Podcast appearances and mentions of nima shirazi

Colette Shade [Y2K: How the 2000's Became Everything (essays on a future that never was)] joins the lads in Odyssey for some eXtreme adventures in cliques, Y2K paranoia, and the Odyssians' forever war with the people of Rakistan. Topics include Y2K aesthetics, being jumpscared by John Avery Whittaker, and what it means to have nostalgia for an optimistic techno future that never came to pass.   Colette Shade: Website // Instagram // Twitter // Bluesky   Y2K: How the 2000's Became Everything (essays on a future that never was) (CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY!): In Y2K, one of our most brilliant young critics Colette Shade offers a darkly funny meditation on everything from the pop culture to the political economy of the period. By close reading Y2K artifacts like the Hummer H2, Smash Mouth's “All Star,” body glitter, AOL chatrooms, Total Request Live, and early internet porn, Shade produces an affectionate yet searing critique of a decade that started with a boom and ended with a crash.   CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO A MUTUAL AID IN LOS ANGELES TO HELP THOSE AFFECTED BY THE WILDFIRES   Media Referenced in this Episode: Adventures in Odyssey #427: “Something Cliqued Between Us” #429: “The Y.A.K. Problem” #458: Red Herring #514: “Room Enough for Two” “A Peek Inside Chatrooms” by Bob Smithouser. Breakaway: A Focus on the Fmaily Magazine for Teen Guys. 1999. Citations Needed: Episode 177: Popular Anti-Union Talking Points and How to Combat Them by Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson. Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer by Rax King. Vintage Books. 2021. Time Bomb Y2K. Dir. Brian Becker and Marley McDonald. HBO Documentary Films.   TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com   Interstitial: “Alistair Adelman” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Featuring Brian Alford as “Alistair Adelman”

Two years ago, the US was on the cusp of seeing its first national rail strike in decades. Then, President Joe Biden, at the urging of the rail companies, and with the help of both parties in Congress, preemptively blocked railroad workers from striking in December of 2022. Workers were forced to accept a contract that did not address the vast majority of issues that have been putting them, our communities, and our supply chain at hazard. How has this all shaped railroad workers' attitudes and approaches to the upcoming elections? In this urgent panel discussion, we pose this question directly to three veteran railroaders, and we have an honest discussion about how working people should act strategically within and outside the electoral system to advance their interests.  Panelists include: Hugh Sawyer, a veteran locomotive engineer with 36 years of experience, a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 316, and a founding member and acting treasurer of Railroad Workers United; Mark Burrows, a retired locomotive engineer with 37 of experience, who has served as co-chair and organizer for Railroad Workers United, where he still edits RWU's quarterly newsletter “The Highball”; Ron Kaminkow, a recently retired former brakeman, conductor, and engineer who worked for many years in freight rail before working 20 years as a passenger engineer at Amtrak, a founding member of RWU and delegate in the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council.  Additional links/info below… Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter/X page Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Railroad workers speak out after Congress and Biden block rail strike” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Why do railroad workers keep dying on the job?” Maximillian Alvarez & Mel Buer, The Real News Network, “Labor militancy can't be stopped: Palestine and Labor Notes 2024” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “US freight workers say it's time to nationalize the railroads” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "“This was preventable”: Railroad workers explain how Wall St caused the East Palestine derailment" Mel Buer, The Real News Network, “Corporate billionaires are wrecking the supply chain. Just look at the railroads” Adam Johnson, Nima Shirazi, Maximillian Alvarez, & Mel Buer, Citations Needed / The Real News Network, “Biden and Congressional Dems partner with GOP and corporate media to discipline railroad workers” Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Railroad workers are being ground to dust. Who will help them?”  Permanent links below… Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music... Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song

Two years ago, the US was on the cusp of seeing its first national rail strike in decades. Then, President Joe Biden, at the urging of the rail companies, and with the help of both parties in Congress, preemptively blocked railroad workers from striking in December of 2022. Workers were forced to accept a contract that did not address the vast majority of issues that have been putting them, our communities, and our supply chain at hazard. How has this all shaped railroad workers' attitudes and approaches to the upcoming elections? In this urgent panel discussion, we pose this question directly to three veteran railroaders, and we have an honest discussion about how working people should act strategically within and outside the electoral system to advance their interests. Panelists include: Hugh Sawyer, a veteran locomotive engineer with 36 years of experience, a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 316, and a founding member and acting treasurer of Railroad Workers United; Mark Burrows, a retired locomotive engineer with 37 of experience, who has served as co-chair and organizer for Railroad Workers United, where he still edits RWU's quarterly newsletter “The Highball”; Ron Kaminkow, a recently retired former brakeman, conductor, and engineer who worked for many years in freight rail before working 20 years as a passenger engineer at Amtrak, a founding member of RWU and delegate in the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council. Additional links/info below…Railroad Workers United website, Facebook page, and Twitter/X pageMaximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Railroad workers speak out after Congress and Biden block rail strike”Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Why do railroad workers keep dying on the job?”Maximillian Alvarez & Mel Buer, The Real News Network, “Labor militancy can't be stopped: Palestine and Labor Notes 2024”Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “US freight workers say it's time to nationalize the railroads”Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, "“This was preventable”: Railroad workers explain how Wall St caused the East Palestine derailment"Mel Buer, The Real News Network, “Corporate billionaires are wrecking the supply chain. Just look at the railroads”Adam Johnson, Nima Shirazi, Maximillian Alvarez, & Mel Buer, Citations Needed / The Real News Network, “Biden and Congressional Dems partner with GOP and corporate media to discipline railroad workers”Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “Railroad workers are being ground to dust. Who will help them?” Permanent links below…Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageIn These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageThe Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter pageFeatured Music…Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme SongStudio Production: Max AlvarezPost-Production: Jules TaylorBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.

Amir Cohen/REUTERSThere's been a lot of speculation about how Iran was going to respond to Israel bombing their consulate on April 1st. We got our answer this weekend and the response took the form of a very deliberate barrage of missiles and drones, telegraphed days in advance, on military targets in Israel that, according to who you ask, was either the worst thing to ever happen or a pathetic failure that Israel (along with its usual allies) repelled easily.Nima Shirazi has not only been talking and writing about Iran, Palestine and Israel for a long time but also co-hosts the Citations Needed podcast which does a fantastic job analyzing the various tactics the media uses to manufacture certain narratives, so he was really the perfect guest to talk about all this with. This would normally be a subscriber-only episode but it's pertinent and really informative so we've gone ahead and unlocked it. BUT, if you do like this show and want to support the work we do, please subscribe if you can. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.insurgentspod.com/subscribe

Editor's note: This podcast was recorded on March 19, 2024.Each day brings fresh horrors from the ground in Gaza as Israel's brutal genocide continues with the full backing of the US. Yet Israel is not operating with complete impunity.From the Houthis' humanitarian blockade of the Red Sea to Hezbollah's missile strikes against Israel itself, the unofficial alliance of states and armed organizations known as the Resistance Axis is imposing consequences on Israel and the US. The result is a low-grade regional war, that for months has featured Israel and the US conducting increasingly brazen air strikes from Yemen to Lebanon and Syria.Most recently, Israel bombed the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1, killing seven military advisors, including Brigadier Generals Mohammad Reza Zahedi, and his deputy Mohamad Hadi Haji Rahimi. Iran has vowed to retaliate. As the spiral of escalation and deterrence continues, the question arises of just how much longer the two sides can trade blows until a full-blown regional war erupts.Veteran war journalist Elijah Magnier and Middle East Critique Editor Matteo Capasso join The Real News for a timely discussion on the historical roots of the Resistance Axis, and how the confrontation taking place could reshape regional and global politics. Corporate media has flooded the US public with a one-dimensional narrative of the Resistance Axis, leaving out a crucial detail—how decades of US and Israeli intervention and destruction birthed the Resistance Axis. Drawing on their deep expertise, Magnier and Capasso reframe the current confrontation in light of the region's history, and its future.This interview is the second part of a two-part series on the Resistance Axis. Click here to read or listen to the first part of the conversation with Rania Khalek and Nima Shirazi about the media narratives about the Resistance Axis used to justify US intervention in the region.Additional links:Read Elijah Magnier's blog.Find out how to register for Middle East Critique's Ramadan course on Palestine and Imperialism.Studio Production: Maximillian AlvarezPost-Production: Alina NehlichHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcastBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.

Israel's genocide in Gaza has unleashed a low-grade regional war that is gradually escalating towards what could become an all-out conflict. The central players in this simmering showdown are the members of the informal Resistance Axis, which include Hezbollah in Lebanon, a number of armed Palestinian groups including Hamas, the Syrian and Iranian governments, the Houthis or Ansarallah in Yemen, and Iraq's armed Popular Mobilization Forces. Numerous strikes against Israeli and US military and commercial targets across the region have already been carried out by these groups since last October, from US military bases in Iraq to Israel-linked commercial shipping in the Red Sea.As the possibility of a regional conflagration looms, corporate media outlets are turning their attention to the Resistance Axis—and often regurgitating stale, Orientalist narratives that have been deployed for decades to justify US and Israeli aggression in the region. Central to this media narrative is the presentation of Iran as a kind of puppet master overseeing and coordinating the activities of the Resistance Axis. What this narrative fails to take into account is that it is not Iran that has the Resistance Axis, but decades of US and Israeli aggression. Journalists Rania Khalek and Nima Shirazi join The Real News for a conversation on the media narratives spun around the Resistance Axis and Iran, and how decades of such portrayals have primed the US public to support forever wars in West Asia.Rania Khalek is a Middle East-based journalist for Breakthrough News where she hosts the show Dispatches. Her work has also appeared at The Intercept, Truthout, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, Al Jazeera, The Nation, Salon, AlterNet, Vice, and more.Nima Shirazi is the cohost of Citations Needed, a podcast on the media, power, and politics.Additional links:Patreon page for Breakthrough NewsListen to the Citations Needed podcast with Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson“Between the Hammer and the Anvil”: The Story Behind the New York Times October 7 Exposé, The InterceptHamas, Hezbollah and Houthis: Iran's ‘Axis of Resistance,' Explained | WSJPost-Production: Alina NehlichHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcastBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.

We've run out of Clint Eastwood movies that fit our weird criteria, and now we're gonna talk about what we've learned from this whole endeavor. Where we are on Clint, on the auteur theory, on thinking about film, on thinking about political art, on each other, on the prospect of ever doing anything - it's all here for your inspection, dear listener.   Oh and also we reveal what we're doing next! We're very excited about it and we hope you will be, too. Here's a hint: I'm going to start reading the Bible.   We can't thank you all enough for joining us through the Clint Eastwood ouvre. Your support, however worrisome to your friends and family, has meant a ton to us. We set out to make a podcast that we'd like to listen to, and it turned out that whatever's wrong with us has been afflicting other people too. Thank you to all the friends we've made through doing the show, thank you to the brave listeners who simply download episodes and leave us alone about it, thank you to the folks who support us on Patreon, thank you to the clearly more mentally stable folks who don't do that, and thank you to the handful of dangerous freaks who send us too many emails. We love you all.   We'd also like to say a huge thank you to all the unbelievable guests who have joined us over the past year and change. You made us feel like real boys and you made the show a lot better, too. Our undying gratitude to Forrest Tiffany, John Semley, Eric Markovits, Chris Alfonso, Nick Newman, Dr. Joe Street, Aaron and Carlee from Hit Factory, Dr. Laurie R. Lambert, Jesse Thorn, Jordannah Elizabeth, Jonah Jeng, Marie Bardi-Salinas, Chadd Harbold, Jack Sinclair, Nima Shirazi, Jesse Hawken, Molly Lambert, Jamie Loftus, Jarrod Murray, Glenn Heath, Jr., Comrade Yui, Bilge Ebiri, Andrew Ti, Ian Green, Jordan Fish, Ray Tintori, and Will Sloan. We are truly lucky punks.   We're taking a couple weeks off to get ready for the next thing and to apologize to our partners for all of this, but we'll see you in March with all-new, all-nude episodes of Pod Casty For Me.   https://www.podcastyforme.com/ Follow Pod Casty For Me: https://twitter.com/podcastyforme https://www.instagram.com/podcastyforme/ https://www.youtube.com/@podcastyforme Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PodCastyForMe Artwork by Jeremy Allison: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyallisonart      

Going Commando with Nima Shirazi of Spitfire Strategies and Citations Needed This week on Let's Hear It, cynical-ish and salty-tongued Nima Shirazi of Spitfire Strategies and the hit podcast Citations Needed endures a slightly arduous, minorly torturous time behind the mic with Eric. Nima's career is full of exciting experiences, including his current job as a vice president at Spitfire Strategies and drumming in rock bands, and especially Citations Needed. Nima and his co-host Adam Johnson set up shop at the intersection of power, politics, propaganda, and the press (pretty peppy party, Pete) – no small feat, as it happens. Nima's show explores the many ways that media language infiltrates our daily lives and how pernicious those terms can be. For instance, did you know that the term “officer-involved shooting” was created in the 70s by the LAPD to describe officers killing members of the public? Nima uses his experience on the podcast to keep him honest-er in his work and his approach to communications. We wouldn't call him the biggest optimist in the room, but you'll appreciate Nima's thoughts about how progressive organizations can use communications to change dangerous narratives. Listen now to hear how (how now, brown cow? Okay, we'll stop). 

Going Commando with Nima Shirazi of Spitfire Strategies and Citations Needed This week on Let's Hear It, cynical-ish and salty-tongued Nima Shirazi of Spitfire Strategies and the hit podcast Citations Needed endures a slightly arduous, minorly torturous time behind the mic with Eric. Nima's career is full of exciting experiences, including his current job as a vice president at Spitfire Strategies and drumming in rock bands, and especially Citations Needed. Nima and his co-host Adam Johnson set up shop at the intersection of power, politics, propaganda, and the press (pretty peppy party, Pete) – no small feat, as it happens. Nima's show explores the many ways that media language infiltrates our daily lives and how pernicious those terms can be. For instance, did you know that the term “officer-involved shooting” was created in the 70s by the LAPD to describe officers killing members of the public? Nima uses his experience on the podcast to keep him honest-er in his work and his approach to communications. We wouldn't call him the biggest optimist in the room, but you'll appreciate Nima's thoughts about how progressive organizations can use communications to change dangerous narratives. Listen now to hear how (how now, brown cow? Okay, we'll stop). 

Have a seat in your favorite concealed armchair, because it's time for our episode on Eastwood's 1997 not-quite-Clinton crime family thriller ABSOLUTE POWER! We're joined by Nima Shirazi, co-host of the Citations Needed podcast, to break down the film's parallels to the not-yet-broken Lewinsky scandal, the William Goldman of it all, and whether this film is just Clint explaining that his absent parenting style is good, actually. Check it out! Topics include: Judy Davis's Hillary haircut, Clint's friend Leon Panetta, near-death experiences, live sports alibis, accidentally having chemistry with your real-life daughter, the film's surprising connection to JACKASS FOREVER, we devise a perfect plan to replace the US presidency with a completely incorruptible institution (jk), and more! Follow Nima Shirazi: https://twitter.com/WideAsleepNima   https://www.podcastyforme.com/ Follow Pod Casty For Me: https://twitter.com/podcastyforme https://www.instagram.com/podcastyforme/ https://www.youtube.com/@podcastyforme Artwork by Jeremy Allison: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyallisonart  

Read the transcript of this podcast: In this “News Brief” episode of the acclaimed media criticism podcast Citations Needed, hosts Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson speak with TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez and TRNN Associate Editor Mel Buer about the crisis in the US freight rail industry and the media campaign to obscure President Biden and Congressional Dems selling out rail workers. This episode was published by Citations Needed on Wednesday, Nov 30; with permission from the show hosts and producers, we are republishing it on the TRNN podcast feed and website for our audience. Citations Needed production team: Florence Barrau-Adams, Senior ProducerJulianne Tveten, ProducerTrendel Lightburn, EditorGrandaddy, Music Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews

With only one episode left to go, the boys are joined by the hosts of one of the very great Citations Needed to enjoy the cast's bout with senior-itis. Will CJ stay on at the White House or go on to make a fortune helping a billionaire whitewash his reputation? And will he or won't he? Time is running out for Bartlett to pardon Toby.  Plus - Havinq vanquished the K-Hive, we turn our attention to Ana Kasparian.

In this week's episode, Nathan and Derek are joined by Citations Needed co-host Adam H. Johnson to talk about sports media within the broader landscape of US media commodity spectacle, problems within the exploitative NCAA athletic system and the complicity of sports media, pandemic sport, and, of course, how Adam reconciles all of these problems within the context of his own fandom.   Adam H. Johnson is co-host of the essential Citations Needed podcast (w/ Nima Shirazi) and one of our most important public critics of media discourse. He is also author of a brand new substack newsletter called The Column. You can follow Adam on Twitter!     For a transcription of this episode, please click here. (Updated semi-regularly Credit @punkademic) Research Assistance for The End of Sport provided by Abigail Bomba. __________________________________________________________________________ If you are interested, you can support the show via our Patreon! As always, please like, share, and rate us on your favorite podcast app, and give follow us on Twitter or Instagram. www.TheEndofSport.com

We are back, with some other podcast recommendations. But first, donate what you can! Hoodrat to Headwrap: a Decolonized Podcast by Ericka Hart and Ebony Donnley Hella Black by Blake Simons and Delency Parham The Red Nation Podcast by Nick Estes and The Red Nation Citations Needed by Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson Ear Hustle by Nigel Poor, Earlonne Woods, and many more inside San Quentin State Prison Leif and Emily talk about Hyper Light Drifter, created by Heart Machine and Abylight S.L. Music by Veltpunch.

This is a special unlocked episode of Delete Your Account After Hours, normally only available on Patreon. Subscribe there for $5 for more like this! On this herculean episode of Delete Your Account After Hours, friends of the show Nima Shirazi, Brett Payne and Bryan Quimby tag-team to give Kumars a primer on pro wrestling. Nima is a NYC-based political analyst who cohosts the podcast Citations Needed, Brett and Bryan are the hosts of Street Fight Radio, and together they share their wrestling fandom, breaking down their favorite personalities, labor issues in the industry, and the intersections between wrestling and conservative politics, including Trump’s history with the WWE.  Follow Brett on Twitter @BrettPain, Bryan @MurderBryan and Street Fight Radio @StreetFightWCRS. Nima is also @WideAsleepNima, and you can keep up with his latest work on his website and as well as Citations Needed. 

This week, Roqayah and Kumars are joined by Nima Shirazi is a NYC-based media critic and political analyst who edits the English-language Middle East news outlet Muftah and cohosts the podcast Citations Needed with friend of the show Adam Johnson. After sharing some choice tidbits about his formative years and political trajectory, Nima unpacks the ongoing saga surrounding the Iranian government’s accidental downing of a Ukrainian airliner during its military operation in retaliation for the Trump administration’s Jan. 3 killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qassem Soleimani. The gang then discusses the fallout from Soleimani’s assassination, including the latest push for regime change and a rundown of the reactions from leading Democratic presidential candidates. Nima runs the gamut from growing up growing up as an Iranian American and rooting for the Iron Sheik, to the media’s demonization of Soleimani and branding of the Islamic Republic as a terrorist state, to a fresh wave of repression here at home, like the detention of Iranians (including US citizens) at the border as well as Facebook removing pro-Soleimani posts from Instagram under the pretense that they violate US sanctions. You can follow Nima on Twitter @WideAsleepNima, keep up with his latest work on his website and over at Citations Needed. If you want to support the show and receive access to tons of bonus content, subscribe on our Patreon for as little as $5 a month. Also, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the show on iTunes. We can't do this show without your support!!! 

Kate and Julia talk with Nima Shirazi, Co-host of the Citations Needed podcast, about the situation in Iran. This conversation was taped on Monday, Jan 6, 2020. You can follow Nima at (@)WideAsleepNima Julia and Kate can be found at (@)OhJuliaTweets and (@)KateWillett Hosts: Kate Willett and Julia Claire Producer: Genevieve Gearity Theme Song: Emily Frembgen and Kate Willett Artwork: Adrienne Lobl

full ep https://www.patreon.com/posts/bipartisan-of-24735765 Adam Johnson, media critic and co-host of the Podcast "Citations Needed" with Nima Shirazi, talks to me about the bipartisan effort to throw Ilhan Omar under the bus, the disingenuous & exploitative behavior of AIPAC & The Forward, the Democrats' caping for Republican war criminal Elliot Abrams and more.

This week, Roqayah and Kumars are joined by Adam Johnson. Adam is a media analyst with Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting or fair.org. He is also the co-host of the media criticism podcast Citations Needed alongside Nima Shirazi.Adam joins us for an in-depth discussion of a number of important media-related topics. We start out dissecting the recent case of academic Marc Lamont Hill who was fired from his position at CNN for his remarks before the United Nations about the Palestinian struggle against occupation. We also discuss the oversaturated media coverage of the death of George H.W. Bush as well as the larger issue of American attitudes towards deceased domestic political figures, and how appeals to civility undermine conversations we must have regarding the human rights abuses these figures have had a part in. Adam also takes us through the article by New York Times opinion writer Bari Weiss and Eve Peyser of VICE (intentionally not linking), where they examine how they became friends despite political differences, a superficial and conciliatory attitude that exposes extreme privilege and more common political ground than either Bari or Eve might like to admit. We also talk Russiagate, the migrant caravan, and more.Follow Adam on twitter @AdamJohnsonNYC. A transcript for this episode will be provided upon request. Please send an email to deleteuracct @ gmail to get a copy sent to you when it is completed.If you want to support the show and receive access to tons of bonus content, subscribe on our Patreon page for as little as $5 a month. Also, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the show on iTunes. We can't do this show without your support!!!

Citations Needed is one of the best politics podcasts out there and the show's co-host, Nima Shirazi, is lending us his Simpsons expertise to dive into this crossover classic episode! Homer sees an alien that may also be Santa Claus, and everyone from Leonard Nimoy to Scully and Mulder wants to see if the truth is out there in Springfield. Plus we explain a ton of specifically 1995 references and explore other conspiracies (as well as the musical Hair!). So listen to find out how a whale could be so heavy! This podcast is brought to you by VRV, the streaming network full of cartoons, anime and more. sign up for a free 30-day trial at VRV.co/WAC and help support Talking Simpsons! Support this podcast at Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons!

Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson recap today's North Korea escalation. 

The first episode of Nima Shirazi and Adam Johnson's podcast, Citations Needed, tackles the media hype surrounding the privatization of education. Show notes can be found here: 2010 tax form for Participant Foundation used to fund Waiting for Superman (note: four donors-- Waltons, Eli Broad, Donald Fisher, Dave Einhorn): 990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_ar…06_990PF.pdf Gates $2 million contribution to film web.archive.org/web/2010101600404…C-OPP1019819.aspx Guest Jennifer Berkshire’s blog:  haveyouheardblog.com/ Guest Jennifer berkshire’s articles:  www.huffingtonpost.com/author/tips-391  www.salon.com/writer/jennifer_berkshire/ Books mentioned by Berkshire: The One Percent Solution www.amazon.com/One-Percent-Solut…ing/dp/1501703064 New Orleans graduation rate stats article from 2014 by Adam citationsneeded.com/2014/05/24/char…na-memory-hole/ Harlem Children Zone original board:  pbs.twimg.com/media/Cq8wM7cWgAAUfHN.jpg Further reading: www.nydailynews.com/opinion/turnove…ticle-1.3272954 newrepublic.com/article/140319/ch…ad-black-students www.nybooks.com/articles/2010/11/…-charter-schools/ www.commondreams.org/views/2016/11/…harter-schools www.counterpunch.org/2009/08/25/the…-it-s-managed/ www.counterpunch.org/2009/08/26/the…arter-schools/ www.alternet.org/education/how-ch…public-education www.counterpunch.org/2010/03/10/i-w…chool-teacher/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdPACwRgw04

Hosts Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola highlight previous clips from the show in this "Best Of" episode that features: Nima Shirazi, Douglas Williams, Vivek Chibber, and Donna Murch.

Kevin Gosztola of Firedoglake.com and Rania Khalek of the "Dispatches from the Underclass" blog are joined for the interview segment by Nima Shirazi, an analyst of US foreign policy toward the Middle East. Shirazi also an editor for Muftah.org and blogs at "Wide Asleep in America." Shirazi discusses the agreement over Iran's nuclear program, how AIPAC lost in its effort to win more sanctions against Iran and, in general, the charade the US and Israel has played to propagate myths about the country's nuclear program.  During the discussion portion of the show, Gosztola and Khalek discuss the abduction of drone victim, journalist and activist Kareem Khan in Pakistan, Joint Special Operations Command's use of NSA metadata for drone killings and a Malaysian doctoral student's placement on the no-fly list and how the Obama administration abused state secrets and secrecy to get away with violating her rights.