness of the fight for safe abortion care, and the power of comics to disseminate valuable and complex information.

  • Transcript
  • PDF (Unimposed) – pending
  • Zine (Imposed PDF) – pending
Audio Player

Links

Announcements

BAD News for February 2025

The A-Radio Network of anarchist and antiauthoritarian radios and podcasts just released the latest in their monthly series, B(A)D News: Angry Voices From Around The World for February 2025, episode 88. This one features Parias from Athens sharing an interview about resisting wind farms and green developmentalism in the Greek mountains as well as Črna luknja from Ljubljana speaking with antifascists from Budapest and Sofia about resisting Europes largest annual neo-nazi rally, the LukovMarch.

Support for Anarchists in Sudan

You can read a short publication by the Sudan Anarchist Gathering called Al-Amal in English thanks to the translation work of CNT-AIT France (or the original Arabic as well) at this blog. From the blog:

If you want to receive the next
issues, please contact us : contact@cnt-ait.info
If you want to support financially the Sudan Anarchist Gathering, you can use our paypal
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/cntait1
(please validate “Sending ‘money to an individual’ to pay less bank charges) Send an email to contact@cnt-ait.info to inform us of the donation and also so that we can keep you informed of its use.

Continue reading Bodily Autonomy and Health Education In An Easy To Swallow Package (Abortion Pill Zine) →

Anarchist, military, Transcribed, United States, war

Military Decruitment, Trump 2.0 and Resisting New Empire (with Fig of About Face)

About Face: Veterans Against The War logo featuring an M16, muzzle to the ground, with a helmet seated on the butt inside a circle
Download This Episode

This week, we’re featuring an interview with Fig, an anarchist and member of the anti-Imperialist US veterans organization About Face to talk about decruitment, the work of About Face and an assessment of shifts in military priority under the lead of Hegseth towards the southern US border and the Trump administration 2.0’s multi-polar spin. There’s a lot here and we’ll have a transcript in the near future.

  • Transcript
  • PDF (Unimposed) – pending
  • Zine (Imposed PDF) – pending
Audio Player

Past veteran interviews on TFSR:

Continue reading Military Decruitment, Trump 2.0 and Resisting New Empire (with Fig of About Face) →

Appalachia, Asheville, community, Disaster Relief, Hurricane Helene, Mutual Aid, North Carolina, Transcribed, United States, zine

5 Months After Hurricane Helene in Barnardsville, NC

Photo of mutual aid in early October, 2024 in Barnardsville, NC
Download This Episode

This week we’re sharing recent chat with Jazz and Badger, two residents of Barnardsville, a small village just outside of Asheville, NC. We spoke about the community, the impact of Hurricane Helene, some lessons learned from coordinating among the neighbors and how people are faring now, nearly 5 months out from the storm. You can find their website at MutualAidBarnardsville.com

Audio Player

To hear similar stories from after the storm you can find links to past interviews here. Also mentioned were interviews recorded by Blue Ridge Public Radio: Voices of Helene.

Articles on recovery referenced:

If you’d like to help out after recent flooding in Eastern Kentucky, there are a few links in our show notes to Hillbillies Helping Hillbillies aka EKY Mutual Aid

Recent Storm Support for EKY, ETN, SWVA + WV

Recent floods in middle Appalachia in the middle of an intense winter cold snap have left many without potable water or other basic needs. ATV donation / loan / operation request to help check on people in hollers, help clear roads, drive supplies: reach out to theferalraccoon (a t) proton (d ot) me OR MutualAidDisasterRelief ( at) gmail (do t) com.

EKY

One place you can look for where to send resources is Eastern KY Mutual Aid, found on Instagram or Facebook under the name Hillbillies Helping Hillbillies. And you can find out more by visiting the website or checking social media for Mutual Aid Disaster Relief. Some of the useful links are here for those unable to use the platforms:

  • EKY Mutual Aid Patreon
  • Volunteer form if in the region
  • EKY Mutual Aid Cashapp: $SoupBeansFriedTaters
  • EKY Mutual Aid Paypal: @EKYMutualAid

In Pikeville, KY, there’s a request for food grade 5 gallon for water filtration where municipal water isn’t running or wells are contaminated there’s a request for restaurants to save buckets for water filtration. People interested can contact Cara at 859_533_0349

DROP OFF LOCATION:
Pike Central HS
100 Winners Circle Drive Pikeville, KY 41501

Other EKY sites:

  • Appalachian Crisis Aid Fund
  • The Y’all Squad TheYallSquad.org/donate

SWVA

  • SAMS Lonesome Pine Mutual Aid Paypal: @SAMSVA
  • The Care Collective of SW VA Venmo: @carecollectiveofswva
  • Cumberland Mountain Mutual Aid
    • Paypal: cumberlandmountainmutualaid (a t) gmail (d o t) com
    • Venmo: @CMMAID
    • CashApp: $CMMUTUALAID

WV

  • WVUMC Disaster Response Ministries WVUMC.org/donate
  • Bluejay Rising BluejayRising.org/donate
  • Spark of Love Foundation
    • CashApp: $sparkoflove4thekids
    • PayPal: The Spark of Love Foundation

ETN

Continue reading 5 Months After Hurricane Helene in Barnardsville, NC →

Encryption, Surveillance, Transcribed, United States, zine

Surveillance Self Defense, Encrypted Chat Apps and Securing Devices with Thorin Klosowski

The SSD logo of a lock and a key in adjoining spaces of an infinity symbol, a photo of Thorin Klosowski and "TFSR 2-16-25 | Surveillance Self Defense, Encrypted Chat Apps and Securing Devices with Thorin Klosowski
Download This Episode

This week, a conversation with Thorin Klosowski of the Electronic Frontier Foundation about some basic tools and ideas for keeping our information a little safer online and the Surveillance Self-Defense site, ssd.eff.org . We discuss device encryption, tor-browser, vpns, encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram as well as password vaults. I’m hoping this’ll be the first of a few interviews to try to make digital security concepts a little more accessible.

Audio Player

Links to check

Continue reading Surveillance Self Defense, Encrypted Chat Apps and Securing Devices with Thorin Klosowski →

Anarchist, Anarchist Media, Art, Author, Comics, General, Immigration, Kristian Williams, North Carolina, Racism, repression, Transcribed, United States, zine

CIMA on Community Defense Against ICE + Kristian Williams on the Comics of Alan Moore

This week on the show, we’re sharing two interviews.

<a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/thefinalstrawradio/tfsr-podcast-20250209-CIMAKristianWilliams.mp3">Download This Episode</a>First up, Dulce, a member of Companeros Inmigrantes en las Montanas en Accion, or CIMA, a local organizing and advocacy group by and for immigrants in western NC about her experience working for dignity and solidarity in light of the current and past administrations. More on CIMA can be found at CIMAWNC.Org

Audio Player

Then, Ian speaks with Kristian Williams, author of Gang Politics, Resist Everything Except Temptation, and Our Enemies in Blue, among others, about his recent book, The Illuminist: Philosophical Explanations in the work of Alan Moore. The chat touches upon Moore’s work and its anarchist underpinnings, his legacy in and out of comics, the necessity of imagination, and the possibilities that arise from death and disaster. The book is available from emergencyhearts.com, emergencyhearts.bandcamp.com, and kristianwilliams.com. You can find past interviews we’ve done with Kristian here.

Continue reading CIMA on Community Defense Against ICE + Kristian Williams on the Comics of Alan Moore →

Anarchist, community, Conflict, General, harm reduction, Health, Neurodiversity, Police, Prisons, repression, Security Culture, Transcribed, United States, zine

We (MUST) Keep Us Safe: An interview with a Long-Term, Anonymous Anarchist Comrade on Repression, Trauma, Security Culture, and Revolutionary Solidarity

two black bloc individuals hugging, tenderly and the text "We (MUST) Keep Us Safe: An interview with a Long-Term, Anonymous Anarchist Comrade on Repression, Trauma, Security Culture, and Revolutionary Solidarity | TFSR 1-12-25"
Download This Episode

This week, we’re featuring an anonymized chat with a longtime anarchist on lessons learned trying to stay sane  while facing state repression. We talk about experiencing trauma, the need for strong relationships and movements offering shelter and strong alternatives to the alienated society of state and capital, while also speaking on the challenges of mental health and inviting in new participants in anarchist movement.

Audio Player

Chapters:

  1. Introduction and Disclaimer [00:00:23]
  2. Post-911/Patriot Act State of Heightened Repression and build up to today [00:02:29]
  3. Navigating security amidst a post-social media and post-smart phone era [00:23:33]
  4. Creating safer and more secure revolutionary communities that can better withstand the heat [00:31:02]
  5. Recognizing and overcoming repression-based trauma on an individual and community level [00:40:02]
  6. Supporting comrades overcoming mental health episodes (spiralling) amidst repression and burnout [01:09:13]
  7. On infiltrators and the depths the state will go to inflict trauma, fish, and divide [01:15:57]
  8. Recognizing the ‘severity’ of our position, and taking ourselves seriously [01:26:22]
  9. Some tips on facing trauma or intimidation, or supporting others experiencing repression-related trauma [01:34:18]

Descending References and Resources List According to Interview:

Green Scare Background

Grand Juries

Border Detention

Police Visitation

On Phone and Digital Security Culture

Infiltration Cases:

Anti-Repression Resources:

J20 Case

Sobriety Discussion

Mental Health/Trauma/Burn Out

. … . ..

Featured Track:

Continue reading We (MUST) Keep Us Safe: An interview with a Long-Term, Anonymous Anarchist Comrade on Repression, Trauma, Security Culture, and Revolutionary Solidarity →

Anarchist, General, History, Iran, Israel, Politics, Russia, Transcribed, United States, war, zine

We Will Need Time: Two Libertarian Communist Perspectives on Events and Possibility in Syria

"TFSR 12-29-24 | We Will Need Time: Two Libertarian Communist perspectives on events and possibility in Syria"<br /> featuring a photo of two people (one with a rifle slung over their shoulder) hugging and facing away from the camera and towards a bombed-out building with graffiti reading "We Will Return" in Arabic
Download This Episode

In this episode, you’ll hear Cedric and Khuzama, two libertarian communists with connections to Syria and editor contributors to the blog interstices-fajawat.org , speaking about their observations of what’s been going on leading up to and through the ouster of Bashar Al-Assad, as well as complications among various factions on the ground and the view from the Syrian diaspora. The situation on the ground is changing fast.

Audio Player

And if you care to hear a perspective from an anarchist combatant affiliated with Tekosina Anarsist, which works with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria affiliated with the SDF and Rojava Revolution, you can find our episode from December 22nd and the transcribed zine already online at our website.

Continue reading We Will Need Time: Two Libertarian Communist Perspectives on Events and Possibility in Syria →

Anarchist, General, Iran, Israel, Polska, Rojava, Russia, Syria, Transcribed, Turkey, United States, zine

An Anarchist View From Rojava on Recent Events in Syria: A conversation with a combatant of Tekoşîna Anarşist

"An anarchist view from Rojava on recent events in Syria: a conversation witha combatant in Tekoşîna Anarşist | The Final Straw Radio, Dec 22, 2024" featuring a drawing of a combatant with their face covered, holding an AK47 and sitting on cinder blocks
Download This Episode

This week, we’re sharing a conversation with Errico, a combatant member of Tekoşîna Anarşist, an internationalist anarchist formation in critical solidarity with the Rojava Revolution. For this episode, Errico answers some questions we had about what’s been happening in Syria and concerns from within the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. You can find ideas and updates from the TA formation on their blog, https://tekosinaanarsist.noblogs.org. Past interviews with TA can be found here.

Audio Player

Errico’s voice has been re-recorded by a comrade for anonymity. The transcript is already up in the show notes and at our website for easier reading, translation and sharing and you can find past interviews we’ve done with TA linked in the show notes. And there is an announce-only signal group that anyone can join with updates and analysis by anarchists in the region or paying attention which we’ll link in our shownotes. Just a headsup, the usernames of members of this group will be visible to the all other users there and it might be a good opportunity to set up your signal username and make your phone number unfindable for better anonymity prior to joining the signal group ( https://signal.group/#CjQKIN0TDK_nsHV4uXRtLIdaUOL2R6yv7uvRs8c3RUiXLr-EEhBPEntGCDqJQOD4pzU36i6O )

We simultaneously recorded an interview with Cedric and Khuzama, two libertarian communists and editors of and contributors to the blog Interstices-Fajawat.org about their insights into Syria. This interview will be coming out soon, so keep an eye on our feed.

. … . ..

Featured Track:

Continue reading An Anarchist View From Rojava on Recent Events in Syria: A conversation with a combatant of Tekoşîna Anarşist →

ACABookfair, Anarchist, Anarchist Media, Art, General, Graffiti, Transcribed, United States, zine

Art As A Vehicle For Anarchist Ideas (ACAB 2024)

photo with a line of riot cops covered in various colors of paint
Donwload This Episode

This week, we’re sharing another presentation from the 2024 ACABookfair in so-called Asheville. On youtube you’ll find the audio sync’d up with the slideshow presentation from the bookfair by visiting youtube.com/@thefinalstrawradio.

Audio Player

The following is a recording from the 2024 Another Carolina Anarchist Bookfair in so-called Asheville, NC. You can find more info and recordings from this and other years at ACABookfair.NoBlogs.Org. This is a presentation entitled Art as a Vehicle for Anarchist Ideas with N.O. Bonzo, Des Revol, and Sugarbombing World. From the description:

“Three longtime anarchist artists—N.O. Bonzo, Des Revol, and Sugarbombing World—will explore the role that art plays in resistance and movements, along with remembrance of the past and visions of the future. They’ll look at ways that art brings people together, and can serve as a great tool, whether in organizing and agitating, and/or inviting people into anarchism.”

Continue reading Art As A Vehicle For Anarchist Ideas (ACAB 2024) →

Anarchist, Antifa, General, Germany, Prisons, Rashid, Red Onion State Prison, Transcribed, United States, Virginia, zine

Red Onion Prison Updates + Antifa-OST Case in Germany

This week, we’re featuring two segments.

Audio Player

logo featuring an onion with a person behind bars in the pearl and the logo for "Soli Antifa-Ost"

First up, Phil Wilayto of the Virginia Defenders talks about conditions at Red Onion State Prison in western Virginia where a number of prisoners have been self-immolating in order to escape longterm isolation and racist guard violence. You can find Phil’s article on the SF Bay View which includes a clip of Noelle Hanrahan on Al-Jazeera talking about this subject, and past interviews with and about Kevin “Rashid” Johnson at this link here. [00:01:02 – 00:41:15]

Then, you’ll hear Jo, an anarchist from Germany, speaking about the recent building of conspiracy cases against antifascists known as Antifa-Ost, or Antifa East. You can find our prior interview about NSU Watch and Day X here. [ 00:44:45 – 01:11:42 ]

More info on Antifa-Ost and the Budapest Structure:

. … . ..

Featured Track:

. … . ..

Continue reading Red Onion Prison Updates + Antifa-OST Case in Germany →