Podcasts about elections around

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Best podcasts about elections around

Latest podcast episodes about elections around

Macro n Cheese
Gaza: Unmasking Empire with Dan Kovalik

Macro n Cheese

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2024 47:02


Dan Kovalik, author and human rights lawyer, joins Steve to talk about his new book, The Case for Palestine: Why it Matters and Why You Should Care. The conversation goes into the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the concept of settler colonialism, and the current situation in Gaza.They criticize the US government's support for Israel and the lack of accountability for the ongoing genocide. They blame the corporate media for not adequately informing the public about these issues, allowing for a privileged perspective that ignores the suffering. They touch on the role of social media in raising awareness of the atrocities, discuss the need for the American public to unify around principles of peace & to call out the US for war crimes and also talk about the attempts to silence criticism of genocide by labeling it as anti-Semitic or terrorist sympathizing.Dan Kovalik is a labor and human rights lawyer and peace activist. He is the author of the recently released book, The Case for Palestine: Why it Matters and Why You Should Care. Some his other books include The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World, and The Plot to Scapegoat Russia: How the CIA and the Deep State have Conspired to Vilify Russia@danielmkovalik on Twitter

Breakfast with Refilwe Moloto
Emerging trends from recent elections around the world

Breakfast with Refilwe Moloto

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2024 11:41


What do the results from the recent elections held in Mexico, India and South Africa reveal about the way in which people are voting? Lester Kiewit speaks to Benjamin Fogel, Head of Publishing at Alameda and a Contributing Editor at Jacobin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Brian Lehrer Show
Elections Around the World

The Brian Lehrer Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2024 27:25


Eve Fairbanks, senior editor at Foreign Affairs and author of The Inheritors: An Intimate Portrait of South Africa's Racial Reckoning (Simon & Schuster, 2022), digs into several major elections around the world where some ruling parties lost power, like in South Africa, while others had historic victories, like in Mexico.

Thinking Christianly
#32 – Having Better Conversations by Avoiding Logical Fallacies

Thinking Christianly

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2024 53:38


J.P, Stan, and Jordan discuss how to have better conversations. They discuss how three informal fallacies (the Red Herring Fallacy, the Genetic Fallacy, and the Ad Hominem Fallacy) can shut down healthy dialogue and how to develop habits that help us avoid using them. In this episode, we discuss: What is an informal logical fallacy? What does the Red Herring Fallacy sound like in a conversation? Practical ways to get a conversation back on track What is the Genetic Fallacy? How can we avoid using it? How do we evaluate ideas fairly, even if we don't like the person? What is the Ad Hominem Fallacy and how does it sabotage conversations? How is the Ad Hominem Fallacy related to the Tu Quoque Fallacy? Tips to encourage understanding in conversations and when to disengage Making the distinction between “nice” and “kind” in best loving our neighbor Resources and References: Koh Ewe, “The Ultimate Election Year: All the Elections Around the World in 2024,” Time Magazine A quick video explaining many informal fallacies Stan Wallace, "Three Ways to Shut Down Healthy Conversations" Wireless Philosophy, Lessons and quizzes on several informal fallacies via Khan Academy. The Winsom Conviction Project Podcase

Quick Smart
Could AI swing elections around the world?

Quick Smart

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2024 10:00


AI is already impacting the way we work, the way we design and the way we think but there's a growing concern that soon it's going to start impacting the way we vote. And it's got governments and regulators scrambling. So with AI-generated images and videos flooding the internet, how can voters know what's real and what's a deep fake? And what regulations might help control AI without stifling the industry or sending people underground?Guest: Hamish Macdonald for Global Roaming

Freakonomics Radio
583. Are We Living Through the Most Revolutionary Period in History?

Freakonomics Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2024 62:43


Fareed Zakaria says yes. But it's not just political revolution — it's economic, technological, even emotional. He doesn't offer easy solutions but he does offer some hope. SOURCES:Fareed Zakaria, journalist and author. RESOURCES:Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present, by Fareed Zakaria (2024)."The Ultimate Election Year: All the Elections Around the World in 2024," by Koh Ewe (TIME, 2023)."The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism," by Vanessa Williamson, Theda Skocpol, and John Coggin (Perspectives on Politics, 2011).The Post-American World, by Fareed Zakaria (2008).The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad, by Fareed Zakaria (2003). EXTRAS:"Is the U.S. Really Less Corrupt Than China?" by Freakonomics Radio (2021).

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
#1614 Deep-Fakery and Deep Consequences for Democracy: AI-generated fake news threatens elections around the world and makes people question the ability to know what is real

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2024 56:26


Air Date 2/28/2024 AI-generated deepfakes, entirely fabricated audio and video of recognizable people, are here. They have been on the horizon for years but they have finally arrived during the biggest global election year in history which may prove to be a make of break year for democracy itself as we struggle to separate fact from fiction and autocracy is on the rise around the world. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Deepfaking Democracy: Why AI Threatens News And Global Elections In 2024 - Forbes - Air Date 2-6-24 Deepfaked news segments that appear to be delivered by well-known journalists and TV networks are going viral on social media. Oftentimes, the view counts of deepfaked segments largely outnumber those of real news stories. Ch. 2: AI Deepfakes Are Everywhere and Congress is Completely Out of Their Depth - CYBER - Air Date 2-9-24 An AI-generated Biden called voters in New Hampshire ahead of the primary and told them to stay home. X locked down the search term “Taylor Swift” after AI-generated nudes of the pop giant flooded the platform. Ch. 3: Tech giants pledge action against deceptive AI in elections - All Things Considered - Air Date 2-16-24 Tech giants including Microsoft, Meta, Google, Amazon, X, OpenAI and TikTok unveiled an agreement on Friday aimed at mitigating the risk that artificial intelligence will disrupt elections in 2024. Ch. 4: Deepfake Adult Content Is a Serious and Terrifying Issue - Aperture - Air Date 5-1-23   SEE FULL SHOW NOTES FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 12: Final comments on even more dangers from news sites populated with AI-generated content MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions) SHOW IMAGE: Description: Computer-generated image of a silhouetted man standing in front of a large wall-sized image of the profile of a middle-aged man with digitized lines and cracks running through it. Credit: "ai-generated-man-computer-science" by NickyPe, Pixabay | License   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Mornings with Simi
How will AI influence future elections around the globe?

Mornings with Simi

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2024 10:12


Online robot accounts have made it easier to spread false information but were previously easy to identify due to poor grammar and spelling. Guest: Neil Johnson, professor of physics at George Washington University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fruitless
The End of the End of History (feat. Luke Savage)

Fruitless

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2024 81:38


Josiah is joined by Luke Savage (@LukewSavage, Michael & Us, Jacobin) to reflect on the last fifteen years of U.S. electoral politics in light of the current election year: the failures of the Obama administration, the hyperpolitics of the Trump administration, and the attempted 'return to normalcy' of Biden's first term. Follow today's guest on Twitter @LukewSavageCheck out Michael & Us here: https://soundcloud.com/michael-and-usLuke Savage in Jacobin: https://jacobin.com/author/luke-savageBecome a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141Check out Fruitless on YouTubeFind more of Josiah's work here: https://linktr.ee/josiahwsuttonFollow Josiah on Twitter & Bluesky @josiahwsuttonReferencesThe Dead Center: Reflections on Liberalism and Democracy After the End of History by Luke SavageSeeking Social Democracy: Seven Decades in the Fight for Equality by Ed Broadbent, Jonathan Sas, Frances Abele, and Luke Savage.Leave the World Behind (2023), directed by Sam Esmail."Everything is Hyperpolitical," Anton Jäger in The Point, https://thepointmag.com/politics/everything-is-hyperpolitical.Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Reshaped the World by Will Sommers"The Biden Era's Defining Characteristic: Anti-Politics," Luke Savage in Jacobin, https://jacobin.com/2023/09/biden-administration-anti-politics-trump-books-media-coverage. This is the article discussing political book sales and online news engagement during the Trump admin vs. the Biden admin that Luke references.The Day One Agenda, The American Prospect, https://prospect.org/day-one-agenda."Why Liberals Pretend They Have No Power," Luke Savage in The Atlantic, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/10/why-liberals-feign-powerlessness/616644.Everything Was Forever, Until It Was No More: The Last Soviet Generation by Alexei Yurchak"The Ultimate Election Year: All the Elections Around the World in 2024," Koh Ewe in Time, https://time.com/6550920/world-elections-2024.MusicYesterday – bloom.In My Dreams – bloom.

The Brian Lehrer Show
Elections Around the World in 2024

The Brian Lehrer Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2024 29:36


Over 60 countries are set to vote in 2024. Ishaan Tharoor, foreign affairs columnist at The Washington Post, and the author of the Today's WorldView newsletter and column, ticks through the list and what to expect from a global policy perspective in countries including Britain, India, South Africa, Mexico and the United States.

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast
What to Expect From Elections Around the World in 2024

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2024 23:54


Over 60 countries are set to vote in 2024, with many threatening to slide into "illiberal democracies." On Today's Show: Ishaan Tharoor, foreign affairs columnist at The Washington Post, and the author of the Today's WorldView newsletter and column, ticks through the list and what to expect from a global policy perspective in countries including Britain, India, South Africa, Mexico and the United States.  

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast
What to Expect From Elections Around the World in 2024

Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2024 23:51


Over 60 countries are set to vote in 2024, with many threatening to slide into "illiberal democracies." On Today's Show: Ishaan Tharoor, foreign affairs columnist at The Washington Post, and the author of the Today's WorldView newsletter and column, ticks through the list and what to expect from a global policy perspective in countries including Britain, India, South Africa, Mexico and the United States.  

Reuters World News
2024 elections around the world: Democracy on the line

Reuters World News

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2023 23:58


It's been called the biggest year for democracy since democracy began. More than a third of the world's population go to the polls in 2024 to elect leaders, including Taiwan, Russia, India and the United States. But that doesn't mean democracy is thriving. Join global managing editor Mark Bendeich and host Christopher Walljasper as they discuss the elections in 2024 that will shape the end of this decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seattle's Morning News with Dave Ross
General Elections Around the Country

Seattle's Morning News with Dave Ross

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2023 42:55


Margaret Brennan on general elections around the country and the US' relationship with China // Feliks Banel with "All Over The Map" - Washington state celebrates 134 years of statehood // Jeremy Walters on how to make sure you are recycling correctly // Daily Dose of Kindness: Minnesota brothers helping sick kids enjoy basketball // Angela Poe Russell on the new possible Tacoma rental measure // Heather Bosch on the US veterans putting on an opera based on their war experiences // Micki Gamez with the self-driving car company in hot water

Steve and Ted in the Morning
Several key elections around the U.S.

Steve and Ted in the Morning

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2023 3:37


Results coming in from around the country in local and state elections.  We get a rundown from Fox News correspondent Tonya J. Powers on Steve and Ted in the Morning.

The Aubrey Masango Show
Current Affairs: Some ANC members are deflecting the EFF: Are we likely to see more of this happening with the elections around the corner?

The Aubrey Masango Show

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2023 28:04


Should ANC brace themselves for a possible election defeat next year or is it too soon to tell? This question is promoted by a number of ANC members who have jumped ship to join the red beret party, EFF.  The latest members being ex-ANC youth league leader Magasela Mzobe and former Ehlangeni ANC regional chair, Ngrayi Ngwenya are some of people who've joined the EFF. What does this mean for the ruling party?  Joining us to have this discussion is Political Analyst, Kim Heller.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Turley Talks
Ep. 2050 The Right SWEEPS Elections around the WORLD!!!

Turley Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2023 10:44


If you thought the MAGA victories over the weekend were exciting here at home, wait until you see how the political right has been sweeping elections throughout the world over the last few days!   Highlights:  “All the way over in New Zealand, where voters delivered a brutal repudiation of their woke left Liberal party that governed their nation for the past six years. The center-right National Party crushed their liberal counterparts over the weekend in a stunning electoral landslide.” “Let's hop on over to Australia, where voters overwhelmingly rejected what many believed to be a blatantly anti-white referendum that sought to alter their constitution to what they called a quote ‘indigenous voice' to their national constitution.” “It looks like the Greens are finally collapsing in Europe! We had two elections the week before last weekend where voters overwhelmingly turned against their Green Parties.” Timestamps: [01:23] New Zealand's latest political scene [04:52] The way Australia's system works [06:51] The Greens are finally collapsing in Europe Resources:  Learn how to protect your life savings from inflation and an irresponsible government, with Gold and Silver. Go to http://www.turleytalkslikesgold.com/ Try Liver Health Formula by going to GetLiverHelp.com/Turley and claim your 5 FREE bonus gifts. That's https://GetLiverHelp.com/Turley Break free from Woke Capital's banking monopoly with Old Glory Bank HERE: https://bank.turleytalks.com/ The Courageous Patriot Community is inviting YOU! Join the movement now and build the parallel economy at https://join.turleytalks.com/insiders-club=podcast Meet me in TEXAS for the largest state independence movement in the nation! Get your TEXITCON Tickets HERE with code TURLEY20: https://texitconference.com/turley/   Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and/or leave a review. Sick and tired of Big Tech, censorship, and endless propaganda? Join my Insiders Club with a FREE TRIAL today at: https://insidersclub.turleytalks.com. Make sure to FOLLOW me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrTurleyTalks BOLDLY stand up for TRUTH in Turley Merch! Browse our new designs right now at: https://store.turleytalks.com/ Do you want to be a part of the podcast and be our sponsor? Click here to partner with us and defy liberal culture! If you would like to get lots of articles on conservative trends make sure to sign-up for the 'New Conservative Age Rising' Email Alerts.

Marketplace Tech
X/Twitter’s political ad policy could affect elections around the world

Marketplace Tech

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2023 16:21


Then-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey banned them in 2019. Now, owner and Chair Elon Musk is officially bringing back political ads from parties and candidates to the company he renamed X, expanding its push into cause-based advertising. The move could boost revenue; some big brands have been less than eager to buy ads on the platform since Musk took over. X didn’t respond to a request for comment by the time of taping, but it has said it plans to expand its safety and elections team ahead of the 2024 elections in the United States. That, of course, would come after deep staff cuts. For analysis, Marketplace’s Lily Jamali had a chat with Jonathan Lemire, host of “Way Too Early” on MSNBC and the White House bureau chief at Politico, and Katie Harbath, a fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Marketplace All-in-One
X/Twitter’s political ad policy could affect elections around the world

Marketplace All-in-One

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2023 16:21


Then-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey banned them in 2019. Now, owner and Chair Elon Musk is officially bringing back political ads from parties and candidates to the company he renamed X, expanding its push into cause-based advertising. The move could boost revenue; some big brands have been less than eager to buy ads on the platform since Musk took over. X didn’t respond to a request for comment by the time of taping, but it has said it plans to expand its safety and elections team ahead of the 2024 elections in the United States. That, of course, would come after deep staff cuts. For analysis, Marketplace’s Lily Jamali had a chat with Jonathan Lemire, host of “Way Too Early” on MSNBC and the White House bureau chief at Politico, and Katie Harbath, a fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

The Greek Current
With elections around the corner, is Erdogan feeling the heat?

The Greek Current

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2023 10:13


With Turkish elections around the corner, the atmosphere in the country is becoming increasingly heated. President Erdogan and his coalition seem to be feeling the heat, and their rhetoric has become notably more intense in recent days as they double down on nationalism and culture wars issues. At the same time, the Sunday attack by government supporters on Istanbul opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu's campaign bus has left many wondering if we should be bracing ourselves for similar acts in the coming days. Despite this, the opposition has maintained its unity, and has been honing its message - particularly on the economy - while showing continued signs of strength. Prof. Howard Eissenstat, a non-resident scholar with the Middle East Institute's Turkey Program and an associate professor of history at St. Lawrence University, joins Thanos Davelis with the latest analysis in the run-up to Sunday's crucial election.Read Howard Eissenstat's latest on the upcoming election in Turkey: Turkish Election Watch: The Week of April 30-May 7You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Chasm between New Democracy and PASOK widensCyprus handed 800-page US dossier on Russia sanctions breachesPresident announces receipt of first US sanctions list

The Steve Gruber Show
Jason Woolford, State Representative District 48, Michigan, Elections around the corner. Crime. Inflation.

The Steve Gruber Show

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2022 7:30


Jason Woolford is a US Marine Corp Vet and Candidate for State Representative District 48, Michigan. Elections around the corner. Crime. Inflation. 

RealAgriculture's Podcasts
RealAg Radio, Nov 4: Best of CAMA, job numbers, and the U.S elections around the corner

RealAgriculture's Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2022 55:07


Happy Friday! Thanks for tuning in to this RealAg Issues edition of RealAg Radio, recorded from the Maple Leaf Lounge in the Toronto Pearson Airport! On this episode of the show, host Shaun Haney is joined by Lyndsey Smith and Kelvin Heppner, both of RealAgriculture, to discuss Minister Freeland warning of a recession but hints... Read More

cama job numbers elections around toronto pearson airport shaun haney realagriculture lyndsey smith realag radio
RealAg Radio
RealAg Radio, Nov 4: Best of CAMA, job numbers, and the U.S elections around the corner

RealAg Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2022 55:07


Happy Friday! Thanks for tuning in to this RealAg Issues edition of RealAg Radio, recorded from the Maple Leaf Lounge in the Toronto Pearson Airport! On this episode of the show, host Shaun Haney is joined by Lyndsey Smith and Kelvin Heppner, both of RealAgriculture, to discuss Minister Freeland warning of a recession but hints... Read More

cama job numbers elections around toronto pearson airport shaun haney realagriculture lyndsey smith realag radio
The Steve Gruber Show
Senator Tom Barrett, Elections around the corner. Campaign update.

The Steve Gruber Show

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2022 11:00


Senator Tom Barrett is a Republican member of the Michigan Senate who was elected in 2018 to the 24th district. Running against Elissa Slotkin. Elections around the corner. Campaign update.

The Steve Gruber Show
John Gibbs, Campaign Trail. Elections around the corner.

The Steve Gruber Show

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2022 11:00


John Gibbs is a member of the Republican Party. He defeated incumbent Rep. Peter Meijer, R-MI, in the closely watched Republican primary for Michigan's 3rd Congressional District. Campaign Trail. Elections around the corner.

The Steve Gruber Show
Steve Gruber, Elections around the States

The Steve Gruber Show

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2022 7:30


Steve Gruber discusses news and headlines.

The Steve Gruber Show
Ronna McDaniel, Primary Elections around US. MI Governor Race.

The Steve Gruber Show

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2022 11:00


Ronna McDaniel is the Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman. Primary Elections around US. MI Governor Race. 

The Steve Gruber Show
Steve Gruber, Midterm Elections around the corner

The Steve Gruber Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2022 8:30


Steve Gruber discusses news and headlines. 

The Dom Giordano Program
Clarice Schillinger Updates School Board Elections Around PA

The Dom Giordano Program

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2021 13:08


Clarice Schillinger, head of the Back To School PA PAC, rejoins the Dom Giordano Program to provide some results concerning school board races surrounding Pennsylvania. Schillinger, a mother who became involved in politics after seeing the situation play out in schools, tells that candidates that her organization has backed have had a 73% success rate at the time of the interview, with more counting to come. (Photo by Getty Images) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MONEY FM 89.3 - Prime Time with Howie Lim, Bernard Lim & Finance Presenter JP Ong
Covid-19 global updates, major tech giants in Russian court & elections around the world

MONEY FM 89.3 - Prime Time with Howie Lim, Bernard Lim & Finance Presenter JP Ong

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2021 7:35


On Prime Time, Rachel Kelly speaks with Rich Preston, Senior Journalist and Presenter, BBC about the biggest stories they’re tracking this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global Voices
Elections Around the World

Global Voices

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2020 25:40


Join us as we sit down with Annie Pforzheimer, a senior U.S. diplomat who served as the former Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Afghanistan and Deputy Chief of Mission in Kabul and has extensive experience in countries such as Colombia, South Africa, Haiti, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Afghanistan. Together, we demystify the complexities of election processes, observation, and monitoring, both in the United States and worldwide; and encourage civic participation around the world. (Credits: hosted by Alex Polk; produced by Priya Mehta; In Passage by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)).

Kate Dalley Radio
1103 Guest Sophie Mann Justthenews On Important Elections Around Country

Kate Dalley Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2020 43:52


1103 Guest Sophie Mann Justthenews On Important Elections Around Country by Kate Dalley

elections around kate dalley
European Parliament - EPRS Policy podcasts
Impact of the pandemic on elections around the world: From safety concerns to political crises

European Parliament - EPRS Policy podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2020 6:20


The coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on our lives, our economies, our societies but also on electoral processes around the world, with many elections being postponed in order to protect citizens’ health. But this involves a delicate balancing act between ensuring the democratic right to vote and a government’s responsibility to protect public health. So, what can we learn from experience? http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2020)652017 Source: © European Union - EP

pandemic safety political concerns around the world legislation crises strasbourg think tanks elections around eprs eprs bri european parliamentary research service plenary at a glance supporting analysis
Loud & Clear
Delay the Election? Trump's Trial Balloon is Shot Down

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2020 115:30


On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer, the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” and Sputnik News analyst and producer Nicole Roussell.

Loud & Clear
Delay the Election? Trump's Trial Balloon Is Shot Down

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2020 115:30


On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer, the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” and Sputnik News analyst and producer Nicole Roussell.Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on the government’s coronavirus response; the Vietnamese government’s coronavirus response; the waning access to healthcare as millions lose their jobs; labor unions’ effects on healthcare access; the federal, state, and local police agreement in Portland; the renewed attempts to crush and privatize the post office, and more. The withdrawal of federal agents from frontline policing of demonstrations in downtown Portland significantly reduced tensions in the city overnight. Protesters in support of Black Lives Matter rallied near the federal courthouse that became a flashpoint with federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the Bureau of Prisons. But in the absence of those federal agents, the night passed peacefully. President Trump says the federal agents will be redeployed to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee. Eugene Puryear, an author, activist and host of the new program BreakThrough News, joins the show. The 16th century was an era when the roots of slavery, white supremacy, and capitalism became inextricably tangled into a complex history involving war and revolts in Europe and the conquest of the Americas by European settler colonialism. Colonial powers fought each to dominate the land, labor and resources for what was later dubbed the New World. They also invoked god and religion giving these initial conflicts a strong element of religious war. Brian and John speak with Dr. Gerald Horne, the author of a new book, his latest book titled: “The Dawning of the Apocalypse: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy, Settler Colonialism and Capitalism in the Long 16th Century.” It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his site Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.

Loud & Clear
Trump & Pence Tell Nation “It’s All Under Control” as COVID Cases Spike

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2020 111:37


On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, who is at www.rall.com.Coronavirus cases are surging in parts of the country with Florida, Texas, and Arizona yesterday setting new records for the number of confirmed new cases. Indeed, hospital beds in Arizona, Alabama, Texas, and elsewhere are filling quickly. But Vice President Pence, in a call with governors, suggested that governors should stop testing their citizens, which would cause the number of “confirmed” cases to decline. And he told those governors to tell their constituents that the Administration has the pandemic under control. President Trump yesterday signed an executive order on policing reforms calling for additional police training and a new database to track police misconduct. Progressive groups immediately dismissed it as not worth the paper it is written on. Meanwhile, Democrats are pushing their own reform bill but it appears to be stalled in the Senate, where Republicans are suggesting reform measures won’t be voted on until after Congress gets back from its July 4th vacation. Daryle Lamont Jenkins, executive director of the organization One People’s Project, joins the show. An internal CIA report prepared by then-director Mike Pompeo and his deputy, Gina Haspel, that was obtained by the Washington Post, concludes that the 2016 theft of top secret computer hacking tools known as Vault 7 was the result of a culture in which the Agency’s elite hackers “prioritized building cyber weapons at the expense of securing their own weapons. The CIA did not even know that the information had been stolen until it appeared on the Wikileaks website in 2017. Officials call it the biggest unauthorized disclosure of classified information in the CIA’s history. Brian and John speak with Joe Lauria, the editor-in-chief of Consortium News, founded by the late Robert Parry, and the author of the book "How I Lost, By Hillary Clinton." The Trump Administration yesterday filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block next week’s expected publication of former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s memoir. Bolton has been working for months with the NSC’s publications review board to ensure that the book does not contain classified information. But once he got the book cleared, someone at the White House, presumably the President, put the final clearance on hold. Bolton then said that, clearance or not, he was publishing the book. It’s supposed to come out on June 23. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” joins the show. Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Sputnik news analysts Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show.Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show. The webinar for comments on the proposed radioactive waste dump affecting Native and Latino communities in New Mexico is on Tuesday at 5pm EDT, with information posted at beyondnuclear.org.

Squiz Today
Thursday, 23 May - The Queensland Premier and Adani; Elections around the world; Hamilton heads down under; And our Three Minute Squiz from the Great Barrier Reef.

Squiz Today

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2019 8:48


Get across the news each morning in a matter of minutes with our daily podcast.Take two minutes and tell us what you think of the Squiz Today podcast - we'll be so grateful: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3MX9CZ7(If you do, you go in the draw to win a $100 Woolworths voucher, yipee)Three Minute Squiz: https://www.thesquiz.com.au/extras/2019/may/three-minute-squiz-with-kerri-ann-charlton/Contacts us: hello@thesquiz.com.auSign up to The Squiz Today email: www.thesquiz.com.au

Loud & Clear
US-EU Tension: What's Behind the Cancellation of Pompeo-Merkel Meeting?

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2019 110:40


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.

Loud & Clear
Chelsea Manning, Political Prisoner, Is Denied Freedom

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2019 114:57


On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure.A federal appeals court ruled this morning that Chelsea Manning must remain in jail for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. Manning had argued that the Justice Department was trying to weaken her credibility as a defense witness, rather than to punish her for refusing to testify. The U.S. government announced today that it would not be issuing any further waivers on sanctions imposed on the Iranian oil industry. In its effort to isolate Iran economically, the Trump administration may now take action against traditional U.S. allies that do not go along with the sanctions regime. Mohammad Marandi, an expert on American studies and postcolonial literature who teaches at the University of Tehran, joins the show. People across the country and world were shocked as video surfaced of a group of far-right vigilantes holding undocumented immigrants at gunpoint along the U.S.-Mexico border. The FBI arrested Larry Hopkins, a leader of the militia, on Sunday and charged him with federal gun violations, which carry a mandatory minimum sentence of eight years in prison. Kidnapping charges are expected to be added soon. But will violent far-right groups continue to grow? Brian and John speak with Daryle Lamont Jenkins, executive director of the anti-fascist organization One People’s Project. Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John. Ukraine has a new president. President Petro Poroshenko conceded last night to television comedian Volodymir Zelensky, who won more than 70 percent of the vote in what was seen as a referendum on corruption and poverty. Zelensky has no political experience, but he plays a president on television. Mark Sleboda, an international affairs and security analyst, joins Brian and John. House Democrats lined up over the weekend to announce the start of new investigations into allegations that President Trump obstructed justice during the Russia investigation, while one Fox News contributor complained that the Mueller Report was a “how-to manual for impeachment.” Some Democrats argue against impeachment, however, because the Senate is unlikely to take up the issue and because impeachment proceedings could rally Republicans. And new questions are being raised as journalists dig into the content of the report, including about the role of Joseph Mifsud and western intelligence agencies in the initiation of the FBI’s investigation into alleged Russian interference. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” and Jeremy Kuzmarov, a professor of American history whose latest book is “The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce,” joins the show.Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.

Progressive Spirit
The Plot to Attack Iran: A Conversation with Dan Kovalik

Progressive Spirit

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2019 37:59


John Shuck speaks with University of Pittsburgh Law Professor, Daniel Kovalik about the war drums beating against Iran. We discuss his myth-dispelling book about Iran, The Plot to Attack Iran: How the CIA and the Deep State Have Conspired to Vilify Iran.  He is also the author of The Plot to Scapegoat Russia: How the CIA and the Deep State Have Conspired to Vilify Russia, and The Plot to Control the World: How the U.S. Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.  "The world has a lot of questions about the current state of affairs between the United States and Iran… *How has the US undermined democracy in Iran?*Is Iran really trying to develop nuclear weapons?*How has US waged a terror campaign against Iran for years?*How is it that the US and Israel, rather than Iran, are destabilizing the Middle East?*How has Iran helped the US in the war on terror? "Using recently declassified documents and memos, as well as first-hand experience of the country, critically-acclaimed author Dan Kovalik will change the way you think about Iran, and especially what you think of US interference there. Learn how the United States vilifies its enemies, and accuses them of unspeakable horror to mask its own terrible crimes. Not only does the illuminating and important The Plot to Attack Iran delve into the current incendiary situation, but it also predicts what could happen next, and what needs to be done before it is too late." Bio: Daniel Kovalik is Senior Associate General Counsel of the United Steelworkers, AFL-CIO (USW). He has worked for the USW since graduating from Columbia Law School in 1993. While with the USW, he has served as lead counsel on cutting-edge labor law litigation, including the landmark NLRB cases of Lamons Gasket and Specialty Health Care. He has also worked on Alien Tort Claims Act cases against The Coca-Cola Company, Drummond and Occidental Petroleum – cases arising out of egregious human rights abuses in Colombia. The Christian Science Monitor, referring to his work defending Colombian unionists under threat of assassination, recently described Mr. Kovalik as “one of the most prominent defenders of Colombian workers in the United States.” Mr. Kovalik received the David W. Mills Mentoring Fellowship from Stanford University School of Law and was the recipient of the Project Censored Award for his article exposing the unprecedented killing of trade unionists in Colombia. He has written extensively on the issue of international human rights and U.S. foreign policy for the Huffington Post and Counterpunch and has lectured throughout the world on these subjects. The Beloved Community is broadcast LIVE on the second Friday from 9-10 am PACIFIC on KBOO/Portland, 90.7.

Brand New Podcast
All About the Oil: Daniel Kovalik on U.S. Intervention in Venezuela

Brand New Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2019 37:55


In this episode of our joint podcast series with Millennial Politics on Venezuela, Brand New Congress Chief Policy Director Jordan Valerie Allen speaks with Daniel Kovalik, human rights and labor lawyer, former Senior Associate General Counsel of the United Steelworkers, AFL-CIO, author of The Plot to Control the World: How the U.S. Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World, and observer of the 2013 and 2018 Venezuelan presidential elections to discuss oil, the Venezuelan electoral process, the history of U.S. intervention in Latin America, and more. (Daniel Kovalik is not affiliated with Brand New Congress and speaks only for himself as a guest on this podcast episode.)

Millennial Politics Podcast
All About the Oil: Daniel Kovalik on U.S. Intervention in Venezuela

Millennial Politics Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2019 38:51


In this episode of our joint podcast series with Brand New Congress on Venezuela, Jordan Valerie Allen speaks with Daniel Kovalik, human rights and labor lawyer, former Senior Associate General Counsel of the United Steelworkers, AFL-CIO, author of The Plot to Control the World: How the U.S. Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World, and observer of the 2013 and 2018 Venezuelan presidential elections to discuss oil, the Venezuelan electoral process, the history of U.S. intervention in Latin America, and more.

Loud & Clear
Boeing in Trouble after Second Fatal Crash with Nearly 200 Deaths

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2019 114:32


On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Bijan Vasigh, a professor of air transportation at Embrey-Riddle University, an expert on aviation issues, a consultant to some of the biggest airlines in the world, and the author of dozens of academic papers and books.The Chinese government has ordered all of the country’s airlines to ground their Boeing 737s after one of the jets belonging to Ethiopian Airlines crash after takeoff over the weekend, killing all 157 people on board. A Lion Air 737 crashed five months ago into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff, killing all 189 people on board. Is there something fundamentally wrong with the new 737? Unpublished video footage obtained by the New York Times contradicts claims by the Trump Administration that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was responsible for lighting a convoy of humanitarian aid on fire. Vice President Pence tweeted over the weekend, “The tyrant in Caracas danced as his henchmen burned food and medicine.” The truth, however, is that members of the US-backed opposition accidentally started the fire with a Molotov cocktail. Dan Cohen, a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, most recently of the film Killing Gaza, joins the show. One member of the recent Code Pink peace delegation to Iran, David Hartsough, upon landing in Iran, had what doctors usually call a “cardiac episode.” That required emergency treatment and an angioplasty in an Iranian hospital. The hosts will talk about medical care in Iran and about President Rouhani’s trip to Iraq to try to blunt the effect of sanctions. Brian and John speak with David Hartsough, cofounder of World Beyond War and the Nonviolent Peaceforce, and author of the book “Waging Peace: Global Adventures of a Lifelong Activist.” A British organization called The Charity Commission this week accused the London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission of anti-Semitism and challenged its legal structure, saying that it was designed to support terrorism. The charge, of course, is ridiculous. But it points to a trend whereby people and organizations that support the rights of Palestinians are somehow anti-Semitic and support terrorism. Massoud Shadjareh, founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show. Monday’s segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” is where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto,” joins Brian and John. Hawaii Congresswoman and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard conducted a nationally-televised town hall meeting on CNN last night in which she answered several tough questions that set her apart from other Democratic candidates. Meanwhile, Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, continued to be the target of attacks because of her comments on foreign influence in American politics and the legacy of President Obama. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” joins the show.Monday’s regular segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa is a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the national surveillance state are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.

Loud & Clear
Korea Peace Process Dealt a Blow as Trump Walks from Bargaining Table

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2019 115:15


On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek and John Kiriakou are joined by Brian Becker, who is in Hanoi covering the US-North Korean summit.Talks between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended today with no agreement on any issue. Kim said that he would continue a moratorium on missile testing and development, but the fate of future negotiations remain very much in doubt. Can the peace process be put back on track? Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show. Michael Cohen, President Trump’s longtime personal attorney and fixer, testified on Capitol Hill, saying that the President was a liar, a conman, and a racist, and that those around the President had traded their own integrity for proximity to power. Expectedly, the President exploded on Twitter, despite being busy with his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Cohen is due to report to prison on a myriad of felony charges in the next few weeks, which his opponents cite as reason to disbelieve his testimony. Walter and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.” President Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner is finishing up a visit through the Middle East to publicize an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. Meanwhile, the United Nations released a report saying that “the commission found reasonable grounds to believe that … the use of live ammunition by Israeli security forces against demonstrators was unlawful.” Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink, joins the show. Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who refused orders to deploy to Vietnam and lived in exile in Canada and Sweden for 6 years, organizing with other U.S. military deserters and draft resisters against the Vietnam war, and for amnesty for U.S. war resisters, joins the show. He has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years and has served on the Board of Veterans For Peace for the last 6 years, currently as national president. A regular Thursday segment deals with the ongoing militarization of space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties, will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world closer to catastrophe? Brian and John speak with Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, the author of six books, and the host of a nationally-aired television program focused on environmental, energy, and space issues. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif resigned earlier this week just hours after meeting with an American peace delegation, apologizing for what he called his shortcomings. But President Hassan Rouhani refused the resignation, and Zarif was back in the office two days later. What was behind the resignation? Walter and John speak with Massoud Shadjareh, the founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.

Loud & Clear
Andrew McCabe: The Politics of an Attempted FBI Coup

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2019 112:28


On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.” Former FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe told NBC’s Today Show yesterday that he had briefed senior Congressional leaders--called the Gang of Eight--on the counterintelligence investigation that he had initiated against President Trump and that “no one objected--not on legal grounds, not on constitutional grounds, and not based on the facts.” President Trump said in a speech in Miami on Monday that there is “no going back” in his efforts to oust Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro as fears of a staged provocation along the border with Colombia this Saturday mount. Meanwhile, supporters of U.S.-backed self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido have reportedly seized control of the Venezuelan embassy in Costa Rica. Lucas Koerner, an activist and writer for VenezuelAnalysis.com, joins the show. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his annual address to the nation, threatened to use new weapons systems to target countries that host offensive missiles and countries that deploy them, calling out the United States in particular. Putin said that Moscow is not seeking confrontation with Washington, but that it objected to the recent US decisions to withdraw from the INF Treaty and to deploy US missiles to central and eastern Europe. Brian and John speak with Steven Starr, a professor at the University of Missouri in the Peace Studies Program on the environmental, health, and social effects of nuclear weapons, and a senior scientist for Physicians for Social Responsibility. Three British Conservative Party parliamentarians quit the Tories and joined eight former Labour MPs in a new independent political group that looks like it’s becoming a bona fide political party. The conservatives left the party over Brexit, while the Labour members, who are widely to be considered centrist “Blairites”, accused their former party of anti-Semitism. The new Independent Group is now the fourth largest political grouping in parliament, along with the Liberal Democrats. Jess Cobbett, a researcher for a British Labour Party Member of Parliament, joins the show. The US Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to consider the Maryland Attorney General’s bid to revive a state law aimed at preventing price gouging by pharmaceutical companies. The court let stand a Circuit Court ruling that it was a constitutional violation to try to stop big pharma from raising the prices of medication. Dr. Margaret Flowers, a medical doctor and the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance whose work is at www.popularresistance.org, joins Brian and John. Wednesday’s weekly series, In the News, is where the hosts look at the most important ongoing developments of the week and put them into perspective. Today they talk about Bernie Sanders announcing his bid for the democratic nomination, Trump’s attempted coup in Venezuela, the danger of war against Venezuela, and the effort by the Trump administration to pull the plug on a high speed train linking Southern and northern california. Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which hosts a livestream every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and Sputnik news analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.Wednesday’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, and Sputnik news analyst and producer Nicole Roussell, join the show.

Loud & Clear
BBC Producer Admits Syrian “Chemical Attack” Was Staged

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2019 112:26


On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Piers Robinson, the chairman of the politics, society, and political journalism department at the University of Sheffield and the author of “Routledge Handbook of Media, Conflict and Security.”Following an in-depth investigation by James Harkin published in The Intercept about the Douma chemical weapons attack, a BBC reporter has come out publicly to say he can confirm the core claims of the article, which challenge the dominant narrative around that attack that served as a pretext for a U.S. strike on the country. Elliott Abrams is a convicted criminal who played a key role in the Iran-Contra scandal and death squad operations in Latin America in the 1980s. He’s also President Trump’s special envoy for Venezuela, leading the effort to overthrow the government of President Nicolas Maduro and to install a puppet regime led by Juan Guaido. He testified yesterday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, but faced a hostile crowd leery of his history of lying to Congress and his support for a hawkish, activist, neoconservative foreign policy. Kei Pritsker, an activist who was arrested yesterday during the hearing, joins the show. Our friend and contributor Ted Rall recently had a major court decision go against him in California. This was a case that had very important implications for Americans’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech. In the end, the court decided essentially, that Ted’s right to criticize the Los Angeles Police Department was less important than the Los Angeles Times’s right to block Ted’s right to freedom of speech. It’s a case with very important constitutional implications. Ted is appealing that ruling to the California Supreme Court. Brian and John speak with Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist, whose work is at www.rall.com. Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe confirmed yesterday that FBI officials were so alarmed by President Trump’s decision to fire former FBI director James Comey, that they held talks on recruiting a cabinet official to push Trump out of office using the Constitution’s 25th amendment. Meanwhile, a federal judge yesterday ruled that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort breached the terms of his plea deal by lying to investigators after taking the deal. The ruling virtually ensures that, absent a presidential pardon, Manafort will die in prison. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” joins the show. Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who refused orders to deploy to Vietnam and lived in exile in Canada and Sweden for 6 years, organizing with other U.S. military deserters and draft resisters against the Vietnam war, and for amnesty for U.S. war resisters, joins the show. He has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years and has served on the Board of Veterans For Peace for the last 6 years, currently as national president. Congress today will vote on a budget to keep the federal government open beyond midnight tomorrow, even though President Trump has not yet said that he’ll sign the measure. The deal does not include funding for the president’s border wall. Susan Pai, an immigration attorney and a member of a number of civil liberties and immigrant rights organizations, joins the show.Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show.

WBAI News with Paul DeRienzo
011419 WBAI News Angelo Guisado CCR, Jefferson Morley, Dan Kovalik

WBAI News with Paul DeRienzo

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2019 19:28


The fight over President Donald Trump’s wall entered a new stage today as the United State Senate passed a bipartisan border security plan. The 83-16 Senate vote advances the bill to the House for a vote Thursday night. The measure requires a signature by Trump in time to avert another partial government shutdown this weekend. The measure would finance 55-miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, significantly less that Trump wanted. The vote came shortly after the White House announced the president would use emergency powers to build additional miles without approval from Congress. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell said he would support Trump’s decision to use emergency powers. McConnell had previously said he opposed the use of them. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said all options were open to counter Trump’s threat. She said a lawsuit is possible and accused trump of an attempt to undermine democracy. The Center for Constitutional Rights, a New York based progressive legal organization has been suing the Trump administration over its border policies. Staff attorney Angelo Guisado says at the heart of Trump’s threat of declaring a national emergency is an appeal to his xenophobic, anti-immigrant base. Meanwhile on capitol hill… The Senate on Thursday voted to confirm William Barr as attorney general, 54-45. The confirmation of Trump's nominee, who will oversee special counsel Robert Mueller's probe, had been expected given the GOP's 53-47 control of the chamber. He was sworn in several hours later at the White House. Barr, 68, who has been counsel at the Kirkland & Ellis law firm, served as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush from 1991 until 1993, following an 18-year civil service career that began at the CIA. The new attorney general, nominated by Trump in December to replace Jeff Sessions, will be only the second person to hold the job twice. While attorney general under the Bush administration he facilitated the presidential pardons of several officials either charged or convicted of crimes.. including Elliot Abrams who is now Trump’s special envoy to Venezuela. A former reporter for the Washington Post, Jefferson Morley is editor of the Deep State Blog. He says Barr defended the actions of the Central Intelligence Agency during the Iran-Contra scandal.. Moreley adds that Barr is a supporter of broad presidential powers. ————————————————— Meanwhile In a luncheon speech to a U.S.-led Middle East security conference in Warsaw, Vice President Mike Pence calls on German, France, and Britain to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. The signature deal of former President Barack Obama was overturned by Trump, but is still supported by the other signatories. Dan Kovalik is author of The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World He says Trump is picking potential war criminals to spearhead his plans in South America and Iran.

Around The Empire
Ep 89 The Real Story of Venezuelan Elections feat Dan Kovalik

Around The Empire

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2019 50:31


Dan Kovalik joins us today to talk about the situation in Venezuela. US officials and almost all media outlets have made claims about the illegitimacy of the Venezuelan presidential election last May, using that claim to recognize a little known opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, as the new interim president, replacing President Nicolás Maduro. Dan begs to differ with that characterization, having witnessed that election process, up close, while he was on the ground in Venezuela as an election monitor. He shares that experience with us today and many other insights on the country, the region, and the media coverage and politics around it here in the United States. Daniel Kovalik is a labor and human rights lawyer, a peace activist, an author and a college professor. He teaches International Human Rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. The Christian Science Monitor described him as “one of the most prominent defenders of Colombian workers in the United States” in reference to his work defending Colombian unionists under threat of assassination. He is the recipient of the Project Censored Award for his work exposing the killing of trade unionists in Colombia. He has done interviews and written articles for many different media sites including Counterpunch and the Huffington Post. He has recently written three books, including The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World, which was published last November. Find Dan’s work at Counterpunch and the Huffington Post and look for his informative interviews on various alternative media channels.  FOLLOW him on Twitter @danielmkovalik. Around the Empire is independent media supported by our listeners. You can pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or at aroundtheempire.com. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Joanne Leon at @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, Facebook. Recorded on February 5, 2019. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: The Real Venezuela Is Not What You Think: Human Rights lawyer Daniel Kovalik tells of his recent trip to Venezuela as part of the international electoral accompaniment mission, Venezuela Analysis Book: The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World (2018), Dan Kovalik Book: The Plot to Attack Iran: How the CIA and the Deep State Have Conspired to Vilify Iran (2018), Dan Kovalik Book: The Plot to Scapegoat Russia: How the CIA and the Deep State Have Conspired to Vilify Putin (2017) Book: Humanitarian Imperialism: Using Human Rights to Sell War, Jean Bricmont Film: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (2003) Goodbye Middle East, Hello Latin America: The Coming Destruction of the Caribbean Basin, Thierry Meyssan, MintPress News  

Loud & Clear
Chickens Coming Home to Roost: US Empire & Latin American Emigration

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2019 112:36


On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne, a professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including “The Apocalypse of Settler Colonialism: The Roots of Slavery, White Supremacy and Capitalism in Seventeenth Century North America and the Caribbean.”President Trump is heading to the border today to speak with Customs and Border Patrol officials about the so-called “crisis” there, even though those same officials aren’t being paid because of the government shutdown. Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in today for a new term as the U.S.-backed regime change effort targeting his government continues, and Brazil’s new president, Jair Bolsonaro, moved today to withdraw his country from the UN global migration pact. Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show. President Trump said today that he will “almost definitely” declare a national emergency soon to secure funding for his border wall. He made the comment as he departed today to Texas to meet with Customs and Border Patrol officials and continue making the case for hardline anti-immigrant policies. Brian and John speak with Isabel Garcia, co-founder of Coalición de Derechos Humanos. The US has accused Russia’s Kaspersky Lab of working with Russian spies on cyberwarfare. But Politico is reporting that Kaspersky actually helped catch an NSA data thief, even though the US had completely missed the theft. Kim Zetter, the author of the book “Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World’s First Digital Weapon,” and a prolific journalist who has contributed to Politico, the Washington Post, the New York Times, CNN, NPR, and other outlets, joins the show. The New York Times today issued a correction--a retraction would be more appropriate--to a front-page story yesterday saying that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort had shared polling data with a Russian contact for passage to a Russian oligarch. That information was untrue. Manafort had shared the information for passage to two Ukrainian politicians with whom he had had a business relationship. The true story undercuts any accusation of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World,” joins Brian and John. It’s time again for our regular weekly segment Veterans for Peace, where we’ll discuss contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years, currently as national president of Veterans for Peace, joins the show.The UK’s departure from the European Union is fast approaching. The British parliament is now conducting the official debate on the Brexit deal ahead of a vote next week. But Prime Minister Theresa May may not have the votes necessary to pass the terms of the deal, and was dealt a blow when members of her own Conservative Party revolted to help pass a motion limiting her options in the event that the deal is rejected. Brian and John speak with Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran.

Loud & Clear
When a “National Emergency” Isn’t a Real Emergency: Trump’s Bogus Claim

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2019 114:31


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.”

Loud & Clear
Mike Flynn’s Explosive Sentencing Hearing

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2018 112:00


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.

Loud & Clear
Trump’s Lawyer Off to Jail: What’s Next in Mueller Probe?

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2018 113:15


On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and with Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s roll back of anti-labor teaching regulations and making education free, US-China relations through the Huawai arrest, North Carolina election fraud, and Michael Cohen’s week. On Wednesday of this week, federal court judge Emmet Sullivan issued new orders demanding that the Mueller investigation provide to the judge, who’s overseeing the sentencing of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, FBI memoranda and other documentation held by the FBI regarding how and why the FBI initially interviewed Flynn on January 24, 2017. That was the day that Michael Flynn reported to FBI agents about his discussions with the Russian ambassador in Washington, D.C. in December, 2016. Flynn ultimately pled guilty to one count of lying to the FBI about his discussions with the Russian ambassador in that meeting. The hosts talk about what the judge’s order might mean for Michael Flynn and the Mueller probe. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.” The FBI has raided the home of a government employee who apparently sent documents to Congressional oversight committees showing fraud committed by the Clinton Foundation. Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican who is a champion of whistleblowers, sent a letter to the FBI asking them to explain why the whistleblower should not be protected under federal statute. So far, Grassley has been ignored. Meanwhile, a Congressional hearing on the Foundation yesterday exploded as Republicans attacked their own witnesses for refusing to answer questions. Brad Birkenfeld, a famed whistleblower who single handedly brought down international money laundering at banking giant UBS, joins the show. A 7-year-old girl has died of shock and dehydration after being detained by the Border Patrol in New Mexico. The girl and her father were taken into custody after crossing the border. She was not given any food or water, and eight hours later, with a temperature of 105.7 degrees, she began having seizures. She died shortly thereafter. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins Brian and John. The Senate last night, by a margin of 56-41, voted to end US military assistance for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen in the strongest showing yet of bipartisan defiance of President Trump’s defense of the kingdom after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Although dramatic, the vote is likely symbolic because House Speaker Paul Ryan is refusing to permit a similar vote in the House. Meanwhile, an agreement to end fighting in the crucial Yemeni port city of Hodeidah has raised hopes for peace in the country. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.

Loud & Clear
"The Spy" Who Wasn't A Spy: US Media's False Coverage of Maria Butina

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2018 111:54


On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.”Russian gun rights activist Maria Butina will plead guilty in federal court today to one count of conspiracy to fail to register as a foreign agent, for which there are no sentencing guidelines. She’s been held without bail behind bars since her arrest in July. The hosts review her case and several other pieces of the Russiagate saga. Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show. Joshua Schulte is a former CIA computer engineer who has being held in New York’s Metropolitan Detention Center. He was arrested after an FBI raid on his apartment in connection with the “Vault 7” leak of cyberweapons, but the government charged him with possessing child pornography. In a recent letter to US District Court Judge Paul Crotty, Schulte says that he is being tortured in prison, and he’s being denied medication, writing materials, and access to his attorneys. Furthermore, the government is demanding that if Schulte were to meet with his attorneys, he would have to be shackled, chained to a bolt in the floor, and denied access to the classified documents necessary to defend himself. Brian and John speak with Bill Binney, a former NSA technical director who became a legendary national security whistleblower. A Kiev court said yesterday that two Ukrainian lawmakers and top anti-corruption official’s decision to release documents linked to Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort in 2016 amounted to interference in the US presidential election. The complaint was initially filed by another lawmaker who alleged that Sergei Leshchenko and Artem Sytnik were trying to influence the election in favor of Hillary Clinton. International affairs expert and security analyst Mark Sleboda joins the show. British Prime Minister Theresa May won a no-confidence vote last night in the House of Commons, making her immune from another leadership challenge for a year. But her loss of 37 percent of her own party’s members could be devastating, according to British political observers. Many of those more conservative members are calling on her to resign. Alex Gordon, former president of the National Union of Rail, Maritime, & Transport Workers, joins Brian and John. Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who refused orders to deploy to Vietnam and lived in exile in Canada and Sweden for 6 years, organizing with other U.S. military deserters and draft resisters against the Vietnam war, and for amnesty for U.S. war resisters, joins the show. He has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years and has served on the Board of Veterans For Peace for the last 6 years, currently as national president.Mental health workers organized by the National Union of Healthcare Workers at Kaiser Permanente in California are on strike this week to protest the quality of care their patients receive. Strike leaders say that the action is not about money, but instead is about how the company allows them to provide for their patients. Nurses have joined the picket line. Brian and John speak with Doug Kauffman, an activist and a member of the National Union of Healthcare Workers.

Loud & Clear
Climate Change: The Fight of Our Lives

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2018 114:20


On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont, and Antony Loewenstein, an independent journalist and author of “Disaster Capitalism: Making a Killing Out of Catastrophe.”Last week, just before Thanksgiving, the White House did everything it could to bury its own report on climate change, which Donald Trump says he doesn’t believe. But the science is in and climate change is here and is already affecting our health, with extreme heat having an effect on productivity, the food supply, and disease transmission. And the last four years have been the hottest in recorded history. Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, joins the show. President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty today to a single count of lying to Congress. But does this say anything about the larger investigation into alleged Russian interference into the 2016 election. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.” In an article written by a former CIA officer under the pen name Alex Finley, Politico tries to make an argument that an article in The Guardian yesterday saying that Paul Manafort met in Ecuador’s London embassy with Julian Assange, was either planted or that sources duped the authors, Luke Harding and Dan Collins. Politico then points the finger squarely at Russia, including Sputnik, RT, and its so-called partners like Wikileaks and Glenn Greenwald. But isn’t it more likely that Luke Harding is just a lousy journalist? After all, he has already been caught plagiarizing the work of other journalists, and his book, entitled Collusion, takes a conclusion and then tries to find the evidence to support it. Activist and journalist Diani Baretto and Ted Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist whose work is at www.rall.com, join the show. President Trump is threatening to withdraw subsidies from General Motors after the company announced the closure of five plants and the layoff of 15,000 salaried workers, and he says that he’s on the side of the American worker. But is he serious, especially in light of the massive tax cuts that GM benefited from earlier this year. How can the auto workers union capitalize on the situation and save jobs? Neal Sweeney, the Vice President of UAW Local 5810, joins Brian and John. Veterans for Peace is Thursday’s regular segment about the contemporary issues of war and peace that affect veterans, their families, and the country as a whole. Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era veteran and war resister who refused orders to deploy to Vietnam and lived in exile in Canada and Sweden for 6 years, organizing with other U.S. military deserters and draft resisters against the Vietnam war, and for amnesty for U.S. war resisters, joins the show. He has been a peace and solidarity activist for almost 50 years and has served on the Board of Veterans For Peace for the last 6 years, currently as national president.Furious over being denied a briefing by the CIA Director on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Senate last night voted by an overwhelming 63-37 vote to bring to the floor a measure to limit President Trump’s war powers in Yemen. It was the strongest signal yet that the Administration’s insistence that Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman did not order Khashoggi’s killing cannot be believed. Brian and John speak with Ariel Gold, a peace activist and the national co-director of Code Pink.

Loud & Clear
How Government Screw Ups Prove Assange Right

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2018 111:09


On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, and Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.Today Loud & Clear begins a new hour-long segment called The Week in Review. We’ll talk about the most important events of the week and offer some analysis to put it all into perspective.A federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia accidentally revealed yesterday that Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange has been indicted in the district, and the indictment is sealed. Assange’s name was accidentally included in an unrelated terrorism and child pornography case. Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World”, joins the show. An announcement by the North that they have developed an unspecified new “tactical weapon” is causing controversy. The hawkish CSIS think tank said this week that they had discovered 13 supposedly secret North Korean missile development sites. President Trump, however, said that he’s known about the sites for a long time. Is the Intelligence Community trying to sabotage the Korean peace talks? Brian and John speak with Gregory Elich, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea and the author of, “Strange Liberators: Militarism, Mayhem, and the Pursuit of Profit.”Regional leaders gathered in Singapore this week for the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The intense competition for influence in the region between China and the United States was fully on display at this high-profile gathering. Nile Bowie, a writer and journalist with the Asia Times who was on the ground covering the ASEAN summit, joins the show. 631 people are now missing and 66 are dead in the devastating California wildfires. Thousands of other people are living in tent cities after their homes were destroyed. Meanwhile, President Trump said that he will visit California tomorrow to inspect the damage. This was after he tweeted that the fires were the fault of California’s Democratic elected officials. California-based activist Sheila Xiao joins Brian and John.Finally, the hosts look at the worst, most misleading, funniest, and the just plain wrong headlines of the past week. Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News, and Nicole Roussell, a Sputnik News analyst and producer, join the show.

Loud & Clear
Sessions is Gone: What Next in Washington’s Unfolding Political Drama?

Loud & Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2018 113:57


On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Julie Hurwitz, a civil rights attorney and partner at the law firm Goodman, Hurwitz and James, and Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer and the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.”Jeff Sessions is out as Attorney General after a long period of tension with Donald Trump. Brian reviews the ultra right-wing policies that earned him the ire of so many millions of people across the country, and considers what his replacement by acting Attorney General Whitaker means for the future of the Mueller investigation. Thursday’s weekly series “Criminal Injustice” is about the most egregious conduct of our courts and prosecutors and how justice is denied to so many people in this country. Paul Wright, the founder and executive director of the Human Rights Defense Center and editor of Prison Legal News (PLN), and Kevin Gosztola, a writer for Shadowproof.com and co-host of the podcast Unauthorized Disclosure, join the show. 12 people were killed in a horrendous mass shooting at a bar in southern California last night. Details are still emerging, but news is now reporting that the shooter was a 28-year old combat veteran of the Marine Corps in Afghanistan. Mike Prysner, a U.S. veteran who served four years in the Army in Iraq, a documentary filmmaker, and co-host of the anti-war podcast Eyes Left, joins the show.Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fell and broke three ribs late last night. With conservative Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch in their 50s and Samuel Alito and John Roberts in their 60s, what could the court look like if Trump makes more appointments? Brian speaks with Deborah Golden, an attorney with Human Rights Defense Center and a national expert in prisoner human rights litigation. Dangerous new anti-abortion ballot measures passed in Alabama and West Virginia this week, setting up for an intense and protracted court battle. Is the historic Roe vs. Wade decision in jeopardy? Mia Raven, an advocate for women at the Reproductive Health Services of Montgomery abortion clinic, and the cofounder of the nonprofit next door to the clinic called POWER House – People Organizing for Women’s Empowerment & Rights, joins Brian. Intense fighting took place last night in the province of Takhar, killing 14 Afghan government soldiers. As the government loses ground, is there any hope for a negotiated peace? Dr. Marvin Weinbaum, the Scholar-in-Residence and director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Pakistan and Afghanistan Studies, joins the show.The second half of this week’s regular segment, Beyond Nuclear, is about nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Brian speaks with Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear.

Pantsuit Politics
The Briefcase: Elections Around the World

Pantsuit Politics

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2017 20:51


In today's Briefcase, we discuss elections in Georgia, Turkey, and the U.K., along with listener feedback. SPONSORS: Aaptiv What do you get when an app that Sarah is obsessed with becomes a sponsor of the show? Aaptiv - a fitness app that provides audio workouts guided by a trainer synched with the perfect playlist and fully customizable by workout type, machine, duration, and intensity. Aaptiv is are offering our listeners a free 30 day trial. Go to https://aaptiv.com, sign up for a monthly subscription, and enter promo code PANTSUIT.Harry & David Whether she’s a wine aficionado, a chocolate lover, or a fruit fanatic, Harry & David has something Mom’s guaranteed to love. UP TO 30% off select Mother’s Day items is an amazing deal, but it expires Friday. Harry & David is part of the 1-800 Flowers family of brands and the company we trust with Mom’s special day. Get up to 30% off select Mother’s Day favorites NOW! Just go to http://harryanddavid.com, click the radio icon and enter code PANTSUIT. CREDO Moblie What if you could make the world a little bit better every time you used your cell phone? Well, it turns out you can, thanks to CREDO Mobile. Because, whenever you use a CREDO product or service, you generate critical donations for progressive causes and vital activism work – at no extra cost to you. With over $150,000 donated every month to nonprofits like Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, CREDO truly does give you the power to make positive social change every day. Not to mention, they offer coverage on the nation’s largest and most dependable 4G LTE network, and you can easily transfer over with your existing number. So, if you want a better world for all of us, AND a better way to stay connected to it, you want CREDO mobile. And, right now, CREDO has a special deal for our listeners. Go to CREDOMobile.COM/pantsuit and get 2 smartphones FREE plus 50% off unlimited talk and text. Or call 1-866-689-0099. It’s time your phone company represented your value​​​​​​​ Leave us a review on iTunes by clicking here! Subscribe to Episodes: iTunes | Android Subscribe to our weekly email and get a free Pantsuit Primer audiobook! Follow Us: Instagram | Twitter | FacebookThe state of Georgia held a special election to replace Rep. Tom Price (now the Secretary of Health and Human Services). Democrats invested heavily in 30-year-old Jon Ossoff. In a crowded field and a district that Price carried by 23 points, Ossoff did well but failed to... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.