Podcasts about exposefacts

Our final 2020 episode, focusing on the kafksesque trial of Julian Assange, is one of the most important, informative and compelling programs of the year, if not of the past 4. We discuss everything from A(ssange) to Z(imbabwe). The combo of the dynamic Sam Adams Award recipients Thomas Drake and Jesselyn Radack is a tour de force. Together, the two are the whistleblower community's Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers or William Powell and Myrna Loy. Jesselyn Radack heads the Whistleblower and Source Protection Program (WHISPeR) at ExposeFacts. As National Security & Human Rights Director of WHISPeR, her work focuses on the issues of secrecy, surveillance, torture and drones, where she has been at the forefront of challenging the government's unprecedented war on whistleblowers, which has become a war journalists, hacktivists, and those who reveal information that the public has right to know but the government wants kept secret.Among her clients are national security and intelligence community employees who have been investigated, charged, or prosecuted under the Espionage Act for allegedly mishandling classified information, including drone whistleblower Brandon Bryant, NSA whistleblowers Edward Snowden, Thomas Drake and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou. She also represents clients bringing whistleblower retaliation complaints in federal court and other administrative bodies. Previously, she headed the National Security and Human Rights program at the Government Accountability Project, a whistleblower protection organization, served on the DC Bar Legal Ethics Committee and worked at the Justice Department for seven years, first as a trial attorney and later as a legal ethics advisor.Thomas Drake is a former senior executive at the National Security Agency, where he blew the whistle on massive multi-billion dollar fraud, the widespread violations of the rights of citizens through secret mass surveillance programs after 9/11, and critical 9/11 intelligence failures. In 2010, he was charged under the draconian Espionage Act for his oath to support and defend the US Constitution. In 2011, the government's case against him collapsed and he went free in a plea deal. He is featured in the “Silenced” documentary as well as the US PBS Frontline special “The United States of Secrets”.In 2017, Drake received his PhD in public policy and administration. His dissertation “Eyewitness to History in Devolution of Democracy and Constitutional Rights Following 9/11” focused on the centrality of the post-9/11 security driven world and the price paid by those who speak truth about the abuse of power and the erosion of our rights and freedoms. He speaks widely on privacy and security issues and the critical need to protect our inalienable human rights. Mr. Drake has a varied career background that includes teaching, information technology, systems and software engineering, code analysis and military and intelligence experience. He is now dedicated to the defense of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Willian Binney is a former 30 year high-level National Security Agency intelligence official who, after his 2001 retirement, blew the whistle on NSA surveillance programs. His criticism of the NSA during the Bush Administration made him the subject of FBI investigation and a 2007 raid on his home. The excesses revealed by Mr. Binney have been confirmed by Edward Snowden. Tonight, Russia gate is a worse hoax than you thought and the DNC was NOT hacked by the Russians. www.ExposeFacts.org Follow @erskineradio on Twitter

Norman Solomon – The Oligarchs Among Us – The Battle for the Soul of the Democratic PartyAired Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at 2:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM ESTInterview with Journalist, Author and Media Critic Norman Solomon“We have two political parties in this country – the Democratic Party and the un-democratic party.” — Swami BeyondanandaIf they saw what the Republican Party has devolved to, Republican icons like Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and even Barry Goldwater would flip in their crypts. The blatant heartlessness, self-centered short-sightedness, and downright insanity of a political party that has become a toxic cult, would certainly make the Democrats seem like a sane and viable alternative, right?Well, here’s the elephant – and donkey – in the living room. In a political system where it costs the average Senator $14,000 to finance their re-election campaign, the oligarchs have a well-established foothold in that party too.Our guest on Wiki Politiki this week, journalist, activist and author Norman Solomon has been involved with progressive politics for decades, working to move the Democratic Party beyond the “identity issues” that they have used to cobble coalitions, to addressing the “identical issues” we all face – like a clean environment and economic justice.Norman Solomon is an American journalist, media critic, author and activist. His dozen books include “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.” A full-length documentary film, narrated by Sean Penn, was based on “War Made Easy.” The New York Times review called the film “ultimately persuasive” and said: “Many of its arguments have been made before but Mr. Solomon digs deeper and hammers harder.”Solomon is the founder of the Institute for Public Accuracy, a consortium of policy researchers and analysts. He is IPA’s executive director and the coordinator of its ExposeFacts program.He is co-founder and national coordinator of the online organization RootsAction.org, which now has 1.5 million active supporters. In 2016, Solomon was elected as a Bernie Sanders delegate to the Democratic National Convention, where he was the coordinator of the independent Bernie Delegates Network. In 2012, running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from California’s 2nd Congressional District, he came within 0.1 percent of getting through the primary. Solomon wrote the nationally syndicated “Media Beat” weekly column from 1992 to 2009. He is a longtime associate of the media watch group FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting).Solomon has appeared as a guest on many media outlets including the “PBS News Hour,” CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, “Democracy Now,” C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal,” public radio’s “Marketplace,” and NPR’s “All Things Considered.” His op-ed articles have appeared in a range of newspapers including the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, New York Times, Boston Globe, Miami Herald, USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, Baltimore Sun and The Hill. His articles have also appeared in the International Herald Tribune, Canada’s Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star.Solomon’s books include “Made Love, Got War,” “Target Iraq,” “Wizards of Media Oz: Behind the Curtain of Mainstream News,” “The Trouble With Dilbert: How Corporate Culture Gets the Last Laugh,” “False Hope: The Politics of Illusion in the Clinton Era,” “The Power of Babble: The Politician’s Dictionary of Buzzwords and Doubletalk for Every Occasion,” and “Killing Our Own: The Disaster of America’s Experience With Atomic Radiation.”If you’re interested in learning how we can put the “democratic” in Democratic Party, and not just take America back, but take her forward, please tune in this Tuesday, January 21th at 2 pm PT / 5 pm ET. http://omtimes.com/iom/shows/wiki-politiki-radio-show/To find out more about Norman Solomon, please go here: https://www.normansolomon.com/And now that we ARE back with new shows (and planning a Zoom video element after the first of the year), we invite you to help support Wiki Politiki and our mission to bring about “the great upwising” and functional politics! See below.Support Wiki Politiki — A Clear Voice In The “Bewilderness”If you LOVE what you hear, and appreciate the mission of Wiki Politiki, “put your money where your mouse is” … Join the “upwising” — join the conversation, and become a Wiki Politiki supporter: http://wikipolitiki.com/join-the-upwising/Make a contribution in any amount via PayPal (https://tinyurl.com/y8fe9dks)Go ahead, PATRONIZE me! Support Wiki Politiki monthly through Patreon!Visit the Wiki Politiki show page https://omtimes.com/iom/shows/wiki-politiki-radio-show/Connect with Steve Bhaerman at https://wakeuplaughing.com/#NormanSolomon #SteveBhaerman #WikiPolitiki #Lifestyle

William Binney, a former 30 year high-level National Security Agency intelligence official who, after his 2001 retirement, blew the whistle on NSA surveillance programs. His criticism of the NSA during the Bush Administration made him the subject of FBI investigation and a 2007 raid on his home. The excesses revealed by Mr. Binney have been confirmed by Edward Snowden. We're talking about the origin of missing e-mails, drones, the Snowden movie will hopefully show him in a positive light fighting for freedom. www.ExposeFacts.orgFollow @ErskineRadio on Twitter for updates.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Walter Smolarek (filling in for Brian Becker) and John Kiriakou are joined by Jeremy Varon, a professor at the New School in New York and an anti-Guantanamo prison activist.President Trump’s nominees for Secretary of State and CIA Director will soon face the Senate Foreign Relations and Senate Intelligence Committees, respectively. Michael Pompeo, a conservative former congressman and the current CIA Director, is likely to be confirmed, despite a filibuster by Kentucky’s Republican Senator Rand Paul. But there’s a fight over Gina Haspel, the current deputy director of the CIA. She oversaw the Agency’s torture program during the Bush Administration. And those chickens may be coming home to roost. Wednesday is the regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today also is the 39th anniversary of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 meltdown. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show. Kim Jong Un was in Beijing over the past two days, his first foreign trip since becoming North Korea’s leader in 2011. He was in China to consult with President Xi Jinping and other senior officials there in advance of his meeting with President Trump. Brian and John speak with Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network. The Ecuadorian government today cut off Julian Assange’s internet access and announced in a press release from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Julian will be denied the right to have visitors. Former Greek Finance Minister Yannis Varoufakis, a friend and supporter of Julian’s, says that Ecuador has taken steps to silence Julian under pressure from the US and Spanish governments. Diani Baretto, an activist and the director of the Berlin Bureau of ExposeFacts.org, joins the show.In 2016, police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana responded to a call of a man with a gun at a convenience store. When they arrived, they found Alton Sterling. He had a gun, but he was compliant. He was wrestled to the ground, pinned, and then shot and killed. The police said he was reaching for the gun, but a video of the incident showed no such thing. Yesterday, federal authorities said they would not charge the police officers who killed him. State law enforcement authorities said the same thing months ago. Checo Yancy, the director for the advocacy arm of Voters Organized to Educate who served nearly 20 years in the notorious Angola State Penitentiary before having his sentence commuted by the governor, joins Walter and John. The United States and South Korea have agreed in principle to revise a trade deal that has been in place since 2012. Trump Administration officials are calling it “visionary” and “innovative.” But Democrats are saying that it’s no different than the original deal. Dr. Jack Rasmus, a professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California, author of “Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes: Monetary Policy and the Coming Depression,” and at jackrasmus.com, joins the show.An appeals court in Brazil has rejected the final procedural objections by former Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva against his corruption conviction. The decision raises the likelihood that Lula will be incarcerated. Meanwhile, unknown gunmen shot at two buses carrying Lula supporters and journalists in southern Brazil. Walter and John speak with Arnold August, a lecturer, journalist, and author of the book “Cuba-US Relations: Obama and Beyond.”

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, and Dr. Peter Kuznick, a Professor of History and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and the co-author with Oliver Stone of “The Untold History of the United States.”President Trump, who never served in the military, has ordered the Pentagon to plan a large-scale military parade similar to one he saw in France on Bastille Day. The press says he was “awestruck” by it. Opposition to the parade, which would cost between $20 million and $25 million, has been swift.The United Nations is warning that Gaza will run out of fuel in only 10 days, already causing hospitals to close. Meanwhile, an Israeli paper reported that Saudi Arabia granted overflight clearance to Air India’s new flight from Delhi to Tel Aviv, though Saudi Arabia is now denying it. And the Israeli government is preparing to expel as many as 40,000 African refugees. Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of the book “The Battle for Justice in Palestine,” joins the show.Democratic and Republican senators came to an agreement on a two-year budget plan today, heading off what would have been another government shutdown, but increasing federal spending by some $200 billion. The measure now goes to the House, where it may face stiff opposition from budget hawks. Brian and John speak with Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net.The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, recently gave a $156 million contract to a company in Georgia with one employee to provide 30 million meals to Puerto Ricans displaced by Hurricane Maria. The company took the money and delivered 50,000 meals. The FEMA contracting officer is calling the episode “a logistical nightmare.” Juliana Musheyev, a Community Engaged Researcher at Sarasota County Openly Plans for Excellence (SCOPE) joins the show.Four Democratic senators have asked Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt to recuse himself from rulemaking around the Clean Power Plan. Pruitt sued the EPA 14 times as Attorney General of Oklahoma, four times concerning the Clean Power Plan, and he has been working to repeal the Clean Power Plan since becoming head of the agency. Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation,” joins Brian and John.Hundreds of thousands of Greeks demonstrated in Athens and Thessaloniki over the weekend to demand that the government not agree to accept any name for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia that includes the word “Macedonia.” FYROM, as it’s known internationally, cannot join NATO or the European Union until a name for the country is agreed upon. Dean Sirigos, an independent journalist and a former reporter for The National Herald, the largest Greek-American newspaper in the United States, joins the show.German Chancellor Angela Merkel reached a deal with her previous governing partners, including the Social Democrats, bringing her within striking distance of forming a new government after five months of political limbo. Brian and John speak with Diani Baretto, an activist and the director of the Berlin Bureau of ExposeFacts.org.

In this episode we meet Diani Barreto from the Berlin Bureau of ExposeFacs. Launched in June 2014, ExposeFacts.org supports and encourages whistleblowers to disclose information that citizens need to make truly informed decisions in a...

Talk Nation Radio: John Hanrahan on Avaaz's Warmongering John Hanrahan, currently on the editorial board of ExposeFacts, is a former executive director of The Fund for Investigative Journalism and reporter for  The Washington Post, The Washington Star, UPI and other news organizations. He also has extensive experience as a legal investigator. Hanrahan is the author of Government by Contract and co-author of Lost Frontier: The Marketing of Alaska. He has written extensively for NiemanWatchdog.org, a project of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. We discuss these articles by Hanrahan at Truthout.org: As in Libya, Avaaz Campaigned for Syria No-Fly Zone That Even Top Generals Opposed *** Avaaz Ignored Libya Lessons When Advocating for Syria No-Fly Zone Total run time: 29:00 Host: David Swanson.Producer: David Swanson.Music by Duke Ellington. Download from LetsTryDemocracy or Archive.Pacifica stations can also download from Audioport. Syndicated by Pacifica Network. Please encourage your local radio stations to carry this program every week!

John Hanrahan, currently on the editorial board of ExposeFacts, is a former executive director of The Fund for Investigative Journalism and reporter for  The Washington Post, The Washington Star, UPI and other news organizations. He also has extensive experience as a legal investigator. Hanrahan is the author of Government by Contract and co-author of Lost Frontier: The Marketing of Alaska. He has written extensively for NiemanWatchdog.org, a project of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. We discuss these articles by Hanrahan at Truthout.org: As in Libya, Avaaz Campaigned for Syria No-Fly Zone That Even Top Generals Opposed *** Avaaz Ignored Libya Lessons When Advocating for Syria No-Fly Zone

Jesselyn Radack, director of national security and human rights at ExposeFacts.org and one of Edward Snowden's attorneys, joins the show to discuss the D.C. Bar's decision to go after Thomas Tamm, a former Justice Department lawyer who exposed warrantless wiretapping by President George W. Bush's administration. Radack compares the D.C. Bar's action to the complaint she faced from the D.C. Bar after she became a Justice Department whistleblower.  Later in the interview, Radack responds to what was learned in a Washington Post report on the plea negotiations between David Petraeus' lawyers and Justice Department prosecutors. Petraeus was concerned he would be embarrassed if former CIA officer John Kiriakou's case was referenced in his plea, and his lawyers had the Justice Department remove mention from the statement of facts. He successfully protected himself from prison and losing his pension. Finally, Radack addresses the continued scandal over Hillary Clinton's emails, especially how the State Department has chosen to not release emails until after key primaries in the 2016 election. 

Marcy Wheeler, a journalist whose latest work can be found at ExposeFacts.org, appears on the show to discuss the Jeffrey Sterling trial. The former CIA officer has been facing charges stemming from allegations that he leaked details that exposed a botched CIA operation in Iran involving flawed nuclear blueprints. Wheeler recounts closing arguments and other aspects of the government's prosecution, which mostly relies on circumstantial evidence. She also addresses how this fits into the Obama administration's record of going after whistleblowers and undermining press freedom.  During the discussion portion of the show, hosts Kevin Gosztola and Rania Khalek talk about the fawning over a dead tyrant, King Abdullah and Speaker John Boehner inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to provide a rebuttal to the State of the Union. The first book published by a Guantanamo prisoner is highlighted and excerpts are read on air. And Khalek discusses her efforts to expose the propaganda in the film, "American Sniper." 

In this time of oligarchy and corruption, it is necessary for democracy that people who serve in the government step forward and tell the truth. However, the Obama administration through its attacks on whistleblowers and use of the Espionage Act more times than all other presidents combined has intimidated workers from speaking out. In the past two weeks, new tools and organizations were launched to assist and support whistleblowers. We speak with Matthew Hoh of ExposeFacts.org on the urgent need for whistleblowers and Sarah Harrison of the new Courage Foundation on her work to support Edward Snowden and the future Snowdens. For more information, visit www.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.