Podcasts about venezuelan president nicol

Jordan Goudreau, a Canadian-American former special forces soldier, founded Silvercorp USA, a private security firm. After serving in both the Canadian and U.S. military, including deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, he left military service in 2016 due to injuries.   He gained notoriety for orchestrating "Operation Gideon," an unsuccessful coup attempt against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in 2020, which resulted in deaths and arrests. Goudreau claimed the operation had U.S. government backing, though this was denied by officials.

In this episode of the Mano a Mano podcast, George and Martín dive into the latest updates on the certified results of Puerto Rico's plebiscite and share insights on the inaugurations of Governor González Colón and President Trump. They also examine Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's controversial remarks on Puerto Rican independence and explore how Bad Bunny's latest album sparks a deeper conversation about preserving Puerto Rican culture amidst the journey toward statehood. Tune in to unpack these developments, their implications for Puerto Rico's future, and the ongoing debate surrounding statehood and cultural identity. 00:00 Welcome to Mano a Mano Podcast 00:46 Puerto Rico's 2024 Plebiscite Results 04:16 Controversial Statements and Political Reactions 07:46 Inauguration Updates: Governor González Colón and President Trump 12:23 Bad Bunny's Cultural Commentary 16:56 The Future of Puerto Rico's Political Status   Watch episodes of Mano a Mano on YouTube @PuertoRico51st. Interested in learning more about the statehood movement?  Visit our Website: https://www.pr51st.com Sign-up for Email Updates: http://www.pr51st.com/take-action/sign-up/ Follow us on:  Facebook - @PR51st Twitter - @PuertoRico51st Instagram - @PR51st   Produced by Caandor Labs.

Dual wellness checks on Josh's influenza and Tim's state of being in the fiery epicenter of Los Angeles. Joseph Rword Biden's wild ass narcissism knows zero bounds.DEI is the most prolific arsonist of all time, while Mother Nature just wants a very specific and pampered form of liberty.Cast a pox of schadenfreude upon Woods, Gibson, Corolla, et al. Long live the new skin grafts!Fresh out the Romanian clink, Andrew Tate creates the BRUV PARTY with his catatonically "masculinized" brother in order to run for Prime Minister of the UK.The Donroe Doctrine's bare proclamations about the landgrabs of Greenland, the Panama Canal, the Gulf of America, and the 51st state of the land of Jordan Peterson's fainting sofa.EeeeMusk blusters and digitally stamps his uncoordinated feet about Pakistani grooming gangs, tries to manipulate the King of England into codifying the UK as a US vassal, and pals around with the rising Nazi star of the Alternative for Deutschland and drops harsh truth-memes about Hitler ackshully being a communist after all.Alex Jones is ushering in a new Becoming. Ozempic, goatee dyed black as pitch, and a full body Red Dragon tattoo is likely to appear next. Trump threatens Palestinians with "all hell" because they've had it too easy for too long now.Human-shaped spiritual skidmark, Anthony Blinken, subliminally begs to be put out of his misery in an exit interview with the NYT. Lend him a helping hand, folks.Give the IDF a Nobel Peace Prize, says local British idiot. / Using the hum of death squad drones to help kids learn about music. / From the river to the sea, etc, inshallah.Venezuela still sits on the world's largest oil deposits, so of course they continue to be endlessly fucked with and in the most pathetic and transparently stupid ways.Recorded on Saturday, January 11th, 2025 around 12:00 PM Korea Standard TimeCommiserate on Discord: discord.gg/aDf4Yv9PrYSupport: patreon / buzzsproutNever Forget: standwithdanielhale.orgGenral RecommendationsJosh's Recommendation: Watch this video: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro challenges Elon Musk to fight on national television (VIDEO)Tim's Recommendation: Being a great-grandfatherFurther Reading, Viewing, ListeningShow notes + Full list of links, sources, etcMore From Timothy Robert BuechnerPodcast: Q&T ARE / violentpeople.co Tweets: @ROHDUTCHLocationless Locationsheatdeathpod.comEvery show-related link is corralled and available here.Twitter: @heatdeathpodPlease send all Letters of Derision, Indifference, Inquiry, Mild Elation, et cetera to: heatdeathodtheuniversepodcast@gmailSend us a textSupport the show

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro landed himself on the naughty list for stealing an election. He's hoping an early Christmas will improve his standing. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Miles Bryan, engineered by Rob Byers and Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members A man takes a selfie in front of giant Christmas decorations in Caracas. Photo by JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tom Limoncelli is an LGBTQ organizer, trainer, and speaker from New Jersey. His speaking and training repertoire includes time management for activists and support group facilitation skills. He is the recipient of several activism awards including the Brenda Howard Award for bisexual activism. Tom spoke about Time Management for Busy Activists on Leftscape Episode 86 almost exactly four years ago in 2020. In this episode he shares about the easy-to-do activism he's been taking part in to get out the vote as we approach yet another incredibly important presidential election. In a new/modified segment, Why Is This Not Awesome?, co-hosts Wendy Sheridan and Robin Renée look over a report on Project 2025 and its Consequences for Libraries. In This Fortnight I Learned, Robin and Wendy both bring animal facts (cats and giraffes, respectively). News includes Kamala Harris' kickass debate performance, flooding in Eastern Europe, an accusation of a CIA plot to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, another potential Trump assassination attempt, a Trump court case roundup, the Ig Noble Awards, and Wendy's Rahway Library Action Update. Robin names Conspirituality co-host Derek Beres Lefty of the Week. Things to do: Register to vote or confirm your voter registration today. Get addresses to GOTV for Democratic candidates. Get postcards to send to Democratic voters. Find volunteer activities (remote and in-person) all over the US: Mobilize! Read Tom Limoncelli's blog post about postcarding, "Postcards for Democracy." Read Project 2025 and its Consequences for Libraries. Check out The Daily Beans podcast. Check out the Conspirituality podcast.

Ralph welcomes former TV writer turned grass roots organizer, Jason Berlin, who explains how his group, Field Team 6, uses the latest data and analytics to identify and reach out to potential Democratic voters in order to register them to vote and how that could turn the tide in purple, flippable states.Jason Berlin is a former TV writer and co-founder of Field Team 6, a national voter-registration project that organizes voter drives to register Democrats in the most flippable states across the country.The fact is you can't get out the vote if those voters don't exist to begin with. It's like no one had a talk with people about where a voter comes from. So we concentrate on that first half of the equation—getting people over that biggest hurdle, getting them registered, generating this river of new Democrats and Independents who can then get into the system and be targeted by the massive get-out-the-vote machinery.Jason BerlinThe Democratic Party over the years has exhibited serious symptoms of masochism. It's like they've written off half the country, where they don't even compete.Ralph NaderIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 9/4/241. On August 28th, the Israeli Defense Forces targeted United Nations World Food Programme vehicles with “repeated gunfire,” per CNN. According to the agency, “Despite being clearly marked and receiving multiple clearances by Israeli authorities to approach, the vehicle was directly struck by gunfire as it was moving toward an…IDF…checkpoint.” Photos show at least ten bullet holes in the vehicle windows. As this piece highlights, “ongoing airstrikes and repeated evacuation orders by Israeli forces have forced many of the agency's food warehouses and community kitchens to shutter…The IDF-designated ‘humanitarian zone' in Gaza is also steadily shrinking; in the past month alone, the IDF has reduced this zone by 38%.” This incident is reminiscent of the Israeli strike on World Central Kitchen workers in April, when the IDF killed three Britons, a Palestinian, a US-Canadian dual citizen, an Australian, and a Pole via multiple airstrikes. Two days after the World Food Programme incident, CNN reported that the IDF killed four in a humanitarian aid vehicle affiliated with the American Near East Refugee Aid organization.2. On Monday, the Israeli labor federation, Histradrut, called a general strike in order to “pressure Netanyahu's government into changing its approach to cease-fire negotiations,” per NPR. This action was taken in response to the death of six hostages who would have been released had Israel agreed to the ceasefire proposed in early July. According to NPR, “Many schools and government buildings were shut…[and]…Ben Gurion airport…paused flights for several hours.” Yet, Israel's Labor Court quickly ordered the strike to end and the union obeyed; the action lasted less than one business day. This incident illustrates the deep discontent with the Netanyahu government's handling of the hostage negotiations, but also the impotence of Israeli civil society to change course.3. In more positive news related to labor and Israel, Democracy Now! reports Jimmy Williams Jr. president of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, says his union is “directing its massive international pension fund to divest from the Gaza genocide.” According to left-wing British outlet Skwakbox, the Painter's Union receives $330 million dollars in new contributions from union members each year.4. The Middle East Monitor reports “Ray Youssef, CEO of the Bitcoin marketplace platform, Noonesapp…[alleges that cryptocurrency giant Binance] ‘has seized all funds from all Palestinians as per the request of the IDF. They refuse to return the funds. All appeals denied.'” Responding to this allegation, a Binance spokesperson claimed that this seizure of assets only covers a limited number of accounts linked to “illicut funds,” though “Binance did not specify the extent or value of the ‘illicit funds' involved.” Boosters of cryptocurrency, like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have framed it in terms of “transactional freedom,” per Axios. Not so for the Palestinians, it seems.5. Jeremy Corbyn, former leader of the U.K. Labour Party, has united with four other independent, pro-Gaza MPs to form the Independent Alliance, per the BBC. This new parliamentary bloc will “use their…platform to campaign for scrapping the two-child benefit limit and against arms sales to Israel.” With five MPs in this alliance, it already outnumbers the Green Party and is equal to Reform UK, the far-right party formed by Brexit champion Nigel Farage. In their first move since forming the Independent Alliance, the MPs issued a statement in response to Foreign Minister David Lammy's announcement that the U.K. will suspend a small number of arms export licenses to Israel. This statement reads “For months, we have called for an immediate and full suspension of arms sales to Israel. The government has finally admitted there is a clear risk of weapons being used to commit violations of international law…This announcement must be the first step in ending all arms…used by the Israeli military to commit genocide in Gaza.”6. According to the ACLU of Indiana, “[Indiana University] has approved a new policy that prohibits all expressive activity if it takes place between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., even if the activity is not at all disruptive, such as standing silently, holding a sign, wearing a t-shirt with a communicative message, or discussing current events with friends.” This policy, which “carries harsh punishments, including suspension or expulsion for students, and suspension or termination of staff,” was adopted in response to campus pro-Palestine demonstrations last year. The ACLU of Indiana has already filed a lawsuit to overturn this chilling policy. And at New York University, Palestine Legal reports “In a dangerous escalation of repression, [NYU] announced new student conduct policies last week that appear to prohibit criticism of Zionism. If implemented, these policies risk creating a hostile environment for Palestinian and anti-Zionist Jewish students and severely curtail…free expression.” This statement notes that NYU does not afford protected status to any other political ideology and that this decision “opens the door for other ethno-nationalist ideologies to claim protection from criticism. With Zionism enshrined as a protected class, there's no reason why Hindu nationalism, Christian nationalism, white nationalism or similar ideologies wouldn't be afforded the same.” Palestine Legal has vowed that it will “continue to monitor and combat institutional attempts to punish and censor students organizing for Palestinian rights.”7. In a major escalation of tensions, the United States seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's plane in the Dominican Republic and transferred it to Florida, per the BBC. According to this report, “US officials said the plane was seized for suspected violations of US export control and sanctions laws,” while Venezuelan officials have denounced this move as an act of “piracy,” and “reserves the right to take any legal action to repair this damage to the nation.” Foreign Minister Yván Gil said the US had justified itself “with the coercive measures that they unilaterally and illegally impose around the world.” This is just the latest case of western governments seizing Venezuelan state assets; in 2018, the Bank of England seized nearly $2 billion worth of Venezuelan gold and has refused to return those assets despite urging from the United Nations special rapporteur on sanctions, per Declassified UK.8. The Miami Herald is out with a stunning new report on the dubious “Havana Syndrome” which finds that patients were “coerced” to join an NIH study on the supposed illness. According to this piece, “An internal review board at the National Institutes of Health…decided to shut down a long-term study of Havana Syndrome patients that found no signs of brain injuries, after several participants complained of mishandled medical data, bias and pressures to join the research. [Jennifer George] A spokeswoman for NIH said the internal review found that ‘informed consent' policies to join the study ‘were not met due to coercion.” Though George insists the coercion was not on the part of the NIH, she declined to identify who coerced the patients.9. Daniel Nichanian of Bolts Magazine reports “[Arizona Democratic Senate nominee Ruben] Gallego, fresh off of a police union endorsement, just penned a letter to the US [Department of Justice] asking them to stand down in its investigations against the Phoenix police and its effort to bring the department under a consent decree.” The proposed consent decree in question stems from a DOJ investigation that found “[Phoenix PD] uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force… unlawfully detain, cite, and arrest people experiencing homelessness and unlawfully dispose of their belongings…discriminates against Black, Hispanic, and Native American people when enforcing the law…violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech and expression…[and] discriminate against people with behavioral health disabilities when dispatching calls for assistance and responding to people in crisis.”10. Finally, in more positive Senate-related news, a new Split Ticket poll shows populist Independent candidate Dan Osborn running neck-and-neck with incumbent Republican Senator Deb Fischer in Nebraska. While Donald Trump leads Kamala Harris 54 to 37, the same poll shows Senator Fischer leading by only 1 point – 39% to Osborn's 38%, with 23% undecided. Osborn, a union leader who organized the 2021 Kellogg strike, has been favorably profiled by the American Prospect. There is no Democrat running for this seat.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

The United States, Egypt, and Qatar prepare another cease-fire proposal after Hamas killed six Israeli hostages and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu demanded control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border; Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump hold their first presidential debate; the Toronto International Film Festival showcases independent films spanning from Hungary to Georgia and more; and the United States seizes Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's plane.     What to Watch at Toronto International Film Festival   Edward Berger, Conclave   William Bridges, All of You   Brady Corbet, The Brutalist   Dea Kulumbegashvili, April   Mentioned on the Podcast   Brett Goldstein, Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel, Shrinking   Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Bill Lawrence, Ted Lasso   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The World Next Week at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/twnw/gazas-troubled-cease-fire-efforts-harris-and-trump-debate-toronto-international-film-fest 

Today's Headlines: The Israeli military recovered the bodies of six hostages in Gaza, who were executed by Hamas just hours before their rescue. Among the victims were three individuals set to be released under a humanitarian deal. The executions were reportedly ordered by Hamas following a prior Israeli rescue mission. The incident led to widespread protests in Israel against Prime Minister Netanyahu, accusing him of delaying a deal to maintain his political power. In related news, the UK temporarily suspended some arms export licenses to Israel over concerns of violations in Gaza. Additionally, the U.S. government seized a plane belonging to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, escalating tensions following a disputed election. In Brazil, Elon Musk's refusal to comply with legal requirements led to a suspension of X. Finally, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a warning about the mental and physical health impacts of parenting, advocating for cultural support, and the U.S. economy saw 3% growth in the second quarter of 2024. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: WA Post: Israelis stage mass protests, general strike as hostages laid to rest  Reiters: UK suspends 30 of its 350 arms export licences to Israel AP News: US government seizes plane used by Venezuelan president, citing sanctions violations AP News: Venezuelan judge issues arrest warrant for opposition's former presidential candidate WA Post: Brazilian judge orders suspension of X in dispute with Elon Musk HHS: U.S. Surgeon General Issues Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents NBC News: The U.S. economy grew 3% in the second quarter — faster than initially thought Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage alongside Bridget Schwartz and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Titanic Striking images reveal depths of ships slow decay Sheikh Hasina poses a Bangladesh conundrum for India Israeli outpost settlers rapidly seizing West Bank land Netanyahu asks Israelis for forgiveness over hostage deaths Maharashtra Collapse of Shivaji statue shakes up politics in the state Protests in Seville as West Nile virus kills five Tim Walz unharmed after motorcade vehicles involved in crash US seizes Venezuelan President Nicol s Maduros plane M laga tourism People feel the city is collapsing Man accused of recruiting strangers to rape his wife

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Sheikh Hasina poses a Bangladesh conundrum for India Protests in Seville as West Nile virus kills five M laga tourism People feel the city is collapsing Tim Walz unharmed after motorcade vehicles involved in crash Man accused of recruiting strangers to rape his wife Netanyahu asks Israelis for forgiveness over hostage deaths Israeli outpost settlers rapidly seizing West Bank land Maharashtra Collapse of Shivaji statue shakes up politics in the state Titanic Striking images reveal depths of ships slow decay US seizes Venezuelan President Nicol s Maduros plane

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Israeli outpost settlers rapidly seizing West Bank land Titanic Striking images reveal depths of ships slow decay Sheikh Hasina poses a Bangladesh conundrum for India Protests in Seville as West Nile virus kills five Maharashtra Collapse of Shivaji statue shakes up politics in the state Man accused of recruiting strangers to rape his wife M laga tourism People feel the city is collapsing Tim Walz unharmed after motorcade vehicles involved in crash US seizes Venezuelan President Nicol s Maduros plane Netanyahu asks Israelis for forgiveness over hostage deaths

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv US seizes Venezuelan President Nicol s Maduros plane Tim Walz unharmed after motorcade vehicles involved in crash Maharashtra Collapse of Shivaji statue shakes up politics in the state Sheikh Hasina poses a Bangladesh conundrum for India Israeli outpost settlers rapidly seizing West Bank land Protests in Seville as West Nile virus kills five M laga tourism People feel the city is collapsing Netanyahu asks Israelis for forgiveness over hostage deaths Man accused of recruiting strangers to rape his wife Titanic Striking images reveal depths of ships slow decay

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog is holding talks with senior officials in Ukraine after attacks were reported near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi was holding the talks on Tuesday. Grossi has highlighted the vulnerability of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure because of Russian attacks. He is making his 10th visit to Ukraine since the war began in February 2022. TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing back against a new wave of pressure to reach a cease-fire deal in Gaza after hundreds of thousands of Israelis protested and went on strike. U.S. President Joe Biden says Netanyahu needs to do more after nearly 11 months of fighting.  LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) — After a summer of historic tumult, the path to the presidency for both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump this fall is becoming much clearer. The Democratic vice president and the Republican former president will focus almost all of their remaining time and resources on a small collection of undecided voters in just seven states. More than 10,000 workers at 25 U.S. hotels are on strike after choosing Labor Day weekend to amplify their demands for higher pay, fairer workloads and the reversal of COVID-era cuts.  KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congolese authorities say that an attempted jailbreak in the country's main prison left 129 people dead, including some who were shot and others who died in a stampede at the overcrowded facility.  WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government has seized a plane used by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, citing violations of sanctions and export control laws. That's according to a Justice Department announcement Monday.  In other news: Summer 2024 featured an unprecedented series of events in a presidential campaign. Labor Day kicks off peak of presidential campaign season. Walz unharmed after some of the vehicles near the back of his motorcade crash in Milwaukee. Pope opens Asia odyssey with stop in Indonesia to rally Catholics, hail religious freedom tradition. At least 2 people shot at New York's West Indian American Day Parade, police say. Police say 4 people fatally shot on Chicago-area subway train. Mississippi bus crash kills 7 people and injures 37. Christa McAuliffe, still pioneering, is first woman with a statue on New Hampshire capitol grounds. Police says a man will face charges after storming into the press area at a Trump rally. Catholic diocese sues US government, worried some foreign-born priests might be forced to leave. Linda Deutsch, AP trial writer who had front row to courtroom history, dies at 80. ‘Deadpool’ tops charts yet again as 'Reagan' beats expectations on sluggish Labor Day weekend. Rapper Fatman Scoop dies at 53 after collapsing on stage in Connecticut. The Yankees and Orioles keep pace atop the AL East, the White Sox set another negative record, the Brewers continue to pour it on in the NL Central, the US Open moves into its second week, and Florida State goes from unbeaten in 2023 to winless in 2024. Correspondent Tom Mariam reports. San Francisco 49ers player Ricky Pearsall stable after shooting during attempted robbery, police say. Remembering Johnny Hockey Johnny Gaudreau and brother Matthew shined on and off the ice. Israel recovers the bodies of 6 hostages in Gaza, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin. UK says it's suspending some arms exports to Israel over the risk of breaking international law. Without X, many Brazilians say they feel disconnected from the world. —The Associated Press About this program Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

Monitor correspondent Sara Miller Llana got a text from Bangladeshi journalist Sina Hassan overnight. It contained a picture of people thronging the streets of Dhaka after weeks of violent protest against an increasingly authoritarian government drove the unexpected resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Our correspondent saw hope fill the streets. Also: today's stories, including how Ukrainians fend off Russia awaiting new US military aid, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's cling to power, and Olympian track and field races inspiring awe.

Plus: the U.S. increases pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to step down, saying his opponent won the presidential election. And, weak economic data causes market jitters amid questions about the health of the U.S. economy. Kate Bullivant hosts. Sign up for WSJ's free What's News newsletter.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Duke University researchers say gun control has no impact on homicide rates. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro challenged Elon Musk to a fight. The Algerian boxer who was deemed to have male chromosomes won a fight in the 66-kilogram women's division at the Paris Olympics after Italy's Angela Carini abandoned her match.  August 1st 2024 – Hour 1   --- Please Like, Comment and Follow 'The Ray Appleton Show' on all platforms:   ---    'The Ray Appleton Show' is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever else you listen to podcasts.    ---  'The Ray Appleton Show'   Weekdays 11 AM -2 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 AM & 105.9 KMJ    | Website  | Facebook | Podcast |   -  Everything KMJ   KMJNOW App | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A.M. Edition for July 30. Federal Reserve officials are kicking off their latest rate-setting meeting today against the backdrop of a weakening labor market that's strengthening the case for future rate cuts. Plus, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro cuts ties with Latin American countries raising concerns about fraud in last weekend's elections. And WSJ foreign correspondent Stephen Kalin describes how Palestinian exile Mohammed Dahlan has emerged as a potential postwar leader for Gaza. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

① In a signed article published in Kazakh media, Xi Jinping called for opening a new chapter in China-Kazakhstan relations. We explore what's at stake in Xi's state visit to Kazakhstan. (00:52)② We speak to S.L. Kanthan, founder of the “Multipolar Strategy”, on development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. (13:21) ③ Why has the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a China-led resolution on artificial intelligence? (25:03) ④ Factory activities among smaller Chinese businesses hit three-year high. (35:59)⑤ Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced that his government plans to resume negotiations with the US. How could this affect a forthcoming election where Maduro will seek a third term? (45:40)

GOOD EVENING: The show begins in Gaza with the report that the US knows where the gangsters are hiding and yet has not shared the information with Israel. To the conditions for a Palestinian State. To Doha and the Trump Administration negotiation that ended the US deployment and established again a terror state, including Al Qaeda camps and madrasas. To Jerusalem, to the UNGA, to Xi's trip in Europe: Paris, Budapest, and Belgrade. To Rio Grande do Sul floods, to Caracas and the Argentine embassy sheltering six fugitives from Maduro. To Gaza, to Lebanon, to no easy ending for Gaza. 1894 Andes Claude opinion and observation: The text provides an overview of the topics that will be covered in the show, including: 1. The US allegedly withholding information about the location of gangsters in Gaza from Israel. 2. Conditions for a Palestinian State. 3. The Trump Administration's negotiation in Doha that led to the end of the US deployment and the reestablishment of a terror state with Al Qaeda camps and madrasas. 4. Updates from Jerusalem and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). 5. Chinese President Xi Jinping's trip to Europe, including visits to Paris, Budapest, and Belgrade. 6. Severe flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. 7. The Argentine embassy in Caracas sheltering six fugitives from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government. 8. The ongoing situation in Gaza and Lebanon, with no easy resolution in sight for Gaza. The show appears to cover a wide range of current events and geopolitical issues, focusing on the Middle East, South America, Europe, and the United Nations.

Colorado's ballot ruling this week won't let the Supreme Court avoid Donald Trump. USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent John Fritze puts the moment in context.The U.N. Security Council has again delayed an aid resolution for Gaza.Ten detained Americans have been swapped for an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.USA TODAY Investigative Reporter Nick Penzenstadler looks at the debate around kid gun influencers.The names of more than 150 people linked to Jeffrey Epstein could be revealed after a New York judge ordered a new batch of documents to be unsealed in a lawsuit against his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Dec. 21 at 6:45 a.m. CT: Holiday travel is expected to hit its peak right around now. Airlines are confident they can handle the crowds, but it could come down to the weather. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says the government will be holding the airlines accountable to operate smoothly and treat passengers well if there are disruptions. Auto club AAA forecasts that 115 million people in the U.S. will go 50 miles or more from home between Saturday and New Year's Day. That's up 2% over last year. Most of those people will drive, and they will save a bit on gasoline, compared with a year ago. MIAMI (AP) — The United States has freed a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in exchange for the release of 10 Americans imprisoned in the South American country and the return of a fugitive defense contractor. That contractor is known as “Fat Leonard” and he's at the center of a massive Pentagon bribery scandal. The American detainees were back on U.S. soil late Wednesday. The deal represents the Biden administration's boldest move yet to improve relations with the major oil-producing nation and extract concessions from Maduro. The largest release of American prisoners in Venezuela's history comes weeks after the Biden administration agreed to suspend some sanctions. JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military says it has uncovered a major Hamas command center in the heart of Gaza City, inflicting what it described as a serious blow to the Islamic militant group. The center's location comes as pressure grows on Israel to scale back its devastating military offensive in the coastal enclave. The military's announcement Wednesday came as Hamas' top leader arrived in Egypt for talks aimed at brokering a cease-fire that would put a temporary pause on over two months of heavy fighting and deliver a new deal for Hamas to swap Israeli hostages for Palestinian imprisoned by Israel. LE PECQ, France (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron says the giant opening ceremony extravaganza that Paris is planning to hold on the River Seine to launch next year's Olympic Games could be moved if France is hit again in the run-up by extremist attacks. Macron's comments in a television interview on Wednesday night were a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the deep layers of planning for the July 26 ceremony. Many details about the show remain shrouded in secrecy to preserve its hoped-for wow factor. The athletes will be paraded through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine. But Macron says plans could be revisited for security reasons if needed. He cited deadly extremist attacks that hit Paris in 2015 as an example. ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani has been named The Associated Press' Male Athlete of the Year for the second time in three years. Before the two-way superstar signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers this month, he put together another incredible season for Japan's national team at the World Baseball Classic and for the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani led the AL with 44 homers and in several other categories, and he had the lowest opponents' batting average on the mound until his season ended early due to an elbow injury. The Dodgers still gave Ohtani the biggest contract in professional sports history. LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge has blocked a California law that would have banned carrying firearms in most public places, ruling that it violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and deprives people of their ability to defend themselves and their loved ones. The law was set to take effect Jan. 1. It would have banned people from carrying concealed guns in 26 places including public parks and playgrounds, churches, banks and zoos. It would apply whether the person has a permit to carry a concealed weapon or not. One exception would be for privately owned businesses that put up signs saying people are allowed to carry guns on their premises. WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for former President Donald Trump are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to stand down from a dispute over whether he can be prosecuted on charges he plotted to overturn the 2020 election results. Special counsel Jack Smith's team last week urged the nation's high court to take up and quickly consider Trump's claims that he enjoys immunity from prosecution as a former president. The unusual request seemed designed to prevent any delays that could postpone the trial of the 2024 Republican presidential primary front-runner. But Trump's lawyers told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that there was no reason for them to take up the matter now, especially because a lower appeals court in Washington is already considering the same question and has scheduled arguments for Jan. 9. DENVER (AP) — Former President Donald Trump's bid to win back the White House is now endangered by two sentences added to the U.S. Constitution 155 years ago. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment prohibits anyone who swore an oath to support the Constitution and then “engaged in insurrection” against it from holding office. For the first time in history, a court this week ruled that applies to the presidency. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled Trump is barred under the provision. But the court acknowledged that it's on untrodden legal ground, and the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to have the final word. The early signing period in college football opened with just a little five-star drama. Georgia likely locked up a recruiting crown by flipping an in-state blue-chipper away from Florida State. The consensus No. 1 recruit in the country had Ohio State coach Ryan Day literally sighing with relief. And a five-star defensive lineman committed to Florida decided to delay making his decision official. That was the least of the bad news for the Gators. The 76ers, Knicks and Clippers are among the NBA's biggest winners, the Capitals picked up a key overtime win, and two developments in college football. The NHL and Diamond Sports Group, the largest owner of regional sports networks, have reached an agreement that will keep local broadcasts for 11 teams on Bally Sports through the end of this season. The agreement, which was contained in a court filing made Wednesday, is subject to court approval. Diamond Sports has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the Southern District of Texas since it filed for protection in March. The company said in a financial filing last year that it had debt of $8.67 billion. While there will be a reduction in rights payments for some teams, the local rights for those 11 franchises will revert back to the NHL at the end of this season. NEW YORK (AP) — New York's attorney general has filed suit against SiriusXM, accusing the satellite radio service of making it intentionally difficult for its customers to cancel their subscriptions. Attorney General Letitia James' office said Wednesday that an investigation into complaints from customers found that SiriusXM forced subscribers into often lengthy interactions with agents who were trained in ways to avoid accepting cancellation requests. The company disputed the claims, arguing that many incidents cited in the lawsuit came in 2020 and were caused in part by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their operations. The company said many of its plans can be canceled easily online. —The Associated Press About this program Host Terry Lipshetz is a senior producer for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate. Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. The United States has freed a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in exchange for the release of 10 Americans imprisoned in the South American country and the extradition of a fugitive defense contractor. The United Nations Security Council has failed for a third time to pass a Gaza ceasefire resolution, even as the death toll reaches the grim milestone of 20,000. U.S. officials state that they want any resolution to include wording that condemns Hamas and affirms Israel's right to defend itself. Negotiations over a resolution continue, while in Washington, lawmakers and the White House are engaged in their own negotiations over an aid package for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. In a year-end news conference Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he's confident his country will get the proposed package of aid currently stalled in Washington. The Pentagon says money for Ukraine will run out at the end of the year. The Justice Department today announced that it's suing a Houston-based land developer for allegedly targeting Hispanic home buyers with false statements, misleading advertising and predatory lending. Challengers are telling a federal judge that Georgia Republican state lawmakers' new voting districts don't cure illegal vote dilution and should be rejected. Workers at fast-food locations across the Bay Area went on strike to demand their companies address dangerous conditions onsite, including broken building services and a string of violent robberies. Lawmakers, homeless advocates, and other community members came together to commemorate the homeless individuals who died in the city of San Jose this year. The post The United States has freed a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in exchange for the release of imprisoned 10 Americans – December 20, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.

Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro The United States has freed a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in exchange for the release of 10 Americans imprisoned in the South American country and the extradition of a fugitive defense contractor. The United Nations Security Council has failed for a third time to pass a Gaza ceasefire resolution, even as the death toll reaches the grim milestone of 20,000. U.S. officials state that they want any resolution to include wording that condemns Hamas and affirms Israel's right to defend itself. Negotiations over a resolution continue, while in Washington, lawmakers and the White House are engaged in their own negotiations over an aid package for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. In a year-end news conference Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he's confident his country will get the proposed package of aid currently stalled in Washington. The Pentagon says money for Ukraine will run out at the end of the year. The Justice Department today announced that it's suing a Houston-based land developer for allegedly targeting Hispanic home buyers with false statements, misleading advertising and predatory lending. Challengers are telling a federal judge that Georgia Republican state lawmakers' new voting districts don't cure illegal vote dilution and should be rejected. Workers at fast-food locations across the Bay Area went on strike to demand their companies address dangerous conditions onsite, including broken building services and a string of violent robberies. Lawmakers, homeless advocates, and other community members came together to commemorate the homeless individuals who died in the city of San Jose this year. The post The United States has freed a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in exchange for the release of imprisoned 10 Americans – December 20, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.

New relationships are growing and strengthening among countries in the Global South. Leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin are meeting, while Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro traveled to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. What do these big geopolitical shifts mean for the residents of the Global South and the globe? Brian Becker is joined by Ben Norton, an investigative journalist based in Latin America, and editor of the independent news website Geopolitical Economy Report at geopoliticaleconomy.com. Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/TheSocialistProgram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

On today's Intrigue Outloud, Carolina Jiménez Sandoval joins to discuss the different ways Latin American leaders are approaching Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's re-emergence, what those different approaches say about politics in the region, and where the efforts to bring democracy back to Venezuela now stand. Carolina Jiménez Sandoval is the president of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a former deputy research director for the Americas at Amnesty International, and a citizen of Venezuela. The Search for Justice in Venezuela by Carolina. Thanks to our sponsor, Drizly.

Last month, the National Anti-Corruption Police revealed alleged “serious acts of corruption" in state-owned oil company PDVSA. Fallout was swift, over 50 individuals have now been arraigned. The charges include misappropriation of public funds, influence peddling and money laundering. Some may even face treason charges. Calling the anti-corruption drive an “ethical, spiritual, and moral battle”, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said that those engaged in unscrupulous behavior were betraying the values of the Bolivarian Revolution.In response to the US economic war, the Venezuelan government also implemented an anti-blockade law, it has helped the country survive but has ripple effects, namely a lack of transparency. It is in these obscured spaces where corruption can flourish. But corruption is not the only consequence of the economic war against Venezuela. The country is also battling inflation, which is severely impacting the working class in the country. When it comes to corruption and inflation, these two are also sites of class struggle. To explain, we will speak with Venezuelan economist and National Assembly member Tony Boza.Music: Embandolaos - Los Caimanes NegrosHay que aligerar la carga - Alí Primera

This week, on A Podcast About Catholic Things, Dan and Eric talk about the Covid19 craze. All of the governors shut down their economies. The bishops have shut down the Masses. What do Catholics do without Mass? Is the threat as serious as they say? Are the politicians taking advantage of us? What's up with all the celebrities going stir-crazy? What are the real numbers concerning coronavirus. Wouldn't this be a great time to learn how to pray the Traditional Latin Mass? Dan sneezes. Eric compares it to Ginger's sneeze. Dan and Eric talk about pony kegs. In current events, Space X launches a Falcon 9 rocket successfully. An earthquake in Utah. Cuba sends doctors to Italy. Trump charges Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with crimes and offers $15 million as reward. Pope Francis says nature is throwing a fit. President Xi helps Trump with virus containment.VIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS VIEW ON GOOGLE PODCASTS VIEW ON AMAZON VIEW ON AUDIBLE VIEW ON CASTBOX VIEW ON PODCASTADDICT VIEW ON STITCHER VIEW ON BITCHUTE VIEW ON RUMBLE VIEW ON TUNE-IN VISIT US ON FACEBOOK

EPISODE: Colombia & Venezuela, Brother Nations ReuniteGUEST: Daniel KovalikDan is an American lawyer and Human Rights advocate who currently teaches International Human Rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. From 1993 until 2019 he served as in-house counsel for the United Steelworkers, AFL-CIO. While with the USW, he worked on Alien Tort Claims Act cases against The Coca-Cola Company, Drummond and Occidental Petroleum – cases arising out of egregious human rights abuses in Colombia. Dan is the recipient of the David W. Mills Mentoring Fellowship from Stanford University School of Law as well as the Project Censored Award for his article exposing the unprecedented killing of trade unionists in Colombia,He has written extensively on the issue of international human rights and U.S. foreign policy including several books of which is “The Plot To Overthrow Venezuela, How The US Is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil”Dan is also a Senior Research Fellow with The Council on Hemispheric Affairs which is a broadcast partner of this programBACKGROUNDColombian President Gustavo Petro and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro met in Venezuela's capital Caracas on Tuesday, November 1, two months after formally re-establishing diplomatic relations and a month after resuming trade between the two neighboring countries. (3 months after the inauguration)This was the first time that Petro and Maduro met since the mending of bilateral relations in late August. It was a historic meeting as it marked the further strengthening of the diplomatic ties between Colombia and Venezuela, which got increasingly worse with the intensification of attacks against Venezuela by the US and the support this campaign received by then far-right Colombian president Iván Duque.Colombia and Venezuela officially broke diplomatic relations in February 2019 after Duque recognized the US-backed self-proclaimed “president” Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's legitimate leader.FOLLOW OUR GUEST:TwitterFacebookADDITIONAL LINKSThe Plot to Overthrow Venezuela, How the US is Orchestrating a Coup for OilWar and Human Rights Abuses: Colombia & the Corporate Support for Anti-Union Suppression La Carga Historica y Politica del Ecuentro entre Petro y MaduroWTF is Going on in Latin America & the Caribbean is a Popular Resistance broadcast in partnership with CODEPINK, Common Frontiers, Council on Hemispheric Affairs, Friends of Latin America, InterReligious Task Force on Central America, Massachusetts Peace Action and Task Force on the Americas.

Earlier this month, a delegation of senior U.S. officials made an unexpected visit to South America to meet with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The visit caused a flurry of speculation. Will the United States consider easing oil sanctions on Venezuela to replace Russian crude? Such a move could have huge ramifications for Venezuela's oil exports but involves navigating a complicated relationship with the Maduro regime.  For a look into how this could work, host Bill Loveless spoke with Dr. Luisa Palacios, a Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy and former Chairwoman of Citgo Petroleum Corporation.  Luisa was on the show a few months ago for a conversation about the energy transition in Latin America. She returns to discuss a paper she recently co-authored: “Venezuela Oil Sanctions: Not An Easy Fix.” Together, they discuss the potential ripple effects of easing sanctions on Venezuela as oil prices spike around the globe.

In Episode 8 of Series 6 Todd is in conversation with Arlene Tickner and David Owen about the impact of Covid-19 on democracy and migration. Arlene is a Professor of International Relations in the School of Political Science, Government and International Relations at the Universidad del Rosario in Bogotá, Colombia. David is a Professor of Social and Political Philosophy at Southampton University. 0.00-12.40 Todd starts by asking David about the relationship between democracy and human rights. David says that human rights and democracy are mutually entwined. They secure our basic standing, interest and membership in a democracy, whilst being a part of a democracy is meant to ensure those rights are available to us.  Todd expands on David's explanation and asks him about how Covid-19 has compromised the ideals of democracy and the protection of human rights. David points to three things that have questioned every day ideas of democracy: How within states different people (e.g. permanent/temporary residents/asylum seekers and refugees) are treated unequally The depth of global inequalities around health (e.g., Africa has just 3000 intensive care beds on the whole continent) Between and within states we are radically interdependent (poverty/lack of education in other parts of the world are threats to us all Todd asks Arlene about how she sees things from her base and perspective in Colombia.  She outlines the political backdrop across Latin America where she says people are increasingly questioning democracy as the best form of government because of its failings. The pandemic has underscored different forms of inequality and is crucial in understanding growing forms of social protest in the region. She points to two specific issues that underscore the shortcomings of the democracies in this part of the world: Latin America is the worst affected region accounting for 35% of all deaths from Covid-19 despite representing only 8% of the global population (Colombia is top of the global list for deaths) Vaccination programme is extremely slow (e.g. only just beginning in Paraguay) Todd comments that there is something of a myopia towards this part of the world and asks Arlene to talk specifically about recent protests in Colombia itself. Arlene says the country has undergone a number of protests since peace accords were signed a few years ago which was to be expected. But she adds the more recent protests were related to tax reforms -proposed in the middle of the pandemic. This caused considerable discontent among the middle classes. Protests were also linked to ineffective implementation of the peace accords, discontent around access to education for young people, frustration over the pandemic and a deteriorated health infrastructure and pensions. Excessive police force used to deal with protestors has worsened the situation and invitations for dialogue have been empty offers.  12.40-18.00 Todd mentions recent protests in the UK (Black Lives Matter, violence against women, anti lockdown, European Football Cup final violence and racism) and asks David for his take. He says there is a question of how to balance public health security with the right to protest (a fundamental human right). A more worrying issue for democracy in the UK he says is a lesson learned from Trump America around using culture as a way of focusing and intensifying social division (something he believes Boris Johnson and Priti Patel have engaged in in a bid to silence/counter the traditional left).  He adds culture is becoming something of a key battleground for the kind of democracy people want (relatively thin as in Turkey/India/Russia with a strong executive) or a more egalitarian form of democracy with genuine opportunities to self-govern and participate.  Todd picks up on David's mention of ‘wokeism' and points out that it is something that still isn't well understood in the UK. He goes on to ask David about the lifting of restrictions in the UK despite rising cases of Covid. David refers to the England football team as a representation of the conflicted visions around what Britain/England should look like. One is a diverse and multicultural ‘bringing people together' vision - the other is focused on division, generating division and ruling through division. Todd agrees. 18.00-24.43 The discussion moves to migrants and migration. Todd asks Arlene about the situation in Venezuela which has been highly unstable since the 1990s and where many people have decided to leave the country and flee to Colombia. Arlene says there is both a political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela (exacerbated unintentionally she says by the US) which has led to some 2 million Venezuelans fleeing to Colombia. LA countries more widely have been unable to agree on a strategy to deal with this, but the Colombian President has afforded temporary protection status to all those migrants who arrived before January 2021. This has created a huge strain on Colombia's fiscal capabilities. Arlene believes this to be part of the President's ambitions to force the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro out of power. Todd also asks about widespread social protests in Cuba and Arlene says these protests were a surprise to many, but that essentially were a response to growing discontent with the handling of the pandemic and certain human rights. She adds sanctions put in place by Donald Trump when he was US president have hit the Cuban economy hard.  24.43-end Todd asks David and Arlene to reflect on what the future of democracy holds. David says that in Europe the massive visibility of the inequalities discussed may be a spur for a re-engagement of social democracy and taking inequality seriously. He mentions Portugal as leading the way in temporarily giving some migrants the same rights to healthcare as its citizens. The ways in which some states have handled the pandemic will have implications for how politics in those states develops post/declining-pandemic. Arlene says there are few success stories from the region, but has simply placed in sharp relief how those democracies are failing. Saying that she does think Uruguay and Chile provide some sources of hope. She says events around the pandemic have raised questions for her around ‘who is the human' in human rights and so she feels both pessimistic and hopeful about the future of democracy. 

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is indicating he wants to change his ways. Let's see. By Erik Schatzker Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Phil & Jake are joined by Pete (from the Grocery Gamblers podcast) and returning guest Tiffa (from Intermission podcast) to rank Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Steven Seagal, and the idea of self-promotion on the List of Every Damn Thing.VOTE HERE to help choose which item on the List of Every Damn Thing should be re-ranked in an upcoming episode (you can vote once a day).Keep up with Grocery Gamblers on Instagram (@grocerygamblerspod), and with Intermission on Instagram (@Intermission_podcast) & Twitter (@IntermissionPC). Subscribe to both shows wherever you get your podcasts!If you have something to add to the list, email it to list@everydamnthing.net (or get at us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook).SHOW NOTES: Bro-Country is a tricky term because no one self-identifies as a fan. So there's a lot of judgment baked into the word. It's not exactly a slur but it's not real descriptive. Florida Georgia Line is a “Country music act” for example that fits the bill but we doubt if you asked them they'd say Bro-Country is their genre. Who knows, maybe they would.   Morgan Wallen broke covid quarantine and got (temporarily) canceled from hosting Saturday Night Live, and then later got drunk and shouted some racial slurs which got him canceled in general.  Our mouths start to hurt from just saying the words Sour Patch Kids Cereal. Sour Patch Kids Ice Cream is a little less painful. Piggly-Wiggly was, in fact, the first modern grocery store with checkout stands, individually price-marked items and shopping carts. In the episode, we reveal our befuddlement with the correct pronunciation of “shaman”. According to Cambridge Dictionary, in the UK it rhymes with “layman” and in the US it rhymes with “ramen”. Seagal movies that we discuss include Under Siege, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Exit Wounds (co-starring DMX) and On Deadly Ground (here's the environmentalist sermon at the end of it). Here's Seagal with Valdimir Putin. Here he is giving a samurai sword to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Here's him and Sheriff Joe Arapaio (we're not sure if this is before or after they allegedly killed a puppy with a tank while shooting Steven Seagal: Lawman). The full name of Seagal's conspiracy thriller novel is The Way of the Shadow Wolves: The Deep State and the Highjacking of America. His album is called Songs from the Crystal Cave. Here's footage of Seagal training with MMA guys. Pete tells a few stories about Willits, California (which is in beautiful Mendocino County). ALSO DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:Jimmy Buffett * Pork King Good pork rinds * avocados * Taco Bell * cold brew shandy * generation ships * Kelly LeBrock * Nicolas Cage * R. Lee Ermy * Michael Caine * Jaws 4: The Revenge * Christopher Lee * redface * Decker * Julianna Margulies * Jean-Claude van Damme * elk * Native Americans * cultural appropriation * sex * Jenny McCarthy * Jon Voight * Midnight Cowboy * French fry ice cream * Toy Soldiers * online dating * SpaceballsBelow are the Top Ten and Bottom Top items on List of Every Damn Thing as of this episode (for the complete up-to-date list, go here):TOP TEN:1. Dolly Parton - person2. interspecies animal friends - idea3. Clement Street in San Francisco - location4. Prince - person5. It's-It - food6. Cher - person7. Pee-Wee Herman - fictional character8. Donald Duck - fictional character9. Hank Williams - person10. air - substanceBOTTOM TEN:154. broken glass - substance155. Jenny McCarthy - person156. Jon Voight - person157. Hank Williams, Jr - person158. Steven Seagal - person159. McRib - food160. war - idea161. cigarettes - drug162. QAnon - idea163. transphobia - ideaTheme song by Jade Puget. Graphic design by Jason Mann. This episode was edited by Jake MacLachlan, with audio help from Luke Janela. Show notes by Jake MacLachlan & Phil Green.Our website is everydamnthing.net and we're also on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.Email us at list@everydamnthing.net. 

Facebook has frozen Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's page after he claimed without evidence that a herbal remedy could cure Covid-19. He claimed in January that a thyme herb solution could cure the disease. He will be unable to post for 30 days. The company said the leader had repeatedly violated its policies on coronavirus disinformation. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/aziz-mustaphi/message

Welcome to the People's Voice Podcast. Visit us online at www.peoplesvoice.caThe Lima Group is a Canada-led organization dedicated to the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. In January 2019, National Assembly member Juan Guaidó tried to declare himself president of Venezuela, and Lima Group countries—with the exception of Saint Lucia—recognize Guaidó as president.The Lima Group has faced criticism within Canada and from member states' politicians and journalists. Dr. Maria Paez Victor, a Venezuelan sociologist living in Canada, explained: “Unable to get the Organization of American States (OAS) votes needed to agree to their nefarious plot, this group of governments with no official international standing, few democratic principles, most led by known discredited leaders… allied itself, throwing all of its diplomatic and economic support behind a man who self-proclaimed himself president of Venezuela in a public plaza, violating the country's constitution and all electoral rules. So much for the ‘respect for the rule of law' that the Canadian Foreign Minister, Chrystia Freeland so frequently spouts.”Read the article in full.

Several European countries are planning to ease coronavirus lockdowns for the Christmas holidays despite the risk that lifting restrictions could cause COVID-19 cases to skyrocket. And, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s political alliance claimed a sweeping victory Monday in congressional elections boycotted by the most influential opposition politicians. Also, Kenya's Kibiwott Kandie broke the world record on Sunday for the half marathon by 29 seconds in Valencia, Spain. Be a superhero and help keep The World spinning! Our coverage wouldn’t be possible without incredible individuals working behind the scenes. Donate today to support the work of our superhero staff and help keep our coverage free and open to all. Donate $100 or pledge $8.33/month to receive an invite to a virtual party with Marco Werman and The World team! Visit theworld.org/WhoWeAre to make your contribution and learn more about the superheroes behind The World's compelling stories! Thank you for your support.

Miguel Benites walked along lanes of cars in Medellín, Colombia, with a black mask wrapped around his jaw. In one hand he held a box of candies and in the other, he held a sign that read: “Ayúdame para alimentar a mi familia. Busco empleo.” (“Help me feed my family. I’m looking for work.”)Benites, 24, is among the 5 million Venezuelans who have fled their collapsing country in recent years. In Medellín, he found a job as a mechanic and a respite from years of violence and economic turmoil.But in March, Benites lost that economic lifeline when Colombia went under a now monthslong quarantine. COVID-19 has left Venezuelans across Latin America reeling and with dwindling options at the same moment that the World Health Organization declared the region the new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. Colombia has an underdeveloped medical system, dense urban cities and high poverty rates, but its strict quarantine measures have so far helped to avoid the spiking death tolls seen in Brazil and Mexico. As of June 16, it has reported more than 53,000 confirmed cases and over 1,700 deaths, though cases have jumped as restrictions have loosened. Related: Coronavirus spread threatens Colombia's Amazonian Indigenous regionBut the lockdown also pushed poorer populations to the brink, forcing workers like Benites to decide whether to go hungry or risk infection. Miguel Benites 24, sells candies on the streets of  Medellín, Colombia. He lost his job as a mechanic during the pandemic.  Credit: Megan Janetsky/The World  “Right now, well, I’m in the streets trying to survive. ... But it’s really hard. Here at the streetlight, you don’t earn a lot, just enough to eat for the day.”Miguel Benites, migrant from Venezuela living in Colombia“Right now, well, I’m in the streets trying to survive,” Benites said. “But it’s really hard. Here at the streetlight, you don’t earn a lot, just enough to eat for the day.”On a good day, he can earn about $7. On a bad one, less than $3.Related: Meet the woman who buries forgotten migrants from VenezuelaThe situation has forced nearly 75,000 Venezuelans to return to the country they once fled, including 22-year-old Danny Quintero Velásquez. “My fear at the beginning of the coronavirus was something like, ‘Wow, I’m far from home, and if something happens to me, who is going to be with me? No one. I’m alone.' So, I said it’s better to return to my country.”Danny Quintero Velásquez, Venezuelan migrant in Colombia who decided to return to his home country“My fear at the beginning of the coronavirus was something like, ‘Wow, I’m far from home, and if something happens to me, who is going to be with me? No one. I’m alone,'" Quintero Velásquez said. “So, I said it’s better to return to my country.” Danny Quintero Velásquez was among the first wave of people to return by a bus organized by the Colombian government after living for three years in Colombia.  Credit: Courtesy of Danny Quintero Velásquez Quintero Velásquez was among the first wave of people to return by a bus organized by the Colombian government after living for three years in Colombia, host to the largest number of Venezuelan migrants in the region. Others walked hundreds of miles on foot.Overlapping humanitarian crises have plagued Venezuela for years as economic and political turmoil has spurred on violence, starvation and a collapse of the medical system.Quintero Velásquez’s heart ached for his home in the northern city of Valencia, and the family he left behind to support. But when he tried to return, he described the process as “torture.”He first waited for days on the streets in the Venezuelan border city of San Antonio del Táchira without shelter from the blistering desert sun and rain. Later, Venezuelan authorities packed them into a broken-down building with throngs of other migrants to quarantine for two weeks. Reports show that those who resisted were beaten or disappeared.They lived in deteriorated conditions, he told The World, sleeping on cement floors and eating little more than corn-based arepas. As he waited, he said people along the border called him a traitor and discriminated against him for leaving the country. This comes despite the fact that embattled Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said on state TV that all returnees should be greeted “with love, affection and all preventative measures.”“The experience was horrible for us returning after so much time. ... Almost three years of being gone, and to return and be treated like that in your own country, that’s really hard.”Danny Quintero Velásquez, Venezuelan migrant in Colombia who decided to return to his home country“The experience was horrible for us returning after so much time,” Quintero Velásquez said. “Almost three years of being gone, and to return and be treated like that in your own country, that’s really hard.”That’s the experience for a growing number of returnees, said Arles Pereda, president of Colony of Venezuelans in Colombia. Since the beginning of the mass migration in 2016, the organization has provided aid and legal resources to many of the 1.8 million Venezuelan migrants in Colombia.Now, he said their role has been flipped. In addition to delivering food to starving families in Medellín, they’ve “become a bridge” for people who want to return.“They arrived here with a dream, which many fulfilled — some were in the process of establishing themselves, others were just starting and were very unstable — but many of those dreams have been broken."Arles Pereda, president, Colony of Venezuelans in Colombia“They arrived here with a dream, which many fulfilled — some were in the process of establishing themselves, others were just starting and were very unstable — but many of those dreams have been broken,” Pereda said.It’s a struggle not just in Colombia, but for migrants across South America in countries like Peru, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina.Thousands more wait in informal camps near borders, highways and bus stations across the region, hoping to return home as COVID-19 cases and deaths jump.According to Colombia's migration authorities, the Venezuelan government currently only allows 400 migrants to cross back into the country three days a week — leaving them in limbo. There are at least 24,000 Venezuelans in Colombia waiting to return, according to those authorities, and with these restrictions, it could take up to six months for people to return.Pereda and other human rights leaders fear for migrants returning home, where the medical system was already shattered by years of crisis. While Venezuela has only reported 3,062 confirmed cases and 26 deaths as of June 16, the country lacks reliable testing and transparency. The real number is likely far higher, and researchers have reported that case counts appear inconsistent with the scale of the pandemic. Maduro's government has largely censored journalists and medical workers, but one May survey reported that 62% of hospitals faced shortages of face masks and 90% faced shortages of alcoholic gel. Human Rights Watch and the Johns Hopkins University officials called the country “grossly unprepared” to take on the brunt of the pandemic, even warning that the deepening crisis there may drive a new wave of emigration down the line.Now in quarantine with his family in Valencia, Quintero Velásquez feels torn. That looming sense of insecurity he felt in Colombia — that he could get kicked out of his apartment or be infected without any lifeline — is gone. But this has been replaced by dread for the future — something he’s reminded of on a daily basis.  Severe gasoline shortages have created days long lines to buy gasoline at skyrocketing prices, a product that used to be so cheap it was once smuggled over the border and sold in plastic bottles. Access to medical services is practically nonexistent, he said. Related: Doctors wait hours to fill tanks as Venezuela faces fuel shortagesIn May, when they rushed his mother to the hospital for a heart attack, medical staff sent her home because they were only treating COVID-19 patients. Instead of treatment by a doctor, Quintero Velásquez bought her medicine on the black market.“Is the crisis going to get worse? Yes. It gets worse every day,” he said. “It’s already collapsed because of the gasoline. We're a petroleum country, and we don’t even have combustibles. ... What’s more, the medical system has also already collapsed, and now that’s worsening too.”He paused and added, “so, thank God there haven’t been that many cases.”

An attempt earlier this month to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power ended in farcical failure as a seaborne invading force was captured easily following a series of mishaps. World affairs editor Julian Borger tells the bizarre story

"Critics warn that President Donald Trump's spurning of international cooperation on COVID-19 research could result in disaster and set back efforts to cure the disease even as the president promised in a town hall with Fox News Sunday that the US would have a vaccine for the coronavirus by the end of the year," Common Dreams reported Monday. International diplomats and advocates "fear the White House's rejection of cooperative efforts hints at a future stance that will emphasize competing with other countries for a vaccine rather than ensuring one is available for everyone in the world." How big of a concern should this be?"The government of [Venezuelan] President Nicolás Maduro said it had thwarted an early morning 'invasion' off its Caribbean coast on Sunday, alleging its intelligence forces had uncovered a plot, ambushed the attackers and captured or killed 10," the Washington Post reported Sunday. What are we to make of all of this? On April 21, we discussed how CNN got a lot of folks in a dither on April 20 by reporting that the US was "monitoring intelligence that suggested North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, is in grave danger after undergoing a surgery, according to a US official with direct knowledge. A second source familiar with the intelligence told CNN that the US was closely monitoring reports on Kim's health." CNN correspondent Jim Sciutto was credited with breaking this story. Well now we know, or all indicators point to the fact, that Kim can quote Mark Twain in saying: “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Photos verified by the South Korean government have appeared, showing Kim to be alive and well, having a great time. What are we to make of all of this?"In northern Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition has so far offered little reprieve to civilians during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan," MintPress news reported Friday. "Several regions — including Marib, Al-Jawf, Beydha and Sadaa — have been under almost constant aerial bombardment, and the continued violence is not the only thing making the lives of civilians in Yemen's difficult this Ramadan." What going on here with the long game?GUESTS:Teresa M. Lundy — Government Affairs and Public Relations Specialist and principal of TML Communications, LLC.Nino Pagliccia — Activist and freelance writer based in Vancouver. A retired researcher from the University of British Columbia, Canada, Pagliccia is a Venezuelan-Canadian who follows and writes about international relations with a focus on the Americas, and is also the editor of the book “Cuba Solidarity in Canada – Five Decades of People-to-People Foreign Relations.” Daniel Lazare — Journalist and author of three books: "The Frozen Republic," "The Velvet Coup" and "America's Undeclared War."Kathy Kelly — Co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.

"A second wave of job loss is hitting those who thought they were safe," the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. "Businesses that set up employees to work from home are laying them off as sales plummet. Corporate lawyers are seeing jobs dry up. Government workers are being furloughed as state and city budgets are squeezed. And health care workers not involved in fighting the pandemic are suffering."In a Monday MintPress News article titled "Bodies in the Streets: IMF Imposed Measures Have Left Ecuador Unable to Cope with Coronavirus," Alan MacLeod writes, "Ecuador is near collapse under the strain of the coronavirus after the government of Lenin Moreno stripped state services nearly bare at the behest of the IMF [International Monetary Fund]." What's going on in Ecuador and with President Moreno?"With much of the world focused on the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump Administration has begun a major military buildup in the Caribbean, sending US warships and aircraft to the region while planning for the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro," Edward Hunt wrote Monday in The Progressive. “'We're deploying additional Navy destroyers, combat ships, aircraft, and helicopters; Coast Guard cutters; and Air Force surveillance aircraft, doubling our capabilities in the region,' President Trump announced in a press briefing at the White House on April 1." What are we to make of all of this?"Pressure is growing on ICE [US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] to quickly release as many detainees as possible, as migrants stage protests and a flurry of legal actions bear down on the agency," Felipe De La Hoz reported Monday in The Intercept. "Yet ICE remains recalcitrant, opaque, and unpredictable in its decision-making. One side effect of the coronavirus outbreak may be a growing awareness of just how many people in ICE detention simply don't have to be there."GUESTS:Dr. Linwood Tauheed — Associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Alan MacLeod — Academic and journalist. He is a staff writer at MintPress News and a contributor to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), as well as the author of "Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting."Teri Mattson — Code Pink Latin America coordinator and founder and coordinator for the Campaign to End US and Canada Sanctions Against Venezuela. Nino Pagliccia — Activist and freelance writer based in Vancouver. A retired researcher from the University of British Columbia, Canada, Pagliccia is a Venezuelan-Canadian who follows and writes about international relations with a focus on the Americas, and is also the editor of the book “Cuba Solidarity in Canada – Five Decades of People-to-People Foreign Relations.” Maru Mora-Villalpando - Nationally known immigrant-rights activist, co-founder of the Latinx organization Mijente and a community organizer with Northwest Detention Center Resistance.

On March 26th, the United States Department of Justice did something very unusual. In a press conference, Attorney General William Barr unsealed indictments against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and top regime officials, alleging drug trafficking and narcoterrorism. Previously, when the Trump administration declared Maduro to be an illegitimate leader it was done on the assumption that such a move would inspire defections among Maduro loyalists--particularly in the military and security services. That assumption was proven incorrect. Now, Venezuela has two rival governments with Maduro still in control of most state institutions and Juan Guaidó backed by the United States and most western powers.  On the line with me to discuss this is Keith Mines, senior advisor for Venezuela and Colombia at the United States Institute of Peace. We kick off discussing the indictments, how they fit into US policy toward Venezuela and whether or not this move may succeed in helping to dislodge Maduro from power. We also discuss how COVID-19 is impacting domestic politics in Venezuela and what role the United Nations might play in helping mediate a resolution to this crisis. https://www.undispatch.com/

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Garland Nixon & Lee Stranahan talked about the USA's foreign policy stances towards Iran, Yemen, and Venezuela and how the novel coronavirus pandemic is changing the lives of billions around the world.Guests:Ian Shilling - Geopolitical Analyst, Researcher & Blogger | UK coronavirusStephen Lendman - Author and Geopolitical Analyst | Sanctions against Iran and war in the Middle EastRandi Nord - Co-Founder of Geopolitics Alert & Contributor at MintPress News | The war in Yemen and recent Saudi-Yemeni skirmishesDr. Gerald Horne - Historian, Author, Professor | The USA's charges against Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, and global pandemic preparednessDr. Bill Honigman - Emergency Room Doctor & Progressive Healthcare Activist | Severity of the novel coronavirusWe were joined by Ian Shilling from London to discuss the local response to COVID-19 and the government's state of extended lockdown as Boris Johnson pushed the quarantine period to 6 months after himself being infected.Later we were joined by Chicago-based author Stephen Lendman to discuss the USA's continued sanctions against Iran and how those sanctions have restricted the flow of vital medical equipment into the country.We were joined by Randi Nord to discuss the war in Yemen after recent skirmishes between Saudi and Houthi forces. We were also joined for the first time by Dr. Gerald Horne to discuss the USA's charges against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on cocaine trafficking, as well as the global supply chain as a means of transmission for the novel coronavirus.For the end of our show we were joined by Dr. Bill Honigman to talk about why people are right to be concerned about SARS-CoV-2, the issue of hospital overcrowding and the lack of sufficient ICU equipment, and the trajectory this virus may take in the coming weeks.

This week, on A Podcast About Catholic Things, Dan and Eric talk about the Covid19 craze. All of the governors shut down their economies. The bishops have shut down the Masses. What do Catholics do without Mass? Is the threat as serious as they say? Are the politicians taking advantage of us? What's up with all the celebrities going stir-crazy? What are the real numbers concerning coronavirus. Wouldn't this be a great time to learn how to pray the Traditional Latin Mass? Dan sneezes. Eric compares it to Ginger's sneeze. Dan and Eric talk about pony kegs. In current events, Space X launches a Falcon 9 rocket successfully. An earthquake in Utah. Cuba sends doctors to Italy. Trump charges Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with crimes and offers $15 million as reward. Pope Francis says nature is throwing a fit. President Xi helps Trump with virus containment.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó rallied Venezuelan expats on Saturday at the Miami Airport Convention Center, an event that marked the end of a two-week world tour that included Europe and Canada. The aim was to rekindle international support for his campaign to oust authoritarian Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, which started a year ago.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó rallied Venezuelan expats on Saturday at the Miami Airport Convention Center, an event that marked the end of a two-week world tour that included Europe and Canada. The aim was to rekindle international support for his campaign to oust authoritarian Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, which started a year ago. WLRN’s Tim Padgett was with Guaidó on Saturday. Padgett spoke with WLRN’s Luis Hernandez about whether Guaidó’s movement still has a future – and why he didn't get to meet President Trump.

As the president’s impeachment defense rests, Ann Marimow explains who is paying for his lawyers. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro tells The Post's Anthony Faiola that he's still firmly in control. And Marian Liu on the branding genius of K-pop group BTS.Read more:Who is paying for Trump’s defense in the impeachment trial?Reporter Anthony Faiola sat down with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. BTS is more than a K-pop group. It’s a booming business.Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer

On this episode of The Critical Hour, Dr. Wilmer Leon is by Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Some 49,000 employees of General Motors walked off the job at 12 a.m. on Monday after negotiations fell apart between the United Auto Workers union and the Detroit-based car maker. The UAW announced Sunday afternoon that it was readying for a nationwide strike, and no deal was reached before the midnight deadline. This marks the first national UAW strike since 2007. What are the issues that have brought the workers to this point, and what are the long-term implications?Purdue Pharma, the embattled drug manufacturer that is accused of helping trigger the US opioid epidemic through its sale of the profitable but highly addictive painkiller Oxycontin, filed for bankruptcy Sunday. Will the Chapter 11 filing lead to the ultimate demise of the company, and how much of the personal fortunes of the billionaire Sackler family, which owns Purdue, will be available to compensate plaintiffs?US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iran in the wake of Saturday drone attacks that struck a Saudi Aramco oil facility, which led Saudi Arabia to cut its daily oil production by half. While Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for the strikes, Pompeo tweeted, "There is no evidence the attacks came from Yemen." Tehran rejected those accusations, but US President Donald Trump said Sunday that the US was "locked and loaded" to respond. Is Pompeo trying to lure us into a war with Iran, similar to the one with Iraq?"The US-led effort to force Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from office has moved into a new stage, with rising fears of military conflict between Venezuela and Colombia, and the activation of a 70-year-old mutual defense treaty among countries of the Western Hemisphere," the Washington Post reported Sunday. "Members of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance agreed last week to invoke the 1947 pact, better known as the Rio Treaty, that allows joint actions ranging from economic sanctions to the use of military force and cutting transport and communications links. Foreign ministers of the treaty's 19 member nations are due to meet later this month to decide which measures are necessary to stem the threat." Is this really going to result in military conflict?GUESTS:Linwood Tauheed — Associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Margaret Flowers — Co-editor of Popular Resistance. Les Leopold — Director of the Labor Institute in New York, working with unions, worker centers and community organization to build a national economics educational campaign.Mark Sleboda — International affairs and security analyst. Ricardo Vaz — Writer and editor at Venezuelanalysis.com

Author Toni Morrison has died. She was the first black woman to receive the Nobel literature prize, awarded in 1993. Morrison was 88. Police are searching for motives in the mass shootings in two U.S. cities over the weekend that've now left 31 people dead and several dozen hurt. Investigators in El Paso, Texas are zeroing in on a racist online post before the shooting to try to link it to the suspect. In Dayton, Ohio, even more questions remain about what lead suspected shooter Connor Betts to target a popular nightlife stretch in an attack that left his sister among the dead. President Trump's order blocking U.S. companies and individuals from doing business with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government is the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere in decades. Trump, who backs opposition leader Juan Guaidó, froze all Venezuelan government assets in a dramatic escalation of tensions with Maduro, who hasn't responded.

On this episode of The Critical Hour, Dr. Wilmer Leon is joined by Ivan Eland, senior fellow at the Independent Institute and director of the institute's Center on Peace & Liberty; and Whitney Webb, staff writer at MintPress News.The Trump administration has been on high alert in response to what military and intelligence officials have deemed specific and credible threats from Iran against US personnel in the Middle East. But US President Donald Trump is frustrated with some of his top advisers, who he thinks could rush the United States into a military confrontation with Iran and shatter his long-standing pledge to withdraw from costly foreign wars, according to several US officials. Trump prefers a diplomatic approach to resolving tensions and wants to speak directly with Iran's leaders. All of this while my first guest warns that with the beat of Washington's war drums continuing to grow, particularly following the Monday reports of a government plan to send as many as 120,000 troops to counter Iran, the threat of an “accidental” provocation or a “false flag” is also becoming increasingly likely.Four activists who had been protesting in the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, DC, for more than a month were arrested Thursday and forcibly removed from the building. Medea Benjamin, co-founder of anti-war organization Code Pink, told the Associated Press that police entered the building early in the morning to arrest the protestors. The US Secret Service confirmed officers had helped agents from State Department's Diplomatic Security Service execute arrest warrants against people inside the embassy: Kevin Zeese, Margaret Flowers, Adrienne Pine and David Paul.Carlos Ron, deputy foreign minister for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government, tweeted Thursday that US officials entering the building “is an unlawful breach of the Vienna Convention,” an international treaty that created a legal framework for diplomacy between countries. All of this action is taking place in Washington, DC, while it is reported that the Venezuelan government and opposition are preparing to negotiate. After months of protests and a failed opposition attempt to overthrow Maduro, government and opposition representatives are meeting in Norway for talks, Venezuela's ambassador to the United Nations said Thursday. It was unclear whether the sides would meet directly to explore resolutions for the political crisis in the South American nation or if Norwegian officials would serve as intermediaries.US President Donald Trump announced a new immigration plan in a speech Thursday afternoon, the latest attempt by the administration to follow through on a campaign promise to overhaul America's immigration system. "We are proposing an immigration plan that puts the jobs, wages and safety of American workers first," Trump said. "Our proposal is pro-America, pro-immigrant and pro-worker. It's just common sense." What are we to make of the president's description?GUESTS:Carlos Castaneda — Attorney at Garcia & Garcia. Lilly Tajaddini — Iran Campaign coordinator for Code Pink.Ricardo Vaz — Writer and editor at Venezuelanalysis.com.Ivan Eland — Senior fellow at the Independent Institute and director of the Independent Institute's Center on Peace & Liberty.Whitney Webb — Staff Writer at MintPress News.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan discuss the news that Swedish authorities are planning to resume an investigation into Julian Assange regarding an alleged rape in 2010. How does this latest turn potentially impact Assange's legal woes, and could he now face extradition to Sweden rather than the United States?Guests:Patrick Henningsen - Journalist & Founder of: 21stCenturyWire.com | Sweden Targets Julian Assange with Old Rape AllegationsDr. Piers Robinson - Co-Director of the Organization for Propaganda Studies | Analysis of the 2018 "Douma Attack" & How Propaganda is Used on PopulationsAriel Gold - National Co-Director at Code Pink | Clashes at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington DCJoel Segal - Former Congressional Staffer | The Need for More Policy Solutions & 2020 PoliticsTim Canova - Law Professor & Former Candidate for Congress in Florida | Growing Internet Censorship & Control of the Democratic PartySwedish authorities have moved to re-open the investigation into rape allegations against WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange. Journalist Patrick Henningsen returns to 'Fault Lines' to discuss this latest legal threat to Assange, how it could impact his potential extradition, and his current status in the United Kingdom.The alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria in April of 2018 was used by some in the political establishment to push for greater foreign intervention and military action in Syria. Dr. Piers Robinson joins Garland and Lee to talk about a recent assessment of the "Douma attack" and why it appears to have been a staged event. They also discuss how propaganda can be used to persuade a population into supporting foreign wars, the need for media to hold powerful entities accountable for their words/actions, and strategies for helping people to see through the pervasive propaganda they face on a daily basis.The dispute over control at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington DC continues as supporters of Juan Guaidó are clashing with those both within and outside of the Embassy who are backing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Ariel Gold, National Co-Director at Code Pink, returns to the show for a conversation about the current situation at the Venezuelan Embassy, how events in this area have been evolving in recent days, and why the treatment of Julian Assange represents an attack on the free press.Much of the Congress and many candidates running for President in 2020 appear to be more concerned with raising their individual profiles than putting forth actual policy solutions. Former Congressional Staffer Joel Segal joins the program to talk about the direction of Congress, 2020 politics, social justice movements, and the importance of name recognition in current Presidential polls.For the final two segments, the hosts are joined by Former Congressional Candidate Tim Canova for a discussion about both increasing internet censorship and the state of the Democratic Party. Why are some powerful forces afraid to allow people to make their own choices in the marketplace of ideas, and how is the Democratic Party establishment working to keep their party under the control of corporate interests through elections and other means?

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has told a London court he won't agree to be extradited to the U.S., where he's accused of conspiring to hack into a Pentagon computer. He says he won't surrender himself for extradition for doing journalism that's won many awards and protected many people. A British judge said an extradition case will take "many months." U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado has announced on "CBS This Morning" he's running for president in 2020. Bennet, who is 54, is now among more than 20 Democrats seeking the party's presidential nomination. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has called for military unity in an appearance with soldiers, two days after security forces failed to respond to opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s call for an uprising. On national television Thursday, he said the military must be prepared to combat “traitors” and the opposition had sought to provoke bloodshed since Guaidó’s failed bid to take power.

Covington Catholic High School student sues NBC for $275 million - Should He Get It? #MAGAFirstNews with @PeterBoykin Attorney General Barr to be a no-show at House hearing, could face contempt charge, subpoena Barr to skip House hearing, could face subpoena, contempt charge After Wednesday's contentious day of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the Mueller report, Attorney General William Barr informed the House Judiciary Committee that he would not testify Thursday as scheduled, prompting threats of subpoenas from Democrats and a possible contempt citation. Democrats have vowed to hold the hearing anyway, leaving open the possibility of the spectacle of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., gaveling a hearing with an empty chair reserved for Barr. A key sticking point was that Nadler wanted to have House Judiciary Committee staff -- rather than members of Congress -- question him on his handling of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on the Russia investigation. But DOJ officials said members should conduct the inquiry, and it was unclear why Democrats did not propose having staffers provide questions to members during the hearing. The rift between Barr and Congressional Democrats was the backdrop for a tense day of testimony Wednesday where the attorney general accused the lawmakers of using criminal justice process as "political weapon" ahead of the 2020 presidential election and declared the Justice Department's role in the Russia probe controversy "over." President Trump, in an interview on Fox Business’ “Trish Regan Primetime,” praised Barr's testimony but said lawmakers treated him "differently" than anyone else. Rep. Omar believes US 'bullying' has contributed to Venezuela chaos Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn, suggested Wednesday that the United States could be partly to blame for the ongoing turmoil in Venezuela, saying the policies of the Trump administration had "kind of helped lead the devastation." Appearing on "Democracy Now," a news program broadcast on PBS, Omar was asked to weigh in on what the host described as a "U.S.-supported coup attempt" against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. "A lot of the policies that we have put in place [have] kind of helped lead the devastation in Venezuela and we have sort of set the stage for where we are arriving today," she said. "This particular bullying and the use of sanctions to eventually intervene and make regime change really does not help the people of countries like Venezuela and it certainly does not help and is not in the interest of the United States." Biden and Romney give opposite views of China's threat to the US Former Vice President Joe Biden expressed his lack of concern over China as a global competitor to the U.S. at a rally on Wednesday, prompting a grim response from Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, on Twitter. Biden, the 2020 Democratic frontrunner, mocked those who have taken China seriously. "China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man!" Biden exclaimed. "They're not competition for us." That sparked a reaction from Romney, who ran against Biden's running mate, former President Barack Obama, in 2012. "This will not age well," Romney predicted in a tweet. CLICK HERE for an in-depth look at Biden's questionable international deals and why “The Next Revolution” host Steve Hilton refers to the former vice president as "Joe China." Covington Catholic High School student sues NBC for $275 million Covington Catholic High School student Nicholas Sandmann is suing NBCUniversal for a whopping $275 million for defamation over the media coverage he received earlier this year, his lawyer said Wednesday. Sandmann was at the center of a viral controversy back in January, alongside reports suggesting that he and his classmates had initiated a confrontation with Native American elder Nathan Phillips outside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Subsequent reporting and video evidence contradicted that version of events. This marks the third major lawsuit Sandmann's legal team has launched. The team is also suing the Washington Post for $250 million as well as CNN for $275 million. Sandmann's lawyer previously suggested that the Associated Press and HBO could face similar lawsuits. Imagine Dragons beats out Queen at Billboard Music Awards - and Twitter explodes Some fans are upset after Imagine Dragons bested the iconic rock band Queen to take home the coveted Top Rock Artist honor Wednesday evening at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. “Imagine dragons won a rock award over queen, one of the best rock bands of all time,” tweeted one social media user, while many others echoed the same frustration with the decision. “What kind of world gives best rock band to @Imaginedragons over Queen?” wrote another viewer. Aside from the controversy over Imagine Dragons versus Queen, here is the complete winners list for the 2019 Billboard Music Awards.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed the end of President Nicolas Maduro’s regime and called for a military uprising. He was reportedly meeting with the military to discuss the "beginning of the final phase of Operation Freedom," and declared "the moment is now" after leading the opposition movement against embattled Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for months. Andrew Mach speaks with Bloomberg News Latin America editor Jose Enrique Arrioja on the ongoing developments of this new key phase in the struggle for power. ---- TicToc is a daily news podcast hosted by Andrew Mach (@andrewjmach), produced at Bloomberg Worldwide HQ in New York City. You can follow up with us and watch our reporting @tictoc. If you like it, be sure to rate us on iTunes, and tell your friends!

The Embassy Protection Collective is a group of activists who are residing at the Venezuelan Embassy 24 hours a day at the invitation of diplomatic staff. They've labeled the Trump administration's attempts to replace Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro a coup and an illegal act in contravention of international norms. Embassy staff is calling the Americans staying there Colectivos por la Paz (Collectives for Peace). One of the activists involved in the protest is Sputnik's own John Kiriakou, co-host of Loud and Clear. He will be speaking Wednesday night at the embassy in Georgetown about the CIA's involvement in regime change. Embassies of foreign nations are considered sovereign territory under the Geneva Conventions. The US government would be acting in contravention of international law if it entered another sovereign country's embassy and replaced its diplomats with those having no legal standing under the Geneva Conventions. Why is Thursday such an important day?On Monday the US announced that, in a bid to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero, it would on May 2 end US sanctions waivers that countries such as India, China, South Korea and Turkey currently have on buying Iranian crude. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that Iran would be willing to negotiate with the US if it reverses economic sanctions and apologizes for its “illegal” actions, according to official media outlets. Is there a message behind Rouhani's statement? The gruesome killing of James Byrd, a 49-year-old African American man, in 1998 seemed to hark back to an era of lynchings and racially motivated slayings across the South. The trials of the three white men charged with the crime drew wide attention to Jasper, a town of about 7,500 in East Texas, just a short drive from the state's boundary with Louisiana. Texas officials announced this week that one of Byrd's killers, John William King, 44, will be executed Wednesday night, two decades after being convicted. If King is executed, it will make him the fourth person executed this year in the United States, and it would be one of the final legal steps in a case that has prompted a national discussion about hate crime legislation. But will it provide closure in a case that remains painful 20 years later?GUESTS:John Kiriakou — Co-host of Loud and Clear on Radio Sputnik. Daniel Lazare — Journalist and author of three books: "The Frozen Republic," "The Velvet Coup" and "America's Undeclared War." Gary Bledsoe — Distinguished Austin lawyer, president of the Texas NAACP and acting dean of Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law.Eddie Hopkins — Head of the Jasper Economic Development Corporation in Texas.

It's Friday, so that means it's panel time. It's been reported that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's extradition is just hours or days away. According to the Associated Press, a senior Ecuadorian official countered the claims of a WikiLeaks source, saying that no decision had been made to force Assange out of the London embassy, but the official's Tweet has since been removed. What does this say about Assange, the free press and the power of the US?"Some on Mueller's Team Say Report Was More Damaging Than Barr Revealed," says a recent New York Times headline. This to me is a goofy story, because there are a lot of baseless allegations made by unnamed sources. On Thursday, they reported that some of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators have told associates that Attorney General William Barr failed to adequately portray the findings of their inquiry and that they were more troubling for President Donald Trump than Barr indicated, according to government officials and others familiar with their simmering frustrations. The Washington Post reported Thursday, "Revelations that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's still-confidential report may contain damaging information about President Trump ignited a fresh round of political fighting on Thursday, ushering in a new phase of the nearly two-year-old battle over the Russia probe."Boeing, the world's largest commercial aircraft manufacturer, is being investigated by the Department of Justice in response to two deadly crashes fewer than six months apart. The company's best-selling plane in the world, the 737 MAX 8, has crashed twice in the past several months: the first was a Lion Air flight leaving Jakarta, Indonesia, in October, and the second was an Ethiopian Airlines flight leaving Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in March. A recent report laid out a timeline of the flight based on analysis from 18 Ethiopian and international investigators and information from the jet's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg apologized Thursday for the "erroneous activation" of the company's maneuvering software in the two jets that crashed. "We extend our sympathies to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302," he said, explaining the faulty system that may have caused a sudden nosedive. "It's our responsibility to eliminate this risk. We own it, and we know how to do it."Rejecting a plank of President Donald Trump's foreign policy, the House of Representatives late yesterday invoked never-before-used powers to demand that his administration withdraw support from the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The senseless war that has resulted in what international aid organizations have called the worse man-made humanitarian crisis in the world. The Senate passed the same resolution in March with bipartisan support. Trump is expected to issue a veto of the measure, his second as president, and Congress does not have the votes to override him.In Chicago's mayoral election, Lori Lightfoot won Tuesday's runoff against Toni Preckwinkle, a longtime politician who leads the county board and local Democratic Party. Is this another data point in regards to the success of an alleged progressive agenda?According to Whitney Webb from MintPress News, Juan Guaidó, the self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela who is supported by the United States government, recently announced coming “tactical actions” that will be taken by his supporters starting April 6 as part of “Operation Freedom,” an alleged grassroots effort to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. That operation, according to Guaidó, will be led by “Freedom and Aid Committees” that in turn create “freedom cells” throughout the country — “cells” that will spring to action when Guaidó gives the signal on April 6 and launch large-scale community protests. Guaidó's stated plan involves the Venezuelan military then taking his side, but his insistence that “all options are still on the table” (read: including foreign military intervention) reveals his impatience with the military, which has continued to stay loyal to Maduro throughout Guaidó's “interim presidency.”The opioid epidemic has ravaged Philadelphia, and many in the city feel that drastic measures are necessary to stem a scourge of overdoses, including a radical plan to provide a safe space where people can use illegal drugs while under supervision. Though the plan for what is known as a safe injection site has garnered local support, the city now finds itself in the middle of a major legal fight with the federal government.We've got these stories and even more!GUESTS:Jim Kavanagh — Political analyst and commentator and editor of The Polemicist.Caleb Maupin — Journalist and political analyst who focuses his coverage on US foreign policy and the global system of monopoly capitalism and imperialism.Michelle Hudgins — Communications strategist, producer, media consultant and writer.

President Donald Trump threatened to close the US' southern border this week if Mexico does not "immediately stop" what he calls the surge of illegal immigrants coming into the United States. "We have right now two big caravans coming up from Guatemala, massive caravans, walking right through Mexico," Also, The United States is halting humanitarian funding to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, the State Department confirmed on Saturday. What does this really mean, and are these really solutions looking for problems? Back in March, First Look Media announced that it was shutting down access to Edward Snowden's massive trove of leaked National Security Agency documents. The Intercept, which is owned by First Look Media, has maintained a research team to handle the large number of documents provided by Snowden to Intercept journalists Laura Poitras and Glenn Greenwald. First Look CEO Michael Bloom said, “It is our hope that Glenn and Laura are able to find a new partner — such as an academic institution or research facility — that will continue to report on and publish the documents in the archive consistent with the public interest.” With that, I wanted to take a moment and discuss the need for and power of independent journalists and more importantly, investigative journalists, because an informed electorate is the cornerstone of a democracy. Juan Guaidó, the self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela who is supported by the United States government, recently announced coming “tactical actions” that will be taken by his supporters starting April 6 as part of “Operation Freedom,” an alleged grassroots effort to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. That operation, according to Guaidó, will be led by “Freedom and Aid Committees” that in turn create “freedom cells” throughout the country — “cells” that will spring to action when Guaidó gives the signal on April 6 and launch large-scale community protests. Guaidó's stated plan involves the Venezuelan military then taking his side, but his insistence that “all options are still on the table” (read: including foreign military intervention) reveals his impatience with the military, which has continued to stay loyal to Maduro throughout Guaidó's “interim presidency.” However, a document released by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in February and highlighted last month in a report by Devex details the creation of networks of small teams, or cells, that would operate in a way very similar to what Guaidó describes in his plan for “Operation Freedom.” GUESTS:Carlos Castaneda — Attorney at Garcia & Garcia. Greg Palast — Award-winning investigative reporter featured in The Guardian, Nation Magazine, Rolling Stone Magazine, BBC and other high profile media outlets. He covered Venezuela for The Guardian and BBC Television's "Newsnight." His BBC reports are the basis of his film, "The Assassination of Hugo Chavez."Daniel Lazare — Journalist and author of three books: "The Frozen Republic," "The Velvet Coup" and "America's Undeclared War."

So, Beto O'Rourke enters the 2020 race with no substantive legislative accomplishments after having served three terms as a congressman. He speaks in very broad platitudes, but I have no idea from a policy perspective what he can do - not what he wants to do, but what he can do. Over the coming days, he's going to travel the country to listen to those whom he seeks to serve to understand from their perspective how we can best meet these challenges. That sounds very “Bernieesque” to me, in that during the last campaign, Bernie Sanders was often asked: how do you plan to accomplish your agenda? He would say, it's not up to me, it's up to the voters, or something similar. Some analysts are asking if a white male is the best fit for 2020 with such a diverse Democratic field, particularly after many midterm successes powered by female and nonwhite candidates. What does this mean for the Democratic political landscape? What is O'Rourke about, based upon what he has accomplished rather than what he campaigns on? How does he get so much traction when a candidate like Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) is currently getting very little? According to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro must go – even if the military has to intervene. This is part of the misinformation and disinformation campaign that you find in varying degrees in mainstream corporate media. Gingrich writes for Fox News Thursday, “There is one simple answer to the humanitarian disaster in Venezuela. The dictator Nicolás Maduro and his corrupt, violent, repressive regime must go. Venezuela is part of the immediate American neighborhood. If our commitment to change is not effective in our own backyard, the impact on our prestige and leadership worldwide will be substantial.” Anya Parampil's piece in MintPress News, "Ricardo Hausmann's 'Morning After' for Venezuela: The Neoliberal Brain Behind Juan Guaido's Economic Agenda," articulates a different narrative based upon research and historical context. We'll examine the differences.GUESTS:Garland Nixon — Co-Host of Fault Lines on Sputnik News. Anya Parampil — Washington, DC-based journalist. She previously hosted a daily progressive afternoon news program called "In Question" on RT America.

On this episode of The Critical Hour, Dr. Wilmer Leon is joined by Alex Rubinstein, MintPress News analyst and journalist. Federal Judge Claude M. Hilton in Alexandria, Virginia, has ordered Chelsea Manning, the former US Army intelligence officer and whistle-blower who served seven years in prison for passing information to WikiLeaks, to be held in jail for refusing to answer questions before a grand jury. Manning will be held until she testifies or until the grand jury concludes its work, the judge ruled in the closed contempt hearing earlier today. What's going on with Chelsea Manning?It started as a resolution condemning anti-Semitism. Then, anti-Muslim bias was added in. After that came white supremacy. And by the end, it cited “African-Americans, Native Americans, and other people of color, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, immigrants and others” victimized by bigotry. Notably absent were Catholics who don't like puppies and Protestants who don't like re-runs of "Barney Miller." The resolution condemning “hateful expressions of intolerance” passed the House of Representatives by an overwhelming 407 to 23 vote late yesterday afternoon. Twenty-three Republican lawmakers voted against the resolution, arguing the measure was “watered down” and failed to properly condemn Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-MN) recent controversial remarks on US-Israel relations.The sentencing of Paul Manafort was highly anticipated, but it was an unlikely candidate to become the latest example of a conflict that has vexed legal professionals and activists for decades: systemic inequality in the criminal justice system. It's interesting to me that it takes this sentencing to raise this issue. For example, in 2009, Judge T.S. Ellis III was the judge in the corruption case of former United States Representative William J. Jefferson, who was indicted and convicted of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. On August 5, 2009, he was found guilty of 11 of 16 corruption counts. On November 13, 2009, Jefferson was sentenced to 13 years in prison, the longest sentence given to a congressman. He began serving his sentence in 2012, and in 2017, Judge Ellis addressed Jeffersons's appeal, throwing out seven of his convictions; in December of that year, Jefferson pleaded guilty to three charges in a retrial, and Ellis sentenced him to time served, making Jefferson a free man. Yet, as Judge Ellis handed down Manafort's sentence in a jam-packed Alexandria, Virginia, courtroom Thursday, and observers digested the judge's decision — 47 months — Manafort's case was immediately perceived as a high-profile instance of the justice system working one way for a wealthy, well-connected man, while working in another, harsher way for indigent defendants facing lesser crimes.During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Thursday, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio condemned Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a “clear danger” and a “threat to the national security of the US.” As was to be expected, the hearing was filled with plenty of threats and talk of flipping “military elites” and enforcing tougher sanctions. At the same time, Venezuela was suffering one of its most severe power outages in recent history, which stretched into a second day Friday, with hospital patients languishing in the dark, most supermarkets closed, and phone service largely out in the oil-rich but economically collapsing country. Maduro blamed the outage on sabotage by the US government, which has backed an opposition effort to force out the leader. He offered no evidence for the claim and ordered schools and offices closed Friday because of the blackout. But perhaps unexpected was just how out in the open and brazen were Rubio's own admissions of how far he's willing to go in promoting regime change in Caracas. In public testimony, he called on the US to promote “widespread unrest” in Venezuela in order to eventually bring down the Maduro government.GUESTS:Alex Rubinstein — MinstPress News analyst and journalist. Jim Kavanagh — Political analyst and commentator and editor of The Polemicist.Daniel Lazare — Journalist and author of three books: "The Frozen Republic," "The Velvet Coup" and "America's Undeclared War."

Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis (US Army, Ret.), author of Alliance of Evil: Russia, China, the United States, and a New Cold War, explains why Russia and China are backing embattled Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and what's at stake for the United States in the power struggle there.

More than a week into a standoff with the opposition, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro now says that he is willing to negotiate. Rob Carnell, Head of Research and Chief Economist, Asia-Pacific, ING Bank shares what’s next for Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said Wednesday during his presentation to the UN National Assembly that his country is a permanent victim of diplomatic, economic and media aggression by the United States. “I bring the voice of a country that has refused to surrender throughout history, to injustice, to empires, yesterday slave and colonial; today also neocolonial slavers. I bring the voice of a historic people, who rose up from the aborigines, from the native peoples who for centuries resisted the domination of the colonial empires, “he said at the beginning of his speech. Criticizes Trump He questioned the president of the United States Donald Trump for having spoken with disdain of his Government. He accused him of playing a role of judge of the party and police of the world. “Our country is harassed, Trump attacked the noble people of Venezuela, raising the doctrine that 200 years ago founded the empire of the states and determined since then what was going to constitute its interventionist role,” he said. Just a day before Trump told reporters at the UN headquarters that the Chavista president could be quickly overthrown by the military if that will existed. Venezuela quickly responded through its foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, who said that his country is ready to defend the regime and that “the example of Vietnam, a military failure of the United States, may be short.” He asks for dialogue At another point in his speech, he said that despite the ideological, historical, social, abysmal differences with the president of the United States, Donald Trump is willing to shake his hand and sit down to discuss their bilateral differences. “Donald Trump is worried about Venezuela, I am willing to talk with an open agenda about all the topics he wants to talk about, with humility, with sincerity. Venezuela holds the flags of the dialogue of civilizations as president, promotes the practice of international political dialogue, through the understanding of politics, and not of force. “ Requests investigation of the attack He demanded the implementation of an “independent investigation” on the attack with drones that he suffered on August 4. Maduro asked the United Nations to appoint a “special delegate” to take charge of this “international” investigation and linked the United States and several Latin American countries with what happened. “Venezuela is open.  The doors of our country, of our justice system, are open to establishing the direct responsibilities of this aggression, ” said the Venezuelan leader. He reiterated his accusation that the attack “was planned from the territory of the United States” and said that he has transmitted to Washington the “name” of the “intellectual authors, financiers and planners” of the same. This is not the first time that Maduro attends the UN General Assembly, in which he already participated in 2014 and 2015. On those occasions, he had said that Venezuela permanently supports a conspiracy of the imperial forces and allies of the United States, which claim Undermine democracy. This article appeared first on DAPULSE The post Maduro at the UN: Venezuela is a permanent victim of diplomatic and economic aggression appeared first on DAPULSE.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan discuss how the mainstream media reports on and frames various news events. Why are so many stories told in such a deceptive manner; what makes members of the press struggle to be straight with the public?Scheduled Guests:Darlene Brown - CEO of DivineEmpowerment.org | The Keys to Maintaining a Positive MindsetHolly Hood - Urban Libertarian | Is the Mainstream Media Allowed to Tell the Truth?James Carey - Editor at GeoPolitics Alert | Who was Behind Maduro's Assassination Attempt in Venezuela? Tom Luongo - Geopolitical Analyst and Publisher of the Gold Goats 'n Guns Newsletter | Analyzing the Narratives Surrounding Bill Browder and Sergei Magnitsky Michael Krieger - Founder of LibertyBlitzkrieg.com | The Reality of #QAnon + Should You DELETE Facebook?This past week, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro survived an assassination attempt involving a drone attack. James Carey, editor at GeoPolitics Alert, returns to Fault Lines to discuss the attempt on Maduro's life and who the Venezuelan government alleges is behind the plot.The story of Bill Browder and the Magnitsky Act is one that does not stand up well against tough scrutiny. Geopolitical analyst Tom Luongo has been delving into Browder's history, and he will share his findings and conclusions on today's program.For the final segment of the week, Michael Krieger of LibertyBlitzkrieg.com joins Garland and Lee to discuss both the "QAnon" phenomenon and the latest pushes for censorship on social media. What aspects of the QAnon movement are drawing people in, and what is the future of free speech on the internet?

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro handily won reelection, but the international community rejected his election as a sham, and the United States responded with new sanctions. To explain what happened and what's next, Francisco Rodriguez, a Venezuelan economist and a policy advisor to leading opposition candidate Henri Falcón, joins this week’s Deep Dish with Brian Hanson.

Improbably, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is still in power at the close of 2017. But he'll lose "handily" in the 2018 presidential election—provided it's a remotely free and fair contest—said Mark Feierstein. The NSC senior director for Western Hemisphere Affairs in the Obama administration talked with AS/COA Online’s Holly K. Sonneland about electoral strategies, sanctions, and baseball.

As the Los Angeles Philharmonic arrives in New York to give a pair of concerts on March 16 and 17 at Lincoln Center, its music director, Gustavo Dudamel, faces an increasingly difficult political situation back in his native Venezuela. It’s been a month since violent clashes between opposition demonstrators and government forces in Venezuela first grabbed global headlines. Protests rage on with no sign of ending. Dudamel himself has been pressured to speak out on the situation, notably by a fellow Venezuelan musician, pianist Gabriela Montero. Montero and others have said that Dudamel should use his global stature – and exercise his ethical responsibility as an artist – to take a stronger stand against what they see as a repressive government. But others argue that Dudamel can’t afford to get involved in partisan politics because of his close ties to El Sistema, Venezuela’s vast, state-funded national music education system. Tricia Tunstall, author of Changing Lives: Gustavo Dudamel, El Sistema, and the Transformative Power of Music, says that El Sistema’s mission has always been “to stay out of partisan politics and to continue in the work that is their highest priority, which is to work with hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan children, giving them safe haven, musical training and an environment where they can learn to be productive citizens.” El Sistema was founded in 1975 by Jose Antonio Abreu, a musician and economist, and it has flourished under eight different governments while aiming to keep many impoverished kids on the straight and narrow. “Yes, they are funded by the government but [Abreu] does not identify the Sistema with any political program and that is why the Sistema has been able to flourish, survive and grow from eleven kids in 1975 to almost 600,000 kids in 2014,” Tunstall added. Mark Swed, the classical music critic of the Los Angeles Times, interviewed Dudamel after the conductor led a controversial concert in Venezuela on February 12, the same day that three people died in anti-government protests there. Dudamel told him that he was unaware of the nearby protests, and insists that he’s firmly opposed to any violence from either side of the conflict. “Ultimately, we have no idea how Dudamel, maestro Abreu and others are functioning in El Sistema,” Swed said. “Abreu’s way of working has always been to try and influence the politics subtly from the inside. The second he takes a public stand, he can’t do that anymore.” Meanwhile, other musicians are taking a firm political position, albeit from a distance. Venezuelan conductor Carlos Izcaray is organizing a “Concert for Peace and Liberty” in Berlin this Sunday, which will feature a number of fellow expats including Gabriela Montero. Izcaray says that the goal of the concert is to raise awareness for victims of political violence, including several musicians who he says have been “detained, beaten, tortured and threatened by the national police.” Izcaray says he doesn’t hold any bad feelings towards Dudamel or other Venezuelan musicians who aren’t speaking out, noting that being a musician in Venezuela means usually relying on the government for support. “I’m pretty confident a lot of this has to do with fear of losing support for the institution, maybe they’ll cut their funding or be fired.” He adds: “As far as artists go, we do have to defend each other.” Listen to the full podcast above and tell us what you think below: what is the responsibility of artists in times of political unrest? Should art and politics remain separate or do creative people have a duty to speak out? Photos: 1) People shout slogans as they protest against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in front of riot policemen outside the Cuban embassy in Caracas on February 25, 2014 (Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images) 2) Gustavo Dudamel, Jose Antonio Abreu and Venezuelan president Nicholas Madura.