Nov 11, 2026 · 59 min
Providence divests as Democracy Now! traces power, war and exile
Democracy Now! 2026-11-11 Wednesday
The episode connects political intimidation, grassroots municipal organizing, and the personal costs of reporting conflict across borders.
- 1Kai Bird links Stephen Miller’s political style to Roy Cohn’s intimidation, conspiracy politics, and attacks on immigrants and the press.
- 2Providence organizers celebrate a 75 percent divestment victory, while mayor-elect David Morales outlines housing and immigrant-protection priorities.
- 3Birds of War follows journalists Janai Boulos and Abdelkader Habak as war reporting becomes a story of exile, identity, and love.
Don't miss
Janai Boulos and Abdelkader Habak explain how documenting Syria’s war led their professional relationship toward love while exile kept them apart.
The brief
The news roundup covers U.S. immigration controversies, Israeli violence in Gaza and the West Bank, press freedom, and climate protests before turning to political power.
Biographer Kai Bird argues that Stephen Miller’s rise echoes Roy Cohn’s aggressive loyalty, intimidation, and enduring influence on Donald Trump and American politics.
Providence organizers describe a 75 percent vote to divest from entities implicated in severe human rights abuses, while David Morales details plans for housing and immigrant protection.
Birds of War follows Janai Boulos and Abdelkader Habak from dangerous Syria war reporting into exile, where professional partnership becomes a personal relationship.
The documentary’s central tension is between journalism’s extractive news cycle and the deeper identities, borders, and communities that conflict reporting can obscure.
Books & mentions
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