Podcast appearances and mentions of christopher weaver

For the last year The Wall Street Journal has been investigating the Medicare Advantage program. It was originally created to make healthcare for seniors and the disabled more efficient. The idea was to outsource insurance to private companies to save taxpayer dollars -- and avoid providers gaming the system as they had in the traditional Medicare program.“Some of those good intentions did not foresee how companies would respond to the financial incentives that had been created,” says Christopher Weaver, one of the Journal reporters who looked at the issue. He says companies have bilked the system for billions of dollars using tactics like over diagnosing patients. Christopher Weaver joins Diane on this episode of On My Mind to share the results of his investigation – and discuss the future of the Medicare Advantage program.For more on The Wall Street Journal's series on the Medicare Advantage program: https://www.wsj.com/news/author/christopher-weaver

Health is unlikely to be a top priority for the new GOP-led 119th Congress and President-elect Donald Trump. But it's likely to play a key supporting role, with an abortion bill already scheduled for debate in the Senate. Meanwhile, it's unclear when and how the new Congress will deal with the bipartisan bills jettisoned from the previous Congress' year-end omnibus measure — including a major deal to rein in the power of pharmacy benefit managers. In this “catch up on all the news you missed” episode, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News' Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: The Wall Street Journal's “UnitedHealth's Army of Doctors Helped It Collect Billions More From Medicare,” by Christopher Weaver, Anna Wilde Mathews, and Tom McGinty. Alice Miranda Ollstein: The New York Times' “Ozempic, Lego Bricks and Hearing Aids: What Trump's Greenland Plan Could Hit,” by Ana Swanson and Jenny Gross. Shefali Luthra: Vox.com's “Gigantic SUVs Are a Public Health Threat. Why Don't We Treat Them Like One?” by David Zipper. Lauren Weber: The Washington Post's “Laws Restrict U.S. Shipping of Vape Products. Many Companies Do It Anyway,” by David Ovalle and Rachel Roubein. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grayzone Radio 28: Busting Ukraine Lies at the UN Max discusses his talk at the UN, Israel's assault on Jenin and Greta's meeting with Volodymyr Summary: Part 1: The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal joins Aaron Mate to discuss his testimony before the UN Security Council on the corruption, bloodlust and hypocrisy driving $110 billion in US aid to Ukraine, and the reaction he received in the council. Part 2: The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate cover Israel's battalion-sized assault on the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, a historic base of Palestinian resistance, and discuss Israel's attempts over the past two decades to crush the Jenin refugee camp's fighting spirit. Part 3: The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate discuss the meeting of the world's most famous teenage climate activist, Greta Thunberg, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and what actually brought these two seemingly unconnected political celebrities together. About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and co-hosted by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 27 Operational Pause - Max Blumenthal addresses the UN Security Council Summary: Part 1: Max Blumenthal address the UN Security Council on the role of US military aid to Ukraine in escalating the conflict with Russia and the real motives behind Washington's support for Kiev's proxy war. Part 2: Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate on last week's livestream, they cover the continued failure of the Ukrainian counter-offensive to gain significant ground despite billions in Western armor, and the increasingly absurd justifications by neocons in Washington for pressing ahead with the operation. Max Blumenthal, Aaron Mate, Christopher Weaver About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and co-hosted by Christopher Weaver

We're going patriotically solo this week with 1996's Independence Day. Featuring such topics as:-A Nintendo 64 game rip-off-Why this feels so familiar yet original-Goldblum's model walk-Smith's iconic greetingP.S. Christopher Weaver, please come on the pod

Grayzone Radio 26: Oliver Stone talks new film "Nuclear Now" Summary: Part 1: The Grayzone's Anya Parampil speaks with filmmaker Oliver Stone about his new film "Nuclear Now." Stone busts myths surrounding nuclear power and makes a case for reevaluating our fear of it as a source of clean energy. "Nuclear Now" is streaming in the United States: https://www.nuclearnowfilm.com/watchPart 2: Max and Aaron discuss the presidential candidacy of RFK Jr. and Cornel West Max Blumenthal, Aaron Mate, Anya Parampil, Oliver Stone Notes:Credits:Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio.For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com   Hosted by Max BlumenthalProduced and edited by Christopher Weaver  

Grayzone Radio 25: I did Nazi that Coming Summary: Part 1: Ukraine's dystopian digital snitching app premiers in DC The Grayzone's Anya Parampil and Max Blumenthal discuss their reporting from the USAID's DC rollout of the dystopian Diia "state in a smartphone" app introduced by the government of Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky. Parampil and Blumenthal discuss how the Ukrainian conflict zone has been turned into a profitable laboratory for corporations seeking to profit from the harvesting of personal data from the war-torn population, how it is used to control and intimidate Ukraine's population, and how this disturbing technology is being exported throughout the global south. Part 2: Neo-Nazis attack Russia with US weapons The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate discuss the attack on Russia's Belgorod region by a band of Russian neo-Nazis opposed to the government in Moscow, and how the extremist raiding party showed up with US weapons and Ukrainian government support. Max Blumenthal, Aaron Mate About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 24: Victory Day? Summary: Join Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate for a last minute livestream covering Ukraine's assassination campaign inside Russia as the country commemorates victory of Nazism, the anxiety among US foreign policy elites about Kiev's coming counter-offensive, the shifting diplomatic sands in Syria, and much more. Max Blumenthal, Aaron Mate About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 23: End of the Tucker Era Summary: 1. Highschool students protest in Paris 2. End of Tucker Era 3. Somalia Max Blumenthal, Aaron Mate, Jeremy Loffredo About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 22: Deep state of siege Summary: The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate discuss bombshell revelations of the CIA's recruitment of two 9/11 hijackers and the FBI's indictment of the African Peoples Socialist Party for "weaponized speech" on behalf of Russia, as well as threats to jail journalist Matt Taibbi by a congressional Democrat. About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 21: Season of the Snitch   Summary: Featured speakers/guests:Max Blumenthal, Wyatt Reed and Alexander Rubinstein discuss the significance of classified Pentagon leaks on the Ukraine proxy war and the corporate media's role as a surrogate police force, zealously hunting down the 21-year-old leaker before the FBI could.  Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio.For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com   Hosted by Max BlumenthalProduced and edited by Christopher Weaver  

Grayzone Radio 20: Israel's ruling fanatics push for Armageddon Summary: Part 1: Israel's ruling fanatics push for Armageddon The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate examine the role of Israeli religious ultra-nationalists in inflaming violence in the region, their doomsday agenda, and the history of their rise to important positions in Israel's far-right governing coalition. Part 2: CIA freaks out over Saudi-Iran peace talks The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate discuss the recent trip to Saudi Arabia by CIA director William Burns amid Chinese-brokered peace talks between the Saudis and Iran, and the waning influence of the US over the global economy. Part 3: RFK Jr. declares presidential run, slams Ukraine proxy war The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate discuss Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s declaration of his intention to run for president in 2024 as a Democrat, and his recent statement blasting the neocon proxy war in Ukraine and the US militarization of Taiwan. About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 19: Lawfare Rules Summary: The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate return for another Friday Live to discuss efforts to prosecute Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, Aaron's latest takedown of the OPCW's Douma cover-up, and much more. About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 18: Rare Conversation Protests in Israel, Ukraine proxy war update, and discussion of Nordstream bombing Summary: Max Blumenthal is interviewed on the Rare Candy podcast. He discusses the protests in Israel, the insanity of US politics, the meatgrinder proxy war in Ukraine and the bombing of the Nordstream pipeline. About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 17: The Grayzone Never Forgets On the disastrous US involvement in Iraq and Ukraine and remembering Rachel Corrie Summary: Join Aaron Mate and Max Blumenthal live as they discuss the Western media's sudden acknowledgement of calamitous Ukrainian military losses, the assault on free speech by pro-Kiev fanatics from the US to UK, and the painful 20th anniversary of apartheid Israel's killing of the courageous American activist Rachel Corrie. About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 16: Nordstream blame game begins Nauti Ukrainians and Democrat duds. Summary: Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate discuss the controlled leaks aiming to deflect blame for the Nordstream attacks onto "pro-Ukrainian" elements and the dramatic congressional Twitter files hearing. About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 15: The Covid Consensus Covid and the global war on the poor: a critique from the left Summary: Historian Toby Green and journalist Thomas Fazi join The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal to discuss their new book, "Covid and the global war on the poor: a critique from the left," which surveys the devastating impact of lockdowns and school closures on the planet's most vulnerable populations, from sub-Saharan Africa to major US and European metropolitan areas. Green and Fazi offer a searing analysis of the organized Western left's uncritical support for policies that enriched Big Tech and the pharmaceutical industry at the expense of the global poor. About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 14: Ukraine First, America Later Exclusive Grayzone report on East Palestine Ohio and Biden's trip to Ukraine Summary: Part 1: While Biden was too busy tending to Zelensky to visit Ohio, journalist Jeremy Loffredo took a series of trips to East Palestine to report on the chemical disaster and its impact on the towns residents for The Grayzone. Jeremys exclusive report contains extensive interviews with local residents and exposes of the private police and corporate front groups sent in to East Palestine to play the role of environmental monitors. Part 2: Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate demonstrate that Biden's tour of Ukraine was just a theatrical sham, down to the air raid sirens that blared as Biden first appeared with Zelensky. Take a listen. Part 3: While Biden was overseas, two of his top foreign policy advisors, NSC director Jake Sullivan and assistant secretary of state Samantha Power, attempted to answer rising concerns by Americans about the escalation of the Ukraine proxy war. They did so at a CNN-sponsored so called town hall that was sealed off from any antiwar elements that might have prevented a forceful challenge. Max discussed with Aaron the history of these CNN town halls and we presented another exchange between a top Biden ally and an actual antiwar protester. About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 13: The Largest Anti-war Protest in a Decade Speeches from the Rage Against the War Machine in Washington DC this past weekend. Summary: Speeches from The Rage Against the War Machine anti-war protest in DC on February 19th at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Max Blumenthal Tulsi Gabbard Jimmy Dore Anya Parampil Dennis Kucinich Wyatt Reed Chris Hedges About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 12: Rage Against the War Machine  Jimmy Dore on the existential threat posed by divisive antiwar cosplay Part 1: Left-wing sectarianism divides antiwar movement.This February 19, people from around the country from a range of political backgrounds will gather at 1230 PM at Washington DCs Lincoln Memorial to rage against the war machine. There, they will hear from speakers including Tulsi Gabbard, Jimmy Dore, Dennis Kucinich, Jill Stein, Roger Waters, Anya Parampil, Ron Paul, Judge Andrew Napolitano and Max Blumenthal, among many others.Because the rally is co-sponsored by the left-wing Peoples Party and the Libertarian Party, certain leftist elements which have traditionally asserted leadership over the antiwar movement and left it in a pathetic, moribund state, have attacked Rage Against the War Machine and attempted to depress turnout.Medea Benjamin, one of the most prominent antiwar personalities in the US, was forced to withdraw from speaking at the rally after staffers at her Code Pink organization declared opposition to one speakers views on gender ideology. Thats right, if every single speaker at an antiwar rally does not hold the correct view on each of the latest boutique social issues, then the rally is invalid. Does that sound like a workable formula for an effective antiwar movement in the United States?Max Blumenthal, comedian Jimmy Dore, and Aaron Mate discuss the controversies surrounding Rage Against the War Machine and to respond to the sectarian elements manufacturing them.Part 2: US unintentionally confirms that sanctions block humanitarian aid.An earthquake has killed tens of thousands in Turkey and Syria, and as Americans, we are unable to send aid to most Syrians. Why? Because of the sadistic US sanctions imposed on the country amidst a multi-billion dollar campaign to flood the country with weapons and jihadist death squads in a ruthless bid for regime change.Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate discuss the deadly impact of the US governments so-called Caesar Sanctions Act on average Syrians.-----------------------------------------------------Rage Against the War Machine rally this Sunday, February 19, in Washington DC at 1230 PM at the Lincoln Memorial. https://rageagainstwar.com/Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio.For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com   Hosted by Max BlumenthalProduced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 11: The Little Red Chinese Balloon Spy balloon freakout, Ilhan the Imperialist and the threat of NATO boots in Ukraine Summary: The first part is about the recent media freakout over a balloon that the Pentagon labeled "a Chinese spy balloon." Was the balloon just an innocent weather balloon that got lost on its way to a thunderstorm? Was it a literal test balloon - something deployed by the Chinese military to appraise Americas reaction to a looming threat? Or was it a spying device collecting detailed imagery of sensitive US military sites? Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate discuss how literal hot air is fueling a new cold war. Keep in mind our conversation took place two days before a US F-22 aircraft took out the slow moving Chinese balloon with a single sidewinder missile, a feat of gallantry unmatched in modern military history. The next part covers the furor over Republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy stripping Rep. Ilhan Omar of her assignment on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. McCarthys motives were twisted for sure - he was canceling Omar for her speech, and specifically for criticizing the Israel lobby that funds his campaigns and those of his allies. But Omars allies in the progressive squad claimed she was removed simply because she was a woman of color. Was that really the case? And is Ilhan Omar actually advancing the antiwar cause, or is she, in fact, an insidious enabler of imperialism in Somalia, the country of her birth, as well as Ethiopia? This discussion might make you think twice about Ilhan and the squad. The third part is about Ukraine, where British military and political leadership is beginning to call for boots on the ground. Thats right, the country that supposedly functions as the poodle of US empire is actually helping drive escalation, and pushing Washington further than it may want to go. Will there be NATO boots on the ground in Ukraine? About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 10: Tanks for the Memories US uses Germany to set stage for war with Russia and US encourages remilitarizes of Japan for conflict with China Summary: The first half of this episode features a conversation between Max Blumenthal and my colleague, Aaron Mate, about the impending delivery of US and German battle tanks to Ukraine, another step on the path toward direct confrontation between nuclear powers. And then with a look at the German Green Party, which poses as feminist and environmentalist, but which has embraced the most militaristic foreign policy since WW2. And well cover a recent Senate hearing in which assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland - a neoconservative ideologue who has played a central role in driving the Ukraine proxy war - appeared to celebrate the destruction of the German and Russian Nord Stream pipeline project. In the second half, Max has a discussion with Nagoya, Japan-based scholar and activist Joseph Essertier about the Japanese governments plans to violate the countrys pacifist post-war constitution and double Japans military budget. As with Germany, Japan is being dragged by the US into direct conflict with a much more powerful and populous country in its immediate region - in this case, its China. Essertier and I touched on some of the social factors in the tragic Japanese capitulation to Washingtons demands and the countrys own historical demons. About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 9: World Economic Forum War Party Summary: The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate discuss the lobbying at Davos for extending the Ukraine proxy war into 2024, the latest palace intrigues from inside Ukraine's government, and discuss the continued struggle for the freedom of Julian Assange with Randy Credico. About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 8: Matt Taibbi on the Twitter files Summary: Matt Taibbi joins The Grayzone live for a discussion with Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate about his reporting on internal Twitter files exposing shocking levels of US government pressure on the social media giant to censor accounts dissenting against official deceptions and revealing some of the most titanic frauds of the Trump-era Russiagate drama. Part one covers Taibbi's methods of reporting and what the content of the Twitter Files reveal about the state of the US political and media culture. Part two covers the direct role that, CA Democrat and former House Intel Committee Chair, Adam Schiff played in Twitters censorship campaign including removing accounts that parodied Joe Biden. In part three, Taibbi explains the behavior of the "left" in the coverage of the Twitter Files, the NY Times refusing to retract demonstrably false reporting alleging Russian meddling in US politics, the US mainstream media ignoring the Twitter Files all together and the role that Russiagate played in setting the stage for the Ukraine proxy war. About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

Grayzone Radio 7: On Kevin McCarthy, the violence in Sinaloa Mexico, new US sanctions, and new Twitter leaks Summary: Max Blumenthal speaks with journalist Dan Kovalik about the expansion of the US sanctions regime to include citizens of Western states who dissent against their government, and Washington's role in the war in the streets of Mexico's Sinaloa state ahead of Joe Biden's visit to the country. The Grayzone's Aaron Mate also joins Blumenthal to discuss the populist rebellion against Kevin McCarthy's bid for House Speaker and new Twitter leaks exposing collusion between the intelligence apparatus and the media to generate public hysteria around Russian meddling. About: Grayzone Radio is a production of The Grayzone, an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire. Washington DC-based independent journalist and author, Max Blumenthal, founded The Grayzone and is your host on Grayzone Radio. For more info on The Grayzone and their reporting, please go to https://thegrayzone.com Hosted by Max Blumenthal Produced and edited by Christopher Weaver

AND WE'RE BACK in our first official Mainline Podcast (link in bio!) since the uprisings began to take place in Atlanta! In this episode, Aja is joined by local #blacklivesmatter protestor and community member DJ Thomas to discuss the city of Atlanta's response to the protests and the movement as a whole, particularly following the police shooting and death of Rayshard Brooks. The two discuss Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms specifically and how what has taken form on the ground differs greatly than how it is portrayed in the national media's spotlight.Before the interview, Aja spends some time to discuss the June 13 drive-by shooting in Edgewood — the night after Brooks was killed by APD officers and the same night the Wendy's on University was burned down — which has up until this point received very minimal media coverage. Semaj Jones, 17, and Christopher Weaver, 25, both lost their lives that night while five others were severely injured. APD has remain tight-lipped on the investigation. Today, Aja visited the cop watch house in the neighborhood to learn more about community efforts that are working to essentially police the police in what is already a highly trafficked area when it comes to police brutality, mistreatment, and regular violation of due process. Everything is connected. Black Lives Matter is everything. Listen to learn why.

To reopen the economy safely, experts estimate the U.S. will need to administer millions of tests every month. WSJ's Christopher Weaver and Rebecca Ballhaus explain why we are so far from the number of tests needed.

While the appeal of games may be universal and satisfy our innate desire to play, the powerful dynamics that govern our behavior within games is even more interesting than the play itself. Can we broaden our understanding of play mechanisms by applying the subliminal mechanics of play beyond games? In this episode, Christopher Weaver, Founder of Bethesda Softworks and who teaches engineering and computational media respectively at MIT and Wesleyan, explores these important issues in a lecture entitled “Amplius Ludo, Beyond the Horizon”. Prof. Weaver discusses how games work and why they are such potent tools in areas as disparate as military simulation, childhood education, and medicine. Christopher Weaver is Research Scientist and Lecturer, MIT Comparative Media Studies, Visiting Scientist and Lecturer, MIT Microphotonics Center and Distinguished Professor of Computational Media at Wesleyan University. Weaver received his SM from MIT and was the initial Daltry Scholar at Wesleyan University, where he earned dual Masters Degrees in Japanese and Computer Science and a CAS Doctoral Degree in Japanese and Physics. The former Director of Technology Forecasting for ABC and Chief Engineer to the Subcommittee on Communications for the US Congress, Weaver founded Bethesda Softworks, and developed a physics-based, realtime sports engine used to create the original John Madden Football for Electronic Arts. Bethesda is well known for The Elder Scrolls role-playing series of which Skyrim was the latest major installment. An adviser to both government and industry, Weaver holds patents in interactive media, security, and telecommunications engineering.

The full broadcast of Boston Public Radio from Tuesday, February 12th, 2018. The MBTA is considering fare hikes, which by their own projections would result in ridership declines, which could force more people to rely on cars or rideshare programs. We kicked off the show by opening the lines and asking our listeners: What’s the solution here? And where is the urgency? Bob Costas spoke out about the dangers of the NFL. Did it cost him his job? Trenni Kusnierek joined us for that and more. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC sports Boston and a BPR contributor. Five years after sending text messages to her suicidal boyfriend encouraging him to kill himself, Michelle Carter is going to jail. ACLU Massachusetts Executive Director Carol Rose joined us to discuss the potential implications of this case on free speech. A collaboration between FRONTLINE and The Wall Street Journal investigates how a pediatrician got away with preying on his patients for years. We spoke with reporter Christopher Weaver about this story, detailed in his film, “Predator on the Reservation,” which premieres tonight on PBS. It’s February, and it’s cold and snowing. Instead of going on a winter getaway, Boston Globe travel writer Christopher Muther suggests not getting away from it at all. His travel tip: go where it’s even colder, head for Quebec city. He joins us to defend this, and to offer some counter programming by way of the unsung beaches of Florida… and more. He’s also a columnist for The Boston Globe and a BPR contributor. John King, CNN’s Chief National Correspondent, joins us to go over the latest politics headlines. King is the anchor of Inside Politics, which you can catch weekdays at noon and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. A team of researchers are opening up an academy dedicated to longevity. We opened the lines to ask our listeners — why? Who among us wants to surpass our life expectancy?

What is satisfactory due diligence under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)? That question seems to be more important after story on Unaoil and the subsequent release of the Panama Papers. However, both of these events largely focused on the “who” part of due diligence and the need to know whom you are doing business with going forward. However there is another important question which does not come up as often in due diligence, which is how?  How does a particular third party perform its services with or for your company? If it is on the sales side of things, how can a third party help you make sales? If a third party comes through the Supply Chain, how do their products or services meet the needs of your company? If the third party has a closer business relationship, such as a joint venture (JV), teaming agreement or other similar arrangement, you may well need a much deeper understand of how this third party does business because the relationship may well become so close you will be intertwined with the party. It may mean more than simply does their how product work but how does this third party conduct themselves and their business?  The questions beyond simply who were made clear in a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article by Christopher Weaver and John Carreyrou, entitled “Deal With Theranos Haunts Walgreens”. It turns out that Walgreens left a gap by “never fully validating the startup’s technology or thoroughly evaluating its capabilities”. The clear message is if you are going to partner with a technology company which is going to change your business model, you best make sure the technology works. Moreover, if a potential JV partner refuses to show you its technology, how it keeps records, its financials relating to the products and services you are contracting for and generally tries to hide from you the very thing you are buying into; you should not walk but run away from the deal.  This article detailed the lack of steps and miss-steps by Walgreens when entering its partnership with Theranos and how these actions caused Walgreens to consider its $50MM investment in Theranos as something it will never recoup, caused Walgreens reputational damage and potentially subjected it to civil liability. As the reporters noted, “The relationship is now in tatters, making Walgreens an extreme case study of what can go wrong when an established company that craves growth decides to gamble on an exciting and unproven startup.”  One might think that if you are investing in a technology company that provides medical testing, the investor would want to see the laboratory where the testing is performed. It turns out that Walgreens representatives were never allowed to tour, let alone review the labs where the results of Theranos pinprick blood tests were run. A Walgreens consultant, Paul Rust, who was sent to Theranos to do a quality control data review said, “It was a very strange situation. The results were actually really good, but I was never allowed to go into the lab. I have no idea that the results I saw were run on the Edison devices or not.” He went on to say that he was “led to believe that they were being run on the Edison.” Yet even Rust was surprised no Walgreens representatives had been allowed to view Theranos labs.  Interestingly, when Theranos did provide the test results to Walgreens representatives, the results came back with ““low” and “high” values rather than numeric values. As a result, Walgreens couldn’t compare results from the Theranos machine to any commercially available tests.” Once again, this was something which Walgreens should be sought additional information on.  Yet even when Walgreens’ consultants, assisting the company in evaluating Theranos and the proposed transaction, voiced and wrote up their concerns, they were not passed along to Walgreens management. The article reported, “In a report later in 2011, the consultants concluded Walgreens needed more information to assess the partnership. Those findings and reports by other consultants were kept from many Walgreens officials, including some directly involved in the negotiations with Theranos.” Walgreens made another classic mistake in the due diligence process; they took comfort when a competitor was allegedly considering a similar venture with Theranos. The article said, “Some executives were comforted when Theranos said Safeway Inc. had agreed to host blood-drawing sites at some of its supermarkets. If Safeway trusted Theranos, then Walgreens could, too, the Walgreens officials believed.” How often have your heard that some other company is considering or has approved them through due diligence and a decision was based on the alleged actions of an alleged party.  Walgreens hamstrung itself from managing the relationship after the contract was signed by agreeing to contract terms that prevented Walgreens from auditing or even viewing “Theranos clinical data or financial records”. Finally, and perhaps most damagingly, there was a complete lack of communications between the two companies about the issues that have bedeviled Theranos. The article concluded,  “Walgreens shelved the expansion plans after the Journal reported in October that Theranos did the vast majority of tests it offered to consumers on traditional lab machines. The Journal also reported that some former employees doubted the accuracy of a small number of tests run on Edison devices. One of the most recent setbacks came in mid-April when the Journal reported that regulators had 3½ weeks earlier proposed banning Ms. Holmes from the lab-testing industry. The drugstore chain’s senior executives found out from the news report.”  Under the FCPA, most companies understand the need to know with whom they contract for sales or vendor services. They also understand the need to know why they should do business with a proposed third party (IE., a business justification). However the need to perform an investigation into how the third party can actually deliver the contracted services is equally important. The Walgreens imbroglio around Theranos points out why such clauses are mandatory. If you do not have them, you do not have the ability verify what you may or may not have been told in due diligence. Finally, managing the relationship after the contract is signed is where the rubber hits the road. If you only obtain a due diligence report and insert compliance terms and conditions, you will have done nothing to test whether the third party is performing as it has agreed to under the terms of the contract.  Three Key Takeaways The how question can be as critical as the who question. The more integrated a third party is into your operations the more important this question becomes. Incorporate a how question into not only your due diligence but also your ongoing monitoring and auditing, after the contract is signed.  This month’s podcast series is sponsored by Opus. Opus helps free your business from the complexity and uncertainty of managing the risks associated with your customers, vendors, and third parties. By combining the most innovative Third-Party Risk Management and Know Your Customer Compliance SaaS platforms with unparalleled data solutions, Opus turns information into action so your business can thrive. Opus solutions include Hiperos 3PM accelerator, the leading platform for third party risk management. To learn more, go to www.opus.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christopher Weaver of the Wall Street Journal talked with Jenna Miller of the Reynolds Center to discuss his work with the award winning Testing Theranos investigation. This project took home the Silver Award at the 2016 Barlett and Steele Awards for Investigative Journalism.