by Michael Nigro | Jan 7, 2026 | ICE, New Orleans, Politics and Movements: US, Prisons and Policing, video
It is performative bullying at best. Domestic terrorism at its core.
“Operation Catahoula Crunch,” President Donald Trump’s bloated immigration enforcement action in New Orleans, is named after Louisiana hunting dogs that roam swamps. The operation, led by CBP commander Greg Bovino, began prowling through neighborhoods in New Orleans on Dec. 3, 2025.
Filming, Production, and Post-Production: Michael Nigro
Transcript
The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible.
Speaker 1:
My name’s Jose Castillo. We’re here in New Orleans. In my family business, it’s a little Norma Sweets Bakery. Been here since 2011. And this is the first time that we’ve been affected from our government really so much. I mean, people are afraid to go out, people are afraid to spend money. I have a family member, I have friends, American citizens walking around with a passport, American passport, because they’re afraid. Afraid that they’re going to be profiled. They’re afraid if they can’t speak English, good enough to explain who they are.
Speaker 2:
Children are skipping school because they’re afraid of ice. Parents are unable to go to the grocery store because they’re afraid of ice. Workers are losing their jobs and risking their businesses because they’re afraid of ice. And our city counselors haven’t even put ice on the agenda for their meeting today. City council must stop ignoring immigrant rights groups who are asking to take a stand. We’re not going to wait for city council to say that they’re going to do something. We
Speaker 3:
Are here today to demand that city council takes action. These people are planning to stay here
by Maximillian Alvarez | Jan 5, 2026 | baltimore, Politics and Movements: International, Politics and Movements: US, Venezuela, video
Around 100 Baltimore residents and local organizers marched through the streets of downtown on Saturday, Jan. 3, to protest the Trump regime’s lawless military invasion of the sovereign country of Venezuela and kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Numerous organizations were represented at the protest, including: Party for Socialism and Liberation – Baltimore, the People’s Power Assembly, Black Alliance for Peace, Veterans for Peace, and more. Here’s what the protest looked and sounded like on the ground…
Additional links/info:
Michael Fox, The Real News Network, “Trump invades Venezuela, kidnaps Maduro, and hurls the Western hemisphere into chaos”
Credits:
Production/Post-Production: Maximillian Alvarez
Transcript
The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible.
Crowd Chants:
No more coups, no more war. Venezuela is it yours. Venezuela isn’t yours. Venezuela isn’t yours. Hands off Venezuela. Hands off Venezuela.
Maximillian Alvarez:
I’m here in downtown Baltimore on Saturday, January 3rd. It’s a little after 3:00 PM and dozens and dozens of Baltimore residents and local organizers are marching through the streets of downtown in protest of the Trump regime’s lawless invasion of Venezuela and kidnapping of its president Nicolas Maduro earlier this morning. I’m here on the ground for The Real News Network.
Protestor 1:
I’m just out here today because I’m outraged because I’m in disbelief that our country’s being run by this person that does whatever the F he wants and it’s shocking, it’s scary and I’m terrified. So this is what I’m doing. I’m doing what I can.
Protestor 2:
I’m a cadre member of an organization called the All African People’s Revolutionary Party. My comrade here, Nancy
by Maximillian Alvarez | Dec 29, 2025 | east palestine, Economy and Inequality, Politics and Movements: US, railroad, sacrifice zones, video
On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern ‘bomb train’ carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in the small town of East Palestine, Ohio. Three days later, Norfolk Southern pressured local authorities to dump and burn five tanker cars full of vinyl chloride, blasting a toxic mushroom cloud into the air and exposing residents to toxins that have poisoned their bodies and homes. In the weeks, months, and years following the East Palestine derailment and chemical disaster, the Environmental Protection Agency assured residents that the air, soil, and water in their community was safe. But when independent testing expert and Blue Shirt Justice League founder Scott Smith began testing for toxins in and around East Palestine, his findings revealed a horrifying truth that, according to Smith, Norfolk Southern and the EPA have tried to cover up.
Additional links/info:
Scott Smith Facebook page
Blue Shirt Justice League website and Facebook page
Government Accountability Project, “Initial FOIA Findings Suggest EPA Efforts to Surveil and Discredit Environmental Whistleblower”
Kelly Kennedy, WHSV 3, “Independent testing finds dangerous chemicals at East Palestine family’s farm”
Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Residents in this small town ‘left for dead’ after industrial disaster”
Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “An industrial disaster wrecked my home. Now I’m living out of a hotel”
Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “A billion-dollar company poisoned my home and destroyed my town”
Maximillian Alvarez, Steve Mellon, & Mike Balonek, The Real News Network, “Trainwreck in ‘Trump Country’: Partisan politics hasn’t helped East Palestine, OH (DOCUMENTARY)”
CreditsProduction: Maximillian AlvarezPost-Production: Maximillian Alvarez, David Hebden
Transcript
The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible.
Ashley McCollum:
Oh God. What caused it?
East Palestine Resident:
Train derailed.
Ashley
by Mansa Musa | Dec 22, 2025 | holidays, Prison Industrial Complex, Prisons and Policing, Rattling the Bars, video
For incarcerated people and their families, the holidays are the most painful time of year. In this episode of Rattling the Bars, host Mansa Musa and TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speak frankly about what it’s like to be locked up during the holidays, why inmate suicides, violence, and depression spike this time of year, and about the life-saving and society-improving steps we can take this holiday season to help prisoners maintain contact with the outside world.
Content Warning: Discussion of suicide and depression.
Producer / Videographer / Post-Production: Cameron Granadino
Transcript
The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible.
Mansa Musa:
Welcome to Rattling the Bars. I’m your host, Mansa Musa.
Maximillian Alvarez:
And I’m Maximillian Alvarez, editor-in-chief of the Real News Network. As we reach the end of an impossibly long year, all of us here at the Real News want to wish you and yours a happy holiday season. Whether you celebrate or not, we hope that this time of year at least provides some time and space for you to rest and to be with the ones that you love. But of course, as we do every single year here, we also want to take this moment to remind y’all and to remind ourselves that there are so many people in this country right now who will not be able to be with their loved ones this year. The nearly two million human beings who are locked up in the United States of America right now. The tens of thousands of immigrants who have been sitting and rotting in ice detention, the vast
by Maximillian Alvarez | Dec 19, 2025 | documentary, east palestine, Economy and Inequality, Politics and Movements: US, railroad, sacrifice zones, video
On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern ‘bomb train’ carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in the small town of East Palestine, Ohio. Three days later, Norfolk Southern pressured local authorities to dump and burn five tanker cars full of chemicals, blasting a mushroom cloud of toxic phosgene and hydrogen chloride into the air. Nearly three years later, residents like Jami Wallace and her family are still suffering the toxic fallout.
Additional links/info:
Jami Wallace Facebook page
Jami’s fundraiser for Chemically Impacted Communities Coalition (CICC)
Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “An industrial disaster wrecked my home. Now I’m living out of a hotel”
Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “A billion-dollar company poisoned my home and destroyed my town”
Maximillian Alvarez, Steve Mellon, & Mike Balonek, The Real News Network, “Trainwreck in ‘Trump Country’: Partisan politics hasn’t helped East Palestine, OH (DOCUMENTARY)”
Credits:
Production: Maximillian Alvarez
Post-Production: Maximillian Alvarez, David Hebden
Additional photos courtesy of Jami Wallace
Transcript
The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible.Jami Wallace:
It’s not fair. We’re people, our lives matter. My daughter’s life matters, and that’s what everybody is telling me is that you guys are just accosted doing business. We can kill a whole community and who cares? It didn’t hit the bottom line, so we’ll do it again.
[TEXT ON-SCREEN]:
On Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern ‘bomb train’ carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in the small town of East Palestine, Ohio. Three days later, Norfolk Southern pressured local authorities to dump and burn five tanker cars full of chemicals, blasting a mushroom cloud of toxic phosgene and hydrogen chloride into the air. Nearly 3 years
by Maximillian Alvarez | Dec 18, 2025 | east palestine, Economy, Economy and Inequality, Politics and Movements: US, video
Life for Zsuzsa Gyenes has become a never-ending nightmare after a Norfolk Southern “bomb train” carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in her hometown of East Palestine, OH, on Feb. 3, 2023. “When the derailment happened, my son and I [got] very sick,” Gyenes says, “we were forced to leave our home very shortly afterwards, and we had been displaced continuously for over a year and a half.” When Norfolk Southern eventually helped Gynes locate and pay for a new home, she hoped it was a chance for a fresh start—but her troubles were only just beginning.
Additional links/info:
Zsuzsa Gyenes Facebook page and fundraiser page
Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “A billion-dollar company poisoned my home and destroyed my town”
Maximillian Alvarez, Steve Mellon, & Mike Balonek, The Real News Network, “Trainwreck in ‘Trump Country’: Partisan politics hasn’t helped East Palestine, OH (DOCUMENTARY)”
Credits:
Production: Maximillian Alvarez
Post-Production: Maximillian Alvarez, David Hebden
Transcript
The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible.
Zsuzsa Gyenes:
When the derailment happened, my son and I were very sick the night that it had happened, and we were forced to leave our home very shortly afterwards, and we had been displaced continuously for over a year and a half. We still don’t have any help. We know that people are still sick. We’ve known people are sick. There’s still people in town wanting to get out.
Maximillian Alvarez:
So I’m back here in East Palestine, Ohio where the Norfolk Southern train derailment and chemical disaster happened in early February, 2023. The media since then has moved on. Politicians have moved on, and just recently, Norfolk Southern itself said that
