Podcast appearances and mentions of daniel sankey

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.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 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 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 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 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 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.

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 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 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.

Episode 58: We are joined by Daniel Sankey to talk about the looming economic crisis. News & Views: Hong Kong Protests, Racist Mass Shootings, Omar & Tlaib barred from Israel; Venezuela Embargo. Listen, share, support! www.patreon.com/CrashingtheSystem www.gofundme.com/crashing-the-system-podcast twitter.com/CrashingDSystem www.facebook.com/CrashingtheSystem/

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 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 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 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.

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.

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, 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 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 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 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 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 Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.comHouse 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 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 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 (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 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 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 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.

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 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.