The Tea with Myriam Francois

https://www.theteanetwork.co

Six months into the catastrophic US-Israeli war on Iran, Washington's stockpiles are severely depleted, oil and food prices are spiralling globally, and the Middle East is being rapidly reconfigured. Trump promised a quick victory, but the conflict has plunged the world into economic chaos—while war profiteers and elites on both sides cash in.

This week on The Tea, we’re joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, former New York Times war correspondent, and bestselling author Chris Hedges. Drawing on decades of reporting from conflict zones, he breaks down the terrifying reality of the US-Israeli war on Iran, the collapse of American hegemony, and why the empire is crumbling from within.

Also in the show:
⚡ The fatal miscalculation: Why Washington has already lost the war in Iran
⚡ US vs. Israel: The real, dangerous rift between Trump and Netanyahu
⚡ War profiteering: Who is making billions while ordinary citizens pay the price?
⚡ The Gulf in crisis: How US bases turned regional allies into sitting targets
⚡ The death of American democracy: Why the US is no longer a functioning republic
⚡ Drone warfare & the future of conflict: How small nations are dismantling military superpowers
⚡ Direct action & resistance: Joining port workers, Greta Thunberg, and dockers refusing to ship arms

As Chris puts it, when a system seizes up and normal political mechanisms fail, direct action and holding power to account are the only true options left.

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🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #ChrisHedges #IranWar #MiddleEast #Trump #USA

AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François
Guest: Chris Hedges
Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi
Producers: Nadege Bizimungu, Sanjna Selva
Research: Aliza Kayan-Ahmed and Saba Noughani
Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can workers take on the world's biggest corporations — and win?

For decades, corporate power seemed untouchable. But a new generation of workers is fighting back. From Amazon to Starbucks, a new generation of organisers is challenging some of the world's most powerful companies—and winning.

This week on The Tea, we're joined by legendary labour organiser and bestselling author Chris Smalls, the man behind Amazon's first-ever independent labour union. In his new book, When the Revolution Comes, he reveals what it really takes to challenge corporate power—and why the fight is far from over.
Also in the show:

⚡ Inside Amazon's surveillance culture—and the two-minute mistake that got Chris fired
⚡ Why Amazon's injury rates remain the highest in the industry
⚡ The hidden human cost behind next-day delivery
⚡ How the Amazon Labour Union forced changes without a contract
⚡ How the US labour movement is failing the working class
⚡ Crashing the Met Gala to take on Jeff Bezos
⚡ From Amazon to Gaza: Why solidarity has no borders

As Chris puts it, we gave up our freedoms and handed unprecedented power to one of the richest corporations on Earth. Taking it back means rethinking where we shop and recognising our collective strength.

👉 Subscribe for independent, unfiltered conversations
🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #ChrisSmalls #Amazon #WorkersRights #BigTech #AmazonUnion #Politics #CurrentAffairs #News

Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

https://www.theteanetwork.co

The internet promised freedom. But has it delivered?

When the World Wide Web launched, it promised a borderless world of knowledge, connection and freedom.

More than three decades later, a handful of tech giants control vast parts of our digital lives—shaping what we see, what we remember, and even how we think—while the internet has become an engine of censorship and surveillance.

This week on The Tea, we're joined by the woman rewriting the history of the internet. Mindy Seu is a technologist, UCLA associate professor, and the author of “A Sexual History of the Internet”. She’s been tracking what the tech giants are scrubbing. Together, we ask the questions Big Tech would rather you didn't: Who decides what survives online? And is it still possible to reclaim the internet?
Also in the show:
⚡ The hidden history of the internet—from women, artists and activists erased from the story
⚡ Open source, local networks & the fight to reclaim the web
⚡ Sex, censorship & who gets erased online
⚡ The Epstein files & the myth of the "forever internet"
⚡ ChatGPT, AI & the danger of “yes men”
⚡ Peter Thiel’s “Praxis” and Big Tech’s attempt to replace democracy

As Mindy argues, reclaiming the internet doesn't start with Silicon Valley. It starts with local communities building alternatives from the ground up.

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #MindySeu #ArtificialIntelligence #ChatGPT #BigTech #Internet #DigitalRights #Cyberfeminism #Surveillance #AI #Tech #Podcast

AUDIO CREDITS
Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François
Guest: Mindy Seu
Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi
Producer: Nadège Bizimungu
Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs
Research: Constance Creswell
Video Editor: Max Bubnov
An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

https://www.theteanetwork.co

What if your favourite video game was spying on you?
Gaming isn't just entertainment anymore. With more than 3.5 billion players worldwide, it's become one of the most powerful cultural battlegrounds on Earth. From Beijing and Moscow to Riyadh, Washington and beyond, governments are investing billions in gaming—not just for profit, but to shape narratives and influence young audiences.

This week on The Tea, we're joined by leading video games expert and author George Osborn to expose how states, corporations and political movements are turning the games we play into the next frontier of information warfare.

Also in the show:
⚡ China's crackdown on gaming
⚡ Roblox: the world's first digital nation?
⚡ Hamza Saada and the democratisation of gaming
⚡ Gamergate: where the far-right found its voice
⚡ From Britain to Saudi Arabia and Russia: gaming as a tool of state power
⚡ Can gaming escape surveillance and political manipulation?

Gaming is no longer just about play. As our guest argues, it has become one of the defining arenas where politics, culture and power collide—and understanding it is essential to understanding the world we're living in.

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #GeorgeOsborn #Gaming #VideoGames #Politics #Geopolitics #Technology #News #CurrentAffairs #farright #USPolitics #UKPolitics

AUDIO CREDITS
Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François
Guest: George Osborn
Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi
Producer: Sana Serroukh
Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs
Research: Aliza Kayan-Ahmed and Iman Saleh
Video Editor: Max Bubnov
An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

https://www.theteanetwork.co

Was the creation of the state of Israel really the only answer to antisemitism?

Nearly three years into Israel's genocide in Gaza, support for Israel has fallen sharply across much of the Western world. And as old political certainties begin to fracture, more people are asking questions that once seemed almost impossible to ask. Was Zionism inevitable? Were there other visions of Jewish freedom? And what can these forgotten traditions tell us about the future?

This week on The Tea, we’re joined by award-winning artist and journalist Molly Crabapple. In her New York Times bestselling book Where We Live Is Our Country, she resurrects the extraordinary history of the Jewish Labour Bund — a movement that imagined Jewish liberation not through a nation-state, but through solidarity, equality and the fight for justice wherever Jews lived.

Also in the show:
⚡ Nationalism vs internationalism: two competing visions of Jewish liberation
⚡ The Bund: the forgotten Jewish movement that challenged Zionism
⚡ From antisemitism to Islamophobia: the politics of scapegoating minorities
⚡ Hebrew vs Yiddish: the battle over Jewish identity and memory
⚡ After Gaza: the sharp decline in support for Israel
⚡ Zohran Mamdani and the legacy of Yiddish socialism
As our guest explains, these forgotten histories challenge the stories we’ve inherited — and force us to rethink identity, belonging and the fight for freedom today.

These chapters are optimized for YouTube search and retention while accurately reflecting the flow of the discussion.

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #MollyCrabapple #Zionism #Gaza #genocide #Israel #Palestine #TheJewishBund #Mamdani #antizionist #journalism

AUDIO CREDITS
Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François
Guest: Molly Crabapple
Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi
Producer: Nadège Bizimungu
Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs
Research: Constance Creswell, Martha Missingham
Video Editor: Max Bubnov
An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.