Loud & Clear: Recent Episodes
Loud & Clear
Tune in to Loud and Clear with Brian Becker for the latest news, commentary and searing political analysis. We bring you independent experts, activists and political writers.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis,” and his latest book, which is called “The Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism and Capitalism in the Long 16th Century.”
Protests continued over the weekend across the country against racist police violence in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha. President Trump focused in on Portland and threatened to send federal troops to the city.
Confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the United States are nearing 6 million, with more than 183,000 deaths. President Trump, though, retweeted a story saying that there were only 9,000 Covid deaths. That was one of 89 tweets that he released in a barrage between 5:49 am and 8:04 am on Sunday. In other tweets, he called for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to be arrested and he threatened a military takeover of Portlands, Oregon, saying that protestors there were organizing a coup to overthrow him. Ted Rall, an award-winning columnist and political cartoonist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Greece and Turkey are gearing up for yet another armed conflict. Turkish president Erdogan appears to be lashing out at his neighbors Greece, Cyprus, Syria, and even Libya, and he is warning Greece, Cyprus, and Israel that oil exploration in the Mediterranean will be a causus belli for Turkey. At the same time, Turkish fighter jets violate Greek airspace on a daily basis, Turkish warships are in the Aegean Sea off the coast of the Greek islands, and Greece has called up its military reserves to prepare for war. Brian and John speak with Dr. Gönül Tol, the founding director of The Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies, and a former professor who has taught courses on Islamist movements in Western Europe, Turkey, world politics, and the Middle East.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including ongoing anti-racism protests and Trump’s threat of a renewed federal crackdown, the 2020 election, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Trump’s speech accepting the Republican nomination last night, the RNC event as a whole, the vigilante who killed two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the professional sports strikes going on this week, and more.
In a presidential nomination acceptance speech as dark and angry as any ever given, President Trump last night said that Joe Biden, if elected president, would destroy the nation and would cede it to anarchists, extreme leftists, looters, rioters, and criminals. He said that Biden would destroy America’s suburbs, apparently by allowing African-Americans to live there, and he ridiculously accused Biden of “ignoring science.” Pundits are calling the speech, “a grinding monotone” and “low energy.” Others are calling it “one of the most sustained displays of propagandizing in the modern history of Western democracy.” Lee Camp, a writer, comedian, activist, journalist, host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” on RT America, whose latest book is called “Bullet Points & Punch Lines,” and who’s at leecamp.com, joins the show.
China yesterday fired a barrage of missiles into the South China Sea in response to rising tensions with the United States. The US, for its part, has repeatedly sent ships into the South China Sea, has improved relations with Taiwan, Beijing’s arch-rival, and initiated an arms race with China. President Trump says that he’s the man to shepherd relations with China into a new, more militarized, era. But is that just a recipe for war? Brian and John speak with Mike Wong, the Vice President of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace.
Prominent Indian civil liberties defender Prashant Bhushan defended himself from possible imprisonment for insulting the country’s Supreme Court this week, the latest in what activists say is a wave of repressive actions by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Draconian new laws, such as the Public Safety Act, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, and tight internet curbs have resulted in real pressure on the most basic civil rights like freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. Dr. Ania Loomba, a literary scholar and the Catherine Bryson professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania who teaches English literature and early modern culture and the history of colonialism and postcolonialism in South Asia, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including the strike by professional athletes in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and the struggle for justice for Jacob Blake, the Republican National Convention and more.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
Professional basketball is in turmoil, but for all the right reasons. NBA playoff teams went on strike yesterday to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI. Blake had broken up a fight between two women, but then police shot him in the back seven times as he entered his car and while his children screamed in the back seat. The protest began in the Milwaukee Bucks-Orlando Magic game and quickly spread to other playoff teams. All NBA games are now canceled, and the protest has spread with the WNBA, MLB and professional tennis. Even sports journalists and commentators have walked off the job. Jamarl Thomas, host of the show Fault Lines, on Radio Sputnik every Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., and host of the show Progressive Soapbox, joins the show.
Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny was likely poisoned according to doctors in a Berlin hospital where he is being treated, though the exact substance has not yet been identified. Navalny fell ill during a trip to Siberia and was medically evacuated on Saturday. We’ll discuss this controversy and the effect it’s having on Russian politics. Brian and John speak with Bryan Macdonald, a journalist who specializes in Eastern Europe and Russia.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis.”
Two protesters were killed and one injured last night in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in ongoing demonstrations against police shooting Jacob Blake in the back. The shooter, who was part of a vigilante group, has now been arrested and charged with murder. The police’s bullets went through Blake’s spinal cord and severed it, and Blake is now being paralyzed from the waist down. The governor of Wisconsin has declared an emergency called in hundreds of National Guard soldiers.
The Republican National Convention last night was more like a presidential press conference, mostly located at the White House, featuring Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaking from Jerusalem on a diplomatic trip, and with a naturalization ceremony for new U.S. citizens. What does last night’s theatrics say about the state of democracy in the U.S.? Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
Workers from across the country are converging on Washington, D.C. tomorrow at noon to hold a march on the mansion of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos -- the richest person in the world. They will demand that Amazon take a range of measures to protect employees from the Coronavirus pandemic. Brian speaks with Chris Smalls, founder of The Congress of Essential Workers and organizer of tomorrow’s march on Jeff Bezos’ mansion. Chris Smalls was fired by Amazon after organizing his fellow warehouse workers in New York City to demand health protections amid the pandemic.
Israel fired on Hezbollah observation posts yesterday in Lebanon, escalating the conflict between the two countries. Israel’s air attacks against Lebanon went on in the same week that Israel has increased the attacks and the siege on Gaza, where two million Palestinians are living on just four hours of electricity a day. Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, most recently of the film Killing Gaza, joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff.
Yesterday saw Day 1 of the Republican National Convention. And although the likes of Breitbart, the One America Network, and other right wing media lauded the evening as the single best day in the history of Republican politics, the mainstream media condemned it as a hate-filled night of half-truths and outright lies about President Trump’s record. Democratic nominee Joe Biden got no bump in the polls from his convention. How will Americans react to Donald Trump’s week in the limelight? Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Last Thursday, the US notified the U.N. Security Council that it would demand a reimposition of all previous U.N. sanctions against Iran under Resolution 2231. The Trump administration cited what it called significant violations of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from which the United States withdrew in May 2018. All Security Council sanctions against the country were lifted under Resolution 2231, which endorsed the nuclear deal. Less than 24 hours after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo submitted the notice to the Security Council, 13 of the council’s 15 members expressed opposition to US efforts to reimpose the sanctions. They said that because the Trump administration had withdrawn from the agreement, it had no right to invoke the deal to return the sanctions. Meanwhile, Pompeo is in Bahrain as part of his Middle East tour to shore up opposition to Iran and support for the peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Brian and John speak with Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society, with today’s special edition dedicated to the militant struggle for the right to vote for all women. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Police over the weekend shot two more black men, killing one, and anti-police violence protests have begun anew. 31-year-old Trayford Pellerin was shot from behind in Lafayette, LA at a gas station. In Kenosha, WI, Jacob Blake remains in stable condition after being shot in the back as many as seven times. A video shows Blake walking around his SUV and trying to enter it while a police officer tries to pull him out, and then opens fire while Blakes children scream in the back seat. It is unclear how many police officers fired, and an investigation is underway.
The number of new coronavirus cases across the country are down, as mask rules are being more stringently enforced, school districts are closing en masse, and doctors begin using a new plasma treatment. But a Hong Kong man is the first person known to be infected with the coronavirus twice, indicating that antibodies are either short-lived or are not a protection against the disease. Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, an assistant professor of viral pathogenesis at the University of Manitoba and Canada Research Chair in molecular pathogenesis of emerging and reemerging viruses, joins the show.
Democrats have completed their virtual nominating convention and have formally nominated Joe Biden to be president of the United States. The Republicans will have their turn beginning tonight. The RNC lineup is filled with nods to the far right and the president’s so-called “law and order” campaign messaging. Biden is leading in the polls, but Trump is hitting the campaign trail while Biden retreats to his home out of the public eye, and Republican strategists are counting on the enthusiasm gap to overcome their weak position in the polls. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning columnist and political cartoonist whose work is at www.rall.com.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the Republican National Convention, the political effect of the Democrats’ convention, the latest on Coronavirus, protests against racist police violence, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
The US military announced last night that Iran had briefly seized a Liberian-flagged oil tanker near the Straits of Hormuz. The ship was released five hours later. But today, Trump Administration officials say they have seized gas and oil from four Iranian tankers on their way to Venezuela. The Administration is also seeking the legal forfeiture of the ships and cargo in federal court. Tehran, however, is calling the reports fake news and is saying that no such seizures have taken place.
The Trump Administration is launching a historically unprecedented attack on the US postal service in order to prevent or to hamper voting by mail. The Postmaster General, a Trump appointee, has ordered that sorting machines be removed by postal facilities to slow the mail process, and that mailboxes be removed from street corners and other public places. Constitutional attorneys say that the president’s move is patently illegal and that the Constitution gives the states sole discretion over how to conduct elections, even presidential elections. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
The governments of Israel and the United Arab Emirates came to a historic peace agreement yesterday, apparently brokered by the Trump Administration. Israel will open an embassy in Abu Dhabi and the UAE will open an embassy in Tel Aviv. At the same time, Israel will end its plans to annex Palestinian territory. Egypt and Bahrain cheered the move and congratulated both sides. Iran and Turkey called the deal “a stab in the back of Muslims,” and all Palestinian political factions denounced the tmove as a maneuver to normalize the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. Brian and John speak with Tamara Nassar, associate editor of Electronic Intifada.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the selection of Kamala Harris to be Joe Biden’s running mate, the spread of the pandemic especially among children, stalled efforts by Congress to pass a stimulus package, the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Aislinn Pulley, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Protestors in Bend, Oregon last night were sprayed by ICE agents with pepper spray, the use of tear gas has resumed in Portland and activists are denouncing what appears to be a coordinated crackdown. Meanwhile, protests and police attacks continued in Richmond, Chicago and elsewhere, and cops and politicians are demanding heavier and heavier charges and elsewhere.
Presumptive Democratic Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees Joe Biden and Kamala Harris appeared together yesterday for the first time since Harris joined the ticket. Harris gave a speech outlining the differences between the Democratic and Republican tickets, while President Trump responded by calling Harris “mean” and “a nasty woman.” And what can we expect in terms of the political relationship between Biden and Harris, considering that many don’t expect Biden to complete a full term in office? Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, and Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Margaret Kimberley, an activist, columnist, and author, whose latest book is called “Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents,” and KJ Noh, a San Francisco activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice.
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden yesterday chose California Senator Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential running mate. Harris is the first African-American and Indian-American woman to appear on a major-party ticket. But not everybody is celebrating. Harris is a former prosecutor and state Attorney General, and she is responsible for imprisoning thousands of people under California’s drug laws. She has a conservative voting record on foreign affairs and issues of war and peace. And leaders of Wall Street banks are telling their clients that there is now no cause to worry about a Biden win in November.
Covid-19 continues to spread through recently reopened schools, especially in the southern United States. Many school districts there reopened two weeks ago, only to see thousands of new infections and then to close again. Meanwhile, cruise ship employees say that after passengers departed, they were stranded on the ships for months. Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician and vice chair of the Infectious Disease Society of America’s Global Health Committee, joins the show.
Large-scale protests continue in Bolivia against the decision by the coup-installed government of the country to once again postpone elections. As strikes and roadblocks bring the country to a standstill, right-wing paramilitary groups are being mobilized by pro-coup forces to violently repress demonstrators. Brian and John speak with Arnold August, a journalist, the author of three books on Cuba, Latin America, and US foreign policy, and a Fellow at the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Protests continued overnight and over the past weekend in both Portland and Chicago, and Chicago saw intense clashes, resulting in more than 100 arrests.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today that Russian scientists have developed a vaccine for the coronavirus and that it has received regulatory approval after two months of testing on humans. Frontline medical professionals will be the first to receive the vaccine, and Putin’s own daughter already has received it. Russian doctors plan to begin mass vaccinations in October. Bryan Macdonald, a journalist who specializes in Eastern Europe and Russia, joins the show.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist who is senior editor of The Grayzone and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”
Four days ago, Twitter announced that it would begin identifying what it calls “state sponsors of information” on the platform. What that means is that when Sputnik, RT, Telesur, or any number of similar outlets post a tweet, Twitter will add a tag saying that the information comes from a foreign government. The implication is that reads should take what they read with a grain of salt. But the warning label will not be attached to tweets and news from the BBC, Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe, Radio or TV Marti, or the Voice of America, all of which are government owned and operated.
Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are still at loggerheads when it comes to a new coronavirus stimulus package. So President Trump this weekend took matters into his own hands. In a move that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called “absurdly unconstitutional” and that was even condemned by the conservative Wall Street Journal, Trump issued executive orders this weekend that cuts the payroll tax, deferrs student loans, and provides Americans with an unemployment supplement of $400 a week. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “The Scourge of Neo-Liberalism: US policy from Reagan to Trump,” joins the show.
We continue our segment “Education for Liberation” where we look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and author, and host of the new podcast: “Under the Tree: A Seminar on Freedom with Bill Ayers”
In The Week Ahead, the panel looks at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world including Trump’s executive orders on Coronavirus relief, the spread of the pandemic among children, and more. Walter Smolarek, Sputnik News analyst and one of the producers of Loud & Clear, joins the show.
We continue our weekly half hour segment Technology Rules—a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the National Surveillance State are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa, and Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall. He’s an award-winning columnist and political cartoonist and you can check out his work at www.rall.com.
Discussions between the White House and Congressional Democrats on a coronavirus relief package are on the brink of collapse, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now saying that there may be light at the end of the tunnel, but that light may be an oncoming train. Even after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell relented on continuing the $600 weekly supplement for the unemployed, the White House and Democrats are so far apart that no coronavirus aid bill is expected at least through the weekend.
President Trump yesterday issued executive orders that would ban popular apps TikTok and WeChat from operating in the United States if they are not sold to a US company in the next 45 days. The Wall Street Journal says that the executive orders are unprecedented in American history. Trump earlier in the week told Microsoft’s CEO that if the company buys TikTok, he expects “a great deal of money to go to the Treasury.” That, too, is unprecedented. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins the show.
Yesterday was the 75th anniversary of the US atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima, Japan. And Sunday marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The bombings killed as many as 226,000 people, almost all of whom were civilians. Even after 75 years, these two attacks are the only times that any country in the world has detonated a nuclear weapon against another. Brian and John speak with Greg Mello, the Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the huge number of coronavirus cases and deaths, the problem US media has with Russia getting to a vaccine quickly, Biden’s comments about the African American community not being diverse, and more. Brian and John speak with Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Pete Dolack, an activist and writer with Trade Justice New York Metro, who focuses on human rights, social justice, and environmental and trade issues and is the author of “It’s Not Over, Learning from the Socialist Experiment.”
The so-called economic recovery has hit a roadblock with another 1.2 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the past week. And at the end of the week, the government’s $600 bonus to the unemployed expired. Meanwhile, farm bankruptcies rose eight percent over last year, a number that is lower than expected because of federal intervention. And in Washington, Democrats in the House and Republicans in the Senate are apparently no closer to a compromise on a new coronavirus relief bill than they were a week ago.
New York Attorney General Leticia James tweeted last night that she would make a major national announcement today at 12:45. Well, she made that announcement. And it was that she would charge the National Rifle Association, the NRA, as a criminal organization. The Attorney General alleges that the NRA and four of its top executives mismanaged funds and violated both state and federal laws, resulting in a loss of more than $64 million over the past three years. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Rania Khalek, a journalist and political activist whose work has appeared in The Nation, The Intercept, Aljazeera, Salon, VICE, and elsewhere.
Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, experienced a massive explosion yesterday that killed at least 100 people and wounded more than 4,000. The government said that a warehouse containing ammonium nitrate, the same compound that was used in the Oklahoma City bombing, was ignited after a neighboring warehouse containing fireworks or some similar explosives, caught fire. Many countries around the world have offered assistance, but aid will not help with the broken political system and dysfunctional government that allowed the accident to happen.
Races in Missouri and Kansas saw upsets yesterday for both parties, as Rep. Lacy Clay, who replaced his father in a congressional seat in St. Louis, was ousted by progressive activist Cori Bush. Missouri voters also approved a referendum that would implement that toughest anti-abortion rules in the country. In Kansas, former Secretary of State Kris Kobach was defeated in the Republican primary for US Senate, virtually ensuring that the Republicans will retain the seat. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration sued the state of Nevada yesterday over the issue of voting by mail. Ted Rall, an award-winning columnist and political cartoonist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
The Council on Hemispheric Affairs, of COHA, yesterday published a report saying that a recently leaked document from USAID, the Agency for International Development, provides a glimpse into the breadth and depth of the US government’s policy and plan to interfere in Nicaragua’s internal affairs up to and after its presidential election next year. The Trump Administration’s policy in Nicaragua has been a simple one: to overthrow the government of President Daniel Ortega. Brian and John speak with Jill Clark-Gollub, assistant editor and translator at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs.
There is no national testing plan for the coronavirus and no plans to implement one. As a result, seven states recently banded together to create their own. Maryland’s Republican Governor Larry Hogan negotiated the deal, which includes two other Republicans and four Democrats, when the White House refused to recommend national standards to combat the disease. They’ve already negotiated a deal with a testing company that can conduct a Covid test and provide results in 30 minutes. Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, an assistant professor of viral pathogenesis at the University of Manitoba and Canada Research Chair in molecular pathogenesis of emerging and reemerging viruses, joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, and special guest Ian Zabarte, Principal Man of the Western Bands of the Shoshone Indians, the secretary of the Native Community Action Council, at NativeCommunityActionCouncil.org, and a leading voice nationally against the Yucca Mountain dump, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism.”
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest Prof. Wolff.
Several states have primary elections today with heavily contested races. In Kansas, former Secretary of State Kris Kobach, an immigration hardliner and failed candidate for governor, is now running for a Senate seat that has been Republican for 66 years. And in Michigan, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is facing a stiff challenge from former Rep. Brenda Jones, an African-American woman. Meanwhile, Joe Biden still has not made a decision on his Vice President, with six vetted candidates still in the running. Biden apparently will now make a decision late this week or early next week. And concerns are growing over the political turmoil that could come from long delays counting mail-in ballots. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare. He is a journalist and author of three books--The Frozen Republic, The Velvet Coup, and America's Undeclared War.
The coronavirus continues to spread, with 35 states across the country logging more cases last week than the week before. President Trump, however, is insistent that schools reopen. With that said, some governors are ignoring the president and are ordering that students return to school online only. And in an interview yesterday with the news outlet Axios, the president insisted that the United States has the best coronavirus record in the world. Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist, whose latest film is “Killing Gaza.” He is also the senior editor of Grayzone and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels,” joins the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; special guest, Moira Casados-Cassidy, a member of the board of directors in the Denver Classroom Teachers Association; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations.
Microsoft CEO spoke with President Trump recently about its desire to purchase TikTok. Trump last week said that he would seek to ban TikTok, one of the most popular apps in the world, saying that it secretly collected data and sent it to China. Is the Microsoft CEO in favor of political gangsterism over the infamous free market that corporations usually espouse?
Congress and the Trump Administration are so far apart on another Covid relief bill that there is no chance of an agreement. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said yesterday that she and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin have not agreed on any major points that would be in a bill. They are farthest apart on direct aid to the unemployed, with Mnuchin saying that he would not support any bill that pays people to stay home doing nothing. Meanwhile, the coronavirus continues to spread quickly around the country with nearly 155,000 Americans dead and tens of millions remain unemployed. Lee Camp, a writer, comedian, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” on RT America, and his latest book is called “Bullet Points & Punch Lines,” available at leecamp.com, joins the show.
The Russian government announced over the weekend that it would begin a coronavirus vaccination program in October, the first country to do so. But rather than optimism or support, the media is fearmongering about the vaccine, equating speed with haphazard safety protocols. Indeed, some outlets are comparing the Russian vaccine to Sputnik, the first man-made satellite in space. And the media are doing the same thing with news of an upcoming Chinese vaccine. Brian and John speak with Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Chicago Teachers Union member and activist Nick Stender joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world. Sputnik News analyst and producer of this show Nicole Roussell joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer, the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” and Sputnik News analyst and producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the government’s coronavirus response; the Vietnamese government’s coronavirus response; the waning access to healthcare as millions lose their jobs; labor unions’ effects on healthcare access; the federal, state, and local police agreement in Portland; the renewed attempts to crush and privatize the post office, and more.
The withdrawal of federal agents from frontline policing of demonstrations in downtown Portland significantly reduced tensions in the city overnight. Protesters in support of Black Lives Matter rallied near the federal courthouse that became a flashpoint with federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the Bureau of Prisons. But in the absence of those federal agents, the night passed peacefully. President Trump says the federal agents will be redeployed to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee. Eugene Puryear, an author, activist and host of the new program BreakThrough News, joins the show.
The 16th century was an era when the roots of slavery, white supremacy, and capitalism became inextricably tangled into a complex history involving war and revolts in Europe and the conquest of the Americas by European settler colonialism. Colonial powers fought each to dominate the land, labor and resources for what was later dubbed the New World. They also invoked god and religion giving these initial conflicts a strong element of religious war. Brian and John speak with Dr. Gerald Horne, the author of a new book, his latest book titled: “The Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism and Capitalism in the Long 16th Century.”
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including President Trump's idea to delay elections and what it might portend, the state of unemployment this week, the testimony of the tech monopolies CEO’s yesterday, and more.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space, today focusing on the multiple missions to Mars launched in the last week, including the US launch today. Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
President Trump wrote a provocative tweet this morning, wondering aloud if the November presidential election should be postponed “until people can properly, securely, and safely vote.” Without any evidence whatsoever, the president said the November election will be “the most inaccurate and fraudulent election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA.”
The Commerce Department today reported that Gross Domestic Product shrank by 9.5 percent in the second quarter of the year, and at an annualized rate of 32.9 percent, easily a record in the history of the country. Although most economists say the second quarter numbers are a disaster, they are unlikely to be this bad in the third of fourth quarters, even if the nascent recovery has been thrown into jeopardy. Meanwhile, 1.4 million people filed for unemployment last week, the second week in a row with more than a million applications. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “The Scourge of Neo-Liberalism: US Policy from Reagan to Trump,” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
The spread of Covid-19 is worse in the United States than it is in any other country in the world. And the US has more deaths than any other country. Why is this the case? Is it because we have no national policy on masks? Or because governors reopened their states too early? No. It’s because of the Russians. The Associated Press reported today that Russian intelligence services are using three English-language websites to spread disinformation about Covid. The US Intelligence Community has just declassified the information so that we can talk about it in advance of the US presidential election.
The CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are testifying before a House antitrust subcommittee today about whether their companies have too much power. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, in his first-ever Congressional testimony, began the hearing saying that he was raised by a single mother and adoptive father and that he created Amazon 26 years ago from nothing. He and the others argued that they are not monopolies and are the only companies large enough to hold off Chinese ventures. Ted Rall, an award-winning columnist and political cartoonist, whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
An unmarked Kia van drove up to a crowd of protestors yesterday in New York City, at least five men jumped out, they grabbed a protestor, threw them in the van, and drove off. The men, it turns out, were New York police officers. But it appears they’ve learned these new tactics, which is little more than kidnapping, from the federal agents sent to Portland and elsewhere. And the protestor, we now know, was facing five misdemeanor counts of damaging a police camera. Meanwhile, the F.B.I.’s No. 2, declared the demonstrations following the murder of George Floyd “a national crisis,” and wrote that in addition to investigating what he called “violent protesters, instigators” and “inciters,” bureau leaders should collect information with “robust social media exploitation teams” and examine what appeared to be “highly organized behavior.” He also suggested that the bureau make use of the Hobbs Act, put into place in the 1940s to punish racketeering in labor groups, to charge the protesters. Brian and John speak with Heidi Boghosian, the executive director of the A. J. Muste Memorial Institute and the former Executive Director of the National Lawyers Guild.
The Trump Administration announced yesterday that it would continue to reject all new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, and it would shorten renewals for the more than 600,000 immigrants already enrolled in the program while the government conducts a review. The move comes after the Supreme Court earlier this summer blocked the Trump Administration’s attempts to end the program, which shields young immigrants brought to this country without documentation from deportation. Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of the New Sanctuary Movement, joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ajamu Baraka, the National Organizer, Black Alliance for Peace and a longtime human rights activist, organizer, and political activist, and the 2016 Green Party nominee for Vice President of the United States.
Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is going to make his vice presidential pick soon, maybe as early as this coming weekend. But all of them are pro-war candidates, many with ties to the racist policing that millions are protesting.
Attorney General William Barr testified before the House Judiciary Committee this morning, his first such testimony since being named Attorney General. Testimony focused on the federal crackdown on protests, and the aftermath of the Russiagate campaign. Julie Hurwitz, a civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman, Hurwitz and James, and Vice President of the Michigan chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, joins the show.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Lillian House, an organizer with the Denver Liberation Center and has been deeply involved in protests across Colorado.
In Denver, Colorado, this weekend, two white men drove a Jeep at top speed, possibly as high as 80 miles an hour, into a crowd of people protesting racist police violence, severely injuring several people. The police found the culprits who attempted to murder and maim these protesters, but reportedly let them go. In a similar racist attack, the driver who drove his car into an anti-racism protest in Austin, Texas, shot and killed an activist who tried to stop the car.
Senate Republicans have finalized their version of a new stimulus bill to address the fallout from the Coronavirus pandemic. Under the plan, the enhancement to unemployment benefits would be slashed, and a major push is underway to shield corporations from legal consequences if their employees get sick. The bill also includes another round of one-time checks equivalent to those disbursed under the CARES Act. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
Tesla owner Elon Musk caused outrage over the weekend by apparently admitting that his company’s demand for lithium played a role in the coup against democratically-elected Bolivian president Evo Morales. Musk tweeted, “We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it.” This comes as the de-facto government of Jeanine Añez postpones the election once again as the candidate of Morales’ party leads in the polls.Brian and John speak with Patricio Zamorano, an academic and international analyst and Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA, Ollie Vargas, a Bolivian journalist and writer who has contributed to teleSUR, Morning Star, and other media outlets.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation” is about at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Rick Ayers, a professor of education at the University of San Francisco and author, joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the expiring coronavirus unemployment insurance, the bipartisan military spending bill larger than the next 8 countries’ military budgets combined, Julian Assange in court today, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Trump’s reversal in his approach to the pandemic, the latest US moves and escalation of rhetoric against China, the federal police crackdown on anti-racism protesters, the 2020 presidential election, and more.
Today, China ordered the closure of the US consulate in Chengdu, in response to the Trump Administration’s closure of China’s consulate in Houston, Texas, for which they cited alleged Chinese theft of US intellectual property. The move was a serious escalation in the tit-for-tat between the US and China. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
President Trump said yesterday that he would send federal agents into Chicago, Albuquerque, and Kansas City as part of what he’s calling “Operation Legend.” In Portland, these agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the Bureau of Prisons, have harassed peaceful protestors, they’ve snatched demonstrators off the streets into unmarked rental cars, and they’ve detained protestors without charge. Mayors and governors are up in arms, and they’ve filed multiple lawsuits against the administration. But the president is undaunted. Brian and John speak with Wyatt Reed, the producer of By Any Means Necessary, which is on Radio Sputnik every weekday from 2pm to 4pm.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
The corporate media make a lot of the work being done internationally by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We routinely see news reports about the Foundation’s involvement in the development of a vaccine for Covid-19, for example. But the Gates Foundation is leading the charge in privatizing global public health policy. Michele Greenstein, a journalist and the author of “Why the Bill Gates Global Health Empire Promises More Empire and Less Public Health,” at The Grayzone, and the producer of a series on the technology war between the U.S. and China and a documentary from the field on 2019’s anti-government movement in Hong Kong.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “The Scourge of Neoliberalism: US policy from Reagan to Trump,” at www.jackrasmus.com.
1.4 million Americans filed new unemployment claims last week, the first increase in months, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to weigh on the labor market. Meanwhile, Republicans in the Senate came closer to a unified position on a new stimulus package. They scrapped the president’s demand for a payroll tax cut, but they also proposed dramatically lower benefits for the unemployed.
President Trump yesterday threatened to send federal agents to cities all around America, ostensibly to protect federal buildings. We know from what we’ve seen in Portland, Oregon, though, that these agents are perpetrating violence on peaceful and unarmed protestors. The agents appear to be from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the Bureau of Prisons. They are dressed in military fatigues and they don’t wear nameplates or insignia. And they’ve been snatching people off the streets, throwing them into unmarked vehicles, and detaining them without charge. Dari Rodriguez, an organizer with the Bronx Justice Center, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations.
The Trump Administration today ordered China to close its consulate in Houston amid deteriorating relations between the two countries. China denounced the move as “an unprecedented escalation.” The State Department said the closure is punishment for the Chinese theft of American intellectual property.
President Trump yesterday reinstated Covid-19 medical briefings from the White House press room. But instead of Drs. Fauci or Birx leading the event, the president appeared by himself. Trump had a moment of clarity when he said that Covid-19 infections would get worse before they get better, and indeed, more than 1,000 people died yesterday for the first time in 50 days. And Trump has begun wearing a mask after saying that they were unpatriotic. Ted Rall, an award-winning columnist and political cartoonist and you can check out his work at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Federal agents wearing military fatigues but no name tags or identifying insignia have been snatching protestors off the streets of Portland in rented black vans, and they are now reported to be in Chicago. President Trump said that he will send these agents, who are apparently from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the Bureau of Prisons, to any city in America where protestors are damaging statues or property. But civil libertarians are crying foul and say that there are serious constitutional violations being committed. Brian and John speak with Medea Benjamin, a legendary peace activist and the co-founder of the peace group Code Pink.
The White House and Republicans on Capitol Hill are in disarray over a Covid-19 spending plan just as benefits from the last bill are set to expire. The Washington Post reports that the White House and Congressional Republicans can’t even agree on policy goals, spending parameters, or even deadlines. And there’s not yet even talk about reconciling whatever the Republican bill will look like before it’s reconciled with the Democrats’ bill. Pete Dolack, an activist and writer with Trade Justice New York Metro, who focuses on human rights, social justice, and environmental and trade issues and the author of “It’s Not Over, Learning from the Socialist Experiment,” joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Lee Camp, a writer, comedian, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” on RT America, and his latest book is called “Bullet Points & Punch Lines,” which you can find at leecamp.com.
An annual Washington ritual has begun again. That’s debate and passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA. But this year it’s more ominous. While much of the defense-related press focuses on money for troops in Germany or additional destroyers in Spain, the measure also authorizes and funds military action against American citizens in American cities. We’ve seen it in Portland. Chicago is next. And this isn’t just an invention of Donald Trump. It began during the Obama Administration. In the meantime, how many masks, gowns, and gloves could be purchased for frontline medical personnel with the money used to put down peaceful demonstrators?
A long-awaited report from the British Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee accuses Russia to meddle in the UK’s internal affairs and to influence the Brexit referendum. Russian authorities have strongly disputed these allegations, calling them “groundless” and impossible to substantiate. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mara Verheyden Hilliard, the executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund.
A viral video is making the rounds on social media and in the mainstream news that shows a Navy veteran and graduate of the US Naval Academy being brutalized by a federal officer in Portland, Oregon. The man is standing peacefully, when he is attacked by a federal officer in fatigues, who strikes him with a club multiple times, breaking his hand, while another officer sprays him in the face with pepper spray. That’s the situation in Portland, where these federal officers--with no name tags and no identifying features--have taken to the streets. They are even kidnapping protestors and taking them away in unmarked vans.
The 2020 presidential campaign seems to get crazier and crazier. President Donald Trump gave an interview over the weekend to Fox News’s Chris Wallace that became combative and called into question whether Trump can maintain his base as we get closer to the election. Meanwhile the latest national polls show Joe Biden leading Trump by 15 percentage points. Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," joins the show.
The coronavirus continues to spread at an increasingly rapid rate, especially across the southern United States. Nationally, Covid-19 is infecting 20 people per 100,000 residents. But the infection rate is far higher in many states, with Florida at 55 people per 100,000 residents, Arizona at 44, Louisiana at 41, and Nevada at 39. And deaths stand at nearly 141,000. Meanwhile, the European Union announced that it would not allow Americans to travel there at least until July 31. Brian and John speak with Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician and vice chair of the Infectious Disease Society of America’s Global Health Committee.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including Trump’s efforts to minimize his administration’s mishandling of the Coronavirus crisis, the state of the 2020 presidential election, the kidnapping of protesters by unidentified federal agents in Portland, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh,veditor of thepolemicist.net, and Walter Smolarek, Sputnik News analysts and producer.
In The Week in Review, we take a look at the biggest stories of the week, including the latest controversies over the response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the shakeup in the Trump campaign, the latest U.S. threats against China, recent developments in the economic crisis gripping the country, and more
The number of Covid-19 infections broke another record yesterday, its ninth in 11 days, with 77,255 new cases reported. Another 943 Americans died yesterday. Medical professionals in Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Arizona, and southern California warn that Intensive Care Units are full or almost full, and there are no signs that the spread of the disease is slowing. Meanwhile, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp lifted an Atlanta rule that residents must wear masks. Kemp said, disingenuously, that while he wants people to wear masks, he doesn’t want to mandate it. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter whose writings can be found at ThisCantBeHappening.net., joins the show.
The Supreme Court yesterday refused to consider an Appeals Court decision to uphold the disenfranchisement of as many as one million ex-felons in the state of Florida. Florida voters had passed a referendum allowing ex-felons who had completed probation and parole to register to vote, except if they had been convicted of murder or sex crimes. But the state’s governor sued, and the state legislature passed a law saying that ex-felons also had to have paid all fines, fees, and restitution before registering. Brian and John speak with Ruth Beltran, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Tampa, and Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement.
The UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission, the country’s official equality watchdog, finds itself in the center of a controversy over its impartiality. That controversy began when two pro-Israel lobbying groups in the UK asked for an investigation into alleged anti-semitism in the British Labour Party. But the Equality and Human Rights Commission never revealed that it had named one of the pro-Israel lobbying groups to its legal advisory board. And it also hadn’t revealed that one of its senior members had donated thousands of pounds to the Conservative Party and had hosted a fundraiser for the party. Asa Winstanley, an investigative journalist and an associate editor of the Electronic Intifada, joins Brian and John.
Again this week we’ll look at the worst, most misleading, funniest, and just plain wrong headlines of the past week. Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News, at lefti.blogspot.com, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including new studies showing that coronavirus antibodies may only exist temporarily, the European Court of Justice’s ruling on US violations of data privacy, the hack yesterday into famous Twitter accounts, the new footage of George Floyd’s death and what the cops said as they killed him, and more.
Until recently, the Japanese island of Okinawa, which is home to several different US military bases, had no Covid-19 cases at all. But in the past two weeks, nearly 100 servicemen have been infected and all US facilities on the island have gone into lockdown to try to prevent the disease from spreading to the population. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo escalated tensions with China this week. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and Sputnik news analyst Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning columnist and political cartoonist whose work is at www.rall.com.
2020 is taking some odd political turns. Last night in the Alabama primary, former senator and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions lost his comeback attempt handily--61 to 39--to former football coach Tommy Tuberville. President Trump complained in a Rose Garden press conference that Joe Biden’s environmental plan to reduce greenhouse gasses would mean that new houses would be built without windows.
The UK has banned Chinese telecom giant Huawei from its 5G network, reversing a January decision that would have allowed the tech company to have a role in building the country’s super-fast wireless infrastructure. President Trump is claiming that it was he who convinced the British government to take the decision. Meanwhile, Apple won a major EU court victory yesterday when a 2016 decision to force Apple to pay $16 billion in taxes was overturned. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
President Trump today unilaterally weakened one of the nation’s bedrock conservation laws, the National Environmental Policy Act, limiting public review of federal infrastructure projects to speed up the permitting of freeways, power plants, and pipelines. Gutting the 50-year-old law is one of the most significant measures the administration has taken. And to date, Trump has either weakened, suspended, or canceled more than 100 environmental protection laws and regulations. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
Armenian and Azerbaijani troops clashed along their border this week, killing an Azeri general and at least 10 other people. Both sides accuse each other of shelling civilians. The fighting is a result of a long-time dispute over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is claimed by both sides. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, negotiated a fragile ceasefire in 1994, but Azeri President Aliyev called any further diplomacy “pointless.” Mark Sleboda, a foreign affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Ghislaine Maxwell, the woman accused of procuring and grooming young girls for the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, appeared in court today, charged with perjury and conspiracy. Maxwell’s attorneys are expected to base their legal defense on an unprecedented sweetheart deal Epstein received from prosecutors in Florida in 2007 that shielded his co-conspirators from legal consequences. But what Maxwell is accused of doing is just as horrifying as the accusations against Epstein.
A major battle is brewing between the White House and states, municipalities, and school districts around the country over whether, when, and how to reopen schools in the fall. The President and his Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, are adamant that schools must reopen fully and on-time or risk losing federal aid. But epidemiologists and educators say it’s too dangerous and a fight is likely in the courts. Rick Ayers, a professor of education at the University of San Francisco, the author of “An Empty Seat in Class: Teaching and Learning after the Death of a Student,” and co-author of the book “You can’t fire the bad ones: And 18 other myths about teachers, teachers unions, and public education,” and Karla Reyes, a teacher in New York Public Schools and a managing editor of the women’s magazine Breaking the Chains, joins the show.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Ann Marie Kernen, a Washington, DC anti-war organizer; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to The Nation, Extra!, and Salon.com, and whose writings are at ThisCantBeHappening.net.
States across the country yesterday reported record numbers of Covid-19 infections, 57,789, with marked increases in 35 states. Florida alone reported 15,300 new cases on Sunday. And perhaps even more troubling, the average age for those people newly-infected has declined. Experts say this is a result of bars and beaches opening and younger people refusing to practice social distancing and to wear masks. Meanwhile, the White House appears to have turned on Dr. Anthony Fauci, calling into question his ability to continue leading the fight against the disease. And a new report has shown even more abuse of pandemic assistance programs by the ultra-rich -- this time by wealth management firms.
Major unions representing academic workers are organizing protests today in cities across the country in opposition to ICE’s new policy of deporting international students whose universities do not resume in-person classes. Tomorrow, a court in Massachusetts will hold a hearing on a major lawsuit brought by Harvard and MIT seeking to block ICE. Neal Sweeney, the Vice President of UAW Local 5810, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand theImpossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian.
The federal government was just prohibited from beginning executing death row prisoners again today. As if that’s not controversial enough, the government has been secretly experimenting with pentobarbital as the execution drug without telling the companies that manufacture it and without telling the people of St. Louis, MO that experiments in advance of the executions are taking place in the center of their city. Miriam Gohara, a Clinical Associate Professor of Law at Yale Law School who spent sixteen years representing death-sentenced clients in post-conviction litigation, as assistant counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) and then as a specially designated federal public defender with the Federal Capital Habeas Project, joins John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the huge and growing coronavirus numbers, the Washington football team abruptly changing its name during the current protest movement after years of campaigns against the name, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analyst and producer Nicole Roussell and, in the second half hour, special guest Kym Smith, an South Carolina organizer in the ongoing protest movement.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on record-breaking counts of new coronavirus cases in six of the last ten days, deaths due to coronavirus beginning to increase, the Supreme Court cases this week that ruled on Trump’s taxes and women’s right to health care, and a special report from Columbia, South Carolina, about the escalating level of police repression against the protest movement.
Immigration detention facilities have been hit hard by the coronavirus. Last week, more than 100 of the 412 detainees at an ICE facility in Farmville, Virginia tested positive for the coronavirus, which is spreading rapidly throughout the facility, and detainees say the real numbers are far worse. ICE, meanwhile, continues to transfer people from other states into the Farmville facility, further endangering everyone. And those who are sick are merely handed Tylenol. Danny Cendejas, an organizer with la ColectiVa, a social justice organization in Northern Virginia campaigning for the release of everyone at the immigration detention center in Farmville, Virginia, where covid-19 has started spreading, joins the show.
Many Americans followed the story of Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen. She was the soldier from Fort Hood, Texas who was brutally murdered and dismembered by a fellow soldier in April. Her remains were found two weeks ago. The murderer was Guillen’s supervisor, and she had been harassed by him previously. Now Guillen’s family and a group of female veterans are demanding systemic changes and a congressional investigation into the failure of the military to protect Guillen and other female soldiers. Brian and John speak with Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos.
The unemployment rate in the UK is expected to soar to more than 15 percent in an expected second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD. Such a rise in unemployment would put the British rate above unemployment levels in France, Germany, and Italy. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
The Supreme Court ruled today that New York City prosecutors may have access to President Trump’s tax returns for use with a grand jury, but that Congress may NOT have access, at least until after the election. Even with a partial victory, Trump is furious, and he spent much of the day tweeting his anger. Meanwhile, likely Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden issued an underwhelming economic plan advocating small tax increases on corporations and what Biden loosely called “common sense” taxation. And the Democratic Party’s “unity commissions” submitted their recommendations.
The Department of Labor this morning released its latest unemployment numbers today, and the 600-dollar a week enhancement to unemployment benefits is set to expire soon. Pete Dolack, an activist and writer with Trade Justice New York Metro, who focuses on human rights, social justice, and environmental and trade issues and the author of “It’s Not Over, Learning from the Socialist Experiment,” joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Chicago Teachers Union member and activist Nick Stender.
Covid-19 is continuing to spread rapidly, with 34 states reporting record numbers of cases yesterday, the same day that the President announced the US withdrawal from the World Health Organization. Nearly 132,000 Americans already have died of the disease this year, and current projections from the Centers for Disease Control say that we should expect to see 200,000 to 250,000 dead by November 1. But Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos are unfazed by these numbers. Trump yesterday tweeted an untruth that schools across Europe already are open and are reporting no problems. It’s the middle of the summer. And DeVos said that she would withhold federal funding for all schools that do not open physically when the new school year starts.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador flew to Washington yesterday to meet with President Trump. It’s his first foreign trip since winning in a landslide two years ago. Meanwhile, in Mexico, nearly six years after 43 college students disappeared in a rural area of the country, investigators have identified the remains of one of the missing, known as the Ayotzinapa 43. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins the show.
President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have agreed to hold three presidential debates in the fall, one less than Trump had sought. The New York Times’s Thomas Friedman suggests that Biden not debate unless Trump agrees to release his 2016-2018 tax returns and agrees to a real-time truth tracker. For his part, Biden has kept a low profile, making it difficult for Republicans to attack him. And all national polls show Biden winning in a landslide if the election were held today. Brian and John speak with Lee Camp, a writer, comedian, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” which you can see on RT America. His latest book is called “Bullet Points & Punch Lines,” and you can find it, and more of his work, at leecamp.com.
Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun arrived in Seoul South Korea yesterday for talks on stalled nuclear diplomacy hours after North Korea said Kim Jong Un had “no intention of sitting face to face with the United States.” President Trump had said earlier in the day that he was willing to have yet another summit with the North Korean leader. But Biegun reiterated the US position that North Korea must give up all of its nuclear weapons, something North Korea has always maintained it would not do unilaterally without concurrent sanctions relief. Gregory Elich, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and an author of many articles and books, whose work is at gregoryelich.org, joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Eugene Puryear, an author, activist and host of the new program BreakThrough News.
Major cities in the United States have suffered from serious gun violence for a very long time. All of a sudden, in newspapers across the country these tragic shootings are becoming front page news. Democratic Party politicians and corporate media outlets are implying that this is a consequence of the movement to defund the police. But these shootings, and others in cities like New York and St. Louis, had nothing to do with protests. So why are authorities trying to tie them together?
Paul Erickson, the Republican operative and former boyfriend of Maria Butina, the Russian student who was convicted of failing to register as a foreign agent, was sentenced to seven years in a federal prison yesterday for defrauding investors over the past 20 years. But critics argue that similar practices are commonplace among Washington lobbyists. The case had nothing to do with Butina, but prosecutors targeted Erickson after he refused to cooperate in the case against his girlfriend. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--The Frozen Republic, The Velvet Coup, and America's Undeclared War, joins the show.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Robert Gallo, MD, the Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine, co-founder and director of the Institute Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and co-founder and international scientific adviser of the Global Virus Network.
What would you think if someone told you that we already have a vaccine that at least helps fight Covid-19? That may already be the case. Two American scientists, Dr. Robert Gallo and Dr. Konstantin Chumakov, are positing that decades-old live vaccines for things like polio and tuberculosis strengthen the immune system’s first line of defense a more general way to fight infection. And the history books show us that that sometimes translates into at least some cross-protection against completely different viruses.
President Trump over the weekend gave a threatening and incendiary speech at Mount Rushmore that dispensed with any questions about whether he was going to launch a war on progressives in the presidential campaign. The event was protested by Native Americans whose land Mt. Rushmore is carved into. Among other things, Trump said that, “Angry mobs are seeking to unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities” and that those seeking to deface monuments want to “end America.” He called protestors, “members of the radical left, the Marxists, the anarchists, the agitators, the looters, and people who have absolutely no clue what they are doing.” Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose latest article on CounterPunch and The Polemicist titled “Over the Rainbow: Paths of Resistance after George Floyd,” joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including coronavirus numbers exploding, what President Trump said in his inciting and racist speech at Mount Rushmore over the weekend and what effects it may have, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including “The Counterrevolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America.”
The successful 1776 revolt against British rule in North America has been hailed almost universally as a great step forward for humanity. But the Africans then living in the colonies overwhelmingly sided with the British. Gerald Horne argues that in the prelude to 1776, the abolition of slavery seemed all but inevitable in London, delighting Africans as much as it outraged slaveholders, and sparking the colonial revolt. The so-called Revolutionary War was in part a counter-revolution, a conservative movement that the founding fathers fought in order to preserve their right to enslave others.
Abby Martin and Mike Prysner have filmed a new documentary titled “Afghanistan War Exposed: An Imperial Conspiracy”, that shows the totality of the US conflict in Afghanistan, from CIA covert action in the 1980s until today. They argue that the occupation of Afghanistan has become so normalized and mostly serves as background noise to Americans. It’s even referred to as the “Forever War,” accepted as just a constant reality. You can support the journalism of Mike and Abby Martin at patreon.com/EmpireFiles, and check out their work at YouTube.com/EmpireFiles. And check out an earlier documentary on Afghanistan by Abby and Mike titled “The Forever War: From the Killing Fields”. Mike Prysner, the documentary’s producer, and the co-host of the podcast Eyes Left, a military podcast hosted by two anti-war Army veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? John speaks with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou is joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning commentator and editorial cartoonist whose work you can find at www.rall.com.
New coronavirus infection cases are surging across the country, with marked increases in 45 states over the past 14 days. Dr. Anthony Fauci said yesterday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee that he would not be surprised to see 100,000 new infections per day in the coming weeks. Even the Republican governors of Texas, Florida, and Arizona said yesterday that they had reopened their states too soon. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that he was considering a third coronavirus stimulus bill that would extend unemployment benefits.
Accusations continue to fly that Russian military intelligence paid the Taliban a bounty to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan, although there is little in the way of evidence. The Wall Street Journal reported that NSA strenuously objected to the report, saying there was no evidence that it was true, while former National Security Advisor Susan Rice offered an opinion in the New York Times that it was true and that both President Trump and Vice President Pence live in a state of denial. Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, joins the show.
Supporters of Medicaid expansion won a narrow victory in conservative Oklahoma yesterday where a ballot measure passed with slightly over 50 percent of the vote. In Colorado, an right-wing insurgent congressional candidate who is a follower of the conspiracy group Q-Anon, defeated incumbent Republican Congressman Scott Tipton, despite being outspent 4-1. Meanwhile, mail-in ballots in Kentucky have been counted and Amy McGrath has won the Democratic nomination for Senate. She will take on Mitch McConnell in November. John speaks with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com whose writings are at ThisCantBeHappening.net.
The Israeli government was widely expected to present to the cabinet today a plan to annex as much as 30 percent of the West Bank. That’s what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s deal with Knesset Speaker Benny Gantz allowed for. But it didn’t happen, even after a meeting yesterday between Netanyahu, a White House envoy, and the US Ambassador to Israel. Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism.”
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff.
Accusations flew in Washington over the past two days about what President Trump was told about allegations that Russia paid bounties for the Taliban to kill American soldiers. But an equally intense debate is taking place over whether the information is even true in the first place. We don’t know much about the source and we have no idea if the information was vetted. Bryan Macdonald, a journalist who specializes in Eastern Europe and Russia, joins the show with John.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today that now is the time to lay out an ambitious economic plan to bring the UK out of its coronavirus recession. Plans set out in a new Tory election manifesto call for a New Deal and 5 billion pounds of new spending on homes and infrastructure, as well as investment in new schools, green buses, and upgraded broadband. The Opposition Labour Party said the plan was not new and not much of a deal. John speaks with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show with Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou is joined by Matthew Hoh, who worked for 12 years in United States Marine Corps and the Departments of Defense and State and resigned in 2009 from the State Department over the American escalation of the war in Afghanistan, whose writings have appeared in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Defense News, the Guardian, the Huffington Post, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, and who won the Ridenhour Prize for Truth Telling.
The New York Times over the weekend reported an explosive story saying that the Russian government paid a bounty for Taliban militants to kill Russian soldiers in Afghanistan. President Trump says he was never briefed on the report, and the intelligence community has used language indicating that they have no actual proof or corroboration. And the Pentagon says that Defense Department leaders were briefed on the report, but they, too, have not corroborated it. Former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who would have been briefed on the issue, seemed to not know anything about it when he was interviewed on the weekend news shows.
Covid-19 continues to spread rapidly, with Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California setting new infection records over the weekend. The governors in those states have begun scaling back and reversing reopenings and two of them, in Texas and North Carolina, said they erred in opening too early. Coronavirus deaths have topped 126,000 so far in the United States. And there are more than a half a million dead worldwide. Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, an assistant professor of viral pathogenesis at the University of Manitoba and Canada Research Chair in molecular pathogenesis of emerging and reemerging viruses, joins the show with John.
Boeing has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to begin test flights of its 737 Max jet to demonstrate that it can fly safely with new flight control software. The 737 Max was grounded in March 2019 after crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people. No Boeing executives were held accountable for those deaths. John speaks with Mary Schiavo, the former Inspector General at the Department of Transportation, an aviation attorney, an aviation professor, and an on-air consultant on aviation matters for CNN.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the supreme court decision today in favor of abortion rights for many many women who were at risk of losing further access to care; new articles out in several major papers about Russia allegedly putting bounties on American soldiers while they occupy Afghanistan, despite no hard evidence former National Security Adviser John Bolton not knowing about it, and having low casualties; and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show with Brian and John.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou is joined by Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician and vice chair of the Infectious Disease Society of America’s Global Health Committee.
The House of Representatives today is voting on a landmark bill to make Washington, DC, a state. The bill won’t pass the US Senate, and President Trump has vowed to block it due to the additional anti-Trump representatives the measure would bring. Georgia Republican Rep. Jody Hice said of the vote “The District is not prepared to shoulder the burden of statehood. This would apply economically, fiscally as well as a host of other ways.” This is an extension of the long racist history of the federal government’s rule over the District of Columbia. Maurice Cook, the founder and executive director of Serve Your City and a co-founder and co-chair of March for Racial Justice, joins the show with Brian Becker.
Russians have begun voting on a wide range of constitutional reforms that would rebalance the relative powers of different branches of the government. The vote is taking place over the course of a week as a measure to reduce overcrowding during the pandemic. What do the constitutional reforms tell us about the future of Russian politics? Brian speaks with Bryan Macdonald, a journalist who specializes in Eastern Europe and Russia.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. John speaks with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the near-record-breaking surge of Coronavirus infections being detected across the country, protests against racism and the brutal police repression of those protests, the controversy over racist statues and monuments, the latest attack on the Affordable Care Act, and moreSputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton."
The Justice Department yesterday released a superseding indictment against Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. The indictment doesn’t add to the 18 felony charges with which Assange has already been charged. But it adds detail to allegations that Assange attended hacker conventions in Europe, where they say he solicited hackers to help Wikileaks procure US secrets. Assange’s US attorney said the indictment is a direct attack on journalists.
Americans filed 1.5 million new unemployment claims last week as the economy sputtered and coronavirus cases surged. As states try to reopen, officials are also forced to deal with this surge. Is it possible to reopen an economy and still protect citizens? And meanwhile, the IMF issued a dire warning that the global economic contraction will be far worse than it initially expected. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show with John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show with John.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including the protest movement and the reactions in the political class, the strong pushback from the park service, Native nations, and others against president Trump’s planned visit to Mount Rushmore, the anniversary of the Korean war, and more. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare. He is a journalist and author of three books--The Frozen Republic, The Velvet Coup, and America's Undeclared War.
A federal appeals court ruled today that the criminal case against former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn must be dropped. This is a major victory for Flynn and it points to chaos in the Justice Department. Meanwhile, the House Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing this afternoon to discuss alleged political interference in the Trump Justice Department. The star witness is Aaron Zelinski, a senior member of the Mueller team during the Russiagate probe, and a former Obama Justice Department official, who said that he was pressured to cut Roger Stone a break because of his ties to the President.
Confirmed coronavirus across the country are spiking, with troubling surges in at least 26 states. In Florida, the number of cases is doubling every two weeks. In Texas, Gov. Abbott encouraged all residents to remain in their homes. And in Arizona, all intensive care hospital beds are full. But President Trump has ordered that federal testing for the virus be slowed. Despite the fact that White House officials have said that the president was joking, he told campaign supporters in Tulsa last weekend that he had ordered that testing slow. And he confirmed to a CNN reporter yesterday that he was not joking. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com whose writings can be found at ThisCantBeHappening.net, joins the show.
There were a number of surprising political upsets in primary races in Kentucky, North Carolina, and New York yesterday. In Kentucky, the race between establishment Democrat Amy McGrath and progressive state legislator Charles Booker to take on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is too close to call. But in New York, Jamaal Bowman, a progressive middle school principal appears to have defeated Congressman Eliot Engel. Engel has been a member of the House since 1988 and is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. And in North Carolina, a 24-year-old real estate investor, Madison Cawthorn, defeated a Trump-endorsed candidate to win the nomination to succeed Rep. Mark Meadows, who is now White House Chief of Staff. He’ll face Guantanamo whistleblower Col. Morris Davis in the general election. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
The Biden and Trump campaigns apparently have agreed to three presidential debates in the weeks before the November election. But in a case of role reversal, it is the Trump campaign that is demanding even more, not fewer, debates. President Trump has said that Biden is sequestered in a bunker and does not want to debate him. He has commented on what he called Biden’s poor mental condition and said that it’s “very sad” that Biden’s handlers won’t let him out in public. But what is the truth here? Why is Biden so consistently out of the public eye? Is that his campaign strategy? Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work at www.rall.com, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism.”
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff.
The State Department yesterday issued an edict that designated the US operations of China Central Television, China News Service, the People’s Daily, and the Global Times as foreign missions. This follows the February 18 designation of Xinhua News Agency, China Global Television Network, China Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corporation, and Hai Tian Development USA as foreign missions. Mike Wong, the Vice President of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled the latest easing of Britain’s coronavirus lockdown today, ditching the two meter social distancing rule, allowing pubs, restaurants, and hair salons to reopen. Gyms will remain closed. While non-essential retailers were allowed to reopen last week, many businesses, especially in the hospitality and leisure sector, have remained closed. The country’s economy has been devastated by the pandemic and lockdown. Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice.
China two weeks ago announced that it had a Covid-19 hotspot in an outdoor market in Beijing. The government quarantined the area and snuffed out the virus. South Korea dealt with the coronavirus as soon as it hit and was able to control infections. Australia barely had any coronavirus infections after it went into lockdown. And Greece had a lower Covid-19 infection rate than any other country in the European Union. Why are other countries so good at addressing this pandemic and the US is so bad?
President Trump’s much-touted kickoff campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday ended up having not the hundreds of thousands of people the campaign expected, but a grand total of 6,611. It turned out that the campaign was trolled by children and teenagers, who reserved nearly a million tickets and then didn’t show up. The President is reportedly furious. He blamed “radical leftists,” demonstrators, and the “fake media” for the debacle. But on a serious note, this colossal failure has to call into question the current state of the campaign, just four-and-a-half months before the election. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show with John Kiriakou.
For generations African-Americans have been told they have what is now said to be more than one trillion dollars of "buying power." But a new book argues that commentators have misused this claim largely to blame Black communities for their own poverty based on squandered economic opportunity. “The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power” exposes the claim as both a marketing strategy and myth, while also showing how that myth functions simultaneously as a case study for propaganda and commercial media coverage of economics. Brian speaks with Dr. Jared Ball, a professor of communication studies at Morgan State University, the editor of “A Lie of Reinvention: Correcting Manning Marable’s Malcolm X” and the new book “The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power,” and his writings are at www.IMixWhatILike.org.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including . Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show with John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Eugene Puryear, an author, activist and host of the new program BreakThrough News; and Estevan Hernandez, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition who has been in the streets helping to organize recent protests.
Today marks the commemoration of Juneteenth. This is a major holiday for the African American community, and it is celebrated as a state holiday in 47 of the 50 states. President Trump, who apparently had never heard of Juneteenth until just a few days ago, tweeted, “I did something good. I made Juneteenth very famous. It’s actually an important event, an important time. But nobody had ever heard of it.” Meanwhile, President Trump’s first post-Covid-19 campaign rally is scheduled to take place in Tulsa, Oklahoma tomorrow. The mayor of Tulsa already has declared a state of emergency and instituted a curfew for today and tomorrow, saying that “stragglers would be arrested.” This was after reports that protesters also would descend on the city. Meanwhile, the White House said that it has no concerns that the 20,000 people expected to pack into the rally venue might be at increased risk of contracting the coronavirus.
California utility PG&E, which stands for Pacific Gas & Electric, has agreed to plead guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter and one felony count of unlawfully starting a fire. You heard that right. The utilities giant has admitted in court that its faulty and outdated equipment was the cause of a horrific 2018 blaze that destroyed the town of Paradise, California and much of the surrounding area. Besides the dead, 19,000 buildings burned to the ground. The utility will pay a $3.5 million fine, the maximum allowed by law, and a $28.5 billion settlement to the victims, their families, and Butte County, California. Brian and John speak with Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, at www.patreon.com/BreakChainsMag.Brian
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the commemoration of and meaning of Juneteenth, what Juneteenth means for the ongoing protest movement today, the tens of millions who have become suddenly unemployed in the last few months, the labor strikes going on today, and more. Brian and John speak with Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
The Supreme Court today, in a landmark 5-4 decision, ruled that the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle the DACA program, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which protects undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children, was unconstitutional. This is a major defeat for the White House, and it protects some 650,000 young people known as “Dreamers.” In the final decision, Chief Justice John Roberts, a George W. Bush appointee to the court, joined the court’s four more progressive justices.
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s memoir is supposed to come out on Tuesday. The White House is asking a federal court for an injunction against the book, but excerpts are already being widely reported in the media. Is arch-neocon John Bolton now about to be embraced by the centrist establishment that once despised him? And how shocking really is the information being reported as “bombshells” in the media? Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, who is at www.rall.com.
Coronavirus cases are surging in parts of the country with Florida, Texas, and Arizona yesterday setting new records for the number of confirmed new cases. Indeed, hospital beds in Arizona, Alabama, Texas, and elsewhere are filling quickly. But Vice President Pence, in a call with governors, suggested that governors should stop testing their citizens, which would cause the number of “confirmed” cases to decline. And he told those governors to tell their constituents that the Administration has the pandemic under control.
President Trump yesterday signed an executive order on policing reforms calling for additional police training and a new database to track police misconduct. Progressive groups immediately dismissed it as not worth the paper it is written on. Meanwhile, Democrats are pushing their own reform bill but it appears to be stalled in the Senate, where Republicans are suggesting reform measures won’t be voted on until after Congress gets back from its July 4th vacation. Daryle Lamont Jenkins, executive director of the organization One People’s Project, joins the show.
An internal CIA report prepared by then-director Mike Pompeo and his deputy, Gina Haspel, that was obtained by the Washington Post, concludes that the 2016 theft of top secret computer hacking tools known as Vault 7 was the result of a culture in which the Agency’s elite hackers “prioritized building cyber weapons at the expense of securing their own weapons. The CIA did not even know that the information had been stolen until it appeared on the Wikileaks website in 2017. Officials call it the biggest unauthorized disclosure of classified information in the CIA’s history. Brian and John speak with Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton."
The Trump Administration yesterday filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block next week’s expected publication of former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s memoir. Bolton has been working for months with the NSC’s publications review board to ensure that the book does not contain classified information. But once he got the book cleared, someone at the White House, presumably the President, put the final clearance on hold. Bolton then said that, clearance or not, he was publishing the book. It’s supposed to come out on June 23. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show. The webinar for comments on the proposed radioactive waste dump affecting Native and Latino communities in New Mexico is on Tuesday at 5pm EDT, with information posted at beyondnuclear.org.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff.
Two weeks have now passed since the infamous attack on anti-racism protesters in front of the White House to clear the way for Donald Trump to have a photo-op at a nearby church, and more information continues to come out about how the crackdown was executed and which officials were involved in the fateful decision. Will those who carried out this wanton violation of civil liberties be held to account? Mara Verheyden Hilliard, the executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, joins the show.
A coalition of progressive organizations have nominated the Cuba-based organization called the International Contingent of Doctors Specialized in Disaster Situations and Serious Epidemics for the Nobel Peace Prize for their humanitarian work around the world during the Covid-19 outbreak. The group, which is better known as the Cuban Medical Brigade Henry Reeve, is working against Covid-19 for free in 26 countries. Brian and John speak with Medea Benjamin, a legendary peace activist and the co-founder of the peace group Code Pink.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Special guest Juliana Moraes, Executive Director of the Washington Brazil Office, a project of the US Network for Democracy in Brazil; Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show. You can read more about the Brazilian favelas that Juliana talks about from Rio On Watch, UNEAfro, and MTST.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by community organizer Monica Johnson who attended the protests over the weekend and Sputnik news analyst Nicole Roussell.
Peaceful protests continued across America over the weekend, with large marches in Washington, Seattle, New York, Philadelphia, and abroad. In Atlanta, the police chief resigned after an officer shot and killed Rayshard Brooks, who was shot twice in the back and killed by police in a Wendy’s parking lot. The cops were fired and an investigation was initiated. Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva is meeting today to discuss systemic racism, police brutality, and violence against peaceful demonstrators in the United States.
Coronavirus cases are spiking in 20 states, mostly in the Deep South and the Midwest, with Florida seeing 2,000 confirmed new cases every day for the past three days. Critics are blaming governors and state leaderships for reopening too quickly. And they say that many residents are no longer practicing social distancing and are not wearing masks. So far, nearly 115,000 Americans have died of Covid-19 in the past three-and-a-half months. Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, an assistant professor of viral pathogenesis at the University of Manitoba and Canada Research Chair in molecular pathogenesis of emerging and reemerging viruses, joins the show.
A former Marine by the name of Paul Whelan was convicted of espionage in Russia and sentenced to 16 years at hard labor today. Whelan maintained that he was framed, and his Russian attorney said that, while at a wedding in 2018, a friend handed him a flash drive that contained state secrets. Whelan told his attorney that he expects to be exchanged for a Russian pilot in a US prison on a cocaine conspiracy charge and, perhaps for arms dealer Victor Bout. Brian and John speak with Bryan Macdonald, a journalist who specializes in Eastern Europe and Russia.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including . Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the ongoing protest movement sweeping the country, the victories against racist monuments and memorials, divisions between the White House and the military, and more.
Confirmed cases of Covid-19 are skyrocketing in a dozen states, mostly in the Deep South and the Midwest as governors insist that their states reopen. In those 12 states, confirmed cases are up more than 50 percent over what they were two weeks ago. Only Utah’s governor announced that the state would delay its reopening to deal with the new cases. Four of those states--North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Nevada--are now seeing a record number of new coronavirus cases. Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician and vice chair of the Infectious Disease Society of America’s Global Health Committee, joins the show with John.
Large-scale peaceful protests continued across the country this week, and there are plans for more over the weekend. Protesters in Seattle took control of a local police precinct and began handing out free food and water. And statues commemorating confederate leaders continue to be toppled. Meanwhile, President Trump announced yesterday that the Republican National Convention would be moved to Jacksonville after the governor of North Carolina would not allow delegates to attend without wearing masks. Even more controversially, the White House announced that the President’s first post-Covid-19 campaign rally would be held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the site of the worst anti-black massacre in the country’s history. And that rally will be held on June 19th, also known as Juneteenth, the day on which the entrance of Union troops into the last bastion of slavery is commemorated. Brian speaks with Estevan Hernandez, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition who has been in the streets helping to organize recent protests.
Eleanor Goldfield has just completed a long-form documentary that is unlike anything that’s been done on the issue of fracking and the environment in West Virginia. Hard Road of Hope introduces you to the people of West Virginia and shows you the toll that more than a century of coal mining and fracking has taken on the land and the people of that beautiful state. The film was just selected by the Rome Independent Prisma Awards. Creative activist and journalist Eleanor Goldfield, host of the podcast Act Out!, which airs on Free Speech TV, whose work is at ArtKillingApathy.com, and who is the writer, director, and producer of Hard Road of Hope, joins the show with Brian.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. John speaks with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Rebecca Keel, Virginia organizer with Southerners on New Ground.
Anti-racism and anti-police protests are surging across the country with protesters demanding action to address the problems more quickly than elected officials seem willing or able to do. Marchers in Richmond, Virginia tore down a statue of Jefferson Davis last night, a statue of Christopher Columbus on Tuesday night, and another Confederate general on Saturday. Other Columbus statues in Houston, St. Paul, and Miami were defaced or torn down. Marchers in Seattle took control of a police precinct and declared it an “autonomous zone.” NASCAR announced that he would ban all Confederate flags from its races. And on Capitol Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that she would seek the removal of all Confederate statues from the Capitol’s Statuary Hall.
The top commander of the US armed forces, General Mark Milley, struggled to explain the role of the military as demands for a crackdown grew from the White House. The Pentagon and the National Guard are currently engaged in something called a “hot wash.” That’s an after-action investigation of their conduct during the protests in Washington a week and a half ago. The early indications, according to the New York Times and the Washington Post, are that the Pentagon leadership and the National Guard acted improperly in confronting peaceful demonstrations. Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history whose latest book is “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce,” joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daryle Lamont Jenkins, executive director of the organization One People’s Project.
Democrats in the House of Representatives on Monday introduced broad police reform legislation aimed at boosting law enforcement accountability, changing police practices, and curbing racial profiling. However, Democratic officials sought to distance themselves from progressive activists seeking to defund police departments.
John Gleeson, a former judge leading a review of the Department of Justice’s handling of the case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, released a brief today expressing strong disapproval of the Department of Justice’s effort to drop the prosecution of Michael Flynn after he already pled guilty. Also, Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein testified last week before a Senate Committee on the origins of the Russia investigation. What he had to say was devastating for those pushing the narrative that there was collusion between the Russian government and the Trump campaign. Rosenstein told the committee that the FBI never had any evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, but that he had asked Robert Mueller to lead an investigation because he had already determined that the FBI had lied to him. Rosenstein’s testimony contained a half-dozen bombshells that turn the entire Russiagate affair on its ear. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
A top Harvard chemistry professor was indicted yesterday by a grand jury on felony charges of lying to federal investigators about his ties to a Chinese-run academic program. Dr. Charles Lieber maintains his innocence, and civil liberties advocates have warned that his case represents a sign that any academic or professional collaboration is being criminalized by federal authorities. Brian and John speak with KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice.
Pro-Israel lobby groups are struggling to appear supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement. But privately, they are warning that Black Lives Matter is a threat to the status quo that is Israel’s racist system. Some of those lobbyists are not so subtle. Morton Klein, head of the Zionist Organization of America, went so far as to ask the Southern Poverty Law Center to designate Black Lives Matter as a hate group. He said, “Black Lives Matter is a Jew-hating, White-hating, Israel-hating, conservative Black-hating, violence-promoting, dangerous Soros-funded extremist group of haters.” Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book The Battle for Justice in Palestine, joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
In the wake of the police murder of George Floyd, many communities are now calling for the defunding of their police departments. The Minneapolis City Council last week took a veto-proof vote to do just that. And in the past 15 years, the communities of Trenton, NJ and Compton in Los Angeles, CA also have done away with their local police departments and instead joined reformed county departments. But Joe Biden is sticking to his guns. He says that he does not--and will not--support the defunding of police departments. Anywhere.
The New York Times is embroiled in controversy as its opinion page editor resigned for publishing a piece by Senator Tom Cotton advocating the use of violence against protestors. But is this just hollow lip service to progressive ideas? Media critics have long pointed to the Times’ role pushing war and militarism, and just two days ago an article appeared titled, “Is This the Trump Tipping Point” in which columnist Jennifer Senior criticizes Trump for being “partial to Slavs”. How is the corporate media faring in a time of mass uprising? Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, joins the show.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by producers Walter and Nicole, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality Michelle Gross, Bronx Liberation Center organizer Dari Rodriguez, Philadelphia MC for Saturday Mecca Bullock, ANSWER LA organizer Kameron Hurt, and journalist Neil Clark.
Peaceful demonstrations against police violence and racism continue to spread around the country and the world. Altogether several million were estimated to be in the streets with protests held in more than 100 cities and towns around America. The Minneapolis City Council, by a veto-proof margin, voted to disband the police force there and restructure it. Similar demonstrations took place around the world, all in solidarity with anti-racism and anti police violence protesters here. Tens of thousands of people joined demonstrations across the UK yesterday, marching against racism and police violence. In Bristol, marchers pulled down the bronze statue of a 17th century slave trader and threw it in the harbor.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including . Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Today’s “Education for Liberation” is education for liberation at a time of mass uprising. Our guest has been fighting for economic, racial, and social justice in the streets for decades. Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author or co-author of many books, including “About Becoming A Teacher” and “You Can’t Fire the Bad Ones: And 18 Other Myths About Teachers, Teachers Unions, and Public Education,” and a 1960s central national leader of Students for a Democratic Society, who’s at www.BillAyers.org.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state--where this week they focus on the technologies and surveillance tactics that the government has already been using at all levels to suppress the protests for Justice for George Floyd, manipulate the narrative, and criminalize dissent. This is your guide to what’s going on behind the scenes of the nationwide protests demanding justice for George Floyd and the countless people killed by police. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show with John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Nino Brown, an activist with the Boston Teachers Union, Terra Oliveira, a Philadelphia-based writer, the founder and editor of Recenter Press, and an organizer with the Philadelphia Liberation Center, and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Major demonstrations are expected this weekend in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Washington DC, and elsewhere as the protest movement against police in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder expands. Tens of thousands--and perhaps hundreds of thousands--of people will march in New York and Philadelphia, while Washington’s chief of police said yesterday that the city expects one of the largest demonstrations in its history on Saturday.
Before Trump’s public announcement that he would be sending U.S. military into U.S. states, he had a private conference call with the country’s governors. Trump showed his true colors there, as did Attorney General Barr, Secretary of Defense Esper, and several Democratic political leaders. And as a result, the burgeoning movement for racial justice and against racist and brutal policing has only grown. Mara Verheyden Hilliard joins the show, the executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the historic mass protest movement sweeping the country and the world against racist police violence. Donald Trump and Democratic Party city officials alike are cracking down on the movement, but the protests continue to gain huge momentum. Brian and John speak with Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kameron Hurt, an organizer with ANSWER Coalition LA, Dari Rodriguez, an organizer with the Justice Center and a speaker & organizer at last night’s protests in the Bronx, Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges whose latest book is called “Comrade,” and producer Walter Smolarek.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including the massive protests continuing all across the country, the police brutality that shocked the nation on Monday night at the white house for a photo opp, what’s different about these protests compared with the large-scale protests of years past, and more.
Protests against police violence continued across the country last night, but were largely more peaceful than the night before. In New York, police arrested a handful of demonstrators who they say violated the city’s 8:00 pm curfew. And police stopped a large crowd from crossing the Manhattan bridge after a lengthy standoff. But earlier in the day, Gov. Andrew Cuomo pointedly and publicly criticized Mayor DeBlasio’s handling of the demonstrations. Police were very aggressive against peaceful demonstrators, attacked members of the media, and used the technique of “kettling” against marchers. The New York Times reports that there was little overall violence because it was the marchers discouraging it, not police. Sasha Murphy, a long-time activist against police brutality and an organizer with the Justice Center, joins the show.
Huge crowds of thousands of people marched through Denver yesterday in solidarity with George Floyd, who was murdered by a policeman in Minneapolis nine days ago. For the most part, police kept their distance, and there were no reported incidents. This was in contrast to the marches in Denver over the weekend, where Denver Police used riot gear and SWAT units to corral marchers in what became a night of repeated clashes. Brian and John speak with Lilian House, an organizer with the Denver Liberation Center, and by Bruno, an activist against police brutality, who have both been deeply engaged in the protests in the city.
Protests are nothing new in American society. And protests for racial justice are certainly nothing new. But has America not learned any lessons from the civil rights movement? Have we learned nothing from decades of the police clashing with peaceful marchers? Why is this still happening in America in the year 2020? Why are our police departments militarized and so willing to use violence against citizens? Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including “Race to Revolution: The U.S. and Cuba during Slavery and Jim Crow,” joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik journalists Nicole Roussell and Sean Blackmon, Philadelphia Liberation Center organizer Erik Vargas, Mara Verheyden Hilliard, executive director of Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, and Ben Norton, a journalist with The Grayzone and Moderate Rebels podcast.
The first full hour of the show is dedicated to the protests that continued across America yesterday in the wake of last week’s police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The governors of 26 states and the District of Columbia have deployed the National Guard, which has been quick to use force against unarmed protestors. And there have been sympathetic demonstrations in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, and elsewhere. President Trump yesterday threatened to invoke the Insurrections Act to deploy active duty troops to cities across America. And Congress has been largely silent, except for Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton’s statement urging the president to use lethal force.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist, whose latest film is “Killing Gaza,” and who is also the senior editor of Grayzone and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”
Former Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice made a wild and unsubstantiated accusation over the weekend, saying that Russia and Vladimir Putin were behind the uprising in Minneapolis and subsequent nationwide rioting following the police murder of George Floyd. She offered no evidence for the accusation and went on to say that the Trump Administration’s decision to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization was “fine.”
The country is in the midst of an uprising not seen since the 1960s, with anti-police marches, demonstrations, and violence taking place in hundreds of cities and towns across America. The protests began when a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota knelt on the neck of George Floyd and killed him. But frustration and anger have bubbled over, and in many cities, the violence is now out of control. Twenty six states and the District of Columbia have activated the National Guard, many for the first time since World War II. For his part, President Trump has been notably silent, except on Twitter, where he has threatened retaliation against demonstrators. Last night he did that from a bunker underneath the White House, to which he was evacuated during demonstrations in Washington. Eugene Puryear, an author, activist and host of the new program BreakThrough News, joins the show.
Today’s “Education for Liberation” is education for liberation at a time of mass uprising. Our guest has been fighting for economic, racial, and social justice in the streets for decades. Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author or co-author of many books, including “About Becoming A Teacher” and “You Can’t Fire the Bad Ones: And 18 Other Myths About Teachers, Teachers Unions, and Public Education,” and a 1960s central national leader of Students for a Democratic Society, who’s at www.BillAyers.org.
President Trump tweeted over the weekend that he intends to designate Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, a move that constitutional scholars already are declaring unconstitutional. Antifa, which stands for anti-fascism, is a broad-based group of people who support oppressed communities and who protest the amassing of wealth accumulated by corporations and elites. Another tactic that governments use to try to suppress protesters is to slow the wheels of justice against police who kill and carefully craft any indictments against police who kill to be able to wait out the protests and let the police off the hook later on, like Daniel Pantaleo, the policeman who choked Eric Garner to death but who emerged from several investigations years later without criminal charges. Mara Verheyden Hilliard, the executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state--where this week they focus on the technologies and surveillance tactics that the government has already been using at all levels to suppress the protests for Justice for George Floyd, manipulate the narrative, and criminalize dissent. This is your guide to what’s going on behind the scenes of the nationwide protests demanding justice for George Floyd and the countless people killed by police. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show with John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the uprising in Minneapolis demanding justice for George Floyd, protests in other cities across the country against racist police violence, the failed renewal of FISA, Iranian tankers arriving in Venezuela, and more.
The American taxpayer has paid handsomely to develop a drug called Remdesivir which media reports say could become a major player in the fight against the coronavirus. Remdesivir was developed by the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences with tens of millions of dollars from three federal agencies, but it was a failure among anti-virals. Well, now it shows promise, as well as profitability. And Gilead is keeping that money and not refunding taxpayers. Annette Gaudino, State & Local Policy Director at the Treatment Action Group, joins the show with John.
Pharmaceutical companies around the world are scrambling to develop a vaccine for the Covid-19 coronavirus and nine separate vaccines are currently being developed. But there’s a big difference in the way American and Chinese pharmaceutical companies are addressing the challenge. The Chinese government has already announced that its vaccine would be “for the public good” and would be shared around the world. US vaccines would be given only for profit. Brian speaks with Ian Goodrum, a writer and digital editor for China Daily.
A court in Vancouver Canada this week ruled that the “double criminality” requirement was met in the extradition case against Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou constituted a crime in Canada, opening the way for her to be sent to the United States. Meng was arrested in December 2018 at the request of the United States, which claimed that Meng had helped the company evade US sanctions. The Chinese government has expressed outrage at the case, calling it a clear case of the US government attempting to apply its laws extraterritorially. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins Brian.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Michelle Gross, the president of Communities United Against Police Brutality in Minneapolis, and Jordan Kushner, a Minneapolis criminal defense and civil rights attorney.
Protests over the police killing of George Floyd continued in Minneapolis overnight, with at least one person dead. Most of the demonstrations continue to take place near the city’s 3rd precinct station, near the site where police officers killed Floyd by kneeling on his neck for an extended period. Protestors also appear to have set fire to numerous businesses in the area, and the mayor has asked the governor to call out the National Guard. Minnesotans from all walks of life continue to question why none of the policemen have been arrested.
House Democrats last night adjourned, rather than take a vote on a controversial bill to reauthorize surveillance tools as part of the FISA Act. The measure had broad bipartisan support in March, but Republicans began turning against the measure in March as FBI malfeasance in the Michael Flynn case came to light. President Trump also had said that he would veto the measure. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, today focusing on the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Thousands of protestors took to the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota last night to protest yesterday’s police killing of George Floyd. Floyd was pinned to the ground by police officers, one of whom knelt on Floyd’s neck until he stopped breathing. A witness videoed the incident and it quickly went viral. After nationwide outrage, the officers were fired, but many Minnesotans are demanding that they be tried for murder. John is joined by Michelle Gross, the president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, and Noah McCourt, executive director of the Minnesota Disability Justice Network, which focuses on criminal justice and police brutality against people with disabilities.
The first two of five Iranian tankers have arrived in Venezuela carrying much needed refined gasoline in the face of military threats by the Trump administration, which has carried out a major naval deployment in the Caribbean to “surround” Venezuela. The move represents a deepening of economic relations between Iran and Venezuela, both of which are under intense economic pressure by the United States. Brian and John speak with Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
The Gwangju Uprising in Korea, ended in a massacre 40 years ago today. The uprising began on May 18, 1980, when South Korea’s martial law government attacked university students marching for democracy by killing at least 2,000 and beating and raping thousands more. The uprising and massacre is seen as a defining moment in South Korea’s modern political history. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
The European Union is planning an unprecedented $826 billion stimulus package to bring the organization’s member countries’ economies out of their coronavirus malaise. The package is the biggest in Europe’s history, far outstripping the post-World War II Marshall Plan. But is it enough to save Europe’s economy? Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism.”
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff.
More than 60 activists, academics, writers, workers, and students from more than 20 countries have come together to form the Covid-19 Global Solidarity Coalition. The purpose of the group is to bring ordinary people together to seize the opportunity to overthrow global structures of inequity and violence and to build a better world. The coalition launched the manifesto this weekend. Dr. Peter Kuznick, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University, and the co-author with Oliver Stone of the book and the hit Showtime television series “The Untold History of the United States,” joins the show.
President Trump has ramped up pressure on governors around the country to reopen their states and economies, going so far as to threaten the Democratic Governor of North Carolina with moving the Republican National Convention out of the state if he doesn’t allow mass gatherings without masks. With that said, though, the president also is forcing governors to take on the cost and responsibility for testing for the coronavirus. Critics see it as an attempt to deflect criticism for the administration’s coronavirus response failures and to push the costs of testing onto the states. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including the reopening of some states despite increases in coronavirus case numbers, state and local officials shielding meatpacking corporations from transparency in coronavirus case numbers, and the police killing of George Floyd who was suffocated until he died, saying “I can’t breathe,” in a repeat of Eric Garner’s police murder that sparked massive uprisings across the US. Sputnik news analyst Nicole Roussell joins the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations.
China’s biggest political gathering of the year is finally taking place after a two month delay because of the coronavirus pandemic. Called “Two Sessions,” the first meeting was yesterday and was a gathering of top political leaders of the Chinese Communist Party. Today’s meeting is of the National People’s Congress. Premier Li Keqiang will lay out the country’s economic goals and the policies needed to achieve them. And the U.S. government is lashing out at a new proposed Hong Kong security law.
Unemployment in the United States is likely in the 25 percent range with some 40 million Americans having filed for unemployment benefits in the past month. In real terms, it’s almost certainly higher, perhaps significantly, as many people have dropped out of the labor market or their benefits have run out. Like the US, the UK has struggled with its response to the coronavirus. But the official UK unemployment rate is less than four percent. That’s ridiculous, of course. Unofficial figures put it at around 20 percent. As Mark Twain once said, there are three kinds of lies: Lies, damn lies, and statistics. Is that what we’re seeing in the UK? John speaks with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. John speaks with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the chaotic and deadly push to reopen the country’s economy, the 2020 election, exploding unemployment, a developing housing crisis, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including still rising unemployment in the US, who’s at fault for the thousands of lives that could have been saved had the US locked down earlier that new data is showing us, the newest update in the propaganda war the US media and politicians are waging against China, and more.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join John.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers nationwide have been hot spots for coronavirus, where people are forced into close quarters and detained. Organizers and families are leading protests all over the country to release people from these prisons. Brian speaks with Danny Cendejas, an organizer with la ColectiVa, a social justice organization in Northern Virginia campaigning for the release of everyone at the immigration detention center in Farmville, Virginia, where covid-19 has been spreading.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing an uprising in her own party over fears that Germany will end up footing the bill for the economic disaster wrought by the coronavirus in Europe. The EU is currently looking at a number of different stimulus packages to get Europe’s economy back on track. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron lost his parliamentary majority when several of his party members left and created a new party. They complained that Macron had failed to unify the center and the left, as he had promised to do during his campaign. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins John.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Tara Smith, an epidemiologist and professor at the Kent State University College of Public Health, where she specializes in zoonotic infections and molecular epidemiology.
So much of the media has been focused on the coronavirus pandemic in the country’s urban hotspots. We hear a lot of news about the outbreaks in New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and elsewhere. But we don’t hear much about what is happening in rural America. How is the pandemic hitting rural counties across the country?
President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in recent days have repeated false information that the coronavirus was created in a Chinese lab in Wuhan. The two have said repeatedly that they have “enormous evidence” and “a significant amount of evidence” that this is the case. But the statements are not true. Pompeo, in an interview with Breitbart yesterday, backed off and said he doesn’t know where the virus originated. But Trump has doubled down, saying falsely that the US had given the lab $7.5 million as part of a 5-year grant and that he “ended it.” KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and he’s a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins Brian.
Last week, Senator Richard Burr, a Republican of North Carolina, stepped aside from his role as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee because he was being investigated by the FBI for insider trading. Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell named Florida Republican Marco Rubio as the acting chairman of that committee. Rubio, a former presidential candidate is a well-known conservative and war hawk who has advocated the use of US military force around the world, including against Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and other countries. John speaks with Ben Norton, a journalist with The Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join Brian and John.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join Brian on the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Eddie Conway, Executive Producer with The Real News Network who was a leading member of the Baltimore branch of the Black Panther Party and a political prisoner for 44 years, and Dr. Jared Ball, a professor of communication studies at Morgan State University, the editor of “A Lie of Reinvention: Correcting Mannin Marable’s Malcolm X,” and the author of many writings at www.IMixWhatILike.org.
On this day 95 years ago, Malcolm X was born. He would go on to become an icon of the fight for Black liberation before being assassinated in 1965. Malcolm X remains a beloved figure and an inspiration to people’s movements around the world.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show with Brian and John Kiriakou.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show with Brian and John.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program.
The Department of Health and Human Services recently began distributing portions of $175 billion allocated by Congress to healthcare providers as part of the four coronavirus relief bills. The largest share of the initial outlay will be to hospitals that accept Medicare. Although the money was appropriated weeks and months ago, it has been slow to reach hospitals, and many are now threatened by bankruptcy.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian.
Israel finally has a government. After an 18 month-long political stalemate, the Knesset voted confidence into the new unity government led by none other than Benjamin Netanyahu. In his acceptance speech, Netanyahu said that he will turn over the Prime Ministership to his political partner, Benny Gantz on November 17, 2021. He also vowed to begin annexing the West Bank. John speaks with Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, most recently of the film “Killing Gaza.”
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show with Brian and John.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show with John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including “Race to Revolution: The U.S. and Cuba during Slavery and Jim Crow.”
Commemorations are taking place across the country to mark the 50th anniversary of the Jackson State massacre. Frequently left out of the history books, two students were killed and 12 wounded when 75 state and local policemen opened fire on a dormitory at the predominantly Black Jackson State College in Jackson, Mississippi. The police said there was a sniper on the roof of the dorm. That turned out to be a lie. There were no arrests in connection with the deaths at Jackson State, although the Commission concluded "that the 28-second fusillade from police officers was an unreasonable, unjustified overreaction...A broad barrage of gunfire in response to reported and unconfirmed sniper fire is never warranted."
Republican Senator Richard Burr stepped aside yesterday as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee after the FBI showed up at his office with a warrant and took his cell phone. Burr is alleged to have engaged in insider trading after having sold hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock after receiving a confidential briefing from the intelligence community in the days before the start in the United States of the coronavirus pandemic. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose latest article on The Polemicist and CounterPunch is titled “Joe or No?,” joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the coronavirus aid bills that would guarantee worker pay (sponsored by progressives in the House but left out of Nancy Pelosi’s bill, and pushed by two conservative Republicans in the Senate), the death of Ralph McGehee, a former CIA officer who told the truth from on the ground about the real missions of the CIA in Vietnam and elsewhere, New York Governor Cuomo protecting the profits of the nursing homes in New York whose negligence killed thousands of elders, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests.”
By a 4-3 vote, the Republican-dominated Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the governor’s stay-at-home orders were illegal and ordered that the state reopen. Bars and restaurants did so immediately and now scientists will watch the state to see if coronavirus infections spike there. Meanwhile, Department of Health and Human Services whistleblower Dr. Rick Bright testified before Congress today, saying that the Trump Administration simply does not have a master plan to respond to the coronavirus and to save American lives.
The official unemployment rate currently stands at 14.7 percent, a number not seen since 1937. Economists believe it will go even higher next month, probably hitting or surpassing 20 percent. That’s a number associated with the Great Depression. But the real rate of unemployment is likely even higher. Unemployment is calculated by counting the percentage of the labor force that is without a job. But the definition of what it means to be in the labor force is very narrow. And economists are now saying that the real unemployment number is more likely around 23 percent. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “The Scourge of Neo-Liberalism: US Policy from Reagan to Trump,” which you can find at www.jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Vijay Prashad, the Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, the author of “The Death of the Nation and the Future of the Arab Revolution,” and his most recent publication is “Red Star Over the Third World.”
Economies around the world are taking an unprecedented hit from the coronavirus pandemic. And third world economies are particularly hard hit. In many cases, poor countries turn to the International Monetary Fund for assistance. But the IMF, along with the World Bank, usually impose crushing austerity measures on weak economies, making it even tougher for them to rebound. That’s happening right now--in the midst of the pandemic.
The FBI, in a recent court filing, has accidentally revealed the name of an official in the Saudi Embassy in Washington who allegedly dealt directly with the 9/11 hijackers. Saudi Islamic Affairs attache Musaed al-Jarrah, who went on to serve in Morocco and Malaysia, met personally with two middlemen to provide funds and an apartment for the hijackers when they were in Los Angeles. The FBI, including former directors Robert Mueller and James Comey, worked for years to keep the name a secret. Ali al-Ahmed, the Director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs, joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Israel, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Israel’s annexation of the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu wants the annexation to move forward before US elections because he has the support of the Trump Administration and the US evangelical movement. Meanwhile, three United Nations officials are calling on Israel to release Palestinian children in Israeli prisons. Those children are at a much higher risk of coronavirus infection, which is sweeping through prisons in the country. Tamara Nassar, associate editor of Electronic Intifada, joins the show.
Brazil yesterday suffered its deadliest day yet from the coronavirus, with 881 confirmed deaths in 24 hours and nearly 178,000 confirmed cases. President Jair Bolsonaro has been criticized heavily for not taking the disease seriously as it sweeps through poor neighborhoods, prisons, and, scientists worry, through the indigenous population. Meanwhile, Bolsonaro is under increasing political pressure because of multiple corruption cases against friends, political supporters, and family members. Aline Piva, a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism.”
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff.
The US and China are currently engaged in a new missile race, the US Navy is frequently positioned in the South China Sea, and President Trump is accusing China of trying to steal research related to a coronavirus vaccine. And the escalation against China is bipartisan in nature. Peace activists in the US are urging the administration to make a “pivot to peace,” however. And they say that it’s not too late to turn away from the language and actions of war. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
On February 23, 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery was jogging through a neighborhood in Glynn County, Georgia. He paused momentarily to look at a house under construction, and then he continued with his run. But two white men, Gregg and Travis McMichael, decided that Arbery was a burglar. They armed themselves and chased him. Travis McMichael tussled with Arbery briefly and then shot him in cold blood. Arbery died moments later. Glynn County’s prosecutor decided that the killing wasn’t worth prosecuting. That is, until a video emerged. Now the McMichaels have been arrested and charged with murder and the Justice Department is considering a hate crime enhancement. Activists have been voicing their outrage and demanding that authorities move faster. Brian and John speak with Atlanta community organizer Monica Johnson.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the controversy over the reopening of the US economy and the latest US accusations against China.
A leaked document obtained by The Grayzone shows that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons made false and misleading statements about two veteran inspectors who challenged a coverup of their investigation of an alleged chemical weapons attack in the Syrian city of Douma. Grayzone found that OPCW leaders engaged in a pattern of deception that minimized the inspectors’ senior roles and prestige in the organization. Aaron Maté, a journalist with The Grayzone and The Nation, and host of the podcast Pushback with Aaron Maté, joins the show.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed his country today to talk about a gradual easing of coronavirus restrictions and about getting the country’s economy moving again. He said that Britons should return to work if they cannot work from home, that they should wear face masks--even homemade ones--in public places, and that they can now go to public parks, exercise as much as they want, and travel. Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
Unemployment has been arguably one of the most important problems coming out of the coronavirus pandemic. The latest figures show 14.7 percent unemployment across the country. And that’s just months after the Labor Department reported record LOW unemployment. Now, President Trump’s own economists are predicting a 20 percent unemployment rate. That’s a number unseen since 1937 and the Great Depression. How do we get ourselves out of it? Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Aaron Maté, a journalist with The Grayzone and The Nation, and host of the podcast Pushback with Aaron Maté.
After a long delay, the House Intelligence Committee just released 57 transcripts of interviews that the committee conducted in the Russiagate probe. These include interviews with former DNI head James Clapper, Crowdstrike CEO Shawn Henry, and more.
The Justice Department yesterday dropped all charges against former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Flynn had agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of making a false statement, but his new attorneys found that the FBI had plotted against Flynn before interviewing him in a way that many Americans believe amounted to entrapment. President Trump had been under some pressure to pardon Flynn. Now that’s not necessary. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Until last week, Dr. Rick Bright was the deputy assistant secretary of Health and Human Services for preparedness and response and Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Today he’s a whistleblower. Bright says he was demoted after he pushed back on the Trump Administration’s efforts to fund potentially dangerous drugs promoted by people with White House connections. Bright has filed a whistleblower complaint alleging gross mismanagement at HHS and abuse of authority. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the premature reopening of much of the country in the midst of the pandemic, charges being dropped against Michael Flynn, newly released documents related to the Russiagate conspiracy theory, the ongoing explosion in unemployment, escalating US hostility towards China, and more. Brian and John speak with Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
The United States and China are involved in an arms race, this one over missiles. Washington announced this week that it would roll out new weapons and a new strategy in a bid to close what it calls a dangerous missile gap with China, which has upgraded its missile systems over the past decade. Beijing, meanwhile, is warning Washington to “stop playing chess” around the region, to stay out of the South China Sea, and to think before it acts.
A young black man, Ahmaud Arbery, was jogging through a neighborhood in February in a Georgia suburb. As he jogged past one house, the resident there called out to his son, and the two got into their pick-up truck, armed with a shotgun and a pistol, and they followed him. After a brief confrontation, they shot Arbery and killed him. Although this incident took place in February, it only became public this week. And nobody has yet been charged with any crime. Atlanta activist Estevan Hernandez joins the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have reported the first coronavirus death in the part of the country they control. The internationally-recognized central government reported its first case on April 10 and now says that Yemen has 21 cases of coronavirus, with three deaths. Yemen has been transparent about its infection rates, but the country is isolated and mired in civil war, and it does not have significant exposure to foreign travelers. And concerns are growing that the virus is spreading through the country undetected. Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com, whose writings are at ThisCantBeHappening.net.
The Senate is back in session and the House of Representatives is preparing to reconvene to consider a new coronavirus relief bill. That bill would provide additional small-business relief and would extend the loan forgiveness period of the so-called Paycheck Protection Program. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, meanwhile, is not concerned with relief bills. Instead, he is laser focused on filling every single judicial vacancy with Trump appointees, just in case Joe Biden finds himself as president-elect in November.
An amateurish coup attempt was launched against Venezuela by a group of American and Venezuelan mercenaries. Not surprisingly, the evidence of who initiated the coup is now pointing directly at Juan Guaido and the US government. Patricio Zamorano, an academic and international analyst and Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA, who has put together the facts of the case in a new article, entitled, “Guaidó and the Failed Military Operation against Venezuela: A Story of Betrayal and Financial Corruption,” joins the show.
Millions of people around the world are demanding action and are actively seeking solutions to the climate crisis. The dialogue at the top is confined to solutions that align with the laws of capitalism and unbridled economic growth. But what if we look to solutions beyond how we currently structure our economies? A new book called Climate Solutions Beyond Capitalism, by Tina Landis, makes the case that socialism provides the framework for solving the crisis and demonstrates how capitalism acts as a barrier to a shift in our relationship to each other and the planet. Brian and John speak with Tina Landis, an organizer in the environmental and social justice movements who writes for Liberation News, and Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a commentator on political issues, whose latest book is called “Comrade.”
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism.”
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff.
The Trump administration is further embracing conspiracy theories about the Chinese military being responsible for the Coronavirus outbreak, but some analysts are raising a very different concern -- Could US military personnel, who travel around the world in close confines bypassing normal border checks, function as “superspreaders” for the pandemic? KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, and Dr. Claudia Chaufan, a non-practicing Argentine physician and critical health policy scholar who directs the graduate program in health policy at York University, join the show.
Eight mercenaries were killed and two Americans captured after they landed on shore in Venezuela with the intent to overthrow the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Responsibility for the coup attempt was claimed by another American, a retired Green Beret named Jordan Goudreau. Goudreau made a premature announcement that what he called Operation Gideon, “has been launched deep in the heart of Caracas” and that other armed cells have been activated throughout the country. That never happened. The terrorists were all captured and the coup failed. Brian and John speak with Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ken Hammond, an undergraduate at Kent State University before and during the Kent State Massacre, a speaker at the May 4, 1970 rally on the Commons, and an eyewitness to the shooting who was questioned and arrested by the FBI as one of the Kent 25 and went on to co-found the Kent Legal Defense Fund.
Fifty years ago today, on May 4, 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard fired 67 rounds in 13 seconds into a group of unarmed, peaceful students protesting the illegal US bombing of Cambodia. Four students, Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Bill Schroeder, and Sandra Lede Scheuer, were killed and another nine were wounded. One was permanently paralyzed. The shootings led to protests against the Vietnam War at colleges and universities across America. But no National Guardsmen were ever punished for the murders.
A new report by the International Energy Agency concludes that the coronavirus pandemic is delivering the biggest shock to the international energy system in more than seven decades. Global energy demand is down six percent this year. That’s ten times more than the drop in demand from the 2008-2009 recession. And demand for coal is down eight percent. That’s the biggest drop since World War II. This huge decline in energy demand has led to an eight percent drop in greenhouse gas emissions, the largest decrease ever recorded. But the United Nations says we would have to have similar decreases every year for the next decade in order to reverse the effects of climate change. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation” from Monthly Review Press, joins the show.
People in Ukraine and around the world marked the sixth anniversary of the massacre of over 40 people in Odessa, Ukraine over the weekend. On May 2nd, 2014, a mob that included members of neo-Nazi organization Right Sector trapped anti-fascist activists inside a trade union headquarters and burned the building down. And the far-right continues to wield great influence in Ukraine today. Brian and John speak with Phil Wilayto, a journalist and a member of Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality and coordinator of the Odessa Solidarity Campaign.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the anniversary of the Kent State massacre, surging unemployment and intensified US-China tensions. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on strike actions for International Workers Day, Joe Biden finally speaking publicly about former staffer Tara Reade’s allegation that he sexually assaulted her, the Trump administration’s potential next moves against China, and more.
Today is May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, created to celebrate workers and the working classes around the world. The holiday was originally suggested in 1889 by the Marxist International Socialist Congress and pushed by the American Federation of Labor, which was then lobbying and demonstrating for an 8-hour work day. This celebration of labor subsequently became a national holiday in most countries around the world. But not in the United States. Yasemin Zahra, a labor organizer and chairperson of US Labor Against the War, joins the show.
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the release of a series of emails between FBI agents preparing to interview former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and their supervisors that imply the agents were preparing to entrap Flynn or to trick him into committing a crime. President Trump immediately took to Twitter to condemn the FBI and the agents, and he compared the FBI to 15 buses and Flynn to a man standing in the middle of a highway. Brian and John speak with Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
President Donald Trump has ordered the Intelligence Community to find evidence that shows that the coronavirus originated in a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan, despite being told repeatedly by the CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that it did not. The Washington Post reports that Trump intends to “punish” China in advance of the presidential election for creating the virus, and Secretary of State Pompeo has criticized China harshly in recent days. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Peter Kuznick, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and the co-author with Oliver Stone of the book and the hit Showtime television series “The Untold History of the United States.”
Activists, academics, and political figures from around the world have begun circulating a document called the COVID-19 Global Solidarity Manifesto that calls for a series of basic rights for all people, in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Those rights run the gamut from basic universal healthcare to an end to war to respect for life, biodiversity, and the environment. There are hundreds of signatories, including a number of very prominent people.
New unemployment numbers are out this morning showing that yet another 3.8 million Americans sought jobless benefits last week as the economy slid further into the most devastating crisis since the 1930s. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, 30.3 million Americans have lost their jobs, and the economy contracted by 4.8 percent in the first quarter of the year. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Andrew Stacy, a worker at Target who is part of Target Workers Unite and is taking part in a sickout this Friday organized by Target Workers Unite.
A Target warehouse in northern New Jersey is the first in the company’s nearly 60-year history to face a public campaign to form a union. Meanwhile, Target warehouse workers in Perth Amboy say they are fed up with frequent firings, steep production quotas and flex schedules, and they say they are treated as robots, not as people. Workers across the chain are preparing for a major May 1st action to protest this type of mistreatment.
The coronavirus has put science at the forefront of the US presidential election. It has placed political pressure on Donald Trump and it even may be changing the way we conduct our elections. Yesterday’s Ohio primary, for example, was conducted by mail. But what is the pandemic doing to Donald Trump? Can he overcome allegations of mismanaging it? Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," joins the show.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has returned to work after recovering from a serious coronavirus infection, which saw him placed in a hospital’s intensive care unit. He said that being infected by the coronavirus was like, “an unexpected and invisible mugger.” He said the British people had begun wrestling that mugger to the floor , but that the country was not yet ready to reopen. And, by the way, Johnson and his fiance became the proud parents of a baby boy this morning. Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
Intense protests in Lebanon continued last night as people take to the streets to express outrage over the economic crisis the country is facing and the role of the financial elite. At least one person has been killed and dozens wounded as fierce clashes with the armed forces break out.
Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and a member of the central committee of the Lebanese Communist Party, joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff.
Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp, last week ordered the state to begin reopening, despite the fact that the coronavirus continues to spread. On Friday, the state reopened salons, barber shops, tattoo parlors, gyms, bowling alleys, and massage parlors. Yesterday, movie theaters and restaurants reopened. But mayors in cities big and small around Georgia are warning that their number of coronavirus cases is rising, and it’s too soon to return to normal. Community organizer Monica Johnson, and Brad Lathem, a writer for Liberation News, join the show.
The conservative Daily Caller, in an exclusive investigation, has found that Christopher Steele, the author of the infamous Steele Dossier, had previously undisclosed meetings with attorneys for the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign. One of the attorneys in those meetings provided Steele with the now-debunked tip that a Russian bank had a secret channel of communications with the Trump campaign. That tip set off a chain of events that led to Steele publishing a memo saying that the bank, Alpha Bank, had illicit ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, an allegation that was untrue. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Amanda Starbuck, senior food researcher and policy analyst on the food team at Food & Water Watch.
The economic aid bill that Congress passed last week would open Small Business Administration loans to some farmers. The move came after big banks steered the earlier $500 billion that Congress had appropriated to large corporations that used up all the money before most actual small businesses could even complete their applications. An existing $10 billion aid package provided funding for aquaculture, nurseries, and cooperatives, but allotted nothing for small farms with fewer than 500 employees.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said over the weekend that he was “confident” the US would soon allow the annexation of the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu and his governing partner Benny Gantz, who is now speaker of the Knesset, plan to ask the United States for its support in annexing at least those Israeli settlements that are on Palestinian lands in the West Bank before July. Netanyahu has told confidants that he believes the Trump Administration will give him whatever he wants. Ariel Gold, a peace activist and a member of Code Pink, joins the show.
Brazil’s right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, is facing a perfect storm of political crises that could force him from office. Bolsonaro was already a president without a political party. He was under fire for his responses to massive fires in the Amazon and to the coronavirus pandemic. Then his two sons found themselves under criminal investigation for money laundering and promulgating false campaign information. Now, Bolsonaro’s star Minister of Justice resigned dramatically and called the president a criminal. Can Bolsonaro survive? Brian and John speak with Aline Piva, a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including ongoing controversy over the reopening of businesses in states throughout the country and Donald Trump’s bizarre medical advice. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Trump’s latest bizarre medical advice, the growing economic crisis, and the international implications of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Politics are an important factor in reporting on the coronavirus, not just in the United States, but around the world. President Trump said in his daily press conference yesterday that the pandemic is serious only in what he called “Democrat states,” and not in Republican ones. Elsewhere around the world, governments are downplaying their rates of infection, or in some cases, pretending there are none at all, in an attempt to show that they are fully in control at home. At the same time, the United States is threatening Iran, Venezuela, and other countries. Is it just to distract the American people from the virus at home? Mark Sleboda, a foreign affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
Car caravan protests are planned in nearly 50 cities across the country tomorrow to demand the cancellation of rent and mortgages. Participants in the actions, who will be respecting all social distancing and other public health requirements, are calling on the government to not only declare a moratorium on evictions, but to declare that no debt will accumulate to landlords and banks while the pandemic is going on and tens of millions are out of work. Brian and John speak with Nino Brown, an activist with the Boston Teachers Union and an organizer for tomorrow’s Cancel the Rent action, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mike Wong, the Vice President of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace.
The Attorney General of Missouri has filed a lawsuit against the Chinese government and several Chinese institutions, arguing that they covered up information about the spread of the coronavirus, silenced whistleblowers, and did little to try to control the disease. Beijing has responded by calling the suit “absurd” and pointing out that as a sovereign entity, it cannot be sued.
There’s no end in sight for the UK’s coronavirus lockdown because, according to the British press, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is so frightened because of his own coronavirus experience that he doesn’t dare ease up. Meanwhile, the establishment is fawning over the Labour Party’s new leader, Keir Starmer, after his first appearance as leader during Prime Minister’s Questions. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Amanda Starbuck, senior food researcher and policy analyst on the food team at Food & Water Watch.
Farmers across the country are destroying their crops, plowing over their fields, and dumping milk because the supply chain is broken and they are finding it impossible to get their goods to market. How can this breakdown happen in a country that prides itself on the most efficient and technologically advanced supply chain technology in the world?
President Trump yesterday temporarily suspended all immigration applications, saying that the action was necessary to protect Americans from the coronavirus. Civil liberties groups immediately said they would file suit. And a group of migrants in an ICE facility have been on a hunger strike. Those hunger strikes are expanding. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins the show.
Donald Trump has once again threatened to carry out an act of war against Iran, this time by destroying its ships in the Persian Gulf. Is this an exercise in the politics of distraction as the Coronavirus ravages the United States? Brian and John speak with Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
The U.S. government at all levels is consumed by infighting over how to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic. A right wing mobilization supported by President Trump is demanding that the economy reopen against the guidance of public health experts, but is the Democratic Party’s single-minded focus on the personality of Donald Trump drawing attention away from the systemic changes needed to save lives? Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose latest article in The Polemicist and forthcoming on CounterPunch is “Joe or No,” joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism.”
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff.
Intense battles took place yet again last night in working class suburbs of Paris with large migrant populations. French authorities have been brutalizing migrants, most of whom come from North and West Africa and the Middle East for years. But now, a combination of cramped quarters, a lack of economic opportunity, police abuse, and the coronavirus is inflaming tensions. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins the show.
As the nation was preoccupied by President Trump’s impeachment last fall and early winter, and then with the coronavirus, several states across the country were busy purging their voter rolls, most commonly for the false reason that they had changed their residences. More than 16.5 million voters from Wisconsin to Georgia to Ohio to North Carolina and Texas were dumped from the voter lists and are not eligible to vote. The move, with no due process, is illegal. So why have the courts been reluctant to take up the issue? Brian and John speak with Lee Camp, a writer, comedian, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” on RT America, his latest book is called “Bullet Points & Punch Lines,” and his work is at leecamp.com.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a commentator on political issues, whose latest book is called “Comrade,” and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com.
President Trump on Friday wrote several provocative tweets, saying, “Liberate Michigan,” “Liberate Minnesota,” and “Liberate Virginia” and urging residents of those states to protest in favor of their 2nd Amendment rights. Those tweets led to thousands of protestors marching on statehouses demanding an end to the coronavirus quarantine. Meanwhile, debate continues in Congress over the next steps on Coronavirus relief and economic recovery, and all conventional logic about the 2020 presidential election has been upended.
Coronavirus is ravaging the economies and societies of countries all across Latin America. Peru on Sunday reported 15,000 cases, the second most in Latin America behind Brazil, and the Finance Minister in Lima said that the economy there is in shambles. The virus is spreading through Brazil’s favelas and through the poor neighborhoods of Mexico City. Guatemala is trying to cope with a new outbreak caused when infected deportees arrived from the United States. Some governments in the region have acted proactively, but other politicians, especially Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, refuse to even acknowledge the seriousness of the pandemic. Patricio Zamorano, an academic and international analyst and Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the anti-China sentiment being launched by both corporate political parties, the anti-shutdown protests in a few places, and the economy. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the media’s bent against China even and especially in these serious times, Trump’s unrealistic and dangerous plan to reopen the country, and Bernie Sanders endorsing Joe Biden for president.
President Trump has said repeatedly over the past several weeks that he wants to reopen the country--and the economy--sooner, rather than later. But medical experts say that’s not realistic, or safe. The President has even named a panel, that includes Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, to restart the economy. But governors have rebelled and many have said they would refuse to entertain the President’s demands. Now they are coming up with their own plans to restart their economies. Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician and vice chair of the Infectious Disease Society of America’s Global Health Committee, and Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, an assistant professor of viral pathogenesis at the University of Manitoba and Canada Research Chair in molecular pathogenesis of emerging and reemerging viruses, joins the show.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought China’s amazing economic track record of nearly a half century of continuous growth to an end. Beijing announced yesterday that the economy had shrunk by a massive 6.8 percent in the first three months of the year, ending a streak that had survived Tiananmen Square, SARS, MERS, and even the Great Recession. Brian and John speak with John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, has broad powers to detain and hold people indefinitely at the country’s borders. It has the power to imprison them, to expel them, or to release them to their families in the United States. In the age of the coronavirus, however, ICE also has the power to decide who lives and who dies. It has the power to decide who enters the country and who must deal with the ravages of the disease in the agency’s teeming, filthy, and overcrowded border prisons. That’s what’s happening in California, where some detainees are on a hunger strike.
Bernie Sanders this week formally dropped out of the Democratic presidential race and endorsed Joe Biden for president. Elizabeth Warren, who had been uncommitted, did the same thing. The endorsements are a result of a hard push by Democratic National Committee officials to unify the party around Joe Biden, a longtime moderate with a solid pro-war, pro-capitalist record. What do the endorsements mean for the American left? Was there a quid pro quo in the endorsements or will they be left in the cold? Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including the biggest recent developments related to the pandemic and the economic crisis it has sparked. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Krissy Kasserman, the Factory Farm Organizing Manager at Food & Water Watch.
Smithfield Foods is the largest pork processor in America and is the largest employer in the state of South Dakota, accounting for an astounding 130 million servings of meat every day. Yesterday the company announced that it would close indefinitely after scores of employees tested positive for the coronavirus, accounting for half of all coronavirus cases in the state. Meanwhile, farmers around the country are being forced to destroy fruits, vegetables, and dairy products because they can’t sell them. The Trump administration is working to slash the wages of migrant farmworkers, even as it works to send direct aid to farmers and ranchers hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.
President Trump continues to blame China for the spread of the coronavirus and for the concurrent downturn in the global economy. The conservative media, meanwhile, has pushed a steady anti-China narrative. It appears that the President is preparing to launch a cultural war against China this election season. And he thinks it’s a winning strategy. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
While the rich are fleeing to secluded mansions and beach houses, poor and working class people are being left behind to bear the brunt of the Coronavirus crisis. And the widening inequality that’s been put on full display by the pandemic may be leading to a resurgence for the labor movement. And on a global scale, U.S. sanctions are making matters worse. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests.”
An unreleased dossier written by the British Labour Party says that party officials opposed to Jeremy Corbyn worked to lose the 2017 election in the hope that a resultant backlash would trigger a leadership move to oust him. The report shows that those officials, who worked at the party’s headquarters, became increasingly despondent as Labour rose in the polls, despite their secret efforts to sabotage the campaign. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism.”
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff.
Israeli politics has undergone a dramatic realignment, with the main opposition alliance breaking apart and the once-dominant Labor Party effectively dissolving itself. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Resilience Party leader Benny Gantz said last night that they had made “major progress” in talks toward a coalition government. Talks are now extended until midnight Wednesday. Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” joins the show.
Our friend and frequent guest Steve Hedley was recently suspended from his position as the senior assistant general secretary of the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union after making a joke on his Facebook page about Boris Johnson contracting the coronavirus. He was predictably attacked by Britain’s right-wing media, and when he didn’t apologize for the joke, the attacks became more severe and sustained. Brian and John speak with Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including “Race to Revolution: The U.S. and Cuba during Slavery and Jim Crow.”
The global pandemic and economic depression is reshaping the world in fundamental ways. Facing a choice between destitution and risking their lives, workers are rising up across the country. Once again, Black working class neighborhoods are being left behind by the government in a time of crisis. And globally, the old international order between world powers is fraying and the neo-liberal model of capitalism may be on its last legs.
President Trump has gone out of his way to blame China for the spread of the coronavirus, which in turn has led to violence against Asian-Americans. The conservative media, meanwhile, has pushed a steady anti-China narrative. And the blogosphere has even suggested the possibility of war with China. With a presidential election coming up in November, will China be the defining issue? KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including . Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the huge unemployment numbers, the difficulties workers and small businesses are dealing with right now while Boeing gets a bailout, whether insurance companies are going to pay for pandemic expenses, Bernie dropping out of the presidential race, where the socialist movement is headed, and more.
Nearly 17 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the past three weeks--numbers not seen since the Great Depression. Congress, the White House, and the Federal Reserve have all moved to soften the blow by spending vast amounts of borrowed money and trying to provide a buffer for businesses small and large alike. But is it enough to stop the country from going into another depression? Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “The Scourge of Neo-Liberalism: US policy from Reagan to Trump” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
Most states are encouraging healthy residents to leave the house to walk, bike, or run for exercise, provided that they remain six feet away from anybody else to slow or stop the spread of the coronavirus. But many city sidewalks are not six feet wide themselves. Some cities are closing off some streets to cars so that walkers, bikers, and runners can move around safely. But many haven't -- at the risk of their own residents. Brian and John speak with Katy Lang, a pedestrian safety advocate who is an expert in city planning & transportation.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a commentator on political issues, whose latest book is called “Comrade.”
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders dropped out of the Democratic presidential race yesterday, saying that he was suspending his campaign. Sanders seemed to be merely an accidental figure for the emerging socialist movement in the United States. Where will this movement head now?
Healthcare workers across America are struggling to treat the tidal wave of coronavirus patients and they’re doing so with shortages of basic necessities, like gloves, masks, and gowns. How can the United States, the wealthiest country in the world, the country that brags about its healthcare system, not have the bare basics to provide to its first responders and frontline medical personnel? Satya Vatti, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today’s In the News is about Sanders dropping out of the race, the movement that propelled him continuing onward, and the racialized health disparities in the United States becoming even clearer in the coronavirus pandemic.
Unfounded accusations against the Chinese abound--that Beijing has stolen medical supplies destined for the United States, that the coronavirus was created in a Chinese military intelligence lab, and that the pandemic is part of a Chinese plan for world domination. Is this anti-Chinese bias new or has the pandemic just given media outlets an opportunity to promote it? KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
Joe Biden apparently won a resounding victory in yesterday’s Wisconsin primary, an election made controversial by a federal judge’s refusal at the behest of the state Republican Party to postpone it until July because of the coronavirus. At least, that’s if exit polls are to be believed. Voters waited in lines for as long as three hours before making it into a polling station. We don’t yet know what happened in the state’s most controversial race, the hotly-contested Supreme Court race, Trump-endorsed Judge Daniel Kelly, and the state’s electoral commissioner said he won’t release results until April 13. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders ended his campaign for president today. Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com, whose writings are at ThisCantBeHappening.net.
Every country around the world has a plan to bring its economy out of the coronavirus recession, but will it be enough to avert the biggest economic catastrophe since the Great Depression. In the United States, Congress already has passed a multi-trillion dollar bailout package, mostly for big companies, and the Federal Reserve has cut its interest rate to zero. In the European Union, many countries are fully covering unemployed workers’ salaries, but there are fierce debates between wealthier Northern European economies and the harder-hit south. And in Japan, the parliament has allocated $4 billion to be distributed mostly among small and medium-sized businesses. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism.”
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest Prof. Richard Wolff.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
Loud & Clear’s series, IIn the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
New York remains the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, with more than 130,000 confirmed cases in the state and more than 3,000 people dead there. But the disease is just now showing signs of leveling off. Are the lockdown and social distancing finally working? Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro is still telling reporters that the coronavirus pandemic is a result of media hysteria, saying that the disease is “just a little flu” and that “we all die someday anyway.” He has even urged Brazilians to return to work and to ignore the World Health Organization. As a result, 24 of Brazil’s 27 governors have announced that they will ignore Bolsonaro’s pronouncements and will act independently of the president on coronavirus. Aline Piva, a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com.
Congress last week appropriated $2 trillion in new spending in an effort to keep the economy afloat during the coronavirus crisis. And House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that she is amenable to another spending package. This kind of government spending is seen around the world as “responsible” in order to prime the pump and keep people working. Why is it seen as a “left wing” approach here in the United States?
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been hospitalized with the coronavirus, some 11 days after testing positive. Johnson’s office said that he is comfortable and undergoing tests, but that his illness has been lingering and so it was prudent to seek further testing. Meanwhile the Labour Party has elected a new leader to replace Jeremy Corbyn. Keir Starmer, the Shadow Brexit Secretary, received 56 percent on the first ballot in the party’s leadership vote. He has promised to respect the basic tenets of the Labour platform, but he is expected to be more conservative than Corbyn, and his election was celebrated by Corbyn’s detractors in the party. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Spain has seen more than 12,000 deaths due to coronavirus, a catastrophic total in a country with a population of 47 million people. But the death toll over the weekend seems to have leveled off, showing perhaps that the disease has peaked there. There are more than 80,000 active cases of coronavirus in Spain, but the rise over the weekend was the smallest since March 20. Still, Spain’s state of emergency will continue until at least April 26. Brian and John speak with Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the expected spike in Coronavirus fatalities in the United States and how the US government is prioritizing its geopolitical goals over the lives of its own people. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the scarcity of essential medical goods, the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, exploding unemployment, essential workers standing up for safety on the job, and more.
Literally every country in the world is fighting the coronavirus, some with more success than others. But some countries are dealing with extreme added difficulty as they try to mount a defense against the virus. Why? Because of US sanctions. Health care professionals in Iran, Venezuela, and elsewhere are struggling to provide for the public health because the United States will not allow for the importation of medicines or supplies. Anya Parampil, a journalist for The Grayzone who hosts the new show Red Lines, joins the show.
Syria is still mired in civil war. The country reported its first coronavirus case last week and has already begun reporting deaths from the pandemic. How does a country at war, with fragmented and limited healthcare, protect itself and save its citizens with no medicines, few qualified healthcare workers, no money, and almost no equipment, all under the heavy hand of international sanctions? Brian and John speak with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mohammad Marandi. He is an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
Although the Coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc inside the United States, Donald Trump is lashing out at Iran once again. The sanctions regime the United States has imposed on Iran is pushing the country’s public health system to the brink, but now Trump is ludicrously accusing Iran of plotting to attack the United States.
Coronavirus cases continue to worsen on an exponential basis, with nearly one million cases now documented around the world. The United States now has nearly a quarter million documented cases and now a single county or municipality in America has been spared. But there may be some good news. Social distancing and quarantines appear to be helping to slow the spread of the disease in places like Washington State and California. And even Italy has seen a two-day decline in the number of new cases. Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician and vice chair of the Infectious Disease Society of America’s Global Health Committee, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice.
The New York Times published an article that attacked China because it allegedly did not utilize a virus database created in 2002 after the SARS epidemic entitled, “China Created a Fail-Safe System to Track Contagions. It Failed.” The mainstream media’s portrayal of the pandemic has been deeply anti-China, even when it means missed lessons for the U.S. healthcare system.
We have all read and heard the stories about the critical shortages of surgical masks and other personal protective equipment across the country necessary for healthcare workers confronting the coronavirus. But garment workers, the ones who can solve this problem, are grappling with unsafe working conditions and exploding unemployment. Daisy Gonzalez, Lead Member Organizer at the Garment Worker Center, and Magdalena Utuy, a garment worker activist, join the show.
The Justice Department’s Inspector General said yesterday that his investigators found errors in literally every single FBI application to the secret FISA court as part of an ongoing review. The statement suggests that problems exposed in the FBI’s probe of the 2016 Trump campaign extend far beyond just that case. It also raises questions about the validity of countless other FBI investigations. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
The Trump Administration said yesterday that it would lift crippling sanctions against Venezuela if both President Nicolas Maduro and Washington’s hand-picked coup leader Juan Guaido stepped aside in favor of a transitional government led by members of both the socialist party and the opposition. The move comes in the immediate aftermath of criminal charges against Maduro for conspiracy to commit narco-trafficking and conspiracy to commit narco terrorism. Maduro has rejected the idea outright. Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, and Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, join the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Eugene Puryear, host of news show BreakThrough News; Karina Garcia, organizer with Justice Center en el Barrio; Karla Reyes, managing editor of women’s magazine Breaking the Chains; and Riya Ortiz, lead organizer and case manager at Damayan Migrant Workers Association.
New York’s struggle against the coronavirus is arguably the toughest in the world. The city has more cases than anywhere else in the world and is under a strict lockdown. Still, though, the virus is spreading among health care workers, inmates in the city’s jails and prisons, and among the homeless population. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says that the virus’s apex will not arrive for another two to three weeks. Worker strikes and walkouts are scheduled among Amazon, Instacart, and Whole Foods workers in NYC.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
The Coronavirus death toll in the United States surpassed that of China today, despite the United States’ much smaller population. However, the New York Times is once again criticizing China’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, this time on its front page. The Times this week published an article entitled, “China Created a Fail-Safe System to Track Contagions. It Failed.” It argues that after the SARS epidemic in 2002, China created a system to track future viral diseases but failed to use it. Brian and John speak with KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jimmy Williams, General Vice President At Large for Organizing with the Painters and Allied Traders International Union.
Construction work is the 6th largest employment sector in the country. These are the workers employed on projects, rather than as salaried employees. They are construction workers, painters, laborers, and tradesmen. Without the benefit of steady employment or corporate backing during the coronavirus outbreak, how are they handling the hardships being foisted on them, even with the temporary respite of unemployment benefits?
Israel’s Blue & White Party leader Benny Gantz shocked his supporters last week when he announced that he would enter into a unity government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party. Netanyahu will continue on as Prime Minister for the next 18 months and then Gantz will replace him as Prime Minister for 18 months. In the meantime, Gantz will serve as Speaker of the Knesset. Gantz head earlier said that he would not take part in a unity government with Netanyahu under any circumstances, and he called for the Prime Minister’s imprisonment on corruption charges. So what happened? Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
The coronavirus continues to hit the UK hard, with even Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the country’s health minister testing positive for the disease. So far, the UK has seen more than 20,000 confirmed cases of the disease and more than 1,250 deaths. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including . Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the rapid spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, Washington’s efforts to bail out Wall Street, the state of the presidential election, and more.
The United States yesterday overtook both China and Italy in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases. But Italy far exceeds the rest of the world per capita in the number of deaths from the coronavirus to the point where bodies can’t be buried quickly enough and health care providers are becoming infected and are dying at an alarming rate. Guido Salza, a leading member of the Italian political organization Fronte Popolare, joins the show.
The United States greatly stepped up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro yesterday when the Justice Department charged him in federal court in New York City with narco-terrorism and conspiracy to commit international cocaine trafficking, with prosecutors maintaining that he led a violent drug cartel even as he rose to the leadership of his country. At the same time, the State Department offered a $15 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture.The Venezuelan denounced the move as “miserable, vulgar and baseless accusations.” Brian and John speak with Leo Flores, a member of the peace group Code Pink, where he is the Latin America campaign coordinator.
World Water Day was commemorated earlier this week as a way to focus attention on the importance of fresh water and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The day took on renewed significance amid calls for a moratorium on utility shut offs as the country and the world is gripped by the Coronavirus pandemic. Mary Grant, the director of the Public Water for All Campaign at Food & Water Watch and a policy analyst on US water utility privatization, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Vijay Prashad, the Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, the author of “The Death of the Nation and the Future of the Arab Revolution,” and his most recent publication is “Red Star Over the Third World.”
The Coronavirus pandemic has set off a global economic catastrophe of historic proportions, shaking the very foundations of capitalism. The world is scrambling to address the profound health and economic fallout and discontent is rising. Meanwhile, many are looking to the model set by the Indian state of Kerala as an example of a humane, people-first approach to the crisis.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Loud & Clear’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including the coronavirus aid bill that congress is working on. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Lee Camp, a writer, comedian, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” on RT America, and his latest book is called “Bullet Points & Punch Lines,” available at leecamp.com.
The Senate this afternoon approved a $2 trillion spending bill that would flood the US economy with money in an effort to stabilize households and businesses hit by the fallout from the coronavirus. The House passed its own measure a week ago. But senators were stuck because Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would not negotiate with Democrats, and he focused the first draft of the bill solely on corporate bailouts with little in the way of regulations. The latest version of the bill sends the lion’s share of money to the largest corporations in America. That’s on top of the trillions -- yes, trillions -- already promised from the Federal Reserve Bank to the biggest banks in the country.
The coronavirus has now been detected in at least 189 countries around the world. Just this week it was detected in Gaza, Syria, Afghanistan, west Africa, and other areas that have large numbers of refugees and people affected by conflict. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed Monday for an "immediate global ceasefire" to protect vulnerable civilians in conflict zones from the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
Joe Biden has been virtually incommunicado for the past two weeks. He did give one short statement on the coronavirus, but he appeared to become confused and he just walked away from the podium. So he tried again yesterday to insert himself in the coronavirus debate. But in a statement on the television show The View, he said disingenuously that the coronavirus cure would be worse than the disease itself. What’s wrong with Joe Biden? Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Tara Smith, an epidemiologist and professor at the Kent State University College of Public Health, where she specializes in zoonotic infections and molecular epidemiology.
The coronavirus is, in large part, a testing crisis, at least in the United States. We read about tests, we talk about tests, the news networks report on tests. But where are the tests? Are they readily available? Are there different tests in different countries? Why do some take weeks to read when others take hours or even minutes? And is there any change on the horizon?
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Loud & Clear’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including coverage on the coronavirus spread, the government’s woefully inadequate response, and more.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
Cuba sent doctors and medics to Italy over the weekend after more than 800 people died there on Saturday. The Cuban government has sent its doctors around the world for decades, and they have fought outbreaks of disease in Haiti, Angola, west Africa, and elsewhere. This is the sixth medical brigade that Cuba has sent overseas since the coronavirus outbreak began, with Cuban doctors now working in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Suriname, and Grenada. Dr. Helen Yaffe, an Economic History Fellow at the London School of Economics and author of the book “Che Guevara: The Economics of Revolution,” joins the show.
The first two cases of coronavirus appeared in the densely populated Gaza strip over the weekend, as fears mount that the pandemic may spread through some of the most vulnerable populations in the Middle East. Gaza has two million people packed into only 140 square miles, and authorities there have already closed markets, schools, and event halls. Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, most recently of the film “Killing Gaza,” joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
China has seen 81,093 cases of coronavirus and 3270 deaths since the disease was first identified. The country now seems to have turned a corner, with no new cases reported on Friday or Saturday and only two cases of infected travelers entering China on Sunday. Now China is trying to help other countries affected by the coronavirus, shipping masks, gloves, and medical equipment around the world, including to the United States. Peter Miller, a China correspondent for the Canadian magazine Rebel Youth, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on allegations of insider trading ahead of the Coronavirus outbreak by members of the Senate, efforts to bail out big business, the urgent need for 100% unemployment benefits for all, the international dimensions of the pandemic, and more.
The economic outlook for Americans has plummeted in just the past few days the most since the 2008 financial crisis as the coronavirus threatens to push the United States and most of the rest of the world into recession. Meanwhile the government is considering in short order corporate tax cuts and massive industry bailouts to keep the economy afloat. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “The Scourge of Neo-Liberalism: US policy from Reagan to Trump” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
London is the epicenter of a growing coronavirus outbreak in the UK with more than 900 cases in the city. That’s one third of all the cases in the country. 50 of the UK’s 137 deaths from coronavirus have been in London, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that neither London nor the UK as a whole will go into lockdown. Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
L&C’s regular segment, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including the Coronavirus pandemic and the latest developments in the Democratic 2020 primary.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
Tomorrow marks the 17th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. President George W. Bush said at the time that the invasion was meant to “disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people.” Instead, the invasion has led to nearly two decades of death, destruction, and economic ruin for the Iraqi people. And all these years later, US troops are still fighting there. Brian and John speak with Dr. Peter Kuznik, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and the co-author with Oliver Stone of the book and the hit Showtime television series “The Untold History of the United States.”
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, and Mike Wong, the Vice President of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace.
Deaths in the United States from coronavirus topped 100 yesterday as infections increased exponentially and West Virginia, the last state to be disease-free, reported multiple cases. Local and state governments took even more drastic actions, including orders to close restaurants, bars, and gyms in many states. New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio warned that an order to shelter in place would come soon, similar to what has been done in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Rep. Devin Nunes and the Republican Governor of Oklahoma are urging residents to take their families out to restaurants because there’s no wait.
Joe Biden swept yesterday’s races in Florida, Illinois, and Arizona, putting himself over 1,000 delegates. Biden won 62 percent in Florida and 59 percent in Illinois, and he beat Bernie Sanders in Arizona by 12 percentage points. The Sanders campaign now must win 60 percent of all remaining delegates to win the nomination. Meanwhile, Congressman Daniel Lipinski, one of the few remaining anti-abortion Democrats in the House, lost his primary race to a political upstart endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
The United States imposed new sanctions on Iran today even as Tehran grapples with one of the worst Coronavirus outbreaks in the world that has so far left over 1,000 dead. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed that Tehran was even considering the release of American prisoners, but said the US would choke off Iran’s ability to export its oil. The sanctions target three specific Iranian citizens involved in the oil industry, as well as companies based in South Africa, Hong Kong, and China. Brian and John speak with Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism.”
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. He discusses the economic impact of the coronavirus.
Democratic primary elections are taking place today in Florida, Illinois, and Arizona. Polls show likely big wins there for John Biden. Voting was supposed to take place there and in Ohio, Georgia, Kentucky, and Louisiana, but governors in those states postponed the elections because of the coronavirus outbreak. New York officials are considering whether to postpone their upcoming primary, and Wyoming is suspending in-person caucuses and asking residents to vote by mail. Other states are taking similar precautions. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests,” joins the show.
In a surprise announcement yesterday the Justice Department dropped its case against two of the 16 defendants in the so-called Russian troll farm case brought by Robert Mueller. A DOJ spokesman said that the companies were “exploiting the case to gain access to delicate information that Russia could weaponize.” What that means, in English, is that they have a right to discovery to see exactly what evidence the Justice Department has against them. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
L&C’s regular segment, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek join the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician and vice chair of an Infectious Disease Society of America committee, and Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, an assistant professor of viral pathogenesis and Canada Research Chair in molecular pathogenesis of emerging viruses.
Public institutions across the country are shutting down and the stock market continued to collapse at its open as the coronavirus pandemic continues to grip the country and the world. However, Coronavirus tests remain scarce and many workers remain without paid sick leave due to huge exemptions written into the relief bill passed at the end of last week.
Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden faced off in their first one on one debate last night. The candidates faced questions about the coronavirus crisis, healthcare, foreign policy and more ahead of another round of crucial primaries scheduled for Tuesday. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com, whose writings are at ThisCantBeHappening.net, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the coronavirus pandemic, yesterday’s debate in the race for a democratic presidential nominee, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the Coronavirus outbreak, the accompanying economic situation, Chelsea Manning’s release from prison, and more.
Whistleblower Chelsea Manning was released from jail yesterday after a federal judge ruled that continued incarceration was unlikely to force her to testify before a federal grand jury in the Julian Assange case. Manning is currently hospitalized following a suicide attempt on Wednesday. Hacker and activist Jeremy Hammond also was ordered released, but he will return to federal custody to serve out the remainder of a 10-year sentence for computer hacking. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show.
The US launched multiple airstrikes in Iraq overnight targeting the al-Kata’ib Hizballah militia group and, according to Iraqi military leaders, killing six people. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that strikes were in retaliation for the killing a day earlier of two Americans and a British national, although it is unclear who was responsible for those killings. The Iraqi military condemned the US action, saying that it would only further destabilize the region. Brian and John speak with Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
The Dow Jones Industrial Averages saw their biggest decline yesterday since the epic 1987 Black Monday crash, and all major indices moved into bear market territory, bringing to an end the longest period of economic expansion in American history. The market has fallen nearly 30 percent in the past three weeks. Meanwhile, Americans are panic-buying and hoarding essentials like toilet paper, water, and canned foods, expecting the coronavirus pandemic to worsen and to continue spreading across the country. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
The Democratic presidential debate scheduled for Sunday will be moved from Arizona to Washington DC because of coronavirus concerns, according to the Democratic National Committee. And one of the moderators, Univision’s Jorge Ramos, has dropped out because he was recently exposed to the virus. The debate will be limited to Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. The only other declared candidate still in the race, Tulsi Gabbard, was not invited. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net whose most recent piece is “The Party's Over: Bernie’s Last Dance With the Dems,” on thepolemicist.net and CounterPunch, joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, an assistant professor of viral pathogenesis at the University of Manitoba and Canada Research Chair in molecular pathogenesis of emerging and reemerging viruses.
The National Basketball Association has suspended the remainder of the season, the NCAA has banned fans from attending the national tournament for the first time ever, a government coronavirus conference in New York was cancelled, and even actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, his wife, announced that they have tested positive for coronavirus. The US response to the outbreak so far has been one of confusion and ad hoc actions. How does that compare to Italy, China, or Canada?
President Trump last night gave a nationally-televised speech on the US response to the coronavirus that did little to quell public fear over the malady’s rapid spread. The President announced that all international travel to the United States from many European countries would be banned for 30 days beginning tomorrow. But he exempted the UK. And we don’t really know why. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Whistleblower Chelsea Manning is in a hospital in suburban Virginia today following a suicide attempt. Manning was due to appear before a federal grand jury tomorrow in the Julian Assange case, although she has steadfastly refused to testify against the Wikileaks cofounder. Manning’s attorneys again called on a federal judge to release her from prison, where she has been held in contempt of court since last May. Brian and John speak with Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton."
The House of Representatives last night passed a bipartisan bill preserving key FBI surveillance capabilities while instituting limited protections. The measure, which passed by a vote of 278-136, allows the FBI broad access to the private electronic records of American citizens, while denying that access to NSA analysts. It was opposed by civil libertarians of both parties, but supporters said President Trump will sign it into law when it reaches his desk. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show.
Two Americans and one British national were killed yesterday and 12 were injured in a rocket attack on a US base in Iraq, which the US quickly blamed on Iran. The United States retaliated by striking an Iran-backed militia in eastern Syria, killing at least 25 people. Medea Benjamin, a well-known peace activist and the cofounder of the peace group Code Pink, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning columnist and editorial cartoonist, whose work is at www.rall.com, and Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a commentator on political issues, whose latest book is called “Comrade.”
Joe Biden won sweeping victories in primaries and caucuses yesterday in Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi and Idaho. Bernie Sanders pulled out a win in North Dakota, with Washington state neck and neck. Biden is now ahead of Sanders by some 150 delegates, but the Democratic Party establishment is moving to essentially end the primary and deliver a coronation to Joe Biden.
Reports of coronavirus cases in the United States topped 1,000 yesterday as the economic fallout from the disease continued to take a toll around the world. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo instituted a one-mile wide safe zone around New Rochelle New York after a hotspot coronavirus outbreak there. And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said yesterday that the US must become far more aggressive in its efforts to contain the virus. Dr. Saskia Popescu, an infection prevention epidemiologist whose research focuses on the poor utilization of infection prevention and control within the United States, joins the show.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has approved the release of 1,500 Taliban prisoners as part of efforts to reach a peace deal with the insurgent group. The Taliban in turn will release 1,000 captured Afghan government troops. Ghani’s presidential decree compels released Taliban prisoners to sign a promise saying that they would not take up the fight again. The US had asked him to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners, a number at which he balked. Brian and John speak with Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Michele Greenstein, a correspondent with RT America.
Today is Super Tuesday 2.0 with primary elections in Michigan, Washington state, Missouri, Mississippi, Idaho, and North Dakota. Michigan is a must-win state for Bernie Sanders, which he carried over Hillary Clinton in 2016. And all eyes are on Mississippi as pundits look to the numbers of African American voters who will go to the polls for Joe Biden.
As the coronavirus spreads across the United States and around the world, Italy has literally closed. The entire country has put itself in quarantine. International flights and cruises are being canceled. People are hoarding toilet paper, canned food, and water. And we still don’t have enough test kits available to health professionals. Is the government response enough to keep Americans safe? Should we be doing more? Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician and vice chair of the Infectious Disease Society of America’s Global Health Committee, joins the show.
There was no disguising the tension today at the European Commission during talks between Turkish President Erdogan and the two EU presidents on Turkey’s new policy of pushing Syrian and other refugees across the Greek border by force. The Europeans insisted that the Turks abide by an earlier agreement providing Ankara with funding to handle the refugee crisis inside Turkey. Erdogan skipped the post-meeting press conference and went straight to the airport. Brian and John speak with Ambassador Robert Pearson, a former US Ambassador to Turkey and former Director General of the US Foreign Service and a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute, focusing on US-Turkish relations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping made a surprise visit to Wuhan, the city where the coronavirus outbreak began. Xi announced that the virus had been contained as cases in Wuhan drop dramatically. As the number of coronavirus victims skyrocket around the world, the number has plummeted in China. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
Julian Assange’s extradition hearings in London are on hiatus while US authorities regroup and hone their strategy to have the Wikileaks co-founder sent to the United States for trial on espionage charges. In the first round of hearings, the British judge exhibited disturbing bias in favor of US and British authorities. The next round will begin in a little more than a month. But what is the role of the European Court of Human Rights? Steve Poikonen, host of the Slow News Day podcast and cohost of the Free Assange online vigil series, joins Brian and John.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dean Baker, the co-director of the Center for Economic Policy and Research.
Chaos reigned on Wall Street today as trading was halted just 12 minutes into the session with the Dow Jones Industrial Averages down over 2,000 points. Meanwhile, an oil pricing war between Russia and Saudi Arabia couldn’t have come at a worse time for producers as prices took their biggest fall since the outbreak of the 1991 Gulf War. The price of West Texas Crude fell below $30 for the first time in 29 years.
The coronavirus is now being reported in 34 states and the District of Columbia. But Seattle seems to have been the location of the genesis of the outbreak in the US with nearly all domestic deaths coming from the area. Indeed the death toll just in Washington State is now 19 with a reported 136 cases. And yesterday, after Governor Jay Inslee complained about a lack of leadership on the outbreak coming from the White House, he was attacked by President Trump.Jane Cutter, the editor of LiberationNews.org, joins the show.
Senators and former presidential contenders Cory Booker and Kamala Harris endorsed Joe Biden over the weekend, while former presidential contender Rev. Jesse Jackson endorsed Bernie Sanders. Tomorrow we see primary elections in Michigan, Washington state, Missouri, Mississippi, Idaho, and North Dakota. Michigan is a must-win state for Bernie Sanders, which he carried over Hillary Clinton in 2016. Brian and John speak with Julie Hurwitz, she is a civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman, Hurwitz and James.
A federal jury in New York said today that they are hopelessly deadlocked in their deliberations in the Vault 7 CIA leak trial of Joshua Schulte. Schulte was accused of providing Wikileaks with the CIA’s most secret and sensitive hacking tools. Deliberations will continue.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the economic crash and coronavirus crisis, and the 2020 Democratic primary. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the 2020 election, a new red-baiting smear against Bernie Sanders, the latest mainstream media attack on Sputnik, the Coronavirus outbreak, and more.
In the 1980s, when Bernie Sanders was mayor of Burlington, Vermont, he traveled to the Soviet Union to promote the idea of pairing Burlington with a Russian city as part of the “sister cities” program, something that was common around the world at the time. But now the New York Times is accusing Sanders of having been a communist dupe. And NPR has jumped on the bandwagon, accusing Sputnik and RT of supporting Sanders’s presidential campaign. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests.”
The rapid spread of the coronavirus is beginning to have an economic impact around the world, with some economists predicting that it could push the United States into recession. Economic slowdown and recession have real impacts on the lives of workers, with many in the US not having sick days and others financially unable to miss work. What does that mean for workers and for the economy? Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “The Scourge of Neo-Liberalism: US Policy from Reagan to Trump.” You can check out his work at www.jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
Elizabeth Warren dropped out of the presidential race yesterday, leaving Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and, many people forget, Tulsi Gabbard as the only remaining candidates. Warren declined yesterday to endorse anybody else, but in an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow last night, she didn’t miss an opportunity to attack Sanders and his supporters. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net.
Federal prosecutors have once again subpoenaed Chelsea Manning to testify before a federal grand jury in the Julian Assange case, despite the fact that Manning has steadfastly refused to testify against the Wikileaks co-founder. She has been jailed for more than six months and is being fined $1000 per day for her refusal. But why call her to testify in the first place? Is it because the case against Assange is in trouble? Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program.
Vice President Pence said yesterday that coronavirus testing and treatment will be covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies. But what about those Americans who don’t have insurance coverage? Will they elect to not get tested at all?
After spending some $700 million of his own money and winning only a handful of delegates, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg dropped out of the race and endorsed Joe Biden. And now Bloomberg is putting even more money where his mouth is. He is transferring all of his prepaid assets--campaign offices, staff, and even advertising--to Biden. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Warren announced that she was dropping out of the race. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com, and whose writings are at ThisCantBeHappening.net, joins the show.
Russian President Putin and Turkish President Erdogan met in Moscow today to try to hammer out a deal that avoids further violence in Syria. Faced with increasing military losses in Idlib Province and a wave of refugees, Erdogan is eager for a ceasefire, and western European leaders are eager for Putin to step up pressure on the Turks to stem the flow of refugees. Brian and John speak with Mark Sleboda, a foreign affairs and security analyst.
The International Criminal Court greenlit an investigation of war crimes committed in Afghanistan since 2003 by Afghan forces, US forces, and the Taliban. The decision is the first involving US forces in the court’s history. The ICC’s chief prosecutors said she has evidence that US forces “committed acts of torture, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, rape, and sexual violence” in Afghanistan and in clandestine CIA facilities. Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history whose latest book is “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce,” joins the show.
Psychologists working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement are using confidential therapy notes from their conversations with detained immigrants against them in court in order to hasten their deportation. The Trump administration argues that the policy is legal. And while it may be, professional therapy organizations say it is unethical and immoral. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com, and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests.”
Yesterday was Super Tuesday and it was a very big day for Joe Biden. Two weeks ago it looked like the former Vice President’s campaign was all but dead. But yesterday he became the clear frontrunner, besting Bernie Sanders in 10 of the 14 state contests. Biden won in Alabama, Arkansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Sanders won in California, Colorado, Utah, and Vermont. Mike Bloomberg took American Samoa and then dropped out of the race this morning. But in the end, is it Donald Trump who was really the big winner?
The peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban appears to have lasted about a few days. The US carried out an airstrike this morning against Taliban fighters who had apparently attacked an Afghan National Defense and Security Forces checkpoint. The airstrike came hours after President Trump called Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar to warn him not to resume violence against the Afghan government. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
The coronavirus continues to spread and, according to the World Health Organization, is now deadlier than the flu virus. It does not, however, transmit as easily as the flu, and scientists around the world are working on a vaccine. Meanwhile, new cases of the virus have been confirmed in New York City, Florida, and California. And for the first time, there have been more deaths from coronavirus outside China than in. Brian and John speak with Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician and vice chair of the Infectious Disease Society of America’s Global Health Committee.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including Super Tuesday, the coronavirus outbreak, the war in Syria, and the war in Afghanistan. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Nicole Roussell, a Sputnik News analyst and producer.
Today is Super Tuesday, and voters in 14 states and American Samoa or going to the polls to choose a Democratic candidate for president. Fully one third of all the delegates necessary to win the nomination will be chosen today. There’s been a lot of movement in the race in the past day or two. Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the race and they and Beto O’Rourke all endorsed Joe Biden.
The coronavirus continues to spread across the United States, and six more people died from it yesterday in Washington State. People have now tested positive for coronavirus in 18 states, and the Centers for Disease Control estimates that as many as 70 percent of Americans eventually will become infected. Hospitals already are preparing for a pandemic, and schools, theaters, and other gathering places are making contingency plans to close. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia who is a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks set to remain on as the country’s leader, as his Likud Party took 59 seats of the 61 necessary to govern. Netanyahu will now seek to form a coalition with a smaller party to create a governing bloc. The Labour Party, long the dominant party in Israeli politics, won only seven seats. But the Joint List, the party of Arab Israelis, won a record 15. Brian and John speak with David Sheen, he is an independent writer and filmmaker and you can check out more of his work at www.davidsheen.com.
A federal judge has ordered Hillary Clinton to sit for a sworn deposition for the first time in connection with her use of a private email account during her tenure as Secretary of State. The order is in response to a five-and-a-half year old Freedom of Information Act suit brought by Judicial Watch seeking emails related to the attack in Benghazi, Libya. Clinton had earlier submitted written responses, but the judge ruled that they were “incomplete, unhelpful, and cursory.” Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--The Frozen Republic, The Velvet Coup, and America's Undeclared War, joins the show.
The Trump Administration has ordered four Chinese state-owned media outlets to slash the number of staff that they have working in the United States. This move comes after China expelled three Wall Street Journal reporters last month after the US announced Chinese journalists would need to register under the Foreign Missions Act. Sixty Chinese journalists will have to leave the country. And this morning, Beijing vowed to retaliate. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins Brian and John.
The Democratic Party establishment is going all-out to deny Bernie Sanders a victory on Super Tuesday. Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the race to endorse Joe Biden, and a string of other high-profile establishment endorsements quickly followed. Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst and producer, joins the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; and Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a commentator on political issues, whose latest book is called “Comrade.”
Super Tuesday is tomorrow, with voters in 14 states and American Samoa going to the polls to cast votes for Democratic candidates for president. California and Texas are the big prizes, with about a third of all delegates necessary for the nomination between them. The Democratic Party elite are desperate to stop Sanders.
A second American has died of the coronavirus, this time a man in his 70s from Kirkland, Washington. The virus apparently is more virulent than previously thought, and its victims likely have been undercounted in the United States because of delays in testing. Meanwhile, the disease is spreading across Europe and the United States. Mike Wong, the Vice President of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
The United States and the Taliban signed an agreement over the weekend laying out a 14-month timetable for full US troop withdrawal in exchange for the prevention of attacks against the US and allied foreign forces. Both sides pledged to support a lasting peace between the Taliban and the Afghan government. But this morning, Taliban forces attacked a football match in Khost Province and said that they had no intention of ceasing operations against government forces. Brian and John speak with Dr. Marvin Weinbaum, the Scholar-in-Residence and director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies.
Turkey shot down two Syrian fighter jets over the weekend hours after Syria shot down a Turkish drone. The Syrian Army also captured a major highway in Idlib Province that had been controlled by extremists. Turkish president Erdogan announced that he would meet with Russian president Putin in Moscow on Thursday to discuss Syria. And in the meantime, Turkish police arrested and harassed a Sputnik News journalist and released him only after intervention from President Putin. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including Joe Biden’s victory in south carolina, why Pete Buttiegeg actually dropped out of the race just two weeks after CNN proclaimed him the front runner, tomorrow’s Super Tuesday vote, the intensifying conflict between Turkey and Syria and Russia, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ben Norton, he’s associate editor and journalist with The Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including economic effects of the coronavirus, the 2020 primary and establishment attack on Bernie Sanders, and more.
The South Carolina primary is tomorrow and the latest polls show that Joe Biden is surging in the state. He has 36 percent to Bernie Sanders’ 16 percent and Tom Steyer at 15. Sanders is leading in just about every Super Tuesday state, meanwhile, and he is campaigning today in Massachusetts, trying to win that from Elizabeth Warren. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “the scourge of neo-liberalism: US policy from Reagan to trump,” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
Thirty three Turkish soldiers were killed in an air raid early this morning in Syria’s Idlib Province, raising tensions to an unprecedented level. The Russian government said that it was not responsible for the attack, and Turkish President Erdogan said his government would do anything and everything to protect Turkish troops. Meanwhile, NATO called an emergency meeting to discuss the development, and France sent two battleships to the eastern Mediterranean. Brian and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Pedestrian fatalities on US roads have increased by more than 50 percent over the past decade, while deaths of people riding in vehicles remained unchanged, according to a new analysis by the Governors highway Safety Association. The Association estimated that pedestrian deaths totaled 6,590 last year, the most in three decades. Katy Lang, a pedestrian safety advocate who is an expert in city planning & transportation, joins the show.
Israel will hold its third election in 18 months on Monday and, if the latest polls are to be believed, Benjamin Netanyahu will come out ahead of his main challenger, Benny Gantz. The Israeli media have noted Gantz’s recent move to the left, causing Netanyahu to widen his lead from the right.
Still, forming a new government will be the result of protracted negotiations. David Sheen, an independent writer and filmmaker whose work is at www.davidsheen.com, joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Saskia Popescu, an infection prevention epidemiologist whose research focuses on the poor utilization of infection prevention and control within the United States.
President Trump yesterday tried to downplay the spread of the coronavirus as he appointed Vice President Trump to lead the country’s efforts to contain the outbreak. But as the virus spreads, can the US healthcare system keep up?
With the South Carolina primary coming up this weekend, and Super Tuesday just around the corner on Tuesday, the 2020 race for the Democratic Party nominee is heating up. Bernie Sanders is the frontrunner and is being attacked from all sides, including other candidates, of course, but also the corporate-owned media and the DNC. Darren Gibson, a host of the radio show and podcast Southpaws, a political analysis show focusing on social & economic issues, on Pacifica and also on Global Community Radio Mondays at 9:00 pm, joins the show.
Today is Day 4 of the Julian Assange extradition hearing in London. With Julian still inside a bulletproof box, attorneys argued over whether international or domestic UK law would determine whether the Wikileaks cofounder is extradited to the US. Brian and John speak with Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst and producer at the courthouse where the hearing is taking place.
Newly declassified accounts of the CIA torture program show that CIA interrogators were essentially using detainees in human experiments. James Mitchell, one of the psychologists who was paid millions to develop "enhanced interrogation techniques," has recently claimed in court that interrogators were supposed to practice techniques on each other. But nonetheless, these accounts provide new details showing otherwise. Brian speaks with co-host John, CIA whistleblower on the torture program.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this week his plans to build 3,500 homes for Jewish settlers into the occupied West Bank region. Building in this region, the E1 area, would eliminate any possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state, despite the claims of Trump’s so-called Peace Plan. Tamara Nassar, associate editor of Electronic Intifada, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com.
Last night’s Democratic debate in Charleston, South Carolina was a free-for-all, with six candidates attacking frontrunner Bernie Sanders and a resurgence of the pointed fight between Elizabeth Warren and Mike Bloomberg. Meanwhile, Joe Biden did his best to convince viewers that he has the most experience and the best chance of beating Trump.
Today is Day 3 of the Julian Assange extradition hearing in London. Julian’s attorneys today continued laying out their defense of the Wikileaks co-founder, arguing that his prosecution is political in nature and that he should not be extradited to the United States. Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst and producer who is at the courthouse where the hearing is taking place, joins the show.
The House Judiciary Committee yesterday introduced a bill to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence and Surveillance Act, or FISA, court. But there are some changes to the legislation. Among other things, the draft legislation would repeal authority to access call detail records on an ongoing basis, and would also require the declassification review and public release of significant decisions, orders, and opinions within 180 days of being issued. The proposed legislation would expand mandatory reporting on the number of search terms and queries concerning a U.S. citizen to include reporting on search terms and queries that are “reasonably likely to identify a United States person.” Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Syrian Arab Army forces yesterday attacked towns in Idlib Province in an attempt to push rebel forces out of the area. But Turkish President Erdogan said that his own forces would force the Syrians away from Turkish outposts in the area. Erdogan decried Russian control of the airspace over Idlib and said, “Our biggest problem is that we cannot use the airspace over Idlib. We hope to have a solution soon.” Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
After 10 months of silence, UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has again called for the UK government to drop extradition proceedings against Julian Assange. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson refused to comment specifically on the Assange case, but instead said that the current extradition treaty with the United States is “unbalanced.” Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the further-right foreign policy in the Democratic debate last night, the ongoing Julian Assange extradition trial in London this week, and more. Sputnik News analyst and producer of this show Nicole Roussell joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst and producer at the courthouse where the hearing is taking place.
Today is Day 2 of the Julian Assange extradition hearing in London. Julian’s attorneys today began laying out their defense of the Wikileaks co-founder, arguing that his prosecution is political in nature and that he should not be extradited to the United States.
Another Democratic debate is scheduled for tonight, this time in South Carolina. Media commentators are unanimous in their belief that just about everybody will attack frontrunner Bernie Sanders tonight, with challenger Mike Bloomberg announcing earlier in the day that he will focus all of his upcoming media spend on hitting Sanders. Meanwhile, the latest polls show Joe Biden slightly ahead of Sanders. Bloomberg is not on the ballot. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Our friend Lee Camp has a new book out, and a LOT of people are talking about it. Bullet Points and Punch Lines is a hilarious collection of writing on the most current and devastating issues of our time, like the Pentagon failing its first and so-far only audit, the nuclear doomsday clock ticking ever closer to midnight, and Wall Street analyzed as a Ponzi scheme. Brian and John speak with Lee Camp, a comedian, activist, journalist, host of the television show “Redacted Tonight” on RT America, and whose latest book is called “Bullet Points & Punch Lines: The Most Important Commentary Ever Written on the Epic American Tragicomedy,” available at leecamp.com.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Henry Williams, executive director of the Gravel Institute and the former co-director of the Mike Gravel for President Committee.
Bernie Sanders won the Nevada caucuses convincingly on Saturday, setting himself apart as the candidate to beat for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Sanders finished with 46.8 percent, followed by Joe Biden at 20.4, Pete Buttigieg at 13.9, and Elizabeth Warren at 9.8. They all now move to South Carolina for that state’s primary on Saturday, which will follow a debate mid-week.
The blame game continued over the weekend, as CNN, MSNBC, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and other outlets accused Russia of somehow “interfering” in the 2020 election. The accusations came out of a statement that a senior intelligence official apparently made last week in a closed meeting of the House Intelligence Committee, when he said that Intelligence Community analysis indicated that Russia “preferred” Donald Trump. Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare,” joins the show.
The extradition hearing of Julian Assange begins today in London and is expected to last into July, with a break of about a month. The United States has asked that Assange be sent to Alexandria, VA to face 18 counts of espionage and computer hacking for the revelations that Wikileaks have made over the years. Brian and John speak with Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst and producer who is in London for the hearing this week.
South Korea raised its official virus alert to the highest level as health officials there announced 833 new cases of coronavirus. Health authorities in Iran reported 12 new deaths related to the virus, and Italy reported four, prompting Italian authorities to implement nationwide quarantines and to cancel public events. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the Assange extradition hearing that will be ongoing this week, the Nevada caucus results and where the race is going this week as the South Carolina primary comes up, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Aaron Maté, a journalist with The Grayzone and The Nation. Check out his podcast Pushback with Aaron Maté.
A senior US intelligence official told lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week that Russia wants to see President Trump reelected. The comment infuriated the President and sent shockwaves through Washington. But what, exactly, is it based on? It appears to have been an off-handed comment by a CIA analyst. And Acting Director of National Intelligence John McGuire apparently did not offer any intelligence to support the statement.
Nevada voters will caucus on Saturday and will decide who they want to be the Democratic nominee for President. The latest polls show Bernie Sanders with a commanding lead in the state. He’s at 31 percent, with Pete Buttigieg at 17 percent, Joe Biden at 16, Elizabeth Warren at 12, Amy Klobuchar at 11, Tom Steyer at 10, and Tulsi Gabbard at 2 percent. The candidates will then focus on the South Carolina primary, which takes place a week later. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests,” joins the show.
Syrian troops, backed by the Russian air force, have been battling to eliminate the last rebel strongholds in the Idlib region, while Turkish forces are actively fighting the Syrian government. Brian and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Salvador Romero, the head of Bolivia’s electoral commission, said yesterday that former president Evo Morales was ineligible to run for a Senate seat in an upcoming May rerun of an election that was overturned in a military coup late last year. Morales found asylum in Mexico and then in Argentina and is leading his party’s campaign from exile. Adrienne Pine, an associate professor of anthropology at American University and a member of the Venezuelan Embassy Protection Collective, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the attempt to resuscitate the Russiagate narrative, the 2020 election and Mike Bloomberg’s appalling record, the Bernie Sanders movement, the science of social change and movement building, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell.
There was a bare-fisted street brawl in Las Vegas last night, and a Democratic presidential debate broke out. Indeed, the New York Post called last night’s debate “the single best debate in the history of American politics.” That may be a stretch, but Mike Bloomberg looked unprepared, angry, and defensive. Elizabeth Warren looked like the big winner of the evening, as she relentlessly pummelled Bloomberg. Pete Buttigieg seemed to hold his own, and Bernie Sanders appears to have come out on top with no real damage other than over his medical records.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), joins the show.
One of Julian Assange’s London-based attorneys said yesterday that President Trump had authorized former Congressman Dana Rohrbacher to tell Assange that he would be pardoned if he showed proof that Russia was not behind the hack of DNC computers in 2016. Assange has repeatedly said over the years that no state actor was involved. But Rohrbacher issued a statement several hours later saying the report was not true, and that he had made the offer on his own volition. Brian and John speak with independent journalist Diani Barreto, and Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry.
Roger Stone was sentenced today to 40 months in a federal court in Washington DC. Judge Amy Berman Jackson sided with prosecutors in their demand for real prison time for Stone, and she read several of Stone’s text messages to his friend Randy Credico into the record, including messages where Stone threatened Credico and his dog. This is despite the fact that Credico wrote to the judge and asked not to give Stone any prison time at all, saying that he never took Stone’s threats seriously. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show.
Fighting broke out in Syria’s Idlib Province today after two Turkish soldiers were killed and five wounded in a Syrian Army air attack. The Turks responded, saying later that they killed more than 50 Syrian troops. A Turkish government spokesman said that move does not constitute a Turkish attack on Idlib, while a Russian government spokesman said that both sides need to stand down. Meanwhile, reports circulated that were denied by Turkey that it had asked the US to deploy two Patriot missile batteries on its southern border to protect Turkish troops from Syrian air attacks. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins Brian and John.
The U.S. government issued harsh new restrictions on Chinese public media outlets this week that would put them in the same legal category as foreign missions. This dramatic move is being denounced as yet another escalation of the war on alternative media. In retaliation, several Wall Street Journal reporters in China had their credentials revoked. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Carolyn Gomez, a healthcare labor organizer in Southern California.
Workers across the country are in ascension. A group of Walmart employees this week marched in New York to the luxury penthouse of Walmart heiress Alice Walton, where they protested the company’s treatment of its workers. Indeed, in 2005, 20 percent of the retail giant’s workers were part-time. Now that number is 50 percent. That has allowed the Walton family to drastically cut costs and add to its $191 billion fortune. Meanwhile, hospital and healthcare workers across the country are launching union drives and organizing protests for better wages and working conditions, saying that they can’t afford their own healthcare.
Billionaire Michael Bloomberg will face his opponents in the Democratic primary on the debate stage for the first time tonight. His extreme wealth has helped insulate him from criticism so far. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders is dominating the polls. Darren Gibson, a host of the radio show and podcast Southpaws, a political analysis show focusing on social & economic issues, on Pacifica and Global Community Radio Mondays at 9:00 pm., joins the show.
After a string of pardons and an increasingly public dispute with Attorney General William Barr, where is Trump heading as he battles his own Justice Department? Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
An open letter signed by 117 physicians and psychologists in the medical journal The Lancet calls for an end to what it describes as “the psychological torture and medical neglect” of Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. Assange is being held in London’s maximum-security Belmarsh Prison in advance of the start of a February 24 extradition hearing. He’s been charged in the United States with 18 counts of espionage for publishing information that exposed US war crimes. Dr. Bill Hogan, a medical researcher and educator at the University of Florida and one of the signatories of the letter, joins the show.
There is a fascinating new documentary short out on the Iraq War called “Worth the Price? Joe Biden and the Launch of the Iraq War.” The film reviews the role of then-Senator Joe Biden in leading the US into the most devastating foreign policy blunder of the past generation. And it features a half-dozen of the most prominent critics of the war, including our next guest. Matthew Hoh, a veteran and peace activist who in 2009 resigned from the State Department over the American escalation of the war in Afghanistan, whose writings have appeared in a wide variety of publications, and who is a winner of the Ridenhour Prize for Truth Telling, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou is joined by Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, a contributor to The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com, and at ThisCantBeHappening.net.
Nevada voters will caucus on Saturday in the first test of strength in the West for Democratic presidential candidates. The big question mark is whether a counting app, or counting tool as the DNC is now calling it, is going to work after failing so spectacularly in Iowa. In the meantime, Bernie Sanders has surged to a double-digit lead in national polls, followed by Mike Bloomberg. Joe Biden has dropped to third nationally. And Democrats will debate on Wednesday. It is the first debate for which Bloomberg qualifies.
Another day, another hit piece against Sputnik Radio in the mainstream corporate media. This time, CBS News decided to essentially repeat an earlier New York Times piece about Sputnik operating in Kansas City, MO. They even interviewed the same person as the New York Times, who repeated her ridiculous assertion that Sputnik was responsible for dividing the country on health care. Why does the media feel so threatened by Sputnik? Mindia Gavasheli, editor-in-chief of Sputnik News’ bureau in Washington, D.C., joins the show.
More than 2,000 former Justice Department officials have signed a letter urging Attorney General William Barr to resign, with one former prosecutor and friend of 40 years saying, “Everything he touches dies.” All of this is in response to the resignation of all the prosecutors involved in the Roger Stone case. They resigned because they say President Trump meddled in the sentencing and Barr did nothing to support them. John speaks with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist at www.rall.com.
The US and the Taliban are preparing a peace deal that now appears imminent in Afghanistan. That peace deal seems to be moving forward, despite the fact that two more US soldiers were killed in Afghanistan in recent days and that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s opponents are protesting the election results declared today showing Ghani scoring a narrow victory. Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins the show.
Our friends David Paul, Adrienne Pine, Margaret Flowers, and Kevin Zeese were on trial last week on charges of “interfering with certain federal protective functions.” That’s because they were protecting the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington from the reactionary forces of presidential pretender Juan Guaido, who in turn was supported by the State Department. Well, on Friday, the judge in the case declared a mistrial. The jury was simply unable to come to a verdict. David Paul, a member of the Venezuelan Embassy Protection Collective, joins John.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “The Scourge of Neo-Liberalism: U.S. Policy from Reagan to Trump,” at www.jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by activist, author of “Shackled and Chained,” and journalist Eugene Puryear and Sputnik News analyst and producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Attorney General William Barr’s seemingly planned pushback against President Trump, Roger Stone’s sentencing, New Hampshire and the surging Sanders campaign, the myriad racist and deeply conservative statements and policies that Democratic candidate Michael Bloomberg has made over the years, several Democrats’ focus on taking Radio Sputnik off the air instead of issues their constituents care about, Trump’s proposed budget for 2021, and oligarchs in the form of Microsoft and Amazon fighting over public money.
A federal judge in Washington yesterday ordered Microsoft to halt all work on a $10 billion cloud computing contract for the Pentagon. This is a major victory for Amazon, which had contested the awarding of the contract. The judge said there should be no work on the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure, or JEDI) system until Amazon’s legal challenge had been resolved. Brian and John are joined by Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen.
The National Health Law Program today won a unanimous appeal in the federal Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia against the Trump Administration. What was at stake was the Trump policy of trying to force work requirements or other barriers on recipients of Medicaid. Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program, joins the show.
A group of House Democrats criticized the Federal Communications Commission yesterday for not taking action to put Sputnik radio out of business in the United States. The members said in a letter to the FCC that they feared Sputnik would try to influence the 2020 presidential election. This same group of Democrats earlier accused Sputnik Radio of impacting the 2016 election, despite the fact that we were not on the radio until 2017. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests.”
Stanford University’s Internet Observatory (SIO) is part of a growing network of cybersecurity groups policing the activity of social media users while towing the federal government’s political line. SIO is not a part of one of the myriad neoliberal think tanks. Instead, it remains attached to the university. So why is it monitoring our social media usage? And what is it doing with the information? Morgan Artukhina, a journalist with Sputnik News in Washington, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Medea Benjamin, a well-known peace activist and the cofounder of the peace group Code Pink.
A bipartisan bill that would limit President Trump’s ability to wage war against Iran is likely to pass in the Senate. The resolution is sponsored by Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine, and in a procedural vote on Tuesday, gained the support of all Democrats and eight Republicans, including Senator Rand Paul, a Trump confidant. Kaine says that the measure is an important reassertion of Congress’s power to declare war, but still voted with the vast majority of senators to approve a higher military budget than President Trump asked for.
Troy Price, the chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, resigned yesterday in the aftermath of the vote-counting debacle that shook the presidential caucus more than a week ago. And it wasn’t just the failure of a vote-counting app that forced Price out. The caucus was also rife with counting errors and inconsistencies that could still affect the outcome of the race. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests,” joins the show.
The New York Times today published a stridently anti-Sputnik article accusing the network of “agitprop,” or agitation propaganda, and saying that we are spreading that propaganda through our new sister station in Kansas City, Missouri. The Times specifically criticizes our colleagues Lee Stranahan of the morning show Fault Lines, and Sean Blackmon of the afternoon show By Any Means Necessary on completely spurious grounds. Brian and John speak with Mindia Gavasheli, editor-in-chief of Sputnik News’ bureau in Washington, D.C.
President Trump has conditionally approved a peace deal with the Taliban that would withdraw the last remaining troops in that country, in exchange for a Taliban promise to reduce violence over a test period of seven days to be held later in the month. If the Taliban do reduce hostilities, the US will begin to gradually withdraw troops, and the Taliban and Afghan government will begin negotiations over the future of the country. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has implemented a minor cabinet change, replacing the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Paymaster General, and the Northern Ireland Secretary. More interestingly, though, the head of the BBC warned that the government’s intention to slash the broadcaster’s budget would embolden what he called “democratic disruption” by Russian and Chinese media outlets and even, God forbid, by Fox News. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a commentator on political issues, and her latest book is called “Comrade.”
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire primary last night, narrowly edging out former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar finished a strong third, with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden finishing poorly. All other candidates were in the lower single digits, and entrepreneur Andrew Yang formally dropped out of the race. No candidate has ever won the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire primary and failed to become the party’s nominee. So it looks like Bernie Sanders is the candidate to beat.
All four prosecutors in the Roger Stone case resigned yesterday after a public dressing down from senior Justice Department officials over the prosecution’s desire to sentence Stone to 7-9 years in prison. The DOJ officials said that the prosecutors had lied to them about seeking a much shorter sentence. And now rumors are rife that President Trump will soon pardon Stone anyway, making the entire issue moot. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
While the Chinese government moved into public action after identifying and sequencing the coronavirus the reactions around the world vary greatly. The World Health Organization has given China a highly favorable rating for its response. In fact, the WHO has said that China has “set new standards for disease response.” But the coverage in the western media has been extremely negative and hostile. China condemns the western media coverage for treating this public health emergency as a political tool. Brian and John speak with KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice.
Russia and Turkey are headed for serious diplomatic problems as both sides appear to be headed toward a clash over Syria. The Syrian Arab Army has pushed into the country’s last rebel stronghold, Idlib, in recent days, and fighting left 13 Turks dead. The Turkish military responded by attacking 115 Syrian military positions, and now the Russian government has warned the Turks to back off. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
Venezuela coup leader Juan Guaido returned to Venezuela today after illegally leaving the country to conduct a world tour, where he attempted to rally support for his failing bid at regime change. Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jamarl Thomas of Progressive Soapbox, and soon of Political Misfits, which will be on from 12:00-2:00 starting next Tuesday right here on Sputnik Radio.
The New Hampshire Primary is today with voters heading to the polls until 7:00. 33 Democrats are on the ballot, and every poll released today shows Bernie Sanders leading by 7 or 8 percentage points, followed by Pete Buttigieg. Some polls show Amy Klobuchar in third place, while others have Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden tied for third.
Roger Stone is facing prison time for lying to Congress and witness tampering in the Russia investigation. President Trump immediately took to Twitter, calling the prosecution of Stone unfair and saying, “I cannot allow this miscarriage of justice.” And now the Justice Department seems to be backing off. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Our friend and guest Abby Martin was scheduled to give the keynote address at an upcoming conference at Georgia Southern University. Before the event took place, however, she was told that she had to sign a contractual pledge to not support the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions movement against Israel. Abby refused and her talk was canceled after other scheduled speakers supported Abby’s position. She is now taking the issue to the courts. Brian and John speak with Abby Martin, host of The Empire Files.
Syrian opposition leaders said today that a counteroffensive against government forces in the country’s northwest could begin at any moment, amid escalating tensions. The warning came yesterday just hours after five Turkish troops were killed in shelling by the Syrian Army. The Turkish Army retaliated by hitting more than 100 Syrian military targets. Meanwhile, a Russian diplomatic delegation arrived in Ankara to try to head off the fighting. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Today, in federal court in Washington, DC, four people, including Adrienne Pine, David Paul, Margaret Flowers and Kavin Zeese, will go on trial on charges of “interfering with certain federal protective functions.” That’s code for refusing to leave the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington so that it could be handed over to coup plotters and followers of presidential pretender Juan Guaido. They were removed by force in a SWAT-style raid on May 16, 2019. Wyatt Reed, the producer of By Any Means Necessary, which is on Radio Sputnik every weekday from 2pm to 4pm, joins Brian and John.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with special guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com, whose writings are at ThisCantBeHappening.net.
Voters will go to the polls tomorrow in New Hampshire to make their choice for the Democratic nominee for president as the Iowa Democratic Party remains mired in controversy after announcing official results that are sure to be challenged. And as Democrats attack each other on the campaign trail, polls are showing a more clearly defined race with Bernie Sanders in the lead, followed by Pete Buttigieg. Amy Klobuchar is third, with Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden tied for fourth. No other candidates are in double digits.
President Trump today proposed a $4.8 trillion dollar federal budget that includes massive cuts to social safety net programs, including huge cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The budget also calls for a 26.5 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency, a nine percent cut to the Department of Health and Human Services, and large reductions to the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control. Democrats in the House will surely reject the proposals, setting up a fight over priorities, both on Capitol Hill and on the campaign trail. Julie Hurwitz, a civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman, Hurwitz and James, joins the show.
The South Korean film Parasite last night became the first foreign language film ever to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Besides best picture, the film also won Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Film. The comedy-thriller about class struggle in South Korea won at a time that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has struggled against accusations that it is biased in favor of white men. So while writer-director Bong Joon Ho did well for himself last night, none of the actors in the film were even nominated for anything. Brian and John speak with Sputnik News Analysts, Producers, and Film Critics Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Ireland is in the midst of an historic election. With more than half of the 160 contested seats filled in the Doyle Eric, or Parliament, Sinn Fein, the political arm of the former Irish Republican Army, had won 24.5 percent, followed by 22 percent for opposition party Fianna Fail (Fina Foil), and 21 percent for the ruling Fine (Finna Gail) Gael. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar called the vote “a revolution at the ballot box” and said that forming a government would be “challenging.” Journalist Andy Brennan joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the New Hampshire primary, continued controversy over the result of the Iowa caucus, fighting in Syria, a political crisis in Germany, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On the 1,000th episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the Iowa caucus fiasco, Donald Trump’s acquittal in the impeachment trial, the State of the Union address, charges in Brazil dropped against journalist Glenn Greenwald, and more.
Today is Loud & Clear’s 1,000th show. The team has been proud to provide listeners with a progressive take on the news that doesn’t exist in the mainstream media. Brian and John celebrate the milestone with some of the most esteemed guests and friends who have been regular guests on the show:
· Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author, most recently of “The Management of Savagery,” the senior editor of The Grayzone, and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels”
· Paul Wright, the Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and the editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News magazines
· Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure
· Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist at www.rall.com
· Joe Lauria, editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton”
· Professor Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including “Race to Revolution: The U.S. and Cuba during Slavery and Jim Crow”
· Heidi Boghosian, the executive director of the A. J. Muste Memorial Institute and the former Executive Director of the National Lawyers Guild
· Lee Camp, a writer, comedian, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” on RT America, whose latest book is called “Bullet Points & Punch Lines,” and at leecamp.com
· Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist
· Professor Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran
· Professor Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network
· Professor Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a commentator on political issues, whose latest book is called Comrade
· Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos
· Anya Parampil, a journalist for The Grayzone who hosts the new show Red Lines
· Leonardo Flores, a member of the peace group Code Pink, where he is a Latin America campaign coordinator
· Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers
· Mike Wong, the Vice President of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace
· Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria
· KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice
· Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst
· Diani Barreto, independent journalist
· Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer & author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests”
· Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News, at lefti.blogspot.com
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist, whose latest film is “Killing Gaza,” senior editor of The Grayzone, and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”
As the Iowa caucus debacle continues to deepen, more and more people are asking: Who and what is behind Acronym, the company that developed the “Shadow” app at the heart of the vote counting disaster? Brian and John discuss the role of tech billionaire Reed Hoffman, one of the key financial backers of the company.
It now appears that Bernie Sanders is headed for a victory in Iowa no matter what metric is used. But the corporate media still managed to deliver an undeserved victory to Pete Buttigieg, who’s enjoyed fawning coverage in the press since the caucuses despite his false claim to have won. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests,” joins the show.
One day after the impeachment trial ends and President Trump is acquitted, he took a victory lap with a long, bragging, off-script speech. The president was introduced with a rendition of Pomp and Circumstance and walked down a red carpet to the microphone. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist, whose work is at www.rall.com.
Attorney General William Barr yesterday issued new restrictions over the opening of politically sensitive investigations, a move meant to avoid upending the political season, as former FBI Director James Comey did in October 2016, when he helped shaped the outcome of the race. The announcement came after a scathing report from the Justice Department’s Inspector General that showed that FBI agents ignored protocols and falsified information in their bid to investigate Trump campaign aide Carter Page. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Venezuelan coup leader Juan Guaido was an honored guest at the State of the Union address this week and was granted a meeting with President Trump yesterday. Today, Guaido also sat down with Nancy Pelosi, demonstrating that establishment politicians remain united in their support for regime change in Venezuela. Leonardo Flores, Latin America campaign coordinator for the peace group Code Pink, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou discuss the final impeachment vote.
The Senate today voted to acquit President Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, putting an end to the impeachment drama. The vote was predictable and along party lines, with only Republican Senator Mitt Romney voting to acquit on one of the charges. Pundits are saying that the President comes out of the experience stronger politically, with Democrats the ones taking the hit.
The results of the Iowa caucuses are still not completely in. The real news here, though, is that the Democratic Party has fallen flat on its face when it comes to actually carrying out one of the most important elections in a presidential campaign. Lee Camp, a writer, comedian, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” on RT America, whose latest book is called “Bullet Points & Punch Lines,” and whose work is at leecamp.com, joins the show.
Joshua Schulte is a 31-year-old former CIA computer engineer who today will go on trial, accused of leaking what’s known as the Vault 7 documents, the most highly classified computer hacking secrets that the CIA possessed. When the documents went public in May 2017, Wikileaks said in a statement that the whistleblower “wanted to raise policy questions that need to be debated in public, including whether the CIA’s hacking abilities exceeded its mandated powers.” And his supporters allege that authorities even set him up on fake child pornography charges. Brian and John speak with Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower.
President Trump last night delivered his State of the Union address, turning the traditionally dull event into a re-election spectacle pushing far-right politics from every angle. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
A new report published by the National Center for Homeless Education has found that there are more than 1.5 million public school students who were homeless at some point during the 2017-2018 school year. It’s the highest number in 12 years, and it points to the ongoing failure of local, state, and federal governments to address housing affordability. And just as importantly, homelessness has a ripple effect among children, causing developmental delays and poor health. Derek Ford, an assistant professor of education studies at DePauw University and a community organizer whose latest book is “Education and the Production of Space,” joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Ian Zabarte, Principal Man of the Western Bands of Shoshone, and Secretary, Native Community Action Council; Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear; and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” Bob Schlehuber, a Sputnik News analyst and the producer of the Sputnik News show By Any Means Necessary, and Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author, the senior editor of Grayzone and co-host of the podcast Moderate Rebels.
As of this recording, the nation still doesn’t know who won yesterday’s Iowa caucuses. The Iowa Democratic Party used a new app this year to tally votes and to calculate delegate apportionment. But the app simply didn’t work, and no numbers were forthcoming from the Party. Donald Trump took to Twitter to mock the Party and the entire process, and even Democratic insiders concede that they are in the middle of an unmitigated disaster. The candidates, meanwhile, pretended to not be bothered by the debacle, and they all flew to New Hampshire during the night to begin campaigning there in advance of next week’s primary.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with a special new guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Bob Schlehuber, a Sputnik News analyst.
Iowans will caucus this evening to make their choice for the Democratic presidential nomination. The Des Moines Register, which has accurately predicted every caucus winner since 1988, controversially cancelled its poll this year for technical reasons, but other polls show a tight race, with Bernie Sanders leading, and Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren close behind. Some polls also show Pete Buttigieg in the mix.
It seems that panic is spreading among governments in their reactions to the coronavirus. Vietnam banned all travel to and from China, while Australia, the United States, France, the UK, and other countries are blocking entry to all Chinese nationals and to anybody who in the past two weeks has been to Wuhan, apparently the virus’s place of origin. But compared to other, routine illnesses, is the severity of the coronavirus outbreak being blown out of proportion for political reasons? KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
Turkey deployed F-16 fighter jets against Syrian government forces today, a sharp escalation of the conflict there, after six Turkish soldiers were killed by artillery fire. Turkey retaliated by shelling Syrian troops and reportedly killing 35. Turkish President Erdogan meanwhile warned Russia not to get involved in Ankara’s dealings with Damascus over the shelling, saying, “Do not stand in our way.” Brian and John speak with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria.
The UK withdrew from the European Union only a few days ago, and already there are problems, especially on trade. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said over the weekend that there was “no need” for the UK to follow EU trade rules, and he called for a Canada-style free trade agreement to be negotiated. An EU spokesman said that the body would only negotiate trade “on a level playing field.” Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
Senator Lamar Alexander, a Republican of Tennessee, announced last night that he would vote against allowing witnesses in President Trump’s Senate trial. Alexander was seen as a key swing vote on the issue after Senators Mitt Romney and Susan Collins said they would vote with Democrats to allow witnesses. Alexander’s decision appears to pave the way for a quick acquittal of the President, possibly as soon as this evening.
The UK will leave the European Union at 6:00 pm Eastern Time today after nearly half a century in the body and 1,317 days after a divisive referendum that has plunged the country into an angry three-year-long debate over its future. Very little will change immediately. A transition period will last until December 31, during which time London and Brussels will negotiate what a new relationship will look like. Mindia Gavasheli, editor-in-chief of the Sputnik News bureau in Washington, D.C., and Garland Nixon, co-host of the Sputnik radio show Faultlines, on 105.5FM and 1390AM in the Washington, D.C. area Monday through Friday from 7am-10am, join the show.
In an unprecedented study American and British scientists have discovered warm ocean water underneath a massive glacier in western Antarctica. That warm water could speed its melt in a region with the potential to eventually unleash more than 10 feet of sea level rise. The scientists also found that the glacier is melting at a rate of about 50 billion tons of ice per year. Brian and John speak with Eric Rignot, a co-investigator for the organization that conducted this study, the MELT project at the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, and the Chair and Professor of Earth System Science at the University of California Irvine.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is in Kiev, met with President Volodymir Zelensky, but refused to speculate over whether the impeachment process at home had affected US-Ukraine relations. Pompeo called Ukraine “a bulwark between freedom and authoritarianism in eastern Europe”, but made no announcement related to US military aid to Ukraine. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Jeff Bezos making $12 billion yesterday, the Trump administration’s move to kick people off of Medicaid, the coronavirus and anti-China rhetoric that’s coming with it, 2020 elections, impeachment, the Brexit deadline today, and more. Brian and John speak with Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine.”
After Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu released a so-called “peace plan” earlier this week, Palestinians worldwide have slammed the document its one-sidedness. Meanwhile, Trump aide and son-in-law Jared Kushner is urging Israel to defer annexing even more of the Palestinian West Bank until the newest Israeli election is finished.
A leaked document is providing new insights into Bernie Sanders’ plans for his potential presidency. The document details a series of executive orders Sanders could immediately issue to take action on the environment, immigrant rights, a living wage, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
The Trump administration released details today of how states can turn their expanded Medicaid programs into block grants, allowing the states to impose restrictions and limits on who receives the health care benefits. This comes along with a cap on the amount of funding the states receive from the federal government. Brian and John speak with Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program.
Following a formal vote in the European parliament, the UK is all set to leave the European Union tomorrow. But the saga is not over -- tough negotiations will continue over a post-Brexit trade deal and the status of Northern Ireland. Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show.
Venezuelan coup leader Juan Guaidó is continuing his world tour in an effort to recover from serious political setbacks at home. Guaidó most recently met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and he will wrap up his tour with a visit to Miami on Saturday. Arnold August, a Montreal journalist, author and speaker currently on an international speaking tour entitled “US-VENEZUELA-BOLIVIA-CUBA-CANADA: The Geopolitics,” joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton."
Both sides have now concluded their opening arguments in the impeachment trial. As the Senate now turns to the question of calling witnesses, John Bolton has taken center stage as leaked passages from his forthcoming book raise the prospect of Republican defections when the issue comes up for a vote on Friday.
The Pentagon now admits that 50 US soldiers suffered traumatic brain injuries during a retaliatory Iranian missile strike on a US base in Iraq earlier this month. Why was the truth concealed from the public for so long? Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, joins the show.
Syrian government forces have retaken the key town of Maaret al-Numan in its battle to expel fundamentalist militias from the northwestern province of Idlib. Idlib is the last major pocket of control still under the sway of extremist armed groups. Brian speaks with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria.
The Chinese government is taking extraordinary measures to protect public health and contain the outbreak of the coronavirus. But they are also facing a battle on the geopolitical front as their opponents seek to exploit the crisis to advance an anti-China agenda. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins the show.
There’s a little-known arrangement dating back to the feudal era that provides an enormous source of income for the UK royal family. The revenue the royals derive from the Duchy of Cornwall has come into the public spotlight following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to split with the family. Meanwhile, Prince Andrew is coming under increasing criticism after the FBI said that he has not helped whatsoever in the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins Brian.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including the massive giveaway to Israel the Trump administration is touting as a “peace plan”, the impeachment trial and the role of John Bolton, the 2020 election, and more. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist, whose latest book is “The Management of Savagery,” who co-created the film “Killing Gaza,” is the senior editor of The Grayzone, and who is co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”
Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a joint press conference today to roll out the administration’s so-called peace plan for the Middle East. But the two leaders caused outrage among Palestinians by supporting Israeli control over nearly all disputed territory and insisting that Palestinians “achieve the criteria for statehood” my meeting a series of political and security demands.
Brian continues the conversation about the “peace plan” that Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today. Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist, whose latest book is “The Management of Savagery,” who co-created the film “Killing Gaza,” is the senior editor of The Grayzone, and who is co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels,” joins the show.
The Supreme Court has given the Trump administration approval to begin enforcing a new rule that immigrant rights advocates say will discriminate against immigrant workers living in poverty. Pending a final ruling on the legality of the policy, the administration will now be allowed to deny residency to immigrants on the basis of their use of government social services. Brian speaks with Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of the New Sanctuary Movement.
As Chinese authorities grapple with the coronavirus outbreak, separatists in Hong Kong are taking advantage of the crisis to push their agenda. The public health crisis is being politicized by seemingly all opponents of China in order to destabilize the government. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
With the Movement Towards Socialism party of ousted Bolivian President Evo Morales in the lead in the polls, the coup government is taking measures to disqualify and even imprison its presidential candidate. But at the same time, the pro-coup far right appears more fractured than ever. Ollie Vargas, a journalist who has written for MintPress News, The Grayzone and TeleSur, joins Brian.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with a special new guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist, whose work is at www.rall.com.
Just as the impeachment trial in the Senate was getting underway, new passages from John Bolton’s forthcoming book leaked to the media. Major outlets are labeling the passages about Trump’s leveraging of military aid to Ukraine as another “bombshell”, but will it really have an impact on impeachment?
Against the wishes of the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people, the Trump administration is insisting that thousands of US troops remain in the country. Now, there are even signs that the US could revive its old plans to partition Iraq. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington today to prepare for the official roll out of the Trump administration’s so-called peace plan. Palestinian leaders have denounced the plan as yet another gift from Trump to the Israeli government. Brian speaks with Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”
Pressure is mounting on US troops to leave Iraq. Several rockets struck in and around the US embassy in Baghdad yesterday, including one that hit a restaurant and raised fears of casualties. And last Friday, millions took to the streets to demand an end to the occupation. At the same time, voices that challenge the Trump administrations drive to war against Iran are being censored by social media giants -- including our guest, Mohammad Marandi. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including impeachment and John Bolton’s forthcoming book, the 2020 presidential campaign and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose most recent piece is “Aftermath: The Iran War After The Soleimani Assassination,” which is at thepolemicist.net and Counter Punch, and Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on new revelations about the FISA court authorization of surveillance of Carter Page, impeachment, the massive demonstration in Iraq demanding the withdrawal of US troops, the 2020 election, the anniversary of Juan Guaido’s failed coup effort in Venezuela, and more.
Yesterday, the FISA court declassified and published a formerly secret order from the presiding FISA judge acknowledging that the Department of Justice had invalidated two of four FISA court applications to surveil Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. The Justice Department did not take a position on the validity of the other applications, but will collect and sequester all material gathered from any of the four applications. This shows that both the secret FISA court and the Justice Department have said the applications and subsequent surveillance were unwarranted. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Hundreds of thousands -- perhaps even millions -- of Iraqis held a massive demonstration in Baghdad today to demand the withdrawal of U.S. troops from their country. The Iraqi parliament voted to expel US troops following the assassination of top Iranian General Qassem Soliemani and Iraqi military leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, but the Trump administration has refused to comply. Brian speaks with Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of the peace group Code Pink.
While at the Davos World Economic Forum, billionaire George Soros gave a speech saying that Facebook is working to get President Trump reelected. How is social media impacting elections? And is Soros’s criticism sincere? Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
The race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the UK Labour Party is heating up as contenders seek endorsements to qualify for the ballot. Rebecca Long-Bailey is favored by the party’s left who support a continuation of much of Corbyn’s policies, but the centrist establishment appears to be coalescing around Keir Starmer. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins Brian.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian speaks with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ian Goodrum, a writer and digital editor for China Daily.
At least 17 people have died in China and more than 570 sickened by an outbreak of coronavirus, a virus that can lead to symptoms from a common cold to acute respiratory syndrome in both humans and animals. The Chinese government has restricted travel from six cities, including the industrial hub of Wuhan, where the outbreak seems to have originated, but in the past several days people in Malaysia, Thailand, and even Washington State have tested positive for the ailment.
Two new political polls from yesterday and today put Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders at the top of the heap in the Democratic race for president for the first time. Sanders widened his lead among likely voters in New Hampshire, where he has 29 percent, versus Pete Buttigieg at 17 percent, Joe Biden at 14, and Elizabeth Warren at 13. A CNN national poll shows Sanders leading Biden 27-24, with Warren at 14 and Buttigieg at 11 percent. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra!, and Salon.com, and whose work is at ThisCantBeHappening.net, joins the show.
The Trump Administration today finalized a rule that would strip away environmental protections for streams, wetlands, and other bodies of water, handing a victory to pesticide-using farmers, fossil fuel producers, and real estate developers. Half of the nation’s wetlands will be affected, as well as hundreds of thousands of small waterways. And landowners and developers will now be allowed to dump pollutants into those waterways and to destroy or fill in wetlands for development. Brian and John speak with Scott Edwards, co-director of the Food & Water Justice project at Food & Water Watch.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday that his country had “crossed the Brexit finish line” after parliament passed legislation implementing the Brexit deal. The EU’s top officials are expected to sign the deal in the coming days, and the European Parliament will vote on it in the next several weeks. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Economic announced today that the Trump administration was considering yet another round of major tax cuts. Meanwhile, political leaders from around the world are attending the World Economic Forum, also called the Davos Summit, this week. But while President Trump lauded the US economy in his speech in Davos, he mocked climate scientists, calling them “foolish fortune tellers,” and once again called climate change “a hoax.” Professor Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton."
Joe Lauria has sent a libel notice on behalf of Consortium News against the Canadian NSA, which leaked information to the Canadian press last year saying that Consortium News is a Russian front organization. Nothing could be further from the truth. Consortium News, for which co-host John Kiriakou is a columnist, is one of only a handful of truly independent, popular, progressive sites for news and high quality commentary in America. Consortium News and Joe Lauria are standing up to power and saying, “Enough.”
A former lead investigator with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons testified yesterday at the United Nations, saying definitively that there was no gas attack in Douma, Syria in April 2018. The investigator, a 12-year-veteran of the OPCW, said the organization’s leadership dismissed his report’s conclusions, fired the investigators, and published a new report saying that there was a gas attack. That false conclusion led to western airstrikes against Syria. Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, joins the show.
Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard yesterday filed a $50 million libel suit against Hillary Clinton, saying that the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee defamed her when she called Gabbard a “Russian asset” in an interview. Meanwhile, other Democratic candidates and major media outlets have lined up to criticize Clinton’s comments from Monday that Bernie Sanders was unlikeable and ineffective in the Senate and that she may not endorse him if he is the nominee. Clinton has since said that she would consider endorsing Sanders. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
James Mitchell, who along with Bruce Jessen created the CIA’s torture program, testified yesterday in open court for the first time ever in a courtroom in Guantanamo. Mitchell was utterly unrepentant for the illegal program he created, implemented, and supervised, saying that he did so “for the 9/11 victims and their families, not for you,” referring to the terror suspects being held at the base. The topic of yesterday’s hearing was to suppress statements by 9/11 suspects made during the torture that Mitchell and Jessen were carrying out.
President Trump is expected to expand the existing travel ban to include seven more countries, making it far more difficult for nationals of those countries to enter the United States. The expanded list will include Tanzania, Eritrea, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Sudan. Dr. Nazia Kazi, an activist and professor of Anthropology at Stockton University, and author of the book “ Islamophobia, Race, and Global Politics”, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton."
President Trump’s impeachment trial begins today in the Senate, presided over by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. It is only the third time in American history that a president will face trial in the Senate. Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans have yet to agree on basic protocols. Will there be witnesses? Will additional documents be admitted into evidence? And a new CNN poll says that by a 51-45 margin, Americans want Donald Trump to be removed from office, and by a 69-21 margin, they want witnesses, including former National Security Advisor John Bolton, to testify. But does this simply reflect the fact that opinion on impeachment is unmoved since the process began, and unlikely to move as a result of the trial?
The New York Times editorial board over the weekend endorsed both Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren for the Democratic nomination for president. The Times issued the endorsements simultaneously online and on television. But the more interesting thing was the vociferousness with which it criticized Democratic frontrunner Bernie Sanders, comparing him to Trump and saying his election would be “trading one over-promising, divisive for another.” The Times also called his support for things like an increase in the minimum wage and universal healthcare “radical.” And the Times essentially ignored Joe Biden, the current national frontrunner. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton took a few potshots at Sanders in a new Hulu documentary, saying that Sanders’ career was “all just baloney.” Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist, whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Brazilian prosecutors have charged Intercept cofounder Glenn Greenwald with cybercrimes and “participating in a criminal organization” after he published articles based on leaked text messages that embarrassed prosecutors, the current Justice Minister, and an anti-corruption task force. Greenwald says that he received the texts a year ago from a whistleblower. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests.”
The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that the longest transportation strike in French history has fizzled, giving President Emmanuel Macron a major victory. But the situation is not that crystal clear. The transport strike may be fizzling. But the leader of the main transport workers union has become the public face of the anti-Macron movement. And another left-wing union today turned off all electricity to Paris’s southern suburbs in solidarity with transport workers. Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union, joins the show.
The United States, Russia, Turkey, and a dozen other countries met in Berlin over the weekend to negotiate a cease-fire and an arms embargo involving both sides in the Libyan civil war. Attendees agreed to an arms embargo and encouraged both sides to stop fighting and move to the negotiating table. But neither Libyan faction officially attended the talks and Turkey has vowed to press ahead with its military intervention into the country, which appears to include troops from fundamentalist militias in Syria. Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins Brian and John.
The State Department and a friendly reporter at the New York Times purports to show that, as protests roiled South America in the past few months, each uprising had something in common--they were supported by tweets that the Department says, he had “high certainty” of being linked to Russia. So, according to this report, Moscow "linked" social media accounts have "interfered" in Latin America by commenting on actual US/CIA imperialist led coups or by commenting on mass protests against social injustice. Brian and John speak with Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast.
On the biggest economic news of the week, including the Davos conference, Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
As the first day of President Trump’s impeachment trial begins in the Senate, federal prosecutors in Washington DC are looking at a different target. According to the New York Times, prosecutors from the Justice Department’s National Security Division are investigating whether a highly-classified document leaked to the Times in 2017 originated with former FBI Director James Comey. It is unusual for a leak to be investigated years after the fact, and critics are saying that the inquiry is nothing more than Donald Trump taking aim at his detractors.
The Pentagon confirmed yesterday that 11 US soldiers were indeed injured in Iranian missile attacks on their bases in Iraq a week ago. The soldiers were evacuated to US military medical sites in Kuwait and Germany to be treated for traumatic brain injuries after experiencing symptoms of concussion. The severity of these injuries is not clear. The Pentagon had released a statement on January 8 that the missile attacks had caused, “no casualties, no friendly casualties, whether they are US, coalition, or contractor.” Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, joins the show.
Martin Luther King, Jr. would have celebrated his 91st birthday this week. But as we get farther and farther away from his 1968 assassination, it seems like Dr. King’s legacy is being softened. Certainly, schoolchildren are taught about Dr. King’s struggle for equality and justice. But schools largely ignore his words and actions in support of the poor or in opposition to the war in Vietnam. Brian and John speak with Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including “Race to Revolution: The U.S. and Cuba during Slavery and Jim Crow.”
Russia is poised to make significant changes to the structure of its government, rebalancing the relative powers of the presidency, parliament and prime minister. As part of this reform that took many observers by surprise, the government of Prime Minister Medvedev has resigned and he has been replaced by tax agency head Mikhail Mishustin. Mary Dejevsky, a writer, broadcaster, a former foreign correspondent in Moscow, Paris and Washington, and a special correspondent in China and many parts of Europe, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, impeachment, the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, and much more. Brian and John are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
The impeachment trial of President Trump in the Senate has formally begun and those involved in the process have been sworn in. In addition, Lev Parnas, an indicted associate of presidential attorney Rudy Giuliani, has gone public saying that Trump, Vice President Pence, Attorney General Barr, and Congressman Devon Nunes were all involved in the conspiracy to take down Biden and his son Hunter. Is this a Watergate-style scandal, as Democrats maintain, or is it business as usual in Washington?
The dispute between Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren is continuing as so-called “hot mic” audio is released of an exchange between those two Senators following this week’s debate. With Sanders rising in the polls, is the media and the Warren campaign pulling a last ditch maneuver ahead of the Iowa caucus? Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com, whose writings are at ThisCantBeHappening.net, joins the show.
The Russian Duma yesterday confirmed a new Prime Minister one day after the previous one, and his government, resigned. President Vladimir Putin, in his state of the union address, had proposed weakening the office of the president and strengthening the Duma and the state council. Critics are saying that this is an effort by Putin to remain in power after he is no longer president. But that doesn’t seem to be the case. Instead, it’s an effort to pave the way for his exit from office. Brian and John speak with Gilbert Doctorow, an international relations and Russian affairs analyst, whose work is at GilbertDoctorow.com, including his latest article on this topic “Vladimir Putin Prepares His Succession.”
The Trump administration is reportedly considering deploying a range of unprecedented economic measures to further isolate Iran and entrench the U.S. troop presence in Iraq. Meanwhile, the EU’s top diplomat had what he called “frank talks” about the JCPOA in Delhi with Iranian Foreign Minister Javid Zarif. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
The United States and China agreed yesterday on what they are calling a Phase 1 trade deal. It includes a Chinese commitment to purchase $200 billion worth of US goods and services over two years, but it also preserves the majority of US tariffs on $360 billion of Chinese goods, and it more strongly protects US intellectual property. What does this mean for the long-term rivalry between the US and China? John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and her latest book is “Comrade.”
Last night saw the final Democratic debate before the February 3 Iowa caucuses, and pundits agree--it was incredibly boring. There were no knockout blows, but there was an exchange set up by the moderators between Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Joe Biden went generally unscathed, and pundits said businessman Tom Steyer, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Mayor Pete Buttigieg delivered solid performances.
In a televised cabinet meeting today, Iranian President Rouhani said that European troops “could be in danger” after the UK, Germany, and France activated a clause in the JCPOA, the Iran nuclear deal, that would reimpose sanctions on the country. Meanwhile, Iraqi political forces have called for a massive march to demand that U.S. troops leave the country. Medea Benjamin, a well-known peace activist and the cofounder of the peace group Code Pink, joins the show.
President Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He today signed a phase one trade deal aimed at deescalating two years of trade tensions that have rocked global commerce. The deal includes a Chinese commitment to purchase $200 billion worth of US goods and services over two years, but it also preserves the majority of US tariffs on $360 billion of Chinese goods. It also more strongly protects US intellectual property. Brian and John speak with Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this morning named seven impeachment managers who will serve as de facto prosecutors in President Trump’s upcoming Senate trial. Reps. Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler, the chairmen of the Intelligence and Judiciary committees respectively, will lead the effort and will be joined by Zoe Lofgren of CA, Hakeem Jeffries of NY, Val Demings of FL, Jason Crow of CO, and Sylvia Garcia of TX. Meanwhile, newly released documents show that an associate of Presidential attorney Rudy Giuliani was conducting hostile surveillance against the former US Ambassador to Ukraine. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Australia is experiencing wildfires the likes of which have never before been recorded. As many as 500 million animals already have perished, and scientists say the fires are so bad that entire species may be wiped out. Authorities blame climate change for the driest and hottest seasons ever recorded, and they tell us that such epic fire seasons may become regular events in countries around the world. Antony Loewenstein, an independent journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times and the Guardian, and the author of many books, including “Disaster Capitalism,” joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and her latest book is “Comrade.”
Six Democrats will be on stage in Iowa tonight in the final debate before the Iowa caucuses. The latest poll shows Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in first place, followed by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and former Vice President Joe Biden. The race appears to have turned nasty in recent days as Sanders and Warren have clashed and as Biden tries to reclaim a share of the lead that could take him into New Hampshire and South Carolina.
The Trump Administration’s narrative that General Qassem Soleimani was involved in planning for imminent attacks against US embassies and that this was the reason for his murder is beginning to unravel. President Trump said that attacks were imminent against four US embassies abroad. But Defense Secretary Esper said that was not true, and even Secretary of State Pompeo said that his department had not received word of any imminent attacks. So why did Donald Trump kill Soleimani? Meanwhile, European powers have triggered a clause of the Iran nuclear deal that could lead to the agreement’s final demise. Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, joins the show.
President Trump is preparing to divert another $7.2 billion in Pentagon funds to border wall construction. That’s five times what Congress authorized him to spend in the 2020 budget. This is the second consecutive year that the Administration has taken money away from military construction and counternarcotics and spent it on border wall construction. Brian and John speak with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
Talks between the rival governments of Libya -- the Government of National Accord in the west and forces aligned with General Khalifa Hafter in the East -- ended without a formal agreement for a ceasefire. But the Russian government, which was brokering the peace talks, is expressing optimism that such a deal could be finalized in the near future. Dr. Gönül Tol, the founding director of The Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies, and a former professor who has taught courses on Islamist movements in Western Europe, Turkey, world politics, and the Middle East, joins the show.
Haitian President Jovenel Moise began his first day of one-man rule yesterday upon the end of the country’s bicameral legislature. Haiti failed to hold legislative and local elections in October, so the lower chamber was disbanded. And two thirds of the upper chamber also left office. President Moise said that he would take the money that would have been spent on legislative salaries and spend it instead on education, but protesters accuse his administration of extreme corruption. Kim Ives, an editor of the newspaper Haiti Liberte, joins Brian and John.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with a special new guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mazda Majidi, an author, journalist and anti-war activist.
The Iranian government is embroiled in controversy following its announcement that its air defenses accidentally shot down a civilian airliner after troops mistakenly identified it as an incoming U.S. cruise missile. Meanwhile the Trump administration shows no sign of letting up in its aggression against the country despite growing skepticism about the supposedly imminent threat posed by assassinated Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
Incumbent Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen won a convincing victory in last weekend’s election, securing another term in office as well as a parliamentary majority. What factors caused her to win, and what does it mean for relations with mainland China, the United States and other regional powers? Bob Schlehuber, the producer of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary, which is on from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. every day on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the Washington, DC area, and who is in Taiwan to cover the election, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation” takes a look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Rick Ayers, a professor of education at the University of San Francisco and author of “An Empty Seat in Class: Teaching and Learning after the Death of a Student”, joins the show.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the countdown to the Iowa caucus, US-Iran tensions, and the Nord Stream pipeline. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, and Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the many dimensions of the crisis between the United States and Iran.
Iraqi prime minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has now said the US must set up a mechanism to remove US troops from Iraq, though the state department has rejected the appeal. Meanwhile, there are accusations circulating about what happened to the Ukrainian commercial aircraft that crashed with 176 casualties. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book, “The Plot to Attack Iran: How the CIA and the Deep State Have Conspired to Vilify Iran,” and Mazda Majidi, an author, journalist and anti-war activist, join the show.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has issued a lot of statements lately. He condemned last week’s vandalism of the US Embassy in Baghdad. He strongly supported the US murder of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. He warned against Iranian retaliation for that murder. Is Boris Johnson assuming the role that Tony Blair did before him? Is he simply a British mouthpiece for the US president? Brian speaks with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in France yesterday in support of the struggle against pension cuts pushed by President Emmanuel Macron. Strikes by transportation workers, the backbone of the anti-pension reform movement continue today and are among the longest in French history. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins the show.
Voters in Taiwan are going to the polls tomorrow for presidential and parliamentary elections that could have a profound impact on world politics. The anti-mainland incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen is favored to win, setting the stage for possible confrontation with China. Bob Schlehuber, the producer of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary, which is on from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. every day on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the Washington, DC area, and who is in Taiwan to cover the election, joins Brian.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, and Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist, the senior editor of Grayzone, and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”
Donald Trump appeared to step bank from the brink of all-out war yesterday, but tensions across the entire Middle East remain high in the aftermath of the US assassination of top Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani. What comes next after the past week’s dramatic developments?
After losing his bid for re-election as head of Venezuela’s National Assembly -- the basis on which he proclaimed himself the country’s President -- Juan Guaido has assembled a parliament of his own. Washington has recognized this farce, and said that it still considers Guaido to be the legitimate head of state of the country. Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Rania Khalek, a journalist who produces videos at In The Now and is on Twitter @RaniaKhalek, and Mike Prysner, the producer of The Empire Files and a co-host of Eyes Left, a military podcast hosted by two anti-war Army veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
Iran last night launched a series of ballistic missiles aimed at two US military bases in Iraq in retaliation for Thursday’s killing of Quds Force commander General Qassem Soleimani. No Americans were killed or injured in the attacks. President Trump this morning made a nationally televised statement, essentially declaring victory and threatening Iran with more sanctions and with military force if Tehran retaliates again. Meanwhile, the Iranian government has informed the governments of Russia, China, and the European Union that it does NOT intend to fully withdraw from the JCPOA, also known as the Iran Nuclear Deal, a signal that it is not seeking to match Washington’s aggressive posture. The hosts continue discussing the Iran crisis for another hour with the following guests:
Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria
Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast
Lee Camp, a writer, comedian, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” on RT America, and a new book out called “Bullet Points & Punch Lines”
Anya Parampil, a journalist for The Grayzone who hosts the new show Red Lines
Mazda Majidi, an author, journalist and anti-war activist
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast.
Millions of Iranians took to the streets today to participate in the funeral of General Qassem Soleimani, killed last Thursday by a US drone in Iraq. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Pompeo, in a press conference this morning, weakly defended President Trump’s statement that he would bomb Iranian cultural sites--a war crime. This is despite the fact that Secretary of Defense Esper said the he would refuse to follow such an order. Pompeo also defended his own decision earlier today to deny a visa for Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif to address the United Nations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin made an unannounced visit to Syria today, where he met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at a Russian air base outside Damascus. It’s his second trip to Syria since Assad invited Russian troops into the country in 2015. Putin will go on to Turkey for talks with President Erdogan, where the two will inaugurate a new oil pipeline. They are also expected to discuss Turkey’s recent decision to send troops to Libya, where the two countries are on opposite sides. Ambassador Peter Ford, a former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
As if things weren’t bad enough in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of two deadly hurricanes over the past 18 months and the U.S. government’s inability to fully rebuild its infrastructure, it was hit early this morning by a powerful earthquake that killed at least one person, caused an island-wide power outage, and destroyed roads and bridges. Governor Wanda Vasquez has declared a state of emergency. She said the quake was Puerto Rico’s worst earthquake in the past 102 years. Brian and John speak with Dr. Mariolga Reyes Cruz, an adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Puerto Rico and a founding and active member of PAReS, a collective of self-assembled public intellectuals and academic activists working towards preserving and transforming public higher education in Puerto Rico as part of a larger effort toward democratizing society.
A little over a year ago, the Trump administration declared Nicaragua to be part of a so-called “Troika of Tyranny” of left wing governments in the western hemisphere. Since then, U.S. efforts at regime change in the country have escalated. The hosts talk about a recently concluded conference in the country. Dr. Claudia Chaufan, attended the gathering and is a medical doctor and PhD researcher who specializes in how the global architecture of economic, military, and political/policy institutions, as well as the dynamics of imperialism, colonialism, and neocolonialism shape health and other social inequalities, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
Today is Loud & Clear’s weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with a special new guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Tuesday’s regular segment is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine, which you can find at patreon.com/BreakChainsMag; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Abby Martin, host of The Empire Files, at patreon.com/EmpireFiles and GoFundMe.com/keep-empire-files-going; Mike Prysner, the producer and co-host of the military podcast Eyes Left, hosted by two anti-war Army veterans; and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.
The Trump administration’s drive to full-scale war with Iran is moving forward as the president threatens to destroy Iranian cultural sites and the Iraqi Prime Minister reveals that Iranian General Soleimani was in the country on a diplomatic mission to deescalate tensions in the region. In the face of this grave crisis, thousands of anti-war protesters took to the streets in 90 cities and towns across the United States last weekend.
After two deadly crashes involving the Boeing 737 Max, the Federal Aviation Administration has now required Boeing to complete an internal audit on Boeing systems. Results of the internal audit, done in December, show that the 737 Max issues may extend past software problems and include the wiring of the plane. Mary Schiavo, the former Inspector General at the Department of Transportation, an aviation attorney, an aviation professor, and an on-air consultant on aviation matters for CNN, joins the show.
Juan Guaido has been ousted as president of Venezuela’s National Assembly after a year of stinging defeats in his U.S.-backed effort to overthrow the government and become the leader of the country. With new legislative elections on the horizon and the opposition to President Nicolas Maduro’s government deeply divided, what comes next for Venezuela? Brian and John speak with Leonardo Flores, a member of the peace group Code Pink, where he is a Latin America campaign coordinator.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including Iraq’s proclamation to expel US troops, the funeral and mourning of Iranian General Soleimani, the looming danger of a major regional and even global war, Harvey Weinstein’s trial today, the widespread Australian wildfires, strike negotiations in France, and the Taiwanese election. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's special episode of Loud & Clear: The Trump administration has started a war with Iran. The Defense Department announced last night that it had killed General Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s most important military leader and arguably the second most powerful man in the country. Iran is vowing revenge, and, with the exception of Israel, no other country is expressing full support for the US move. The entire Middle East is on the verge of being engulfed in a devastating conflict. Today’s show is devoted entirely to understanding this crisis.
These guests join us today:
Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran
Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission
Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis”
Rania Khalek, a journalist and political activist whose work has appeared in The Nation, The Intercept, Aljazeera, Salon, VICE, and elsewhere
Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist whose work is at www.rall.com
Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist
Ben Norton, a journalist with The Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast
Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and a member of the central committee of the Lebanese Communist Party
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Medea Benjamin, a well-known peace activist and the cofounder of the peace group Code Pink.
The Trump Administration has deployed an additional 750 ground troops and 250 paratroopers to Kuwait in response to demonstrations at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and in the aftermath of U.S. airstrikes that killed 25 people. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled his trip to central Asia and Cyprus to monitor the situation in Baghdad.
Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders announced that his campaign has raised a whopping $34.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 1.8 million donors. That’s an average donation of $18.53.Those figures soundly beat the $24.7 million raised by South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and the $16.5 raised by entrepreneur Andrew Yang. Meanwhile, former HUD Secretary Julian Castro dropped out of the race this morning. The field is finally beginning to tighten in advance of the February 3 Iowa Caucus and the February 11 New Hampshire Primary. Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Nils Melzer, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture said yesterday that the US government was guilty of torture over the detentions of Wikileaks cofounder Julian Assange and Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Assange is being held without charge in the maximum-security Belmarsh Prison outside of London, and Manning is being held without charge in a prison in Virginia, solely because she is refusing to testify against Assange before a grand jury. Melzer said, “The practice of coercive detention appears to be incompatible with the international human rights obligations of the United States.” Brian and John speak with independent journalist Diani Baretto.
Nearly three dozen journalists employed by Sputnik in Estonia resigned this week after being harassed and threatened with arrest by Estonian authorities. The Estonian government cited European Union sanctions as the reason for the threats. Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history whose latest book is “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce,” joins the show.
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-Wen, in her new year’s speech yesterday, said that Taiwan would never accept a one country, two systems model of government, citing violence in Hong Kong and China’s increased assertiveness in its policy of reunification with the island. Meanwhile, 400 protestors were arrested in Hong Kong after their march turned violent. David Ewing, the chair of the San Francisco chapter of the US-China People’s Friendship Association, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Protesters in Iraq stormed the compound of the U.S. embassy today in response to a series of air strikes carried out by the United States in the country targeting the Kataib Hezbollah militia. The dramatic escalation in tensions over the past few days in Iraq has sparked fears that the US could be headed for a disastrous confrontation with Iran. We’ll discuss that and other key issues in the news.
The regular segment Beyond Nuclear looks at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today, the panel looks at the year in nuclear issues. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins Brian and John.
Our panel takes a look at the biggest economic news of the year, including recession fears, trade, strikes and more. Profesor Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus at University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work. Prof. Wolff’s latest book is “Understanding Socialism”, joins Brian and John.
The panel take a look at the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society over the past year. Hannah Dickinson is a professor and organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly and Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist and the editor of the magazine Breaking the Chains, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist, whose latest film is “Killing Gaza.” He is also the senior editor of Grayzone and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”
In the Week Ahead, the panel looks at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world. Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek, joins the show.
As the year comes to an end, where are the whistleblowers who have revealed important wrongdoings by press, the CIA, the Pentagon, and more? Last week we discussed Julian Assange. Today we’ll talk about Chelsea Manning, Jeremy Hammond, Jeffrey Sterling, and Daniel Hale. Where is the coverage of them and what does that say about the corporate-owned media? Brian and John speak with independent journalist Diani Baretto.
We continue our segment “Education for Liberation” where we look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author or co-author of many books, including “About Becoming A Teacher” and “You Can’t Fire the Bad Ones: And 18 Other Myths About Teachers, Teachers Unions, and Public Education”, joins the show.
We continue our weekly half hour segment Technology Rules—a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the National Surveillance State are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by independent journalist Diani Baretto and Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry.
As the year comes to an end, where are the whistleblowers who have revealed important wrongdoings by press, the CIA, the Pentagon, and more? Constantly under reported on, Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning are both behind bars for their important work. Where is the coverage of them and what does that say about the corporate-owned media?
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on a new Rachel Maddow critique and a broader Russiagate wrapup, the history of American politics, CIA-funded propaganda and arts, the 2020 race, one positive Sanders piece, Warren’s chameleon-like practices, Biden’s standing, Israel’s Likud election, and the new interviews out with the Navy Seal accusers of Ed Gallagher. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Nicole Roussell.
It’s Friday! Today it’s time for the year’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Lee Camp, a writer, comedian, activist, journalist, host of the television show “Redacted Tonight” on RT America, and author of the new book coming out in January called “Bullet Points & Punch Lines,” which includes more about lost military spending, whose work is at leecamp.com.
The US government spent more money on defense and implements of war in 2019 than in any other year in the history of the country. Furthermore, defense spending was more than the defense spending of the next eight largest countries in the world--combined. Congress gave the Pentagon $686.1 billion for 2019. What was that money spent on and what do we have to show for it? And keep in mind that the Pentagon’s request for 2020 is $750 billion.
Loud & Clear’s weekly roundtable, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analyst Nicole Roussell joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Vijay Prashad, the Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books and the author of “The Death of the Nation and the Future of the Arab Revolution” and his most recent publication is “Red Star Over the Third World.”
2019 may go down in history as the year of the protest. Demonstrators for political change took to the streets in marches that often turned violent in places as disparate as France, Iraq, Chile, Haiti, Lebanon, and Ecuador. The demands were largely for political and economic reform, and the deaths and injuries coming out of these protests numbered in the tens of thousands.
The improvement in relations between North Korea and the United States have stalled, as North Korean leaders have grown frustrated by an increasingly neoconservative foreign policy coming from the US and by a lack of sanctions relief. Washington, meanwhile, is angry that the North Koreans appear unwilling to give up their nuclear weapons program. And the North Koreans are promising a “Christmas present”for Washington. Emanuel Pastreich, founder and director of The Asia Institute, a pan-Asian think tank, and Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, join the show.
We’re nearing the end of 2019, but there’s no end in sight for the war in Syria. Turkey crossed the border to attack Syria’s Kurds this year, US troops entered the country, pulled back, and then moved to the oil fields, purportedly to “protect” them. And Syria’s government, with Russian help, worked to take control of the countryside from fundamentalist groups. Meanwhile, thousands and thousands of refugees continued to flee the country. Brian and John speak with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, and Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Aaron Maté, a journalist with The Grayzone and The Nation and the host of the show Pushback with Aaron Maté.
As the impeachment process continues as the news headliner, another story continues to unfold. US Attorney for the state of Connecticut John Durham confirmed last week that his investigation into the origins of the Russiagate story has turned into a criminal inquiry. Durham has requested that the CIA turn over all of the phone records, emails, and contemporaneous notes of former director John Brennan. The CIA said that it is cooperating, as has Brennan. Durham is known for his dogged pursuit of gangsters and corrupt FBI agents, and he investigated the CIA’s torture program from 2009 to 2012.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the resignation of Boeing’s CEO, tensions in Korea, death sentences in the trial of the killers of Jamal Khasoggi, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
At the start of 2019, the White House and the State Department wanted us to believe that Juan Guaidó was the legitimate President of Venezuela. Chosen by Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and John Bolton, Guaidó was a minor opposition figure when he was arbitrarily installed as President and recognized by more than 50 countries. But then something unexpected happened. The Venezuelan economy began to stabilize. The army remained loyal to the legitimate president, Nicolas Maduro, and Guaido watched his support inside and outside the country wane and then disappear. What will 2020 bring? Brian and John speak with Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the impeachment of President Trump, the John Durham investigation into the origins of Russiagate, the Democratic debate last night, the UK election and the status of Brexit, and who will be the next Prime Minister of Iraq.
Seven Democrats faced off last night in the latest presidential debate as voting in early states approaches. Pete Buttigieg was the target of well-deserved attacks and Joe Biden simply tried to stay out of the way, and yet again many of the key concerns of the American people were not seriously dealt with. Ben Norton, a journalist with Greyzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, joins the show.
Impeachment has been the big story of the week. But it seems to have ground to a half, as Democrats try to figure out if they want to actually send the articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial or if they want to withhold those articles to accrue some sort of political benefit. Meanwhile, Special Prosecutor John Durham is investigating former CIA Director John Brennan and his role in how the intelligence community assessed allegations that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election. Durham, who announced publicly that his investigation was “criminal” in nature, has asked the CIA to provide him with Brennan’s emails, call logs, and other documents, including notes of his meetings and calls with former FBI Director James Comey. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Wikileaks cofounder Julian Assange testified yesterday via video link in a preliminary hearing relative to his extradition hearing and the judge acknowledged that the extradition hearing itself would now likely take as long as four weeks. Meanwhile, two doctors representing a group called Doctors4Assange and who wanted to wanted to observe Julian’s physical condition, were denied entry into the public gallery. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show.
The coup government in Bolivia desperately wants to see President Evo Morales in prison, and has issued an arrest warrant this week seeking to bring him into custody. But today the new government of Argentina, where Morales has received asylum, firmly refused to hand him over. Wyatt Reed, a journalist whose writing can be found at Roanoke Times, Mintpress News, and the Grayzone Project, who just returned from Bolivia, joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, andSputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning journalist and editorial cartoonist whose work is at www.rall.com.
President Donald Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives last night to the surprise of literally no one. The vote was 230-197 to charge Trump with abuse of power and 229-198 to charge him with obstruction of Congress. Only two Democrats voted no on both measures and one vote yes on one and no on the other. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted present on both and later issued a statement saying that Trump should have been censured, but that an impeachment should have focused on his and every other president’s unauthorized use of force overseas. The action will soon move to the Senate, where Trump will go on trial.
Democrats will host another presidential debate tonight, this time in Los Angeles. And it’ll be a lot smaller than previous debates, with only seven candidates participating. Tulsi Gabbard, the only candidate with a focus on ending U.S. wars abroad, will not be on stage however. That leaves Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang, and Tom Steyer. Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton,” joins the show.
Wikileaks cofounder Julian Assange appeared at a preliminary extradition hearing via video as his UK attorneys argued that the US-UK extradition treaty specifically bars the extradition of defendants accused of political crimes. Today’s hearing was to set guidelines for the formal hearing in February and to identify other relevant legal issues. Meanwhile, Chelsea Manning spent her 32nd birthday on Tuesday still locked up in a jail in Alexandria, VA for refusing to testify before the Assange grand jury. And the notorious federal court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled yesterday that CIA could seize all profits from Ed Snowden’s new book, saying that it had not been cleared by the Agency’s Publications Review Board. Brian and John speak with Dr. Margaret Flowers, co-coordinator of Popular Resistance at www.popularresistance.org.
The House approved the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement today. This massive deal replaces NAFTA, an agreement that went into force in 1994 and has been a lighting rod for criticism by progressive and labor groups. Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party will finally pass a Brexit bill tomorrow that will ensure that the UK will withdraw from the European Union on January 31. What most British voters are not talking about, however, is the fact that what will follow will be at least a year of torturous negotiations over the terms of the departure. Remember the Irish border? Duties and tariffs? Travel to and from the continent? None of those issues have been resolved. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books; Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net; Lee Camp, host of the comedy show “Redacted Tonight” and whose work is at leecamp.com; and Sputnik News analysts Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
The House of Representative is nearing the end of its debate on impeachment, and President Trump will likely be impeached in the next several hours. The battle lines have been drawn strictly along partisan lines, with almost all Democrats supporting impeachment and all Republicans opposing it. Once impeachment is approved, it will be sent to the Senate, where President Trump will stand trial. A two-thirds vote there to convict him his unlikely.
Democrats on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees joined Republicans this week to approve a 2020 military budget that includes an appropriation of a record $738 billion and authorization for a Space Force. The defense budget is $22 billion more than last year and even more than what the Pentagon asked for. The measure now goes to both houses of Congress for final approval and must be signed by the President before Friday, when the government is due to run out of money and close. Brian and John speak with Kevin Zeese, co-coordinator of Popular Resistance at popularresistance.org.
Prosecutors in Bolivia have issued a warrant for the arrest of former President Evo Morales on charges of sedition and terrorism. But supporters of the process of change his administration led are continuing to fight back against the coup government. Deliberations are now underway to choose Morales’ party’s candidate for the upcoming presidential election. Journalist Wyatt Reed, who is reporting from the site of a rally for MAS, Morales’s political party, joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
Ex-Trump aide Rick Gates, the former right-hand man to former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, is to be sentenced today on multiple felony counts of lying to the FBI and conspiracy to commit tax fraud. When Gates originally pled guilty, he agreed to a sentence of 5-6 years in prison. But prosecutors last week said they would have no objection to Gates getting no prison time, and they cited what they called his “extraordinary assistance” in the Mueller investigation.
Wikileaks on Saturday released a third batch of documents from the United Nations showing that 20 inspectors who investigated the alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria, concluded that the final report “did not reflect the team members who were deployed to Syria.” The documents show further that there was no proof that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ordered any chemical attack on Douma. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Newly-released court documents reveal that the Sackler family, the founders of opioid maker Purdue Pharma, quietly transferred $10 billion out of the company and into private trusts over the course of the past 10 years and sent $1 billion of it to overseas accounts. The withdrawals came at a time that the company was accused of fueling the country’s opioid epidemic and at the same time the family was being accused of hiding its wealth overseas as their company enters bankruptcy. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist, whose work is at www.rall.com
As anti-government demonstrations in France continue to grow, the police are coming under increased scrutiny over their use of tear gas grenades to disperse crowds. France is the only country in Europe to use gas grenades, which explode after being fired and have caused both injuries and deaths. Even the manufacturer, Alsetex, is urging the government to stop using them. Gilbert Mercier, is Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins the show.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told the press that he supports the United States withdrawing troops from Afghanistan “with or without” a “political agreement” with the Taliban. The United States has been struggling to restart peace talks with the insurgent group after a deal was called off at the last minute earlier this year, but public frustration with the nearly two-decade long occupation is mounting ahead of an election year. Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins Brian and John.
Today is our weekly series about the biggest economic news of the week with a special new guest -- Prof. Richard Wolff. Professor Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is “Understanding Socialism,” joins the show.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton."
As House Democrats prepare for Wednesday’s impeachment vote, Democrats in the Senate are pushing Republican leaders there to allow testimony from former National Security Advisor John Bolton and Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, among others. Republicans, though, want a straight up or down vote on conviction without calling any witnesses. Meanwhile, a Democratic representative from New Jersey announced over the weekend that he would switch parties and vote no on impeachment.
Former FBI Director James Comey said in an interview yesterday on Fox News Sunday that he had been “overconfident” when he had defended the FBI’s use of the FISA court to investigate former Trump campaign advisor Carter Page. This admission comes just days after Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz found what he called 17 significant errors and omissions by the FBI’s investigative teams when applying for a FISA warrant on Page. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today that he would ask members of parliament to vote on his Brexit bill on Friday. This is the legislation that would enable the UK to leave the European Union on January 31. Johnson won a landslide victory in national elections last week and has a commanding majority in parliament. Brian and John speak with Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, and journalist Andy Brennan.
Boeing shares traded lower today amid reports that the airplane manufacturing giant was considering scrapping altogether production of the 737 Max-8 jet after it failed to meet its own deadline for FAA recertification. Two 737 Max-8 crashes over the past 13 months have resulted in the deaths of 346 people. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including impeachment and the 2020 election. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party won British elections yesterday in the biggest landslide since 1987, guaranteeing that Brexit takes place on his terms next month. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said that he would not head the party in the next elections, but he has not yet set a resignation date. Meanwhile, the Scottish National Party won broadly, perhaps enough to push another referendum on Scottish independence.
The House Judiciary Committee this morning voted 23-17 in a party-line vote to impeach President Trump. The two articles of impeachment now go to the floor of the House, and the entire body will vote on impeachment on Wednesday. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Earlier this week we told you about secret Pentagon documents uncovered by the Washington Post that show that the Defense Department, the CIA, and other federal agencies have lied consistently over the past 18 years about US military progress in Afghanistan. While the government was telling the American people that we were winning the war in Afghanistan, the truth was that we were losing, and in fact, we weren’t even sure who the enemy was. Brian and John speak with Peter Kuznick, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and the co-author with Oliver Stone of the book and hit Showtime television series “The Untold History of the United States.”
Israel appears headed toward a record third election in the past year after neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his chief challenger, Benny Ganz, were able to form governments. The new election has been set for March 2. But this time, Netanyahu will have to campaign as a defendant in three criminal cases related to abuse of power and bribery. Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the impeachment hearings,US-China tensions and the UK election. Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Michael Horowitz, the Justice Department’s Inspector General, testified about FBI malfeasance yesterday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Horowitz described the F.B.I. as a dysfunctional agency that severely mishandled its surveillance powers in the Russia investigation, but he told senators that he had no evidence that the mistakes were intentional or undertaken out of political bias. Instead, he attributed the FBI’s behavior to “gross incompetence and negligence.”
Britons went to the polls today to elect a new government. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is confident of victory and, although polls showed the race tightening in its final days, expects to have a working majority that he will need to lead the UK out of the European Union. But Jeremy Corbyn has mobilized an army of enthusiastic volunteers based on his program “For the many, not the few” to close the gap. Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union, joins the show.
Federal Aviation Administration investigators decided last year to allow Boeing Company’s 737-Max8 jets to continue flying despite the fact that their own analysis indicated that the jet was prone to crashes and would be one of the most crash-prone jets in the world without design changes. The FAA analysis found that, without design changes, the 737-Max8 would have averaged one crash every two or three years, a substantially worse crash rate than either Boeing or the FAA had previously acknowledged. Brian and John speak with Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association and an American Airlines pilot trained on Boeing 737 planes.
The House of Representatives, led by the Democratic leadership, voted in favor of a new National Defense Authorization Amendment which funds a new arms race in space, reauthorizes NSA to spy on American citizens, and designates Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Previous NDAAs have authorized warrantless wiretapping of American citizens and even the murder of US citizens around the world without criminal charge and even with the use of drones. Why are so few members of Congress willing to stand up? Medea Benjamin, a well-known peace activist and the cofounder of the peace group Code Pink, joins the show.
Several weeks ago, journalist Max Blumenthal was arrested and charged with assault after Washington DC police showed up at his house in an early morning raid. Max hadn’t assaulted anybody, but that didn’t stop Washington authorities from keeping him in jail for nearly two days. Well, the charges have now been dropped and the hosts talk to Max about his ordeal and next steps. Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist, whose latest film is “Killing Gaza,” the senior editor of The Grayzone, and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels,” joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests.”
The House Judiciary Committee today will begin debate over two articles of impeachment against President Trump. The President is accused of abuse of power and contempt of Congress. The measures will likely be approved by early next week and will go to the full House for a vote. Trump is the fourth president in American history to face the threat of impeachment.
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz testified before the House Judiciary Committee today, saying that FBI agents “followed the rules” when they initiated a counterintelligence investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign, but that “some policies need to be changed.” The conclusion has caused consternation among Republicans, including the Attorney General himself. And US Attorney John Durham will likely issue his own report soon, with a different conclusion. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Democratic presidential candidates will debate again a week from tomorrow, this time in Los Angeles. Tulsi Gabbard, who qualifies for the debate, is boycotting it, though, saying that she would rather spend the time meeting with voters in New Hampshire. The corporatist Democrats will all be on stage, though. They include Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and Tom Steyer. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren also will participate. Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com. And you can find his writings at ThisCantBeHappening.net.
Alberto Fernández has been sworn in as the new president of Argentina. Hundreds of thousands packed the streets to celebrate the return of progressive rule in the country, and the new administration has already had a big impact on regional policies. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek join the show.
The UK is scheduled to have a general election tomorrow, and if tightening polls are to be believed, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will win with a parliamentary majority of about 28. That’s up 21 seats compared to the last election. The Labour Party is projected to lose 31 seats. Pollsters caution, though, that a hung parliament, where no party has a majority, is still possible. Lee Stranahan, the host of Fault Lines, which is on from 7:00-10:00 am on Radio Sputnik, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist whose work is at www.rall.com.
Democrats in the House of Representatives this morning filed two Articles of Impeachment against President Trump, accusing him of Abuse of Power and Contempt of Congress. The articles will be voted on in the House Judiciary Committee and, after passage there, will go to the House floor for a vote there. Assuming the articles pass, the entire case will then be referred to the Senate for trial.
Attorney General William Barr and US Attorney John Durham publicly broke with Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz yesterday, disputing the IG’s conclusion that the FBI acted without political bias in initiating a counterintelligence investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign. Media reports say that FBI Director Wray’s days in office are now numbered, and the report also raises serious questions about how the FBI uses informants and the FISA process. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, which is where you can find his latest article titled “Defeat or Impeach? The (Il)logic of impeachment,” also on Counter Punch, joins the show.
President Trump and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov are meeting today at the White House to review relations between the two countries. But this diplomatic engagement is being presented by Russiagate conspiracy-pushing politicians and pundits as something much more sinister. And it comes after progress was made on peace in Ukraine during a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky brokered by France and Germany. Brian and John speak with Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history whose latest book is “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce.”
Secret Pentagon documents uncovered by the Washington Post show that the Defense Department, the CIA, and other federal agencies have lied consistently over the past 18 years about US military progress in Afghanistan. While the government was telling the American people that we were winning the war in Afghanistan, the truth was that we were losing, and in fact, we weren’t even sure who the enemy was. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
Large scale and general strikes continue in Colombia, as protestors march against right-wing President Ivan Duque’s plans for economic reform and they demand that he do more to tackle corruption and police violence. For his part, however, Duque seems more interested in arresting as many demonstrators as possible and stonewalling reform. James Jordan, a member of the Alliance for Global Justice who has been deeply involved in supporting the Colombian peace process, joins Brian and John.
In Tuesday’s regular segment, the hosts talk about the biggest economic news of the week. Professor Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, founder of the organization Democracy at Work, and author whose latest book is “Understanding Marxism,” joins the show.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou is joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
The Justice Department today released its long-awaited Inspector General’s report on the FBI’s investigation into possible possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. The report states that the investigation was initiated based “on the thinnest of suspicions” and points out fundamental flaws in the FISA warrant process that leaves the system rife with abuse.
Impeachment hearings continued today before the House Judiciary Committee, with chairman Jerry Nadler beginning the day saying that President Trump put himself before the country and the Democratic Counsel saying that the evidence of impeachable acts is overwhelming. But polls show that Americans are already getting tired by what they see as the same details being repeated over and over again. Once a vote is taken and impeachment is approved, the whole thing moves to the Senate for trial. But have Democrats already gone too far? Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Calling President Trump “a heedless and erratic old man,” North Korea announced that it had conducted what it called “a very important test” at its missile engine test facility in the country’s north. Analysts said the test probably involved a new type of booster engine that could be used to propel a satellite-delivery rocket or an intercontinental ballistic missile. The North Korean leadership has become increasingly frustrated by the slow pace of progress in talks with the United States and the fact that sanctions against the country have not been lifted. John speaks with Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
This weekend marked the six month anniversary of the start of protests in Hong Kong, and the marches were among the biggest yet with more than 800,000 people participating according to opposition activists. How long will these demonstrations continue, what effect will they have on Hong Kong in the long term, and how will the Chinese central government react? Mike Wong, the Vice President of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the impeachment hearings, the release of the Justice Department Inspector General’s report, the UK election, US-North Korea tensions and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ben Norton, a journalist with The Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the 2020 race, Hillary Clinton’s latest weird attacks on Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg’s history in Iraq with the infamous firm McKinsey, YouTube demonetizing Moderate Rebels and The Grayzone, and the hysterical but light-on-facts report from the Organization of American States on Bolivia’s presidential vote.
Impeachment hearings continued this week, but that wasn’t the most interesting political news. Joe Biden took the opportunity yesterday to call an Iowa farmer “fat” and “a damn liar” when the man asked him about Hunter Biden’s role in a Ukrainian energy company. And the media are now telling us that Pete Buttigieg is “surging” in California, where the latest polls have him going from 10 percent to 6 percent and then back up to 12 percent. Meanwhile, the same media largely ignore the fact that Bernie Sanders is leading the race in California. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
The American Legislative Exchange Council, a far-right group made up of conservative state lawmakers from around the country, is meeting this week in Scottsdale, Arizona. The purpose of the meeting is to come up with cookie-cutting right-wing legislation that members can sponsor in whatever state they come from. Think abortion, cutting food stamps, corporate taxes, and other Republican memes. Well, the group is being sued because the meeting violates Arizona’s “open meetings law,” which mandates that meetings of any public entity be open to the public. Brian and John speak with David Armiak, the research director at the Center for Media and Democracy.
At least 15 people were stabbed in a Baghdad square yesterday as Iran militia supporters clashed with anti-government and anti-Iran protestors. Protests against corruption and in favor of economic reform have worsened in Iraq, despite the fact that Prime Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi resigned last week. The United Nations and human rights observers say that more than 460 people have been killed and more than 20,000 wounded, the vast majority of them by military and police forces. Eugene Puryear, the host of By Any Means Necessary, which is on every day from 2:00-4:00 pm here on Sputnik Radio, joins the show.
Every major city in France was shut down yesterday in a massive general strike called after unpopular French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would combine 42 separate public pension plans into one national system. The French people don’t trust him to do that and, as a result, transportation was paralyzed, schools were closed, and protest leaders said they were willing to keep the strike going into next week. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi today gave an official statement on the status of the Democrats’ efforts to impeach President Trump. She pledged to move forward with the process, which is expected to shortly produce formal articles of impeachment.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared on the Howard Stern show and said the Russians backed Bernie Sanders, among other things, including that Bernie “hurt” her campaign. Joe Lauria, editor in chief of Consortium News, and author of the book “How I Lost, by Hillary Clinton,” joins the show.
The Trump administration is considering a significant expansion of the U.S. military footprint in the Middle East to counter Iran, including dozens more ships, other military hardware and as many as 14,000 additional troops, U.S. officials said. Brian and John speak with Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, and analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare.”
Workers in France are staging a massive general strike today against a pension reform plan pushed by the government of President Emmanuel Macron. Unions say that the proposed changes will force workers to stay in the workforce longer and leave retirees struggling to get by. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins the show.
The House of Representatives yesterday, by a vote of 407-1, approved a bill that would heavily sanction China over allegations that it is forcibly detaining ethnic Uighurs. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. The Chinese government reacted with outrage at this intervention into its domestic affairs, saying that Washington is sullying its counterterrorism and anti-radicalization efforts. Eugene Puryear, the host of By Any Means Necessary, which is on every day, Monday through Friday from 2:00-4:00 PM here on Radio Sputnik, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Usually Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is on Thursday this week about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests.”
Impeachment hearings start up again today, this time before the House Judiciary Committee. Democrats on the Intelligence Committee yesterday released their report, which, they say, shows damning evidence that President Trump committed crimes so grave that the only response must be removal from office. Today, four renowned legal scholars will testify as to the constitutional basis for impeachment.
The second day of the two-day NATO Summit ended in acrimony after President Trump canceled a press conference and abruptly returned to Washington. This came just hours after Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada, Prime Minister Johnson of the UK, President Macron of France, and Prime Minister Rutte of the Netherlands were caught on a hot microphone mocking Trump. Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, joins the show.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the former Stanford University roommates who founded Google 20 years ago, resigned yesterday from all executive positions at Google and its parent company, Alphabet. Both Google and Alphabet will now be run by Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO. Page and Bryn will remain as board members and as Google’s largest shareholders. The resignations come at a time of turmoil for Google and in the immediate aftermath of the firing of a group of employees who sought to form a union at Google. And in the past year, Pichai has cracked down on employees who complained that the company was violating its own edict of “Don’t Be Evil” by working in national security and with oppressive regimes around the world. Brian and John speak with software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky.
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton. A charismatic organizer beloved by the Black liberation and socialist movement, Hampton was gunned down as he lay in bed by Chicago police at the age of 21. But his legacy continues to inspire activists today. Aislinn Pulley, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement and Co-Executive Director of the Chicago Torture Justice Center, and Eddie Conway, Executive Producer with The Real News Network, was a leading member of the Baltimore branch of the Black Panther Party, and a political prisoner for 44 years, seven of which were in solitary confinement, joins the show.
Yet another general strike is taking place today in Colombia as protests against the anti-worker, anti-peace agenda of far-right president Ivan Duque continue. 5 people have been killed so far, and more repression is feared today. James Jordan, a member of the Alliance for Global Justice and has been deeply involved in supporting the Colombian peace process, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including the impeachment hearings, the NATO summit, and more. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Our regular Thursday segment is on Wednesday today, and deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou is joined by Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
President Trump is in London for the first day of the two-day NATO summit, an event to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the alliance. But not all is well in London. Turkey threatened to not defend Poland the Baltic States if they do not support Turkey in its fight against the Kurds. The alliance officially listed China as one of its rivals, and President Trump criticized French President Emmanuel Macron for saying in a recent interview that NATO was “brain dead.”
Democratic presidential candidate and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is not only a politician -- he’s a media mogul too. Bloomberg News has ordered that its reporters not investigate him or his campaign along with his Democratic competitors. Further, high ranking staff at Bloomberg will be joining his campaign. Meanwhile, The Trump campaign said that it would no longer credential reporters from the Bloomberg news service. Tim Karr, the senior director of strategy and communications at Free Press, joins the show.
California Senator Kamala Harris, once thought to be a top-tier Democratic presidential candidate, announced this afternoon that she was dropping out of the race. Harris has lagged in recent polls, but her campaign announced yesterday that she would take out a significant ad buy in Iowa in the coming weeks. That will now be canceled. Just a few days ago, one of Harris’s top campaign aides defected to the campaign of former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. John speaks with Sputnik News analysts and producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
The media have reported over the past week that tech giants Apple, Google, Microsoft, and others pay no federal income taxes--not a cent. Well, they pay almost no taxes in Europe either, and the European Union is trying to do something about that. A new Digital Tax would impose a levy of between 3.0 percent and 9.5 percent on tech companies with more than $845 million in revenue. Believe it or not, though, Washington is fighting a new tax. And the dispute may not be able to be solved amicably. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
Ukrainian neo-Nazis--members of the Azov Brigade--have arrived in Hong Kong to teach demonstrators there how to use improvised weapons. They’ve been so brazen that they’ve actually been posting updates of their exploits on social media. Meanwhile, China yesterday banned US Navy port calls and American military aircraft from visiting Hong Kong in response to Washington’s adoption of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, a new law that supports demonstrators in Hong Kong. The law passed unanimously in the Senate and by a vote of 417-1 in the House. The Chinese Foreign Ministry warned against further meddling in China’s internal affairs and said additional sanctions could be forthcoming. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins John.
The hosts take a look at the biggest stories of the day, including the NATO summit, the 2020 Democratic presidential primary and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou is joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
The House Intelligence Committee today is expected to circulate its Ukraine report, as the House Judiciary Committee begins its own impeachment hearings. The Intelligence Committee will vote to release the Ukraine Report tomorrow. Meanwhile, President Trump said he will not participate in the impeachment hearings after all, calling the entire process “unfair.”
London is still reeling from a terrorist attack over the weekend that left two dead, as President Trump heads to the UK for the NATO summit. The two victims of the attack were a young man and woman active in the issue of criminal justice reform. And one of the heroes of the attack was a convicted murderer who had just been released from prison the day before. He was able to wrest the knife from the attacker. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is ignoring calls from the victims’ families to not exploit the deaths for political purposes. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Gas flowed for the first time today through a huge new pipeline connecting Russia and China. And as the gas flowed, it sent geopolitical ripples around the world. Why? Because Washington has no control over this gas. It can’t stop it or sanction it. And it’s exactly what the Russian and Chinese economies need right now. Meanwhile, the prospects of U.S. sanctions against companies involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline grows. John speaks with Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
The self-declared leaders of Bolivia are consolidating their power and have called new elections, now scheduled for March. The national police and the military continue to attack funerals and to arrest indigenous people and leftists, and the new leaders are asking the International Criminal Court to charge President Evo Morales with unspecified crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, the mainstream media here in the US is lining up behind the coup and is asking why Venezuela can’t be more like Bolivia. Wyatt Reed, a journalist with The Grayzone, where he focuses on climate and racial justice issues and foreign policy, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers is out today, and progressive activist Joel Segal joins John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the upcoming impeachment news, the 2020 race, Epstein victim Giuffre in court suing Alan Dershowitz, and Giuliani associates in a federal criminal case. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Chase Iron Eyes, a member of the Lakota People's Law Project and a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and by Jean Roach, of the Mnicoujou Lakota, a leading member of the International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee (ILPDC) and a survivor of the 1975 Oglala incident.
Leonard Peltier is a world renowned activist, author and long-time leader in the Native American movement. He’s also a political prisoner -- incarcerated for over 40 years as a result of a trial that his supporters say was a travesty of justice. Today the hosts discuss his case and the ongoing movement to win his freedom. Learn more about the movement to free Leonard Peltier at WhoIsLeonardPeltier.Info.
Coal miners and nearby residents have long suffered from illnesses and health problems due to the many byproducts of the mining. West Virginia is the second-highest coal producing state and the industry has long been a primary source of jobs in the region. Fracking for natural gas, another dangerous and harmful process, has increased in the area in recent years as well. What harms are done to residents and what alternatives are there? Creative activist and journalist Eleanor Goldfield, host of the podcast Act Out!, which airs on Free Speech TV, and whose work is at ArtKillingApathy.com, joins the show. Earlier in the month, she spent time in West Virginia reporting on how coal mining and fracking are affecting local residents.
Our friend and frequent guest Dan Kovalik is coming out with a new book. “No More War:
How the West Violates International Law by Using 'Humanitarian' Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests” comes out in April, but advance reviews are stellar.
Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights, labor lawyer, and author of many books.
This regular segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including “The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, and Capitalism in 17th Century North America and the Caribbean” and “The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America.”
We all know the Thanksgiving story, right? Friendly Native Americans helped pious European settlers through their harvest, shared with them the bounties of the land, and the first Thanksgiving was created. But just about none of that is true. It’s based, according to the Smithsonian Institution, on colonial settler accounts, as well as the writings of later fur trappers, missionaries, and the odd curious traveler. The account of the first Thanksgiving doesn’t take into consideration how those same settlers spread disease, stole land, and virtually wiped out the indigenous Wompanoag tribe.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Special guest Ian Zabarte, Principal Man of the Western Bands of the Shoshone Indians, a leading voice nationally against the Yucca Mountain dump, and the secretary of the Native Community Action Council; Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear; and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst.
Four employees at Google were fired this week in what activists say is a clear case of workplace organizing related to growing opposition to the company’s business with Border Patrol. Workers were outraged that Google was complicit in the growing repression and human rights violations being carried out along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The US military has quietly resumed large-scale military operations in Syria, following a brief hiatus after what President Trump called the defeat of the Islamic State. Air Force Major General Eric Hill said that US forces were active in Deir az-Zour over the weekend, where they captured more than a dozen ISIS fighters and killed and wounded an unknown number. The real question, though, is with eight other countries already actively fighting in Syria, why is the US there at all? Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
More than 60 medical doctors have written an open letter saying that Wikileaks cofounder Julian Assange’s health is so poor that he could die in London’s maximum-security Belmarsh Prison, from which he is fighting extradition to the United States. In the letter, which is addressed to the British Home Secretary, the physicians ask that Julian be transferred to a university teaching hospital. Brian and John speak with Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton."
The United Nations has just published a bleak report saying that, without immediate drastic action, climate change will be irreversible, causing massive natural disasters. By the end of this century, average temperatures will rise by seven degrees Fahrenheit, causing mass migrations and displacement of millions of people. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation” from Monthly Review Press, joins the show.
Four Michigan residents, on behalf of more than half a million people, have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s new requirements that all Medicaid recipients must work to remain eligible for healthcare. Michigan asked the federal government late last year for a waiver that would make “work or work-related activity” mandatory for recipients between the ages of 18 and 62. The rule is scheduled to go into effect on January 1. Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program, joins Brian and John.
The hosts talk about the biggest news so far this week, including the newest in the impeachment inquiry, that courts have said White House Counsel Don McGahn must testify, Chile’s strike, Google firing workers over organizing against sexual harassment and other problems in the workplace, and a Palestinian dying of cancer in an Israeli jail. Brian and John are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist.
President Trump last week pardoned Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who had been convicted of war crimes after murdering an ISIS suspect in cold blood. Gallagher had been turned in by his own men and prosecuted by his superiors. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer opposed the pardon and went public with his opposition to President Trump’s decision to also led Gallagher keep his Navy SEAL pin. Yesterday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper forced the Navy Secretary to resign.
The Colombian government announced last week that it would close its borders in an attempt to contain mass strikes and protests that have swept the country in opposition to right-wing President Ivan Duque. The original goal of the protests was to oppose Duque’s austerity measures. But in the wake of mass protests across South America, they have taken on a life of their own and are threatening Duque’s hold on power. James Jordan, a member of the Alliance for Global Justice and has been deeply involved in supporting the Colombian peace process, joins the show.
An agreement has been reached in Bolivia between the Movement for Socialism party of President Evo Morales and the coup government of Jeanine Añez to call new elections to normalize the situation in the country. Morales remains in exile in Mexico, and the Añez regime has vowed to prosecute him on a wide range of extremely heavy, trumped-up charges. Brian and John speak with Patricio Zamorano, an academic and international analyst and Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA.
Anti-establishment candidates won a sweeping victory in Hong Kong’s municipal elections over the weekend. A record number of voters--turnout was 70 percent--led to the opposition capturing 389 out of 452 elected seats on district councils, up from only 124. Pro-establishment candidates won only 58 seats, down from 300. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton."
A former FBI attorney is under criminal investigation after allegedly altering a document related to the probe of the 2016 surveillance of Trump campaign official Carter Page. If true, the allegation amounts to a felony and it is already fanning the flames of Republican complaints that the FBI was actively working against the Trump campaign.
Just days after murdering eight unarmed protestors at a gas facility outside La Paz, the Bolivian police and military attacked a funeral for the victims, using tear gas and rubber bullets. The government’s use of violence against indigenous people and progressives has become the norm. Meanwhile, there are reports that self-proclaimed president Jeanine Anez has issued an arrest warrant for President Evo Morales as top officials label Morales an “international criminal”. Longtime peace activist and member of Code Pink, Tighe Barry, who just got back from Bolivia, joins the show.
The Israeli media are weighing in on the indictment yesterday of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on three felony counts of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Most of the reporting so far has been factual, with outlets going to lengths to explain exactly what the charges are. The debate now is whether he can remain Prime Minister while under indictment, whether he can maintain his parliamentary immunity, and if he can’t, how he can fight the charges in criminal court. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
Seven more protestors were killed and more than 50 wounded in demonstrations in Baghdad yesterday. Hospital officials say that police are aiming tear gas canisters at protestors’ heads and they’re using live ammunition to shoot them. The death toll from demonstrations around Iraq is now over 330 with no end in sight. Earlier indications that the government was willing to make changes to meet protestors’ demands have fallen by the wayside. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the impeachment hearings, revelations about the conduct and criminal activity of the FBI during the 2016 presidential campaign, the coup in Bolivia, and U.S. interference in Hong Kong and the Democratic Party debates. Brian and John speak with Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com, and whose writings are at ThisCantBeHappening.net.
Democrats squared off last night in Atlanta for their fifth formal presidential debate. Ten candidates participated. Elizabeth Warren called for the expansion of the military, Joe Biden once again had an embarrassing performance and the MSNBC moderators set up an attack on Tulsi Gabbard. And as usual, critical issues were left out of this corporate media-controlled spectacle.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted today on three felony counts of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. It is the first time in Israeli history that a sitting Prime Minister has been charged with crimes. The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, will now begin the process of stripping Netanyahu of his parliamentary immunity. Brian and John speak with Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”
Today was Day 5 of the House impeachment hearings. Former National Security Council senior director Fiona Hill, a Russia expert, testified that it was Russia, not Ukraine, that meddled in the 2016 presidential election. And David Holmes, a senior staff member in the US Embassy in Kiev, testified about the presidential phone call that he overheard while in a restaurant there. President Trump, meanwhile, criticized Holmes on Twitter and called House Intelligence Committee Democrats “human scum.” Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Scott Warren, an Arizona public school teacher, was found not guilty in federal court yesterday on two felony charges of “harboring illegal immigrants.” What Warren had actually done was to provide food, water, and a place to sleep to two migrants who had crossed the border. He faced 10 years in a federal prison. Warren’s attorney told the court that “being a good Samaritan is not a felony. Practicing the golden rule is not a felony.” Kate Morgan, a longtime activist and volunteer with No More Deaths, the organization Scott Warren works with, joins the show.
The US Senate yesterday unanimously passed a resolution on Hong Kong that China says is a blatant act of interference in its internal affairs. The House later in the day passed an identical resolution by a vote of 417-1. The measure now goes to the White House, and President Trump has indicated that he will sign it. It would provide for economic sanctions against Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Trump tweeted yesterday that trade talks with China are not going as well as originally expected. KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins Brian and John.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland testified before the House Intelligence Committee this morning that President Trump premised US aid to Ukraine on that country’s willingness to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. When asked if there was a quid pro quo, Sondland responded, “Yes there was.” The testimony was notable. But was it anything new? Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper and Undersecretary of State David Hale testified later in the afternoon.
With less than 11 weeks to go before the Democratic caucuses in Iowa, the top 10-ranked Democrats will square off in a debate tonight in Atlanta. Four Democrats are vying in the top tier--Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg. But the field was recently shaken up with the announcements that former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick would jump into the race. Neither will participate in tonight’s debate. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
At least six people were killed yesterday in Bolivia after the military raided a fuel depot that had been blocked by supporters of exiled President Evo Morales. A New York Times reporter said he saw soldiers open fire on unarmed men outside the depot at El Alto, a majority Indigenous working class city outside the capital La Paz. Morales supporters had been able to keep the depot, which provides gasoline to La Paz, blocked for more than a week as part of the resistance to the military coup. Brian and John speak with Ben Norton, a journalist with Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast.
At least two civilians were killed and several others wounded overnight in Israeli air attacks against targets in Syria. An Israeli military spokesman, in an unusual move, publicly confirmed that Israel hit Iranian and Syrian targets in retaliation for a Syrian rocket attack on Israel a day earlier. Meanwhile, Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz has told President Rivlin he is unable to form a government. Now Israel could see a weak right-wing coalition government with Benjamin Netanyahu as its leader or, yet again, new elections. Are these two developments related? Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn attacked each other on Brexit, health care, and the economy last night in a televised debate that, according to the British press, probably did little to change the minds of many voters. This was the first-ever head-to-head debate held in advance of a British election. Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced yesterday that the US government would no longer recognize the illegality of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The policy change comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting for his political life and desperate for anything he can present as a victory for his hardline policies.
Impeachment hearings continued today with the Intelligence Committee hearing testimony from two National Security Council staff members--Jennifer Williams, a Foreign Service Officer assigned to Vice President Pence’s staff; she was listening in on the now-famous phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky; and Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, the NSC’s top Ukraine specialist. Vindman has been the subject of recent attacks from Republican lawmakers, particularly Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson. Vindman was also on the call and raised concerns with the White House Counsel. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose latest article on CounterPunch and The Polemicist is “Trump’s Syrian See-Saw: From Pullout to PIllage”, joins the show.
A Swedish prosecutor this morning said that he has discontinued investigating a sexual assault case against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and has dropped the charges. The Swedish case was the impetus for Julian’s refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for six and a half years, but he now faces multiple espionage charges in the United States. Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
Bolivia’s self-proclaimed president, Jeanine Anez, was supposed to be a caretaker until new elections were called. But in the past 9 days, since the military and police overthrew President Evo Morales, Anez has replaced Bolivia’s top military leaders, sacked the cabinet, and thrown out the heads of major state-owned companies. She is also overseeing the murder of indigenous people and leftists opposed to her coup. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, protestors at the polytechnic university have armed themselves and are heading toward a violent clash with police. Tighe Barry, longtime peace activist and member of Code Pink, joins the show.
The US and the Taliban exchanged prisoners this morning. Two professors, one American and one Australian, were turned over to US authorities, while three senior Taliban militants were turned over to Qatari authorities. Meanwhile, a British television program, Panorama, found evidence of a cover-up of British war crimes in Afghanistan. That information has been turned over to the International Criminal Court. And Afghan President Ashraf Ghani spoke with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday about the prisoner swap and about what he is called the defeat of the Islamic State in Afghanistan. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins Brian and John.
The hosts talk about the biggest news so far this week, including the coup in Bolivia, democratic presidential candidates’ comments about the coups or attempted coups in bolivia and venezuela, and the US announcement that it no longer considers Israeli settlements illegal. Brian and John are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou is joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com.
Impeachment hearings continue today with the Intelligence Committee scheduled to hear eight witnesses in the next three days. Tomorrow will see testimony from two National Security Council staff members--Jennifer Williams, a Foreign Service Officer assigned to Vice President Pence’s staff; she was listening in on the now-famous phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky; and Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, the NSC’s top Ukraine specialist. He was also on the call and raised concerns with the White House Counsel. And Donald Trump has now suggested that he might testify.
Roger Stone was convicted on seven felony counts of obstruction of justice, contempt of Congress, and perjury. Stone faces up to 50 years in prison, but will likely be sentenced in February to something under five years. But Stone is asking for a delay in sentencing, likely hoping that Donald Trump will pardon him in the meantime. Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," joins the show.
Hong Kong police surrounded a university yesterday after demonstrators shot a policeman with an arrow and began super gluing bricks and stones to the pavement to prevent the movement of police vehicles. Protestors also have been hoarding and practicing with Molotov cocktails on the university campus. Police arrested at least 400 protestors yesterday when they tried to leave the campus. With that said, the near absence of deadly police violence is a major contrast to demonstrations in France, Iraq, Lebanon, and elsewhere. John speaks with Mike Wong, he is the Vice President of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace.
The Chilean Congress has reached an agreement to reform the constitution, which would become “100 percent democratic,” compared to the current constitution, which was passed during the dictatorial regime of Augusto Pinochet. Protesters are debating the way forward as the government prepares to organize a referendum in April. Patricio Zamorano, an academic and international analyst and Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including impeachment testimony, protests around the world, and ongoing developments in the Democratic presidential primary. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the impeachment inquiry, Ukrainian election interference, a new agreement in Chile, the Bolivian protests against the ongoing coup, and the mass killings in Gaza this week.
Former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovich testified today before the House impeachment committee. Yovanovich said that she was encouraged to tweet supportively about President Trump and when she didn’t do so, she was recalled and her career effectively ended. That was apparently at the urging of presidential pal Rudy Giuliani. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil.” joins the show.
The public is beginning to learn more about Bolivia’s interim president Jeanine Añez. She declared herself president after all of Bolivia’s constitutional successors resigned in what was a military and police coup that overthrew President Evo Morales. Añez is a born again evangelical Christian and opponent of participatory democracy, but only if you happen to be indigenous or leftist. Meanwhile, in Chile, the Congress has reached an agreement to reform the constitution, which would become “100 percent democratic,” compared to the current constitution, which was passed during the dictatorial regime of Augusto Pinochet. Brian and John speak with Patricio Zamorano, an academic and international analyst and Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA.
UK nationals voted three and a half years ago to leave the European Union, an action that has become known as Brexit. The decision has upended British politics and has polarized the country. Now we’ve learned of an unpublished UK government report on alleged Russian influence in the Brexit vote. The report was compiled by the British intelligence services. But why keep it a secret? Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley planned an event at George Washington University this week to promote her new book -- and her future political career. But students activists used the event to denounce her record as a strident defender of U.S. war and aggression around the world. Hajira Asghar, a George Washington University student and steering committee member with Students Against Imperialism, joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist whose work is at www.rall.com, and Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history whose latest book is “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce.”
The way yesterday’s first day of impeachment hearings went depends on your political viewpoint. CNN and MSNBC say that the testimony included bombshells about President Trump and his quid pro quo from two career diplomats that have upended the entire story. Fox says the hearings were boring and pointless and didn’t tell us anything important or that we didn’t already know. There were no hearings scheduled for today, but former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovich, whom President Trump recalled as ambassador months ago, will testify tomorrow.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said yesterday that he would enter the Democratic presidential race. This is just days after former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg did the same. And a new poll from Iowa has shocked the race by showing South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg in first place there. Meanwhile, former Vice President Joe Biden released his infrastructure plan and attacked Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, calling her “angry” and thus unfit to be President. Brian and John speak with Jacqueline Luqman, the editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, whose livestream is on every week on Facebook and Youtube.
The situation in Bolivia continues its sharp move to the right, as self-proclaimed president Jeanine Anez, along with military and police leaders, continue to crack down on indigenous people and leftists. With thousands of protestors in the streets, exiled President Evo Morales urged Anez not to “stain herself with the blood of Bolivians.” And despite talk that Morales may seek to return to Bolivia, countries around the world are beginning to recognize the Anez government. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
Police in Washington yesterday tried unsuccessfully yesterday to arrest our friend Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of the peace group Code Pink. They failed because they had no arrest warrant. But they made the ridiculous allegation that Medea had assaulted Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz at a press conference Wasserman Schultz attended in support of Venezuelan presidential pretender Juan Guaido. This action by the Washington DC police fits a new pattern, whereby truthtellers are being falsely arrested and charged with crimes after a massive show of police force just to silence them and to frighten others. Medea Benjamin, a well-known peace activist and the cofounder of the peace group Code Pink, joins Brian and John.
Violence in Hong Kong continues to worsen, with protestors making and practicing throwing petrol bombs in a dry swimming pool on a university campus. The level of unrest and destruction in the almost six-month-long protest has reached new heights in recent days, with the Chinese state media warning protestors that they are “at the edge of doom.” KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
Public impeachment hearings began today on Capitol Hill as House members consider whether to impeach President Trump for his actions in seeking a Ukrainian government investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden. Career State Department diplomats testified today on the alleged quid pro quo of an investigation for military aid.
Jeanine Anez, a right-wing rival of Bolivia’s ousted president Evo Morales, declared herself President of Bolivia yesterday as anti-coup protesters tried to storm the Congress building. The heads of the army and national police vowed to support her, but Morales loyalists in the legislature boycotted the legislative session in which she declared herself president. Morales, meanwhile, is now in exile in Mexico. Chuck Kaufman, the National Co-Coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice, joins the show.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is meeting at the White House today with President Trump. It’s the first meeting between the two since Turkey invaded Syria that angered members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Trump and Erdogan discussed Syria, the fight against ISIS, and, according to the media, ways in which Turkey can weaken US military sanctions against it. Brian and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Israeli forces bombed targets in Gaza overnight and Gazans retaliated with rocket attacks after Israelis killed a Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader yesterday. The clash is threatening to escalate into a major conflict despite Egyptian efforts to mediate between the two sides. The Palestinian death toll continues to rise, meanwhile, with 24 dead and at least 70 wounded. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
Demonstrations in Hong Kong escalated to an unprecedented level over the past several days as clashes between police and demonstrators paralyzed the city’s transportation networks and closed schools and universities. The Chinese Foreign Ministry criticized a Congressional resolution supporting the demonstrators and urged the US to mind its own business. And a Hong Kong police spokesman said the rule of law is “on the brink of collapse.” KJ Noh, a peace activist and scholar on the geopolitics of Asia, and a frequent contributor to Counterpunch and Dissident Voice, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including impeachment, the supreme court, and global protests. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Leo Flores, a Latin America campaign coordinator with the peace group Code Pink.
Bolivian President Evo Morales arrived in Mexico yesterday, where he was granted asylum after being overthrown in a military coup. The coup took place at the urging of right wing opposition leaders and mutinying police officers. Every constitutional successor has resigned, leaving the opposition Senator Jeanine Áñez in nominal charge of the country now effectively ruled by a military junta.
Attorneys representing presidential candidate and Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard have sent a letter to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton demanding that Clinton retract a statement she made several weeks ago calling Gabbard a “Russian asset.” When challenged about the assertion, Clinton responded, “If the nesting doll fits..” Gabbard’s lawyers say the statement was defamatory, and they want a retraction. Meanwhile, two new likely entrants are trying to upset the Democratic presidential primary. Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net whose latest article is “Trump’s Syrian See-Saw: From Pullout to Pillage,” joins the show.
Bill Ayers is Loud & Clear’s regular guest on “Education for Liberation” about the state of education around the country. But today he discusses the election victory of his son Chesa Boudin as district attorney of San Francisco, California. Against huge odds, and despite the fact that the police union spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to defeat him, Chesa won the race and is expected to institute radical reforms that will bring a fairness in sentencing that has not been previously seen. Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
Google over the past year has been secretly working with one of the largest health-care networks in America to collect and analyze personal health care data on millions of people across 21 states. In an initiative codenamed Project Nightingale, Google has collected lab results, diagnoses, and hospitalization records, patient names and dates of birth, among other information, all without the patients’ approval or even knowledge. Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst, joins the show.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the ongoing right-wing coup in Bolivia, the protestors in Hong Kong, Israel’s killing of a Palestinian leader, and the upcoming public impeachment hearings. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Dr. Dickinson is out this week. Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Lee Camp, a writer, actor, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” which you can see on RT America, and online at leecamp.com, and Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the Democratic 2020 primary and the possible addition of Michael Bloomberg to the race, the ongoing mass demonstrations in Chile, tensions resulting from the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, and more.
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has indicated that he intends to enter the Democratic race for president. Bloomberg yesterday filed papers to contest the Alabama primary. Alabama has an unusually short filing deadline. Pundits are saying that Bloomberg has told friends that he doesn’t believe the current crop of Democrats has the wherewithal to defeat Donald Trump in the 2020 election. But critics are ridiculing the move as yet another deeply unpopular intervention by a billionaire into politics. Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work. Prof. Wolff’s latest book is “Understanding Marxism,” joins the show.
The Trump Administration this week sued Gilead Sciences, a pharmaceutical company that sells HIV prevention drugs that can cost up to $20,000 a year, saying the company is earning billions of dollars from research funded by taxpayers, without paying those taxpayers back. The government says Gilead has infringed upon patents owned by the Department of Health and Human Services and has fought attempts by HHS to license its patents and collect royalties. Brian and John speak with Jeremiah Johnson, the HIV Project Director for the Treatment Action Group.
A Chilean police officer was arrested yesterday after shooting two students in ongoing demonstrations. Other police officers have been accused of beatings and a sexual assault and more than 2,000 protestors have been injured. Protestors are demanding economic equality and an end to corruption. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, protests continued, and one demonstrator died after falling from a parking garage. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil,” joins the show.
Brazil’s top court ruled yesterday that former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva must be released from prison because no Brazilian can be incarcerated until he or she has exhausted all appeals. The ruling could lead to the release of thousands of prisoners besides Lula, and it seriously weakens the hand of right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro’s Justice Minister. Arnold August, a journalist, author and lecturer currently on an international speaking tour “U.S.-Venezuela-Cuba-Canada: The Geopolitics,” which has already stopped in 7 Canadian cities and in Havana, with further appearances in Venezuela and Ireland, joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Open impeachment hearings start in the US House of Representatives in the inquiry into President Trump next week. The House Democrats likely have the majority they need to impeach Trump, but will that help their cause in the end?
The trial for Roger Stone, President Trump’s advisor, is on its third day. Stone, a self described “dirty trickster,” is being charged with obstructing the Mueller investigation. What actually happened? Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Two former employees of social media giant Twitter have been arrested. The ex-employees are accused of spying for the Saudi government, using their access to the company’s data to gather information on dissidents. Brian and John speak with Ali al-Ahmed, the Director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs.
Chinese and US negotiators appear to be within reach of an agreement that would result in the reduction of tariffs and lead to a final resolution to the trade war. But lingering doubts remain as officials from both sides scramble to find a suitable location for the “phase one” deal to be signed. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
The Democratic primary is heating up as the leading candidates sharpen their attacks ahead of the first primaries and party elites frantically search for an adequate pro-establishment candidate. And on the Republican side, ousted former Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he will run for his old Senate seat in Alabama. Jacqueline Luqman, the editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, whose livestream is on Facebook and Youtube every week, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN) joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com.
Democrats saw major gains in off-year elections yesterday. They won both houses of the Virginia legislature and appear to have won the Kentucky governorship. Meanwhile, Republicans are worried about a trend showing suburban women moving solidly to the Democrats.
A lobbying firm representing Burisma Holdings, the Ukrainian energy company that famously had Hunter Biden on its board of directors, referenced Biden’s role in the company when it contacted the State Department in 2016 to downplay concerns about corruption. The revelation, so far published only in the conservative media, is important because the lobbying took place at almost exactly the same time that then-Vice President Joe Biden was pressuring Ukraine’s president to fire a prosecutor in order to secure $1 billion in loan assistance. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson kicked off the country’s election campaign yesterday by saying that his Conservative Party would get Brexit “over the line” and would then unleash the UK’s real potential. Britain’s other main parties--Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Brexit Party--also began their campaigns, with Labour saying virtually nothing about Brexit. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Mass protests have effectively toppled the Prime Ministers of Lebanon and Iraq, but actions are continuing in both countries targeting government institutions and key infrastructure. A fierce debate over the political, social and economic future of these countries. Massoud Shadjareh, founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins Brian and John.
Demonstrations resumed in Chile today as tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest government corruption, poor social services, and an end to economic inequality. Twenty people have died in clashes so far, but President Piñera is refusing demands to resign. Journalist Alina Duarte, on Twitter @AlinaDuarte_, joins the show.
It’s time for In the News, where hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today they focus on the elections yesterday, with big races in Virginia, Mississippi, and Kentucky, then take a broader perspective on elections — what does it mean that the largest bloc yesterday was actually nonvoters? Sputnik news analysts Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News and the author of the book “How I Lost, by Hillary Clinton.”
Political operative Roger Stone’s trial started today with the beginning of the jury selection process. Stone is facing charges of lying to Congress in a case related to the Mueller investigation as well as witness tampering. But Stone maintains that he is being targeted for purely political reasons.
Billionaire serial sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein is dead, but controversy over how he was able to escape justice for so long continues to swirl. Now, a newly leaked recording suggests that ABC News tried to suppress reports about his crimes. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Outrage is growing across the country about the case of Tania Romero, a Honduran immigrant who is battling cancer. She was arrested by ICE two months ago and is being held in a detention center in Georgia, where she is unable to access the life-saving medical care she needs. Brian and John speak with Christian Padilla Romero, Tania Romero’s son and a PhD student in Latin American history at Yale University. You can find the petition he’s circulating in support of his mother at www.action.mijente.net/petitions/ice-is-deporting-my-mother-who-is-recovering-from-stage-4-cancer.
Supporters of Palestinian rights are criticizing Twitter’s decision to ban accounts related to the media outlet Quds News Network, which had hundreds of thousands of followers. This ban, along with a ban on Lebanese Al-Manar, have raised further concerns about censorship by social media giants. Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, joins the show.
The Trump administration officially pulled out of the UN Paris climate accord yesterday, a move that fulfilled a longtime Trump administration pledge. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a rollback of rules and regulations on coal plants. The new rules will allow the coal industry to continue producing coal ash ponds, widely found to be harmful to nearby residents, who are often low income. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation” from Monthly Review Press, joins Brian and John.
Beyond Nuclear is a Loud & Clear regular segment about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare.”
Today is the 40th anniversary of the Iran Hostage Crisis, where Iranian students seized the American Embassy in Tehran and took 52 embassy officers hostage. That standoff lasted 444 days, and it permanently changed the scope of both US-Iran relations and American politics. And yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the Greensboro Massacre, where Ku Klux Klansmen, led by an FBI agent and an ATF agent, opened fire on a group of American communists in Greensboro, North Carolina, killing five. Nobody was ever brought to justice for the attack.
Even as House Democrats on Thursday ratified an impeachment resolution against President Trump, a federal judge has slowed the pace of the inquiry by declining to rule on whether a key witness needed to testify before the House of Representatives. Instead, he gave all relevant parties several weeks to prepare their arguments. That means the hearings will likely last through the Christmas holidays. And how will all of this affect the 2020 election? Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil.”, joins the show.
Rioting continued over the weekend in Hong Kong, with demonstrators attacking Xinhua, the Chinese state news service. Xinhua then called on authorities to take a tougher line with demonstrators. Meanwhile, protestors are calling on the US to help them. Brian and John speak with John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations.
Two activists with the organization Veterans for Peace are trapped in Ireland, unable to return home due to criminal charges pending against them for engaging in anti-war protest. A renewed effort is underway to win their freedom. Gerry Condon, national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
The hosts take a look at the big stories to watch in the week ahead. Walter Smolarek, Sputnik News analyst and producer, joins Brian and John.
The hosts continue the weekly segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa—a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the National Surveillance State are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jodi Dean, an activist, author and professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, as well as by Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek. They discuss the biggest stories of the week, including the wave of protests sweeping the world, U.S. military moves to pillage Syria’s oil resources, the 2020 Democratic primary, and more.
Turkey and Russia began their first joint patrols on Friday in northeast Syria under a deal between the two countries that forced Kurdish fighters to evacuate a so-called “safe zone” on the Syrian side of the border. However, U.S.-Turkey joint patrols have reportedly also recently began. Peter Ford, former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Chesa Boudin is an attorney, writer, and lecturer specializing in criminal justice reform. And he’s now a candidate for San Francisco District Attorney. He’s running on a platform of ending cash bail, dismantling the War on Drugs, and restoring civil rights. Those positions have led to vicious attacks against him by the San Francisco police union, which has spent more than $650,000 to label him as “dangerous.” Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and author.
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis took to the streets of Baghdad today in the biggest anti-government demonstration since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Protests in which more than 250 have died over the past month have accelerated dramatically in recent days, drawing huge crowds across ethnic and partisan lines to reject the political parties that have governed the country since 2003. Protestors see the government as deeply corrupt, beholden to foreign powers, and responsible for daily privations. Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, joins the show.
The Organization of American States has begun an audit of Bolivia’s presidential election. Thirty electoral auditors will examine how the votes were cast and how they were tallied. Meanwhile, the U.S. government is stepping up threats that supporters of President Evo Morales fear could culminate in a coup attempt. Patricio Zamorano, Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, joins Brian and John.
Finally, the hosts look at the worst, most misleading, funniest, and just plain wrong headlines of the past week. Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News at lefti.blogspot.com, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net.
The House today voted to move forward on a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump. The inquiry will include public hearings and will end with a formal vote on impeachment. Meanwhile, Republican senators are adopting a more sober tone on impeachment.
Twitter announced yesterday that it was banning all political ads on its platform as the public debate over the role of social media in politics continues. The company presented their move as a way to protect democracy, but will this end up shutting out grassroots organizers who would have no choice but to rely on much more expensive traditional media outlets? Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist, joins the show.
Protesters in Lebanon continue to take to the streets as the political elite are thrown into a state of deep uncertainty following the resignation of Prime Minister Hariri. What’s in store for the next phase of the Lebanese uprising? Brian and John speak with Rania Masri, a professor, writer and environmental scientist who has been active in the protest movement.
The peace process in Colombia between the government and the former rebel FARC continues to be deeply imperiled as paramilitary assassinations of former combatants and social leaders continues. But the recent local elections dealt a blow to far-right President Ivan Duque, who is an avowed opponent of peace. James Jordan, a member of the Alliance for Global Justice and has been deeply involved in supporting the Colombian peace process, joins the show.
We continue our weekly segment dealing with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Karl Grossman, space expert and professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, joins Brian and John.
The hosts dig into one of the most pressing issues facing the people of the United States: the domination of the media by a tiny handful of corporations. From the 2020 election to climate change and perhaps in the most glaring way war and international events, the corporate media serves as a mouthpiece for the rich and powerful and the Pentagon. Lee Camp, host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” joins the show.
The hosts continue our weekly series “Criminal Injustice,” where we talk about the most egregious conduct of the courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Brian and John speak with Kevin Gosztola,a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News magazines.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Bijan Vasigh, a professor of air transportation at Embrey-Riddle University, an expert on aviation issues, a consultant to some of the biggest airlines in the world, and the author of dozens of academic papers and books.
The CEO of Boeing continues his testimony on Capitol Hill today as outraged family members of the victims of the Lion and Ethiopian airlines crashes demand justice. The CEO is attempting to assure the public that all the problems have been fixed with the Boeing 737 Max Jet, but will there be real accountability for the tragedies?
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi appears to be on his way out of office as the two largest blocs in parliament announced they are withdrawing their support for his government. Political leaders are responding to the massive wave of protests that have engulfed the country and persisted despite deadly repression. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
The National Park Service recently pulled the proposed anti-protest rules that they had announced, after public outrage and tens of thousands of public comments. The rules would have crushed public protest in the nation’s capital, and legal groups were suing the rules as unconstitutional. Brian and John speak with Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, the executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, the law firm leading the fight against the unconstitutional protest rules.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned yesterday in light of mass protests, but President Michel Aoun has asked Hariri government to stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed. The president will deliver a speech to the nation on Thursday as demonstrators stay in the streets demanding the ouster of the traditional political elite and an end to the sectarian system that dominates the country’s politics. Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and a member of the central committee of the Lebanese Communist Party, joins the show.
The Trump administration has settled on a brazenly colonial strategy towards Syria: take the country’s oil. The Pentagon now says that it will continue to occupy the country to control Syria’s oil wealth, despite its withdrawal from strategic towns along the border with Turkey. Francis Boyle, a professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law and author of the book “Destroying World Order: US Imperialism in the Middle East Before and After September 11,” joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Jacquie Luqman, the co-editor in chief of Luqman Nation and a host on The Real News Network, and Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Medea Benjamin, a well-known peace activist and the cofounder of the peace group Code Pink.
Journalist Max Blumenthal, a good friend of this show, was arrested on Friday on completely fabricated charges that he assaulted a pro-Juan Guaido protestor in front of the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington last spring. Max was finally released from Washington, DC’s central jail over the weekend. But his arrest and coming prosecution says a lot about the lengths to which anti-democratic forces in our own government are willing to go to silence dissent.
US troops will remain in Syria, ostensibly to “guard” Syria’s oilfields. This is despite President Trump’s protestations that he wants to end US military involvements overseas. Meanwhile, more details continue to emerge from Saturday’s special forces operation that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Kevin Zeese, co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, whose work is at popularresistance.org, joins the show.
Britain’s Labour Party announced that it will support Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s call for early elections. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had said earlier that the party would oppose early elections, but he changed his position in advance of a formal vote this afternoon because Johnson met his demand to take a no-deal Brexit off the table by asking for a deadline extension. The vote already is seen as a last ditch attempt by both sides to either affirm or reject Brexit. Brian and John speak with Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Lebanese Prime Minister Sa’d al-Hariri announced his resignation today in the face of massive protests against government corruption, high taxes, and a lack of economic opportunities. Meanwhile, huge protests continue in Chile and Iraq, with the Chilean cabinet already having resigned and another 18 demonstrators were killed overnight in Iraq. Jamal Ghosn, the former managing editor of al-Akhbar English, and Andrea Alvarado, a member of the central committee of the Social Convergence Party and has been in the Chilean demonstrations, join the show.
Australian regulators accused Google today of misleading consumers about its collection of their personal location information through its Android mobile operating system. The lawsuit is the first of its kind by a government against a tech company for its use of subscribers’ personal data. Consumer groups in Europe have been suing Google for several years over the same locational tracking issue. Dr. Robert Epstein, the Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, which you can learn about and support at mygoogleresearch.com, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
President Trump yesterday gave a highly unusual press conference to announce that a special forces operation the night before resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. After a short statement, the President launched into a highly detailed-and probably highly classified--account of how Baghdadi was killed. He insulted Baghdadi and went on to talk about the US invasion of Iraq, advocating taking Iraq’s oil, which would be a war crime.
Russian student Maria Butina was finally released from prison over the weekend. She had been incarcerated since July 2018 for failing to register as a foreign agent. Butina was targeted by the Justice Department, smeared in the press, given a sentence greater than the maximum recommended by law, and will finally be expelled from the United States. Robert Driscoll, who leads the Washington DC office of the law firm of McGlintchey Stafford, represents Maria Butina, and is a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the United States and former chief of staff of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, joins the show.
A former deputy to former National Security Advisor John Bolton defied a subpoena over the weekend and is refusing to testify in the House impeachment inquiry. Meanwhile, the parallel investigation being done by US Attorney John Durham turned criminal in its focus over the weekend. Brian and John speak with Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
European Union leaders agreed today to extend the date of Brexit to January 31, meaning the UK will not leave on Thursday, as originally planned. The announcement comes as members of parliament are meeting on vote on a proposal by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to hold early elections on December 12. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the reaction to the U.S. special forces raid that killed the leader of ISIS, the extension to the Brexit deadline and crucial elections around the world. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Brian and John speak with web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work. Prof. Wolff’s latest book is “Understanding Marxism.”
Countries around the world are rising up against increasing income inequality and lack of economic opportunities, especially for young people. What are the economics behind the protests in Haiti, Lebanon, Chile, Ethiopia, Ecuador, and Iraq?
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the situation in Syria, impeachment, the Chicago teachers strike, and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show.
The Department of Justice has reportedly decided that the Russiagate probe will become an official criminal investigation. The initial review was begun in May by Attorney General William Barr due to signs of potential misuse or abuse of power by US intelligence agencies. Brian speaks with Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast.
Political prisoner Maria Butina has been released today after serving over a year in prison, most of which was in solitary confinement. She was accused of failing to register as a foreign agent and slandered by the corporate media. Her case became a main component of the now-debunked Russiagate narrative. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net whose most recent article is “The Empire Steps Back,” which is at Counterpunch and thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
The Chilean elite is in a state of panic, offering both concessions and violent repression to tamp down the most intense wave of protest since the end of the Pinochet dictatorship. But demonstrators are demanding a complete overhaul of the political system and the convocation of a constituent assembly. Journalist Alina Duarte, on Twitter @AlinaDuarte_, joins Brian.
Major developments in the unrest in Hong Kong continue to unfold. This week, the Taiwanese alleged killer whose extradition case from Hong Kong sparked the demonstrations was released from prison, and reports circulated that Chinese central government authorities were planning to oust Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam early next year. K.J. Noh is a long time activist working on global justice issues, writer, teacher, and a member of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian speaks with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Vijay Prashad, the Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, and the author of several books including most recently “Arab Spring, Libyan Winter.”
Protests are taking place all around the world. Demonstrators in Lebanon, Iraq, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, Haiti, and elsewhere are in the streets to demand economic opportunity, an end to corruption, and democratic elections. 2011 is known as the year of the protestor. Are we seeing 2011 redux?
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show.
President Trump yesterday claimed credit for is being called the permanent ceasefire in northern Syria, saying that after decades of violence in the region, he has finally brought peace. He said specifically, “Turkey, Syria and all forms of the Kurds have been fighting for centuries,” Mr. Trump said from the Diplomatic Room at the White House. “We have done them a great service and we’ve done a great job for all of them. And now, we’re getting out. Let someone else fight over this long bloodstained sand.” That may sound disingenuous, but there may be something to it in terms of Trump’s reelection prospects. Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Opponents of the House impeachment probe are sharply criticizing the process being followed, saying that it is secretive and unfair. But as both parties maneuver for control of the media narrative, what’s going on behind the scenes? Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Bolivian President Evo Morales is warning of a right-wing coup attempt underway as the country’s electoral authorities prepare to announce the final results of the country’s presidential election. As more votes trickle in from Morales’ rural strongholds, it appears increasingly likely that Morales will avoid a second round, but is facing violent protests from the opposition. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil”, joins the show.
The body of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco is being exhumed from it’s mausoleum, a location that had become a pilgrimage site for supporters of the extreme right wing. Franco died decades ago, but the legacy of his regime still shapes core parts of Spanish politics and society. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, joins Brian and John.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
President Trump made a statement from the White House today in which he said lauded the deal on Syria between Russian President Putin and Turkish President Erdogan. Trump added that US combat missions have ended, the Kurds are “safe and have worked very nicely with us,” and that ISIS prisoners have been secured.
Ambassador Bill Taylor, the US Ambassador to Ukraine, testified on Capitol Hill yesterday and made explosive charges against President Trump, including that the President directed officials to withhold aid to Ukraine over demands that the Ukrainian government open an investigation of the Biden family. Taylor said that he was convinced in July that the White House was withholding aid for electoral purposes. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose most recent article is “The Empire Steps Back,” which is at Counterpunch and thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
Chile is bracing today for more protests and a general strike, despite President Sebastian Piñera’s pleas for forgiveness and announcement of ambitious reforms to quell unrest that has rocked the country and left 15 people dead. Piñera is promising a guaranteed minimum wage, a hike in the state pension, and the stabilization of electricity costs. But the demonstrations show no sign of abating. Brian and John speak with Patricio Zamorano, academic and international analyst and Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill is in limbo as the European Union is considering a delay in the UK’s withdrawal. Meanwhile, there’s lots of talk about a new election in the UK once the extension is granted. The Labour Party supports that, but it looks like Brexit supporters would win a race. Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union, joins the show.
Protests continued today across Lebanon today as protestors took to the streets to demand a wide variety of economic reforms. Meanwhile, the country is headed for a cash crisis, as banks remain closed a week into the protests. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Erdogan met in the Russian city of Sochi today to discuss Turkey’s ceasefire in Syria, which expired today. Erdogan said that Turkey would immediately resume military operations against Syrian Kurds.
U.S.diplomat William Taylor is testifying in the House’s impeachment probe today, as a new media frenzy emerges over the fact that President Trump met with Hungarian President Viktor Orban in May, and that Orban is thought to hold “anti-Ukraine” views. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Picket lines and mass rallies continue to take place as Chicago teachers enter the fourth day of their strike. Stacy Davis Gates, the Vice President of the Chicago Teachers Union said that negotiations with the city are not going well, that no progress was made in talks yesterday, and that the two sides are “stuck.” Brian and John speak with Aislinn Pulley, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement who has been organizing community support for the strike.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Reuven Rivlin that he was unable to form a government in the aftermath of Israeli elections. Rivlin, then, asked Blue & White Party leader Benny Gantz to begin work to form a coalition. The jury is out on whether Gantz can do so, and it is still possible that Netanyahu could lead a minority government or new elections could be called. Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” joins the show.
As mass opposition to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro mounts, major new breakthroughs on the legal front appear possible for ex-President Lula da Silva. Lula’s imprisonment and subsequent banning from the 2018 election was essential to the extreme right wing Bolsonaro’s victory, and it has become even more obvious in recent months that Lula is in fact a political prisoner innocent of the crimes he is charged with. Natalia de Campos, performance artist and activist, co-founder of the Defend Democracy in Brazil Committee in New York City, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Andrea Alvarado, a member of the central committee of the Social Convergence Party and has been active in the demonstrations.
Chile’s government declared a state of emergency and brought the military out onto the streets for the first time since the end of the military dictatorship in 1990 in response to the most intense wave of demonstrations the country has seen in decades. The uprising was triggered by an increase in subway fares but has tapped into deep-seated discontent with economic inequality. A general strike is taking place today.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today that he will pull the vote on Brexit if parliament passes any amendment “which would render it meaningless.” But parliamentary speaker John Bercow will not even allow a vote in the first place. Meanwhile, Wikileaks cofounder Julian Assange was in a London court today, where he was denied a delay in his extradition to the United States. That hearing will now take place over five days in February. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
White House Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney confirmed last Thursday in a press briefing that the President had sought a quid pro quo with the government of Ukraine when he sought to withhold military assistance until Ukrainian President Zelensky began an investigation of the 2016 election. Mulvaney also said this kind of thing happens all the time and he told Democrats to “get over it.” Over the weekend, however, he backpedaled mightily, denying that he ever admitted to a quid pro quo. Democrats, meanwhile, are treating the interview as one more nail in the President’s impeachment coffin. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist at www.rall.com.
Early election results in Bolivia show President Evo Morales leading, but not by enough to avoid a runoff in his race for a fourth term. Morales has 45 percent to 38 percent for conservative former president Carlos Mesa. Meanwhile, protestors in Ecuador appear to have won their fight to force President Lenin Moreno to back down from his proposed cuts to fuel subsidies. Demonstrations had grown so large that Moreno temporarily moved the government from Quito to the coastal city of Guayaquil. Alina Duarte, a journalist whose work is on Twitter @AlinaDuarte_, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the unfolding crises for the Trump administration, the uprising in Chile, Brexit, the Canadian election and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and software engineer and technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
Clashes continued on the border between Turkey and Syria, despite the fact that the two sides were supposed to have come to a five-day ceasefire agreement yesterday. Kurdish officials said that the Turkish military continues to shell civilian targets along the border, and that the Turkish army bombed a hospital in Ras al-Ain.
A strike by Chicao teachers entered its second day today, and there are no prospects for a quick resolution. Teachers aren’t looking just for a pay raise. They’re looking for bold, transformative changes, including more affordable housing in the city for students and teachers. The city, however, says that the teachers’ demands are too much, and that it prefers to address some issues outside the bargaining process. Chicago Teachers Union member and activist Nick Stender joins the show.
The British Parliament will be in session tomorrow, its first Saturday session in 37 years, to debate and vote on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal and selected amendments. If the plan passes with no amendments, the UK will leave the EU. If it passes with amendments, Johnson will have to ask for an extension to negotiate a new deal. If the plan fails, Johnson will have to ask for an extension to head off a no-deal Brexit. Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
A general strike in the semi-autonomous Spanish region of Catalonia has brought Barcelona and its environs to a complete stop. Tens of thousands of protestors are marching in opposition to a Spanish Supreme Court decision to incarcerate the leaders of Catalonia’s independence movement. Are Catalonians headed for another standoff with the Madrid government? Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the Turkish invasion of Syria, the impeachment probe, and the possible breakthrough in UK-EU negotiations over Brexit. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net whose most recent article is “The Empire Steps Back: Trump Withdraws From Syria – Impeachment Now Possible,” and Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book “How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton.”
U.S. Ambassador to the European Union is testifying in Congress behind closed doors today. A copy of his opening statement indicates he may be turning on President Trump. And yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham showed Senate Republicans a PowerPoint on the mechanics of a potential impeachment trial in the Senate.
Vice President Pence announced today that the United States and Turkey reached an agreement to implement a temporary ceasefire in Northern Syria. President Trump met last night with Congressional leaders from both parties, after the House voted overwhelmingly, by 354-60, to condemn the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. A bizarre letter from Trump to Erdogan was also made public, adding to the confusion over the situation. Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, most recently of the film Killing Gaza, joins the show.
The UK and the European Union made a breakthrough agreement today over the terms of Britain’s exit from the bloc. However, the likelihood of its passage by the British parliament appears slim, setting the stage for a dramatic last-minute political and legal battle before the October 31 deadline. Brian and John speak with Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Over 25,000 Chicago teachers and school staff went on strike today and schools are closed. The Chicago Teachers' Union along with SEIU Local 73 are demanding better benefits, reduced class size, and that measures be taken to address injustices students and their families face outside the classroom, like a lack of affordable housing. The Chicago Teachers' Union pointed out in a tweet yesterday, “we have nearly 17,000 homeless students in CPS [Chicago Public Schools].” Frank Chapman, an organizer with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
The Trump administration is engulfed in multiple crises on the domestic and international fronts. As nearly the entire political and military establishment unites in condemnation of the U.S. withdrawal from Syria, the impeachment inquiry moves forward and President Trump’s mental state shows signs of serious strain. Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, and Lee Camp, a writer, actor, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight” on RT America, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Margaret Flowers, a medical doctor and the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, whose work is at www.popularresistance.org.
12 Democratic presidential candidates squared off last night, with 10 trying to set themselves apart from frontrunners Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren. Political observers in the media are declaring Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, and even Bernie Sanders the winners. There’s no telling what will happen in the polls in the coming days, and the race is still wide open.
Fighting continues to rage in Northern Syria as Turkish forces face a newly formed alliance between the Kurdish YPG and the Syrian government. Meanwhile, pressure grows on the Trump administration to reverse course and maintain the U.S. occupation in the country. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
Chicago’s teacher’s union is meeting today and it will almost certainly vote to strike effective tomorrow. Classes already are canceled, and negotiators are not optimistic about any breakthrough. Both sides say they are facing multiple issues, including teacher pay, staffing, and the duration of the contract. Brian and John speak with Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement.
As Brexit negotiations go down to the wire, the UK’s Brexit secretary has indicated that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will send a letter requesting an extension if there’s been no deal by this Saturday, as the legislation that was recently passed designed to prevent a no-deal Brexit requires. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Carrie Lam, the head of Hong Kong’s government, was unable to deliver her annual speech to the city’s legislative council today after opposition lawmakers shouted her down. As the United States prepares to intervene more forcefully and the central Chinese government remains determined to stand strong in the face of increasingly violent demonstrations. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analyst & producer Walter Smolarek joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria.
A major realignment has taken place in the Syrian war as the Turkish invasion of northeast Syria enters its sixth day today. US troops are out of the immediate area and a new alliance between the Kurdish YPG and the Syrian government. President Trump has put economic sanctions into place against Turkey for their military actions.
Fiona Hill, an aide in the White House, testified yesterday for nine hours about her interactions with former National Security Council John Bolton. She testified that Bolton asked her to notify the chief lawyer for the National Security Council about the pressure that several of the administration’s officials were putting on Ukraine. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil,” joins the show.
Ecuadorian protestors succeeded in forcing President Moreno’s government to withdraw the IMF-imposed austerity package on Sunday. The move ended strikes across the country and created a new commission to design a new set of measures. The commission includes representatives from the indigenous movement as well as the government and will be mediated by the United Nations and the Catholic church. Meanwhile, leftist leaders were arrested and accused of instigating the protests. Brian and John speak with Arnold August, author and journalist currently on an international speaking tour on the theme "US-Venezuela-Cuba-Canada: The Geopolitics.”
As tensions grow and alliances shift rapidly in the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin is making an official visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The crisis in Syria, the global energy trade, and security cooperation in the gulf are at the top of his agenda. Mindia Gavashelli, the Editor in Chief of Sputnik News’ D.C. Bureau, joins the show.
A Spanish court handed down harsh prison sentences for Catalan political leaders for their role in a push for independence. The sentences, which include a 13-year prison term for the Vice President of Catalonia, have caused widespread outrage in the region and militant demonstrations. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Special guest and creative activist Eleanor Goldfield, host of the podcast Act Out!, which is on Free Speech tv, and whose work is at ArtKillingApathy.com; Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the impeachment probe, the Turkish invasion of northern Syria and resulting controversy over the U.S. military occupation in that country, and the strike by workers at General Motors.
President Trump gave a fiery, angry, vulgarity-filled 102-minute-long speech in Minneapolis last night in which he called the impeachment inquiry “a brazen attempt to overthrow our government,” while two close associates of Rudy Giuliani were arrested at an airport while trying to leave. They are facing campaign finance violation charges. Meanwhile, one of the last Democratic holdouts in the House of Representatives said that she will now support impeachment. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
President Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu today had a high stakes meeting at the White House in a bid to avoid new tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods set to go into effect on Tuesday. What’s the big picture behind the U.S.-China trade war? Brian and John speak with Richard Wolff, he is a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work. Prof. Wolff’s latest book is Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown.
A mounting sense of chaos is permeating the Turkish and Syrian border on day three of the Turkish military invasion of the region. Tens of thousands of Kurdish civilians are fleeing the area, abandoning a major hospital along the border. And experts fear an imminent return to the region of fighters from the Islamic State. Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, joins the show.
Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno last week ended fuel subsidies. That act drew so many protestors, led by indigenous people, trade unions and progressive political parties that he had to move the government out of the capital of Quito to the coastal city of Guayaquil. Meanwhile, 10 police officers were taken hostage and were forced to carry the coffin of an indigenous activist who had been killed the day before. They were later released. Patricio Zamorano, academic and international analyst and Co-Director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA, joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net whose latest article on the subject is on CounterPunch and thepolemicist.net, titled “Dead Man's Hand: The Impeachment Gambit.”
Two donors to a pro-Trump fundraising committee who helped former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani investigate Joe Biden in Ukraine were arrested yesterday and charged with campaign finance law violations. Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman will be arraigned in Virginia today. Giuliani in May described them both as clients. Meanwhile, President Trump said that he would cooperate with House impeachment investigators “if the process was fair.”
Turkish forces have secured an area 20 miles into Syrian territory and running the length of the Kurdish region. Turkish President Erdogan said that his country may set up a permanent buffer zone in Syria, and that it could run the length of the entire Turkish/Syrian border. Erdogan, meanwhile, threatened Europe with a flood of refugees if EU countries continue to refer to the Turkish move as “an occupation.” Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
The Dow Jones Industrial Averages jumped 160 points after being down 300 points, when President Trump tweeted this morning that he would meet on Friday with China’s Vice Premier Liu He. Trade talks between the two countries have been bogged down over tariffs. A principal in the trade negotiations this morning called the situation “very fluid.” Brian and John speak with Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen.
Last week we told you about a march on the White House that will take place tomorrow and Saturday as part of the Rage Against the War Machine movement. The event is in protest of the absolutely insane amounts of money spent on war and weapons, which then leaves little to nothing to spend on healthcare, education, clean water, and more, to say nothing of the human cost to life and limb. Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist and journalist whose son Casey was killed during the Iraq War, and one of the organizers of the March on the Pentagon, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
The Turkish military said today that its ground offensive so far has been successful, with media reports indicating that more than 100 Kurdish fighters have been killed and buried in ditches. A Pentagon official said that Turkey may continue its offense and may take an area along the entire Turkish/Syrian border, not just the part in Kurdish territory. Meanwhile, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Moscow may try to mediate between the Turks and the Syrians. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria.
The Turkish Army today attacked Syrian Kurds across the border between the two countries. The military move was not unexpected, since President Trump gave Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Ergogan the green light to attack the Kurds two days ago. Meanwhile, war hawks both Democratic and Republican alike are trying to take advantage of the situation to justify a de facto permanent, illegal U.S. military presence in Syria.
The White House has sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying that it would not cooperate in any way with the House’s impeachment inquiry. Saying that the inquiry was “unprecedented and unconstitutional,” White House attorneys said they would not provide any documents and would not allow witnesses to testify. The President, meanwhile, accused Democrats of trying to undo the 2016 election. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show.
A new poll by RealClearPolitics and an aggregate poll of polls shows Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren for the first time with a national lead over former Vice President Joe Biden in the Democratic presidential primaries. With Senator Bernie Sanders slowed by a recent heart attack, how is the Democratic landscape changing? Brian and John speak with Jacqueline Luqman, the editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation whose livestream is on every week Facebook and Youtube.
The situation in Baghdad calmed overnight after more than a week of protests left more than 110 people dead and more than 6,000 injured. Protestors are demanding better jobs, higher wages, a return of basic services and an end to government corruption. As security forces pressed on against demonstrators in the streets, the central government has ordered the release of more than 800 people so far. Ali Mamouri, the editor of Al-Monitor's “Iraq Pulse,” joins the show.
A crisis is developing between China and the National Basketball Association because of a tweet published by the owner of the Houston Rockets saying that the team stood with protestors in Hong Kong. The league forced him to take down the tweet, but not before the Chinese government protested this meddling in its internal affairs. Now, a day before a scheduled NBA game to be held in Shanghai, everything is postponed and the crisis is no closer to a resolution. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including the Turkish invasion of northern Syria and controversy over the U.S. troop presence, the latest in the impeachment probe, and the Democratic 2020 presidential primary. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Political and military elites are in an uproar over the surprise move by the Trump administration to withdraw, or at least partially withdraw, U.S. troops from Syria. Mainstream media has been filled with wall-to-wall condemnation of the move, and Democratic and Republican politicians alike are united in their demand to continue the illegal U.S. presence in Syria.
The new Supreme Court term started this week, and today the highest court in the country is hearing three cases about workplace discrimination against LGBTQ people. Also on the docket in this new session is a challenge to the court’s historic case Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in 1973 but has been under attack since then. Julie Hurwitz, civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman, Hurwitz and James, joins the show.
The Trump administration today directed US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland not to testify before the House of Representatives today, according to Sondland’s lawyers. President Trump says that Sondland has previously stated there was no quid pro quo and therefore has no need to testify. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist whose work is at www.rall.com.
After a third day of anti-austerity protests in Ecuador, President Lenin Moreno’s government fled from the nation’s capital, Quito, to Guayaquil, a right-wing stronghold. The austerity measures are due to a $4.2 billion deal that the country signed with the International Monetary Fund in March. Independent journalist, writer and researcher Denis Rogatyuk joins the show.
Juan Guaido’s U.S.-backed coup attempt in Venezuela has become little more than a farce as his so-called government loses international standing and is beset by corruption scandals. Nevertheless, the U.S. government still stands by its policy of attempting to install him as the country’s leader and is waging increasingly devastating economic warfare to do so. Anya Parampil, a journalist for The Grayzone who’s the author of two recent pieces on the crisis in Venezuela: “How Venezuela defeated Washington’s coup attempt at the United Nations” and Hausmann hypocrisy: Guaido coup official raked in dollars from dictators and banking behemoths while promoting ‘democracy’ for Venezuela,” joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Daniel Lazare. He is a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
A second so-called whistleblower has now come forward claiming first hand knowledge of the call between Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky that forms the basis of the Democrats’ impeachment probe. But the controversy is not just engulfing the White House -- Democratic 2020 frontrunner Joe Biden is also badly damaged by the details of the case, leaving the effort to unseat Trump in next year’s election in a severely weakened state.
In a surprise announcement, the Trump administration announced that U.S. troops would withdraw from Northern Syria to make room for a new Turkish military offensive targeting the Kurdish YPG militia. The move has caused great controversy in the United States and around the world. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
More than 100 people are now dead from an Iraqi government crackdown on protests that have been going on for the last week. Protestors have taken to the streets against unemployment, lack of basic infrastructure, and corruption in the government. Brian speaks with Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence.
Protests continued in Hong Kong over the weekend as many marchers defied a new regulation prohibiting the wearing of masks at actions. Demonstrations continue to be violent, and on Sunday a journalist was burned after being hit by a molotov cocktail. Mike Wong, the outreach coordinator for the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the new second whistleblower in the impeachment inquiry, the potential withdrawal of US troops from the north eastern region of Syria, and the heavy death toll in Iraq following protests there over the past week. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa and Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and author of the recent article in Consortium News, “The Untold Story of the Trump-Ukraine ‘Scandal’: The Routine Corruption of US Foreign Policy.”
Former US envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker testified in a closed-door session on Capitol Hill yesterday that Rudy Giuliani ran what he called a “shadow shakedown” of the Ukrainian government, according to a member of Congress who was present. Volker testified further that President Trump, through Giuliani, withheld aid to Ukraine and asked the country to look into former President Joe Biden, his son Hunter, and the 2016 election.
The Iraqi government imposed a curfew in Baghdad and blocked access to the internet following the deaths of at least 42 protestors over three days of violence, the worst rioting since the 1968 revolution. Prime Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi said today that protestors’ demands were righteous and he added that he would work against corruption and for job creation, as demonstrators are demanding. Mike Prysner, an Army veteran who served for a year in Iraq, a documentary filmmaker, and a co-host of the anti-war podcast Eyes Left, joins the show.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will ask for a Brexit delay if no deal for withdraw from the European Union is agreed upon before October 19, according to papers filed in a Scottish court. Johnson earlier had said that he would rather lie dead in a ditch on the side of the road than ask for a delay. Brian and John speak with Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union.
Peace activists will march on the White House on Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12 as part of the Rage Against the War Machine movement. The event is in protest of the mind-boggling amounts of money spent on war and weapons, which then leaves little to nothing to spend on healthcare, education, clean water, and more, to say nothing of the human cost to life and limb. Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist and journalist whose son Casey was killed during the Iraq War, and one of the organizers of the March on the Pentagon, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the new details in the impeachment inquiry and the US’s longer-term relationship to Ukraine, plus the protests in Iraq and Hong Kong. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net, and Sputnik News analyst and producer and Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
Former Special Envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker is being deposed by Congress today as part of the impeachment probe. And in two White House appearances with the President of Finland yesterday, President Trump continued to lash out at Democrats leading the impeachment inquiry, and he again called for Rep. Adam Schiff to be arrested for treason. House Democrats, meanwhile, said they would issue a subpoena for White House documents, and they warned Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo not to interfere with the probe.
YouTube has quietly begun demonetizing videos that, it says, don’t comply with its terms of service and community guidelines. What does that mean? It means that many content providers who are outside the mainstream or that use certain words or phrases in their descriptions, are not eligible to earn money from advertising. So how do alternative news providers reach their audiences? Ford Fischer, the founder of the media startup News2Share, joins the show.
Hong Kong’s cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss the invocation of emergency powers to tackle increasingly large and violent protests, beginning with a ban on protestors wearing masks that they use to protect themselves from tear gas or to hide their identities. Chief Executive Carrie Lam called for the emergency meeting and said that the power will be approved and will become law on Friday. Brian and John speak with Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst and one of the producers of this show.
The Justice Department is planning to require the collection of DNA from all migrants crossing the border with Mexico, as well as from all people in immigration detention for use in a national criminal database. Senior Administration officials say the policy could take effect before the end of the week. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins the show.
The US plans to swiftly impose tariffs on $7.5 billion in aircraft, food products, and other goods from the European Union after the World Trade Organization authorized the levies yesterday. The new duties represent the most significant trade action against the EU since the Trump administration hit Europe with tariffs on aluminum and steel a year ago. The EU announced this morning that it would impose retaliatory tariffs on US goods. Meanwhile, stocks took yet another dive after disappointing data was released related to the US service sector. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books-- “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
The House Intelligence Committee’s impeachment inquiry seems to be expanding by the day. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is being accused of obstructing justice by insisting that State Department employees not cooperate with the investigation; the State Department Inspector General requested an emergency meeting this morning with Intelligence Committee staff members; and both Pompeo and Attorney General Barr and have either been in Italy or have spoken with Italian authorities, reportedly about Joseph Mifsud, a shadowy Maltese academic who is somehow involved.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to present what he says is his final Brexit proposal to the European Union today. The plan was supposed to include customs checks on the Irish border beginning in January 2021. Irish officials dismissed Johnson’s plan as “completely unacceptable,” and then in his speech at the annual Conservative Party conference, he said there would be no customs checks. British business leaders, meanwhile, reiterated their position that a no-deal Brexit would crash the UK’s economy. Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show.
The New York Times is reporting that a senior Boeing engineer filed an internal ethics complaint earlier this year, saying that during the internal development of the 737 Max8 jet, the company had rejected a safety system in order to minimize costs. The engineer believes that the system could have reduced risks that contributed to two crashes that resulted in 346 deaths. Brian and John speak with Dr. Alan Diehl, an award-winning aviation psychologist and safety consultant, a major air safety whistleblower, and the author of the book “Air Safety Investigators.”
The United Nations reported yesterday that more than 1,000 migrants and refugees have died in the Mediterranean Sea this year, the sixth consecutive year that what it calls “this bleak milestone” has been reached. The UN refugee agency UNHCR called on European Union member states to reactivate search and rescue operations and to acknowledge the crucial role of aid groups’ vessels in saving lives at sea. What role have U.S. and European intervention played in causing the refugee crisis in the first place? Francis Boyle, a professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law and author of the book “Destroying World Order: US Imperialism in the Middle East Before and After September 11,” joins the show.
Under a new agreement between the Kiev government and separatist leaders, local elections will be held in separatist-controlled areas in the country’s east and troops from both sides will withdraw from the area. Experts believe the move could pave the way for peace talks between the government and ethnic Russian separatists. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and author of the recent article in Consortium News, “The Untold Story of the Trump-Ukraine ‘Scandal’: The Routine Corruption of US Foreign Policy.”
News surrounding the impeachment inquiry against President Trump gets curiouser and curiouser. We now know that the President has enlisted the help of the Prime Minister of Australia to investigate the origins of the Mueller inquiry. And Attorney General Barr is personally asking foreign leaders for assistance on the same matter. Once of the primary questions seems to be “Who is Joseph Mifsud and how is he involved?”
Violent protests continued to take place in Hong Kong as China celebrated the 70th anniversary of the revolution that established the People’s Republic. Groups of demonstrators carried out attacks with metal pipes and molotov cocktails in an attempt to disrupt this important occasion as the hardcore separatist forces take center stage in the protest movement. Ben Norton, a journalist with The Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, joins the show.
Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi was a moderate critic of the Saudi government when he was lured into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, murdered, and dismembered by agents of Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. The CIA concluded that Muhammad bin Salman was responsible for the assassination, but President Trump has refused to hold him or his government to account. Brian and John speak with Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of the peace group Code Pink, which is holding a protest at the Saudi Embassy in Washington tomorrow at 1:00 p.m., the time at which Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate.
Now-fired Dallas police officer Amber Guyger has been convicted of murder in the killing of her neighbor Botham Jean. Guyger burst into Jean’s home, which she said she mistakenly believed was her apartment, and shot Jean dead. Meanwhile, A New York police officer on Sunday got out of his vehicle to question a man, who then fled. The officer gave chase, caught up with the man, and in the ensuing struggle was shot and later died. While the man who was being chased was initially blamed for the killing, it turns out that it was in fact other police officers who opened fire and killed their comrade. Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, joins the show.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
Massive celebrations are being held across China today as the country marks 70 years since the revolution of 1949. President Xi Jinping presided over a huge military parade in Beijing where he paid tribute to the founders and past leaders of the People’s Republic of China. Meanwhile, violent demonstrations in Hong Kong have led to major disruptions in the city. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, and Jude Woodward, who is the author of the book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?”, joins the show.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every week on Facebook, Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer, and Aaron Maté, a journalist with The Grayzone and The Nation and host of “Pushback with Aaron Maté.”
House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff said over the weekend that the Committee had reached a tentative agreement for the CIA whistleblower to testify. It is not clear whether the testimony will be in open session or behind closed doors. Meanwhile, President Trump accused Schiff of manufacturing the transcript of his call with Ukrainian, and he called for the Congressman to be charged with treason, a death penalty offense.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced over the weekend that they had killed 500 Saudi troops and had captured another 2,000 Saudis. A Houthi-run television station ran video of long, snaking lines of Saudi prisoners, as well as interviews with some prisoners confirming that they were indeed Saudis. Meanwhile, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman appeared on CBS’s 60 Minutes yesterday to say that he did not want war with Iran and that he did not order the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, although he took responsibility for the killing because it was carried out by Saudi government employees. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the ongoing drama over impeachment and the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the People’s Republic of China -- an occasion that protesters in Hong Kong want to disrupt. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Aaron Maté, a journalist with Grayzone and The Nation and on the podcast Pushback with Aaron Maté.
The New York Times reported yesterday evening that the whistleblower who disclosed the contents of President Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Zelensky is a senior CIA officer. The ultimate disclosure was actually the result of several different memos and reports collated by the whistleblower. So now members of Congress are asking several questions: Is the whistleblower really a whistleblower or is there a partisan angle to the story? And has the President actually committed a crime?
The United Auto Workers and General Motors apparently are not close to a deal to end the nationwide strike against the company, and talks are expected to take at least another week, according to the Detroit Free Press. That also means that the strike could last at least another TWO weeks, if the union acts on a plan it’s considering to keep members on the picket lines until the rank and file votes to ratify a deal. Benjamin Frantz, the Vice President of the United Auto Workers Union’s Local 652, joins the show.
A former US Army soldier was arrested last week and charged with conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction in an attack against a major US news network and conspiring to murder Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke. The FBI revealed that the soldier also attempted to go to Ukraine to fight alongside neo-Nazi paramilitaries there. This is not an isolated incident. Recently two ex-Army soldiers who had fought alongside the neo-Nazis in Ukraine murdered a Florida couple to steal their money and fund a trip to Venezuela to fight the Maduro government. Is this a trend? And if so, what’s behind it? Brian and John speak with Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conducting a flurry of activity in the United States to boost his standing globally and especially with the Trump administration. Today, Modi is addressing the United Nations General Assembly, but a wide range of progressive groups anchored by Indian-Americans is holding a demonstration outside. Dr. Ania Loomba, a professor of literature at the University of Pennsylvania and an expert in postcolonial studies, joins the show from the action outside the United Nations.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on impeachment, the UAW strike, the United Nations General Assembly meetings, a partial ceasefire in Yemen, and the Afghan elections. Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ben Norton, a journalist with The Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast.
Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph McGuire testified before the House and Senate Intelligence Committees this morning on the whistleblower complaint about President Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky. Committee members took predictably partisan lines. But the Administration also released a redacted copy of the whistleblower complaint. It shows a president using his power to force a foreign leader to do something for him. And the complaint also says that the President ordered the call transcript “locked down,” that is, kept in a standalone computer in the National Security Council reserved for codeword material and covert action plans. However, critics are pointing out that the whistleblower was not actually on the call in question, and only heard about it from colleagues.
The Trump Administration announced a migration deal on Wednesday that will give US immigration authorities the ability to send asylum seekers from the US-Mexico border to Honduras, a country wracked by violence and instability especially since the 2009 U.S.-backed coup. The deal was reached between the Department of Homeland Security and President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who is widely seen as having been installed into office by the United States and also dogged by credible corruption allegations. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins the show.
Israeli President Ruvin Rivlin has asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to try to form a new government. Netanyahu has six weeks to do so. If he fails, Rivlin will ask Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz to try to form a government. In the meantime, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas announced that he will call the first Palestinian elections since 2006. Brian and John speak with Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
At least 200 Democrats have now said that they support impeaching President Trump for abuse of power after he apparently pressured Ukrainian President Zelensky to assist in an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. But the White House released what it says is a transcript of that call. And the accusations against Trump are now not so clear.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday, said that Washington must lift sanctions imposed on Iran in order for Tehran to return to the negotiating table. President Trump, in his own speech before the General Assembly, said the US wants “partners, not adversaries,” but only after he condemned Iran as the world’s gravest threat to peace. Kevin Zeese, co-coordinator of Popular Resistance. You can find their work at popularresistance.org, joins the show.
Google “corruption and gentrification” and you get almost half a million links to articles, studies, and scholarly research papers from all across America. Cities from Washington to Los Angeles, to Baltimore and Buffalo and San Francisco are all gentrifying, driving up prices and forcing poor people and minorities out of the neighborhoods that many of them have known for generations. The problems with this are many. But add corrupt municipal officials and politicians, and you have a looming disaster, including right here in the nation’s capital. Brian and John speak with Yasmina Mrabet and Tmac, both organizers with LinkUp, a community group that works to prevent displacement.
The Chief Executive Officer of the vaping pod maker Juul resigned yesterday and was replaced by the former Chief Growth Officer of the tobacco giant Altria as Massachusetts joined New York and California in banning the flavored smoking product. Dozens of people, mostly young people, have developed dangerous lung diseases, and at least seven have died, after smoking vaping pods. Altria owns a 35 percent stake in Juul. Dr. Louis Kyriakoudes, a professor at Middle Tennessee State University, director of the Albert Gore Research Center, and one of only three experts who has testified against Big Tobacco, according to The Nation magazine, joins the show.
Google has won, in part, a major case in Europe in its appeal of the EU’s so-called “Right to be Forgotten” law. The law allowed people in Europe to request the removal of old news about them that might be harmful to their reputations or otherwise embarrassing. The European Court of Justice, the EU’s highest court, ruled that while Google must delete such information in Europe, it doesn’t have to do so for the rest of the world. Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com and Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
This is special coverage of the announcement of impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who until this point has been an opponent of impeachment, speaks at the start of the show, and then the hosts analyze her statement and its far-reaching implications.
Donald Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly today and gave a strongly “America First” speech, condemning Venezuela, Cuba, China, Iran, and the Taliban, and criticizing China, but saying he looked forward to a trade deal. The President also criticized the European Union and immigration, and reiterated his support for Brexit. Meanwhile, the UK, Germany, and France blamed Iran for the recent attack on Saudi Arabia and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the Iranians to agree to a “Trump deal” to end the current tensions. Dr. Gerald Horne joins Brian and John and is a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books.
The UK’s Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, ruled that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s suspension of parliament was illegal, and it called for lawmakers to reconvene. The ruling opens the window for parliament to approve a Brexit deal before the UK’s scheduled exit from the European Union on October 31. Johnson said that he would respect the decision as the opposition Labour Party called for him to resign immediately. Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
Days of direct action beginning with the global climate strike on Friday have brought students into the streets to protest climate change, and Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish girl has become the face of that movement. She addressed the United Nations General Assembly yesterday and was mocked by President Trump on Twitter, but UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres said that 77 countries have announced moves to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and whose latest book is “Comrade,” joins the show.
President Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly today, using the occasion to condemn Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, socialism, and several US trading partners. Meanwhile, the UK, France, and Germany publicly blamed Iran for the recent attack on a Saudi oil installation, and President Trump found himself mired even more deeply in a controversy involving what may have been a threat against the President of Ukraine over an investigation--or lack thereof--of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
President Trump acknowledged on Sunday that he raised corruption allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden during a phone call with Ukraine’s leader, a stunning admission as Democrats in the House are ramping up pressure to impeach the president for misuse of his authority, among other reasons. But Republicans are countering that the real crime here was committed by Joe Biden during the previous administration, when he attempted to shield a Ukrainian company that had his son on its board of directors from a corruption probe.
The stakes are growing in President Trump’s policy of pressuring Iran to the point that the country acceeds to his demands to abandon its nuclear program or collapses entirely. And British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said over the weekend that he would support the US in the event of an armed conflict with Iran. The Iranians, for their part, tried to lessen the situational pressure by releasing a British oil tanker they had held since July. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
The Joint List, the group of Arab parties represented in Israel’s parliament, or Knesset, issued a statement saying that its members would vote for Blue & White leader Benny Gantz to form the next Israeli government. Ayman Odeh, the leader of the Joint List, wrote an op-ed in Sunday’s New York Times saying that the election last week should signal the end of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s career. Brian and John speak with Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”
In a speech to 50,000 Indian-Americans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Sunday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called President Donald Trump, who introduced him, “a true friend,” and “the best friend India has ever had.” This was after Trump compared the US-Mexico border, to the border between India and Pakistan, where the two nuclear powers have fought five wars since 1947. Sputnik News analyst and producer of this show Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including President Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky about Vice President Biden, Iran releasing an oil tanker, and day 8 of the workers strike at General Motors. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
The panel takes a look at the biggest stories of the week, including U.S. war threats against Iran, the global climate strike, the controversy over a call between Donald Trump and a foreign leader, and the Israeli election
We’ve been telling you about an intelligence agency official who reported what he or she believes is evidence of wrongdoing on the part of President Trump and an unnamed leader of an unnamed country. Well, the Washington Post is now reporting that the country is Ukraine and the leader is President Volodimyr Zelensky. This flies in the face of the rumors and innuendo about Russia and North Korea that had been dominant in the media just yesterday.
Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of several books, the latest of which is “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil”, joins the show.
A team of experts from the United Nations has been dispatched to Saudi Arabia to investigate the attack on Saudi oil fields that took place last weekend. Saudi and U.S. officials have already asserted that Iran was behind the attack, despite Yemen’s Houthi rebels having taken responsibility. And now media outlets like the New York Times appear to be egging Trump on to take more and more aggressive action. Brian and John speak with Medea Benjamin, an anti-war activist who is the co-founder of Code Pink.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters are on the streets today all around the world for the Global Climate Strike. Led overwhelmingly by young people, the actions are demanding world leaders take decisive action to address the existential threat of climate change. Activist Timour Kamran, who is participating in today’s climate strike action, joins the show.
At least 30 Afghans were killed and 28 wounded yesterday when US forces bombed a group of civilians harvesting pine nuts. The harvesters had informed the Afghan government in advance that they would be in the area. Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins the show.
Again this week we’ll look at the worst, most misleading, funniest, and just plain wrong headlines of the past week. Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site lefti.blogspot.com, joins Brian and John.
An intelligence agency whistleblower apparently reported in the past months to the Inspector General that President Trump, during a call with an unnamed foreign leader, promised that leader something that was in direct violation of US law. The Inspector General then reported the complaint to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, but the ODNI allegedly covered it up. Now speculation is rampant in the media and among political figures about the content of Trump’s phone call and the promises that were made -- is this controversy about foreign policy decisions that the intelligence agencies object to, or is it a clear cut issue of legality?
Iran’s Foreign Minister is warning of “all-out war” in the event that Iran is attacked by the United States or Saudi Arabia. He also asked rhetorically in an interview with CNN whether Saudi Arabia was prepared to fight to the last American soldier. President Trump, meanwhile, said that he is considering all options and has not decided on a military response. The Saudis are adamant that it was Iran, and not Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who attacked Saudi oil installations over the weekend. Massoud Shadjareh, founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz are jostling over the terms of a unity government as neither the right-wing coalition nor the center left coalition won enough seats to govern the country. Meanwhile, former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, the leader of the Israel Our Home Party, said that he would enter into a government of national unity, but only if it is NOT led by Benjamin Netanyahu. Brian and John speak with Richard Becker, an anti-war organizer and author of the book “Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire”.
The Venezuelan government announced a deal with four small opposition parties and has released opposition leader Edgar Zambrano from prison, where he had been held for four months after being arrested for treason. Coup leader Juan Guaido, meanwhile, was furious with the announcement of the deal and said that he would not engage in any further talks with the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, joins the show.
In a very provocative move today, General Motors abruptly canceled the health benefits of all 50,000 striking members of the United Auto Workers Union. That means that the union will now have to cover the costs of all health benefits for all union members, while at the same time, its members have no income. And this comes as the company made $8.1 billion in profits last year, and the CEO is being paid $22 million. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “The Scourge of Neoliberalism: US Policy from Reagan to Trump”, joins Brian and John.
We continue our weekly series “Criminal Injustice,” where we talk about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center, joins the show.
We continue our weekly segment dealing with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, author of six books and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and by Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net and whose latest article on the subject is “Dead Man’s Hand: The Impeachment Gambit,” on Counterpunch and thepolemicist.net.
President Trump’s former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, testified before the House Judiciary Committee yesterday in what was a day-long, very heated, event. Lewandowski repeatedly invoked Executive Privilege, even though he has never worked in the White House, refusing to answer most questions put to him by Democrats. But many Democrats came off as angry, loud showboaters, more interested in getting on television than in finding the truth over whether the President committee obstruction of justice. The hearing puts committee chairman Jerry Nadler even further at odds with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
President Trump today named State Department hostage negotiator Robert O’Brien as his new National Security Advisor. O’Brien does not have an intelligence background and has no political ties to Trump. The move appears to solidify Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s position as the most formidable figure in the Administration next to Trump. Kevin Zeese, co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, whose work is at popularresistance.org, joins the show.
Israelis went to the polls yesterday to elect a new government, and the result is still too close to call. What is clear, though, is that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and allied right wing parties do not have enough seats to form a government. At this stage, it appears that Benny Ganz’s Blue and White Party has won the most seats--32 to Netanyahu’s 31. With 91 percent of votes counted Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc has 55 seats, while Ganz’s center-left bloc has 56 seats. 61 seats are needed to govern. It looks like Avigdor Lieberman, a former Defense Minister and bar bouncer from Moldova who heads a right-wing nationalist party, but who has broken with Netanyahu, will play the kingmaker. Brian and John speak with David Sheen, an independent writer and filmmaker whose work is at www.davidsheen.com.
Talking heads on many of the morning news shows are now saying, without offering any evidence, that the attack on Saudi oil facilities was from a cruise missile launched from Iran. This is despite the fact that there is no evidence--at least publicly--to indicate that the attack wasn’t from a drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have already claimed responsibility. Meanwhile, President Trump announced new sanctions on Iran and said that he is weighing his options, but would not launch a “knee jerk response.” Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
European Union lawmakers voted overwhelmingly, by a vote of 544-126 today, to offer a Brexit delay if British Prime Minister Boris Johnson requests one. European President Jean-Claude Juncker warned, however, that a no-deal Brexit is still a very real possibility. This comes after a serious embarrassment for Johnson when he recently went to Luxembourg for negotiations. Currently, the UK is scheduled to withdraw from the European Union on October 31 with or without an agreement. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, and analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare.”
President Trump said yesterday that he does not want war with Iran, less than 24 hours after tweeting that he was “locked and loaded” and awaiting instructions from Saudi Arabia. Regardless of his public statements, however, the President internationalized the crisis by publicly blaming Iran for the attack, despite the Houthi rebels’ claims of responsibility and a lack of any evidence of direct Iranian involvement.
The New York Times editorial page is, once again, mired in controversy. The Times ran an essay in the Sunday Review opinion section by the authors of a new book on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The book was written by two Times journalists who covered Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings and it contains explosive information of an unreported allegation of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh. But the Times editor took out some critical information: that the woman at the center of the controversy declined to be interviewed and did not recall the incident. Sputnik News analyst and producer Nicole Roussell joins the show.
Israeli elections are being held today and, while it will be very close, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is widely expected to be able to cobble together another coalition government that will give him an unprecedented fifth term as Prime Minister. Netanyahu has several felony charges related to corruption hanging over him, as does his wife, but it doesn’t seem to have affected him politically. Netanyahu has vowed to begin annexing parts of the West Bank if he’s reelected. Brian and John speak with Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”
50,000 General Motors workers are in their second day of a strike against the company for better wages, benefits, and job security. These were concessions that the union offered a decade ago when the economy collapsed and GM was forced into bankruptcy. But now the company is wildly profitable, and it’s not sharing the wealth with the workers who sacrificed for it to survive. Benjamin Franz, the Vice President of the United Auto Workers Union’s Local 652, joins the show.
The Presidents of Russia, Turkey, and Iran met in Ankara yesterday to discuss what to do to ease tensions in Syria and particularly along Syria’s border with Turkey. Disagreements between the countries linger. Russian President Putin said that the threat to peace came from a resurgent ISIS. But Turkish President Erdogan countered that the only threat to peace in Syria came from Kurdish groups. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin, filed for bankruptcy protection on Sunday in New York. The company said the filing was the only way to implement an agreement with more than 2,000 state and municipal governments to provide funding for anti-opioid addiction programs. But news also broke over the weekend that the Sackler family, the owners of Purdue, secretly transferred $1 billion out of the country and into European bank accounts so that it would not be subject to the bankruptcy. The move, of course, is likely illegal. And the entire agreement is now in jeopardy because of it.
Drone attacks over the weekend on Saudi Arabia’s largest oil refinery and on one of its oil fields have cut the country’s oil production in half, causing oil prices to soar overnight. Meanwhile, President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo are blaming Iran for the attacks, despite Yemen’s Houthi rebels’ claim of responsibility. With the President’s comments yesterday that the US military is “locked and loaded,” war with Iran could be in the offing. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
Nearly 50,000 General Motors workers went on strike at midnight last night after negotiations between the company and the United Auto Workers Union faltered. Negotiations continued today, but union officials said the two sides were far apart on the issues of wages, health care, the use of temporary workers, job security, and profit sharing. Brian and John speak with Neal Sweeney, the Vice President of UAW Local 5810.
Israelis will vote tomorrow for the second time in six months in an election that could see Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu win an unprecedented fifth term. Or it could end his decades-long dominance of Israeli politics. One thing most observers agree on, however, is that no matter who wins, the peace process is dead, Israeli settlements will continue to expand, and there’s no end in sight to the oppression of Palestinians. Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the strike on Saudi Arabia’s oil fields and President Trump’s threat that the United States is “locked and loaded”, the revelations that the Sackler family is allegedly hiding Purdue Pharma’s profits as they claim bankruptcy in the wake of a lawsuit over the opioid crisis, 50,000 auto workers on strike at General Motors plants nationwide, and the Israeli election taking place tomorrow. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on yesterday’s Democratic presidential debate as well as the ouster of former National Security Advisor John Bolton.
Democrats last night held their third presidential debate, arguing over healthcare and immigration. It was the first time that three frontrunners, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders, were on the stage together. There were few fireworks, other than an attack on Biden by former Housing Secretary Julian Castro, and no candidate delivered a knockout blow on another. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com, joins the show.
The Justice Department said that it will reveal the name of an individual believed to be connected to the Saudi government who allegedly provided support to the 9/11 hijackers. But DOJ will reveal that name only to the attorneys representing the families of victims of the attacks. That’s a good thing. But why has it taken 18 years for DOJ to finally admit that there was credible evidence that Saudi government officials had a role in the worst terrorist attacks in American history? Brian and John speak with Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
Federal authorities have found several sophisticated technological devices that had been deployed around the White House in the past two years and that are meant to intercept cell phone calls. Even more importantly, three federal officials with knowledge of the find are saying that they were placed there by Israeli intelligence officers. But the crazy part of this story is that the Trump Administration has decided to do nothing to punish Israel. Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine,” joins the show.
China will exempt purchases of US soybeans, pork, and other agricultural products from punitive tariffs ahead of trade talks, addressing one of President Trump’s most pressing demands. For its part, the United States has delayed previously announced tariffs so they no longer go into effect on the highly political sensitive 70th anniversary of the foundation of the People’s Republic of China. The two countries are looking for a way to break a deadlock in the trade war before new high-level talks begin in early October. Jude Woodward, the author of the book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?” joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
The Supreme Court ruled last night by a vote of 7-2 that refugees may be denied asylum in the United States if they crossed another country to get here and did not first apply for asylum in that country. The move reverses decades of US asylum policy.
ABC and Univision will host the third Democratic debate tonight in Houston, Texas. Only 10 candidates will participate because the others failed to qualify under Democratic National Committee rules. Foreign affairs and healthcare are expected to be the major topics. And the pundits are telling us to keep our eyes on Elizabeth Warren and whether she’s able to present herself tonight as the only viable alternative to Joe Biden. Meanwhile, the House Judiciary Committee voted to give definition to its probe considering whether or not to recommend impeachment of President Trump. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every week on Facebook, joins the show.
Purdue Pharma, and its owners, the Sackler family, have agreed to settle thousands of lawsuits brought against them by state and municipal governments because of the opioid crisis. Not all of the details of the deal are public yet, but Purdue will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the Sackler family will pay $3 billion in cash over seven years. Purdue is the maker of OxyContin. Brian and John speak with Dr. Louis Kyriakoudes, a professor at Middle Tennessee State University, director of the Albert Gore Research Center, and one of only three experts who has testified against Big Tobacco, according to The Nation magazine.
The Trump Administration joined 10 Latin American countries yesterday invoking a regional defense pact, ostensibly “in support of the Venezuelan people.” However, President Trump also said yesterday that ousted National Security Advisor John Bolton was “was way out of line” on Venezuela. Is this the prelude to a hot war against Venezuela? Or is the administration moving in the other direction? Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil,” joins the show.
65 million years ago a city-sized asteroid slammed into the earth, causing an unprecedented mass extinction that devastated life across the planet and killed off the dinosaurs. Now, groundbreaking new research gives us deeper insight into what that fateful day was like. Dr. Sean Gulick, research professor at the University of Texas, Austin, specialist in the role of catastrophism in the geologic record, and author of the new study, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jaime Hazan, a 9/11 First Responder who was an EMT at Ground Zero, Nancy Carbone, Founder and Executive Director of Friends of Firefighters, and Lila Nordstrom, Executive Director of StuyHealth, a health advocacy group for students impacted by 9/11.
Today marks 18 years since the September 11th attacks. 9/11 first responders, their families, and residents and students who were in the vicinity of the World Trade Center are still dealing with serious health consequences. What more needs to be done to ensure that they receive the support that they need?
War hawk John Bolton was ousted as National Security Advisor yesterday amid fierce factional disputes within the White House over key foreign policy and military issues. But is Bolton now about to be embraced by the corporate media on the basis of his clash with Trump? Joe Lauria, editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," joins the show.
The story of a high-level Russian official working as a CIA spy, who was secretly exfiltrated in 2017 and resettled in Virginia, is taking some interesting new turns. Major news outlets are reporting that the source and his information were unvetted and uncorroborated, and that he made up information that later became the basis of the Russia investigation. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Attorneys General for 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have launched investigations into whether Google is violating antitrust laws, has become too big, and has illegally ruined smaller rivals. The overall probe is being led by the Texas Attorney General and will focus on whether Google broke the law in achieving dominance in online marketing. Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst, joins the show.
On today’s anniversary of the september 11th attacks in 2001, we are running our fascinating and important interview from this date last year, where authors Ray Nowosielski and John Duffy discuss the September 11 attacks and their aftermath, including alleged Saudi involvement in the attacks and the that fact that within the CIA and the rest of the intelligence community, literally nobody was held accountable for what was arguably the worst intelligence failure in American history. Ray Nowosielski and John Duffy, the authors of the book “The Watchdogs Didn't Bark: The CIA, NSA, and the Crimes of the War on Terror,” which you can get on Amazon or through Skyhorse Publishing, join Brian and John.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel McAdams, executive director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.
President Trump today announced the departure of National Security Advisor John Bolton. Trump said in a tweet that he told Bolton last night that his services were no longer needed and that Bolton resigned this morning. He added that he will name a new National Security Advisor next week.
Washington is abuzz with news that the CIA had to exfiltrate a sensitive Russian source, according to CNN because the Agency didn’t trust Donald Trump with the secret. But it turns out that the story is far more complicated. The source was actually not as well-placed as has been reported. He was under pressure from former CIA Director John Brennan to produce intelligence that he didn’t have access to. And now he’s living openly--using his true name--in suburban Virginia. Aaron Maté, a journalist with The Grayzone and The Nation and the host of Pushback with Aaron Maté, joins the show.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today that, if he wins reelection in the country’s September 17 election, he will seek to annex parts of the West Banks. The Israeli media is reporting that Netanyahu told aides that if the West Bank were to ever be annexed, it would have to be done during a Trump presidency. Meanwhile, Trump said that he will unveil his “deal of the century” for Middle East peace as soon as Israeli elections are completed. Brian and John speak with Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”
The British parliament is now suspended. It ended its session last night with no decision on early elections or on anything having to do with Brexit. And there was genuine fury as the session wound down last night, according to the BBC. Opposition parliamentarians tried to block Speaker John Bercow’s traditional procession to the House of Lords, and other opposition members sang Welsh and Scottish folk songs, the Labour Party’s anthem, and even hymns. Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show.
A special election for a seat in the US House of Representatives is taking place in North Carolina today. The seat has been in Republican hands since 1960, but the winner of the most recent election was not certified because of an illegal ballot-harvesting scandal. Today’s election is seen as a referendum on the Trump Administration. The President won 56 percent there in 2016 and the district leans Republican. But Democrats are pulling no punches in their efforts to win. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly and Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Louis Kyriakoudes, a professor at Middle Tennessee State University, director of the Albert Gore Research Center, and one of only three experts who has testified against Big Tobacco, according to The Nation magazine.
Hundreds of people across the country have been sickened by a severe lung disease linked to vaping, and at least five have died so far. Most were otherwise healthy young people in their teens and 20s. Scientists are only just beginning to study the phenomenon, and governmental regulation of e-cigarettes is sorely lacking. The situation sounds just like it did with tobacco decades ago.
President Trump abruptly announced in a series of tweets last night that he had invited the Taliban leadership to Camp David to discuss peace terms and that he had CANCELED his invitation for the Taliban to go to Camp David. More importantly, the flip flop on Taliban talks points to major policy divisions within the Administration, especially between National Security Advisor John Bolton, who has adamantly opposed any contact with the Taliban, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who supports it. Matthew Hoh, a veteran and peace activist who in 2009 resigned from the State Department over the American escalation of the war in Afghanistan and a winner of the Ridenhour Prize for Truth Telling, joins the show.
The British parliament will be prorogued, that is, suspended, at the close of business tonight, following a series of important votes. And as the day has gone on, the situation there has become more and more confusing. Parliamentary Speaker John Bercow announced that he will resign effective October 31, and yet another Tory Minister has announced his resignation. But a large public opinion poll shows that if Prime Minister Boris Johnson is able to call new elections, his Conservative Party would win 287 of 650 seats, not enough for a majority, but enough to form a new government with a like-minded partner. Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
Violent clashes continued in Hong Kong over the weekend as thousands of protestors marched to the US consulate to demand American support for their demonstrations. Some of the protestors sang the US national anthem and called on President Trump to “liberate” the island. The Chinese government, meanwhile, warned Washington to not meddle in Hong Kong’s affairs. Mike Wong, the outreach coordinator for the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including . Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California, author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” and at jackrasmus.com.
The Trump Administration is unveiling a plan to alter the very structure of the housing market, drastically reducing the federal government’s role in housing, and slashing regulations established in response to the 2008 housing market crash that caused financial devastation for millions of people around the world. At its core, the plan would release Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from government control.
Hundreds of people are missing in the Bahamas and at least 30 are confirmed dead there as Hurricane Dorian moved north and now sits off the coast of North Carolina’s Outer Banks as a Category 1 storm. Experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say that stronger and more destructive storms will become more frequent as the climate continues to change. Meanwhile, meteorologists are watching three more tropical storms currently forming in the Atlantic, including one that’s already been named Tropical Storm Gabrielle. Danielle Purifoy, a board member of the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, and a geographer at UNC Chapel Hill, and Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism,” join the show.
Robert Mugabe, the independence icon who led Zimbabwe out of its colonial past and who became its first president, died this morning in a hospital in Singapore. He was 95. Mugabe was praised internationally for broadening access to health care and education for his country’s black majority. But his later years were marked by political opposition and by his country’s severe economic problems in the face of western sanctions. He lost power after his own military leadership turned against him in 2017 after 37 years in power. Brian and John speak with Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including his most recent “White Supremacy Confronted: U.S. Imperialism and Anti-Communism vs. the Liberation of Southern Africa from Rhodes to Mandela.”
Downing Street--that is, the Office of the British Prime Minister--is refusing to rule out the possible resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the coming weeks. No Prime Minister in British history has survived defeat in four major parliamentary votes, let alone the first four votes of his premiership. And pressed yesterday over whether he would resign if he cannot lead the UK out of the European Union by October 31, Johnson said, “That is not a hypothesis that I am willing to contemplate.” Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the Brexit political crisis in the UK, the impact of Hurricane Dorian on poor and working people, the potential peace agreement in Afghanistan, and more. Brian and John speak with Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Yesterday we told you that British politics were in a state of chaos. That hasn’t changed. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s own brother this morning resigned both from parliament and from the Conservative Party and Johnson again was defeated in a procedural vote last night. It appears that there will be new elections, but nobody knows when. And it also appears that, in the event of those new elections, not much will change.
A federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia ruled yesterday that the federal terrorism watchlist violates the civil rights of those people listed on it. Judge Anthony Trenga said that the standard for inclusion on the list was unconstitutionally vague and he struck it down. Trenga is the same judge that has jailed whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and founder of ThisCantBeHappening.net, who recently learned that he was on a watchlist, joins the show.
Iranian President Hasan Rouhani said in a televised address yesterday that Iran would no longer restrict its development of centrifuges for uranium enrichment, a major move away from the Iran nuclear deal, which the US withdrew from last year. Rouhani added, however, that the decision was “peaceful and reversible” if other signatories to the deal make firm commitments to provide economic relief to Iran. Meanwhile, the State Department announced a $15 million reward for anybody who can hack into and disable the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps computer system, which the State Department called the IRGC’s “oil for terror” network. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil.”
Prominent Washington attorney Greg Craig was acquitted yesterday on a charge of making a false statement to federal investigators examining Craig’s work through his law firm for the Ukranian government. The investigation came out of the Muller probe and focused on Craig’s interaction with the New York Times. The verdict is a setback for the Justice Department’s aggressive new policy on unregistered work for foreign governments. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
The Federal Reserve is planning to cut interest rates as much as one quarter of one percent in the next two weeks, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Fed believes that it must act to counter an economic slowdown caused in part by the trade war with China. Meanwhile, trade negotiations between China and the US will resume in October in Washington. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
British politics are in a state of crisis. Prime Minister Boris Johnson lost his parliamentary majority yesterday when, during his first Prime Minister’s Questions session, one of his members stood up, walked over to the Liberal Democrats, and switched parties. Johnson is now calling for new elections, but Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has said he won’t back a new election until a Brexit delay is voted on.
Jeremy Hammond, an Anonymous hacker who was set up by law enforcement, is on his way back to the notorious Eastern District of Virginia, as authorities there apparently will try to force him to testify against Wikileaks cofounder Julian Assange. Hammond’s supporters report that he was recently moved from a medium-security prison in Tennessee to a Bureau of Prisons transportation hub in Oklahoma City and is on his way to Alexandria, Virginia. Hammond has been steadfast in his refusal to testify against anybody at any stage of his involvement with the federal legal system. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show.
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, said in a televised speech today that she is withdrawing the controversial extradition bill that set off months of ever-growing protests on the island. The move marks a major concession to demonstrators, although some protest leaders are saying that the bill’s withdrawal is not enough. They are now calling for the release of all protestors and for direct elections in Hong Kong. Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Defense Department officials announced yesterday that they would delay or suspend 127 military construction projects so that $3.6 billion could be diverted to pay for President Trump’s border wall. The move prompted an outcry from Congressional Democrats who maintain that the Pentagon must seek Congressional authorization before any money can be diverted. Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of the New Sanctuary Movement, joins the show.
Our friend and frequent guest Ann Wright is in Moscow as part of a peace delegation. Along with a group of other Americans, she has been part of meetings with Russian civil society figures in an effort to reduce tension and promote peace and understanding. Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
Taliban and U.S. negotiators have drafted an initial agreement paving the way for peace in the country and the withdrawal of U.S. troops. However, fierce fighting continues to take place across the country.
As Hurricane Dorian bears down on the southeastern coast, what happens to prisoners who are in harm’s way? And with federal and state laws saying that convicted sex offenders--even those who have done their time--are not permitted in shelters, what happens to them. Paul Wright, the Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and the editor and publisher of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News magazines, joins the show.
As tense negotiations over the future of the Iran nuclear deal continue, French President Emmanuel Macron has reportedly offered a $15 billion loan to the country to compensate for the harm done by the Trump administration’s unilateral withdrawal. Meanwhile, Israel escalated regional tensions with an attack on Hezbollah, prompting an exchange of fire along the Lebanese border. Brian and John speak with Massoud Shadjareh. He is the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
The three-year-old peace deal between the Colombian government and the FARC rebels has been beset by problems stemming from a wave of right wing repression and murder. One faction of the FARC led by FARC commander Ivan Marquez and other high-ranking demobilized rebel leaders have returned to the armed struggle while the majority of the FARC leadership has stayed with the Peace agreement. The latest move follows a wave of violence that has left 137 former FARC combatants assassinated along with over 700 progressive social movement leaders. James Jordan, a member of the Alliance for Global Justice who has been deeply involved in supporting the Colombian peace process, joins the show.
Most Americans agree that the country is in the grip of an opioid epidemic. Federal and state authorities are working to address it, but they don’t always agree on the causes or the solutions. And at the same time, many solutions are chosen because they’re politically expedient, not because they work, especially over the long term. Corey Davis, staff attorney at the National Health Law Program, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Space Command and the militarization of space, the reallocation of money from hurricane relief to immigrant detention beds, the broader discussion of global migration and where the planet is heading, the massive corporations that have marketed and profited off of opioid addiction and death, and lastly, Joe Biden’s new fake war story.
After decades in prison, many of the MOVE 9 political prisoners have now come home. To many, the police attacks on the MOVE organization, including the infamous 1985 bombing of their house by Philadelphia police, crystallized the racism and brutality displayed by the Philadelphia Police Department towards African Americans. The fight to free Delbert and Chuck Africa continues. Mike Africa Sr. and Debbie Africa, members of MOVE who spent 40 years in prison for their activism until their release last year, and Netfa Freeman, resident expert at the Institute of Policy Studies, a long-time activist, and host of the radio show Voices With Vision on WPFW, join the show.
Three prominent leaders of Hong Kong’s protests were arrested overnight as the government there prepared for the 13th consecutive weekend of anti-government demonstrations. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest an extradition law and the governance of Hong Kong Executive Carrie Lam, and there is no end in sight to the upheaval. Brian and John speak with Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary, which airs Monday through Friday from 2pm to 4pm on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the Washington area and online at SputnikNews.com.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
The Justice Department’s Inspector General released a long-awaited report today saying that former FBI Director James Comey violated DOJ policy when he gave a sensitive memo of a conversation he had with President Trump to a friend, and then asked the friend to leak the memo to a journalist. The Inspector General said the memo contained the names of countries raised in the conversation with Trump, which automatically classified it at the “confidential level,” the lowest level of classification. But the violation was not serious enough to prosecute.
MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell said on his show that a single source told him that Donald Trump’s loans with Deutsche Bank had been co-signed by unnamed Russian oligarchs. The report apparently was made up out of whole cloth, the White House threatened an immediate lawsuit, and O’Donnell has retracted the entire story and apologized. What does that say about MSNBC’s supposed “rigorous” verification and standards process? Lee Camp, a writer, comedian, activist, journalist, host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” which is on RT America, and online at www.leecamp.com, joins the show.
Italy’s populist government collapsed yesterday, and President Sergio Mattarella has asked Prime Minister Giuseppe Conti to form an interim coalition government with the center-left Democratic Party. The move would force the hard right-wing League Party out of government and would stave off snap elections. Brian and John speak with Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Yemeni government forces have retaken control of Aden Airport from southern separatists in what by all accounts was a night of intense fighting, but by afternoon today, the separatists had regained control of the city itself. More than 30 government troops were reported killed in the fighting. The rebels are backed by the United Arab Emirates, while government forces are backed by Saudi Arabia. The US is providing weapons and logistics to both sides. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
The Washington Post and the New York Times reported today that the US Cyber Command in June carried out an attack that knocked out a crucial database used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to target oil tankers and shipping traffic in the Persian Gulf. This happened just hours after the IRGC shot down a US drone over the Gulf. Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the peace group Code Pink, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Aurora Santiago-Ortiz, Research Enhancement and Leadership (REAL) Fellow and a Doctoral Student in Social Justice Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Tropical Storm Dorian is expected to hit hurricane strength today and to make landfall in Puerto Rico. And this is as the island still hasn’t recovered from a devastating 2017 hurricane season. But what is the Trump Administration doing? The White House announced yesterday that it would divert $271 million in funds earmarked to help those affected by hurricanes and instead spend the money to add 1600 beds in immigrant detention facilities.
Deutsche Bank confirmed yesterday that it has a copy of Donald Trump’s tax returns responsive to Congressional subpoenas. But MSNBC commentator Lawrence O’Donnell went further than that and made some brash accusations on his show yesterday. He said that other Deutsche Bank loan documents show that Donald Trump’s cosigners are “Russian billionaires close to Vladimir Putin.” O’Donnell repeated the words “if true” multiple times. Even if it’s not true, he and MSNBC are doing what they can to keep the fake Russiagate narrative alive. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose latest article is “Dead Man’s Hand: The Impeachment Gambit” on Counterpunch and The Polemicist, joins the show.
It seems that CNN and the Democratic National Committee are working hard to decide who should be the next president. The media outlet and the party apparatus will allow only 10 candidates on the debate stage for the next Democratic debate, scheduled for September 12. The cutoff to add candidates was today, and those candidates have to meet polling and fundraising thresholds. As of today, billionaire Tom Steyer and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard are out. Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com. And you can find his writings at ThisCantBeHappening.net.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this morning that he has asked Queen Elizabeth II to suspend parliament days after it returns from its summer recess next week and just weeks before the Brexit deadline. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has written to the Queen asking her to deny the request. A suspension would drastically shorten the amount of time parliamentarians would have to attempt to block a no-deal Brexit. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Earlier this week, where a state judge in Oklahoma ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay the state $572 million for intentionally playing down the dangers and overselling the benefits of opioids. The decision fell short of the $17 billion that Oklahoma was seeking as reimbursement addiction treatment, drug courts, and other costs of the epidemic. But it opens the company to similar suits in every other state in America. Meanwhile, Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContyn offered $10-12 billion to settle more than 2,000 lawsuits against it. There are lessons to be learned here, and those lessons began with the lawsuits 20 years ago against Big Tobacco. Dr. Louis Kyriakoudes, a professor at Middle Tennessee State University, director of the Albert Gore Research Center, and one of only three experts who has testified against Big Tobacco, according to The Nation magazine, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Louis Kyriakoudes, a professor at Middle Tennessee State University, director of the Albert Gore Research Center, and one of only three experts who has testified against Big Tobacco, according to The Nation magazine.
In a landmark decision yesterday, a state judge in Oklahoma ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay the state $572 million for intentionally playing down the dangers and overselling the benefits of opioids. The decision fell short of the $17 billion that Oklahoma was seeking as reimbursement addiction treatment, drug courts, and other costs of the epidemic. But it opens the company to similar suits in every other state in America.
Senator Tom Cotton, a far-right wing senator from Arkansas, has an op-ed in today’s New York Times in which he says that the United States must purchase Greenland at all costs. Cotton adds that he even raised the idea with the Danish Ambassador to the US a year ago. The Danish government has repeated that the island is not for sale. Is this crazy idea becoming mainstream? Bruce Gagnon, the coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus, joins the show.
French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday that he would like to broker direct talks between President Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, a proposal that Trump immediately endorsed. But Rouhani said today that there would be no direct talks between the two countries until US sanctions against Iran are lifted. Brian and John speak with Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is rejecting $20 million in aid offered by the G-7 countries to fight raging wildfires in the Amazon. He also called on French President Emmanuel Macron to apologize for calling the fires an international crisis. Bolsonaro is apparently so angry at Macron that he took to Facebook today to call Macron’s wife “ugly.” Now it’s Macron who is demanding an apology. But are both politicians just grandstanding while the planet is in crisis? Aline Piva, a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice, joins the show.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today that he’s feeling more optimistic about achieving a Brexit deal and not crashing out of the European Union after spending the past week touring Europe and meeting with leaders. The hook seems to be--still--what to do about the Irish border. In the meantime, though, it is more and more clear that there will not be freedom of movement into the UK by EU nationals once the deal is done. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations.
US-China trade is in a state of confusion this morning amid mixed signals and contradictory statements over the weekend from President Trump. First the President said that, perhaps, the trade war was a mistake. Then he said it wasn’t. He later said that he might get even tougher on China. And he finally said that the Chinese had called him to work out a deal, which Beijing adamantly denied. In the end, the stock market is convulsing, prices, especially of farm goods, are going up, and the US is exporting less and less to China.
French President Emmanuel Macron pulled something of an end run around Donald Trump over the weekend when he invited Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to visit Biarritz, the location of the G-7 Summit, while the G-7 was still meeting. Macron and others have been pushing Trump for months to soften his stance on Iran, but to no avail. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
The Amazon is on fire. It’s not just any fire. It is one of such gargantuan scale that it threatens the health of the planet. So far, the devastation is 85 percent worse than the fires there last year, which then were the worst in history. So far, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has done almost nothing to try to combat the disaster. Today, though, he said he would dispatch 40,000 troops to the state of Rondonia. How does the area known as the “lungs of the planet” recover? Brian and John speak with Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism.”
Besieged Hong Kong police fired warning shots over groups of demonstrators yesterday amid a night of violent protests that saw the protestors throwing Molotov cocktails and paving stones and smashing shop windows. 36 people were arrested yesterday, and the crowds continue to grow. The demonstrations began 11 weeks ago in opposition to a law that would have allowed Hong Kong residents to be extradited to mainland China. Mike Wong, the outreach coordinator for the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the G7 summit, the U.S.-China trade war and the massive fires devastating the Amazon. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work. Prof. Wolff’s latest book is Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown.
Fears are spreading around the world as a key recession indicator goes off in the United States and evidence of economic slowdown surfaces in other major global economies. The last economic crisis was an unusually long 11 years ago, raising fears that another major downturn is right around the corner.
Parts of New York City have changed through the decades of white flight, neglect, and gentrification, but the massively wealthy elites who live in the Manhattan penthouses remain a constant. Award-winning author and commentator Lewis Lapham satirized them in his original 1988 book “Money and Class in America,” newly updated, which we talk about with him today. Brian and John speak with Lewis Lapham, the founding Editor of “Lapham's Quarterly,” a quarterly publication about history and literature, the editor emeritus of “Harper's Magazine,” and an award-winning author of many books, including the newly updated “Money and Class in America.”
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today Brian and John start by interviewing Bruce Gagnon about Trump’s bid for Arctic dominance in trying to buy Greenland, then they discuss with producers Walter and Nicole Israel’s bans and reversals on US Congresswomen’s visits, the signs of a coming recession, the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein atrocities, and the Hong Kong protests, and they wrap up the hour with Steve Patt’s headlines of the week. Brian and John are joined by Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, Loud & Clear producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek, and independent journalist Steve Patt, whose mainstream media critiques have been a feature of his site Left I on the News.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”
The Israeli government denied entry into the country for Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, who are scheduled to make an official trip on Sunday. Before the official denial, President Trump tweeted about it, urging the Israeli government to deny the Representatives. The move was cheered by Republicans, but threatens to further drive a wedge between the conservative Israeli Prime Minister and Congressional Democrats.
The New York Stock Exchange fell more than 800 points yesterday, it’s biggest loss of the year, on news that the economy was slowing and bond yields were inverted. Meanwhile, nine major global economies are either in recession or on the brink of recession. Couple that with multiple trade wars between the US and its partners and it spells trouble for the US economy. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
An autopsy of Jeffrey Epstein has found a broken hyoid bone in his neck, common in homicide by strangulation, but sometimes also appearing in hanging suicides. The finding only complicates the story of what happened to Jeffrey Epstein inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. Meanwhile, prosecutors say that the investigations of, and cases against, his accused co-conspirators will continue. Brian and John speak with Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
The UK Labour Party has announced a bold new plan to go on the offensive to prevent a no-deal Brexit. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn intends to set up a temporary caretaker government by encouraging defections from the Conservative Party, and then organizing a second referendum on Brexit and then immediately calling for general elections. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
The United States issued a last minute appeal to British authorities in Gilbraltar to turn over custody of a seized Iranian oil tanker to US naval authorities rather than release it. However, a court rejected the request and the tanker, that became a focal point of geopolitical tension, is set to be released from UK custody. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com.
An economic indicator that has a perfect record of predicting a recession is blinking red. The spread between the 2-year and 10-year U.S. government bond yield today turned negative for the first time since 2007. This has occurred before every recession in the last 50 years. Meanwhile, US mortgage debt hit an all-time high, eclipsing the record set in 2008.
Police arrested five anti-government protesters after clashes at Hong Kong’s international airport yesterday in which officers used batons and pepper spray and demonstrators beat two men from mainland China. Several dozen protesters remain inside the airport, and airport officials say they’ve received an injunction limiting the permitted demonstration areas. Jude Woodward, who is the author of the book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins the show.
Marty Gottesfeld is an imprisoned whistleblower who has been placed incommunicado in a restrictive Communications Management Unit at the US penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. Why? Because he spoke to the media. But before his odyssey began in Terre Haute he was in the same prison, the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, that Jeffrey Epstein was. Brian and John speak with Dana Gottesfeld, the wife of Marty Gottesfeld, who was Jeffrey Epstein’s cellmate.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders took a swipe at the Washington Post on Monday when he said that the paper does not support him because he has criticized its owner, billionaire Jeff Bezos, and the Amazon corporation that he is CEO of. Sanders has criticized Bezos in the past for his treatment of Amazon workers and Amazon for not paying taxes. But the Post’s executive editor is calling Sanders’ complaints a “conspiracy theory.” Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Thousands of students and teachers participated in protests across Brazil yesterday to protest a decision by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro to cut $87 million from school budgets from the kindergarten level to universities. The money would have gone to pay for textbooks and supplies. Bolsonaro this spring cut education budgets by 30 percent and ended all scholarships at the masters and doctoral degree levels. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including the economy and a possible recession, the fight between Bernie Sanders and the Washington Post, and protests in Hong Kong. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos.
The White House announced a new policy yesterday whereby immigrants will be denied permanent legal status if they appear likely to apply for public assistance programs, including Medicaid, housing subsidies, or food stamps. The measure is set to take effect in October and will be challenged in court. Meanwhile, the State Department will close all but seven immigration application centers in American embassies around the world.
Investigators say that only one of the three people who was supposed to be guarding Jeffrey Epstein was an actual prison guard, and none of the three checked on him every thirty minutes, as called for by Bureau of Prisons policy. Law enforcement officials say that Epstein was apparently dead for hours before he was found. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show.
Jury selection was supposed to begin today in the false statements trial of former Obama White House Counsel and Washington superlawyer Greg Craig. But Judge Amy Berman Jackson abruptly postponed the trial for three months, saying that she may have inadvertently violated his constitutional rights to a public trial. Craig is accused of lying to Mueller team investigators about work he did on Ukraine with former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates. Craig did not register as a foreign agent, and Gates is expected to be a key witness against him. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
The Venezuelan legislature voted yesterday to create a commission to evaluate holding 2020 legislative elections early. This move comes as the country grapples with the newly-announced full embargo imposed on the country by the United States. Meanwhile, Argentine President Mauricio Macri was upset in that country’s first round of elections, causing the peso to fall 25 percent against the dollar, and the Argentine stock market to drop 35 percent. Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, joins the show.
Russia’s state nuclear agency said that rocket fuel being tested on an offshore platform detonated last Thursday causing an explosion that killed nine people, including five scientists. US intelligence officials say the explosion was of a new nuclear-propelled cruise missile. Meanwhile, President Trump confirmed in a tweet that the United States has similar nuclear propulsion technology. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every week on Facebook.
Accused sex trafficker, pedophile, and friend of presidents Jeffrey Epstein apparently committed suicide in prison on Saturday, just a week after another suicide attempt. What will his death do in a case that threatened to implicate presidents past and present, a prince, senators and governors, a Harvard law professor, and others? And why was Epstein shielded from the consequences of his crimes for so long?
Protests in Hong Kong continued to grow today with thousands of demonstrators raiding the international airport there and forcing the cancelation of all incoming and outgoing flights. Meanwhile, a Chinese government spokesman warned that Beijing was seeing increasing signs of terrorism in the protests. Mike Wong, the outreach coordinator for the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is carving out a niche for herself as one of the only truly anti-war candidates running for President. She made news over the weekend when she gave an interview reiterating her position that the United States should not be the world’s policeman. Brian and John speak with Bob Schlehuber, who had a chance to speak with Tulsi Gabbard at the Iowa State Fair, and is a Sputnik News analyst and the producer of the Sputnik News show By Any Means Necessary, which airs every day, Monday through Friday on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the Washington DC area from 2:00-4:00 PM.
National Security Advisor John Bolton began a two-day trip to London yesterday to meet key players in the new government, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Bolton is expected to offer a free trade pact with the US and he will encourage the UK to support hardline US policies on Iran and Huawei. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Sitting in for Bill is Mike Klonsky, an educator, author, and political activist best known for his work with Students for a Democratic Society and the small schools movement, and who has a podcast called “Hitting Left With the Klonsky Brothers.”
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including Jeffrey Epstein’s death in jail over the weekend, the Hong Kong protests that have shut down the airport, and the elections in Argentina. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, and Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
An alarming new study by the World Resources Institute found that a quarter of humanity lives in areas that are under “extreme water stress.” As climate change intensifies, major metropolitan areas are on the brink of running out of water and the threat of mass displacement looms. What can humanity do to address this crisis? Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and her latest book is Crowds and Party, and Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism,” joins the show.
The Iowa State Fair is a big deal, not just as far as state fairs go, although it is the biggest and most famous. But it’s also a major stop on the campaign trail every four years for Democrats and Republicans alike. The fair has been known to make lasting campaign memories, good and bad. Recall Howard Dean taking a bite of a fried Oreo and throwing the rest in the trash or John Kerry washing down a hotdog with a strawberry smoothie instead of a cold beer. Brian and John speak with Bob Schlehuber, a Sputnik News analyst and the producer of the Sputnik News show By Any Means Necessary, which airs every day, Monday through Friday on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the Washington DC area from 2:00-4:00 PM, and is at the Iowa State Fair.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the massacres in El Paso and Dayton, the huge immigration raid that took place in Mississippi, the anniversary of the killing of Mike Brown and subsequent Rebellion in Ferguson, and the anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mary Townsend, the director of El Pueblo Immigration Legal Services.
In a coordinated operation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents yesterday arrested 680 immigrants believed to be undocumented and working in several companies across Mississippi. The raids coincided with President Trump’s visit to El Paso, Texas in the aftermath of the anti-Latino terrorist attack that took place there last weekend, and were the biggest immigration raids since 2006.
President Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden made competing speeches yesterday in the aftermath of the weekend’s massacres in El Paso and Dayton. The President, after meeting with people injured in the Dayton attack, harshly criticized Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley. Meanwhile, former Vice President Biden delivered a speech in Iowa, accusing Trump of coddling white supremacists, an accusation that raised eyebrows considering Biden’s own past or working with white supremacists. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins the show.
Puerto Rico’s Justice Secretary, Wanda Vasquez, yesterday became the island’s third governor in less than a week when she was sworn in following the resignation of Pedro Pierluisi. The Puerto Rican Supreme Court had declared that Pierluisi had assumed the office unconstitutionally. And he had become governor when Ricardo Rossello resigned after massive protests. But will the leadership change fix the problems on the island? Brian and John speak with Dr. Adriana Garriga-López, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Kalamazoo College.
Disgraced former FBI agent Peter Strzok is suing his former employer, saying that he was inappropriately and illegally dismissed last year. A Justice Department official says the suit is “dead on arrival.” Strzok was fired after text messages that he exchanged with his girlfriend, a Justice Department attorney, which were highly critical of President Trump, were made public. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro yesterday pulled his government out of negotiations with the opposition aimed at resolving the country’s political crisis after President Trump issued an executive order imposing an embargo on the country. Maduro stopped short of abandoning the negotiations altogether, however. This is the second set of promising talks that the Trump administration has foiled, with the first in North Korea in the second peace summit. Ricardo Vaz, a writer and editor at Venezuelanalysis whose articles have appeared on Mint Press News, Truthout, Counterpunch, and other alternative media, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Georgia political activist Brad Lathem.
Congressional Republicans are under intense pressure to approve some sort of gun control legislation in the wake of recent massacres in El Paso and Dayton and, according to the New York Times, so-called “red flag” legislation is gaining traction. Such legislation would make it easier for law enforcement to take guns away from people who may pose a danger to the public, but who have not yet committed a crime, raising concerns over civil liberties and police powers.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is the primary global body that looks at chemical weapons incidents. The hosts talk about potential biases in the OPCW’s investigation into alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria and the officials who carry them out. Scott Ritter, a former United Nations Weapons Inspector and former Marine Corps Intelligence Officer, joins the show.
A federal judge in the notorious Eastern District of Virginia ruled this morning that Chelsea Manning could be held for another 15 months on contempt charges for refusing to testify before a grand jury about her contact with Wikileaks and its cofounder, Julian Assange. Manning already has been held for three months and is being fined $1000 per day. Brian and John speak with Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry.
Far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said yesterday that he hopes “criminals die in the streets like cockroaches” as a result of hardline legislation he is pushing to shield security forces and citizens who shoot alleged offenders from prosecution. Activists fear this legal cover for extrajudicial killings would cause a bloodbath. Arnold August, an author who has written 3 books on US-Latin America relations, and a journalist whose articles appear on web sites around the world, joins the show.
Well over a year away from the actual election, 67 billionaires have already donated to 20 Democrats running for president. The biggest recipient is Pete Buttigieg, with donations from 23 billionaires. Cory Booker has donations from 18. Kamala Harris 17. Michael Bennet 15. And Joe Biden 13. Is this enough to buy a nomination? Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, focusing on the mass shooting in Dayton and the terrorist attack targeting Latinos in El Paso. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com.
President Trump yesterday issued an executive order freezing all Venezuelan assets in the United States and prohibiting transactions with the country. The Wall Street Journal reports that the action amounts to a total economic embargo. The move puts Venezuela on par with North Korea, Syria, Cuba, and Iran as the only countries subject to such stringent US sanctions and is a direct challenge to Russia and China, which continue to trade with Venezuela.
The Treasury Department yesterday labeled China a currency manipulator after the yuan weakened to less than seven to the dollar, pushing the trade dispute between Washington and Beijing to its most severe point yet. The US action came after China said it would institute a moratorium on the purchase of US farm goods. US stock markets fell three percent yesterday. Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work. Prof. Wolff’s latest book is Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown, joins the show.
Two more shooting victims died yesterday in El Paso, bringing the total to 22 dead and dozens wounded in the worst anti-Latino attack in US history. Democrats and Republicans, however, are deeply divided on how to respond. And President Trump plans to visit the city tomorrow. Brian and John speak with Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of the New Sanctuary Movement.
Protests were held today across Pakistan to protest India’s constitutional changes that stripped Kashmir of its special status in a bid to fully integrate the Muslim-majority state into India, a move that involved the imprisonment of all top regional political leaders and the deployment of large numbers of additional troops. Kashmir is claimed by both countries and is a frequent flashpoint for violence. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Toni Morrison, a giant of American literature who is perhaps best known for her 1988 novel Beloved, which explored the African American experience past and present, died today at the age of 88. Morrison was the recipient of the Nobel Prize for literature and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including his most recent “Jazz and Justice: Racism and the Political Economy of the Music” newly available from Monthly Review Press, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly; Nathalie Hrizi, an educator, a political activist, and the editor of Breaking the Chains, a women’s magazine; and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every week on Facebook.
The country experienced yet two more mass shootings over the weekend, with 20 dead and dozens wounded in El Paso and another nine dead and more than a dozen wounded in Dayton, Ohio. Both shooters were white men and their motives appear to be little more than blind hatred of those not like them. The El Paso shooter, who was captured, published a manifesto before launching his attack. The Dayton shooter was killed by police, but only after killing his own sister in his attack.
Turkish President Erdogan said yesterday that Turkey would begin a major military operation in the Kuridsh-controlled area of northern Syria east of the Euphrates River. It would be the third Turkish operation to rout the Kurds close to its border. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Germany’s Foreign Minister reaffirmed today that the country would not take part in a US-sponsored naval coalition to escort ships through the Straits of Hormuz. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas complained that the current operation is led by the United States and includes only the UK. He said that Germany would consider an EU-led coalition, but until then, would not participate. Brian and John speak with Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
Ricardo Rossello is out as governor of Puerto Rico following weeks of street protests, and now Pedro Pierluisi is in, although many Puerto Ricans already are questioning his legitimacy. Pierluisi was confirmed by the Puerto Rican House of Representatives, but he does not appear to have enough votes for confirmation in the Senate. Rossello, however, said that Pierluisi doesn’t need to be confirmed, citing a 1952 law. Still, the Commonwealth is lurching from one crisis to another. Dr. Adriana Garriga-López, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Kalamazoo College, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Sitting in for Bill Ayers, Rick Ayers, a professor of education at the University of San Francisco, the author of “An Empty Seat in Class: Teaching and Learning after the Death of a Student,” and co-author of the book “You Can’t Fire the Bad Ones: And 18 Other Myths about Teachers, Teachers Unions, and Public Education,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the two mass shootings that happened this weekend in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas; the situation in Iran, as Germany decides not to join the US naval coalition in the Gulf; and the additional tariffs president trump announced to go into effect september 1st against Chinese goods. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil,” joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek, producers of this show and Sputnik News analysts.
It’s time for our weekly segment The Week in Review, where we’ll talk about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. This week we talk about a big roundup of the Democratic debates this week on subjects like criminal justice, nuclear proliferation, and immigration; the new tariffs on China; and the new economic warfare against Iran.
The Syrian government has agreed to a truce and a ceasefire in the war-torn northwestern region of Idlib, on the condition that a Turkish-Russian buffer zone is implemented. The announcement yesterday followed weeks of heavy government bombardment, and came as talks resumed in Kazakhstan between Turkey, which backs the Syrian rebels, and government supporters Russia and Iran. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
In a series of tweets yesterday, President Trump yesterday announced another round of tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods that had not already been targeted. The Chinese government immediately announced retaliatory countermeasures. And stock markets around the world fell on the news. Brian and John speak with David Ewing, the chair of the San Francisco chapter of the US-China People’s Friendship Association.
From late 1918 through the summer of 1919, African-American soldiers returned to the United States from duty during World War I. They had fought and served valiantly, and they were anxious to get back to their families and their lives. What they returned to instead was violence, racism, and Jim Crow. And all of that culminated in the summer of 1919 in a series of riots across American. It was called Red Summer and it electrified the movement against racism in the country. Officially, 150 people were killed, almost all of them black. But the Arkansas State Archives says that 200 African-Americans were killed in that state alone. Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including his most recent “Jazz and Justice: Racism and the Political Economy of the Music” newly available from Monthly Review Press, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Bob Schlehuber, a Sputnik News analyst and the producer of the Sputnik News show By Any Means Necessary, which airs on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the Washington DC area from 2:00-4:00 pm every day, and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com.
Democrats last night held their second debate in the latest series, with most candidates arriving prepared and ready for a fight.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
The United States has imposed sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in the latest sign that it is completely uninterested in diplomatic engagement with Iran. Will the Trump administration further escalate its regime change push against Iran? Brian and John speak with Sean Reynolds, the co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
A new report issued on July 29th by the House Oversight committee based on 60,000 newly released internal corporate documents communications show that IP3, a private company led by retired generals and admirals, lobbied the White House to transfer U.S. nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia. U.S. hypocrisy is on full display as it’s military industrial complex -- and profit driven generals and admirals -- worked towards nuclear proliferation when it comes to Saudi Arabia. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Bob Schlehuber, a Sputnik News analyst and the producer of the Sputnik News show By Any Means Necessary, which airs on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the Washington DC area from 2:00-4:00 pm every day.
A second tranche of Democratic presidential candidates will debate tonight in Detroit. Last night’s debate saw Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren take command of a variety of issues, but second-tier candidates other than Marianne Williamson had difficulty breaking out of the pack. Tonight’s debate will feature Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and will cover some of the same issues as last night’s debate, including health care and infrastructure.
Do you remember Maria Butina, the Russian graduate student who was convicted of failing to fill out a form identifying her as an agent or lobbyist for the Russian government? She’s still in prison for that process crime. And now her attorney is revealing that Butina’s former romantic partner was actually an FBI informant who targeted her for information. He reported to the FBI that Butina was not a spy. She really was just a graduate student. But the FBI and the US Attorney kept that exculpatory information from the defense. And that’s illegal. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show.
A combination of political, environmental and infrastructure issues this year has pushed many farmers to the brink. The U.S.-China trade war, extreme heat and now for farmers in Nebraska and Wyoming the collapse of a huge irrigation canal has created a crisis that threatens to force many into bankruptcy. Brian and John speak with Dr. Upmanu Lall, Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University and Director of the Columbia Water Center.
The nomination of John Ratcliffe as Director of National Intelligence is bringing to the fore inconsistencies in his resume. Ratcliffe claims to have been a renowned fighter against terrorism as US attorney. But the case he alludes to is the infamous Holy Land Foundation Five case, which many observers believe to be a profound injustice. Miko Peled, the author of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” joins the show.
North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off of its east coast, according to the South Korean military. The missiles appear to be different from those fired last week. At that time, the North Korean media said that the launch was a warning over planned US-South Korean military exercises that simulate a war with the North. Author and professor Tim Beal, whose most recent book is “Crisis in Korea,” joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today the panel concentrates on last night’s Democratic presidential primary debate. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
The US and UK are asking their European allies to participate in a program whereby allied navies would escort western tankers through the Straits of Hormuz. The Iranian government condemned the idea as provocative and Oman, the country which usually mediates between the US and Iran, said that it is in touch with both sides. Germany has said it has no concrete plans to join the effort.
Democratic presidential candidates will debate again tonight and tomorrow in Detroit. The event will be hosted by CNN. The second-tier candidates will likely try to break out of the pack on the issues of healthcare, student debt, and social justice, with pundits watching Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Beto O’Rourke, Amy Klobuchar, and Julian Castro most closely. Bob Schlehuber, a Sputnik News analyst and the producer of the Sputnik News show By Any Means Necessary, which airs on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the Washington DC area from 2:00-4:00 pm every day, joins the show.
The Senate yesterday failed to override the president’s veto of a bipartisan measure that would have suspended arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates because of the war in Yemen and the Saudi murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoqgi. All five freshman Democrats with CIA experience in the House voted with the President. Meanwhile, a Saudi attack on a market in Yemen has reportedly killed 13 civilians and Khalid Shaikh Muhammad, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, said that he would be willing to help 9/11 families in their lawsuits against the Saudi government if that US government abandons plans to execute him. Brian and John speak with Ali al-Ahmed, the director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs.
A new report released by the United Nations shows that 1,366 civilians have been killed and another 2,446 have been wounded in Afghanistan so far in the first half of this year. That is a 27 percent decline from last year’s record numbers. 52 percent of the casualties were caused by the Taliban, ISIS, and affiliated groups, 28 percent by Improvised Explosive Devices, and 14 percent by allied airstrikes. Afghan leaders vowed to reduce civilian casualties at talks in Doha earlier this month, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the administration aims to withdraw U.S. forces from the country before the 2020 election. Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of the peace group Code Pink, joins the show.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson today reaffirmed his commitment to having no checks or impediments of any kind at the Irish border once the UK leaves the European Union. He added that his government is committed to the Belfast Agreement and will not hinder cross-border movement. But a leaked recording of Johnson speaking recently to a group called the Institute of Directors, shows that he simply does not understand the details of the border issue. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, Karla Reyes, managing editor of the women’s magazine Breaking the Chains, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
Uniformed soldiers are now monitoring migrants in a detention camp in Texas in what may be a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, one of the cornerstones of American civil liberties. Active duty troops are only allowed to help domestic law enforcement under limited exceptions to the law, including when they are specifically authorized by an act of Congress or under conditions laid out in the Constitution.
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats submitted his resignation yesterday and President Trump tweeted that he would replace Coats with two-term Representative John Ratcliffe of Texas. Ratcliffe is a former US Attorney and has almost no intelligence experience. But what does the position even entail? And how was the relatively new office of the DNI created in the first place?
A new report from the New York Times reveals the extent to which Boeing was allowed by the FAA to effectively self-regulate when it came to their MCAS software system, the failure of which caused the crashes of two Boeing 737 Max8 jets, killing 346 people. Brian and John speak with Dr. Alan Diehl, an award-winning aviation psychologist and safety consultant, a major 1990s air safety whistleblower, and the author of the book “Air Safety Investigators.”
Doubling down on his reelection strategy of enflaming racist sentiment, President Trump tweeted about Baltimore, Maryland over the weekend, calling the city, “a disgusting rat and rodent-infested mess.” He specifically criticized the district’s congressman, Rep. Elijah Cummings, who has represented Baltimore for 23 years. Trump then went on to say that Baltimore is “far worse and more dangerous than the US-Mexico border and is a very dangerous and filthy place. Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary, which airs Monday through Friday from 2pm to 4pm on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the Washington area and online at SputnikNews.com, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Joel Westheimer, University Research Chair in Democracy and Education at the University of Ottawa and education columnist for CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning and Ontario Today shows, joins John and Brian.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the Democratic Party primary debate, President Trump’s attacks on Baltimore, and ongoing controversy of Robert Mueller’s congressional testimony. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Lee Camp, a writer, comedian, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” on RT America, whose work is at www.leecamp.com.
A new two-year spending deal passed by Congress on Thursday with President Trump’s support raises spending by hundreds of billions of dollars over current spending caps and allows the government to keep raising the debt ceiling. It also allows for yet greater military spending about $40 billion over current levels. Current spending on defense is more than the next eight largest countries combined. The deal also spells the death of the Budget Control Act of 2011, which sought, briefly, to rein in spending.
Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard has filed a federal lawsuit against Google, alleging that the tech giant illegally suspended her campaign’s advertising account after the June Democratic debate, obstructing her ability to raise money, and that it sent fundraising emails to the spam folder for those on her mailing list who use the company’s gmail service. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com.
The US on Thursday imposed sanctions on ten individuals and 13 companies associated with the Venezuelan government, accusing them of forming part of a sophisticated scheme that stole hundreds of millions of dollars from food import contracts associated with the CLAP program, which delivers heavily subsidized basic goods directly to Venezuelans and serves as a cornerstone of the Maduro government’s response to the country’s economic crisis. The Venezuelan government says that the new U.S. measures are targeted at the CLAP program itself and aim at intensifying the economic war by preventing the sanctioned companies from importing consumer goods. Brian and John speak with Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com.
Officials from Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and the United States met at the State Department yesterday to discuss a US-backed regional economic initiative in the eastern Mediterannean. The four countries are looking to expand cooperation on Cypriot oil drilling in the face of a challenge from Turkey, which has begun drilling for oil in Cypriot waters and has sent warships to the area. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Mueller’s testimony and the senate report that came out the day after claiming Russian interference in all 50 states without offering a shred of specific evidence, the protests in Puerto Rico that have forced the governor to resign, and Boris Johnson becoming the new Prime Minister of the UK. Brian and John speak with Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Aaron Maté, a journalist with The Grayzone and The Nation, who launched a new show this week on The Grayzone called Pushback with Aaron Maté.
Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified yesterday in front of two committees. Despite his clear lack of knowledge of the report and refusal to answer the majority of questions, headlines today included the New York Times’ “Mueller Defends Inquiry and Says Russia Isn’t Done: Rejects ‘Witch Hunt’ Claim and Warns of New Meddling.”
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló resigned yesterday effective next week in the aftermath of a crippling scandal that began when leaked chat logs showed that he had used homophobic and misogynistic language about Puerto Rican politicians and personalities and that he had mocked victims of Hurricane Maria. Over the past week, the island has seen the largest demonstrations in its history. Rosselló is expected to be replaced by Puerto Rico’s Secretary of Justice, Wanda Vasquez. Brian and John speak with Dr. Maritza Stanchich, a professor of English at the University of Puerto Rico, an award-winning journalist, and a longtime activist in the areas of human rights and civil rights, and Dr. Adriana Garriga-López, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Kalamazoo College.
Britain’s new Prime Minister Boris Johnson reshaped the UK government today by appointing a cabinet that is arguably the most conservative in the country’s history. One national political observer said, “it’s not a reshuffle. It’s an entirely new government.” Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt and Finance Minister Phillip Hammond were both fired, while Johnson named Dominic Raab as Foreign Secretary, and named his brother Joe, Johnson, as Minister of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy. Meanwhile, rumors abound that Scotland may ask for another referendum on leaving the UK and the impending exit of the country from the European Union causes a cascading political crisis. Andy Brennan, a journalist with Asia Times and CGTN, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose latest article on the topic is “Investigation Nation: Mueller, Russiagate, and Fake Politics.”
Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees today. Mueller appeared confused and slow at many points during the testimony as Democrats tried to keep the Russiagate narrative going and Republicans tried in vain to get Mueller to comment on the shadowy origins of the investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
The hosts continue their coverage of the Mueller hearings. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
The Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into several tech giants, including Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Google, to determine how they got so big and whether they have illegally squelched competitors. The real question is “should they be broken up?” Meanwhile, Facebook will have to pay a $5 billion fine for failing to protect users’ data. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
Boris Johnson officially took office as the new Prime Minister of the UK today and proceeded to reshape the country’s cabinet and replace half of his ministers as he prepares to lead the country out of the European Union by the end of October. Londoners even formed a human chain across the road to block his car from going to Buckingham Palace to be named Prime Minister. Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union, joins Brian and John.
As of today, Benjamin Netanyahu is the longest serving Prime Minister in the history of the State of Israel. His legacy will be one of polarization, one of expansion and even corruption. But he has become the very definition of Israeli politics. What does that mean for peace or even for continuing expansion of Jewish settlements or destruction of Palestinian villages? Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” and "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
Britain’s Conservatives today voted for Boris Johnson to take over the party’s leadership. He will become Prime Minister tomorrow afternoon. Nearly 160,000 Conservative Party members voted and gave Johnson 66 percent to Jeremy Hunt’s 34 percent. Johson said his matra would be Deliver Brexit, Unite the Country, and Defeat Jeremy Corbyn. When a reported noted that this spelled “DUD,” Johnson added, “Energize the Country,” and said, “That’s what we’re going to do, DUDE.” In the meantime, several cabinet ministers already have resigned.
Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller will testify tomorrow before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees following two years of silence and release of his written report on allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Mueller, however, is unlikely to say anything of substance. He already told Congress that he would limit his statement and answers to what was released in the report. And the Justice Department yesterday instructed him to limit the scope of his testimony solely to the report and the information contained in it. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
Venezuela was hit again yesterday by a nationwide power outage that the Information Minister blamed on an “electromagnetic attack.” At least 14 of Venezuela’s 24 states were affected when the power went off yesterday at 4:00, snarling traffic and causing chaos during rush hour. Venezuela suffered a series of blackouts in March, which the government blamed on US attempts to disrupt the Guri hydroelectric dam. The attack on the electric grid comes as the Venezuelan government says U.S. spy planes entered the country’s airspace and hardline factions of the opposition seek to derail the political dialogue sponsored by Norway. Brian and John speak with Chuck Kaufman, he is the National Co-Coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice.
More than 400,000 people took to the streets of San Juan yesterday in the largest demonstrations ever to have taken place in Puerto Rico. Protestors want Governor Ricardo Rosselló to resign. We told you yesterday that Rosselló has caught making misogynistic and homophobic remarks about prominent Puerto Ricans and mocking victims of Hurricane Maria in private chats with friends and other governmental officials. His political allies have abandoned him. And even the island’s largest-circulation daily newspaper told the governor in a front-page editorial to quit. Dr. Mariolga Reyes Cruz, an adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Puerto Rico and a founding and active member of PAReS, an education collective, and Aurora Santiago-Ortiz, Research Enhancement and Leadership (REAL) Fellow and a doctoral student in Social Justice Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, join the show.
Israeli elections will take place on September 17 and the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, will likely move even further to the right. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu probably will remain as Prime Minister, despite the fact that he has serious corruption-related felonies hanging over his head. And all the while, the government will continue to raze Palestinian villages, burn Palestinian fields, and build Israeli settlements in their place. Dr. Yousef Jabareen, a member of the Israeli Knesset representing Hadash, a progressive party that draws its support primarily from the country’s Palestinian population, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, Karla Reyes, managing editor of the women’s magazine Breaking the Chains, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Bob Schlehuber, a Sputnik News analyst and the producer of the Sputnik News show By Any Means Necessary, which is on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the Washington DC area from 2:00-4:00 pm every day.
Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló, who has been buffeted by massive demonstrations since news leaked that he had used misogynistic and homophobic language about other politicians and popular Puerto Rican personalities as well as mocking huricane victims, announced over the weekend that he would not seek reelection in 2020. But that’s not good enough for demonstrators, who are continuing their protests and are demanding that he resign immediately.
British Prime Minister Theresa May demanded today that Iran release a UK-flagged oil tanker that it had seized late last week in the Strait of Hormuz. She said the ship was seized under “false and illegal pretenses.” But the British continue to hold an Iranian tanker that they seized a week earlier off the coast of Gibraltar. And they took that action at the behest of National Security Advisor John Bolton. Dr. Zeinab Ghasemi, a professor of American studies at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
Ukranian President Volodymir Zelensky’s party is projected to win a majority of seats in the country’s 450-seat parliament. It would be the first time since Ukraine’s independence in 1991 that a party has won an outright majority. But what does that mean for foreign policy, especially toward NATO and Russia? Brian and John speak with Bruce Gagnon, a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus, and Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history whose latest book is “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce”.
President Trump welcomed Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to the White House today for the first time. The two have engaged in Twitter feuds in the past, but they agree on the need for continuing negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill is out today and Derek Ford, an assistant professor of education studies at DePauw University and a community organizer whose latest book is “Education and the Production of Space,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the ongoing protests in Puerto Rico; the acceleration of tensions between Europe, the US, and Iran; and Robert Mueller’s testimony on Wednesday. Bob Schlehuber, a Sputnik News analyst and the producer of the Sputnik News show By Any Means Necessary, and Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek, join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek and John Kiriakou are joined by Vijay Prashad, Director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books.
The panel takes a look at the biggest stories of the week, including escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, massive protests in Puerto Rico, President Trump’s attacks on Representatives Omar, Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Pressley and a power-sharing agreement between protesters and the military in Sudan.
President Trump said yesterday that the US Navy had shot down an Iranian drone that came within 100 yards of the USS Boxer. A Navy official said that there were several other contacts between Navy ships and Iranian forces in the hours before the shoot down. The Iranian government, however, denied the charge said that the US may have accidentally shot down its own drone. Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the peace group Code Pink, joins the show.
Large-scale protests continued in Puerto Rico yesterday as outrage over Governor Ricardo Rossello’s many scandals reach a boiling point. Fierce clashes have broken out as police try to break up demonstrations, but the movement has continued nonetheless. Walter and John speak with Sputnik News analyst Bob Schlehueber, who traveled to Puerto Rico to cover the protests
British parliamentarians last night passed a measure that would prevent the next Prime Minister from suspending parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit. The move undermines the hard-line strategy of Boris Johnson, who is widely expected to become Prime Minister next week. The move opens the door for yet another Brexit delay. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
The Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or INF, appears to be coming to an end. The US is demanding that Russia destroy its SSC-8 missile systems by August 2, which it says are in violation of the INF. But Moscow says that the systems do not violate the INF and they will take no action in the coming weeks. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has made multiple public comments on the issue this week as the alliance ramps up for a possible arms race. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins Walter and John.
Again this week we’ll look at the worst, most misleading, funniest, and the just plain wrong headlines of the past week. Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News, joins the show.
Protests calling for the resignation of Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rosello escalated overnight, as demonstrators overturned barricades and police fired tear gas into the crowds. The demonstrations came in the wake of the release of nearly 900 pages of chat logs between Rosello and 11 friends whom he has named to top governmental positions that mocked victims of the 2017 hurricanes and reveal misogyny, homophobia, and severe personal criticism of prominent Puerto Rican personalities. Demonstrations also took place in at least 10 cities across the US.
The Iranian media are reporting that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has seized what it calls a “foreign oil tanker” carrying one million liters of smuggled fuel. An IRGC statement said that Iranian dhows, small wooden boats, were carrying fuel to the tanker, which was seized in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States also announced that it is sending troops to Saudi Arabia. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
President Trump was speaking at a rally in North Carolina last night when he prompted chants of “send her back” by attacking Rep. Ilhan Omar, a naturalized citizen of Somali origin who is a member of the House of Representatives. Trump paused to allow the chanting to swell, and it was followed by shouts of “traitor” and “treason.” Meanwhile, a motion to impeach the President for his recent comments that were widely condemned as racist was killed in the House of Representatives when it was tabled before it could be voted on. John speaks with Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook.
The Pentagon announced yesterday that it will further militarize the border, sending 1,100 active duty troops and 1,000 members of the Texas National Guard to the border with Mexico in support of President Trump’s immigration crackdown. These troops will carry out logistical support and aerial surveillance, and will be in addition to the 4,500 troops and national guardsmen already at the border. Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos, joins the show.
Turkey is officially out of the F-35 program, the U.S. government announced yesterday. Turkey’s purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system was labeled an existential threat to the F-35 by the Pentagon, bringing relations between the U.S. and Turkey -- nominally NATO allies -- to a new low. Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek joins John.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
The House of Representatives last night voted almost completely along party lines to condemn President Trump’s recent comments about four progressive women of color recently elected to the House of Representatives. The final vote was 240-187, with only four Republicans and one independent who caucuses with the Republicans voting in favor. Trump tweeted over the weekend that Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib should “go back to the countries they came from.” Three of the four were born in the United States, and one was naturalized as a citizen even before the First Lady was.
New reports have emerged showing that $40 million in humanitarian funds from the US Agency for International Development apparently have been diverted to pay for Venezuelan coup leader’s Juan Guaido’s effort to install himself as president. Meanwhile, the European Union is preparing targeted sanctions against Venezuelan security officials responsible for alleged human rights violations. Arnold August, an author who has written 3 books on US-Latin America issues and a journalist whose articles appear on web sites across the world, joins the show.
Former German Defense Minister Ursula Von der Leyen was elected head of the European Commission yesterday and will replace Jean-Claude Junker on November 1. Von der Leyen is a member of the conservative bloc in the European Parliament and was elected with the support of the liberal bloc of which French President Emmanuel Macron’s party is a member. Von der Leyen is facing an ongoing scandal in Germany over concealing huge payments to outside contractors hired by the Defense Ministry. Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Big tech firms were under fire at a high profile Congressional hearing conducted by the House Judiciary Committee yesterday, raising the spectre of serious anti-trust action against Amazon and other tech giants. Meanwhile, negotiations between the major US automakers and the United Auto Workers Union are breaking down because the companies want concessions in case there is a recession. So are we headed into a recession? Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work. Prof. Wolff’s latest book is Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown, joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
CNN claims in what it calls an “exclusive report” that Russian intelligence officers met with Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange to give him DNC emails they had allegedly hacked. But there is no evidence that Assange met with Russian intelligence, just with a Russian producer...of his own TV show.
Almost two years after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and exposed deep problems in the government there, Governor Ricardo Rosello has found himself in trouble. Somebody has leaked 889 pages of chat logs between the governor and eight friends of his, who are also in government, in which he uses highly-charged, misogynistic, and homophobic language when talking about other Puerto Rican politicians, entertainers, and prominent citizens. The Puerto Rican media is calling it Rosello’s deepest crisis as governor. Dr. Adriana Garriga-López, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Kalamazoo College, joins the show.
Attorney General Bill Barr said yesterday that he agreed with his Department’s Civil Rights Division to not pursue federal charges against the New York City police officer who killed Eric Garner in 2014. Garner was selling single cigarettes from an untaxed pack when he was approached by police officers, wrestled to the ground, and put in an illegal chokehold. He pleaded with the officers, saying, “I can’t breathe” 11 times before dying. Brian and John speak with Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement, and Joel Northam, an activist with the Justice Center en El Barrio.
The government of North Korea issued a statement today saying that Pyongyang would consider rethinking whether it should abide by its moratorium on missile and other tests if the US goes forward with a joint military exercise with South Korea. The statement, which was issued by the Foreign Ministry, appeared to be aimed at pushing the US back to the negotiating table. Kevin Zeese, co-coordinator of Popular Resistance whose work is at popularresistance.org, joins the show.
David Marcus, the head of Calibra--that’s Facebook’s new cryptocurrency Libra--testified before the Senate Banking Committee yesterday. He fended off hostility from some senators and said that Libra would not launch until every senator’s questions had been answered. Meanwhile, the Philippines, a major Asian tech market, has chosen China’s Huawei for its new 5G network. And President Trump yesterday tweeted that he would “take a look” at Google after a billionaire friend, Peter Thiel, said that Google should be charged with treason for working with the Chinese government. Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, Karla Reyes, managing editor of the women’s magazine Breaking the Chains, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
President Trump tweeted this weekend in reference to Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came...I’m sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements!” His racist comments were in the context of a widening rift between moderate Democratic House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the four progressive Congresswomen.
Anti-immigrant raids begun by Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the weekend largely failed to materialize, but still spread fear in immigrant communities across the country. Meanwhile, the Trump administration rolled out a new hardline policy making it more difficult to apply for asylum. Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of the New Sanctuary Movement, join the show.
European Union Foreign Ministers are currently meeting in Brussels to discuss ways to save the Iran nuclear deal, but Iran is expressing skepticism that the EU powers will deliver on promised sanctions relief. Walter and John speak with Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
One hundred Amazon employees at a cavernous warehouse in Minnesota are on strike today to protest working conditions, poor benefits, an anti-labor corporate culture, and treatment of employees at the company. The strike falls on what Amazon calls Prime Day, one of the company’s flagship events that generates billions of dollars in profits. Meanwhile, federal authorities have ordered Facebook to pay the largest ever corporate fine--$5 billion-- for mishandling users private data. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California, author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Joel Westheimer, University Research Chair in Democracy and Education at the University of Ottawa and education columnist for CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning and Ontario Today shows, joins John and Walter.
In this segment, The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including President Trump’s racist attack on four progressive Congresswomen, the administration’s latest attacks on immigrants, and Amazon Prime Day boycotts and strikes. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, and Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek, join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Labor Secretary Alex Acosta abruptly resigned this morning amid a furor over a sweetheart deal that he gave accused billionaire sex trafficker and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein when he was US Attorney in South Florida. Acosta has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, saying that his orders to offer Epstein leniency came from higher up in the Justice Department.
A new Belgian news investigation has found what many US privacy activists have long suspected: Not only are smart devices like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa listening to us literally all the time, but thousands of Google employees are listening to us through our devices, even when they’re not activated, ostensibly to help train the algorithm to be more precise. In a statement, the company admitted that the news was true, but tried to downplay it, saying that Google employees listen to only 0.2 percent of all recordings. Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst, joins the show.
A four-year study by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has revealed more about the CIA’s secret torture program than was ever revealed in the heavily redacted Senate Torture Report, including information about the origin of the rendition and secret prison program. Meanwhile, the CIA is pushing a new law that would make it illegal to reveal the name of any CIA officer who has ever been undercover, even if that officer never served overseas. The goal? To protect those CIA officers who have committed war crimes or crimes against humanity.
Turkey received its first shipment of the Russian S-400 air defense system today, setting the stage for likely US sanctions, and heightening tensions with its NATO allies. Meanwhile, a series of proposed amendments to the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act--all sponsored by Senate Democrats--could impose crippling sanctions on Russia. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on massive impending ICE raids across the country, the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein and resignation of Labor Secretary Acosta and tensions between Iran and the UK. Jesse Franzblau, a Sanctuary DMV member and organizer, and Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement will conduct raids on Sunday to round up thousands of undocumented migrants around the country who have existing deportation orders. According to the New York Times, the raids are expected to take place in 10 major cities, will last for several days, and will likely include collateral deportations, that is, undocumented migrants who are not the targets of the raids, but who happen to be caught up in them.
Multiple media outlets are reporting today that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps speedboats approached a British oil tanker in the Straits of Hormuz yesterday, several days after UK marines boarded and seized an Iranian tanker. Mazda Majidi, an author, journalist and anti-war activist, joins the show.
Pacific Gas & Electric Corporation, or PG&E, provides California with its electricity using electrical towers that were almost all built between 1900 and 1960. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company knew for years that its ancient towers could fail and cause massive fires. That’s exactly what happened last year, when a century-old transmission line failed and sparked a wildfire that killed 85 people. Now documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that the company knew that 49 of the towers that failed during the fire should be been replaced entirely. Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Nicole Roussell.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
A new study in the journal Science argues that 900 million hectares of land around the world, roughly the size of the United States, is suitable for reforestation, which could capture two-thirds of man-made carbon emissions. Such reforestation would have no impact on land already used for agriculture and would effectively store 205 billion tons of carbon, two thirds of the 300 billion tons released into the atmosphere as a result of human activity since the Industrial Revolution. Jean-Francois Bastin, the primary author of the study, an ecologist and geographer, and a post-doctoral fellow at The Crowther Lab, joins Brian and John.
Venezuela and Honduras are in states of turmoil, thanks in great part to US intervention. In Venezuela, Washington has made no secret that it actively supports a coup against President Nicolas Maduro. And in Honduras, where there is a long history of US meddling, both the Obama and Trump Administrations have opposed democratic elections and reforms and have supported military strongmen. Anya Parampil, a journalist for The Grayzone who just returned from Honduras where she interviewed former President Manuel Zelaya, who was overthrown in the 2009 military coup, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta held a press conference today in which he attempted to defend the outrageously lenient plea deal he negotiated when he was a U.S. attorney in Florida with the ultra-rich, well-connected financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The release of Justice Department’s Inspector General report on the Mueller investigation is being pushed back because investigators spent much of June interviewing Christopher Steele. Meanwhile, Yahoo News reporter Mike Isikoff is at it again. After writing an utterly discredited book on how the Steele Dossier was a Russian intelligence operation and doubling down on the equally discredited Russia collusion narrative, Isikoff has published an article saying that reports that former DNC staffer Seth Rich was killed by a hit squad working on behalf of Hillary Clinton was, you guessed it, a Russian propaganda operation. Isikoff makes pointed accusations, but the facts in his piece just don’t add up. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
The US is promising to ramp up sanctions on Iran and is seeking to create a military coalition to protect commercial shipping off the coasts of Iran and Yemen. Under the plan, a coalition of nations would patrol the Persian Gulf and the Straits of Hormuz, near Iran, and the narrow Bab al-Mandeb that separates Yemen from Africa. This comes just days after the Pentagon sent an additional 2500 troops to the Middle East. Brian and John speak with Massoud Shadjareh. He is the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
At least ten Syrian soldiers were killed yesterday by an al-Qaeda affiliate supported by the US and Turkey in fighting outside Aleppo. In one case, fighters from the Turkestan Islamic Party captured a Syrian border guard near Lattakia, beheaded him, posted a photo of his severed head on his Facebook page using his cell phone, and then called his mother to mock him. Francis Boyle, a professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law and author of the book “Destroying World Order: US Imperialism in the Middle East Before and After September 11,” joins the show.
The governments of the UK and Canada are hosting an event supposedly about press freedom this week, but in a bizarre irony is refusing to allow RT and Sputnik to participate. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
The report by special counsel Robert Mueller essentially cleared the Trump 2016 campaign of collusion or conspiracy with Russia but Mueller’s report asserts that Russian interference in the campaign was “sweeping and systematic.” Investigative journalist Aaron Maté has written a major article that carefully and comprehensively analyzes the 448-page Mueller Report and comes to the dramatic conclusion that Mueller’s report clearly fails to prove that Russia carried out a “sweeping and systematic” interference campaign in the 2016 presidential election campaign. Read, listen and assess for yourself.
An appeals court is hearing arguments today in a case brought by several conservative state attorneys general that attempts to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile the administration’s new policy on prescription drug pricing transparency was struck down in court. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, joins the show.
After unprecedented talks between Afghan government leaders and the Taliban, the two groups have released a joint declaration emphasizing the need to reduce “civilian casualties to zero.” This comes amid reports of major progress in talks between the United States and the Taliban.
Brian speaks with Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, Karla Reyes, managing editor of the women’s magazine Breaking the Chains, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism. Brian speaks with Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California, author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” and at jackrasmus.com
Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein was indicted today on sex trafficking charges for maintaining what the indictment calls a vast network of underage victims for him to sexually exploit in locations including New York, Palm Beach, and his private jet. Epstein has long standing political, business and personal ties to Republican President Donald Trump and former Democratic President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, attorney Alan Dershowitz, and many other politicians, businessmen, bankers, and media elites. Some of Epstein’s many underage female victims and their families have been fighting back and demanding justice. Supported by courageous journalists and attorneys and their families, they have exposed how Epstein was shielded by friends in high places who provided him with a sweetheart prosecution deal in 2008. Will true justice be served this time around and will Jeffrey Epstein’s friends and possible collaborators be brought down as the new case proceeds?
Iran said yesterday that it would exceed the limit in the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal of enriched uranium. This morning it confirmed that it had started enriching at 4.5%, past the limit of 3.67% level allowed. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
Two weeks ago, President Trump threatened “millions of deportations” and on Friday said that his administration would start them “fairly soon.” Trump and other officials have denied the reports from Congresspeople and state entities that have shown horrendous conditions in border facilities in past weeks. Brian speaks with Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of the New Sanctuary Movement.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s party Syriza lost the elections in Greece yesterday. The conservative party called New Democracy won, and leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis will become the next prime minister. Loud & Clear co-host John Kiriakou is on the ground there reporting on the elections that just took place yesterday.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Joel Westheimer, University Research Chair in Democracy and Education at the University of Ottawa and education columnist for CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning and Ontario Today shows, joins Brian.
In this segment, which we call The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including 2020 politics, the indictment of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein (who is a friend of Trump and Bill Clinton and many others in high places) for running a vast network for the trafficking of young girls who were victims of rape and sexual assault, and Iran’s decision to breach the limits of enriched uranium production. Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Filling in for Chris today is Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Gerald Horne, a prolific author, who has recently released “Jazz and Justice: Racism and the Political Economy of the Music” and “White Supremacy Confronted: U.S. Imperialism and Anti-Communism vs. the Liberation of Southern Africa from Rhodes to Mandela.”
On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass gave a keynote address at an Independence Day celebration and asked, “What to the slave is the Fourth of July?” It was a scathing speech in which Douglass said, “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice. I must mourn.” What do those words mean 167 years later?
Yesterday was July 4th. The anniversary of the start of the American Revolution. Since its founding there have been many mythologies created about the United States. The race for the presidency is going strong, and many of the candidates are talking about American Exceptionalism. Most Americans, though, don’t understand the term, and they don’t understand how dangerous American Exceptionalism actually is. American Exceptionalism is the belief that the US follows a path of history different from the laws or norms that govern other countries. It’s the belief that the US is not just a bigger and more powerful country, but an exception. It’s the bearer of freedom and liberty and it’s morally superior to all other countries. Dr. Peter Kuznik, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University, the co-author with Oliver Stone of the book and the hit Showtime television series “The Untold History of the United States,” joins the show.
All across the country politicians, corporations and top Pentagon brass use the July 4 holiday to present themselves as the ultimate patriots and supporters of U.S. service members. But what does this country really do to its soldiers, both abroad and when they return home? And what effect does it have on the world? Brian and John speak with Ryan Endicott, a veteran and mental health counselor working in a clinic that serves low income and Medicaid clients, who writes the weekly series “Taking My Boots Off: A Weekly Story About War, Coming Home, and Healing from Combat Trauma.”
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou and Nicole Roussell (sitting in for Brian Becker) are joined by Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, and analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said today that Iran would enrich as much uranium as it wants, beginning on Sunday, because of the Trump Administration’s decision to scrap the JCPOA. Meanwhile, a Defense Department spokesman said that several apparently empty ships have been seen approaching Iranian waters, they’ve dropped off the radar, and they have reappeared days later, apparently full and leaving Iranian waters.
Edward Gallagher, a Navy SEAL accused of war crimes in Iraq was found not guilty of first degree murder and myriad other charges in the deaths of civilians and one ISIS fighter in 2017. He was convicted of the crime of posing with a body and sentenced to four months, although he already has served more than that in pretrial detention. Gallagher’s own men turned him in, and his arrest and trial exposed great fissures between those SEALS who followed the rules of engagement and those who saw their primary goal as hunting terrorists while ignoring US and international law. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and a columnist for CounterPunch whose writings are also at ThisCantBeHappening.net, joins the show.
The British Parliament will soon enter its summer recess, even if it has decided nothing on Brexit. As Conservative Party members choose a new leader and, by extension, a new Prime Minister, will a soft Brexit finally become a reality? Will it be under Prime Minister Boris Johnson? And what will become of Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange? He’s in a British prison fighting extradition to the United States. John speaks with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today they discuss President Trump’s flashy and expensive military parade he’s putting on tomorrow, the ongoing reports of criminally inhumane conditions at detention facilities, the NAVY Seal who just escaped conviction of war crimes, and a call to end war published in several national papers by our guest Dan Kovalik. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer and the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil” and co-author with award-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone of the op-ed published this week entitled, “We must stop our nation’s push for relentless war,” joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
Yesterday there were protests by students against police repression in Honduras, while Friday marked the 10th anniversary of a US-backed coup against the government of Honduras that ousted President Manuel Zelaya and sent him into exile. Honduran governments since then have been imposed on the Honduran people by the military and the police. Ten years later, dissenting voices are still silenced, the opposition is routinely jailed, and in many cases tortured. And all the while, the American government continues to prop up a government that even the Honduran Supreme Court has ruled is illegitimate.
Federal authorities are investigating whether Customs and Border Protection agents participated in a private Facebook group for Border Patrol employees that hosted racist, sexist, and sexually violent memes and conversations about immigrants and members of Congress, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez and other members of Congress toured the detention camps and condemned conditions there. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins the show.
The baseless campaign of anti-Semitism against the progressive British Labour Party continues with another member of parliament, Chris Williamson. These claims started with the smearing of Jeremy Corbyn, the popular leader of the Labour Party, and have continued. Meanwhile, the European Union cannot decide on its leadership. John speaks with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Karla Reyes, managing editor of the women’s magazine Breaking the Chains, join the show.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. John speaks with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou and Nicole Roussell (sitting in for Brian Becker) are joined by Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst and one of the producers of this show, who is in Seoul, South Korea, covering the meeting between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim.
President Trump over the weekend became the first sitting president in history to take a step into North Korea after inviting himself to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone. There, he announced that nuclear talks between the two countries would restart within weeks. The 50-minute meeting was Trump’s third with Kim.
Stocks surged today on news that President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had agreed on a truce on the trade war between the two countries. Trump agreed to ease restrictions on Chinese tech giant Huawei’s US technology purchases and to hold off on extending tariffs on virtually all Chinese goods, while Xi agreed to resume trade talks and to buy an unspecified amount of US farm products. Meanwhile, pro- and anti-government protestors both had marches in Hong Kong today. Jude Woodward, the author of the book “The US vs. China: Asia's new Cold War?”, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Filling in for Bill Ayers today is Dr. Kevin Kumashiro, an internationally-recognized expert on educational policy, school reform, and educational equity and social justice, and the former dean of the School of Education at the University of San Francisco.
In this segment, which we call The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the G20, the state of the 2020 race, yet another political cartoonist firing, and gerrymandering. Ted Rall, an award winning journalist and editorial cartoonist whose work is at rall.com, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Filling in for Chris today is Patricia Gorky, a software engineer and technology and security analyst.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the democratic debates from last night, where they examine Kamala Harris’s attack against Joe Biden’s ongoing and recent embrace with the most notorious racists and segregationists in the US Senate. They also look at Kamala Harris’s own record as a prosecutor and her neocon political positions. Plus, they talk about the decline of european centrist parties and the announced shift back by European elites and capitalists to democratic socialism, and about US-Iranian tensions, including an Iranian saying today that they’ve examined North Korea’s trajectory as a lesson for their own next move.
Donald Trump and South Korean president Moon Jae-in are about to hold a major summit and expectations are running high that major progress will be made towards peace in Korea. The peace process has run into major obstacles as the United States demands that North Korea completely denuclearize before any relief can be given in terms of the suffocating US-imposed sanctions the country is suffering under, but that rigid stance could be shifting. Loud & Clear producer Walter Smolarek traveled to Seoul, South Korea, and interviewed Dr. Moon Chung-in. Dr. Moon is the special advisor to President Moon Jae-in on national security and foreign policy and a well-known scholar advocating for the reunification of Korea.
The second tranche of 10 Democrats debated last night in Miami, Florida, and it turned out to be more of a bare-knuckle brawl than the previous night’s debate. The consensus seems to be that California Senator Kamala Harris carried the night, South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg held his own, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was able to stay on message and fend of the handful of attacks that came his way. Former Vice President Joe Biden spent most of the night trying to defend himself, and Author Marrianne Williamson and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper showed early on that they were out of their league. Brian and John speak with Bob Schleuhuber, a Sputnik News analyst and the producer of the Sputnik News show By Any Means Necessary, which you can hear on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the Washington DC area from 2:00-4:00 pm every day.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Lee Camp, a writer, comedian, activist, journalist, host of the television show “Redacted Tonight” on RT America, and at www.leecamp.com.
Did you know that the Trump Administration drops a bomb somewhere in the world every 12 minutes? Last night was the first Democratic Party debate. And this particular fact did not come up, but the issues of war and peace were discussed. Every 12 minutes somebody is being killed, maimed, or made homeless all in our names. And this is despite the fact that we are officially, legally at war with nobody. At the same time, the Pentagon has lost $21 trillion of the taxpayers’ money. Meanwhile, climate change is bringing us closer and closer to disaster.
The first half of the first round of Democratic presidential debates took place last night in Miami, Florida, hosted by MSNBC with 10 Democrats facing questions. Although the format was unwieldy--every response from every candidate was limited to 60 seconds--the debate did offer an opportunity to begin the weeding out process, so to speak. Pundits seem to agree that the winners were Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, former Housing Secretary Julian Castro, and perhaps New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. Washington Governor Jay Inslee was surprisingly substantive. But former Congressmen Beto O’Rourke and John Delaney, and New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio didn’t do themselves any favors. Bob Schleuhuber, who is in Miami covering the debates and is a Sputnik News analyst and the producer of the Sputnik News show By Any Means Necessary, which you can hear on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the Washington DC area from 2:00-4:00 pm every day, joins the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that the National Security Agency, or NSA, last year continued to collect records about US calls and text messages that it was not authorized to obtain, renewing privacy concerns about a program that NSA said it had discontinued. The unauthorized collection took place last October, several months after NSA leaders said they had ordered that previously unauthorized material collected since 2015 be purged from NSA databases.
The House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill to provide funding for undocumented migrants being held in what are being described as inhumane conditions at ICE facilities along the southwestern border. The bill is unlikely to pass in the senate. In the meantime, the children being held in these facilities are dealing with an outbreak of lice and the flu, are kept apart from relatives, and are not being given soap and toothbrushes. Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos, joins the show.
The Acting Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, said yesterday that he will work to unify NATO Ministers of Defense to deter Iran and to force it to return to the negotiating table. But France’s Defense Minister said that there would be no negotiations, not just because the Iranians are refusing to participate, but because quote “even the United States doesn’t know what its Iran policy is.” Meanwhile, Houthis in Yemen are posing an ever-increasing threat to Saudi Arabia, allegedly with the help of Iran. Brian and John speak with Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
Ten Democratic presidential candidates will debate tonight in Miami, Florida and another 10 will debate tomorrow in the first such events of the 2020 presidential race. More than two dozen Democrats are running for president, so many that they had to be split into two groups. Former Vice President Joe Biden is generally seen as the frontrunner at this early stage, and the rest of the candidates are going to look to gain on him. Bob Schleuhuber, who is in Miami covering the debates and is a Sputnik News analyst and the producer of the Sputnik News show By Any Means Necessary, which you can hear on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the Washington DC area from 2:00-4:00 pm every day, joins the show.
The G20 heads of state will hold their annual summit later this week in Osaka, Japan, but observers are not expecting much in the way of progress, especially on climate change issues. Indeed, according to The Financial Times, whose reporters have seen a copy of the draft communique, it doesn’t even mention the words “global warming” or “climate change,” apparently as a sop to the Trump Administration. World Trade Organization officials also complain that US tariffs are creating major roadblocks for streamlined international trade. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, and Sputnik news analyst Nicole Roussell join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books, including his most recent “Jazz and Justice: Racism and the Political Economy of the Music,” newly available from Monthly Review Press.
More than two dozen Democratic candidates for president will be on the debate stage tomorrow, trying to convince the American people that they should sit in the Oval Office for the next four or eight years. All that diversity should mean diverse opinions. But does it? Where do voters turn when the Democrats and Republicans end up agreeing on most issues of war, peace, and economy?
The Trump Administration yesterday announced strong new sanctions on Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and moderate Foreign Minister Muhammad Zarif in response to the Iranian shoot-down of a US Global Hawk drone. The Iranians responded by saying that negotiations with the United States were over forever. Meanwhile, Russian officials say their own investigation shows that the drone was actually flying over Iranian airspace. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose latest article “Eve of Destruction: Iran Strikes Back” is on CounterPunch and thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
Bahrain today and tomorrow is hosting a so-called “Peace to Prosperity” workshop as part of a plan to bring peace to the Middle East. Neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians are participating. Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza as well as the diaspora held protests today to denounce the workshop and the so-called “deal of the century” as a ploy to end their aspirations for self-determination. Brian and John speak with Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine.”
New documents released as part of a Freedom of Information Act request show that Steele Dossier author Christopher Steele met with State Department officials in October 2016 and gave them sensitive information that should have gone solely to the FBI. The documents reveal that Steele was passing information to Obama Administration officials all the way back in 2014. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of the New Sanctuary Movement.
President Trump over the weekend abruptly postponed his already announced immigration raids and said he would give Congress two weeks to make changes to the asylum law before sending agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement around the country to seize and deport undocumented migrants. The raids had been set to begin yesterday in 10 major cities around the country.
The United States Cyber Command, an adjunct of the National Security Agency, on Thursday initiated a cyber attack against an Iranian intelligence group that US officials say planned the attacks against oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman in recent weeks. The Iranian government announced today that it was aware of the cyber attack but that it failed and there was no damage. Meanwhile, Mike Pompeo is in Saudi Arabia meeting with the King and Crown Prince and the government of Bahrain is going forward with plans to host a “Peace to Prosperity” workshop tomorrow and Wednesday, despite the fact that neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians will attend. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
Yet another Democrat--former Admiral and Representative Joe Sestak--has jumped into the Democratic race for President. That makes 25, maybe 26 Democrats running for President. The lesser-knowns will have a change to make their cases to the American public during debates this week on MSNBC. And Pete Buttigieg, who’s been embraced by the party establishment and much of the corporate media, is facing fierce criticism for his handling of a police killing of a Black resident of South Bend. Brian and John speak with Anoa Changa, the Director of Political Advocacy and a Managing Editor of Progressive Army, and host of the show The Way With Anoa, and Walter Smolarek., a Sputnik News analyst and one of the producers of this show.
In March, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan nullified the results of the Istanbul mayoral race, saying that his AKP party’s candidate lost only because of voting irregularities. He forced a re-vote, which took place over the weekend. Instead of Erdogan’s candidate losing by 13,000 votes, as he did in March, he lost by a massive 775,000 votes. The stinging rebuke ended 25 years of AKP rule in Istanbul. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill usually helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today, Dr. Kevin Kumashiro, an internationally recognized expert on educational policy, school reform, and educational equity and social justice, and the former dean of the School of Education at the University of San Francisco joins Brian and John.
In this segment, which we call The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the upcoming G20 summit, the Democratic debate, tensions in the Middle East and more. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the narrowly avoided U.S. attack on Iran last night and the ongoing danger of a devastating regional war as well as the visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to North Korea.
President Trump tweeted today that US forces were 10 minutes away from launching a missile attack on Iran, but that he canceled the attack after learning that there likely would have been 150 Iranian casualties. The statement, simple on its face, reveals serious splits within the Administration. And the real question mark is what would the Iranian response have been? Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, whose work is at popularresistance.org, joins the show.
Hero pilot Sully Sullenberger’s testimony before the House Transportation Subcommittee said that the design of the Boeing 737 Max-8 jet was flawed and should never have been deemed airworthy. He said later that he participated in a re-creation of an accident flight in a Max-8 simulator, telling members of Congress, “Even knowing what was going to happen, I could see how crews could have run out of time before they could have solved the problems. Prior to these accidents, I think it is unlikely that any US airline pilots were confronted with this scenario in simulator training." Brian and John speak with Lori Bassani, the National President of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, and Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association and an American Airlines pilot trained on Boeing 737 planes.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Pyongyang today, where he reaffirmed his support for negotiations on denuclearization and peace on the Korean peninsula. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he was prepared to work with China to make progress in the talks. Emanuel Pastreich, founder and director of The Asia Institute, a pan-Asian think tank, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
Iran announced this morning that it had shot down a US military drone the size of an airliner this morning near the Strait of Hormuz. The US acknowledged the shoot-down, saying that the drone was in international airspace. The Iranians countered that it was in Iranian airspace. Meanwhile, a rocket struck a building housing the headquarters of international oil companies in Basra, Iraq, including ExxonMobil. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which injured two Iraqi workers. Top Trump administration officials are now engaged in high-level international and domestic consultations, raising fears of all-out conflict.
Joe Biden says some dumb things. He once told reporters, “I’ve done some dumb things. And I’ll do dumb things again.” Well, earlier this week, Biden felt compelled to defend himself against accusations that he may be too “old fashioned” for today’s Democratic Party. He tried to turn that into a positive, saying that his old traditionalism harkened back to a better era, where gentility reigned in the US Senate. That wasn’t good enough, though. Biden felt compelled to give an example. And so he said, with a completely straight face, that when he was first elected to the Senate in 1972 he became friendly with two of the most rabid segregationists in the body—Senators James O. Eastland (D-MS) and (“the meanest man I ever met”) Herman Tallmadge (D-GA). According to a reporter for the New York Times who heard the words directly from Biden’s mouth, “I was in a caucus with James O. Eastland. He never called me ‘boy.’ He always called me ‘son.’” And Biden told this story with a southern accent. It apparently never occurred to him that Eastland never called him “boy” because he was white. Today, Senator Cory Booker said that Biden’s comments were hurtful. And now Biden has called on Booker to apologize. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is in North Korea, the first visit of a Chinese president to the DPRK in 14 years and only the second time a chief of state has met Kim Jong Un on his home turf. According to an op-ed that Xi wrote for the front page of a North Korean newspaper, he is in Pyongyang to strengthen strategic communication and exchanges. The more likely scenario is that he is there to discuss Chinese and North Korean relations with the United States and how to deal with President Trump. Brian and John speak with Jude Woodward is the author of the book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?”
Hero pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger testified on Capitol Hill yesterday that an automated flight control system on the Boeing 737 Max-8 jet was “fatally flawed and should never have been approved in the first place.” The House Aviation Subcommittee is investigating the crashes of Boeing 737 Max-8 jets in Indonesia last fall and in Ethiopia in March that killed 346 people. The panel is also examining what role, if any, Boeing's rush to develop the latest version of its popular 737 and the FAA's process of certifying the new model as airworthy may have played in the tragedies. Bijan Vasigh, a professor of air transportation at Embrey-Riddle University, an expert on aviation issues, a consultant to some of the biggest airlines in the world, and the author of dozens of academic papers and books, joins the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including U.S. cyber attacks on the Russian electrical grid and the latest US moves against Iran.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Former Vice President Joe Biden caused outrage when he fondly noted what he called the “civility” of the US Senate of the 1970s and 1980s by invoking by name two of the body’s most polarizing segregationists--Senators James Eastland of Mississippi and Herman Talmadge of Georgia. Is Biden trying to lose the Democratic nomination for President on purpose? Brian and John speak with Jacqueline Luqman, editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every week on Facebook and Youtube, and a journalist with The Real News Network.
The White House is actively considering launching airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, according to press reports quoting Pentagon insiders. The plans are at an advanced stage and could be initiated at any time. Dr. Peter Kuznik, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and the co-author with Oliver Stone of the book and the hit Showtime television series “The Untold History of the United State,” joins the show.
Today is Juneteenth. It is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that Union soldiers, led by MG Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that all enslaved people were free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on Texans due to the miniscule number of Union troops in Texas to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Robert E. Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance. C. R. Gibbs, an author and co-author of six books and a frequent national and international lecturer, joins Brian and John.
President Trump kicked off his reelection campaign yesterday with what was supposed to be a campaign rally in Orlando, Florida. In the end, it looked more like a white supremacist rally. Lee Stranahan, co-host of the Sputnik News program Fault Lines, joins the show.
The race to succeed Theresa May is entering a crucial stage. In the next two days, Conservative Party members will narrow the field of candidates to two, and party members will choose between them. The winner will become Prime Minister and will serve out the remainder of May’s term or until new elections are called, whichever comes first. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is still the frontrunner. But Rory Stewart, a virtual unknown, as shown the greatest strength and may actually have a chance to defeat the frontrunner. Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
President Trump said yesterday that his administration plans a sweeping immigration enforcement crackdown on undocumented migrants that could see coordinated raids in multiple cities across the country. The move comes ahead of Trump’s official re-election campaign launch, but grassroots activists are vowing to fight back.
The Justice Department has admitted that the FBI relied on information provided by the private company Crowdstrike concluding that Russia was to blame for hacking into the Democratic National Committee’s servers, even though that information had been heavily redacted by the company. The FBI never had access to any of the original documents. That news was just made public yesterday in a filing by Roger Stone’s defense attorneys. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
The Pentagon announced yesterday that it would send an additional 1000 to the Middle East, a potentially dangerous move that could greatly increase the chances for war between the United States and Iran, even by accident. Brian and John speak with Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist.
Facebook released information today on its new cryptocurrency, called Libra, which is supposed to be less volatile than Bitcoin and the other hundreds of cryptocurrencies already available to the public. Facebook wants Libra to be used as a legitimate way to purchase goods and services, unlike Bitcoin, which is more speculative. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
A massive embezzlement scandal is threatening the political future of Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Guaido. Media outlets in the region are reporting that two people appointed by Guaido to manage aid meant for Venezuelan soldiers who have defected to Colombia instead have been stealing it. Both the Government of Colombia and the Organization of American States, known for their strong support of Guaido, have called for an investigation. Ricardo Vaz, a writer and editor at Venezuelanalysis, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
The Iranian government has announced that it will break the uranium stockpile limit agreement agreed to as part of the JCPOA nuclear deal in the next 10 days. The move came in response to the Trump administration’s decision to scrap the deal. Iranian President Rouhani said that his country would not withdraw from the JCPOA, but would reduce its commitments to the deal. He also urged European countries to mediate between Iran and the United States as tensions between the two countries continue to flare in the aftermath of explosions that hit two tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week.
A federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia said on Saturday that Chelsea Manning would be fined $500 per day for refusing to testify before a grand jury looking into Wikileaks cofounder Julian Assange. If Manning still does not testify after one month, the fine will be $1000 per day. Manning has been steadfast in her refusal to speak to the grand jury. Kevin Gosztola, a journalist with Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show.
The New York Times reported over the weekend that the United States had deployed computer code inside the Russian electrical grid system that would disrupt it in the event of hostilities. The Times went on to say that the move was done in response to allegations that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election. President Trump tweeted that the article was “a virtual act of treason.” But later in the article, The Times acknowledged that the operation had begun in 2012, at the end of Barack Obama’s first term in office, and during the tenure of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil.”
Boeing executives attending the high-profile Paris Air Show today apologized for the hundreds of deaths caused when two of their 737 MAX-8 jets crashed in separate incidents last October and last March. But no one in the company has been held criminally liable and Boeing is even looking to loosen its safety testing requirements. Dr. Alan Diehl, an award-winning aviation psychologist and safety consultant, 1990s air safety whistleblower, and the author of the book “Air Safety Investigators,” joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
In this segment, which we call The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including Democrats and Republicans working together to escalate tensions with Iran, the Pentagon deploying cyber weapons against Russia’s electrical grid and Chelsea Manning being subjected to huge fines. Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Lee Camp, a writer, actor, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” which you can see on RT America, and Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the Middle East oil tanker attack and escalation between the US and Iran, Julian Assange’s extradition hearing today, the leak of documents this week showing the political imprisonment of former Brazilian president lula da silva, and the rebellion in memphis after cops shot a young Black man.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said yesterday that US intelligence showed that Iran was responsible for attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. He showed a Pentagon video that he claimed showed Iranian sailors removing an unexploded magnet mine from the side of a Japanese ship. Iran’s Foreign Minister dismissed the accusation as “sabotage diplomacy and warmongering.” Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
A hearing was held in London this morning related to the US request for the extradition of Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. The British magistrate scheduled a formal five-day extradition hearing to begin on February 24, 2020. That would be 45-and-a-half weeks into his 50-week sentence for bail-jumping. With British politics currently in turmoil, what does this mean for Julian’s chances to regain his freedom? Brian and John speak with Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton."
The Defense Department’s Inspector General and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service report that $21 trillion of the taxpayers’ money is unaccounted for. That’s 21 thousand billions of dollars. It’s the amount of the entire national debt. If you spent a million dollars a day starting on the day Jesus was born, you wouldn’t even have spent $1 trillion yet. So how does $21 trillion just disappear and no Pentagon heads roll? Lee Camp, a writer, actor, activist, journalist, and host of the television show “Redacted Tonight,” which you can see on RT America, joins the show.
Nearly four years after the City of Flint, Michigan declared a state of emergency over the condition of its drinking water, and three years after the first criminal charges were filed against government officials responsible for the crisis, prosecutors have dropped all charges and said that they’ll start the entire investigation over again from the beginning. Will there ever be justice for Flint’s residents? Julie Hurwitz, a civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman, Hurwitz and James, joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria.
Two oil tankers came under suspected attack in the Gulf of Oman today. Both the US and Iranian navies responded to distress calls, and the vessels’ crews were safely evacuated. The attacks come amid heightened tension because the US and Iran and in the middle of a visit to Tehran by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The Justice Department has asked US Attorney John Durham to investigate the origins of the Russiagate case. Durham said yesterday that he is seeking testimony from two CIA officers--one a counterintelligence expert and the other a senior analyst. CIA director Gina Haspel said that her people will cooperate, but would “protect sources and methods.” Aaron Maté, a journalist for The Grayzone and The Nation and a former host and producer at Democracy Now and The Real News, joins the show.
Authorities in Memphis, Tennessee claim that 24 police officers and two journalists were injured in a melee last night that began when US marshals in a Memphis suburb shot a man 20 times and killed him while allegedly trying to serve him with an arrest warrant. It is unclear how many protestors were injured, but the event is yet another example of the volatility of confrontations with the police all across the country. Brian and John speak with Kym Smith, a community organizer involved in struggles against police brutality and mass incarceration.
Boris Johnson finished first in today’s first round of voting for a new leader of the UK’s Conservative Party. The field of 10 hopefuls is now winnowed to seven. The second round of voting will be held next week, and then the top two vote-getters will face off on July 22. Meanwhile, British authorities confirmed that the Department of Justice has formally requested the extradition of Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
President Trump yesterday said that he will transfer 1,000 US troops from Germany to Poland after Polish President Andrzedj Duda said he would spend $2 billion to build a new US military base in his country. Trump said that he liked the idea, but was not sure if he wanted to commit to a permanent presence in Poland. But he did like Duda’s quip that he would name the facility Fort Trump. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou and Nicole Roussell (sitting in for Brian Becker) are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
The House of Representatives yesterday approved a resolution authorizing the Judiciary Committee to go to court to enforce its subpoena for former White House Counsel Don McGahn’s testimony and to seek grand jury information from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report. The resolution also authorized the Committee to take its subpoena of Attorney General William Barr to court, but an agreement struck with the Justice Department on Monday will put that action on hold for now.
Scott Warren is an activist with an Arizona group called No Mas Muertes, or No More Deaths. He was arrested last year for providing food, water, and shelter to migrants crossing the Sonoran desert. Supporters call him an apostle of humanitarianism. Prosecutors call him a criminal and asked that he be sent to prison for 20 years. Indeed, in closing arguments, the prosecutor said, “He gave them food. He gave them water. He gave them shelter. He’s a very dangerous man.” But a jury deadlocked and the judge declared a mistrial. Justine Orlovsky-Schnitzler, the media coordinator for No More Deaths, joins the show.
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, visited the demilitarized zone between the two countries today to deliver a condolence message over the death of a former South Korean First Lady who had promoted unity between North and South. Kim Yo Jong is a trusted aide to her brother, and she held talks with the South Korean National Security Advisor. Johns speak with Henri Feron, Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy.
A new study says that the world’s oceans will lose one-sixth of their fish and marine life by the end of the century if climate change continues on its current path. The study comes on the heels of an Australian study last week that found that the world faces an existential risk from climate change by 2050. William Cheung, professor at the University of British Columbia and an author of this study, joins the show.
Just days before a law protecting renters and tenants was set to expire, New York lawmakers reached a deal to strengthen those protections. The new law keeps more housing units in the rent regulatory system, adding inventory for the poor and middle classes. And it makes the change permanent so that the legislature neve again has to take up the issue. Why is housing so expensive across the country? And why is it central to the entire U.S. economy? Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jackie Walker, a life-long activist against racism and the former Vice Chair of the pro-Jeremy Corbyn organization Momentum.
The Washington Post yesterday reported that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a group of American Jewish leaders in a private meeting that the US would seek to block Jeremy Corbyn from becoming British Prime Minister if the US detected what Pompeo called “antisemitism.” He said the US government would “push back” against Corbyn and that “we won’t wait for him to do those things,” presumably meaning oppose Israel.
The Pentagon says that it is canceling Turkey’s involvement in the F-35 Stealth fighter program over Ankara’s plans to buy a Russian S-400 missile defense system. Turkish pilots will no longer be trained on the F-35, and they’ve been asked to leave a US Air Force base in Arizona. Turkish President Erdogan said that he is undeterred by the US action and will complete the purchase and installation of the S-400. Dr. Gönül Tol, the founding director of The Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies and a former professor, joins the show.
The Intercept is reporting that an enormous trove of secret documents reveals that Brazil’s most powerful prosecutors, who have spent years insisting that they are apolitical, instead plotted to prevent the Workers Party from winning the 2018 election by blocking or weakening a pre-election interview given by former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva with the explicit purpose of affecting the outcome of the election. Dubbed Operation Car Wash, the prosecutors’ plot began in 2014. Brian and John speak with Aline Piva, she is a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice.
Kim Jong Nam, the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, told a Japanese journalist shortly before his assassination in Malaysia in 2017 that he was in contact with the CIA. The Western media is saying that Kim was a “source” for the CIA. The revelation will soon appear in a new book. Emanuel Pastereich, a professor and the founder and director of The Asia Institute, a pan-Asian think tank, joins the show.
Jorge Ramos is arguably the best-known Spanish-language journalist in America. The chief anchorman of Univision is known as the Walter Cronkite of Latin America. As such, he interviewed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in February. But the interview was contentious. Ramos said Maduro walked out after Ramos started playing a video of Venezuelans eating out of trash cans. Univision announced last week that it had recovered the film and would air it soon. But it shows something completely different from what Ramos has said. What will the fallout be? Alex Rubenstein, a journalist for Mint Press News and on Twitter @realalexrubi, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers of this show Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
In this segment, which we call The Week Ahead, the hosts take a look at the most newsworthy stories of the coming week and what it means for the country and the world, including the political theater of Donald Trump’s threats of new tariffs against Mexico, the emerging Democratic party strategy of new hearings on Russiagate, a new outrage from Guantanamo, and much more.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
House Democrats are pushing ahead with plans to hold hearings this week that would feature testimony--or a lack of testimony--by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff will hold a rare open session on what he calls the “counterintelligence implications” of the Mueller report. A parallel hearing before the House Judiciary Committee today will feature testimony by famed Watergate whistleblower John Dean. And Democrats also plan a vote tomorrow to hold Attorney General William Barr and former White House Counsel Don McGahn in contempt of Congress. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist. You can check out his work at rall.com.
Nearly one million people protested in Hong Kong yesterday against a proposed law that would create an extradition system between semi-autonomous Hong Kong and mainland China. The law would allow for case-by-case fugitive transfers between Hong Kong and the Chinese provinces. Leaders of the protests say Beijing will use the measure to target activists, dissidents, and other political opponents. Hong Kong’s governor, however, says she will continue to push for passage of the bill to guarantee the unity of China rather than deepen the division between the city and the mainland that is a legacy of a century and a half of British colonial rule. Eugene Puryear, the co-host of the Sputnik News radio show By Any Means Necessary, which you can hear every day from 2:00-4:00 and as a podcast, joins the show.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has reopened the border with Colombia after a closure of four months. The situation on the Venezuela-Colombia border has been a central theme promoted by those who favor yet another so-called “humanitarian” regime change operation. Anya Parampil, a Washington-based journalist for The Grayzone, joins Brian and John.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation” takes look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Dr. Kevin Kumashiro, former dean of the School of Education at the University of San Francisco, joins Brian and John.
Abdel Baset al-Sarout was arguably the most famous soccer player in Syria. He became something of western media star when he left the game to take up arms against the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Sarout was killed in a battle in Idlib over the weekend and is being hailed as a hero in the western press. What the media don’t want you to know, however, is that Sarout was killed fighting on behalf a group sponsored by al-Qaeda and had pledged allegiance to ISIS. Brian and John speak with Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker who made the mini-doc “The Syria Deception: Al-Qaeda Goes to Hollywood,” available at The Grayzone.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Aaron Maté, a journalist for The Nation and The Grayzone, and a former host and producer at Democracy Now and The Real News.
A new report reveals not only that key Russiagate figure Konstantin Kilimnik was not a so-called Russian government agent, but that he was in fact a US State Department source. And, Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team knew about this for more than the past year.
US and Russian warships came within 165 feet of each other earlier today, and each country blames the other for the near collision. Accidents happen -- but when tensions between countries are as high as they are now in this new Cold War, even small mishaps can start unnecessary war. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
President Trump this week criticized the war in Vietnam, a sentiment that many Americans share. Rather than concentrate on keeping America out of more wars, CNN took him to task about his comments and his not having served in the military, noting that many soldiers don’t want to serve but “it is the call of their country.” Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, editor in chief of thepolemicist.net.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Will Trump impose new tariffs on Mexico as Mexico scrambles to meet his demands to stem asylum seekers from reaching the US/Mexico border? We also talk about the newest developments in the US efforts to overthrow the government of Venezuela, the falsification of history on this the 75th anniversary of D-Day (specifically negating the role of the Soviet Union), and Joe Biden’s flip flop on abortion rights and what it means for his campaign. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil,” and Sputnik News analyst and producer of this show Nicole Roussell, joins Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work.
President Trump said on Twitter yesterday that no agreement has been reached with Mexico on stemming the flow of undocumented migrants and that tariffs would go into effect on Monday. Mexico’s Foreign Minister met yesterday with Vice President Pence and Secretary of State Pompeo hoping to convince them that Mexico is doing all it can to protect the border. But White House officials said nothing would make the president happy short of a complete cessation of illegal border crossings. The President also made threats today about new tariffs on another $300 billion of Chinese goods.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
YouTube announced yesterday that it was removing all videos that promote extremist agendas like white supremacy or that deny events that the company says are “generally known to have happened,” like the Sandy Hook massacre or the Holocaust. The policy sounds like a great idea. But what would it do about events like the Gulf of Tonkin or alleged Syrian government chemical attacks, which were later debunked? And what does the policy say about freedom of speech? Alex Rubenstein, a journalist with Mint Press News, joins the show.
Today marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. A high-profile ceremony involving heads of government was held, but it included some surprising guests -- Germany and Italy. Also notable was Russia’s absence, the country that suffered the highest casualties in the war and took on the bulk of the Nazi army. What’s the true story of D-Day and World War Two as a whole? Peter Kuznick, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and the co-author with Oliver Stone of the book and the hit Showtime television series “The Untold History of the United States,” joins the show.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met yesterday at the Kremlin with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the arms race, trade, and what they called “global political stability.” The visit coincides with the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the 70th anniversary of relations between the two countries. Relations are warming between the two emerging world powers as hostility from the United States escalates against both. Brian and John speak with Vijay Prashad, the Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books and the author - most recently - of “Arab Spring, Libyan Winter.”
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Tim Karr, the senior director of strategy and communications at Free Press and he joins us from Washington.
Australian federal police this morning raided the headquarters of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in a move that is meeting with an outcry from journalists, civil libertarians, unions, and human rights groups. The police had warrants naming two reporters and the news director, who had worked on a story using Defense Ministry documents showing that Australian troops had committed war crimes in Afghanistan. Police also raided the home of one of the reporters.
Joe Biden is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for president. Believe it or not, this is the fourth time he’s run for the country’s highest office. And he was Vice President for eight years. Biden’s earlier campaigns were doomed for a variety of reasons. In 1988 he was credibly accused of plagiarism. In 1992 he was accused of embellishment. In 2000, his candidacy didn’t catch on because of his high-profile role in the Clarence Thomas hearing. All these years later, Biden doesn’t seem to have changed. Can he really win the Democratic nomination? And if he does, can he really become president? A controversy over plagiarism in his newly announced environmental policy have people raising these questions more and more. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
The US and its allies say that 180 civilians were killed in military operations in Raqqa, Syria between June and October 2018. But a new study by Amnesty International says that the real number of civilian deaths was more than 1600. Meanwhile, Iraq has executed nine French citizens who worked as cooks and mechanics for ISIS and is preparing to execute 11 more. The nine had trials that lasted mere minutes. Brian and John speak with Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show. They focus on the Australian police raid of major news outlet Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the major problems and challenges facing Joe Biden’s campaign for the Democratic nomination, and the “deal of the century” where the United States that is attempting to liquidate the national aspirations of the Palestinian people for genuine self-determination.
Jazz arose in late nineteenth century North America—most likely in New Orleans—based on the musical traditions of Africans, newly freed from slavery. Grounded in the music known as the “blues,” which expressed the pain, sufferings, and hopes of African-Americans under the thumb of Jim Crow, this new music entered the world via the instruments that had been abandoned by departing military bands after the Civil War. Gerald Horne’s new book Jazz and Justice examines the economic, social, and political forces that shaped this music into a phenomenal US—and Black American—contribution to global arts and culture. They also talk with Dr. Horne about his second new book, “White Supremacy Confronted: U.S. Imperialism and Anti-Communism vs. the Liberation of Southern Africa from Rhodes to Mandela.” Dr. Gerald Horne joins Brian and John and is a professor of history at the University of Houston and the author of many books.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations.
Top U.S. and Chinese officials exchanged sharp criticisms in the run up to today’s 30th anniversary of the 1989 events in Tiananmen Square, with U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo slamming China’s human rights record and a Chinese government spokesman replying that the remarks aim to “patronise and bully the Chinese people.” What happened 30 years ago, and why is it still such an important issue in contemporary U.S.-China relations?
President Trump is in the second day of his visit to the UK. He met this morning with outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May and said he was interested in negotiating what he called a “major trade deal” with the country. Queen Elizabeth hosted a state dinner for the president last night, but Trump’s crowds have been small and very large protests have been staged around the country. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Sudan’s Transitional Military Council canceled all agreements with the main opposition coalition today just hours after the military fired live ammunition into unarmed pro-democracy protesters. More than 35 people were killed and hundreds were wounded. The military’s leadership said that it would hold elections in nine months, but without the help and support of the opposition. But protest leaders are now calling for a massive nationwide campaign of civil disobedience. Brian and John speak with Mwiza Munthali, the host of the WPFW Radio show Africa Now and formerly with the advocacy group TransAfrica Forum.
A Swedish judge has rejected a request to detain Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange in absentia, complicating hopes to extradite him from the UK. Assange faces what many observers call a politically-motivated sexual assault charge in Sweden, but the court’s decision now prohibits Sweden from asking the UK to hold him if he is released. Meanwhile, the Justice Department has decided that Assange will not face charges related to the “Vault 7” leak of CIA cyberweapons. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show.
The House of Representatives yesterday finally approved a $19.1 billion disaster relief bill after protests from three Republican House members delayed it for months. The bill has already passed the Senate and has President Trump’s support. The measure would provide aid to states and territories hit by floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters, but is this assistance too little too late? Dr. Adriana Garriga-López, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Kalamazoo College, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Bruce Fein, a constitutional law scholar and a former assistant deputy Attorney General of the United States, and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil.”
The Justice Department is refusing to comply with a federal judge’s order to release transcripts of recorded conversations between former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak. Federal prosecutors also refused to release an unredacted portion of the Mueller report that focused on Flynn. That puts the Department of Justice in contempt of court.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
President Trump arrived in London this morning on his first official visit to the UK. He met at Buckingham Palace with Queen Elizabeth, but he also took the time to call the mayor of London “a stone cold loser.” Meanwhile, former British parliamentarian George Galloway, a frequent guest of this show, was fired over the weekend from his own radio show in the UK on the Talk Radio network after being accused of anti-semitism. When did even the most vague criticism of Israel become anti-Semitism? Brian and John speak with George Galloway, a legendary anti-war activist and a former parliamentarian.
Tensions between former Vice President Joe Biden and progressive Democrats were on full display over the weekend as the party’s presidential front-runner skipped the California Democratic Party Convention and was criticized for his establishment views. Other party moderates like former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper and former Maryland Congressman John Delaney were roundly booed for warning attendees not to move too far to the left. But much of the media has lept to Biden’s defense. Jacqueline Luqman, the editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every week on Facebook and Youtube, and a journalist with The Real News Network, joins the show.
Newly released documents from the Snowden archives reveals that Israel relied heavily on intelligence from NSA in its 2006 war in Lebanon and made repeated requests for locational information on Hezbollah operatives to target them for assassination. That Israeli pressure led to the creation of a new intelligence-sharing framework between the US and Israel. Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower, joins Brian and John.
In a surprise announcement yesterday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US was prepared to negotiate with Iran with no preconditions. The statement is the second softening of Iran policy in the past week, with President Trump saying that he was ready to talk to Iran’s leaders and was not seeking regime change. This put him in direct conflict with his own National Security Advisor, John Bolton, who has long sought just that. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry. And he’s the author of the book “How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton.”
Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange is in a prison hospital in serious condition, according to his attorneys, family members, and Wikileaks. Julian was transferred to the prison hospital yesterday after one of his attorneys found him to be incoherent in advance of a court hearing that he was going to do via video. Meanwhile, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture appealed to the UK government today, saying that Julian was being tortured psychologically.
President Trump last night announced onerous new sanctions against Mexico that will take effect on June 10, unless the Mexican government stems the flow of migrants to the United States. Tariffs of 5 percent on all Mexican goods began that day and will rise to 25 percent by October. Stocks and bonds both tumbled with the news, and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said “social problems cannot be solved with taxes or coercive measures,” and he accused the United States of being a “ghetto” for undocumented migrants. Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos, joins the show.
Iran today accused Saudi Arabia of rallying regional countries to follow US and Israeli hostility toward it at a summit in Mecca. Saudi King Salman called on countries to contain what he called “an aggressive and hostile Iran.” Saudi Arabia says that Iran is behind recent attacks against oil tankers in the Gulf, as well as Saudi oil installations. Brian and John speak with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria.
In 1989, five Black and Latino teenagers were arrested and charged with the assault and rape of a white woman in New York’s Central Park. Police pressured them into making false confessions. They all served prison time. But a convicted murderer later confessed to the crime. Now a new four-part mini-series by Ana DuVernay is telling the story of the Central Park 5. Called “When They See Us,” it was released today on Netflix. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America,” joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Julian Assange’s grave health crisis, war tensions in the Middle East as the US tries to back away from an escalating confrontation with Iran, Trump’s new announced tariffs on Mexico, the failure of Netanyahu to form a government in Israel, and the results of the European Parliament election. Brian and John are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Aaron Maté, a journalist for The Nation and a former host and producer at Democracy Now and The Real News.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller said in a rare press conference yesterday that his investigation is over and that his written report speaks for itself. He added that he would not answer any questions, even from Congress, beyond what is already in the report. But one thing the mainstream media is overlooking is that careful language Mueller used. What did he really say about the DNC hack, Russia, and collusion?
Israelis will go to the polls again in September after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition by yesterday’s deadline. Netanyahu was unable to pull in enough support amid a dispute with former ally Avigdor Lieberman of the ultranationalist Israel Our Home over the conscription of ultra-orthodox Jewish seminary students. Netanyahu will remain in office until the election and, in July, will become the longest serving Israeli prime minister in history. Sputnik news analysts and producers of Loud & Clear Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show.
Janet Africa and Janine Africa, two members of the Philadelphia-based Black liberation group MOVE, became the third and fourth members to be released from prison last week after serving 40 years. The women were arrested in 1978 after a confrontation with police that left one policeman dead. However, it was proven during trial that no member of MOVE had fired a single shot. Nonetheless, nine MOVE members were convicted. Walter and John speak with Mike Africa Jr., a member of the MOVE organization and son of two of the members of the MOVE 9.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
Mexico’s Attorney General today charged Emilio Lozoya, the politically-connected former CEO of the state oil company Pemex, with corruption. His arrest warrant is part of an anti-corruption campaign waged by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Dr. John Ackerman, professor of Constitutional Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), researcher at the Legal Research Institute of UNAM, and editorial director of the Mexican Law Review, joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Walter and John speak with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller held a press conference today in which he said that he would not say anything before Congress than he had already written in his report. He cautioned that he had NOT said that the President had not tried to obstruct justice, but that it was unconstitutional to charge a sitting president with a crime and unfair to accuse a person of a crime when he could not defend himself.
National Security Advisor John Bolton held a press conference today where he accused Iran of using mines to attack the oil tankers that were damaged in the Persian Gulf on May 12. Bolton also accused Iran of being behind a failed attempt to disrupt Saudi oil infrastructure. No evidence was presented to support these claims, but the Trump administration’s march towards confrontation with Iran continues regardless. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
In honor of Memorial Day this weekend, the US Army tweeted a question to its followers, “How has serving impacted you?” along with a video of a young soldier saying he learned to “better himself as a man and a warrior.” But instead of similar responses, the tweet garnered a huge response detailing the suicides, deaths, PTSD, and myriad mental health problems that veterans and family members cope with. Brian and John speak with Mike Prysner, an Army veteran who served for a year in Iraq, a documentary filmmaker, and a co-host of the anti-war podcast Eyes Left.
Today marks six months since 7 men were declared responsible for the murder of indigenous Lenca leader Berta Caceres in Honduras. Yet, the court still hasn’t issued a written sentence, leaving the case in a precarious legal situation. The court found that top DESA executives (the company that Berta was trying to stop from building a hydroelectric dam) knew about, and consented to, planning and killing Berta. Today, international members of the Observer Mission in the trial will hold a press conference outside the court. Joe Berra, from the UCLA school of Law, who represented the Promise Institute in the Observer Mission during the trial, joins the show.
Chinese telecommunications company Huawei is stepping up its efforts to resist a campaign led by the U.S. government to curtail its operations around the world. In a press conference today, Huawei’s top lawyers said, “The US government has provided no evidence to show that Huawei is a security threat. There is no gun, no smoke. Only speculation.” Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today they discuss Mueller’s comments today, Bolton’s new accusations against Iran, what’s become of the few soldiers who defected from Venezuela to Colombia when Guaido asked, and the assaults on women’s right to abortion nationwide. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
Elections for the European Parliament are over and the results are not nearly as clear cut as many observers had expected. In the UK, the results held true to public opinion polls, with Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party finishing first with more than 35 percent of the vote.
Elsewhere around Europe in the European Parliamentary election, the anticipated right-wing tide never materialized, and although more nationalists were elected to the body, the Greens also finished very strongly. In the end, pro-Europeanists still control the majority. Independent journalist Diani Barreto and Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, join the show.
Cybercriminals--extortionists--have terrorized Baltimore over the past three weeks, freezing thousands of city computers, freezing emails, and disrupting everything from real estate transactions to water bills. But the kicker in this computer ransom attack is that the malware being used to do it was developed just down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway at NSA, which lost control of the program in 2017. Brian and John speak with web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa.
Fighting in the last rebel-held stronghold in Syria continued today. Syrian government forces have been closing in on Idlib for the past month, and the United Nations estimates that nearly 1,000 civilians have been killed or wounded there in that period. Idlib is controlled by the Tahrir al-Sham group, formerly known as the al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda’s military wing in Syria. And the group’s leader is calling on Turkish forces for assistance. Meanwhile, the Syrian government and Israel had an especially intense exchange of fire over the weekend. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
During a trip to Japan over the weekend, President Trump insisted that the peace talks with North Korea are still on and made a series of comments that generated major controversy in the United States. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, editor-in-chief of Consortium News and author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton."
The superseding indictment of Julian Assange on violations of the espionage act is sending shockwaves around the world. The panel discusses what this extreme attack on press freedom means for democracy in the United States.
President Trump yesterday gave Attorney General William Barr sweeping powers to review and declassify documents related to how the Russia collusion investigation was conducted. He also ordered the CIA and all of the other 15 intelligence agencies to cooperate in the review. Barr also will seek to determine if the Obama Administration authorized a spying operation against the Trump campaign. The hosts are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil.”
British Prime Minister Theresa May announced this morning that she was resigning as Prime Minister and as leader of the Conservative Party. She will remain as a member of parliament. The resignation will be effective June 7. May has lost control of her party’s backbench and has been unable to push a Brexit agreement through parliament. A succession race already has begun. Lee Stranahan. He’s the co-host of Fault Lines and is on the ground in the UK covering the European Parliament election for Sputnik, joins the show.
The Trump Administration is preparing to circumvent Congress to allow the export to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of billions of dollars of weapons and munitions that are currently on hold because of the war against Yemen, reportedly by declaring that an emergency exists with regards to alleged Iranian threats. The weapons are worth about $7 billion. The move already has drawn the ire of Republicans and Democrats alike. Brian and John speak with Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
Our next guest just got back from a conference in Beijing called Dialogue of Asian Civilizations and its conclusions couldn’t have been more different from what has been going on in Washington. A senior State Department officials and former Trump campaign official told a conservative think tank in Washington earlier this month that US competition with China is a result of a “clash of civilizations, cultures, and ideologies.” But our guest today is a scholar who pushes back on this dangerous interpretation that poses a serious threat to peace in the world. Emanuel Pastereich. He is a professor and the founder and director of The Asia Institute, a pan-Asian think tank, joins the show.
Again this week we’ll look at the worst, most misleading, funniest, and the just plain wrong headlines of the past week. Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News, at lefti.blogspot.com, joins Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
Michael Avenatti, the attorney who rocketed to fame by representing adult film star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Trump, was charged yesterday with defrauding her of $300,000. Avenatti was charged earlier this year in New York on multiple felony counts of trying to extort the Nike shoe company of $25 million. And he faces yet more felony charges in Los Angeles, accusing him of defrauding other clients. However, at the height of his public notoriety last year, he was hailed as a hero by the corporate media and even established an exploratory committee and said he wanted to run for president.
A federal judge ruled against President Trump’s request to block Deutsche Bank from complying with Congressional subpoenas seeking his financial records. Meanwhile, the president angrily walked out of a White House meeting with Congressional Democrats yesterday, saying that any infrastructure bill was dead until Democrats stop all investigations of him. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com, at ThisCantBeHappening.net, joins the show.
Voting began today in the most divisive European parliamentary elections in a generation. The UK and the Netherlands vote today, while the remaining 26 European Union nations vote Sunday to allot the parliament’s 751 seats. All eyes are on the UK election, where the far-right Brexit Party has a commanding lead in the polls. The most recent poll shows the ruling Conservatives winning just seven percent of the vote. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Theresa May abandoned her plan to offer a vote on holding a second referendum after backlash from her party. Brian and John speak with Lee Stranahan, the host of Radio Sputnik’s Fault Lines, which you can hear every day, Monday through Friday from 7:00-10:00 am.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a decisive victory in elections yesterday, thumping the opposition Congress Party of Rahul Gandhi, and cruising to another five-year term. Modi is one of the most powerful and divisive figures in modern India, and his Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, is poised to win at least 300 seats, far beyond the 272 seats necessary to govern. Dr. Ania Loomba, a professor of literature at the University of Pennsylvania and an expert in postcolonial studies, joins the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria.
The Trump Administration announced yesterday that it “sees signs that the Syrian government may again be using chemical weapons” in its offensive to recapture the last remaining rebel-held territory in the country, and warned that the use of chemical weapons would incur retaliatory measures from Washington. The alleged chlorine attack took place weeks ago against a group allied with al-Qaeda. These accusations take place, however, just a few days after a report by Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons experts was leaked which casts doubt on the United States’ version of events with regards to a previous alleged chemical attack.
The United States is preparing sanctions and criminal charges against Venezuelan officials whom they accuse of using food aid program to launder money for the Maduro government, as well as companies involved in supplying goods to the program. Millions of Venezuelan families rely on the program for food and other basic necessities because of hyperinflation caused in part by existing US sanctions on the country. Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, joins the show.
The latest Brexit proposal from British Prime Minister Theresa May is causing major controversy and dissension within her own party. May’s final effort to pas a deal comes ahead of elections for the European Parliament, which begin tomorrow. The new hard-right Brexit Party will likely finish first, if the latest polls are correct, with 35 percent of the vote. It shows the Liberal Democrats in second place with 16 percent, followed by Labour at 15 percent, and the environmentalist Green Party at 10 percent. The ruling Conservative Party is projected to finish fifth, with only nine percent of the vote. And the anti-Brexit Change Party, made up of former Conservative and Labour parliamentarians, is polling only five percent. Brian and John speak with Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union.
President Trump is expected to soon name former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli III to a senior White House position dealing with immigration policy. Cuccinelli is known as a hardliner on immigration and is a frequent contributor to Fox News. He is also the former convention delegate coordinator for Senator Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign. Jacqueline Luqman, co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, where she livestreams every week on Facebook and Youtube, and a journalist with The Real News Network, joins the show.
The corruption trial of former Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner begins today in Buenos Aires. Kirchner faces 12 separate trials and is accused of accepting bribes from a construction company in exchange for lucrative government contracts. She argues, however, that the charges are meant to keep her from being elected to office again. She is currently running for vice president and is polling strongly, especially among young people. Arnold August, a Canadian author and journalist, currently writing articles on Venezuela and Latin America for web sites in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and Europe, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today they discuss the explosive meeting between Trump and Pelosi, US-Iranian relations, and the continued attack on Venezuela. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Rousesll and Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Rose Gardner of Alliance for Environmental Strategies in Eunice, New Mexico, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com
House Democrats fumed today when former White House Counsel Don McGahn was a no-show for a Judiciary Committee hearing, despite the fact that he was subpoenaed. Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said that McGahn would be held in contempt of Congress, but President Trump said he had ordered McGahn to not testify, and he added that he had done so as a favor to all future presidents. Meanwhile, investigators are seeking a wide range of financial records from President Trump and Donald Trump, Jr.
A 16-year-old Guatemalan boy who was being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and was diagnosed with the flu, has died in custody. He is the fifth child to die in ICE custody since December. ICE officials had no response when asked why the boy was not taken to a hospital when he complained of feeling sick. Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos, joins the show.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said today that members of parliament have one last chance at a Brexit deal, but only if they back the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill. That bill contains guarantees on workers rights, environmental protections, and the Irish border, as well as a customs compromise. Parliament already has rejected the bill three times. But May said if it is rejected again, Brexit will be “dead in the water.” Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
The United States is pushing for a Middle East peace conference to be held in the small Persian Gulf country of Bahrain next month, describing the event as the first step in unveiling President Donald Trump’s peace plan. The problem is, nobody bothered to either invite or even inform the Palestinians. Palestinian leaders responded by rejecting the event and saying that any peace agreement must be political in nature and must include definitive borders and the end of Israeli territorial occupation. Miko Peled, the author of "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” joins the show.
The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to adopt new modeling to project air pollution health risks, according to a new report. Officials plan to start calculating air pollution effects on humans by assuming "there is little or no health benefit to making the air any cleaner than what the law requires,” going against well documented evidence that says otherwise. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation” from Monthly Review Press, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice.
Today, Ecuadorian authorities handed over to US prosecutors Julian Assange’s legal documents and medical records that remain in the Ecuadorian Embassy after Assange’s arrest. Sweden also issued a request for a detention order against Assange.
Over the weekend president Trump threatened to “end” Iran if it threatens the United States, prompting an outraged response from the Iranian government. Fears are mounting that the stage is being set for war. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
New Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was inaugurated today following his landslide election victory, and immediately dissolved parliament and called for snap elections. What does Zelensky’s presidency mean for Ukraine and for the geopolitical conflicts the country is embroiled in? Brian and John speak with Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s coalition is expected to form a majority government after an unexpectedly strong finish in yesterday’s elections. Voters rejected the opposition Labor’s Party’s focus on climate change in favor of Morrison’s push for the use of more coal. Anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment are also thought to have played a key role in the election. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
Corporate media came out with a new line of attack on the Democratic presidential candidates most closely identified with the peace movement. The New York Times recently published a magazine article accusing Bernie Sanders of embracing left-wing and liberation movements and involving himself in the Cold War when he was mayor of Burlington, Vermont. And The Daily Beast wrote this weekend that Tulsi Gabbard’s campaign is being “boosted by Putin apologists.” Is this the Democrats’ version of McCarthyism for the 2020 campaign? Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil,” joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the U.S. drive for regime change in Iran, the seizure of the Venezuelan embassy in D.C., the U.S.-China trade war, new developments in the fight for justice for Eric Garner, and the draconian anti-abortion law in Alabama.
Donald Trump has unveiled a sweeping proposal to fundamentally remake the U.S. immigration system under the so-called “merit based” process long demanded by the far right. Trump’s proposal would crack down on the family reunification process that working people from poor nations frequently rely on. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins the show.
UK Labour Party leader jeremy corbyn has ended negotiations with Prime Minister Theresa May over the future of Brexit. Citing the government's "weakness and instability" as well as its refusal to agree to a customs union with the European Union, Corbyn concluded that there was no point in continuing the talks. Brian speaks with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian speaks with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Victor Grossman has lived a remarkable life as one of the few Americans to have defected to the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. He has been a lifelong activist for peace and social justice. Victor’s most recent book is “A Socialist Defector: From Harvard to Karl-Marx-Allee.” He joins Brian to talk about his story.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kei Pritsker, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition and a member of the Embassy Protection Collective who stayed in the embassy for weeks.
This morning, all of the Embassy Protectors at the Venezuelan Embassy in DC were arrested and taken away in police vehicles, despite being legal tenants of the building that is owned by the Venezuelan Government. Over a grueling 36-day struggle the Embassy Protection Collective made headlines worldwide and became a formidable line of defense against the U.S.-backed right wing coup attempt that is still underway.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show to describe his own experiences in front of the Venezuelan Embassy as a part of the Embassy Protection Collective.
The Trump administration issued an executive order yesterday targeting Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei, a move sure to deepen overall economic tensions between the United States and China. The executive order, while not explicitly referencing Huawei, could be used to disrupt the company’s supply chain by prohibiting U.S. companies from selling them components on the basis of supposed national security threats. Brian speaks with Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen.
As tensions between the US and Iran escalate, Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen are being bombed by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition. At least six civilians have died today and dozens are wounded after the air raids struck Sanaa, Yemen’s capital. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
The Sudanese military abruptly cut off talks with protest leaders just a day after a deal on a transitional authority was reported to be imminent. Repression against demonstrators, who are conducting a sit-in in front of army headquarters, has ramped up in recent days. Bayan Abubakr, a PhD candidate studying the history of Sudan at Yale University, joins Brian.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian speaks with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Amanda Reyes, the executive director of Yellowhammer Fund, an abortion fund in Alabama to help women get abortion procedures.
The Alabama State Senate passed a hotly debated bill yesterday banning all abortion except in cases of “serious health risk” for the mother. The bill does ban abortions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. The Senate approved this bill 25 to 6.
The U.S. government has ordered the evacuation of all non-emergency personnel from Iraq due to alleged threats by Iranian-aligned militias in the country, a charge Iran rejects as an attempt to create a false pretense for U.S. military aggression. Meanwhile the Iranian government has announced changes in its nuclear policy as a means to express frustration that Western powers are not living up to their side of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Shabbir Razvi, an economist and political analyst, joins the show.
Pamela Turner, a 44 year old Black woman who lived in the Baytown suburb of Houston, was shot and killed by a police officer on Monday. The killing, which was captured on video, has caused outrage across the country. Brian speaks with Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy and Capitalism in Seventeenth Century North America and the Caribbean.”
Palestinian and their supporters around the world are marking Nakba Day today. 71 years ago, the state of Israel was formally created, launching a mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in a brutal campaign of colonization that continues today with renewed intensity. Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist, whose latest book is “Sesame Street Palestine: The Ups and Downs of Producing a Children’s Program,” joins the show.
San Francisco became the first major city in the country to ban the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement. The measure, passed by an overwhelming margin by the city’s Board of Supervisors, cited the near certainty that the technology would be used to carry out civil rights violations. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins Brian.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek, sitting in for John Kiriakou, are joined by Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODE PINK and member of the Embassy Protection Collective, and by Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist.
Last night, the police cut the locks on the door of the Venezuelan Embassy in DC and entered. But after about half an hour of tense negotiations with activists still living in the embassy and their lawyer, the cops resealed the door and left in a resounding win for the Embassy Protection Collective. This comes amid Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido public request for a U.S. military invasion to rescue his failed coup attempt.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and Walter speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Donald Trump today denied reports that his administration was considering plans to send up to 120,000 U.S. troops to the Middle East in preparation for armed conflict with Iran. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for talks that included Iran and the 2015 nuclear deal that the Trump administration is intent on sabotaging. Brian and Walter speak with Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
With 95 percent of the vote counted in the Philippines, it appears that all 12 Senate seats up for a vote will be filled with supporters of far-right President Rodrigo Duterte. With the House of Representatives filled with Duterte’s allies as well, what can the opposition do to combat the increasingly repressive policies of Duterte’s government? Bernadette Ellorin, the spokesperson for BAYAN USA, a progressive organization fighting for justice and democracy in the Philippines, joins the show.
A recent opinion poll shows the once-dominant Conservative Party running in fourth place for the upcoming European Parliament election. The new right wing Brexit Party looks almost certain to come in first. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins Brian and Walter.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book, “The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil.”
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, on the heels of his failed coup attempt against President Nicolas Maduro, has formally requested the armed intervention of the US military. Guaido said on Saturday that he had tasked his political envoy in Washington to “open direct communications” with the US military toward what he called “military cooperation.”
A week after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled a visit to Berlin, he abruptly canceled a visit to Moscow to meet with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Pompeo instead flew to Brussels, where he said he had important meetings on Iran, although the European Union’s foreign policy chief said she knew nothing of the meetings. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates announced that several of their tankers were bombed in acts of sabotage. Are US-Iran tensions behind this apparent chaos? Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
The Chinese government announced this morning that it would implement tariffs of as much as 25 percent on $60 billion worth of American-made goods in retaliation for the Trump Administration’s tariffs announced last week. The Chinese tariffs would begin on June 1. In response, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 500 points at the opening bell. Brian and John speak with John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations.
Attorneys for Trump confidant Roger Stone asked a federal judge on Friday to dismiss all charges against him because the evidence used in the case relied on unproven assumptions that Russia was behind the hack of Democratic National Committee emails during the 2016 campaign. Stone also is demanding proof that it was the Russians who provided the emails to Wikileaks. Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
Swedish authorities said today that they would reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. The move could further complicate the US government’s efforts to extradite Assange to the US to face charges of conspiring to hack into a government computer. Assange has long denied the Swedish accusations. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, and Suzie Dawson, an activist and the president of the Internet Party of New Zealand, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, and analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy, and by Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
The panel takes a look at the biggest stories so far this week and put them into historical context, including U.S. aggression against Iran and Venezuela and so-called “great power competition” against China.
Chelsea Manning was released yesterday from a federal detention facility in Alexandria, VA. She had refused to testify before a grand jury against Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. The term of the Assange grand jury had expired. But Manning will likely be arrested again next week when a new grand jury is empaneled. She already has said that she again will refuse to testify. Joe Lauria, editor-in-chief of Consortium News and author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton", joins the show.
The Justice Department announced yesterday that Daniel Everett Hale was arrested and indicted on espionage charges for providing an Intercept journalist with information about the US’s drone program. The information apparently was the subject of an expose Jeremy Scahill wrote in 2015. The U.S. government’s war on whistleblowers continues at it seeks to shield from public view the abuses it carries out around the world. Brian and John speak with Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and cohost of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure.
The Trump Administration has escalated its trade war with China, raising tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese exports. Beijing expressed what it called “deep regret” over the development and said that it would immediately implement countermeasures. Meanwhile, in an early morning tweet storm, President Trump said that there was “no need to rush” into a China trade deal. Steve Keen, an economist and author of “Debunking Economics”, joins the show.
A poll released today by The Financial Times shows that the UK’s Conservative Party is facing its worst defeat in the history of European parliamentary elections. The poll of polls shows the Tories winning just 14 percent. That’s compared to 29 percent for Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party and the Labour Party’s 25 percent. Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
Again this week we’ll look at the worst, most misleading, funniest, and the just plain wrong headlines of the past week. Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News, at lefti.blogspot.com, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kevin Zeese, co-coordinator of Popular Resistance and a member of the Embassy Protection Collective; Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODE PINK and a member of the Embassy Protection Collective; and from Caracas by Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com.
DC’s power company shut off the electricity in the Venezuelan Embassy yesterday reportedly on orders from Venezuelan coup leader Juan Guaido’s so-called ambassador Carlos Vecchio. Members of the Embassy Protection Collective are still inside as tenants of the Venezuelan government. Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government arrested the vice president of the national assembly for treason over his role in last week’s military push to overthrow president Maduro.
Today we continue our weekly series “Criminal Injustice,” where we talk about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center, joins the show.
The Senate Intelligence Committee has now subpoenaed Donald Trump, Jr. over the Trump Tower meeting, despite the 400-page Mueller report that investigates that meeting and all contacts with the president’s campaign and finds no evidence of collusion. Meanwhile, the House Judiciary Committee voted yesterday to hold Attorney General Barr in contempt of Congress. The hosts are joined by Jim Kavanagh, founder of thepolemicist.net, whose most recent article on the subject is "Investigation Nation: Mueller, Russiagate, and Fake Politics."
As the Trump administration adopts an increasingly hostile attitude towards North Korea, the DPRK has moved in the last week to conduct two new tests of weapons systems in a warning to Washington. Can the negotiations be put back on track? Brian and John speak with Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network.
The European Union rejected the 60-day deadline announced by Iran in response to the latest round of suffocating U.S. sanctions. The future of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal is in deepening jeopardy. Massoud Shadjareh, founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
South African voters went to the polls yesterday in an election marked by the rise of new left wing political forces and growing momentum behind land redistribution to address the legacy of apartheid colonial rule. Results are continuing to trickle in. Glen Ford, executive editor of Black Agenda Report, joins Brian and John.
Today we continue our weekly segment dealing with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Karl Grossman, a professor at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said today that Iran would no longer comply with parts of the landmark nuclear deal, the JCPOA, and will resume uranium enrichment if the other countries that remain in the deal--China, France, Germany, Russia, and the UK--fail to protect Iran’s banking and oil sectors. The move comes as Washington has ramped up military and economic pressure on Iran.
Drivers for rideshare services Uber and Lyft are going on strike today in more than a dozen cities across the United States, as well as in the UK, Australia, and around South America. Drivers want a liveable wage, job security, and regulated fares, among other things. After factoring in commissions, fees, and vehicle expenses, the average driver makes $9.21 an hour, but has no health insurance, no retirement, and no job security. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
The House Judiciary Committee voted today to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress, a misdemeanor, for failing to provide it with an unredacted copy of the Mueller report and for failing to appear before the committee to testify. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that Barr should be held in contempt, but she has not yet scheduled a floor vote. Meanwhile, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler says he may also seek to hold former White House Counsel Don McGahn in contempt for refusing to testify. Brian and John speak with Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
The New York Times has acquired Donald Trump’s tax returns from 1985 to 1994. They show that Trump’s companies lost $1.17 billion during that period, while the man and his family continued to earn hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump’s paper losses were so significant, that he did not pay any income taxes at all for eight years. Not a single dollar. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com, joins the show.
Millions of South Africans went to the polls today in the first election since Cyril Ramaphosa became president early last year amid promises to rid his African National Congress of corruption and redistribute the country’s land in favor of the Black majority. The ANC is almost certain to retain its status as the largest party, but with newer parties like the Economic Freedom Fighters rising in the polls its majority is in doubt. Eugene Puryear, the host of By Any Means Necessary, which you can hear every day, Monday through Friday, here on Sputnik Radio, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts and producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Berlin-based independent journalist Diani Barreto.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday abruptly canceled a visit to Germany, where he was scheduled to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Pompeo’s office cited “pressing issues” as the reason for the cancelation. The German Foreign Minister said the visit would be quickly rescheduled.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell delivered a speech on the floor of the Senate today decrying ongoing speculation over the Russia probe. He said rumors of a conspiracy between President Trump and Russia had been proven false and that the case was closed. Meanwhile, 500 former prosecutors have signed a letter saying that if President Trump weren’t president, he would have been prosecuted. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” joins the show.
National Security Advisor John Bolton made an unusually strong anti-Iran statement this week, while the Pentagon ordered a carrier strike force to the Persian Gulf in response to undisclosed intelligence that there was a threat in the region to US interests. Well, the news outlet Axios has found that that intelligence came from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself, who has a vested interest in a conflict between Iran and the United States. Brian and John speak with Ben Norton, he’s a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast.
President Trump yesterday pardoned a former soldier who had been convicted of killing an Iraqi prisoner in cold blood. Michael Behenna served five years in the military prison at Leavenworth, Kansas and was released in 2014. He had originally been sentenced to 25 years. Trump said that Behenna was “entirely deserving” of a pardon. Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
The ceasefire between Israel and Gaza appears to be holding, thanks to intervention by the United Nations and the government of Egypt. Meanwhile, Qatar announced that it would send $480 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
The Trump Administration announced yesterday that it would send an aircraft carrier strike group and Air Force bombers to the Persian Gulf because of what it called “troubling and escalating indications and warnings” related to Iran. National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Sunday that the deployment was meant to send “a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on US interests or those of our allies would be met with unrelenting force.” Military analysts in Washington, however, that they were unaware of any new threat to the US, US interests, or US allies in the region.
The pro-Juan Guaido siege against the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington continues. Members of the Embassy Protection Collective remain inside. Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, whose work is at popularresistance.org, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Walter and John.
President Trump issued a series of threats against China via Twitter yesterday, saying that the US would raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25 percent if China doesn’t relent in trade talks. The Chinese rebuffed the president, but said that trade talks would continue. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 471 points at the opening because of the tweets. Jude Woodward, the author of the book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins the show.
A United Nations report released this morning says that one million plant and animal species are on the verge of extinction because of human activity. The species range from whales to insects barely detectable by the naked eye. The mass extinction, if it occurs, could seriously disrupt the food chain, and it could adversely affect food and water security and farming. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation” from Monthly Review Press, joins Walter and John.
Israel and Gaza agreed to a ceasefire this morning after the worst violence between the two sides since 2014. Four Israelis were killed when Palestinians launched rocket attacks on Friday. Twenty three Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes, including two pregnant women and two infants. The latest round of fighting began when Israeli forces carried out yet another mass shooting during Friday demonstrations along the border of Gaza. Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine,” and Miko Peled, the author of the new book "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the attempted coup in Venezuela, British local elections where the Conservatives lost hundreds of representatives, and the synagogue shooting earlier in the week.
Facebook announced yesterday that it was banning several people whom it called “dangerous.” Is this not a direct attack on free speech? Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
A group of activists who are invited guests of the Venezuelan government have been enduring siege-like conditions to prevent the illegal seizure of the country’s embassy in Washington, D.C. by supporters of coup leader Juan Guaido. And supporters of the right-wing opposition are growing increasingly abusive and violent against the supporters of the embassy protectors gathered outside. Brian and John speak with Kei Pritsker, an activist with the Embassy Protection Collective.
The Department of Labor announced this morning that the unemployment rate fell to 3.6 percent, a 49-year low, as the economy added jobs for the 103rd consecutive month. Despite the strong economy, however, the gap between the rich and poor continued to grow. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins Brian and John.
Following weeks of calls for her to step down, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh resigned yesterday. Pugh is the subject of a federal investigation into allegations that she made $800,000 from the sale of her self-published children’s book to major healthcare companies that had business with the city. Eddie Conway, a journalist with The Real News Network who was a leading member of the Baltimore branch of the Black Panther Party and a political prisoner for 44 years, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
Julian Assange today appeared in a London court by videolink for a preliminary hearing to fight his extradition to the United States. A judge asked Assange if he was prepared to surrender himself for extradition. He replied, “I do not wish to surrender myself for extradition for doing journalism that’s won many, many awards and affected many people.” An attorney representing the US government then asked for a formal extradition hearing on June 12.
British Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday fired Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson after a British newspaper published classified information from a National Security Council meeting that the UK was planning to give Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei partial access to the country’s 5G network. Williamson has adamantly denied that he was the source of the leak. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
The U.S. government continues to make aggressive moves to assert power over international energy markets. Sanctions waivers issued for purchasers of Iranian oil officially expired today, and as a European energy summit kicks off in Brussels the Trump administration is pressuring EU members to replace Russian natural gas supplies with imports from the United States. Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Today marks five years since 46 people were killed in an arson attack on a trade union headquarters in the Ukrainian city of Odessa carried out by a far right mob. In the years that followed, neo-Nazi sentiment and organizations became increasingly normalized in the country. Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history whose latest book is “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce,” joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
As the latest military putsch by self-proclaimed Venezuelan leader Juan Guaido falls apart, the United States is stepping up threats of a military assault on the country to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro’s government. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday that the Trump administration position is “crystal clear and incredibly consistent. Military action is possible.” Meanwhile, tensions inside the country continue following large demonstrations for and against the government. Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, who recently returned from Venezuela where he was a member of a peace delegation, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Attorney General William Barr testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee today and answered questions about the Mueller Report. Democrats criticized Barr harshly because he first released his own four-page analysis of the Mueller Report, apparently in an attempt to control news of its release. A redacted version of the report was released later.
Julian Assange was sentenced today to 50 weeks in prison by a UK court for skipping bail, close to the maximum allowable sentence. His lawyers, however, argue that he had a well-founded fear of extradition to the United States, where his fundamental human rights would be violated. Karen Kwiatkowski, an activist and former U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who left the armed forces in protest of the invasion of Iraq, joins the show.
Last week, the NSA’s mass collection of Americans’ metadata under Section 215 of the Patriot Act was reported as ending. Our guest, Bill Binney said that he would believe it when he saw it. Today, new reports have surfaced that the White House will seek the permanent renewal of Section 215 that would once again allow NSA to collect and analyze the phone records of every American. Brian and John speak with Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower.
May Day demonstrations are taking place across the world, marking International Workers Day. Huge marches, acts of civil disobedience and clashes are taking place in nearly every country. Vijay Prashad, the Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, and the author of several books including most recently “Arab Spring, Libyan Winter,” joins the show.
For the first time ever, the US Air Force has used at F-35 fighter jet in a combat mission, using two of the aircraft to bomb an ISIS tunnel network and weapons cache in Iraq yesterday. The F-35 has long been a subject of complaint for its difficult maneuverability and its excessive cost. The Government Accounting Office estimates that the F-35 program will cost more than $1 trillion over its lifetime. Pierre Sprey, a special assistant to the Secretary of Defense, a former defense analyst who is considered to be one of the fathers of the F-16 and A-10 fighter jets. He is also one of the country’s foremost critics of the F-35, joins Brian and John.
Juan Guaido’s third coup attempt appears to fail once again. What’s driving the US effort to carry out the overthrow of a democratically elected government in Latin America? Is it oil? Is it regional domination? Is it both? Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis,” joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (filling in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, and Nicole Roussell, Sputnik News analyst and producer.
Fierce clashes have taken place across Venezuela today as U.S.-backed self-proclaimed President Juan Guaido launched a military operation he claimed was the “final phase” of ending Nicolas Maduro’s presidency. Armed opposition supporters and a small group of military defectors are attempting to seize a key airbase in the capital, while huge crowds of Maduro supporters have rallied outside the presidential palace. Top Trump administration officials have publicly expressed their support for the coup attempt.
We continue our regular segment Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. In this weekly segment we talk about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, a professor and organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, joins the show.
President Trump yesterday ordered new restrictions on asylum seekers at the southern border, including application fees and new restrictions on work permits. He also ordered that all asylum requests be decided within 180 days. Walter and John speak with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
The US military and intelligence prison at Guantanamo has been around for 17 years. Many of the prisoners there--almost none of whom have been charged with a crime--arrived when the facility was first opened. The military’s response is to gradually turn the prison into a geriatric care center and even into a hospice. Marjorie Cohn, former president of the National Lawyers Guild and editor of the book “The United States and Torture, Interrogation, Incarceration, and Abuse”, joins the show.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said that cross party talks on a Brexit plan should conclude by the end of the week. But the Labour Party is divided. Some members support Brexit strongly, while others want a second referendum. Neil Clark, journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins Brian and John.
We continue our weekly series False Profits -- A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Daniel Sankey, financial policy analyst, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Julie Hurwitz, a civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman, Hurwitz and James.
A 19-year-old gunman opened fire inside a synagogue in Poway, California yesterday killing one woman and wounding at least four other people. The gunman had ranted on the internet against Muslims and Jews and said that he had taken his inspiration from recent attacks on a synagogue in Pittsburgh and on mosques in New Zealand. Are these racist, bigoted, and xenophobic attacks against worshippers the new normal in the United States?
The hosts take a look at the latest attempt to demonize and suppress alternative media -- cementing the dominance of big corporations and establishment narratives, a task that takes on special significance ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Sputnik news analyst Nicole Roussell joins the show.
Spaniards took to the polls this weekend and delivered a victory for the left of center government. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialist Party was the biggest winner, but will need the help of smaller parties to form a government. The conservative Popular Party won just 66 seats, down from 137. And importantly, the far-right Vox Party won 26 seats and about 10 percent of the popular vote. Brian and John speak with Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly.
Russian officials held a press conference today revealing a new report about the so-called White Helmets, an organization in Syria presented as a humanitarian group that critics say has ties to terrorist militias and has been party to human rights violations. Lee Stranahan, host of the Radio Sputnik show Faultlines who was at the press conference covering the event for Sputnik News, joins the show.
Two American veterans, members of the group Veterans for Peace, were arrested at Shannon Airport in Ireland in March and charged with taking part in a protest against US military flights through Shannon on their way to the Middle East. But the wheels of justice turn slowly in Ireland. The vets’ passports have been confiscated and, even though the charges against them are very minor, they may not leave the country and a trial could be three years away. Tarak Kauff, one of the Veterans for Peace activists trapped in Ireland, joins Brian and John.
In a blockbuster story today, the Wall Street Journal reported that Boeing failed to inform Southwest Airlines and other carriers that a safety feature on the Boeing 737 Max-8 aircraft that warns pilots about malfunctioning sensors had been deactivated. FAA inspectors and managers also were unaware of the deactivation. Two 737 Max-8 jets crashed in the past six months, resulting in the deaths of some 500 people. Today, executives faced angry shareholders for the first time since the jets were grounded. Dr. Alan Diehl, an award-winning aviation psychologist and safety consultant, and a major air safety whistleblower in the 1990s, and Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analyst and producer Nicole Roussell.
Maria Butina, the Russian graduate student who pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to fail to register as a foreign agent, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison. She already has served nine months in jail awaiting trial. Prosecutors had accused Butina of a wide array of crimes, in addition to using sex to collect information, none of which was true, and they had to withdraw numerous accusations against her. Still, she gets prison time when American co-conspirators will sleep in their own beds tonight. And that’s despite the fact that she cooperated with prosecutors. Sputnik News analyst Nicole Roussell, who attended today’s sentencing hearing, joins the show.
Democratic presidential candidate and former vice president Joe Biden yesterday apologized to law professor Anita Hill for his treatment of Hill during the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination hearings that he chaired in 1991. Well, he didn’t really apologize. He said that he “regretted what she had to endure.” Hill responded that she was deeply unsatisfied with the statement and added that she was troubled by recent reports that Biden has repeatedly touched women in a way that made them feel uncomfortable. Brian and John speak with Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, the executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund.
Donald Trump took questions from the press today before departing to the NRA convention, giving a series of bizarre answers on a wide range of topics. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist at www.rall.com, joins the show.
NSA has is recommending the cancellation one of it’s most controversial collection program, the wholesale gathering of metadata from American citizens. The program was initially revealed by Edward Snowden and ruled illegal in 2015 unless it conformed with the USA Freedom Act. But does the NSA still retain vast spying operations targeting the public? Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower, joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Joe Biden’s presidential campaign announcement, efforts by the Trump white house to illegally seize the Venezuelan embassy in D.C. and efforts by US peace activists to prevent this illegal seizure, the summit between North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, The U.S. economic growth report and more. Walter Smolarek, Loud & Clear producer and Sputnik News analyst, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter, historian and investigative journalist, to discuss his forthcoming article for Truthout where he lays out his analysis of the Mueller report, its impact on U.S. society, and implications for geopolitics.
For the past two weeks, a group called the Embassy Protection Collective has been guarding the Venezuelan Embassy here in Washington DC against illegal seizure by representatives of coup leader Juan Guaido. Members of the collective, who are invited tenants of the legitimate government of Venezuela, held a rally today to talk about why they are there protecting it, and producer Nicole Roussell went down to report on the protest. Linda Winter, an activist who flew here from Chicago to protect the Venezuelan Embassy, and producer and Sputnik news analyst Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Tarak Kauff and Kenneth Mayers, activists with Veterans for Peace who were unjustly denied permission to return home to the United States pending a trial on charges stemming from an anti-war protest at Shannon air base.
Controversy continues to engulf the case of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who is awaiting trial in May for stabbing a captive teenager to death in Iraq, spraying civilian neighborhoods wildly with machine gun fire and rockets, and other illegal acts. New reports point to a potential coverup as high-ranking officers discouraged their troops from officially reporting the war crimes.
Although the UK has secured a so-called flexible extension to its deadline to leave the European Union, intense political pressure is still mounting on the government of Prime Minister Theresa May. The rise of the new Brexit Party, dissent within her own party, and an upcoming visit by President Trump pose sharp challenges. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today they discuss Joe Biden’s preparations for his presidential campaign announcement and the escalating campaign by the Trump white House against against Iran. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Loud & Clear’s regular segment called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson is included in today’s Wednesday show, though it usually airs every Tuesday. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by George Papadopoulos.
On October 2017, George Papadopoulos plead guilty for making false statements to the FBI in what was the first guilty plea of those charged in the Russia probe. During the past two years, George Papadopoulos has become a household name. A former volunteer foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign, he came to the attention of the FBI regarding his contacts in 2016 related to US-Russian relations. In the end, he took a plea to the throwaway charge of making a false statement. He now has a book out called “Deep State Target: How I Got Caught in the Crosshairs of the Plot to Bring Down President Trump.”
Sri Lankan officials today are continuing their investigation into a series of deadly bombings on Easter Sunday that killed at least 321 people, mostly in churches and hotels. A virtually unknown group, the National Tawheed Jamiah, has taken responsibility and 40 people so far have been arrested. The Islamic State this morning also claimed responsibility. The Sri Lankan government, meanwhile, says that the group is loosely affiliated with the Islamic State and carried out the bombings in retaliation for the killing of 50 Muslims last month in New Zealand. Brian and John speak with Bhavani Fonseka, a human rights attorney and senior researcher at the Center for Policy Alternatives, a prominent think tank.
Just as the U.S. government was ratcheting up economic sanctions, Google joined in the anti-Iran campaign and blocked the accounts of Iranian media outlets Press TV and HispanTV. This includes the outlets’ YouTube channels, an essential platform to promote their content. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
Democratic presidential candidates have begun taking sides on impeachment just as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was taking impeachment off the table. But House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler said that if obstruction of justice is proven during the course of his committee’s investigation, President Trump should be impeached. Will the Democrats’ new aggressiveness hurt the president or rally his supporters? Dennis Bernstein, an author, poet, activist, and co-host of the political news show Flashpoints on Pacifica Radio, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Today they address the claim that the costs of Social Security will become higher than the income from it in 2020. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure.
A federal appeals court ruled this morning that Chelsea Manning must remain in jail for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. Manning had argued that the Justice Department was trying to weaken her credibility as a defense witness, rather than to punish her for refusing to testify.
The U.S. government announced today that it would not be issuing any further waivers on sanctions imposed on the Iranian oil industry. In its effort to isolate Iran economically, the Trump administration may now take action against traditional U.S. allies that do not go along with the sanctions regime. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
People across the country and world were shocked as video surfaced of a group of far-right vigilantes holding undocumented immigrants at gunpoint along the U.S.-Mexico border. The FBI arrested Larry Hopkins, a leader of the militia, on Sunday and charged him with federal gun violations, which carry a mandatory minimum sentence of eight years in prison. Kidnapping charges are expected to be added soon. But will violent far-right groups continue to grow? Brian and John speak with Daryle Lamont Jenkins, executive director of the anti-fascist organization One People’s Project.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
Ukraine has a new president. President Petro Poroshenko conceded last night to television comedian Volodymir Zelensky, who won more than 70 percent of the vote in what was seen as a referendum on corruption and poverty. Zelensky has no political experience, but he plays a president on television. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
House Democrats lined up over the weekend to announce the start of new investigations into allegations that President Trump obstructed justice during the Russia investigation, while one Fox News contributor complained that the Mueller Report was a “how-to manual for impeachment.” Some Democrats argue against impeachment, however, because the Senate is unlikely to take up the issue and because impeachment proceedings could rally Republicans. And new questions are being raised as journalists dig into the content of the report, including about the role of Joseph Mifsud and western intelligence agencies in the initiation of the FBI’s investigation into alleged Russian interference. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” and Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history whose latest book is “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce,” joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the Mueller report that was released yesterday. It was more than 400 pages, and referenced hundreds of people - but what did it really say, and what does it mean? We talk about what evidence is in the report and what is not, the political implications of the report, and the way the corporate owned media is covering the report and its conclusions.
Former Vice President Joe Biden will formally announce his candidacy for president next week. Along with Bernie Sanders, Biden has consistently been at the top of early opinion polling, but has also come under harsh criticism for a wide range of positions he has taken over his long career in politics. But after three failed presidential bids and eight years as vice president, can the fourth time be the charm? Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist at www.rall.com, joins the show.
CIA Director Gina Haspel made a rare public appearance yesterday at Alabama’s Auburn University yesterday, ostensibly to discuss what she described as the “thrill” of her hiring more than 30 years ago. Instead, she was repeatedly interrupted by hecklers who demanded that she answer questions about her role in the CIA’s torture program. The hecklers were removed and arrested, and Haspel concluded by saying that the Agency had recently turned its focus away from terrorism and toward Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Within hours of the near destruction of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday, wealthy French citizens pledged more than $1 billion to reconstruct the landmark. But the backlash was almost immediate. French President Emmanuel Macron already is accused of being the “President of the Rich,” and the country’s yellow vest protestors are in the streets calling for social equality and higher wages and pensions. And at the same time, French police have cracked down on these protestors, causing scores of deaths and injuries. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins the show.
Sudanese protest leaders today announced plans to unveil a civilian body to take over from the country’s ruling military council, although that council has resisted calls to step aside. The event will go forward on Sunday, however, with foreign diplomats and journalists invited. Producer Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent whistleblower and TIME person of the year, Ben Norton, a journalist with the Grayzone Project and co-host of the Moderate Rebels podcast, and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer.
The long-awaited Mueller investigation report was released today. They dive into the 448-page document and that deals with both allegations of collusion and obstruction of justice, the claim that Russia intervened in the election, and how the media and establishment politicians are reacting to the collapse of the narrative they promoted since the 2016 election. The report states that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and while it does not make a recommendation on charges of obstruction of justice the report appears to leave the door open for those charges to be brought later.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, Hector Lopez, the Director of Unified U.S. Deported Veterans, and Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became a prominent anti-war activist, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence.
President Trump yesterday vetoed a measure that would have cut aid to Saudi Arabia’s war against Yemen, saying that it was an infringement on his authority as President. The Yemen bill passed with healthy majorities in both houses of Congress, but not by enough to override the veto.
A redacted version of the Mueller report will be released tomorrow, but Democrats and their media allies already are downplaying the event. House Democrats announced that they will seek an unredacted version of the report on Friday. Meanwhile, CIA Director Gina Haspel apparently told the President that British intelligence officials told her that two children were injured and several ducks were killed in last year’s Novichok attack against a Russian dissident in the UK. There is no evidence, however, that this ever happened. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose latest article on both Counterpunch and The Polemicist is "Investigation Nation: Mueller, Russiagate, and Fake Politics," joins the show.
The FBI affidavit used to charge Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange confirms that the US government targeted him for publishing information. Although he has not been charged with espionage, the affidavit, sworn by FBI agent Megan Brown, clearly accuses Assange of violating the Espionage Act and raises fears of a superseding indictment. Brian and John speak with Kevin Gosztola, a journalist for Shadowproof.com and host of the Podcast “Unauthorized Disclosure.”
In a major reversal of US immigration and human rights policy, Attorney General Barr yesterday declared that detained asylum seekers who have shown that they have a credible fear of returning to their countries will no longer be able to ask a judge to grant them bail. The move will likely fill the country’s prisons and detention centers for refugees, even though they have been neither convicted of or even accused of a crime. Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos, joins the show.
French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday gave a short and solemn speech in the aftermath of the fire that devastated the Cathedral of Notre Dame. He used the speech, however, to draw parallels between the fire and the Yellow Vest protests. Macron had planned the speech for Monday, and it was supposed to be exclusively about the political uprising that has shaken France for five months. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins Brian and John.
Yesterday, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin tapped current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a governing coalition, after a majority of Knesset members supported him. Netanyahu will now continue talks with the goal of dividing up cabinet ministries among his coalition partners. The new government is expected to be the most right wing in Israeli history, and human rights advocates are sounding the alarm that even more restrictions on Palestinian citizens of Israel are imminent. Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell spent the week in Israel covering the election there. She had the opportunity to speak with Jonathan Kuttab, a leading human rights attorney in Israel and Palestine. He was born in West Jerusalem, but after the Six Day War, his family moved to the United States. After practicing law with a Wall Street firm for several years, he returned home to co-found the Palestinian Center for the Study of Nonviolence, al-Haw (which is a group of lawyers and others who assist with human rights issues), and the Mandela Institute for Political Prisoners. He serves on the board of directors of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, founder of the organization Democracy at Work, and his latest book is “Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown.”
The audience at a Fox News Town Hall meeting in Pennsylvania with Bernie Sanders erupted in cheers and applause when the host asked the crowd if it supported Medicare for all, a signature Sanders campaign issue. The raucous response was despite the fact that the White House condemned the bill, with Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders calling it “a socialist takeover of healthcare.” Sanders’ strong showing is being interpreted as evidence that he could win in states where Trump prevailed in 2016.
An indictment against Julian Assange in the Eastern District of Virginia was unsealed on Thursday, and the criminal complaint was released today, adding detail to the case against the Wikileaks co-founder. But even with the new detail, the government’s case is weak and limited and still accuses Assange only of a minor charge of conspiracy to access a government computer without authorization. Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," joins the show.
London police last night arrested more than 100 climate activists who had blocked Waterloo Bridge in central London to protest the government’s failure to address climate change. As soon as police completed the arrests, more protestors arrived and either chained or glued themselves to the bridge. The protests are part of a global campaign called Extinction Rebellion, with demonstrations taking place in 80 cities across 33 countries. Brian and John speak with Antony Loewenstein, an independent journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times and the Guardian, and the author of many books, including “Disaster Capitalism.”
Huge demonstrations demanding “freedom, peace and justice” are continuing as the revolt that toppled Sudan’s long-time leader Omar al-Bashir are continuing. In the aftermath of last week’s military takeover in Sudan, the African Union has given the country’s military leadership 15 days to revert to civilian rule or face expulsion. Military leaders and opposition parties and civil society groups are currently in negotiations. Nisrin Elamin, a Sudanese PhD student at Stanford and an activist in the Sudanese diaspora, joins the show.
Secretary of State Michael Pompeo recently wrapped up a tour of countries with right wing governments in Latin America to build support for the U.S.-backed push to overthrow the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Pompeo also prompted a strong response from China when he said that the country’s support for Venezuela is causing the disintegration of that country and chaos in Latin America. Chuck Kaufman, the National Co-Coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek (sitting in for John Kiriakou) are joined by Lee Stranahan, co-host of Radio Sputnik’s Fault Lines who traveled to the UK to cover Julian Assange’s arrest.
There were protests in London this weekend at the prison where Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is being held, having been forced out of the Ecuadorian Embassy late last week despite receiving political asylum seven years ago. Meanwhile, Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno signed a $4.2 billion loan with the US-backed International Monetary Fund at the same time.
The Justice Department said today that the Mueller report will be released this Thursday, and Special Counsel Robert Mueller is one of the officials working on the redactions from the memo. But the corporate media is already preparing to defend its two years of collusion accusations between President Trump and Russia, despite no evidence. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
President Trump tweeted a video this weekend attacking Representative Ilhan Omar, ludicrously linking her with the September 11th terrorist attack. She has since received a wave of death threats. Brian and Walter speak with Dr. Nazia Kazi, an activist, professor of Anthropology at Stockton University, and the author of the book “Islamophobia, Race and Global Politics.”
It’s tax day in the United States. While working people hand over a big share of their income, many huge corporations are paying hardly anything at all, a situation made even worse by the new Trump tax reform. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and founder of This Can’t Be Happening!, joins the show.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Saturday that he is open to another summit with President Trump within 2019 if there are mutually agreed upon terms. Will the United States move forward with this offer and be willing to engage in bilateral negotiations? Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins Brian and Walter.
11 people were killed in Aleppo by rockets fired by opposition fighters in Idlib last night, an area dominated by the al-Qaeda affiliated HTS terrorist group. A final government offensive to recapture the province may be imminent. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and Walter.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
The panel takes a look at the biggest stories of the week, including the arrest of Julian Assange, the overthrow of Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir, the indictment of Greg Craig, and South Korean president Moon Jae-in’s trip to the White House.
After nearly seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Julian Assange has been arrested by British authorities on behalf of the U.S. government. But the fight is just beginning to defend Assange, Wikileaks, and freedom of the press. Lee Stranahan, co-host of Radio Sputnik’s Fault Lines who traveled last night to the UK to cover the story, joins the show.
Again this week we’ll look at the worst, most misleading, funniest, and the just plain wrong headlines of the past week. Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News, joins the show.
Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell has been on the ground all week covering the Israeli election. She was able to interview prominent political leader Dr. Yousef Jabareen. He is a member of the Israeli Knesset representing Hadash, a progressive party that draws its support primarily from the country’s Arab community. He discusses the pressing issues facing the Palestinian people as hardline right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears set to yet again lead the coalition coming out of the election.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek (filling in for John Kiriakou) are joined by Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net and whistleblower and activist Coleen Rowley.
The hosts continue our weekly segment In the News, where we look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today we’ll be focusing on Attorney General Barr’s testimony to Congress and his comments on FBI spying on the Trump campaign.
The hosts continue our regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, where we look at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
A high stakes summit of European Union leaders is underway in Brussels just two days ahead of the deadline for the UK to exit the bloc. With no agreement in sight, the leaders are considering a so-called flexible extension that would push the deadline back up to one year. Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be on track to become the longest-serving leader in Israel’s history after the right wing parties won a majority of seats in last night’s election. Negotiations are now under way to form a coalition government that will be led by Netanyahu’s Likud party. Sputnik News analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, who’s been on the ground as the elections unfold, joins the show.
Wikileaks revealed today that it’s founder Julian Assange has been subjected to extensive surveillance during his time at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Supporters fear that authorities could be on the verge of expelling Assange, a development that could lead to his extradition to the United States. Joe Lauria, editor-in-chief of Consortium News, joins Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by ed Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
Attorney General William Barr told a House subcommittee today that the Mueller Report will be released within the week, although portions will be redacted. He added that he would explain the redactions line by line with lawmakers. Meanwhile, Republican Congressman Devin Nunes announced that he will send eight criminal referrals to the Justice Department, accusing unnamed people of lying to Congress, misleading Congress, and leaking classified information.
Thousands of people continued to flee war-torn Tripoli, Libya today as forces loyal to rebel General Khalifa Haftar bombed the country’s only functioning airport. There were no casualties, but all flights have been cancelled and all passengers evacuated. Here in Washington, President Trump met with Egyption leader Abd al-Aziz al-Sisi over lunch to discuss Libya, security, and the Egyptian economy. A White House spokesman said the pair also discussed human rights. Massoud Shadjareh, founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
The hosts continue our weekly segment Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. In this weekly segment we talk about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, a professor and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Gabriela Quintanilla, Western NY Coordinator for Rural & Migrant Ministry and founder and director of Adelante Student Voices, join Brian and John.
Israel held national elections for the Knesset, its parliament, today and the vote counting has begun. Polls indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party will lose between three and five seats, while General Benny Gantz’s Blue and White coalition will likely win a plurality. With that said, Netanyahu has a better chance of cobbling together a coalition of right-wing parties and remaining as Prime Minister and has been pulling out all the stops as the campaign draws to a close, including declaring his support for annexing the West Bank, accusing his opponents of planning to cooperate with Arab parties, and intimidating Arab voters with cameras outside polling places. Sputnik News analyst and producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show
The hosts continue our weekly series False Profits -- A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Daniel Sankey. He’s a financial policy analyst, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Pedro Rios, Director of the American Friends Service Committee’s U.S./Mexico Border Program.
Kirsten Nielsen, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, resigned yesterday after a meeting with President Trump. The move came amid reports of Trump’s unhappiness over Nielsen’s inability to close ports of entry along the southern border and to stop accepting asylum seekers. Critics of the administration fear that this is a precursor to an intensification of anti-immigrant policies in the run up to the 2020 election
Libya sank deeper into chaos over the weekend, with more than 2800 people fleeing fighting in Tripoli, according to the United Nations. Forces under General Khalifa Haftar are approaching the city, and seeking to wrest control of the country from UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj. Libya has been wracked by violence since the US-led NATO attack on the country that resulted in the death of Muammar al-Qaddafi in 2011. Vijay Prashad, Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, joins the show.
Israelis will go to the polls tomorrow to elect members of parliament, who in turn will elect a prime minister. The vote will bring to an end a race that has pitted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Benny Gantz, the leader of a trio of generals who could end his uninterrupted decade as Prime Minister. Brian and John speak with Nicole Roussell, Sputnik News analyst and one of the producers of this show.
President Trump today placed the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, on the list of international terrorist groups. Iran warned that the move would destabilize the region and it retaliated by officially declaring the U.S. military a terrorist organization. Kevin Zeese. He’s the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers,” where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers an activist, educator and the author of the new book “about Becoming a Teacher”, joins Brian and John.
The new book, “The Russian Peace Threat: Pentagon on Alert”, has been released to rave reviews. It reports on the propaganda that informed US-Russian relations from the Bolshevik Revolution to the present. He takes us through historical events forgotten by time and shaped by propaganda to explain a history that is largely unknown in the west. Brian and John speak with Ron Ridenhour, the author of the book.
The hosts continue the weekly half hour segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa—a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the National Surveillance State are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the possibility of Julian Assange being expelled from his safety in the embassy, the NATO summit this week, Boeing’s acknowledgement that they fully knew about the problems that killed hundreds, and the House vote to end the aid for the war in Yemen.
Wikileaks tweeted last night that a high level source in the Ecuadorian government confirmed that Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange would be expelled from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London “within hours or days” and that it already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest. Assange likely would be extradited to the United States. Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," joins the show.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has written to the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, to ask for an extension of Brexit until June 30, a request that is likely to be rejected. The UK is currently due to leave the EU on April 12, but parliament has not yet approved a Brexit plan. Brian and John speak with Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Activists from around the world are gathering April 6-8 in Washington, D.C. for the National Summit for Human Rights and Democracy. As the Duterte government steps up its repressive measures, grassroots opposition is growing to resist these attacks on democracy as well as U.S.-funded militarization. Mong Palatino, chair of the BAYAN Metro Manila chapter and former legislator, Ed Cubelo, chairman of the Metro Manila chapter of the trade union federation May 1st Movement Manila, and Rhonda Ramiro, the chairperson of BAYAN USA.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (filling in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
The New York Times and Washington Post had blaring headlines today that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators believed the Mueller report was more damaging than Attorney General William Barr had let on. But that was not supported by the substance of the articles. And there was no additional evidence that President Trump had committed any crime.
The family of an American citizen killed in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max-8 is now suing Boeing in federal court in Chicago. The suit is only one of nearly a dozen against Boeing, in addition to a Justice Department criminal investigation. Dr. Alan Diehl, an award-winning aviation psychologist and safety consultant, a major air safety whistleblower, and the author of the book “Air Safety Investigators,” joins the show.
Intense negotiations between the United States and China involving President Trump himself are underway. With a definitive Trump-Xi summit widely expected to be announced in the coming days, is the trade war with China finally coming to an end? Walter and John speak with Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work, whose latest book is “Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown.”
NATO Foreign Ministers continued today to meet in Washington a day after a rare speech to congress given by the alliance’s Secretary General. Meanwhile, the newly re-named Republic of North Macedonia is being welcomed to the alliance and NATO leaders are threatening Turkey for that country’s purchase of a Russian S-400 missile system. Peter Kuznick, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and the co-author with Oliver Stone of the book and the hit Showtime television series “The Untold History of the United States,” joins the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Walter and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Matthew Hoh, who resigned in 2009 from the State Department over the American escalation of the war in Afghanistan, and was a marine in the US occupation of Iraq prior. He is a winner of the Ridenhour Prize Recipient for Truth Telling.
NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Washington this week to mark the 70th anniversary of the alliance’s creation. The agenda also includes NATO relations with Russia, the fight against terrorism, NATO expansion, and military spending. A number of peace groups are planning demonstrations opposing the meeting, and one major event is planned for tomorrow here in Washington.
Federal Aviation Administration whistleblowers told the Senate Commerce Committee yesterday that safety inspectors at the FAA, including those involved in approving use of the Boeing 737-Max8, lacked proper training and certifications. The Republican-controlled Senate committee has launched a formal investigation into why two of the jets crashed in the past five months, killing 346 people. Mary Schiavo, the former Inspector General at the Department of Transportation, an aviation attorney, and an aviation professor, joins the show.
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned yesterday after weeks of protests demanding the end of his 20-year rule. He had been expected to resign before the end of his term on April 28, but just a few days ago, the country’s military chief said publicly that Bouteflika was unfit for office. Brian and John speak with Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis,” “The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America,” and “The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy and Capitalism in Seventeenth Century North America and the Caribbean.”
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today they discuss the Judiciary Committee’s vote on subpoenaing the Mueller report, new sanctions on Russia, the homophobic Trump-Putin animation from last summer winning an award, and the resignation of yet another Brexit secretary. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. In this episode, they talk about the US secretly giving nuclear information to Saudi Arabia. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
According to a new report, a top aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked lobbyists in a private meeting to raise public doubts about Medicare For All, saying that the progressive program would detract from Democrats’ agenda.
In a 5-4 vote yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutional guarantee that an execution must be painless, saying that a Missouri prisoner may be executed despite having a rare condition that could cause him to suffocate. Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion, which was joined by President Trump’s second Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanagh. Stephen Bright, a professor at Yale Law School and the former Director of the Southern Center for Human Rights, joins the show.
UK Prime MInister Theresa May held a marathon cabinet meeting today to discuss the ongoing crisis around the country’s departure from the European Union and announced that she would be seeking an extension to the “Article 50” deadline. This comes one day after UK lawmakers failed again to back any alternatives to Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal. Brian and John speak with Alex Gordon, former president of the National Union of Rail, Maritime, & Transport Workers.
NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Washington this week to mark the 70th anniversary of the alliance’s creation. The agenda also includes NATO relations with Russia, the fight against terrorism, and military spending. A myriad of peace groups are planning demonstrations opposing the meeting. One major event is planned for Thursday here in Washington. Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became a prominent anti-war activist, joins the show.
Senate Democrats last night killed a bill that would have provided aid to Puerto Rico because it did not go far enough. President Trump, who publicly opposes ANY aid to Puerto Rico lashed out at the island and its elected officials on Twitter overnight, saying that Puerto Rico is “a mess” and that its politicians are “incompetent and corrupt.” The Mayor of San Juan responded by saying, “He can huff & puff all he wants but he cannot escape the death of 3,000 on his watch. SHAME ON YOU!” Dr. Adriana Garriga-López, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Kalamazoo College, joins Brian and John.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com.
In the week since it was released, politicians and journalists have changed their narrative about the Mueller report, saying that its criminal findings are being suppressed and that Attorney General William Barr is part of a pro-Russia conspiracy. House Democrats will prepare subpoenas this week seeking Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s full, unredacted report.
Former Vice President Joe Biden is facing a crisis in his not-yet-launched presidential campaign as Lucy Flores, a Democratic politician from Nevada, says Biden once sniffed her hair and kissed the back of her head. Biden says that he has no memory of the incident, but other senior Democrats are demanding that he explain himself and apologize. Biden said only that he doesn’t believe that he ever acted inappropriately with Flores, but has a long-standing reputation of inappropriate behavior toward women, on top of his widely-criticized handling of the historic Anita Hill hearing when he was head of the Senate judiciary committee. Nicole Roussell, a Sputnik News analyst and a producer of Loud & Clear, joins the show.
British parliamentarians considered a series of alternatives to Prime Minister Theresa May’s unpopular Brexit deal today, but none were binding. Less than two weeks away from the already-extended deadline, the UK and the European Union appear to have made no progress towards a deal. Brian and John speak with Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
A comedian with no political experience has won the most votes in the first round of Ukraine’s presidential election. Volodymyr Zelenskyi received 30 percent of the popular vote, while current president Petro Poroshenko received just 16 percent. Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko was eliminated from the race. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
President Trump yesterday threatened to completely close the border with Mexico, saying, “We are closing the border. We’ll close it. And we’ll keep it closed for a long time. I’m not playing games.” This is one of Trump’s boldest threats yet as he escalates his anti-immigrant rhetoric ahead of the 2020 election. The President also is threatening to cut off all aid to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, saying, “They’re not doing anything for us.” Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and founder of This Can’t Be Happening!, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan was voted down by Parliament today for the third time, bringing the country even closer to a “no deal” departure from the European Union. In response to the 344-286 vote defeat, the European Council has called for an emergency summit to be held just two days before the April 12 Brexit deadline.
The US and UK have been adamant that Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei works as a front for Chinese intelligence. The company, of course denies that and appears to be weathering the storm -- Huawei just announced record profits. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping recently wrapped up a tour of Europe aimed at improving relations in the wake of the EU’s declaration that China was a “strategic competitor” to the bloc. Jude Woodward, the author of the book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins the show.
This week marked the 20th anniversary of the US-led bombing of Yugoslavia, a war that resulted in the further breakup of that country. The 78 days of NATO bombing resulted in the deaths of more than 2,500 people and caused billions of dollars in damage. Brian and John speak with Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis.”
The Ecuadorean National Assembly has decided to investigate an alleged money laundering scheme hatched by President Lenin Moreno involving a complex network of offshore accounts. Meanwhile, Julian Assange is still trapped in the Ecuadorian Embassy and supporters worry that he may soon be ejected. Arnold August, a lecturer and journalist who most recently wrote “The Trump Trudeau Lima Group Policy and Its Nemesis” for Mint Press, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the Mueller report, 2020 elections, Israeli violence in Gaza, and today’s Brexit vote. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff is on the hot seat. Schiff has been one of the leading voices in government pushing the narrative of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Following completion of the Mueller report, he doubled down, saying that he has seen definitive proof of collusion. Meanwhile, Senator Rand Paul said yesterday that former CIA director John Brennan, who has been repeating Schiff’s talking points, should be subpoenaed to answer for his role in the dissemination of the Steele Dossier.
Acting FAA Administrator Dan Elwell told Congress today that the FAA will enact major changes in its oversight of US airlines in the aftermath of the crashes of two Boeing 737 Max-8 aircraft in the past five months that resulted in the deaths of nearly 400 people. Still, Elwell defended the FAA’s process by which the 737 Max-8 was declared to be trouble free before the crashes. Dr. Alan Diehl, an award-winning aviation psychologist and safety consultant, and a major air safety whistleblower, joins the show.
A federal judge yesterday blocked work requirements for Medicaid in the states of Kentucky and Arkansas, sending both of those states and the US Department of Health and Human Services back to the drawing board. Work requirements are already in effect in Arkansas, although Kentucky’s requirements were on hold pending the judge’s ruling. Brian and John speak with Jane Perkins, the legal director at the National Health Law Program.
Today Russian officials pushed back on President Trump’s comments that Russian military in Venezuela was an "unwelcomed provocation.” Meanwhile the country fights to recover from yet another attack on its electrical system. Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, joins the show.
A little known North Korean anti-government exile group called Cheollima Civil Defence has claimed responsibility for a raid on North Korea’s embassy in Spain. Its alleged links to the U.S. government are unclear, but the dramatic events come during a particularly tense diplomatic period as the United States and the DPRK scramble to revive peace talks. Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus. They’re also joined by Will Griffin, an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran, a member of Veterans for Peace, and director of The Peace Report, an online anti-war news source.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by producer Walter Smolarek and Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union.
Developments in the UK parliament are moving fast as the government of Prime Minister Theresa May makes a last ditch attempt to save her Brexit deal, and a wide range of alternative plans are considered. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is pushing for a second referendum on Brexit, and May has offered to resign in return for securing the support of skeptical MPs in the much-anticipated “meaningful vote” likely to be held this week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the American Israel Political Action Committee, or AIPAC, conference by video feed yesterday where he joined in on the attack on Representative Ilhan Omar and the growing sentiment opposing the Israeli government’s policies. Meanwhile, Syria requested an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss US recognition of the Golan as Israeli territory. All five European members of the Security Council called Israel’s annexation of the Golan illegal and US recognition of the move void. Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink, joins the show.
Seven people were killed yesterday, including four children, when Saudi jet fighters bombed a hospital in northwestern Yemen. The attack also injured eight people. Thirty seven children are killed or wounded every month in Saudi attacks in Yemen, despite Saudi protestations that they do not target civilians. Brian and John speak with Professor Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
Donald Trump demanded today that Russia “get out” of Venezuela, referring to the arrival of Russian military personnel in the country that the Venezuelan government said was a routine part of defense cooperation between the two long-standing allies. The coup attempt in Venezuela is rapidly taking on importance of a global scope. Chuck Kaufman, the National Co-Coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice, joins the show.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said yesterday that he had asked Spain and the Vatican to apologize for the conquest of the Americas 500 years ago. In a letter to King Felipe VI and Pope Francis, Lopez Obrador said the Spanish conquest was carried out “with the sword and the cross.” The Spanish government quickly refused to make any apology. Pope Francis has not yet commented, but in 2015 he apologized for crimes against the indigenous people of Bolivia. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today they dive into the so-called evidence that was and still is being cited in now-dead Russiagate and the way that the Democrats have been driving this anti-Trump train primarily on an anti-Russian basis. Sputnik News analysts and producers Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. They focus on the 40-year anniversary of the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor meltdown in pennsylvania, the coverups associated with it, and the impacts it has had on people’s health and on social justice movements. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist, whose latest film is “Killing Gaza,” the senior editor of Grayzone Project and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”
Proponents of the Russiagate conspiracy are scrambling to salvage their reputation in the wake of the conclusion of Robert Mueller’s probe that found no evidence of collusion during the 2016 election. Meanwhile, attorney and frequent Trump critic Michael Avenatti was arrested yesterday and charged with multiple felonies related to an alleged attempt to extort at least $20 million from Nike.
British Prime Minister Theresa May was dealt yet another blow yesterday as parliament seized control of the decision making process as Brexit goes down to the wire. Will her government fall? Will the much-dreaded “no deal” scenario come to pass? Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary, which you can listen to Monday through Friday from 2:00-4:00 p.m, joins the show.
Most of Venezuela suffered another blackout yesterday, although power was restored in much of the country within several hours. The government said that this was the result of another series of attacks on the country’s electrical system, and also presented evidence tying top opposition leaders to a plot to carry out terrorist attacks throughout the country. Brian and John speak with Ricardo Vaz, a writer and editor at Venezuelanalysis, whose articles have appeared on Mint Press News, Truthout, Counterpunch, and other alternative media.
Ecuador on Sunday held elections for local offices and governorships, but the Moreno government was extremely slow to announce results, leading to speculation that the election was not free and fair. Meanwhile, aides to Wikileaks cofounder Julian Assange note that security at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where Assange has sought asylum, has increased significantly, and a US Department of Justice jet used recently to render a Russian hacker landed last week in London, only to return to the US, empty, yesterday. Independent journalist Denis Rogatyuk joins the show.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Today they talk about the federal reserve’s pessimistic forecast about the future of the U.S. economy and much more. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Today they focus on the Justice Department’s decision to seek the repeal of the affordable care act in its entirety. How will this affect women and families and what kind of healthcare do we really need? Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year, Gareth Porter, a historian and investigative journalist, and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller has completed his investigation into alleged collusion between the Russian government and the Trump campaign and has found no evidence of wrongdoing. The final report is with Attorney General William Barr and is on its way to Congress. Mueller’s finding of no collusion and no criminality on the part of the president has Democrats reeling and calling for new Congressional investigations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Trump in Washington today for a ceremony in which the U.S. formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan region of Syria. The visit is being cut short, however, because a rocket fired from Gaza hit an Israeli house in Tel Aviv, injuring seven people. Sensing yet another opportunity to present himself as a hardliner ahead of the April 9 election, Netanyahu ordered the mobilization of ground units and the Israeli air force launched a wave of strikes. Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist, whose latest book is “Sesame Street Palestine: The Ups and Downs of Producing a Children’s Program,” joins the show.
British members of parliament began debating a series of alternatives today to Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan, with an eye toward holding a third vote on the deal. The Prime Minister met with her cabinet at Number 10 Downing Street this morning, where reports say she was confronted over her inability to unify her party. Meanwhile, a petition calling for a new referendum on Brexit has gathered more than 5 million signatures. Brian and John speak with Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the presidential race in 2020 and the Democratic primary, the president weighing in on the Golan region of Syria, and the floods in Southeastern Africa as a result of Cyclone Idai.
President Trump yesterday announced that the US would recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, reversing 52 years of US policy and infuriating friends and foes alike in the Middle East. Israel has occupied the Syrian territory since the 1967 war. Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink, joins the show.
Brazil’s former president, Michel Temer, was arrested yesterday in Sao Paulo and charged with multiple crimes in a massive corruption scandal. His former Mining and Energy Minister also was arrested. Brazilian media say that the US Justice Department is helping Brazilian authorities with the case, which has been dubbed Operation Carwash. It is reportedly the largest corruption and money laundering case in Brazil’s history. Walter and John speak with Aline Piva, a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice.
European Union leaders yesterday agreed to a short extension of the deadline for Britain’s withdrawal from the EU to give Prime Minister Theresa May and the British parliament more time to pass legislation. If May can persuade parliament to approve that legislation next week, the official Brexit date will be May 22. Co-host Brian Becker, who is in Brussels for the European Union summit, joins the show.
North Korea is withdrawing from a joint liaison office near the demilitarized zone with South Korea because the US last week put sanctions on two Chinese firms that had done business with North Korea. The North said in a statement that Pyongyang does not mind if the South Koreans continue to man the office. But North Korean officials have been withdrawn. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins Walter and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Walter and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell (sitting in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Loud & Clear co-host
UK Prime Minister Theresa May is in Brussels to press European Union leaders to agree to an extension of the Brexit negotiating period. But EU officials appear to be taking a hardline, and have just published a set of planned measures that would be taken in the event of a no-deal scenario.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is wrapping up a tour of the Middle East with a trip to Lebanon, focusing on stepping up pressure on Iran as the Trump administration seeks regime change in that country, and allegedly bolstering support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of a tight election next month. Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and a member of the central committee of the Lebanese Communist Party, joins the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
A new report shows that a group of eight American mercenaries who were arrested in Haiti on February 16 were there at the behest of President Jovenel Moise as part of a harebrained scheme to transfer $80 million from the country’s central bank to Moise’s personal account. The Americans were promised $30,000 each. Instead, they were put in shackles and, three days later, expelled from Haiti. Walter and John speak with Kim Ives, an editor of the newspaper Haiti Liberte.
Thousands of students, university professors, and healthcare workers continued to rally yesterday in Algiers, calling on President Abdelaziz Boutefliqa to resign. They also warned the military not to interfere in the marches, which have now entered their second month. Boutefliqa, who has been president for 20 years, said last week that he would not seek reelection, but demonstrators want him to resign immediately. The demonstrations are being called The Arab Spring II in the western media. Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis,” joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Walter and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
British Prime Minister Theresa May is asking the European Union for a delay until June 30 for the UK to complete its withdrawal from the Union. An EU spokesman warned, however, that a delay beyond the May 23 European Parliament elections was probably impossible.
Former George W. Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer took to Twitter yesterday to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the start of the Iraq war and to try to dispel the common belief that the Bush Administration lied about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction as a cause for the war. Fleischer instead set off a debate about intelligence support for the war, intelligence failures, and the politicization of analysis as the world mourned the deaths of the hundreds of thousands who lost their lives as a consequence of the 2003 U.S. invasion. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
The European Union has hit Google with yet another big antitrust fine. This time it’s $1.7 billion. The European Commission says that Google has “cemented its dominance and shielded itself from competitive pressure by imposing contractual restrictions on other websites. Since 2017 the company has been fined $9.3 billion by the European Union. That’s against $31 billion in profits just last year. Walter and John speak with Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower.
Former DNC Chair Donna Brazile is joining Fox News as a paid contributor, a move that caused serious political controversy. In addition to her decision to work for an outlet that critics say promotes extreme right-wing views, Brazile has come under fire for her role in the 2016 Democratic Party primary. Tim Karr, the senior director of strategy and communications at Free Press, joins the show.
The family of a woman shot in what activists are saying is yet another racist killing by police, this time committed by a Florida state trooper, is asking the Justice Department to investigate. Police say that Latasha Walton was pulled over for driving erratically before she tried to run over the policeman. But video shows that Walton tried to slowly drive around the officer when he pulled out his gun and shot her at least seven times. Ruth Beltran, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Tampa, joins Walter and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by João Rodríguez, a Brazilian activist who is currently a doctoral candidate in sociology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrived in Washington yesterday in his first foreign visit since being elected and he went almost immediately to CIA headquarters for consultations. He was accompanied by his son and by Brazil’s Minister of Justice, who has long been accused of having ties to the CIA. Today, he went to the White House to meet with President Trump.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller revealed today that he had sought search warrants for Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s records in July 2017, far earlier than previously revealed. His investigators went through those records before referring them to prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced that he would be staying in his role longer than expected, and anticipation builds over the final release of the Mueller report. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
74 cities, 65 counties, and four tribal areas in Nebraska declared states of emergency today following massive floods caused by days of heavy rain and snowmelt. Nebraska has seen three deaths so far, but waters are raging in 14 other midwest states, affecting more than eight million people. At least 200 miles of levees have been compromised and thousands of people have been driven from their homes. Brian and John speak with Craig Sterle, the president of the Minnesota Division of the Izaak Walton League of America, which works to conserve, restore, and promote the sustainable use and enjoyment of our natural resources, including soil, air, woods, waters, and wildlife.
Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has ruled the country since the fall of the Soviet Union 30 years ago, resigned this morning. He said that the speaker of the upper house of parliament, Kassym Jomart-Tokayev, will serve out the remainder of his term. Nazarbayev sacked the entire government several weeks ago because of the weak economy. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
Israel’s Justice Minister, Ayelet Shaked, is out with one of the most controversial election commercials we have ever seen. Shaked is a member of a far-right political party called The New Right. The black-and-white commercial shows Shaked putting on a fancy dress and earrings, and then spritzing herself with a perfume called “Fascism.” She then looks at the camera and says, “To me it smells like democracy.” But the Israeli media says the ad may backfire. All Israelis see is their Justice Minister dousing herself in fascism. Miko Peled, the author of the books “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” and "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com.
Despite facing sharp criticism for his lack of specific policy positions, former Texas Congressman Robert “Beto” O’Rourke raised $6.1 million dollars in just 24 hours after announcing his run for the presidency, more than any of the other Democratic 2020 hopefuls. Meanwhile New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced her candidacy for president over the weekend, while former Vice President Joe Biden accidentally did the same thing before backing off and delaying an official announcement.
Yellow Vest protesters in France held demonstrations for the 18th consecutive weekend as clashes and police repression intensifies. French President Emmanuel Macron has steadfastly refused to change his economic policies. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins the show.
Representatives of coup leader Juan Guaido announced new measures today to seize control of Venezuela’s assets based in the United States. Meanwhile, US-led sanctions are having a severe impact on the poorest and neediest Venezuelans. Brian and John speak with Gloria La Riva, the Director of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee, who just returned from a month in Venezuela.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
The Hanoi summit between the United States and North Korea has ended without any agreements, and observers and commentators are speculating about what could happen next. Did the second summit set the cause of peace back or are both sides determined to make progress? Emanuel Pastreich, a professor and the founder and director of The Asia Institute, a pan-Asian think tank, joins Brian and John.
New Zealand continues to reel in the aftermath of a mass shooting at a mosque, unprecedented in the country’s history, that resulted in the deaths of at least 50 people. An Australian right-wing extremist was caught and has confessed to the massacre. Authorities are cooperating with law enforcement officials in a dozen countries to determine what motivated the shooter and with whom he may have cooperated. Dennis Maga, the president of First Union, a major national trade union, and Mike Treen, the national director of the Unite union, which represents workers in the fast food, cinema, and casino industries, join the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the Islamophobic white nationalist shooting at two mosques in New Zealand, where at least 49 people were killed, the ongoing coup attempt in Venezuela, and several of the candidates in the 2020 race.
A gunman attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand yesterday, killing at least 49 people and wounding dozens. The victims included women and children. The attacker left a 73-page manifesto at the scene of the first mosque identifying himself as a 28-year-old Australian white supremacist. He has been arrested. Daryle Lamont Jenkins, executive director of the anti-fascist organization One People’s Project, joins the show.
North Korea threatened today to suspend denuclearization talks with the United States and to resume missile research and production because National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo created an atmosphere of hostility. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that he would make a decision soon. Addressing a gathering diplomats and journalists in Pyongyang, however, Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui said that personal relations between Kim and President Trump were “still good, and the chemistry is mysteriously wonderful.” Brian and John speak with Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network.
A federal judge in Florida yesterday ordered unsealed a trove of documents that the Washington Post asserts in a bold headline sheds new light on the hacking theft of Democratic Party emails. The documents include a forensic analysis by a former senior official in the FBI’s cybercrime division, and despite media protestations to the contrary, they shed no new light on who was responsible for the hack. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
The Trump Administration is pledging an additional $5 million in assistance to the White Helmets, the civil defense group that is often involved in controversies in extremist-held parts of Syria. The Administration gave the group $6.8 million ten months ago, after promising to cut off support. Who are the White Helmets? And why are they so controversial? Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Robert Griffiths, an organizer for the left campaign in support of Brexit during the 2016 referendum and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain, and Walter Smolarek, Sputnik News analyst and one of the producers of this show.
The British Parliament voted today to support an extension of the Brexit process. Prime Minister Theresa May appears to have further lost control of the situation, as the future of her government remains very much in doubt.
The US Senate yesterday voted again to end American military assistance to Saudi Arabia for its war in Yemen, rebuking President Trump and expressing discontent for his refusal to press the Saudis over the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The vote was 54-46, mostly along party lines, not enough to override a presidential veto. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
President Trump yesterday ordered the grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 8 jets in the country following similar actions around the world in the aftermath of two major crashes, reversing his earlier decision to not force the FAA to take the action. Meanwhile, pilots reacted furiously in a meeting with Boeing executives because they had not been informed of airliner’s software problems. Brian and John speak with Mary Schiavo, the former Inspector General at the Department of Transportation, an aviation attorney, and an aviation professor.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace. He joins the hosts today from a peace delegation in Caracas, Venezuela.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
Former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke announced early this morning that he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President. He begins with broad name recognition from his close senate race against Ted Cruz and his ability to raise millions of dollars in small donations. Meanwhile, another candidate, Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard appeared on the Stephen Colbert show, where she reiterated her opposition to foreign interventions. And all the candidates are bracing for the possible entry of Joe Biden into the race. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and founder of This Can’t Be Happening!, and Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, join the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Ellsberg, one of the the most important whistleblowers in modern American history and the author of The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner.
Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning is still sitting in a federal jail in Alexandria, Virginia for refusing to respond to a subpoena to testify before a grand jury, apparently against Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. Manning invoked her rights under the first, fourth, fifth, and sixth amendments in her refusal to testify. How long can the injustice of her incarceration go on?
Donald Trump finally relented and grounded Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets today, following earlier moves by the European Union and countries around the world in the aftermath of the second crash of one of the new jets in the past five months. Why was the U.S. so slow to act? Mary Schiavo, the former Inspector General at the Department of Transportation, an aviation attorney, and an aviation professor, joins the show.
The British Parliament voted today against leaving the European Union without some sort of a deal on the Irish border and import tariffs. A vote will be held tomorrow on whether to ask for an extension to try to negotiate the country’s exit, but that must be approved by all 26 EU member states. Prime Minister Theresa May’s options for getting through the crisis are dwindling quickly. Meanwhile, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is calling for a new national election. Brian and John speak with Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union.
A federal judge in Washington sentenced former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort to an additional three-and-a-half years in prison on two tax and corruption charges. The sentence comes just days after Manafort was sentenced to 47 months in prison by a federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia. Talk in the mainstream media has now turned to the possibility of a presidential pardon for Manafort. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
Outrage is spreading across the country in the wake of dozens of indictments announced by the FBI in a college entrance cheating scandal involving wealthy parents and celebrities. What does this scheme tell us about the state of higher education in America? Rick Ayers, a professor of education at the University of San Francisco, the author of “An Empty Seat in Class: Teaching and Learning after the Death of a Student,” and co-author of the book “You Can’t Fire the Bad Ones: And 18 Other Myths about Teachers, Teachers Unions, and Public Education,” joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today they discuss the scandal that celebrities and the wealthy are scamming their way into elite colleges in new ways and analyze the deep-rooted inequalities built in to the higher education system. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today, the hosts focus on the 8th anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear meltdown disaster. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
The British parliament decisively rejected changes to Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal, defeating a measure that she said would reduce the risk that a backstop to prevent a hard border with Ireland would become permanent. European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker said this was the UK’s last chance to negotiate a smoother exit from the EU.
As Venezuela continues to feel the effects of an alleged cyber attack on its electrical system, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last night that he had ordered all American diplomats to leave the country, saying their presence was “a constraint” on US policy there. Those diplomats will spend the day shredding documents and destroying equipment, and the marine guard will lower the flag. Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, joins the show.
Marielle Franco was a local politician in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil who fought against police violence against the city’s poorest residents. She was murdered a year ago Thursday. But yesterday, authorities arrested two former policemen in a killing that prosecutors are calling “a meticulously planned assassination.” Brian and John speak with Dr. Francisco Dominguez, a senior lecturer at Middlesex University and the head of the Centre for Brazilian and Latin American Studies.
The United States has threatened Germany that if they keep working with Chinese tech company Huawei on 5G technology, then the United States will cease some intelligence sharing with Germany. Will this further fray ties between the United States and Europe? Jude Woodward, the author of the book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins the show.
President Trump yesterday sent his record $4.75 trillion budget to Capitol Hill for congressional consideration. Democrats in the House declared it “Dead on Arrival” because of provisions that would cut $1.9 trillion from Medicare and Medicaid and that would eviscerate federal employee pay and benefits. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com, joins Brian and John.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Today they focus on job reports and whether the United States and the globe are on their way to a recession. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. This week they talk about the strikes and rallies with millions of people worldwide for International Women’s Day. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Bijan Vasigh, a professor of air transportation at Embrey-Riddle University, an expert on aviation issues, a consultant to some of the biggest airlines in the world, and the author of dozens of academic papers and books.
The Chinese government has ordered all of the country’s airlines to ground their Boeing 737s after one of the jets belonging to Ethiopian Airlines crash after takeoff over the weekend, killing all 157 people on board. A Lion Air 737 crashed five months ago into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff, killing all 189 people on board. Is there something fundamentally wrong with the new 737?
Unpublished video footage obtained by the New York Times contradicts claims by the Trump Administration that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was responsible for lighting a convoy of humanitarian aid on fire. Vice President Pence tweeted over the weekend, “The tyrant in Caracas danced as his henchmen burned food and medicine.” The truth, however, is that members of the US-backed opposition accidentally started the fire with a Molotov cocktail. Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, most recently of the film Killing Gaza, joins the show.
One member of the recent Code Pink peace delegation to Iran, David Hartsough, upon landing in Iran, had what doctors usually call a “cardiac episode.” That required emergency treatment and an angioplasty in an Iranian hospital. The hosts will talk about medical care in Iran and about President Rouhani’s trip to Iraq to try to blunt the effect of sanctions. Brian and John speak with David Hartsough, cofounder of World Beyond War and the Nonviolent Peaceforce, and author of the book “Waging Peace: Global Adventures of a Lifelong Activist.”
A British organization called The Charity Commission this week accused the London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission of anti-Semitism and challenged its legal structure, saying that it was designed to support terrorism. The charge, of course, is ridiculous. But it points to a trend whereby people and organizations that support the rights of Palestinians are somehow anti-Semitic and support terrorism. Massoud Shadjareh, founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
Hawaii Congresswoman and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard conducted a nationally-televised town hall meeting on CNN last night in which she answered several tough questions that set her apart from other Democratic candidates. Meanwhile, Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, continued to be the target of attacks because of her comments on foreign influence in American politics and the legacy of President Obama. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Chelsea Manning being taken back into custody, the smears against Representative Omar all week, and the Venezuelan power outage.
18 of Venezuela’s 23 states were hit yesterday with a massive power outage, which the Maduro Administration blamed on anti-government saboteurs. Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who has been the Senate’s leading voice against the Maduro government, earlier in the day had called for widespread unrest, and he celebrated the blackout as the beginning of the end of the Venezuelan government. Chuck Kaufman, he is the National Co-Coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice, joins the show.
Our friends and frequent guests Ann Wright and Medea Benjamin over the past two weeks led a peace delegation to Iran, where they met with government officials, peace activists, and regular Iranians. They were public about the trip. They gave interviews and posted their progress on Facebook. But when they returned to Washington last night, they were detained and questioned by the FBI. The hosts also talk about the recent travails of Chelsea Manning in the notorious federal district court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Brian and John speak with Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became a prominent anti-war activist.
Yesterday the hosts talked about the five different federal agencies that had created a database to illegally track and harass journalists, activists, and attorneys reporting on or involved with the migrant caravan that made its way to the United States late last year. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said when the story broke that the Mexican government would not cooperate in the scheme with US officials. But, it turns out, that was not true. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins the show.
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort yesterday was sentenced to 47 months in prison for charges of corruption and tax evasion. Federal prosecutors had asked for 17½ to 24 years. Judge T. S. Ellis said that Manafort had committed serious crimes, but not serious enough for him to spend the rest of his life in prison. The public and media outcry was swift, with many commenting that the decision showed that there is one kind of justice for wealthy white men and another kind of justice for people of color. Manafort will be sentenced in a separate case in Washington next week. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
The fallout from Rep. Ilhan Omar’s recent comments about foreign intervention in US politics, interpreted as a reference to pro-Israel lobbying giant AIPAC, deepened today. Presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris both backed Omar’s right to her political position, and senior Democrats pushed back against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to offer a resolution which at first condemned anti-Semitism and then condemned all religious intolerance. Senior Democrats now are debating whether there is a need for any resolution at all.
Leaked documents reveal that five different federal agencies have been maintaining a secret database to target and track journalists, activists, and attorneys working on the recent migrant caravan heading toward the United States. The program, dubbed Operation Secure Line, resulted in the journalists, activists, and attorneys being harassed at the US-Mexico border, detained, and denied entry into Mexico. Ariana Drehsler, a photojournalist who recently completed a series on migrants and asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border and was one of the many journalists and immigration advocates who was tracked, targeted, and interviewed, joins Brian and John.
President Trump yesterday issued an executive order revoking an requirement introduced at the end of the Obama administration to publicly report the number of US drone strikes outside of war zones and the number of civilians killed by them. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimates that up to 1,700 civilians, including as many as 400 children, have been killed by U.S. drone bombings since the program began. Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history whose latest book is “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce,” joins the show.
The Federal Reserve has decided to end some of the public pass-fail grades it gave big banks after their annual stress tests, which came as a result of the Dodd-Frank Act during the Great Recession. A bank will no longer receive a grade if it has taken the test for the past four years and passed in the most recent year, a move critics say raises the risk of another 2008-style financial collapse. Brad Birkenfeld, a famed whistleblower who single handedly brought down international money laundering at banking giant UBS, joins the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who refused orders to deploy to Vietnam and lived in exile in Canada and Sweden for 6 years, organizing with other U.S. military deserters and draft resisters against the Vietnam war, and for amnesty for U.S. war resisters, joins the show. He has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years and has served on the Board of Veterans For Peace for the last 6 years, currently as national president.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work. Prof. Wolff’s latest book is “Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown.”
President Trump has promised repeatedly to bring the trade deficit under control. Instead, it has exploded. The latest figures from the Commerce Department show that the US last year ran a trade deficit of $891.2 billion, the largest in American history. The deficit with China hit a record $419 billion, despite the President’s trade sanctions against that country.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen testified today before the House Homeland Security Committee. The testimony focused on the Trump Administration’s policy of family separation at the border and the deaths of migrant children in federal custody. The testimony is taking place as President Trump prepares to veto a resolution from Congress overturning his border wall state of emergency. Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos, joins the show.
Scores were arrested earlier this week in Sacramento, California as police repressed demonstrations demanding justice for Stephon Clark, an unarmed 22-year-old African-American man who police shot and killed in his grandmother’s backyard in Sacramento last year. The Sacramento County district attorney and the California Attorney General announced in the past few days that the two policemen who killed him will not face any charges. Brian and John speak with Jamier Sale, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition and was one of the activists who was arrested on Monday night.
In a ceremony marking the sixth anniversary of the death of his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called for demonstrations on Saturday, which he called “a day of anti-imperialism.” Oppositionist and self-described president Juan Guaido is holding rallies the same day. And Guaido called on Venezuela’s public employees to join his efforts to overthrow the government. Arnold August, a lecturer, journalist and author of the book “Cuba-US Relations: Obama and beyond,” joins the show.
Last night, Senator Chris Murphy announced new actions were being taken to force to the Senate floor a bipartisan effort to rein in US support for the war in Yemen as early as next week. The resolution, sponsored by Republican Mike Lee, Democrat Chris Murphy, and Independent Bernie Sanders, has broad bipartisan support, but probably not enough to override an expected presidential veto. Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, at popularresistance.org, who has just returned from a peace delegation organized by CodePink to Iran, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower.
The National Security Agency, NSA, has reportedly shut down a system that analyzes logs of Americans’ domestic calls and text messages, halting a program that has been the source of controversy over privacy since the 9/11 attacks. The program apparently ended months ago, and the Trump Administration apparently will not ask Congress to reauthorize it. But the NSA retains vast domestic and international spying capabilities
Chinese electronics giant Huawei is preparing to sue the US government for barring federal agencies from using the company’s products. Huawei executives believe the move could force the US to make public whatever evidence it has against it. Meanwhile, Huawei’s CFO, Meng Wanzhou, has filed a suit in Canada for violating her constitutional rights as she continues her fight against extradition to the United States. Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins the show.
Venezuelan oppositionist Juan Guaido returned to the country yesterday after meeting with the right-wing leaders of Colombia and Brazil in defiance of a Supreme Court order prohibiting him from leaving the country. He breezed through customs and immigration officials without incident and then brazenly called for the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro at a rally in Caracas. Supporters of both Maduro and Guaido will hold large-scale demonstrations on Saturday. Brian and John speak with Anya Parampil, a Washington-based journalist for The Grayzone Project.
The Trump Administration has canceled agreements that give Turkey and India preferential treatment in trade. The US Trade Representative’s office said that India has not allowed more US goods into the country in contravention of the current agreement, and Turkey no longer qualifies for trade concessions. While the U.S.-China trade war might be cooling down, the Trump administration is now moving to ignite conflicts with other major economies. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
Following statements from top European leaders, including the Irish Prime Minister and the president of the European Council, expectations are mounting that the long-anticipated departure of the UK from the European Union will be delayed. British Prime Minister Theresa May is still holding out for a March 29 Brexit however and is desperately maneuvering to improve her government’s position. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, joins Brian and John.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society and today they focus on International Women’s Day. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Tim Shorrock, a Washington-based investigative journalist who grew up in Japan and South Korea and who is the author of “SPIES FOR HIRE: The Secret World of Outsourced Intelligence.”
The conventional wisdom is that the US-North Korean summit in Hanoi was a failure that resulted in no deals and no changes to the sanctions regime, but new moves by the United States and South Korea aim to put the peace process back on track. The cancellation of large-scale war exercises and statements by top officials are raising hopes that negotiations can be revived.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Congressional Democrats announced that they will aggressively pursue an investigation into obstruction of justice and a wide range of other misconduct against President Trump as the Mueller probe appears to be wrapping up, leaving many of the most fervent Russiagate proponents disappointed. Meanwhile, Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, announced over the weekend that he would vote against President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency related to the border. This means a measure rejecting the declaration now has enough votes to pass the Senate despite Trump’s veto threat. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net who has written on this topic in a recent article called "Be Careful What You Ask For: Wasting Time with Manafort, Cohen, and Russiagate."
Venezuelan opposition leader and self-declared President Juan Guaido has returned to Venezuela following a trip to meet with the right-wing leaders of Colombia, Brazil and Ecuador carried out in defiance of a court-issued travel ban. The Trump Administration warned the government of President Nicolas Maduro today that Guaido’s arrest would be deemed a hostile provocation. Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, most recently of the film Killing Gaza, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
Representative Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat who is Muslim, rejected criticism from some of her colleagues after she criticized the influence of pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC. Rep. Jerry Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Oversight Committee, called Omar’s comments “a vile, anti-Semitic slur.” Meanwhile, a blatantly Islamophobic display in the West Virginia capitol building that linked Rep. Omar to 9/11 is causing outrage. Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine,” joins the show.
Hundreds of people, including ISIS fighters, fled their last foothold in eastern Syria this morning after US-backed Kurdish fighters had to slow their own advance because ISIS was using civilians as human shields. Even so, a spokesman for Kurdish forces said the battle to take Baghouz from ISIS would be over quickly. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (filling in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman and Abdus Luqman, the editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Michael Cohen’s testimony this week, the issue of reparations in the 2020 elections, the Kim-Trump summit in Hanoi, and Nigerian elections.
South Korean President Moon Jae In struggled to save face today after the collapse of President Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Moon said in a speech that the summit’s failure makes South Korea even more important on the world stage. But polls show that most South Koreans wanted the summit to succeed. Meanwhile, the North Koreans wanted sanctions relief more than anything, and they got none of that. Hyun Lee, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and writer for Zoominkorea.org, joins the show.
Israel’s Attorney General yesterday indicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on three felony counts related to bribery and breach of trust. The announcement, coming just before next month’s general election, is a major blow to Netanyahu as he seeks a fifth term in office. Brian and John speak with Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine.” Miko Peled has a new book "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.
Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning revealed yesterday that she has been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia. Last month the Justice Department accidentally revealed that it had secretly indicted Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange in the Eastern District. Manning said that she will fight the subpoena.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo can’t just let Amazon walk away. So he’s written an open letter to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos begging him to reconsider his decision to not open a second headquarters in Queens. Cuomo also has phoned Bezos and other Amazon executives asking them to come back. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins Walter and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Walter and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek and John Kiriakou are joined by Brian Becker, who is in Hanoi covering the US-North Korean summit.
Talks between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended today with no agreement on any issue. Kim said that he would continue a moratorium on missile testing and development, but the fate of future negotiations remain very much in doubt. Can the peace process be put back on track?
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Michael Cohen, President Trump’s longtime personal attorney and fixer, testified on Capitol Hill, saying that the President was a liar, a conman, and a racist, and that those around the President had traded their own integrity for proximity to power. Expectedly, the President exploded on Twitter, despite being busy with his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Cohen is due to report to prison on a myriad of felony charges in the next few weeks, which his opponents cite as reason to disbelieve his testimony. Walter and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.”
President Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner is finishing up a visit through the Middle East to publicize an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. Meanwhile, the United Nations released a report saying that “the commission found reasonable grounds to believe that … the use of live ammunition by Israeli security forces against demonstrators was unlawful.” Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink, joins the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who refused orders to deploy to Vietnam and lived in exile in Canada and Sweden for 6 years, organizing with other U.S. military deserters and draft resisters against the Vietnam war, and for amnesty for U.S. war resisters, joins the show. He has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years and has served on the Board of Veterans For Peace for the last 6 years, currently as national president.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, the author of six books, and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif resigned earlier this week just hours after meeting with an American peace delegation, apologizing for what he called his shortcomings. But President Hassan Rouhani refused the resignation, and Zarif was back in the office two days later. What was behind the resignation? Walter and John speak with Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek and John Kiriakou are joined by Brian Becker, who is in Hanoi covering the US-North Korean summit, and Christine Ahn, a co-founder of the Korea Policy Institute and the International Coordinator of Women Cross DMZ.
President Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un held a joint press conference today during which Trump said that he foresees a North Korea that is an economic powerhouse in East Asia. He added that he expects to make progress this week on outstanding issues between the two countries and repeated that he has an excellent personal relationship with Kim.
Former attorney for President Trump Michael Cohen testified in open session before the House Oversight Committee today. He submitted documents to the committee including copies of hush money checks that Trump wrote to him, financial documents, and emails. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
A series of airstrikes have dramatically escalated the conflict between India and Pakistan. Are we headed toward another war in South Asia? Brian and John speak with Dr. Marvin Weinbaum, Scholar-in-Residence and director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies.
Venezuela’s self-declared president Juan Guaido said today that he will begin exercising his “presidential duties” as soon as he returns to Venezuela from Colombia, where he met with Vice President Pence and Colombian President Ivan Duque. Meanwhile, the diplomatic tide appears to be turning in favor of President Maduro as several countries vigorously opposed foreign intervention at the UN Security Council and a major pro-government international civil society conference is held in Caracas. Anya Parampil, a Washington-based journalist for The Grayzone Project, joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today the hosts focus on the Congressional vote of disapproval of the national emergency, the US-Korean summit going on now in Vietnam, and the ongoing debate about letting U.S. citizen Hoda Muthana back in the country after leaving ISIS. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today the hosts talk about Diablo Canyon, where nuclear reactors are scheduled to shut down; the massive proposed Holtec New Mexico radioactive waste dump; and the nuclear weapon state conflicts of India v. Pakistan and US v. Russia. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek, filling in for Brian Becker, and John Kiriakou are joined by Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star.
British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said yesterday that Labour is prepared to back another Brexit referendum if the party’s own Brexit plan is rejected in parliament tomorrow. The UK is still scheduled to withdraw from the European Union on March 29, but any number of scenarios could come to pass before then.
President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Hanoi today in advance of their second bilateral summit. Substantive meetings will begin almost immediately, with the media speculating that Trump may offer to formally end the Korean War. Co-host Brian Becker, who is in Hanoi covering the summit, joins the show.
For the first time in a half century, Indian fighter jets this morning carried out airstrikes inside Pakistan, killed what the Indians called “a very large number” Jaish e-Muhammad terrorists. The strikes come in response to a suicide bombing last week that killed 40 Indian soldiers in the disputed region of Kashmir. Walter and John speak with Dr. Marvin Weinbaum, the Scholar-in-Residence and director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies.
Cubans yesterday overwhelmingly ratified a new constitution that replaces the country’s 1976 charter. 84.4 percent of Cuba’s 8.7 million voters went to the polls, with 87 percent supporting ratification, 9 percent opposing it, and the remainder entering spoiled or blank ballots. Arnold August, a lecturer, journalist and author of the book “Cuba-US Relations: Obama and Beyond,” joins the show.
President Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen is scheduled to begin three days of testimony on Capitol Hill today. Two of those sessions will be behind closed doors. The third is in open session. The mainstream media says that Cohen will likely tell lawmakers about illegalities the President, his company, and his children may have been involved in. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins Walter and John.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Walter and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
On today's episode Loud & Clear has a special and extensive interview with Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jorge Arreaza. In addition to his current role of the country’s top diplomat, which he has held since 2017, Minister Arreaza previously served in the cabinet as the Minister in charge of education, science and technology and was Venezuela’s Vice President from 2013 to 2016. Loud & Clear Producer Walter Smolarek traveled to New York on Sunday to conduct the interview at Venezuela’s diplomatic residence in the city.
Then, following the dramatic events of last Saturday, where supporters of coup leader Juan Guaidó attempted to storm the Venezuela-Colombia border, the so-called Lima Group of countries supporting Guaidó held a high-profile meeting in Colombia where Mike Pence gave an address. Loud & Clear Producer Walter Smolarek fills John and Nicole in on the latest.
Co-host Brian Becker is in Hanoi this week to cover the second summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The President said yesterday that he has high hopes for the meetings this week, that he and Kim are “on the same page,” and that he is confident the two countries can settle their differences. Administration officials are suggesting that Vietnam could be a model for a future North Korea. Brian Becker joins the show from Hanoi, Vietnam.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? The hosts focus on the Oakland teacher strike, in its third day. Today, Rick Ayers, a professor of education at the University of San Francisco and co-author of the book “You Can’t Fire the Bad Ones: And 18 Other Myths about Teachers, Teachers Unions, and Public Education,” joins Walter and John.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, founder of thepolemicist.net, whose most recent article is “The Siege of Venezuela and The Travails of Empire,” and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the ongoing situation in Venezuela, the power of labor and teachers recent successes, and the new announcement that 200 “peacekeeping” troops will now stay in Syria.
As the US effort to overthrow the Venezuelan government has run into obstacles within Venezuela, there appears to be a growing danger of a US orchestrated military intervention in alliance between the Pentagon and the right-wing governments of Colombia and Brazil. US-corporate owned media today were dominated by headlines related to an incident at the Venezuela-Brazil border. The New York Times headline for instance reads, “Deadly Violence Erupts on Brazil Border in Venezuela Aid Showdown: Venezuelan security forces fired on those protesting the government’s determination to block aid.” Meanwhile, competing concerts are still scheduled to take place today and tomorrow on both sides of the Venezuelan-Colombian border. Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, joins the show.
A court in North Carolina has ordered a rerun of the congressional election in the state’s 9th district. A firm hired by Republican candidate Mark Harris was found to have committed egregious election irregularities, invalidating the result. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Hoda Muthana is an American woman. She was born in the United States, the daughter of a former Yemeni diplomat and she went to college in Alabama. But in 2014 she told her parents that she was going to attend a university event. Instead, she went to Syria and joined the Islamic State. Now she wants to come home. But President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo won’t allow her. Indeed, Pompeo says she isn’t even really a US citizen. Brian and John speak with Hassan Shibly, the Muthana family attorney and the Executive Director of the Florida Council of American Islamic Relations at Tampa.
The Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged yesterday that it had issued a passport to Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange in September 2018 as a result of extended negotiations. It is not clear what Assange would be able to do with the passport. He has sought asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and would likely be extradited to the United States if he leaves. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
It is widely believed that the final report from the Mueller probe report will be submitted next week. The investigation has led to a string of indictments, but mostly relate to lying to the FBI and other crimes not connected to collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. What can we expect, and what impact will it have on U.S. politics and foreign policy?
In a rare unanimous decision from the Supreme Court, the practice of civil asset forfeiture was declared unconstitutional in most instances. This is a major victory for advocates who have long argued that civil asset forfeiture was little more than a mechanism for police agencies to steal from the general public. Brad Schlesinger, an appellate attorney licensed to practice in the Supreme Court, joins the show.
A new alliance has been formed by the former head of the Israeli military and the leader of a smaller so-called centrist political party to take on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in upcoming elections. In response, Netanyahu has even further embraced the extreme right wing of Israeli politics. Brian speaks with Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine.” Miko Peled also has a new book "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.
The fight against ISIS in the final piece of territory it controls continues to drag on as hundreds of civilians flee the battlefield. Meanwhile, a major political controversy has erupted over whether or not citizens of countries like the UK and United States who joined ISIS -- including some who were children at the time -- will be allowed to return home. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who refused orders to deploy to Vietnam and lived in exile in Canada and Sweden for 6 years, organizing with other U.S. military deserters and draft resisters against the Vietnam war, and for amnesty for U.S. war resisters, joins the show. He has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years and has served on the Board of Veterans For Peace for the last 6 years, currently as national president.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian speaks with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, the author of six books, and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.”
Former FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe told NBC’s Today Show yesterday that he had briefed senior Congressional leaders--called the Gang of Eight--on the counterintelligence investigation that he had initiated against President Trump and that “no one objected--not on legal grounds, not on constitutional grounds, and not based on the facts.”
President Trump said in a speech in Miami on Monday that there is “no going back” in his efforts to oust Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro as fears of a staged provocation along the border with Colombia this Saturday mount. Meanwhile, supporters of U.S.-backed self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido have reportedly seized control of the Venezuelan embassy in Costa Rica. Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, joins the show.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his annual address to the nation, threatened to use new weapons systems to target countries that host offensive missiles and countries that deploy them, calling out the United States in particular. Putin said that Moscow is not seeking confrontation with Washington, but that it objected to the recent US decisions to withdraw from the INF Treaty and to deploy US missiles to central and eastern Europe. Brian and John speak with Steven Starr, a professor at the University of Missouri in the Peace Studies Program on the environmental, health, and social effects of nuclear weapons, and a senior scientist for Physicians for Social Responsibility.
Three British Conservative Party parliamentarians quit the Tories and joined eight former Labour MPs in a new independent political group that looks like it’s becoming a bona fide political party. The conservatives left the party over Brexit, while the Labour members, who are widely to be considered centrist “Blairites”, accused their former party of anti-Semitism. The new Independent Group is now the fourth largest political grouping in parliament, along with the Liberal Democrats. Jess Cobbett, a researcher for a British Labour Party Member of Parliament, joins the show.
The US Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to consider the Maryland Attorney General’s bid to revive a state law aimed at preventing price gouging by pharmaceutical companies. The court let stand a Circuit Court ruling that it was a constitutional violation to try to stop big pharma from raising the prices of medication. Dr. Margaret Flowers, a medical doctor and the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance whose work is at www.popularresistance.org, joins Brian and John.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today they talk about Bernie Sanders announcing his bid for the democratic nomination, Trump’s attempted coup in Venezuela, the danger of war against Venezuela, and the effort by the Trump administration to pull the plug on a high speed train linking Southern and northern california. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Anoa Changa, the Director of Political Advocacy and a Managing Editor of Progressive Army, and host of the show The Way With Anoa.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders announced his candidacy for president this morning. Recent polls show Sanders narrowly trailing former Vice President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination. But Sanders is expected to face fierce attacks from the Democratic Party establishment.
President Trump issued a direct threat against Venezuela in a speech in Miami yesterday, urging the largely loyal Venezuelan military to move to the side of Juan Guaidó. He said that those backing the elected government of Nicolas Maduro were risking their own lives and that, while the US seeks a peaceful transition of power from Maduro to Guaidó, “all options are open.” Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com and Walter Smolarek, Sputnik News analyst, join the show.
Facebook has blocked the viral video channel In the Now after CNN accused it of being a Kremlin propaganda outlet aimed at American millennials and of hiding its leadership structure. But it never did any such thing. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose most recent article is “The Siege of Venezuela and The Travails of Empire.”
Seven members of the British parliament left the Labour Party yesterday, criticizing Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and sending shockwaves through the country’s political system. As Brexit and the possibility of a new election looms, this split could prove to be exactly what conservative Prime Minister Theresa May needs to stay in power. Neil Clark, a journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Week, and Morning Star, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
Investigators in North Carolina have determined that a political operative working on behalf of a Republican congressional candidate oversaw an illegal absentee ballot scheme and went to elaborate lengths to conceal it. The finding could lead to a new election for what is the only still-undecided congressional race in the country. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and founder of This Can’t Be Happening!, as well as a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to the London Review of Books, The Nation, Extra! Tarbell, and Salon.com, joins Brian and John.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society, including the teacher strikes in West Virginia, Chicago, Oakland, and Denver, a new nurses strike, and climate marches here and in Europe. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Trump’s announcement today that he’ll sign the funding bill and a national emergency, the ongoing coup attempt in Venezuela, and Amazon pulling out of putting a headquarters in New York City.
Amazon yesterday abruptly announced that it was canceling plans to open a second headquarters site in the Queens borough of New York City. The move came amid what the company said was an unexpected backlash from lawmakers, union leaders, and progressives angry over huge tax breaks and incentives that the state offered the company. Brian and John speak with Gabi Silva, an organizer with Damayan and the Scamazon Coalition as well as a resident of Queens.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called a snap general election for April, continuing a period of turmoil as the territorial conflict over Catalonian independence continues to weigh on the country’s politics. Sanchez suffered a major defeat earlier this week as opposition parties banded together to defeat his budget. The new election is expected to reveal even further fragmentation of the country’s political landscape. Sputnik news analyst and producer of this show Walter Smolarek joins the show.
A Washington DC developer has resorted to intimidation and displacement tactics to force residents from their homes in the city’s Brookland Manor. Developer Mid-City Financial stands to receive $47 million to reduce the affordable housing stock and increase the number of luxury units available in Northeast Washington. And the company is using hardball tactics to do that. Brian and John speak with Yasmina Mrabet, a housing organizer with LinkUp, a community group organizing with tenant associations around the city.
The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that the Chinese government is in talks with Venezuelan opposition leaders to safeguard its investments in the country. The Journal says that Chinese economic officials are worried about the $20 billion that Venezuela owes China, as well as its investments in the Venezuelan oil industry. Chinese officials, however, called the reports “fake news” and said that no such discussions had taken place. This is just one front in the global battle for control of Venezuela’s oil assets following U.S.-backed Juan Guaidó’s appointment of parallel boards of directors for the country’s main petroleum corporations. Andy Brennan, a journalist with Asia Times and CGTN in Beijing, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Piers Robinson, the chairman of the politics, society, and political journalism department at the University of Sheffield and the author of “Routledge Handbook of Media, Conflict and Security.”
Following an in-depth investigation by James Harkin published in The Intercept about the Douma chemical weapons attack, a BBC reporter has come out publicly to say he can confirm the core claims of the article, which challenge the dominant narrative around that attack that served as a pretext for a U.S. strike on the country.
Elliott Abrams is a convicted criminal who played a key role in the Iran-Contra scandal and death squad operations in Latin America in the 1980s. He’s also President Trump’s special envoy for Venezuela, leading the effort to overthrow the government of President Nicolas Maduro and to install a puppet regime led by Juan Guaido. He testified yesterday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, but faced a hostile crowd leery of his history of lying to Congress and his support for a hawkish, activist, neoconservative foreign policy. Kei Pritsker, an activist who was arrested yesterday during the hearing, joins the show.
Our friend and contributor Ted Rall recently had a major court decision go against him in California. This was a case that had very important implications for Americans’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech. In the end, the court decided essentially, that Ted’s right to criticize the Los Angeles Police Department was less important than the Los Angeles Times’s right to block Ted’s right to freedom of speech. It’s a case with very important constitutional implications. Ted is appealing that ruling to the California Supreme Court. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com.
Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe confirmed yesterday that FBI officials were so alarmed by President Trump’s decision to fire former FBI director James Comey, that they held talks on recruiting a cabinet official to push Trump out of office using the Constitution’s 25th amendment. Meanwhile, a federal judge yesterday ruled that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort breached the terms of his plea deal by lying to investigators after taking the deal. The ruling virtually ensures that, absent a presidential pardon, Manafort will die in prison. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” joins the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who refused orders to deploy to Vietnam and lived in exile in Canada and Sweden for 6 years, organizing with other U.S. military deserters and draft resisters against the Vietnam war, and for amnesty for U.S. war resisters, joins the show. He has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years and has served on the Board of Veterans For Peace for the last 6 years, currently as national president.
Congress today will vote on a budget to keep the federal government open beyond midnight tomorrow, even though President Trump has not yet said that he’ll sign the measure. The deal does not include funding for the president’s border wall. Susan Pai, an immigration attorney and a member of a number of civil liberties and immigrant rights organizations, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
Sixty countries are participating in a two-day US-organized Middle East so-called “peace conference” in Warsaw starting today that was originally billed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as a gathering to put pressure on Iran. The conference comes as some countries, including several in the European Union, are hoping to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, increasing tensions with Washington.
Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Richard Shelby made the rounds of political talk shows over the past two days to say that his committee had found no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. CBS and NBC reported at length on that conclusion. Ranking Democrat Mark Warner, however, said that he “respectfully disagreed” with Shelby, adding that, while there was no evidence of collusion, the Committee still had to interview several key witnesses. Meanwhile, some proponents of the Russiagate campaign are attempting to downplay expectations by arguing that the Mueller probe isn’t expansive enough. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Congress is finally set to help veterans who were exposed to highly toxic burn pits in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. Solid waste--everything from abandoned military equipment to plastic, to expired food, to body parts--is doused with jet fuel and set ablaze by the US military overseas. But the smoke and fumes are highly toxic and cause rare brain cancers. Brian and John speak with Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, and Joe Hickman, journalist, professor, and author of “The Burn Pits: The Poisoning of America's Soldiers.”
British Prime Minister Theresa May’s top Brexit negotiator is finding himself in hot water. He was reportedly overheard speaking in a Brussels bar and saying that if parliament does not vote to support May’s Brexit deal with the European Union, the prime minister could indefinitely delay leaving the union, keeping the country in economic and political limbo with no end in sight. May spoke before parliament today to address the controversy. Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union, joins the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join Brian and John.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of the New Sanctuary Movement.
President Trump held a rally in El Paso, Texas yesterday that was meant to pressure congressional negotiators into funding his border wall. But things didn’t work out the way he had expected. First, negotiators came to an agreement in principle to fund the government beyond Friday without any input from the president and without money for a wall. And then his rally was dwarfed in size by a competing rally across town held by possibly Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke.
Ilhan Omar is a freshman congresswoman from Minnesota. She’s one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress and is the body’s first Somali-American and first refugee. She’s a strong supporter of self-determination for the Palestinian people. And last week she tweeted light-heartedly that much US support for Israel is a result of money injected into politics by AIPAC, the American Israel Political Action Committee. The condemnation was swift and strong. Omar apologized immediately. But what did she say that was wrong? Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, most recently of the film “Killing Gaza,” joins the show.
The Defense Department announced this morning that US fighter jets attacked a mosque in eastern Syria that was being used as an ISIS control center as American-allied Syrian forces battled the extremists in their last stronghold in the country. Brian and John speak with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria.
A regular Tuesday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, the author of six books, and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, joins the show.
A dozen leaders of Catalonia’s failed 2017 independence bid have gone on trial in Madrid on charges that include rebellion and sedition. Several of them face up to 25 years in prison. The semi-autonomous region held an independence referendum on October 1, 2017 and declared its independence from Spain weeks later. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join Brian and John.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, and Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com.
The Trump Administration succeeded last week in advancing its overthrow of the Venezuelan government and in controlling the public relations agenda. A false narrative that President Nicolas Maduro blocked a food and aid convoy was all over the mainstream media. Former Vice President Joe Biden jumped on the bandwagon to endorse puppet figure Juan Guaido, and the US moved to cripple CITGO, the US-based retail branch of the Venezuelan national oil company.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Negotiators clashed on Sunday over whether to limit the number of migrants whom authorities can detain at the border, creating a new hurdle as the two sides try to strike a compromise before the government shuts down--again--on Friday. Brian and John speak with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins the show.
What is a stock buyback? It’s a common way for companies to prop up their stock prices and create wealth for shareholders. The company uses cash on hand to buy its own stock on the open market, thus propping up the price regardless of what the economy is doing. But is that necessarily a good thing? Couldn’t the money be put to better use if it’s spent on innovation or on workers? Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins Brian and John.
The US and South Korea struck a last-minute deal over the weekend on the cost of the US military presence there. South Korea will pay $890 million a year for the US military to occupy its country, an 8.2 percent increase over the previous five-year deal. South Korea already was paying 50 percent of the cost of the US military presence, but the US had sought at least $1 billion per year. Author and professor Tim Beal whose most recent book is “Crisis in Korea,” joins the show.
President Trump refused to abide by a legal mandate to tell Congress by Friday whether the White House thinks Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman was responsible for the death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. A senior Administration official said, “The president maintains his discretion to decline to act on congressional committee requests when appropriate.” Brian and John speak with Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges whose latest book is “Crowds and Party.”
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the implosion of the Democratic Party leadership in Virginia, why Donald Trump has declared the war against socialism inside the United States to be central to his ongoing political campaign effort, new exposees about the Trump-led coup in Venezuela, the war against women’s rights and the block from the Supreme Court on a stringent anti-abortion law in Louisiana, and much more.
In an explosive tell-all blog posted yesterday, Amazon founder and world’s richest man Jeff Bezos accused the publisher of the National Enquirer of trying to blackmail him. The post on the blogging platform Medium revealed what Bezos said were the full texts of emails his representatives received from executives at the National Enquirer’s parent company threatening to publish nude photos that Bezos apparently had sent to his girlfriend. In exchange, the Enquirer wanted Bezos to announce that he had no reason to believe that the Enquirer’s reporting was politically motivated or influenced by political forces. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
A diplomatic row between France and Italy deepened yesterday as France recalled its ambassador to Italy after populist Italian deputy Prime Minister Luigi de Maio met with Yellow Vest leaders in central Paris. The media is calling the development the worst crisis between the two countries since the end of the Second World War. Italy has not been shy in criticizing French President Emmanuel Macron on issues from immigration and trade to the Yellow Vests. Brian and John speak with Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire.”
Freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York and Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, yesterday sponsored a massive bill that they are calling the Green New Deal. It is a massive policy package that would reshape the entire US economy and, in the end, eliminate all carbon emissions. In doing so, it aims to boost the economy and create millions of jobs. Dr. Margaret Flowers, a medical doctor and the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance at www.popularresistance.org, joins the show.
In the midst of the political turmoil in Washington and the changes in trade policy worldwide, more and more american farmers are facing bankruptcies. Kathy Schmitt, Bureau Director, Farm and Agribusiness Services, and Frank Friar, Economic Specialist: Financial Consulting & Farm Succession Planning, both at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, join Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran; Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist; Kim Ives, an editor of the newspaper Haiti Liberte; and producer Walter Smolarek.
The United States makes a practice of touting international coalitions as a means to achieve a military or foreign policy goal. Just think of the coalition to defeat ISIS, the Coalition of the Willing that was the Iraq War, the coalition that overthrew the Libyan government, the Lima Group, and others. But these international coalitions are really just a myth. They serve as a cover for US intervention around the world in the absence of a United Nations Security Council Resolution or other international approval for military action.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
An international conference of neutral countries will be held today in Uruguay to jumpstart a dialogue between Venezuelans seeking a way out of the current crisis sparked by the U.S.-orchestrated effort to install Juan Guiadó as Venezuela’s president. Spokesmen for the governments of Uruguay and Mexico said they expect at least 10 countries to be represented at the talks today in Montevideo. Brian and John speak with Aline Piva, a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek
The Virginia Democratic Party is in a state of collapse. Senior Democrats around the country are calling for Governor Ralph Northam to resign after allegations that he appeared in blackface and with a friend dressed as a Ku Klux Klansman in college. Attorney General Mark Herring also admitted to appearing in blackface while in college. And Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax is being accused of sexually assaulting a woman. If all three are forced to resign, as appears increasingly likely, the Republican House Speaker would become governor. He became speaker after an election was decided by drawing lots from a hat. Rebecca Keel, a Richmond community organizer and a member of Southerners on New Ground, joins the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who refused orders to deploy to Vietnam and lived in exile in Canada and Sweden for 6 years, organizing with other U.S. military deserters and draft resisters against the Vietnam war, and for amnesty for U.S. war resisters, joins the show. He has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years and has served on the Board of Veterans For Peace for the last 6 years, currently as national president. This week, Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek also joins the show.
Jill Abramson, the former Executive Editor of the New York Times, is being accused of plagiarising portions of her new book, “Merchants of Truth: The Business of News and the Fight for Facts,” which purports to be an expose of Vice News. Abramson told Fox News yesterday that she had no comment, other than to deny plagiarism. But Vice News released a carefully-annotated side-by-side comparison of the book along with passages from Time Out and The New Yorker magazines and the Columbia Journalism Review that show uncanny similarities. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Israel’s Minister of Justice, Ayelet Shaked, who now co-chairs a new political party called “The New Right,” recently posted a tweet accusing the Israeli right wing party Likud of being left. That’s a common put-down right now in Israel. But what it really means is the accused is weak and unwilling to kill Palestinians. Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective, including immigrant rights, economic inequality, US military presence around the world, and the Democratic response.
The US Senate yesterday voted 77-23 to allow states to penalize businesses that participate in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement against Israel. The bill, which also includes measures aiming to prolong U.S. troop presence in Syria and Afghanistan, goes to the House of Representatives for consideration today. Even though the bill had broad support in the Senate, several senators, including Vermont’s Bernie Sanders and Kentucky’s Rand Paul, opined that the measure was likely unconstitutional and would be overturned. Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine,” and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
A report published this morning by the human rights group Amnesty International concludes that the United Arab Emirates is illegally supplying advanced American weaponry to Yemeni militias and other factions there. The report describes how the UAE has become what Amnesty International calls “a major conduit” for armored vehicles, mortar systems, and guns to groups accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. A parallel CNN investigation found that both the UAE and Saudi Arabia were transferring US weapons to al-Qaeda-affiliated groups in Yemen. Brian and John speak with Dr. May Darwich, an assistant professor in International Relations of the Middle East in the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society, and today focuses on the the state of the union for women, including health care, immigration, abortion access, and more.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
President Trump this evening will deliver his second State of the Union address. The president is expected to focus on immigration and on his demands for a border wall and his threats to declare a national emergency to build the border wall, as well as the opioid crisis, the economy, and sentencing reform. Will the American people see the so-called presidential Donald Trump of last year’s State of the Union? Or will we see the angry Donald Trump of Twitter? Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist. You can check out his work at www.rall.com.
The US envoy to the Korean peace talks Stephen Biegun will meet with high-level officials in North Korea tomorrow as preparations for the second Kim-Trump summit go down to the wire. There is also anticipation that crucial new details about the summit will be announced by President Trump during tonight’s state of the union address. Hyun Lee, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and writer for Zoominkorea.org, joins the show.
Senior Afghan officials, including former president Hamid Karzai, met with Taliban representatives in Moscow today weeks after the insurgents met with US representatives to discuss an end to the war. Again, however, no Afghan government officials were present. And President Ashraf Ghani strongly criticized the talks as undermining his government. Dr. Marvin Weinbaum, the Scholar-in-Residence and director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies, joins Brian and John.
President Trump announced on Twitter yesterday that he will nominate acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to formally take over the job from former Secretary Ryan Zinke, who resigned two months ago under an ethics cloud. Bernhardt is a former oil and agriculture industry lobbyist, who Congressman Raul Grijalva, the chairman of the House Interior Committee, described as “everything that’s wrong with this administration.” Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation” from Monthly Review Press, joins the show.
A regular Tuesday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, the author of six books, and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
President Trump caused consternation in Baghdad over the weekend when he said that he may leave US troops in Iraq to “watch” Iran. Those US troops had been in Iraq fighting ISIS. The problem is that the president never asked the Iraqi government’s permission to leave those troops, and now there is legislation in the Iraqi parliament to evict US troops from the country.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Venezuelans are being forced to consider the possibility of civil war as major European Union countries today recognized Juan Guaidó as president and huge street mobilizations both in favor of and opposed to the government of President Nicolás Maduro took place. Brian and John speak with Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com.
Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard formally announced her candidacy for president on Saturday. Her campaign is off to a rough start because of internal dissent, but her problem may be bigger than that. Is there room for an anti-war Democrat in the presidential race? Garland Nixon, the cohost of Sputnik News’s Fault Lines, on air every day between 7:00 and 10:00 a.m. eastern time, who was on the ground covering the campaign announcement this weekend, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today Bill discusses education in Venezuela, along with several teacher strikes in the US. Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to call for a national referendum to reduce the size of government in an effort to stem increasingly large yellow vest protests across the country. That would take place in May, at the same time as elections for the European Parliament. At the same time, however, Macron has authorized police to fire rubber bullets at unarmed protestors, causing serious injuries and inflaming still more would-be protestors. Yellow vest leaders have called an assembly of assemblies, that is, Yellow Vest leaders from around the country, to discuss next steps. Gilbert Mercier, editor in chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins the show.
The truce in the US trade war with China ends on March 2, when additional sanctions will go into effect absent a new trade agreement. President Trump says that a “great deal” is in the works, but he may have to fight anti-China hawks in his own cabinet to come to such an agreement. Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the polar vortex’s effect on the homeless and all people (while some fearmonger about Russia instead); the candidates for the 2020 presidential race including recently declared Cory Booker and Tulsi Gabbard, who will declare tomorrow; and a new court decision about Julian Assange.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced this morning that the United States would withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a major arms control treaty with Russia, ending a cornerstone Cold War agreement by claiming that Russia has already violated it. The withdrawal takes effect in six months, and threatens to set off a global arms race. Greg Mello, the Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group, joins the show.
The Senate voted 68-23 yesterday to approve an amendment expressing strong opposition to President Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria and to draw down the American presence in Afghanistan. The vote is veto-proof and is a direct challenge to the president’s decision to bring the troops home. Brian and John speak with Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist and journalist whose son Casey was killed during the Iraq War.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials admitted yesterday that they have been force-feeding six detained immigrants who went on a hunger strike to protest conditions at the Texas detention center where they are being held. A total of 15 immigrants are on hunger strikes, and most complain that they are being brutalized by ICE officers. Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of the New Sanctuary Movement, joins the show.
As preparations are underway for a historic second summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un later this month, the United States may be softening its negotiating position in the hopes of reaching a deal. Meanwhile, the country’s top intelligence officials told Congress earlier this week that North Korea likely will not give up its nuclear capabilities in an attempt to undermine these crucial upcoming talks. Tim Shorrock, a Washington-based investigative journalist who grew up in Japan and South Korea and who is the author of “SPIES FOR HIRE: The Secret World of Outsourced Intelligence,” joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today they discuss the Venezuelan coup attempt and Kamala Harris’s near-immediate walkback of Medicare for all.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Walter Smolarek, join the show.
Former presidential advisor Roger Stone entered not guilty pleas on seven felony counts in a federal court in Washington, DC yesterday and then immediately took to the airwaves to proclaim his innocence, to repeat that he will not testify against the president, and to warn the president that the Mueller investigation could mean the end of his presidency. Brian and John speak with Dr. Jerome Corsi, an author and political commentator who was close to Roger Stone and who wrote the book, “Silent No More: How I Became a Political Prisoner of Mueller’s Witch Hunt.”
Large-scale protests are taking place in Venezuela both for and against the government today after the Supreme Court moved to freeze U.S.-backed self-proclaimed president Juan Guaidó’s bank accounts and to impose a travel ban on him. Guaidó responded by calling on the military to side with him and he asked the United States to send weapons and advisors to help him overthrow the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, joins the show.
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, CIA Director Gina Haspel, and FBI Director Christopher Wray delivered their annual intelligence threat assessment yesterday in an open hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Notably, they contradicted Donald Trump on nearly every major issue: the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs, ISIS, and China. Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, which is at popularresistance.org, joins Brian and John.
The US and China met today to try to dig out from a damaging trade war with a new round of high-level talks aimed at bridging deep differences over China’s intellectual property and technology transfer policies. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer represented the United States, while the Chinese delegation was led by Vice Premier Liu He. The deadline for an agreement is March 1. Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins the show.
The British Parliament yesterday narrowly failed to approve an amendment giving it the power to instruct Prime Minister Theresa May to seek a delay to avoid a disorderly and possibly chaotic exit from the European Union on March 29. May later lost a nonbinding amendment that said the UK should not leave the EU without a Brexit deal. With chaos deepening, Prime Minister May today held a meeting with Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition Labour Party. Brian and John speak with Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Nazia Kazi, an activist and professor of Anthropology at Stockton University.
Dr. Nazia Kazi has a new book out called “Islamophobia, Race and Global Politics.” It’s published by Rowman & Littlefield and is an introduction to the scope of Islamophobia in the US. Dr. Kazi draws connections between Islamophobia and racism more broadly to US military interventions around the world and to empire-building.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Former Trump advisor and Republican dirty trickster Roger Stone was arraigned in federal court in Washington today. He pled not guilty to seven felonies, including obstruction of a federal proceeding, witness tampering, and five counts of making false statements. He is free on $250,000 bond. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare. He is a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
President Trump yesterday approved sanctions on Venezuela’s state oil company, the parent company of the US-based Citgo, in an effort to further cripple the economy. Meanwhile, National Security Advisor John Bolton was filmed yesterday holding a notepad on which he had written “5000 troops to Colombia.” It is not known whether exposure of the notepad was an accident or if it was meant to put psychological pressure on the Maduro government. Dan Cohen, a journalist and author of the new article “The Making of Juan Guaidó: How the US Regime Change Laboratory Created Venezuela’s Coup Leader,” at grayzoneproject.com, joins the show.
The Justice Department yesterday unsealed a host of criminal charges against Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei and its Chief Operating Officer, Meng Wanzhou. Meng has been held in custody in Canada for more than a month, pending extradition to the United States in a move that has deepened the diplomatic crisis between China and the U.S.. The charges against Meng and Huawei include bank fraud, obstruction of justice, and theft of technology. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins Brian and John.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, joins the show.
President Trump has promised to be “far worse than anybody, if need be,” by developing space weapons technology faster than any country in the world. This would require withdrawing from existing treaties that forbid the development of space weapons. And will it even make the United States any safer, or do these policies increase the likelihood of a devastating conflict? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues, and the author of the new article on CounterPunch, “Darth Trump: From Space Force to Star Wars.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Anoa Changa, the host of the show The Way With Anoa, and Pedro Rios, the director of the American Friends Service Committee’s U.S./Mexico Border Program.
President Trump and congressional leaders agreed on Friday afternoon to reopen the government for three weeks to give all sides time to come up with a workable federal budget. The three-week Continuing Resolution does not include money for the President’s border wall, but it does include money to hire more border patrol agents. The countdown is now on to strike a major deal on immigration policy before the government shuts back down next month.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
The United States and the Taliban agreed on a draft framework for peace in Afghanistan following nearly a week of talks in Qatar. The Afghan government did not participate because the Taliban does see it as illegitimate. But US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters that the Taliban had agreed to never again allow the country to be a base for terrorists. The Taliban spokesman, meanwhile, said that “all foreign troops must leave Afghanistan.” Brian and John speak with Brian Terrell.
The political crisis in Venezuela deepened over the weekend following Juan Guaido’s self-proclamation as Interim President. The main institutions of government remain loyal to President Nicolas Maduro, but the United States, along with allies like the UK, are turning up the economic pressure. What’s next for Venezuela? Chuck Kaufman, the National Co-Coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice, joins the show.
The Integrity Initiative, a UK-based group that purported to be a watchdog for what it called the Russian threat against democracy in the UK, Europe, and the US, was unmasked last year as a British intelligence-funded propaganda front group. Its website was hacked recently and its internal documents were spread. The group has now taken the website down. Investigative journalist Kit Klarenberg joins Brian and John.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
A new National Intelligence Strategy, a long-term intelligence outlook prepared by the Director of National Intelligence, says that the United States will be challenged in the coming years by nations that exploit “the weakening of the post-WWII international order and dominance of western democratic ideals...and increasingly isolationist tendencies in the west.” What does that mean? It means that the US believes that Russia and China are its most important adversaries for the coming decades. Brian and John speak with Mark Sleboda, an international relations and security analyst.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the pressure on the US government to reopen, the coup attempt in Venezuela, and the way the mainstream media is downplaying the success of the teacher strike in L.A.
Longtime Republican Party operative Roger Stone was arrested during a pre-dawn FBI raid on his Florida home this morning. He was charged with seven felonies, including witness tampering, obstructing a federal investigation, and five counts of making false statements. Stone was arraigned in federal court today at 11:00 and his attorneys said he would fight the charges vigorously. Jim Kavanagh, whose commentary is published on his website, thepolemicist.net, Counterpunch, and other online journals, joins the show.
Venezuela’s judicial, political and military leaders backed President Nicolas Maduro yesterday as the U.S.-backed coup attempt continued. Meanwhile Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged member countries of the Organization of American States to back Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as president and refused to accept the decision by Maduro to expel the U.S. embassy staff. Street mobilizations by supporters of the government are continuing in the face of violence by opposition supporters. Brian and John speak with Medea Benjamin, an anti-war and anti-torture activist who is the co-founder of Code Pink.
Marzieh Hashemi, the American citizen who is a journalist for Iran’s Press TV, was released from federal custody after testifying before a grand jury. Hashemi had been held without charge as a material witness to force her testimony. She was subject to a variety of degradations while being held. Marzieh Hashemi joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Aline Piva, a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice, and Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com.
As the attempted coup in Venezuela continues, the United States is upping the pressure by announcing that it will refuse to remove its embassy staff from the country, as ordered by President Nicolás Maduro in retaliation for the U.S. orchestrated plot to replace him with far-right opposition figure Juan Guaido. The U.S. diplomats were given 72 hours to leave the country, and President Maduro also has ordered closed the Venezuelan embassy in the U.S.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
The Senate voted on two competing measures today that would reopen the federal government. Neither bill garnered the required 60 votes, however. And President Trump announced that he will postpone the State of the Union Address; this came after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that she would not authorize the address so long as the government was closed. The partial government shutdown is now in its 34th day, with federal workers projected to soon miss their second paycheck. Brian and John speak with Julie Hurwitz, a civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman, Hurwitz and James.
Alex Salmond, who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014 and who was leader of the Scottish National Party for more than 20 years, was arrested yesterday and charged with sex crimes. The arrest took place two weeks after Salmond won a lawsuit against Scottish authorities relating to their investigative practices in this case. Mark Hirst, the Editor-In-Chief of Sputnik’s Edinburgh bureau, joins the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who refused orders to deploy to Vietnam and lived in exile in Canada and Sweden for 6 years, organizing with other U.S. military deserters and draft resisters against the Vietnam war, and for amnesty for U.S. war resisters, joins the show. He has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years and has served on the Board of Veterans For Peace for the last 6 years, currently as national president.
A lot of Democrats are running for president. Major media outlets say that as many as two dozen Democrats are considering, or have already announced, campaigns. There are major names like Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren, newcomers like Kamala Harris and Tulsi Gabbard, and unknown like South Bend Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg and Maryland Congressman John Delaney. But are any of these politicians really any different from previous Democratic candidates? And do many of them have a chance to beat Donald Trump? Kevin Zeese, co-coordinator of PopularResistance.org, joins the show.
Our friend and contributor Ted Rall recently had a major court decision go against him in California. This was a case that had very important implications for Americans’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech. In the end, the court decided essentially, that Ted’s right to criticize the Los Angeles Police Department was less important than the Los Angeles Times’s right to block Ted’s right to freedom of speech. It’s a case with very important constitutional implications. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by from Caracas by Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, and from Merida, Venezuela, by Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, and in studio by Sputnik news analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido has declared himself the country’s president and was immediately recognized as such by the U.S. government. Huge numbers of government supporters have taken to the streets to fight back against this coup effort.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and puts them into perspective, including the ongoing government shutdown, which is in Day 33, the successfully ended LA teacher strike, the indefinite detaining of journalist Marzieh Hashemi, and the news that Julian Assange is now working to have his US charges unsealed. Brian and John speak with Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
The six-day Los Angeles teachers strike ended yesterday as teachers and staff threw their support behind a new agreement negotiated with the school board. The agreement, which garnered the votes of a super-majority of union members, calls for a six percent pay raise, a gradual decrease in class sizes, and the hiring of more librarians, nurses, and counselors. Cecily Myart-Cruz, a teacher in the LA Unified School District for 23 years and the Vice President of United Teachers Los Angeles/National Education Association, the teachers union, joins the show.
Turkish President Erdogan is in Moscow today to meet with Russian President Putin on Syria. The two will discuss coordination in Syria, where they’ve been on opposing sides. Meanwhile, the Syrian government has floated the possibility of a retaliatory strike against Israel if it carries out another attack on the Damascus airport. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, and Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink, and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist at www.rall.com.
A lot happened this weekend, including women’s marches across the country, despite attacks on the leadership, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and federal holiday, which was ironically highlighted by groups like Northrop Grumman and the FBI, and Special Counsel Robert Mueller called foul on a breathless Russiagate report from Buzzfeed late last week. And meanwhile the government shutdown continues.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
The government shutdown is now in its second month, and no solution appears in sight. As the Trump administration digs in and refuses to budge from its demand for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, the shutdown is beginning to have serious effects on the overall health of the economy. Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and founder of This Can’t Be Happening!, as well as a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to the London Review of Books, The Nation, Extra! Tarbell, and Salon.com.
Reporters Without Borders has condemned the continued detention in the United States of Marzieh Hashemi, an American citizen who is a journalist for Iran’s Press TV. Hashemi was detained on a material witness warrant to force her to testify before a federal grand jury. That testimony is supposed to take place today. Hashemi has been held in St. Louis since January 13. Nargess Moballeghi, an independent journalist and friend and former colleague of Marzieh Hashemi, joins the show.
The European Commission confirmed this morning that a “no deal” Brexit would mean a hard border for Ireland; that is, the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland would be like crossing any other international frontier. But the soft border was one of the pillars of the Good Friday Accords that ended the decades-long war in the North of Ireland. Meanwhile, a second referendum that could see Brexit overturned is becoming increasingly possible. Andy Brennan, a journalist with Asia Times and CGTN, joins Brian and John.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, joins the show.
Controversy continues to surround a Buzzfeed article saying that President Trump had specifically ordered his former attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about the Trump Organization’s plans to build a residential tower in Moscow in 2016. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team took the unusual step of denying the piece, in an embarrassing rebuke to the publication and the Russiagate narrative overall. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs.
The White House announced today that the second summit between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will take place in late February at a yet-to-be-determined location. This dramatic announcement comes after North Korean lead negotiator Kim Yong Chol visited Washington to meet with Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Brian speaks with Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network.
A new story published by Buzzfeed is being called a bombshell that will lead to Donald Trump either resigning or being impeached. The story is based on anonymous sources. It asserts that Donald Trump directed his then personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to lie to Congress about the nature and timing of negotiations between the Trump Organization and individuals in Moscow who are trying to broker a deal to set up a Trump Tower in Moscow. We’ll take a look at the story and its authors. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War”, joins the show.
Four activists with the humanitarian organization No More Deaths are on trial in Tucson, Arizona, facing charges from an arrest in 2017 related to their efforts to place life-saving supplies like water in a stretch of desert near the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent migrants from dying of thirst and starvation. The outcome of the case will have wide-reaching implications for humanitarians and immigrant rights activists. Justine Schnitzler, a volunteer and staff member with No More Deaths, joins Brian.
As Jeremy Corbyn comes closer and closer to becoming the Prime Minister of the UK, attacks against him are ramping up. One line of attack has been the allegation that Corbyn, a long time supporter of Palestinian rights and opponent of intervention in the Middle East, is anti-semitic. Now, a new report shows that bot accounts on social media are being used to provide false evidence for these claims. Asa Winstanley. He is an investigative journalist with The Electronic Intifada and a columnist at Middle East Monitor whose article “Fake Labour accounts fueling ‘anti-Semitism crisis’” broke the story, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian speaks with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ford Fischer, the founder of the media startup News2Share, and Alex Rubinstein, a writer for MintPress News.
Overnight, Facebook deleted hundreds of pages that it said were run by employees at Sputnik. 75 Sputnik employees have been blacklisted for posting on these pages. The reason that Facebook gave is that they promoted anti-NATO views. Is Facebook continuing its war on independent and alternative media?
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
President Trump announced his Missile Defense Review today at the Pentagon. This includes 20 new ground-based interceptors but also a space-based missile defense layer as the Trump administration pushes ahead with its dangerous militarization of outer space. Brian speaks with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, the author of six books, and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
American citizen and journalist Marzieh Hashemi has been detained and held by the FBI since Sunday. She is not charged with any crime, but is being held because she is a “material witness.” Hashemi is an anchor for Press TV, an Iranian news outlet, and was detained at the airport when she flew to the US to visit her children and work on a documentary about the Black Lives Matter movement. Glen Ford, the executive editor of Black Agenda Report, joins the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who refused orders to deploy to Vietnam and lived in exile in Canada and Sweden for 6 years, organizing with other U.S. military deserters and draft resisters against the Vietnam war, and for amnesty for U.S. war resisters, joins the show. He has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years and has served on the Board of Veterans For Peace for the last 6 years, currently as national president.
Two Democrats and two Republicans introduced a bill yesterday that would ban sales of US technology like phone chips to Chinese companies ZTE and Huawei. Despite ongoing negotiations between U.S. and Chinese trade officials, the campaign to stop China’s economic rise continues. David Ewing, the chair of the San Francisco chapter of the US-China People’s Friendship Association, joins the show.
This week mainstream media exploded over meetings between President Trump and Russian President Putin without a US translator. But this is not without precedent -- the hosts take a look at the history of presidential diplomacy. Brian speaks with Dr. Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of history and author of the new book “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and puts them into perspective. Today they talk about the government shutdown, confirmation hearings for Trump’s Attorney General nominee, and more.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Several U.S. troops have reportedly been killed in northern Syria in a bomb blast claimed by ISIS. Opponents of a U.S. withdrawal from the country, something long demanded by Syria’s sovereign government, seized on this development to try to derail the pullout. Brian speaks with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Marzieh Hashemi, an American journalist, was arrested on Sunday and is still being held without charge by the FBI. Hashemi works for the Iranian outlet Press TV, and many are speculating that her detention is yet another move in the Trump administration’s effort to ramp up pressure on Iran and journalists. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
Mainstream media outlets across the country are in a frenzy over Donald Trump’s decision to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin without keeping official records; Brian puts this issue into context. Meanwhile, new developments in the ongoing struggle between the FBI and the White House have emerged, involving former FBI general counsel James Baker. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins Brian and John.
Purdue pharmaceutical corporation play a major role fueling the opioid crisis, an epidemic that has made the Sackler family who owns the company fabulously wealthy. Now, new internal documents reveal the direct involvement of the Sacklers in an ad campaign seeking to shift the blame for the crisis. Dr. Margaret Flowers, the co-coordinator of the news site Popular Resistance, at popularresistance.org, joins the show.
A top aid to imprisoned drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman testified in court today that El Chapo paid a $100 million bribe to former Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. While this is yet to be verified, the claim highlights the endemic corruption among the country’s political elites and newly-elected progressive president Obrador’s effort to end it. Brian speaks with Dr. John Ackerman, professor of Constitutional Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), researcher at the Legal Research Institute of UNAM, and editorial director of the Mexican Law Review, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by legendary anti-war activist and former British parliamentarian George Galloway and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
President Trump’s choice to head the Justice Department, William Barr, begins his nomination hearings today before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Barr has pledged not to hamper or end the Mueller investigation, and he spent last week paying calls on Committee members. He was previously Attorney General under President George H. W. Bush. Brian and John speak with criminal defense attorney Brad Schlesinger.
The New York Times reported today that a year ago President Trump suggested to aides that the United States should withdraw from NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He made the statement several more times throughout 2018, calling it a financial drain on the US. A US withdrawal would likely signal the end of the alliance. Dr. Peter Kuznik, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and co-author with Oliver Stone of the book and the hit Showtime television series “The Untold History of the United States,” joins the show.
The Los Angeles Teachers Strike entered its second day today with no immediate end in sight. Why won’t the LA Unified School District reduce class sizes, hire more nurses, counselors, and librarians, and give teachers a raise when the district is sitting on a $1.86 billion surplus? Today, huge pickets are continuing and charter school teachers are joining the strike. Cecily Myart-Cruz, a teacher in the LA Unified School District for 23 years and the Vice President of United Teachers Los Angeles/National Education Association, the teachers union, joins Brian and John.
Today’s regular segment that airs every Tuesday is called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, joins the show.
Representative Steve King, a Republican of Iowa, will be stripped of his committee assignments because of racist comments he made last week. But King has been making similar comments for years and the Republican leadership never said a word. Senator Chuck Grassley even endorsed him for reelection just last year. Why are the Republicans acting now? And does this mean the end of King’s career? Brian and John speak with Dr. Nazia Kazi, an activist and professor of Anthropology at Stockton University, and author of the new book “Islamophobia, Race and Global Politics,” published by Rowman & Littlefield.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, and Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Americans learned over the weekend that the FBI had taken perhaps an unprecedented step by opening a counterintelligence investigation targeting President Trump following his decision to fire former FBI Director James Comey. Shortly after news of the counterintelligence investigation broke, the media began to heavily focus on the availability of the translators’ notes from Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and strong supporter of President Trump, urged him today to temporarily reopen the government to allow for talks that could satisfy his demand for a border wall. Anger is mounting as hundreds of thousands of federal employees are going without pay, and polls show that most Americans don’t want a border wall and most blame Trump for the longest government shutdown in history. Brian and John speak with Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, you can check out their work at popularresistance.org.
National Security Advisor John Bolton asked the Pentagon last year to draw up plans to attack Iran, and senior Pentagon officials are voicing deepening fear that he could precipitate a conflict with that country at a time when the US presence in the Middle East is declining. And President Trump said he would “devastate Turkey economically” if it attacks the Kurds when the US pulls its troops out of Syria. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat from Hawaii, announced her candidacy for president on Saturday. Gabbard is a decorated veteran of the Iraq War and is a strong proponent of peace issues. She’s also the first American Samoan and the first Hindu to be elected to Congress. Pundits believe she may draw support away from Bernie Sanders, but she has also been subject to intense criticism over her record on LGBTQ rights. Sputnik news analyst and producer Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
British Prime Minister Theresa May traveled around the country to drum up support ahead of Tuesday critical parliamentary vote on Brexit. She told voters in northern England that if parliament votes down the Brexit deal there will be no alternative and it will paralyze British politics and likely lead to no Brexit. Brian and John speak with Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the shutdown, which is now tied for the longest in history, the troop withdrawal from Syria, and the New York Times Manafort story retraction this week.
The US military today said that the troop withdrawal from Syria has already begun, but refused to give a timetable for the pullout. This move comes despite National Security Advisor Bolton’s announcement of a series of difficult-to-meet conditions that would need to be met before the withdrawal would happen. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, and Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
Today is Day 21 of the government shutdown, tied for the longest in history. Approximately 800,000 federal workers continue to be affected by the shutdown, as well as people on Native reservations, national parks, farmers, and many others. President Trump went to the border yesterday, and there have been increasing signs that he may issue a national emergency to fund the wall. Brian speaks with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a high-profile address in Cairo yesterday, doubling down on the Trump administration’s hostile posture towards Iran and pushing the regime change agenda. Pompeo purposely chose to give his speech in the same location as former President Obama’s landmark 2009 address. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
Polish authorities arrested a Huawei sales executive, the second Huawei executive arrested in recent months. Meanwhile, trade talks between the US and China have continued all week, which is being interpreted as a positive sign by financial markets. Will there be resolution from the recent trade war? Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins Brian.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian speaks with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy and Capitalism in Seventeenth Century North America and the Caribbean.”
President Trump is heading to the border today to speak with Customs and Border Patrol officials about the so-called “crisis” there, even though those same officials aren’t being paid because of the government shutdown. Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in today for a new term as the U.S.-backed regime change effort targeting his government continues, and Brazil’s new president, Jair Bolsonaro, moved today to withdraw his country from the UN global migration pact.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
President Trump said today that he will “almost definitely” declare a national emergency soon to secure funding for his border wall. He made the comment as he departed today to Texas to meet with Customs and Border Patrol officials and continue making the case for hardline anti-immigrant policies. Brian and John speak with Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos.
The US has accused Russia’s Kaspersky Lab of working with Russian spies on cyberwarfare. But Politico is reporting that Kaspersky actually helped catch an NSA data thief, even though the US had completely missed the theft. Kim Zetter, the author of the book “Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World’s First Digital Weapon,” and a prolific journalist who has contributed to Politico, the Washington Post, the New York Times, CNN, NPR, and other outlets, joins the show.
The New York Times today issued a correction--a retraction would be more appropriate--to a front-page story yesterday saying that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort had shared polling data with a Russian contact for passage to a Russian oligarch. That information was untrue. Manafort had shared the information for passage to two Ukrainian politicians with whom he had had a business relationship. The true story undercuts any accusation of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” joins Brian and John.
It’s time again for our regular weekly segment Veterans for Peace, where we’ll discuss contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
The UK’s departure from the European Union is fast approaching. The British parliament is now conducting the official debate on the Brexit deal ahead of a vote next week. But Prime Minister Theresa May may not have the votes necessary to pass the terms of the deal, and was dealt a blow when members of her own Conservative Party revolted to help pass a motion limiting her options in the event that the deal is rejected. Brian and John speak with Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and by Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and puts them into perspective. Their conversation includes the televised address about the wall and the shutdown last night, the coup in Gabon, and the outrage over an organization rescinding a civil rights award to Angela Davis.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
President Trump’s Oval Office speech last night calling for $5 billion to construct a wall along the border with Mexico apparently did nothing to bring politicians on Capitol Hill any closer together. Meanwhile, with no end to the government shutdown in sight, Republicans in both the House and Senate are beginning to break away from the President. Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and founder of This Can’t Be Happening!, as well as a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to the London Review of Books, The Nation, Extra! Tarbell, and Salon.com.
Teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District are set to go on strike tomorrow after years of frustration over class sizes, salaries, and a shortage of nurses and school counselors. The district has made several offers, but the teachers union says they don’t go far enough. So barring a last-minute deal, 32,000 teachers will walk off the job tomorrow. Cecily Myart-Cruz, a teacher in the LA Unified School District for 23 years and the Vice President of United Teachers Los Angeles/National Education Association, the teachers union, joins the show.
Newly declassified information suggests that CIA Director Gina Haspel was in charge of a secret CIA base at the US military prison at Guantánamo Bay, a site notorious around the world for torture of detainees. If true, the revelation shows a much deeper involvement in CIA torture than Haspel has so far admitted to.
Attorneys for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort made a critical error yesterday when they filed motions in federal court and accidentally revealed that Manafort had met in 2016 with Konstantin Kilimnik, and passed him polling data. But once again, crucial details are being left out of the mainstream media narrative. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
States and localities across the country are expanding healthcare access to their residents, despite the fact that Republicans at the federal level are still seeking to weaken or do away with the Affordable Care Act. Single-payer healthcare is a widely popular idea, but what is the best way to go about achieving it? Brian and John speak with Dr. Margaret Flowers, a medical doctor and the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, at PopularResistance.org.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer and author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.”
President Trump is considering declaring a national state of emergency as a way to obtain funding for his border wall. With the partial government shutdown nearing its third week and no end in sight, Trump says he is willing to take the unusual action. Immigrant rights advocates, on the other hand, say that there is absolutely no reasonable argument that the situation on the U.S.-Mexico border constitutes a national crisis. Will the Trump administration get away with this massive expansion of executive authority?
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
News broke today that prosecutors in New York charged Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya with obstruction of justice. But a closer look at the indictment reveals that U.S. authorities charger her essentially for corresponding with Russian prosecutors to advocate for her client, the corporation Prevezon. Nevertheless, the indictment is now being cited as evidence that Veselnitskaya is an agent of the Russian government, and was acting as such when she participated in the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting prior to the election. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, and Lee Stranahan, co-host of the Radio Sputnik show Fault Lines.
Today is the start of a new regular segment that will air every Tuesday called Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. This weekly segment is about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, an associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, joins the show.
US-China trade talks showed signs of progress today with President Trump tweeting optimistically that a deal is likely. Tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports are set to jump from 10 percent to 25 percent on March 2. Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in Beijing for talks with Chinese premier Xi Jinping for the fourth time since assuming power. Andy Brennan, a journalist with Asia Times and CGTN, and Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins Brian and John.
Turkish President Erdogan issued a blunt put-down of National Security Advisor John Bolton yesterday over his pledge to ensure Turkish non-aggression against Syrian Kurds, saying, “We cannot accept Bolton’s messages given from Israel,” and adding, “Bolton has made a serious mistake.” Bolton was in Turkey yesterday, but Erdogan refused to meet him. Dr. Gönül Tol, the founding director of The Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies and former professor who has taught courses on Islamist movements in Western Europe, Turkey, world politics, and the Middle East, joins the show.
The French government will take new measures to deter violence against police and damage to property as it seeks to corral the Yellow Vest movement after another weekend of mass protest. More than 50,000 people demonstrated over the weekend, with some of the marches turning violent. The Macron government is taking full advantage of the opportunity to clamp down on dissent. Brian and John speak with Gilbert Mercier, editor in chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, and Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
National Security Advisor John Bolton backpedaled on President Trump’s promise to withdraw from Syria, saying during a visit to Israel yesterday that the withdrawal would take place only when ISIS was completely destroyed. Then, Bolton traveled to Turkey today to seek assurances from Ankara that, in the event of a US withdrawal from Syria, that country’s Kurds would be safe from an attack by the Turkish military.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
A second pro-Democratic Party false flag operation has been revealed in Alabama. The New York Times reported today that progressive activists set up fake social media pages that appeared to come from Alabama evangelicals, falsely representing that Republican Roy Moore would make Alabama dry. The single-state operation cost another $100,000 over two weeks, the amount that the Internet Research Agency spent nationwide in the 2016 election. Meanwhile, the “sonic attacks” in Cuba that were supposed to be from Russia have now been attributed to crickets. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Four Republican senators led by Marco Rubio of Florida last week sponsored a bill that would seek to criminalize the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions, or BDS, movement. It would also impose harsh sanctions on Syria and increase military aid to Israel and Egypt. The bill has broad bipartisan support in the Senate and will be called to an expedited vote as early as today. House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Elliott Engel, a Democrat, said that he will seek to push the bill through the House. Miko Peled, the author of “Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill, John, and Brian focus on the Los Angeles teachers who plan to strike on Thursday. Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
Today we enter Day 17 of the partial government shutdown, already the second-longest in American history. President Trump is threatening to upend negotiations with Congress by declaring a national emergency that would allow him to build his border wall while completely bypassing Congress. Negotiations between Republicans and Democrats over the weekend did not yield any results. Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of the New Sanctuary Movement, joins the show.
Jim Bridenstine, the NASA Administrator, was forced to rescind an invitation to the head of the Russian space agency to visit the United States after the offer was criticized by key senators. Space historically has been a point on which the US and Russia have cooperated, but is this cancellation yet another sign of a dangerous arms race leading to the militarization of space? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, the author of six books, and the host of a nationally aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
It’s time for our weekly segment The Week in Review. The 116th Congress took office yesterday with Nancy Pelosi as Speaker. This Congress is unlike any other, with a record number of women, including two Muslim women, the first two Latina congresswomen from Texas, the first two African-American Congresswomen from New England, a former refugee from Somalia, and New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who’s still in her 20s. The issues this Congress will face are daunting, beginning with the Democrats’ ideas on PayGo, or pay-as-you-go spending, investigations, leadership challenges, and legislative plans. The road ahead, as one part of a divided government, will not be easy.
Job growth ended 2018 on a powerful note, with the economy adding 312,000 new non-farm jobs in December. Unemployment rose to 3.9 percent as more people entered the job market and the labor force participation rate increased to 63.1 percent. A broader measure of unemployment that includes discouraged workers and those holding part-time jobs for economic reasons held steady at 7.6 percent. Is the economy truly booming? What’s going on beneath the surface? Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, founder of the organization Democracy at Work, and author of “Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown,” joins the show.
French police have arrested a leader of the Yellow Vest movement for a second time in a clear sign that the government is following through on its threats to crack down on protests that have shaken France for the past six weeks. Eric Drouet, a 33-year-old truck driver was charged with “organizing an undeclared demonstration” for planning to meet six colleagues outside a McDonald’s restaurant. He was earlier charged with “carrying a wooden club,” leading many in the media to speculate that he is being targeted for his political actions. Brian and John speak with Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire.”
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Peter Ford, former UK Ambassador to Syria.
President Trump held his first cabinet meeting of the new year yesterday and -- after having his secretaries take turns gushing about his wonderful leadership -- cast doubt on his previously-announced withdrawal from Syria, saying that he had not announced a timetable. Will the administration and the Pentagon slow-walk the U.S. withdrawal? Will U.S. troops ever leave at all?
The hosts continue the weekly series “Criminal Injustice,” where we talk about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center, joins the show.
Major technology companies came under heavy pressure on Wall Street today after Apple announced an unprecedented cut in its sales forecast, citing falling iPhone sales and pressure from the trade war with China. It was the first time in more than 15 years that Apple cut its earnings forecast. Shares of Samsung, Microsoft, Intel, and companies that make components for Apple also fell. And this might just be the tip of the iceberg as other companies brace for declining revenues. Brian and John speak with Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression.”
The New York Times yesterday published an article saying that sexual harassment and sexual discrimination were serious problems in Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign. The article notes that nearly a dozen former campaign staff members say that Sanders’s failure to address the problem in 2016 could jeopardize a run for president in 2020. Sanders has apologized to any woman who felt mistreated, but many are also questioning the motives of the New York Times, the ultimate elite news outlet that has been consistently hostile to progressive candidates and movements. Julie Hurwitz, a civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman, Hurwitz and James, and Sputnik News analyst Nicole Roussell join the show.
The hosts continue the regular weekly segment Veterans for Peace, where we’ll discuss contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who serves as national president of Veterans for Peace, joins Brian and John.
In an historic first, a Chinese lunar rover successfully landed on the far side of the moon yesterday. Chinese scientists say the landing was a bulls-eye. The rover will conduct a number of experiments and will study the interaction between solar winds and the moon’s surface. But the biggest impact of the landing may really be political. Jude Woodward, author of the book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?”, joins the show.
President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled the Democratic Republic of the Congo with an iron fist, is stepping down after 17 years following mass protests demanding democracy and an end to the persecution of opposition activists. After repeatedly postponing elections, votes from opposition strongholds are just trickling in, and Kabila has shut down the country’s internet and observers are complaining of widespread electoral irregularities. Brian and John speak with Kambale Musavuli, national spokesman for The Friends of the Congo.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today they look at the government shutdown and moves by possible 2020 presidential contenders.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
The government shutdown entered its 12th day today, and meanwhile, everything from the Environmental Protection Agency to the IRS to the national parks and the Department of Homeland Security are closed. That didn’t stop border guards from firing tear gas at would-be migrants. Brian and John speak with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
The 2020 race for president is heating up--for both parties. Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren effectively announced over the weekend that she was running for president, the first of as many as two dozen Democrats thinking of making the leap. Meanwhile, Utah’s new Republican Senator Mitt Romney harshly criticized President Trump in a New Year’s Day op-ed in the Washington Post. And he’s not the only Republican being talked about as a primary challenger to President Trump. Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
A new Congress is about to be sworn in, and Democrats will assume control of the House of Representatives, threatening to use their committee chairmanships to escalate the Mueller investigation and other investigations targeting the Trump administration. What does 2019 hold for Russiagate? Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins Brian and John.
In a New Year’s address, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that he was ready to meet again with President Trump at any time and he reaffirmed his commitment to denuclearization. But Kim also warned that his country might have to pursue what he called a “new way” if the United States insisted on imposing new sanctions. President Trump, meanwhile, said that he welcomes another meeting. Hyun Lee, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and writer for Zoominkorea.org, joins the show.
Yesterday was Jair Bolsonaro’s inauguration, and Brazil’s new president is very much in the mould of Donald Trump, but even more bombastic. He has said that he will “rid Brazil of socialism,” and would open vast portions of the Amazon rainforest to developers. President Trump tweeted to Bolsonaro, “The USA is with you!” Brian and John speak with Aline Piva, a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
2018 is coming to an end. In this special Year in Review segment, Brian and John discuss the biggest stories of the year, including the immigration crackdown, US relations with North Korea, heightened confrontation with Iran, a trade war with China, the Mueller probe and the non-stop hysteria generated by politicians and the corporate owned media against Russia, intensifying wildfires, and global warming.
As the year ends today, Brian and John continue reviewing the year in their regular segment False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show to cover the big picture economic trends of 2018.
Today’s last 2018 Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa segment goes over the year in how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state threaten cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Brian and John go over changes and developments in the world of technology over the past year. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and with Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the important new ruling in the case of world-renowned political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal, the government shutdown that’s in its seventh day, and new updates in the Russiagate saga.
Syrian troops have arrived on the front lines at the flashpoint town of Manbij as Kurdish forces appealed to Damascus for help against Turkey in light of President Trump’s decision to pull troops out of Syria. Turkish President Erdogan is threatening to send troops across the border to take Manbij and to rout the Kurds. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
This interview was originally aired in October of 2018. It focuses on the use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War and is one of the best 2018 shows. Paul Cox and Marjorie Cohn joined the show. Paul is a Vietnam veteran and a member of Veterans for Peace. He focuses on advocating for compensation for victims of Agent Orange. Marjorie is a professor emerita at Thomas Jefferson School of Law and the former president of the National Lawyers Guild.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. They start today with President Trump’s surprise visit to Iraq yesterday, his first into a combat zone as president. Instead of telling the troops they might go home soon, following his recent decisions in Syria and Afghanistan, the president continued the presidential legacy of discussing military strategy while keeping troops away from home instead.
One of the year’s most important Loud & Clear interviews is being replayed from November. Brian and John talked to investigative journalist and historian Gareth Porter about the Pentagon’s deepening control over U.S. politics, government and the economy in what he calls America’s Permanent-War Complex.
Six Israeli F-16s attacked Syria yesterday. But this wasn’t just any attack. The Israelis used civilian flights headed to Damascus and Beirut as cover for the operation, directly endangering the passengers onboard. And this is according to the Israeli press. The Syrian Defense Ministry said that it did not engage the Israelis because it did not want to accidentally hit the passenger jets. Brian and John speak with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria.
Billionaire Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, has acknowledged that he partially funded New Knowledge, a group that used disinformation tactics and fake news to influence the 2017 Alabama senate race in a successful effort to sink Republican Roy Moore. Last week, Facebook suspended five accounts linked to the operation for “engaging in inauthentic behavior.” One of those accounts belonged to Jonathan Morgan, CEO of New Knowledge. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
This May 30 interview is one of Loud & Clear’s best 2018 shows, focusing on Washington’s hundreds of think tanks. These quasi-academic institutions are supposed to be a home for subject matter experts to think the big thoughts, write important papers and books, and, perhaps to influence policy. But the truth isn’t that simple. Most think tanks are financed by special interests like defense contractors, foreign governments, and partisan billionaires. Very few Americans realize the impact these groups have on our government and on our politics. Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author and journalist, whose latest film is “Killing Gaza,” senior editor of Grayzone Project, and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels,” joins Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, most recently of the film “Killing Gaza.”
Last week we discussed two reports that were made public after being commissioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee. Those reports purported to document Russian interference in the US electoral process and senators from both parties lauded the research as “proof positive” that social media companies and the government should work more closely together to police and block fake news. But the truth is that the authors of those reports were the ones who engaged in electoral manipulation. They manipulated social media platforms to impact the 2017 special election for an Alabama senate race, utilizing Russian bots and troll farms and then accusing the Russians themselves of interference. Now one of the authors has had his Facebook page suspected and his credibility ruined.
False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey is Tuesday’s regular segment that is airing today. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
An 8-year-old Guatemalan boy died yesterday in the custody of Customs and Border Protection in New Mexico. This is the second death of a child in CBP custody in the past two weeks. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has called on CBP to conduct a probe into what they call “systemic failures” to protect and care for children in custody. Human rights activists say that vulnerable children are kept in overcrowded, unsafe, and cold facilities called “hielaras,” Spanish for “ice boxes.” Brian and John speak with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
The partial government shutdown is in its fifth day today with no end in sight--at least not in the near term. President Trump this morning said that he was content to keep the government closed indefinitely, so long as Democrats will not agree to fund his border wall, which he is now calling, “a border wall or border fence or whatever you want to call it.” Senators speaking anonymously told the Washington Post yesterday, however, that negotiations are underway, and there could be an agreement to end the shutdown as soon as next week. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; founder of the organization Democracy at Work; and his latest book is “Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown.”
On any given night, more than 554,000 people are homeless in America. In New York, authorities report that 114,659 children are either homeless or living in temporary housing. And in the past six years, homelessness in Los Angeles has surged 75 percent to more than 55,000 people. Hunger, disease, and violence are rife in homeless communities. How can something like this happen--how can it keep getting worse--in the richest country in the world?
National Security Adviser John Bolton gave a speech last week to the right-wing Heritage Foundation, where he revealed his administration’s new “Africa Strategy.” His understanding of history on the continent has been criticized as lacking understanding of the white supremacy and colonialism that has plagued Africa for centuries. Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis,” joins the show.
President Trump over the weekend decided to fire Secretary of Defense James Mattis effective a week from today, rather than to allow him to remain in his position until his resignation became effective in February. Mattis’s resignation letter embarrassed the president and was the talk of the right-wing chat shows all weekend. And while Mattis has signed an order to begin withdrawing troops from Syria, no such order has been given for Afghanistan, where the President says he wants to cut the US troop presence in half. Brian and John speak with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria.
The Times of London is reporting that the British government is considering freezing the assets of Sputnik and RT employees in the UK, whom they accuse of being engaged in “information warfare” to destabilize Britain. Is this a brazen attempt to force RT and Sputnik out of business by attacking their employees? Mark Hirst, editor-in-chief of Sputnik UK, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and with Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’s resignation, the troop drawdown in Afghanistan, new rearrangements in Saudi Arabian intelligence services, and the possible government shutdown.
In a series of sharply worded tweets this morning, President Trump promised a “very long” government shutdown if Congress does not approve his border wall. The House approved a temporary funding measure yesterday by a vote of 217-185 and sent the bill to the Senate. But even if it passes there, Trump said he would veto it. Brian and John speak with Abdushahid Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook.
Fears had been growing that authorities could have taken advantage of the holiday weekend to evict Julian Assange from the Ecuadorian embassy in London. But a group of German parliamentarians on Thursday condemned the Trump administration for pursuing the arrest and criminal trial of the Wikileaks co-founder, and the UN made a strong statement of support. Still, activists are on guard to mobilize at a moments notice. Suzie Dawson, an activist, journalist and the president of the Internet Party of New Zealand, joins the show.
Earlier this week, the US media was dominated by the news that a report produced for the Senate Intel Committee documented a massive Russian effort to influence the 2016 election campaign with targeted messaging towards the African-American community. This was presented as proof, as a smoking gun, proving that the Russians indeed interfered in the US election in the effort to elect Donald Trump. Less known and not widely reported, is that the same organization that produced the report, called New Knowledge, had itself used the same tactics that were attributed to Russia in what the company admitted was “an elaborate, false-flag operation that planted the idea that [Republican Roy] Moore’s campaign [in Alabama] was amplified on social media by a Russian botnet.” In fact, the same organization spent nearly $100,000 in this false-flag campaign including purchasing Russian bots to intervene in the Alabama election so as to help Democratic candidate Doug Jones. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose most recent piece is “For What It’s Worth: The Yellow Vests and the Left,” joins Brian and John.
Thousands of Catalonian protesters took to the streets today to oppose a cabinet meeting in Barcelona. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the meeting, which coincidentally takes place exactly one year after the central government called snap elections in Catalonia, to discuss raising the minimum wage and to rename the airport in an effort to placate supporters of Catalonian independence. But the continued imprisonment of Catalonian political leaders and the repressive tactics of the Civil Guard police force has caused outrage in the region. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America.”
The New York Times reported earlier this week that Russia made an extraordinary effort in 2016 to influence the votes of African Americans, using an array of tactics to suppress voter turnout among Democrats and unleashing what it called a “blizzard of activity” on Instagram. But the implication of the article harkens back to the bad old days of segregation. It revives the racist narrative that African-American voters are so gullible to outside agitators that they effectively have no control over their own votes.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
President Trump’s surprise announcement yesterday that he would pull all US troops out of Syria has ignited a firestorm of opposition among the political elite. Democrats, even those who were historically anti-war, have joined Republicans in their outrage that the United States might “lose” Syria. Brian and John speak with Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced this morning that he would unilaterally tighten work requirements related to food stamps, a move that threatens hundreds of thousands of people’s access to the most basic of necessities. Anoa Changa, the director of political advocacy and a managing editor of Progressive Army, and host of the show The Way With Anoa, joins the show.
Despite ongoing negotiations, North Korea continues to suffer under a near total economic blockade imposed by the United States and other world powers. This has had a devastating effect on the North Korean people, and now even their efforts to mitigate the damage through scientific research is being demonized as a nefarious military plot. Author and professor Tim Beal, whose most recent book is “Crisis in Korea,” joins Brian and John.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who refused orders to deploy to Vietnam and lived in exile in Canada and Sweden for 6 years, organizing with other U.S. military deserters and draft resisters against the Vietnam war, and for amnesty for U.S. war resisters, joins the show. He has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years and has served on the Board of Veterans For Peace for the last 6 years, currently as national president.
A federal jury yesterday found a former Blackwater security contractor guilty of murder in the 2007 shootings of dozens of unarmed Iraqi civilians. This was the second time that former sniper Nicholas Slatten had been found guilty in the case. The first verdict was overturned. This comes as Donald Trump is intervening in the case of Green Beret Major Matthew Golsteyn, who admitted to carrying out a summary execution of an Afghan prisoner. Brian and John speak with Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, whose work is at popularresistance.org.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts looks at the most important ongoing developments of the week and puts them into perspective. Today they talk about the First Step Act getting passed through the Senate, Mike Flynn’s hearing yesterday, and the Israeli military crackdown on the West Bank.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Newly released internal documents reveal that, for years, Facebook gave some of the world’s largest tech companies more intrusive access to its users private data than it had previously disclosed, effectively exempting those companies from privacy rules. In other words, Facebook sold your private data and then lied to you about it. Brian and John speak with New Haven, Connecticut by web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa.
A Defense Department official confirmed President Trump’s tweet this morning that he will order the withdrawal of all US troops from Syria. The president said that the only reason the US was in Syria was to defeat ISIS. That has been accomplished and so the troops will come home. Neither the president nor the Defense Department, however, gave a timeline for the withdrawal. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
The Federal Reserve announced at 2:00 today that it would increase the prime interest rate by 0.25 percent to ward off inflation. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins Brian and John.
Police in Cleveland confirmed yesterday that an African American man was denied the right to cash his paycheck because bank tellers thought he made too much money for the check to be good. When he demanded that they call his employer to confirm the check’s authenticity, the tellers called 911 and the man was handcuffed and put into a police car. The police and bank officials later apologized. Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
In a major policy reversal, the Trump Administration is changing the way it reviews sponsors who want to care for migrant children in custody. The change could lead to thousands of children being released to family members already in the US. There are currently nearly 15,000 unaccompanied children being held in government detention centers. Brian and John speak with Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year, and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer and author of “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.”
A federal judge in Washington today delayed the highly anticipated sentencing of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn for lying to the FBI as part of the Mueller investigation related to lobbying he conducted on behalf of the Turkish government. Prosecutors had asked for leniency because of the degree to which Flynn cooperated in the Mueller probe, but Judge Emmet Sullivan’s incendiary comments during the hearing led to the sentencing being delayed.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism. Regular “False Profits” guest Daniel Sankey is out sick today, but Loud & Clear is honored to be joined by Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com.
President Trump has decided to shut down his embattled and much-criticized personal charitable foundation amid allegations that he used it for personal and political gain. New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood said the president had also agreed to give away the remaining money. She added that the president had engaged in what she called “a shocking pattern of illegality.” Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com.
Headlines in all major US newspapers and news websites today crowed about the firing of former CBS Chief Les Moonves for sexual misconduct. But even in this #MeToo era, nearly every headline mentioned Moonves’s loss of a $120 million severance package, but did NOT mention the accusations against him. Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and her latest book is “Crowds and Party,” joins the show.
US negotiators in Abu Dhabi yesterday met with members of the Taliban leadership and representatives of the Afghan government to discuss a possible peace in Afghanistan. It’s possible that the Taliban and government delegations could meet face to face for the first time. The talks were supposed to last one day, but they’ve stretched into a second, raising hopes of substantive advances. Dr. Marvin Weinbaum, the Scholar-in-Residence and director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies, joins Brian and John.
In a speech marking the 40th anniversary of China’s economic reform, President Xi Jinping vowed to continue market liberalization, but made no major policy announcements. He asserted the importance of strong Communist Party control of the economy and society and said in a reference to the United States that no master can control the Chinese people. Meanwhile, the intelligence chiefs of the Five Eyes countries met in Nova Scotia to discuss Chinese electronics giant Huawei. John Ross, senior fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins the show.
The Trump Administration earlier this year laid out plans to weaken emission controls on vehicles. The changes were so dramatic that even automakers balked at the notion of making and selling dirtier cars and trucks. But it turns out that another group was behind the push. The New York Times reports that it was US oil companies leading the charge to allow cars and trucks to emit more pollution. Brian and John speak with Dr. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation” from Monthly Review Press.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” and Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
Two reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee boldly assert that Russians working at the Internet Research Agency clearly sought to influence the 2016 election to the benefit of the Republican Party. But they don’t include anything about the dollar amounts spent (they’re absurdly low), when they were spent (56% after the election), or that when this agency actually showed up in court post-indictment, that the prosecution asked for a continuance -- and hasn’t made any moves since.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
There are only five days to go before a partial government shutdown, but the White House and Congressional Democrats are digging in their heels. As members of Congress left Washington for the Christmas holiday, Presidential Senior Advisor Stephen Miller said the administration will do “anything that is necessary” to build a border wall. But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “the President is not going to get a wall in any form.” Brian and John speak with Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.
US airstrikes over the weekend killed 62 purported members of the al-Shabaab fundamentalist armed group affiliated with al-Qaeda in a remote area of southern Somalia. A spokesman for the Pentagon’s Africa Command, or AFRICOM, said the strikes were carried out jointly with the Somali government and were designed to prevent future Shabaab attacks. But what’s behind the stepped-up role of AFRICOM that these strikes reflect? Is the U.S. engaged in a major escalation of its drone war program? Glen Ford, the executive editor of Black Agenda Report, joins the show.
A federal judge in Texas on Friday struck down the Affordable Care Act, ruling that because Congress changed the tax law associated with it, the entire system is no longer legal. The decision will be appealed immediately and will likely end up in the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, experts say that the decision will affect literally every American. Dr. Margaret Flowers, a medical doctor and the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, at PopularResistance.org, joins Brian and John.
President Trump on Friday named as acting Chief of Staff OMB Director Mick Mulvaney. Mulvaney also is director of the Consumer Financial Protection Board. Both of these latter positions make him susceptible to Congressional subpoena. Why did Trump finally settle on Mulvaney, someone already with two jobs, after an embarrassingly protracted search for a Chief of Staff? Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and founder of This Can’t Be Happening! as well as a columnist for CounterPunch and a contributor to The Nation, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and with Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s roll back of anti-labor teaching regulations and making education free, US-China relations through the Huawai arrest, North Carolina election fraud, and Michael Cohen’s week.
On Wednesday of this week, federal court judge Emmet Sullivan issued new orders demanding that the Mueller investigation provide to the judge, who’s overseeing the sentencing of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, FBI memoranda and other documentation held by the FBI regarding how and why the FBI initially interviewed Flynn on January 24, 2017. That was the day that Michael Flynn reported to FBI agents about his discussions with the Russian ambassador in Washington, D.C. in December, 2016. Flynn ultimately pled guilty to one count of lying to the FBI about his discussions with the Russian ambassador in that meeting. The hosts talk about what the judge’s order might mean for Michael Flynn and the Mueller probe. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.”
The FBI has raided the home of a government employee who apparently sent documents to Congressional oversight committees showing fraud committed by the Clinton Foundation. Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican who is a champion of whistleblowers, sent a letter to the FBI asking them to explain why the whistleblower should not be protected under federal statute. So far, Grassley has been ignored. Meanwhile, a Congressional hearing on the Foundation yesterday exploded as Republicans attacked their own witnesses for refusing to answer questions. Brad Birkenfeld, a famed whistleblower who single handedly brought down international money laundering at banking giant UBS, joins the show.
A 7-year-old girl has died of shock and dehydration after being detained by the Border Patrol in New Mexico. The girl and her father were taken into custody after crossing the border. She was not given any food or water, and eight hours later, with a temperature of 105.7 degrees, she began having seizures. She died shortly thereafter. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins Brian and John.
The Senate last night, by a margin of 56-41, voted to end US military assistance for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen in the strongest showing yet of bipartisan defiance of President Trump’s defense of the kingdom after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Although dramatic, the vote is likely symbolic because House Speaker Paul Ryan is refusing to permit a similar vote in the House. Meanwhile, an agreement to end fighting in the crucial Yemeni port city of Hodeidah has raised hopes for peace in the country. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.”
Russian gun rights activist Maria Butina will plead guilty in federal court today to one count of conspiracy to fail to register as a foreign agent, for which there are no sentencing guidelines. She’s been held without bail behind bars since her arrest in July. The hosts review her case and several other pieces of the Russiagate saga.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Joshua Schulte is a former CIA computer engineer who has being held in New York’s Metropolitan Detention Center. He was arrested after an FBI raid on his apartment in connection with the “Vault 7” leak of cyberweapons, but the government charged him with possessing child pornography. In a recent letter to US District Court Judge Paul Crotty, Schulte says that he is being tortured in prison, and he’s being denied medication, writing materials, and access to his attorneys. Furthermore, the government is demanding that if Schulte were to meet with his attorneys, he would have to be shackled, chained to a bolt in the floor, and denied access to the classified documents necessary to defend himself. Brian and John speak with Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower.
A Kiev court said yesterday that two Ukrainian lawmakers and top anti-corruption official’s decision to release documents linked to Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort in 2016 amounted to interference in the US presidential election. The complaint was initially filed by another lawmaker who alleged that Sergei Leshchenko and Artem Sytnik were trying to influence the election in favor of Hillary Clinton. International affairs expert and security analyst Mark Sleboda joins the show.
British Prime Minister Theresa May won a no-confidence vote last night in the House of Commons, making her immune from another leadership challenge for a year. But her loss of 37 percent of her own party’s members could be devastating, according to British political observers. Many of those more conservative members are calling on her to resign. Alex Gordon, former president of the National Union of Rail, Maritime, & Transport Workers, joins Brian and John.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who refused orders to deploy to Vietnam and lived in exile in Canada and Sweden for 6 years, organizing with other U.S. military deserters and draft resisters against the Vietnam war, and for amnesty for U.S. war resisters, joins the show. He has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years and has served on the Board of Veterans For Peace for the last 6 years, currently as national president.
Mental health workers organized by the National Union of Healthcare Workers at Kaiser Permanente in California are on strike this week to protest the quality of care their patients receive. Strike leaders say that the action is not about money, but instead is about how the company allows them to provide for their patients. Nurses have joined the picket line. Brian and John speak with Doug Kauffman, an activist and a member of the National Union of Healthcare Workers.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts looks at the most important ongoing developments of the week and puts them into perspective. Today they talk with Jacquie and Walter about the government shutdown, voter fraud in North Carolina, the protests in France, and the politics of the farm bill.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
President Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen was sentenced this afternoon to 36 months in a federal prison. He had earlier pleaded guilty to a number of felonies, what the judge called a smorgasbord of fraud. He apparently only partially cooperated with the Mueller investigation, and prosecutors told the judge that Cohen had been truthful. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Meng Wanzhou was arrested on December 1 at the request of the United States because her company allegedly is doing business with Iran, which is subject to US sanctions. But she has now been released on bail by order of a judge in Canada. Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?” joins the show.
Lawmakers from Britain’s Conservative Party called for a no confidence vote today in a bid to oust Prime Minister Theresa May because of the Brexit deal she negotiated with the European Union. However, as of the time of this recording, 2:00 p.m. Eastern time, a majority Tory Party members have said they would support May. That’s enough for her to win. But the future of her government is still in doubt. Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
Turkish President Erdogan said today that his country would begin a new military offensive within day in northern Syria to “clear the area of Kurdish rebels on both sides of the Euphrates River.” Erdogan added that Turkey would specifically not target Americans in the area, but the move will almost certainly raise tensions with the United States. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Israeli soldiers entered Ramallah yesterday, with low-level clashes breaking out only yards from the home of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. The soldiers seized security footage from buildings in the area and they raided the offices of WAFA, the Palestinian news agency. Meanwhile, a Palestinian child was killed in an earlier shooting and a pregnant woman was gravely wounded. Brian and John speak with Jonathan Kuttab, an international human rights lawyer, and Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, most recently of the film “Killing Gaza.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
The Brexit crisis is coming to a head. UK Prime Minister Theresa May traveled to Brussels this morning for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders. She has not yet rescheduled the vote on Brexit after postponing it yesterday. Meanwhile, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn told parliament that the country is in chaos.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
President Trump said this morning in a series of tweets that he will call out the military to build a border wall if Democrats in Congress fail to provide the necessary funding for the wall’s construction. Democrats, meanwhile, warned that Trump could cause a government shutdown on Friday if the Republican Congress does not approve emergency government funding. Brian and John speak with Pedro Rios, the Director of the American Friends Service Committee’s U.S./Mexico Border Program and chairperson for the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium.
Maria Butina, a Russian student and gun rights activist accused of failing to register as a foreign agent, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy and to cooperate in ongoing federal, state, and local investigations. Butina is expected to tell a federal court in Washington tomorrow that she was working to establish relationships with American political groups at the direction of an unnamed Russian official. But critics of the Russiagate campaign say that Butina was a victim of strong-arm tactics by the FBI. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai testified before the House Judiciary Committee this morning about his company’s algorithms and whether they are politically biased and about Google’s privacy practices. Employees took advantage of the high-profile meeting to raise concerns about the company’s harassment and discrimination policies. Dr. Robert Epstein, the senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, joins Brian and John.
The Supreme Court yesterday declined to review lower court decisions that blocked state efforts to cut off public funding for Planned Parenthood, a move that reveals a split within the court’s conservative bloc. Julie Hurwitz, a civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman, Hurwitz and James, joins the show.
An antitrust lawsuit brought by states over two drugs has exploded into a price-fixing investigation against 16 pharmaceutical companies manufacturing more than 300 drugs. Federal authorities allege that pharma executives fixed prices for generic drugs for years. And the attorney general of Connecticut is calling it “the largest criminal cartel in the history of the United States.” Brian and John speak with Tim Horn, the director of medication access and pricing at the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com, and Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center. They both regularly join Loud & Clear every Thursday for regular segment Criminal Injustice.
Every Thursday, Loud & Clear helps expose the injustices carried out by America’s courts, prisons, and police departments. Regular segment “Criminal Injustice” recently caught the attention of professional Russia-bashers, including a former Undersecretary of Homeland Security, who claim that this specific segment is part of a dastardly foreign plot to undermine confidence in the oh-so-wonderful institutions of the U.S. criminal justice system.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is about the state of education across the country. Today Dr. Monique Redeaux-Smith is sitting in for Bill Ayers, and the hosts talk with her about the Chicago charter school strike that just successfully finished yesterday. Dr. Monique Redeaux-Smith is an organizer with the Illinois Federation of Teachers.
British Prime Minister Theresa May called off tomorrow’s critical vote on her Brexit deal so she can go back to Brussels and ask for changes in it. British political observers say that the deal would have been easily defeated and would have plunged the British political scene into chaos. Legendary anti-war activist and former British parliamentarian George Galloway joins the show.
In a nationally televised address this afternoon, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would speed up tax relief for struggling workers and to scrap a tax hike for retirees. Macon had earlier promised to raise the minimum wage and to abolish taxes on overtime pay. All of these promises were made to contain four weeks of demonstrations against his policies that have devolved into nationwide rioting. Gilbert Mercier, editor in chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek join Brian and John.
Venezuelans held municipal elections on Sunday to elect some 2,500 local counsellors. Turnout was relatively low with opposition parties boycotting the polls, but debate is raging as Venezuela attempts to overcome its economic crisis and efforts to isolate it on the world stage. Paul Dobson, a writer for Venezuelanalysis.com, joins the show.
Today is the 70th anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The document gives to all humans basic human rights, including the right to work and for equal pay, the right to not be enslaved, the right to health care, the right to amnesty in other countries, and more. But even in the richest economies like the United States, people are still denied these fundamental rights. Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Loud & Clear continues its regular segment The Week in Review, where we take a look at the biggest developments in the United States and around the world.
The Chinese government reacted yesterday to the arrest in Canada at US request of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou on charges of violating US sanctions on Iran. The government-aligned newspaper Global Times called the arrest “despicable” and the US Commerce Department began warning American businessmen about travel to China. Meng will be arraigned in Vancouver today, but any extradition could take years. Brian and John speak with Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression.”
The Ecuadorian president, Lenin Moreno, has ramped up pressure on Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange to leave his country’s embassy in London. Moreno said yesterday that the UK government has agreed to not extradite Assange to any country where he might face the death penalty. But that’s a red herring. Assange already has been indicted in the United States, likely for national security crimes which do not call for the death penalty. Suzie Dawson, an activist and the president of the Internet Party of New Zealand, joins the show.
Today is the 77th anniversary of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. Was the bombing of Pearl Harbor an intelligence failure or a pretext for the US to enter the war? Peter Kuznick, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University, joins Brian and John.
All major tourist sites in Paris will be closed this weekend as authorities expect what they are calling “major violence” from anti-government demonstrations. The so-called “yellow vest” protests have swelled this week, even after the government postponed the tax increase that set them off. 89,000 police will be deployed around the country, along with armored personnel carriers. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire”, joins the show.
This week we’ll continue to look at the worst, most misleading, funniest, and the just plain wrong headlines of the past week. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause Wisconsin, David Liners, state director of WISDOM, a statewide organization seeking justice and common good, and Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, the president of Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice.
Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin’s lame duck legislature have forced bills into law that will strip the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general of much of their power. New laws also would throw poor people off of Medicaid and shorten voting and voter registration times. And two days ago that same legislature approved 82 of Governor Scott Walker’s political appointees with no debate.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
The chief financial officer of Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications equipment and consumer tech giant, was arrested in Canada at US request yesterday. The Trump Administration wants her to be extradited to face trial on charges of violating sanctions on Iran. But Huawei’s business in Iran is perfectly legal under international law and under the terms of the JCPOA, which the US unilaterally withdrew from. Brian and John speak with Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com.
The funeral of former President George H. W. Bush was held yesterday in Washington and his body was returned to Texas, where he will be interred today. Every day this week the hosts are talking about the Bush legacy, focusing today on Bush’s response to the AIDS crisis. Mark Harrington, an HIV/AIDS researcher, activist, and the cofounder and policy director of the Treatment Action Group, joins the show.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who serves as the national president of Veterans for Peace, and Michael McPhearson, a Gulf War veteran and the executive director of Veterans for Peace, join the show.
Global carbon emissions rose by 2.7 percent this year, following a 1.6 percent increase last year. Scientists blame strong economies in India and China and say that those countries are burning more coal and the middle classes there are buying more and more cars, but per-capita carbon emissions remain highest by far in Europe and the United States. They also say that we have passed a point of no return on carbon emissions and climate change. Scott Edwards, co-director of the Food & Water Justice project at Food & Water Watch, joins the show.
Two independent academics at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies will soon release a report in which they conclude that North Korea is expanding two missile bases that could be used to house long-range ballistic missiles. South Korean military officials said they are monitoring the situation in cooperation with the United States. There have been no formal announcements by any party. Brian and John speak with Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dennis Bernstein., an author, poet, activist, and co-host of the political news show Flashpoints on Pacifica Radio, and Jackie Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, whose livestream is on every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook.
The funeral of former president George H. W. Bush was held this morning at Washington’s National Cathedral with three former presidents and three former first ladies in attendance. Brian and John have looked at the legacy of George H. W. Bush every day this week and focus today on the Gulf War, the war on drugs, and mass incarceration.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Republicans in Wisconsin and Michigan were wiped out of their states’ top offices in last month’s election. But both legislatures called lame duck sessions to strip incoming Democratic governors of much of their power. The bills also would reduce the time for early voting and throw poor people off of Medicaid. Brian and John speak with Matt Brusky, the deputy director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is asking a federal judge to sentence former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn to probation -- not jail time -- for lying to the FBI, citing Flynn’s exceptional assistance in the Russia collusion investigation. Later this week, former Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort will be back in court, where Mueller will have to identify what Manafort has done to break his plea deal. And meanwhile, new information has emerged that Manafort met with Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno in 2017 about a complex deal that would involve Julian Assange’s expulsion from the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed a bipartisan group of senators on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi yesterday. Many came out of the briefing offering angry accounts of the information Haspel conveyed and said there was no doubt in their minds that Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman ordered the assassination. Ali al-Ahmed, the director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs, joins Brian and John.
A Houthi delegation and the UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, arrived in Stockholm last night in advance of peace talks with the Yemeni government. A Saudi delegation is expected to arrive today. Mediators from Kuwait, which hosted the last direct talks in 2016, are also in Sweden for the meetings, which should begin today. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro left for Moscow this morning, where he’ll meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin. No specific reason for the meeting was announced, but Putin said that he is acutely aware of the economic crisis in Venezuela and the media are speculating that oil and gas will be on the agenda. Brian and John speak with Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelaAnalysis.com.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. John Ackerman, professor of Constitutional Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), researcher at the Legal Research Institute of UNAM, and editorial director of the Mexican Law Review.
Mexico’s new president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador was inaugurated on Saturday and began his six year term with a press conference--something unusual for Mexican presidents. He promised to bring what he called “deep and radical change” in his fight against crime, and he even held a meeting with his national security team at 6:00 am today, something he said would happen daily. López Obrador said that he has a “respectful” relationship with President Trump, but it promises to turn rocky in negotiations over migrants and a border wall. And, Obrador has proposed sweeping changes to the country’s economic policy to break from neoliberalism.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
French Prime Minister Edouard Phillippe announced this morning that the fuel tax that set off rioting around the country will be suspended for six months. The yellow vest protests have grown to include other issues, however, reflecting widespread anger at President Macron for his failure to implement reforms. Brian and John speak with Gilbert Mercier, editor in chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire.”
Former President George H. W. Bush died over the weekend at the age of 94. His body now lies in state in the US Capitol and a funeral will take place tomorrow. The hosts look at the Bush presidency and the Bush legacy each day this week, focusing on a different issue. Today is about his role in the coup that overthrew Haiti’s democratically elected government in 1991. Kim Ives, an editor of the newspaper Haïti Liberté, joins the show.
The European Court of Justice’s Advocate General delivered a non-binding opinion yesterday that the UK could arbitrarily cancel its decision to withdraw from the European Union if it so chose. The decision comes as the House of Commons begins a week of debate on Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan, and Parliament found the government in contempt this morning for not issuing Brexit advice. Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union, joins Brian and John.
Israel’s military says that it has begun an operation to destroy what it calls “cross border attack tunnels” under its border with Lebanon dug by Hezbollah operatives. An Israeli government spokesman said the tunnels had only recently been detected and they will be destroyed without having to cross the border into Lebanon. But is this in fact motivated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal and political problems at home? Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” and "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” joins the show.
Nexstar Media Group announced this morning that it will buy Tribune Corporation’s 42 television stations and cable network in an all-cash $4.1 billion deal. An earlier takeover attempt by Sinclair Media was blocked by the Federal Communications Commission. If approved, the company will own more than 200 television stations covering 39 percent of all American households. Brian and John speak with Tim Karr, the senior director of strategy and communications at Free Press.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by John Ross, senior fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations.
The Group of 20, or G20, summit is over. As summits go, it was uneventful--almost not newsworthy. President Trump and the leaders of Canada and Mexico announced a trade deal to replace NAFTA, though, and more importantly, the US and China agreed to halt new tariffs. Immediately after the summit ended, President Trump announced that he would not boost tariffs on Chinese goods on January 1, and that China would purchase what he called “a very substantial amount” of US agricultural, industrial, and energy products and would reduce or remove tariffs on US automobiles.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Former President George H. W. Bush died over the weekend at the age of 94. His body will lie in state in the US Capitol and a funeral will take place on Wednesday. We’ll look at the Bush presidency and the Bush legacy each day this week, focusing on a different issue. Today we’ll talk about the invasion of Panama. Brian and John speak with Kim Ives, an editor of the newspaper Haïti Liberté.
Clashes across France continued to spread over the weekend, with students blockading more than 100 high schools to protest changes in the country’s university entrance system. Protestors also blockaded 11 fuel depots in northern France, causing severe gas shortages. But polls show that 72 percent of French adults support the protests, and they show no sign of waning. Gilbert Mercier, editor in chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
Three St. Louis police officers who beat an undercover colleague during a protest last year turned themselves in after being indicted on federal charges. A fourth also was indicted for lying to a grand jury about the incident. Rev. Darryl Gray, a long-time civil rights activist and candidate for Alderman in St. Louis’ 18th ward who was arrested in the demonstration where the beating took place, and Kristine Hendrix, an activist and vice president of the University City school district, join the show.
The far-right Vox Party stunned Spain this weekend by winning seats in the Andalusian regional parliament. The party won 12 seats and 11 percent of the vote on a platform of expelling all immigrants from Spain and ending Catalonia’s political autonomy. Brian and John speak with Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. This week includes the G20 segment, Marc Lamont Hill’s firing, and a domestic workers’ bill of rights being introduced.
FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is spending more than $1 billion in Puerto Rico to repair homes damaged by Hurricane Maria. But much of that money is going to contractors charging steep markups and overhead? The New York Times reports that some repairs are indeed being made, but at an astronomical cost. Dr. Adriana Garriga-López, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Kalamazoo College, joins the show.
Seven men were found guilty yesterday of the murder of Honduran indigenous environmental activist Berta Caceres, who was shot and killed on March 2, 2016, two days before her 45th birthday. Caceres had waged a long battle to stop construction of an internationally-financed hydroelectric dam on the Gualcarque River, which the Lenca people consider sacred. The judge found that the murder was ordered by the construction company’s executives. Brian and John speak with Jackie McVicar, a member of the Atlantic Region Solidarity Network, working in solidarity with people struggling for social justice and environmental protection in Latin America, the Caribbean and Atlantic Canada, and a former co-coordinator of the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Solidarity Network.
Manor Care was a highly respected nursing home and retirement community company based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Five years ago it was taken over by the Carlyle Group, one of the largest private equity firms in the world. Under Carlyle’s ownership, however, the company went bankrupt. And serious cases of elder abuse are now coming to light. Len Haberman, an attorney with the Senior Justice Law Firm who has specialized in elder law and nursing home abuse cases for more than 20 years, joins the show.
The political news website Politico this week published an article about the foreign press and their apparent love affair with Donald Trump. The thrust of the article was that the foreign press doesn’t criticize the president because fawning coverage is a way for countries to ingratiate themselves with him. But the article focuses on, of course, the Russians. It makes no mention of the Israeli press or news outlets in most Arab countries. Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont, and Antony Loewenstein, an independent journalist and author of “Disaster Capitalism: Making a Killing Out of Catastrophe.”
Last week, just before Thanksgiving, the White House did everything it could to bury its own report on climate change, which Donald Trump says he doesn’t believe. But the science is in and climate change is here and is already affecting our health, with extreme heat having an effect on productivity, the food supply, and disease transmission. And the last four years have been the hottest in recorded history.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show.
President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty today to a single count of lying to Congress. But does this say anything about the larger investigation into alleged Russian interference into the 2016 election. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.”
In an article written by a former CIA officer under the pen name Alex Finley, Politico tries to make an argument that an article in The Guardian yesterday saying that Paul Manafort met in Ecuador’s London embassy with Julian Assange, was either planted or that sources duped the authors, Luke Harding and Dan Collins. Politico then points the finger squarely at Russia, including Sputnik, RT, and its so-called partners like Wikileaks and Glenn Greenwald. But isn’t it more likely that Luke Harding is just a lousy journalist? After all, he has already been caught plagiarizing the work of other journalists, and his book, entitled Collusion, takes a conclusion and then tries to find the evidence to support it. Activist and journalist Diani Baretto and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, join the show.
President Trump is threatening to withdraw subsidies from General Motors after the company announced the closure of five plants and the layoff of 15,000 salaried workers, and he says that he’s on the side of the American worker. But is he serious, especially in light of the massive tax cuts that GM benefited from earlier this year. How can the auto workers union capitalize on the situation and save jobs? Neal Sweeney, the Vice President of UAW Local 5810, joins Brian and John.
Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who refused orders to deploy to Vietnam and lived in exile in Canada and Sweden for 6 years, organizing with other U.S. military deserters and draft resisters against the Vietnam war, and for amnesty for U.S. war resisters, joins the show. He has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years and has served on the Board of Veterans For Peace for the last 6 years, currently as national president.
Furious over being denied a briefing by the CIA Director on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Senate last night voted by an overwhelming 63-37 vote to bring to the floor a measure to limit President Trump’s war powers in Yemen. It was the strongest signal yet that the Administration’s insistence that Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman did not order Khashoggi’s killing cannot be believed. Brian and John speak with Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook.
Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts looks at the most important ongoing developments of the week and puts them into perspective.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller has told the court that he is no longer obliged to maintain the plea agreement with Paul Manafort. Mueller asserts that Manafort has violated it by lying to the Special Counsel. Today, there are headlines proclaiming this to be true, because his legal team spoke with President Trump’s. But the two legal teams have a defense agreement authorizing this -- it’s a common communication tool that the two parties have had in place long term. Brian and John speak with Bruce Fein, a constitutional law scholar and a former assistant deputy Attorney General of the United States.
International media outlets are in the crosshairs of Russiagate zealots once again, with a new hit piece in Politico that accuses a variety of outlets of shifting their coverage to become mouthpieces for the Trump administration. What do these outlets really cover? Meanwhile, journalists in mainstream outlets, like The Guardian’s Luke Harding, spread misinformation. Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," joins the show.
President Trump gave an interview to the Washington Post yesterday in which he threatened to cancel a meeting with Vladimir Putin and urged European countries to maintain a hostile posture towards Russia. Trump also railed against Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell and the interest rate policies the Fed has been pursuing. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins Brian and John.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has named former Wall Street Journal editorial writer Mary Kissel as his new senior advisor for policy and strategic messaging. It’s not unusual that a journalist would enter the State Department. It actually happens all the time. But in 2016, Kissel went on MSNBC’s Morning Joe to call Donald Trump “frighteningly ignorant” and to say that he had “no principles and no policies.” Trump responded by tweeting that Kissel was “a major loser.” Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and founder of This Can’t Be Happening!, a columnist for CounterPunch, and the author of a major new article in The Nation titled, “The Pentagon’s Massive Accounting Fraud Exposed,” joins the show.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday that the UK Integrity Initiative is a British government-sponsored front organization aimed at defaming the Russian government. The UK Integrity Initiative purported to be an independent watchdog organization until hackers from the group Anonymous found documents proving that it was created by British intelligence organizations. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ahmed Rashid, a journalist and the best-selling author of “Pakistan on the Brink: The Future of America, Pakistan, and Afghanistan” and several books on Afghanistan and Central Asia, including “The Resurgence of Central Asia, Islam or Nationalism.”
More than 17 years after US troops entered Afghanistan and overthrew the Taliban, that country is still in a state of disarray. In just the past 48 hours, at least 20 Afghan police officers were killed in a Taliban ambush, a US special forces officer was killed, three American soldiers were killed in a bomb blast, and the Afghan government announced that it may delay the upcoming presidential election.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
A journalists group, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, has filed a federal motion asking that all documents related to a pending indictment of Julian Assange in the Eastern District of Virginia be unsealed. Federal prosecutors oppose the motion and say that a recent leak that seemed to indicate that a secret indictment already exists, was inadvertent and should not be construed as confirmation. Judge Leonie Brinkema, who reserves all national security cases for herself, will make a decision. Brian and John speak with Suzie Dawson. She is an activist and the president of the Internet Party of New Zealand.
The Guardian is reporting today that Paul Manafort held secret meetings with Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2013, 2015, and 2016. Manafort calls the report “100 percent false” and Wikileaks said there is literally nothing true about it. Meanwhile, the Special Counsel’s office says that Manafort has violated the terms of his plea deal by continually lying to investigators and should be sentenced to prison immediately. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, and Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, accused Russia on Monday of taking “outlaw actions” against Ukrainian ships in an incident at sea this weekend and vowed that sanctions punishing Russia’s annexation of Crimea would continue. Haley said, “outlaw actions like this one continue to make an improvement in US-Russia relation impossible... “The United States will maintain its Crimea-related sanctions against Russia. Indeed, further Russian escalation of this kind will only make matters worse.” Donald Trump’s comments however struck a different tone from Haley’s. Mark Sleboda, an international relations and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
The Mississippi Senate race will be decided in a runoff election today that pits former Congressman and Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy against incumbent Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. Hyde-Smith has found herself at the center of controversy recently over her previous support of Confederate symbols and monuments. Espy is the strongest possible Democrat to challenge Hyde-Smith, but polls show that the Republicans will keep the seat. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Two Ukrainian naval ships along with a tow boat navigated into the Kerch Strait yesterday, a narrow waterway that separates the Black Sea from the Sea of Azov, and were fired on and detained by Russian authorities. This set off a major political crisis, with the Ukrainian President vowing to declare martial law and Russia accusing Ukraine of staging a deliberate provocation by ignoring the procedure that had previously allowed safe passage for Ukrainian ships through the strait.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Migrants held protests at the border yesterday in Tijuana demanding their right to asylum be honored. When several tried to cross the erected barriers, Border Patrol pummeled the migrants, including children and babies, with tear gas. Brian and John speak with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
Former Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos reported to prison today to begin his two-week sentence for making a false statement to the FBI. Papadopoulos has complained loudly on Twitter in the past few weeks that he had been “set up” and “coerced” by the FBI to take a plea. A judge denied his request to delay his prison sentence. Meanwhile, Jerome Corsi has shed new light onto what he says is a plea deal reached with the Mueller investigation. Alex Rubinstein, a Sputnik news analyst and journalist whose work is on twitter at @RealAlexRubi, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
Over the weekend, the European Union formally approved the proposed Brexit plan. As we've covered extensively, it still includes three primary parts: limits on migration, the relationship with the European customs union, and the Irish backstop. The hosts talked with Andy Brennan on Friday and focused on the third element. As Brexit nears, there are fears that the reinstitution of a so-called “hard border” between the Republic of Ireland and the British-controlled north could reignite the long-simmering conflict. Andy Brennan, a journalist with Asia Times and CGTN, joins the show.
Syrian news reported that insurgents launched a chlorine attack in Aleppo on Saturday. At least 70 people were injured in the attacks, according to the reports. In response, Russia launched air strikes on Sunday. Brian and John speak with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek to talk about this week’s biggest news stories.
Olivia Hooker, the last survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, died over the weekend at the age of 103. Dr. Hooker described the notorious 48 hours of death and fire at what was known as the Black Wall Street, as a “catastrophe” that began when a white lynch mob descended on the county courthouse where a black teenager was being held. Brian and John speak with Dr. Gerald Horne, an author and professor of history at the University of Houston.
An Israeli court has ruled in favor of a settler organization seeking to evict 700 Palestinian residents from the Silwan neighborhood in East Jerusalem. The steady expansion of Israeli settlements -- illegal under international law -- continues. Journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen joins the show.
There’s a new international challenge to the Trump administration’s trade policy that disputes the “national security” justification the U.S. government cites as a pretext for tariffs. David Ewing, chair of the San Francisco chapter of the US-China People’s Friendship Association, joins Brian and John.
More than 80 activist, political and labor organizations are signing on to a call to action, organizing demonstrations in cities across the country to show solidarity with the migrant caravan as it begins to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border. The actions will be held this Sunday. Juliana Musheyev, a member of the Board of Directors of the Peace Education and Action Center who is involved in this weekend’s activities, joins the show.
Again this week we’ll look at the worst, most misleading, funniest, and the just plain wrong headlines of the past week. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
It’s the day before Thanksgiving and much of official Washington is closed. New members of Congress have been sworn in and have returned home to their families. But the rest of the world hasn’t come to a stop. The hosts take a look at this week’s major stories.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.
We all know the story of Thanksgiving. Native Americans welcomed newly arrived pilgrims, showed them how to hunt and forage for food, and the two groups celebrated and gave thanks. But that’s a lie. The first mention of Thanksgiving came in 1627, six years after the Wampanoag tribe helped the pilgrims, and immediately after those same pilgrims massacred an entire Piquot village and celebrated their so-called victory. So what does Thanksgiving mean to Native Americans? Brian and John speak with Andrea Carmen, executive director of the International Indian Treaty Council, which is hosting their annual Indigenous Peoples Thanksgiving Sunrise Gathering on Alcatraz Island tomorrow, broadcast on KPFA Radio at 6am Pacific.
President Trump broke with his own Intelligence Community yesterday when he said that the CIA did not have a smoking gun proving that Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman ordered the assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. A CIA analytic report said that MBS did indeed order the hit. The President’s statement exposed a rift in his administration over how to handle the fallout. Professor Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
The EU Commission this morning again rejected Italy’s budget for 2019, paving the way for financial sanctions to be imposed in the coming months. The Commission Vice President said that the budget is in “serious non-compliance with EU rules” and could lead to political instability and as much as $4 billion in fines. Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
The Ohio House of Representatives has passed a bill — and the State Senate is considering it — that would ban abortions after just six weeks gestation. Another bill being proposed in Ohio would open up the death penalty as a possible sentence for an abortion. Jane Cutter, the editor of LiberationNews.org, joins the show.
The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Brian Griffiths, arrived in the capital Sana’a today in a renewed push to get the various sides in the war there around a negotiating table. Griffiths has convinced the government and the Houthi rebels to agree in principle to begin talking. Brian and John speak with Brian Terrell, a long-time peace activist and also co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy, and a prolific author whose most recent piece, “America’s Permanent-War Complex,” is the subject of today’s interview.
Fifty-eight years ago, President Dwight Eisenhower warned us of a growing military-industrial complex. He said, “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist.” All these years later, his prediction has come true. In a new article in The American Conservative magazine, Gareth Porter argues that the US has transitioned into a “permanent war complex,” where wars are now not meant to be temporary.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
A federal judge in California has temporarily blocked the Trump Administration from denying asylum claims made outside of legal checkpoints, dealing a setback to the president’s efforts to halt thousands of migrants making their way from Central America to the US border. Brian and John speak with Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of the New Sanctuary Movement.
Airbnb announced yesterday that it would withdraw all listings for homes in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, saying that those settlements were “at the core” of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Israel’s tourism minister said he would sue the company immediately. Also yesterday, an Israeli sniper shot an AP cameraman with a press jacket on. Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink, joins the show.
The White House yesterday reinstated the press credentials of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta, but not until drafting new rules saying that any reporter who asks a follow-up question without permission could then lose his or her press credentials. CNN has dropped its lawsuit against Trump. Meanwhile, the White House Correspondents Association, apparently bowing to Trump, announced that it would not have a comedian at its annual dinner this year, but instead will have a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian speak. Last year’s speaker, comedian Michelle Wolf, called the association “a bunch of cowards.” Tim Karr, the senior director of strategy and communications at Free Press, joins Brian and John.
The Trump Administration is preparing to add Venezuela to the list of state sponsors of terrorism in what would be a dramatic escalation of the conflict between the two countries. The list of state sponsors of terrorism is for countries “that repeatedly provide support for acts of international terrorism” and currently includes only Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria. Jeanette Charles, a writer, editor, and solidarity liaison with Venezuelanalysis.com, joins the show.
President Trump yesterday picked a Twitter fight with Pakistan over what he called that country’s refusal to do “anything” to help the United States. Pakistan summoned the US Ambassador to protest, and Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter to rebut Trump’s allegations. Brian and John speak with Dr. Marvin Weinbaum, the Scholar-in-Residence and director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a journalist, the senior editor of Grayzone Project, co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels,” and bestselling author whose latest book is “The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza.”
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
California’s wildfires continued to burn out of control over the weekend with 77 people dead and 997 still missing. President Trump visited Paradise, California, the town that was completely devastated, and called it “Pleasure, California.” He also claimed that the President of Finland told him that raking the forest floor would prevent future fires. Brian and John speak with Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation.”
Democrats in the Georgia and Florida Governor’s races and the Florida Senate race conceded to their Republican challengers over the weekend amid charges of voter suppression. Meanwhile, all seven of Orange County, California’s House races went to Democrats for the first time ever. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com, joins the show.
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum ended in Papua New Guinea this weekend, and for the first time, no end-of-summit communique was issued. The US and China exchanged repeated barbs over trade and, in the end, Papua Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said, “You all know who the two big giants in the room were, so what can I say?” Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins Brian and John.
At its first meeting since the midterm elections, the House Progressive Caucus, which has increased its membership by 20 thanks to those elections, announced its policy priorities. They include healthcare, jobs, and fighting corruption. And although the caucus chairman said that abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, was still on the table, it was pushed to secondary importance. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.
Today Loud & Clear begins a new hour-long segment called The Week in Review. We’ll talk about the most important events of the week and offer some analysis to put it all into perspective.
A federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia accidentally revealed yesterday that Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange has been indicted in the district, and the indictment is sealed. Assange’s name was accidentally included in an unrelated terrorism and child pornography case. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World”, joins the show.
An announcement by the North that they have developed an unspecified new “tactical weapon” is causing controversy. The hawkish CSIS think tank said this week that they had discovered 13 supposedly secret North Korean missile development sites. President Trump, however, said that he’s known about the sites for a long time. Is the Intelligence Community trying to sabotage the Korean peace talks? Brian and John speak with Gregory Elich, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and the author of, “Strange Liberators: Militarism, Mayhem, and the Pursuit of Profit.”
Regional leaders gathered in Singapore this week for the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The intense competition for influence in the region between China and the United States was fully on display at this high-profile gathering. Nile Bowie, a writer and journalist with the Asia Times who was on the ground covering the ASEAN summit, joins the show.
631 people are now missing and 66 are dead in the devastating California wildfires. Thousands of other people are living in tent cities after their homes were destroyed. Meanwhile, President Trump said that he will visit California tomorrow to inspect the damage. This was after he tweeted that the fires were the fault of California’s Democratic elected officials. California-based activist Sheila Xiao joins Brian and John.
Finally, the hosts look at the worst, most misleading, funniest, and the just plain wrong headlines of the past week. Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, and Nicole Roussell, a Sputnik News analyst and producer, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s hopes of selling a draft Brexit agreement to parliament were dealt a serious blow today, when several senior members of her cabinet, including the Brexit Minister, resigned in protest of the deal. The resignations have May’s government teetering on collapse, with many arguing that the Labour Party’s Jeremy Corbyn poised to become Britain’s next Prime Minister.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
The Saudi-led coalition has ordered a halt in its offensive against the Yemeni port city of Hudaidah in advance of UN-sponsored ceasefire talks, apparently in response to western pressure to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe. Millions of Yemenis rely on the port for food, water, and medicine and are in grave danger of starvation. Brian and John speak with Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and also co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
The ceasefire in Gaza appears to be holding, even as it may force the Israeli government to collapse. Yesterday’s resignation of Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and his party’s withdrawal from the ruling coalition, may be enough to force new elections. Still, Prime Minister Netanyahu, who also has appointed himself Defense Minister, Foreign Minister, and Communications Minister, will likely win with an even stronger coalition. Ambassador Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian Ambassador to Hungary, joins the show.
The global economy has hit a soft patch, putting the US economy’s robust growth at risk if the slowdown persists, according to the Wall Street Journal. Economic output in Germany and Japan slowed in the third quarter, while consumer spending in China hit a five-month low. Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, joins Brian and John.
A new study from Brown University’s Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs says that by the end of the 2019 fiscal year, the US will have spent nearly $6 trillion on the so-called War on Terror. This differs wildly from the Pentagon’s $1.5 trillion calculation because the Brown study also takes into account veteran care, interest on debt from the wars, and war-related spending from the State Department. Alexander Rubinstein, a Sputnik news analyst and journalist whose work is on Twitter at @RealAlexRubi, joins the show.
New revelations have exposed a key force behind the unrest that rocked Nicaragua this year, leading to hundreds of deaths – the leadership of the Catholic Church. A recently leaked, clandestine recording of Bishop Silvio Báez shows the high-ranking church leader directly coordinating the deadly barricades that were set up across the country. Brian and John speak with Chuck Kaufman, he is the National Co-Coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine,” and Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” and “Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”
Israel’s government moved close to collapse yesterday when Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman resigned and withdrew his party’s support for the government to protest the Netanyahu Administration’s cease-fire talks with Hamas. Far-right Education Minister Naftali Bennett threatened to withdraw his own party from the governing coalition unless Netanyahu names him as the new Defense Minister.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
In an interview with the Washington Post yesterday Vice President Pence said that if China wants to avoid what he called an all-out Cold War with the United States and its partners, it must fundamentally change its behavior. The comments came in advance of President Trump’s meeting later this month with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Brian and John speak with Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?”
British Prime Minister Theresa May told parliament today that the country is “significantly closer” to delivering on Brexit, saying that the draft agreement reached with the European Union would give the UK control of its borders, laws, and money. She is seeking the backing of her senior-most ministers before putting the agreement to a parliamentary vote. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
Jemel Roberson was shot by police in a Chicago suburb earlier this week. He was a Black security guard who was on duty the night a shooter came to the bar where he worked. He successfully had the alleged shooter on the ground when cops got there, but instead of taking the shooter into custody, the cops shot and killed Roberson, the security guard. Frank Chapman, a longtime organizer with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, joins Brian and John.
Protesting students in Colombia are preparing for a major demonstration tomorrow as they continue their struggle for adequate funding for the country’s higher education. They are facing massive, violent repression from the new far-right government of Ivan Duque. Christian Polo, the spokesperson for the National Union of Students in Higher Education at the National University of Colombia in Bogota, joins the show.
President Trump today named the former Commander of Central Command, General John Abizaid, as the new Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The appointment came as a surprise, as Abi Zaid has no known direct ties to Trump and the Saudis insist that any US Ambassador be a direct line to the president. Brian and John speak with Ali al-Ahmed, the Director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Peter Kuznick, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and the co-author with Oliver Stone of the book and TV show “The Untold History of the United States,” and Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
President Trump went to Paris over the weekend to attend a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the end of the first World War. By the time he left France on Monday, he was being scorned from several quarters. As U.S. relations with its European allies have dramatically shifted during the past two years, French President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders have introduced the idea of the creation of a “European Army.”
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Midterm elections were held a week ago today, but more than a dozen races are yet to be decided. The most inflammatory fight is in the Florida Senate race, where Governor Rick Scott, who is leading by only 12,500 votes out of more than eight million cast, accused incumbent Democratic Senator Bill Nelson of voter fraud for asking for a recount. Scott is going with a scorched earth strategy to secure the seat, while in Arizona, Republican Senate candidate Martha McSally gracefully conceded to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema after falling behind by 38,000 votes out of more than two million cast. Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and founder of This Can’t Be Happening!, as well as a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to the London Review of Books, The Nation, Extra! Tarbell, and Salon.com.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller could issue new indictments in the so-called Russian investigation as early as today. Jerome Corsi, a figure on the right-wing fringe, told his followers in a YouTube video that he expects to be indicted on perjury charges today. Meanwhile, the media is speculating that several people close to President Trump and other friends of Republican consultant Roger Stone also could be indicted. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Wildfires in northern and southern California continued to spread over the holiday weekend, resulting in 44 deaths and becoming the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in the state’s history. More than 200 people are still missing. Meanwhile, President Trump tweeted that the fires are so severe only because of mismanagement by state fire prevention officials. That tweet was roundly condemned on both sides of the political aisle. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation” from Monthly Review Press, joins Brian and John.
A botched Israeli commando raid into Gaza late last night brought Israel and the Palestinians to the brink of war before Egyptian mediators convinced both sides to step back from the brink. Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians last night, an action which led to the largest-scale rocket fire into Israel since 2004. An Israeli officer was also killed. Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist, joins the show.
Last week, John sat in Athens with former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis and renowned UBS whistleblower Brad Birkenfeld. They recorded their conversation about whistleblowing in the financial and banking sectors and about Varoufakis’s experience standing up to the Troika of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Central Bank, which was then in control of the Greek economy. Additionally, Varoufakis discussed his plans with Senator Bernie Sanders and other international progressive leaders to found a new international progressive movement.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis,” and Dr. Alex Vitale, an associate professor of sociology at Brooklyn College and author of “The End of Policing.”
Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions took a parting shot at communities affected by police violence and civil libertarians on his way out the door when he severely limited the ability of federal law enforcement officials to use court enforced agreements, or consent decrees, to overhaul local police departments accused of abuses and civil rights violations.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment on the midterms, today taking a look at the just-completed political races around the country and some of the marquee races still yet to be decided. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, joins the show.
President Trump signed a new executive order yesterday denying migrants the right to ask for asylum when they are caught crossing the border without a visa. Immigrant rights organizations say the new executive order targets Central Americans almost exclusively. Meanwhile, a federal appeals court yesterday blocked the Trump Administration from ending DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Brian and John speak with Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of New Sanctuary Coalition.
A federal judge late last night blocked construction of the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline, saying that the Trump Administration had “simply disregarded” the effect that the pipeline will have on climate change. The President said today that he will take the issue to the Supreme Court. Andrea Carmen, executive director of the International Indian Treaty Council, joins the show.
Utah, Nebraska and Idaho, three Republican-dominated states, all voted to expand Medicaid in midterm election ballot measures. What will this mean for the residents in those states? And what will it mean for the fight for the right to healthcare across the country? Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program, joins Brian and John.
Four inmates in Tennessee are on death row, and are suing the state to let them choose to be killed via firing squad rather than the electric chair or lethal injection. Both methods have had many legal challenges, and the last lethal injection execution in Tennessee, which took place on August 9, took more than 20 minutes to complete. Deborah Golden, an attorney with Human Rights Defense Center and a national expert in prisoner human rights litigation, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Julie Hurwitz, a civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman, Hurwitz and James, and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer and the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.”
Jeff Sessions is out as Attorney General after a long period of tension with Donald Trump. Brian reviews the ultra right-wing policies that earned him the ire of so many millions of people across the country, and considers what his replacement by acting Attorney General Whitaker means for the future of the Mueller investigation.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
12 people were killed in a horrendous mass shooting at a bar in southern California last night. Details are still emerging, but news is now reporting that the shooter was a 28-year old combat veteran of the Marine Corps in Afghanistan. Mike Prysner, a U.S. veteran who served four years in the Army in Iraq, a documentary filmmaker, and co-host of the anti-war podcast Eyes Left, joins the show.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fell and broke three ribs late last night. With conservative Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch in their 50s and Samuel Alito and John Roberts in their 60s, what could the court look like if Trump makes more appointments? Brian speaks with Deborah Golden, an attorney with Human Rights Defense Center and a national expert in prisoner human rights litigation.
Dangerous new anti-abortion ballot measures passed in Alabama and West Virginia this week, setting up for an intense and protracted court battle. Is the historic Roe vs. Wade decision in jeopardy? Mia Raven, an advocate for women at the Reproductive Health Services of Montgomery abortion clinic, and the cofounder of the nonprofit next door to the clinic called POWER House – People Organizing for Women’s Empowerment & Rights, joins Brian.
Intense fighting took place last night in the province of Takhar, killing 14 Afghan government soldiers. As the government loses ground, is there any hope for a negotiated peace? Dr. Marvin Weinbaum, the Scholar-in-Residence and director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies, joins the show.
The second half of this week’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Brian speaks with Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation; Loud & Clear co-host John Kiriakou; Florida activist Juliana Musheyev; and Josh Hovey, communications director of the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol.
Results from the midterms have been rolling in, and this first hour is what happened at the polls last night. First, the hosts talk about the federal races for Congress. The Democrats won the House and the Republicans strengthened their lead in the Senate. How will this affect the nation when those new congresspeople get into office? What will the 2020 map look like? Then the hosts move into state races, where there were several tight races for governor. Last will be a few of the many important amendments and ballot measures that voters weighed in on last night, including a few states legalizing medical or recreational marijuana and the felony disenfranchisement law in Florida.
Less than 24 hours after polls closed in the midterms, Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned at the request of President Trump. The relationship between Trump and Sessions soured early, following Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the Russiagate investigation. Trump named an acting attorney general, but no one knows yet who will permanently fill the seat. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, joins the show.
Speaking by video link to a conference in Israel, Edward Snowden denounced the use of Israeli software that he says was used to track Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi before he was killed. Snowden also went on to comment on mass surveillance in Israel in general. Brian speaks with Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower, and journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen.
According to new reports, Amazon will open not one but two new headquarters -- in Long Island City, Queens and in Northern Virginia. As municipal governments competed to offer the company enormous tax breaks and other incentives in the hopes of reaping the economic benefits of hosting the new headquarters, is this a historic instance of bait-and-switch? Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
The incoming far-right administration of Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro is taking shape, and the military is set to take a huge role in the governance of the country. But inside the country and around the world people are pushing back to defend democracy in Brazil. João Rodríguez, a longtime political activist in Brazil who is currently a doctoral candidate in sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, joins Brian.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, the co-directors of Popular Resistance, and from Philadelphia by Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com.
Today millions of people across the country are lining up to vote in crucial local, state and federal elections, as well as a number of important referendums. What is at stake in the midterm election, and how will it affect the direction of the country?
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
On the eve of the midterm election, Facebook announced that it had conducted another round of account deletions. How have social media purges and constant stories about foreign interference impacted the political climate leading up to polling day? Brian speaks with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Thousands of migrants from Central America are making the perilous journey north, fleeing violence, poverty and political repression. Donald Trump has made the caravan the top issue in the midterm election, whipping up anti-immigrant sentiment and talking about an “invasion”. But who really are the people who make up the caravan? Gloria La Riva, a journalist and filmmaker who has been reporting on the ground as the caravan makes its way through Mexico, joins the show.
The harshest U.S. sanctions yet have been imposed on Iran, targeting the country’s crucial oil sector. World leaders are expressing their frustration with U.S. unilateralism, but the economic pressure on the country continues to mount. Professor Mohammad Marandi, a professor of American Studies at the University of Tehran and an expert in postcolonial literature, joins Brian.
Three Venezuelan guards were killed along the border with Colombia this weekend by an armed group. This comes just days after US National Security Adviser John Bolton declared support for far-right Colombian President Ivan Duque while naming Venezuela in the “troika of terror.” Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelaAnalysis.com, joins the show.
Last week on Loud & Clear, the hosts talked about the Human Rights Watch report that featured North Korean defectors alleging sexual abuse in North Korea. Today, they’re joined again by Dr. Christine Hong to rebut these allegations and discuss how South Korean and other intelligence agencies use defectors to further a narrative aimed at disrupting steps toward peace and reunification. Brian speaks with Dr. Christine Hong, Associate Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at UC Santa Cruz and a member of the Korea Policy Institute.
The US reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil today that had been lifted under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The sanctions have already caused serious inflation and there are fears that products like medicine and food could become scarce. Eight countries have been temporarily exempted from the sanctions so their major oil purchases from Iran can continue, but the U.S. regime change push continues at full speed.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Tomorrow is Election Day as tens of millions of people prepare to go to the polls to vote in a variety of federal, state and local elections. But if there’s a change of party control in either the House or the Senate, will the politics of this country really shift? Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com, and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com.
In an interview yesterday Donald Trump shrugged off U.S. responsibility for the horrific airstrike on a school bus in Yemen that killed 51, including 40 children, saying “That was basically people that didn’t know how to use the weapon”. But what is the real role of the United States in this deadly war? Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, joins the show.
If the Democrats win tomorrow, who will the Republicans blame? And if the Republicans win, who will the Democrats blame? From Russian interference to Chinese interference to much-maligned but extremely rare “voter fraud,” the two major U.S. political parties have a number of scapegoats at the ready to avoid blame. Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net, joins Brian and John.
Just days before the midterm election, Donald Trump amped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric and announced that he would send up to 15,000 U.S. soldiers to the U.S.-Mexico border. As rank-and-file soldiers are yet again used as political pawns, U.S. military veterans are calling on their fellow service members to refuse the order to deploy. Mike Prysner, a US veteran who served four years in the Army in Iraq, a documentary filmmaker, and a co-host of the anti-war podcast Eyes Left, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a journalist and bestselling author whose latest book is “The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza,” the senior editor of Grayzone Project, and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”
National Security Advisor John Bolton gave a fiery speech in Miami yesterday declaring the existence of a “troika of tyranny” in Latin America — Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Bolton also pledged support for far-right Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, who made several bold announcements yesterday. Since the election Bolsonaro said that he would move Brazil’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, he would merge the Environment and Agriculture Ministries, threatening the Amazon, and he would name former president Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva’s prosecutor as the new Minister of Justice.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment on the midterms, taking a look at political races around the country in the runup to midterm elections in November. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, joins the show.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican of Iowa, announced yesterday that for four years during the Obama Administration, the CIA intercepted the emails of potential Intelligence Community whistleblowers and the emails of the Senate Intelligence and Judiciary Committees. Grassley said that he had known this was happening for four years, but the information was classified. It was finally declassified at his request this week. Grassley blames former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper by name for what appears to be an overtly illegal act.
President Trump offered remarks yesterday evening about immigration and the thousands of troops he’s sending to the border. He said he hopes the military doesn’t have to shoot, but he told reporters that he’s told the military that if any migrants seeking asylum throw any rocks, that the military should consider the rock a rifle. Pedro Rios, the director of the American Friends Service Committee’s U.S./Mexico Border Program and chairperson for the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium, joins the show.
US sanctions against Iran will take effect again on Monday, six months after the Trump Administration withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or the Iran trade deal. The question, though is what other countries will do about the sanctions and whether waivers will make a difference. Professor Hamed Mousavi, a professor of political science with the University of Tehran, joins Brian and John.
Just hours after President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a positive phone call that pointed to an improvement in diplomatic relations, the Department of Justice issued indictments against two Chinese companies and three individuals yesterday for allegedly stealing trade secrets. What’s behind the mixed signals coming from the U.S. government? David Ewing, he is the chair of the San Francisco chapter of the US-China People’s Friendship Association, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, and Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos.
With less than a week left before the midterm election, Donald Trump has announced that he would be sending up to 15,000 soldiers to the U.S.-Mexico border. Meanwhile Republicans released an overtly racist campaign ad yesterday showing an undocumented migrant who was convicted of killing two policemen saying with a smile that he would soon escape and kill more people and then blaming Democrats for the deaths.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
More than 1,000 Google employees and contractors briefly walked off the job yesterday in Europe and Asia amid complaints of racism, sexism, and abuse of executive authority in the workplace. More walkouts are scheduled today. Google’s chief executive said in a statement that the company will carefully weigh its employees demands and respond appropriately. Brian and John speak with Patricia Gorky, an activist and a tech worker in San Francisco.
The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, issued a report yesterday showing that the Afghan government controls less territory than it has at any time since the US invasion. SIGAR said that the government of Ashraf Ghani controls only 55.5 percent of Afghanistan after 17 years of US military aid and support. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
Human Rights Watch, the US-based human rights organization, released a study yesterday based on interviews with more than 100 North Korean defectors now in South Korea, saying that North Korean government officials routinely commit sexual violence against women with impunity. The allegation is shocking, but critics say this is just another smear job to derail steps towards peace in Korea. Dr. Christine Hong, Associate Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at UC Santa Cruz and a member of the Korea Policy Institute, joins Brian and John.
The Bank of England this morning warned of an economic catastrophe if the UK leaves the European Union without a Brexit deal. Bank governor Mark Carney said that absent an agreement, the UK should expect gridlock in its ports and airports, inflation, and a collapse in the value of the pound. This comes as police open a criminal probe into pro-Brexit campaign donor Arron Banks, who has been the target of conspiracy theories relating to his business interest in Russia. Steve Hedley, senior assistant general secretary of the the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union, joins the show.
Rep. Steve King, a Republican of Iowa, is one of the most conservative and anti-immigrant members of the House of Representatives. He calls himself a nationalist. Many of his detractors call him a bigot, a racist, and a white nationalist. King made a controversial tweet a few days ago and instantly moved his safe Republican seat to a toss-up. Is there a limit to xenophobia, even for conservative Republicans?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, and analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare.”
Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called today for all participants in the Yemen war to begin a ceasefire within 30 days. The two said that within 30 days they wanted all parties to engage in peace talks that would be led by UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths. No venue for talks has yet been announced.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
President Trump and his advisors are pushing ahead with his theory that he can revoke birthright citizenship by signing an executive order. Most Republican leaders and Constitutional scholars have condemned the president’s position on the basis that it violates the 14th Amendment, but the issue will likely have to be settled in the courts. Brian and John speak with David Gespass, the former President of the National Lawyers Guild.
An Israeli airstrike killed three young Palestinian boys on Sunday evening near the fence that separates Israel from Gaza. Israeli authorities say that one of their aircraft rocketed the boys, two aged 13 and one 14, while they were planting explosives. Palestinian authorities, however, said that was nonsense. Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker with extensive experience in the Middle East, joins the show.
The New Zealand government said today that a landmark 11-country trade deal that would slash tariffs and increase trade will come into effect at the end of December after being ratified by New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, and Singapore. The Trump Administration withdrew from the Pacific Rim Trade Pact early last year to, in President Trump’s words, prioritize protecting American jobs. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California, author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” and at www.jackrasmus.com, joins Brian and John.
Chabahar is an Iranian port on the Indian Ocean, Iran’s only direct access to open ocean. The port was built and developed by Indian companies working with the government of India to expand that country’s ability to trade with the rest of the world, but especially with Afghanistan. The idea was a good one for virtually all the economies of the area. But now US sanctions on Iran threaten the port’s viability. Vijay Prashad, the director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and chief editor of LeftWord Books, joins the show.
The Cook Political Report, arguably the most highly-respected political analysis outlet in the country, reported today that Democrats may be on the brink of a major sweep of governors’ mansions in every Great Lakes state with an election this year. Democratic gains would have lasting importance because of the upcoming 2020 census and the resultant mandate to draw new congressional district borders. Brian and John speak with Julie Hurwitz, a Detroit civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman, Hurwitz and James.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a Pittsburgh human rights and labor lawyer, and the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World,” and Eugene Puryear, the host of the Sputnik News show By Any Means Necessary.
Funeral services were held today for the victims of the anti-Semitic massacre at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh as the city and the country mourns the loss of life in this brazen terror attack carried out by a white supremacist. Donald Trump is also on his way to the city, as he continues to face criticism over the impact of his rhetoric on the political climate in the country.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
President Trump said in an HBO documentary that will be broadcast Sunday that he would seek to end birthright citizenship by executive order, that is automatic American citizenship for any person born in the United States. Apparently he hasn’t bothered to read the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Brian and John speak with Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of New Sanctuary Coalition.
A judge in Ecuador has ruled against WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, who had contested new rules imposed on him in the country's embassy in London. The judge said a requirement to pay for internet use and clean up after his cat did not violate his right to asylum. Assange had argued that the conditions violated his "fundamental rights and freedoms", and were intended to force him to leave. His lawyers have appealed against the ruling. Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice, joins the show.
Maria Butina, a Russian graduate student being held without bail for conspiracy to fail to register as a foreign agent, is now being accused of being involved in cyber warfare, according to the Associated Press. The only problem is that Butina WASN’T involved in cyber warfare. When she was studying at American University in Washington, one of her professors asked her to gather information on the cyberdefenses of US non-profits for a study he was doing. That’s it. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, joins Brian and John.
The New York Times reported yesterday that South Korean President Moon Jae-in is succeeding where all of his predecessors have failed — in engaging North Korea and convincing that country to give up its nuclear weapons program. But the article isn’t complimentary. It quotes a South Korean newspaper as saying that Moon is Kim’s most effective spokesman. And it quotes an American think tank analyst saying Moon is a “Bad moon on the rise,” quoting an old Creedence Clearwater Revival song. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins the show.
Midterm elections are one week away, so today the hosts look at how an offhand comment may affect them. Hillary Clinton told an audience in New York a few days ago that she still would like to be president. When asked if she would run again, she said no, paused, said no again, and then said that, well, sure, she’d like to be president. The interviewer says that the public has overreacted to the statement. But Clinton supporters relished the notion of another campaign against Donald Trump. Brian and John speak with Walter Smolarek, Sputnik news analyst and producer of Loud & Clear.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by João Rodrigues, a longtime political activist in Brazil, and Aline Piva, a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice.
Far-right populist Jair Bolsonaro won the presidency of Brazil yesterday with 55 percent of valid votes cast. Thirty percent of Brazilians cast blank ballots. Bolsonaro is seen as a populist and has been compared to Donald Trump and to Philippines President Duterte. He also has spoken warmly of Brazil’s 1964-1985 military dictatorship and said recently that he would have served in Hitler’s army if he had had the chance.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Robert Bowers walked into the Tree of Life Synagogue on Saturday in Pittsburgh and opened fire with an AR-15 assault rifle. He’s facing 29 felony counts, including 11 counts of murder with a hate crime enhancement and the Assistant U.S. Attorney says that he will seek the federal death penalty. Bowers’ virulently anti-Semitic online posts presaged the attack. Brian and John speak with Mindy Isser, a labor organizer and member of the Jewish community in the Philadelphia area.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that the number of troops the US is sending to the border in anticipation of a migrant caravan is up from the reported 800 last week to 5,000. They’re joining 2,000 National Guardsmen already there. Meanwhile, Mexican officials say that the size of the caravan has dropped by half as some migrants are electing to remain in Mexico’s southern Chiapas state. Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, joins the show.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced this morning that she would resign from the leadership of the Christian Democratic Party in December and would not seek re-election as chancellor in 2021. The announcement was unexpected, but comes in light of a resounding defeat for Merkel’s coalition in recent regional elections in Bavaria. Activist and journalist Diani Baretto joins Brian and John.
The fight for stronger rent control in California is headed to the ballot box next week. Proposition 10 would repeal the state’s Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which strictly limits rent control in cities across California. It’s blamed for the state having some of the highest rents in the country. Nathalie Hrizi, a public school librarian who ran on the Peace & Freedom Party ticket for state insurance commissioner in California in the last election and received over 5% of the statewide vote, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a journalist, the senior editor of Grayzone Project, co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels,” and bestselling author whose latest book is “The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza.”
This month, Facebook and Twitter deleted the accounts of hundreds of users, including man alternative media sites. Most of those purged were popular sites that scrutinized police brutality and US interventionism, like The Free Thought Project and Cop Block. Max Blumenthal has written a major article exposing the neoconservative cadres, they are former government officials and now affiliated with DC think tanks, which are playing a dominant role in the new cenersoship of alternative media.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment on the midterms, taking a look at political races around the country in the runup to midterm elections in November. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, joins the show.
Cesar Sayoc was arrested in Florida today in connection with more than a dozen pipe bombs that have been mailed to prominent critics of Donald Trump. Two more bombs were intercepted today after being mailed to Democratic Senator Cory Booker and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com.
Rep. Mark Meadows, a Republican from North Carolina, said following a seven-hour-long closed-door session with former Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos that the FBI’s Russia investigation was on weak footing from the beginning, and that the investigation of Papadopoulos in and of itself was unconstitutional. Papadopoulos told Fox & Friends this morning that the FBI had violated his constitutional rights and that he was considering withdrawing from his plea deal, even though he has already cooperated with the Mueller team and served two weeks in jail. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Sixteen years ago today the US anti-war movement burst onto the scene with a massive protest in Washington DC. The focus of the protest was to stop George W. Bush and Dick Cheney from taking the country to war in Iraq. Within a few weeks, that movement became a global anti-war movement, drawing in more than 10 million people. The NYT in February 2003 called this unprecedented movement “the world’s second superpower.” John interviews co host Brian Becker, the national director of the Answer Coalition, the group that initiated these mass protests 16 years ago today.
An oil spill that has been quietly leaking million of barrels into the Gulf of Mexico has gone unplugged for so long that it now verges on becoming one of the worst offshore disasters in American history. Between 300 and 700 barrels of oil per day have been leaking from a site off the coast of Louisiana for the past 14 years, since an offshore oil platform sank during Hurricane Ivan. It has never been capped. Scott Edwards, co-director of the Food & Water Justice project at Food & Water Watch, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by New York by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemecist.net, and from Virginia by Joe Lauria, the editor of Consortium News.
Even more pipe bombs were found this morning, this time addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden and to actor Robert DeNiro, both critics of Donald Trump. Yesterday, bombs were sent to Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, two members of Congress, former CIA director John Brennan, former Attorney General Eric Holder, and CNN. The bomber is clearly targeting opponents of President Trump. But the president’s only response so far is to blame the media for not treating him fairly and for inciting hatred in the country.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is expected to sign an order sending at least 800 U.S. troops to the U.S.-Mexico border as a caravan of thousands of migrants heads north from Central America. Brian and John speak with Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos.
In a stunning prediction, Ben Hodges, the commander of U.S. forces in Europe from 2014 to 2017, told an audience at the Warsaw Security Forum that there is “a very strong likelihood that we will be at war with China” within 15 years. What can the world do to avert such a catastrophic conflict? Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Type the words “Erdogan slams” into Google and you get a long list, including the US, the UN, the EU, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Compare that to the Turkish president’s latest statement about Saudi Arabia, which is “I have no reason to doubt the king’s honesty.” He’s referring to the Saudi murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia’s “Davos in the Desert” investment summit has just finished, with billions of dollars in new investment being planned for the kingdom. Erdogan understands that. Why let the death of one journalist get in the way of Turkey’s share of the profits? Professor Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins Brian and John.
The New York and NASDAQ stock exchanges have experienced extreme volatility over the past week, with daily swings of as much as five percent. Indeed, the markets are down so much this week that the entire year’s gains have been wiped out. What accounts for this volatility? And is it temporary or something we should get used to? Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
There was a debate last night in Florida between the two gubernatorial candidates--Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and Congressman Ron DeSantis. Actually, it was less of a debate than it was a bare-knuckle brawl. DeSantis said that Gillum as governor would allow pedophiles to have free reign in Florida. And Gillum said that DeSantis was the candidate of neo-Nazis and white supremacists. In the meantime, news broke that the FBI had earlier tried to set up Gillum on a criminal charge by giving him free tickets to the musical Hamilton. Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis.”
Explosive packages were sent to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and former Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz today and to billionaire Democratic Party donor George Soros over the weekend. None of them detonated and no one was injured. Why are incidents like this so common in the United States? The hosts look at the issue of political polarization, factional struggles among political elites and their impact on the larger population and the history and the role violence has played during periods of political turmoil and indeed within the foundational structures of what became the United States.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, producer of Loud & Clear Nicole Roussell, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
In our continuing daily coverage of the midterm elections, the hosts take a look at Medicaid. Medicaid expansion is on the ballot in some of the unlikeliest places this election, places like Idaho, Utah, Montana, and Nebraska. These are states whose populations were no fans of Obamacare, but many people there have come to the conclusion that the only way to cover gaps in health care is to expand the federal program long attacked by conservatives. Brian and John speak with Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program.
The United Nations Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs said yesterday that as many as 14 million Yemenis--half of the country’s population--is at risk of starvation because of Saudi Arabia’s war on that country. Mark Lowcock said, “There is a clear and present danger of an imminent and great famine” hitting Yemen that would be bigger than anything seen in the lifetime of any UN official. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
Ecuador’s foreign minister said yesterday that the country would no longer intervene with the UK government on behalf of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Jose Valencia departed from previous policy by saying that it is now up to Assange to deal with his own problems with the UK. Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice, joins Brian and John.
Apple Corporation CEO Tim Cook launched a blistering attack yesterday in Brussels against what he called the data industrial complex. Cook said that the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation could provide an alternative model. Professor Bryan Ford, who leads the Decentralized/Distributed Systems lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), joins the show.
Last week, there was an attack in southern Afghanistan against the governor, police chief, and intelligence director of Kandahar Province. They were all killed when the governor’s own bodyguards opened fire. The attack was claimed by the Taliban. But now we’re learning that the primary target was US Army General Scott Miller, the four-star officer in charge of all forces in Afghanistan. And US Army Brigadier General Jeff Smiley was shot and wounded in the attack. Brian and John speak with Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and also co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan said today that the Turkish government had strong and convincing evidence that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in a “premeditated and savage murder” at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. He also called for Saudi Arabia to extradite the 15 Saudis implicated in the case for trial in Turkey. Meanwhile, it is being widely reported that Khashoggi’s body was buried in the garden of the Saudi Consul General’s house.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Americans have caught lottery fever. The multi-state Mega Millions lottery jackpot stands at more than $1.6 billion. But what happens to the money that the states keep? Is it put to good use? And isn’t the lottery really just a kind of tax? Brian and John speak with Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, founder of the organization Democracy at Work, and his latest book is “Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown.”
Thousands of migrants attempting to escape poverty and violence have made it into Mexico and are heading north towards the United States. As this human drama plays out, Donald Trump and the Republican Party are seeking to exploit the situation for their electoral advantage. Eduardo Garcia, an activist and photojournalist born in Mexico City who coordinates Alliance For Global Justice’s Prison Imperialism Project and supports the solidarity work in Honduras, joins the show.
The US Cyber Command is targeting individual Russian operatives to try to deter them from influencing the US midterm elections, telling them that American operatives have identified them and are tracking their work. But a 2011 investigation by The Guardian newspaper found that the US military was developing software that would allow it to secretly manipulate social media sites by using fake online personas to influence internet conversations and to spread pro-American propaganda. Sound familiar? Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins Brian and John.
Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday opened the world’s longest bridge nine years after construction began. The 34-mile-long span will connect Hong Kong and Macau to the Chinese mainland and is supposed to enhance economic growth in the region. The BBC and other British media are treating the bridge like an act of aggression. But Chinese planners expect great economic progress in the region. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins the show.
We’re 14 short days away from midterm elections and in many states early voting is already breaking records. Most of those states are in the south, where early voting is up from between 100 and 1000 percent. And according to the Cook Political Report, it’s Republicans who seem to be flocking to the polls. Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mark Sleboda, an international relations and security analyst, and Jude Woodward, author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?”
President Trump announced over the weekend that he would withdraw the United States from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or INF, a decades-old agreement signed in 1987 between President Ronald Reagan and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Trump said that Russia had not honored the agreement, but NATO allies expressed shock at the announcement and said that they were not consulted.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Thousands of Central American migrants have entered southern Mexico on their way to the United States, despite President Trump’s exhortations that they are “criminals.” The president also threatened to cut off aid to any country associated with the caravan that’s not working hard enough to stop it. It appears that Donald Trump and the Republicans are, in fact, happy about this event and are trying to manipulate the optics for their own political benefit. Brian and John speak with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
Today we begin a daily segment on politics that we’ll run until election day on November 6. We’ll tell you about the closest and most important races around the country and the issues that affect those races.
The story behind the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi continues to become more and more bizarre every day. Turkish authorities released a photograph yesterday of a man who apparently had been part of the team that killed Khashoggi leaving the Saudi consulate wearing the victim’s clothes. Meanwhile, Turkish President Erdogan says that he will release in the next 48 hours all of the information his government has collected in the case. That is sure to be a major embarrassment to the Saudi government. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins Brian and John.
A Russian woman has been charged in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia for allegedly trying to influence the upcoming midterm elections by creating fake Facebook accounts and posting articles to “create and amplify divisive social media and political content.” Her alleged crime is that she posted articles related to gay rights, gun control, a recent women’s march, and the NFL’s national anthem controversy. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist and journalist whose son Casey was killed during the Iraq War, and Bonnie Caracciolo, publisher of the blog “Vietnam: My War Too.” Cindy and Bonnie are the co-organizers of the Women’s March on the Pentagon.
The 2018 Women’s March on the Pentagon takes place on Sunday following a day of workshops in response to the continuing course of US military aggression and spending and to put an anti-war agenda back in the political spotlight. Marchers are calling for an end to wars abroad, the closure of foreign bases, and deep cuts to the military budget.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment on the midterms, taking a look at political races around the country in the runup to midterm elections in November. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, joins the show.
A massive caravan of 3,000 Honduran migrants that has drawn the ire of Donald Trump has begun to mass on Guatemala’s border with Mexico, setting up a showdown with Mexican authorities who have vowed to stop it from continuing to the United States. Guatemalan authorities arrested the caravan’s organizer, former Honduran congressman Bartolo Fuentes, and deported him back to Honduras. Brian and John speak with Jackie McVicar, a member of the Atlantic Region Solidarity Network, working in solidarity with people struggling for social justice and environmental protection in Latin America, the Caribbean and Atlantic Canada.
Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right candidate in Brazil’s October 28 presidential runoff, is the heavy favorite to win that race. Stirred by government corruption and rising crime, some voters are willing to look past his homophobia, misogyny, racism, and comments in support of dictators, including Adolf Hitler. But a rising movement in Brazil says Bolsonaro is a threat to democracy, and are supporting leftist Fernando Haddad. Now, a scandal related to illegal advertisements through the messaging app WhatsApp is shaking the race. Aline Piva, she is a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice, joins the show.
Harvard University is on trial for allegedly discriminating against Asian-American applicants. The group Students for Fair Admissions alleges that Harvard violated the Civil Rights Act because the university’s so-called “holistic” approach to applicants—weighing things like leadership, extracurriculars, and personal factors—harms minorities and is unconstitutional. Dr. Kevin Kumashiro, an internationally recognized expert on educational policy, school reform, and educational equity and social justice, and the former dean of the School of Education at the University of San Francisco, joins Brian and John.
Israel’s Supreme Court ruled yesterday that American student Palestinian rights activist Lara Alqasem was permitted to remain in Israel to study human rights at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The Supreme Court said in its decision that Alqasem’s detention during her appeal was “an extreme and dangerous step which could lead to the crumbling of the pillars upon which democracy stands.” Meanwhile, the U.S. state department caused outrage by announcing that it would be closing its consulate handling relations with the Palestinians and replacing it with a Palestinian Affairs Unit that would operate out of the controversial U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
A private American company hired by the government of the United Arab Emirates has sent former US special forces soldiers to Yemen as mercenaries to carry out assassinations of political and religious figures there, according to a Buzzfeed investigation. The killings began in 2015 and, so far, dozens of people have been assassinated. Brian and John speak with Mark Sleboda, an international relations and security analyst.
New video in the police shooting of Ricardo "Ricky" Hayes, an autistic 18 year old in Chicago, was recently released.The footage contradicts the police assertion that Hayes was armed, and is related to a lawsuit filed on behalf of Hayes. Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement, joins the show.
Taliban gunmen this morning assassinated several leaders of the regional government in Kandahar in the country’s south. Press reports indicate that the governor, provincial military leader, and intelligence director of Kandahar Province were killed when their own bodyguards opened fire on them. The target of the attack appears to have been US General Scott Miller, but he escaped unharmed. Two American soldiers were wounded. Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history at the University of Tulsa whose latest book is “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce,” joins Brian and John.
The Jordanian government said today that 300 members of the White Helmets rescue group who fled Syria for Jordan three months ago have now been resettled in Canada, Germany, and the UK. The Israeli and US governments have said that they aided the Jordanians in the resettlement. Meanwhile, the government continues to consolidate its control over the country’s international borders. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Donald Trump issued his strongest threat yet against a caravan of migrants attempting to safely reach the United States. Trump stated that he would deploy the military to close down the Mexican border to stop the caravan’s arrival, and implied that the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement might be in jeopardy. Brian and John speak with Jackie McVicar, a member of the Atlantic Region Solidarity Network, working in solidarity with people struggling for social justice and environmental protection in Latin America, the Caribbean and Atlantic Canada, and a former co-coordinator of the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Solidarity Network.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the Trump Administration would give the Saudi government more time to explain what happened to journalist Jamal Khashoggi and President Trump expressed reticence in punishing the Saudis in any way. Meanwhile, Code Pink is leading demonstrations at the State Department and the Saudi Embassy in Washington tomorrow to protest Khashoggi’s death. Brian and John are joined by Mansour Alhadj, a journalist, author, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Paul Cox, a Vietnam veteran and a member of Veterans for Peace, who focuses on advocating for compensation for victims of Agent Orange, and Marjorie Cohn, professor emerita at Thomas Jefferson School of Law and the former president of the National Lawyers Guild.
Secretary of Defense James Mattis is in Vietnam to discuss the biggest ever US cleanup of contamination left by the defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The project will cost $390 million and will begin early next year. A $110 million cleanup at Danang Airport has already been completed.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Ankara today to discuss the apparent murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi with President Erdogan. A day earlier, Saudi officials categorically denied that they had anything to do with Khashoggi’s murder, but Turkish investigators said that the journalist was beaten, drugged, killed, and dismembered within minutes of entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The investigators also said that they had found “toxic substances” inside the consulate, and it had been very recently repainted. The Saudi consul general has fled Turkey for Saudi Arabia. Brian and John speak with Thomas Lippman, an award-winning author and journalist who has written about Middle Eastern affairs and US foreign policy for more than 40 years, specializing in Saudi issues, and is a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington.
In a tweet last night, President Trump threatened the governments of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador because of a caravan of Honduran migrants heading north toward the US border. Trump said that if the Honduran government did not stop the caravan and turn it around, the US would cut off all aid. He made the same threat later to Guatemala and El Salvador. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins the show.
Canada has become only the second country in the world, behind Uruguay, to legalize marijuana for recreational use. The country is now grappling with how to maintain enough production to meet demand, and the manpower necessary to deal with impaired drivers. Garland Nixon, the co-host of the Sputnik morning show “Fault Lines with Nixon and Stranahan” and a twenty-year law enforcement veteran, joins Brian and John.
A major summit is taking place in Brussels today between UK Prime Minister Theresa May and the 27 leaders of the European Union member states to discuss Brexit. Talks on the British withdrawal from the EU have broken down and there is now a real possibility of a British withdrawal absent a deal. Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union, joins the show.
Venezuela’s vice president for economy announced today that the country will cease using the dollar for international transactions and instead will use the euro. Tarrik Al Aissami said that US sanctions have blocked any possibility of using the dollar in international trade.This is part of Venezuela’s Recovery and Economic Growth Program. Brian and John speak with Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelaAnalysis.com.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Anoa Changa, director of political advocacy and a managing editor of Progressive Army, and host of the show The Way With Anoa, and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com.
New reports from the Federal Election Commission show that Donald Trump has already raised over $100 million for his 2020 re-election campaign, a number unmatched in decades. Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren has all but declared her intention to run for president. More than two years ahead of time, the race for the presidency is already well underway.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Last month a US Border Patrol supervisor in Texas was charged with murdering four women and attempting to murder a fifth. He’ll be tried on capital murder charges. This alleged crime is extreme, but Border Patrol agents are arrested for committing crimes all the time. Just last year, 254 Border Patrol agents were arrested for drug and alcohol related crimes, domestic abuse, abuse of power, and other crimes. Brian and John speak with Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos.
The Saudi government is preparing to announce that the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was an interrogation gone wrong. But some of the most powerful people in Washington say that admission isn’t good enough, and they are calling for sanctions on Riyadh. Meanwhile, Saudi watchers say Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman may have gone too far in ordering the killing and may have put his own position in jeopardy. Whitney Webb, a journalist and a staff writer for MintPress News, joins the show.
50 years ago, on October 16, 1968, Black athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their black-gloved fists in the air during the US national anthem while on the medal podium at the Olympics. The third athlete on the podium was Australia’s Peter Norman, who joined them in wearing a human rights badge on his uniform. The international olympic committee president threatened to ban the entire US track team, and as a result, Smith and Carlos were expelled from the games. Eugene Puryear, the host of By Any Means Necessary, which is on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the DC area between 2 and 4 p.m. and on iTunes, Spotify, Spreaker, and iHeartRadio, joins Brian and John.
The Russian Orthodox Church yesterday cut ties with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the body seen as the spiritual authority of the world’s Orthodox Christians. The row is seen as the greatest split in Christianity since the Orthodox and Catholic churches split in 1054. There is no disagreement whatsoever on dogma. Instead, the fight is over who should have authority over Ukraine’s Orthodox--Russia or Constantinople. But is modern-day geopolitics the true cause of the split? Jim Jatras, a political analyst, a former US diplomat, and a former senior foreign policy advisor to the US Senate Republican leadership, joins the show.
North and South Korea agreed on Monday to begin reconnecting rail and road links in another step toward improving bilateral relations, despite US concerns over North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. The two also began demining procedures in the demilitarized zone. Brian and John speak with author and professor Tim Beal, whose most recent book is “Crisis in Korea.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net, and Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and founder of This Can’t Be Happening!, as well as a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com.
Donald Trump gave a wide ranging — and at some times shocking — interview that was broadcast on 60 Minutes yesterday. During the course of the interview, the President talked to journalist Leslie Stahl about issues as diverse as climate change, China, North Korea, trade, and Russia. He indirectly threatened the job of Defense Secretary James Mattis and said that the European Union was one of the greatest threats facing the United States.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
The government of Ecuador yesterday reinstated internet connectivity for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who has been in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for the past six years. Assange had his internet and visitors cut off in March after he allegedly commented on Spanish elections in violation of an agreement with the Ecuadorians. Brian and John speak with Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice.
The international investigation into the disappearance and apparent murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi continues. Turkish authorities say they are positive that Khashoggi was tortured, murdered, and dismembered inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul and they have the video to prove it. Meanwhile, dozens of major business leaders are withdrawing from an upcoming business conference in Saudi Arabia — it’s being called Davos in the Desert — in protest of Khashoggi’s murder. Mansour Alhadj, a journalist, author, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, joins the show.
Political observers are calling this weekend’s elections in the southern German state of Bavaria
“A political earthquake,” as Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition partners were walloped while the Green Party and the far-right Alternative for Germany increased their share of the vote dramatically. In fact, the Social Democratic Party, one of the coalition partners garnered fewer votes than the neo-Nazis. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
The Trump Administration has ordered an obscure government agency, the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, to guy environmental regulations related to chemical and oil pipeline safety. Instead of mandatory regulations designed to keep workers and the public safe, those regulations will become voluntary suggestions. Scott Edwards, co-director of the Food & Water Justice project at Food & Water Watch, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Matt Savoy of The Free Thought Project, one of the pages that was deleted by Facebook, and by Ford Fischer, the founder of the media startup News2Share.
Facebook yesterday censored and deleted hundreds of pages from the website that the company deemed to be part of an entirely American effort to influence the public and to possibly swing votes in the upcoming midterm election. The problem is that the company also deleted dozens, perhaps hundreds, of legitimate pages, including many where progressives get their news. The decision calls into question the role that private companies play in a democratic system.
We take a look at political races around the country in the runup to midterm elections in November. Jacqueline Luqman and Abdus Luqman, co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, join the show.
If the mainstream media is to be believed, Russian intelligence services, hackers, and internet trolls manipulated social media in 2016 while employees of the Trump campaign colluded with Russian spies to give the country Donald Trump as president. But in an exhaustive new article in Consortium News, Gareth Porter says that narrative simply isn’t true. He says that a report done by the New York Times, which is cited as the definitive piece on this issue, is fundamentally flawed and journalistically irresponsible. Brian and John speak with Gareth Porter. He is a historian, investigative journalist, and analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy
Andrew Brunson, an American pastor who has been held by Turkish authorities for two years on terrorism charges, which he has steadfastly denied, was convicted in a Turkish court today, but then immediately sentenced to time served. He left Turkey immediately. Meanwhile, Turkish authorities investigating the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi told the Washington Post that they have video and audio evidence of Khashoggi being detained, tortured, murdered, and dismembered inside the Saudi Consulate. Dr. Gönül Tol, the founding director of The Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies, joins the show.
Syrian rebels appear to be complying with an agreement with Turkey and Russia to withdraw heavy weapons from Idlib and the buffer zone along the Turkish border. The Free Syrian Army already has confirmed that it has withdrawn all tanks and heavy guns from Idlib, the last rebel-held bastion in Syria. Rick Sterling an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So we’ll look at the week’s worst, funniest, and most misleading headlines.
Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Shelby Shoup, a student activist at Florida State University who was in the center of the hurricane yesterday, and Gail Walker, the executive director of Pastors for Peace and a Cuba solidarity activist.
Hurricane Michael slammed into Panama City, Florida yesterday as a Category 4, with winds of 155 mph before moving inland to Georgia and South Carolina. Two people are dead and more than a 800,000 are without electricity. Hurricanes are getting stronger and more frequent—that’s a fact of climate change—but can governments and citizens keep up?
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Days after Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s appointment, he was drawn into a heated dispute between Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and then-acting FBI director Andrew McCabe over who would ultimately oversee the investigation. McCabe argued that Rosenstein’s memo justifying the firing of former FBI director James Comey implicated him in a potential obstruction of justice case against President Trump. McCabe lost that fight and was later fired. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
A senior Chinese intelligence official was arrested in a sting operation and extradited yesterday to the United States to face espionage charges. Yanjun Xu, a deputy division director in the Ministry of State Security is the first Chinese intelligence officer ever to be extradited to face trial in open court. He is accused to trying to procure intelligence related to the design of jet engine fan blades. Meanwhile, a Bloomberg story about Chinese efforts to clandestinely install spy chips in US computers servers appears to be fake news. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
The US military has grounded its entire fleet of F-35 fighter jets in the wake of a crash last month in South Carolina. The F-35 has been dogged by cost overruns, poor performance, and engineering problems virtually since its inception. Pierre Sprey, a special assistant to the Secretary of Defense and a former defense analyst who is considered to be one of the fathers of the F-16 and A-10 fighter jets, and one of the country’s foremost critics of the F-35, joins Brian and John.
US intelligence services apparently have intercepts of Saudi government communications indicating that Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman ordered the kidnapping of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has been missing for more than a week since entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Turkish officials believe that Khashoggi was murdered and dismembered inside the consulate. The Saudis are denying any wrongdoing. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
Federal court judges are balking at what they call unlawful efforts by US immigration authorities to continue to detain people charged with entering the country unlawfully, even after they had been granted bail. The rulings complicate the Trump Administration’s “zero tolerance” policy against defendants charged with crossing the border illegally. Brian and John speak with Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.
An enormous category 4 storm is tearing into the Florida panhandle, and many people have been unable to evacuate. Extreme weather events just keep getting worse, and scientists agree with climate change is the culprit. A new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has an ominous warning for everybody in the world: The anticipated 1.5 degree Celsius temperature rise we should expect to see in the next 12 years will be far worse than the 1 degree rise we have already seen. The report was written by 132 authors drawing on 6000 peer-reviewed studies, and its findings are grim. If we don’t curb the emission of greenhouse cases immediately, people will die, species will become extinct, the food supply will dwindle, and ocean levels will rise precipitously.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Major media outlets lined up today to praise the tenure of Nikki Haley as US Ambassador to the United Nations. The Washington Post said she succeeded in promoting multilateralism for a president who opposes multilateralism. The New York Times said Haley “would be missed” and lauded her pragmatism and positive relationships with other diplomats. An Israeli diplomat lamented that “now Israel has only one ambassador at the United Nations.” Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at rall.com.
Turkish authorities investigating the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi said today that the well-known journalist appears to have entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he was killed on the orders of the Saudi leadership and dismembered by four men who subsequently left from the back of the building, drove to the airport, and flew to Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, condemnation of Khashoggi’s apparent murder is rippling across the globe. Ali al-Ahmed, the director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs, joins the show.
Israeli authorities have detained an American graduate student at the airport in Tel Aviv for the past week, solely because she is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, or BDS, program. Lara al-Qasem, whose grandparents are Palestinian, has a valid Israeli visa, but she will be deported because of her political views. She is being confined while she appeals the decision. Reem Zaitoon, the president of Students for Justice in Palestine at Florida State University, joins Brian and John.
Nearly two years ago, Marcus Mitchell and many other indigenous activists stood up to the oil and gas corporations trying to build the Dakota Access pipeline through their land. While protesting to protect his land, Marcus was blinded in one eye and lost partial hearing in one ear due to a lead pellet shot directly at his head by a county sheriff. Yet now he’s facing two years in prison. Kandi Mossett, Indigenous Environmental Network’s Native Energy & Climate Campaign Organizer who took part in the Standing Rock protests of 2017, joins the show.
Google announced that it would drop out of a bid for a $10 billion cloud contract with the Defense Department, saying that the project conflicted with its corporate values. In the meantime, the company is appealing a 5 billion euro fine for running a monopoly in Europe. Brian and John speak with Dr. Robert Epstein, the senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a journalist and bestselling author whose latest book is “The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza,” the senior editor of Grayzone Project, and co-host of the podcast Moderate Rebels.
Indicted Trump Campaign official Rick Gates apparently requested proposals in 2016 from an Israeli company to create fake online identities, to use social media manipulation, and to gather intelligence to help defeat Donald Trump’s Republican primary challengers and, later, Hillary Clinton. The company is staffed by former Israeli intelligence officers and, while the New York Times says there is no evidence the Trump campaign actually engaged the company, an emissary of the United Arab Emirates Crown Prince wrote the firm a check for $2 million.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, seen as a rising star in the Republican Party, abruptly resigned this morning. The news website Axios, which broke the story, said that the decision was Haley’s and that the White House foreign policy team was “shocked” when she offered the resignation a week ago. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net.
Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right candidate in Brazil’s presidential election, nearly scored an outright victory yesterday, falling just short of the 50 percent necessary to avoid a runoff. He will now face Workers Party candidate Fernando Haddad, who finished with 29 percent. Aline Piva, a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice, joins the show.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said yesterday that North Korea is ready to allow international inspectors into a key nuclear testing site, signaling a step forward in efforts to bring peace to the Korean peninsula. Pompeo also said that another Trump-Kim summit was “pretty close.” Professor Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins Brian and John.
The British online investigative group Bellingcat reported today that it had identified what it calls a second Skripal poisoning suspect. The website says that Dr. Alexander Mishkin, a military doctor alleged to be in the pay of the GRU, the Russian military intelligence organization, had something to do with the Skripal poisoning. And while the circumstantial evidence is convincing that Mishkin was somewhere in the UK at the time Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned, there is no evidence that Mishkin had anything to do with it. Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show.
Renowned Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi went to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul over the weekend to fill out a form to register his upcoming marriage. He never came out of that consulate. And now Turkish officials, who have received permission to enter the building to investigate, are saying that he was murdered by Saudi officials and his body disposed of. Brian and John speak with Medea Benjamin, an anti-war and anti-torture activist who is the co-founder of Code Pink, which has organized a protest tomorrow at noon at the Saudi embassy.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by international relations and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
National Security Advisor John Bolton yesterday announced a new national counterterrorism strategy, saying that it focuses on disrupting “all terrorist groups, which the document defines as including “radical Islamist terrorist groups.” But it also goes further. The document also focused on Iran, which Bolton said has been “the world’s central banker for international terrorism since 1979.”
Friday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment on the midterms, taking a look at political races around the country in the runup to midterm elections in November. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, joins the show.
The Senate voted this morning 51-49 to move forward and have the vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination. It’s currently scheduled for tomorrow. Brian and John speak with Jane Cutter, the editor of Liberation News, which you can find at liberationnews.org.
Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke has been on trial for allegedly shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald on October 20, 2014. Three other officers have been charged with lying about the investigation and covering up the events. This is the second day of deliberation for the jury on Van Dyke’s charges, and they have reached a verdict of guilty on second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery. Aislinn Pulley, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement, joins the show.
Brazilians will head to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president. The country’s most popular politician, Luis Ignacio Lula da Silva, has been banned from the race due to highly disputed charges, and the Workers Party is running Fernando Haddad in his place. Jair Bolsonaro is a far-right fascist candidate who is slightly ahead in the polls despite being protested widely in the streets. Aline Piva, a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice, joins Brian and John.
This Sunday marks the 17th anniversary of the US and allied invasion of Afghanistan, the longest war in American history. What began as an effort to destroy al-Qaeda in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks became a futile exercise in nation-building and then transformed into a never-ending policy of killing anybody who could someday pose a threat to the United States. Will this war ever end? Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and also co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by David Ewing, the chair of the San Francisco chapter of the US-China People’s Friendship Association, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.
Vice President Mike Pence gave a high profile, hardline speech at the Hudson Institute today that China is the world’s greatest military and economic threat, and he risks inflaming an already delicate relationship. In a speech that set a new tone in bilateral relations and seeks to confront China directly, Pence argued that Beijing is a hostile military power to both the United States and regional countries and that the Chinese government has meddled in US elections and will do so again. Pence also argued that China’s strong economy is a threat to global financial stability.
Today the hosts continue Loud & Clear’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice,” where we talk about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Alex Friedman, the associate director of the Human Rights Defense Center, join the show.
The US, British, and Dutch governments today accused the Russian military intelligence agency, the GRU, of a program of hacking into a variety of international targets. This includes the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, allegedly to interfere with the investigation into the poisoning of the Skripals—a charge Russia denies. The coordinated allegations come only a day after Defense Secretary James Mattis said that the US would share its offensive cyber capabilities with its NATO partners. Meanwhile, the Justice Department this morning indicted seven Russian military officers for hacking computers associated with international sports doping organizations. Why is the west rolling out this new policy right now? Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Climate experts are gathering in South Korea this week to urge their governments to work harder and faster to halt global warming. Energy and climate ministers from around the world, joined by UN experts, are trying to conceive of a plan to reverse the effects of carbon emissions and are working to devise target dates for major reductions. Fred Magdoff. He is professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation” from Monthly Review Press, joins the show.
The FBI investigation that the Senate asked for has wrapped up after 7 days without interviewing many witnesses who volunteered information, or even alleged sexual assault survivor Dr. Christine Blasey Ford or Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh himself. Today, there are actions against his nomination nationwide. Alexander Rubenstein, who we talk to from the rally at the Supreme Court, a Sputnik news analyst and journalist whose work is on twitter @RealAlexRubi, Karla Reyes, managing editor of the magazine Breaking the Chains and an activist for women’s rights who is mobilizing people for the rally today at Trump Tower in New York, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, join Brian and John.
A federal judge in San Francisco yesterday blocked one of the Trump administration’s most important immigration policies, allowing hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants who thought they would soon be deported to remain in the country. The temporary injunction covers immigrants from Sudan, El Salvador, Haiti, and Nicaragua. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins the show.
Amazon announced this week that it would institute a $15 per hour minimum wage after labor and political pressure on the company. Now, Amazon says that it will end performance bonuses for employees in order to recoup the costs of its wage increases. And all the while, Amazon’s founder and primary shareholder, Jeff Bezos, continues to be the richest man in the world, with a net worth of some $165 billion. Brian and John speak with Neal Sweeney, the Vice President of UAW Local 5810, the union representing post-doctoral researchers in the University of California system.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and founder of This Can’t Be Happening!, Ted Rall (rall.com), an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, and Dr. Jack Rasmus (jackrasmus.com), a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California.
A blockbuster New York Times investigation has found that Donald Trump in the 1990s participated in dubious tax schemes, and committed outright fraud, that greatly increased the fortune that he had inherited from his parents. Trump won the presidency in part by proclaiming his status as a self-made billionaire. That, it turns out, was simply not true.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Last night Donald Trump went before adoring crowds on the campaign trail to mock and deride the credibility of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who had alleged that Brett Kavanaugh assaulted her and attempted to rape her while he was severely inebriated at a gathering in a home in Bethesda, MD. Dr. Ford was 15 years old at the time and Kavanaugh was a seventeen-year-old football player. Meanwhile, it appears that the FBI is wrapping up its very limited investigation without interviewing Dr. Blasey Ford or Judge Kavanaugh. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer. He’s the author of the book “The Plot to Attack Iran.”
More than 1,600 children in recent weeks have been sent in the middle of the night and with no notice or public announcement to a tent city in west Texas where there is no schooling and almost no access to legal representation. The Trump Administration says it has done this because migrant shelters are overflowing. But apparently nobody bothered to consult attorneys or consider human rights. Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, joins the show.
The Pentagon is expected today to announce that, if asked, it will offer NATO allies its formidable cyber warfare capabilities. A Pentagon spokesperson said that the Defense Department will offer allies both offensive and defensive capabilities, but the U.S. will maintain control over the program. Meanwhile, controversy continues over comments by U.S. NATO envoy Kay Bailey Hutchinson about preemptively “taking out” Russian missiles. Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins Brian and John.
After a breakthrough agreement between the political bloc led by Muqtada al-Sadr and the pro-Iran Fatah Alliance, Iraq has a new Prime Minister. It’s Adil Abd al-Mahdi, a Shia Muslim former communist who will now try to create a new government. Abd al-Mahdi is a 76-year-old French-trained economist who has spent much of the past 30 years working at European think tanks. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
British Prime Minister Theresa May gave a keynote address at the Conservative Party Conference today in which she said that the economic austerity policies of her party are now a thing of the past. On Brexit, her policy was simple: My way or the highway. But most British observers think that May’s policy changes are too little too late. She faces strong challenges now from both the right and the left. Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Mark Sleboda, an international relations and security analyst.
Kay Bailey Hutchison, the U.S. envoy to NATO made highly provocative comments today threatening to “take out” Russian missiles that the U.S. believes to be in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Amazon announced today that it will raise its wages for all US employees to $15 an hour, starting November 1. The company has been under increasing pressure from the labor movement and other progressive activists to improve conditions for workers, and its CEO Jeff Bezos is rumored to have political ambitions. Brian speaks with Neal Sweeney, he is the Vice President of UAW Local 5810, the union representing post-doctoral researchers in the University of California system.
As the intense battle over the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh continues, women and survivors across the country are flooding sexual assault headlines, tweeting about their experiences, and publicly outing their assaulters. We’ll talk about the effect the hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have had on sexual assault survivors. Danielle Norwood, a reproductive rights activist and a therapist specializing in treating adult and adolescent survivors of trauma, joins the show.
Protests are continuing today in Argentina against the austerity measures imposed by the government of right-wing president Mauricio Macri. Macri’s government has turned to the IMF to deal with the country’s economic crisis, an institution that is deeply unpopular in the country. Ambassador Cecilia Nahón, the former Argentinian ambassador to the US and a professor at American University who served as Argentina’s Secretary of International Economic Relations and has a Ph.D focusing on external financing and economic development, joins Brian.
Four white supremacists are facing federal charges from events surrounding the August 12, 2017 Unite the Right rally, where anti-racist protester Heather Heyer was run down and murdered, and the torchlight march held the day before at the University of Virginia. They are being charged with inciting a riot targeting anti-racist protesters. Tiernan Low, an organizer in Charlottesville who is involved in the movement against fascism and white supremacy, joins the show.
Huge crowds took to the streets in Catalonia yesterday to mark the one year anniversary of the independence referendum that was brutally repressed by the Spanish central government. Yet again, there was intense repression of civil disobedience actions held by pro-independence activists. Brian speaks with Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Richard Wolff, a professor of economics emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work. His latest book is “Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown.”
Canada and the US have come to an agreement on trade. This agreement, along with the agreement the US and Mexico came to, will collectively be called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and will be a replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
After the extremely dramatic events on capitol hill last week, the FBI investigation into alleged sexual assaults committed by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is underway. Just a few swing votes in the Senate will determine the fate of his confirmation. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Attack Iran.”
This weekend, Brazilians rallied against presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro in a series of huge demonstrations titled “Not Him”. With just one week left before the first round of the election, could Brazil really elect a far-right, dictatorship-admiring president like Bolsonaro? Or will the candidate of imprisoned ex-President Lula’s Workers Party prevail? Brazilian-British activist Victor Fraga with Democracy for Brazil UK joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,”, joins Brian and John.
Iran fired missiles today at the terrorists who Iran’s Intelligence Ministry has accused of carrying out a deadly attack on a military parade on September 22, killing 25 and injuring many more. Iran’s government has stated that Israel, the United States, and gulf monarchies shared responsibility for the attack. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
The Kurdistan region of Iraq held elections yesterday that will determine control of the Kurdistan Regional Government. These elections are the first to be held since the highly controversial and ultimately unsuccessful referendum to secede from Iraq last year, and come during a period of extreme tension in Iraqi politics. Brian and John speak with Yerevan Saeed, a political analyst who researches and writes on security, political, and energy issues in the Middle East, focusing on Iraq, Turkey, Iran, the Gulf, and the Levant and has served as White House correspondent for the Kurdish Rudaw TV.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis.”
The world is changing fast as the dominant position of the United States in global politics is called into question by emerging powers. As several world leaders sharply criticize the Trump administration from the rostrum of the United States, what does the future hold for geopolitics?
Friday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment on the midterms, taking a look at political races around the country in the runup to midterm elections in November. Jacqueline and Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Brent Jabbour, an RT news analyst and host of the podcast Origin Stories, join the show.
Less than a day after the powerful testimony of Christine Blasey Ford and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh furious response, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along partisan lines to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination with a positive recommendation. All eyes are now on the full Senate as it prepares for a final vote. Brian speaks with Heidi Boghosian, the executive director of the A. J. Muste Memorial Institute and the former executive director of the National Lawyers Guild.
Julian Assange stepped down yesterday evening as the editor-in-chief of Wikileaks. He’ll remain the publisher, but Kristinn Hrafnsson will step up to be the new editor-in-chief there. Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice, joins the show.
Bellingcat, a citizen journalist website, reported this week that they’d found the true identity of Ruslan Boshirov, one of the Russians that Britain has accused of poisoning the Skripals in Salisbury. Bellingcat has existed for a few years, and most of its renown has come from chemical weapons investigations and accusations against Syrian President Assad. Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins Brian.
The US and Mexico will release the text of their bilateral trade agreement tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern, according to Bloomberg News. The Trump administration was eager to conclude an agreement with Mexico before president-elect Obrador takes office, leaving Canada out in the cold and calling the existence of the NAFTA trade agreement itself into question. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian speaks with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Heidi Boghosian, the executive director of the A. J. Muste Memorial Institute and the former executive director of the National Lawyers Guild, and Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, the executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund.
It is a historic day on Capitol Hill as the Senate Judiciary Committee hears testimony from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Dr. Ford has accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
Donald Trump conducted a wide-ranging and often bizarre press conference yesterday, touching on issues from the Mueller investigation to a two-state solution in Palestine. Brian speaks with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com.
Despite its rhetoric about the supposed threat of Iranian missiles, the U.S. military is quietly pulling its Patriot missile defense systems out of Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait. It is widely expected that these advanced weapons systems will be redeployed to target China or Russia. Mark Sleboda, an international relations and security analyst, joins the show.
Donald Trump claims that he cancelled a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the future of the NAFTA trade agreement as negotiations between the two countries continue to be mired in deadlock. With the text of the bilateral agreement with Mexico about to be published, will Canada be left out entirely? Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst who regularly joins Loud & Clear on Tuesdays for False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism, joins Brian.
Donald Trump’s highly anticipated, decisive meeting with Rod Rosenstein was postponed today, but speculation is still swirling about Rosenstein’s future in the administration and the Mueller probe itself. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
As Google celebrates the 20th anniversary of its search engine, the company continues to amass enormous influence over many aspects of our lives. How can Google and other tech companies influence the upcoming midterm election? Brian speaks with Dr. Robert Epstein, the senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell (sitting in for John Kiriakou) are joined by Peter Kuznick, a professor and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University, and co-author with Oliver Stone of the book and the hit television series “The Untold History of the United States.”
Donald Trump used his speech at the United Nations to lay out an aggressive agenda targeting U.S. rivals and declaring his blanket opposition to multilateralism and so-called “globalism”. While some of Trump’s remarks were met with laughter by the assembled diplomats, what does his speech reveal about his administration’s approach to securing U.S. hegemony around the world?
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
Speaking at the UN Security Council today, Donald Trump accused China of interfering in the midterm election on behalf of opponents of his administration. This is just the latest in a series of anti-China moves and statements coming from the administration. Brian speaks with David Ewing, the chair of the San Francisco chapter of the US-China People’s Friendship Association.
Julie Swetnick is the third person to come forward with allegations of serious sexual harassment, assault, or violence by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and others he associated with. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford is slated to testify tomorrow about the sexual assault she suffered from Kavanaugh. This testimony is scheduled despite no investigation yet as requested by Dr. Blasey. Hannah Dickinson, associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and member of the Geneva Women’s Assembly, joins the show.
Iran and the EU have come up with a payment system to work around the US’s sanctions against Iran and anyone doing business with Iran. This is yet another fracture of the EU and US’s relationship. Meanwhile, National Security Adviser John Bolton said in a speech that there would be hell to pay if Iran harmed the US. Medea Benjamin, an anti-war and anti-torture activist who is the co-founder of Code Pink, and whose most recent book is “Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”, joins Brian.
The US has imposed new sanctions on several high-ranking officials in Venezuela, including Congresswoman Cilia Flores who also is the wife of President Maduro. The New York Times also published an op-ed today called “Time for a Coup?” about overthrowing President Maduro. Chuck Kaufman, the National Co-Coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice, joins the show.
Mexico’s military arrested two police commanders for murder and the highway police chief for carrying unlicensed weapons in Acapulco. The entire police force has been disarmed and is now being investigated. Brian and John speak with Tom Hansen, the international education director of the Mexico Solidarity Network.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou is joined by Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, and Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
Iranian officials this morning vowed “unforgiving revenge” over an attack on a military parade on Saturday that killed 29 people, including the four attackers, and wounded 70. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps blamed “regional supporters of terrorism,” meaning Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both of which denied involvement. US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, meanwhile, said that Iran’s president should look in the mirror before blaming others. And this as Rudy Giuliani addressed the “Iran Uprising Summit” in Manhattan hosted by the bizarre political cult and terrorist organization MEK, a group that counts National Security Advisor John Bolton as one of its allies.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was summoned to the White House this morning as rumors swirled that he had either resigned or would be fired. Neither happened, but in Rosenstein’s meeting with White House chief of staff John Kelly, he requested a meeting with the President on Thursday. The speculation now is that he will resign then. John speaks with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com, and Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—”The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Federal prosecutors in New York are weighing criminal charges against former Obama White House general counsel Greg Craig amid allegations that he failed to register as a foreign agent in a probe that is linked to the Paul Manafort investigation. Prosecutors are also considering charges against Craig’s law firm, international legal powerhouse Skadden Arps. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, joins the show.
Moscow will bolster Syria’s air defense following the downing of a Russian plane last week by sending a modern S-300 air defense system to the Syrian army in the next two weeks, according to the Russian defense minister. The decision was made by Russian president Vladimir Putin because of Israeli involvement in the plane’s shoot-down. Mark Sleboda, an international relations and security analyst, joins John.
As Senate Republicans push for a quick vote this week on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Senate Democrats are investigating a new allegation of sexual misconduct against him. Deborah Ramirez, who went to Yale with Kavanaugh, said he exposed himself to her at a party. This is the second allegation against Brett Kavanaugh of sexual harassment or assault. Professor Hannah Dickinson, associate professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a women’s advocate, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? John speaks with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to attack Iran.”
This week was filled with news, especially big developments in the war in Syria, the Moon-Kim summit in North Korea, and the future of the Iran nuclear deal. The hosts dig in to all three.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment on the midterms, taking a look at political races around the country in the runup to midterm elections in November. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, joins the show.
A diplomatic standoff is heating up between Washington and Beijing over new US sanctions on China. The Trump Administration announced the sanctions because China agreed to purchase Russian jets and S-400 missiles. But China has bought Russian weapons for decades. And even the Trump White House admits that the new sanctions strategy for weapons purchases is unprecedented. Brian and John speak with John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations.
Despite at least 16,000 deaths in Yemen, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has decided to continue funding Saudi Arabia with monetary aid—because he doesn’t want to risk a weapons deal, according to a leaked memo. Meanwhile, the day he certified that Saudi Arabia and the UAE were working to reduce casualties in Yemen, the coalition killed 27 civilians, mostly children. Whitney Webb, a journalist and a staff writer for MintPress News, and Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, join the show.
President Trump lashed out at Congress yesterday for not approving of his long-promised border wall. But this time it’s not just Democrats opposing it. Many Republicans, including several in the leadership, say that the wall is impractical, unrealistic, and just too expensive. Brent Wilkes, a leading immigrant rights advocate, joins Brian and John.
Today British Prime Minister Theresa May made strong comments about the Brexit process, stating about the EU’s suggested alternative plan, “That is unacceptable. We will never agree to it. It would mean breaking up our country.” British and European Union leaders met yesterday in Salzburg to discuss the terms of the UK’s withdrawal from the body and things did not go well for May. The sticking point is what to do about the Irish border. May said that no deal on Brexit and the border is better than a bad deal—and that may be where negotiations are going. Steve Hedley, the senior assistant general secretary of the the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Robert Epstein, the senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology.
With the midterm elections fast approaching, will big tech companies be able to sway the results by manipulating the information the public sees first? Most Americans have no idea how their private information is used online. Indeed, a recent study shows that internet users would divulge 40 percent less information if they knew what it was being used for. And how do search engines and search results influence our voting habits, and especially the voting habits of independents and undecided voters?
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
South Korean president Moon Jae-in said yesterday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wants to complete denuclearization by 2021. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has since invited North Korean officials to talks next week in New York. Walter and John speak with Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, and analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy.
The Senate on Tuesday passed a new defense spending bill that would increase spending by $17 billion by a vote of 93-7. It was opposed by 6 Republicans and Bernie Sanders—no Democrats. Despite incessant rhetoric against the Trump Administration by Democrats, they just handed him $607 billion to build his military with. Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist and journalist whose son Casey was killed during the Iraq War, joins the show.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions yesterday placed new limits on the ability of immigration judges to terminate deportation cases, the latest in a series of decisions to facilitate the removal of people in the United States without documentation. Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, joins Walter and John.
The State Department has been pushing Iran into entering negotiations for a new nuclear treaty that would include limits on Iran’s ballistic missile program. The Iranian government has responded with a loud “no.” While the State Department’s new special envoy says that Washington is seeking a treaty, rather than a personal agreement, Tehran says the US has already violated the JCPOA (the Iran nuclear deal) by canceling it, and Iran will not enter into negotiations when it can’t trust the other side. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
In June, Arkansas became the first state to require that able-bodied Medicaid recipients do some combination of work, volunteering, job training, or education to keep their benefits, just like Kentucky and several other states are trying to do. Three months into the new rules, Arkansas has kicked 4,353 people off of Medicaid for noncompliance. Thousands more could be kicked off next month. Walter and John speak with Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Vijay Prashad, the director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books and the author of “Red Star Over the Third World,” and Dr. Christine Hong, associate professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at UC Santa Cruz and a member of the Korea Policy Institute.
The leaders of North and South Korea met in Pyongyang yesterday on the second day of their three-day summit. North Korea said it would close a key missile test facility in the presence of international observers if the US took corresponding action, and the two leaders teased an historic possible fourth summit in Seoul in the coming months.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Two mental health detainees in South Carolina died yesterday when the van in which they were chained flooded in standing water. The deputies transporting them were rescued. Brian and John speak with Kym Smith, a community organizer who has been involved in mobilizing support for the recent national prison strike.
Poland is one of the very few European countries where Donald Trump is not only welcome, but sought after. Poland’s president has even discussed the idea of naming a military base after him. But that may have changed yesterday when Trump insulted Polish President Duda by forcing him to stand to sign a strategic partnership agreement while Trump sat, looking sternly into the camera. Dr. Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history at the University of Tulsa and author of “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce,” joins the show.
In another aggressive move toward China, the US is now requiring two major Chinese media outlets—CGTN and Xinhua—to register as foreign agents. How will this affect US and China’s relationship? And what about U.S. media operating in China? Jude Woodward is the author of the book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins Brian and John.
Yesterday was Day 3 in the murder trial of Chicago police officer Jason van Dyke, who is charged with killing 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, shooting him 16 times. So far, the blue line of silence appears to be cracking, with two police officers testifying yesterday that they did not believe McDonald posed a threat to their safety. Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement, and Madi, an organizer with Good Kids Mad City, an group in Chicago calling for more resources in underserved communities, join the show.
A few days ago we reported on a story in the Washington Post saying that the Trump Administration was denying passports to American citizens along the border, even when they produced birth certificates indicating that they were born in the US. Some citizens were even asked to produce notes made by the midwives who delivered them. That story was incorrect. Yes, some Americans have been denied passports. But the policy was initiated by the Clinton Administration. And there are actually fewer people being denied passports under Trump. Hostility to immigrants appears to be a permanent policy for the U.S. government—Republican or Democrat. Brian and John speak with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria, and Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
The governments of Russia and Turkey yesterday announced a demilitarized zone in the Syrian province of Idlib, a move that appears to have delayed what was believed to be an imminent assault on the area by the Syrian army. Meanwhile, a Syrian anti-aircraft battery accidentally shot down a Russian transport plane last night, killing all 15 Russians on board. The Russian and Syrian governments blamed interference by the Israeli air force for the accident.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
President Trump yesterday ordered the declassification of documents related to the Russia investigation, including supporting material for a FISA warrant targeting former Trump campaign official and advisor Carter Page, and text messages exchanged by former FBI agent Peter Strzok and his girlfriend. Supporters laud the move’s transparency. But detractors are criticizing the president for politicizing intelligence. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose latest article is “Be Careful What You Ask For: Wasting Time with Manafort, Cohen, and Russiagate.”
Hurricane Florence is now a tropical depression, but she left much of North Carolina underwater and killed at least 17 people. As the state begins to dry off, what happens to those North Carolinians who have no flood insurance, especially the poor? And why is it that for many, flood insurance simply isn’t available? Samuel Gunter, the interim executive director of the North Carolina Housing Coalition, joins the show.
South Korean President Moon Jae In and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Pyongyang today in the hope of making more tangible gains toward a Korean peace treaty and reenergizing faltering denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington. The talks will continue for two more days. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins Brian and John.
There is a gubernatorial race taking place on the Japanese island of Okinawa, and the top issue there is the US military base. Most Okinawans want the base to be closed, but residents of other Japanese cities don’t want a US base in their neighborhoods either. All of this comes after years of high-profile crimes committed against Japanese civilians by US servicepeople. The US position is that it isn’t going anywhere because it needs the base to counter China. Peter Kuznick, who just returned from Okinawa and is a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and the co-author with Oliver Stone of the book and the hit Showtime television series “The Untold History of the United States,” joins the show.
The White House announced yesterday that the annual refugee quota for fiscal year 2019 would be cut to only 30,000 people, down from 45,000 last year and down from an average of 95,000 per year over the past two decades. Human rights groups are calling the decision an abandonment of the American promise to the world’s neediest people. Brian and John speak with Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined from North Carolina by Jessica Culpepper, the Food Safety & Health Attorney at Public Justice, and Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism.”
Hurricane Florence was downgraded to a tropical depression over the weekend, but not until it killed at least 17 people, stranded thousands, and left millions without power. Many of those stranded are poor people who have bedridden family, no car, or no money to leave. Meanwhile, coal ash ponds are overflowing into neighborhoods and there’s been flooding around the animal excrement disposal ponds known as CAFOs as well.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
In July, California Professor Christine Blasey Ford confidentially accused Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault via the Washington Post tip line and in a letter to her congressperson. After delays and a series of leaks, the story came out without a name or many details, and Ford decided to speak out despite the consequences that victims of assault often suffer by talking about it publicly. What does this tell us about prep school culture, assault in the highest echelons of power, and whether Kavanaugh’s nomination will be blocked? Brian and John speak with Heidi Boghosian, the executive director of the A. J. Muste Memorial Institute and the former executive director of the National Lawyers Guild.
President Trump last week signed an executive order that would allow the intelligence community to determine whether or not there was foreign interference in a US election, and it sets out punishments for that interference. But what does “interference” mean? And there is nothing to indicate that the US will stop interfering in the elections of other countries. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to attack Iran,” joins the show.
A Democratic political action committee in California is targeting vulnerable Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher with a parody ad saying that the 15-term incumbent is a Russian hero and is endorsed by Russian president Vladimir Putin. The ad will run in both English and Russian. Rohrabacher and Democratic businessman Harley Rouda are tied at 45 percent in the latest polls. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at rall.com, joins Brian and John.
Berta Caceres was a Honduran environmental activist and indigenous leader. She won the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize for leading a grassroots campaign that successfully forced the world’s largest dam builder to pull out of the massive Agua Zarca dam project. Just a few months later, she was assassinated in her home. Today, eight Hondurans go on trial for her murder amid criticism of the government’s handling of the investigation into her killing. Jackie McVicar, a member of the Atlantic Region Solidarity Network, working in solidarity with people struggling for social justice and environmental protection in Latin America, the Caribbean and Atlantic Canada, joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work, whose latest book is “Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown.”
Ten years ago today investment banking giant Lehman Brothers collapsed, turning a smoldering economic slowdown into the worst recession in modern American history. In 2008, Federal Reserve officials gave many reasons why they were unable to save Lehman Brothers—the bank’s collateral was inadequate, they lacked legal authority—but the result wiped out an institution with $619 billion in assets, the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history. Experts estimate the the collapse and its ripples cost the American taxpayer more than $1.4 trillion, a burden that was shouldered mostly by the poor and working classes. Have we learned anything in the past decade?
Friday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment on the midterms, taking a look at political races around the country in the runup to midterm elections in November. Jacqueline & Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, join the show.
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was in federal court in Washington where he pleaded guilty today to felony counts of conspiracy against the United States and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Manafort had been found guilty two weeks ago of eight felony counts in a federal court in Virginia. His earlier jury was deadlocked on 10 other felonies; those too have now been dropped. But most importantly, Manafort has agreed to cooperate with the Mueller investigation, although it is still unclear against whom he will testify. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare. He is a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina last night at a crawling pace and with overwhelming storm surges. Florence is weaker than many experts expected. There won’t be a lot of wind damage. But there will be flood damage. And many residents of North and South Carolina are simply unable to purchase flood insurance. We’ll look at why. Antony Loewenstein, a journalist who is the author of “Disaster Capitalism: Making A Killing Out Of Catastrophe” and the co-producer/writer of the documentary film, “Disaster Capitalism,” joins the show.
Pima County, Arizona, like many border counties, has had a policy of requiring local law enforcement officials to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, in the detention of undocumented immigrants. But that is changing. Pima County has now become the first border county to refuse to cooperate with ICE. Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos, joins Brian and John.
Californians in November will vote on Proposition 10, a measure that would allow localities to create or extend rent control in some buildings. It would repeal the current law, called the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act. Critics of the current law say that Costa-Hawkins encourages gentrification and pushes the poor, the working class, and even many in the middle class out of their homes as prices continue to skyrocket. Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, and Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
The two Russians accused by British authorities of being involved in the attempted assassination of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter sat for an interview yesterday with RT. Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov say they were simple tourists who had decided to take a day trip to London and Salisbury when poor weather forced them to change their plans and return to Moscow several hours earlier than they had planned.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Today is the anniversary of the Attica uprising. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.
As of this morning, more than 1.7 million people are under hurricane warnings and 1 million under mandatory evacuation orders as Hurricane Florence takes aim at North and South Carolina. Protecting human life is of primary importance during the storm. But what will happen with the 10 billion pounds of pig excrement that is stored in open lagoons across the Carolinas? The hurricane could lead to a far more significant environmental disaster if the lagoons flood. Brian and John speak with Jessica Culpepper, the Food Safety & Health Attorney at Public Justice, who has worked work for years on CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations), in the US and the Carolinas.
The new head of civil rights in Donald Trump’s Education Department has reopened a seven-year-old case brought by a Zionist group against Rutgers University, saying the Obama Administration, in closing the case, ignored evidence that suggested the school allowed a hostile environment for Jewish students. More importantly, the case redefines Judaism as both a religion and an ethnicity. Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink, joins the show.
Even though hundreds of children separated from their families at the border have been released by court order, the overall number of detained migrant children has exploded to the highest ever recorded, a significant counter-narrative to the Trump Administration’s efforts to reduce the number of children being held apart from their families. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins Brian and John.
The French government announced that it will formally recognize its military’s systematic use of torture in the Algerian war of independence in the 1950s and 1960s. French President Emmanuel Macron said that the country must confront its ugly history in Algeria “to exit from denial and to advance into truth.” Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis,” joins the show.
The United Steelworkers Union says that steel companies are not passing to employees profits gained from President Trump’s tariffs on foreign steel, and the union is threatening to go on strike. The contract with major steel producers expired on September 1. But the two sides are far apart, and a strike may be in the offing. Brian and John speak with Jeff Bigelow, an organizer with AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Brad Birkenfeld, a famed whistleblower who singlehandedly brought down international money laundering at banking giant UBS. Now he’s working to spread the word about what whistleblowing is and about how anybody can report waste, fraud, abuse, or illegality in the workplace or in society at large.
It’s Wednesday, so we continue our regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, where we look at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Brian and John speak with Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear.
New evidence has emerged linking New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s official re-election campaign to a controversial mailing accusing challenger Cynthia Nixon of anti-semitism. But the basis for this claim was that she allegedly supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement -- a non-violent international campaign to promote human rights and equality for Palestinians. Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink, joins the show.
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the most popular politician in that country, announced yesterday that he would not be a candidate for president in the upcoming election. Lula is currently jailed on what many Brazilians believe are trumped up corruption charges. He said that he would instead support the candidacy of Sao Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad. Arnold August, lecturer, journalist and author of the book “Cuba-US Relations: Obama and beyond”, joins the show.
The European Parliament voted today to pursue unprecedented disciplinary action against Hungary for what it called a violation of core EU values. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been accused of attacking minorities, the media, and the rule of law. The is the first time that the EU has ever condemned a member state. Steve Hedley, senior assistant general secretary of the the UK’s Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers Union, joins Brian and John.
In direct contradiction with its own teaching, the Catholic Church is preparing to evict residents of four buildings it owns in rapidly-gentrifying Washington, D.C. However, tenants are fighting back, and gearing up for a rally outside of the National Basilica this Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Heather Benno, a tenant of the housing targeted for foreclosure as well as an employee of Catholic Charities, the social services arm of the Church, and Yasmina Mrabet, an organizer with the housing rights organization Justice First, join the show.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Congress today that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are doing all they can to reduce harm to civilians in Yemen, averting a move by members of Congress to reduce support for the Gulf countries’ participation in the war there. According to the UN Human Rights Office, 6,660 civilians have been killed and more than 10,500 injured since March 2015. Brian and John speak with Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, and Brian Terrell, also co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ray Nowosielski and John Duffy, authors of the new book “The Watchdogs Didn't Bark: The CIA, NSA, and the Crimes of the War on Terror.”
Today we continue our weekly series False Profits -- A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism. Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, joins the show.
Turkish president Recep Erdogan said in an op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal that Turkey will face a catastrophic refugee crisis if the Syrian government is allowed to attack terrorists and foreign troops currently holed up in the city of Idlib, even as Russian and Syrian fighter jets bombed the city. Erdogan warned that “the entire world will pay a price” if Idlib is attacked. Brian and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
The White House confirmed today that talks are underway with North Korea over setting up a second summit meeting between President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un, as the two sides try to put stalled peace talks back on track. Author and professor Tim Beal, whose most recent book is “Crisis in Korea”, joins the show.
Russia today kicked off what it says are its largest war games since the fall of the Soviet Union, as it also hosted a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping in the far eastern city of Vladivostok. The exercises are yet another indication of the warming military and economic relationship between the two countries. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
National Security Advisor John Bolton said in a speech yesterday that the US would not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and, indeed, would sanction judges if the ICC moved forward on a war crimes trial against American soldiers in Afghanistan. The ICC said today that it would not be deterred by American threats. Medea Benjamin, an anti-war activist who is the co-founder of Code Pink, joins the show.
In a public toilet next to Beijing’s Temple of Heaven, it is reported that a toilet paper dispenser uses surveillance cameras to check on people stealing toilet paper. At Peking University, a lecturer uses surveillance cameras to check whether students are bored. It was street security cameras that identified the 2005 London Underground bomber and the 2013 Boston marathon bomber. It is satellite-based cameras that are tracking typhoons, following IS troops in Syria, watching rhino poachers in African game reserves and tracking the retreat of the Arctic ice cap. The age of surveillance is upon us. What does it mean for our civil liberties? We’ll talk to an expert whose new research explores ways that technology can be tailored to respect civil liberties. Brian and John speak with Prof. Bryan Ford, who leads the Decentralized/Distributed Systems lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine,” and Miko Peled, most recently the author of “Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”
John Bolton, US national security adviser, threatened the international criminal court (ICC) with sanctions today when he made an excoriating attack on the institution in a speech in Washington. According to drafts of his speech, Bolton will push for sanctions over an ICC investigation into alleged American war crimes in Afghanistan. He also announced the closure of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) office in Washington because of its calls for an ICC inquiry into Israel.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Maria Butina, a Russian national accused by the Justice Department of conspiring to represent a foreign government without registering, has a hearing today to determine if she should be allowed bail. Prosecutors had initially accused Butina of being a Russian spy and of using sex to ingratiate herself with her targets. But they withdrew those accusations over the weekend even though this has been the center of defamatory media coverage of the defendant caused by the government’s false claim. Brian and John speak with Alex Rubenstein, a Sputnik news analyst and journalist who was at the hearing today and you can read more of on Twitter @RealAlexRubi.
General Joseph Dunford, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said over the weekend that the US had drawn up contingency plans in case of a Syrian chemical attack on the city of Idlib. The Western media has reported over the past few days that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would use chemical weapons on Idlib, but the information appear to be coming from the controversial White Helmets, rather than from intelligence sources. Meanwhile, the United States has been accused of using white phosphorus munitions near the eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor. Steve Gowans, a journalist and author of “Washington’s Long War on Syria,” joins the show.
Les Moonves, the Chief Executive Officer of CBS, Inc. resigned last night in the wake of yet more accusations that he sexually harassed female employees at the network over a period of years. The resignation was not a surprise, as Moonves has been the subject of accusations of inappropriate behavior for more than a year. Eugene Puryear, the host of By Any Means Necessary, which a Radio Sputnik show on 105.5 FM and 1390 AM in the DC area between 2 and 4 p.m. and on iTunes, Spotify, Spreaker, and iHeartRadio, joins Brian and John.
Sweden has been plunged into political uncertainty after both centrist coalitions failed to win a majority in Sunday’s election and a far-right anti-immigration party with roots in the neo-Nazi movement gained ground. The two coalitions will have to work together or they will have to renege on promises to not work with the far-right. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria, and Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
The presidents of Russia, Iran, and Turkey met in Tehran today to discuss next steps in the Syrian province of Idlib, the Syrian rebels’ last stronghold and home to thousands of terrorists. Russia and Iran have provided vital support to the government of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, but Turkey is fearful that a major assault on Idlib will result in a refugee crisis on its southern border.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment on the midterms, taking a look at political races around the country in the runup to midterm elections in November. Jacqueline and Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, join the show.
This afternoon at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus, President Obama delivered a speech that he called the "State of our Democracy.” It was a clear beginning to his campaigning for Democrats during the midterms, and it focused on voter turnout. He also pushed back hard against President Trump, calling him a symptom or the country’s problems, not the disease. If Trump as president is a symptom, does Obama include himself as a part the disease? Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books--”The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right frontrunner in Brazil’s presidential election, was stabbed in the stomach and seriously injured last night during a campaign rally. His assailant was caught. Bolsonaro has courted controversy by equating homosexuality with pedophilia and by saying that a congresswoman with whom he had a conflict was “too ugly to be raped.” Pepe Escobar, a writer and political analyst, joins the show.
Senator Bernie Sanders announced a new bill yesterday called the Stop BEZOS Act, which would require companies to pay for any vital social programs that that their employees use because they’re paid so little. This is after Amazon became the world’s second company to be valued at over $1 trillion this week despite paying its workers little and eliminating as many jobs as possible. While Amazon and Jeff Bezos earn more and more, they actually eliminate peoples’ jobs and basic incomes. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California, author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” and at jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
Apple plans to create an online tool for police to formally request data about its users and to assemble a team to train police about what data can and cannot be obtained from the company. We’ll look at what this means for privacy. Professor Bryan Ford, who leads the Decentralized/Distributed Systems lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
The New York Times took the unusual step last night of publishing an anonymous op-ed. The opinion piece was reportedly written by a senior Trump Administration official, and it talks about chaos in the White House, a president who is unhinged, and the worry that many of the most senior officials in government that the President is a danger to Americans. The fallout—especially that emanating from the White House—has been dramatic.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), join the show.
Victoria Skripal, Sergei Skripal’s niece, said at a press conference in the UK this morning that her attempts to visit her family, Sergei and his daughter Yulia Skripal, in the UK have been stymied by the embassy. Meanwhile, the government of Theresa May has accused the Russian government and two alleged Russian intelligence officers of carrying out the attack. Brian and John speak with Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will host his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang on September 18. The scheduling of the meeting was immediately praised by President Trump and heartened observers who are looking for movement on the issue of North Korea’s denuclearization. Author and professor Tim Beal, whose most recent book is “Crisis in Korea,” joins the show.
The Jerusalem Post reported yesterday that the Israel Defense Force had been arming Syrian rebels in an effort to keep them engaged in a fight with Iranian troops there. The Post took the article down after a complaint by Israeli military censors. Journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen, whose work you can see at KillingGaza.com, joins Brian and John.
Eight demonstrators have been killed so far this week in protests in southern Iraq against corruption and inadequate basic services. This major unrest comes as the new Iraqi parliament convenes and heated negotiations to form the next government intensify. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
North Carolina’s congressional districts have been found to be racially gerrymandered, but that isn’t stopping state authorities from conducting one more election based on that district map anyway. Meanwhile, a federal prosecutor appointed by Donald Trump has issued two broad subpoenas seeking voter registration and other data from 15 million people across North Carolina. Civil rights groups say the move is an attempt to suppress the Latino vote. Brian and John speak with Drew Spencer Penrose, legal and policy director at the election reform advocacy organization FairVote.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Piers Robinson, the chairman of the politics, society, and political journalism department at the University of Sheffield, and Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
The British government has charged two Russian nationals, whom it describes as military intelligence assassins, with attempted murder in the poisoning last spring of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Both survived. Scotland Yard investigators claim to have found traces of Novichok, a weapons-grade nerve agent, in a perfume bottle that the two allegedly used on the victims. Both Russians are believed to be in Moscow.
Thursday’s weekly segment, Beyond Nuclear, looks at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
The intelligence services of the Five Eyes nations—the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—are quietly warning technology firms that they want access to all encrypted emails, text messages, and voice communications, and they are threatening to compel the companies to give it to them if they don’t do so voluntarily. Meanwhile, big tech CEOs are testifying to Congress. Brian and John speak with web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa.
Legendary Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward has a new book coming out. “Fear: Trump in the White House” will be released on Tuesday. But leaked passages are already making the news. They portray the White House as a veritable killing field of political careers and a president who is unhinged, unpredictable, and obsessed with the Mueller investigation. That rings true, but Woodward has a history of embellishing and, in some cases, making things up. Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," joins the show.
Amazon yesterday hit a market valuation of $1 trillion—only the second company in the world to reach that number besides Apple. Founder Jeff Bezos is the world’s wealthiest man at $165 billion. All the while, many of his employees work for minimum wage and qualify for food stamps. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins Brian and John.
Capitol Hill is buzzing with the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Republicans laud Kavanaugh’s supposed mainstream Republican views, while Democrats complain that the nomination would tilt the court farther to the right, especially on social issues. But what neither side is talking about is Kavanaugh’s well-documented opposition to net neutrality. Tim Karr, the senior director of strategy and communications at Free Press, joins the show.
Democratic insurgent Ayanna Pressley, a Boston City Council member, defeated 10-term incumbent Mike Capuano yesterday in a hotly contested Democratic primary. The upset is another indication that the Democratic Party rank-and-file are angry, motivated, and getting out the vote. Brian and John speak with Anoa Changa, the director of political advocacy and a managing editor of Progressive Army, and host of the show The Way With Anoa.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by former British Ambassador to Syria Peter Ford and Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Russian military leaders said today that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ready to launch a phased offensive to retake Idlib, which both the Russians and Syrians called “a pocket of terrorism” because of the foreign fighters that are based there. The Trump Administration is sending signals that it is preparing for a possible U.S. military operation inside Syria. The dangers of a wider war are presented just at the moment that the Syrian government seems to be on the verge of winning a final victory against armed forces aligned with Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. The hosts discuss coal prices going up in Europe as China uses more electricity, and the burning of natural gas, a shale drilling byproduct, in Texas in amounts that could fuel whole U.S. states. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Amidst protests, the Senate Judiciary Committee today held hearings on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to be on the Supreme Court. Democrats objected before the hearing began because they have been denied access to documents they requested, and have been fundraising on preventing Kavanagh from being confirmed—but meanwhile Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has agree to expedited approval for 15 of Trump’s other judge nominees. Brian and John speak with Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink, and an organizer and participant in today’s protests.
General John Nicholson, the outgoing commander of allied forces in Afghanistan, gave a farewell speech in Kabul over the weekend as he prepared to return to the US and retire. Unlike any of his predecessors, Nicholson called for an end to the war, an end to intercommunal violence, and an end to foreign intervention in the country. Dr. Marvin Weinbaum, the scholar-in-residence and director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies, joins the show.
The New York Times revealed over the weekend that Oleg Deripaska, a prominent Russian billionaire, was repeatedly approached by the FBI between 2014 and 2016 and pressed to act as an informant. The FBI initially was looking for information on Russian organized crime. Later, they wanted information on Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. But Deripaska declined each approach. Nonetheless, he has been drawn in to the Russia collusion investigation, and he finds himself with powerful enemies in Congress. Peter Lavelle, host of RT’s flagship program CrossTalk, joins Brian and John.
Yesterday was Labor Day, the day set aside to honor the social and economic achievements of American workers. It is a national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of the country. But organized labor is facing acute challenges thanks to recent court decisions. What do these decisions mean for the future of organized labor? Peter Knowlton, the president of the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America, joins the show.
Brazil’s political crisis has entered a new stage with the country’s top electoral court denying former president Lula—the most popular candidate by far—a spot on the ballot for the country’s upcoming presidential election. Meanwhile, outrage is sweeping the country in the aftermath of a fire that destroyed much of the country’s most prominent museum—an apparent consequence of years of underfunding. Brian and John speak with Vijay Prashad, director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, chief editor of LeftWord Books, and the author of “The Death of the Nation and the Future of the Arab Revolution” and “Red Star Over the Third World.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Liz Davis, president of the Washington Teachers Union who has taught in DC public schools for 41 years, and Justin Flores, the vice president of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee.
Monday is Labor Day, the day set aside to honor the social and economic achievements of American workers. It is a national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of the country. But organized labor is facing acute challenges thanks to recent court decisions.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment on the midterms, taking a look at political races around the country in the runup to midterm elections in November. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, joins the show.
President Trump on Wednesday reaffirmed his opposition to routine annual joint US-South Korean military drills, a move that has infuriated South Korean conservatives, but which was supported by President Moon Jae-in. Although the move will make the North Koreans happy, it could created a significant political backlash for Moon. Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, and analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare,” joins Brian and John.
Bank of America is facing a backlash after freezing the accounts of people who have not proven their US citizenship or permanent resident status. The bank says that it has always asked its customers about their citizenship. But it’s begun unfreezing accounts after admitting that there are no federal law or regulations that require it to do so. Brian and John speak with Richard Becker, the author of “The Myth of Democracy and the Rule of the Banks.”
Over the past decade, New York City made steady reductions in the number of children in public housing who tested positive for lead. But that ended when the city stopped inspecting apartments for lead paint. Lead levels are on the rise not just in New York, but in cities across the country, including Washington. Yasmina Mrabet, a housing organizer with Justice First. Yasmina is also an activist with the organization LinkUp, joins the show.
Yesterday, the city of El Paso dissolved an injunction, leaving a neighborhood in El Paso up for demolition to make way for an arena. Barrio Duranguito is now under 24-hour watch by Paso Del Sur, a community group, to protect the buildings. Rodriga, Cynthia, and Selfa, all organizers with Paso Del Sur, joins Brian and John.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Hyun Lee, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and writer for Zoominkorea.org.
The fate of the peace process in Korea hangs in the balance as the Trump administration takes an increasingly hard line. At the same time, a dispute between the Pentagon and the White House over the suspension of the U.S. military exercises in South Korea spilled into the open, with Trump openly contradicting Defense Secretary Mattis.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” focuses on the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. The hosts continue talking about the huge prison strike going on across the country, as well as the white cop who killed Jordan Edwards, a Black teenager, getting prison time. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), join the show.
The United Nations is calling on Russia, Iran, and Turkey to not attack the Syrian province of Idlib until humanitarian corridors can be created to evacuate some of the millions of civilians there. But the truth is that an attack on Syria could just as easily come from the United States, Britain, and France. Are we looking at another Suez Crisis? Brian and John speak with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria.
Shocking new reports have emerged that U.S. citizens who were born near the U.S.-Mexico border are being denied U.S. passports — on the basis that they are not in fact U.S. citizens! Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos, joins the show.
The Trump Administration is expected to replace a major Obama-era environmental regulation on the emission of mercury, a pollutant linked to damage of the brain, the nervous system, and fetal development, with a much weaker regulation. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation” from Monthly Review Press, joins Brian and John.
The New York gubernatorial race between Governor Andrew Cuomo and former actress Cynthia Nixon turned ugly — quickly — in the first debate last night between the two Democrats. Meanwhile, Cuomo received a $25,000 donation from the law firm representing accused sexual predator Harvey Weinstein immediately before suspending an investigation into whether the Weinstein probe was mishandled. Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice, joins the show.
Environmental groups yesterday argued in a federal appeals court that the Environmental Protection Agency should revoke its approval of a potent weed killer because it evaporates quickly, destroys nearby crops, and kills wildlife. The groups say that Monsanto’s XtendiMax weed killer is a health hazard and should be banned immediately. Brian and John speak with Alexis Baden-Mayer, the political director for Organic Consumers Association.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek (sitting in for John Kiriakou) are joined by Peter Lavelle, host of RT’s flagship program CrossTalk.
French President Emmanuel Macron said this week that the European Union needs to look out for its own security, rather than looking to the US. Germany is moving forward with the Nordstream 2 gas pipeline from Russia, against the US’s demands. What does the strengthening of European-Russian relations and the fraying of US-European relations mean for geopolitics?
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Justice Department official Bruce Ohr gave testimony and answered questions for 8 hours behind closed doors yesterday in a hearing held by the House Judiciary and House Oversight and Government Reform committees. What does Ohr’s role in the investigation into alleged Russian collusion say about the nature of the entire Mueller investigation? Brian and Walter speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com.
Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rosselló commissioned a full study on the death toll from last year’s Hurricane Maria, and the results are in. Up from the original estimate from of 64, this week’s report put the death toll at 2,975, making Maria one of the deadliest hurricanes ever.
Dr. Adriana Garriga-López, department chair and associate professor of Anthropology at Kalamazoo College, joins the show.
With rumors swirling about President Trump potentially firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham appeared to throw his hat in the ring in an interview last night. Meanwhile, this morning, President Trump announced that White House counsel Don McGahn will be leaving in the fall. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com, joins Brian and Walter.
Important primaries were held across the country last night. In Florida, progressive Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum won the gubernatorial primary against frontrunner and former Congressperson Gwen Graham, and his competition, conservative Ron DeSantis, was tapped by President Trump. And in Arizona, establishment favorite Martha McSally defeated two far-right challengers. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, whose livestream is available every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Juliana Musheyev, a Floridian and member of the Board of Directors of the Peace Education and Action Center, join the show.
Teachers and faculty voted last night to approve a strike if negotiations with Seattle Public Schools don’t produce a tentative contract by the start of the school year on Tuesday. Brian and Walter speak with Jane Cutter, an educator and the editor of LiberationNews.org.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Abby Martin, host of The Empire Files, and Mike Prysner, the producer. You can support their ongoing work at patreon.com/EmpireFiles and GoFundMe.com/keep-empire-files-going.
Progressive alternative media in the United States is under attack. Recently, the prominent TeleSur program The Empire Files was shut down as a consequence of U.S. sanctions imposed on Venezuela. Meanwhile Facebook and other social media giants have been censoring and concealing content that doesn’t fit the corporate media narrative.
Monday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, joins the show.
Despite being caught in a lie, CNN is standing behind their reporting. Lanny Davis, lawyer for former President Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen, told CNN as an anonymous source (and then other outlets as well) that Cohen had details on the Trump Tower meeting that special counsel Robert Mueller is keen to find out about. Then, in an apparent bid to muddy the waters, in the past few days he’s been saying Cohen doesn’t necessarily have information. Several outlets outed him as their source, embarrassing him in his flip-flopping—but confusingly, CNN is still “confident in our reporting.” Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net whose latest is "Be Careful What You Ask For: Wasting Time with Manafort, Cohen, and Russiagate.”
Donald Trump tweeted this morning criticizing Google’s manipulation of search results. While his outrage was directed at their reported suppression of right-wing outlets, beneath the surface are huge implications about Google’s power and ability to surveil virtually every part of our lives. Dr. Robert Epstein, the senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, joins the show.
Chemnitz, a German city in the state of Saxony, has erupted in racist rioting and violence in the last few days, with crowds yelling anti-immigrant slogans and using the illegal Nazi straight-arm salute facing off with crowds of anti-racist protesters. What does this mean for the rise of the far-right in Germany and in Europe? John Wight, the host of the weekly Sputnik Radio show Hard Facts, joins Brian and John.
The Russian defense minister today announced that huge military drills involving hundreds of thousands of soldiers will take place in the country’s east next month. With a sizable contingent of Chinese troops expected to participate, many are taking this as a sign that the two rising powers are moving closer together in response to the U.S. government’s new doctrine of “major power competition.” International affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda joins the show.
After questioning Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s Parliament censured him today and referred him to the judiciary. This comes shortly after the ministers of economy and labor were fired by lawmakers. Is the Iranian leadership changing? Are the US sanctions playing into these changes? Brian and John speak with Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Nazia Kazi, an activist, professor of Anthropology at Stockton University and the author of the forthcoming book “Islamophobia, Race and Global Politics.”
Senator John McCain died on Saturday and the testimonies about his service and character are pouring in from around the country. McCain is being described as a maverick and a moderate who tried to wrest his party from dangerous populism. However, his real legacy is his consistent votes for and encouragement for the country to go to war, and he personally dropped bombs over civilians in Hanoi.
Progressive governments across Latin America have been under unprecedented pressure to move to the right, with countries from Brazil to Argentina to Ecuador either pushing liberal leaders aside or changing policy to ally themselves with the United States. What’s behind this push to the right? And are Latin American countries in danger of a return to military or fascist governments with the support of the United States? Arnold August, a lecturer, journalist and author of the book “Cuba-US Relations: Obama and Beyond” and Gloria La Riva, the director of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the National Surveillance State are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Brian and John speak with web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa.
Lanny Davis, the attorney for President Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen, is backing off statements he made last week that Cohen has information to share with investigators indicating that Trump knew in 2016 of Russian efforts to undermine the Hillary Clinton campaign. And attorneys for accused Russian spy Maria Butina say that federal allegations that Butina traded sex for information are nonsense. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show.
Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami met today with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and pledged Iranian help in the reconstruction of Syria, as well as enhanced defense cooperation. The United Nations estimates that the country will need $388 billion to rebuild from a seven-year-long civil war that has seen the deaths of more than 350,000 people. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins Brian and John.
The North Korean government reacted angrily today after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled his planned visit to that country. Pompeo cited a lack of progress in bilateral talks as the reason for the decision. But North Korea said that the US was hatching a criminal plot against Pyongyang and that the US was not serious about negotiations. Dr. Christine Hong, associate professor of critical race and ethnic studies at UC Santa Cruz and a member of the Korea Policy Institute, joins the show.
In a victory for labor unions, a federal judge on Saturday struck down key provisions of a series of executive orders that would have made it easier to fire federal workers and weaken their unions. The ruling is a major setback for President Trump’s policy of trying to break unions, especially those that represent federal workers. Brian and John speak with Jeff Bigelow, an organizer with AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.
Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a journalist, a bestselling author whose latest book is “The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza,” the senior editor of Grayzone Project, and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”
Facebook is being accused of creating an entirely new level of censorship, deleting posts and whole pages, blocking content, and restricting access to news. The mainstream media has decried Facebook’s censorship of conservative sites like Prager University and InfoWars. But Facebook also has deleted pages associated with Bernie Sanders followers and Black Lives Matter. What the media aren’t talking about, however, is Facebook’s censorship of pages and news advocating for the Palestinian cause or for peace in the Middle East.
Friday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment on the midterms, taking a look at political races around the country in the runup to midterm elections in November. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, joins the show.
A new tranche of US sanctions against Russia will take effect on Monday, including prohibitions on loans, weapons, and dual-use items. The sanctions will remain in place for at least one year. Brian and John speak with international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller has given Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg immunity as part of the investigation into Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen. And Weisselberg isn’t the only person granted immunity. National Enquirer publisher David Pecker has also received a guarantee of immunity. The noose appears to be tightening around the White House. But what is the thrust of the investigation now that it has nothing to do with Russia? Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
It has been nearly a month since a federal court ordered the Trump Administration to reunite separated immigrant families, but hundreds of children are still waiting for reunification. In fact, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, some 565 children are still being held in detention away from their parents. Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of New Sanctuary Coalition, joins Brian and John.
Houthi rebels reported that Saudi warplanes attacked a village outside of Hudaidah in Yemen yesterday, killing at least 30 people, including 22 children. The dead had fled an earlier Saudi bombing that had killed 44 civilians. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at rall.com.
Headlines in major news outlets across the country sounded the alarm about what they said was yet another sinister Russian attempt to subvert American democracy—a hack into the Democratic National Committee’s voter database. But, it turns out, this was nothing more than a security test by one of its state affiliates.
Adopting another talking point of the extreme right wing, President Trump has asked that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo take a look at “the large scale killing of farmers” in South Africa, referring to the white landowners whose property is subject to a new redistribution program aimed at addressing the legacy of apartheid. This comes after Fox News host Tucker Carlson called South African President Ramaphosa a racist. Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “From the Barrel of a Gun: The United States and the War against Zimbabwe,” joins the show.
Today the hosts continue Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice,” where they talk about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Today they focus on the massive prison strike taking place in more than a dozen states. Brian and John speak with Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Nicole Roussell, a producer of this show.
The United States and China imposed 25 percent tariffs on $16 billion worth of each other's goods today, as the Trump administration’s trade war continues to gather steam. What will the consequences be for the two countries’ economies, and the world? Jude Woodward. She is the author of the book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins the show.
Tonight in 1968, 43 Black GIs who were stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, refused to board a plane to go fight against protestors at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Many of the soldiers had already been to war in Vietnam, and this was a huge act of dissent, foreshadowing much more dissent within the ranks of the military in decades to come. C. R. Gibbs, an author and co-author of six books and a frequent national and international lecturer who appears regularly on television to discuss historical issues, joins Brian and John.
NSA contractor Reality Winner was sentenced today to 63 months in prison, or more than 5 years. She was charged under the Espionage Act for leaking to the press a report on alleged Russian election interference. Kevin Gosztola, the managing editor for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure who was at the hearing this morning, joins the show.
The British government released 25 guidance documents for people and businesses in the case that no Brexit deal is agreed upon between the EU and the UK, leaving the UK without any agreements on trade, diplomacy, and other relationships with the EU. Brian and John speak with Robert Griffiths, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain.
The US has had a long and contentious debate about affirmative action, one policy intended to help with centuries of structural oppression of people of color. Most recently, the opposition to affirmative action has shifted to blaming the policy for keeping high-performing Asian-American students out of elite places like Harvard. But what sort of effects on Asian-American students are really at play? Dr. Kevin Kumashiro, an internationally recognized expert on educational policy, school reform, and educational equity, and social justice who is the former dean of the School of Education at the University of San Francisco, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to attack Iran,” and Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry.
Courts in New York and Alexandria, Virginia delivered bombshells for President Trump yesterday, as former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was convicted of eight felony counts of bank fraud, and Trump attorney Michael Cohen turned himself in to the FBI and pleaded guilty to eight counts of campaign finance fraud, bank fraud, and wire fraud. Manafort will now go on trial on additional fraud counts in Washington, DC, and Cohen will go to prison for between three and five years.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear with Kevin Kamps, looks at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today they focus on Trump’s plan to cut coal regulations, and the connections between the coal and nuclear industries. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
Facebook announced yesterday that it had taken down 652 fake accounts and pages with ties to Iranian and Russian propaganda organs. The company said there were four different campaigns, with three originating in Iran. Is Facebook jumping on the war hysteria bandwagon? Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and founder of This Can’t Be Happening!, as well as a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com.
Saudi Arabia is preparing to execute five people, including a woman, for participating in peaceful demonstrations in support of rights for Shia Muslims. The public prosecutor, who reports directly to King Salman, has charged the five with a variety of so-called crimes, including, “participating in protests, incitement to protest, chanting slogans, attempting to inflame public opinion, filming protests, and providing moral support to rioters.” The five could be beheaded as soon as Friday. Ali al-Ahmed, the director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs, joins the show.
Russia’s foreign minister said that the Taliban have accepted an invitation to attend talks on the future of Afghanistan to be held in Moscow on September 4. Sergei Lavrov said that the aim of the talks is to encourage the Taliban to abandon hostilities, to engage in a dialogue with the Afghan government, and to protect Russian citizens in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, hopes for a temporary halt in the fighting have broken down following a mass kidnapping and a rocket attack on the presidential palace as President Ashraf Ghani was giving a speech. Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins Brian and John.
National Security Advisor John Bolton said yesterday that the United States would respond “very strongly” if forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad use chemical weapons in an offensive to retake Idlib Province. But doesn’t that just open the door for US-allied forces to use chemical weapons and blame the Syrian government? Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
Tensions between the United States and Turkey, along with the country’s economic instability, continue to heat up. National Security Advisor John Bolton told reporters yesterday that Turkey could end its lira-battering crisis with Washington “instantly” by freeing a detained American pastor. Bolton added that promises of cash from the Qatari government will not save Turkey’s economy. Brian and John speak with Ambassador Robert Pearson, a former US Ambassador to Turkey and former director general of the US Foreign Service.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, the Paul Manafort guilty verdict and the Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s plea deal is the lead story at the top of the second hour.
In the first hour, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry and author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," and Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Key Senate committees held hearings today amid news that Microsoft has seized six websites that it says were registered by Russia’s military intelligence organization, the GRU, and that targeted Republican think tanks and the US Senate. New US sanctions on Russia take effect tomorrow, and two senators are sponsoring what they are calling “the sanctions bill from hell” that they would pass if the US intelligence community confirms that the Russian government was behind the six suspended websites. Meanwhile, British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt today called on all EU member countries to join the US and UK sanctions.
Tuesday’s regular segment is Loud & Clear’s weekly series False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, joins the show.
The jury has reached its verdict in the trial of Paul Manafort, who was for a brief period the chairman of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in the summer of 2016. Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s personal lawyer for more than a decade, was also in court today where he pled guilty to multiple charges.
Mumia Abu Jamal has been in prison in Pennsylvania since 1981, after being accused and convicted of killing a policeman. He was on death row until 2011, when his sentence was converted to life without parole. Mumia and his supporters have always maintained his innocence, and he will be in court again next week in Philadelphia. He’ll be in court on August 30 pursuing a new legal strategy that argues that Ronald Castile, a former District Attorney whose office prosecuted his case, was improperly involved in his appeal after he became a state supreme court justice. Dr. Johanna Fernandez, a professor at Baruch College and an activist with Campaign to Bring Mumia Home, and the maker of the film “Justice On Trial,” which you can check it out this Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at the Maysles Cinema in Harlem, joins the show.
American prisoners are going on strike today all across the country. The action will continue through September 9, which marks the anniversary of the deadly uprising at the Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York. But the strike isn’t necessarily political in nature. Prisoners want to draw attention to prison conditions and exploitative labor practices. And they want their work to be valued by society. Alex Rubinstein, a Sputnik news analyst and journalist whose work is on twitter @RealAlexRubi, joins Brian and John.
Today marks the 47th anniversary of the death of George Jackson. The hosts take a look at his legacy and present-day significance. Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis,” joins the show.
Voting rights activists in Georgia are decrying a state plan to close two thirds of the polling stations in a predominantly Black county. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a formal protest with the county’s electoral board. Even the Republican nominee for governor has urged officials to abandon the plan. Brian and John speak with Anoa Changa, the director of political advocacy and a managing editor of Progressive Army, and host of the show The Way With Anoa.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose most recent piece is “Fighting Fake Stories: The New Yorker, Israel and Obama,” and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
President Trump over the weekend revoked the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan and threatened to do the same to a list of other former Obama-era national security officials and a current Justice Department official. Meanwhile, media outlets reported that White House Counsel Don McGahn met at least three times with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. President Trump tweeted early this morning that McGahn is “not a rat, like in the Nixon White House.”
Monday’s weekly half hour segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the National Surveillance State are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights, and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
The State Department has created something called the Iran Action Group to coordinate US foreign policy toward that country. Detractors, however, say that the group’s purpose is to create a policy to overthrow the Iranian government. And the group’s membership is apparently classified. Brian and John speak with Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
Nearly 90 South Korean families crossed into North Korea yesterday to be reunited with elderly relatives they had not seen since being separated in the chaos of the Korean War nearly 70 years ago. The reunification program has been ongoing for decades, was suspended, and was restarted in the recent rapprochement between the two Koreas. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins the show.
After eight grueling years of austerity, Greece today emerged from its bailout program. The $330 billion in loans from the European Union, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund saved the country from insolvency, but economic misery is still the norm, with unemployment remaining well over 20 percent. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins Brian and John.
Loud & Clear’s regular Monday segment “Education for Liberation” is about the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Rick Ayers, a professor of education at the University of San Francisco, the author of “An Empty Seat in Class: Teaching and Learning after the Death of a Student,” and co-author of the recently released book, “You can’t fire the bad ones: And 18 other myths about teachers, teachers unions, and public education,” joins the show.
In a second episode of Loud & Clear’s regular Monday segment “Education for Liberation”, Brian and John speak with Dr. Kevin Kumashiro, an internationally recognized expert on educational policy, school reform, and educational equity and social justice, and the former dean of the School of Education at the University of San Francisco.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Alice Bonner, a docent at the National Museum of African American History and Culture and a retired professor at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland.
Ahead of the anniversary of the deadly Charlottesville white supremacist protest, the hosts speak with Dr. Alice Bonner about a pivotal moment in the fight against racism in the United States -- The Watts Uprising.
Again today we take a look at political races around the country in the runup to midterm elections in November. Jacqueline Luqman, co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, joins the show.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has declared a state of emergency in Charlottesville in advance of the one-year anniversary of the violent Unite the Right rally. Last year a right-wing extremist ran over and killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer. Brian and John speak with Kei Pritsker, he’s a D.C.-based activist who is one of the organizers of the counter-protest against the “Unite the Right 2” rally in Washington D.C.
President Trump’s new Space Force will be the first new military branch since the creation of the Air Force 70 years ago, if Congress approves it and it can get off the ground. But what exactly is a space force? And do we really need one? We’re joined from Maine by Bruce Gagnon, the coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, joins the show.
Fusion GSP founder Glenn Simpson met secretly with one of Barack Obama’s seniormost Justice Department officials, Bruce Ohr, immediately after the 2016 election, according to Ohr’s handwritten notes that were released yesterday. In that meeting, Simpson told Ohr that Trump attorney Michael Cohen was the the secret middleman between the campaign and the Russian government. Simpson admitted in sworn testimony last year to the House Intelligence Committee that he had contact with Ohr after Trump’s election victory. But Ohr’s notes provide the first detailed public account of what the two men actually discussed. We’ll get into the details. Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, joins Brian and John.
The National Security Archive, a private academic organization based at George Washington University that is the repository for declassified government documents, announced today that its Freedom of Information Act suit against the CIA for documents related to CIA director Gina Haspel’s involvement in the torture program was successful. The Archive already has released those documents and they are damning in the information they provide on Haspel and torture. Brian and John speak with Sue Udry, a peace and social justice activist and Executive Director of Defending Rights and Dissent.
Code Pink is one of the most active and influential peace organizations in America, tackling issues from Gaza to immigration to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the leading members of that group is our friend and frequent guest Ann Wright. Earlier this week, Ann found herself at the US-Mexico border, where she’s been working to improve the plight of so many immigrants to this country. Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by international affairs and security analyst.
The latest round of sanctions targeting Russia is already taking a toll, as forces in the U.S. military and foreign policy establishment continue their campaign to ensure that the two countries remain on a collision course.
Dozens of people, including many children, were killed in Yemen today by an airstrike launched by the Saudi-led coalition waging war on that country. The bombing, which hit a school bus, is causing outrage around the world. Medea Benjamin, an anti-war activist who is the co-founder of Code Pink, joins the show.
Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Brian and John speak with Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News.
Besieged Gazans fired on Israel last night, and received massive rocket fire in return. This happened as a ceasefire was in the works. So what happened? Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist, joins the show.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court has ordered the arrest of former head of the National Assembly Julio Borges, who currently lives in exile in Colombia. Paul Dobson, a writer for VenezuelaAnalysis.com, joins Brian and John.
The initial count of fatalities in Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria was initially assessed at 64. But according to a revised report submitted to Congress today, the number of fatalities is actually 1,427. Dr. Adriana Garriga-López, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Kalamazoo College, joins the show.
Brazil’s Workers Party nominated imprisoned former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as its presidential candidate despite the fact that the Supreme Court will likely seek to keep him off the ballot. Meanwhile, far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who is a frontrunner, chose an outspoken general as his running mate. General Hamilton Murao has spoken in favor of a military coup in Brazil. Brian and John speak with Brazilian-British activist Victor Fraga with Democracy Brazil UK.
Periodic series Stories from the National Museum of African American History and Culture is where Dr. Alice Bonner highlights some of the most important episodes in Black history. This installation is about Ida B. Wells’ legacy. Dr. Alice Bonner, a volunteer docent at the newly opened National Museum of African American History and Culture, retired professor at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, and a longtime journalist at the Washington Post who wrote her dissertation on a history of press desegregation, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Julie Hurwitz, a civil rights attorney who worked on Rashida Tlaib’s congressional campaign and one of the litigators in the lawsuits against the city of Flint regarding its polluted water, and Aurelia Williams, a student activist and organizer.
Yesterday was primary election day in states across the country and the early results indicate that nobody yet has a clear idea of what’s happening. In a hotly contested congressional race in Ohio, the Republican leads the Democrat by less than 0.5 percent, which triggers an immediate recount. Moderate Democrats defeated their more progressive challengers in a half-dozen House races. And firebrand conservative Kris Kobach is leading incumbent Republican Kansas governor Jeff Colyer by fewer than 200 votes.
Canadian relations with Saudi Arabia worsened precipitously over the past week after Canada’s Foreign Ministry tweeted concern for Saudi civil rights activists. Saudi leaders jumped on the issue, expelling the Canadian ambassador, withdrawing all Saudi students from Canada, forbidding Saudi nationals from seeking medical treatment there, and ending direct flights between the two countries. How bad is this going to get? Christopher Black, an international criminal lawyer who is on the List of Counsel before the ICC and has worked on high profile cases involving war crimes and human rights, joins the show.
Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, looks at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today they focusing on two important anniversaries: that of Hiroshima, which was on Monday, and Nagasaki, which is tomorrow. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
The Senate Intelligence Committee has invited Julian Assange to meet with its professional staff members behind closed doors to discuss alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. The formal invitation was signed by both Committee chairman Richard Burr and Vice Chairman Mark Warner. There is no indication that the Committee will provide Assange with any guarantees for his safety if he chooses to accept the invitation. Brian and John speak with Kevin Gosztola, the managing editor for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure.
There are several new developments in Russiagate. It’s day 7 of the Paul Manafort trial; Rudy Giuliani and Trump’s personal lawyer just announced that they will not have Donald Trump sit for an interview with Robert Mueller; and the Trump administration announced new sanctions against Russia based on a finding that the Russian government is in fact responsible for the poisonings of defecting double agent Skripal.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry slapped another 25 percent tariff on $16 billion of US goods, including automobiles and motorcycles. This comes in the wake of the US Trade Representative’s decision to place 25 percent tariffs on $16 billion of Chinese goods. Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins Brian and John.
The European Union is sending a message to Iran. That message is that the Europeans are serious about salvaging the Iran nuclear deal. An aide to the EU’s foreign policy chief said yesterday that European firms that stop doing business with Iran will in turn be sanctioned by the EU. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
National Security Advisor John Bolton said yesterday that the Administration is “still waiting” for North Korea to begin the denuclearization process. He added that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wants a second summit with President Trump, but that is unlikely absent real progress on the North Korean weapons and nuclear programs. Brian and John speak with author and professor Tim Beal, whose most recent book is “Crisis in Korea.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, and Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
There were bombshell revelations in the trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort yesterday as his former deputy and friend Rick Gates testified against him. Gates not only said that he and Manafort had hidden millions of dollars offshore to avoid paying taxes, but he also admitted to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Manafort’s accounts in Cyprus. Gates faces Manafort’s attorneys in cross-examination today, where he has talked all about wealthy Ukrainians paying Manafort large sums.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Brian and John speak with Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst.
Private emails obtained by the publication Foreign Policy show that White House advisor and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner last year tried to abolish the United Nations aid agency that provides humanitarian relief to millions of Palestinian refugees. The magazine adds that Kushner was acting at the behest of the Israeli government. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemecist.net, where you can read his latest article on the subject: “Sacrificing Gaza: The Great March of Zionist Hypocrisy.”
The Trump administration will soon release a proposal limiting full citizenship pathways for legal immigrants who have used life-saving health and poverty programs like Obamacare, according to four different sources. Many of these programs have been designed with immigrants in mind. Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of New Sanctuary Coalition, joins the show.
66 people were shot this weekend in Chicago, with 12 dead. But when the police held a press conference yesterday, the primary message was that people in the neighborhoods where the victims were shot need to be held accountable rather than the police. Mayor Rahm Emanuel said, “Don't think for a moment people don't know in the neighborhood who was responsible.” , joins Brian and John.
A new report from Forbes reveals a pattern of highly questionable business practices on the part of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, resulting in fines, judgements and settlements totaling over $120 million. Is this kind of scandal inevitable in a government, of, by and for the billionaires? Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
One of Syria’s top rocket scientists was assassinated in a car bomb attack in Damascus on Saturday. Fingers pointed almost immediately to Israel’s intelligence agency, the Mossad. Mossad has long had a policy of killing scientists from other countries, actions that are taken with impunity. Brian and John speak with Steve Gowans, a journalist and author of “Washington’s Long War on Syria.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jeanette Charles, a writer, editor, and solidarity liaison with VenezuelaAnalysis.com, and Paul Dobson, a writer in Merida, Venezuela, for VenezuelaAnalysis.com.
Six people were arrested Sunday after an apparent assassination attempt against Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Maduro was giving a speech at an event in Caracas when two drones, each carrying a kilo of C-4 plastic explosives, flew near his podium. The military knocked one drone off course electronically. The other crashed into a nearby apartment building. The government is blaming right-wing extremists and the Colombian government for the attack.
Tuesday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
The Trump Administration moved today to reimpose economic sanctions against Iran. The decision raises tensions with that country and deepens the divide between the United States and Europe on Iran policy. Brian and John speak with Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
An alt-right rally in Portland Oregon on Saturday quickly devolved into violence as fascists clashed with anti-fascist demonstrators and police. Four people were arrested and police say they confiscated dozens of weapons and shields emblazoned with the confederate flag from pro-fascist agitators. Attendees, though, say the police attacked only the counter-protestors, and the American Civil Liberties Union says it may sue the city on their behalf. Daryle Lamont Jenkins, executive director of the One People’s Project, an anti-fascist organization based in Pennsylvania, joins the show.
President Trump said on Sunday that a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between top campaign aides, including Donald Trump Jr., and a Russian attorney was designed to “get information on an opponent,” the starkest acknowledgment yet that a statement he dictated last year about the encounter was misleading. Daniel Lazare. He is a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins Brian and John.
The Associated Press said today that the Saudi-Emirati coalition fighting Houthis in Yemen has cut secret deals with al-Qaeda and has recruited hundreds of the group’s fighters. For more than two years the Saudis have bragged that they had crushed al-Qaeda in Yemen. Meanwhile, the Saudis expelled the Canadian Ambassador over the weekend because he criticized Saudi human rights practices. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
Today marks the 73rd anniversary of the nuclear bomb attack on Hiroshima, Japan. Those commemorating the event in a somber ceremony in the city today called for the elimination of all nuclear weapons. An estimated 100,000 people died in the blast and subsequently from radiation poisoning. Brian and John speak with Greg Mello, the executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, and Mazda Majidi, an Iranian specialist, author, journalist, and educator.
Iran has deployed 50 small naval vessels to the Strait of Hormuz, the very narrow and very strategic waterway where the Persian Gulf flows into the Arabian Sea. Twenty percent of the world’s oil flows through the Strait, so any disruption would be highly problematic for the world economy. What happens if Iran closes the Strait? How would Israel respond? What about the US or Saudi Arabia? And what would happen in Syria? The hosts look at the hypotheticals possible in a new conflict in the Middle East.
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, the hosts talk about the Democrats’ strategy going into the midterms as a nationwide party. Jacqueline and Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and the co-host of the Facebook livestream “Coffee, Current Events & Politics” Thursdays at 9 p.m., join the show from Netroots Nation, an annual progressive Democratic conference.
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said yesterday that Russia is still trying to interfere in US elections. Donald Trump, however, said three times yesterday that the Russia investigation is a “witch hunt.” Tellingly, though, Coats also said that he had no idea why the President didn’t condemn this alleged Russian meddling during his meeting in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, mainstream media is writing hit pieces on Maria Butina’s character, saying she has an “overly flirtatious approach.” Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Trump donor Franklin Haney apparently agreed to pay Trump attorney Michael Cohen a $10 million finders fee if Cohen could successfully lobby for the building of an unfinished nuclear power plant in Alabama. The new information is part of a federal investigation into Cohen’s unregistered lobbying activities. And, breaking today, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering yet another route though waterways and population centers for highly radioactive waste. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
With all ten provinces counted, Zimbabweans have elected Emmerson Mnangagwa president with 50.8 percent of the vote. Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa was second with 44.3 percent. Outside observers say the election was free and fair. But Chamisa is disputing this and refuses to concede. Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis,” joins Brian and John.
The Chinese government said today that it would impose as much as $60 billion in new tariffs if the US goes forward with its own threatened tariffs against China. The Chinese tariffs would cut across all sectors and would be a 25 percent duty on meat, coffee, nuts, alcohol, minerals, chemicals, leather and wood, machinery, furniture, and auto parts. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, where you can find more ridiculous headlines from the week, and his Twitter account @leftiblog, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, a constitutional rights lawyer and the executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, and Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemecist.net.
The Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday heard testimony from social media and technology experts, who said companies like Facebook, Google, and Twitter must do more to prevent the spread of misinformation and propaganda. But where does one draw the line between that and freedom of speech? Are Americans in danger of losing their civil liberties?
Thursday’s “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), joins the show.
The Intercept reported today that former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was fired thanks to pressure from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Tillerson had intervened to mediate those countries’ dispute with neighboring Qatar. Saudi Arabia had intended to invade and conquer Qatar with UAE help. Brian and John speak with Ali al-Ahmed, the director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs.
The Trump Administration this morning announced that it was freezing fuel efficiency requirements for all cars and trucks through 2026 as part of a dramatic rollback of Obama-era environmental regulations. The announcement comes on the heels of a weakening of air and water quality regulations. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism,” joins the show.
Israel has blocked the delivery of fuel and gasoline to the besieged Gaza Strip, saying that it was in retaliation for Palestinians setting fire to Israeli land with flaming kites. Only cooking gas, wheat, and flour will be allowed into Gaza until further notice. Dan Cohen, a journalist and filmmaker whose work is at KillingGaza.com, joins Brian and John.
Pope Francis announced this morning that the death penalty is inadmissible under any circumstances and that the church will work toward its abolition around the world. The announcement marks an evolution of the Catholic Church’s official view of the death penalty that began under Pope John Paul II in 1978. Gregory Joseph, communications director at the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, joins the show.
The Trump Administration has imposed sanctions on the Justice and Interior Ministers of Turkey in retaliation for the continued incarceration of American pastor Andrew Brunson. Brunson was arrested two years ago and charged with espionage for preaching. He has yet to go on trial. Turkish President Erdogan said the move will jeopardize longstanding US-Turkish relations and that Ankara will consider retaliatory sanctions. Brian and John speak with Max Zirngast, an independent writer studying philosophy and political science in Vienna and Ankara.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a journalist and bestselling author whose latest book is “The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza,” who is also the senior editor of Grayzone Project and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”
Facebook said it shut down 32 fake pages and accounts yesterday that were part of a “coordinated inauthentic campaign” to spread politically divisive material ahead of US midterm elections in November. The pages had more than 290,000 followers. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company had not yet identified who was behind the operation.
Beyond Nuclear with Kevin Kamps is Loud & Clear’s regular Wednesday segment, which looks at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today, Kevin walks the hosts through a the process of shutting down a reactor, and despite how much money is given to companies for the shutdown process, how they still put our health at risk. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Yesterday was Day 1 in the trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who has been charged with 18 felonies related to financial crimes. The Washington Post said that the Justice Department prosecutor was using a “scorched earth” policy, making bold, unproven assertions and telling jurors about Manafort’s profligate spending. The prosecutor was twice admonished by Judge T. S. Ellis III to stick to the facts. Meanwhile, Special Counsel Mueller has sent 3 cases to the federal prosecutors, including democrats Tony Podesta and Gregory Craig, who served as counsel to President Obama. Daniel Lazare, he is a journalist and author of three books: ”The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Activists around the world are deeply concerned that Julian Assange could be evicted from the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Recent comments from Ecuador’s new president Lenin Moreno suggest that a deal with British authorities is in the works. Brian and John speak with activist and journalist Diani Baretto and Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice.
The Trump administration moved today to promote short-term “junk” insurance plans, further undermining the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, the debate over single payer healthcare has heated up after a controversial new study was released by the libertarian Mercatus Center. Dr. Carol Paris, President of Physicians for a National Health Plan, joins the show.
The Trump Administration is considering a second sharp reduction in the number of refugees who can be resettled in the United States, further scaling back a program that is meant to protect the world’s most vulnerable people. And this time there isn’t any notable opposition inside the White House. David Bennion, an immigration lawyer and Executive Director of the Free Migration Project, joins Brian and John.
A far-right Brazilian presidential candidate, Jair Bolsonaro, said yesterday that his country should not feel guilty about its past as the world’s most prolific slave importer, adding that Brazil “owes no debt” to its black citizens. The 63-year-old congressman added that, if elected, he would repeal laws implemented during the presidency of Dilma Rousseff that are aimed at reducing inequality in Brazil. Brian and John speak with Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “The Deepest South: The United States, Brazil, and the African Slave Trade.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Attack Iran.”
The trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort begins today in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. Manafort is charged with 18 counts of felony bank fraud and tax evasion. The trial is expected to take three weeks and then he will face additional felony charges in a federal court in Washington, DC.
President Trump said yesterday that he would meet Iranian leaders without preconditions “whenever they want.” The comments marked an abrupt about-face in Trump’s Iran policy and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo walked the comment back. The Iranian government rejected the notion of a meeting. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
Tuesday’s weekly series, False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey, covers a proposed tax cut for the wealthy today. Brian and John speak with Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst.
In a classified leak to the Washington Post, US intelligence officials say that North Korea is constructing new missiles at a factory that produced the country’s first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States. Is North Korea rearming or is the intelligence community trying to kill the warming of relations between the two countries? Author and professor Tim Beal, whose most recent book is “Crisis in Korea,” joins the show.
British journalist Robert Fisk recently concluded an investigative report on weapons deliveries to belligerents in Syria, including ISIS and al-Qaeda. He found that many of the weapons, including missiles and rockets, were made by US defense contractors and sold to NATO and friendly countries in the region. They were then sent to Syria in violation of end user agreements. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria, joins Brian and John.
Puerto Rico’s government last night reached a deal with a bondholder group to restructure more than a third of the $9 billion debt owed by the island’s electrical utility, Prepa, as it moves toward privatization. Economists say the deal, while helping Puerto Rico in the short term, will likely lead to an overall increase in the rates of interest poor cities, states, and territories must pay on bonds. Dr. Adriana Garriga-López, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Kalamazoo College, joins the show.
President Trump yesterday lashed out at the billionaire Koch brothers, two of the Republican Party’s most prolific fundraisers, calling them “a total joke” and saying that he never sought their support because he didn’t need their money or their bad ideas. MSNBC host Joe Scarborough said the outburst points to Trump’s destruction of the Republican Party. Is the president really provoking a fight within his own base or is it a tactic? Brian and John speak with Eugene Puryear, the host of Sputnik Radio’s By Any Means Necessary, which you can hear Monday through Friday from 2:00-4:00 pm.
The US military’s Africa Command, or AFRICOM, which is based in Germany, announced yesterday that it had begun deploying armed drones to Niger earlier this year. Niger agreed to the request as part of its joint counterterrorism work with the US. But why did it take so long to release the information? And why is AFRICOM nowhere near Africa? Vijay Prashad, the Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, and the author of “The Death of the Nation and the Future of the Arab Revolution” and “Red Star Over the Third World,” joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, and Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink.
The Gaza Flotilla ship al-Awda, carrying 13,000 euros worth of medical supplies to the people of Gaza, and 22 activists from 12 countries, was intercepted by the Israeli navy yesterday and forced to go to the port of Ashdod, where the activists are being detained and questioned. They will likely be expelled from Israel soon. Meanwhile, Ahed Tamimi has been released from prison after being there for 8 months after slapping an IDF soldier.
It’s Monday so it’s Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa—a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Today Chris and the hosts discuss the fallout of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube’s manipulation of what we can and do see on social media, and the recent revelations of TSA’s “Quiet Skies” program where air marshals physically monitor specific fliers on commercial planes. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
President Trump said on Sunday that he was willing to push the government into a shutdown in September if Congress does not fund his border wall and change the immigration law. In a tweet, he blamed Democrats for problems in immigration policy and said he wants to end the visa lottery and the “catch and release” police. Brian and John speak with Brent Wilkes, a leading immigrant rights advocate.
In a complete reversal of longstanding policy, US diplomats met with Taliban leaders in Qatar a week ago without any Afghan government officials present. The talks reportedly were led by Alice Wells, the Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia. But neither the State Department nor the Taliban would comment. Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins the show.
Voters in Zimbabwe go to the polls today to elected a president. This is the first time since the founding of the country in 1980 that Robert Mugabe will not be on the ballot. He was ousted in November by the current president and ZANU-PF party leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa. He and MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa are locked in a close race. Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “From the Barrel of a Gun: The United States and the War against Zimbabwe,” joins Brian and John.
After locking up his chief rival, Cambodian strongman Hun Sen claimed a landslide victory in Cambodian elections over the weekend. The United States, Australia, and other countries condemned the election as a farce. David Hutt, a southeast Asia columnist for The Diplomat based in Phnom Penh and a regular contributor to international publications, joins the show.
Loud & Clear’s regular Monday segment “Education for Liberation” is about the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today they focus on the school-to-prison pipeline. Brian and John speak with Dr. Crystal Laura, an assistant professor of education at Chicago State University and the author of the book “Being Bad: My Baby Brother and the School-to-Prison Pipeline.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis.”
The so-called BRICS countries—that is, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—are completing their 10th summit today in Johannesburg. All of the countries are represented by their heads of state and they met to discuss international peace and security, global governance, and trade.
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, the hosts talk about Ocasio-Cortez, DeLeon over Feinstein, and the House Democrats’ ridiculous new slogan. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and the co-host of the Facebook livestream “Coffee, Current Events & Politics” Thursdays at 9 p.m., joins the show.
Today marks the 65th anniversary of the armistice agreement in the Korean War, but the peninsula technically remains in a state of war to this day. To mark the occasion and push forward towards a permanent peace treaty, North Korea today repatriated the remains of 55 US servicemen killed during the Korean war, the result of a promise North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made to President Trump when they met in Singapore last month. More than 7,000 Americans are still listed as missing in action in North Korea. Brian and John speak with Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network.
President Trump called today’s news that Gross Domestic Product had grown at a very robust 4.1 percent for the second quarter of 2018 “amazing.” He didn’t comment, however, on the fact that much of the growth was due to consumers making major purchases before the effect of tariffs begins. He also promised that GDP “would go a lot higher than this.” Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and founder of This Can’t Be Happening!, as well as a columnist for CounterPunch, joins the show.
National Public Radio, a government funded operation, cited the online news site The Daily Beast which reported unequivocally today that “the Russian intelligence agency behind the 2016 election cyber attacks targeted Senator Claire McCaskill as she began her 2018 reelection campaign.” The Daily Beast cites as proof its own “forensic analysis” and specifically blames the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service. Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, join Brian and John.
Donald Trump thought he had a deal with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan to release a US pastor being held in Turkey on trumped up espionage charges in exchange for Israel releasing a Turkish woman being held on espionage charges there. But that deal fell apart, leading to angry and threatening tweets between the two leaders. The result has been a quick and significant downturn in US/Turkish relations. Gönül Tol, the founding director of The Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies, joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, where you can find more ridiculous headlines from the week, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—”The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” and John Wight, the host of the weekly Sputnik Radio show Hard Facts.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday strongly defended the Trump Administration’s policy on Russia and North Korea in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In response to tough questioning from both Democrats and Republicans, Pompeo said that the US “does not and never will recognize the Russian annexation of Crimea.” Pompeo also said that North Korea would begin repatriating the remains of US soldiers tomorrow. Meanwhile, House Republicans are beginning the process of impeaching Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Today they talk about the illnesses that prisoners get from poor environmental conditions in and around jails and prisons, similarly to other marginalized communities, and they address a fight club in a Colorado facility where guards get points and the winner gets a party for the most frequent violence toward prisoners. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, Alex Friedmann, the Associate Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and managing editor of Prison Legal News, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
The European Union and United States have pulled back from the brink of an intensified trade war, with President Trump and EU Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker coming to an accord yesterday. Brian and John speak with Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work. Prof. Wolff’s latest book is “Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown.”
It appears unlikely that the federal government will meet its court mandated order to reunite migrant families who were separated at the border under the Trump Administration’s Zero Tolerance policy. Of the 2,551 children separated from their parents, only 1,187 have been returned to their families. Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos, joins the show.
Imran Kahn and his PTI party appear to have won the Pakistani election, promising an end to corruption, foreign dependency, and joblessness. What does his election mean for the country and the region? Taimur Rahman, general secretary of the Pakistan Mazdoor Kisan Party or the Workers Farmers Party, and Medea Benjamin, an anti-war and anti-torture activist who is the co-founder of Code Pink, join Brian and John.
A flotilla of boats carrying peace activists protesting Israel’s occupation and bombing of Gaza has left Palermo, it’s final stop in Europe, to begin the voyage to Gaza. Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, and also is one of the participants of the flotilla, joins the show.
Mainstream capitalist economic theory has increasingly been called into question since the global economic crisis of 2008 exposed the gaping holes in neoliberal orthodoxy. One new school of thought that’s emerged in recent years is modern monetary theory. The hosts talk with experts on the theory. This is part two of two interviews. Brian and John speak with Stephanie Kelton, a prominent economist who advised Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign, professor of public policy and economics at Stony Brook University, and former chief economist on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, and Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Stephanie Kelton, a prominent economist who advised Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign, professor of public policy and economics at Stony Brook University, and former chief economist on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, and Jim Kavanagh, editor of thepolemicist.net.
Mainstream capitalist economic theory has increasingly been called into question since the global economic crisis of 2008 exposed the gaping holes in neoliberal orthodoxy. One new school of thought that’s emerged in recent years is modern monetary theory. The hosts talk with experts on the theory. This is part one of two interviews.
Millions of Pakistanis went to the polls today to elect a new government. And as usually happens there during elections, dozens of people were killed in related violence, including three in a bombing attack on a polling station in Quetta. Opinion polls show that the two frontrunners are former international cricket star Imran Khan and disgraced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. And international observers say they are seeing blatant attempts to manipulate the polls. Marvin Weinbaum, the Scholar-in-Residence and director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies, joins the show.
Beyond Nuclear with Kevin Kamps is Loud & Clear’s regular Wednesday segment, which looks at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today the hosts go back to basics on nuclear weapons. Brian and John speak with Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell.
Markies McGlockton, a father of three, was shot and killed by Michael Drejka in front of a convenience store in Clearwater, Florida last week. Drejka was causing a disturbance—something he has been fined for in the past—and McGlockton had gotten out of his car to confront him when Drejka pulled a gun and began firing. Now the Sheriff of Pinellas County has said his hands are tied because of the state’s stand your ground law, and that he won’t make an arrest. This is part one of this story. , joins the show.
Part two finishes the story about Markies McGlockton’s murder and the stand your ground defense in Florida. Markies McGlockton, a father of three, was shot and killed by Michael Drejka in front of a convenience store in Clearwater, Florida last week. Drejka was causing a disturbance—something he has been fined for in the past—and McGlockton had gotten out of his car to confront him when Drejka pulled a gun and began firing. Now the Sheriff of Pinellas County has said his hands are tied because of the state’s stand your ground law, and that he won’t make an arrest. Brad Schlesinger, an appellate attorney licensed to practice in the Supreme Court, and Michele Rayner, the attorney who is representing the family of Markies McGlockton, join Brian and John.
ISIS fighters carried out a major suicide bombing and initiated subsequent fighting in the southern Syrian town of Sweida this morning, killed at least 150 people. Sweida is controlled by the Assad government, which only recently dislodged ISIS fighters from it. Meanwhile, Israeli forces went on alert today—and air raid sirens sounded—for fear that the fighting could approach the Golan Heights, Syrian territory occupied by Israel since 1967. Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Maria Butina, the Russian graduate student being accused of failing to register as an agent of a foreign government appeared in court in Washington today to schedule a trial date and associated hearings. Brian and John speak with Alex Rubinstein, a Sputnik news analyst and journalist who is on twitter at @RealAlexRubi and attended today’s hearing.
The European Union is preparing to impose $20 billion in new tariffs on American cars in response to President Trump’s tariffs on European goods two weeks ago. The EU’s trade chief said in advance of a meeting with Trump that the EU does not want a trade war, but would match US tariffs dollar for dollar. Meanwhile, Trump said the he was willing to provide midwestern farmers hit by the EU tariffs with $12 billion in cash assistance. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of a recent article in the World Review of Political Economy titled “Trump’s Déjà vu China Trade War,” joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Bruce Fein, a constitutional law scholar and a former assistant deputy Attorney General of the United States, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.
Two longtime war critics in the House of Representatives sponsored a bill last week that says any president should face impeachment for waging war without a formal declaration from Congress. Tulsi Gabbard, a Hawaii Democrat, and Walter Jones, a North Carolina Republican, say that unauthorized military action should be considered a “high crime and misdemeanor.”
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Today they discuss elder care, the 2.5 billion pounds of meat that are now sitting in a warehouse instead of being eaten because it’s more profitable, and how Portugal’s non-austerity approach has led to a healthy economy compared to the austerity in the rest of Europe. Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, joins the show.
Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, yesterday asked President Trump to revoke the security clearances of six former Obama Administration intelligence officials who have been harshly critical of the president. Trump is considering the request. But why do former officials with no governmental responsibility, who are now employed by media outlets, have security clearances in the first place? In the first half of this interview, Brian and John speak with Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and Ray McGovern, a former CIA analyst turned political activist and journalist.
Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, yesterday asked President Trump to revoke the security clearances of six former Obama Administration intelligence officials who have been harshly critical of the president. Trump is considering the request. But why do former officials with no governmental responsibility, who are now employed by media outlets, have security clearances in the first place? In the second half of this interview, Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and Ray McGovern, a former CIA analyst turned political activist and journalist, join the show.
As the Senate continues its deliberation on passing the enormous $717 billion defense spending bill for 2019, new details continue to emerge. The bill is likely to include a number of provocative policies aimed at turning up pressure on Russia, including allocating $250 million for lethal military aid to Ukraine. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
The Israeli military said today that it had shot down a Syrian fighter jet after it entered Israeli airspace—an allegation the Syrian government denies. The announcement sparked fears of a widening conflict. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
The Trump Administration said today that 463 immigrant parents may already have been deported without their children, adding yet another stumbling block to the reunification of families in advance of a court-ordered deadline to do so on Thursday. Brian and John speak with Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, Lucy Komisar, a long-time author, editor, and investigative journalist, and our co-host Brian Becker.
The secret court application for Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page was released this weekend. These FISA court applications are usually not public and are well known to be rubber stamped. The hosts discuss this, the possible questioning of Bill Browder, and more.
It’s Monday so it’s Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa—a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Today Chris and the hosts discuss facial recognition software being designed for NYC bridges and tunnels, Walmart’s patent filing for audio surveillance technology in monitoring employees, and today’s tech tip today is about what safe browsing mode actually covers. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
The Intercept reported over the weekend that the Ecuadorian government will imminently withdraw asylum for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Journalist Glenn Greenwald cites the presence in London of Ecuador’s President Lenin Moreno, ostensibly to speak at a conference on disabilities, saying the actual purpose of the trip is to finalize an agreement with the British government to expel Assange. While the government asserts that they won’t remove Assange during Moreno’s international trip, activists are in an intense state of mobilization. Walter and John speak with activist and journalist Diani Baretto.
President Trump last night issued a furious, all capital letters tweet aimed at the Iranian government, warning that any threats against the United States would be met with dire consequences. The tirade signaled an immediate escalation in tensions between the two countries. Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, joins the show.
A new report on modern slavery around the world has found that the number of slaves in developed countries, including the United States, is much higher than previously thought. In its new report, the Walk Free Foundation says that there are 403,000 slaves in the US. That’s one in every 800 people and seven times higher than previously thought. Leah Obias, with Damayan Migrant Workers Association, a grassroots organization of low-wage Filipino workers, and Edith Mendoza, a survivor of trafficking and modern-day slavery who is an organizer for Damayan, join Walter and John.
Loud & Clear’s regular Monday segment “Education for Liberation” is about the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Dr. Wayne Au, a professor in the School of Educational Studies at the University of Washington Bothell and a longtime author and editor of the social justice teaching magazine “Rethinking Education,” joins the show.
ISIS gunmen today stormed a government building in Irbil, the normally peaceful and heavily Kurdish city in northern Iraq, killing one civilian. Kurdish officials said that at least three gunmen were killed by security forces and that the siege is now over. What does this attack say about the stability of the country? Walter and John speak with Kani Xulam, founder of the American-Kurdish Information Network.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, and Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
Once again, chaos is engulfing Washington over a series of u-turns made by the Trump administration in the wake of the Trump-Putin Helsinki summit. Meanwhile, developments in the Mueller probe are making it clearer than ever that the investigation is deeply connected to the big picture of U.S.-Russia relations.
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, the hosts talk about Ocasio-Cortez, DeLeon over Feinstein, and the House Democrats’ ridiculous new slogan. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and the co-host of the Facebook livestream “Coffee, Current Events & Politics” Thursdays at 9 p.m., joins the show.
Israeli occupation authorities are facing more protests today in Gaza as at least two Palestinians were killed and three were injured in an Israeli air raid and at the Gaza border during protests. Israel has pledged an even tougher response to Palestinian sending flammable kites and balloons carrying firebombs across the border. Richard Becker, an anti-war organizer and author of the book “Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire,” joins the show.
A secret letter was just revealed yesterday from Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to then-CIA Director Gina Haspel, asking for support in a competitive election last May. He painted current Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as a threat to US interests. Najib has since been indicted on several corruption charges, including abuse of power. Brian and John speak with Nile Bowie, a writer and journalist with the Asia Times, covering Singapore and Malaysia.
A South Korean court today sentenced former president Park Geun Hye to an additional eight years in prison for abusing state funds and violating election laws. Park is already serving 24 years in prison for a massive corruption scandal. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins Brian and John.
Kathy Kraninger, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, went in front of the Senate Banking Committee yesterday, where she fully dodged many senators’ questions of her. What we did find out is that she has almost no financial experience, having worked most of her career in the Department of Homeland Security. So why is she the nominee for the CFPB? Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net, whose most recent piece is “Fighting Fake Stories: The New Yorker, Israel and Obama,” joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Walter and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, where you can find more ridiculous headlines from the week, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined from Managua, Nicaragua, by Max Blumenthal, the senior editor of Grayzone Project, bestselling author whose latest book is “The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza,” and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels,” and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to attack Iran.”
Nicaragua is in deep crisis since protests began three months ago as opponents of the government set up barricades and clash with authorities. 280 people have been killed and more than 1,800 injured. The demonstrations began following changes in the country’s social security system and have now become a full-fledged effort to overthrow the Sandinista government.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Today they talk about the high costs of prison phones and the updates from the coalition working to lower them, a Native nation running an ICE detention facility, and a top North Carolina prison officer hiding shanks in his ceiling. Brian and John speak with Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News.
US-Russian relations are on the rocks, not because of President Trump’s foreign policy. It’s because members of both parties on Capitol Hill are demanding that Trump walk back his public statements supporting an easing of tensions with Moscow and say publicly that the Russians interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Brian and John speak with Dr. Jeremy Kuzmarov, an author and historian.
The British Press Association reported today that Metropolitan Police detectives have identified the alleged perpetrators of a poison attack against a Russian defector and his daughter. Media reports say that Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned by “several Russians.” UK Security Minister Ben Wallace called the reports “ill-informed and wild speculation.” Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books, “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” and Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, join the show.
Israel’s parliament yesterday passed a highly controversial law that defines Israel as the national home of the Jewish people, says that only Jews have the right to self-determination, downgrades Arabic from an official language to a “protected” one, and promotes the establishment of new Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. Israel is virtually alone in the world in not guaranteeing equality for all of its citizens. Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine,” joins Brian and John.
A Spanish Supreme Court judge on Thursday dropped an extradition request for six politicians on charges of rebellion for their roles in promoting independence for Catalonia, including former president Carles Puigdemont. The decision was a major setback for Spain’s central government, which has sought to crack down on the region’s secessionist movement. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, joins the show.
Consumers should expect to pay higher prices for imported cars if President Trump’s auto tariffs are enacted. Car sellers say they will pass on all new costs to consumers. The prices of top-selling cars could rise between $1,400 and $7,000. Brian and John speak with Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California whose most recent article in the World Review of Political Economy is titled “Trump’s Déjà vu China Trade War.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare.”
President Trump today continued to defend his meeting in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin after criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Trump also continued to walk back his comments that he believed the Russian position that there was no interference in the 2016 presidential election, saying today that he instead sided with the Intelligence Community’s position that there had indeed been interference.
Beyond Nuclear with Kevin Kamps is Loud & Clear’s regular Wednesday segment. The hosts and Kevin look at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today they focus on the specific oppression of Native nations by the nuclear industry and the Russia-US summit through the nuclear lens. Brian and John speak with Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
The European Commission yesterday hit technology firm Google with a record $5 billion fine, saying the company had used its mobile operating system to illegally cement its dominant position in searches. Google said it would appeal, even though it’s currently sitting on $103 billion in cash. Brian and John speak with Dr. Robert Epstein, the senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology.
Maria Butina, the Russian graduate student who was arrested and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent, was arraigned today in federal court in Washington, where she pleaded not guilty. The US government says that Butina was in touch with Russian intelligence officials, an accusation she has denied through her attorney. Alex Rubenstein, a Sputnik news analyst and journalist who attended today’s arraignment and whose work is on twitter at @RealAlexRubi, joins the show.
The president of the European Investment Bank said today that the organization would put its global operations at risk by investing in Iran, calling into question European efforts to salvage the Iran nuclear deal that Washington has walked away from. Meanwhile, the Iranian government announced that it has built a new factory that can produce as rotors for as many as 60 new centrifuges per day. Shabbir Razvi, an economist and political analyst and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, join Brian and John.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said today that any Brexit plan must be “workable” as she was criticized from both the right and the left for the bitter divisions within her own Conservative Party that seem to be preventing forward movement in leaving the European Union. May is particularly stuck on the issues of trade and open borders. Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show.
Israel appears to be preparing more and more for direct hostilities with Syria, as control of Syrian territory in the country’s southwest, near the Golan Heights and the border with Israel, shifts from rebels to the government. Brian and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News and author of "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," and Peter Kuznik, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University.
President Trump returned from his Helsinki meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last night only to face a firestorm of criticism. Trump said publicly after his meeting with Putin that he did not believe Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, though he has now changed course.
Tuesday’s weekly series is False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, join the show.
House Speaker Paul Ryan late last night quashed a rank-and-file effort to force a vote sponsored by a progressive Democrat that would abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Ryan concluded that, while the bill had no chance of passing, Republicans could be embarrassed if Democrats opposed it in large numbers. The bill was very unpopular with voters. Brian and John speak with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
Maria Butina, a Russian woman who tried to arrange a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin during the 2016 presidential campaign, was arrested by the FBI on Sunday and charged yesterday with three counts of failing to register as an agent of a foreign government. The Justice Department says that Butina is a Russian intelligence officer--or was acting for one—who was tasked with infiltrating important US institutions. She was apparently successful in ingratiating herself with the National Rifle Association. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of three books—“The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Israel further tightened its blockade on Gaza yesterday preventing gas and fuel deliveries through its only commercial crossing. When Israel announced the closing on July 9, it promised to allow food, water, medicine, and fuel. That changed yesterday. Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son—A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink, joins Brian and John.
The Iranian Government said today that it is preparing to increase the level of uranium enrichment if negotiations with Europe on sanctions fall through. Meanwhile, Iran has filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice to “hold the US accountable for its unlawful reimposition of unilateral sanctions,” according to Iran’s Foreign Minister. Francis Boyle, a professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law and author of the book “Destroying World Order: US Imperialism in the Middle East Before and After September 11,” joins the show.
Elon Musk jumped into a scandal of his own making last week when he called a British cave diver who was instrumental in the rescue of a dozen Thai boy scouts from a flooded cave a “pedophile.” When called to task over the comment, he doubled down and repeated it.
Now shares of his company, the automaker Tesla, have fallen 16 percent. And attorneys believe the aggrieved cave diver has a strong defamation case against the billionaire. Brian and John speak with Sam Pizzigati, a veteran journalist and an associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he specializes in economic inequality issues, and is the author of the new book “The Case for a Maximum Wage.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia,” Max Blumenthal, journalist and bestselling author, and Lee Stranahan, who’s on the ground in Helsinki covering the summit for Sputnik.
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met today in Helsinki, Finland. The nearly two-hour meeting reportedly covered Syria, trade and military issues, disarmament, and China. Trump said afterward that he wanted only good relations with Russia and that previous bilateral problems were the result of “Washington’s own foolishness and stupidity.”
On Monday’s regular weekly half-hour segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa—a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights, and civil liberties, they talk about how GPS can track you even if it’s off, Twitter’s metadata haul, and how to secure your devices. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
President Trump wraps up his European trip today, with the last stop in Helsinki. He called the EU a foe, told British Prime Minister May to sue the EU, he said Boris Johnson would make a great prime minister of the UK, and he weighed in on the Nordstream pipeline that will pipe Russian gas to Germany much more cheaply than any US alternative. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net whose most recent piece is “Fighting Fake Stories: The New Yorker Serves Up a Doozie.”
Police in Chicago shot and killed Harith Augustus on Saturday. Protests across the city became heated by Saturday night. And today the police released two bodycam videos of the incident to try to calm the public. Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement, joins the show.
Series “Stories from the National Museum of African American History and Culture” continues, where Dr. Alice Bonner highlights some of the most important episodes in Black history. Dr. Bonner, a volunteer docent at the newly opened National Museum of African American History and Culture, retired professor at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, and a longtime journalist at the Washington Post, joins the show.
The White House yesterday ordered the State Department to seek direct negotiations with the Taliban in the hope of jumpstarting efforts to end the 17-year war there. The Taliban have said that they will only deal with the United States, but President Trump insists that the Afghan government take part. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today they talk about what patriotism means in the US and civic education in schools. Brian and John speak with Joel Westheimer, a professor and University Research Chair in Democracy and Education at the University of Ottawa, whose latest book is “What Kind of Citizen? Educating Our Children for the Common Good.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell (sitting in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of LuqmanNation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook.
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, the hosts talk about election turnout, Joe Crowley remaining on the ballot in New York, and races in Missouri and Texas. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and the co-host of the Facebook livestream “Coffee, Current Events & Politics” Thursdays at 9 p.m., joins the show.
On a new periodic series called Stories from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Dr. Alice Bonner highlights some of the most important episodes in Black history. Today focuses on convict labor, one of the many extensions of slavery. Dr. Bonner, a volunteer docent at the newly opened National Museum of African American History and Culture, retired professor at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, and a longtime journalist at the Washington Post, joins the show.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced 12 new indictments targeting alleged Russian intelligence operatives for interference in the 2016 election. This move comes ahead of the highly anticipated summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. Walter and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net.
President Donald Trump continues his working visit to the UK today as tens of thousands of people protested in front of the US Embassy. This morning he met with British Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss a possible post-Brexit trade deal and proceeded to give an interview denouncing her government’s new economic strategy for exiting the European Union. John Wight, the host of the weekly Sputnik Radio show Hard Facts, joins the show.
A high-level delegation, including the Secretaries of the Treasury, Homeland Security and State along with senior Trump advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner, has arrived in Mexico to meet with incoming President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Elected in a landslide, Obrador has wasted no time in rolling out major policy proposals, including a possible grand bargain with the United States. Dr. John Ackerman, professor of Constitutional Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), researcher at the Legal Research Institute of UNAM, and editorial director of the Mexican Law Review, joins Walter and John.
The Trump Administration was only able to reunite fewer than half of the eligible migrant families in its care by a court-ordered deadline on Tuesday as the fates of thousands more remain in limbo. Last night, lawyers for the administration and immigrant advocates clashed over further measures to ensure the timely reunification of immigrant children with their parents. Immigrant rights activist Angie Kim joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Walter and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, where you can find more ridiculous headlines from the week, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program.
In June, Arkansas became the first state to require that able-bodied Medicare recipients do some combination of work, volunteering, job training, or education to keep their benefits. A nearly identical law in Kentucky, however, was just struck down by a federal judge. Now states are considering simply throwing people off the Medicaid roles and denying them health care.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Brian and John speak with Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure.
President Trump arrived in the UK this morning for trade talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May. He dismissed large-scale protests against his visit and said, “The Brits like me a lot. They agree with me on immigration.” The visit comes two days after Trump said that the UK was “in turmoil.” Brian and John speak with legendary anti-war activist and former British parliamentarian George Galloway.
A defiant Peter Strzok told the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees that continued scrutiny of his anti-Trump text messages amounted to “another victory notch in Vladimir Putin’s belt.” The FBI agent said that during the 2016 campaign he had information that would have derailed Donald Trump’s candidacy, but that he never considered releasing it. Alex Rubenstein, a Sputnik news analyst and journalist, whose work is on Twitter at @RealAlexRubi, joins the show.
The annual summit of NATO heads of state ended yesterday with President Trump saying that member countries had agreed to increase their defense spending, perhaps even doubling it. But French President Emmanuel Macron was quick to say the President’s statement was untrue. Meanwhile, Trump reiterated as he was boarding Air Force One that he is a “very stable genius.” Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins Brian and John.
Israel struck three Syrian government targets overnight after an unarmed Syrian drone strayed over Israeli territory. The Syrian media reported that there was material damage, but no casualties. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Monsanto is in court this week—because a California landscaper has terminal cancer after using Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer for decades. And Monsanto has been accused of covering up evidence that Roundup is carcinogenic. Brian and John speak with Alexis Baden-Mayer, the political director for Organic Consumers Alliance.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
President Trump caused consternation and anger at the NATO summit this morning when he chastised allies for not spending enough on defense, and he opined that Germany was “a captive of Russia” because of a 2015 pipeline deal between those two countries. This kind of contention has never before been seen at a NATO heads of state meeting.
Beyond Nuclear with Kevin Kamps is Loud & Clear’s regular Wednesday segment. The hosts and Kevin look at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today they focus on huge Obama-era regulation changes to allow far more radioactive waste in the atmosphere and on two anniversaries on July 16, the first atomic bomb blast in history (the Trinity blast of 1945), which was a test for Nagasaki, and the 1979 Uranium Tailings Spill, which primarily affected indigenous communities and was not cleaned up by industry nor was industry held accountable. Brian and John speak with Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
Chinese government officials have condemned the Trump administration’s move to prepare a new round of tariffs targeting $200 billion of goods, and vowed to respond with measures of their own. How far is Trump willing to take the trade war? Brian and John speak with Pete Dolack, an activist and writer with Trade Justice New York Metro who focuses on human rights, social justice, and environmental and trade issues, and Jude Woodward, the author of the book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?”
The Trump Administration is cutting most of the funds previously provided to groups that help people get insurance under Obamacare and will push them to promote plans that lack the law’s benefits and protections. Mary Gerisch, an organizer and member chair of the Rights & Democracy health care justice team, joins the show.
Which two companies have more lobbyists than Amazon, Microsoft, and WalMart combined? How about Uber and Lyft. The ride-sharing services have used cold, hard cash and an army of lobbyists to convince 41 state legislatures to pass laws exempting them from regulations that taxi drivers must abide by. Bhairavi Desai, the executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, joins Brian and John.
Thousands of nurses, teachers, and government staff members went on strike in New Zealand yesterday for the first time in a generation. The action was taken because workers have not received a raise in nine years. Mike Treen, the national director of the Unite Union, joins the show.
Rupert Murdoch, CEO of 21st Century Fox with a net worth of $15.9 billion, has upped his bid to buy Sky News. Comcast is also competing to buy Sky. Either way, we’ll see further media consolidation in an industry already owned by billionaires. Who and how many control the media that we consume? Brian and John speak with Tim Karr, the senior director of strategy and communications at Free Press.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Heidi Boghosian, the executive director of the A. J. Muste Memorial Institute and the former Executive Director of the National Lawyers Guild, and Anoa Changa, the director of political advocacy and a managing editor of Progressive Army, and host of the show The Way With Anoa.
President Trump yesterday named federal appeals court judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court seat being vacated by retiring justice Anthony Kennedy. Kavanaugh has solid conservative credentials, and Democrats in the Senate say they will be united in their opposition to his appointment. The keys to his elevation will be Democratic senators running for reelection in states that Trump won and Republican senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. What does this pick mean for those who have used the court as a tool for reform?
False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey is L&C’s regular Tuesday segment. Daniel helps us unpack financial news and explain core economic trends, developments, and institutions in an accessible way for the broad public. Today they examine the primary causes of gross income inequality inside the United States. Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, joins the show.
The Trump Administration announced last night that it would be unable to comply with a court order directing it to reunify all migrant children who were separated from their families at the border. A Justice Department spokesman said the Administration may be able to unify 54 of the 102 children by today. Also, a court ruled against a Trump policy of long-term detention for immigrants. Brian and John speak with David Bennion, he is an immigration lawyer and Executive Director of the Free Migration Project.
President Trump arrives in Brussels today to attend the annual NATO Summit. But instead of unity, European leaders expect Trump to berate them for not spending enough money on defense. And those European allies are afraid that Trump will threaten to withdraw US troops from Europe if they don’t spend more. Dr. Jan Oberg, director of the Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research, joins the show.
US Ambassador to Germany Rick Grenell yesterday urged urged Berlin to block Iran’s request to withdraw $350 million in cash from Germany and send it to Iran before sanctions take effect. Grenell came under fire a month ago after he said that he was seeking to boost anti-establishment parties around Europe. Many German politicians called for him to be expelled from the country. Medea Benjamin, an anti-war and anti-torture activist who is the co-founder of Code Pink, and whose most recent book is “Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” joins Brian and John.
President Trump today pardoned two ranchers from southeastern Oregon who were sentenced to serve prison time on two separate occasions for setting brush fires to clear public lands. The return to prison of father and son Dwight and Steve Hammond sparked the 41-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in early 2016 in which a protestor was killed and an FBI agent was charged with lying about that shooting. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
Mark Zuckerberg is one of the wealthiest people on earth, with a net worth of an estimated $74.2 billion. But he and his company have come under increasing fire for gross violations of user privacy. Should he resign as head of Facebook? Brian and John speak with Dr. Robert Epstein, the Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Alex Gordon, former president of the National Union of Rail, Maritime, & Transport Workers.
There’s been a major shakeup in the UK government. Yesterday, Brexit Secretary David Davis and his deputy resigned because of Conservative Party anger over his policy of negotiating a “soft landing,” where the UK would still maintain close ties to the EU after Brexit. And this morning, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson abruptly resigned because he opposed the policy, which he likened to “polishing a turd.” This is perhaps an attempt by Johnson to position himself to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister. But this morning, British financial markets fell like a rock and Brexit itself is now in disarray.
Mass protests in Haiti erupted and have been ongoing for several days. Protesters rose in the capital of Port au Prince over the government’s attempt to raise fuel prices and impose austerity measures. Tim Schwartz, an anthropologist whose latest book is “The Great Haiti Humanitarian Aid Swindle,” joins the show.
On Monday’s regular weekly half-hour segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa—a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights, and civil liberties, they talk about facial recognition software and the best web browser to use. Brian and John speak with web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa.
An on-call judge in Brazil yesterday ruled that former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva should be released from prison immediately. But the head of the federal court stepped in and overruled that decision, saying that Lula was duly convicted of corruption and must remain incarcerated. Aline Piva, a journalist and a member of Brazilians for Democracy and Social Justice, joins the show.
Charges were dropped on Friday against the last remaining 39 people arrested for participating in the rally against Donald Trump on inauguration day. Most of the 230 people initially arrested were charged with felony rioting. But the government simply could not prove its case. Alex Rubenstein, a Sputnik news analyst and journalist whose work is on Twitter @RealAlexRubi, joins Brian and John.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today they talk about the content and conduct of teaching and learning, that is, not just testing. The hosts speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto” and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Reports are circulating that the Kurdish YPG and the Syrian government are in talks to improve relations and cooperate over the future of the country. Meanwhile, heavy fighting in the southern province of Deraa has subsided as a ceasefire takes effect. Brian and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Dawn Sturgess, who was allegedly poisoned in the UK city of Salisbury, has died. The media and many politicians have jumped on the case to revive the “novichok” anti-Russia narrative had been falling apart after Yulia and Sergei Skripal survived their alleged poisoning earlier this year. Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?” and Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen.
The United States launched what appears to be the largest trade war ever last night when it imposed a 25 percent tariff on $34 billion in Chinese goods. Beijing announced that it will respond in kind. And economists warn that the only outcome is that American consumers will pay more for everything that comes from that country.
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, the hosts talk about races in Chicago, Maryland, and Arizona. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and the co-host of the Facebook livestream “Coffee, Current Events & Politics” Thursdays at 9 p.m., join the show.
The remaining signatories to the Iran Nuclear Deal, or JCPOA, have agreed to stay in it with Iran, and will resist the US calls to sanction Iranian oil sales. However, Iran warned its fellow signatories that they would need to work on concrete solutions rather than “lofty and obscure promises.” Brian and John speak with Massoud Shadjareh. He is the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
In the face of international condemnation and on-the-ground resistance, an Israeli high court froze the planned demolition of the West Bank Palestinian village of Khan al-Ahmar late last night. The hosts take a look at this struggle and the reality of life under the occupation. Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine,” joins the show.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Pyongyang this morning for talks with North Korean officials, his third trip in three months. Pompeo was greeted by top-ranking DPRK officials, and is expected to push denuclearization talks forward, and the White House has laid out three scenarios for success, one in six months, one in a year, and one by the end of President Trump’s term. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins Brian and John.
Do kids have the right to a decent education? A US district judge in Michigan ruled that they do not, in response to a class action lawsuit alleging that underfunding and racism in Detroit schools have done tremendous harm to the city’s children. Nina Chacker, an activist and a Detroit Public School teacher, joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, where you can find more ridiculous headlines from the week, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, senior editor of the Grayzone Project, bestselling author whose latest book is “The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza,” and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”
Andriy Parubiy is Ukraine’s Speaker of the Parliament. He’s also arguably the country’s leading neo-Nazi figure. Parubiy wears his fascism on his sleeve, but there hasn’t been a word of complaint from western governments. Now Parubiy is visiting Washington and meeting with members of Congress.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Brian and John speak with Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure.
A British couple in the town of Amesbury was found unconscious and in critical condition yesterday after apparently being exposed to the nerve agent Novichok. Police said there was no evidence that the couple was targeted, but that didn’t stop British politicians from calling the town “a dumping ground for Russian poisons.” Brian and John speak with Alexander Mercouris, the editor in chief of The Duran.
The Senate Intelligence Committee released a report late Tuesday afternoon saying that it had determined that Russia had interfered—or had attempted to interfere—in the 2016 presidential election. The finding was consistent with statements made by the FBI, CIA, and NSA, but was exactly the opposite of the findings of the House Intelligence Committee, which found no evidence of interference. Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," joins the show.
An unnamed senior White House official told CNN yesterday that President Trump last year asked several top foreign policy advisors about the possibility of invading Venezuela. Those advisors were reportedly vigorous in their opposition to such an invasion. Paul Dobson, a writer for Venezuelanalysis.com, joins Brian and John.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on his way to Pyongyang for talks with North Korean officials, his third trip in as many months. Pompeo is under the gun to produce tangible evidence of forward progress in denuclearization talks in the shadow of reports from anonymous US intelligence sources that Pyongyang is not serious. Author and professor Tim Beal, whose most recent book is “Crisis in Korea,” joins the show.
A court in Ecuador has ordered the arrest of former President Rafael Correa on charges that he was involved in the 2012 kidnapping of a political opponent. Correa dismissed the arrest warrant as “a government plot.” Correa is currently in self-imposed exile in Brussels. Brian and John speak with Dr. Francisco Dominguez, a senior lecturer at Middlesex University and the head of the Centre for Brazilian and Latin American Studies.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America.”
A few years ago, Dr. Gerald Horne wrote a book called “The Counterrevolution of 1776” in which he argues that the American Revolution was a conservative reaction to changes in the British views toward slavery. Abolitionist sentiment was running high in London, and the only way to keep Africans enslaved in the colonies was to revolt.
False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey, L&C’s regular Tuesday economic segment, focuses on big banks getting big breaks and what society could do with extra wealth from automation, versus what companies will do with it—namely, lay off workers. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
A new study shows that Uber and Lyft drivers are being pushed into poverty by the companies that force them to work long hours with no breaks and no benefits, oftentimes for less than the minimum wage. The National Employment Law Project and the Partnership for Working Families found that Uber and Lyft bullied legislators in the vast majority of states to overrule regulations and strip drivers of their rights. Brian and John speak with Bhairavi Desai, executive director of New York Taxi Workers Alliance.
A year ago, big tech company Google said it would stop letting outside parties scan gmail inboxes for data to use for advertising. But according to a Wall Street Journal investigation, it hasn’t. Dr. Robert Epstein, the Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, joins the show.
US hospitals have experienced a medicine crisis over the past few years. One of the primary drug manufacturers, Pfizer, has not been producing cheap older drugs like morphine with the regularity that hospitalized people need—but they have been raising their prices on big money-makers like Viagra and blood pressure medication. So why can’t hospitals get what they need? Dr. Margaret Flowers, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance at PopularResistance.org, joins Brian and John.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has completely reversed course to save her coalition. She’s fully capitulated to Interior Minister Horst Seehofer’s demands to hold in custody migrants who have applied elsewhere for asylum. What does this mean for European migration and for her hobbled government? Berlin activist and journalist Diani Baretto joins the show.
As you’ve heard on this show and elsewhere for several days, leftist candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador won the Mexican presidential election this past Sunday. Polls showed that he was in the lead by 20 and 30 points, and he has been popular in the country for decades. But some media and political analysts are delivering credit for his win to none other than...Russia. How DID Andres Manuelovich get elected? Brian and John speak with Alex Rubinstein, Sputnik news analyst and journalist whose work is on Twitter at @RealAlexRubi.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Eugene Puryear, host of Sputnik News radio show By Any Means Necessary, who is in Mexico City to cover the presidential election, and Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
Andrés Manuel López Obrador won a resounding 53% of the vote in yesterday’s presidential election, which was between four people. The second highest vote-getter, Ricardo Anaya, received 22.1%. López Obrador, or AMLO as he is popularly known, is a left candidate who
has run twice before for the presidency amidst widespread voter fraud. What does his election mean for Mexico, the Americas, and the world?
Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is Loud & Clear’s weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights, and civil liberties. Today, Chris walks Brian and John through the recent revelations
that Facebook gave special access to user data to certain companies, what search engines to use, and his technology tip is about keeping your phone secure.
Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
All of a sudden, Michael Cohen is speaking to the media, saying “I am not a villain of this story, and I will not allow others to try to depict me that way.” Will he start to talk about his fix-it role and will he turn on Trump? Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net.
The EU’s suggested solution to migration last week was not accepted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition partner, and he has offered to resign as both the interior minister and head of his party, the Christian Social Union, a longtime partner of Merkel’s party, the Christian Democrats. Is this the end of Merkel’s coalition, or even a signal of the falling of the EU. Reiner Braun, co-president of the International Peace Bureau, joins the show.
Last night at midnight was the initial deadline for FEMA to kick out Puerto Rican hurricane evacuees from their emergency housing, though a federal judge has now extended the timeline to midnight Tuesday—48 hours longer. While this is an important win, it is not at all sufficient for the needs of the evacuees—and it highlights FEMA's lack of planning for long term. Dr. Adriana Garriga-López, associate professor and chair of the anthropology and sociology department at Kalamazoo College, joins Brian and John.
In the weeks after the Singapore summit between the US and North Korea, the media has been sabotaging the positive and peaceful results. Most recently, several outlets have been quoting unnamed intelligence sources about continuing nuclear program advancement.
Medea Benjamin, an anti-war and anti-torture activist who is the co-founder of Code Pink, joins the show.
Today we continue our segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers,” where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator, and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” whose work is at www.BillAyers.org.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Eugene Puryear, the cohost of the Sputnik News program By Any Means Necessary, and Dr. John Ackerman, professor of Constitutional Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), researcher at the Legal Research Institute of UNAM, and editorial director of the Mexican Law Review.
Mexicans will go to the polls on Sunday to choose their next president and Congress at a time of widespread disillusionment at unchecked corruption, poverty, and violence that has claimed more than 200,000 lives since 2007. Left-wing candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is expected to win a landslide victory, but the political right and billionaire businessmen—including Americans—are doing everything they can to stop him.
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, the hosts talk about the huge upsets that happened in this week’s primaries. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and the co-host of the Facebook livestream “Coffee, Current Events & Politics” Thursdays at 9 p.m., join the show.
Yesterday, Jarrod Ramos allegedly shot and killed 5 people and injured several more in a newsroom in Annapolis, MD. Commentators jumped on the issue for political gain, with some blaming Trump’s rhetoric about fake news, while others tried to link the shooting to Rep. Maxine Waters’s recent comments about confronting officials over immigrant rights. How is news of mass shootings being manipulated for narrow political purposes, leading the country to hysterical conclusions? Brian and John speak with Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, at popularresistance.org.
Hundreds of thousands of people across the country are expected to rally on Saturday to protest the Trump Administration’s zero-tolerance policy on immigration. While the main rally will be here in Washington, at 11 a.m. at Lafayette Square, there will be another 628 demonstrations in all 50 states. Karla Reyes, an immigration activist and teacher in the NYC public school system, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
Italy’s new populist government forced a standoff at an already tense European Union summit yesterday, stalling the release of a list of diplomatic conclusions amid concerns that the bloc is doing too little to help Italy relieve its migration burden. The move prompted EU leaders to cancel an evening news conference and head toward the final day of the summit with growing doubts about Europe’s ability to commit to a unified response on the refugee crisis. John Wight, host of the weekly Sputnik Radio show Hard Facts, joins Brian and John.
Turkey’s Economy Minister said yesterday that the country will ignore sanctions on Iran and will continue to buy Iranian oil. Meanwhile, a Senate amendment to the defense budget yesterday froze the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey if Ankara continues with its purchase of a Russian S-400 missile defense system. And Trump confidants Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich will tomorrow address a conference organized by the MEK, which many consider to be a terrorist organization. Mazda Majidi, an author, journalist, and educator, joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, where you can find more ridiculous headlines from the week, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Zachary Wolfe, a lawyer and activist who teaches at George Washington University, Chip Gibbons, policy and legislative counsel for Defending Rights & Dissent as well as a journalist, and Julie Hurwitz, a civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman & Hurwitz, P.C.
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced yesterday that he would retire effective immediately. Washington immediately lurched into its next crisis, with Republicans and the right wing gloating about controlling the Supreme Court.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, the hosts discuss a new bipartisan bill in Congress that would expand the president’s ability to detain American citizens without a trial, and why “police union” is a misnomer. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, Alex Friedmann, the Associate Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and managing editor of Prison Legal News, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Helsinki, Finland on July 16. This will be the first meeting between the two leaders. Trump said that Syria, Ukraine, and “many other subjects” would be on the agenda, and he added that “getting along with Russia, China, and everybody else is a good thing.” Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net whose most recent piece is “Sacrificing Gaza: The Great March of Zionist Hypocrisy.”
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee this morning about the DOJ Inspector General’s report of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server. Republicans demanded access to sensitive documents used in the investigation and Democrats demanded that the Republicans be denied. In the middle of the testimony, they broke to vote on a House Resolution demanding the documents. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Two new reports by the UK’s parliamentary intelligence and security committees reveal that Britain’s MI-6 foreign intelligence service and MI-5 domestic intelligence service were linked to hundreds of cases of rendition and torture along with the United States in the years following the September 11 attacks. Former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will likely face tough questions about what he knew and when he knew it. Francis Boyle, a professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law and author of the book “Destroying World Order: US Imperialism in the Middle East Before and After September 11,” joins Brian and John.
Angela Merkel is in trouble. The German Chancellor’s coalition partner has threatened to withdraw from the government if she doesn’t solve Germany’s immigration crisis by this weekend, while Italy’s new populist government said it would not accept any refugees back from Germany. Merkel said today that if an immigration agreement isn’t hammered out this weekend, the very future of the European Union is in doubt. Berlin activist and journalist Diani Baretto joins the show.
Chinese President Xi Jinping told visiting US Defense Secretary James Mattis that China will “not give even one inch of territory” in the Pacific Ocean. Mattis’s meeting with Xi comes as relations between the two countries have been marred by a trade war and by both militaries viewing each other with suspicion. Brian and John speak with Alfred McCoy, the Harrington Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of the book “In the Shadows of the American Century—The Rise and Decline of US Global Power.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Peter Knowlton, the president of the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America, and Jeff Bigelow, an official with AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.
The Supreme Court this morning issued a landmark decision in the case of Janus versus AFSCME, ruling 5-4 that labor unions may not collect “agency” or “fair share” fees from workers who do not want to join the union in a union shop. The Court had ruled 41 years ago that unions could charge only for services that non-union members benefited from, such as negotiating, collective bargaining, and grievance procedures. The ruling is a major blow to organized labor. Later this afternoon, Justice Kennedy retired, opening up a supreme court seat for Trump to make a nomination.
Beyond Nuclear with Kevin Kamps is Loud & Clear’s regular Wednesday segment. The hosts and Kevin look at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today they focus on the safest way to hold nuclear waste, as opposed to the corporate-led schemes currently in place that place nearby residents and residents all along the nuclear waste transport lines under great risk. Brian and John speak with Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
A 28-year-old political newcomer, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated 10-term Congressman Joe Crowley in a Democratic primary in New York yesterday. Crowley is the fourth-ranking member of the House Democratic leadership and was expected to someday become Speaker. He had run unopposed in his last seven races. And despite spending more than $1.2 million to Ocasio-Cortez’s $128,000, he could garner only 42 percent. Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com.
The Trump Administration has reversed its policy on family separations at the border for any family that is willing to be deported immediately. This was after a federal judge in California ruled that the policy was illegal and that the Department of Homeland Security had 30 days to return all separated children to their parents. Matt Adams, the legal director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, joins the show.
FBI agent Peter Strzok will testify behind closed doors today before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees. Strzok is expected to hear some very pointed questions 375 text messages that he exchanged with Justice Department lawyer Lisa Paige during the 2016 presidential campaign while he was investigating Hillary Clinton’s email server. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of The Frozen Republic, The Velvet Coup, and America's Undeclared War, joins Brian and John.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt is trying to limit one of his agency’s most powerful tools to manage or block miners and developers by removing the effective veto power the EPA has over permits to dump waste into waterways. Scott Edwards, co-director of the Food & Water Justice project at Food & Water Watch and an attorney who has prosecuted U.S. energy companies in Canadian courts for contamination of waterways, joins the show.
The Trump Administration appears to be making increasingly common use of sanctions or the threat of sanctions in its foreign and trade policy. The US will place sanctions on Turkey, a NATO ally, when it takes delivery of a Russian missile defense system. Washington is asking allies to phase out the purchases of all Iranian oil by November. And trade sanctions on China are ratcheting up. Brian and John speak with international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sundrop Carter, executive director of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition.
The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 today to let stand President Trump’s travel ban on predominantly Muslim countries. The majority said that the ban fell within the scope of presidential authority. Meanwhile, the head of Customs and Border Protection said yesterday that the bureau has temporarily stopped referring for criminal prosecution adults who cross the border with children.
The Syrian government said today that Israel fired two missiles that struck targets near Damascus Airport this morning. Meanwhile, fighting in the south intensifies as the battle for control of one of the armed opposition’s last strongholds gets underway. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
We continue our weekly series False Profits -- A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Whistleblower Reality Winner agreed to a sentence today of 63 months in federal prison, on one felony count of espionage. In contrast, Jeffrey Sterling had 7 counts of espionage and received 42 months. Winner’s sentence is especially harsh, but is a harbinger of things to come from the Trump Administration. Brian and John speak with Kevin Gosztola, the managing editor for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure.
The European Union Withdrawal Bill has formally become law in the UK, following a delicate compromise between the government of Theresa May and both houses of the British parliament. The legislation enables EU law to be transferred into UK law and it repeals all previous laws that allowed the UK to join the EU. It is one of the final pieces of legislation necessary to implement Brexit. Legendary anti-war activist and former British parliamentarian George Galloway joins the show.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani promised that the government would be able to handle the economic pressure of new US sanctions, a day after traders demonstrated outside parliament to protest a sharp fall in the value of the national currency. Those sanctions are due to take effect soon. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show.
Have you ever been to Brooklyn Heights in Brooklyn, NY? It has a fantastic view of lower Manhattan. One of the most imposing buildings you see is the AT&T Building. It’s a skyscraper, but it has no windows. Why? According to The Intercept, it doubles as a secret facility for NSA. And apparently there are other such AT&T buildings in most major American cities, including Washington.
The Supreme Court yesterday ruled on two highly-anticipated gerrymandering cases in North Carolina and Texas, saying that most of the controversial maps in both states will be used in the upcoming election. The ruling allows three of the four Texas districts to stand, and all of the North Carolina districts. Brian and John speak with Chris Hughes, a staff attorney at FairVote who focuses on ranked choice voting, voting rights, and electoral reform.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Nevzat Evrim Önal, a journalist with the Turkish newspaper SoL, and Max Zirngast, an independent writer in Istanbul.
In a victory address, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to fight terrorist groups and to enhance the country’s international stature. Erdogan won reelection on Sunday with 52.5 percent of the vote. More importantly, though, the country has moved from a parliamentary democracy to one with an executive presidency. And the position of Prime Minister has been abolished. Many international observers are concerned that there is now too much power in the hands of one man in Turkey.
Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa, our new full half-hour technology and privacy segment, is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the National Surveillance State are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights, and civil liberties. Today they focus on companies working with ICE, Google products secretly recording conversations, and how to choose a strong password. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Defense Secretary James Mattis said on Sunday that the military will build two temporary camps at unused military bases to house as many as 20,000 children in the deportation process, a sign of increasing military support for the Trump Administration’s hardline immigration policy. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security apparently has no idea how to reunite the children, who were forcibly separated from their parents. Brian and John speak with Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos.
The new Italian government torpedoed an EU summit on migration over the weekend, saying that refugees and migrants are a threat to Europe’s borders and to free movement in the EU. Several countries boycotted the meeting, which was meant to shore up the position of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and, in the end, no policy decisions were made. Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today continues a conversation on racism in admissions to private and charter schools. The hosts speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
Defense Secretary James Mattis is making his first official visit to China this week. He’ll also make stops in South Korea and Japan. Much of the discussion will be about North Korea. But Mattis also has another agenda--trade with China. Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins the show.
Presidential son-in-law and Middle East peace czar Jared Kushner is in Israel today, where he harshly criticized Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Kushner’s comments appear to be an attempt to head off criticism of the as-yet-unannounced Trump Middle East peace plan, which is also opposed by Jordan. Saudi Arabia, though, will throw its considerable weight and money behind Kushner and Israel. Brian and John speak with Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to attack Iran” and Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance at popularresistance.org.
The Senate voted this week 85-10 to give the Pentagon a budget of $716 billion for fiscal 2019. That’s an increase of $82 billion from this year. Economists warned that such major budget increases are untenable over the long term because of the size of the federal deficit. And Congress doesn’t seem to care about the optics of such a vote in the middle of the immigration crisis—despite the facts that some of this funding will go to keeping immigrants in military bases, and that it’s the US-supported coups in Latin America that have been a big contributing factor to immigration.
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, the hosts talk about developments in races all across America as they tighten up. Jacqueline and Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and the host of the Facebook livestream “Coffee, Current Events & Politics” Thursdays at 9 p.m., join the show.
As demonstrations continue across the country, including an occupation in Portland outside an ICE facility, controversy continues to swirl over the fate of detained families and asylum seekers. Will the children really be reunited with their parents? Is the Trump administration considering even more draconian anti-immigrant measures? Brian and John speak with Angie Kim, the community engagement & advocacy coordinator for NAKASEC (the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium), and David Bennion, an immigration lawyer and executive director of the Free Migration Project.
In a 5-4 decision today, the Supreme Court ruled that police need a warrant to access cell phone location data. The hosts talk about what this means for the fight against mass surveillance and police misconduct. Chip Gibbons, policy and legislative counsel for Defending Rights & Dissent, as well as a journalist, joins the show.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley branded as “patently ridiculous, misleading, and politically motivated” a UN report condemning entrenched poverty in the United States. She added that the UN should be focused on countries like Rwanda and Burundi instead. Ajamu Baraka, national organizer of Black Alliance for Peace, the 2016 Green Party nominee for Vice President of the United States, and a longtime human rights and political activist and organizer, and Aislinn Pulley, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement in Chicago, joins Brian and John.
Global oil prices were sharply lower on Thursday and then sharply higher on Friday as OPEC ministers moved toward an agreement to keep production low. Iran and Venezuela had argued for lower output to keep prices high. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression” joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Walter and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
President Trump yesterday signed an executive order reversing his policy of separating migrant children from their parents. The policy drew across-the-board condemnation from Democrats and Republicans alike, although it was also seen as a political sop to Trump’s right-wing base. The hosts look at what’s next for asylum seekers, immigrants, and their families.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un completed his third trip to China in as many months, where he consulted with Chinese leaders on next steps with the United States. President Trump said that since his summit with Kim in Singapore, North Korea has returned the remains of 200 US soldiers missing from the Korean War. And in the United States, a new poll shows that 55 percent of Americans support Trump’s North Korea policy, the single most popular policy of his presidency. John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute, Renmin University of China, and an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, joins the show.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, the hosts discuss Prison Legal News under fire in Florida and the skyrocketing “gang database” in New York City under Mayor Bill de Blasio. Brian and John speak with Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure.
Nine months after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, the island’s government has moved to privatize and upgrade its outdated electrical grid. Dr. Adriana Garriga-Lopez, associate professor and chair of the anthropology and sociology department at Kalamazoo College, and Freddyson Martinez, the vice president of UTIER, or the Electrical Industry and Irrigation Workers Union, which represents workers with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, join the show.
Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israel’s prime minister, was charged today with felony counts of fraud and breach of trust. She’s accused of spending more than $100,000 on meals at the prime minister’s residence, and $10,000 on private chefs for herself. The charges carry a maximum sentence of eight years in prison. Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” and "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five,” joins Brian and John.
An East Pittsburgh police officer is being accused of shooting and killing 17-year-old Antwon Rose after the youth fled a car the officer had pulled over. Video of the incident shows Rose being shot in the back. He was unarmed. Protests against police violence continued in Pittsburgh today. Native Pittsburgher and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek joins the show.
“Church and State: The Israel Experiment” is an upcoming film by Netra Halperin. Brian and John speak with Netra Halperin, a Hollywood producer and director with a concern for peace and equality to talk about the film.
One year after Muhammad bin Salman Al Saud was elevated to Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, as well as Defense Minister, his war in Yemen rages on. While MBS, as he is known, maintains an ongoing charm offensive in the west, his policies threaten the lives of millions of Yemenis, at least eight million of whom are currently at risk of starvation. And all of this is in the name of curbing Iranian influence in the region. Independent political analyst Marwa Osman joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced last night that the US would withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling it a “cesspool of political bias.” The action was taken in a fit of pique after 120 countries voted to condemn Israel for its killing of Palestinians along the Gaza border. Meanwhile, an exchange of rocket fire and Israeli airstrikes in Gaza threatens to spiral into all-out war.
Images of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents separating children from their parents at the border are in the front of our collective minds right now. But believe it or not, the policy of breaking up families has a long and ugly history in the United States. For decades the government sent native children to boarding schools, where they were stripped of their culture and abused physically, emotionally, and sexually. Denise Lajimodiere, professor of educational leadership at North Dakota State University and president of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, and Andrea Carmen, executive director of the International Indian Treaty Council, join the show.
Beyond Nuclear with Kevin Kamps is Loud & Clear’s regular Wednesday segment. The hosts and Kevin look at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today they focus on the proposed nuclear and coal bailout, as well as localities pushing back against poorly designed nuclear waste disposal. Brian and John speak with Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
Republicans on Capitol Hill are scrambling to put together a bill that would reunite migrant children with their parents, as eight governors announce that they will not allow their state National Guard units to deploy to the border, professional organizations warn of the long term effects of separation on the children, and the policy galvanized Democrats. Brent Wilkes, a leading immigrant rights advocate, joins the show.
Military officers of the United Arab Emirates are running a system of at least 18 secret prisons in Yemen. Former detainees from those prisons say the Emiratis raped and tortured them in a pattern of sexual violence and abuse that was carried out all across the country. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins Brian and John.
National PUBLIC Radio seems to have a problem with government-related media outlets. This morning the station ran yet another ridiculous hit piece going after RT and Sputnik. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, joins the show.
Former CIA director John Brennan told MSNBC yesterday that he was alarmed by reports that the Trump Administration has carried out five times the number of drone attacks around the world than the Obama Administration carried out. Brennan claimed that the Obama drone program killed almost no civilians at all and that Trump must be killing civilians due to the sheer volume of the bombings. Brian and John speak with Dr. Nazia Kazi, an activist and professor of anthropology at Stockton University, and Dr. Margaret Flowers, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance whose work is at PopularResistance.org.
Violence continued across Nicaragua today, a day after the collapse of talks between President Daniel Ortega and the opposition. More than 180 people have been killed in violence started when the IMF demanded that the government cut pensions and impose economic austerity. Nils McCune, a political analyst and journalist, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Medea Benjamin, an anti-war and anti-torture activist and the co-founder of Code Pink, and Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network.
The US and South Korea have canceled a major military exercise scheduled for August after President Trump made the surprise concession in Singapore last week. Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in Beijing for consultations. He has also been invited to visit Moscow and Washington, and rumored to have been invited to Japan.
In Loud & Clear’s weekly Wednesday series False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey, the hosts join Daniel in analyzing the back-and-forth trade war between China and the US. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Former FBI Director Comey released an op-ed today in the New York Times defending his actions in the Hillary Clinton email probe. The hosts continue to discuss yesterday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing featuring the Justice Department’s Inspector General and the FBI Director. Inspector General Michael Horowitz defended his finding that political bias played no role in the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s emails, although he said that he was deeply concerned about the inappropriate and unethical behavior and actions of dozens of FBI agents. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to Attack Iran.”
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were American citizens who were accused in the 1950s of spying for the Soviet Union. They were put through a politically charged trial and quickly convicted, despite convincing evidence that Ethel was innocent of any crime and Julius was guilty of no more than a minor one. Sixty five years ago today they were executed. Their sons, Michael and Robert Meeropol have worked for years to clear their parents’ names. Michael Steven Smith, who is an attorney, author, activist, and host of the radio show Law and Disorder, joins the show.
A former CIA employee was charged with multiple counts of espionage for allegedly leaking documents that became known as the Vault 7 revelations. Prof. Bryan Ford leads the Decentralized/Distributed Systems lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), joins Brian and John.
Political pressure is growing rapidly on the Trump Administration to end its policy of separating migrant families at the border. A poll released yesterday shows that 66 percent of Americans oppose the policy, the United Nations declared it a form of child abuse, and even Republican senators are sponsoring bills to end it immediately. Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, joins the show.
Today, the 19th of June, is Juneteenth, which commemorates the day in 1865 when 250,000 slaves in Texas were finally told that they were free, two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. One hundred fifty three years later, Juneteenth is still relevant as people of color still struggle for equal rights in the United States and as migrants fight to keep their families together. Brian and John speak with C. R. Gibbs. He’s an author and co-author of six books and a frequent national and international lecturer and he appears regularly on television to discuss historical issues. He is the featured speaker at a Juneteenth history event going on now hosted by ONE D.C. & Stop Police Terror Project DC.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek and The Nation, and by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
As we speak, the Senate Judiciary Committee is meeting to hear from the FBI and the Inspector General over the report the IG’s office released last week on Comey’s behavior and other topics. Additionally, Paul Manafort was jailed on Friday and there are claims thatRoger Stone met with a Russian national for dirt on Clinton.
Nearly 2,000 children have been taken from their parents at the US-Mexico border since Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the policy of separating them several weeks ago. That policy also mandates prosecution of the parents for illegal entry into the United States. Humanitarian and religious groups, and even the United Nations, have condemned the policy. We’ll take a look at the new policy and how it differs from that pursued by the Obama Administration. Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos, which has been helping organize protests against family separation, join the show.
Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis spoke at the graduation of the US Naval War College and laid out the US military’s future plans. He spoke about “remaining vigilant” against North Korean nuclear threats, preventing Russia from undermining America’s moral authority, and standing up to our perceived rival China. Brian and John speak with international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
Friends and supporters of Julian Assange are holding two rallies tomorrow at 11:00 Eastern time in Lafayette Square in front of the White House and another at 4:30 at the British Embassy to protest the conditions to which Julian is being subjected inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Julian is not permitted to have internet access, nor is he allowed any visitors other than his attorneys. Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, whose work is at popularresistance.org, joins the show.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel accepted a two week deadline to win agreement on a tougher immigration policy in a concession to her coalition partner. She also announced that the European Union heads of state will likely hold a summit on immigration and refugees June 23 and 24. Meanwhile, President Trump today said incorrectly that the German people have turned against Merkel because of immigration and that Germany has become a violent and dangerous place. Jasmin O’Hara, founder of The Worldwide Tribe, who has been involved in providing aid to refugees, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell, join Brian and John.
Ivan Duque, the conservative—some would say populist—candidate in Colombia has won that country’s presidency with 54 percent. He finished 12 points ahead of former guerilla Gustavo Petro, whose performance was the best ever for a left-wing candidate in one of South America’s most conservative countries. Duque promised to heal the rifts among Colombians, but the election revealed that those rifts are wide and deep. James Jordan, a member of the Alliance for Global Justice who has been deeply involved in supporting the Colombian peace process, and Paul Dobson, a writer for Venezuelanalysis.com, join the show.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today focuses on racism in admissions to private and charter schools. The hosts speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
On “Connected Lives, Private Profits with Chris Garaffa,” Chris helps the hosts look at technological issues that shape our world and how we can fight to maintain our civil rights and civil liberties in the face of increasingly advanced, and sometimes hostile, technology. Today they focus on the police using facial recognition software. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou and Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and the host of the Facebook livestream “Coffee, Current Events & Politics” Thursdays at 9 p.m., joins the show.
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, John and Walter talk about races in South Carolina, Ohio, and Florida.
“The Progress of This Storm” is a new and powerful book by Andreas Malm. In it, he addresses the environmental crisis caused by climate change, its roots in the system of capitalism, and how humanity can step back from the brink. Andreas Malm, who teaches Human Ecology at Lund University in Sweden and is the author of “Fossil Capital,” “Iran on the Brink,” and most recently “The Progress of This Storm,” joins the show.
The trade war with China widened today, as President Trump announced new 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese products. He also said that he’s considering tariffs on another $16 billion worth of Chinese goods. The Chinese retaliated almost immediately. Brian and John speak with Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?”
Fallout continues over the release yesterday of the FBI Inspector General’s report with President Trump pouncing on the finding of insubordination on the part of former FBI director James Comey, calling Comey and former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe “scum” and saying that the FBI under Barack Obama was “a den of thieves.” The IG also found that Comey used a private email account for government business. Commentators are saying today that the report will likely only further polarize the country. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to attack Iran,” joins the show.
The leader of the Pakistani Taliban has reportedly been killed in a U.S. airstrike.Mullah Fazlullah became leader of the group in 2013, and his death would mark another turn as the war drags on in Afghanistan and Northwest Pakistan. Marvin Weinbaum, the Scholar-in-Residence and director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies, joins Brian and John.
The House of Representatives is considering what it calls a “compromise” bill that would give visas to Dreamers, those people who were brought to the United States as children with their undocumented parents. The bill, though, is a disaster. It would not allow any path to citizenship for Dreamers and makes it a crime to earn less than 125 percent of the federal poverty level. The bill would eliminate the green card lottery, cut family immigration to the bone, and virtually end asylum request approvals. Angie Kim, the community engagement & advocacy coordinator for NAKASEC (the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium), joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Walter and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou and Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who was named Time Magazine person of the year with two other whistleblowers, and Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry and the author of "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton."
A highly anticipated FBI Inspector General’s report released today found that former FBI director James Comey deviated from official procedures in handling the probe into Hillary Clinton. The Inspector General found that Comey was not motivated by bias, but his actions damaged the FBI’s image of impartiality.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, the hosts discuss Prison Legal News under fire in Florida and the skyrocketing “gang database” in New York City under Mayor Bill de Blasio. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
A federal judge today refused to dismiss a lawsuit by an American journalist challenging his apparent placement on a “kill list” by US authorities in Syria. The ruling clears the way for Bilal Abdul Kareem to seek answers and try to clear his name after what he says were five near misses by US airstrikes in Syria after he was mistaken for a militant. Brian and John speak with Stephen Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law where he specializes in national security law, especially as it relates to the prosecution of war crimes, and a regular contributor to CNN.
The United Nations General Assembly voted 120-8 with 45 abstentions to condemn Israel for its lethal use of force against Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza. Only the United States, Israel, Australia, and five tiny Pacific island countries opposed the measure, which also called on the UN to make recommendations on how to protect Palestinians. Ambassador Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, joins the show.
Four major human rights groups said today that the government of Ukraine is failing to respond adequately to attacks by far-right groups against marginalized communities in the country. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, and Front Line Defenders said in a report that ethnic minorities, women’s activists, and LGBTQ groups are particularly targeted. John Wight, the host of the weekly Sputnik Radio show Hard Facts, joins Brian and John.
A storage site holding half of Baghdad’s ballot boxes from Iraq’s recent parliamentary election in May caught fire this week in what appears to have been an act of arson ahead of a countrywide vote recount. Many parliamentarians are now even calling for the election to be re-run. Meanwhile, negotiations for the formation of a new government move forward as Iraqi leader Muqtada al-Sadr announces an alliance with a coalition associated with the Shiite militias that fought ISIS and are close with Iran. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
Saudi and Emirati military forces continued to attack the Yemeni port city of Hudaidah today, pushing the country closer to a humanitarian crisis. The port of Hudaidah is the only way that millions of Yemenis can get food and medicine. The United Nations estimates that eight million people are at risk of starvation. Brian and John speak with Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist and journalist whose son Casey was killed during the Iraq War.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou and Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) are joined by Patrick Lawrence, the author of “Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century” and a columnist at The Nation, whose work is at patreon.com/thefloutist, and by co-host Brian Becker, who is in Singapore to cover the summit.
The intense struggle over the budding peace process in Korea continued today, as President Trump said this morning that North Korea “is no longer a nuclear threat,” but a full mobilization of the corporate media and a wide range of politicians in Congress is seeking to undermine the progress made in Singapore.
Beyond Nuclear with Kevin Kamps is Loud & Clear’s regular Wednesday segment. The hosts and Kevin look at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today they focus on the proposed nuclear and coal bailout, as well as localities pushing back against poorly designed nuclear waste disposal. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell join the show.
South Carolina Congressman Mark Sanford was defeated in the Republican primary yesterday by a state legislator who criticized him for not supporting President Trump strongly enough. Trump tweeted his opposition to Sanford just hours before the polls closed yesterday. And that appears to have been enough to seal his fate. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com.
Republican leaders late last night managed to pull together a long-awaited immigration agreement that satisfied both moderates and conservatives. The agreement calls for votes next week on two different immigration bills, a conservative one that will likely be defeated, and one that the Republican leadership will write this week with input from both of their factions. Miguel Andrade, the communications manager at the immigrant rights advocacy organization Juntos, and a member of the Board of Directors of the US Human Rights Network, joins the show.
The US Senate is challenging President Trump by inserting language in the annual defense bill that would prohibit him from lifting sanctions on Chinese telecom ZTE. The company had agreed to pay a $1 billion fine and to allow American inspectors after it was caught selling prohibited items to Iran and North Korea. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of the article in the World Review of Political Economy titled “Trump’s Déjà vu China Trade War,’ joins Walter and John.
In a victory for Amazon, Starbucks, and other major corporations, the Seattle City Council voted to repeal a tax that was meant to fund efforts to combat Seattle’s homeless problem. The tax would have raised $47 million a year to fund affordable housing projects. Jane Cutter, the editor of LiberationNews.org, joins the show.
In a major defeat for the Justice Department, a federal judge yesterday approved AT&T’s $85.4 billion merger with Time Warner. It’s a decision that is expected to unleash a wave of corporate mergers beginning with CVS and Aetna Insurance. Walter and John speak with Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou and Walter Smolarek are joined by Hyun Lee, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and writer for Zoominkorea.org, and from Singapore by our own Brian Becker. Tune in again at the same time tomorrow to hear continuing analysis of the summit.
President Trump said after nearly five hours of talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that the two are on their way to “establishing new U.S.-DPRK relations.” A document the two leaders signed said that Kim “reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to denuclearization” while Trump offered North Korean security guarantees and the promise of economic relief. Although true denuclearization could take years, or even decades, both leaders said the new relationship got off to a good start.
While the military and foreign policy establishment in the United States is demanding that North Korea immediately denuclearize, the United States is in the midst of a $1 trillion upgrade of its nuclear weapons arsenal, and there appears to be little progress being made towards a nuclear-free world. These weapons of mass destruction have become normalized in the minds of so many, but what would it really look like if a nuclear exchange were to actually happen? Steven Starr, a professor who teaches about the environmental, health, and social effects of nuclear weapons at the University of Missouri, a senior scientist for Physicians for Social Responsibility, and whose work is at www.nuclearfamine.org, joins the show.
In a brutal confirmation of the Trump Administration’s hard line on refugees, Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered immigration judges to stop granting asylum to people who are victims of gang violence or domestic abuse. Sessions is trying to use his office to sharply change US immigration law. Brian and John speak with Danielle Norwood, a reproductive rights activist and a therapist specializing in treating adult and adolescent survivors of trauma.
Spain yesterday offered to take in a humanitarian ship stranded in international waters with 629 refugees aboard, including hundreds of children and 7 pregnant women, as the new Italian government and Malta refused to let it dock. Spain’s new socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez said he will allow the ship to dock in Valencia. The refugees today boarded another ship and are now on their way to Spain. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, joins the show.
The Red Cross and UN have pulled out of the Yemeni city of Al Hudaydah. How bad is the situation in Yemen going to get? Independent political analyst Marwa Osman joins Brian and John.
In Loud & Clear’s weekly Wednesday series False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey, the hosts join Daniel is assessing the viability of social security and unpack the unemployment rate. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Maine has instituted ranked choice voting, or instant runoff voting, which some argue is more fair than most voting systems used here in the US. The first statewide vote with ranked choice is taking place today. How does it work and is it more fair? Brian and John speak with Drew Spencer Penrose, legal and policy director at the election reform advocacy organization FairVote.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek and John Kiriakou are joined by co-host Brian Becker, who is in Singapore to cover the summit. He shares with us an interview from Nile Bowie, a journalist for Asia Times.
President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are in Singapore for their historic summit. Statements from the White House are positive, with one saying that the summit could be finished in one day, with a North Korean commitment to denuclearize and a White House promise of non-aggression. There are even reports that before he left, Trump ordered Vice President Pence not to say anything negative about North Korea.
The G7 summit in Canada last weekend ended in a major, public dispute between Donald Trump and the other six leaders driven by the administration’s protectionist trade measures. Meanwhile, protesters and heavily militarized police faced off in Quebec City. Walter Smolarek, a Loud & Clear producer who was in Quebec City to cover the conference and demonstrations, joins the show, and shares an interview with Amir Khadir, a member of the Quebec National Assembly representing a district in Montreal and one of the most prominent political figures on the left in Quebec.
The Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of net neutrality is official today. It had required internet service providers to offer equal access to all web content. Now providers can censor online content or they can charge you extra for better service. Nicole and John speak with Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, whose work is at popularresistance.org.
The Supreme Court ruled today that voter rolls can be cleared for those who are inactive for a certain amount of time, based on a case in Ohio. How will this kind of voter suppression affect people nationwide? Anoa Changa, the director of political advocacy and a managing editor of Progressive Army and host of the show The Way With Anoa, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today focuses on privatization of schools and guns in schools. The hosts speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
On “Connected Lives, Private Profits with Chris Garaffa,” Chris helps the hosts look at technological issues that shape our world and how we can fight to maintain our civil rights and civil liberties in the face of increasingly advanced, and sometimes hostile, technology. Today they focus on the surveillance state. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Pablo Villavicencio, an undocumented father of two in New York City, was delivering food to an army base outside of the city when he was stopped by a guard who called ICE and had him arrested. The fight to save him from deportation has become a national flashpoint as the Trump administration's hardline anti-immigrant policies come under increasing fire. Walter and John speak with Brent Wilkes, a leading immigrant rights advocate.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou and Nicole Roussell (sitting in for Brian Becker) are joined by Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek, who is on the ground in Quebec City at the G7 summit, and Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada.
President Trump showed no signs of compromise on trade issues as he left for the G7 Summit in Canada this morning. In fact, he got into a Twitter war over tariffs with French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau even before he left Washington. The President also will skip the climate portion of the summit to travel to Singapore for his meeting with Kim Jong Un.
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, Nicole and John talk about all the primaries that happened this week and how the presidential race is shaping up. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and the host of the Facebook livestream “Coffee, Current Events & Politics” Thursdays at 9 p.m., joins the show.
Google has been reeling from an employee protest over the use of artificial intelligence for military purposes. So CEO Sundar Pichai told employees yesterday that the company will not use AI for weapons or for surveillance that violates human rights. Google will continue to work with governments and the military, though. Nicole and John speak with Paul Wallis, a technology reporter and Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Op-Eds who is also the author of many books including “Wanderlaugh.”
The FBI yesterday arrested James Wolfe, the recently-retired director of security for the Senate Intelligence Committee. He was charged with a felony count of making a false statement. Wolfe is under further investigation for revealing classified information with a reporter with whom he had a personal relationship, Ali Watkins. More troubling is the revelation that the FBI seized several years’ worth of Watkins’ and Wolfe’s electronic communications. Jim Jatras, a political analyst, a former US diplomat, and a former senior foreign policy advisor to the US Senate Republican leadership, joins the show.
The trials of J20 protesters continued this week in Washington, but with repeated setbacks for the prosecution. Yesterday, four defendants were either acquitted on all charges or acquitted on some and the jury deadlocked on others. The US Attorney for the District of Columbia will have to decide whether to retry on those counts. But so far, this has been nothing but a black eye for the government. Chip Gibbons, policy and legislative counsel for Defending Rights & Dissent, a journalist, and a contributor to the Nation, Jacobin, and the book The Henry Kissinger Files, joins Nicole and John.
Brazil took another step into privatization yesterday, when they auctioned off some of their nation’s oil fields. This is just days after truckers in Brazil have ended their 10-day strike over fuel prices, increasing the chaos under Temer’s rule since the parliamentary coup two years ago. Pepe Escobar, a writer and political analyst, joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Nicole and John, speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of thepolemicist.net whose most recent piece is “Sacrificing Gaza: The Great March of Zionist Hypocrisy;” Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink; and longtime peace activist and member of Code Pink, Tighe Barry.
Argentina yesterday canceled a pre-World Cup soccer match with Israel that was scheduled to take place in Jerusalem, after worldwide outcry from the BDS movement and a Palestinian Authority spokesman called for Palestinians to burn Argentine soccer jerseys. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have denied parole for Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi, who is serving eight months in jail for slapping an Israeli soldier. Her cousin Ezzadine Tamimi was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers yesterday.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, the hosts discuss a prison journalist, Kevin “Rahid” Johnson, who has been punished for talking to the press and Trump’s pardon of Alice Marie Johnson. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure.
Former President Bill Clinton said yesterday that his wife Hillary lost her presidential bid only because the Russian government preferred Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Clinton claimed, disingenuously, that without Stein, Hillary would have won the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, and with them, the presidency. Brian and John speak with Ajamu Baraka, the National Organizer, Black Alliance for Peace, a longtime human rights activist, organizer, and political activist, and the 2016 Green Party nominee for Vice President of the United States.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani today announced an unconditional week-long ceasefire with the Taliban to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. This is the first time that a ceasefire has been called without preconditions. Ghani specified, however, that it does not apply to other groups, including ISIS. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, who just got back from Afghanistan, joins the show.
Democrats are taking a very hard line on the North Korea summit, requiring “complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program” in order to remove the crippling US economic sanctions. Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is visiting the White House today for meetings with President Trump. Abe reportedly is expressing his concerns over North Korea in advance of next week’s summit there. Patrick Lawrence, the author of “Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century” and a columnist at The Nation whose work you can support at www.patreon.com/thefloutist, joins Brian and John.
The White House’s top economic advisor said today that President Trump is not backing down from his hard line on trade, setting the stage for a showdown with top allies at the G7 summit in Canada this week. The meetings on Friday and Saturday will be the first time that allied leaders have had to confront Trump in person since he instituted steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek, who is in Quebec City, joins the show.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting Austria today as part of a policy to improve relations with the European Union. He’s also working to improve economic and trade relations with Europe in the aftermath of tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum by President Trump. Brian and John speak with legendary anti-war activist and former British parliamentarian George Galloway.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Nicole Roussell (sitting in for John Kiriakou) are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “Blows Against the Empire: U.S. Imperialism in Crisis.” and “The Deepest South: The United States, Brazil, and the African Slave Trade.”
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Robert F. Kennedy. His murder occurred just hours after he won the California Democratic primary. Kennedy probably would have gone on to win the 1968 election, and then, probably would have ended the Vietnam War. How would the world have been different if Robert Kennedy had lived?
Beyond Nuclear with Kevin Kamps is Loud & Clear’s regular Wednesday segment. The hosts and Kevin look at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today they focus on Trump’s massive up-to-$11-billion-annually bailout of coal and nuclear plants. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
James “Mad Dog” Mattis is in Europe today meeting with European powers. What’s he there for? According to one Newsweek headline, “Trump Administration Tells NATO Prepare for Russian Attack with Planes, Ships, and Troops.” Brian and John speak with Mark Sleboda, he is an international affairs and security analyst.
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has requested from Sen Chuck Grassley immunity from prosecution in exchange for testifying in front of a congressional hearing. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins the show.
Yesterday, Tuesday, June 5, was a big day for the midterms. There were primaries in eight states, including five gubernatorial primaries and House races across California. Nathalie Hrizi, a teacher/librarian who ran on the Peace & Freedom Party ticket for state insurance commissioner in California and received over 5% of the statewide vote, and Kevin Akin, the California State chair of the Peace and Freedom Party who ran for state treasurer, join Brian and Nicole.
Turkey and the US struck a deal this week over the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units, the YPG. Turkey has long wanted YPG out of Manbij, and threatened to continue its offensive in Afrin and push it east to Manbij. But this week, the two countries have agreed that the YPG will leave the area. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Jeff Sessions defended the Trump Administration’s policy yesterday of separating families at the border, saying, “If people don’t want to be separated from their children, they should not bring them with them.” Brian and John speak with Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos who wrote on Sessions’ comments today in the Arizona Daily Star.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen and Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” and the new book "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”
People around the world yesterday mourned the assassination of a 21-year-old Palestinian medic, Razan al-Najjar, who was shot and killed by Israeli snipers as she was tending to wounded protestors. Razan is the second health worker killed by Israeli snipers, and one of more than 100 Palestinians killed in the past few weeks. The Israeli military said they would conduct an investigation into Razan’s death. Also, today marks the 51st anniversary of the Six Day War, which was a quick and decisive victory of Israel over its Arab neighbors and which greatly expanded the territory under Israeli control.
Tuesday’s weekly series “False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey” continues looking at the top economic issues of the day, including wealthy people like Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz running for office, the various trade wars, and when the next recession will be. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
The Iranian Government yesterday informed the United Nations nuclear watchdog that it planned to begin the process of increasing its capacity to enrich uranium. The Iranian decision was taken in light of the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or Iran Nuclear Deal. Brian and John speak with Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
President Trump yesterday disinvited the entire Philadelphia Eagles football team from a White House event celebrating their Super Bowl victory because a handful of players were not planning to attend. The President was offended that individual players were boycotting the event and he released a statement criticizing them and alluding to the controversy over kneeling during the national anthem. Racial justice activist Candace McKinley joins the show.
The Pentagon is increasing spending on a secret research effort to use artificial intelligence to help anticipate the launch of a nuclear-capable missile, as well as to track and target mobile missile launchers. If the effort is successful, such computer programs will be able to think for themselves. Dr. Lawrence Korb, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a senior adviser to the Center for Defense Information, and formerly director of national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Reagan Administration, joins Brian and John.
Prosecutors representing Special Counsel Robert Mueller yesterday accused former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of witness tampering. They say that Manafort has attempted to influence the testimony of two witnesses in his upcoming criminal trial, and they are asking a judge to revoke his bail and send him to jail. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
The Supreme Court, by a 7-2 vote, ruled yesterday that a Colorado cakeshop owner did not have to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. The ruling was narrowly written and specific only to this case, but experts believe that it will encourage other people to file anti-civil rights cases based on religious freedom arguments. Brian and John speak with Jerame Davis, the executive director of Pride at Work, the LGBT constituency group of organized labor.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia;” Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net; and Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and a columnist for CounterPunch.
In a confidential 20-page letter to the Special Counsel, President Trump’s attorneys argue that he cannot be compelled to testify in the Russia investigation and he cannot be indicted for obstruction of justice because he has unfettered authority over all federal investigations. The letter apparently was leaked to the New York Times by someone in the Special Counsel’s office.
The US is inching closer to imposing sanctions on European Union companies that do business with Iran or that are engaged in the construction of the new Nordstream 2 pipeline that would deliver gas to the EU from Russia. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has rebuked Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross’s attempts to secure further trade concessions from the country. John Ross, an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, and Reiner Braun, co-president of the International Peace Bureau, join the show.
At least 33 people died yesterday when Guatemala’s Fuego volcano erupted,.spewing ash, rock, and gas into the sky just 25 miles from the capital of Guatemala City. It’s the country’s deadliest volcanic eruption since 1902. How have colonization and deep inequalities in Guatemala contributed to the death toll? Brian and John speak with Jackie McVicar, a member of the Atlantic Region Solidarity Network, working in solidarity with people struggling for social justice and environmental protection in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Atlantic Canada, and a former co-coordinator of the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Solidarity Network.
Jordan’s King Abdallah replaced Prime Minister Hani Mulki today in an attempt to appease Jordanians who are protesting IMF-backed reforms that have hit the country’s poor particularly hard. The government also plans to end taxes that have brought thousands of people into the streets in the capital of Amman. Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning journalist reporting from Jordan, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today focuses on research showing that the series of school closings in Chicago worsened the outcomes of children. The hosts speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
On “Connected Lives, Private Profits with Chris Garaffa,” Chris helps the hosts look at technological issues that shape our world and how we can fight to maintain our civil rights and civil liberties in the face of increasingly advanced, and sometimes hostile, technology. Today they focus on recent news about Google and Facebook. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
The Yemeni army is on the verge of recapturing the coastal town of Hodeidah, which was taken over by Houthi rebels in 2014, and the US is being urged to step up its involvement. The port’s capture would effectively cut off supplies of arms and ammunition to the Houthis and it would severely limit the Houthis ability to fire rockets at Saudi Arabia. It was Hodeidah’s capture in 2014 that led to the Saudi invasion of Yemen. Brian and John speak with Catherine Shakdam, a political commentator and analyst focusing on the Middle East, and the author of “A Tale Of Grand Resistance: Yemen, The Wahhabi And The House Of Saud.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice, and Diani Baretto, an activist and journalist in Berlin.
Ecuador’s president Lenin Moreno said today that Julian Assange may remain inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London if he stays out of politics and avoids voicing his opinions on Twitter. He threatened that if Assange did not abide by his rules, he would “take appropriate measures.”
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, Brian and John talk about races in North Dakota, Missouri, New York, West Virginia, and Tennessee, and a self-proclaimed pedophile running for office in Virginia. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and the host of the Facebook livestream “Coffee, Current Events & Politics” Thursdays at 9 p.m., joins the show.
President Trump announced this afternoon that his June 12 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is back on. The president spoke with senior North Korean leader Kim Yong Chol after the North Korean held talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Brian and John speak with Medea Benjamin, an anti-war activist who is the co-founder of Code Pink, and just returned from Korea, where she was meeting with other peace activists.
Political chaos reigns in the periphery of the Eurozone. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was ousted in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence. He was replaced by socialist Pedro Sanchez. And in Italy, an unorthodox mix of populist characters takes office led by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, a law professor who has been accused of embellishing his resume. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Walter Smolarek, join the show.
President Trump yesterday demanded that US allies “fix trade” in the immediate aftermath of new tariffs on goods coming from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the US and Canada were very near a renegotiated trade deal yesterday when Vice President Pence suddenly demanded that any new deal automatically expire after five years. The Canadians walked away. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” whose work is at www.jackrasmus.com, joins Brian and John.
When 167 schools closed in Puerto Rico a little more than a year ago, it was a painful sign that the island’s economy had not recovered from a long recession. But when another 265 school closed soon after that, it sent the entire education system into a state of turmoil. Why does Puerto Rico’s education system not function the way it should? Ruth Beltran, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Tampa, joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John, speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Vijay Prashad, the Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books. He is the author—most recently—of “The Death of the Nation and the Future of the Arab Revolution” and “Red Star Over the Third World.”
The Trump Administration today announced stiff new tariffs on steel and aluminum produced by three of the country’s biggest trading partners—Canada, Mexico, and the European Union, all of which vowed to retaliate. The decision will likely raise prices on a wide array of products for Americans and may presage a similar move soon against China.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, the hosts discuss a New Hampshire bill eradicating the death penalty that the governor vetoes, citing police and victims. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure.
The European Court of Human Rights has found that both Lithuania and Romania violated the EU’s prohibition on torture. The two countries were found to have violated the rights of terror suspects who were tortured in CIA-operated black sites that were set up during the Bush administration. Brian and John speak with Ray McGovern, a former CIA analyst turned political activist and journalist.
The Virginia state senate approved a bill yesterday expanding Medicaid coverage to 400,000 low-income residents, putting an end to years of Republican opposition. The state assembly had already approved the measure, and Governor Ralph Northam said he would sign it into law as soon as it reaches his desk. Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program, joins the show.
The hosts continue the discussion on electronic monitoring on recently released prisoners. Electronic monitoring is a popular government alternative to prison, but it discriminates against the poor, who simply can’t afford to pay for the service. And if they don’t pay, they go right back to prison. James Kilgore, a research scholar at the Center for African Studies at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) who also focuses on electronic monitoring and supervision at ChallengingECarceration.org, wrote the book “Understanding Mass Incarceration: A People’s Guide to the Key Civil Rights Struggle of Our Time,” and spent six-and-a-half years in federal and state prisons, joins Brian and John.
President Trump today pardoned conservative political commentator Dinesh D’Souza who was convicted in 2014 of violating campaign finance laws. Trump said that D’Souza was “treated very unfairly by our government.” The move was applauded by conservatives on Capitol Hill. He is also reportedly considering a pardon for Martha Stewart and a commutation for Rod Blagojevich. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins the show.
Karl Marx famously wrote that history repeats itself, first as tragedy, and then as farce. The Cold War was a tragedy. The new Cold War is playing out as farce. That’s the thesis of Dr. Jeremy Kuzmarov in his new book, “The Russians are Coming, Again” which you can get from Monthly Review Press. Brian and John speak with Dr. Jeremy Kuzmarov, an author and assistant professor of American history at the University of Tulsa.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author, senior editor of Grayzone Project, and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels,” whose latest film is “Killing Gaza.”
Washington is home to literally hundreds of think tanks. These quasi-academic institutions are supposed to be a home for subject matter experts to think the big thoughts, write important papers and books, and, perhaps to influence policy. But the truth isn’t that simple. Most think tanks are financed by special interests like defense contractors, foreign governments, and partisan billionaires. Very few Americans realize the impact these groups have on our government and on our politics.
Beyond Nuclear with Kevin Kamps is Loud & Clear’s regular Wednesday segment. The hosts and Kevin look at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
Israelis and Palestinians traded fire today along the border with Gaza, as the two sides engaged in ceasefire talks. But even as the talks took place, Palestinians fired rockets into Israel and the Israeli military responded by bombing 25 sites in Gaza. Brian and John speak with Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine.”
The Treasury Department today levied new sanctions on six Iranian nationals and three Iran-based entities, including Ansar e-Hezbollah, the Hanista Programing Group, and the notorious Evin Prison. The hosts look at what this means in the broader context of US sanctions on Iran. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to attack Iran,” and Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, join the show.
Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko was reported killed in Ukraine, and investigators had been looking for his killer. But today at a press conference about his death, Babchenko appeared—alive. Investigators say they were looking for people who were threatening him by faking his death. Brian and John speak with Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
The Canadian government announced yesterday that it would buy Kinder Morgan’s Trans-Mountain Pipeline for $3.5 billion, hoping to save a project that has met with strong political and environmental opposition. Alison Bodine, a member of the Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice and of Climate Convergence - Metro Vancouver, joins Brian and John.
According to a new filing today, federal prosecutors are poised to receive more than 1 million files from the three cell phones of President Trump’s personal attorney, Daniel Cohen. Federal investigators already have access to more than 300,000 pages of documents seized from Cohen’s office. The filing was made by a special master, appointed to protect information subject to attorney-client privilege. But is that even possible in an investigation of this magnitude? Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Christine Ahn, International Coordinator of Women Cross DMZ, and author and professor Tim Beal.
One of North Korea’s top leaders is arriving in the United States today for talks with Trump Administration officials, and possibly with the President himself, on kickstarting the US-DPRK summit originally planned for June 12 in Singapore. General Kim Yong Chol is one of Kim Jong Un’s closest advisors and is a former chief of the North Korean Intelligence Service.
The hosts continue the weekly series “False Profits -- A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey”.
The Trump Administration over the past several days has tried to defend itself against allegations that it has lost track of 1,500 undocumented children placed in temporary care. The accusations come on the heels of news reports that the Department of Homeland Security has implemented a policy of separating undocumented parents from their children. But the truth is that the policy dates from the Obama Administration, and at this point in his presidency, Obama deported far more people than Trump has. Brian and John speak with Ajamu Baraka, National Organizer of Black Alliance for Peace.
Italy’s current political situation is in a state of chaos. Just days after two populist parties--the Five Star Movement and the far-right League party--agreed to form a new government, the deal fell apart and President Sergio Matterella has called new elections. The two parties are expected to win even more seats in the next parliament. John Wight, host of the weekly Sputnik Radio show Hard Facts, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek join the show.
Colombians have failed to elect a president outright, setting the stage for a bitter runoff between two frontrunners from opposite ends of the political spectrum, while a fragile peace process with leftist former rebels hangs in the balance. Mario Murillo, author and professor of Communications and Latin American studies, joins Brian and John.
Electronic incarceration--the use of ankle bracelets and other monitoring devices on released prisoners are popular government alternatives to prison. But are they really that different? The devices have turned prisoners’ homes into prisons. In addition, prisoners are charged a daily fee for electronic incarceration. And if they can’t pay for it, they go right back to prison. James Kilgore, research scholar at the Center for African Studies at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) who writes at ChallengingECarceration.org, joins the show.
Harvard University’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health released a study this morning saying that the government’s estimate of 64 deaths in Puerto Rico from last year’s Hurricane Maria grossly underestimated the true number. The report puts the number of deaths at 4,600. Many of them because of delayed medical care. Brian and John speak with Camilo Matos, a member of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Patrick Lawrence, author of “Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century” whose work you can support at patreon.com/thefloutist.
It was a busy week of news, with Donald Trump withdrawing from the planned summit with North Korea, announcing a laundry list of unrealistic demands for Iran, Venezuela presidential elections, and the FBI admitting that it had an informant, or a spy, or a rat, inside the Trump campaign. The hosts wrap up the week’s biggest news.
The country is inching closer to midterm elections in November, and more states held primary elections this week. The hosts look at those races and more political news. Dr. Wilmer Leon, a political scientist, author, and host of a nationally broadcast talk radio show on Sirius/XM channel 126, joins the show.
Former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein turned himself in to New York police this morning to face felony rape charges. Weinstein also has been accused of sexually harassing, abusing, and assaulting dozens of women over the years. The massive #MeToo movement that has been in the streets all over this country has pushed the courts to act. Walter and John speak with Heidi Boghosian, Executive Director of the A. J. Muste Memorial Institute and former Executive Director of the National Lawyers Guild.
Julian Assange’s nearly six-year refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London is in jeopardy, multiple sources are telling CNN. If the Ecuadorians expel him, he will likely be arrested by British authorities and extradited to the United States. Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice, and a candidate for Governor of New York, joins the show.
Australia and the Netherlands say they are holding Russia responsible for the downing of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet that killed 298 people in 2014. Dutch investigators on Thursday concluded that the missile that brought the jet down over rebel-held territory in Ukraine belonged to a Russian brigade. Is this a sure thing or is this a fog of war? Dmitry Babich, a journalist and commentator with Sputnik International, joins Brian and John.
Colombia will hold national elections on Sunday, and it appears likely that left-wing candidate Gustavo Petro and far-right contender Ivan Duque will advance to the second round. The election is the first since an historic peace deal ended a 50-year-long war between the government and the FARC rebels and could decide its fate.
It’s Friday! The hosts take a look at the worst, most misleading, and funniest headlines of the week. Walter and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
Donald Trump today cancelled the historic planned summit between the DPRK and the US next month in Singapore. This came hours after the DPRK destroys their nuclear test site, in one of many one-sided shows of good faith. The hosts address what happened, how western media is spinning this, and what happens from here.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, the hosts discuss how to organize a prison strike. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure.
After revelations this week that intelligence agencies had a spy in the Trump campaign, the White House arranged two briefings on classified documents this afternoon, one for two Trump-allied Republicans, and, after pressure, one for the Gang of 8. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
The Israeli government says that it carried out a strike last night in eastern Syria that killed 12 “foreign fighters.” The Israeli press says that it killed Iranians. The Syrian government says that it was a dozen of their soldiers. And the American government says that it had no knowledge of any strike. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
The Associated Press is reporting that more than a dozen Air Force airmen faced disciplinary actions, including courts martial, in 2016 after they were found operating a drug ring. The airmen, who were responsible for maintaining the US nuclear weapons arsenal, apparently did so while taking LSD. Steven Starr, a professor at the University of Missouri, who teaches in the Peace Studies Program on the environmental, health, and social effects of nuclear weapons and a senior scientist for Physicians for Social Responsibility, joins Brian and John.
The National Football League has passed a new rule saying that players who kneel during the national anthem will cause their teams to be penalized 15 yards on the opening kickoff. Players who kneel also will be fined and could face additional penalties from the league. Team owners also announced that players could remain in the locker room for the anthem. Constitutional experts, however, say that the rule is likely a constitutional violation of freedom of speech. Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement, and Jaimee Swift, a PhD candidate at Howard University’s political science department and a freelance journalist, joins the show.
The United States yesterday kicked the Chinese navy out of the 2018 Rim of the Pacific drills—the largest regular naval exercises in the world. China participated in RIMPAC 2016 and 2014, but relations between the two countries have deteriorated as the U.S. government declares an era of “great power competition.” Brian and John speak with David Ewing, the chair of the San Francisco chapter of the US-China People’s Friendship Association.
New twists continue to emerge in the Mueller investigation, including the FBI spying on the Trump campaign and payments received by Michael Cohen on behalf of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to arrange talks between him with Trump. Meanwhile, Yulia Skripal has given her first interview since waking up from a coma after a poisoning that became a hotly contested flashpoint for relations between Russia and the West.
Wednesday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment Beyond Nuclear, looking at nuclear issues including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today, the hosts interview award-winning anti-nuclear activists about their work. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear; Terry Lodge, anti-nuclear attorney and 2018 awardee of the Judith Johnsrood Unsung Hero Award; and David Kraft, co-founder of the Nuclear Energy Information Service and 2017 awardee of the Judith Johnsrud Unsung Hero Award, join the show.
The House of Representatives yesterday approved a plan to roll back banking regulations in response to the 2008 financial crisis. The Senate already had approved the measure, which now goes to President Trump for his signature. The measure leaves the central structure of Dodd-Frank in place, but is the most significant weakening of the law since it was passed a decade ago. Brian and John speak with Brad Birkenfeld, a whistleblower who exposed billions of dollars of financial fraud committed by banking giant UBS and the author of “Lucifer’s Banker: The Untold Story of How I Destroyed Swiss Bank Secrecy,” whose work is at lucifersbanker.com.
A high-level Syrian official has dismissed the idea that Iran would withdraw its troops from Syria, which are intervening on the side of the country’s government. An Iranian withdrawal from Syria is one of the demands listed in Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s “Plan B” war speech earlier this week. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Luis Posada Carriles, a former CIA operative and militant Cuban exile, died yesterday in Miami. Carriles was accused of organizing a string of hotel bombings in Cuba in 1997 and of engineering a 1976 airline bombing in Cuba that killed 73 people. Human rights and transparency activists reacted to Carilles’ death by calling him “an unrepentant terrorist and a Frankenstein monster created by the CIA.” Gloria La Riva, the Peace and Freedom Party’s 2018 California gubernatorial candidate, and Andrés Gómez, the Coordinator of the Antonio Maceo Brigade, join Brian and John.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced yesterday that he would expel the top two US diplomats in Caracas, giving them 48 hours to leave the country. This apparently was in response to a statement by the State Department called Maduro a “dictator”. He said, however, said that the US Embassy has overseen a military, economic, and political conspiracy to overthrow him. Secretary of State Pompeo said that the US would respond proportionally. Meanwhile, the Lima Group of 14 nations said that he would “limit” diplomatic contacts with Venezuela. Jeanette Charles, a writer, editor, and solidarity liaison with Venezuelanalysis.com, joins the show.
President Trump opened the door yesterday to a phased dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, backing away from his earlier demand that Kim Jong Un abandon his arsenal without any American concessions. This new flexibility seems to have put the president at odds with his own National Security Advisor.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton."
The Trump White House has accused the FBI of carrying out a covert operation against the 2016 Trump Campaign. It has demanded that the FBI and the Department of Justice hand over to Congress all relevant documents that would reveal the extent of the FBI spying operation.
Tuesday’s weekly series “False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey” continues looking at the top economic issues of the day. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
After the horrific killings of Palestinian protesters the last two months by Israeli soldiers, the Palestinian Authority is taking Israel to the International Criminal Court. Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki is meeting with a prosecutor at the court, located in The Hague. Brian and John speak with Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” and "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five."
Following a string of victories against ISIS, all of Damascus and the city’s surrounding areas have now been retaken by the Syrian government. But even as the Syrian army makes progress on the battlefield, there appears to be no end to the war in sight. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
Donald Trump and Moon Jae In are meeting today, to discuss how to move forward with peace on the Korean peninsula. Afterwards, Trump suggested that the June 12 summit with Kim Jong-un may not go forward. In the past few weeks, South Korea and the US continued heavy military drills on the border of North Korea. Kim Jong Un then cancelled talks with the South and voiced hesitation about the upcoming US talks in Singapore.
This weekend, Texas state trooper Daniel Hubbard pulled over a Black woman, Sherita Dixon-Cole, handcuffed her, put her in the patrol car, and raped her. Dixon-Cole called her fiance when she was pulled over, and when he showed up to the scene, Hubbard threatened Dixon-Cole that if she said anything to him, “he will be armed and his firearm will be visible when I have to shoot him.” Michelle Gross, the president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, joins the show.
High-level discussions between the United States and China over trade issues seem to have led to a pause in the growing economic conflict between the two powers. But is this just the calm before the storm? Brian and John speak with Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of the article in the World Review of Political Economy titled “Trump’s Déjà vu China Trade War.”
In his first major speech since becoming Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo demanded that Iran withdraw its troops from Syria and end support for Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad if it expects to see any tangible improvement in relations with the US. Pompeo also said that the US would not renegotiate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or Iran sanctions deal.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro won a second six-year term yesterday in a popular election. Meanwhile, President Trump is considering an oil embargo on Venezuela, a move that would sink the country into economic chaos. Carlos Ron, the Charge d’Affaires at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, joins the show.
The online news site The Intercept reported over the weekend that an FBI informant who had allegedly infiltrated the Trump campaign in 2016 is the same person who oversaw a CIA operation in 1980 to infiltrate the Jimmy Carter campaign. He reportedly did so at the urging of former CIA Director George H. W. Bush. How is all of this legal? And is Donald Trump right when he says the FBI was spying on him? Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com.
At least ten prominent women’s rights activists were arrested in Saudi Arabia over the weekend and today, just six weeks before the kingdom was supposed to lift its ban on women driving. Two men also were arrested. The women have been outspoken in their support of a woman’s right to drive and in their opposition to the male guardianship system, where a women may travel only with the permission of her father, husband, or brother. The arrested men are known for having created a literary salon that allows both men and women to attend. The government said that the activists had “formed a cell that threatened Saudi security.” Ali al-Ahmed, the Director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today focuses on the dangers of privatizing education. The hosts speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
Today is the first installment of a new weekly segment called Connected Lives, Private Profits with Chris Garaffa. Chris will help the hosts look at technological issues that shape our world and how we can fight to maintain our civil rights and civil liberties in the face of increasingly advanced, and sometimes hostile, technology. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Kyrill Vyshinsky, a reporter for RIA Novosti Ukraine, the Ukrainian bureau of the Russian news agency, was arrested in Kiev last week and charged with high treason. The Ukrainian government accuses Vyshinsky of “subversion by means of information.” The NGO Reporters Without Borders says that it is deeply worried about the journalist and is calling on the Ukrainian government to release him without delay. Brian and John speak with Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Tim Shorrock, a Washington-based investigative journalist who grew up in Japan and South Korea, authored SPIES FOR HIRE: The Secret World of Outsourced Intelligence, and whose work has appeared in many publications in the United States and abroad.
Today marks the 38th anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising, also known as the May 18 Democratic Uprising. It was on May 18, 1980 that the people of Gwangju, South Korea rose up against authoritarianism and dictatorship. Today, peace and reunification hangs in the balance as U.S. military drills has prompted doubt over high-profile diplomacy.
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, Brian and John talk about races in Pennsylvania, Florida, and elsewhere, and about why Democrats voted for Gina Haspel for CIA Director. Jacqueline Luqman and Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and they host the livestream “Coffee, Current Events & Politics” Thursdays at 9 a.m., join the show.
Trump will announce today that organizations with Title X funding will not be able to say “abortion” any longer. Title X funding is for family planning and health care, and Planned Parenthood is one organization that relies on this funding to provide care to women and men, including abortions. The hosts speak with Danielle Norwood, a reproductive rights activist and a therapist specializing in treating adult and adolescent survivors of trauma.
After a week of intense wrangling, two populist Euro-skeptic parties have agreed to form a government in Italy. One of the parties, the Five Star Movement, is an eclectic mix of left and right wing policy proposals, and the other, Lega Nord, is virulently anti-immigrant. Both parties ran on platforms that threaten conflict with the eurozone and the EU. Legendary anti-war activist and former British parliamentarian George Galloway joins the show.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is poised to win reelection on Sunday, despite the country’s economic woes due to western sanctions. He has incredible popular support. Meanwhile, opposition groups have incited violence in the country. Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, joins Brian and John.
Republican Congressman Mo Brooks of Alabama said yesterday that rising sea levels are a result of soil erosion or rocks falling into the ocean, not of climate change. Believe it or not, Brooks is a member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation”, joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John, speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel. Mueller was supposed to investigate allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. There hasn’t been any such evidence, but the investigation has broadened into a case that has implicated dozens of people.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, the hosts discuss how to organize a prison strike. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, and Nicole Roussell, producer for Loud & Clear, join the show.
Twenty thousand teachers across the state of North Carolina have gone on strike, shutting schools in 40 districts to cancel classes for more than one million students. In a familiar refrain, the teachers want better benefits and higher salaries, which have declined 9.4 percent in the past decade. Brian and John speak with Liz Davis, president of the Washington Teachers Union who has taught in DC public schools for 41 years.
Dramatic changes are underway in Malaysia as new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad takes office. Police raided Mahathir’s predecessor Najib Razak’s home, and long-time opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been released from prison. Nile Bowie, a writer and journalist with the Asia Times covering Singapore and Malaysia, joins the show.
President Trump and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin will meet with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He to discuss trade. The meetings are meant to prevent trade tensions from spiraling into a trade war, a possibility since the Administration imposed sanctions on Chinese goods. John Ross, the first non-Chinese citizen to be appointed to a full-time post at a leading think tank in China--Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China, joins Brian and John.
A Ukrainian diplomat in Hamburg, Germany has been suspended after posting virulently anti-Semitic remarks on Facebook. Vasyl Marushchinets wrote that Jews were responsible for World War II and ended the post with “death to the anti-fascists!” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko condemned the remarks, but he recently signed into law a measure that glorifies Ukrainians who collaborated with the Nazis. Alexander Mercouris, the editor in chief of The Duran, joins the show.
The Senate yesterday passed a non-binding resolution nullifying the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality rollback. The 52-47 vote is a symbolic blow to the FCC, as the net neutrality remains on track to take effect next month. Brian and John speak with web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Hyun Lee, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and writer for Zoominkorea.org, and Dr. Christine Hong, Associate Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at UC Santa Cruz and a member of the Korea Policy Institute.
Following large-scale military exercises and threatening statements from National Security Advisor John Bolton, North Korea has announced the cancellation of an Inter-Korean meeting between officials from the North and South. Will the peace process still move forward?
Wednesday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment Beyond Nuclear, looking at nuclear issues including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today, the hosts concentrate on fallout from Trump leaving the Iran deal. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Nicole Roussell, producer for Loud & Clear, join the show.
Israel’s killing of unarmed Palestinians has finally caught the attention of international organizations as the diplomatic fallout over deadly violence in Gaza gathers steam. Countries around the world have condemned the Israeli response to Palestinian demonstrations, and that criticism has moved into the United Nations. Brian and John speak with Ambassador Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK.
The Senate Intelligence Committee today voted 10-5 to send the nomination of Gina HAspel to be CIA director to the floor for a final vote. All eight Republicans and two Democrats voted yes on Haspel, who now has enough votes to guarantee confirmation. That final vote will likely take place in the next 48 hours. Jeremy Varon, a professor at the New School in New York and an anti-torture activist, joins the show.
Testimony from the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the Trump Tower meeting between Trump campaign officials and lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was released today—the hosts take a look behind the headlines and discuss the real story. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, joins Brian and John.
Primary elections were held yesterday in Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Nebraska, with women and progressives coming out on top in the Democratic party and mainstream Republicans winning most of their nomination races. Pennsylvania was the most closely watched state, and three women won Congressional nominations in districts that are likely to flip from blue to red. And Richard Saccone, who lost a closely watched race last month to Connor Lamb in southwestern Pennsylvania, lost again, this time to a mainstream Republican and veteran. Anoa Changa, the director of political advocacy and a managing editor of Progressive Army, and host of the show The Way With Anoa, joins the show.
The United States is pushing for a deal in negotiations on a revised North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but Canadian and Mexican officials were not even scheduled to arrive in Washington before tomorrow’s deadline. And without an agreement in writing, Congress can’t begin to debate it in advance of passage. Brian and John speak with Pete Dolack, an activist and writer with Trade Justice New York Metro, who focuses on human rights, social justice, and environmental and trade issues, and the author of “It’s Not Over, Learning from the Socialist Experiment.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist, and Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book The Battle for Justice in Palestine.
Today is Nakba Day, or Yawm an-Nakba, the “Day of Catastrophe,” commemorated on May 15, the day after Israel’s declaration of independence. The day commemorates the estimated 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled and the hundreds of Palestinian towns and villages that were depopulated or destroyed. These refugees and their descendants now number more than 2 million. At least 60 Palestinians were killed yesterday and thousands wounded in demonstrations in Gaza over Nakba Day. What were the global reactions to this massacre?
Tuesday’s weekly series “False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey” continues looking at the top economic issues of the day, today focusing what unemployment numbers really mean and how the price of oil is affecting geopolitics. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
After the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza yesterday, where over 60 people were killed and over 2,700 wounded, protests erupted worldwide. Brian and John speak with Ariel Gold, a peace activist and a member of Code Pink who organized protests yesterday and today here in Washington, and Bob Schlehuber, the producer of the Sputnik Radio show By Any Means Necessary, who reports on protests from Tel Aviv.
While the US imposes economic sanctions on Iran, the UK and its European partners have prepared a package of initiatives to protect the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or Iran nuclear deal, after the US withdrawal. The British, French, and German Foreign Ministers will meet with their Iranian counterpart to discuss the proposal. It is unclear when such a meeting would take place and what the initiatives include. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
The US and China are closing in on a deal that would give China’s ZTE telecommunications company a reprieve from crippling sanctions in exchange for Beijing removing tariffs from billions of dollars worth of US agricultural goods, especially soybeans. Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins Brian and John.
The city of Seattle is introducing a new tax on large employers, namely Amazon, Starbucks, and Boeing, that will help fund programs for the homeless and for affordable housing. Amazon’s multi-billionaire founder Jeff Bezos is furious, and is threatening to reconsider the company’s large footprint in Seattle. Jane Cutter, the editor of LiberationNews.org, joins the show.
What’s the easiest way to get arrested for marijuana possession in New York? According to a New York Times analysis, you just have to be black or Hispanic. In fact, Across the city, African-Americans are arrested at eight times the rate of whites. Hispanics are arrested at five times the rate of whites. In Manhattan, the rates for African-Americans increases to 15 times the arrests for whites. Brian and John speak with Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, you can check out their work at popularresistance.org.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Palestinian rights activist Arab Barghouti, son of imprisoned activist Marwan Barghouti; Dan Cohen, whose new film is “Killing Gaza;” Richard Becker, author of the book “Palestine, Israel, and the US Empire,” and Bob Schlehuber, the producer of By Any Means Necessary.
At least 52 Palestinians were killed today and more than 2,400 wounded as Israeli soldiers opened fire on demonstrators in the Gaza Strip. The violence came as the US opened its embassy in Jerusalem today, a move which has infuriated Palestinians.
Firebrand nationalist Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s party took a surprise lead in Iraqi elections today, making him the kingmaker in the decision to choose a new Prime Minister. Sadr has led two uprisings against the US in Iraq and is seen as an enemy of both the United States and Iran. Mojtaba Masood, an Iraqi journalist and a filmmaker whose films include “Islamophobia: Cause & Effect” and “ISIS: Islamic Extremism?,” joins the show.
Former CIA officer, peace activist, and frequent guest on this show Ray McGovern was thrown to the ground and arrested last week for allegedly disrupting the Senate Intelligence Committee’s hearing on Gina Haspel’s nomination to be CIA director. Haspel has a past history as a high-level CIA officer who was integral to the Agency’s torture program. Prosecutors have now charged Ray with felony resisting arrest. Brian and John speak with Ray McGovern, a CIA analyst under seven presidents who was also the personal morning briefer for President George H. W. Bush, and whose work is at www.raymcgovern.com.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today focuses on the dangers of privatizing education. The hosts speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
The hosts cover the continuing prosecution of those who were arrested on Jan 20, the day trump was inaugurated. More than 200 people were arrested facing heavy felony charges, including charges that could get up to decades in prison. Jury selection is beginning in the first J20 trial today. Chip Gibbons, a journalist and policy and legislative counsel for Defending Rights & Dissent, who has contributed to the Nation, Jacobin, and the book The Henry Kissinger Files, joins Brian and John.
Catalonia has a new premier after five months of political deadlock. Quim Torra was handpicked by ousted leader Carles Puigdemont. Torra urged unity among Catalonians and promised to find common ground across the political spectrum. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to Attack Iran” and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
It’s been a big week of news, and today the hosts go back and review the biggest stories this week, including the burgeoning war on Iran, the upcoming US-DPRK summit, the hearing on Gina Haspel, and the recent news that early on in the Trump administration, companies paid his personal lawyer for access to the president.
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, Brian and John examine the results from this week’s primaries and take a look at the overall direction of the midterms. Jacqueline Luqman and Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, join the show.
Parliamentary elections will take place in Iraq tomorrow, and that will serve as the basis for the next government. The race this year is splintered by intra-sectarian divisions and fragmented Shia, Sunni, and Kurdish factions. This is the fourth election in Iraq since the US-led invasion of that country. Brian and John speak with Mojtaba Masood, an Iraqi journalist and a filmmaker whose films include “Islamophobia: Cause & Effect” and “ISIS: Islamic Extremism?”
Researchers in China and the United States have figured out a way to send commands to smart devices Alexa and Siri that are undetectable to the human ear. They can make the devices dial a phone number or access a website. But in the wrong hands, they can open the door to your house. Wire money, or buy things online, all while embedded in music. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins Brian and John.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahatir Muhammad will be Prime Minister again after pulling off a major upset in this week’s election in that country. Mahatir, at 92, will be the world’s oldest leader. Even more importantly, he came out of retirement, switched parties, and defeated the incumbent Prime Minister, a man he had mentored. Nile Bowie, a writer and journalist covering Singapore and Malaysia with the Asia Times, joins the show.
The opioid epidemic raging across the country continues making headlines, as politicians and grassroots activists debate the way forward. Access to housing has become a central issue in the crisis. Karla Martin, a social worker who works primarily with homeless people suffering from the opioid epidemic, joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John, speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mark Sleboda, an international Affairs and Security Analyst, and Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Syria responded to Tuesday’s Israeli missile strikes with missiles of their own today, firing at least 20 targets in Golan Heights, the Syrian territory that Israel seized in 1967. Israel then attacked almost all Iranian infrastructure in Syria. Germany, France, and Russia have called on both sides to exercise restraint, but Middle East observers say this is just the beginning of what could be major hostilities between Iran and Israel.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, the hosts discuss how to organize a prison strike. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, join the show.
The state of Louisiana is set to evict about 37,000 elderly and disabled people from nursing homes after the state legislature slashed the budget for Medicaid. Rolling back the Medicaid expansion implemented under the Obama Administration has been a longtime goal of the Republican Party. Notices are being mailed out starting today, and this will literally kick the elderly out on the street. Brian and John speak with Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program.
A group of senators have filed a discharge petition in an effort to reinstate net neutrality regulations. The move aims to force a vote that could lead to the reversal of the FCC’s decision in December to repeal net neutrality. Tim Karr, the senior director of strategy and communications at Free Press, joins the show.
Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is a major setback for Iranian leaders who put their reputations and political careers on the line to negotiate the deal. Has the president doomed any liberal or internationalist bent in Iran? Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins Brian and John.
Former CIA officer, peace activist, and frequent guest on this show Ray McGovern, as well as Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin and several others, were arrested yesterday for allegedly disrupting the Senate Intelligence Committee’s hearing on Gina Haspel’s nomination to be CIA director. They were protesting Haspel’s past history as a high-level CIA officer who was integral to the Agency’s torture program. Medea Benjamin, an anti-war and anti-torture activist who is the co-founder of Code Pink, joins the show.
Pakistan’s parliament has passed a law guaranteeing basic rights for transgender citizens and outlawing discrimination in employment, a move hailed by activists as “historic” for the conservative South Asian country. Brian and John speak with transgender activist Morgan Artyukhina.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Chip Gibbons, policy and legislative counsel for Defending Rights & Dissent and a journalist, who has contributed to The Nation, Jacobin, and the book “The Henry Kissinger Files.”
Gina Haspel appeared in open session before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today in her much-anticipated confirmation hearing. Haspel said that on her watch, the CIA will not reinstate a detention and interrogation program, and also noted that she has a strong moral compass. She did not express any regret for her role in the George W. Bush Administration’s torture program, despite being asked.
Wednesday is Loud & Clear’s regular segment Beyond Nuclear, looking at nuclear issues including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today, the hosts concentrate on fallout from Trump leaving the Iran deal. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Nicole Roussell, producer for Loud & Clear, join the show.
Mainstream Republicans and Democrats won most of their races in primaries yesterday in West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and North Carolina. Don Blankenship, the mining company CEO jailed for a year for his role in the deaths of 29 miners, lost his race for US Senate in West Virginia. Former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Richard Cordray beat Dennis Kucinich in the Democratic nomination for governor in Ohio, Vice President Pence’s son won the Republican nomination for a Congressional seat in Indiana. And incumbent Republican Congressman Robert Pittinger of North Carolina lost his race to a far-right wing former pastor. Brian and John speak with Travis Boothe, an organizer with the Morgantown Tenants Union, and Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor in chief of Luqman Nation.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on his way back from Pyongyang with three Americans who had been in prison in North Korea. Pompeo was in for meetings that would lay the groundwork for President Trump’s upcoming meeting with Kim Jong Un. Meanwhile, Kim was in Beijing consulting with the Chinese for the same reason. Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” and Chris Black, an international criminal lawyer who is on the List of Counsel before the International Criminal Court, join the show.
Stormy Daniels’ attorney is alleging that Trump attorney Michael Cohen received $500,000 from a company controlled by a Russian oligarch, with the money being deposited into an account for a company that was then used to pay off the adult film actress. And CNN is reporting that Robert Mueller’s investigators questioned an unnamed Russian oligarch about payments into that account. But AT&T, a subsidiary of Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis, and Korea Aerospace Industries also made big payments to the account. Isn’t the bigger question about paying for presidential access? Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins Brian and John.
Yesterday, a global trending hashtag on twitter was #Tamam, or “enough,” in response to Turkish President Erdogan. Erdogan has called snap presidential elections on June 24, and polls show he may be in jeopardy. Nevzat Evrim, a journalist with the Turkish newspaper SoL, joins the show.
As Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal yesterday, Israel sent missiles into Syria, targeting an Iranian base. This morning there are reports of 15 dead, including eight Iranians. Israel’s military, the Israeli Defense Forces, announced that they were opening bomb shelters in anticipation retaliation from Iran. Brian and John speak with Bob Schlehuber, producer of Radio Sputnik show By Any Means Necessary, who is in Jerusalem.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, an analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare.”
In dramatic fashion, Donald Trump took to the airwaves to announce that the US was leaving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran Nuclear Arms Deal. Trump had been signaling his decision for many months. The speech was filled with bellicose and threatening language. What comes next? Is the Trump administration gearing up for military conflict and another war in the Middle East?
Tuesday’s weekly series “False Profits—A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey” continues looking at the top economic issues of the day, today focusing what unemployment numbers really mean and how the price of oil is affecting geopolitics. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Senate candidate and former mining company CEO Don Blankenship, who spent a year in prison for his role in the deaths of 29 miners, appears to be surging in the West Virginia senate race in light of an overtly racist television ad his campaign has been airing this week. Blankenship says that, if elected, he will create jobs for Americans, not for “China people” and he excoriates Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whose wife is Chinese-American, as “Cocaine Mitch.” Brian and John speak with community organizer Frank Ariet and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Oliver North, the central figure in the Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980s, and now a Fox News contributor, was named president of the National Rifle Association yesterday. It was North who illegally arranged for arms sales to Iran during the Iran-Iraq war, and then used the proceeds to illegal purchase weapons for the Contra rebels, who were fighting to overthrow the Nicaraguan government. Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, who broke the Iran-Contra scandal, joins the show.
Peace and anti-torture groups have begun arriving on Capitol Hill to protest the nomination of Gina Haspel to be CIA director. Haspel was integral to the CIA’s torture program during the George W. Bush Administration. She headed a secret prison, oversaw torture sessions, and later destroyed videotaped evidence of the torture. Jeremy Varon, a professor at the New School in New York and an anti-torture activist who is helping to lead those protests, joins Brian and John.
A new report in the Observer newspaper and New Yorker Magazine says that unidentified people connected to the Trump Administration hired an private Israeli intelligence company last year to dig up embarrassing information—primarily sexual in nature—on Democrats who had supported the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, all in an effort to discredit it. This Israeli firm is the same one allegedly hired by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein to discredit women who accused him of sexual improprieties. Whitney Webb, a journalist and a staff writer for MintPress News, joins the show.
President Trump is sending a plan to Congress that calls for cutting $15 billion in previously-approved spending. Almost half the cuts would come from two accounts within the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), while another $800 million would come from a program within Obamacare. Brian and John speak with Mary Gerisch, an organizer and member chair of the Rights & Democracy health care justice team.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, and Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net.
Presidential attorney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani got himself deeper into trouble over the weekend, challenging the narrative of the president’s other attorneys on the Stormy Daniels affair, the Mueller investigation, and anything else that happened to pop into his mind. Also, one of the defendants named in the Mueller indictment of Russian entities for alleged interference in the 2016 election surprised the Mueller team by actually appearing in court Friday, announcing that it will plead not guilty, wants many documents from the prosecution in discovery, and asked for a speedy trial. A judge rejected Mueller’s pleas for delay. This is a surprising twist in the Russiagate story.
President Trump will announce tomorrow afternoon whether the United States is pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or the Iran nuclear deal. Most observers believe that he will. But the fallout could be monumental. US allies who do business with Iran would face massive sanctions, as would banks and individual companies. Trump’s action could turn the entire economy of Europe on its head. But does he really care? Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek join the show.
President Trump today expressed strong support for Gina Haspel, his nominee to head the CIA. Her nomination hearings begin on Wednesday. Haspel faces an uphill climb because of her central role in the CIA’s torture program during the George W. Bush Administration. CNN reported over the weekend that Haspel offered to drop out of consideration for the job, but was convinced to stay in. Brian interviews his co-host John Kiriakou, a former member of the CIA who was sent to prison for blowing the whistle on the Bush-era torture program which Haspel was a part of, and has become one of the leading figures in the fight to stop her appointment as CIA Director.
Lebanese voters went to the polls yesterday to choose a new government for the first time since 2009. Although official tallies won’t be known until this evening, early results indicate a decline in support for the western-backed Future Movement, led by Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, and gains for Hezbollah and its allies. Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and a member of the central committee of the Lebanese Communist Party, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today focuses on John Brown’s birthday and the importance of his anti-slavery work. The hosts speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
The most vulnerable Republicans in the House of Representatives are talking less and less about the tax cuts they championed late last year, realizing that Americans don’t seem to care about the issue. And this is after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “If we can’t sell this to the American people, we ought to go into another line of work.” Dr. Wilmer Leon, a political scientist and author and host of a nationally broadcast talk radio show on Sirius/XM channel 126, joins the show.
Banks in Argentina on Friday raised interest rates to a whopping 40 percent, just two days after raising them to 30.25 percent. A week ago they were 27.25 percent. The rises are aimed at supporting the peso, which has lost a quarter of its value over the past year, but could wreak havoc for ordinary people. Brian and John speak with Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou and Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year, and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the soon to be released book “The Plot to Attack Iran.”
NBC News yesterday broke a story that the FBI has been monitoring the phones, email, and text messages of President Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen and that the monitoring began months before the press ever got wind that Cohen was the subject of any investigation. Civil libertarians are decrying what appears to be the blatant and wanton disregard of attorney-client privilege.
Economic and political turmoil continue in Venezuela ahead of the crucial May 20th presidential election, but the causes and consequences are misrepresented in the mainstream U.S. media. The hosts are pleased to be joined by two Venezuelan human rights activists to help us separate fact from fiction. You’ll hear the voice of interpreter Leonardo Flores. Eugenia Russián, president of the Latin American Foundation for Human Rights and Social Development, the oldest human rights organization in Venezuela, and a nun with the Missionaries of Christ, and Desiree Cabrera, a member of the Committee of Victims of Violent Protests whose 19-month-old baby was in a nursery attacked by right-wing protesters in 2014, join the show.
Thousands of Palestinians staged a sixth weekly protest today against Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, with some throwing stones and burning tires, while Israeli soldiers fired live rounds. More than 170 people were wounded today. Since late March, 39 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,700 wounded by Israeli fire during the protests. Walter and John speak with Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” and the newly released "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five."
The United States warned China yesterday that there would be “consequences” for its growing militarization of disputed islands in the South China Sea amid reports that it has deployed missiles to the area. The threat comes amid continued talks between the two countries to try to solve a major trade dispute and follows a formal complaint to Beijing over Chinese lasers being used to blind US pilots in the Horn of Africa. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California, author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” and whose additional writings are at jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
A delegation of members of Veterans for Peace has carried out massive civil disobedience demonstrations in front of the main gate at Camp Schwab, the U.S. military base on the island of Okinawa. The group is showing its resistance to the base by blocking truck traffic into and out of the gate. Bruce Gagnon, the coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus, and one of the participants in the action in Okinawa, joins Walter and John.
Some states are turning to a supply and demand based system for toll roads, with skyrocketing costs for the consumer. The Wall Street Journal and others have been reporting on this change, asking the question, "What is the best mechanism for reducing congestion?" But is that the right question to ask about our infrastructure needs? Katy Lang, a North Carolina transit advocate and organizer, joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. John and Nicole speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Alex Friedmann, the Associate Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and managing editor of Prison Legal News.
On the regular Thursday series “Criminal Injustice,” about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, the hosts discuss a new bipartisan bill in Congress that would expand the president’s ability to detain American citizens without a trial, and why “police union” is a misnomer.
For Loud & Clear’s regular weekly segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, Brian and John take a look at Senate races nationwide. Jacqueline Luqman and Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, join the show.
Iowa’s state legislature yesterday passed the most extreme abortion ban in the country, eliminating women’s right to carry a child past the time when a fetus has a heartbeat, which can be as early as six weeks. Six weeks is often earlier than a woman knows she is pregnant. The bill now goes to the Republican governor, who has said she’s not yet sure whether she will sign it. Is the right trying to get abortion rights back into the Supreme Court, in the hopes the court will reverse Roe v. Wade? Brian and John speak with Danielle Norwood, a reproductive rights activist and a therapist specializing in treating adult and adolescent survivors of trauma.
Despite the Pentagon saying for years that the US was not fully involved in the Yemen war and did not have troops in Yemen, several top US and European officials told the New York Times today that the Green Berets actually arrived late last year on the Saudi/Yemeni border—a big escalation in military assistance. Why is the US assisting the egregious Saudi government in their war? Catherine Shakdam, a political commentator and analyst focusing on the Middle East, and the author of “A Tale Of Grand Resistance: Yemen, The Wahhabi And The House Of Saud,” joins the show.
Today is World Press Freedom Day, as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly. In a media landscape dominated by a handful of corporations, what can be done to truly guarantee the free expression and communication of ideas? Tim Karr, the senior director of strategy and communications at Free Press, joins Brian and John.
Cambridge Analytica, the controversial data mining firm that has found itself in the middle of the Facebook data scandal, announced yesterday that it would close immediately. The company’s CEO said that rebranding the firm was “futile.” Dr. Robert Epstein, the Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, joins the show.
Dramatic developments have raised hopes for peace and reunification in Korea, but there is still much to be done. As the Chinese foreign minister visits North Korea, and the North agrees to release three detainees, how could this complex diplomatic process unfold? Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of The Frozen Republic, The Velvet Coup, and America's Undeclared War, and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
The Washington Post is reporting today that, in a tense meeting in March between Special Counsel Robert Mueller and President Trump’s attorneys, Mueller threatened to subpoena the president if he refused to answer questions related to the Russia investigation. That news broke just hours before it was confirmed that Ty Cobb, a key White House lawyer, was retiring. Meanwhile, Congressional Republicans are threatening to draw up articles of impeachment against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein because of the scope of the Mueller investigation. And Republican strategist Michael Caputo told the Senate Intelligence Committee that he hoped God would “damn you all to hell” because of the financial toll the investigation has taken on him in the form of attorneys fees.
Wednesday is the regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today, they discuss the public pushback against a massive and dangerous nuclear waste facility in New Mexico where residents have been speaking out over the past few weeks. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Nicole Roussell, producer for Loud & Clear, join the show.
The Attorneys General of seven states, including Texas, have filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration over its failure to end the DACA program for undocumented youth. As the war on immigrant communities drags on, will this lawsuit finally lead to a Supreme Court hearing on DACA? Brian and John speak with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, and Bryan MacCormack, the Executive Director of the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement.
Comedian Michelle Wolf was the entertainment at the White House Correspondents Dinner this weekend. By the end of her routine, though, many people weren’t laughing. Perhaps her accusations of de facto media support for Donald Trump cut a little too close to the bone. Max Blumenthal, a journalist and bestselling author whose latest book is “The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza,” the senior editor of Grayzone Project, and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels,” joins the show.
A federal court in New York issued a multi-billion dollar default judgment against the government of Iran and in favor of the 9/11 families after those families sued Iran for alleged involvement in the 9/11 attacks. This is despite the fact that the 9/11 Commission found that there was no Iranian involvement in the attacks whatsoever. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins Brian and John.
The United States has sent Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Kiev and Washington believe the Javelin system will help Ukraine build its long term defense, but Moscow is warning that the sale will further destabilize the region. Mark Sleboda, an international Affairs and Security Analyst, joins the show.
The United States and France have deployed additional troops to the area northwest of the Syrian city of Manbij. At the same time, Kurdish troops have established checkpoints in and around the city. The move appears to be the culmination of French President Macron’s promise to support Kurdish military efforts in northern Syria. Brian and John speak with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and a member of the central committee of the Lebanese Communist Party, and Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
In a theatrical presentation yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed to have secured intelligence showing that Iran was secretly continuing elements of a nuclear weapons program. Is this part of a coordinated drive to war as tensions across the Middle East reach a boiling point?
Tuesday’s weekly series “False Profits -- A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey” continues looking at the top economic issues of the day, today focusing on T-Mobile and Sprint’s potential merger and foreign investors losing interest in US debt. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
The first group of migrants in a much publicized caravan from Central America came across the border near Tijuana last night. Celebrations erupted as the group was allowed through. However, the first prosecutions were announced yesterday as well, with 11 people receiving criminal charges. Brian and John speak with Pedro Rios, the Director of the American Friends Service Committee’s U.S./Mexico Border Program and chairperson for the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium.
In a shocking leak, the questions that Special Counsel Mueller planned to ask Donald Trump as part of the “Russiagate” investigation were released to the press yesterday. Who leaked them, why, and where else is this investigation headed? Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, joins the show.
Protests are taking place across the country and the world to mark International Workers Day -- May Day. Demonstrators in the United States are focusing to opposition to the right-wing agenda of the Trump administration and support for immigrant rights. Carolyn Gomez, a labor and community activist who is involved in organizing today’s May Day protest in Los Angeles, joins Brian and John.
While much of the world was celebrating the historic steps made towards peace and reunification in Korea, war contractors saw their stocks plummet. Peace may be good for the people, but it’s bad for war business. Paul Dordel, the coordinator of the Stop Banking the Bomb campaign, at StopBankingTheBomb.org, joins the show.
President Trump extended the deadline for imposing aluminum and steel tariffs last night for several US allies, saying he had several deals in the works that needed more time. The deals the White House mentioned in a statement last night include the renegotiated NAFTA deal with Canada and Mexico, while other connected geopolitical issues like the Iran nuclear deal loom. Brian and John speak with Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of Code Pink and author of the book “Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection,” and journalist and independent political analyst Marwa Osman.
Israeli Prime Minister made a speech today arguing that Iran is in violation of the nuclear arms deal as Trump prepares for a possible end of compliance with the agreement. Israel carried out major military strikes against Iranians in Syria. The bombing was so big that it created an earthquake. Brian and John also talk about Pompeo’s trips to Saudi Arabia and Israel this weekend. The danger of war with Iran is growing.
The hosts discuss, “Finks: How the CIA Tricked the World’s Best Writers” with author Joel Whitney. It describes a situation that almost no Americans know about. In the early days of the Cold War, the CIA clandestinely recruited some of the greatest writers in the world--household names—to spy for them. They talk to the author about why this happened and why it’s been a secret for so long. Joel Whitney, the author of “Finks” and a co-founder of Guernica: A Magazine of Art & Politics, joins the show.
Mumia Abu Jamal has been in prison in Pennsylvania since 1981, after being accused and convicted of killing a policeman. He was on death row until 2011, when his sentence was converted to life without parole. Mumia and his supporters have always maintained his innocence, and he was in court today in Philadelphia. He is asking a court to vacate his previous appeals attempts on the basis of judicial bias so that he can appeal his case again. Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and the author of “Killing Time: An Investigation into the Death Row Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal.”
The attorney for a right-wing organization that sues for conservative causes has filed a lawsuit against Arizona teachers, contending that their strike is illegal and seeking to force them back to work. But teachers remained on the picket line today, the third day of the strike, demanding increased funding and a commitment to stop making tax cuts on the backs of education. Dan Cohen, a journalist and filmmaker who was in Arizona to cover the strikes, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today focuses on a trip to the opening of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, a museum and memorial in Montgomery, Alabama, that honors the memory of lynching victims and asks localities to publicly acknowledge that they occurred. The hosts speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
Admiral Harry Harris has been nominated to be Donald Trump’s next ambassador to South Korea—an outrageous idea for a man who presided over the torture at the Guantanamo military base. Brian and John look into his record with Dr. Emanuel Pastreich, director of The Asia Institute in Seoul, Korea.
Our friend and frequent guest Randy Credico was invited to the White House Correspondents Dinner over the weekend as a guest of Yahoo News. But the Washington swells didn’t like Randy’s message of freedom for Julian Assange, and they unceremoniously threw him out of the event. Brian and John speak with Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gregory Elich, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and the author of, “Strange Liberators: Militarism, Mayhem, and the Pursuit of Profit,” and author and professor Tim Beal whose most recent book is “Crisis in Korea.”
In one of the most important diplomatic breakthroughs in a generation, the leaders of North and South Korea met yesterday and pledged to denuclearize the peninsula and to formally end the Korean War. Even the most optimistic observers were surprised at the scope of the meeting, which took place on the South Korean side of the border at Panmunjom. President Trump later issued a statement saying that he was looking forward to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks or months.
On today’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, Brian and John take a look at a series of upcoming special elections, a Republican win in Arizona, and the possibility of Ohio Governor John Kasich running against Donald Trump in the Republican primaries. Jacqueline Luqman and Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, join the show.
The House Intelligence Committee has completed and issued its report, concluding that there was no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The Democrats issued a dissent. And The Daily Beast has suspended columnist and MSNBC host Joy Reid after dozens of homophobic statements were added to her old blog on the MSNBC website. Reid claims that the blog was hacked, her supporters suggested may be that “Russians” were responsible, and the FBI is now investigating. But Daily Beast cybersecurity reporters, and the website’s webmaster, say there is no evidence of any hack. Also, the corporate-owned media is making a great deal of the emails hacked from the Russian attorney who met in July 2016 with Donald Trump. Jr. Brian and John speak with Joe Lauria, editor-in-chief of Consortium News and author of the book “How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is making a one-day trip to Washington today to meet with President Trump and to discuss the Iran nuclear deal and pending US tariffs on German steel and aluminum. Most media outlets say that the meetings will have none of the warmth seen during French President Macron’s visit to Washington earlier this week. Reiner Braun, co-president of the International Peace Bureau and Sputnik News political analyst and producer Walter Smolarek, join the show.
A recent spate of infections linked to romaine lettuce is now the largest multistate foodborne E. coli outbreak since 2006. At least 84 people have been affected in 19 states by contaminated lettuce originating in Yuma, Arizona. What needs to change about our agricultural system to make it safer? Patty Lovera, food and water policy director at Food & Water Watch, joins Brian and John.
An international conference aimed at raising aid for victims of the Syria conflict raised just over half of what the United Nations says is needed to support refugees. Just $4.4 billion was raised. The US has pledged $1 billion but has not delivered any of that. Sputnik News political analyst and producer Walter Smolarek joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John, speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com, and Loud & Clear producer Nicole Roussell.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kani Xulam, founder of the American-Kurdish Information Network, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.
Since the end of March, the Turkish military has quietly been building outposts inside Iraqi territory to attack the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, in the nearby Qandil Mountains. The move is, of course, a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. And it points to Turkey’s obsession with fighting Kurds no matter where they are.
The weekly series “Criminal Injustice” continues, where the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, including the systematic abuse of prisoners across the system. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, join the show.
In March, Loud & Clear reported about the case of Alejandra Pablos, a prominent local reproductive health activist. Alejandra is a permanent resident of the United States. But when she went to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Arizona for a routine check-in, she was arrested and held incommunicado. She has been released, but is now facing deportation. Brian and John speak with Alejandra Pablos, an organizer with the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, a member of the immigrant rights organization Mijente, and a delegate to the People’s Congress of Resistance held last year in Washington, D.C.
French President Emmanuel Macron said last night that he did not believe he changed President Trump’s mind on the Iran nuclear deal and that he expects the US to pull out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action next month. He added that doing so would be bad for everyone--Iran, the European Union, and the United States. Catherine Shakdam, a political commentator and analyst focusing on the Middle East, and the author of “A Tale Of Grand Resistance: Yemen, The Wahhabi And The House Of Saud,” joins the show.
Teachers in Arizona walked out today in nearly 100 school districts across the state. The teachers are striking to reestablish education funding to the level where it was years ago (it has dropped 14% just since 2008 in Arizona, measured per student) and to stop passing tax cuts on the backs of public education. Nathalie Hrizi, a teacher and librarian and a teachers union organizer, joins Brian and John.
The CIA is actively tweeting its support for deputy director Gina Haspel’s elevation to lead the Agency. It routinely retweets articles supporting or endorsing Haspel, while ignoring those that don’t. This would seem to be an ethical violation. Isn’t any federal agency supposed to be neutral on who may or may not lead it? Ray McGovern, a CIA analyst under seven presidents who was also the personal morning briefer for President George H. W. Bush, joins the show.
President Trump told the hosts of Fox & Friends this morning that CIA Director Michael Pompeo was not supposed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un when he traveled to North Korea over the Easter weekend. But Kim walked into the room and the two spoke for more than an hour. Pompeo later said that Kim was very smart, a revelation for US policymakers. Why does the US really know nothing about the North Korean leader?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Heather Benno, an immigrant rights activist and attorney, and Angie Kim, the Community Engagement & Advocacy Coordinator for the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium.
In a major blow to the Trump Administration’s immigration policy, another federal judge has ruled that attempts to end the popular Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, are illegal. However, the judge gave the Administration 90 days to appeal the decision. Meanwhile, the travel ban finally reaches the Supreme Court today. All three versions of the travel ban have been ruled unconstitutional at every level of the federal courts. Now it’s the Supreme Court’s turn to weigh in.
Wednesday is the regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today, they discuss the pushback on a proposed new nuclear waste facility in New Mexico (submit comments against the facility at beyondnuclear.org), the Iran nuclear deal potentially being ripped apart, the North Korea-US talks, and the US breaking of international law about nuclear non-proliferation. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
Busloads of Central American migrants arrived in Tijuana Mexico yesterday, where they intend to turn themselves in to US border authorities and to ask for asylum. Most of the migrants are from Honduras and are fleeing crime, violence, and political repression in that country. The Trump Administration, however, is warning that anybody without a valid claim will be swiftly deported. And anybody who tries to cross the border will be arrested and prosecuted. Brian and John speak with Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.
A Filipino human rights activist scheduled for a speaking tour in the US was detained upon arrival at San Francisco Airport. A Customs and Border Protection officer said there was a problem with Jerome Aba’s visa, but Aba maintains that customs officers planted a weapon on him and tortured him when he was first detained. Adrian Bonifacio, National Chairperson of Anakbayan-USA, and Mong Palatino, a journalist and former member of the Philippines’ House of Representatives who was set to be on the same speaking tour as Jerome Aba, joins the show.
The Taliban announced the start of their annual spring offensive today, dismissing an offer of peace talks by President Ashraf Ghani, but pledging to focus on attacking only US forces in Afghanistan. Ghani had called for peace talks without any preconditions, but the Taliban refused, calling the offer “a conspiracy.” Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins Brian and John.
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is on trial in that country on myriad corruption charges. He and his family have been major political players in Pakistan for much of the past 30 years and have been accused of corruption before. But allegations of Sharif having assets beyond his means, leaked as part of the Panama Papers, may be enough to finally put him in prison. Marvin Weinbaum, the Scholar-in-Residence for the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan Studies, joins the show.
Facebook yesterday made public for the very first time a 27-page memo explaining the criteria for banning content on its site. The company also said that it would be more clear about its privacy policies in light of a new European Union law mandating transparency. Meanwhile, Twitter has released its privacy policy to the public. Brian and John speak with Professor Bryan Ford, who leads the Decentralized/Distributed Systems lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare,” and Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran.
French President Emmanuel Macron today held meetings with President Trump at the White House. Discussions focused on Iran and Syria. Trump is taking a hard line on the former, and Macron on the latter. The two also will discuss trade and counterterrorism today.
Tuesday’s weekly series continues looking at the top economic issues of the day, today focusing on Wells Fargo’s criminal business practices, AT&T and Verizon’s potentially criminal business practices, pay-for-quick-service emergency rooms, and new Facebook and Google privacy regulations that may hinder smaller companies. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
The US media have taken a tough position against rapprochement with North Korea and the possibility for peace on the peninsula. Is this just a knee-jerk anti-Trump reaction or is there something else behind it? Brian and John speak with Steve Gowans, a journalist and author of “Washington’s Long War on Syria.”
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt today will propose a rule that would establish new standards for what science could be used in writing agency regulations. This is a rule change long sought by conservatives, who argue that only publicly-available information should be considered in EPA deliberations. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation,” joins the show.
A group of 109 retired generals and admirals have signed an open letter to the members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, asking them to reject the nomination of Gina Haspel as director of the CIA. The former military leaders say they are “deeply troubled by the prospect of someone who appears to have been intimately involved in torture being elevated to one of the most important positions of leadership in the intelligence community. Brian interviews John, who worked for the CIA for 15 years and has been featured across media networks against Gina Haspel’s nomination due to her management of the CIA’s torture program.
A 25-year-old Toronto man drove a rented van through a crowd of people in that city yesterday, killing 10 and injuring at least 14. Canadian authorities have not said what Eric Manassian’s motive was, and police are not using the word terrorism. But that hasn’t stopped social media platforms from exploding over the issue, saying that Manassian is a Muslim and calling for more controls on refugees and immigrants into both Canada and the United States. Chris Black, an international criminal lawyer who is on the List of Counsel before the ICC, joins the show.
In a dramatic act of civil disobedience seven peace activists were arrested while protesting at the Kings Bay Naval Base in Georgia, where submarines capable of firing a world-ending barrage of nuclear missiles are stationed. Brian and John speak with Paul Magno, the finance director at Nonviolence International, a decentralized network of resource centers that promote nonviolent action and a culture of peace.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?” and Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Trump’s Déjà vu China Trade War” in the World Review of Political Economy.
The US Department of Commerce last week banned the Chinese major telecom equipment maker ZTE Corporation for seven years. This huge company might be brought down entirely by this US sanction. This comes a year after it was originally sanctioned for selling equipment to North Korea, in violation of United Nations sanctions. But there is another issue at play here: the issue of sanctions as an economic weapon.
French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Washington today for meetings with President Trump and other US leaders to discuss Iran, trade, climate change, Russia, North Korea, and terrorism. The visit comes on the heels of a joint US/French/British attack on Syria and it points to an increasingly close relationship between the two leaders. Gilbert Mercier, the editor in chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire”, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
The Saudi Air force yesterday bombed a wedding in Yemen, killing at least 20 people and wounding 45. Most of the dead were women and children, including the bride. A family of five was killed on Saturday, and 20 more people were killed on Friday. The Saudis have adopted a US tactic of bombing weddings and funerals to inflict the most damage possible. Meanwhile in Yemen, a top leader of the Houthi rebels who control the country’s north has been confirmed killed in a separate air raid. Brian and John speak with Medea Benjamin, a legendary activist and co-founder of Code Pink.
At least 10 people were killed during demonstrations in Nicaragua this weekend over the issue of pension reforms, amidst criticisms of the country’s economy raised by the International Monetary Fund. Is a progressive government like Nicaragua’s bending to IMF pressure? Nils McCune, a member of La Via Campesina, the international peasants’ movement, speaking on his own behalf, rather than for the entire organization, joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today focuses the 50th Anniversary of the Columbia University protest with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
CIA Director Michael Pompeo’s nomination to be Secretary of State will come to a vote this afternoon in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He will likely not receive a favorable vote. But he still has a path to victory on the floor of the Senate. Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, joins the show.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign was cut short 50 years ago with his assassination, but a new effort aims to carry on this legacy. To assist that campaign, the Institute for Policy Studies has produced a 123-page report on the state of poverty in America to provide facts and data for the movement. Brian and John speak with report’s co-editor, Saurav Sarkar, with the Institute for Policy Studies.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia” and Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net.
It’s Friday and it’s been a big week of news. Just today, the DNC announced they’re suing Trump, WikiLeaks, and the entire country of Russia, memos were released from James Comey that depict interactions with Trump, and the inspector general’s report on McCabe has been sent to the U.S. Attorney for potential criminal charges.
In Friday’s regular update on elections, the competition to be the next Speaker of the House and Senator from California has been intense, but on one thing Congress seems to mostly agree—war against Syria. Jacqueline Luqman and Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, join the show.
All around the world, whistleblowers who expose the misdeeds of the rich and powerful are persecuted, but many countries have also adopted legislation to offer them some form of protection. Brian and Walter speak with Loud & Clear co-host John Kiriakou,who has been in Greece this week to address the Greek parliament and meet senior government officials as that country prepares to pass its first true whistleblower protection law.
The Department of Health and Human Services is reportedly planning to issue regulations that will further restrict undocumented people's ability to access health care. The hosts have part two of an in-depth look at this latest attack on immigrants and the barriers to healthcare access that already existed. Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program, joins the show.
We’ve all heard about GMOs, or genetically modified foods. But new research has created what’s being called GMO.2, or gene-edited food. What is this new creation and is it any safer than GMO.1? Patty Lovera, Food and Water Policy Director at Food & Water Watch, joins Brian and John.
The US and the UK took the highly unusual step of issued a joint technical alert this week, which says that Russia has hacked millions of personal and home technological devices. Is this true? What’s the big picture? Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and Nicole Roussell, sitting in for John, speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Arnold August, a lecturer, journalist, and author of the book “Cuba and the US in the Age of Trump,” and Gloria La Riva, the director of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee.
Miguel Diaz Canal has been elected by the National Assembly to be the new President of Cuba. As the country embarks on a historic leadership transition as Raul Castro steps down, what does the future hold for Cuba and its socialist system?
The weekly series “Criminal Injustice” continues, where the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, including the murder by NYPD of Saheed Vassell, a man known by cops and the community to be mentally ill. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News, join the show.
Cancer is not only traumatic and deadly, but it can be incredibly expensive to treat. One organization, Value in Cancer Care Consortium, has been working on cutting those costs to make cancer treatment more readily available, and for one treatment, the researchers were able to confirm that just one-third of a drug for blood cancer was just as effective as the previously recommended dose. This would, of course, cut the treatment cost by a third—until Janssen and Pharmacyclics tripled their prices in response. Brian and Walter speak with Dr. Allen Lichter, an oncologist and chair of the board of directors of the Value in Cancer Care Consortium.
The Department of Health and Human Services is reportedly planning to issue regulations that will further restrict undocumented people's ability to access health care. The hosts take an in-depth look today and tomorrow at this latest attack on immigrants and the barriers to healthcare access that already existed. Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program, joins the show.
Yesterday evening, Charles County, Maryland residents rallied at the town council building to protest fracking and a potential new fracked gas compressor station. Fracking is a problem nationwide that is hazardous to the environment and to people living nearby. Maryland anti-fracking organizer with Amp Creeks Council, who was a key organizer in the rally yesterday, joins Brian and Walter.
Puerto Rico suffered a huge blackout yesterday leaving the entire island without power, which has still not yet been fully restored. Months after Puerto Rico was hit with a devastating hurricane, critical infrastructure is still yet to be repaired. Camilo Punsoda, spokesperson for Juventud Trabajadora, the youth wing of the Working People’s Party of Puerto Rico, joins the show.
The Syrian army has given ISIS a 48-hour deadline to vacate areas south of the capital Damascus, primarily the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, which has suffered under ISIS’ brutal rule since the spring of 2015. Meanwhile, controversy continues to swirl over the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma. Brian and Walter speak with Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Dr. Christine Hong, Associate Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at UC Santa Cruz and a member of the Korea Policy Institute, and Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network.
A minister in the government of South Korean has confirmed that a peace treaty with the North is on the agenda for the summit between Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un set for April 27. What would this historic step mean for the future of the Korean peninsula?
Wednesday is the regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today, they address weather like mid-April snowstorms and cold snaps damaging nuclear reactors, a new campaign to press the US to commit not to use nuclear weapons, and increasing pressure against a nuclear bailout in the PJM area. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
The war in Syria continues to deepen in the wake of last week’s U.S.-led missile attack. Saudi Arabia has offered to send ground troops to the country, and controversy continues over the investigation into the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma. Brian and John speak with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria.
Former FBI agent Terry Albury pleaded guilty yesterday to providing secret documents to the press. In a statement, he said he knew it was against the law, but he felt strongly that the public needed to know about the racism inherent in FBI practices. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show.
In a surprise move, Turkish President Erdogan has called an early general election, scheduled for June 24. With the government fostering a wave of nationalistic fervor across the country, opposition forces fear that these elections may further consolidate Erdogan’s stranglehold on power. Ceyda Karan, a columnist at Cumhuriyet Daily, joins Walter.
Attorney-client privilege has been focused on in the news recently in light of the FBI investigating Trump’s lawyer. But it’s an incredibly important democratic right and a core of our democracy. Brad Schlesinger, an appellate attorney licensed to practice in the Supreme Court, joins the show.
In the newest reflection of his America First policy, Trump is pushing the emir of Kuwait to purchase a $10 billion fighter jet. He is pushing this deal on behalf of a private company, Boeing, the jet manufacturer, because the company has become impatient that the sale is stalled. Brian and John speak with Greg Mello, the Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” and Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net.
Despite Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley’s announcement there would be additional sanctions on Russia, Trump pulled back yesterday. Whether a misstep by Haley or indecision by Trump, the office is clearly unorganized.
Tuesday’s weekly series continues, looking at the top economic issues of the day, focusing on banks being the biggest beneficiary of Trump’s tax bill, with Bank of America noting this week that its effective tax rate is now nine points lower. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is visiting Trump at Mar-a-Lago today. Both leaders are dealing with scandals, and Abe’s approval ratings are in the 30s and even 20s according to one poll. How will this visit affect the Trans Pacific Partnership, high-level diplomacy in Korea, and other key global issues? Brian and Walter speak with Vijay Prashad, the Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books.
Debate is raging in the British parliament over the highly unpopular decision by Theresa May’s government to join the U.S.-led missile attack on Syria last Friday. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn is pushing for a war powers act to limit the ability of a Prime Minister from launching military action in the future without consulting parliament. Robert Griffiths, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain, joins the show.
A series of deadly attacks across Afghanistan the government says was carried out by the Taliban took place over the weekend, leading to dozens of deaths as the spring fighting season gets underway. Will the U.S. occupation of the country ever end? Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins Brian and Walter.
A federal court ruled recently against a 2017 Maryland law that let the Attorney General sue pharmaceutical companies for price gouging. Is this another case of corporate profits coming before people’s needs? Nicole Roussell, producer for Loud & Clear, joins the show.
David S Buckel was a prominent LGBTQ rights lawyer who litigated landmark cases for marriage equality and the rights of LGBTQ youth. Later on, he fiercely advocated for protections for the environment. He died on Saturday after setting himself on fire in a tragic act of protest against climate change. Brian and Walter speak with Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell, sitting in for John Kiriakou, are joined by Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, and Francis Boyle, a professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law.
On Friday night, as Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons investigators were headed to Syria to examine evidence of an alleged chemical attack, the U.S., UK, and France bombed Syria with more than one hundred missiles. The Syrian air defenses shot down much of the barrage, but the damage done was still intense. What will the consequences be of this major escalation in an already dangerous and complex war.
For decades, the U.S. Navy used the Puerto Rican island of Vieques as a testing and dumping ground for highly dangerous weapons and materials. Huge protests and brave acts of civil disobedience alongside a determined battle in the courts led to victory in 2003, and this struggle is remembered as a key part of the broader struggle for freedom for Puerto Rico. Scott Edwards, co-director of the Food & Water Justice project at Food & Water Watch and an attorney who has prosecuted U.S. energy companies for contamination of waterways and worked against factory farms in both North Carolina and the Chesapeake region, joins the show.
Seven people have died and at least 17 are injured inside a South Carolina prison that has been plagued with dire problems. One inmate reported to the Associated Press that the officers did nothing to stop the violence and let bodies “literally stack on top of each other.” Brian and Nicole speak with Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News.
Former FBI Director James Comey is releasing a book tomorrow, though excerpts have leaked out and are enraging Trump as Comey embarks on a media blitz. What comes next in the battle between the former FBI Director and the sitting president? Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the soon to be released book “The Plot to Attack Iran,” joins the show.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today focuses on a recent report on discriminatory racial discipline disparities and the teacher strikes across the nation with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
According to reports released this afternoon, contrary to expectations, the announcement about planned sanctions against Russia will be postponed at least temporarily. Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United Nations, had promised that new sanctions would be announced today. Earlier this afternoon the hosts spoke with Professor Steve Keen and Dmitri Babich about what a new sanctions regime against Russia might look like, what its’ impacts might be on the Russian economy and how it could impact global trade. Dmitry Babich, journalist and commentator with Sputnik International, and Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, join the show.
The Justice Department Inspector General issued a report that paints former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe as having released information to the press against FBI practices and having lied to and misled investigators about the Clinton email scandal. Brian and Walter speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mark Sleboda, an international Affairs and Security Analyst, and Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist.
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session this morning at the request of Russia to try to head off a US, UK, and French attack on Syria. Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense James Mattis is trying to walk President Trump back from provocative statements he made threatening such an attack. And the British press is reporting that Prime Minister Theresa May is awaiting further instructions from the US.
House Speaker Paul Ryan announced his retirement this week, setting off a scrum to replace him in the Republican caucus. On the same day, though, Republican Rep. Dennis Ross announced his retirement, bringing the total number of Republican Congressmen retiring to 59--the most in history and nearly a quarter of all Republicans in the House. Jacqueline Luqman and Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, join the show.
More than 900 Palestinians were wounded today and at least one was killed on the third Friday of uprisings in Gaza; the dead man was a journalist working with Chinese artist Ai Weiwei on a documentary. At least 34 Palestinians have been killed since March 30. They are protesting Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land and are demanding the right to return to their ancestral lands. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated the Israeli Army for using force against the Palestinians. Brian and John speak with Richard Becker, an expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and author of the book “Palestine, Israel and the US Empire,” and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.
Former FBI Director James Comey is preparing for a nationwide media blitz in advance of his new memoir, which will be published on Wednesday. Pre-orders have already made it #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list. The book is a tell-all in which he compares President Trump to a mob boss. The President tweeted today that Comey is “an untruthful slimeball.” Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, joins the show.
Four men are being accused of carrying out a hate crime against a gay couple who were walking near the beach in Miami following a gay pride event. The four beat the couple and a good Samaritan who tried to intervene after shouting anti-gay slurs. Stratton Pollitzer, the deputy director of the LGBTQ rights organization Equality Florida, joins Brian and John.
A new treatment for Hepatitis C that costs $300 for a 12-week course has proven to be just as effective as two other treatments that cost $84,000 and $94,500. In clinical trials, 97 percent of Hepatitis C sufferers were cured. Tahir Amin, co-founder and co-executive director of I-MAK, an organization that works to increase global access to affordable life-saving medicines, joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com, and Nicole Roussell, a producer of this show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Alfred de Zayas, a retired high-ranking UN official and the UN Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order. He has been a leading voice against indefinite detention, torture, and nuclear pollution.
Officials from organizations ranging from the Pentagon to the United Nations to the British Parliament have backtracked on earlier statements that the Syrian government was responsible for a recent chemical attack on civilians. The hosts look at the evidence—or lack of evidence—and what it means for a possible military strike on Syria.
To address the urgent need to stop a war on Syria, Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist and journalist whose son Casey was killed during the Iraq War, and Gerry Condon, the president of Veterans for Peace, a Vietnam-era veteran, and a war resister who spent six years in Sweden and Canada after refusing orders in Vietnam, join the show.
Confirmation hearings for CIA Director Mike Pompeo to become Secretary of State began today on Capitol Hill. The right-wing hardliner is attempting to soften the public perception of his record as the hearings go forward. Brian and John speak with Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of Codepink and author of the book “Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection.”
Although he’s presented himself as a leader of the anti-Trump resistance, California Governor Jerry Brown has announced that he’s going along with the Trump administration’s border militarization and will be deploying 400 members of the state’s national guard. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins the show.
The first half of our weekly series Criminal Injustice, which is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, focuses on the police shooting in Portland of a mentally ill man who was stabbing himself with a knife in a homeless shelter. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News, join Brian and John.
The second half of today’s Criminal Injustice addresses new information about prison phone call exploitation. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News, join the show.
Republican former House Speaker John Boehner has a new job. He’s a lobbyist for the marijuana industry. Brian and John speak with Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, you can check out their work at popularresistance.org.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, and Shabbir Razvi, an economist and political analyst.
In an outrageous and provocative tweet this morning, President Trump warned Russia that it should get ready for missiles to be fired at Syria, adding that the missiles “will be nice and new and smart.” Trump also called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad “a gas killing animal.” Syria denied that it used chemical weapons and called the event a staged provocation designed to draw the US military into the conflict in a major way. Russia, which has troops in Syria, warned of severe repercussions. Meanwhile, the US, UK, and France have all prepositioned fighter jets in the eastern Mediterranean. Almost 15 years to the day when the US waged war against Iraq using chemical weapons and weapons of mass destruction as a false pretext—we appear to be on the verge of the next US war in another Middle Eastern country.
Wednesday is the regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today is focused on myths and facts around nuclear power, and how to make a reality that is both low-carbon and nuclear-free. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
House Speaker Paul Ryan said today that he would retire at the end of his term. The announcement was not unexpected, and it set off a race between House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Majority Whip Steve Scalise. Political observers say that Scalise, who was shot and severely wounded last year on an Alexandria, Virginia baseball field, is the more conservative of the two and is more likely to win Ryan’s job. Will anyone miss Paul Ryan? Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent a second day on Capitol Hill today, testifying about his company’s use of—and security related to—personal data. Zuckerberg apologized to legislators yesterday for not protecting Facebook users’ data, and he admitted today that some sort of federal regulation of Facebook was a near certainty. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins the show.
President Trump today signed an executive order that would strengthen the requirements that all welfare recipients be required to work in order to continue receiving public assistance. The requirement makes no provisions for single mothers or the disabled. Dr. Margaret Flowers, a medical doctor and the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance at PopularResistance.org, joins Brian and John.
Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro will boycott the Summit of the Americas, which will be held later this month in Peru. The summit already has been the source of controversy, with Peruvian President Pedro Kuczynski, who has since resigned in a corruption scandal, initially revoking Maduro’s invitation, and Trump skipping out as well. Jeanette Charles, a writer, editor and Solidarity Liaison with VenezuelaAnalysis.com, joins the show.
A week ago, a friend of John’s visited the new Bible Museum in Washington. He was there to meet another friend, who didn’t show up, so he waited in the lobby. Because he was sitting in the lobby and not entering the museum, John’s friend, an Egyptian Christian, was detained and questioned by museum security. Then two days ago, two FBI agents from the Joint Counterterrorism Task Force showed up at his house. The hosts take a look at the realities of America in the age of terrorism.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria, and Ajamu Baraka, a longtime human rights activist, organizer, and political activist, and the 2016 Green Party nominee for Vice President of the United States.
President Trump yesterday promised a “forceful response” to the alleged chemical attack in Syria, adding that the United States has an array of military options available to it. The President also said he would skip this week’s Latin American summit so that he could focus on Syria. Meanwhile, Russia called for a United Nations investigation of the chemical attack and warned the US that a military response against Syria would be met with “severe repercussions,” while members of Congress began beating the drums for military intervention in Syria.
Tuesday’s weekly series continues, looking at the top economic issues of the day, focusing on Trump’s criticism of Amazon. A new report is out confirming that raising the minimum wage raises workers’ paychecks and doesn’t result in fewer people working. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
FBI agents yesterday raided the offices of President Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, apparently seeking any and all documents related to the payment of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels, a former pornographic film star who allegedly had a relationship with the President. Brian and John speak with Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
Yesterday was Black Monday for Russian oligarchs subject to the Trump Administration’s latest sanctions, with those on the sanctions list losing $16 billion in just one day. Russian stocks tumbled on both the Moscow and Hong Kong exchanges, and the ruble fell to its lowest level against the dollar in two years. Dimitri Babich, a journalist and commentator with Sputnik International, joins the show.
The Puerto Rico Department of Education announced yesterday that it would close 283 school all over the island in response to a drastic drop in enrollment following the devastation last year of Hurricane Maria. The move would save Puerto Rico $303 million, but the island is $120 billion in debt. Camilo Punsoda, spokesperson for Juventud Trabajadora, the youth wing of the Working People’s Party of Puerto Rico, joins Brian and John.
One of the top leaders of Colombia’s former rebel group, the FARC, was arrested today on drug charges at the request of the United States. Jesus Santrich, a peace negotiator, is charged in a federal court in New York with drug trafficking. But the arrest may deal a death blow to the Colombian peace process. James Jordan, a member of the Alliance for Global Justice who is currently on tour with the leader of Colombia’s largest farmworkers’ union, joins the show.
A federal court ruled last week that the Environmental Protection Agency violated the Civil Rights Act by delaying investigations into environmental discrimination complaints for years, and in some cases for decades, including complaints in Flint, Michigan. How can a state agency get away with extended racism for so long? Brian and John speak with Karen Monahan, a Senior Organizer with the Beyond Coal campaign for the Sierra Club in Minnesota who has provided racial equity and diversity training for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and served as the co-Chair of the Sierra Club North Star Chapter’s Diversity Council.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, and Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and a member of the central committee of the Lebanese Communist Party.
President Trump over the weekend threatened to make Syria “pay a big price” in response to a chemical weapons attack outside Damascus that killed at least 70 people, most of them women and children. Russian President Vladimir Putin countered that any attack on Syria would be considered an attack on Russia. French President Macron said that his country would “do its duty” in Syria and said it would go to the United Nations Security Council today. Meanwhile, Israeli jets attacked an airbase outside Palmyra, killing 14 Syrian troops.
About 10 billion land animals are raised for food in the United States every year. Many of those animals are raised on factory farms. That industrial method of farming produces vast amounts of pollution. It includes 37 percent of methane emissions, which is more than 20 times the global warming impact of carbon dioxide. Manure, along with its heavy metals and toxic chemicals, leeches into the soil. And waste lagoons not only contaminate our drinking water, they deplete it as well. Scott Edwards, co-director of the Food & Water Justice project at Food & Water Watch, joins the show.
The Department of Homeland Security is creating a database to monitor journalists, bloggers, and what it calls “media influencers.” The database would track 290,000 news sources (both foreign and domestic), writing, and speaking in 100 languages. Media observers see the database as nothing less than a frontal attack on freedom of the press. Brian and John speak with the senior director of strategy and communications at Free Press.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today focuses on a recent report on discriminatory racial discipline disparities and the teacher strikes across the nation with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was reelected yesterday on a strongly anti-immigrant platform. His party is projected to win 133 of the 199 seats in parliament. This will be Orban’s fourth term. During that time, he was transformed his Fidesz Party from a liberal party to a right-wing populist party. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
French rail workers continue intermittent strikes that are expected to last three months. These strikes are a major challenge to President Emmanuel Macron’s pro-business plans to reshape the French economy. Alex Gordon, former president of the National Union of Rail, Maritime, & Transport Workers, joins the show.
The hosts continue the regular segment of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com, and Nicole Roussell, a producer of this show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, a journalist, political commentator, and author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," and Alexander Mercouris, the editor in chief of The Duran.
This morning, the Trump administration issued sanctions on seven Russian oligarchs, and 12 companies they own or control, and 17 senior Russian government officials. The administration says this is due to Russian meddling in the 2016 election. But where’s the evidence about this meddling?
On L&C’s regular Friday segment covering the upcoming midterm elections, the hosts take a look at special elections in Wisconsin and Arizona, a Republican primary in West Virginia, and the crucial senate race in Tennessee. Jacqueline Luqman and Abdus Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, join the show.
In a second Friday in a row, Israeli forces are killing Palestinians for protesting for the right to return to their land. At least eight Palestinians have been killed already today, with another 700 wounded. One dead is a 16-year-old boy and at least 31 children have been wounded, as Israel refuses to change its open-fire rules and pummels the protesters with live ammunition and high velocity bullets. That brings the total killing over the last week to 30 Palestinians dead and more than 1,600 wounded. Brian and John speak with Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” and the newly released "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five."
Saheed Vassell was well known to residents and police alike in his Brooklyn, NY neighborhood as a harmless mentally ill man who danced on the sidewalks and played with all types of items left on the street. But two days ago, newcomers to the neighborhood called 911 to report that Vassell pointing something that looked like a gun at passers-by. It wasn’t a gun. It was a shower head. Police arrived and, within six seconds, Vassell was shot and killed. The community is incredibly angry and has been rising up in protest. Kerbie Joseph, an activist and organizer deeply involved in the issues of human rights and social justice, joins the show.
Thousands of Arizona teachers took to the streets yesterday threatening to go on strike if the state legislature doesn’t improve teacher pay and working conditions, reduce class sizes, and purchase new textbooks and equipment. Teachers in Arizona are among the worst paid in the country. Noah Karvelis, a public educator in Phoenix who frequently publishes and speaks about public education and democracy in the United States, joins Brian and John.
3,100 employees of Google have signed a letter protesting the company’s involvement in a Pentagon program that uses artificial intelligence to interpret video imagery that could be used to improve the targeting of drone strikes, or what Defense Secretary James Mattis calls “the lethality of the US military.” Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Yesterday’s conversation continues about Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, and personal data. Did Cambridge Analytica impact the 2016 election? Brian and John speak with Dr. Robert Epstein, the Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, and Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News.
Today, the weekly series “Criminal Injustice” continues, where the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country, including the murder by NYPD of Saheed Vassell, a man known by cops and the community to be mentally ill.
Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. After he was killed, there were uprisings in dozens of cities, though these powerful rebellions have been falsely portrayed as opportunistic and materialistic looting and rioting. What were the social movements at the time of the assassination of Dr. King and what kind of oppression caused the Black community to rise up after this assassination? Malik Rahim, a former Black Panther and a longtime housing and prison activist in Louisiana who gained widespread attention as an important community organizer in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, joins the show.
Yulia Skripal, who last month was poisoned in the UK with her father, a Russian double agent, is finally recovering. She said she feels stronger each day, but is still disoriented. The British government has said the Skripals were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok. Absent any proof, however, British scientists and politicians have backed off that claim. Brian and John speak with Dr. Piers Robinson, the chairman of the politics, society, and political journalism department at the University of Sheffield and the author of “Routledge Handbook of Media, Conflict and Security.”
The Brazilian Supreme Court ruled last night that former president Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva can be sent to prison while he appeals his conviction on corruption charges. Lula said that the 6-5 ruling was an underhanded ploy to keep him off the ballot. He is currently leading in presidential preference polls. Earlier yesterday, a Brazilian general threatened a military coup if Lula was not imprisoned. Ada Siqueira, a member of Brazilian Expats for Democracy and Social Justice, joins the show.
Major teachers strikes continue in Oklahoma and Kentucky, even though the Oklahoma state legislature has agreed to increase teachers salaries. The teachers are striking due to pensions, class sizes, classroom supplies, up-to-date textbooks, and respect. Liz Davis, President of the Washington Teachers Union who has taught in DC public schools for 41 years, joins Brian and John.
Facebook executives announced yesterday that at least 87 million users had their personal data harvested secretly by data firm Cambridge Analytica. The number is far higher than Facebook had previously admitted. The company responded by saying that it would adopt Europe’s stricter privacy policies for the US. But Congress wants CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify. Dr. Robert Epstein, the Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, and Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower, join the show.
A group of retired veteran intelligence, law enforcement, and military professionals yesterday delivered a letter to the Ecuadorian Ambassador to the United States asking that his country allow Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to have internet access and permission for him to receive visitors. Assange has been cut off from the outside world for two weeks now after he commented on Twitter about Catalonian elections. Brian speaks with John about delivering the letter to the embassy yesterday.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Jared Ball, a professor of communication studies at Morgan State University, the author of “I MiX What I Like: A MiXtape Manifesto,” and you can find his writings at www.IMixWhatILike.org.
Today is the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. We’ll take a look at Dr. King’s legacy, his fight for peace, for the poor, for education, and for economic integration for all. And what if Dr. King had lived? What would America look like today?
Wednesday is the regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today is focused on the potential shutdown of several reactors in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
President Trump said repeatedly this week that he wanted to pull US troops out of Syria, only to have the Pentagon push back and the White House release a vague statement declaring their intent to withdraw at an undefined time. Meanwhile, the leaders of Russia, Turkey, and Iran are meeting in Ankara to talk about the future of Syria. Brian and John speak with Ambassador Peter Ford, the former British Ambassador to Syria.
China today announced an additional $50 billion in tariffs on US goods, in response to President Trump’s decision to impose an additional $50 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods two days ago. The tit-for-tat initiated by Trump two weeks ago caused the stock market to drop 480 points at the open today. Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, and Pete Dolack, an activist and writer with Trade Justice New York Metro, who focuses on human rights, social justice, and environmental and trade issues, and the author of “It’s Not Over, Learning from the Socialist Experiment,” join the show.
Brazilian General Luis Gonzaga Schroeder Lessa told reporters today that if the Federal Superior Tribunal, the Supreme Court, did not give the green light to the imprisonment of former President Ignacio Lula da Silva, the only alternative would be military intervention. This is the clearest and most public threat of a military coup in Brazil in decades. As of 3:00 this afternoon, the Brazilian Supreme Court is in session and deliberating on the matter. Arnold August, a lecturer, journalist, and author of the book “Cuba and the US in the Age of Trump,” joins Brian and John.
Key provisions of the Clean Water Act are now under the control of one person at the Environmental Protection Agency--Administrator Scott Pruitt, according to a leaked memo. In the new memo, Pruitt says that he, and he alone, will make all final decisions over the protection of streams, rivers, ponds, and wetlands. Scott Edwards, co-director of the Food & Water Justice project at Food & Water Watch and an attorney who has prosecuted U.S. energy companies for contamination of waterways and worked against factory farms in both North Carolina and the Chesapeake region, joins the show.
The White House said Tuesday that President Trump will order the National Guard to the border with Mexico to confront what he calls a growing threat from immigrants, drugs, and crime. Trump also will ask Congress for new legislation to block immigrants and asylum seekers. Brian and John speak with Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by William Pepper, an attorney who has worked for years to prove the role of the government in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He and Dr. King allied around the anti-war movement and he continued to represent the King family after Dr. King’s death.
Tomorrow, April 4, marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Recent polls show that a majority of Americans do not believe that his vision of a just society has been realized. Many Americans—including the King family—also question the official story about who was responsible for the assassination.
Tuesday’s weekly series continues, looking at the top economic issues of the day, focusing on Trump’s criticism of Amazon. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Thousands of teachers across Kentucky and Oklahoma have entered the second day of their strikes for better pay, benefits, and working conditions in a movement that has spread rapidly since West Virginia teachers successfully struck earlier this year. Brian and John speak with Derek Ford, an assistant professor of education studies at DePauw University and a community organizer whose latest book is “Education and the Production of Space.”
A report published over the weekend by sports news website Deadspin showed dozens of television news anchors from local stations around the country owned by the conservative Sinclair Broadcasting Group reciting the exact same script warning against what they called “biased and false news.” The episode reveals the power of a company long criticized for pushing its conservative agenda into homes across the country. Tim Karr, the senior director of strategy and communications at Free Press, joins the show.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Ankara today to launch Turkey’s first nuclear power plant with Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss Syria, energy, and defense issues. The Russian state nuclear energy agency will build the $20 billion nuclear power facility. The Russian state news agency also noted that Russia will expedite the delivery of the Russian S-400 air defense system to Turkey. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins Brian and John.
Prosecutors in the Russia probe revealed last night that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein authorized them in August of last year to investigate allegations that President Trump’s campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was colluding with Russian government officials to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. The revelation comes amid a lawsuit filed by Manafort, which challenges the Special Counsel’s investigative authority and the indictments already issued. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net who recently published “The Warm War: Russiamania at the Boiling Point” at Counterpunch, and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the soon to be released book “The Plot to Attack Iran,” joins the show.
Yesterday, China announced an additional $3 billion in tariffs on US goods, and the stock market took a huge hit. The big spike in stock market volatility indicates that a full-fledged trade war between the US and China may be getting under way. The US is now expected to announce further tariffs on $50 to $60 billion in Chinese imports, to which the Chinese have already promised a response in the “same proportion.” Brian and John continue their conversation from yesterday with Jude Woodward, the London mayor Ken Livingstone's advisor on culture and creative industries and the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jamier Sale, an activist with the ANSWER Coalition who has been organizing protests demanding justice for Stephon Clark; Gloria La Riva, the Peace and Freedom Party’s 2018 California gubernatorial candidate; and Aislinn Borsini, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Chicago.
An independent inquest has found that Stephon Clark, the African-American man killed by police in Sacramento last week, was shot eight times. Six of those shots were from behind. Protests in Sacramento have grown steadily since Clark was killed, and sympathetic protests have taken place all over the country.
Israeli soldiers killed 17 Palestinians and wounded at least 1400 more on Friday during Land Day demonstrations in Gaza. Twenty Palestinians remain in critical condition. No Israelis were killed or wounded. Why would these protesters put their lives on the line? And why would the Israelis kill them? Longtime peace activist and Code Pink member Tighe Barry and Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist whose latest book is “Sesame Street Palestine: The Ups and Downs of Producing a Children’s Program,” join the show.
Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today focuses on the teacher strikes across the nation with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
President Trump killed any hope for a DACA deal just minutes before entering church on Easter Sunday, when he tweeted about an imaginary caravan of illegal immigrants making its way to the United States, that the U.S. does not have any border laws because liberals in Congress prevented them from being passed, and that he would kill NAFTA if Mexico doesn’t do more to close the border. All of Trump’s claims in these tweets are demonstrably false. Carolyn Gomez, a labor organizer and community activist, joins the show.
China announced an additional $3 billion in tariffs on US goods, including pork, fruits, and seamless steel pipes, in the wake of President Trump’s initiation of a trade war with that country. The new Chinese tariffs will hit farmers in many states that Trump won in the 2016 election. Jude Woodward, London mayor Ken Livingstone's advisor on culture and creative industries and the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?” and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek join Brian and John.
Winnie Mandela, the former wife of South African President and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, has died at 81. Winnie Mandela fought apartheid with her husband for decades, but the two grew apart during his incarceration and divorced soon after his release from prison. The hosts discuss her important legacy. Mwiza Munthali, the host of the WPFW radio show “Africa Now!”and formerly with the advocacy group TransAfrica Forum, joins the show.
President Trump said today that he would freeze $200 million earmarked for Syrian recovery and development, just days after saying he wanted to pull out of Syria as soon as possible. The freeze and the president’s comments contradict both State Department and Defense Department policies. Brian and John speak with Massoud Shadjareh, founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, John Kiriakou and Walter Smolarek and Nicole Roussell (sitting in for Brian Becker) are joined by Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book The Battle for Justice in Palestine and journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen.
In demonstrations today, the Israeli army and police massacred at least ten Palestinian protesters, injured more than one thousand people, and many more were arrested. In response to the Israeli government’s announcement that it would expropriate thousands of acres of Palestinian land to build a settlement, a general strike and protests were organized in Arab towns all over the country in 1976, and ever since today has been commemorated as Land Day.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (sitting in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Alexander Mercouris, the editor in chief of The Duran, and Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
Russia has closed a US consulate and expelled 60 US diplomats, along with 90 diplomats from other countries, matching the US and EU actions earlier this month over the Sergei Skripal case. Meanwhile, British authorities say they’ve pinpointed the location where Russian double agent Skripal and his daughter were poisoned. The front door of the family’s home shows the highest concentration of a nerve agent in the class of Novichok. We’ll also look at developments in the Russiagate investigation.
Today, the weekly series “Criminal Injustice” continues, where the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Today’s segment focuses on the school-to-prison pipeline and police killings. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News, join the show.
A historic meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set for April 27 on the southern side of the Demilitarized Zone. This is the first time since 2007 that leaders of the two countries have met. No agenda has yet been agreed upon. Brian and John speak with Tim Shorrock, a Washington-based investigative journalist who grew up in Japan and South Korea and who is the author of “SPIES FOR HIRE: The Secret World of Outsourced Intelligence.”
President Trump fired Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin and replaced him with Admiral Ronny Jackson, the president’s personal physician. Jackson has no management experience whatsoever, but will be charged with cleaning up a department in crisis. Shulkin was the only cabinet holdover from the Obama Administration. Ryan Endicott, an anti-war Iraq veteran and a graduate clinical intern mental health counselor for veterans.
A judge in Massachusetts has found a group of 13 pipeline protesters not guilty of crimes related to a protest in which they climbed into holes that had been dug for a high-pressure gas pipeline. The 13 were the first of 198 people set to go on trial, including the daughter of former Vice President Al Gore. The judge said protest against climate change was a legal necessity. Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance whose work is at popularresistance.org, joins Walter and John.
The group Health Over Profit for Everyone, in partnership with the Backbone Campaign, is offering the first Single Payer Action Camp to build participants’ skills in strategy, messaging, and direct action to win improved Medicare for all. The camp will take place from April 7-10 in Washington. Mike Pappas, an organizer with the Single Payer Action Camp and a Georgetown University medical student, joins the show.
A review of public documents by Politico reveals that the Trump Administration made a conscious decision to focus almost exclusively on Houston after it was hit by Hurricane Harvey last year, and to ignore Puerto Rico, which was harder hit three weeks later by Hurricane Maria. Politico said that disaster recovery experts have expressed shock at the double standard. Brian and John speak with Ruth Beltran, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Tampa.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (filling in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Jeremy Varon, a professor at the New School in New York and an anti-Guantanamo prison activist.
President Trump’s nominees for Secretary of State and CIA Director will soon face the Senate Foreign Relations and Senate Intelligence Committees, respectively. Michael Pompeo, a conservative former congressman and the current CIA Director, is likely to be confirmed, despite a filibuster by Kentucky’s Republican Senator Rand Paul. But there’s a fight over Gina Haspel, the current deputy director of the CIA. She oversaw the Agency’s torture program during the Bush Administration. And those chickens may be coming home to roost.
Wednesday is the regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today also is the 39th anniversary of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 meltdown. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
Kim Jong Un was in Beijing over the past two days, his first foreign trip since becoming North Korea’s leader in 2011. He was in China to consult with President Xi Jinping and other senior officials there in advance of his meeting with President Trump. Brian and John speak with Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network.
The Ecuadorian government today cut off Julian Assange’s internet access and announced in a press release from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Julian will be denied the right to have visitors. Former Greek Finance Minister Yannis Varoufakis, a friend and supporter of Julian’s, says that Ecuador has taken steps to silence Julian under pressure from the US and Spanish governments. Diani Baretto, an activist and the director of the Berlin Bureau of ExposeFacts.org, joins the show.
In 2016, police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana responded to a call of a man with a gun at a convenience store. When they arrived, they found Alton Sterling. He had a gun, but he was compliant. He was wrestled to the ground, pinned, and then shot and killed. The police said he was reaching for the gun, but a video of the incident showed no such thing. Yesterday, federal authorities said they would not charge the police officers who killed him. State law enforcement authorities said the same thing months ago. Checo Yancy, the director for the advocacy arm of Voters Organized to Educate who served nearly 20 years in the notorious Angola State Penitentiary before having his sentence commuted by the governor, joins Walter and John.
The United States and South Korea have agreed in principle to revise a trade deal that has been in place since 2012. Trump Administration officials are calling it “visionary” and “innovative.” But Democrats are saying that it’s no different than the original deal. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California, author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” and at jackrasmus.com, joins the show.
An appeals court in Brazil has rejected the final procedural objections by former Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva against his corruption conviction. The decision raises the likelihood that Lula will be incarcerated. Meanwhile, unknown gunmen shot at two buses carrying Lula supporters and journalists in southern Brazil. Walter and John speak with Arnold August, a lecturer, journalist, and author of the book “Cuba-US Relations: Obama and Beyond.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (filling in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America.”
Linda Brown died yesterday Brown was a young schoolgirl when she was at the center of a landmark Supreme Court case that ended racial segregation in American schools, Brown versus Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. The hosts talk about her legacy, the impact of Brown v. The Board of Education at the time, and the way that school segregation has morphed, but in effect stayed the same, since then.
Tuesday’s weekly series continues, looking at the top economic issues of the day, focusing on the power of Amazon and the decline of department stores and shopping malls. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Syria and rebel groups have made evacuation deals in two of three rebel pockets outside of Damascus, in Harasta and Douma. The third pocket, controlled by the Jaish al-Islam, or Army of Islam, Saudi Arabia’s main ally, is not yet being evacuated because the Army of Islam has refused to surrender. That group is still in negotiations with Russia, Syria’s main ally, and another round of talks starts tomorrow. Civilians eagerly await the arrival of humanitarian aid from the Syrian government once rebel forces are gone. Walter and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
A bipartisan group of congresspeople has called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate whether Aljazeera, the news outlet owned by the Qatari government, should register as an agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA. Peter van Buren, a former State Department Foreign Service Officer who became a renowned whistleblower, a journalist, and the author of four books, the most recent of which is “Hooper’s War: A Novel of World War II Japan,” joins the show.
Over the last day, the US and the European Union have announced that they would expel more than 100 Russian diplomats, many thought to be intelligence officers, from their countries as a result of the Skripal poisoning case. The actions return the state of relations between Russia on one side, and the US and EU on the other, to the days of the Cold War. Reiner Braun, co-president of the International Peace Bureau, joins Walter and John.
A Border Patrol agent who shot and killed a teenager who threw a stone at him from the Mexican side of the border, has gone on trial in federal court in Tucson. The agent, who shot the boy ten times, maintains that he was in danger for his safety. Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos, joins the show.
The state of California is suing the Trump Administration, arguing that its decision to ask about citizenship status in the next census is an unconstitutional attempt to undercount immigrants. Brian and John speak with Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Mark Sleboda, an international affairs analyst living in Moscow.
President Trump today expelled 60 Russian diplomats from the United States and closed the Russian consulate in Seattle in reaction to the poisoning of a spy in the UK, which accuses Russia of the act. 16 EU members in addition to Britain have also followed suit and expelled Russian diplomats. The move is a major step up in the worsening of relations between the US and Russia.
President Trump’s announcement last week that he will impose nearly $60 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports sent the Dow Jones Industrial Averages down more than 1,000 points. But over the weekend, the Chinese response was muted and Washington’s talking heads said on the Sunday morning news shows that cooler heads will prevail. Patrick Lawrence, the author of “Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century” and a columnist at Salon and The Nation whose work is at www.patreon.com/thefloutist, and John Ross, the first non-Chinese citizen to be appointed to a full-time post at a leading think tank in China--Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China and an award-winning resident columnist, join the show.
A deputy sheriff in Houston shot and killed an unarmed Black man last week, just days after another unarmed Black man, Stephon Clark, was shot and killed in his backyard in Sacramento. Danny Ray Thomas was shot once in the chest. The deputy said he “had something in his hand.” No object, a gun or otherwise, was found. Brian and John speak with Michelle Gross, the president of Communities United Against Police Brutality.
Turkish President Erdogan said that his country was prepared to invade Sinjar in northern Iraq to fight PKK rebels there. The Iraqi government said it would not sit idly by while its territory was invaded. Kani Xulam, the founder of the American-Kurdish Information Network, joins the show.
Today is another installation of the Monday segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers,” where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator, and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John.
Egypt’s president, Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi, will win reelection this week in an election largely viewed as a sham. Sisi’s only opponent actually endorsed him. But Sisi is worried about turnout because his security crackdown, which has left tens of thousands imprisoned, has created an undercurrent of anger across Egypt. Many observers believe it’s the same kind of anger that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak. Dr. May Darwich, an assistant professor in International Relations of the Middle East in the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University, joins the show.
Catalonian independence leader Carlos Puigdemont was arrested yesterday by German authorities as he was in transit from Denmark to Belgium. He is appearing before a German judge today. Puigdemont faces 30 years in prison in Spain on charges of sedition. Thousands of people demonstrated in Barcelona today calling for the Germans to release him. Brian and John speak with Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, a journalist and bestselling author whose latest book is “The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza.” He is also the senior editor of Grayzone Project and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels.”
John Bolton, one of the Republican Party’s most hardcore foreign policy hawks, was named as President Trump’s third National Security Advisor yesterday, after the president fired LTG H.R. McMaster. Bolton was a recess appointment as Ambassador to the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration because even the Republican-controlled Senate refused to confirm him.
Donald Trump signed a $1.3 trillion federal budget, by far the largest in the country’s history. It does nothing to protect the Dreamers from deportation, but it does increase defense spending wildly. The bill does however also increase domestic non-military spending, and many Democrats in Congress voted for it. Angie Kim, the Community Engagement & Advocacy Coordinator for NAKASEC (the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium), Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and at jackrasmus.com, and Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” join the show.
China yesterday announced $3 billion in retaliatory tariffs against US products in response to President Trump’s announcement that he would put $60 billion in new tariffs on Chinese goods. 128 different products will be affected, particularly in the farming, aluminum, and steel industries. Brian and John speak with writer and political analyst Ajit Singh.
Students across the country are converging on Washington DC tomorrow to participate in what will be a massive rally against gun violence. Chicago student activists and organizers Damayanti Wallace, Madison Miller, Ardamis Sims, and Taylore Norwood who are on their way to the March for Our Lives Rally in Washington, D.C., join the show.
Does corporate tax deductibility affect the salaries of corporate chief executive officers? The Center for Economic and Policy Research conducted a study to determine that. They found that there is little evidence of a link between corporate performance and CEO pay. Indeed, skyrocketing CEO pay is largely a result of broken corporate governance. Dean Baker, the co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, joins Brian and John.
Mick Mulvaney, the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Board, has quietly dropped the agency’s investigation of a payday loan collector, and he is considering ending cases against three more high-interest lenders. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California, author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” and at jackrasmus.com, and Nicole Roussell, a producer of Loud & Clear, join the show.
Another Friday, another week of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com, and Nicole Roussell, a producer of Loud & Clear.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Alexander Mercouris, the editor in chief of The Duran.
British Prime Minister Theresa May will ask all European Union member countries to expel Russian diplomats in the wake of the poisoning of a Russian double agent in the UK. So far, no other country has agreed to do that, absent any evidence that Russia was involved in the poisoning. Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in an interview with Deutsche Welle that the UK laboratory Porton Down has samples of Novichok, rather than the nerve agent being solely in the hands of Russia.
Today, the weekly series “Criminal Injustice” continues, where the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Today’s segment focuses on private prisons and prison profit. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and executive eirector of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News, join the show.
Congressional leaders finalized details of the federal budget last night, and a vote could be scheduled as early as today. The agreement does nothing to help Dreamers, those undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children. Meanwhile, President Trump announced that the US will impose new tariffs on China worth $60 billion, raising further fears of a trade war. Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and a columnist for CounterPunch, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
John Dowd, the head of President Trump’s legal team, resigned abruptly this morning, saying that the president was increasingly ignoring his advice. Specifically, Dowd recommended that Trump not agree to be interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller. Is this the beginning of a major strategy shift towards the Mueller investigation? Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the soon to be released book “The Plot to Attack Iran,” joins the show.
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg says that he is “really sorry” that Cambridge Analytica, a data firm with ties to Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, accessed information from 50 million Facebook users without their knowledge, and may have kept the information even after Facebook insisted they delete it. Zuckerberg now faces a Congressional inquiry, as well as a lot of angry Facebook users. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins Brian and John.
Demonstrations and strikes paralyzed France today as labor unions organized dozens of marches across the country. Transportation, schools, and public services were all impacted. Strikers were answering the call of seven French unions to reject President Emmanuel Macron’s economic policies. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins the show.
Tuesday’s primary election in Illinois saw a greatly rejuvenated Democratic Party. But it also highlighted potential challenges for the left. Meanwhile, former presidential candidate and senator Bernie Sanders hosted an inequality town hall. Brian and John speak with Jacqueline and Abdus Luqman, co-editor-in-chiefs of Luqman Nation.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Tighe Barry, longtime peace activist and Code Pink member, Professor Mohammad Marandi, at the University of Tehran, and Professor Jeremy Kuzmarov, at the University of Tulsa.
The Senate yesterday rejected an unusual bipartisan resolution that would have called on the president to halt American military support for the brutal Saudi-led war against Yemen. The 55-44 vote sends the measure back to the Foreign Relations Committee, where it is likely to die quietly.
Brian and John continue the regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today they focused on the history of nuclear meltdowns and the inherent dangerousness of nuclear power. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
Mark Anthony Conditt, the suspected Austin serial bomber, blew himself up today as authorities closed in. What do we know so far about Conditt? Brian and John speak with Brian Griffith, the host of People's Republic on KOOP radio in Austin, Texas.
The Israeli military confirmed for the first time today that it bombed what it says was a Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007. In a secret operation that has been extensively speculated on over the past decade, Israel said that it had sent four F-16 fighter jets to destroy the partially-completed facility near Deir az-Zour. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation should serve as a warning to Iran. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
The US Supreme Court on Monday gave the green light for two class-action lawsuits to go ahead on behalf of residents of Flint, Michigan, who are pursuing civil rights claims against state and local officials over lead contamination in the city’s water supply. Julie Hurwitz, a partner at the law firm Goodman & Hurwitz, P.C. and one of the attorneys working on the class action lawsuit, joins Brian and John.
Marielle Franco was a poor, black, LGBTQ woman who grew up in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She went to college and was elected as a city councilwoman. She became a voice for those Brazilians who had no voice. She was a gifted orator and organizer. And last week, she was assassinated in the street. Her assailants have not been identified. Aline Piva, with the group Brazilian Expats for Democracy and Social Justice, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
Climate change is making vast swaths of the planet uninhabitable due to extreme heat, while causing deadly winter storms called “nor’easters” that pound the east coast of the United States. Meanwhile, higher average temperatures mean that crop-killing pests are moving farther and farther north, threatening crops. Is it too late to turn things around? Brian and John speak with Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of Code Pink and author of the book “Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U. S.-Saudi Connection” and Catherine Shakdam, a political commentator and the author of “A Tale Of Grand Resistance: Yemen, The Wahhabi And The House Of Saud.”
Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman arrived in Washington yesterday just in time for a vote in the US Senate that would demand an end to US support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. Senate Resolution 54 would call on the President to cut off intelligence, materiel, and mid-air refueling for Saudi jets, just as the Crown Prince begins a two-week trip across the country. America’s corporate, political and military elites are rolling out the red carpet for the young leader of the saudi monarchy.
Tuesday’s weekly series continues, looking at the top economic issues of the day, including the Senate’s passage of legislation rolling back bank regulations. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Facebook is the target of criticism for allowing the British data firm Cambridge Analytica to acquire 50 million user profiles in the US to help the Trump campaign. But how is this any different from the 2008 and 2012 Obama campaigns using the same data to target voters? Brian and John speak with Dr. Robert Epstein, the Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology.
Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed into law yesterday a bill that would outlaw all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. It is the earliest abortion ban in the country, and there are no exceptions in the law for rape or incest. Pro-choice advocates already have filed a lawsuit to block its implementation, and early this afternoon, a federal judge issued a temporary stay. Shannon Brewer, director of Jackson Women's Health Organization, Mississippi’s last women’s health clinic that still offers abortion health services, joins the show.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was arrested today in connection with a growing scandal in which he is accused of having taken campaign money from former Libyan leader Muammar al-Qadhafi. Sarkozy is alleged to have secretly accepted €50 million, more than double the legal limit of €21 million. Gilbert Mercier, Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post and the author of “The Orwellian Empire,” joins Brian and John.
In a speech in New Hampshire yesterday, President Trump said that he would seek legislation to allow the federal government to execute drug dealers. The speech was immediately condemned by treatment advocates and law enforcement officials alike, as the real problem causing the opioid epidemic is pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Margaret Flowers, a medical doctor and the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, at PopularResistance.org, joins the show.
A bomb exploded this morning in a FedEx facility near Austin, Texas, in what appears to be the work of a serial bomber. It’s the fifth device to detonate, while the four previous bombs killed two and wounded four. The FBI has ordered the deployment of 350 agents to Austin to aid in the investigation. Brian and John speak with Brian Griffiths, the host of People's Republic on KOOP radio in Austin, Texas.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, a journalist, political commentator, and author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the soon to be released book “The Plot to Attack Iran.”
The so-called Russiagate investigation has entered into a new and possibly decisive stage. Former Obama Administration CIA Director John Brennan baited Trump on Twitter, saying that Trump will be cast into the dustbin of history. There are strong indications that Trump and his allies in Congress are moving forward to create a 2nd special counsel investigation—this one to investigate the FBI and other intelligence agencies for allegedly setting up Trump to bring down his administration. What comes next?
Syrian Kurdish forces withdrew from the area around Afrin overnight in northwestern Syria, as Turkish forces and Turkish-backed rebels moved in to occupy it. The Kurds said they would transition to guerilla warfare and would fight until the Turks are gone. Former UK Ambassador to Syria Peter Ford and Kani Xulam, the founder of the American-Kurdish Information Network, join the show.
Negotiators from the United Kingdom and the European Union agreed this morning that the UK would leave the EU on March 29, 2019, with a grace period for tying up loose ends until December 31, 2019. All negotiations will be completed by this fall to allow national parliaments time to ratify the agreement. Brian and John speak with Alex Gordon, former president of National Union of Rail, Maritime, & Transport Workers.
Today is the first day of a new segment looking at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator, and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins the show.
Today is the 15th anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, when US troops invaded Iraq under false pretenses. Fifteen years later, what really happened? What has the result been of this ongoing war? Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, joins Brian and John.
Russian President Vladimir Putin won reelection yesterday with some 76 percent of the vote. The reaction in the West was muted, other than scattered media reports of ballot stuffing. Dmitri Babich, a journalist and commentator with Sputnik International, joins the show.
Massive student walkouts swept the country last week, as hundreds of thousands of young people protested gun violence and government inaction. Will their action in the streets be felt in the electoral arena as well? Brian and John speak with Jacqueline Luqman, co-editor-in-Chief of Luqman Nation.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Peter Lavelle, host of RT’s flagship program CrossTalk.
U.S.-Russia relations deteriorated yet again today as Russia announced it will impose sanctions on the United States in retaliation for the Trump administration’s sanctions that were announced yesterday. What were the driving factors in the last few years that have led to such a dramatic souring of U.S.-Russia relations? Will this confrontation enter an even more dangerous stage?
Today is the 50th anniversary of the massacre committed by U.S. troops in the village of My Lai. Hundreds of civilians were killed, and caused worldwide outrage when it was uncovered. Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq is in Vietnam on an 18-day trip with Veterans For Peace and joins the show.
Reports of National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster’s imminent departure—and rumors about his replacement by John Bolton!—have raised alarms that the Trump administration is sprinting down the path to war with Iran. Brian and John speak with Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, and analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare.”
In the first full parliament vote of three, the Israeli Knesset initially approved the Basic Law on Friday. The bill has two more votes before being written into law, but is expected to pass. The law specifies that Israel is “the nation-state of the Jewish people” and a government minister called it “Zionism's flagship bill.” Dan Cohen, a journalist and filmmaker whose work is at DanCohenMedia.com, joins the show.
The trial of DeAndre Harris, a Black man who was beaten by a group of white supremacists at the infamous Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally, took place today. Even though Harris was the victim of a brutal beating whose video went viral, he was to be the one in court today on charges of misdemeanor assault. But after a short trial, he was found not guilty. Phil Wilayto, a journalist and a member of Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality who attended the anti-racist counter demonstration of the Charlottesville white supremacist rally, joins Brian and John.
Today continues Friday’s regular segment about the politics of the day and the 2018 midterm election, starting with the razor-thin result of the special election in western Pennsylvania. Jacqueline Luqman, co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, joins the show.
Another Friday, another week of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Dr. Piers Robinson, the chairman of the politics, society, and political journalism department at the University of Sheffield and the author of, “Routledge Handbook of Media, Conflict and Security.”
Today, the US announced sanctions against Russia for the alleged meddling in 2016 elections, where a year-long investigation has yet to garner hard evidence. And in a reaction to the poisoning of a Russian double agent and his daughter, allegedly using the nerve agent Novichok, Prime Minister Theresa May announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats, whom she called “undeclared intelligence officers.” But what is Novichok? And is it the exclusive domain of the Russians? Where will this anti-Russian fear mongering lead?
Today, the weekly series “Criminal Injustice” continues, where the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Today’s segment focuses on private prisons and prison profit. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News, join the show.
A measure to greatly weaken regulations on big banks has passed the Senate overwhelmingly, rolling back key provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act passed in the wake of the 2008 world economic crisis. 16 Democrats joined Republicans in voting in favor of the bill that now proceeds to the House of Representatives. Brian and John speak with Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression” and jackrasmus.com.
Hundreds of thousands of students walked out of their classrooms all across America yesterday. They stayed out for at least 17 minutes to commemorate the 17 lives lost in the Parkland, Florida shooting last month and to protest gun violence, mass incarceration, immigration, and many other issues. Kofi Ademola, an activist and organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement, joins the show.
Australia is considering emergency visas “on humanitarian grounds,” for South African white farmers who may have some of their land redistributed post-apartheid. Australia’s home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, said that this group “deserves special protection” in a “civilized country.” , Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “From the Barrel of a Gun: The United States and the War against Zimbabwe 1965-1980,” joins Brian and John.
Regulators are reportedly on the verge of imposing major penalties on Wells Fargo for misleading practices related to the sale of auto insurance. Will the big banks ever be truly held accountable for their abuses? Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen, joins the show.
Cubans voted this weekend in the first round of national elections for parliament. The winners of those elections will go on to choose Cuba’s next president as the country makes a historic leadership transition. Brian and John speak with Gloria La Riva, the director of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Wilmer Leon, a political scientist and author, and he’s the host of a nationally broadcast talk radio show on Sirius/XM channel 126; by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of The Frozen Republic, The Velvet Coup, and America's Undeclared War; and by Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com.
Democrat Conor Lamb came out of yesterday’s special election in Pennsylvania with a razor thin lead over Republican Rick Saccone, 49.8 percent to 49.6 percent, a difference of only 641 votes. Election officials are now counting absentee and provisional ballots, but most news networks already have called the race for Lamb. We’ll look at what this means for both parties as we approach the midterm elections.
Brian and John continue our regular segment where we look at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Greg Mello, the executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group, and Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, join the show.
British Prime Minister Theresa May announced this morning that she will expel 23 Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning of a Russian double agent in the UK. May declined to offer any evidence of Russian involvement in the poisoning during question time in parliament, and Scotland Yard has said only that a nerve agent was used. Brian and John speak with legendary anti-war activist and former British parliamentarian George Galloway.
President Donald Trump was in California yesterday to personally inspect prototype sections of what would be a new border wall. He also took the opportunity to insult Governor Jerry Brown and the people of California for not supporting him in his immigration crackdown. Carolyn Gomez, an organizer with the National Union of Healthcare Workers, joins the show.
Defense Secretary James Mattis arrived in Afghanistan yesterday to meet with senior US and Afghan officials and to discuss the possibility of peace talks with elements of the Taliban. Mattis told the press that the Taliban leadership has developed cracks in its unity in recent years and that now is the time to begin talking about the terms of peace. Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins Brian and John.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said today that his country will immediately withdraw its ratification of the International Criminal Court’s establishing treaty. This move comes amid a wave of repressive violence targeting journalists, activists and the poor. Adrian Bonifacio, National Chairperson of Anakbayan-USA, joins the show.
Congressional legislation was considered this week based on so-called “right to try” laws in several states. These laws allow terminally ill patients to immediately access any experimental treatments that aren’t already approved by the FDA. However, over 99% of applications to the FDA are approved, usually within days of applications, and this dangerous idea will lead to human experimentation in addition to other harmful ills. Brian and John speak with Mark Harrington, the Executive Director of the Treatment Action Group.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kevin Zeese, co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, and Jeremy Varon, a professor at the New School in New York and an anti-Guantanamo activist.
President Trump this morning unceremoniously fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson by tweet, and he moved CIA Director Mike Pompeo to State. Meanwhile, CIA Deputy Director Gina Haspel, alleged to have been intimately involved in the Agency’s torture program, will become the director if confirmed by the Senate.
The hosts continue the weekly series looking at the economic issues of the day, including Trump’s tariffs and the potential trade war they could instigate. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said yesterday that Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent for the British who was poisoned last week along with his daughter, was likely the victim of a Russian assassination attempt. The Russian government is demanding proof, and the high stakes international mystery is deepening. Brian and John speak with legendary anti-war activist and former British parliamentarian George Galloway.
The Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee released an unusual and partisan report yesterday concluding that there was no collusion between the Russian government and either the Trump or Clinton campaigns. Significantly, the report however, perpetuates the narrative that the Russians launched cyberattacks against American institutions. Again, no actual hard proof of this assertion has been offered. The report said that several Trump campaign officials had made “poor decisions,” but that no crimes were committed. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, joins the show.
Students across America will walk out of schools tomorrow in a nationwide protest against gun violence. The National School Walkout is both a memorial to those killed by guns and a protest of government inaction. Kofi Ademola, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement, joins Brian and John.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Sunday gave what many observers are calling a “trainwreck” of an interview to the news program 60 Minutes. DeVos struggled to answer basic questions about the nation’s schools and failed to defend President Trump’s school safety ideas. Brian and John speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator, and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.”
A Saudi general may have been tortured to death, and several businessmen abused, while in captivity in the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Riyadh during Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman’s crackdown on powerful figures in the country. The Crown Prince has systematically arrested, purged, or exiled virtually anybody who could pose a threat to him. Ali Al-Ahmed, the director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Anoa Changa, director of political advocacy and a managing editor of Progressive Army and host of the show The Way With Anoa, and Nicole Roussell, producer of Loud & Clear.
President Trump gave one of his signature, over-the-top speeches in Pennsylvania last weekend. Instead of touting the accomplishments of the congressional nominee he was supposedly campaigning for, or talking about bringing jobs to the economically strapped region, he advocated executing drug dealers and promoted myths about himself.
Today marks the seventh anniversary of the start of the civil war in Syria. More than 465,000 Syrians have been killed—let that sink in for a minute—more than a million have been injured, and more than 12 million—half of the country’s population—have been displaced. Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and member of the central committee of Lebanese Communist Party, and Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, join the show.
Donald Trump will get his military parade, although it won’t include tanks, because they would wreck Washington DC’s roads. Still, experts say the cost of the parade could feed every homeless veteran in America. Brian and John speak with Ajamu Baraka, a longtime human rights activist, organizer, and political activist, and the 2016 Green Party nominee for Vice President of the United States.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained a prominent immigrant and reproductive rights activist, Alejandra Pablos. She is not undocumented, but is a legal permanent resident. She had a DUI arrest nearly a decade ago, and advocates say her detention is a result of her activism, and especially for a recent protest she led against the Department of Homeland Security. Margie del Castillo, director of field and advocacy for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, joins the show.
China’s legislature approved the proposal to remove term limits on the country's presidency yesterday, setting the stage of President Xi Jinping to continue in office after his current five-year term ends in 2023. David Ewing, the chair of the San Francisco chapter of the US-China People’s Friendship Association, joins Brian and John.
Colombia voted in legislative elections Sunday as the country’s peace process struggles to stay alive amid a wave of paramilitary violence. Yesterday’s election comes ahead of the presidential polls in May and June. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer helping to lead a delegation to Colombia ahead of the presidential election whose new book “The Plot to Attack Iran” will be released soon, joins the show.
The hosts present an analysis of the Pennsylvania special election coming up this week. Brian and John speak with Jacqueline Luqman, co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Hyun Lee, a writer for ZoomInKorea.org; author and professor Dr. Tim Beal; Gregory Elich, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea; and Dr. Christine Hong, Associate Professor at UC Santa Cruz and a member of the Korea Policy Institute.
Trump yesterday agreed to talks with Democratic People’s Republic of Korea leader Kim Jong-Un. This comes quickly after DPRK announced early this week that they’re willing to freeze their nuclear program for talks with the US.
Fighting in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta continues, as government forces make major advances. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
The most restrictive anti-choice law in the country was passed by the Mississippi state legislature last night, prohibiting abortions in most cases after 15 weeks of pregnancy. A legal battle over the law appears inevitable, and could call into question Roe v. Wade itself. Brian and John speak with Katherine Klein, Equality for All Advocacy Coordinator at the ACLU of Mississippi.
Today continues the weekly series looking at the most pressing political topics of the day, including electoral politics, the political parties, and the most important issues at play in the coming midterm election. Jacqueline Luqman, co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, joins the show.
The FARC former guerrillas have withdrawn from the Colombian presidential election today, after being targeted by a wave of paramilitary violence and its candidate, Rodrigo Londono suffered a heart attack. Meanwhile, in what could be a major shake up in Colombian politics, progressive candidate Gustavo Petro is leading in the polls. Mario Murillo, professor of Communications and Latin American studies at Hofstra University who has covered Colombia for over 25 years, joins Brian and John.
Another Friday, another week of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, founder of the organization Democracy at Work, and author whose latest book is “Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown.”
Today is the big day for the Trump administration’s highly controversial new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The decision went down to the wire as speculation mounted throughout the day that certain elements of the tariffs could be softened and U.S. allies exempted.
“Criminal Injustice” continues today, about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), join the show.
The police chief of Asheville, North Carolina is offering to resign “if people want her to” in the aftermath of a leaked video showing one of her former police officers beating a Black man who had been stopped for jaywalking. Brian and John speak with Michelle Gross, the president of Communities United Against Police Brutality.
The Israeli Knesset has passed a law authorizing the Interior Minister to strip residency rights of any Palestinian in Jerusalem for what the law says is a “breach of loyalty.” Residency also will be revoked for any Palestinian who commits a crime, in the view of the Interior Ministry. Journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen joins the show.
A group of Hungarian researchers has discovered, in a tranche of NSA documents stolen by the group Shadow Brokers, a set of tools showing that NSA was tracking as many as 45 different nation-state and independent hacking operations. NSA team was created in 2007 after Chinese hackers allegedly stole designs for the military’s Joint Strike Fighter jet. Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower, joins Brian and John.
Today is the 109th anniversary of International Women’s Day, held to celebrate the social, cultural, economic, and political accomplishments of women around the world and the ongoing fight for equality. Prof. Hannah Dickinson, an professor at Hobart and William Smith and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly who is involved in today’s International Women’s Day strike activities, joins the show.
Mexican presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has opened up a 14-point lead over two conservative challengers in recent polls, as those other candidates face accusations of corruption. The polls also indicate that Mexicans are fed up with establishment politics and with Donald Trump. Brian and John speak with Dr. John Ackerman, professor of Constitutional Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), researcher at the Legal Research Institute of UNAM, and editorial director of the Mexican Law Review, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ali al-Ahmed, the director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs.
Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman has begun an international tour that is taking him to Egypt, the UK, and the United States. He has already outraged many in the Middle East by calling Turkey, Iran, and Qatar “the devil’s triangle.” He faces large-scale protests today in London. But he’ll get the red carpet treatment from Donald Trump.
Today is the first day of a regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Greg Mello, the executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group, and Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, join the show.
The Trump Administration is suing California over three of that state’s sanctuary laws. Those laws give the state final authority over federal detention centers for undocumented immigrants, and they forbid local and state law enforcement from assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Brian and John speak with Carolyn Gomez, an organizer with the National Union of Healthcare Workers.
At least 17 Senate Democrats have lined up to support the repeal of key components of the Dodd-Frank banking law, passed after the 2007 financial crisis to prevent further banking abuse and fraud. Democratic support virtually ensures passage and will significantly weaken consumer protections. Alexis Goldstein, a Wall Street banker who became an activist in the Occupy movement and is now the senior policy analyst at Americans for Financial Reform, joins the show.
Gary Cohn resigned yesterday as the head of President Trump’s National Economic Council, the 34th staffer to leave Trump’s administration. And Washington is buzzing with rumors that National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster is close behind. Plus, Trump has nominated a Dow Chemical lawyer to oversee chemical spill cleanup at Superfund sites. This is all part of a bigger story—Trump’s inner circle is dwindling and even more corporate stooges are populating the White House. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins Brian and John.
The Mueller investigation gets curiouser and curiouser. The Special Counsel is now investigating George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman who acts as an advisor to the leader of the United Arab Emirates. The hosts talk about the latest twist in the Russiagate saga. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, joins the show.
Many European elites saw Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a bulwark against the erratic and unpredictable Donald Trump, especially on trade issues. But now those same elites are worried that Xi is the one to worry about, in light of China’s abolition of term limits. Brian and John speak with writer and political analyst Ajit Singh.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, and Tim Shorrock, a Washington-based investigative journalist who grew up in Japan and South Korea, who wrote “Spies for Hire: The Secret World of Outsourced Intelligence,” and whose work has appeared in many publications in the United States and abroad.
In a bold move that has taken Washington by surprise, North Korea said today that it was willing to discuss scrapping its nuclear program if the United States was willing to discuss security guarantees.
The hosts continue the weekly series looking at the economic issues of the day, including Trump’s tariffs and the potential trade war they could instigate. Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
The West Virginia state senate today agreed to give striking teachers—and all other state employees—the five percent raise they had sought, a move that will likely end the walkout, which began on February 22. Travis Boothe, an organizer with the Morgantown Tenants Union, and Frank Lara, a member of the executive board of the United Educators of San Francisco, join the show.
No doubt you know about the infamous Steele Dossier, written by former British spy Christopher Steele. Well, it turns out there was a second Steele Dossier. And it concludes that it was the Russians who blocked Mitt Romney from becoming Secretary of State. Meanwhile, the death in London of a Russian ex-spy who worked as a double agent for the UK government has prompted allegations of an assassination attempt. Alexander Mercouris, the editor in chief of The Duran, joins the show.
The last four high schools in the working-class Chicago neighborhood of Englewood closed recently as Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s appointed school board responded to gentrification trends. But now, the poor and people of color will have to be bused out of their neighborhoods to get an education. Kofi Ademola, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement, joins Brian and John.
It’s the dirty little secret of Big Pharma. The American taxpayer is funding Big Pharma’s research and development, primarily through the National Institutes of Health. So where do all those pharmaceutical profits go? Straight into the pockets of corporate leaders and investors. There’s a new study out by the Center for Integration of Science and Industry (CISI) that we’ll dive into today. Bryn Gay, the Hepatitis C Virus Project Co-Director at Treatment Action Group who has previous policy and advocacy experience with the United Nations, Doctors of the World and The North-South Institute, joins the show.
Thad Cochran, the Republican senior senator from Mississippi, announced yesterday that he is resigning effective April 1 due to ill health. Both of that state’s senate seats will now be up for grabs in November and will pit the establishment right wing against the alt-right. Brian and John speak with Jim Jatras, a political analyst, a former US diplomat, and a former senior foreign policy advisor to the US Senate Republican leadership.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Yesterday’s Italian elections are set to produce a deadlocked parliament, as the populist Five Stars Movement and the far right Northern League surge, leaving the Center-Left bloc of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in an embarrassing third place.
The Trump Administration and Congress have been working to dismantle the Affordable Care Act despite their failure to outright repeal the law. While some states have embraced this effort, others are pushing back. Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program, and Mary Gerisch, an organizer and member chair of the Rights & Democracy health care justice team, join the show.
The leaders of West Virginia teachers unions say that they will remain out on strike after the state senate voted to cut the five percent pay increase they negotiated with the governor. Meanwhile, teachers in Oklahoma are discussing a strike, inspired by West Virginia. Is this the beginning of a wave of teacher activism? Brian and John speak with Liz Davis, president of the Washington Teachers Union who has taught in DC public schools for 41 years, and Dr. Curry Malott, a professor of education at West Chester University of Pennsylvania where he is the mobilization chair of the faculty union.
Today is the last day of the NAFTA talks between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. After intense anti-NAFTA rhetoric on the campaign trail, Trump has now taken the position that if what he calls “a new and fair NAFTA agreement” can be agreed upon, then he’ll exempt the two neighboring countries from the steel and aluminum tariffs. Pete Dolack, an activist and writer with Trade Justice New York Metro, and the author of “It’s Not Over, Learning from the Socialist Experiment,” and Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” joins the show.
The Israeli extreme right has a high profile at the ongoing annual conference of AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel lobby in the country, with a seminar being held today headlining some of the biggest names in the pro-Settler movement. This comes hours before Netanyahu and Trump are scheduled to meet here in Washington, with confrontation with Iran high on the agenda. Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son: A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” and a new book called "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five," joins Brian and John.
In the first visit of high-ranking South Korean officials to North Korea since Kim Jong Un took office in 2011, South Korean National Security Office director Chung Eui-yong and intelligence agency head Suh Hoona led a delegation to North Korea to discuss a potential historic meeting of the leaders of both Koreas. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins the show.
Venezuela’s presidential election, which had been scheduled for late April, has been postponed until May 20 as a faction of the opposition breaks ranks and decides to participate. Will the country’s Bolivarian Revolution continue its streak of electoral success? Can the country overcome economic turmoil? Brian and John speak with Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist, analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy, and the author of “Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare,” and Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
The Iran nuclear deal may be circling the drain. Even though Iran is in compliance with the strict pact to restrict the country’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, the Trump administration appears determined to return to the path of all-out confrontation--and wants Europe to go along with him.
This is the start of a new weekly series, where the hosts look at the most pressing political issues of the day. They’ll look at electoral politics, the political parties, and the most important issues at play in the coming midterm election. Today, why don’t Democratic candidates have substantive policy positions, including in the Pennsylvania 18th district special election? Jacqueline and Abdus Shahid Luqman, the co-editors-in-chief of Luqman Nation, join the show.
The West Virginia teachers strike entered a surprise seventh day today, after the state senate president hinted that he would not agree to a five percent pay raise proposed by the governor. Moreover, the tentative deal between the governor and the union would not address the underfunding of the Public Employees Insurance Agency. The teachers’ union had expected a five-day strike, but the rank and file insisted on keeping up the fight. Brian and John speak with community organizer Frank Ariet.
Bitter Brexit negotiations continue between the government of Prime Minister Theresa May and the European Union. At issue are key economic policies and the future of Northern Ireland, and the fragile May government is desperate for a breakthrough. Legendary anti-war activist and former British parliamentarian George Galloway joins the show.
The annual meeting of the hardline American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is this weekend in Washington, DC, featuring senior politicians from both parties. Unpopular in his own country and in hot water in the courts there, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will also speak. AIPAC is a powerful lobbying group that drives US support of the settler project in Israel, US weapons sales to Israel, and billions of dollars we send them annually. This weekend there are two rallies planned at the site of the convention. Tighe Berry, an anti-war activist with Code Pink and an international solidarity organizer, joins Brian and John.
Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s senior advisor and son-in-law, is in big trouble. Reports suggest he’s been meeting with the leaders of foreign countries, not to further US foreign policy, but to ask them for loans to prop up his family’s failing real estate business. And the governments of China, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Mexico have all secretly talked about how to exploit Kushner’s weakness. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com, joins the show.
Another Friday, another week of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Alice Bonner, a docent at the newly opened National Museum of African American History and Culture and retired professor at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, who wrote her dissertation on the Kerner Report, and Dr. Jared Ball a professor of communication studies at Morgan State University and the author of “I MiX What I Like: A MiXtape Manifesto” and you can find his writings at www.IMixWhatILike.org.
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the Kerner Commission report, a stunning acknowledgement of the oppression that the black community had been through and the causes of the rebellions in the recent years. President Lyndon Johnson established the commission, headed up by Illinois Governor Otto Kerner. The hosts talk about the Kerner Commission’s legacy and whether the horrific conditions and causes of the ‘60s rebellions have yet been addressed.
“Criminal Injustice” continues today, about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), join the show.
At a meeting with U.S. industry officials at the White House, Trump vowed to rebuild American steel and aluminum industries, saying they had been treated unfairly by other countries for decades. Brian and John speak with Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, whose work is at patreon.com/ProfSteveKeen.
Wall Street bankers are pushing for a significant loosening of the Volcker Rule, a part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that restricts certain kinds of speculative investments that do not benefit customers. Brad Birkenfeld, a whistleblower who exposed billions of dollars of financial fraud committed by banking giant UBS and the author of “Lucifer’s Banker: The Untold Story of How I Destroyed Swiss Bank Secrecy,” with writings at lucifersbanker.com, joins the show.
President Trump told a group of senators yesterday that he favored stronger background checks for gun purchasers and was open to the idea of raising to 21 the age necessary to buy a gun. The National Rifle Association, in the meantime, was lobbying hard on Capitol Hill to either kill or water down any new firearm legislation. Dr. Wilmer Leon, a political scientist, author, and host of a nationally broadcast talk radio show on Sirius/XM channel 126, and Robert Koehler, an award-winning journalist, nationally syndicated writer, and the author of the book “Courage Grows Strong at the Wound,” join Brian and John.
Russian President Vladimir Putin today laid out his key policies ahead of a presidential election that he is expected to win in 17 days. He also made the bombshell announcement that Russia has developed a cruise missile that can reach anywhere in the world, can carry a nuclear warhead, and is impossible to shoot down. Alexander Mercouris, the editor in chief of The Duran, joins the show.
White House Communications Director Hope Hicks resigned yesterday hours after testifying on Capitol Hill in the Russia investigation. Hicks is only one of more than two dozen senior White House officials who have resigned in the past year. Meanwhile, Attorney General Sessions responded tersely to President Trump’s angry tweet about his handling of the investigation and to Trump’s comparison of Sessions to the cartoon character Mr. Magoo.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence who just returned from Afghanistan.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called on the Taliban to begin peace talks, and he offered security and other incentives to those who participate. Meanwhile, since the International Criminal Court began collecting material three months ago for a possible war crimes case involving Afghanistan, it has received a staggering 1.17 million statements from Afghans who say they were victims of ISIS, al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or the Afghan government and the US-led coalition.
Will the United States be able to reassert it domination over Asia? After scrapping the Trans Pacific Partnership, a cornerstone of the Obama administration’s “Pivot to Asia” strategy, the Trump administration has been pursuing the so-called “Quadrilateral Alliance,” of US, Australia, Japan, and India. Alfred McCoy, the Harrington Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of the news book: “In the Shadows of the American Century-- The Rise and Decline of US Global Power,” joins the show.
In a blow to immigrant rights and basic civil liberties, the Supreme Court has ruled 5-3 to restrict the rights of immigrants held in detention centers, limiting their right to bail hearings and making it easier for authorities to detain them indefinitely. Brian and John speak with Miguel Andrade, the communications manager at the immigrant rights advocacy organization Juntos and a member of the Board of Directors of the US Human Rights Network, and Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.
The anti-nuclear group Beyond Nuclear took its fight to the Supreme Court on Monday with a rare petition asking the justices to require federal regulators to change rules that exclude nuclear power plants' transmission lines from environmental review. The petition marks the first time the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision to allow expedited construction of a new power plant is being challenged in the Supreme Court. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
A debate has erupted over the effectiveness of the Trump and Clinton campaigns’ social media operations during the 2016 election. How does social media advertising work and what is its impact on democracy? Dr. Robert Epstein, the senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, joins Brian and John.
President Trump blasted Attorney General Sessions on Twitter this morning, saying that Sessions’s decision to simply refer a FISA investigation to the Justice Department’s Inspector General was “disgraceful.” Plus, The Atlantic has new secret messages between Trump adviser Roger Stone and Wikileaks, which they’re using to bolster Stone’s claim that he was in contact with Wikileaks. The only problem is the content of the messages--they show that they were clearly not working together. Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, and David Cobb, campaign manager of the 2016 Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka presidential campaign, join the show.
Fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is heating up as regional powers and western corporations fight amongst each other over the right to loot the country’s vast mineral wealth. Brian and John speak with Kambale Musavuli, the national spokesman for The Friends of the Congo, and one of that country’s leading political and cultural voices.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
The hosts continue the weekly series looking at the economic issues of the day, including the orientation of Trump’s new Federal Reserve Chairperson, Jerome Powell. We also look at the rivalry between Comcast and the Murdoch-owned 21st Century Fox in their effort to further their media domination.
“The End of Policing”: a featured interview with author Dr. Alex Vitale. Recent years have seen an explosion of protest against police brutality and repression. Among activists, journalists, and politicians, the conversation about how to respond and improve policing has focused on accountability, diversity, training, and community relations. Unfortunately, these reforms will not produce results, either alone or in combination. The core of the problem must be addressed: the nature of modern policing itself. Dr. Alex Vitale, an associate professor of sociology at Brooklyn College, coordinator of the Policing and Social Justice Project, and member of the New York State Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights, joins the show.
The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, threatened to take unilateral action against Iran after Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning Iran for supposedly interfering in Yemen. Haley never mentioned US, Saudi, and Emirati involvement in the Yemen war or the humanitarian disaster that has taken place since the Saudi invasion. Brian and John speak with Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
The Supreme Court today will take up a battle between the government and Microsoft over the privacy of its customers’ data. The issue is actually very simple: Can the company be compelled to turn over to the government customer emails stored on overseas servers? Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower, joins the show.
Shelling and airstrikes continued in Ghouta, Syria yesterday, despite the ceasefire. Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that the United Nations has an unreleased report saying that North Korea is delivering chemical weapons to the Syrian government. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins Brian and John.
Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans are still without power five months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island’s infrastructure. But that hasn’t stopped FEMA from sending repair crews home after being paid for doing almost nothing. And the rapper Akon said today that his offer of philanthropic aid to restore power was rejected by Washington. Greg Cruz, an activist who recently returned from Puerto Rico where he was delivering aid and doing relief work, joins the show.
The Departments of State and Defense have reached a deal to spend $40 million to fight foreign government-sponsored propaganda with help from the private sector. The State Department’s Global Engagement Center, which was set up to counter Islamist propaganda, will now turn its attention to Russia. Brian and John speak with Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Peter Knowlton, the president of the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America.
The Supreme Court today will hear a case called Janus v. AFSCME that observers say will decide the fate of labor unions in the United States. At issue is whether workers who benefit from collective bargaining agreements negotiated by unions have to pay union dues. They have paid because of that benefit almost since the advent of unions in this country.
Kempis Songster, an advocate for ending life-without-parole sentences for youth who was sentenced to life without parole as a 15-year-old and was just released from prison two months ago after serving 30 years and Sputnik News analyst Nicole Roussell join the show.
The Supreme Court said today that it would stay out of a dispute for now over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, meaning the Trump Administration is unable to end the program on March 5, as it had wanted. Brian and John speak with Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of New Sanctuary Coalition, and Brent Wilkes, a leading immigrant rights advocate.
The White House on Saturday released the Democratic Party’s redacted response to the Nunes memo, but the document is underwhelming. Most importantly, it doesn’t refute Republican assertions that the FBI is biased against the Trump Administration. Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, and Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, join the show.
China’s Communist Party has cleared the way for President Xi Jinping to remain in power indefinitely by abolishing term limits for the presidency. Jude Woodward, London mayor Ken Livingstone's advisor on culture and creative industries and author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins Brian and John.
Momentum is the key word in what could be a true rapprochement between North and South Korea. The possibility of direct talks between the two is a real one. But will US preconditions scuttle any chance of success? Medea Benjamin, a prominent peace activist and the co-founder of Code Pink, joins the show.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, arguably the most important politician in the state of California, was snubbed over the weekend, when the Democratic Party declined--twice--to endorse her for reelection. She faces a stiff challenge from state senate president Kevin de Leon. Brian and John speak with Nathalie Hrizi, a teacher/librarian and a candidate for California state insurance commissioner on the Peace & Freedom Party ticket, and Kevin Akin, the California State chair of the Peace and Freedom Party and a candidate for state treasurer.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the Editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Donald Trump gave a rambling, far-right rant full of anti-immigrant racism, militarist bluster, and vowing to protect gun rights. Trump vowed to “strengthen up” background checks for gun purchases. The four discuss his remarks in depth.
The United States government announced that it is formally established the embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, a day Israel that uses as a day of independence, but a date that Palestine labels as the “Nakba,” or catastrophe. Meanwhile, a Palestinian was beaten by multiple Israeli soldiers, and later died in custody. And the broadening corruption scandal involving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu worsened this week. Max Blumenthal, a bestselling author whose latest book is “The 51 Day War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza,” senior editor of Alternet’s Grayzone Project, and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels,” joins the show.
Donald Trump said yesterday that he was considering removing ICE and Border Patrol agents from California, a move he claimed would turn the state into “a crime nest like you've never seen.” This came a day ahead of his virulently anti-immigrant speech at CPAC, where he compared immigrants to deceitful “snakes.” Brian and John speak with Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, and Sundrop Carter, executive director of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition.
The day after special counsel Robert Mueller filed a new 32-count indictment against Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, Gates has entered a guilty plea to charges of conspiracy and making a false statement. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War,” joins the show.
Trump today announced at CPAC that his administration will adopt “largest-ever set of new sanctions” against North Korea, even further than sanctions have already gone. Professor Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins Brian and John.
All public schools are shut down in West Virginia as thousands of teachers go out on strike and rally alongside their supporters in the community. Meanwhile every one of Seattle’s 400 school bus drivers went on strike on February 1 to protest low wages, poor healthcare, and bad working conditions. The strike in Seattle ended with the union winning major concessions on healthcare and retirement benefits. Frank Ariet, a community organizer, and Lee Hessler, an activist and journalist who has been documenting the Seattle bus drivers strike, join the show.
Another Friday, another week of the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Anoa Changa, the director of political advocacy and a managing editor of Progressive Army and host of the show The Way With Anoa, and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
Pro-gun control protests that began in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida after the mass shooting there have begun to spread to other parts of the country, and politicians are beginning to notice. Florida Senator Marco Rubio found himself scrambling to respond to voters who say he has been consistently weak on gun control. Even President Trump conceded yesterday that he would support several gun control measures, albeit minor ones.
Today, the weekly series “Criminal Injustice” continues, where the hosts discuss the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News, join the show.
The food charity Oxfam is reeling after reports that some of its senior staff members in Haiti trafficked prostitutes, including underage girls. The allegations are not new. Oxfam had earlier been accused of similar behavior in Chad, South Sudan, and Liberia. And just this afternoon, the Haitian government suspended all Oxfam activities in the country. Brian and John speak with Kim Ives, an editor of the newspaper Haiti Liberte.
With the 2018 Winter Olympics ending on Sunday, North and South Korea are looking at what could be a breakthrough in their relations. But will pressure from the Trump Administration end any chance of peace talks? Dr. Emanuel Pastereich, director of The Asia Institute in Seoul, Korea, joins the show.
Manufacturing giant 3M agreed yesterday to pay the state of Minnesota $850 million for water quality programs after it was found to have illegally dumped dangerous chemicals in Twin Cities waterways. Those chemicals made their way into the groundwater. Deanna White, the State Director for Clean Water Action, and Sean Gosiewski, the executive director of Alliance for Sustainability, join Brian and John.
An Idaho lawmaker has introduced a new bill that would allow health insurance carriers to offer non-Obamacare-approved plans, while also imposing new requirements for Medicaid recipients. If passed, many health insurance plans in Idaho would not meet the bare minimum requirements set by Obamacare, plans that some have called “junk insurance.” Leo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program, joins the show.
Senator Mike Enzi, a conservative Republican from Wyoming and the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, has sent a letter to the Pentagon saying that if the Defense Department can’t manage its own accounting, then perhaps Congress may have to withhold that huge budget increase it just passed. Brian and John speak with Dr. Lawrence Korb, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and a senior adviser to the Center for Defense Information, formerly Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Reagan Administration.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
Turkish forces yesterday fired artillery shells at Syrian government forces that had moved to the area of Afrin in northern Syria to assist Kurdish fighters there. Turkish president Erdogan also warned Iran against becoming more involved in the Syrian civil war. Meanwhile, Turkey announced that it would carry out a naval exercise in waters inside the Cypriot economic zone. And 17 Turkish government employees and their families defected to Greece by rowing to a Greek island in a dinghy.
Vice President Pence was supposed to have a secret meeting on February 10 with Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and with Kim Yong Nam, North Korea’s nominal head of state. The meeting was cancelled two hours before its start when the North Koreans withdrew. Meanwhile, the resumption of postponed U.S.- South Korean military drills threaten the thaw between North and South. Christine Ahn, a co-founder of the Korea Policy Institute and the International Coordinator of Women Cross DMZ, joins the show.
The Daily Beast just published an article that claimed all guests on Radio Sputnik went through Moscow’s approval first--but this is 100% false. Brian and John speak with Walter Smolarek, Sputnik News analyst and producer for Loud & Clear.
For the first time in nearly 30 years, West Virginia teachers plan a statewide strike to protest low wages and rising health care costs. The state ranks 38th in the nation in the quality of public education. Frank Ariet, a community organizer, and Travis Boothe, an organizer with the Morgantown Tenants Union, join the show.
Border Patrol agents are working on private property without permission and setting up so-called “border checkpoints” 100 miles inland from any border under a little-known federal law that was ignored until Donald Trump became president. Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos, joins Brian and John.
Brazil’s military was put in charge of security over the weekend in Rio de Janeiro, the country’s largest city, as gang violence continues to escalate. Aline Piva, with Brazilian Expats for Democracy, joins the show.
Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman announced that he will arrange for the deployment of an elite unit of Pakistani guards to protect him and other royal family members, ostensibly from his own people. Brian and John speak with Ali al-Ahmed, the director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs.
The anniversary of Ukraine’s 2014 revolution--what many people call a coup--is today. We take a look at this regime change effort that brought to power a far-right, pro-western government. Kevin Zeese, co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, a journalist and political commentator, and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer.
An attorney associated with Manafort associate Rick Gates was charged today with lying to the FBI. Mueller may amend the Manafort indictment, alleging that he laundered more than $40 million in ill-gotten gains. Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn is talking about withdrawing his guilty plea. And National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster directly contradicted President Trump, saying that there was Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Meanwhile, conservatives are calling on Trump to issue a blanket pardon for everybody involved in the scandal.
News outlets around the Middle East reported contradictory information on what is happening around the northern Syrian city of Afrin. The Syrian government announced that it would send troops to Afrin to help the Kurds fight Turkish forces. The Kurds initially denied that there is any deal with Damascus, but a YPG representative later confirmed to Sputnik that this was in fact the case. Meanwhile, Turkish president Erdogan is claiming that his military’s shelling has forced the Syrian army to turn around. Peter Ford, former UK Ambassador to Syria, and Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, join the show.
When a CIA officer going by the pseudonym James Pars reported waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement at a CIA station overseas, he was recalled to the US, stripped of his official position, and asked to resign. Instead, he filed a lawsuit. This is typical of what happens to whistleblowers in the intelligence community. Brian and John speak with Brad Birkenfeld, a whistleblower and author of “Lucifer’s Banker: The Untold Story of How I Destroyed Swiss Bank Secrecy”, whose writings can be found at lucifersbanker.com.
States all across the country, as well as the federal government, are passing, or trying to pass, new legislation that would make it a felony to boycott Israel. How is this constitutional? It probably isn’t. Ali Abunimah, co-founder of The Electronic Intifada, joins the show.
British Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has dismissed as “utter nonsense” a claim made by the tabloid newspaper The Sun that he had been a recruited asset of the Czechoslovakian Intelligence Service during the Cold War. Jackie Walker, former Vice Chair of the organization Momentum, joins Brian and John.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court redrew the state’s congressional district boundaries on Friday, overturning a Republican gerrymander that was so extreme that it was mocked by politicians and late-night talk show hosts alike. Drew Penrose, Legal and Policy Director at the election reform advocacy organization FairVote, joins the show.
Brian and John are joined by financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey to continue their weekly series looking at the economic issues of the day.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Mike Prysner, a veteran of the Iraq War who became a leading anti-war activist, and Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist and journalist whose son Casey was killed during the Iraq War.
In our first hour, fifteen years ago yesterday, more than 10 million people around the world participated in mass demonstrations in opposition to the US decision to attack Iraq. It was the largest mass one day mass anti-war mobilization in history. All these years later, the US military is still in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it has armed troops in countless other countries around the world. The hosts take a look at militarism and war and the global forces that are trying to changing course.
Then, we continue our weekly series “Criminal Injustice,” where we talk about the most egregious conduct of courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News, join the show.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller issued indictments today against 13 Russian citizens and three entities, and he announced one charge against an American as part of the Russia probe. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said that there is no evidence of Russia influencing the outcome of the 2016 election. And no American was wittingly involved. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net and Jim Jatras, a political analyst and former US diplomat.
The bipartisan immigration bill failed in the Senate yesterday, as did President Trump’s unpopular immigration bill, dooming prospects for reform and casting doubt on the future of Dreamers in the country. Angie Kim, community engagement and advocacy coordinator at the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, and Matt Adams, the legal director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, joins the show.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Turkey today in an attempt to repair relations between the two NATO allies. Those relations have frayed over allegations that the US supported a coup against Turkish president Erdogan last year, as well as Turkish demands that the US end support of Kurds in Turkey. Shabbir Razvi, he is an economist and political analyst, joins Brian and John.
Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai is being investigated by the FCC Inspector General over allegations that he improperly scrapped regulations to benefit conservative Sinclair Broadcasting in its purchase of rival Tribune Media. Tim Karr, the senior director of strategy at Free Press, joins the show.
John and Brian look at the worst and most misleading headlines of the week with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose writings can be found Left Eye on the News.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and columnist, and Gilbert Mercier, author and Editor in Chief of News Junkie Post.
The death toll from yesterday’s shooting in a high school in Parkland Florida remains at 17, with three people still in critical condition. The shooting was emblematic of a larger problem of gun violence in the United States.
South African President Jacob Zuma resigned yesterday under intense pressure from his own African National Congress party following accusations of corruption and bribery. ANC chairman Cyril Ramaphosa was immediately sworn in as president. In the hours before Zuma’s resignation, we spoke with Dr. Gerald Horne, an author and professor of history, about Zuma, the direction of the ANC, and South Africa’s political direction.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said today that five Russian nationals were killed in a recent US airstrike in Syria. This is the first official recognition of an incident that will further strain US-Russian relations. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
In the aftermath of the Florida shooting, former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has delayed the announcement of his candidacy for the US Senate seat being vacated by Orin Hatch of Utah, which will now come early next week. Does Romney have a burning desire to be in the US Senate? Or is he looking for a platform from which to run against President Trump? Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
A Sputnik News correspondent is reporting that Georgian snipers were active in Ukraine during the 2014 Maidan shootings, under the instruction of a former US Army officer. Exiled former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili left Ukraine for the Netherlands yesterday just as the story was being published. Alexander Mercouris, editor in chief of The Duran, joins the show.
There’s a dirty little secret of American history called “Eugenics.” That’s the state-sponsored forced sterilization of women, almost always women of color or the developmentally disabled. This was a policy in states across America all the way into the 1970s. Dr. Kathryn Krase, a professor of social work at Long Island University and an attorney who focuses on family law, joins Brian and John.
The Taliban has released an extraordinary 17,000 word statement addressed to the American people, asking them to pressure elected officials to end the war in Afghanistan, which has dragged on for more than 16 years. The statement adds that the US intervention has brought only death, corruption, and drugs to Afghanistan. Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Andrew Patrick, media director of Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
Southern Florida was gripped by another mass shooting, again at a high school. Scores of people were shot in Broward County, Florida, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School this afternoon. The hosts discuss the school shooting as well as the phenomena of mass shootings and why this has become a regular feature of life in American society.
Despite the hope for a bipartisan immigration measure in both houses of Congress, efforts there are already beginning to falter, mostly over questions of process. With President Trump demanding a deep cut in the number of immigrants allowed into the country, and a phasing out of the visa lottery, it will be an uphill battle to reform the system. Erika Almirón, executive director of the immigrant rights organization Juntos, Juan José Gutiérrez, executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, and Sundrop Carter, executive director of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, join the show.
President Trump’s budget is beginning to come into focus, and the details are ugly. Even using Trump’s inflated economic growth projections, the deficit is projected to grow by more than $7 trillion. The White House is also demanding the popular programs like student loan forgiveness and the National Endowment for the Arts be phased out to pay for more Pentagon weapons. Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and at ThisCantBeHappening.net.
The Democrats yesterday won a state legislative seat in Florida that had never before gone Democratic. This is the third Republican seat to flip to the Democrats in Florida in the past year, and it may presage what political experts are saying could become a major sweep for the Democrats in the midterm elections. Jacqueline Luqman, editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, joins the show.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, announced yesterday that it would stop paying for the hotel rooms of Puerto Ricans displaced by Hurricane Maria. This is despite the fact that a third of the island still has no electricity. Juliana Musheyev, a member of the Board of Directors of the Peace Education and Action Center, joins Brian and John.
"GoogleBro" James Damore was fired from Google for creating a hostile work environment by circulating a memo stating that women are biologically less geared toward work in tech and leadership. He’s now been invited to Portland State University by a group called PSU Freethinkers, and will be speaking this Saturday. Working with several activist groups and academic departments, the student government of PSU (called Associated Students), has organized three events through the week. Donald Thompson III, vice president of the Associated Students at PSU, and one of the primary organizers of the events this week, joins the show.
President Trump’s longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, told the press yesterday that he paid former porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 out of his own pocket to keep the actress quiet about a sexual affair she had had with Trump a decade ago.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of Code Pink, Ajit Singh, a writer and political analyst, and Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower.
The Senate Intelligence Committee today will hear from the Director of National Intelligence and the Directors of the CIA, NSA, and FBI and others on the global threats facing the United States. Those threats haven’t changed much since last year. They include cyberattacks, Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Syria. But for the first time, terrorism wasn’t at or near the top of the list.
The hosts continue the weekly series looking at the economic issues of the day with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey. The three also examine President Trump’s proposed infrastructure bill.
A judge in the UK today refused to cancel an arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, ruling that he could still be arrested by UK police if he leaves the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Brian and John speak with Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice.
Three staff members of a jail formerly run by conservative activist sheriff David Clarke of Milwaukee were arrested yesterday and charged with multiple felonies after a mentally ill prisoner, Terrill Thomas, died of thirst. The staff members had denied him water for a week to punish him for behavioral problems. Michelle Gross, the president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, and Peter Koneazny, the litigation director for the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, join the show.
The government of Kuwait yesterday opened a weeklong conference dedicated to raising money for the reconstruction of Iraq following the devastating war against ISIS. Experts estimate that Iraq needs more than $88 billion. Dr. Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor at the University of Tulsa and author of the book “Modernizing Repression: Police Training and Nation Building in the American Century,” joins Brian and John.
Israeli police are expected to recommend today that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted on charges of bribery and abuse of power, charges that he insists he will fight. Meanwhile, Ahed Tamimi, a 17-year-old Palestinian girl, was put on trial yesterday in an Israeli military court on charges that she slapped an Israeli soldier after her cousin was shot with a rubber bullet. The case has attracted the attention of diplomats, human rights groups, Hollywood celebrities, and the media. Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist, joins the show.
CIA whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling was released from a halfway house in St. Louis yesterday, arriving home in the late morning for the first time in more than two-and-a-half years. Sterling was prosecuted after alleging racial discrimination at the Agency and found guilty of a number of national security crimes, all of which he denied all the way through trial. The federal Bureau of Prisons did all it could to break Sterling even after he was released from prison.
tags: CIA, NSA, FBI, Senate Intelligence Committee, Director of National Intelligence, global threats, war, peace, cyberattacks, Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Syria, terrorism
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and a member of the Central Committee of Lebanese Communist Party, and Dan Cohen, a journalist and filmmaker.
An Israeli fighter jet was shot down in Syria over the weekend, after the Israeli Air Force attacked Syrian installations. That attack was in response to an Iranian drone crossing into Israeli airspace. By the time it was all over, six Syrians were dead and many more wounded.
The hosts talk about North and South Korea and the attitude of the Trump Administration. Mike Pence went out of his way to demonstrate unhappiness with the possibility that peace could break out on the Korean Peninsula. The two Koreas marched under one flag at the Olympics and North Korea has invited South Korean President Moon Jae-in to visit Pyongyang for more talks. The Korean War began 68 years ago—might it finally be coming to a close? Patrick Lawrence, the author of “Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century” and a columnist at Salon and The Nation, and Bruce Gagnon, the coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus, join the show.
The Trump administration submitted today a budget proposal that would see massive cuts made to social programs, including Medicare, alongside a huge boost to military spending. Meanwhile, President Trump will unveil his infrastructure bill today that critics say falls well short of what is needed to address the country’s needs. Brian and John speak with Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California and author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression.”
Debate is set to begin today in the Senate on a new immigration reform bill, although no such debate has been scheduled in the House, casting doubt on Republican protestations that they want immigration reform. Meanwhile, 120 immigrants detained in an ICE facility in Washington State have begun a hunger strike. Jorge Barón, the executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, joins the show.
Lissa Lucas was asked to testify before the West Virginia legislature on an oil and gas industry-sponsored bill that would allow companies to drill on private land without the owner's consent. A few minutes into her testimony, her microphone was turned off. And a few minutes after that, she was forcibly dragged from the room. Natalie Thompson, the Executive Director of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, joins Brian and John.
The Ohio Attorney General is suing DuPont and its spinoff Chemour Co. for years of dumping toxic chemicals from its West Virginia plant into a river that fouled air, water, and land in neighboring Ohio, despite knowing the damage it was doing. Robin Blakeman, the Huntington Project Coordinator with the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, joins the show.
The New York Times reported over the weekend that the US intelligence community recently conducted a top secret operation to recover stolen classified documents from Russian operatives. The article says that the operation also inadvertently yielded a cache of documents related to Donald Trump and to Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The only problem is that the CIA, in a very rare public statement, says the report is “fantasy” and “patently false.”
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, Dr. Tim Beal, an author, researcher, and teacher whose most recent book is “Crisis in Korea,” and Professor Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network.
The Winter Olympics opened yesterday in PyeongChang, South Korea in the shadow of difficult international politics. The sister of DPRK leader Kim Jong-un shook hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-In. She became the only member of the Kim family ever to visit South Korea. Meanwhile, Vice President Pence, representing the United States, sat three feet away and never acknowledged the North Koreans. The hosts discuss US policy in the face of improving relations between North and South Korea.
In cities nationwide, longtime working-class city residents face higher rents and increased pressure from landlords and developers. The nation’s capitol is no exception, and two groups are taking the fight to a developer’s own house this weekend, with a march up a main DC street in upper Northwest. The hosts talk about the details of the march and the broader picture of gentrification in DC. Yasmina Mrabet, a housing organizer with ONE DC, a leading organization in the group that put together Saturday’s march, and Will Merrifield, an attorney with the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless who is representing the tenants of Congress Heights, join the show.
The federal government shut down briefly last night. You probably didn’t notice it. In the middle of the night, Congress passed a two-year funding measure that adds another $300 billion in spending, more than half of that for the Pentagon, and it keeps the rest of the government open until March 23. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
With passage of the budget deal, Congress will now take up the issue of immigration reform. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has called for debate to begin on immigration on Monday, with the Senate using the House’s Hurd-Aguilar proposal as a starting point. Angie Kim, an immigrant rights advocate and community organizer with the MinKwon Center for Community Action, joins the show.
Years of war and violence have left 750,000 children in Mosul without basic health care, which UNICEF recently announced while appealing for $17 million to aid the area. Less than 10% of health facilities in the surrounding province are operating at full capacity. Despite this great need, there is little to no mention of it in the corporate media. Catherine Shakdam, a political commentator and analyst focusing on the Middle East, and the author of “A Tale Of Grand Resistance: Yemen, The Wahhabi And The House Of Saud,” joins Brian and John.
According to multiple reports, Israeli police authorities are recommending to the country’s minister of justice that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted on a myriad of corruption and bribery charges. The recommendation was made unanimously by a panel of police chiefs. Miko Peled, the author of “The General’s Son - A Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” and the upcoming title "Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five," joins the show.
Again this week the hosts look at the worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose searing critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left Eye on the News, which you can find at lefti.blogspot.com.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dean Baker, the co-director of the Center for Economic Policy and Research.
The stock market plunged again losing more than one thousand points at the same time as Congress raced to avert another government shutdown. Instability within the government and in the larger economy has become a hallmark of the crises looming in the United States.
In this segment, “Underreported America,” the hosts look at some of the less widely covered stories from around the country. A few days ago, a livery driver in New York City committed suicide in front of City Hall, apparently as a result of his inability to make a living under current taxi and livery regulations. The hosts look at regulations and the advent of ride-sharing. Johnice Earle, a business agent with the Washington DC Taxicab Association, a part of Teamsters Local #922, and the President and Secretary of the DC Taxicab Association, join the show.
Today is another installment of “Criminal Injustice,” where the hosts talk about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Brian and John speak with Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News.
The US and its allies struck Syrian government forces with air and artillery fire last night, killing more than 100 Syrians. This is the deadliest confrontation in Syria so far that involved the US military. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
Negotiations between the Venezuelan government and opposition in the Dominican Republic were indefinitely suspended, as the opposition meets today to decide whether to participate in a controversial presidential election in April, despite the barring of its two strongest candidates. Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, joins Brian and John.
A federal judge in Oklahoma recently gave a woman guilty of passing bad checks and possessing drugs a choice: Be sterilized or go to prison for a longer stretch. She was sterilized. Eesha Pandit, a writer, activist, and co-founder and managing partner at The Center for Advancing Innovative Policy, joins the show.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke for eight hours on the floor of the House yesterday about the Dreamers, the longest House speech in American history. Regardless, they still will not be protected in the proposed bipartisan budget deal. Meanwhile, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said that most Dreamers never got their citizenship because they were “lazy.” Brian and John speak with Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Cyberwarfare chief said unequivocally yesterday that Russia hacked into the election systems of a number of US states in 2016. The state election commissions, however, said that was simply not true and there was no evidence of any hacking, from Russia or from anywhere else. Joe Lauria, a journalist, political commentator, and author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, and Dr. Peter Kuznick, a Professor of History and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and the co-author with Oliver Stone of “The Untold History of the United States.”
President Trump, who never served in the military, has ordered the Pentagon to plan a large-scale military parade similar to one he saw in France on Bastille Day. The press says he was “awestruck” by it. Opposition to the parade, which would cost between $20 million and $25 million, has been swift.
The United Nations is warning that Gaza will run out of fuel in only 10 days, already causing hospitals to close. Meanwhile, an Israeli paper reported that Saudi Arabia granted overflight clearance to Air India’s new flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv, though Saudi Arabia is now denying it. And the Israeli government is preparing to expel as many as 40,000 African refugees. Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine,” joins the show.
Democratic and Republican senators came to an agreement on a two-year budget plan today, heading off what would have been another government shutdown, but increasing federal spending by some $200 billion. The measure now goes to the House, where it may face stiff opposition from budget hawks. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, recently gave a $156 million contract to a company in Georgia with one employee to provide 30 million meals to Puerto Ricans displaced by Hurricane Maria. The company took the money and delivered 50,000 meals. The FEMA contracting officer is calling the episode “a logistical nightmare.” Juliana Musheyev, a Community Engaged Researcher at Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence (SCOPE) joins the show.
Four Democratic senators have asked Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt to recuse himself from rulemaking around the Clean Power Plan. Pruitt sued the EPA 14 times as Attorney General of Oklahoma, four times concerning the Clean Power Plan, and he has been working to repeal the Clean Power Plan since becoming head of the agency. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation,” joins Brian and John.
Hundreds of thousands of Greeks demonstrated in Athens and Thessaloniki over the weekend to demand that the government not agree to accept any name for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia that includes the word “Macedonia.” FYROM, as it’s known internationally, cannot join NATO or the European Union until a name for the country is agreed upon. Dean Sirigos, an independent journalist and a former reporter for The National Herald, the largest Greek-American newspaper in the United States, joins the show.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel reached a deal with her previous governing partners, including the Social Democrats, bringing her within striking distance of forming a new government after five months of political limbo. Brian and John speak with Diani Baretto, an activist and the director of the Berlin Bureau of ExposeFacts.org.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey and Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist.
The stock market yesterday had its largest intraday point drop ever, despite strong economic data that was released last week. What accounts for this volatility? The hosts look at the underlying reasons.
An internal audit of the Defense Logistics Agency by the Big Four accounting firm of Ernst & Young found that the Pentagon failed to keep track of nearly $800 million that it now cannot account for. The auditors said, across the board, the agency’s financial leadership is so weak that it is simply unable to account for its money. Lawrence Korb, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a senior adviser to the Center for Defense Information, and former Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Reagan Administration, joins the show.
A British court has upheld an arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, rejecting arguments that the warrant is moot because Assange is no longer wanted for questioning in Sweden. Brian and John speak with Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice.
Senators John McCain, a Republican, and Chris Coons, a Democrat, have come up with a bipartisan immigration bill that they believe will be attractive to both parties. The White House, though, already has rejected it. But will it still be the basis for real immigration reform? Immigration attorney Alan Diamante joins the show.
The government is set to run out of money again at the end of the week, while Congress scrambles to come up with another continuing resolution. Observers say that the Democrats will not move to shut down the government and instead will seek a standalone bill to address immigration, rather than tying it to the budget. Dr. Wilmer Leon, a political scientist, author, and host of a nationally broadcast talk radio show on Sirius/XM channel 126, joins Brian and John.
The Trump Administration is continuing its internal deliberations over what it euphemistically calls a “bloody nose” policy for North Korea. If fact, it’s a policy to attack North Korea militarily. At the same time, Victor Cha, a Bush Administration official and Georgetown University professor whom Trump had named as Ambassador to South Korea, had his nomination withdrawn after saying that the policy was a bad idea. Meanwhile, a group of Democratic senators have published an open letter saying that the President does not have Congressional authorization to launch any strike on North Korea. Chris Black, an international criminal lawyer who is on the List of Counsel before the ICC, joins the show.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has signaled his support for a coup in Venezuela, praising the history of military rule in Latin America and calling the armed forces an “agent of change”. Brian and John speak with Gloria La Riva, the Director of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Greg Mello, the executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group, and Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear.
The Trump Administration announced its Nuclear Posture Review, which calls for a major upgrade in the US nuclear arsenal, including more new nuclear weapons, and smaller tactical nukes that would be used on the battlefield. The policy is a violation of longstanding international agreements and could lead to a new arms race.
Days after the release of the sco called Nunes memo the Democrats are insisting on the release of their memo, which might be considered a minority rebuttal, but it’s time to take a look at the big picture. What does this whole incident say about the FBI, its power, its capacity for abuse and misconduct, and the history of an organization that has played such a decisive role in American politics over many, many decades. Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com; And by David Cobb, campaign manager of the 2016 Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka presidential campaign.
A Russian warplane was shot down over Syria on Saturday, killing the pilot. The surface-to-air missile was fired by al-Qaeda rebels, a dangerous development as the Trump Administration brags that it has defeated ISIS in Syria. Mark Sleboda, he is an international Affairs and Security Analyst, joins the show.
Today marks the 15th anniversary of the speech by then-Secretary of State Colin Powell to the United Nations Security Council that laid out the US path to war against Iraq. Powell had told the UN definitively that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. That was not true, and the lie led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink, joins Brian and John.
This week we’ll look at the worst and most misleading headlines. Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose writings can be found at lefti.blogspot.com, joins the show.
The hosts then talk about the latest news of the day regarding the so-called Nunes Memo, the Democrats’ minority memo, and a recently declassified referral from the Senate Judiciary Committee about a criminal accusation against Christopher Steele, the author of the now-infamous Steele Dossier.
In a setback for leftist former president Rafael Correa, the yes campaign succeeded on all questions in yesterday’s referendum in Ecuador pushed by current President Lenin Moreno, who is accused of betraying the “Citizens Revolution” movement that brought him to power. Independent journalist Denis Rogatyuk joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia” and by Kevin Zeese, he is the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance.
The highly anticipated “Nunes memo” was released today, showing what appears to be serious abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to conduct surveillance on the Trump campaign during the 2016 election based solely on an opposition research dossier prepared by former British spy Christopher Steele.
Today, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned Syria not to launch chemical weapons attacks on civilians, noting, “you’ve all seen how we reacted to that” ... and this “would be ill advised.” He added, though, that there is no evidence that any attack has been committed. Brian and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
As the stock market suffers heavy losses, Bitcoin is headed for its biggest weekly loss this week since December 2013, with values dipping under $8,000 for the first time since November. In the jobs report, January saw 200,000 jobs added. Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, joins the show.
Medicaid is one of the most important and innovative programs in government, helping millions of Americans--in both the lower and middle economic strata--since its creation. Now it’s under attack from Republicans, who see it as wasteful. We’re going to start about the state of Medicaid and what comes next. Leonardo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program, and Dr. Margaret Flowers, a medical doctor and the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, join Brian and John
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War.”
The battle between the FBI and the House Intelligence Committee continued to worsen yesterday, as FBI Director Christopher Wray said that the FBI has “grave concerns” about the release of the Nunes memo because of material omissions of fact. Meanwhile, Congressman Trey Gowdy, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee and the actual author of the Nunes memo, announced his retirement.
Today the hosts continue the weekly series “Criminal Injustice,” highlighting the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), join the show.
The United States is facing a crisis of epic proportions in opioid addiction. The problem is so severe that the lifespan of the average American has actually declined for the past two years. That’s all because of opioid deaths, and West Virginia has been particularly hard hit. Brian and John speak with Travis Boothe, an organizer with the Morgantown Tenants Union.
President Trump has signed an Executive Order that will keep the military prison at Guantanamo Bay open indefinitely. The President also said in his State of the Union address earlier this week that he wants to start sending more prisoners to Guantanamo, a reversal of the Obama Administration’s policy of winding down the population there. Jeremy Varon, a professor at the New School in New York and an anti-Guantanamo activist, joins the show.
Lifetime doping bans against 28 Russian athletes were overturned on Thursday, throwing the International Olympic Committee’s policy on Russian doping into chaos. The decision means that the athletes’ clean 2014 test results will be reinstated, and they may all seek in the Winter Games next week in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Alan Moore, a specialist in sports governance and the host of the Capital FM Sports show based in Moscow, joins Brian and John.
British Prime Minister Theresa May is in China this week, working on a trade deal with Beijing that offers Britain as what she calls “a reliable, competitive base in Europe.” Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said British-Chinese relations were in “a golden era.” Jude Woodward, London mayor Ken Livingstone's advisor on culture and creative industries and the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?,” joins the show.
A federal judge yesterday dismissed all charges against Senator Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, who had been accused of a variety of crimes related to corruption. Menendez already had gone on trial, which ended in a hung jury. A judge subsequently threw out seven of the 18 charges. The Menendez case was a test of anti-bribery laws in the wake of a 2016 decision which narrowed their scope. Brian and John speak with Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jodi Dean, a professor of Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
President Trump delivered his first state of the union address last night, setting an ambitious, but highly partisan—perhaps even divisive—agenda in his first State of the Union address. He took a hard line on immigration and North Korea, but then said he wanted to spend $1.5 trillion on infrastructure, although he didn’t say how he would pay for it, especially in light of recent massive tax cuts for corporations and the rich.
The White House is saying that President Trump has not yet decided whether to release the Nunes memo, although he was overheard at the State of the Union last night saying that he would “100 percent release it.” Meanwhile, the plot thickens at the FBI, as its Inspector General is now investigating the actions of former director James Comey and deputy director Andrew McCabe, their role in the Hillary Clinton emails, and the FISA warrant they requested to look at the Trump campaign. Brian and John speak with Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers.
A federal judge in the Southern District of New York this week lashed out at Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in a written opinion ordering the temporary release of an immigrants’ rights activist who ICE scooped up and scheduled for deportation. Ravi Ragbir, the leader of the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York, was released so that, in the judge’s words, he could say goodbye to his family. Juan Carlos Ruiz, cofounder of New Sanctuary Coalition, where Ravi Ragbir is executive director, joins the show.
An Israeli legal rights group is suing two New Zealanders who reportedly convinced the pop singer Lorde to cancel a performance in Israel. This is the first lawsuit filed under a controversial Israeli anti-boycott law. And for the first time in its history, an officer of the Israeli secret police agency, the Shin Bet, is facing a criminal investigation over allegations of torture. Miko Peled, an author whose latest book “Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five” comes out next month, joins Brian and John.
Bahrain’s top court sentenced two people to death and almost 60 more to lengthy prison sentences yesterday on charges of terrorism in a case that the Bahrainis say proves Iranian meddling in their country. The Bahraini prosecutor said the defendants smuggled explosives and weapons into the country after having undergone training in Iran. Mustafa Akhwand, the executive director of Shia Rights Watch, joins the show.
Cape Town, South Africa is dangerously close to running out of water. “Day Zero”, as it’s being called, is expected in April, and frantic preparations are underway to prepare for this impending ecological crisis. Brian and John speak with Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation”.
Saudi Arabia has moved the remaining 56 princes it has been holding in the Ritz Carlton hotel on corruption charges to secure private palaces and, in some cases, to actual prisons. Other princes have secured their own release by turning over to the government more than $106 billion that Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman says was made through corrupt practices. Ali al-Ahmed, the director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sue Udry, a peace and social justice activist and executive director of Defending Rights and Dissent, Benjamin Dixon, the editor in chief of the media platform Progressive Army and host of the Benjamin Dixon Show, and Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, join the show.
President Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Most observers expect him to talk about privatizing infrastructure and creating immigration policies that break families apart, and to take a victory lap on giveaways to the ultra-rich.
The Treasury Department has released a list of 114 names of senior political officials at the Kremlin and every Russian oligarch with a net worth over $1 billion. The report appears to be an exercise in “naming and shaming” likely future sanctions targets. Meanwhile, CIA Director Michael Pompeo told the BBC that Russia will likely interfere in the 2018 midterm elections in the United States. Brian and John speak with Alexander Mercouris the editor in chief of The Duran.
Many states that have traditionally voted Republican have begun talking about expanding Medicaid coverage in the aftermath of President Trump’s issuance of a waiver to the state of Kentucky, allowing the governor there to impose work requirements on anybody receiving Medicaid. Leonardo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program, and Dr. Margaret Flowers, practicing pediatrician and co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, join the show.
The House Intelligence Committee voted last night along party lines to release a controversial memo prepared by the Republicans that purportedly will expose FBI corruption in the Russia investigation. This frontal attack on the FBI is unique in American politics. The hosts discuss the fallout. Whitney Webb, a journalist and a staff writer for MintPress News, joins Brian and John.
The Catalonian parliament today delayed a vote to reelect Carles Puigdemont as leader of the government that wants to break away from Spain. Puigdemont is in self-imposed exile in Brussels, and he faces of myriad of charges if he returns to his country. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, joins the show.
Today, Brian and John speak with financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey as they continue the weekly segment looking at economic developments across the country.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Heather Benno, the managing attorney at Esperanza Center, and Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
The hosts discuss Trump’s immigration proposal, which would end family immigration. Is it a poison pill that will get nowhere or will it be adopted, tearing families apart based on geography?
The hosts analyze a new piece that alleges to have uncovered the source behind the McCarthyite PropOrNot website. Joe Lauria, a journalist, political commentator, and author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton," and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek join the show.
The House Intelligence Committee is voting on whether or not to release the so-called Nunes Memo, which will likely allege an FBI conspiracy to take down the Trump presidency. Is it based on intelligence or on Republican fantasies? Meanwhile, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe resigned today, prior to his scheduled March departure. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer, who is the author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia.”
The Afghan capital of Kabul has been wracked by an unusually high level of violence over the past week, with attacks coming from both the Taliban and ISIS. More than 125 people have been killed. Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins the show.
Robert Parry, the legendary journalist and founder of Consortium News, has died at 68. He was a longtime reporter for the Associated Press, and was a Pulitzer finalist for uncovering the production of a CIA assassination manual for Central American rebels. Ray McGovern, a CIA analyst turned anti-war activist and a close friend of Robert Parry, joins Brian and John.
U.S. authorities today are set to arrest several people implicated in connection with a federal investigation into something called “spoofing,” and manipulation of the U.S. futures markets by three European banks. Brad Birkenfeld, a whistleblower who exposed billions of dollars of financial fraud committed by banking giant UBS who writes at lucifersbanker.com, joins the show.
If you thought the war in Yemen couldn’t get any more complicated, you are wrong. Separatists allied with the United Arab Emirates are fighting troops allied with Saudi Arabia for control of the southern part of Yemen. Some observers are now predicting the secession of southern Yemen. Brian and John speak with Mustafa Akhwand, the executive director of Shia Rights Watch.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Joe Lauria, a journalist, political commentator, and author of the book, “How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton.”
In a major new story, the New York Times reported today that President Trump decided last June to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller because his investigation had moved beyond Russia and collusion. White House Counsel Dan McGahn, however, said he would resign, and Trump backed off. Many observers say that firing Mueller would have led to a constitutional crisis.
President Trump spoke in Davos, Switzerland, today at the World Economic Forum. He emphasized his “America First” policy, and also softened his previously strong anti-globalization stance that has earned him support from workers around the country. Patrick Lawrence, the author of “Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century” and a columnist at The Nation, joins the show.
In the last 24 hours, Turkey has unleashed some aggressive threats against the United States. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said pointedly that if the United States wants to "avoid a confrontation with Turkey—which neither they nor Turkey want—the way to this is clear: they must cut support given to terrorists.” Meanwhile, the Kurds in Afrin have taken a big hit from Turkish forces. What is Turkey’s goal in threatening the United States, and will it make good on its threats to “cleanse” Afrin of Kurds? Brian and John speak with Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, and Stephen Gowans, a journalist and author of “Washington’s Long War on Syria.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan met yesterday with senior officials of the United Arab Emirates, despite the fact that the UAE is running a torture program in Yemen’s secret prisons. US forces have interrogated detainees in the same facilities. Additionally, just today, the UN reported a mass drowning of at least 30 African refugees off the coast of Yemen. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.
As protests continue to rage in Honduras against the Inauguration of U.S.-ally Juan Orlando Hernandez, a report has emerged that the newly appointed police chief of Honduras, long supported by the US military as helping prevent cocaine movement into the US, is implicated in a security report that shows he helped a cartel move a truckload of cocaine. Vicki Cervantes, the North America coordinator of the Honduras Solidarity Network, joins Brian and John.
Albuquerque has tried to criminalize homelessness with an ordinance passed in November 2017 that prohibits interactions between drivers and pedestrians who are on medians and freeway entrances, including panhandling. The New Mexico ACLU has filed a lawsuit against Albuquerque in federal court. Marissa Sanchez, an activist with Act Now to Stop War and End Racism and a plaintiff in the case, joins the show.
Vast inequality is on the rise in the nation’s capital, as longtime residents are forced out, overpoliced, and denied a decent education. What are the city’s priorities? And what does it say about the state of the country? Brian and John speak with Bob Schlehuber, a DC resident and the producer of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary, which you can listen to every weekday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
In a weekly segment with Steve Patt, journalist at lefti.blogspot.com, the hosts and Steve take a look at the worst and most misleading headlines of the week.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author, Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Randy Credico an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice.
President Trump said last night, perhaps in an unguarded moment, that he was willing to speak under oath with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The president’s attorneys quickly backtracked. Meanwhile, Mueller and his staff met last week with Attorney General Sessions, as the investigation seems to be turning more and more toward obstruction of justice and money laundering. Russia no longer seems to be in the mix.
Today, Brian and John begin a new weekly segment that called “Criminal Injustice.” They will look at some of the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors, and at how justice is so routinely denied to so many Americans. In today’s segment, judges in the state of Oklahoma are sending people arrested on minor drug charges to a program called CAAIR—Christian Alcoholics and Addicts in Recovery. But in reality, they’re sent to work in dangerous chicken processing plants. Prisons in America are based on slave labor. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, and Paul Wright, the founder and Executive Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), join the show.
The World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland has begun, although controversy is hovering over the meeting in light of President Trump’s America First trade policy and his recent comments about poor countries. Brian and John speak with Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist.
The Trump Administration has slashed aid to UNRWA, the United Nations agency that assists Palestinian refugees, a move that experts in the region say will cause “life threatening conditions.” Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq and became an anti-war activist, joins the show.
It appears that there will be only one candidate for president of Egypt in that country’s upcoming elections: military dictator Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi. All other candidates have been systematically thrown out of the race and removed from the ballot. And one former SIS supporter, himself a general, was arrested yesterday. Vijay Prashad, the director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, joins Brian and John.
A court in Brazil has upheld the conviction and nine-and-a-half year sentence of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on charges of corruption and bribery, upending that country’s presidential race, which Lula leads widely in the polls. Aline Piva, with Brazilian Expats for Democracy, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
The United Nations is hosting in Vienna what it calls “the last hope” for peace in Syria. Representatives of both the Syrian government and the opposition will attend today. Brian and John speak with Shabbir Razvi, an economist and political analyst.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daniel Ellsberg, one of the the most important whistleblowers in modern American history and the author of “The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner.”
In his latest book, “The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner,” legendary Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg reveals shocking details of the U.S. nuclear weapons program of the 1950s and 1960s, including how responsibility for launching nuclear war was delegated to theater commanders during the Eisenhower and Kennedy Administrations. No other high-level insider has ever written so candidly about nuclear policy--and that policy hasn’t changed in more than a half century.
Brian and John talk about the grave dangers posed by America’s aging nuclear power plants in a 30-minute excerpt from an interview with nuclear experts. Greg Mello, the executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group, and Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, join the show.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, under fire from members of his own party for giving in to pressure from Republicans on the government shutdown, said yesterday that any discussion of a border wall is off the table. Others say Schumer had no deal with House Republicans to discuss DACA. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
Google for the first time has spent more money than any other company lobbying Congress, the White House, and federal agencies. The tech giant spent $18 million to influence policymakers on such issues as immigration, tax reform, and anti-trust law. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.
Puerto Rico’s governor announced on Monday that he is moving to privatize the island’s troubled public power company after its slow and difficult recovery from Hurricane Maria exposed mismanagement and corruption. Ruth Beltran, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Tampa, and Richard Lopez, an activist with the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, join Brian and John.
The Turkish offensive in northern Syria continues to press forward against the Kurdish YPG’s positions. Meanwhile Turkey’s foreign minister has claimed that the United States is in favor of a 30-kilometer security buffer along the Syrian-Turkish border. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court struck down that state’s congressional district boundaries, calling them “unconstitutional” and saying that they must be redrawn before the May primaries. While Democrats and Republicans consistently split the vote about 50/50, Republicans control 13 of the state’s 18 House seats. Brian and John speak with Drew Penrose, Legal and Policy Director at the election reform advocacy organization FairVote.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist, and Ambassador Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK.
Vice President Mike Pence’s speech to the Israeli Knesset yesterday was met with both standing ovations and physical scuffles, as Arab members were evicted for protesting the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the New York Times Sunday Magazine has an article that strongly suggests that then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat to be assassinated in 2004.
Did you know that Donald Trump’s father started off building affordable housing? That Donald Trump may be descended from a serial killer? Did you know that Trump is the first president to have children by three different women? Or that his children have never been permitted to have pets? Ruth Ann Monti, the author of a terrifically entertaining new book called “Donald Trump in 100 Facts,” joins the show.
The Attorney General has announced that the Department of Justice will be opening an investigation into the deletion of text messages that are suspected to demonstrate a political bias of two former members of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s “Russiagate” team. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer, and Walter Smolarek, Sputnik news analyst.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is facing the wrath of his own party following the government shutdown. Progressive Democrats are upset that Schumer won almost nothing tangible in exchange for providing the votes to pass a continuing resolution, largely seen as a victory for President Trump. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and columnist for CounterPunch, joins the show.
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said yesterday that Turkey’s offensive against Syria is disrupting efforts to finish off ISIS. French President Macron, meanwhile, criticized Turkey’s human rights record in Syria. Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins Brian and John.
As NAFTA renegotiations enter a decisive stage, the Trump administration announced harsh new tariffs of as high as 50 percent on solar panels and washing machines, angering China and South Korea, where they are manufactured. Observers say these are only the first of Donald Trump’s “America First” tariffs. Baldemar Velasquez, the President of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, and Pete Dolack, an activist and writer with Trade Justice New York Metro, join the show.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is a giant in Brazilian politics. But the former president is at a crossroads. He could finish this year in prison serving a nine-and-a-half year sentence for corruption, or finish this year once again as President of Brazil. Brian and John speak with Valeska Teixeira Martins, President Lula’s personal attorney.
Today, Brian, John, and financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey begin a new weekly segment that takes a look at the economic direction of the country.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Angie Kim, an immigrant rights advocate and community organizer with the MinKwon Center for Community Action, and Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance.
Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have come to an agreement to end the government shutdown, which had entered its third day. The Democrats are declaring victory because they received the promise of a vote in February on DACA. But is this really a Democratic loss?
Turkish forces have captured the Syrian city of Afrin on the third day of an offensive to oust Syrian Kurdish fighters from the border. Mark Sleboda, an international Affairs and Security Analyst, and Marwa Osman, independent political analyst, join the show.
The NSA has deleted surveillance data and the FBI deleted text messages between two FBI employees criticizing President Trump that a judge ordered them to preserve. NSA said disingenuously that it didn’t have the storage space to hold the data. The FBI said the deletion was “an accident.” Brian and John speak with Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower.
Twitter on Friday began emailing more than 677,000 people to tell them that they may have interacted with several thousand accounts that Twitter has linked to a Russian “bot farm.” What was in the automated tweets, and did they sway voters or opinion-makers during the election? Steven Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left Eye on the News, joins the show.
The United States is arming and training neo-Nazis in Ukraine, all while Congress is debating a prohibition on doing just that. Max Blumenthal, a journalist, bestselling author, senior editor of Alternet’s Grayzone Project, and co-host of the podcast “Moderate Rebels,” joins Brian and John.
Just days after the Trump Administration announced that it would allow states to compel poor people to work in order to get healthcare under Medicaid, federal health officials granted Kentucky permission to impose those requirements. Leonardo Cuello, an attorney and the director of health policy for the National Health Law Program, joins the show.
President Trump’s new National Defense Strategy envisions a world where Great Power competition with China and Russia is a bigger threat to the United States than terrorism. Have we entered into a new national defense era? Brian and John speak with Dr. Jan Oberg, the director of the Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ajamu Baraka, a longtime human rights activist, organizer with the Black Alliance for Peace, and the 2016 Green Party nominee for Vice President of the United States; Aurelia Williams, an activist and organizer; and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
President Donald Trump completes his first year in office tomorrow, and what a year it’s been. They look at the start of the president’s legacy, from hotter wars to less healthcare to tougher times for the poor and the environment. Then they turn to the continuity from the last Administration.
Congress has just hours to act to avert a government shutdown as intense negotiations over the future of undocumented youth, the CHIP health program, and government spending appear to hit a wall. Tom Prigg, a Democrat running for the U.S. Congress in Pennsylvania’s 12th District, joins the show.
Congressional Republicans are demanding the release of a memorandum they allege contains explosive information about surveillance directed at the Trump campaign during the 2016 election. Brian and John speak with Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower.
On Thursday, the US Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia announced that it would drop 129 of the remaining 188 felony rioting charges against Trump inauguration demonstrators--leaving a “core” of 59 people left with felony charges. This comes after the first 20 people charged went to trial and were found not guilty on all counts. Will any of these cases stand up in court? Chip Gibbons, policy and legislative counsel for Defending Rights & Dissent, and a journalist who has contributed to the Nation, Jacobin, and the book “The Henry Kissinger Files.”, joins the show.
More than 2,000 Haitian and Haitian-American activists marched from Brooklyn to Wall Street today to protest the Trump Administration’s recent comments about the Caribbean country. Florence Comeau and Kerbie Joseph, Haitian-American activists and organizers of today’s demonstration, join Brian and John.
Today is our second week of a new segment that the hosts like to call “WAMM! Headlines.” They take a look at the worst and most misleading headlines of the week. Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose searing critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left Eye on the News, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Brent Wilkes, the national executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
The government is heading directly for a shutdown as Senate Republicans admit that they do not have the votes to extend federal funding, even for the short term. Meanwhile, President Trump tweeted today that the Children’s Health Insurance Plan should not be part of a Continuing Resolution, but instead should be part of a long-term solution, along with his border wall.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson backpedaled yesterday on US plans for Syria’s border with Turkey, saying that the US would not arm a Kurdish border force and adding that the US owes Turkey an explanation. Tillerson said further that the US plans to maintain a military force inside Syria even after ISIS is defeated. Ambassador Peter Ford, the former United Kingdom ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
President Trump is set to address by satellite Friday’s March for Life, the annual anti-choice gathering that is gaining new ground under the Trump Administration. Brian and John speak with Karina Garcia, a reproductive justice organizer.
Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Mick Mulvaney has requested no funding for the next quarter, stating that the reserve fund has $177.1 million, plenty to fund the agency, which expects $145 million in costs—essentially defunding the reserve. This is after his announcement on Tuesday that the agency will delay and revisit regulations on payday lending, a predatory system long understood to target the poor. Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, joins the show.
A little more than a year after then-President-elect Trump stood before cheering workers at a Carrier manufacturing plant in Indiana and promised to keep their Rust Belt jobs from moving to China, those same workers are feeling betrayed, as more than 1,500 were laid off, the final 200 just this week. Pete Dolack, an activist and writer with Trade Justice New York Metro joins Brian and John.
Members of the Catalonian parliament elected a separatist as Speaker yesterday in their first meeting since the central government in Madrid dissolved the region’s parliament. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, joins the show.
More than 120 prisoners took control of a French prison outside Paris in response to a demonstration by hundreds of prison guards a day earlier, during which the guards burned tires and wooden pallets in protest about various grievances. Brian and John speak with Ksenia Kozlitina, Sputnik France correspondent and news analyst.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year along with two other whistleblowers, joins the show.
A former C.I.A. officer suspected by investigators of helping China dismantle United States spying operations and identify informants has been arrested. The reported collapse of the US spy network in China is described by the New York Times as one of the American government’s worst intelligence failures in recent years.
A newly drafted United States nuclear strategy that has been sent to President Trump for approval will permit an expanded use of nuclear weapons. This document is called the Nuclear Posture Review. The following is a 30-minute except interview on the issue of nuclear weapons. The program was recorded one week ago in the studio of Radio Sputnik. Brian and John speak with Greg Mello, the executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group, and Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear.
House Republicans are proposing another stopgap spending measure that would ignore Democratic concerns over DACA, but would fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, for the next six years. They look at whether the Democrats will be forced to choose children over immigrants to get a budget deal. Dr. Scott Tyson, the CEO of Pediatrics South and an advocate for the right to healthcare, joins the show.
For 16 years, fighting in Afghanistan between US troops and the Taliban has stopped when winter descends. Under the new rules of engagement for the third US president to administer the Afghanistan war, the US and Afghan forces conducted an average of 15 airstrikes a day this December, compared with an average of 2 last December. Ann Wright, a retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq, join Brian and John.
The value of the dollar is down more than 15 percent versus the euro in the past six months, making exports cheaper and imports more expensive. It also could fuel inflation and prolong the stock market rally. But is this a bubble, and are the Trump Administration’s policies just kicking the can down the road? Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, and Steve Keen, the author of “Debunking Economics” and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, join the show.
Momentum is building for the outdoor Virginia Prison Reform Rally to be held from 2-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Bell Tower on Capitol Square in Richmond, Virgnia. Margaret Breslau, Chairperson of the Coalition for Justice, joins Brian and John.
On the same day that he refused to answer questions before the House Intelligence Committee, former White House senior advisor Steve Bannon was subpoenaed to testify before special counsel Robert Mueller’s grand jury. He has now reportedly agreed to an interview with Mueller rather than testify. They look at whether Bannon is a witness or a target. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author of “The Frozen Republic,” “The Velvet Coup,” and “America's Undeclared War” joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Bryan MacCormack, the executive director of the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement, and Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
A DACA deal appears to be dead in light of President Trump’s recent racist comments. But he blames Democrats, whom, he says, are willing to shut down the government if there’s no DACA deal.
A group of Foreign Ministers, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, meets in Vancouver this week to discuss implementation and enforcement of sanctions on North Korea. Alison Bodine, an anti-war and social justice activist and the Chair of Vancouver's antiwar coalition Mobilization Against War and Occupation, and Walter Smolarek, Sputnik news analyst, join the show.
The government of Turkey is planning what it is calling an “imminent” military operation against US-backed Syria Kurdish fighters in the northern Syrian city of Afrin. With 2,000 US special forces on the ground, the US could find itself in armed conflict. Brian and John speak with Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Former presidential advisor Steve Bannon testified today in a closed-door session of the House Intelligence Committee. Joe Lauria, a journalist, political commentator, and author of the book How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton, joins the show.
CIA whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling was released from prison this morning. He has maintained his innocence now and during his two-and-a-half years behind bars. Meanwhile, US Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning announced a bid for the US Senate in Maryland. Arn Menconi, an activist who has been heavily involved in supporting Jeffrey Sterling, joins Brian and John.
Chile’s outgoing president, Michelle Bachelet, criticized the World Bank over the weekend after allegations of political bias against her left-leaning government. Steve Keen, the author of Debunking Economics and the world’s first crowdfunded economist, joins the show.
Pope Francis is in Chile, where he is asking for forgiveness over the Catholic church’s sex abuse scandal. Brian and John speak with Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including Race to Revolution: The U.S. and Cuba During Slavery and Jim Crow.
The hosts and Dr. Horne talk about President Trump’s comments to members of the Republican and Democratic Parties at the White House, where he spoke in the most racist and disparaging way about nations including Haiti and African countries. They also discuss what happened to DACA, why there’s no deal, and President Trump’s immigration policy. Additionally, the panel takes a look at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and at the real legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
President Trump appears set to extend the Iran nuclear deal, despite his tough rhetoric. But White House officials say he is still looking at ways to either modify it or kill it. Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink, joins the show.
President Trump has canceled his scheduled trip to the UK, he says in protest of a “bad deal” that was negotiated to sell the current US Embassy there. We look at the real reasons for the cancellation. Brian and John speak with George Galloway, legendary anti-war activist and former British parliamentarian.
The fate of Julian Assange remains uncertain. He has been given an Ecuadorean passport, but British authorities have not budged on their position that he will be arrested if he leaves Ecuador’s embassy. Randy Credico, an activist, a comedian, and the former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice, joins the show.
Today, we begin a new weekly segment today that we hope you’ll enjoy. We’ll take a look at the worst and most misleading headlines of the week. Steve Patt, an independent journalist at Left Eye on the News, joins Brian and John.
After a marathon negotiating session, German political leaders announced a political breakthrough, as Chancellor Angela Merkel and Social Democratic Party leader Martin Shulz will now begin talks on a formal coalition. Reiner Braun, co-president of the International Peace Bureau, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower, and Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent named 2002 Time Magazine person of the year with two other whistleblowers.
The House of Representatives is set to vote on a provision that would reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act while President Donald Trump appeared to torpedo his Administration’s own position on the act. Meanwhile, Democrats will go it alone on their Russia investigation, as Republicans in Congress are reluctant to chase the Russian boogeyman.
The Trump Administration said today that it would allow states to impose work requirements on people in the Medicaid program. Mary Gerisch, an organizer and member chair of the Rights & Democracy health care justice team, joins the show.
President Trump waived part of the fines for five banks charged with fraudulent conduct, including Deutsche Bank, where he has at least $130 million of debt. Brian and John speak with Jack Rasmus, author and professor of economics.
The issue of war and peace is the issue of the day in Colombia. Will the ceasefire and peace process continue or is it being derailed? Mario Murillo, author and professor of Communication and Latin American studies at Hofstra University, joins the show.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange tweeted yesterday that he has been given an Ecuadorean passport, leading to speculation that he may leave that country’s embassy in London. Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek joins Brian and John.
A myriad of human rights groups demonstrated in front of the White House every day this week to protest the government’s failure to close the military and intelligence prison at Guantanamo. Jeremy Varon, a professor at the New School in New York and one of the organizers of the demonstration, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Max Blumenthal, senior editor of Alternet’s Grayzone Project, and Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net.
The Department of Justice sent a letter today to Sputnik News demanding that we register with them as “foreign agents.” We’ll spend the first hour discussing this attack on freedom of the press and freedom of speech.
A US District Court judge in San Francisco has blocked President Trump’s plan to phase out Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, because of the President’s tweet supporting the program. It’s Trump versus Trump on DACA. Angie Kim, an immigrant rights advocate and community organizer with the MinKwon Center for Community Action, joins the show.
Former presidential advisor Steve Bannon has stepped down--or has been forced out--as the executive chairman of Breitbart News, as the fallout continues from his sharp attacks on President Trump and his family in a recent book. Brian and John speak with Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to several other news outlets.
At least 15 people have been killed in the exclusive southern California enclave of Montecito after mudslides, triggered by heavy rains following the worst forest fires in the state’s history, which destroyed houses and roads. Yet many Republicans still deny the effects of climate change. May Boeve, executive director of 350.org, and Tomás Rebecchi, the Senior Central Coast Organizer for Food & Water Watch, join the show.
President Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen filed a federal lawsuit yesterday against the news organization Buzzfeed and Fusion GPS over the allegations contained in the Steele dossier. Kevin Zeese, the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, joins Brian and John.
Bruce Gagnon and 11 other protesters were arrested a year ago for blocking the main street leading to the Bath Iron Works shipyard to protest the christening of a US Navy Destroyer. Their trial starts soon. Bruce Gagnon, the coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, the author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia.”
Senator Dianne Feinstein has released the Senate Committee testimony of Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson against the wishes of Chuck Grassley, the chair of the committee, in the latest twist to the “Russiagate” saga.
Tenants in Maryland are suing that a property management firm controlled by Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner’s real estate company and an Israeli Corporate entity provided $30 million to Kushner’s properties before Trump sent Kushner to Israel and the Middle East and before Trump announced that the US was recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Matt Hill, an attorney representing aggrieved tenants in a class action suit brought against Kushner and his companies, joins the show.
North Korea announced yesterday that it would send a team of athletes to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, while South Korea confirmed the first high-level talks between the two countries in more than two years. Brian and John speak with Professor Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network.
After ignoring a court order about racial profiling, being convicted of contempt of court, and being pardoned by President Trump, America’s former “toughest sheriff” Joe Arpaio threw his hat in the ring today for an Arizona senate seat. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins the show.
The Trump Administration is likely to re-impose sanctions on Iran this week, even though it would hurt U.S. manufacturers doing business with the country. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins Brian and John.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission this week unanimously rejected a proposal by Energy Secretary Rick Perry that would have propped up nuclear and coal power plants struggling in competitive electricity markets. Four of the five members of the commission were appointed by President Trump. Fred Magdoff, author and professor emeritus at the University of Vermont, joins the show.
With a ceasefire set to expire, Colombia’s government and ELN guerrillas are pushing for a permanent peace deal. Brian and John speak with James Jordan, a member of the Alliance for Global Justice.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kevin Gosztola, writer and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure and Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded Obama-era guidance to state courts that was meant to end debtors prisons. The Supreme Court already has called such institutions “unconstitutional.” The war against the poor keeps going, but did it ever really slow down?
National Security Agency head Admiral Mike Rogers will retire this spring, according to a classified memo that was leaked to the press. It’s a fitting end to Rogers’s four-year tenure. We talk about the rise of the National Surveillance state and the US government’s war against whistleblowers. Kirk Wiebe, a former NSA senior analyst and renowned national security whistleblower, joins the show.
The Trump Administration announced today that it will expel as many as 260,000 El Salvadorans who were granted temporary status in the United States after a devastating 2001 earthquake in their country. Brian and John speak with Heather Benno, managing attorney at Esperanza Center.
Oprah Winfrey last night gave a powerful speech at the Golden Globe Awards that has sparked talk of a 2020 presidential run. Meanwhile, several celebrities arrived at the venue in Beverly Hills with well-known activists, in an effort to highlight the struggles of America’s poor. Anoa Changa, director of political advocacy and a managing editor of Progressive Army and the host of the show The Way With Anoa, joins the show.
Israel yesterday published a list of 20 international groups that now will be banned from the country for their support of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. Dan Cohen, a journalist and filmmaker, joins Brian and John.
Recy Taylor just died at the age of 97. Ms. Taylor was gang raped in 1944 in Abbeville, Alabama, by six white men, who were all subsequently acquitted. It was a case that Rosa Parks investigated, many years before she rose to prominence in the civil rights movement. Jaimee Swift, a PhD candidate at Howard University, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Coleen Rowley, whistleblower and former FBI special agent and by author Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer.
The New York Times is reporting that President Trump enlisted his attorney to demand that Attorney General Sessions not recuse himself from the Russia investigation. Is this obstruction of justice or a meaningless detail seized upon by the media?
Pakistan today expressed “deep disappointment” today after President Trump announced a cutoff in security aid to the country. Marvin Weinbaum, Scholar-in-Residence for the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan Studies, joins the show.
For the third year in a row, American police officers killed more than 1,000 people, even as the rates of violent crimes continue their historic declines. Brian and John speak with Abraham Marquez, a community organizer and activist.
Spain’s Supreme Court has refused to release Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras, who has been in prison for two months because of his role in the region’s push for independence. Meanwhile Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was released from prison today after a controversial pardon on medical grounds. Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst, joins the show.
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to crack down on so-called “fake news”. Macron argues that he’s protecting democracy, but critics see this move as a serious threat to free speech. Alexander Mercouris, editor in chief of The Duran, joins Brian and John.
The case of the “J20” Trump inauguration protesters continues as a lawsuit alleges that the police pepper sprayed a 10-year-old as they broke up the demonstration. What will happen to the 188 protesters still facing charges? Chip Gibbons, policy and legislative counsel for Defending Rights & Dissent, joins the show.
The Dow Jones stock index opened above 25,000 today for the first time ever. Is this a sign of a booming economy, or are we in a bubble? Economics professor and author Dr. Jack Rasmus joins Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Lee Stranahan, co-host of Radio Sputnik’s “Fault Lines” program.
President Trump today filed a libel suit against his former campaign manager Steve Bannon, saying his former senior advisor violated a non-disclosure agreement with the Trump Organization by disparaging him in a recent book by Michael Wolff.
Trump is seeking to block the publication of the controversial book by Michael Wolff, which is scheduled for Tuesday, and is already #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list. Anoa Changa, host of the radio show The Way With Anoa, joins the show.
Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, currently under a dozen federal indictments, sued the Justice Department yesterday accusing special counsel Robert Mueller of prosecutorial overreach. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Kevin Zeese, co-coordinator of Popular Resistance.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions yesterday rescinded an Obama-era policy that called for non-interference in marijuana-friendly state laws. Lindsay Robinson, the executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Association, Morgan Fox, Communications Manager of the Marijuana Policy Project joins the show.
The Attorney General of Washington State is suing Motel 6 after corporate leaders admitted that the motel chain’s employees secretly provided guest lists to Immigration and Customs Enforcement when those lists contained what are being described as “Latino-sounding” names.” Matt Adams, legal director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, joins Brian and John.
South Korea and the United States have announced that they will be postponing their annual massive military exercises in the latest sign that the North and South are heading towards negotiations. Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus, joins the show.
After a year of battle with US intelligence agencies, President Trump today will bestow one of the US government’s highest honors on the outgoing deputy director of the NSA. Meanwhile, the security of widely-used computer chips is back in the news. Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower, joins Brian and John.
A critical election for a Virginia state assembly seat that ended in a tie was decided today when election officials draw the name of the Republican candidate out of a film canister. It’s a tie-breaking method that dates to 1703 and it gives Republicans a 51-49 majority. Drew Spencer Penrose, Legal and Policy Director at the election reform advocacy organization FairVote, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek and Lee Stranahan, co-host of Radio Sputnik’s “Fault Lines” program.
Donald Trump issued a statement that read in part: “Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my Presidency. When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind”. In an explosive new book by Michael Wolff, former White House counselor Steve Bannon described the Trump Tower meeting between Donald Trump, Jr., Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner and a Russian lawyer during the 2016 campaign as “treasonous” and “unpatriotic.”
President Trump threatened to cut off aid to the Palestinians yesterday unless the Palestinian Authority agrees to peace negotiations. PA President Mahmoud Abbas responded that the president has no credibility, following his decision to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Brian and John speak with Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book The Battle for Justice in Palestine.
Fusion GPS, the research firm responsible for the Steele Dossier, defended itself yesterday against what it called “conspiracy theories” spun by Republicans and President Trump, and insisting that the company was being punished for exposing Trump’s ties to Russia. Max Blumenthal, journalist and bestselling author, joins the show.
Pro-government demonstrators took to the streets across Iran today as one Iranian general declared the protests “defeated.” Massoud Shadjareh, founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins Brian and John.
Syrian air attacks intensified in eastern Ghouta today as the government moved to crush rebels near Damascus. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
As President Trump taunted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un about the size of his nuclear button, North Korean and South Korean military officials re-initiated their “red phone” line of communication to prevent an accidental military escalation. Patrick Lawrence, an author and columnist at Salon and The Nation, joins Brian and John.
Are Democrats willing to turn their backs on some of their core constituencies in exchange for a deal? Ken Silverstein, editor-in-chief and lead writer for WashingtonBabylon.com, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by author and journalist Mazda Majidi and Phil Wilayto of the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality.
Demonstrations throughout Iran have been heavily praised by Donald Trump. Who are the demonstrators, what are they fighting for. Is this a spontaneous uprising, or is there something more sinister behind it?
South Korea today offered talks with North Korea amid a standoff over its weapons program a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he was open to negotiations, but that his country would push ahead with the production of nuclear weapons. Brian and John speak with Professor Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and Hyun Lee, a writer for Zoominkorea.org.
California yesterday became the largest state in the country to allow the recreational use of marijuana. The state also enacted one of the most progressive sentencing and criminal justice reforms related to marijuana ever. Alex Friedmann, managing editor of Prison Legal News, joins the show.
President Trump ripped Pakistan in his first tweet of 2018, accusing the US ally of “lies and deceit” in its counterterrorism work. Marvin Weinbaum, the Scholar-in-Residence for the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan Studies, joins Brian and John.
Congress is back in town and Congressional leaders are at the White House to discuss their legislative agenda. Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, joins the show.
The Central Committee of Israel’s governing Likud Party passed a resolution on Sunday calling for the annexation of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land in the West Bank. Journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen joins Brian and John.
Donald Trump took to twitter to implore the Justice Department to pursue charges against top Clinton aide Huma Abedin for mishandling classified information.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Gareth Porter and Catherine Shakdam, both journalists and authors.
Donald Trump may kill the Iran deal in January, a move that could open the door to an Iranian nuclear weapon. Meanwhile, the U.S. mainstream media continues a drumbeat of hostility against Tehran that certainly will do nothing for peace in the Middle East or even for American economic well-being.
Loud & Clear Listener Steve Patt has an interesting take on Congressional priorities. He posted on Facebook recently that the Democratic congresspeople in his neck of northern California recently wrote to FCC chairman Ajit Pai, not about net neutrality issues, but about the dangerous Russian bear taking over US airwaves.
A federal judge has ruled that an American citizen accused of being an ISIS fighter has a right to an attorney. But doesn’t EVERY American deserve Constitutional rights, no matter his politics? Zachary Wolfe, a lawyer and activist who teaches at George Washington University, joins the show.
The Trump Administration continues its attacks on the environment, pushing oil exploration in Alaska, decommissioning national parks in Utah, and subsidizing coal, among other things. Can 2018 be any worse? Author Fred Magdoff joins Brian and John to discuss.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Margaret Flowers, co-director of Popular Resistance.
Now that he has signed a tax scheme into law that will turn over more than $1 trillion dollars in wealth to the richest people in America, Donald Trump has set his sights on dismantling New Deal programs that form the basis of our social safety net.
Turkish President Erdogan said today that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was a “terrorist” and that any hope of peace in the war-torn country would be impossible with Assad leading it. What does Turkey’s leader hope to accomplish with this rhetoric? And what might the next year have in store for Syria? Peter Ford, the former UK ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
The Trump Administration has cut funding for the United Nations in the aftermath of a resounding defeat on Jerusalem in the UN General Assembly. Joining the show to discuss Trump's decision is award-winning Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab.
As the year draws to a close, war continues to rage around the world, from Yemen to Myanmar to Syria, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, usually with the United States in the middle of it. We look at the prospects for peace in 2018 with activist Cindy Sheehan.
Three days after being granted a medical pardon, former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori asked the Peruvian people to forgive him for years of corruption and authoritarian government. Andrea Alvarado, a political analyst and an activist with the Broad Front political alliance, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
Then, Brian and John are joined by Ethelbert Miller, a poet, author, activist, and longtime educator whose new book is “If God Invented Baseball: Poems.”
City governments in Philadelphia, San Francisco, and New York have sued the Department of Defense for failing to report crimes by service members to the national background check system that is used for gun purchases. Can Pentagon impunity be checked? Timour Kamran, a political activist involved in local Philadelphia issues, joins Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book The Battle for Justice in Palestine.
The Palestinian foreign ministry has denounced a new Israeli settlement construction plan, which includes the building of 300,000 housing units in occupied East Jerusalem.
The head of the Venezuelan diplomatic mission to Canada has been expelled from the country, escalating a conflict that saw the Canadian ambassador to Venezuela expelled days earlier. In the run up to next year’s crucial presidential election, what does this all mean? Brian and Walter are joined by Carlos Ron, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Venezuela in Washington, DC.
The Trump administration has decided to send advanced Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine, inflaming the simmering civil war in the east of the country. International affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda joins the show.
The Washington Post attacked progressive news outlet CounterPunch in their latest installment of outrageous Russiagate propaganda. Joining the show to discuss this issue is Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net.
According to USA Today Sen. Jeff Flake already has bowed out on a re-election run next year, but the GOP lawmaker isn’t ruling out challenging President Trump in 2020. Will there be a split in the Republican Party? Ted Rall, editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins the show.
As war continues to loom in Korea, what explains Russia and China’s actions at the United Nations? Are they appeasing the Trump administration, or are they winning real concessions to clear the path to negotiations? China analyst Keith Bennett comments on these developments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by peace activist and scholar Dr. Anthony Monteiro and author Paul Atwood.
Tensions across Eastern Europe are heating up as NATO inches towards the Russian border, disputes over missile installations flare, and the head of the U.S. Marine Corps bluntly declares, “there’s a war coming”.
Just how much longer can the “Russiagate” probes keep going? Despite uncovering no hard evidence, Nancy Pelosi is demanding that the House continue its investigation, and FBI Deputy Director McCabe appears before the intelligence committee. Brian and John speak with Peter Lavelle, host of RT's flagship show CrossTalk.
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing Donald Trump of violating the emoluments clause of the constitution. However, the judge did not rule that Trump was not in violation of the clause, simply that the plaintiff lacked standing. Dan Kovalik, a labor rights lawyers, joins the show to discuss the case.
Pro-independence political parties held onto their majority in the Catalan parliament in yesterday’s election. The stage appears to be set for another round of confrontation between Catalonia and the central Spanish government. Joining the show is political analyst Denis Rogatyuk.
Boris Johnson is in Moscow today for talks with Russian officials, the first such visit by a British Foreign Secretary in five years. Brian and John are joined by Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Vice President Mike Pence made a surprise visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan yesterday, insisting that the U.S. was on a path to victory in the country and bragging about the Trump administration’s move to increase the military’s budget. Brian Terrell, a long time peace activist and a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, joins the show.
Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google’s parent company Alphabet, resigned yesterday. The reasons are myriad, but what’s more important is what happens next for the company that has become synonymous with the internet.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, and by author and activist Miko Peled.
In a stinging rebuke to the Trump administration, a highly unusual emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Catalonia votes today in what many are calling a second round of the independence referendum. All indications are that the results will be extremely close. Brian and John speak with independent journalist Alberto Garcia Watson, and Dick Nichols of Green Left Weekly.
The Pentagon has admitted for the first time that it has carried out “multiple ground operations” in Yemen in 2017, as well as tripled the number of airstrikes from a year earlier. The horrific war drags on with the participation of the U.S. military. Independent political commentator Catherine Shakdam joins the show.
In a big win for the first amendment, six of the defendants in the “J20” inauguration day protest arrests were found not guilty earlier today. Chip Gibbons, the policy and legislative counsel for Defending Rights & Dissent, as well as a journalist, joins Brian and John to discuss the victory.
As of the time of this recording -- 3:00 p.m. eastern -- Congress looks set to pass a Continuing Resolution to avert a government shutdown. But funding will only last until January 19th, setting the stage for a shutdown on the one-year anniversary of Trump’s inauguration. Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net, joins the show.
Jim Mattis became the first Secretary of Defense since Donald Rumsfeld in 2002 to visit the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, home to the infamous prison denounced around the world as a torture center. Tarak Kauff, a member of the Board of Directors of Veterans for Peace who in 2013 went on a hunger strike to demand the closure of Guantanamo Bay, joins Brian and John.
Theresa May’s government has suffered yet another embarrassing blow as her Deputy Prime Minister Damian Green was forced to resign amid allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior. Joining the show is Robert Griffiths, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by journalist and author Daniel Lazare and investigative reporter Dave Lindorff.
The Republican tax bill will soon become law. What does it all mean?
Congress is once again inching its way toward a government shutdown. But a deal may still be possible on dreamers and on funding federal operations for the entire fiscal year. Joining the show are Angie Kim, an immigrant rights activist, and Juan Jose Gutierrez, executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
An Associated Press investigation has found that between 9,000 and 11,000 civilians were killed during the nine-month battle to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from ISIS fighters. War correspondent Ali Musawi joins the show to discuss the AP report.
Catalonians are set to vote today in parliamentary elections that are largely seen as another referendum on independence. With most of the regions leaders in jail, will the results be any different this time around? John and Brian are joined by Dick Nichols, correspondent for Green Left Weekly.
The European Union has triggered Article 7 of the EU charter against Poland, a move that could result in a suspension of Poland’s voting rights in the EU and sanctions against the country. Joining the show are international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda, and Reiner Braun, co-President of the International Peace Bureau.
The Trump administration is lashing out and threatening to cut off aid to countries who vote in favor of a resolution in the United Nations condemning his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Brian and John speak with award-winning Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was quietly summoned to Riyadh yesterday for meetings with King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad, apparently to discuss ways to jump start Arab-Israeli peace talks in the wake of the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem. Jafar Ramini, Palestinian journalist, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by journalist and best-selling author Max Blumenthal, as well as by David Cobb, campaign manager of the 2016 Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka presidential campaign.
The Washington Post reported today that the campaign of Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein was under investigation by the Senate Intelligence Committee for so-called “collusion” with the Russian government, a sign that the Senate investigation is expanding, even as the parallel House probe winds down.
The Trump Administration’s Homeland security advisor said in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal today that the WannaCry ransomware virus is a North Korean cyber attack. We will discuss the evidence and the potential consequences. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Public opposition to the Republican tax bill continues to mount as the House passes the bill and the Senate schedules its final vote. Editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall joins Brian and John to discuss the latest developments.
In the wake of a deadly train derailment in Washington State, public attention is turning again to the sorry state of America’s infrastructure. Why can’t Congress agree that the richest country in the world should have the best roads, bridges, airports, and transportation system? Andrew Herrmann, the former president of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the current president of the ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute, joins the show.
Charlottesville Police Chief Alfred Thomas resigned yesterday in the wake of a scathing report about his handling of a white supremacist rally in August. Brian and John are joined by Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik's By Any Means Necessary.
Cyril Ramaphosa, a former communist miners union leader who became the richest black man in South Africa was elected president of the African National Congress, defeating South African President Jacob Zuma’s ex-wife. Gerald Horne, professor and author, joins the show.
Don Blankenship, the former Massey Energy CEO, has announced his candidacy for US Senate from West Virginia. You may remember Massey. He went to prison for conspiracy to violate mine safety and health standards after an explosion in one of his mines killed 29 people in 2010. Brian and John speak with Travis Boothe, an organizer with the Morgantown Tenants’ Union.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist and journalist whose son Casey was killed during the Iraq War; by Patrick Lawrence, the author of Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century and a columnist at The Nation; and by Greg Mello, the Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group.
President Trump outlined his foreign policy vision that includes an increasingly adversarial view of Russia and China, a tougher focus on what he calls “rogue states,” and increased counter terrorism operations.
The United Nations Security Council is considering a draft resolution that would render Donald Trump’s decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem “null and void”. Palestine's ambassador to the UK, Manuel Hassassian, joins the show.
The Organization of American States has called for a new election in Honduras, as that country’s incumbent president appears to have stolen the race from a popular opposition candidate.
Jeanette Charles, who has worked as the Honduras Program Liaison and Southwest Regional director of the solidarity organization Witness for Peace, joins Brian and John.
A conservative billionaire and former president has won Chile's presidential election runoff. The election is a clear move to the right for a country which is currently led by the center-left alliance. Karla Martin, who was an organizer in the student movement while she was attending the University of Chile, joins the show.
President Trump said yesterday that he was not considering firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Dan Kovalik, a labor lawyer and author of 'The Plot to Scapegoat Russia' joins the show.
The United Nations mandate for Libya’s Government of National Accord expired yesterday, casting doubt on the immediate future of the country’s coalition government. International human rights lawyer Christopher Black discusses the ongoing turbulence in Libya along with Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Randy Credico, who is an activist, comedian and former director of the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller casts a wider and wider net in his investigation, he’s apparently looking at whether Donald Trump was somehow aided in the 2016 election by Wikileaks and Julian Assange. Congressional investigators allege that the contact was brokered by Republican political consultant Roger Stone. And they allege further than Stone was introduced to Assange by Randy Credico. Randy has been subpoenaed to testify today before the House Intelligence Committee, where he intends to plead the fifth.
It’s crunch time for the Republicans as both the House and Senate prepare to vote on the tax bill. But several Republican senators are saying that they will or may vote no. What does the final version of this bill mean for poor and middle class Americans? Dean Baker, the co-director of the Center for Economic Policy and Research, joins Brian and John.
A federal judge yesterday threw out felony riot charges against six people involved in anti-fascist demonstrations on inauguration day. The defendants still face a myriad of other charges, which has led to calls that the Justice Department is trying to criminalize dissent. Brian and John speak with freelance journalist Alex Rubinstein, who was arrested while covering the demonstration, and Chip Gibbons, policy and legislative counsel for Defending Rights & Dissent.
Prosecutors in Charlottesville, Virginia have upgraded to first degree murder a charge against a white supremacist who plowed his car into a group of peaceful protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and wounding dozens. Phil Wilayto of the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality joins the show.
European Union leaders clashed in Brussels last night over how to reform defunct asylum rules. Two years after more than a million refugees flooded Greece on their way to Germany, many Eastern European members of the EU don’t want to host any refugees at all.
Prosecutors in Minneapolis, Minnesota announced yesterday that they do not have sufficient evidence to prosecute a police officer for shooting and killing an unarmed woman who had called 911 to report hearing an assault in progress behind her home. We’ll talk about the nationwide trend of cops killing unarmed civilians and, in most cases getting away with it. Kofi Ademola of Black Lives Matter Chicago
joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by economist Richard Wolf to talk about the Republican Tax Plan which could be signed into law as early as next week. What’s in this bill, who are the big winners and big losers?
The Federal Communications Commission voted today to repeal Obama-era net neutrality regulations, paving the way for big corporations to control content and pricing on the internet. We’ll talk about what the vote means for information freedom with Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, the co-founders of Popular Resistance.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said this morning that she will present what she calls “irrefutable evidence” that Iran has violated the Iran deal by sending missiles to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, an accusation that Iran denies. Brian and John are joined by Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of CODEPINK, and by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence.
Congress has failed to enact an extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, forcing states to scramble to find a Plan B. Nine million poor children now face an immediate loss of health care coverage. Dustin Pugel, Research and Policy Associate with the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy (KCEP), talks with John and Brian.
A British tribunal has recognised Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks as a “media organization”, a point of contention with the United States, which is seeking to prosecute him and disputes his journalistic credentials. Documentary filmmaker John Pilger joins the show to discuss what this means for Assange.
The Bitcoin craze continued this week as two different firms began offering Bitcoin futures. Economist and professor Steve Keen joins the show to talk about the future of crypto-currency.
Defeated Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore has refused to concede the election and has demanded a recount. Investigative reporter Dave Lindorff joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Connor Sheets, a journalist with AL.com; by Garland Nixon, the co-host of Radio Sputnik’s Fault Lines; by Leada Gore, a journalist with AL.com; and by Mike Hersh of Progressive Democrats of America.
Alabama voters caused a stunning upset yesterday in that state’s senate race, handing victory to Democrat Doug Jones over Republican Roy Moore. What does this mean for President Donald Trump, who lost twice, having endorsed Moore in the general election, and the incumbent, Luther Strange in the Republican primary? And does it mean that the Democrats will again become a big tent party, welcoming conservatives into their ranks?
Almost immediately after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the US government would be willing to hold talks with the North Korean government without any pretexts, President Trump jumped in and said that no such thing would happen. Meanwhile, South Korean President Moon Jae In arrived in China on an official visit. Brian and John speak with author Jude Woodward and China expert Keith Bennett.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was grilled today by the House Judiciary Committee over texts exchanged between an FBI agent and his girlfriend, who happened to be a Justice Department official, that were less than complimentary toward President Trump. Rosenstein stood by his employees, and by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. But should the President--and the American people--be worried about FBI agents who can’t be neutral? Former FBI special agent Coleen Rowley joins the show.
President Trump unleashed a tweetstorm yesterday, attacking New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand after she called for him to resign, and on the same day that a documentary film was released on Trump’s history of sexually harassing women. Trump said on Twitter that Gillibrand had asked him for money in the past and that she would “do anything” for it. Abby Martin, host of The Empire Files on TeleSUR, speaks with Brian and John.
Next, author Vijay Prashad joins the show to talk about state elections in Gujarat, India, where the party of Prime Minister Modi is locked in competition with the Congress Party and its new leader, Rahul Gandhi.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation met in Istanbul today to condemn President Trump’s decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and to announce that the OIC would recognize East Jerusalem as the permanent capital of Palestine. Have American policies begun to cause a diminution of American power in the Middle East? Massoud Shadjareh, the director of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Greg Mello, the Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group, by Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net, and by Dr. Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor at the University of Tulsa to discuss President Trump's signing of the enormous National Defense Authorization Act.
Society is facing a watershed moment as more and more women offer revelations of sexual harassment and sexual assault committed against them. A new documentary film has just been released featuring 16 women, each of whom says they were the victims of abuse and harassment by Donald Trump. In this segment we talk about the role of the Democratic and Republican parties as they both try to take advantage of this moment and movement for narrow political agendas. Joining the show are Dr. Nazia Kazi, a professor of Anthropology at Stockton University, and Sue Udry, a peace and social justice activist and Executive Director of Defending Rights and Dissent.
It’s judgement day in Alabama as voters head to the polls to choose between the Democrat, former prosecutor Doug Jones, and the Republican, disgraced state Supreme Court justice Roy Moore. We’ll talk about the race’s final trends with Leada Gore and Connor Sheets, both journalists with AL.com.
In a major policy turnaround, the U.S. and Turkey announced that they are willing to accept the fact that Bashar al-Assad will remain as president of Syria. What does that mean for the balance of power in the region? Brian and John speak with Peter Ford, the former British ambassador to Syria.
Within hours of yesterday’s attempted terrorist bombing in New York City, President Trump blamed the incident on immigration, and claiming that his proposed policies would have prevented the attack. Joining the show is Angie Kim, immigrant rights activist.
Netflix took to Twitter this week to make a joke about 53 people who watched the same Christmas movie for 18 straight days. Funny, right? Not funny at all. It’s an admission that Netflix employees have personal access to everything we watch, just like the FBI through the Patriot Act. Joining the show is Chris Garaffa, web developer and technologist.
Six months after one of Britain’s worst post-war disasters, in which dozens died and hundreds lost their homes, the Times newspaper is attacking activists seeking justice for victims, and blaming Russia for trying to stir up “class war” in the country. Why won’t those responsible for the disaster take responsibility? Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by editorial cartoonist Ted Rall and author Daniel Lazare.
CNN and later other media outlets including MSNBC breathlessly reported that they finally had the missing piece of evidence, the so-called Smoking Gun that would prove Russia-Trump collusion during the 2016 election. Pundits all over the media took to the airwaves. But there was a problem: this story too turned out to be entirely false.
Then, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a surprise trip to Syria and announced that the country was beginning to withdraw its military forces from the country. With the U.S. determined to stay in Syria indefinitely, what comes next as the many sides in the war consider a negotiated end to the conflict? International affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda joins the show along with Rick Sterling of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Elizabeth Shackleford, a senior U.S. diplomat, resigned over the weekend, saying that President Trump and Secretary of State Tillerson had shown “stinging disrespect” for the foreign service. Her letter was released to the press and has become the most public rebuke of the U.S. foreign policy leadership to date. Former U.S. diplomat Brady Kiesling talks to Brian and John about the resignation.
Iraq declared today that Daesh has officially been defeated. Independent journalists Catherine Shakdam and Mojtaba Masood join Brian and John to discuss what's next, in particular the role that the U.S. will play from this point forward.
Days after Trump announced that the United States would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, we will discuss whether the move could trigger a new level of resistance and struggle by the Palestinians. Satya Vatti, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition, joins the show.
Two new polls released this morning show Alabama Democratic Senate nominee Doug Jones and Republican nominee Roy Moore exchanging leads before tomorrow’s special election. Will Jones pull off a win in the heavily Republican state, or will Moore extend his extremist influence to Washington? Attorney Julie Hurwitz discusses the importance of the election.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has asked his country’s Congress to extend martial law in the southern state of Mindanao for a year in order to allow for what he calls the “total eradication” of Muslim extremists and communists. A key tenet of the request is that all media would be banned from Mindanao. Adrian Bonifacio, national chairperson of Anakbayan-USA, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey and political cartoodnist and columnist Ted Rall.
Congress passed a two-week Continuing Resolution Budget bill Thursday, that prevents a government shutdown a day ahead of the deadline. But lawmakers face a rocky road over the next few weeks as they try to clinch a broader budget deal by the end of the year.
Then, John and Brian talk to Bradley Birkenfeld, a former banker and whistleblower whose disclosures to the United States government led to a massive fraud investigation against the Swiss bank UBS and other banks that had enabled tax evasion by ultra-rich U.S. taxpayers. He is the author or Lucifer’s Banker: The Untold Story of How I Destroyed Swiss Bank Secrecy.
Violence flared in Israel and the Palestinian territories yesterday in response to the Trump Administration’s announcement that it would move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Despite the fact that virtually every Middle East expert has condemned the move as counter to the peace process, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer bragged yesterday that he had personally intervened with President Trump to urge him to make the move. Palestinian political analyst Jafar Ramini joins the show.
Britain and the European Union have reached an agreement that would allow them to move on to the next phase of talks that will lead to the UK’s exit from the EU. In a significant concession, British Prime Minister Theresa May promised that there would be no “hard border” in Ireland. The talks now move on to the issue of trade. Joining the show is Robert Griffiths, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain.
Nearly two weeks after Hondurans went to the polls to elect a new leader, there is still no declared winner, despite the fact that anti-corruption campaigner Salvador Nasralla appeared to have won convincingly. But as is often the case in Central America the right-wing pro-US incumbent, Juan Hernandez said, “Not so fast.” Will Hernandez steal the election? Can anybody stop him? Gail Walker, the executive director of Pastors for Peace, joins the show.
An Argentine judge has asked that country’s senate to allow the arrest of former Argentine president Christina Kirchner on a charge of treason for allegedly covering up the role of Iranians in a deadly 1994 bomb attack on a Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires. Argentine authorities also are reopening the investigation of a prosecutor on the case who may have been murdered. Arnold August, lecturer and author, joins Brian and John.
President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort is arguing that he did not violate a court gag order when he asserts that he helped edit and not author an opinion piece about his political work in Ukraine, his defense lawyer Kevin Downing argued in a court filing on Thursday. Joining the show is Walter Smolarek, a Sputnik News analyst.
President Donald Trump said yesterday that Defense Secretary James Mattis “knocked the hell” out of ISIS because the president and his policies made it possible. Is Trump already trying to rewrite history? War correspondent Ali Musawi and journalist Joe Lauria join the show.
Brian and John are then joined by Historian and Author Alfred McCoy to discuss his new book "In the Shadows of the American Century-- The Rise and Decline of US Global Power."
Protests across the Middle East and the world have erupted in outrage at Donald Trump’s announcement yesterday that the United States was recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab joins the show to discuss these developments.
Protesters are demonstrating against the Federal Communications Commission’s proposed repeal of net neutrality rules at hundreds of Verizon stores around the country beginning today. Why Verizon? Because FCC chairman Ajit Pai is the company’s former General Counsel, and it would benefit handsomely from the proposed changes. Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese, co-directors of Popular Resistance, joins Brian and John.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting the Greek capital of Athens today, the first sitting Turkish leader to do so in 65 years. Will relations between the two countries that have found themselves on the brink of war three times in the last two decades improve, or will Erdogan’s call to redraw current borders nullify any chance of better relations? Joining the show is Basil Mossaidis, Executive Director of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association.
A government shutdown is looming on Capitol Hill as House Speaker Paul Ryan works to negotiate a deal with Tea Party members of his own party. The Republicans appear to have cut Democrats out of the process. Where does that leave Dreamers, health care, and other issues important to so many Americans?
Democratic Senator Al Franken announced his resignation at a press conference in Washington this morning just one day after a sixth woman came forward to say that Franken had sexually harassed her. Does this portend an attitudinal change on Capitol Hill, at least among Democrats, or will the party, like the Republicans, continue to rally around their own accused? Jane Cutter, editor of LiberationNews.org, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Arab Barghouti, activist and son of legendary imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, as well as journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen.
President Trump has announced that the United States is set to recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel. This is a dramatic departure from the position adopted by past US president. Why, and why now?
Then, Brian and John take a look at the controversy over the banning of the Russian team from the 2018 Winter Olympics over allegations of systematic use performance-enhancing drugs. Is this about the integrity of the game, or politics? Brian and John are joined by Alan Moore, a specialist in sports governance and the host of the Capital FM Sports show based in Moscow, and by Professor Danny Shaw, a political commentator and a boxer.
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of homeless people in the United States. Newsweek reports that Homelessness in the US has risen for the first time since the tail end of the Great Recession as 553,742 people slept rough or in a shelter in a single night earlier this year, with the West Coast facing a particularly acute problem. Activist Carolyn Gómez joins the show.
The revelation that the U.K. government decided to leave the European Union’s trade bloc without calculating the impact adds another twist to a week that was supposed to mark a breakthrough for Prime Minister Theresa May, rather than renewed accusations of incompetence. Steve Keen, professor and author, joins the show.
Donald Trump Jr. testified before the House Intelligence Committee today on “Russiagate”. This comes on the heels of a decision by the Russian government to designate several U.S. news outlets as “foreign agents” in retaliation for similar treatment of RT in the United States. Daniel Lazare, a journalist and author, joins the show along with international criminal lawyer Christopher Black.
Next, Brian and John are joined by Gloria La Riva, Director of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee, to discuss US-Cuban relations and the report that the Trump Administration is set to appoint career diplomat Philip Goldberg to head the all-but-abandoned U.S. embassy in Havana.
Al Franken is under increasing pressure to resign over sexual harassment, as a possible class action lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein moves forward. Brian and John speak with Heidi Boghosian, executive director of the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ken Silverstein, the editor-in-chief and lead writer at WashingtonBabylon.com, and by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net.
The Mueller investigation into President Trump’s alleged collusion with Russia has entered a new stage with Special Counsel Robert Mueller issuing subpeonas for information on all of Donald Trump’s accounts at Germany’s Deutsche Bank. Meanwhile, Mueller is asking a federal judge to revoke Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort’s bail because of an op-ed that he tried to have ghostwritten.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to President Donald Trump by allowing his latest travel ban targeting people from six Muslim-majority countries to go into full effect even as legal challenges continue in lower courts. What will this mean for the families from the targeted countries? Matt Adams, the legal director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, joins the show.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas said this morning that President Trump told him that the United States will move its Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that will surely be condemned around the Middle East. Turkish President Erdogan, meanwhile, said that if the embassy is moved, he will cut off diplomatic relations with Israel. Brian and John are joined by Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifadah and author of the book The Battle for Justice in Palestine.
Longtime Michigan congressman John Conyers announced his retirement from Congress effective today, but he insists that the move is not a result of the sex scandals swirling around him. He has endorsed his son for the seat. Anoa Changa, host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa, joins Brian and John.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri withdrew his resignation today, saying that all members of his government had agreed to stay out of the affairs of other Arab countries, a reference to what Saudi Arabia asserts is an Iranian/Hezballah threat to the Kingdom and the other monarchies that constitute the small Gulf Cooperation Council states. Brian and John speak with Joyce Chediac, a journalist with LiberationNews.org.
The political crisis in Honduras heats up as crowds take to the streets to protest what they call a stolen election and the Honduras police refuse to obey government orders as post-election chaos deepens. Chuck Kaufman, the National Co-cordinator for the Alliance for Global Justice, joins the show.
In Ukraine, former Georgian President and Odessa Governor Saakashvili was arrested, liberated, and called for the overthrow of the Ukrainian government. Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran, discusses these developments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Massoud Shadjareh of the Islamic Human Rights Commission and by Kathy Kelly of Voices for Creative Non-Violence.
Yemen’s former president Ali Abdallah Saleh, was killed today in an explosion in the capital Sanaa, claimed by Houthi fighters after Saleh reportedly dropped out of their uneasy alliance. What does this mean for the ongoing war there? Is this the consolidation of power the Houthis have been working toward?
Then, Donald Trump may be set to announce that the United States will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Why and why now? This move that will be seen by the Palestinian people as an extreme provocation comes as Benjamin Netanyahu and his family are mired in serious corruption charges. Miko Peled, activist and author, joins the show.
As more and more evidence comes to light of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Israeli government, Israeli-American media billionaire Haim Saban is thanking presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner for his efforts to block a UN resolution that was at the heart of General Michael Flynn’s recent guilty plea.
The US and South Korea begin new massive war exercises simulating the invasion and destruction of North Korea. Author Stephen Gowans joins Brian and John to discuss the increased aggression on behalf of the Trump administration toward North Korea.
President Trump went on the attack again over the weekend, accusing the FBI of ruining its own reputation by continuing its Russia investigation. Brian and John speak with FBI whistleblower Darin Jones about waste, fraud, abuse, and illegality in the Bureau.
The head of NATO on Monday praised embattled US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for his "key role" in the North Korea crisis as rumours swirl that his position is under threat from the Trump White House. Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
Brexit negotiations -- setting the conditions whereby Britain leaves the European Union -- have entered a pivotal moment the outcome of which might have a huge impact on Britain’s place in Europe, on British internal politics and the fate of the conservative government of Theresa May, and the ongoing peace deal in Ireland. Brian and John speak with Robert Griffiths, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ken Silverstein, the editor-in-chief and lead writer at WashingtonBabylon.com whose latest book is The Secret World of Oil.
In the biggest development yet in the Mueller investigation, former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has pled guilty to one count of lying to the FBI. But the absence of any other serious charges has led to a whirlwind of speculation about what Flynn gave Mueller in return.
Then, this afternoon Senate Republicans were putting the finishing touches on a massive overhaul of the U.S. tax code to the benefit of the ultra-wealthy and corporations. Republican leaders expressed confidence that it will pass a vote today. Brian and John are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst.
In recent days, Bitcoin has surged, crashed and surged again as the cryptocurrency becomes one of the most talked-about subjects in economics. Today, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange was given regulatory approval to even begin selling futures of the once-fringe project. Professor and author Steve Keen explains the surge of Bitcoin.
The U.S. Department of Commerce has taken the rare step of beginning an anti-dumping investigation directed at China not because of a complaint brought by a corporation or trade group, but on their own initiative. David Ewing, chair of the San Francisco branch of the China-America People's Friendship Association, discusses these developments.
Then, activist and author Miko Peled joins us to talk about his new book “Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five”.
The European Union and the UK have reportedly finally reached an agreement on the size of the so-called “divorce bill” as part of negotiations over the exit of the country from the EU. Is Brexit back on track, or is the hard part just beginning? Editor-in-chief of the The Duran, Alexander Mercouris, joins Brian and John to share his views on the issue.
Americans continue to be gobsmacked at the pace of sexual harassment allegations coming out of Washington, Hollywood, the media, and now even tech companies. Meanwhile, the New York Times is keeping a count of how many men are being accused of crimes ranging from sexual misconduct to sending lewd texts, to rape. Michelle Witte, Sputnik’s News Editor, talks about the ongoing scandals.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Bruce Fein, a constitutional lawyer and a former Assistant Attorney General of the United States, and by Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director and whistleblower.
A bill to renew the controversial Section 702 program -- a key part of the mass surveillance state -- has been introduced by the House intelligence committee. While members of the committee claim that the law would introduce new measures to safeguard Americans’ privacy, the core spying powers of the NSA would be left intact.
In the latest assault on alternative media, RT has had its congressional press credentials revoked. Meanwhile, the Mueller investigation moves forward as Jared Kushner is interviewed. Kevin Zeese, the co-director of Popular Resistance, as well as Paul Street, a journalist, historian and author, whose latest book is “They Rule: The 1% v. Democracy”, join the show.
Donald Trump is reportedly planning to replace Rex Tillerson as head of the State Department with Mike Pompeo, who would in turn be replaced as head of the CIA by Senator Tom Cotton. Hardline cold warriors continue to dominate military and foreign policy. Brian and John speak with Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK.
Donald Trump attacked British Prime Minister Theresa May after she condemned his retweets of a leader of the far-right Britain First organization. But May has yet to revoke her invitation to Trump for a meeting. Joining the show is George Galloway, a former member of the British Parliament.
Debate has begun on the floor of the Senate as Republicans attempt to push forward with a massive overhaul of the U.S. tax system that amounts to a huge giveaway to the rich and corporations. Daniel Sankey, financial policy analyst, joins the show.
Speaking to a gathering of African youth in Burkina Faso about the horrific reemergence of the slave trade in Libya, French President Emmanuel Macron said, “it’s your fault!” Dr. Gerald Horne, professor at the University of Houston, joins Brian and John to discuss.
Honduran military and police fired tear gas at crowds of demonstrators gathered outside of the electoral authority’s headquarters, and opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla denounces fraud allegedly carried out by the country’s right-wing president. Chuck Kaufman, the National Co-Coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, and by Hyun Lee a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and a writer for ZoominKorea.org.
The balance of forces in Korea was fundamentally changed yesterday with North Korea’s test launch of an ICBM capable of targeting the entire United States. Will the Trump administration move further along the path to war, or will it be forced to back down?
Cellphone corporations, through cell site information, possess a massive amount of increasingly precise data about its users’ movements. Can the government access it without a warrant? The Supreme Court is considering this question right now. Brian and John speak with Heidi Boghosian, the executive director of the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute and the former executive director of the National Lawyers Guild, as well as Brad Schlesinger, an appellate attorney licensed to practice in the Supreme Court.
Donald Trump retweeted three anti-Muslim videos that were shared from the account of Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of the far-right, violent Britain First organization. Brian and John are joined by talk show host Lionel to discuss Trump's decision to retweet the videos.
The Geneva peace talks are underway as a delegation from the Syrian government arrives for talks with the opposition. With the government winning on the battlefield, attention is now shifting to the negotiating table. Peter Ford, former UK ambassador to Syria, joins the show.
NBC News anchor Matt Lauer has been fired for unspecified sexual misconduct. The uprising against sexual harassment continues, but are politicians being shielded from the consequences of their actions? Brian and John speak with Jane Cutter, editor of LiberationNews.org.
Bosnian Croat military leader Slobodan Praljak has died following a shocking courtroom suicide. Praljak drank a vial of poison as the judge was reading his verdict in a war crimes trial. Brian and John speak with Christopher Black, an international criminal lawyer who is on the list of counsel at the International Criminal Court.
According to testimony in court by a former employee, Uber hired former CIA agents to engage in industrial espionage against competitors. Just how common is this practice?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall, Pete Dolack, an organizer with Trade Justice New York Metro, and professor and economist Steve Keen.
A meeting between Donald Trump and top Congressional Democrats over the federal budget was abruptly cancelled today, making a government shutdown even more likely. Meanwhile, taxes, the Dream Act and other key priorities are piling up in what is shaping up to be a make-or-break moment for the Trump administration.
New footage of the slave markets in Libya are sparking outrage and protest across the globe. More than six years since the NATO-backed overthrow of the Libyan government, chaos continues to reign in what was once the most developed country in Africa. Ben Norton of AlterNet's GrayZone Project, joins the show.
Palestinian unity may finally be at hand as Hamas is scheduled to hand over administration of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority this week. But there are still serious obstacles in the way to lasting reunification. Amena El-Ashkar, a political analyst and part of the North America Nakba Tour, discusses the importance of this development.
A controversial new law in Israel that would help shield Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from corruption charges has passed an initial vote in Israel. Are Netanyahu’s days as Prime Minister numbered? Journalist Daoud Kuttab joins the show.
The right-wing billionaire Koch brothers are major players in the $2.8 billion takeover of big-name publications like Time and Fortune magazines. The concentration of the media in the hands of a tiny group of elites continues. Danielle Corcione, freelance journalist, joins the show.
Despite a report by the Defense Manpower Data Center, the Pentagon is stubbornly denying what has become obvious: there are thousands more U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq than previously claimed. Brian and John are joined by Jeremy Kuzmarov, professor of history at the University of Tulsa and author of Modernizing Repression: Police Training and Nation-Building in the American Century.
Dozens of police departments have been enlisted in the Trump administration’s war on immigrants under a greatly expanded program to expand powers normally reserved for ICE to local law enforcement. Angie Kim, immigrant rights activist, joins the show.
Tensions between the United States and Russia are heating up further as the Pentagon complains of an “unsafe intercept” of a U.S. spy plane operating near Russian borders. Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, discusses these developments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Jan Oberg, director of the Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research, and by Dr. Robert Epstein, Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology.
The controversy over Google’s censorship of alternative media outlets continues, as the internet giant appears to be attempting to play both sides of the highly controversial issue.
The police state in America continues to grow, as more departments adopt the use of the controversial “stingray” surveillance system and the Trump administration escalates its war on immigrants by granting local police departments new powers to harass and arrest those suspected of being undocumented. Brian and John speak with Anoa Changa, host of the radio show The Way With Anoa, as well as Aislinn Borsini of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The high-stakes showdown over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau intensified today as both Mick Mulvaney and Leandra English declared that they were assuming leadership of the agency today. Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and columnist, joins the show.
In a dramatic turnaround, the leader of Germany’s Social Democratic Party has expressed his openness to joining a coalition led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, throwing a lifeline to the embattled leader. Reiner Braun of the International Peace Bureau discusses the significance of these developments.
New information has come to light about the Keystone pipeline has leaked far more frequently than the company projected. Fred Magdoff, professor and author, joins the show.
An ally of Manuel Zelaya, the former leader of Honduras who was overthrown in a U.S.-backed coup, appears to have won the country’s presidential election. The corporate media is shocked at the result. Chuck Kaufman, the National Co-Coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek talks about what the results mean for the U.S. and for Latin America
Al Franken returned to the Senate today, John Conyers continues to resist calls to resign and Roy Moore continues to campaign in Alabama despite a mountain of sexual harassment allegations against them. Congress truly has no shame. Daniel Lazare, journalist and author of The Frozen Republic, The Velvet Coup, and America's Undeclared War, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dominique Stevenson, Program Director for the American Friends Service Committee’s Friend of a Friend program, and by by Kofi Ademola, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Baltimore detective Sean Suiter was killed with his own weapon the day before he was scheduled to testify against other police officers to a grand jury. The mysterious death is raising questions about systemic corruption within the Baltimore Police Department.
Will U.S. troops ever leave Syria? Now that ISIS is effectively defeated, the Pentagon is signaling that it will maintain its presence in the north of the country indefinitely. Rick Sterling, investigative journalist, joins the show.
More than 200 people were killed in a horrific terrorist attack on a mosque in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula today. Details are still emerging, but the massacre is sure to send shockwaves throughout the region. Brian and John speak with Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.
The New York Times is reporting that former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn’s lawyers have cut off communication with Donald Trump’s legal team -- an indication that he may be planning to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s prosecution. Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net, joins Brian and John.
In rambling addresses to U.S. troops on Thanksgiving, Donald Trump praised his own administration for a wide range of accomplishments in nearly every field. But perhaps his most amazing assertion was that the United States has turned the tide in Afghanistan and is now winning the war. Joining the show is Vijay Prashad, author and professor.
Thomas Friedman, the foreign policy establishment’s favorite pundit, has just published an op-ed singing the praises of de-facto Saudi leader Mohammed Bin Salman, despite the young Crown Prince’s reckless military and political offensive across the entire Middle East. Brian and John speak with Alexander Mercouris, editor in chief of The Duran.
Zimbabwe has a new president -- Emmerson Mnangagwa -- following the military takeover of the country that forced the resignation of long-time leader Robert Mugabe. What does Mnangagwa’s presidency mean for the future of the country? Dr. Gerald Horne, professor at the University of Houston, joins the show along with Eugene Puryear, host of By Any Means Necessary.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Tim Karr, Senior Director of Strategy at FreePress; Kevin Zeese, co-director of Popular Resistance; and by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist.
The face of the internet is set to change dramatically as FCC Chair Ajit Pai announces his intention to repeal net neutrality regulations. Meanwhile, telecom giants are hoping for another big win as AT&T and Time Warner fight to have their merger approved.
Saad Hariri made his much-anticipated return to Lebanon today, after being held in apparent captivity in Saudi Arabia where he was forced to resign as Prime Minister. Hariri announced that he was “suspending” his resignation -- what comes next for Lebanon and the Middle East as a whole? Marwa Osman, independent journalist and analyst, joins the show along with journalist Joyce Chediac.
Is a political solution possible in Syria? The leaders of Turkey, Iran and Russia are meeting in Sochi to lay the groundwork for what they hope to be a historic summit between the Syrian opposition and government. Brian and John are joined by war correspondent Ali Musawi.
The sexual harassment epidemic in Congress continues to dominate headlines, with Donald Trump doubling down on his support for Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore and Michigan Congressman John Conyers facing calls to resign. Tom Prigg, a Democrat running for Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District, joins the show.
Ratko Mladic, accused of orchestrating the Srebrenica massacre and other atrocities, has been convicted of genocide. But many have called into question the legitimacy of the court that tried him -- the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Christopher Black, a lawyer who is on the list of counsel at the ICC, joins Brian and John.
After months of relative silence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has now stated that he believes the military of Myanmar is conducting a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya minority. What is the true U.S. policy towards the country, and the region as a whole? Does one even exist? Ajit Singh, political analyst, discusses these developments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Peter Ford, former British Ambassador to Syria, and by Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst.
A high profile meetings between Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad in Russia today, followed by a phone conversation between Putin and Donald Trump, has raised hopes that the bloody civil war may be approaching an end. After so much suffering, can there be a negotiated peace?
A rare leaked State Department internal dissent memo slams the Trump administration for shielding allies from sanctions related to the Child Soldiers Prevention Act. Does the U.S. government really turn a blind eye to the use of child soldiers? And does this practice extend beyond the current administration? Jim Jatras, former U.S. diplomat and political analyst, joins the show.
Charlie Rose has been dropped by CBS and PBS following revelations about years of sexual harassment and assault as it becomes even clearer that abuse by powerful men is endemic in all parts of society. Brian and John are joined by Heidi Boghosian, the executive director of the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute and the former executive director of the National Lawyers Guild.
Robert Mugabe has resigned, ending nearly four decades as president of Zimbabwe following a military takeover. As the country enters a new era, what can the world expect? Eugene Puryear, host of Radio Sputnik's By Any Means Necessary, discusses this major development.
The value of Bitcoin is skyrocketing, breaking $8,000 this week. What is Bitcoin? Is this a bubble, or are investors in for a historic pay day? Brian and John speak with Daniel Sankey, financial policy analyst.
Tens of thousands of Haitians who fled to the United States following the devastating 2010 earthquake had their Temporary Protected Status revoked today by order of the Trump administration, sparking outrage and uncertainty. Meanwhile, a federal judge has suspended an executive order aimed at cutting off funding to so-called Sanctuary Cities. Angie Kim, an immigrant rights advocate, joins Loud & Clear.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jana Nakhal an independent researcher and a member of the central committee of the Lebanese Communist Party, and by Middle East political analyst Robert Carter.
Saudi Arabia continues to push its regional offensive against Iran. The Saudis have denounced Iran at an extraordinary Arab League summit held in Cairo yesterday, and the region awaits the imminent return of Saad Hariri to Lebanon, where he is expected to explain the mysterious events surrounding his resignation.
New accusations have hit Jared Kushner and Donald Trump Jr. over communications pertaining to Russia, are more indictments on the way? Plus, Sputnik has once again been the target of fake news, with the Daily Beast and several other outlets falsely claiming that we have registered as a foreign agent. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia”, Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net, and Dr. Robert Epstein, Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, join the show.
Coalition talks in Germany have collapsed, with the Free Democratic Party withdrawing from negotiations led by Chancellor Angela Merkel. As political uncertainty deepens, will the country have to call another election? Reiner Braun, chair of the International Peace Bureau, discusses these developments.
On the heels of a controversy over a NATO war game where the enemy units were designated “Ataturk” and Erdogan, a top advisor to the Turkish president has called into question Turkey’s membership in NATO altogether. Ceyda Karan, a Columnist at Cumhuriyet Daily, and Alexander Mercouris, the Editor in Chief of The Duran, join the show.
The Trump administration has officially designated North Korea to be a state sponsor of terror, ratcheting up tensions days after the head of U.S. Strategic Command openly discussed the possibility of the military refusing illegal orders to launch a nuclear strike. Kevin Kamps, the radioactive waste watchdog at Beyond Nuclear, discusses the issue with Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by NSA whistleblower Bill Binney.
For the past several days, the corporate-owned media has been engaged in a smear campaign against Binney, the former NSA technical director and legendary whistleblower, labelling him a conspiracy theorist. This was prompted by reports that he met with CIA director Mike Pompeo to discuss his finding that the alleged hack of the DNC server during the 2016 election campaign was in fact a leak.
The high-stakes intrigue in Saudi Arabia continues as Saudi citizens are instructed to leave Lebanon immediately, and the Lebanese Prime Minister continues to be held in what appears to be house arrest. Is another war around the corner? Radwan Chehab, political analyst, joins the show.
A new study from Brown University has found that the total cost of the so-called War on Terror amounts to an eye-popping $5.6 trillion. That’s $23,386 per US taxpayer! Ted Rall, editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins Brian and Walter.
The Trump administration is tightening the screws on the blockade of Cuba, prohibiting additional transactions in its drive to reverse the thaw in US-Cuba relations that began at the end of the Obama presidency. Joining the show is lecturer, journalist and author Arnold August.
NATO is growing yet again. The alliance’s Defense Ministers decided yesterday to create two new commands, including one focused on naval operation in the Atlantic. Reiner Braun, co-president of the International Peace Bureau, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Jude Woodward, the author of “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?”, and by political analyst Ajit Singh.
Donald Trump is in China today for the first time in his presidency for a high-profile summit with President Xi Jinping. The two leaders will discuss a range of issues of diplomatic, military and economic issues.
Loud & Clear co-host John Kiriakou was invited to address the European Parliament in his capacity as a world-renowned whistleblower and human rights advocate. But his speech was cancelled at the last minute -- the “Russiagate” witch hunt strikes again. John speaks with Brian and Walter from Brussels.
Democrats are jubilant following their victories in last night’s election. What does this tell us about the state of politics in the United States? And is the Democratic Party really on solid ground? Kevin Zeese, co-director of Popular Resistance, joins the show.
A leaked German government document has revealed the military’s strategic planning for six geopolitical scenarios that could come to pass by 2040. What does the de-facto leader of the European Union foresee for the bloc -- and the world? Brian and John are joined by international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
Who’s the real conspiracy theorist? The latest theme in the Russiagate frenzy is that anyone who questions the official narrative is on the fringe, unworthy of serious consideration. Joining the show is former FBI special agent and whistleblower Coleen Rowley.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kirakou are joined by professors and authors Vijay Prashad and Jodi Dean, as well as Eugene Puryear, host of Radio Sputnik's By Any Means Necessary.
100 years ago today, an earth-shaking revolution took place in Russia that led to the establishment of the Soviet Union. The existence of the first socialist state reshaped all of global politics, and the end of that state 26 years ago became a defining feature of the 21st century as well.
The Saudi purge continues to sow chaos across the Middle East, as the kingdom declares that Lebanon has declared war against it and President Donald Trump endorses the sweeping crackdown on opponents of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Joining the show to discuss these developments are Peter Ford, the former British ambassador to Syria, as well as independent journalist and analyst Marwa Osman.
Speaking in South Korea where he met today with President Moon Jae-in, Donald Trump repeated his standard threats but also surprised many by floating the possibility of negotiations. What is Trump’s strategy in Korea? Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute, joins the show.
It’s election day in the United States, and the most closely watched campaign is the race for the governor’s office in Virginia. Ralph Northam is the favorite, but a late surge by Republican Ed Gillespie threatens to deal another demoralizing blow to the Democrats. Brian and John speak with Daniel Lazare, author and journalist.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and a member of the central committee of the Lebanese Communist Party.
Political turmoil has rocked Lebanon and Saudi Arabia in recent days, as Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned -- while he was in Saudi Arabia! -- and a sweeping purge eliminates rivals to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
Donald Trump is headed to South Korea following his meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. On one of the most anticipated stops of his Asia tour, will Trump continue to press for war? Author Jude Woodward joins Brian and John to discuss Trump's trip.
A flurry of U.S. airstrikes near the Afghan city of Kunduz has caused heavy civilian casualties according to Afghan government officials. The Trump administration’s “new strategy” for the Afghan War is proving to be even deadlier than before. Ann Wright, retired United States Army colonel and former U.S. State Department official in Afghanistan, joins the show.
Is Michael Flynn the next to be indicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation? Meanwhile, the Paradise Papers tax haven revelations are now being brought into the “Russiagate” narrative. Brian and John are joined by author and labor rights lawyer Dan Kovalik.
Catalan pro-independence leaders have been released from detention in Belgium, but their fate is far from certain. As the legal drama plays out, the pro and anti-independence camps prepare to do battle in the December snap election. Steve Keen, economist and professor, discusses these developments.
Top Democrats, especially Clinton allies, continue to fume over the content of Donna Brazile’s new book, which goes on sale tomorrow. Anoa Changa, host of The Way With Anoa, joins the show.
Both major parties in Virginia have nominated thoroughly establishment candidates who are set to square off in the governor's election tomorrow. What does this tell us about the state of politics in the U.S.? Jim Jatras, former U.S. diplomat and political analyst, discusses the importance of the election.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by journalist and author Patrick Lawrence, as well as Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.
Donald Trump is off to Asia for nearly two weeks, where he will visit five countries. While a range of issues will be discussed, his top priority appears to be beating the drums of war against North Korea.
The fallout is continuing from Donna Brazile’s claim that Hillary Clinton orchestrated, in her words, “a secret takeover of the DNC” before becoming the party’s candidate in the 2016 election. Journalist and best-selling author Max Blumenthal joins the show.
In a startling attack on one of the foundations of the U.S. legal system, Robert Mueller’s team based their indictment of Paul Manafort in part on the testimony of Manafort’s own lawyer. Brian and John are joined by Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, the executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund.
Daesh has been driven out of its last pocket of the Syrian city of Deir Ezzor by pro-government forces as the race for control of oil-rich eastern Syria continues. Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
Donald Trump is furious that Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. army soldier held in captivity in Afghanistan for five years, was not given jail time as part of the sentence passed today. Michael Prysner, a former Marine and anti-war activist, joins the show to discuss.
Spanish authorities have imprisoned eight ministers of the now-suspended government of Catalonia, as the region gears up for a dramatic showdown in the December 21 Catalan election. Dick Nichols, correspondent for Green Left Weekly, discusses the latest developments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey and investigative report Dave Lindorff.
House Republicans unveiled their tax plan today, which slashes the tax rate for corporations alongside many other measures. But this is just the first step in a long and treacherous series of negotiations that could derail the push for tax reform.
Former DNC chair Donna Brazile published a shocking -- for several reasons -- article in Politico slamming the Clinton campaign, Barack Obama, her predecessor Debbie Wasserman Schultz and more. What’s behind this surprise move? Anoa Changa, host of The Way With Anoa, joins the show.
In a speech today in New York, Attorney General Jeff Sessions exploited the grief caused by Tuesday’s terror attack to push for mass surveillance and restrictions on travel and immigration. Journalist Chip Gibbons joins Brian and John.
The Syrian opposition has rejected a proposal to hold a national “Congress” with the government in order to negotiate a settlement to the war. What does this mean for the future of Syria? John and Brian are joined by Peter Ford, the former UK ambassador to Syria.
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the Balfour declaration, where the British Empire first declared its support for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. Benjamin Netanyahu is in the UK to mark the occasion with Theresa May, but supporters of Palestine say there is nothing to celebrate. Palestinian journalist Jafar Ramini joins the show from London.
British Prime Minister Theresa May named a new Defense Secretary today as her close ally Michael Fallon was forced to step down in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal. Activist Jackie Walker speaks with Brian and John about what's behind the resignation of Fallon.
The leader of the former guerrilla organization FARC has announced his intention to run for president of Colombia next year, amid a national strike organized to protest violations of the peace accord between the government and FARC and the widespread killings of social movement leaders. James Patrick Jordan of the Alliance for Global Justice speaks about these developments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by journalist Ben Norton, anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, and professor and activist Danny Shaw.
In the wake of the terror attack in New York, we’ll spend the full hour discussing the historical roots of modern terrorism, the role of U.S. foreign policy during the past four decades in the Middle East and South Asia, and Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant response to the incident in New York City.
Tech giants Facebook, Google and Twitter are testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee this afternoon as the media works itself up into another frenzy over so-called “Russian ads” influencing the 2016 election. Brian and John are joined by author and journalist Daniel Lazare.
As part of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement, Hamas handed over control of several border crossings -- including the crucial Rafah Crossing - to the Palestinian Authority. Is the decade-long Palestinian division really coming to an end? Miko Peled, author of the book ‘The General’s Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine’, as well as “Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five”, joins the show.
Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt is poised to carry out a purge of the EPA’s scientific advisory boards. Pruitt signaled that he would replace many existing members with scientists who are climate change deniers. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation”, joins the show.
The Affordable Care Act’s open enrolment period begins today. But after several acts of sabotage by the Trump administration, premiums for the benchmark “silver” plans are skyrocketing. David Hughes, President of the research and advocacy organization Citizen Power, joins John and Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kevin Zeese, the co-director of Popular Resistance, as well as Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.
Tech giants Facebook, Google and Twitter are testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee this afternoon as the media works itself up into another frenzy over so-called “Russian ads” influencing the 2016 election.
Chief of Staff General John Kelly -- frequently praised by liberals for being the adult in the room of Trump’s White House -- gave an interview yesterday to Laura Ingraham where he said the US civil war happened because of a failure to compromise, causing outrage across the country. What’s the real history? Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books including Race to Revolution: The U.S. and Cuba During Slavery and Jim Crow, joins the show.
The head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has made a final plea to the Trump administration to veto a measure from Congress aimed at discouraging class action lawsuits against financial companies. Meanwhile, the big banks are set for another big win with the expected appointment of Jerome Powell to lead the Federal Reserve. Daniel Sankey, financial policy analyst, joins Brian and John.
Suspended Catalan President Puigdemont has denied that he is seeking asylum in Belgium and vowed to contest the upcoming regional election imposed by the Spanish central government. Economist and professor Steve Keen discusses these developments along with Matt Qvortrup, Professor of Political Science at Coventry University.
Qatar’s former Foreign Minister has come forward with surprisingly candid comments about the war in Syria, detailing the U.S.-Saudi-Qatari efforts to overthrow the Syrian government and even admitting that there may have been “interaction” with al-Qaeda. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, discusses the comments.
Saudi officials have announced that they will be vastly expanding their nuclear program as part of the Kingdom’s ongoing effort to overhaul its economy. We’ll take a look at the U.S. government’s double standard when it comes to nuclear energy and nuclear weapons in the Middle East with Kevin Kamps, radioactive watchdog at Beyond Nuclear.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net, as well as by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia”.
Indictments have been issued targeting Paul Manafort, Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos. What is Special Counsel Mueller’s strategy in the ongoing investigation? Are others likely to be indicted? None of the charges are related to Russian interference in the 2016 election, but “Russiagate” continues to gain steam.
Catalan President Puigdemont has gone to Belgium along with several other Catalan officials following the announcement of heavy charges against pro-independence leaders. Meanwhile, the central government has declared that a new regional election will take place in December. Brian and John are joined by Dick Nichols, correspondent for Green Left Weekly.
Longtime leader of the Kurdistan Regional Government Masoud Barzani has resigned following an independence referendum that prompted an Iraqi government offensive that retook the contested city of Kirkuk. Following clashes in the Kurdish parliament, what comes next for the KRG and Iraq? Ali Musawi, war correspondent based in Iraq, joins the show along with Kani Xulam, director of the Kurdish American Information Network.
Another round of Syria peace talks convened by Russia, Iran and Turkey are underway in Astana, with delegates set to discuss the future of the country’s four “de-escalation zones”. Peter Ford, former British ambassador to Syria, discusses the prospects for peace.
Some of the most revealing documents in the “JFK files” were in fact about Cuba. Evidence has now emerged that the U.S. government was considering biological warfare on Cuban agriculture and a staged bombing campaign that would be blamed on the Cuban government, among other schemes. Brian and John are joined by Dr. Helen Yaffe, an Economic History Fellow at the London School of Economics and author of the book “Che Guevara: The Economics of Revolution”.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kirakou are joined by Alberto Garcia Watson, former Middle East correspondent for HispanTV.
Catalonia has declared independence, with hundreds of thousands pouring into the streets to celebrate. However, a dramatic showdown looms as the Spanish central government prepares to reassert its control.
The United Nations has thrown its weight behind the narrative that the Syrian government made the decision to deploy chemical weapons while his forces were winning the war through conventional means. Is this really true? Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
The Trump administration and Jeff Sessions’ Justice Department have been closing halfway houses, canceling contracts with 16 since taking office and worsening the mass incarceration crisis in the United States. Brian and John are joined by Alex Friedmann, Associate Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and managing editor for Prison Legal News.
As part of his “Vision 2030” plan to overhaul the Saudi economy, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has announced that the planned $500 billion, 10,000 square-mile NEOM mega-city will be a publicly-traded commodity owned by its shareholders. In his words, “The first capitalist city in the world”. Ali Al Ahmad, director of the Institute of Gulf Studies, joins the show.
U.S.-Pakistan relations continued to deteriorate today as the Pakistani Foreign Minister fired back at criticism of his country’s support for terrorists by slamming the United States’ failure in the war in Afghanistan. Christopher Black, international criminal defence lawyer, discusses the longest war in U.S. history.
The U.S. Congress, through the Government Accountability Office, is moving to counter the Trump administration’s so-called Voter Fraud Commission. But are the Democratic Senators who requested the move, and who say they oppose the panel because it “diminishes confidence in our democratic process”, missing the point? Daniel Lazare, journalist and author of The Frozen Republic, The Velvet Coup, and America's Undeclared War, joins Brian and John.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by journalist and bestselling author Max Blumenthal, as well as by Bruce Fein, a former Assistant Attorney General of the United States to discuss Twitter's announcement that it is banning advertising by RT and Sputnik.
The Senate Intelligence Committee voted yesterday to not only renew the “702 program” of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that authorizes domestic surveillance, but in fact to expand it! What can be done to defend privacy rights and civil liberties? Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary whistleblower, joins the show.
Catalan President Carles Puigdemont appears to be out of options as he refuses to declare independence or call snap elections. But will a grassroots surge in favor of independence force him to act -- or even push him aside? Dick Nichols, correspondent for Green Left Weekly, joins Brian and John.
A huge military buildup by the U.S. navy within striking distance of North Korea has the region and the world on edge as the Trump administration’s full court press continues. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute, talks about the latest developments.
The deaths of four special operations troops in Niger has brought to the fore the expansive U.S. military presence across West Africa. Vijay Prashad, author and professor, discusses the role of the U.S. across the continent.
Big developments have been taking place in Congress -- first the Congressional Budget Office released its much-awaited analysis of the Murray-Alexander healthcare bill, and today the House passed a crucial budget resolution paving the way for the Republican tax plan. Dr. Carol Paris, President of Physicians for a National Health Plan, and by Jane Cutter, Editor of LiberationNews.org, join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
Yet another twist has emerged in the “Steele dossier” prepared by the opposition research firm Fusion GPS -- it turns out that the Clinton campaign and the DNC were financial backers of the report.
The battle between Donald Trump and Republicans in the Senate continues, as the high profile feud with Jeff Flake of Arizona and Bob Corker of Tennessee escalates. What next in the Republican Party civil war? Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary, and Bob Schlehuber, the producer of By Any Means Necessary, join the show for that discussion.
After the expiration of its 120-day prohibition on refugee resettlement, the Trump administration has now come out with a new order banning refugees from 11 countries from coming into the United States for another 90 days. Anoa Changa, host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa, joins Brian and John.
Following large scale Iraqi military maneuvers, the Kurdistan Regional Government has now offered to suspend the results of the referendum on Kurdish independence and has signaled its openness to negotiations. Ali Musawi, war correspondent based in Iraq, joins the show along with Kani Xulam, director of the American Kurdish Information Network.
The final batch of documents relating to the 1963 assassination of president John Kennedy are about to be released, but some are calling for key pieces of information to be withheld. Congressman Walter Jones joins the show.
Finally, the U.S. government’s attack on civil liberties didn’t begin with Donald Trump, but he certainly hasn’t made it any better. In this segment, we’ll take a look at the mass arrests and felony prosecutions of protesters at Trump’s inauguration. Chip Gibbons, policy and legislative counsel for Defending Rights & Dissent, joins Brian and John along with Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
The high-stakes balancing act on the budget and tax reform has become even more fragile in the wake of Donald Trump’s ongoing feud with Senator Bob Corker. But behind the drama, is Congress gearing up for a huge giveaway to corporations?
Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman has voiced his desire to, in his words, “return” his country to “moderate Islam”. But does he really have any intention of easing the theocratic regime that rules Saudi Arabia? Catherine Shakdam, an independent journalist and author, is our guest.
While Puerto Ricans are still struggling to survive in the aftermath of devastating hurricanes, corporations are salivating over lucrative reconstruction contracts and set their sights on the ultimate prize -- privatizing Puerto Rico’s electric grid. Activist Greg Cruz joins the show.
Fresh off of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s decisive reelection, U.S., South Korean and Japanese forces kicked off a two-day series of military exercises directed at North Korea. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins John and Brian.
The twice-a-decade Chinese Communist Party Congress has voted to make reference to “Xi Jinping thought” in its constitution. As the first living Chinese President to have his name added to the party constitution since Mao Zedong, will Xi bring about major changes in the country? Political analyst Ajit Singh comments on the moves.
The Environmental Protection Agency blocked its scientists from addressing a conference in Rhode Island yesterday in the latest move by the Trump administration to cover up the facts when it comes to climate change. Professor and author Fred Magdoff joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dick Nichols, correspondent for Green Left Weekly in Barcelona.
With the imposition of direct rule by the central government looming in Catalonia, pro-independence forces are scrambling to come up with a response.
Crises and tensions are piling up in Asia as China continues to rise and the United States pulls out all the stops to maintain its power in the region. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s victory in yesterday’s election clears the way for a fully remilitarized Japan. Jude Woodward, the author of the new book “The US vs China: Asia's new Cold War?” is our guest for this discussion.
The United States has put its formidable fleet of nuclear B-52 bombers on 24-hour alert for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Kevin Kamps, nuclear waste watchdog at Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.
Next, Rex Tillerson made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan today before heading off to Iraq, as the Trump administration struggles to implement what it calls a new strategy to combat the Afghan insurgency. Ann Wright, a former U.S. State Department official and anti-war activist, joins Brian and John.
An article in today’s New York Times is the latest indicator that promoters of the “Russiagate” theory have no “smoking gun” and are seeking to control expectations -- but that doesn’t mean that the investigations are going to end any time soon. Ted Rall, editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins the show.
Rex Tillerson lashed out at Iran and allied armed groups ahead of his trip to Iraq today to meet with the country’s Prime Minister. Middle East analyst Robert Carter joins Brian and John to discuss these developments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Vijay Prashad, Professor of International Studies at Trinity College, as well as author of the book, The Death of the Nation and the Future of the Arab Revolution.
50 years ago today, Edgar Ray Killen, the main organizer of the infamous 1964 murders of civil rights activists Michael Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman was acquitted by an all-white jury. We’ll take an in-depth look at “Mississippi Burning” and the heroic battle against Jim Crow apartheid with Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of Race to Revolution: The U.S. and Cuba During Slavery and Jim Crow.
Continuing its assault on both reproductive and immigrant rights, lawyers for the Trump administration were in court today trying to deny a 17-year old undocumented immigrant who is being held in a detention center the right to an abortion. Samantha Herrera, an organizer for reproductive and economic justice along the Texas-Mexico border discusses this issue.
Next, The Trump administration has reversed course on the Murray-Alexander healthcare bill, demanding the rollback of key components of the Affordable Care Act in return for the White House’s support. Marc Stier, Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, joins the show.
On the heels of its embarrassing defeat in last weekend’s regional elections, the Venezuelan opposition is pushing for more international pressure on their own country, but remain divided over recognizing the legitimacy of the vote. Arnold August, lecturer, journalist and author of the new book Cuba-US Relations: Obama and Beyond, joins Brian and Walter.
Finally, Jeremy Corbyn’s meeting with lead European Union Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has heaped even more pressure on the government of British Prime Minister Theresa May. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, discusses the developments in negotiations.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alberto Garcia Watson, former Middle East correspondent for HispanTV.
The Spanish Prime Minister has announced his intention to disband the Catalan government in a major escalation of the conflict over the region’s push for independence.
Newly released diplomatic cables show that U.S. officials were fully complicit in the 1965-1966 anti-communist genocide in Indonesia. Brian and Walter are joined by Peter Kuznick, a Professor of History and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and the co-author with Oliver Stone of “The Untold History of the United States.”
The United States is under fire for its continued refusal to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Greg Mello of the Los Alamos Study Group and Kevin Kamps of Beyond Nuclear join the show.
70 years ago, more than 750,000 Palestinian were expelled from their home in a horrific act of ethnic cleansing to make way for the creation of the new state of Israel. This event came to be known as the Nakba, the Arabic word for catastrophe. Amena El-Ashkar and Khawla Hammad, who are on a speaking tour of the United States to educate the public on the Nakba, join Brian and Walter.
Israeli forces raided media outlets across the West Bank yesterday, shutting down 8 stations. Independent analyst Jafar Ramini joins the show to discuss the clampdown on Palestinian media.
Finally, we talk about the communication between Donald Trump and other US presidents with the families of soldiers and marines killed in action, as Rory Fanning and Cindy Sheehan join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by David Ewing of the US-China People’s Friendship Association; by political analyst Ajit Singh; and by Patrick Lawrence, the author of Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century.
In our first hour we take an in-depth look at Xi Jinping’s big speech at the opening of the Chinese Communist Party’s Congress. The address, an event which happens once every five years, lays out his vision for the future of China at home and abroad. Will China be able to break apart the U.S.-dominated world order? Can the country manage growing inequality as it seeks to continue its rapid growth?
The massive, classified CIA torture report produced during the Obama administration is back in the news, this time because of a controversy over a copy of the report the CIA claimed it had destroyed, but has now been found. Jeremy Varon of Witness Against Torture joins the show, and Loud & Clear co-host John Kiriakou returns to take part in the discussion.
Huge demonstrations are once again taking place across Catalonia, this time in outrage over the arrest of top pro-independence leaders as the Spanish central government threatens to dissolve the Catalan regional government. John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's Hard Facts, discusses these developments.
A new report claims that during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State a major nuclear deal involving a Russian firm was approved despite evidence of corruption. Dan Kovalik, human rights and labor lawyer, joins the show.
Ousted Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is in court seeking to have her impeachment overturned after evidence emerged that her opponents engaged in vote buying. Journalist Victor Fraga discusses whether Rousseff could once again be President, and Michel Temer could be ousted.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined from Germany by Dastan Jasim, and from London by Mark Campbell, both are supporters of the Kurdish movement in Syria.
The Kurdish YPG forces did the bulk of the fighting in the liberation of the Raqqa from ISIS, but the future of Syria is far from certain. U.S. military forces supported the Kurdish-led offensive. But the Syrian government demands that all U.S. forces leave Syria. We discuss the political position of the Kurdish movement as it relates to the United States and the Syrian government. Meanwhile, fears of all-out war between the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq and the central government Baghdad continue following the withdrawal of Kurdish forces from the disputed city of Kirkuk.
The future of healthcare in the United States is in the headlines, as a new proposal from Senators Michael Bennet and Tim Kaine is announced and Trump’s “drug tsar” nominee is forced to step down due to his ties with pharmaceutical companies fueling the opioid crisis. Dr. Margaret Flowers, co-director of Popular Resistance, joins the show.
Next, The Chinese Communist Party’s congress opens tomorrow, as President Xi Jinping seeks to solidify his leadership and congress delegates discuss the future of the country’s economic and political reforms. Brian and Walter are joined by political analyst Ajit Singh.
Then, Mexico’s currency is tumbling as the United States takes a hard line in NAFTA negotiations. Are we headed towards a complete breakdown of the agreement. Economist Steve Keen discusses developments in the ongoing negotiations.
The judge in Senator Robert Menendez’s corruption case refused to throw out the case yesterday, ordering the trial to move forward. Who is Robert Menendez, and will this scandal claim his career? Andrés Gómez, the Editor of Areito Digital, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by journalist Mojtaba Masood and Kani Xulam, founder of the American-Kurdish Information Network.
Iraqi pro-government forces have swept into the disputed region of Kirkuk, taking Kirkuk city from Kurdish peshmerga soldiers. As the fight over the shape of post-ISIS Iraq ensues, could another war be on the horizon?
In a surprise turn of events in Venezuela, pro-government candidates won the vast majority of governorships in yesterday's elections. The opposition is crying fraud, but the government says that the election shows that the momentum is with the country’s Bolivarian Revolution. We are joined by Carlos Ron, the Charge D’affairs leading the Venezuelan embassy in the United States, and by Lucas Koerner, a journalist with Venezuelanalysis.com
The Supreme Court will hear a major case on about e-mail privacy. Does the government’s ability to subpoena personal e-mails extend to every corner of the globe? Editorial cartoonist Ted Rall and news analyst Daniel Sankey join the show.
Next, tension is growing as as the Spanish government threatens to invoke a controversial article of the constitution to dissolve the regional government of Catalonia while left-wing pro-independence forces press him to declare independence. Dick Nichols, correspondent for Green Left Weekly, joins the show the discuss these developments.
The right wing surged in yesterday’s election in Austria, and the far-right Freedom Party is expected to enter the government following a stinging defeat for the ruling Social Democrats. Ilona Pfeffer, Sputnik News analyst, joins Brian and Walter.
European Union Foreign Ministers gathering for a summit in Luxembourg have taken a strong stand in support of the Iran nuclear deal in the latest sign of friction between the EU and the Trump administration. Brian and Walter are joined by Catherine Shakdam, independent journalist.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by political analysts Shabir Razvi and Ajit Singh, as well as Mohammad Marandi from the University of Tehran, to look at Trump's Iran policy after he confirmed that he will be decertifying the nuclear deal and went on a tirade against the country, accusing it of sponsoring terrorism.
Donald Trump delivered what many consider to be a death blow to the Affordable Care Act today by cutting off cost-sharing subsidies. The healthcare system in the United States is in crisis. Dr. Carol Paris, President of Physicians for a National Health Plan, joins the show.
A new study from Harvard University has found that a shocking number of people who were killed by police had their cause of death misreported on death certificates. Brian and Walter speak with Aislinn Borsini, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Crucial elections are taking place to elect state governors in Venezuela on Sunday, and the future of the country’s Bolivarian Revolution hangs in the balance. Joining the show from Caracas are Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, as well as Steve Hedley who is in Venezuela as an election observer.
A heavily armored convoy of Turkish troops have entered Idlib province of Syria to set up a “de-escalation zone”. Will clashes with Al-Qaeda follow? Rick Sterling, investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Marcia Stedman, President of Health Care for All - Washington, and by Marc Stier, Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center.
A dramatic new move from the Trump administration could totally upend insurance markets and lead to the collapse of the Affordable Care Act.
Reaffirming its staunchly anti-Palestinian orientation, The Trump administration announced today that the United States was withdrawing from UNESCO, the cultural and social organization of the United Nations, citing supposed “anti-Israel bias”. Brian and Walter are joined by Jafar Ramini, a Palestinian writer, political analyst and commentator, and by Kim Ives, an editor for Haiti Liberte.
The long Palestinian division between the West Bank and Gaza may finally be coming to an end as a result of an agreement signed today in Egypt. Alberto Garcia Watson, former senior Middle East correspondent for HispanTV, comments on the developments.
Peshmerga briefly blocked the roads between main cities of of the Kurdistan Regional Government and Mosul to protest Iraqi troop movements in the latest escalation of tensions following an independence referendum. Ali Musawi, a war correspondent covering the fight against Daesh in Iraq, joins the show.
Theresa May has said her government is preparing for the dreaded “no deal” scenario in the negotiations over Britain’s exit from the European Union, causing even more disunity in her government. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, discusses the latest in the Brexit fiasco.
Appearing on Fox News, Donald Trump shed some light on his ominous “calm before the storm” remark, confirming that Korea was the target he had in mind. Keith Bennett, China and Korea expert, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at Beyond Nuclear.
Donald Trump seems to be in love with nuclear weapons. At a high-level summit of military and foreign policy officials, Trump reportedly requested a nearly ten-fold expansion in the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
Controversy is swirling over cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab, which the New York Times reports has been hacked by Russian and Israeli intelligence agents. We take a look at the big picture of espionage and high tech giants with Jeffrey Carr, a cybersecurity consultant and author of “Inside Cyber Warfare”.
In the second hour, editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall joins the show to discuss California Senator Dianne Feinstein announcing that she plans to run for reelection, a move that has California Democrats in revolt.
As the latest round of NAFTA negotiations begin, the Trump administration and business groups appear to be clashing over several key provisions. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins the show.
Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy has maintained his hardline stance against Catalan independence, declaring to parliament that he is ready to suspend the region’s government. Brian and Walter are joined from Berlin by Bolle Selke, a journalist and Sputnik news analyst.
2017 may very well be a record year for Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved plans to build over 3,700 new housing units. Independent analyst Catherine Shakdam joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's Hard Facts, and by Dick Nichols, correspondent for Green Left Weekly.
Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has taken a step back from the edge and declined to issue a declaration of independence in his much-anticipated address. Will there be international mediation, or will Madrid’s intransigence continue?
Also in the first hour, Brian and Walter discuss the possibility of another Israeli attack on Lebanon, and are joined from Beirut by Jana Nakhal, an independent researcher and a member of the central committee of Lebanese Communist Party.
The collision course initiated by the Trump administration against Iran continues at full speed, with the Iranian government promises a “crushing” response to the anticipated U.S. designation of the Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. Middle East analyst Robert Carter joins the show.
The Republican Party civil war has flared up once again as high-ranking Senator Bob Corker accuses Donald Trump of putting the United States “on the path to World War III”. Brian and Walter speak with Anoa Changa, host of the radio show The Way With Anoa.
First Facebook, and now Google, are being drawn into the controversy over alleged Russian interference in the election. But what’s the big picture about Google’s impact on U.S. politics? Dr. Robert Epstein joins the show to discuss.
Finally, Tensions in Europe are heating up as a new military force consisting of thousands of troops is being assembled in Romania, coinciding with an increase in NATO naval and air activity in the country. Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, talks about what's behind the latest NATO moves.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Gloria La Riva, the Coordinator of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee, and by Attorney Michael Steven Smith, who is an author, activist and host of the radio show Law and Disorder.
41 years ago today Cubana Flight 455 was blown up mid air in a terrorist attack carried out by operatives who had been employed by the CIA that killed all 73 passengers onboard. This year, the anniversary is marked with mounting concern over the extreme hostility towards Cuba displayed by the Trump administration. Is unrestrained aggression once again becoming the U.S. strategy?
In the second hour, Brian and Walter are joined by Greg Mello of the Los Alamos Study Group to discuss this year’s Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
Right-wing Congressman Tim Murphy, a devoted opponent of abortion rights, plans to resign from office after being exposed pressuring a woman he was having an affair with into having an abortion. This comes as the Trump administration announces the roll back of the provision in the Affordable Care Act mandating the coverage of contraception, and as news broke about movie executive and Democratic mega-donor Harvey Weinstein’s long history of harassment -- disgusting, sexist abuse of women and their rights is a bipartisan disease in the United States. Jane Cutter, editor of LiberationNews.org, joins the show.
Some of the biggest banks in the world are heading for the exit as Britain prepares to leave the European Union, and elites in Frankfurt dream of becoming the financial capital of Europe. Economist Steve Keen discusses the importance of the banks and Brexit.
The Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act - NICA - has passed the U.S. House of Representatives. This measure against the country’s progressive government aims at cutting off Nicaragua’s sources of financing from international institutions. Chuck Kaufman of the Alliance for Global Justice joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, to talk about the Trump administration’s plans to decertify the Iran nuclear deal as well as the death of U.S. special forces troops in Niger.
Then, we are joined from London by Robert Carter, a journalist and political commentator on Middle Eastern politics, to discuss the historic summit between top Turkish and Iranian officials, including President Erdogan and Prime MInister Rouhani, to dial up the pressure on the Kurdistan Regional government of Iraq.
In the second hour, Brian and Walter look at the last major population center held by Daesh in Iraq being retaken by Iraqi government forces and its allies. The so-called Islamic State is on the run, but remains a deadly threat. Mojtaba Masood, film maker and journalist, joins the show.
Next, the Spanish government has sent a detachment of soldiers to Catalonia and the Supreme Court has suspended Monday’s session of the regional parliament, when a declaration of independence was expected. Alberto Garcia Watson, former Middle East correspondent for HispanTV, joins the show from Madrid.
Then, in an unusual move, the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee gave a press conference updating the public on the status of their Russia investigation. The bottom line: expect the witch hunt to be drawn out indefinitely. Dan Kovalik, union organizer and author, joins Walter and Brian to talk about the latest developments in the Russiagate scandal.
Finally, the Trump administration is reportedly preparing to scrap the Clean Power Plan, instituted under the Obama administration to curb emissions by U.S. power plants. But what will it take to really address the climate crisis? Fred Magdoff, author of What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek speaks with Julie Hurwitz, activist and a partner with Goodman & Hurwitz, P.C., Bob Schlehuber, news analyst and the producer of the Radio Sputnik show By Any Means Necessary, by Camilo Matos of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, and by financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
In the first hour, they discuss the big issues of the day -- Donald Trump in Las Vegas in the aftermath of the horrific mass shooting, Rex Tillerson attempting to defuse tensions between himself and Donald Trump, and the outrage continues towards Trump’s ridiculous behavior in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.
In the second hour, Brian and Walter are joined by independent journalist Catherine Shakdam. Testifying to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Secretary of Defense James Mattis defended the Iran nuclear deal, putting him at odds with Donald Trump.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has hit out at the United States over its military actions in Syria, and vowed to respond to U.S. sanctions. International criminal lawyer Christopher Black analyzes the state of U.S.-Russia relations.
There are more mixed messages and confusion coming out of the Trump administration on immigration, as a high-level Department of Homeland Security official suggests that Trump supports the Dream Act, but then a spokesperson quickly backpedaled. Angie Kim, community organizer with the MinKown Center for Community Action, joins the show.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has made another one of his signature gaffes, joking about “clearing away dead bodies” in Libya, the country his government helped destroy. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, discusses Johnson's comments.
On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall and journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen join the show.
In our first hour, we discuss two big issues. First we talk about Donald Trump’s trip to Puerto Rico and the outrageous statements he made there. Then, the panel talks about the landmark Palestinian cabinet meeting held in Gaza and efforts and Palestinian reconciliation.
The U.S. government has expelled 15 diplomats from the Cuban Embassy in Washington, following the U.S. withdrawal of the bulk of its staff in Havana last week. Is the Trump administration attempting to undo any steps taken towards normalization of U.S.-Cuban relations? Arnold August, author of the book “Cuba-US Relations: Obama and Beyond,” talks about the issue.
The “Russian Facebook ads” story has become a parody of itself. After turning over the ads to congressional investigators, Facebook has now announced that the majority of the ads in question were seen after election day. Gareth Porter, a historian, investigative journalist and analyst specializing in U.S. national security policy discusses this development.
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Catalonia today as part of a general strike to protest police attacks on people attempting to participate in Sunday’s independence referendum that left nearly 900 injured. Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, joins the show.
Are big polluters calling the shots at the Environmental Protection Agency? EPA head Scott Pruitt’s appointment schedule certainly suggests that this is the case. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the advocacy organization Beyond Nuclear, talks about this issue.
On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent and who in 2002 was named Time Magazine person of the year, by independent journalist Denis Rogatyuk and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.
In our first hour, we discuss two big issues. First, the hosts talk about the massacre in Las vegas that has left scores dead and hundreds wounded. Then, a panel talks about the independence referendum in Catalonia and what comes next after the wide-scale repression on Sunday by the central government’s security forces.
Donald Trump delivered a public rebuke to his own Secretary of State, scolding him for considering talks with North Korea. Is Trump on a warpath? Prof. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute, talks about the issue.
The trial of the alleged mastermind of the 2012 Benghazi attack that killed the U.S. ambassador to the country begins today. But five years after the attack, Libya remains mired in civil war. Ben Norton, a journalist for AlterNet’s Grayzone Project, discusses this development.
Sitting in the comfort of his Bedminster golf resort, Donald Trump was full of praise for his administration’s response to the crisis in Puerto Rico and attacks critics of the relief effort. But huge numbers of people remain without basic necessities. Shawn Garcia, the Executive Director of Revolutionary Fitness, joins the show.
The heated debate over the future of healthcare in the United States continues. Although the Graham-Cassidy bill was derailed, congress has now failed to renew the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Meanwhile, support for single payer grows. David Hughes, President of the research and advocacy organization Citizen Power, talks about this issue.
On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of CodePink, and Vicki Huddleston, a veteran U.S. diplomat and the former head of the United States Interests Section in Havana, join the show.
In our first hour, we discuss two big issues. First, there is a rapidly growing pace of U.S. arms sales and the big changes going on in one of its top customers -- Saudi Arabia. Then, the panel talks about the alleged sonic attacks in Cuba.
While the total number of deportations has fallen since the Trump administration took office, the number of arrests carried out by ICE is way up. Nearly one year since his election, what has President Donald Trump meant for immigrant communities? Angie Kim, a community organizer with the MinKwon Center for Community Action who received relief through the DACA program, talks about the issue.
Is the uptick in airstrikes on Libya in recent days a prelude to an even greater expansion of the U.S. role in the country? More than six years after the U.S./NATO intervention the toppled the government of Moammar Gaddafi, Libya remains in chaos. Christopher Black, an international criminal defense lawyer at the International Criminal Court, discusses this development.
Senator Mark Warner is “deeply disappointed” that Twitter was unable to produce proof of a large-scale Russian influence campaign. The evidence-less Russiagate scandal continues. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer and author, joins the show.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared his previous hostility towards the United States “water under the bridge” and praised the U.S.-Philippines alliance. Rhonda Ramiro, Vice Chair of Bayan-USA, talks about this issue.
On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, Dr. Robert Epstein, Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, and Paul Street, a journalist, historian and author, join the show.
In our first hour, we discuss the controversy over the so-called “Russian Facebook ads” that have now drawn a direct response from Donald Trump.
The “Gang of Six” top Republicans have unveiled their proposal for an overhaul of the U.S. tax system. Corporations can look forward to a big tax break -- who are the other winners and losers? Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey talks about the issue.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has testified that there are 1,000 domestic terrorism investigations underway, mainly related to white supremacist groups and individuals. But has the federal government ever been serious about tackling violent, racist groups? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author, discusses this development.
UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn gave an impassioned speech at the party conference yesterday, slamming Saudi Arabia, Israel and Donald Trump while demanding that Britain stay in the European single market. Jackie Walker, former Vice Chair of the pro-Jeremy Corbyn organization Momentum, joins the show.
The Spanish central government is pulling out all the stops to prevent the Catalan independence vote from going ahead, calling in thousands of police officers. Dick Nichols, the correspondent for Spain and Catalonia for Green Left Weekly, talks about this issue.
On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, Shawn Garcia, Executive Director of Revolutionary Fitness; Gloria La Riva, who was the Coordinator of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five; and Greg Cruz, an activist who will soon be traveling to Puerto Rico to take part in relief efforts, join the show.
In our first hour, we discuss the crisis in Puerto Rico. After the devastation of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, there are dire shortages of essential goods and services. On top of this, Puerto Rico is still suffocating under a mountain of debt and the colonial status imposed on it by the United States.
The far right Alternative for Germany has made a breakthrough in last week’s election, securing nearly 13 percent of the vote and entering parliament. What’s behind the party’s stunning rise and deep internal divisions? Marcel Joppa, a journalist and Sputnik News analyst, talks about the issue.
Incumbent Republican Senator Luther Strange has been defeated in a landslide by far right challenger Roy Moore in the Alabama primary election. What does it mean for Trump, McConnell, and the future of politics in the United States? Ray Baker, the host of the podcast Public Agenda, discusses this development.
The Venezuelan opposition has broken off talks with the government that were being held in the Dominican Republic, just weeks ahead of crucial regional elections. Lucas Koerner, a Caracas-based activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, joins the show.
Saudi Arabia’s government has announced that it will legally permit women to drive for the first time following years of protest. But horrific restrictions on women’s rights still persist in this close ally of the United States. Catherine Shakdam, a political analyst and author, talks about this issue
On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, Dan Kovalik, a human rights lawyer and author, joins the show for the first half hour. Then, the hosts are joined by Vijay Prashad, an author and professor of international studies.
In our first hour, we discuss two big issues. First, the new McCarthyism in the United States continues to deepen. After Facebook released the so-called “Russian ads” it became clear that they were not in fact pro-Trump, so now the corporate media has gone back to an old Cold War smear. And then, we discuss the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan that has upended the geopolitics of the Middle East. As Turkey and Iraq hold joint military exercises, how far could the conflict spiral?
Could Alabama be on the verge of electing the most far right Senator in the country? The Republican establishment is lining up behind incumbent Senator Luther Strange in the Alabama primary election today, but former state supreme court Chief Justice Roy Moore is the frontrunner. The hosts are joined by award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall.
The Graham-Cassidy bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act is circling the drain as several Republican senators come out in opposition to the proposal, but the fight over the future of healthcare in the United States is far from over. Marc Stier, Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, talks about the issue.
French President Emmanuel Macron has given a major address on his vision for the future of the European Union, calling a dramatic expansion in the powers of the EU relative to national governments. But following last Sunday’s election, German support is very much in doubt. Alexander Mercouris, editor in chief of The Duran, discusses this development.
According to the UK’s Ministry of Defense, the British air force killed over 3,000 ISIS fighters -- but not a single civilian! What’s the reality of the air war against the so-called Islamic State? Robert Carter, a journalist and political commentator on Middle East, joins the show.
On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history and author, and Danny Shaw, a professor and retired boxer, join the show for the first half hour. Then, the hosts are joined by Mojtaba Masood, a journalist and filmmaker, and Kani Xulam, founder of the American-Kurdish Information Network.
In our first hour, we discuss two big issues. A wave of protest has hit the NFL as players kneel to protest racism and police brutality, sparking a furious reaction from Donald Trump. Are we on the cusp of another wave of Black athlete activism? And then, we discuss the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan. Tensions in the region are heating up as Iraq’s Kurds vote, and neighboring states move to block any moves towards independence.
Anthony Weiner is going to prison for nearly two years after being found guilty to send obscene material to a minor. We’ll take a look at the dramatic fall of this once-rising star of the Democratic Party. The hosts are joined by Anoa Changa, the host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa and Deputy Director of MPACT.
The far right has entered the German parliament again for the first time in decades, as support for the governing coalition of Chancellor Angela Merkel retains a much-diminished majority. Reiner Braun, co-president of the International Peace Bureau, talks about the issue.
The Trump administration has issued its latest travel ban executive order, widening the scope of countries affected and making the restrictions indefinite. Dr. Nazia Kazi, an activist and professor of Anthropology, discusses this development.
Brexit and Britain’s membership in the European common market is causing waves at the Labour Party conference, while Theresa May tries to rally her divided party around the idea of a 2-year transition period following the country’s exit from the European Union. John Wight, the host of Radio Sputnik’s weekly show Hard Facts, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kirakou are joined by
Jodie Evans, a filmmaker, activist and co-founder of Codepink, as well as by Kevin Zeese, co-director of Popular Resistance.
The Trump administration is reportedly preparing a dramatic expansion of the so-called War on Terror. Drone strikes and special forces raids could soon be conducted with little oversight and in virtually any country.
In the second hour, John and Brian look at the the Graham-Cassidy bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act that now appears to be dead. John McCain just hours ago announced his opposition to the measure, dealing a major blow to Congressional Republicans’ legislative agenda. Joining the show is Dr. Margaret Flowers, co-director of Popular Resistance.
Next, Turkish president Erdogan says that his military will soon enter rebel-held Idlib province in Syria as part of a deal to establish a “de-escalation zone”. Is Syria headed towards partition? Kani Xulam of the American-Kurdish Information Network joins the show.
Will Angela Merkel win a fourth term in office and Chancellor of Germany? The so-called Grand Coalition between the center-right and center-left looked set to continue, but a last minute surge by smaller parties could upend the equation. Joining the show is Reiner Braun of the International Peace Bureau.
And finally, if Congress gets to see the so-called “Russian Facebook ads”, why can’t the public? Dr. Robert Epstein analyzes what's behind the move.
On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, Pepe Escobar, a writer and political analyst, Prof. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and author and columnist Patrick Lawrence, join the show.
The Russian and Chinese speeches at the United Nations General Assembly were delivered today, but neither Vladimir Putin nor Xi Xinping took to the podium. Is this a boycott? What else was discussed today at the General Assembly debate?
Today is the International Day of Peace, but you wouldn’t know it from listening to Donald Trump’s rhetoric at the United Nations. Is the world on the verge of a major conflict? Can we step back from the brink?. The hosts are joined by activist, educator and author Bill Ayers.
High ranking officials in the Catalonia autonomous community of Spain have been arrested by the central government as the region’s president denounces Madrid’s “totalitarian” actions and vows to go ahead with the October 1st independence vote. Journalist Alberto Garcia Watson talks about the issue.
Is the United States a rising power or a hegemon in decline? Speaking to a celebration held by Forbes magazine, billionaire Warren Buffett called people who were pessimistic about the future of the country “out of their mind”. Author and economist Steve Keen joins the show.
Last year the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced its largest fine ever -- a $100 million penalty to Wells Fargo for opening accounts without customers’ permission. But newly-released documents show that the government chose CFPB could have in fact levied a $10 billion fine, but chose to cut a deal with the bank. Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, discusses these developments.
On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, Greg Mello, Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group and Alexander Mercouris, editor in-chief of The Duran, join the show.
The fiery tone at the United Nations General Assembly continues following Donald Trump’s threat to “totally destroy” North Korea, as the United States is accused of violating the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces agreement and the future of the Iran nuclear deal appears bleak.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the British Defense Minister have reached an agreement on a military cooperation accord, as billions of dollars of British weapons continue to pour into Saudi Arabia despite the country’s war crimes in Yemen. The hosts are joined by journalist Steve Topple.
The death toll continues to rise in Mexico City and surrounding areas in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that killed over 200 people and devastated critical infrastructure. Clayton Conn, a freelance reporter in Mexico City, talks about the issue.
Hurricane Maria is doing massive damage to Puerto Rico and has knocked out all electricity on the island, as this year’s brutal hurricane season continues. Javier Nieves, a student at the University of Puerto Rico, joins the show.
Will the war on ISIS in eastern Syria turn into a war between U.S.-backed Kurdish forces and the Syrian government? Or can there be coexistence? The battle for Deir Ezzor could be just the beginning. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, discusses these developments.
On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, Lucas Koerner, an activist and journalist for VenezuelaAnalysis.com, political analyst Ajit Singh, and former State Department official turned anti-war activist Ann Wright join the show.
Donald Trump’s debut speech to the United Nations General Assembly drew gasps from the audience as he threatened the destruction of North Korea, slammed Iran and Venezuela, and boasted about U.S. military might.
The Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act was left for dead, but a last minute push by Senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy seems to have gained serious traction. We are joined from Nashville by Dr. Carol Paris, President of Physicians for a National Health Plan, joins the show.
We do some pretty amazing things here at Sputnik News, including, according to three members of Congress, time travel. In a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai they claimed that we influenced the election through our broadcasts on 105.5 FM, which began eight months after election day. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer and author, talks about the issue.
Defense Secretary James Mattis has announced that 3,000 more U.S. troops are going to Afghanistan as part of the Trump administration’s push to deepen the longest war in U.S. history. Phil Wilayto of the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality, joins the show.
Donald Trump’s unbelievably bellicose speech at the United Nations today took aim at Iran, slamming the JCPOA nuclear deal and calling for regime change. Catherine Shakdam, an independent journalist and author, talks about these developments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Christopher Black, an international criminal lawyer who is on the List of Counsel before the ICC, and Jim Jatras, a political analyst and former U.S. diplomat.
The UN General Assembly debate opens today in New York. As world leaders grapple with the conflicts, crises and tensions that seem to be intensifying by the day, Donald Trump has slammed the United Nations as inefficient and unfair.
Scores of people have been arrested as demonstrations and outrage continue in St. Louis against racism and police brutality following the acquittal of police officer Jason Stockley in the killing of Anthony Lamar Smith. Kofi Ademola, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement, joins the show from London to talk about the incident.
Hamas has announced that it is prepared to dissolve its government in Gaza. Could a Palestinian unity government finally be formed after over a decade of bitter division between the West Bank and Gaza? Journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen, talks about the issue.
Donald Trump’s hostility towards Cuba is no secret, but after a series of alleged “sonic attacks” on diplomats, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that the administration may go as far as closing the embassy in Havana. Arnold August, a lecturer, journalist and author, joins the show.
Former CIA employee Jeffrey Sterling’s sentence has been extended, as the U.S. government’s war on whistleblowers continue. Activist Arn Menconi talks about these developments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by co-host John Kiriakou.
The fight against ISIS in Iraq seems to be in its last stages, but the fight over the future of the country is far from over.Dr. Dahlia Wasfi, an activist and internationally known speaker on anti-war and international solidarity issues, as well as Eugene Puryear, host of By
Any Means Necessary, join the show.
An explosive device has detonated in the London subway, injuring over 20 people. Donald Trump wasted no time in taking to Twitter to criticize British authorities. Marcel Cartier, Sputnik political analyst, joins the show from London to talk about the incident.
A groundbreaking investigative report shows that the Pentagon secretly funnelled billions of dollars of weapons to armed groups in Syria. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, talks about if the U.S. policy of arming the Syrian opposition is really over.
The fallout continues from the preliminary deal between Donald Trump and Democratic congressional leaders over the DACA program. Are the Dreamers really secure? What comes next for the immigrant rights movement? Angie Kim, immigrant rights activist, joins the show.
Donald Trump has harshly criticized the Iran nuclear deal, signalling that he may move to pull out of the deal next month on the same day as new U.S. sanctions
targeting Iranian firms were announced. Massoud Shadjareh, co-founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, talks about these developments.
New charges have been filed against embattled Brazilian President Michel Temer, as the country’s corruption scandal continues to rage. British-Brazilian journalist Victor Fraga join Walter and John to discuss the ramifications.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Anoa Changa, Deputy Director of MPACT and the host of the radio show The Way With Anoa, and David Cobb, campaign manager of the 2016 Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka presidential campaign.
The newfound partnership between Donald Trump and congressional Democrats has upended politics in the United States. First the debt ceiling deal, now DACA, what’s next? Could we be set for a major realignment of political parties?
In the second hour, John and Brian take a look at the breaking news of the day.
First, the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq is determined to push ahead with an independence referendum. Kani Xulam, founder of the American-Kurdish Information Network, joins the show.
Next, military exercises in Russia lead to a heating up of the rhetoric in the new cold war. They speak with Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
In the third segment, the hosts talk to Ben Norton, a journalist with Alternet’s Grayzone Project about reports that the Trump administration is considering a drastic reduction in the number of refugees admitted into the country.
And finally, Will the de-escalation zones in Syria hold? The fate of opposition-controlled Idlib province hangs in the balance as the sixth round of the Astana peace talks open today. The hosts are joined by investigative journalist Rick Sterling.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Eddie Conway, a journalist with The Real News Network who was the Minister of Defence of the Baltimore branch of the Black Panther Party and a political prisoner for 44 years, as well as by Alex Friedmann, Associate Director of the Human Rights Defense Center and managing editor for Prison Legal News.
Today is the 46th anniversary of the massacre that ended the Attica prison uprising. To mark the occasion, Loud & Clear discusses the prison system in this country -- the human rights abuses, the exploitation, the neglect of prisoners, and more. Could another Attica rebellion happen in 2017?
In the second hour, John and Brian take a look at the breaking news of the day.
First, financial analyst Daniel Sankey and Popular Resistance co-director Kevin Zeese talk about President Donald Trump’s plans to slash taxes for corporations and wealthy Americans.
Next, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah announced that victory over the Islamic State is at hand in Syria and that only mop-up operations remain. We’ll speak with former UK Ambassador to Syria Peter Ford.
In the third segment, the hosts talk to Korean Policy Institute fellow Dr. Simone Chun and international criminal lawyer Christopher Black about reports that the South Korean government has established a “decapitation squad” to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
And finally, they speak with journalist and author Arnold August about developments in Venezuela, stuck between its populist movement on one side and the United States on the other, with economic and social collapse in the offing.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and co-host John Kiriakou discuss the assault on freedom of the press in this country, alongside activist and former CIA analyst Ray McGovern.
To start the second hour, Brian and John to talk about how Bernie Sanders will announce a new “medicare for all” bill tomorrow, after attracting several high-profile co-sponsors. After years of grassroots efforts, universal healthcare appears to be getting a serious hearing on Capitol Hill. They are joined by Dr. Margaret Flowers, co-director of Popular Resistance.
The clash between internet giants and European governments continues, as Google appeals a massive fine and Facebook is hit with a new penalty. Dr. Robert Epstein, Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology joins the show.
Is the Trump administration preparing a campaign to heat up tensions with Iran? The so-called Iran Nuclear Deal remains intact, but for how long? Dan Kovalik, a labor and human rights lawyer who recently returned from Iran discusses this issue.
Scott Pruitt, the anti-environment head of the Environmental Protection Agency, is taking flak from all sides after he suggested it would be inappropriate to discuss climate change in the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Irma. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont, joins Brian and John to discuss.
As the Labour Party in the UK comes together around a plan for a “soft” exit from the European Union, the Conservative government of Theresa May appears rudderless in the tough negotiations. Economist and author Steve Keen talks about these developments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined for the first time by co-host John Kiriakou.
In the first hour, John and Brian discuss how the September 11th attacks changed the United States and the world, alongside professor and author Peter Kuznick and author and columnist Patrick Lawrence.
To start the second hour, Brian and John address how the FBI is investigating Sputnik for possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act along with Sputnik US editor-in-chief Mindia Gavasheli.
Next, Hurricane Irma is ripping through Florida, causing huge devastation in its wake. Were preparations adequate? And how will residents rebuild? Ruth Beltran of the Tampa Chapter of Black Lives Matter and Juliana Musheyev, a board member of the Sarasota Peace Education and Action Center, join the show.
The United Nations is set to vote today on additional sanctions against North Korea. Will China and Russia stand up to the United States, which are seeking suffocating new measures? Gregory Elich of the Committee for Peace and Democracy in Korea discusses the vote.
Hillary Clinton’s memoir of her election defeat is released tomorrow in which she blames seemingly everyone for her shocking loss to Donald Trump. As Schumer and Pelosi cozy up to President Trump, is the Democratic Party elite completely incapable of learning from their mistakes? Ted Rall, editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins Brian and John to discuss.
The Syrian Army is advancing on the city of Deir ez-Zor at the same time that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have started an operation to clear Daesh from the countryside to the north of the city. Rick Sterling of the Syria Solidarity Movement talks about these developments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dave Lindorff, investigative reporter.
So much for the Democratic Party’s “resistance” -- Republicans are incensed and Democrats are enamored with their new friend in the wake of the debt ceiling deal Trump agreed to on Wednesday.
Equifax, the multi-billion dollar consumer credit agency, has been the victim of a data breach that could affect up to 143 million people -- but before the company broke the news three of its executives sold nearly $2 million in stock. Daniel Sankey, financial policy advisor, discusses the news with Brian.
Venezuela has become the first country to offer assistance to nations needing help in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma after donating $5 million to the United States for Hurricane Harvey relief. Carlos Ron, the Charges D'Affaires the Venezuelan embassy in the United States, joins the show.
Mexico has been hit by the most powerful earthquake in a century that has left dozens dead. Jim Jordan, National Co-Coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice, and Eduardo Garcia, Media and Communications Coordinator at School of the Americas Watch, discuss the impact of the disaster.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron gave a dramatic speech in front of the Acropolis in Athens last night, posturing as the savior of the European Union. John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's Hard Facts, discusses if the EU can really be fixed.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ruth Beltran of the Tampa Chapter of Black Lives Matter and Juliana Musheyev, a board member of the Sarasota Peace Education and Action Center.
Hurricane Irma heads toward Florida. The government has started evacuations but a sheriff in Polk County has said the police will be checking IDs at shelters and arresting those with outstanding warrants.
Israel has attacked Syria once again as the battle against Daesh continues to rage in the city of Deir Ezzor. Alberto Garcia Watson, former senior correspondent for HispanTV, joins the show.
Next, Russiagate is back in the news following a Facebook report -- but what does this report actually indicate? John Kirakou, former CIA analyst and whistleblower, joins Brian to discuss the report.
The Mayor of Chicago declares his city a ‘Trump Free Zone’ following the repeal of DACA. Brian speaks with John Beacham, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition, about the struggle over the Dreamers program.
Finally, will there be independence for Catalonia? A referendum is coming but the central government of Spain is moving to cancel the vote. Dick Nichols, correspondent for Green Left Weekly based in Barcelona, joins Brian to discuss the upcoming vote.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kevin Zeese, co-director of Popular Resistance.
Hillary Clinton’s new book on her election loss last year attacks Bernie Sanders and says that he helped lay the groundwork for Trump’s ‘Crooked Hillary’ campaign.
Thousands of police and protesters are facing off in the South Korean village of Seongju just hours ahead of the deployment of four new U.S.-operated THAAD rocket launchers. Brian is joined by Prof. Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network; as well as Will Griffin, a member of the Task Force to Stop THAAD in Korea and Militarism in Asia and the Pacific.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and ongoing relief operations, Hurricane Irma is causing major damage in the Caribbean as it heads toward Florida. Camilo Punsoda, spokesperson for Juventud Trabajadora, the youth wing of the Working People’s Party of Puerto Rico, joins the show.
New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez goes on trial today over two years after he was indicted on corruption charges. Who is Menendez, and could his trial swing the balance of power in Washington? Ted Rall, editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins Brian.
Prosecutors continue to close in on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and now his wife, Sara Netanyahu, is expected to be charged with fraud. Dan Cohen, journalist and filmmaker, talks about the importance of the case and what's to come.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, and by Greg Mello, Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group.
The United States has menacingly declared that North Korea is ‘begging for war’ in the aftermath of a hydrogen bomb test by the DPRK.
The Trump administration has announced that it will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA program. But with a six-month window before the program expires, the stage is set for intense struggle. Angie Kim, a community organizer with the MinKwon Center for Community Action discusses this.
On a visit to Houston over the weekend Donald Trump said the Hurricane Harvey relief operation was ‘working out well’, but the scale of the devastation is immense. Ann Wright, a retired U.S. Army colonel and State Department official who resigned in protest of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq who is in Texas helping with disaster relief, joins Brian.
Syrian government forces have breached a 3-year siege of the city of Deir al-Zor, giving them a major strategic victory as the territory held by the so-called Islamic State continues to erode. Brian is joined by Christopher Davidson, professor at the University of Durham and the author of ‘Shadow Wars: The Secret Struggle for the Middle East’, and by Massoud Shadjareh, the co-founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
While the U.S. mulls sending lethal weapons to Ukraine’s government, Russia is proposing a peacekeeping operation in the eastern part of the country to defuse simmering tensions. Ben Norton, a journalist with AlterNet's GrayZone Project, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Angie Kim, a community organizer with the MinKwon Center for Community Action.
Donald Trump will announce his decision this weekend on whether to end DACA. Will 800,000 young people be put on a priority deportation list?
Erik Prince, the founder of the mercenary company formerly known as Blackwater, gave a wide ranging interview to the Huffington Post in which he advocates a private army to be deployed to Afghanistan. Whistleblower John Kiriakou joins the show.
Donald Trump is now proposing $6 billion in emergency funding for the relief effort after Hurricane Harvey, but Republicans in Congress had been aiming to cut the FEMA budget by nearly $900 million to fund Trump’s border wall. In the United States, relief for the poor is always the last priority. Anoa Changa, the host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa, joins the show.
A new round of NAFTA renegotiations begin again today in Mexico City. As Trump’s popularity plummets, will he keep his campaign promises about trade? Pete Dolack, an organizer with Trade Justice New York Metro and author of "It’s Not Over: Learning from the Socialist Experiment", joins Brian.
As Brexit negotiations hit a brick wall, the UK government reportedly sought to negotiate directly with EU heavyweights France and Germany -- something that French President Emmanuel Macron strongly denies. Brian is joined by John Wight, the host of Radio Sputnik's weekly show Hard Facts.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by George Galloway, former British parliamentarian.
The new Cold War between the United States and Russia became colder today as the U.S. State Department is forcing the closure of the Russian consulate in San Francisco and two annex buildings in New York and Washington.
Is complaining about Google dangerous? The influential New American Foundation terminated an entire research team that publicly opposed Google’s monopoly practices. Dr. Robert Epstein, former editor of Psychology Today, joins the show.
A chemical factory explodes in Houston. The suffering gets worse. We compare US and Cuba’s approach to hurricanes with Gloria La Riva, activist, journalist and award-winning videographer who was the 2016 Presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation; and Gail Walker, the executive director of Pastors for Peace.
The Iraqi Army has declared victory against the so-called Islamic State in the city of Tal Afar but what does liberation look like? Anti-war activist and Iraq war veteran Ryan Endicott joins Brian.
More troops to Afghanistan in a war without end -- but what is the US strategy? Joe Lombardo, co-coordinator of the United National Anti-War Coalition joins Brian along with Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of CODEPINK.
A coalition of 62 organizations has urged the United Nations to establish an inquiry into human rights abuses in Yemen, where the brutal, intensifying civil war has caused the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions want to give the Chicago police a green light to continue their reign of terror over Black and Latino communities, but after sustained pressure in the streets and the courtroom from Black Lives Matter activists Illinois’ Attorney General has stepped in to sue the CPD. Kofi Ademola and Aislinn Borsini, both organizers with the Black Lives Matter movement in Chicago, join the show.
As Hurricane Harvey batters the Gulf Coast, the life-and-death issue of climate change is back in the spotlight. Is climate change causing extreme weather events? What role does capitalism play in climate change. Joining the show to address these and many other questions is Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont, as well as the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation”.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by historian and journalist Gareth Porter, as well as professor Derek Ford who led the last group of U.S. tourists to North Korea.
The White House has once again said that all options are on the table following a missile test conducted by the DPRK, a move that follows U.S.-South Korean war games simulating the destruction of the North.
The Trump administration seems intent on doing whatever it takes to find Iran non-compliant with the nuclear agreement when it comes up for review in October. Just like in Iraq, bogus intelligence could put the U.S. on the path to war. Brian is joined by Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, and by Dan Kovalik, a labor and human rights lawyer who recently returned from Iran.
The factional war in the White House continue to rage. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has distanced himself from Trump in recent days amid a firestorm of controversy. Ted Rall, award winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos and Caroline Isaacs, Arizona Program Director at the American Friends Service Committee.
Outrage continues to grow after Donald Trump’s decision to pardon notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona. Torture and murder and brutality were key to his reign of terror
Hurricane Harvey continues to devastate parts of Texas, but the destruction is far from just being a natural disaster. Why can’t the richest country in the world provide for all of its residents during natural disasters? Brian is joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston, and by Dr. Henry Clark, executive director of the West County Toxics Coalition.
The Russiagate scandal continues with a new Washington Post story that the Trump team was planning the construction of a new Trump Tower in Moscow during the election campaign. But missing from the headlines was this fact -- the Russian government had denied the permits for Trump’s project. Brian is joined by John Kiriakou, former CIA officer and senior investigator on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee turned whistleblower.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, Executive Director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund.
In an attack on civil liberties and privacy rights, a judge has ordered the “DisruptJ20.org” website to hand over visitor records to the Justice Department as part of a sweeping criminal case against protesters at the Trump Inauguration on January 20. The Trump administration continues the long war on dissent in the United States.
The massive pipeline corporation Energy Transfer Partners has hired Donald Trump’s lawyers to sue the environmental organizations Greenpeace, BankTrack and Earth First, accusing them of ‘eco-terrorism’ over their role in the peaceful, mass actions against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Brian is joined by Kandi Mossett of the Indigenous Environmental Network who was a part of the Standing Rock movement.
The European Union and the UK appear to be on a collision course as border, trade, and other disagreements pile up in the ongoing “Brexit” negotiations. Steve Keen, author of Debunking Economics and professor at Kingston University, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by HispanTV's former senior Middle East correspondent Alberto Garcia Watson.
The Syrian opposition is being told to come to grips with the likely survival of Bashar al-Assad’s government. This comes as Israel has said that it could strike Iranian forces in Syria in order to prevent Tehran from furthering its influence in the country.
Secretary of Defense James Mattis is in Ukraine, where he heightened tensions by declaring the U.S. may provide lethal military aid to the Kiev government. Rick Sterling, investigative journalist, joins Brian.
The Russiagate conspiracy has come roaring back into the headlines as details emerge about the tension between the White House and Congress over the recently-passed sanctions bill and CNN comes out with a story about an e-mail from a Trump aide referencing an offer to set up a meeting with Vladimir Putin. Brian is joined by Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the news outlet The Electronic Intifada.
Trump adviser Jared Kushner is in the Middle East leading a high-profile delegation on a trip to the Middle East with the aim of restarting Palestinian-Israeli talks. But is this just a way to stall and buy time for the brutal Israeli occupation?
Thousands gathered outside to protest as Donald Trump gave a campaign-style speech last night in Phoenix where he doubled down on the far right rhetoric that has caused widespread outrage in the wake of the white supremacist terrorist attack in Charlottesville. Ted Rall, award winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins the show.
Angela Merkel is publicly distancing herself from Donald Trump’s ultra-aggressive position on North Korea. Meanwhile, Chinese and Russian companies were sanctioned for their alleged support of North Korea. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by international lawyer Christopher Black, and anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan.
Donald Trump delivered his big speech on Afghanistan last night, giving his endorsement and signalling an escalation in the longest war in U.S. history.
Trump heads to Phoenix this evening for a campaign-style rally despite wide opposition to his administration in the city, including the city’s mayor and even the state’s two Republicans senators. Paul Street, a journalist, historian and author, joins Brian.
The so-called Islamic State is on the defensive from the border of Lebanon to Iraq as their territory vastly diminishes. Meanwhile, U.S. airstrikes continue to claim large numbers of civilian lives. Researcher Jana Nakhal and former CIA analyst turned whistleblower John Kiriakou join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Matthew Hoh, a Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy.
Donald Trump will announce his administration’s new strategy for Afghanistan this evening in a primetime address, a decision that could see a deepening of America’s longest war with thousands of additional troops being deployed.
The tide has turned decisively against the far right as 40,000 people rallied in Boston over the weekend to denounce white supremacy and Donald Trump a week after the neo-Nazi attack in Charlottesville. Brian is joined by Nino Brown, an activist with the ANSWER Coalition and a leading organizer of the Stand for Solidarity demonstration that countered the far right so-called “free speech” rally.
As the debate on healthcare heats up and single payer becomes more popular with people across the country, is the Democratic Party elite trying to sabotage any attempt to put a Medicare for all, single payer system on the agenda? Dr. Margaret Flowers, co-director of Popular Resistance, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by human rights and labor lawyer Dan Kovalik, and Brian Terrell of Voice for Creative Non-Violence.
Steve Bannon, White House chief strategist is out. His firing comes on the day that Trump meets with the generals to discuss an escalation of the war in Afghanistan, a move which Bannon opposed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been silent on his friend Donald Trump’s comments defending the neo-Nazis who rallied and carried out a terrorist attack in Charlottesville last weekend. Brian is joined by Max Blumenthal, journalist and bestselling author, as well as the senior editor of AlterNet’s Grayzone Project.
A judge has ordered the deportation of Rasmea Odeh, a Palestinian activist who had her U.S. citizenship taken away from her. But despite this injustice, the struggle for a free Palestine continues. Kristian Davis Bailey, the founder of Black4Palestine who was in court yesterday with Rasmea, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
Syria’s government says it has discovered chemical agents at the depots of armed opposition fighters -- manufactured in the United States and the UK!
Donald Trump’s chief political strategist Steven Bannon has given a wide ranging interview in which he distances himself from the so-called ‘Alt-Right’ and claims that an existential “economic war with China is everything”. Kevin Zeese, the co-director of Popular Resistance, joins the show.
Republican Party leaders in Congress are distancing themselves from Donald Trump’s emotional expression of solidarity with forces within the white supremacist movement. Trump calls the removal of Confederate monuments sad and ‘so foolish', receiving praise from KKK leaders. Brian is joined by editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by professor and author Steve Keen, as well as financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
Talks begin today in the renegotiation of NAFTA, the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement. Trump campaigned against NAFTA saying it harms U.S. workers, but is it impossible for him to please workers without going against big business?
California became the first state to sue the Trump administration over its policy on sanctuary cities this past weekend. Today, Jeff Sessions is speaking on the issue in Miami as part of the administration’s hostile anti-immigrant policy. Juan Jose Gutierrez, the director of the Full Rights For Immigrants Coalition, joins Brian.
Donald Trump has now openly defended the white supremacists some of whom he says are “very fine people” attacking what he calls “the alt-left”. Meanwhile, a wave of protest sweeps the country against confederate monuments, leading to their removal in Baltimore. Dominique Stevenson, Program Director for the American Friends Service Committee’s Friend of a Friend program, joins the show along with Loud & Clear producer Walter Smolarek.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by journalist and author Stephen Gowans.
While the U.S. government continues to ratchet up their rhetoric and war threats, the governments of North and South Korea have taken measures to de-escalate the situation. Will they succeed?
72 years ago today Japan announced that it would surrender, effectively ending the Second World War. Under what circumstances could such a catastrophic war happen? Peter Kuznick, Professor of History and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University, joins the show.
Despite the Trump administration’s announcement that it would stop providing support to anti-government rebels, has the CIA really stopped backing armed groups in Syria? A militia once known as the New Syrian Army says they are in talks with the U.S.-led coalition. John Kiriakou, former CIA analyst, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Phil Wilayto and Tighe Barry, who were both at this past weekend's anti-white supremacist rally.
Far-right violence on Saturday in Charlottesville was responsible for the death of a courageous anti-racist protester. Eyewitnesses to the 'Unite and Right' rally and counter-mobilization recall what took place.
Is Donald Trump pushing a trade war with China? As he demands China’s ‘help’ with North Korea, the administration is ordering an investigation into what they call ‘unfair trade practices’ by China. David Ewing, chair of the San Francisco branch of the US-China People's Friendship Association, joins the show.
Vice President Mike Pence has started a trip to Latin America following President Trump threat of US military intervention in Venezuela. Arnold August, lecturer, journalist and author, joins Brian to discuss the ongoing aggression toward Venezuela's government.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by Paul Atwood, the author of “War and Empire: The American Way of Life”.
Donald Trump continues to escalate aggression toward North Korea, saying that his ‘fire and fury’ comments were perhaps not ‘tough enough’ and refusing to rule out what he called a ‘preventive’ strike against the country.
Charlottesville is bracing itself for a what is being called possibly the largest white supremacist rally in decades, but counter-protesters are promising to confront the bigots each step of the way. Phil Wilayto of the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality, joins the show.
Donald Trump says he’s very close to deciding on a strategy for the U.S. war on Afghanistan, but a frustrated John McCain has released his own strategy that involve a major escalation of the war. Walter is joined by Jeremy Kuzmarov, professor of history at the University of Tulsa and author of Modernizing Repression: Police Training and Nation-Building in the American Century.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by journalist and filmmaker Dan Cohen.
Is the era of Netanyahu approaching an end? Dramatic developments in the investigation into the Israeli Prime Minister for bribery, fraud and a breach of trust could signal the beginning of the end for his far-right government.
Venezuela’s Foreign Minister has hit back at new U.S. sanctions targeting eight Venezuelan leaders, calling them “illegal and absurd”. The newly-elected Constituent Assembly is continuing to make rapid progress towards the restoration of peace in the country and the deepening of the Bolivarian Revolution. Carlos Ron, the Charges d’Affairs at the embassy of Venezuela, joins the show.
The fallout continues after reports surfaced that the FBI conducted a pre-dawn raid on the home of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort last month, using a search warrant to seize documents deemed to be important to the so-called Russiagate investigation. Nationally syndicated radio and television personality Lionel joins Walter to discuss the ongoing investigation.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in Brian Becker and is joined by Alexander Mercouris, editor in chief of The Duran. A shocking new report has found that at least 10,000 people have died in Yemen in the past year due to the Saudi-led coalition’s closing of the country’s airspace, but the war continues despite the immense suffering.
Today marks the ten year anniversary of the beginning of the financial crisis that rippled across the world and caused tremendous suffering and instability. A decade later, have the causes of the crisis been resolved, or could it happen again? Steve Keen,
professor of economics at Kingston University, joins Walter.
The
day after Donald Trump threatened North Korea with ‘fire and fury’, tensions continue to escalate and the threat of war grows.
Keith Bennett, China and Korea expert, joins Walter to discuss the latest developments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker, and is joined by Gregory Elich of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea.
Donald Trump is promising “fire and fury” in response to reports that North Korea has developed the ability to miniaturize a nuclear warhead so that it can be placed on a missile. North Korea is vowing to stay the course and fiercely defend its sovereignty.
A senior war crimes prosecutor is resigning from a United Nations panel investigating human rights abuses in Syria, saying that now ‘everyone is bad.’ Meanwhile, forces aligned with the Syrian government are making progress against terrorist organizations on the battlefield. Alberto Garcia Watson, former senior Middle East correspondent for HispanTV, joins the show.
As the Trump administration passes the 200 day mark, the increasingly embattled White House is struggling to maintain its core of support. Divisions within the Republican party are deepening along with dissatisfaction with the two-party establishment as a whole. Ted Rall, award winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins Walter.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Lucas Koerner, a Venezuela-based activist and writer for VenezuelaAnalysis.com.
Venezuela’s government has repelled an attack on a military base that was conducted by armed elements of the right wing opposition -- the latest bid to destabilize the country after the inauguration of the constituent assembly.
Donald Trump has signaled his frustration with the situation in Afghanistan, where the brutal U.S.-led occupation is in its 16th year. A bitter divide within the administration and the growing influence of Washington’s opponents inside the country is further weakening the U.S. position. Brian Terrell, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence who has organized many solidarity trips to Afghanistan, joins the show.
As new sanctions are enacted against North Korea for more missile tests, the United States is banning its citizens from traveling to the country beginning on September 1. Is this ban on American travel a signal that the US might soon take military action? Juyeon Rhee of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea who recently led a peace delegation to South Korea opposing U.S. militarism, joins Brian to discuss the latest developments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net.
Robert Mueller, the special counsel looking into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, is assembling a grand jury. Will members of Trump’s inner circle ultimately face indictments?
Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats gave a fiery press conference addressing recent leaks. Sessions suggested that the Department of Justice could demand journalists give up their sources or face jail time. Brian is joined by Bob Schlehuber, Spuntik news analyst, and by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia: How the CIA and the Deep State Have Conspired to Vilify Putin”
Venezuela’s constituent assembly has convened, but the right-wing opposition shows no signs of giving up on violent protests as the revolutionary government hits back at allegations of turnout manipulation. Brian is joined by Dr. James Cockroft, a founder of the Network of Intellectuals, Artists, and Social Movements in Defense of Humanity, who was an observer of July 30th's vote.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Juan Jose Gutierrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind a hardline anti-immigrant bill proposed in the Senate that would see the amount of people admitted to the United States halved in the next decade. What can be done to fight back against the Trump administration’s escalating war on immigrants?
Donald Trump and and both parties in Congress seem intent on blowing up the Iran nuclear arms deal by imposing new sanctions on Iran. Iran has said that the latest U.S. sanctions that Donald Trump signed yesterday are meant to derail the nuclear deal. While Trump seems adamant on destroying it, at the summits of power in Washington opinion remains divided over whether or not to walk away from the deal. Brian is joined by Professor Mohammad Marandi to discuss what will happen next.
Brazil’s President Michel Temer has survived a corruption vote in Congress that would have put him on trial. Dr. Francisco Dominguez joins Brian to discuss what comes next for Latin America's largest country and the rest of the continent.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelaAnalysis.com, and by Dan Kovalik, an author and human rights lawyer.
The results have been announced for Venezuela’s constituent assembly that was elected on Sunday and convenes tomorrow. The Constituent Assembly is convening despite threats from the United States and sanctions against President Maduro.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the U.S. is not interested in regime change and seeks dialogue with North Korea if it gives up nuclear weapons, but Senator Lindsey Graham has called for the destruction of the country. This comes as the Senate’s top Democrat Chuck Schumer urges Trump to take a harder line against Chinese investments in the U.S. Patrick Lawrence, author and columnist, joins the show.
The Trump administration’s attack on civil rights continues, as the Justice Department under Attorney General Jeff Sessions announces that it will use the power of the federal government to end affirmative action in college admissions. Mondale Robinson, Electoral Campaign Manager at Democracy for America, speaks to Brian about the implications of this move.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by award-winning cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall.
Is Trump’s new chief of staff John Kelly consolidating control in the White House? The rise of the Generals continues, but the administration is now dealing with new allegations relating to Trump’s personal involvement in Donald Trump Jr.’s initial response to the controversy around his meeting with a Russian lawyer.
Vice President Mike Pence is on a tour where he is denouncing what he terms ‘Russian aggression’. He stopped in Georgia today after a visit to Estonia and ahead of a trip to Montenegro, an itinerary that highlights NATO’s march eastwards. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show.
China has officially opened its first ever overseas military base in Djibouti today. What will be the role of the base, and what does it say about the changing geopolitical landscape and China’s role in the world? Brian is joined by David Ewing, chair of the San Francisco chapter of the U.S.-China Peoples Friendship Association.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by analyst Mark Sleboda.
Russia has responded to new U.S. sanctions that were almost unanimously passed by Congress by forcing the U.S. to cut most of its diplomatic staff in the country. US-Russia relations continue to spiral downward.
Venezuela has voted in elections for a constituent assembly, with over 8 million people participating despite violence and threats from the right wing opposition. What’s next for the country’s Bolivarian revolution? Arnold August, lecturer and journalist, joins the show.
The United States has said that the ‘time for talk is over’ after North Korea’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile test and the Moon Jae-in administration in the South considers expanding the deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile system. Simone Chun of the Korea Policy Institute joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by Carlos Ron, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Venezuela in the United States.
A deadly strike called by the Venezuelan right-wing opposition went ahead yesterday with at least four people killed, but is the corporate media once against misleading the world about the nature of events in the country?
On a tumultuous day in Washington, tensions between special counsel Robert Mueller and the Trump administration heated up as Press Secretary Sean Spicer and the spokesman for Trump’s legal team resigned. Walter is joined by editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall and Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net.
Mass protests are taking place today at the al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem as Israel further restricts the rights of Palestinians living under occupation and confrontation reaches a boiling point. Ben Norton, a journalist with AlterNet’s The GreyZone Project, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Rick Sterling of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Donald Trump and the CIA have reportedly decided to end the covert arming of Syrian rebels. But were these forces ever really ‘moderate’ and does this really signal a major policy change of the U.S. government in Syria?
Today marks six months since Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States. We’ll look at how his first half year in office contrasts with his campaign promises, as well as freewheeling and strange interview with the NY Times this week. Anoa Changa, host of The Way With Anoa, and Brandon Sutton, host of The Discourse, join Brian.
U.S. lawmakers have introduced legislation to make participation of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement in solidarity with Palestine a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. This is the latest in a long running campaign of repression against pro-Palestine activities in the United States. Miko Peled, author of the upcoming book 'Injustice: The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five' joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Peter Lavelle, host of RT's flagship show CrossTalk.
Donald Trump has confirmed that he held a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin during dinner at the G20 Summit, but the media is once again in a frenzy about the so-called ‘secret’ meeting.
The second round of Brexit talks concludes in Brussels tomorrow. Theresa May’s fragile government faces steep demands from the European Union, and some UK politicians are now calling for Brexit to be cancelled. Steve Hedley, the assistant general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT) joins Brian.
Britain is set to spend billions of pounds on the new F-35 fighter jet, but is the purchase of the world’s most expensive war plane a massive waste of money? Defence Secretary Michael Fallon says the plane is the "most powerful and comprehensive" in history, but critics argue that the number of problems with the F-35 are immense. Pierre Sprey, one of the designers of the F-16, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dan Kovalik, professor of International Human Rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia: How the CIA and the Deep State Have Conspired to Vilify Russia.”
While the Trump administration has conceded that Iran is complying with the nuclear deal, is also announced new sanctions against Tehran. Is the U.S.-Iran thaw that began in 2015 suffering a death by a thousand cuts?
The push to pass the revised Senate healthcare bill has fizzled out as two more Republican senators announced their opposition. While the worst has been avoided for now, the U.S. healthcare system remains fundamentally broken. Dr. Margaret Flowers, co-director of Popular Resistance, joins the show,
The Trump administration has issued a new document outlining its objectives for negotiations to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement -- NAFTA. Trump trashed NAFTA on the campaign trail, will he follow through on his promises? Pete Dolack, an organizer with Trade Justice New York Metro and author of "It’s Not Over: Learning from the Socialist Experiment", joins Brian.
On today’s episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Francisco Dominguez, head of the Centre for Brazilian and Latin American Studies at Middlesex University.
Venezuela’s right-wing opposition carried out an illegal referendum on Sunday while the government held a dry run for the upcoming constituent assembly election. The opposition vote included several questions -- including one to authorize a coup against President Nicolas Maduro, and now the opposition is planning a general strike in an effort to shut down the country on Thursday.
Ahead of a high level diplomatic meeting in Washington, Russia has rejected any pre-conditions for the return of its diplomatic compounds that were seized in the last days of the Obama administration. Where are U.S.-Russia relations headed? Author and analyst Daniel Lazare joins Brian.
Is French President Emmanuel Macron looking to exploit Britain’s departure from the European Union to weaken its financial sector? As negotiations resume this week, it’s France that has taken the most aggressive position toward the UK. Independent journalist Steve Topple joins the show
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dan Kovalik, a labor and human rights lawyer and the author of ‘The Plot to Scapegoat Russia’.
The mainstream media continues to keep the story about Trump Jr’s meeting with a Russia lawyer alive, now saying a former Soviet spy attended the meeting. Is this latest supposed revelation simply more smoke without fire?
Opposition protests and violence continue in Venezuela, with the fugitive pilot who recently attacked the Supreme Court attending a rally and the UN calling on the government to recognize an unofficial referendum. But the government continues to be resilient ahead of the planned constituent assembly elections. Carlos Ron, the Charge d’Affairs at the embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Washington, D.C., joins the show.
The Trump administration considered the prospect of using a private army in Afghanistan, proposing that the infamous Blackwater and other mercenary companies be given contracts rather than a troop surge. But the Pentagon rejected the plans, at least for now. Brian Terrell, the co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Valeska Teixeira Martins, a lawyer for former President of Brazil, Lula da Silva.
Former President of Brazil Lula da Silva was convicted of corruption yesterday and could face nearly ten years in prison -- but his legal team says that no evidence was produced and the charges were politically motivated. We’ll speak with one of his lawyers about the case and the coming appeal.
Donald Trump is in Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of Bastille Day commemorations. The corporate media is emphasizing the stylistic differences between the two men, but they have at least one thing in common -- waging war on Syria. Brian is joined by Dr. Christopher Davidson, professor and the author of 'Shadow Wars: The Secret Struggle for the Middle East'.
Senate Republicans have released a new version of their healthcare bill that will lead to millions losing their insurance. But with a slim Republican majority, the bill’s success remains very much in doubt. Dr. Carol Paris, President of Physicians for a National Health Plan, Marc Stier, Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by activist and author James Cockroft.
Lula da Silva, the founder of the Brazilian workers party and former President of Brazil, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on corruption charges. But is this one more right wing political effort to stop Lula from re-winning the presidency in 2018?
Christopher Wray testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee today. While he was full of praise for the constitution, he wasn't challenged about his own record in violating the rights of protesters, dissenters and the Muslim community, or his own role in George W. Bush’s torture regime. Chip Gibbons, the Policy & Legislative Counsel for Defending Rights and Dissent, joins Brian to discuss.
The fallout continues in the aftermath of the revelations that Donald Trump Jr. set up a meeting with a Russian lawyer during the campaign -- but is this really the smoking gun that shows collusion by the Trump team with Russia, or was the meeting of little to no importance? Kevin Zeese, co-director of Popular Resistance, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by award-winning political cartoonist and columnist
Ted Rall, as well as by Glen Ford, the executive editor of Black Agenda Report.
Donald Trump Jr. has released the full emails related to a meeting he set up with a Russian lawyer during the election campaign. She was introduced to him by someone who said she was part of the Russian government effort to help Trump who had dirt on Hillary Clinton’s dealings with Russia. Democrats are calling this treason and the smoking gun? Is it a blip or a big deal?
The United States has deployed the highly advanced Patriot missile system to the Baltics for the first time as war exercises are set to commence. An arms race between the United States and Russia may be set to intensify.Daryl Kimball, the executive director of the Arms Control Association, joins the show.
Was an award-winning CNN documentary on Syria actually filmed by a member of the country’s al-Qaeda affiliate? The CNN journalist behind the documentary called the fighters ‘heroes on the ground’, but did she turn a blind eye to their atrocities to promote the regime change narrative?Ben Norton of AlterNet's The GrayZone Project, joins Brian to discuss an article he co-wrote exposing the CNN project.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by John Wight, the host of the weekly show Hard Facts on Radio Sputnik.
A ceasefire in southwestern Syria brokered by Russia and the United States has taken effect and is said to be holding. As the last ISIS fighters in Mosul are defeated, are we finally seeing the beginnings of a resolution to the war?
The mainstream corporate media is in another frenzy over a meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a lawyer allegedly linked to the Russian government. Meanwhile, the political establishment is united in an effort to scuttle a proposed joint Russia-US commission on cybersecurity. Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net, joins Brian.
The GOP proposal to repeal and replace Obamacare seems to be losing steam as more Republicans raise their voices against the bill and grassroots resistance intensifies, but Senate Republican leadership is promising a revised bill this week. Dr. Margaret Flowers, the co-director of Popular Resistance, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jane Cutter, editor of LiberationNews.org; by Ray McGovern, activist and former CIA analyst; and by journalist Ben Norton.
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have met for the first time on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. The meeting comes a day after Trump called on Russia to end what he called ‘destabilizing activities’, and referred to a clash of civilizations. But the two leaders have reached an agreement to establish a ceasefire in southwestern Syria.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Donald Trump has made a major speech in Warsaw, using the platform promoting a clash of civilizations narratative. Hr also attacked Russia, Iran and Syria. The visit to Poland came just before Trump made his way to Germany for the start of the G20 Summit.
Google has been handed a $2.7 billion fine by the European Union for manipulating search results to favor its own shopping service. Brian talks to Dr. Robert Epstein about what this means for the future of google.
The Trump administration election integrity commission faces a backlash as at least 44 states have refused to fully give in to a sweeping information request. Trump says Voter Fraud is a huge problem and dramatic action needs to be taken but is this fact or political fiction? Brian is joined by Anoa Changa, the host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa and Deputy Director of MPACT; and by John Malcolm, Vice President for the Institute for Constitutional Government at the Heritage Foundation.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Hyun Lee of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and a writer for ZoominKorea.org.
North Korea says it has test launched an intercontinental ballistic missile. China and Russia have offered a plan to de escalate tensions, but the U.S. has convened the UN Security Council and is threatening war.
Donald Trump leaves for Europe today, with his first stop scheduled to be Poland where he’ll make a major speech tomorrow before traveling to Germany for the G20. Can the right-wing Polish government flatter him into taking a more hardline position against Russia? Brian is joined by international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
Arab foreign ministers have gathered in Cairo after the deadline passed for Qatar to respond to the list of 13 demands placed on it by Saudi Arabia and its allies. What does this mean for the ongoing rift in the Gulf? Journalists Catherine Shakdam and Ben Norton join the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence; and by Derek Ford, a professor at DePauw University and the author of “Education and the Production of Space”.
Are world leaders moving from appeasing Donald Trump to a position of confrontation? As the Trump administration’s extremely aggressive foreign policy meets resistance both domestically and internationally, will the U.S. find itself isolated on the world stage?
Ahead of this year’s G20 Summit, protests are swelling in Hamburg, Germany. The EU leaders will include for the first time Emmanuel Macron, and confrontation looms on many fronts for the Trump administration. Reiner Braun, co-President of the International Peace Bureau, joins the show.
Saudi Arabia and its allies have extended the deadline for Qatar to meet a list of demands by another 48 hours. The Saudis have said that their demands are non-negotiable. What will come next in the Gulf standoff? Massoud Shadjareh, co-founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins Walter.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by author and journalist Patrick Lawrence.
Confrontation between the U.S. and China looks set to intensify after the Trump administration approved a $1.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan, casting a shadow over Donald Trump’s meeting with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in.
Donald Trump’s travel ban came back into effect late Thursday night after a Supreme Court ruling lifted an injunction on parts of the executive order. What comes next in the fight against the ban? Ted Rall, columnist and political cartoonist, joins the show.
A new escalation in Syria looks to be on the horizon with Turkey possibly preparing an invasion of regions held by the Kurdish YPG in the northern region of Afrin. But the Kurdish forces are warning that they will put up fierce resistance. Walter speaks with Kani Xulam, the executive director of the American-Kurdish Information Network.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Iraqi journalist and filmmaker Mojtaba Masood.
The Iraqi government has proclaimed the liberation of Mosul as government forces take the mosque where the so-called Islamic State was declared three years ago to the day. Is this truly the end of the group’s Iraq?
South Korea’s new President Moon Jae-in comes face to face with Donald Trump today at the White House. Moon has expressed optimism about talks on resolving the DPRK nuclear issue and skepticism about THAAD, but will he really be able to turn the tide in Korea away from confrontation and towards dialogue? Simone Chun, a professor and a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joins the show.
The U.S. State Department has announced that it is downgrading China to its list of the world’s worst offenders when it comes to human trafficking, accusing them of assisting alleged slave labor operations run by the North Korean government. But what’s the real rationale behind this move? Dmitry Babich, independent journalist, joins Brian to discuss.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Carlos Ron, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Venezuela in Washington, D.C.
Venezuela’s government has denounced a terrorist attack on the country’s Supreme Court by a former police official who hijacked a helicopter and then threw four grenades from it towards the building. The Venezuelan revolution and counter-revolution seem to be entering a new stage in their competition.
Companies around the world have been crippled by another massive cyberattack, the second in just two months. What is the role of the NSA in this global outbreak? William Binney, former NSA intelligence analyst and whistleblower, joins the show.
Brazil’s President Michel Temer has officially been charged with corruption, the first sitting leader of the country to be prosecuted for a crime. Is his amazingly unpopular presidency soon to be over? Brian is joined by Brazilian-British journalist Victor Fraga, as well as by Aline Piva of Brazilian Expats for Democracy.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, and by Ben Norton, a journalist with Alternet’s Grayzone Project.
The White House has issued a public threat against Syria, saying that they believe the government is preparing a chemical attack. Are we on the verge of another war based on a lie?
The Congressional Budget Office has said that a Republican bill to overhaul Obamacare would result in 22 million people losing their insurance by 2026. But the fight for healthcare as a right continues. Dr. Carol Paris, President of Physicians for a National Health Plan, as well as Sputnik News analyst Grant Ferowich, join the show.
Qatar’s foreign minister has visited the State Department, as Rex Tillerson frantically tries to repair the rift among the United States’ long time proxies in the Middle East. Independent journalist Marwa Osman joins Brian to discuss what the spat is all about.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by author and economist Steve Keen.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited Donald Trump in Washington -- but underneath the surface, are Trump’s “America First” and Modi’s “Make in India” strategies incompatible?
The injunction on Donald Trump’s travel ban has been partially lifted by the Supreme Court, and the case will be heard in full in October. What does this mean for the fight against the Trump agenda? Brian is joined by Trina Realmuto, an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild’s National Immigration Project.
The FARC in Colombia is expected to officially complete its process of disarmament tomorrow, but a hunger strike begins today as political prisoners say the government has been dragging its feet in implementing its end of the bargain. Right-wing paramilitary violence continues to surge. James Jordan, a member of the Alliance for Global Justice, joins Brian with a first-hand account of what's been taking place in Colombia.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran
Saudi Arabia and the other four Arab states that imposed a blockade against Qatar have given the country 10 days to comply with a list of demands including the closing of Al-Jazeera and a Turkish military base. What’s next in the ongoing crisis?
A Washington Post investigation says that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin gave specific instructions to help get Donald Trump elected. But, as usual, these explosive allegations are backed up no named sources or hard evidence. Former CIA analyst and political activist Ray McGovern joins the show.
Venezuela has struck back at attempts to overthrow its government as the U.S. and right wing governments in Latin America stepped up their aggression this week. But the country’s Bolivarian Revolution is moving forward as it prepares to convene a Constituent Assembly. Dr. Francisco Dominguez, head of the Latin American Studies Department at Middlesex University, joins Walter.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by independent journalist Catherine Shakdam.
An AP investigation has revealed that the United Arab Emirates is operating a series of black-site prisons in Yemen where horrific torture takes place, with the United States deeply involved.
Senate Republicans have unveiled a bill to replace Obamacare. The brutal plan phases out the expansion of Medicaid and strips funding from Planned Parenthood, among other attacks on the right to healthcare. Margaret Flowers, the co-director of Popular Resistance, joins the show.
New documents obtained by The Intercept reveal that a security firm called TigerSwan that spied on the Standing Rock protest movement was working with Illinois police to unconstitutionally surveil the ANSWER Coalition in Chicago while it organized anti-Trump protests this year. Brian is joined by John Beacham, coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition in Chicago.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Anoa Changa, host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa.
Republican Karen Handel has won the special election in Georgia. The Democratic Party establishment has been expecting big electoral victories due to Trump’s unpopularity, but this is not materializing.
In a dramatic shakeup, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia has been ousted and replaced by King Salman’s 31-year-old son, who has played a central role in the Kingdom’s genocidal war against Yemen. Massoud Shadjareh, co-founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
Theresa May has laid out her government’s proposed laws in the annual Queen’s Speech -- but as protests swell in the streets in the aftermath of the Grenfell fire, are her days as Prime Minister numbered? Steve Hedley, assistant general secretary of the RMT Union, and activist Jacqueline Walker, join Brian to discuss if a Corbyn-led government could be around the corner.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
The U.S. coalition in Syria has shot down an Iranian drone, two days after it downed a Syrian jet near Raqqa. The U.S. says it is only interested in fighting Daesh, but do these incidents indicate a shift back to the goal of regime change?
Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko met with Donald Trump at the White House earlier today, praising his country’s reforms and saying Ukraine is a story of success. Is Trump signaling that his administration will continue the policy of aggression towards Russia? Jim Jatras, political analyst and a former U.S. diplomat, joins the show.
Donald Trump has tweeted about North Korea today, saying ominously that while he appreciates the efforts of China ‘it has not worked out’. The tweet comes just hours after he condemned the ‘brutality of the North Korean regime’. Will Griffin, an organizer with the U.S.-based Stop THAAD in Korea and US Militarism in Asia and & Pacific, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ray McGovern, an activist and a former CIA analyst; by Coleen Rowley, a former FBI special agent and whistleblower; and by Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director and whistleblower.
Today marks five years since Wikileaks founder Julian Assange sought asylum in Ecuador. In the half a decade since then, Assange has been prevented by British authorities from leaving the Ecuadorian embassy in London despite the UN finding last year that he has been the subject of arbitrary detention. His case and the campaign against Wikileaks have caused a global debate over whistleblowing that rages to this day.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ray McGovern, activist and a former CIA analyst; and by Jim Kavanagh, editor of ThePolemicist.net.
The Washington Post is reporting that President Trump is being investigated for obstruction of justice by Robert Mueller, the special counsel in charge of the Russia investigation. What are the politics behind this latest revelation?
Donald Trump is set to announce changes to U.S. policy toward Cuba today in Miami, and is expected to reverse the gains made in recent years and double down on the traditional U.S. policy of unmitigated aggression. Author and lecturer Arnold August joins the show.
The U.S.-led coalition has admitted to the use of white phosphorus in Mosul, with evidence also pointing to its use in Raqqa. What is white phosphorus, and is this a blatant war crime? Alberto Garcia Watson, former senior correspondent for HispanTV, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of CODEPINK.
Donald Trump has given the Pentagon the authority to determine troop numbers in Afghanistan, as Secretary of Defence James Mattis has admitted that the U.S. isn’t winning and many predict that thousands of additional U.S. troops will be sent to fan the flames of the war.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jane Cutter, the editor of LiberationNews.org, and by Kevin Zeese, co-director of Popular Resistance.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has testified in a public Senate Intelligence committee hearing. What did he say about Comey, Trump and the investigation into alleged election meddling as the Russia witch hunt continues to roll on?
Donald Trump celebrates his 71st birthday day as a political civil war continues to engulf Washington. We take a look at a life marked by extreme bigotry, extreme privilege and dumb luck. Brian is joined by Anoa Changa, the host of the weekly show The Way With Anoa and Deputy Director of MPACT, and by Ben Weaver, Political Director of MPACT
The diplomatic crisis among Gulf monarchies continues to develop rapidly. Qatar has hired George W. Bush’s attorney general John Ashcroft as its lawyer and for ‘crisis response’. What’s next in the rift in the Gulf? Massoud Shadjareh, co-founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by political cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions goes before the same Senate committee today that former FBI director James Comey testified to last week. What can we anticipate in the ongoing investigation anti-Russia witch hunt?
Amid economic crisis, Puerto Rico voted Sunday in a referendum on joining the United States as a state, but with voter turnout at only 23 percent and most other parties boycotting it, does the vote really reflect the will of the people of Puerto Rico? Camilo Punsoda, spokesperson for Juventud Trabajadora, the youth wing of the Working People’s Party of Puerto Rico, joins the show.
Bernie Sanders has gone on the offensive, at least a rhetorical offensive, in the aftermath of Jeremy Corbyn’s success in the UK election. Are radical, left wing ideas more successful in stopping the far right than establishment centrism? Julie Hurwitz, a lawyer and activist who was a Sanders activist and on the rules committee at the Democratic National Convention, speaks with Brian about Sanders' latest comments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Bernadette Ellorin, chairperson of BAYAN-USA;
Adrian Bonifacio, National Chairperson of Anakbayan-USA; and Joelle Lingat, Secretary General of Anakbayan-USA.
Today is independence day in the Philippines, marking the country’s 1898 Declaration of Independence from Spain -- but the nation’s history since has been one of a continued struggle for sovereignty as the United States has tried to assert control over the country. With the new President Rodrigo Duterte now proclaiming the separation from the U.S, has the country entered into a new era?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Sputnik News political analyst Marcel Cartier.
The UK has voted in a landmark election, and the results show serious gains being made by Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party. Has Theresa May’s gamble in calling a snap election backfired?
Former FBI director James Comey testified yesterday before the Senate Intelligence Committee -- but the mainstream corporate media had made up its mind ahead of time to keep the anti-Russia witch hunt going. Dave Lindorff of ThisCantBeHappening.net, and Walter Smolarek, Sputnik News analyst, joins the show.
Donald Trump has been promoting his infrastructure plans across the country as his administration seeks up to $1 trillion to repair bridges, roads and airports -- but is this just a cynical maneuver to institute a massive privatization program. Financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by former Vice-Chair of Momentum Jacqueline Walker; by Steve Hedley, the assistant general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT); and by independent journalist Steve Topple.
Today is the day that the UK votes in an election that will decide if Theresa May will continue on as Prime Minister, or if a radical change will sweep the country in the event of a win by Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party. Corbyn has been surging in the polls in recent weeks as Conservative fears of an upset have increased. What choice will British voters make in what could be the country’s most important election in decades?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Massoud Shadjareh, co-founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
Donald Trump is taking sides in the dispute between Qatar and the rest of the Gulf monarchies, slamming Qatar in an early morning series of tweets -- but is siding with Saudi Arabia a sign of hypocrisy given Riyadh's support of Wahhabi extremism?
Is Daesh on its last legs in Syria? The Syrian Democratic Forces have started their push on the city of Raqqa as the Syrian Arab Army also enters the province, liberating six villages. Kani Xulam, executive director of the American-Kurdish Information Network, joins the show.
The CIA, under Donald Trump’s tenure, has appointed the notorious officer who oversaw the agency’s drone strike program, and was a major player in the CIA detention and torture campaign during the George W. Bush years, as the new head of its Iran operations, signalling an even more belligerent posture towards the country. Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and activist, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Five Arab states have severed relations with Qatar, accusing the country’s government of supporting terrorism -- but what is the real reason for the growing rift among the Arab monarchies who function as chief US allies for the region,
Two days before the UK general election takes place, terrorism and foreign policy issues have taken center stage in light of last weekend’s attack in London. With Prime Minister Theresa May promising a crackdown that threatens civil liberties, the choice between her and anti-war Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has become even starker. Arzu Merali, co-founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show.
Donald Trump has signalled that he could usher in new sanctions against Venezuela as right-wing opposition violence continues to sweep the country. Dr. James Cockcroft, author and activist, joins Brian to discuss what's next in the regime change operations against the Bolivarian Revolution.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by activist Jacqueline Walker and independent journalist Steve Topple.
This is week that Britain votes in the general election. In just three days time, voters will decide whether to push ahead with five more years of Conservative austerity, or opt for the radical alternative put forward by Jeremy Corbyn.
Today is the 50th anniversary of the start of the 6-day war, which led to the West Bank and Gaza both being occupied by Israel and the annexation of the Golan Heights from Syria. Joyce Chediac, a journalist with LiberationNews.org and a long-time Palestine solidarity activist, and Richard Becker, the West Coast Regional Coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition, join the show.
The Democrats have launched their Resistance Summer campaign. But is anyone really taking seriously the idea that the Party can lead the resistance to Trump after its embarrassing election defeat? Anoa Changa, host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jane Cutter, the editor of LiberationNews.org, and by political cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall.
Who’s to blame for Hillary Clinton’s shocking loss to Donald Trump? According to Hillary Clinton, it’s everyone but herself.
Leaders from China and the EU are gathering in Brussels. As the Trump administration continues to alienate European leaders with his trashing of the Paris climate treaty, does this give an opening for Beijing to become closer to the EU? David Ewing of the U.S.-China Peoples Friendship Association, joins the show.
With less than one week until the UK’s general election, could the unthinkable happen as Jeremy Corbyn surges in the polls? Has Prime Minister Theresa May’s gamble in calling a snap election backfired? Steve Hedley, the assistant General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT), joins Brian to analyze if Britain could actually have a Left Labour government in a week's time.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kandi Mossett of the Indigenous Environmental Network Project.
As the Dakota Access Pipeline is set to become operational today, shocking revelations about spying by a private security firm called TigerSwan are showing the whole progressive movement the extent that corporate interests will go to protect their profits.
Donald Trump is reportedly all set to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement as the move is condemned across the world. What will it really take to save the planet from climate change? Kevin Zeese, the co-director of Popular Resistance, joins the show.
The United States is stepping up its support for Free Syrian Army groups fighting in the country’s southeast. But is this latest intervention primarily a way of stepping up aggression against Iran? Catherine Shakdam, independent political analyst, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by China and Korea expert Keith Bennett.
New South Korean president Moon Jae-in is “shocked” at the unauthorized expansion of the U.S. THAAD missile system in his country, and has ordered an investigation into the deployment that has caused great outrage in Korea and the region.
Donald Trump tweeted the “the Germans are bad, very bad” as the discord between he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel continues following the G7 summit. Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
Two men were murdered and one seriously injured after they intervened when a known white supremacist threateningly harassed two girls, one of whom was wearing a hijab. Now, the far right is attempting to march in Portland after the brutal murders carried out by a member of their ranks. Dr. Nazia Kazi, activist and a professor of Anthropology at Stockton University, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Tarak Kauff of Veterans for Peace; by Gerry Condon, a Vietnam era veteran and a member of the board of directors of Veterans for Peace; and by anti-war Iraq veteran Ryan Endicott.
As the United States marks Memorial Day, anti-war veterans are taking part in two days of actions in Washington aimed at fighting back against the Trump administration’s increased militarism. We’ll speak with organizers of the events in D.C, as well as veterans who have spoken out against U.S. occupation and intervention. The Memorial Day action's main organizer is Veterans for Peace, which has recently gone international, uniting anti-war veterans from all over the world.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by political analyst Dmitry Babich.
Donald Trump made his first visit to NATO yesterday in Brussels as he also met with leaders of the European Union, but the visit reportedly did not go as well as expected amid differences over Russia and military spending.
Brazil’s President Michel Temer deployed the army on Wednesday as protests and calls for his impeachment increased. Will Temer be driven from office as his approval rate dips into single digits? Brian is joined by Kim Ives, an editor with Haiti Liberte newspaper, and by Brazilian activist and research fellow at the Center for Hemispheric Affairs Aline Piva.
Oil prices dropped yesterday after a meeting of OPEC countries decided to extend production cuts, but not by as much as was expected. Is the extension enough to put an end to the global oil glut? And what does it mean for the economic war between shale gas frackers and oil drillers? Steve Keen, professor at Kingston University, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Donald Trump is speaking today at the headquarters of the NATO military alliance. Although he once called NATO obsolete, Trump has reversed his position since assuming office in line with his ultra-militarist turn.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has raised the possibility of initiating martial law across the country, one day after it was declared on the island of Mindanao. Is the country returning to the bleak days of dictatorship? Bernadette Ellorin, the chair of BAYAN-USA, joins the show.
Opposition violence continues to rage in Venezuela as President Maduro announces more details on the elections to the constituent assembly. Dr. Francisco Dominguez, head of the Centre for Brazilian and Latin American Studies at Middlesex University, speaks to Brian about developments.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
A huge outbreak of cholera is feared in Yemen, which has suffered under more than two years of brutal war. But instead of providing humanitarian relief, the U.S. government is carrying out military operations like the Navy SEAL raid conducted yesterday.
Donald Trump visited Bethlehem yesterday and held a press conference with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Trump says he is looking for the ‘ultimate deal’ between Palestinians and Israel, but will anyone take him seriously after years of
bombastic pro-Israel rhetoric? Miko Peled, activist and author, joins the show.
An independence referendum is scheduled to take place this year for the Kurdish region of Iraq. What would a vote to leave Iraq mean for the country, the region and the world?Kani Xulam, director of the American Kurdish Information Network, joins Brian.
On today'e episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Massoud Shadjareh of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
Donald Trump’s first trip abroad continues as Israel’s President Netanyahu welcomed him to Tel Aviv. He’ll meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today -- but is there any indication that Trump will deviate from the United States’ decades-old fervently pro-Israel orientation?
Trump’s proposed budget reportedly includes $800 billion in cuts to Medicaid over ten years in line with the “TrumpCare” bill that passed the House of Representative. Will these cuts, along with others to a number of social programs, spell disaster for millions of Americans who rely on these services? Brian is joined by Dr. Carol Paris, President of Physicians for a National Health Plan.
New developments are shaping the tumultuous relationship between the United States and China. Recent revelations about the break up of a CIA spy ring and the confirmation of a new U.S. ambassador have come on the heels of China’s historic Belt and Road Forum. Keith Bennett, China expert, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Peter Kuznick, professor of history at American University and co-author with Oliver Stone of The Untold History of the United States.
As the fallout from Donald Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey continues, politicians and media outlets are making constant references to the Watergate scandal. But what are the real lessons of Watergate? What was Watergate? Why did it happen?
Brazil’s President Michel Temer, who came to power after the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff that many consider a coup, has reportedly been caught on tape encouraging an associate to engage in bribery. Protests rage as Temer stubbornly refuses to step down. Brian speaks with lecturer, journalist and author Arnold August.
With just weeks to go before the general election in the UK, polls show Jeremy Corbyn rising after he launched the Labour Party’s new manifesto. Steve Hedley, assistant General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT), joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kevin Zeese, the co-director of Popular Resistance, and Dave Lindorff, a founding member of This Can’t Be Happening.
The Justice Department has appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate President Trump’s alleged ties with Russia, as Trump lashes out at the ongoing witch hunt.
Iran’s presidential election takes place today, with incumbent Hassan Rouhani looking to secure a second term to move forward with his agenda of reform. What’s at stake in this important election? Catherine Shakdam, independent political commentator, joins the show.
Mired in controversy at home, Donald Trump is finally making his first foreign trip as President, over four months after taking office. What can we expect as Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia? Alberto Garcia Watson, former senior correspondent for HispanTV, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall.
The war inside the political establishment reached new heights as news broke about the existence of memos written by James Comey documenting Trump’s request for him to drop the probe into Michael Flynn. Is a possible impeachment in the making?
Turkish President Erdogan has completed two days of talks in Washington with Donald Trump. Did Erdogan come away empty handed? Did the talks contribute to a new beginning in the Turkey-U.S. relationship, or are relations likely to remain rocky? Brian is joined by Kani Xulan, executive director of the Kurdish American Information Network, and by Loud & Clear producer Walter Smolarek.
President Trump hosts Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos at the White House today for their first meeting -- but Trump has already met with two former Presidents of Colombia since becoming president. What’s the Trump administration’s posture toward peace in Colombia and the continent? Dr. James Cockroft, founder of the Network of Intellectuals, Artists, and Social Movements in Defense of Humanity, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Noelle Hanrahan, executive director of Prison Radio; Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history at the University of Tulsa; and by Gerry Condon, a member of the board of directors of Veterans for Peace.
Chelsea Manning, the whistleblower who was convicted of espionage for sending hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks revealing U.S. operations in Iraq, will be released today, after her sentence was greatly reduced by President Obama at the end of his term. Who is Manning? How important were the leaks that she gave to WikiLeaks? And what was behind the decision of Obama to allow her an early release despite being sentenced to 35 years in prison?
tags: chelseamanning, whistleblower, obama, iraq, wikileaks
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by William Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary whistleblower; and by Bryan Ford, head of the Decentralized/Distributed Systems lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. William Binney will be speaking on May 30th at the European Parliament about the issues of mass surveillance and bulk data collection.
A massive cyberattack affected hospitals and companies around the world beginning last Friday, with hundreds of thousands of computers in more than 50 countries affected. It turned out that this huge attack was carried out with cyber tools developed by the NSA. Why is the NSA unable to control its cyber arsenal? How does the NSA undermine both cybersecurity and democracy?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Aarab Barghouti, creator of “The Salt Water Challenge” and the son of Marwan Barghouti; by activist Dr. Dahlia Wasfi; and by activist and author Miko Peled.
Today is Nakba Day, the commemoration of the murderous displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. Now a new bill has been proposed in the Israeli parliament that seeks to criminalize marking the day, at the same time as thousands of Palestinian prisoners continue a hunger strike in Israeli jails and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aims to push through legislation officially making Israel a nation state.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by former CIA analyst and political activist Ray McGovern.
The warfare among different factions of the political establishment in the aftermath of the firing of FBI director James Comey continues, as acting director Andrew McCabe took Comey’s seat at a Senate Intelligence hearing on Russia.
The final debate in Iran’s presidential election campaign will take place today. President Hassan Rouhani has come out swinging in recent days as he hopes for re-election next week. What’s at stake in this landmark election for the country, the region and the world? Brian is joined by Massoud Shadjareh, the co-founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
The Arctic Council has been holding its summit in Alaska in which Rex Tillerson was present along with Russian foreign minister Lavrov. As the climate changes, is the Arctic a new site of geopolitical tension? Greg Mello, co-founder of the Los Alamos Study Group, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by former NSA analyst turned whistleblower William Binney and editorial cartoonist Ted Rall.
In a dramatic move, President Trump has unexpectedly
fired FBI director James Comey, prompting Democrats to change their tune about Comey and rush to his defense, accusing the administration of a cover-up. What’s really going on?
Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday in Washington. Will there be U.S.-Russia cooperation over "de-escalation zones" in Syria?Kevin Zeese, co-director of Popular Resistance, joins the show.
Turkey has reacted angrily to the news that the Trump administration has agreed to provide heavy weapons to the Kurdish forces fighting in Syria. How much more stress can the U.S.-Turkey relationship take? Journalist Ben Norton joins Brian to discuss.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Hyun Lee of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea. Moon Jae-in has won the presidential election in South Korea in a historic win that is set to change the relationship with the North. But what will his victory mean for the plans of the Trump administration?
Is President Trump about to escalate the war in Afghanistan? Reports suggest Trump could be considering thousands of additional troops for Afghanistan as NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg arrives in London to ask the UK to commit more forces. Activist David Swanson of WarIsACrime.Org joins the show.
Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is in Washington today for talks with his counterpart Rex Tillerson. The two are set to discuss “de-escalation zones” in Syria as the anti-Russia witch hunt continues in Washington. Dmitry Babich, independent political analyst, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Steve Hedley, the senior assistant General Secretary of Britain's Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT).
Emmanuel Macron has marched to victory in the French election, trouncing the far-right’s Marine Le Pen. The EU establishment breathes a sigh of relief as the French voters chose a pro-EU, neo-liberal capitalist banker over Le Pen. Absent a left wing choice a huge number of French voters abstained.
As violent right-wing opposition protests continue in Venezuela, a bill has been proposed in the U.S. Senate seeking $20 million for regime change efforts. But President Maduro and the Bolivarian revolution are also mobilizing their base of support. Dr. Francisco Dominguez, professor at Middlesex University, joins the show.
Today is Victory Day in Russia and the former republics of the Soviet Union, celebrating 72 years since the victory over fascism. But the post-World War Two political order is now being shaken at its foundations. Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear Brian is joined for the full hour today to by activist Will Griffin, Korea Policy Institute fellow Simone Chun, and writer Bruce Gagnon.
South Korea holds its first presidential election since the impeachment of conservative Park Geun-hye tomorrow. Who are the candidates and what are they saying about peace on the Korean peninsula? Will any of them aim to forge a more diplomatic relationship with the North? And as the U.S. THAAD missile system is deployed, what are the candidates saying about the South Korean relationship with the United States? This election will have profound consequences for Korea, the region and the whole world.
In today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by independent journalist Denis Rogatyuk.
The run-off to determine the next President of France takes place on Sunday. Will it be the former banker Macron or National Front's Marine Le Pen, and how high are the stakes for the future of Europe?
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has set a timeline for the overhaul of the country’s pacifist constitution as tensions heat up in the region. Author and writer Patrick Lawrence joins the show.
President Trump met with the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Washington this week as the White House has said moving its embassy to Israel to Jerusalem is a serious prospect. Palestinian solidarity activist Joe Catron speaks with Brian about the importance of the visit and if any progress has really been made toward the peace process resuming.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Arab Barghouti, the son of Marwan Barghouti who is leading the hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners.
Marwan Barghouti is often referred to as the “Nelson Mandela of Palestine”. In this exclusive interview, his son discusses the importance of the ongoing hunger strike in Israeli jails and the fight for dignity for all Palestinians.
Peace talks aimed at ending Syria’s six year war were cut short when the group representing the so-called armed opposition walked out on the first day. This came as Vladimir Putin and President Erdogan have said de-escalation zones in Syria have been discussed with Donald Trump and the Syrian government. Brian speaks with Alexander Mercouris, Editor-in-Chief of The Duran.
Congress is expected to pass a spending bill this week that Democrats are flaunting as a victory over Trump, but the country’s budget director disagrees. Does the bill have much at all in common with Trump’s proposed ‘America First’ budget?
Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic Policy and Research, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Massoud Shadjareh, co-founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is meeting with Donald Trump today, shortly after Hamas announced its new charter which calls for a Palestinian state with 1967 borders and disassociated itself from the Muslim Brotherhood.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Donald Trump over the phone yesterday in the first communication between the two leaders since Trump launched a cruise missile strike on Syria. Where are Russia’s relations with the west heading? Brian is joined by independent political commentator Dmitry Babich.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced the convening of a constituent assembly to the fury of the country’s right-wing opposition. Will this be a turning point for the country’s Bolivarian Revolution? Political analyst and author Arnold August joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by geopolitical analyst and author Catherine Shakdam.
Turkish airstrikes on the Kurdish YPG militia has deepened the rift between Turkey and the United States. Meanwhile, fighting rages between opposition groups in Eastern Ghouta and near the de-facto capital of ISIS -- Raqqa.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in Sochi today where she will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. As tensions between the West and Russia remain high, will the two leaders be able to make any progress? Geopolitical analyst Rainer Rothfuss joins Brian to discuss the significance of the talks.
May Day demonstrations and protests took place across the United States yesterday. We bring you assessments from the frontlines of the struggle, with Juan Jose Gutierrez of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition and Preston Wood of the ANSWER Coalition.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by activist, educator and author
Bill Ayers; by Juan Jose Gutierrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition; and by Nathalie Hrizi, editor of the magazine “Breaking the Chains:
A Socialist Perspective on Women’s Liberation.”
Today is May Day, or International Workers’ Day,
which is marked around the world as a day to celebrate the achievements of the labor movement and to continue the fight for social justice. In many countries, it’s an official holiday. Here in the United States, where the holiday began, the memory of the day’s origins has long been suppressed by the powers that be. But on the first May Day under the Trump administration, a resurgence of both the workers’ movement and the immigrant rights movement looks set to hit the streets today in huge numbers.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Anoa Changa, host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa; political activist Kevin Akin; Yahne Ndgo from the Ubuntu Nation project; and Walter Smolarek, Sputnik news analyst and Loud & Clear producer.
Tomorrow marks 100 days since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Even before he was inaugurated, a new wave of protest swept the country against his proposed policies and the campaign of bigotry that he ran. This people’s movement has grown since he took
office as he has attempted to usher in racist immigration orders and put forward a pro-corporate and anti-worker agenda, as well as accelerating U.S. aggression through his foreign policy.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by journalist Ben Norton.
The entire U.S. Senate was summoned to the White House for a briefing on Korea yesterday afternoon, fueling speculation that Trump could be getting ready to attack North Korea, as the U.S. and South Korea said the THAAD missile system would be operational within days.
Donald Trump has released a tax plan that proposes sharp cuts for businesses and those who return overseas corporate profits to the U.S. But what does his tax plan mean for working people in the U.S? Daniel Sankey, financial policy analyst, joins the show.
The semi-annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, begins today in Manila and is a milestone in President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial presidency. Bernadette Ellorin, the chairperson of BAYAN, joins Brian to discuss the significance of the summit.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran.
The UK’s Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has said that Prime Minister Theresa May would be willing to initiate a nuclear war -- the so-called first strike policy. The comments provoked fury both at home and abroad as the general election approaches.
The leaders of the House Oversight Committee announced that they believe former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn broke the law in receiving payments from foreign governments. What’s behind this attempt to re energize the anti-Russia witch hunt?Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and activist, joins Brian.
New revelations from Edward Snowden shows that the U.S. operated three NSA offices out of Japan which helped to greatly expand Washington’s global surveillance network.
William Binney, former NSA technical director turned whistle blower, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, who recently returned from Afghanistan.
Secretary of Defence James Mattis made an unannounced
visit to Afghanistan on Monday. The visit came on the heels of Donald Trump dropping the largest non-nuclear bomb on the country and the Taliban stepping up its attacks across the country -- is a serious U.S. escalation on the horizon?
As the U.S. sends aircraft carrier USS Vinson and a accompanying “armada” of vessels toward the Korean Peninsula ahead of another important holiday in the North, Xi Jinping has urged restraint in a phone call with Donald Trump. Brian speaks with Will Griffin, an organizer with U.S.-based Stop THAAD in Korea and US Militarism in Asia and & Pacific, and
Kevin Zeese, co-director of Popular Resistance.
Venezuela’s opposition openly calls for an economic war against the government of Nicolas Maduro as deadly right-wing protests continue around the country, but large pro-government demonstrations are ignored by the western media. Journalist and lecturer Arnold August joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by by Ramona Africa, minister of communication for the MOVE organization; by activist and scholar Dr. Anthony Monteiro; and by Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
Today is the 63rd birthday of Mumia Abu-Jamal, perhaps the most well known of the political prisoners currently being held in the United States. Mumia is also in court today, as his supporters will take to the streets in Philadelphia. His lifetime of struggle, beginning with his membership in the Black Panther Party, has been an inspiration for generations of activists, and his case has been taken up by those seeking social justice across the world. But Mumia is far from the only political prisoner being held in U.S. prisons today. We’ll discuss this for the full hour today.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by show producer Walter Smolarek.
The first round of France’s presidential election
takes place this weekend, with the chance that the traditionally mainstream parties will be brushed aside by voters as candidates from the far-right and radical left soar in the polls.
Peace negotiations between the National Democratic Front and the government of the Philippines are set to continue in the near future in Oslo, but with a ceasefire now off the table what are the prospects for lasting peace coming to the country after almost half a century of war? Brian is joined by Edre Olalia, Legal Consultant of the Peace Negotiating Panel of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in the peace negotiations and President of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers.
Bernie Sanders has joined the new chair of the DNC Tom Perez for a unity tour across the U.S., but is the Democratic Party actually serious about transforming itself into a progressive organization, or is it likely to remain the graveyard of social movements? Ted Rall, editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Massoud Shadjareh, the executive director is the Islamic Human Rights Commission, as well as by Jeremy Kuzmarov, professor of history at the University of Tulsa.
Donald Trump apprears to be setting the stage for new sanctions on Iran despite Secretary of State Rex Tillerson telling Congress that Iran is in compliance with the Iran nuclear arms deal.
Donald Trump was lying last week when he announced that he was sending an Armada toward the Korean peninsula. What are the politics behind the sabre rattling and war threats? Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
Rex Tillerson attended the U.S.-Saudi CEO Summit yesterday a day after Secretary of Defence James Mattis visited the country.
Is an even cozier relationship developing between the U.S. and the Saudi monarchy under the Trump administration? Alberto Garcia Watson, former senior correspondent for HispanTV, speaks with Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Steve Hedley, the Senior Assistant General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union (RMT) in Britain.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has announced a snap general election to be held on June 8th, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn welcoming the move. With Brexit, a second Scottish independence referendum, and the possibility of a coup against Corbyn looming, this election is crucial to the future of the UK.
Palestinian prisoners have launched the largest mass hunger strike ever in Israeli jails, as more than 1,600 have so far announced that they are taking part and Israel rules out talks with the hunger strikers. Brian is joined by independent filmmaker and journalist Dan Cohen.
Defence Secretary James Mattis was in Saudi Arabia yesterday on the first leg of a trip to the region on the heels of National Security Advisor HR McMaster’s trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan. What do Trump’s generals have in mind for the Middle East? Loud & Clear's producer Walter Smolarek discusses the importance of the trip.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by author and analyst Patrick Lawrence. Vice President Mike Pence is in Japan after visiting the demilitarized zone along the border between North and South Korea and announcing that the era of “strategic patience” is over. Is a new Korean War on the horizon?
Turkey has narrowly voted yes in a referendum to vastly expand the powers of President Erdogan, but as the opposition alleges fraud and protests mount will Erdogan be able to consolidate his victory? Güney Işıkara, political analyst and PhD student in economics at the New School for Social Research, joins Brian.
The European Union and China begin a three day summit today. These talks have taken on heightened significance ahead of the UK’s exit from the EU and the global pushback against neo-liberal trade deals. China expert Keith Bennett joins the show to examine the significance of the summit.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ann Wright, a retired U.S. Army Colonel and former U.S. State Department official, who resigned in protest of the invasion of Iraq; as well as by Cindy Sheehan, legendary anti-war activist.
Donald Trump has unleashed a wave of aggressive foreign policy moves in recent weeks. From the Tomahawk missile strikes against Syria to the dropping of the largest non-nuclear bomb on Afghanistan, and moving what he called an ‘Armada’ toward the Korean peninsula, the Trump administration is signalling that it is ready for war -- globally. This contrasts sharply with his isolationist message on the campaign trail. Are Trump’s beloved generals fully in the driver’s seat when it comes to his administration’s foreign policy?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by by Greg Mello, executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group.
The United States has dropped what is considered to be the largest non-nuclear bomb in eastern Afghanistan, continuing Donald Trump’s embrace of extreme militarism and setting a dangerous precedent for further aggression to come.
Turkey holds a referendum on Sunday on its constitution, with President Erdogan urging a vote that opponents say is a move to establish or solidify a dictatorship. But there are indications that once again a gamble could backfire on Erdogan. Ceyda Karan, a Columnist at Cumhuriyet Daily, and Ahsen Akdal, a writer with the Turkish newspaper SoL, join the show.
Donald Trump has announced that he will not label China a currency manipulator, pulling the plug on one of the bedrocks of his campaign. Is this part of a larger foreign policy shift after his meeting with Xi Jinping? Steve Keen, professor of economics at Kingston University, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Reiner Braun, co-president of the International Peace Bureau.
NATO’s General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg visited Donald Trump at the White House yesterday. Despite the hype around the U.S. abandoning the alliance, the Trump
administration has in fact moved rapidly towards the traditional neoconservative approach of hyper militarism.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met
with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin in Moscow yesterday as U.S.-Russia tensions soured following the US attack on Syria. What came of the meeting between the two, and what does it mean for the New Cold War? Nikolay Pakhomov, president at The New York Consulting Bureau, and journalist Dmitry Babich
join the show.
The former president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has registered as a candidate in the upcoming election despite
the urging of the country’s Supreme leader not to do so. Catherine Shakdam, independent political analyst and author, talks about what Ahmadinejad's decision means for Iran, the region and the world.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Peter Lavelle, host of RT's flagship program CrossTalk, and Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in Moscow today for talks with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. The meeting come as tensions between the U.S. and Russia reach new heights after the Trump administration launched cruise missile attacks on Syria last week and the Trump administration shifts to more traditional neoconservative approach. So much for the supposed Trump-Russia relationship -- the new cold war is back on.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dr. Robert Epstein, Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology.
Google has unveiled a feature that it says is aimed at fact-checking “fake news”. Are we headed towards a world where huge corporations determine what’s true and what’s “fake”?
The United States has signaled that removing Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria is once again a priority. What’s next in the Trump administration’s assault on Syrian sovereignty, and how will Russia and Iran respond? Stephen Gowans, the author of 'Washington's Long War on Syria' joins the show.
Today marks the 15th anniversary of the short lived right-wing coup against Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. A decade and a half on, the opposition continues it violent attempts at overthrowing the socialist government, but the Bolivarian Revolution fights on. Arnold August, journalist and lecturer, speaks with Brian about the significance of the coup's anniversary and what's next for Venezuela.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by journalist Ben Norton, former CIA analyst and activist Ray McGovern, and international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
The Trump administration has unleashed a new stage of U.S. aggression
against Syria with the cruise missile strike on the Syrian government’s Shayrat air base. While protests rage around the world in opposition to this act of war, the attack was welcomed with gushing praise from liberals and mainstream conservatives! The Syria
strike has scrambled U.S. politics -- will things ever go back to “normal”, or are we in a new chapter of history?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by David Ewing, chair of the San Francisco chapter of the US-China People’s Friendship Association, and by China expert Keith Bennett.
Donald Trump came face to face with Xi Jinping for the first time yesterday after months of aggressive rhetoric from the new U.S. president toward China. As the meeting continues today -- taking up controversial issues such as the South China Sea, Taiwan, North Korea and trade policy --
will tensions ease? Or will the hostile posture of Trump toward Beijing continue?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by independent political commentator and author Catherine Shakdam.
The Trump administration is doing an about-face on Syria, moving aggressively in the direction of escalated intervention in the war on behalf of opposition forces fighting to topple the government. What’s the real story behind the alleged chemical weapons attack and the fast-moving political developments that have followed?
Donald Trump has met with King Abdullah of Jordan at the White House as the two leaders discussed the possible revival of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. But is the Trump administration serious about forcing the apartheid government of Israel to the bargaining table? Brian is joined by activist and author Miko Peled.
After calling for a controversial new referendum on Scottish independence, Nicola Sturgeon has embarked on a five-day tour of the United States. Are pro-independence forces correct in their assertion that Scotland could maintain its economic and diplomatic clout as its own country? John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's Hard Facts, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement.
Armed Opposition forces and the Trump White House have accused the Syrian government of carrying out a chemical weapons strike in the rebel-held province of Idlib. The Syrian government categorically denies the accusation. John McCain and the war hawks demand US intervention. We look at the politics and the timing of the allegations.
Thanks to Congress and the Trump administration, your internet browsing history is up for sale. We take a look at this latest assault on the public’s right to privacy online. Brian is joined by Tim Karr, Senior Director of Strategy at the advocacy organization FreePress.
Donald Trump is meeting with the King of Jordan today with crucial Middle East issues -- including the war in Syria and the prospects for new negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Journalist and political analyst Dmitry Babich joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
A bomb blasts ripped through the St. Petersburg subway yesterday, killing and injuring dozens of people. What do we know about this attack?
In a major electoral test for the future of Latin America, leftist candidate Lenin Moreno has won the presidential runoff in Ecuador. The country is set to continue along the course of the Citizens Revolution started by outgoing president Rafael Correa, pushing back the continent’s slide to the right. Brian is joined by Denis Rogatyuk, a correspondent with GreenLeft Weekly.
The war on Venezuela’s Bolivarian revolution continues amid claims of a “self-coup” and allegations that the National Assembly was dissolved. But the threat of a coup comes in fact from the right wing, not the country’s socialist government. Author and activist Dr. James Cockroft joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by activist Dr. Dahlia Wasfi, Mojtaba Masood, Iraqi journalist and filmmaker; and by Mike Prysner, a former U.S. soldier in Iraq who is now an anti-war activist and journalist with TeleSur.
As the battle for Mosul resumes and Iraqi forces push closer towards the last part of the city still held by Daesh, what will a post-ISIS Iraq look like? With the U.S. ramping up its presence in both Iraq and Syria and conducting a brutal bombing campaign that has killed at least hundreds of civilians, are there any signs that the region will see stability and self-determination in the near future? And will ISIS just emerge in another form if the root causes of sectarianism are not addressed?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Massoud Shadjareh, the executive director of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has decided to lift all human rights conditions on the sale of arms to Bahrain. This is a clear signal that the Trump administration is planning to step up aggression against Iran and move closer to the Saudi-led Gulf state bloc of tyrannical monarchies.
As conflict and extreme instability prevails in large parts of the world, NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels today. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is expected to press the other countries to increase their military spending -- a thinly veiled handout to U.S. arms manufacturers. Brian is joined by Loud & Clear producer Walter Smolarek.
Bernie Sanders is set to announce a single payer health bill that grants Medicare to all. A single payer system is popular with the public, but does health care reform in America actually require a political revolution against the power of Big Money? Dr. Carol Paris, president of Physicians for a National Health Program, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ben Norton, a contributor to AlterNet's GrayZone Project.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in Turkey today for talks with President Erdogan. Will there be a re-set or can we anticipate further frosty relations between Washington and Ankara as the battle for Raqqa heats up?
Ahead of the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, the cybersecurity firm that claimed to link Democratic Party computers to Russian hackers has retracted statements about Russia hacking into a Ukrainian artillery app. Will their whole story unravel? Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, joins the show.
Is the Trump administration on the verge of a serious escalation of U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led war against Yemen? Millions are on the brink of starvation as the war looks set to deepen. Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODE PINK, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran.
British Prime Minister Theresa May will officially trigger Article 50 today to begin the process of withdrawal of Britain from the European Union -- but as the Scottish parliament votes to hold another independence referendum, is the UK itself on the verge of breaking up?
A Chinese father of five, was killed by police in Paris, sparking street demonstrations and diplomatic protests. As political tensions reach new highs ahead of the presidential election, is this part of a wave of racist violence in France? Brian is joined by Louis-Georges Tin, President of the Representative Council of Black Organizations of France.
Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani continues his visit to Russia for a third and final day, signalling increased cooperation between the two countries. How will the visit impact the war in Syria, and what will be the wider geopolitical ramifications? Political analyst and commentator Catherine Shakdam joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall.
Donald Trump is set to unveil his tax plan after his stunning defeat in Congress over plans to replace Obamacare. Will his party tow the line this time, or will Trump be humiliated once again?
The ongoing anti-Russia witch hunt that shows no signs of letting up. Accusations of hacking, surveillance and interference are being hurled from every direction -- how can we make sense of all this? Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and activist, joins the show.
The Iraqi Army suspended the operation to retake the city of Mosul after U.S. airstrikes killed at least 150 people in a single district. As outrage grows over this latest atrocity of the U.S. in Iraq, what will be the next moves of the Trump administration? Alberto Garcia Watson, a former senior correspondent for HispanTV, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dr. Nazia Kazi, professor of Anthropology at Stockton University; activist and author Miko Peled, and by author Richard Becker.
The America-Israel Public Affairs Committee, AIPAC, is currently convening in Washington, D.C. for its annual summit. While high level politicians, including Vice President Mike Pence, are in attendance, protesters have been gathering outside to voice their solidarity with Palestine. As the Trump administration’s foreign policy takes shape, what will their orientation towards Israel be? How does AIPAC effect the political climate in the United States? Will the BDS movement and public support for Palestine continue to grow? We spend the full episode today discussing these questions and more.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by legendary NSA whistleblower William Binney.
The war between the intelligence agencies and the Trump administration deepens with House Intelligence Committee chair Devin Nunes’ explosive announcement that members of the Trump transition team were subject to “incidental” surveillance.
Peace talks are underway in Geneva between the Syrian government and opposition, but fierce fighting is underway throughout the country. Political analyst Marwa Osman joins the show.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is visiting Australia and New Zealand this week amid uncertainty over the Trump administration’s protectionist orientation towards international trade. Will China fill the vacuum? China expert Keith Bennett discuses this with Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dr. Margaret Flowers, co-director of Popular Resistance; Preston Wood, Registered Nurse Case Manager at the USC Keck Hospital; Tim Robinson, CEO of Addiction Recovery Care in Kentucky; and by Jason Bailey, the Executive Director of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy.
Republicans spent all day yesterday scrambling to round up the votes to pass their much-anticipated healthcare law to replace the Affordable Care Act. 28 million people would lose their insurance, but many Republicans oppose the bill on the grounds that it is not cruel enough. Today Brian spends the full hour taking an in-depth look at what is in this bill.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Tim Karr, Senior Director of Strategy at the advocacy organization FreePress.
The FBI has confirmed that wide-ranging investigations into media outlets are underway. Is the first amendment about to fall victim to the anti-Russia campaign?
Ministers from 68 countries are gathering in Washington, D.C. for a summit of the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition. But perhaps the summit is most notable for who is left out -- Syria, Russia and Iran -- whose governments are doing perhaps the most to combat Daesh. Catherine Shakdam, independent political commentator and author, joins the show.
Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and Stephen Hadley, George W. Bush’s National Security Advisor, testified on capitol hill regarding “America’s place in the world”. As the biggest names in the foreign policy establishment weigh in, how is Trump’s foreign policy shaping up? Is he really an isolationist? Jeremy Kuzmarov, author and professor of history at the University of Tulsa, discuses this with Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall.
Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation hearings are underway as Gorsuch himself is scheduled to testify today. What would it mean if this hard-right conservative takes a seat on the Supreme Court?
International controversy rages as a high-ranking UN official is forced to resign after releasing a report labeling Israel an apartheid state. Lara Kiswani, Executive Director of the Arab Resource & Organizing Center, and Mike Prysner, a journalist with TeleSur, join the show.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi met with President Trump in the White House yesterday. Trump is now the fifth consecutive president to bomb the country -- is there any hope of the U.S. government getting its hands off of Iraq? Raed Jarrar, Government Relations Manager at the American Friends Service Committee, discuses this with Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ray McGovern, an activist and a former CIA analyst, and Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
Today’s House Intelligence Committee public hearing is set to take the anti-Russia witch hunt in the United States to new heights. Several government officials agree that there isn’t any evidence of collussion between Trump and the Russians but will the establishment continue its campaign of demonization nonetheless? And will the people buy it?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Trina Realmuto, an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild’s National Immigration Project.
Once again, the administration’s travel ban targeting majority-Muslim countries has been defeated in court, and Donald Trump is furious.
Is ISIS about to be defeated in Iraq? As U.S.-backed forces make a final push on Mosul, the humanitarian situation is catastrophic with more than 100,000 people displaced. Alberto Garcia Watson, a journalist and former senior Middle East correspondent for HispanTV, joins the show.
The Trump administration’s budget outline proposes devastating cuts -- If they get their way, the burden of the huge Pentagon boost will fall squarely on the back of the poor and working class. Anoa Changa, editor at large with the Progressive Army and host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa, discuses this with Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Eugene Puryear, host of Radio Sputnik's By Any Means Necessary, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek.
The Netherlands voted yesterday in an election that was a test of how widespread both anti-immigrant and anti-EU sentiment has become. But the far right wing party failed in its effort to win the election. What will this mean for the EU and for Europe?
U.S. attack drones are headed to South Korea on the heels of a massive simulated invasion of the North. Will the Trump administration pursue an even more hostile policy towards North Korea, or will political developments in the South make that impossible? Will Griffin, a member of a U.S. based task force to Stop THAAD in Korea and U.S. Militarism in Asia and & Pacific, joins Brian.
The federal government’s power to borrow money to pay its bills expires today as the Senate’s majority leader says the debt ceiling will definitely be increased but has not said when. Will Trump also support the increase despite railing against doing so in the past? Steve Keen, professor of economics at Kingston University and the author of Debunking Economics: The Naked Emperor of the Social Sciences, joins the show to discuss.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by political commentator and analyst Marwa Osman.
With the opposition set to boycott the latest round of Astana peace talks, is a negotiated settlement to the Syrian war slipping out of reach?
We are just hours away from President Trump’s new travel ban executive order targeting six majority-Muslim countries. But grassroots activists and lawyers are fighting back. Jorge Baron, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project’s Executive Director, joins Brian.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson begins his tour of Asia today with a visit to Japan as the region reels from heightened tension and U.S. belligerence. Patrick Lawrence, columnist and author, joins the show to discuss what's next for the continued pivot to Asia.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's "Hard Facts"
British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to trigger Article 50 today as the Scottish First Minister announces her intention to organize another independence referendum. As Britain steps into the unknown, what’s next for the country and the EU?
A deepening diplomatic crisis between Turkey and several European governments, including the Netherlands, continues. As rallies are banned and accusations of Nazism fly, how far will this escalate? Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear, joins the show.
South Korean politics and the geopolitics of East Asia has been scrambled by the impeachment of ex-President Park Geun-hye. Will the next president pursue a thaw in relations with the North? Brian is joined by Hyun Lee, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by John Kiriakou, former CIA analyst and case officer as well as a prominent whistleblower; and by Ben Norton, who is a contributor to AlterNet’s GrayZone Project.
Last week, Wikileaks released the largest disclosure of CIA secrets ever. Although Donald Trump once said he loved Wikileaks, the White House was quick to attack the release of CIA secrets. Today, we take a big-picture look at leaks. Why are successive administrations so intent on persecuting whistleblowers? Is there anything Trump can do to stop them? And how do leaks help the people hold the government accountable?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by political commentator and author Catherine Shakdam.
Hundreds of Marines equipped with artillery will soon be deployed to northern Syria. This latest escalation of the U.S. intervention comes shortly after Defense Secretary Mattis submitted a new strategy to President Trump that ostensibly is aimed at fighting ISIS.
The long and treacherous road to Britain’s exit from the European Union has gotten even more complicated following a maneuver by the unelected House of Lords. Brian is joined by legendary British Parliamentarian George Galloway.
Ukraine is taking Russia to court. Despite all the hysteria about Trump and Russia, will his administration follow effectively the same path of anti-Russia aggression in Ukraine? Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, discusses a range of issues.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by political analyst and journalist Dmitry Babich.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with Turkey’s President Erdogan in Moscow over the next two days. Although ties were re-established last year after a period of deep tension, do Moscow and Ankara see eye to eye on key issues such as Syria?
Leaders of the European Union are gathering for a summit that will debate the future of the bloc. The summit is also expected to attack the protectionist policies of Donald Trump. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show to discuss the importance of the summit.
As the U.S. and South Korean militaries stage massive simulated invasions of the North, China has floated a diplomatic proposal to decrease tensions. Activist and political analyst Hyun Lee, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by attorney and author John Whitehead.
Wikileaks has released the largest ever leak of documents from the CIA - a batch of thousands of documents code-named Vault 7. It shows that the agency has the ability to hack into virtually all popular encryption apps. Is there nowhere to hide from illegal govt spying?
Republicans have released their plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. Are they gearing up to try to pass through an even bigger giveaway to the insurance companies? Brian is joined by Dr. Margaret Flowers, co-director of Popular Resistance.
Today International Women’s Day is being marked around the world, including in many countries where it’s a national holiday. Here in the United States, organizers are planning a “Day Without Women” strike aimed at the Trump administration’s policies. Jodi Dean, professor and author, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by legendary NSA whistleblower William Binney.
President Trump has ordered an investigation into alleged Watergate style-wiretapping he says was committed by the Obama administration during the presidential election. Is there merit to the accusations?
The Trump administration has issued a new travel ban executive order to replace the earlier order that was defeated by a combination of grassroots and legal struggle. But will this one also be struck down? Trina Realmuto, an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild’s National Immigration Project, joins the show.
China’s National People’s Congress opened over the weekend with discussion expected on economic growth as well as how the country will deal with the aggressive policy of the United States under President Trump. China expert Keith Bennett discusses the importance of the Congress.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Daniel Sankey, a financial policy analyst, and by Professor Steve Keen of Kingston University.
Nearly ten years on from the Great Recession, we take a look at the state of the economy. As the Trump administration’s plans start to take form, how will his proposed policies such as deregulation, a border tax, domestic tax reform and infrastructure spending affect the economy? Will his protectionist policies lead to global trade contracting? And with the Dow crossing 21,000, is the stock market in a bubble?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Don DeBar, host of Community Progressive Radio, and Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran.
The anti-Russia witch hunt continues as Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from the Justice Department investigation into Russian influence and faces calls for his resignation -- not for his record of extreme racism, but because of a routine meeting with the Russian ambassador to the United States.
Donald Trump spoke yesterday in the USS Ford supercarrier, touting his administration’s plans for a massive military buildup. Will this spark a global arms race? Brian is joined by international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
The International Monetary Fund turned 70 years old this week. An essential pillar of the post-war world order, the IMF has spread misery, debt and free-market dogma around the world. Pete Dolack, an organizer with Trade Justice New York Metro, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by David Swanson, he is director of WorldBeyondWar.org and campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org.
Democratic commentators and the corporate media are fawning over Trump’s speech on Tuesday and His especially shameless exploitation of the widow of a Navy SEAL who died in a raid in Yemen that killed nine children under the age of 13, many of their mothers and other Yemeni civilians
War criminal and former president George W. Bush took a rare step into the public spotlight to criticize Donald Trump for “racism and name-calling”. Cindy Sheehan, legendary anti-war activist who hosts the podcast Cindy Sheehan’s Soapbox joins the show.
100 years ago today, Puerto Ricans has U.S. citizenship imposed on them with the enactment of the Jones Act. However, the island remains a U.S. colony to this day, as economic crisis deepens and Wall Street vultures circle. Brian is joined by Camilo Matos of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Juan Jose Gutierrez, executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, and Jane Cutter, editor of LiberationNews.org.
After a first month in office marked by mass protests, fierce infighting, and heightened diplomatic tension, President Donald Trump has delivered a wide-ranging speech to Congress.
Yang Jiechi, China’s top diplomat, wrapped up a two-day visit to the United States yesterday and met with Rex Tillerson to discuss the strained U.S.-China relationship and prepare the ground for a summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Brian is joined by David Ewing, the chair of the San Francisco branch of the U.S.-China People’s Friendship Association.
Residents near the site of the proposed THAAD missile system the United States plans to deploy in South Korea have filed a lawsuit as a global movement against the deployment grows. Hyun Lee, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and the Task Force to Stop THAAD in Korea and Militarism in Asia and the Pacific, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Estevan Hernandez, a writer with LiberationNews.org, and Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear.
President Donald Trump is set to deliver his speech to Congress tonight one day after promising a massive military buildup and corresponding cuts to other government programs. Military contractors are salivating while the people of the world shudder.
Could the current Syrian peace talks in Geneva break down just days after reconvening? Bomb blasts over the weekend have threatened to derail the talks that began just last week. Catherine Shakdam, an independent political commentator and author, joins the show.
The Democratic Party has chosen Tom Perez as new chair of the party, narrowing defeating Keith Ellison in what many saw as a rematch of Hillary Clinton vs. Bernie Sanders. By refusing to grant even this largely symbolic position to the party’s left wing, is the Democratic establishment digging its own grave? Brian is joined by activist and analyst YahNé Ndgo.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris; editor-in-chief of The Duran, and by Ben Norton, who is currently a contributor to AlterNet’s GrayZone Project.
A Department of Defence report on the U.S. strategy in combating the so-called Islamic State is due early this week. Will the United States dramatically escalate its military presence in Iraq and Syria and cause further suffering and destabilization? More ground troops, stepped up bombings and so-called “safe zones” all appear to be on the table.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Anoa Changa, editor at large with the Progressive Army and host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa.
Reeling from their humiliating defeat in the 2016 election, the Democratic National Committee convenes this weekend to elect a new chair. Keith Ellison wants the party to take a progressive turn, but is it too late?
The big tech corporations bet big on Hillary Clinton, but are now scrambling to cozy up to Trump. Facebook has made a huge donation to CPAC - the Conservative Political Action Conference. Dr. Robert Epstein, the Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, joins the show.
China has condemned U.S. patrols in the South China Sea, calling them dangerous and provocative. The aircraft-carrier strike group led by USS Carl Vinson conducting naval and air operations in the South China Sea this week is the first challenge to Beijing’s expansive maritime claims to the waters since Donald Trump took office. Are the patrols merely routine, or is it part of an increased aggression under Donald Trump? Author and political analyst Patrick Lawrence talks of the significance or these patrols and what to expect from the White House and Beijing going forward.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kandi Mossett, an activist with the Indigenous Environmental Network.
After months of peaceful protest, the water protectors at Standing Rock were targeted for eviction by law enforcement and the government, but the struggle is going forward.
Geneva peace talks aimed at ending Syria’s nearly six year war will reconvene today more than a year after the last round ended unsuccessfully. Is there a new US policy? Are Iranian-Turkish relations also suddenly strained as Trump takes aim at Iran and what might that mean for an end to the war in Syria? John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's Hard Facts, joins the show to discuss.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly are in Mexico for two days of talks after President Nieto cancelled his White House visit. Mexican people are in the streets. They are angry not just at Trump but at their own government. Might there a massive cross border movement of protest and resistance? James Cockroft, a founder of the Network of Intellectuals, Artists, and Social Movements in Defense of Humanity, discusses the importance of the meeting.
There was plenty of saber rattling as world leaders gathered for the Munich Security summit. There, Vice President Mike Pence and other administration officials took a hawkish tone towards Russia, and Iran was also the target of heated words. Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, joins the show to discuss what to make of the words from Trump administration officials.
Brian Becker is joined by Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik's By Any Means Necessary, and by Loud & Clear producer Walter Smolarek.
President Donald Trump has appointed H.R McMaster as his new national security advisor after Michael Flynn’s resignation. Does this set the Trump administration and Russia on a collision course?
Secretary of Defence James Mattis made an unannounced visit to Baghdad on Monday as Iraqi forces begin the deadly push into western Mosul. Is U.S. policy in Iraq and Syria changing under Trump, or are we seeing a continuation of Obama-era policy? Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, speaks with Brian about what's next in the ongoing U.S. occupation in Iraq.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by Alberto Garcia Watson, a journalist and former senior correspondent for HispanTV.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold long-awaited talks with Donald Trump today. Are we on the precipice of an era of unrestrained settlement building and annexation of Palestinian land?
Donald Trump’s ultra right-wing national security advisor Michael Flynn has resigned less than a month into the administration over a scandal involving Russia. Now, establishment conservatives are poised to seize greater control of the Trump White House. Smolarek speaks with journalist Pepe Escobar about the significance of Flynn's resignation.
Secretary of Defence James Mattis is in Brussels for talks with NATO allies who are eager to get assurances about U.S. support for the alliance under President Trump. Will the United States continue to back NATO’s eastward march toward Russia? Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst, discusses the importance of the visit by Mattis.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek fills in for Brian Becker and is joined by Juan Jose Gutierrez, executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
Raids have been taking place across the United States with federal agents rounding up hundreds of undocumented people in the opening round of Trump’s anti-immigrant crackdown. This has been met by fierce resistance from the immigrant rights movement.
The United Nations confirmed that U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan killed at least 18 civilians last week days after the U.S. commander there called for thousands of additional troops. Ben Norton, a journalist for AlterNet's GrayZone Project, joins the show to discuss if the Trump administration will extend the longest war in U.S. history.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Donald Trump at the White House yesterday. The uncertain future of the NAFTA trade agreement loomed large over the meeting. Where is U.S. trade policy headed under the Trump administration? Pete Dolack, an organizer against NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership with Trade Justice New York Metro, talks about the significance of the Trump-Trudeau meeting.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ruth Beltran, a member of Black Lives Matter - Sarasota; by Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary; and by Bob Schlehuber, a Sputnik News analyst and producer of that program.
President Trump has moved forward on campaign promises to launch a law-and-order crackdown, signing executive orders last week to create special task forces. Does this mean an even more advanced police state is in the making? What does it mean for the movement against police brutality and for the African-American community? Is this the institutionalizing of the slogan “Blue Lives Matter”?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.
The zig-zags continue in U.S.-Turkish relations. CIA director Mike Pompeo arrived in Ankara yesterday after President Trump and Turkish leader Erdogan spoke over the phone, vowing to combat Daesh in Syria.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives in Washington today as he continues his frantic efforts to ingratiate himself with the Trump administration. Will he promise the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs in the U.S. as a means of maintaining the Japan-U.S. relationship? Writer and analyst Patrick Lawrence joins Brian to discuss.
Is the Trump administration on the verge of issuing an executive order that would put Daesh detainees in Guantanamo Bay? The notorious torture center may now start expanding again. Jeremy Varon, professor and member of the activist group Witness Against Torture, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kandi Mossett, an activist with the Indigenous Environmental Network.
The Dakota Access Pipeline has been given the go ahead by the U.S Army after Donald Trump signaled his commitment to finish the project. A new stage of resistance awaits as activists vow to fight on at Standing Rock.
German intelligence have said that they have found no evidence of meddling against the government of Angela Merkel, but have at the same time accused Russian media of taking a confrontational approach and looking to influence the outcome of this year’s election. Is this a replay of the “Russian influence” conspiracy theory that’s widely believed about the U.S. election? Geopolitical analysts Dr. Rainer Rothfuss and and Dmitry Babich join the show.
The Trump administration could mean a boon to private military and intelligence companies. Erik Prince, among the most notorious of these mercenaries, got a step closer to the center of power with the confirmation of his sister, Betsy DeVos, to Trump’s cabinet. Jeremy Kuzmarov, professor of history at the University of Tulsa and author of Modernizing Repression: Police Training and Nation-Building in the American Century, joins Brian.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jorge Barón, Executive Director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, the organization that filed the class action lawsuit challenging Trump's executive order.
The legal and political drama continues over Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily banning entry from 7 majority-Muslim countries and all refugees. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments yesterday, but is this case destined to be decided by the Supreme Court?
For the first time ever, the Vice-President has had to break a tie in a Senate confirmation hearing. Education Secretary and billionaire political donor Betsy DeVos’ performance during the confirmation showed a profound lack of knowledge about education policy, and her support for privatizing education has sparked outrage among education rights activists. Derek Ford, professor of education studies at Depauw University, joins the show.
Could tensions in the South China Sea be resolved through dialogue despite the Trump administration’s aggressive posture towards China? Secretary of Defence James Mattis said diplomats should work to solve the issue, leading China to express cautious optimism. John Ross, a Senior Fellow at Chonyang Institute for Financial Studies at the Renmin University of China, talks with Brian about if it's too early to tell if diplomacy will win out in U.S.-China relations.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by financial policy analyst Daniel Sankey.
President Trump is taking aim at banking regulations after signing an executive order that would chip away at the Dodd-Frank Act. This could be a gift worth $100 billion or more for the biggest banks.
Donald Trump held his first phone call with Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko over the weekend while also sending signals that he could seek cooperation with Russia in Syria. So which way is the wind blowing for the new U.S. administration? Mark Sleboda, international security and affairs analyst, joins the show.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday, urging Britain to take a more aggressive line on Iran just days after the Trump administration rolled out new sanctions against Tehran. Brian is joined by Catherine Shakdam, political commentator and analyst, talks about the significance of Netanyahu's visit.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Liz Davis, president of the Washington Teachers Union; Jeff Bigelow, a long-time public sector union leader; and by Joe Jamison, who worked for many years at the New York State labor council, specializing in transportation union issues.
Wall Street and Corporate America’s war against labor unions is moving into high gear.As Donald Trump settles into office with a shocking series of executive orders, his allies in Congress are looking to strike a catastrophic blow at unions in the United States? GOP lawmakers have rolled out national “right to work” legislation, but don’t let the name be deceiving -- this is an anti-worker bill. How high are the stakes for the labor movement and for the fate of unionization?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Phil Wilayto from the Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran.
The Trump administration has ramped up its tough talk against Iran with the President saying Tehran has “officially been put on notice”. Iran has brushed aside Trump’s comments, but this bullying rhetoric from the United States could be a sign of greater aggression to come.
Controversy continues to rage as the British government publishes a white paper outlining what Brexit will look like. This comes one day after Parliament voted to grant Prime Minister Theresa May the power to trigger Article 50 to begin the process of leaving the EU. George Galloway, a former member of Parliament and prominent anti-war activist, speaks with Brian about what's next.
Bernie Sanders has addressed a rally of of the United Steelworkers called “Keep It Made in America”. How does Sanders’ outlook on the outsourcing of U.S. jobs differ from the positions of Trump? And what’s the real cause of the decline of industrial jobs in the United States? Ted Rall, editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Will Griffin of the U.S.-based organization Stop THAAD in Korea and U.S. Militarism in Asia and & Pacific.
Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defence James Mattis has arrived in South Korea for his first trip abroad ahead of traveling to Japan tomorrow. Is this the Asia Pivot but with a vengeance?
The text of a new proposed constitution for Syria that was drafted by Russia has been released by Sputnik News. Can this controversial proposal serve as a roadmap for peace in Syria? Alaa Ebrahim, a Syria journalist based in Damascus, joins the show to discuss the importance of this draft and what the chances are of it leading to a resolution of the country's six year war.
Could the whole of California become a sanctuary state? Some Democrats in the state are proposing a rule that would stop police officers from working with federal immigration authorities to enforce Donald Trump’s executive order. Brian is joined by Kevin Akin of the Peace & Freedom Party and Gloria La Riva, the 2016 Presidential candidate of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, to speak about where the ongoing resistance in the state is heading.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined to by Anoa Changa, activist, lawyer and the host of the weekly radio show The Way With Anoa; Zachary Wolfe, lawyer, activist, and professor at George Washington University; and Eugene Puryear, host of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary.
President Donald Trump has announced Neil Gorsuch as his pick for the vacant Supreme Court justice role. Who is Gorsuch, the judge expected to follow in the ultra right-wing footsteps of Antonin Scalia? What does Trump’s choice say about the direction his administration is heading in and what role Gorsuch can be expected to play in U.S. politics? Gorsuch’s relatively young age means that he will be an important figure in the U.S. government for decades to come.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Raed Jarrar, Government Relations Manager at the American Friends Service Committee.
Protests continue to rage nationwide as tens of thousands descend on airports to rally against Donald Trump’s executive order establishing a moratorium on entrances into the United States by citizens of 7 majority-Muslim countries. But Trump is sticking by his deeply unpopular order despite global outrage.
Donald Trump spoke with King Salman of Saudi Arabia and pledged his support for so-called “safe zones” in Syria and Yemen. Trump criticized Hillary Clinton’s interventionist position on the Middle East during the campaign, but not it appears he is getting ready to implement her program. Daniel Lazare, journalist and author, discusses Trump's policy toward the Middle East.
Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time over the weekend in a phone call lasting an hour. Is a thaw in relations between the U.S. and Russia in the making, and what are the big issues? Mark Sleboda, international security and affairs analyst, joins the show.
Brian discusses the crisis in U.S.-Mexico Relations with Karina Garcia, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition in New York City, and Juan Jose Gutierrez, the director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto cancelled his meeting with Donald Trump as the relationship between the U.S. and Mexican government deteriorates. Trump has signed anti-immigrant executive orders and campaigned on a platform of anti-immigrant bigotry.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by independent political analyst Catherine Shakdam.
President Donald Trump has said he will establish so-called “safe zones” in Syria. What is a safe zone, how would they be established, and would this set the U.S. up for a much deeper illegal intervention?
Vice President Mike Pence is speaking today at the anti-abortion March for Life in Washington, part of a heavy Trump administration presence at the rally. Brian is joined by Jane Cutter, editor of LiberationNews.org, and Danielle Norwood, an organizer with Women Organized to Resist and Defend (WORD), to speak about Trump's anti-women agenda.
As the world marks the 50th anniversary of banning nuclear weapons in space, is the rush to militarize space bringing the prospect of war closer to realization? Daryl Kimball, the executive director of the Arms Control Association, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by former CIA analyst and political activist Ray McGovern.
What might be a draft executive order reinstating the CIA's "black site" torture program being prepared by the Trump administration was leaked to the press yesterday and reported in the NY Times, Washington Post and other media. The White House press spokesperson said that it was not a White House document. What was the document? Where did it come from? Is this fake news or is Trump getting ready to bring back one of the most infamous Bush administration policies?
Trump has signed an executive order pertaining to the infamous “wall” along the U.S.-Mexico border. As the economic and foreign ministers of Mexico visit Washington, is NAFTA on the way out? Pete Dolack, an organizer against NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership with Trade Justice New York Metro, talks about what's ahead for the U.S.-Mexico relationship.
Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May becomes the first foreign leader to meet Donald Trump as the UK prepares to exit from the European Union. John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's Hard Facts, joins the show to talk about the significance of the visit and the so-called "special relationship" between the UK and United States.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alberto Garcia Watson, former HispanTV senior correspondent for the Middle East, to discuss the result of the Astana Summit on Syria.
The Astana peace talks have concluded. Officials say the meeting was a success, but the outcome of the fight over the future of Syria is far from settled.
The UK’s Supreme Court has ruled that Prime Minister Theresa May can’t bypass Parliament before triggering Article 50 to begin the process of removing Britain from the European Union. Britain is leaving the European Union but is Scotland leaving the UK? Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, joins the show.
Donald Trump has signed executive orders to advance the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines, setting up a new confrontation with indigenous nations and communities, environmental activists who are determined to fight back. Dennis Banks, co-founder of the American Indian Movement, discusses the ramifications of Trump's orders.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Vijay Prashad, author and Professor of International Studies at Trinity College.
On his first working day in office, Donald Trump has signed an executive order withdrawing from the TPP, a move that came a day after he stated his intention to renegotiate NAFTA. But don’t be fooled - the Trump agenda is still 100% anti-worker.
Donald Trump spared no time once taking office on Friday in advancing his agenda, issuing an executive order to roll back Obamacare, followed by another executive order yesterday attacking abortion rights. Margaret Flowers, co-director of Popular Resistance, discusses what the order means for millions of Americans both insured and uninsured.
A peace summit aimed at ending Syria’s six year war continues today in Astana, Kazakhstan. Is this finally the beginning of the end, or are the Syrian government and opposition groups still not finding enough common ground? Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear, discusses the importance of the talks and if a breakthrough is on the horizon.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined to by Marwa Osman, an independent political commentator; by
Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran; and by Catherine Shakdam, a political analyst and author.
Peace talks aimed at ending Syria’s nearly six year war are set to begin today in Astana, Kazakhstan, but unlike the Geneva talks that failed to bring about a resolution, this time the talks exclude the United States. What does the new relationship between Russia, Turkey and Iran mean for the prospects of achieving peace? What opposition groups are attending? Which ones aren’t? What will the role of the United States be now that Donald Trump has become the president?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Estevan Hernandez, a writer for Liberation News, Kevin Akin, State Chair of the California Peace and Freedom Party, and Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear.
oday is the Inauguration - a day of celebration for some, but anger and protest for many others. Since the November election, Donald Trump has rolled out a far right cabinet filled with generals and oligarchs. What is on the Trump agenda? And how will poor and working people and the many, many communities he has targeted fight back?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by former CIA analyst John Kiriakou.
More than 20 U.S. intelligence, diplomatic and military veterans have signed a statement calling on President Obama to present the proof of allegations that Russia was responsible for hacking during the election.
As Obama gets ready to leave office, his pledge to close the torture center at Guantanamo went unfulfilled, even though he says he wishes he could have closed the facility. What will happen to Guantanamo under the incoming Trump administration? Brian is joined by journalist and activist Andy Worthington of closeguantanamo.org.
On the eve of Donald Trump becoming president, Cuba and the U.S. have been scrambling to sign a series of accords that would make it more difficult for him to roll back moves toward normalizing relations. Helen Yaffe, Economic History Fellow at the London School of Economics, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Camilo Matos from the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party and by Noelle Hanrahan, the director of Prison Radio.
In a big victory for the movement to free political prisoners in the United States, Oscar Lopez Rivera and Chelsea Manning have had their sentences commuted. Who are these soon-to-be former political prisoners, and who is still behind bars for nothing more than speaking out for justice?
Days before taking office, President-elect Donald Trump is engaged in a war of words with intelligence agencies, accusing the outgoing CIA director of being behind the unverified dossier that was leaked last week. Ben Norton, writer for AlterNet, joins Becker to discuss the ongoing battle and how it was impact the country after Trump takes office on Friday.
China is firing back at Trump’s remarks about possibly ending U.S. recognition of the One China policy, as Chinese media says the gloves will come off if he attempts to do so. Is the incoming Trump administration gearing up for a serious global conflict? Patrick Lawrence, writer and author, discusses the ongoing fued between Beijing and the President-elect.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Professor Anthony Monteiro, a scholar, writer and activist in the struggle for equality, freedom, and civil rights; as well as by Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary.
Yesterday people all across the Unites States officially honored the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the venerated leader who was who played a key role in struggling for and ultimately winning the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and then the 1965 Voting Rights Act that was passed to end the disenfranchisement of millions who had been barred from voting. Today, King’s legacy is appropriated by establishment politicians and often watered down, but who was the real Martin Luther King, Jr? Was he merely a pacifist, or was he a radical thinker and man of action?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by George Galloway, a world-renown activist and former Member of Parliament in the UK.
The identity of the British intelligence officer who allegedly compiled the dossier on Donald Trump has been revealed. Who is the former MI6 agent Christopher Steele and what role did he play in the ongoing war between Trump and the CIA leadership?
Several Trump nominees sounded an extremely belligerent note in their confirmation hearings, targeting China and Russia. Will the positions stated by Defense Secretary nominee James Mattis, Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson, and proposed CIA head Mike Pompeo lead to more confrontation with Russia and China dashing hopes for a reduction in international tensions that are boiling over? Brian is joined by international affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda.
In other confirmation hearing news, Jeff Sessions was questioned about his history of racist comments, will his racism be consider just a little blip or an actual obstacle to his confirmation. David Cobb, 2004 presidential candidate for the Green Party as well as Jill Stein’s campaign manager in this past election, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by former CIA analyst and political activist Ray McGovern, and by editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall.
Trump prepares to take office in just over a week as unverified claims circulate that Russia has damaging information about him. Could this be a coup attempt on behalf of the state to make sure that Trump never takes office?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Medea Benjamin, the co-founder CODEPINK, history professor and author Jeremy Kuzmarov, and Loud & Clear Producer Walter Smolarek.
Barack Obama gave his farewell address last night and talked up the supposedly strong economy and his administration’s military action against terrorism. Is this really how history will remember him? What was left unsaid?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Abby Martin, formerly the host of RT's Breaking The Set and currently host of TeleSUR's The Empire Files.
The U.S. intelligence agencies’ unclassified report on Russia’s involvement in the election didn’t provide any evidence of hacking, instead choosing to focus on media such as RT, including a show that hasn’t been on the air for nearly two years. Brian speaks with Abby Martin about why her show was included and the way the mainstream media has slandered her.
President Obama gives his farewell speech tonight in Chicago, just ten days before the end of his administration. What is his real legacy? Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear, discusses Obama's two terms and if he will challenge Trump in his final address.
Today marks ten years since George W. Bush ordered a troop surge in Iraq at the height of the U.S. occupation, but a decade later thousands of U.S. forces remain as the Iraqi army advances on Mosul. Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, discusses the past decade of U.S. intervention in the Middle East.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Anoa Changa, host of The Way With Anoa; by Kevin Zeese, the co-director of Popular Resistance; and by Kevin Akin, the California State chair of the Peace and Freedom Party.
Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States in just 11 days time, but confirmation hearings will already take place beginning tomorrow. In a surprise move, Trump has planned expedited hearings, some of which will overlap with others, in a move that some Democrats say is an effort to avoid public scrutiny of his controversial picks. Will the strategy be successful, and who are Trump’s choices in what’s shaping up to be the richest administration ever, and certainly one of the most right wing?
The Senate Armed Services committee held a hearing, broadcast on almost every TV network in the United States, on the alleged Russian hacking in the election. The hearing was supposed to reveal hard evidence about Russia’s alleged hacking, but this huge spectacle offered no evidence at all. Rather, the Director of National Intelligence stated that his agency had “high confidence” about Russia’s alleged involvement. Was this all smoke with no actual fire?
Donald Trump will finally be confirmed as the next president by Congress today, just two weeks before his inauguration. We’ll look at the complicated process of how the president is elected, or rather appointed. Drew Spencer, Legal Director at the election reform advocacy organization FairVote, joins the show to discuss the strange electoral system.
A battle rages over a statue of political prisoner Leonard Peltier at American University in Washington as a former prosecutor in his case calls for clemency. Rigo, the artist who created the sculpture as AU, joins Becker to talk about his work and why the Peltier case is so important.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by by William Binney, former NSA official turned whistleblower; and by Jeffrey Carr, a cybersecurity consultant, author, and founder of the Suits and Spooks conference.
The Senate is set to hold an Armed Services Committee hearing on alleged Russian hacking today, but will any evidence finally be provided? Becker investigates the assertions of U.S. intelligence agencies and their motives for making these accusations.
President Obama has received a farewell tribute from the Armed Forces. Ben Norton, independent journalist, discusses Obama's legacy of eight years of war, occupation and intervention.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is officially investigated for corruption, pointing to endemic corruption in Israeli politics as the country becomes more estranged from the international community in the aftermath of the UN vote on settlements. Alberto Garcia Watson, a former senior correspondent based in the Middle East, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by independent political analyst Marwa Osman.
Syria brought in the New Year with a ceasefire brokered by Turkey and Russia, but the opposition has already frozen talks about upcoming peace negotiations. Can this be the year that Syria’s war finally comes to an end?
Two and a half months have passed since the operation to retake Mosul from the so-called Islamic State began. Iraq’s government had initially said the city would be retaken by the New Year, but progress appears slow amid fierce fighting. Catherine Shakdam, independent political commentator and author, joins the show.
After the U.S expulsion of 35 Russian diplomatic personnel and their families, President Putin’s measured response indicates his desire for a re-set in relations after Donald Trump becomes president. Former CIA analyst turned political activist Ray McGovern joins Becker to talk about the future of U.S.-Russia relations and the ongoing mainstream media campaign against Moscow.
Few countries are as fiercely demonized as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea - more commonly known as North Korea. The media presents the country as a dangerous and mysterious pariah that lashes out uncontrollably at its neighbors. But as we should come to expect from the corporate media, this is a total distortion. What’s the real history of U.S.-North Korean relations? As Donald Trump prepares to become the next president of the United States, what does this mean for the prospects of normalization between the U.S. and the DPRK? What’s the situation inside of North Korea? And how does this relate to the geopolitics of the region?
Lee, Rhee and Elich are involved in the Task Force to Stop THAAD in South Korea and Militarism in Asia and the Pacific. To find out more about their work, visit stopthaad.org or find them on Facebook (Stop THAAD)
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined for the full hour by historic activist, author and educator Bill Ayers.
Though Ayers' life as a member of the Weather Underground in the 1960s and 70s is often discussed, less attention is given to his work as an award-winning educator and his work in curriculum and instruction. He has released over twenty books, many on education but also memoirs and political works. In "Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto", Ayers discusses the progressive causes and anti-war activism that he has long been a champion of, and how these movements can lead to a fundamentally different world.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Keith Bennett, researcher and analyst on Chinese politics and international relations who advises both Chinese and western companies, as well as by David Ewing, chair of the San Francisco branch of the U.S.-China Peoples Friendship Association.
Will U.S.-China relations reach a boiling point under the Donald Trump administration? Anti-China hawk Peter Navarro is heading up a new National Trade Council as Trump himself has said he doesn’t think the U.S. should necessarily be bound by the One China policy that dates back almost four decades. How have relations between Washington and Beijing reached this degree of turbulence? We’ll examine how the ascendancy of China on the world stage has altered global politics as U.S. hegemony finds itself challenged.
On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Israeli peace activist Miko Peled, author of the book The General’s Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine.
Since the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, the Palestinian people have been struggling for the right of return to their homes and for their independence and dignity. But an often untold part of the story is the Israeli citizens who have turned against the Zionist ideology and the Israeli government and have joined the movement for Palestinian rights and the creation of a single democratic state. One of these activists in Miko Peled, the son of an Israeli general who also turned peace activist, and grandson of one of the signatures of the Israeli Declaration of Independence.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker discusses developments in the war in Syria with journalist Eva Bartlett, Loud & Clear producer Walter Smolarek, and host of Radio Sputnik's weekly show Hard Facts John Wight.
The saying goes that in war, the first casualty is the truth. While the corporate media reports that Aleppo has fallen, many Syrians consider the city as having been liberated. This momentous development came just before the assassination of Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov and the following day’s watershed summit between Turkey, Russia and Iran.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by China expert Keith Bennett.
President-elect Donald Trump has appointed anti-China hawk Peter Navarro to head up a new National Trade Council, further aggravating relations with Beijing. Will U.S-China relations reach a boiling point under the Trump administration?
Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. ambassador to Israel is a friend of hardline settlers, and threats to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem are being hurled by the Trump camp - what does this mean for the Palestinian people’s struggle for justice and independence? Professor Ghada Talhami joins Becker to discuss what the ramifications of such a move would be.
The movement against the U.S. military’s presence in Okinawa was dealt a blow this week as Japan’s Supreme Court ruled in favor of the government’s plan to relocate - not remove - the U.S. military base on the island. But Okinawans are determined to keep up the fight. Will Griffin, an activist with Veterans for Peace, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by independent journalist and political analyst Ben Norton.
Over a dozen people have been arrested in connection with the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara. Turkey has pointed the fingers at the Fethullah Gulen and by extension the United States as political shockwaves reverberate throughout the Middle East and the world.
The race for the next chair of the Democratic National Committee is in full swing and all indications are that the Democrats refuse to learn the lesson of Hillary Clinton’s humiliating defeat. Ted Rall, political cartoonist and columnist, joins the show to discuss what the importance of the race.
Egypt’s Interior Ministry has arrested five people for fabricating images that would be passed off as scenes of suffering in Aleppo. In Syria’s five and a half year war, it’s far from the only incident of images being produced or manipulated to mould public opinion. Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, for insight into the information war.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Peter Lavelle, the host of RT's flagship program CrossTalk, to discuss the aftermath of the assassination of Russia's ambassador to Turkey.
Turkey, Russia and Iran held talks on the war in Syria in Moscow the day after Andrey Karlov was gunned down in Ankara. Will the dramatic development change the dynamic of the war in Syria and the relations between the three countries?
As the fallout from the Berlin truck ramming that killed 12 people continues, what will the impact be on crucial upcoming elections in Germany and France? Denis Rogatyuk, freelance journalist and activist, joins the show to discuss the rising tide of far-right and anti-immigrant groups in Europe.
Additional criminal charges have been filed in the scandal over lead poisoning in the water supply for residents of Flint, Michigan as the state’s Attorney General indicts two former “emergency managers” – unelected bureaucrats with dictatorial powers. A recent Reuters report reveals that the lead crisis is by no means isolated to Flint. Julie Hurwitz, partner at Goodman & Hurwitz, P.C. and co-counsel in the federal Constitutional challenge to the Michigan Emergency Manager Law, talks about the ongoing scandal.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Sputnik International political analyst Dmitry Babich to discuss the shocking assassination of Russia's ambassador to Turkey.
Andrey Karlov was shot dead in Ankara at an art exhibition as his shooter, a policeman, shouted “Do Not Forget Aleppo”. Russia has called the incident an act of terrorism, but will the western powers agree? How will this incident impact the war in Syria and relations between Turkey and Russia?
The evacuation of Islamist rebels from Aleppo continues as the mainstream media shamefully ignores attacks by jihadists and the evacuation of the Shia majority villages of Fua and Kefraya. Will the UN Security Council resolution to send observers make a difference? Catherine Shakdam, independent political analyst, joins Becker to discuss the ongoing information war.
As President Obama holds his last press conference the narrative that Russia had a role in hacking the Democratic Party during the election continues to be promoted endlessly in the corporate media. Will there be any letup in this war-mongering campaign? Becker is joined by Mark Sleboda, international affairs and security analyst.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Anoa Changa, Editor at Large at the Progressive Army and host of the radio show The Way with Anoa, and by Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear.
The electoral college convenes today after an intense period of Russia bashing. There is a well publicized effort to deny Donald Trump the number of 270 electors needed to take the presidency.
Donald Trump’s phone call with Taiwan’s president violated a bedrock principle of U.S.-China relations, the "One China Policy", which Trump went on to say the U.S. is not bound by. Are these the opening moves in an escalation of U.S. hostility towards the country? David Ewing, chair of the San Francisco chapter of the US-China Peoples Friendship Association, joins the show.
The number of people killed in Syria’s five year war is often cited as now being over 400,000, but can such numbers be independently verified, and how many of the dead are soldiers, civilians and opposition fighters? Sharmine Narwani, commentator of Middle East geopolitics, talks about how reported casualty numbers play a role in the forming public opinion on the war.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dr. Robert Epstein to discuss how Google is adapting to the loss of their close friend Hillary Clinton.
How will Google adapt to the Trump presidency? Money heals all wounds.
The corporate media has gone into overdrive in the final stages of the battle for Aleppo, launching a propaganda campaign about mass killings and even genocide being carried out by the Syrian army. Are the western governments and press outlets really the humanitarians they claim to be? Journalist Eva Bartlett joins the show.
Despite international and domestic condemnation, the far-right government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems determined to push ahead with a law that would legalize Israeli settlements built on private Palestinian land. Miko Peled talks with Brian about this move.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by editorial cartoonist Ted Rall to discuss what Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of State means for the U.S. and the world.
The high-stakes drama over Trump's choice has come to an end as Rex Tillerson gets the nod. The CEO of Exxon Mobil is the latest millionaire businessman to join Trump’s cabinet.
Today marks the five year anniversary since the Obama administration declared the war in Iraq over, but thousands of troops remain half a decade later as the U.S. bombs Mosul and the country teeters on the verge of partition. Becker is joined by Michael Prysner, a former U.S. Army soldier who fought in Iraq who became an anti-war activist.
Donald Trump has picked Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas and fellow climate change denier, to lead the Energy Department that he once advocated abolishing - a position that he had a little trouble remembering. Greg Mello, the Secretary and Executive Director of the Los Alamos Study Group, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran, to discuss what comes next in Syria's war after Aleppo has been retaken by the Syrian Arab Army.
The surrender of Islamist groups in eastern Aleppo was met with scenes of jubilation in the streets as thousands return home. But the mainstream media is painting a very different picture of what’s taking place - is it to build the pretext for western intervention?
The CIA continues to push its story that Russia hacked e-mails from the Democratic Party to help Donald Trump as President Obama orders an investigation. Brian speaks with NSA whistleblower William Binney about his argument that these were inside leaks, not outside hacks.
U.S. Secretary of Defence Ash Carter was in Israel on Monday to deliver the first two F-35 fighter jets, but the Lockheed Martin company’s stock fell when Donald Trump took to Twitter to say the costs on the program were out of control. Pierre Sprey, who was on the designer team of the F-16, joins the show to discuss why he is opposed to the F-35 program.
The CIA alleged that Russia engaged in hacking
in order to help Donald Trump become the next president, but does the evidence back up the accusations? More than a month after his victory, why is the anti-Russia hysteria still being ramped up by the establishment and Democratic Party?
And were these hacks - a malicious remote attack - or were they really leaks - when information is physically removed and released by an insider?
Five-party coalition talks appear to have failed after Iceland’s Pirate Party has been invited to form the country’s next
government. How does this party of activists and outsiders change Icelandic and European politics, and what comes next in the complicated process to form a government?
Oktavia Hrund, a deputy MP for the Pirate Party, joins the show.
As Aleppo sits on the verge of being fully liberated by the Syrian Army, Daesh launches an attack to retake the ancient city of Palmyra,
sending thousands of reinforcements from Raqqa. Syrian journalist Alaa Ebrahim joins Becker from Damascus to discuss the latest in the battles against Daesh and what's next in Syria's war.
Loud & Clear presents a special one-hour special show from Havana with Dr. Eduardo Sagaro a Cuban pediatrician who was recruited by the CIA to report on the health of Fidel Castro, other Cuban leaders, Cuban troops in Angola and health related issues inside of Cuba including the impact of infectious diseases. But during his entire stint as a CIA agent Dr. Sagaro was in fact working as a Cuban double agent working for Cuban intelligence. He was not alone. Many perhaps most of the CIA agents in Cuba at that time were in fact Cuban double agents. Sagaro risked everything to defend the Cuban revolution. When Brian Becker of Loud & Clear asked him: “How did it feel to live as a spy,” Dr. Sagaro responded, “I was not a spy, I was a spy-hunter.” An amazing episode!
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Juan Jose Gutierrez, the director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, to discuss Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump has selected retired General John Kelly, a role that would have him oversee the building of Trump’s proposed wall on the Mexico border. What does his selection mean for the struggle for immigrants’ rights?
Trump looked to score a public relations victory this week when he took credit for persuading the Carrier corporation not to outsource 1,100 jobs. Chuck Jones, the President of United Steelworkers 1999 who represents workers at the plant, says this isn’t exactly true.
The fightback against neoliberalism continues in Brazil as the country’s Supreme Court blocks the suspension of the President of the Senate who was accused of embezzlement. Brazilian-British journalist and activist Victor Fraga joins Becker to talk about the latest.
As Donald Trump doubles down on his anti-China rhetoric following President Obama’s so-called pivot to Asia, could a coming escalation between the U.S and China actually lead to a war?
The Syrian Army advances in Aleppo with the vast majority of the city now under its control. Opposition forces in the city all but acknowledged defeat as they propose a 5-day ceasefire - will they ever recover? Brian discusses these developments with Syrian journalist Kevork Almassian.
Fidel Castro was buried over the weekend, but his legacy continues to live on in the Cuban Revolution. Yanela Gonzalez joins the show to look at how the revolution brought about tremendous progress for Cuba’s Black population and the country’s contribution to Africa’s liberation struggles.
President Obama gave his final major National Security speech at Central Command in Tampa, Florida last night in which he outlined his administration’s counterterrorism approach, or as he explained it “how he's worked to keep the American people safe at home and abroad”. But is the Obama legacy of endless war and drone strikes really about keeping Americans safe or about maintaining the dominant position of the U.S. Empire?
Donald Trump talks tough against China days after a historic phone call with the President of Taiwan that marked the first direct communication between leaders of the two countries since 1979. Is Trump set to inflame tensions with China further after taking office?
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has resigned after being trounced in a referendum on political reforms. The turbulence in Europe continues with this vote, as well as controversy over the Austrian election and debt relief for Greece. Smolarek talks to John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's Hard Facts.
Donald Trump said that “almost all” of his cabinet positions will be filled this week. However, his picks so far are starkly at odds with much of the populist rhetoric he campaigned on. Anoa Changa, host of the weekly radio show The Way with Anoa, talks about the significance of Carson's appointment and the administration Trump is building.
From the streets of Havana, Cuba, Loud & Clear talks with Andres Gomez, a leader of Cuban-Americans in Miami who have defied the mainstream media's caricature of their community by opposing the US blockade of Cuba. Gomez talks about his discussions with Fidel regarding Cuba's changing approach to the Cuban exile community in Miami; about the terrorist threats that he and others faced in Miami from CIA-backed right wing Cuban groups; about the impact that Fidel Castro had on Cuba and Cubans during the past six decades and about the prospects of U.S.-Cuban relations following Donald Trump's denunciations of Cuba following Fidel's death.
Fidel's initiative to provide free medical scholarships in Cuba for young people from working class communities in the United States is discussed in the second segment with Alexandra Skeeter. Coming from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Alexandra has been in Cuba studying medicine on full scholarship at Cuba's Latin American School of Medicine.
Fidel and Cuba's attitude toward religion and religious organizations is explored in the third segment by Dr. Enrique Aleman of the Quisicuaba Association which operates an inter-denominational outreach program to downtown Havana.
Guests today include Fernando Gonzalez, one of the Cuban Five who spent more than 15 years in U.S. prisons; Luis Moron of ICAP; Gloria La Riva of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee and attorney Julie Felix. La Riva and Felix traveled to Cuba from California to take part in the memorial ceremonies for Fidel.
Our Radio Sputnik team is in Cuba covering the funeral and days of mourning, we will get insight from Cuba on the legacy of this giant of history and the future of the country he led.
Journalist Barrett Brown was released from prison earlier this week after spending years in custody. What does his case tell us about the sorry state of press freedoms in the United States?
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed to deport 100,000 migrants next year as she seeks a fourth term in office. But will her new U-Turn be enough to curb the rise of the far-right, or is her new policy itself an expression of anti-immigrant rhetoric and xenophobia being dominant in the mainstream? Salman Shaheen, editor-in-chief of The World Weekly, joins Becker to discuss if immigration is now by far the biggest issue in European politics.
Cuba continues to remember Fidel Castro during a 9-day period of mourning as the world remembers this giant of history. For World AIDS Day, we’ll look at why Cuba has such as low rate of deaths from AIDS and how the small island country was able to eliminate mother-to-baby HIV transmission as part of its revolution in health care. Dr. Helen Yaffe, a professor at the London School of Economics, discusses Cuba's accomplishments in the field of health.
The Syrian Army and its allies have captured more than a third of the territory held by Islamist forces in the eastern part of the Aleppo in what is being called the biggest setback since 2012 for the opposition to the Syrian government.
The battle lines in France’s presidential election have become clearer after the primary held last weekend by the center-right The Republicans party. President Francois Hollande’s so-called Socialist Party is in dire straights while the danger of the far-right National Front of Marine Le Pen looms. Brian is joined by Eugene Puryear, host of Radio Sputnik's By Any Means Necessary, and Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear.
The Washington Post reported that news outlets such as RT and Sputnik helped to spread “fake news” during the election. Weeks later, there doesn’t appear to be any letting up in the mainstream media’s campaign against alternative news outlets. Cindy Sheehan, anti-war activist, joins the show to talk about the new McCarythism.
Cuba continues to mourn the loss of Fidel Castro as tributes are paid from all corners of the globe, but the corporate media in the United States has spent the last few days slandering him.
Three weeks after the presidential election, the mainstream media continues to attack Russia, alleging that news outlets such as RT and Sputnik helped to spread “fake news” during the election. The new McCarthyism looks set to outlive the election cycle. Becker speaks with Glen Ford, Executive Editor of Black Agenda Report, one of the outlets accused by the Washington Post of spreading "fake news".
Donald Trump appears to be putting together a cabinet of far-right billionaires. Now there is a real tug of war inside the transition team that is fully out in the open. Ted Rall, editorial cartoonist and columnist, joins Becker.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by former CIA analyst and whistleblower John Kiriakou to discuss the latest tension inside the NSA.
The Pentagon and intelligence chiefs are pushing to oust the director of the NSA, but Admiral Michael Rogers is apparently being considered for a post in the Trump administration.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is on his third trip to Latin America since taking office in 2013. With the Trans-Pacific Partnership looking like a no go and Donald Trump coming into office in January, is this the end of the Monroe Doctrine? Patrick Lawrence, writer and columnist, joins Becker to discuss what's next for China-Latin American cooperation.
Vice President-elect Mike Pence said on Sunday that the Trump administration will work on repealing Obamacare “out of the gate”, setting up a confrontation with Congressional Democrats, but even under Obamacare, huge insurance corporations dominate the system. Becker talks to Margaret Flowers, a pediatrician and advocate for single payer health care.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and current political activist and journalist, as well as by editorial cartoonist and writer Ted Rall, whose upcoming book is “Trump: A Graphic Biography”.
Donald Trump has chosen some of the most far right figures in the government and military for top posts in his administration. Jeff Sessions was tapped for Attorney General, Mike Flynn will be National Security Advisor and Mike Pompeo was chosen to be director of the CIA. What do these picks say about the kind of administration Trump is shaping?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by journalist and geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar to discuss President Obama's final trip abroad.
President Obama met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and held a press conference where he talked about the future of U.S.-European relations and his advice to Donald Trump about foreign policy regarding Russia and others.
NSA whistleblower William Binney joins Brian to discuss the resignation of James Clapper as Director of National Intelligence. Under Clapper's watch, a spying apparatus the likes of which the world has never seen was constructed.
The House of Representatives has extended sanctions against Iran for another decade. It is expected that the Senate will also pass the bill and President Obama will sign it before leaving office. Are we on the brink of a renewed round of U.S. aggression against Iran? Phil Wilayto, author of the book “In Defense of Iran: Notes from a U.S. Peace Delegation's Journey Through the Islamic Republic,” discusses what the renewal of the sanctions means for Iran.
President Obama is meeting European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel today, and will meet with the leaders of Italy, France and Britain on Friday. Coming as it does following the election of Donald Trump what is the main agenda of Obama in Europe?
Russia and the Syrian Army have launched a major offensive to retake all of Aleppo from Islamist forces while Russian airstrikes in Idlib may represent a new phase in the Syria war. Becker speaks with Syrian journalist Kevork Almassian about what's next in Syria's war.
When Donald Trump takes office on January 20th, he will oversee and control the largest surveillance machine in history. How did this police state get constructed and what kind of powers will Trump have? Joining Becker is former CIA analyst and case officer John Kiriakou.
Trump’s transition team has written a memo outlining his plan for the first 200 days of his presidency. One major area of focus for Trump will be to start renegotiating deals that he is opposed to from his first day in the White House, especially NAFTA.
President Obama arrived in Greece yesterday on his final overseas trip before Donald Trump takes office in January. He will be seeking to reassure Europe and NATO of the enduring bonds between them and the United States. But will his words be enough to calm fears about a shift in U.S. foreign policy? Becker is joined by Sputnik International political analyst Dimitri Babich.
The resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline continues as a day of action saw more than 200 protest across the country Tuesday. Is this part of a new wave of mass protest in the United States? Becker speaks with Kandi Mossett, the Indigenous Environmental Network’s Lead Organizer on the Extreme Energy & Just Transition Campaign.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined Ben Norton, political staff writer at Salon.com, and by Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary.
One week has passed since the shock of Donald Trump winning the presidential election. As Trump makes decisions on who he will fill his cabinet with, eyebrows in Washington are already being raised about the appointment of Stephen Bannon as his chief strategist. What will his other cabinet picks indicate about his administration's policies?
Just hours after Donald Trump became the President elect, mass protests saw tens of thousands come into the streets all across the country to proclaim that “Trump is not my president”. As Trump met with the President yesterday to plan what Obama says he wants to be a “smooth transition”, will it be anything but that in the streets and in Black, Latino, immigrant, LGBTQ and Muslim communities? With the country deeply polarized, are we now entering into a period of mass resistance to all that Trump represents?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by editorial cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall; Gloria La Riva, 2016 Presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation; and Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear; to discuss the shocking victory of Donald Trump as President-elect of the United States.
As the news that Trump will be the next President and Commander In Chief sinks in, the country and the world continue to react. What does Trump’s victory as someone who entered the race as a complete outsider with no prior political experience mean for both U.S. politics and the world? How did he tap into the disaffection of millions of people by taking on the establishment, and how did it all go so wrong for Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party? Would things have been different in Bernie Sanders had been the Democratic nominee, and will a Trump presidency be ushered in amidst mass protest against his divisive policies?
As the people of the United States determine whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will become the next President, Clinton was let off the hook by the FBI once again over the weekend over her e-mail scandal, but Trump has been gaining on her in the polls. A sense of alarm has gripped the centers of political power in the United States.
As the traditional media has largely rallied to Clinton’s cause during the campaign, Google, Facebook and big tech companies too could very well play a decisive but invisible role in how the vote goes tonight. How important have these companies been in providing support to Hillary’s campaign? Becker speaks with Dr. Robert Epstein, the former editor of Psychology Today, who has published research into Google's manipulation of the elections.
As protests continue at Standing Rock against the Dakota Access Pipeline, a trial has started against activists in who have been engaging in civil disobedience against waste from fracked gas wells in Pennsylvania being brought to New York State. Does Hillary Clinton want them to “get a life”? Jodi Dean and Stephanie Redmond, anti-fracking activists from We Are Seneca Lake, join Becker to discuss the movement in New York State.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Drew Penrose, Legal Director at the election reform advocacy organization FairVote, and by Bob Schlehuber, producer of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary with Eugene Puryear.
Tomorrow’s the presidential election in the United States, but how democratic is the system really? Becker looks at how the boundaries of electoral constituencies have been used to undermine democracy, and the unpopular system known as the electoral college.
Nicaragua’s elections took place yesterday with the Sandinistas and President Daniel Ortega achieving victory once again for a third consecutive time since 2006. What accounts for the success and popularity of the Sandinistas today, 37 years after their revolution first ushered them to power? Louise Richards, Trade Union and Communications Coordinator for the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Action Group (NSCAG) in the UK, joins Becker to discuss the importance of the FSLN victory.
The Pentagon has awarded Lockheed Martin a $6.1 billion contract for new F-35 fighter planes, but the company isn’t happy with the decision, which was made only by the Pentagon. Could it be that the F-35 program has been deemed less profitable than originally expected? Pierre Sprey, a lead member of the designer team for the F-16, joins Becker.
Pilger recently published his most newest article "Inside the Invisible Government: War, Propaganda, Clinton & Trump". He also just interviewed Julian Assange, who confirmed to him that it was not Russia that provided WikiLeaks with the Clinton e-mails. Pilger talks about why Clinton has resorted to calling Trump a pawn of Russia and many Republicans have broken party ranks to declare their support for the Democratic candidate, including many architects of the war in Iraq. Why are the CIA and the Pentagon throwing their weight behind Clinton? How does the media play a role in garnering support for the next war? Pilger discusses these issues and many more during this wide ranging interview.
Iraqi Special Forces have entered the city limits as heavy fighting is raging with Daesh, which has been holding the city since for almost two and a half years. As fighting intensifies, a war of words is also being waged between Turkey and Iraq, with the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi saying his country does not want war but is ready for confrontation if it happens.
The International Criminal Court is set to open an investigation into war crimes in Afghanistan, which would mean the United States being openly investigated for the first time in the history of the court. Could the U.S. actually be prosecuted under the ICC, or is the investigation just a ploy for the organization to appear relevant and impartial? Becker is joined by Christopher Black, an international criminal lawyer based in Toronto who is on the list of counsel at the ICC.
The U.S. election is now just five days away, but although millions of Americans will cast ballots, the popular vote won’t be the determining factor in who becomes President. Instead, the electoral college will have the final say. What is this system, how does it work, and could it override the will of the people? Richard Winger of Ballot Access News speaks to Becker about why the electoral college exists and what affect it could have on November 8.
Al-Nusra and other Islamist forces attacked government held areas of the city for days, with scores of civilians killed. Yet the mainstream media was almost completely silent. Is the Syrian government gearing up for a major offensive to retake the country's largest city?
The resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline in Standing Rock continues as repression intensifies. Today marks the the anniversary of North and South Dakota becoming states in 1889, but how was the land stolen from Native people in the first place? Steve Russell, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Texas trial court judge and associate professor emeritus of Criminal Justice at Indiana University-Bloomington, joins Becker to talk about the history of Native struggle in the Dakotas.
Less than one week until election day, the campaign has taken yet another twist as the FBI reopens an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s e-mails. Meanwhile, the Clinton camp continues to drum up anti-Russia sentiment to cover up their scandals. Becker is joined by Dinea Evans, a national delegate to the Democratic National Convention for Bernie Sanders, and Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear.
One week before the presidential election, the bleeding continues for the Clinton campaign after the FBI reopened its e-mail investigation on Friday. What’s really behind this bombshell, and is it enough to change the course of the race?
The Prime Minister of Iraq’s Kurdish region says he will push for independence from Baghdad once the battle for Mosul has been won. How would a fracturing of Iraq affect both the region and the world, and who would benefit the most from a Balkanization of the country? Becker is joined by with John Wight, the host of Radio Sputnik's weekly show Hard Facts, to discuss what's next for Iraq.
Secretary of State John Kerry attended talks on Libya yesterday with the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany. With the war drums beating in western capitals against Syria, NATO powers are plotting to plunge the region even deeper into chaos. Ben Norton, staff writer at Salon.com, joins Becker.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker looks at the content of some of the most shocking of the tens of thousands of e-mails from Hillary Clinton’s campaign chair John Podesta that have been released by WikiLeaks.
The Clinton camp says that WikiLeaks is a tool of the Russian government, but what’s really inside the cables Clinton doesn’t want you to see?
Becker is joined today for the full hour by Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, the Executive Director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund; by Eugene Puryear, the host of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary; and by Michael Prysner, Iraq war-veteran turned anti-war organizer and producer for The Empire Files on TeleSur.
The United States has announced it will commence with an operation to take Raqqa before the end of the battle to retake Mosul in Iraq. However, confusion exists over who the ground forces will be that the U.S. will give air support to as the coalition struggles to train Arab militias capable of fighting in the battle. Turkey wants in on the operation, but their Kurdish adversaries are likely to also be involved. Is the U.S. acting with haste in Syria?
Iceland’s parliamentary elections take place on Saturday with a relatively new political force called the Pirate Party expected to do well or even win. The party wants to grant Edward Snowden citizenship and advocates a platform of direct democracy. Becker is joined by one of the Party's candidates in the coming election Oktavia Hrund, as well as by José Tirado, a Puerto Rican poet and political writer living in Iceland.
As Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen that was launched in March 2015 continues to drag on, western countries continue to sell the Saudi government arms despite the pleas of human rights organizations. Are the goals of Saudi Arabia in Yemen the same as those of the United States and the UK? What does the conflict in Yemen mean for the wider region and the world? Catherine Shakdam, author and political commentator, joins Becker to talk about these issues which are discussed her new book entitled "A Tale Of Grand Resistance – Yemen, the Wahhabi, and the House of Saud."
John Kerry delivered the speech last night, highlighting his so-called accomplishments as Secretary of State in President Obama’s administration and a desperate plea to pass the TPP or Transpacific Partnership to keep control over Asia.
Peace talks between the FARC and Colombian government have resumed in Havana after a referendum voted down a previous deal earlier this month. Now the country’s second largest rebel group, the ELN, is also getting ready to sit down with the government. Are prospects for peace still likely? Becker is joined by Mario Murillo, a Professor of communication at Hofstra University and a longtime former host of Wakeup Call on WBAI-Pacifica.
The European Union and Canada were set to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, today in Belgium, but the deal was blocked by Belgium. How does CETA compare to the TTIP trade pact, and how does its apparent failure impact the prospects of that deal? Becker speaks with Professor Steve Keen, author and lecturer at Kingston University.
High-ranking Russian military leaders have announced that the U.S. strike targeted a girls school and other civilian infrastructure near Mosul. Is the U.S. military yet again massacring Iraqi civilians? Why has the mainstream media been silent on a series of U.S. coalition strikes in Iraq while accusing Russia of war crimes in Syria?
Turkey’s Justice Minister has arrived in the United States for talks with Attorney General Loretta Lynch aimed at having the U.S. hand over Fethullah Gulen, the man Turkey accuses of being behind July’s coup attempt. With Turkey-U.S. relations rocky since the coup, what will it mean if the U.S. refuses to give Gulen up? Becker is joined by Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst, to talk about what's next for relations between the two countries.
AT&T is paying $85.4 billion to buy Time Warner, the company that controls both CNN and HBO, but both presidential candidates have raised questions about the deal with Donald Trump saying that he would block it. Timothy Karr, the Senior Director of Strategy at FreePress, speaks with Becker about why the candidates are concerned about the deal and if it actually has anything to do with the well being of America's working class.
As the battle for Mosul continues, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter co-chairs a meeting of the anti-Daesh coalition in France. But these are the powers that fragmented Iraq in the first place.
Syrian government forces continue their drive to liberate the eastern part of Aleppo from the opposition forces including al-Nusra and like-minded groups, as Russia says it is not considering a new truce. This comes after the UN said it was opening an inquiry into war crimes committed by Syria and Russia -- but is that just a western ploy for push for their intervention? Becker speaks to Syrian journalist Alaa Ebrahim who joins him from Damascus.
Venezuela is on edge as supporters of President Nicolas Maduro have been rallying to stop possible right-wing attempts at a coup against the United Socialist Party government. This came after the recall referendum against Maduro was put on hold amid allegations of widespread fraud on the part of the right-wing opposition. Becker speaks to Dr. Francisco Dominguez about what's ahead for Venezuela.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by filmmaker Mojtaba Masood to discuss if the liberation of Mosul from Daesh will mean thousands of the group's fighters crossing the border to fight the Syrian government.
As a patchwork of forces continue the offensive to wrest control of Mosul from the so-called Islamic State, could thousands of Daesh fighters soon flood Syria? And what would such a development mean for mean for the war in that country?
Britain will begin reviewing its arms sales to Saudi Arabia in the wake of recent Saudi airstrikes on a funeral in Yemen that left 140 dead. But the military and political elites may value their relationship with the Saudi regime far too much to really make a break. Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris, editor in chief of The Duran.
The migrant camp in Calais, France known as “the Jungle” is due to be razed in the coming days, but what will become of the thousands who have been living in the camp with the intention of coming to the UK? Salman Shaheen, edtor of The World Weekly, and Edward Jonkler, independent journalist, join Becker to discuss the issue.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte announced his separation from the United States in Beijing, saying that the U.S. had “lost” and that he was aligning with China’s “ideological flow”. Will Duterte’s pivot to China be followed by closer cooperation with Russia?
Resistance continues to mount to the neoliberal coup government of Michel Temer in Brazil, as the politician who orchestrated the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff has been arrested on corruption charges. Becker is joined by Dr. Francisco Dominguez, senior lecturer at Middlesex University, and by Brazilian-British journalist Victor Fraga, to discuss what's next for the movement against neoliberalism in Brazil.
In an impressive show of hypocrisy, the European Union summit has condemned Russia for attacks on civilians in Syria despite being one of the early instigators of the civil war. With all its internal troubles, the bloc seems intent on projecting power around the world. John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's Hard Facts, joins Becker to discuss if the EU is really as united on Russia, trade, migration and other issues as it claims to be.
The last presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump has taken place. As perhaps the most bizarre election cycle in U.S. history enters its final stretch, what will the lasting effects the country's politics be? Does Clinton really have it in the bag? No matter who emerges victorious, the people will need to be in the streets defending our basic rights - either from neo-liberal warhawk Clinton or hate-mongering bigot Donald Trump.
Brian is joined by Gloria La Riva, 2016 Presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Peace and Freedom Party and Liberty Union Party; by Kevin Akin, the chair of the Peace and Freedom Party; and by Jeremy Kuzmarov, Professor of American History at the University of Tulsa and author of the book “Modernizing Repression: Police Training and Nation Building in the American Century”.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by political cartoonist and writer Ted Rall to preview tonight's presidential debate.
With election day now just under three weeks away, what will the candidates say about immigration, foreign policy, and the economy? Will tonight’s debate be another empty media circus for the two most unpopular candidates in a very long time?
The United States bombed Houthi positions after accusing the movement, which controls Yemen’s capital, of firing missiles at an American warship off the coast of the country -- but now the Pentagon has admitted that they are not sure that any missiles were ever launched by the Houthis. Mark Sleboda, international security and affairs analyst, discusses what may have taken place.
While the Syrian government is preparing to liberate eastern Aleppo from the last of the terrorist forces in the city such as al-Nusra, Hillary Clinton has said removing Bashar al-Assad from power is her number one priority in Syria, and over the weekend a “no bombing zone” was discussed in London. What would this entail and who would stand to benefit? Kevork Almassian, a Syrian journalist originally from Aleppo, joins Becker.
New information has come to light that shows the lows to which senior Newsweek writer Kurt Eichenwald and many other mainstream media outlets stooped to smear Sputnik news and deflect attention from Hillary Clinton’s mounting scandals. Former Sputnik editor Bill Moran’s piece “I Am Vladimir Putin: The First Victim of McCarthyism 2.0” sheds light on the truth.
Anti-Russia hysteria continues to intensify. Vice President Joe Biden has openly said that the U.S. will launch a cyber attack on Russia, remarks that drew a sharp rebuke from Moscow, and RT in the UK has had its bank accounts closed down.
The Iraqi Army and Kurdish forces are advancing on Iraq's second largest city under the cover of U.S. airstrikes. Is this the last stand for Daesh in Iraq? Brian is joined by journalist and political analyst Roshan Muhammad Salih to discuss the start of the military operation to retake Mosul.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Joelle Lingat, Secretary General of Anakbayan, to discuss Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to China.
Is Duterte's trip a typical visit abroad, or is he in the midst of making a pivot to China? With his rhetoric towards the United States heating up, could the century old relationship with Washington actually be broken? What would it mean for the region and for Obama’s pivot to Asia?
President Obama will deliver a speech today at a high school in Washington, DC outlining what he says is the progress his administration has made to improve education over the past eight years. But does his narrative gel with the reality that many educators and students face across the country? Becker is joined by Curry Malott, a Professor of Education at West Chester University to discuss Obama's education legacy.
The Republican Civil War is still in full swing after perhaps the most disastrous stretch of Donald Trump’s campaign. The Republican donor class, which regularly injects hundreds of millions of dollars into election campaigns, seems to largely be sitting it out when it comes to the top of the ticket. Ted Rall, editorial cartoonist and writer, joins Becker.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker discusses the fallout from the Podesta e-mail leaks and ongoing anti-Russia hysteria with Daniel McAdams of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity.
Without facts or evidence the mantra that Russia is trying to swing the election to Donald Trump is being promoted by Hillary Clinton, the mainstream media and the entire Democratic Party establishment. They also allege that Wikileaks is a tool of Russia, and are now up in arms about Donald Trump supposedly quoting what they call “Russian propaganda”.
After Brexit, is the United Kingdom heading for a split? Scotland could soon enough be independent, as the leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon signals that consultations on a second independence referendum will get underway next week. John Wight, host of Radio Spuntik's Hard Facts, discusses the prospects of Scottish independence and how the move by Sturgeon will be met by the government in London.
The United States bombed Yemen yesterday in what it called limited airstrikes targeting the positions of Houthis. The strikes came just days after Saudi Arabia bombed a funeral killing over 140 people. Does this point to a growing overt U.S. role in Saudi’s war on Yemen?
On Tuesday, Russia said that the U.S. Global Missile Defence System is posing a threat to free and safe use of outer space. With Russia and China both opposed to the buildup of U.S. anti-missile systems around the world and the new arms race taking shape, will the new Cold War extend even beyond the earth?
Ahead of the battle to retake Mosul from the so-called Islamic State, Turkey has refused to withdraw its troops from Iraq. As confrontation heats up between Ankara and Baghdad, will the war against Daesh be followed by yet another bloody regional conflict? Becker is joined by journalists Alexander Mercouris and Alex Christoforou to talk about the plans of President Erdogan in Iraq.
During the protests in Ferguson and Baltimore against the murders of Michael Brown and Freddie Gray, the police got extra help from social media networks and a tech startup that helped them to track activists. What does the newest revelation about the surveillance state tell us about the war on dissent and protest? Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, discusses the revelations.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by journalist Ben Norton and former CIA analyst John Kiriakou to discuss the newest emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman that have been released by WikiLeaks.
This is third batch of emails from John Podesta that WikiLeaks has revealed to the public, with Julian Assange saying the organization has over 50,000 total emails. Could the e-mails do serious damage to her campaign?
Russian President Vladimir Putin has cancelled his trip to France in the aftermath of Russia’s veto of a French UN Security Council Resolution on Syria and the failure of a resolution proposed by Russia. France also said it was looking at options for Russia at the International Criminal Court. Are we close to an extremely dangerous escalation in Syria’s five and a half year war? Peter Lavelle, host of RT's flagship program CrossTalk, joins Becker to discuss the where the France-Russia relationship is headed.
The release of an audio tape of Donald Trump revealing his vile misogynst comments about women has accelerated the implosion inside the Republican Party. To talk about where this is heading, Becker speaks with Anoa Changa, host of the weekly progressive talk show The Way with Anoa and a contributor to the Benjamin Dixon Show.
Prashad's book The Death of the Nation and the Future of the Arab Revolution aims to address where the Arab world is heading. In early 2011, uprisings swept across northern Africa and the Middle East. The toppling of the Ben Ali government in Tunisia quickly gave way to mass protests in Egypt that brought about the ouster of the U.S.-backed Hosni Mubarak government after 30 years in power. But the Arab Spring soon turned to winter, as NATO intervened in Libya to topple the Muammar Gaddafi government and the U.S., western and Gulf states armed rebels in Syria.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by history professors and authors Peter Kuznick and Jeremy Kuzmarov, as well as Brian Terrell, long standing peace activist co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence and Dr. Jacob Diliberto, a researcher at the University of Birmingham and an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran.
Today marks the 15th anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan by the United States and Britain. The start of what was called Operation Enduring Freedom came less than a month after the attacks of 9/11 and ushered in George W. Bush’s “War on Terror” that led to the U.S. occupation of Iraq starting in March 2003. But today the Taliban that the U.S. removed from power controls more territory in Afghanistan than it did in 2001, and almost 10,000 U.S. troops remain in the country. Will the United States ever actually withdraw from Afghanistan?
Brian is joined by NSA whistle-blower William Binney to discuss the revelation that an NSA contractor was recently arrested for allegedly taking secret information.
The New York Times revealed that the FBI recently arrested an NSA contractor who was appeared to be preparing to blow the whistle on surveillance activities. Did the U.S. government thwart another Edward Snowden-type situation? This comes on the heels of news that hundreds of millions of Yahoo email accounts have been scanned using a custom made software program in order to comply with demands from the U.S government.
Are we witnessing an unprecedented escalation in Syria? After the U.S. suspended communication with Russia earlier this week, military action against Damascus was back on the table at the White House yesterday. But is Obama likely to take such drastic measures? Brian is joined by Syrian journalist and political analyst Kevork Almassian and by political writer Diana Johnstone.
Finally, Loud & Clear producer Walter Smolarek discusses with Brian the IMF and World Bank annual meetings that begin in Washington, DC tomorrow. This year an atmosphere of gloom hangs over them. As opposition to globalization rises and nationalist sentiments increase, what will policy makers try to accomplish?
The only Vice Presidential debate before November’s election took place last night, with Tim Kaine and Mike Pence going head to head. What did we learn about the two candidates who represent the right-wing and the ultra-right of the U.S. political spectrum? The sparring focused on the top of the ticket while Pence tried to harden Trump’s war hawk credentials.
The head to head between Tim Kaine and Mike Pence this evening is the only debate between Clinton and Trump's running mates before November’s election. Both will have a right-wing record to defend.
In a shocking result, the people of Colombia voted “no” on a referendum on whether to accept the peace deal between the government and the FARC. What does this mean for a country that has been at war for 52 years? Professor and radio host Mario Murillo joins Becker to explain what happened and what's next for Colombia.
Trade negotiators scrambled yesterday to get talks on the Trans Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) back on track as the 15th round of negotiations started. But with such major opposition on both sides of the Atlantic, are the talks really pointless? Mark Dearn, senior campaign coordinator for War on Want, speaks with Becker about the talks and if they are futile.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Bill Ayers, author of the new book Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto, for the full hour.
Eight years ago in the run up to the presidential election, Barack Obama faced allegations that was connected to, and was perhaps even friends, with a so-called “domestic terrorist.” This year’s Republican nominee Donald Trump also once suggested that it was none other than Bill Ayers who wrote Obama’s memoir.
Though his life as a member of the Weather Underground in the 1960s and 70s is often discussed, less attention is given to his work as an award-winning educator and his work in curriculum and instruction. He has released over twenty books, many on education but also memoirs and political works. In Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto, Ayers discusses the progressive causes and anti-war activism that he has long been a champion of, and how these movements can lead to a fundamentally different world.
After the breakdown of the ceasefire, Russia says the U.S. failed to separate moderate rebels from terrorists, as the U.S. rattles the saber and alludes to a military intervention.
President Obama will send 600 more U.S. troops to Iraq in the last months of his presidency. 13 years after its murderous invasion of Iraq, over 5,000 troops remain in the country, managing the sectarian bloodletting that the U.S. occupation instigated. Becker speaks with Iraqi-American journalist Raed Jarrar about why Obama is sending more troops into the country while not referring to them as "boots on the ground."
The resistance to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline continues at Standing Rock as the government intensifies its repression. 21 were arrested this Wednesday during a peaceful protest, but activists are showing no signs of going anywhere despite the brutal tactics from military style law enforcement. Dennis Banks, co-founder of the American Indian Movement in 1968 and 2016 Vice Presidential candidate of the Peace and Freedom Party in California, discusses the protests and history of Standing Rock resistance.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by former CIA analyst Ray McGovern to react to the Dutch-led investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 releasing its first report yesterday.
The Joint Investigative Team's conclusion was that a BUK missile delivered from Russia was responsible for the downing of the plane, but should this now be taken as established fact? Or has the Joint Investigative Team been allowed to fabricate evidence?
The Senate has overwhelmingly overturned President Obama’s veto on a bill that would allow U.S. citizens to sue foreign governments for terrorism on U.S. soil. What are the ramifications if 9/11 survivors and family members are soon able to sue Saudi Arabia? Becker is joined by Sam Sacks, co-host of Radio Sputnik's Unanimous Dissent.
Fifteen years have passed since 25,000 people joined the first major anti-war demonstration of the post-9/11 period in Washington, DC just weeks after the attacks. The protest was the first action coordinated by the newly established ANSWER Coalition and inaugurated a new, 21st century anti-war movement. Sarah Sloan of the ANSWER Coalition joins Becker to discuss the importance of the protest and the establishment of the organization.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Nantina Vgontzas, Sociology PhD student at New York University, and Cassandra Fairbanks, Sputnik News reporter, to discuss if elections in the United States are really as free and fair as the establishment would like to have us believe.
Although the U.S. regularly lectures other countries on the need for fair elections, there are serious flaws in the U.S. voting system that are compounded by inequality. This has serious implications for how people view democracy in the United States - or the lack thereof.
Google has released its new instant messaging app called Allo. The company says it is revolutionary, but Edward Snowden has warned people against using the app. Is Google Allo the perfect tool for the surveillance state? Becker is joined by Professor Bryan Ford, who leads the Decentralized/Distributed Systems lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.
Israel has teamed up with Facebook to monitor what it says are comments on social media that incite violence. But as the arrest of seven journalists from the Shehab News Agency and Quds News Network this week shows, the relationship is really about undermining the Palestinian movement in general, and any kind of criticism of Israel’s apartheid policies.
Brian spends the full hour analyzing the first presidential debate with Gloria La Riva, the 2016 Presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation; Anoa Changa, host of the weekly progressive talk show The Way with Anoa; and by Bob Schlehuber, producer of Radio Sputnik’s By Any Means Necessary with Eugene Puryear.
More hollow rhetoric last night as two of the wealthiest and most hated people in the country clashed at the presidential debate. Why were only two people allowed on the debate stage? Who runs the show? The exhausting race to the White House continues with more lies and more empty promises.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker looks ahead to tonight's first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
He is joined by Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF) and by Ben Norton, a journalist and staff writer at Salon.com.
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton finally go head to head tonight in the first presidential debate in the run up to November’s election. How did we get to this point in U.S. politics that this election matchup was between two of the most unpopular candidates in US history?
European Union trade ministers continue meeting in Bratislava today to discuss trade liberalization including the TTIP. But as Obama used his UN speech earlier this week as a rallying cry for free trade, does the agreement actually have any chance of passing. Worldwide opposition is growing against the corporate takeover of the world.
Powerful U.S. B1-B Lancer hypersonic bombers flew across South Korea earlier this week, landing just minutes away from the 38th parallel that has divided the country since the end of the Second World War. Brian is joined by Christine Ahn,co-founder of the Korea Policy Institute and Executive Director of Women Cross DMZ.
The U.S. presidential election results won’t be in until November 8th, but voting begins today in Minnesota. How is it possible that ballots can be cast before the two major candidates even debate each other? And how much do election laws differ from state to state? Brian discusses these issues and more with Richard Winger, publisher and editor of Ballot Access News.
The company's chief executive John Stumpf came under intense scrutiny from a panel of Senators and was urged to resign by Elizabeth Warren as a scandal over bogus accounts rocked the company. But will anybody complicit in Wells Fargo’s crimes actually face prison time?
Yesterday marked 40 years since a former Chilean diplomat’s life was taken in a bombing in the streets of Washington, D.C. Who was Orlando Letelier and why was he targeted in the capital of the United States by a military dictatorship installed in a CIA orchestrated coup? Becker speaks with Chilean historian and author Victor Figeuroa Clark.
Hillary Clinton was nowhere to be found at the Clinton Global Initiative’s final annual summit, as President Obama also kept his distance from this year’s event. But will both of them staying away do anything to improve the image of the Clinton Foundation? Daniel McAdams, executive director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity, joins Becker.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker analyzes President Obama's speech at the United Nations with Peter Lavelle, host of RT’s flagship show CrossTalk; Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history at the University of Tulsa; Ted Rall, award-winning editorial cartoonist and author; and Walter Smolarek, Loud & Clear producer.
Obama's final speech at the General Assembly marked one of his final chances to sum up his legacy before leaving office in January 2017. Obama gave a sweeping speech attacking right-wing populism and nationalism while calling for global integration: but was it simply language designed to draw support for free trade agreements like the TTIP and TPP? He also addressed the refugee crisis, urging world leaders to do more, but refused to acknowledge the major role the United States has played in creating the crisis through its endless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Obama sniped at Russia trying to "recover its lost glory by force", but didn't shed any light on the U.S. regime change operations across the globe. Was Obama's speech another case of window dressing combined with hypocrisy?
Did the rebel groups use the last few days to regroup and prepare to launch a new offensive? The Russian military says that only the government forces have actually been observing the truce, and the United States killed scores of Syrian government soldiers in an airstrike it claims was a mistake.
Ahmad Khan Rahami, the main suspect in the string of bombings in New York and New Jersey, has been captured following a shootout with police. Politicians immediately jumped in following the blasts to make them a campaign issue. What are the consequences when politics and a massive manhunt collide? Becker speaks with John Kiriakou, a former CIA analyst and case officer, and Dr. Douglas Weeks, he is a counter-terrorism expert and Visiting Research Fellow at the London Metropolitan University
Donald Trump appears to be surging with new polls suggesting a shift towards him in the electoral map. With Trump and Clinton are tied across many battleground states, could Donald Trump actually become the president? Anoa Changa, host of the weekly progressive talk show The Way with Anoa and contributor to the Benjamin Dixon Show, joins Becker to talk about the Trump surge.
Today, Brian spends the full hour addressing the election and the drumbeat of militaristic anti-Russia rhetoric. Brian is joined from New York by journalist and writer Ben Norton, a politics reporter and staff writer at Salon.com. Brian is also joined from Moscow by Clinton Ehrlich, a visiting researcher at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, and by Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and now political activist and journalist.
This year’s U.S. presidential election is now less than two months away, but is a foreign government working to determine whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump take office? The Clinton campaign and much of the mainstream media would like you to think so. With frequent allegations being hurled against Russia by the Democratic establishment, do any of the accusations actually add up? Are Americans losing faith in the political system because of the machinations of Moscow, or is that discontent actually entirely homegrown?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined for the full hour by lawyer and political activist Kevin Zeese and economics professor Steve Keen to discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
The Obama administration is making a last ditch effort to get the trade deal passed by the end of the year. With both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton opposed to the trade pact and the window of opportunity shrinking for Obama, can it actually pass? Or is the deal already doomed for failure like its companion piece, the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), appears to be? What would the failure of the TPP mean for the U.S. in the Asia Pacific and Obama's pivot?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Adrian Bonifacio, the National Chairperson of Anakbayan-USA, and Nap Pempeña, Vice-Chairperson of Anakbayan-USA to discuss if the U.S. military is on the verge of being kicked out of the Philippines.
President Rodrigo Duterte has said that U.S. special forces troops have to go from the southern island of Mindanao and blamed resentment from the local Muslim population on their presence. As the Philippines begins to assert an independent foreign policy, the U.S. government is sure to attempt to keep its grip on the country.
Muslims held Eid al-adha celebrations earlier this week in France in a climate of growing Islamophobia. With the burkini ban a topic of intense debate and mainstream politicians pandering to fears over the state of secularism, will anti-Muslim bigotry be the dominant issue of the 2017 election? Becker is joined by Hafsa Kara Mustapha.
Whistleblower Chelsea Manning has started a hunger strike, protesting what she calls bullying on the part of the U.S. government and prison system and demanding “dignity, respect and humanity.” Will the government grant her demands? Michael Prysner, an anti-war activist and former U.S. Marine who took part in the occupation of Iraq, discusses the important of Chelsea Manning and her action.
The landmark agreement was reached by Russia and the United States last week, but with some rebel factions refusing to accept the ceasefire, will fighting continue to rage in parts of the country? Will the U.S. and Russia team up in the fight against al-Nusra at the conclusion of the week, and is the agreement the most realistic prospect for a solution to the Syrian war yet?
Yesterday, Sputnik released an exclusive story on research conducted by Dr. Robert Epstein that shows that Google is using search suggestions to manipulate the election in favor of Hillary Clinton. Becker is joined by Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, founder of the Partnership For Civil Justice Fund (PCJF) to talk about the research and what it means for democracy in the United States.
The National Football League season kicked off on Sunday, with more players joining in protest of the national anthem. Becker talks with Gerald Horne, the John J. and Rebecca Moores Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston, about the anthem’s history and its racist content, and if this unprecedented display of protest is bound to grow.
Brian talks with Dr. Robert Epstein, an author and research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, to bring you a very special edition of Loud & Clear with an exclusive, breaking story.
Google’ manipulation of search suggestions could pose a serious threat to democracy. A Sputnik exclusive reveals that a team of psychological researchers, led by by Dr. Epstein, found that this may be the case. Previously, Dr. Epstein unmasked that Google has the power to influence an election or even determine the winner - the search engine manipulation effect (SEME). Now Dr. Epstein has published new research pointing to the existence of a new phenomenon - search suggestion effect.
Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 that ushered in George W. Bush’s war on terror. Fifteen years later, have any U.S. goals been achieved as this endless war continues to inflict unimaginable suffering on people around the world?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Margaret Stevens, history professor at Essex County College and a member of the advisory board of Veterans for Peace, Mazda Majidi, a contributor to LiberationNews.org and co-author of the book “Socialists and War: Two Opposing Trends”, and by Walter Smolarek, a producer of Loud & Clear and co-author of a forthcoming book about Hillary Clinton’s foreign and domestic policy.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have outlined their foreign policy views in a nationally televised “Commander-In-Chief” forum, with each trying to out maneuver the other to appear more militaristic. How would Clinton and Trump handle the war in Syria? Are both ready and willing to break international law to assert U.S. dominance around the globe? Is it true that Trump wants a better relationship with Russia? And what do the candidates have to say on veterans issues, including the extremely high suicide rate, PTSD and depression faced by returning soldiers?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by political analysts Alexander Mercouris and Mark Sleboda to analyze why Russia and the United States failed to come to an agreement on Syria at the G20 Summit.
Obama and Putin met for about 90 minutes on the sidelines of the summit, in addition to a meeting between Secretary of State Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov. President Obama says that “gaps of trust” exist between the U.S. and Russia and that has hampered any kind of agreement on Syria. What really happened at the G20? Is it just a trust issue?
Obama has become the first U.S. President to visit Laos where he will attend the ASEAN Summit. Is Obama trying to lure Laos into a closer relationship to counter China? Becker is joined by writer and columnist Patrick Lawrence, whose latest book is “Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century”, to discuss the meaning of Obama's historic visit.
Could the U.S pivot to Asia be undermined by tension with the Philippines? Obama has scrapped a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte, but does the real problem lay in the Philippines wanting an independent foreign policy? Bernadette Ellorin, chairperson of BAYAN-USA, talks about what the rise of Duterte means for the future of U.S.-Philippines relations.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Steve Keen, author and economist as well as professor of economics at Kingston University, as well as by international security and affairs analyst Mark Sleboda.
The annual G20 Summit starts wrapped up yesterday. It was the first of the meetings of the world’s twenty largest economies to be held in China, showcasing the country’s rapid growth in recent years. But as world leaders and central bank governors converged on China, where is the global economy heading? Can global discontent with free trade agreements be curbed? Are the largest proposed free trade deals -- the TPP and TTIP -- already dead? Can summits like the G20 do much to alleviate political tensions, from NATO's conflict with Russia to the war in Syria?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by former CIA analyst and activist Ray McGovern to analyze Hillary Clinton's speech to the American Legion.
Clinton addressed the Legion’s National Convention in Cincinnati on Wednesday, threatening China, Russia and Iran in a chest-thumping and highly militaristic speech. Is she the second coming of George W. Bush?
Also on Wednesday, in a surreal scene, Donald Trump spoke alongside Mexico’s President Enrique Nieto in Mexico City. But his softer tone there quickly vanished when he gave his major immigration speech saying that Mexico would 100 percent pay for a wall and promised mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. Becker is joined by Juan Jose Gutierrez of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition and Gloria La Riva, 2016 Presidential candidate of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
The integrity of U.S. elections has been making headlines recently as the Clinton camp throws accusations about Russian hacking and the Trump campaign speaks vaguely about voting in key states being “rigged” and “cheating going on”. But is it actually companies such as Google that have the biggest chance of swaying the results of the upcoming election? Joining Becker to decipher the truth behind the manipulation of elections is Dr. Robert Epstein, author and Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology.
On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker reacts to the news that Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff has been removed from office after her impeachment trial came to a close Wednesday afternoon.
Becker is joined for the full hour by geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar and Brazilian-British activist Victor Fraga of Democracy for Brazil UK. Dilma Rousseff has been removed from office following her impeachment trial as more than two thirds of the Upper House votes for her ouster. Michel Temer takes the reigns of the Presidency, but will his government have any legitimacy in the eyes of the people? Is the end of progressive rule in Brazil, or merely the beginning of a protracted struggle? And how will the new political situation in the country affect both the continent and global geopolitics?
With Hillary Clinton well ahead of Trump in the polls, there has been talk of the Trump campaign modifying its views on immigration, with Trump himself speaking of "softening" his position. But does this make Trump any less of a bigot?
France has called on an end to talks on the TTIP - which has been strongly criticized by labor and consumer groups - days after Germany’s economy minister said the deal had failed. Political leaders in Germany and France are blaming the U.S. Becker is joined by Nick Dearden, the director of Global Justice Now to discuss if TTIP is really dead.
Today marks six years since the United States combat mission in Iraq officially ended. Becker talks to legendary British parliamentarian and anti-war fighter George Galloway about the policy of endless war in Iraq.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Brazilian journalist Pepe Escobar to discuss the speech of Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff at her impeachment trial.
Dilma struck a combative tone as she addressed the Senate, speaking of proceedings against her as a coup and questioning the rationale for putting her on trial when so many members of the House are implicated in a corruption scandal. Was her speech her last address as President, or can she overcome the slow motion coup against her government?
The former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee faces a primary challenge today, but will the DNC email scandal continue to follow Debbie Wasserman Schultz whether she wins or loses? Becker is joined by YahNe Ndgo of Revolt Against Plutocracy to talk about the struggle within the Democratic Party and if the progressive spirit of the Bernie Sanders campaign is to be found in Schutz's challenger Tim Canova.
John McCain is embroiled in a bitter primary fight as voters go to the polls in the Republican primary in Arizona today. McCain is hailed in the mainstream press as a moderate, but his record as an extreme war monger suggests otherwise. Becker is joined by Margaret Stevens, who is on the advisory board of Veterans for Peace and a history professor at Essex County College, and by Ben Becker, co-editor of Liberation News.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker talks with CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou, the only man who went to prison for the U.S. government's torture program -- not for participating in it, but for exposing it.
Abu Zabaydah, one of the Guantanamo prisoners that the United States has admitted to waterboarding, has made his case for release in his first appearance in 14 years of imprisonment. Kiriakou discusses his role in Zubaydah's capture, the extent of the torture that was inflicted on him, and whether the Guantanamo prison camp will ever close.
A new investigation shows that the U.S. downplayed the extent of Shia militias’ torture and abuse of Sunni civilians after the recent liberation of Fallujah from ISIL. But this sectarianism was purposely fomented by the murderous U.S. occupation following the 2003 invasion. Becker is joined by Iraqi-American journalist Raed Jarrar.
A Sputnik News poll found that the majority of people over 35 in almost every former Soviet republic believed that life was better before the disintegration of the USSR. Public intellectual and Michael Parenti, author of Blackshirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism, and Loud & Clear producer Walter Smolarek speak with Becker about the significance of the dissolution of the Soviet Union nearly a quarter of a century later.
After 52 years, the civil war looks as if it has finally come to an end after negotiations in Havana proved successful. What were the factors that allowed peace to prevail, and where does the country go from here?
The impeachment trial against Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff has started with Dilma herself expected to take the stand on Monday. The political forces hoping to oust her are confident in victory, but would such a result create an explosive situation in the country? Becker is joined by Dr. Francisco Dominguez, head of the Latin American Studies department at Middlesex University.
After an earthquake killed hundreds in Italy earlier this week, the possibility of an even worse disaster along the powerful San Andreas fault in California looms on the minds of many. Is southern California prepared for such a disaster? Joining Becker to discuss the issue is Mark Benthien, director for communication, education and outreach for the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC).
Turkey's military has directly intervened in Syria without the invitation of the Syrian government to retake the town of Jarablus from the so-called Islamic State with U.S. cooperation. Clashes have also erupted in recent days between the Kurdish YPG and Syrian Army. Alliances are shifting fast in Syria’s ever-deepening five year war.
Vice President Joe Biden has met with Turkish President Erdogan, but was their meeting enough to mend the relationship that was terribly damaged after last month’s coup attempt? Fethullah Gulen, who the Turkish government claimed is the coup mastermind, is safe in the United States - for now. Becker is joined from Ankara by professor and journalist Dr. Bilal Sambur.
Secretary of State John Kerry is in Saudi Arabia where he is discussing the war in Yemen. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 Yeminis staged a mass protest against the Saudi bombing campaign. Massoud Shadjareh, founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins Becker to talk about the role of the west in the Saudi-led war.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Julie Hurwitz, an attorney who was a Sanders delegate to the DNC rules committee, and Anoa Changa, digital organizers with African Americans for Bernie, to discuss the launch of the organization Our Revolution.
Sanders launches the organization today at the same time that the Democratic Party is moving to the right rather than to the left. Although Bernie Sanders may have endorsed Hillary Clinton for President, will his progressive vision and movement live on through his new organization?
The pay to play scandals keep piling up for the Clintons and their foundation as the FBI has announced it found nearly 15,000 new emails in the its investigation of Hillary. Is the Clinton Foundation likely to be prosecuted for corruption? Becker is joined by Doctor and columnist Steven Jonas.
Diplomats from Japan, South Korea and China are meeting today in Tokyo in an attempt to smooth over tensions. The meeting comes after it was revealed that Beijing warned Japan that sailing U.S. warships near disputed waters would be crossing a “red line”. Author Patrick Lawrence talks to Becker about developments in the region and their global implications.
Turkey’s Prime Minister says the U.S. is destroying ties between the two countries. Vice President Joe Biden arrives in Ankara tomorrow to attempt to smooth things over, but the Turkish government is still furious that the U.S. refuses to extradite the man they claim masterminded the failed coup.
Italy hosted the leaders of Germany and France as part of increasingly desperate efforts to relaunch the European project and chart a way forward after the stinging blow from the Brexit vote, but is the writing already on the wall for the EU? Becker is joined by filmmaker and journalist John Pilger to talk about if there's a path forward for Europe's 27-member bloc.
Peace talks have kicked off between the government of the Philippines and the communist rebels who have been at war for nearly five decades. As key rebel leaders have walked free in recent days and a ceasefire has taken effect, is peace more realistic than ever before? Bernadette Ellorin, chairperson of BAYAN-USA, joins Becker to discuss the talks.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by journalist with the Real News and former political prisoner Eddie Conway.
Saturday marked the 45th anniversary of the death of Black Panther leader George Jackson at San Quentin Prison. Nearly half a century later, his life and legacy are commemorated by many as part of a month of fasting and resistance called Black August.
The United Nations has admitted its role in causing the outbreak, the worst in recent history that has killed almost 10,000 people to date. But why was a report on the outbreak suppressed for almost a year, and does it only scratch the surface of UN abuses in Haiti? Writer Kim Ives and Sienne Merope-Synge, Be Just Fellow at the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, assess the role played by the United Nations in the 2010 cholera outbreak in Haiti.
Almost fifteen years after the brutal U.S. invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, the Taliban are now active in more of the country than they were in 2001. The coalition cobbled together after the disputed 2014 Afghan election may be falling apart as a power struggle deepens between President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah. Joining Becker to talk about the situation is Zafar Bangash, director of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by NSA whistleblower William Binney to discuss if the NSA was actually hacked and what kind of tools may have been acquired.
A hacking group calling itself the Shadow Brokers says it has infiltrated the NSA's Equation Group and is now looking to sell off “cyber weapons” used by the agency, asking for a payment of $1 billion in bitcoin. Who could be behind the hack and what does it mean for the future of the NSA and cyber warfare?
Former President Bill Clinton turns 70 today. Becker is joined by Kevin Akin of the Peace & Freedom Party and activist Jane Cutter to discuss Bill's real legacy: war against Yugoslavia, the end of welfare at home, millions of jobs sent overseas, prisons overflowing in record numbers with impoverished young people, and the destruction of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.
Joe Biden visited Serbia this week where he was greeted by crowds of protesters. Now activists will erect a monument to the victims of the NATO bombing of Novi Sad. Becker is joined by human rights attorney Christopher Black to talk about the legacy of the U.S. bombing of Yugoslavia and what comes next in the U.S.-Serbia relationship.
Is the Trump campaign at a crisis point? The Republican candidate has shaken up his campaign team once again, effectively the second overhaul in as many months. As his poll numbers slip, should we now expect a gentler and more mild mannered Trump to emerge, or will his shoot from the hip style continue -- and possibly cost him the election?
Khalid Jabara, a 37 year old, has been murdered on his own front porch in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The suspect in custody has a history of racist harassment of violence.
Brian is joined by Council on American-Islamic Relations Oklahoma Civil Rights Director Veronica Laizure and Robert McCaw, Director of Government Affairs at the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Did the Obama administration give away $1 billion of taxpayer money to a private corporation to administer a nearly empty detention facility? The mass detention of Central American asylum seekers in 2014 was declared illegal by the federals courts, but the ink was already dry on a contract signed with the Correctional Corporation of America. Margaret Winter, the former Associate Director of the ACLU Private Prison Project, joins the show.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jeremy Varon of Witness Against Torture and Raha Wala of Human Rights First to discuss the decision of the United States to send 15 Guantanamo detainees to the United Arab Emirates.
The transfer is the largest such move under the Obama administration, but what will happen to the 61 prisoners still remaining at the Guantanamo detention center, and why did President Obama not fulfil his promise to close the facility? Is Guantanamo a step closer to closing or will the number of prisoners increase under the next president?
Milwaukee was the scene of an uprising over the last few days after the police killing of 23 year old Sylville Smith on Saturday. But Milwaukee is far from a unique case. Black communities around the country are resisting as daily harassment and deprivation push people into the streets. Eugene Puryear, host of Radio Sputnik's By Any Means Necessary, joins the show.
Hillary Clinton has been on an offensive to capture blue collar votes in swing states for her campaign for the White House. As she attempts to show herself to be the candidate for the working-class, the hypocrisy is deafening. Jeff Bigelow, a public sector worker's union representative, and Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear and co-author of an upcoming book on the Clintons, discuss why Clinton is far from a representative of workers around the country.
On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian spends the full hour discussing the crisis inside the Republican Party, and the implications for the two-party system as a whole.
Nearly one in five Republican voters say they want Donald Trump to drop out of the presidential race according to a new poll. The Republican Party is in chaos as the party ranks continue to be split on Trump’s surprise nomination. But the Democrats aren’t faring much better, as supporters of Bernie Sanders reject Hillary Clinton or turn to third parties. What’s led to the crises in the two major political parties? Is this the end of the two-party system as we know it? And will third parties soon challenge the Democrats and Republicans in a serious way?
To address these issues, Brian is joined for the full hour by Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor of political economy at St. Mary’s College and the author of “Systemic fragility in the global economy” and the new book “Looting Greece: An Emerging New Financial Imperialism;” Anoa Changa, part-time volunteer staff with Brand New Congress, contributor to the Benjamin Dixon Show, and host of the weekly progressive talk show The Way with Anoa; and Walter Smolarek, producer for Loud & Clear on Radio Sputnik.
On this special episode of Loud & Clear, we take a look at how Cuban society was fundamentally transformed under the leadership of this giant of history.
Few individuals have had such a tremendous impact on history as former Cuban President Fidel Castro. He turned 90 on Saturday, despite literally hundreds of attempts on his life. All over the world, people celebrated his milestone birthday, especially in Cuba.
Brian is joined by legendary actor and longtime activist in solidarity with Cuba Danny Glover; Gale Walker, Executive Director of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization; and Gloria La Riva, coordinator of the Cuba and Venezuela Solidarity Committee and 2016 presidential candidate of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by political analyst Alexander Mercouris to discuss the strategy of the United States and Britain in Syria, Iraq and Libya.
A congressional task force in the U.S. has found that the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) manipulated intelligence to paint a rosier picture of efforts to defeat Daesh. This comes as British special forces have been photographed on the ground in Syria, assisting a rebel group calling itself the New Syrian Army. Why would top level U.S. officials lie about the reality on the ground? Is Daesh actually far stronger than presented by CENTCOM?
This week, tensions escalated between Russia and Ukraine over Crimea as Moscow hit the reset button with Turkey. How do these developments affect the rocky relationship between NATO and Russia? Are prospects for mending differences feasible? Becker is joined by Michael Klare, professor and defense correspondent for The Nation.
The Philippines and China are on course to mend their relationship. The two countries have been fiercely at odds over the South China Sea since 2012, but new Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has heralded a new day in relations. How will the United States view the thaw? Eric Draitser, political analyst and founder of StopImperialism.org, joins Becker.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Senior Research Psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology Dr. Robert Epstein, as well as David Ahmad, President of Subgraph, an open source tech security company.
Google’s parent company Alphabet has celebrated its one year anniversary. The conglomerate was created by Google’s founders to bring their companies under one roof - creating a behemoth that has its hands in a great many areas of our lives, from our health to our homes to our location, finances and more.
Astonishingly, this could even include the presidential election, with Google serving as, in the words of Julian Assange, Hillary Clinton’s “secret weapon”. There is justified outrage at the NSA’s mass surveillance, but is Google essentially the same thing - just led by a CEO rather than a General?
The Syrian Army has sent thousands of reinforcements to the country's largest city after rebel groups including the former al-Nusra Front broke the siege in the east. But the Syrian government claims that they have retaken that ground. Are we witnessing a turning point, or even decisive moment, in Syria’s five year war?
Turkish President Erdogan has met with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on his first trip abroad since last month’s attempted coup. Peter Lavelle, host of RT's flagship program Crosstalk, discusses if it's back to business as usual between Turkey and Russia, and if Turkey is moving to a new policy on Syria.
Protesters for and against Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff rallied outside of the Senate on Tuesday as lawmakers voted on moving her to within a step of losing office. But do her opponents have the two thirds needed in the Senate to oust her? Becker is joined by Aline C. Piva of Brazilian Expats for Democracy and Brazilian-British analyst Victor Fraga.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by international security and affairs analyst Mark Sleboda to discuss the thaw in relations between Turkey and Russia.
The two countries may hit the re-set button in St. Petersburg today as President Erdogan arrives for a state visit where he will meet with President Vladimir Putin. What accounts for the sharp turnaround in relations, and is Turkey increasingly moving away from NATO after last month’s failed coup or is this a limited maneuver on the part of both governments.
Donald Trump could barely finish a sentence as he delivered his vision for the U.S. economy over the objections of protesters in Detroit. His newly-unveiled team of advisers is packed with bankers, hedge fund managers and real estate sharks. Becker is joined by political cartoonist and analyst Ted Rall to assess Trump's economic policy.
Nagasaki, Hiroshima: Hundreds of thousands of Japanese were slaughtered as guinea pigs in a huge weapons testing operation. Today is the anniversary of the United States dropping an atomic bomb on Nagasaki that instantly killed tens of thousands of people days after the bombing of Hiroshima and left future generations to suffer the after effects of radiation poisoning. 71 years later, the U.S. is updating its nuclear arsenal and the right-wing Abe government of Japan is intensifying its drive to remilitarize the country. Joining Becker is Kevin Kamps, the radioactive watchdog at Beyond Nuclear.
The general election campaign is in full swing. After a bruising and often absurd primary fight in both of the major parties, the political situation looks set to intensify even further. Historic numbers of people are planning on voting for a third-party, and the Democrats’ lesser-evil rhetoric is ramping up in response.
There is no doubt that Trump is a reprehensible bigot and an open supporter of torture - banning muslims and more - but the lesser-of-two-evils argument conceals just how “evil” Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party really is. Today, we spend the show examining Clinton and her party - their foreign policy, their loyalty to Wall Street and the underhanded, essentially fraudulent methods they employed to extinguish the Sanders insurgency.
Brian is joined for the full hour to discuss these issues by Dr. Anthony Monteiro, W.E.B. DuBois scholar and member of the Black Radical Organizing Collective, Jane Cutter, editor of Liberationnews.org, Derek Ford, Assistant Professor of Education Studies at DePauw University who is the co-author of Marx, Capital, and Education: Towards a Critical Pedagogy of Becoming, and in studio by Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud and Clear.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Dr. Francisco Rodriguez, the head of Middlesex University's Centre for Brazilian and Latin American Studies to discuss developments in the ongoing coup against suspended President Dilma Rousseff.
As the Olympics get underway in Rio de Janeiro, can the movement against the coup leverage this international spotlight?
The National Nuclear Security Administration has given the go ahead for the upgrade of the B-61 nuclear airborne bomb. Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists discusses the implications.
Donald Trump’s increasingly ridiculous attacks on the parents of a Muslim Army captain who died in Iraq have been attacked by both Republicans and Democrats. But what has been ignored all this week was the Iraq war itself.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker discusses the upcoming Green Party convention and the future of progressive third-party politics in the United States.
In the aftermath of Bernie Sanders throwing his support behind Hillary Clinton, will his supporters flock to join Stein’s campaign? David Cobb, the 2004 presidential candidate for the Green Party, joins Becker to talk about the importance of this year's convention and prospects for the coming period.
Becker is joined by political analyst Daniel McAdams to address comments made by one of Clinton’s foreign policy advisers that dealing with Syria would be a “first key task”. Would such a position only work to strengthen the so-called Islamic State?
Attorney General Loretta Lynch just departed from Detroit, where she participated in the first of what is intended to be a series of “Justice Forums” sponsored by the Justice Department in the wake of police murders and individual attacks on police. To discuss if these justice forums have any real credibility in the community, Becker is joined by Professor Kali Nicole Gross and Kenneth Reed, spokesman for the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to exmane new court rulings that have overturned some of the new laws that the courts ruled aim at disenfranchising Black African-American voters with "surgical precision." Purged voter rolls and tens of thousands of complaints indicate a massive effort to suppress the African-American community from participating in elections in the United States.
Five years on from the NATO bombing campaign and overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi's government, the United States in once against launching airstrikes in Libya.
Becker is joined by Zafar Bangash, director of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought, to speak on how Daesh has been able to establish a foothold in Muammar Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, why western special forces operating in the country are not classified as "boots on the ground", and if the real objectives of the U.S. bombing campaign which may be also targeting the re-emergence of pro-Gaddafi political forces
The first meeting between a senior U.S. military leader and Turkish authorities has seen a softer tone from Ankara, but will relations return to normal or will they continue to deteriorate? The Turkish media is blaming the U.S. for the failed coup attemt of July 15. Joining Becker to discuss the complex relationship between the U.S. government and President Erdogan's is Turkish journalist Kemal Okuyan.
On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian spends the full hour dealing with the dramatic new developments in the Philippines, including a discussion with Communist Party founder Jose Maria Sison, where the new government of Rodrigo Duterte and the New People's Army are making moves to put an end to the country's civil war.
The new President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has said it is his dream to end of the nearly fifty year armed conflict in the country. Last week, he declared a unilateral ceasefire with the New People’s Army, but withdrew it just days later. Still, the Communist Party has said that it expects to declare a truce along with the government on August 20th, the same day that peace negotiations are due to begin in Oslo.
Brian is joined by Jose Maria Sison, who is the senior political adviser to the National Democratic Front, which is the organization that will begin peace talks with the Duterte government on August 20. Brian also speaks with Bernadette Ellorin, chairperson of BAYAN-USA, and Rhonda Ramiro, vice-chair of BAYAN-USA in addition to Anakbayan-USA chairperson Adrian Bonifacio and Nap Pempeña, Vice-Chairperson of Anakbayan-USA.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker looks at the strategic importance of the Syrian city of Aleppo.
Becker is joined by political analyst Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich, who comments on Russia and Syria opening three humanitarian corridors in Aleppo and how what unfolds there could dramatically change the course of the war that has raged on for over five years.
South Korea has denied entry to and deported two Korean American peace activists who traveled to the country to participate in protests the deployment of THAAD, the US missile Defense shield in South Korea that has generated mass anger inside of south Korea and harsh condemnation from China and Russia. The activists, Hyun Lee and Juyeon Rhee, speak with Becker about their experience.
While Korean authorities detained and deported Korean-American peace activists -- other Americans from Veterans for Peace were able to make it into the country and they are joining Koreans in protest all over the country including upcoming actions in Sonju -- the site of the THAAD missile deployment. One of these activists, Will Griffin, joins Becker to discuss why he traveled to Korea and the importance of international solidarity.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker looks at the foreign policy of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the aftermath of the DNC officially choosing her as the nominee.
Becker speaks with journalist and historian Gareth Porter and author Richard Becker about Clinton's record as a war hawk both in and outside of the State Department. What will a Clinton White House mean for Syria, the Middle East and beyond?
None of the police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray will be convicted. Prosecutors dropped all charges against the remaining officers due to stand trial. Joining Becker to discuss the decision is former political prisoner and journalist Eddie Conway and Sean Blackman of the D.C. Stop Police Terror Project. Conway analyzes how the prosecution of the police officers was deliberately organized to prevent a successful prosecution.
Two weeks after the coup attempt in Turkey, the government continues its clampdown. Becker is joined by Turkish journalist Kemal Okuyan to talk about the ramifications of the failed coup. Over 130 media outlets were ordered closed on Wednesday. More than 15,000 soldiers, judges, civil service workers and prosecutors have been detained, but has Erdogan solidified his grip on the country?
On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and guests examine the speeches of President Obama and Joe Biden at the the third night of the DNC. Obama quoted from the American Exceptionalism language of Ronald Reagan. Borrowing heavily from the rhetoric of the Bush-era neocons Joe Biden stated that the "21st century will be the American century." The crowd chanted "USA, USA" as Biden gave a pumped up "don't mess with America" speech. A retired Admiral condemned Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong un and Vladimir Putin as a group.
Becker is joined from Los Angeles by Danielle Norwood of WORD (Women Organized to Resist and Defend), by Kevin Aiken, Secretary of the California Peace & Freedom Party, and Loud & Clear producer Walter Smolarek who is in Philadelphia covering protests by the Bernie Sanders supporters. They also discuss the next steps for millions of Bernie Sanders supporters who are seeking an independent, progressive alternative to the Democratic Party.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker talks to Bernie Sanders delegate to the Rules Committee, Attorney Julie Hurwitz about what's next for his supporters now that he has called for a united effort to elect Hillary Clinton.
As the Democratic National Convention enters its third day today and supporters of Bernie Sanders continue to protest both in and outside of the convention, will his call be heeded or will Sanders voters turn to third party candidates?
Russia and China have criticized the decision by South Korea to deploy an advanced U.S. anti-missile defence system. Seoul has said the THAAD system (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) is necessary to counter threats from North Korea, but will it only inflame regional tensions? Joining Becker to discuss THAAD is Michael Elleman, Consulting Senior Fellow for Missile Defence at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Washington, D.C. and a former UN weapons inspector.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is meeting Secretary of State John Kerry today. The meeting comes weeks after a UN Court ruled in favor of the Philippines against China in matters related to the South China Sea, but is Duterte looking to ease relations? Becker speaks with author Patrick Lawrence and activist David Ewing about whether or not the South China Sea dispute is cooling.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by security analyst Mark Sleboda to look at the allegations leveled against Russia by Hillary Clinton's campaign.
The Democratic National Convention opened yesterday after Party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced to resign after release of almost 20,000 emails that reveal shocking abuse and misconduct by the Democratic National Committee to undermine Bernie sanders at the same time as people were going to the polls in the primaries. Is there any credibility to the accusation that Russian hackers are behind the leak in an attempt to bolster the campaign of Donald Trump, or is this simply another case of slander aimed at Moscow to demonize the country?
On Sunday, people packed the main hall of a community center to demand freedom for political prisoners on the eve of the DNC. President Obama has the power to free all political prisoners held in federal custody, but hasn't done so. Joining Becker to discuss the DNC event is Kashara White of the Black Radical Organizing Collective and Theresa Shoatz, daughter of imprisoned activist Russell "Maroon" Shoatz.
Bernie Sanders has endorsed Hillary Clinton, but will his supporters line up behind her? Thousands of Sanders supporters rallied against Clinton ahead of the DNC in Philadelphia on Sunday, expressing their frustration at the Party machine. Becker is joined by Radio Sputnik producer Walter Smolarek and editor of LiberationNews.org Jane Cutter for an eyewitness account of the protest.
On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian spends the full hour looking at the state of the Democratic Party and the candidate they are preparing to coronate - Hillary Clinton.
The Democratic Party begins its national convention today in Philadelphia. After a bruising primary fight, the party will attempt to unify itself for the November election. But thousands of protesters are gathering outside, expressing their outrage at the party elite who are fully at the service of Wall Street. Inside the convention, there is the prospect of a serious floor fight over the structure of the party and the way it selects its candidate.
Brian is joined by Dr. Anthony Monteiro, a scholar and activist with the Black Radical Organizing Collective, Gloria La Riva, the 2016 presidential candidate of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Eric Draitser, political analyst and founder of StopImperialism.org.
As the delegates begin arriving in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention that will coronate Donald Trump as the nominee, Brian Becker spends today’s episode examining the state of the Republican Party as it spirals even further down the path of extreme bigotry.
Donald Trump has broken with hawkish Republican foreign policy orthodoxy in some areas but dialed up the chest-thumping militarism in others. Legendary anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and Don DeBar, Senior Producer at Community Public Radio join the show.
Trump is well-known for his inflammatory sexist remarks and behavior, but on this point the rest of the Republican Party is solidly with him. Danielle Norwood of WORD (Women Organized to Resist and Defend) discusses this issue.
Finally, Robert McCaw, Director of Government Affairs for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, talks with Brian about how Islamophobia has become a core component of the Republican Party’s program - and the key role played by its candidate Donald Trump.
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker discusses Secretary of State John Kerry's two-day trip to Russia with the host of RT’s Crosstalk Peter Lavelle and Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst.
As John Kerry arrives in Moscow to talk about the Syrian War, the Turkish Prime Minister has a new policy and is prepared to normalize relations with Syria. Is there really a prospect for peace or is this old wine in new bottles?
As NATO met in Warsaw, thousands of activists gathered at counter-summits to protest the alliance’s aggressive posture. Phil Wilayto of the United National Anti-War Coalition joins the show to give an eyewitness report.
Today is Republic Day in Iraq - the anniversary of the 1958 revolution. Raed Jarrar, Government Relations Manager at the American Friends Service Committee, and Richard Becker, author of the book "Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire", join Brian to take a look at Iraqi history to debunk the bogus mainstream media presentation that the country has always been in a state of sectarian war.
After weeks of intense pressure, Bernie Sanders has finally relented endorsed Hillary Clinton in a nationally televised rally from New Hampshire.
Even though Sanders is on board with Clinton’s candidacy, Sanders supporters on the Democratic Party platform committee fail to change the Party position on Palestine or the TPP.
Meanwhile, China is outraged at an international court in favor of the Philippines in a dispute over sovereignty in the South China Sea.
On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker explores the game-changing implications of Bernie Sanders' expected decision to endorse his arch-nemesis Hillary Clinton later today.
He is joined first by Jill Stein, the Green Party presidential candidate who is polling at unprecedentedly high numbers.
Also reacting to the news, third party presidential candidate Gloria La Riva joins the show after having just been released from jail in Baton Rouge after police attacked and broke up a peaceful march organized by the African-American community to protest the apparently cold-blooded murder by police of Alton Sterling, a 37-year old father.
Finally, Bernie Sanders supporters from the labor movement and the Black community talk with Brian about their concerns about the election, the reasons they supported Sanders and their apprehension about a Clinton presidency.
On today's special episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker looks ahead to tomorrow's ruling in a Hague arbitration court on the South China Sea.
Brian spends the full hour looking at how the dispute affects the region and the world. He is joined by James Bradley, the author of the book The China Mirage: The Hidden History of American Disaster in Asia and by author Patrick Lawrence, whose latest book is Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century.
Tensions have been inflamed by the impending ruling on a territorial dispute between the Philippines and China. Last week, Beijing said the U.S. military’s buildup in the region constituted a “direct threat to national security”.
Despite U.S. assertions of the need for freedom of navigation, Washington is treating the Pacific like its backyard. Is the United States also playing other countries in the region against China for their own benefit?
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker discusses the landmark NATO Summit taking place in Poland with international affairs analyst Mark Sleboda and former CIA analyst Ray McGovern.
As NATO engages in a unprecedented build-up of troops on Russia’s borders and its 28 members as well as partners meet starting today in Warsaw, will they take a further step towards confrontation?
Protests sweep the U.S. as two African-American men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, are gunned down in cold blood by the police in Louisiana and Minneapolis. Both incidents were partially captured on video. Radio Sputnik's Eugene Puryear joins Becker to speak on the continuing epidemic of police brutality and murder of black people across the country.
More than 3,000 people await execution in the United States. The draft of the Democratic Party's new platform says they will outlaw the death penalty, but doubts linger about Hillary Clinton’s position. Anti-death penalty activist Kristin Houlé joins Becker to explain why it is cruel and unusual punishment that should be abolished.