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Recently, the former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez was sentenced to eleven years in prison for accepting bribes in cash and gold worth more than half a million dollars. He is the first person sentenced to prison for crimes committed in the Senate in more than forty years. Menendez did favors for the government of Egypt while he was the senior Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, and intervened in criminal cases against the businessmen who were bribing him. In New York, he broke down in tears before a federal judge, pleading for leniency. Upon emerging from the courtroom, he made a thinly veiled plea to the man he had once voted to impeach. “President Trump is right,” Menendez declared to news cameras. “This process is political, and it's corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system.” WNYC's New Jersey reporter Nancy Solomon explores how the son of working-class immigrants from Cuba scaled the heights of American politics, and then fell dramatically. But will he serve the time? Solomon speaks with the constitutional-law professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, who says, “It's hard to know who Trump will pardon next. One of the more recent pardons was for the former governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich. He was a Democrat. . . . [Trump] seems much more interested in undermining anti-corruption laws left, right, and center.”
Recently, the former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez was sentenced to eleven years in prison for accepting bribes in cash and gold worth more than half a million dollars. He is the first person sentenced to prison for crimes committed in the Senate in more than forty years. Menendez did favors for the government of Egypt while he was the senior Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, and intervened in criminal cases against the businessmen who were bribing him. In New York, he broke down in tears before a federal judge, pleading for leniency. Upon emerging from the courtroom, he made a thinly veiled plea to the man he had once voted to impeach. “President Trump is right,” Menendez declared to news cameras. “This process is political, and it's corrupted to the core. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system.” WNYC's New Jersey reporter Nancy Solomon explores how the son of working-class immigrants from Cuba scaled the heights of American politics, and then fell dramatically. But will he serve the time? Solomon speaks with the constitutional-law professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, who says, “It's hard to know who Trump will pardon next. One of the more recent pardons was for the former governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich. He was a Democrat. . . . [Trump] seems much more interested in undermining anti-corruption laws left, right, and center.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
In this episode of One Decision, host Christina Ruffini sits down with United States Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat and ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee. Shaheen recently visited Kyiv, Ukraine, and shared her experience speaking with Ukrainian citizens in the small town of Bucha. She also reacted to the prospective mineral rights deal that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has agreed to with the United States, whether she thinks America is perceived as a reliable ally, the importance of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in mitigating adversary efforts by China, Iran, and Russia, and working with new cabinet secretaries under the Trump administration. The episode also features a preview discussion between French journalist Margot Haddad and former European Commissioner Thierry Breton in English. The full-length French conversation will be published next week and will explore the European Union's relationship with President Donald Trump, the EU's efforts in AI investments, tech titan Elon Musk, and much more. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran.
As top U.S. officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Saudi Arabia with top diplomats from Russia, President Trump told reporters today he would "probably" meet with Russia leader Vladimir Putin before month's end. This came only moments after he blamed Ukraine for starting the war. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut, who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, talks about what this all means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This Day in Legal History: Sweden Bans AerosolsOn January 29, 1978, Sweden made history by becoming the first nation to ban aerosol sprays, citing concerns over their harmful impact on the ozone layer. The decision was driven by mounting scientific evidence that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), commonly used as propellants in aerosol cans, contributed to ozone depletion. At the time, international awareness of environmental issues was growing, but regulatory action remained limited. Sweden's bold move set a precedent, signaling to the world that legislative measures were necessary to curb environmental harm. The ban came in response to research published in the early 1970s, particularly studies by chemists Mario Molina and Sherwood Rowland, who identified CFCs as a major threat to the ozone layer. Their findings spurred global discussions about air pollution and climate change, but most governments hesitated to act. Sweden, however, took a proactive stance, prioritizing environmental protection over industry objections. The law prohibited the sale and use of aerosol sprays containing ozone-depleting substances, forcing manufacturers to seek alternative technologies. Sweden's action influenced other nations, including the United States and Canada, which imposed partial restrictions on CFCs in the late 1970s. Over time, growing international pressure led to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, a landmark treaty aimed at phasing out ozone-depleting substances worldwide. Today, the ozone layer is gradually recovering, thanks in part to Sweden's early leadership. The ban underscored the power of legal intervention in addressing global environmental crises and demonstrated how science-driven policy can lead to meaningful change.Donald Trump's aggressive efforts to reshape the federal government have thrown agencies into turmoil, with sweeping policy shifts and a push to consolidate control. The administration is offering buyouts to federal employees resistant to returning to in-person work while signaling broader workforce cuts. At the same time, a sudden freeze on federal grants and loans caused widespread confusion, prompting a federal judge to issue a temporary stay. Though the White House insisted individual benefits would not be affected, state and local governments scrambled to assess the potential fallout. The spending freeze is part of a broader strategy to challenge congressional control over federal funding, with Trump's allies arguing for expanded executive power. His administration has also targeted federal employees in diversity, equity, and inclusion roles, inspectors general, and Justice Department officials involved in previous investigations against him. Meanwhile, Trump has revived trade disputes, pardoned January 6 rioters, attempted to end birthright citizenship, and cut foreign aid. Democrats, struggling to keep up, have called emergency meetings and press conferences, but Trump's rapid moves have overwhelmed political opposition. Some Republicans, too, have expressed concern, particularly over the scope of the funding freeze. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 limits a president's ability to block congressional spending, but Trump's team argues that temporary pauses are legally permissible. The administration is also targeting federal personnel, with officials compiling lists of employees deemed expendable. Amid these efforts, some initiatives have already faced legal setbacks, such as the birthright citizenship order. Trump has also yet to significantly address key issues like inflation and the war in Ukraine, leaving uncertainty over the administration's broader policy direction.Trump Buyouts, Spending Freezes Wreak Havoc Across GovernmentFormer U.S. Senator Bob Menendez is set to be sentenced on Wednesday following his 2024 conviction on bribery and corruption charges. Found guilty on all 16 felony counts, including acting as a foreign agent, Menendez was accused of accepting bribes—such as gold bars, cash, and a luxury car—in exchange for political favors benefiting Egypt and New Jersey businessmen. Federal prosecutors have requested a 15-year prison sentence, arguing that Menendez abused his position to influence military aid, assist Qatar, and interfere in prosecutions. Menendez, who served nearly two decades in the Senate, maintains his innocence and has vowed to appeal. His defense team is seeking a significantly reduced sentence of around 2 years, citing his age, public service record, and financial ruin. The scandal forced him to resign from the Senate, marking a dramatic downfall for the former chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. Two businessmen convicted alongside Menendez, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, will be sentenced later this week, while his wife, Nadine Menendez, faces her own corruption trial in March. The case highlights ongoing concerns about political corruption and foreign influence in U.S. government affairs.Bob Menendez to be sentenced in gold bar bribery case that ended US Senate career | ReutersHouse Democrats Jamie Raskin and Gerald Connolly are demanding answers from the Trump administration regarding the abrupt firings and reassignments of career Justice Department prosecutors. In a letter to Acting Attorney General James McHenry, they expressed concern that the removals, which began immediately after Trump's inauguration, undermine a merit-based system and may violate federal law. The lawmakers are requesting a full list of affected employees and an explanation for the actions. Among those dismissed were more than a dozen prosecutors involved in Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigations into Trump's handling of classified records and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Additionally, over 20 senior officials, including the top public integrity prosecutor and the department's senior ethics official, were reassigned to a newly formed “sanctuary city” working group. The Public Integrity Section Chief, Corey Amundson, resigned in response. Meanwhile, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Washington has launched an internal review of the felony obstruction charge used in January 6 prosecutions. Raskin and Connolly are also seeking clarity on whether the White House has examined career employees' political views or social media activity. The Justice Department has yet to comment on these developments, which have intensified concerns about political interference within federal law enforcement.U.S. House Democrats sound the alarm on firings and reassignments of career DOJ lawyers | ReutersStates are increasingly considering digital advertising taxes to generate revenue, but without coordination, they risk creating a compliance nightmare for businesses. Rhode Island is the latest state to propose such a tax, following Maryland's model, which has already faced significant legal and administrative challenges. Other states, including Connecticut, Indiana, and Arkansas, have explored similar measures, with Massachusetts, New York, and Texas also showing interest. Rhode Island's plan, set to take effect in 2026, would impose a 10% tax on digital ad revenue from companies earning over $1 billion globally. This targets major players like Alphabet and Meta, but Maryland's lower threshold of $100 million suggests future expansions could include smaller businesses. Advocates argue that taxing digital ads could help offset social costs linked to social media companies, further driving state interest in such measures. However, an inconsistent state-by-state approach could entrench an oligopoly, favoring large corporations that can handle complex tax requirements while squeezing out smaller competitors. A uniform, collaborative approach—modeled on the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement—could help states maintain sovereignty while ensuring consistency. Standardized definitions, revenue thresholds, and sourcing rules would simplify compliance and reduce litigation risks. Maryland's legal battles highlight the dangers of an uncoordinated approach, making it crucial for states to learn from its experience. While a federal solution could provide uniformity, states are unlikely to cede control over taxation, making a state-driven compact the more viable option. By working together, states can create a sustainable, efficient digital ad tax framework that avoids the pitfalls of a fragmented system.States Need a Uniform Solution to Accelerate Digital Ad Taxes This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe
US Congressman Thomas Massie took time out to speak to BizNews during a brief visit to South Africa. He describes billionaire Elon Musk as his favourite South African. “I do believe that he changed the course of history by buying Twitter, which is now renamed X, and allowing conservatives to have a voice that could go around the mainstream media in the United States.” Massie gives an update on his “rocky relationship” with President-elect Donald Trump and shares details of their recent chats. Furthermore, he discusses the Foreign Relations Committee's negative view of South Africa. And he outlines the key objectives of the Trump Administration, warning, however: “I think he's got six months to show the American public that he's going to act on the mandate that he's received.” Meanwhile, in South Africa, Massie is talking to some of leading local thought leaders - and "trying to spread and exchange views on liberty and particularly libertarianism”.
From Marco Rubio to Elise Stefanik: who are the nominations that President-elect Trump has announced, and what does their selection say about how the administration may take shape? Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs reviews the names announced thus far, how, if confirmed, they could impact efforts to counter antisemitism, support Israel, and uphold democratic values, and how AJC is advocating to advance these critical issues. Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: with Hen Mazzig, Einat Admony, and more. People of the Pod: What the Election Results Mean for Israel and the Jewish People The Jewish Vote in Pennsylvania: What You Need to Know Sinwar Eliminated: What Does This Mean for the 101 Hostages Still Held by Hamas? Go Deeper – AJC Analysis: Explainer: What to Know About President-elect Trump on Antisemitism, Israel, and Iran Policy AJC Briefing — Post-Election Analysis: What to Expect Under the New U.S. Administration | Tuesday, November 19 | 1:30 p.m. Eastern | Register Here Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of Conversation with Julie Fishman Rayman: Manya Brachear Pashman: President Elect Donald Trump has named and nominated eight of the 24 officials, including his chief of staff, most of whom would make up his cabinet. Returning to discuss the nominees so far and where they stand on AJC missions of fighting antisemitism, defending Israel and safeguarding democracy, is AJC Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs, Julie Fishman Rayman. Julie, welcome back to People of the Pod. Julie Fishman Rayman: Thanks for having me, Manya, glad to be here. Manya Brachear Pashman: So you have worked with some of these nominees, and you know their track record on these issues. First of all, from a 30,000-40,000 foot view, what is your overall take on the slate so far? Julie Fishman Rayman: I feel like if you had asked me that yesterday, I would have had a totally different answer. And so I imagine even by the time People of the {od airs, my answer maybe would have even changed, so I will answer, but I want everyone, including our listeners, to take it with a grain of salt that I am speaking from a very specific moment in tim while the clock is rapidly changing and the situation is rapidly changing. So I think the initial slate of potential nominees that were announced gave a lot of folks, especially in sort of the foreign policy world, a good deal of comfort, right? So people like Representative Mike Waltz, people like Senator Marco Rubio, those types of folks. Even Governor Huckabee, are sort of these, these names of traditional conservatives who we say, Oh, they have a record. They have governed. They have a voting record. We know exactly where they stand and what they believe, and that it's not vastly dissimilar from any other previous Republican administration. Then, of course, there was the news about the potential coming in of Matt Gaetz, representative, Matt Gaetz, a Republican from Florida and Tulsi Gabbard. And I think those names and what they represent put everyone in a bit of a tailspin. Not simply because of who they are, although they come with a lot of really interesting backstory that we can unpack, if you want to, but not just because of who they are, but because they represent a really different part of the Republican Party. A really different part of the right wing world view that had not theretofore been represented in Trump's cabinet picks, definitely less of the traditional conservative mindset and much more in line with a, dare I say, like populist kind of perspective. And so there's tension now that people are trying to sort of understand and unravel. Manya Brachear Pashman: So let's talk about each individual. And you mentioned Marco Rubio, who is Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, the Florida Senator. He currently serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. He's the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee. And I mean, he and the President Elect seem to agree on America's approach to Iran and Ukraine, but not NATO, right? I mean, where do he and Mr. Trump agree and disagree? Julie Fishman Rayman: You're asking a question as though we have a full sense of what incoming president, former President Trump believes, which I think is a bit of an assumption. They're certainly deeply aligned on sort of big picture principles as they relate to support for Israel, no question. A tough, tough approach to whether it's an actor like Iran or China, you know, sort of these nefarious global players that seek to disrupt our world order, they're aligned there. There is a potential disconnect on Ukraine. Right? We've heard statements from Senator Rubio recently where you almost see him trying to channel the former president, the president-elect, and say, like, what would Trump say? What would Trump do? You can like, see the wheels spinning in his mind as he talks about how we have been funding a stalemate and how something needs to change. But I'm not sure that if you put them both in a room and ask them blindfolded, apart from each other, what to do about Ukraine, if you would get the same answer, I think there would probably be a good deal of daylight. And I think the same could be said about the future of NATO and others. But it all remains to be seen. And then, of course, also will have to be balanced with other forces that are coming into the administration, not least of which Senator JD Vance, colleague of Marco Rubio, who definitely comes with a different sort of world view. Manya Brachear Pashman: And next on the list, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York, she has been nominated for the role of UN ambassador. We kind of know her as an outspoken supporter of Israel, given her high profile role in the congressional hearings about anti-Israel protests on college campuses after the Hamas terror attacks on October 7. Those hearings actually led to the resignation of a couple of university presidents. How do you foresee that outspoken support playing out in the UN arena, or maybe even in the Trump administration's approach to higher education? Julie Fishman Rayman: In terms of the UN and antisemitism, there will be a lot of very vocal, very strident affirmations that antisemitism is not something that the US will abide. That same sort of force that Congresswoman Stefanik brought to the Education Committee, she will bring to the UN and she won't take any bones about it, and she's not going to sit down to anybody. Of that we can be sure what that looks like, though, beyond pontification, beyond promulgations of support for the Jewish community across the globe, remains to be seen. Right? How will she engage in a UN that she certainly will perceive to be at least biased towards Israel and possibly antisemitic at its core. Right? We can make that assumption on her world view. How will she seek to engage with a system that she presumably views as fundamentally flawed? We know that a Republican House and Senate are already sort of gearing up towards cutting funding of major UN institutions, if not the UN across the board. So what does that mean for her role? What does that mean for the voice that the United States will have and the ability for her very strong voice, to even be at the table, and that's sort of where some of that tension arrives is also, do you get in the room? Do you get the seat at the table? Or are you on the menu? Right? The United States is never going to be on the menu, but are we going to, by virtue of our own sort of principles, going to push our seat back in and stand in the hallway. There's a lot of calculi that she's going to have to make there. In terms of the Department of Education and Congress and how they're dealing with these really important issues that that Congresswoman Stefanik has put at the fore for so long, there's no question that the threat of pulling federal funding that we've heard from the Biden administration repeatedly will be more believed under a future Trump administration. I think there are universities all over the country that already are saying, oh, like, what do we have to do? We don't want to get caught in these crosshairs. What do we need to do to make sure that we are not either under fire with the light shining on us or on the chopping block for federal funding? So if you're an educational institution that really believes that there is a true threat that you're to your federal funding, you're reconsidering a lot of steps. And if in fact, federal funding is leveraged or cut, I think we have to be really mindful of three things. One, we have to make sure that it doesn't look as though the Jews are behind this crushing blow, because that's scapegoating. And we have to make sure that shuttering these major academic institutions doesn't foreclose the creation, the necessary creation, of future American doctors and engineers and others. And finally, we have to make sure that we're not creating a void in funding that could really easily be filled by foreign actors that are already known to use university funding to advance a particular ideology, to advance their own interests. Manya Brachear Pashman: I want to go back to another name you mentioned at the top, and that is the Florida congressman, Michael Waltz. He has been named as National Security Advisor to head up the National Security Council, and he has been a huge champion of the Abraham accords. So what can we expect to see from him if he indeed does take this post. Julie Fishman Rayman: So one of the things that I think is really interesting about, you know, looking back on the last trump administration, while we sort of forecast for the next, is that the National Security Council, this body that Mike Waltz will lead, was always the brain trust for him in the previous administration. Of course, there was the State Department. It was filled, it was supported. But generally, I think he thought of the State Department as a place of a foreign policy bureaucracy, where passports got stamped, that kind of, step by step, day by day, keeping the wheels turning, but not where real change happened. So if we're, you know, we're talking about Marco Rubio at State, we're talking about Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor, I think we really need to sort of dig into what's Waltz gonna bring. And of course, like, as you said, Manya deeply supportive of Abraham Accords, very hawkish when it comes to China, and very, very embedded in the military establishment himself, right? He's not the DoD pick, but he's a Green Beret vet. He served in Afghanistan, he served in the Middle East. He served in Africa. In addition to being on the foreign affairs committee and Congress, he was on the Armed Services Committee and the Intelligence Committee, if there are, if there's a trifecta of committees that someone could serve on to be as informed and at sort of the pinnacle of information about what's going on in this world, it's those three committees. Ukraine is the big question mark here. He's criticized aid to Ukraine, and has talked about getting Putin to the negotiating table, getting a diplomatic solution, or some sort of settlement to this war. And that I think remains this major looming question for a lot of folks about, as we're looking at these various picks whose voice is going to win here. Or, you know, if we're channeling the last Trump administration again, who's going to be the last person in his ear before he goes and makes a major announcement. Manya Brachear Pashman: You mentioned DoD. Let's talk about President Elect Trump's DoD pick. Fox News anchor Pete hegseth, he is a retired US Army Major. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan, but a surprising pick to head the Department of Defense. Julie Fishman Rayman: It's interesting that you asked that question, because I think for folks who just think of him as a, you know, the guy on the Fox News couch, everyone who I've talked to who really knows Pete Hegseth and really is engaged with him for a long time, they they're not surprised, and they say, Oh, that does make sense. I don't know how much we can anticipate his fox views translating into a DoD cabinet pick. I don't really know how to manage that, right? He's talked about, like the Joint Chiefs, for example, in sort of a disparaging way. So, he's definitely one of these picks that you know shows the future President's desire to be at the vanguard, right? He wants to shake things up. He wants to keep people on their toes. Manya Brachear Pashman: Okay, so now let's move on to some of the names you mentioned that are curious, curious choice. Other curious choices. Former Hawaiian Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, she has been nominated to serve as Trump's chief intelligence advisor, the Director of National Intelligence. That would mean she would be responsible for overseeing 18 spy agencies and keeping the President informed of the nation's international intelligence as anti semitism rises around the world, incidents like what we saw in Amsterdam this past weekend continue to flare up. Do you foresee her prioritizing that kind of news for the president elect? Julie Fishman Rayman: This is a position that has to be confirmed by the Senate, and it's not, I think, a slam dunk in a lot of ways. She's not always been a Republican. She certainly hasn't always been a Trumpist Republican. She had a major leadership role in the Democratic Party for quite some time. She was the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, and not rank and file, she resigned from that position to endorse Bernie Sanders in 2016 she supported the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Iran deal that many Democrats broke with the administration to oppose that. AJC opposed, I think that there's a lot of baggage that she brings, and not personal baggage, but policy baggage that might make it very, very difficult for her to make the step through that confirmation process, and someone very smart said that'll be the test. Maybe I'll give him credit. Josh Kraushauer, the editor of Jewish insider, said this will be the test for how Senate leadership is going to respond to the calls from President Trump. You know, if they're able to just sort of if Senator Thune, in this new role that he has just received is able to push through the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard, then we can expect a lot of confirmations legislation Trump desires to move through the Senate. If she gets a little bit held up. If it's not as easy, then we can anticipate just a little bit more gridlock, as much gridlock as one could expect from one party control of the House, Senate and the White House. But a little bit more of a pushback. It'll be a real test. Manya Brachear Pashman: She is nominated to be his chief intelligence advisor, and yet she has posted blatantly false propaganda on her social media channels. And people know that, people have called her out for that. Is that concerning? Julie Fishman Rayman: I think it's deeply concerning whenever anyone puts out blatantly false propaganda, particularly that which emanates from Russia, that is problematic at any level of elected official, appointed official, period. We need to constantly, as a society and as a nation, be on fierce guard against that, because it is real and it is pervasive. I anticipate that, you know, when the confirmation hearings are up, there's going to be a lot of questions about, you know, what has she posted, where is she getting her information, and from whom does she rely on for real, authoritative information that is truthful? Manya Brachear Pashman: So another name that you mentioned at the top of the conversation, and that is Congressman, well now former Congressman Matt Gaetz from Florida, since he resigned immediately after his nomination for attorney general. He was one of, I think, 21 republicans who voted against the Antisemitism Awareness Act in May, saying he couldn't support a definition of antisemitism that labeled claims of Jews killing Jesus as antisemitic. I think Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel might have had some choice words for him, if he is indeed, if he indeed progresses through this process toward Attorney General, what could we see from him? What can we see, period, of this whole process? Julie Fishman Rayman: So first off, I just, I want to speak a little bit about it was sort of him in his record, because I think that it's important for our community to to be refreshed about exactly who Matt Gaetz is it there were a number of Republicans who voted against the Antisemitism Awareness Act because they did not think that it was appropriate for there to be a law that says the Jews didn't kill Jesus. This is, of course, like a sort of gross mischaracterization of what the international Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of anti semitism says and purports to do. But he wasn't alone. And it was, it was very interesting to see how this, this sort of trope that I think a lot of us thought was over about the Jews killing Jesus. You know, Nostra Aetate was in the 70s, right? So we thought that this was done and behind us. But to hear, particularly from the evangelical set, that, okay, like, maybe the Jews didn't kill Jesus, or maybe they did. He also invited a Holocaust denier and a white supremacist to be his guest at the State of the Union later, he said, like, Oh, I didn't really know. But either he got terrible staffing or he knew, and he just didn't want to get caught. He's deeply, deeply scandal ridden, without question. And he, you know, is constantly defending Marjorie Taylor Green, who, you know, compared the COVID mask laws to, you know, the Holocaust and things like that. He called the ADL racist. He is not representative of any stream, really, within the Republican Party. He is emblematic of the most populist of the populace, the most MAGA of the MAGA. So we should remember who he is, first and foremost. Beyond that, I cannot imagine an America that would confirm him as Attorney General. I'm a congressist by heart. I believe that Congress does the right things, if given enough time to do so, and I cannot believe that they'll let this one go through. So forgive my rant. I think it needs to be said about him. But in terms of, you know, who are we watching, and what do we think is going to happen in the long term? I don't think there's a long term there. Manya Brachear Pashman: Let's talk about another pick, and that is his pick for Homeland Security, who I don't think is so outlandish, and that is South Dakota Governor Christie gnomes. She could play a really vital role in his immigration the proposal that he's made for the immigration system. She has been a strong ally of AJC in the past. Julie Fishman Rayman: Yes, she has. When she signed North South Dakota's bill, um on the international Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, working definition of antisemitism, when she signed into law, AJC was there. She's been outspoken about anti semitism, and has consistently, sort of done, she's done the right things there. That being said, South Dakota has a very small Jewish population. So it's not, the same as if she were the governor of New York or Florida or even California that has major Jewish populations that are constantly calling with various, you know, security needs or something like that. So she's been there when she's needed to be there. Manya Brachear Pashman: And I know South Dakota is not a border state, but didn't she send army reserves to the border to help Texas Governor Greg Abbott, at one point? Julie Fishman Rayman: She has. A lot of Republican governors sort of backed Abbott in that way. I think that her crew in the governors, in the Republican Governors Association, etc, will be much aligned with the incoming administration. And of course, you know, that's why she's picked. Manya Brachear Pashman: We also have the choice of John Ratliff, who Trump has named as a potential CIA director. And you know, technically, CIA director is the person who's nominated as head of intelligence is the CIA director's boss, and so he was the former director or chief intelligence advisor. So in a way, it's kind of a demotion. However, what I've read is President elect Trump believes that the CIA director is actually more important. So what are we looking at here? Are we looking at a smoother confirmation process for the CIA director, perhaps, and are we looking at kind of an elevation of that job? Julie Fishman Rayman: I think we can probably assume it's an elevation, and in the same way that we talked about the previous Trump administration prioritizing the National Security Council almost above the State Department, I think we'll see that sort of shift in alignment, the CIA being sort of the new center of gravity, if it wasn't already within the the intelligence community. So I think that we probably will see him playing a much more dominant role. That being said, I think America has always held this deep fascination with CIA directors, FBI directors. They always, because of the really interesting and critical roles they play, they always sort of punch above their weight in terms of, you know, how much are they on TV? How much are people watching what they're saying and what they're doing? So I think that we can absolutely anticipate that. And you know, he has some skeletons in his closet, but I don't think that there's anything that will prohibit or impede his nomination for that role. Manya Brachear Pashman: And as a religion reporter, I found the naming of former Governor Mike Huckabee as the ambassador, a potential ambassador to Israel, to be very interesting, given that he is an evangelical Christian, a Baptist pastor. Aren't too many non-Jewish ambassadors to Israel. There have been some, but not too many. And I thought that this was a really interesting selection. What can we see or expect to see from that choice? Julie Fishman Rayman: You know, part of me kind of loves this for America. I think there's, Governor Huckabee has always been a stalwart supporter of Israel, without question, deeply, deeply supportive. There are questions about, what is he going to do with regard to like, the question of settlements or annexation and things like that. And and I think we're going to have to be watching that very, very closely. But if we're looking sort of at the macro level, the issue of Israel and America has become so polarized and in some ways so toxic, that this reminder that it's not just the Jews that care about Israel, I think, couldn't come at a better time. I do think that it's really interesting to now have someone going to sit at the embassy that President Trump moved to Jerusalem, who is not representing the Jewish community there, but representing the massive Evangelical community in the United States and even frankly, around the world. Manya Brachear Pashman: Well, Julie, thank you so much for sharing your perspectives. As these names keep trickling out each day, many things are said, some important, some not so important. So I'm glad I appreciate you kind of focusing our audience on what matters to AJC, what matters to the Jewish community and for those who support Israel. So thank you so much. Julie Fishman Rayman: It's been my pleasure and many and if I can just say, as we conclude that the personalities take up a lot of space, they take up a lot of oxygen. But for AJC, we're always singularly focused on the policies, and we'll continue doing what we've been doing already for months, and that's reaching everyone who will have influence in this next administration, to advance our policy perspective, to share our agenda and to talk about what we think needs to form the policy priorities of the next administration. Manya Brachear Pashman: Thank you so much, Julie. Julie Fishman Rayman: Thank you.
Comprehensive border and immigration reform has eluded policymakers in the U.S. for decades. As global turmoil and conflict grows, questions and concerns still remain about the economic, security, and humanitarian justification and rationale for immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees seeking entry into the U.S. Vitriolic rhetoric, which has largely impeded meaningful progress, has only intensified in the months leading up to one of the most consequential elections in history. In the midst of all of this, somewhat of a miracle has materialized: bipartisan collaboration. Our guest this week served as the chief negotiator of a border bill that was negotiated between Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy is the junior U.S. Senator for Connecticut and is a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. He joins WITHpod to discuss what has historically hindered a significant revamp of American immigration policy, how he was able to help broker conservative partnership, his concerns about “unaccountable elites, the fall of American neoliberalism and more.
Maryland's Sen. Ben Cardin holds an influential role as the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The committee's work has been stalled for months over a dispute between Republicans and Democrats over legislation that would sanction the International Criminal Court over decisions to pursue arrest warrants for top Israeli officials for their prosecution of the war in Gaza. We ask him about the latest, and news from the West Bank, where the Israeli Defense Force's killing of an American protestor sparked a rare backlash from U.S officials toward their ally. In May of last year, Maryland's Sen. Ben Cardin announced that he will not seek re-election when his term expires on January 3, 2025.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.
*) Israeli opposition leaders slam Netanyahu's speech to US Congress Israeli opposition leaders sharply criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the US Congress. Yair Lapid, the leader of the There Is a Future Party, accused the prime minister of failing to address a prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. Lapid called the address "disgraceful” and said, “An hour of talking without uttering the single sentence: 'There will be a kidnapping deal.” *) Türkiye says could be part of mechanism in case of two-state solution deal Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned that without the immediate implementation of the two-state solution, a fourth Gaza war is inevitable. In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Fidan said that if an agreement on a two-state solution is reached in Gaza, Türkiye can participate in the guarantor mechanism that Ankara proposed. *) US Senator Bob Menendez steps down following corruption conviction US Senator Bob Menendez submitted his resignation in the aftermath of his conviction on corruption charges including bribery and acting as an agent for a foreign government, bowing to pressure from fellow Democrats to give up the job. Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will appoint a replacement for Menendez, who has served in the Senate since 2006 and was the Foreign Relations Committee chairman until charged last year. *) Several dead, over 150 missing after boat capsizes off Mauritania: IOM The International Organization for Migration said at least 15 people have been killed and more than 150 missing after a boat carrying 300 passengers capsized near Mauritania's capital Nouakchott on Wednesday. The organisation said the Mauritanian coastguard rescued 120 people and that 10 of them were taken to hospitals while efforts to locate the missing continued. *) Brazil's Lula launches global effort to end hunger, poverty at G20 summit Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has kicked off a global effort to end hunger and extreme poverty, aiming to make it a hallmark of Brazil's G20 presidency as he seeks to restore the country's soft power on the world stage. Lula said "Nothing is as absurd and unacceptable in the 21st century as the persistence of hunger and poverty, when we have so much abundance and so many scientific and technological resources at our disposal.”
As humanitarian concerns abound regarding the dire situation in Gaza, satellite images show that a much-touted US pier intended to deliver aid has been completely broken up in rough seas over the weekend. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, has been a vocal critic of Israel's conduct in Gaza and has repeatedly called for more humanitarian aid. He joins Christiane to discuss the US stance on the conflict. Also on today's show: Marking the 30th anniversary of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, Christiane speaks with Nicole's sisters Denise, Dominique and Tanya Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Now that the 2024 presidential race is set between Trump v Biden, what is the Democrats play? It looks like Trump is ahead in all of the important places for now. What does that mean for the Dems in the House and the Senate? Will Biden even make it to the general election? Is Harris the heir apparent? Is it time for them to look to 2026 legislative elections, and just skip it this year? The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with the nations of the world to create a set of protocols to future pandemic response. This isn't meant for coordination between nations. This is to give the WHO sweeping powers to declare a worldwide pandemic and control the behaviors of billions of individuals around the world. This is a war against "disinformation", "misinformation", and "malinformation". This is what the World Economic Forum said was the greatest threat (including climate change) at Davos this year. They've got to shut us up so they can control the narrative. This agreement is an official treaty, which gives it unique authority. This treaty would give them authority over passports, treatments, and alternate remedies. Biden may sign this by May, but it looks like the senate will not give them the 2/3 vote that they would need to pass this, but we need to keep an eye on it and let our elected officials know what we think. There's a bill to push back, but lawmakers need our help.
A couple of weeks ago, Sen. Chris Van Hollen was part of a Congressional delegation that traveled to Egypt and Jordan to explore solutions to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Congressman Hollen joins us on today's program. The Senator is a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, which is chaired by MD's Senior Senator, Ben Cardin.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.
This week's guest needs no introduction! Everyone knows his political story, from mid-size city mayor to US Senator and Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. How did he get there? In this episode, we discuss his early career days on construction sites, the formation of Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, and the importance of having bold visions. Bob Corker has owned several businesses and held several political positions. He is now retired and not on LinkedIn, but you can learn more about him here. My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by Madison McCann. Be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter here. If you liked this episode, we think you'll also like: Tom Griscom's Morning Cup (E21) Todd Womack's Morning Cup (E23) Vance Travis's Morning Cup (E40)
The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 4: Liz Wolfe—Associate Editor at Reason & Author of the Reason Roundup morning email newsletter—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss student organizations at Harvard University that have explicitly, and outlandishly, blamed Israel for the Hamas-led attacks on Israeli citizens. Equally problematic are professors on campuses like Columbia University and Cornell University that have openly excused the actions of Hamas terrorists. Why was leadership at these elite universities so reluctant to condemn these actions and statements? You can find Wolfe's work here: https://reason.com/people/liz-wolfe/ Max Marin of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes: “Police have arrested a suspect in the killing of Officer Richard Mendez and the wounding of Officer Raul Ortiz, who were shot on Thursday while responding to a car theft in a parking garage at Philadelphia International Airport.” During an afternoon press conference on Monday, the Philadelphia Police Department identified the suspect as Yobranny Martínez Fernández—though, they are still actively searching for two other suspects. You can read more about the developing story here: https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-airport-shooting-arrest-richard-mendez-raul-ortiz-20231016.html While speaking with reporters, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), despite being a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, will not be in attendance for a classified briefing on Israel Wednesday. Last week, Menendez was charged with acting as a foreign agent for Egypt. He had previously been charged with accepting bribes in exchange for influence. Rich is joined by 1210 WPHT producers Anthony and Dan who are at Citizen Bank Park ahead of tonight's Game 2 playoff matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks. The series is best of seven. The Phillies currently lead the series 1-0. You can listen to their podcast, The Other Side with Dan and DiRenzo, here: https://www.audacy.com/1210wpht/podcasts/the-otherside-with-dan-and-direnzo-389572
The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (10/17/2023): 3:05pm: On Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted to fill the speakership position left vacant following the removal of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). The Republican nominee for speaker, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), received 200 votes—well short of the 217 votes he needed to win a majority of the House. In total, twenty Republicans voted for candidates other than Jordan. Russell Dye, Communications Director for Jordan, suggested that another round of voting is expected to occur today. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), an ally of Jordan, echoed a similar sentiment—saying he thinks at least one more round of voting will occur on Tuesday. Following the vote, Speaker pro tempore Patrick McHenry placed the House of Representatives in recess. You can read updates as they unfold here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/17/us/house-speaker-jim-jordan-vote 3:15pm- WBUR, a National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate in Boston, MA, recently hosted a guest who seemingly denied that Hamas had killed women and children in Israel during an October 7th attack that left an estimated 1,400 people dead. You can read more here: https://www.foxnews.com/media/npr-affiliate-pulls-show-after-guest-doubted-hamas-killed-women-children-during-terror-attacks 3:40pm- In a statement made on X, Rep. Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY) explained his vote against Jim Jordan's speakership bid: “I want a Speaker who understands Long Island's unique needs. Restoring the SALT deduction, safeguarding 9/11 victim support funding, and investing in critical infrastructure are our priorities. I look forward to discussions with candidates.” Several Republican holdouts are now suggesting that it's an impossibility for any candidate within their caucus to receive the 217 votes needed to become speaker and, consequently, the House should move to expand the powers of Speaker pro tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC). 4:05pm- On Monday night, the Philadelphia Phillies won Game 1 of their series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The final score was 5-3. 4:10pm- According to Luke Broadwater of The New York Times, “Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise met after Jordan lost on the first ballot. Jordan asked Scalise for help but did not receive a pledge to do so, according to a person familiar with the conversation. Scalise and his allies are smarting from the way Jordan supporters undercut Scalise after he won a conference election but they refused to support him.” You can read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/17/us/house-speaker-jim-jordan-vote 4:15pm- On Monday, Judge Tanya S. Chutkan imposed a limited gag order on Donald Trump—in a case that alleges Trump conspired to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Judge Chutkan's gag order prevents the former president from verbally attacking witnesses and prosecutors publicly. Alarmingly, it may also restrict Trump's ability to criticize specific elements of the Biden Administration's Department of Justice. Could this gag order impact Trump's ability to campaign—and is it a violation of his First Amendment right to free speech and petition? Trump is expected to appeal the order. While speaking at a rally in Clive, Iowa, Trump announced he is “willing to go to jail” as part of a principled stance against Churkan's “unconstitutional” gag order. 4:20pm- During a campaign rally in Iowa, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump jokingly compared himself to Al Capone, saying he has been indicted more times than the 1920s Chicago mobster. 4:30pm- According to Israel Defense Forces (IDF), a misfired Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) rocket struck a hospital in Gaza leaving an estimated 500 people dead. Ari Blaff of National Review writes: “The Palestinian Ministry of Health, a government body under the control of Hamas, previously claimed that an Israeli air strike was responsible for the hospital explosion.” You can read more here: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/misfired-palestinian-islamic-jihad-rocket-responsible-for-hospital-explosion-idf-says/ 4:40pm- Judge Carolyn Carluccio of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss her candidacy for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. You can learn more about her campaign here:https://www.judgecarluccio.com 5:00pm- While speaking with NBC News, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) accused Nikki Haley of “trying to be politically correct” for suggesting the United States should welcome large numbers of refugees from Gaza. 5:15pm- Rich is joined by 1210 WPHT producers Anthony and Dan who are at Citizen Bank Park ahead of tonight's Game 2 playoff matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks. The series is best of seven. The Phillies currently lead the series 1-0. You can listen to their podcast, The Other Side with Dan and DiRenzo, here: https://www.audacy.com/1210wpht/podcasts/the-otherside-with-dan-and-direnzo-389572 5:30pm- Did Momma Zeoli break Rich's kitchen oven? She calls into the show to try to figure out how to fix it. 5:40pm- According to Luke Broadwater of The New York Times, “Scheduling update: Next vote for speaker will be tomorrow at 11 a.m. as Jordan works to shore up support—and prevent the bleeding of support. ‘We're going to keep working,' Jordan says.” You can read updates as they unfold here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/17/us/house-speaker-jim-jordan-vote 5:45pm- Comedian Kevin Downey Jr. joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss his upcoming appearance at Parx Casino Club 360 on Thursday October 19th—doors open at 7pm. You can learn more about the show, co-hosted by Rich, at: https://parxcasino.com/bensalem/calendar?sort=comedy 6:05pm- Liz Wolfe—Associate Editor at Reason & Author of the Reason Roundup morning email newsletter—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss student organizations at Harvard University that have explicitly, and outlandishly, blamed Israel for the Hamas-led attacks on Israeli citizens. Equally problematic are professors on campuses like Columbia University and Cornell University that have openly excused the actions of Hamas terrorists. Why was leadership at these elite universities so reluctant to condemn these actions and statements? You can find Wolfe's work here: https://reason.com/people/liz-wolfe/ 6:30pm- Max Marin of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes: “Police have arrested a suspect in the killing of Officer Richard Mendez and the wounding of Officer Raul Ortiz, who were shot on Thursday while responding to a car theft in a parking garage at Philadelphia International Airport.” During an afternoon press conference on Monday, the Philadelphia Police Department identified the suspect as Yobranny Martínez Fernández—though, they are still actively searching for two other suspects. You can read more about the developing story here: https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-airport-shooting-arrest-richard-mendez-raul-ortiz-20231016.html 6:40pm- While speaking with reporters, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), despite being a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, will not be in attendance for a classified briefing on Israel Wednesday. Last week, Menendez was charged with acting as a foreign agent for Egypt. He had previously been charged with accepting bribes in exchange for influence. 6:50pm- Rich is joined by 1210 WPHT producers Anthony and Dan who are at Citizen Bank Park ahead of tonight's Game 2 playoff matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks. The series is best of seven. The Phillies currently lead the series 1-0. You can listen to their podcast, The Other Side with Dan and DiRenzo, here: https://www.audacy.com/1210wpht/podcasts/the-otherside-with-dan-and-direnzo-389572
The Incredible Husk gave an interview last night to 60 Minutes - and Stigall has the audio. Not exactly confidence inspiring as China and Iran are getting louder by the day. Joel Pollack, Editor In Chief at Brietbart helps sift through the growing tension among conservatives regarding Israel's lack of readiness in being attacked, and some going further in their implications. Stigall explores the debate and is Ukraine a prime reason for it? Plus, former women's college swimming champ and now advocate for protection of women and women's sports gets heckled on another campus. She shares her story with Stigall.-For more info visit the official website: https://chrisstigall.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisstigallshow/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisStigallFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.stigall/Listen on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/StigallPodListen on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/StigallShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jill WIne-Banks hosts #SistersInLaw to delve into the superseding indictment of Senator Menedez. They examine how his role as the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee gives the charges against him national security ramifications, and lay out the political implications if he ends up resigning. Moving on to the next indictment, they break down the charges against Rep. Santos with a look at how his actions defrauded his donors and the election process. From there, they explain the differences between political and racial gerrymandering and how South Carolina's conflation of the two has taken their recently drawn congressional map to the Supreme Court. Get your #SistersInLaw gear or the perfect gift at politicon.com/merch WEBSITE & TRANSCRIPT Email: SISTERSINLAW@POLITICON.COM or Thread to @sistersInLaw.podcast Please Support This Week's Sponsors Lomi: Turn your food waste into plant-food at the press of a button with Lomi. Use the code SIL to save $50 at lomi.com/SIL Aura: Take your family's cybersecurity to the highest level. Get a 14 day trial plus a check of your data to see if your personal information has been leaked online for FREE when you visit aura.com/sisters HelloFresh: Enjoy 50% off plus free shipping with delicious HelloFresh meals delivered right to your door when you go to hellofresh.com/50sisters and use promo code: 50SISTERS OneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code SISTERS at oneskin.co #oneskinpod Get Barb's New Book: Attack From Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America Mentioned By The #Sisters: From Joyce on the gerrymandering case before the SCOTUS Senator Menendez Indictment Get More From #SistersInLaw Joyce Vance: Twitter | University of Alabama Law | MSNBC | Civil Discourse Substack Jill Wine-Banks: Twitter | Facebook | Website | Author of The Watergate Girl: My Fight For Truth & Justice Against A Criminal President Kimberly Atkins Stohr: Twitter | Boston Globe | WBUR | Unbound Newsletter Barb McQuade: Twitter | University of Michigan Law | Just Security | MSNBC
As the Israel-Hamas war continues, many Americans are trying to return to the U.S. Jessica Nagar Zindani, a mother of three who lives in Israel, joins "CBS Mornings" from her bomb shelter to share her experience seeking U.S. help as she tries to safely leave Israel with her three children.Sen. Cory Booker told "CBS Mornings" on Friday that $6 billion in Iranian oil assets that were freed up as part of last month's U.S.-Iran prisoner swap are "frozen." Booker serves on the Foreign Relations Committee and was in Jerusalem when Hamas launched its large-scale attack on Israel.Earpods are so great, yet so tiny and easy to misplace. This is a story of how persistence and tenacity pays off for a CBS News producer, and sparks a new friendship with a puppy and a winemaker.Since Warby Parker was founded in 2010, the company has distributed over 15 million pairs of glasses through its "Buy a Pair, Give a Pair" program. Company co-founders Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa join "CBS Mornings" to talk the new milestone and their vision for the company's future.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode, crime has hit Target right in their bulls eye from coast to coast. Menendez fighting back on federal bribery charges as he steps down from Foreign Relations Committee.
Ralph welcomes award-winning foreign correspondent Stephen Kinzer to discuss America's bloody history of proxy wars. They'll also discuss the mainstream media's "shameful" coverage of the war in Ukraine, the warhawks on Capitol Hill, and the catastrophic trickle-down effects of American military meddling.Stephen Kinzer is an award-winning foreign correspondent who has covered more than 50 countries on five continents. Mr. Kinzer spent more than 20 years working for the New York Times, most of it as a foreign correspondent. After leaving the Times in 2005, Mr. Kinzer taught journalism, political science, and international relations at Northwestern University and Boston University. He is now a Senior Fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University and writes a world affairs column for The Boston Globe.We attacked Libya in complete violation of international law, but in accordance with the system that we have used as a substitute for international law. And that's what we call the “rules-based international order.” That's our alternative to international law. And the rules-based international order is great for us because we're the ones that make the rules. We decide everything. We decide who's making war, who's not making war, who's good, who's bad, who needs to be punished, who doesn't need to be punished. Under international law, we can't do that because countries are treated more equally. So I think this is the real way we have turned away from both international law and our own domestic law—we've said that they're all superseded by the rules-based international order, which is a nice way of saying everybody has to do what the United States decides.Stephen KinzerA mantra in Congress is “Israel has a right to defend itself.” But no one ever says in Congress “the Palestinians have a right to defend themselves,” and they take casualty counts anywhere from 40 to 100 times greater in terms of innocent civilians, killed or injured. The Iranians apparently have no right to defend themselves… What is this inverted sense that these countries that are legitimately threatened, that have been overthrown… What's this mindset in official Washington that nobody threatened by the US or Israel has a right to defend themselves?Ralph NaderIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantis1. On Monday, the Writers' Guild of America announced that they have reached an interim agreement with the studios. The proposed deal includes minimum writing room sizes, pay increases, a ban on writing by generative AI programs, and disclosures of streaming numbers with residuals to match, to name just a few of the top line wins for the union. The agreement still needs to be formally submitted to the Guild membership for ratification, but this marks the end of the second longest strike in the WGA's history.2. AP reports that earlier this week, President Biden joined the United Autoworkers on the picket line. This is the first time ever a sitting president has joined a picket line. “Donning a union ballcap and exchanging fist bumps, Biden told United Auto Workers strikers that ‘you deserve the significant raise you need'” and urged the workers to “stick with it.” Biden made this move in part because former President Donald Trump also addressed autoworkers in a speech this week, though he did so at a non-union plant away from the picket line. UAW president Shawn Fain deemed Trump's address to non-union workers “pathetic irony,” per FOX 2 Detroit.3. Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey is facing a mammoth corruption scandal involving fraudulent halal meat from Egypt and $100,000 worth of gold bars. Per the BBC, Menendez has been forced to resign his chairmanship of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Yet, the powerful New Jersey Senator has not resigned his seat, even as a growing chorus of top Democrats have called on him to do so – including New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders, and many more. One possible upside to all of this is that Menendez's departure from his post on the Foreign Relations Committee could pave the way for a more rational American policy towards Cuba.4. In more Cuba news, NBC reports that on September 24th, the Cuban embassy in Washington was attacked. The assailant hurled two molotov cocktails at the diplomatic mission; fortunately, the diplomatic staff were unharmed. No arrests have been made. This follows a 2020 attack, when a man shot “nearly three dozen rounds” at the embassy from an AK-47.5. CNN reports that the FTC and the attorneys general of 17 states have filed a lawsuit against Amazon, alleging that “Amazon unfairly promotes its own platform and services at the expense of third-party sellers who rely on the company's e-commerce marketplace for distribution.” Specific examples of the e-commerce giant's anticompetitive practices include “requiring sellers on its platform to purchase Amazon's in-house logistics services in order to secure the best seller benefits, [and forcing] sellers to list their products on Amazon at the lowest prices anywhere on the web, instead of allowing sellers to offer their products at competing marketplaces for a lower price.” Hopefully, this reinvigorated consumer protection regime will serve as a deterrent to other would-be corporate criminals.6. Kyodo News reports Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki recently addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, and used the opportunity to rail against the proposed US military base in the Japanese-controlled territory. Tamaki noted that the base “was clearly opposed by Okinawan voters in a democratically held referendum" and that the installation of the base would threaten regional peace. Okinawa already hosts most of the American military presence in Japan.7. Variety reports that Anil Kapoor, an A-list actor in India, has won his legal battle against AI. The court “granted an order…acknowledging [Kapoor's] personality rights and restraining all offenders from misusing his personality attributes without his permission in any manner…across all modes and media worldwide.” Kapoor also noted that “My intention is not to interfere with anyone's freedom of expression or to penalize anyone. My intent was to seek protection of my personality rights and prevent any misuse for commercial gains, particularly in the current scenario with rapid changes in technology and tools like artificial intelligence.”8. Finally, the Orchard reports that On September 22nd, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy addressed the Canadian House of Commons. In attendance was Yaroslav Hunka, a 98 year-old veteran who, according to the CBC “fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians during the Second World War.” Students of history quickly put two and two together, deducing that this “veteran” was in fact a soldier in the 14th Grenadier Division of the Waffen SS, otherwise known as the Galician Division. Prime Minister Trudeau also held a private audience with this Nazi. Uproar in Canada proved so great that the Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons, Anthony Rota, was forced to resign, per the CBC. Furthermore, Polish officials have now formally requested that Hunka be extradited to Poland to face charges for atrocities committed by the Galician SS Division during WWII. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe
Sen. Bob Menendez. On Friday, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife Nadine were indicted on three federal bribery charges related to corruption, including secretly aiding the government of Egypt and attempting to influence several prosecutions in exchange for cash, gold and other valuables. Menendez, a high-ranking Democrat who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has denied the charges and so far refused calls to resign, though he did step down as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. You can read today's podcast here, today's Under the Radar story here, and today's “Have a nice day” story here. You can also check out our latest YouTube video here. Today's clickables: A quick note (0:56), Quick hits (1:46), Today's story (3:52), Left's take (9:27), Right's take (14:25), Isaac's take (19:01), Listener question (22:32), Under the Radar (26:08), Numbers (27:08), Have a nice day (28:07) You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our podcast is written by Isaac Saul and edited by Jon Lall. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. Our newsletter is edited by Bailey Saul, Sean Brady, Ari Weitzman, and produced in conjunction with Tangle's social media manager Magdalena Bokowa, who also created our logo. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tanglenews/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tanglenews/support
Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright.Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey indicted on federal bribery chargesSummary: New Jersey Democratic Senator Robert Menendez and his wife have been indicted for bribery, the US Justice Department announced late last week, on charges that they accepted stacks of cash, bars of gold, and other assets in exchange for nudging government policy to benefit the Egyptian government.Context: This is a rapidly evolving story, but basically this senator has allegedly been abusing his position as a senator and as the head of the Foreign Relations Committee to enrich himself and his wife, netting hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold, paychecks for made-up jobs, and a luxury vehicle, by helping to facilitate military sales and financing for the Egyptian government, in one case helping them attain hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid from the US despite human rights concerns; Menendez has also been accused of trying to disrupt federal investigations of his allies and attempting to get people sympathetic to his goals into office; Menendez was charged with corruption in 2017, but the jury was deadlocked and he won reelection the following year; this case is far bigger, a lot more colorful, with gobs of photographic evidence of the bribes in question, and will be conducted in New York instead of New Jersey, all of which could mean a steeper, uphill legal battle for Menendez and his wife; some Democratic lawmakers have publicly demanded Menendez resign, but he has thus far claimed to be innocent and has said he doesn't plan to step down. —The Washington PostOne Sentence News is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Hundreds of ethnic Armenians flee Nagorno-Karabakh to ArmeniaSummary: Days after the Azerbaijani military seized control of the disputed, breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, thousands of ethnic Armenians have fled across the border into Armenia, fearing ethnic cleansing.Context: This is another rapidly evolving story, and in essence this region is highly contested, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but governed by the Republic of Artsakh since 1994; in 2020, Azerbaijan reclaimed most of the territory surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, alongside a third of Nagorno-Karabakh itself, and on September 19th the Azerbaijani government launched a large-scale offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, ultimately disarming the Republic of Artsakh military, and that, in turn, has worried Armenians in the region that local Azerbaijanis might feel emboldened to kill them, and that has triggered this growing exodus to the west, across the Armenian border; this region has long been war-torn, ethnic animus at times being tempered by negotiations moderated by Russia, but now that Russia is distracted by its invasion of Ukraine, these two governments have generally had to deal with each other more directly, with middling success.—Al JazeeraAmazon to invest up to $4 billion in Anthropic as AI arms race escalatesSummary: Amazon has announced that it will invest up to $4 billion in AI company Anthropic, the latter using Amazon-made custom chips while the former incorporates Anthropic's AI technology into its suite of business tools.Context: This is just the most recent agreement between a major tech behemoth and a rapidly growing AI-focused startup, the first of which was Microsoft's deal with OpenAI, but pretty much everyone is getting involved in this emerging dynamic at this point, the AI companies needing a lot of money and the entrenched tech-titans wanting to get a foot in the door in a segment of the tech industry they might otherwise miss out on, falling behind their rivals; Anthropic is best known for its AI chat assistant, Claude, which directly competes with OpenAI's ChatGPT offering, and the company has also seen recent investments from Google and Salesforce, while Amazon has indicated it's open to investing in other AI startups, as well.—The Wall Street JournalLake Prespa in North Macedonia is one of Europe's oldest lakes and is foundational to the country's ecosystems, but over the past few months the lake's water level has been dropping precipitously, amplifying a decades-long trend that has seen its surface area decrease by 7% since 1984, which has worried locals, impacted other nearby lakes (which are interconnected), put a slew of native wildlife at risk, and has made survival for human residents in the area more tenuous.—Reuters2,180Number of climate-related legal cases being tracked, globally, as of the end of 2022.That's double the number tallied in 2017, and the majority of them are based in the US, brought by US citizens and organizations against polluters, governments, and the like (which makes sense, as the US is highly litigious in part because a lot of change occurs as a result of the incentives provided by the legal system).—VoxTrust Click Get full access to One Sentence News at onesentencenews.substack.com/subscribe
It was a very bad day for New Jersey's senior US Senator on Friday. Stigall unpacks all the charges and the Democrats' hilarious responses. CBS uncovers where your tax money is going in Ukraine. Two of the biggest stars in music and sports are apparently an item and Stigall has no choice but to address it. Terrible new polls for Biden coupled with some very surprising political moves from California's governor have us wondering what's going on. - For more info visit the official website: https://chrisstigall.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisstigallshow/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisStigall Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.stigall/ Listen on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/StigallPod Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/StigallShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) held a press conference Monday saying he will not resign and is confident he will be exonerated of all charges. It was the Senator's first public appearance since a federal indictment was unsealed against him alleging he used his position as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee to help Egypt in exchange for cash, gold bars and a Mercedes. Even fellow Democrats have joined the chorus of members of Congress calling on Senator Menendez to resign. FOX's Ryan Schmelz speaks with Chad Pergram, FOX News Senior Congressional correspondent, about Senator Menendez's press conference today, what he said and what sort of political implications these charges have for both parties. Click Here To Follow 'The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) held a press conference Monday saying he will not resign and is confident he will be exonerated of all charges. It was the Senator's first public appearance since a federal indictment was unsealed against him alleging he used his position as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee to help Egypt in exchange for cash, gold bars and a Mercedes. Even fellow Democrats have joined the chorus of members of Congress calling on Senator Menendez to resign. FOX's Ryan Schmelz speaks with Chad Pergram, FOX News Senior Congressional correspondent, about Senator Menendez's press conference today, what he said and what sort of political implications these charges have for both parties. Click Here To Follow 'The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) held a press conference Monday saying he will not resign and is confident he will be exonerated of all charges. It was the Senator's first public appearance since a federal indictment was unsealed against him alleging he used his position as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee to help Egypt in exchange for cash, gold bars and a Mercedes. Even fellow Democrats have joined the chorus of members of Congress calling on Senator Menendez to resign. FOX's Ryan Schmelz speaks with Chad Pergram, FOX News Senior Congressional correspondent, about Senator Menendez's press conference today, what he said and what sort of political implications these charges have for both parties. Click Here To Follow 'The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hours after his federal indictment, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) is out as the Foreign Relations Committee chairman. The Democrat is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash, gold bars, and more, allegedly trading his influence to benefit business associates and Egypt. Also, a look at the security measures the star witness in the January 6th hearings undertook. Plus, Zelensky shores up support for Ukraine in Canada as his forces forces target Crimea. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
On this week's Truth to Power, we bring you a tribute to the life of Daniel Ellsberg, with Forward Radio programmers, Jim Johnson (Solutions to Violence); Brian Barnes (Critical Thinking For Everyone); Justin Mog (Sustainability Now!), and K.A. Owens (On The Edge) reflecting on Ellsberg's legacy. Ellsberg spoke Truth To Power throughout his long life, but first came into the public consciousness in 1971 as the whistleblower from within the RAND Corporation who leaked the Pentagon Papers containing the secret history of the U.S. war on Vietnam to the press. Daniel Ellsberg died of pancreatic cancer on June 16, 2023. Those of us at WFMP feel we owe a great debt to Ellsberg, an economist and political activist. In 1971, he was working as a military analyst in the Pentagon. The Vietnam War was raging. College students and clergy were leading antiwar protests across the country. Both Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon boldly claimed that the U.S. was winning the war. After Ellsberg read documents by military elites, he understood that the U.S. military and its South Vietnamese allies were in fact losing the war and had been for some time. Johnson and Nixon had been lying to the American public. Ellsberg initially handed partial copies of the Pentagon Papers to Senator William Fulbright, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, as well as others in Congress. All refused to act. As a result, in 1971, Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times and later the Washington Post, knowing that such an action could lead to a long prison sentence; a demonstration of integrity and courage. The documentary “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” tells the story of the Supreme Court trial and the landmark decision which found government efforts to halt publication of the Pentagon Papers represented a violation of the First Amendment to the constitution and freedom of the press. The case, the U.S. vs. the New York Times, delivered an affirmation for freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. The Pentagon Papers exposed the fact that the U.S. was losing the Vietnam war and that exposure resulted in Nixon's decisions to pull U.S. troops out of Vietnam. As we know now the U.S. and its South Vietnamese allies lost the Vietnam war. The publication of the Pentagon Papers is an example of journalism exposing government corruption and forcing government to reverse course. We believe that a free press is essential to the preservation of a democracy and a free society. We here at WFMP are grateful for Ellsberg's courageous actions. We believe that the Supreme Court decision that found in favor of the press' right to publish the Pentagon Papers, is one of the reasons WFMP and other independent and commercial media are free to criticize the government, expose government corruption, discuss controversial political issues and shed light on issues we feel are in the public interest. All of us at Forward Radio are volunteers. We are here for one reason; we want to deliver a message that supports truth, fairness, justice, a sustainable environment and peace. Daniel Ellsberg's courageous decision to leak the Pentagon Papers and the Supreme Court's decision protects our rights as journalists. So, on behalf of Forward Radio, we want to deliver a sincere shout out to the late, great, Daniel Ellsberg and the 1971 Supreme Court for delivering an affirmation of free speech and a free press. On Truth to Power each week, we gather people from around the community to discuss the state of the world, the nation, the state, and the city! It's a community conversation like you won't hear anywhere else! Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 4pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at http://forwardradio.org
For decades, Georgia has tried to extricate itself from Russia's shadow. But with the recent influx of Ukrainian refugees and anti-war Russians and the rise of Georgia's Dream Party, the former Soviet state is once again walking a political tightrope between Russia and a tenuous future with NATO. In this episode, reporter Levi Bridges takes us on the ground to hear about the dangers of standing up to Russia. Reporter: Levi Bridges, journalist Featured guests: Daniil Chubar, co-founder of Emigration for Action Monika Jaranowska, Director of Kids Club "Happy Me" Tbilisi Giga Bokeria, leader of the European Georgia party Sonja Schiffers, Director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation's Tbilisi Office Giorgi Khelashvili, Georgian Dream MP and Deputy Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament of Georgia Host: Ray Suarez If you appreciate this episode and want to support the work we do, please consider making a donation to World Affairs. We cannot do this work without your help. Thank you.
Omar Alshogre is currently 28 years old. He was first arrested at 15 for attending a protest against the Al Assad regime, and was arrested a total of 11 times between 2011 and 2013. His last arrest, in 2012, along with the arrests of two of his cousins, led to his incarceration in the Branch 215 military intelligence detention center for 21 months, where he experienced torture on a daily basis. In 2014 he was transferred to Sednaya prison, where he experienced even more brutal forms of torture, and where prisoners were subjected to summary execution for talking without permission. During his period of incarceration, Omar was also forced to remove the bodies of prisoners and to mark their foreheads for identification. Many of the systematic abuses of Syria's Al Assad regime have been visually documented in the 2014 Syria Detainee Report, or the Caesar Report. Caesar is the alias for a photographer with the Syrian Military police who worked in secret with a Syrian opposition group to leak graphic images of the torture, starvation, and murder of prisoners at the hands of the al Assad regime. The report documents "the systematic killing of more than 11,000 detainees by the Syrian government in one region during the Syrian Civil War over a two and half year period from March 2011 to August 2013". Human Rights Watch spent six months investigating the authenticity of the photographic evidence and concluded that it was genuine. Signed into law by President Trump in 2019, the Caesar Act, or Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, is a set of sanctions against the Al Assad regime for war crimes against the Syrian civilian population. After suspending Syria from the Arab League for 12 years, last month the Arab League voted unanimously to readmit Syria's Al Assad regime. Omar Alshogre is a public speaker and human rights advocate, who endured three years of unjust imprisonment and torture in Syria before being smuggled out and brought to safety. Currently, he serves as the Director of Detainees Affairs for the Syrian Emergency Task Force and the spokesperson for Atrocities Tracker, dedicating himself to the critical cause of advocating for the release of those unjustly detained. Omar has spoken before the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, and presented his insights at several world-renowned universities, organizations, and news outlets including Harvard, Georgetown, CNN, and Aljazeera. Episode 27: Assil Alnaser - Protestor. Prisoner. Student. Syrian Woman Episode 65: Nour Qurmosh - On the Ground in Idlib, Syria Support Latitude Adjustment Podcast on Patreon!
Stu Levitan welcomes Mark Borthwick, here to talk about his new biography of his second cousin thrice removed, A Brave and Lovely Woman: Mamah Borthwick and Frank Lloyd Wright, from the good people at the University of Wisconsin Press.Mamah Borthwick was a highly educated, charismatic young woman from Oak Park Illinois at the turn of the 20th century, soon to become the translator of the internationally renowned Swedish feminist Ellen Key. But as Mark Borthwick writes, she lived with a man she didn't love in a house designed by a man she did, and despite her many talents and accomplishments, Borthwick would become one of the most reviled women of her era because she left her husband and young children in 1909 to go to Europe with the architect of that house, Frank Lloyd Wright, and then live with him at the magnificent hillside home he built in Spring Green WI, Taliesin, where she and her children were murdered in 1914.It is quite a tale of forbidden love and devastating loss social change and artistic triumph which Mark Borthwick tells well in this important addition to the literature about the self-proclaimed world's greatest architect.Mark Borthwick's resume is perhaps not quite what you would expect from the author of such a book. A graduate of Northwestern University, he served with the US Army in Vietnam, and later received a PhD in anthropology from the University of Iowa and then two postdoctoral fellowships. After a stint on the staff of the Foreign Relations Committee of the House of Representatives, he became the founding US Executive Director of the US National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation, and then the Director of the United States Asia Pacific Council, a project of the East-West Center. His previous book, Pacific Century: The Emergence of Modern Pacific Asia, was the textbook companion to the award-winning, ten-hour PBS television documentary of that name.It's a pleasure to welcome to Madison BookBeat Mark Borthwick
As our country continues to throw our full support behind Ukraine as they fight against the Russian invasion, our leaders debate ways to counter Vladimir Putin's expansionist goals. He was a KGB leader during the era of the Soviet Union, and it looks like restoring a Soviet system in Eastern Europe continues to be one of his aims. Earlier today, Senator Mitt Romney was part of a hearing for the Committee on Foreign Relations discussing the issue of Russia, and we wanted to highlight some of the topics discussed there...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin has been a fixture on the Maryland political scene for 56 years, and a member of the United States Senate since 2007. Earlier this month, he announced that he will not seek re-election when his term expires on January 3, 2025. As the Chair of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, a long time member of the Foreign Relations Committee, the Finance Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee, Sen. Cardin has been a champion for small businesses in MD, a dedicated protector of the Chesapeake Bay and a fierce advocate for human rights around the world. His career began in 1967. As it continued in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, he never lost an election. Sen. Cardin joins Tom in Studio A.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As New York prosecutors weigh indicting Donald Trump, the former president belittles keeping protests peaceful. Then, Secretary of State Antony Blinken faces a subpoena threat as lawmakers order him to turn over documents related to the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Also, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) of the Foreign Relations Committee joins to discuss Xi-Putin talks producing no meaningful path forward on Ukraine. Plus, the CEO of TikTok is called before Congress to answer how much data from users the Chinese government can access. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, we are honored to be joined by former Congresswoman Mia Love of Utah and current Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. We also check in with our friend Alexander Raikin for an update on Canada's assisted suicide program. -Mia B. Love is a former Representative of the 4th Congressional District of Utah. Love was elected to office in 2014. She is the first and only Republican black female to ever serve in The United States Congress. Love was appointed as the only freshman to serve on the Select Panel for Infant Lives, to investigate the selling of organs on the free market. She was also selected to serve on the Financial Services Committee (which handles regulation of our nation's financial institutions) Terrorism and Illicit Finance, Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy and Trade subcommittees.While in office, she was a champion for reducing burdensome regulations and sponsoring legislation that make it easier for small and community banks to lend money to individuals and families. That bill (part of S. 2155) was signed into law in August of 2018. Rep. Love was also a leader in the push for immigration reform, and adamantly works to protect life at all stages of development, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all. She was awarded the Marilyn Musgrave "Defender of Life Award" for her work in protecting life in Congress.Rep Love was a headline speaker at the 2012 RNC convention in Tampa FL. Prior to her work in Congress, Rep. Love served as a city councilwoman and mayor in her hometown of Saratoga Springs, Utah.Mia is currently a CNN correspondent and was recently appointed as a non-resident senior fellow at The United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.Mia is passionate about getting Americans out of government poverty programs that are meant to trap and destroy families and promoting free market principles. She has advocated for limited government, fiscal discipline and personal responsibility.Mia is currently a CNN correspondent and was recently appointed as a non-resident senior fellow at The United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Most importantly, Mia is the daughter of legal immigrants from Haiti, a wife, a mother of three children and a proud American.-Marco Rubio has represented Florida in the United States Senate since 2010, where he has one guiding objective: bring the American Dream back into the reach of those who feel it slipping away.Senator Rubio's efforts have been successful and long-lasting. Non-partisan analyses by GovTrack and the Center for Effective Lawmaking ranked Rubio the Senate's number two leader and most effective Republican in 2020.Senator Rubio currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, where he oversees our nation's intelligence and national security apparatus. Senator Rubio is also a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, where he fights to promote human rights and America's interests around the globe; the powerful Appropriations Committee, which allocates funding for the federal government; and the Special Committee on Aging, dedicated to the needs of older Americans.In addition, Senator Rubio serves on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, where works to help small businesses thrive in the 21st century. As former Chairman of this committee, Rubio authored the historic Paycheck Protection Program, which has been a lifeline to millions of small businesses and Americans workers as they battle economic hardship in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.Senator Rubio was born in Miami, after his parents came to the United States from Cuba in search of the American Dream. He lives there today with his wife Jeanette and their four children.-Alexander Raikin is a freelance journalist and a writer interested in medical ethics and bad statistics. His writings have been published in City Journal and The New Atlantis. Alexander is also a research fellow with Do No Harm. He can be found on Twitter at @AlexanderRaikin -Connect with us:www.breakingbattlegrounds.voteTwitter: www.twitter.com/Breaking_BattleFacebook: www.facebook.com/breakingbattlegroundsInstagram: www.instagram.com/breakingbattlegroundsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/breakingbattlegrounds This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit breakingbattlegrounds.substack.com
During his second State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Joe Biden talked at length about economic issues and accused Republicans of trying to end Social Security and Medicare. We're joined by Dave Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect to debrief these economic issues. In the second part of the show we're joined by Akela Lacy, political reporter with The Intercept to discuss what the ousting of Rep. Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Relations Committee means for the workings of Congress. The post Debriefing Biden's Second State of the Union Address appeared first on KPFA.
U.S. officials reveal they've been tracking a Chinese “surveillance balloon” high over Montana. Congressional Republicans boot Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) off the Foreign Relations Committee. And American volunteers help ferry “stolen” Ukrainian orphans from Russia to safety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
China's sinister intelligence balloon is floating over the Northwest corner of the U.S. -- specifically over several U.S. military bases and our largest nuclear missile cache in Montana. What's our government doing about it? Nothing! The Squad members have gone postal over House Speaker McCarthy's decision to remove their fellow member Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Relations Committee. Wait until you hear their screaming from the House Floor!
Running up the middle, Twitter files, Hamilton 68, abortion in South Carolina, the move to oust Omar from the Foreign Relations Committee
Federal Reserve Raises the Federal Funds Rate 25 Basis Points 1) The NASDAQ rallies huge up over 15% year to date 1A) Inflation still high. Could we see disinflation? 1B) Biden floats idea of capping credit card late fees. The earliest it could happen would be 2024 if at all. Lots of obstacles. 2) McCarthy meets Biden and says they can reach common ground? 3) Direct TV censorship of Newsmax draws Republican scrutiny 3A) Culture Wars - Smithsonian kicked out a student who was wearing a pro life hat. This should not happen. 4) Republicans introduce Articles of Impeachment against DHS Secretary Mayorkis 5) Omar to be kicked off Foreign Relations Committee? 5A) Lawyer for Hunter Biden admits the laptop is his. 6) Nikki Haley prepares 2024 run 7) Biden approval at 44%
“It appears to me that the fever has broken,” observes Bob Corker, former two-term GOP Senator from Tennessee. ”And there's gonna be a real serious debate on the Republican side of the aisle as to where the party is gonna go in 2024.” Fading GOP loyalty to former President Trump is the elephant in the room as we discuss the 2022 election, successes of the current Congress, and prospects for governance going forward. “Right now you got a lot of folks feeling their oats over in the House” says Doug Jones, the Democratic winner of an Alabama special election in 2017. “And they have promised a lot of oversight, a lot of investigations… Who the hell knows? On the Senate side, though, it will be steady as she goes.” Join the conversation with two centrist U.S. Senate alumni--Doug Jones, a storied civil rights litigator, and Bob Corker, who raised alarms during the Trump administration as Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. The Purple Principle is a Fluent Knowledge production. Original music by Ryan Adair Rooney. How'd you hear about The Purple Principle? Let us know!: https://fluentknowledge.com/tpp-survey SHOW NOTES The Signal Awards has recognized The Purple Principle as a finalist in three award categories, but we need your votes to win. Click here and search "purple principle" to find our nominated episodes and vote! Our Guests The Hon. Bob Corker is a former Republican Senator from Tennessee, serving for two terms in Congress. A commercial real estate developer, he began his political career as commissioner for the Tennessee Finance and Administration Department before being elected Mayor of Chattanooga in 2001. While a member of the U.S. Senate, Corker served as Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. You can follow him on Twitter @SenBobCorker The Hon. Doug Jones is a former Democratic Senator from Alabama, serving in Congress for three years after a high-profile special election in 2017. He was the first Democrat to represent Alabama in the U.S. Senate in over two decades. Jones was appointed U.S. Attorney for Alabama's Northern District in 1997, and is known for his prosecution of two Ku Klux Klan members for their role in the 1963 Birmingham church bombing. You can follow him on Twitter @DougJones More episode resources: https://fluentknowledge.com/shows/the-purple-principle/centrist-senators Subscribe to Purple Principle Premium on Apple: https://link.chtbl.com/PurpleApple Sign up for our newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/purpleprinciple/the-purple-principle-report Follow us on: Twitter: @purpleprincipl Facebook: @thepurpleprinciplepodcast Instagram: @thepurpleprinciplepodcast Mastodon: @purpleprinciple@mastodon.social Our website: https://bit.ly/2ZCpFaQ
Tom's Midday Newsmaker guest today is Maryland's senior senator, Ben Cardin. The senator is a longtime member of the Foreign Relations Committee. He was at the COP 27 Climate Change Conference last month in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, alongside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as they led their respective US congressional delegations at the summit. When President Joe Biden addressed the gathering, he pledged the US would do its part to avert “climate-hell,” but meeting clean energy goals and helping developing countries transition to clean energy remain a heavy lift. And, as winter takes hold in Ukraine, what's next for US support of the war effort there? Russia continues to target key infrastructure sites, denying power and water to millions of people across the country. Next month in Washington, when the GOP assumes its narrow majority in the House, Republicans have targeted Ukraine aid, sending signals that they are less inclined to continue US help. Plus, what do the social unrest and protests in the authoritative regimes in Iran and China portend for the future?Sen. Cardin is also the chair of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. He's sponsored a bill to re-authorize support for small businesses from the Small Business Administration. Ben Cardin has been a fixture in Maryland and then national politics since he was first elected to the Maryland General Assembly in 1967. Twenty years later he was elected to the House of Representatives, and twenty years after that, he was elected to the US Senate. Senator Cardin joins us on Zoom from his Senate office on Capitol Hill.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of The Zeitgeist, AGI President Jeff Rathke sits down with Roderich Kiesewetter, ranking member of the CDU/CSU faction in the Foreign Relations Committee of the German Bundestag, …
President Biden in an exchange with CNN's Jake Tapper, vowed there will be consequences for Saudi Arabia in light of their decision to join with Russia in cutting back oil production, a move guaranteed to help Vladimir Putin and his war with Ukraine, while at the same time, jacking up gas prices for American consumers. The Saudi move jolted the White House, coming barely three months after Biden famously fist-bumped the country's de facto ruler Mohammed Bin Salma, the very same Crown Prince, who according to US intelligence, approved the operation that brutally murdered Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But what should those consequences for the Saudis actually be? Biden didn't say. But one Senator, who has been one of the most outspoken on the issue is Connecticut's Chris Murphy, a member of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. We talk to him about the US-Saudi relationship and the war in Ukraine as well as this week's nearly billion dollar verdict against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for his lies about the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
NBC News Correspondent Richard Engel reports from the front lines in Ukraine and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg talks about the international response to the war. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), member of the Foreign Relations Committee, offers insight on the war from a U.S. perspective. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) joins Meet the Press to share her unique perspective and talk about America's most pressing issues. Shane Harris, David Ignatius, Andrea Mitchell and Amna Nawaz offer their analysis at the Meet the Press roundtable.
Mariupol's mayor says civilians continue to be targeted just days after the Russians bombed a maternity hospital that killed at least three people, including a child. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack "proof of a genocide.” CNN's Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward is in Kyiv and gives AC360 an update on the evacuation efforts and how far Russian forces are from the city center. Plus, the White House is warning Russia may use chemical weapons in Ukraine. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy is a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. He tells Anderson Cooper the United States “should be focused on helping the Ukrainians but staying out of direct conflict with Russia.” To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
On Wednesday's Mark Levin Show, our federal government, State Department, and White House are afraid of a stalemate between Ukraine and Russia because they feel Putin will use nuclear weapons. China has now pledged to financially support Russia in financing their war. So, the Ukrainians will continue suffering because Putin doesn't care if he has to gas them in order to win. Then, the State Department is slowly realizing why the U.S should be interested in Ukraine after testimony in the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee over research from Ukrainian bio labs might end up in Russian hands if toppled. Later, America needs to be the muscular society it's always been. We must embrace capitalism to lower the cost of gas and reject the phony green new deal. The progressives' primitive look on energy is breaking the pockets of Americans under the ambiguity catchphrase ‘climate change.' Afterward, Sen. Lindsey Graham calls in to discuss his call for Putin to be taken out. Graham blasted the Biden Administration for reneging on the deal to swap F-16 jets with Poland so they'd, in turn, donate Mig-29 jets to Ukraine. Graham made it clear that the U.S must be sterner and less afraid of Putin's threats and instead fear what happens globally if he wins.
Today on “Catholic Drive Time,” The dangers of Tarot and occult divination with Fr. Vincent Lampert. Russia - The latest? Russia Says Claim That It Bombed Children's Hospital Is ‘Fake News' … is it? Who knows? Top Russian, Ukrainian Diplomats Meet for First Time Since Invasion BIO Labs in the Ukraine??? More Fake news? Maybe NOT. Sen. Marco Rubio asked Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and she admitted it at yesterday's Foreign Relations Committee. House Passes $1.5 Trillion Spending Bill With $13.6 Billion for Ukraine Georgia Gov. Kemp Says He Plans to Temporarily Suspend State Gas Tax First hour: news, saint of the day, Gospel of the Day, Second Hour: breaking news, saint of the day, Gospel, Plus New Round of the Catholic trivia game show Fear and Trembling!!! Then Stay tuned for the Catholic Drive Time After Show!!!! Starting at 7:30 am where we let our hair down and speak more casually across our live streams. We will field questions from our comment sections. Follow Catholic Drive Time on social media Official Social Media Account IG: @CatholicDriveTime Twitter: @CatholicDrive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicDriv... YouTube: Catholic Drive Time Joe Social Media IG: @TheCatholicHack Twitter: @Catholic_Hack Facebook: Joe McClane YouTube: Joe McClane Adrian Social Media IG: @ffonze Twitter: @AdrianFonze Facebook: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Catholic Conversations https://www.grnonline.com/ Listen in your car on your local GRN station - http://grnonline.com/stations/ Listen online at GRNonline.com Listen on your mobile with our GRN app (both IOS and Android) Listen on Facebook @GRNonline Listen on Twitter @GRNonline Listen on YouTube @GRNonline History of the GRN: Starting with absolutely nothing we placed our trust in the Lord and our Blessed Mother. By August of 1996, we were breaking ground for the construction of the Guadalupe Resource Center where our ministry has flourished. We now operate radio 37 stations that reach a potential listening audience of twenty million souls. The Guadalupe Radio Network is the largest EWTN affiliate in the USA. Visit our website to learn more about us, find a local GRN radio station, a schedule of our programming and so much more. http://grnonline.com/
U.S. officials remain worried a Russian invasion could still happen any day in Ukraine. But Russia says it has no intention to invade, while the West accuses Russia of not following through on pulling back its troops from the border. Republican Sen. James Risch, the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Chris Hedges interviews economist Richard Wolff on the precarious state of the US economy and its consequences A bipartisan group of senators are crafting legislation to impose sweeping sanctions on Russia if it engages in what they consider hostile action of any kind against the Ukraine. New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, calls the legislation “the mother of all sanctions bill.” The bill led in the House by Gregory Meeks of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, like Menendez a Democrat, demands that the administration “not cede to the demands of the Russian Federation regarding NATO membership or expansion.” This cuts off the ability to discuss Moscow's core demands, including a ban on future NATO membership for Ukraine. The proposed sanctions target Russian banks, state-owned enterprises, government debt, energy firms, and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, as well as many individual members of the government and military. They are the most extensive economic sanctions the US has attempted to deploy since the post-Cold War global economy was constructed. The sanctions, if enacted, would remove Russia from SWIFT, the international financial transaction system that uses the US dollar as the world's reserve currency. The proposal to cut Russia off from SWIFT, while it will certainly hurt the Russian economy, will also further push Russia, along with China and other countries, especially those such as Cuba and Iran that are also targeted by the United States, to create their own global monetary exchange system. If the US dollar is no longer the world's reserve currency, it will seriously erode the already precarious health of the US economy, not only because the dollar would significantly decline in value, but because the treasury bonds sold to fund the huge US deficits would no longer be attractive investments. The US is already reeling under the ascent of the People's Republic of China, whose economy will be larger in terms of its footprint in the global economy than the US by the end of this decade. The desperate financial tricks, flooding the global market with new dollars, and lowering interest rates, which staved off a major depression after the 2000 dotcom crash and 9/11, were accelerated after the 2008 global financial meltdown. Easy access to money at unprecedentedly low interest rates incentivized every corporation in the country to borrow massively from the Federal Reserve, often to paper over shortfalls and bad investments. The result is that US businesses are deeper in debt than at any time in history. Added to this morass is rising inflation, caused by businesses that have increased prices in a desperate effort to make up for lost revenue from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. This inflation has forced the Fed to curtail the growth of the money supply and raise interest rates, which then pushes corporations to further raise prices. No matter which way you look, serious financial dislocation in the United States seems inevitable. Chris is joined by Richard Wolff, visiting professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School in New York, who has also taught economics at Yale University and the Sorbonne. He can be found at Democracy at work.
A bipartisan group of senators is within striking distance of a deal on a bill that would impose crippling sanctions on Russia for its hostilities against Ukraine. "We are finding the path forward very clearly," said Sen. Jim Risch, top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, indicating that the White House and other key agencies were involved in the negotiations. It comes as the standoff over Ukraine are creating unusual political circumstances. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he was "glad" to see Biden's troop movements to the region, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he supports them "completely." But on the Democratic side, the Congressional Progressive Caucus put out a statement warning that “there is no military solution out of this crisis.” Could Biden's response to Russia's handling of Ukraine create the bipartisanship he's long preached? Or will it drive a deeper wedge between different groups of Democrats? Plus, a preview of Sunday's "This Week.
First, Dana speaks with Sen. Bob Menendez and Sen. Jim Risch of the Foreign Relations Committee about the bipartisan group of Senators who are trying to prevent war between Russia and Ukraine. Next, amidst optimism from top health officials that the Omicron surge is starting to peak, Dana asks New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu about rolling back individual restrictions. Then, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester joins our panel to examine the importance of representation in the Supreme Court as Biden promises to nominate a historic first Black woman justice. Finally, Dana shares a special report on how gerrymandering is accelerating partisan divides and why elected officials all over the country are guilty of trying to seize a dangerous advantage. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is expected to announce his retirement after serving nearly 30 years on the bench. The White House confirms President Biden stands by his commitment to nominate a Black woman to replace Breyer, a promise he first made on the debate stage in February 2020 when he was running for President. The next day, Democratic Rep. James Clyburn endorsed him, which ultimately helped Biden win his party's nomination. The South Carolina congressman tells Anderson Cooper how important it was to have Biden's word before backing the future President. Plus, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the United States has given Moscow its written response in hopes of deterring a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy is a member of the Foreign Relations Committee and recently traveled to Kyiv where he and a bipartisan delegation met with Ukraine's president. He joins AC360 to discuss the U.S.'s response to Russia's demands. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy
Tom's Newsmaker guest today is Maryland's senior senator, Ben Cardin. Senator Cardin is a longstanding member of the Foreign Relations Committee. President Joe Biden is reportedly considering sending troops to NATO countries near Ukraine, NATO is sending ships and aircraft to the area, and the State Department is beginning to draw down personnel from the US embassy in Kyiv. Is an invasion inevitable? And if it happens, what further actions should the US and NATO take? And here at home, Republicans are united in their opposition to federal action that would restore provisions of the Voting Rights Act. Democrats can't find consensus on a way forward. There may be a possibility of bipartisan action on reforming the way votes are counted in the Electoral College. Voting rights is just one of several issues important to most Democrats that have been stalled by Republicans and two Senators in their own caucus. What's the future for bills to extend the child tax credit, address climate change, subsidize child and elder care, and reduce the cost of prescription drugs? Senator Ben Cardin joins us for the hour. And we welcome yo0ur questions and co0kmments fgor the Senator. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Global Nashville with Karl Dean A Conversation With Senator Bob Corker Join us for this important conversation with Senator Bob Corker who served in the Senate from 2009 to 20017. Corker served on the Foreign Relations Committee where he was Chairman from 2015-2019. The Tennessee World Affairs Council is proud to present one of Tennessee's and the country's most knowledgeable individuals on world affairs and the challenges the United States faces in the world. March 18, 2021 7:00-8:00 PM CT Senate Foreign Relations Committee Legacy: After becoming ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2013 and taking the reins as chairman in 2015, Senator Corker made restoring the committee's power and status a top priority. To do so, he concentrated on three key goals: making the committee function again, focusing the committee's work on core American interests, and making the committee genuinely matter to the American people and the rest of the world. In his work to restore the committee's functionality as a driving force for U.S. foreign policy and an effective check on the executive branch, Corker led a number of successful initiatives. First State Department authorization bill in 14 years Led the winning battle to ensure Congress had a say in determining whether President Obama's Iran nuclear deal could move forward (he ultimately opposed the JCPOA) CAATSA sanctions (Russia, North Korea, Iran) Uncovered State's system for evaluating progress in combatting human trafficking was subject to political interference, took steps to ensure the practice was ended Critical oversight of United Nations, including the pervasive problem of sexual abuse and exploitation being committed by U.N. peacekeepers Kept committee about the fray of the political rancor pervading Washington (tried to start every debate in a bipartisan manner) Prevented Obama administration from sidestepping the Senate on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Got the Senate back on track in fulfilling its responsibility to review and ratify treaties Bob Corker is a successful businessman, former United States Senator, and was previously named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine. Corker represented Tennesseans in the Senate from 2007-2018, where he served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and became a national and global thought leader on fiscal, financial, and foreign policy issues. He was Tennessee's commissioner of finance and mayor of Chattanooga before being elected to the Senate, but he spent most of his life in business. At the age of 25, Corker started his own construction company with $8,000 in savings, eventually expanding operations to 18 states across the country. He later purchased two of the largest and oldest real estate holding companies in Chattanooga. He and his wife, Elizabeth, call Chattanooga home. Karl Dean was the sixth mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. He was elected on Sept. 11, 2007 and was re-elected on Aug. 4, 2011. He completed his second term in office on September 25, 2015. Dean first held public office when he was elected as Nashville's Public Defender in 1990, a post he was re-elected to in 1994 and 1998. He served as Metro Law Director from 1999 to January 2007, when he resigned to run for the office of mayor. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt. Dean was the Democratic Party nominee for Governor of Tennessee in 2018. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee World Affairs Council.
Ronald Reagan correctly observed that “Personnel is policy.” And Team Biden has repeatedly proven that bad appointments result in terrible policies. Fortunately, the U.S. Senate has a chance to prevent additional harm by blocking the nomination of an advocate for Islamist policies to a senior State Department post. Unfortunately, its Foreign Relations Committee yesterday approved the nomination of Rashad Hussain to become the top diplomat responsible for promoting religious liberty around the world. Moderate Muslims have warned against this appointment of a co-religionist on the grounds that, as one put it: “Mr. Hussain has protected and advanced the illiberal values of Islamic theocracies that perpetuate a disturbing and hateful ideology of Muslim supremacy.” Muslim Brotherhood front groups enthusiastically support Rashad Hussain. If Senators object to the intolerant policies favored by such Sharia-supremacists, they must disapprove the nomination of one of their champions. This is Frank Gaffney.
US forces launched a drone strike on a vehicle in Kabul overnight, which officials say killed a suicide bomber inside, whom is suspected of preparing to attack the airport. It is the second strike carried out by the Americans in Afghanistan since a suicide bomber from terror group ISIS-K attacked the airport last week, killing 13 US troops and scores of Afghan civilians trying to flee the country. American Senator Chris Murphy, who's on the Foreign Relations Committee, says the car bomb shows the volatility of Kabul's airport. The 13 American troops killed last week were returned to the US a few hours ago - the US President Joe Biden was there to receive the bodies at Dover airbase. Washington DC correspondent Simon Marks spoke to Corin Dann.
In early February '71, with pressure building at home to complete the withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam, Nixon puts his Vietnamization program to a crucial and very public test. With the world watching, the South Vietnamese army launches an invasion into Laos, where they will engage a formidable North Vietnamese force. US air power will support the South, but for the first time they will be on their own on the ground. The test is a debacle: facing superior military forces, the South Vietnamese sustain heavy casualties and are quickly compelled to withdraw. Nixon and Kissinger spin the defeat as best they can, but privately, it is a moment of reckoning: after six years of war, South Vietnam shows little sign of being able to sustain the war without continuing US help. Through the spring, opposition to the war grows and spreads beyond the traditional leftist and student base. In April, Senator William Fulbright's powerful Foreign Relations Committee hears testimony from a young vet by the name of John Kerry, representing a new force – Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Clearly, the tide is turning. Faced with a grim reality, Nixon and Kissinger recognize they must find a way to prop up South Vietnam at least long enough to avoid having it collapse before the '72 election, now only a year away.
Photo: No known restrictions on publication.CBS Eye on the World with John BatchelorCBS Audio Network@BatchelorshowThe Abraham Accords promise peace for the children of the Middle East. Malcolm Hoenlein @Conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 Dr. Ali al Nuaimi @Dralnoaimi Dr. Ali al Nuaimi is chairman of the Defense Affairs, Interior and Foreign Relations Committee of the UAE's Federal National Council, a representative legislature whose 40 members, half elected indirectly and half appointed, serve in an advisory role to the emirates' leadership. Related Articles https://www.newsweek.com/i-helped-broker-abraham-accords-its-time-free-palestinians-hamas-iran-opinion-1598198 https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/resigned-to-a-nuclear-deal-revival-saudi-arabia-uae-engages-with-iran-670502 https://arab.news/vzs4k
Interview with JNS Senior Editor in Chief, Jonathan Tobin, discussing the Biden Administration's mixed signals on Iran's nuclear program, and what message are they sending to Israel and the Middle East by not calling Israel's Prime Minister, as they resume relations and financial support for the Palestinian Authority. We also discussed the political toxicity and hypocrisy in Washington as Democrats stripped Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of her Committee assignments over controversial remarks she made in 2018 while promoting the very anti-Semitic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Interview with JNS Senior Editor in Chief, Jonathan Tobin, discussing the Biden Administration's mixed signals on Iran's nuclear program, and what message are they sending to Israel and the Middle East by not calling Israel's Prime Minister, as they resume relations and financial support for the Palestinian Authority. We also discussed the political toxicity and hypocrisy in Washington as Democrats stripped Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of her Committee assignments over controversial remarks she made in 2018 while promoting the very anti-Semitic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar on the Foreign Relations Committee
Senator William Frist, M.D. is a nationally-acclaimed heart and lung transplant surgeon, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, founding partner of Frist Cressey Ventures, and chairman of the Executives Council of the health service investment firm Cressey & Company. He is actively engaged in the business as well as the medical, humanitarian, and philanthropic communities. He is chairman of both Hope Through Healing Hands, which focuses on maternal and child health and global poverty, and SCORE, a statewide collaborative education reform organization that has helped propel Tennessee to prominence as a K-12 education reform state.As a U.S. Senator representing Tennessee from 1994 -2006 (the first practicing physician elected to the Senate since 1928), Senator Frist served on both the Health (HELP) and the Finance Committees responsible for writing all health legislation. He was elected Majority Leader of the Senate, having served fewer total years in Congress than any person chosen to lead that body in history. His leadership was instrumental in the passage of the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act and the historic PEPFAR legislation that provided life-saving treatment globally to over 12 million people and reversed the spread of HIV/AIDS worldwide. He also held seats on the Foreign Relations Committee where he chaired the Subcommittee on Africa, the Commerce Committee, and the Banking Committee. He served six years with President Clinton and six years with President Bush. Honoring his pledge to serve just two terms, he left the Senate and his position as Majority Leader in 2006.Currently, Senator Frist serves as an adjunct professor of Cardiac Surgery at Vanderbilt University. As a leading authority on healthcare, Senator Frist speaks nationally on health reform, government policy, global health, education reform, and volunteerism. In 2019 he launched “A Second Opinion” podcast, which addresses challenging healthcare issues of today from three distinct vantage points: policy, medicine, and innovation.He is Co-Chair of the Health Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center, and co-founder of Aspire Health. His current board service includes the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and five publicly-traded companies: Select Medical, Teladoc Health, Smile Direct Club, Accolade, and GS Acquisitions Holdings Corp II.
This week, John returns as Pacific Century visits London, to talk with Tom Tugendhat MP. Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee in the House of Commons and head of the China Research Group, Tom discusses the China Research Group’s new report on dealing with a more assertive Chinese Communist Party. He explains how the UK’s China policy has evolved over the past several years, including its turnaround on Huawei. He also looks ahead at how London might work with the new Biden administration.
In this very special episode of The Asset, host Max Bergmann introduces a new podcast, Unconventional Threat from The Asset's production team, District Productive and the bi-partisan organization Keep Our Republic.This is an election year unlike any other in ways that are unsettling and dangerous.Unconventional Threat brings together exclusive interviews with newsmakers about everything that can happen between now and Inauguration Day, when it's possible we may still not have chosen a President. Journalist Peter Eisner and longtime State Department official Jonathan Winer will outline all the possibilities, including:the use of the military;uncounted ballots; andone scenario where the House of Representatives picks the next President, with each state getting just one vote, no matter who wins the popular vote or leads the Electoral College.You will hear exclusive interviews with such notable guests as:Former United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael ChertoffSenior Vice President of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Heather ConleyChair of the House Committee on Rules Rep. Jim McGovernRanking Member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob MenendezAuthor of The Plot to Betray America Intelligence analyst Malcolm NanceFormer FBI special agent, specializing in counterintelligence investigations, Asha RangappaAuthor of Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right Anne NelsonBased on hard reporting, facts, and Constitutional Law, this series of 10 podcasts will prepare you for a very possible Unconventional Threat and delineate the steps we can take to come together as a nation to ensure that everyone has the chance to vote, their votes are counted, and the count is respected to create our national choice for President for the next four years.Listen to the new podcast Unconventional Threat and help @defendourdemocracy2020Follow us onTwitter @UncoThreat See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Joining Tom for the hour today is the senior Democratic senator from Maryland, Ben Cardin. First elected to the Senate in 2006, he is currently the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. He also serves on the Senate Finance Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee. Some of the topics Tom questions Sen. Cardin about: President Trump held a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday. The arena wasn't as full as his campaign predicted it would be, but Mr. Trump did attract more than 6,000 people, despite numerous warnings from health officials that the rally posed a major health risk. A federal judge denied the Trump Administration's request that Simon and Schuster be blocked from releasing former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s tell-all memoir, citing the fact that so many copies of the book were already circulating. Bolton is making the rounds of national news shows, verifying previous reports in numerous other books that Mr. Trump is not fit to serve in the highest office in the land.... The Supreme Court handed the Trump Administration two legal losses last week, blocking its order to end DACA protections for so-called Dreamers, and disallowing workplace discrimination against LGBTQ employees. And as more businesses open in Maryland, the metrics around the COVID-19 pandemic in our state continue to improve. Our positivity rate is now within the guidelines set by the World Health Organization for easing restrictions. Other states, like Arizona and Florida, are seeing a spike in cases and an uptick in positivity rates. Sen. Cardin joins us on the line from his home in Pikesville. We take your calls for the senator a little later in the program.
Yesterday, when both Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell expressed optimism about a stimulus deal in the Senate, the stock market responded enthusiastically. The Dow jumped 2,100 points by the close of trading. It opened up again this morning. House and Senate lawmakers wrangled for nearly a week over the third tranche of the most expensive economic stimulus package in American history, and just before one a-m today, Democratic and Republican leaders, along with administration officials, announced a $2 trillion dollar deal had been reached. It’s expected to be passed and signed into law within days. Tom's first guest today is Senator Ben Cardin, the Democratic senior senator from Maryland. Sen. Cardin is a Member of the Foreign Relations Committee, and Ranking Member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. He joins us from his office on Capitol Hill.
Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) talked about the Senate impeachment trial against President Trump, including potential witnesses and the effects of the trial on other Senate business. He also discussed war powers, U.S.-Iran relations, the Iran nuclear deal, and Ukraine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While attending a panel on women in business in Nampa on Wednesday, Republican Sen. Jim Risch refused to answer questions regarding President Donald Trump. Idaho Matters talks to Boise State Public Radio reporter Heath Druzin about his attempt to pose questions to the senator, who is the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.
This is a segment of episode #212 of Last Born In The Wilderness “Liminal: Like This, We Are Still Living w/ Liyah Babayan.” Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/sE18jVK2NJs Or, listen to the full audio-only episode: http://bit.ly/LBWbabayan1 Purchase ‘Liminal: A Refugee Memoir’: http://bit.ly/babayan-liminal In this segment of my interview with Liyah Babayan, author of ‘Liminal: A Refugee Memoir,’ we delve into Liyah’s profound, disturbing, and moving retelling of her childhood experiences fleeing the pogroms enacted against the Armenian minority population in Baku, Azerbaijan, in the midst the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989-1990. After experiencing incomprehensible trauma and dehumanization, Liyah and her family fled to Armenia, where they were homeless for over three years. Liyah recalls the hostility and derision (with notable punctuations of deep generosity) her and her family experienced from her fellow citizens during this time, as is too often the case with displaced and traumatized refugee populations around the world, regardless of the context of the displacement for each respective group. After this period, Liyah's family was finally granted the refugee status required to make their way to the United States, ultimately resettling in Twin Falls, Idaho through the College of Southern Idaho Refugee Resettlement program. While Liyah and her family were fortunate enough to be able to escape the horrific violence in Baku and their desperate living situation thereafter, their difficult journey toward integration and healing was only just beginning. In this interview, I quote segments of Liyah’s memoir and ask her to provide deeper insight into her process writing this book, including how the retelling of her experiences in this fashion has allowed her to further integrate and process her experiences as a refugee and her family's resettlement in the United States. This record of her experiences provides a means, for those that have been fortunate enough to never have experienced this side of the human condition, to: a) more fully empathize with the plight of refugees around the world, regardless of the context of their displacement; b) understand how trauma informs the development (emotional, mental, spiritual, and so on) of children and adults alike, and how that trauma is passed intergenerationally if it's not reckoned with and processed on the individual and community level; c) understand how the dominant cultural, political, and economic institutions lay the groundwork, regardless of the socioeconomic structure and nation they reside within, for these grand acts of barbarity to occur against vulnerable populations; d) learn to identify the forms of language used, and policies enacted by, the political class that pave the road for these violent dynamics to emerge in mass societies around the world (of particular relevance, in the United States presently), in order to counter these dehumanizing narratives and create spaces for inclusion, understanding, and healing; and e) provide the forms of support refugees need that run far deeper than just financial/economic support provided by refugee resettlement programs and the like, wherever they may be. Liyah Babayan is a local entrepreneur, activist, Armenian refugee, and the owner of Ooh La La! consignment boutique in Twin Falls, Idaho. She is the author of the memoir ‘Liminal: A Refugee Memoir,’ released late 2018, and was presented to Chairman Adam Smith of the House Appropriations Committee by Senator James E. Risch, chair of U.S. Foreign Relations Committee. WEBSITE: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness DONATE: https://www.paypal.me/lastbornpodcast DROP ME A LINE: Call (208) 918-2837 or http://bit.ly/LBWfiledrop EVERYTHING ELSE: https://linktr.ee/patterns.of.behavior
[Intro: 6:00 | Video-version: https://youtu.be/sE18jVK2NJs] In this episode I speak with Liyah Babayan, author of ‘Liminal: A Refugee Memoir.' In this discussion we delve into Liyah’s profound, disturbing, and moving retelling of her childhood experiences fleeing the pogroms enacted against the Armenian minority population in Baku, Azerbaijan, in the midst the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989-1990, as expressed in her memoir 'Liminal.' After experiencing incomprehensible trauma and dehumanization, Liyah and her family fled to Armenia, where they were homeless for over three years. Liyah recalls the hostility and derision (with notable punctuations of deep generosity) her and her family experienced from her fellow citizens during this time, as is too often the case with displaced and traumatized refugee populations around the world, regardless of the context of the displacement for each respective group. After this period, Liyah's family was finally granted the refugee status required to make their way to the United States, ultimately resettling in Twin Falls, Idaho through the College of Southern Idaho Refugee Resettlement program. While Liyah and her family were fortunate enough to be able to escape the horrific violence in Baku and their desperate living situation thereafter, their difficult journey toward integration and healing was only just beginning. In this interview, I quote segments of Liyah’s memoir and ask her to provide deeper insight into her process writing this book, including how the retelling of her experiences in this fashion has allowed her to further integrate and process her experiences as a refugee and her family's resettlement in the United States. This record of her experiences provides a means, for those that have been fortunate enough to never have experienced this side of the human condition, to: a) more fully empathize with the plight of refugees around the world, regardless of the context of their displacement; b) understand how trauma informs the development (emotional, mental, spiritual, and so on) of children and adults alike, and how that trauma is passed intergenerationally if it's not reckoned with and processed on the individual and community level; c) understand how the dominant cultural, political, and economic institutions lay the groundwork, regardless of the socioeconomic structure and nation they reside within, for these grand acts of barbarity to occur against vulnerable populations; d) learn to identify the forms of language used, and policies enacted by, the political class that pave the road for these violent dynamics to emerge in mass societies around the world (of particular relevance, in the United States presently), in order to counter these dehumanizing narratives and create spaces for inclusion, understanding, and healing; and e) provide the forms of support refugees need that run far deeper than just financial/economic support provided by refugee resettlement programs and the like, wherever they may be. Liyah Babayan is a local entrepreneur, activist, Armenian refugee, and the owner of Ooh La La! consignment boutique in Twin Falls, Idaho. She is the author of the memoir ‘Liminal: A Refugee Memoir,’ released late 2018, and was presented to Chairman Adam Smith of the House Appropriations Committee by Senator James E. Risch, chair of U.S. Foreign Relations Committee. Episode Notes: - Purchase ‘Liminal: A Refugee Memoir’: http://bit.ly/babayan-liminal - Learn more about Liyah and her work: https://www.facebook.com/liminalmemoir - The songs featured in this episode are “Worn Out Shoes” and “Talking Is Hard” composed by Eli Stonemets. WEBSITE: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness DONATE: https://www.paypal.me/lastbornpodcast DROP ME A LINE: Call (208) 918-2837 or http://bit.ly/LBWfiledrop EVERYTHING ELSE: https://linktr.ee/patterns.of.behavior
Welcome to the The Year That Was: 1919. I'm so excited to announce this new project. I've always been fascinated by year-by-year approach to history, and I'm thrilled to be taking a close look at 1919. Over the course of the next few months, we're going to look at wars and revolutions, peace conferences and treaties, scientific discoveries and artistic innovations, scandals and triumphs. The podcast launches September 3rd. Make sure to subscribe now so you don't miss a single episode. Meanwhile, here are some notes on today's trailer: Gilbert M. Hitchcock, a Democrat from Nebraska, served as U.S. Senator from 1911 to 1923 and was Chairmas on the Foreign Relations Committee until 1918. He was a supporter of President Woodrow Wilson and a strong advocate for the League of Nations. In 1919, he recorded a speech on the League as part of a Columbia Gramaphone Company series called "Nation's Forum." You can listen to the full speech on the Library of Congress website (https://www.loc.gov/item/2004650544/). Nannie and James Pharis told their story about the Spanish Flu Epidemic as part of the Piedmont Social History Project. They were recorded at their home on January 8, 1979. The entire interview is fascinating, and you can hear it and read the transcript (https://exhibits.lib.unc.edu/exhibits/show/going-viral/oral-histories) on the Going Viral website, a project of the Southern Oral History Program at the University of North Carolina dedicated to documenting the impact and implications of the 1918 flu pandemic. (Scroll down to see the Pharis interview--it's the second on the page.) Rilla of Ingleside is the last book in the Anne of Green Gables series by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. This is the cover of the first edition of the novel. The book was published in 1921, but Montgomery began writing it in 1919 immediately after World War I ended. It is, as best I can tell, the only contemporary account of World War I from the perspective of women on the homefront. Rilla of Ingleside is widely available, including from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Rilla-Ingleside-Anne-Green-Gables/dp/0553269224/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2TYV4V9Y9TYL0&keywords=rilla+of+ingleside&qid=1565625766&s=gateway&sprefix=rilla+of+in%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-1) and most libraries. You can also listen to a free audio recording by LibriVox, which offers free recordings of books in the public domain. That's where I found my clips of Karen Savage reading the novel. You can find the LibriVox recording here (https://librivox.org/rilla-of-ingleside-by-lucy-maud-montgomery/). William Butler Yeats was one of the most important poets of his generation. A mystic with a strong belief in the supernatural, he channeled his reaction to current events into powerful symbolic imagery. You can read the entire poem The Second Coming (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43290/the-second-coming) or see actor Dominic West reading it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI40j17EFbI) in a powerful performance. Tsar Nicholas II, ruled as the last autocrat of all Russias but was brought down in 1917 by the Russian Revolution. His entire family, pictured here, were executed by Bolshevik forces. You can see the entire BBC documentary (https://www.britishpathe.com/programmes/day-that-shook-the-world/episode/asc/playlist/5) from which I quote on the British Pathe and Reuters Historical Collection website. Eamon de Valera dedicated the early part of his life to achieving independence for Ireland from British rule. He fought during the Easter Uprising, served time in British prisons, and was elected president of Sinn Fein and the shadow Irish assembly Dail Eireann. He spent 18 months of his presidency in the United States raising money and lobbying for the Irish cause. During his months in the U.S., he recorded this speech as part of the Columbia "Nation's Forum" series. You can listen to the entire speech and read a transcript (https://www.loc.gov/item/2004650653/) on the Library of Congress website. An unnamed Palestinian man spoke to the BBC in 1936 about life in the British Mandate territory. In 1919, the British took over Palestine and began welcoming Jews with the goal to create a Jewish homeland. You can see the man's entire statement (https://www.britishpathe.com/video/VLVAFULNK7G0W2S5G4HI807ST516-P5120) on the British Pathe and Reuter's Historical Collection website. "How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm (After They've Seen Paree)" was a 1919 hit with music by Walter Donaldson and words by Joe Young and Sam M. Lewis. You can listen to the entire song by Arthur Fields (https://archive.org/details/78_how-ya-gonna-keep-em-down-on-the-farm-after-theyve-seen-paree_arthur-fields-le_gbia0047025a) from an original 1919 78 record on the Internet Archive website. W.E.B. Du Bois was a sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, author, writer, editor and all-around amazing person. He was one of the founders of the NAACP and edited the organization's monthly magazine The Crisis beginning in 1910. He published the essay "Returning Soldiers" in The Crisis in 1919 calling on African-American servicemen returning from war to take up the causes of lynching, disenfranchisement, education and equal rights. You can read the entire essay (https://glc.yale.edu/returning-soldiers) on the website of Yale University's Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition. You can also hear a longer excerpt (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3Hzao4sjNs&t=21s) from the American Experience documentary The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow. Sufferin' Till Suffrage is the Schoolhouse Rock recounting of the passage of the 19th Amendment, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwjlnvKbeQA) which granted voting rights to women in the United States. It's a delight. You should go watch it immediately and sing it exuberantly the rest of the day. "How Are You Going To Wet Your Whistle (When the Whole Darn World Goes Dry)" was one of many songs written in the anticipation of Prohibition, which took effect in January 1920. You can listen to the entire song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBIi3oYIL2I&list=PLjdzLbJeDxijwbTX6BoenTLSr6q0BPppM&index=5) on YouTube, sung by Billy Murray and uploaded by Bruce "Victrolaman" Young. Marcel Duchamp, seen here wearing an absolutely enormous fur coat, repeatedly transformed the art world without ever seeming to care about art--or anything else, for that matter. You can see him discussing his career, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzwADsrOEJk)including the Dada movement, in this 1956 interview. Arthur Eddington, British astronomer and physicist, was one of the first scientists outside of Germany to understand and appreciate Albert Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. He decided to prove the theory during a solar eclipse in 1919. You can see the clip from the film (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xwGE1oUoSU) Einstein and Eddington in which David Tennant plays Eddington and explains Einstein's understanding of gravity with a tablecloth, a loaf of bread, and apple. (The dinner-party explanation begins at about 1:50 minutes.) Shoeless Joe Jackson was an outfielder and power hitter who was caught up in the Black Sox scandal. Jackson admitted to agreeing to take money to throw the 1919 World Series, although the circumstances have never been fully explained. You can see the clip from the 1988 movie (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEUB2LSsbe8) Eight Men Out in which Jackson, played by D. B. Sweeney, confronts a young fan on the courthouse steps. (The key scene begins at about 1:45 minutes.)
Official Website https://joebiden.com/ Twitter @JoeBiden https://twitter.com/JoeBiden Joseph Biden Jr. Born November 20, 1942, is an American politician who served as the 47th vice president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. Biden also represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Biden is a candidate for president in the 2020 election. Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and lived there for ten years before moving with his family to Delaware. He became a lawyer in 1969 and was elected to the New Castle County Council in 1970. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972, when he became the sixth-youngest senator in American history. Biden was re-elected six times and was the fourth most senior senator when he resigned to assume the vice presidency in 2009. Biden was a long-time member and former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. He opposed the Gulf War in 1991, but advocated U.S. and NATO intervention in the Bosnian War in 1994 and 1995. He voted in favor of the resolution authorizing the Iraq War in 2002 but opposed the surge of U.S. troops in 2007. He has also served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, dealing with issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties. Biden led the efforts to pass the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. He also chaired the Judiciary Committee during the contentious U.S. Supreme Court nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. Biden unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988 and in 2008. In 2008, Biden was the running mate of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. As vice president, Biden oversaw infrastructure spending aimed at counteracting the Great Recession and helped formulate U.S. policy toward Iraq through the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2011. His ability to negotiate with congressional Republicans helped the Obama administration pass legislation such as the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, which resolved a taxation deadlock; the Budget Control Act of 2011, which resolved that year's debt ceiling crisis; and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which addressed the impending fiscal cliff. Obama and Biden were re-elected in 2012. In October 2015, after months of speculation, Biden announced he would not seek the presidency in the 2016 elections. In January 2017, Obama awarded Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction. After completing his second term as vice president, Biden joined the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was named the Benjamin Franklin Professor of Presidential Practice. He announced his 2020 run for president on April 25, 2019. Information link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard is meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday, as Mexico and the US try to reach an agreement over immigration and tariffs. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his government negotiators are trying to delicately negotiate their way out of looming US tariffs. But many fear that talks with the Trump administration could break down, leading to a backlash here and long-term damage to the bilateral relationship. We have a bipartisan group of senators, led by Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Trump ally and once a staunch defender of Riyadh, trying to force nearly two dozen votes rebuking the Trump administration's decision to declare a national emergency to circumvent Congress and sell billions of dollars of munitions to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. What does this say to you?The US announced major new restrictions on US citizens traveling to Cuba late Tuesday, blocking the most common way Americans are able to visit the island - through organized tour groups that license US citizens to travel automatically - and banning US cruise ships from stopping in the country. American tourism is not explicitly permitted in Cuba. However, Americans could travel to Cuba if their visits were covered under specific categories, which included organized group travel, known as group people-to-people travel, until Tuesday. Commercial flights from the US will continue to be permitted, as they "broadly support family travel and other lawful forms of travel," according to a spokesperson. Is President Donald Trump taking us through "Groundhog Day?"After ignoring shouts of "build the wall" from a Republican congressman and defeating amendments designed to kill the legislation, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives passed the "Dream and Promise Act" on Tuesday, with the goal of providing a pathway to citizenship for millions of young undocumented immigrants who are facing the threat of deportation under the Trump administration. The bill, H.R. 6, passed by a vote of 237 to 187, with just seven Republicans voting in its favor. How significant is this? Cosmetics retailer Sephora will temporarily close all stores for diversity training after singer SZA tweets about racial profiling. Sephora says it will close all of its stores for an hour on Wednesday so employees across the country can undergo diversity training. The move comes after singer SZA said she was profiled at a Sephora in Calabasas, California. Does diversity training really work, and is this the solution to this systemic problem?GUESTS: Dr. Jack Rasmus — 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." Mac Hamilton — Executive manager at STAND: The Student-led Movement to End Mass Atrocities. Joe Lombardo — Co-coordinator, United National Antiwar Coalition. Oscar Chacon — Co‐founder and executive director of Alianza Americas, dedicated to improving the quality of life of Latino immigrant communities in the US, as well as of peoples throughout the Americas. Maru Mora-Villalpando — Nationally known immigrant-rights activist, co-founder of the Latinx organization Mijente and community organizer with Northwest Detention Center Resistance. Torin Ellis — SiriusXM host of Career Mix, human capital strategist focused on the art of recruiting diverse talent using various creative methods and author of "Rip the Resume: Job Search & Interview Power Prep." Dr. Shantella Sherman — Historical researcher, technical writer, author of "In Search of Purity: Popular Eugenics & Racial Uplift Among New Negroes 1915-1935" and publisher of Acumen Magazine.
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Foreign Relations Committee member, discusses Trump administration policy on Iran.
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Foreign Relations Committee member, discusses Trump administration policy on Iran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Donald Trump’s presidency has raised serious questions about the future direction of the Republican Party. Former Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona has been among those to raise concerns about the party. In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the GOP with Flake, who outlines some of his divergences with the President’s views. Flake, who was a U.S. Senator in Arizona from 2013 to 2019, expresses concern that the Republican party has seemed to abandon what it believes to be right in favor of what makes for an effective campaigning message. Flake further asserts his view that Republicans have failed to fully internalize what he believes to have been a ringing defeat during the midterm elections. While in the Senate, Flake worked on the Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and Law and chaired the Africa Subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee. He previously served as the executive director of the Goldwater Institute and then spent six terms in the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013. He is the author of The New York Times bestseller: “Conscious of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle.”
On Wednesday's Mark Levin Show, the Democrat Party has sided with David Duke as far as the Jewish community is involved. Speaker Pelosi was weak in defending the anti-Semitism displayed by Rep Ilhan Omar and allows bigotry to continue to take root in the Democrat Party. The Democrat Party and the media allow hate speech with no condemnation and defend fundamentalist front groups like the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). Rep. Steve King was excoriated for his comments and removed from committee assignments in Congress, yet Omar remains on the Foreign Relations Committee and goes unnamed in resolutions condemning her anti-Semitic rhetoric. The media is focused on destroying Fox News for their dissenting reports because they don’t go along with commentators that support the president, while they spend all their time trying to take President Trump down. Then, the Republicans need to step up; Sen. Mitch McConnell needs to whip the votes and support the president on the National Emergencies Act instead of adding to the problem like Sen. Rand Paul. Where are Senators Tillis, Murkowski, and Collins? Afterwards, maybe the socialist sympathizers in America should live under it and experience it firsthand. No cars, planes, private healthcare, just public health facilities, bicycles, and vegetables free of all fossil fuels. Later, Mort Klein, the President of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), calls in to give his take on Ilhan Omar's anti-Semitic comments.. Finally, Victor Davis Hanson calls in and discusses hiw new book, the Case for Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Wednesday's Mark Levin Show, the Democrat Party has sided with David Duke as far as the Jewish community is involved. Speaker Pelosi was weak in defending the anti-Semitism displayed by Rep Ilhan Omar and allows bigotry to continue to take root in the Democrat Party. The Democrat Party and the media allow hate speech with no condemnation and defend fundamentalist front groups like the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). Rep. Steve King was excoriated for his comments and removed from committee assignments in Congress, yet Omar remains on the Foreign Relations Committee and goes unnamed in resolutions condemning her anti-Semitic rhetoric. The media is focused on destroying Fox News for their dissenting reports because they don’t go along with commentators that support the president, while they spend all their time trying to take President Trump down. Then, the Republicans need to step up; Sen. Mitch McConnell needs to whip the votes and support the president on the National Emergencies Act instead of adding to the problem like Sen. Rand Paul. Where are Senators Tillis, Murkowski, and Collins? Afterwards, maybe the socialist sympathizers in America should live under it and experience it firsthand. No cars, planes, private healthcare, just public health facilities, bicycles, and vegetables free of all fossil fuels. Later, Mort Klein, the President of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), calls in to give his take on Ilhan Omar's anti-Semitic comments.. Finally, Victor Davis Hanson calls in and discusses hiw new book, the Case for Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, former US Navy Lieutenant Commander, founder and president of the American Islamic Forum For Democracy, and host of the podcast, "Reform This!", on Ilhan Omar getting a seat on the Foreign Relations Committee. Joseph Epstein's piece in National Review, "Political Correctness Knows No Statute of Limitations."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May has survived a vote of no confidence triggered by members of her own party over her handling of Brexit. The results were announced by Graham Brady, a member of parliament who chairs the 1922 Committee, which represents Conservative lawmakers in the House of Commons. She defeated the leadership challenge after Conservative MPs voted to back her by 200 to 117. The prime minister's victory protects her from another leadership challenge from within her own party for 12 months.But the result will not offer any assurances to May's supporters that she will be able to get her all-important Brexit deal through the UK's parliament.On another front, the arrest of Chinese telecommunications CFO Meng Wanzhou has sent shock waves through the global markets. The context of the smartphone industry and the new challenges facing big western monopolies from Russia and China is vital background information for anyone who wants to understand these recent, dramatic events. She has been released on bail in Canada, setting her up for a lengthy legal fight over extradition to the United States. Now, US President Donald Trump suggests he may intervene in the legal saga if it would help his pursuit of a trade deal with China. What's really going on here? "If I think it's good for what will be certainly the largest trade deal ever made — which is a very important thing — what's good for national security, I would certainly intervene if I thought it was necessary," Trump told Reuters in an interview published shortly after Meng was granted bail by a judge in Vancouver. Her arrest in Canada at the behest of the US seems more like kidnapping, and Trump now saying that the US might intervene if it helps his trade negotiations with China sounds like extortion.Today, US District Judge William H. Pauley III sentenced President Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen to three years in prison and ordered Cohen to pay nearly $2 million in penalties for financial crimes and lying to Congress. Cohen pleaded guilty in two separate cases. One was brought by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is investigating Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election, over Cohen's lies to Congress. The other was brought by federal prosecutors in New York over tax and bank fraud allegations and campaign finance violations. In a court filing asking for no jail time, Cohen's attorneys wrote that their client's misdeeds were a product of his “fierce loyalty” to Trump and put the wrongdoing squarely at the feet of the president and his close advisers. This is a much different guy than the brash and arrogant one we saw on TV early on in this game. Trump at first denied knowing anything about the payments made to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, but then acknowledged that he had known about them. This week, he insisted that the payments were “a simple private transaction” — not election-related spending subject to campaign finance laws. He also maintained that even if the hush money payments were campaign transactions in violation of election regulations, that should be considered only a civil offense, not a criminal one.The Senate was expected to vote today on a resolution to end US support for the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen. It looks as though that vote won't take place until tomorrow. If successful, it would represent a significant shift for the Senate, which in March pigeonholed the same measure. So, where are we now with this Senate piece? The resolution, spearheaded by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), requires Trump to withdraw any troops in or “affecting” Yemen within 30 days unless they are fighting al Qaeda. Is this a loophole? The vote comes after 14 Republicans, including Bob Corker (R-TN), voted to kick the resolution out of the Foreign Relations Committee late last month. Several of those senators, however, said they were advancing the measure to send a message to Saudi Arabia, not because of the substance of the measure. Also, Yemeni government sources confirmed today that a mass prisoner swap with the Houthis included Saudi soldiers fighting alongside state troops, as UN-brokered peace talks neared their end.GUESTS:Caleb Maupin — Journalist and political analyst who focuses his coverage on US foreign policy and the global system of monopoly capitalism and imperialism.Dr. Hisham H. Ahmed — Professor in the Department of Politics at Saint Mary's College of California.Mac Hamilton — Executive manager at STAND: The Student-led Movement to End Mass Atrocities.
Listen HERE Senators emerged from a closed-door briefing with the CIA director Tuesday to say there’s no doubt Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was deeply involved in the killing of journalist Kamal Khashoggi — but still not clear on what steps Congress can take to punish him. “We know he ordered it. We know he monitored it,” said Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, after hearing from CIA chief Gina Haspel. He said it the case were submitted to a jury trial, “he would be convicted in 30 minutes.” Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, called the evidence they heard overwhelming, and rebutted the claims of top Trump administration officials that there was no “smoking gun” tying the crown prince directly to the killing in October. “There’s not a smoking gun, there’s a smoking saw,” Mr. Graham said, referring to the reports that Khashoggi’s body was dismembered after he was slain in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Mr. Graham said those who deny the crown prince’s involvement — including the president and his team — “have to be willfully blind.” READ MORE: www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/dec/4/lindsey-graham-sees-smoking-saw-khashoggi-killing/
Venezuela, home to the world’s largest oil reserves, is a country that has been experimenting with a new so-called “socialist” economic model for twenty years. For this sin, two consecutive Venezuelan Presidents have been targeted for regime change by the architects of the “free market” World Trade System, an economic system they intend to be global. In this episode, learn the recent history of Venezuela and hear the highlights of a March 2017 Congressional hearing (which was not aired on television in the United States) during which strategies for a Venezuelan regime change were discussed, and then learn about the regime change steps that have been taken since that hearing which have unfolded exactly how the witnesses advised. Pat Grogan joins Jen for Thank Yous. Please Support Congressional Dish - Quick Links Click here to contribute a lump sum or set up a monthly contribution via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Use your bank’s online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North Number 4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Additional Reading Report: OAS adopts resolution, could bring suspension of Venezuela by Luis Alonso Lugo, AP News, June 6, 2018. Article: Venezuela scores victory as US fails to secure votes for OAS suspension, TeleSUR, June 6, 2018. Opinion: It's time for a coup in Venezuela by Jose R. Cardenas, Foreign Policy, June 5, 2018. Report: Venezuela's 2018 presidential elections, FAS, May 24, 2018. Article: Trump's team gets payback for Rubio on Venezuelan assassination plot by Marc Caputo, Potlitico, May 22, 2018. Article: U.S. places new sanctions on Venezuela day after election by Julie Hirschfeld Davis, The New York Times, May 21, 2018. Opinion: Marco Rubio: It's time to hasten Maduro's exit from power by Marco Rubio, CNN, May 16, 2018. Article: ConocoPhillips could bring deeper trouble to Venezuela by Nick Cunningham, Business Insider, May 12, 2018. Report: ConocoPhillips wins $2 billion ruling over Venezuelan seizure by Clifford Krauss, The New York Times, April 25, 2018. Article: Exclusive: Russia secretly helped VEnezuela launch a cryptocurrency to evade U.S. sanctions by Simon Shuster, Time, March 20, 2018. Article: Tillerson floats possible Venezuelan military coup, says US does not advocate 'regime change' by Max Greenwood, The Hill, February 1, 2018. Report: Venezuela's economic crisis: Issues for Congress by Rebecca M. Nelson, Congressional Research Service, January 10, 2018. Article: Venezuela's ruling party wins surprise victory in regional elections by Scott Neuman, NPR, October 16, 2017. Report: New financial sanctions on Venezuela: Key issues, FAS, September 1, 2017. Article: Venezuela's pro-Maduro assembly seizes congressional powers by Colin Dwyer, NPR, August 18, 2017. Article: Pence vows to end 'the tragedy of tyranny' in Venezuela through 'peaceable means' by Philip Rucker, The Washington Post, August 13, 2017. Report: Trump alarms Venezuela with talk of a 'military option,' The New York Times, August 12, 2017. Article: The battle for Venezuela and its oil by Jeremy Scahill, The Intercept, August 12, 2017. Article: Venezuela's dubious new constituent assembly explained by Jennifer L. McCoy, The Washington Post, August 1, 2017. Article: In wake of 'sham election,' U.S. sanctions Venezuelan President Maduro by Colin Dwyer, NPR, July 31, 2017. Report: U.S. Petroleum trade with Venezuela: Financial and economic considerations with possible sanctions, FAS, July 27, 2017. Article: Venezuela row as National Assembly appoints judges, BBC News, July 22, 2017. Report: Exxon blocked from enforcing Venezuela arbitration award: U.S. appeals court by Jonathan Stempel, Reuters, July 11, 2017. Article: Maduro wants to rewrite Venezuela's constitution, that's rocket fuel on the fire, The Washington Post, June 10, 2017. Article: Venezuela eyes assembly vote in July; man set ablaze dies by Alexandra Ulmer and Deisy Buitrago, Reuters, June 4, 2017. Article: Riven by fire and fiery rhetoric, Venezuela decides its future in the streets by Colin Dwyer, NPR, May 5, 2017. Report: AP explains: Venezuela's 'anti-capitalist' constitution by Hannah Dreier, Yahoo News, May 4, 2017. Article: Venezuela plan to rewrite constitution branded a coup by former regional allies by Jonathan Watts and Virginia Lopez, The Guardian, May 2, 2017. Article: Venezuela's Maduro sees local elections later in 2017 by Andrew Cawthorne, Reuters, April 30, 2017. Article: Opposition parties in Venezuela prepare for elections, hoping they will come by John Otis, NPR, April 8, 2017. Article: Venezuelan court revises ruling that nullified legislature by Nicholas Casey and Patricia Torres, The New York Times, April 1, 2017. Article: Venezuela's top court and president reverse course, restore powers to legislature by Jason Slotkin, NPR, April 1, 2017. Article: Venezuela muzzles legislature, moving closer to one-man rule by Nicholas Casey and Patricia Torres, The New York Times, March 30, 2017. Article: Venezuelan political crisis grows after High Court dissolves Congress by Richard Gonzelez, NPR, March 30, 2017. Article: Venezuela court effectively shuts down congress as opposition cries 'coup' by Jim Wyss, Miami Herald, March 30, 2017. Article: Order for Venezuela to pay Exxon $1.4 bln in damages overturned - lawyer by Reuters Staff, CNBC, March 10, 2017. Report: Venezuela President Maduro hikes wages, distributes social housing, DW, January 5, 2017. Article: Did Hilary Clinton stand by as Honduras coup ushered in era of violence? by Nina Lakhani, The Guardian, August 31, 2016. Article: Inside the booming smuggling trade between Venezuela and Colombia by Ezra Kaplan, Time, March 31, 2016. Article: Venezuela's constitutional crisis: How did we get here? by Juan Cristobal Nagel, Caracas Chronicles, January 12, 2016. Article: Venezuela: What changes will the new Congress bring?, BBC News, January 7, 2016. Article: Oil giants punish Venezuela through Dutch treaty by Frank Mulder, Inter Press Service News Agency, January 4, 2016. Report: Venezuela top court blocks four lawmakers-elect from taking office by Reuters Staff, Reuters, December 30, 2015. Report: Venezuela's departing legislature approves 13 new justices by Patricia Torres and William Neuman, The New York Times, December 23, 2015. Report: Venezuela's outgoing Congress names 13 Supreme Court justices by Diego Ore, Reuters, December 23, 2015. Article: Venezuela: Curb plan to pack Supreme Court, Human Rights Watch, December 10, 2015. Article: Venezuela election: Opposition coalition secures 'supermajority' by Associated Press, The Guardian, December 8, 2015. Article: Venezuela's high-life hope hard-hit poor will abandon Chavez's legacy by Sibylla Brodzinsky, The Guardian, December 5, 2015. Article: Snowden leak reveals Obama government ordered NSA, CIA to spy on Venzuela oil firm by Charles Davis and Andrew Fishman, Common Dreams, November 19, 2015. Article: The long war: Venezuela and ExxonMobil, Telesur TV, November 18, 2015. Article: Obama vs. Chavismo by Boris Munoz, The New Yorker, March 18, 2015. Article: A tale of two countries: Venezuela, the United States and international investment by John G. Murphy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, October 17, 2014. Article: The dirty hand of the National Endowment for Democracy in Venezuela by Eva Golinger, Counter Punch, April 25, 2014. Article: The 2002 oil lockout: 10 years later by Yuleidys Hernandez Toledo, Venezuelan Analysis, December 7, 2012. Article: Declassified documents show that the US finances groups opposed to Chavez since 2002, Grupo Tortuga, September 2, 2006. Article: Documents show C.I.A knew of a coup plot in Venezuela by Juan Forero, The New York Times, December 3, 2004. Report: Documents show C.I.A knew of a coup plot in Venezuela by Juan Forero, The New York Times, December 3, 2004. Article: The coup connection by Joshua Kurlantzick, Mother Jones, November/December 2004. Article: Pyrrhus of Caracas, The Economist, January 2, 2003. Article: Strike cripples Venezuela's oil industry by Jarrett Murphy, CBS News, December 10, 2002. Article: The coup that wasn't by Marc Cooper, The Nation, September 11, 2002. Article: Our gang in Venezuela? by David Corn, The Nation, July 18, 2002. Article: American navy 'helped Venezuelan coup' by Duncan Campbell, The Guardian, April 29, 2002. Article: Venezuela coup linked to Bush team by Ed Vulliamy, The Guardian, April 21, 2002. Article: Chavez rises from very peculiar coup by Alex Bellos, The Guardian, April 15, 2002. Resources Congressional Research Service: Venezuela: Issues for Congress, 2013-2016, Mark P. Sullivan, January 23, 2017. Congressional Research Service: Venezuela: U.S. Policy Overview, May 20, 2015. Global Affairs Canada: Canadian Sanctions Related to Venezuela Government of Canada: Venezuela Sanctions House Foreign Relations Committee Hearing Transcript: The State of Democracy in Venezuela, June 24, 2004. Human Development Report 2016: Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Library of Congress: Crude Oil Royalty Rates Organization of American States: Inter-American Democratic Charter Resolution of San Jose, Costa Rica Organization of American States: Historic Background of the Inter-American Democratic Charter Public Citizen Report: Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS): Extraordinary Corporate Power in "Trade" Deals USAID Report: Venezuela 2002-2010 Venezuelan Constitution: Title IX: Constitutional Reforms (Art. 340-350) WikiLeaks: The Global Intelligence Files Re: Reliable Source for Venezuelan Inflation Statistics? WikiLeaks: USAID/OTI Programmatic Support for Country Team 5 Point Strategy, Public Library of Diplomacy, November 9, 2006. Visual References Data: How did Venezuela change under Hugo Chavez, The Guardian, October 4, 2012 Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Democracy Promotion in a Challenging World, House Foreign Affairs Committee, June 14, 2018. Video: Debunking John Oliver on Venezuela, The Real News Network, June 9, 2018. Hearing: Advancing US Business Investment and Trade in the Americas, House Foreign Affairs Committee, June 7, 2018. Video: Pompeo calls for kicking Venezuela out of OAS and more sanctions, The Washington Post, June 4, 2018. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: “In addition to suspension, I call on member states to apply additional pressure on the Maduro regime with financial sanctions and diplomatic isolation until such time as it takes the actions necessary to return genuine democracy and provide people desperately needed access to international humanitarian aid" Hearing: Advancing U.S. Interests Through the Organization of American States, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, February 14, 2018. Hearing: The Venezuela Crisis: The Malicious Influence of State and Criminal Actors, House Foreign Affairs Committee, September 13, 2017. Empire Files: Constituent Assembly Dictatorship or Democracy in Venezuela? TeleSUR English, July 19, 2017. Hearing:The Collapse of The Rule of Law in Venezuela: What the United States and the International Community Can Do to Restore Democracy, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee, July 19, 2017. 07:15 Senator Marco Rubio: I also know this, and I do not speak for the president, but I’ve certainly spoken to the president, and I will only reiterate what he has already said, and I’ve been saying this now for a number of days: it is my—I have 100% confidence that if democracy is destroyed once and for all in Venezuela on the 30th in terms of the Maduro regime, the president of the U.S. is prepared to act unilaterally in a significant and swift way. And that is not a threat; that is the reporting of the truth. 10:38 Senator Bob Menendez: Even as their president prevents international support for the basic humanitarian needs of its citizens—blocking an effort by the National Assembly to facilitate international systems—they are voting to demand fundamental freedoms. Despite the suffering of his people, and the international outcry, Maduro insists on clinging onto the shreds of a failed ideology his predecessor and a few colleagues in the region still champion. Empire Files: Abby Martin Meets the Venezuelan Opposition, TeleSUR English, July 3, 2017. Empire Files: Venezuela Economy Minister-Sabotage, Not Socialism, is the Problem, TeleSUR English, June 17, 2017. Hearing: Venezuela's Tragic Meltdown, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, March 28, 2017. Hearing: Venezuela: Options for U.S. Policy, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, March 2, 2017. 21:30 Shannon O’Neil: The United States can and should also delve into Venezuela’s recent financial transactions, and specifically, its use of U.S.-based Citgo assets to collateralize its loans. CFIUS should investigate bond purchases by the Russian state-controlled oil company, Rosneft, who may, in the case of default, actually gain majority control of this critical refinery infrastructure here in the United States. 21:53 Shannon O’Neil: Multilateral initiatives are perhaps more important and potentially more fruitful as a means to influence Venezuela. This will mean working behind the scenes to galvanize opposition and condemnation for the Maduro regime. This’ll be more effective than U.S. efforts alone as it will be much harder for the Venezuelan government to dismiss the criticisms and the actions of its South American neighbors as imperialist overreach. And such a coalition is much more possible today than in any time in the recent past, due both to the accelerating repression and the breaking of the last democratic norms in Venezuela, and due to the very different stances of South America’s recently elected leaders, particularly in Peru, in Brazil, and in Argentina. The OAS remains a venue and an instrument to focus these efforts. The U.S. should call on the organization to again invoke the Inter-American Charter to evaluate Venezuela’s democratic credentials and its compliance with them, and this could lead, potentially to sanctions and suspension of Venezuela from this multilateral body. 23:00 Shannon O’Neil: And then, finally, the United States should begin preparing for change. If the Maduro regime is forced out or it collapses, the country will likely face humanitarian, economic, and financial chaos. And there’re two particular things the United States can start preparing for. The first is a wave of refugees. This will hit Venezuela’s neighbors the hardest—Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, nearby Caribbean nations. It’s important to help them with money, with supplies, potentially with personnel, and to back international NGOs in multilateral efforts to ease the suffering of these people. The second aspect to prepare for is a restructuring of Venezuela’s finances and its economy. A new government will need to renegotiate 140 billion dollars’ worth of external debt, whether or not the government has already defaulted upon it or not. And this massive undertaking will likely require an IMF rescue package and the baking of the international community and creditors. The U.S. will be vital in facilitating this as well as in helping a new government take the tough economic policy choices to turn the economy around. These will include, freeing the exchange rate, reinducing market prices, creating sustainable policies for the poor, and rooting out corruption. And thought this is complicated, the faster it occurs, the faster Venezuela’s economy will grow again. 25:30 Senator Ben Cardin: We look at ways in which we can change the direction here, and it starts with the governance. When you have a corrupt government, it’s going to be very difficult to see international organizations willing to come in to help refinance their economy. Even though they have wealth, it’s going to be difficult to figure out how that takes place unless they have basic changes in the way their government’s doing business. And we don’t see any indication that that’s taking place. So, you’ve made a couple suggestions. One is we need to work with our regional partners, which I fully agree. So let’s start with OAS, which is the entire region, as to whether it’s realistic that the Democratic Charter provisions can in fact lead to change in Venezuela. Ultimately, it will require us to have the threat of at least two-thirds of the countries if we’re going to be able to invoke the Charter with some teeth. What is the likelihood that OAS could be effective as a real force in bringing about change by the Maduro government? Mr. Feierstein? Mark Feierstein: Well, thank you very much for that question, and actually, if I can hit on your two other points as well; first, with regard to humanitarian assistance. Under the Obama administration, the USAID in fact did put together a contingency plan to provide assistance if in fact, even when, the Venezuelan government is willing to receive it, and USAID has a warehouse in Miami that’s prepared to provide assistance. I know international organizations are prepared as well. There has been some dialog between the government and the Inter-American Development Bank with regard to economic reform, though, frankly at fairly lower levels, and there’s no indication at senior levels that they’re inclined at serious attempts at economic reform. With regard to the OAS, I think that we’re much better positioned now than we were a couple years ago, and that’s because of some changes in some key governments in the region—Argentina; Peru; Brazil; there was a reference to Ecuador, a potential change there as well. And I think that patience has clearly run out with Maduro. I think countries are more inclined now to take action. There has been hesitation to do so as long as the dialog was alive and long as the Vatican was engaged. One of the challenges has been with regard to the Caribbean countries, which receive significant petroleum assistance from Venezuela, and that has somewhat silenced them, and there’s been some divisions within the Caribbean. That said, I’m hopeful that in the coming months that as the situation deteriorates in Venezuela, and as that it becomes clear that the dialog cannot be successful unless there is more pressure. And I think there needs to be three forms of pressure: There needs to be domestic mobilization within Venezuela, in the form of protests. I think there needs to be additional sanctions applied by the United States to other countries. And I think there needs to be action within the OAS, including a threat of suspension of Venezuela from the organization if it does not comply with the Inter-American Democratic Charter. 41:50 Senator Bob Menendez: Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, and its subsidiary, Citgo, which has energy infrastructure in the United States, are under extreme financial pressure and may not be able to pay their bills in the near future. Under a recent deal, 49.9% of Citgo was mortgaged to Rosneft, the Russian government-owned oil company run by Vladimir Putin’s crony Igor Sechin. It’s also possible that Rosneft acquired other PDVSA bonds on the open market that could bring their ownership potential to over 50%. If Citgo defaults on its debts, Rosneft, an entity currently under American sanctions because of Russia’s belligerent behavior, could come to own a majority stake in strategic U.S. energy infrastructure, including three refineries and several pipelines. Given the close ties between Rosneft and Putin, Putin’s interest in undermining the United States, and Putin’s willingness to use energy as a weapon, does this potential deal concern you should a sanctioned Russian company have control over critical U.S. energy infrastructure? I would hate to see Rosneft be the sign hanging over Fenway Park. 44:50 Senator Bob Menendez: They’re— Unknown Speaker: No, I didn’t take it that way. Sen. Menendez: —just to the administration, because I think we can chew and walk gum—I know that my dear colleague, Senator Young, had a comment for me last week. I wish he was here—we can chew and walk gum, you know, and walk at the same time, which means as we’re going through cabinet officials, doesn’t mean we couldn’t get nominations that this committee, on a bipartisan basis, is generally processed very quickly. 49:50 Senator Marco Rubio: On the USAID piece, there’s a reason why we’re not in there: they don’t let us. The Venezuelan government does not allow open aid because they deny that there’s an emergency. *51:00 Mark Feierstein: As I noted before, I think we are better positioned now than we were a couple years ago because of changes in certain governments in the region, as we talked about—Argentina, Peru, Brazil, and others. I believe that, again, in the coming months, I think that some of the—that there is an opportunity—there will be an opportunity to invoke the Charter to threaten the suspension of Venezuela from the organization. And, I guess—I noted what I think, you know, we need. We need three forms of pressure for the dialog to succeed. I agree with you: dialog has not succeeded. The government has used it to buy time, to defuse domestic protests, to keep the international community at bay. But if the opposition’s able to mobilize internally; if we’re able to apply additional sanctions, and ideally, multilateralize them; and if we’re able to mobilize countries in the OAS to invoke the Charter to threaten the suspension of Venezuela from the OAS; I think, then, there would be greater prospects for a positive outcome in Venezuela. 54:55 Senator Tom Udall: I didn’t vote in favor of increased sanctions against Venezuela (Ven-su-way-la). I thought then and I believe now they’re counterproductive and could lead to further entrenchment of the current Venezuelan (Ven-su-way-len) regime, and that’s exactly what happened. The Venezuelan (Ven-su-way-len) people, many who oppose the government, are suffering. They’re going without food, without medicine, without power, without the essentials. 55:40 Senator Tom Udall: Mr. Smilde, are you clear that taking a hardline approach to Venezuela (Ven-su-way-la) will likely lead to a Cubanization of our policies there? 56:11 Senator Tom Udall: As to Venezuela (Ven-su-way-la), can you outline what role you think the Foreign Relations Committee or others should take to encourage a multilateral effort to ensure that elections are held in 2018 and to prevent a Cubanization of policies in Venezuela (Ven-su-way-la)? 58:00 Senator Tom Udall: Dr. O’Neil, would you agree that in Venezuela (Ven-su-way-la) different factions now view the situation as a zero-sum game? 1:14:25 Shannon O’Neil: One thing that has in the past in Venezuela brought the opposition together is elections, right, is a mechanism that you’re pushing towards a particular goal. And so as we look forward for 2017, there’s a party-registration process that is about to begin, and there’s questions about who may or may not qualify there and if the National Electoral committee will actually play fair in that sense. That is something that you could rally together different groups if it’s seen unfair in terms of qualifications. And then we have pending elections that did not happen at the end of last year, regional elections that may or may not be put on the table. And so I think internally, a push for elections—because that is a constitutional mechanism for parties to participate in democracy—and perhaps outside as well, we can be pushing for these parts, even we know democracy is not existent there anymore, but can we push for elections, can we push, and that’s something, at least, to galvanize those that are not in power today. Video: Trump: "The war in Iraq was a BIG FAT MISTAKE", Youtube, February 15, 2016. Hearing: Deepening Political and Economic Crisis in Venezuela: Implications for U.S. Interests and the Western Hemisphere, Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee, C-SPAN, March 17, 2015. Hearing: Assessing Venezuela's Political Crisis: Human Rights Violations and Beyond, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, C-SPAN May 8, 2014. White House Daily Briefing: Middle East Conflict and Coup in Venezuela, C-Span, April 16, 2002. State Dept Daily Briefing: Middle East Situation and Failed Coup in Venezuela, C-SPAN, April 15, 2002. Community Suggestions Podcast: The Corbett Report: NGOs Documentary: South of the Border ~ Hugo Chavez and the New Latin America Book: The Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today's Students by Allan Bloom FB Thread: Operation Regime Change - articles compiled by Ramesh Mantri See more Community Suggestions HERE. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)
On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Tighe Barry, longtime peace activist and Code Pink member, Professor Mohammad Marandi, at the University of Tehran, and Professor Jeremy Kuzmarov, at the University of Tulsa.The Senate yesterday rejected an unusual bipartisan resolution that would have called on the president to halt American military support for the brutal Saudi-led war against Yemen. The 55-44 vote sends the measure back to the Foreign Relations Committee, where it is likely to die quietly.Brian and John continue the regular segment looking at nuclear issues, including weapons, energy, waste, and the future of nuclear technology in the United States. Today they focused on the history of nuclear meltdowns and the inherent dangerousness of nuclear power. Kevin Kamps, the Radioactive Waste Watchdog at the organization Beyond Nuclear, joins the show.Mark Anthony Conditt, the suspected Austin serial bomber, blew himself up today as authorities closed in. What do we know so far about Conditt? Brian and John speak with Brian Griffith, the host of People's Republic on KOOP radio in Austin, Texas.The Israeli military confirmed for the first time today that it bombed what it says was a Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007. In a secret operation that has been extensively speculated on over the past decade, Israel said that it had sent four F-16 fighter jets to destroy the partially-completed facility near Deir az-Zour. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation should serve as a warning to Iran. Rick Sterling, an investigative journalist and member of the Syria Solidarity Movement, joins the show.The US Supreme Court on Monday gave the green light for two class-action lawsuits to go ahead on behalf of residents of Flint, Michigan, who are pursuing civil rights claims against state and local officials over lead contamination in the city’s water supply. Julie Hurwitz, a partner at the law firm Goodman & Hurwitz, P.C. and one of the attorneys working on the class action lawsuit, joins Brian and John.Marielle Franco was a poor, black, LGBTQ woman who grew up in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She went to college and was elected as a city councilwoman. She became a voice for those Brazilians who had no voice. She was a gifted orator and organizer. And last week, she was assassinated in the street. Her assailants have not been identified. Aline Piva, with the group Brazilian Expats for Democracy and Social Justice, and Sputnik News analyst Walter Smolarek, join the show.Climate change is making vast swaths of the planet uninhabitable due to extreme heat, while causing deadly winter storms called “nor’easters” that pound the east coast of the United States. Meanwhile, higher average temperatures mean that crop-killing pests are moving farther and farther north, threatening crops. Is it too late to turn things around? Brian and John speak with Fred Magdoff, professor emeritus of plant and soil science at the University of Vermont and the co-author of “What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism” and “Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation.”
Senator Bob Corker, the Republican head of the Foreign Relations Committee, was asked on Tuesday if President Trump was a role model for American children. "Absolutely not," he replied. A few hours later, another Republican senator, Jeff Flake of Arizona, denounced the president. Congressional Republicans seem to be revolting against Mr. Trump. But is that what is really happening? Also, Xi Jinping, the leader of China, is consolidating his power. Guests: Glenn Thrush, a White House correspondent; Chris Buckley, a reporter for The Times in China. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.
After the news broke in 2002 of Iran’s clandestine uranium enrichment and plutonium production facilities Ambassador Mousavian was tapped to become the spokesman for Iran’s nuclear negotiations team in the European Union. A former Iranian Ambassador to Germany and head of the Foreign Relations Committee of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mousavian was no stranger to high stakes international politics. Now a research scholar at Princeton University, he is telling his story: from the internal struggles in Tehran’s leadership, to dealings with the International Atomic Energy Agency, to life after the negotiations and his eventual arrest for espionage. The personal experiences of this diplomat within Iran and the international community offer a unique perspective on the debate surrounding Iran’s nuclear program and the potential resolution of the crisis once and for all.
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